Let's not ask "Why?"

It is after midnight and I can't sleep. So, I gave up and thought I would do my devotion for tomorrow or I guess today. I guess I am wondering why I can't sleep. Why is my mind going 100 mph? Why do I feel God is trying to show my something? Why am I not sure what it is? Why am I questioning Him? Friends, I have been looking around lately and all I see are storm clouds and tidal waves. The feeling that my ship has lost it's rudder. That it is going here and there uncontrollably. have you ever felt this way? Do you feel this way now? Do you feel that your ship is taking on water and you can't stop the leak or bail the water out fast enough? I want us to jump in a backhoe instead of picking up a shovel to dig into some of the good stuff today.........

Bible Verse: 2 Samuel 22:31 "As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is tried: He is a buckler to all them that trust in Him."

When bewilderment engulfs you and despair and troubles loom at your door, when trials are like Marines storming the beaches of your life, you may want to ask God, "Why? Why? Why? Why me?" Friend, we may never understand why things happen the way they do in our lives, but that's not our job. Here is the thing, it is not even necessary for us to know why. That really God's question. Our response is really all that matters. When we don't think we can feel His hand, we must. I mean must trust His heart. Our job is to simply trust and obey. I know this is so hard to hear much less do! But, we must trust. So, what is happening in your that you have no explanation for, but long for answers? Let's try this. Ask God to give you peace and grace to trust Him. Then be still. Please have a great day and I pray that God can give you some peace today. I would like to ask a favor of you. Could you please say a prayer for one of my youth. She is having surgery at 8am today on her neck and is very scared. thank you in advance for your prayers.

 

Don't be lied to............

Good morning everyone. Is it a good morning? Have you been waking up and saying "It is great to be me!" or "My life couldn't be much better!" But, maybe you don't really wake up because you have never really got to sleep. Maybe, you are looking around and wondering what is going on around you. Have you ever felt like your life was spinning out of control and you didn't know which way to turn? If you have never felt this or something like it, you should really thank God for sheltering you from it. I have talked to so many lately that are in the storm of their lives. They feel they don't know which way is up. They feel they don't know which way to turn. I must tell you that this is exactly what the devil wants you to feel. He wants you to feel helpless. He wants you to feel lost, without hope. He is a liar and a deceiver! Do you feel like you've lost your joy? Or maybe it has been ripped away from you? Please read these verses today and hide them in your heart. Carve them in stone, so you won’t forget them. Let's dig into some of the good stuff........

Bible Verse: John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me.

Bible Verse: Ephesians 5:20 giving thanks always for everything, to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

First, we must always remember that the Lord will not leave us, nor forsake us! We must remember this above all else. Is that hard to do? You bet it is. We get so caught up in the storm we are in that we forget where are shelter is. We wonder around in the storm, scarred and lonely. When we could be tucked in close to our Rock. We could be taking refuge in our Hightower. Are we that dumb? Are we so thick headed that we have to go it alone? Ok, maybe I am just talking and typing about myself. I guess I am that dumb! I have been so focused on the storms, that I am not looking for the rainbow. What I am trying to say is, keep your eyes on the prize and don't let your joy be stolen! Our help comes from above! It is so good to type those words. I really can't explain nor do I want to. I will say this....This is my decree. I will rise! I am closing today with the lyrics of one of the best Christian songs I know.

I Will Rise by Chris Tomlin

There's a peace I've come to know

Though my heart and flesh may fail
There's an anchor for my soul
I can say "It is well"

Jesus has overcome

And the grave is overwhelmed
The victory is won
He is risen from the dead

And I will rise when He calls my name

No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles' wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And rise
I will rise

There's a day that's drawing near

When this darkness breaks to light
And the shadows disappear
And my faith shall be my eyes

Jesus has overcome

And the grave is overwhelmed
The victory is won
He is risen from the dead

And I will rise when He calls my name

No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles' wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And rise
I will rise

And I hear the voice of many angels sing,

"Worthy is the Lamb"
And I hear the cry of every longing heart,
"Worthy is the Lamb"

And I hear the voice of many angels sing,

"Worthy is the Lamb"
And I hear the cry of every longing heart,
"Worthy is the Lamb"
 

And I will rise when He calls my name

No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles' wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And rise
I will rise

Have a blessed day and know that God loves and will never forsake you.

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.

Perception is 9/10's of the law!!!!!!!!!!!

Good morning everyone. It is Friday! Are you excited for the weekend? I am going to discuss a problem with pretty much everyone I know. Sometimes it is a huge problem and sometimes not so much. But, never the less a true problem that I really think can be fixed. Well, let me say that it can be fixed if we work at it. I was at a meeting last night and got served a really bad tasting pie. This pie that I had to eat was one that I am sure many of you have probably eaten before. It is called "Humble Pie"! That brings me to today's scripture. let's dig in and see what it can teach us..........

Bible Verse: 1 Peter 3:7  Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding.........

