I recently received really good news. The 100 pound monkey I’d been carrying on my back for a year and half was gone! Wow! I felt like a prisoner released from the cell. I wanted to cry and laugh at the same time. I didn’t consciously realize how much the situation weighed me down.
The word ‘good’ has been tainted by the world for me. In my grade school, the grading system was E was for Excellent which corresponded to an A. G was for Good or a B. S was for Satisfactory or a C. So in the back of my brain good is second best.
My news was good news! It reminded me of the best Good News.
Whenever I think of The Good News, I play the “tape in my head”, and hear Charlie Brown recite Luke 2:10. The Angel said to the shepherds, "Do not be afraid. I bring you Good News that will cause great joy for all the people.” The angel announced the birth of our Savior, our Deliverer, our Best Friend. This was really, really good news!
God’s Good News is so great is will cause great joy for all people! We all need the Savior, the Deliverer and the Best Friend.
The Bible over and over tells me God is Good. From the beginning of Genesis to the last word in Revelation, God wants us to be the best and have the best because He is Good.
Don’t fall for that trick of the world! God is not second best. There is nothing better than what God has given us. Forgiveness, Love, Life, Grace, and more than words can express. Take time to consciously thank God for removing the weight of sin and rejoice in The Good News. It was Great News when Jesus arrived on earth as tha baby but it’s Great News yesterday, today and tomorrow.
God is Good, Really, Really Good.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Monday, June 24, 2013
Thanks!!!!
"I don’t want you to leave." She said. I responded, "You are not supposed to make me cry first thing!" We hugged, sniffed and then wandered apart before we both started blubbering. It was the beginning of a great day!
Yesterday, the church celebrated my husband’s 17 years of ministry. We laughed, we cried, we sang, we hugged, we smiled and we prayed. It was incredible to hear them relate the effect of God’s ministry through Dick. It really made us glad.
During one of the video messages, a former member related the impact of Dick’s sermon of how God lavishes us with His love. For the past several days, I knew I wanted to write on the lavish but could not put my finger on how to express it. At that moment, I realized that while FBC lavished their love and praise on us, we were all reminded that that is a mere fraction of the love God lavishes on us.
I tried to find a lavish experience in my past. I thought about that first cruise when I reveled in the meals that I did not cook or clean up and my cabin where I never made the bed and on a couple occasions didn’t even hang up my clothes. I think of my rain shower head and how I feel refreshed and rejuvenated every time I step under it.
Dick’s sermon illustration years ago was 20 boxes of chocolate covered cherries given to a woman who dearly loved them.
These examples only qualify as lavish to a handful because we all have different definitions of lavish for our own life.
Lavish is just barely used in the Bible. It is defined as extravagant, profuse and prolific. In Ephesians chapter one Paul tells us that God has lavished His grace on us. Thanks God we need your forgiveness and grace.
In I John chapter 3 John tells us God has lavished love on us as His children. I had great parents who gave me lots of good things. God has given me everything good I need. Thanks God for giving me so much Good.
I noticed in my journal that I had used the word lavish in regard to Ecclesiastes 5. The writer talks about the toils and trials of life and concludes, "...when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God. They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart."
So God gives me enough "Good" to be glad, satisfied and provided. No need to evaluate or compare my life to any other standard if God has made my heart glad.
G od
L avishes
A ll my
D ays
Gladness. That’s what we felt yesterday after being lavished by God and FBC! Thanks!!!!
Yesterday, the church celebrated my husband’s 17 years of ministry. We laughed, we cried, we sang, we hugged, we smiled and we prayed. It was incredible to hear them relate the effect of God’s ministry through Dick. It really made us glad.
During one of the video messages, a former member related the impact of Dick’s sermon of how God lavishes us with His love. For the past several days, I knew I wanted to write on the lavish but could not put my finger on how to express it. At that moment, I realized that while FBC lavished their love and praise on us, we were all reminded that that is a mere fraction of the love God lavishes on us.
