I Know Who Holds My Hand

There is an old hymn by Ira Stanphill that says;

Many things about tomorrow
I don’t seem to understand;
But I know who holds tomorrow,
And I know who holds my hand.

Don’t ever be afraid to entrust your unknown future to the all-knowing God.

Hang with the Optimists

One of the worst things you can do when you are going through adversity is to surround yourself with pessimists, blamers and toxic personalities. Be careful who you share your dreams with. Beware; there are a lot of people who try to talk you out of your dreams and goals.

Let me exhort you today to spend your time with optimists and encouragers. Seek out people of faith. If you can’t find anyone like that just know that I am waiting to hear from you.

Rule of Thumb

Rule of Thumb - Definition: A rule or principle that provides guidance to appropriate behavior.

My advice is to submit your every activity to God and use your skill set as God directs you in those activities. Make sure you are sensitive to God’s leading. Now that is a good rule of thumb!

Fear: A Tool of the Devil

Fear is one of the greatest tools of the devil. He uses our natural fears and our imagined fears to prevent us from walking in God’s fullness. I love what King Solomon wrote in Proverbs 1:33:
But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, and will be secure, without fear of evil.

Let me encourage you today to not be robbed of your blessing. Listen to God and walk in freedom from fear.

Great Treasures

Great Treasures are Waiting to be Discovered!

I heard a story of a father who made a promise to spend 15 minutes a day with his seven year old son searching for treasure. Every day they would go out and find bottles, cans and assorted “treasures” during their excursion. At the end of the year they sold much of what they found and made over $1000. In the process they also found the richness of relationship just being together.

What if we decided to spend 15 minutes a day searching for treasure in the Bible; what would we find? Solomon wrote: “If you seek [wisdom] as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. . . . Then you will understand righteousness and justice, equity and every good path” (Prov. 2:4-5,9).

I want you to have God’s absolute best. To obtain that you must have relationship with Him which means spending time in His word and in prayer.

We're Promised Troubles

So many Christians thought once they gave their life to the Lord they would have no worries.

Dave Branon said, “We don’t pray and read the Bible to get a perfect, trouble-free life. Pursuing God is not cause and effect. We do it because it draws us closer in our relationship with the One who is perfect. The pursuit of godliness will not exempt us from trouble (2 Tim. 3:12). But a life dedicated to loving and pursuing God (Heb. 10:22) is always a good idea—no matter what happens.

In this life we are promised troubles. I am glad God is with us especially during those times.

The Mundane

The other day I was taking out the trash. What a mundane task that is. So, to amuse myself I made a game out of it. I used the bags as a hammer throw; you know like in the Olympics. I held on to the handle and spun around several times and let it go. Just as I let go I said, “God let it go in the dumpster.”

I realized what I had just done and had to laugh. First of all because I am a 55 year old man spinning around with a full trash bag and secondly cause I included God in this mundane task I was doing. Ok, here’s the deal. Make it a point to seek God even in the mundane tasks of your life.

PS: The bag landed in the dumpster!

Be A Donor

I marvel at modern medicine. In my lifetime we have seen doctors successfully transplant multiple organs to those in need from matching donors. We recently heard the news of a woman who received a face transplant. For years people with vision problems have received cornea transplants.

While doctors speculate a complete eye transplant will never occur due to the complexity of reattaching the optic nerve, wouldn’t it be awesome for a blind person to be able to see through the eyes of someone else?

It took me a while to get here today but here is my point. If you look through the eyes of Jesus, you’ll see a needy world. When you do, be a donor of your time, care and attention to the needs around you.

God's Comfort

Aren’t you glad today that God’s presence brings great comfort?

Your Work Strategy

I hope you find fulfillment in your work, career or occupation. Think about this . . . wouldn’t it be great if we used our work to fulfill God purposes on the earth? Take a minute today and plan a strategy to use your work for God’s glory.

Utilizing Our Abilities

The book, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, is Jean-Dominique Bauby’s memoir. It describes his life after a massive stroke left him with a condition called “Locked-In Syndrome.” Although he was almost completely paralyzed, Bauby was able to write his book by blinking his left eyelid. An aide would recite a coded alphabet, until Bauby blinked to choose the letter of a word he was dictating. The book required about 200,000 blinks to write. Bauby used the only physical ability left him to communicate with others.

