The Word Of Our God

Guest Post by Marion Smith

His Word: The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the Word of our God stands forever.  Isaiah 40:8 (NLT)

Observation & Obedience: Have you ever prayed for something so hard that you wondered if God even hears?  Perhaps your life feels like withered grass in a desert or a faded flower that has lost its luster because of Autumn’s chill.  I think everyone at one time or another has had feelings of doubt or despair.  Yet, God, in His infinite goodness, provides us with a window of hope.  He says His Word stands forever, regardless of our circumstances, regardless of how we feel, regardless of what our future holds.

This particular verse has special meaning for me because of a gift I once received from my son.  He was in Macau, China and had been hired as a professional musician for a well-known resort.  During the time he was there, he became a Buddhist and was inspired by the Buddhist shrines and Eastern religions.  As a Christian, it was very hard for me to accept his newfound faith.  Even though I prayed for him day and night to recommit his life to Christ, it didn’t happen and I felt like God had not heard my prayers.  I was in a desert, parched and dry in my own faith, and I kept longing for a sign, some window of hope that would show me God was at work.

The time came when my son finished his assignment and soon came to visit us for the Christmas holidays.  It was so good to have him home, to spend time with him, and be together as a family for those few days.  Christmas day arrived, we sat around opening presents and he handed me one more gift.  A gift he had specially picked out just for me.  I carefully unwrapped it and saw that it was a little resin cross that had a resin rose winding down across the front of the figurine.  Also engraved on the cross was an inscription in Chinese with the numbers 40:8 printed at the bottom.

Thanking my son for the gift and giving him a hug, we sat on the sofa together looking at the cross.  I said, “Where did you find this?  It’s beautiful.”  My son, excitedly replied, “Mom, I knew I wanted to get you something Christian, so I had to shop all over Hong Kong to find a Christian bookstore.  I found only one and when I saw this little cross, I thought of you.”  Now, imagine the feeling I had at that moment.  Not only was I incredibly awed at the gift my son had so thoughtfully purchased, but I also felt the prick on my heart that God indeed had heard my prayers.

As we sat side by side on the sofa looking at the cross, I asked my son, “So, do you know what it says?”  “No,” he replied.   So I gently said, “Why don’t we look in the Bible?  Do you think it might be Psalms?”  We looked up Psalms 40:8.  It wasn’t the right verse.  “It can’t be Proverbs, because that book only has 31 chapters.  I wonder if it’s Isaiah?”  We opened up my Bible to Isaiah 40:8 and read the verse together.  “The grass withers and flowers fade, but the Word of God stands forever.”

It was as if God had made time stand still.  Even though I had almost given up hope, God reminded me that regardless of my feelings, regardless of my circumstances, regardless of the future, God says His Word stands forever.  It was a valuable lesson for me to never give up hope, no matter how dry my desert becomes or how colorless my flowers of seed planting appear.  God is my Deliverer.  My son eventually gave up Buddhism and, like all of us, is on a faith journey towards the One who goes before us, is with us and leads us to everlasting truth.

Prayer: “Precious Holy Father, We praise you and thank you for being our solid Rock.  Thank you for being the kind of God that we can come to with our doubts and fears, with our highs and lows.  Thank you for accepting us as we are and for giving us Your promise…that regardless of our feelings, circumstances or future…Your Word stands forever.  Help us to trust you completely in the desert of our lives and look to the Rose of Sharon, the true flower that never fades.”

Encouragement: If you have children, you know you’re responsible for somebody. You realize you are being imitated; your belief systems and priorities have a direct influence on these children, who are like flowers in a garden.     Madonna Cicicone

Thank You, Marion Smith

Arm Yourselves For The FIGHT

His Word: Ephesians 6:13-18 MSG

13-18 “Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life.”

Observation and Obedience: So what is required to stand in Victory for eternity? Isn’t that what we all want and are hoping for? Who doesn’t like to be on a winning team? Who likes a pop quiz when you haven’t taken the time to study? Who wants to be running around like a chicken with it’s head cut off, helter-skelter because you were caught unprepared? Who wants to lose the promise of eternal life because you didn’t recognize the thief who wants to steal it from you?

