Trust that God is Able

Trusting that God is Able

How often have we heard the story of Samson and Delilah? It is a famous story of a strong man brought down by a pretty face…but, that is a story for another day. I am going to talk about another woman from Samson’s life…his first wife, the woman who helped to start his war with the Philistines. Her name is not mentioned but her deeds are.

She was another pretty face. Samson saw her and wanted her for his wife. The Bible never mentions her intelligence or her integrity. In fact, we see that she is rather fickle. When she is pressured by her countrymen to get the answer to Samson’s riddle from him, she complies. It is true that the Philistines threatened to burn her and her family if she didn’t give them the answer to her husband’s riddle. However, it is here that wifey makes a grave mistake. Instead of telling her husband what is going on, she decides to manipulate him. She bats her lashes and waters her eyes. She begs and moans until her husband gives in. Samson gives her the answer, and she gives it to his enemies.

Mistake…mistake. But, you might argue that her countrymen were threatening to kill her. She had to give them the answer! No, she did not.

Samson’s wife should have told her husband what was going on. This mighty man of God was well able to handle a few Philistines. Instead of trying to control her husband, she should have turned to him for help. Let us not forget, God made man to be a covering for us. One of our husband’s jobs is to protect us. Samson could have easily protected his wife and her family. But, she didn’t trust him.

Sadly, we are often just like her. Instead of trusting God to deliver us, we run to friends. We burn up the phone lines whining to our friends about our problems. We stay up at night worrying about things we can’t control. The reality is that God can control this things. God can change people and situations. I know. He had my enemy give me a job and place me in an honored position.

When I look back over my life, I can see the many times when God came through for me. If he did it then, he can do it now.

God can do exceedingly, abundantly above all we could ask or think.

Praise God. Amen.

Judges 14:15-19

Drive though Prayer

 

Drive through Prayer

I have been meaning to comment on this for some time, but for some reason, I always forget until later. However, I will take the time now to do so. Last summer when I was driving through Meridian, Mississippi, I saw a sign up at one of the churches. It said, “Drive through Prayer”. I turned around to get a good look at the sign and I saw several people in what seemed like a line waiting on people to drive through to get prayed for. I thought to myself, “Wow! Are we that consumed with having everything fast and quick?” But, then I realized that there were people out there who were willing to give up their time to pray for strangers who might wonder through. My train of thought then was, “How awesome is it that God has people who care enough to stand out in the hot sun to wait on people in need of prayer.” I even remembered at time when I was so desperate for someone to pray with me. So, my hats off to those people and the church with “Drive through Prayer”.

Prayer Journal

Prayer Journal

I have decided that I will began a Prayer Journal. This is a journal in which I will place the names of people I want to pray for and things I need to pray for. My prayer partner and I used to do this years ago. We got away from it, but as I was driving down the road today, the Lord place the desire to create another in my spirit.

Years ago, when I kept a prayer journal, I was able to go back and look at my list and see the awesome work that God had done for me, my family, and my community. So, I will begin one again. The Prayer Journal will also help me to remember those people and issues that I mean to pray for, but sometimes forget.

Feel free to join me. Start your own prayer journal today!

Dry, Dry Bones

Dry, Dry Bones

            One of my favorite bible stories is the one about the Valley of Dry Bones. It is found in the book of Ezekiel 37: 1-10. In this biblical story, the prophet Ezekiel is taken to a valley filled with old bones. The bones are dry and without life. After showing Ezekiel the bones, God asks him if the bones can live. Ezekiel answers by saying, “You alone know.” Ezekiel is then instructed to prophesy to the bones. Ezekiel does as he is instructed and life enters the bones. In the end, a great army stands before him. Awesome!

            What does this story mean? What does this story say to me? It says that we serve an awesome God. He is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all we could ever ask or think. Although the situation may seem impossible… although the odds are stacked against us, our God is able. “Is there anything too hard for God?” The answer is no. There is nothing too hard for God. There is no situation too hard. There is no mountain that he cannot move. My God can do anything except fail.

As children of the Most High God, we cannot look at things the way the world looks at things. We must take the blinders off. We must allow God to wipe away the film of this world. We have to look at things the way God looks at things.

So, what your boss is acting crazy. Stay calm and pray. So, your spouse walked out. Yes, it is painful, but before you grab the phone and dial a friend. Dial Jesus. Speak to that situation. Don’t allow your situation to dictate to you. You dictate to your situation. Tell your circumstances what they are going to do. Life and death are in the power of the tongue. Don’t be swayed by what things look like. Don’t even be led by your own emotions because even they are deceitful. Cry out to your God and see his awesome power.

Just because you are in the valley it doesn’t mean that you have to stay there. Just because it looks dry and dead it doesn’t mean that it can’t live again. Speak life. Allow God to breathe life into that situation.

So, as you face that judge don’t fear his sentence. Don’t go in afraid. Go in with power and life. As you are called in to your boss’s office, don’t fear. Cover yourself in the blood and go.

Declare unto your situation: “Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.” Amen.

The Prodigal Son-Lessons Learned

 

The Prodigal Son-Lesson Learned

The story of the Prodigal Son holds so much meaning for me. When I was a younger, I found myself wasting money and living riotously. I was working as a nurse and making decent money. However, I did not have the money management skills I needed to survive my first experience with life on my own. It wasn’t long before I found myself broke, out of work, and living in a way that was contrary to my Christian upbringing.

