Forgive to be Forgiven

 

Many people fail to forgive a perpetrator of evil against them, because they do not want to exonerate the person who hurt them. We want compensation and justice for what we suffered, as well as punishment for the offender. This is a very human response, and totally understandable. 

 

However, there is a flaw in the reasoning of this reaction. Unforgiveness keeps us in bondage, and the other person does not even care how we feel. Forgiveness actually frees us from the bondage of unforgiveness in our heart. Also, when we forgive – our self and others, then God is free to forgive us (Matthew 6:12-15). 

 

There is nothing we or anyone else ever does that is unforgivable. God freely forgave us, and we are free to forgive as well. God promises to heap justice, revenge, and judgment on those who hurt us. He keeps all our tears in His bottle, and He writes the cause of them down in His book (Psalm 56:8). 

 

He forgets the iniquity of a remorseful sinner, but never forgets the grief caused by the unrepentant person. When we release others from the debt they owe us due to their behavior toward us, God’s joy floods our soul. It has been said, “We take the perpetrator off our hook, and hang them on God’s hook for Him to bring justice for what they did to us.”

 

When we continually remember the injustice forced upon us, we lose the opportunity of a possible friendship in the future; but if we forgive them, and show love to them, we open the door for God to forgive us as well (Proverbs 17:9; Matthew 6:14). Kindness, mercy, and forgiveness is the example Jesus set for us all (Ephesians 4:32).

 

Prayer:

Father God, we thank You for Your forgiveness of us for the attitude, behavior, and habits we committed that offend You (Psalm 51:1-4). Thank You that on Calvary’s cross Jesus paid the penalty of all our iniquity once and for all. Teach us how to walk in Your ways, and strengthen our inner being so we can forgive our self and others (Colossians 3:13). 

 

Your goodness, grace, mercy, and forgiveness toward repentant sinners is quick and complete, and for this, we praise Your name forever and ever. Help us to walk away from temptation and deliver us from satanic forces and the warfare that are all around us. We thank You that we abide in Your Kingdom and power now and forevermore.

 

Thoughts for the Day:

If we spend our life judging the motive of others and jumping to conclusions without getting all the facts, we hurt our self more than anyone else. Forgiveness allows God to forgive us and not to hold us accountable for our own human failings (Luke 6:37). Forgiveness is a choice and is not a one-time event, but a continual practice that may even last a lifetime (Matthew 18:21-22).

 

 

Benefits of Dying to Carnal Desires

 

Struggling to overcome issues on our own is actually self-defeating. We spin our wheels in the mud in the road of life and get weary and often defeated. However, with Christ in us, we relinquish our issues to His Spirit as He sanctifies us each step that we take on the narrow road of redemption (2 Corinthians 4:8).

 

Through salvation, we are already dead to sin through baptism into the death of Christ (Romans 6:3-6). We only need to deny our self the inclination to give in to carnal temptations that satanic forces use to encourage us to participate in these sins again. 

 

We resist temptation by remembering that we are already crucified with Jesus Christ, who loves us and gave His life for our atonement (Galatians 2:20; Matthew 16:24). Jesus is our only way to eternal life, the only truth to believe, and the only life for us to live (Colossians 3:3-4; John 14:6). 

 

If anything in our life holds more value to us than the relationship we enjoy with Jesus as our Savior, we cannot be His disciple (Luke 14:26). Jesus makes us free indeed (John 8:36) from the degradation of iniquity, and we are no longer slaves to satanic forces which constantly attempt to derail a servant of the Lord (Galatians 6:14). 

 

We do not boast in our own accomplishments, but only in what Jesus did and continues to do in us through His Spirit each day of our life (Ephesians 2:7-9). When we walk in God’s will, by following His Spirit’s peace in our spirit regardless of our human emotions and thoughts, we can, through His strength, do everything that His Spirit guides us to do (Philippians 4:13). 

 

If we usually keep His commandments and follow His ways, we have proof that we are truly Born Again Believers. However, if we think we are saved and heaven bound, yet continue in willful sin, we are a liar, and God’s truth and Spirit are not in us (1 John 2:1-27).

 

Prayer:

Father God, we thank You that You are the Keeper of the vineyard of those who abide in You and in which You abide. We are branches hanging out on the Vine of Jesus Christ, and You prune us of fleshly desires to enable us to bear much fruit for Your Kingdom. Even if we fall into momentary weakness and sin, we have Jesus Christ as our advocate with our Father God. Teach us that apart from the Vine we can do nothing of any real value (John 15:5). 

 

Remind us that we are the temple of Your Holy Spirit and that we are not our own master. Jesus bought us with the price of taking on the sins of the whole world. Help us to glorify You in our thoughts, words, and actions (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Your love is perfected in whoever keeps Your Word. This gives us the confidence we need to know without a doubt that we abide in You as You abide in us (1 John 2:28-29). You always make a way for us in every area of our life. 

