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I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. Psalm 34:1
Talkin’ to myself and feelin’ old
Sometimes I’d like to quit
Nothing ever seems to fit
Hangin’ around
Nothing to do but frown
Rainy Days and Mondays always get me down.
The song “Rainy Days and Mondays Always Get Me Down” by The Carpenters can become our own theme song if we aren’t careful. For some of us everyday seems to fall into the category of a rainy day or a Monday, even in the Christian walk. Why is it that the ‘rainy day’ attitude seems to follow us? There may be several reasons.
An improper view of God’s ability to handle the situation can bring in the clouds in a hurry. It’s easy, when trouble comes, to forget that God has the solution already in place. Our only ‘job’ is to seek his leading and guidance. Not easy to do when the voices of our soul scream for us to act.
We can also be so focused on the present and our own abilities that we lose sight of the bigger picture. The Father brings people and events into our lives to help us grow stronger. The abusive person is there to help us to trust God and help us grow in wisdom to know his plan. Bullies of all ages come into our lives so that we will learn to trust God to give us the wisdom on how to act.
It’s been said that ‘defense is the best offense’. In daily life that means we lash out quickly when cornered or attacked in hopes to catch the enemy off guard. In God’s Kingdom, the best defense is often to sit and wait, ponder the situation and act in a calm, decisive manner. May not work on the sporting field, but life isn’t a game.
Fear can be a great praise stealer as well. Closely tied to our failure to see God for who he is, fear turns the focus of the solution to our own abilities, and not God’s power. Our fear can be self-inflicted, such as when the natural consequences of procrastination strangle us. Our fear can paralyze us as well when we put our own fleshly desires before our relationship with Jesus and others.
So how can we ditch the ‘Rainy Day and Monday’ attitude? That old Carpenter song has the answer to that as well:
“Funny but it seems that it’s the only thing to do; Run and find the one who loves me.”
Ironically, the best way to ditch the ‘Rainy Day’ mindset is to do the very thing we are being kept from doing…PRAISE. When you are feeling blue, when life makes you afraid, confused or its pain seems too much to bear, go to the one who already has the solutions to your problem, whatever that is.
PRAYER: Father, the struggles of my life have kept me from the ultimate purpose of my life, which is praising you. Empower me to rest in your love, especially during those times when fear, worry and people and events scare me. Amen.
On that day when the Law of Moses was read aloud to everyone, it was discovered that Ammonites and Moabites were forbidden to belong to the people of God. Nehemiah 13:1 (CEV)
For those who think there is no hope; who feel that you’ve messed up too bad, that your rebellion has exhausted God’s ability or desire to forgive; who have resigned yourself to the ‘fact’ that the bad choices of your past have will plague you for the rest of your life, take a look behind the scenes of Nehemiah 13:1.
It had been years since the Law of Moses had been read to the people of God. At that time there were no dusty scrolls sitting on the coffee table. The only way to know the word of God was to go to the priest and have them read it to you. With the Israelite exile, and rebuilding the wall, there had been little time for reading.
When the scrolls were opened, the people were awakened to God’s demands for purity among his people. The Israelites had defiled themselves by associating with Moabites and Ammonites. This was a great issue for all those who wanted to follow God.
When the people found out they were living against God they removed all the ammonites and Moabites. Cruel, you say? Perhaps. But God didn’t forget the Moabites. Turn the clock back a few hundred years.
Picture a young Moabite woman in a strange land. She’s still mourning the death of her young husband. He’d died way too soon. He left no son, no legacy to be remembered by. Now, all she has was memories, the challenges of being a Moabite woman in a strange culture, and a mother-in-law who gave her love, but no guarantees of a future.
Ah, yes, Ruth. Remember her? Young, alone and widowed in a foreign land. Looked down upon by most, pitied by few…that is until Boaz came along. Then her world changed Fear turned to confidence. Loneliness melted into hope. Poverty gave way to wealth. Separation from God dissolved in grace.
The result? A place in the lineage of the Messiah, the son of the Living God! There was nothing she could do to deserve her position of grace. She was unworthy of any sort of blessing or privilege. But God sought her out and blessed her richly.
God sees hope in us regardless of our actions or our past. No matter how alone you feel; how deeply you have been hurt; how forgotten you feel; how hopeless the situation you find yourself in, the God of Heaven has provided a path through the wilderness to bring you home.
PRAYER: Father, I worship you today for the reminder that I am never far from your loving, merciful and guiding hand. I thank you for the provision of Jesus and the hope we have through your grace. Amen.
Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:9 (NLT)
When you find something that works, you stay with it. After all, if ‘it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’
At first glance one might think the Apostle Paul is just an arrogant Bible thumping preacher. “Just do what I do and everything will work out just fine…” But a study of the life of Paul reveals quite the opposite.
This great orator and defender of the faith says in other writings, things like:
“Not that I have already attained it, but I press on towards the mark.” (Philippians 3:12)
“All those things I want to badly to do, I don’t do. Rather I find myself involved in doing the very things I hate.” (Romans 7”15)
“For I am the least worthy of any of the apostles” (1 Corinthians 15:9)
There are other places as well where Paul bears his soul to say, in essence, I’ve not attained the standard of living I desire in my life. I’m weak, I fail. I’m unworthy. Yet here, in Philippians 4:9 he offers a testimonial of hope to those of us who struggle on a daily basis. He encourages each of us to take a good look at reality.
