Be A Man and Woman of Your Word

 

The world finds itself in the shape it’s currently in because people have ignored God’s standard. There is no denying this, no matter how much people may try. Our Heavenly Father warns us in His Word to cling to Him through the Lord Jesus Christ, and we are to do this by lining up our lives with the example Christ left us. James 4:4(NLT) states, “You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.” Jesus Christ is the Bridegroom, and believers in him are his bride. James 4:4 says that those who turn their backs on God’s standard are adulterers. In other words, the world or society is their bridegroom, and not Christ.

It is impossible for human beings to serve two masters. In other words, we can’t focus on God and focus on the world too. Jesus Christ tells us this in Matthew 6:24. God is our Creator, and He deserves our entire and complete focus and devotion. Loving Him is the greatest thing that any of us can do. He is a jealous God, and no one can come before Him.

The love He has for us cannot be matched. He loved us so much that He gave His Son’s life to save us. This is an unwavering, unconditional love, and one of the ways God teaches us about this love is through the relationships we have with one another, especially the marriage relationship. There’s nothing like the excitement a bride has over her groom. She anxiously awaits the day when she will walk down the aisle and they will finally be together as man and wife. Many women are waiting for this opportunity, and if it is a marriage ordained by God, it is well worth the wait.

The important thing for us to know is that nothing compares to the love that God has demonstrated towards us through the offering of His Son, Jesus Christ. Through His love, He has given us the great privilege of being His children. Because of Christ, we will never experience the burning fires of hell. Instead, we will spend the rest of eternity with Christ as his bride. We would never be able to repay this gift of overwhelming generosity. God knows this. He doesn’t ask for repayment. He asks that we behave in a way that demonstrates we understand what He’s given us through Christ, and we must behave as though we appreciate it.

To appreciate the price God has paid to rescue us from darkness is to live the life of abundance that He has made available through Jesus Christ. Titus 2:11-14 The message (MSG) tells us all about it. This passage says, “God’s readiness to give and forgive is now public. Salvation’s available for everyone! We’re being shown how to turn our backs on a godless, indulgent life, and how to take on a God-filled, God-honoring life. This new life is starting right now, and is whetting our appetites for the glorious day when our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, appears. He offered himself as a sacrifice to free us from a dark, rebellious life into this good, pure life, making us a people he can be proud of, energetic in goodness.”

God has given us access to all His goodies. He wants us to have wonderful relationships and a fulfilling life, but these blessings are contained in Christ. Outside of Christ, we have no hope, but Christ is our hope and in him we can fulfill our destinies. Following his example means that we are very careful about how we treat others. Colossians 3:9-10(NLT) tells us, “Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. 10 Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.” Being honest with one another is God’s standard, but the world teaches us to do anything we want in order to get ahead.

Some of us are tempted to believe that little white lies are okay. We’ve made such a habit of telling these little white lies that many men and women think it doesn’t even matter. People may think that being committed to keep our word isn’t a big deal, but truly it is. Our word is a pledge to God and to others based on our intent to carry out what we’ve promised to do. When it comes to our relationships with God and with others, our word identifies us as faithful or unfaithful, stable or unstable. So, keeping our commitments indicates whether we are worthy of greater blessings and rewards. It makes a statement about who we are at our cores.

The psalmist asked God about those that truly worship Him. Psalm 15:4(NLT), tells us its “Those who despise flagrant sinners, and honor the faithful followers of the Lord, and keep their promises even when it hurts.”  The Father clearly identifies His standard in this verse. We are to keep our promises and commitments even if it means we will be greatly inconvenienced. God will help us to do this when pleasing Him and honoring others is the motivation of our hearts.

When you say you’re going to do something, God is looking at your commitment to hold to your word. Telling someone you’re going to be somewhere at a certain time or do something on a specific day holds weight. When we don’t do what we say we’re going to do, without good reason, we’ve lied, and we will be held accountable before God for this. He has empowered us through Jesus Christ to be trustworthy and honest in all that we do. God will always back us when our motivation and heart is to do the right and honorable thing, and to be men and women of our word. ■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright ©1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

“Be A Man and Woman of Your Word”, written for time2heal ©2022.  All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! 

