Before the mental noise begins each day

From Craig: 

We had some pretty good discussions at life group this evening, and amongst them was the idea of how you actually get some spiritual benefit from a daily quiet time - if you have one. For some folk it is easy to sit down and empty your mind and wait for God to speak to you. For me personally, that is no good at all. I sit down and, despite  good intentions, either (a) my mind is immediately filled with loads of other stuff like; when is the next meeting, what am I having for lunch, did I leave the iron on etc  (b) the phone goes or (c) I fall asleep. For me I need something to concentrate on to keep God front and centre. And just reading the bible at random doesn't work either because unless it is a really interesting bit my attention span  is about 30 seconds and then either (a) my mind is immediately filled with loads of other stuff…….etc!

I recalled the following piece by Max Lucado which some time ago I used as my starting point each day. I read it for months and still found inspiration from it. Having remembered this and dug it out, it seems fresh again - perhaps you might find it useful and thought provoking. For me, it only works before the computer is switched on, or the phone goes for the first time - after that it is too late….

"EACH DAY:

It's quiet. It's early. My coffee is hot. The sky is still black. The world is still asleep. the day is coming. In a few moments the day will arrive. It will roar down the track with the rising of the sun. The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day. The calm of solitude will be replaced by the pounding pace of the human race. The refuge of the early morning will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadlines to be met.

For the next 12 hours I will be exposed to the day's demands. It is now that I must make a choice. Because of Calvary, I'm free to choose. And so I choose….

I CHOOSE LOVE….

No occasion justifies hatred: no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves.

I CHOOSE JOY….

I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical…the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.

I CHOOSE PEACE….

I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.

I CHOOSE PATIENCE….

I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I'll invite him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clenching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.

I CHOOSE KINDNESS….

I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.

I CHOOSE GOODNESS….

I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I will accuse. I choose goodness.

I CHOOSE FAITHFULNESS….

Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My wife will not question my love. And my children will never fear that their father will not come home.

I CHOOSE GENTLENESS….

Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice may it only be in praise. If I clench my fist may it only be in prayer. If I make a demand, may it only be of myself.

I CHOOSE SELF-CONTROL….

I am a spiritual being…. After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal. I choose self control. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ. I choose self-control.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. To these I commit my day. If I succeed I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek his grace. And then , when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.

For the record - I normally find myself in the 'seeking grace' bracket. I'm sure you guys will be more successful than I.

God bless y'all, and hope to see you soon. (By the way - the Daniel Plan is done!)

Craig

Knowledge is power

Tonight was my first night back teaching after a couple of months.  While I teach computer programming and database work, I still find myself thinking about the students and how they are trying to reach their goals. I applaud their sacrifice to hopefully improve their careers to better support their families and achieve contentment at work.

It then dawned on me that we are all in search of contentment. The difference is what we are willing to do about it. Some go to school, some volunteer, some give money to charity. Regardless of what we do, this advances the kingdom.

Its not about improving our personal situation, it's about improving our ability to serve. If we acquire a new skill set that is valuable, everyone wins. What are you doing today to increase your ability to serve?

Buried alive

I read a devotional tonight that changed my perspective. We have all read or heard about Jesus dying on the cross for us. The passage I read tonight talked about how Jesus felt joy in his heart while dying on the cross because he knew he was dying so that we should be forgiven for our sins.

I never considered joy in the equation of being put to death. The fact that Jesus felt joy in death was something that comes full circle for us. We need Jesus when we are facing circumstances and we can find joy even in the worst of times.  I never thought that would be possible. Jesus was given everlasting life just as we are. What joy he gives us.

 So, do whatever you can to find the joy no matter what you are facing in life. Take care and know that when you face the challenges of life, you will be stronger and if you look hard enough, you'll find joy buried beneath the pain. Jesus was with you all along.

--God's best

Do you know when you're lost?

Do you know when you're lost? Like many people, I didn't grow up with a lot of spiritual influence other than an occassional Easter or the local youth group outing. However, if anyone ever asked me about God, I would say "It's not that I don't believe in God, I've just never seen any proof". Or, I would also say to myself, as long as I'm a good person and I do the right thing, I should be ok. 

It wasn't until my wife and I started looking at each other saying, there has to be more to life than this. We both felt like "something" was missing. At some point, I mentioned it to my classmate at the time, later to become a very good friend, and he invited us to church. Little did I know, life was about to change. 

We went to church and instantly felt the family ties and fellowship that we were missing along with a beginning of a new journey down our spiritual paths. It wasn't long before we both asked Jesus to come into our lives along with our first baptism in the rough waters of Sandbrige. 

It's kind of funny how new believers tend to think that their will be some magical paranormal event happening and treat Jesus like a genie in a bottle. That should really be the first warning from the pastor. It's a honeymoon in the begining feeling great and excited about the journey. What they don't tell you is that life doesn't get any easier, in fact, it gets even harder. 

The difference is you have Jesus with you in your fight against the challenges and evils in your life. When pray for something, you often get a response that conflicts with what you think would be a solution. Sometimes it's more time to think about it. Other times, it's the opposite of what you are hoping for. In the end, you either learn something, it makes you stronger, or you receive a blessing that you could never imagine. 

--God's best

An inconvenient God

I imagine it is not unusual for today's Christians to shy away from God when things are going well and to turn back to him only when times are tough. I, for one, am guilty as charged.

I find that When things are well, I tend to stop praying, stop studying the bible, and even allow life to get in the way of attending church. When the going gets rough, I circle back to God praying for help and guidance.  There's something about Morgan freeman playing God in his movies. They always make me smile,

The last time I saw him playing God, he was asked a young lady a question about when you ask God for patience, does he give it to you or does he give you situations to learn and practice patience.

Light bulb... God rarely gives us directly what we ask for. He gives us help, answers and guidance but often in abstract and obscure ways. But, in the end, it was the right answer all along.

Jesus said all these things to the crowds in parables, and he spoke to them only in parables. (Matthew 13:34 CEB)

Hang on to the promises

The radio sings 'Hang on to the promises'. Until today, I didn't grasp really what those words mean to me even though I'm sure I've heard it hundreds of times. 

Joy doesn't come from our success, achievements, or material things. The reality is that joy comes from God's promises of salvation, forgiveness and love. Many may try to steal our joy. It is our choice to give or not to give it away. But, whatever the choice, the promises remain forever and are not lost during troublesome times. 

The bible often talks about sowing seed and the fruits they bear.  We often hear that we reap what we sow. But wait, what if we sow seeds of challenges, hurt, pain, and suffering. Does it produce more? No. It produces a greater ability to cope and deal with similar situations. Even better, it gives you deeper capacity to be truly thankful and to be joyous in the blessings that we are given when times are good.When times seem overwhelming, turn to his promises, rest assured.

Psalms 119:65 NLT - You have done many good things for me, LORD, just as you promised.

Seeing double

God blesses us all the time. But, beware. That path that seems so clear can fork into two directions. One requiring integrity, courage, and faith. The other with temptation, uncertainty, and fear. I wonder if God does this to check our hearts along the way. Sometimes, both paths seem similar enough that you could flip a coin and go either way. However, if you pray on it, sleep on it, and ask for wisdom from others, the right path eventually becomes clear. 

I've been keeping my eye on a specific path for quite a while now. Today, another path presented itself that is tempting but I'm not sure it would be the best of the two choices or not. Time to think, pray and seek insight. Perhaps the second road is more easily traveled in the short term for financial gain but doesn't necessarily achieve peace and fulfillment. Hmmm... You're probably saying to yourself that my decision is pretty obvious. Yeah, I'm thinking that too.

--Gods Best