Tripping Over Words

He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life:  but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.

Proverbs 13:3

I read this verse the other day and the first thought that came to my mind was, "Open mouth, insert foot!"

We've all been there, haven't we?  We said something that should not have been said, and you stand there in utter embarrassment facing the person you just offended.  You try to laugh off the faux pax, but all you want to do is crawl under a rock.

James gives us another admonition in James 1:19. He tells us, "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:"

Interesting verse because James is reminding the 'beloved brethren.'  Isn't it sad that this had to be said?  Shouldn't we as brethren already practice ready listening, few words, and love?  And yet, James had to remind the believers how to treat one another.

I was reminded that we as believer's often yield to our feelings and our flesh rather than yielding to the Holy Spirit of God.

According to Webster, Wrath means strong, vengeful anger.

To have to be reminded NOT to allow this to happen when conversing with other brothers and sisters in Christ is very telling.  

Pride is the root of such behavior.

There is an Amish Proverb that goes, "It is better to give others a piece of your heart than a piece of your mind."

When I speak, I want to speak slowly enough to remember that God is one of my listeners!

    But that's just me!

"Better to let them wonder why you didn't speak, that to wonder why you did."  Anonymous

"The testimony of the lips indicates the state of the heart."  Harry Ironside

Sharpener

"God, send me a friend that will tell me my faults."  Thomas Fuller

Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.  Proverbs 27:12

Whenever I think of this verse, the profession of a Blacksmith comes to my mind.  (Maybe, I've watched too many John Wayne movies?)

Their Smithy was usually located on the edge of town near the Livery Stable.  Easy access for those who travelled into town, and those leaving.  As you walked the street of the town, you would probably hear a familiar sound.  The hammering of iron against iron.  As you drew near, maybe the air became thick from the fire that constantly burned to keep the iron pliable.  Maybe you could hear the sound of sizzling when the completed piece of iron was placed in a nearby bucket of water that would solidify the completed project.  A tool, a farming implement, a horseshoe perhaps?  Something made to perform a specific task.

Hard work.

Sometimes friendships are hard work because they will require hard sayings.  Friends will, at times, have to set aside the joking and easy camaraderie to say, 'hard things.' If they really are your friend, that is.

"Spiritual friendship is eagerly helping one another know, serve, love and resemble God in deeper and deeper ways."  Tim Keller

It's not an easy thing to do, but when done right, when you speak the truth in love, and are genuinely concerned about the direction your friend may be going, it will allow your friend to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Your friendship will grow too.

"There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship."  Thomas Aquinas

Websters Dictionary defines sharpen as: to make sharp or hone.  Webster defines hone as: to make more acute, intense, or effective.

I had to ask myself, 'Do I care enough about my friend to make them more effective for Christ?  Or have I become a dull friend?'

I want true friends.  Those who can help me in my walk with Christ.

And I want to be a true friend, one who can help others in their walk with Christ.

    But that's just me!

"He is your friend who pushes you nearer to God."  Abraham Kuyper

"A faithful friend is a truthful friend."  Woodrow Kroll

I've Just Got to be Me!

For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.  2 Corinthians 10:12

I will never be an astronaut and fly to the moon.

I will never be a missionary in a foreign land.

I will never be known world-wide.

Isn't it funny how we compare who we are and what we do by those around us?  We try to measure our Service in the Lord by 'big things and little things.'  The world likes to categorize our worth by our accomplishments.

As a wife and mother, God created me to be a helpmeet to my husband and a godly example to my children.  The world thinks that is a small and worthless role to fulfill, but God thinks it's a great thing!

Don't let the world define your worth.

We know our worth through Christ.  He loved us so much that He died for us.  John 3:16

I need to remember that when God prompts me to do something and I obey, then I'm doing exactly what God wants me to do.  I am being who He created me to be. 

I want to encourage you to be who God created you to be.

I will joy in the work God gives me, serve in the place He has set me, and be the me He created me to be!

I may never be an astronaut and fly to the moon,

    but I can gaze up into the night sky and praise my Creator for the view from here.

I may never be a missionary in a foreign land,

    but I can share Christ with my neighbor.

I will never be known world-wide,

    But my Saviour knows my name.

And that is enough for me!

    But that's just me!

"You've made this day a special day, by just your being you.  There's no person in the whole world like you, and I like you, just the way you are!"  Fred Rogers

 

Invisible Evidence

In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.  Daniel 5:5

Wouldn't it be something if we saw God's physical hand write instructions or warnings on the walls of our homes as we begin our day?

    "Go here-"

    "Don't go there-"

    "Help so-and-so-"

Can you imagine hearing the voice of God speak when He told the gathered crowd how pleased He was of His beloved Son when Jesus was baptized? Matthew 3:17

Wouldn't it make life easier if we could just have an audible conversation with our Lord?

This past week I had to drive into town to do some errands and to help a friend.  I can count 4 times on just this trip into town when I could have been in a serious car accident.  FOUR TIMES!  

Did I see God's physical hand of protection?  No, but His hand was evident.  Why?  Because there is no other way to explain my safety.

