"Listen To The Warning"

"But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you." Jeremiah 7:23

Years ago, I learned a very valuable, and painful lesson, about listening.  I was outside working on something in the yard. I had to stretch and bend my body in order to reach what I was doing. I was in a very awkward position and put a strain on my back. The longer I was there, the more I could feel the pressure and pulling in my back. I could hear my back "talking" to me. It was saying, "Ouch, stop, stop doing that, this is hurting, quit!" Well, I continued. I didn't want to stop until I got the task finished-- after all, it was only going to take another minute or two to complete. I should have listened to my body because it didn't end well.

 

My body was warning me not to do what I was doing. I did not heed the warning, so I faced the consequences. The worse pain hit my back, and I wound up sending the rest of that beautiful day inside on the couch unable to do anything else.

 

Not only did I learn a valuable lesson about listening to my body when it is trying to tell me something, but it also reminded me of how many times we don't listen to the warnings that God's Word gives us. God created our bodies in such a way that if we will pay attention to them, we can save ourselves from a lot of pain and hurt. God has also given us His Word to give us warnings, guidance, help, wisdom and instruction and if we will pay attention and heed those warnings, we can save ourselves a lot of grief, heartache and misery. Listening to and obeying God's Word keeps us from sin. It keeps us from destruction. It keeps us from going the wrong direction and living a less than abundant life. Obeying God's Word gives us peace, keeps us in the center of His will, and makes us productive. 

 

I did not listen to the warning my body was giving me because I wanted to get what I was doing finished. We also come up with "good reasons" why we don't listen to God's Word. Some are: we think we know better than God does; we think that just a little disobedience won't hurt anything; we think that we are in control, so the consequences won't happen to us. Don't kid yourself-- whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap. 

 

I thought I had a good reason not to listen to my body, so I never expected that to happen and that I would be facing those consequences. When we disobey God's Word, sin enters. It has been said that sin will take you where you don't want to go and keep you there longer than you wanted to stay. A lot of people never dreamed they would end up where they did-- but it happened. I never dreamed while I was working on what I was doing that the day would end with me on the couch-- but it did. Therefore, give heed, pay attention and obey the warnings of God's Word and you won't wind up where you don't want to be-- facing the consequences.

 

Have a great day. If you ignore the warnings of God's Word you will face the consequences for it. 

 

For further reading:

Psalm 119:11

James 1:22

2 Timothy 3:16,17

Galatians 6:7

"Stop Wondering"

"Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!" Psalm 113:6 

Are you wondering if God knows where you are today? Though the Lord sits high, He looks low. He may be high and lifted up, but yet He takes notice of what is going on down here below. Never think for one moment that God doesn't know what you are going through. Don't think that He isn't watching you. Don't think that He doesn't care or that He is too busy to pay attention to you. He keeps His eyes on you. There is never a time when He is not watching you. He sees you wherever you are and whatever you are going through. The eyes of the Lord are in every place. 

 

The eyes of the Lord see in darkness-- darkness cannot even hide you from Him. Storms can't conceal you from Him. A deep pit cannot pluck you from His sight. Grief doesn't hide you from His view. Neither does pain, sickness or disease. Poverty nor prosperity stops Him from seeing you. Even when you are abandoned by people, even if you are an outcast among men, even though no one on earth cares about you, even when you have been left to yourself all alone, you are not alone. God has not left you, abandoned you or cast you aside. 

 

If you are wondering if God knows where you are and sees what you are going through... stop wondering. Take time to read Psalm 139. He sees--- there is no place where He doesn't see you. And He cares about you.

 

Have a great day. Are you wondering if God even sees where you are? Well, stop wondering because He does.

 

For further reading:

Psalm 139

"What Do You Have?"

"And Moses said unto the Lord, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue." Exodus 4:10 

When the Lord appeared to Moses out of the burning bush and called him to deliver His people from Egyptian bondage, all Moses could focus on was what he did not have, his inabilities and the negative. He gave excuse after excuse because of what he did not have as to why he could not do what God called him to do-- I am not eloquent, I am not a good speaker, I am slow of speech and slow of tongue. 

 

God wasn't interested in what Moses didn't have. He was interested in what he did have-- "And the Lord said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod." (verse 2) God wasn't focused on Moses' inabilities-- He already knew them. God already knew Moses could not do what He was calling him to do. He knew Moses was not a deliverer. He knew Moses had weaknesses. He knew Moses couldn't speak. But He also knew what HE had placed in Moses' hand. He knew what HE had given him to accomplish the task. The Lord was looking for a willing vessel that He could exhibit HIS great delivering power through. 

