Wednesday, November 27, 2019
Waiting
Yesterday was a day of waiting. Waiting at the car dealership for an oil change and check up to be complete. waiting because the lady that does my hair was running late...I felt like most of the day was spent sitting and waiting for someone else to get done with something so I could go about my day, with my plans, in my timing. LOL This morning I was thinking about this waiting. And as we are getting into the season of Advent I guess it just makes sense that "waiting" seems to be front and center in my little world.
I wasn't happy about the waiting yesterday. I have to say. I don't mind waiting a little while. I actually use it as a time to just sit and relax, read a book, a forced time out as it were....There is no real activity while I am waiting. But after a while, when the minutes turn into hours I start getting antsy, knowing that there are others things I need to be doing and just sitting here is not getting them done.
But all this waiting leads me to think about Christmas. About Advent, and the waiting of the Jewish people for Messiah. Thousands of years they waited for the Promise. Genesis 3:15 And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.” Deuteronomy 18:18 Moses continued, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. Psalm 132:11 The Lord swore an oath to David with a promise he will never take back: “I will place one of your descendants on your throne.
My favorite story of waiting in the Bible is in Luke 2:25-35 25 At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him 26 and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, 28 Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying, 29 “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. 30 I have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared for all people. 32 He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!”
33 Jesus’ parents were amazed at what was being said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, and many others to rise. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. 35 As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.”
Anna's story follows it and I think it perfectly describes what we are to be doing while waiting on the fulfillment of God's will and promise in our lives. Luke 2:36-37 36 Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. Her husband died when they had been married only seven years. 37 Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. Anna spent her time in worship, prayer and service to the Lord. And think about the fasting as well....spending time ardently seeking the Lord instead of physical sustenance.
Waiting is never easy. We want to see God's plan now. See His fruit in our lives now. We live in a microwave, fast food, drive through society. One of my favorite things is my Starbucks app. I put my order in on the phone, and by the time I drive to Starbucks, my coffee is sitting there waiting for me!Waiting in not on our agenda! But I don't think God has the same agenda or timing with His plans. There is no "God app" for instant answers. LOL
Children wait eagerly for Christmas morning. They anticipating blessings, trust that good stuff is coming their way. I'm thinking we need to be the same way, eagerly awaiting God's promises in our lives, knowing that good things are coming. And while we wait, service, worship, prayer, faith.
Lord, teach us to wait, patiently, actively, in faith and with thanksgiving. In Jesus Name. Amen.
What can you change to make your waiting time more productive and faith-filled? Add prayer, add thanksgiving....Look to the the Lord to lead you while you wait on the fulfillment of His promises in your life.
I wasn't happy about the waiting yesterday. I have to say. I don't mind waiting a little while. I actually use it as a time to just sit and relax, read a book, a forced time out as it were....There is no real activity while I am waiting. But after a while, when the minutes turn into hours I start getting antsy, knowing that there are others things I need to be doing and just sitting here is not getting them done.
But all this waiting leads me to think about Christmas. About Advent, and the waiting of the Jewish people for Messiah. Thousands of years they waited for the Promise. Genesis 3:15 And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.” Deuteronomy 18:18 Moses continued, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. Psalm 132:11 The Lord swore an oath to David with a promise he will never take back: “I will place one of your descendants on your throne.
My favorite story of waiting in the Bible is in Luke 2:25-35 25 At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him 26 and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, 28 Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying, 29 “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. 30 I have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared for all people. 32 He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!”
33 Jesus’ parents were amazed at what was being said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, and many others to rise. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. 35 As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.”
Anna's story follows it and I think it perfectly describes what we are to be doing while waiting on the fulfillment of God's will and promise in our lives. Luke 2:36-37 36 Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. Her husband died when they had been married only seven years. 37 Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. Anna spent her time in worship, prayer and service to the Lord. And think about the fasting as well....spending time ardently seeking the Lord instead of physical sustenance.
