So there is a guy in the Bible by the name of Job. The Bible describes him as someone who was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil. Well, in a pretty short period of time he lost his animals, and his servants and his children died. Then to top it off he had these boils from the sole of his feet to the crown of his head. The Bible says he took a potsherd to scrape himself. Then as all this was going on his wife spoke these words of encouragement to him, " Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!"
The book of Job in the Bible is 42 chapters long. All of this took place in the first two chapters. Chapter three is about him cursing the day he was born. Fom chapters 4 to 37 his so called friends basically tell him that all this must have happened because there was sin in his life. (We know there wasn't because of the first two chapters). There are always people out there who believe that if something bad happens in your life it is because you must have ticked off God somehow. During these chapters Job trys to tell his friends that he hasn't done anything wrong before God, and he wishes he could get an opportunity to talk to God and plead his case.
The amazing thing through all of this is that he doesn't give up on God. He doesn't understand why all of this is going on in his life, but He still remains faithful to God. The reason I find this amazing is because it is hard to remain faithful when you don't have an explanation as to why something is going on in your life. Not only do we like explanations, but we also like time periods. If you are sick and the docter gives you some medication and tells you that you should feel better in 24 to 48 hours, you can endure feeling bad because you have a time period as to when you should start feeling better.
Now here's the kicker... we are told why all of this is going on with Job. It is all explained to us in the first two chapters. Basically God was bragging on Job to satan. But satan basically says, "sure he is faithful to you. You never let anything bad happen to him. But let some bad things happen to him and he will curse you to your face." So God lets satan do some harm to Job. But satan can't just do what ever he wants. God does put some restrictions on the devil. God tells satan that he isn't allowed to kill Job.
Let's bring all of this to our lives. There are times when bad things happen to us because they are a result of some bad choices we have made. I think we are all mature enough to accept that. But that is not what this story is about. It's about those times we are obeying God and things go bad. And then to top it off we are not given an explanation as to why it is going on. You see, when those tough times come, if we have an explanation as to why, it helps us to endure. It also helps us to feel vindicated. If we think the reason is because God wants to see if we are faithful, then of course we will endure, because we want to show God that we are faithful. If we are told what we are going through is because of satan, then of course we remain faithful because we want to show satan that we will remain faithful to God. Let's also remember that if it is because of satan, he can't do anything he wants to us. God sets up the boundries. As Martin Luther said," even the devil is still God's devil." But there are times when we aren't given an explanation and we are called to just trust and remain faithful to God.
There are times in the midst of troubles God will reveal to us why it is happening to us. Then there are times He doesn't until years later. But there are also those times He never reveals. Maybe He will in heaven, I don't know. But no matter what the situation is we are called to be faithful. We are called to trust in His goodness. We are called to trust in His faithfulness towards us.
Here are some verses that I hope will help us to continue to trust:
Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Psalm 118:29
The LORD is good,
A stronghold in the day of trouble,
And He knows those who take refuge in Him.
Nahum 1:7
... and you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one word of all the good words which the LORD your God spoke concerning you has failed; all have been fulfilled for you, not one of them has failed.
Joshua 23:14
Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.
1 Thessalonians 5:24
Troy
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
God Is Thinking Of You
What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.
A. W. Tozer
I have always believed the above quote. As I have met various people I have found that their thought of what God is like has influenced their lives. Some think of God as someone who is far off and not concerned with what goes on here on Earth. They live their lives out according to that belief. Some think of God as someone who gets mad at us every time we mess up. Those that believe that live their lives according to that belief. Some think that since God is love He would never judge anyone. And they live their lives according to that belief. So you can see why the most important thought we can have is what we think of God. You can also see why we need to get the right thought about what God is like.
I would like to share a a truth about God that hopefully will encourage all of us: God is thinking of you. Hopefully this will encourage those who think God doesn't care. Sometimes we take two steps forward and three steps back. After an extended period of living like this we can become discouraged. When that happens we begin to get thoughts in our head that tell us that we should just give up. We think that God couldn't be concerned about us after all the times we have failed. We think we should have our act together by now. We think since others have given up on us, God probably has also.
