Created to Fulfill

{Daily Selah}

This morning when I got up, there was a light mist hanging over my part of the world. 


Did you know mist, rain, storms, hail and snow are all created by the Word of the Lord and all fulfill His Word? 


Take a look:

Praise the LORD from the earth,
    you great sea creatures and all deeps,
fire and hail, snow and mist,
    stormy wind fulfilling his word! (Psalm 148:7:8 ESV)

Everything was created by the word of the Lord to fulfill the word of the Lord.


Genesis 2:7 tells us that "...the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature" (ESV). 


Man was the only part of creation in which God took a "Hands-on" approach (and still does), but we were also created according to His word. 

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness" (Genesis 1:26 ESV).

Just like all else in creation, you and are created by the word of the Lord to fulfill the word of the Lord. Why? The answer is found in the verses we began with:

Praise the LORD from the earth,
    you great sea creatures and all deeps,
fire and hail, snow and mist,
    stormy wind fulfilling his word! (Psalm 148:7-8 ESV)

Everything in the earth was created to praise the LORD by fulfilling His word! That includes you and me. 

When we obey (i.e. fulfill the word of the Lord), it brings God praise and glory.

In Luke 11:28, Jesus said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”  (ESV)

In other words, when we give God praise by fulfilling His Word, we are blessed!

Created to fulfill. 

Father, thank You for creating us by Your Word. Help us to fulfill our purpose to fulfill Your Word. May our lives bring You the praise You alone deserve. In Jesus' Name, amen. 

Want blessing? Don't park in the wrong spot.

{Daily Selah}


Have you ever received a parking ticket? A parking ticket is the penalty for leaving your vehicle in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

Here in Wisconsin, most towns have winter parking rules in effect from late fall to late spring. On even numbered calendar days, you're supposed to park your car on the even numbered side of the street and on the odd numbered side on odd numbered days. So, for example,  if your house number is 15 and it's December 24th, you have to park on the other side of the street. (For those of you who live in warmer climates, this is so that the city workers can plow the snow off the streets for safer travel.) I've lived in Wisconsin for over 25 years so, yes, I have been "blessed" with a few tickets for forgetting to move my vehicle at night. 


Did you know the Bible contains a "no parking sign"? Take a look...

Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers... (Psalm 1:1 ESV)

In other words, if you want to be blessed, don't park there! 

Where? Don't park yourself with the wicked, sinners or scoffers. 

Just as there are penalties for parking your vehicle in the wrong place, there are penalties and consequences for parking yourself in the wrong places.  

The best way to avoid penalties? Park yourself in the right place! 

Where did the Psalm 1 man park himself? Let's look at the next verse...

...but his delight is in the law of the Lord,and on his law he meditates day and night.(Psalm 1:2 ESV)

Take a look at the results of this man parking himself in the right place...

He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.

This man avoided parking himself in the wrong place and, instead, parked himself in the right place - in God's Word. The result was great blessing. 


Want blessing? Don't park in the wrong spot. 



Father, thank You for Your Word and for how it teaches us what is right in Your sight. Help us to avoid "parking" ourselves in the wrong spot. Fill us with Your Word, and give us a hunger to feed on it and to live in light of it. In Jesus' Name, amen. 





{Daily Selah} is a mini-devotional, a pause to ponder about the Lord and how He wants us to live

*How do you know? Just ask

{Daily Selah}

My youngest son started his first job at the beginning of summer. He was so excited to get his first paycheck. 

On his first pay day, we drove by a man standing on the corner with a sign similar to the one in the photo.  We went to the store and, in the parking lot, my son said he wondered if he should give the man some money. Then he asked, "How do you know?"

He wanted to know how you know if someone is legitimately in need or  if they're going to take the money you give them to use it to buy drugs or alcohol. I suggested praying about it and said, "Let the Lord show you what he wants you to do."  We prayed together in the car and I asked the Lord to give my son wisdom and discernment to hear His voice and to keep his heart tender. 

We did a little shopping and when we got back to the car, my son had made a decision.  We drove back to where the man was standing, and I parked the car. My son, normally shy by nature, walked right up to the man, shook his hand and said, "Jesus told me to give this to you." He handed the man some money and talked for a few moments then  said, "I'm going to be praying for you," then came back to the car. 

I was never more proud of my son than I was in that moment. It is awesome when you see the Lord working in your children's lives and see them respond in faith and obedience. 

That day, my son asked a very important question.

How do you know?

How do you know which way to go, what to say and what to do? 

Discernment.

