We just got the awful news that Grumpamoose's Step-Mom was killed in a car accident today. Please be praying for the family.
UPDATE: You can read the details here. The male passenger also killed was also a member of the family, and his wife (the female passenger) is expected to be released from the hospital Friday. Prayers for all the children and grandchildren who are trying to cope with this shocking loss are greatly appreciated, as well as prayers for a full recovery for Aunt M.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
James 4:15
"For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall both live, and do this or that." (ASV)
Years ago, I heard the old Yiddish Proverb, "We plan, God laughs." It struck me at the time as being somewhat silly because of course, we have to have plans. Otherwise how would we ever move forward in life? That was before God got hold of my plans and I wound up living half a country away from my family and never having accomplished any of the goals I held then. And I'm all the happier for having followed God rather than following my own plans.
Each of us thinks we can run our own lives. We think we know what we want. We spend years, decades or even lifetimes chasing dreams that in the end can't fulfill us. We work so hard to attain goals that just end up making us more miserable. All the while the path of our lives is already laid out for us -- all we have to do is follow it.
You see, God has a plan for each of our lives. He laid it out for us before we were even born. He knows what will truly fulfill us and he knows what we need and want more than even we do. When we make plans, we don't know what tomorrow will bring. We can't even accurately predict the weather more than a few days in advance, so why should we think we can predict the circumstances around us for the rest of our lives? God on the other hand knows what is to come. And His plans never fall through. "But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations." (Psalm 33:11 NIV)
So maybe it's time for us to stop trying to direct our lives. Time to put aside our own feeble plans and look for a path that is more trustworthy. Time to reach out to the Author of Life, and ask for His guidance in all things.
Years ago, I heard the old Yiddish Proverb, "We plan, God laughs." It struck me at the time as being somewhat silly because of course, we have to have plans. Otherwise how would we ever move forward in life? That was before God got hold of my plans and I wound up living half a country away from my family and never having accomplished any of the goals I held then. And I'm all the happier for having followed God rather than following my own plans.
Each of us thinks we can run our own lives. We think we know what we want. We spend years, decades or even lifetimes chasing dreams that in the end can't fulfill us. We work so hard to attain goals that just end up making us more miserable. All the while the path of our lives is already laid out for us -- all we have to do is follow it.
You see, God has a plan for each of our lives. He laid it out for us before we were even born. He knows what will truly fulfill us and he knows what we need and want more than even we do. When we make plans, we don't know what tomorrow will bring. We can't even accurately predict the weather more than a few days in advance, so why should we think we can predict the circumstances around us for the rest of our lives? God on the other hand knows what is to come. And His plans never fall through. "But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations." (Psalm 33:11 NIV)
So maybe it's time for us to stop trying to direct our lives. Time to put aside our own feeble plans and look for a path that is more trustworthy. Time to reach out to the Author of Life, and ask for His guidance in all things.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Psalm 34:19
"Many are the afflictions of the righteous; But Jehovah delivereth him out of them all." (ASV)
A lot of people have an unfortunate misconception about becoming a Christian. They think that once you're saved, your life should be trouble-free. Then they look at the Christians they know, see that this is not the case, and are put off by it. In truth, salvation does not ward off earthly troubles. In fact, sometimes it multiplies them. The good news though is that through every problem we may face in our Christian walk, we can hold the assurance that we are not alone. God will see us through.
Think about that thought for a moment: God will see us through. We all know what a blessing it can be to have a friend or family member by our side in times of trouble. We've seen the comfort to be gotten from a hug or a kind word. How much greater then is the comfort we can have from the Creator of us all? How much more will His loving kindness soothe us when we hurt or calm us when we are upset? And He is never more than a prayer away!
Rejoice then, fellow Christians, at the marvelous love of our God. Don't try to hide away your troubles or pretend that they don't exist. Rather reveal your deepest darkest fears to God and let him shine a light on them. Tell Him about your sorrows and allow Him to help ease the pain. Cry on His shoulder and know that He holds your life in the palm of His hand and nothing gets by Him. There is nothing our God can't do, and no trouble or worry is too great for His awesome power to help us through it.
A lot of people have an unfortunate misconception about becoming a Christian. They think that once you're saved, your life should be trouble-free. Then they look at the Christians they know, see that this is not the case, and are put off by it. In truth, salvation does not ward off earthly troubles. In fact, sometimes it multiplies them. The good news though is that through every problem we may face in our Christian walk, we can hold the assurance that we are not alone. God will see us through.
Think about that thought for a moment: God will see us through. We all know what a blessing it can be to have a friend or family member by our side in times of trouble. We've seen the comfort to be gotten from a hug or a kind word. How much greater then is the comfort we can have from the Creator of us all? How much more will His loving kindness soothe us when we hurt or calm us when we are upset? And He is never more than a prayer away!
Rejoice then, fellow Christians, at the marvelous love of our God. Don't try to hide away your troubles or pretend that they don't exist. Rather reveal your deepest darkest fears to God and let him shine a light on them. Tell Him about your sorrows and allow Him to help ease the pain. Cry on His shoulder and know that He holds your life in the palm of His hand and nothing gets by Him. There is nothing our God can't do, and no trouble or worry is too great for His awesome power to help us through it.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
James 1:12
"Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he hath been approved, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord promised to them that love him."
I've often heard people equate temptation with sin. As if just being tempted to do something wrong is a sin in and of itself. This couldn't be farther from the truth! The Bible tells us that we will all be tempted. Even Jesus was tempted, but we know that He never gave in to sin.