Waiting is never easy. We want to see God's plan now. See His fruit in our lives now. We live in a microwave, fast food, drive through society. One of my favorite things is my Starbucks app. I put my order in on the phone, and by the time I drive to Starbucks, my coffee is sitting there waiting for me!Waiting in not on our agenda! But I don't think God has the same agenda or timing with His plans. There is no "God app" for instant answers. LOL
Children wait eagerly for Christmas morning. They anticipating blessings, trust that good stuff is coming their way. I'm thinking we need to be the same way, eagerly awaiting God's promises in our lives, knowing that good things are coming. And while we wait, service, worship, prayer, faith.
Lord, teach us to wait, patiently, actively, in faith and with thanksgiving. In Jesus Name. Amen.
What can you change to make your waiting time more productive and faith-filled? Add prayer, add thanksgiving....Look to the the Lord to lead you while you wait on the fulfillment of His promises in your life.
Thursday, November 21, 2019
I Will Never Leave You
New song alert! I heard a great new song on the radio a couple of days ago. It's one I desperately needed to hear. Some days I think God is crazy. I mean really, why on earth would He ever save one such as me and why oh why does He even stick around with the way I act all too often. This song spoke directly to my heart on those questions. What a blessing!
Hebrews 13:5 Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”
Romans 8:38-39 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
All I can say is thank You Lord. My heart is melted when I listen to this song. Thank You.
Let this truth penetrate your heart, mind, and life. God never leaves nor forsakes you, His child.
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
Let God Decide
I've heard so often in Christendom that I am to pray for specifics. Truth be told, I have not seen this or something like this implied in the Bible, so it's always slightly bothered me when people said this. I know there are examples of specific prayers. David and many of the Old Testament characters prayed for God's protection and the defeat of their enemies. Jesus prayed that we would be one as He and the Father were one. (John 17:21) Paul prayed that we would know "how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is." (Ephesians 3:18) This prayers ask for pretty specific things...so the examples are there. But the why, the how, the when is left up to the Lord. And I think that is the key.
Many times I pray for specific things, whether small or big, daily grind stuff or life changing events....I pray for what I want or what I think is right. And then, when I don't get exactly what I thought should be, I lose heart and believe the Lord doesn't answer my prayers. It happens more often than I would like.
But after seeing this quote in a book I was reading lately, I kind of took a step back from my prayer life and thought about it. Maybe my prayers need to be a little more "God be God" friendly. Prayers that leave room for the Lord to work His answer in His way in His time.
I'm not saying that we never pray for the specific things we want or need, in our lives or the lives of others...but I think maybe we should just leave the details up to God. He knows all the sides to the story, and we do not. His knowledge is all encompassing, ours is limited to the time and space in front of us. And His heart is perfect love. Everything He does is tempered with and filtered through that love.
Thank You Lord for knowing just what we need. Thank You for knowing how and when to answer our prayers perfectly. Give us faith when we pray and faith when You answer in ways that don't align with our thinking. Teach us to pray! Lead us to pray! Lord deepen our faith and trust in You. In Jesus Name, amen.
Examine your prayer life and see if you are aligning to God's will or trying to align Him to yours.
Matthew 6:7-13 “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. 8 Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! 9 Pray like this:
Our Father in heaven,
may your name be kept holy.
10 May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today the food we need,
12 and forgive us our sins,
as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
13 And don’t let us yield to temptation,
but rescue us from the evil one.
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
Winning Verses
I'm still thinking about how are lives are meant to be. Victorious. Triumphant. Free. The words sound so good, yet often feel so far away, so out of reach. For many of us, we struggle, carrying the same chains around for years, not knowing how to put them down. My heart keeps coming back to the Word. It's God's Word that is our weapon. It's the sword of the Spirit. The sword that can slice through those ugly, tired chains and set us free. In Psalm 119:11 David wrote, "I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you." The key to our victory is God's Word coupled with faith. We will never be free if we do not believe that Jesus set us free and His Word is living and true.
TRIUMPH
Psalm 30:1 I will exalt you, Lord, for you rescued me. You refused to let my enemies triumph over me.
Romans 5:17 For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.
VICTORY
Deuteronomy 20:4 For the Lord your God is going with you! He will fight for you against your enemies, and he will give you victory!’
Psalm 62:1 I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him.
Romans 8:37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
1 Corinthians 15:57 But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 John 5:4 For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.
FREEDOM
Psalm 119:45 I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to your commandments.
Romans 6:14 Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.
