Don't Move!

Psalm 16:8

King James Version (KJV)

⁸ I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

The further back I put God, the less stable my life becomes.  This goes much deeper than just day to day activities.  Whether or not you are committed to a church.  Even if you read a Bible chapter a day.  Or pray an allotted time every day.   

I read this scripture and what struck me was the mention of the "right hand".  In scripture, this is generally known as a symbolism of power.  Now, I am not Bible scholar, nor do I claim anything other than an average I.Q.  But, it seems to me that if we put God into the "power" position in our lives...yeah, we won't move. 

Of course, I advocate for church, reading the Word and praying.  The problem is when those things become the replacement for the power.  But if He is put in that power position, church, the Word and prayer come alive and no longer are just activities.

So, if one is feeling unstable and like the everyday things are lacking, maybe some prioritizing is in order.  Put God first and forefront and let Him have the power position. 

Not for Nothing

Romans 5:3-4

New Life Version (NLV)

³ We are glad for our troubles also. We know that troubles help us learn not to give up. ⁴ When we have learned not to give up, it shows we have stood the test. When we have stood the test, it gives us hope.

I was sitting here feeling a little bit sorry for myself about a few things and decided it was time to put some of my feelings to words.  So, I went to a place where I occasionally make a notes of scriptures, thinking that I should be able to find something that would apply to how I'm feeling right now.

Well, once again, God does His thing.  The very first scripture I looked at was this one.  Initially, this selection makes me want to shout "I am NOT glad for my troubles!!!"  But, as I read through I realize, of course,  that's not the point.  I am confident that God understands my initial reaction....He's not dumb...no one is "glad" for troubles or down times or dry times, etc. 

I don't like trouble.  Or anything that smacks of it.  The glad part is knowing there is a process and a purpose.   That changes my perspective quite a bit.  With the strength of God, I can press on and not give up.  I can stand the test.  I can have hope. 

I am very glad for things that give me hope.  And for the all patient One who knows just when to "say" the right thing and remind me that it is not all for nothing. 

Head In Hands

Philippians 3:12-14

New Century Version (NCV)

¹² I do not mean that I am already as God wants me to be. I have not yet reached that goal, but I continue trying to reach it and to make it mine. Christ wants me to do that, which is the reason he made me his.¹³ Brothers and sisters, I know that I have not yet reached that goal, but there is one thing I always do. Forgetting the past and straining toward what is ahead,¹⁴ I keep trying to reach the goal and get the prize for which God called me through Christ to the life above.

Doesn't this just say it like it is?  A conversation today inspired me to write tonight, but my mind has already been thinking along these lines.  The past, whether it is our own mistakes or whether it is hurt that someone else has caused, can be a huge distraction.  Most of us tend to beat ourselves up over things that we can't go back and change.   I guess, that's why we do the beating - it feels like the only thing we can do about it.  And it is a recipe for defeat and bitterness.

In any kind of race, if one is always looking back, you can be guaranteed to not be the winner!  Your pace will slow and you will go off track.  Looking back and/or inflicting punishment on ourselves for bad choices, missed opportunities, or whatever it is that one has to look back at will cause the same thing. 

The only way to move forward towards something is to let what is behind you go.  It doesn't seem to be human nature to do this, as I mentioned, most of us have given ourselves a few bruises here and there.  So, when we feel the inclination to kick ourselves, look back and remind ourselves of what we did or what someone else did to us, we need to take our head in our hands and turn our face towards the goal, forget the past, keep reaching for the prize. 

The Main Thing

1 Corinthians 13:1-3

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.

Sometimes this is a hard one to wrap your head around.  We get so stuck on doing the right thing, we leave out the main thing.  Doing the right thing is obviously important, but apparently, it doesn't impress God too much if you leave out love.  I think it is safe to assume that this directly relates to the two greatest commandments, love God, love your neighbor.  The other eight commandments are important, but here's the thing, if you are obeying the two greatest, the other eight fall into place. 

Same with gifts of the Spirit, etc.  If you have love, those gifts mean a lot more.  I've personally known people who have great gifts and seem pretty well accomplished (spiritually) and yet some of their actions leave you wondering.  (i.e. The List) 

It would seem that operating the gifts and obeying the other eight is fairly simple...and that must be why the two greatest are about love.  That can seem complicated at times.  I will be the first to admit that I certainly have not perfected the whole love thing...but am working on putting it in it's rightful place.  First. 