 

If God is calling you to a particular task, don't focus on the negative. Don't focus on what you can't do. Don't focus on your inability. Whatever God calls us to do is not within our ability to do anyway. These things are impossible with men. Look at what GOD has placed in your hand-- look at what HE has given you. Then "throw it down"--"And he said, Cast it on the ground." In other words, surrender it and put it at the feet of Jesus and watch what HE will do through it. Moses never realized there was a snake in that rod, or all the great and wondrous miracles God performed through it. You and I don't realize what is in what God has placed in our hands either. And we never will if we keep focusing on what we can't do instead of focusing on what HE can do if we will stop making excuses and surrender what we do have to Him.

 

Have a great day. Don't focus on what you don't have and can't do. Focus on what God can do with what HE has given you.

 

For further reading:

Exodus 4

"You Have His Power"

"Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you." Luke 10:19 

Sadly, we (Christians) don't realize the power that we have-- if we do, we don't act like it. We have been given power by the Lord Jesus Himself. He has delegated to us His power and authority to use in this world to do great and mighty works for His glory. He has given us power to do what He did, plus greater works. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father." (John 14:12) 

He has given us power to finish the works that He started. "The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach." (Acts 1:1) 

He has given us power to be witnesses to proclaim the truth of the gospel that Jesus is Lord. "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." (Acts 1:8) 

He has given us power to back up the preaching with signs that will confirm what we say. "And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen." (Mark 16:20) 

He has given us power over all the powers of the enemy. He has given us power to cast out devils, heal the sick, raise the dead, preach the gospel and set the captives free. "And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." (Mark 16:17,18)

 

If you are a born-again child of God, you are not powerless over temptation. You are not powerless over our flesh. You are not powerless over sin. You are not powerless over the enemy. You are not powerless at all. You have the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead living in you. "But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." (Romans 8:11) You have the Spirit of God living in you. You have the nature of God living in you. You have the power of God residing in you. You have His ability dwelling in you. You don't need to cave in, back down, fall down, run away, roll over or give up. You need to stand strong and firm in the power that you have been given through Christ. 

 

Have a great day. You are more powerful than you think you are, because of the One who lives inside of you (Jesus). 

"Joy Stealer"

"Give us this day our daily bread." Matthew 6:11 

When Jesus taught His disciples the manner in which to pray, He taught them to pray that they would have what they needed that day. He didn't teach them to pray for tomorrow, or the next day, or for next year. He taught them to pray for their need that day. Just a few verses later He told them not to "take thought for tomorrow". Let me clarify something. Jesus was not telling them that they should not plan for the future. The scriptures tell us to "occupy" while we are on earth and take care of business- including investing for the future. Proverbs gives us wisdom that is found in observing and following the practice of the ant-- how it prepares in the time of harvest for the summer. Even Jesus had a goal in mind and was carrying out a future plan while He walked the earth-- the cross. 

 

The verse in the prayer has more to do with being content with what you have today, and learning to trust God each and every day. The fact is that no matter how much planning and preparation we may do for the future, we still aren't promised tomorrow. There was a certain rich man who learned this lesson. He decided to build bigger barns to hold his wealth and sit back and enjoy the rest of his life. But his life was taken that same night.

 

Many people live their lives in the future. They are always thinking about tomorrow. They are always focusing on a time to come. They are looking toward another day-- when I get married, when my children are grown, when I finish college, when I am financially secure, when I can retire, etc. When we do that, we never enjoy "this day". We miss the wonderful blessings that await us. We miss out on the benefits that we are loaded with today. Also living in the future is just as harmful as always living in the past. They are both joy-stealers. Living in the past steals our joy by keeping us in regret. Living in the future steals our joy by keeping us preoccupied with what may or may not happen, and too busy to enjoy today. Either way we lose. Jesus wants us to have abundant life. Abundant life today. Pray as He taught us to pray-- "give us this day"-- and then enjoy it, and use it for His glory.

 

Have a great day. Always living in the past or the future will steal your joy. Enjoy this day that the Lord has given you.

 

For further reading:

Matthew 6:34

Luke 19:13; 12:19-21

Proverbs 6:5-7

1 Timothy 6:6

Psalm 68:19