Fantastic Friday #829 - Bit and Bridle

Bit and Bridle

9 Do not be like the horse or the mule,
which have no understanding
but must be controlled by bit and bridle
or they will not come to you.
10 Many are the woes of the wicked,
but the Lord’s unfailing love
surrounds the one who trusts in him. Psalm 32:9-10

Do you sometimes feel like you are being led around by a bit and bridle with every decision you make? I can tell you that many times I fail to recognize what the Lord has for me and lean on my own feelings when deciding what to do. The funny thing about free will is that it can be devastating if we rely on the enemy to guide us rather than the Lord. It all boils down to trust. When we have a lack of trust in what God guides us in today, we tend to be led by whoever or whatever feels good at the moment. This is why we need to take the bit and bridle out of our mouths, and begin to have a continuing trust in the Lord. He only wants what is best for us and he has an unfailing love that we need to take as His free gift.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #828 - Ascribe

Ascribe

2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness. Psalm 29:2

Who do you ascribe your success to when you have done something well? Do you pat yourself on the back and say well done on whatever task you complete? When you are sick and get better, do you ascribe your wellness to the doctor or the medicine that you were provided? When you have food on the table, do you ascribe the food to the hardworking person who puts the food on the table? I think we need to shift our view sometimes of who we should ascribe our success, wellness, and bounty to when we are blessed. The Lord should be given thanks for everything we have, get or do in our daily presence. Failure to give thanks to God and His holiness for things we do not deserve, will deepen our separation from him. The other night Debbie and I were talking about the manners of young kids today, and the fact that when someone opens the door for you, do you say thank you or do you just go about your business? The same should be said about our daily successes, we need to thank God for His bountiful blessing and remember it is not us we should be patting on the back. We need to ascribe to the Lord the glory that is due to Him. So, when you are successful, healed, and blessed, thank the almighty God for His blessing.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #827 - Suitable

Suitable

18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”Genesis 2:18

In the way God created life and everything around us, He knew that man could not be left alone. There are many reasons for this that I won't go into, but the key is that He created a helper that was suitable for him. Sometimes it is ok to be alone, but there are those times in our life that we need people around us. We are not meant to be alone in our thoughts all of the time, but we are meant to interact with individuals that can listen and acknowledge what we are doing and saying. I personally have someone in my life that is more than suitable, in fact, she is more than I could have ever asked for. It is that kind of relationship that God wants us to have in our life. One that we can count on, one that we can rely on, and one that we can love. But I also think that finding someone suitable for you is not just about a spouse. Some are searching for that suitable future spouse, some are looking for that suitable companion if they lost someone close to them and some are just searching for that suitable friend that can be that rock to lean on. Don't spend your time alone, but figure out who in your life is suitable for you. Also remember that God is sufficient for all of our spiritual needs. I am not alone and can rejoice in that.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #826 - Currents

Currents

2 He said:

“In my distress I called to the Lord,
and he answered me.
From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help,
and you listened to my cry.
3 You hurled me into the depths,
into the very heart of the seas,
and the currents swirled about me;
all your waves and breakers
swept over me. Jonah 2:2-3



This past week I was blessed to be on vacation where I relaxed and reflected. I found myself watching the currents of the ocean, and then I was able to snorkel and let the current of the ocean move me along. It reminded me how we can be taken away from the things that matter most so easily today if we fight against the current. I also thought about how God is always there to protect us, and guide us. But what I thought about even more was what could happen if we let the current that God has for our life take us and carry us forward. Too many times we fight against His current and don't get anywhere with our struggles. If we just learn to relax and let the current move us along instead of fighting against it, then we can live a life that is more fulfilling. I hope that you all can remind yourself that God has you in His arms, and he can guide and protect as long as you let Him.

Have a great weekend.

Matt