Category: Confidence

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Practical Christianity

I have a question for you today. How did your walk with the Lord impact your yesterday, how will it impact today?

Practical Christianity, a daily relationship with God, the Father, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and God’s word is today’s pondering.

Years ago, many years ago I was talking with some community college students about what it means to be a Christian. Most of them had encountered the hell fire and brimstone or turn-or-burn type of teaching. They posed a very interesting question to me, “What type of Christian are you”?

A practical one.

You see they thought Christianity was rule following, condemning and religious. Many people do. What they had not seen was the relationship that God desires to have with His children. His desire is to fulfill our lives, not condemn us. He is a good, good Father!

I then explained to them that I had a relationship with the Father that caused me to consult Him on every issue. I talked to Him about the best way to raise my kids, how to be a better wife and a supervisor to them. I talked to Him about helping me get better gas mileage so I wouldn’t be spending so much on fuel. I talked to Him when things got lost and I needed to know how to direct my search.

Practical Christianity.

After the gathering dispersed one the the students, Albert, told me he had a Geometry test the end of the week. This was his third time taking the course and he just wasn’t “getting” the concepts. He asked if God would help him understand it. I told him He sure would. We prayed right there. Friday afternoon Albert came in to my office with a big grin, he passed the test with a B-. He was thrilled. It was all beginning to make sense to him and he knew it was because we had prayed.

Practical.

The book of Daniel is the story of four young Hebrew men who had been taken captive and were being groomed for the king’s service, the practical things:

“King Nebuchadnezzar wanted only healthy boys who did not have any bruises, scars, or anything wrong with their bodies. He wanted handsome, smart young men who were able to learn things quickly and easily to serve in his palace. He told Ashpenaz to teach these young men the language and writings of the Chaldeans…17 God gave these four young men the wisdom and ability to learn many different kinds of writing and science. Daniel could also understand all kinds of visions and dreams…20 Every time the king asked them about something important, they showed great wisdom and understanding. The king found they were ten times better than all the magicians and wise men in his kingdom.” Daniel 1 ERV

Each day I run across situations where I lean on the Lord’s wisdom and not mine. He promises to direct our paths. Our heavenly Father is wise and He is practical.

Put Him to the test and begin living a life of practical Christianity!

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Encouraged to Be Strong

Encouragement: the action of giving someone support, confidence, or hope. (Oxford Dictionary) I like to define it as “to fill with courage”.

Encouraging people with the promises of God’s word is one of my favorite things to do. I know what it’s like to be discouraged, hoping for someone, anyone, to give you a kind word, a smile, a hug or a prayer.

When we’re tired, we become easily discouraged and discouragement leaves us weak, angry, susceptible, emotional and devastated. None of these are what God has planned for our daily lives. He is the Master of Encouragement.

The Lord told Moses several times to encourage Joshua. Joshua would be his replacement. No one knew better than Moses that the Lord had been faithful to keep all His promises and he needed to impress that on Joshua.

“You must give instructions to Joshua. Encourage him. Make him strong, because Joshua must lead the people across the Jordan River. You can see the land, but Joshua will lead them into that land. He will help them take the land and live in it.’” Deuteronomy 3:28 ERV

Joshua had been at Moses’ right hand for the past 40 years and the mantle of leadership was about to land solely on his shoulders. Those three words “make him strong” are what encouragement does.

The Lord just didn’t leave it up to Moses to encourage Joshua. The Lord spoke to Joshua directly.

“…After Moses died, the Lord spoke to Joshua and said, 2 “My servant Moses is dead. Now you and all these people must go across the Jordan River. You must go into the land I am giving to the Israelites. 3 I promised Moses that I would give you this land, so I will give you all the land wherever you go… 5 Just as I was with Moses, I will be with you. No one will be able to stop you all your life. I will not abandon you. I will never leave you.

6 “Joshua, you must be strong and brave! You must lead these people so that they can take their land. I promised their fathers that I would give them this land. 7 But you must be strong and brave about obeying the commands my servant Moses gave you. If you follow his teachings exactly, you will be successful in everything you do. 8 Always remember what is written in that book of law. Speak about that book and study it day and night. Then you can be sure to obey what is written there. If you do this, you will be wise and successful in everything you do. 9 Remember, I commanded you to be strong and brave. Don’t be afraid, because the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:1-9 ERV

Take a minute to go back and read that again. Unpack what the Lord is saying – I will give you the land, no one will be able to stop you, I won’t abandon you, I’ll never leave you!

