Being Thankful

Phillipians 4:4-7 "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

You know, God is faithful and good and just wonderful. Recently, I've gone through a little trial and in that trial I just could not see how a good thing could come from it. I sought counsel from family and friends... still no relief. But then I remembered a Biblical principle that God taught me when I was just 20. That is to be thankful. The Bible says in Ephesians 5:20"always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." That is quite a concept when you ponder it over... to give thanks go God regardless of your circumstances or the outcome of... your unknown problem. It may seem simple minded but I can testify that my anxiety did not get the better of me... this time. There were times when I was certainly stepping on the edge but overall I'm pretty happy with my conduct--for I know that it was Christ in me... giving me peace. And peace drives away anxiety...

So give thankfulness a try... at first it seems kinda crazy, being thankful for something that is so very unthankful but remember who's kid you are and who you belong to and who's in charge of everything anyway? Does not God have you life in his hand-turning in events around you... only for your good? Truly God knows, truly we have much to be thankful for!

Opening The Wound

Any deep injury needs healing, and sometimes surgery is needed. Many of us have deep injuries, suffered in the past by injustice, hatred, callous-hardened hearts, uncaring, or unawares. The wound may be a word, an act, or a lack of either kind words, kind acts. You know that you need help, that you need surgery when a continual deep-seated problem resurfaces, causing incurable emotional pain, debilitating the love in your heart that you have towards others. The injury starts small but when left unattended grows ugly, malicious in its self-destruction. To avoid your pain is the same as covering a most grossest of cancers. Without the proper attention your wound will fester, grow, and cause horrendous pain to yourself and others.

Men will not confess this. They’ve been lied to, a lie that says men are strong or keep your problems to yourself. They proudly keep their wound hidden; they do not unmask their pain. Some turn to alcohol, others to drugs, some enslave themselves to sex, anything… they do anything to stop the misery, to stop the pain, to drown the memory, to find relief…

We witness this everyday, for they work with us… socialize play us, and some live with us… They grow bitter and hard until their bodies fail them and they wonder why. Their pain killed them silently…

There is hope. There is a solution. A Way of truth: We have a physician (Jesus Christ) who uses the sharpest of instruments, the Word of God. The initial cut will scare you, frighten you, and cause your flesh to tremble. If you are like me you will weep for days, almost grow speechless, no words can comfort, and sleep may leave you. A war of wars will ensue as the enemy of your soul will fight the healing process, his hatred will come to light.

Through it all God continues to place loving balm on your wound, on your pain. He will whisper to you in your dreams, comfort you in his arms, change the bandages, and raise you to health. The pain becomes a memory. A memory that you share, that you openly show your scar and joyfully testify of God’s loving care and wonderful mercy. For he’s comforted you so that you too can comfort others, he’s encouraged you so that you share.

This is the core of these devotionals, from one heart to another, sharing the comfort and love that Christ has shown – for a specific time, which is now – to share with you. For Christ knows your pain, your wound, your heart, and he calls “come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matt. 11:28

This Great Salvation

“For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith:…
the just shall live by faith" Romans 1:7

We walk but we don’t always know where we are walking. All that we know is that we are prompted to move prompted to go from here to there. For heaven continues to tug at our hearts. Like an unseen magnet it pulls at us, often asking, calling, and instructing us to leave the cares of this world, the false attitudes of our hearts, and the assurances of the world behind. We learn that we are strangers and pilgrims in this world, that we simply do not belong. Behind our smiles and our ‘howdy’s’ sometimes there’s simply a lot of pain, a lot of loneliness. For we are lonely for something better, something purer, something that we’ve reached after all of our lives but have never attained, that we cannot attain. And yet we hunger so much, we seek after, we are sadden at times by our failure to apprehend and be apprehended {Phil. 3:12-13}.