Galatians 3:22 But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ.
Pick a verse, pick a few verses...memorize them. Hide them in your heart so that they are ready to combat the sin that so easily enslaves us. Print out the list and carry it with you. Write out the ones that your heart is drawn to and read them out loud throughout the day. Find more on your own and study them. I believe the Lord is leading me to my next New Years work in Him through these visits. Maybe He is doing the same for you guys reading this.
Lord, thank You for the triumph over sin and death You died to give us. Thank You that we too can be victorious and live freed from sin...that we can walk with You, empowered by Your Spirit. Thank You for Your Word which fights for us as we wield the sword of the Spirit. Lord, thank You that You have put this desire in our hearts to be what You meant us to be. Give us strength to overcome, help us remember the Scriptures we need that remind us who we are and what we have in Jesus. Help us overcome any laziness, we know it's so easy to just stay comfortable in our prisons rather than do the work of laying down our chains. Lord, I think that's my biggest hurdle. Onward though, to victory! In Jesus' victorious Name. Amen.
Pick your verses today with a heart that is open to the Spirit's leading.
TRIUMPH
Psalm 30:1 I will exalt you, Lord, for you rescued me. You refused to let my enemies triumph over me.
Romans 5:17 For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.
VICTORY
Deuteronomy 20:4 For the Lord your God is going with you! He will fight for you against your enemies, and he will give you victory!’
Psalm 62:1 I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him.
Romans 8:37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
1 Corinthians 15:57 But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 John 5:4 For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.
FREEDOM
Psalm 119:45 I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to your commandments.
Romans 6:14 Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.
Galatians 3:22 But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ.
Pick a verse, pick a few verses...memorize them. Hide them in your heart so that they are ready to combat the sin that so easily enslaves us. Print out the list and carry it with you. Write out the ones that your heart is drawn to and read them out loud throughout the day. Find more on your own and study them. I believe the Lord is leading me to my next New Years work in Him through these visits. Maybe He is doing the same for you guys reading this.
Lord, thank You for the triumph over sin and death You died to give us. Thank You that we too can be victorious and live freed from sin...that we can walk with You, empowered by Your Spirit. Thank You for Your Word which fights for us as we wield the sword of the Spirit. Lord, thank You that You have put this desire in our hearts to be what You meant us to be. Give us strength to overcome, help us remember the Scriptures we need that remind us who we are and what we have in Jesus. Help us overcome any laziness, we know it's so easy to just stay comfortable in our prisons rather than do the work of laying down our chains. Lord, I think that's my biggest hurdle. Onward though, to victory! In Jesus' victorious Name. Amen.
Pick your verses today with a heart that is open to the Spirit's leading.
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Meant to Be
We are meant to live in triumphant victory. We are not meant to live in chains. Last week as one of the Little Visits I posted Romans 5:17 For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ. We are meant to be victorious, living in triumph over sin.
Our Pastor's Sunday sermon was entitled "Broken Chains." Once again the Lord lined things up to get His message across and into my heart. Romans 6:5-6 Since we have been united with Him in His death, we will also be raised to life as He was. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin.
The first thing we need to do in order to live in triumph over sin is to recognize and believe that the chains of our old life have been broken. We have been set free. A friend and sister in the Lord and I after church about this sermon and were saying it's as if we are comfortable in our captivity. The cage door is open, yet we fail to walk out of our prisons.
So I've been thinking, what is it that ties me to my sin? Since I struggle with food addiction I know the ties that bind are comfort and fulfillment. I look to food for emotional satisfaction and comfort. It's there when I'm sad, when I'm mad, when I'm celebrating....food consoles and elates me. Temporarily.
What about the sin of anger? Could it be tied to us through pride, old hurts that we haven't brought to our Father, unforgiveness? Could gossip be chained to us by low self-esteem, getting our self worth from putting others down rather than in our value to Jesus? What are the chains that make up your entanglement to the sin in your life?
We need to figure out where our sin is coming from and bring it to the Lord. He has set us free. And in His time, He will heal us from these hurts and habits that bind us to our old selves. Our job is to say NO to the sins that enslave us. That is part of the healing process, learning to live in freedom. It's hard, for sure. But every time I say no to extra food, I walk in victory. Every time we say no to acting in anger we triumph over that sin. And eventually we will find they no longer have power over us at all. We truly live out Romans 5:17
Romans 6:12-13 Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give your selves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is not longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God's grace.
