Fantastic Friday #929 - Miracles

Miracles

13 Your ways, God, are holy.
What god is as great as our God?
14 You are the God who performs miracles;
you display your power among the peoples.
15 With your mighty arm you redeemed your people,
the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Psalm 77:13-15

Miracle is used approximately 37 times in the Bible. It makes me wonder why John was one of the books that most uses the word Miracle. What kind of miracles can you look back on in your life, and did you acknowledge them as a miracle when they occurred. Miracles can be found in the smallest places, and if you have a strong faith in our Lord they can be found everywhere. There are some big miracles in the Bible noted, but there are also many others that were not as noticeable but still impactful to those blessed by God. Does a miracle have to just be healing or some blessing? The answer to that is clearly no, my family had an experience several years ago where we had an accident that should have flipped the vehicle we were traveling in, but something of a miracle happened and to this day I view that situation as God's way of saying I have so much more for you. We just need to realize these miracles are part of God's eternal plan and sometimes used to refocus us on the things eternal. Take a moment to reflect on the miracle of life, and everything that happens daily. I am sure you might be able to find the miracles associated with God in your life, just like John wrote about so many years ago when Christ was on Earth.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #928 - Calm

Calm

1 My heart is not proud, Lord,
my eyes are not haughty;
I do not concern myself with great matters
or things too wonderful for me.
2 But I have calmed and quieted myself,
I am like a weaned child with its mother;
like a weaned child I am content. Psalm 131:1-2

Do you ever wonder how some people can be so calm? Maybe it is an intense situation you are involved in, and your blood pressure rises but there is that one person that is very calm. I knew this one mother growing up who always had a smile on her face. I always wondered what made her smile and be calm when a million different things were happening. My mom was also a very calm individual and had the patience that could compare to no other. I wonder how I can practice that calmness personally and to be honest it all boils down to this set of verses. Not being proud is something that can be very hard to accomplish when the world tells you to share everything about yourself, and when one is being haughty or proud, it certainly is a challenge to be calm. The biggest thing to being calm I find is not to concern myself or worry about great matters. If God has taken care of everything for us, all we need to do is be obedient to His commands and calm ourselves to the world around us. Take a moment to think about how you can practice calmness and lean into your obedience, it should be something that we can all learn to become in our lives.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #927 - Anger

Anger

7 Be still before the Lord
and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.

8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.
9 For those who are evil will be destroyed,
but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land. Psalm 37:7-9


Anger is an interesting emotion. Usually brought on by built up frustration, or something that someone does to you. How you react will definitely impact your overall wellness and the future of how you deal with this kind of hardship. This week I received an email from someone and I became very angry because this person was attacking my staff and basically telling me we were inept. The next day I decided to sit down in a face-to-face meeting with this person to discuss their concerns and their attack on my staff's capabilities. I found that when I was calm and not angry, I could much more easily share my position and show them the multiple reasons why we do the things we do. While this person has some serious issues, and didn't quite grasp everything I was sharing, I was able to manage the conversation and keep from getting angry. I did however realize this person won't ever change their opinion and we are going to have to work with it. If we can remember to wait for God to intervene like He did overnight with me, and try to refrain from being angry, the challenges we face could be viewed in a different manner. We don't want the evil of the enemy to sneak in because it definitely can change our view on things. Keep anger out of your life and live in the Lord's presence.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #926 - Views

Views

24 A discerning person keeps wisdom in view,
but a fool’s eyes wander to the ends of the earth. Proverbs 17:24

Do you view things from a worldly perspective or a Heavenly perspective? I know the challenge with our views is we typically see things in the world how others see them more than how God sees them. I read something the other day that closely related a person's happiness at work based on how their boss and others treat them. I know this is true, but I also know that if we viewed our work more as God sees us in our work, the happier we would be in our job. Most things in our life depend on how we view our experiences, and definitely in how we view others. God views all people as His children whom He loves. We can take this example to our own life, and while we may not love everyone, we can certainly use God's example of how to love unconditionally and impact how we treat others. We need to focus on our Heavenly Father and His view of people and the world, and learn something from that example.

Have a great weekend.

Matt