Pure
11 One who loves a pure heart and who speaks with grace
will have the king for a friend. Proverbs 22:11
What do you think of when you hear the word Pure? Is it the white snow, the clear and clean running stream, or the purity of a young child? When you think of a pure heart, the thought of being completely clean might be something that enters your mind, and when God is described in the Bible the sheer brightness described must have been a blinding pure light when nothing else was seen. To have a pure heart these days is hard, because the enemy challenges us at every turn. I look at the anger and hate being spewed these days, and I wonder if there is any purity in these people. I also realize that people who spew hate and not love for others don't have many friends. Think about those around you who show grace and love to others, people usually don't have a bad thing to say about those people. That is because they are blessed with friendship because of their kindness and purity of heart. I would much rather be blessed with a kinship with others and a pure heart, than have a heart that is dark and no real love to give others. Speak with Grace verbally and online the next time you say something.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
Friday, June 26, 2020
Friday, June 19, 2020
Fantastic Friday #738 - Pain
Pain
28 May they be blotted out of the book of life
and not be listed with the righteous.
29 But as for me, afflicted and in pain—
may your salvation, God, protect me.
30 I will praise God’s name in song
and glorify him with thanksgiving. Psalm 69:28-30
Do you ever find yourself in pain or suffering? There is a lot of pain and suffering that goes on in this world, and a lot of times I think it can be self-inflicted. There are times when others can inflict pain on you, but if you think about it, there aren't that many people who intentionally inflict pain on us. The pain that I see is caused by worry, doubt and fear. Our body begins to break down and we can't sleep, get frustrated or feel like we can't overcome the pain. Here though is a perfect example of how we overcome the affliction and pain we experience. God provides coverage over us and we should remember that we can push back against the pain by utilizing the Holy Spirit for comfort and calling on God to help. We do need to remember to daily thank God for His coverage over us.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
28 May they be blotted out of the book of life
and not be listed with the righteous.
29 But as for me, afflicted and in pain—
may your salvation, God, protect me.
30 I will praise God’s name in song
and glorify him with thanksgiving. Psalm 69:28-30
Do you ever find yourself in pain or suffering? There is a lot of pain and suffering that goes on in this world, and a lot of times I think it can be self-inflicted. There are times when others can inflict pain on you, but if you think about it, there aren't that many people who intentionally inflict pain on us. The pain that I see is caused by worry, doubt and fear. Our body begins to break down and we can't sleep, get frustrated or feel like we can't overcome the pain. Here though is a perfect example of how we overcome the affliction and pain we experience. God provides coverage over us and we should remember that we can push back against the pain by utilizing the Holy Spirit for comfort and calling on God to help. We do need to remember to daily thank God for His coverage over us.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
Friday, June 12, 2020
Fantastic Friday #737 - Mocker
Mocker
7 Whoever corrects a mocker invites insults;
whoever rebukes the wicked incurs abuse.
8 Do not rebuke mockers or they will hate you;
rebuke the wise and they will love you.
9 Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still;
teach the righteous and they will add to their learning.
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
11 For through wisdom your days will be many,
and years will be added to your life.
12 If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you;
if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer. Proverbs 9:7-12
Have you taken to social media this week and seen one person attacking another? Or, have you found yourself attacking someone's negative comments with opinions of your own? We all have deep feelings about the world and what happens around us, but with the advent of social media we tend to see these events more often, more quickly and almost immediately when live events are being broadcast. We need to remember that the world is full of wickedness and mockers whose sole purpose is to create a division among people. This Proverbs verse helped remind me that our role is not to rebuke the mockers, because as you and I know, these people will never see the wickedness of attacking others as being wrong. If they do, it will only because they see how you treat them with respect and love. We need to remember that we should respect God and His guidance on how to treat these mockers. Wisdom will come in how we treat others around us, and this wisdom will help others grow. When you rebuke, be careful in how you proceed, and I hope you can take a step not to antagonize people this next week but love them through your words and actions.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
7 Whoever corrects a mocker invites insults;
whoever rebukes the wicked incurs abuse.
8 Do not rebuke mockers or they will hate you;
rebuke the wise and they will love you.
9 Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still;
teach the righteous and they will add to their learning.
