He who has ears, hear what the Word of God says –
http://bible.com/116/jer.1.5.nlt
“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”
You are special and unique. Everything in creation has a purpose and is of use in fulfilling God’s purpose.
And you, friend are set apart and appointed.
http://bible.com/116/isa.55.8-9.nlt
“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord .
“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”
Yes, we are a prideful and rebellious generation.
Yes, there are few who seek to follow the narrow path.
Yes, we are a cold and hard hearted generation of religious zealots.
http://bible.com/116/isa.55.6-7.nlt
Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near.
Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them.
Yes, turn to our God, for He will forgive generously.
Seek God
Are we seeking and finding the Lord daily? Or have we given up and denied Him? Or do we pridefully think that we’ve found Him and don’t need to seek any longer?
http://bible.com/116/isa.48.22.nlt
“But there is no peace for the wicked,” says the Lord .
I know the life of a wicked person. I have lived it.
http://bible.com/116/pro.11.25.nlt
The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.
There are all kinds of ways for us to be generous. We can be generous with our money, with our time, with our words, with our actions, with our forgiveness.
Continue reading “Love, where subtraction is replaced by multiplication”
http://bible.com/116/isa.43.25.nlt “I—yes, I alone—will blot out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again.
Once we are forgiven for our sins, God will not bring them up again. In fact, they are to God “as far as the east is from the west”.
There is a lot that we can learn about forgiveness. We aren’t supposed to be the nagging spouse always bringing up the past faults of our partner. We aren’t supposed to be the constantly whining child pointing out every fault, every wrong, keeping score of the hurts of others crying, “That’s not fair”.
We are supposed to be Christ like.
Continue reading “Forgiven and forgotten, or keeping count?”
Romans 5:3-5, James 1:2-4, Romans 8:18, 1 Peter 4:12-19, 2 Corinthians 4:8-10.
The daily fiery trials of the Lord burning the old away, and refining our lives with conviction and repentance is neither comfortable nor easy nor without leaving scars – but He proves Himself by never leaving us, and by healing the wounds where the disease was cut out.
Continue reading “Sign me up for the fiery trials. Really? Yes, really.”
Harold J. Ballinger 