Scripture I'm Reflecting On:
"How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart?
Cleanse me from these hidden faults"
Reflection:
Do you ever wonder if something you just did was a "sin". Or maybe just wrong, or not pleasing to God. I do this all the time. Most of the time its something little that I never even thought about at the time I did it. Getting frustrated driving in rush hour. Doing something subtle to avoid someone or some situation. Laughing at questionably immoral humor. Engaging in certain conversations. I often find myself reflecting after the fact, and feeling guilty about something I've done and wondering if it was displeasing to God.
As David reflects in this verse, we all have hidden faults, which is probably a reason we cannot live a life completely free of sin, no matter how hard we try. No matter how pure we set out to be, none of us can ever claim we have never had a selfish thought, admired someone we found attractive, skipped an opportunity to thank or worship God, or given an uninspired effort in performing a task. Acknowledging these moments, and even feeling a little guilt, I think is a good thing, as it keeps us turning to God and keeping a close relationship. But letting guilt take over our minds if the work of the enemy, and will only pull us away from God.
If there's one thing to take away from the Bible, its how amazing and forgiving God is towards our fautls. Don't lose faith in that. God forgives all of our faults, from the smallest bad attitude moment, to the seemingly unforgiveable sin, as long as we turn to him and ask for this. It's easy to skip a prayer time because you think God is mad with you, or doesnt want to hear from you after something you did. I've had this thought on more than one occasion. But this is line of thinking is not written anywhere in the Bible, and there is no reason to even consider that is a possibility. "We are the apples of God's eyes", and as long as we lift our sins up to him, He will continue to forgive and bless our faults and shortcomings.
At my lowest spiritual point, I remember telling God something along the lines of "if youre even up there, stay out of my life as you certainly arent doing me any favors." And that is a rated G version. It took me a long.....long................long time, even after restoring my faith to where it is now, to realize and understand that God would forgive me as long as I asked and believes, even after such a horrible comment. Just as nothing is too big for God to accomplish, equally so, there is nothing too big for God to forgive.
Final Thought:
I am someone who over-analyzes everything, and will find something to be guilty about even when nothing is there. This is particularly true when hanging out with those I care about, I have a tendency to always think I did something wrong. Did I end the conversation correctly? Was that joke in bad taste (or maybe just dumb)? Was I friendly? Should I have offered to buy a coffee? These mostly irrational "guilty" questions I have occasionly creep their way into my prayer life as well, and when they do, I find myself pulled away from reading the Bible and engulfed with worry.
The Bible has always been my answer to these problems, and can be your answer if you find yourself feeling guilty, or wondering if you displeased God. Without fail, everytime I have truly and fully given my worry to the Lord, things have worked out for the best. I have no doubt, that when we do this, the result will always be the same.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Monday, March 18, 2013
Keep Your Eyes on the Real Reward
Scripture I'm Reflecting on: Psalm 10:4-5
"The wicked are too proud to seek God.
They seem to think that God is dead.
Yet they succeed in everything they do."
Reflection:
I could have chosen any of the verses from Psalm 10 for this reflection, as I find this Psalm very refreshing; while also having a good message. I find myself liking this Psalm because it is a list of thoughts that I can really relate too. While the "wicked" this author (likely David) faced was certainly at a level higher than I have ever experienced or imagined, I do find myself having similar thoughts from time to time when I see certain things happening around me.
I'm sure most of us have had at least a quick thought like the ones in this verse (and entire Psalm) when we see someone "wicked" succeed. Greed, selfishness, and a cut-throat attitude seem to be the way to the top in modern times, and you don't need to look far to find a person of no faith succeeding in big ways. Many of the wealthiest people in the country have probably never even given God so much as a thank you for their fortunes. Many of the people who have been blessed with gifts of great intelligence, athletic ability, or impeccable health never give a thought to be grateful for the blessings they were given. A natural response, at least for me, is to wonder why these people are being rewarded? Why is God allowing this to happen?
