12.16.13

Micah 7:8 Do not gloat over me, my enemies! For though I fall, I will raise again. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light.

My Thoughts

We will fall sometimes and we will sit in darkness sometimes. Why? Because we are human and we do things that separate us from God. Because we live in this world where there are so many people separated from God, where Satan tries all the time to keep us from God. What matters is how we spend that time! When we fall God will pick us back up if we go to Him and ask for forgiveness. We may spend time suffering the consequences for what we have done, but God will help us get through them. When we are surrounded by darkness if we look to God to be our light, to guide us we will rise up out of the darkness like a mighty ship!

As I wrote this I was reminded of a movie, and I can't remember which one... I just remember a couple of soldiers backed into a corner with no chance, it looked like there was no hope at all. Then a fully armed helicopter rose up behind them as the stood on the edge of a cliff and fought their battle for them. When we keep our eyes on God in the mist of our great battles God will rise up behind us as mighty as the helicopter in that movie and fight our battle for us. We just have to keep our eyes on God at all times, even when we fall, even when we are surrounded by darkness. When we do we are never alone!!

12.15.12

Micah 3:11-12 Your rulers make decisions based on bribes; your priest teach God's laws only for a price; you prophets won't prophesy unless you are paid. Yet all of you claim to depend on the Lord. "No harm can come to us," you say, "For the Lord is here among us." Because of you, Mount Zion will be plowed like and open field; Jerusalem will be reduced to ruins!

 

My Thoughts

Wow!!  Oh wow!!  We think in America that we are big and powerful... but we, like Jerusalem could be reduced to ruins in the blink of an eye!!  We CAN NOT go about thinking we will be protected by God if we are not doing what God ask us to do.  We can't continue to go to Chruch on Sunday and do what ever we please during the week and believe that we are living under God's protection.  We are lying to ourselves when we do that...and the lies we tell ourselves are the most dangerous lies of all. 

12.16.11

Micah 6:8 No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good and what is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

My Thoughts

Micah was saying look people it is easy... don't make it hard!! Love people! Love God! Listen to God, walk with God... be humble enough to do what God ask. Love mercy!

I looked up mercy so I would know exactly....I thought I knew...but I wanted to be sure I didn't miss a thing. 

Mercy is defined as

1. compassionate or kindly forbearance shown toward an offender, an enemy, or other person in one's power; compassion, pity, or benevolence: Have mercy on the poor sinner.

2. the disposition to be compassionate or forbearing

3. the discretionary power of a judge to pardon someone or to mitigate punishment, especially to send to prison rather than invoke the death penalty.

4. an act of kindness, compassion, or favor: She has performed countless small mercies for her friends and neighbors.

5. something that gives evidence of divine favor; blessing: It was just a mercy we had our seat belts on when it happened.

God does not ask us to do anything he does not do for us!  God gives us mercy all the time. God ask us to have mercy for others. God does not say love your neighbors, your enemies if they deserve it... God says love your neighbors, your enemies no matter, have mercy on them!

The definition of mercy seems like something that could be so hard to do in some circumstances...but if you think about it... isn't this how we want others to treat us?  Matthew 7:12 tells us to treat others the way we want to be treated. We all, each and every one of us want mercy.

God calls us to love, to love each other all the time...not when we deserve it. Not when somebody else deserves it... but all the time...maybe especially when someone doesn't seem to deserve it.  If we love others, each and every one of us, the way we wanted to be loved... no one, not one single person would be in need in this world. Who will you love today? Who will you show mercy to? Mercy has the ability to change the world... mercy is loving others, being kind to others always and in all circumstances.

Mercy is not a feeling we have... it is an act that we do.  When we show mercy good feelings will follow... we don't need to wait on the feeling we need to do what is right, we need to do what God ask of us. God does not say "feel mercy," "feel love." God says to have mercy and show love. When we do what God ask of us first..the good feelings will follow.

Today when you are out doing  your last minute Christmas shopping and the sales clerk is tired and grumpy..show mercy... smile at them, tell them to have a wonderful day!  If the waiter is not as kind as you think they should be, or forgets to fill your tea glass..leave a good tip anyway. When we have mercy on somebody that is having a bad day it changes their day...then instead of them being not so nice to the next person they feel better. Our love and mercy are like the ripples of peddles dropped in the water.... they go on forever, reaching out a little further every time. Mercy and love make a huge difference in the world. Mercy and love have the power to change the world because they comes from the grace of God. Our part, and we always have a part, is to let God work through us giving His mercy and love to each and every person we meet.

10.18.11

Jeremiah 31:34b For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already," says the Lord. "And I will forgive them their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins."

My Thoughts

I love that God tells us several times in the Bible that he will never again remember our sins.  Psalms 103:12 tells us that God moves our sins from us as far as the east is from the west.  Micah 7:19 tells us that God cast our sins into the depths of the sea. If God chooses to forget our sins I believe that he wants us to forget our sins and move forward. The devil loves to tells us how we have sinned and how we can't do better... he loves to  put those thoughts in our heads "You did this or that, what makes you think you are worthy!?!?" What God tells us is that we are made right with Him through Jesus (Romans 3:22).  All we have to do is ask forgiveness and God makes us right with Him again..and remembers our sins no more.  Our part is to strive to be like Jesus... we are to learn and grow...and do better and better and better.  We are to work at being better at doing what God ask... no where in the Bible does it tell us to woller in our sins, constantly remembering them..... to the point that we can't function.  If we are living in our past sins, condemning ourselves daily for the mistakes we made in the past, we can't be our best in God.  God wants us to do our best to be our best for us. God wants  us to be our best so that we can have good lives.  Jesus came so that we could have life and have it abundantly (John 10:10). Abundance is not in our sins, or in the remembering or revisiting of them... abundance is in God and the plans that he has for our lives.  When we use the scripture to fight the thoughts the devil puts in our head it is like throwing flaming arrows at him.  God's word is stronger that Satin!! God's word is there for our use.  When the devil brings up my past sins... I have learned to tell him... The Bible tells me that I am made right with God...I am in right standing with God. I say this over and over until the urge to "woller" goes away.  Then I get the chance to experience more joy in my day.  Remember "The thief comes to still, kill and destroy" our days our joy, our happiness. Jesus came so that we can "have life and have it abundantly" (John 10:10). Each time the devil tries to remind us of our past, of our sins he is stilling, killing or destroying our sense of self, our joy, he is trying to take a day away from us.  God forgets our sins!!... Jesus came to make us right with God... he came so that we could have joy and peace. He came so we could feel love. What we have to learn to do is make the choice to believe God and his word... and move forward into being good, better, best.