Category Archives: Wisdom & Guidance

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December 1, 2014

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Bible Stories, Challenges & Difficulty, God's Plan, Patience & Perseverance, Trusting God, Wisdom & Guidance

ON A MISSION FROM GOD

Then Moses went back to the Lord and protested, “Why have you brought all this trouble on your own people, Lord? Why did you send me? Ever since I came to Pharaoh as your spokesman, he has been even more brutal to your people. And you have done nothing to rescue them!” [Exodus 5:22-23 (NLT)]

Sunday mornings, I take photographs for our church’s website. Last week, due to a cranky computer, only a handful of over 100 photos got edited, the day’s pics temporarily went AWOL, and my three editing programs eventually stopped working. In frustration, after hours of unsuccessful work, I gave up and tried to upload the few photos I’d managed to edit. That’s when I discovered my computer was on strike; there would be no uploading of anything from it! Panic set in and I resorted to what I usually do in such a situation: cry and complain.

Like Moses, I complained to God. If He wanted me to do this job, why was it so difficult? I then did what I should have done at first: asked for God’s blessing and guidance. “Lord, bless my work. If it’s your work as well, show me what I need to do to accomplish it.” After praying, it occurred to me that I didn’t have the only computer in the house! Duh! In fact, not only was my husband’s computer available, but I’d also installed a photo editing program on it several years ago. Using his laptop and my flash drive, I finished the editing in record time and uploaded all of the photos.

Moses was given a mission from God: get Pharaoh to free the Israelites and lead them to the Promised Land. Things weren’t going well; in fact, the situation had only gotten worse and Moses complained to God. After all, if we’re on a mission from God, shouldn’t it be trouble-free? Reading his complaint, I imagined what God was thinking. “Moses, you think this is tough? Just wait until you have Pharaoh’s army chase you into the sea, or you’ve had to provide food and water for over 600,000 men and their families, or listened to forty years of complaints before your task is done! Toughen up, big guy; you’ll encounter greater problems down the road. Trust me; I’ll never let you down. Don’t give up; you’re learning some valuable lessons that will help you in the future!”

Although God gives us tasks, He doesn’t promise they’ll be easy. It’s difficult to reconcile our problems with God’s assignments. As we struggle to achieve His work, however, we learn to depend on God and not ourselves. There’s nothing like a few obstacles to humble a prideful attitude. As He guides us through our difficulties and challenges, we become smarter, stronger and more determined. Moses’s early challenges prepared him for the trials of leading over half a million people as they walked forty years in the wilderness. Mine taught me about prayer, trust, perseverance, and backing up valuable computer files.

By the way, the next morning, my computer woke up in a far better mood. I had to do some minor clean up, delete some old files and back up others, but it is running smoothly again! Coincidence? I think not: more like a lesson from above.

“They’re not gonna catch us. We’re on a mission from God.” [Elwood to Jake in “The Blues Brothers”]

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. [James 1:2-4 (NLT)]

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November 24, 2014

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Attitudes & Behavior, Family, Friends & Fellowship, God's Plan, Prayer, Trusting God, Wisdom & Guidance

LET THEM SOAR

For he issued his laws to Jacob; he gave his instructions to Israel. He commanded our ancestors to teach them to their children, so the next generation might know them—even the children not yet born—and they in turn will teach their own children. So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands. [Psalm 78:5-7 (NLT)]P1060145-cropWEB

