Commit

 

Commit

 

There’s a place in the Batman universe called Arkham Asylum where the mentally unstable people wind up.  I’m here to tell you that some of you need to be committed.  No, not because you might be unstable. Well who knows maybe you are.  I know sometimes I’m a few French fries short of a Happy Meal.  You need to commit your life to God and your ways and actions.  I’m struggling with things that are stressing me out and I have to commit to seeking God with problems that are bigger than me.  

 

This is what I mean by you need to be committed.  

 

Proverbs 16:3

 

“Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.”

 

Psalm 37:5

 

“Commit everything you do to the Lord.  Trust Him, and he will help you.”

 

Psalm 37:23-24

 

“The Lord directs the steps of the godly.  He delights in every detail of their lives.  Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.”  

 

Did you catch that?  When you commit your actions to God and follow Him, He delights in the details of your life.  Some of us need to be reminded that God can delight in us.  

 

You need to be committed!  

 

 

I commit by Margaret Becker 

For the Sake of the call by Steven Curtis Chapman 

Committed to the call by Kim Hill

Wise Interaction

Wise interaction 

 

Proverbs 11:17 

“Your kindness will reward you, but your cruelty will destroy you.”  

 

11:25

 

“The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.”

 

12:18

 

“Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing.”  

 

 

How you interact with people matters. God has us here to bless others.  Improve your interaction skills.  

 

This is a more simplistic blog than normal.  But I want to sum it all up with a song by Natalie Grant called Human.

 

“Every life has a choice
To rise above to fill a void
Every heart has a mission
And we are called to be human

We gotta do better than this 'cause we've only got
One chance to make a difference
We gotta do better than this 'cause we've only got
One life that we've been given

A little love, a little kindness
A little light in this time of darkness
It'll be what makes us different
It'll be what makes us human
I'm human, you're human, we are, we are human

We are marked with His image
And we are scarred with indifference
Maybe now we should listen
Hear the cry of God's children

We gotta do better than this 'cause we've only got
One chance to make a difference
We gotta do better than this 'cause we've only got
One life that we've been given

A little love, a little kindness
A little light in this time of darkness
It'll be what makes the difference
It'll be what makes us human

I'm human, you're human, we are
We are human
I'm human, you're human, we are
We are human

I gotta do better than this 'cause I've only got
One chance to make a difference
Gotta do better than this 'cause I'm only
Just one

I'm human, you're human, we are
We are human
I'm human, you're human, we are
We are human

Yeah, a little love
A little kindness
A little heart in this time of darkness
It'll be what makes us different
We are, we are human

We are human
All we need is a little love, little kindness
We are human

It'll be what makes the difference
It'll be what makes us human”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Love in any language by SandiPatty 

Face the nation by 4 Him

Human by Natalie Grant

Running on ego

 

Running on ego

 

Maybe I’m the only one.  I don’t know but I see a lot of people on power trips.  Arrogance and pride.  I’m better than this person or that person.  For all our attitudes as humans we still tip over easy when trying to put the most basic clothing item underwear on.  Try it sometime right after getting out of the shower.  If you have nothing to brace yourself on you will easily fall.  God has a better plan for us.  Seriously when was the last time you thanked a waiter or waitress?  When did you last thank the cleaning crew at work.  I got humbled by my wife recently.  She thought I didn’t appreciate the things she did around the house.  Our pride let’s us take things and people for granted and it’s not good.  When was the last time you thanked the person who cleans the port a potty?  

 

James 4:10

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.”

 

Someone posted on Facebook recently and it caught my attention because in the next verses I’m going to show you God asks us to bring our problems to him, but we must first be humble.  We have to admit he is God, and we are not.  

 

1 Peter 5:5-7

“In the same way, you younger men must accept the authority of the elders.  And all of you serve each other in humility, for God opposes the proud but favors the humble.  So, humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.  Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”  

 

I’m a fan of many things and lately I’ve been watching a lot of Star Wars the Clone Wars and Anakin Skywalker keeps wanting the title of Master.  If you follow his story though it’s his pride that becomes his undoing and he becomes more and more resentful and evil.  God wants us to humble ourselves and treat others as better than ourselves.  Just because I’m a husband doesn’t make me better than Marion.  She’s my wife and friend and I’m to treat her better.  

 

We all put underwear on one leg at a time.  Humble yourself before God.  

 

DeGarmo and Key said it correctly 

 

“Some people nervous ‘bout their place in life

Running on ego never satisfies 

Some aren’t happy till they’re king of the land

But I don’t worry cause I’m in God’s hand.

 

He's the Master, I'm the servant,
He's the King, I'm the subject,
He's the Ultimate Ruler of it all,
He's the Master, I'm the servant,
He's the King, I'm the subject,
He's the Ultimate Ruler of it all.”  

 

We can humble ourselves or God will humble us.  At the end of life, we will all confess Jesus is Lord.