The Bible tells us that God is love (1 John 4:16). It doesn't say that He is merely loving. It says He is love. That love, no matter what you and I have done with our lives, is directed towards us.
Not only does God love us, but He thinks of us. He says,"For I know the plans that I have for you. Plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11).
If He has plans for us, that means He is thinking of us. If you are planning something, that means you have put thought into it. This verse from Jeremiah was spoken to a people who had been disobedient toward God. They had not lived their lives the way God had desired. Yet, God was still thinking of them. God was still planning good for their lives. True, they would have to yield their lives to His plan. But their disobedience had not stopped God from thinking of them.
His thoughts towards us are good, and He has a special plan for us that is birthed out of His undying love for us. Psalm 40:5 says," Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders which You have done, and Your thoughts toward us:There is none to compare with You. If I would declare and speak of them, they would be too numerous to count".
That verse is telling us that God has many thoughts towards us. He doesn't just think of us once and then forget about us. Think of all the wonders He has done, there are so many. And Psalm 40:5 is telling us that He has that many thoughts towards us.
I have had times where I forget something, times where something slips my mind. But God doesn't forget us. Some may say,"I can believe He is thinking of me when I am living right. But when I mess up, He probably isn't thinking of me." That thought process is not true. God's love toward you is not dependant upon what you do. If it were, God would have been done with me a long time ago. In fact, He would be done with all of us because the Bible says there is none righteous. Yet, here we are still alive, still experiencing His goodness and love and mercy.
I hope you will remember that God is thinking of you. I hope that truth will help shape you life. I would like to end this with a couple more verses from the Bible that speaks of God thinking of us.
How precious also are Your thoughts to me , O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
If I should count them, they would
outnumber the sand.
When I awake, I am still with You.
Psalm 139:17,18
Troy
A. W. Tozer
I have always believed the above quote. As I have met various people I have found that their thought of what God is like has influenced their lives. Some think of God as someone who is far off and not concerned with what goes on here on Earth. They live their lives out according to that belief. Some think of God as someone who gets mad at us every time we mess up. Those that believe that live their lives according to that belief. Some think that since God is love He would never judge anyone. And they live their lives according to that belief. So you can see why the most important thought we can have is what we think of God. You can also see why we need to get the right thought about what God is like.
I would like to share a a truth about God that hopefully will encourage all of us: God is thinking of you. Hopefully this will encourage those who think God doesn't care. Sometimes we take two steps forward and three steps back. After an extended period of living like this we can become discouraged. When that happens we begin to get thoughts in our head that tell us that we should just give up. We think that God couldn't be concerned about us after all the times we have failed. We think we should have our act together by now. We think since others have given up on us, God probably has also.
The Bible tells us that God is love (1 John 4:16). It doesn't say that He is merely loving. It says He is love. That love, no matter what you and I have done with our lives, is directed towards us.
Not only does God love us, but He thinks of us. He says,"For I know the plans that I have for you. Plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11).
If He has plans for us, that means He is thinking of us. If you are planning something, that means you have put thought into it. This verse from Jeremiah was spoken to a people who had been disobedient toward God. They had not lived their lives the way God had desired. Yet, God was still thinking of them. God was still planning good for their lives. True, they would have to yield their lives to His plan. But their disobedience had not stopped God from thinking of them.
His thoughts towards us are good, and He has a special plan for us that is birthed out of His undying love for us. Psalm 40:5 says," Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders which You have done, and Your thoughts toward us:There is none to compare with You. If I would declare and speak of them, they would be too numerous to count".
That verse is telling us that God has many thoughts towards us. He doesn't just think of us once and then forget about us. Think of all the wonders He has done, there are so many. And Psalm 40:5 is telling us that He has that many thoughts towards us.
I have had times where I forget something, times where something slips my mind. But God doesn't forget us. Some may say,"I can believe He is thinking of me when I am living right. But when I mess up, He probably isn't thinking of me." That thought process is not true. God's love toward you is not dependant upon what you do. If it were, God would have been done with me a long time ago. In fact, He would be done with all of us because the Bible says there is none righteous. Yet, here we are still alive, still experiencing His goodness and love and mercy.