 

Thoughts for the Day:

As we make seeking God and His righteousness as our priority in our day, He will provide for all our needs (Matthew 6:33). By His sacrifice for us on Calvary’s cross, Jesus ensures that we are raised from the dead both literally and spiritually. We no longer allow our thoughts, emotions, and choices to bear the consequences of sin and death.

- Romans 7:1-25

God Cares About the Oppressed and Grieving

 

 

God is always a refuge for the grieving and oppressed people in this world. He cares about our times of trouble, and He is in us, with us, and totally surrounding us with His love (Psalm 9:9; Romans 8:35-39). He even collects our tears in His bottle and will avenge our suffering in His way and time (Psalm 56:8-9; Deuteronomy 32:35; Romans 12: 17-19; Exodus 3:9).

 

In His Word, God calls us to use mercy and compassion in our righteous judgments of others (Proverbs 14:31). He also calls us never to dream up evil to impose on others or to oppress the widow, the fatherless, the stranger, or the poor (Zechariah 7:9-10; Proverbs 22:22-23). 

 

Instead, He charges us to do good for them, and to share our blessings with them when they are in need (Proverbs 3:27-28; Isaiah 1:17). It is important, however, not to “fix the fix that God fixes to fix” people, because we thwart His plan and prevent them from learning to trust God to work out all things for their good (Romans 8:28).

 

The Lord hears our voice when we cry out to Him, even in times of need. He sees our affliction, efforts, oppression, and grief and supernaturally relieves our suffering (Deuteronomy 26:7). He calls on His Body to give from our excess that He provides for us to the poor whenever His Spirit directs us to do so. 

 

We also share His compassion with the brokenhearted, because if we do not relieve their suffering when He directs us to do so, we reap many afflictions as well (Proverbs 28:27). He gives us His ministry of reconciliation for those He leads us to witness to each day (2 Corinthians 5:11-21).

 

When people oppress the poor to increase their own personal wealth, they may get rich, but they will eventually come to an absence of provision when they need it. Wise people will listen to the voice of the Spirit of God within us and apply their heart to live in His precepts (Proverbs 22:16-17).

 

Prayer:

Father God, thank You that You lead Your people away from poverty, oppression, fear, terror of evil, and all negative aspects of life in this world (Isaiah 54:14; Psalm 72:4). You call us to loosen the bands of the wicked, to undo their heavy burdens, to help the oppressed to find freedom, and to help carry the heavy burdens of the helpless and hopeless. This gives us a positive attitude that affects our emotions and health in body, soul, and spirit. 

 

Your righteousness in us strengthens us, and Your glory is our true reward (Isaiah 58:6-11). You are our refuge in the storms, and we trust in You alone, for we know from experience that You will never forsake anyone who seeks You. You may not work out our issues the way we want You to, but Your plans are always better than we can ever imagine (Psalm 9:7-10).

 

Thoughts for the Day:

Jesus came to preach the gospel to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captive, to recover sight to the blind, to set at liberty those that are broken and bruised, as He preached about His everlasting rule in His coming Kingdom (Luke 4:18-19). As authentic Born Again Believers, we are part of His ministry now and forever. 

A Good Marriage - Competitors or Teammates

 

Some couples love to spar with each other, attempt to prove one is right and one is wrong, that one knows more or is smarter than the other, take each other for granted, neglect their spouse for their work, would rather be busy than spend time together, refuse to compromise their position, etc. These habits cause trouble in the relationship.

 

There are many issues in life that attempt to pull a couple apart, so we must make it our priority to draw together when differences arise. Our spouse is not the enemy, our circumstances are the problem. Therefore, solving problems together increases our bond and intimacy.

 

Our wedding vows are not just words, but a commitment to walk through the trials of life together – supporting, loving, and striving to appreciate one another’s reasoning even if we disagree. When something bothers us, we can always ask for more information about the matter because we may make false assumptions. Clarity would quickly clear up a misunderstanding.

 

Building trust and having open communication about any issue also builds strong bonds between a couple. Satanic lies have less ability to tear us apart if we can talk about anything that makes us feel insecure or unloved. Rather than taking these questions or topics as accusations, we can view them as coming from insecurity in our spouse.

 

When we feel tired, irritable, or any negative emotion, it is wise for us to put our self in “time out,” until we feel more like having company and being civil and flexible. We all have hard times in life, and we can share in one another’s burdens and make our spouse’s life simpler and more bearable. 

 

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for giving us heavenly wisdom, ready forgiveness, and deep understanding with our spouse’s idiosyncrasies. Let love, nurture, compassion, and caring be our motivation behind our words and actions. Enable us to have the commitment and strength not to give up on one another, but to bear with and go the extra mile for each other (2 Corinthians 11:1; Matthew 5:41).

 

Teach us how to develop peace and joy in our own life, and to allow our spouse to be the beneficiary of the deep-seeded character traits of Your Spirit within us (Galatians 5:22-23). We want to find a place of contentment in life and in our marriage – not that we take each other for granted, but that we cherish each other regardless of our habits, hang-ups, and imperfections. Remind us to lay down our life for one another and to prefer each other over our self without neglecting our own needs (Matthew 22:36-40).

