Simple Thoughts

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

Pruning: trim a tree, shrub, or bush by cutting away dead or overgrown branches or stems, especially to increase fruitfulness or growth. (Definition by Oxford Languages)

As a youngster, I mowed grass, weeded and raked leaves. I didn’t take much interest in gardening. As I age, though, I take pleasure in planting and maintaining the flowers, bushes and plants in our yard. I have learned to prune and understand the benefits of doing so.

How does this pertain to my Christian walk? Do I need to do some spiritual pruning? What do I need to bring into submission to God? Do I feel the shears, understanding the need to cut away certain thoughts, behaviors and attitudes to make my Christian walk more fruitful? Whatever it is, know that this process is meant to bring us into spiritual maturity as we grow in Christ likeness. Just as the physical pruning of a plant brings about fruitfulness or growth, so does the spiritual pruning bring about fruitfulness and growth in our walk so that we may allow the Holy Spirit to work in us.

Let us not be resistant to the pruning shears. This change, this process, is transforming us from the inside out, changing us into the new person God want us to be, day by day.

Romans 12:2 “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Dear Christian, Wake up! Arise from your slumber! You once went to church. You once read your bible. You once prayed. You once fellowshipped with other Christians. You once taught others about Jesus. But then what? You got busy. You got sick. You became indifferent. You moved. You changed jobs. You got divorced. You got hurt feelings. You moved away from your first love.

Dear Christian, in today’s culture that is searching for truth, calling opinion truth, unfollowing for reasons known only to them, let us be the light in a dark world. Let us get off the fencepost of neutrality and take a stand for God. Come back to church! Go to your prayer closet! Join a bible study! Go vote in this election for righteousness!

Dear Christian, “Don’t be a Reuben who searched his heart but did not move. Be a Jael and take your stand for God. Sing like Deborah and Barak who stepped out in faith and knew the Lord was with them, gave them the victory. Awake to your responsibility and do what you can, where you can, under God’s direction.”*

Dear Christian, Don’t be a Reuben! Be a Jael! Be a Deborah!

If this blog has sparked your interest, read Judges 4 & 5. Get to know Deborah, Barak, Jael and the tribe of Reuben.

• “Choosing Victory, Overcoming Defeat” by Kay Arthur. Harvest House Publishers. Eugene, Oregon.

Psalm 62:1 “I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him”

Psalm 37:7-8 “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him;…Do not fret—it only causes harm.”

Psalm 37: 39-40 “The Lord is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them and deliver them;…He saves them, because they trust in Him.”

Is your mind swirling? Are the waves crashing over you? Do you long for the storm to be stilled? Yes, yes and yes! I have slowly been reading through the book of Psalms. The most recent verses have brought me peace. God has stilled the storm as I reflect on His word. As I saturate my mind on these verses, my soul rejoices in these truths. I pray for my thoughts to remain focused on Him. May these bring you peace today, as well.

Growing up in a family of eight, with two older sisters, I would receive hand me downs to wear. Sometimes I liked them, other times they were not exactly my style. As I got older, I still received hand me downs occasionally and saw the value of receiving free clothing items.

Our faith, however, cannot be received as a hand me down. I didn’t become a Christian because my sisters had or because my parents were Christians. It wasn’t based on the church I attended. My faith was personal. It was Jesus Christ revealing to me my sinful nature and my need for a Savior.

I can pass down my love of Jesus to my children. I can share my testimony with them. I can share God’s word with them. I can pray for them. Each child, however, has to accept the free gift of salvation that Jesus offers.

Let us teach our children and pray for their souls.

As it happened this morning and many previous mornings, God orchestrated my time of study into rejoicing. I was reading and thinking on Psalm 33:1 and just as I finished, the music I was listening to was celebrating God’s love for us. With its upbeat tune, I was singing and praising God. My heart was filled with joy. As I danced around the kitchen, I thanked God for this intertwining of both biblical truths and musical accompaniment. Again, all orchestrated by God. It was not planned by me. I never could have matched the Psalm and the song together so perfectly. But He can! Praise the Lord. He is able. This is just what my heart needed this morning. And of course, He already knew.

“God is For Us” by CityAlight “Sing with joy now, our God is for us
The Father’s love is a strong and mighty fortress
Raise your voice now, no love is greater
Who can stand against us if our God is for us”

Sitting on the deck, looking out at the ocean, I stand in awe of its vastness. The water appears to go on forever, yet I know there is a shoreline to the east of where my eyes are looking. As I read Psalm 33, I am reminded of creation and how God spoke and all things were created, in a literal six day period. “God assigned the sea its boundaries and locked the oceans in vast reservoirs.” Psalm 33:7 The Psalm goes on to say, in vs 8-9, “Let the whole world fear the Lord, and let everyone stand in awe of him. For when he spoke, the world began! It appeared at his command.”

There are many things we see on this earth and in the heavens that “wow!” us. Let these “wows” turn into praise and worship of our Creator God who, through the power of His Word spoke the earth and heavens into existence.

Acquaintances in your walk of life… neighbors, employees, soccer moms. You know their name, you say hello but you do not know them well. On our bike rides, there are some trails we are acquainted with, while others we know well and are our favorites. Those we are only acquainted with, we ride and we learn more about the trail and the area. However, our favorite trails, we know! The parking, the length, where the benches are, is it shady, and most importantly, where the bathrooms are located.

In our Christian life, are we acquainted with our Savior, Jesus Christ? Or, do we know Him well? Do we seek Him in prayer, in devotions, in bible study, in worship services? When we meet Him one day, will He welcome us as the sheep of His pasture or will He say, “Depart from me I never knew you!”

Let us strive to know our Savior more each day. Let us live in His loving care day by day, moment by moment.

Recently, I was getting dressed for an anniversary celebration. What to wear? Ladies, you can understand my dilemma. Pants, skirt, dress? The occasion and venue was dressy casual. Yes, I am blessed with many choices of outfits. Is there an appropriate fun one? I finally chose a skirt and top with a favorite pair of shoes. As I looked in the mirror, I thought, “This is a church outfit.” I looked ok. The outfit was appropriate, but not what I considered, “fun.” Then it dawned on me. “This is who I am.” As I contemplated that thought, I was at peace. No matter the outfit or the occasion, this is who I am. I am not trying to fit in with one crowd at a party and being another person at church. I am who God made me to be. The clothes do not change that fact. Actually, when I dress for any occasion, my message is the same. I am a child of the most high God. I honor You, Lord, in my walk, in my words, and yes, even with what I wear.

1 Timothy 2:9-10 “And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes. For women who claim to be devoted to God should make themselves attractive by the good things they do.”

Sitting here this morning, thanking God for another beautiful day, listening to the birds sing, reading some morning devotionals, I am reflecting on the Daniel Study our ladies group just finished. All the verses of scripture we looked at in Daniel plus additional verses elsewhere in the Bible. It hit me heavy this morning.

When I came to faith in Jesus Christ, the power of His word changed me. Transformed me. Put me on a new trajectory. To live in obedience to Him. To share the good news of the gospel to those who don’t know Jesus as their Savior and Lord. To those who are struggling. To those who are grieving. To those who are lonely. To those who question. As believers, we cherish God’s word. We meditate on His truths. We commit verses to memory. We strive to grow in our knowledge of Him. But let us not keep these things to ourselves. It is not just about learning scripture. It is about living it out. It is not just about being in the word. It is about growing in Christ. Let us pray for God to give us opportunities to share the gospel. For God to bring people across our path who are searching. As we live in humble obedience, let His light shine in our word and deed that men/women may be drawn to God.

“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)

“Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.” (2 Peter 3:18)