Getting More Out of God's Word

My daily devotions, or quiet time, has been centered around the book of Hebrews recently.  I have been so encouraged by God's Truth!  And it is always thrilling when God reveals more of Himself to me - things I've not seen before, or when He gives me understanding of something that had previously alluded me!

One of the very valuable things I have learned to do is to start my quiet time by asking the Lord to show me from His Word what he wants me to see that day; not only that, but that He would show me how to use that truth in my life.  Don't you, as parents, strive to teach your children truth?  Don't you want them to understand how to use that truth?  What it means to them when they're going through their school day, for instance?  Well, our heavenly Father wants that for us, as well   - but too often we're in a big hurry to "check off" our quiet time from our daily "to do list" (if we bother with it at all), and we're not willing to slow down long enough to listen to what the Lord wants to share with us.

So many believers struggle with "knowing God's will" for their lives.  And we're quick to point out that God's Word has everything we need for "life and godliness" (2 Peter 1:3).  But here's the problem - we can't just pick up God's Word when we need something - like it's a Google search engine!  Knowing God's will, understanding what we need for life - that comes when we spend daily time in His Word, as we gain knowledge and wisdom and understanding and discernment for the day to day, everyday living "stuff".  We can't wait until some major crisis hits, or some major "life event" (a baby, a new job, a move, etc) happens; by then it's too late!  It's like trying to put snowtires on your car in the middle of the blizzard - it's a little too late at that point.

BUT, if we prepare ourselves by constant (daily), earnest, surrendered seeking of God through His Word, then when those times come, we'll already know that answer; we'll already be clothed in the armour of God (Eph.6:10-17), ready to tackle whatever God chooses to allow into our lives.

God's will is not a big, secret mystery.  He wants us to glorify Him.  He wants us to obey his commandments (and there are way more than 10!).  As we surrender ourselves with an attitude of service and humility; as we begin to grasp the idea that life is not all about making ourselves "happy;" rather, its all about God - then God begins to reveal his will for us as individuals. 

But we have to start with the basics - doing the simple things that we already know about.  After all, if God can't depend on us to do the simple things, how can he trust us with the big things?

Makeup Remover

"The most effective makeup remover is not found in any bottle, but only in a woman's tears." - Tammy Gallion, January 2014

Why Does God Bless Us?

How many blessings from the Lord have you received this week?  This month?  This past year?

What did you do with them?

I heard a great quote yesterday:  "Blessings are not an end in themselves."  God doesn't shower us with blessings so that we can sit back and soak it all in.  Or so that we can revel in how blessed we are.  Or so we can compile a list and compare it with our neighbor's.  God expects us to USE those blessings..

What are your blessings?

• A warm home?  Invite someone over for fellowship and encouragement.
• A reliable vehicle?  Pick someone up for church, or run errands, or take someone out for a drive, or meet someone for lunch.
• An "ok" singing voice?  Volunteer to sing a special at church, either by yourself or with someone else.
• The ability to play a musical instrument?  Play for church; encourage someone through your music, even if it isn't "professional" grade.
• Can you spell?  Write someone a note of encouragement - let them know you're thinking about them & praying for them.  (And DO pray for them - don't just say it!)
• Kids & grandkids?  Set about to ON PURPOSE to influence them for the Lord.  Teach them songs about Jesus; teach them how to behave like Jesus wants them to; encourage your adult children to rely on the Lord.
• A spouse?  Whether your spouse is walking with the Lord or not, treat them like the gift from the Lord that they are.  You may be surprised how much YOUR treatment of THEM affects how they treat you.
• Cooking/Baking?  Take someone in need a meal or drop off an "I was thinking of you" treat.
• A job?  Take the opportunity to make provision for someone who is not as well off as you.
• The ability to teach?  Volunteer to teach a Sunday School class, sub for a class, or teach a bible study.
• Has God taught you ANYTHING since the day He saved you?  Share it with someone else.  It may be exactly what they need to hear.

The point is this:  God didn't give us His Word just to fill our heads with knowledge (my Pastor says this frequently!!) and He doesn't bless us just so we can hoard the blessings and hide them in our cedar chest!!  People around us ought to be able to see Christ in our lives, so share what God has given you.

On Being Engaged...And Beyond

Recently overheard:

Young man recently engaged:  "Yep, come May I'll have an ol' ball & chain!"