I hope you will remember that God is thinking of you. I hope that truth will help shape you life. I would like to end this with a couple more verses from the Bible that speaks of God thinking of us.
How precious also are Your thoughts to me , O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
If I should count them, they would
outnumber the sand.
When I awake, I am still with You.
Psalm 139:17,18
Troy
Monday, August 9, 2010
Staying In Shape For The Gig
I couldn't believe it. I thought I was going to have the night off. But at about 4:00 I got a call asking if I could do a gig for someone. The guitar player that had been hired for the gig had some unforseen events come up and now he wasn't going to make the gig. Usually this is no problem. I tend to be ready for a gig on a last moment's notice. I could do this gig, that wasn't the problem. The problem was that I knew I was going to be asked to do a lot of guitar solos throughout the night. Now usually that is not a problem. I have been improvising for decades. I know my scales, modes, and theory. I could do the gig and the audience wouldn't know that I didn't feel in shape. Most gigs you can get by after you have done it this long because most gigs don't require too much of you musically. But tonight I was playing with musicians who would know the difference. They would be able to tell if I was in shape musically or not. And there was the problem, I had not picked up the guitar and done any scales or playing that week. Usually throughout the week I pick up my guitar and run through different exercises just to stay in shape. But for some reason I didn't do it this particular week. It's a horrible feeling to know that you have the ability to do something but because you are not prepared you don't perform up to your potential.
This happens not just to musicians, but to all of us. We can all identify with not responding up to our ability. We can all relate to those times of being unprepared. It also happens in our spiritual lives. You respond in a way that you know you shouldn't have. You say something that you know you shouldn't have. I'm not talking about being perfect. I'm talking about those things we do when we know better. Not things that we struggle with. Things that we already have responded the right way many times before in our lives.
This can happen because we haven't been staying in shape spiritually. We get caught off guard. The way I was for that gig. There are times when unexpected events happen in our lives and we respond the way we should. And then there are those times we don't. I think one of the reasons why, though I am not saying it is true 100% of the time, is because we have drifted away from doing the things that help us to be ready for those moments.
I would like to share with you some of the things I do throughout the day to try and stay spiritually fit. Please understand , I am not perfect, but when I do what I am going to mention my relationship with Jesus seems to go better. I would also like to add that you don't have to copy what I do. I am just telling you how I stay in shape spiritually and maybe you can apply some of these actions to your life.
Our spiritual life is like a fire. A fire just doesn't keep burning on its own. It needs to be fanned throughout the whole time you are wanting it to burn. This is why even though going to church is wonderful, and we all should go to church. Just one hour on Sunday isn't going to keep you in shape spiritually. Sunday starts the spark, but what we do Monday through Saturday keeps it burning. Another thing I have noticed is that we Christians often think of Sunday church as the "gig" when it is the rehearsal for the real "gig" which is Monday through Saturday.
So here is what I do to stay in shape spiritually throughout the week. When I wake up I thank God for the new day. A new day is promised to no one, so I am thankful that I get a new one. I also thank Him for allowing me to sleep the night before. Most of us know what it is like to have trouble sleeping, so if you get a good night's sleep, be thankful. In the morning I will pray and read a little of the Bible. Now throughout the day, maybe every hour or two I will pick up where I left off in prayer and pray for a minute or two. I may also read a few pages from a Christian book sometime during the day. When I sin during the day, if I am aware of it, hopefully I will ask God to forgive me. At the end of the day I will spend more time reading books, my Bible and prayer. I don't do these things because I want God to love me and bless me, I don't do them to impress anyone or to try to avoid being on God's bad side. I do this to keep the relationship with God alive. To keep the fire burning. To stay in shape spiritually. To be ready for the "gig'. I guess you could say I do these disciplines because I realize I am spiritually weak. I have found that I cannot maintain a joyful and meaningful relationship with Jesus without these disciplines. I also need to get to church weekly, hangout and interact with other Christians during the week. I have found that when I neglect these things, my spiritual life gets out of shape.
By the way, that gig I had, we did very basic songs so it wasn't a problem. But as I reflect back on that day, I see the connection between staying in shape musically and spiritually. Hope these words will help you find a routine to stay in shape spiritually, so that you can be ready when God calls on you for a "gig" during the week.