Be strong, be brave, follow My teachings and you’ll be successful in all you do. Be obedient, you’ll be successful – be strong, be brave, don’t be afraid. Now, that’s encouragement!

If your tired and weary today; devastated or discouraged look to the Lord. Draw en-couragement from Him and you’ll become victorious. He will encourage you – Be strong, be brave!

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Right or Left?

Have you ever been at a crossroads and wonder which path to take? 

It could be a physical spot on a roadway – right, left, or straight head but more than likely that crossroad involves a decision about career path, relationships, monetary commitments and even health choices.

How do we know which choice is right?

It’s important to get good advice but ultimately, at least for me, it comes down to following that inner voice, sense of right/wrong, the peace that I feel in my heart.

Jesus used an analogy with his disciples that they all understood. He talked to them of the way sheep follow a shepherd. They were familiar with seeing bands of sheep out on the hillsides with their shepherd. Jesus said I am the good Shepherd, and my sheep hear my voice and follow me.

“I am the good shepherd, and the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep…I am the shepherd who cares for the sheep. I know my sheep just as the Father knows me. And my sheep know me just as I know the Father. I give my life for these sheep…My sheep listen to my voice. I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:11,14,15,27 ERV

If we are listening, we will hear our Shepherd’s voice and follow the path He takes us on.  Sometimes we start out following the Shepherd and then we get off the path and head out on our own. The attitude of “I can take it from here, thanks for getting me started” can be disastrous. 

When that happens, it is encouraging to know that the Shepherd will come looking for lost sheep. He knows the dangers that can present themselves. He is faithful to rescue us.

“Suppose one of you has 100 sheep, but one of them gets lost. What will you do? You will leave the other 99 sheep there in the field and go out and look for the lost sheep. You will continue to search for it until you find it. 5 And when you find it, you will be very happy. You will carry it 6 home, go to your friends and neighbors and say to them, ‘Be happy with me because I found my lost sheep!’” Luke 15:4-6 ERV

In Jesus’ own words He said he is the “good” shepherd. Some shepherds had been known to leave the sheep in times of peril. Some didn’t properly care for those who had been attacked or injured.

But not the Good Shepherd. He is willing to lay down His life for his sheep. He takes His sheep to green pastures beside still water where they can be fed, watered, and well rested.

When He sees danger coming, He protects the sheep and keeps their enemies for attacking. He leads them through the valley of the shadow of death with no fear. He is their comfort.

Which path to take? Follow the Shepherd, He will never lead us astray.

Have a decision to make? At the crossroads?

Pray about it. Don’t be in a hurry. Listen for the Shepherd’s voice and then follow Him!

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Two Become One

This is a tree growing at our campsite. It took me a couple of days to notice it and then I became intrigued. When you look at the image, you will notice two trunks at the bottom but about halfway up you can see where the trees’ trunks become intertwined, and they start to grow as one.

The bigger, better nourished tree has been wrapped by the thinner, weaker trunk. The larger of the two is now supporting the weight of both trees. Look closely and you will see that they are two different species. This seems to be nature’s own engrafting.

Nature is such a great teacher. 

There must have been a storm or wind that caused the two of them to grow in such a way. They were stronger together than separate.

Does that remind you of anything Biblical? Don’t most of us come to God when we’ve been through a storm. He’s there to provide us with shelter and strength.

Jesus told his disciples I am the vine, you are the branches, if you abide or stay connected to Me you will produce much fruit.

“Stay joined to me and I will stay joined to you. No branch can produce fruit alone. It must stay connected to the vine. It is the same with you. You cannot produce fruit alone. You must stay joined to me. 5 “I am the vine, and you are the branches. If you stay joined to me, and I to you, you will produce plenty of fruit. But separated from me you won’t be able to do anything.” John 15:4-5 ERV

This is a promise made to all of us.  If we stay connected to Jesus, our life-giving vine, we will be productive and fruitful. 

The other example that came to mind was Paul’s teaching on marriage. He took these words from God, the Father, in the Garden of Eden.

“In the same way, a husband should love his wife as much as he loves himself. A husband who loves his wife shows that he loves himself. 29 None of us hate our own bodies. We provide for them and take good care of them, just as Christ does for the church, 30 because we are each part of his body. 31 As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother to get married, and he becomes like one person with his wife.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I understand it to mean Christ and his church.” Ephesians 5:28-32 CEV

And the two shall become one!

Jesus assumes the role of husband to those who place their trust in Him. He loves us, nurtures us, protects us as He does his own body. He leaves all other distractions and is totally committed to us.

What do we give Him in return? He asks for our love and devotion. God, who is love, desires our love and fellowship. Is that too much to ask?

