Contractors

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:20‭-‬21 NIV

If you're like me you tend to focus on the first part of this verse. We all love that part about how God can do way more than we ask or even imagine because we can imagine quite a bit. But we forgo reading the next part: according to His power at work in us. Woah. Stop the presses.

If what God does is dependent on his work in us then we must open our hearts and let him do his work.  What happens of we are ineffective, unwilling to yield? His power, although not diminished, would not be at work in us. I can hire the best contractor in the world to remodel my house, but he's not going to be able to complete the work if I don't do my part and let him in, give him the keys and allow him to work in my home. That's how God works...in us and through us. When we open our hearts and let him in, the sky is the limit with what he can do in our lives.

He doesn't need our home cleaned before he comes in. He just needs us to open the door. He'll do the rest. To him be the power and glory forever. Amen.

Dial Up Internet

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9 NIV

We often confuse patience with slowness. We assume that someone who is patient is always calm therefore is never in a hurry. In a world of instant soup, instant grits, instant buying and instant communication, it's no wonder the concept of patience has been lost and filed away like dial up internet.

And I bet you can think of at least one time in the last year where you thought God was going too slow. You either wanted him to hurry up or you gave up waiting and took things into your own hands.

But did you finish reading the verse? God is patient, putting things on his timetable for why? For all to come to salvation. That's what this whole world is about. God making a companion for himself, that companion committing sin making himself unable to commune with God, and God sending salvation to reclaim his companions...us. God places us where he needs us in that time to make an impact in someone's life to bring them to salvation. Once that is done, we move on.

When we move on without him it causes a shift. God then has to move us back or over to finish his plan. That can be painful. Even though God may put us there he will have a way out. And we will be stronger for it.

So be patient. Sometimes that means being dial up internet. And sometimes it means moving quickly. We must be plugged into God daily so we will hear his directions.

Word

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1 NIV

God is in every word in the Bible. Each word is from the breath of God and ordained to be right where it is and for the purpose given. I just read an article about young mothers trying to find time to read in the middle of life's messes. Yep, that's me, not the young part but in the middle of life's messes part. No matter what stage of life we are in life is busy and messy and utterly impossible some days. I barely have time to sleep and shower much less anything else.

Which is why I'm grateful God takes me as I am. He loves me. He's right here in the middle of it all. And he imparted to me this blog idea to take one verse a day and make it mine, as his way of connecting to me on a busy day. And I love that he loves me enough to meet me where I'm at.

His words mean everything to me. His love and grace resonates with each verse. The reminders of his salvation. The reach of his grace. The gentle nudges away from sin.

Even if it's only one verse, let it sink in. Let it be the word you listen to each day.

Testing

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23‭-‬24 NIV

God isn't impressed with what we say or even what we think we understand. We may think our hearts are in the right place but what do we know? Who knows us better than God?

As a martial arts student I'm fairly confident in my abilities. I also understand what I don't know and what I can or cannot do. It's my job as a student to continue bettering myself. But if I only train with lower ranks, I'll never get better. The way I get better is by testing my skills against those of higher rank or those who have better athletic skills than myself. That's how I get better. It hurts sometimes and my pride is usually injured worse than anything. Our head instructor's job is to test us, push us, help us rid ourselves of bad habits and instill good habits.

And even though it's not always fun, and it hurts sometimes, we should want God to test us, get rid of the bad, get rid of the fear. Let him replace it with light and love and peace.

So let this prayer be yours. God please test our hearts and see to it that there is no wrong way in us. Amen.

Have Courage and be Kind

For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Galatians 5:14 NIV

That's a lot of pressure to put on one commandment. It's also a lot of pressure for a human. In a culture of self loathing, where everyone wants to improve themselves and the focus is all on self, there's not much left for others. But this is so important that this one act is the fulfillment of the law...the entire law! That's a pretty hefty price-tag.

