Thankfulness

 

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." -Colossians 3:15

The best cure for restlessness and lack of contentment is learning to be thankful. 

Contentment doesn't have to do with the stuff we have now, the place we're at, where we want to be, or the person we hope to be - it has to do with a choice that we make in our hearts in the here and now. The Bible says, "Enter His gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise." (Ps 100:4) Thankfulness invites the peace and presence of God.

There is a story of a blind boy who sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which said: "I am blind, please help." There were just a few coins in the hat.

"A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words. Soon the hat began to fill up.

A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were. The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, "Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?"

The man said, "I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way." I wrote: "Today is a beautiful day but I cannot see it." Both signs told people that the boy was blind. But the first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign told people that they were lucky that they were not blind. Should we be surprised that the second sign was more effective?"

What do you have to be thankful for today? 





Source: http://activerain.com/blogsview/1603377/a-parable-about-being-thankful

Jesus Empathized with Us

"We don't have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He's been through weakness and testing, experienced it all - all but the sin." -Hebrews 4:15

Do you ever have days where you feel like no one else understands?  I'm sure we've all had those days - we feel like the only one who has a less than ideal job, the only one with family issues, the only one struggling with sickness, who is stressed, or the only one who is single or who doesn’t have what we want out of life.

But you know what?  Our God and king has experienced all the things we go through - and even more. Another translation of this verse says, "This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for He faced all of the same testings we do, yet He did not sin." (NLT)  We may not fully understand how God as man was able to go through the things we experienced, but we know since He lived on earth, He experienced life on life’s terms.  The night before His arrest, Jesus prayed, "Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from Me. Yet I want Your will to be done, not Mine." (Luke 22:42) I can only imagine what He must have been going through at that time.

Due to Jesus' overcoming death, He gives new life to us.  Could it be that within our struggles, He is working His overcoming life in us? As we overcome difficulty, we can help others overcome as well.  We are never alone in anything we go through - Jesus is right there with us, every step of the way, even if it may not feel like it.

Do you believe that God is with you every step of the way, and understands how you feel?  "So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most." Hebrews 4:16  God wants us to know that He is with us - and He can help us overcome any obstacle we may face, as we go boldly before His throne of grace. 

Overcoming Negative Circumstances

"Come quickly, Lord, and answer me, for my depression deepens.  Don’t turn away from me, or I will die.  Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you.  Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you." -Ps 143:7 & 8

Sometimes life is hard.  When we go through difficult seasons, we may question God's presence, His goodness, His love for us, or the dreams He placed within us.  "Why on earth would this happen to me, God, if You are loving and just!?" we may ask.

However, this is exactly the posture the enemy wants us to have.  Whenever bad things happen, as they did to Job, the enemy wants to get in the middle and tell us God doesn't love us, He doesn't care about us, and He doesn't have a plan for our lives. He wants us to turn against our God.  These statements are a complete and total lie!

But, how do we get to the truth, when all our circumstances point to the negative?  It may be that we have never known anything besides the negativity that surrounds us. 

First, we need to get in the word, to read what God says about us and our situation.  We need to pray, even if we don't feel like it.  We need to worship, to praise God in spite of whatever is going on - in His word it says that praise is the antidote for heaviness.  (Is 6:13) We need to get around encouraging people.  And most of all we need to believe - to have faith that in spite of any difficulty, our God is still victorious.  We have to realize that we live in a fallen world, and that God does not want us to go through negative things, but He will use them for our good. (Romans 8:28)

Are you going through something negative right now?  Stay in faith, let God be your hope, and even if things don't change immediately stay in faith that God will do what He promised. The answer may not come at the time we expect, but it doesn't change the fact that God loves us, and sent His son to die for us, so that we could live in heaven, eternally with Him.

