10.14.13

2 Thessalonians 1:11 So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call.  may he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do.

My Thoughts

Two parts stand out in this verse, "asking our God to enable you" and "good things your faith prompts you to do."

God enables us!  He makes us able!  That is what God's grace is all about enabling us to accomplish more.  When God sends us down something to do for Him, He will give us the ability if we just step out in faith.  We grow by leaps and bounds when we listen to God.  I was reminded of that old TV show Macgyver where he was always accomplishing things with the tools he had on hand.  He could rig anything out of nothing.  We are like that in God's hands... we may go into a situation thinking that we don't have the tools to accomplish what God sends us out to do...  but God can always make a way for us.  We just have to be willing. 

Then there is the part about "doing good things your faith prompts you to do."  God is the author of goodness. Satan so often trips us up by putting questions in our head the minute we think about doing good.  That is when we begin the should I, shouldn't I questions.  That is where God's word comes in handy... we can always use the Bible to see if what we are prompted to do is good by God's standards. If the answer is yes, then we can know for sure we are prompted by faith.  We need to listen to that still, small voice inside of us called the Holy Spirit.  We need to work at hearing Him and letting Him lead our lives.  When we do that goodness that will come out of us will have the power to change the lives around us. 

With God's grace and the prompting of the Holy Spirit to do good, amazing thing begin to happen. And God in all His love for us does this amazing thing, He makes doing good for others affect our lives in the most wonderful ways.  I love that about God! 

10.20.11

1 Timothy 5:25 In the same way, the good deeds of some people are obvious. And the good deeds done in secret will someday come to light.

My Thoughts

2 Thessalonians 3:13 tells us "As for the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good." We all get that point sometimes, when everybody around us seems to not be doing good and we keep trying to do what is right. We go about doing good sometimes and feel like nobody even cares or notices anyway. God always knows when we do good... when we are being good. And even if we think nobody sees what we do... somebody sees. Our reputation is being built one good deed, one good action, one good choice at a time. God always knows.  It is always worth choosing to do the right thing. Never give up!!

10.15.11

2 Thessalonians 3:5 May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ.

My Thoughts

This is beautiful... I wish that somebody had prayed this prayer over me years and years ago.. I love it.  This is what I wish for everybody, everybody. If you are reading this... if your best friend isn't I pray for you both '"May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ.' In Jesus Precious Name" I love how God is changing me as I read His word...I love how much more I understand now than I did when I started.  I love how now that I know God better I can truly feel his love....I feel how much God loves ME... I know how much God loves YOU!!  I love that I now know that I can endure anything because Christ is with me ALL the time. I pray that each and every person, every person could feel what I feel now.  I can feel sad that I have spent so many years not knowing... but get so excited, so, so excited that I have so many years left to feel wrapped in God's love.. I have so many years left to be strong enough to endure anything that comes my way.  If I was given just one wish... any wish that I wanted.... I would not ask for money... or a new house... or a new car.... now I wouldn't have to ask for happiness or to feel loved.... I would ask that each and every person on this earth would pick up their Bible each morning and make time to really get to know God... I know that if this wish was granted... not only would it change each person... it could and would change the world in amazing ways!!  God is amazing!! God's love is amazing! God has great plans for each of us and Jeremiah 29:11 tells us this... For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." God wants amazing things for us!!  Amazing things! Take time to learn all that God has to give!!  His love and his hopes for us are far beyond anything we might think to imagine. (Ephesians 3:20).

10.13.11

2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 11 So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.

My Thoughts

What a beautiful prayer!  "Please God enable my friends to life a life worthy of your call. Give them the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do."  I love that this ends with "This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.  I love how this goes with Philippians 4:13 that says all things are possible through Christ who strengthens  you.  I love that God gives us the power to accomplish all good things!! 

We need to seek out the good to do in a day.  We need to never ever underestimate the power of something good no matter how small it might seem to us. Sometimes that small moment of goodness is huge in somebody else's life...it can turn their day around... and we never know when it turns a life around completely. When we see a moment to help we need to remind ourselves that all acts of goodness and kindness, whether it is a simple smile, or a kind word... or something huge like paying a persons bills or buying someone a car.... all acts of kindness honor God.  God will give us the power for that smile, that kind word, that hand up... God gives us, puts in us what we need to be good.

Each time we think that "we should" do something nice for somebody...then we feel too tired .. or out of time... we should remember this verse... because God will give us the strength, the time... the ability. Then when we honor God... God blesses us in return.

Wow when we honor God, God even echos back honor into our lives.

What will you echo today?