Praiseworthy

Hi Everyone!
Today is a day off work for me, and I decided what better time to write a post for my blog readers that have probably kind of forgotten about my existence? :D Today's post is based on my notes from a few weeks ago...I have recently been filling in teaching Children's Bible Study (Sunday School) at my church. We have about 10 kids on average, all children of the church members, so the majority of the older ones are saved and can listen on a functional level. The little ones, not quite so much. ;) Having a mixed age class has been a bit of a challenge, but it's really fun to try to teach deeper concepts for the older ones, but using language that the littles can understand. :) 

I am teaching the class along with another lady, and we've been going through Phillipians 4:8 and the things we should be focusing and dwelling on throughout the day. Each 'whatsoever'...true, honest, just, pure, etc. has been our "word of the week" and the central point of that week's lesson.

It was my turn to teach, and I got the word focus "Praiseworthy". (...and if there be any praise, think on these things.) By definition, it means deserving of approval or admiration, exemplary, or commendable. As I studied this word, one person in the Bible stuck out to me the most as being a praiseworthy person, and that was Joseph. He lived up to this character trait in so many ways! Here are a few thoughts I had in relation to Joseph's life.

1. He had an Obedient Spirit.
Genesis 37:13, "And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I."

Joseph was faithful to obey his father without murmuring or dispute. Even though he and his older brothers had a pretty poor relationship, and they made no secret of their disdain for him, he didn't drag his feet and balk against his father's request. He may not have felt like doing the task, but he did it with a willing spirit, as indicated by his response of "Here am I."

2. He had a faithful Servant's Heart.
Genesis 39:1-6 "And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither. And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand. And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand. And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field. And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favoured."

Joseph was sold into bondage by his own brothers. These were his immediate family! Of all the people in his life, he should have been able to trust them, but no...they sold him. How much hurt must he have had to overcome in God's strength! It is clear, however, that Joseph did not become bitter and hardened by this massive trial in his life. He didn't have a "poor me, my brothers are such jerks, my life is horrible" attitude. Instead, he served humbly and faithfully in the house of the man he was sold to. This reminds me of the little girl in the story of Naaman. Instead of doing as little as possible and rebelling under these hard circumstances, Joseph and the little girl both served their masters to the best of their abilities. This passage says that God specifically had His hand of blessing on Joseph. God does not specially bless people who are not walking in His will. Obviously, Joseph must have been walking with The Lord with all his heart and striving to please Him. Because of this, God even blessed Joseph's unsaved master! How interesting to note that when our lives are aligned with God's Word and we are walking by His side, He can not only bless us greatly, but those around us as well! Sometimes, our testimony can even be used of God to bring others to salvation. It is both exciting and sobering to come to the realization of how much our actions and spiritual walk can affect the people we are in contact with.

3. He resisted temptation and sin with all his might.

Genesis 39:9-10 "There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her."

Joseph was 100% determined and purposed that his life would stay pure and holy in the sight of God. Even when temptation quite literally came knocking at his door, day after day after day, he refused to be worn down by it. He didn't weaken and begin to compromise as some would have easily been tempted to do, but instead grew even firmer in his refusal to sin. Even to the point of physically removing himself from the situation with all haste, he was willing to go to great lengths to protect his heart, soul, and body from evil. How vehement are we in fighting against the daily temptations we face? Personally, I know there are areas in my life that I have weakened on over time, simply due to the continual nature of the temptation. It is so easy to become complacent or uncaring about certain sins because I see them so. much. And yet, that's when it becomes even more important to fight against them! How will others be affected by my testimony if I become complacent about wrong? 

4. He truly cared for others above himself.

Genesis 40:6-7 "And Joseph came in unto them in the morning, and looked upon them, and, behold, they were sad. And he asked Pharaoh's officers that were with him in the ward of his lord's house, saying, Wherefore look ye so sadly to day?"