Don’t Sell Out! (Purpose vs. Provision)

"For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God." -Col 3:3

In life, there is a great temptation to go for the next big thing:  the next big business, the next big degree, the next big job opportunity.  But in the kingdom, things are different.  God works quite differently than we do, His ways are higher than our ways.  (Is 55:9) Sometimes the thing that looks the best may not be the best for us - the best that God has in mind.

Sometimes we can get stuck seeking provision first, instead of seeking our Provider.  Sometimes we can get stuck seeking out approval or affirmation from people, instead of going to God first and experiencing His love. Other times we’ll see our value in our accomplishments, instead of seeing that God created us with value, before we ever did anything to deserve it.  Our value is built upon His love for us.

We can so easily sell out and miss our purpose by seeking other things before God’s will in our lives.  What is He doing? What is He saying?  Jesus said He only did what He saw the Father doing - nothing more, nothing less.  (John 5:19)

Are we seeking God's kingdom first? (Matt 6:33) Are we putting His purposes first before seeking out provision?  God will make sure our needs are met when we put His kingdom first.  God has all the answers we need for our business, our ministry, our relationships, our finances, and our personal lives.

Today, avoid "selling out" in your calling by putting Him first.  We will experience so much peace and life by keeping Him at the center of our lives, fulfilling the purpose He gave us to do.

The Religious Spirit and Our Calling

"What sorrow awaits you experts in religious law! For you remove the key to knowledge from the people. You don't enter the Kingdom yourselves, and you prevent others from entering." -Luke 11:52

Jesus was very popular among the religious leaders of his day.  However, it was not a positive popularity.  The Pharisees, because their power was threatened by Jesus, were the ones who plotted to kill Him.  The scripture says they hated him - they wanted nothing more than to put him away.  But it was the people who stalled the process of Jesus' crucifixion, because many believed He was the Messiah.

This gives us a weighty example about the truth of the religious spirit - it seeks to destroy true works of God in us, and it seeks to destroy our destiny. It reinforces the lie that we are required to perform religious rituals or duties in order to gain acceptance by God.

A man my dad knows owns a film studio in Hollywood.  He said for 30 years he felt ostracized in Hollywood - he was a black sheep to the church because he worked in Hollywood, and he was also outcast by the Jewish film producers in the area because he was a Christian. 

But the fact of the matter was, he was right where God wanted him to be.  When my dad met him and told him he had one of the greatest opportunities to make uplifting films that could change culture and draw people to hunger after Jesus, he said, "Boy, I wish I had known you 25 years ago." He had finally felt affirmed in his destiny.

Can you see any places where the religious spirit has operated in your life, living out rules and regulations in exchange for relationship and destiny?  Pray that God will redeem any areas where this has caused hurt, and that God would reveal His ultimate destiny for you, redeeming and restoring it for His ultimate glory.

“RELIGION: I obey; therefore, I am accepted. // GOSPEL: I am accepted; therefore, I obey.” - Caterina Santoro

Portals of Heaven

"But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative - that is, the Holy Spirit- he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. I am leaving you with a gift - peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”"-John 14:26&27

 

For too long, there have been too many inaccurate representations of God.  These representations would lead people to believe that God is judgmental, cold, unloving, and uncaring.  This has brought division in the body of Christ, and most of all, kept people away from the truth of God’s nature.  

I believe it is time for His true representatives who have His nature within them to stand up for the truth of God’s character, reflecting His nature throughout the earth.  In order for people to really know who God is and be able to choose the real Him, they need an accurate representation of who He really is.

The Bible says that we as Christians are to be His representatives, reflecting Him throughout the earth.  When we utilize our gifts, He is glorified.  We shouldn’t just be sitting in a pew on the sidelines - we should be out in the world, using the gifts He gave us to bring heaven’s culture to earth! 

But, in order for us to do that, we need a true revelation of God.  We need a true revelation of His creativity, His character, His grace, and most of all, His love.

What should this culture of heaven look like?  Well, we know that God is love, (1 John 4:8) God is creative, (Gen 1) and He is unlimited (Ephesians 3:16).  We know that the “fruit” of God in our lives is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal 5:22 & 23). So that must mean heaven is a pretty awesome place!  

