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Patience
Published August 12, 20081 Timothy 6:11
But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
We know that God calls us to live these values / qualities in our lives. For the purpose of this mini lesson, we will discuss patience.
Luke 8:15
But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.
A seed that is planted and grown with care and patience will produce fruit. This means the gardener made sure the soil was right, kept it watered,
provided nutrients and so on. The same goes for any situation or person. If you are getting your Ford car fixed, bringing it to someone who knows Ford
model cars is a better *planting ground*. With time and the proper tools, the car will be running fine.
James 1:2-4
My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire,
wanting nothing.
Now, I wouldn’t want to take my car to my local motorcycle shop to have it fixed. They might be able to get it running, but without the proper tools or
knowledge my car is now an accident waiting to happen. It could even have made my car problems worse.
So when we are tried/tempted/tested, it is better to let God work within you and to let Him *fix* you up right the first time. Otherwise it just has to happen over again and again until you do it thoroughly.
Hebrews 10:36
For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
Luke 21:19
In your patience possess ye your souls.
When we work with patience, and allow God to work things in His time, it allows us to grow closer to God more perfectly and completely. We close up the gaps in our lives where the adversary could’ve gotten in.
Some trials may take longer then we want to pass. But God won’t make us face it longer then we are able to. Pray for patience and strength, pray for resolutions, and understand that God knows how, why and when to do it all so that you can grow closer to Him more perfectly.
Thoughts on Easter and our Passover Lamb
Published August 12, 2008As we prepare to celebrate Easter and the glorious resurrection our our Lord and Savior, let us take a few moments to truly comprehend the magnitude of the sacrifice of the Lamb of God.
I can’t imagine a day that goes by that I do not do something to fall short of God’s Will for me. Maybe it was the tone I took with someone, maybe it was not following through on something I knew God wanted me to do. Either way, I fell short.
Christ, in all he did, never fell short. He suffered for each and every transgression no matter how small or large we perceived them to be because He did not want anything to separate us from Him. He was a spotless and blameless Lamb. The ultimate Passover offering of atonement.
He was tried just as much as, and I believe even more so then, any of us will ever have to endure. Still, He was the Son with whom the Father is well pleased. If He can suffer for a sinner like me, do I not owe it to Him to receive the grace that His suffering granted me?
There is a song called “Here I Am To Worship” with the line: “I’ll never know how much it cost, to see my sin upon that cross”. Can you imagine being at the foot of the cross and finally realizing the prophecy of the old testament; realizing that each and every drop of blood shed was to free you; the pain was for you; the reward was for you? He suffered so we wouldn’t have to!
Be encouraged! He loves….you flaws and all. He wants us to aim higher but still loves us when we fall short of the mark. He knows we are not perfect!! Our salvation is not by works, lest any man should boast. It is a gift we simply need to receive. But it doesn’t stop at the moment of salvation. He continues to present us with gifts if we would only stop and reach for them.
We have such a selfless and loving God. The one true God who desires us to draw closer to Him and develop a true relationship with Him. Not a one way street of us talking away when we feel like it, but a conversation with Him. He wants to guide and direct our paths. Knowing what a giving, loving and selfless God I have, why would I choose to not listen? How can I do anything but collapse into His loving embrace and say, “Not my will, but Your’s be done!” ? But I can’t get to the point of listening to Him as long as I am busy trying to earn His love.
Instead of trying to please Him, try to just simply love Him this Easter season. Let His love do the work in you!
Overcome
Published August 12, 20081 John 4:4
Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
1 Timothy 4:4-5
For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:
For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
Romans 8:16-18
The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Ever have one of those days where you just feel like you are not doing all you can do? For whatever reason, your self worth is run down, and you don’t think much of yourself.
God has something to say about that.
You are God’s special child. Don’t forget how much you are loved. God holds back nothing from you. This is a promise to you which He gives us through His Word.
God loves you so much, He has planned great rewards for you. We are joint-heirs with Christ!! Do you understand the magnitude of this? Regardless of how much we suffer on earth, the reward in heaven will far exceed the pain here.
Keep yourself filled with hope, know how much you are loved.
Things Are Not Always As They Appear
Published August 12, 20081 Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.
I think there are so many lessons we can learn from this one verse.”Things are not always what they appear to be”, “Looks are not everything” and that
“We are not able to judge based on God’s standards” are just a few of them.
In this chapter, Samuel, a servant of the Lord, is preparing to name the next king. He was told to go to Bethlehem and to bring a calf to sacrifice to God. He was to invite a man named Jesse and his sons.
One of the sons would be the new king. When Samuel met Jesse’s sons he immediately thought he knew who was to be king. But God told him he was wrong. (verse 7). He looked over all Jesse’s sons and realized that non were the one God had chosen.
He found out that Jesse had another son, his youngest, taking care of the sheep.When they called for him, instantly God told Samuel that he was the one. This was David.
Luke 9:47-48 And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child, and set him by him,
And said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child in my name receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great.
Another thing that came to mind is that David was the youngest child of Jesse. The farther from the first born you were, the least likely you would have anything of any significance or value. Yet this is the man God chose to be king.