We know the story; Joseph was falsely accused by the evil woman who had tried and failed to seduce him, and was now rotting in prison for an indefinite amount of time. At this point, I think most of us would have thrown in the towel, so to speak! What possible purpose could God have in the seemingly endless string of injustices he was having to endure? And yet, even now, in the darkest time of all, Joseph's attitude and integrity were such that he was placed in a position of authority within the prison. God had not forgotten him, but was setting the stage for great and mighty things. We can see that now, reading these passages from Genesis, but Joseph was in the middle of it. He didn't know the end result, or what God was doing, and yet he still remained submitted to whatever God's will was. 

He performed his duties in the prison well, and we can see from this passage that he truly cared about those under his jurisdiction. He could have done the bare minimum, delivering food to the prisoners and whatever else he was called on to do, speaking as little as possible. Instead, he chose to engage and show compassion on these men when he saw that they were distressed about something. He empathized with them, and sought out whether or not he could help in any way. This is such an amazing display of a Christlike attitude! This is part of the reason I love this story so much...Joseph's life is such a strong example to me! How often do I rush through my duties and the demands of life without taking the time or effort involved to truly care about others? I can see them, but do I actually see them? Do I look at them through Christ's eyes, searching out the hurt and showing compassion? 

5. He was humble and gave glory to God for his gifts.

Genesis 41:15-16 "And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it. And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace."

By this time, two years later, the butler had finally remembered him, and Joseph had been brought before Pharaoh to interpret a dream. This is a fairly impressive gift to have...obviously there was no one else in the kingdom able to do the task. Joseph could have become self focused and puffed up with pride over this God-given ability, but instead, he deflected the glory and honor back to The One who had bestowed it. His heart was humble and focused on the right thing--The Lord and his walk with Him.

6. He held no bitterness, and forgave freely.

Genesis 50:19-20 And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

Even after all the evil they had done to him, Joseph didn't hold a grudge against his brothers. He didn't seek revenge, though as the second most powerful man in the world at that time, he could have done so with a snap of his fingers. His kindness and grace to them was evident to all involved. He fully lived up to the verse that commands us to love our enemies! His view of all that had occurred was not skewed by his personal feelings or emotions...he acknowledged the fact that every circumstance in his life was orchestrated by the mighty hand of God, for a very special purpose. 

In all of these areas and more, Joseph's actions, words, and attitudes were praiseworthy and righteous. How praiseworthy are my day to day actions and interactions? Referring back to Phillipians 4:8, God's Word tells us that we should be dwelling on the things that are praiseworthy. There's another thought. Do I look for the good in what others are doing and focus on that? Or am I picking apart their lives, thinking and speaking about the bad, not seeing the beam in my own eye, so to speak? May I grow daily more and more like Christ in my own life, and look for the praiseworthy in the lives of others!

Mykaela

Are you a Chameleon Christian?

 

Psalm 31:19-20 Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.

 

Last night, I read this passage and stopped short. I've read it a million times but never really broke it down and thought carefully on it! (I know I'm not the only one here. ;) 

 

How great is God's goodness, which he has laid up for them that fear him, and trust in him before the sons of men. How many of us truly fear God and trust in Him, so much so that it's evident to the lost that we come in contact with? In other words, are you a Christian at home and at church, but once you enter the workplace suddenly all traces of your faith melt into the background? A "Chameleon Christian" as some have so aptly put it? Food for thought. 

 

A few days ago I stood near two of my coworkers who were having a discussion, and since we were in the Staff only area, the filters came off their mouths. The language that they used saddened me so deeply, because out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh--what they were saying was evidence of the depravity of their hearts. (Note: I am not passing judgement on them, God's Word has already done that. I am simply stating the fact that the lost cannot do the things of God, because they are not His children.) 

 

This verse made me think, though--should I have stood by passively, or should I perhaps have stood up and said something? I don't know exactly what the best course of action would have been in this situation--after all, the conversation did not include me. But I'm trying to think here...is it enough for me to merely NOT join in the ungodly conversations and actions that go on around me? I have had people tell me before, "Oh, you are doing great, the lost will notice and realize there is something different about you." Hmm...this sounds an awful lot like so-called "Lifestyle evangelism" to me. Something I wholeheartedly disagree with. Proverbs 29:24 says, "Whoso is partner with a thief hateth his own soul: he heareth cursing, and bewrayeth it not." The person who hears cursing, and doesn't protest it is described as hating his own soul. Who could hate their own soul?? 

