What Do You Need?

 

Use Your Light!

 When it's night time, do you turn on the light? When you get up early in the morning and it's still dark, do you stumble around thinking, 'I'm so busy today, I don't have time to turn on the light??' When you go for a walk in the dark, do you take a torch? Or do you think it's not necessary? How silly would it be to have a torch and electricity and yet not use it? Or only use them once a week on Sundays? Or only on days that aren't so busy? 

We do ourselves a favor when we use light! Right? When we use light, we can see what we're doing. We can see the dirt that needs cleaning. We can see the dangers that we wouldn't see if it's dark. We save ourselves a lot of time, simply by using light!

The Bible says,
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105

God's Word, the Bible, is a light. We live in a dark sinful world with many dangers. Do you use the light that God has given to you? Or do you think, 'I don't have time. I'm so busy today. I don't need it.' God's light will save you time that might have been wasted otherwise. God's Word will help you see the dangers and the sin that needs cleansing. 

The Bible must not only be read. It must be used! It must be applied to our life. The Bible has wisdom for every aspect of life. We do ourselves a great favor, when we make it a priority to turn on and use God's light.

He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul:... Proverbs 19:8

Commit thy works

"Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established." Proverbs 16:3

To commit your works to the Lord literally means to roll them to God as if you were carrying a burden too heavy for you to carry. You don't have to carry around the weight of your burdens. God wants to carry them for you.
To roll means to let go. You can't roll a ball to someone and still hang on to it. To roll means to give the control to someone else.
Your decisions, worries about tomorrow, problems, challenges, time, etc.---give them all to God and let him carry the burden. Give control of your life to God. He has far more wisdom than you. Then you can trust Him to work things out in whatever way is best.
It's not always easy to give things to God. We want to be in control. But, oh the peace and freedom that comes afterwards!
Isn't it great that we have a God who wants to carry our burdens for us? The heavy ones and the tiny ones!

A Challenge for 2016

This simple verse could make a huge difference to your life this year if you apply it! I challenge you to make it your motto and see what God does in your life.

In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:6

 

In all thy ways

In all the decisions you make, big or small. Relationships, Jobs, Career, Choices, Time,etc.

 

Acknowledge him

This means, Ask God for wisdom. Before you do something, stop and ask God for advice. That takes humility! You have to admit that you don't know everything and you need help.

 

And he shall direct thy paths.

God will show you the right thing to do.  It's a promise! If you humbly ask God for help, he'll show you what to do. You won't hear a voice, but God will show you somehow. Maybe through the Bible, maybe through a sermon at church, maybe through a friend or your parents or maybe just through an idea. But you must be willing to accept the answer God gives. It might not be what you want or are expecting and you might have to wait awhile until God does answer. I can promise you from experience, God will answer.

 

I was reminded of this verse last night, so I put it into practice. I had some spare time after the children were in bed and I wasn't sure what to do. At the moment I am trying to catch up on scrapbooking photos. I am a few years behind! So I was thinking of doing that. But I also thought that maybe I should use the time to do some Bible study, since that is really more important. So I stopped and asked God how I should use my time. God answered through an idea. Why not do both? I realized I could listen to a sermon on what I was studying and scrapbook while I listened. I got my scrapbook finished and I learned a few new lessons from Mary and Martha!

This verse applies to relationships. Think of how many bad relationships could be avoided if girls would just stop and ask God for wisdom first. When my husband came along, I didn't like him and he didn't fit into my plans at all. But I took the advice in this verse and asked God to show me what His will was. It turned out he was the right one! God knew better than me. I'm not sure what would have happened if I hadn't prayed about it. Ask God to bring the right person along at the right time and trust Him to do it. Before starting a relationship, pray. God knows who the right person for you is. God knows what each guy is really like and what his intentions are. This simple advice could save you a broken heart!

This verse really applies to everything. But it only works if you apply it!

 

Seek Wisdom

You don't have to Learn the Hard Way!

Are you on Track?

I once read a story in my local newspaper of a mother and teen daughter who got themselves into a very awkward situation. They were hiking at a place called the Pinnacles and decided to go off track to explore. They made it about 60 metres before they got trapped on a rocky ledge above a sheer cliff. The Rescue helicopter had to come and rescue them.

The newspaper article was called “Detour off track sheer stupidity.”

Somebody who saw what happened told the newspaper, “It's beyond me that anyone could be so stupid and get themselves in that position.”

Somebody else said, “I think it was one of those things that seemed like a good idea at the time.”

Getting off track got them into a lot of trouble, and they could have gotten really hurt.

Walking tracks are built for a reason. But you have to choose to stick to them.

I was listening to a preacher preach a sermon on how people are like sheep. Sheep also like to wander off track. A few times during the sermon he asked, “What are sheep?” The audience answered, “Sheep are dumb.” Then the preacher asked again, “What are we?” The audience answered, “Sheep!” “What are sheep??!!” “Sheep are dumb!”

The Bible says

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:6

God is not talking about going off track on a walking path here, but about going our own way in life--doing what we think is right. Doing things our own way. Wanting to live “our own life.”

