Out of Hand

Have you heard the saying..."things are out of hand"?
"My schedule is getting out of hand!"   "My diet is getting out of hand!"  "My_____ is out-of -hand!"
We may have heard something like this...or even said it ourselves.....
Got me thinking! (of course)

What if it is "out-of-hand" because maybe it is in the wrong hands??

📖 But I trust in you, Lord;
    I say, “You are my God.”
15 My times are in your hands;
    deliver me from the hands of my enemies,    from those who pursue me. Psalm 31:14-15

Maybe if things seem a bit, or a lot, out of control ...it may be because WE are trying to do the controlling....of things better left to God.

There are things we are told we DO have control of....
Our tongues:
📖 keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies. Psalm 34:13

📖 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body Ephesians 4:25

📖  Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.  Ephesians 4:29-30

This is not an easy task as you can read in James 3:1-12

Our actions and reactions:
📖  “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.  Ephesians 4:26-27

📖 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Matthew 25:37-40

 Read the whole account of the the Sheep and the Goats in Matthew 25

📖 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. Matthew 5:43-45

 We have control of OUR actions, behavior and responses....beyond that we can not control the outcome...the future...even if we THINK we can control others.
📖   For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Jeremiah 29:11

📖 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
⁶ in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight  Proverbs 3:5-6

📖 In their hearts humans plan their course,but the Lord establishes their steps.  Proverbs 16:9.

📖 You have searched me, Lord,
and you know me.

You know when I sit and when I rise;
    you perceive my thoughts from afar.

You discern my going out and my lying down;
    you are familiar with all my ways.

Before a word is on my tongue
    you, Lord, know it completely.  

You hem me in behind and before,
    and you lay your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
    too lofty for me to attain.

Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee from your presence?

If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
    if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
    if I settle on the far side of the sea,

even there your hand will guide me,
    your right hand will hold me fast.

If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
    and the light become night around me,

even the darkness will not be dark to you;
    the night will shine like the day,
    for darkness is as light to you.

For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made in the secret place,
    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.

How precious to me are your thoughts,^[a] God!
    How vast is the sum of them!

Were I to count them,
    they would outnumber the grains of sand—
    when I awake, I am still with you.

If only you, God, would slay the wicked!
    Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty

They speak of you with evil intent;
    your adversaries misuse your name.

Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord,
    and abhor those who are in rebellion against you?

I have nothing but hatred for them;
    I count them my enemies.

Search me, God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalm 139

God knows us and every fiber of our being, AND He knows our future!  So instead of feeling like life is "out-of-hand" put it back into the Hands that made it....

📖 Lord, I put my life in your hands.

2 I trust in you, my God,

and I will not be disappointed. Psalm 35:1-2   

AMEN!

🎵Potter's Hand by Hillsong

Humility Is a Verb

This is a topic that I have touched on before (The Lies Others Are Told  -  6/4/2019)
....maybe a bit different, some different scripture.  But I feel strongly that it is what I was to write about this week....

📖  For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. Romans 12:3

Humility isn't in saying..."Oh, they are better than me".
"I am not the most beautiful, I am not popular."
"I am no good...worthless"
Even just acknowledging that someone can do better isn't really what humility is.

HUMILITY
It is an attitude of the heart,

That moves with empathy

And is acted out in compassion

Jesus did not behave as if He were better than the people He ministered to, as others did.
Click on the link for the account of
📖 The Woman at the Well  John 4:7-30
Here was a woman, who for several reasons was avoided by those who passed judgement on her...thought they were better....maybe because they were born to a different region, made "better" choices, and other reasons I am sure.
Jesus visits with her, even accepts a drink of water from her.
 Jesus, being willing to step in and "consort" with the "undesirable", was living the example of GRACE.
📖 John 8:2-11 Click to read about the adultress.
This woman obviously had gotten herself into a bad situation, one that was going to cost her her life. Jesus didn't look at what she had done or make the judgement call that she wasn't worth the effort.  He stepped up, over that "line" and went right to her...basically stands in the line of fire and says "stop" this treatment. (Which was, mind you, the consequence of the day)
Jesus was seeking MERCY for the girl.

Jesus took humility to an all new level;

📖 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus;

Who, being in very nature God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death—
        even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
    and gave him the name that is above every name,

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:3-11

Jesus DID humility....His empathy for people MOVED Him into close proximity with them and His compassion demanded Him to DO something for them... for us....even to die for us!

Empathy, humility is seen, not heard.
It isn't in what we SAY....it is in what we DO!.
Jesus, who had the authority AND the power to condemn those two women, did NOT....He didn't even judge ...He offered them Himself,  and after their encounter with Him He knew they were changed.(at least that is what I see!)
^📖 Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people,  “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” John 4:7:28-29

📖 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”   “No one, sir,” she said.   “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” John 8:10-11

WE just need to offer ourselves....our help, our time, our grace, our compassion and then they will see Jesus!  In our obedience to Christ...they will see Him!

We need to remember in doing that it does not mean we agree, or even condone their choices ...but we show them compassion, empathy, respect for this individual that God loves, that Christ died for.
📖  For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.  In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Romans 6:9-11
Because HE DID!  He died for everyone of us!

We don't have to like a person's choices, there are people who don't like our choices....
but we have to love them...enough to pray for them.

Because IF we love someone enough to truly pray for them, from the heart out of a Christ-like love, then it is hard to look down on them.  Because we know that Christ doesn't, 

📖 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34

(And I see no better way to end this blog than with the words of Christ Himself!)💗

The Sweet Life

What does that mean, Living the sweet life?
Traveling to exotic lands?
The house of your dreams?
Having all the money you could want to buy anything you want?
Or enough money to never go to work again?

