Saturday, August 3, 2013

Be Strong in the Lord RJD August 2013



“Finally, be strong in the Lord
And in His mighty power.”
Ephesians 6:10
(from journal entry July 6, 2010)

I have known people who are strong in the Lord. Also, I have dealt with people who are strong in themselves. As I see it, there is a world of difference between these two attitudes.
Those who rely upon God to guide them through their lives are the strongest people I know. They relax and are comfortable with themselves and those around them. They are a joy to be around.
Those who live for themselves seem to enjoy getting the last word in an argument or even a mild misunderstanding. They cannot face hardships without griping or grumbling. These people are those we have to be around.
Some of them live with a foot planted in both spheres—God’s world and the enemy’s.
When uncertainties come into the life of one strong in the Lord, he or she knows God is in control. I am reminded of the wise man who built his house on the rock. A person who’s weak in the Lord gets angry very easily. When I see this type of behavior, I am reminded of the man who built his house on the sand.
Update: As I looked through this particular journal, I realized that the summer of 2010 was eventful for us. In June, Hubby’s sister went to live in heaven. The entry after this one told of our trip to the ER for Hubby and his referral to an orthopedic facility. He had surgery a month later. The enemy threw quite a bit at me as I tried to help settle my sister-in-laws accounts and see to Hubby’s medical needs. And then Hubby had a scary complication that caused him to have that procedure done a second time.

               But God’s presence guided us through these events.   


Linking to:beneaththesurface-dawn   

Monday, July 29, 2013

Seek Him with Whole Hearts


                                           ,


Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, 
and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me
when you seek with your whole heart.”
Jeremiah 29:12-13 (NIV)



We are all probably familiar with the verse preceding this passage. How do these verses connect with that thought about God’s plans for His people?

Then you will call upon me . . .” As a result of God’s plan for us, we will approach Him for guidance, comfort, and healing. We can go to God from any location, under any condition, and at any time.

“. . . pray to me. . .” We will ask Him to care for our needs, both personal and corporate, and to remove the blot of our sin from our hearts. We have to ask in order to show God we are aware of our needs and our sins.,

“ . . . I will listen to you.” God promises to concentrate on our words. When I was in college, one of the classes I heard that there were five different levels of listening. One article I found mentioned some of us listen and wait for our chance to talk. (Level One) At the other end of the spectrum is where we intuitively listen to hear the emotion and real issue behind the words.1

“You will seek me and find me . . .”Our search for God will end with success. We will not come away from our quest empty-handed. When we lose something, we look everywhere for it—car keys, a special piece of jewelry, something we stored away for a season. When we find it we feel relieved.

“. . . when you seek with your whole heart.” One of the conditions of finding God is very simple. We have to focus our minds and hearts on Him. I have been in worship services where the preacher has asked us to clear our minds of Sunday dinner and our plans for the afternoon. I have just understood that this is a Biblical idea.
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Graphic: corrycecillia.wordpress.com

1. http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Five-Levels-of-Listening&id=5115474

God Alone

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