 

Thoughts for the Day:

Making an effort to show compassion, to feel love, to be patient and understanding and generous, and to support each other rather than living as combatants will all improve our relationship and be an example to our children and acquaintances of a good marriage. Assuming the best in each other, rather than the worst resolves many issues that should never be a problem in the first place.

 

Reaping the Effects of Unrighteousness

 

People think they can continue in a sinful lifestyle and still be a Christian. God’s Word is firm that this is not true (Romans 8:9-11). If we continue in sin, we do not belong to God (Romans 6:1-2). If we even say we have no sin and follow an unrighteous lifestyle, we deceive our self and God’s truth in not in us (I John 1:8-10).

 

God’s precepts are very clear. When we proclaim our self as wise, we actually prove that we are fools. When we give our body and soul up to uncleanness and follow our own lusts, the deceitfulness of worldly wisdom and guidelines, or satanic lies, we dishonor our own life (Romans 1:22-25).

 

We may not feel conviction over our choices, but God’s Word gives us a detailed list of those He considers sinful:

    1.  Those filled with (Romans 1:29-31; Proverbs 6:16-19):

Unrighteous thoughts and choices

Sexual impurity

Wickedness

Covetousness

Malicious words and actions

Envy

Murder 

Unholy debates

Liars and deceitful

Proud and boasters

Unkind, Unmerciful, and Mean

Gossipers and slanderers

Haters of God

Inventors of evil things

Disobedient to parents

Covenant breakers

Lacking compassion and coldhearted

Unholy soul ties

 

    2.  Men and women choosing mates of the same sex - (Romans 1:26-27)

    

    3.  Refusing to believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Romans 1:28; John 3:16-18).

 

These people instinctively know that God passes judgment on such behavior and that those who do these things deserve eternal death, but they continue in their sin anyway, have pleasure in it, and teach others by their example and words to follow their same lifestyle; so God gives these people over to a reprobate mind (Romans 1:32).

 

Prayer: 

Father God, thank You for sending Jesus to make a way for us to receive Your free gift of redemption, as well as sanctification by Your Spirit of these sinful human tendencies (Romans 1:3-6; 18:16-20). Remind us that we prove our love for You by avoiding these specific areas of unrighteousness and by keeping Your commandments (1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Revelation 21:8; Matthew 6:19-21; John 14:15-31).

 

We love to watch as Your Holy Spirit sanctifies us more each day and rids us of the inclination to live in and to promote sinful practices. We have an improved self-esteem when we see the person we are becoming in Christ. He becomes our whole focus in life (Colossians 3:3-4). We adopt Your will for us as our reason for living. We give You all our praise and we worship You with our thoughts, words, emotions, and actions.

 

Thoughts for the Day:

We often change God’s truth and invent a new motto that is a humanistic lie, a worldly philosophy, or an invention of demonic spirits. We give more importance to creating our place on this earth than in serving our Creator – who calls us to bless Him with our life (Ephesians 2:10). Therefore, God allows us to walk in and reap from our own choices and vile affections (Romans 1:25).

 

God Gathers Us under His Wings

 

As He sanctifies our carnal soul – our thoughts, emotions, and choices – into an eternal mindset, the Spirit of God conforms us to the image of Christ and gives us the very mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:14-16). God keeps us as the apple of His eye and hides us under the shadow of His wings (Psalm 17:8).

 

Jesus stood looking over the city of Jerusalem, and He cried out: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem … you killed the prophets and stoned God’s messengers sent to you. How often I longed to gather Your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling. Now your house is left desolate.” (Matthew 23:37) 

 

God covered Jerusalem with His wings and rescues the city (Isaiah 31:5). He also spreads His wings over other cities when they are in the pangs of labor (Jeremiah 49:22). There is something very special about God’s wings. God’s Word encourages us to find safety under His wings (Ruth 2:12). 

 

The Bible portrays God as having wings; yet he is a Spirit and has no body. Jesus is the embodiment of God, and the Trinity abides in Him and in every converted Born Again Believer. We have the same advantage as Jesus did to walk in God’s Spirit because we have Jesus abiding in our spirit by His Spirit.

 

God longs to cover us with His feathers and keep us safe under His wings. He faithfully covers us with His pinions, and He encourages us to seek protection under His wings. (Psalm 91:1-6). In the shadow of God’s wings, we find refuge (Psalm 57:1). We dwell in His tent and find shelter under His wings (Psalm 61:4).

 

When we hope in the Lord, He renews our strength, and we soar on eagle’s wings. When we run, we do not grow weary; and when we walk, we do not become faint (Isaiah 40:31). We are so relaxed and hopeful under His wings that we break forth into joyful songs (Psalm 63:7). 

 

Prayer:

Father God, when we are weary in this world, we long to have wings like a dove, so we can fly away and be at rest (Psalm 55:6). Since this is impossible, when we suffer from calamities, we hide in the shadow or Your wings (Psalm 57:1). We trust in the hidden place under Your wings (Psalms 61:4). Under Your wings, we have come to trust in You completely (Ruth 2:12).

