Endurance
4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.
5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, 6 so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 15:4-6
I have been thinking about endurance this week, and making it past the things that are challenging. What I found instead of endurance was a real lack of patience with certain things. This lack of patience did not cause me to lose control, but caused me to build up some anger in my soul, and not be in a good place. It is funny how that same endurance that is spoken of in scripture is supposed to lead to encouragement, and certainly I have experienced that as well, but I let the anger overtake my thoughts which is not a good thing. Moving forward into the weekend I am going to reflect on how I might look at patience as an enduring process that we all need to take our time evaluating. When we are patient, God can give us a calming spirit that can overtake the anger and stress that can build up from not enduring whatever is placed before us. Have a good attitude, and not a negative one, because that can bring down others around you.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
Friday, March 29, 2019
Friday, March 22, 2019
Fantastic Friday #673 - Drought
Drought
7 “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.
8 They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8
Do you have a drought in your life right now or have you had one recently? Droughts can come in many forms, whether they be financial, family, or even the lack of a regular relationship with our Lord and Savior. I love the picture that this scripture provides of how you can avoid having a drought affect you. It all starts where you place your faith. If you place your faith in man and the world to solve your problems, your roots are not going to be firmly grounded and nourished. This can cause you to remain in the drought condition until you decide to put your faith where it belongs. I saw a show this week where a man didn't believe in any life after death. It was uncomfortable for me to watch, because I knew how much he was missing out on, and he was truly in a drought. Now I know this was only a show, but I also know there are people out there like this who are not firmly grounded because their faith is in the wrong place. Don't allow your faith to be misaligned but rely on God to keep you out of that drought condition.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
Friday, March 15, 2019
Fantastic Friday #672 - Eloquent
Eloquent
10 Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.”
11 The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind?Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” Exodus 4:10-12
I have been speaking in front of groups a lot lately, and I never have believed that I am an eloquent speaker. I always feel that I stumble over my words, use the incorrect phrasing, or even completely misspeak. I haven't truly realized what God meant by this scripture until I came across it this week. When we doubt our ability to talk to others about God and gift that He promises, we don't need to rely on our words, but God will provide the words and teach us through these moments as well. I thought it was a very simple explanation by God, of who gave human beings their mouths? If you stop to think about it, if we are his creation, then he not only gave us the tools to do His will, but He also gives us the opportunities. Take those opportunities and use the tools he has given you. We are all eloquent in our own way.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
10 Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.”
11 The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind?Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” Exodus 4:10-12
I have been speaking in front of groups a lot lately, and I never have believed that I am an eloquent speaker. I always feel that I stumble over my words, use the incorrect phrasing, or even completely misspeak. I haven't truly realized what God meant by this scripture until I came across it this week. When we doubt our ability to talk to others about God and gift that He promises, we don't need to rely on our words, but God will provide the words and teach us through these moments as well. I thought it was a very simple explanation by God, of who gave human beings their mouths? If you stop to think about it, if we are his creation, then he not only gave us the tools to do His will, but He also gives us the opportunities. Take those opportunities and use the tools he has given you. We are all eloquent in our own way.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
Friday, March 8, 2019
Fantastic Friday #671 - Words
Words
27 The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint,
and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.
28 Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent,
and discerning if they hold their tongues. Proverbs 17:27-28
Do you think about the words you use? I know I have to pay attention to this regularly, and there have been times when I have been using words calmly, then I have been interrupted with rude behavior or an accusatory remark. I have to look at myself and how I handle those situations. To be honest, there have been times where I have taken the next step and not used very kind words or inflection that has elevated the issue. I need to work on being wise and even-tempered as the scripture notes. There are times when we all need to be silent and discerning in situations, but not completely hold our tongues. But when we do speak, we need to ask for guidance from our Father and allow Him to guide us and our words. How many of us wake up in the morning and ask God to guide or words and actions. If we did this more, we would become not only closer to God but we would become more wise. Be wise and manage your tongue, because people will view you and your beliefs on how you respond to others.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
27 The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint,
and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.
28 Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent,
and discerning if they hold their tongues. Proverbs 17:27-28
Do you think about the words you use? I know I have to pay attention to this regularly, and there have been times when I have been using words calmly, then I have been interrupted with rude behavior or an accusatory remark. I have to look at myself and how I handle those situations. To be honest, there have been times where I have taken the next step and not used very kind words or inflection that has elevated the issue. I need to work on being wise and even-tempered as the scripture notes. There are times when we all need to be silent and discerning in situations, but not completely hold our tongues. But when we do speak, we need to ask for guidance from our Father and allow Him to guide us and our words. How many of us wake up in the morning and ask God to guide or words and actions. If we did this more, we would become not only closer to God but we would become more wise. Be wise and manage your tongue, because people will view you and your beliefs on how you respond to others.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
Friday, March 1, 2019
Fantastic Friday #670 - Talk
Talk
7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 8 So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. 2 Timothy 1:6-8
Can you think back to your conversations with people outside of your family this week? Did you have an opportunity to thank God for who He is and what He has done? I can think back to my conversations and can clearly say that God was not the focus of the discussions even though there were opportunities for me to share what He has done for me. Maybe it is because God is not at the top of my list of conversation topics every day, and maybe it is because I take for granted His influence in my life. There are many factors to why this could be the case and a lot of it boils down to the enemy that distracts me from God and His power and influence. Don't be timid in your sharing of God's wonderful influence, but use His power to share and discuss what He does for you. Fight back against the enemy and keep God on the forefront of your conversations.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 8 So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. 2 Timothy 1:6-8
Can you think back to your conversations with people outside of your family this week? Did you have an opportunity to thank God for who He is and what He has done? I can think back to my conversations and can clearly say that God was not the focus of the discussions even though there were opportunities for me to share what He has done for me. Maybe it is because God is not at the top of my list of conversation topics every day, and maybe it is because I take for granted His influence in my life. There are many factors to why this could be the case and a lot of it boils down to the enemy that distracts me from God and His power and influence. Don't be timid in your sharing of God's wonderful influence, but use His power to share and discuss what He does for you. Fight back against the enemy and keep God on the forefront of your conversations.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
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