Troy
This happens not just to musicians, but to all of us. We can all identify with not responding up to our ability. We can all relate to those times of being unprepared. It also happens in our spiritual lives. You respond in a way that you know you shouldn't have. You say something that you know you shouldn't have. I'm not talking about being perfect. I'm talking about those things we do when we know better. Not things that we struggle with. Things that we already have responded the right way many times before in our lives.
This can happen because we haven't been staying in shape spiritually. We get caught off guard. The way I was for that gig. There are times when unexpected events happen in our lives and we respond the way we should. And then there are those times we don't. I think one of the reasons why, though I am not saying it is true 100% of the time, is because we have drifted away from doing the things that help us to be ready for those moments.
I would like to share with you some of the things I do throughout the day to try and stay spiritually fit. Please understand , I am not perfect, but when I do what I am going to mention my relationship with Jesus seems to go better. I would also like to add that you don't have to copy what I do. I am just telling you how I stay in shape spiritually and maybe you can apply some of these actions to your life.
Our spiritual life is like a fire. A fire just doesn't keep burning on its own. It needs to be fanned throughout the whole time you are wanting it to burn. This is why even though going to church is wonderful, and we all should go to church. Just one hour on Sunday isn't going to keep you in shape spiritually. Sunday starts the spark, but what we do Monday through Saturday keeps it burning. Another thing I have noticed is that we Christians often think of Sunday church as the "gig" when it is the rehearsal for the real "gig" which is Monday through Saturday.
So here is what I do to stay in shape spiritually throughout the week. When I wake up I thank God for the new day. A new day is promised to no one, so I am thankful that I get a new one. I also thank Him for allowing me to sleep the night before. Most of us know what it is like to have trouble sleeping, so if you get a good night's sleep, be thankful. In the morning I will pray and read a little of the Bible. Now throughout the day, maybe every hour or two I will pick up where I left off in prayer and pray for a minute or two. I may also read a few pages from a Christian book sometime during the day. When I sin during the day, if I am aware of it, hopefully I will ask God to forgive me. At the end of the day I will spend more time reading books, my Bible and prayer. I don't do these things because I want God to love me and bless me, I don't do them to impress anyone or to try to avoid being on God's bad side. I do this to keep the relationship with God alive. To keep the fire burning. To stay in shape spiritually. To be ready for the "gig'. I guess you could say I do these disciplines because I realize I am spiritually weak. I have found that I cannot maintain a joyful and meaningful relationship with Jesus without these disciplines. I also need to get to church weekly, hangout and interact with other Christians during the week. I have found that when I neglect these things, my spiritual life gets out of shape.
By the way, that gig I had, we did very basic songs so it wasn't a problem. But as I reflect back on that day, I see the connection between staying in shape musically and spiritually. Hope these words will help you find a routine to stay in shape spiritually, so that you can be ready when God calls on you for a "gig" during the week.
Troy
Friday, July 16, 2010
Encouragement From The Psalms #2
We humans seem to always look to the past or the future for happiness. Some think the past was the best time of our lives. Hopefully we all have had wonderful experiences from the past. I have wonderful memories with friends and family that I wouldn't change for anything. But some glorify the past. I agree with Billy Joel in his song Keeping The Faith when he said," The good old days weren't always good, and tomorrow ain't as bad as it seems."
Some glorify the future. They are always thinking that somewhere in the future is when they are finally going to be happy. We all need to set goals for our futures. We all need to keep living for the future. But we can't glorify it.
The time we forget about most often is the present. We often forget to be happy for today. The Bible says," This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalm 118:24).
If we would think about it, we all have countless reasons to rejoice for this day. This day is a day we have never experienced before. Who knows what good can come our way today.Yes there are days when the demands of life threaten to overwhelm us. When those times come we may not feel like rejoicing. Instead of rejoicing, we may feel frustrated by the demands of the day and worried about the uncertainties of tomorrow. When we experience days like that it is time to count our blessings. No, it isn't always easy. I confess I often forget to count my blessings when I am in that kind of mood. But, it is the right thing to do.
