It’s All In Where You Look

Have you ever had a time in your life when it seemed like there were more obstacles than open doors to go through? I know I have. We are placed here on earth in part to give us the opportunity to learn and to grow, and to enjoy that process, or at least I think that is true. As I reflected this morning on this very idea, it made me smile. Jesus gave us some insights in this regard that I find very valuable, and in the past I don’t think I really clearly understood the impact of His words.

Luke 12:31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.
32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

This is one of two times that Jesus (Yeshua) told a parable about the importance of the kingdom of God to us. He was talking about how we cannot change anything by worrying. He also said we do not have to worry because God takes care of all of the animals, certainly He will take care of us. What I see now about that is He is constantly working at all times in everything. He is already taking care of making sure we have our needs met. In His kingdom, everything is already taken care of by Him. Certainly we would be too, right? Like us, God wants to be happy, so He wants to do what makes Him happy. Verse 32 is such a blessing then because Jesus (Yeshua) said it makes God happy to give us the kingdom when we seek it! And later Jesus tells us how to get there and what to watch out for that could keep us from getting there.

Luke 12:34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Jesus (Yeshua) told us to treasure the kingdom, so our heart will be there. Our heart is a driving force in empowering both our speech and our prayers. Our heart will drive us to what it seeks. If we consciously keep seeking for the kingdom, our heart will be there, and this process will snowball until we are completely engaged in wanting God’s kingdom. And God will give it to us.

It can be challenging to do this in times of stress. I think that is why God invented prayer and praise, but that is for another post. For today, join me in lifting your prayer and praise to God in thankfulness for all He has for us, and for bringing His kingdom into our lives.

Prayer
Father, we praise and exalt You today. You truly are the great King or the universe. Please bring Your kingdom into our lives today, and into the lives of our friends and families. Do so mightily and speedily so that all may know You alone are the One True God. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

A Day Of Thanksgiving

Today in the United States we celebrate Thanksgiving Day. I have heard many comments, good and bad, about the origin of this holiday. I choose to treat it as a day that families gather to reflect and be thankful. It can be so difficult to stay tuned in to the fact that God is in control. Or that is true for me, at least. If we can focus on that fact, that God is working in everything and at all times, we can feel a sense of confidence and security in trusting Him. And, we can be thankful.

Maybe that is the best way to spend today, or at least a portion of it. In the Psalms God tells us that He does not want animal sacrifice, but rather our thanks. If we give that to Him, He will work on our behalf.

Psalms 50:14Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High:
15And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

He wants us to pay what we owe, which is saying, singing, and praising with thanks. Then when we call upon us, He will deliver us because when others see it, He will be glorified. Today, take a moment to thank God for everything so far. Then ask of Him something that you need, something troubling you. Then stand back and watch our God deliver you that everyone might know that He alone is God!

Prayer
Father, we praise You for all You are and all You do. Thank You for this world You have created and are bringing into Your subjection. Please reach out to us today, and deliver us from our troubles. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

Glad In God’s Work

God is at work in the earth. I know sometimes I have wondered about His planning and timing. Today as I was thinking about this I realized I was looking from my perspective and not God’s perspective. Yo see, I realized that what is just beyond my window – the beauty of trees, the forest animals, the birds that still remain here in the north – all of these God created. And it is by the work of His hands that they remain as living creatures, playing and interacting with one another. He also made everything inside this house. Jesus (Yeshua) spoke of this when He told us not to worry, after teaching us to pray in the manner of the Lord’s prayer, giving it as an example of the meaning of that prayer.

Matthew 6:25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

For me I need to remind myself than when I talk to God He hears me. He is on our side and clearly wants to provide for us, as Jesus (Yeshua) tells us. And what brought me to think of these things was Psalms 92. The psalmist first tells us to thank and praise God.

Psalms 92:1 It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High:
2 To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night,

The verse that really got my attention is one I had previously not really fully grasped. I always pray and ask God to bless the work of my hands, which He does promise. However, the psalmist is rejoicing in something diefferent here. He is rejoicing in the works of God and in the works of His hands.

Psalms 92:4 For thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands.
5 O Lord, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep.

