Fantastic Friday #800 - Heartache

Heartache

13 A happy heart makes the face cheerful,
but heartache crushes the spirit. Proverbs 15:13

What does a happy heart look like? There are people that have a cheerful face but deep down their heart is unhappy. We have all had those moments where we have had to put on a strong front for something, when in reality we want to go in a corner and cry. I was always fascinated by a woman my parents knew when I was growing up, she always had a smile on her face. Yep, we always said, how can she be so happy all the time. I don't know what her heart was truly like, because only she and God know, but my guess is she was at peace with much of her life. When we go through heartache, we don't have to put a false front forward, but we need to remember that the heartache is only temporary and if we can look to the future with a cheerful outlook, it will make things that are so tough be a little better. So, go out and try and make your heart happy with a cheerful disposition. I promise you that you will make a difference in your health and might have an impact on someone else.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #799 - Life

Life

10 Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. 11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. 1 John 5:10-12

How do you look at life and do you value it? I know the second part of that question may seem odd, but if you look at the world today, there are some people who just don't value a human life. The reason they don't value human lives is because they are missing the key component which includes accepting the Son of God. Now let's look at the first part of the question, how do you view your life? Is it one that wakes up each day going through the motions, or is it one that looks to see how you can live a life that honors God and everything He has done for us. We should wake up each morning and think of what we can do that day to thank God for His gift of His Son, and then we need to thank Him for giving us Life so that we can show people our testimony of God and the impact in our daily life. Don't live life in a bubble where you don't acknowledge God and all He has done, but live your life in magnificence that helps others see how their life can impact others.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #798 - Let

Let

8 Praise our God, all peoples,
let the sound of his praise be heard;
9 he has preserved our lives
and kept our feet from slipping. Psalm 66:8-9

Let, enable, grant, authorize, give permission. Do you let God be heard, or do you try to hide His voice under a pillow so people don't look at you with a side eye? I was so impressed by many of our Olympians who were gracious to our country and their freedom, but also bold enough to let their feelings about their Father in Heaven be heard. We get so caught up in what the world would think if we said something about how God protected us through an issue, saved us from our sins, or how He gives us strength daily, that we try and silence Him. But the funny thing is, God cannot be silenced, even while we push His voice away, He finds ways to show His presence and Grace. He doesn't need us, but everyone needs Him. Don't try to silence what He has done, but Let us expound on what He has done for us.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #797 - Unfolding

Unfolding

The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. Psalm 119:130


When you are reading a book, do you find joy in the way a story unfolds. There is a great old western that I enjoyed reading a few years ago. The story started out really slow, but as the pages turned in this 800 page novel, the story began to unfold and make the less exciting early parts a masterpiece of enjoyment as I proceeded through it. What about your own life as it unfolds? Do you look at the less exciting parts and wait for your life to unfold in an all-revealing way? Many times our lives are unfolding just as God has planned them to, but we need to remember that they do not unfold at a rapid pace but only when we are ready for them to unfold. Just like when you are reading God's Word, you might find a passage that is unclear to you at the time, but certainly as you continue to grow in your faith, God will unfold things for you to see the true meaning. Don't try to rush through life at a rapid pace, but let things unfold before you as they are intended, in God's time.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #796 - Path

Path

34Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law
and obey it with all my heart.
35 Direct me in the path of your commands,
for there I find delight.
36 Turn my heart toward your statutes
and not toward selfish gain. Psalm 119:34-36

This week a friend posted a picture online of a choice between two trails that she could have traveled on, one was named Glacier Meadow Loop and the other was Pacific Crest Trail. At first glance, these two names provide a very pleasant picture in my mind of what the hike might be like. The Meadow with its green grasses it's beautiful trees and wildlife give a wonderful view of the creation that God has made. The Crest trail reminded me of walking on a Cliff next to an ocean watching the waves lap against the shoreline. Those trails are not what we usually face daily in our world. We have decisions we need to make when deciding on the right trail to take. We need to take the one that can help us find joy and hopefully lead us closer to God. So when we need help deciding between two paths, turn to the Lord and all that he has given us to guide us down the path to righteousness. God will not disappoint us and He is always there.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #795 - Living

Living

15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Matthew 16:15-16

How many times do you go through your day acknowledging the Son of the Living God and who Jesus really is in your life? If your child comes to you saying Who am I, you could answer that you are my son or daughter, but that would be an obvious answer because we know who they are and have no question of their role in our relationship. What is challenging in today's world, because Jesus is not physically standing beside us, is we tend to forget who He is and what He has done for us. While we know who He is, we probably don't spend a lot of time acknowledging it. We don't fully recognize His involvement in every aspect of our day, and we certainly can find ourselves losing track of where we should be walking. The next time you have a moment, thank God and recognize who He is in your life. He doesn't get tired of hearing from us, and the closer we are to him, the more we will be impacted by His presence.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #794 - Attentive

Attentive

10 “They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand. 11 Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.” Nehemiah 1:10-11

Do you have those people around you that are half in and half out? They might be partially listening to what you are saying, but the moment you bring something up that you thought they didn't hear, they are like, oh yeah, I heard you. So how are you when you are paying attention to God and His teachings and word? Are you half in and half out, do you partially listen to the still small voice, or do you just only listen to the things that you think impact you. God doesn't want our partial attention, He wants us to be attentive in every aspect of our life to His teaching. We might not realize it at the time, but He teaches us regularly, even when we are half in. We just need to make a conscious effort to be fully attentive when He is trying to show us something. When we begin to do this, it will help us be more attentive to others in our relationships. I hope you are more attentive today.

Have a great weekend.

Matt