HIS HEART FRETS

Proverbs 19:3 (NKJV) 3 The foolishness of a man twists his way, And his heart frets against the LORD.
     It is very easy today to look around and find very little to be content with, which is odd, because there are more people today with more extras than ever before. Just one hundred years ago we had horse and buggy problems today were unhappy if the electronic convenience doesn't perform to our satisfaction. What are we to do, I am so glad you asked?
     The Lord says, we are foolish to worry, and the reason we do is because we want our way. The reaction of worry to things we can hardly control is the symptom not the problem. When we will not trust God with all the problems, worry raises its ugly head, and know, this is rebellion to God.
     The heart of the problem is the problem with the heart, God sees the beating of our hearts and sees the internal turmoil, however we hardly recognize the symptoms of worry and angst over things. Our Creator knows we cannot handle pressure well, and provides a way of relief Matthew 11:28. Our Savior wants us to come to Him, with all the trouble that confronts us and trust Him, would you do that now?
Heavenly Father we need You in all our ways, we trust You to do what is needed for us. Let our hearts be tuned to You so that we don't worry over what we cannot fix. Help us to look to You and remember that You love Your children and nothing is too difficult for you. Amen
    

NOT MY WILL

Luke 22:42 (NKJV) 42 saying,...; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done."
    Confronted with difficulties, we often cry out to God for relief that we understand, we want answers that satisfy what we believe, however God is not in the habit of answering that kind of prayer. Then what should I be praying, I am so glad you asked.
     A young lady in prison said, "I want to get out, to be with my family," she was asked, "is that what God wants for you," puzzled she replied, "what should I be asking for?" Our prayers are the revelation of our hearts inmost thoughts, they reveal what we actually believe, our beliefs tell on us, God sees the heart and knows what is best for us, it most often is not what we are seeking.
     He allows circumstances in our lives to bring us to maturity in Him, if it is uncomfortable we will pray, get me out of this, if it hurts we pray stop the hurt, Jesus was facing cruel death, but that death would allow anyone who will come to Him, to posses eternal life. He prayed, "not My will," you see Jesus sets the example to pray according to God's will, not ours for the Heavenly Father sees the whole picture, and we only see our struggle. All of eternity is affected from God's perspective, and if Jesus dies for my sins and makes a way possible for me to experience His Glory, then God's plan is perfected. He wants everyone to know what Jesus did and to experience His eternity, however sin has no place in heaven and blood had to be shed for the washing away of sin. The Son cried, "Yours be done," our prayer must be like that of the Savior, not my will, but yours Lord. Will you pray for God's will today, then know He hears your prayers!
Heavenly Father, You are loving us even when we don't understand, You are acting even when we cannot see, thank you for loving me through the difficulties in my life, and thank you for making a way to eternity through Your Son Jesus. Bless the Lord oh my soul, in everything bless His Name. Amen

THERE IS A FRIEND

Proverbs 18:24 (NKJV) ..., But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. 
     In this life a person who will, be a friend in spite of the circumstances is rare, and we often call them friends. Where do you find a real friend, I am so glad you asked.
     A real friend is just that because you can share any and all issues and be confident your conversations are between the two of you. Areal friend will put you before themselves, a real friend loves you for you, a real friend will trust you and you can trust them. Yet this doesn't make a real friend, Jesus said, "you are my friends if you do what I command," and "I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from My Father." John 15:14,15 He knows what friends are!
     The Creator desires to share in conversations with us to reveal His love and character to man, it is man that refuses to be the friend of God, we are very busy with living, and often forget our real friend is the one who can give us His life. Remember Jesus said, "I came that they might have life..," He wants to give us more than we can determine to get, but it must come supernaturally, with the presence of God. He (Jesus) wants to put eternal life in us and as His personal friend, share in life's experiences with you. Trust Him today as the best friend you will ever have and watch His life in you, prove what a friend can be.
Heavenly Father thank you that You are what a friend should be, we can trust You with anything, You will guard us and keeps us, for we are Yours. Thank you for making me your friend, thank you for trusting me with Your Word, thank you for loving me with Your life. Let me now live for You so that, others may see You are the friend of men. Amen 

