Blessed Afflictions

Good morning! Have you ever considered your afflictions as a blessing from God? I know some of you just said, “What in the world did he just say?” You see when we think of the word affliction it cares negative ideas we think of disease or strife and no one really wants to experience that in their lives. Even though we don’t desire to experience them; they always seems to find us, not only for the saint but also the sinner the difference comes from understanding what the rewards are for enduring those trials that come. I have gotten were I listen to an audio Bible as I work out and even some days when I am alone at work. It helps me to manage my time and allows me to have God’s word penetrating my life. Especially when I am really doing something I do not enjoy like running; talk about an affliction, I am still not yet fond of it. But this morning Psalm 90 really jumped out at me as I was trying to finish week two of Couch to 5k. The part I desire to share begins in verse 12 and it reads;

“¹² So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. ¹³ Return, O Lord! How long? Have pity on your servants! ¹⁴ Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. ¹⁵ Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, and for as many years as we have seen evil. ¹⁶ Let your work be shown to your servants, and your glorious power to their children. ¹⁷ Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!”

Psalms 90:12-17 (ESV)

Verse 12  is something we all must be willing to understand if we really want to enjoy the time we have been given. We do not know when God will call anyone of us home. Preachers often quote this verse Matthew 24:36, “36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.” talking about the rapture of the church; but in the meantime death comes for people every day. We must learn to appreciate and enjoy even those days that we would rather not experience because they are a gift from God.

One of the interesting parts of this Psalm is it seems to contradict one of the things I have always been taught as a Christian. Verse 13 would claim that God departs from His people but in truth we turn and move away from Him. We seek to do everything in our own power and when things do not turn out the way we desire we try to blame God for not being there when He was there the whole time. We just chose to do it our way instead of His. So the writer of the Psalm considers themselves to be afflicted. When in truth they have been blessed. Each day we are given is a blessing from God. When I look back over my life I have had to stop and realize every time my life was difficult and hard I was trying to maintain control. In the days that I started off by turning everything over to God I can remember walking in peace even on the days when my entire world has been turned upside down. The second part of vs. 15 is where I want to leave you today in the NLT version it reads, “Give us gladness in proportion to our former misery! Replace the evil years with good.” In my life it has required I change my perspective about life and stopped focusing on today but began believing in what God has promised for my tomorrows. His word is true and His promises are real. Philippians 1:6, “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” Do you trust Him in your afflictions? If so you will trust Him all the more with the blessings He has in store for you. Have a blessed day as you walk in the light of God’s Word.

Waging War

As  an NCO there were many times we sat down during both peace times and war going over plans trying to establish the best way to approach whatever the given situation was from training to clearing a set of bunkers were we might encounter enemy soldiers. Now I have been out a while but knowing the military it probably has not changed much except having what they think is better intelligence than we had 20 years ago. But each one of these sand table talks we would go through would ensure that each leader knew exactly what there part of the mission was and it helped to ensure that the plan was sum what feasible. We used to apply Murphy’s Laws of Combat rule number one; “All plans were great until the first shot was fired.” Than it might go crazy. I always thought that most of these meetings were a great waste of time for me and my soldiers. What I did not understand was the real purpose of it. It was to ensure that every person from the company commander to the last private would be able to carry on the mission if they had to. It also allowed for feed back to the commanders before the mission to prevent any surprises that the command did not know about like being low on ammo or a vehicle that was broken down. This morning I found a Biblical reference to something along those same lines. It is reiterated several times in Proverbs but let me share this one first it is found in Proverbs 20:18,

“18 Plans are established by counsel; by wise guidance wage war.”(ESV)

I started here because as often as we might here it we fail to recognize the fact that we are involved in a war daily. We might not believe it to be physical but to be honest when war is waged on a spiritual level it takes a toll on the physical world. But the real issue at stake is where we turn for counsel. Do we trust the right people to provide us counsel so we are prepared to wage war both spiritually and physically?

“6 So don’t go to war without wise guidance; victory depends on having many advisers.” Proverbs 24:6 (NLT)

I am sure you have all been told to seek godly counsel as you follow Christ but I can tell you not everyone who professes Christ has your walk with God as their priority. We are after all just people. We might be saints redeemed from sin but we are still people. Often we allow personal desires to prevent us from following after or providing the right counsel to others as it will benefit us personally. It is important that as we seek counsel we look for those who are not just Yes people. There is no way to know how many wars and battles have been avoided because someone said NO when asked if something seemed right. It is even scarier to me how many battles have been fought that could have been avoided because people had personal motives to see the fight come.

I leave you with one more Proverb,

 “14Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.” 11:14 (ESV)

Ensure that you have people who will tell you the truth not just what you want to here. Just a personal example; several people called me to tell me my son had been using drugs. I failed to listen because I did not want to believe them; in the end it was true. My desire to believe what I wanted about him prevented me from seeing the truth and heeding godly counsel. Don’t allow yourself to become blind to the obvious or to block out those around you God has sent to guide you even if they don’t always agree with you. Have a blessed day as you walk in the Light of God’s Word.

Is Perfection Real

I have recently finished Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis again. As I was reading it and studying some of the points Lewis makes about what it means to be a Christian there was one concept that he discusses from the Beatitudes found in Matthew 5 that has made me stop and reflect. The idea is about perfection and if it is something we really seek after or if we as Christians today have deemed it impossible to achieve. One of the interesting points to me is about this idea is where it is found in scripture. The rest of the scripture addresses that we as Christians are to love our enemies.

