If God Wants You to Suffer

“But they do not let the teaching go deep into their lives. They keep it only a short time. As soon as trouble or persecution comes because of the teaching they accepted, they give up.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭13:21‬ ‭ERV‬‬

Sometimes I have a bad attitude because I am suffering. There are several ways that I observe how suffering people react, including myself. We try to analyze why in the world God has allowed this in our lives. We question why God picked us and not our neighbor. We try to buy more or eat more or try to stay entertained more to wipe out our pain. The majority of people just get bitter and decide that God cannot be trusted because they are suffering and they walk away.

“So if God wants you to suffer, you should trust your lives to him. He is the one who made you, and you can trust him. So continue to do good.”
‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭4:19‬ ‭ERV‬‬

Look what this verse says, "If God wants you to suffer." Yes, even though I don't like this sound of this, God has a reason for me to suffer. He says that this is the very reason that He can be trusted. Think about that. Because you are suffering, He should be trusted. Why is that?

“My brothers and sisters, you will have many kinds of trouble. But this gives you a reason to be very happy. You know that when your faith is tested, you learn to be patient in suffering. If you let that patience work in you, the end result will be good. You will be mature and complete. You will be all that God wants you to be.”
‭‭James‬ ‭1:2-4‬ ‭ERV‬‬

He wants us to be mature and complete. He wants us to be patient in suffering. I was crying out to God this week and was asking God to end my dad's suffering. Pa has ALS and the suffering is unbearable! God clearly spoke to me that night. He made it clear to me that He knows exactly when Pa will be mature and complete. He knows exactly when I will made mature and complete. He knows what it will take in our family's lives to be made mature and complete. He has not turned away on a break and forgotten us.

I must ask myself. Do I want to be all that God wants me to be? Do I want to be complete? Do I want the end result to be good for eternity? Each of us must decide that when we suffer, we will choose to trust. If we walk away bitter and decide that He cannot be trusted, in eternity we will be judged harshly.

When I woke up the next morning, I felt joy. Joy is different from happiness. Happiness can be bought with food or money or entertainment. It is cheap.
Joy is when your circumstances did not change one bit but you changed.

Thank you, Lord for loving me so much that you know what I need, including the suffering. Thank you so much that when I meet you in heaven, you will remember this time of pain and you will say that I pleased you then, instead of grieved you with my attitude. I want it to be said that I trusted you wholly.

Instead of Giving Up, Try Looking Up

When I am tempted to have a pity party about life, I need to read the book of Philippians. Paul's life was not a picnic, by any means. What was his secret? How did he “learned to be content whatever the circumstances?"
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4:11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

He practiced doing things like "“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4:6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

He also did not try to live in his own strength. He said things like ““Even if I am able to trust in myself, still I don’t do it. If anyone else thinks they have a reason to trust in themselves, they should know that I have a greater reason for doing so.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭3:4‬ ‭ERV‬‬

But I am thinking the main thing he did was to control his thoughts. He did not let his thoughts control him. He practiced thinking about things that were true and honorable and pure and respectful. Look what happens.

"And because you belong to Christ Jesus, God’s peace will stand guard over all your thoughts and feelings. His peace can do this far better than our human minds. Brothers and sisters, continue to think about what is good and worthy of praise. Think about what is true and honorable and right and pure and beautiful and respected.
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4:7

I want that peace to stand guard over my thoughts and feelings. Don't try to do this in your own strength. You may can do okay on your good days. But when life gets tough, you are going to fail in your own strength. The peace that we all are looking for is not within ourselves. Quit looking there.

instead of giving up, try looking up.

Are We Judging Our Spouse

“So why do you judge your brother or sister in Christ? Or why do you think that you are better than they are? We will all stand before God, and he will judge us all.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭14:10‬ ‭ERV‬‬

“So each of us will have to explain to God about the things we do.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭14:12‬ ‭ERV

I think if we let the weight of these verses hit us, it will change us forever.

Take marriage, for example. When our spouse disappoints us or makes us unhappy, we focus on their sin problem. We, in essence, judge them as it describes in verse 10. I think that we act as if God will not notice that we did that. However, it says in verse 12, we will have to explain "the things that we did."

I have to remind myself that I will stand before the Lord one day and explain how I treated Mark. Wow! Keep that thought in your mind when you judge your spouse. It will be silly to say to God, "Mark did not remember to take out the trash on Tuesdays and Thursdays. That made me mad." Keep in mind that I am using a silly example. Mark always takes out the trash, as long as I set it right by the coffee pot:):):).

Fill in the blank. God, my spouse does this____. Name it...whatever the thing is that gives you the right to judge him. Just name it. Practice saying this excuse before the Lord one day. Will this excuse hold up? Will this make it okay to judge him, even though Romans 14:10 says not to judge but to love?

I firmly believe that when I stand before the creator of the universe one day, He will want to know how did I love Mark. He put Mark in my life to love and cherish and serve. God will ask me, "How did you do?" Jesus loved Mark enough to die for Mark. I do want to wow God's heart when I loved Mark when he didn't take out the trash or serve me. I would love to hear God say, "I noticed that time when Mark did so and so and you forgave him and loved him anyway."

Who in your life are you judging?

Start Reading Your Bible

““Jeremiah, get a scroll and write on it all the messages I have spoken to you. I have spoken to you about the nations of Israel and Judah and all the other nations. Write all the words that I have spoken to you from the time that Josiah was king, until now. Maybe the people of Judah will hear what I am planning to do to them and will stop doing bad things. If they will do that, I will forgive them for the terrible sins they have committed.””
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭36:2-3‬ ‭ERV‬‬

Jehudi began to read from the scroll. But after he would read two or three columns, King Jehoiakim would grab the scroll. Then he would cut those columns off the scroll with a small knife and throw them into the fireplace. Finally, the whole scroll was burned in the fire. And, when King Jehoiakim and his servants heard the message from the scroll, they were not afraid. They did not tear their clothes to show sorrow for doing wrong.”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭36:23-24‬ ‭ERV‬‬

I have always been intrigued by this story. It's like watching a movie and seeing the king burn the scroll and wanting to shout out, "Don't do it!" We know what happens at the end of the story. Everything that Jeremiah prophesied came true.