 

Thank You for carrying us on eagles’ wings and bringing us to Yourself (Exodus 19:4). We are happiest when we rest in Your mysteries and find solace in the shade of Your wings (Psalm 91:1). To those who revere Your name, You arise with healing in Your wings, and we shall continue to serve You with renewed strength (Malachi 4:2). 

 

Thought for the Day:

An eagle stirs up her nest, and she flutters over her young to cause them to leave the nest, but if they get in trouble she takes flight, and she catches them and bears them on her wings to safety. Our Father also spreads His wings and catches us when we fall (Deuteronomy 32:11). His holy ones are lifted up on His wings (Deuteronomy 33:3), and we find a haven in the shadow of God’s wings (Psalm 36:7). 

 

Keeping in Step with the Holy Spirit

When our children were little, my brother brought our parents and his family on vacation in their camper to Amish country in Pennsylvania where I lived. The campground was next door to a cheese factory where the children could stand at the huge plate glass window and watch them make cheese – a daily excursion for us all.

 

There was also a tiny baked goods store, just up the road, where my mom walked every day to buy fresh Amish bread for us all to share. The campground was nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains, and the lush trees and vegetation in the woods was inspiring and ministered to our soul.

 

My brother and parents lived in Pensacola, FL, and my immediate family lived in the middle of the city of Harrisburg, PA in a block with about 20 brick row houses on each side of the street. So, this wooded respite brought peace and comfort to our weary souls. 

 

My sister-in-law and I discovered that we were both hungry for a more intimate walk with the Lord. Our daily practice was to read our Bible, serve in our personal local churches, disciple our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and focus on God’s will for our life.

 

However, we both knew that we were missing some key element that did not allow us to know when our thoughts were from God or inspired by our own human reasoning. We did not recognize the voice of our Shepherd as He led us through our day.

 

It was not until years later that I discovered the key to differentiate between our Shepherd’s voice from our own feelings (John 14:27). God’s Word instructs us that the peace of God, which has nothing to do with our human reasoning, and it actually does not always make much human sense, is the fundamental practice here (Colossians 3:15; Romans 8:6; Isaiah 26:3)

 

Keeping in step with the Spirit makes such a huge difference in the peace, joy, and fulfillment we enjoy on this earth. I only desire that I had learned to follow His peace in my spirit while making decisions, even if it is contrary to my human reasoning, earlier in my relationship with God (Galatians 5:25). There is no substitute for living this lifestyle of peace.

 

Prayer:

Father God, teach us to live our life by keeping in step with Your Holy Spirit every moment of every day. First, help us to humble our self and to put aside our rebellion, the fables of the world, and the lies of satanic forces in order to walk away from our self-centered lifestyle and to accept Jesus’ sacrifice on Calvary’s cross as our own. We want more than anything else in our life to abide in Your peace that surpasses all human reasoning (Philippians 4:7).

 

Even when Your will does not make human sense, help us to understand that it is the unseen heavenly aspects of life that are firmer and more trustworthy than human concepts or the philosophy taught on the wide road to destruction (2 Corinthians 4:18). We want to serve You with our whole life and strength, trust You with our whole soul, and love You with our whole heart both now and throughout eternity.

 

Thoughts for the Day:

When we repent of our iniquity, our next step for intimacy with God is to seek and pursue His peace (1 Peter 3:11). We are not anxious about anything because in every choice we make, through prayer with thanksgiving to God, we consult the Lord about our choices. Then, His peace which transcends all human considerations, will guard our heart, and lead our mind in the will of God at all times (Philippians 4:6-7; 2 Thessalonians 3:16).

Crazy Teen Years – Part 3

 

In today’s society, children are so well cared for by their parents that many develop an “entitlement” attitude. This causes them to expect everything to be handed to them without effort on their own part. They have no idea how to deal with “hard” things in life, because they do not have to face hard things in childhood.

 

They have no work ethic, and not many social skills, because they sit in front of the TV or their electronic device most of the time. They do not learn to obey authority, because their parents allow them to boss them around without respect and consideration. Some mothers even clean their child’s room for them.

 

As teens, they prefer their peers, and they neglect spiritual quests, because their hobbies and social activities usually revolve around worldly pursuits. Even church camps appeal to their human senses rather than increasing their spiritual maturity.

 

I love my angel daughter, yet as an adult, she says she has boundaries that I encroach upon, and that she is exhausted from trying to explain them to me. We have different philosophies of life, and she rejected many of the spiritual truths that she was raised to believe. She even views some of them as abusive.

 

Our children are entitled to their opinion and perception; however, regardless of their viewpoint ... we did our best. As children, we suffered deprivation at times, abuse at times, and emotional distancing by our parents, who also did their best. However, these negative experiences influenced us as parents.

 

Most parents do the best they can. They juggle their own childhood trauma, a vocation, home care, and parental duties. We are all human and cannot do better than our best. What our children think of our best efforts, or their approval or disapproval of our best, is their perception, opinion, and choice, but this has nothing to do with us.

