Build Your House Upon the Rock Revisted

Build Your House Upon the Rock

The faithfulness of God is the unshakeable ground we build our lives upon.  Kay Warren

I saw a segment on TV last night about the multi-billion dollar self improvement industry today. I was struck by people's eagerness to plunk down thousands of dollars to listen to some self-help guru explain how you, too can be healthy, wealthy, and wise. The only problem is the credentials of the so called guru. In many cases they are charismatic, uneducated charlatans who really don't care about the people they purport to help and the only wealth that is being created is their own...

On the other hand, the Bible is true and reliable and without cost. It is God's personal Word to us and is how He has chosen to reveal Himself to us. It doesn't cost thousands and offers real answers to life's toughest questions. I find it odd that people would rather pay big money to bad people than to pick up and read the only true source of wisdom. They'll spend 9.6 billion on books, seminars, programs, retreats, etc. where someone without real wisdom will tell them what they want to hear rather than read what they need to hear from the One who made them.

The facts are that we all need a road map. Psalm 119:19-20 says, "I am but a pilgrim here on earth: how I need a map--and Your commands are my chart and guide. I long for Your instructions more than I can tell." (TLB)

Oswald Chambers said, "Never water down the word of God, preach it in its undiluted sternness; there must be unflinching loyalty to the word of God; but when you come to personal dealing with your fellow men, remember who you are-not a special being made up in heaven, but a sinner saved by grace."

You may have tried to read parts of God's word in the past and you may have had difficulty with it. Once you've begun your journey of faith in Christ, it becomes your personal letter from God and the Holy Spirit helps us understand it and take it to heart. I've heard it said, "I couldn't pick it up before, and now I can't put it down."

"The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward." Psalm 19:7-11 (NIV)

God's word is an accurate road map for life, your life. It tells us how to walk, where to walk, and what to expect. It is our true source of knowledge about who God is and who He wants us to be. His word reveals His heart. God's heart loves people with an everlasting love. But God's word isn't just about knowledge. D.L. Moody said, "The Bible was not given to increase our knowledge but to change our lives."

"There's nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God's way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us." 2 Timothy 3:15b-17 (The Message)

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." Matthew 7:24-27 (NIV) The "big idea" in this passage is to hear God's word and put it into practice. So pick up God's manual on how to live and begin to build a life on His solid foundation.

Dear Lord, Thank you for Your word, Your personal word to us that reveals who you are and guides us in Your paths. Please correct and expose those things in us that need to be changed, realigned, reshaped. Change our thinking, Lord, through the power of Your truth and help us to walk in it.

Originally posted June 30, 2010.

Image courtesy of Photobucket.com.

Teach with Your Life

1 Timothy 4

Teach with Your Life

 ^1-5The Spirit makes it clear that as time goes on, some are going to give up on the faith and chase after demonic illusions put forth by professional liars. These liars have lied so well and for so long that they've lost their capacity for truth. They will tell you not to get married. They'll tell you not to eat this or that food—perfectly good food God created to be eaten heartily and with thanksgiving by believers who know better! Everything God created is good, and to be received with thanks. Nothing is to be sneered at and thrown out. God's Word and our prayers make every item in creation holy.  ^6-10You've been raised on the Message of the faith and have followed sound teaching. Now pass on this counsel to the followers of Jesus there, and you'll be a good servant of Jesus. Stay clear of silly stories that get dressed up as religion. Exercise daily in God—no spiritual flabbiness, please! Workouts in the gymnasium are useful, but a disciplined life in God is far more so, making you fit both today and forever. You can count on this. Take it to heart. This is why we've thrown ourselves into this venture so totally. We're banking on the living God, Savior of all men and women, especially believers.
 ^11-14Get the word out. Teach all these things. And don't let anyone put you down because you're young. Teach believers with your life: by word, by demeanor, by love, by faith, by integrity. Stay at your post reading Scripture, giving counsel, teaching. And that special gift of ministry you were given when the leaders of the church laid hands on you and prayed—keep that dusted off and in use.
 ^15-16Cultivate these things. Immerse yourself in them. The people will all see you mature right before their eyes! Keep a firm grasp on both your character and your teaching. Don't be diverted. Just keep at it. Both you and those who hear you will experience salvation. (The Message)

Dear Lord,  Help us to apply all diligence to our pursuit of godliness!  Let our lives teach others of Your love, Your faithfulness, Your forgiveness, Your Word.  Let us make Your word our guide...