I tried to find a lavish experience in my past. I thought about that first cruise when I reveled in the meals that I did not cook or clean up and my cabin where I never made the bed and on a couple occasions didn’t even hang up my clothes. I think of my rain shower head and how I feel refreshed and rejuvenated every time I step under it.
Dick’s sermon illustration years ago was 20 boxes of chocolate covered cherries given to a woman who dearly loved them.
These examples only qualify as lavish to a handful because we all have different definitions of lavish for our own life.
Lavish is just barely used in the Bible. It is defined as extravagant, profuse and prolific. In Ephesians chapter one Paul tells us that God has lavished His grace on us. Thanks God we need your forgiveness and grace.
In I John chapter 3 John tells us God has lavished love on us as His children. I had great parents who gave me lots of good things. God has given me everything good I need. Thanks God for giving me so much Good.
I noticed in my journal that I had used the word lavish in regard to Ecclesiastes 5. The writer talks about the toils and trials of life and concludes, "...when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God. They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart."
So God gives me enough "Good" to be glad, satisfied and provided. No need to evaluate or compare my life to any other standard if God has made my heart glad.
G od
L avishes
A ll my
D ays
Gladness. That’s what we felt yesterday after being lavished by God and FBC! Thanks!!!!
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Part of the chain
It’s Christmas in June! It was time to start a new book in the Bible for my personal study time so I decided to start the Book of Matthew. It begins with a lengthy list of names, the genealogy of Joseph. Usually I skip or skim over genealogy - after all I don’t know any of those people!
However, I was just beginning the study and I have a rule that I do at least one verse a day and I don’t skip verses. So I started a little family tree in my journal. Some of the names I knew the Bible stories and some were just names.
In the white space I’d written, “We may not know their stories but each one is important as a link in God’s chain.”
It made me think of a friend who insists upon watching the credits in a movie theater, every single one of the credits. I’m too impatient. I leave. She feels those people made a contribution and deserve to have someone, usually just her, see their name in the credits.
All of the names listed in Matthew chapter 1 made a contribution to the arrival of Jesus on earth. Each one is an ancestor to Joseph, the man God chose to be Jesus’ earthly father. All, in a very distant way, had some influence on the family to which Jesus lived his early years.
I picked one name in the list that I didn’t know his story when I read his name, Eliud. In Matthew 1: 14 & 15, I learn that Eliud is the son of Akim and father of Eleazar. A little internet research tells me he was four generations from Joseph and that there are “no correlating verses.” As far as a baby name in modern times, Eliud doesn’t make the top 1000 names but there are 25 Eliuds in LinkedIn!
Eliud means God is help, my helper, has helped, my praise, or grandeur depending on the website.
Even though we may feel like just a name with “no correlating verses”, we are important to God’s work. I think Eliud takes on a new version of WWJD (What Would Jesus Do) to which I can relate. Every one of us is an Eliud. A name in the history of God’s work on earth. Our stories and influence may only be recognized by God but we are very much a part of God’s chain of influence.
A friend often reminds me, “I remember when you said.......” It always scares me a bit when she says that if it’s on a spiritual matter. I always hope I said what God wanted and that’s what she remembers.
Today, I’m thinking about being an Eliud:
E very act & word
L eads to
I nfluence.
U nknown or known
D o as Jesus would do.
However, I was just beginning the study and I have a rule that I do at least one verse a day and I don’t skip verses. So I started a little family tree in my journal. Some of the names I knew the Bible stories and some were just names.
In the white space I’d written, “We may not know their stories but each one is important as a link in God’s chain.”
It made me think of a friend who insists upon watching the credits in a movie theater, every single one of the credits. I’m too impatient. I leave. She feels those people made a contribution and deserve to have someone, usually just her, see their name in the credits.
All of the names listed in Matthew chapter 1 made a contribution to the arrival of Jesus on earth. Each one is an ancestor to Joseph, the man God chose to be Jesus’ earthly father. All, in a very distant way, had some influence on the family to which Jesus lived his early years.
I picked one name in the list that I didn’t know his story when I read his name, Eliud. In Matthew 1: 14 & 15, I learn that Eliud is the son of Akim and father of Eleazar. A little internet research tells me he was four generations from Joseph and that there are “no correlating verses.” As far as a baby name in modern times, Eliud doesn’t make the top 1000 names but there are 25 Eliuds in LinkedIn!