Maybe it isn't any of that....maybe it is..
✴watching a mother bird feed her babies in the nest
✴seeing the sun shine through the leaves
✴hearing a child laugh
✴having homemade raspberry jam on your toasted bagel (what inspired this blog!)
✴"hearing" God's "still soft whisper"
📖 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 1 Kings 19:12

✴Having scripture speak right to your heart.
📖 My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.”
    And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.” Psalm 27:8

✴Seeing Him move every where.

In this day and age of excessiveness.... maybe the sweet life is the simpler things....the "stop and smell the roses" things..
The God things that surround us everyday.
Like the particles of dust floating in the air...that you only see in the shaft of light.
God is around us ALL THE TIME....moving, giving life and love...but we have to look through the Light that shines.
📖 Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” John 8:12

That is IT!
THAT is the sweet life!
Basking in the Light of Jesus Christ and knowing....seeing God all around you, in every circumstance!

What does it mean to you?
📖 Shout for joy to God, all the earth!
Sing the glory of his name
make his praise glorious.
Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
So great is your power
that your enemies cringe before you.
All the earth bows down to you;
they sing praise to you,
they sing the praises of your name."
Come and see what God has done
his awesome deeds for mankind!
He turned the sea into dry land,
they passed through the waters on foot.
Come, let us rejoice in him.  Psalm 66:1-6

🙏 My prayer today is that you take some time to be with our Amazing God and let Him show you the sweet things in your life! 

📖 How sweet are your words to my taste,

    sweeter than honey to my mouth! Psalm 119:10

Spelling Bee

September is here and children have gone or are headed to school!  Those of us who are, shall we say, a bit older...may be relieved to NOT be IN school...but we should always be learning!

We even can learn to spell and do our ABC's all over again!

A.B.C. -  Admit Believe Commit
📖 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. .Romans 10:9-10

J.O.Y.  - Jesus, Others and You.
📖 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:29-31

F.R.O.G. -  Fully Rely On God
📖You are my strength, I sing praise to you; you, God, are my fortress, my God on whom I can rely. Psalm 59:17
📖And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 1 John 4:16

A.S.A.P. -  Always Say A Prayer
📖 Rejoice always,  pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

B.I.B.L.E. - Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth

📖 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,  so that the servant of God^[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:15-17

S.W.A.G. - Saved With Amazing Grace
📖  For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

No matter our age or status in life we can learn lessons like:
We need to SING...louder than we did in music class
📖 Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. Psalm 96:1-3

Make Noise...like we were just let outside for recess!
📖 Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!  
Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing.
Psalm 100:1-2 (NKJV)

🎵 Good News Mandisa (click to hear song and see if you can sit still!)

And just like PE class we need to MOVE... for the Lord
📖 Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.
⁶ He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday. Psalm 37:5-6 (ESV)

📖 Serve the Lord with gladness; Psalm 100:2

As I was sitting down to do this blog and find the scripture I might use, I opened Biblegateway.com and the verse of the day was....
📖 The earth is filled with your love, Lord; teach me your decrees. Psalm 116:64

I had to laugh and said "Thank you Lord for showing me the verse that covers the whole BLOG this week!  Isn't He a GREAT and AMAZING TEACHER!?
AMEN!

The song, I hadn't heard before, was playing while I was writing!  I just had to share because it went with what I was writing....I included the link where I was at the time I heard it!

I pray that you seek out and look for the lessons that God has for you today!  EVERYDAY!

River of LIFE

This is delayed a bit because the blog I had intended for Monday didn't seem to be the one God intended...
While doing up my early morning dishes Monday, I was thinking about our outing with my daughter, son-in-law and 3 grandchildren the previous day.  It was a gorgeous Sunday afternoon out in their boat on the water at Rainbow Falls.

And as I started reminiscing about the day, God placed a new blog idea in my mind!
First of all the song "River of Life" (VBS version) keeps playing in my head.
🎵 I've Got a River of Life (click to listen)
And what life there was on the water! All the vegetation along the edges. (Even noticed a few trees changing color😱)
We could see the water grass and weeds swaying just under the surface in the more shallow areas.
Insects danced on the surface of the water giving the illusion of rain drops.
An occasional fish would would break the surface reaching for those insects closest to the surface.
We even saw a beaver lodge, evidence of animal life along the water.

On the boat there is a fish finder....a "finder" of the life that can't be seen in the deeper darkness of the water.
And it is also a depth finder....sonar bouncing off the land hidden beneath the surface to give a gage so we didn't go too shallow and run aground.
It also shows hidden dangers; stumps and rocks which could injure or even damage the motor prop.

I've got a river flowing out of me!

springing up within my soul!
A river full of LIFE....life so abundant and free...because the River in me is full of Him!
📖 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”.John 7:38
📖 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 1:14

He has given us His Holy Word as well as the Holy Spirit to help us "detect" any dangers or pit falls that might be lurking near by
📖 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8

If God had a "depth finder" what would it detect?  How deep would it say our faith and commitment to Him was?
How many  hinderences would He find that we seem to let hang just below the surface tripping us up frequently?
How many "fish" would He find on our sonar?   We are called to be "fishers of people"...
📖 Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”  Matthew 4:19
...spreading God's love and light to those around us and telling them about the One true source of Life, Life everlasting!
📖  For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

I know it may seem over simplified..but lazing in a boat at trolling speed, watching grandchildren cast out and reel in with their Daddy and their Papa simplifies things...How Sweet It Is!
                                         

To know the Father and have the Living Water of Jesus overflowing in my soul,
knowing He is my Life giver and has given me the Holy Spirit to guide and protect me.
📖  What we have received is not the spirit of the world,but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. 1 Corinthians 2:12
And there is no depth finder that can register the depth of His love for me!  AND FOR YOU!
📖 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,  so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,  and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:16-19
AMEN!💗