“This is how Jerusalem was captured: During the tenth month of the ninth year that Zedekiah was king of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army. He surrounded the city to defeat it.”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭39:1‬ ‭ERV‬‬

Does this remind you of America today? We are playing with fire. We ignore anything and everything that God talked about in the Bible if we don't agree with it. We are taking the Bible, one page at a time, and thinking that if we burn it, it won't exist.

But the end has already been written. Jesus will return. Every knee will bow to Him. Makes me want to reread the messages over and over again and incorporate that truth into my life. I want the words to be the first thing I read every morning before email or Facebook.

Today is a great day to pick up your Bible and start reading it cover to cover and letting God's Word transform you.

After Pain Comes a New Birth

“In the same way, I will not cause pain without allowing something new to be born.” The Lord says this: “I promise that if I cause you the pain of birth, I will not stop you from having your new nation.” Your God said this.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭66:9‬ ‭ERV‬‬

One of the reasons I desperately need to read the Bible everyday is to receive a much needed word from the Lord. Our family is going through a sad, hard time. Death is a part of life and I know that, but it doesn't make it any easier. But what an incredible promise God spoke through Isaiah.

Just as labor brings pain and then a new birth follows, something new will come to life after a period of suffering. The Lord says that if He allows you the pain, He promises that new growth follows.

I think back over the saddest and hardest times that I have faced, God brought a stronger faith, a closer relationship with Him. Granted, I could have chosen to become bitter and walk away from Him. I had to allow Him to let the suffering transform me, make me more Christ like.

I think that all of us want growth, without the pain. I certainly do. I want a perfect life with no financial problems, physical problems or stress in relationships. However, that is not realistic. We get mad at God and ask him questions like, "Why did you allow this in my life?"

But I am trusting in a God who ways are higher and deeper. Even though his ways are beyond my understanding, there are promises that I can cling to. For today, this is one of those promises. He will bring joy and new birth in my life and my family's life. I choose to believe this.

Get back in the race

“When Jesus finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Take the boat into the deep water. If all of you will put your nets into the water, you will catch some fish.” Simon answered, “Master, we worked hard all night trying to catch fish and caught nothing. But you say I should put the nets into the water, so I will.””
‭‭Luke‬ ‭5:4-5‬ ‭ERV‬‬

Some time later...

“Simon Peter said, “I am going out to fish.” The other followers said, “We will go with you.” So all of them went out and got into the boat. They fished that night but caught nothing.”
‭‭John‬ ‭21:3‬ ‭ERV‬‬

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a blog about the passage in Luke, chapter 5. I was about to go to Germany on a mission trip. I was encouraged by the promise that God is not dependent on my "fishing" talents. He proved that to be true when we saw so many teens come to know the Lord. He was not dependent on us but His power. We were only there to "throw out the nets." He brought in the fish.

But notice what happened next in the story about Peter. After becoming a follower of Jesus, he denied Christ three times. And then he returned to becoming an ordinary fisherman. He returned to his old occupation. Did you realize that Peter was going to let his sin keep him out of the race?

I have been on many youth camps and I have seen youths give their life to Christ. And within a short period of time, they return to their former "occupation." They forget that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is living in them.

I contend that each and every one of us has been called to be a fisher of men. Go back to the first time when you felt God speak to your heart. Remember the moment that you gave your life to Jesus and made him Savior and Lord. You have not been knocked out of the race. You have not been thrown away when you messed up really bad. You have not been set back by a returning to an old addiction. You do not return back to your former life. God made us a new creation, with a new heart.

I am so glad that He is not like us with limited mercy and strength. He is a God of infinite grace and mercy and forgiveness. The next page in the story of Peter was a life of explosive power. He brought men to a saving knowledge of Christ by the 1000's. He healed the sick in Jesus name. He willing endured being thrown into jail and beaten. He stood before the Jewish High Council and spoke with boldness and wisdom.

Get back up and start living the life He called you to live. God still has big plans for you.

God Enjoys Us When We Trust Him

“War horses and powerful soldiers are not what he cares about. The Lord enjoys people who worship him and trust in his faithful love.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭147:10-11‬ ‭ERV‬‬

I just have experienced the most incredible two weeks of God's display of power. I spent two weeks in Germany at a English/Sports camp. I began the week with some sad news from home. I experienced jet lag for days. I had back spasms for the last ten days of the trip. I got a bad cold and lost my voice for two days. I can hardly write this blog without coughing and blowing my nose! I constantly questioned why I was there. I am old. I am not sports minded. I can't speak German. Why Lord, did you bring me here?

He brought me here so that I could see that He does not need "war horses or powerful soldiers." He needs me to worship him and trust him.

I was given a group of 8 middle school aged girls to mentor for the week. I did not speak German and most did not speak English. The older students are better at English. The middle school students are just beginning to learn English at school. My heart was especially drawn to one of my girls who did not know Jesus. She asked me a question. If God was so good, then why did He not draw all of them to heaven? This is a question of the ages, is it not? Many people believe that a loving God would not send anyone to hell. But a loving God provided His son so we could experience a rightness with Him.

When she approached me with her questions, she did not want anyone to know she had these questions. I thought that this would be an impossible situation because she was my most limited English speaking student. But God did not think that this was impossible at all. I began with Romans 6:23.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭6:23‬ ‭NIV‬‬

She found it in her German Bible. After she read it, I asked her what did it mean. She said that it meant that Christ was the answer to her if she did not want death.

Everyday for the remainder of the camp, she would stay after the lesson and ask for more Bible verses to read. She would meticulously highlight them. Then she would write the verse on a separate scrap of paper and use that for a bookmark. Our conversation was limited...just the careful highlighting of verses. On the last day, she stayed to highlight 25 verses! I ended with Romans 10:9-10.