A friend recently confided her mixed feelings about her son’s future plans. The good news: not only has he been accepted at the graduate school of his choice, but he also has secured the necessary funding. The bad news: it’s in New Zealand, far away from Florida and the safety of home. Her words reminded me of nearly twenty years ago when my daughter finished her schooling and completed her dietetic internship. She’d been offered two jobs: one in New Mexico, where she knew no one and had never been, and one less than an hour from our suburban Illinois home. With only twenty-four hours to deliberate before she had to make her decision, there were several frantic phone calls that night. As I spoke with my daughter, my mama’s heart was breaking. I didn’t want my baby to leave the nest, but God strengthened my heart and put wise words in my mouth. We spoke of my daughter’s internship experiences; I reminded her of the comments she’d made after her stint in the outpatient clinic: “This is what I want to do!” The New Mexico offer was in their outpatient clinic; the Illinois offer was vague and less promising. It was clear that the better job was in New Mexico, but that meant moving, leaving the comfort of friends and family, and the great unknown! When my daughter expressed concerns about the ability to move and be in New Mexico less than a week after graduation, I reassured her that her father and I could make it happen. I told her to pray about her decision, reminding her that this choice shouldn’t be determined by convenience, but by her calling and God’s guidance. We hung up and, I’m ashamed to say, I didn’t want her to make what I believed to be the right choice. I wanted her to stay near family and friends; I wanted her safe in our circle. It was with a reluctant heart that I prayed: “God, let her make the right choice, not the choice I want. Give me a happy heart no matter what her decision.”

Within three weeks’ time, my daughter had moved to Albuquerque and was busy in her new job. Was it the right choice? Because of government cutbacks, the Illinois job position was eliminated within six months. Her move to Albuquerque led her to a wonderful man, a deeper faith, a beautiful daughter, new friends, several sisters in Christ, and an even better and more rewarding career. Thank you, God, for taking her under your wings!

No matter how old our children, we never want to let them go; but let them go we must. If we have taught them well, our part is done. Parenthood is a job that is supposed to become obsolete. Once we’ve taught our children to fly, we should praise God when we see them spread their wings and soar. There are many children who, because of disabilities, will never be able to fly away; we should be thankful when ours can! Of course, that doesn’t mean we don’t continue to love and even on occasion, worry about them. We call them, probably more than we should, and pray about them, probably less than we should.

Father in heaven, give us happy hearts when our children leave our homes. Teach them, guard them, lead them and lift them so they may soar!

The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. [Isaiah 40:28b-31 (NLT)]

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November 21, 2014

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God's Word: The Bible, Knowing Him, Trusting God, Wisdom & Guidance

NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH

“Teacher,” they said, “we know that you speak and teach what is right and are not influenced by what others think. You teach the way of God truthfully. [Luke 20:21 (NLT)]

I’ve had a busy week of hearing from a variety of authorities. “In my expert opinion,” said the physician. “It’s my understanding,” opined the lawyer. “From past experience,” offered the political science professor. All of their statements allowed for some wiggle room, different interpretations, or alternative conclusions. Did I hear the truth or only their version of the truth? Jesus never guessed, or assumed, and certainly never presumed; He knew! Let’s remember that Jesus didn’t offer an approximation, a guesstimate or an opinion; he offered the truth—the whole truth and nothing but the truth, because he was the truth!

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. [John 14:6 (NLT)]

Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. [Ephesians 4:21-24 (NLT)]

 

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November 17, 2014

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Holy Spirit, Trusting God, Wisdom & Guidance

FITTING THE PIECES TOGETHER

The heart is hopelessly dark and deceitful, a puzzle that no one can figure out. But I, God, search the heart and examine the mind. I get to the heart of the human. I get to the root of things. I treat them as they really are, not as they pretend to be. [Jeremiah 17:9-10 (MSG)]

At times, life is a bit like a jigsaw puzzle. It gets muddled and disconnected; nothing seems to fit together and we can’t see the whole picture. Puzzle pieces will never fit together if they are the wrong shape and size. Have some parts of our lives become so important that other elements have been crowded out? Or, have certain areas of our lives been neglected and become too small, leaving an empty place in our hearts? Moreover, if pieces are missing, no matter how hard we try, the puzzle simply won’t be complete; we’ll never feel fulfilled. Have areas of our lives been lost or forgotten? Today, let’s look at our own personal puzzles and analyze how the parts of our lives fit together.

Father, fill us with your Holy Spirit so that we can make sense of the confusion of our busy lives. Help us examine our priorities. Show us what parts of our lives are out of proportion and help us find any that have been misplaced. Let us never forget the most important and largest pieces: You, prayer, and faith.

