What's the Focus of Your Eye? by Ann Stewart
I awoke the other day with a start and heard the words: "Look not to the right, nor to the left." I saw myself with blinds on either side of my eyes, like a horse that is being directed by its rider. Pondering as to what exactly the Lord was trying to convey to me, I was directed to: "The light of the body is the eye; if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light." (Mat. 6: 22) Jesus had just taught his disciples how to pray, and was now elaborating on the importance of forgiveness and prayer being your private conversation with God. He explained that the Father sees the secret desires of your heart and will reward you openly. If your focus is on worldly treasures, like men's approval or physical possessions, you may risk living in fear of losing them all. However, if God is your main focus, and you live your life to please Him, then you'll be laying up treasures in heaven. In other words, your reward will be coming from God, who wants to be your sole Provider! If you treasure what God has in store for your life, then your whole heart will be dedicated to doing His Will! (Mat. 6: 9-21) Furthermore, God promises: "I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye." (Ps. 32: 8) That's a beautiful description of a caring God! As you endeavor each day to put on your 'blinds' so as not to be lured to the right or the left, you can rest assured that His eyes are on you! A horse, although it can see frontward, needs to be led by a bridle. God is not pulling on any reins! One quick glance at a parent's face will reveal instant approval or displeasure to a child. So it is with your Father. The minute you find yourself doubting or doing things in your own strength, you know when you have displeased Him. But God has a solution! He is patient and quick to forgive your acts of disobedience. "Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy." (Ps. 33: 18) Your heavenly Father gives food for the birds and water for vegetation. No amount of worry and trying to do things your own way will improve your life. By seeking first His Kingdom and His righteousness everything you need will be provided! (Mat. 6: 25-34) If Jesus Christ is Lord in your life, then you no longer need to act and worry as before your acknowledgement that He is the Way! His last words on the cross were: "It is finished." That means that He has not only redeemed you from sin, but has provided everything you will need to walk out His purpose for your life! Remember when you entrusted your whole life to Him? He is still the Faithful One. "No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly" (Ps. 84: 11) Therefore: "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." (Prov. 3: 5-6) Take one precious little step at a time. He will give you fresh revelation every day. "Take therefore no thought for the morrow; for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." (Mat. 6: 34) The more you learn to trust in His guidance, the greater God's Love will shine out from you! He is the Light of the World! The radiance that will emanate from you, despite adverse circumstances you may be experiencing, will draw others to you! (Mat. 6: 22) "Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him; fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass." Only "Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." (Ps. 37: 7,3,4)
About the Author
Ann Stewart is author of With Wings As Eagles, an inspiring story of unwavering faith in God's Word and answered prayer: http://www.lifealteringwords.com/with-wings-as-eagles Looking for affirmation, encouragement and inspiration? The welcome door is wide open at Embracing All the Promises of God: http://www.lifealteringwords.com
Showing posts with label Trust in the Lord. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Trust in the Lord. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Friday, January 26, 2007
What is a Mother Part 3
After reading this article, I feel like I have a lot of work to do in my spiritual life and in my life as a wife and mother. I am a true work in progress. The Lord is not finished with me yet, I have so much to do and learn.
What is a Mother? part #3 by Sue C.
Characteristics of a godly mother continued:
In the article, "What is a Mother? part #2", eight characteristics of a godly mother, were described. This article will discuss several more characteristics of a godly mother as seen in the word of God. I began numbering with 9 to pick up where I left off in the last article.
9. An honorable woman fears the Lord. In Proverbs 22:4, God says, "By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life."
10. An honorable woman is virtuous and strong. Proverbs 31:25 says of a virtuous woman, "Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come." As a godly mother remains true to the Lord and lives in a way honoring to her Savior, she will be strong, and she will reap a joyful harvest.
11. An honorable woman does not act foolishly. Ecclesiastes 10:1 says, "Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour." Therefore, an honorable and godly mother is not foolish, but wise.
12. An honorable woman does good deeds. When she sows these good deeds, she reaps not only honor but glory and peace as well. God assures her of this in His word, "But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile." (Romans 2:10) A life full of God's blessings is the reward of a godly mother.
