God is Mighty

There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord. – Proverbs 21:30

Our country seems to be in a shambles these days. The once staunch belief in God is faltering and sin is quickly filling the hearts of those who are weak. Families are separating, morals are declining, and the ways of the world are seeping in little by little, clouding our view.

Satan is working overtime to destroy this nation that was built on the premise of God. In many ways, he is successful. He has convinced the powers-that-be, that our children do not need discipline in school. Then when swoop in and kill hundreds of their classmates, he rejoices. He has allowed the morals and standards of marriage to be undermined to the point that anything goes. And in this success, he leans back and roars with laughter.

Still, Satan is fooled, for God is mighty. The free choice that the Father has given us allows us to make our decisions – choose our ground. However, what we often forget is that God never changes. His values are the same today that they were when He created this world. He stands to the side, knowing the pathways we will choose, watching as we make decisions to tear away at His world, and He shakes His head in sadness. For when all else fails, God does not.

“There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord.”(Proverbs 21:30)We as a nation, and we as a people, may think that we are oh, so smart, but we are not. For when God has withstood all He can bear, His discipline will follow. One would think that Satan would have learned; for every one success he has, God has three. Yet he continues to chip away at the values of those who believe. It is not always the big issues that are attacked, it’s the small things – the easy things.

The decisions we face will change and shape the world, and as a group Christians could make a difference if we would unite against the decaying morals that face our children. The key is, “unite.” God will not be outdone. He will not loose the war. His wrath will come down at some point because He is the Creator of all things. If every Christian took a stand against sin, imagine what would happen. Just imagine. Now is the time to take action, to drop to our knees and pray. God is mighty. He is powerful, and He will not be beat. God will prevail.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us where we fall short. Give us strength to overcome.

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength. – Philippians 4:12-13

Marcie pulled open the cabinet to look once more. Just in case something had miraculously appeared. She had played this game every morning, hoping today when she pulled open the cupboard there would be a loaf of bread. Once again, she’d lost the round.

Walking to the refrigerator, she opened the door and retrieved a large bowl of pork and beans. “Honey crawl up at the table and momma will warm you some beans for breakfast.” She carefully measured just enough beans into a pan so that nothing was wasted, then she placed them on the stove to warm.

“We only got beans again mom?” her daughter asked.

“Yes, darling. Only beans, but today we will pretend like we are having bacon and eggs. You’re so good at using your imagination. I know you’ll be able to taste the eggs.” She placed the beans in a bright yellow plate, and folded a dishtowel to lay it in her daughter’s lap. “There, breakfast is served to the princess.”

Her daughter ate every bite, then grabbed her school bag and headed out the door for school. Marcie watched as she reached the gate. “Mom, that was the best bacon and eggs I’ve ever tasted.” A smile parted Marcie’s lips as she lifted two fingers to blow her baby a kiss. They didn’t have a lot, but they had what they needed.

Sometimes it is hard learning to make the best of a bad situation. Just when we think things couldn’t get any worse, there is always something that proves us wrong. Our problem is, we tend to become stuck in the bad things. Next, we feel sorry for ourselves, and before we know it – we’ve come to a complete halt. Giving up seems to be the only answer.

In Paul’s letter to the Philippians, he took time to first, thank them for their concern for him and the difficulties he was experiencing, but secondly, he attempted to impress upon them that he had found the key to contentment regardless of his situation. He had learned that God sustains everything, and when he trusted fully, the Father would care for the rest. Paul made the efforts to continue to press forward, regardless of his situation. The key being that he made efforts. He didn’t throw up his hands and quit. He pushed forward

Marcie and her daughter learned to make the best of a bad situation, remaining grateful for the provisions they had. They pressed ahead, whether it was waiting for the next allotment of food stamps, or whether it was a new job. Our Father in heaven knows our needs and when we rise to the occasion, He is pleased. He provides. We only have to trust. Learning to be happy regardless of our situation is the beginning of that deep trust. And from here, we find the joys of a life of gratitude.

Prayer: Thank you Lord, for the many ways You care for us. May we always be content and trust in You.