The road that we walk down is bumpy, full of potholes, cracks, problems, trials, and temptations. Sometimes simply walking down the road will beat a person up. This is not a way for the timid, for the afraid, for the coward, or for the quitter… and this and so much more are who we are. We, of our own accord simply would not choose to go where Christ would send us, to lead us. We are weak within ourselves, we are sometimes foolish and despised and oftentimes rejected {1 Cor. 1:25-27}. The world thinks we are crazy and in a way maybe they have it right… for we are crazy about Jesus Christ. For when his grace and mercy touched our hearts, when he accepted us, loved us, and reached out to us from the cross of Calvary we fell in love with him.

For lets be honest, the way of the flesh is much easier, it requires no effort, it requires no sacrifice, only self indulgence. And sometimes we find ourselves ‘in the flesh’ and our hearts cry… our self-righteousness melts, we are undone, we are afraid, and we are blinded by condemnation, as it is written ‘the way of the transgressor is hard’ {Prov. 13:15}.

Dear friend, in everything, in everyway there is hope and that hope comes through Jesus Christ. In whatever state we find ourselves, we can have the assurance that Christ will not give up on us, he will not abandon us… he will guide us through narrow passages, sometimes very dark, sometimes very lonely, so that our eyes are taken off of self and back onto him. Such is the greatness of His salvation within

Christ - He walked Alone

Isa 61:3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.


Christ - He Walked Alone

Down a dusty road strewed with splintered wood,
Marked with etched-fragmented lines
Exposing, the whitish-bone of buried stone
Lay drops of blood... smeared...
Though this dragged the cross of Christ.

A man beaten, torn, bleeding...
Crushed beneath the wine-press of sorrow
Burdened by the awesome weight of humanity's sins...
His face, dust covered
Old lines of dust parted in streams
Where tears formed and fell...
Pockets of blood where beard should be (Isa 50:6)
Open bleeding wounds, caked in blood and dust...
His eyes, sunken, drained of life
The hollows of his cheeks bruised from beatings (Isa 50:6)
Lips dry of moisture, cracked and bleeding (John 19:28)
His back, whipped in anger
A tormented maze of lacerated flesh (John 19:1)
Criss-crossed ribbons of raw muscle
Where skin once was, his hair matted and unseemingly
Unsightly, he bore a crown of thorns (Matt. 27:29)
A crown of indignity and rejection...


Cursed and spit on, derailed by those he loved (Psa. 109:2)
Cursed by a world he came to love, to serve (Mark 15:18-20)
Cast out, thrown aside, rejected, by all, for all to see
A lamb led to slaughter... (Isa. 53:7)
We hid our faces, closed our eyes (Isa. 53:3)
Buried our heads, quieted our cries
In anguish..., silent, ashamed, as he walked by
Others laughed, others scorned, with hands made into fists (Psa. 22:7)
Lips turned ugly, spewing out curses
Evil words of hate, words that cut (Psa. 22:13)
The angry mob beat, slapped him mockingly
Spit in his face, scraped with their nails (Psa. 69:20)
Tearing flesh, bruising love, breaking spirit
Bruising love that would not die...

I, a Roman soldier pushed him down, shoved him to the dust
To the dirt, where lay a wooden cross
To this he laid down, beaten down, without a word
Without protest, he lay, as I knelt beside him.
I choose a nail, an iron nail, jagged and rough
Coated with blood, from someone's death
I raised the hammer, to strike the nail through...
Only, he did not move, he did not resist,
But lifted his head and looked at me.
I caught his gaze, through the crimson blur of blood and pain
And saw only love... and mercy... and forgiveness...

Love, unknown to me
Love, foreign… not of this world
Love, I could not comprehend…

I raised the hammer, and in sudden coldness of heart
Sudden rejection of love, I spiked down the nail
Again, and again, iron on iron, striking down, striking down
Iron on iron, sin upon sin, through flesh and sinew
Through love and mercy, through goodness,
I nailed Jesus Christ to the cross...