Preparation is key! It’s the key to sports, cooking, teaching, parenting, quilting, crafting, LIFE! Anything that you do, with a bit of preparation,  will be easier to accomplish. Preparation also helps you to think fast, respond and possibly even dodge the unexpected. Preparation is what builds teams, win championships and helps you to land on your feet.

Today we’ll take the analogy of football players. (After all, it is football season and I’m reminded each Sunday that I come from a football family.) The preparation begins with knowledge of the game. It’s not soccer……. it’s American Football! It’s not make believe, it’s Eternal Life we’re playing for. 

So, you’ve watched some people play, you’re intrigued, you make the decision to join the team. You’ve even read up on some of the history, some of the great battles of the gridiron and you are ready to give it your all. You know some plays, you know the rules, you even have a football!!!! So get out there and be a CHAMPION! Because, baby, you’ve got what it takes!!!

 How long do you think you’d last without wearing the equipment that is issued; the armor? I’m thinking………. the first hit, the first tackle, the first madman who lines up against you and screams “I’m gonna kill you Curtis” will have you running, crawling or being carried off to a safe seat in the stands. And that was only the first practice with your own teammates. 

Catch a clue!!! Heed Paul’s warning. You don’t go out there to play, fight, WIN without the right equipment strapped on! You’ll get more than your bell rung if you do. This isn’t flag football, this is the real thing! So take it serious and protect yourself. Luke 21:36 (NIV) “Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”

Helmet of Salvation: Jesus, JESUS, JESUS! Get to know him on a personal, intimate level. He’s not about a religion, He wants a relationship!  

Psalm 140:7 (MEV)7 O God my Lord, the strength of my salvation, You have covered my head in the day of battle.

Belt of Truth: Tell the truth, live the truth and be a demonstration of TRUTH.

2 Thessalonians 2:10 (NIV) …They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.

Breast Plate of Righteousness: Do what’s right, even when no one is looking! There’s still a difference between right and wrong, no matter what the world says.  

Proverbs 2:7-8 (NIV) He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. Then you will understand what is right and just and fair–every good path.

The Sandals of Peace: Be kind, be loving, be peaceful. PLAY NICE

Isaiah 52:6-7 (NIV) “Therefore my people will know my name; therefore in that day they will know that it is I who foretold it. Yes, it is I. How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation [Yeshua, Jesus!] who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!'”

The Shield of Faith: You’d better believe and live like your life depends on   God’s Promises being Personal; His Presence being Permanent and His Peace and Plan, they are Perfect for you.

1 John 5:4-5 (MEV) 4 for whoever is born of God overcomes the world, and the victory that overcomes the world is our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world, but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

The Sword of the Spirit: Know HIS WORD! This is our only OFFENSIVE Weapon!!

Hebrews 4:12 (MEV)12 For the word of God is alive, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intents of the heart.

NOW YOU ARE READY!!! 

Prayer: Thank You Father for not sending me out to do battle without the  protection and armor of your Love. You’ve provided the very best and I will commit to making every piece of battle gear issued, combat ready! Keep me focused and ready to do your will, in your way and in your time. You will lead us to Victory in Jesus name. Amen.

Encouragement: PREPARE FOR COMBAT!!! It’s not the will to win, but the will to PREPARE to win that makes the difference. ~ Bear Bryant

Thank You to my brother and nephew for giving me the visuals for this post. Love ya

Have You Got What It Takes?

His Word: Epesians 6:10-18 MSG

10-12 “And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong.So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.”

13-18 “Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life.”

Observation and Obedience: This is a call to arms. Paul is letting it be known that this life of following Christ and seeking after Him is not for sissies. It’s going to take all He’s given us to walk it out in grace, love and VICTORY. ALL HE’S FREELY GIVEN!

He didn’t leave us clues to a scavenger hunt. We don’t have to perform well to earn it. All we have to do is receive it, be thankful and USE what Jesus left us after sacrificing His all for us. 

Paul has been through the ringer for his beliefs. His letter to the Ephesians was not only written to warn them, but to instruct them so that they would be strong, be fruitful and be purposeful in their lives with the gifts AND responsibilities they’ve been given. 

