Time To Be Silent

 

Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise;

When he closes his lips, he is considered prudent.

Proverbs 17:28

I am a person who talks way too much.  Sometimes so much that I am annoying.  I own this, and learning to control it was a hard learned lesson, which I mastered after a couple of smack downs and "shut ups" from people who I respected.  

Then a few years ago, I started a new job and after a week or so, one of the employees commented that I was really quiet.

And, I responded by quoting this scripture.  They said that that was a good one.  

If we don't know what we are talking about, we shouldn't be talking.

Lord help me keep my mouth shut.

Grace Is Not Rationed

 

For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.”

Romans 1:16-17

God's grace is not rationed, it is available to everyone.  He sent Jesus for the redemption of the world.  And, with redemption comes the power of salvation to everyone who believes.

What is this power?  It is the power that changes us from thinking we are on our own to knowing that God is with us and cares for us.  We are not left unattended, but have God's full attention as we become righteous, that is morally right.  

Righteousness leads us to live by faith, knowing that God will take care of us.

We are not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God. 

Shine A Light

 

For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.  But he who practices truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.

 

John 3:20

Evil people know they are evil and they tend to stay away from the church and from Christians because they don’t want it pointed out to them.  They may speak ill of the church and Christians and point out every possible flaw they can think of to make the Gospel look wrong and themselves look right. 

 

We have tolerated evil people for too long.  We look the other way and try to avoid confronting them about their evil words, ideas and actions.  The truth is that evil people hurt people.  No they may not themselves attack another person, but they will cheer on others who do.  They loose no sleep over causing human beings to suffer.  

 

I think it is time that we shine a light on evil people.  When we see evil, we need to speak up loudly and let them and everyone around them know what is happening.

Once publicly exposed they may think twice about displaying their evil deeds.  And, if they are not "evil" but ignorant of how to treat people, then perhaps they will mend their ways.

 

We have the light of the truth and we need to let it shine.

Take Courage

Immediately afterward He compelled the disciples to get into the boat and to go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away.  After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone.  But the boat was already a long distance from the land, battered by the waves; for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear.  

 

But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”

 

Matthew 14:22-27

 

There are times when we are frightened by what the future may hold.  Things are not going the way we think they should.  We become paralyzed by fear of what may happen if things do not change.

It is in these times that we need to remember that we may not see the hand of God at work, but it is.  What we see as impending disaster, God sees as an opportunity to reveal His glory. 

We can take courage knowing that God is in control and we have nothing to fear.   

 

Doers Of The Word

But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not just hearers who deceive themselves.  For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.  But one who has looked intently at the perfect law, the law of freedom, and has continued in it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an active doer, this person will be blessed in what he does.

James 1:22-25

When we read the Bible we sometimes do not absorb what is being said.  We miss what God is telling us.  That is how it is when we are hearers of the word and not doers.

Years ago, one Sunday my daughter said, "I don't think I like what the pastor said."

What she did not like was that the pastor said, "The purpose of bad people in your life is to destroy your life.  Get rid of them."  

My daughter had some shady friends and she knew it and she still associated with them and was influenced by them, which caused her a lot of grief. 

This is what happens when we disregard what the Bible tells us about how we should live.  We are easily pulled into things that are not good for us or anyone else. And, our lives are less than the best that God has for us.

When we look intently at what the Bible tells us to do and actively strive to live Christ like lives, we will be blessed.    

  

Kindness - Get It Back

Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.

I Peter 2:1-3

Every now and then stuff happens and we get tangled up by our natural instincts which can choke the life out of our Christianity.  

 

We get a bad attitude.  We become mean.  We look in the mirror and don't like what we see.  So, what is the cure for this?

 

The cure is to renew our Christian behavior by spending time reading the Bible and in prayer - for ourselves and for others.    

 

We who have experienced the kindness of the Lord need to get it back and pass it on.   

Rejoice and Be Glad

 

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24

Every morning when I get out of bed, I recite this verse to help me set the tone for my day.

That is not to say that I am not sometimes crabby or angry or disappointed, but to say that even in those time, I can rejoice that the Lord made the day and made me.  

Being thankful takes effort because none of us have perfect lives, but the act of thanking God for all we have helps us keep a positive perspective and can improve our attitude.  

And, knowing that God in His infinite wisdom has everything under control, helps us see beyond that which is happening at the moment to recognize that it all is part of God's plan for us.  

So, rejoice and be glad!