Monday, September 26, 2011

Complacency Is Murder

"Because you hated Knowledge
and had nothing to do with the Fear-of-God,
Because you wouldn't take my advice
and brushed aside all my offers to train you,
Well, you've made your bed—now lie in it;
you wanted your own way—now, how do you like it?
Don't you see what happens, you simpletons, you idiots?
Carelessness kills; complacency is murder.
First pay attention to me, and then relax.
Now you can take it easy—you're in good hands." Proverbs 1:29:33 (MSG)

Dear Friend:

Can you breathe a sigh of relief today or are you uneasy regarding life?

Jesus says "first pay attention to me, and then relax. Now you can take it easy-you're in good hands."

Hands of the Almighty or hands of the world?! So many false philosophies out there.

Just do it!
Don't think about it, go with it!
Do what feels good!
You don't like it, dispose of it!
That means disposable marriages, babies, relationships!

What warped philosophies are you following?

When Joseph's brothers were jealous of him they took matters into their own hands. They plotted to dump Joseph down a well. At the last minute they changed their minds and instead sold him as a slave. They covered up their scheme by explaining to their Father that Joseph died, killed by some animal.

That day the brothers lost their "peace of mind." They could not take it easy! They lived with that decisions for many years.

God and only the one true God allowed them to be in agony of their decision for many years. In the end God brought mercy on them and allowed them to be reunited with their brother Joseph. Joseph found a way to forgive the brothers.

Do you have sore feelings about a past situation that your not willing to forgive?
Is it time for you to forgive and set things straight?

Did you notice that I said "God allowed?" God gives us free will.

Do the right thing by seeking Jesus today. "Take it Easy?"

or

Put your head on your pillow at night with "no peace?"

God's rich mercy brought the brothers back together. He may be asking you to bring things back together. God won't stop trying to convince you to heal. He loves you way too much!

PRAYER: Father in heaven give me to courage to do the right things daily. Can you help me with.............. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Friday, September 9, 2011

On a Bright Sunny Day

On a bright, sunny day, I was enjoying a bike ride. Like always, I rode from my home to a familiar path and would safely go a couple miles and then head back. But on this day, I took a different trail and entered an unfamiliar path. I came to a steep incline with bushes on each side that made the path extremely narrow.

The only words I could think of were, “Don’t think about it. Just go.” As soon as I focused on the trail, my bike got wobbly and I began to fall. I had to force myself to look down at the trail and say over and over “don’t think about it, just go.”

I was tickled by this reminder from God to not over think things. It was fun to go down that path, hearing from God and trusting Him. I had quite a sense of accomplishment at the end of the trail.

My mind drifted to similar stories in the Bible.

Rahab, the prostitute, was raised hearing of the miraculous stories of the God of the Israelites. Surely, despite all her mistakes, she wanted the Lord to be her God, the God in heaven above and on the earth below, so they promised that they would come back and save her and her family. So, she agreed to hide the spies for Joshua, and she took an oath. “Our lives for your lives!” the men assured her. But, what if she would have thought too much, as she waited for the men to come back to save her and her family? Her guilt and shame could have held her thoughts captive and caused her to flee. Instead she chose to not think about that and focus on anticipating making their God her God. As we now know Jesus came from her bloodline.

What if Peter continued to think too much about identifying with Jesus? Two books of the bible filled with his lessons would have had to be deleted. What if Mary of Bethany would have thought too much about anointing Jesus with expensive oil? She taught us the importance of spending time with Jesus.

So many stories of faith and trust depended on the men and women of the Bible to not think too much. How many times did I miss out on experiencing God because of my thinking too much? How many times have you missed out on God by thinking too much?

AUTHOR QUOTE: Stop thinking too much! It could hinder the work of God.

BIBLE VERSE: “But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho-and she lives among the Israelites to this day” (Joshua 6:25 NIV).