 

Prayer:

Father God, Your Word explains that if we raise children to experience Your nurture and admonition by our behavior, then when they are adults, they will better understand our life principles and possibly even mirror them with their own children. If they choose not to birth children, they may continue to judge our parenting style, but they will never truly understand our position, because they never had to “walk in our shoes.” 

 

We trust in You to bridge any gaps that we inadvertently neglected to provide for them, to parent them as adults with Your perfect compassion and love, and to provide opportunities for them to surrender their life to You. Give them wisdom as parents of their own children and help them to parent with a balance of rules and consideration of their children’ needs and opinions. We want to spend eternity with our offspring, and we trust in You to bring them all to a saving relationship with You.

 

Thoughts for the Day:

Authoritative parenting helps us to teach our children social skills, gratitude, and caring. We have rules, but we explain the reasoning behind those rules. We set and enforce limits, but we explain why we use the consequences we employ to enforce them. We allow our children to express their opinion and feelings, and we alter rules if they have sensible thoughts. 

Crazy Teen Years – Part Two

 

Our teens do not mind hearing about the hardships our choices created in our teen years, but they do not want our restrictions that we impose on them because of our experiences. They want more responsibility for their own life and to be in control of their own consequences.

 

They think they are smarter than we are because we are too old to realize what they are experiencing. However, when they reap a negative consequence from the behavior that they sow, then they want our help and support to get them through the ordeal they caused. 

 

Our hope is that they will learn their lesson and not repeat the pattern of behavior that caused it. They want us to rescue them from their consequences, but not to lecture them. A listening ear is better for them than criticism, anger, or a sermon about what they did wrong in the first place.

 

Giving them a history lesson about all their faults and poor choices only creates emotional and sometimes physical distance between them and us. However, they do not mind when we share a similar experience we endured from our poor choices. 

 

Teens do not like questions either. Even if we are attempting to encourage a conversation, questions make them feel like we are examining them on a witness stand. They feel put on the spot, and they will shut down by giving us one-word answers and escaping to their room as soon as is possible.

 

Supporting our teens in their interests, and watching them as they perform in sports, the arts, the theatre, or any other venue they explore helps to keep an open relationship between us and them. We cannot expect them to keep these interests for long, because they are only dabbling in areas to find their strengths and what they truly want to pursue.

 

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for helping us to navigate the teen years by giving us examples and wisdom in Your Word. We cling to this advice all through our adult years because it was grasped from our own realization and experiences rather than being preached at us by well-meaning parents. Help us to realize that our teens crave our validation, even if their attitude is nonchalant or disengaged. 

 

Remind us that our children will traverse through the teen years with more success and become capable adults with more self-reliance, and hopefully, trust in God’s Spirit in their future if we are available to them and interested in what they are interested in as we support them through these troubling years. Help us to put them in Your capable hands because we know they are more secure there than any other place – even under our attempted control to keep them safe.

 

Thoughts for the Day:

God’s Word encourages us to raise Godly children by disciplining them, otherwise they will bring shame upon their parents (Proverbs 29:15). There are many styles of parenting, but only one that is productive:

 

Permissive parenting may make us popular with our children, but it does nothing to prepare them for real life. 

 

Neglectful parenting makes our children insecure and feel that they can only rely on themselves in life. 

 

Authoritarian parenting limits our children’s ability to express themselves, and it forces them into our mold for them, which causes them to rebel. 

 

Authoritative parenting is the balance that helps children feel protected, but not controlled (Proverbs 13:24). We correct them and influence them without dictating to them, and they bring us delight and serenity for our soul (Proverbs 29:12). 

Crazy Teen Years – Part One

 

If you are a parent, you know or will soon know the crazy days of raising a teenager. I read a Christian book when my three entered the teen years that really helped me: “Adolescence in Not an Illness” by Charlie Shed. The book is no longer available as far as I can see online.

 

As an adult, my daughter tells me that I read too many books. Of course, she is approaching 50 and has never had any children to raise. In my defense, children do not come with “how to” instructions. I had no idea how to wade through the neck-high waters of raising a baby into adulthood, and I wanted to do it right. 

 

I recently read an article about teen years, posted by one of my Facebook friends, that had some interesting points in it. It declared that the human brain is not fully developed until age 25 or so. That is why teens think they know it all, yet they have very little ability to make rational decisions. 

 

They follow their emotions and crave independence and move away from parental advice that they view as control. We parents are simply attempting to maintain an organized life for the whole family, but a teen’s imagination and spontaneity causes them to keep popping out of the mold into which we try to pour them.

 

Our decisions from age 15 to 25 impact the rest of our life, and since we have a personal history of lessons learned from our experiences, we want to share that knowledge with our teens, which they often resent. How we share this wisdom seems to be the root of the problem between parents and their teens.

 

The challenge is to support their growing independence while continuing to offer parameters that provide their safety, which has been our guiding factor throughout their entire life so far. The decisions they make now are far more serious than a skinned knee or broken bone.