Philippians 2:3-11

 

“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also the interests of others.  Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.  Being found in the appearance as a man, He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even on a cross.  For this reason, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”  

 

 

Ultimate Ruler by DeGarmo and Key

Human by Natalie Grant

No other name by Sandi Patty 

The Fix

 

The Fix

 

I’ve mentioned this a few times, but it bears repeating.  When I was younger my dad signed my sister and I up for motorcycle safety courses.  I still have my motorcycle license just no bike.  The instructor said something that has stuck with me for years because it applies in a lot of areas of life.  Let me first explain because most of you drive trucks or cars and that’s different from a motorcycle.  See in a truck or car you have the view of the windshield.  For a motorcycle you have more.  Lots more!  What he said was this “Where you look is where you will go.”  See to turn a motorcycle you lean to that side.  The more you look in that direction you will notice your body start to lean.  

 

In Proverbs 4 we find directions for life that apply this principle.  

 

Proverbs 4:25-27

 

“Look straight ahead and fix your eyes on what lies before you.  Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path.  Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil.”

 

Hebrews 12:1-2

 

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up.  And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.  We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.  Because of the joy awaiting him , he endured the cross, disregarding its shame.  Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.”  

 

Where you look is where you go.  Fix your eyes on Jesus!  When we look away and seek things other than what God calls us to do that’s when we sin.  I know this because it happens to me.  

 

 

 

Weak days by Steven Curtis Chapman

Follow you by Geoff Moore and the Distance 

Shadow of your wings by Darlene Zschech

 

Previously

 Previously 

Not too many people know about my last job’s problem.  I don’t talk a lot about it.  I had a tormentor who accused me of things I didn’t do.  I was a security guard at a gated community and for some reason this man decided I was a problem for him.  I had to interact with him and all he really needed to do was put in a code on a call box and drive through the gate.  But he took it upon himself to start accusing me of doing sexually explicit things while at work.  Things I had not done.  Due to bad management and police being unwilling to do anything I left that job.  I now have a higher paying and easier job that I am thankful for.  I became living proof of what Jesus said in Matthew 5.

Matthew 5:10-12

“God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.  God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers.  Be happy about it!  Be very glad!  For a great reward awaits you in heaven.  And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.”

See my year started off horribly and I can tell you it hurt a lot but I look back and God put me in a better situation.  Maybe you’re in a struggle where something similar is happening to you.  I want to encourage you to keep your eyes on God.  You may not see it but he’s working on your behalf.  Keep your focus where it needs to be and that’s on God.  

“When you’re up against a struggle that shatters all your dreams 

And your hopes have been cruelly crushed by satan’s manifested schemes 

And you feel the urge within you to submit to earthly fears

Don’t let the faith you’re standing in seem to disappear 

Praise the Lord, he can work through those who praise him

Praise the Lord for our God inhabits praise 

Praise the Lord, for the chains that seem to bind you serve only to remind you that they drop powerless behind you when you 

Praise the Lord”

Praise the Lord by the Imperials

For such a time by Kim Hill

Overloaded

 

Overloaded 

 

We live in an age of information overload.  Sometimes we need to take a step back from all the stuff trying to grab our attention.  We need God’s wisdom.  I play a game and, in my alliance, we make it a point to help lower level players.  We pass down advice.  Well in the book of James he gives us some.  

 

James 1:5

“If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you.  He will not rebuke you for asking.”  

 

We need time to be in God’s Word and seek him.  Why?  Because it will change us from the inside out.  

 

King Solomon wrote things down that he passed down to his son and we can benefit from this.  

 

Proverbs 2:1-10

“My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands.  Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding.  Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding.  Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures.  Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God.  For the Lord grants wisdom!  From his mouth come knowledge and understanding.  He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest.  He is a shield to those who walk with integrity.  He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to him.  

 

Then you will understand what is right, just and fair, and you will find the right way to go.  For wisdom will enter your heart and knowledge will fill you with joy.”

 

Pursuing God’s wisdom is better than anything the world offers.  

 

 

Counsel of the Holy by Petra 

Seek first by Susan Ashton 

Touch your people by SteveGreen 

Joyful Hope

 

Joyful hope

 

Politically we are in very uncertain times.  That statement can apply to most any time in history.  But I want you to see something.   You may not always think of Hope as being joyful.  

 

Psalm 146:3-5

 

“Don’t put your confidence in powerful people; there is no hope for you there.  When they breathe their last, they return to the earth, and all their plans die with them.  But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God.”  

 

Hope in God can cause us to be joyful!

 

It also gives God, Joy when we hope in Him.  Look at this.

 

Psalm 147:10-11

 

“He takes no pleasure in the strength of a horse or in human might.  No, the Lord’s delight is in those who fear Him, those who put their Hope in his unfailing love.”  

 

 Joy is one of the fruits of the Spirit.  It’s not currency on a sci fi show or dishwashing soap. 

 

Don’t believe me look at Galatians 5:22-23

 

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, Joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  There is no law against these things.”  

 

It’s a spiritual math equation.  Hope + God = Joy.  Finally, a word problem we can all live with.  You people know I base a lot of how I do these blogs much like a wrestling promo.  Well, there it is.  I gave you my points I got your attention, hopefully, and gave you a math problem as your go home line. Now go put your Hope in God not man.  

 

 

 

Joy of the Lord by Twila Paris

There is joy in the Lord by Cheri Keaggy 

Trust in the Lord by Girls of Grace