It is much easier to spot someone else’s errors because your brain will not as easily assume what the author meant to write. I do try to check my posts, but sometimes things will get by me and I do not have a proofreader. So, please show mercy if you see an error. Just make a note in the comments section and I will fix it.
This former copy editor and proofreader thanks you for your understanding.
I am reminded of the verse where Peter tells us we have everything pertaining to life and godliness. Everything! If I accept that as truth, then I will look for the opportunities in my life. If I believe I do not have everything I need, then I need to reassess what is really a need and really important.
There is also the verse that says I can do all things in Messiah Yeshua. The L-rd showed me many years ago He did not mean I can do all the things I put on myself and/or all the things others put on me. Rather, He meant I can do all the things HE has called me to do.
That lifted a weight from my life as I began to focus on separating His calling from the demands of others and from my own misunderstandings. It was quite the process because it is not always easy to tell the difference.
Another key verse gives me the understanding there is a way of escape for EVERY temptation. That means that I really have no excuse to miss the mark anymore. It is a matter of choice. I have everything I truly need. I can do all the things He asks of me. I have an escape for every temptation. Therefore, I can have an abundant life mentality and see with my spiritual eyes what that really means.
So much of contentment and satisfaction in life is tied up with whether or not we believe we truly have all we need. Of course, there are things for which we need to work. But do we believe G-d is providing what we need to do that work? All good and perfect gifts come from the Father above who made the heavenly lights. That includes our talents and abilities to do what we need to do.
This all leads to gratitude. Are we grateful for what we have? Do we acknowledge G-d as our Provider and thank Him?
Something to check out. I don’t agree with everything Ron Cantor believes, but replacement theology is evil. So, here are some thoughts to consider:
Yep, I have been convicted. Sometimes, my words towards (and about) others are not what they should be…whether they come out of my mouth or flow through my fingers. Of course, my words start with my thoughts, which come from my heart attitude and beliefs. This, of course, leads to questions I am asking myself.
What is my heart attitude? What is my motivation? What DO I believe? Do I really believe what is coming from my mouth and fingertips is appropriate…or necessary? Do I truly believe G-d is in control and has a plan that will come to pass in spite of the mess we humans have made of this world? Of this nation? Of our communities? Of our families? Do I believe the Truth? Does my attitude reflect that Truth? Do my words and actions reflect that Truth?
I have heard it said to pray as if everything depends upon G-d and live as if everything depends on us. I always took that statement at face value without really examining it. The danger of living as if it all depended on me is that I can get the idea it really DOES all depend on me! There is a difference between trying to push and control and manipulate people and situations and simply doing my part to keep my life in line with G-d’s will and helping others who want to do likewise.
If it truly does all depend on G-d, then my role as His servant for His kingdom is very important. Are my words and actions reflecting Truth? Are they reflecting His heart? Or am I just trying to get what I think is best? In other words, am I being His servant or am I trying to be Him?
I want the words coming out of me to reflect HaShem’s heart. I want to be His hands, feet, arms and voice. I want to be a true ambassador for Him, not for myself. Oh, I can think I am doing His work when all I am really doing is what I think is best. This leads to more questions.
Have I really taken the time to study His word to know what He wants? Have I worked hard on pushing aside my ideas and wants so that I can truly hear His? Am I willing to accept what I may not understand? Am I open to accept things that go against my own fleshly/earthly wants?
Do I believe this passage? If I do, does it reflect in my words and actions?
Yeshayahu/Isaiah 55:9-11 CJB “As high as the sky is above the earth are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. (10) For just as rain and snow fall from the sky and do not return there, but water the earth, causing it to bud and produce, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater; (11) so is my word that goes out from my mouth—it will not return to me unfulfilled; but it will accomplish what I intend, and cause to succeed what I sent it to do.”
I think these are important things to consider on this first day of Elul.
We reap what we sow…or so the saying goes. But, sometimes, we reap what others are sowing. Living in a fallen world means the actions of others impact us, just as our actions impact others. If we are sowing discord, others around us will feel it. If they are sowing discord, we will feel it. This applies in our personal lives, but also flows out to the local community as well.
What about communities? Will what they sow affect the whole state? It definitely can! And one state can affect other states and even the nation as a whole. We see it happening in our country all the time. We also see one nation affecting others and the whole world. Even a group, if it is loud enough and pushes hard enough, can affect a whole community, state, nation or the world.
So, where is our focus? I know we need to push back against evil sown by others, but to what extent do we do that? And, are we confusing true evil with the fallenness of the world in which we live? In a perfect world, we would ALL be conforming to G-d’s standards and all would be good. But the world is not perfect and neither are we. Are we adding to the chaos and dsyfunctionality of this world in our attempts to push back against those with whom we disagree? Are we truly being the peacemakers we are called to be?
It concerns me when I see people sowing the same attitudes they rail against. They are reaping what they sow in their lack of shalom and, sadly, others around them are also reaping from their sowing. We need to remember the real source of evil and fight against that…starting with the evil within ourselves. It is easy to look at our evil as being either nonexistent or very little compared to the big, bad evil in others. But not so fast. The Master taught us to remove the beam (evil) from our own eye before trying to remove the speck (evil) from the eye of someone else. Who has the greater evil from HIS perspective?
