Spiritual

THE POWER AND PROBLEM OF FEAR…


Spiritual Blog - Fear

1 John 4:18 – “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”  NKJV

 

The more I examine the words of Jesus, as found in the Gospels, the more I realize how powerful and problematic fear is in the lives of believers and non-believers.  Some have suggested that, in the Gospels, there are 125 times when the LORD issued something as an imperative.  He instructed us to “love others” and many other directives.  The number one theme in the Gospels is appears is found in a variation of the words “do not be afraid”, “fear not” and “have courage” which we find 21 times.

We know that LOVE is a central tenet of Christianity but the power and problem of fear is so great that our LORD focused on it more than He did love.  FEAR as John tells us in 1 John, “has torment”.  FEAR causes paralysis and encourages one to draw back, hold back or slink into the shadows in hiding.  FEAR keeps us from loving as God loves because we are afraid of being hurt.  FEAR makes the risk greater than the reward and immobilizes us causing us to draw inward and not let others get too close.

FEAR negates generosity highlighting the possibility of lack and creates a scarcity mentality which leads to a spirit of poverty and miserliness. If we fail to give freely and cheerfully we close the door to blessings in our lives.  Remember that Jesus said in Luke 6:38, “Give, and IT will be given unto you good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put in your bosom.  For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”  FEAR says, “If I give there will not be enough to care for my own family and needs” and thereby shuts the windows of heaven.

FEAR is contagious.  I have witnessed fear spread through people like a wildfire and a deadly disease.  FEAR, in a sense, creates spiritual amnesia and we forget the good things and the blessings of the LORD in our lives.  We forget to remember!  When fear takes over “security” becomes our god and we dare not venture outside our safe parameters.  We become hesitant and unwilling to venture out into the deep and cast our nets for the unknown brings horror to our hearts.  We cannot get out of the boat and walk to Jesus because of Fear.  FEAR negates faith and paralyzes potential.

FEAR is incredibly powerful in our human lives and Jesus recognizing the problem instructed us to guard against it and encouraged us to “look heavenward”.  He repeatedly promised to be with us.  The question is which will be most powerful in our lives, FEAR or FAITH?  The answer to that question is demonstrated in our actions not just our professions.

God bless you as you enjoy this wonderful day He has created.

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WHERE COULD I GO???


Spiritual Blog - Where

John 6:61-69 – “When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, “Does this offend you?  62 What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?  63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.  64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. 65 And He said, “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.” 

66 From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. 67 Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” 

68 But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”   NKJV

  

James B. Coats of Summerland, Mississippi wrote a number of Gospel songs including the classic, “Where Could I Go But to the Lord.”  As with many of the timeless songs of faith Coats captures truth that resonates with virtually hungry heart and person desiring to find true spiritual freedom.

The song begins with the plight of man in the midst of a sinful world and the neediness of human beings.  The first verse also captures the visual that often we are facing the temptations and tempest of life with a sense of aloneness.  In that time of desperation many realize there is only one place to turn and that is God.  If we are needing a refuge for our soul, a friend to stand with us in all things and at all times what other source can we turn but God?

He continues to tug at our heart strings in the verse, “Neighbors are fun I love ’em everyone.  We get along in sweet accord, but when I face the chilling hand of death…”  In that time of facing eternity there is only one real source of comfort and strength and that is God.  He draws out of our emotions the joy of life with friends and the wonderful fellowship we have together but when the chips are down and the clouds roll in there is only one true source of strength and that is God.

In our text Jesus presented some difficult truths that caused many to realize the commitment was more than they were willing to make.  After he and the disciples witnessed the multitude turning away Jesus asked the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?”  It is here that Peter uttered the words that are captured in this song.  Peter said, “Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”  Simply, “Where Could We Go But To You Lord?”

Life is sometimes like a peaceful sea and at other times like a raging tempest with the waves billowing ready to crush our vessel in its anger.  In those times of terror we realize that outside God there is no safety but we are sheltered in His arms and in Him there is peace that transcends human comprehension.

