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Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
We are never alone. Lord, thank you for Your strength and help that strength to give me courage.
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"A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord determines his steps." Proverbs 16:9
Read any book or blog or article or attend a conference regarding success in any area of life, the topic of "planning ahead" will be included. However, a huge part of successful planning includes the requirement to be flexible. Planning ahead is not synonymous with the "instructions" given to assemble your latest purchase from IKEA. Instructions are helpful when we have something that is simplistic and inanimate and has nothing distinct about it. Step A then Step B and then Step C. Unfortunately, life is neither that simple nor void of human interaction and life is very diverse. Planning is required but we need to be flexible when the many variables of life enter into the equation. Lord, help me to plan but to also be open to You and Your consistent involvement and directions in my life. "Walk as children of light-for the fruit of the light results in all goodness, righteousness, and truth-discerning what is pleasing to the Lord." Ephesians 5:8-10
It is hard to produce fruit from a weed. It is even harder to produce fruit without photosynthesis (light). Lord, help me to be light in darkness and fruit bearing and not a weed. "If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it."
1 Corinthians 12:26-27 We all want to belong to something or someone. It can even be argued that we cannot "be" without the natural urge to "long" for something more than ourselves. In a world that has always included humans who are selfish but who are increasingly isolating themselves through intention or through unintended actions and behaviors, belonging to others is an unnatural attitude and requires intentional behavior. Lord, help me to invest in others and to value others. "Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you." Matthew 7:7
A common response to a child asking a parent for something is "No. Maybe later". But which is it? No or Maybe. Another typical response is "No. Not yet" or "No. Not now". Again, which is it? No or later? A response that God often gives more than either "Yes" or "No" is "Not Yet" Unfortunately, we don't deal with "Not Yet" very well and simply see a "non-yes" as a "firm no". We need to realize that God's timing is perfect (similar to a parents timing for a child) and that a "non-yes" right now is not a "firm no" but a "be patient and I will give you the answer when you are ready and it will actually be a yes, if you are asking for unselfish things." Lord, help me to realize that Your timing is better than mine and I need to ask for thing that matter to You and not only things for me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. Malachi 3:10
Tithing has little to nothing to do with money and everything to do with faith and trust and perspective. I have no money. Any money I have is actually God's money. The money I have "earned" has been earned through the gifts and talents God has given me. The fact that God allows me to have money and use most of it how I please, is a blessing. I am not giving away ten percent. I am allowed to keep 90%. I am not being generous by giving. I am being obedient. Lord, help me to realize that I am not giving away money but I am being allowed to keep a lot more money than I deserve. Help me to be obedient and not generous. Then He said to them all, "If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me." Luke 9:23
The NBA season is over and the "Summer of Lebron Free Agency" begins ... again. Lebron can only pick one NBA team to play for and there are about 10 teams that hope that he chooses them. One fan base will get their wish while nine other cities will be disappointed. Lebron can only play on one team at a time. And so can we. God wants us on His team. He has recruited us and told us all that He can offer. We need to choose either His team or we can stay on the team that we are on now. We can't be on two teams at once. This isn't middle school or high school anymore where you can play on a bunch of teams and multiple sports at the same time. We are adults now. We need to grow up. It is time to pick a sport and a team and commit to it. Lord, thanks for recruiting me. I would like to commit to Your team and to You as my coach. "Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." Matthew 6:11-12
Getting exactly what we deserve. Just enough. Just this much. When we seek justice, we are not seeking more than we deserve, nor less, but just what we should get. If we want exactly what we deserve, then we should give in the same manner. If we desire forgiveness, then we should forgive exactly the same way. Lord, help me to understand your grace (which is more than I deserve) and your mercy (which is not what I deserve) and appreciate justice (exactly what I deserve) and to give all three as well. "He has told you men what is good and what it is the LORD requires of you: Only to act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8
We tend to make things more complicated than they need to be. The purpose of life ... Make money? Become famous? More toys? Increase Social Media following? How about ... treat people well, show love to others and don't think too highly of yourself ... in other words, love God and love others and be less selfish. Lord, help me to act justly, love faithfully and walk humbly. Therefore, whoever thinks he stands must be careful not to fall! 1 Corinthians 10:12
Confidence is valuable. However, what is our confidence in? If our confidence lies only in our own self, then it is soon to be cockiness and arrogance. Confidence that is rooted in Christ will always include humility. Lord, thank you for all that I have , which is more than I can ever realize, and thank you that all that I have comes from You, which is more than I typically ever recognize. |
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