“You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!” -John 14:13

Are you bringing God’s kingdom to earth through your gifts and talents?  I pray that each of us can use what God has given us, so that we can bring glory to our Father in heaven. 

Why Judgement?

 

“I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty.”  -Exodus 34:7

All throughout the Old Testament it seems like the Israelites are getting judged.  They are good for a while, then they get a bad king, and he leads them into idol worship.  Then God sends a prophet to judge and save the nation and they get cleaned up again and worship God.  Then they get a bad king and they start all over.  It’s like being on a roller coaster ride!

I used to think that God was angry and judgmental.  I couldn’t relate to Him because I thought He was sitting on His throne, furrow-browed and uncaring, judging the world of their sin.  I certainly didn’t measure up.  Finally, I had a REVELATION of Him and His love...

But recently, I had a revelation of judgement.  It may sound strange, but I finally understood why God judged people back in the Old Testament. 

God was angry with the people when they worshipped idols.  Why?  Why couldn’t the people just do what they wanted?  When idol worship was happening, sin was rampant.  There was MUCH more crime, abuse, corruption, greed, sexual promiscuity, orgies, and all sorts of craziness happening when a bad king who worshipped idols was in power.  (Habakkuk 2:15) Because God created people, He knew that the best thing for us was to place Him on the throne of our lives, worshipping and loving Him.  His heart broke when the people didn’t do what He said, not because of the mere fact that they disobeyed Him, but because of everything it entailed.  Most of all, it was because they were separated from Him and His love.

God could not let sin go un-judged, because that would mean the injustice the people did to one another meant nothing. Because God is a God of love and justice, He cares when we get hurt. So, He has to step in and set boundaries so we won’t continue to get hurt, continue to hurt ourselves, or continue to hurt others. Most of all, He needed them to know that He was their God, and by following and serving Him, they would experience long life, blessing, and God’s presence and love with them. God's judgement was because of His love.

Now, because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we are living in a season of grace.  But, we can choose whether or not we want to live within God’s protection, experience His healing, and live in eternity with Him.  Will you decide to live under His protection, so that His blessings can forever follow you?  (Ps 23:6)

Love with No Agenda

"For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" -Galatians 5:14

 

How can we best share the gospel with others? There is an art to doing it, for sure. I remember trying to share Jesus with a friend of mine when I was young, and she asked me why she should believe in Jesus. I pleadingly replied, "So you don't go to hell!" 

Thankfully, there is a much better way to let people know about Jesus' love for them.

Leif Hetland's main passion is to go to places where they have never heard the name of Jesus - especially in Muslim countries. Since the inception of his ministry, thousands have come to know Jesus all over the world. Leif has this to say about how to be successful sharing Jesus with others: "As soon as love has an agenda, it is no longer love." He's said he's had the greatest success loving people, serving them, and bringing God's kingdom into their lives - without having an agenda. Naturally the leaders they talk to want to know what is different. Healing and miracles are a big part of what they do. 

"Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way." - 1 Corinthians 13:4

 

Where there is no agenda, fear is gone. Will you commit yourself to loving others with no agenda?

Grace vs. Works

“And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.”  -Romans 11:6 NIV

There are often great dichotomies in our journeys in Christ.  There are things that seem as though they are directly contradictory, when in fact a closer examination reveals that they work together in a careful balance. One of these dichotomies is the balance between grace and works.  

In our world, there’s a lot of pressure to be perfect.  We strive and try so hard to do the right thing, to make the most money, to gain the most approval from others, to be the most Christ-like. But in reality, we can never prove ourselves worthy to God.  How did we think we could make ourselves worthy to Him when He already paid the price? 