Eliud means God is help, my helper, has helped, my praise, or grandeur depending on the website.
Even though we may feel like just a name with “no correlating verses”, we are important to God’s work. I think Eliud takes on a new version of WWJD (What Would Jesus Do) to which I can relate. Every one of us is an Eliud. A name in the history of God’s work on earth. Our stories and influence may only be recognized by God but we are very much a part of God’s chain of influence.
A friend often reminds me, “I remember when you said.......” It always scares me a bit when she says that if it’s on a spiritual matter. I always hope I said what God wanted and that’s what she remembers.
Today, I’m thinking about being an Eliud:
E very act & word
L eads to
I nfluence.
U nknown or known
D o as Jesus would do.
Monday, June 17, 2013
Silent Running
I’d spent the entire day waving and smiling. I was determined not to speak. My husband had threatened a “lock down” of sorts for the weekend. I’d had laryngitis for two weeks. No voice at all and he was getting tired of reading my lips.
I was determined to avoid the cancellation of all weekend festivities. We had a date playing cards. I had a quilt event! I needed to get better fast! With fun planned, I didn’t want to miss a thing. So I turned on the will power and kept my mouth shut for most of two days!
During that silent spell, it did dawn on me that perhaps my prayer life should include some silent time. Maybe I’d hear more from God if I silently listened before my lists, needs and concerns. I need to muster some willpower and listen to God, first.
If you think about being still before the Lord, you probably think about Psalm 46. Verse 10 is pretty explicit: Be still and know that I am God.
So I’ll know God if I’m still. If I pay attention and just like in school, that means be quiet, I’ll know God more.
The verses which precede verse 10 remind me that God is in control, in control of the earth and all the natural elements, all of the nations and all of the disagreements of people. God is in control and He is greater than all. He will be exalted before the earth and the nations.
My job is to know God, not protect myself. Let the God is in control of the earth and nations take care of me. I don’t need to prattle on and on to Him about what I need and what He needs to do. I need to know Him.
It’s a matter of trust. Do I trust God enough to be quiet and learn from Him? To let Him guide and protect me?
Be
S urrender!
T rouble is No Trouble to God!
I am to know, that’s my job! The
Lord Almighty
Loves me enough to protect me.
By the way, just like being still before God will work, because the Bible tells me so, my two days of silence worked. I started to get a voice after those two days!
I was determined to avoid the cancellation of all weekend festivities. We had a date playing cards. I had a quilt event! I needed to get better fast! With fun planned, I didn’t want to miss a thing. So I turned on the will power and kept my mouth shut for most of two days!
During that silent spell, it did dawn on me that perhaps my prayer life should include some silent time. Maybe I’d hear more from God if I silently listened before my lists, needs and concerns. I need to muster some willpower and listen to God, first.
If you think about being still before the Lord, you probably think about Psalm 46. Verse 10 is pretty explicit: Be still and know that I am God.
So I’ll know God if I’m still. If I pay attention and just like in school, that means be quiet, I’ll know God more.
The verses which precede verse 10 remind me that God is in control, in control of the earth and all the natural elements, all of the nations and all of the disagreements of people. God is in control and He is greater than all. He will be exalted before the earth and the nations.
My job is to know God, not protect myself. Let the God is in control of the earth and nations take care of me. I don’t need to prattle on and on to Him about what I need and what He needs to do. I need to know Him.
It’s a matter of trust. Do I trust God enough to be quiet and learn from Him? To let Him guide and protect me?
Be
S urrender!
T rouble is No Trouble to God!
I am to know, that’s my job! The
Lord Almighty
Loves me enough to protect me.
By the way, just like being still before God will work, because the Bible tells me so, my two days of silence worked. I started to get a voice after those two days!
