11.24.11

1 Peter 2:22-23 He (Jesus) never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone. He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly.

My Thoughts

I think when we read these verses we like to think of big things...I know I do... we think of people who what to fight back with fist...or TV's versions of revenge when  somebody gets somebody back by ruining their business... or making sure they loose their job... those huge things that most "normal" people never do.  It says here that Jesus never retaliated, or even threaten revenge. Never, ever even in the small things. I think we all at least threaten revenge in some form or fashion... oh don't say "I don't" until you think about those little thoughts we all  have... I had to stop and think of the little thoughts... you know the ones... we try to speak to somebody in the store and feel ignored... and we think "Well I just won't speak to them next time." We try to be nice to the checkout person... they talk to each other and don't even notice us... our thought is "Well, see if I am nice again." We fix a plate for our spouse and take it to them and they don't even seems to notice so next time we just leave it out the counter.  We do something for a co-worker and when we need help they don't seem to notice, we think "See if I help him out ever again." God expects us to always show love, always be helpful, to turn the other cheek no matter what anybody does to us... no matter what anybody says to us, no matter how much we are not noticed... we are still called to do the "right" thing. Jesus didn't even threaten revenge must less act on it.

This verse goes on to say Jesus left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly.  The truth is we often don't know why somebody doesn't speak to us.. or why a co-worker didn't help us... or why our spouse didn't notice that we went to trouble on their behalf... we are not there in their head... we have not been a part of their day... When we leave our "injustices" to God, God can judge fairly because he knows all... God knows if we have really been slighted or if the other person just has so much going on that they couldn't even muster the energy to speak. God knows... and if we we have truly treated unfairly  God will give us double for our trouble, if we are good and kind, if we choose to do the right thing.. if we will leave it up to God. 

I wonder how much we miss out on... how many times we could have received double for our trouble if we had left every insult, every injustice we have ever felt in the hands of God. Instead we take these things on ourselves... and we in return we are one of the people handing out insults and injustices ourselves.

We are called to be like Jesus... to do good even if nobody around us is being good... we are called to be kind... we are called to love...when we do what God ask... he always takes care of the rest, God even gives us double for our trouble if we leave it in his hands.

11.23.11

Psalms 119:45 I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to your commandments.

My Thoughts

Some people might say "Freedom, commandments in the same sentence, that just doesn't make sense." Today when I read this I got this wonderful clear picture of freedom, with commandments.  I saw my children as toddles...sweet babies free to do anything as I watched over them... they were totally free in spirit. in ability...they were free to have fun, be happy, grow and learn... they could do anything but hurt themselves or each other. That is what God tells us... play, grow, be happy... be good to each other... have fun...I will supply everything you need...I am right here watching over you... ready to help when you need help...right by your side... take my hand if you need it...while you play and grow I will be here providing your every need...I will feed you and make sure you are warm and dry...I will clothe you... just don't hurt yourself or the others around you. I love you!!  I have plenty of hugs and will be happy to shower you with them... now go play and and grow and learn.... and have fun doing it!! 

I love when I get these pictures of God! They make me smile!!

11.22.11

Psalms 119:30 I have chosen to be faithful; I have determined to live by your regulations.

My Thoughts

Faithfulness is a choice... we chose to be faithful... it is not something we can or can't do...it is a choice we make.... we have to be determined.  So often we think and say I can't ...but when we get determined to do something we are able.  Our words are so important to our actions... when we tell ourselves "I can"... when we say to ourselves "I choose to".... when we tell ourselves "I am determined' our lives begin to change.  We have to make the choice to spend time with God... we have to make the choice to make time for God... we have to determine we are going to spend time reading God's word. A better life is always in our reach if we determine to reach out to God.

11.21.11

Psalms 119:11 I have hidden your words in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

My Thoughts
God's words have to be a part of our heart and soul!  It is not enough that they are not a part of our head... they have to drop down into our heart.  The devil loves to get into our minds... when God's word is only in our minds the devil can take those words and twist them and turn them... he can make us question them...but once they become a part of our heart they are save, they become an actual part of us. The thing is we have to do our part and learn God's word before we can make it a part of our heart. Psalms 1:2 says they delight in the law of the Lord meditating on it day and night.  We need to learn to delight in God's word... to enjoy it, to think on it... we need to make sure that we understand it...that way it does become a part of our heart and soul.