This is the day that the Lord has made so let's begin it and end it partnering with God throughout. Let's cherish the past, look foward to the future, but let's learn how to enjoy this day.
Troy
Some glorify the future. They are always thinking that somewhere in the future is when they are finally going to be happy. We all need to set goals for our futures. We all need to keep living for the future. But we can't glorify it.
The time we forget about most often is the present. We often forget to be happy for today. The Bible says," This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalm 118:24).
If we would think about it, we all have countless reasons to rejoice for this day. This day is a day we have never experienced before. Who knows what good can come our way today.Yes there are days when the demands of life threaten to overwhelm us. When those times come we may not feel like rejoicing. Instead of rejoicing, we may feel frustrated by the demands of the day and worried about the uncertainties of tomorrow. When we experience days like that it is time to count our blessings. No, it isn't always easy. I confess I often forget to count my blessings when I am in that kind of mood. But, it is the right thing to do.
This is the day that the Lord has made so let's begin it and end it partnering with God throughout. Let's cherish the past, look foward to the future, but let's learn how to enjoy this day.
Troy
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Encouragement From The Psalms
How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
Psalm 1:1-2 NASB
I believe that deep down all of us want a blessed life. Nobody desires a life that falls apart. As author James Bryan Smith states," I have never met a person whose goal was to ruin his or her life." Yet, we have all had times in our lives where we have made choices where life began to fall apart from that choice or choices. Hopefully we learn from our mistakes. Hopefully instead of experiencing a life as a result of wrong choices we can experience a blessed life.
The word blessed means more than just being happy. Happiness so often has to do with our circumstances. If our circumstances are favorable we are happy. When they are not, we aren't happy. The word blessed can sound very religious,or even pious. Some translations may even say happy. But as I stated earlier happy refers to a temporary condition based on external conditions. I like the phrase "well off."Bryan James Smith uses this phrase when talking about the beatitudes. So Psalm 1 could start off, "How well off is the man..."
I like the phrase "well off" because it doesn't imply a life of no troubles. Some people think that if you follow Jesus with your life you won't have any problems. No, you still have problems even when you are obeying Jesus. There is no such life as a life with no problems. But while you are obeying Jesus with your life you are still "blessed" or "well off" even in the midst of troubles.
The Psalms have many references to someone being blessed, or how to be blessed, or living blessed. The first verse of the Book of Psalms starts off in the negative by telling us what not to do so that we can experience a blessed life.
1. Does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
2. Nor stand in the path of sinners
3. Nor sit in the seat of scoffers
The first directive seems simple enough. The ways of the world often stand in contrast to the "kingdom". It hard enough at times to follow the kingdom ways when you are a follower of Jesus, but downright impossible when you are not. So the writer of this Psalm is telling us not to get counsel from anyone who is not following Jesus. Now obviously this does not mean in every area of life. There are wise doctors, lawyers and other people who do not follow Jesus with their lives but they still can advise well in their areas of expertise. But when it comes to making "kingdom " decisions you will need the counsel of others who are in the kingdom. One example would be that if someone does you wrong, someone may tell you to retaliate back. But this does not follow kingdom principles. So listening to that advice will hurt you in the long run. So be careful who you get your advice from when it comes to living for God.
The other two directives have more to do with who it is you are hanging out with. Now, we don't stop hanging out with people just because they don't follow Jesus. But the advice the writer is giving has more to do with the fact that we begin to act like the people we hang out with all the time. If we aren't careful their action will begin to rub off on us. If we hang out with people who mock others all the time, we will probably begin to mock others all the time.
So the writer of this Psalm is telling us that if we hang out with the right people we are blessed. If we don't follow the counsel of those who tell us not to follow God's ways, we are blessed.
Now this Psalm tells us that what we are to do, is to delight in God's Word. We are also to meditate on it. This does not mean that we do like the eastern religions when it comes to meditating. It means we dwell on what we have read, we think about it throughout the day. You can write a verse down on a notecard and keep it with you and look at it at different times in the day when you have a chance. You can store it in your phone. There are many ways you can dwell on God's word throughout the day.
As we read the Bible and then dwell on it we will begin to live it out when the right situation comes along. That is what the Psalmist is telling us. That is why it is so important to read, and then dwell on God's word. Because it will lead into action. As we begin to do what God says we will begin to experience a blessed life.
