Get the L Out

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Romans 12:2 NLT 

Today, there have been several conversations and much discussion about the world situation with regard to CoVID-19. Yes, quarantine. No quarantine. Yes, mask. No mask. Yes, vaccine. No vaccine. Yes, social distancing. No. Pick a side  - any side - and you will find any disparate, even desperate discourse to "support" your choice. 

What grieves me is when people come together to pray, but preface their prayers with rumors and the ensuing fear that follows the rumors. I'm not an expert by any stretch of the imagination, and I'm not sure who would be a good source for reliable information because the story has changed too many times as we supposedly "learn more." So, in times like these, I can only go to the One that does not change, even though the world is trying to keep us from Him. With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. However, I find no matter the question, no matter the doubt, Jesus not only has the answer, He IS the answer. 

We know the worLd's version of current events. Let's seek the Word's version of it. John 14:27 NKJV reads, Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.  WorLd. Word. 

When it comes to finding the Truth and peace, let's get the L out.

Prayer:

Father, 

           You are our God and we will ever praise You. You are the Truth we seek in every situation. Nothing has caused You to fall off Your throne in despair. Your Word says You are the same yesterday, today and forever, and You have promised to never leave us or forsake us. We choose Your Word over the world's words, Father. It's what we know to be always true. Help us to walk in it. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

What Others Think

Many people did believe in Him, however, including some of the Jewish leaders. But they wouldn’t admit it for fear that the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue. For they loved human praise more than the praise of God.
John 12:42-43 NLT

How often are we controlled by what others think or what we think they will think? Probably more often than we realize. Consider this. How about the post we don't put on social media because of what someone might think? Are we motivated by concern that it might offend that particular someone, so we don't do it, or is it about what a certain person might think of us, if we do? 

When you think about it, the whole social media venue is designed to get others' opinions. I'm not saying that's bad necessarily, but we DO need to think about our level of involvement - the value we put on it. We might want to check ourselves. How often do we look to see who liked, how many liked, or wonder why nobody liked  a post? 

I am not saying social media is evil. I'm thankful for it because it allows me interaction with family and dear friends across the nation and the world, occasionally in real-time. It lets me see (and share) the cutest pictures of the kids and grandkids. It allows me to share my walk with Christ with whoever will read it online and wherever they are in the world. Places I can only dream about. Social media may seem innoxious, probably even well-intentioned, but we cannot let it take the place of face-to-face relationships, nor should we place more value on human praise than the praise of God. 

We are here to change the world, not to be changed by what others think. What does God think? That's what we need to know.

Prayer:

Father,
           Thank You for the Holy Spirit that guides us into all Truth. Help us to evaluate ourselves and our actions by the standard of Your Word - adhering to Your values, seeking Your approval in all we attempt. We know You planned things for us to do and accomplish long before we drew our first breath. By Your Power and Your Grace, cause us to be world-changers. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Full of It

And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold. As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
Luke 8:7-8 NIV

If this were a red-letter edition, our Promise for Today would be written in red because these are the reported words of Jesus. Many will recognize this from the Parable of the Sower where Christ talks about the seeds sown, and then He explains that the seed is the word of God (vs 11). 

We have the awesome privilege of caring for my youngest granddaughter this week. (Hence the change in schedule for posting.)  Her parents' focus for her right now is listening - the first time. "Are you listening?"  So, it is verse 8 that lights up for me today. As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

However, with ears to hear the whole story, think about what we hear in a day. I think about the old Sunday School song we used to sing, "Be careful, little ears, what you hear. There's a Savior up above watching over you with love. Be careful, little ears, what you hear."  (Do they still teach that song?) The point I'm trying to make is that we are pounded and pummeled all day long from outside sources, and not all of them are good. 

Just like we endeavor to guard our children's ears (and hearts), we should also guard ours! If faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God, then what are we building with everything else that we hear? Doubt? Fear? Confusion? 

Luke 6:45 NIV tells us, A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.  Let's check ourselves. What are we speaking?

What are we full of - the Word or the world?

Prayer:

Father,
           Free us from the unholy that we hear every day through no choice of our own, and please forgive us for the unholy choices we have made of our own volition. Give us ears to hear only You so that what we speak will edify those who hear. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen