Simple Thoughts

My dog. Eagerly anticipating a meal. Tail wagging. Excitement growing. Then I make him wait another minute while I take a picture! He is a snuggler. An energetic playmate for our other dog. He is cantankerous with some special digestive issues.

As I observe this guy this morning, I am reminded of my own thankfulness to God. Am I anticipating the day, ready for His divine appointments? Am I thankful for His provisions in the form of food, clothing, shelter? Do I get excited for my daily devotion, weekly bible study and Sunday worship?

Thank you Lord for this quiet time this morning to not only meet the needs of my dogs, but for the truths of Your word that pierce my heart and feed my soul. Help me to go through this day with a thankful heart, praising You for your goodness.

“Give Thanks With a Grateful Heart” by Henry Smith. Give thanks with a grateful heart
Give thanks to the Holy One
Give thanks because He’s given
Jesus Christ, His Son. Give thanks with a grateful heart
Give thanks to the Holy One
Give thanks because He’s given
Jesus Christ, His Son. And now let the weak say, “I am strong”
Let the poor say, “I am rich”
Because of what the Lord has done for us. And now let the weak say, “I am strong”
Let the poor say, “I am rich”
Because of what the Lord has done for us. Give thanks

Who is Louise? Did she get in trouble for silly comments, bad choices? I’d really like to meet her. Sadly, we have some things in common. I am working on controlling my tongue and sometimes I wonder why I just did what I did.

But God… I love these 2 words. He forgives us when we ask. When we are contrite about our words and/or actions. When we seek forgiveness and are genuine in our repentance, we seek to do better. But not under our own power. Under the leading of the Holy Spirit. We seek to know God’s word more. We learn, He tells us, that the tongue, though a small body part, is a weapon. James 3:8 :”but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” Are we using our tongue for good, to bring God glory? Or are we using it to boast, to be prideful? Proverbs 10:19: “When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.”

Let us seek to be more Christ-like in our walk, with our words. If Louise were here with me today, I would have this same conversation with her. Maybe then, she would shake off the bad rep she has. Maybe then we would say, “Way to go Louise!” or “Well done Louise!”

Hallelujah: an expression of praise and gratitude. “Praise Ye the Lord.”

“Raise a Hallelujah” Song by Bethel Music. “In the middle of the storm. Louder than my unbelief. My weapon is my melody. Heaven comes to fight for me.”

Out of nowhere. You are singing a song. Wammo! The lyrics strike your heart. Thanking and praising God. Thinking of everything and everyone on my heart. All I can do, the most I can do, is to sing a hallelujah.

Praise Ye the Lord.

Living in Florida for a time, you get to know about love-bugs. 2 seasons, generally May and September. A nuisance to your car, especially the hood and grate as it fills with tiny corpses. You learn that it is a single insect, living on its own, figuring life out, trying to survive. When it mates, the two unite and become one. When you look closely, you still see the individual insects, one on each end, now moving and living in unison.

How similar is our own life. Before knowing Jesus, we are out there, living our life, trying to survive, looking for life to give us meaning. Then, we are introduced to Jesus. God, in the flesh, loving us so much, He died for our sin, my sin, your sin. He rose again on the third day and is seated at the right hand of the Father. When you confess your sin, believe in the finished work of Jesus Christ, you are now united with Christ. The Holy Spirit is now living inside you. Your life, now transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit, lives in unison with God. The more we know how to live for Jesus, the more we learn from the Bible, others will see Christ in us. No longer living for self, but moving in unison with the Holy Spirit, as He leads, directs and moves us to where He wants us to be. We now have a new identity, a child of God.

Romans 8:5-6 ” but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.  The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.”

You think so because you live in a free country. You were raised to believe in the American dream: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

And then, you became a Christian. Colossians 3:1-2 “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.” As such, you learned that your body is now the temple of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has taken up residence inside you. Colossians 3:10 “Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.”

You now ask yourself, am I eating to fuel my body, or do I crave this food? I do both. I love salty snacks and it takes discipline to not eat an entire bag. Yet I also like making healthy food choices that are also delicious. I Corinthians 10:31 “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

As a temple, I also want to keep this body moving- fit and active. 1 Timothy 4:8 “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.”

I enjoy reading the Bible, doing daily devotions, attending church to feed my mind and soul. Romans 12:2 “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” To saturate my thoughts with words that will help me to grow as a Christian, to gain wisdom and to learn more each day of my Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “ Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself,  for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.”

Avoidance. Procrastination. Reluctance. You wake up, knowing the tasks before you for the day. Do you get to work right away, do you say tomorrow will be a better day or do you avoid the tasks altogether? I am a procrastinator at heart. Mañana is always a better day for me. I’ll do the enjoyable tasks today and put off the less enjoyable.

The prophet Jonah was asked to take God’s word to the Gentiles. Jonah did not procrastinate. He did not get busy doing God’s work. He avoided God’s message. In fact, he fled from God. As far as he could go, he ran from God’s word. He did not like what God was asking him to do.

How many times do we, as Christians, read God’s word or hear a sermon and say, “That’s not for me,” or “That makes me uncomfortable.” And then, you/we stop reading God’s word, or we stop going to church or we stop going to “that” church. In essence, we are fleeing from God. We don’t want to do what God is calling us to do. We don’t want to hear what God is saying. So we flee. Like Jonah in the belly of the fish for 3 days, we wander. We lose hope. We despair.

But God…in His great mercy, great patience, is long-suffering with us. He gave Jonah a second chance to obey His word. He will give us, Christians, a second chance, as well, to obey God’s word. Will we, like Jonah, hear God’s word again and obey?

Studying the book of Habakkuk this summer. This little known book in the Old Testament has enlightened my eyes to the world of today. The similarities are striking. A nation moving away from God. In peril. Knowing judgement is coming. Seeking God. At peace with God. He is holy. He is just. He is truth. He is faithful.

A nation living for self. Promoting wisdom and security based on extortion, exploitation, debauchery, ruthlessness, idolatry. In Habakkuk’s day. See any similarities today?

Praise God we had watchmen like Habakkuk who were watching, waiting, and listening for God and speaking God’s truth to a people in need.

Thankful for pastors today who are reading, studying and speaking God’s truth today to a people in need.

Are you living in fear? anxious? lonely? depressed? Confused at the path this nation is taking? At your wits end? Come to Jesus. Pour out your heart. Come to church. Listen to God’s word preached. Study your bible. Learn about God.

All is not hopeless. As a child of God, we can declare, “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” Habakkuk 3:18

Nothing like a walk along the shore. Feet in the water, in the sand. Waves crashing. Water to the horizon. Time to think. Time to pray. Walking with God. Worshipping. Talking. Unburdening self. So good for the soul.

We all need time to step back. To think. To pray. Conversing with God. Looking for clarity. No, God is not going to draw directions in the sand or write step by step procedures in the sky. He will, however, give you peace in your decisions. As I read and study His word, I know He wants my life- to serve Him in whatever capacity He places me. With a ready, willing, joyful heart and spirit.

Need gas? Go the stop sign and turn right. Need to get on the highway? Go to the stop sign and turn right.

We recently vacationed out of state. We quickly realized, as we got the lay of the land, that our map genie was always telling us to “go to the stop sign and turn right.” If anyone asked how to get to…?, our response was “Go to the stop sign and turn right.” It became a saying for the week.

How many times as a Christian, living in today’s world, do we check with our map genie, the Bible, about: direction in our lives, a mate, how to behave, act, speak? As we travel this orb we like to use technology. It is an important tool when in new areas- where to stay, what to do, how to get there. The Bible is just as important as we travel this orb- open it up and learn where to stay, what to do, how to get there. Learn to trust God’s word as you walk in a manner pleasing to God.

Going for a walk… 90% into the walk, the RR crossing goes down. At first, I think it is bad timing. For a nano second I think about running quickly to the other side. Then, I pause and realize God has given me this opportunity to catch my breath, stretch, and remember how I loved watching trains as a child.

God gave me this train delay because I did need to catch my breath. I did enjoy counting the railcars as they passed. I was given time to enjoy these moments.

As Christians, look for those train delays. When God gives you time to slow down: in traffic jams, waiting on a loved one at a doctor’s appointment, unexpected delays- enjoy those moments. Be thankful and find peace in the delay. As you know, it was God orchestrated for your good and His glory anyway.