Words to Live By

"Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee."  Psalm 119:11 (KJV)

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."  Psalm 119:105 (KJV)

"Remember what you said to me, your servant— I hang on to these words for dear life! These words hold me up in bad times; yes, your promises rejuvenate me. The insolent ridicule me without mercy, but I don't budge from your revelation. I watch for your ancient landmark words, and know I'm on the right track. But when I see the wicked ignore your directions, I'm beside myself with anger. I set your instructions to music and sing them as I walk this pilgrim way. I meditate on your name all night, God, treasuring your revelation, O God. Still, I walk through a rain of derision because I live by your Word and counsel."  Psalm 119:49 (The Message)

"He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth 
of the LORD."  Deuteronomy 8:3  (NIV)

"Jesus answered, 'It is written: "Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."'"  Matthew 4:4 (NIV)

"Hallelujah! I give thanks to God with everything I've got— Wherever good people gather, and in the congregation. God's works are so great, worth A lifetime of study—endless enjoyment! Splendor and beauty mark his craft; His generosity never gives out. His miracles are his memorial— This God of Grace, this God of Love. He gave food to those who fear him, He remembered to keep his ancient promise. He proved to his people that he could do what he said: Hand them the nations on a platter—a gift! He manufactures truth and justice; All his products are guaranteed to last— Never out-of-date, never obsolete, rust-proof. All that he makes and does is honest and true: He paid the ransom for his people, He ordered his Covenant kept forever. He's so personal and holy, worthy of our respect. The good life begins in the fear of God— Do that and you'll know the blessing of God. His Hallelujah lasts forever!"  Psalm 111:1  (The Message)

"Here, then, is the real problem of our negligence. We fail in our duty to study God's Word not so much because it is difficult to understand, not so much because it is dull and boring, but because it is work. Our problem is not a lack of intelligence or a lack of passion. Our problem is that we are lazy."  R.C. Sproul

"The Word of God well understood and religiously obeyed is the shortest route to spiritual perfection. And we must not select a few favorite passages to the exclusion of others. Nothing less than a whole Bible can make a whole Christian."  A.W. Tozer 

Dear Lord,  Let us value Your ancient words. Let us hang on to them for dear life knowing that they are the light by which we walk and the true food we eat.  Let them change us from within but please let the changes be obvious to the whole world...

Have a wonderful weekend!

Photo courtesy of Photobucket.com

Is God Speaking?

"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."  Romans 1:20 (NIV)

"See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first. As has just been said:   'Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.^'  Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert? And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed?   So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief."  Hebrews 312-19  (NIV)

If God is speaking, do not harden your hearts.  God can speak to you in a myriad of ways.  He can speak to you through His word, worship, or wonder, but He can also speak to you through the kindness of a friend, through a phrase that you have read somewhere, through a thought that you are thinking through.  He can use anything He wants to speak to you.  How do we know when He is speaking?  The more we are listening, the more likely we are to recognize His voice when He speaks.  What are we listening for?  We are listening for His character, His ways, His will and all according to His word.  It becomes fairly easy to know when He is speaking if you know His voice.  In John 10:27 (ESV) Jesus says, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me."

"I am the Good Shepherd. I know my own sheep and my own sheep know me. In the same way, the Father knows me and I know the Father. I put the sheep before myself, sacrificing myself if necessary. You need to know that I have other sheep in addition to those in this pen. I need to gather and bring them, too. They'll also recognize my voice. Then it will be one flock, one Shepherd. This is why the Father loves me: because I freely lay down my life. And so I am free to take it up again. No one takes it from me. I lay it down of my own free will. I have the right to lay it down; I also have the right to take it up again. I received this authority personally from my Father." John 10:14-18 (The Message)

"We couldn't be more sure of what we saw and heard—God's glory, God's voice. The prophetic Word was confirmed to us. You'll do well to keep focusing on it. It's the one light you have in a dark time as you wait for daybreak and the rising of the Morning Star in your hearts. The main thing to keep in mind here is that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of private opinion. And why? Because it's not something concocted in the human heart. Prophecy resulted when the Holy Spirit prompted men and women to speak God's Word."  2 Peter 1:19-21 (The Message)

"You're blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God. You're blessed when you follow his directions, doing your best to find him. That's right—you don't go off on your own; you walk straight along the road he set. You, God, prescribed the right way to live; now you expect us to live it. Oh, that my steps might be steady, keeping to the course you set; Then I'd never have any regrets in comparing my life with your counsel. I thank you for speaking straight from your heart; I learn the pattern of your righteous ways. I'm going to do what you tell me to do; don't ever walk off and leave me."  Psalm 119:1-3 (The Message)

"Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track. Don't assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil! Your body will glow with health, your very bones will vibrate with life! Honor God with everything you own; give him the first and the best. Your barns will burst, your wine vats will brim over. But don't, dear friend, resent God's discipline; don't sulk under his loving correction. It's the child he loves that God corrects; a father's delight is behind all this."  Proverbs 3:5-12 (The Message)

Dear Lord,  Thank you that Your sheep can hear Your voice.  Help us to listen and follow where ever You lead us.  Teach us to recognize Your voice among  the throng of voices we hear every day.  Teach us Your character, Your ways, Your will, and Your word that we might not harden our hearts when we hear Your Voice today...