Friday, June 14, 2013
Put on Eagerness
As I’ve mentioned I’m on a mission to scrapbook our memories of 30+ years. I have thrown out countless photos because the subject has their eyes closed. Do we really blink that much? Apparently so! I’ve noticed that now when I’m having my picture taken I intentionally open my eyes wide and try to prevent my blinks! Sometimes it seems like an eternity before the shutter snaps. I am eager for that shutter to snap so I can quit concentrating on holding my eyes open wide. Ever been in the photographic pose while someone unfamiliar with a camera tries to snap the picture? Maybe eagerness is not my state, perhaps it is really frustration.
Eagerness is a good thing. Yesterday I awoke to one of my favorite days of the month– the monthly meeting with my quilt pals. All day I eagerly waited for that hour+ of show and tell, catch up, and new ideas with my friends with a similar passion.
1 Corinthians 1:7 reminds me that should eagerly wait for Jesus to be revealed. I assume that means that everyday I should eagerly watch for Jesus to be revealed on that day as well as await the final revelation of Jesus at the end of our history.
This verse tells me I’ve been given everything thing I need spiritually so that word eagerly takes on special significance. Eagerness must be my attitude during my waiting. What a dilemma for us in today’s world when we can hardly wait two minutes for the microwave to heat lunch! Most of us would admit to impatience rather than eagerness.
Eagerness should be a way of life. Eager for the things of God. Eager for God’s work. Eager for God’s glory.
Eagerness is our choice. In the morning I can "put on" eagerness or impatience. Eagerness leads to fellowship with God. Impatience robs us of that joy.
With E yes wide open
A nticipate what
G od will do,
E ver
R eady to speak and testify.
Eagerness is a good thing. Yesterday I awoke to one of my favorite days of the month– the monthly meeting with my quilt pals. All day I eagerly waited for that hour+ of show and tell, catch up, and new ideas with my friends with a similar passion.
1 Corinthians 1:7 reminds me that should eagerly wait for Jesus to be revealed. I assume that means that everyday I should eagerly watch for Jesus to be revealed on that day as well as await the final revelation of Jesus at the end of our history.
This verse tells me I’ve been given everything thing I need spiritually so that word eagerly takes on special significance. Eagerness must be my attitude during my waiting. What a dilemma for us in today’s world when we can hardly wait two minutes for the microwave to heat lunch! Most of us would admit to impatience rather than eagerness.
Eagerness should be a way of life. Eager for the things of God. Eager for God’s work. Eager for God’s glory.
Eagerness is our choice. In the morning I can "put on" eagerness or impatience. Eagerness leads to fellowship with God. Impatience robs us of that joy.
With E yes wide open
A nticipate what
G od will do,
E ver
R eady to speak and testify.
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Am I like my dog?
Here are photos of our cute dog, Makena, front and back.
 |
| Makena Front |
 |
| Makena Back |
I smile when Makena runs out the back door and stops at the top step of the porch and surveys her domain. She has her ears perked, her eyes alert scanning the yard looking for those intruder rabbits and squirrels. When she sees the invader off she leaps, light on her feet, hopping through the grass, her little puff of a tail bobbing. She is confident that, this time, she will catch that pesky squirrel or rabbit. She has Never succeeded to catch a squirrel or a rabbit, yet every time she fully expects to be successful.
Malachi 4:2 talks about how a well-fed calf jumps for joy upon release from the stall. I'm a city girl so I don't relate to the farm animal reference. I do think about Makena and her joy and expectation upon her release into the yard. This jumping for joy in Malachi is the result of those who revere the Lord.
Revere is not a word I use in everyday conversation but maybe it's an attitude I need to start every day. I had an acronym in my journal that puts this formal word into actions I can apply to my life to have the right attitude.
R ely on God
E xpect God to provide
V ow to be singleminded for God
E ager to obey
R est in God, trust Him
E xcited about God's gifts.
In my life, am I like my dog?
Do I start each day with my ears perked and eyes alert to God's work around me?
Do I confidently engage the obstacles of the day with the expectation of God's success?
Revering has benefits,
like healing,
victory over the wicked and
the jumping for joy thing!
