Simple Thoughts

Television ads. Yard signs. Email. Texts. Snail mail. Your senses have been under attack. Watching the news. Listening to podcasts. Reading up on current issues. Not only was it hard to keep up with, it was exhausting. If I am being honest, I was distracted. During this past election cycle, I took my eyes off God and my daily time with Him. I lost focus. My mission, the Great Commission, did not seem as great, as urgent. Upon being convicted of this, I confessed my sin to God. For putting other things, people above Him.

As a Christian, I am to hunger and thirst after righteousness. I need to be sharing God’s word with loved ones. Sending texts and emails proclaiming the greatest victory ever to take place on planet Earth. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the good news we all need to hear, share, accept, believe with our whole heart.

As I reevaluate what I spend my time watching, reading and listening to, let me “hunger and thirst for righteousness for they (me, you) shall be satisfied.” (Matthew 5: 6)

Psalm 42:1-2a “As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. I thirst for God, the living God.”

“And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord…” Judges 2:11

The nation of Israel, in the time of Judges, was a mess. Giving in to the gods of the surrounding nations. Disregarding ALL God had done for them.

As Christians today redeemed by the blood of Jesus, have you, we, me, disregarded ALL God has done for you, us? Are you walking after the gods of this world, having left your first love? If so, call out to Jesus in your distress, repent and return to Him. As King David declares, “He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what He has done and be amazed! They will put their trust in the Lord.” Psalm 40:2-3

Will you let Jesus lift you out of the pit? Will you allow Him to place your feet on solid ground? Will you sing a new song, with a new heart and a new desire, giving Him all your praise? If so, put your trust in the Lord today.

Salty snacks. Sweet treats. Caffeinated beverages. We all have cravings. Some are food related. Some are physical behaviors. Others can be drug related. How do we resist the cravings? Is it dangerous to engage the craving? Has it taken over our bodies and is assaulting our minds? As humans, we are weak and fleshly. Some days we are strong and are able to resist. Even for longer periods. Great. Other days, we are weak and give in.
As Christians, we have the Holy Spirit giving us strength with each new day while also remaining in the flesh. Whom are you feeding each day? The Spirit or the flesh? It is a constant daily struggle, a battle to see who wins. Resist the devil. Turn away from your evil desires, your sinful cravings.
In Galatians 5:16, Paul says, “ So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.” Let the Holy Spirit lead, guide and direct your thoughts, your goings, your desires. Crave God’s words and His teachings. Engage in Christian fellowship and Bible studies. Share your struggles. Allow other Christians to pray for you, to come along side you. Let us take to heart the teaching of the apostle Paul in Galatians 5:24-25: “ Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.”

Salty: an adjective to describe a food item like pretzels. It can also describe someone’s character as harsh, offensive or even witty. But salty can also mean something near the ocean. I enjoy going to the beach and the water I visit is salty. I have a sun hat I wear that says, “Stay Salty,” encouraging me and others to love the salty ocean water.

As I am reading about the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, I came across verse 13 which says, “You are the salt of the earth…” The word salt took on new meaning. Just as salt was an important ingredient in preserving food long ago, it is still an important ingredient in cooking. Salt enhances the flavor. So what is Jesus telling His followers when He said, “You are the salt…?” Are we to season the world for God? Does our world need more salt? Yes! More truth to be spoken by us. More disciples willing to share the gospel message with others. Be an influencer for Christ in your words and in your actions. Let us season the world for Christ, to bring Him glory. Stay Salty, my Christian friend.

New year. New goals. New resolutions. As humans, we realize we have flaws. So we seek to improve. Improve our body. Improve our mind. Improve our relationships. With personal trainers and nutritionists. With self help books. Good to be learning. Good to be improving. But I would challenge you to see your main flaw is our own human condition. Born in sin. Doing what sinners do until God draws you to Him. Then you are changed. From the inside out. Your body that you want to improve is now being used in service to God. So set healthy eating goals and exercise. “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” (1 Timothy 4:8) Your mind that you want to improve is now focused on God. On His ways and His words. So read your Bible, learn what God wants you to set your mind on (Colossians 3:1-2). The relationships that you want to improve is now possible because of the relationship you now have in Jesus. Model His love, His patience, His kindness, His grace as you relate to others.
Is this the year of the new you? If so, I pray this is because of what Christ is doing in you, changing you, conforming you to be more Christ-like in your daily walk, your daily devotions, your daily prayers.