 

Prayer:

Father God, our one desire in parenthood is to find the balance between dictatorship and indifference in our attitude toward our children. Their friends and the choices they are making have more of a bearing on the course that our teens are taking than the wisdom we have learned from You over the years. We do our best as human parents, but our children often view it as control, which causes them to rebel. 

 

Teach us how to show them the way rather than to impose restrictions that they do not appreciate. They want to figure out what they want and how to attain those goals, but we want to protect them from experiencing negative consequences from their behavior and choices. Help us to see that they do not mind if we share anecdotes from our teen years, but they resent our parameters designed to keep them safe.

 

Thoughts for the Day:

My daughter always wanted more “freedom” to make her own decisions than I allowed, because I was attempting to keep her safe. She wanted more independence in her life than I felt comfortable giving her because I wanted to continue to protect her. This raised quite a bit of resentment between us on both sides. As parents, we do our best and no one can do better than our best.

A Good Marriage - Growing and Flowing

 

There may come a time in marriage where room temperature or snoring or constant movement during sleep keep one spouse awake most of the night. If there are two rooms, each one taking one will increase hours of sleep, stop some irritation or complaining, and bring more harmony to a marriage. 

 

Using separate bathrooms may also help limit some of the irritations experienced by one or both partners. For some people, sleeping in the same bed is of paramount importance to feeling married rather than sensing that we are only housemates. Therefore, having separate bathrooms and/bedrooms may take some getting used to.

 

More importantly, having similar interests, goals, financial plans, fidelity, loyalty, support, and fun together help to displace any signs of disparity, animosity, disagreements, and bitterness. Praying together for solutions in differences will usually aid us in finding a third alternative to most deadlocks. 

 

However, if necessary, a marriage counselor can help find equitable solutions. Especially concerning highly charged issues for which the couple cannot find their own solutions. 

 

Gratitude is a very helpful attitude in a marriage. Showing appreciation for even the most insignificant gesture of cooperation, support, and help will encourage each spouse to continue in this vein of behavior. 

 

Communicating gratitude, even for regular chores like taking out the trash, doing laundry, washing dishes, holding the door open, carrying in the groceries, etc. can be mentioned verbally, in a note, or in an occasional card or love letter.

 

The important things are to communicate kindly and share experiences – even if it is a simple as going to the grocery store, a sporting event, or swinging on the porch swing together. The consideration and chance to chat about a whole host of topics will allow love to grow and flow in a marriage.

 

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for our spouse. Help us to make them feel important and cherished. Teach us to give each other our undivided attention by looking into each other’s eyes when we get a chance to chat, snuggling on the couch, sharing our intimate thoughts with one another, hugging each other before leaving home or going to bed, and repeating the focused attention when coming back home or waking up in the morning.

 

Help us to value our mate’s strengths and to appreciate the acts of kindness we do for each other every day. Teach us to value and support one another’s desires, hobbies, interests, worldview, concerns, differences, etc. – even if we see no importance in them our self. We want to pay attention and follow through with promises, rather than to forget their requests, make fun of their needs, or belittle their perspective. We are so grateful to have You in our individual life and in our marriage.

 

Thoughts for the Day:

If we are afraid of asking our mate for support or help, then counseling is imperative. We cannot assume that our mate agrees with us on every detail of our life together or knows exactly what we need to feel loved and appreciated. Communication is a vital part of sharing in a happy and fulfilling marriage that flows and grows closer each moment of the day.

Trust with our Whole Heart

 

Throughout our life, we put our trust in people, but because of their humanity and our expectations, they always let us down. Therefore, it is better to trust in the Lord than to put our confidence in people (Psalm 118:8). When we abide under the shadow of His wings, our secret place, we are secure (Psalm 91:1-16). 

 

God is our salvation in every area of our life. There is no reason for anxiety or fear when we trust in Him. He gives us His strength to face our trials and puts a new song in our heart once He is truly our only salvation (Isaiah 12:2). We owe Him our gratitude for His goodness to us and for His enduring mercy (Psalm 118:1-29). 

 

The Lord is always on our side as our defense, and no one can do anything to discourage us or to steal our joy (Psalm 118:6). We submit to God, resist satanic lies, and he must flee from us (James 4:7). As our God of hope, when we truly trust in God alone, He fills our soul with joy, comfort, hope, and peace that comes from His Spirit (Romans 15:13).

 

We are no longer afraid of the evil in this world when our heart, beliefs, and attention are fixed on Jesus (Mark 5:36; Psalm 112:7). Rather than relying on our self or someone or something else, we trust in the Lord with all our thoughts, emotions, and choices (Proverbs 3:5-6). God continually blesses us as we walk in His ways (Psalm 119:1).

 

Some people suffer with claustrophobia. I took statins for heart issues years ago, and they caused me intense problems in this area. I could not use an elevator, go into small or dark places, and sometimes even a tight sleeve on my shirt or dress caused me so much stress I had to remove the article of clothing and redress. 