 

In the verses at the top, it says, "Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues." In the secret of God's presence. In a pavilion. Those sound like peaceful and truly pleasant places to be! What is the biggest fear that stops us from stepping out more boldly in living out our faith? My guess would be fear of man. For me, that's what it is. I think things like, "They are going to think I'm a nutcase if I mention the goodness of God in this difficult situation!" or "I don't want them to think I'm being super annoying by asking them to please watch their language AGAIN." (Even though I don't think any one of my lost friends would mind if I did ask them this). Wow. How much am I fearing and trusting God before the sons of men? Not nearly as much as I should be, I fear. :( And yet why do I fear this when I have God's promise that He is enough, that I can hide in Him, and that He will protect me when I obey Him?

 

God promises great blessings and goodness to those who apply this. It says He has wrought great goodness...that means He specifically planned out these rewards. How much of His special gifts am I missing out on?? I heard a quote somewhere (I think it was from Mark Cahill), that says, "Never let your fear of man trump your love for God." I liked it so much I lettered it out and hung it in my room. But is that all it is--a hanging on the wall? Am I letting my fear of man overrule my love for God and my desire to follow His commands? I would encourage you to think on this with me as we go throughout this weekend--are we living boldly and passionately for Christ all through our lives? Or just in the parts where we won't face any ridicule or weird looks?

Mykaela 

10 years ago...

Psalm 40:2-3 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.

Today is a very special day for me. 10 years ago on March 14, 2007, my life changed. And I don't mean just a little thing...my entire world was overturned and put back together again. It was the day that I let go of all my stupid, selfish pride, and asked God to save my soul. And He did!!! You can read the whole story in more detail here. Today I would like to take a moment to thank The Lord for all the incredible things He has done in my life since that day. 

• He gave me an eternal home in Heaven. It is 100% assured to me that when I die, there is a place for me in His Kingdom. (1 John 5:13) What a promise! 
• He made me His child. (Gal. 4:5) Even if I lost everything and everyone that is dear to me tomorrow, I would never be alone. I have a Father in heaven that loves me more than anyone on this earth ever could!
• He has continually grown me since that day in 2007. Though I am so, so far from perfect, and I still make mistakes day after day...I can look back over the path of these 10 years and see how each and every trial and triumph has worked out for His glory in my life. I would not be who I am today without those things that He has brought me through!
• He has never forsaken me. Though there have been times that He has seemed far away due to my own sin and foolish choices, He has never left me. He is always there to pick me up when I fall, to forgive my sin, to guide me when I face tough decisions, and to chasten me when I stray from Him. 
• He has showered me with SO many material blessings. From my family to a warm house to live in, to clothes on my back, a church home, money in my bank account, and food on my table...He has blessed me much more than I could ever deserve!!!

I don't know where I would be if I hadn't made the choice to follow Christ starting 10 years ago. I frankly don't even like to think about it--life without God's saving grace would not be a life at all! My entire outlook on everything; finances, friends, relationships...everything is seen through different glasses. I am no longer a ship without an anchor. I am under the hand of the Captain who spoke the wind and seas into existence. I'm not wandering lost in the wilderness; I am safe in the fold of The Great Shepherd. I'm no longer fighting on the losing side, in bondage to sin. I joined the army of the King of Kings, who gave His own life to set me free. I have a new name, a new family, a new song of praise to Him. I am a new creature. So while today marks an anniversary, I don't ever want to stop praising my God for His love for me, any day of the year. I want to keep growing in my love and service to Him so that whether I live another 10 years or another 100 years, I can stand before The Lord and hear Him say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord!"

Mykaela

Be Not Weary...

