Things That Don't Make Sense

 

Deuteronomy 29:29 The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.

Floyd Landis, in four months time, won the Tour de France, was accused of cheating to win, is fighting to defend his title, his father in law committed suicide and Landis is now recovering from hip replacement surgery.

Not once, he said, has he thought, why me?

"I started with a point of view of the world and of life which precludes me from looking at me that way," he said. "Some things don't make sense and I don't try to make sense out of those things.

"It doesn't serve any purpose for me to get angry about something I don't have any control over. That's not to say I don't get angry about it sometimes or irritated but I try to avoid sitting around feeling sorry for myself. I don't see that as a practical human emotion. I see that as pointless."

I like Landis' attitude. There are many circumstances in my life that don't make sense. God knows all the details, but He hasn't revealed them to me. It doesn't make sense to try to figure them out, although I try at times. It only serves to frustrate me when I do.

There are many things about God that don't make sense to me either. Take, for instance, the triune nature of God we find in the Bible. I have tried to wrap my brain around that one. No matter how I try to explain it, it always subtracts from His glory. It is one of those secret things that belong to the Lord. I look at it this way: If I could explain God, he wouldn't be much of a God. He transcends human reason. He is different than we are. Listen to what God says, "These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes."(Psalm 50:21) In Numbers 23:19 it says, "God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? "

It gives me comfort to know that God is bigger than I am and He is not like me. My circumstances may not make sense to me but they do to Him. He knows the past, present and future all at once because He is not bound by time like we are. That doesn't make sense to me either, but the Bible teaches it and it brings great comfort to me to know that He knows my future.

The next time something happens that doesn't make sense to you, or you come across something about God that doesn't make sense to you, let it remind you of how great God is and that the secret things belong to Him. I like the attitude of David in Psalm 131:1- 2. "LORD, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me. Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child."

Dear Father, You are above all, different than we are, yet intimately involved in our lives. Help us to leave the secret things in Your hands and just do what You have commanded us to do in order to grow and bear fruit for Your Name. In Jesus' Name Amen.

 

 

Loving God with All Your Strength

 

Loving God with All Your Strength

By Marsha Iddings

Mark 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

Loving God with all our heart has to do with the hidden part of that is not seen by others.  Loving God with all our soul has to do with having the same will and purpose that God does for us.  Loving God with all our mind has to do with what we think about and what we feed into our minds.  Now we come to the last one.  Loving God with all our strength.

Vine's Expository Dictionary says the Greek word refers to our ability and strength.  I think one of the most comforting things is that God knows our weaknesses and He knows what our abilities and strengths are.  When He says to love Him with all our strength, He does not expect us to compare ourselves to the next person and strive to do as much as him.  He expects us to love Him with all the ability and  strength that WE have.  He commended the church at Philadelphia because they kept His word and did not deny His name although they had only a little strength.  "I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name."  (Revelation 3:8)

When we are totally committed to God, he can use us even when we are weak. "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.  Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."  (2Corinthians 12:9)

God wants us to love Him to the best of our abilities and strength.  We can do that even if we are flat on our backs in bed.  All He asks is that we do all to His glory.  "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." (Corinthians 10:31)  If that means we are flat in bed due to illness or injury, then we are to lay in bed and do it to the glory of God.  That is loving God with all your strength.  If we are well, what ever we do, we are to do to the glory of God and that will be loving God with all our strength.  God can use us no matter our circumstances when we love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.

Dear Father, This study has opened my eyes to areas of my life that need some work.  It has also brought comfort to me knowing that You are aware of how much strength I have and only expect me to use what I have and not be discouraged because someone else has more ability and strength to love You.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Love the Lord Your God with All Your Mind

Mark 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

So far we have learned that loving God with all our heart has to do with the hidden part of us that is not seen by others. Loving God with all our soul involves having the same will and purpose that God has for us. Now we come to loving God with all our mind.

Vine's Expository Dictionary says this refers to knowing, understanding, or moral reflection. We are to renew our minds with the Word of God.

Romans 12:2 says, "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

Loving God with all our mind is tied very closely with our heart. What we think about becomes ingrained in our heart.

How can we have our minds renewed? The following verses tell us how.