Dealing with Sadness and Uncertainty

 

The famous writer and poet, Shakespeare said, “To thine own self be true.” It speaks to me now just as much as it did when I first read it in high school. I’m old enough to have learned some serious lessons from life’s mistakes and its triumphs. One of the important lessons that is evident in both, our failures and successes, is that if you can’t keep it real with yourself, you’re going to miss a big part of what you’re here on this earth to learn. This is a particularly relevant truth for the season we’re in. You’ve probably heard me refer to this crisis period as a shaking, and indeed it is. It isn’t punishment, but it is most certainly the consequence of too much evil run amuck far too long. Just as the rain falls on the just and the unjust, the effect of a shaking operates much the same way. We will all be left with something once this season of shaking settles down. The honesty we show to ourselves in this hour will determine how we receive what we need once the other side is well within our view.

In a shaking, the thing that is on top falls to the bottom, and the thing at the bottom rises to the top. It is indisputable that this is happening in the entire world. Contrary to what many are thinking, things will not go back to the way they were, and we would do well to face this reality now. For some of us, it is welcomed, but for many it is very scary. It’s scary because some people, if they’re honest with themselves, are deeply sad even in the best of times. The difficulty of our current circumstances is troubling their souls in a way nothing else has.

Heavenly Father has given us exceedingly abundant promises. Philippians 4:19(KJV) tells us, “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” 2Thessalonians 3:3(ESV) says, “But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.” And Proverbs 18:10(ESV) assures us, “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.” Most of us have heard these wonderful promises many times, but they haven’t landed in the deep recesses of our hearts because we can’t reconcile our sadness with the joy these promises were guaranteed by God to bring.

Some beloved sisters feel let down by the loss and disappointments of life. They’ve been praying about the things on their hearts, but still there’s pain and emptiness. There’s a hole inside, and they don’t know why. Very often it is because someone significant in their lives didn’t show them love when they needed it most. Someone or something that was important let them down. And the reason we must be honest with ourselves about this is because of how we have responded to the sadness. We’ve tried to fill the hole it causes with other things. The ache is so profound and nagging that we’ll try just about anything to make it go away. It greets us in the morning and stays with us throughout the day, lurking in the background.

We must understand that lives are built on love. This is a very simple but devastatingly critical truth. 1John 4:8 tells us that God is love. Love is not only what He does, love is who He is. Everything that was made was made from His love. This includes you and me. We were created out of God’s love; it is the very essence of our being. The more we are separated from this truth in our actions, attitudes, and behaviors; the more lost we become.

How do we become separated from this truth? We become separated from it by not trusting God through the love of the Lord Jesus Christ. We become separated from it by not educating ourselves in God’s Word regarding what He desires for us. We must be willing to engage the lessons about love that life will teach and we must accept it will require the totality of our lives to learn them.

Love is necessary to build anything useful. Our Heavenly Father intended this love to start from the very moment of our conception, beginning with the love we should receive from parents. As a person grows and matures and then receives what he or she needs, the best-case scenario is that they will become even more deeply grounded in love. Something within each of us is built up and made strong when we are loved deeply. This is the nurturing care that Heavenly Father intended every family unit to provide. In His plan, we all get what we need from the very beginning. This establishes the precious trust that a child has in the givers of the love it receives. For many people, things don’t happen this way. They end up not getting what they need from those they have trusted. This is the hole—the sadness that many still carry with them every day.

These are perilous times, and those who were downhearted to begin with are feeling even more nervous and anxious; even though they love God. Heavenly Father wants to take away our sadness, and we know from Philippians 4:6 that He doesn’t want us to be anxious, even when things are shaky. Heavenly Father knows exactly how we feel, and He knows what we’re dealing with. He commands us to trust Him through the Lord Jesus Christ. Again, the profound and monumental truth is that love is established through trust. It’s how we show Him our love, and this time is so precious right now because He’s opening His arms to us. We can receive from Him what no other can give.

Trusting God with our emotions—with our whole hearts— can’t be something we do every now and again. It must be set to automatic. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that it is impossible to please God without faith. We must believe in Him! He wants to fill the emptiness in our souls with His love. On a natural plain, we look to grab hold of people and things that are tangible, but during this season of shaking, we understand in a very fundamental way that people and things cannot provide what we need. God tells us in 2Corinthians 12:9(KJV), “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” We can be honest with ourselves about the sadness and uncertainty we feel, but let’s not sit in it. Let’s take it to the Lord. He’s the Healer of broken hearts. He’s our strong tower, and He’ll steady us through the storm if we place all our trust in Him. ■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

“Dealing with Sadness and Uncertainty”, written for time2heal ©2022.  All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! 