13. An honorable woman is preferred. Romans 12:10 says, "Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another." As a godly mother manifests kindness and brotherly love in her home and among others, her family will respond by showing her affection and love. She will have friends because she will have shown herself friendly. (See Proverbs 18:24)
14. An honorable woman keeps herself pure. By example, an older, godly mother teaches the young women "To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed." (Titus 2:5) A godly, honorable woman is sanctified and set apart for God and for her husband. Her life is laid out before God to be used of Him, and she is always ready to serve Him and is prepared with good deeds.
15. An honorable woman has compassion on the poor and needy. Proverbs 31:20 says, "She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy." The children of a godly mother learn compassion because they see it demonstrated in their mother's life. As a godly mother shows compassion and love, she reaps trust. Those that are poor and in need trust her, and her husband and children trust her too.
16. An honorable woman receives correction willingly. God's word says, "Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured." (Proverbs 13:18) Even a godly mother can make mistakes, but she is willing to admit them. When she receives correction and takes heed to it, she is honored because she has shown that she is humble and meek in the sight of God. A meek and quiet spirit are some of God's riches which deck an honorable daughter of the King of kings. The Bible says that a meek and quiet spirit is an ornament of great price in God's eyes. (See I Peter 3:4)
17. An honorable woman has precious faith in the face of trials, love for Christ, joy unspeakable and full of glory, and assurance of salvation. "That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls." (I Peter 1:7-9)
The honorable woman, the godly mother, has all she needs. There is not one thing that she lacks. God has given her all.
There is one more part to the study of "What is a Mother?" Part #4 will review the responsibilites and characteristics of a godly mother and will provide Biblical examples of women who manifested these responsibilities and characteristics in their lives.
(All Scripture verses quoted from KJV)
by Sue C.
About the Author
I was born to missionary parents in the country of Papua New Guinea. Because my parents faithfully taught me God's word, I accepted Jesus as Saviour at an early age. The Lord gave me a godly mother, and her life helped me to see the things described in this article. May this article encourage you.
What is a Mother? part #3 by Sue C.
Characteristics of a godly mother continued:
In the article, "What is a Mother? part #2", eight characteristics of a godly mother, were described. This article will discuss several more characteristics of a godly mother as seen in the word of God. I began numbering with 9 to pick up where I left off in the last article.
9. An honorable woman fears the Lord. In Proverbs 22:4, God says, "By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life."
10. An honorable woman is virtuous and strong. Proverbs 31:25 says of a virtuous woman, "Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come." As a godly mother remains true to the Lord and lives in a way honoring to her Savior, she will be strong, and she will reap a joyful harvest.
11. An honorable woman does not act foolishly. Ecclesiastes 10:1 says, "Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour." Therefore, an honorable and godly mother is not foolish, but wise.
12. An honorable woman does good deeds. When she sows these good deeds, she reaps not only honor but glory and peace as well. God assures her of this in His word, "But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile." (Romans 2:10) A life full of God's blessings is the reward of a godly mother.
13. An honorable woman is preferred. Romans 12:10 says, "Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another." As a godly mother manifests kindness and brotherly love in her home and among others, her family will respond by showing her affection and love. She will have friends because she will have shown herself friendly. (See Proverbs 18:24)
14. An honorable woman keeps herself pure. By example, an older, godly mother teaches the young women "To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed." (Titus 2:5) A godly, honorable woman is sanctified and set apart for God and for her husband. Her life is laid out before God to be used of Him, and she is always ready to serve Him and is prepared with good deeds.
15. An honorable woman has compassion on the poor and needy. Proverbs 31:20 says, "She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy." The children of a godly mother learn compassion because they see it demonstrated in their mother's life. As a godly mother shows compassion and love, she reaps trust. Those that are poor and in need trust her, and her husband and children trust her too.
16. An honorable woman receives correction willingly. God's word says, "Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured." (Proverbs 13:18) Even a godly mother can make mistakes, but she is willing to admit them. When she receives correction and takes heed to it, she is honored because she has shown that she is humble and meek in the sight of God. A meek and quiet spirit are some of God's riches which deck an honorable daughter of the King of kings. The Bible says that a meek and quiet spirit is an ornament of great price in God's eyes. (See I Peter 3:4)
17. An honorable woman has precious faith in the face of trials, love for Christ, joy unspeakable and full of glory, and assurance of salvation. "That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls." (I Peter 1:7-9)
The honorable woman, the godly mother, has all she needs. There is not one thing that she lacks. God has given her all.