“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭10:9-10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I asked her what that meant. She said that if she believed and professed her belief that she would receive Jesus. I asked her if she wanted to do that. She said with a smile, "I do." I was so shocked!!! She went to talk to our camp pastor. He called her father(who is not a believer). Her father agreed that she could be baptized. She came back to find me and hugged and sobbed for 5 minutes. The joy of the Lord was evident in her heart.

Another amazing thing is that she agreed to stand in front of the group and share her testimony. This was huge! She did not like to talk in front of the 8 girls much less 41 campers and 20 adults. She worked all afternoon on writing her testimony. She practiced with me. She was insistent that she must share her favorite verse...Romans 6:23, the one she began her journey with.

God does not need my talents, my energy, or my wisdom. He does not need me to be well-rested. He does not need me to know a foreign language to share with a non-English speaking person. He needs my willingness to go into all nations and trust Him.

Never Give Up

“That is why we never give up. Our physical body is becoming older and weaker, but our spirit inside us is made new every day. We have small troubles for a while now, but these troubles are helping us gain an eternal glory. That eternal glory is much greater than our troubles. So we think about what we cannot see, not what we see. What we see lasts only a short time, and what we cannot see will last forever.”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭4:16-18‬ ‭ERV‬‬

This is one of my favorite set of verses. I have prayed this many times before when life seemed unbearable. So many truths are contained.

First, we must never give up! God wants us to have the perseverance in every area of our life to stay in the race! There will be many reasons to quit. There will be distractions along the roadside that look better than the race we are on. The enemy wants us to quit and will do anything to get us to quit. But for the joy set before us, it is worth staying in the race for one more step and then another and then another.

School teachers, finish strong this year. Parents, finish strong in loving and giving grace to your kids. Spouses, finish strong in really loving your spouse until you meet the Lord and hear him say, "Well done." Singles, finish strong in waiting on the Lord to provide a godly helpmate. I tell my students all the time, "Summer will be here in a few weeks whether you finish strong or finish like a loser." I really do tell them that:):):).

Another truth that I see is that even though our physical bodies are growing older, our spiritual bodies can actually be gaining vitality and strength. That is an exciting promise to me as I am almost 62. I can surely tell that my physical body is getting weaker and wearing out. But if I continue following the Lord, I can feel stronger in my spiritual walk. That is an incredible thought! However, just as we have to decide how we will take care of our physical body with good choices, we have to draw a line in the sand and commit to maintaining our spiritual growth.

I need to be reminded of the next truth on a daily basis. We will have troubles. But the troubles are helping us gain an eternal glory. A simple way to look at this is to compare this to our physical body. Last night at Body Pump, there was a difficult set of exercises and I just did not think I could raise the weights above my head one more time. I had to keep thinking "for the joy set before me, I will endure the pain." In the scheme of life, who cares if I lifted that weight to be made physically stronger but it helps me to remember that a trial and trouble can make me stronger in the spiritual world. I want to praise Him for the trial and trouble because He has an eternal plan in mind.

The main reason I prayed this verse so many times is the part about praying for the unseen. If my prayers are full of my ideas and my plans and my wisdom, than I am leaving God out of the equation. That means I am praying to myself and not the almighty, all powerful God. If my prayers are depending on my strength, why bother? I want to pray for the impossible. I want my prayers to be for eternal things that I maybe I will not see until the other side of heaven.

What we see lasts only a short time, and what we cannot see will last forever.”

The King Adores You

““Now listen, daughter, don’t miss a word: forget your country, put your home behind you. Be here —the king is wild for you. Since he’s your lord, adore him. Wedding gifts pour in from Tyre; rich guests shower you with presents.””
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭45:10-12‬ ‭MSG‬‬

I love the month of June! My Bible reading plan always brings me to Psalms in June.

This particular set of verses is good advice for a woman approaching marriage. The writers, the sons of a Koran, advised the young woman to leave behind her ties to her country and her family and adore her husband. The Psalms is warning her to come into the relationship with intentionality. On the wedding day, her husband is wild for her. To keep that love alive, she must give up some things, put some stuff behind her.

Even now after 39 years, I am constantly fighting against my selfishness and my desire to put myself first. When I fight to keep my needs at the front, Mark is less likely to adore me. I need to put some stuff behind me. He likes me a whole lot better when I stop trying to be first and fight for my needs to be met over his.

However, these verses are about so much more than marriage. It is describing our relationship with Christ. When we come into a relationship with Jesus, we have to intentionally leave behind our past. We have to come into this new incredible marriage with our Savior, giving up all of us(our country) and letting Him be the Lord and King.

If we continue to put our desires first and not die to ourselves, He will still adore us, but we lose the whole point. We keep trying to bring our past country. We need to enter into the relationship bringing nothing because we have nothing to offer. Absolutely nothing! He adores us and He does everything.

When we need a reset button, as my sister calls it, we reset by dying to ourselves and letting Christ take over. We can't do anything to help ourselves. The enemy tells us we can by working harder. The sooner we realize this, the sooner we begin to walk back into wide open spaces. Today is the best day to quit trying to fix ourselves. We can't.

“If you do these things, your light will begin to shine like the light of dawn. Then your wounds will heal. Your “Goodness” will walk in front of you, and the Glory of the Lord will come following behind you.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭58:8‬ ‭ERV‬‬

Dealing with Hurts

““Why do you notice the small piece of dust that is in your friend’s eye, but you don’t notice the big piece of wood that is in your own? Why do you say to your friend, ‘Let me take that piece of dust out of your eye’? Look at yourself first! You still have that big piece of wood in your own eye. You are a hypocrite! First, take the wood out of your own eye. Then you will see clearly to get the dust out of your friend’s eye.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7:3-5‬ ‭ERV‬‬

I love to read. I love to read books involving spiritual growth. I really like to read devotions. About 50% of them deal, in some way, with people that are struggling with forgiveness. Everyone has been hurt by a family member, boss, friend, co-worker, ...you name it. Sometimes the hurt was small. Sometimes it was a gigantic betrayal.

I've noticed that people deal with hurt in many ways. Many turn to addictions to avoid dealing with the hurt. Food is a popular medicine to use when you are hurt. The enemy tells you that if you eat enough, you will feel better. I've never seen food cure the problem.