Photo courtesy of FreeFoto.com.

Growing Up

My son's friend posted this on Facebook!  Several of them recently signed a lease and apparently this struck a chord with them.  Does it strike a chord with you?  I am definitely over the hill; my kids are all grown, our youngest child went off to college last fall, our second child graduated from college last May and our oldest is in a foreign country interning for an NGO!  You would think that  I would feel grown up, yet inside I still think of myself as 20 (Okay, maybe 30!).  Do we ever feel grown up inside?  Or do we just do our best to appear grown up.  Of course, wrinkles and gray hairs make us look grown up on the outside but in our own minds we frequently just think that our bodies are getting old...We aren't!

And what about spiritually?  Are we growing up spiritually?  Or are we still babies? In Ephesians 4:14 it says, "No prolonged infancies among us, please. We'll not tolerate babes in the woods, small children who are an easy mark for impostors. God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love—like Christ in everything. We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do. He keeps us in step with each other. His very breath and blood flow through us, nourishing us so that we will grow up healthy in God, robust in love."  (The Message)

"In a word, what I'm saying is, Grow up. You're kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you."  Matthew 5:48 (The Message)

"Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ."  Ephesians 4:15 (NIV)

"So come on, let's leave the preschool fingerpainting exercises on Christ and get on with the grand work of art. Grow up in Christ. The basic foundational truths are in place: turning your back on "salvation by self-help" and turning in trust toward God; baptismal instructions; laying on of hands; resurrection of the dead; eternal judgment. God helping us, we'll stay true to all that. But there's so much more. Let's get on with it!"  Hebrews 6:1 (The Message)

Even if you think you were thinking about Batman so you didn't hear what God was saying, go back and find out what He was saying!  Don't let it pass you by because you were preoccupied with yourself.  Track Him down, ask Him to repeat Himself, and then listen to what He has to say to you.  "..long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord."  1 Peter 2:1-3 (NASB)

"And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."  James 1:4  (ESV)
 
Dear Lord,  Help us to grow up in You.  Teach us to put our preoccupation with ourselves aside so that we might be nourished by the pure milk of the word and thereby grow up healthy in You.

Comic strip courtesy of:  xkcd.com

When the Dust of the World Blows Our Way...

When the dust of the world blows our way, it can cloud our vision, change our perspective or viewpoint, influence us to make poor decisions because we cannot see clearly.  In  Colossians 2:6-10 it says, "My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you've been given. You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live him. You're deeply rooted in him. You're well constructed upon him. You know your way around the faith. Now do what you've been taught. School's out; quit studying the subject and start living it! And let your living spill over into thanksgiving.  Watch out for people who try to dazzle you with big words and intellectual double-talk. They want to drag you off into endless arguments that never amount to anything. They spread their ideas through the empty traditions of human beings and the empty superstitions of spirit beings. But that's not the way of Christ. Everything of God gets expressed in him, so you can see and hear him clearly. You don't need a telescope, a microscope, or a horoscope to realize the fullness of Christ, and the emptiness of the universe without him. When you come to him, that fullness comes together for you, too. His power extends over everything."  (The Message)

"We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!"  1 Corinthians 13:12 (The Message)

Turning away from a worldly viewpoint can be difficult and the longer you've been hanging around that worldly viewpoint, the harder it can be to leave it.  Don't hang there!  Get back to God's wisdom.  Everything  else in this world will pass away, but not God's Word...  "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away."  Matthew 24:35 (NIV)

"The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever."  1 John 2:17 (NIV)

"I waited and waited and waited for God. At last he looked; finally he listened. He lifted me out of the ditch, pulled me from deep mud. He stood me up on a solid rock to make sure I wouldn't slip. He taught me how to sing the latest God-song, a praise-song to our God. More and more people are seeing this: they enter the mystery, abandoning themselves to God."  Psalm 40:1  (The Message)

"These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit—but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock."  Matthew 7:24 (The Message)

Dear Lord,  Thank you  for Your  word that will never pass away.  Thank you that when everything in this world is sinking sand, You are the Solid Rock on which I stand. 

Photograph courtesy of Sean Zellmer.