As I sat and really studied these two trees my heart’s prayer became “Lord, let me so dependent upon You that it will be hard for people to see who I was before I leaned on You and You became my source of strength, my support, my all in all.

Two become one!

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Are You A Small Fry?

Do you understand the meaning of “small fry”?  It was reiterated to me yesterday morning.

Dave and I went out fishing first thing.  It was just after daybreak. The hatch of water bugs was in full harvest.  At first we thought we stepped into a swarm of mosquitos. No, not that. We were in a hatch of what appeared to be small dragon flies.

As they landed on the water’s surface the trout began to boil. It had been a long time since I had seen such a sight.  Everywhere there were ripples, the trout were coming to the surface to feed on the new hatch.

As we cast our bait we hoped there would be one or two trout that chose it over the freshly hatched bugs sitting on the surface of the water.

At shore’s edge, we observed the hunger of the small fry. Did you know that young fish are called fry? 

These little guys, less than 3 to 4 inches long, would come to the surface of the water to feed. Up they’d come, gulp, flip their tails and be gone. 

Does it shock you that I would think of a story in the Bible to relate to this adventure? 

Jesus met Peter, James, John and Andrew on the shore of the Sea of Galilee after they had had an unsuccessful night of fishing. 

“Master,” Simon answered, “we have worked hard all night long and have not caught a thing. But if you tell me to, I will let the nets down.” 6 They did it and caught so many fish that their nets began ripping apart. 7 Then they signaled for their partners in the other boat to come and help them. The men came, and together they filled the two boats so full that they both began to sink.

8 When Simon Peter saw this happen, he knelt down in front of Jesus and said, “Lord, don’t come near me! I am a sinner.” 9 Peter and everyone with him were completely surprised at all the fish they had caught. 10 His partners James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were surprised too. Jesus told Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you will bring in people instead of fish.” Luke 5:5-10 CEV

This was a net breaking, almost boat sinking load. But what I find interesting is that nowhere is there any mention to the size of the fish. Surely, some of the fish were small fry.

This is so much like Jesus. 

He never makes a distinction between large or small, rich or poor, educated or plain. In fact, Paul says that the Lord uses the foolish things of the world to confound the wise.

This should be so encouraging. 

If you feel like a small fish in a big pond guess what?  God knows you’re there. Are you a small fry?  Not to worry, God has jobs that only small fry can fill.  You won’t find a whale in a mountain lake.

Father, let us realize that you have a specific job for each one of your children. We don’t need to be envious of the bigger fish in the lake. You are willing to use those of us that are small fry!

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Rougher Than Hoped For

Our son and his girlfriend were recently out on the open ocean in their boat. He told his Dad that the sea was rougher than he had hoped for but they arrived safely at their destination.

Rougher than hoped for.

For some that seems to be a life’s motto. What do we do in the rough seas of life? When we have Christ beside us, traveling with us, piloting the boat, we can have peace. With Christ on board we can be confident that we will be safe regardless of the outcome.

At one point Jesus spoke to the winds and waves and commanded them to cease. The same could have happened for the Apostle Paul when he was in a storm sea but didn’t.

“The storm was so fierce that the next day they threw some of the ship’s cargo overboard. 19 Then on the third day, with their bare hands they threw overboard some of the ship’s gear. 20 For several days we could not see either the sun or the stars. A strong wind kept blowing, and we finally gave up all hope of being saved…But now I beg you to cheer up, because you will be safe. Only the ship will be lost. Last night he sent an angel 24 to tell me, “Paul, don’t be afraid! You will stand trial before the Emperor. And because of you, God will save the lives of everyone on the ship.” 25 Cheer up! I am sure that God will do exactly what he promised. 26 But we will first be shipwrecked on some island.27 For fourteen days and nights we had been blown around over the Mediterranean Sea…But Captain Julius wanted to save Paul’s life, and he did not let the soldiers do what they had planned. Instead, he ordered everyone who could swim to dive into the water and head for shore. 44 Then he told the others to hold on to planks of wood or parts of the ship. At last, everyone safely reached shore.” Acts 27:13-44 CEV

I hope you will take time to read the whole story. It’s amazing!

Fourteen days in a terrible storm, unable to see the sun and the stars for days. This was a prison ship with 276 passengers and crew on board. They were unable to maintain sea worthiness but God gave Paul a word “God will save the lives of everyone on the ship…everyone safely reached shore”. The ship was lost but not one person perished.

Our Father is faithful to protect and to save.

