Side by Side Hand in Hand

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. 1 Corinthians 13:12

Seeing in a mirror dimly… a person I love was commenting (ranting) about the IDIOTS in our world today who refuse to LISTEN to the experts and OBEY their 100% factual, without error, scientific, guesstimate, “if you’d only believe” words to the wise. You know, the wise, the ones who WILL NOT become weapons of CMD(Covid Mass Destruction) to themselves and everyone else.

I am not doubting the passion, of the servant I love, for the well-being of the people in our world today. In fact I believe the venting was more to release some of the frustration we all experience at being powerless to fix and be healed from this terrible disease than to judge and/or spank the uncooperative.

But… given that… I would ask WHO chooses the experts? WHAT scientific experience/experiment was applied to their hypothesis? WHEN and WHERE were the clinical studies performed to support the results chosen as the way to go? HOW are the results now monitored for accuracy? And finally… WHY are these experts deemed to be the only ones who know the truth?

Ahhh… the truth! 

Another person, whom I love, courageously groaned, “What is that?!” This is a GREAT question and I don’t know, is the honest answer in our world today!

The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth… so help you ________???? We cannot be absolutely sure of this oath, until we know who one is willing to swear allegiance too. The STANDARD one raises their hand to, before as speaking the message.

Is the standard of “truth” based upon one’s own perception?

Is the  standard of “truth” based upon the majority of those who are liked and admired?

Is the standard of bearing witness as to the “truth”, the probability calculated by AI (Artificial Intelligence)?

Is the standard testimony given, flexible and/or variable with degrees of reality, margins of error, and social acceptability?

Is the standard of “truth” more a promise of, “Cross my heart and hope to die (hehe)” , we will legislate/mandate heaven on earth (unlike the meanies on the other side of the aisle, who only know how to produce hell)?

SPOILER ALERT: None of the above standards being sworn to as  TRUTH are truth. Call them opinions, or beliefs, or possibilities but they ARE NOT the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth!

Truth IS!

Truth is TRUE no matter who, what, when, where or why says differently. Truth is unchangeable! Truth has no margin of error, it has no percentage of agreement, that makes it the truth. Truth does not depend on the messenger to determine its truthfulness. Truth IS WHAT IT IS!

Which brings me to an Idiot’s Guide to choosing the “Expert” whom we MUST listen to in order to satisfy the gods of this world and live without condemnation to enjoy the chaos another day.

There is ONLY ONE EXPERT… His name (above all names) is Jesus.

Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. John 14:6 

Take it from me (the idiot of all idiots), if you want THE TRUTH, come to Jesus, THE ONLY ONE who holds the standard upon which He speaks “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth”… sworn by the mouth of God!

I don’t know all truth… I don’t know the whole truth… I don’t always tell the truth… and I definitely don’t always enjoy the truth but… Jesus promises that, in Him, I will know the truth, and the truth will make me free.” John 8:32

Certainly the person whom I love is correct to say there are idiots who will listen to nobody nor will they follow any protocol, given in good faith to help and protect.

But I say, don’t make it about the expert and don’t make it about bowing the knee to the gods of men. 

We all want to believe we can completely trust those who seem to have the answers and care enough to give of their time and service for the well-being of all. I am grateful to all those who sacrifice so much to respond to the needs of the many. Gratitude yes, but never complete trust (because of the human condition). And most certainly, never the authority and power to mandate unquestioning loyalty to all that proceeds out of their expertise.

as it is written, “There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; All have turned aside, together they have become useless; There is none who does good, there is not even one. Their throat is an open grave, with their tongues they keep deceiving, the poison of asps is under their lips; Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; Their feet are swift to shed blood, Destruction and misery are in their paths, and the path of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.”  Romans 3:10-18 

Expert or Idiot, we are all equal in this! Talk about margin of error… 

So, who then is worthy to be our Expert – the Only Expert?

Joshua 24:15  If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord .” 

It is a fact of life that we must pick up our own cross – our own life, and live it with full ownership. We can’t do it for anyone else and no one can do it for us.

Though we cannot control everything this life does or does not throw at us, we still must choose, own and respond to the life we are living. Certainly there will always be people who do not approve of the way you choose, own, and respond to life. The truth of the matter is they could be right, given our personal margin of error, we could be totally wrong… Or… they could be totally wrong, given their personal margin of error (could happen…)

Who’s to judge? 

For now we see in a mirror dimly… now we know in part…but then face to face… then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known

The truth is there is the now… everyone of us face today. But there is also the then… that everyone of us will face. You and I will know the truth (the truth that IS – with or without your agreement). We will see, face to face, the way, and the truth, and the life (Jesus) who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead. (Acts 10:42)

“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. John 3:16

Have you asked Him, your future Judge, to know Him as the truth, so that He, the Truth will make you free.”  John 8:32

Or do you still cling to your own truth with its margin of error?

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.