When we are in ministry-related activities, or even in everyday life, we shouldn’t confuse our faith with works. Works says, “I do this because I need to prove myself worthy.”  Faith says, “I do this because I believe and I love God.” It’s exhausting to believe that we have to “prove” ourselves acceptable to God.  But, at the same time, faith without works is dead.  (James 2:14-17).  This is the same struggle the Protestant reformer Martin Luther experienced.

Resting in God’s arms requires realizing that it’s not about us.  It’s not about how much we serve, how good we look to others, or how much money we make.   It’s about our understanding of who we are in Christ.  It’s trusting, and believing.  It’s the reality that we don’t have to do anything – but we want to.  This is relationship without religion.  

Works are a natural out flowing of true grace.  Once we walk in this grace, we don’t have to feel obligated.  We desire everyone to experience the grace that we do. Are you able to trust & walk in God’s grace?

Sins of Omission vs. Commission

"By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side." -Luke 10: 31&32

We often hear about the 7 deadly sins, or the "thou shalt not" mantra of the 10 commandments. All of these things are essential to understand the difference between right and wrong, and avoid doing wrong. But even if we don't do any of those 7 deadly sins the Bible talks about and we become "good people," if we're not living by the law of love, we've sadly missed the point.

One day a religious leader asked Jesus what he needed to do to earn eternal life. Jesus, as was His habit, responded with a question: "What does the law of Moses say?" to which the leader replied, "'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.' And, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 'Right!' Jesus told him. 'Do this and you will live!'" (v. 28)

Then, the leader asked Jesus who his neighbor was. To which, Jesus responded with the story of the Good Samaritan.

The priest and the temple assistant who walked by the beat up man on the road didn't sin blatantly. They didn't sleep with another man's wife, tell a lie, or steal from someone - they just didn't do anything at all. But herein lies the greatest danger: what happens to our culture, our widows, our orphans, our co-workers, our families, or our neighbors if we walk by and do nothing? The sin both the priest and the temple assistant committed was a sin of omission.

When we don't speak a word of encouragement to someone who needs it, we allow a void to be present that could have been filled with God's love and light. When we don't tell our spouse or our kids "I love you," and show them that we do, we are allowing the enemy to creep in by means of our vacancy.

When we don't step into leadership and we allow a vacuum, we do the world as much damage as if we had done something to harm it.

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." -Edmund Burke

Let us not be found to commit many sins of omission, and may we each have the grace to be able to fill in the gap.

Seasons of Grace

 

(c) Roberta Murray

"Although I am less than the least of all the Lord's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things." -Ephesians 3:8&9

 

Have you ever felt God's grace in your life? Conversely, have you ever felt when God's grace is not quite present with you? I know there are certain places I am not supposed to be, and things I am not supposed to do - partly because I do not feel God's grace on those activities! But in other surprising areas I do feel His grace... and am able to move in them freely. 

Grace is the unmerited favor of God. It is by grace and through faith we are saved. (Ephesians 2:8) But after our salvation, God gives us grace to do the things He has called us to. However, we shouldn't use grace to do what we want. (Romans 6:1) Rather, we use grace to help us do what He wants. (1 Cor 15:10) 

In life, we might've noticed when grace has seemed to "run out" at a job or at something we knew we were initially supposed to do. Although God's grace never runs out for us to turn to Him or serve Him, we realize as we walk more and more with Him that He anoints us to do different things, during different seasons. When the season ends, we need to be sensitive and obedient to move to the next place. Otherwise, we will find ourselves stifled and dry, wondering why we feel frustrated. 

"Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms." -1 Peter 4:10

 

As Moses and the Israelites followed the cloud around in the wilderness, they learned trust, and how to walk in step with God. Are you walking in step with God's grace? Let us pray for God's grace, so that His grace and anointing will be with us during every season.

Begin Again

"But though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity." -Proverbs 24:16

 

Have people ever let you down? If you're dealing with human beings, in ministry or in business, or anywhere for that matter, it's likely they will! 