So many decisions we make have to be made in an instant... So often we don't have time to think about what is the right thing or the wrong thing to do... if we have put God word in our heart.. if we have made sure that God's word is a part of us... if we have truly hidden it deep inside of us those decisions will be covered by what God has taught us.

All that is good comes from God...God's word will never steer us in the wrong direction. When we know God's word we can never confuse what the Holy Spirit is telling us with what the devil is trying to deceive us with.  God's word is our sword against evil...it is our instruction on how to be good.  God's word will keep us from sin. God's word, when hidden in our heart, will change our lives in amazing ways...and when it does God will smile down on us pouring out his blessings on our lives.  

11.20.11

James 4:11-12 Don't speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God's law. But your job is to obey the law, not judge whether it applies to you. God alone who gave the law, is the judge.  He alone has the power to save or to destroy.  So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?

My Thoughts

This made me think of how often we judge people when we have learned how to do something... or stopped doing something... We wonder why people don't do, whatever it is we have learned to do.... after all it is easy we are doing it.  Sometimes it is out of our desire for people to experience what we have experienced from doing better. 

We have all met the smoker that doesn't smoke anymore who is the biggest critic of those who won't quit.  He is often the biggest critic because he knows it can be done.  People that manage their money, think everybody could and should manage their money. People that are really good at cleaning their house think it is easy...everybody should be doing it. We all tend to do it I think.  Even in the desire to see others do it better, be bette,r we are actually judging them. Sometimes we do it because we feel better about ourselves if we are doing something, anything, better than somebody else.

I think this is where mercy comes in... showing mercy to people that have not learned what we have learned... I know I sure want mercy from people that do life better than me... I still have so much to learn.  I can't learn it from people who judge me, I can only learn to do it better from people that are willing to help me do better. We learn so much from our families.... but often are limited to the life lessons our own family  learned before us.... I have always loved that saying "Don't judge a man until you have walked a mile in their shoes."  My favorite is the Indian version "Don't judge a man until you have walked two moons in his moccasin's." That would be two months...but even two months is not enough to really know where someone else has come from. God tells us not to judge at all.  When we see people in need we are called to have mercy, we are called to help.

We don't really know if a person could or could not do better...we have not lived their lives... only God knows that... God knows where we have come from, where we are going. God knows when they are doing the best they can do. I am coming to understand that we have the knowledge that somebody could do better so that we can do our best step in and help them do better... but, so often, as humans we tend to use that knowledge as a basis of judgment. 

Maya Angelo says "When we know better we do better." I believe for most of us that is true.  Sometimes is seems somebody should "know better" when we are on the outside looking in... but we have no idea how they arrived at the decisions they are making. Sometime people finally know better...they have just gotten themselves in such a state that they don't know where to start to make life better.  Imagine how many of us could do better with a helping hand of mercy. The world would surly be a better place of we would each use our knowledge to reach out and help eachother.

I hope that I am learning from what God is teaching me...that the next time I notice what somebody isn't doing "right" that I reach out to help, to encourage.... I hope that anytime I am tempted to judge I use that as a reminder that I should be doing something to make the world a better place.

11.19.11

James 3:17 But the wisdom from above is first of all pure.  It is also peace loving, gentle at all times and willing to yield to others.  It is full of mercy and good deeds.  It shows no favoritism and is always sincere.

My Thoughts

God's wisdom is pure... pure!.. If we choose to do what God tells us to do we can't go wrong.  It may not be easy, but it is never wrong.  We are told to love peace... embrace it, promote it.... be gentle with others to have it... give in if we need to for the sake of peace. This can be hard... we so often want to to prove our point... to make sure that somebody sees our side of things... often we just want things our way for a change.  We don't want to give in, to yield to others.  We so often give up peace to be right, to get our way.  If we could stop for a minute when we get lost in our selfishness and remember to do what is right ... God will take care of the rest in His time... God will bless us, we will get what we need when we tend to the needs of others... when we make peace.  God's blessings are so much bigger than any blessing man could give us.

Here we are also told to be full of mercy and good deeds. One definition of mercy is an act of kindness, compassion, or favor...we are to show no favoritism... so we are to be kind and compassionate  to all people..not just the people that are kind to us...not just the people we like... the people we like least often need our kindness and compassion the most.

