"He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted." (Isaiah 61.1)
There are people all around us that are suffering from a broken heart. There is a tendency to avoid those who are miserable and down for it is a fact that positivity attracts and people shun the low and downtrodden. Yet, the Lord needs our compassion and empathy. He needs us to take time to make that phone call or visit. After all, we are his hands, feet, his instruments fit for the master's use. Perhaps it's you that needs comforting. It so, show yourself self-compassion. Embrace who you are and where you are and show yourself grace, kindness, and love. Love attracts more love. "As the herd leaves the wounded stag to bleed and die alone, so do men instinctively avoid the society of those who are habitually gloomy. Their own desire after happiness leads men to escape from the miserable. Be joyful and you shall attract; be sorrowful and you will scatter." I pray we take time out to minister to someone who is less fortunate that we. Or, perhaps we need to open up our hearts and arms and let God love us today. Dear Lord, help us to make room for you and someone else today. We need your strength today so that we can love and be loved. Amen. Positivity attracts! GiGi
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"Which shall know every man the plague of his own heart." (1 Kings 8:38)
The condition of our hearts will either draw people or scatter them away. The words we choose and every action stems from what lies deep within, "for out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks." (Matthew 12:34) When attempting to tame our tongues and discipline our actions, we must first consider the condition of our hearts. It is at the hub of relational transaction and our well-being. We must give it great attention by feeding it truth, God's Word is truth. It is the only instrument that can change the heart. The more we expose the heart to truth and righteousness, the better we become at disciplining how we speak and what we do. "Our words make visible/audible what is invisible/hidden away in our hearts. Whatever is in your heart will come out of your mouth. Whatever is in your heart toward another person—anger, envy, jealousy, a desire for acceptance—will shape the words you speak to that person. It is impossible for us to keep what we think, feel, and desire from affecting our words." (C. Boyd) Let's do the heart work. GiGi "My times are in thy hand."-Psalm 31:15.
Whatever this day holds we know that our “times are in his hand.” We are not promised that everyday will be a mountaintop experience, but we are assured that each day can be victorious. “For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.” ~1 John 5:4 Yes, the victory is accomplished through our faith, not in what we possess or who we are with. Man determines success through carnal measures. Our measurement of victory is by the blood of the Lamb. “I know it was the blood, I know it was the blood, I know it was the blood for me. One day when I was lost Jesus died on the cross. I know it was the blood for me.” “Not only are we ourselves in the hand of the Lord, but all that surrounds us. Our times make up a kind of atmosphere of existence; and all this is under divine arrangement. We dwell within the palm of God's hand. We are absolutely at his disposal, and all our circumstances are arranged by him in all their details. We are comforted to have it so.” Whether things are going well for us today or whether we find ourselves struggling, still our “times are in his hands.” Even the most challenging days are victorious. Everything is in God’s hands. GiGi❤️ “Be still, and know that I am God!” (Psalm 46:10)
There are times when all we can do is be still. There are moments when the only remedy is our silence. There is so much noise and so many distractions. Must we always have something to say? Is it necessary that we always respond? The answer to both is, no! We must learn to be comfortable sitting in silence with our own thoughts. More importantly, we must learn to sit in silence in the presence of God. How else will we hear him in the midst of all of the chatter? “But the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.” (1 Kings 19:11-12) “Be silent, that you may hear the voice of Jesus, for when He speaks your strength will be renewed. The eternal Spirit is with His people, but we often miss His power because we give more ear to other voices than to His…Our strength will be renewed, if in silence we yield up to God all our own wisdom and strength. Brethren, I never am so full as when I am empty; I have never been so strong as in the extremity of weakness. The source of our worst weakness is our homeborn strength, and the source of our worst folly is our personal wisdom. Keep silent, you saints, till you have felt your folly and your weakness, and then renew your strength most gloriously by casting yourselves upon the strength of God.” (Charles Spurgeon) Be still! Be silent! GiGi❤️ “The Holy One Praised Be He told Israel that I love you because each time I bestow greatness upon you, you shrink yourself before Me. I bestowed greatness upon Abraham and he said to Me: ‘But I am but dust and ashes’ (Genesis 18:27). Upon Moses and Aaron and they said: ‘For who are we?’ (Exodus 16:7). Upon David and he said: ‘But I am a worm, less than human’ (Psalm 22:7).”
Just when the complaint is about to leave our mouths, we are so quickly reminded of the goodness of the Lord. The murmur turns into praise and gratitude. Just when we think we cannot go on another minute, let alone another day, our tears turn into joy and praise. When we think the night lasts for an eternity, soon the sun comes out and a new day begins. “‘What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me?’ Suppose, dear friend, you had been the woman bowed with an infirmity for so many years, and Christ had loosed you, and you had stood upright to-night; what would you render? Suppose you had been poor blind Bartimeus sitting by the wayside begging, born blind, and you had your sight given you to-night; what would you render? But you have had such a gift given you. You were in spiritual blindness, worse than that which is only natural, and Christ has opened your eyes; what will you render? (Charles Spurgeon) I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. (Psalm 86:12) GiGi❤️ “If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.” (2 Timothy 2:13).