But what do we do when people mess up? Do we tell them there's no hope, that God is angry with them, or do we tell them that God is a God of second chances, waiting with open arms for us to run back to Him when we repent? The second picture is the more accurate one. 

Peter was in the garden with Jesus. Jesus told him he would deny him three times before the rooster crowed. Peter didn't believe he would do it. 'I will never deny you,' he said. And yet, when he was asked by Roman soldiers if he knew Jesus, he denied it three times.(John 18:27) But even after all of that Jesus still said to him, 'You are Simon Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church." (Matthew 16:18) 

As Christians, we need to realize that God is cheering us on. He loves it when we lead a life that's pleasing to Him. And He knows it can be difficult sometimes. We need to believe in others like He believes in us. People WILL let us down, there is no doubt about it. But there is always hope in God, He is the hope of the world! We need to place our faith and trust for the outcome of their lives in His hands, and learn to see them as He sees them. 

If you're like a lot of people, YOU have let you down. But we need to learn to dust ourselves off and get back up, and try again. The Bible says the righteous fall 7 times, but they get back up. Are you getting up from whatever it is you're encountering, or are you staying on the ground? We can't let ourselves or others fall into the trap that there is no grace, no hope. As long as we're alive we have the ability to turn things around. 

Is there someone you need to forgive and believe in again? Do you need to forgive yourself? May we all receive the grace necessary for our journeys, and give it to others who need someone to believe in them. If the church doesn't believe in people, who will?

Make It Right

"...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23 

Have you ever done something you've regretted? Have you ever said something, and wished you could have captured your words before they entered the atmosphere? We've all done things we're not proud of. Regret is a part of being human. 

When we do things we regret, what should we do? How do we make things right? We can apologize, we can be sorry, we can go above and beyond the call of duty to try and "pay-back" the people we've wronged. But in the end, what's said has been said, what's done has been done, and there is no way to erase the damage it may have caused.
When we do things we regret, there is no possible way to make it right. No way, that is, apart from God. 

God can turn circumstances into good. He can erase them like they never happened.
I am continually amazed by the grace of God. He gives so much grace, it covers every sin, every bad thing said, and every regret we've ever had. Anything I try to do by myself is stifled by the message of trusting God for the outcome, no matter what my wrong has been. Sometimes our wrongs separate us from others. Sometimes they may have painful consequences. But we can trust our God to make whatever it is right and to make our hearts clean again. 

What needs to be made right in your life? Are there circumstances, events, or situations you've regretted? Turn to God and ask him for forgiveness. And then trust him for the outcome. He is more than able to right any wrong.

Forgiveness

"Forgive people when they do wrong things to you. If you forgive them, your Father in heaven will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive them, your Father will not forgive you." -Matthew 6:14-15

 

Forgiveness can be so hard sometimes. Someone you think should know better, someone you thought you could trust, someone you depended on who let you down - abuse, mistreatment, betrayal - we will all experience hurts, disappointments, and frustrations in life.

Although we may know better, sometimes it feels better in the moment to hold on. Parents, teachers, peers, friends, neighbors, bosses, companies, churches, government officials, ourselves, God - the list could go on and on. "It serves them right," we say. The immediate gratification of making our feelings known or acting upon them seems like the right thing to do... in the moment. 

However, in that split second, we forget how detrimental unforgivness can be. Harboring unforgiveness can result in diseases in our bodies, fear, anxiety, anger, and troubled or estranged relationships. When we feel we cannot forgive, the person it hurts the most is us. This is where we need God's intervention and healing. We need to make forgiveness a priority and realize that it is ALWAYS better to forgive - to let God take it, and let God be God. Forgiveness frees our minds, gives us peace, and brings us closer to God's purposes for our lives.

I went to a training one time that taught the participants to practice "pre-forgiveness," the act of forgiving someone before they do anything - deciding that no matter what they have done in the past, could do now, or will do in the future, we have chosen to forgive. 