The Bible talks about this as if it's a done deal. I think we need to start thinking in that way as well. This is how our lives are meant to be. We do have to walk it out day by day, hour by hour...through the power of the Holy Spirit. But we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13).
Paul tells us in Philippians 2:12-13 Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him. Breaking sins chains is already done, but the day to day of walking it out is hard work. We decide whether to stay out of the cage or to run back to our prisons when it gets tough, hurts or we feel our needs go unmet.
Lord, thank You. A million times thank You. We have been set free. We can and will have victory. Help us Lord to put down the broken chains, stop carrying them around with us. We are free. Those chains don't belong to us anymore. Lord, believing this is hard, walking it out hard as well. Help us. You have put the desire in us to live in freedom and victory, to live as we were meant to be, bringing glory to Your Name. Let us walk in Your power, starting right now. In Jesus' mighty Name, amen.
Exam yourself with the Lord. What is holding you back? Bring those things to Him and apply His Word to your heart.
Our Pastor's Sunday sermon was entitled "Broken Chains." Once again the Lord lined things up to get His message across and into my heart. Romans 6:5-6 Since we have been united with Him in His death, we will also be raised to life as He was. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin.
The first thing we need to do in order to live in triumph over sin is to recognize and believe that the chains of our old life have been broken. We have been set free. A friend and sister in the Lord and I after church about this sermon and were saying it's as if we are comfortable in our captivity. The cage door is open, yet we fail to walk out of our prisons.
So I've been thinking, what is it that ties me to my sin? Since I struggle with food addiction I know the ties that bind are comfort and fulfillment. I look to food for emotional satisfaction and comfort. It's there when I'm sad, when I'm mad, when I'm celebrating....food consoles and elates me. Temporarily.
What about the sin of anger? Could it be tied to us through pride, old hurts that we haven't brought to our Father, unforgiveness? Could gossip be chained to us by low self-esteem, getting our self worth from putting others down rather than in our value to Jesus? What are the chains that make up your entanglement to the sin in your life?
We need to figure out where our sin is coming from and bring it to the Lord. He has set us free. And in His time, He will heal us from these hurts and habits that bind us to our old selves. Our job is to say NO to the sins that enslave us. That is part of the healing process, learning to live in freedom. It's hard, for sure. But every time I say no to extra food, I walk in victory. Every time we say no to acting in anger we triumph over that sin. And eventually we will find they no longer have power over us at all. We truly live out Romans 5:17
Romans 6:12-13 Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give your selves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is not longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God's grace.
The Bible talks about this as if it's a done deal. I think we need to start thinking in that way as well. This is how our lives are meant to be. We do have to walk it out day by day, hour by hour...through the power of the Holy Spirit. But we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13).
Paul tells us in Philippians 2:12-13 Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him. Breaking sins chains is already done, but the day to day of walking it out is hard work. We decide whether to stay out of the cage or to run back to our prisons when it gets tough, hurts or we feel our needs go unmet.
Lord, thank You. A million times thank You. We have been set free. We can and will have victory. Help us Lord to put down the broken chains, stop carrying them around with us. We are free. Those chains don't belong to us anymore. Lord, believing this is hard, walking it out hard as well. Help us. You have put the desire in us to live in freedom and victory, to live as we were meant to be, bringing glory to Your Name. Let us walk in Your power, starting right now. In Jesus' mighty Name, amen.
Exam yourself with the Lord. What is holding you back? Bring those things to Him and apply His Word to your heart.
Friday, November 8, 2019
Little Visits
Our loving Father always has something to say. Encouragement, admonishment, leading....little gems of love strewn along our daily walk. I pray each day for my ears to be open and my heart to be softened to the Lord's voice. I don't want to miss even one! From just the last week:
Disbelief makes the grace of God meaningless. Do negate His beautiful grace with an unbelieving heart. (I have a bad tendency to do this a little too often)
Seek to do good. Seek to be a blessing. In doing so we overcome evil with good. Romans 12:21
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. When we bless others, not only do we overcome the negativity around us, we overcome sin within ourselves.