What is discernment? The dictionary will give you a definition but God's definition is different. (He defines most things differently than the world does.)

Godly discernment is simply heeding His voice. 

Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me" (John 10:27).

We, His sheep must listen to the voice of the Shepherd as He says, "This is the way, walk ye in it" (Isaiah 30:21). 

He is the still, small voice we hear when He wants us to know something is right or something is wrong. WE need to block out all other distraction so we can hear clearly what He is saying to us. 

One day some men came to Moses with a problem, expecting him to fix it. I love the way he responded.

Stand still, and I will hear what the Lord will command concerning you. (Numbers 9:8)

He was saying 2 things with this statement. First, he basically said, "Hey, guys! Be quiet for a minute! I need to hear what God has to say about this." And, secondly, Moses realized that human wisdom didn't have the answer for this. He knew that the discernment he needed could only come from God.

In James 1:5, we are told where to get this wisdom and discernment. It doesn't come from within, or from our natural intelligence, nor can we somehow acquire it on our own.

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

So how do you know? Just ask. 




Father, I'm so thankful that You have all knowledge, wisdom and power. Your ways are higher than mine and You know the best way for me to go.  Help me to daily seek wisdom only from You and to be still and listen to the still, small voice of Your Spirit and to walk in obedience to His leading. In Jesus Name I pray, amen.  

{Daily Selah} is a mini-devotional, a pause to ponder about the Lord and how He wants us to live. 

Like a Tree

[Daily Selah]

     Every parent wants their children to be successful, but God doesn't measure success like the world does. When my teenage boys told me a few days ago they were both going to sign up for Bible quizzing this year, it made me smile. Many people don't realize the value of memorizing and meditating on God's Word, but it is crucial to an obedient life in Christ. And in God's eyes, obedience is the measure of success, not money or fame.

Warning!

[ Daily Selah ]

Warning!


Warnings are everywhere.


On your mattress. On your pajamas.


On your appliances. On road signs.


Wherever you look there seems to be a warning.


Warnings are usually given with safety in mind.






God has also given us warnings.


Many times in Scripture, we are told of consequences for our actions.

Our decisions will result in either blessings or cursings.

And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God. -Deuteronomy 28:1-2 

But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee -Deuteronomy 28:15

God is holy. He has given us warnings of the consequences of our actions. 

I don't know about you, but I would definitely prefer to have blessings come upon me and overtake me than the alternative.

Obey and blessings will come upon you. Disobey and curses shall come upon you. 

Warning!



Father, thank You for giving us Your Word to teach us how to live. Help us to walk in obedience to you. We don't just want to be blessed; we want to bring you glory. Help us to live for You alone, according to Your Word. In Jesus' Name, Amen. 





[ Daily Selah is a mini-devotional, a pause to ponder about the Lord and how He wants us to live.]

Who's Pulling Your Strings?

[Daily Selah is a mini-devotional, a pause to ponder about the Lord and how He wants us to live.]

Kermit The Frog. Miss Piggy. Fozzie Bear. If you're over 40, you're probably very familiar with these odd characters.

Marionette type puppets always fascinated me more when I was growing up. 

It definitely takes a lot more concentration and coordination to manipulate a stringed puppet. 

The expression, "Who's pulling your strings?" most likely came from someone who had watched a puppet show.

That same question could be asked of a Christian. 

Are we allowing our fleshly desires to pull our strings, living selfishly according to our own way of thinking? Or, are we choosing to surrender our lives to God, to live His way, for His glory? 

Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. -Romans 6:13

Who's pulling your strings? 

Father, thank You for teaching us Your ways. Help us to choose to surrender to Your will and way, for Your glory, instead of allowing our fleshly desires to pull our strings and manipulate our lives. Help us to live for You alone and to lift up Your Name by the way we live. In Jesus' Name, Amen. 

We heard. Now what?

Daily Selah is a mini-devotional, a pause to ponder about the Lord and how He wants us to live.

 But be ye doers of the word,
and not hearers only...

James 1:22

We heard. Now what?

It's not always easy to get children to do what we expect of them. On more than one occasion, I have found myself asking one of my kids, "Do you remember what I asked you to do?" The response is often, "Yes, I heard you." Mom's reply? "Well, if you heard me, why aren't you doing it?"

I wonder if God feels the same way about us, His children, at times. Do you think maybe He is saying, "OK. So you heard what I said. Why aren't you doing it?"

James 1 seems to indicate that He does. God expects us not to simply know what He says. He also expects us to do it. Filling your head with Scripture is not the same as living it out. 