 

God used Psalm 118:5 to remind me that He sets my spirit in a large place, even if my body is confined. Our Daddy God led me to adjust my diet to eliminate the need for statins. Now I rarely experience an issue with claustrophobia. The Lord’s help is always marvelous for us (Psalm 118:23-24).

 

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for helping us to relinquish control of our life over to You. When we do, You always do a multitude of marvelous things for us (Job 5:9). We think that we are supposed to work for You, and we devise all sorts of ministries and outreaches to share Your Gospel of Jesus Christ and Your Word with others; however, You prefer for us to allow You to work in us and through us, rather than to ask You to bless our plans (Proverbs 19:21, 3:5-6).

 

Remind us that You rule over the nations; and when one rejects Your ways, You give them all many opportunities to hear Your Word and to turn away from our reliance on our self, the world and satanic lies (Psalm 22:28; John 3:16-18). Help us not to fear the changes in our society, but to trust in You alone, because You have our best interests in store for us (Genesis 50:20). You hold all things together, and we give You thanks and praise (Colossians 1:17).

 

Thoughts for the Day:

Our life is not our own and we should not attempt to make our own goals and plans and ask the Lord to bless them (Jeremiah 10:23). As we trust only in Him, God strengthens us and removes our fears because we know that He will walk in us and with us through every trial we experience (Isaiah 35:4; Exodus 33:14). God formed the light in the darkness, and He brings us spiritual maturity and fulfillment even in our trials (Isaiah 45:5-7).

 

The Lord is our Portion

 

A very intriguing Biblical verse declares that God is our “portion.”

This word is also translated as “inheritance” in other verses. The Lord is our portion, our share, our security, and our hope in this hopeless world in which we live (Psalm 16:5; Lamentations 3:24).

 

On this earth, our body and soul fail a little more every year, but God is our ultimate strength and our eternal inheritance (Psalm 73:26). We are His heirs – coheirs with Jesus who is God’s only begotten Son (Romans 8:17; Galatians 4:7). Through God’s Spirit, we eagerly receive the righteousness of Christ through faith (Galatians 5:5).

 

God adopts into His family anyone humble enough to accept Jesus as our salvation and our restitution for our sins (1 John 3:2; Acts 16:31). We are then the children of God (Mark 12:7; Hebrews 1:2), and we will be like Jesus when we see Him in all His glory. God’s Kingdom is divided among His children, and converted Believers receive our portion both now and in eternity. 

 

He is our refuge, and our inheritance (Psalm 142:5). We are like the descendants of the priestly tribes of Israel. Even though they did not receive portions of the Promised Land, the Lord Himself is their portion and He cared for all their needs (Deuteronomy 10:9; Jeremiah 10:16). 

 

He is our guarantee of an eternal inheritance given to us by Christ through His Holy Spirit (Hebrews 9:15, 11:23; Ephesians 1:14). All converted Believers, both God’s chosen people, the Jews, as well as Gentiles are allotted this inheritance with all its blessings (Ephesians 3:6; Mathew 25:34). 

 

Through God’s sovereign grace, we receive this gift of our sufficient supply coming from God (2 Corinthians 3:5, 12:9). We enjoy these blessings both now and in our eternal future (Romans 8:17-23; 1 Corinthians 15:50; 1 Peter 1:3-4). We make our top priority in life to take every divine appointment to share God’s Truth with everyone we meet.

 

Prayer:

Father God, we delight that You are our portion, and we find our joy in Your presence, provision, and protection both physically and spiritually throughout our life both now and in eternity (Proverbs 13:22). Thank You for our eternal inheritance, redemption, and portion through Jesus Christ our Lord (Hebrews 5:9, 9:12). You are gracious to the pure in heart (Psalm 73:1). We praise You as our Father God and we exalt You forevermore (Psalm 9:9-10).

 

We are satisfied with You as You fill our body, soul, and spirit with all Your goodness and well-being. We have no need to seek our comfort from worldly treasures, people, or circumstances because You are our abundance. With You as our portion, we have no desire for anything else. Thank You for enlarging our heart to walk in Your ways, to seek Your face, and to love You with all our thoughts, emotions, and choices (Psalm 119:32).

 

Thoughts for the Day:

The Lord is our strength and our song. He continually gives us victory over the trials we endure. He is our refuge in oå]ur oppressions and our stronghold in every time of trouble we encounter on this earth (Psalm 9:10; Exodus 15:2). We strengthen our faith through Bible study, fellowshipping with other converted Believers, and communing with God continually throughout the day (1 Thessalonians 5:16-28),

 

 

 

Integrating Childhood Innocence and Adult Maturity

  

When you think about your childhood, do you have nightmares or fond memories? Did you have favorite toys along the way? Did you spend much time playing outside, and with toys and siblings, neighbors, extended family, etc.? As you grew older, did you abandon your inner child, or did you continue to incorporate that playful, spontaneous, creative side of yourself into your budding adulthood?