2 Thessalonians 3:13 But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.

"May I never grow so weary with fighting this daily battle that my sword falls from my hand. May I never become like so many around me--complacent, content to dabble in the mud at the foot of the holy mount, instead of pressing step by step to the summit. May I instead be like a strong, thriving tree, pointing others to heaven. Like the moon, brilliantly reflecting the sun of my Saviour's righteousness. May I be a warrior, valiantly struggling against the enemies of the truth. May I be a lamb, meekly accepting instruction and enduring persecution and suffering, with the knowledge that I am ever in The Good Shepherd's hands. May I live passionately, fervently, in sweet communion with my King, not caring for the opinion of others. May I live so victoriously that those around me will glorify God because of my life. May I pour out my time, my energy, my talents, my desires, my very life at the feet of Christ, allowing Him to use them as He will. May my heart never be wandering or distracted, but instead fixed solely on performing the will of The One who redeemed me. May it never be said of me or any other true follower of Jesus, that I became weary in well doing."

~~Anonymous

Just wanted to share this with you all. I pray you each have a blessed day in The Lord's house tomorrow, and a great week to come! Let's start off the week in praise to God! :) 

Mykaela

My 2017 Goals

Lamentations 3:22-24 It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.

I always love the feeling of a new year beginning. It is a fresh start, a time to reevaluate priorities, and to set new ones. It's a time to begin different "traditions", so to speak, or new daily habits and routines. 

I personally don't like using the term "New Year's Resolution" at all, however...simply because it brings up negative thoughts to me. ;) I think of that term, and it means a temporary commitment that people make, and fizzle out on by the time February 1st or so rolls around. 

For me, as I start this new year, I do have goals that I'd like to strive towards, but they are just that--goals. Targets. I know that I'm going to miss the targets sometimes, and that's ok. I'll start again in the morning. :) That's how The Lord works in His mercies to us...they are new every morning! And that's how I hope to be as well. On January 1st, I spent an hour or so alone in my room, just thinking and praying about what I would like to accomplish this year, both spiritually and generally. Since I now have an answer on the full time work I applied for, (I didn't get it), I still have a very flexible job. And I don't want to squander the opportunities that creates. God is so good to give clear direction on stuff like that! Without further ado, here are some of my "targets" for 2017. (Not in any particular order.)

• Learn something new. Be it a skill, like rock climbing, (something I really want to learn), or an area of knowledge I haven't previously studied out...I want to keep learning new things, even though I'm not in school anymore!
• Read through God's Word at least twice. After doing it in 30 days, 6 months is nothing! ;)
• Save money when I can. I do plan on having some bigger output this year as far as missions giving, travel expenses, etc., but I want to be careful of how often I get a piece of clothing I don't really need, or grab a breve at the coffee shop. ;)
• Maintain my weight. While it's been a bit difficult lately due to the holidays, and some health issues I've had, I do want to continue to be mindful about this. By the middle of this past year, I was able to reach my goal weight, and while I have gained some since then, I really would love to stay close to that point by thinking about what I eat and staying active. (Both great things to do anyway, weight management or not! ;)
• Pick up a new instrument. I haven't learned a new instrument for several years now. I miss it. :) I want to watch Craigslist and see what treasure I can get. Nothing fancy, I'd just like to learn something new in the way of music! (See first point.)
• Build up my hope chest as I am able.
•  Pray. A lot. As in, about 10 times the amount I'm doing now. I need to make it a constant, daily habit!
• Work on holding my tongue. I just need to shut up for more of the time! ;P
• Write out my songs. I have a hard time staying motivated and on top of this...it's one thing I really tend to procrastinate on. However, I do need to get at least lead sheets done. 
• Witness verbally more. I have already started working on this in the past couple of weeks!
• Start each day with gratitude. I'm writing out a little paper each morning with just one thing I am thanking God for. I'm putting them in a jar, so I can look back on them whenever I want to. :) Today's was "cozy clothes". Not life changing, but when there are 11 inches of snow outside, I am thankful for soft sweaters and fuzzy socks!!

A couple things I would like to do this year, but they are not goals, more like dreams....