I started a new job today. It's one that other more qualified people applied for. So how come I got the job? I was told it was partly because of my interview. I was confident, assured of myself and what I could bring to the job. The rest? How I had treated people in the past. You see, housing and community services people run in small circles. We all know each other and come back around to working with or for someone from a time back. When my potential employers called for references,  they called mutual people that I had worked with. They all spoke fondly of me, going so far as to say I was quietly competent.

My dad's favorite book other than the Bible was Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People". He quoted it often. But it's a biblical principle that in practice looks a lot like just good old every day kindness.

So you see? It's not that tall an order after all. We all learned it in kindergarten...be nice but be genuine. Have courage and be kind. Treat others as you would yourself. I'm glad my daddy pounded that lesson in. I never want to knowingly hurt someone. I strive to treat others better than I expect. It's repaid in droves each and every day.

Learn it. Live it. Love it. Love others. Love yourself. Because you are loved.

Brain Power

However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” — the things God has prepared for those who love him— 1 Corinthians 2:9 NIV

I love this confirmation of God's omnipotence. Humans use only a fraction of their available brain power. Imagine what we are capable if understanding if given even a piece of understanding of what God knows. We probably couldn't handle it.

When we were little our parents would tell us things in small bits, using simple words or examples we could understand depending on our age. As we grew we could understand more, piecing together what our parents said with what we have learned since. It's our process of filling fleshing out a subject. And for some things it's good we didn't know everything about it when we were little.

That's how God works. He knows what we can handle. Those with the gift of discernment might get a preview of sorts but it's still only bits and pieces. God has the full story. We'll find out later.

I for one am glad that God knows, that God's in control. I'm ok with that.

Give to Receive

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. Malachi 3:10 NIV

This physical example of God's promise to his people teaches a very simple lesson: give and you shall receive. We've heard it our whole lives yet I'm lretty sure we don't really grasp the concept. Except when it happens. But we have to see it and understand it for what it is.

You see I've had the unique privilege of working with the most amazing group of people ever. Hands down...ever. I hand picked all of them in my first job as a supervisor. I was the boss. I had not a clue what I was doing. But as God was preparing me for that job he gave me a word that I wrote down and have kept with me since the start: never expect more from your team than you are willing to give. I had to give in order to receive.  I had to shown was willing to do the work to lead by example. Today as we were celebrating last day before going in to my next adventure, I received much more than I ever gave. Not just the gifts but the love, friendship and mutual respect. I take that all with me as I love forward.

And I hope I have stayed true to that word and have left a little bit of a legacy. I also hope to make my mark at my next job never forgetting what I've learned. I must first give to receive.

God's Audit

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 1 Corinthians 13:1 NIV

For me this past week, this verse could be translated as, "though I speak with tongues of angels but have no documentation I am not in compliance." We survived yet another federal audit at work and it was a success. Not because I talked my way out of anything but because I put passion and actions behind those words. We can talk a big game and make the feds think we have it all under control. But if they come in and look under our pretty polished stones, they might find ants and rust and other such non-delights. Sparkly things don't mean much if there's no substance to them.

So it is with our words. If what we say doesn't match our actions, or if  we have no love in our hearts...no substance...our words are just pretty empty boxes. When you speak, can your words be trusted? Are they spoken in love or distrust? I personally want my words to be sweet music to those I speak to. I want them to want to hear what I have to say. But I have to want to say all things in love. I have a responsibility to be able to back it up with actions.

So would you pass God's audit of your words? If not, rethink your policies and see about making some changes.

Blessed Indeed

“Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered." Romans 4:7 NIV

Blessed indeed. I read an article that said we often use the word "blessed" out of context. In the Bible, blessed is used when talking about the poor, the downtrodden, the persecuted. So when we say we are blessed we may not be using the word as intended.

The Orthodox Jewish Bible uses the word "ashrey" or "happy" instead of blessed. I find this an interesting contrast as we also don't often associate happy with blessed. When we feel blessed, the definition of happy may not apply to what we are feeling. Content maybe, but not happy. Happy assumes exuberance and joy. Joy! Pure unadulterated joy.

