Trials

 Greetings to you all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,

     James 1:2-6 says, “ My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;  Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.  But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.  If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.  But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.”

     We have a copy of an old Bible, in German, which is a ”Martin Luther edition.   I can’t read it, but can notice some of its differences.  The placement of one book is unusual in that the Epistle of James is the last book in the New Testament.  Luther’s statements about the epistle may reflect some of his personal views, so I have been told by others.  The copy is heavy and a bit tattered here and there as it is almost 150 years olf.  Mom used it to store flowers taken from the tops of various caskets over the years as well as some historical papers from the family, mostly obituaries and locks of hair.

     The epistle has much to say about the Christian life   adn while some may propose that it is in conflict with the writings of Paul, it isn’t.  Basically, it shows works as a result of salvation and not for salvation.  The epistle also deals with Christian living while we are on this earth until we go to glory.  It is also a litmus test of one’s faith.  The above passage is the beginning of the epistle which deals with  temptations adn wisdom.  The King James Version uses the word “divers” in referring to the temptations and is from the word for “manifold” temptations, which is very similar to “many colored” as one looks through a kaleidoscope.  The passage reminds us right from the beginning that we should be considering joy when we are facing these many temptations, which do not come one at a time, but are quite often in groups.  A disruption in your life plan may occur at any given moment, even with a sneeze that throws your back out of joint, a broken shoe lace, a leaking faucet and the list can go on and on.  We soon learn that God is “perfecting” our faith from one event to the other which is where the joy comes in.  You are growing in your faith from one event to the next and so God is working with you.  One of things that will result from these manifold trials is patience.  While the process is not comfortable for most people, it is still very productive.  Growth is taking place in the Christian life.  We can praise God today for His working in our lives even with seemingly little things that may seem to be annoyances at first, but are in reality growing us bit by bit.

To Turn from Wicked Ways

 Greetings to you all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,

     Second Chronicles 7:12-14 says, “ And the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice.  If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people;  If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”  

     Second Chronicles 7:14 is one of the more famous passages from the Old Testament.  It has been used a lot in promoting a cure for the plagues that come upon any nation and especially our nation as we are leaning more towards Christianity than other religions.  It is used in advertising for prayer programs and for revival.  You can purchase larger formats to hang on your wall or on other articles perhaps even Tee Shirts.

     Verse 12 gives us the timing of the passage.  Solomon had dedicated the temple and oxen and sheep were sacrificed in great numbers.  God consumed the sacrifices with a magnificent display of power and the people were praising God. They were praising God for a time, but then trouble came.  Solomon was the last king of the unified israel and a split came upon the country and Solomoon’s Son would lead only a part of the Kingdom because they did evil and began to do just what God warned them not to do.   Soon, altars appeared in Israel and idolatry began to flourish.  Eventually, Israel and Judah, the now divided kingdom, would go into captivity and the magnificent temple would be destroyed.  We know well the story of what took place  after Solomon’s reign of forty years as it is recorded in the Old Testament.  We, as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, know what is needed in our country today and so we quote the above passage.  One thing seems to be lacking however and that is the phrase, “and turn from their wicked ways.”  As a nation, we have failed to do that and as individuals we have also failed to do that.  It is called “repentance.”    Mankind is not willing in the days in which we are now living to come to repentance for our sins.  Our idols still are among us but we have failed to name them.  When people will flock by the thousands to sit out in terrible weather to watch a football game but not be willing to go to a place of worship, then an idol has replaced God.  We have killed over fourteen million babies this year along in the whole world.  Mankind has gone back to the days of Sodom and Gomorrah as sexual pleasure has consumed mankind today.  Where does repentance for a nation begin?  It has to begin with you and me.  Believers need to humble themselves individually and to begin being serious about our relationship with God and to turn from those things which are contrary to God’s Word.  Praise Him for giving us His Standards ford daily living.                                                                                                                                                                                                    

The Contest onMount Carmel

 Greetings to you all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,

     First Kings 18:21-23 says, “ And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.  Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men.  Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under:” 

     There were a number of years in my life early on where I thought Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy were real.  It didn’t last too long before I figured it out.  At first, i would believer everything I was told by an adult and couldn’t tell if they were joking with me or not.  

     Even in my early years, i was being primed to disbelieve the accounts in the Bible.  One of the most “unbelievable” accounts was the contest on top of Mount Carmel between all of the prophets of Baal, who numbered around 40 at that time and a man called Elijah.  Two offerings, one for God and one for Baal were placed on altars and the prophets of Baal were up first and danced around for several hours and nothing happened.  Elijah criticized them and  ridiculed them until they were cutting themselves and crying out, but nothing happene.  Then,up steps Elijah and he adds several barrels of water on top of the sacrifice, says one prayer, and fire consumes the sacrifice, the altar, the rocks and the water.  It seems to be impossible, yet God did it.  It  would have been one of those times when you would have wished you had been there to see it take place.  With God, all things are possible.  We just don’t believe His record.  We don’t believe in His power.  We don’t believe He will judge.  We don’t believe that what He says will come to pass.  We probably would have been just like the Israelites who constantly grumbled at their circumstances while in the wilderness.  Paul exhorted Timothy that all Scripture was “God breathed” and that it is profitable to us for doctrine, for reproof, for correction and for instruction in righteousness.  Every verse is profitable to us as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.  The life of the believer should be saturated with the Word of God.  John MacArthur once said that if a believer is cut, they should bleed “Bible.”  Praise God today for His word.  God said it.  I believe it.  That settles it.

Hailstones

 Greetings to you all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,

     Revelation 16:21 says, “ And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.”