We who are fully functioning many times fail to share a word of encouragement with others. Speaking a kind word to a friend or even a stranger can make a real difference in their day. We also fail to tell others our story that includes our life’s transformation through Jesus Christ. Today I hope you will take full advantage of your abilities to share the good news!

Structure

I am a man who places great value on structure. That may seem strange coming from a child of the “60’s. I have often said, “Through structure comes great freedom.” Why don’t you ask God today to show you His boundaries for your life and the freedoms found therein. I promise you that these are meant to enhance your life, not hinder it.

The Coming of the Lord

Want something to look forward to?

If you missed the remarkable juxtaposition of reflective spheres that sparkled in the night sky on December 1, 2008, you missed the celestial convergence of Venus, Jupiter, and the moon. Don’t fret my friend. On November 18, 2052, you’ll once again be able to peer through the evening darkness as those solar system neighbors “gather” in a tiny area of the sky. Let’s see, I will be 97 years old when that happens.

Maybe I ought to look forward to something else. Ok, I have it. What about the Lord’s return to earth.

1 Corinthians 15:52 (NASB)
52 "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed."

That’s it! That is what I am looking forward to for me and for you.

The Journey

The Journey

One of the things most people really never get is that reaching the destination many times pales in comparison to the adventure of the journey. I have traveled extensively and sometimes you have an easy trip other times your journey is most difficult.

Let me ask you today. Are you in the midst of a difficult journey that seems almost impossible to continue? If so, be assured that God is providing grace even now to equip you for that journey.

I will guarantee you that there will be a time when you can look back and say, "Look at what God has done because of what I gained on that difficult journey through the valley of despair." Don’t ever lose heart. Trust Him with the outcome of where you find yourself even in the difficult times.

Public Acknowledgement of God

In the recent Texas primary, Ballot Proposition #4: Public Acknowledgement of God-Stated “The use of the word “God”, prayers, and the Ten Commandments should be allowed at public gatherings and public educational institutions, as well as be permitted on government buildings and property.”

At a time when the liberals and the left are screaming for separation of church and state, this proposition brought joy to my soul. In the early days of our country, the Puritans wisely sought to connect all of life to its source in God, bringing the two worlds together rather than dividing them into sacred and secular. I really think they were on to something important that we have gotten away from.

Today why don’t you take a minute and thank God that we live in a country where we still enjoy freedom of worship? While you are at it, be sure you are registered to vote in the November elections.

Life is a Battle

James 5:11

You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.

In life the crises and challenges we all go through can strain us to the very end of our strength. It is in such times it is easy to want to give up. But James offers us another perspective. He says that while life is a battle, it is also a blessing: “Indeed we count them blessed who endure.”

In the example of Job, we find encouragement and the power to persevere in life’s darkest hours. That power is deep-seated in God, who is compassionate and merciful. Even when life is hard and so very painful at times, we can persevere because God is there. His mercy endures forever! I pray you are encouraged with this word today.

Crises and Challenges

James 5:11

You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.

In life the crises and challenges we all go through can strain us to the very end of our strength. It is in such times it is easy to want to give up. But James offers us another perspective. He says that while life is a battle, it is also a blessing: “Indeed we count them blessed who endure.”

In the example of Job, we find encouragement and the power to persevere in life’s darkest hours. That power is deep-seated in God, who is compassionate and merciful. Even when life is hard and so very painful at times, we can persevere because God is there. His mercy endures forever! I pray you are encouraged with this word today.

The Distressed

Proverbs 14:21

He who has mercy on the poor, happy is he.

Not a week goes by that I don’t receive a call at the church office from someone who is distressed due to their economic shortfalls. As a church we support a local ministry that is a food bank, and offers assistance with clothing, and even money for gas or utility bills. So when I get a call, I refer those in need to that ministry.

During these tough economic times, we should be willing help people in need—spiritually and physically. A dollar doesn’t go far these days, but a generous attitude does.

Here is my tip for the day. A good exercise for the heart is to bend down and help another person up!

