Who Are You Grateful For?

 Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God.

Philippians 1:3 

 

Have you ever stopped to think about all the people God has brought into or through your life?  I will be honest, there have been people God has brought through my life that I haven't been fond of, but the more I thought about it, God was teaching me through that person even though we may not have agreed on anything.

 

Yes, it is true that we may not like everyone.  And, yes, it's also true that some people are an "acquired taste."  You may not like them at first, but then they grow on you. God made each of us unique, yet similar.  We are drawn to people who think rather like we do and enjoy the same things we do.  

 

But think about the people who have been or are part of you life that you are grateful for.  Family and friends, of course.  But what about those who challenge us?  What about those who make us think?  

 

During this Presidential Election, I have seen all sorts of people expressing their views.  Some I agreed with, some made me think, and some I completely disagreed with.  But here's my point, I'm still grateful for those people!  

 

People!  Let's face it, we are on this planet together, Thank you for being here!

HUH?

Do not let anyone fool you by telling you things that are not true, because these things will bring God’s anger on those who do not obey him. 

Ephesians 5:6

Empty words are known my another name...LIES!  Ever had someone tell you something, you believed them, and then it turned out to be a lie?  Have you ever been the one telling the lie?  You see, we really WANT to believe what someone tells us.  

When I was in school, we would have these little gems called "pop quiz" to see if we had learned anything.  I've already admitted that I was not the best student by any stretch of the imagination.   And these little gifts always made me feel like an idiot.

But I learned a secret...if I STUDIED my lessons to learn, instead of just skimming through it just so I could say I read the assignment, then my pop quiz grades improved.  Now, think about this, if we use our mind, we will begin to see that we are more prepared when life's pop quizzes arise. 

  

Today's devotional is short for a reason.  The message is simple: Don't be caught off guard...THINK!!! 

Think? Why?

Guard your mind above all else,
    for it determines the course of your life.

Proverbs 4:23

 

I know you've heard them and seen them, those obnoxious and LOUD commercials demanding that you call RIGHT NOW!  Don't wait! Operators are standing by!

 

These commercials are geared to get you to act without thinking.  And sadly, we fall for this tactic more times than we would like to admit.  Why?  Because if we truly stop and consider and ponder and discern if we truly NEED the product or service, chances are we would find that we don't REALLY need it.  But we would rather just shift our brains into neutral because thinking takes effort.

 

Let me ask you something, if God had not intended for us to think and learn, why did He bother to give us a mind capable of thinking and learning?  Yes, it's EASIER to just DO without thinking (watch the traffic on any given work day and you'll see this is true).

 

THINK!  Ponder! Meditate! Contemplate! Be aware of what the Scriptures say!

 

"Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant." - Galatians 6:7.  If you sow ignorance, guess what you'll reap?  If you sow intelligence, guess what you'll reap?

I Don't Get It!

Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, 

but someday you will.”

John 13:7

Ever had something happen and you thought, "What the....?"  God seems to do things and allow things that we don't understand.  

At the time, I didn't understand why God allowed me to have open heart surgery at the ripe old age of 43.  But NOW I believe that, had I not had the surgery, Eric Skidmore would not have come to visit and plant the seed in my mind to become a Law Enforcement Chaplain.

At the time, I didn't understand why God would let me screw up life so many times without giving up on me.  But NOW I believe that each time I screwed up, I learned something that can be used to help others now.

At the time, I didn't understand why God would let me be so miserable while I was working for a church.  After all, aren't church folk supposed to be all nice, wonderful, kind, supportive and not be judgmental?  NOW I believe that God was showing me how NOT act.  

I don't always understand the "whys" and "wherefores" and the "are you kidding me" events of life, but God is the one with the plan, and He has a part for me to play in this plan, and for that I am pretty okay with (most of the time).  

Do I still wonder "What the...?"  Absolutely!    

Do I still question? You bet I do!

Do I still not "get it" sometimes?  Oh Yeah!

But I know, eventually it will make sense to me.  Usually when I've stopped wondering so hard about it.  

Put Your Mind To It!

Finally, brothers and sisters, 

whatever is true, 

whatever is worthy of respect, 

whatever is just, 

whatever is pure, 

whatever is lovely, 

whatever is commendable, 

if something is excellent or praiseworthy, think about these things. 