He is saying we will triumph by the work of God’s hands, not ours! That made me rejoice because that means that it is God that will do the work, and He does great work! This causes such a burden to lift, a feeling of joy, and thankfulness!

Prayer
Father, we praise and thank You for this day in Your plan and in the works of Your hands. Thank You so much for all You do for us. Thank You for taking care of all of nature. Thank You for taking care of all of Your people. I will continue to praise You today for the works of Your hands. Please reach out Your hands and deliver Your people today Father. Please reach out and give them their needs for today. Father, please forgive us our sins, and we forgive those that sin against us. Father, please grab hold of humanity today Father and show Yourself God. Judge the earth today for the judgement it needs today, setting aright those things that are not straight. We thank You for Your deliverance, healing, and provision. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

From Our Lips

This morning the ground is covered with leaves outside my window. The cold for the last few days has gripped at my bones. In the swirl of life’s many considerations, I was praying and pacing and telling God I wanted to focus on being thankful. I was searching for answers, just as I have seen so many of my brethren do the same. Two scriptures came to mind. The first was in Proverbs.

Proverbs 10:13 In the lips of him that hath understanding wisdom is found: but a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding.

This scripture says wisdom is found in the lips of those with understanding. I take that to mean those of us that follow God. We understand that God is King and is for us, not against us. Wisdom will come from our own lips if we will just open them. Then I checked out Psalms 53.

Psalms 53:1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.
2 God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God.
3 Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
4 Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread: they have not called upon God.
5 There were they in great fear, where no fear was: for God hath scattered the bones of him that encampeth against thee: thou hast put them to shame, because God hath despised them.
6 Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! When God bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.

This psalm seems to be saying the same thing that is in the proverb, except for one important point. In the psalm we see that there are those that do no good that are trying to consume God’s people in verse four. In verse five God causes these people to be put to shame and scattered. In verse six He talks of gathering His people to Him (that is what the bringing back the captivity means). The difference is the proverb tells us how this happens. It happens with our lips.

Today, if you feel the need for God’s deliverance, the need for God to draw you closer, just open your mouth and begin to praise Him for His deliverance and thank Him for it. Turn it into a little tune you can sing under your breath when around others. Our God is our Deliverer!

Prayer
Father, we praise and thank You for being the Most High God. You are the great Healer King! You are our Provider King! Today Father we ask that You move mightily with Your healing and provision. Put to shame those that come against us to eat us like bread. Destroy the works of their hands. Raise up Your people. We will thank You all the day long. Show Yourself to be the One True Deliverer of Your people. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

A Time Of Reflection

Late yesterday evening I received word from two friends that they had had deaths in their families. One friend actually lost his father. As I thought about these situations this morning it reminded me of just how fragile we are as the human race. We really do not have long on this earth, and the time we do have is meant to magnify our God, love our families, and be kind to those we meet. If we live such a life, we are most blessed. In times like these I find many reasons to be thankful.

I am thankful that God has given to me a loving wife and four great children. I am thankful that I have always had a place to stay out of the cold. I am thankful that God has always provided enough food for my children to eat. I am thankful that I can sit here at my kitchen table and write these reflections that people will read. I am thankful that God is more than enough to cover for all of the things that I cannot accomplish or do or provide. I am thankful that God does not leave us to fend for ourselves. I am thankful for Jesus (Yeshua) our Messiah who bled and died and rose again, that we might have eternal life if we confess our sins and make Him Lord of our lives. I am thankful for life.

Prayer
Father, we praise You, our Almighty God. Thank You for being with us at all times and through all things. Thank You for giving us today those needs we have for today. Please do not leave us alone today. Please comfort those that have lost loved ones and help them to live in victory through tough times. Please deliver Your people today Father from lack and despair. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

At Our Right Hand

As the sun rose this morning I was reading Psalms 109. David is calling out to God for help. David tells of how he has done good to others, but they returned evil for the good. He says that these evil ones have spoken lies against him, and that they have done this for no good reason. As David continues to sing his prayer, he asks God to rise up and defeat his enemies. As the Psalm begins to wind down, David describes his own state. In reading this part it reminded me of how we may feel at times when life seems to be unfolding unjustly, and we feel we are in a state of desperate need.