One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord And to meditate in His temple. For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock. And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me, And I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.
Psalm 27:4-6

There are those in our world today who are demanding “safe space”. I’m not sure what all they wish to have in their spaces, but I guarantee it will never cause them to sing praises to/of the one(s) who attempt to provide it nor will it ever be SAFE ENOUGH.

I’m also not sure why the providers seem to declare the demand as an emergency that EVERYONE must participate. In other words, everyone MUST take care of “Baby” because if “baby aint happy – no one’s happy”! Therefore, Papa and Mama bear come out, READY FOR BEAR, to find out who’s to blame for all of this unhappiness. Mmmm, this must be the reason for the emergency – a bear attack is coming!

When did the world change? It used to be that parents prepared children for the world they would face when they left the nest.  Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, That hovers over its young, He spread His wings and caught them, He carried them on His pinions.  (Deuteronomy 32:11) When it’s time to leave the nest, it’s time to learn to fly. No, one doesn’t just kick the hatchling out, they begin to teach the art of flying until the eaglet is able to face the world and fly on its own.

When did parents change? It used to be the guiding wisdom was to train up a child in the way he should go, when he is old he will not turn from it. (Proverbs 22:6). I wonder if the same is true if you train them up in the way they SHOULDN’T go, will it produce the same result… when they are old they will not depart from it???? (Thankfully, NOT NECESSARILY because it is God who can work in us to will and to work for His good pleasure.) 

The way he/she/they should go… When did the world & parents & people change?

When we stopped seeking God and began to seek the tree that was good for food (that which satisfies our personal appetite), and that was a delight to the eyes (that which makes us HAPPY), and that was desirable to make one wise, (that which insures my power and light). 

Like Eve, we believe the tree promises a world we can live with! Weseek the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thinking we will be like God, or better yet, WE WILL BE the god of own life, so we take from its fruit and eat; and we give also to our family with us, and they eat.  Genesis 3:6

And thus, rather than seeking God and His house (which IS THE ONLY safe place) we seek to build our own safe spaces, which are failures before they are even inhabited. (See Tower of Babel & Sodom and Gomorrah as a couple of examples of human building talents)

I know from own experience. A childhood of more than enough opportunity to seek God but unaware of God’s desire to be sought by me.

For I know the plans that I have in mind for you,” declares Adonai, “plans for shalom and not calamity—to give you a future and a hope.  Jeremiah 29:11

God does not wish for any to perish but all to come. I grew up not knowing HOW to come to Him nor a personal desire to be under His control, because everyone knows His Will will BE DONE! If I stayed away from Him, I really believed I could do all things my way – the safest of all safe places!

Until I ran into the brick wall called REALITY and the consequences of this mess called life. Pretty messy and not at all pretty! Did you know you can’t fix a mess without cleaning up the original mess? Did you know that a professional mess maker (of which I am THE charter member) is not the one for the job. Brilliant, right? Who you gonna call?

There is ONLY ONE who can not only change the mess I’ve created but change the mess I am. When you figure that out, “Then you will call on Me, and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me, when you will search for Me with all your heart.  Jeremiah 29:12-13

Then, out of the blue, someone (you know who you are Debbie Stryk) took the risk that I too could be redeemed and said to me, “You need Jesus!” 

And He (Jesus) agreed!

On the day I finally picked up the phone and called His number, He answered me; He made me bold with strength in my soul. Psalm 138:3 

He brought me to His Safe Space… that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord And to meditate in His temple

The only Safe Space! For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock.

Where in this world is a safe place? Nowhere Man… or from my point of view, Nowhere, Man!

There’s a song like that. Check out the song “Nowhere Man” by the Beatles released in December 1965 (according to Wikipedia). Check out the lyrics, they fit me perfectly before I met Jesus, AND they fit a lot of people today trying to find their own safe places. (I’d love to copy them here but I don’t know the copyright laws… check them out – you’ll see what I mean)

For me, the Kingdom of God is my safe pace… And now my head will be (eternally) lifted up above my enemies around me, And I will (continually) offer in His tent, sacrifices (of all that I am) with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.

Be safe out there people, it’s a mess!

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.

 

“In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
Matthew 7:12

But Lord, in EVERYTHING?!?!?!?!

“You have heard (it’s what EVERYBODY says!) that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” ‘But I say (it’s what sets you apart!) to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.’

In EVERYTHING!

Not just the flimsy, fake, “good to see you”, two finger handshake, and words about love, said with a smile… For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Matthew 5:43-47

The blessing, life sustaining, the giving of hope, kind of love (like your Father Who is in heaven). Agape love… unconditional, a full heart of TRUE love… Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails; 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 Let’s hear that again!! LOVE NEVER FAILS!

Let’s be honest, isn’t this how we think WE SHOULD be treated? 

So then the choice is pretty clear, For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “ You shall love your neighbor as yourself .” That one word? LOVE!