But these thoughts, after a little bit of reflection, are really just silly....and worrying about other people's success is just a waste of energy. Why stress over why someone is wealthy, or why someone has a natural ability you do not have? All of this is temporary. Wealth lasts for a brief time. Our physical or mental gifts will fade away some day. Worrying about why someone has something we selfishly want is not only a waste of time, but also can have a tendency to pull us away from God. The Bible promises that the wicked will be punished in due time. That should be all the comfort we need to focus on our own faith, and live our lives in God's glory, regardless of the "material rewards" we are receiving. We can all think of times in our lives when God has taken care of us, and to think that he has stopped or forgotten us because we see god-less people around us succeeding is exactly the mindset Satan loves to see.
Final Thought:
There's too many things in our lives to be thankful about to worry and wonder whether other people's success is justified. Everyone has different beliefs on how much God inserts himself in our daily lives. I tend to think God has a plan for us, and gives us the resources and guidance to carry out that plan, without actually carrying it out for us. It's hard to say what influence God has over someones successes, say someone who has obtained great wealth, who does not acknowledge God. Maybe God still guides them to this wealth for a reason. Maybe it just happens. But we do know that God doesn't make any promises of riches and rewards for Christians, and the opposite for non-believers. If that were the case, everyone would "believe." Everyone would have "faith", but this faith for many would be in the rewards, and not God's Word.
The real reward, the only one that matters, doesn't come in the form of temporary wealth or fame. As long as we remember that, then we will realize there's no reason to worry about the successes we see those without faith obtaining. We can obtain a peace and happiness through faith that the richest, wealthiest, most athletic person on earth could never dream of without God. We are after an infinetly greater reward. And we will receive it as long as we stay true to God's Word and message.
"The wicked are too proud to seek God.
They seem to think that God is dead.
Yet they succeed in everything they do."
Reflection:
I could have chosen any of the verses from Psalm 10 for this reflection, as I find this Psalm very refreshing; while also having a good message. I find myself liking this Psalm because it is a list of thoughts that I can really relate too. While the "wicked" this author (likely David) faced was certainly at a level higher than I have ever experienced or imagined, I do find myself having similar thoughts from time to time when I see certain things happening around me.
I'm sure most of us have had at least a quick thought like the ones in this verse (and entire Psalm) when we see someone "wicked" succeed. Greed, selfishness, and a cut-throat attitude seem to be the way to the top in modern times, and you don't need to look far to find a person of no faith succeeding in big ways. Many of the wealthiest people in the country have probably never even given God so much as a thank you for their fortunes. Many of the people who have been blessed with gifts of great intelligence, athletic ability, or impeccable health never give a thought to be grateful for the blessings they were given. A natural response, at least for me, is to wonder why these people are being rewarded? Why is God allowing this to happen?
But these thoughts, after a little bit of reflection, are really just silly....and worrying about other people's success is just a waste of energy. Why stress over why someone is wealthy, or why someone has a natural ability you do not have? All of this is temporary. Wealth lasts for a brief time. Our physical or mental gifts will fade away some day. Worrying about why someone has something we selfishly want is not only a waste of time, but also can have a tendency to pull us away from God. The Bible promises that the wicked will be punished in due time. That should be all the comfort we need to focus on our own faith, and live our lives in God's glory, regardless of the "material rewards" we are receiving. We can all think of times in our lives when God has taken care of us, and to think that he has stopped or forgotten us because we see god-less people around us succeeding is exactly the mindset Satan loves to see.
Final Thought:
There's too many things in our lives to be thankful about to worry and wonder whether other people's success is justified. Everyone has different beliefs on how much God inserts himself in our daily lives. I tend to think God has a plan for us, and gives us the resources and guidance to carry out that plan, without actually carrying it out for us. It's hard to say what influence God has over someones successes, say someone who has obtained great wealth, who does not acknowledge God. Maybe God still guides them to this wealth for a reason. Maybe it just happens. But we do know that God doesn't make any promises of riches and rewards for Christians, and the opposite for non-believers. If that were the case, everyone would "believe." Everyone would have "faith", but this faith for many would be in the rewards, and not God's Word.
The real reward, the only one that matters, doesn't come in the form of temporary wealth or fame. As long as we remember that, then we will realize there's no reason to worry about the successes we see those without faith obtaining. We can obtain a peace and happiness through faith that the richest, wealthiest, most athletic person on earth could never dream of without God. We are after an infinetly greater reward. And we will receive it as long as we stay true to God's Word and message.