Philippians 4:8

Ever been surprised (shocked, dismay, embarrassed) when your child suddenly blurts out something you didn't think they heard (or understood)?  

 

Ever wonder why we have such a hard time finding the truth within all the "half-truths" (if it's only half true, it's a complete lie)?  

 

What do we put into our minds?  What are our minds addicted to?  What kind of thoughts grab your mind and focus?

 

Our minds can only work with the information that it has been given.  If you want a mind that is sharp and discerning, fill your mind with things that will sharpen it.  If you want the "Animal House" mentality where nothing matters and it's always someone else's fault, fill your mind with garbage.

 

We are bombarded with all sorts of things that are aimed at attracting our attention and grabbing our minds (having that perfect body, having that sportscar, taking that dream vacation, having that perfect job) and it is OUR responsibility to filter through all that information.  The Apostle Paul gives us the filter settings, we only need to apply them stringently!

 

"But that takes SO MUCH work!"  Yeah, I say that too.  And I remembered (most of the time) that if sin wasn't fun and easy, we wouldn't bother with it.  Guarding the mind is tough!  Guarding our mind, is challenging!  But look at it this way, it's the ONLY mind you get. Renew your mind in Christ and focus on Him!  

 

Let's face it, we think about what interests us.  What interests you?

The Way of Wisdom

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.

James 1:5 

 

Wisdom....we all want to be thought of as wise.  Many try to read books filled with wise sayings or how to find wisdom or they may make pilgrimages to "spiritual places" seeking wisdom.  Here's a hard fact....wisdom proves that we have survived our own stupidity.

 

How many times have we seen people do some INCREDIBLY stupid things?  The person who jumps off the house thinking they will land safely in the bed of a moving truck....then they wonder what happened when they wake up in the ambulance with a broken tailbone.  There are entire television series dedicated to the idiotic acts of human beings.  We laugh at the antics until we do something that would be worthy of the program.

 

Many cultures believe that if you are old enough to have grey or white hair (even if it's just a couple of strands), then you have survived life long enough to be considered wise.  But look at what God tells us through today's verse: "If you NEED wisdom [and we do], ask our generous God, AND HE WILL GIVE IT TO YOU."  Yes, God will give us wisdom, we just need to be wise enough to accept it and act on it!

 

Is it wise to take a start an argument with a drunk?  I would say not, because the drunk will not appreciate it, understand it, and might even be offended by your efforts.  

 

Is it wise to BE a drunk? I would say not.  It lowers your mind's desire to use the wisdom God has so generously given you. 

 

You see, wisdom teaches.  If we cannot learn, then we are not wise!  

 

My Main Point: Wisdom usually comes when God gets us to THINK!

Creation's Song

Let the heavens praise your wonders, O Lord,
    your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones!
For who in the skies can be compared to the Lord?
    Who among the heavenly beings is like the Lord,
a God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones,
    and awesome above all who are around him?
O Lord God of hosts,
    who is mighty as you are, O Lord,
    with your faithfulness all around you?

~Psalm 89:5-8

I don't know about you, but I'm one of those people who do a LOT of wondering.  I wonder about things like: 

• "Why did God create salt water AND fresh water instead of just making all aquatic critters use the same water?"
• "Why did God make lobsters so ugly but taste so good?"
• "Why are dogs usually affectionate, while usually aloof?"
• "Why don't cows have thumbs?"

Over the last few days, I have done a lot of wondering.  Remember when God told Job to put on his big boy britches because God had some questions for him and he WOULD answer them?  You can find the discussion in Job 38.  But God asked Job, "WHO told the sea 'You can come this far and no farther?' Who put the leviathan in its cage? Who put the stars in the sky? Who told the mountains how high to climb?"  You see, God was reminding Job (and us) that all of creation is God's handiwork.  We can believe that WE are the ones in control of God's creation and God will show us who really is God.

Most mornings, I have a cup of coffee (or more....stop laughing) and watch the sunlight come through the trees, listen to the birds start their songs, watch Abby (our greyhound) stand on our deck and survey her kingdom, and know that all of creation is celebrating God, and so should I.

From time before time until the end of all time, let us praise God for His blessings, gifts, and LOVE for us.  It makes the day a LOT better!