Malachi 4:2 talks about how a well-fed calf jumps for joy upon release from the stall. I'm a city girl so I don't relate to the farm animal reference. I do think about Makena and her joy and expectation upon her release into the yard. This jumping for joy in Malachi is the result of those who revere the Lord.
Revere is not a word I use in everyday conversation but maybe it's an attitude I need to start every day. I had an acronym in my journal that puts this formal word into actions I can apply to my life to have the right attitude.
R ely on God
E xpect God to provide
V ow to be singleminded for God
E ager to obey
R est in God, trust Him
E xcited about God's gifts.
In my life, am I like my dog?
Do I start each day with my ears perked and eyes alert to God's work around me?
Do I confidently engage the obstacles of the day with the expectation of God's success?
Revering has benefits,
like healing,
victory over the wicked and
the jumping for joy thing!
Friday, June 7, 2013
RSVP
I mailed a response to a wedding invitation today. We will be out of town on the happy day so I checked the box for "will celebrate from afar." How sweet! We will be celebrating in spirit! It made me smile.
That response also reminded me that a few days ago I’d read Psalm 139:2 and was struck by the word afar. My paraphrase of the verse in my journal was "God perceives my thoughts from afar." I’d also noted in my journal, "God knows my thoughts. He has to do that from afar, since I try to keep Him far. God does not want to be Afar."
Just like I’d like to be at that wedding, circumstances make me celebrate from afar. It’s my choice to allow circumstances to keep me Afar from God. The entire Bible has made it abundantly clear that God wants to be near, not Afar. I try to live in Afar, but God reaches across Afar to invite me into nearness, to draw close to God.
Perhaps Afar is the name of the wall we try to build around our hearts to keep us in! Fortunately God is greater than my Afar! Time and time again, He invites me, and you, into relationship with Him and to celebrate at His party.
A lways go
F irst to God
A nd
R each across the circumstances to leave Afar and draw near to God.
That’s where the real celebration is!
That response also reminded me that a few days ago I’d read Psalm 139:2 and was struck by the word afar. My paraphrase of the verse in my journal was "God perceives my thoughts from afar." I’d also noted in my journal, "God knows my thoughts. He has to do that from afar, since I try to keep Him far. God does not want to be Afar."
Just like I’d like to be at that wedding, circumstances make me celebrate from afar. It’s my choice to allow circumstances to keep me Afar from God. The entire Bible has made it abundantly clear that God wants to be near, not Afar. I try to live in Afar, but God reaches across Afar to invite me into nearness, to draw close to God.
Perhaps Afar is the name of the wall we try to build around our hearts to keep us in! Fortunately God is greater than my Afar! Time and time again, He invites me, and you, into relationship with Him and to celebrate at His party.
A lways go
F irst to God
A nd
R each across the circumstances to leave Afar and draw near to God.
That’s where the real celebration is!
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
I love Sunsets
I want to be organized! But I like to do it in my order. So to clean out a couple of drawers of photos I’ve been on a scrapbooking binge! I have indeed cleared a couple of drawers but the dining room has been overtaken by my scrapbook mania. It certainly doesn’t look organized.
Usually I’m “cruel and ruthless” in my photo selection, only picking the best exposure and story, but I came upon 8 photos of one sunset in Arizona. I could not eliminate a single one. I entitled that page in the scrapbook, “Sunset Collector” and I used all 8 photos.
Here I confess, I am a sunset junkie! I collect sunsets. Hence the blog name, Sunset Jan. When we’re in Hawaii, I go to the beach everyday, unless it’s really cloudy, to enjoy the sunset. I checked my iphone photos. There are 236 photos from the last 10 months and 29 of them are of sunsets. Obviously I’m addicted.
It has to be very, very overcast for me to not attend the sunset. My dad will often ask if it was a good one and my reply is usually “they all are good.” Some are magnificent. Some good. Some interesting (meaning there were clouds but I still enjoyed it). But they are all good because I was there to enjoy it.
I don’t sing at the sunsets or recite scripture or poetry. I just sit, enjoy and record the moments on my camera/phone. Usually all I say is AAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sunsets mean that I have lived another day! I have God to thank for each and every day. Each sunset proves He is faithful and dependable in a world that lacks both. There has never been a day since the beginning of the world that the sun did not rise and set. We may not be able to see it because of weather conditions but the sun continues to rise and set every day, every single day!