Now, before we go any further, I want to tell you about this young man.

This young man has trusted Jesus as his Savior.  And I believe he loves the Lord and wants to serve Him with his life.  He has a wonderful godly family, a wonderful sense of humor, is multi-talented, and is now engaged to a beautiful godly young lady.

And I know he made the above statement entirely in jest and that he loves his bride-to-be with all his heart.

So why even bring it up?

Well, because God has taught me some things over the years.  And one of those things is that even in jest, the things we say impact our attitudes.  The things we watch - like those "funny" and "harmless" tv shows (the ones the bash the dad for being an idiot, or promote living together without being married, or lift up rebellious kids as being funny and cute, etc, etc, etc) - those things impact our attitude.  These things are subtle and seem like "not a big deal."

Exactly what Satan would like us to believe.  That it's no big deal.

But here's the challenge:  What if, instead of talking about our spouses as balls & chains - even in jest - we talked about how precious they are to us?  How much we love and appreciate their sense of humor?  Their gentleness? Their godliness?  What if we actually talked about them the way we actually feel - or should feel?  I guarantee that the man who treats his wife (or fiance) as a precious gift from the Lord, AND talks about her that way, will develop an even deeper love and appreciation for her than he has today.  I guarantee that the woman who treats her husband (or fiance) as her knight in shining armour and talks about him as such, will, in fact, HAVE a knight in shining armour!

We are too often unaware of how powerful our actions (words, deeds) impact our attitude - and then impact those we love.  A one-time jest may be no big deal...but all too often, a one-time joke becomes a habit...and a habit becomes an attitude...and an attitude affects our relationships.

So be careful what you say - treat your spouse in a way that  honors God - and you just might be surprised at how your spouse responds!  :)

Why Go To Sunday School?

My Sunday School kids - ages 4th - 6th grade - started asking some really good questions this morning during class.  The questions did NOT relate directly to the lesson, but were prompted by our discussion of the lesson, which was on Psalm 1. 

• If a person is saved and does really bad things and mocks God, will they still go to heaven?
• Can you become unsaved?
• Does a person who commits suicide go to heaven?

The kids asking these questions have been in church all their lives.  One might think they should know these answers already.  But here are some things to ponder:

• Just because a person sits under the godly, accurate preaching and teaching of the Bible does not mean they automatically understand everything they hear.
• We ALL - children included - grow spiritually at a different pace than the next person - much as we physically develop at different paces.  Perhaps these questions had not crossed their minds until now.
•  Sometimes children (and adults!) are afraid to ask questions for fear of being mocked or ridiculed for not already knowing the answer.

After I answered these questions, one the of girls said, "We should have a class where we just ask questions!"

Here's my point of sharing this:  Too many believers do not know what they believe or why they believe it.  When an adult accepts the fact that they are a sinner and that the only way to spend eternity in heaven with a Holy God is to accept the sacrifice that Jesus paid on the cross, we for some reason - I guess because they are adults - assume that they know and understand the same things we understand - even though we may have known Jesus for 30 years or more! 

When our children are brought up in the church, we assume they hear and understand what is being said from the pulpit just like we understand it.  We assume they understand everything being taught in their Sunday School class and in Junior Church.

But there is a lot of "not understanding" going on in our churches today.

Ask someone to explain salvation and they may toss around words like "regeneration" and "sanctification" and "sacrifice" and "holy" and "propitiation"....but ask them to DEFINE these same words and they are at a loss.  They know the language, but they don't really understand what they're saying.

The young people in my class will be the next generation of believers who lead God's church.  At least, that is my prayer.  Perhaps if we can answer their questions TODAY, they will STAY in the church - and not only stay, but be able to live that abundant life that Jesus died for because they know and understand what God expects of them.

I want my class to be a place where the kids feel free to ask me anything.  I may not have the answer - after all, I'm still growing in the Lord, too! - but that's okay, because their questions prompt me to find the answers in God's Word - which means we'll be growing together.  And in the end, what God wants is to be glorified through surrendered, humble, growing believers who obey his command to become more like Jesus...by finding the answers to our questions in His Word.

So, should we have a Sunday School class where "we just ask questions"??  The answer is a resounding, YES!!  Ask away, class, ask away!