Troubles and Joys

II Corinthians 4:18   

So we don't look at the troubles we can see right now; rather we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever.

O my Father, You are the God of the Universe; You are El Shaddai, God Almighty. Yet You have looked down and seen us, who are made of dust. You steer the planets in their courses and call them by name, and You count the very hairs on our heads. Your love is totally unfathomable to our human understanding; You care for our every need, and generously provide for us out of Your riches in glory. You take us out of the miry clay and set our feet upon the Rock. You love us just as we are, but You don't leave us there; Your work in us is molding and shaping us into the people You created us to be. And all the trials and troubles we experience now are serving to teach us Your ways.   

My Own Understanding

Proverbs 3:5-7   

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil.   

O my Father, teach me to not trust my own understanding, even what I think I understand of You and Your word! I know I come across as very confident in my own understanding of what You have said, but let my confidence be in You, not my understanding of You, which would be being wise in my own eyes. Father, keep me humble in my submission to You; that Your glory would be foremost in my life, and that I not promote myself, but You. I know that my understanding of You and Your ways is still incomplete no matter how much I study and find answers to questions that come up; until I am perfected at the time of Your Glorious Appearing, when I am changed and rise to meet You in the clouds, and then evermore to be with You, my Lord.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!     

Working Out What God Has Worked In

Ephesians 4:25-32   

Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. "In your anger do not sin" (Psalm 4:4); Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.  

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. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.   

Pray it:   

O my Father, help me to put off falsehood and speak truthfully to others in my world, seeing each of them as members of one Body. Help me to avoid sin in anger, but to recognize it for what it is and deal with it immediately, so that I won't give the devil a foothold. Father, if I have been stealing or dishonest in any way, reveal this to me, so that I will deal with that immediately, also; and I thank You for providing me the means to share with those in need.

Father, keep Your guard on my mouth, so that no unwholesome talk escape through my lips, but only speak what is helpful for building up others according to their needs, so that it will benefit those who listen, rather than myself. Help me to not grieve Your Holy Spirit with whom You sealed me for that great Day of Redemption. Help me rid myself of any and all bitterness, rage, anger, brawling, slander, and every other form of malice. Teach me to be kind and compassionate toward others, forgiving and letting slights pass, just as in Jesus Christ You have forgiven me, much more than I will ever need to forgive another.   

My Tongue

James 3:1-12   

Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.

When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

Pray it:

O my Father, You have granted me to have learned so much about You, Your Word and Your ways! When I presume to share some of that knowlege, please put Your guard on my mouth, to not presume anything, but speak only what You know the listener needs to hear.

Father, I know that in the past, my tongue has set ablaze a whole situation! Please help me to not do that again--help me to engage my brain before I put my mouth in gear! Help me always to give You praise, and to have ready honest compliments for those made in Your image. Help me to not criticize or find fault, but to recognize the good that You are doing, even in those who don't seem to know You yet. Help me to see others the way You see them, through Your eyes of love.  

A "Bad Hair Day"?

James 1:19-27   

Personalized:

My dear daughter, take note of this: I want you to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. Your human anger does not bring about the righteous life that I desire for you, my dear. Therefore, get rid of moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent in your culture and humbly accept My word that I have planted in you, which can save you from that worldliness.

Do not merely listen to what I'm telling you, dear, and lie to yourself--do what I say. If you only listen to me and not do what I say, it's like looking at yourself in the mirror, and seing your hair a mess, then going off without fixing your hair; you can go all day as a "bad hair day" and not even realize it, but everyone else notices! But if you look into My word, which is perfect and gives you power to be free from social mores, and you don't forget it in the crunch--dear daughter of Mine, I will bless you in everything you do.

My dear, to show your love for Me, continue to trust Me to put my check on your tongue. Don't let yourself become polluted by the attitudes of your society.   

Getting Out Of God's Way

James 4: 1-8   

Personalization:   

My precious daughter Bonnie, what do you think that you have arguments and quarrels? Don't they come from the desires in your heart to fix others and tell them what you think they ought to believe? And they push you away and cut you off. But if you would only trust Me to convict their hearts, and you display My love for them, I will do the hard part, that's My job. When you pray for them, then turn around and take things into your own hands, they can push you away, but you've blocked My working. They can't resist Me, so, Bonnie, get out of My way so that I can work on their hearts.

Bonnie, I know that you care for your family members, but don't you realize that I love them even more than you do, and when you try to be My Spirit to convict their hearts, you're actually acting as My enemy, because I am God, you're not. Don't rely on your own words, your own understanding, your own logic. Don't rely on the world's ways or your cultural mores. Get out of my way; step aside and let Me work. Continue to pray for them and love them just as they are, and I will do the rest.   

Folly and Shame

Proverbs 18:1,2,13    

An unfriendly man pursues selfish ends; he defies all sound judgment. 

A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions.

He who answers before listening--that is his folly and his shame.   

O my Father, please help me to love my own family members as You love them; open my ears to hear what they are saying to me, and close my mouth from airing my own opinions. Please teach me how to listen actively, attentively and undistracted by my own thoughts.