Articles for October 2017

Proverbs 8:32b, “…for blessed are they that keep my ways.” 

I started out to give the dictionary definition of happiness (another word for blessed) when I realized that this was one word that most of us understand. It’s a good and desired destination where we all would like to dwell – but, how do we find our way there?

This verse gives the answer in a nut shell. This is a straight forward statement that says you will be HAPPY (blessed) if you do what God says.  Simple enough, but there is more implied in this statement than what appears on the surface.  There is a requirement that may not be simple at all.   You must keep God’s ways.  In other words, you must DO what He says.

I’ve heard the statement that people follow god’s of their imaginations. In other words, they conjure up what they think that God is like and what He requires of them and then follow it.  Now, this is not what God is talking about.  He is not saying to keep what you think are my ways, but to follow what you know are my ways.  There is only one way to know God’s ways and that is to know the Scriptures.

Christian, you must be in the Word of God – reading, studying, and meditating.   It is such a privilege to have the Scriptures available to us.   Don’t neglect to spend time in His word every day.  As you read, look for the verses that express His instructions for life (the Bible is full of them).  Get a notebook and write out the reference and the admonition that God is giving.  This will help you in your mediation and make it clear what God’s ways are.

The God who created this universe has not left us in the dark about how He wants us to live — and better yet, He promises blessed happiness to those that follow His ways.  What a great promise!

John 8:12,   “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” 

Have you ever been in a room where someone has turned off the switch and you are in total darkness? You flounder around, possible bumping into things, until you find the switch.  There is great relief when light floods the room and you can see again.

The light of God’s love and direction are always available to those who are following Jesus. We do not need to flounder around in the dark wondering which path to take.

This verse is a great promise from Jesus Himself. Darkness is oppressive – it limits our movement.   It makes us hesitant to move forward and can cause us to become stagnant.  Jesus says to step out because His light is always shining and is there to guide and lead us.  We can move forward and accomplish the things that God wants us to, because Jesus will light the way for us.

Every day you need to be praising Jesus for the light of His presence.  You truly are surrounded by the light of His love.  Remember that the switch is always on – when you are following Him.

Proverbs 22:1 “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour, rather than silver and gold.” 

What exactly is a “Good Name”? It goes much, much deeper than what you are called by other people.  It’s the real you:  your character, the most basic fundamental you.  It’s how the world sees you and it’s who God knows you are.

God says that a “good name” is more important than “great” riches. I love the way that God gets His point across.  He wants us to pay attention and understand this truth.  He just doesn’t say riches – He says, “Great Riches” – lots and lots of riches, oodles and oodles of riches, overflowing riches – you get the picture.  So what is this that God is saying we should chose over a great deal of money and things?  He is clearly and simply saying it is who we are that counts, not what we have.   This statement is definitely worth repeating because in our mixed up, out of whack world, this is not the way man thinks.  He evaluates his worth around what he possesses and can often care little about his character.

We all know that God judges the heart.   He sees our inner most self.  But, it is important to remember that the world (those around us) can only see our outward actions.  To have a “good name” before the world demands certain visible qualities on our part.  You must be:

Humble, honest, friendly, have integrity, be consistent in good conduct, show compassion, have concern for others, have Christ like communications, ___, ___.                (You fill in the blanks  –  I think you get the idea.)

How you live says more about you than what you say. You can tell others about the Lord but if they don’t see Him in your life it does more harm than good.  You can relate the truths that you learn from the Scriptures but if you aren’t living them it means nothing. How you act and live does count!

This blog is an excerpt from the book, “I Want to be a Better Me for God”   Chapter 16

(This blog was published on March 7, 2017 – A truth we should all remember!)

Over the years many people have shared with me their ‘Life Verses.” This is a verse that speaks to them and they refer to it often.  I personally have never chosen a life verse.  There seems to be so many verses in the Bible that inspire and encourage me that I have never zeroed in on just one.

Several weeks ago as I was reading in Psalms, I came across a verse that seemed to jump off the page. That verse was:

Psalm 116:9, “I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living.” 