Or, you can be a… a law breaker with your pals called “everybody else says” or “nobody does this in today’s world”. Just don’t be surprised when you don’t get what you want but you get what you give…  if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another. Galatians 5:14-15

It is a scary world out there today! Some would say, “You gotta be tough  or become a lamb headed for slaughter.” In fact, I think the passion of so many people today is power, control, and status. We think very highly of ourselves (not so much you but your usefulness) and strive for the WHOLE PIE. After all we are told from cradle to grave we can be all, do all, and have all, if we set out minds to it.” And, “Oh yeah, we might take you along for the ride, IF… you don’t make me mad!”

There’s just one SMALL problem, really, just a minor catch to your plan to destroy anyone and everything that stands in your way…  For it is written, “ As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me , And every tongue shall  give praise to God .”  Romans 14:11

Whether you, little person, believe it or not, God is in control! The One true God, The God of Israel, The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Great I Am! Atheist, Agnostic, Theist, or someone who just doesn’t care, truth stands as man made statues fall. For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.   Romans 12:3,13:10

God is in control, so when He says, “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” we really ought to!

And when He says, “But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13, we really should go for the gold – the greatest, we really should go for love (not lust! L.O.V.E!).

What if I “NEED” to be treated badly? What if I strive to be a victim of your imperfections (sins) so that I might show how “bad” you are and how “helpless” I am? What if I want to bring you down to a level below me so I do not have to struggle to climb higher? What if I don’t KNOW what I want?

I say, “That would be a bag of _________… call it what you will”, you have a plan in mind, for yourself and everyone else and I would suggest you WANT the power, control, and status! So… yep… in everything, treat them as if they have the kind of power, control and status you desire. In EVERYTHING! Even in your self-deception.

Every man, woman and child that has the breath of God in them, was created with love and for love and in love. We have a burning desire (whether we can correctly identify the desire) to be wanted… to be known… and to be loved without regard to conditions or threats or manipulation. We don’t always get love from people as imperfect as each of us so, in desperation and disappointment, we give what we get.

Flip It! It’s not about what you get – it’s about what you give!

If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift ofprophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 GIVE LOVE!

Don’t know love? “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. John 3:16

Know God and you will KNOW LOVE and you will HAVE love to give!

In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you… 

Treat them with love in everything…

It’s not in what you get – It’s in what You Give… this is the Law and the Prophets.

Be.All.In… In the giving!

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.

Philippians 4:11-13  I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Sshh… It’s a secret! 

Back in the day, I didn’t have a CLUE! I looked in all the wrong places – at the wrong people – read all the wrong books – believed ALL THE WRONG secrets to a happy life.

In hindsight, it would have been helpful to get a clue to what I was searching for. I was looking for happiness but had no idea what it looked like… “the state of being happy” (from the dictionary on my computer). Well, that’s helpful, does anyone have a map?  Must be somewhere over the rainbow, because it’s not one of the 50 states of our union! 

I have to admit I was LOOKING FOR something that I had no idea what it LOOKED LIKE so how will I ever know when I arrive?. I had not yet met King Solomon, who was definitely blessed with everything he needed to “do” life. He seriously set out to find the secrets of life and he started by searching for the what is, the what for, and the how too. Had I read Ecclesiastes, I might have avoided a few of the dangerous potholes my life fell into… maybe! I was so cocooned in the small Iowa town I was raised in, I was simply NOT READY to meet, greet and take control of life, but “boy oh boy” I KNEW if anyone could find the land of happy, I would be the one!

I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure. So enjoy yourself.”  Ecclesiastes 2:1

And behold, it too was futility.  I said of laughter, “It is madness,” and of pleasure, “What does it accomplish?”  Ecclesiastes 2:2

What indeed does it accomplish? Can you say A-D-D-I-C-T-I-O-N! My computer dictionary starts the definition of addiction as a “brain disorder”… (characterized by compulsive engagement in rewarding stimuli despite adverse consequences). Well, duh! L-U-S-T of the flesh… L-U-S-T of the eyes… and the boastful P-R-I-D-E of life. (1 John 2:16)

And what is lust? (Lust is a psychological force producing intense desire for an object, or circumstance fulfilling the emotion while already having a significant other or amount of the desired object.) In other words… “There is NEVER ENOUGH nor will there EVER BE ENOUGH!

The dictionary leads one to believe (psychological force) that this is some kind of outside source that MAKES us this way, thus we are “victims”. I tend toward believing we are the only creature that has been endowed with the GIFT OF FREE WILL!  If we are indeed victims (I say slaves) , we are victims (slaves) to the worst of the worst plantation owner ever… OURSELVES!

“Satan (or whatever name we substitute for evil) made me do it”, is a complete and utter lie! He might have given the suggestion and prepared a persuasive marketing ad promoting our opportunity, but the choice to indulge was/is/will always be ours and only ours!