Alcohol or drugs have been used to ease the pain. That just causes more problems. Another popular way to ease the pain is entertainment. The enemy tells you that if you look at enough social media, enough tv, enough movies, enough travel to fun places- you will feel better. Nothing wrong with entertainment. However, it is not a substitute for a medicine that you need for a lonely, messed up heart.

I noticed that if you don't deal with it in a healthy way, the bitterness just grows and grows and threatens to destroy your life. I'm not a licensed psychologist but I know this to be true. You have to deal with your own heart and not wait on the other person to deal with theirs. There is nothing you can do to change the other person. You can pray for them but your words or actions can't change them.

While you wait on God to change them, your job is to look for logs in your own life and ask God to change you. I see that in my own life. When I get mad at Mark, the temptation is to point the flashlight on Mark. But that never, ever solves anything. It only makes it worse. And if I don't deal with it with wisdom, it just grows and grows. As soon as possible, I need to ask God to point the flashlight at me, do surgery on me and transform me.

If you are struggling with forgiving someone, even with a small thing, pull the weed out before it chokes you to death. If you are only 1% off in your spiritual life and you don't deal with it now, it will become 99% one day. I know some old people that started out with a lack of forgiveness and they thought that it would not hurt to hold on to it. It's not a pretty sight. Be kind to the old person that you will become.

Purity

In case you don't know the story of David and Bathsheba, it is found in 2 Samuel.
“In the spring, when kings go out to war, David sent Joab, his officers, and all the Israelites out to destroy the Ammonites. Joab’s army surrounded their capital city, Rabbah. David stayed in Jerusalem."

David was out of place. He put himself "out of place. Mark used to be a vice-principal when we lived in Vicksburg, MS. When students came to his office for a discipline issue, he always discovered that they were "out of place." When we stay where we need to be, we will be less likely to stray and do the wrong things.

"One evening he got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of his house. From there he saw a woman bathing. She was very beautiful,”
‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭11:1-2‬ ‭ERV‬‬

I would guess that David knew ahead of time that when he stood on the roof of his house he would see women bathing. This was not the first time. He put himself into a situation where he would be tempted. We often put ourselves into a situation where we already know that we will be tempted. It was only a matter of time before he would give in to the temptation.

Look what God said to David....

"When you took Uriah’s wife, you showed that you did not respect me."

"But you did things that made the Lord ’S enemies lose their respect.”
‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭12:10, 14‬ ‭ERV‬‬

“I let you take his family and his wives, and I made you king of Israel and Judah. As if that had not been enough, I would have given you more and more. So why did you ignore my command? Why did you do what I say is wrong? You let the Ammonites kill Uriah the Hittite, and you took his wife. It is as if you yourself killed Uriah in war.”
‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭12:8-9‬ ‭ERV‬‬

When we ignore God's command to have purity, we disrespect Him and we cause the world to disrespect Him. He said to David, "I gave you everything but it wasn't enough!" God has given us literally everything we need but we decide, just like Eve, that God did not let us eat out of the one tree and that He is not taking care of us. We decide that God is holding out on us and we take matters into our own hands.

If you are struggling with sexual temptations and giving in to them, get help. Do you need an accountability partner? Do you need to join a group.  You won't be the first one to join. You won't be the last one to join.

This is definitely an area where you cannot "conform to the world." The world says that it is okay to have sex outside of marriage. God says it's not. If pornography is the issue, quit "climbing on the roof of your house."

Pray with shameless audacity

I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭11:8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I was reading this verse last week and wondered if I really believed this? If so, do I pray with "shameless audacity?"

I love that this verse says that when I ask God for something, "He will surely get up and give me as much as I need." What I NEED.

Every Monday, I pray for my small group that I love.❤️I was visiting with a member of the class last night and I was telling her how I divide my days into specific prayer needs. For example, Monday is set aside specific for this class. Tuesday is set aside for our Compassion kids that we sponsor and my Mississippi family. Wednesday is for our sons and their families and so on.

She remarked that it sounded like I was not praying for myself. I assured her that me, me, me is at the top of my prayer list most days! However, I want my prayer list to be so much more than me.

Another thought about prayer. If I ask you about your prayer life, I would ask you specifically, "When do you pray?" Like when is it marked on your calendar each day to spend time in prayer? If you struggle to come up with a time, maybe begin to put a specific time for prayer each day. Obviously, pray more than that time but have a specific time carved into your day and pray with "shameless audacity!"

Our prayer life tells us so much about what we believe about God. I am not asking Mark for what I need. He is a great guy but he simply does not have the ability and wisdom and money and generosity to give me "what I need." But God does. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. His wisdom trumps all wisdom. His strength is unsurpassed. Let's pray like we believe that.

Wait for the best

Remember, most temptations are a shortcut that Satan wants you to take. ~Johnny Hunt

I read this quote this morning. Every time we make a lessor choice, it is because we take the easy way out. I often do that with food. I come home from work and I am starving, absolutely starving. But instead of waiting for a healthy dinner, I eat one snack and then another snack and then one more snack. By the time dinner rolls around, the healthy choice does not even look so good because I am filled with the lessor choices.

Think about areas of your life when you took the "shortcut." You did not want to wait for the best. And to top it all off, Satan condemns you and tells you how pitiful you are after you make that choice! Jesus said that "he did not come to condemn but to give us an abundant life." When you are condemned, that is not the voice of the Heavenly Father. Even though you made the wrong choice, he will not condemn but the Holy Spirit will gently convict you that you made the wrong choice. That is the voice of the Father.

Be intentional today to take the path, even though painful, to abundant life. If it's a shortcut, steer clear.

Do you fear the person getting more likes?

“The Lord was with David, so he was successful in everything. Saul saw how successful David was and became even more afraid of him. But all the people in Israel and Judah loved David because he was out among them and led them into battle.”
‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭18:14-16‬ ‭ERV‬‬

Saul was the appointed king of Israel. And yet David was becoming more and more the people's choice. It is the equivalent of David getting a 100 times more "likes" than Saul ever dreamed of. I can see this happening in every walk of life.

