Posts Tagged ‘thoughts’
Just recently my beloved unbelieving husband brought me an article from the Tulsa World newspaper. The title of the article is, Priest: Stealing is OK at times. The priest from northern England made a statement that reflects Man’s Ways vs. God’s Ways. His statement caused a disturbance in the congregation, fellow clergy, shop owners and police. The priest told his congregation that it is “sometimes acceptable for desperate people to shoplift – as long as they do it at the large national chain stores, rather than small, family businesses.” The priest also said that, “Shoplifting could help people who are legally entitled to welfare benefits but have them delayed for bureaucratic reasons.”
When man depends on his own reasoning of what is right or wrong, he rejects God’s Ways, “thou shalt not steal.” (Deuteronomy 5:19 [show] [19]"'And you shall not steal. (ESV)
) The Holy Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit is our Instructor, our Guide and the One who reveals the wisdom of God to us as our sensitive Counselor. (John 14:16, 26 [show] [16]And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, (ESV)
[26]But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. (ESV); 16: 7-13.)
Some might agree with what appears to be a “compassionate” priest, when they read his reasoning to why he said what he did. But again, Man’s Ways are not God’s Ways and to ignore what God says can cause another to stumble, and in this case those that are struggling with the hardships of life or those that are young in their faith. (Psalm 119:9, 165 [show] [9]How can a young man keep his way pure?
By guarding it according to your word.
[165]Great peace have those who love your law;
nothing can make them stumble.) We in the end know that those in authority as in the priest’s case, distort what Scripture says and in the end brings about destruction. (II Peter 3:16 [show] [16]as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. (ESV))
We as God’s people have a responsibility not only to observe God’s Law but to obey God’s Word and then to teach other’s God Ways. God’s children are nourished by His Words through faith. It brings delight to their spirits when they receive it and produces growth, so that they might live a righteous life before God and others. One way we can teach others to live out their faith is to teach them the importance of giving to others in need. This in itself will help those that are facing difficult times and show them the love of Christ in a practical way through the offering of money and the overflow of our abundance.
God’s Word is the same yesterday, today and forever. It is changeless and all powerful. When we apply it in our lives to do things God’s Way, we see that our circumstances as a time to lean on God for His direction and strength. We also learn to be interdependent on one another in the body of Christ for accountability and receive their support and encouragement.
Take time today to read the amazing Scriptures posted and be encouraged of God’s continuous faithfulness, power and hope of years past. Let it encourage you as you look at your circumstances and the purpose and hope God has in store for you and your life. (Joshua 1:8 [show] [8]This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. (ESV); Psalm 19:7-11, 119 [show] [7]The law of the LORD is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the testimony of the LORD is sure,
making wise the simple;
[8]the precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the LORD is pure,
enlightening the eyes;
[9]the fear of the LORD is clean,
enduring forever;
the rules of the LORD are true,
and righteous altogether.
[10]More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
and drippings of the honeycomb.
[11]Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.:160; Isaiah 55:11 [show] [11]so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.; Matthew 24:35 [show] [35]Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. (ESV); I Peter 1:24-25 [show] [24]for
"All flesh is like grass
and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers,
and the flower falls,
[25]but the word of the Lord remains forever."
And this word is the good news that was preached to you. (ESV); Hebrews 4:12 [show] [12]For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (ESV); Romans 15:4 [show] [4]For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. (ESV))
Let me ask you, what is your opinion of what this Priest said to his congregation? Do you see the importance of God’s Way vs. Man’s Way? What could this priest have instructed his congregation that would have lined up with God’s Word? We can see there is a reason God has set His rules and regulations before us. It is up to us to appropriate what He instructs us and He will surely bless us. (James 1:22-24 [show] [22]But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. [23]For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. [24]For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. (ESV); Luke 11:28 [show] [28]But he said, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!" (ESV); John 13:17 [show] [17]If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. (ESV): James 1:25 [show] [25]But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. (ESV))
Have a blessed day!!
Today, I was preparing for a weekly study I lead in the book of Proverbs. (For those of you who are interested, it is called Woman of Wisdom by Myrna Alexander.) It has gotten chilly here in Michigan as fall, true to its name, descends upon us. This is “tea weather” for me. I don’t usually drink tea the rest of the year, but in the fall, I don’t know, it just seems to hit the spot. Not wanting to get up time and again for a refill, I picked a larger mug. It has a colorful array of sheep wrapped around it. They are happily leaping and frolicking, each with a flower in their mouth. They are fat and fluffy and smiling. The verse above the heads of these cheerful creatures reads: “We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10, NIV)
Now, the handle of this mug is in the likeness of a shepherd’s hook and it has a rather delicate point at the base where it is connected to the cup portion of the mug. Shortly after I received this as a gift, the handle broke. (Why do my stories always have to do with things that are broken?) I was upset by this and was determined to fix it, so I used a product called “Gorilla Glue” to do just that. Every time I use this mug, I am hoping the glue lives up to not only its name, but everything the bottle claims it will do. Let’s face it, even on a chilly autumn day, a lap full of hot tea would not be my idea of a warming solution. I try to remember to hold it with two hands and to set it back down gently after each sip. I wash it carefully by hand to further ensure that the glue will continue to work and the handle will stay intact.
