Category Archives: Wisdom & Guidance

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

June 18, 2014

Posted under

Challenges & Difficulty, Patience & Perseverance, Wisdom & Guidance

WE CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST

2014-6-18 2-crop

In every way we’re troubled, but we aren’t crushed by our trouble. We’re frustrated, but we don’t give up. [2 Corinthians 4:8 (GW)]

Lord, give us the wisdom to know when we just need to push our way through or even climb over the obstacles in our lives and give us the strength to do it. Please Lord, also give us the wisdom to know when it simply makes more sense to find our way around life’s obstacles. Give us the fortitude and willingness to try Plan B, and when that doesn’t work to try Plan C or even D. Thank you for your guidance, strength and encouragement. With you, all things are, indeed, possible!

The key to life is how well you deal with Plan B. [Stephen Dias]

I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me. [Philippians 4:13 (GW)]

2014-6-18

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

May 3, 2014

Posted under

Attitudes & Behavior, Family, Friends & Fellowship, Love & Works, Prayer, Wisdom & Guidance

You Can’t Please All of the People All of the Time

But if any of you needs wisdom, you should ask God for it. He is generous to everyone and will give you wisdom without criticizing you. [James 1:5 (NCV)]

Let the peace that Christ gives control your thinking… [Colossians 3:15a (NCV)]

I recently completed a birthday gift for one of my grown children: a photo book filled with forty years of pictures. What with scanning, editing, sorting, compiling, and captioning, this project took several months. At one point, what started as a labor of love simply became labor. What went wrong?

In an attempt to make the “perfect” gift, things had gotten out of perspective. Not only was I concerned about the recipient’s reaction to the book, but I also agonized about everyone in the extended family as well. Would they like it? I second guessed each photo choice and its placement. Did I have too many shots of one person or not enough of another? Had I covered each event to everyone’s satisfaction? Was everyone represented? Did everyone look good in every photo? Would my idea of humor be funny to others? I began to dread sitting at the computer and, as my deadline approached, I had a heavy heart.

Finally, I did what I should have done in the first place: turned this project over to God. He reassured me that if my true motivation was love and if I followed His guidance as I worked, every choice would be the right choice. He reminded me that my best effort is all He asks of me and it is all anyone else should expect. Perfection is not required, just love. From then on, before logging onto Shutterfly to work, I said a brief prayer asking God for His guidance. The last twenty pages went faster and far more smoothly than the first eighty, simply because I let love motivate me and trusted God to guide me.

Lord, help us to remember that we need to be more concerned with pleasing you than with pleasing anybody else. May we keep in mind that the only reaction over which we have any control is ours. Thank you, for your gift of love and for blessing us with encouragement, confidence, and guidance when we share that gift with others.

Do everything in love. [1 Corinthians 16:14 (NCV)]

Please yourself…then at least someone will be happy with your decision. [From “Deep South” by Nevada Barr]

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

April 30, 2014

Posted under

God's Word: The Bible, Wisdom & Guidance

Who Built Your House?

2014-4-30Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash. [Matthew 7:24-27 (NLT)]

We can establish our careers, our homes, and our families, but without God at their center, they won’t flourish; they might even crumble and fall apart. We can try to protect our lives, but without Christ as our foundation, we may collapse at the first challenge.

There is only one secure foundation: a genuine, deep relationship with Jesus Christ, which will carry you through any and all turmoil. No matter what storms are raging all around, you’ll stand firm if you stand on His love. [Charles Stanley]

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

April 8, 2014

Posted under

Prayer, Wisdom & Guidance

His Voice is Powerful!

The voice of the Lord rolls over the water. The God of glory thunders. The Lord shouts over raging water. The voice of the Lord is powerful. The voice of the Lord is majestic. The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars. The Lord splinters the cedars of Lebanon. [Psalm 29:3-5 (GW)]

Oh Lord, if your voice is so loud and mighty, why do we seem to have such difficulty hearing you? Is it because, sometimes, you also speak in a whisper? Help us to listen for you at all times and in all places.

As the Lord was passing by, a fierce wind tore mountains and shattered rocks ahead of the Lord. But the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind came an earthquake. But the Lord wasn’t in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was a fire. But the Lord wasn’t in the fire. And after the fire there was a quiet, whispering voice. [1 Kings 19:11b-12 (GW)]

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

April 5, 2014

Posted under

Challenges & Difficulty, Prayer, Wisdom & Guidance

We Can Learn from Our Troubles

My brothers and sisters, be very happy when you are tested in different ways. You know that such testing of your faith produces endurance. Endure until your testing is over. Then you will be mature and complete, and you won’t need anything. [James 1:2-4 (GW)]

Lord, I’ve got a problem; I need your direction. Help me find the words I need; show me what I should do. As I pray, however, I realize that you’ve already answered me. You gave me what I need to know today in the lessons you taught me in the dark moments of yesterday. You taught me well and those experiences will guide me through this problem. Thank you, Lord, for the troubling and challenging times of my life. They have prepared and strengthened me for the trials of today and the tougher challenges of tomorrow. Thank you, God, for giving me guidance; may I be wise enough to follow your advice!

If any of you needs wisdom to know what you should do, you should ask God, and he will give it to you. God is generous to everyone and doesn’t find fault with them. [James 1:5 (GW)]

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

March 30, 2014

Posted under

Challenges & Difficulty, Fear & Doubt, Trusting God, Wisdom & Guidance

He Bails Us Out

When people’s steps follow the Lord, God is pleased with their way. If they stumble, they will not fall, because the Lord holds their hand. [Psalm 37:23-24 (NCV)]

A few seconds into my ascent of a steep Mayan pyramid, I realized I was going to be in trouble. Foolishly (and out of pride), I barged ahead. I knew the scramble up the steep rocks wouldn’t be the hard part for me; it would be the trip back down. I’m fearful of heights and the descent necessitated facing outward and seeing the steepness and height! I easily made it to the peak. The magnificent view took my breath away, not because of its beauty, but because of my fear of the return trip. As I neared the edge to make my descent, I felt the panic begin. I had gotten myself into this predicament but how was I ever going to get out of it? “One step at a time,” was His answer. God held my hand as I slowly sidestepped down the huge blocks of stone. Whenever I paused to look up to see how far I’d come or down to see how far I had to go, I would panic again. The pyramid seemed to get bigger and steeper with every step; I felt like I wasn’t getting any closer to the bottom. “Just keep going, you’ll get there eventually,” were the reassuring words I heard. So, I prayed, trusted God and took it one step at a time. I was okay, not happy, but okay. In fact, in spite of my fear, I found myself encouraging other hesitant climbers.

In our lives, we often charge ahead, knowing full well that we’re likely to end up in trouble. Over and over again, Lord, you have to bail us out of difficult situations. Thank you for being there; forgive us our foolishness when we should know better! Give us sense enough to recognize the difference between expanding our horizons and being fool-hardy or downright stupid! Thank you for holding our hands and guiding us back to safety, one step at a time. When we feel we’re not progressing, thank you, Lord, for making your presence known and urging us on. As you reassure us, thank you, Lord, for enabling us to encourage others we meet along the way.

See, God has come to save me. I will trust in him and not be afraid. [Psalm 12:2 (NLT)]