Rejoice Always

 

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

This is good advice for us.  When things are going well and when things are not going well, we can still find things that are good in our lives.  We can thank God that He is there and listening to us and comforting us.  

Circumstances do not change how God loves us, and we can rejoice that no matter what God is on our side.  

This is the will of God is that we remain faithful and grateful. 

More Than What We See

 

As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them, being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.

And they laid hands on them and put them in jail until the next day, for it was already evening.

But many of those who heard the message believed; and the number of the men came to about five thousand.

Acts 4:1-4

When Peter and John set out to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ, they had no idea what would happen. They believed in the power of their message.

Even when they were arrested and put in jail, the power of the message took hold and many came to believe in Jesus.

We should not grow discouraged because the outward signs may indicate that the message of the Gospel is being rejected, because it is not the outward signs which reveal the power of the Gospel, but the inward changes in the hearts of men, women and children.

Get Up

 

Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.

Psalm 51:12

We all get discouraged sometimes, but we are not to stay discouraged.  We are to pray and ask God to restore our spirit of joy and our willingness to serve Him.

God is there to answer our prayers, ask and be revived.   

When we are down, God is there to get us up. 

Forgive and Be Forgiven

 

Jesus said, “When you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you, your transgressions.”

Mark 11:25

Jesus gave us insightful instructions in His last days before the crucifixion. He tells us to forgive others because if we do not forgive others our grudges stand as a barrier between God and us. It is not that God does not want to forgive us, but that our lack of forgiveness leaves us in a state of unrepentant sin. 

Forgiveness does not mean agreement; forgiveness means acknowledging the offense and setting aside all malice, anger, disappointment and ill will we have toward the offender. Once the bitterness is gone, we can truly experience God’s forgiveness.

Forgive and be forgiven.

Round And Round

 

It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.

Psalm 118:8

The latest innovation in traffic control here in Ohio is the roundabout or traffic circle. Until a few years ago, these were unknown in Ohio; then the Highway Department started building them and roundabouts became the darling of road construction.

Roundabouts are easy to navigate, but many drivers are confounded by them. They do not understand that all traffic flows to the right and that they must turn right to get onto the circle and turn right to get off the circle. All the signs point to the right, but drivers still go the wrong way.

Sometimes that’s what happens to us when we find ourselves in a new situation. All the signs point us in the right direction, but we can’t decide what to do because we are over advised by friends and foes. That’s when it is a good time to take a break and pray for guidance.

When we look to God, He will point us in the right direction.

It Will Spring Forth

 

Do not call to mind former things,

Or ponder things of the past.

Behold I will do something new,

Now it will spring forth;

Will you not be aware of it?

I will make a roadway in the wilderness,

Rivers in the desert.

Isaiah 43:18-19

We can waste a lot of time thinking about what we should have done or not done.  We can continuously celebrate past victories or lament past failures.  Neither of these do anything to help us move forward with our lives.

So, what are we do do?  Throw the rear view mirror out the window and look to the future and ask what is it God has for me to do?  

God is all about making the impossible possible.  Look for  possibilities, and be sure God will help you make something new happen.

Be confident.  God promises it will spring forth.    

 

 

When You Don't Know What To Say

 

Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart

Be acceptable in Your sight,

O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.

Psalm 19:14

What do we say when we don’t know what to say?

Every now and then we are confronted by someone who presents us with a situation which leaves us speechless. We know we need to say something, but we have no idea of what to say.

Not everyone who bares their soul is looking for advice. Sometimes we just need to acknowledge that we heard what they said. If the person is receptive we can pray with them on the spot, and if not, then we can tell them we will pray for them and then do it. Rarely is an offer of prayer rejected.

In any event, we can be sure that if we ask God, He will direct us to say and do what is right.