In my job, there are always going to be people that are more "highly favored." There are teachers at my school that are more talented and more incredible. I really teach at a school where almost every teacher is pretty amazing. However, I have set my mind against needing the accolades and attention at my school. I know that it is a slippery slope to try to be teacher of the year for my sake and my glory. I only desire the Lord's attention and affirmation. But trust me, you have to set your heart to do this.

In the Facebook and Instagram world, there are countless online businesses that are competing for the limited amount of dollars. A precious friend of mine, Michelle Myers is the owner of a three wildly successful online businesses. I can't count the number of times, I have read her posts and they point every single reader to the Lord. But she has purposed in her mind that she is not trying to gain the love of the people. She is trying to gain the attention of one person and Him alone. A long time ago, she decided that she would not "fear" the person that is getting more likes.

In families and friend groups, we "fear" that person that is doing better and getting more attention. What a dangerous thing that the enemy pulls you into to. If you don't get a grip, look where it leads...

“But Saul threw his spear at Jonathan and tried to kill him. So Jonathan knew that his father wanted very much to kill David.”
‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭20:33‬ ‭ERV‬‬

In whatever area of your life, if you see a tendency to be jealous of another person because they are more well liked and are getting the fame that you so desperately crave, draw a line in the sand today.

“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud. Love is not rude, it is not selfish, and it cannot be made angry easily. Love does not remember wrongs done against it.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13:4-5‬ ‭ERV‬‬

Love your enemy today

““I’m telling you to love your enemies and do good to them. Lend to people without expecting to get anything back. If you do this, you will have a great reward. You will be children of the Most High God. Yes, because God is good even to the people who are full of sin and not thankful. Give love and mercy the same as your Father gives love and mercy.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭6:35-36‬ ‭ERV‬‬

If you happen to like rewards, love your enemy today...be really good to them. Lend to someone who cannot pay you back. Yes, this is the opposite of the world's way but "do not conform to the world."

If you wonder how much to love your enemy and bless your enemy, consider what God did for you. God gave his Son for you and for me when we were His enemies.

Intentionally, find someone today that you can't stand and think of a way to bless them. Pray for them. You will start looking a lot more like Christ-which is the whole idea, right?

How to get rest for our weary souls

“God has chosen you and made you his holy people. He loves you. So your new life should be like this: Show mercy to others. Be kind, humble, gentle, and patient.”
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3:12‬ ‭ERV‬‬

My dream come true would be for someone to say that I am kind, humble, gentle and patient. I think that many times my qualities are confrontative, know-it-all, impatient(because I'm always in a hurry) and just plain opposite of those qualities. And you know what...I better not say that "this is just the way I am" and wear it like a badge. This is not an option in my life and in your life. It is spoken as a command and not a suggestion.

More than a command, it is wisdom. Listen to what Jesus said about these qualities.

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11:29‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Learn from Him. Jesus is gentle and humble and "You will find rest for your soul." Did you hear that? When we read the verse, we really want the first part about rest for our weary souls. We want to get rid of our yoke. But the second part holds the secret to accomplishing this. Learn from Christ. Allow God to make you more Christ-like. When we are gentle and lowly in our hearts, then and only then will we find rest for our souls.

If I Don't Have Love, I'm Nothing

“I may speak in different languages, whether human or even of angels. But if I don’t have love, I am only a noisy bell or a ringing cymbal. I may have the gift of prophecy, I may understand all secrets and know everything there is to know, and I may have faith so great that I can move mountains. But even with all this, if I don’t have love, I am nothing. I may give away everything I have to help others, and I may even give my body as an offering to be burned. But I gain nothing by doing all this if I don’t have love.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13:1-3‬ ‭ERV‬‬

Get ready to be burned. I am. Constantly by these scriptures. Do you have times when you think you are pretty hot stuff? Maybe you teach a Sunday class. Heck, maybe you have an entire ministry to teach online. Maybe you donated your time and money last week to a good cause. Maybe you even tithe every month. Maybe you pray everyday, twice a day. Maybe you read your Bible a lot.

But here is what God says about that.

"But even with all this, if I don’t have love, I am nothing. "

"I may give away everything I have to help others, and I may even give my body as an offering to be burned. But I gain nothing by doing all this if I don’t have love.”
‭‭
It gets even more humbling. It describes what love looks like.

“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud. Love is not rude, it is not selfish, and it cannot be made angry easily. Love does not remember wrongs done against it. Love is never happy when others do wrong, but it is always happy with the truth. Love never gives up on people. It never stops trusting, never loses hope, and never quits.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13:4-7‬ ‭ERV‬‬

Lord, if I don't serve and give out of a heart with love, I'm just a clanging bell and annoying cymbal. And if I don't love even the difficult person in my life on their worst day, I really don't resemble Jesus at all. I look like everyone else. Gracious, show me how to look just like you, Jesus.

Ask God First

“The men of Israel wanted to know if these men were telling the truth. So they tasted the bread—but they did not ask the Lord what they should do. Joshua agreed to make peace with them. He agreed to let them live. The leaders of Israel agreed with this promise of Joshua.”
‭‭Joshua‬ ‭9:14-15‬ ‭ERV‬‬

This story is our story. Here's what happened. The children of Israel were demolishing every enemy in sight. They were victorious on all fronts. The surrounding enemies saw their impending defeat. One city, Gibeon, had a great idea.

“The people from the city of Gibeon heard about the way Joshua had defeated Jericho and Ai.”
‭‭Joshua‬ ‭9:3‬ ‭ERV‬‬

“Then they went to the camp of the Israelites. This camp was near Gilgal. The men went to Joshua and said to him, “We have traveled from a faraway country. We want to make a peace agreement with you.” The men of Israel said to these Hivite men, “Maybe you are trying to trick us. Maybe you live near us. We cannot make a peace agreement with you until we know where you are from.”