What’s the OTHER choice?

Peace… peace with life, peace within our circumstances, peace because our heart is at rest. 

I want some of that! Mary, what’s the secret?

I have learned… to be content… (my trusty computer dictionary… again… CONTENT… adjective: in a state of peaceful happiness… verb: (content oneself with) accept as adequate despite wanting more or better… noun: a state of satisfaction… MY DEFINITION – a state of peace!

And here is what the state looks like… I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.

Notice that the secret to contentment (peace), isn’t in the gathering of all things necessary for your perfect world. Notice that there is no waiting for the perfect environment before class begins. In fact, learning contentment (peace) requires the non perfect, ever changing, day to day opportunity to EXPERIENCE true satisfaction of life. The kind of peace that destroys worry. The kind of peace that SHOUTS,  “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.  Matthew 6:34

The truth is, neither you nor I, nor Santa, nor your pet unicorn can “un-worry”    trouble. Trouble came when the opportunity was taken to remove God from His number ONE position! Sin sent us out of God’s perfect world, and now, the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.  Romans 8:22 That’s trouble with a capital T-R-O-U-B-L-E! But we did it (and continue to do it) our way! What do we get for our effort? An A+, a brain disorder called addiction.

Some would say that insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results… “The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!  Matthew 6:22-23 There is only One Way to turn our “body” from the insanity of darkness to a body of contentment – a body filled with the light of peace. Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”  John 8:12

It’s no secret! I have learned… to be content and at peace… I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Rather than seeking a “state” of happiness, I have learned to pursue the state of contentment.  Contentment with who God made me to be. Contentment with how He plans to grow me into His Mary. Contentment knowing He will never leave me nor forsake me. Contentment knowing His Will, will be done. 

No more insanity… no more calamity… no more chasing “happy”.

My Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.  John 14:27

I chase Jesus…  seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things (contentment, peace, wisdom, strength, abundant life) will be added to you. Matthew 6:33

The Perfect Secret… but don’t keep Him a Secret… Rather than Sshh as in silent – lets make it Sshh as in Side by Side Hand in Hand!

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.

Colossians 3:12-14 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.

Did you know? IF you are…

Chosen of God…  you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for  God’s  own possession , so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;  1 Peter 2:9

Well, are you? Jesus came… did you hear Him and join His household?

He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were  near; for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit. Ephesians 2:17-22

Yes? Then we are… FELLOW CITIZENS! WE ALL HAVE ACCESS! There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.  Ephesians 4:4-6

Nice words, Mary, but it aint happening in our world today! Have you seen the news lately? There is systemic racism! There are protests! There are riots! Nice words don’t help!

I say… they are more than “nice” words, they are the Words of God. They are TRUE words, whether we the people practice them or not. They don’t become false or fictional, or bad, because WE the people don’t FEEL them or experience them in the way we demand them to be. TRUTH is truth even when we don’t “like” it, even when we misuse it, even when we abuse it, even when we don’t believe it! 

God IS TRUTH… God’s Son is the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE… God created mankind to be a little lower than the angels (at least while we are away from heaven) and blew in to each and everyone of us His breath of life so that we might turn from evil and seek to LIVE with Him. He does not wish for any to perish but all to come to Him. From the day WE let Satan have a place and a piece of us, God’s plan was for all who are weary and heavy laden of everything evil, to “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”  Matthew 11:28-30 

I believe, in our world today, we are looking for ALL THE WRONG THINGS in all the WRONG PLACES form all the WRONG PEOPLE. 

We need a “Come to Jesus moment” and then we need to clean out the closet of our life and fill it with the yoke and burden of Jesus! Then and only then will we find REST for our SOULS.

You see. we are looking for all things to please our SKIN, when it is our SOUL that is groaning for the return of the paradise. We are looking in places that promise a GOOD TIME but enslave our souls with the addiction for immediate gratification. We look to the next scam artist who will paint us a picture and promise us the world for the small fee of everything you hold sacred.

Let us look in the RIGHT place!  You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord, Jeremiah 29:13

And when we find Him, let us fill our souls with Him!  Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

Then, let us DRESS as the people we are… chosen of God – a chosen race – a royal priesthood – a  holy nation – a people for  God’s  own possession.

Let us Dress for Success… so that we may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you

What’s in your closet? What did you pull out to wear today? A heart of compassion? Kindness? Humility? Gentleness and patience? 

Are you dressed to bear with one another, overlooking all the imperfections and covering each other’s multitude of sins with grace and mercy?

Are you dressed for the success of forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you?

What’s in your closet?

I spend a great deal of time planning and dressing to portray myself as having it all together. I definitely strive to impress but sometimes my closet becomes full of OLD RAGS from the days before royal priesthood, without looking I pull out clothing that is inappropriate for the Truth that reins in my life. I thought I had burned up all my old clothes on God’s altar, but I find that that I am wearing rags of anger, wrath, malice, slander, and  abusive speechbecause I fail to let the Holy Spirit dress me for His success.  