     Weather conditions can sometimes be quite alarming.  We were driving back from Tennessee on a stormy Saturday a number of years ago when a storm started.  We could see the  storm approaching as we headed North on Interstate 81.  It  started raining, wind blowing and all of a sudden hail stones began to fall about the size of marbles.  I got off of the interstate as soon as possible and parked under the overpass seeking shelter until the storm passed.  All areas of the car were hit and dented except the right side.  In just a few minutes the car suffered over 3,000 hits.

     Hailstones have been getting bigger each year.    Stones the size of golf balls and then up to grapefruit have fallen in various places in our country and Canada.  The above passage of scripture describes a hailstone the size of a “talent.”  That’s going to be about one hundred pounds minimum and could be more.  A hailstone that big is going to cause severe damage.  As you can see, man will not repent but rather will be blaspheming God because of the size and damage of the hailstones.  The weight called a “talent” is used some 49 times in singular and plural form.  It is used mostly to describe the amount of gold, silver and bronze that was used in the construction of buildings such as the Temple of King Solomon and the implements of worship.  The signs of the times are progressing day by day as we see judgment coming upon the world.  The sins that cause severe judgment in Biblical history are being repeated in this very era in which we live.   We should stand amazed at how God uses common things to warn people of His power and judgment.  In Egypt, God used gnats and flies as a warning as well as frogs and locusts.  The hailstone is but one of the many judgments that will take place in the final days upon this earth.  Our confidence is in the final outcome that we read about in the last chapters of the Book of Revelation and where John says, “Even so Come Lord Jesus.”  There is a new chorus that has the words, “Our God is a mighty God.”  His power is beyond description and as you look up at the stars and realize that He spoke them into existence as well as the gnats and honeybees, you see the evidence of His work all around us, both large and small.  Praise God today for His power and His plan for all eternity.

General Quarters

 Greetings to you all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,

     John 4:35 says, “Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.”

     Being in the U. S. Navy,  I did spend four months on a naval destroyer on an exercise around South America.  Every sailor had a position to occupy during “General Quarters.”  All hands were to be in that position when the alarm sounded.  At that time, I was a saxophone player in the band and we did most of our work when we went ashore.  At General Quarters,  my only skill was “passing the ammunition” for a forty millimeter anti-aircraft gun.  Several of us were needed to get the shells as they were passed from the compartments below to the gun mount.  Fortunately, we never were in a firing position but close to one as the ship later went into blockade duty around Cuba.

     There are some things in life where “all hands are needed.”  One of the most important one is the proclamation of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, His death, burial and resurrection for all of mankind.  The above passage reminds us that the world is the “field” that is ripe for harvest and the time is now and should not be delayed.    It was true during the time when Jesus Walked upon the earth and it is equally true now.  Souls are coming and going constantly.  Even as you read this short devotion, hundreds of people die and most of them are leaving this life without the hope of eternal salvation.  Many hear the message and openly refuse it but a few do accept the call that God gives.  King Agrippa wanted a more convenient time to decide.  The Philippian Jailor responded to the message and was saved as well as those in his household as also the Ethiopian Eunuch became a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.  A farmer can tell when the fields are ready to harvest and he doesn’t delay as some calamity such as the weather may come and ruin the grain.  The fields of souls is ready in every generation and the gospel message needs to be proclaimed as Satan, the enemy does not take a day off.  Just listen to the news each day and you can see how the calamities are taking place and humanity is pursuing after false gods and trying to find peace in their own way of salvation.  The Lord Jesus Christ however, made the statement, “I am the way, the truth and the life.  No man comes to the fAther except through Me.”  There is no other way.  All roads do not lead to heaven.  Only one road will get you there, and it is through Christ alone.  The call has gone out, “General Quarters.”  “All hands on deck.”  Praise God that He has given us another day to work for Him.

Instructing

 Greetings to  you all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,

     Psalm 32:8-10 says, “ I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.   Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.  Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the LORD, mercy shall compass him about.”

     It is always wise and good to follow instructions even when you don’t understand “why.”  I learned at an early age that you saved a lot of time if you followed instructions especially while working on a farm.  Every year, we would put up hay in the upper floor of the barn, called a “hay mow.”  The hay was baled in rectangular bales weighing around 55 pounds or so.  When it was time to use the hay for feeding the cows during milking, about five or six bales were dropped through a trap door to the main floor and then needed to be transferred to the manger for feeding the cows.  By this time, the bales were secured with baling twine which held the folds of hay together.  One day, a new worker dropped the hay through the trap door and then proceeded to cut the twine thus making each bale pop open much to the owners disgust as now each fold need to be taken by hand to the manger.  He was grumbling the rest of the night.  The new worker had not followed the instructions.

     We have in our possession a book that has a lot of instructions written down as a guide for our very lives andif followed will lead us to heaven and give us a “Godly” life while we live here on this earth.    The Psalmist in the above passage reminds us that we will be instructed by God Himself and we have that instruction in the Bible.  Do we understand all of the instructions?  We probably would admit that we don’t understand all of them but we seek to do them simply because God said so.    How would you like to have been the Levitical priest carrying the ark of God across the Jordan river and God had promised for you to do it on dry ground while t he water in front of you was raging at that time of the year?  The flow of water didn’t stop until the Levite put forth his foot to take that first step.  The Apostle Paul gave the Ephesian church the instruction on how to “walk” the life of the believer .  Five examples are given in the last three chapters of how to conduct your life in the world today.  Driving an old truck in the field was a challenge for me as I soon learned what “double clutch” meant.  If you follow the instructions, all goes well.  How are things going in  your life today?  Are you following God’s instruction manual?  Praise God today for His Word.