            God bless you and be with you as you enjoy this wonderful day in Him!

 

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IT IS NO SECRET WHAT GOD CAN DO…


Spiritual Blog - God

Ephesians 3:20-21 – “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”  NKJV

 

The Gospel Song written by Stuart Hamblen, “It Is No Secret What God Can Do” was recorded by almost every major recording artist a few decades ago and has been a favorite of those who love Gospel music for years.

Stuart Hamblen captured the hearts of many when he wrote this tune and the first verse identifies the reality of human failure.  It seems that with each passing day we are reminded again and again of our inability to hit the mark and how often we stumble in our walk.  In our own strength living the Christian life is an impossibility and something we should never forget.

In the second verse Hamblen reminds us of how often we long for strength and courage to face the daunting task of life that is before us and how easily we become discouraged.  His words are an encouragement as he declares, “Do not be dishearted for I have news for you.”   It is here that he begins the incredible reminder and source of powerful encouragement as he writes:  “It is no secret what God can do.  What He’s done for others He’ll do for you.  With arms wide open, He’ll pardon you.”  This reminder of God’s incredible longsuffering and tender mercy is so refreshing in our daily struggle to walk before Him and be perfect.

I love how Hamblen continues declaring that in God there is no night because He is light and we are NEVER alone.  The comfort that no matter where we are we are at home because we are IN HIM.  He then reminds us that we are more than conquerors through Jesus as he pens the words, “There is no power can conquer you while God is on your side.  Take Him at His promise, don’t run away and hide.”  Why?  Because it is no secret what God can do!  What He’s done for others He will do for you.  He stands before us with His arms of love and mercy wide open calling for us to “Come unto Unto Me.”

As Paul declares in our text, God is able to do EXCEEDINGLY ABUNDANTLY above all that we can think or ask!  Think about that!  Exceedingly abundantly ABOVE all not some but all that we can think, imagine or even dare to ask.  That is the God we serve and His power is immeasurable beyond all human comprehension.  That God does not operate in secret but has openly declared through the words of Jesus in Luke 12:32, “Fear not little flock, for it is My Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom…”   God is more desirous to bless us than we are to be blessed.

Remember God openly showers His love, mercy, grace, peace, protection and provision upon His children.  Stop living in fear and walk into His arms and receive from Him Life and that more abundantly!

            God bless you richly is my prayer!

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GOD UNDERSTANDS MY TEARS…


Spiritual Blog - Tears

Psalm 56:8 – “You number my wanderings; Put my tears into Your bottle; Are they not in Your book?”  NKJV

 

The imagery is powerful regarding God’s response to our tears, hurts, heartaches and/or sorrows.  He puts them in His bottle.  The suggestion is that your tears are so important to God that he keeps them as a constant reminder and then records them in His book.  That is such a powerful statement my heart melts when I read it and I tremble at the knowledge that God not only sees and hears but is taking steps to deal with our difficulties.

Someone said, “Laugh and the world laughs with you, cry and you cry alone.”  That is not true for the Child of God for as this passage records, God takes note of our tears so we are never alone.  We may feel that everyone on earth has forsaken us and no one cares or understands what we are facing and that might be true but God does.  He is carefully recording each tear, the cause and the remedy.

The wording of the Psalm suggests that God has “A” bottle and in that bottle he keeps the tears we cry as well as the tears of Jesus.  He lists them individually in his book and in due time will respond to wipe away our tears and bring us into his incredible joy.  The Psalmist tells us that “weeping last for the night but joy comes in the morning.”  Then we read in Psalm 116 – “For you, O LORD, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before the LORD in the land of the living.”   Wow! 

Remember what the writer of Hebrews declared about our LORD in 4:15, “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.”  We are then encouraged to “come boldly to the throne of grace”.  That place of grace is where we find mercy in the time of need.  Hallelujah!

The Isaacs sing a song entitled, “He Understands My Tears” that I will conclude with.