"Then Peter came to Jesus. 'Lord, if my brother keeps on hurting me, how many times should I forgive him?' he asked. 'Should I forgive him seven times?' 'No, not just seven times, but forgive him seventy times seven times', Jesus said." -Matthew 18:21&22

 

Is there anyone you need to forgive today? Is there an issue in your heart that feels unresolved? Resolve yourself to forgiveness. Let us be pure in mind and in spirit so that God will "find nothing in us" (2 Peter 2:2) that the enemy could use to deter us from God's purpose for us.

Bumper People

"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." -James 5:16

What is a "bumper person"? Ford Taylor, in his Transformational Leadership training describes a "bumper person" as someone we trust who can bump us back into place when we start getting out of alignment with God's call on our lives.
 
There are many great people who started out running their race well, but fell out of favor with God due to the enemy's deception in their lives. When we get into things we feel ashamed of, the last thing we want to tell someone - we think they might judge us.
 
But, when any sin is brought into the light, it loses its power. Therefore we need to develop relationships with people we can trust so we won't be caught in anything outside of God's plan. If you are a leader, often it is even more difficult to do this - it is lonely at the top. But, the reality is, we can't do this life on our own, no matter who we are.
 
What are some good qualifiers for bumper people?

1. Friends that are trustworthy
2. People that you trust enough to tell them when you are moving away from God's design, or give them permission to speak into your life

"The righteous chose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray." -Proverbs 12:26
 
I have about 4-5 close friends who I consider to be my bumper people. They can help set you straight when life gets tough! No one has 360 degree vision, so we need different perspectives to see a situation more clearly.
 

Do you have bumper people in your life? If you don't, pray that God would send people into your life who could be that for you, and you for them.


Overlooking Offense

"A person's wisdom yields patience; it is to one's glory to overlook an offense." -Proverbs 19:11
 
Has anybody ever made you mad? Like seething, fuming angry? Or has anyone done something to you or someone else that has hurt you? We all have to deal with offenses - we are human! It's been said before about churches, "You need to be a Christian to survive in church." We all have faults and scars. If we didn't we wouldn't be human! The fact of the matter is, we are all not immune to hurting someone else. But, how do we overlook offense that caused us hurt or harm?

I received some good advice from a relationship course I was taking: "The relationship is ALWAYS more important than the issue at hand." With established relationships, we need to keep in mind that when we're in the heat of the moment, we can tend to forget that the person causing us frustration or hurt is someone we really do care about. The relationship is more important than the disagreement.

God knows this, too. He overlooks so many of our offenses - He loves us much more than the offense we cause. Although He is completely righteous, He loves us more than righteousness. Otherwise, we would not be alive! His grace and atonement are what keep the salvation of mankind alive.

Although we need to set boundaries and confront the situation to deal with situations that may cause us further harm (See Matt 18:15), sometimes the best prescription is grace. The person may not be in a mental state to see what they are doing. Sometimes the person doesn't have the emotional or spiritual maturity yet to see what they are doing that's wrong or hurtful. Sometimes we may imply motive behind their behavior without truly knowing the cause.  This doesn't mean boundaries are not in order. Perhaps, by the Holy Spirit's leading, we can talk to them about what was done and how it could have been handled differently. But, "it is our glory to overlook the offense." (Proverbs 19:11)

God gives us grace for our mistakes. Are you able to overlook an offense?

Second Chances

“But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.’ Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”  -James 4:6 & 7

Some days I wish I could start my life all over.  I feel like I have fallen short.  Other days I am immensely grateful for all I’ve been given, the grace & healing that God has given me, and all of His second chances. 

When we trust God for our lives and repent for our mistakes, He gives us second chances.  This is what I take from the life of David.  Even though David made many mistakes, even adultery and murder, God still gave him a second chance. God gave David grace because he had a repentant heart.  He was a "simple fool."

