Fantastic Friday #543- Grow

Grow


3 When my spirit grows faint within me,
it is you who watch over my way.
In the path where I walk
people have hidden a snare for me. Psalm 142:3

Have you ever watched what happens to a plant when it is outside and is partially shaded throughout the day? If you were able to watch a time lapse of the moment the sun hits the plant to the moment the sun goes down, what you might see is a brightening and growth of the plant. Then when it loses sun, it would not completely wither but would not be as bright and full. You can almost relate this to your spiritual walk. If you allow the Son to be a part of your life all day, every day there is a natural brightening of your spirit and people can see that difference in you. If you tend to only allow the Son to brighten your path occasionally, your spiritual life can be stunted and not as full, and can actually wither like a plant does without nourishment of the sun. It is important for us to rely on God to help strengthen our spirit and become full with His love. We need to continually be fed so that our roots in Him can be strengthened.

Have a great weekend.

Fantastic Friday #542 - Home

Home

5 Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. 6 Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7 For we live by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So we make it our goal to please him,whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 2 Corinthians 5:5-9

Do you find yourself being a different person at work, around friends or at home? Do you put on a show for everyone around you that is different than who you actually are as an individual? It is interesting that God created and fashioned us for a purpose. He has given those who believe in Him the Holy Spirit to be guided. So what happens to us who ignore the Spirit and the guidance we receive? We all have flesh and can become weak when the enemy constantly tries to tell us who we aren't. If we listen to that voice enough, it can drown out the Spirit that lives within us. That Spirit is always there, but can ignored by us which is a huge issue. God wants us to please Him and live by faith and not by what is directly in front of us. So, if we are living by Faith, then we don't need to be someone we are not, and we need to let the Spirit guide us regularly. Be home in your body and please Him.


Have a great weekend.

Fantastic Friday #541 - Road Map

Road Map

8 As the men started on their way to map out the land, Joshua instructed them, “Go and make a survey of the land and write a description of it.Then return to me, and I will cast lots for you here at Shiloh in the presence of the Lord.” 9 So the men left and went through the land. They wrote its description on a scroll, town by town, in seven parts, and returned to Joshua in the camp at Shiloh. 10 Joshua then cast lots for them in Shiloh in the presence of the Lord, and there he distributed the land to the Israelites according to their tribal divisions. Joshua 18:8-10

Maps give us a number of things to help us in our life. There is nothing like taking a road trip and opening that old map of yours and navigate using one large document. I sometimes wish for those days where you look at a map to find your roadways and the shortest route. Today we have Siri, Cortana and Betty to guide us on our trips to help us find the donut shop, the closest gas station, the next town's distance or the most obscure taco joint. We even have other road maps, like a baseball lineup that will outline several potential innings of positions to create fairness and equality. What happens though when you don't follow the road maps laid out before you? This can lead to chaos, disaster and frustration. It is important to realize that we all have a road map to our Father in Heaven, and we should pick it up daily to help lead us. We also have our own Siri/Cortana/Betty in the Holy Spirit, and how often do we listen to what the Spirit says. Just like a road map to a baseball lineup, the road map to God is only successful if you utilize it and rely on it.

Have a great weekend.

Fantastic Friday #540 - Message

Message

6 For in Scripture it says:

“See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him
will never be put to shame.”

7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,

“The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,”

8 and,

“A stone that causes people to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall.”

They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for. 1 Peter 2:6-8

What message are you receiving? Is it a message of hope and love, or a message of fear and hate. A famous character in a movie once said, "fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering." While this is fictional, there is a lot of truth in this statement, and it all depends on the message we are receiving. If the things we hear are hateful towards others and fill us with anger, then the message we are receiving and sending is wrong. These types of messages will make us stumble and fall. If we focus on the message of hope, it seems that this will lead to love and that will lead us back to our Savior. Maybe the character had it right, that all of this fear can only lead to the dark side. Maybe we should listen to the right message and have this hope lead is to the bright side.

Have a great weekend.

Fantastic Friday #539 - Embolden

Embolden

1 I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;
before the “gods” I will sing your praise.
2 I will bow down toward your holy temple
and will praise your name
for your unfailing love and your faithfulness,
for you have so exalted your solemn decree
that it surpasses your fame.
3 When I called, you answered me;
you greatly emboldened me. Psalm 138:1-3

Embolden is not the nick-name of some football player or famous Olympic medalist. Embolden is a verb which means to encourage, hearten or make bolder. I find it interesting that God uses this word to describe how the writer's feelings are impacted when their prayers are answered. I wonder if we take the time to think about our impact on others when we are asked a question or engaged in conversation. Do we stop what we are doing to listen carefully to what that individual has to say or do we continue on our path or stare off in the distance acting like we are listening? Every day we look for answers to questions or there are people who seek something from us. I believe how we respond to those individuals impacts them and their view of us. If we respond with disinterest or lack of concern, this can have a detrimental impact on the relationship we have and that person's feelings. If we respond with an encouraging answer that will embolden the person, it can only have a positive influence. I challenge everyone to look at how you can embolden someone this week, because when you get an answer to a prayer from God, you can see how it can embolden you.

Have a great weekend.