Fantastic Friday #947 - Alone

Alone

6 I am like a desert owl,
like an owl among the ruins.

7 I lie awake; I have become
like a bird alone on a roof.

8 All day long my enemies taunt me;
those who rail against me use my name as a curse. Psalm 102:6-8

Do you ever find yourself alone? I mean truly alone? God created man and then He created woman so that he would not be alone. He created ways for people to have families so they would not be alone. When Jesus was on this earth, He was rarely alone. It is ok to be alone sometimes, but in those times you should be thoughtful of the enemy and what he tries to tell you. If you are alone with God, you are truly not alone but if you spend time alone with the enemy, you become further distant from our Lord and Savior. Being alone can be refreshing, but how much joy can you find being alone with yourself. I know that that I cherish the time with my wife, kids, family and friends knowing that one day not all of them will be around. I do always know that I am not alone when I have God in my life, and spend time with him. Don't be alone, it is not how God intended your life to be.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #946 - Whole

Whole

36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Mark 8:36

Have you ever thought about the word "whole"? When something is whole, it is together, complete and full. If you had to look at everything in the world, it is quite astronomical to think of how many things are in this world, but it is full and some things are unachievable in reaching. However, many people try and chase everything that is part of this world, and somewhere along the way they can get lost in all the things that make this world whole. If you look at each one of us, we are not whole, and have a lot to learn to become whole and won't be until we reach our Father-in-Heaven. God uses these opportunities for us to move towards wholeness spiritually by avoiding getting caught up in our world. The world is here for us to enjoy, but when we chase things at the expense of our families and God, then there is no chance to be whole. Work each day to be complete and find the wholesomeness of the path of becoming whole.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #945 - Carrying

Carrying

16 Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. 17 Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). 18 There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle. John 19:16-18

What do you carry with you on a daily basis? When we have challenges in our life, problems with individuals, money issues, or other behavior, what do you carry with you? The weight can be heavy on your shoulders and your heart depending on the circumstances. When we have these types of hurt and challenges, I sometimes remember this picture painted by John of our Lord and Savior who carried His own cross after being beaten, treated horribly and abandoned by almost everyone. When you can imagine Him dragging that cross under these circumstances, your problems don't seem so large. So, what are you carrying that you cannot give to our Father in Heaven? We spend so much time thinking about how we have to fix something or deal with something, we tend to forget that our Father is there to help us. Take that moment to ask for help, a simple humble prayer of thanks and request. God is listening and while He may not provide help immediately, He is faithful and loves His children enough to have had His Son die for us. Don't carry a burden you can't handle, let God carry it for you.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #944 - Allegiance

Allegiance


16 Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. Romans 6:16-18



In America we have something called the Pledge of Allegiance that is basically showing our loyalty to the government and country. Have you ever thought about the allegiance that we show our Father in Heaven? When Jesus died on the cross, He showed the ultimate obedience to our Father which allowed us to enter into a relationship with our Father, if we choose. Now, once we choose that relationship, like the scripture says, we are no longer slaves to sin but show our allegiance to our Father in Heaven. Even though we are now free, we need to remember that it is a daily task to show our loyalty through proper behavior and treatment of others, including leaving our sinful lives behind. If you think of waking up each day and pledging allegiance to our Father, just like we did in school every morning by saying the pledge of allegiance to the flag of our country, it can become a habit that forms and swells within our soul that we are honoring the One who created us and everything around us. Take a moment in prayer each day to pledge your allegiance to our Father.


Have a great weekend.


Matt