Fantastic Friday #841 - Compassion

Compassion

13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
14 for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.
15 The life of mortals is like grass,
they flourish like a flower of the field;
16 the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.
17 But from everlasting to everlasting
the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children’s children—
18 with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts. Psalm 103:13-18

Do you have compassion? We all say we do in some manner, but do we really? It is comforting to know that our God has compassion for us, because he knows how we were formed, but we really do need to fear Him. Do you fear God, not the afraid fear, but the respectful fear of your father in Heaven. I know growing up there were certain times when I was afraid of my father, but it was a respectful fear because I knew he loved me. Not everyone has had that here on earth, in fact there are people who truly had to fear their fathers or other people in their life. We don't have to be afraid of God, or afraid for our lives, because as long as we have a respectful fear of our Father in Heaven, He will have compassion for us and protect us. That should be a comfort for all of us.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #840 - Cord

Cord

11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:11-12

As we prepare this week for my daughter's wedding, there are so many things to reflect on and be grateful for as we enter this period of letting her go to her new life. A life of marriage is not something to be taken lightly, as so many in our society have done. They say that over 50% of marriages end in divorce, and I can honestly say that this most likely happens because those couples do not put God at the forefront of their marriage. When God is a part of the married life, and intertwined with the couple, it is hard for the enemy to attack the marriage. That doesn't mean the enemy won't leave that marriage alone, but it does make it harder to destroy like the enemy enjoys doing. While some people aren't married, or have lost a spouse, or even those who are divorced, having God intertwined with your life, makes you a stronger individual. As I begin to prepare to welcome a new member to our family, I know that having God at the center of our life, only makes us a stronger and more loving family. Wind your cord with God and see what He can do.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #839 - Experience

Experience

3 Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? 4 Have you experienced so much in vain—if it really was in vain? 5 So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? Galatians 3:3-5

Do you go about an experience in your life and become really thoughtful about the decisions you make? Do you count on God with this experience, so that you can fully have a God-inspired experience? Like many people, our experiences start out with all the right intentions, however when we might hit a bump in the road or a major blockage, we tend to look at seeing how we can personally manage the experience. The same can be said if we are trying to get others to come to Christ, we start out with the best intentions to show others God through His Spirit, however when we hit a rough patch, we tend to turn away from that Spirit and focus solely on our own way to manage. We, however, cannot manage an experience like this on our own, we must have the Spirit of God continually in our lives to help lift and guide us. Give God what is needed for us to fully enjoy the experiences we have and need in our lives.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #838 - Half

Half

21 At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do. Luke 10:21

When you give effort, is it a full effort or is it just halfway? When you look at a glass, is it half full or half empty? We talk about perceptions of things and know that God wants our full commitment, but many times we know that we give less than half. Why do we only give half or less to our God? Is it because we are afraid we are going to lose out on something if we give too much of ourselves, or is it that we don't feel like we are worthy enough to give God more than half. We cannot be full of anything if we spend our lives below or at half. If you notice, even Jesus was full while He was here on earth while He was trying to teach his disciples. While there were times when they only seemed half in to what was happening, Jesus still stuck with them. We have to find ourselves in an effort to be full. Be full of life, be full of love, be full of care, and be fully pursuing God. As you reflect, don't be too hard on yourself, for God wants us to realize that we need Him and be fully invested. Be full.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #837 - Considerate

Considerate

17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness. James 3:17-18

Do you consider yourself to be a considerate person? Someone that shows kindness and awareness of other people's feelings. I think this is something that our society is trending away from, and you can see it daily. There are people who talk about kindness, passing it forward, being loving to the unloved, and speaking with positive affirmation. Those are the same people who talk about others behind their back, say a negative word about the people who don't do as much as they do, say I will pass it forward the next time, and they didn't say anything good to me, so why should I waste my breath with them. The important thing we need to remember if we have Christ living in us, is that we can reflect all the things in the first list if we allow Christ to work through us. I am sure we are all busy and don't take the time to think about reflecting Christ, but we should. According to scripture we can gain wisdom if we sow the seeds of peace. So as you enter this week, be kind, pay it forward, love the unloved, and speak a positive word. All these things will be steps towards the reflection of Christ and can make the world a better place.

Have a great weekend.


Matt

Fantastic Friday #836 - Reflect

Reflect

6 The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. 7 Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this. 2 Timothy 2:6-7

As we look back on our lives, do you think about different decisions you would have made, or do you think about the influence you have had on your kids or others?. How hard have you worked to be where you are today? God rewards the hardworking individuals here on earth and in Heaven. Just like my hardworking children are earning degrees and graduating with honors, so will God look favorably on them for how they did it. Being honest, working hard and a kind person can get you to different places in this world, but doing it in honor of God and all He provides is how we should be living. God expects us to work hard, because things aren't just given to us. If you are walking the path of righteousness, we will be in line to receive a share of the crops He will provide. Take a moment to reflect on your past and project into your future with the positivity of love and hardwork. No one is going to do it for you, but Christ already died for you to make the hard work more worth it.

Have a great weekend.

Fantastic Friday #835 - Noble

Noble


6 For fools speak folly,
their hearts are bent on evil:
They practice ungodliness
and spread error concerning the Lord;
the hungry they leave empty
and from the thirsty they withhold water.
7 Scoundrels use wicked methods,
they make up evil schemes
to destroy the poor with lies,
even when the plea of the needy is just.
8 But the noble make noble plans,
and by noble deeds they stand. Isaiah 32:6-8



Do you think about what it means to be noble? Someone that is highborn, wellborn or kingly. In our society, there are not many people that are considered noble by human standards. According to history, nobility comes with rank and power, not something that is well-looked upon by the masses. We should probably begin by chasing the nobility we will one day receive in Heaven and focus less on what people think Noble is in this world. Maybe we need to stop and think of what else Noble could be, exemplary, outstanding and exceptional are just a couple of phrases that come to mind. If we choose to focus on being outstanding or exceptional in our walk, our true nobility will shine through. As we make plans, the deeds shine through and we can become closer to who God wants us to be. So let the fools be foolish and don't fall into their empty wicked methods that try to damage your Noble aspirations.


Have a great weekend.


Matt