Judgment

 Greetings to you all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,

     Matthew 24:37-39 says, “ But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.  For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,  And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”

     “Wake up!”   I have heard that phrase a few times in my life.  I am usually up long before my wife, but the other day over overslept a little and felt the blankets being pulled off the bed and the words, “Time to get up.”  There are also other times when the phrase about waking up is needed.  I watched a video recently on Amazon about Noah and the ark which had the words in it, “Wake up.”

     Even in Acts 1, we can see the disciples asking when the kingdom was going to be in place and when would the Lord Jesus Christ return .  People try every now and then to come up with a specific date but the dates come and go and we are still here.  I have said at times, “Well, today is one day closer to the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.”  This is where it is time to wake up, so to speak, as the signs of the times are getting more and more pronounced.  Just look at the morning news if you dare to do so, as it is filled with violence.  Couple that with the description of a godless society as seen in Second Timothy 3:1-5 and you come to the conclusion that the time is indeed short and people had better accept God’s way of salvation before it is too late.  The lovers of pleasure find it hard to turn from their ways and to do what God has said all along in His Word.  People of the days of Noah were really “living it up” as they followed the desires for pleasure and the attitude that God would not send anyone to hell just for having fun.   Genesis 6:5 says, “ And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.:  If this evaluation sounds familiar, it is because it is the current thought of most of the people in the world today.  What we see in the news today is not just in our country but around the world.  The Scriptures remind us that judgment is coming and it will be severe and far worse than the flood.  The response for every man, woman, boy and girl is to turn to God now before it is too late.  Hail stones are getting bigger these day but just wait for the storm that will produce hail stones that weight a “talent.”  You will need more than just a hard hat to escape being killed.  If you are reading this, more than likely you are a believer and we are the proclaimers of the Gospel message which is the only hope, so shout it from the rooftops to all with whom you will have contact.  Praise God as the Second Coming is one day closer than it was yesterday.

Umbrellas

 Greetings to you all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,

      Can you dodge rain drops?  I seemed to have tried it at times but still arrive spotted with rain.  When the rain starts to fall, one of the first things you reach for is that umbrella that is in the back of the car or under the seat. Umbrellas are marvelous things. They keep you dry, at least your head, while the rain falls. We are always eager to run to the nearest protection when storms come. Tents and awnings become temporary places of protection while the storms rage around us. God has not left us out in the storms of life without protection. Psalm 91:2-4 says, " I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler." We are all in a spiritual warfare and we need to take heed of the protection that God has provided. In this Psalm, the writer states that God's protection is similar to that of a mother hen who protects her young chicks under her wings. This is always a marvelous thing to behold. It doesn't matter if it is a storm, an animal bent on capturing a chick or an eagle in the sky. When she sees the danger she calls her chicks and they come running, squirming to get underneath those wings that enfold the who group of them. Then she squats down and keeps them protected. The writer here states that our protection is like that of the mother hen. We are under God's wings. The storms of life might include both physical and spiritual battles that we are going through. When you face failing health, physical injury or even spiritual battles, God is always there and He has provided us that "umbrella" of protection. Now, some people have a tendency to step out from under the umbrella and try to do it on their own. The analogy would be the same is a person decided to get out from under his umbrella during a storm. Will they get wet? Of course they will. Will a person suffer the consequences if they get out from under God's umbrella? The answer is still, "yes." So, by staying close to God and His Word and by keeping in touch with Him through prayer, you can be assured that you are under His umbrella of protection. Praise God today for His protection and for His "wings" of comfort.

The Church

 Greetings to you all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,

     Acts 28:30-31 says, “ And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, 

Act 28:31  Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.”

     Saying “good by” in the South seems to be a long exercise that begins in the house, then goes to the porch, then goes to the car, then after the windows are rolled down, last minute words of affection, the car moves backward and all begin waving until out of sight.  The whole process can last almost a half hour.  Sometimes, it is hard to part with friends.

     The Apostle Paul would have made a good “Southerner” as he spent a long time saying good bye in most of his letters.  Romans 16 is a good example as almost the whole chapter lis ts the names of those workers that  were on the team of evangelism for Asia Minor and Europe.  Luke, on the other hand, doesn’t spend a lot of time saying “goodbye”  in either the gospel of Luke or the Book of Acts.  It is most fitting in the only historical New Testament Book as the  book never came to what we might call a logical conclusion.  The book has often been named the Acts of the Apostles, or the Acts of the Holy Spirit and in either case the work has not stopped as the church is still being added to even now.  The above passage relates the final days of the ministry of Paul  who was at that point in Rome, but the end would not come yet as God was not finished with Paul’s proclamation of the Gospel message to all those who would come to him.  No one on this earth at this time fully knows when that end will come as souls are being added   as living stones to the house of God, the Church.  No one here knows the date of the “final call” as God continues to send out those who will speak the message of the Gospel to the lost.  You might be the one with the last message and when the church is complete as God has ordained, the call will stop.  In light  of this we keep on proclaiming the message of the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Gospel.  It is truly the “good news” that the world needs to hear.  Our hope, peace and mercy are all connected with that message.  The last soul might be in the assisted living home or in your place of business or in   your school  or even in your family.  We don’t know who it is so we keep on, keeping on.  “Bring them in, bring them in from the fields of sin.”  Praise God today for this “construction zone” in which we are living.  The fields are indeed white unto harvest.

Heaven's Flight Now Boarding

 Greetings to you all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,

     Second Corinthians 5:2-4 says, “For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:  If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.  For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.”

