The Trust of a Child

I was reading a book when I felt I should write another rambling, but I realized I have already written about not worrying and having the peace of a child. I decided to go back to reading. I couldn't focus on the book because I kept thinking about writing. So, I hope someone can find this helpful. Psalm 23:1-3 is familar to many, but have you ever really read it and thought about the words? "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul." Have you ever had a child fall asleep on your chest or watched as a baby opens their mouth to be fed? They have complete trust in their parents. We are to provide for not just their needs, but their wants too. God, as our father, provides the same for us. We should trust Him just as completely as a baby trusts their parents. He will provide for us much better than we ever could by ourselves. I challenge you to submit everything to Him in prayer and see what happens! The last sentence of this verse says He can restore your soul. He can restore your faith to levels you never thought were possible if you just trust Him. It doesn't matter how long it has been since you have talked to Him. He is always there and ready to listen. Just trust Him.

Small Packages

Big package means great big gift; at least that is what children think. There are many presents under our tree, but my little girl is only concerned with the biggest one. Big doesn't necessary mean the most expensive or best gift. Women especially look for the smallest package under the tree in hopes there may be jewelry! During this special time of year, don't get caught up in big gifts, but take time to remember the most important gift of all! The most precious gift we have ever received came wrapped in a tiny package named Jesus! If you have never asked Him to be your savior, I invite you to stop what you are doing and pray right now. It is that simple. Just ask Him to save you and He will. No questions asked! The beginning of a very famous verse, John 3:16, starts by saying "For God so loved the world". How powerful is that? You are included when it says world. He loves you!! Jesus would have died on the cross even if you were the only person in the world. Think about this and remember the real reason for the season! Merry Christmas!!!

Clean House

You may have a very neat and organized home, but I don’t. If someone comes over, the rooms they see are clean; however, don’t open any doors! Our relationships with our spouses can be compared to our homes. I received some of the best advice I have ever gotten from someone in our Sunday School class. She probably doesn’t even remember saying this, but it stuck with me. She said she never discusses anything related to her relationship with her husband with anyone other than God or her husband. We should all take this to heart. We can show others the “clean rooms” in our relationships, but should keep some doors shut! When we discuss problems with other people, it just fuels the fire instead of putting it out. The next time you have an argument or disagreement with your spouse, try telling God about it instead of a friend. He loves us so much and cares about every aspect of our lives!

"Yet you do not have because you do not ask." (James 4:2)

Cure for Everything

Attention!!! There is a cure all for whatever ails you – stress, depression, frustration, feeling hopeless, anger, pride, etc. You don’t have to swallow a pill, don’t have to exercise 500 times a week, and it doesn’t cost $19.99 – it is FREE!!!! I’m talking about God’s grace. Christ died for us to have this freedom from EVERYTHING!! All you have to do is submit to Him. He doesn’t only want to hear when your grandmother stumps her toe, He wants you bring all you have to Him. That includes your thoughts and actions. As is written in the Saving Life of Christ, we shouldn’t ask for strength because Christ is our strength. I challenge all of you to try this new cure all – give it to Christ!! Even if you feel it is hopeless to try and change the outcome, try prayer. I promise if you submit wholly to God you won’t be disappointed!

“Let your request be made known to God” Philippians 4:6

Hunting

I was reminded of hunting while driving through the country this morning. There is something very peaceful about sitting in a deer stand a few minutes before daylight. It is too dark to see anything, so you are able to just sit quietly. Then the excitement begins once the sun starts to come up. You start listening for every little sound at looking at all of the shadows. You become completely focused and give 100% of your attention to every little detail. This is exactly what God wants for us. He gives us a peace just like how it feels before sunrise in the stand. Then, He wants us to be excited about what he is going to do through us that day. We are to wait, look, and listen to see how He wants to use us! We should be just as focused on His work as an avid hunter is on seeing a deer.

Glove

What does it mean to have Christ living in us? As a Christian, the Bible says we are to die unto our selves and be born again. What does this mean? I read the best analogy for this the other day in The Saving Life of Christ, “We are to be a glove and Christ is the hand that fills that glove.” We are to give God every thing in our lives. Not just the big stuff, but the small things that we think about too. This is the hardest and best thing I have ever tried to do. When I do pray and let God handle all of my issues, things turn out wonderful and I feel so great; however, when I try to handle everything myself, things don’t turn out so great! I encourage all of you to pray for EVERYTHING. Try it one day and I promise you will never want to stop! God wants us to talk to Him just like our kids talk to us. Tell him what you are doing throughout the day and it will get so much easier to talk to Him about the problems in your life. Eventually it will be your natural response to pray when you have an issue.

Merry Christmas

Christmas – what is it? Presents, trees, gifts, lights, food, family? Yes and no. I was reminded of what Christmas really is this morning while reading Luke chapters 1 and 2. I know I have probably read this before, but the verses really stood out. I even found the verse the song We Wish You a Merry Christmas was based on (I’m not telling the exact verse so it will be a surprise for you too). Most of the traditions and songs for Christmas have a Biblical base. When you go through the motions and sing the songs so many times it is easy to forget why we do all of these things. Christ came on Christmas and died on the cross years later for one purpose – to save us from our sins. I encourage you all to read about the birth of Christ in the Bible again and to share what He did for us with others!