The men answered, “We are your servants. We have come from a faraway country. We came because we heard of the great power of the Lord your God. We heard about what he has done and about everything he did in Egypt.”
‭‭Joshua‬ ‭9:6-7, 9‬ ‭ERV‬‬

This city pretended to be from far away and they ended up making a very valuable peace treaty with the Israelites. From then on, Israel was bound by their promise to spend their time and money and men to defend this city. Huge waste of resources. God had no intention of them protecting this city every time they needed help. How did they get entangled with this burden? "They did not ask the Lord what to do."

How often do we burden ourselves with a new car payment, a more expensive house payment or a credit card bill to be burdened with? Huge waste of our resources. In hindsight, we should have asked the Lord if this was the right decision for this time and place.

This is a tricky statement. We also make promises to help someone or mentor someone or be a part of a committee that meets often. We get hooked by this one statement..." We came because we heard of the great power." We are flattered and we accept. And then we are burdened by keeping that commitment...for a long time.

Keep in mind that God sometimes plans for you to purchase that house or that car and definitely mentor that friend or be on that committee. The key here is did we ask Him ahead of time if this is part of His plan? I have a pet peeve to bring up here. Sometimes people read this blog and assume that they are too busy and assume that God does not want you to commit and they always say no. God did not give me free time so I can sit on the couch and watch TV. Do not have a fear of committing to something.

But in the case of Gibeon, they should not have saddled themselves with this extra burden. God intended them to become a nation that lends and does not borrow. He intended on them to bring salvation through Jesus. But He has specific plans for them just like He has specific plans for each of us. This particular city should have been demolished and not preserved. Do not be deceived by the neighboring temptations that surround you and ask you to commit your time and money. Ask God first.

Set up an Altar

“Joshua wrote these things in the Book of the Law of God. Then he found a large stone to be the proof of this agreement. He put the stone under the oak tree near the Lord ’S Holy Tent. Then Joshua said to all the people, “This stone will help you remember what we said today. This stone was here when the Lord was speaking to us today. So this stone will be something that helps you remember what happened today. The stone will be a witness against you. It will stop you from turning against your God.””
‭‭Joshua‬ ‭24:26-27‬ ‭

I really like what Joshua did. He set up a stone. Moses taught him how to do this. On first glance, it seems wrong to build altars. However, you will set up altars, one way or another. We all set up reminders of the things we worship.

I think this is why I write about the things I read in the Bible. It "helps me remember what happened today." It " stops me from turning against God."

Read your Bible everyday! You Version has tons of choices. After you read a few verses, write down what you learned. It helps cement the wisdom that God showed you. Your future will be different depending on which choice you made...what did you decide to worship today?

Sometimes God purposely says NO

“A few days later, Jesus went out to a mountain to pray. He stayed there all night praying to God. The next morning he called his followers. He chose twelve of them and called them apostles. These are the ones he chose:

Judas, the son of James, Judas Iscariot (the one who turned against Jesus).”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭6:12-13, 16‬ ‭ERV‬‬

Couple of things to notice here. Jesus stayed up all night praying. We have trouble talking to God for 5 minutes!

He was seeking wisdom about a major decision to choose his 12 apostles. These men would follow him around for the next three years and Jesus would pour into them. He was picking his pit crew. He needed his Father's counsel to choose these friends. So many times, I make decisions without a lot of prayer.

Were you surprised that after an all night prayer session, God allowed him to choose the "wrong" friend in Judas? This was by divine plan, not by accident. I think that we get confused when God purposely allows a terrible thing to happen to us. We have a rebellious child even when we are following the Lord. Someone that we loved dies prematurely. A friend betrays us. The finances just don't work out. Our job just does not pay enough and the money is always short. We feel like we will never be able to retire and we are getting tired.

Our thinking has to be constantly analyzed and see if it agrees with His word. He asks us to be happy and rejoice when life is tough. Be nervous if life is a bed of roses because that is not what Jesus experienced and God loved his Son so much. He allowed pain and discomfort and poverty and rejection in his beloved Son's life. Listen to what He says in the book of Luke.

“You can be happy then and jump for joy, because you have a great reward in heaven. The ancestors of those people did the same things to the prophets. “But how bad it will be for you rich people, because you had your easy life. How bad it will be for you people who are full now, because you will be hungry. How bad it will be for you people who are laughing now, because you will be sad and cry. “How bad it is when everyone says nothing but good about you. Just look at the false prophets. Their ancestors always said good things about them.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭6:23-26‬ ‭ERV‬‬

These verses make me stop and think if my requests are in line with what God wants for me. I want riches. I do not want to be hungry. I want a life of laughter. I want everyone to say good things about me. I want God to be my Santa Claus and give me everything I want all the time.

Next time, God answers our prayer with a no, rejoice and praise God and be thankful. His plan for us is to make us more like His Son and not more like the world.

Loving Your Husbands

““Why do you notice the small piece of dust that is in your friend’s eye, but you don’t notice the big piece of wood that is in your own? Why do you say to your friend, ‘Let me take that piece of dust out of your eye’? Look at yourself first! You still have that big piece of wood in your own eye. You are a hypocrite! First, take the wood out of your own eye. Then you will see clearly to get the dust out of your friend’s eye.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7:3-5‬ ‭ERV‬‬

My sister and I made a vow a few years ago to pray for our husbands every Tuesday morning. This does not mean that I have never prayed for Mark before but I want to be more intentional. I know that it slips off the tip of my tongue to pray for my kids, my job, my ministry, my finances, even my myself. But I think we put our husbands on a pedestal and get disappointed when they are not perfect.

After a long, busy holiday week, I realized I skipped Tuesday prayer for Mark. But the words get stuck in my mouth and my mind...I realize that the enemy always makes my sins look smaller than Mark's. I have an amazing husband but I am always looking for that little piece of dust in his eye! The Bible says that I am a hypocrite. I have a huge log in my eye that I need to deal with.

No matter who you are or who you think you are, you have a log in your eye like me. You know how I know that? Jesus had to die for our wretched sins. Satan tries everyday to convince me that Mark is the problem and not me. In fact, the enemy tries to convince me that Mark and I are in a battle and not us against the enemy.