Imagine being given all the best equipment, tools, instructions for oh……… let’s just say photography. It’s all there, GIVEN to you. Top of the line camera, lenses, flash, backdrops, filters, software, EVERYTHING and more GIVEN TO YOU……….EVEN the instructions and lessons from the BEST of THE BEST! You are so excited! You have a yearning and a desire to capture the beauty, priceless expressions and memories……….but you never open the manual, you never take the time to understand the language or learn the relationship between iso, shutter speed and aperture. In fact, you put the camera in Auto mode and just start shooting and shooting and shooting. You never change the lens, you never try the flash or software. You don’t make the commitment of time, and energy or risk blowing a shot or 200. Why do that when you can just leave it in auto mode?  Auto mode requires very little from you. Who would do this with such a gift?

Sadly and all too often, we do just that in our relationship with God. We go to church, we bless our food, we listen to Christian radio, we “like” or type “praying” to FB posts, we may even join a bible study. There. Done. We are doing our part. We are in Auto MODE!!!

Now let’s look at the giver of this generous gift. Can you even imagine how disappointed the giver would be? Can you imagine how you would feel if you had given that kind of a gift and never saw it used to it’s potential? 

That’s the message and the lesson here in part 1. God sent us the way, the truth and the life; JESUS. His birth, His life, His ministry, miracles and messages all recorded for us by the ones who lived it out with Him. His arrest, trial, torture and death, all witnessed and journaled. His victorious resurrection power displayed and documented. It’s all there for us in the instruction manual, THE BIBLE. The Teacher is even supplied through the Holy Spirit. We have the opportunity to be an intimate part of the relationship between God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. We can experience the beauty of relationship between the Three in One. But we’re stuck in AUTO MODE. 

We need to turn the dial, we need to open the manual, put on a new lens, listen to the lessons, heck…… TAKE NOTES! Get with others that know and will share their knowledge and experiences of God’s Wonder Working Power. Put in the time, effort and commit to learning all you can!! IT’S WORTH IT!!! Your LIFE depends on it!

Paul’s warning us, that we had better arm ourselves and be ready!  “So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way.” “This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.”

In our next post, we’ll take a look at the “well-made weapons of the best materials” and how to apply them so as not to be defeated by the one who is Hell bent on destroying us.

Prayer: Father God, I come before you today with a new, fresh, inspired commitment to know You, follow You, heed Your warnings and receive Your protection and grace. You are Lord and I am yours. Thank You for your patience and love. Forgive me for my lackadaisical ways. I am battle weary and ready to be armed with Your BEST because of Jesus. Amen. 

Encouragement: USE IT OR LOSE IT!

God's Word.....

Guest post by Marion Smith

His Word: I have tried my best to find you—don’t let me wander off from your instructions. I have thought much about your words and stored them in my heart so that they would hold me back from sin. Psalm 119:10-11 (Living Bible)

Observation & Obedience: Recently I lost my wedding diamond.  My husband and I had gone on a weekend trip to Kentucky and on the day before we left for home, I looked down at my hand and noticed the stone and mount were gone.  Not just the tiny chips on my engagement band, but the main marquis cut diamond that I’d worn for thirty-seven years.  Talk about turning your hotel and car upside down!  I searched and searched for it to no avail.  It had simply fallen off and disappeared somewhere and I knew not where.  

As the wearer of my diamond, I thought about how I treated it and wondered if perhaps the cause of losing my treasured ring was because:

1. I took for granted that it would always be there.

2. I didn’t make sure it was in tact and secure

3. I sometimes was careless in the treatment of it, bumping it against other objects and getting it dirty

As I reflected on these reasons, God reminded me that His word is like a diamond, rare and priceless.  In order to keep from losing His precious gift to us, we need to spend time reading it, meditating on it, worshipping it, and making it a part of our heart, mind and soul. 

Psalm 119:10 says, “I have tried my best to find you.”  What is our best?  To me, it means putting Him first, giving Him the best of my mind when it is fresh and able to be renewed (whether that is in the morning or putting soft music on after having a bath and meditating on His word snuggled on the sofa at the end of the day).  