BE MERCIFUL

Luke 6:36 (NKJV) 36 Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.
    Jesus was so out of character with us, His character lived in harmony with the character of His Father, namely God, listen to John 4:34 ..., "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. His mission, was to be, like food is to the body, so the servant is to the master and the Son is to the Father, total harmony in God. How is that possible, I am so glad you asked.
    The Son of the most high God points to the mercy of God, one of His character qualities, the urgency of this charge from Jesus is to be, we cannot be what is not in us to begin with. However there is a way and He provides that infusion of God's character by His very presence, listen to those who witnessed Jesus character, "with authority and power he commands," Mark 1:27 Jesus is in harmony with the Father.
     Character is sought for in the heart of men and it is God who is looking to see if there are those who exercise His character in their lives. Mercy cannot be worked up it cannot be worked in, Mercy must come supernaturally from the person of Jesus, it is only received by His presence and that presence must be in us. To receive His Mercy, we must receive Jesus into our person and that is only done by first recognizing that, I need food that I do not have. Ask Jesus to forgive you of living for you, believe He alone is the source of salvation from sin, and ask Him to come in and take control of your life, "He will save you and Mercy will reign in you. I like that don't you!
Heavenly Father I need You, I need Your character of Mercy, let my will be put away for Yours, and let the life of Christ reign in me. May I carefully listen to You that others may hear You in me, and may all you want to do in me be accomplished. Amen         

I WILL UPHOLD YOU

Isaiah 41:10 (NKJV) 10 ..., I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'
      We are in the habit of falling for one thing or another, many things will motivate us, exercise, a book, movies, even another person, but seldom do we maintain our resolve. Fear will motivate, but when that is diminished, so goes our persistence. Where is our resolve, I am so glad you asked.
       Dependence on the flesh is a losing proposition, the body must be fed to maintain, we are in need of a continuous source of fuel and rest. We make resolutions and often they are just wishful thinking, the Creator of heaven and earth does not just promise, He forms a contract (covenant) and He follows through.
       The Word of God is just as sure as the gravity that holds us down, His presence is as the presence of air and the green scenery, He alone sustains the sun, causes the moon to reflect, and keeps all things in their place. The stars are where they were put from the beginning, as is the presence of man, He has a plan, He knows what we need and He strongly says, "I will hold you up with My righteousness in just My right hand." His contract with the servant of God, is to hold him and keep Him, to protect him, and guard him, nothing can remove the servant from the Creators presence. Romans 8:37-39 Then let us honestly trust Him with everything, the Father says, "I will never leave you or forsake you," Deuteronomy 13:6 that means we cannot be lost if He has our heart. Wow, God can not lose what He created, don't you want that security today, trust Jesus with all your heart.
Heavenly Father, we lose everything even the sight of where we have been, help us to remember, when we trust You there is no need to fear, for all things belong to You. Help me to look to You and no other. Amen.

MY SIN IS ALWAYS BEFORE ME

Psalm 51:3 (NKJV) 3 For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me.
     A little boy said, "I don't feel so good," why he was asked are you sick, "no," he replied "I was told not to eat the cookies and I did." God put within every human being a conscience and it springs to attention the moment we determine to do the wrong thing. Why, I am so glad you asked.
     Our Creator has plans for a moral, righteous, relationship with people, we are made in the image of God and He has designed us for worship. The most fulfilling part of our existence is to worship God truthfully, that is only accomplished if we are free of our sinful nature. That part, our sinfulness, excludes us from being intimate with God, He will not allow sin in His presence.
     Jesus paved the way for the righteousness compass, to right itself and point directly to God. He alone is the answer to our failure to live properly before God, God's word says, "Walk before me and be perfect," 1 Kings 8:61, we cannot do that in the strength of our flesh, there must be an enabler. The One who will set us right before God is Jesus the savior of all people. Have you trusted Him with all your guilt, have you said to Jesus "my sin is always before me," have you asked Him to forgive you, He will, and He will set you right with Him, that you may walk before Him in truth and righteousness. Do that today!
Heavenly Father, You alone are God, there is no other, let us live today before you in truth and righteousness. May we seek You with all our heart and let go of all the things that hinder us from worshipping You. Amen

LIVING BY FAITH

Habakkuk 2:4 (NKJV) 4 "Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.
      A firefly is not a fly, a prairie dog is not a dog, and a person full of pride is not successful but deceived. Many things are not what they seem, God's Word very clearly tells us what we are not and explains how to be what we should. How you may be asking, I am so glad you asked.
      "Pride goes before a fall," Proverbs 16:18 the evidence of a wrong attitude is usually seen in what we put value in, it is a noose around our neck, it holds a prominent place in our lives, the object of our affection is strangling the presence of God. A person caught in this mind set will often not recognize the symptoms and have no awareness of the offense to God and man. Pride can elimate us from heaven and do more harm to those around us, causing their fall as well.
      The person of Godly chararcter will recognize the sinful condition called pride, and eliminate the source from their lives. Have you "examined yourself" today, 2 Corinthians 13:5 to see where you stand with God, do it now and know you are in His will. Ignore pride and you will not live by faith!
Heavenly father help us to look beyond our self and see as You see, let the scales fall from our eyes and let me see me the way You do, help me to examine my life and expose the things that do not please You. Let me frogive in others the things that have held me captive, use me to do You will. Amen