Day 25 - Hope Rocks - Daily Inspirational Verses from Real Life

Job 13:15 - (NKJV): "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.

Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him."

"It's not fair", the child screams, when he loses at a game.  "Who told you life was fair?" asked the adult who was helping them play the game.  The child looks at the adult, and starts trying to say something, but can't get it out.  Life's not fair, and now that the child has heard it, the child knows that it is true.  Yet, the child has heard teachers, parents, friends, pretty much the whole of society saying that life was fair.  it's like a robot saying, "beep beep, this does not compute."  Life is NOT fair.

Worse, God's not fair either.

If he was, either everyone would be saved from their sin, or no one would be.  But that is not the way it works.  He does indeed call each of us to salvation, but that's it.  Past that point, we have to answer the call.  If we don't answer, no salvation.

Even so, why should he.  My Christian friends keep pointing out that you can forgive a crime against you, but the person who committed the crime still has to pay the price.  That paying the price is fair.  Yet, I did not pay the price for my salvation; Jesus did.  Not fair. Not fair, and I am very happy that it is not fair.

You can, however, say that God is Just.  

In that light, this verse from Job really rocks.  What is happening to him is not fair.  Yet Job does not turn from God. No, he argues with God, and God allows him to, for the sake of justice.  Job knows that God is just, and he knows he might die, as he searches for the sin he thinks he must have committed to cause his troubles, but he refused to give up on his faith in God.

Everything is taken from him, but he refused to give in or give up.  He thinks God is fair.  But we know the story.  It is NOT God doing these horrible things to him, but rather Satan. Satan is not fair either.

Yet, we also know that at the end of the story, Job gets it all back, plus much much more.  Why? Because God is Just.  He makes up for the unfairness of the situation.  He is in control, and Job held on to his faith, refusing to give up or give in.

That's hope.  Even in the middle of unfairness, your faith in God's Justice will be rewarded.  Hang on.  God is already in the house.

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For information on be certain of your Status with God, overcoming your actions that keep you from God, and allowing you to accept his free gift of eternal life, Click Here.

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Day 19 - Escape From Other's Greed - Daily Inspirational Verses from Real Life

2 Peter 1:4 - (NIV1984): "Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires."

2 Peter 1 starts with a declaration of the bible's sufficiency for Life and Godliness because of Jesus' call to us for our salvation.

That means, before we even get the good news in verse 4, we already know everything we need in our worldly lives and our spiritual lives has already been guaranteed to us by Jesus.  Wow.

Then he gives us promises, awesome and unbelievable promises.  

We are told that we may share in God's divine nature and he promises we will be kept safe from the evil in the world that is caused by man's greed.  If you think about it for a minute, there really is very little, if anything, that is evil and not related to man's greed, so we are being promised safety from all evil.  Wow again.

So, if you start today with these assurances, from God, it should be one outstanding day.

1) You have been called to be a child of God;

2) Just because you have been called, Jesus will make sure that what you need spiritually and physically are taken care of;

3) Jesus promises us that we will be kept safe from the evil cause by other people's greed;

4) We can and will share in God's Nature.

Have an Awesome Day!

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For information on be certain of your Status with God, overcoming your actions that keep you from God, and allowing you to accept his free gift of eternal life, Click Here.

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Day 10 - It's Not Impossible - Daily Inspirational Verses from Real Life

Used by Permission: www.GoodJobNotes.com

Matthew 19:26 - (NIV1984)

'Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”'

Jesus was in the middle of a discussion of who could and who could not get into heaven.  He had just given an example of a rich man having a very hard time getting into heaven.

When they all heard him teach this saying, they began to panic, and asked him, basically, if a rich person can not make it into heaven, it is impossible for us.  How can anyone get into heaven; what can we do to get into heaven.

Then we hear the most astounding thing I have ever learned about Jesus and God.  He says that we can do nothing, for it is impossible for man. This is a hard saying even now, because it means your behavior is not going to get you close to God.  It means your money is not going to get close to God.  It means you can do NOTHING to get close to God.

Jesus then says, for God, anything is possible.

You have to surrender your life to God, and he will rescue you.  Only he can, and Jesus says to us here, that he will.

It easy to apply this same saying to your daily life as well. Over and over Jesus tells us that if we dedicate our lives to God, he will make it turn out alright.  He promises us.  This is another such promise.  All things are possible to God.  