I've heard God 'speak' to me as well.  Not audibly, but so evident that I looked around to see if someone in my house was speaking to me.  His message was crystal clear.

God Has given us His Living Word.  It will guide you physically and spiritually, and you will hear God speak His will to you through it.

You just have to read it, study it, know it...

    and listen.

        But that's just me!

The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

Psalm 121:8

Safe wherever I go,

Peace the world cannot know;

Sins all forgiven, and heaven my home, 

I'm safe wherever I go.

(Hymn-John Rice 1972)

Delight!

 ...but the prayer of the upright is his delight.  Proverbs 15:8b

Websters dictionary defines delight as, a high degree of gratification, pleasure or joy.

After reading this verse in Proverbs, it got me thinking, what delights the Lord?

    He delights in the prayer of the upright- Proverbs 15:8b

    He delights in honesty- Proverbs 11:1

    He delights in those who are upright in their way-Proverbs 11:20

    He delights in those who deal truly-Proverbs 12:22

    He delights in those who know His ways and approach Him-Isaiah 58:2

    He delights in mercy-Micah 7:18

    He delights in wisdom-Proverbs 8:30

    He delights in His Son-Isaiah 42:1

And He delights in me!  Psalm 18:19

Knowing all the things that delight the Lord, I turned to Scripture to see what should delight me:

    Delight To do His will-Psalm 40:8

    Delight in the LORD-Psalm 37:4

    Delight in thy comforts-Psalm 94:19

    Delight in the Lord's way, in the way He leads me-Psalm 37:23

    Delight in His statutes- Psalm 119:16

    Delight in His testimonies and counselor's- Psalm 119:24

    Delight in the path of His commandments-Psalm 119:35

    Delight in His commandments:  Psalm 119:47,143, Psalm 112:1

    Delight in His Law-Psalm 119:70,77,92,174

So, as a child of God, what should bring me great gratification, pleasure and joy!

    The Word; Jesus Christ.

I delight in Him, He delights in me.

    How delightful!

        But that's just me!

" The great secret of the Christian life is to begin experiencing God as He desires me to experience Him.  God's greatest DELIGHT (capitalization mine) is to bring me into His presence."

    A.W.Tozer

Fainteth

 If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small-Proverbs 24:10

Without the italic words, this verse would read like this:  Thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength small.

There is no 'if' about it.  It is when and why.

When I write out this verse with the words defined, it would read like:

If thou lack courage and spirit in the day of a serious misfortune and continued difficulty there will be no endurance to resist the attack, and influence will be minor.

Is that how I want to live my life in Christ?

No, but often I do.

So, the question is-

    When hard times come, do I give up?  Quit?  When God doesn't seem to answer my prayers and my situation seems to never end, do I release my influence and testimony over to my attacker?  My enemy?

OR-

    Do I remember where my help comes from?  Psalm 121

    Do I continue to run my race with endurance?  Hebrews 12:1

    Do I remember that Christ has overcome the world?  John 16:33

    Do I remember where the true battle lies and Who has already won?  Galatians 6

I am not a physically strong person, but because of Christ, I can be a SPIRITUALLY strong person!

    But that's just me!

David did not need to know the strength of Goliath-

He already knew the strength of his God!

For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

For our light affliction which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.  2 Corinthians 4:16,17

Chronic Pain

When dealing with chronic health issues, it's easy to focus on the problem.  They become overwhelming and we can find ourselves making things worse because we grow weary of the constant battle.  Pity parties begin, and then we begin to ask God for the reasons we go through some of the things we go through.

Then I begin to pray for my friends who endure chronic health issues and begin to realize that my problems really aren't so bad.

Instead of asking God the 'why?' I begin to ask myself, 'Am I standing on the problems of life, or am I standing on the Promises of God?'

And, what brings God more glory?  My strength, or His strength through me?

I think we already know the answer to that question.

David and Job come to mind when I think of those who endured health problems.  Job was on the brink of death, and yet he continued to glorify and praise God.

I've witnessed that same testimony in the life of my friends who battle cancer on a day-to-day basis, and I witnessed that in the life of my mother before she died of cancer.  She kept telling me over and over, every day, 'God is so good!' 

One day we will receive our glorified bodies, and boy what a day that will be!

Philippians 3:21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

So, until then, I'm going to quit demanding an explanation for everything and stop asking the 'why' and will strive to learn to live with unanswered questions, because that, my friend, is where our faith begins.

    But that's just me!

Weary Traveler

by Jordan St. Cyr 2022

Weary traveler

Beat down from the storms that you have weathered

Feels like this road just might go on forever

Carry on.

You keep on givin'

but every day this world just keeps on takin'

your tired heart is on the edge of breaking

carry on.

Weary traveler, restless soul

you were never meant to walk this road alone

it'll all be worth it, so just hold on

Weary traveler, you won't be weary long.

And no more searchin'

heaven's healing's gonna find where all the hurt is

When Jesus calls, we'll lay down all our heavy burdens

Carry on!

Someday soon we're gonna make it home!