• See a new country. Possible, since I may be going on a survey trip to the Pacific Islands with some church members...
• Go to a concert of Dan Forrest's music. Jubilate Deo in particular!!! 
• See some of my faraway friends and family. Grandma McDowell, Kimberly, cousins... :)
• Record an album. Certain people keep breathing down my neck about this. :/ ;P

There you have it! I know some of them are kind of ambitious, some would maybe say unattainable. But hey! Again, I'm just working on them! I don't expect to achieve every single thing on the list, I just want to reach for each one of them in some way this year. :) 

Today I went sledding and probably messed myself up internally (I literally got like 2 feet of air. On a disc sled. On a hill packed into a sheet of ice. That impact can't be good for my spine. :'D). But what does that matter when you're having a great time with your family, right?? ;) How is your winter going? Do you make goals at New Year's? I'd love to hear from you in the comments! :) Have a wonderful week,

Mykaela

Sunday Snippets: Where Did We Come From? (Guest Post!)

Hello, everyone!
Today I am happy to introduce a friend of mine, Sarah. I met her through a missions trip her church did to help us out in our ministry, and it has been a blessing getting to know her. Sarah blogs over at Dreaming In Alaska, and posts much more regularly than I do. ;) You should go check it out! I hope you enjoy her guest post!

"For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;" ~Titus 3:3-6

Sometimes we need a reminder of where we came from. Our relationship with God didn't begin when we were born, but rather when we were born again; when we finally admitted we were sin filled creatures and there was only one way that situation could be alleviated.

Everyone begins a sinner separated from God. There is only one person who was born into the world that did not start this way, and that is our Saviour, the only person who remained sinless His whole time on this Earth. Now this doesn't mean that we shouldn't try to live a pure life, but rather that we should be pushed to show others that there is another way to live.

We are not sent to judge those who are living in sin, but to point them to the cross, to show them that a life of sin is not the only way, or even the best way. We were sinners once too. We reveled in it and loved our sin, which is why we could not live a life with God. He cannot tolerate sin or even be in it's presence. But that is why He sent Jesus to die on the cross. The only living being that could completely cover our sins and make them disappear. Our sins are as far as the East is from the West.

There is only one way in which we can show others the Cross, and that is by showing them what Christ has done for us. We cannot force someone else to see their sin the way we do, but we can be examples in the way we live and ask questions that will make others think about what they believe; show them information and let them make decisions for themselves.

Are we living a life of judgement where we look like we hate everyone, or are we showing the love of Jesus Christ? We are called to love the people, not their sin, and we can only do that by letting God work through us. Who is in control? It is only by the grace of God that we are saved from an eternity separated from Him; are we letting that grace work in our lives and letting it shine towards others? Let us not forget where God saved us from!

