Our Destiny Hangs in the Balance

Read: James 3:10-12

"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." - 1 John 2:15

Living Godly lives requires that we focus on living holy lives. However, in today's society with all of the glitter and glitz, it is so easy to get sidetracked. We start out by dabbling in sin, but we end up as sin’s slave. Holiness and sin cannot dwell together in the same person. There is only One Way to obtain freedom from this addiction to the world. That is through the leadership of the Holy Spirit within us. He will permeate and perfect us until we live for God alone, in the abundance of His righteousness, peace and joy.

Sometimes, the weeds of this world threaten to choke the very life from us. There is hope, however. The Master Gardener promised that in the end, He would separate the chaff from the wheat and burn the counterfeit in the eternal flames of hell. The difference between the chaff and the wheat is found in those who are not only convicted of sin, but who are also actually converted from sin and who live transformed lives. 

Prayer:

Lord, never allow any love for the world to dilute our love for You. Keep us unspotted from the world and overpower us by Your love.

Thought for the Day:

As we conform to the image of Christ, our spiritual identity will insure our eternal destiny.

Busy Bee

Read: James 1: 2-4

“Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” ~ James 1: 3

While weeding in my butterfly garden, I watched an industrious bee flitting from flower to flower. During this process, the pollen weighed the bee down as it gathered more and more of the gold dust on its body. I suddenly realized that in our daily life we gather the cares of the world, which weigh us down too.

There is a positive side to this story. The bee cross-pollinates as it flies from flower to flower, and the nectar is used to make honey. Rather than allowing our cares to weigh us down and give us a negative attitude, we can patiently change our focus and look at them as ordained opportunities from the Lord. They give us the opportunity to carry the Good News from one life experience to another. In every encounter we can share the love, peace and joy of the Lord with everyone we meet. This way we are a blessing wherever we go, just like the busy little bee.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, thank you for the trials of our faith, which are worth more than the finest gold, and which produce in us character that will not perish when we go through the fire of testing.

Thought for the Day:

Character tested by trials results in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

The Lily in My Deep Valleys

Read: Psalm 18:2-6

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 4:6-7

Wise Solomon, who had more wives than I can count, said in Proverbs 21:9 “It is better to live in the corner of an attic than with a crabby woman in a lovely home.” (TLB) He should know...he lived in a palace! 

From his vast experience, Solomon often compared different types of wives. “A wise woman builds her house; a foolish woman tears hers down with her own hands.” (Proverbs 14:1) “A worthy wife is her husband’s joy and crown; a shameful wife saps his strength.” (Proverbs 12:4) 

My former husband acused me of tearing down my house with my own hands. In the unstable financial, emotional and sometimes physical environment he provided for me and my three children, fear and insecurity often overwhelmed me. I over-reacted when something disturbed the well-planned order, which I used to insulate myself from a world that sometimes really, really scared me. 

Over the years, God taught me how to trust HIM, instead of people or circumstances, especially when I am afraid. Proverbs 31:26 advises us to open our mouth with wisdom, and on our tongue to have the law of kindness. I am learning to get all the facts and to think before reacting. This way I can give a lucid response with a loving attitude. Do I still slip now and then? Oh yeah! But, I'm mellowing with age. 

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, sometimes I still shiver with fear when circumstances spin out of control. You are my Rock, my Sword and my Shield. You are the lily in my deep valleys. You are my bright and morning star.

Thought for the Day:

When life flies at me with blinding speed, I am learning to duck…
behind the Rock.