God really does care about your life.

Here and now and forever.

All the Glory goes to God, and if it does, he is right there beside you.  Always.

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For information on be certain of your Status with God, overcoming your actions that keep you from God, and allowing you to accept his free gift of eternal life, Click Here.

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Day 4 - Courage for All - Daily Inspirational Verses from Real Life

Deuteronomy 31:6 - (NIV1984)
"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Imagine for a moment, that you are again a child, and you are confronted by 3 bigger kids, all of them mean, calling you names.  How does it feel?  Focus on the humiliation, the loss of personal power and respect.  Now the take a few steps closer to you.  How does that feel?

Now imagine someone 5 times your sized walks up behind you, and takes your side.  What does that do to the people tormenting you?  What does that do to your feelings of power and self respect?

Courage would be simple, if there was always someone so much larger than you, you could not explain it, standing right behind you.

Well, that is exactly what Deuteronomy 31:6 is promising you.  God what's you to know, so you can be courageous and unafraid, that he is standing right behind, and he will never leave you.  

Take that feeling of safety, strength and courage into you day today, just as God wants you to do every day.

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For information on be certain of your Status with God, overcoming your actions that keep you from God, and allowing you to accept his free gift of eternal life, Click Here.

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Day 1 - Daily Inspirational Verses from Real Life

Art used by Permission from www.GoodJobNotes.com

If you live in a world where things are just not going your way a little too many times, there is some powerful help from the word of God, written just for you and me. Unlike what I used to believe, the Lord provides real change, real help in real time.  Here is one of those awesome words.

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. - Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV1984)

Hope generally is most needed and noticed in our lives when things are going badly, and we can not alter our emotions.  Despair begins to take over, and we start seeing catastrophic results are possible everywhere.  

It is even possible that catastrophic results are real, and not just possible, but happening.  Yet, Hope is still possible.  

Hope is like Superman, arriving just in the nick of time, to change how you look at everything, and make a good outcome possible in your mind and life.

1) Yet, you do not need to wait for despair to arrive.  In Jeremiah, God is telling you that he HAS PLANS FOR YOU.  Not the person next to you, not your country, your church, the good people, the other people, but YOU.  

2) Better than that, he is going to MAKE YOUR LIFE BETTER (prosper) you, and he will do it with out harming you.

Of course, the ultimate good is heaven, and we all have a solid hope in Heaven, if we have accepted the free gift. This promise is more worldly too.  God WILL give you HOPE.

In my life, I have been sued by corporations with money. One of these experiences was solely based on them wanting to escape from their responsibility to me. They knew I did not have money, and could not defend myself. Worse, the attorney was the very picture of evil in thoughts words and actions. Because of him, I learned a new word, Ad hominem, in court, which means "personal attack."  He was cautioned for that over and over again.  The ONLY hope I had was in the Lord.  End of story, God showed up in this world by providing an attorney for us, who allowed us to have some dignity, and escape the ad hominem and the corporation.  Yea God!

This is not some long range promise, but rather a promise for the here and now as well.  Your faith, if you have it, can be based on the Lord's own words.

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For information on be certain of your Status with God, overcoming your actions that keep you from God, and allowing you to accept his free gift of eternal life, Click Here.

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Is Life Supposed to Be Fun?

Postcard used with permission from www.GoodJobNotes.com

I went to a private high school in the upper mid west, back in 71 - 75. I was an army brat and a scholarship kid, and my roommates were from families of wealth and privilege.  I know that now.  Back then, they were just kids.

Anyway, I was on the wrestling team, and we had a match against a team from a Blind School, where all the children were legally blind.

There were different rules.  If we let go of our opponent, the match was stopped, for example.  We destroyed them.  My match was very easy.  I wondered, at the time, why they even bothered.
Then I found out.  The were evangelical Christians, as well as blind.  The each approached us, and starting tell us how we were going to hell, and how God loved us so much, he had a way out.  I can recall thinking something like, "You are already in hell, save yourself and leave me alone you freak."

Most of us bugged out as fast as we could.  This was not fun for us or for them.

That picture colored the rest of my educational life and how I looked at Jesus.  I find it amusing now, how I can't remember where I live or what time it is, or how to add 2 digit numbers, but I can remember a spiritual event that happened a lifetime ago.  God really does work in mysterious ways.

From that point until today, I think most Christians fall into 1 of two or three different categories.