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6:12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

It is so easy to love Mark and pray for him when I remember that he is a gift to me. When I stand before the throne one day, I know that God will talk with me about how I treated the precious gift that He gave me. What a waste of my breath when I try to stammer and explain that Mark was not always perfect and that he did not always make me happy.

I thought about this yesterday and realized that if my goal is to be more Christlike, I should take the towel from my waist and love like Jesus.

“so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciplesʼ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.”
‭‭John‬ ‭13:4-5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I forget sometimes that Jesus did not feel like washing feet. He probably wanted to sit down and be served. But for the joy that was ahead, He loved the 12 men that God gifted him with, even one who would betray Him. He loved by putting His own desires in last place. That is a model to how the Lord wants me to love Mark. I need to remember that there will be a conversation one day and I want the Lord to say, "Well done with loving Mark."

Life's Biggest Choice

“And Jesus said, “The things that make people wrong are the things that come from the inside. All these bad things begin inside a person, in the mind: bad thoughts, sexual sins, stealing, murder, adultery, greed, doing bad things to people, lying, doing things that are morally wrong, jealousy, insulting people, proud talking, and foolish living. These evil things come from inside a person. And these are the things that make people unacceptable to God.””

‭‭Mark‬ ‭7:20-23‬ ‭ERV 

If you read through the list of things that make a person wrong, you will find at least one thing on that list that would condemn you. This verse says that these things make you unacceptable to God. I think we all want to think that we are pretty good. We only have a few sins and most of our life is okay and that God is pleased with us because we are "pretty much" alright. 

But that is not true. We actually stink in God's presence. The entire book of Leviticus is filled with things that needed a sacrifice so that God could allow them to continue to live. Two of Aaron's sons died on the spot because they offered a wrong incense. God was and is warning us that He is HOLY and that we cannot stand in His presence. 

 At this point, many want to give up and say that no one can meet that standard of holiness. When you reach that point and you understand that you cannot stand in the presence of a Holy God, you have a choice. 

““If you decide that it’s a bad thing to worship GOD, then choose a god you’d rather serve—and do it today. Choose one of the gods your ancestors worshiped from the country beyond The River, or one of the gods of the Amorites, on whose land you’re now living. As for me and my family, we’ll worship GOD.””

‭‭Joshua‬ ‭24:15‬ ‭MSG‬‬

God is always allowing us to make a choice. If we want to worship Him and inherit all that He has for us, then it requires one thing...accept His only Son as payment once and for all as covering for our sins. No other way will do. If you don't accept His way, then you are choosing any other god...not the one true God. Believe me, there are a lot of other gods to serve. Problem is they can never satisfy. False gods that you created will always disappoint you. Today chose to have a relationship through Jesus Christ with the only true God.

Is There Only One Way to Heaven? Really?

“The serpent told the Woman, “You won’t die. God knows that the moment you eat from that tree, you’ll see what’s really going on. You’ll be just like God, knowing everything, ranging all the way from good to evil.”

When the Woman saw that the tree looked like good eating and realized what she would get out of it—she’d know everything!—she took and ate the fruit and then gave some to her husband, and he ate.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭3:4-6

Eve, chose to take fruit from a tree that gave her the ability to decide what was right or wrong. Instead of allowing God that ultimate, wise place of authority, she chose to redefine truth on her own terms. Since that time, we have all been faced with the same choice. Will we fall victim to the enemy’s lies that we can do life better on our own? Or will we choose to believe that God has a better way? ~Robin Meadows

I have a sweet friend that I work with that God has put directly in my path to talk to about the Lord. He is absolutely certain that "my way" is just one way to have a relationship with the Lord. Ever since our first conversation about having a relationship with Jesus, he has been asking me hard questions about why I believe the way I believe. He is positive that he can do life better on his own. I am positive that I can't do life on my own.

“And I command you today: Love GOD, your God. Walk in his ways. Keep his commandments, regulations, and rules so that you will live, really live, live exuberantly, blessed by GOD, your God, in the land you are about to enter and possess.”
‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭30:16‬ ‭MSG‬‬

“It is worth nothing for you to have the whole world if you yourself are lost.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭8:36‬ ‭ERV‬‬

“Jesus answered, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. The only way to the Father is through me.”
‭‭John‬ ‭14:6‬ ‭ERV‬‬

“So be very careful how you live. Live wisely, not like fools.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭5:15‬ ‭ERV‬‬

“Keep your eyes on the path, and look straight ahead. Make sure you are going the right way, and nothing will make you fall.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭4:25-26‬ ‭ERV‬‬

If you read this blog, I pray that you know the Lord and will allow Him to help you maneuver through life and not try to live it on your own.

All Sinners Are Thrown Out

“Whether they are a man or a woman, send them away so that the camp where I am living among you will not be made unclean.””
‭‭Numbers‬ ‭5:3‬ ‭ERV‬‬

This time of the year, I am reading through Leviticus and Numbers. When I read these books, the rules seem so harsh. These particular verses have always bothered me. If a person has leprosy, they had to leave the camp for a time. I would be sent out of camp a lot because of my sensitive skin. My skin would make me unclean.

They were not welcome because they were unclean.

“and give their offering to the Lord. Their offering must be: a one-year-old male lamb that has nothing wrong with it for a burnt offering; a one-year-old female lamb that has nothing wrong with it for a sin offering; one ram that has nothing wrong with it for a fellowship offering;”
‭‭Numbers‬ ‭6:14‬ ‭ERV‬‬

All of the offerings that the Israelites used to make atonement for their sins had to be perfect...nothing wrong with it. No flaws whatsoever.

“Any man who has something wrong with him must not serve as priest and bring sacrifices to me. These men cannot serve as priests: blind men, crippled men, men with bad scars on their faces, men with arms or legs that are too long,

But he cannot go through the curtain into the Most Holy Place and he cannot go near the altar. This is because he has something wrong with him. He must not make my holy places unholy. I am the Lord, and I make these places holy.””
‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭21:18, 23‬ ‭ERV‬‬

Even if the heart of the priest is pure, if he has imperfections in his physical appearance he could not serve!

