Tuesday... It can be such a waste of time.

Now the reality of life is that it is pretty short. I'm at the age that I wonder where it has gone. And I am at the point of my life that I don't want to waste any more time on things that don't make a difference. And Paul in his first letter to the young Timothy deals with this. In 4:7 (NLT) he writes, "Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives tales. Instead, train yourself to be goodly."

Over in Proverbs 19:3 it says, "People ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then they are angry at the Lord." Like it is his fault. Now he had a different plan but our representatives ruin it. Now he did create us with the power to choose and they made some really, really bad decisions that were really foolish and we have suffered the consequences. But it isn't God's fault.

Do you realize that if we would have followed all the laws in Leviticus that there would be no diseases? Death was not in God's plan. Sickness was not in God's plan. Old age was not in God's plan. And so many other things that we blame God for were not in his plan. They came about because of our not following his plan.

Back to 1 Timothy 4. In verses 8-9 Paul writes, "'Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.' This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it." There is a choice here for us to make.

He goes on in verse 10, "This is why we work hard and continue to struggle, for our hope is in the living God, who is the Savor of all people and particularly all believers."

And then in verse 16 Paul tells Timothy, "Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you."

So let's not waste our time. Let's make use of the opportunity of the life that God has given to us and called us to live. Yes, yes! #todaysbeginning

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Friday... Yes, we need them. We really do

Psalm 8:3-4 (NLT), "When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers - the moon and the stars you set in place - what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?" Friday... Yes, we need them. We really do. No, not the fact that I can go out my front door and look out at night at the marvels of the sky. I can do that and it is amazing and it takes my breath away each time I see it. Yes, that is a fact but the reality of who did that and the wisdom and the faith that I have to believe that and to marvel that the one who did that cares about me makes such a difference in how I live my life. Yes, God really does. That is so wonderful for us to believe. And that is why faith and wisdom are so important. Now whatever belief you have at how that marvel happened must also be believed through faith. And the sad thing to me is that more and more people have been taught that there is no God and therefore he did not have a h...

Monday... Three ifs and two thens. They go together!

Monday... Three ifs and two thens. They go together! They really do. And this is what caught my attention this morning as I was reading Proverbs 2. Verse 1 (NRSVUE) says, "My child, if you accept my words and treasure my commands within you." Verse 3 (NIV), "Indeed i f you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, Verse 4, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, Verse 5, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God." And verses 9-11, " Then you will understand what is right and just and fair - every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you." There will always be some effort we must do, some ifs for the thens to be realized in our lives. So many of us want to understand without the ifs. But the thens are so worth, so very worth the effort. Verses 5-6 in the Ampli...

Wednesday... Our unless can turn into useless.

Wednesday... Our unless can turn into useless. It really can. I have found that unless I give the correct email of my wife then I can't get what I wanted. I put an extra i in her email and I have been working for 5 days to get it changed. Unless has been useless. The writer of Psalm 94 uses this word and shows how important it is. Verses 17-19 (NLT) says, "Unless the Lord had helped me, I would have soon settled in the silence of the grave. I cried out, 'I'm slipping!' but your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me. When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer." "Unless the Lord had helped me." So many people go on and on and on striving to live their life on their own but they keep slipping and doubting and living without hope and cheer. Yes the Lord has such unfailing love for us, he really does but unless we have a relationship with him and we turn to him and ask him for help then the unless turns in to useless because h...

Todays Beginning

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