This one simple truth has affected my entire life. By focusing on the fact that God is always present and everything I do is visible before Him has comforted me and encouraged me to live the way I should.

This thought is not new to me. I covered it in my first book in the chapter “God is Always Near.”  Here is a quote from that book:  “I began to visualize Him (God) across the whole sky of my life.  A panoramic view of His presence.  Up there watching, up there caring, up there wanting to help me, …”

This reality had become a part of my life, but this one verse summed it up so nicely and brought it into such clear focus that I knew it had to be my ‘Life Verse.’ I quote it frequently throughout the day, along with a thank you to God for being with me as I walk through this life on earth.

Another quote from the book is a message for all of us. “All day long, picture yourself as being surrounded by God’s presence…feel His presence, experience His presence, and acknowledge His presence.   What a  difference it will make in your life!”

Proverbs 14:26 “In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge.”

When we are trusting God, when we are relying on Him, when we are firm in our belief that He is in control – THEN, we can face each day with confidence.

I think when we are talking about confidence, we are talking about a quietness of spirit, a serenity, an assurance that no matter what is going on around us, everything will be okay. We know this because we know that God is there taking charge.  He has promised never to leave us nor forsake us, (Hebrews 13:5b).  He has promised that all things will work together for our good,  (Romans 8:28).  He has promised to strengthen us, to help us, to uphold us with the right hand of his righteousness, (Isaiah 41:10).  HE has promised – that is all we really need to know!

Always remember that you have a future with Him in Heaven. You can meet every challenge in life with confidence and assurance that better times are coming.

Jesus tells us to keep our eyes on the goal – the finish line.  If Christians could only see how rich they really are.  We have a God who promises to be with us and take care of us every day of our lives.  We also have a God who has promised us a future with Him in Heaven.  We have a God who has promised us a place of refuge.  WE HAVE A WONDERFUL GOD!

Mark 9:23, “Jesus said unto him, if thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.” 

This theme runs throughout the entire Bible: have faith, believe God, trust Him. Jesus sums it all up in this verse, “all things are possible to him that believe.”

Think about it! What “all things” are possible in your life if you only believe?  It opens a door of incredible possibilities – if you BELIEVE.  Our unbelief, our not trusting God, and our lack of faith keeps us in a little box of accomplishing very little.  Living within the realm of your own abilities is certainly limiting.  BUT, living in the world of FAITH and TRUST and BELIEF;  this opens up a whole new world of freedom and accomplishment.  It makes me wonder what God could accomplish through us if we just believed Him and let Him work.  Wow!  What wonderful possibilities could happen then!

Think about the areas in your life that you may be hindering God from working because of lack of belief. Ask Him to help you to trust Him and to give you the strength to move out for Him.  Ask Him to increase your faith.

(This blog is an excerpt from my book, “I Want to be a Better Me for God”, chapter 18.)

Proverbs 20:7, “The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.” 

The 1828 dictionary defines:

Just – in a moral sense – upright, honest, having principles, conforms to the law. Faithful.
Integrity – wholeness, moral soundness or purity, uprightness, honest, incorruptness.

We have here a picture of someone who cares about his character. He is honest and upright in all his dealings.  He has principles.  Because all of this is part of his inward fiber, we who are observing him, see this in his walk.  The truth is that who we are is demonstrated in how we live.  It starts from the inside.

I think all of us would like to be thought of as people of integrity. This should be a given for those that are Christians.  We need to strive to live upright, honest, faithful, pure, incorrupt lives.  I’ve said this before – and I’ll probably say it again, because it is a truth that we need to be reminded of often – that the world needs to be able to SEE that God has made a difference in our lives.   Everything we do, should be done with the idea of being a good testimony for the Lord.

This verse says that this man is walking – or in other words, living , an exemplary life.  The fact is that we cannot do this in our own strength.  The strength to live right can only come from the Lord.  We need to be fed daily from the Word.  We need to keep our hearts right and our minds focused on God.  We need to personally care about how our lives are reflecting on God.  We need to pray for strength to walk in integrity so that we can be a good testimony for the Lord in this sinful, out of whack world!