Author Archives: famtree2014

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

February 28, 2014

Posted under

Holy Spirit, Temptation & Sin

I’m Not Afraid

Don’t let me do what I know is wrong. Don’t let sin control me. If you help me, I can be pure and free from sin. [Psalm 19:13 (ERV)]

I remember an old (1980) movie called “My Bodyguard.” In it, a nerdy high-school kid, who is being harassed by the school bully, hires a fellow classmate, a husky loner, to be his bodyguard. Eventually the two become friends. We probably don’t need a bodyguard, but we all could benefit from a “soul guard”. God provided one: the Holy Spirit! So let’s make friends with Him.

I’m not afraid of the devil. The devil can handle me – he’s got judo I never heard of. But he can’t handle the One to whom I’m joined; he can’t handle the One to whom I’m united; he can’t handle the One whose nature dwells in my nature. [A. W. Tozer]

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

February 27, 2014

Posted under

Money & Wealth, Today: Make it Count, Wisdom & Guidance

What Will We Leave?

tombstonesHuman life is as short-lived as grass. It blossoms like a flower in the field. When the wind blows over the flower, it disappears, and there is no longer any sign of it. [Psalm 103:15-16 (GW)]

In reality, all a tombstone marks is a somewhat useless piece of real estate. What will we really leave behind when our days here end? What gift will we bequeath to the living? Lord, help us remember that what really matters won’t be how well we were liked but how much we loved. The number of people we knew won’t be as important as the number of people to whom we offered friendship. The amount of money we had won’t be of consequence, but how much we gave will. The extent of our knowledge will be forgotten, but what we taught will be remembered. What we owned will be of no significance, but how well we shared it will. Our memories will be gone, but others’ memories of us will remain. Guide us, O Lord, in our remaining days.

Epitaph, tombstone inscription in Shrewsbury, England

“For the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake,
Do all the good you can,
To all the people you can,
In all the ways you can,
As long as ever you can.”

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

February 26, 2014

Posted under

Attitudes & Behavior, Family, Friends & Fellowship, Love & Works

Are We Ready, Willing and Able?

Father, guide us so that we are truly able to celebrate the success of others, even when our lives aren’t going smoothly. Help us to show empathy and concern when there are people who need our compassion and understanding, even when we would prefer having a sympathetic ear for our own problems. May we always be willing to listen (and respond) with love.

When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. [Romans 12:13a (NLT)]

 

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

February 25, 2014

Posted under

Attitudes & Behavior, God's Plan

Don’t Make Him Get Out the Big Guns

donkeyI know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted. [Job 42:2 (NIV)]

God has a plan for us and He can be relentless in trying to get us to follow it. Unfortunately, much of the time, like stubborn mules, we are obstinate and ignore His guidance. As steadfast as He is, God will do whatever it takes to get our attention. It may be a simple heavenly nudge or a tap on the shoulder. If we continue to ignore Him, however, He may find it necessary to get our attention with a whack from a mallet or even a sledge hammer. Let’s not be so stubborn that the Lord needs to get out the heavenly jack hammer or bull dozer before we follow His plan!

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you. [Psalm 32:8-9 (NIV)]

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

February 24, 2014

Posted under

God's Promises, Trusting God

He Can’t Lie!

God is not like people. He tells no lies. He is not like humans. He doesn’t change his mind. When he says something, he does it. When he makes a promise, he keeps it. [Numbers 23:19 (GW)]

We seem to be bombarded with untruths and misinformation on all fronts. We’ve been told that we can keep our insurance, the athlete never took any drugs, the president didn’t have sexual relations, and there will be no new taxes. There are also the little lies we encounter every day: the medical test won’t hurt, it was on sale, the check’s in the mail, and the unidentifiable casserole is delicious. Because of the lies we hear and tell, we have become skeptical and cynical when promises are made. How reassuring to know that changing and lying are the two things that we do that our omnipotent God can’t (or won’t). While God can do all things, His very character keeps him from being able to lie or break a promise. Thank you, O Lord, for the truth of your message of love and redemption.

In addition, the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind, because he is not a mortal who changes his mind. [1 Samuel 15:29 (GW)]

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

February 22, 2014

Posted under

God's Promises

Who Is God?

God said to Moses: I am the eternal God. So tell them that the Lord, whose name is “I Am,” has sent you. This is my name forever, and it is the name that people must use from now on. [Exodus 3:14-15 (CEV)]

God was and always has been. He is and forever will be. There is no beginning and no end to him. He is Yahweh: the great I AM. How can our small minds possibly comprehend the enormity of God? Our understanding is limited by our vocabulary and there are no words sufficient to describe Him. Oh, Lord, help us to understand.

I am God. I am who I am. … I am what some would say ‘holy, and wholly other than you.’ The problem is that many folks try to grasp some sense of who I am by taking the best version of themselves, projecting that to the nth degree, factoring in all the goodness they can perceive, which often isn’t much, and then calling that God. And while it may seem like a noble effort, the truth is that it falls pitifully short of who I really am. I’m not merely the best version of you that you can think of. I am far more than that, above and beyond all that you can ask or think. [From “The Shack” by Wm. Paul Young]