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Remembering our History - March 7
Scripture I'm Reflecting On: Esther 9:1
"So on March 7 the two decrees of the king were put into effect. On that day, the enemeies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, but quite the opposite happened. It was the Jews who overpowered their enemies."
Reflection:
Posting something a little different this time, not really a reflection, but just paying tribute to one our great Bible stories on the anniversary of its most notable event. March 7th isn't a date that many (if any) of us would think of as a day to remember, like Christmas, Passover, etc. Maybe coincidentally, or maybe through grace, I actually just happened to read the story of Esther this morning in my chronolgical reading or I probably wouldn't have remembered the date in the story at all. It's easy to forget about the history in the Bible, particularly shorter stories like Esther, which is why I felt remembering this date in our history would make for a good reminder opportunity.
I'm sure everyone has read the story of Esther at some point, so I won't go through a book report style summary. But I think it's one we should all consider giving a re-read for a truly inspirational story. There are many great messages we can take from this story. It offers a great inspirational story for women, with Esther basically saving an entire race of people. There's a warning for us in the life of Haman, to not let our desire for approval and popularity drive us into immoral actions. As we find ourselves obtaining more power in life, through promotions, parenthood, age, or occupation, this becomes especially more important to remember, as the temptations only grow as we obtain more power and wealth.
I think the best reflection on the story of Esther however, is just another example of how great and loving God is, and how he can bring any of us who are faithful to do amazing things. Esther and Mordecai were ordinary people, maybe just like you and me. They were part of a group of people that were far from the most beloved race of people in the time of this story, a group that was probably mocked and persecuted regularly under the reign of Persian kings. Yet, they remained faithful to God. And God repaid them in a great way. An extraordinary way. A divine way. Esther became queen, with enough power to get King Xerxes to allow her to issue orders. When you stop and just think about that for a second, you realize how remarkable that is, especially when you consider the time period that happened. God also rewarded Mordecai's actions (stopping an assassination) and his faith, by guiding him to become the Prime Minister to the King.
Bottom Line: Esther and Mordecai kept their faith in dark times. They didn't live in fear. And God made the impossible happen. We need to remember this when we start feeling fear: fear of an illness, fear of an interview, fear about a grade, fear about a loved one. Throw away the fear and show your faith in God by believing he is going to turn it all around, maybe even make the impossible happen in your life.
Final Thought:
It's easy to read these Old Testament stories almost like were reading fiction. I battle this thought in my own head all the time. The times were so different. The actions were so long ago. But we should try to remember that this was how we got to where we are now. These stories are why we have the Word. These stories are reminders of real actual examples of God's greatness, of God's glory. Remembering stories, like this one, are not only important to demonstrate our faith, but our a great reminder and inspiration to just how great we have it living under God's grace.
"So on March 7 the two decrees of the king were put into effect. On that day, the enemeies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, but quite the opposite happened. It was the Jews who overpowered their enemies."
Reflection:
Posting something a little different this time, not really a reflection, but just paying tribute to one our great Bible stories on the anniversary of its most notable event. March 7th isn't a date that many (if any) of us would think of as a day to remember, like Christmas, Passover, etc. Maybe coincidentally, or maybe through grace, I actually just happened to read the story of Esther this morning in my chronolgical reading or I probably wouldn't have remembered the date in the story at all. It's easy to forget about the history in the Bible, particularly shorter stories like Esther, which is why I felt remembering this date in our history would make for a good reminder opportunity.
I'm sure everyone has read the story of Esther at some point, so I won't go through a book report style summary. But I think it's one we should all consider giving a re-read for a truly inspirational story. There are many great messages we can take from this story. It offers a great inspirational story for women, with Esther basically saving an entire race of people. There's a warning for us in the life of Haman, to not let our desire for approval and popularity drive us into immoral actions. As we find ourselves obtaining more power in life, through promotions, parenthood, age, or occupation, this becomes especially more important to remember, as the temptations only grow as we obtain more power and wealth.
