Trust

 

Jesus first . . . it pays off!

 

Follow leaders not losers

 

Choices we make...Choose God! (Celebrating Black HIStory '24)

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Harriet Tubman . . . Araminta “Minty” Ross was born into slavery on the Eastern Shore of Maryland in Dorchester County in 1822. We all know the many facts about her life; the greatest conductor of the Underground Railroad, during the Civil War, she became the first woman to lead an armed military raid in June 1863, a Union scout, spy, and nurse, a suffragist who fought for women's rights, and she established a nursing home for African Americans on her property in Auburn, NY. 

She chose to follow God and not the plans that others had for her! Like Ms. Tubman, God has a specific plan for each of us. Many times, it is just for you or me. People will not believe you. They will not understand. The will misdirect you. Some will ridicule you, lie on you and talk about you behind your back. There will be jealousies and plots. Some may even seek to mentally and physically hurt you . . . But God! Choose God! 

But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. (Genesis 50:20)

Where would we be without the examples of people like Joseph, David, and Daniel in the Bible?  here would we be without people like Harriet Tubman in our HIStory?  Echoing Jesus' words from John from John 14:3, Harriet's final words were, "I go to prepare a place for you." She indeed prepared a place . . . a future . . . and a hope for all of a better place, as does Jesus!

Choose God!

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4648786/

Groundhog Day 2024

Can a groundhog really tell the future? C'mon . . . who really believes that anyway. Even the best meteorologists can predict past a week or two! However, I know who does know the future . . . yes, that's right . . . God! He has been there and back again and wants to guide us to it and through it!

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”  As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.  If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them. (James 4:13-17)

Today people will be watching what a groundhog does as he comes out and wanders around the ground. 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/02/02/groundhog-day-2024-live-stream/72406821007/ 

• Will he see his shadow or not? 
• Will we have six more weeks of winter or and early spring? 

Really . . . a groundhog? It's pretty simple: If there is sunlight or TV cameras in his area, he will probably see a shadow! 

• But does he really care about his shadow? 
• Is he really looking? 
• Who did he tell anyway?

I think it is still best to seek God and follow His plans for us (Jeremiah 29:11, Proverbs 3:5-6, etc) I think He would know more than a groundhog!

God is good . . . even the God of adversity

 God is good . . . all the time . . . right? What about when He is the God of adversity . . . when things do not go your way for a while . . . especially when He has been so good for so long?

What do you prefer: 

• a sunny beach vacation or a week of thunderstorms and being stuck indoors?
• an intimate four corse meal with a loved one or day-old burned burgers and dogs from the grill?
• a calm, sweet, cohesive classroom environment or one of chaos and mischief?
• things going as planned or everything hitting the fan at once?

Whatever is going on, God is still God!How we handle things however, let's others know, especially our students and families. 

God is good . . .Over the past year and a half, God has been real good to my family and me . . . real good (house sale, move, car, etc)!  

But then He allowed some adversity . . . 

• Planned (delayed by covid) anniversary trip to Italy cancelled (passports and $$$$)
• Wife's injury lasting waaay too long for me
• Planned week at Myrtle Beach (substitute for Italy!)cancelled due to scheduling.
• Yet in the end, we were able to have a neighborhood VBS in our yard with some neighborhood kids as we had planned!

The God of adversity is still good!

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.” (Psalm 91:1)

This past year and a half my wife and I have learned to deal with ups and downs. We did not always handle things right the first time. We feel as though we got in God's way. We have come to understand that He knows what is best for us He will always have His way if we simply get out of His way!

We will have our ups and downs at home and in the classroom this year. 

• Family members will get sick
• Lesson plans will be torn up
• Fire drills will happen
• Our best plans may never come to fruition . . .

Yet God is still God . . . even the God of adversity!

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.  But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. (James 1:1-6)

So plan your days but expect adversity. 

How we handle things reflects the God we serve!

God chooses!

Choose today . . .

God does what He chooses and when He chooses. Despite His blessings to each of us, if we do not agree with Him and honor Him, He can take away everything He once granted us. He is God and we are not! Just consider Solomon . . .

And he said to Jeroboam, “Take for yourself ten pieces, for thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and will give ten tribes to you  (but he shall have one tribe for the sake of My servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel),  because they have forsaken Me, and worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the people of Ammon, and have not walked in My ways to do what is right in My eyes and keep My statutes and My judgments, as did his father David.  However I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, because I have made him ruler all the days of his life for the sake of My servant David, whom I chose because he kept My commandments and My statutes.  But I will take the kingdom out of his son’s hand and give it to you—ten tribes. And to his son I will give one tribe, that My servant David may always have a lamp before Me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen for Myself, to put My name there. (1 Kings 11:31-36)

Solomon had his life and legacy laid before him. He was heir to David's throne and God had granted him all the wisdom in the world. However, he ignored it and decided to follow the world . . . and lost it all. Yet unlike the prodigal son, we do not hear much of his turning back to God, simply regret. (Ecclesiastes 2)

God chooses to bless whom He chooses. Yet He can also choose to remove those blessings and pass them on to someone else. Will we live a life of regret or a life of obedience and blessings? 

Choose today! (Joshua 24:15)

Wouldn't it be something if we saw the hearts of others rather than faces? (Honoring Black HIStory '23)

To the late twentieth century, when Christians vigorously debate the question of racial reconciliation and how to achieve it, Lemuel Haynes represents a significant symbolic "first"—the first black pastor of a white congregation! The illegitimate son of a black father and a white mother, Haynes grew up as an indentured servant to the Rose family in Massachusetts. The Roses included young Lemuel in their church attendance and family devotions. The Roses also gave him an education and treated him, Haynes said later, like one of their own children. At the end of his period of indenture, he served in the Continental Army during the Revolution, and then, with the support and encouragement of the Roses and others, he was ordained to the ministry. Haynes spent the largest part of his pastoral career at Rutland, Vermont (1788-1818), where he led the town's Congregational church through the Second Great Awakening.

