I’m a Loser

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you: For everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Matthew 7:7,8

I lose my notes. I lose my keys. I drop things in the sofa and in the carpet. Little items drop on the floor then roll and bounce who knows where. In my hurried life I lay things down instead of putting them in place. I find good hiding places for a little stash of cash.  I admit it. I’m a loser.

Just the other day I was searching for some notes to help with a project I was working on. I searched at home. I searched at school. Then as usual after all the searching, I began to pray. My friend looked it up on line and found just what I needed.

I was at a family member’s house. She was frantically searching her car for keys. She called her husband at “the shop”. He frantically searched his car. In my heart, I began to pray. Her husband’s friend, who had helped them with a moving project that involved the key, pulled into the shop.

“Hey, Buddy, do you have a set of keys to that storage unit?”

“Maybe, I wondered what these keys were for.”  Problem solved. But how amazing that he would pull into the shop at just that specific time and have just what they were looking for. Frantically the world is looking for answers to their problems. We can’t cure cancer, fix the stock market or the government, but we do have the key to the world’s biggest problem. We know where to find peace and eternal life. As Christians we have the answer. God is putting us at the right place at the right time every day. Are we praying for guidance in reaching those who are searching? Are we showing the world the key? Are we showing them by our actions as well as our words that Jesus Christ is the answer?

Share Jesus today. Someone is frantically looking.

Dead or Alive

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? II Corinthians 6:14

Take a magnifying glass and examine a starfish. Feel its rough texture. Notice the small star-shape on the very top. Now turn it over. See the mouth in the center? Tentacles run down the length of each arm or ray. On the tip of each arm there are light sensors so the starfish can tell if it is light or dark. I doubt if we can actually see the light sensors in its hardened state. Just think, once this beautiful starfish was soft and pliable. It had no bones and pulled itself along over rocks and shells and anywhere it wanted to go. It wrapped itself around tightly closed shells and with strong arms pulled the shells apart for tasty morsels of clams and mussels and other shellfish. Now it lies motionless on the beach or in a shell arrangement. Its strength is gone, its light sensors put out. Its part in the food chain of life is finished.

There was once a man whose strength was renowned. He pulled down the gate of a walled city. He killed a lion with his bare hands. He knew the Light of the World but he played in the edges of darkness. Playing on the edge of darkness caused Samson his strength and his sight. It cost him his ability to do great and mighty things for God. Samson was used to pull a mill. He was taken into a temple of a false god. He spread his feet and arms like the starfish and bowed his head. With a mighty prayer he pulled down the columns of that temple and destroyed more of the enemies of God in his death than he had in his life. How much more could Samson have accomplished for God had he not entangled himself with friends who did not know God?

How often do we entangle ourselves with the things of this world? We choose friends that we think will make us popular but we fail to befriend those who would strengthen our spirit.  We busy ourselves with technology but forget to look into God’s Word. Our eyes are put out to the Truth. We play on the edge of darkness with the friends we choose and the things we allow in our minds through our eyes. Will we one day find ourselves hardened by the darkness, unable to affect the spiritual lives of the lost because we have lost our own spiritual lives?

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. II Corinthians 6:1

Taste Test

O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. Psalms 34:8

What’s your favorite food? Chocolate? Ice cream? A crisp apple filled with so much juice it runs down your elbow with every bite? MMMMmmmmm! It all sounds good to me. Let me go rummage around in the kitchen and see what looks good. No, Wait! I’m suppose to be writing!

Too often I find myself hunting a favorite food for comfort when I’m tired or sad. I need a snack while I’m concentrating or just looking to relax. I forget that God’s Word says “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” How can I taste and see the goodness of the Lord?

God knows us better than we know ourselves. He created us. He knows our strengths and our weaknesses. He filled His Word with all the good things we need.

So, what good things does God’s word have for me today? You might find it helpful to underline or highlight verses that God uses to show you how good He is.

 I have a test. II Timothy 2:15

I need a job. Matt. 6:36

I’m worried about a bully. Psalms 37

I don’t know what to do with my life, how to prepare, what college. Psalms 25:4

I just had a fight with my BFF. Psalms 37:8

I have a sick family member. What if they die? John 10:27-29

Just like tasting your favorite food, you have to dig into God’s Word to know it’s good. Eating is always more fun with others. Try finding a friend to taste test the Word with you.

Found a favorite God food (verse)? We’d love to take a taste with you. Please leave a taste in the comment section.

Apple Time

…Behold, a sower went out to sow. Matthew 13:3b

It’s time to visit the apple orchards. Time to debate the taste of the best apples and cider. Time to make apple butter and apple jelly. Time to eat a fresh picked apple and tell the tales of Johnny Appleseed sowing seeds across America.

 But have you taken time to look a little deeper? Slice an apple across the center. Count the seeds in the star. Plant a few seeds. Maybe you’ll get your own apple tree. Just wondering, how many apples do you think might come from one seed?

Jesus told a parable of a farmer who went out to sow his seeds. Some fell on hard ground and never came up. Others fell on stony ground and thorny ground. They survived a little while and then died. But the seeds that fell on good ground produced lots, some 30 times, some 60 times, some 100 times more than was sown.

Telling others about Jesus is much like planting seeds. You never know what the witness you give today may one day produce. An apple tree takes years to produce but then it produces for many years. Are there generations of Christians in your family? Who planted the seed in your heart?

 Anyone can count the seeds in an apple but only God can count the apples in a seed.

- Robert Shuller.

 

Looks Good

Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one who saith to me, Lord, Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doeth the will of my Farther which is in heaven.  Matthew 7:20,21

The kids and I were so excited when we found round squishy eggs in the dirt of our potato patch. They were about the size of a quarter. From all accounts, they looked like land turtle eggs. We kept a watch all summer. We waited for a full moon. We reasoned that sea turtles hatch on the full moon surely land turtles did the same. We searched the internet for more information.

Nothing seemed to be hatching. After school started I decided to take a few to class to put in the terrarium just to peak some interest. I placed some soil in a plastic carton, then nestled in the eggs that were left. Odd some of the eggs that were deep in the soil were gone. I added water to make sure they were hydrated in case some turtles were still incubating and placed them in the floor board of the car. I didn’t want to forget them the next morning.

Ah, the next morning a little nose was poking through a shell. I was thrilled. I placed the eggs still in their carton on the soil in the terrarium and called the children to come and see. We invited the other class to view the hatching of our turtle egg. As the day passed the turtle pulled its nose further back into the shell. I figured he had had enough of school for the day.

Next morning, I anxiously arrived at school, hoping the turtle had made its entrance into the world. Two other eggs were hatching! To my surprise my turtle had hatched without a shell and it had a really long tail! I didn’t have turtles! I had corn snakes! I didn’t need snakes of any description in a class of small children. Call the principal, now! Thankfully he disposed of them for me.

I thought, wasn’t that a deception? For months I treated the eggs as if they were turtles.  My eggs looked good on the outside but on the inside, well you know – snakes! Jesus knew that all along. He made the turtles and the snakes. He also knows about people. He told the Pharisees they were like painted sepulchers. They looked good on the outside but on the inside they were full of dead men’s bones. Jesus knows us too. We live in a day of deception. It may be hard for you and me to tell if someone is really a Christian or just putting on a good front, but Jesus knows. He tells us to look at the fruit. If a person is truly a Christian they will act like a Christian. Don’t be deceived by those who tell you it is wrong to judge. Be a fruit inspector. You may help someone become a true Christian.

What experiences have you had with “fruit inspection”? We would love to have your comments.

Blessing