I think the best reflection on the story of Esther however, is just another example of how great and loving God is, and how he can bring any of us who are faithful to do amazing things. Esther and Mordecai were ordinary people, maybe just like you and me. They were part of a group of people that were far from the most beloved race of people in the time of this story, a group that was probably mocked and persecuted regularly under the reign of Persian kings. Yet, they remained faithful to God. And God repaid them in a great way. An extraordinary way. A divine way. Esther became queen, with enough power to get King Xerxes to allow her to issue orders. When you stop and just think about that for a second, you realize how remarkable that is, especially when you consider the time period that happened. God also rewarded Mordecai's actions (stopping an assassination) and his faith, by guiding him to become the Prime Minister to the King.
Bottom Line: Esther and Mordecai kept their faith in dark times. They didn't live in fear. And God made the impossible happen. We need to remember this when we start feeling fear: fear of an illness, fear of an interview, fear about a grade, fear about a loved one. Throw away the fear and show your faith in God by believing he is going to turn it all around, maybe even make the impossible happen in your life.
Final Thought:
It's easy to read these Old Testament stories almost like were reading fiction. I battle this thought in my own head all the time. The times were so different. The actions were so long ago. But we should try to remember that this was how we got to where we are now. These stories are why we have the Word. These stories are reminders of real actual examples of God's greatness, of God's glory. Remembering stories, like this one, are not only important to demonstrate our faith, but our a great reminder and inspiration to just how great we have it living under God's grace.
Friday, March 1, 2013
Build your Foundation
Scripture I'm Reflecting on: Isaiah 28:16
"Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jersusalem,
a firm and tested stone.
It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on.
Whoever believes need never be shaken.
Reflection:
There are several passages that teach us to make our faith the foundation for our lives. Psalm 118:22, Matthew 22:42, 1 Peter 2:8. We are guaranteed security when we do this. We are guaranteed happiness when we do this. So why do we find ourselves forgetting this so often?
It's easy, especially in today's world, to find security in so many other things than the Word. Some people find it through their wealth. Some people find it through success in their job, their test scores, or on the sports field. The problems with these "securities" are pretty obvious. Those who rely on riches and fortunes for their security and happiness will never have enough. They will always want more, and never find peace. Those who rely on success will eventually run into failure, and then what? Athletes age and lose their ability. Top business executives eventually are pushed into retirement. When this happens, and our faith has not been our rock...our "foundation"...then its clear that negative things will be close behind.
Most Christians understand the dangers that come with putting money and fame on the same pedastal as God. But maybe what is more dangerous is when we put our security in someone else. Putting our security in someone else is easy to do, and doesn't even seem logically wrong. It's not wrong to rely on someone. A family member. Spouse. Boyfriend/Girlfriend. Even just a good friend. Family and friends are a much stronger foundation than money and fame. But they are not a stronger foundation than our faith in God. There's only one foundation that won't break in the face of dark times and tragedy, and that is faith in Him.
So what's the ultimate danger preventing us from this foundation? Us. Our minds. At least this is the danger that attacks me the most. Bad day, no problem I can handle it. "I'm tough"..... I don't need to pray for that, I can make it happen on my own...... I can figure out this problem, I'm a smart guy. I let what I thought were my intelligent thoughts and logic talk me out of having faith in the Bible for many years of my life. It's easier than many think to make yourself believe you can "out-think" the Bible, prove to yourself its not all real, or make yourself believe there's no logic in "prayer". Science, big bang theory, evolution, on and on, there's plenty of well thought out and researched concepts that lure our mind away from having faith. But as I found out, and anyone who puts themselves...their logic...or their preceived intelligence ahead of everything in their life will find, this does not lead to the "security" that we need in life.
Awareness of these dangers, I believe, is the key to keeping our faith as our foundation. Where do you turn when you feel vulnerable? Staying in the Word on a regular basis will help us ensure that we are turning to God first. Having that foundation, is the ONLY way to achieve all of the glory that God has planned for us.
