Joy is Coming

"Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us"- Romans 5:3-5 (NIV).

The bottom line is, does your faith stand firm through the battles raging around you? If so, then you are blessed and have stood the test. Your reward: the crown of life, promised by God to those who love Him (James 1:12). To the bitter end, if need be. If your faith endures, you will reign with Christ, but if you weary and flee the battle, denying Christ, He will deny you (2 Timothy 2:12).  Don't try to understand what God is doing or why He's doing it; He is God! Trust Him with all of your heart (Proverbs 3:5). Those who persevere to the end will be saved (Matthew 24:13). Glory in your suffering; Joy is coming! 

Joyful Praise

"The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and He helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise Him"- Psalm 28:7 (NIV).

Everyone has their own personal preference of praise songs. Some staunchly protest any style of song, other than their own, for Sunday worship; which is why so many churches have several morning services. Like people, praise comes in many different forms, but it should always comes from the heart. God doesn't just desire one form of praise and worship or He wouldn't have created such diversity among His children. I have to admit the younger Christians' praise songs are hard for me to understand. They sound more like rock and roll. But God knows their heart and understands their praise; it is, after all, intended for Him and not me. Who am I to judge how another believer praises God? Our focus should be on God, praising Him; find joy in your praise songs and allow others the same. 

Godly Friends

"Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice" Proverbs 27:9 (NIV).

One of life's greatest joys is having a true friend. We all have friends; I'm talking about a friend who will not only listen, but will give advice without judging or begrudgingly. So many friendships are superficial, with limited time investment, lacking the quality that resonates God's love. The other caveat is the risk of giving advice and the advice turning out badly; thereby, keeping many a mouth closed. Being a true friend takes time, prayer and honest heartfelt conversations. Two Christian friends will consult the Lord and then pray for the outcome to be aligned with God's will. How do you find a Godly friend: pray for one and then be one. 

Choice Morsels

"Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in forced labor"- Proverbs 12:24 (NIV).

Procrastination is a form of laziness. The wisest man in the world basically said you have to work at life: nothing is free, so stop being a sluggard. We know that life won't come knocking on our front door; that we should pursue life, work at it and progress. Solomon also said, "The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied" (13:4); and again, "The sluggard does not plow in the autumn; he will seek at harvest and have nothing (20:4). He wrote other Scriptures; obviously, a sluggard's life was deplorable to him. My favorite analogy for overcoming procrastination follows: The events of your day are like a plate of food you have to eat. Some are choice morsels and then some are less than desirable...like a fat frog sitting on your plate. Eat the frog first. Then the rest of the day is nothing but choice morsels. Even Solomon would have agreed.

Struggle vs Truth

"This is how we know that we belong to the Truth and how we set our hearts at rest in His presence: If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and He knows everything"- 1 John 3:19-20 (NIV).

I woke with the song Bless Assurance on my mind: "Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!...Perfect submission, all is at rest, I in my Savior am happy and blest." "Stagnation" is a word that doesn't fit my personality. In fact, boredom is an enemy and I wiggle and writhe trying to break free of whatever is holding me; hence, my life verse, and personal goal, of "being still" (Psalm 46:10). There are times when God wants me to be still and I have to push away those gypsy-like feelings that bubble up and over in my soul. Dearly beloved, if our hearts are not at rest, then we have moved out of His presence. I know that God is greater than our hearts and He knows everything; therefore, we trust in Him. He will draw us back into His presence and our hearts will be at rest and "stagnation" will be replaced with happiness and blessed assurance. God is the Truth and the Truth will set you free (John 8:32).

With You

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you"- Deuteronomy 31:6 (NIV).

What if Martin Luther had shied away from conflict and became tolerant to the corruption within the Church of England? What if Abraham Lincoln had valued the country's support and unification over the injustice of slavery in the southern states? What if Billy Graham had decided it was a safer career choice to work in the secular world than in pursuing God's call to evangelize? I wonder how many great things could have been accomplished in this world if everyone lived courageously? What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail? Believe me, you will fail at times, but what would you do? God has plans for His children: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11). God didn't "suggest" it; He "declared" it, and He goes with you; not watching from the sidelines...with you.

Slipping Away

"What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?"- Mark 8:36-37 (NIV).

Billy Graham commented that we pay more attention to our body and practically ignore our soul: "We become fat physically and materially, while spiritually we are lean, weak and anemic." Karen Carpenter, a phenomenal singer, died from complications of anorexia, an eating disorder where a person literally starves themselves to death. You could see her bodily health spiraling downhill right before your eyes, causing anguish to friends and family, but she slipped away. If only we could visibly see the condition of a person's soul, I think we would see a lot of spiritually anorexic and dying people around us. Imagine what you would see in public: skeletal figures with zombie-like movement, joy never crossing their faces; their spiritual heath spiraling downhill right before your eyes. Brothers and sisters, we should be just as concerned about nourishing and strengthening our souls as we are with our flesh. If not, the cost will be too great and we will slip away, forfeiting our soul.