The Durian

I don’t have a regular routine for sleep. If I lay down before I am totally exhausted I can lie awake for hours. So many times I find myself late at night watching TV. The other night I was watching this guy named Andrew Zimmern on this show called “Bizarre Foods.” This guy travels the world looking for the most unique foods. He lives on a steady diet of bugs, entrails, and foods most of us would call disgusting. I saw him eat a goat’s eyes once . . ugh!

On this one show he was eating a tropical fruit called the durian. The durian is often called The King of Fruits. Either you love it or you hate it. Those who love it will do almost anything to get it. Those who hate it won’t get near it because of its pungent smell.

I am reminded that many-times we look at people the same way; some we find appealing others we find appalling. God is no respecter of persons and neither should we be. He loves the richest to the poorest, the youngest to the oldest. Remember we are to love one another and we are at our best when we serve God by serving our fellow man.

DIRECTION

Proverbs 3:6

Direction comes when we seek God's will first.

The Lord’s Prayer states, “Thy will be done.” 1 John 5:14 states, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”

We all need direction. We all have an idea where we want to go in life. Let me just remind you today that if you ask for God’s will to be done in your life clear direction will come.

Good Riddance Day

The other day I was shredding some documents and it reminded me of an event that happened last year in New York called “Good Riddance Day.” People were encouraged to bring their remembrances of bad experiences and bad memories suffered throughout the year to Times Square and either shred or destroy them that day. Some people brought their bank statements; others brought cardboard signs that said “cancer” or “stock market.”

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could just say good riddance and shred our bad memories to be absent from our lives forever? I think the Apostle Paul could have used and industrial size shredder according to his account in 2 Corinthians 12: 7-10. But God said to him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”
You see, God didn’t take away the problem. Instead, He gave Paul the grace to live with it and He will do the same for you today.

Dual Citizenship

The old radio preacher yelled, “YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN!”

Nicodemus in his conversation with Jesus was perplexed by this terminology. “How can I be born again” he asked, “can I go back into my mother’s womb?” Of course we know that Jesus told him you are born of the flesh but also must be born of the spirit.

Born of the flesh, conceived in sin,
Then born of the Spirit, new life to begin;
I’ve been washed in Christ’s blood and this will suffice,
Praise God I’m His child, I’ve been born twice! —Brandt

When you are born again, you obtain dual citizenship. Not only are you a citizen of this earth, you also become a citizen of heaven. Pretty cool stuff!

Well Done My CHild

As a corporate manager and business owner part of my job was to do annual evaluations on my employees. I have a philosophy that if you get to evaluation time and your employee is surprised by their evaluation, you really haven’t done a good job as a manager. Evaluations should not contain surprises. If you are doing a good job, or a bad job a good manager will let you know at the time and not wait until the end of the year review.

If your boss invites you into their office, this could be a nervous time for you as you think about what they might say. You may wonder: Could there be a promotion with a pay increase? Or could I lose my job? Am I going to hear, “Well done” or “You’re done”? How does my boss really think I’ve been doing?

Some day at life’s end we are all going to be called into the office. Paul wrote, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10).

I believe that God speaks to us regularly. We do not have to wait until judgment day to know how we are doing. We will not enter that future evaluation fearful of losing our salvation, nor will we desire personal benefit or human approval. But like our earthly supervisors with our job evaluations, won’t it be wonderful to hear the Master say, “Well done, good and faithful servant?”

How Good Are You?

Years ago I worked as a hairdresser. I have always been somewhat creative and artistic and that was a great vehicle to express my creativity while earning a living. I was a good hair cutter. I was better than most because I worked hard at perfecting my technique, I went to classes; I had tutors and teachers that were awesome with their skills. I thought I was really good until I saw how good the good really were . . . the great artists like Vidal Sassoon, Paul Mitchell, Jeanne Braa, Alan Benfield Bush and many more. When you are in the presence of greatness, you realize how elementary your skill set really is.

Today as a Christian I realize how small and insignificant I am in comparison to the men and women in the Bible and really small in contrast to Almighty God. I am glad today that recognizing our own smallness can cause us to embrace God's greatness. Great and Mighty is He!