Troy
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
Psalm 1:1-2 NASB
I believe that deep down all of us want a blessed life. Nobody desires a life that falls apart. As author James Bryan Smith states," I have never met a person whose goal was to ruin his or her life." Yet, we have all had times in our lives where we have made choices where life began to fall apart from that choice or choices. Hopefully we learn from our mistakes. Hopefully instead of experiencing a life as a result of wrong choices we can experience a blessed life.
The word blessed means more than just being happy. Happiness so often has to do with our circumstances. If our circumstances are favorable we are happy. When they are not, we aren't happy. The word blessed can sound very religious,or even pious. Some translations may even say happy. But as I stated earlier happy refers to a temporary condition based on external conditions. I like the phrase "well off."Bryan James Smith uses this phrase when talking about the beatitudes. So Psalm 1 could start off, "How well off is the man..."
I like the phrase "well off" because it doesn't imply a life of no troubles. Some people think that if you follow Jesus with your life you won't have any problems. No, you still have problems even when you are obeying Jesus. There is no such life as a life with no problems. But while you are obeying Jesus with your life you are still "blessed" or "well off" even in the midst of troubles.
The Psalms have many references to someone being blessed, or how to be blessed, or living blessed. The first verse of the Book of Psalms starts off in the negative by telling us what not to do so that we can experience a blessed life.
1. Does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
2. Nor stand in the path of sinners
3. Nor sit in the seat of scoffers
The first directive seems simple enough. The ways of the world often stand in contrast to the "kingdom". It hard enough at times to follow the kingdom ways when you are a follower of Jesus, but downright impossible when you are not. So the writer of this Psalm is telling us not to get counsel from anyone who is not following Jesus. Now obviously this does not mean in every area of life. There are wise doctors, lawyers and other people who do not follow Jesus with their lives but they still can advise well in their areas of expertise. But when it comes to making "kingdom " decisions you will need the counsel of others who are in the kingdom. One example would be that if someone does you wrong, someone may tell you to retaliate back. But this does not follow kingdom principles. So listening to that advice will hurt you in the long run. So be careful who you get your advice from when it comes to living for God.
The other two directives have more to do with who it is you are hanging out with. Now, we don't stop hanging out with people just because they don't follow Jesus. But the advice the writer is giving has more to do with the fact that we begin to act like the people we hang out with all the time. If we aren't careful their action will begin to rub off on us. If we hang out with people who mock others all the time, we will probably begin to mock others all the time.
So the writer of this Psalm is telling us that if we hang out with the right people we are blessed. If we don't follow the counsel of those who tell us not to follow God's ways, we are blessed.
Now this Psalm tells us that what we are to do, is to delight in God's Word. We are also to meditate on it. This does not mean that we do like the eastern religions when it comes to meditating. It means we dwell on what we have read, we think about it throughout the day. You can write a verse down on a notecard and keep it with you and look at it at different times in the day when you have a chance. You can store it in your phone. There are many ways you can dwell on God's word throughout the day.
As we read the Bible and then dwell on it we will begin to live it out when the right situation comes along. That is what the Psalmist is telling us. That is why it is so important to read, and then dwell on God's word. Because it will lead into action. As we begin to do what God says we will begin to experience a blessed life.
Troy
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Listen To Your Conscience
One of the keys to enjoying life is listening to your conscience. God gave us a conscience for a very good reason: to use it. When we are not sure of a certain action our conscience will let us know if we are on the right path. If we believe one thing but do something else, our conscience will not allow us to have peace and contentment.
We need to respond to our conscience while it is still tender and not hardened. You see, over time if you and I don't listen to our conscience it will get harder to respond to it because we are so used to just doing what we want and not listening to our conscience. Can you remember a time in your life when you did something that you knew you shouldn't? How did you feel? You probably didn't have much peace or contentment. But as you kept on doing the action did you notice that you didn't feel bad anymore? The action became easier to do because your conscience became hardened probably to the point of justifying the action. An old illustration talks about how a horse will go wild when it hears a gun shot. But if it is continually around gun shots it doesn't respond as wild anymore. That is a great illustration of how God will try to get our attention through our conscience, and we feel bad, but if we keep on doing the wrong action we don't even notice our conscience trying to tell us the action is wrong.
