Fantastic Friday #569 - Stop

Stop

26 Whoever robs their father and drives out their mother
is a child who brings shame and disgrace.

27 Stop listening to instruction, my son,
and you will stray from the words of knowledge.

28 A corrupt witness mocks at justice,
and the mouth of the wicked gulps down evil. Proverbs 19:26-28

How many times do you find yourself saying the word "stop". Did your parents tell you to stop? Most times we were told to stop because we were doing something we shouldn't have been doing or they were just trying to keep you safe. Have you ever thought of what might happen when you stop listening to God? Most times when this happens we tend to find ourselves leaning to what the world wants us to do. If we stop and listen to God, He is always there, but we need to put all things out of our mind. When we focus on God and that still small voice, things seem to be more clear and the world can be blocked out, so stop and listen to God.

Have a great weekend.

Fantastic Friday #568 - Comfort

Comfort

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit,if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Philippians 2:1-2

This week I have seen people on social media and in person that have been happy and sad. I see at times people in pain and you wonder what gets them to this point. Why do we have discouragement in our life and what can pull us out of this rut that we can get buried in during these times. If you are truly united with Christ, there is a way to escape the frustration. We have to opportunity daily to pray to our Lord and Savior. What an amazing gift we have been given to tell our Heavenly Father what we need through His comfort and guidance. This is one of those aspects that I truly can't comprehend, but it is not our job to understand the ways of our Father, but it is up to us to turn to Him for this compassion. Just like the scripture says, there is comfort in his love through the Holy Spirit. I am in awe of this gift and will try and I need to remember to turn more often in prayer to Him.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #567 - Repentance

Repentance

8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:8-9

Mistakes, shortcomings, and sins are all performed by individuals daily. It is not uncommon to have days where you let the enemy creep too far in and do something that does not honor God and the sacrifice that Jesus made for us. When we pray for repentance, we might feel that God is not listening or doesn't want to forgive us, but this is not the case. God wants His children to live a life that is close to Him and one that focuses on Him. If our repentance is not genuine, He is not going to forgive, but will wait in His time until we make the decision that we are truly humbled and repentant for our mistake, shortcoming or sin. Remember that God will forgive those who come to Him with a sincere feeling of repentance. God is there and always will be there.

Have a great weekend.

Fantastic Friday #566 - Remind

Good Morning,

Remind

12 So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. 13 I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body,14 because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. 15 And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things. 2 Peter 1:12-15

We all set reminders for ourselves and usually have to remember to remind ourselves of our reminders. I know that sounds strange, but how many of us can actually remember to do the things we need to do daily without a reminder. I know I can't, in fact I am not very good at remembering things at my age and I know it is all going to get worse. The same can be said about what Christ did for us, and the Gospel message. While I am sure many of us don't forget what He did, we certainly need reminders, kind of like how I did this week. I need to be reminded regularly of God's faithfulness, because times can be hard and we can easily get swallowed by the enemy and the false beliefs he puts in our head. How many of us think this occasionally, "the world is too big, has too many people, and God isn't going to be concerned about my little problem." This is the enemy and he is wrong. God cares about all of His children and is always there for us to guide us through the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit and His Word reminds us of who we are, and now we just need to take the moment to listen to the right guide. I hope this reminds you to lean in and listen.

Have a great weekend.

Fantastic Friday #565 - Take

Take

10 But he knows the way that I take;
when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.
11 My feet have closely followed his steps;
I have kept to his way without turning aside. Job 23:10-11

Do you recognize the choices you make while you are on a certain path? I wonder if many of us look at the path that is most pleasing, takes the least amount of work, and has the least amount of suffering involved. By taking these paths, we are happy, not physically taxed, and certainly less stressed. However, God doesn't always want us taking the path of least resistance. He wants us taking a path that we can learn from, one that we can rely upon Him for His strength and one that can be most rewarding to us. We must take the challenging path so we can learn what God wants to teach us, for without learning anything new our existence is a meaningless straight line of doing the same thing over and over again. Follow God on the path He wants you to travel and I guarantee that your rewards will be much more than you can think of now.

Have a great weekend.