I then felt a wrenching of my heart
A shaking of my hand, the swelling of my eyes
And then an uncontrollable groan of emptiness…
Wretchedness, and loss, and then a tear fell
To the cross, in the wood, mixed in blood, his blood...
I whispered, "forgive me," with eyes of love,
I felt his love, knew his mercy... knew then, the touch of God on my heart.

The wood, the cross, the man, Jesus, was raised and the beam slid into a hole
Standing the cross upright, for all to see, for all to behold...
Beholding the man, beholding the nakedness, the blood
The life draining from his wounds
As he prayed out loud
Cried to his Father, praying in agony,
Calling for mercy, for his tormentors
For me, for us all...
With ragged breath and heaving shoulders
He looked up to heaven, gave a last cry
Eyes filled with tears, and then alone...he died...

The next three days were a blur
As his face, his words, his love continued to haunt me
Then with sweat blending with worry
A soldier rushed to me the news
Of a stone rolled away
And of this man’s body gone
Vanished
Only the burial linen left
Only an empty tomb
And the slight remembrance
Of a humored rumor
That this Jesus had said
That he would rise again

Weeks go by
With no new news
The tomb is empty
Many were questioned
All state the same
This was the Christ
Him who is God among us
Him who set the captive free
Him who is alive today

At last
Alone
I bent my knee
And pray to him
Cry to him
Hear him
Whom I love
Whom I nailed to the cross

Our sins nailed Christ the Savior to a cross and his blood was spilled, his sacrifice given to cleanse us all from our sins so that our faith and trust is in him and not ourselves. If you've come to Christ forget not the sacrifice nor the the redeptive power of his forgiveness; forgive others and yourself. If you do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ then pray to him and ask him to forgive you or your sins and to be your Lord and Savior. His sacrifice will cleanse you and his mercy will forgive you and you can then truly call him Lord.

Everything's Going to be Alright

Matthew 14:22-33 Immediately He made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away. After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone. But the boat was already a long distance from the land, battered by the waves; for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid." Peter said to Him, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." And He said, "Come!" And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, "You are certainly God's Son!"

Sometimes you feel as if you should be ‘walking on water’ when all you can do is tread water. Sometimes the storms of life seem too large, the waves too high, the winds too fierce. When all seems lost there is Christ… He’s in the mist of life’s storm with you, guiding you, protecting you. “Everything’s going to be all right,” he proclaims, “everything’s going to be all right.”

We have a captain of the sea who can calm the tempest waters within our life. Within his Word there is peace, there is strength, and there is hope. Storms of life will come and go but He is the same, His peace is the same. His love for you is the same if you ‘walk on water’ or if you tread water.

Just keep your chin up, say another prayer, take another step, and read another love-letter of His, and very soon the seas will calm, the winds will slow, and the Son will warm your hopes and fill your sails with peace.

Moses Weakness

Moses cried as a baby. This cry helped to save his life. Throughout his adult life Moses’ self-inflected weakness was his lack of self confidence when it came to speaking. Who’s to say if he suffered from some sort of a speech-impediment? A possibility, but probably not the case. God’s got a sense of humor though… for the man’s weakness became his career. That which he feared most, he was called to do. Why would God call on a person’s weakness and have them minister in that weakness; maybe to prove his power and his greatness, regardless of human inadequacy?

I can relate some-what; since I went through about a dozen speech teaches in grade and high school. I don’t know about you but when I got teased and then taunted and then beat-up a couple of times in school I tended to be pretty shy with my speaking. I would take it out on an typewriter and paper for they did not hit back and alone with the ‘clicking’ I felt that I could speak loudly and clearly, even if no one heard. To this day I would much rather write than speak... so, I can appreciate how Moses felt from time to time. He felt weak.