      “Are we there yet?”  Perhaps you have heard that question or you may have said it yourself on a long trip.  I used to dream about flying.  I would run and take a jump and the span would get longer and longer until I was above the treetops.  It  was exciting as I would soar over houses and buildings.  The longest trip I ever took was New York to Madrid.  It took six hours but we crossed six time zones so we took off at midnight and arrived at noon.  Coming back, we took off at noon and arrived at one pm.   It still took six hours but we crossed those same time zones in the other direction.  The first line of another hymn begins, “Some glad morning when this life is over, I’ll fly away.”

     My psychologist once asked me if I had thought  about death.  I said that i had as I have read the last chapter.  While there are those people who believe that when you die, you just find a total end to everything.  The Bible doesn’t say that.  The Bible says that when the believer dies, they go instantly to be with the Lord Jesus Christ.  To be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.  Now, which way will I believe?  That is the question and of course, I accept the  Word of God over the word of men.  I won’t even have to run down a hill to pick up speed to get there.  It  won’t be like an “Out of Body Experience” as some call it, but to be instantly with the Lord.  Why, I won’t even have time to ask the question, “Are we there yet?”  As Thomas said,”My Lord and my God” because I will see the prints of the nails in His hands.  You won’t need a plane or a rocket ship or a giant slingshot as you will be with Him in the twinkling of an eye.  What does this do for me?  It makes me want to share it with others.  There  is the plus side where you will be with God for all eternity but there is also the negative side as those who scoff and don’t believe will be condemned for all eternity.  God gives us our time on this earth to decide wich way we shall go.  You have plenty of time to think about it and the convenient time is now.  It is the convenient time for all of your family and friends that you know  that they will be in heaven for all eternity.  “Are we there yet?”  “Almost  there.”  Praise God  Who has our next flight all booked and ready to board.

The Preaching of the Cross

 Greetings to you all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,

     First Corinthians 1:18-21 says, “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.  For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.  Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?  For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” 

     Many religions of the world have their symbols.  Every now and then I would see a bumper st icker that had about seven major religions on it and even included the five pointed star of Satan.  The bumper sticker was implying that we should be tolerant of all faiths and that they may all lead to the same place.  The symbol for Christianity was the simple cross.  Many people have a cross which they often regard as a good luck charm like a rabbit’s foot or a four leaf clover.  I now have a cross on the outside of my door that is made from left over aluminum foil.  At least no one has stolen this one.  While you can purchase all kinds of crosses as jewelry  or bumper stickers or key chains, they don’t promote good luck but remind the believer of what took place over two thousand years ago on the cross at Calvary.

     To the unbeliever, the preaching of the cross is foolishness.  It  was in the days of Paul at Corinth and so it is today.  Mankind is still thinking that what took place at Calvary is still foolishness.  Notice that the phrase says, “To those that are perishing.”  That’s the key difference or at least one that is important as people who are on the road to eternal separation from God, they are indeed going to perish especially when compared to the life of the believer.  It is almost ironic that in both instances, the result will be eternal.  Eternal separation from God would be hard to state as eternal life, but it will be for all eternity.  The contrast between the two extremes is great  and perhaps we have forgotten what hell will be like and so don’t bother to tell someone about the consequences of  denying Christ in this life.  The Christian faith also has a number of hymns and spiritual songs that tell the old, old story.  Hymns like “The Old Rugged Cross” or  “When i Survey the Wondrous Cross” all remind us of that event where our sins were paid for by the Lamb of God.  The contrast to the foolishness of the lost is that for the believer, it is the power of God.  Quite a difference.  Praise God today for the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

     

It Will Be Worth it All

 Greetings to you all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,

     First Peter 4:17-19 says, “ For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?  And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?  Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.”

     The plastic furniture goes in the yard and the new leather couch goes in the house where it can be protected from the elements.  After all, it is more valuable than the white plastic chair that sits in the outside weather.  We tend to put monetary values on things and tret them accordingly.  Many of our possessions are of the “throw away” type.  When you are finished with them, they go into the trash.  Much of the plastic industry is designed to fill the garbage heap and nothing is ever missed such as ball point pens, rubber bands, bread bags, frozen dinner containers. What is your life worth?

     There is a song that begins, “It will be worth it all, when we see Jesus…” It is, of course, referring to the tribulations, trials and suffering of the life of a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.  This is where the unbeliever has a problem because they would rather take the course of least resistance like a stream of water that flows around every obstacle that confronts it.  It is not so with the believer as the Christian stands firm on the Word of God and the believer knows beyond a shadow of doubt that their “suffering will lead to glory.”  Therefore, suffering as a believer will end up in heaven, with God, with peace and eternal life surrounded with all that is good in the universe.  I have those people around me who seek to give me counsel in my “last days” who know nothing about faith in Christ or what it takes to have belief in someone that you cannot see but you know exists because you CAN see the result of His handiwork all around you.  Fanny Crosby, blind for most of her life, wrote about “visions of rapture now burst on my sight.”  How can that be?  She knew that someday, she would have perfect vision in a glorified body and that when she saw Jesus, it would be worth it all.   Believers were burned at the stake with flames of fire but they knew in their heart that suffering leads to glory.  Believers today still hold firm to the claims of the Lord Jesus Christ because they know that in the end, it will be worth it all when we see Jesus.  Praise God today that you and I as believers know the end of the story.  It will be worth it all when we see Jesus.

