Fantastic Friday #964 - Wept

Wept

32 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34 “Where have you laid him?” he asked.

“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.

35 Jesus wept.

36 Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” John 11:32-36

The story of Lazarus is an amazing story of Christ bringing him back from the dead, but there is an even more amazing story hidden within this great look at God and His teaching. When we have loved ones who pass on from this earth, there is usually weeping and crying most likely due us missing that person who has passed. I know that I wept for a family this week who is very dear to us who lost a child, and there was a definite sadness for the loss and what future that child could have had on this earth. One would think that the sadness would take over many, including the parents, but what we saw was an emotion I can only describe as faith along with a love for God and what He has in store. That kind of emotion is so hard to describe, but truly, while the weeping had been there, the strength God had given these young parents is not something you typically see in someone so young. I am continually amazed by the things I see and learn each day, and this day was no different. The pastor discussed how when Jesus wept, and He showed His human emotion. We all go through life thinking of Jesus as our great sacrifice, which of course He is, but He was also human and dealt with the same emotions we deal with daily. The love He showed for Lazarus is something that I am certain we all experience at one time or another, and we need to remember it is ok to weep. It is also ok to question our feelings and what God has planned. We need to lean into His faithfulness in our lives and know that He is in control of all things.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #963 - Snare

Snare

14 The Lord confides in those who fear him;
he makes his covenant known to them.
15 My eyes are ever on the Lord,
for only he will release my feet from the snare. Psalm 25:14-15

The other day I saw a man that had a trap in his front yard, most likely trying to capture an armadillo that can really wreak havoc to a yard. This man's yard is really nice and has no real perceptible imperfections. I had seen the armadillo just a week prior walking around that area of the neighborhood. The enemy can be like the armadillo and root around inside of us to find our weaknesses so he can expose them. We all have those areas that the enemy tries to destroy and poison with his hate and ugliness. When we fall into the trap and can't seem to get away from the enemy, we can remember that our God is the only one that can release us from the snare. He is fairly clear on His ability to help, we only need to ask for His help. God can push the enemy and keep him away from us, as long as we make the decision to follow and reach out to Him. There will be times that God allows the enemy to root around in us, but we know that we can always escape his snare with the right help.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #962 - Winds

Winds

24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. Matthew 7:24-26

With all the storms and hurricanes that have happened over the last several years, some people will sit back and say, how can a loving God allow this kind of destruction to occur. I sometimes wonder if these things are allowed to happen so people will think about the power of God and His restorative power. While many people don't come back from these damaging storms, there are many people who do, and while it may not be tied to their belief in God and His plan for our lives, it certainly can be a starting point to see Him. I will say though that if people live through a tragedy, how can you not think of God and His power. Where is our foundation built in our relationship with God? Is it like the scripture describes on a sturdy foundation, or is it something that is unsound and always moving. The more we build our life on God and His teachings, the more we will begin to understand Him and what He has for our life. My daughter and son-in-law had two significant car issues this week with each of their cars and the first thing that my daughter said was that I guess it was part of God's plan. While we don't always see that in the moment, the foundation we build can help us see the best of God's plan.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #961 - Wicked

Wicked

17 “On the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty, “they will be my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as a father has compassion and spares his son who serves him. 18 And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not. Malachi 3:17-18

When I sit around and think about life and people, this thought comes up often on what is the difference between a wicked person and one that is righteous. I am sure we can all sit around and come up with many lists of comparisons on the differences between the two, because some are readily seen and so glaring. But, what about the wicked people who hide their wickedness from the world and others? These people are harder to see, and some people mistake an outwardly righteous leader with the true wickedness that lies below. Righteousness is something that can sometimes be seen outwardly by actions, but only God can truly see the difference between the righteous and the wicked. We are only righteous through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, and we need to remember that. We can strive for a righteous life, and try to serve God through our works but only through God and the sacrifice of the Son can we be made whole. I believe we need to focus less on the righteousness of others and look internally how we can avoid the wickedness that is prevalent on this Earth. Pursue righteousness through your relationship with our Father in Heaven and serve.

Have a great weekend.

Matt