We all have weaknesses. We all have places within us that we are unsure of or that we are afraid of. We don’t like for those weak, hurtful points to be exposed. Have you got scars from the past? Sure you do, we all do. You can’t live in a sinful world that serves up hate to not ‘get-your-ears-bent’ a time or two...

It took a lifetime for me to get over a bunch of scars. Some of them had festered and that required some spiritual surgery, others I confronted and they slowly melted away. Believe-you-me, the process is still on-going. God’s not finished with you yet, or with me. I’ve given up on ole’ Michael a thousand times but God never has. God will never give up on you, because he sees too much potential, in our weakness. For it’s there that we need God and there we will find him.

Hebrews 11:
Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,[34] Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.[35] Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:[36] And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:

Friends

Although it is very uncomfortable, our times of struggle enrich us greatly. For in our times of weakness we are actually growing stronger. We don’t recognize it at the time since our focus is usually drawn to the fire that seems to be melting away our dreams, our hopes, and our energy.

But, if during the crucible, if we step back, look up, and look out we will see Christ ever as our comfort and our friends as his provided encouragers. We will see that though our hearts may burn within us, our spirits will not be discouraged for we will recognize how truly blessed and honored we are by a God who so loves us and with friends who so believe in us. It is therefore in disheartening times that we can agree with the Apostle Paul and say “when I am weak, them am I strong” (2 Cor. 12:10).

For we are nothing unto ourselves, none of us are an island, but through good and bad times a friend, a family member, or the counsel found in God’s Word has lead, has guided, and has encouraged our stinging heart and disillusioned mind. Bringing us out of the fire more pure, more humble, and more willing to follow the lead of the gracious Lamb of God that leads us through deserts bleak and valleys dark.

Be thankful today… for your friends!

Sojourner

Psalm 39:12" Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear to my cry;Do not be silent at my tears;For I am a stranger with You, a sojourner like all my fathers.

Like a wagon-train from two centuries ago, crossing the lonely, wind-swept-hot desert – so the Christian travels. Past tumbleweeds that once were alive and green, past a whitish horse skull, past the burnt remains of a wagon that came under attack. The sun burns down hot and scorching. The wagon wheels crack and creek – slipping over a harden stone, all to the sound of desert loneliness.

So often this describes the Christian experience, one of deserts hot, of skeletons seen and unseen, and of those who came under attack and fell.

Like the early travelers we are sojourners. We are travelers, we go from faith to faith, from victory to defeat, from defeat to victory. We follow God’s cloud in the wilderness, in the heat of the day we are feed by his heavenly bread, we are nourished and so we travel on.

For our vision, our hope, are destination is not of this world. We look for a better world, a heavenly one. Where there is righteousness, were our sores will be healed and our tears wiped away. Where life will flourish, alive and free and eternal.

We travel over sand hot, soil long ago cracked and dry but over the next rise, the next hill, God will refresh us, keep us, and bring our journey to a stop along his valley green and still waters…

Going Through The Fire

“But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” Job 23:10 (ASV)

Life is too complicated for simple answers. Job knew this, his friends did not. Job’s friends had life and God pretty much figured out. Their view was that good things happen to good people and bad things to bad people, cut and dry, pretty simple. The problem with this dogmatic-religious view is that it simply is not true.

Many times wicked people prosper, or they seem to enjoy a relatively trial-less life. While the righteous go through trial after trial, heartache after heartache, just as Job did. This was part of Job’s complaint to God as to why? He had searched his heart and in his heart he could not find any sin that he knew God had not forgiven. Job like God looked at the heart of the situation. The religious friends of Job looked on the outward. In their mind Job must have sinned greatly since many troubles were now upon him.

As God pointed out to Job at the end of that book the universe, the world, and each individual’s life is simply too complicated for the mind of man-kind to understand. Each moment of each day God takes care of these complexities, each day God watches over and directs the affairs of man-kind and the affairs of your life.

