Fantastic Friday #541 - Road Map

Road Map

8 As the men started on their way to map out the land, Joshua instructed them, “Go and make a survey of the land and write a description of it.Then return to me, and I will cast lots for you here at Shiloh in the presence of the Lord.” 9 So the men left and went through the land. They wrote its description on a scroll, town by town, in seven parts, and returned to Joshua in the camp at Shiloh. 10 Joshua then cast lots for them in Shiloh in the presence of the Lord, and there he distributed the land to the Israelites according to their tribal divisions. Joshua 18:8-10

Maps give us a number of things to help us in our life. There is nothing like taking a road trip and opening that old map of yours and navigate using one large document. I sometimes wish for those days where you look at a map to find your roadways and the shortest route. Today we have Siri, Cortana and Betty to guide us on our trips to help us find the donut shop, the closest gas station, the next town's distance or the most obscure taco joint. We even have other road maps, like a baseball lineup that will outline several potential innings of positions to create fairness and equality. What happens though when you don't follow the road maps laid out before you? This can lead to chaos, disaster and frustration. It is important to realize that we all have a road map to our Father in Heaven, and we should pick it up daily to help lead us. We also have our own Siri/Cortana/Betty in the Holy Spirit, and how often do we listen to what the Spirit says. Just like a road map to a baseball lineup, the road map to God is only successful if you utilize it and rely on it.

Have a great weekend.

Fantastic Friday #540 - Message

Message

6 For in Scripture it says:

“See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him
will never be put to shame.”

7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,

“The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,”

8 and,

“A stone that causes people to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall.”

They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for. 1 Peter 2:6-8

What message are you receiving? Is it a message of hope and love, or a message of fear and hate. A famous character in a movie once said, "fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering." While this is fictional, there is a lot of truth in this statement, and it all depends on the message we are receiving. If the things we hear are hateful towards others and fill us with anger, then the message we are receiving and sending is wrong. These types of messages will make us stumble and fall. If we focus on the message of hope, it seems that this will lead to love and that will lead us back to our Savior. Maybe the character had it right, that all of this fear can only lead to the dark side. Maybe we should listen to the right message and have this hope lead is to the bright side.

Have a great weekend.

Fantastic Friday #539 - Embolden

Embolden

1 I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;
before the “gods” I will sing your praise.
2 I will bow down toward your holy temple
and will praise your name
for your unfailing love and your faithfulness,
for you have so exalted your solemn decree
that it surpasses your fame.
3 When I called, you answered me;
you greatly emboldened me. Psalm 138:1-3

Embolden is not the nick-name of some football player or famous Olympic medalist. Embolden is a verb which means to encourage, hearten or make bolder. I find it interesting that God uses this word to describe how the writer's feelings are impacted when their prayers are answered. I wonder if we take the time to think about our impact on others when we are asked a question or engaged in conversation. Do we stop what we are doing to listen carefully to what that individual has to say or do we continue on our path or stare off in the distance acting like we are listening? Every day we look for answers to questions or there are people who seek something from us. I believe how we respond to those individuals impacts them and their view of us. If we respond with disinterest or lack of concern, this can have a detrimental impact on the relationship we have and that person's feelings. If we respond with an encouraging answer that will embolden the person, it can only have a positive influence. I challenge everyone to look at how you can embolden someone this week, because when you get an answer to a prayer from God, you can see how it can embolden you.

Have a great weekend.

Fantastic Friday #538 - Approve

Approve

18 For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends. 2 Corinthians 10:18

What do you want to be approved for? My guess is typically it is very personal like receiving approval from someone else. If you are seeking approval from someone else for how you are living, or if you are seeking approval from a loved one, each one holds its challenges. Typically when we seek approval from someone else, we pump ourselves up and tell ourselves how good we are or we act in a way that will get the attention of the other person. This self-endorsement at times can only lead to embarrassment or even rejection by that other individual. Remember that old saying of just be yourself? Being yourself should be easy, because it is who you are and when you are yourself, you reflect a presence that people can clearly see. Also, we probably shouldn't be so worried about looking for approval from these other people, but we should seek approval from our Lord who has already commended us by placing us here. If we seek approval from God first, and live our lives as a reflection of Christ, then naturally we will see approval from other like-minded individuals. We can't spend our lives trying to be someone we aren't and trying to impress others, but must spend our lives being who we are in Christ.

Have a great weekend.

Fantastic Friday #537 - No!

No!

3 Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
4 Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

5 Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him and he will do this:
6 He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
your vindication like the noonday sun.

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. Psalm 37:3-7

How do you react when God says No? My guess is that if you are like me your first reaction is Why, with a whole lot of emotion and a lot more questioning. In fact, I would say most of us try to fix something that God has already said No to. If you aren't like me than maybe you are either extraordinary or not being honest. The scripture doesn't say trust in the Lord and do whatever you want and things will come to you. Scripture also doesn't say Commit to the Lord when you want to or feel like it, and he will help you. As well, scripture doesn't say be boisterous before the Lord and get ahead of the Lord and His plan. Looking at God's Word, it is clear how God wants us to react and that is with continued trust, committing to Him fully and being patient.

Have a great weekend.

Fantastic Friday #536 - React

React

The Lord is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.
My heart leaps for joy,
and with my song I praise him. Psalm 28:7

Our lives are filled with passion, enjoyment, and love but sometimes there are hard times. Many of us ask why we are having this difficulty in our lives and some tend to react to quickly to a situation. When we react quickly instead of stepping back and looking at the whole picture, this can lead to hurt feelings, frustration, and mistakes. Every individual is given challenges in their life and God wants us to step back at times, look at the challenge and see how we can overcome it. If we are thoughtful, we know that we can't overcome these things through our own power, but must rely on God. This very simple short scripture shows how easy it can be to get through these difficult times. God is our strength, God is our Shield. Don't you think if you trust in God with all your heart that He will help you? This is where we begin and don't forget to thank and praise God, because God does great things for all of us.


Have a great weekend.

Fantastic Friday #535 - Hear

Hear


6 I call on you, my God, for you will answer me;

turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.

7 Show me the wonders of your great love,

you who save by your right hand

those who take refuge in you from their foes. Psalm 17:6-7


Hear my prayer. I can't tell you how many times I have said that phrase this and last week. I have said it so many times, I begin to wonder if God is really listening. If I would stop and take a look at my past and the many times I have asked God for something and how many times He has come through with answers, maybe my anxious heart would not be pounding so much. The problem we all have is that our memory is short on the wonders that He has shown, and we tend to forget the times He has saved us physically and spiritually from the battles we face. Battles are going to come and so are major tests. God always wants to see how we are going to react under the stress and pressure of these tests. Now, if we would take a moment to hear what God is saying, I mean truly listen, then our anxiety would be lifted. Look at what He has done and hear what He will do in HIs time.

Have a great weekend.