In
His Word 9-10-2012
Throughout
time parents have heard the words “ But everybody is doing it!”
“But Billy got one...” “Its what people are doing I have to or
I wont fit in!” One thing I have learned while reading the Old
Testament is that God has heard it too! He heard from His children
that everyone was worshiping false gods made of stone, and everyone
had a king so they wanted one too. The list goes on but the point is
its nothing new to hear from people that they must have the latest
thing.
The
only thing that has really changed is what the idol or the leader is.
Today's kids beg parents for the newest video game, adults strive for
that new jet ski, quad-runner or sporty, flashy, car. No matter what
it is they want what the world has to offer. But God had a better
plan. He wants to eliminate debt in our lives, but we just keep
wanting more. He wants to eliminate worry in our lives, but we keep
piling things on to keep up with the Jones'. He wants us to find
peace for our soul, but we keep wanting just that one more thing to
make us happy.
Stop
for a moment and ask your self what you would do to complete this
sentence: “If I had _______ I would be at peace.”
I
can guess that some of us will fill that blank with money, a job, a
new car, or maybe a new home; but God wants us to have more than just
physical blessings. He asks for so little and yet His desire to give
us the desires of our hearts gives us freedom to receive all that we
ask, according to His will and in His time.
So
while we are short on cash but want that next item on our list do we
focus on what we can be doing for God, or do we focus on our
troubles? Do we worry and complain; or do we worship Him for who He
is?
We
are really a selfish lot, we people; we look to our needs and
sometimes the needs of others around us but how often to we truly
look to what God needs from us?
 |
| Sometimes we need to look beyond the leaves... |
And
so dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to
God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy
sacrifice-- the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way
to worship him. Don't coy the behavior and customs of this world, but
let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you
think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you which is good
and pleasing and perfect. Romans12:1-2
Paul
tells us to give our selfish ways up to God to present ourselves to
Him, But how do we give up our selfish fleshly desires? We change how
we think. We allow God to transform us into the person He wants us to
become so that we do not turn into the person we see ourselves
becoming. You know who I mean, the person who works hard at a job so
they can buy more toys so they can spend time playing more and then
you work more to get more money so you can play more. The cycle keeps
going until one day you sit there and wonder what happened to your
life while you had striven to reach that place in your life when you
could sit and enjoy all that stuff you piled up. Where did all the
years go? Look at all that was wasted; and all you have to show for
it is a lot of stuff.
What have you laid up in the Kingdom of heaven? How can you change the thoughts of how to lay up for yourselves here on earth to laying up for yourselves things in the Kingdom of heaven?
First of all stop worrying about it!
What have you laid up in the Kingdom of heaven? How can you change the thoughts of how to lay up for yourselves here on earth to laying up for yourselves things in the Kingdom of heaven?
First of all stop worrying about it!
God
has a plan, so take a moment to listen to it; then act on it.
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 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 4:7-9
As
a parent of really young adults and teens I long for the day I hear
my kids say “Mom, Dad, I finally figured out what God has for me.”
Sure I know that I have brought them in in the shelter of the Lord,
and giving them Godly directions in the Word, but it is up to them to
make the choice to think on these things.
Israel
is a prime example; throughout the Old Testament we read story after
detailed story of how they have listened and done what God said then
the next generation decided to try things the way they saw fit, then
God let them know they were not doing what He had planned for them to
do. Sometimes they listened, sometimes they were selfish and chose
not to heed the warnings and got wiped out.
Personally
I want to do what God has for me to do, I want to follow what He
tells me in the Word each day. I want to think on these things.
“Fix
your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure,
and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and
worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and
received from me...”That
is what Paul said, but that is what God chose to put in His Word for
you to read today. Teresa is just a vessel of the Lord's bidding. It
is not about me, but about what God has for each of us to learn, to
glean from and to apply to our lives today.
So what is true in your lives today? What is true in mine? I know that each day I can rise up and thank the Lord for the day before me no matter if it hurts to get up and walk, or if I can't type as fast as I used to at the moment. God is good and He has a plan in all that we do, my job, and your job is to look for it and allow Him to renew your mind daily. Fix your thoughts on Him today, not on the co worker who is pushing your buttons, not on the kids who are driving you up the wall, not on the bills that are crying to be paid; just think on God and His goodness and think about what He has shown you in the Word. Focus on the good things, the fact you have a job, however hard or boring it may seem. Think about the fact you have children to pester you when you are tired and worn out because some day they will grow and take care of you and give you joy as they do. Thank the Lord for the love they give you each day as you struggle to get the laundry done and the dishes clean and everything else you have to do. Thank the Lord for the employees who do not know what they are doing; after all, they showed up at work!
Heavenly Father, we thank you today for renewing our minds and getting them off of the wants and on to the desires of our hearts. Lord give us the peace you have promised as we choose to focus on You and not our needs today. In Jesus name, amen.
Suggested reading: Romans 12:1-21 , Philippians 4:1-21, Isaiah 26:1-21and Proverbs 3:5-8.
Teresa M.Wilson