I Keep Forgettin'

 

“I love the Lord, for He heard my voice; He heard my cry for mercy. Because He turned His ear to me, I will call on Him as long as I live.” Psalm 116:1, 2

Do you have people in your life who only seem to talk to you when they want something? Conversations that solely revolve around the other person’s needs or demands make it hard on a friendship or relationship. These one-sided relationships can lead to us feeling used and/or manipulated.  Sadly, I regret that I treated my wonderful parents as the proverbial ‘ATM machine’ during my years at Auburn University.  I would stop by the house to visit briefly with my folks and then hold my hand out and ask for a check or some cash to help bail me out of my careless spending habits.

I have a feeling that God must feel much the same about us when we only approach Him with our needs and desires. We’ll gladly give Him our prayer requests without spending any time praising Him or taking the time to thank Him for our past blessings or seeking a relationship with Him. We  have no problem praying for future events without even acknowledging His help, provisions, and blessings in the past. Our forgetfulness is an indication of our ingratitude toward God and it renders our prayers ineffective.

God loves each of us, but doesn't want to be taken for granted either.  He also doesn't want to hear our lists of needs and wants every time we pray to Him without an effort on our part to truly know Him and be in a relationship with Him.

When we face difficult times, we must look at the past and acknowledge all that God has done in our lives.  We must spend more time thanking Him and praising Him, so that our blessings glorify Him!

Papa's Home

 

"God has moved into the neighborhood making His home with men and women.  They're His people, He's their God."  Revelation 21:3 (The Message)

I have been working a lot of late nights recently and have even been on the road for work with a pretty filled October, so needless to say I have felt like I have been missing out on time at home with my family.

There is nothing like the excitement of children (or your dog and cats) greeting you after returning from a long day of work or after returning home from out-of-town business trip. So, it leaves me wondering just how will I react when I am finally see the face of my loving Father. How will He greet me?

The day is coming when we will finally meet God, face-to-face.  Do you have hope knowing that one day He will 'Wipe the tears away from our eyes" with His hand?

Heaven (Must Be There)

 

God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for Him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.  Matthew 5:3

A good friend, mentor, and pastor, John Gargis, once told me something that I have never forgotten: “It teaches me so much when I meet someone that has absolutely nothing and still shows gratitude!  It teaches me that gratitude is not about your circumstances.”  I agree with brother John and the above verse from Matthew also comes to mind.

You see, if you believe that Jesus died for your sins and you recognize that only He can forgive you, you can rest assured that you are going to heaven to spend eternity by His side.  There is nothing you can do and there is no way to earn your way into heaven; it’s God’s free gift to those who admit their need for a Savior.

Thanks be to God for His never-ending love, mercy, and grace!

Patience

 

Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will.  Then you will receive all that He has promised.  Hebrews 10:36

Patience is a trait evident in a person of strong character, so this is certainly an area of my life that needs drastic improvement.  I still get frustrated on my 20 minute commute between home and the office when traffic backs up.  I sometimes expect too much out of our boys (youngest in 10th Grade and the oldest a freshman in college) and am definitely impatient  when it comes to work; it's a hurry up and wait business on a good day.

The above verse from Hebrews confirms that we cannot have endurance or perseverance without developing some patience first.  As a follower of Christ, our faith will be tested, time after time.  As we pass each test, we will develop more patience, which will result in greater strength when we are tested again.

It’s when we are patient that we eventually receive the fulfillment of all that God has promised us.  Thanks be to God!!!

Hungry Heart

 

What is the price of two sparrows-one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it….So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.  Matthew 10:29-31

I believe that deep within every human heart lies a hunger for significance.  We all want our lives to mean something, to make a difference, and to be worth something.  For some reason, too many people feel that their lives don’t mean anything and they in fact feel insignificant.

I have a great friend who is sharp, witty, funny, and a good looking guy, but has absolutely no self-confidence whatsoever.  His feelings of insignificance have held him back for far too long.

The good news is that the Bible reassures all of us that we do matter and we are significant. The best part is that it is not because of anything we can accomplish on our own, but because God loves each of us and promises us that we are indeed valuable to Him!

The Question

 

He who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. James 1:6

Just recently, Thomas (the disciple that doubted Jesus' death and resurrection) became a topic of conversation among friends.  I can only imagine that God wanted me write about him or better yet, wanted to reassure me to trust Him at all costs, despite some recent difficulties I have faced as of late.

People without solid faith are at the mercy of the winds when they face the storms of life.  They have a difficult time learning where God is leading them because their faith is not strong enough to discern God's voice and will for their lives.  When your faith is weakened, it's hard to see all that Jesus is doing to protect you and in the midst of a storm, this is a major problem.

We (myself-definitely included) need to expect God to answer our prayers, petitions, and needs, without doubting Him.  God desires to be in fellowship with us, to speak to us, and to meet with us.  Doubt makes us wonder whether interaction with God is even a possibility.

Open your heart and mind and trust God without doubt...if you want it you've got to believe.

Help!

 

Whenever they were in trouble and turned to the Lord, the God of Israel, and sought Him out, they found Him.  2 Chronicles 15:4

Simply stated, there just aren't too many people you depend on for help these days.  I am guilty of this to a degree.  Sometimes our life can become so overwhelmingly busy, we cannot afford the time to lend a helping hand to a family member, friend, or neighbor in need.

Thankfully, our awesome God works in drastically different ways.  God helps us by always being available.  He is always ready and willing to help us and to listen to us, whenever we call out to Him; any time, any day, any place, regardless of the situation.

Prayer is our lifeline and it connects us to our Father.  Knowing this, we should pray daily and receive the help that we truly need.