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John 16:33
I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

Why are we so shocked when trouble comes our way? Do we think we are exempt because we are Christians? I know there have been times in history where if something was going wrong in someone’s life people would suggest they don’t have enough faith. OK, that may have not been as far back as you would think.

Seriously though, Jesus Himself said we would face trouble. Read it right there in front of you. “In this world you will have trouble,” (John 16:33). So again can I ask, why are we amazed when it comes?

No, we are not exempt from the trouble as Christians. We just have peace to face it. We know Jesus has been there, done that, and wears the scars. We don’t have to face the world alone. We have a hope in the One who conquered all and left us peace.

So, not today Satan! I know there is trouble always headed my way. I know where to turn when it hits. I know I have the pieces to play the game. Most important, I know the one in charge of the dice.

Lord, this is one game You have already won. Now, help me play to win. ~amen

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James 1:22
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

Warning this blog may create lots of ouches! I am pulling out the Message Bible for this one and adding a couple of verses.

James 1:22-24
22 Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear! 23 Those who hear and don’t act are like those who glance in the mirror, 24 walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like.

I want to shout from the mountain tops, “QUIT BEING PEW SITTER!” In the words of Joyce Meyer, “Just because you are in the garage it doesn’t make you a car.” People, your salvation is based on your giving your life over to Christ. Your being like Christ is based on your actions.

We can’t just sit around and be good. We have a job to do out there. We have to spread the Word. We have to be God’s hands and feet and show His love to the world. To do this we need to quit merely listening to the word. We have to get up and act! What can you do today that gets you off your church pew and walking with Christ? Grab your gear! Time to go!

Lord, I don’t want to be a pew sitter. I want to be a soul getter. Send me my mission details. ~amen

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Psalm 119:114
You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.

Let’s talk about hope for a minute. What kind of things do you hope for? I hope my team wins a game. I hope next week isn’t too hot or cold. I hope I will get to see my family for Christmas. I hope I will have a wonderful vacation next week. I hope for a lot of things. Can you imagine a life without hope? I don’t want to even think about it.

The problem with my hopes and dreams above is they may not happen. Circumstances may change and life may get in the way. However, I hope anyway. Why? I can answer that in two words, “Why not”. Life would be so bleak if we gave up hoping for things.

Now there is hope that is a definite win—putting our hope in God and His word. He gave us so many promises in the Bible and we can stand on every single one of them. The greatest one of all is the fact that no matter what happens here on Earth, we have an eternal life filled with nothing but happiness in Heaven with God someday.

I know there are still people that say I am foolish. I have one last thing to say to them. What have I really lost if I put my hope in God? Even if there is nothing after death, I lived a life filled with brightness and not gloom and doom because I had hope.

My hope is in You, Lord! With that hope, I can do anything. ~amen

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Psalms 119:93
I will never forget your precepts,
for by them you have preserved my life.

Hopefully, you are all a lot smarter than me. I honestly had to look up what precepts me. If you were like me and had no idea what it meant, that is OK! That is why we have dictionaries and other bible versions like the Message.

Psalms 119:93
93 But I’ll never forget the advice you gave me;
you saved my life with those wise words.

Yep, precepts means advice! The Bible is full of people who needed advice. They needed direction. It certainly isn’t filled with people who knew it all. So, I guess what I am saying is we are all in this together.

The greatest news is the bible is also found with lots of great advice and direction. God is always right there waiting to help you out. You just have to seek for it and you will find it. Ok, that is another verse altogether, but it is appropriate here.

Wisdom and knowledge are both gifts of the Spirit. God is ready to give them to you. Are you ready to accept them? I promise His advice can save your life and He doesn’t charge a nickel!

Thank You for Your precepts, they truly have saved my life! ~amen

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Philippians 3:14
I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Honesty moment, today has been a struggle bus kind of day when it comes to doing my blog. That is why it is so late. However, I have learned that sometimes it is me dragging my feet and other times it is God saying, “Not yet.” Either way, I have learned to listen and wait for the words to come. The important part is I don’t give up. I keep on moving and God will always come through.

Paul wrote today’s verse speaking about keeping on walking through life with the ultimate goal in mind, getting to Heaven. There are times, when I need the minor goals in between, like just making it through the day. Heck, there are even days when I just want to make it to my next breath. This verse is good for those times as well. The true idea is to never give up and trust God. If you don’t mind I would like to insert several quotes at this point with this same sentiment.

Never give up, never surrender. ~Galaxy Quest
Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming. ~Finding Nemo
You’re only a fool if you give up. ~Aladdin
Giving up is for rookies. ~Hercules

My personal favorite:
The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all. ~Mulan

Lord, with your help, I will never give up. I will find your way! ~amen

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Psalms 23:4
Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

Why did David say rod and staff? Aren’t they the same thing? Well, yes and no. A rod can be a staff, but a staff is not a rod. Now that I have you totally confused, let me explain.