“God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.” (Acts 10:34-35)

It is amazing what God can do in and through people who see each other as equals. When we can look one another in the eye and see the face of God, not the face of a European father, an African mother, a Latino teen, or an Asian grandfather. God accepts anyone who comes to Him with open arms. Despite obvious challenges, God still does the miraculous. Keep seeking Him!

Wouldn't it be something if we saw the hearts of others rather than faces?

We need to be God explorers!

Discerning God’s voice goes beyond simple daily prayer time. It takes patience and lots of journeying with God to be able to hear Him. Hearing God’s voice obviously means listening to our pastors whom God chose as shepherds of His faith for us. It means listening to the good counsel of our fellow believers in Christ. It also means studying what bible verses about hearing God teach us, for He gave us these devotional scriptures to guide us in our relationship with Him.

But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. (John 10:2-4)

You see, to hear from God we have to dig a little deeper than a casual prayer. Like in any relationship, we need to dig deeper to get to know God and is plans. We need to be God explorers!

Are we willing to take that journey? It could be a bit challenging. Along the way we may face some challenging hills and valleys. We may get misdirected a few times. We just might take a wrong turn. Yet the map . . . God's Positioning System (GPS), His Word in other words, always leads us to Him!

"A" people

God cares about grades in school, but not exactly as we do. You see, He wants us to do our best, but our best may not always be the best. So many parents want their children to get straight A's and be top of the class . . . and that is an honorable goal. However, reality says that every student is not a straight A student and not everyone can be number one. Many of our greatest leaders were not A students, but rather A people!

A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps. (Proverbs 16:9)

Listen to this young lady: https://youtu.be/P0uWLzC4ojQ

As we strive to be our best and honor God through life, as A people we will please God and others will respect us. God will establish us and our children as He sees fit. His plans are not our plans, and parents . . . His plans for our kids are not always our plans!

Let's give God some room to work in our lives, and focus upon being A people even if we don't achieve A grades!

when God says otherwise

What do we do when God says "No" to our plans? Do we whine and throw a fit or accept things as His will? I have to admit, most times I fight it! When I thin k I am doing the right thing and things do not go right, I keep fighting to do what I think is right when all along God is saying, "Yeah it might be right by your standards, but I say otherwise!"

So what do you do when God says otherwise? 

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.
The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)

At times, we may make plans and do things which are indeed good and have good intentions, but God may still have a better plan that is best for us and those around us. We all have to learn to give in to God more and more as we mature!

What are your plans for today?

"Don't I know you from somewhere? Haven't we met before?"

 You ever felt like you knew someone already when your were introduced? "Don't I know you from somewhere? Haven't we met before?"

Well, that is the way it is when we come to know Jesus as our Lord and Savior. You see, He did know us before . . . before we were even in our mother's womb! Now that is something to make your sit back and ponder! Young people especially, read these verses carefully. . . .

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” Then said I: “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth.” But the Lord said to me: “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ For you shall go to all to whom I send you, And whatever I command you, you shall speak. (Jeremiah 1:5-7)

Since God knew us and has a special plan set out just for us, then we need to do what He intends for us to do . . . or we will be forever spinning our wheels in life! Stop trying to be someone else or living out someone else's plans for you.

Who knows us better than God . . . don't you think it is time we get to know Him better so we better know ourselves?

His will, not mine

God is not a genie in a bottle. He doesn't give us our every wish and prayer . . . and if He does, it is not always right away. We would have everything our way in our timing. Yet God does not promise that. He does, however, promise us a peace and a comfort that goes beyond understanding. We can be at peace on the inside when all craziness and unanswered questions surround us.

Seeking Good simply for our own desires will never be satisfying. Wrong and selfish motives will never produce a reward from God. We are told to seek His face . . . His presence . . . His will . . . not His hand. When we find ourselves resting in His will we find that abundant life . . . life beyond this world.

These familiar verses will remind us that God knows what we need. We have to learn to trust Him!

“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matthew 6:31-33)

God's advice/Godly advice/God's plans

Who is leading whom? As we make plans for our lives, to whom do we turn for advice? Have we really considered the Word of God?

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you [who are willing to learn] with My eye upon you. (Psalm 32:8)

 . . . . and to make it your ambition to live quietly and peacefully, and to mind your own affairs and work with your hands, just as we directed you, so that you will behave properly toward outsiders [exhibiting good character, personal integrity, and moral courage worthy of the respect of the outside world], and be dependent on no one and in need of nothing [be self-supporting]. (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12)

As a coach, mentor, teacher, dad and grandfather, I have witnessed many young people make some rather rash decisions and plans. They have followed some bad advice, ran after pipe dreams, and found themselves wandering even into adulthood. Many never consider God's advice much less Godly advice!

There is much said in scriptures concerning career choices. After all, God designed each us in unique ways with unique physical and spiritual gifts. While dreams of becoming a professional athlete, serving in medical careers, achieving a law career and the like are admirable, they are not for everyone! I can recall my daughter wanted to become a nurse until she realized blood 🩸was involved! 😟

There is always room for the plumber, the HVAC specialist, the painter, the mechanic, the carpenter, the barber/hairstylist, and yes, even the pastor and missionary! What are your specially designed gifts from God? Have you pursued them? So pursue your dreams, just make sure they are God's plans for you as well!