Saturday, June 8, 2019

June 8

Everyday we must fight against the naysayers, those who do not believe in our God. They have no faith or trust in the Almighty, and believe He doesn’t exist. They believe in coincidences, and attribute their outcome to happenstance. We know better, and have a myriad of evidence to prove our belief. How can anyone possibly believe there is no god when there is divine proof abounding that points to His existence? Do not let your heart be troubled by them, our God is on His throne, and in His holy temple. He is for us! Stay the course, keep your communication open with Him. He sees you and knows your trouble. Those of us who have been sealed with the promise in Jesus will be vindicated. Pray for them; pray that the Lord would show them who He is, that they be sorrowful for their sins against His beloveds, and accept that Jesus is King forever!

Let him rain coals on the wicked; fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup. For the LORD is righteous; he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face. Psalms 11:6-7

Friday, June 7, 2019

June 7

Focus! Why can’t I focus? My intentions are good, and I think my heart is right, but when I sit down to pray my thoughts are all over the place. There is no one more important than our loving Father, so why can’t I keep my mind on Him while I pray? Then He reminded me that He wired me that way. One thing I do first thing in the morning, as soon as I can think clearly, is say ‘good morning, Father.’ I’ve acknowledged Him as the keeper of my days. 

If you have dogs, you know how excited they get when you come home. They might wag their tail, or bark a little, but you can see the excitement on their face as you walk in the door. No words are needed, you understand their expression. Doesn’t that do your heart good? Imagine how the Father feels when we greet Him. Believe me, He loves us more than we love our dogs. 

The most important thing is to pray constantly. Don’t be too hard on yourself for your lack of focus because He knows your need and your heart without you ever saying a word.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Thursday, June 6, 2019

June 6

Being a nature lover, and a bird watcher, I was thrilled to see my favorite bird fly over this morning, the Roseate Spoonbill. Just after watching it pass by, and after praising God for blessing me with the beautiful experience, Rudy decided to dart off across the field and chase after a huge Barred Owl that was sitting near the swamp. That owl was about double his size and might have tried to eat him for breakfast, except that he saw me running behind him, and flew off. I give spiritual meaning to physical things, and read them as if the words were in the air. My interpretation of this is: The Lord displays His majesty in beautiful ways, like the spoonbill, but the enemy blends into the background trying to go unseen, like the owl. Keep your nose in God’s word, and your heart prayerful, so you recognize evil when it’s lurking in the shadows. Remember that Jesus is right there with you, ready to fight for you, just as I was ready to defend Rudy if that owl had tried to grab him.

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 1 John 4:1-2

Wednesday, June 5, 2019

June 5

What can I do? Many times I find myself concerned about things I have no control over. This morning I’m concerned about the yard work being done. It rained really hard last night and the ground is still wet, and now the lawn mower is probably leaving ruts. The lawn company doesn’t care, they’re just trying to get their work done and move on to the next neighborhood. Yesterday, before the rain, I was concerned about them cutting the grass too short because of the unrelenting heat scorching it. However, it looks like the rainy season has finally begun, and the grass will probably start to grow out of control. Do you see how ridiculous this thought pattern is? I go through the same thing with more important issues, but even then, the pattern is still ridiculous, we have no control over the outcome. God is in control of all things, even the rate the grass grows! Don’t you think He can handle the pressing issue that has consumed you? 

And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you. Psalms 9:10

Tuesday, June 4, 2019

June 4

There is always a crisis waiting around the corner. If this world was as peaceful as Heaven, then why would we need Jesus? God has created a world full of mischief, turmoil, and chaos, so we would learn to stop relying on the world and trust in Him. We need to trust everything to Him, even, and especially the lives of our children and grandchildren. My heart breaks when I see people who have lost the fight against drugs and choose to stay in that defeated position, leaving everything behind, including their children. What will become of those children? Did you know that each of them has a purpose? Even though it seems they have been given a hardship from the beginning, it will be those hardships that will shape who they become. God can use everything we encounter as a powerful tool for the future. It’s true that not every child will be pulled from the wreckage or will choose to trust Jesus, but those that are taught to love the Lord will go on to share a powerful testimony about the goodness of God. 

Oh, let the evil of the wicked come to an end, and may you establish the righteous— you who test the minds and hearts, O righteous God! Psalms 7:9

Monday, June 3, 2019

June 3

There are times when I find it very hard to write. I’ve started two stories today and neither have lead to a lesson. I don’t get discouraged, I just keep trying until I get it right. I had scheduled Stanley Steemer to clean my carpets between eight and twelve, and low and behold, they came at eight! That really threw me off! I never considered getting up super early this morning to accommodate them because usually I’m last on the list. So, today you are getting the remnants of my struggle. This is similar to being at war with the enemy; he is full of distractions and lies that we need to combat through. If I didn’t keep trying, the enemy would win. David was in a real struggle against the enemy too. Not only did he have to fight depression, he also physically struggled with those who were in pursuit of him. Some of his most beautiful songs were written during his time of struggle. The point is, don’t stop doing what God has called you to do, even if it seems too hard; pray through it! He comes to the rescue of the ones who love Him.

The LORD has heard my plea; the LORD accepts my prayer. All my enemies shall be ashamed and greatly troubled; they shall turn back and be put to shame in a moment. Psalms 6:9-10

Sunday, June 2, 2019

June 2

If you’ve read any of my blog posts, you know that I love the beach, the salt water, and the sand. Maybe your obsession is golf, fishing, or some other pleasure. Each activity involves some sort of sacrifice. For instance, my love for the beach requires that I love, or tolerate the sand. Who loves sand, it gets everywhere? I also sacrifice sleep because everyone knows that you don’t wait until noon to go to the beach, it’s way too hot for that. What do you give up for Jesus? We are to be a living sacrifice, but what exactly does that mean? Matthew Henry says this: “The spiritual sacrifices which Christians are to offer are their bodies, souls, affections, prayers, praises, alms, and other duties.”

As an example, one of my sacrifices is writing this daily post. I sacrifice sleep, and my time, but really, I love doing it so it doesn’t feel like a sacrifice. Going to church sacrifices the time you could be spending doing other activities. You sacrifice your money to tithe, but you know that you only have it because God gave it to you. You give up sin, and probably the friends who are involved in that sin. The list goes on, but most of these sacrifices involve time. Don’t be selfish, give Jesus your time. He sacrificed His life because of His love for us, sacrifice something for Him.

you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:5