Psalm 36: 5 reminds me that God’s love and faithfulness reaches to the skies and beyond. I think I’ll expand my sunset script to include that statement, to remind me of the limitless love and faithfulness of God.
I’m also going to add a bit of self evaluation and ask myself: Another day provided by a dependable God, so what I have done? What has God done today?
I’m still going to finish my little sunset script with AAH!!!!!!!!!!!!
All
About
Him
Some people advise you to stop and smell the flowers. I do that too. But stop and enjoy the sunset and remember AAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Usually I’m “cruel and ruthless” in my photo selection, only picking the best exposure and story, but I came upon 8 photos of one sunset in Arizona. I could not eliminate a single one. I entitled that page in the scrapbook, “Sunset Collector” and I used all 8 photos.
Here I confess, I am a sunset junkie! I collect sunsets. Hence the blog name, Sunset Jan. When we’re in Hawaii, I go to the beach everyday, unless it’s really cloudy, to enjoy the sunset. I checked my iphone photos. There are 236 photos from the last 10 months and 29 of them are of sunsets. Obviously I’m addicted.
It has to be very, very overcast for me to not attend the sunset. My dad will often ask if it was a good one and my reply is usually “they all are good.” Some are magnificent. Some good. Some interesting (meaning there were clouds but I still enjoyed it). But they are all good because I was there to enjoy it.
I don’t sing at the sunsets or recite scripture or poetry. I just sit, enjoy and record the moments on my camera/phone. Usually all I say is AAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sunsets mean that I have lived another day! I have God to thank for each and every day. Each sunset proves He is faithful and dependable in a world that lacks both. There has never been a day since the beginning of the world that the sun did not rise and set. We may not be able to see it because of weather conditions but the sun continues to rise and set every day, every single day!
Psalm 36: 5 reminds me that God’s love and faithfulness reaches to the skies and beyond. I think I’ll expand my sunset script to include that statement, to remind me of the limitless love and faithfulness of God.
I’m also going to add a bit of self evaluation and ask myself: Another day provided by a dependable God, so what I have done? What has God done today?
I’m still going to finish my little sunset script with AAH!!!!!!!!!!!!
All
About
Him
Some people advise you to stop and smell the flowers. I do that too. But stop and enjoy the sunset and remember AAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 |
| One of my favorite sunsets! |
Monday, June 3, 2013
Don't weave the web
I’m still fascinated by the interaction between God and Cain in Genesis 4. In verses 6 and 7 God asks Cain why he was angry and then cautions him, “If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door...”
I’m struck by the simplicity of the statement. Do right and avoid sin. Let anger control you and sin is ready to master you. Maybe Cain didn’t pay attention but I’d like to learn from his mistake.
What does it mean to do right?
I remembered one of my favorite cartoons as a kid, “The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show”. One of the cartoons featured Dudley Do Right. My research on the internet described Dudley as a dim-witted, conscientious and cheerful fellow who pursued his love interest Nell, the woman who really was interested in Dudley’s horse!
How like the world to portray doing right as dim-witted and misguided. I would like to think that doing right means we’ll be wise (the opposite of dim-witted), conscientious and content (much better than cheerful).
Flip the coin
Perhaps doing right is like a coin, which has two sides that make up the whole. One side shows the denomination or value and the other side shows the source. The conscientious side gives us our witness and our mission to follow the laws, human made and spiritual. Romans 12: 17-21 tells me to do right in the eyes of everyone. Take pain to do right (2 Corinthians 8:21). Isaiah 1:17 tells me to follow the laws and protect the defenseless.
The second side is the source and foundation of doing right, wisdom, which comes from a deepening relationship with God. Isaiah 1:17 also tells me I can learn to do right. Exodus 15:26 gives me some action steps to learn to do right:
Listen carefully to God’s voice. To recognize His voice, we need to spend time with Him. Just as my pup recognizes my voice and follows commands, it takes repetition and time to find that bond of familiarity. We finished fourth in obedience class because I didn’t spend enough time with her in training and practice.