Our God is a God of mercy. His hope for those who do not know him is that they will. His hope is that his goodness on a daily basis will lead them to repentance, just as it did for us. As his children he corrects our ways, he refines us through the fires and complexities of life, because he desires our best, he desires his character to be formed in our lives.

Abraham & Trust

Just the other day I read the account of when Abram (Abraham) when he was called out of the land of Ur (Gen. 11). In the next chapter God gave him a promise that he would be the Father of a great nation and he journeyed into the land of Canaan, the land of promise. All seemed to be going well. As Abram looked around there was a famine in the land. Abram was at a cross-road of belief; he chose to journey to Egypt. In Egypt he fell into trouble when he showed his colors of not being a stand-up guy for his wife, but almost lost her to the Egyptians.

God’s given each of us a personal, wonderful promise. God’s got a plan that he wants to accomplish in our lives. When we are obedient and listen he will lead us to the promise land. If we look around at how bad things are – we might end up in Egypt. Wherever you are right now, God’s speaking to your heart. God may have impressed on you to step out in some way, to leave the familiar, and to go into strange surroundings. Follow the leading of God’s Spirit. Don’t be afraid of the famine; trust in the promises of God, for he’s in control. He only asks that we trust him and obey him, because he knows best and will give his best when our hearts trust him.

God's Thoughts For You

'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. {Jeremiah 29:11}

God has a plan for our lives. Often His plans are quite different from our plans. His plans are different because they are better—so much better than our plans. We have a tendency to take the easier road since we like our comfort zones. If you are like me then you don’t like disruption—we would rather that our lives continued along a bump-less road. Yet, God will not have it to be so. His best for us means that our comfort may need to be disturbed so that we reach for more, seek for more, long for more…

In whatever circumstance you and I face we have the many promises of God to rely on and that remind us of his great love for us. God has a wonderful plan and purpose for your life—remember that, hold onto that and it will help you when hope begins to fade and when plans go south.

My thoughts for you
Are only good
My plans and hopes for you
So wonderful
You have no need
To fret or fear
For I know your name
And I’m always near…

Shattered Lives Made Beautiful

Like shattered glass
Broken into a thousand
Individual pieces
So were our lives…
Filled with shattered dreams
Broken promises
Splintered relationships

Then Christ came…

Into the brokenness
Into the midst
Of our fractured hearts
And healed us
With love…

Love that forgave
Love that saved
Love that put the pieces
Back together
And made us beautiful
Love that made us whole

A Father's Care

Matthew 6:26 "Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?"

As a Father loves his child so does your Heavenly Father love you. As a Father will work hard and watch over his child so your Father in Heaven watches over and cares for you. He knows the motives and intents of your heart and desires only what is best for you. When you have fear your Heavenly Father wishes to teach you faith. When you have sorrow your Father brings comfort, for your Father loves and cares for you.

Father knows the stubbornness' of your heart and mine and He knows that correction is one way to drive self-will from our hearts and to create in us a broken and contrite heart, this He will never despise. For with such a heart we see our Father working in the hearts and lives around us. And we know that He loves us for He corrects us away from our ways, ways that you and I both know are unrighteous. Correction by His hand can be hard only because your heart and mine is hard. No matter the condition of your heart your Father loves you and He will never cease to correct and care for you, for He loves you.

Your Heavenly Father will never leave you or forsake you. He will never give up on you. He will always care for you and wait for you, for He is your Father and He loves you.

As a Father misses the voice of His child so your Father misses your voice. You're Father and mine loves little chats and long conversations. He longs for us to speak from our hearts. Your Father listens intently to your heart to hear you speak to Him, for He loves you so. He waits day and night to hear from you so that He can speak to you, so that you might listen what He will say and that is. . . He loves you.