The scripture continues saying, “Don’t let me wander off from your instructions.”  When we choose not to read God’s word, eventually it wanders away from us.  It’s like someone who has learned to play the piano as a young child.  Perhaps they took years of lessons, but as they grew older they stopped playing because other interests became more important.  One day, they try to sit down at the piano to play a song and they discover that their fingers have forgotten which notes to play.

Psalm 119:11a says, “I have thought much about your words…” Do you think about God’s word?  When you read the Bible, do you take the time to really understand what you are reading?  Do you journal, use commentaries and study guides or other Christian material to help you immerse yourself in the wisdom God wants you to absorb? 

Psalm 119:11b ends by saying, “and stored them in my heart so they would hold me back from sin.”  How do you hold back sin?  By keeping in constant relationship with God by prayer, memorizing scripture, singing songs of praise to worship Him and enriching ourselves with jewels of wisdom from learning God’s word with others.  The more we grow, the more we flow with love and maturity in Christ.  The more mature we become, the deeper our communion with God.

Just like the parable of the woman who had ten silver coins and lost one, I encourage you to light your lamp, sweep your entire house (rid yourself of any distractions) and search carefully (God’s word) until you find it.  “And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin.” Luke 16:9  

Prayer: “Lord, thank You for Your inspired word, for giving us a treasure that’s worth more than gold.  Thank You for being the Alpha and Omega, for providing the true bread that only satisfies.  Help us to yearn for You, to find You and keep our hearts secure in You, never taking You for granted, but staying close to You.  We love You, Lord.  In Your precious and holy name…so be it. “

Encouragement: Until God’s Word becomes a Picture that you can see, it cannot become a reality in which you can feature.– Benjamin Suulola

Written by: Marion Smith

As For God ...

His Word: As for God, his way is perfect: The LORD’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.     Psalm 18:30

Observation & Obedience: David sang to the Lord the words of this song (Psalm 18) when God had delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. Regardless of the danger and situation David found himself in, he continued to believe and proclaim that God’s ways and words were perfect and flawless.

Can we say and do the same when we are being pursued emotionally, psychologically and/or physically by an enemy who wants to destroy us? Do we look to ourselves or others to be the refuge and strength we desperately need? How was David able to boldly ask: For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God? (v.31)  

David’s strong faith came from his past experiences with God.  “As for his God….”, David knew that what God said in his Word he would do. The promises made would be kept. The protection needed would be provided. The strength desired would be supplied. The security sought after would be found.

David understood there was no one who could even begin to compare to God and referred to him as his Rock! He knew it was not his own strength that allowed him to defeat his most fiercest enemy; It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure (v.32).

When David was on the run from Saul and his army, he found himself having to physically navigate treacherous mountain terrain to find caves to hide in. He needed to have firm footing and a safe path; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the heights. You provide a broad path for my feet (vs. 33, 36a).

God didn’t just strike down David’s adversaries, although he could have. Instead he prepared and equipped him with the skills and strengths he needed to be victorious in battle. The years he spent as a shepherd prepared him for what he would face in the future. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze (v.34).

You make your saving help my shield, and your right hand sustains me; your help has made me great (v.35). David acknowledged what and who had made him great; not himself, but his God. David praised God for delivering him from his enemies, especially King Saul.  Never once did he take credit for something God had done.

Are you running scared and in hiding from your (physical, emotional, spiritual) enemies? Are you depending on your own strength and strategy to defeat them? Are you finding your feet slipping because you’re attempting to make your own way of escape? Like David, perhaps you need to stop and recall your past experiences with God.

Prayer: Think about a time when God’s way ended up being far better than what you had planned? What promise from God do you cling to for strength and security? Whose path are you following and where is it taking you? What experiences have you had in your past that prepared you for where you are and what you’re encountering today?  Use these answers to sing your own praise back to God. You may be in the middle of your battle, but God has not abandoned you. His ways and his Word stands firm forever and he waits for you to seek refuge in him and be able to proclaim, like David, The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior! (v.46).

Encouragement: Faith sees the invisible, believes the unbelievable and receives the impossible.   Corrie ten Boom