Sometimes, I react against the enemy’s weapons and respond, returning evil for evil or insult for insult, realizing far too late that I didn’t put on the armor of God but took things into my own hands. I have no excuse, whether I make use of it or not I HAVE the full armor of God in my closet. 

To sum up today’s blog, I encourage all of us who are chosen of God, holy and beloved, to dress for the world – our world – the world that seems to be lit with fires from pit of hell, to see REAL SUCCESS… the Heart of God. 

“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. John 3:16

Let us dress to show that it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

Maybe a better question is WHO”S in your closet? Now’s the time to come out of the closet and show us you wear His Brand,  cause it is the best FOR PERFECT SUCCESS!  Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Colossians 3:1

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.

 

Joshua 24:15 If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord .”

There are many choices but only One Lord.

There are many opinions about who you SHOULD choose, but only one who stands before their choice to receive the value/compensation for your service. That would be YOU!

When all is said and done and you are facing the final moments of your life and you are standing before the judge (no jury, just the receiver of your service), it is you who bears the final judgement and consequences from your choice.

From everything i have heard, because unfortunately I never had the opportunity to know this brother of mine, George Floyd stood before the Lord, our God because he CHOSE to love and therefor, serve Jesus! For George, his final consequence for his choice is that, The Judge (the ONLY judge) of the living and dead, wrapped His arms around George and said, Welcome home, My Son!”

I want to be.like.George Floyd!

The policeman who murdered him (and the three who stood and watched) chose to serve EVIL. Unless he meets and chooses to love and serve Jesus, like George, he will bear the judgement and consequences of his service choices… eternally! 

Is that ENOUGH? Does knowing this calm our souls which crave the ultimate victory over this unspeakable, unfair, unforgivable act?

What does the ultimate victory over all the evil of this world look like?

It looks like the crucifixion it was.  And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.

Many then and now, think evil won then, as it appears evil is winning today. 

Many, then and now, fail to understand that the first coming of Jesus the Son of God, was to pay the price of evil’s work, sin!

The wages of sin is death. 

Oh, you don’t sin? Sin is for the really bad (whom by the way I will name if you ask me), me, I’m a “good person” – just ask me and I will tell you so.

“There is none righteous, not even one; There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God ; All have turned aside, together they have become useless; There is none who does good , There is not even one . Their throat is an open grave, With their tongues they keep deceiving , The poison of asps is under their lips; Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; Their feet are swift to shed blood, Destruction and misery are in their paths, And the path of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.”  Romans 3:9-18

The wages, whether you believe you owe them or not, is death!

Jesus died so we could live! He was THE ONLY ONE who could… and DID!

Where is the victory?

He LIVES! Death did not swallow Him – He defeated it!  And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised;  Matthew 27:50-52

He did it for each and every person on this earth…  “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. John 3:16

This time Jesus came to save.  “If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.”  John 12:47

However, He will come again, and then… comes judgement.  “He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day. For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak. I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me.”  John 12:48-50

What ever else this day may bring… Choose for yourselves today whom you will serve  Be.Like.George.Floyd, regardless of whatever else the day may bring, choose Jesus! I know he (George) is glad he did!

I also know he (George) is grieved for the one who murdered him. I know he (George) is face to face with God praying… “Father, forgive him for he knows not what he’s done!” Just Like Jesus did…

I also know he’s praying for each and every one of us (because I believe that is one of the jobs done in heaven)…  I imagine it goes something like this… “God, grant the people of earth, according to the riches of Your glory, to be strengthened with power through Your Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in their hearts through faith; and that each of them, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that each of them may be filled up to all the fullness of God.”  (Ephesians 3:16-19)

Lord, God, as my heart breaks with the grief and chaos evil has fired against us, every man, woman and child on this earth, I want to be.like.George Floyd in my choice to love and serve You.

And in my love and service I want to be.like.Jesus!

I want to… Bless those who persecute me; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another; not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Not be wise in my own estimation. Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on me, be at peace with all men.  Romans 12:14-18

I want to serve Jesus well! How can I serve You, Lord? And looking at me Jesus says to me, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”  Matthew 19:26

May we all choose to be.like.Jesus!

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.

 

Jesus wept. John 11:35

To me, these are the most beautiful two words of all of Scripture.

For sure ALL of Scripture is core shaking AWESOME!  All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.  2 Timothy 3:16-17 ALL of it!!!!

But this one… Jesus wept… is the moment I KNEW I was His. I’ve cried a few tears here and there. I’ve been touched by the emotions of many events in life but this – WEEPING as Jesus wept – had never happened before. 

I wasn’t studying the Bible – I was an infant when it came to Scripture. I wasn’t reading a commentary on the event of Lazarus’ sickness and the call for Jesus to come, “ Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.”  John 11:3. 