Category one is the one I find most often applies:

1) I am duty bound to work out my salvation, after the fact, by following every law in the bible and in the land that I can, except for ceremonial law.  I will keep my head down in prayer, and never make a noise in my life, as life's purpose is about God, not me.  I can not have fun, it would be disrespectful.

This one is pretty classic.  You either believe that you were saved by the grace of God, as outlined in Ephesians, or you believe that you have to work your salvation out by works, from James.  Perhaps, you believe that you must do good works because you saved.

Personally, I do what is right when I am walking with the spirit, because is gives glory to God's name, and it seems as though there is no other choice.  Simple example.   I always return the shopping cart to the place that it belongs at the grocery store.  Even if I am late.  Even if it is raining.  It seems right.  I would hate to have someone who is NOT a Christian yet, see we just rolling it next to my car and leave, just because I did not want to get wet.  I am not a fair weather Christian.  I love the Lord.  All the time.

Category two is the polar opposite, and seems to apply to the youngest adults most often:

2) I am already saved, if I have been called to be saved, and God has given me the world, so I will use it. All of it, un-apologetically and without gratitude to my fellow humans, since God gave it to me.  Those who help are only vessels for God's grace, so I don't owe them anything.

This example nearly prevented me from becoming a Christian as well.  One of our karate students, about 16 at the time, and a member of a very conservative Evangelical Baptist church in our area, was bragging about how he and his girl friend (now wife) had gone to a move, and since there were already in the theater, when that show, for which they had paid, was over, they just got up and walked into a different movie, for which they had not paid.  Why I asked them.  "Why not," they answered.  "I thought you were a Christian?" I said.  "What's that got to do with it?" they said.

What would Jesus do?  Go to the movies for free, because God has given him the whole world, right?

The third category is the reason for this blog.  Live life large, as God intended us to do.

3) You must celebrate the life here and the life eternal you have been given.  Every living thing has difficulty, and we too will have our share.  Some of it will be because we live in a fallen world and some will be there for teach us.  But we have something those who are not yet saved do not have.  We have the helper (John 14:26 "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you"), they holy spirit, praying for us, guiding us and keeping us within God's grasp, (Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words..  We have assurance of life everlasting (John 14:1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.), and we have the love of the creator of the universe.

Live you life like you were the child of the King, because you are.

The More Things Change, the More He Stays the Same

He who loves money will not be satisfied with money.  At the top of the list of what this could mean is 


1) Money can drag you down.


Some will tell you that this means money is evil.  Let me say this about that.  I had a friend that once told me that Hampton Beach in New Hampshire was evil. I will admit that I had not been to Hampton Beach since I was a child back in the 60's, but, I thought, what could make a beach "Evil."  So I asked him.  He told me that at the beach women were wearing bathing suits that were nearly not there at all, and that brought up in him feelings of lust.  Matthew 5:28 (ESV) tells us: "But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart."

Ok, being at Hampton Beach caused him to sin, and that is evil.  However, the beach is not sinning.  Perhaps, or perhaps not, the people on the beach are sinning too.  But there is much to Hampton Beach other than the sand, and his sin is not everyone else's sin.  It is possible that some people are there for their children, and don't see the bathing suits.  It is possible that some people are there for their spouses and don't see the bathing suits.  It is possible that some don't see the bathing suits as an issue.  It is even possible that some people are there for the arcade, the shopping, the food or the feeling of vacation, are are not tempted to sin.  My friend was tempted to sin though, so he should not go to Hampton Beach.  The same with money.  If you are worshiping money, as I have many times, it may be evil for you.  I know many people who take its presents and its absents as a gift from God, though, and for them, money is a tool no more sinful than a hammer.  


So, it is not fair to say money is Evil.


It is fair, however, to say that money is dangerous, and can cause temptation if you are not walking with the spirit.  It can be a trap.


But that is not the amazing thing to me about this verse, Ecclesiastes 5:10 (ESV). The amazing thing is that in both the new and old testaments, our God is always the same.  In most "religions," the god changes as the people change.  One day it is not good to kill your enemy, the next day it is ok to kill them under certain rules.  One day women are to be protected, the next day you can beat them to death if they make you sad. But the God of Abraham, Moses and Jesus does not change.  He is always the same.  We change, but what he said 2000 years ago, 4000 years ago, and today is always the same, and it is still true.  This verse is an example of that.  I have collected a partial list of similar verses, teaching the same message, from both books of the bible, so you can see what I am talking about.