Purpose

 Greetings to you all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,

     Everyone likes to feel that they are useful.  There is nothing worse than being in a job where you could be gone and no one would ever know it.  People often say that they feel useless.  I have had some people say to me, "What is my purpose?"  It is a logical question and probably one that everyone has to have an answer for.  Whether it be a person's job or their position in life, the question seems to be the same, "Why am I here?"  "What is my purpose in life?"  While working with the children and youth for a number of years, the questions would always come up being, "Where did I come from?"  "Why am I here?" and "Where am I going?"  How would you answer those questions.  The middle one is the one that we are thinking about today.  What is my purpose in life?  The Apostle Paul summed it up rather well with the following statement:  First Corinthians 10:31 says, "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."   Now, for some, that would seem to be an answer that is far too simple.  They might then go on and say almost immediately, "Yes, but..."  The reason that they would want to say something is that they don't like the answer.  People want to feel that there is more to life.  They would like to add to it, "My purpose is to make a million dollars by the time I am 40."  or, "My purpose is to be the president of a company by the time I am 35."  That might be a personal goal, but it isn't the goal that God has for every person...to give glory to Him.  The question might come up as to how we can accomplish this goal.  How can I give God glory in this life?  Again, the answer is simple.  Do what He says.  Those four words, while short and simple, encompass the Scriptures and everything that is in them.  Do you want to know how to give God glory?  If so, you would need to live your life according to His instruction manual.  If we call the Bible that, perhaps we can take a look into it and find out what God's instructions are for this life.  He even sent His Son to give us a first hand account of what we are to do.  Jesus told Nicodemus that we need to be born again.  Jesus went on to say that we also are considered to be branches on the vine and that He is the vine.  Jesus also mentioned that we are to keep His commandments.  So, the question today is "How are you going to glorify God?"  I don't think that breaking any of the commandments would be acceptable, or mumbling and grumbling or being involved in some sin or another.  Those things certainly wouldn't be on the list of things to do in order to glorify God.  So, start out by saying a short prayer telling God that you really want to glorify Him today.  Praise God today that He still waits for us to glorify Him in all that we do.

Perilous Times Have Come!

 Greetings to you all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,

     Second Thessalonians 2:2-5 says, “That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.   Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;  Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.   Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?”

     Our cable tv service has been out for the past several days so we were not able to watch CNN or FOX News or any other news except Reuters on the internet.  Blessings come in various ways.  I realize that there are many people who don’t trust the news anyway as it is no longer “news” but “comments” about the news.  I remember some years ago how people would say that certain things could not take place until Germany was unified. Well, that happened almost overnight as the wall came down.  Certain events took place that were thought to be impossible such as Israel becoming a nation once again after almost 2500 years.  So, where are we to look if we want to know what is going on in the world?

     The answer to that question is the Word of God even though the New Testament was written about 2,000 years ago and the Old Testament with such men as Moses and Job and the prophets and some kings wrote the prophecies that were going to unfold in the last days.  We are living in a day when prophecies are being fulfilled like a giant puzzle that was seemingly impossible but now final pieces are falling into place.  Paul wrote to Timothy in the second epistle how things were going to be in the last days. Second Timothy 3:1-5 tells of the conditions in the world that would have been unbelievable but are now taking place as people have a forfm of godliness but don’t know God at all.  Truly, perilous times have come and judgment is soon to follow.  The two epistles to the Thessalonians contain many references to the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are living in a day that has the characteristics of Sodom and Gomorrah  and as God rained down fire and brimstone on those cities, so it will come again  to those places who are disobedient to God’s Word.  It seems to be a very bleak picture in a time in which to live but there is hope for the believer and a stimulation to get out and do what God wants you to do.  God still desires men to be saved and God has chosen people to send forth the message to the lost.  We are not a people who have been urged to be silent, but just the opposite.  We are to be the voice that shares the gospel message, the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Chrfist.  Read the Word, Pray for souls to be saved, and take the message to the lost in way you can.  Praise God that He is not silent.     

     

The Ant

 Greetings to you all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,

     Proverbs 6:6-9 says, “ Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:  Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,  Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.  How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?”

     I used to be the associate pastor at a church in West Virginia that had a very large  asphalt parking lot.  I was leaving the office one day and noticed a small ant dragging a piece of food across the paved area.  No matter where the ant was going, it was going to be a long time before it got there.  The object it was transporting was white and almost as big as the ant but it did not seem to be discouraged, if ants ever do get discouraged.  It just kept twisting and turning and working hard to get the valuable cargo somewhere.  Grasshoppers on the other hand, don’t seem to do a lot of work, but just eat everything they land on that is chewable.

     God, in the above passage, compares the ant to a sluggard, or a very lazy person who likes to sleep and who will look for any reason it can find to do what he wants to do.   The final question is, “When will you get up?”  The answer is usually, “later.  Just let me sleep a little longer.”  The sluggard is the person who is also labeled as a “procrastinator.”   Their motto is, “Why do today what you can do tomorrow?”  The above passage reminds all of us that God wants us to consider the ant and its practices or work ethic.  We often remark that our plate is full indicating that we can’t add anything else to it.  Maybe the ant’s plate is full and can’t do anything more than keep getting as much stuff as it can possibly manage into that small hole and stored up for when the winter weather comes along.  When the Apostle Paul got to the end of his life, he summed it up with, “I have finished the course.”  He had indeed finished what God had given him to do.  It should be our goal to finish well what God has given us to do and not to come to end of a day or the end of a year and say, “I wish I had done this or that.”  Don’t leave things for your “to do” list for tomorrow because you may not have tomorrow.  Praise God today for His working in all of our lives every second.

The Escape Route

 Greetings to you all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,

     First Corinthians 10:13 says, “ There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”

     I am afraid of heights.  I have had those times when it required me to go up a ladder, I by the time I got up the ladder, I couldn’t do the job I was sent up there to do as I could not let go of the ladder.  When I am near a drop off or a cliff, I walk as far away from it as I can get.  I always prefer to have both feet on the ground.  This is not true with some people as heights just don’t bother them and they seem to deliberately tempt fate by walking as close to the edge as they can get.  Just the opposite of me.