             “It’s hard to believe He still loves me

             Knowing how wrong I have been

             When all I can say is I’m sorry

             When all I can feel is my sin.

 

             He understands when all I do is cry

             He feels the hurt that no one can see down inside

             And when the words get in the way I know He still hears

             For He understands my tears.

 

             You may not believe that I’m broken

             For all you can see is my smile

             Oh but He hears the heart that’s unspoken

             And He gives me strength through each trial.

 

             He understands when all I do is cry

             He feels the hurt that no one can see down inside

             And when the words get in the way I know He still hears

             For He understands my tears.

 

             Oh when the words get in the way I know He still hears

             For He understands when no one else can

             He understands my tears.”

 

Yes and as you go through this day go knowing that no matter what you encounter you are never alone!   God bless you richly as you enjoy His day of salvation!

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MERCY NOT JUSTICE…


Spiritual Blog - Mercy

Psalm 51:1-2 – “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions.  2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.”  NKJV

 

One of the reasons I love the Psalms is their directness and connectivity to the human heart.  This was probably written after Nathan the prophet went in to David to confront him over his sin with Bathsheba.

David did not hide from his sin for he knew that God knew and the weight of his guilt came crashing down upon him.  He recognizes that without MERCY he is doomed and therefore he cries out to God.

  • Have MERCY upon me.

He makes no attempt to justify his actions or blame anyone or anything else.  His simple request and plea is MERCY. 

  • According to God’s lovingkindness and mercy.

David, understood that God was and is a loving God more willing to forgive than condemn when genuine repentance was offered. 

  • Forgive, Blot Out and Wash Me.

His prayer was forgiveness, cleansing and restoration.

In the next verses the Psalmist cried, “I acknowledge my transgression, and my sin is always before me.”  He further states that his sin was, at its very foundation, sin against God.  Yes we sin toward others but the root of our sin is missing the mark and in so doing we hurl darts into His heart.  He goes further to identify the depravity of man, not as a justification for sin but a realization of his humanity and that without God’s mercy and help he could not walk uprightly before God.

Then in verses 10-11 we find the powerful cry that we should all pray:

“Create in me a clean heat, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Do not cast     me away from your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.”

If that were not powerful enough verses 12-13 declare, “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit.  Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be converted to You.”

He never asked for JUSTICE that we hear so much about today, he asked for MERCY.  I do not want what I deserve I want what the Mercy and Grace of God will afford.

May God be with you as you live the beautiful day in Him!

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THE EXAMPLE OF NOAH…


Spiritual Blog - Noah

Hebrews 11:7 – “By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.”  NKJV

 

I heard a preacher declaring that Noah was the first survivalist in recorded history and while that may be true my focus is more on Noah’s obedience.  Noah believed God without any tangible or physical evidence to back up God’s command.  Noah lived in a morally bankrupt world, much like ours.  Everyone lived for himself seeing personal pleasure and the mantra must have been, “What is in it for me?”  God’s patience and long-suffering wore thin and He issued a command to Noah that would culminate in the destruction of the world with the exception of eight souls, Noah and his family.  The race would begin again.

God’s description of Noah was that he was “righteous” (Genesis 7:1).  He instructed Noah as to what to do and provided everything to accomplish the command including the skill to build an ark beyond the imagination of that day.  God even caused the animals obedience to Noah’s voice.  After the flood we read in Genesis 8:20-21 that Noah built and altar to the LORD and God then made a promise to mankind sealing it with the sign of the rainbow as a promise He would never again destroy the world again in this manner and in verse 23 declared, “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease.”  So much for global warming.  God is in control and will remain in control.

NOAH TRUSTED GOD WHEN IT DID NOT MAKE SENSE…

Imagine, as Hebrews 11:7 describes, a man building a ship in the middle of dry land.  I can imagine the ridicule hurled at him by the scoffers.  He had been given a command to do something that made absolutely no sense in the natural.  Noah’s act of faith drew a sharp line of distinction between the evil of the unbelieving world and the righteousness of Noah.  That act of obedience brought Noah into a place of powerful intimacy with God.