Eternity

We are given one day at a time.
We are not promised tomorrow.
We are promised eternity.
We plan our days and our tomorrows but not eternity.
We think not of it, we give it no thought, no time.
And yet, our entire existence is like one single grain of sand.
The lifetimes of forever who can count?
Who can number the years when years no longer exist?
Who knows eternity?
God does.
He’s been there and he came back.
For before us, there was eternity and after us, there’s eternity.
All that we are, all that we do is a small part of eternity.
God came back and put eternity on hold to save our souls.
For the heart of men and women is more important to God, than eternity.
God willingly would sacrificed eternity for the chance to prove his love to humanity.
Being the victor he is now ever praised throughout eternity by you and me.

Being Different

All your life… have you felt as if you were different?…that you just could not make the grade and be ‘apart of the team?’ And when it came to picking teams for a baseball game or for ‘that special committee or promotion’ you were often left out… the reasons often unclear…

Somewhere deep inside of you there’s a difference lovingly placed there that keeps you and saves you from really fitting in…

Alone, your aching heart speaks to you and lifts your needs heaven-ward and all the while leading you away from the dangers of popularity and into some of the special secret places with your Heavenly Father…

How truly blessed you are to be so very different!

God Whispers to the Heart

God speaks to us in whispers
Whispers that flow across our hearts
Ever searching for a brokenness of will
Searching for an entrance into our hardness...
For God so longs to commune with our hearts
To dwell as our King, our Saviour, our Friend
On the throne of our hearts
To be so very close to us
That we can hear him whisper...
God speaks to us in whispers
Knowing that to speak otherwise
Would be thunderous, majestic, mortifing,
And in knowing our fragility
That it would destroy us
God then limits himself to a whisper...
When our hearts are still
When our minds are quiet
It is then that we hear
The mind of the spirit
As it whispers to our hearts...
It whispers...
'Open your heart to me
For opening your heart will expose
The broken thoughts, tattered lies
Painful memories that you've chosen to believe in...
Open your heart to me and I will set you free
I will fill your mind with peace and heal your brokenness
Open your heart to me...'
It whispers...
'Trust me
Trust me with your life
With your hopes
With your dreams
With your fears
With your doubts
Trust me
I will never leave you nor will I ever forsake you
You belong to me
Trust in me...'

Open your heart and let go...
Open your hearts and let God...
Whisper to you. . .

A Coke & Christ

"For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels” (Luke 9:26).

If you are like me you love your soda pop, it’s an American icon that you can sip or guzzle pretty-much to your hearts desire… (it may burn a whole in your tummy-linings if you overdo…) but that’s a different story. What I’m getting at is I’m not ashamed to say ‘I love coke’ but am I ashamed to say ‘I love Jesus Christ, are you?’ You know, you just don’t hear his name spoken all that very often… why is that?

Christian, may His name ever be on our lips… less we forget how we first loved him… how can we forget the innocence, sincerity, and longing… the over-powering cleansing that took place when we first trusted him…

May our hearts reflect compassion and mercy and our lives shine forth His righteousness—His glory! For Christ loves you and forgives you and cares for your every need—drink of Him—fill your life with Him and spread His name, his glory, his righteous and faithful acts to the very four corners of your world and to those who know you as friend or enemy!

‘Give us Father your peace so that we are content in this life to just sit and have a chat with you… and drink to our hearts desire… ‘

"Cease from Anger"

"Cease from anger and forsake wrath; do not fret; it leads only to evildoing" (Psalm 37:8).

Anger seems to be something that Christians do not like to talk about very much. It’s one of those ‘secret’ sins that seems to not receive enough attention until… an explosion occurs! Anger can get the best of any of us and at any time; just because we are named for Christ does not carry with it an everlasting immunization against anger’s infection.

The book of James tells us, "This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God" (James 1:19-20). Also, Solomon gave advice in Proverbs, "A wise man is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is arrogant and careless. A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, and a man of evil devices is hated" (Proverbs 14:16-17). Anger is a symptom of something deeper, something more troubling for that individual and after the right button is pushed, anger rises.