Pay attention when He speaks. That probably means I need to be quiet and quit listing my requirements and needs. Guess I need to really listen? This must be why God so often speaks when I’m doing a mindless task, like brushing my teeth! I don’t have so much interference in the way.
Remember what God has done. Reflect on my experiences in the past trusting God and learning from others successes and failures. Think about His characteristics and attributes. God works in and around our lives everyday but have I noticed?
Don’t follow other gods, or other so-called truths. Do not fall for the tricks of the world that makes the latest way the right way. I love all things new but there comes a time when the tried and true way is the best. It may be the paperless, digital age but I still needed to print this page to revise and find the typos!
Seek the easy way
Cain’s response to God’s voice and the consequences that follows reminds me that sin makes life harder, meaningless and directionless. Sin makes life more complicated because sin leads to more sin. Satan’s trick is to tempt us to sin to achieve success yet that sin robs us of success.
Doing right is really the easier way. My mom always reminded me, “Oh what a tangled web we weave, when at first we deceive.” Don’t even start the web. To do right should be to do right, right away, all the time.
We’ll never know what right is without God. God wants to show us the right way. So take the easy way, God’s way.
Expect to do right
Always look to do right
Strive to do right
Yes, you can do right.
I’m struck by the simplicity of the statement. Do right and avoid sin. Let anger control you and sin is ready to master you. Maybe Cain didn’t pay attention but I’d like to learn from his mistake.
What does it mean to do right?
I remembered one of my favorite cartoons as a kid, “The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show”. One of the cartoons featured Dudley Do Right. My research on the internet described Dudley as a dim-witted, conscientious and cheerful fellow who pursued his love interest Nell, the woman who really was interested in Dudley’s horse!
How like the world to portray doing right as dim-witted and misguided. I would like to think that doing right means we’ll be wise (the opposite of dim-witted), conscientious and content (much better than cheerful).
Flip the coin
Perhaps doing right is like a coin, which has two sides that make up the whole. One side shows the denomination or value and the other side shows the source. The conscientious side gives us our witness and our mission to follow the laws, human made and spiritual. Romans 12: 17-21 tells me to do right in the eyes of everyone. Take pain to do right (2 Corinthians 8:21). Isaiah 1:17 tells me to follow the laws and protect the defenseless.
The second side is the source and foundation of doing right, wisdom, which comes from a deepening relationship with God. Isaiah 1:17 also tells me I can learn to do right. Exodus 15:26 gives me some action steps to learn to do right:
Listen carefully to God’s voice. To recognize His voice, we need to spend time with Him. Just as my pup recognizes my voice and follows commands, it takes repetition and time to find that bond of familiarity. We finished fourth in obedience class because I didn’t spend enough time with her in training and practice.
Pay attention when He speaks. That probably means I need to be quiet and quit listing my requirements and needs. Guess I need to really listen? This must be why God so often speaks when I’m doing a mindless task, like brushing my teeth! I don’t have so much interference in the way.
Remember what God has done. Reflect on my experiences in the past trusting God and learning from others successes and failures. Think about His characteristics and attributes. God works in and around our lives everyday but have I noticed?
Don’t follow other gods, or other so-called truths. Do not fall for the tricks of the world that makes the latest way the right way. I love all things new but there comes a time when the tried and true way is the best. It may be the paperless, digital age but I still needed to print this page to revise and find the typos!
Seek the easy way
Cain’s response to God’s voice and the consequences that follows reminds me that sin makes life harder, meaningless and directionless. Sin makes life more complicated because sin leads to more sin. Satan’s trick is to tempt us to sin to achieve success yet that sin robs us of success.
Doing right is really the easier way. My mom always reminded me, “Oh what a tangled web we weave, when at first we deceive.” Don’t even start the web. To do right should be to do right, right away, all the time.
We’ll never know what right is without God. God wants to show us the right way. So take the easy way, God’s way.
Expect to do right
Always look to do right
Strive to do right
Yes, you can do right.
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