Not of my power......

Good morning everyone. Yesterday was election day and My daughter was out of school. So, since she has been learning about democracy in social studies. I thought what a better time to take her to vote with me. She was there from start to finish. She turned the selection dial, she pushed enter, then she pushed "Cast your ballot"! We talked about each candidate before we pushed enter. It was a fun and touching experience to do together. I was listening to a song by Jars of Clay called Revolution and thoughts started flowing. I hope all this makes sense this morning. Let's dig into the good stuff and see what Gods' Word shows us......

Bible Verse: 2 Corinthians 4:7 "For God . . . made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us."

I don't know if you have ever listened to Jars of Clay but, I've always liked the band for their sound and their songs, but I like their name, too. It's a way for them to make a statement about the gospel just by saying, "We're Jars of Clay." Of course, they picked the name from this verse to make the point, right? I guess I am assuming that their ultimate message. That we can know God through Jesus is far more powerful and valuable than the Christian rock band that sometimes sings about it.

Ok, riddle me this. If you went to The Potter in Paul's day looking for something to keep your most valued possession in, you'd walk right past the huge sign that reads "12 for $1" on the clay pots and look for a cool-looking display jar that has been bedazzled or maybe something with a lock on it.

Now, let's get real for a bit. Human beings are weak, fragile, flawed. Why or how would God allow us to carry the most valuable truth in all of human history? Today's verse answers that question! I had to ask myself lately. What evidence shows that I am that jar of clay? What evidence have you seen in your life that you are a "jar of clay," that you are not powerful on your own to carry the message of God's grace? What evidence have you seen of God's power in and through you? I know sometimes you might even think that God doesn't see you or that He has abandoned you. Know this if anything. Those thoughts are born from Satan and he wants you to be discouraged.

Do this for me today. Thank God for placing His treasure in you and showing His power through you. Then, let Him get to work guiding you. I know this is hard sometimes, especially for the semi-controlling types. Right? Have a great day and God bless.

Are you tapping out??????

Good morning everyone! Did you wake up with a smile on your face? Or, did you wake up with so much on your mind that you couldn't focus? It was crazy this morning. I woke at 4am....So, I laid there trying to go back to sleep.....At 5am.....I was running a marathon in my brain......At 6am......I was tired and wanted to sleep. Well, I guess that wasn't the plan. I will say that I fought it! I laid in bed and tried to force myself back to sleep. Not! So, I tapped out and realized I wasn't able to sleep for a reason. So, picked up the good Word and this is what I dug up with God's help. Let's dig in together and see what it shows us.

Bible Verse: Genesis 39:1-2 "Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh's officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there. The LORD was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master."

Have you ever thought "A good and powerful God would never have let such a terrible thing happen in my life!" Or, maybe you have heard someone else say that? Maybe you feel "I serve the Lord and do what right, I am in a safe place." Maybe it was a physical attack, an illness, or a death. Maybe it didn't even happen to you, but to someone you love.

Are you feeling what I am trying to say? Do you understand the feeling. What's the good of belonging to the most powerful being in the universe if He won't act to keep tragedy from falling on our heads? From the sky falling. Joseph could have asked that question. Did he? let's think about this. He'd just been attacked, robbed, and then sold as a slave to slave traders and slapped in chains. I would dare say that he had little hope of ever seeing his dad and little brother again. Guess what? Guess who did this to him? This was all done to him by his 10 older brothers!

Ok, stay with me. Instead of Joseph deciding that the God who would allow such a thing really wasn't worth following, Joseph seems to have made a totally different choice. A choice to believe the truth and not tap out! The truth that God was still with Him. He made a choice to continue to serve God. The bummer in this story is that we're not told about any of his feelings, but God blessed Joseph. Guess what? He kept blessing him. Now remember, God did not keep Joseph from experiencing the pain through those terrible circumstances. But, joseph stayed the course.

I want to ask you a real life question and pray you can be honest with yourself and God. Do you judge God's goodness or power by your own personal circumstances? What's wrong with that idea? Let's ask God for the courage to keep trusting Him even when hard things come into your life today. Then, let's read Genesis 37:12-36 to find out the whole story of what Joseph's brothers did to him and what happened. Have a great Saturday and God bless.