Psalms 109:21 But do thou for me, O God the Lord, for thy name’s sake: because thy mercy is good, deliver thou me.
22 For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.
23 I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust.
24 My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness.
25 I became also a reproach unto them: when they looked upon me they shaked their heads.
26 Help me, O Lord my God: O save me according to thy mercy:
27 That they may know that this is thy hand; that thou, Lord, hast done it.

David tells God in his song that he feels as though he is at his end and cannot go on. He calls upon God to be merciful and to deliver him in a way that everyone knows that it is the hand of God that has done it. This is a blessing to me because we know that after this prayerful song God did deliver David. God is delivering the house of David every day. We are that house when we ask Jesus into our lives to be our Lord, repenting of our sins. The last two verses when read from this perspective are very helpful for me.

Psalms 109:30 I will greatly praise the Lord with my mouth; yea, I will praise him among the multitude.
31 For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those that condemn his soul.

Today I am thankful that God is at our right hand and executes His judgement on our behalf with mercy toward us. We may be poor from no money, from lack of health, from a cast down spirit within us, or from lack of peace. Jesus (Yeshua) stands at our right hand to judge the darkness against us that is trying to wear us out, and He is merciful to deliver us.

Prayer
Father, thank You so much for revealing yourself to us, for being the Most High God. Thank You for the great blessings You provide every morning. Thank You for Your great love toward us. We ask Father that today You stand at our right hand and execute judgement over the darkness that causes whatever lack we may have. We ask that You do that with mercy toward us, and that You do it in a way that everyone knows it is You alone that delivers us. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

Only One King

Here in the Midwest the weather is changing as we move into fall. What only a few months ago was a view into a brightly lit greenery of trees and bushes in the forest beyond my kitchen window this morning is covered yet in the black of night. Temperatures approached freezing overnight. When the dawn does arrive, it will lighten a newly painted view of browns, reds, oranges and fading green as leaves begin to change and fall. As a child I loved to pile up the leaves and jump into them. In the recent past I have found myself upset at the knee high leaf carpet that forms around my house and requires my attention for many hours. This year, however, is different.

This year I have come to realize more than ever that there is just One King, our God. He made the creation to reflect Him in His greatness, to tell His story. The fall holds the story of the birth of the Messiah. The winter makes us long for spring. Spring holds the story of renewal, the renewal we receive through the death on the cross of Yeshua (Jesus). Just as He rose from the dead, the first of many brethren, so shall we rise because we have been reborn. When I rake my leaves, I am participating in the dance of life. I am participating in the rhythm of the universe set by God Himself, our King. This year I will earnestly try to remember that, being thankful and content in all things, including the raking of the leaves.

I guess this means I will have to enjoy shoveling snow as well?

Prayer
Father, we thank You for the dance of life, the rhythm You have placed in the universe. You alone are King. We ask that You help us to be thankful and content in all things. We ask that You be with us today, whether we have cold weather today or hot. We ask that You hold us close, and give to us and to others those things we need today. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

“Stupid Is As Stupid Does”

This morning in my prayer time I was praying about a simple yet annoying issue I am facing based on bureaucracy. It is easy for me to get frustrated at some things that seem so simple yet have reams of paper and a trail of dead trees tied to them to get straightened out. You may know the experience – get one thing wrong on one form and then spend days filling out dozens of forms to correct the first one, right? I was thinking how stupid that is, and it reminded me of the line from Forrest Gump which I used as the title here. God directed me to Psalms 108.

It has been a while since I read Psalms 108. It is a great Psalm telling of praise and worship with voice and instruments. What struck me was the last two verses,

Psalms 108:12 Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man.
13 Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.

As I read and prayed this Psalm this morning, it made me smile. I was thinking about how many people over how many years have faced many difficulties and trials. Yet, God is faithful and delivers from them all. I was smiling because in every case, the devil loses. Now I realize that spiritual beings may not have a real grasp of time like humans do, but after a while you would think he would get a clue! How many cans of whoppin’ do God’s people have to open on him, through prayer and praise to God, before he gets it? And as I thought about it, it really put things in perspective. The enemy of my soul is really, REALLY, stupid! My God never fails, never quits, and never loses! Praise God!