“43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matt 5:43-48 (ESV)

This first verse is repeated from Leviticus 19:18 but Jesus expands and turns this command upside down or maybe it’s right side up. It’s easy for us to love those who we have things in common with. But we as Christians are called to do more than that. We as individuals represent Christ in all that we do. You might wonder what my point is; to be honest Christ was perfect, but He was not perfect because of anything He did he was perfect because He was living under the power and authority of His Father in heaven. As Christians today we often fail to understand that we have been given that same power and authority. We start our days out working under or own power and thinking that we are good people and that we have the right to do this or that. Thinking that our current standing with God has made us greater than those we are around every day; but to be honest we have no rights to think or feel that way. The truth is we have only received more of God’s grace and mercy. Jesus was made perfect through the power of the Holy Spirit. He became obedient to God’s will and followed after God’s plan and desires so that you and I would one day be able to be made perfect. The problem is it is a process for us; the flesh must die a little everyday and be replaced with power of the Holy Spirit. Perfection is possible but it is not something we can achieve on our own. It is something we should seek after in all that we do and say. The question is do we desire to be sons and daughters of a perfect God or are we content with the mediocre lives we live now. The simple truth is God desires for us to be made perfect your choice is are you willing to begin the journey? Have a blessed day as you walk in the light of God’s word.

Being Poor

As I was reading through the Psalms this morning there was one point that just kept jumping out at me that has made me ask myself a question. In accordance to God’s Word am I poor? You know in today’s world we consider people poor based on financial needs and health conditions but to be honest many of us are poor even if our bank accounts are overflowing and we have never been sick. The reason we are still poor is because we are searching for something the world cannot offer or supply that in reality we all desire to have and that is peace and love. I was reading Psalm 10 and while it focuses on the wicked and their ways we come across this in verse 9 it reads,

“9 he lurks in ambush like a lion in his thicket; he lurks that he may seize the poor; he seizes the poor when he draws him into his net. (ESV)”

You see to be poor does not have to do with your current standing in the world but in your ability to be trapped by the world. You might have everything the world has to offer but you are still poor in the eyes of God because you lack a relationship with Him through His Son Jesus. You might not agree with me but if we look at Psalm 9:18 it tells us,

“18For the needy shall not always be forgotten and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever.” (ESV)

Many of us live life as if we are poor. It begins with worry about things we cannot control and a desire to have more than we need. We often live our lives desiring things that we really don’t need but because they neighbor down the street has one we want one too. We need to understand one thing that the world would have us forget that keeps us living in a state of feeling as if we have no hope and we read it in Proverb 22:2,

“2 The rich and the poor meet together; the Lord is the maker of them all.”(ESV)

I personally am learning to be thankful for what God has blessed me with and to be satisfied in those things I already have. I am blessed to have the memories of one son, the life time to spend with another and a beautiful wife to spend the rest of my days with. I may appear to be poor to the world but I have riches untold provided by my heavenly Father. And each day he blesses me more than the world will ever know or understand. I have chosen to gain wisdom and understanding about whom I serve and in that I have an everlasting hope.

14 Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off. Proverb 24:14 (ESV)

That wisdom is a relationship with Jesus and in it you will find everlasting life that will be richer than anything the world has to offer. Have a blessed day as you walk in the Light of God’s Word.

Starting Over

Well today marks my 41^st Birthday and I was sitting here studying and reading thinking about how many close calls I have experienced in my own life and the blessings God has given me and the multitude of chances I have received to follow after Him. I guess this time of reflection is normal for most people but yesterday I ran into one of my son’s friends and while we were talking he made the statement he wished he could start over. This has made me think about when I used to feel that way. My advice to Him was simple today is the day to start over. You see like me this young man should already be dead the life he has lead was not easy and he has had people physically try to kill him. Yet today he is alive and well he has had a chance to start over. The truth is if you are reading this than you also have been given that opportunity. You see I understand that when this life is over it is too late make amends for our shortcomings it’s too late to ask God to forgive us and that then it is too late to begin living in His blessings. You see whether you know it or not you are already blessed. The problem is we don’t recognize it or understand it. What is really hard to understand is there are many more blessings waiting; that we miss out on because we what we lack is wisdom and understanding.

 Proverbs 1:7 tells us,

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

To our own folly we often live our lives as Paul explains in Romans 7:19,

“¹⁹ For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. (ESV)

That is because we live in our own power and under our own authority. We make decisions based on what we perceive to be correct and right. If we apply the bible just as history and learn from its writings when we look at the book of Judges we see our world today. Time and again the writer makes this statement,

 “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.” (Judges 21:25 NLT)

 Today in your life who sits on the throne; who rules over your mind, heart, body and soul? Are you living for yourself? Are you making decisions that one day you will be saying, “I want to start over?” My advice and understanding is simple If you are here today you have the chance to start over. Because of God’s grace and mercy He forgives all of your past sin and gives you strength to move on. With all things it requires something of you. This new life and better life only comes with a relationship to Jesus Christ. Allow Him to be the ruler over your life. Seek after his knowledge and wisdom, every growing in His likeness and I can promise you the life He has prepared for you will be better than any life you ever imagined. One last thing; don’t have regrets about your past. The trials and tribulations you have endured have made you who you are. In God’s grace and mercy He will use those same things we might be ashamed of to lead others and help someone else to overcome those same issues in their lives. Look at Joseph’s life in Genesis and this one statement found in 50:20 says it all, “20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. Gen 50:20 (NLT)”

Have a blessed as you walk in the light of His Word.