These two words were simply a statement in a “toddler” Bible Study… the shortest verse of the Bible… Jesus wept. (John 11:5).

The waterfall began – not wailing – gentle tears, but more than I had ever shed in any life event. Not grief – not pain – not even an awareness of why Jesus was weeping. The ONLY THING I KNEW was that Jesus had His hand upon me and the tears of God flowed through me!

Today of course (38 years later) I sometimes do delve a little deeper into Scripture. As I was getting ready to blog (Website Wednesday) and wondering if inspiration would come, two words came to mind… Jesus wept…  today I dive deeper into His tears of love, our Baptism into life!

The event… Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was the Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.”  John 11:1-2 

Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when He heard that he was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was.John 11:5-6 Don’t we all wonder sometimes, “What took You so long, God!”? Our definition of love is BUT I NEED it!!!  IMMEDIATELY!!!

Though it wasn’t Martha’s and Mary’s preferred timing, Jesus did go… Then after this He *said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” WHOA!!! The disciples *said to Him, “ Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone You, and are You going there again?”John 11:7-8  It’s dangerous!!!  He *said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go, so that I may awaken him out of sleep.”  John 11:11 But, WAIT!!!  “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that He was speaking of literal sleep. So Jesus then said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, 15 and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let us go to him.” John 11:12-15 OHHH!!! Ok, if You say so…  Therefore Thomas, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, so that we may die with Him.”  John 11:16

Do any of us ever understand God’s way? Do any of us ever think like God? Do any of us really know what God should do? Jesus knew what He was doing! Every moment of the event. The call to come, the waiting, the journey, the threat to His life, the people He loved who were breathlessly waiting for His power to heal their beloved Lazarus.

When Mary came where Jesus was, she saw Him, and fell at His feet, saying to Him, “ Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” (John 11:32) How many of us believe that with God all things are possible, yet like Mary, assume His power stops on this side of life – the earthly side?  When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled, and said, “Where have you laid him?” They *said to Him, “Lord, come and see.” (John 1:33-34)

Did you see it? He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled…  what was His response? Jesus wept…

And the people responded as most of us would.  So the Jews were saying, “See how He loved him!”  But some of them said, “Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have kept this man also from dying?”  John 11:35-37

Do you see Jesus weeping?  What’s your take on it?

He was grieved at the response of people who knew Him? He was a man, and men do not take it well when a woman is crying? He felt their sadness and grieved with them? 

Though I do believe He saw and noted every tear so that in eternity He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4

I also believe that in His weeping, the people experienced the same thing I did when I wept with Him. Not His tears of grief or sadness or disappointment, though there was opportunity for all of those tears. I believe Jesus wept tears of LOVE. A LOVE so deep it gathers us to His heart and baptizes us into His LIFE. 

A LOVE so profound He weeps as He calls us from the grave. He cries out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth.”  John 11:43

Thirty Eight years later I now know, I wept tears of joy because His love released me from the grave clothes.  The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus *said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” John 11:44 

Like Lazarus I came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and my face was wrapped around with cloth so I could not see.

I wept with Jesus as His tears of LOVE unbound me and set me free!

“I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. John 11:27

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.

Matthew 17:20  And He said to them, “Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.

if you have… will I ever have ENOUGH faith?

What is enough? Jesus says I only need faith the size of a mustard seed… the tiniest seed of all!

A MUSTARD SEED! And then… NOTHING WILL BE IMPOSSIBLE TO YOU! I want some of that!!!

I don’t have it!

I don’t have a faith bigger than the tiniest seed of all. 

There are those who would infer I may not be “saved” if I don’t declare and show that nothing is impossible for me now that I have Jesus. Others might say that I am minimally saved but I am not yet a “disciple of Jesus” because I cannot move a mountain from here to there.

Big jobs require big impossible busting faith! 

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”  Luke 17:5

Ask, seek and knock, and then declare it so, right? 

Maybe not.

And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and be planted in the sea’; and it would obey you.  Luke 17:6

Oh my, the “test” of faith is getting bigger by the minute.

I’ve never seen a mulberry tree (I have sang the song… “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush”) , much less uprooted one and planted it in the sea! Definitely NOT ready to take my faith show on the road to show and tell them how it’s done!

What is my faith road show… Is it faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.  Hebrews 11:1

The assurance of things hoped for, what am I hoping for? The ability to move mountains and trees with just my words? The conviction of things not seen, what am I trying to prove?

Or more importantly, is it NOT what,  but WHO! 

Am I trying to grow my tiny – smaller than the tiniest of seeds – into a huge ME TREE? (a mustard seed, this is smaller than all other seeds, but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”  Matthew 13:31-32)

A tree so large that birds of a feather can flock together while they admire all the impossible things this ME TREE can do. If this is my primary pursuit through faith, may I just say, “It (my miniature tiny seed) aint going to get any bigger than it is right now!”