Billy Graham says, "Most of us follow our conscience as we follow a wheelbarrow. We push it in front of us in the direction we want to go." This is a big mistake. Yet all of us, on occasion, have failed to listen to the voice that God has planted in our hearts. What happened when we did this? We had to suffer the consequences. As I think back over my life I wish I had listened to my conscience more than I did. Oh the trouble I could have spared myself and others. Maybe you can relate. I thank God that even though there were times I had to suffer the consequences for not listening to my conscience, He still has been full of grace and mercy.
Even though there are still times that I don't listen, and mess up and do what I want to do. I would rather go through life listening to God and doing what He wants me to. When I realize I have messed up, I confess to Him and ask His forgiveness and try to respond in obedience. Because I want to have a tender conscience.
So today let's make certain that our actions are guided by God's Word and by the conscience that He has placed in our heart. Josh Billings says," Reason often makes mistakes, but conscience never does." Another thing for us to remember is to not treat our faith as if it were separate from everyday life. God doesn't just speak or guide us at church. He is constantly trying to help us into the right decisions. Let us respond to God's voice. Charles Stanley says, "Your conscience is your alarm system. It's your protection."
Blessed are those who have a tender conscience, but the stubborn are headed for serious trouble.
Proverbs 28:14 NLT
Troy
We need to respond to our conscience while it is still tender and not hardened. You see, over time if you and I don't listen to our conscience it will get harder to respond to it because we are so used to just doing what we want and not listening to our conscience. Can you remember a time in your life when you did something that you knew you shouldn't? How did you feel? You probably didn't have much peace or contentment. But as you kept on doing the action did you notice that you didn't feel bad anymore? The action became easier to do because your conscience became hardened probably to the point of justifying the action. An old illustration talks about how a horse will go wild when it hears a gun shot. But if it is continually around gun shots it doesn't respond as wild anymore. That is a great illustration of how God will try to get our attention through our conscience, and we feel bad, but if we keep on doing the wrong action we don't even notice our conscience trying to tell us the action is wrong.
Billy Graham says, "Most of us follow our conscience as we follow a wheelbarrow. We push it in front of us in the direction we want to go." This is a big mistake. Yet all of us, on occasion, have failed to listen to the voice that God has planted in our hearts. What happened when we did this? We had to suffer the consequences. As I think back over my life I wish I had listened to my conscience more than I did. Oh the trouble I could have spared myself and others. Maybe you can relate. I thank God that even though there were times I had to suffer the consequences for not listening to my conscience, He still has been full of grace and mercy.
Even though there are still times that I don't listen, and mess up and do what I want to do. I would rather go through life listening to God and doing what He wants me to. When I realize I have messed up, I confess to Him and ask His forgiveness and try to respond in obedience. Because I want to have a tender conscience.
So today let's make certain that our actions are guided by God's Word and by the conscience that He has placed in our heart. Josh Billings says," Reason often makes mistakes, but conscience never does." Another thing for us to remember is to not treat our faith as if it were separate from everyday life. God doesn't just speak or guide us at church. He is constantly trying to help us into the right decisions. Let us respond to God's voice. Charles Stanley says, "Your conscience is your alarm system. It's your protection."
Blessed are those who have a tender conscience, but the stubborn are headed for serious trouble.
Proverbs 28:14 NLT
Troy
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
OPINIONS
There are many opinions being expressed today. All you have to do is watch a news channel such as CNN or Fox News to hear people giving their opinions.
Well, there are also opinions about us out there. Some are our opinions of ourselves, and some are opinions that others have of us. One of the keys of life is to decide whose opinion are we going to listen to about ourselves. Sometimes we can be too critical or too lenient in our opinion of ourselves. The same can be true of others opinions about us. So where do we go to get the correct opinion? I have found the Bible to be the truth of life.
We all need to learn to see ourselves from God's point of view. People will always have opinions. That is just how we are. But A. R. Bernard says that the most important thing for us in the context of opinions, is God's opinion of us.