Remember what you’ve learned [about your faith], he says. Too often life situations, doubts, and our own failures will lure us away from the fundamentals. A championship team in any sport is one that continually practices the fundamentals, the little things so that the victory can be won. Rarely does a team sound in the fundamentals, lose.
In the same way, Paul is telling us from his personal experience that as he has learned to follow the basics, he has seen God work in mighty ways.
Does that mean hardship won’t come? Unlikely, since Paul wrote this letter from prison.
Does that mean we won’t fail through our own weakness or outright rebellion and sin against the God we chose to love? Paul reminds us that we battle continually with the old sin nature. Only reliance on the Holy Spirit will change that.
We are instructed to be a holy people, separated unto God, to live a life above reproach. But holiness in the human realm doesn’t mean perfection, it means we deal correctly with sin as soon as it enters our life. We go to the throne of grace, confess our sin, as forgiveness, and repent (change our attitude).
Stay the course. Remember the simple truths you learned as a child, or seek them out from God’s word. Trouble will come. You will fail. Others will fail you. But as you remain true to the basic tenants of our faith (love, grace, forgiveness and mercy) the God of peace and comfort will encourage you today.
PRAYER: Father God, help me to live in such a way that I can say, as Paul says, that my walk with you has taught me the way to peace. Empower me with your Holy Spirit to live in the basic truths of my faith so that others may find the peace I have found. Amen.
In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. Psalm 33:21 (NIV)
Father, I rejoice in you today because I can trust you. In an era when trust is hard to find I know I can always come to you and find you.
I know that you will be the same every time I seek you. Your love for me doesn’t change when I rebel against you. Your forgiveness is free for the asking even when my attitude isn’t right.
There are many around me who make claims about the great things they will accomplish, but their words are hollow. When you say something will happen, I know it will be just as you say.
Times change. People change. Yet the principles you set at the foundation of the world remain solid and secure because you have spoken it.
I rejoice in the many blessings you have given us.
I rejoice in the gift of family, of the love between a man and a woman, of the miracle of new birth, of the proud smile of a grandparent as they hold the assurance of their posterity.
I rejoice in the gift of friendships that encourage us to move on, allow us to cry on their shoulders, support us even when they don’t agree with us, and comfort us when we mourn.
I rejoice in your Holy Word, the Bible, for in it we have simple truths that lead us to eternal life along with principles for living that will guide us through the most difficult of times.
I rejoice in your gift of diversity. Just as no snowflake is alike, my world is full of different colors, different people, different cultures and different traditions. All these join together to testify to your greatness.
Most of all, Holy Father, I rejoice in your name. A name tells us about character and integrity. Your name, Jehovah, never changes and has withstood the attacks of time.
And I rejoice in that name that is above all names. The name that brings hope, forgiveness, understanding and patience. The name of your son, Christ Jesus my Lord.
Amen.
Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, The people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance. Psalm 33:12 (NASB)
It’s been said, “Those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”
During Old Testament times God repeatedly warned his people that judgment would come if they refused to heed him as the one and only true God.
As they entered the Promised Land they were warned not to engage themselves in the rituals and customs of the people who lived there. They were to remain true to the teachings of Moses, remain true to the covenant of Abraham.
They didn’t learn, of course. Throughout the ages history has proven that when a nation followed the principles laid out in the Holy Bible, God blessed them. When that nation strayed from those principles, decay began. People began to question the harsh expectations of God, or even doubt his existence. People looked to government for provision instead of relying on and trusting in God. They trusted their own consciences over the teachings of God’s Word.
There is a positive side, however, to dwelling in a land where the government refuses to acknowledge God. The church of Jesus Christ tends to thrive. Throughout history godless dictators and leaders have tried to squash the church. The early Jewish leaders tried it through persecution; Nero tried it with horrific slaughter of those who followed ‘The Way’.
God isn’t as concerned about the spiritual condition of government systems as he is the faithfulness of his people. The churches most famous persecutor, the Apostle Paul, tells us, “Again I say, don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights. A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants.” Timothy 2:23-26 (NLT)
Do followers of Christ have a responsibility to involve themselves in political and social activity in order to show Christ’s love and share his grace and forgiveness? Certainly. But our main focus should be to bring our hearts, minds and passions into conformity with Christ.
Recently I’ve been reading “Throw Me Another Brick” by Charles Swindoll. The most important nugget I’ve taken thus far from his study of Nehemiah is that God changes leaders through prayer more than protests and outspoken criticism. A nation that refuses to acknowledge the God of the Holy Bible will fall, but the churches responsibility is to pray for its leaders (regardless of their religious affiliation) and show the world the love of Jesus Christ.
PRAYER: Most gracious and powerful Heavenly Father. I remind myself today that you are the supreme commander-in-chief of my life. No earthly power will change my allegiance to you. I pray for our leaders that they may follow your precepts, but more importantly I pray for my brothers and sisters in Christ, that we may show your love and grace daily to those around us, especially those we disagree with. Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 