"And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." ~1 Cor. 6:11

~~~~~~~~~~

You all have a great week, ok? I am getting my wisdom teeth out this week, so it should be interesting/eventful, at least. ;P I would appreciate prayers for that if you think of it. :) 

Be strong in The Lord!

Mykaela

Sunday Snippets: Thankful on the Wonderful Days

Deuteronomy 8:11-14 "Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day: Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied; Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage..."

We've got a bit of a longer passage today, but I encourage you to read it carefully. Let's break it down and analyze it a little bit. In these verses, God is giving us a solemn warning, signified by the term "beware". When anyone says beware, it's usually best to listen, but when the God of the universe says it, you absolutely better hold everything and pay attention. 

So what is God warning us of? In verse 14, it tells us: the warning is against us becoming lifted up in pride and forgetting The Lord who has done so much for us. Wow. In the verses following, it lists some of the things that God has done for the children of Israel. Since we are applying it to ourselves today, let's list some of the things He has done for us. 

Are you on your way to heaven? Has God given you a family and friends? Do you have a roof over your head, clothing on your back, and food to eat? Do you have a means of income, however small? Do you have a church? My guess is that most of us are blessed with all of this and a whole lot more. The God who gave us all these incredible benefits, and holds our very existence in His hands...surely we couldn't forget Him, right?! Obviously God would not be warning us against this grave sin unless it were possible for it to happen!

Now that we have established this, when are we in the most danger of falling into this trap? When bad things happen, maybe? Or when our pockets are empty and we don't know how we are going to pay the rent or buy dinner? 

No. 

No, this awful error of pridefully turning our backs on God will become a temptation in a completely different time. A time when everything is going our way! When we have lots of money in our checking account, delicious food overflowing the pantry and fridge, and extra time to spend vacationing, hanging out with friends, and relaxing. In short, when all is right with our world, so to speak. 

In those great days, when the sun is sparkling down on us, is when God says to beware; to watch and be so cautious. Because it's at that time that we can become complacently lifted up in our own pride...we can begin to think that it's of our own goodness or strength that we were able to get these things! And from there, it is a slippery slope downhill. Eventually, we could be led completely away from following God, who is the One who poured these blessings on us in the first place! Oh what a black day it would be for a Christian to turn their back on God as they revel in His gifts! 

So how can we fight against this happening to us? In the verse before this particular passage, it tells us: "When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the LORD thy God for the good land which he hath given thee." We combat the sin of unthankfulness and pride by blessing God's name! Every single day of our lives, whether we wake up to sunshine or rain, we need to be praising God for the blessings He has given us. I don't care how bad you think you have it, I can promise you that if you're God's child, He has not abandoned you, and if you look for it, you will see that you have so much more to be thankful for than you think! Be careful...be so, so careful to never stop worshipping at The Saviour's feet, whether your wallet is full or empty. Spend time in His Word, listening to what He has to say. Serve Him with your whole heart. And if He has you rich or poor physically at this time in your life, you can always become more rich in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. 

Thanksgiving is coming up, what are you most thankful for? I hope you all have a wonderful week!
Mykaela

Sunday Snippets: Facing Crossroads

Psalm 84:11 "For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly."


Have you ever faced a difficult decision where you could either hold on to the familiar in fear, or step out by faith into the unknown? It can be really scary territory, but it can also be really exciting. And if you are too afraid to step out and find what God wants you to do, you will be missing so much! 

So here are four ways that God can and will help you in these tough, and potentially life-changing decisions, taken from this verse. Ask and ye shall receive! 

1. "The Lord God is a sun..."

What does the sun primarily do? It gives light! God will show you what the next step will be. We all know the verse that says His Word is a lamp unto our feet and light unto our path; well, why don't we apply it? All you have to do is act on what you know God wants you to do today...five years from now you will be exactly where He wants you to be if you are following Him day by day by day!

2. "...and shield"

Do you think God can protect those who are walking in His path? I do! So many times we look at the unknown, and draw back for fear of the dangers that may be lurking beyond that decision. But how many times has God let you down when you were doing His will? Never. It doesn't happen. If bad times come, He is still there to hold us up and keep us from being overcome. In the words of Psalm 91, "...He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust:"

3. "The Lord will give grace..."

Wherever this path leads you, God will give you grace to walk it. Whether it turns out to go through a dark valley, or a beautiful meadow, He can grow you through it if you let Him! When you are trusting Him and walking by faith, He will make you stronger and more like His Son, Jesus Christ. 

4. "...and glory"

God will bring to pass great and mighty things when you trust His plan!! Such great things that you can't even begin to imagine everything He has in store! He will bring glory out of your decision to follow His Word, no matter how big or small the choice may be. God is glorified in the lives of His children who faithfully follow where He leads. 