There is one more part to the study of "What is a Mother?" Part #4 will review the responsibilites and characteristics of a godly mother and will provide Biblical examples of women who manifested these responsibilities and characteristics in their lives.
(All Scripture verses quoted from KJV)
by Sue C.
About the Author
I was born to missionary parents in the country of Papua New Guinea. Because my parents faithfully taught me God's word, I accepted Jesus as Saviour at an early age. The Lord gave me a godly mother, and her life helped me to see the things described in this article. May this article encourage you.
Friday, January 12, 2007
Believe!
This article was screaming at me. It was saying, "Read me, you need to read me. This is you. You have done these things. Do you always seek God first in every situation?" Recently, we have been struggling with our budget and have come to the conclusion that I need to return to work by February. The first week, I did nothing but worry about it and fret over it. Then, a light went on. I knew I needed to trust that the Lord would provide and make something happen for me. Things are happening now that just might allow me to stay home with my son. Trust and Faith are all it takes.
Christians in America - An Unbelieving Generation?
In a lot of ways I'm pretty average. I may be a bit taller than some, and probably weigh more than I should, but there isn't really anything extraordinary about me. So when I read the stories in the Bible, and think about how the majority of the people who were there reacted, I assume that I would have done what everyone else was doing. One example is the story in Mark 9:14-29 about a father who brought his demon-possessed son to be healed. When the father came to the disciples, Jesus wasn't there. He was with Peter, James, and John and they were on their way back from the mountain where they had seen Jesus transfigured before their eyes. As they approached the other disciples they noticed that a large crowd had gathered, and that the teachers of the law were arguing with them. When Jesus asked what they were arguing about, the man whose son was demon-possessed came and explained to Him how his son was being tormented by the spirit, and that he had asked the disciples to cast it out, but they hadn't been able to. It's at this point that Jesus says, "O unbelieving generation, how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me." (Mark 9:19) Like I said, I'm pretty average. If I had been one of the disciples it's a good bet that I would have been in the middle of the crowd, arguing with the teachers, and trying to figure out why I hadn't been able to cast them demon out. And it's not like casting out demons was a foreign concept to them. When we look at Mark chapter 6 we see that Jesus sent them out, two by two, and gave them authority over demons. This was actually something that they had done before. But when I look at my life, I realize that even though there are things that I've done before, it doesn't mean that it will be easy for me to do it again. All I have to do is look at how I spent the last few days, or weeks, in my life and realize that Jesus could very well look at me and say, "O unbelieving Rob, how long will I have to stay with you? How long will I have to keep reminding you of all that I've already taught you?" I don't know about you, but when I'm faced with a new problem, or just an ongoing old one, I tend to forget all that God has already done for me. When struggling with financial issues I usually get discouraged and depressed. I focus too much on the problem, or what I don't have, and I forget that all things are possible with God. One of the scriptures that I battle with the most is in Matthew 6:28-34, especially verse 33 which says, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." I find myself worrying about what I'll eat, or wear, or how I'll pay my mortgage this month. In other words, I worry about "all these things." This verse isn't hard for us because God is asking to do something that is impossible. We have difficulties with it because it's so unnatural. If we look around us we can see dozens, hundreds, maybe even millions of examples of people who worry about how they are going survive, let alone doing any better than that. The fact that we worry about it is normal in the sense that it's something everyone does. But I wonder if Jesus would look at us, those of us in America and other countries where the Word of God is readily available, and just shake His head in frustration. Would He look at us and say, "O unbelieving generation, when are you going to finally understand? When are you finally going to believe?" We are surrounded with God's word, it's being preached in our pulpits, over the airwaves, and at us in our daily email devotionals, but do we believe it? In all fairness it is a frightening thing, the prospect of really believing God's word, or really trusting Him. And it's not about us having to do anything that is really crazy, or risky, but just trusting Him with our daily battles. It's sad to think that Christians in America are just as likely to get divorced, struggle just as much as everyone else financially, and are just as unhappy with their lives as people who don't believe in God at all. But I know that taking a step to trust God, to begin to pray with the expectation that He will answer and do amazing things in our lives, won't be easy. Too often we end up like the disciples who watched helplessly as a demon-possessed boy fell to the ground and foamed at the mouth. We end up overwhelmed by our circumstances and unable to see how God can change things. Because I'm not particularly extraordinary, I'm just an average Christian; I have to realize that the same thing applies to me that applies to everyone else. I have to allow God to change me. I need to ask Him to open my eyes so that I can see beyond what's happening to me and finally see what's possible with God. I must let Him put my faith to the test so that He can remove my doubts. And even though that will be hard, the reward is that I will finally begin to truly have faith in God. About the Author Get two chapters from Rob Marshall's book, "Taking On Goliath - How To Unleash The David In All Of Us" when you sign up for his free weekly Faith-Full Life Newsletter. Visit: http://www.takingongoliath.com/
Christians in America - An Unbelieving Generation?