When you read all of these requirements for keeping the camp holy and making the sacrifices holy, you can get discouraged and ask, "Who can ever measure up to that perfection?"

The answer is no one. Not one. We can never ever be perfect enough to stand in God's presence. Our skin can never be blemish-free enough. I always have a rash somewhere on my skin. There can never be a sacrifice great enough that I could offer to a holy God. We can never live a life that is sin-free. It is useless trying to please God, except...

A perfect lamb was found. A perfect priest was found. A perfect, faultless life was found. And it gets even better. This sacrifice counted forever. It did not have to be done over and over and over. That is the incredible news about what Jesus did for me and for you. I do not have to be perfect. Jesus's blood covers me. Because of Jesus, I can come boldly before the throne of God. What an incredible promise!

Life Verse

One of my favorite things to do is search for devotional plans in You Version. After almost 40 years of reading through the Bible, I am reluctant to give up that habit. However, I want to add to that other Bible studies.

After I read my Bible, I take a minute to read a day from one of my devotional plans. One of my favorites is Simplify Your Life by Bill Hybels. I have read through this one many times. He suggested that everyone needs a life verse to live by.

This is his verse.
“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭15:58‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Powerful verse to memorize and digest over and over again. I have a different life verse.

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭12:2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

I have said over and over again, if the world does it one way, I will determine to live it the opposite way. If the world values money and what it brings, I want to devalue money in my life and remember that it will never bring me joy. If the women of the world dress one way, especially to gain attention, I will pick a different way. If the world worships HGTV, I need to shy away from decorating all the time by their standard. If the world is addicted to Facebook, I will turn off the sound of it in my life. Am I success at this all the time? Gracious no! But it is a life verse that guides me when I am losing track of "what is good and acceptable and the perfect will of God."

I agree with Bill Hybels. Pick a life verse. Let it guide your decisions. You will find over the years, that you start to live by that verse. The Word transforms you and this verse will bring changes if you meditate on it and try to apply it. If you are not sure what to choose for a life verse, google "life verse." Pray about God guiding you to pick a great verse to live by.

The Truth About Tithing

“But the Israelites will give one-tenth of everything they have to the Lord, and I will give that one-tenth to the Levites. That is why I said these words about the Levites: They will not get the land that I promised the Israelites.”

“Speak to the Levites and tell them: The Israelites will give one-tenth of everything they own to the Lord. That one-tenth will belong to the Levites. But you must give one-tenth of that to the Lord as your offering.
‭‭Numbers‬ ‭18:24, 26 ERV‬‬

This verse helps us understand why tithing one-tenth of all our income(not just after tax part) to the local church exists. It is not just a long ago thing that people did. The Israelites were commanded to give one-tenth of all they received to the Levites. The Levites were like our church ministers. They used this to live on and take care of the temple.

Sometimes we read things in the Bible and "claim" promises for ourselves and say that verse applies to me. We would all agree that these verses apply to us.

The Lord is good to those who wait for him. He is good to those who look for him.”
‭‭Lamentations‬ ‭3:25‬ ‭ERV‬‬

““Come to me all of you who are tired from the heavy burden you have been forced to carry. I will give you rest.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11:28‬ ‭ERV‬‬

Yep, these verses are for me.

But with other verses, we decide that this principal does not apply to me. It is for other people. This verse about tithing is definitely one of those verses that people pick and chose if they want to do this. They figure it applies to rich people or people that don't care about money for some reason. They put it in the category of spiritual gifts. They decided that they do not have the spiritual gift of tithing. Here is some big news. There is not such thing as the "spiritual gift of tithing." Tithing is a command that we obey. By the way, rich people would be the most likely to NOT follow this verse.

God had something to say about this then and He still has something to say about it now.

““People should not steal things from God, but you stole things from me. “You say, ‘What did we steal from you?’ “You should have given me one-tenth of your things. You should have given me special gifts.

Special gifts are like feeding the poor or supporting missionaries or buying backpacks for school children. They are marvelous. But they are not part of your tithe.

The most incredible thing about this verse is that it comes with an amazing promise! You should tithe just so you can claim this promise.

The Lord All-Powerful says, “Try this test. Bring one-tenth of your things to me. Put them in the treasury. Bring food to my house. Test me! If you do these things, I will surely bless you. Good things will come to you like rain falling from the sky. You will have more than enough of everything.”
‭‭Malachi‬ ‭3:8, 10‬ ‭ERV

Take it from a girl that tithes. This promise is true. I have more than enough of everything.

Goals for this Year

“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.”
‭‭Joshua‬ ‭1:8‬ ‭ERV‬‬

I would love to be wise and successful in everything that I do in 2017. I know that the only way to do this is to know God's Word. The only way to know God's Word is to read it often. The incredible thing about this is that we all have iPhones and iPads and internet connections at our fingertips. We spend a lot of time looking at our phones and iPads. Spend part of that time reading the Bible. We can read God's Word in the morning, during lunch, at the doctor's office, when we first get off work, etc.

I encourage you to pick an app, like YouVersion, and pick a plan to read. I shudder to think that if I had not chosen this path many years ago, I may have made totally different decisions. Trust me, I made a lot of bad decisions. However, continually keeping God's Word in front of me gave me a better chance at making the best decision.

The other part of this verse says to "speak about this book." Share what you read in God's Word. Analyze what it means during Sunday morning small groups or weekly Bible studies. If you are not attending either one, make that a goal for 2017. Don't keep it to yourself. Talk about it all the time so that others will start thinking that you really love the Word and live by it!

In less than two weeks, the new year will be here. Set goals for 2017 that are radically different from last year. Pray before you begin and ask God to help you set goals. When 2016 began, I had no idea all the things that would happen...some good and others not so good. Can you imagine how thankful I am that I was trusting in the Lord this past year and not leaning to my own understanding?

None of us can fathom what this year will hold. Events that must be bathed in wisdom and prayer. Get ready. The new year begins whether we are ready or not.