Category: God’s Word

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Christian living faith God's plan God's Word Handling Life's Problems victory

Coffee with a Bug

I was sitting on my patio enjoying the privilege of taking my time with a good cup of coffee.  No daily rush just relaxed and letting my mind drift.  I spotted an interesting little bug.  I am not a fan of bugs but I believe in live and let live the best that I can.  He was not like any other bug I had seen.  He was a colorful little guy.  Busily going about his day.  He was extremely purposeful.  He showed no doubt in his mission.  Gave everything he had to its goal.  Never stopped to look around.  He was committed to his destiny.  His only distraction was if something got in his path.  He always corrected direction and continued on.  There was no doubt the bug knew its purpose and path and plan for his little life.

In some ways I began to envy him.  In others not at all.  From what I know of science this little guy had no choice.  He was programmed with only one thought. Locked into a life of no choice. Sounds kind of dull and unexciting and certainly restrictive from a people perspective. 

I am pretty sure he didn’t know any other way and seemed content in his life chore.  Or at least so it appeared.

Just about every Christian can recite Jeremiah 29:11.  They may not know it is Jeremiah 29:11 but when they were saved, they heard and adopted it into their heart.  “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you  Plans to give you hope and a future.”  It’s the “plans” part most of us struggle with.  How many mornings when I walked out of my house, I had wished that God had just written those plans on my fence for me to read.  Then I would know which way to turn, what choice to make.  What distraction to turn from.  What was the most important goal for that day, besides drawing close to him?  Ah but there in that last one is where you find the answer.  God doesn’t give us a map that says turn here, nope wrong way.  Or my favorite thought to myself often after an apparent wrong turn.  “Are you kidding me!”  

We aren’t programmed.  Instead, He has gloriously given us talents, and abilities beyond our wildest understanding.  Not one but many.  Supportive of each other in ways that often don’t make any sense to us.  But as Jesus said to His disciples in John  “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper to be with you forever.  That Helper is the Spirit of truth.”

That truth, if we draw close to it and learn its voice can and wants to guide us through every step, every choice of our day.  Talents and gifts and abilities are gifts to be valued and used to bring glory to our creator.  However, it is the voice of truth, the Holy Spirit, that guides us to fulfillment on both the easy and hard days. 

The “plans” aren’t programmed into our DNA like the little bug.  The plans are placed in our heart when we seek them.  The Holy Spirit is our guide and the Word is our truth.  Without both of them working together it is easy to get lost in the endless choices we face each day.  The little bug had no choice in his life but was secure in his mission.  We have choice and sometimes get off the intend path and our not so secure in our mission.  Unlike the bug we have a loving Lord who sent the Holy Spirit to guide us back when we get “off path.”. 

Matthew 7:8 “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”

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. Christian living God's Word Handling Life's Problems victory

Connect

It has been said a thousand different ways in a thousand different languages; the value of connecting with someone. A spouse, friend, loved one, or even co-worker. When there is a heart connection it does something majestic for the soul. I sometimes think “where do we get this from?” or “why are we wired this way?” and I believe the answer is found in Genesis chapter one, two and three.

We see God telling, revealing “..it’s not good for man to be alone..” and creates Eve for Adam. This is a clear picture we are made for connection. But, notice it starts with our connection with God.

I believe this, we can correctly and in a healthy way connect with others ONLY after we connect with God. If we try any other way it is like getting the cart before the horse.

And when we connect with God it overflows into every relationship we have. When our connection to God is our first priority it flows into every other area of our life. Jesus said “..if your eye is healthy, then your whole body is full of light.” Matthew 6:22

So the question becomes; How do we connect with God who’s name is Yahweh, the creator of the universe?

One, big practical step: Spend time with Him.

This can look like reading the Bible, reading a devotional, reading a Christian book. It can look like taking a walk or a ride. It can look like praying no matter where you are. This can look like worshiping while you cook or drive. Take the time to get the words of Christ into your heart, however it may look in your life.

The whole goal is to make time to connect with God, because He greatly desires to connect with you.

“Move your heart closer and closer to God, and he will come even closer to you…” James 4:8 [TPT]

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God's Word

It’s Alive!

“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)

I know people who love to read, and I know people who don’t like to read at all. I know people who have a book with them at all times, and I know people who never think about carrying a book around with them. And that’s OK. We can all agree to disagree about books.

Except for one book. The Bible stands alone and is in a category all its own. It’s the only book in all of history that is alive. The word of God is, “living and powerful” (Hebrews 4:12). Second Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed…”  It is a living book and it brings life to those who read it.

The word of God penetrates deeply, through the thick, hard layers we build up in our hearts, and assesses whether what is in our hearts is good or bad. The word of God reveals the truth to us. God’s word is a “…discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Did you know you can deceive yourself? And I can deceive myself. We can make ourselves believe our attitudes, actions, or words are OK with God when we’re actually very much out of line. We are not very good at discerning our own hearts, and completely unable to change them.

We may have areas of our hearts we haven’t yielded to God. We may have pain from the past lingering in our hearts. Regardless of what we have in our heart, as we read and meditate on the Word, the truth it contains brings life, healing, and needed change to our hearts.

What keeps us from reading the Bible? Are we too busy? Is it too hard to understand? Does it just not seem to be that important? Don’t be fooled. The Bible is absolutely essential to our spiritual development. It gives us direction and keeps us on the right path. It encourages us and builds our faith. Choosing to consistently read the Bible is one of the best decisions we can make.

God cared enough about us to give us a book that tells us his story. Through reading the Bible, we learn about God’s character—his love, power, mercy, holiness, and grace. We learn about God’s plan to save mankind and bring us to live with him forever in heaven. We learn about how he wants us to live and why. They call it the greatest story ever told, and they are absolutely right.

When the God of the universe writes a book to encourage and guide us, the best choice is to actually read it. Regularly. Intently. As though our lives depend on it…because they do.

Father God, thank you for your Word. Rather than hiding yourself from me, you gave me a book that shows me your character. It gives me direction and strength. I have so much to learn from your Word. Help me understand what I read and give me the wisdom to apply what I read to my life. In those times when I may become lax in reading your word, help me not to give up, but to start again. Thank you for your love, your mercy, and your word. In Jesus’s name, amen.