Wednesday... He is so good but.

Wednesday... He is so good but he is not easy.

He is definitely a good God. Just the opportunity to have someone in our life who will always love us is so good but love doesn't mean easy.

Let's say I'm in school and I have a test tomorrow and I don't study but when I get up I pray that God will help me with my test. Or let's say, that I need a job but I don't put in the effort to find one, but I do pray or I do have a job but I just don't want to get up and do it so I pray that God will supply my needs.

Proverbs 20:4 (NLT) says, "Those too lazy to plow in the right season will have no food at the harvest." God honors our diligence, our effort and he gives us opportunities if and when we pray. He also will give us strength but he does not honor laziness.

Verse 12 says, "Ears to hear and eyes to see - both are gifts from the Lord."

Every morning when I start my daily systematic reading in Psalms, Proverbs and the New Testament, I start my time by praying, "Lord, open my eyes to see, my ears to hear, my mind to comprehend, my heart to comply and my hands to communicate so that someone will be encouraged, enlighted, inspired, invited to a deeper relationship with you or invited to a new relationship with you and then I start reading. Now it may mean that I read these three chapters in five different translations before that word comes to me and I start writing. And yes, God always answers my prayer but I must also do my part and many times it is not easy but it always is a privilege and an opportunity.

Verse 13 says, "If you love sleep, you will end in poverty. Keep your eyes open, and there will be plenty to eat." The Amplified Bible says, "Do not love [excessive] sleep, or you will become poor; Open your eyes [so that you can do your work] and you will be satisfied with bread."

It called work. And it isn't always easy. Now work started in the Garden of Eden before the Fall. God gave Adam a job. He was to name all of the animals. Work is a part of God's plan.

Now it is true that if something is too difficult, if troubles come, God is only a prayer away.

Over in John 2, Jesus was at a wedding and the wine ran out, there was no more, and Mary, Jesus mother came to Jesus and told him, "They have no more wine." Now Jesus took care of the problem but there were things that the servants had to do. Yes, this was Jesus first miracle, he turned water into wind but the servants had a hand in it. They had something to do and they did it. And it wasn't easy for them but they weren't lazy, they did what he said and there was a miracle.

Psalm 80:3 (CEV) says, "Our God, make us strong again and save us." We don't need to be strong if we are in bed but if we are up and doing our part then we need to be strong and God will answer that prayer and he will save us. Now there are situations where we need to be in bed and God will give us the strength to handle those times. He really will.

Yes we must pray and yes we must do. This is just a reminder, God is so good but he is not easy. Life can be hard, but he will be with us and leading us and strengthening us. Yes, yes! #todaysbeginning

Tuesday... It is so worth it. It really is!

Tuesday... It is so worth it. It really is! Look at this, Proverbs 5:21-23 (CEV) says, "The Lord sees everything, and he watches us closely. Sinners are trapped and caught by their own evil deeds. They get lost and die because of their foolishness and lack of self-control." That is true of so many. Now look at this, Luke 15:1-7 says, "Tax collectors and sinners were all crowding around to listen to Jesus. So the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law of Moses started grumbling, 'This man is friendly with sinners. He even eats with them.' Then Jesus told them this story: If any of you has 100 sheep, and one of them gets lost, what will you do? Won't you leave the 99 in the field and go look for the lost sheep until you find it? And when you find it, you will put it on your shoulder and carry it home. Then you will call in your friends and neighbors and say, 'Let's celebrate! I've found my lost sheep.' Jesus said, 'In the same way there is mo...

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...

Todays Beginning

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