We Have A Reason To Praise Him!

“For the LORD takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory. Let his faithful people rejoice in this honor and sing for joy on their beds.”(Psalm 149:4,5 NIV)

No matter what happens in our lives on a daily basis, we can always find a reason to praise God. When He delights in us, He gives us favor–with Him and others. We have opportunities to share His love that we didn’t think about and yet, every time we open our mouths or tap the keys on a keyboard or speak into a system that will type for us–we can encourage others to live, pleasing God and watching Him work in our lives.

Does this mean our lives will be perfect? Not hardly, but it means our lives will be meaningful.

Look up at the sky on a sunshiny day and praise God for the sun shining and seeing a blue sky, dotted with puffy white clouds.

If it’s raining and all you do is to hear the thunder and see the lightning, praise God for hearing and sight.

If you wake in pain–praise Him for being able to feel the pain because some people can’t feel anything.

If you don’t have what you want to eat in the refrigerator, praise God for what you do have because some people, have nothing.

If you don’t have the clothes you want to wear, praise God for something to cover your body; there are those who have nothing other than the rags they wear, daily.

If you don’t have the kind of car you want to drive, praise God for having a car of any kind and the resources to keep it  moving.

If you don’t have a car and have to catch a bus, praise God for the means to pay for the ride.

If you have to walk everywhere you go, praise God for legs that move when you want them to move.

If you don’t have the type of job you want, praise God for the job you have or for what He’s about to bless you with–always keeping your focus on Him and living to please Him.

If we tried–and for some it’s really easy since they’re never satisfied with their lot in life–we could complain about every aspect of our lives, but what would happen if we started praising God for what we have, instead of complaining for what we don’t have?

Many of us don’t have any more than we do because we have proven to God that we are not good stewards over what He has given so why would He give us more–to squander? Think about it! How many ways and how many times have you had an opportunity to do great things, but you chose not to try? We are not great or can do great things simply because we “think” about doing it–we actually have to get up and do–more than talk about it.

With every blog I write, every book idea I start, I keep at it because I’m trying to achieve something great in my effort to please God, by sharing what He gives me. Have I made it yet? I don’t know, which is why I keep writing. When He stops talking to me, I’ll stop having anything to say, but while I wait for Him to speak, I’m praising Him for using a little older lady like me, to share His goodness. Even though there are mornings when I think I’ll give it up, I keep going because He keeps blessing me and I can hear the angels cheering me, “keep going, keep going, it’s not over yet.”

Yes, we have a reason to praise Him–and all we have to do is look around us or look within us to know what it is. Our God is an awesome God and I praise Him, just because He is who He is!

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Wisdom and Insight!

“How much better to get wisdom than gold, to get insight rather than silver!” (Proverbs 16:16 NIV)

We are witnessing the effects of greed in people who are only concerned with amassing riches. What they have forgotten is that none of the riches can be taken with us into eternity, it will all be left for others to fight over or enjoy or rot as time passes.

But wisdom–especially wisdom from on high–creates paths for us not only to get wealth, but distribute it in a manner that will benefit many. With the wisdom that God gives, we can have overflow, abundant wealth that cannot be measured by man’s standards, but will be so much greater than most can imagine. How is that possible?

We know from paying attention to the lives of those who have won money in lotteries. Many spent money without exercising wisdom and even though they had millions, they were soon reduced to poverty. Some became arrogant and boastful and were killed by those who wanted what they had. Now, here’s an amazing insight! People will kill for money and end up in jail, but few ever seek wisdom from anyone and certainly not God.

I’d rather have wisdom and insight for the rest of my life than the gold and silver for a moment. Exercising wisdom in all things will keep our needs met and we’ll have more than enough to share with others. We don’t need to be richer than King Tut–we need the wisdom that God gave Solomon so we will always have what we need.

During times of prayer, meditation, or quietness today--seek wisdom and insight in how to move forward and thank God for all He’s doing and watch Him bring it all to pass. He loves us so much that He died for us and when remember His love, daily, we are able to love others in spite of themselves, because He loves us, in spite of us.

