The Core of Human Existence...

The family structure is the core of human existence. Growing older is a blessing. It’s sad to say but society doesn’t see it this way. And when people try to destroy the family by introducing ways of redefining it to suit their own selfish desires, they do a great disservice to the institution of what God called “Good”.

6 Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged; parents are the pride of their children. Proverbs 17:6

Knowing Your Place...

Humility is knowing your place. And that place has a direct, vertical alignment with God.

5 Those who mock the poor insult their Maker; those who rejoice at the misfortune of others will be punished. Proverbs 17:5

Hard to Believe God?

Why is it hard sometimes to believe God? I mean He has made promises to us throughout scripture to protect us, not to harm us, all for His Glory and our good. Why do we so easily forget this? I think in today’s modern, technological age, we base most of our decisions on how we feel. It’s because of the heavy influence of a God-less, “all about me” society. Sure we will feel scared, excited, depressed, anxious, elated, or hurt, but those feelings are just feelings. They are subjective; they change over time. God is objective. His promises don’t change over time. He is immutable, remember. He is as dependable today as He was in David’s time, He doesn’t change. We should base our actions, decisions, and outlook on His promises, instead of of on our ever-so-fleeting, subjective feelings. When David’s last words tell us that God’s promises are “arranged and guaranteed in every detail”, we need to believe it, and act accordingly. Base your life on the objective, never-changing, words of God, rather than the always-changing, subjective feelings we have been trained by society to live our lives by. True North is still True North, regardless of how we feel about it. God’s word and His promises will always lead us down the right path; it’s just a matter of trusting It over our feelings.

5 “Is it not my family God has chosen?Yes, He has made an everlasting covenant with me. His agreement is arranged and guaranteed in every detail. He will ensure my safety and success. 2 Samuel 23:5

Room in Your Heart....

The #1 reason people don’t believe in God, or even try to know Him, is because there’s no room in their heart for Him. Think about that, no room in their hearts for His message. Just like Mary and Joseph, finding no room in the Inn when they came to Bethlehem, so Jesus finds no welcome from those whose hearts have no room for Him. Mary and Joseph eventually found a place to stay, and so does Jesus when He finds room in the hearts of those willing to believe and follow. What is the status of your heart today? Is it full of self, leaving no room for God? Or is it in order, allowing God to work in you and through you, blessing others and rewarding you in the process?

So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.37 Yes, I realize that you are descendants of Abraham. And yet some of you are trying to kill Me because there’s no room in your hearts for My message. John 8:36-37

Testing Our Hearts...

Sometimes things happen to us to test our hearts. Be it trials, or events that stretch us. In order for some of the impurities to be removed, it must be burned off. High temperature certainly does the trick. God is not content with us sitting around, being complacent with life. We need to be up and running. How else would we win the prize that we are supposed to be keeping our eyes on? How would we remove the unnecessary sludge, if we don’t have the power and method to do so? Remember, God knows our hearts best, so we should trust Him to do with us as He pleases. His best is our best.

3 Fire tests the purity of silver and gold,but the Lord tests the heart. Proverbs 17:3

Reaping What We Sow...

This should be required reading for every Christian. It’s a reminder of Who God is and how He rewards those faithful to Him. We reap what we sow. God repays us for what we sow. Our faithfulness has its own rewards here on earth. Some of them are immeasurable. God honors those that honor Him.

26 “To the faithful you show Yourself faithful;to those with integrity you show integrity.27 To the pure you show Yourself pure,but to the wicked you show Yourself hostile.28 You rescue the humble,but Your eyes watch the proud and humiliate them.29 O Lord, you are my lamp.The Lord lights up my darkness.30 In Your strength I can crush an army;with my God I can scale any wall. 31 “God’s way is perfect.All the Lord’s promises prove true.He is a shield for all who look to Him for protection.32 For who is God except the Lord?Who but our God is a solid rock?33 God is my strong fortress,and He makes my way perfect.34 He makes me as surefooted as a deer,enabling me to stand on mountain heights. 2 Samuel 22:26-34

5 Father to the fatherless, defender of widows–this is God, whose dwelling is holy.6 God places the lonely in families;He sets the prisoners free and gives them joy.But He makes the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land. Psalms 68:5-6

Real, But Often Overrated...

Feelings are real, but often overrated. When we feel a certain way, we need to go to God first, and ask Him to help us to see clearly. Often times, our feelings lead us off course and bring about the emotions Satan loves to manipulate. Depression, sadness, shame, guilt, regret, and second guessing ourselves to name a few. Feelings are so subjective, so by basing our self-worth on something that’s so transient, fluctuating like Spring weather in Texas, how then can someone remain stable? You can’t. Then how do we deal with this issue? First, acknowledge that your feelings are real, but often overrated. Next, go to God with your requests. Lastly, talk to yourself, instead of listening to yourself. What I mean by this is instead of listening to yourself, “maybe I should ..., I wish I hadn’t..., etc... we should tell ourselves the truth, God’s word. Any time you are tempted or made to feel inferior, tell yourself to remember Whom it is we belong to. Whom it is who wrote the Bible. What the Bible says about our self-worth. And start being a hypocrite when it comes to your feelings. Even though they might say something, we need to do the opposite. Of course that’s taking them into consideration, yet not acting on them, when deemed appropriate. We need to talk to ourselves with truth, and stop listening to ourselves with untruth. Feelings are real, but often overrated...

1 Word soon reached Joab that the king was weeping and mourning for Absalom. 2 As all the people heard of the king’s deep grief for his son, the joy of that day’s victory was turned into deep sadness. 3 They crept back into the town that day as though they were ashamed and had deserted in battle. 4 The king covered his face with his hands and kept on crying, “O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!”5 Then Joab went to the king’s room and said to him, “We saved your life today and the lives of your sons, your daughters, and your wives and concubines. Yet you act like this, making us feel ashamed of ourselves. 6 You seem to love those who hate you and hate those who love you. You have made it clear today that your commanders and troops mean nothing to you. It seems that if Absalom had lived and all of us had died, you would be pleased. 7 Now go out there and congratulate your troops, for I swear by the Lord that if you don’t go out, not a single one of them will remain here tonight. Then you will be worse off than ever before.” 8 So the king went out and took his seat at the town gate, and as the news spread throughout the town that he was there, everyone went to him.Meanwhile, the Israelites who had supported Absalom fled to their homes. 2 Samuel 19:1-8