So, we heard. Now what? Let's do it; do what God says and be who He wants us to be. 

Father, thank You for the power of Your Word to change lives. Help us, Lord, to not just simply hear Your Word and walk away unchanged but to also live it out, for Your glory. In Jesus' Name, Amen. 

Daily Selah ~ Just Do 2 Things

Daily Selah is a mini-devotional, a pause to ponder about the Lord and how He wants us to live.

Jesus answered: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. This is the first and most important commandment. The second most important commandment is like this one. And it is, “Love others as much as you love yourself.” All the Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets are based on these two commandments. - Matthew 22:37-40 CEB

Just Do 2 Things

Most societies and families tend to be very rule oriented. There are rules we must follow to maintain order in our land and there are rules I expect my children to obey to maintain order in our home.


Churches often have rules too, rules we think will help maintain order in the local body of believers and in the individual member. Some of those rules may be based on God's Word but others are not.


Jesus said just do 2 things:

• Love God
  
• Love Others
  

If we really love God with all that we are and we love our neighbor as much as we love ourselves, wouldn't everything else just naturally fall into place?




Father, nothing and no one deserves Your place in our lives. Help us to always put You first and help us to love You with all that we are and to love our neighbors as much as we love ourselves. We want to live for You alone, for You alone our worthy. In Jesus' high and holy Name, Amen.

ALL Scripture...

It is GOD's Word. Not mine. Not yours. It is His alone.


So when we dismiss parts of Scripture because they don't fit with our human reasoning or make us uncomfortable, what are we really saying?


      "Yeah, well, I know You said that BUT... I think I know better on this one."


      "Well, Paul said that and I think he musta been kinda biased, so I'm not listening to that."


      "You know, God... some of that stuff in Your Word, well, its just not politically correct. It doesn't work well in this day and age."


We wouldn't ever dare say such things to God but our actions, especially in relation to what we know is clearly defined in the Bible, speak much louder than our words. 

Either ALL of God's Word is breathed out by Him or none of it is. 

One day, Joshua told the Israelites to make a choice.


“...choose this day whom you will serve... But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” - Joshua 24:15 ESV



It's an all or nothing deal. God doesn't do things half way and He is not pleased when we try to serve Him half way.

God is asking you and me to make a choice right now, right here, today. 

He says, “...choose this day whom you will serve...”

Will we take Him at His Word, believing ALL of what He says is true, and allowing ALL of His Word to mold us into who He wants us to be? 

Remember...

Have You Ever Questioned Authority?

I have a friend who is very vocal about her disgust and distrust of our current government. In the past, I have worked with people who argued with every decision made in the workplace and never had anything good to say about the boss.

As humans, we all have an innate tendency to question those in authority over us.

Do you know what God calls that tendency?

Let's take a look at what he says...


Given the political climate in the US in recent years, I'm probably not alone in wondering how much my vote really matters. Daniel 2:20-21 may give us a reason to wonder even more.

Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding...

Part of that passage is underlined to make a point.  GOD is in control of putting people in positions of authority, whether that authority sits in the White House or elsewhere. The fact that we may not like the decisions our leaders make does not negate the truth that GOD placed them there and nothing surprises Him.

The directive given us in Romans 13:1-2 is pretty straight forward.

Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.

God says we are to be submissive to those HE has placed in authority over us and, He doesn't stop there. He says if we rebel against authority, we rebel against Him.

Notice that God makes no exceptions to His rules.

He didn't say, "Well, you only need to do what your boss says if you like the boss."

Nor did He say, "You only need to respect the president if you voted for him and agree with him."

Hebrews 13:17 (ESV) gives us another admonition in regard to authority.

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account.

That verse may be even more difficult to swallow than the others above. It is very hard for my fallible human mind to accept that the leaders I have difficulty trusting are keeping watch over my soul. However, GOD says it is true and He is truth, so I cannot argue with Him.

There's also another important point made in that verse. Our job is to submit to our leaders. Their job is to keep watch over our souls and they have an added burden that comes with authority. They "will have to give an account."

God doesn't say it is our job to hold our leaders accountable for their actions. It is His alone. Our leaders will have to answer to Him one day.


Yes, we all have this human tendency to question authority.

You may realize now that God calls that tendency SIN.

He says if we rebel against authority, we are resisting Him. He also says He sets up leaders and that they will have to give an account to Him for their leadership. That's His job. Our job is obedience to Him and His Word and that includes being subject to the authority He has placed over us.