OT - Ecclesiastes 4:8 (ESV): "one person who has no other, either son or brother, yet there is no end to all his toil, and his eyes are never satisfied with riches, so that he never asks, "For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?" This also is vanity and an unhappy business."


NT - Matthew 6:19-21 (ESV):"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."


OT - Habakkuk 2:5 (ESV): "Moreover, wine is a traitor, an arrogant man who is never at rest. His greed is as wide as Sheol; like death he has never enough.
He gathers for himself all nations and collects as his own all peoples"

NT - Luke 12:15 (ESV): "And he said to them,"Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.""


OT - Psalm 52:7 (ESV): "See the man who would not make God his refuge,
but trusted in the abundance of his riches and sought refuge in his own destruction!"

NT - 1 Timothy 6:10 (ESV): "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs."

There are more, but I am sure you get the picture.  Out God is an Awesome God.  He never changes, and his message is always the same, and true. 

He is worthy to cling to.  But what is truly amazing, that it is not our clinging to him that makes a difference.  It is, rather, that HE will NEVER let go of us.  No matter our sin, once we have confessed our sin, asked forgiveness, and committed our lives to him, we are his, forever.  He will Never Let go.  If you would like more information on how to accept Jesus, so you to can receive the free gift of Eternal Life, no matter your sin, no matter the size or number, no matter your previous faith .. if you want to assurance of God's Love, then play this video.

I have attached this video that I found on YouTube, because it is a song that moves my heart, and it's theme is the God will Never Let Go, even as we ask him to hold on.

Amazing Grace - First Verse

Amazing Grace was written by John Newton and published in 1799.  He was born in London July 24, 1725 into a sailing family.  He followed his father's profession and was pressed into service in the English Navy, where he was eventually assigned to a Slave ship.  From there he became a captain of a slave ship and that is how our story begins, according to Amazing Grace, the Story of John Newton.


The moment that the Amazing Grace first occurred in his life was at the height of a storm at sea, where a seaman who was steering the ship had already been washed overboard and lost. Again, according to  Amazing Grace, the Story of John Newton.  "He recorded in his journal that when all seemed lost and the ship would surely sink, he exclaimed, “Lord, have mercy upon us.” Later in his cabin he reflected on what he had said and began to believe that God had addressed him through the storm and that grace had begun to work for him."


At a moment of extreme danger, and extremely disagreeable, disgusting, ungodly, non-repentant, non-believer addressed God, and God reaches out and touches his soul.  Amazing.


FIRST VERSE

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,

That saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost but now am found,

Was blind, but now I see.

Amazing Grace refers to that fact that John Newton saw himself as a great sinner, one beyond the rational levels that could allow anyone to think of redemption. Acts 15:11 (AMP) "But we believe that we are saved through the grace (the undeserved favor and mercy) of the Lord Jesus, just as they [are]. 


What was amazing about the grace was that at long last, John Newton was broken.  He discovered how evil his life had been, and how real God was, and it sickened him.  He was Amazed that God would reach out to one such as he, and even more amazing, that he would wash his sins away, and offer him Heaven.  Amazing Indeed.


For me, the Grace extended by Jesus was "logical."  By that, I mean I was not surprised when it dawned on me.  The person in my life who was teaching me about the Lord only talked about the Love of Jesus.  He was passionate about what Jesus' love had done for him, and what it could do for me.  Once I accepted his testimony as legitimate, finding that same love witnessed in the Bible was easy.  No Bells.  No strange moment of 'I got it."  Just a feeling of duh.  


I really did not get the amazing grace part until the last few weeks, when I finally reached out an made my relationship with Jesus something more than it has been.  I was broken in the world, and that caused me to look inside.  I saw nothing, and had nothing to lose, so I asked the Holy Spirit to show me my sins.  POW.  Now I get it to the roots of my toes.  My sin, like John Newton's is huge and ongoing.  That makes Jesus' grace all the more amazing.  We have an Awesome God!


That Saved a Wretch Like Me.  Just in case you missed the meaning of Grace, undeserved favor or mercy, he repeats the sin ...  he was a Wretch in the eyes of man and the Lord, and he knew it.  That is called confession.