Ok, I am using this scripture as a husband but, it can be applied to our relationships with other born again believers or maybe even co-workers. Can I ask you a question? What does perception mean?

Definition of Perception:

•perceiving: the process of using the senses to acquire information about the surrounding environment or situation
•result of perceiving: the result of the process of perception
•impression: an attitude or understanding based on what is observed or thought

That is easy right? Someone’s perception can never be wrong. Right? Well, here is the thing. Perception is right to whomever perceives it. It does matter how we feel. If someone perceives something a certain way. That is the way they see it. Now, this can be from something huge or something very small. I am sure no one has ever done something and when the sky came raining down on them they said "I didn't mean it like that" or "That is not what I meant". I guess we must really work at being clear and understanding how others may view what is going on or maybe what we say and do. Please don't read into this for more that it is. What I am trying to get at is the way people perceive us in our words and actions is the way they perceive us. Whether we think it is right or wrong. We must strive for clarity and understanding. If we have these things, I really think we can help to see thing in the way they are intended. I guess one of the major tools of this is communication. We must be good communicators or at least continually work at it. I hope you don't have to eat as much "Humble Pie" as I have. It really is hard to swallow but, I guess a must. Let's stay moldable in God's hands. have a great day and God bless.

Are they in disguise maybe????

Good morning friends. I hope you had a great weekend. I had fun with the kiddo's at the pumpkin patch this weekend and then yesterday Joslyn and I had a blast at game night with the youth. I was listening to some parents and even some of our youth and they were talking about certain circumstances that they were in. The ones that I heard were doom and gloom. I so get that, we had a problem of only seeing the bad sometimes. Trust me, I know. When I was a police officer I dealt with people most of the time when they were at their worst. I didn't usually get called to the barbecues or birthday parties. Unless a fight broke out. So, I only saw people at the worst. After a while, that is what I looked for in people and circumstances. The bad! Pitiful isn't it? That brings me to today's scripture. Let's dig into the good stuff.....

Bible Verse: Psalm 32:1 "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered."

What is crazy is that God knows exactly what you are going through. We go through the hard times and see the bad stuff for a reason. Ok, if I hadn't seen all the situations that I have that were bad. I don't think I would appreciate the good ones as much. Just like, with us. The worst thing that could happen to us as born again believers is to not know we sin or that we live in a sinful world. If we lived a life not knowing. Would we even realize that we need a Savior? I mean, If God had left Adam in the Garden of Eden, ole' boy would not have even known that he had the sin in his life, and he surely would not have sought the remedy for sin, which he found in the shedding of blood.

Listen, our problems are designed not to destroy us, but to crowd us to Christ. Don't misunderstand me. The problem of sin is real and terrible, but it brings with it the this wonderful realization that we can be forgiven! Now, not all problems in our lives are our fault but, the outcome came be just as wonderful. This next part is going to seem a little crazy but, hang with me. When was the last time you thanked God for the problems in your life? What if you thought of them a blessings in disguise as problems. Think about that for a bit. Have a great day and God bless.

Let's go treasure hunting!!!!!

Good morning everyone! Well, it looks like the rain is gone and it looks to be a beautiful day. Some friends were over this weekend and they were looking at some old pictures on the wall. There were some of my Navy days. One of the pictures was taken when I was in Navy diver school. It brought back a lot of memories while we talked about those days. That brings me to today's scripture. Let's dig into the good stuff and I will share where this is going......

Bible Verse: Colossians 2:3 "In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

Ok, we were almost ready to graduate and be Navy Divers. The instructors began to let us have some fun, since most were going back to their ships to go underway on six month deployments. One of the senior instructors, Senior Chief Cain started telling us a story while we were heading out to sea to do a recreational dive. He was telling us that many years ago, the Spanish Armada was sailing off the coast of Florida. A hurricane struck, and the ships that were full of gold and silver ingots sunk to the bottom. People knew the treasure had been lost and believed one ship went down near Vero Beach in Fort Pierce, Florida. He said that fishermen fished over that spot, sometimes probably hanging a hook on a lump of gold.

One day some explorers went diving, and there it was in the shallow water! What was crazy, is the water was so shallow that any of us could have free dove to the bottom and brought up millions of dollars. We all sat there with gold nuggets in our eyes. Then when we did hit the water on our dive, we were looking all over for anything. I know kind of crazy right. Showing my friends those pics made me think of this story and this story got me thinking about our true treasure. Our treasure is so close and yet so many will fish over top of it for years, if not their whole lives and never discover it. I mean let's be real, many of us have yet to discover the full treasure we have in Jesus Christ. Many of us have yet to plunge our hearts deep into the treasure of the Lord? Some of us are living life in the shallow end, wondering if the treasure will ever come to us? I am sorry to tell you but, it will never come to you. You have to actively seek it. Let us open our eyes and hearts and claim our treasure! It has been set aside for you! Have a great day and I pray God blesses you today!