 

Do we tuck our “child” away in some dark corner of our soul or put him/her on a top shelf of our subconscious mind? We little realize that this immature, but lovable side of our self needs incorporation into our adult life. Otherwise, this playful, irresponsible part of us may sabotage our adult choices and relationships.

 

If we allow the “child” to remain in control of our life, this controlling part of our self affects our decisions and neglects our adult responsibilities, which causes us to let people down because we did not develop the common sense and respect that comes with age and maturity.

 

Have you ever noticed that people get more childish and dependent as we grow older? That is our Inner Child emerging from the prison we imposed on them as we grew up. Do we take time for spontaneity, play, creativity, and flexibility now, or are we strict, serious, overly scheduled, and rigidly organized?

 

Do we have a balanced work/play relationship with life or are we too structured all the time? Do we trust in the Lord, and nurture a relationship with Him that is like a little child, or are we all somber, businesslike, and sensible (Matthew 18:3)? Do we walk in the Spirit, or in our own goals and plans?

 

Do we think as King David did, whose soul was like a little child within him (Psalm 131:2), or are we like King Saul who led his soldiers in battle and jealously stormed around trying to assassinate David so he would not take his popularity; or worse, assume the reins of the throne in his stead? Do we trust in the Lord with our whole heart, and enter into His atmosphere of trust and rest (Proverbs 3:5-6)? 

 

Prayer:

Father God, we have many inquiries to answer today. It is good for us to consider these questions and to honestly answer them from the depth of our soul. You created us in Your likeness, and we want to utilize every part of who You made us to be as a light to the dying world around us. We want to live in the center of Your will for us, because that is where we find true fulfillment.

 

You made us like a city set on hill, whose light cannot be hidden (Matthew 5:14). We are a beacon that can draw those in our sphere of influence to a saving knowledge of Your grace and mercy, of Your peace and joy, and of the depths of Your love for us. Give us Your compassion for others, and, also, help us not to criticize or gossip about other people, or to have high expectations on our self and others which are impossible to attain.

 

Thoughts for the Day:

These are fair questions to ask and answer, because if we abandoned this part of our self, as we drew closer to adulthood and took on more grownup responsibilities, we short-changed our self and lost a huge block of our true identity – of who we were and still are and always will be deep within our soul – our thoughts, emotions, and choices. 

 

Two Gates

 

God’s Word tells us about two gates (Luke 13:24):

1.  The Straight, Narrow Gate- Few find it, but it leads to eternal life.

2.  The Wide Gate - that appeals to many because it is easily entered and traversed. It is broad instead of narrow, but it leads to destruction.

 

The Straight and Narrow Gate allows us to become a new creation in Christ, and to shed the confines of a depraved lifestyle that robs us of eternal life and makes us slaves of sin. On this path, we enter into God’s rest and develop an intimate union with His Trinity. If we put off the chance to enter this gate, we gamble with our eternal destination.

 

Jesus is the gate to this road (Matthew 7:14), the door, the source of our salvation, and our resurrection life (John 3:18, 8:24,10:9, 11:25; 1 John 5:11-12). He is also our good shepherd (John 19:14), our way, truth, and life (John 14:6), our bread of life (John 6:35-51), and our light in this dark world (John 8:12). He is our life-giving Vine, and we are His branches on which He bears much fruit (John 15:1-5).

 

However, the Narrow Road is restrictive by size and not very wide. There is plenty of room for multitudes of people, but there is no room for sin on this road. We must submit to the sanctifying work of God’s Spirit that keeps us walking according to God’s perfection and righteousness (Matthew 5:20). Our pride and rebellion are the only aspects keeping us from this road.

 

The Good News is that we are not expected to earn our path on this narrow way, but to receive it as a free gift of God (Ephesians 2:8-9). We work out our own salvation, but we can only accomplish this because God gives us the desire and ability to walk on this narrow way (Philippians 2:12-13).

 

Prayer:

Father God, Your salvation for us on the straight and narrow road is a miracle to experience. The tests and trials of life diminish in importance when we see them through Your eyes and experience them by Your grace (2 Corinthians 12:9). That is how we can rejoice in You in every experience we encounter (Philippians 4:4-8). Many people want proof for Your existence, yet they accept other things in life that are merely hypothesis and theories rather than facts and truths. 

 

They prefer the broad road and vain pursuits, and they accept lies as facts and consider Your certainties as lies (2 Timothy 4:4; Romans 16:17-18; Colossians 2:8). The lies and fables of the world draw them away from Your truth. They realize there is an eternity, but they have no real concern for the eternal destiny of their soul and spirit. We pray, as You desire, that all men will humble themselves and be drawn to the saving knowledge of Jesus’ sacrifice for our salvation (1 Timothy 2:4).

 

Thoughts for the Day:

Jesus did not enter the world as lofty royalty in a palace of ease, but in a stable with swaddling clothes in a hard feed-trough rather than a soft bed. Only as we daily die to the desires of our flesh, and we accept responsibility and blame for our unbelief (John 3:18) will we find the straight and narrow road that leads to eternal life.