Credit: Free images from acobox.com

I once was lost but now am found. He was not a believer of any type, according the "The Creation of Amazing Grace," yet God found him, like the lost sheep in Luke 15:6-7 (AMP) "And when he gets home, he summons together [his] friends and [his] neighbors, saying to them, Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep which was lost. Thus, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one [especially] wicked person who repents (changes his mind, abhorring his errors and misdeeds, and determines to enter upon a better course of life) than over ninety-nine righteous persons who have no need of repentance."  He did not believe, and he acted according to his own compass as to what was right and wrong, but Jesus found him and carried him home anyway.


I was once told that the outstanding quality of sheep was that they were stupid and dirty.  That offended me.  Now I wish I was only the stupid and only that dirty.  What a great way to look at ourselves.  We roll around in the dirt of the world thinking that is what we were born for, and along comes Jesus, tells us the truth, offers us love anyway, and some of us actually say NO THANK YOU.  I did for over 30 years.  If you want to read my story, visit Diving in to the Unknown. If you want to dive in yourself, and experience this amazing grace for yourself, then click here.


Was blind, but now I see. John 5-37 (AMP) "And the Father Who sent Me has Himself testified concerning Me. Not one of you has ever given ear to His voice or seen His form (His face--what He is like). [You have always been deaf to His voice and blind to the vision of Him.]"  He went from not knowing there was a  God, to seeing him everywhere in his life, in a blink of an eye.  

This was not a conversion experience that left him wondering.  It was a face to face meeting with his own evilness.  And God washed his sin, opened his eyes, and welcomed him home.


I did wonder after I accepted Christ.  I did not ever wonder about my salvation, I just wondered what I was supposed to do next, and how to get closer to Jesus.  I frequently forgot even that when things were going well.  




Recently I have read a few good books that have gotten me back into the Word, and back into the arms of Jesus.  


If you would like to read our review of them, see: Book Review - Good News for those Trying Harder, and Book Review, the Barbarian Way.

Amazing.

Grace.

How sweet it is.

Book Review: Good News for Those Trying Harder by Alan Kraft

I came to this book because I longed for an emotional & spiritual experience which I perceived that other followers of Jesus the Christ all had, or said they had, when they became followers of Jesus. I was literally crying out for something more, something deeper, something real from my faith.  If you would like to know more about my spiritual journey, and why "crying out," is not something that would surprise me, read my article on my conversion experience called Diving In, an Act of Faith.

It was actually recommended by Amazon when I finished another book, The Barbarian Way: Unleash the Untamed Faith Within by Erwin Raphael McManus, so I bought it. It rocked my world.  It rocked my spiritual world first, but it ripped the foundations off of my life in the "World."  I will never be the same again.  

Before I tell you what I learned and what else I thought of the book, let me tell you a little about the author.   Alan Kraft is the lead pastor of Christ Community Church, Greenly, Colorado, and he is both a husband of many years and a father of several ages of children.  He has lived life, made mistakes, admits them, and is willing to share what he has learned with us. 


I recommend this book  to anyone who does not believe that they have not yet experienced “brokenness, faith or a personal relationship with Jesus" at the levels they once expected or hoped for. If you long for the “Peace of God that surpasses all understanding,” (Philippians 4:7) then this book is for you.

I recommend this book with even more urgency if your life is full of fear.  I don't mean spiritual fear, (like fearing God, fearing you are not worthy, fear of death), though it will help with that too.  I mean fear of anything in your life that is tangible or not.  If you are tired of being chased by the same anxiety; if you think a lot, "I can not catch a break," or you are having trouble sleeping because of the pressure in your life, this is a MUST READ.

If you have the world by the tail, and you really are "all that," you won't like this book.

In the reading of "Good News for Those Trying Harder,"  I discovered three things that I was lacking and looking for.

1) A personal relationship with Jesus.  I had asked friends at two churches in two states what a "personal relationship with Jesus," was, and what it felt like, because I was tired of the "Jesus Speak," I always heard from Christians like myself when speaking about Jesus.  I really did not know what it meant.  One church, only members answered.  Even though it was a monitored page and the pastors read it, no one who was trained answered.  The people said things like, "it's just like your relationship with other people." and the like.  NO IT IS NOT.  It is mind blowing and emotional, and it is all over the Gospel and can even be found throughout the old testament.  This book tells you where it is in the Bible and even shows you how to start down the path.  It will make you cry.  It will make you happy.  It will make you safe.

