Today I want to issue a bit of a challenge to you. It's been said that "perception is reality." There's a lot of truth there. But a good deal of "perception" comes from our "perspective". So my challenge to you is a challenge to change your perspective.
There’s a verse in the Bible, found in Psalm 118:24 which says, “This is the day that the LORD has made. Let us rejoice and be glad today!”
Did you spring out of bed with a cheery smile, ready to greet the day? Did you roll over when the alarm went off and mash the snooze button for another 7 minutes? Have you actually gotten out of bed yet?
No matter how your day starts, the fact remains that the day was made by God....and it was made for you!
But let’s be honest a moment......not every day is a “good” day. There’s are sunny days and rainy days. There are days when everything goes well, and days when nothing goes well; days when the car starts and days when the repair bill exceeds your paycheck. The list could go on and on, but the fact remains: The day was made by God and it was made for you!
Here’s where the whole perspective thing comes in: When the day “goes south”, rejoice in it. When the day is “spectacular”, rejoice in it. Either way, it’s the day the Lord made......and He made it for you!
Now, I’m a lot like you.....I’d love for every day to fall into the “spectacular” category, but as we all know, not every day does. You might think, “It’s a whole lot easier to rejoice when the day goes well than when it doesn’t.” You’re right. It is! But that doesn’t change the fact that God made the day.....and He made it for you!
Here’s the deal: We have to trust God no matter what. No, we may not always like everything that happens. Hey, God doesn’t always like everything that happens either. But we have to remember two things: First, God always knows exactly what we need. Second, when we can’t understand His ways, we have to trust His heart.
So, I encourage you today (and every day), to rejoice in the day the Lord has made no matter what it holds. After all, God made it for you!!!
Blessings, my dear friends! I pray your day will be spectacular!!
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Humility
I got to thinking about something last week......
Humility. Great word. Not always so easy to accomplish.
Right after World War II, a U.S. Army officer and his wife were stationed in Japan. That country had been devastated by the war. The post-war economy was in shambles. Unemployment approached 60%.
People came to the Army wife's door daily looking for work. One man said that he could do wonders for her garden if she would only give him a chance.
So, for the first time in her life, this young Army wife hired a gardener. He spoke no English, but the wife, through sign language and pencil and paper gave him instructions about where to plant, prune, and pamper her garden. He listened politely and followed her instructions exactly. The garden emerged as the finest in the neighborhood.
When she finally realized that her new gardener knew far more about the matter than she, the wife stopped giving him directions and let him freely care for the garden. It was magnificent.
Then one day the gardener came with an interpreter who expressed the appreciation but the regrets of the gardener. "He will no longer be able to care for your garden. He must leave."
The wife expressed her regrets and thanked him through the interpreter for making hers such a fine garden. Out of politeness, she asked the interpreter, "Where is he going?"
The interpreter replied that the gardener was returning to his old job as the Professor of Horticulture at the University of Tokyo.
Humility.
My observations have told me that many people avoid humility because they believe it will lead to humiliation. Did you know that the exact opposite is true?
In the Old Testament, Job 5:11 says, “He [God] makes the humble person important...” And in the New Testament, James 4:10 says, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”
See, it isn’t humility that causes people problems, it’s pride. Pride keeps us from so many things.....things that would be such a blessing to others and ourselves if we would just take that step of humility.
I encourage you to do a little self-examination today. You can only use one of two words to describe yourself: proud or humble. Which one is you? And if you look honestly and discover it’s “proud”, begin to work toward humility. You, and many others, will be glad (and blessed) that you did!
Humility. Great word. Not always so easy to accomplish.
Right after World War II, a U.S. Army officer and his wife were stationed in Japan. That country had been devastated by the war. The post-war economy was in shambles. Unemployment approached 60%.
People came to the Army wife's door daily looking for work. One man said that he could do wonders for her garden if she would only give him a chance.