Staff is nothing more than a walking and guiding stick. Think shepherd. It aids you in walking over rough terrain. You can lean on it when you get tired. It can be used to guide sheep and of course, you can defend yourself with it.

A rod is a staff with a symbol of power. Think royalty. They were designed specific to the bearer. It is used to signify someone of importance. In many ways, you could say it would tell others not to mess with this person.

So, back to why it is important that David used both terms. When walking through the valley of death God is showing His power with the rod. He shows His sovereignty. He is telling the enemy don’t mess with Me or my child. The staff He uses to guide us over rough spots, defends us against the enemy. He shows us His shepherding side. God is both our sovereign ruler and shepherd. He uses a rod and staff to comfort us.

Lord, I am so thankful for Your presence in my life as both a sovereign ruler and shepherd. ~amen

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Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Let’s do a word study. What is the difference between faith and hope?

Faith
πίστις pistis, belief, trust, with an implication that actions based on that trust may follow; “the faith” often refers to the Christian system of belief and lifestyle

Hope
ἐλπίζω elpizō, expect, an attitude of confidently looking forward to what is good and beneficial

The bible uses both of these words numerous times in the bible. They do not mean the same thing. However, they are very similar. I would even go out on a limb and say they work hand in hand. It is very hard to have one without the other. According to today’s verse, you can have faith without hope.

Hope is a part of faith. Hope is that thing that puts a smile on your face even in the dark. It is your attitude that keeps you going. It is the basis behind your faith. Your continued faith in Christ and His grace comes from your hope of being with Him one day in Heaven.

My faith is in You Lord, because of my hope for a brighter future. ~amen

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Psalms 112:5
Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice.

I wonder how many people would raise their hand if I asked have you heard someone say, “The bible says neither a lender nor barrow shall ye be”? Did you just raise yours? Well, I challenge you to find that in the bible. Go ahead and google it. The actual quote comes from Act 1 Scene 3 of Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet.

In all fairness to the Bard, he may have been trying to very loosely translate Proverbs 22:7 which states, “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.” Did I mention this was a VERY LOOSE translation? You see, it never says to not lend in the bible. It says to be wise with your lending and borrowing. Like today’s verse in Psalms, it also says to be generous and just.

Lending time, resources, and money to others is not a bad thing. However, when you do, make sure you are doing it for the right reasons. Make sure your heart is in it. Do not be like the rich ruler and hold it over the poor. Lending is not a place of power. It is a place of generosity. I have been on both sides of that coin, a lender and a borrower. We were meant to share in this life and when done fairly and justly it is a wonderful gift!

Lord, thank You for those who have helped me in the past. Thank you also for allowing me to pass it on to others when they needed help. ~amen

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Matthew 16:15-17
15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.

The answer isn’t always the most important thing. It is the how and the why you answered.

When I was a teacher one of the hardest types of questions my students had to answer was opinion questions. Getting them to realize there was no right or wrong answer blew their minds. They would often ask, “But what do you want me to say?” I would have to explain to them it isn’t what you say, it is how you say it. They won’t find the answer in the textbook, or in the notes, they took during class. I am not looking for them to regurgitate my opinion because they think I want to hear that. No, this is an answer they had to come to on their own.

When Jesus asked, “Who do you say I am?” He was asking Peter his opinion. He wasn’t asking him to recite scripture or tell Him what others had said. He wanted to know what Peter thought. Now, yes there is a correct answer to who Jesus is, but that wasn’t the point here. Jesus wanted to know if Peter really believed it. This was not about lip service and giving the right answer. It was about believing the answer.

So what about you? Who do you think Jesus is? Do you believe it or are you just quoting what someone else has said?

Lord, my faith is in You. I know in my heart You are my Lord and Savior and my best friend. ~amen

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Philippians 2:13
for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

Have you ever had to ask God to make you willing to be willing? I have! Yep, there are things that I know I need to do, but my heart is just not in it. There are people I need to forgive that sometimes it is just too hard for me. There are places I need to go, but I am just way too frightened to even think about it. When I find myself in those situations, I know I can’t just ignore them. I know I can’t even go or do them when my heart isn’t in it. I have to step back and ask God to help me be willing to be willing.

When God calls you to do things, it is not sinful to feel like you can’t or even won’t. Those thoughts and ideas are always going to pop up. Please enter Satan’s evil laugh here! Yep, you guessed it. There is a pesky little thing that loves to pop those thoughts into your head. The thoughts are not sinful it is what you do with those thoughts that lead you to God’s purpose or Satan’s.

So, on those days when you are struggling to find your willingness, never fear. Your next step is to turn to God and ask Him to fill you with the willingness to be willing. That is the next step after all. From there, you will be able to fulfill His good purpose for you!

Lord, I am not always willing to do what You ask of me. However, I am always willing to take the next step which is to ask You to fill me with Your willingness to fulfill Your good purpose. ~amen

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