Fantastic Friday #978 - Tongue

Tongue

9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water. James 3: 9-12

Do you ever think about your tongue and how it is used? I was held accountable this last week by a sermon I heard on these verses. My tongue can encourage, and praise God and then it also can at times bring about negativity or have something not so nice to say. How can I live like this praising God and speaking badly of others? I cannot, and it is clear in God's Word. I love the pictures in this scripture that God gives, It is a good reminder to think that if we are truly followers of Christ, we cannot be someone who curses others or speaks badly. I think we all need this reminder from time to time, especially in today's society when all people do is spend time attacking each other. Spend some time giving others grace, and know that we are made in God's likeness so we should act more like Him.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #977 - Relief

Relief

1 Lord, hear my prayer,
listen to my cry for mercy;
in your faithfulness and righteousness
come to my relief.
2 Do not bring your servant into judgment,
for no one living is righteous before you.
3 The enemy pursues me,
he crushes me to the ground;
he makes me dwell in the darkness
like those long dead. Psalm 143:1-3

Where do you look for relief? Relief from pain, from suffering, from the world pounding down upon you from every direction. Some people turn to exercise, movies, reading and some people turn to more extreme ways to escape. How many of us turn to prayer and ask our Lord to help us through all the noise? I know that there are several things that I turn to and not all of them are completely good for my soul. Each time I spend time with the Lord, my perspective seems to change and bring about a calm disposition where I can focus on the things that give me relief in a positive way. I hope that you can find your relief and know that God wants us to call on him to escape the darkness.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #976 - Needy

Needy

12 For he will deliver the needy who cry out,
the afflicted who have no one to help.
13 He will take pity on the weak and the needy
and save the needy from death. Psalm 72:12-13

I see people on my daily travels who look needy, maybe they need food, clothing or some other form of human need to stay alive. I question what these people did to get themselves in these situations, and I can only surmise that they fell into a desperate hole of self-doubt and loss which has now led to them being physically and emotionally stained. Granted, there are people who put themselves in those spaces due to drug use or alcohol abuse, and they have never recovered from that horrible fall. It may be hard for some of us to believe, but God does love those people just like He loves us. If these people were to cry out and commit themselves to the Lord and His teachings, I don't doubt that He would miraculously pull these people out of their pain and suffering. The same can apply to us, while our need may be different at times, and not as life-changing, we can still ask for our Lord's help and He will provide. God wants us to want Him and all that He can do for us, all we have to do is ask.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #975 - Victory

Victory

12 With God we will gain the victory,
and he will trample down our enemies. Psalm 60:12

Don't take this the wrong way but God does not care if my sports team wins or not. I am sure that God does not care whether an athlete gives Him the accolades for their victory. Several times over the last few weeks, I have seen several sports athletes give God the glory for their good performance or victory, but to be honest I don't think God cares. I do think it is great that these young men and women proclaim their faith on national television for all to see, but I am not so sure they realize what is really important to God. When I was growing up, I would pray for our teams that I played on to win, or to do well but we didn't always win or do well. God is concerned with bigger victories and the one He has already completed with the victory over the enemy. We also probably need to reevaluate what victory we should be celebrating and asking God for His presence, maybe it should be the victory of bringing more individuals to Christ and His teachings. God does care about us daily for many things, and when we ask for help He does give it, but honestly I am not so sure he cares whether my sports team wins or not. Pray for victories that are important and result in the greatest reward.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #974 - Prepare

 Prepare

“See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. Exodus 23:20

Like God prepared a place for the Israelites, and he is preparing a place for us in heaven, I believe he prepares places for us here on earth.We just spent the last week setting up our daughter and her husband in a House in Savannah, for the next step in their journey. God allow us to travel safely for so many hours in a U-Haul and towing car in thunderstorms and rainy days.  But when we arrived, we could see His hand on every aspect of our journey, including finding a washer and dryer within minutes of walking in our first store, finding a much needed food pantry for the house for a cost half of what everything else was going for and the ability to get almost everything unpacked so they could start their journey together without worry.  We know they God is present and we know that He loves us, we need to acknowledge when He shows his presence in the smaller things.  

Have a great weekend.

Matt