Peace

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:7

Our lives seem all too complicated. There are days we long for the simple life again. The times when we would visit grandma and everyone would sit on the ground in the front yard under the shade tree talking. Folks would just spend time visiting. The yard was always full of kids playing, and the only real problem most of us had was what team would choose us.
We grew older and somewhere, somehow, things changed dramatically. Though the change didn’t happen overnight, it certainly took its toll before all was said and done. People rarely visit these days and life seems to have become pushy – insisting we put the needs of the world above the needs of the family. Our work schedule lengthens, while family time shrinks and day by day, a little more of that precious commodity called peace, is lost. There are times, we cover our heads with a blanket and dread to crawl out of bed.
The wonderful thing about Christ, is knowing that at anytime all we have to do is close the door, and fall to our knees. There is a difference in praying from a sitting position and praying from a kneeling position and it all begins with humility. When we want to talk to the Father – just chat, sitting is fine. However, when we are in search of peace, seeking God on our knees is displaying humility.
When we want to understand why, or when we wholeheartedly seek the Lord, then we need to drop to our knees. Why? A couple of reasons come to mind. When we place ourselves in a position of kneeling, we are laying aside our pride and stretching physically before the Lord saying, “I am willing to seek You and accept Your guidance without question.” Secondly, the "I" is taken out of the picture and we submit to the will of God. That’s when the calming peace of God gently settles into our hearts. The problem may not go away, but the peace of knowing God has the situation at bay, makes all the difference in the world.
Any position we pray from, whether standing, sitting, walking, or kneeling, is good prayer time. But, when we truly humble ourselves before the Lord from our knees then this is when we are truly willing to listen and receive that peace that passes all understanding.
Try it. Close your bedroom door, turn out the lights, clear your mind, and then go to your knees. You will be amazed at the depth of peace you will find from your knees.

Prayer: Precious Father, bless us with the peace that passes understanding. Give our souls rest.

Be Strong

Finally, be strong in the lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. – Ephesians 6:10-11

Have you ever been overcome by life and all it flings your way? We’ve all experienced this from time to time. We become so over-involved that Satan is able to grasp hold of us and steer us away from God.

How does he do it? It’s simple. For some he can easily say, “You can’t do that activity. It’s too hard. You don’t have time and you won’t be appreciated.” But for others he works just the opposite. He may encourage us to pack more items onto our plate, pushing us in overload. Once he convinces us to take on an overage of projects then he turns the tables and begins to hint to us that we are not getting help, no one else will do the project, or even hint to us to stay home from church or school so that we aren’t asked to do anything else.

The fact of the matter is, his ultimate goal is to burn us out. He wants make us feel as though we are the only ones in the world who may feel tired and unappreciated. When that happens, he has us just where he wants us. Satan leans back and roars with laughter as he celebrates in his success.

Putting on the armor of God can have more than one meaning. Primarily, we consider the armor to be a good scriptural base – one that will offer us recall when we must fight against evil. Satan fears the word of God and when we are able to use those words against him, we become strong. However, the armor can be something else as well. The armor can be the protection we need from God to help us ward off Satan’s stinging words. By helping us to close our ears to the things that he is trying to convince us to do or not to do, we can find the necessary help we need to pick and choose the projects where our talents will excel. Now, we can perform to the highest standard for the glory of God.

Satan schemes against us daily. When we find ourselves tired, sad, and wanting a way out, it may very well be, that the devil has been successful. God loves us for our efforts, and he always sees the work we’ve done. The thing we must remember is that our Father never overloads us with work. He wants us to take our talents and use them to the BEST of our abilities to glorify Him.

Is your plate overflowing with tasks that could be shared? Put on the armor of God and allow Him to help you sort through the massive pile of work. He will give you the necessary strength to overcome.

Prayer: Father, we tire at times. Help us to find strength in and power in You.

Be an Imitator

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. – Ephesians 5:1

Liza bounced down the front stairs and plopped up on the couch next to her dad. He dropped one side of the newspaper and winked at her. A grin spread across her lips, and she winked back. She grabbed a section of the paper and flipped it open.

As he turned the page, he shook the paper to straighten the wrinkles. Liza giggled and did exactly as her father. He crossed his legs at the knees, followed by Lisa doing the same. Letting one side of paper drop, her dad slid his hand to his ankle and scratched his foot. Being the copycat she was, Liza tittered and did the same.

Moments into the copying act, her dad tossed the paper across the living room and yanked Liza to the floor, tickling her and calling her a copycat. After a few minutes of play, he pulled her to her feet and brushed the hair away from her eyes. “I love you Copycat Liza.”

“I love you, too, daddy.”

They say imitation is the greatest form of flattery, and what child hasn’t pulled the copycat trick? Even adults mimic people they admire. This is how we learn. Our toddler children learn fine motor skills and language by watching us. If the values of their home life are strong and steady this is what they imitate. If values are careless and weak, then children learn likewise.

If we learn by imitation, then why are more of us not imitating Christ? The example He left us to follow was very controlled and precise. Jesus always chose His words carefully, and though He, like any human, had moments when anger erupted, He still thought through His actions. Even to His death on the cross, Jesus in all His brokenness and agony, still set the example of perfect forgiveness when He uttered, “Father, forgive them.”