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
11 For through wisdom your days will be many,
and years will be added to your life.
12 If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you;
if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer. Proverbs 9:7-12
Have you taken to social media this week and seen one person attacking another? Or, have you found yourself attacking someone's negative comments with opinions of your own? We all have deep feelings about the world and what happens around us, but with the advent of social media we tend to see these events more often, more quickly and almost immediately when live events are being broadcast. We need to remember that the world is full of wickedness and mockers whose sole purpose is to create a division among people. This Proverbs verse helped remind me that our role is not to rebuke the mockers, because as you and I know, these people will never see the wickedness of attacking others as being wrong. If they do, it will only because they see how you treat them with respect and love. We need to remember that we should respect God and His guidance on how to treat these mockers. Wisdom will come in how we treat others around us, and this wisdom will help others grow. When you rebuke, be careful in how you proceed, and I hope you can take a step not to antagonize people this next week but love them through your words and actions.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
Friday, June 5, 2020
Fantastic Friday #736 - Wicked
Wicked
4 The Lord is in his holy temple;
the Lord is on his heavenly throne.
He observes everyone on earth;
his eyes examine them.
5 The Lord examines the righteous,
but the wicked, those who love violence,
he hates with a passion.
6 On the wicked he will rain
fiery coals and burning sulfur;
a scorching wind will be their lot. Psalm 11:4-6
What do you think about when you see the word 'wicked'? Does anything that you see in society today cross your thoughts, something across the street or down the road or on the news? There is a lot of wickedness in this world, but at the same time this is a lot of good and passion with people and their actions. Wickedness comes in many forms and cannot be narrowed down to one specific thing, and one specific location, and certainly God sees it all. Kindness and love, if practiced, can overcome the world of wickedness. I think reading this scripture this week that I would prefer to be on the side of the righteous over the wicked, because coals do not sound great unless you are grilling. Things are hot enough now that we don't need more heat from sulfur and scorching wind, so think about your love and kindness, and the kind of cooling impact it can have on wickedness.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
4 The Lord is in his holy temple;
the Lord is on his heavenly throne.
He observes everyone on earth;
his eyes examine them.
5 The Lord examines the righteous,
but the wicked, those who love violence,
he hates with a passion.
6 On the wicked he will rain
fiery coals and burning sulfur;
a scorching wind will be their lot. Psalm 11:4-6
What do you think about when you see the word 'wicked'? Does anything that you see in society today cross your thoughts, something across the street or down the road or on the news? There is a lot of wickedness in this world, but at the same time this is a lot of good and passion with people and their actions. Wickedness comes in many forms and cannot be narrowed down to one specific thing, and one specific location, and certainly God sees it all. Kindness and love, if practiced, can overcome the world of wickedness. I think reading this scripture this week that I would prefer to be on the side of the righteous over the wicked, because coals do not sound great unless you are grilling. Things are hot enough now that we don't need more heat from sulfur and scorching wind, so think about your love and kindness, and the kind of cooling impact it can have on wickedness.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
Friday, May 29, 2020
Fantastic Friday #735 - Word
Word
12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12
When you read God's Word, how does it make you feel? When you study God's Word, does your load seem lighter? What about when you go several days without reading or studying God's Word. I know that I personally tend to lose focus and move on a path of doubt when I don't look at His Word daily or on a regular basis. Doubt is one of those things that the enemy finds as a very easy way to pull us away from God, but if scripture is alive and active, then it really destroys that doubt that creeps in on us. Remember the visual noted above of God's Word that can slice through anything the enemy places in front of us and can impact us deep in our soul. If we can remember the words of this simple verse, then our doubt can be easily defeated.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12
When you read God's Word, how does it make you feel? When you study God's Word, does your load seem lighter? What about when you go several days without reading or studying God's Word. I know that I personally tend to lose focus and move on a path of doubt when I don't look at His Word daily or on a regular basis. Doubt is one of those things that the enemy finds as a very easy way to pull us away from God, but if scripture is alive and active, then it really destroys that doubt that creeps in on us. Remember the visual noted above of God's Word that can slice through anything the enemy places in front of us and can impact us deep in our soul. If we can remember the words of this simple verse, then our doubt can be easily defeated.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
Friday, May 22, 2020
Fantastic Friday #734 - Changes
Changes
20 and declared:
May the name of God
be praised forever and ever,
for wisdom and power belong to Him.