Any kindness we show... and compassion we show...anything we do for others comes from God.. it is a gift from God...anything somebody does for us is a gift from God... When I put it in my head that way it makes me understand that when I withhold kindness from someone for any reason I am blocking God's gift to them.  I should never stand in the way of someone receiving anything that comes from God..and everytime I choose not to do a kind thing because I am not in the right mood or I just don't "feel" good...I am standing in the way of something that comes straight from heaven.  When I get in in my head this way... I feel a bit more understanding drop down into my soul... I don't every want to stand in the way of anybody receiving anything that God has in store for them.  That is surely a sin.

11.18.11

James 2:17 So you see, faith by itself isn't enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

My Thoughts

To be honest I had to really think about this verse... it got me in my gut... made me a little afraid if you want to know the truth.  I spent lots of time reading how Paul told the believers that your good works would not get you into heaven... it is by grace that we are saved. We could never be "good" enough without God's grace.  Then I read this verse and it tells me that unless my faith produces good deeds, it is dead and  useless. My heart started pounding and I started to feel afraid.

Then God reminded me of this verse... Philippians 2:13 says For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. God can not do that if I walk down the isle of the Church and ask Jesus in my heart then go about being the same person.  It is my job to seek after God, it is my job to learn all I can about what God has planned for my life... I have to make an effort to have a relationship with God... when I make that effort God helps me grow.  Philippians 2:13 says that God is working in me.... that means to me that it takes a while to get where I need to be.  God gives me his grace to get better and better at doing what pleases him.  God wants to look down and see that I am growing and learning. It is by faith we are saved.... by believing what God tells us... to believe what God tells us we have to know what God has told us. True faith in God will change us it will grow us into the people we need to be.

I asked Jesus in my heat when I was nine. When I was 47 I picked up my Bible and started getting to know God.  All the years in between... I tried to be a good person.... I wanted to go to heaven, who doesn't?  I went to church on and off.... I said I had faith.  I thought I had faith.  When I started seeking after God, truly seeking after God... I wanted more!!  Was it slow at first? Yes it was... I am still growing and growing...but each day God puts a new desire in my heart and as I seek after that new desire God gives me the strength to do what he puts in my heart to do.  The more I know God's promises for my life the more faith I have that God is taking care of me.  The more faith I have that I can do what God sets in front of me to do... not because I am capable...but because I am learning to call on God's grace to make me strong enough.

I worked with a man once... oh he talked about loving God... he talked of all the good things he was going to do... all the good works we were going to do for the community... when I listened to him I was so impressed with how much he "loved" God.  Then I was around him, he mistreated his employees, he stole from the company, not just stuff, but time and money.  His "faith" did not produce good works...it just helped  him make a good first impression.

The more I know God the more my life is changing... so much of me has changed. My mouth is better! I am kinder! I am less and less and less afraid! I recognize my sins much more quickly now and can actually stop myself in the middle of one! I am more careful about what goes in body through my eyes and ears! God is changing me little bits at a time... carving away the bad... sanding away the rough edges... We are God's life's work.... He will work on us for our whole lifetime... giving us new desires and new strengths... giving us his grace to do what he calls us to do.  As Joyce Meyer says "I am not where I want to be, but thank God, I am not where I use to be."  God is always working within me changing me...give me the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.

Now I read what James is saying and I believe James is telling us be careful not to have "faith" for appearances sake... God sees in our hearts... true faith in God makes  us want to seek after him. True faith realizes the huge sacrifice that Jesus made so that we could be forgiven of our sins. True faith is about relationships not just words.  James is saying to us if the desires of your heart are not changing, if you don't find yourself doing good, and being better, STOP and rethink, reassess your relationship with God. Don't fool yourselves into believing that you believe.  Make sure that you see the fruits of the spirit, love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23) growing inside of you so that you know, that you know, that you know, that you are truly a child of God. James is telling us if we don't see those things we are in danger of having fooled ourselves into believing we have a relationship with God.

Will works save  us? No, only Jesus could save us. But true faith will make us want to do good works it will  make us want us to be better people....Good works out of love and kindness are what begins to grow from forth from us when God is working in our lives.