The truth of the matter is, we only recognize temptation for what it is when we are on the right path. An unrepentant habitual liar is never tempted to lie. They just do it. They don't need to be tempted to lie because lying is what comes naturally to them. Only when we are struggling against sin do we truly feel the weight of temptation. When that same habitual liar decides to turn themselves around and try to speak only truth, they begin to feel the temptation to lie, but with prayer and grace they can overcome it.
Temptation is also often a tool of the enemy. When he sees that we are doing something for God or we're trying to improve our walk, Satan delights in frustrating our efforts. He will throw temptation after temptation in our path to try to distract us. He simply wants us to turn our eyes away from Christ and pay attention to more worldly concerns. These are the times when it is most important that we continue to focus on God. If we reach out to Him in prayer, He will help us through anything the enemy may drop in our path.
Notice that in the above verse from James, we are not called to destroy, defeat, or remove the temptation, but rather to endure it. The longer we endure temptation without giving in, the less power it can hold over us. Unless we are capable of controlling every aspect of our lives (and none of us are), we can't effectively remove temptation altogether. We may be able to clean all the sweets out of the refrigerator at home, but eventually someone is going to bring donuts to work to share or invite us to dinner where they are serving lavish desserts. Of course, this doesn't mean we should seek out temptations. Instead, we should spend our efforts in prayer, asking God to strengthen us against such attacks. Only with the strength that He has to give us can we be prepared for future struggles.
I've often heard people equate temptation with sin. As if just being tempted to do something wrong is a sin in and of itself. This couldn't be farther from the truth! The Bible tells us that we will all be tempted. Even Jesus was tempted, but we know that He never gave in to sin.
The truth of the matter is, we only recognize temptation for what it is when we are on the right path. An unrepentant habitual liar is never tempted to lie. They just do it. They don't need to be tempted to lie because lying is what comes naturally to them. Only when we are struggling against sin do we truly feel the weight of temptation. When that same habitual liar decides to turn themselves around and try to speak only truth, they begin to feel the temptation to lie, but with prayer and grace they can overcome it.
Temptation is also often a tool of the enemy. When he sees that we are doing something for God or we're trying to improve our walk, Satan delights in frustrating our efforts. He will throw temptation after temptation in our path to try to distract us. He simply wants us to turn our eyes away from Christ and pay attention to more worldly concerns. These are the times when it is most important that we continue to focus on God. If we reach out to Him in prayer, He will help us through anything the enemy may drop in our path.
Notice that in the above verse from James, we are not called to destroy, defeat, or remove the temptation, but rather to endure it. The longer we endure temptation without giving in, the less power it can hold over us. Unless we are capable of controlling every aspect of our lives (and none of us are), we can't effectively remove temptation altogether. We may be able to clean all the sweets out of the refrigerator at home, but eventually someone is going to bring donuts to work to share or invite us to dinner where they are serving lavish desserts. Of course, this doesn't mean we should seek out temptations. Instead, we should spend our efforts in prayer, asking God to strengthen us against such attacks. Only with the strength that He has to give us can we be prepared for future struggles.
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Hebrews 11:6
"And without faith it is impossible to be well-pleasing unto him; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that seek after him." (ASV)
It's easy for a Christian to believe in God. If we didn't believe that God exists, we wouldn't bother ascribing to ourselves the term "Christian" after all. More difficult for many though is to believe that God rewards all of those who seek Him. We struggle to believe that God has good things in store for us. Yet this is a basic tenet of the Christian faith.
Many people still think of God as a harsh taskmaster, a stern judge, a big bearded guy up in the sky whose main purpose is to keep us from having too much fun. Their view of God is distorted. They are trying to follow a God they don't even know. Others have trouble with the concept that an all-knowing, all-powerful God could possibly love them. For these people, it's their view of self that is out of line. They are allowing their own self image problems come between them and God.
Central to knowing God is knowing who He is. One of His most demonstrable characteristics is love. In fact, the Bible even states that God in fact IS love. (1 John 4:8) God is also the great provider. In fact, one of the names of God, Jehovah-jireh, means God provides. He is also a God who has a plan. "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV)
The Bible also tells us who we are in relation to God. John 1:12 says "But as many as received him, to them gave he the right to become children of God, even to them that believe on his name:" (ASV) As believers, we have been adopted into the family of God. We are His children, co-heirs with Christ. And like a good father, God wants only the best for us.
So the next time you begin to have doubts about what God has in store for you, remember who He is, remember who you are, and rest assured that He has it all under control.
It's easy for a Christian to believe in God. If we didn't believe that God exists, we wouldn't bother ascribing to ourselves the term "Christian" after all. More difficult for many though is to believe that God rewards all of those who seek Him. We struggle to believe that God has good things in store for us. Yet this is a basic tenet of the Christian faith.
Many people still think of God as a harsh taskmaster, a stern judge, a big bearded guy up in the sky whose main purpose is to keep us from having too much fun. Their view of God is distorted. They are trying to follow a God they don't even know. Others have trouble with the concept that an all-knowing, all-powerful God could possibly love them. For these people, it's their view of self that is out of line. They are allowing their own self image problems come between them and God.
Central to knowing God is knowing who He is. One of His most demonstrable characteristics is love. In fact, the Bible even states that God in fact IS love. (1 John 4:8) God is also the great provider. In fact, one of the names of God, Jehovah-jireh, means God provides. He is also a God who has a plan. "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV)
The Bible also tells us who we are in relation to God. John 1:12 says "But as many as received him, to them gave he the right to become children of God, even to them that believe on his name:" (ASV) As believers, we have been adopted into the family of God. We are His children, co-heirs with Christ. And like a good father, God wants only the best for us.
So the next time you begin to have doubts about what God has in store for you, remember who He is, remember who you are, and rest assured that He has it all under control.
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