From a cursory view of geography it would appear that Noah lived at least 100 miles from the nearest body of water in which his ship could be launched.  I can hear the skeptics asking, “How will you get your ship to water, Noah?”  He had no way to accomplish that feat so it was both impossible and ridiculous to the natural mind.  Isn’t that just the way with God?  He uses the foolish things to confound the wise.  Remember we are not talking about a few months labor but years and yet Noah continued to trust and obey.

If we “trust” and follow the “example of Noah” we will not procrastinate or attempt to explain it away, we JUST DO IT!   Hey Nike, Noah got there before you!  I am convinced and have proven in my life that IF I am faithful to His directives and utilize what He puts in my hand and gives as an assignment, He gives the desires of the heart.  Have you ever considered that God is interested in every aspect of our lives?  Psalm 33:15, “He fashions their hearts individually: He considers all their works.”  God is intimately interested in every detail of our lives and it all begins and ends with obedience.

In Chariots of Fire, Olympic runner Eric Liddell said, “I believe God made me for a purpose, but He also made me fast, and when I run, I feel God’s pleasure.”  He went on to say, “To give up running would be to hold God in contempt.”  That was Noah.  God had given him a directive and enabled him to carry out those orders and Noah believed and obeyed.  It is the same in our lives, God has given each of us an assignment or assignments and if we fail or reject them we are literally holding God in contempt.

May God help us be like Noah in our obedience!  Blessings as you go through this wonderful day!

 

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WHO DO YOU TRUST?


spiritual blog - covenant

Proverbs 25:19 – “Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a bad tooth and a foot out of joint.”  NKJV

 

Almost thirty years ago the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart as I was driving to Austin one night and said, “I want you to study and write about Covenant Friendship.”  That has be a journey that I have engaged in over the past decades and each time I think I understand it fully something transpires and I find that I need to dig deeper.

Few of us have true Covenant Friends and few of us are true Covenant Friends.  One of the reasons for that is ‘trust’ or the lack of it in us and others.  Once when I was going through a very difficult time many people I thought were friends vanished and a handful of people were there and never faltered.  One of them was Garry Smith a friend who stood with me and never required me to defend myself or give detailed explanations.  On one occasion when some false accusations were hurled at me I told someone, “My real friends do not need an explanation and those that do are not my real friends.”  I have found that those who require detailed explanations frequently do not believe you when you do so unless the Lord directs me to do that I do not.

Iron sharpens iron and each of us need someone or a few to whom we can be completely transparent, brutally honest, and accountable.  We and they need to know that truth can be spoken and it will not jeopardize the friendship because the friendship is based on Covenant and Covenant is not based on convenience.  Covenant Friendship embodies the character and characteristic of being willing to ‘die’ for the friend literally and figuratively.  It means being willing to ‘share’ all you have.  There are few examples in the Bible of Covenant Friendship and even fewer in life that we can learn from and I believe that is one of the reasons that God instructed me to study this.  The Bible clearly reveals that a ‘three-fold cord’ is not easily broken and when we are linked to others in a Covenantal Relationship those friends become the other strands of the cord along and with the power and direction of the Holy Spirit each one draws from the strengths and shores up the weaknesses of the others.  It is a powerful picture that most see only superficially and infrequently.

The question “Who Do Your Trust?” is the key to Covenant Friendship!  If we have to stop and think who are real friends are they probably are not in the covenantal category.  No matter your age I urge you to find someone you truly trust and allow God to develop a mutual covenantal relationship where ‘Iron sharpens Iron’ and a bond that stands the test of battle.  I have a lot of people I call and see as friends.  I have a number that are close friends.  I have a few that I know I can go to battle with and they will be there until the storm passes by.  They speak into my life and I speak into theirs.