Your Protective Shade

 

Psalm 121:1-5(NLT)

“1 I look up to the mountains—does my help come from there? 2 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth! 3 He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber. 4 Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps. 5 The Lord himself watches over you! The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.”

It was movie night for my daughter’s senior class, and a group of her friends were getting together to hang out. I typically didn’t mind when she went out on the weekends because she’s a good kid, and she’s pretty good at keeping her curfew. My only request was that she called me when she arrived at her destination. It was my way of knowing she was ok, but this particular evening, I didn’t keep my end of the deal. I woke up at 2:00am and realized I had fallen asleep. Immediately I looked at my phone, and when I saw the time, checking on my daughter was the first thing on my mind. To my relief, she had gotten home already and said to me, “Mom, I texted you several times but when I didn’t hear from you, I figured you were asleep. I got home a few hours ago.”

Despite my best intentions, I fell asleep and these things happen. As parents, we sometimes miss the mark. But this will never, ever happen with our Heavenly Father, and Psalm 121 beautifully illustrates this truth. God never falls asleep on us. He’s our constant Protector, and He will forever watch over us.

1Peter 5:6-7(NLT) says, “6 So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. 7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” We’re covered under God’s mighty power, and although we know this as parents, many of us will still put a lot of unnecessary pressure on ourselves. We love our children and want to do what’s best for them. God has this same desire. We’re all His kids, and He wants the best for all of us, all the time. He desires us to succeed on every level, and He wants it more for us than we want it for ourselves and for the people we love. He is such a loving and awesome God that He tells us not to worry and to relinquish the anxiety that comes with all that pressure. He’s got us! He’ll keep our families under His protection and care.

Our responsibility is to have faith in God. We try to handle everything on our own, but we don’t know the future. We can’t see what’s coming, nor can we control anything. God is the One who holds our tomorrows and knows our futures. He tells us to give all our worries, fears, and anxiety to Him, because that is how we demonstrate our love for God. Our faith conveys our understanding of His mighty power, and it shows we’re convinced that He is able and willing to take care of us all. In Philippians 4:6-7(NLT), through the Apostle Paul, God tells us, “6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.”

The peace of God is real sisters, and God tells us in Colossians 3:15 to let it rule our hearts and to be thankful. This is a choice. We can choose to be full of worry, or we can choose to let God’s peace rule over us instead of fear. We can have peace in the middle of the storms of life because our God has all power in His hands, and He loves us. Philippians 4:7 tells us that the peace of God passes all understanding. No matter how things look or what is going on in our lives, our Heavenly Father never sleeps. He has promised to stand beside us as our protective shade. So, we can rest in His protection and care for our families as we all continue to live by faith in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

“Your Protective Shade”, written for time2heal ©2022.  All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! 

Overcoming Bitterness and Resentment

Psalm 34:8-10(NLT)
“8 Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! 9 Fear the Lord, you his godly people, for those who fear him will have all they need. 10 Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.”

Single women that are the head of their households sometimes feel as though they have to continually press themselves to stay strong, vigilant, and loving. With all we have to deal with, being a single mother is sometimes way more challenging than we ever could have imagined. You don’t want to become an angry or cynical woman, but when so many things have gone wrong in your life, defenses can get worn down. Even though we know that resentment and anger can block our blessings, many of us begin to harbor bitterness toward the people, relationships, and situations that have caused us harm.

The remedy to being overcome with feelings of bitterness, regret, or resentment is found in Jesus Christ. We sometimes think we should be able to deal with complicated emotions and make them go away on our own. We can’t. If you and I had the power to make ourselves right before God, we probably would have done it a long time ago. Jesus Christ took all our baggage and negative stuff to the cross. The Apostle Paul tells us in Galatians 2:20(NLT), “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Our strength comes from our choice to walk in what Christ has accomplished for us on the cross. Not only was our old self crucified with Christ, but we were resurrected to new life with him as well! This resurrected life is life in the Spirit, where everything we do is yielded to the leadership of the Spirit of the Living God.

