“Yet a man is risen to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul: but the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the LORD thy God; and the souls of thine enemies, them shall he sling out, as out of the middle of a sling.” I Samuel 25:29 KJV “Even when you are chased by those who seek to kill you, your life is safe in the care of the Lord your God, secure in his treasure pouch!” NLT When I was a child, my grandfather lived with us. When he passed away, my…
“Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” I Peter 5:7 Merriam-Webster Dictionary describes “careless” as being untroubled, indifferent, unconcerned, negligent, or slovenly. In most cases, we use the word careless to describe someone who makes decisions without thinking about the consequences, someone who takes unnecessary risks, or someone who does not take care of what they have. But let us consider that first word in the definition – “untroubled.” Then we can re-write the verse above as “Live careless (untroubled) in the care of God.” The New Living Translation reads: “Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you.” Have you ever been in a place where you felt that nobody cared about you? You felt all alone with no hope of your life getting any better. The enemy of our souls would like to make us believe these lies. But Someone does care, God cares. He knows exactly what you are going through and is just waiting for you to call on His Name and give the burdens to Him. Look at Matthew 6:31-34 “Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall…
“The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing;” Psalm 92:12-14 I recently celebrated my eighty-sixth birthday and as I was praying and meditating upon my life and how the Lord had blessed me over the years, this Scripture was illuminated to me. Our lives are like trees. We all start small, but as we grow in His grace, He has a purpose and plan for each one of us. Rooted and grounded in His Word, we can be fruitful until He calls us home. I found this interesting illustration: The witness of an aged saint to the faithfulness of God is very delightful. When Charles H. Spurgeon was a young man, he was preaching upon this subject in his grandfather’s pulpit. Halfway through the sermon, the veteran man of God advanced to the front and said, “My grandson is preaching what he has read and heard about, but I have proved for eighty-four years that God is faithful to…
Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near, Hebrews 10:24-25. It’s important to not only pray about the call of God on people lives, but to also encourage the call of God on their life. For a moment, think about David in the Bible. We know him as a shepherd boy, a harpist, an armor bearer, a giant killer, a military genius, a King, a sinner…
“But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.” Then the Lord’s anger burned against Moses.” Exodus 4:13–14, NIV. Can you identify with Moses’ feelings of reluctance and inadequacy? “No God, not me, please choose someone else. Don’t you know my weaknesses and limitations?” Personally, I have been at this place an embarrassing number of times in my life. However, I have have grown in my faith and my hesitation to heed to the voice of the Lord has decreased over the years. God’s dependability and power have only grown my measure of faith. God called Moses to be the deliverer, but fear, insecurity, and maybe even pride took the place of faithful obedience to God’s commandment and calling. God’s anger burned when Moses helplessly begged, “Please send someone else.” It was God’s mercy, not approval, which permitted Aaron to be Moses’ voice. God ordained Moses to be the spokesman and the deliverer to the captives in Egypt and was angry at Moses’ excuses, especially since He affirmed his calling and power at the burning bush (Ex. 3:9–21). God will never involve Himself in a dream that you’re able to achieve alone. Please stop depending on someone else’s…
Road trips are a summer staple. Sour worms, peach rings, and coolers filled with drinks will only lead to the inevitable … multiple bathroom stops. And is there anything more invigorating than having the music playing with your windows rolled down? This encapsulates the epitome of the perfect summer and for a moment in time, the perfect life. However, waiting to get to your destination is not always fun or exciting—it can be exhausting. The minutes drag on. Seconds feel like days and days feel like months. Waiting to have financial freedom is full of ups and downs. Waiting to see your family saved is a heavy burden to bear. Waiting to get married can be lonely. Waiting to buy a home is frustrating. The list goes on and on and on. The question “Am I there yet,” faces every person eventually. When You Don’t Have Life All Together I grew up under the illusion of when I became an adult that I would have everything together. But, I have learned that I will never get to the place where I have arrived. Can you relate? Or, have you ever analyzed someone else’s life and thought, “I should be at a…