We should all carefully define our friendships and guard them as priceless treasures.  If we place our confidence in an “unfaithful” person in time of need or difficulty the results are painful.  Proverbs 17:17 declares, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”  I treasure friends as rare jewels.  I have different levels of friendships and some called friends are little more than casual acquaintances but all valuable.  However, those I know are Covenant Friends never give me cause to wonder if they are there.  I do not have to see them or hear them, they are there!  Our greatest friend, Jesus NEVER leaves nor forsakes.

            God bless you as you enjoy this wonderful day in Christ!

 

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PRESENT HELP – Banished Fear…


Spiritual Blog - Help

Psalm 46:1-3 – “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  2 Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling.”  NKJV

 

Everyone needs help from time to time and if you have ever been in need of someone coming to your rescue or lending a helping hand and no one showed up you know the despair that can accompany that occurrence.  In fact Proverbs 13:12 declares, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.”  If you were hoping for or promised help and it delayed you can easily drift into despair and/or fear.  When help arrives and you find success in that which was before you it is like a fruit bearing tree and your heart soars with newness of hope and life.

The Psalmist declares that our refuge, strength and help is God.  However, he does not just say that God is our help but that God is our PRESENT HELP in time of trouble.  Not hoped for help, maybe help or future help but PRESENT HELP.  He is in the NOW and that NOW HELP banishes fear because of who He is and what He can do.  The picture drawn is that even if there is massive earthquake and overflowing floods FEAR is banished.  This is expanded in other areas where we know that NOTHING can separate us from God’s Love and that no matter what we encounter He is a PRESENT HELP in our time of trouble or need.

FEAR, the Bible tells us, has torment and can be paralytic causing us to hesitate and run for cover in hiding rather than respond to the present situation or need.  Some try to ignore problems like the driver ignoring the warning light on the dash of their automobile of taking a hammer and smashing the warning light thinking that if you don’t know it is not a problem.  It is a problem and the problem solver is with us.

He is our refuge, that place of safety or the pavilion tent in the midst of the battle where we can go in to rest and receive refreshing.  He is our strength as the Bible declares “our strength is made perfect in weakness” because we cease to trust the arm of flesh and trust the arm of God.  Everything around us can crumble and be shaken but if we are under the shelter of His arms we have nothing to fear because He is our refuge and our strength.  If God is for us who can be against us.  If God is for us there is no power to compete or compare with His power.

He is our PRESENT HELP so instead of “wishing and hoping” let us begin to “trust and believe” that He said what He meant and meant what He said.  He will NEVER leave us nor forsake us.  He is able to keep that which we have committed to him against that day.  He is Omniscient, Omnipotent and Omnipresent.  He is NOW!  He is HERE! 

            God bless you as you go through this wonderful day in Him!

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THE POOR and THE PROMISE…


Spiritual Blog - Poor

Psalm 41:1-3 – “Blessed is he who considers the poor; the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble. 2 The LORD will preserve him and keep him alive, and he will be blessed on the earth; You will not deliver him to the will of his enemies. 3 The LORD will strengthen him on his bed of illness; You will sustain him on his sickbed.”  NKJV

 

In Matthew, Mark and Luke we have a quote from Jesus that there will always be poor in our midst.  No amount of legislation or moves toward Socialism will rectify that problem. It has always been and will always be.  There are some biblical methods to alleviate some of that with debt forgiveness on a regular cycle and other admonishments but even then, the poor will remain.

So rather than attempting to make it a biblical mandate to wipe out poverty we should consider how God views our response to the poor in our midst.  There are poor people who have been trapped in an economic cycle, there are poor people who are poor because of lack of willingness to labor and there are poor people who have wasted what they had creating a condition of poverty.  It is, in my view, biblical to help those who would get out of their condition if they could and are willing to work or are working.  It is quite another to continue to feed someone who is lazy and unwilling to work.  The apostle Paul addressed that saying, “…if any WOULD NOT work he SHOULD NOT eat.”

In Psalm 19:17 we find God’s view of the poor and our response, “When you help the poor you are lending to the Lord and He repays wonderful interest on your loan.”  Then in 1 John 3:17 we are reminded that, “…whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?”  In Proverbs 14:1 we find that the person who oppresses the poor is insulting God and if we help the poor we honor God.  Proverbs 21:3 we find the warning that if we shut our ears to the cries of the poor we will be ignored in our time of need.