God's love for us is more than we can imagine. In fact, it is too big to comprehend. We do know however that He loves us so much that He was willing to die for us. We also know that when we accept Jesus into our hearts, that He comes and lives inside of us. We also know that He loves us so much that He offers us eternal life with Him.
Even in our challenging times, even though it can be hard to see, God is working in our lives.
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose.
Romans 8:28 KJV
God also sees the potential that is inside of us. He sees what we can become because He is the One who created us. Since He sees our potential He never gives up on us. Even when others or maybe even we ourselves have given up on us, He hasn't.
There is a time in the Bible when the nation of Israel, God's chosen people had disobeyed Him and were suffering the consequences of their sin when God spoke these words to them," I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness." (Jeremiah 31:3)
I am pretty sure at that time that Israel was probably thinking that God did not love them. That He had a bad opinion of them. In fact, isn't that how we feel at times when we have blown it with God? We think that He has probably stopped loving us, or has given up on us. But He hadn't stopped loving them, nor has He stopped loving us in those times. Yes, Israel had to live with the consequences of their actions, just as we do. But God had not stopped loving them.
That story from the Bible is an example of why it is so important to read our Bibles. If we don't read the Bible, all we will receive is the world's point of view about us. Nearly everything that is going on around us is telling us that we don't measure up, that were not good enough or that we can't be happy without a certain product. This is why we need to continue to read the Bible and get God's opinion of us.
Now, since God has loved us with an everlasting love, what will we do in response to that love? Will we ignore it or embrace it? The decision, is ours and ours alone to make.
When we embrace God's love, we are forever changed. We begin to feel differently about others and ourselves. When we embrace His love we begin to sense His love for us. Then, when those difficult times come we can hopefully remember to think of God's opinion of us and not others or even our own negative opinions of ourselves.
Troy
Well, there are also opinions about us out there. Some are our opinions of ourselves, and some are opinions that others have of us. One of the keys of life is to decide whose opinion are we going to listen to about ourselves. Sometimes we can be too critical or too lenient in our opinion of ourselves. The same can be true of others opinions about us. So where do we go to get the correct opinion? I have found the Bible to be the truth of life.
We all need to learn to see ourselves from God's point of view. People will always have opinions. That is just how we are. But A. R. Bernard says that the most important thing for us in the context of opinions, is God's opinion of us.
God's love for us is more than we can imagine. In fact, it is too big to comprehend. We do know however that He loves us so much that He was willing to die for us. We also know that when we accept Jesus into our hearts, that He comes and lives inside of us. We also know that He loves us so much that He offers us eternal life with Him.
Even in our challenging times, even though it can be hard to see, God is working in our lives.
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose.
Romans 8:28 KJV
God also sees the potential that is inside of us. He sees what we can become because He is the One who created us. Since He sees our potential He never gives up on us. Even when others or maybe even we ourselves have given up on us, He hasn't.
There is a time in the Bible when the nation of Israel, God's chosen people had disobeyed Him and were suffering the consequences of their sin when God spoke these words to them," I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness." (Jeremiah 31:3)
I am pretty sure at that time that Israel was probably thinking that God did not love them. That He had a bad opinion of them. In fact, isn't that how we feel at times when we have blown it with God? We think that He has probably stopped loving us, or has given up on us. But He hadn't stopped loving them, nor has He stopped loving us in those times. Yes, Israel had to live with the consequences of their actions, just as we do. But God had not stopped loving them.
That story from the Bible is an example of why it is so important to read our Bibles. If we don't read the Bible, all we will receive is the world's point of view about us. Nearly everything that is going on around us is telling us that we don't measure up, that were not good enough or that we can't be happy without a certain product. This is why we need to continue to read the Bible and get God's opinion of us.
Now, since God has loved us with an everlasting love, what will we do in response to that love? Will we ignore it or embrace it? The decision, is ours and ours alone to make.
When we embrace God's love, we are forever changed. We begin to feel differently about others and ourselves. When we embrace His love we begin to sense His love for us. Then, when those difficult times come we can hopefully remember to think of God's opinion of us and not others or even our own negative opinions of ourselves.
Troy
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