The Bible teaches that a cool head is always the best advice. "He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city" (Proverbs 16:32). A good example was Isaac. In Genesis 26, Isaac’s servants dug a well and the herdsmen of Gerar said, “the water is ours,” so Isaac moved away and dug anther well and the herdsmen again complained to him, so what did Isaac do? Isaac packed up and moved again, he had his servants dig another new well and at last Isaac said, “now the Lord has given us room and we will flourish in the land.” Isaac could have gotten angry and gone to battle over the wells but what would that have gotten him? A bad name for sure and despised enemies…

Heavenly Father, give us wisdom on how to be angry at sin but not at the sinner for whom you died for. Forgive us when angry crops up and may we quickly repent and humble ourselves to you and others during such a time…

Worry & God's Promises

God’s promises are many and varied. They are provided to give us hope and comfort in times of need. In the world that we live in, there is always a need. We are often embattled as uncertainty and the stresses of life haunt us and hunt us to the point were we can become filled with worry. Yet, God’s Word provides hope, his promises provide hope.

Often worry will come as we fear the future yet we know that the future we cannot control. Yet, we so often needlessly waste precious time and energy in this pursuit. We are encouraged through the Word of God, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7).

When prayer is added to the mix of life and from it our hearts are refreshed with a thankful heart then our attention turns to the needs of others. We pray for their needs, we seek from God their best interest. The anxiety that troubles us so often will soften, will lessen, and will dissipate.

Believing and then following the promises of God’s Word brings to us peace of mind. For "Those who love Your law have great peace, and nothing causes them to stumble" (Psalm 119:165). It is the Word of God, His promises that bring us hope and hope brings peace.

Washing Up!

Ephesians 5:26-27 “That he might sanctify and cleanse it (the church) with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”

The other day I was washing dishes and it occurred to me that before me lay a lesson. As I began there were a number of plates, forks, and spoons that were easily handled with a simple wash-cloth. The food seemed to simply slip off in the warm sudsy water. When I found that a tough food item had glued itself with iron cast determination I grabbed a nearby scrub brush and with a few rough scrubs the dish was clean as well.

Interestingly enough each item washed had its own use--its own purpose. Each of us were created uniquely by God for a reason--for a definite purpose (Jeremiah 29:11). Some of our purposes are readily seen while others seem to go unseen and are seemingly rarely appreciated. Yet, when God sets the table He views all pieces as unique and very important. Your life is important to God. Your life has purpose and meaning and significance! You may not 'feel' important but then feelings lie, don't they?

In our lives sometimes we get dirty. Our sins get the best of us and sometimes we need to be cleaned up. God baths us in his Spirit and then personally begins the cleaning process. If our hearts are yet tender before him then a simple encouragement from others or from His Word will do. And at other times God has to get a little rough with us. He declares our sin straight at us through His Word, he allows a little hardship, and brings out the scrub-brush. Yet, through it all God has a purpose. He cleans up our lives so that we can shine for him, so that we are fit for service, and so that we can reflect Him. God loves you and me too much to allow our lives to be scarred with the crumbs of sin and so He cleanses our lives, daily!

Father, thank you for the purposes that you've given our lives, thank you for caring so much! Caring so much that you consider us precious enough to call to us and cleans us from all unrighteousness. Father, forgive us of our sins and cleans us through your Word and through your Spirit. Make us instruments for your glory!

Diamonds In the Rough

We are diamonds in the rough...

With tools of chisel and hammer

Our God lovingly chips away

Our spirit, our falseness, our iniquities...

To shape us, molds us

Creating a hardness of faith... like a diamond

Sparkling with his inner-beauty...


For God loves us so much

That he employs

Our friends, our family ...creates adversaries

To the task of grinding away

Our likeness... our pride of life

To bring forth diamonds

Polished and worthy

To be set in the crown

Of his Son...

Forever, without end...

Michael Byrd


1 Peter 1:6-7 - In this ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be ye are in heaviness through manifold trials, (7) That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of Gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.