Why shouldn't we feel joy? If we are truly forgiven and our sins hidden and forgotten by the blood of Jesus, rejoice! Feel joy! For we truly are blessed, filled with grace and light.  These are the hallmarks of a true forgiven Christian.

So if we want to waste time figuring out which word should be used, fine. But let's be joyful and happy that we are forgiven!

Its Him or Just Me

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Galatians 5:24 NIV

I've been distracted lately. A little tired. A little under the weather. And of course busy. Busy with life. Busy with getting by. Busy looking ahead. Never my mind on where I'm at, what I'm doing. I feel like I need Yoda to help bounce me back to reality. All the things I'm passionate about in this world seem to take hold over everythibg, keeping me from honoring my promise to God that I would write this every day as my way to get closer to Him. I'm a wordsmith so words come easy. At least on paper they do. This is my daily time with God and I've let this world get in the way.

Passions and desires aren't bad. We Christians sometimes view anything that can distract us from God as sin, but it's not that easy. Family, children, obligations...all these things are not bad but can be distracting. What we must do is find a way to get time to ourselves to let God speak with us. This is my time with Him. This is how He speaks to me. And I've missed Him. I hope He's missed me.

Because you see I'm not just this or that.  I'm a child of God. No matter what my day is like, no matter what I've screwed up, He will be there, waiting for me to come curl up in his arms and tell Him all about it. But I can't do that if I let all this get in the way all the time. That's when sin can enter. That's when it takes it's hold and uses you and makes you think you don't need God. Oh but we do. We need Him now more than ever.

I hope these words hold to your heart like they have mine. I've missed my time with Him. I think I'll curl up for a while and just listen to His voice.

Right and Wrong

A person may think their own ways are right, but the Lord weighs the heart. Proverbs 21:2 NIV

Stop the presses! You mean to tell me that all this time as we've been moving and shaking the world, looking like we are so calm, cool and collected, that God knew what we were really up to? Woah. Talk about a wake up call. This changes everything! It means that perception may not be reality after all. It means that we can tout our Christian ways and still be far from God. It means we can give all we want but we better not be doing it only to get attention.

We all want to be right. Wars are started because two leaders each thought they were right and wanted everyone else to believe the same way. People get their feelings hurt when we tell them they're not right in what they say or do. We all want to be right.

But we can't. And it's not about being right. It's about God. It's about our eternal souls. It's about leading others to Christ even if it means saying we were wrong I  our approach. Humility, compassion, kindness and courage are all attributes that are harder to emulate than just asserting that you are right all the time. Have courage and be kind. Seek God in all you do. Then you may not be rivht, but with God you can't go wrong.

Interpretation vs Reality

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 1 John 4:1 NIV

Today I did some research on something I thought I knew. But when I went to find the answer, it wasn't there, at least not like I thought it should be. We'd been operating all this time on something that wasn't true. The flip side is...it isn't wrong either! It was how we interpreted the language. We will need to re-examine our policy to make sure it's tight and backed up by the language.  This is verifying what we have heard or read to make sure it's true.

Interpretation is perception, perception is reality. Ten people can read one verse and come up with twenty different interpretations, applications or meanings. Which is why we must read with discernment and take our questions to the source. Ask God while in prayer to reveal what the verse is saying. Listen to what he says about how his law and instruction should be applied.

There is but one true God. There is but one true word of God. Be prayerful about both.

Love not War

“In your anger do not sin” : Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. Ephesians 4:26‭-‬27 NIV

We all get angry. Even Jesus got angry. God gets angry. The difference between God and us humans is that when we get angry, we look for vengeance and justice. We curse the person who did wrong or who caused destruction or chaos. We tend to bring about vengeance on our own, to right the wrong and make them pay. Or worse, we turn the tables and do to them what they did to us.

What we must remember is that God knows when we've been hurt, when things have gone wrong for us. He knows and is ready to help make it right. We don't need to take justice into our own hands. What we must do is just love through the hurt. Love through the pain. Show grace and compassion through it all. Show God's love. In this then you will not sin but remain steadfast in your faith. And in the process share the power of God's amazing grace.