You might feel that you are in the storm of your life. Your ship is breaking apart on the rocks. But…

“God, you give true peace to people who depend on you, to those who trust in you. 4 So trust the Lord always, because in the Lord Yah you have a place of safety forever.” Isaiah 26:3-4 CEV

When it’s rougher than we hoped for we can put our trust in the Lord and there we have a place of safety forever!

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Trust is Progressive

As with most things, trust is not a one time experience, it’s progressive.

Any adult who has tried to coax a child or grandchild into jumping into their arms in the swimming pool knows what I’m talking about. The child stands timidly on the side, while you are tell them repeatedly, “It’s ok, I’ll catch you”, knows it takes time for them to trust.

Each time it gets easier for them…trust has been built. There’s a track record that they can count on.

Do you have a track record with the Lord? Have you trusted Him in the small things of life and found Him always faithful? If so, your trust has grown and matured and you have a confidence that He will never let you down.

Perhaps you are standing on the edge for the first time and hearing the Lord say, “Trust me, I’ll catch you”.

This morning I would like to share a few of my favorite trust verses. Write them down, screen shot them, keep them handy. You’ll rely on them again and again. I know I have.

“God’s way is perfect. The Lord’s promise always proves to be true. He protects those who trust in him.” II Samuel 22:31 ERV

“It is better to trust in the Lord than to trust in people.” Psalm 118:8 ERV

“Trust the Lord completely, and don’t depend on your own knowledge.” Proverbs 3:5 ERV

Early in our marriage we were really struggling financially. Two small children to care for, Dave was working long hours but there was barely enough to cover household expenses and even less for groceries. I remember the first time I prayed over my grocery list.

My prayer went something like this. “Lord, you know I need to feed my family. I don’t know what I’m going to do. I only have $25 . I need a miracle. I trust You.” And off I went.

I was learning to trust.

I did not deviate from my list. The first item, bread, had a 2 for 1 special. Next was eggs, this week’s price 79 cents a dozen, milk, cheese, potatoes, flour, sugar…90% of the items were on special and if I remember correctly, I spent $23.74.

“Don’t worry and say, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32 That’s what those people who don’t know God are always thinking about. Don’t worry, because your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. 33 What you should want most is God’s kingdom and doing what he wants you to do. Then he will give you all these other things you need.” Matthew 6:31-33 ERV

I wish I could tell you that from that day forward I always trusted the Lord but that wouldn’t be true. There have been times, more than I’d like to admit, that I have done my own thing, trusted in my own knowledge and resources and have neglected to trust the Lord. The outcome was far from stellar.

But when I returned to trusting in my Father’s provision, He was always there waiting to help.

“So whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with undeserved kindness, and we will find help.” Hebrews 4:16 CEV

Trust the Lord with the small things and soon you will be trusting Him with everything! It’s progressive.

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I Know…

I know:

  1. the artist of this wonderful landscape
  2. the author of the world’s best seller
  3. the world’s largest cattle rancher
  4. the wisest man in the world
  5. the most compassionate person to have ever walked the earth
  6. Him and I call Him Father

Some times we get so focused on what we don’t know we forget to center in on Who we know.

“I say this because all of God lives in Christ fully, even in his life on earth. 10 And because you belong to Christ you are complete, having everything you need. Christ is ruler over every other power and authority.” Colossians 2:9-10 ERV

When feelings of inadequacy come, and they will, it’s important that we are firmly established in who we are in Christ.

The Apostle Paul writes that we are complete in Christ, having everything we need!

He couldn’t have written this if it weren’t true. That’s the thing about the Bible, every verse is true. God doesn’t allow any exaggeration, half-truth, misrepresentation or bald-faced lie of His word. He pointed these things out everytime someone acted in such a way.

“You have known the Holy Scriptures since you were a child. These Scriptures are able to make you wise. And that wisdom leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is given by God. And all Scripture is useful for teaching and for showing people what is wrong in their lives. It is useful for correcting faults and teaching the right way to live. 17 Using the Scriptures, those who serve God will be prepared and will have everything they need to do every good work.” II Timothy 3:15-17 ERV

God’s word provides us with all we need for every situation but there is one catch. Ready? We have to read it to know what’s in it. Simple but true.

“My people are being destroyed because they don’t know me.” Hosea 4:6 NLT

Let’s put it this way. If someone put $10,000 in your checking account but you didn’t know it, you would continue to operate on the balance you thought was available. But once you went on-line to view your account or received your statement in the mail your outlook would be entirely different. You would probably contact the bank to verify that the deposit was actually meant for you and not fradulent but once assured of that you would spend and/or save the money because it is rightfully yours.