When we can’t piece together the puzzle of our own lives, remember the best view of a puzzle is from above. Let Him help put you together. [Terri Guillemets]

What happened was this: People knew God perfectly well, but when they didn’t treat him like God, refusing to worship him, they trivialized themselves into silliness and confusion so that there was neither sense nor direction left in their lives. They pretended to know it all, but were illiterate regarding life. They traded the glory of God who holds the whole world in his hands for cheap figurines you can buy at any roadside stand. [Romans 1:21-23 (MSG)]

 

 

 

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November 12, 2014

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Church & Worship, God's Word: The Bible, Knowing Him, Temptation & Sin, Wisdom & Guidance

THE FRAUD

If anyone tries to flag you down, calling out, ‘Here’s the Messiah!’ or points, ‘There he is!’ don’t fall for it. Fake Messiahs and lying preachers are going to pop up everywhere. Their impressive credentials and dazzling performances will pull the wool over the eyes of even those who ought to know better. So watch out. I’ve given you fair warning. [Mark 13:21-23 (MSG)]

Last spring, thrilled to see a beautiful goldfinch gracefully perched on a decorative bird feeder, I turned on my camera and moved closer. Surprised that the bird remained so still, I knew why it didn’t fly away once I’d focused in on it; it was a fake! I’d been fooled briefly but recognized the bird for what is was, a fraud, and quickly walked away. Yesterday, I walked by the same house and noticed that the summer storms had knocked the feeder on its side and the once bright yellow bird is now faded and covered with mold.

My experience with the phony bird reminds me of the Biblical warnings about false prophets. Like the fake goldfinch, they, too, can be appealing and look quite authentic. When browsing through a bookstore or channel surfing the TV, it’s easy to come across today’s false prophets. Their messages are often about self, not selflessness; being spiritual, not the Holy Spirit; and wealth in this world instead of riches in the next. They may refer to Jesus as a good man instead of Jesus being God as man or speak of Him as a prophet instead of the fulfillment of prophecies. There may be just enough truth in their ideas to make them appear believable and correct. Before accepting anything, we need to examine their message closely to see if it breathes of God’s word. Beware of false prophets and their messages; they may look good at first glance. Like the fake bird, however, they won’t hold up to the test of time. Storms will batter them, the bright light of day will fade them, and they’ll eventually decay and rot.

Frauds! Isaiah’s prophecy of you hit the bull’s-eye: These people make a big show of saying the right thing, but their heart isn’t in it. They act like they’re worshiping me, but they don’t mean it. They just use me as a cover for teaching whatever suits their fancy. [Matthew 15:7-9 (MSG)]

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October 6, 2014

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Faith & Hope, God's Promises, Sorrow, Grief & Regrets, Wisdom & Guidance

SWORDS INTO PLOWSHARES

DSC09563WEBAnd while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother, Abel, and killed him. [Genesis 4:8b (NLT)]

I do not know with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones. [Albert Einstein]

I recently visited the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History. While I enjoyed learning about the past, present, and future of nuclear science, I left the museum deeply saddened. No nuclear science presentation would have been complete without exhibits about the politics of World War II, the devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Cold War, and various weapons of destruction; it was these exhibits that so troubled my heart. We live in a fallen world and man’s capacity for horror boggles my mind. I read the stories, saw the pictures and viewed the weaponry; I thought of the billions of dollars and hours of brain power that went into finding ways to kill one another and was horrified. Since the beginning of time, we’ve tried to solve our differences with bloodshed. When will we ever learn? God, help us!

Eternal God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn but the sword of righteousness, no strength known but the strength of love; so mightily spread abroad your Spirit that all peoples may be gathered under the banner of the Prince of Peace, a children of one Father; to whom be dominion and glory, now and forever. Amen [Book of Common Prayer]

The Lord will mediate between peoples and will settle disputes between strong nations far away. They will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer fight against nation, nor train for war anymore. Everyone will live in peace and prosperity, enjoying their own grapevines and fig trees, for there will be nothing to fear. The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has made this promise! [Micah 4:3-4 (NLT)]