The Spirit lives inside of us, and Philippians 2:13 tells us that he, the Spirit, works in us to will and do of God’s good pleasure. It may seem as though we have to mask our pain to put up a strong front, but we don’t have to pretend to be strong. Through God’s Spirit we are strong. Our strength comes from Him. It’s God that has done all of this for us! He’s the One who sent His Son to save us from death and darkness. He’s the One who has placed His Spirit in us to lead, guide, and direct us through life. And He’s the One who tells us to lean totally and completely on Him, because He will supply all our needs.

Yes, there are many that have been waiting to see results from their prayers a long time. And yes, life can be challenging, but our hope is in Christ. The greatest thing we can do is stop resisting what God wants to do in our hearts and let Him have His way. We must simply surrender—surrender our pain—surrender our bitterness—surrender everything to Him. We can’t do anything with all that negative stuff. We can’t fix it; we don’t have a clue, but God knows exactly what needs to be done in our souls to break the heavy chains of emotional pain and grief. He has made it possible for you and me to walk in the liberty of Christ! We must trust this with our whole hearts.

Psalm 34:8 invites us to taste and see that God is good! But some of us haven’t yet tasted. We’re looking for joy in the wrong places. We’re trying to hold on to the anger and not be forgiving in our hearts. But we must let go of all of these emotional heavies, because the bottom line is that God wants His daughters and sons to be blessed. We can’t open our arms wide to receive what He has for us if our arms are already full of stuff that isn’t useful for our journeys. We’ve got to release the past, embrace the new, and remain committed to God through Jesus Christ. We must continue trusting Him, even though life isn’t always easy. We must never give up hope and continue believing God’s promises. Taking refuge in our Heavenly Father isn’t arduous. It’s our joy! It’s seeing firsthand, for ourselves, that as long as we remain in Him, failure is not an option, because He is good through and through.■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

“Overcoming Bitterness and Resentment” written for time2heal ©2022.  All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! 

You Have A Plan, but God Has A Better One!

 

Proverbs 16:9(NLT)
“We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.”

When I was a little girl, my favorite place was my closet. I didn’t purposely choose it but happened upon the discovery when playing with my sister. She and I would play the game hide-and-go-seek, and one day I quickly ran and hid in the closet in my room. It took her forever to find me. As I waited in there, the silence was almost deafening. It was so quiet that my heartbeats sounded like my heart was outside my body. From that point on, whenever I wanted to get away to hear my own thoughts or to be calm and peaceful, I’d hide in my closet. Although it was my little private getaway, I thought it was an odd spot to choose even as a child. Now that I’m older, I understand that no matter where it is, clearing the mind, being still, and getting away for some quiet alone time with God is a requirement.

In the Old Testament, God’s instruction in Joshua 1:8 to His people regarding His Word is, “Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.” We must meditate on God’s Word so we can hear from Him clearly. People may have their own approaches to meditation, but it is important that we slow our worlds down and give God the quality time that He deserves and that we so desperately need.

The most luxurious thing we can possibly do in all of life is to indulge ourselves by delighting in God through meditating in His Word. Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us to trust in God with all our hearts and don’t depend on our own understanding. We’re to seek God’s Will in everything we do, and He will show us what path to take. Many of us don’t do this because we’ve allowed our busy schedules to get in the way. We come up with our own plans and try to direct our own paths. This leads us down a road in life that might seem right, but it isn’t right for where the Lord wants to take us.

Most of us have a dream that hasn’t yet been fulfilled. We’re still waiting. We dreamed big and made plans, but we must remember that God is the One who directs our paths. As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we should want to follow in his steps. We should want what God wants for our lives, because this is always going to be the very best; not just for us, but for everyone involved.

The Holy Spirit knows the plan God has for us, and Philippians 2:13 tells us that he, the Spirit, is working within us continually both to will and do of God’s good pleasure. It is paramount that we surrender our plans and offer them up to the Lord. We must learn to live in the here and now of our standing in Christ by focusing only on God and what He requires of us. When we do this, we will learn to recognize the sweet whisper of God’s voice, and then we can respond to what He wants us to do with, in, by, and through us.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

“You Have A Plan, But God Has A Better One!” written for time2heal ©2022.  All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!