     There are many times in the lives of believers that we are tempted  to sin, to do something that is contrary to God’s laws.  The above passage goes on to say that we should flee from idolatry.  The Israelites had a problem with idolatry and began to worship other gods that  were worshiped by the previous inhabitants of the land which they were supposed to conquer.  God had given them explicit instructions about this problem and what would occur if they  kept on doing it.  Now, God gave the people plenty of examples of how powerful He was with miracle after miracle, yet, at the first sign of trouble, they had Aaron make a golden calf and were worshiping it when Moses heard the commotion and came down from  Mount Sinai.  Our nature is prone to forget what God is doing and can do and as a result fall into the same problems as did the israelites.  What is so promising about the above passage is that God does give us a way out and perhaps a reminder of who we are as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.  We are also assured that our temptation is no different from any other person as we are all tempted but we can have the opportunity to make a choice to go on with the temptation or to flee from it with the avenue that God has provided. With many people, the thought is, “God isn’t going to do anything anyway and what I am about to do, everybody else does it, so it won’t matter that much.”  Wrong!  You will know that the path you are about to take will throw you over the cliff.  You know it by the conviction of the Holy Spirit in your life.  We are all tempted everyday and it is a common thing to have in our lives as we are still growing in the Christian life.  We all need to take the escape that God has promised He will provide.  Praise God today for His working in our lives each and every moment.

Disciples

 Greetings to you all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,

      Many of us can remember certain teachers that we had in our lifetime.  I had many teachers that I can remember even my first grade teacher, Miss Hastings.  As the years went by, I had many more teachers and then I began to take bassoon lessons in college from Professor Roy Houser.  He was one of the best teachers but a little bit strange at times.  The rest of the faculty accepted his weird behavior because he was one of the best performers and teachers.  I recall one performance when he came out in his tuxedo which had a black coat and brown pants.  It looked strange, but you forgot about it once he began playing the bassoon.  People were always proud to say that they were a student of Roy Houser.  John 2:1-2 says, "And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage."  We notice in the new Testament that there are many references to disciples especially in connection with the Lord Jesus Christ.  The passage above relates how that Jesus and His disciples were at the wedding feast in Cana.  The word "disciple" is one that denotes a "learner" or a "student" of a certain school or person.  In this case, a disciple is a student of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Now, He is the best teacher ever.  There have been certain people in the past, and probably in the present also, that say that Jesus was a good teacher and nothing more.  After studying the Word of God however, you find that Jesus is more than a teacher.  He is also more than a prophet.  He is more than a good, moral person.  He is the Son of God.  That obviously makes Him the best teacher and anything else that you can come up.  People who graduate from famous school are always quick to point out the sayings of their favorite teachers.  Naturally, I had some Bible teachers like that.  Of one, it was said in the year book, "Many attempts have been made on this man's life -- to imitate it."  Yes, we can all think back about the teachers that have given us the foundations of our lives.  None can be more important than  the Master Teacher, the Lord Jesus Christ.  When you think of the teachings of Christ, you might ask yourself how they have affected the way your live?    You may be quick to point out your devotion to Christ and His teachings, but do you follow them in your life?   I ask myself that question many times, especially when I end up doin something that the Lord Jesus Christ would not do.   Praise God today that He has provided the Master Teacher, His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.  Are you His disciple?

How Many gods Do You Have?

 Greetings to you all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,

     Deuteronomy 6:1-4 says, “Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it:  That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.  Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey.  Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:”

     How many gods are there?  It depends on who you ask that question.  Some people believe that they have over 3 million gods.  The Greeks had a list of gods and the Romans had a list of gods.  We even had the god of finance from the Roman empire’s list of gods, none other than “Mercury.”  The federal government placed an image of “Mercury” on  the dime for many years until it was replaced with Roosevelt’s likeness.  The Romans and the Greeks had a god or goddess for every different element or action that went on.  There were gods for war, thunder, speed, love, fire, water and on and one it goes.  

     Unfortunately mankind has more inclination to over sacrifices to worthless idols and gods and goddesses than they do to the Only One True God.  When Moses asked God His name in Exodus, God replied, “YHWH.”  “I am that I am.”  The four letters in the Hebrew were so respected that Scribes would not use the quill to write another word after the four letters had been written.  The Lord Jesus Christ used the term especially noted in John’s gospel seven times,  He would say, “I am” and then a dd the words, Good Shepherd, the Bread, the Light, the Resurrection and so forth.  This statement of course upset the Pharisees as they knew what He was saying.  The Lord Jesus Christ is GOD.  In much of the Old Testament, we have the words, “Thus saith the LORD.”  The Only God had spoken and you had better listen to what He says.   If you are orthodox Jewish, you have a “Mezuzah” on your doorpost which you touch and then kiss your fingers every time you pass through the door.  A passage from Deuteronomy 6:4-6 is written on a miniature scroll and placed inside of the Mezuzah.  The answer to my original question for the believer is that there is only One God, YHWH.  Believers, even in Christ, however, often come up with other things in their lives that begin to take their worship such as power, riches, material items, desires, and even homes and families.  They become more important than God Himself in their lives. What this says to us is that we need to always worship God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  It is God only that we should be serving, praising and worshiping.  Praise God today for His patience with us in this age.  The Final Call, however, is  coming soon.