There have been many prayers that we have prayed to God. We have forgotten some of them. The Lord has not forgotten because He is faithful. We have made promises and have not kept those vows, yet the Lord has remained faithful to us. There are scripture verses that we have quoted, sung, and exclaimed, while our lives did not mirror them, “yet he abideth faithful.” Our feelings may get hurt and we may be led astray by our emotions. When this happens we can often lose sight of what is expected of us in the moment. What is expected of ? Faithfulness! We have to keep our eyes on God and not forget who we are. Why accept the charge if we are not willing to abide? If we mess up, we get up and do it again. Faithfulness will not always look perfect for us, but it will stay the course. “The prophet shall be prophet for ever,— ‘He cannot deny himself.’ The priest shall be a priest forever after the order of Melchizedec, and will never refuse to offer our prayers and praises, and to cleanse our souls, for he cannot deny himself. The king will never cease to reign, or put off his crown, or lay down his sceptre, for he cannot deny himself. The shepherd will forever keep the flock. The friend will eternally stick closer than a brother. The husband will still love his spouse. All that he is in relation to his people shall continue and abide, for he abideth faithful. ‘He cannot deny himself.’” Charles Spurgeon Dearest Lord, may we gain strength from your faithfulness. As we face our darkest and most challenging trials, remind us again and again, that if you built the house, it will stand. You will not abandon, you will not forget, you will not deny those who remain faithful. GiGi "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."—Matthew 19:19
Perhaps we spend too much time and energy deciding who we should love and who we should not. We weigh people with our own biases. We often get it wrong and, in the end, we are to just love people. Loving others is a matter of displaying kindness, consideration, and compassion, even toward those who treat us the opposite. We find the closer we get to God, the easier this becomes. That’s because self decreases and righteousness increases. “By the word neighbor, we are to understand any person who is near us. It comes from two old words, nae or near, (near) and buer, (to dwell) persons residing, or being near us, and if anyone in the world is near us, he is our neighbor. The Samaritan, when he saw the wounded man on the road to Jericho, felt that he was in his neighborhood, and that therefore he was his neighbor, and he was bound to love him. "Love thy neighbor." (Charles Spurgeon) The people that we come in contact with may be different from us. The way we are treated may hurt us to the core, but “Hard words will not convert anyone. We are to “Love others straight on; their sin is not against us, but against God.” Though they persecute us, and say all kinds of evil against us falsely, for Jesus’ sake, we should rejoice and be exceedingly glad, because we have chosen righteousness over self. Love thy neighbor! GiGi❤️ “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.” (1 Peter 5:8-9)
To be sober means to have a calm, clear head, to judge things after the rule of right…Ask that the grace of God may so rule in your heart that you may be peaceful and serene, and not troubled with idle fear on one side or with foolish hope on the other. “Be sober,” says the apostle. You know the word translated “be sober” sometimes means “be watchful;” and indeed there is a great kinship between the two things. Live with your eyes open; do not go about the world half asleep. Many Christians are asleep. Whole congregations are asleep. The minister snores theology, and the people in the pews nod in chorus. Much sacred work is done in a sleepy style. You can have a Sunday School, and teachers and children can be asleep. You can have missionaries and a tract-distributing society, with visitors going round to the doors all asleep; you can do everything in a dreamy way if so it pleases you. But says the apostle, — be watchful, be alive; brethren, look alive; be so awakened up by these grand arguments with which we have plied you already, that you shall brace yourselves up, and throw your whole strength into the service of your Lord and Master. Charles Spurgeon GiGi❤️ "Is it not a little one?" (Genesis 19:20)
Everything we do matters to God. We have a tendency to look at things in terms of a great wrong or a small wrong, “It’s such a small thing and doesn’t matter” or “God doesn’t care.” But he does care. He also cares about the small hurts just as much as the large ones; small challenges and great impossibilities; or a paper cut and a large wound. Our God that knows the number of every little hair on our head cares about the small things, whether they are righteous or unrighteousness. Spurgeon wrote: The great Father of Lies has multitudes of devices by which he seeks to ruin the souls of men. He uses false weights and false balances in order to deceive them. Sometimes he uses false times, declaring at one hour that it is too early to seek the Lord, and at another that it is now too late. And he uses false quantities, for he will declare that great sins are but little, and as for what he confesses to be little sins, he makes them afterwards to be nothing at all -- mere peccadilloes, almost worthy of forgiveness in themselves. Many souls have been caught in this trap, and being snared, have been destroyed. Dear Lord, we are reminded to bring even the small things to you in prayer because it all matters to you. Help us Lord to also right what we might consider small offenses toward others. GiGi❤️ “In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:6)
An older woman offered a word of advice to a young woman who shared she was engaged to be married. With excitement she shared her plans and noted that she had received advice from many friends and family members to not rush into marriage after being engaged for just 3 months. She stated, “We know what we are doing.” The older woman shared, “Whatever you do, strive to have a teachable spirit. “There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.” (Proverbs 14:12) Charles Spurgeon stated, “Rebecca heard that God had decreed that her favourite son Jacob should be ruler of the two. ‘The elder shall serve the younger.’ She could not wait for God’s providence to fulfil God’s purpose, but needed to deceive her blind husband. She dresses up her son with skins of goats, and cooks the savoury meat, and sends Jacob, who was, though a good man, the very picture of a politic and prudent professor, to meet his father and to deceive him. Ah! If Rebecca had been wise, she would not have done this. Little did she foresee that her decision would drive her favorite son away from his affectionate mother, give him years of toil under Laban, cause him to make the great mistake of his life, the commission of the error of polygamy, and make him a far more afflicted man than he might have been had he been like Abraham or Isaac, who leaned not to their own understandings, but trusted in God with all their hearts. Dear Lord, help us to stop and listen to your direction so that we don’t take a path that seems right but the path that you have chosen for us. GiGi❤️ |
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