The mustard seed of faith that Jesus is talking about is Him.  Romans 10:9-10 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. 

The mustard seed of faith does not produce a Super-person who saves himself or anyone else. It produces a person who is ASSURED that God is in control of the future (the one we hope/know beyond a shadow of doubt is coming) and CONVICTED that there is no other name under heaven that guarantees our future.

After discovering that I don’t have faith as big as a mustard seed, I realized I have The One who does. Like Paul, I determined to know nothing except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. I am with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching are not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.  (1 Corinthians 2:2-5)

I don’t need impossible busting faith to prove myself to you (But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”  James 2:18). I also don’t need to show you my works to prove how blessed by God I am (My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of  personal favoritism.  (James 2:1)

I DO NEED the smallest seed of faith that opens my mouth and confesses Jesus as LORD.  I DO NEED the smallest seed of faith that plants belief in Jesus so deep in my heart that the weeds in my life will never choke the truth that God sent His son to die on the cross to pay my debt and raised Him from the dead to stamp BILL PAID on my life for eternity. I DO NEED The One to Whom nothing is impossible take up residence in me, so that my tiniest of faith seed will rest on the power of God alone.  For this reason…

I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you (and me), according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your (our) hearts through faith; and that you (and I), being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you (and I) may be filled up to all the fullness of God.  (Ephesians 3:14-19)

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.

 

“As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, And at the last He will take His stand on the earth. Job 19:25

I DON”T know how I know! 

I DIDN”T always know!

I WASN”T looking to know!

I HATED those who knew!

But God…

I SHOULD”VE known!

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. Romans 1:18-20

I SHOULD”VE known! There is no excuse – not ignorance, not being told, not seeing. The only thing I can possibly confess is, “I LIED!” I DID know!

For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks,

But… I didn’t WANNA know! 

Soooo…. I became futile in my speculations, and my foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, I became a fool, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Romans 1:21-23… you name it – I made an idol of it.

Believe me, I’m not proud of ever being a FOOL! And… I would have remained a fool, had God not intervened – had God not “wrestled” with this fool of fools.

I was just playing my normal game of, “Feel sorry for me so that I might use you to feed my desire to descend the ladder of “POOR – POOR me – me – me- me”. Why? Because I make the rules and I demand you play!

Did I ever really think of the consequences of when/if I ever reached the last step of the ladder? NO! That would be futile to my foolish heart! After all, according to my speculations, there is NO end – just NOTHINGNESS! Who needs God when there is no hope for anything more than just here and now?

“You need Jesus!”

With those words, the wrestling match began! A wrestling match, not with the lady who voiced them, but with the Author who spoke them.

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth and making it bear and sprout, and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; so will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.  Isaiah 55:10-11

It will not return empty!!!!! It DID NOT return without accomplishing what God desired!!!

Please know, it was not a wrestling match of violence (though I threw some giant tantrums), it was a wrestling match of a Father – His Son – and His Holy Spirit, Who deeply loved me (even more so when I was unloveable) and longed to birth me into their family, and make me a new-born child of God. It was a “labor of love”, and no amount of labor pain or length of it, would stop the Parent Who knew me before there was a twinkle in my earthly daddy’s eye – or his daddy’s eye – or his daddy’s eye… or… (Psalm 139)

It was indeed a LONG labor for me, to God it was but a moment of accomplishing what He desired. In hindsight that first breath taken in my Father’s arms was my first moment of KNOWING my Redeemer lives!

Through the years, God and I have wrestled many MANY time! From my whining, “WHY do I need to study Your Word, just give me the Cliff Notes!”, to the “BUT I NEED…!”, I have followed my forefather Jacob in “Wrestling Mania”…

Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When he saw that he had not prevailed against him, he touched the socket of his thigh; so the socket of Jacob’s thigh was dislocated while he wrestled with him. Then he said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.” But he said, “ I will not let you go unless you bless me.”  Genesis 32:24-26

And indeed, God has blessed me with His promises of inheritance of His kingdom. And yes, many times I have walked away with a limp!

Who am I that the Lord our God should take notice of me and wrestle with me until I KNOW HIM as my Redeemer LIVES? Until I KNOW (beyond a shadow of any doubt) He will take His stand on the earth?

Who am I and How Do I Know?

It isn’t because I’m so smart! It isn’t because I’m and extra special child of God? It isn’t even because I’m gifted to serve by the Holy spirit (though I am). 

It is because… it is God who is at work in me, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Philippians 2:13

From the moment He declared I would be me, to the moment He breathed His breath of life in me (twice!), it IS/WAS/and WILL ALWAYS BE God who does the work in me. 

The only thing I did to Know my Redeemer lives, is to say, “Ok, let’s wrestle!”

How do I know at the last He will take His stand on the earth? 