One day, it came to me. Why was I living like this? Why was I lying around the house hungry and wondering where my next meal was coming from when I could simply get in my car and drive home? So, I tucked my tail between my legs and went back home to my mother’s house.

When I look back on my life, I realized that I had become like the prodigal son. I had thought that I knew everything. I had rushed to leave home and do things on my own. I had landed a great job that I didn’t appreciate. I had not learned to budget, so I had blown my money on parties, clubs, and things I didn’t need.

And, now, I have watched my oldest son do the same thing. He had a great job. He made good money, but he didn’t plan for the future. He didn’t think about the next day. He didn’t save any money. He spend all of his funds on wasteful ventures and “so-called” friends. When I think about what he has thrown away, I get angry. He should have known better. I had tried to teach him to budget and how to save money, but it had all fallen on deaf ears.

Then, I remember myself. I remember how I also wasted my money, my time, and my loyalty on worthless friends. I remember me, and then I forgive.

I can forgive my son’s stupidity because God and my mother forgave me. When I was in the hog pen of life and sinking in despair, God nudged me and said “Go back home to your mother’s house.” Thankfully, I went in time. And, just like the prodigal son, I was not met with anger or scorn. I was met with love and understanding.

So, as I look at my son, I remember and I forgive. I remember how merciful our God is. I remember that Christ went to the cross was my sins. What great lesson in love is there than this?

If I knew Then...

How many times have we all said this? Too many. As I was driving down the road the other morning, I couldn’t help but thinking about all of the times that I had faced adversity. I was thinking about the problems I had faced and the way that I had responded to them. Suddenly, it came to me. If I had just responded the right way, things would have gone different. If I had just turned to God sooner!

I knew how to pray at the time of the adversity. But, did I ask God show me how to respond to the problem? Did I ask him to lead me around the mountain instead of trying to trek over it?

I am just so thankful that I now have a better understanding of who I am in Christ. I know that as a child of God I have a right to take my problems to the throne and expect them to be answered. I have the assurance that God hears me and that he is working everything for my good. I have learned to accept that adversities will come, but I don’t have to react negatively. I don’t have to stress out. I should take my problems~my questions to God immediately instead of trying to figure things out myself.

Yes, it can be trying during the waiting time. But, it is so much better to wait for God to give me the answer. It is better to allow him to guide me.

I used to get frustrated when I talked to someone about my problems and all he/she could tell me to do was to “pray”. I remember thinking, “Yeah, right. I know how to pray. I tried that already.” I now realize that although I had prayed, I did not give God time to answer. If an answer did not come immediately, I thought that God was ignoring me or that he just didn’t care about my problem. I can see now that he did care. I can see that he heard me when I first prayed. Just like with Daniel, he sent the answer, but sometimes it is held up.

If I knew then what I know now, I would not have spent so many sleepless nights. I would not have worried so much. I would have responded better. I would have guarded my tongue. I would have fasted more. I would have looked with spiritual eyes and seen the army of the Lord. I would have remembered that the battle was not mine but God’s.

Thank God for lessons learned!

Careless Words: We Must Learn to Bridle Our Tongues

Careless Words

It is amazing how much we can learn about God from children. As I watch my students each day, I learn so many lessons from them until it is almost mindboggling. Just the other day I learned 2 valuable ones from one of my students. This is the first one. Careless words can hurt and they can destroy.

I know you are probably thinking that we all know that. True. But, it is still a lesson worth repeating. Children don’t seem to realize that the little thing in their mouths called a tongue can get them into a world of trouble. The Bible says in James 3: 4-7: Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. 5So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! 6And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell.…

One of my students learned this lesson after she decided to announce to the class how much she wished I would go away. This little announcement came as the result of my correcting her inappropriate behavior. Once the words were out of her mouth, the write up slip was filled out and sent to the principal’s office. Next, the call was made to her coach and to her parent. In the end, she was severely punished for not controlling her tongue.

Yes, we all get angry. Yes, we all think evil thoughts at times. Sometimes those evil thoughts are about our boss, our co-workers, our fellow church members, and even our spouses. However, we don’t just say these things out loud. If we did, it could have disastrous results. We could lose our jobs, our spouses, and our places in society. There are so many marriages and relationships that have been brought to ruins over careless words~careless whispers. So, what do we do?

First, as Christians, we learn to bridle our tongues. We pray and ask God to help us when our boss or our spouse or our co-worker is getting on our last nerves. We ask him to show us why we don’t like our neighbors. You would be surprised at the answer.

This brings me to the second thing we must do: Pray. Several years ago there was a nurse that I worked with. Without knowing why, I talked about her negatively all the time. I was constantly pointing out her faults and talking down about her to my family and friends. One day, this question popped into my head: “Why does this woman irritated you so much?” I stopped and gave this question some serious thought. Then, the answer came to me.

 I didn’t like this young woman because I was jealous of her. I was jealous of the fact that she didn’t have children and could do whatever she wanted whenever she wanted. I had a small child, and my activities centered around caring for him. I was jealous of the fact that she had more money left over after she paid her bills. I was jealous of the fact that her parents had bought her a car, and my parents had not been able to do the same for me. I had had to purchase my own car and pay my own bills. Yes, I was jealous.

Once this reality came to me, I learned to control my tongue, and I stopped talking about her. I prayed and God showed me that I also had many things to be thankful for.

The tongue is such a dangerous thing. It can lead us to success or it can lead us to death. We must learn to choose our words wisely.