This last part of the verse is the most beautiful of all, in my opinion. "No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly." Did you catch that? NO GOOD THING! That means nothing!! God will not withhold His blessings when you are walking uprightly and without reproach. He will bless so much more abundantly than what you think is possible! God is not looking to thwart you. He is looking to give you the absolute best. So if your plans or dreams get in the way of that, He will replace them with something so much better. And yet many, many times we look at our life during that "replacement process", and moan and groan about how unfair it is that God is ruining our plans. What foolish people we are! God will not withhold any good thing from those who step out in faith, trusting Him to do what's best, and walk day by day uprightly and with a pure heart before Him. If you face a scary decision today, think carefully on this verse. If you ask Him, God will give you light, protection, grace, and glory. He will not withhold any good thing! 

Mykaela

Sunday Snippets: Why All the Trials?

Numbers 11:11a And Moses said unto the LORD, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant?

I want to share with you a short devotional that I read the other day, by C.H. Spurgeon. It really touched my heart, and I hope it is an encouragement to you as well. So many times we ask God this question. "Why am I being afflicted? What's the purpose of this trial? What have I done wrong?" Sometimes trials are for the purpose of correcting us, but I think more often they are not. They are to grow and refine us! Anyway, here is the devotional. :)

"Our heavenly Father sends us frequent troubles to try our faith. If our faith be worth anything, it will stand the test. Gilt is afraid of fire, but gold is not: the paste gem dreads to be touched by the diamond, but the true jewel fears no test. It is a poor faith which can only trust God when friends are true, the body full of health, and the business profitable: but that is true faith which holds by the Lord's faithfulness when friends are gone, when the body is sick, when spirits are depressed, and the light of our Father's countenance is hidden. A faith which can say, in the direst trouble, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him," is heaven-born faith. 

The Lord afflicts His servants to glorify Himself, for He is greatly glorified in the graces of His people, which are His own handiwork. When "tribulation worketh patience; and patience experience; and experience, hope," the Lord is honoured by these growing virtues. We should never know the music of the harp if the strings were left untouched; nor enjoy the juice of the grape if it were not trodden in the wine-press; nor discover the sweet perfume of cinnamon if it were not pressed and beaten; nor feel the warmth of fire if the coals were not utterly consumed. The wisdom and power of the great Workman are discovered by the trials through which His vessels of mercy are permitted to pass. 

Present afflictions tend also to heighten future joy. There must be shades in the picture to bring out the beauty of the lights. Could we be so supremely blessed in heaven if we had not known the curse of sin and the sorrow of earth? Will not peace be sweeter after conflict, and rest more welcome after toil? Will not the recollection of past sufferings enhance the bliss of the glorified? There are many other comfortable answers to the question of our text, let us muse upon it all the day long."

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Psalm 119:67 says, "Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word." Let's remember that when trials come, we need to lean on The Lord and trust that He is bringing about our growth and His glory! Don't let your trials make you bitter. God knows what He is doing! I hope you all have a wonderful week! :)

Mykaela

Sunday Snippets: Guess Who Has Moved!

Jeremiah 29:12-13 "Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart."

1 Chronicles 16:11 "Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually."

Isaiah 55:6-7 "Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."

I heard a quote recently that gave me pause. I can't remember who said it, or I would give credit, but anyway it wasn't me. ;) They said, "If you feel far from God, guess who's moved!" 

Wow.

If I feel far from God...who has moved? Obviously if two people or things were once close, and they are now apart from each other, one or both of them has moved. We know for an absolute fact from God's Word that He NEVER changes. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. So if I am far from God, He has not moved. I have.

More times than I can count, when I realize that my daily devotions are slipping, I shove the thought aside, thinking things will get better on their own. Stupid, Mykaela!! What I fail to think about is, if I'm not seeking God with my whole heart, how will my spiritual life improve?? Do I think that somehow I will magically draw near to God once more, when I am making no effort to do so? 

The verse in 1 Chronicles says we are to seek His face "continually". What is something else we have to do continually? The first thought that popped into my head was breathing. Can we just decide one day that breathing isn't that much of a priority...we can put it off for a couple hours with no harm done. Uh, no. That ain't gonna work, folks. 

Our walk with God should be just as important to us, if not more so, than our daily life-giving things like breathing, eating, hydrating our bodies, and resting. After all, Who is it that gives us the ability and strength to do these things? We are not guaranteed anything in this life. It is of The Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, for His mercies are new every morning. Did you ever notice in that verse how it says "every morning"? The Lord doesn't put off telling our bodies to wake out of sleep and have the strength to even get out of bed. Why do we refuse to seek the face of The One who gives us all things richly to enjoy?

