Sunrise

 

His compassions fail not.  They are new every morning.  Lamentations 3:22-23

I truly enjoy watching the sun rise in the mornings.  The sunrises are exceptionally beautiful here in East Tennessee and this time of the year, I run outside in the mornings, just to enjoy God's beauty before the rigors of life begin...

With every sunrise that I witness, I am reminded that God is the One who meets our needs each and every day.  His supply is never-ending and He always gives us precisely what we need at precisely the time that we need it.  He never gives us stale leftovers; instead we are each given something that’s new and alive.

It’s hard to begin each day without being reminded of His mercy, forgiveness, compassion and love.  On any given morning, the dark night’s sky is pierced by the red and purple rays of the morning sun and the peaceful sounds of living creatures stirring to begin their day.

Regardless of what happened to us the day before, God greets us with open arms so that we can start fresh every morning.

What Are Words For?

 

Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature.  But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.  Galatians 6:8

Just like a loaded gun, the hurtful words we say to another person can have a lasting effect on someone else's life.  Too often, the words come quickly before we have had a chance to think them through and once they have left our mouths, the damage has already been done.  Similarly, the encouraging words we share with another person just may lead someone into a relationship with Jesus Christ.

In both cases, words have consequences.  Sin always leads to negative and deadly consequences, while faithfulness to God always leads to positive consequences and life.

We must focus on doing things that have positive consequences; starting with the words we choose. Let us build others up rather than tearing people down.

Ant Music

 

But like a boxer I buffet my body (handle it roughly, discipline it by hardships) and subdue it, for fear that after proclaiming to others the Gospel and things pertaining to it, I myself should become unfit (not stand the test, be unapproved and rejected as a counterfeit.)  1 Corinthians 9:27

The above verse from Corinthians has always perplexed me, but Paul is referring to self-control, self-denial, controlling urges and subduing our sinful flesh lives.  Unfortunately, many people, myself included have the wrong idea about life-it’s not always supposed to be easy.

Proverbs 6:6-8 talks about the ant, “which having no chief, overseer, or ruler, provides her food in the summer and gathers her supplies in the harvest.”   We need to be more like the ant, who is self-motivated, self-disciplined and self-controlled.

We must do right because it is right, not because someone is always watching us or making us do it.  

Miracles

 

The joy of the Lord is your strength!  Nehemiah 8:10

 

Twelves years ago today (has it really already been more than a decade??), Alicia and I welcomed our second and youngest son, Elijah Foy Fisher, into this world.  He was born without any complications and seemed to be doing just fine those very first hours of his life. Of course, he arrived in the middle of the night and after all was said and done, Alicia and I were simply too exhausted to notice anything out of the ordinary.  Less than 48 hours later, we found ourselves in the NICU at Children’s Hospital as Elijah was having small contractions that the doctors eventually diagnosed as seizures.  After multiple tests, exams, prayers, and tears, Elijah was discharged from Children’s Hospital three days later and we were never more happy to be in the confines of our own home.

During those days of uncertainty and fear, I was overwhelmed with a sense of peace and joy that couldn't have come from anywhere or anyone else but our loving Father.  You see, joy springs from God’s love, which is not dependent on our circumstances or our performance, good deeds, etc.

The more we seek Him, the more we find Him.  The more we find Him, the more we know and love Him, and the greater our joy will  be.

We will only find perfect peace and everlasting joy in heaven, but we can experience joy now by walking with God.

Money

 

Command those who are rich in this world’s goods not to be haughty or to set their hopes on riches, which are uncertain, but on God who richly provides us with all things for our enjoyment.  1 Timothy 6:17

To say that we are living in uncertain times is a mild understatement.  I am very blessed to be working for a wonderful company during the these tough economic times, but I am still witnessing the effects of a dismal economy, first hand.   If you have watched the news any length of time over the past few months, our nation’s economy is showing small signs of improvement, but we still have a problem in this country...we are addicted to spending; especially when it comes to borrowed money.

Keep in mind, that the average working American is considered among the most wealthy in the world when compared with the population in every other country.  Still, we want more, spend excessively, and depend on what is in our bank accounts for security rather than trusting on God’s daily provisions.  I have learned a difficult lesson lately in depending on God’s provision and I am learning each day on how to set my hopes in Him and less on the money I work to earn.

Looking back into the Old Testament, God provided manna, a cake-like food that appeared on the morning dew, to the Israelites who were wondering around in the wilderness after fleeing Egypt.  The manna provided nourishment and there was just enough for each Israelite to eat.  The problem was when they tried to gather more manna than they could eat and store it for later, the hot sun melted the manna and it rotted.  This illustration from the book of Exodus just may be the key for our understanding of how God truly provides for each of us on a daily basis.

God will always be with us and He will always provide just what we need; it just may not be what we want.  Thanks be to God for His daily provisions!!!

Don't Lose My Number

 

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. Romans 7:15

I had a wonderful conversation with a friend just the other day about how hard it is to follow Jesus’ example.  This is something I certainly struggle with regardless of any outward appearance that would lead someone to believe that I actually have everything/anything figured out myself.

The apostle Paul wrote the above passage from Romans, and despite being the author of most of the New Testament, even he often struggled with the same thing.  He was perplexed by why he chose “to do what he hated rather than what he wanted to do. “  It’s not a stretch to say we live in a world that is filled with other influences that constantly divide our attention and make us lose our focus on the truth and God’s infinite wisdom.

We can read all of the daily devotions we want and attend service every possible chance we get, but if we aren't willing to dig deeper into the Bible and seek God’s direction for our lives, everything that we learn will be quickly forgotten.

Seek God’s wisdom and keep your eyes focused on Jesus without looking to the left or right. Apply His word to your life.  The enemy will stop at nothing to keep whispering his lies into our minds and keep us from living the lives God intended for us to live.

Ain't Nobody

 

Jesus replied, "I am the bread of life.  Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again.  Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."  John 6:35

I was talking to Mark BeBe, our Recovery pastor at Cokesbury, before worship service several months ago, and we got to talking about communion... I mentioned that several members of my old congregation used to call the church office each week to find out if we were serving communion.  It was not that they were necessarily interested in receiving the sacraments per se, it was because they were concerned about worship service lasting too long and not being able to keep their standing reservations for Sunday lunch at our local country club in Alabama.  The symbolism of the sacraments-the bread and wine/grape juice, is one of God's greatest blessings that He gives to all of His beloved children.

You see, Jesus is the spiritual nourishment our soul needs.  He truly satisfies our deepest spiritual wants and needs alone with His daily presence. 

He is the only One that can truly meet our needs.  He is the only One that can offer true peace and the promise of eternal life. 

When we feed our souls with the nourishment that only Jesus can provide, we will be satisfied for eternity.  Praise be to God!