Prayer
Father, thank You for being our Strong Defender. Thank You for always, always, always coming to the aid of your people. Thank You for Your deliverance in times of trouble. Today I ask in Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name that You put an extra whoopin’ on that knucklehead, our enemy, and that You raise up Your people everywhere from despair and trouble, and make them to stand in the gates and the courts of Your sanctuary. Let those that see Your mighty deliverance of Your people know that You alone are God. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

Thankful For Sundown

This morning while drinking my coffee I was trying to work on my blog and was having issues with the hosting service. For non-technical folks, the stuff wasn’t working. For me, I got angry. Once I worked through it I found that most of my frustration was caused by the way I was doing things. Imagine that. Perhaps none of you that read this have that happen, but I seem to get in my own way frequently. But it reminded me of a verse that says something about being angry and still not sinning, so I looked it up. I was surprised to find it in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, chapter 4,

Ephesians 4:26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

I was surprised for a few reasons. The first was that in this chapter Paul talks about how the church is to be organized. There are to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers (and Paul says these are separate gifts, not all in one person) and that they are there to build up the body of the Messiah, the believers. What was not there was anything about someone being in charge of someone, and I noticed no mention of “lead pastor” which is a common phrase today. Perhaps I will write more on that one day, but back to my point. In the midst of this chapter about building up the body was a warning about anger being okay, but not to let the day go by (sun go down) still holding on to that rage. In fact, it kind of implies that it would be sin to stay angry about something for more than a day.

That lead me to try to better understand the sin in this. I found a great bible verse, in fact the only bible verse that I know that clearly defines sin. John wrote about it in his first letter,

1 John 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

So sin is defined for us clearly in the scripture as transgression of the law. For those that read this that think the law is not for today, you get a bonus. If you are right, you are free to do anything because you cannot sin because there is no law. For those that believe we can still sin, then by definition here in scripture, the law is still for today. So if the law is for today, and sin is transgression of the law, then how is it that it would be sin to keep rage in our hearts after sundown? I suggest the answer is found in the new covenant and the teachings of Jesus (Yeshua). The new covenant, according to what is recorded when Paul quoted the prophet Jeremiah to the Hebrews, is the law written in our hearts,

Hebrews 10:16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;

Jesus (Yeshua) said in Matthew that what is in the heart is what comes out of our mouth.

Matthew 12:34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

Paul also addressed the heart and speaking in his letter to the Romans.

Romans 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

One last verse will tie this together, from Lamentations we read,

Lamentations 3:22 It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

If we get angry and let go, the law in our hearts, the new covenant, will allow us to continue to believe unto righteousness and speak wholeness (salvation). This fits with God’s cycle of giving us new mercies every morning. If instead we hold on to our rage overnight, that starts to become a part of our heart, displacing the law, the new covenant, and that will eventually come out of our mouth. Holding on to rage, to anger, especially as it relates to the body of believers growing to be more like the Messiah (Ephesians 4) is just plain not good.

I am so glad that God set the signs in the sky, like the sun, to remind me every day to let go and give things to God to resolve. With that in mind, you just got to love the sundown!

Prayer
Father, thank You for Your cycles that point us to Your ways. Thank You for providing us with a way to get to wholeness every day. Thank You for today’s mercies because we really need them. Thank You for the sundown. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

Deliberate Thankfulness

In life we can get caught up in the day to day activities. It happens for me frequently. What do we miss? What we miss is the foundation for the day. Think about it for a moment. If just start our day with the lengthy list of to-dos, we don’t really have a foundation, just a running endless list of what is and is not done. As the day progresses, we can feel overwhelmed because it seems like the list is in control. It was our focus and starting point.

However, if we begin by deciding on purpose to thank God for the blessings in our life, then when the list seems overwhelming, we still have that starting point to reflect back upon and restore that blessing within us. Perhaps this is what Lamentations 3:21-26 is referring to when we read,

21 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.
22 It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
24 The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
25 The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
26 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.

Like building any house, we first need a foundation. Perhaps thankfulness toward God for daily renewal is a good place to start…

Prayer
Father, we thank You for showing us Your mercy and truth every day. We thank You that You do not hold grudges or anything against us and give us a path to renewal through confession to Jesus and seeking forgiveness. Help us today to stay focused on You. In Jesus (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.