Final Thought:
Don't misread this to say that there's anything wrong with the "dangers" I've listed. Having reliable family and friends is one of the most important things to have in life. But make sure you are surrounded with people who understand that your faith is your foundation. Everytime I read an article, or some "expert" giving reasons for why divorce rates are skyrocketing, I laugh and cringe at the same time. The answer is simple. The number of people with faith as their foundation are rapidly decreasing. Because of this the number of relationships formed with God as a foundation are decreasing. What does that =? Divorce rates up. As easy as 1+1.
There's nothing wrong with money, career goals, or increasing your intelligence. Earning a lot of money is not at all a bad thing...that is....as long as it doesn't pull you away from Him. I know career success is a big part of my goals for the future. But as I work towards this, I know I have to keep verses like this in mind to make sure foundation is solid.
Place your hopes and dreams in God, in Jesus, in the Word. Once we have this foundation, the rest of our lives.....our career.....our relationships.....our happiness, will come together.
"Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jersusalem,
a firm and tested stone.
It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on.
Whoever believes need never be shaken.
Reflection:
There are several passages that teach us to make our faith the foundation for our lives. Psalm 118:22, Matthew 22:42, 1 Peter 2:8. We are guaranteed security when we do this. We are guaranteed happiness when we do this. So why do we find ourselves forgetting this so often?
It's easy, especially in today's world, to find security in so many other things than the Word. Some people find it through their wealth. Some people find it through success in their job, their test scores, or on the sports field. The problems with these "securities" are pretty obvious. Those who rely on riches and fortunes for their security and happiness will never have enough. They will always want more, and never find peace. Those who rely on success will eventually run into failure, and then what? Athletes age and lose their ability. Top business executives eventually are pushed into retirement. When this happens, and our faith has not been our rock...our "foundation"...then its clear that negative things will be close behind.
Most Christians understand the dangers that come with putting money and fame on the same pedastal as God. But maybe what is more dangerous is when we put our security in someone else. Putting our security in someone else is easy to do, and doesn't even seem logically wrong. It's not wrong to rely on someone. A family member. Spouse. Boyfriend/Girlfriend. Even just a good friend. Family and friends are a much stronger foundation than money and fame. But they are not a stronger foundation than our faith in God. There's only one foundation that won't break in the face of dark times and tragedy, and that is faith in Him.
So what's the ultimate danger preventing us from this foundation? Us. Our minds. At least this is the danger that attacks me the most. Bad day, no problem I can handle it. "I'm tough"..... I don't need to pray for that, I can make it happen on my own...... I can figure out this problem, I'm a smart guy. I let what I thought were my intelligent thoughts and logic talk me out of having faith in the Bible for many years of my life. It's easier than many think to make yourself believe you can "out-think" the Bible, prove to yourself its not all real, or make yourself believe there's no logic in "prayer". Science, big bang theory, evolution, on and on, there's plenty of well thought out and researched concepts that lure our mind away from having faith. But as I found out, and anyone who puts themselves...their logic...or their preceived intelligence ahead of everything in their life will find, this does not lead to the "security" that we need in life.
Awareness of these dangers, I believe, is the key to keeping our faith as our foundation. Where do you turn when you feel vulnerable? Staying in the Word on a regular basis will help us ensure that we are turning to God first. Having that foundation, is the ONLY way to achieve all of the glory that God has planned for us.
Final Thought:
Don't misread this to say that there's anything wrong with the "dangers" I've listed. Having reliable family and friends is one of the most important things to have in life. But make sure you are surrounded with people who understand that your faith is your foundation. Everytime I read an article, or some "expert" giving reasons for why divorce rates are skyrocketing, I laugh and cringe at the same time. The answer is simple. The number of people with faith as their foundation are rapidly decreasing. Because of this the number of relationships formed with God as a foundation are decreasing. What does that =? Divorce rates up. As easy as 1+1.
There's nothing wrong with money, career goals, or increasing your intelligence. Earning a lot of money is not at all a bad thing...that is....as long as it doesn't pull you away from Him. I know career success is a big part of my goals for the future. But as I work towards this, I know I have to keep verses like this in mind to make sure foundation is solid.
Place your hopes and dreams in God, in Jesus, in the Word. Once we have this foundation, the rest of our lives.....our career.....our relationships.....our happiness, will come together.
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