God has given us something so much greater than that. He has given us Himself and placed all of who He is in Christ for our benefit! Reading His word gives us that knowledge.

There’s one more thing I feel you should know before I close:

“For I know that nothing can keep us from the love of God. Death cannot! Life cannot! Angels cannot! Leaders cannot! Any other power cannot! Hard things now or in the future cannot! 39 The world above or the world below cannot! Any other living thing cannot keep us away from the love of God which is ours through Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39 NLV

And now, you know too!

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Choosing the Best

Years ago we were in Iowa for the summer. We weren’t fully involved in work yet so my friend and I took her three boys to a local U-Pick Strawberry Farm for an outing.

We had so much fun! The older boys were running ahead of us, picking the largest berries they could find. Mom was in the middle and the youngest boy and I brought up the rear. He was disappointed that he couldn’t run with his brothers and he thought they had already picked the best berries.

It was then I showed him one of the largest strawberries I had ever seen. It was perfectly ripe but was being hidden by the leaves on the plant so no one had seen it. He quickly picked it and placed it in our bucket. The hunt was on. He went from being disappointed to being excited. We had a very, very full basket when the others were ready to stop.

Life’s a lot like that strawberry patch. We go through different situations and we pick and choose what we think is best. The best schools, the best person for the team, our best friend, best spouse, best house, best…best…best.

Is it any wonder that so many people develop a low self-esteem? No one, it seems, has chosen them.

Well, I have good news!

“Then Peter said, “I can see, for sure, that God does not respect one person more than another. 35 He is pleased with any man in any nation who honors Him and does what is right.” Acts 10:34-35 NLV

“God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die.” John 3:16 CEV

If anyone had the right to pick and choose “the best” for His team it would be God. However, that’s not how He operates. Our Father gladly receives everyone. You read that right, everyone! Not just those who want relationship with Him but His heart is open even to those who ignore Him and go their own way.

“This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. 10 That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.” I Timothy 4:9-11 NIV

We have all been chosen by the Savior.

I appreciate the Apostle Paul’s directness. God is the Savior of ALL people…especially those who believe in Him. No paritality, no favoritism, no prejudice – all people. But He won’t force salvation on anyone, the Father let’s us make the choice. He’s waiting for us.

“He paid for our sins with His own blood. He did not pay for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world.” I John 2:2 NLV

“The Lord isn’t slow about keeping his promises, as some people think he is. In fact, God is patient, because he wants everyone to turn from sin and no one to be lost.” II Peter 3:9 CEV

The Father has made His choice – He’s chosen all of us. Now, it’s up to us to choose the best.

I, for one, decided to choose the Father and His unconditional love.

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Living to the Full

Last night Dave and I watched the most current episode of a series we got hooked on. It has 23 seasons…yes, 23 seasons. It’s a British CSI type show.

One statement in this episode stood out among the rest. “I have spent enough time among the dead, it’s time I focus on the living”. This was spoken by one of the lead characters.

When I went to bed my head was filled with verses on life and death. I knew what I was supposed to share with you this morning. The Bible has so much to say about life:

“If anyone wants to keep his life safe, he will lose it. If anyone gives up his life because of Me, he will save it. 26 For what does a man have if he gets all the world and loses his own soul? What can a man give to buy back his soul?” Matthew 16:25-26 NLV

Jesus said the Father loves us so much that He, Jesus, was sent to bring us everlasting life. Life here on earth is temporal but life with the Father is eternal. Jesus wasn’t just concerned about our eternal life. Everyone who placed their trust in Him as their Savoir saw a dramatic change in their lives here.

“A thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But I came to give life—life that is full and good.” John 10:10 CEV

Full and good!

Listen to the words of Moses. He is addressing the children of those who were deliverred from Egypt, they were on the verge of entering the promised land.

“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! 20 You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the Lord, you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” Deuteronomy 30:19-20 NLT

We have a God-given choice between life and death and just in case there is any doubt to which one is correct Moses says choose life. “This is the key to your life…love and obey the Lord and you will live long”. Sounds like the right choice to me.

When Mary and the women went to the tomb of Jesus on the resurrection morning. The tomb was empty, then the angels asked a question: “…they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus, 4 and they did not know what to think. Suddenly two men in shining white clothes stood beside them. 5 The women were afraid and bowed to the ground. But the men said, “Why are you looking in the place of the dead for someone who is alive? 6 Jesus isn’t here! He has been raised from death. Remember that while he was still in Galilee, he told you” Luke 24:3-6 CEV

Jesus said “I am the way, the truth and the life”. I choose Jesus, I choose life!

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