UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES!

Monday, September 30, 2019

UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES!

Eccl 1:14-15

14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

15 That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.

Fourteen times in the book of Ecclesiastes Solomon concludes that “all is vanity and vexation of spirit.” Solomon looked around and concluded that everything was futile and empty, a chasing after the wind. He doesn’t sound like the kind of guy you would want to be around!

Solomon said that which is crooked could not be made straight and the things that are broken could not be numbered. Cynicism may have good cause these days, but it is a carrier of spiritual paralysis. The cynic soon becomes ineffective at ministering to others because he has lost hope and has become self-focused. He has become a bitter and brittle gripe who is always finding a fly in his soup. He feels short-changed, exploited and passed over. 

So how can we avoid the cancer of cynicism in our life? Let me offer a few suggestions.

Ø Become involved in ministering to others. This will change your focus away from yourself and give you a more balanced perspective. There is nothing more healing to your own wounds than bandaging those of another.

Ø Stop complaining about missed opportunities. Look for new ones.

Ø Don’t yield to the temptation to stop doing what is right.

Ø Do what you can and then leave the rest to God.

Ø Mentor and encourage someone of the next generation. They will take your place whether you like it or not. They may as well benefit from some of the things you have learned the hard way! Be warned, however, that they will not listen carefully.

Ø Don’t allow unresolved conflicts to remain. Apologize if you have done wrong. Forgive if you have been wronged. Practice reconciliation at every opportunity.

Ø Don’t fret about anything but pray about everything.

We are all headed for the “rocking chair.” We will sit there sullen and alone or we will be visited by a line of  those who admire our peace and seek our advice. It all depends upon how we manage to live under the circumstances.

Dear Lord, please spare me from becoming sullen and bitter. Let me function firmly and positively even though the circumstances of life may be hard. Let me be an encouragement to someone else today. AMEN

YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

Sunday, September 29, 2019

YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

1 Kings 19:14, 18

14 And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord  God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.

18 Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.

           Don’t blame Elijah for his discouragement until you have walked a mile in his sandals. He confronted Jezebel’s prophets, defeated them with a contest of gods, and then killed them with the edge of the sword! As a result, Jezebel had threatened his life. He ran, like the wanted man he was, and hid under a juniper tree to enjoy a pity party. He did all this while fasting for forty days!

           Elijah was emotionally, spiritually, and physically exhausted! In that state of mind, he complained that he was the only “true believer” left and that God was lucky to have him. God then placed him in a cleft (cave) of a rock and passed by with great demonstrations of power. But after the whirlwind there was a “still small voice.” That small voice contradicted his feelings with facts. There were still seven thousand faithful believers and – in fact – Elijah was to go and find a replacement for himself in a young man named Elisha.

           Are you weary with the struggle against sin? That weariness, if we allow it, will convince us that we are alone and that even God has abandoned us to fight His battles for Him. Resist that feeling with facts. You are not alone and there will always be a remnant of those who are faithful to God.

           A candle is not much good in the daytime when the sun is high and bright, but it is much needed in the night when all around is darkness and gloom. Be that candle!

Matt 5:16

16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Dear Lord, my candle seems so small and the darkness is so thick. Encourage me today with your presence and your truth. AMEN

THE LORD WILL FINISH IT!

Saturday, September 28, 2019

THE LORD WILL FINISH IT!

Ps 138:8

8 The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me:

Comfortingly, the Hebrew word translated “perfect” here is the word gamar (gaw-mar') and means “to end.” The idea is that God will bring all that concerns us to a successful completion. The New Testament confirms this thought in the following verse.

Phil 1:6

6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

The Greek word for “will perform” is epiteleo (ep-ee-tel-eh'-o) and means to fulfill further (or completely), i.e. execute; by implication, to terminate, to bring to a full and satisfying end.

God will keep working on me until He is satisfied with the finished product. He will keep on working in spite of my ignorance until wisdom begins to develop in me. He will keep on working in spite of my weakness until His strength is made perfect. He will keep on working in spite of my stubbornness until I am humbled  because He is a firm but loving heavenly Father. He will bring me to maturity.

God will keep on fine tuning His purpose for me. He will bring into my life those who can influence me for good even if the circumstances of these encounters seem bad at the time. He will shut down some of my pet projects because they do not fit His purposes for me. He will lead me through hard paths because they end in the accomplishment of His greater purpose. He will allow pain and restrain pleasure so that I may become mature.

Rom 8:28-31

28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

Dear Lord, thank you for not giving up on me. Thank you for seeing value in me that I cannot see in myself. Thank you for changing my good plans for your better plans. AMEN