21 He changes the times and seasons;
He removes kings and establishes kings.
He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to those
who have understanding.
22 He reveals the deep and hidden things;
He knows what is in the darkness,
and light dwells with Him. Daniel 2:20-22
Sometimes we have to make changes on the fly. Maybe it is due to a sudden event, something your boss didn't like, or something that impacts the way you are able to make it through the day. If you look at the business world, people always talk about change, how it can be better, how it can make a difference and they also talk about how people are resistant to change and people stuck in their ways find it hard to change. How many of us have something that changes in our lives and it throws us completely off kilter. We think the world might be falling down around us or the enemy sees where he can step in and make us feel miserable about the change. Maybe we should look at changes in a different manner. Change, according to this scripture, comes from God alone. He changes the times and seasons in our lives for a reason. If we readjust our focus on where these changes come from, then maybe our view of our circumstances would be different. We also might begin to see and experience the deep and hidden things from God. I know I daily look for these guide-markers that God places before us.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
20 and declared:
May the name of God
be praised forever and ever,
for wisdom and power belong to Him.
21 He changes the times and seasons;
He removes kings and establishes kings.
He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to those
who have understanding.
22 He reveals the deep and hidden things;
He knows what is in the darkness,
and light dwells with Him. Daniel 2:20-22
Sometimes we have to make changes on the fly. Maybe it is due to a sudden event, something your boss didn't like, or something that impacts the way you are able to make it through the day. If you look at the business world, people always talk about change, how it can be better, how it can make a difference and they also talk about how people are resistant to change and people stuck in their ways find it hard to change. How many of us have something that changes in our lives and it throws us completely off kilter. We think the world might be falling down around us or the enemy sees where he can step in and make us feel miserable about the change. Maybe we should look at changes in a different manner. Change, according to this scripture, comes from God alone. He changes the times and seasons in our lives for a reason. If we readjust our focus on where these changes come from, then maybe our view of our circumstances would be different. We also might begin to see and experience the deep and hidden things from God. I know I daily look for these guide-markers that God places before us.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
Friday, May 15, 2020
Fantastic Friday #733 - Knit
Knit
13 For it was You who created my inward parts;
You knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise You
because I have been remarkably and wonderfully made.
Your works are wonderful,
and I know this very well. Psalm 139:13-14
I have seen a lot of people working on things they haven't had time to do before this pandemic, and the most interesting thing I have seen is the knitting that is taking place. I saw a blanket that a friend made, and it reminded me of all the blankets my grandmother used to make. I made a joke that my friend should knit a pair of shorts for her husband, but not sure I want to see that. My daughter also produced a painting this semester for her art class that focused on this scripture but was also a personal statement. All of this reminded me of this scripture about God knitting us together. If God can knit together such a wonderful creation as us, don't we think that He can do anything? When doubt creeps in and makes us think our circumstances cannot be corrected, or that what we are going through is irrelevant to God, think about this scripture. God wouldn't take His time to knit together something as wonderful as us just to have us unwind into a mess of yarn. Focus on knitting your own life into one that is well-lived.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
13 For it was You who created my inward parts;
You knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise You
because I have been remarkably and wonderfully made.
Your works are wonderful,
and I know this very well. Psalm 139:13-14
I have seen a lot of people working on things they haven't had time to do before this pandemic, and the most interesting thing I have seen is the knitting that is taking place. I saw a blanket that a friend made, and it reminded me of all the blankets my grandmother used to make. I made a joke that my friend should knit a pair of shorts for her husband, but not sure I want to see that. My daughter also produced a painting this semester for her art class that focused on this scripture but was also a personal statement. All of this reminded me of this scripture about God knitting us together. If God can knit together such a wonderful creation as us, don't we think that He can do anything? When doubt creeps in and makes us think our circumstances cannot be corrected, or that what we are going through is irrelevant to God, think about this scripture. God wouldn't take His time to knit together something as wonderful as us just to have us unwind into a mess of yarn. Focus on knitting your own life into one that is well-lived.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
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