Just some thoughts that came to me. I would love to know what others think about this.
As I look around me, I am saddened and concerned at the anger and division. In a fallen world with fallen people, that is not really surprising, especially when you consider we have a spiritual adversary who loves to stir things up. It is a reminder this is NOT our true Home!
The ones who cry the loudest, pointing their fingers at others for causing division, are often the ones who are most contributing to it. Again, not really surprising. They are lost souls, pawns of the adversary, and desperately need our prayers.
What IS surprising is how I see some who really should understand the true nature of the battle also contributing to it. I am sure they don’t intend to. I believe they think they are fighting against all the anger and division. But they seem to have forgotten some important truths, starting with the fact that this is NOT our true Home!
Sharing truth is a tricky thing. Not everyone hears in the same manner. Some need a 2×4, as my husband would say, and some just need a soft word of truth. What are we? Are we the ones who just need a soft word of truth? Or do we need the 2×4? And how do we share? Are we sensitive to how we are sharing and to whom we are sharing? Do we remember that a soft answer can turn away wrath? Are we mocking in our sharing? Oh, how we need to check ourselves. We will give an account for every word spoken and written.
Yeshua told us to take the beam out of our own eye before we attempt to take the speck out of someone else’s eye. Do they have a speck? Sure! But are WE supposed to try and take it out? Possibly. But ONLY after we have taken the beam out of our own eye. I cannot speak for anyone else, but the closer I draw to Him, seeking only His will for my life, the better I can see that beam. And, yes, it is still there! It will take a lifetime to remove.
The longer I live life, the more humbled I am. I see so many more of my own faults. Sure, I have overcome many of them…with Hashem’s (G-d’s) help. But then the more subtle ones just keep coming to the surface! It seems there is a never ending supply of them! As a result, I find myself way less open to criticizing others and more content to allow G-d to do the necessary work in them. I pray for them, remembering we are also told not to criticize another man’s servant. It is that servant’s master’s duty to correct and change him and, who knows? Perhaps, that master wants his servant that way for a time in order to do something that requires the servant to be that way. I don’t know.
Does this mean I should not engage in a fight at all? Not necessarily. But I approach it with a whole lot more humility than I once did. I approach it with a greater awareness of my own failings and I am a lot more cognizant of treating others how I want to be treated. I find that, the older I get, the pickier I am about what I consider truly worthy of a fight and I am a whole lot more cautious about how I engage when I do believe I am to engage.
What about you? Where are you in this scenario? I encourage you to ask Avinu Shebashemayim/our Father in heaven before being really quick to answer. I know, for me, it takes a LOT of soul searching and G-d’s help to really see myself.
What does it mean to be chosen? A lot depends on your viewpoint. The Jewish people know they are the chosen people of G-d. Christians believe they are chosen by G-d for salvation. In both cases, they look up to the heavens and give G-d credit for choosing them. There are others who are chosen by G-d for a specific purpose and time. I think of Esther, Avraham, Yitzchak/Isaac, Ya’akov/Jacob, David, Shmu’el/Samuel, Sha’ul/Saul, Shlomo/Solomon, Samson, Eli, Bi’lam/Baalam and so many others.
Do we seriously believe that none of these people KNEW they were chosen for their time to do something for G-d and/or their people? And that none of them gave credit to G-d for the choosing? It is not arrogance to know you are chosen for a specific purpose and to look up to the heavens to acknowledge the One who chose you. But, there’s more!
Here is a laundry list of the behaviours of some of those chosen people:
Lying, putting one’s wife in danger (more than once!), stealing, adultery, fornication, idolatry (or at least supporting it in others), envy, murder, jealousy, playing favorites with their children, excusing wicked behaviours by their children, killing for revenge, false prophet. I could go on, but I am sure you get the point!
Now, I am not excusing the behaviours of those people or of anyone in our present time. What I am saying is that G-d uses flawed people to work out His purposes and that it is not unusual to know you are chosen to do something. I would hope we would ALL know we are chosen for some task. I have been chosen by G-d for different things throughout my life. It is not arrogant to say so. In fact, I am humbled by the thought. But I DO acknowledge I was/am chosen for certain things and by Whom!
And then there’s this:
Daniel Chapter 2. Read the whole chapter and make note, especially, of verses 21 and 37-38.
Tehillah/Psalm 75, especially verse 7.
Romans 13:1-7, especially verses 1-2
Avinu shebashamayim, as we are in our next week, may we always look to You, our Creator, for the answers to all our needs.
May we trust You for the outcomes of situations, even if the outcomes are not what we want. We know You are good and Your will is good.
May we love You, trusting in Your love for us, which is beyond measure.
May we look for Your direction to guide us and lead us on the path You have for us, which is not always the path we want.
May we remember this world is NOT our true Home! We are just passing through, being refined and prepared for the new world to come.
May we be steadfast in continuing to love and serve You and love others as we look forward with anticipation to the end of this life’s struggles and being in Your full presence forever.
We trust You to complete what You have begun in us.
We trust You to keep reaching out in every way You can to our lost loved ones.
We trust You to put people across our path to whom we can minister Your love…to whom we can be Your hands, feet, arms and voice.
We trust You…in all things…for all things.
Above all, may we love You fully with all we have and all we are and others as ourselves.
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