Never Alone

 Greetings to you all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,

      Hebrews 13:5 says, “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

     In writing these devotions, the original intent was just via email when they began back in 1999.  After i got involved with the social media platform, I  decided to put them out there also and to put them on a “blog”  which no one seems to ever go to but they are there, “just in case.”  While on Facebook yesterday, I discovered a post that had been put there by one of my “friends.”  It  was a post that was copied from somewhere else, but was indeed very sad  in that the person was saying they had no friends, were completely alone and who had been hurt time and time again and again.  The last statement was, “I am my own best friend.”  The same person professes to be a Christian but they apparently do not believe the Bible.

     One of the most familiar Bible verses in John 3:16 which states that if a person believes in the Son of God, that person will have eternal, or everlasting, life.  Couple this thought with the above passage and other passages that speak about eternal life and you should soon get the picture that the believer in God is NEVER alone!  You may feel that you are alone, but we should never trust our “feelings” anyway .  Feeling alone and thinking you are alone are all false  beliefs for the true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. In Philippians 1:6 we are reminded that God will complete the work that He has begun in our lives.  John proclaims that our joy will be full in Christ.  John also stated that He is making a place for us and will return for us that we will be with Him, not only now, but throughout all eternity.  What the person is really saying is that they don’t know God at all  and they are insulting God’s ability to do anything in their life or the lives of others.  I will rather stand on the promises of God than my  own feelings or the thoughts of others.  The real problem is that many people are not reading the Bible and henceforth have no understanding of what it means.  They may say to themselves that they will all see their loved ones in heaven but have no idea how to get to heaven in the first place.  It was humorous to notice that the post that was claiming to be in loneliness was between two posts  praising God for the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Because Christ was raised from the dead, I am never alone and neither is any child of God.  Praise God today for His promises.

The Finished Product

 Greetings to you all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,

     There was a very popular hobby years ago called, “Paint by Number.” A beautiful picture was broken down to a number of shapes with outlines and a number placed inside of the shape. That number would correspond to a little vial of paint. All you had to do was to fill each shape with the paint that matched the number and you would end up with a picture. Everyone could come up with a masterpiece that someone had set to the numbering system. I did a number of these of various sizes. My parents let me put them up in my room. When you first look at the picture, all you see is a bunch of shapes with numbers in them. There is no picture unless you look real hard at it. You have to trust the designer that made the picture so that the finished work would resemble the picture that was on the box. Many of us wonder what the “finished product” is going to look like when we think of our own lives. How will our we turn out? How will our children turn out? Philippians 1:6 says, “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” In this verse, the Apostle Paul reminds us that God is doing a work in the life of the believer. When we think of this verse, we often think of paintings and tapestries or other works of art that take a long time to complete. Only the master designer knows what the finished product is going to be. Such is the case also in our lives. For some, they get to the end of life and they think, “I wish I had done this years ago.” God knew that and He still had His plan for your life. I have heard some say, “If I had known that I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of my body.” Again, we don't know the finished product. Only God knows that. The above verse of Scripture does give us the greatest of hopes. God will finish His work. It won't be like the stack of “pain by number” pictures that are only half finished and then thrown in the trash. God always finishes that which He starts. All of us are examples of works that have been started and so we can rest assured that God will finish the job. So, you might be discouraged today or wishing something had been different over the years, or you might wish you had been a great author or performer or whatever. God, however, placed you in your present place and His work will be accomplished when He says it is so. Praise God today that God always finishes what He starts. Your painting will be unique when it is completed.  God is not finished with us yet and we are still under construction.  

God's Poems

 Greetings to  you all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,

     Ephesians 2:8-10 says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  Not of works, lest any man should boast.  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

     My Father once came up to me, looked me in the eye and then said with a straight face, “Roses are red, Violets are blue, My feet stink, do your’s stink too.”  Then he grinned at me and walked off.  He had made up a funny poem.   Poetry is interesting as it does have certain rules that  need to be applied. The “sonnet” for instance is composed of exactly fourteen lines with exactly ten syllables in each line.   Anything outside of those requirements, makes the piece something else, but  not a sonnet.  I have tried to write a sonnet or two and always would end up with an extra syllable in the second part.  It may have rhymed, but the meter was way off.  “Elizabeth Barret Browing wrote, “How do I love thee, Let me count the ways.”  two lines, total of ten syllables

     The above passage is a very familiar one and speaks of our salvation, “For by grace  are ye saved  through faith…”  In verse ten, is a unique word, “workmanship.”  The Greek word that is used here is the word, “poema.”  Every human being is a “work of God” that has a purpose in this world.  Our lives fit into the giant puzzle that God works every second.  One pastor once said, “God is working a 7 billion piece puzzle every second as our lives interact  with each other.  Each piece is designed by God to fit with every other piece.  We notice that in being His poem we have been created to do good works which He has established.   The present task of “good works” is not “for” our salvation, but “because” of our salvation.  The great “because” is seen in the preceding verses because we are saved by grace, God’s unmerited love and it  is His gift through faith, because we are His poem in this life.  Now how great is that?  We all have a purpose in this life and as we interact one with another,God’s purpose for us is being played out time and time again.  As we walk out of our rooms this morning ready to face a new day, we will come across the paths of people some of which may be hurting and who need a word of encouragement.  Some may need to hear the Gospel message.  Some may need to hear your testimony of how God is working or has worked in your life.  Some may need a glass of water or even a smile or a hug.  Praise God today that you all are each and everyone, His poem with a special purpose.

He is Alived!

 Greetings to you all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,

     Matthew 28:5-6 says, “And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.  He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.”

