Active Ingredients

The  fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the LORD are firm, and all of them are righteous. They  are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. Psalm 19:9-10

I am one of these people who reads ingredients on food and drug labels. I want to see the sugar and fat content before consuming it mindlessly. Pertaining to medications I want to know what the active ingredients and side effects are. It is very important to know what you put into your body, which is God’s temple,  but even more critical is what you put into your inner man, your spirit. 

Some of the key ingredients in your walk with the Lord should be prayer, Bible reading, Bible study, quiet times, attending a dynamic church regularly, tithing, loving others, communion, and wanting to serve others more than yourself. Perhaps you can add to this list. Your walk with the Lord is one of the most important parts of each day. It. Should not be in a legalistic fashion but you should desire it. 

There are those who may not have their heart sold out to Jesus and that is done by The Holy Spirit coming in and changing them and giving them that desire. If that describes you or a loved one ask God to put the desire for His active ingredients in you today. 

PRAYER: Lord God I want all of you in my life and in every area of my life. I don’t want to put you just in a Sunday box but want you to saturate my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Do The Unexpected

We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19

Welcome to National Hallmark Card, Zales Jewelry, and  1800FLOWERS Day. As my younger son used to call it ‘Singles Awareness Day’. If married you should be kind and serve your spouse every day not just on this day of designated, mandatory, manmade love. Do the unexpected and make your other half drop over from sheer shock. 

Suggestions men: do the dishes, clean the toilet, vacuum the carpet, mop the floor, change the beds, do laundry, buy flowers for no reason, go to dinner for no reason and get a babysitter. For ladies: wash his truck, organize his closet, make his favorite supper, surprise him with tickets to Monster Truck rally and take ear plugs. It is time you love when love is not expected. Love because Jesus’ loved. It does not always have to be glamorous or romantic. Love can be sheer service to another.  

So on this ‘day of love’ what can you do to show love to those around you?

PRAYER: Love truly does lift us higher than we have gone before. Whenever I feel angry or upset help me cast down that thinking and choose to love regardless. May no unkind thoughts enter my head or unkind words be released from my lips. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Hearing Impairment Is A Bummer

I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint. The the LORD replied: "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. Habakkuk 2:1-2

For several years now I have had issues with my hearing. Some close to me say I have a selective hearing loss but I do in fact have a very high frequency loss and also low frequency. Only in between do I hear properly. On top of that I have severe ringing in my ears so it can become a struggle to understand others at times even wearing my hearing aids I got through VA. 

Hearing loss is bad but it is worse to have spiritual hearing loss where you may be ignoring the voice of the Lord and Holy Spirit. God speaks but do you listen? Do you ignore His still small voice? He speaks to you through His word, the Bible, if only it is picked up and read. I have had specific issues going on in life and literally a verse jumped right out at me. For instance in Army training I opened my Bible to Psalm 18:29 which says “For by You I can crush a troop, And by my God I can leap over a wall.” Talk about timing. 

Do you think you never hear from God? Try opening up your Bible and just start reading and see if things don’t change. 

PRAYER: Lord I love how your word speaks to me. Help me be still and listen to your still small voice. When I turn off noise around me I am more likely to hear. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Staying Cool When Your Car Door Gets Dinged

Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all. 2 Thessalonians 3:16

It is so very exasperating to come out to a parking lot after shopping, a movie, or staying overnight at a hotel and a car next to you has dinged your car door so hard it left a dent and took paint off. This is a moment in time you have to choose the appropriate reaction. Of course it is terribly upsetting and could have been an accident by the person who did it, but still it makes you nuts if you let it. 

The response you choose shows a little bit of where you are in asking God to help you control your emotions. In the case of a door ding no one is around and even if they were you need to stay cool. 

It is bound to happen to you some time and maybe before it does is a good time to decide the appropriate response. Stay cool. Let it go. Get it fixed if you need to. Move on. Ok now go enjoy your day. 

PRAYER: Thank you Lord for the earthly possessions you have blessed me with. When something gets damaged help me to learn how to respond in a godly fashion. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Mouth Control

You have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth.Proverbs 6:2

I am not sure how many people suffer what some like to call ‘foot and mouth disease’ where words just come out of your mouth or onto your computer keypad in an email that were not well thought out prior to speaking or hitting the ‘send’ button. Poof, it’s too late,  the damage is done, now to enter the mode of damage control. It could happen between friends or family , at work, but whatever the case it is embarrassing and can create a host of problems in its’ wake. 

A friend of mine always tells me to do the 24 hour rule or when you feel compelled to say something think about it first long and hard and give yourself a waiting period, say 24 hours. A lot of pain, hassles, and lost sleep could be prevented if only you were to think before speaking or emailing something you did not mean to say in the first place. Why is it so necessary to wait? Because your emotions could rule what you are about to say and if you ponder it for a while the outcome may be different. 

Today’s verse says it all! Ensnarement does indeed occur by what words we choose to speak so be thinking more than you speak and you could avoid hurt and pain. Just saying. 

PRAYER: Lord words are so easy to say but much more difficult to rescind. I have had my share of uttering stuff I wish I had not. Help me have self control and be patient before speaking or sending an email. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Where Is Your Dwelling Place?

Whoever  dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1

Think about that question for a moment. Where, in fact, do you ‘dwell’? You may answer your home, or wherever you hang out most. But for the purpose of this writing my question to you is, “do you dwell in the shadow of the Almighty?”

What does it mean to dwell anyway? I would say are you in His presence daily and desire to be? Do you make it a habit to live for Jesus and cast your concerns and burdens upon Him? If you go on to read the entire Chapter 91 which many use as a safety prayer of sorts you will see that God indeed should be the one who is your dwelling place. Sure you ‘dwell’ in an Earthly home built by man, but indeed if you are a Christian your ultimate dwelling is under the shadow of ‘God’s wings’ where in other words He ‘has’ you if you let Him have you. 

So does that sort of make you think where in fact you do dwell? Do you stay under His wings or get out with no concern of where you ‘dwell’? Let Him be your dwelling place from now on. 

PRAYER: Father in Heaven I know if I stay under your wings you are my protection from the storms of life. I choose to do this. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Don’t Need A Tee Shirt Or Trophy

Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Matthew 6:20

We Earthlings are a funny sort. Why is it necessary to get trophies, tee shirts, pay raises, promotions, a special parking space, a big office, or a gold watch to feel accepted and important? Shouldn’t God be enough? Sure worldly perks make a person feel worthy and sometimes breed egotism and haughtiness, but a person’s real value is not on Wall Street, in a high rise office building, or in their checking account. Your value is from God. 

Why can’t a person feel content? Jealously of others is wrong as well as feeling better than others if you have worldly wealth and a fancy job title. Every person has value to the Lord. Many people work hard to achieve excellence and there is nothing wrong with that just make sure if you are in that category to not forget it was the Lord who helped you achieve this worldly greatness and be sure to give Him the glory. 

So do you feel like you need a pat on the back every time you achieve or feel hurt when you go unrecognized? Just remember it is the Lord who is working through you and helping you so give Him the glory. Skip the trophy, but if it comes praise God for it. 

PRAYER: You help men and women achieve human greatness but in this greatness help us not forget you. Satan would love to get me puffed up so help me stay humble and not compare myself to others. In your name. Amen.