The List

Matthew 5:44-45
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

⁴⁴But I tell you to love your enemies and pray for anyone who mistreats you. ⁴⁵Then you will be acting like your Father in heaven. He makes the sun rise on both good and bad people. And he sends rain for the ones who do right and for the ones who do wrong.

The reader may have noticed that my blog has been silent for a couple of months, I've lost track of exactly how long, actually.  This has not been for lack of inspiration or opinion.  (heavy on the opinion, I'm sure)  But for lack of time!  And I do believe that it has to do with the scripture above.

Forgiveness has long been a confusing thing to me.  Well, I did finally figure out what it is.  It is to not hold someone accountable for the wrong they have done.  But how does one do it? How does one feel it?  These questions have burdened me for some time.  There have been "things" that I have had a hard time moving past and letting go of.  And I've had a unsettling suspicion that this could mean there was not true forgiveness on my part. 

Through a couple of different people and some prayer, this portion of scripture was brought to my mind to the point of me finally being honest with God about it.  I can't pray for people/situations that I'd really rather not think about at all!  But if I am pushing something out of my mind and basically ignoring it, what is that?  Obviously, that it is not moving on, not letting go and certainly not allowing the healing power of God to take care of it. 

So, sparing the boring details, as I became honest with God about my feelings about praying for those who have mistreated me, the answers to my questions was right there in front of me.  Obedience.  Don't hold your "enemies" accountable for what they do.  (Don't worry, this doesn't mean they aren't accountable...just not to you)  And pray for those who have hurt you.  I realized that all this took was for me to obey it...sounds easy.  Not!  To phyically speak the names on The List took just about all the energy and intestinal fortitude I had! 

Since then I have not even had time to post on my blog.  Life has gotten very busy...with really good things.  I can't help but see that obedience to the Word of God is so important.  What will be released in your life when you obey?

Looking for the New

Isaiah 43:18-19

New Century Version (NCV)

¹⁸ The Lord says, "Forget what happened before,
and do not think about the past.
¹⁹ Look at the new thing I am going to do.
It is already happening. Don't you see it?
I will make a road in the desert
and rivers in the dry land.

The past.  Those words can be heavy sounding depending on how you view your own past.  Most everyone has a thing or two they'd either like to change or at least forget about...if you don't have anything like that, I'm surprised gravity is still holding you down. 

Well, I am well grounded by gravity...I would change a few things, for sure.  But because time goes on marching forward, we don't have the opportunity to go back and fix things. 

There is another aspect to "The Past".  In fact, the scriptures above aren't talking about the "bad" past, but the things that God has done already.  We can't live just on the past victories and miracles.  They are mile stones, but they become memories.  We need to live in the moment.

I think we should learn to look for the new things that God has for us.  The new ways He is making for us.  The new refreshing He is giving.  Moment by moment. 

So, my New Year's Resolution is just that.  Put the past...good and bad...where it is supposed to be, and look for the new things that God is doing every day.

What Stuff?

Psalm 27:13

21st Century King James Version (KJ21)

¹³I would have fainted, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.

It's about faith.  Believing when the evidence can't be seen.  Without this intangible hope life would be pretty dim. 

Today I was thinking about how sometimes it is the people you feel you should be able to trust that end up being the ones that let you down.  And have you ever heard of "friendly fire"?  When dealing with things like that, I can always feel the pit in my stomach start to form.  In the past, I have wasted a lot of time and energy worrying about what someone was thinking or saying or doing.  Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm still 100% human, it's hard not to "care". 

But, I have found an antidote for that pit in the stomach.  It's called believing.  Believing in what the Word says.  And using that Word to remind myself of what is actually up and what is actually down.  It is very easy to get distracted by stuff.  But at the end of the day, it is stuff.  Stuff!  Not the Word.  Not the goodness of the Lord.  Just stuff. 

I freely admit, I would faint at times, if I did not believe that I will see His goodness.  I do believe it.  I believe in His goodness and that is all I need to know.  What stuff?!