In a lot of ways I'm pretty average. I may be a bit taller than some, and probably weigh more than I should, but there isn't really anything extraordinary about me. So when I read the stories in the Bible, and think about how the majority of the people who were there reacted, I assume that I would have done what everyone else was doing. One example is the story in Mark 9:14-29 about a father who brought his demon-possessed son to be healed. When the father came to the disciples, Jesus wasn't there. He was with Peter, James, and John and they were on their way back from the mountain where they had seen Jesus transfigured before their eyes. As they approached the other disciples they noticed that a large crowd had gathered, and that the teachers of the law were arguing with them. When Jesus asked what they were arguing about, the man whose son was demon-possessed came and explained to Him how his son was being tormented by the spirit, and that he had asked the disciples to cast it out, but they hadn't been able to. It's at this point that Jesus says, "O unbelieving generation, how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me." (Mark 9:19) Like I said, I'm pretty average. If I had been one of the disciples it's a good bet that I would have been in the middle of the crowd, arguing with the teachers, and trying to figure out why I hadn't been able to cast them demon out. And it's not like casting out demons was a foreign concept to them. When we look at Mark chapter 6 we see that Jesus sent them out, two by two, and gave them authority over demons. This was actually something that they had done before. But when I look at my life, I realize that even though there are things that I've done before, it doesn't mean that it will be easy for me to do it again. All I have to do is look at how I spent the last few days, or weeks, in my life and realize that Jesus could very well look at me and say, "O unbelieving Rob, how long will I have to stay with you? How long will I have to keep reminding you of all that I've already taught you?" I don't know about you, but when I'm faced with a new problem, or just an ongoing old one, I tend to forget all that God has already done for me. When struggling with financial issues I usually get discouraged and depressed. I focus too much on the problem, or what I don't have, and I forget that all things are possible with God. One of the scriptures that I battle with the most is in Matthew 6:28-34, especially verse 33 which says, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." I find myself worrying about what I'll eat, or wear, or how I'll pay my mortgage this month. In other words, I worry about "all these things." This verse isn't hard for us because God is asking to do something that is impossible. We have difficulties with it because it's so unnatural. If we look around us we can see dozens, hundreds, maybe even millions of examples of people who worry about how they are going survive, let alone doing any better than that. The fact that we worry about it is normal in the sense that it's something everyone does. But I wonder if Jesus would look at us, those of us in America and other countries where the Word of God is readily available, and just shake His head in frustration. Would He look at us and say, "O unbelieving generation, when are you going to finally understand? When are you finally going to believe?" We are surrounded with God's word, it's being preached in our pulpits, over the airwaves, and at us in our daily email devotionals, but do we believe it? In all fairness it is a frightening thing, the prospect of really believing God's word, or really trusting Him. And it's not about us having to do anything that is really crazy, or risky, but just trusting Him with our daily battles. It's sad to think that Christians in America are just as likely to get divorced, struggle just as much as everyone else financially, and are just as unhappy with their lives as people who don't believe in God at all. But I know that taking a step to trust God, to begin to pray with the expectation that He will answer and do amazing things in our lives, won't be easy. Too often we end up like the disciples who watched helplessly as a demon-possessed boy fell to the ground and foamed at the mouth. We end up overwhelmed by our circumstances and unable to see how God can change things. Because I'm not particularly extraordinary, I'm just an average Christian; I have to realize that the same thing applies to me that applies to everyone else. I have to allow God to change me. I need to ask Him to open my eyes so that I can see beyond what's happening to me and finally see what's possible with God. I must let Him put my faith to the test so that He can remove my doubts. And even though that will be hard, the reward is that I will finally begin to truly have faith in God. About the Author Get two chapters from Rob Marshall's book, "Taking On Goliath - How To Unleash The David In All Of Us" when you sign up for his free weekly Faith-Full Life Newsletter. Visit: http://www.takingongoliath.com/
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