Wisdom Lord, give us wisdom above anything we could ever imagine, shield our minds from anything the enemy would whisper to us, and help us to stay focused on all You would have us to do.

Richly Blessed!

“The blessing of the LORD makes a person rich, and he adds no sorrow with it” (Proverbs 10:22 NLT).

Contemplate, if you will, the difference between His blessing and the blessings that we often discuss.

In this proverb, the blessing of the Lord is singular, not plural, which can lead one to think there is only one blessing. The blessing–is God’s love towards us–it–the love makes a person rich and He adds nothing to that which will make us sad. The blessings–plural–are those promises we receive from obedience to His Word. They are richly described in Deuteronomy 28:2-14.

What can anyone do when they know they are loved? Just about anything. Love (not lust) moves a person forward, seeking to please others and more specifically God. Love teaches instead of criticizes; love encourages instead of discourages. Love lets go of past hurts and makes room for present joy. Love energizes, not drains. Love motivates, not denigrates. How rich is a person who is loved? Being loved and knowing it is better than having all the riches of the land because many of those with the material wealth–do not understand or have love. This love–is the love that we receive from God and pour onto others–just because Love blesses!

If we are having problems in our lives and cannot seem to have peace in our spirits–maybe we should check our love levels and if the love is depleted, we can always go back to the never-ending fountain of Love for more.

Instead of chasing material riches, we should diligently pursue obtaining and sharing love.

Instead of being concerned with  what others think about us, we should earnestly consider what God thinks about us.

Instead of trying to become something that God never intended for us to be, we should seek His wisdom and guidance in all things and become what He wants us to be.

There is no poverty–or poverty-mindedness in those who have received the BLESSING of the Lord for they are rich beyond measure and seek to do always those things that please God.

Enjoy!

“Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy” (I Timothy :17 NKJV).

Command–direct with specific authority, the rich in our times, not to be so haughty and arrogant that they trust in their riches, instead of the living God–who gives us (all of us) all things to enjoy!

There are some people who think because they have money (specifically some political parties), they have a right to take a superior attitude towards or over those who do not. Money can do a number of things to enhance one’s life, but the things that God gives us all to enjoy–cannot be assessed with a dollar sign.

The beautiful blue skies on a clear sunny day–He gives.

The sun that warms the earth and our hearts after a brutally cold winter–He gives.

Majestic, snow-covered mountains–He gives.

The calming sound of brooks babbling along their journey into whatever waterway is their destiny–He gives.

The look of love and amazement in the eyes of new parents–He gives.

The wonder of all the miraculous things that happen in the universe–He gives.

Canyons shaped by ravages of time, but leave us in total amazement.

Natural springs where waters rise from the ground and fall majestically, back to be recycled and re-energized.

Beautiful flowers, honor-guard trees, that were never planted by the hands of man, but exist just for our pleasure.

Love between couples that never ends and we see it in the elderly holding hands, walking through parks or just taking a stroll.

The love of mothers with their children–ever-watchful, observant, caring and nurturing, ready to defend their children with their lives.

The simple pleasures of natural flavors that man did not create, but use in all manner of good things to eat–vanilla, chocolate, strawberry.

The sunrise that creates an explosion of color and patterns that man could not have imagined.

The sunset that serves as a glorious reminder that the end of the day has come.

Many may have money which they can use to “purchase enjoyment” but we all have access to enjoy those things He has given richly whether we have a dime in our pockets or not.

For pure happiness–remind those with earned (legally or illegally) riches to not think so highly of themselves because of what they have, but remember the riches that God has given all to enjoy and praise Him for it all!

 

 

Immovable Faith!

“I keep my eyes always on the LORD. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken” (Psalm 16:8 NIV).

No matter what happens in life, we must remember who we are and what we have in Jesus!

Throughout the course of any given day, the enemy attempts to get our focus off God and to keep our focus on a situation–usually a challenge–over which we really do not have any control. If we focus on the challenges, instead of focusing on the One who can overcome any challenge, we often begin to doubt and lose faith. Whenever we start saying things like, “if this happens…” or “this might happen” or “maybe this will happen” we allow the enemy room to place doubt in our hearts and doubt and faith cannot reside in the same place at the same time.