It takes a conscious effort to draw near to God. He waits for us with open arms, like a Father asking His child to come; but we must run into His arms of our own volition. He is not going to force us to pursue close, sweet fellowship with Him. 

When we return from our selfish wanderings with repentant hearts, God will never refuse us His love! He will abundantly pardon our iniquities. All we have to do is turn from sin and call on His name. We tend to complicate everything, and yet it's as simple as crying out to our Father in the silence of our own hearts! God can do more in a moment's time to restore and make things right than we could do in a hundred years of trying in our own strength. 

We cannot live Godly without God. The very words are a contradiction. Without Him, we are nothing. 

Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. (Hosea 6:1)

Mykaela

Sunday Snippets: Liberty in Christ...a Free Pass to Live it Up?

Galatians 5:13 "For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another."

Once upon a recent time, in a land that lies very close to all of us, there lived a young woman. We will call her Jill. Jill grew up in a Christian home, and repented of her sin and turned to Christ for salvation as a child. During her teen years, however, Jill began to feel that her parents were way too strict and stuck up about this faith stuff. She mostly just went to church so she could hang out with her friends in youth group. Plus it was nice to have that routine on Sundays. She could check off her good deed for the week. Once she started going to college, she kind of left off with the church deal...I mean after all, she did lots of nice things to make up for it.

One day, Jill decided to try out a local assembly, since she didn't have any previous plans for that particular Sunday morning. As she drove into the parking lot of Bubbly Springs of Overflowing Happiness Church, Jill was already getting the feel-good vibes, and she loved it! People were smiling, there was a nice coffee and donut shop right inside the front door, the music was super trendy, with just enough reference to God that you could maybe guess that it was supposed to be a Christian song, not a rock song. As the pastor stood up to preach, he instructed the congregation to turn their eyes to the projector screen, where Galatians 5:1 was outlined in front of a gorgeous nature photo. Being careful not to reference the context of the passage, Pastor Stan the Man read off the text: "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." 

During the following eighteen minute sermon, Jill's previous thoughts were totally confirmed...Since she now had her ticket to heaven, everything was permissible!!! She could live however she wanted to. She could do, say, eat, and drink whatever her flesh desired. In fact, she should glory in her liberty, and not let anyone bring her into the bondage of cumbersome standards or principles again. This was amazing!! Jill was beyond thrilled as she left the building. No more following endless rules and regulations for her! 

She began to live it up...drinking, partying, relationships--she had freedom in Christ! She wore whatever was all the rage, with no regard for any kind of modesty. She listened to the latest bands and artists, reveling in the way their music made her feel. If any well-meaning friend happened to mention that maybe she should think about trying to live for God a little more, Jill was quick to blow their self-righteousness out of the water. Who did they think they were?! She reminded them sharply of the fact that she was a Christian, but that Jesus had freed her--and they could just take their legalistic, old fashioned ideas elsewhere. 

Years passed. Jill married, had a successful career, and raised two kids who were allowed to do just exactly what they wanted. Jill never quite understood why John and Susie didn't turn out like she would have liked them to: after all, she and her husband gave them everything a kid could want! Oh, well, if they were happy, that's all that mattered. Jill grew older, retired, had grandkids, and one day, she became ill. Surrounded by her family, Jill died. And a moment later, she stood before the Creator of the Universe, Jesus Christ.

Jill looked on The One who gave her life, and hung her head. She had nothing. Nothing to show for the years He had given her on this earth. She realized now that as she had used her liberty in Christ as an occasion to the flesh, she had wasted the one most precious thing she had--to bring honor and glory to Jesus Christ. God had created her with one purpose, and one purpose only, and she had turned away from it so she could enjoy the things this world had to offer. In pursuing wealth, love, accomplishments, praise of man, bigger and better cars and houses, and entertainment, Jill had rejected the sacrifice Christ had made. The sacrifice He had made not only to set her free from the law and the second death, but to give her the power to serve Him with her whole heart!

Jill entered heaven with no crowns to lay at her Saviour's feet. Will you do the same?

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I realize this was a bit of a sad story. I don't want to be a downer, but I'm going to be honest. I know a Jill. In fact, I know quite a lot of Jills. They waltz through life with the mindset that since they now have their ticket out of hell, they can live the good life and squeak into heaven by the skin of their teeth, so to speak. But they never realize the heartache it will be to live without fulfilling God's glorious purpose for their lives, and then enter His rest with not one treasure laid up in heaven. 

I implore you to think carefully about this. Are you living every day with the realization that you are a Child of the Most High God? Are you bringing Him glory? Or is God just Someone you might think about on Sunday morning as you cross off your mandatory church attendance box? May none of us be guilty of living like this!

Mykaela