Colossians 3:1-2 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest,whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Psalm 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

We are to seek those things that are above, setting our affection them. If there is any thing of virtue or praise-worthy we are to think on those things. If we use our minds to meditate on God's word it will get into our hearts, and it will be there when we are tempted to sin, pricking our conscience to help keep us from sinning.

What do you spend your free time thinking about? Is it praise-worthy? Are you living life with a view to eternity? Are you using your mind to meditate on God's Word so it will get into your heart?

Dear Father, Many things occupy our minds. Help us to focus on the things You would want us to focus on as we go through our days. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Why Do I Write?

 

 

Psalm 119:162 I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil.

I have been asked, "How do you come up with ideas for your devotionals?"
"How do you find the time to write all that stuff?"  I would like to try to answer those questions and a couple of others.

How did I start writing devotionals?  I began writing for myself.  Sometimes I would share what God had taught me with friends who needed encouragement and they began telling me I needed to write a book.  It was through these comments that I began to realize God was calling me to share what He was teaching me with more people.  I occasionally posted some of my writings at Beyond Surviving Home School, a Christian support group for ladies with chronic health issues who home-school.  The administrator sent an email out saying they needed more volunteers to write weekly for them.  I had been seriously thinking of volunteering but didn¹t think I should because I had not been a member all that long.  I received an email from her asking if I would pray about becoming a devotional writer for the group and I told her I had been thinking about it already.  So, this was how I realized God was truly calling me to write for others.  

How do I find the time to write all these devotionals?  Often the time comes in small snippets.  I spend a lot of time thinking while I do other things. I jot down notes as I go through my day when I think of things to write.  If I wake up early in the morning, I might get up and go to the computer and work on my writing.  I will grab ten or fifteen minutes here or there to write, save it and come back later.  If I am really on a roll, sometimes I will put in a two to four hour stretch of writing, but that doesn¹t happen very often.

How do I come up with ideas for devotionals?  Many of my ideas for writing come from my own personal quiet time when I read my Bible each day.  A verse might seem to jump off the page as I read and God speaks to me through it in some way and I write it down.  Other times I will read something, hear something said or see something that reminds me of a scripture verse or principle from God¹s Word and I write about that.  The Psalmist says he rejoices at God¹s Word like one who finds great spoil.  Another translation calls it treasure.  For me, reading my Bible is like finding treasure and when God shows me a treasure, I just have to write about it.  It¹s a calling I can¹t ignore.

How has writing devotionals impacted my life?  It has shown me how much I fall short of God¹s standards. He is changing me as I write, although I am sometimes slow to learn.  I feel unworthy to write because I struggle to "practice what I preach" and fail so often.  
But God has also given me a greater appreciation of how merciful and patient He is to keep on teaching me and showing me where I need to change.  The study of God¹s Word that goes into my writing has also given me much comfort in difficult times as I realize that God is my Rock when all else is unstable around me.  

Loving God with All Your Soul

 

                                                              
Mark 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

We learned last time that loving God with all our heart means having that part of our lives that no one sees, fully committed to Him.  Church rules can demand outward conformity, but what is in our hearts will eventually spill out into our lives in one form or another. This week, we will focus on at what it means to love God with all our soul.

Vine's Expository Dictionary emphasizes that the word soul in this verse has to do with "the seat of our will and purpose".  The same Greek word for soul is used in Acts 4:32.  "And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul:" They had the same will and purpose in common.  

When we love God with all our soul, we are to have the same will and purpose in mind that God has.  What is His will and purpose for us?  Some scriptures that speak to this are:

1 Thessalonians 4:3-4, 7   For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
1 Peter 2:15 For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:
Romans 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

God's will and purpose for us is that we be sanctified, holy, thankful in all things, well doing, and conformed to the image of his Son, Jesus Christ.  It is interesting to note that all of these things spring from a heart that has been changed by God and loves Him wholly.  When we love God with our whole heart and soul, we will want his will and purpose for our lives.

In my next devotion in this series, we will explore what it means to love God with all our mind and how it will help us to love God with all our heart and soul more.

Dear Father, Help us to have Your will and purpose foremost in our hearts, that we might live in a way that is pleasing to You and a light to the world around us.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.