Why would I go through all this trouble? Why not relegate this adorable piece of pottery to the league of other broken mugs which have now become pen holders, bedside eyeglass caddies, or toothbrush receptacles? It’s not like I don’t have many other mugs in the cupboard all standing at the ready to be of service to me or my guests.
Well, as in all things that elicit a kind of emotional response from us and cause us to go to such lengths to protect it, this mug has a history and, therefore, an importance to me.
When I was going through my divorce, the world did not know it. By that, I mean, life went on as usual. I numbered myself amongst the “walking wounded.” No outward appearance of pain or distress, but inwardly, bearing a remarkable resemblance to the devastation we all witnessed after 9-11. Unbeknownst to me, for the same reasons, there was a group of women in my large church enduring the same trial at the same time, though in various stages. One of them, then an acquaintance and now my dear friend, invited me to go with them on one of their weekly outings. After that, I became a regular “member” and we would encourage one another, share horror stories, and celebrate all victories, small or large, which we would encounter along our grueling paths. We all loved the Lord and would use God’s Word as our main source of comfort and edification. One Christmas, I was given this “sheep” mug, thereby welcoming me into the group. It is a sweet and practical reminder of who we are in Christ and all that it means to be one of His sheep.
The verse reminds us that, despite what proved to be a negative setback in our personal lives, it did not need to negatively impact our spiritual walk. It reminds us that our husbands’ various and sundry shenanigans did not alter the fact that we were, ARE, and will continue to be “God’s workmanship.” Psalm 139 [show] O LORD, you have searched me and known me!
[2]You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
[3]You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
[4]Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.
[5]You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
[6]Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.
[7]Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
[8]If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
[9]If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
[10]even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.
[11]If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,"
[12]even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you.
[13]For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
[14]I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
[15]My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
[16]Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.
[17]How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
[18]If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
I awake, and I am still with you.
[19]Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God!
O men of blood, depart from me!
[20]They speak against you with malicious intent;
your enemies take your name in vain!
[21]Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
[22]I hate them with complete hatred;
I count them my enemies.
[23]Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
[24]And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting! is a great portion of Scripture which tells us that we were not crafted by the hands of our spouses. To make it personal, my ex-husband did not “create my inmost being” or “knit me together in my mother’s womb.” That was God’s doing. I am HIS workmanship. I do not praise the name of my ex-husband because “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” It is not his “works” that are “wonderful” nor his “eyes” that “saw my unformed body.” He did not ordain the number of days I will walk this earth and he is not “in the depths” or “in the air” as “I rise on the wings of dawn” or “settle on the far side of the sea.”
Most importantly, my ex-husband did not create me in Christ Jesus. He did not prepare the works I will do in the Name of Jesus Christ so God may be glorified. No! And, again, I say, “No!” Only a loving Creator would go to such lengths. Only a loving Father would carefully watch me and lovingly “hem me in” and lay His hand upon me as if to say, “This, this is MY child. She belongs to ME and I will take every measure to keep her heart protected and keep her safely in the fold.”
I don’t have to hope that God’s promises, like the “Gorilla Glue,” will remain true and intact. I know that He will not allow me to “flee from His presence” though I have tried—out of rebellion and shame and will, because I am human, continue to do so from time to time.
To all of you who are struggling to fit a man-made mold, remember this: There is no one, not one person, whether they are mother, father, sister, brother, son, daughter, boss, friend or even spouse, of whom you can say, they will “search me” and “know me,” follow my every movement out of love, care and concern like God the Father does.
So, it is only to Him that we offer this entreaty:
“Search me, O God, and know my heart, test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.”
I trust my Father, my Savior. His “thoughts are precious to me” and when I awake, “I am still with Him” and He is with me. For this, I am truly grateful.
(All quoted references are from Psalm 139 [show] O LORD, you have searched me and known me!
[2]You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
[3]You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
[4]Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.
[5]You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
[6]Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.
[7]Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
[8]If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
[9]If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
[10]even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.
[11]If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,"
[12]even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you.
[13]For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
[14]I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
[15]My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
[16]Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.
[17]How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
[18]If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
I awake, and I am still with you.
[19]Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God!
O men of blood, depart from me!
[20]They speak against you with malicious intent;
your enemies take your name in vain!
[21]Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
[22]I hate them with complete hatred;
I count them my enemies.
[23]Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
[24]And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!, except as otherwise noted.)
Here you are still on the road, time is passing, and your job’s security is ebbing away. Your Foolish Feelings are beginning to foster fear and dictate to you that your future is bleak and the driver in front of you is at fault.
Your blood is boiling, your heart is racing, and you’re feeling more hopeless by the minute. Your mind is racing with Stinken Thoughts of how to get the driver in front of you to move. Your Foolish Feelings wash over you and flood you with fear, anger, and panic. You begin to feel tightness in your chest and a need to escape this discomfort overtaking you. Read the rest of this entry »
Here you are in heavy traffic and headed for an important meeting. Your two-lane highway is merging into a single lane and the car along side of you is in the lane that continues. Your Stinken Thinken kicks in and you decide to put your foot to the gas pedal and out run the car alongside of you for the front position.
Well guess what, the other person decided to also fight for the front position, and won! Now you find yourself on your opponents bumper, your irritated, and filled with thoughts of getting even. With your thoughts racing and your body filled with rage, your bosses last words come into your mind, if you come in late one more time you’re fired! Read the rest of this entry »