The Bible talks about the difference between the wise and the foolish.  “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” (Proverbs 9:10) A simple fool is someone who is able to change direction, apologize and repent for his or her actions.  A hardened fool is someone who makes poor decisions but for whatever reason does not repent. (Ps 53:1)

Saul was an example of a hardened fool.  Although he was given several warnings, he decided to go his own way.  (1 Samuel 15:11) Because he decided not to turn back to God, he became a hardened fool.  

Aren’t you grateful that God gives us second chances when our hearts are soft toward Him? Take that chance and make something of it today.

A New Heart

"And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations." Ezekiel 36:24-28

You know, when we begin to think about the New Year, there is a lot of talk about New Year’s Resolutions.  In 2007, Richard Wisemen from the University of Bristol did a survey of 3000 people to see how many actually fulfilled their New Year’s resolutions.  According to his findings, a staggering 88% of people do not fulfill their New Year’s resolutions.  What does that say about us?  I think it says that only 12% of us keep our promises to ourselves!

Right before the time of Jesus, Israel had been stuck in a cycle of idol worship. The prophet Ezekiel prophesied that the people of Israel would become brand new: “I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you.”  Ezekiel prophesied the transforming power that Jesus would have in their lives.

Today, this hasn’t changed.  Jesus is changing lives & hearts all over the world, in every nation, in every kind of community!

Have you ever wanted a new heart, or a fresh start? If you want an authentic change in your life, and a new heart, why not ask Him to give you that today, even if you’ve already asked Him into your heart.  God is in the business of giving away new beginnings, because of His son Jesus who died, so that we might be live completely free and unfettered by our past.

Forgetting the Former Things

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.  See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.  Is 43:18-20

Are there things from your past that you keep going back to?  Old mistakes, past regrets, personal failures, or things that you still feel guilt over? Are there things that you need to “forget” or stop dwelling on in your life?

In the Old Testament, when the Israelites were far away from God, rebelling and worshipping other gods, the prophet Isaiah was one of the prophets to call them into account. But, even though the Israelites had done horrible things, (even sacrificing their children to idols! Ezekiel 16:20), God was willing to give them another chance. 

“‘Come now, let’s settle this,’ says the Lord. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow.  Though they are red like crimson,  I will make them as white as wool.’” - Isaiah 1:18

Sometimes we are unable to fully move forward in life because we are continually looking behind us.  Mistakes, regrets, and avoidable circumstances may continue to plague us even after we’ve asked forgiveness and laid it to rest - even against ourselves! But the fact of the matter is, when the past is behind us, and we’ve been forgiven, it really is no more.   Satan wants our past and present to be our future. But God always sees us for who we are becoming.

Are you ready to receive God’s forgiveness, and decide to let go of the “former things”? Pray and ask God to give you the strength and grace to leave the past behind you.  

Fill It With Him

"But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever. Spread your protection over them, that all who love your name may be filled with joy." Ps 5:11

Sometimes things happen in our lives that leave a void.  The death of a loved one, divorce, an estranged child or parent, the loss of a job, a move, or changing friendships can all leave voids in our lives.  Yes, it is okay to grieve, and we should go through the grieving process. But what then?  What can we do about the emptiness we may feel inside?  How can we cope with these losses?

The Bible reminds us, "The LORD is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving." Ps 28:7

"But may all who search for you be filled with joy and gladness in you. May those who love your salvation repeatedly shout, 'The LORD is great!'"  Ps 40:16

"Those who have been ransomed by the LORD will return. They will enter Jerusalem singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Sorrow and mourning will disappear, and they will be filled with joy and gladness." Is 35:10 & Is 51:11

When we feel something has been taken from us, we need more than ever to go before the throne of grace.  It is by going before God that He can fill us with His presence and fill the void that we feel in our lives.  The good news is, even if our loss was great, He can fill us with his presence and joy far greater than the void - to overflowing!  "I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit." -Romans 15:13

Is there something missing in your life?  Fill it with God’s presence.  His Presence, joy, and peace are the best replacements for any void we may find in our lives.