No matter what “it” is, we can say with confidence that “God will” take care of us.  We might not be able to see how He’s going to do anything, but we must stand immovable in our faith that “He will” do it. We must change what we say about our situations.

When we get a negative report from a doctor, we must say, “Jesus, I am healed by the stripes You bore on the cross. Your healing virtue is flowing through every part of my body right now and I receive it.”

When the bank account gets low and we don’t know what to do, “God, You are more than able to handle my finances because all the riches are in You and You have given me the power to get wealth.”

When friends turn their backs on you, “What a friend I have in You, Jesus. You never leave me alone and will never forsake me!”

When it seems like all is lost, “God, You know everything there is to know about me and I trust Your love for me. All is well!”

We must speak to our situations, based upon the Word and then allow God to have His perfect will in our lives.  Stand, with immovable faith on God’s Word and watch how He brings about changes that no man or woman could ever perform.

Keep your eyes on Him and know that He is always, right by your side. No matter what the situation is or what it looks like—God can handle it and with His strength, we can do all things well, to His glory!

What Will You Receive?

“To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God” (Ecclesiastes 2:26 NIV).

The writer, who most conclude to be Solomon before his health failed, provides us with nuggets of wisdom and insight that pertain to all–whether in relationship with God or not.

Sometimes, we don’t want to hear both sides of the story and there are usually two sides of every story.  We love to hear all the good stuff–the prosperity, fame, victory, etc., but there is another side of the story which will happen whether we believe it or not. In more than one place in scripture (in the Psalms, Proverbs, Zechariah, etc.) we are told that those who gather wealth–outside of a relationship with God–will see those in relationship with God, enjoy their riches.

God has stated in His Word that He has given us (His Children) power to get wealth and when we please Him, we get to enjoy it. When we don’t please Him, we won’t.  At this stage of life, here on earth, we must be more concerned about pleasing God, than pleasing man. Man’s favor may last for only a moment, but the favor of God will last as long as we please Him.

What to do, what to do? For those in relationship with God, there is but one answer. Our conduct and our lives must demonstrate what it is we want to receive from God–from which side of the fence (or the story). Our history–can be written with one of two endings–we lived to please God and enjoyed the abundance of His goodness or we lived to please self and suffered the consequences of our actions–sowing, but never reaping!

In which reception line will you be found? Receiving the wealth by pleasing God or watching others enjoy the fruit of your labor?

O God, help us to stay in position to please You and receive all of Your many benefits that we may be a blessing to others as You have blessed us.

Getting Rich!

“The blessing of the LORD, it make one rich, and he adds no sorrow with it” (Proverbs 10:22 paraphrased).

For everyone who has ever tried a “get-rich-quick scheme” and failed, there is a way to assure riches and that way only comes from God through His blessings.  Solomon understands that the blessing of being obedient result in abundant wealth.  Just look at life!

When Solomon had an opportunity to receive great wealth from God, he asked for wisdom.  And because he did not ask for wealth, and because he was obedient, he received great wisdom and abundant wealth, until he was influenced by his flesh instead of his faith in God.

But The Word reminds us that God has given us “power to get wealth” through the Holy Spirit.  When we allow the Holy Spirit to reign in our lives, we can expect to see the promise made to Joshua (fulfilled in our lives) when God told him that “whatever he put his hands would prosper” when he was obedient.”

When God blesses a person, He does not add any sorrow (regret) to the blessing, but sometimes we end up with sorrow and regret because we did not know (had no wisdom) how to handle the blessing. We see this in those who have won large jackpots in lotteries and still end up miserable and broke.  For many, who do not understand, the blessings of the Lord are not just material things, but happiness, joy, peace and good health.  When we can appreciate these things and are willing to hear and obey, we have access to receiving great riches.

If we want great riches, we must hear and obey and have faith in His Word.  Lord, give us wisdom in how to receive all that You desire to give us and in what to do with that knowledge and wealth so we can to help eliminate the struggles of others.