2) An Emotional Recognition of my Brokenness beyond the technical definition of sin we have all heard so many times before.  I discovered just exactly how I could discover what my sins really were, and that brought me to the floor, face down, several times.  Way past mind blowing.  Deeply soul stretching.


3)  An understanding of the roles of the Holy Spirit, Jesus and God the Father in my prayer life and in my mortal life.  I have always wondered what the deal was with the Trinity.  Why the doctrine was created by man, justified by scripture and memorized by millions, but not understood by anybody.  I discovered the sameness of God.  I discovered the Power of grace in the three parts of God, and most importantly to me, I discovered the universality of the Gospel.  How it applies to my life in all its aspects, every moment of the day, and just how amazing grace really is.

I don't know if these things were the intended messages of the book, but I do believe that the Holy Spirit and the Bible support the messages that I got for my life, and I suspect it will in your life as well.

Why is it so Dark in Here?

Just Peachy
Credit: Free images from acobox.com

Psalm 23: 1 - 3 (NLT)  "The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name."

Imagine for a moment that YOUR CAR JUST BLEW UP.

Just Peachy!

Stop and think for a moment about how you would feel if you car just destroyed itself.  Take 30 seconds and think of 2 things that you would really want.  Do it NOW ... counting ....

STOP.  This verse is a promise from God that you will not want.  If either of your two things was "I want a car that works," you don't believe the Word of God.

You Will not Want, if you are living for him, living out loud for the Lord.  Living in faith and love for the Lord!

Let me explain.  Your car blows up, and you like me, might think ... why can't I catch a break?

What is wrong with you?  You just did catch a break.  The promise is you will NOT want, if you are right with God.  So instead of wasting your life in anger or fear about what is going to happen with the Car, you should be saying, Wow .. What is God going to use this for to Glorify his Name?

You car did not blow up because you sinned and are being punished.  It did not blow up because God no longer loves you. Your car blew up because it blew up.

But God said: "He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name."  That means your actions will bring honor to his name, if you stay on his path.  So look around, God guided you to where you are.  The opportunity to bring honor to you Lord is There.  Find it.  

Credit: Free images from acobox.com

This is So Cool. 

Lemonade from lemons.  

Peachy?  You bet!

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You are Being Chased
Credit: Free images from acobox.com

Psalm 23:4 - 6.(NLT) "Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever."

Do you notice that it is assumed you will be in a "dark valley," or a difficult place in your life?  Yet, if you are walking with the Lord, he is close beside you.  That is a promise, not a feeling.  A promise.  You do not have to earn it.  It is just going to happen.

So if you know that God is walking beside you, it stand to reason you will not be afraid.  You already know he is going to guide you.  You already know that it is going to be dark, dangerous, not fun, yet you are not afraid of how it is going to turn out.


Or are you?  If you are afraid, it is not because God has walked away, but rather you have let go of his hand.  Grab it again, and believe that he does not lie.  He is right there.  Assume now that it will turn out His way for you.


But it is way cooler than that.  Those people who are making your life tough.  The ones that are laughing at you, hounding you, making fun of you, stealing from you.  You will actually get to see them brought low, at the same moment you are brought high.  Not only that, but he is going to set you aside yet again for his own.  Personally, where everyone will see it happen.  Not only that, your blessings, ones that you will recognize as from the Lord, will be so many, that you cannot count them. He says, "You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings."

Yet, that is NOT ENOUGH for the Lord.  Even if you run, he will pursue you.  Even if you forget, and you are afraid, he will follow you, and you gotta know, he will catch you.  The Psalm says he will pursue you with his goodness and never ending love will follow you "all the days of your life."  So if you are afraid, you are running from the Lord, but he will catch you with goodness and love.


Think about this for a second.  If you have accepted Jesus as Lord, he will pursue you FOREVER, because your life will not end.

Creation of Adam (public domain)
by Michelangelo, c. 1511

If you are a follower of Jesus already, relax.  The big guy is right beside you, and if you forgot that and walked away from him, he is following right behind you, and intends to catch you.  Reach out to him.

If you have not reached out to Jesus, or you have no idea what that means or how to do it, Click Here.  Either way, Remember that tough stuff happens in our lives. If you are walking with the Lord, Fear should not be in you.  He will provide.

 It will be better and more than you can imagine.

You just have to believe and wait on the Lord.