This is a favorite! Be defiant! I've learned that part of the definition of defiant is uncooperative. We are to be uncooperative with Satan's plans. Defy the enemy! When we refuse to go along with the devil's plans, any negative options or thoughts that present themselves to us in our relationships with God, others or ourselves, we defeat him. Be defiant!
Romans 5:11 So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because of our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. We are God's friends. He is not our enemy and we are not His. Friends are for each other.
Victory over my sin is assured. Don't lose hope. Romans 5:17 or the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ. This verse doesn't say "might" live in triumph, it says "WILL." Receive the gift of triumph! God says we live in it!
God fulfills His own promises in His own timing and in His own way. When we humans try to rush His hand, it will not bring positive results. Our attempts to fulfill the Lord's promises bring failure and enslavement. Galatians 4:22-26 22 The Scriptures say that Abraham had two sons, one from his slave wife and one from his freeborn wife. 23 The son of the slave wife was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God’s promise. But the son of the freeborn wife was born as God’s own fulfillment of his promise. 24 These two women serve as an illustration of God’s two covenants. The first woman, Hagar, represents Mount Sinai where people received the law that enslaved them. 25 And now Jerusalem is just like Mount Sinai in Arabia, because she and her children live in slavery to the law. 26 But the other woman, Sarah, represents the heavenly Jerusalem. She is the free woman, and she is our mother.
These little God visits are part of the connection, the constant communication we desire with our Lord. They are so wonderful. I love these tidbits of teaching that pack such immense love in them. Anyone of them can be life changing when applied to our hearts and lives.
Thank You Lord for the constant companionship and everlasting love that flows from Your throne into our hearts and lives. I am so blown away that You seek to communicate with us fallen, wayward people. Give us open hearts and submissive spirits to follow Your lead. Thank You that You are always available and always involved. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Pray daily to be open to the Lord's voice.
Tuesday, November 5, 2019
Thought for Today
This morning I was spending some time socializing a kitten. This kitten came to me hissing and frightened, uninterested in human contact or affection. Little Ashton has come a long way. After a few weeks of love, patience and treats, he now walks about with his tail held high, enjoying petting, playtime and affection.
Today we played with a two sided toy. All it is is some small pieces of tightly rolled cardboard attached to a wire at both ends. He loves this toy and plays with it with gusto. But I noticed something this morning. Ashton would have one end trapped between his paws, but be looking at the other end. He didn't seem to realize that he already had the toy.
Hmmm. Here comes the little Holy Spirit nudge. Am I like Ashton? Do I look more at what I don't have instead of what I have? Instead of being content with the blessings of the moment, do I look with greedy eyes for what isn't in my hands?
I honestly can say that I do try to be grateful. And often I succeed...thank You Lord. But I do fall prey to this "I want what I don't have" syndrome more often than I like. And I am, as always, thankful for the Lord's reminder to check my heart.
Thank You Lord for the little checks You send our way, the little nudges to remind us to stay on track, the lessons to prepare us for each day as we walk through this life on earth. I am truly blessed and I want to remember that truth each and every moment as I stay by Your side. Thank You for all the blessings. In Jesus' most glorious Name, amen.
Count your blessings today!
Philippians 4:11 Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have.
Today we played with a two sided toy. All it is is some small pieces of tightly rolled cardboard attached to a wire at both ends. He loves this toy and plays with it with gusto. But I noticed something this morning. Ashton would have one end trapped between his paws, but be looking at the other end. He didn't seem to realize that he already had the toy.
Hmmm. Here comes the little Holy Spirit nudge. Am I like Ashton? Do I look more at what I don't have instead of what I have? Instead of being content with the blessings of the moment, do I look with greedy eyes for what isn't in my hands?
Thank You Lord for the little checks You send our way, the little nudges to remind us to stay on track, the lessons to prepare us for each day as we walk through this life on earth. I am truly blessed and I want to remember that truth each and every moment as I stay by Your side. Thank You for all the blessings. In Jesus' most glorious Name, amen.
Count your blessings today!
Philippians 4:11 Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have.
Ashton, enjoying some love.
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