The Call of Salvation

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

For two thousand years a call has gone out to the Gentile nations, a great call of salvation. A salvation initially given only to the people of Israel but because of God’s love for all people he’s included us, the Gentiles. A call from God that includes peoples and nations to receive the truth and to depart from lies. For we live in a world of lies and deceit. Lies that have covered or copied the truth and perverted the way of truth, the way of salvation. Each and everyday the Spirit of God searches the hearts of all people to find hearts that are hungry for the truth, hearts that are broken and that are longing for fulfillment. The world has deemed that the truth, the Bible, is out of date and that it’s teachings no longer apply in our advanced and modern society. Yet, as time progresses we see a world in disarray, ever changing into a degradation of lawlessness, drug abuse, and promiscuity and lie added to deceit.

God is calling today to the hearts of mankind. A call to come and accept by faith the teachings of the Bible. A call to all to come and accept Jesus Christ as Savior, as Father, Friend, the Lord of life and heart.

We who have heard this call and accepted this great salvation have a duty and a continual obligation to our God and to our fellow mankind. That is to speak about this salvation in the marketplace of life, to share of the goodness of Jesus, and to pray that the hearts and minds of unbelievers might believe. We have an obligation to live the Bible before an unbelieving world, to at times behave strange and different because we are; because our hearts are changed; we've been touched by the love of God.

Heavenly Father, today your Spirit goes forth searching and seeking those who are hungry for the truth, those who are broken, those whose hearts are tender and needful. Teach us Father to be a kind and good people whose hearts are towards the lost yet may we ever be faithful to boldly and unashamedly proclaim the truth, the truth found in you!

Trophies & Glory

1 Peter 1:3-5 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Trophies are a beautiful thing in the hands of champions. They glisten and sparkle and dazzle the eye and cause the chest to swell with selfish pride. They proclaim to the loser that 'we are better than you' and that we have a name that will endure, that will last...

Some years ago I was given arm loads of trophies... they were freely given to me. These mementos of previous glories were stacked in an attic, they were dust covered and their shine had paled as for years they had sat in darkness... now, the space that they occupied was worth more than their memory and so I was told to rid the place of them. I pulled the engraved name plates off and stacked the plastic, wood, and crystal awards in the back seat of my car. To my surprise no one wanted these most sought after awards. No one wanted to worship their gleam and shine... no one remembered the giving or the name, or the date... like the dust in an dark attic the glorious memory of victory had dissipated, died, returned to dust, and their glory overshadowed and darkened with the passage of time...

So, I gave trophies away... to drive-in attentents who served me a burger and a coke, to the cook in the back, and to the shopping cart gatherer... it earned a smile and a thanks as they awkwardly carried away the first trophy ever presented to them... as I drove away I couldn't help but chuckle at the irony--as in my mind I compared those who strove so hard to win a prize compared to those who did not strive but the prize was freely given away... to those who accept it. Such are the ways of our God and the wonder of this salvation that is worth more than the crystal found in a National Champion trophy and that will not--nor shall not ever fade away!
Heavenly Father, thank you for this great salvation that Jesus purchased on the cross of calvery for us. Thank you for any award, any trophy, or any crown that we recieve on this side of glory --for one day we will gladly bow and present these awards to a wounded lamb... the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the King of Heaven and Earth! All praise and glory to His name forevermore!

The Master Painter

A great swirling wave of light

Peeked out through

Seamless clouds streamed in

A brillant band of filtered light

Painting hues of purple

Mixed with brush strokes of yellow-orange

All blending before my eyes

On this... Painted sunrise...

The Master painter brushes in a brand new day...

Wispy clouds glowing in orange-pink

On canvas now on lighted-blues

The Master painter gathers hues

And starts again... A symphony...

A melody of colors, tints of blush,

Brushed in lines of slender lace work

Crafted by Creator for all to see...