Me, Myself and You

For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. 2 Corinthians 5:14‭-‬15 NIV

Living for yourself. When you hear that what does it mean? To me it sounds prideful, selfish, and self-serving. We spend an awful lot of time teaching children to be of service to others, to respect each other and be tolerant. Yet when we reach adulthood we tend to forget these lessons. Our world is turned upside down every time someone disagrees with us. We cannot handle someone else being right or getting to the finish line first. This is where the self serving lives.

But Christ died for us all, a selfless act of love, grace and true compassion. He conquered sin and death forever, finishing the fight and the race. We no longer have to worry about getting there first. We are also charged to serve others and not ourselves. We are taken care of by God. We are then servants to continue his work here. It is not for our benefit but for his glory.

So it's not about being first. It's about doing the work God has commissioned us to do. We will all gain our reward in heaven.

What a world it would be if we all put others first.

Strength to Finish

I can do all this through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13 NIV

I just read an article about verses that we frequently misquote. This is one of them. Since every word in the scripture is intentional we need to suss out what this one is speaking to. But I also believe that understanding the context allows you to apply the scripture to our modern, daily lives.

This one was perfect for me yesterday because I have been sick all week. I've been off work thankfully but I still had other obligations,  ones that require extra energy I just don't have. I needed to be reminded that no matter what I'm facing God gives me strength. He knows what daily responsibilities we have. He knows where our energy must be expended. He knows that we want to give it our all because when we do we glorify him.

He will give us the strength to do what we need to do. We need but to ask. He will help us teach that class, do the job, pick up the kids, fix dinner, wash clothes, whatever it is we need to do. He will also help us find the courage to share his word, and stand up for what we believe in a world trying to shush us. This is his promise.

So whether in context or applied to tour life, God's word is real, breathed from the Holy Spirit. Let is speak to you and give you strength.

What Do We Deserve

“I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.” Jeremiah 17:10 NIV

All I could think when I read this verse was, woah. Our outward actions mean nothing of our heart isn't in the right place. God will know if we are giving because we want to or because we are expecting praise in return.

I went to get my hair cut and colored today. I've been going to the same hairdresser for years. She does a good job. She would not have been in business for as long as she has if her heart wasn't in it. She makes a living doing what she likes, her deeds match her heart.

We cannot fool god. He knows our heart and mind. We must examine our own motives and be sure they align forst with God's word and then with God's will for our lives. Don't be the ones who give to be seen. Give because your heart desires it.

Happy Birthday America

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7 NIV

Our founding fathers knew a thing or two about self-discipline. They were anything but timid, acting in full knowledge of what awaited them had they failed. They availed themselves of God's power and authority in setting up our country's founding documents. Where would we be today had they not been empowered to do what they did to ensure the freedom of the new nation?

Being full of the spirit of God we should be bold, acting in the full wisdom and knowledge that God gives us. We cannot fulfill our charge to spread the gospel if we are afraid. We must be bold, daring, but humble, kind and acting in God's steadfast love. For he is where our strength comes from. 

Don't be shy about God's love. What America needs...what the world needs...is bold Christians acting with God's love.

Mere Mortals

Now keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” Hebrews 13:5‭-‬6 NIV

In these two verses God embeds five truths, five lessons...five! I want to focus on the question that is asked. He calls others 'mere mortals'. When I read this all I hear is the announcer at Disney's Haunted Mansion, you know the one who talks to you as you enter the hall. He talks about us being mere mortals.

I like how it's worded in the verse. If God is with me, what can these puny humans do to me? Take my money? God will provide all I need.  Physically hurt me? God is the great physician. Even go so far as to take my life? I will spend eternity with God.

Being content with this knowledge is not hard. Our spirit can be at peace knowing we do not have to be afraid. We will have struggles but nothing compares to what awaits us. Our future is secure.