The 6/30 verse is from 2 Chronicles 6:30, "then hear from heaven, where you live, and forgive. Give your people whatever they deserve, for you alone know the condition of the human heart." NLT
The main undercurrent in this passage is praise. The prelude into this can be loosely translated to say, "No matter how bad things get, a grateful heart - full of praise- can color your world from pale to bright. That is, if your motives are pure and your heart is right.
It is really a bit scary to tell God to give us what we deserve. What if we have sin or unforgiveness in our heart? What if we have worse? Do we want God to give us what we deserve? We deserve death, but our God is gracious. If we can get our hearts around that, I think God will reveal His love and Presence in our lives. He, alone, knows the condition of the human heart. Let's be careful not to get what we deserve.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Got it?
The 6/29 verse is Matthew 6:29, "yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.". NLT
God is into the small stuff, as much as the big stuff, as this passage illustrates. We are a complex people who worry about things like what to eat and what to wear. Simple creatures, like birds, don't have such worries, yet God provides food for them. He even created them with built-in GPS systems to help them navigate toward warmer weather in the winter. By, the way, I want to put in a request for one of those!
Simple things, like flowers, bloom at just the right time, in just the right temperature. They just do it; no worry involved. Their beauty is often matchless, from no effort of their own...God did all the work. He takes care of them and He will do the same for us.
King Solomon could buy beautiful things, but nothing as beautiful as what the Lord created. All the little details of the birds, and flowers, and people are God's handiwork. If He does such a beautiful job with things that don't matter nearly as much as we do to Him, why are we always stressing? He's got this; He's got us. Got it?!
God is into the small stuff, as much as the big stuff, as this passage illustrates. We are a complex people who worry about things like what to eat and what to wear. Simple creatures, like birds, don't have such worries, yet God provides food for them. He even created them with built-in GPS systems to help them navigate toward warmer weather in the winter. By, the way, I want to put in a request for one of those!
Simple things, like flowers, bloom at just the right time, in just the right temperature. They just do it; no worry involved. Their beauty is often matchless, from no effort of their own...God did all the work. He takes care of them and He will do the same for us.
King Solomon could buy beautiful things, but nothing as beautiful as what the Lord created. All the little details of the birds, and flowers, and people are God's handiwork. If He does such a beautiful job with things that don't matter nearly as much as we do to Him, why are we always stressing? He's got this; He's got us. Got it?!
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
The Attitude Adjuster
The verse for 6/28 is from Luke 6:28, "Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who insult you." GW
That's a hard one isn't it? But the way of Jesus is to love them anyway. The way of Jesus is to be kind. It could be just the impetus that softens their heart and their attitude. God has a way of adjusting our attitudes when we do as He asks.
If Jesus told us to do it, there must be merit to it. I think I'll do what He says and leave the results up to Him. He can certainly take care of poor attitudes...both mine and theirs!
That's a hard one isn't it? But the way of Jesus is to love them anyway. The way of Jesus is to be kind. It could be just the impetus that softens their heart and their attitude. God has a way of adjusting our attitudes when we do as He asks.
If Jesus told us to do it, there must be merit to it. I think I'll do what He says and leave the results up to Him. He can certainly take care of poor attitudes...both mine and theirs!
Monday, June 27, 2011
Exercising in Futility
The 6/27 verse is Matthew 6:27, "Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not." NLT
Jesus spends quiet a bit of time and effort telling us how futile it is to worry. As a matter of fact, He tells us NOT to worry! If there was ever something easier said than done, I think it might be adopting the principle of not worrying. Human nature and doubt seem to have us wringing our hands a lot, when we should be raising them. Why can't we just trust Jesus and His words and turn our worries over to Him? I wish I knew; I would be on to something.
So I guess I get more exercise than I realized. But far too often, it is the wrong kind of exercise. I tend to exercise in futility at times, when I give in to worry. I would be much better served to let God be God and give my worries over to Him. I am going to try to exercise my faith more, and my worry less. There is no doubt which is the healthier option, both spiritually and physically. It's time to lift my hands in surrender and praise and learn to exercise more in faith. Who wants to be my exercise buddy?
Jesus spends quiet a bit of time and effort telling us how futile it is to worry. As a matter of fact, He tells us NOT to worry! If there was ever something easier said than done, I think it might be adopting the principle of not worrying. Human nature and doubt seem to have us wringing our hands a lot, when we should be raising them. Why can't we just trust Jesus and His words and turn our worries over to Him? I wish I knew; I would be on to something.
So I guess I get more exercise than I realized. But far too often, it is the wrong kind of exercise. I tend to exercise in futility at times, when I give in to worry. I would be much better served to let God be God and give my worries over to Him. I am going to try to exercise my faith more, and my worry less. There is no doubt which is the healthier option, both spiritually and physically. It's time to lift my hands in surrender and praise and learn to exercise more in faith. Who wants to be my exercise buddy?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)