I was having a discussion with a guy from Israel once. His name was Judas!:) He said he believed in God, but he wanted to do it his own way. At breakfast time the next morning (This guy was having breakfast with us), Dad was reading the Bible and he must have read Isaiah 53 because I pricked up my ears when I heard, we have turned every one to his own way. I really hoped Judas was listening! Because his own way will not get him to Heaven.

When we live life in touch with God, asking him for direction and obeying His Word, we are on track. When we start to neglect our Bibles, forget to pray or deliberately do what we know is wrong we are like the woman and her daughter who went off the walking track. We are 'exploring' on dangerous ground and we'll end up in trouble sooner or later. Thankfully there is a “Rescue.” Psalms 50:15 says “And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.”

Although going our own way is 'sheer stupidity' and we get ourselves into unnecessary trouble, God is amazingly kind to help us when we call to Him. That is, if we do it before death. Once our time is up, it is... too late.

Where are you right now?

Are you on track?

Have you come to God His way, through Jesus Christ?

Are you listening to God and living life His way?

Or are you off track?

Exploring sin?

Doing something that seems like a good idea right now but will bring trouble later?

Are you detouring off God's track? That's sheer stupidity!

“Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.” Proverbs 4:27

Where is the Wisdom in That?

(Lessons from the 2 Harlots)

Then said the king,'...

Bring me a sword...

Divide the living child in two, and give half to one, and half to the other. 1 Kings 3:24-25

Imagine you were there, watching to see the king's wisdom. You wonder how he is going to solve this difficult problem. Then the king speaks. You listen intently.

“Bring me a sword!”

Your heart misses a beat. A sword? What for?

“Cut the live baby in half and give half to one mother and the other half to the other mother.”
No!” You scream silently. You can't kill that poor helpless little thing. Where on earth is the wisdom of that? Have you lost your mind?

One mother cries out desperately “O your majesty, give her the live child, and please don't kill it!”

You cringe.

The other one says heartlessly, “Let it be neither yours or mine. Cut it in half.”

What?You think in shock.

Then light begins to dawn.

Looking at the desparate mother, the king commands “Give her the live baby, and definitely don't kill it: she is the real mother.”

It all makes sense now. You give a sigh of relief.

You are filled with respect for the wise king. The king knew what he was doing all along.

We don't always understand what God, our great King, is doing in our lives. It sometimes makes no sense. It's seems unfair or even crazy.

But one day the light will begin to dawn, we will see the big picture and it will all make sense. The King knows what He's doing. Just trust Him.

Wisdom for Difficult Times

 (Lessons from the Two Harlots)
Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him.
And the one woman said, O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house.
And it came to pass the third day after that I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also: and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house. 
 And this woman's child died in the night; because she overlaid it.
And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.
And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead: but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear.
And the other woman said, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spake before the king. 1Ki 3:16-22

What a predicament for Solomon! There was no proof either way with the two women. There were no husbands on the scene. Newborn babies look alike--especially to men! They must have both been boy babies. It was a very tough problem to solve. Too hard for most people. But nothing is too hard for God. And since Solomon got his wisdom from God, he was able to solve the difficult problem. God gave him the wisdom to know just what to do.
Are you facing any difficult problems at the moment? Difficult decisions---how are you supposed to know what to do? Difficult people—how do you deal with them? Difficult circumstances—how do you know how to act?
 

Before this story, God asked Solomon what he wanted. Solomon answer was, “Wisdom.” That's why Solomon knew how to solve this problem.

In James 1:5-6 God promises us, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
 But let him ask in faith...”

God promises wisdom to those who'll ask for it in faith. He can give you the wisdom to know the answers to the questions you have.

Rebekah's Choice

 

Life is full of choices. We make choices every day--either foolish or wise choices.

We choose whether to read our Bible, to pray, to obey our parents and to stay pure. We choose what we do every day and what we will do in the future.

What does the Bible say about choices? Here are some phrases I found with the word choose.

choose life

choose you this day whom ye will serve;

choose the fear of the LORD:

choose the good.

choose the things that please me
It really comes down to choosing to let God choose.
Rebekah chose to let God choose her husband. She had never even met Isaac. She didn't know what he looked like. But she knew what was most important--she knew Isaac was God's choice for her. Rebekah chose to let God choose her future. She followed Him to a new country to be a wife.

Rebekah was wise, although she may seem like a fool to some people.

It's not silly to trust God's choice, because God knows far better than us.

What will you choose? Your own choice or God's choice? Which one is safer?

You are free to choose, but you are not free from the consequence of your choice.

David's Reaction to Abigail

I'm Wrong and you're Right!

1 Samuel 25:32-33, 35 “And David said to Abigail, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me:

And blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with mine own hand.

So David received of her hand that which she had brought him, and said unto her, Go up in peace to thine house; see, I have hearkened to thy voice, and have accepted thy person.”

I like the way David responded to Abigail. I think it must have taken a lot of humility and wisdom on David's part to stop, listen and take Abigail's advice. He had to admit that he was wrong and that she was right. That's not easy to do (especially for a man to say it to a woman!). That takes humility!