Because He says He will… Every Knee shall bow, every tongue will confess -HE IS LORD!

in the latter days you will return to the Lord your God and listen to His voice. For the Lord your God is a compassionate God; He will not fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them.  Deuteronomy 4:31  

How do I know?

I returned and I LISTEN to His voice… 

How about you?

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.

 

 

 

 

Exodus 3:7-8  The Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have given heed to their cry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings. So I have come down to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, 

They cried out and God saw, heard, and gave heed to their cry!

But then came His answer, low and behold, it wasn’t how any of them thought it should’ve/would’ve/could’ve been done. Go figure!!!

We haven’t changed much…

When you read the story (please do) in Eodus, of our ancestors, read it with an eye toward Israel’s (we are grafted in) response to God’s intervention and deliverance of His people.

I know we, who are so much more informed and thoughtful, will have plenty to say about their lack of trust, their grumbling, their fear, their disobedience, their opinion that God should have taken away every ounce of suffering – IF He indeed loved them. After all, we have the benefit of 20/20 (and the Covid experience in the year 2020) vision. We also have the benefit of God’s WORD, telling us and showing us with every detail, His great and powerful love, from the people He provided to lead them, the path He set before them, the provision of EVERY NEED (needs they didn’t even know they had!). 

One might question, “Why did He draw things out?” One might answer that, “The benefits of delayed gratification, are beyond our human nature”. Just in letting Pharaoh have opportunity after opportunity, Pharaoh proved his unbelief and in the end suffered complete loss while playing what he considered an easy game of besting “god”. Not only did Israel leave, they took with them valuables that the Egyptians FORCED on them to get them to go, not to mention the lives Egypt loss in the process while Israel suffered NO LOSS.

Indeed, Israel was happy to go… and follow…  The Lord was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people. Exodus 13:21-22 I imagine they were singing praises to their God! WE WOULD BE!! Until… just like them… “things” happened they just didn’t ask for.

NO SECURITY – NO WATER – NO FOOD…   they praised God as they asked for His provision… nope – they GRUMBLED against Moses and Aaron (the leaders God provided). The whole congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. The sons of Israel said to them, “ Would that we had died by the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”  Exodus 16:2-3 And of course, dramatized the consequences of  trusting and obeying.

Dramatic Grumbling! Isn’t that what we do too? Oh, admit it! Even the best of us (spoiler alert… there is no best of us) at worshipping, trusting and obeying God, have within us our old nature of giving the knowledge of evil a place in our life so that we might whine, grumble, blame and place on evil’s altar all those “things” we do not like! I’ll admit it, just the other day I texted, “I’m tired of this crap!” 

Not the same thing?  Moses said, “ … for the Lord hears your grumblings which you grumble against Him. And what are we (and Mary, what is this crap?)? Your grumblings are not against us (or even crap) but against the Lord.”Exodus 16:8

He hears! (He reads!!)

So, Who do I think I’m talking to? It’s just a LITTLE TEXT… not a big deal!

“Yet they seek Me day by day and delight to know My ways, As a nation that has done righteousness And has not forsaken the ordinance of their God. They ask Me for just decisions, They delight in the nearness of God.  Isaiah 58:2

Yes Lord, “At night my soul longs for You, Indeed, my spirit within me seeks You diligently; For when the earth experiences Your judgments The inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.”  Isaiah 26:9

Really?! And yet… when times are tough and I don’t FEEL God answering or caring enough to give me His best…  ‘Why have we fasted and You do not see? Why have we humbled ourselves and You do not notice?’ Why Lord?! I do it for You!!

“You do it for you”… come on we all have ulterior motives… “Behold, on the day of your fast you find your desire, And drive hard all your workers.”  Isaiah 58:3… “Is it a fast like this which I choose, a day for a man to humble himself? Is it for bowing one’s head like a reed And for spreading out sackcloth and ashes as a bed? Will you call this a fast, even an acceptable day to the Lord?  Isaiah 58:5

Who do we think we are talking to?  That which is known about God is evident within them us; for God made it evident to them us. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they  we are without excuse.  Romans 1:19-20

He sees us… He hears us… He reads us… He gives heed to us! So I have come down to deliver them from the power of (evil), and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey… we don’t deserve it and we cannot earn it!

For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him?  1 Corinthians 2:16 Yes, we are to ask, seek and knock – and keep on asking, seeking and knocking. But first KNOW WHOM YOU ARE TALKING TO and might I just add.. KNOW who you are not!

You think you know what you need. You definitely know what you want. But do you know our God, who is GOOD ALL THE TIME? And do you know that ALL THE TIME (in every circumstance, in every detail, in every moment), OUR GOD IS GOOD!

But just as it is written, “ Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, And which have not entered the heart of man , all that God has prepared for those who love Him .”  1 Corinthians 2:9 

He is Whom you are talking to!!! He still goes before us in a pillar of cloud by day to lead us on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give us light that they might travel by day and by night.

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.