     So, my psychologist says to me one day, “Have you thought about death?  I replied, “Yes I have and I have read the last chapter of the Bible.  I believe what the Wor d of God says  about life, death and what happens after one dies. He writes more stuff in his notebook and the conversation goes on.

     One thing has always amazed me about  the history of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.  There is the book titled, “Foxes Book of Martyrs.”   The word ”martyr” is from the word “witness” in Acts 1:8.   All of the remaining apostles died a horrible death, Peter being crucified upside down.  Some disciples were beheaded, some were burned alive, some were quartered and not one of them renounced their belief in the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and not one of them said that Jesus was not God.  They publicly died for their belief in the Lord Jesus Christ.   We know the story of the Apostle Pete and how he had denied even knowing Christ three times while Jesus was being tormented by unbelievers the night before His crucifixion.  Yet, this same apostle, after Pentecost changes as He is filled with the Holy Spirit and lter will give his life for the belief that he had for Christ.  Not one of them said, “Oh, it was just a hoax.”  They don’t say it because they do know the truth and to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.  We proclaim the same message.  The Lord Jesus Christ is alive as He promised, the grave is empty and He is coming back.  Every promise and prophecy  is guaranteed by the resurrection.  I have done  many funerals and not one of the bodies sat up in the coffin.  If they did, the funeral would be over, but they didn’t.  The Lord Jesus Christ didn’t just disappear into the night, but stayed around for forty days appearing to many believers.  He passed through locked doors, stood and ate fish in front of them and showed His apostles his hands, feet and the wound in His side and finally after forty days, He ascended into heaven right in front of them.  So, no one needs to tell me that death is the end of existence or that we come back as a butterfly or some other creation.  The words of the angels  are still echoed today around the world as they proclaimed, “He is not here.  He has risen as He said.”  Praise God for the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ is alive as  He was raised from the dead.  The tomb is empty.

Garbage in, Garbage out

 Greetings to you all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,

     Philippians 4:8-9 says, “ Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.   Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.”

     Computers are doing a lot these days  and now they are talking about artificial intelligence and how they will be active in the future.  Some concern has been stated about whether or not the advance in technology will be harmful to humanity or if it will help.  There is  statement that goes, “Garbage in, garbage out.” I have said to “Siri” “Shut up.”  My wife responds, “You should not talk to her that way.”  If I touch my glasses, which then activates my hearing aids, which activates my phone and Siri begins to expound information in my head which only I can hear causing me to  try to get the phone to stop talking to me.

     There is however, a computer that is more fantastic and which evaluates more information than any cpu and at a faster rate of speed and more accurate and it is called the human brain.  Unfortunately it is also affected by the rule, “Garbage in, garbage out.”  What you put into your brain by  your senses will determine the output.  We have the ability to hear, to see, to smell, to touch and to taste.  The five senses make a statement to the brain.  Some have added a sixth sense, and it is “faith.”  The world has a problem with that one.  The Apostle Paul in the above passage describes what we should do as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ in regard to the input of the brain.  The other night, my brain seemed to be overactive until I said to myself “This has to stop.”  I began to do what always sends me to sleep and I began to quote Scripture.  I remembered the next morning that I had quoted only three verses, a passage i love, First John 5:11-13.  I must admit that there is usually more verses than those three but this last time was a tad shorter.  I do not need to be putting things in my thoughts that I can do nothing about.  I need to not think of fear of what might happen where I live or around the world.  I do not need to think about the evil that exists in those around me or those who are committing atrocities all around the globe.  I do not need to think about  anything that is impure or vengeful towards others.  Paul closes his statement hee with the word, “do.”   The result is then seen as, “You will have the peace of God.”  Now, how great is that.  It  is far better than “garbage in, garbage out.”  If your mind causes you some dismay on what you are feeling or imagining, begin to apply the eighth verse and as Paul state, “Think on these things.”  Praise God for His Word.

Are You Getting What You Desire?

 Greetings to you all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,

     Psalm 137:1-8 says, “ Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.  For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.  Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.  Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.  Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.  And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.   Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.  Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.”

     Ever get overwhelmed with things in your life?  It happens to me now and then.  Yesterday i was feeling a little extra tired as I had very little no sleep the night before  You have to remember that I do not  of activities at my age.  Most of my appointments anymore are medically related.  At least some of them come to me  and anything else that takes place is due to going to an activity  at the facility or preaching on Sunday morning.  The actions contained in the above passage are nonetheless important not only to me, but to all of us.

     I would like to dwell on that one sentence that says, “Delight yourself in the LORD…”  Most men and women and even children will see to find something in which to delight themselves.   Many find delightment in some things that are from the package of possessions.  I often see children playing a game on their phone or on a small electronic device.  Nothing else is invading their game as their fingers fly  over the controls, trying to reach a higher score than before.  Musicians play music on some instrument any chance they can get.  Writers write poems and such most of the time or read a lot.  The object or practice  is what  “delights” them  in the daily routine.  These things listed above however are not the things of importance. Inverse four, we see that we are to delight  ourselves in the Lord.   There is a direct result of this practice and it is that He will give you the desires of your heart.  God gives me new desires .  i don’t think it is saying that God will give me anything that I desire, but that He will give me new desires.  Did you ever get a love letter while in school or in the military?  How many times did you read it?  Where did you keep it?  I kept them in my wallet and they were opened so many times that they began to tear at the creases.  Sometimes you can tell how much a person loves God by how their Bible looks.  If it always look new, they are not spending too much time in it.  Once you have a personal relationship with God, you find that He is the One Who gives you  new desires because you are delighting in Him and you main desire is to know Him more deeply than the day before and to find out what He meant to you with what He said in His letter to you, the Bible.  Praise God for the New Desires that He gives to us.