Who do you imitate? Better yet, who imitates you? Are you sending out an example that makes others long to have the joy you have? Be an imitator of Christ and teach the world of His goodness.

Prayer: Father, help us to be the examples You want us to be. Make us good imitators of You.

He is Present

Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep. – Psalm 36:5-6

It is sometimes hard to understand the power and reach of God. We cannot physically see Him or touch Him, and that makes it difficult to trust when we feel abandoned. We are a people who require visualization in order to believe. Therefore, when we approach someone who may not be a strong believer, it’s hard to make them understand that God is really with us.

The harder issue comes when we must explain faithfulness and trust. Even the dictionary is clear as mud when you try to define faithfulness. “To be faithful.” Let’s ask ourselves what it really means to be faithful. It means to be steadfast and constant. Trust means to be dependent on someone or something. Now, having defined those two words, how do we understand the power and reach of God? Simple – we have a faithful trust.

Now you're wondering, what is the point? The point is, God is so much bigger than anything we can imagine that there is no way we can understand His power or His reach. The whole issue boils down to a steadfast belief.

As humans, we have the need to believe in something but it is usually something we see up front. How can we believe in someone we do not see or we cannot touch? The issue comes full-circle. We must have faith and trust. At some point in our lives, we must learn to believe in something or someone. Just because we do not see a human form of God standing in front of us daily, doesn’t mean He doesn’t exist.

When you look into the bluest of skies and see gentle clouds floating across the horizon, that’s God. When you look at the wilds of Africa and see the animals in all their beauty – that’s God. When you enjoy the sounds of a gentle mountain stream or the cool of the shade of a tree you see God. He is everything created. He is the Creator.

When it is hardest for us to trust, His faithfulness reaches beyond our wildest imagination and His righteousness rises above all else we can see. Learning to focus on the things we cannot grasp fully, like the sun rising every morning and oceans washing the shoreline continuously, helps us to see God.

At some point in our lives we have to believe in something and we have to trust in someone. It is just as easy for it to be the Father. He may not be in the form we expect, but His presence is there. Learn to trust and learn to be faithful, for the Lord is always present. We simply have to believe.

Prayer: Father, Lord and Creator of all. You are almighty and faithful. You are always near. Thank you.

Do Not Forget Them

Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone. – Psalm 70:9

I want to share a true story. Our office recently had cable phones and computer lines installed. As I waited for the young men to finish their installation, one of them picked up a brochure from the desk.
“You guys take care of old people. I thought they just went to nursing homes.” He looked somewhat perplexed.
“Yes, we care for the elderly. They don’t all have a need to go into a facility. Many just need a little extra help at home and they can manage.”
The young man flipped open the brochure scanning the inside. “That’s pretty cool. It would be like a …a…church is supposed to do.” he replied.
I pushed my glasses to my forehead and smiled. “Well, now that’s a good point.”
“I remember when I was a kid that our preacher told us the Bible said to care for the old people.” He pushed his finger beneath his ball cap and lifted the hat slightly.
“Your preacher was right, and I am sure if more churches did just that, there would not be a need for companies like ours. They’d put us out of business.” The young man laughed as he slipped the brochure back into the holder. I noticed, as he made a number of trips in and out of the office installing the phone lines, he would hesitate at that the desk and stare at the brochure.
Finally, he stopped once more and pulled out the brochure. “I love my grandparents. I could never imagine them being alone and having to have someone they didn’t know come take care of them. Why would a family forget their parents or grandparents? Better yet, why would churches forget them?”
I assured him there were plenty of good reasons why families would seek the help of companies like ours – it wasn’t because they didn’t care rather, they needed extra help. The real curve he threw me, was why didn’t Christians do this job? There, the young man had a point.
God has instructed us numerous times to care for our elderly, widows and orphaned children. He doesn’t offer it as a suggestion, He tells to do this. And while many “churches” are good at running a successful shut-in program, there are equally as many Christians who are not. Caring for our elderly is of the utmost importance. They gave birth to us and raised us. That should be reason enough for our concern. More so, they have earned the respect. Their lives are full of wisdom and knowledge – good information we need to learn. For the elderly who have loved ones to care for them, there are equally as many who do not.
Our Father has specifically instructed us to care for the needs of these individuals. He had good reasoning behind His instruction. Spend a little time visiting those who are older. Stop by their homes or visit them in the nursing homes. Remind them they are special and loved and that God has blessed them with great wisdom. There will come a day, when we sit in their chair. How would you like to be treated?

Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we forget our elders. Give us courage and determination to care for their needs as You have instructed.