Most of us do not have enemies. We do not have actual individuals in our lives that are our sworn enemy, or nemesis as in the “arch enemy” of comic books and super hero movies. Yes, some who read this might, but MOST of us do not.
When reading the Bible and its use of the word “enemy” I sometimes replace it with the words, “my thoughts”, because my biggest enemy is right here in my very own head. Negative thoughts, beliefs and lies.
With this in mind, let’s read Psalm 143:3-12. I will just quote verses 3 and 4, you will want to go read the rest; it is pretty amazing!
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God sings over us? Have you ever thought about that possibility? Even the robotic and socially awkward Sheldon Cooper on “The Big Bang Theory” admits to needing the comfort of a song in times of stress or illness. He often asks his friends to sing the song from his childhood…
Soft kitty, warm kitty, little ball of fur.
Happy kitty, sleepy kitty,
purr purr purr.
As silly as that little song is, it was easier to believe than the whispered song that I heard during a desperate time of struggle in my life. I am not musical, so I cannot translate the tune that accompanied this song, but it is in my head and heart forever.
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This is a post I wrote for Counting My Blessings about a year and a half ago. I thought it might be worth sharing with you here at 5Min.
I began my morning by reading Psalm 117 and 119 as God had led me to set my thoughts on the center of His Word.
Psalm 117 is the shortest chapter in the Bible, and Psalm 119 the longest.
Look with me for a moment at the words of Psalm 117:
Praise the Lord, all you nations;
extol Him, all you peoples.
For great is His love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever.
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We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5
I awakened this morning with the title of this post running through my mind. What if the first time you had a thought, it was just that . . . a thought? The second time you thought it, you were granted a mulligan by God’s grace. But if you continued spinning it around in your head, it appeared across your forehead in ticker tape format. Right there for everyone to see!
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My grandmother changed my life. Not by teaching me to crochet, although she did do that. Not by showing me how to can fig preserves or roll up cinnamon rolls, but she did that, too.
My life wasn’t changed when she taught me the value of saving pie tins, bits of fabric scraps, Cool Whip cups, the bags from the outside of the newspaper, milk jugs, or even butter tub lids. Grandmother helped to change my life with three little words.
Use me Lord.
For as long as I can remember, my grandmother got up every morning and uttered those three words to God.
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Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
How do you feel when you read those verses? I usually feel a little guilty. It’s hard to be joyful and thankful in the midst of worry and anxiety. Unless you are living alone in a cave, there are usually plenty of things to be worried and anxious about.
Maybe that it why right between joy and thanksgiving, the Lord reminds us to never stop praying!
I moderate the prayer requests for Prayer Ministries Int.
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“The suddenly there dawns upon us the vast, entire endowment of God’s free love and forgiveness…It is this which bowls us over…frees us…transforms us.” Paul Tournier
Saved by Grace.
Christians throw that phrase around to express their faith, but do they really know what Grace is? I’ve come to a deeper appreciation and revelation about God’s Grace. It’s so amazing, even my seven-year-old is still too young to understand it’s power and meaning.
I’ve come to understand through my own Christian walk the difference between Grace and Mercy in these simple terms:
Grace is getting some reward I don’t deserve. Mercy is being forgiven or pardoned from a wrong I did and a punishment I deserve.
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The other day, as I was driving home, I came upon a detour in the road. I followed the orange signs, winding around a neighborhood I wasn’t familiar with, only to end up a few minutes later in the same spot I’d started.
I shook my head, sure I’d done something wrong, and headed into the detour again.
And ended up in the same place again.
I couldn’t figure it out. Could detour signs really be wrong, or was it me?
I watched other cars and realized that some of them were turning left instead of right like the sign said.
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