Hebrews 6:11-13 (New American Standard Bible) (www.biblegatweway.com)
And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself
I love this passage. I think it gives such hope and assurance of God's faithfulness. The best part of it is the reminder to myself.....God doesn't expect me to sit around, waiting for His promises to show up on my front porch. I need to be up and moving "through faith and patience." I still need to do what my day calls me to do. I need to have that "same diligence" as those the author of Hebrews talks about...Abraham, Sarah, Noah, Moses, Rahab, Jacob...all people who thought they didn't have any chances left. But God saw their diligence and rewarded them with His promises.
Which is also amazing here.....there are no conditions. No ultimatums, no 'maybe', no false hope. God has already made these promises to us and He longs for us to seek after Him and them! He made promises to us long before we were born that we could be content, prosperous, fruitful and filled with eternal life. So often we assume that once we start looking for Him and His promises, we'll find them. Truth is, they've been sitting there all along and God will reward our diligence and faithfulness to Him.
Which brings me to my point..........................
CONGRATULATIONS, MICHAEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am so happy for you, my dear brother, that God has rewarded your faithfulness with a job. And not just 'any' job...He's given you the desire of your heart in the type of job you've been praying for all along! As much as we hated watching you all move away, we had to believe that it was a part of God's plan for you. I'm so thrilled that this new job has brought joy back to your spirit and a spring in your step!
Congratulations, and I love you!
Friday, June 27, 2008
Monday, June 16, 2008
yeah, yeah...
Okay, being in a funk is overrated. Life isn't easy and I need to get over it! Just because I don't like the work involved doesn't mean I get to check out, right?! Right.
Our area has been one of the regions inundated with flooding lately. It's all anyone talks about. And our "little" town is like one big group of tourists, driving around downtown, waiting for the dam to break or a building to collapse. I don't know...maybe this generation of people raised on "America's Funniest Home Videos" takes too much interest in other people's demise...or we're just too curious for our own good?
Basements get flooded. Power goes out. Homes get hit by tornadoes. People lose jobs. Cars die. Animals run away. Kids disobey. Wives nag. Husbands don't get it. Vacations get cancelled. Sisters move away. Parents get sick.
This is part of life. We learn to take the good with the bad. There are even some of us who only ever see bad. But where is our focus?
Do we check out and refuse to do anything of any positive consequence because we're "in a funk?"
Do we only focus on the regional tragedy and forget to offer a helping hand?
And above all, does everything we do point to Christ?
It's more than just, "God allows these things to happen." I think He wants to see what we'll do with the information He gives us and the situations He places us in. Some may think this is "easier said than done" but I believe that we need to take that Blessings Memory, remember all the ways God has provided in the past, and use it to help others get through tough situations now--regardless of what personal tragedy may be clouding their vision.
Jeremiah 32:16-27 (NAS; www.biblegateway.com)
"After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah, then I prayed to the LORD, saying,
'Ah Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You, who shows lovingkindness to thousands, but repays the iniquity of fathers into the bosom of their children after them, O great and mighty God.
The LORD of hosts is His name; great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, giving to everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds; who has set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, and even to this day both in Israel and among mankind; and You have made a name for Yourself, as at this day.
You brought Your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and with wonders, and with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm and with great terror; and gave them this land, which You swore to their forefathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey.
They came in and took possession of it, but they did not obey Your voice or walk in Your law; they have done nothing of all that You commanded them to do; therefore You have made all this calamity come upon them.
Behold, the siege ramps have reached the city to take it; and the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans who fight against it, because of the sword, the famine and the pestilence; and what You have spoken has come to pass; and behold, You see it. You have said to me, O Lord GOD, "Buy for yourself the field with money and call in witnesses"--although the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.'"
Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying,
"Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?"
Let's work to take comfort in the God of all flesh and remember that He has created all and is in all. Regardless of what this life may bring us, He hs created us and is more than capable to get us through!
Our area has been one of the regions inundated with flooding lately. It's all anyone talks about. And our "little" town is like one big group of tourists, driving around downtown, waiting for the dam to break or a building to collapse. I don't know...maybe this generation of people raised on "America's Funniest Home Videos" takes too much interest in other people's demise...or we're just too curious for our own good?
Basements get flooded. Power goes out. Homes get hit by tornadoes. People lose jobs. Cars die. Animals run away. Kids disobey. Wives nag. Husbands don't get it. Vacations get cancelled. Sisters move away. Parents get sick.
This is part of life. We learn to take the good with the bad. There are even some of us who only ever see bad. But where is our focus?
Do we check out and refuse to do anything of any positive consequence because we're "in a funk?"
Do we only focus on the regional tragedy and forget to offer a helping hand?
And above all, does everything we do point to Christ?
It's more than just, "God allows these things to happen." I think He wants to see what we'll do with the information He gives us and the situations He places us in. Some may think this is "easier said than done" but I believe that we need to take that Blessings Memory, remember all the ways God has provided in the past, and use it to help others get through tough situations now--regardless of what personal tragedy may be clouding their vision.
Jeremiah 32:16-27 (NAS; www.biblegateway.com)
"After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah, then I prayed to the LORD, saying,
'Ah Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You, who shows lovingkindness to thousands, but repays the iniquity of fathers into the bosom of their children after them, O great and mighty God.
The LORD of hosts is His name; great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, giving to everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds; who has set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, and even to this day both in Israel and among mankind; and You have made a name for Yourself, as at this day.
You brought Your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and with wonders, and with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm and with great terror; and gave them this land, which You swore to their forefathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey.
They came in and took possession of it, but they did not obey Your voice or walk in Your law; they have done nothing of all that You commanded them to do; therefore You have made all this calamity come upon them.
Behold, the siege ramps have reached the city to take it; and the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans who fight against it, because of the sword, the famine and the pestilence; and what You have spoken has come to pass; and behold, You see it. You have said to me, O Lord GOD, "Buy for yourself the field with money and call in witnesses"--although the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.'"
Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying,
"Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?"
Let's work to take comfort in the God of all flesh and remember that He has created all and is in all. Regardless of what this life may bring us, He hs created us and is more than capable to get us through!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)