Another lesson from this might be that we can find the greatest treasures from the least likely sources. I pray that each and every one of you sees as God would have to see.
Not Ashamned
Published August 12, 2008Psalm 25:1-5
Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me. Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which
transgress without cause. Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on
thee do I wait all the day.
These verses tell me how we as faithful Christians should stand tall and proud of our beliefs and faith. Those who are against the one true God should be the ones ashamed, not us. He is the way the truth and the light.
Be guided by His love and not influenced or discouraged by those things/people whose intentions are against Him.
Never Alone
Published August 12, 2008Genesis 28:15 And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.
Before Pentecost, God only manifested His presence at one place or with one person at a time. Thanks to the selflessness of Jesus Christ, we have God in Christ in us, always!!!
But even before Pentecost, when God spoke to Jacob He promised to be with him until God fulfilled His promise. Today we do not have to wait for our turn with Him. The Lord provides us with abundant blessing of Himself, all of which He can and does give to us. We no longer have to wait like a child to sit on santa’s lap. He is with us always.
Why then, do we often feel alone? He longs for His children to run to Him, to speak to Him, and to love Him. He is the perfect parent; not bound to the frailty or foolishness of this world. He perfectly knows how to give us what we need.
We have a loving and faithful Father. He holds back none of His love for us. We are never alone. He is always embracing us, strengthening us and guiding us. We are so blessed.
National Day of Prayer
Published August 12, 2008Philippians 4:6
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Matthew 21:22
And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
Ephesians 6:18
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
As we set aside time today to think of areas of our life, places and people who are in need of prayers, remember that God will withhold no good thing from us.
Pray for each other, just as we are called to do, but more importantly, let it become something you want to do. And not just for one day, but for everyday.
© 2003 Homeschool Blessings
Moments to Refresh & Renew
Published August 12, 2008 Ephesians 4:23
And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
Every so often, maybe even a few times a day, take a moment to renew your mind
and recommit it to whatever God’s plan for you may be.
Re-focus on Him, take your mind of the junk of the world, the messy living
room, the dishes in the sink, the pile of work or whatever is stealing your
time.
Wipe the slate clean of any frustration or anxiety and start fresh from that
moment on.
For me it is a quiet room, a sip of iced tea and 5 minutes of prayer. For you
it could be reading the Bible, singing a song of praise or encouragement, or
even a prayer and a nap with your little ones. Whatever it is, take the time to do it as
often as needed to keep your focus on living the Word.
© 2003 Homeschool Blessings
The Lion and the Bunny
Published August 12, 2008A friend of mine shared with me this story of a lion and a bunny. I did a little Biblical research and added to it. This short study is the condensed version of what I found.
The adversary is a lion. How does a lion attack?
He roars and startles the prey. He has to do this because the lion is slow, and startling the prey gives him time to catch him. But while he is roaring you have time to act. Don’t just stand there….pray for guidance and follow it.
1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
Jeremiah 4:7 The lion is come up from his thicket, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way;
1 Samuel 17:37 David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.
2 Timothy 4:17 Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.
We have freedom for all attacks of the adversary. When we notice the attack coming on…. it is just the roar of the lion. Hope is not lost. We have the opportunity to pray for guidance and follow through with God’s Will.
James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
I thank God for victory in all your lives!
© 2003 Homeschool Blessings
Lack of Knowledge
Published August 12, 2008The Buzzard, the Bat and the Bee
If you put a buzzard in a pen six or eight feet square and entirely open at the top, the bird, despite his ability to fly, will be an absolute prisoner. The reason is that a buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a run of ten or twelve feet. Without space to run, as is his habit, he will not even attempt to fly, but will remain a prisoner for life in a small jail with no top.
The ordinary bat that flies around at night, a remarkably nimble creature in the air, cannot take off from a level place. If it is placed on the floor or flat ground, all it can do is shuffle about helplessly and, no doubt painfully, until it reaches some slight elevation from which it can throw itself into the air. Then, at once, it takes off like a flash.
A bumblebee, if dropped into an open tumbler, will be there until it dies, unless it is taken out. It never sees the means of escape at the top, but persists in trying to find some way out through the sides near the bottom. It will seek a way where none exists, until it completely destroys itself.
In many ways, there are lots of people like the buzzard, the bat, and the bee. They are struggling about with all their problems and frustrations, not realizing that the answer is right there “above” them.
–Author Unknown
Hosea 4:6a (KJV) “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge:”
We all have situations or environments we flourish in, but we also have areas in our lives that we just can’t seem to get right. We struggle and fight our way, with 100% honorable and good intentions, but still do not succeed. Why is that?
God always provides a way out. Sometimes we chose not to see it, other times we can’t see it. But in every case, the Word can free us. By going to the Word for all our answers we gain the knowledge and insight God has provided for us so we can overcome any obstacle.
We have no reason to be like the buzzard, the bat or the bee. We have been given all the tools needed to break free from our prisons whether they be situations, habits or relationships.
Reading the Bible may not hand over the money you need to pay the bills, nor will it tell you flat out which job to take. However it will give you the foundations you need to make decisions and guide your walk so that God can speak to you and put you in the right place at the right time to receive your rewards and meet your needs.