Not feeling festive? Decorate anyway. Not feeling social? Reach out anyway. Feeling apart from God? Worship anyway. As Christians, we feel guilty when we have the “blah’s.” We know it is wrong. But sometimes, it is hard to shake. We go about our day, do our jobs, our chores, our responsibilities, but the feeling is still there. Whether it is for a day, a week, or a season. Changing seasons can be hard. Loss is difficult. How do we overcome the “blah’s?” We come to God. We read. We pray. We devote ourselves to Him. We meditate on His words. Feelings come and go. We can be fickle. But God. He is faithful. He is steadfast. Hesed. His faithful, steadfast love. That is what sustains us. He is the One who sustains us. Fills us. Encourages us. Strengthens us. Let us take our mind off self, focusing instead on God. His love. His greatest act of love in giving us Jesus, our Savior and Lord. Sing. Worship. Read. Pray.

Psalm 30:10-12 “Hear me, Lord, and have mercy on me. Help me, O Lord.” ¹¹ You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy,
¹² that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!”

Have you ever been shopping with a child who has “x” amount of dollars to spend? They carefully look, check the price, is there enough in the wallet? When they step up to pay, there is joy in the gift buying. It may have taken every penny in their wallet, but to them, it was worth it for the love in their heart towards the person receiving the gift.

At this time of year, gifts are being purchased at a high volume. Is it a list of what to purchase or does thought and love go into the gift buying? Think of the greatest gift ever given. It was purchased, not with silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. God gave us His Son, to die on our behalf, to redeem us from our sin. Think of the love, the cost, knowing it was all done for us, because of love. So that no one perish in their sins, but all come to the cross to accept this free gift Jesus offers to all who believe. May you have peace with God today because of the gift of Jesus.

Luke 2:8-14 “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

¹³  Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

In the United States, we have no king. We elect presidents. Those countries that do have a monarchy, have kings and queens based on the bloodline and birth order in a family. Presidents and kings are seen as that country’s head. He rules/reigns. As good citizens, we follow the law of the land, lead good, upstanding, moral lives, obeying the rules and submit to the laws. And we should.

In our own life, if we take stock of self, do we submit to a Higher authority or do we do what is right in our own eyes? Do we live one way in front of believers and another way in our home? As Christians, we need to remember who is King in our life. King Jesus. His Word is our book that we read, live out, submit to. Not just when we feel good, when things are going well. But also in the trenches. In the hard days.

Jesus’ birth, hailed and proclaimed in the gospels of Matthew and Luke, is the Good News we all seek. King Jesus, from the bloodline of King David, has come to earth as Savior of the world. As believers, we are adopted into His family. We are His sons and daughters, children of the King. Let us remember who our King is and live in His light. Testifying to Whom we belong. King Jesus. Our Savior and Lord of our life!

“If we do not allow our Lord to rule over us, if we are not strong and courageous to do according to all He has commanded us, then Beloved, we will be conquered by the pressures of the world around us, and the futility of our own reasoning. Bow before King Jesus!” Kay Arthur

The expression of gratitude, especially to God. Being grateful or thankful. Thankful that God sent His Son to be Savior of the world. Grateful for His grace, unmerited favor. Favor bestowed on sinners who deserve wrath. Yes, Jesus took upon Himself the wrath of God, poured out at the cross. Believing I am a sinner, saved by grace, enables me to live in a state of thanksgiving every day! Thankful to God for every breath I take. For every beat of my heart. Thankful to share God’s love with others who are looking for love, for hope, for peace in their lives. Seeing the blessings of God in His wonderful creation each day, from the rising of the sun to its setting each evening. Grateful for the people who come across our path for a season or for a lifetime, to the kindness of a stranger. Thankful to God for the ability to live in a country blessed by God. For the ability to freely worship and praise the name of Jesus, Savior of the world!

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

Happy Thanksgiving. Giving thanks to God!

Have you ever smelled a dead, decaying animal? It stinks. And when the wind blows the wrong way, every breath brings the stench of death to your nostrils. In our sin, we are separated from God. Our sins stink to the “high heavens!” When our eyes are opened, we smell our sin and are sickened because of it. The remedy? Acknowledge your sin in light of a holy God. Confess your sin, repent of your sin. Do a 180 degree turn from your sinful ways. The smell of confession, repentance, forgiveness is sweet smelling. This brings us back into right fellowship with our Heavenly Father. Savor the sweet smell of His mercy and grace as you cry out to Jesus.

“Because of your anger, my whole body is sick; my health is broken because of my sins. My guilt overwhelms me—it is a burden too heavy to bear. My wounds fester and stink because of my foolish sins. I am exhausted and completely crushed. My groans come from an anguished heart.” Psalm 38:3-5, 8

“Come quickly to help me,O Lord my savior.” Psalm 38:22