So, for the first time in her life, this young Army wife hired a gardener. He spoke no English, but the wife, through sign language and pencil and paper gave him instructions about where to plant, prune, and pamper her garden. He listened politely and followed her instructions exactly. The garden emerged as the finest in the neighborhood.
When she finally realized that her new gardener knew far more about the matter than she, the wife stopped giving him directions and let him freely care for the garden. It was magnificent.
Then one day the gardener came with an interpreter who expressed the appreciation but the regrets of the gardener. "He will no longer be able to care for your garden. He must leave."
The wife expressed her regrets and thanked him through the interpreter for making hers such a fine garden. Out of politeness, she asked the interpreter, "Where is he going?"
The interpreter replied that the gardener was returning to his old job as the Professor of Horticulture at the University of Tokyo.
Humility.
My observations have told me that many people avoid humility because they believe it will lead to humiliation. Did you know that the exact opposite is true?
In the Old Testament, Job 5:11 says, “He [God] makes the humble person important...” And in the New Testament, James 4:10 says, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”
See, it isn’t humility that causes people problems, it’s pride. Pride keeps us from so many things.....things that would be such a blessing to others and ourselves if we would just take that step of humility.
I encourage you to do a little self-examination today. You can only use one of two words to describe yourself: proud or humble. Which one is you? And if you look honestly and discover it’s “proud”, begin to work toward humility. You, and many others, will be glad (and blessed) that you did!
Monday, October 08, 2007
Anything and Everything
At the church where I’m pastor, we’re in a series of messages on the miracles of Jesus. I don’t normally reiterate Sunday’s message here, but this one thought is just too great to not share it with all of you.
In the Gospel of Mark, chapter 9, there’s a story about a dad who had a son. This son had an evil spirit that would wreak havoc in the boy’s life in an effort to destroy him. The dad tried everything he could think of to help his son - just as you and I would do. Nothing helped.
Then he brought his son to Jesus.
I won’t go into all of the detail, but in the process of explaining the problem to Jesus, the dad said, “The evil spirit often makes him fall into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us. Do something if you can.”
Most of us, at some point in our lives, have felt just like this dad. Something is going very wrong and we cry out to God and say, “Do something if you can.” Maybe you’re in one of those situations right now.
I love Jesus’ response. “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” Another translation says, “Everything is possible.....”
What’s possible with God? Anything and Everything! Everything is possible for him who believes.
Simply put, what most of us need is more faith in God. But how do we get that? By spending more time with Him and in the Bible. Romans 10:17 says, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
What did Jesus do? He healed the man’s son. What will He do for you? That depends on what you need. I do know this: He’s still in the miracle working business.
So if you find yourself at a place where you need a miracle today.....I encourage you to take your problem, your need, to God. Go ahead and ask Him........because anything and everything is possible for him (or her) who believes!
In the Gospel of Mark, chapter 9, there’s a story about a dad who had a son. This son had an evil spirit that would wreak havoc in the boy’s life in an effort to destroy him. The dad tried everything he could think of to help his son - just as you and I would do. Nothing helped.
Then he brought his son to Jesus.
I won’t go into all of the detail, but in the process of explaining the problem to Jesus, the dad said, “The evil spirit often makes him fall into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us. Do something if you can.”
Most of us, at some point in our lives, have felt just like this dad. Something is going very wrong and we cry out to God and say, “Do something if you can.” Maybe you’re in one of those situations right now.
I love Jesus’ response. “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” Another translation says, “Everything is possible.....”
What’s possible with God? Anything and Everything! Everything is possible for him who believes.
Simply put, what most of us need is more faith in God. But how do we get that? By spending more time with Him and in the Bible. Romans 10:17 says, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
What did Jesus do? He healed the man’s son. What will He do for you? That depends on what you need. I do know this: He’s still in the miracle working business.
So if you find yourself at a place where you need a miracle today.....I encourage you to take your problem, your need, to God. Go ahead and ask Him........because anything and everything is possible for him (or her) who believes!
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