Mirror Image

We should all be a reflection of His holy face.  What does that face look like?  Well, in order to find out, we must be looking in the mirror, the mirror of God's word.  God's word serves two purposes.  It shows us what we look like and it shows us what God looks like.

We find out how we look by using God's word as a standard.  The law was given so that we would understand where we fall short of His image.  The law is external, written on tablets of stone and required atonement. Atonement in the Old Testament was through blood sacrifice on behalf of sinful people. These standards and sacrifices did not have the power to transform.  It wasn't until the ultimate blood sacrifice, Jesus Christ, came that our lives were able to be transformed into His image.  When the ministry of grace came, salvation meant that God's word is now written on the heart; it is internal and able to transform lives from the inside out.  When Moses came down off of Mount Sinai, his face glowed because he had been face to face with the Lord.  He had to wear a veil because his face frightened the people.  But when he went back up the Mount, he took off the veil because he was face to face with God.  Under the Old Covenant, Moses was the only one who had fellowship with God.  Through Jesus Christ, we now have access to fellowship with God and the mirror of God's word which shows us His Son and transforms us into His Son's image.  Moses reflected the glory of God, but we can now radiate the glory of God.  Moses' reflection of glory was external, ours is internal.

"But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit."  2 Corinthians 3:18 (NASB)

We must not only hear the word, we must do it.  We must not only see how we fall short, we must do something about it. Many people think that hearing a good sermon or Bible study is what makes them grow.  Acting upon God's word is what brings transformation and this comes only through self examination.   The purpose of the mirror of God's word is self examination.  We must look at ourselves in light of His word and we must see ourselves for who we really are.

There are several mistakes we make as we look into the mirror of God's word.  The first mistake is that we only glance at ourselves.  We do not carefully study to show ourselves approved.  We quickly read and unless we spend concerted time understanding and meditating on the word, we will not see our deepest needs.  And we will not be transformed.  Our reading of God's word cannot be an obligation fulfilled.  It must be a discipline pursued. We must hunger and thirst after His righteousness.

Another common mistake is that once we have looked in the mirror, we forget what we have seen.  If we have truly looked into our own hearts, we would cry out as Isaiah did in Isaiah 6:5, "Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty", and as Peter did in Luke 5:8, "Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!"

The third mistake that we often make is that we think that hearing the word is the same as doing the word, and it is not.  We must be doers of the word and not merely hearers who are deluding ourselves.  So we must see ourselves for who we really are, we must not forget what we have seen, and we must actively seek to do what we have been taught in God's word.  This requires time, commitment, and devotion to the word of God.

"But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was."  James 1:22-24 (NASB)

"Don't fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear! Those who hear and don't act are like those who glance in the mirror, walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like."  James 1:22 (The Message)

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified."  Romans 8:28-30 (ESV)

Dear Lord,  Please help us to look at ourselves in the light of Your word.  Help us to be doers and not merely hearers.  Help us to study Your word and to meditate on it so that we might be transformed into your mirror image... 

Photography courtesy of Sean Zellmer.

Build Your House Upon the Rock

I saw a segment on TV last night about the multi billion dollar self improvement industry today. I was struck by people's eagerness to plunk down thousands of dollars to listen to some self-help guru explain how you, too can be healthy, wealthy, and wise. The only problem is the credentials of the so called guru. In many cases they are charismatic, uneducated charlatans who really don't care about the people they purport to help and the only wealth that is being created is their own...

On the other hand, the Bible is true and reliable and without cost. It is God's personal Word to us and is how He has chosen to reveal Himself to us. It doesn't cost thousands and offers real answers to life's toughest questions. I find it odd that people would rather pay big money to bad people than to pick up and read the only true source of wisdom. They'll spend 9.6 billion on books, seminars, programs, retreats, etc. where someone without real wisdom will tell them what they want to hear rather than read what they need to hear from the One who made them.

The facts are that we all need a road map. Psalm 119:19-20 says, "I am but a pilgrim here on earth: how I need a map--and Your commands are my chart and guide. I long for Your instructions more than I can tell." (TLB)

Oswald Chambers said, "Never water down the word of God, preach it in its undiluted sternness; there must be unflinching loyalty to the word of God; but when you come to personal dealing with your fellow men, remember who you are-not a special being made up in heaven, but a sinner saved by grace."

You may have tried to read parts of God's word in the past and you may have had difficulty with it. Once you've begun your journey of faith in Christ, it becomes your personal letter from God and the Holy Spirit helps us understand it and take it to heart. I've heard it said, "I couldn't pick it up before, and now I can't put it down."

"The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward." Psalm 19:7-11 (NIV)

God's word is an accurate road map for life, your life. It tells us how to walk, where to walk, and what to expect. It is our true source of knowledge about who God is and who He wants us to be. His word reveals His heart. God's heart loves people with an everlasting love. But God's word isn't just about knowledge. D.L. Moody said, "The Bible was not given to increase our knowledge but to change our lives."

"There's nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God's way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us." 2 Timothy 3:15b-17 (The Message)

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." Matthew 7:24-27 (NIV) The "big idea" in this passage is to hear God's word and put it into practice. So pick up God's manual on how to live and begin to build a life on His solid foundation.

Dear Lord, Thank you for Your word, Your personal word to us that reveals who you are and guides us in Your paths. Please correct and expose those things in us that need to be changed, realigned, reshaped. Change our thinking, Lord, through the power of Your truth and help us to walk in it.

Serenity

This prayer was given to me when I was a young girl by my paternal grandmother. It is one of the very few things that I ever received from her as she was quite poor and generally sent two dollars in a card for my birthday every year (which I always looked forward to eagerly). For years, I had the plaque propped on my dresser and only recently did I put it away in a box. (I intend to go in search of it very soon!) The Serenity Prayer is as follows:

God, grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference. by Reinhold Niebuhr

The definition of serenity is: the quality or state of being serene; calmness; tranquility. I find that accepting the things I cannot change is freeing, and allows me to move on. But I don't find freedom just because I accepted something, and I don't move on because I accepted it either. I accept it because I have a God who knows more than I do, because I can trust Him with all things and because "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together." Colossians 1:15-17 (NASB) I can feel God's calmness and tranquility because I know He is in complete control. Now that does not mean that things will be perfect or even wonderful, but it does mean that I can trust that whatever happens, good or bad, it will be okay because He is in control.

One of my favorite verses, Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." This does not mean that everything will be "good"! Far from it! The Bible says, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33 (NIV) What it does mean is that God will use all the things that happen in our lives (both good and bad) for our good and the good of those around us, if, we love Him and are called according to His purpose. I try to stay focused on my part of the promise: loving Him and being called according to His purpose. Then I assume that He will be working all things (both good and bad) together for our ultimate good. The thing that sometimes frustrates us is that we can't always see that or figure out what our "good" is. That is where our trust in Him comes into play again. We trust Him that He does know and that that is all we need to know!

So I have accepted the things that I cannot change because God can be trusted and He is in control. The next part of that prayer says that I should change the things I can and ask for the courage to do so. The one thing I can definitely change with God's help and His courage is my own behavior and incorrect attitudes. I have many choices and I can make "good" choices or "bad" ones. The decision is up to me... I can choose to do the "right" thing or my "own" thing. God's word says, "For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline." 2 Timothy 1:7 You see, when His power and strength rest in us, we can discipline ourselves to make good choices and to do the right thing. He also says in Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." (KJV) Joshua 1:9 says, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." (ESV) God will give us the courage we need and we can be assured that He will be with us along the way, wherever we go. In the Old Testament, God says to be strong and courageous in 13 verses that are fairly close together. He says it 4 times in Joshua chapter 1 alone! I think he wanted Joshua to get the message, don't you? God wanted Joshua to know that this should be his attitude and that the Lord, Himself, would be with him and would give him the strength that he needed to do what the Lord had asked of him. He will also give us the strength that we need to do what He has asked of us.

The last part of this prayer asks for the "wisdom" to know the difference between the things we cannot change and should accept, and the things we can change and should act upon. The important thing to ask for is "wisdom". "But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind." James 1:5-6 (NASB) "Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom." Psalm 51:6 (NASB)

"My son, if you will receive my sayings, and treasure my commandments within you, make your ear attentive to wisdom, incline your heart to understanding; for if you cry for discernment, lift your voice for understanding; if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will discern the fear of the Lord, and discover the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice, and He preserves the way of His godly ones. Then you will discern righteousness and justice and equity and every good course, for wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul..." Proverbs 2:1-10 (NASB)

"How much better to get wisdom than gold!To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver." Proverbs 16:16 (ESV) We need to pursue wisdom and understanding and that is found in God's truth. We should invest our time in His word so that we might gain the knowledge of Him so that we might walk as He walked. "The one who says, 'I have come to know Him,' and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked." 1 John 2:4-6 (NASB)

Dear Lord, Grant me Your peace so I can be content even when things don't go the way I think they should. Grant me Your peace when I realize that I can't change something. Give me courage, Lord, to do what You have asked me to do, when You have asked me to do it. Help me to be transformed into Your image by the renewing of my mind through Your Word. And grant me the wisdom and understanding that can only come from You.