365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 228

I found this great book called The Divine Mentor by Wayne Cordeiro at the library. I am only partially through it but already know I will have to buy a copy to have on hand as a source for my counseling practice. He made a great case for two types of teachers: Consequences and Wisdom. How many of us have learned the hard way over and over again because we hadn’t the wisdom to do otherwise. Our greatest source of wisdom is from the Word of God and the author’s main point of the book is that being in the bible daily we will plant seeds from the stories of the people in the bible who will give us wisdom when the time comes and we need it. The author also goes into the difference between choosing from right and wrong and choosing from wise and unwise. He gave a good little story to illustrate this concept: A man working in his office was talking with a woman co-worker who was having some emotional issues. He took her to lunch to discuss and after lunch while sitting together in the parking lot she leaned over and gave him a kiss just as the man’s wife was driving by. He didn’t do anything wrong but the choice to take her to lunch was unwise and led to his wife not trusting him for the next 8 months until the trust was built back. There are constant choices in our lives some of which can have life-long effects. How much better off we would be if we called on wisdom from the Holy Spirit within us to help us make wise choices. It’s just as the apostles do in Acts 6 when they are confronted with an issue of widows being overlooked for food. They know that they are called to continue the ministry of teaching and evangelism so they call on 7 men to take on the responsibility of making sure physical needs are met of the people. They wisely choose to delegate rather than try to do it all themselves. And so our first deacons of the church were created...
Ephesians 5:15-16 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 211

My bible study group finished up on the book of Hebrews last evening. I have gained so much more insight into what faith really is. In Be Confident by Warren W Wiersbe he writes the biblical definition of faith: True biblical faith is confident obedience to God’s Word in spite of circumstances and consequences. Our group discussed the man who did the tight rope walk un-tethered across the Grand Canyon yesterday. He was in constant prayer the whole time across. We don’t know if God called him to do this or if this was his idea and he prayed to God for what he needed but it does demonstrate the kind of confidence true biblical faith is made of. In spite of the circumstances and consequences, would we do as God ask us? Would you walk into a den of lions or a wall of fire? Would you pack up your family and go wherever God tells you? Would you keep strong in faith in the aftermath of losing your home to a fire? Call on Jesus to help you strengthen and keep your faith no matter the circumstances life throws at you or the consequences you will have to endure.

Hebrews 12:2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 340

It is amazing what the power of wind and water can do. From the news, there are people that did not evacuate from areas that mandatory evacuation was called for. Now, I can understand if physically they were not able but if you make the choice to stay and “ride” out the hurricane, you are making the choice to face the consequences. Just in watching some of the aftermath, I have a healthy respect for what water and wind can do. I am betting that a lot of the people that chose to stay have control issues. They think they have control over their lives and everything is in their control but when you are suddenly scrambling to get up on top of your house to avoid the flooding waters, you are not the one in control. So, my prayer is for these people today who are waiting to be rescued that they can learn to let go and let God. Praise to our Father who is in control and will rescue us from the grips of sin and death.

Isaiah 45: 6-7 That people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the Lord, and there is no other. I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity, I am the Lord, who does all these things.

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 207

My daughter had the choice of going to her YMCA camp on Wednesday and the field trip they would be going on or going to a swimming birthday party. It turns out the field trip is just not exciting enough and the birthday party wins. It makes me think about our own choices. We have an un-told number of choices that we have to make each day. Some of these you have forgotten they are choices like how you choose to approach the day with your attitude or how you react to interuption after interuption when you are trying to do something. There are more choices we are making everyday than we realize and in the busyness of life we can go from choice to choice without much thought. We just make them and deal with any consequences. It's a challenge to stop, think and pray for God to guide us in every choice we make but it is something that will inevitiably be beneficial to our life. Seek God in everything and God's blessing will be with us. How do we go about trying to seek God with every decision we have to make? It starts with a simple prayer every morning that sets you up for the day. Father, we thank you for another day to live out our lives shinning your light. Guide us today in each choice we have to make and steer us down the straight path towards you. Amen.
Proverbs 3:6 ...in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.