The Promise is powerful in this passage and is confirmed or expanded in other passages.  The Promise is: deliverance in time of trouble, preservation and life, blessings, deliverance from our enemies and healing in time of sickness.  How can you beat a promise like that?  The question is do we truly believe it?  God never makes idle promises and if He declares something He will fulfill His word.

Again, I must draw back to the qualifier of the poor focused on.  I happy to provide assistance for the truly poor who would if they could rectify their situation and condition.  I am not so willing to become a facilitator for the lazy.  I believe in offering a hand up and even a hand out if in so doing we can enable that person or assist that person in breaking out of poverty into a more prosperous situation.

May the Lord touch our hearts with His generosity and help us to truly be of assistance and never become facilitators or perpetuators of idleness and laziness.   May the Lord guard and guide you as you go through this day and show you where you can help those needing help and open the door to His promises in your life on a greater scale.  Blessings!

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SILENCE UNTIL…


Spiritual Blog - Burning Hearts

Psalm 39:1-3 – “I said, “I will guard my ways, lest I sin with my tongue; I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle, while the wicked are before me.”  2 I was mute with silence, I held my peace even from good; and my sorrow was stirred up.  3 My heart was hot within me; while I was musing, the fire burned. Then I spoke with my tongue:” NKJV

 

So much in this passage and fits into the problem facing many today socially, morally, politically and spiritually.  The devil would like to silence voices of reason and righteousness and uses people to achieve his end.  He tries to shame us into silence or cause us to somehow believe that if we are not silent we are less than wholesome in our faith.  There is truth and error in that idea.

There is a time for silence.  The Psalmist said, “I will guard my ways, lest I sin with my tongue.”  It is not only possible but probable that if we allow our tongues to spew forth whatever is in our hearts or heads unchecked we will sin with our tongues.  He said, “I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle, while the wicked are before me.”  There is a definite reason to be incredibly careful what we say before the world for it is not only possible but likely it will be misunderstood, misconstrued and misapplied.  We must be “wise as serpents and harmless as doves” and must always be on the alert to “shun the very appearance of evil.”  We are also to guard against “wrath going unchecked” and are instructed to “not let the sun go down on our anger” as well as “being angry but without sin.”

He faced a dilemma in his desire to maintain right, guard his mouth, watch his words and resist sinning with his tongue.  His dilemma was truth and right, he pushed it too far and remained silent even with regard to good.  His heart became more and more broken over the conditions he saw before him and as a result the Holy Spirit started a fire inside the more he thought about what he saw and heard.  THEN, He opened his mouth and was silent no more.

In the next verses we find his confession and request that God enable him to know his end and the brevity of life on earth.  He asked God to remind him and teach him the weakness and frailty of humans realizing that we are here briefly and in so doing we will find a new boldness to stand up and speak up for right and righteousness.

Our present world is facing some catastrophic ideological conundrums and believers are or should be “watchmen on the walls”.  I am not suggesting that we turn every church into a political platform but I am suggesting that we defend those who cannot defend themselves such as the unborn.  I am suggesting that we present the alternative to everything the goes overly tolerant politically correct society and present Jesus Christ and Him crucified for sin.  I am suggesting that we issue the call for righteousness and transformation of hearts not forced compliance to man-made laws, rules and regulations.  I am suggesting that we contemplate what we see in our own lives and the world around us and allow the Holy Spirit to start a fire in our innermost being that cannot be shut up.  I am suggesting that we fall so completely in love with Jesus and have such a passion for lost humanity that we speak with our tongues the Message of the Cross, the Gospel of Jesus Christ and point me to the real answer.

Silence until… I am praying that many who are conspicuously silent today will find a fire burning so hot inside they will become mighty voices for God, good, right and righteousness.  May the Lord go with you as you go through this day!

 

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