You Have Not

 
"You do not have, because you do not ask." James 4:2b, ESV

In my job I have authority to approve expenses for our organization. I often receive requests from employees for various items that will help them perform their job more efficiently or offer them some level of comfort while doing their job. I approve these purchases 99% of the time. I'm glad to do so. But today, after approving a purchase, it struck me that some employees seldom ask for anything. This got me to thinking about us and our prayer requests to God. How often is He willing to grant our requests if only we would ask? 

Today's prayer: "God, you are good and you give good gifts to your children. Help me to know when to ask. Amen."

Wear It OR Share It

"I was naked, and you gave me clothing." - Matthew 25:36b

I was listening to Beth Moore last night and she was talking about how she routinely purges her closet. If she hasn't worn something in a year she says out loud to herself, "Wear it or share it!" and then she donates the item to someone in need. She then went on to say that as the end of the year approaches and she discovers that some of her "treasured" items haven't been worn she will frantically try and wear them so that she can keep them. I had to laugh. We all do this. I know Beth was only talking about clothes but it got me to thinking about how we sometimes tend to bury our treasures at one time or another to keep from sharing them.

Today's prayer: "God, you have given me many treasures. You never intended me to hoard them. Help me to remember to wear them well and share them well. Amen." 

I Will TRUST, Even If

"They that trust in the LORD shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever." - Psalm 125:1

When circumstances don't add up and life feels too hard; when miracles seem elusive like a butterfly; I will turn my face towards Heaven and cry: "You are God and You are good!" Just stumbled across this song and it sums it up:

Even If (Kutless)

Sometimes all we have to hold on to 

Is what we know is true of who You are 

So when the heartache hits like a hurricane 

That could never change who You are 

And we trust in who You are

Even if the healing doesn't come 

And life falls apart 

And dreams are still undone 

You are God You are good 

Forever faithful One 

Even if the healing 

Even if the healing doesn't come

Lord we know your ways are not our ways 

So we set our faith in who You are 

Even though You reign high above us 

You tenderly love us 

We know Your heart 

And we rest in who You are

You're still the Great and Mighty One 

We trust You always 

You're working all things for our good 

We'll sing your praise

You are God and we will bless You 

As the Good and Faithful One 

You are God and we will bless You 

Even if the healing doesn't come 

Even if the healing doesn't come

True Test

"Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me and know my anxious thoughts: and see if there be any hurtful way in me." - Psalm 139:23

Francis Frangipane writes: "Most are content to pray the first part "Search me, O God" but the true test of repentance is when we then pray "[and] try me." You see, David asked God not just to forgive him, but to change him -- and then to test those changes with situations that previously triggered an ungodly response. In essence, he prays, "Lord, verify that the work You've done in me is deep and unshakable, that I am free even of an anxious thought about my previous sin."

Today's prayer: "Lord, how many times have I asked You to search me, identify my heart issues, and forgive me? I want to take it one step further and ask You to verify that the work You've done is deep and unshakable. I want to be free from even an anxious thought about my previous sin."

The Whole Picture

Until I entered the sanctuary of God. Then I saw the whole picture." -- Psalm 73:17

It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words and I won't argue that point. But I would like to add that a picture also hides a thousand words. Take a snapshot anywhere, anytime, and there is one thing you won't capture -- what happened immediately before and what happened immediately after. There is a story behind every person you encounter. I've stared into countless eyes (and you have too). Only God sees the whole picture. Just a reminder that snapshots are deceiving and snapshot judgments are rarely accurate.

Today's prayer: "God, forgive me for all the times I've taken a mental snapshot of someone's life and thought I knew their story. You and You alone know the beginning from the end. You see the whole picture. Give me a sensitive heart to a hurting world. Amen."

Never A Whit

A poisonous pill is never a whit the less poisonous because it is gilded over with gold; nor a wolf is never a whit the less a wolf because he has put on a sheep’s skin; nor the devil is never a whit the less a devil because he appears sometimes like an angel of light. So neither is sin any whit the less filthy and abominable by its being painted over with virtue’s colors.

~ Thomas Brooks, Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices

Mercy

"Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy." -- Matthew 5:7

"And what is it to be merciful? To be merciful is to be kind in every direction: to the guilty as well as to the unfortunate; to the loathsome as well as to the winsome; to insect as well as to man. To be merciful is to be full of mercy to all that God has made."


Excerpt from:
The Kingdom: The Emerging Rule of Christ Among Men
The Original Classic by George Dana Boardman
Compiled by Bob Mumford and Jack Taylor

A Tribute To A Servant Of All

"Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last and the servant of all." - Mark 9:35

This morning as we gathered at my mom's house in preparation to attend dad's funeral, I watched my daughter put pen to paper and write a tribute to her grandpa. She captured the essence of who he was in less than ten minutes -- servant of all. 

Today, she read her tribute at his funeral:
"My grandpa, Paul Bowers, was known as a handyman and it was a title he was proud of. Whether he was in his workshop, on a rooftop, or under a sink, he was fixing something. As a child I thought he could fix anything. If my toy was broken he was the first one I went to; if I had a splinter in my foot he would take me into his office, pull out all his tools and fix me up. He liked to spend his weekends at Trader's World and Big Lots. That's where this handyman collected most of his tools. As I got older I began to question my grandpa's "fixing." His Trader's World fixes were not brand name or new. Now that I am grown I realize that this was his way of loving on people. Raise your hand if Paul ever fixed something for you. Grandpa had a workshop, office, two garages, and a shed full of "fixes."  If you needed a battery, just open a drawer. If you needed a bandaid, he had four cases. If you needed a cell phone charger, he had fifteen. He never had one of anything. One may ask why one man needed so many of one thing. That's because he didn't buy them for himself. They were provisions for serving the ones he loved. They were ways to love people." 

By Beth Reddix

A Little Less Talk And A Lot More Action

"Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few." Ecclesiastes 5:1-2

During prayer the other day I was tugging on God's sleeve like a little child, kind of begging Him to speak. Feeling a little weary I just needed to hear His voice. All of a sudden I heard the song "A Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action" and I had to laugh.

Sometimes I think God wants a little less talk from us and a lot more action. For example if we pray "God, feed the hungry" I think His response is "You feed the hungry." Stop talking about it and do it. We often pray for something that God has already given us the ability to "act" upon. So, here's to a little more silence and a lot more action.

["A Little Less Talk And A Lot More Action" is the title of a song written by Keith Hinton and Jimmy Alan Stewart, and recorded by country music singer Toby Keith.]

Don't Poke God In The Eye

"Whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye." -- Zechariah 2:8

This is too good not to share. Our Pastor reminded us yesterday that when we come against one of God's children or when someone comes against us, that we are actually touching the apple of God's eye -- which is the pupil. This shows how near and dear the Lord's people are to Him. And then he said, "So, don't poke God in the eye!" Thanks Pastor Shawn for that brilliant word picture.