Deuteronomy 6:3 (KJV)
3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey.
Dr. Booker T. Washington once said, “Success is not determined by the position that one achieves in life, but by the obstacles that one overcomes.” I thought it was very interesting a man who was a former slave made that statement. The quote suggests to me that he did not allow the things that were going on during the time he lived discourage him from reaching his potential. He experienced oppression, the lack of opportunity, and many obstacles. Although he was physically enslaved, he did not allow the chains to enslave him mentally. The times in which we live are similar to the times in which Booker T. Washington lived. We do not have chains on us physically, but if you look at our country and its economy there is a lack of opportunity. I have heard and read countless stories of people losing hope and giving up.
What challenge are you facing today? . . . Has your situation caused you to questioning your future? . . . I want to encourage you my friends because there is always hope.
In our text, the nation of Israel is in transition. They are in route to Canaan. Canaan represents spiritual prosperity. God had to take Israel through a purging process that included cycles of barrenness in the wilderness. Often times God has to dry out our flesh to teach us to trust him. All along the path to Canaan, God was teaching Israel to trust him. Often times in life we allow our flesh to govern our decision making. When our flesh dictates our decisions, we make decisions based on how we feel. We have to learn to die to our flesh and operate by faith in order to reach our full potential.
Many times we have aspirations, but we do not want to experience the agony it takes to attain what God has for us. The text indicates to us we have to allow God to lead us through the word of God. The word of God should be the standard for our life and we should only live to please God. I challenge you today to operate by faith and not by what you can see. God has something special for you if you let him lead you to your Canaan.
God bless and keep you is my prayer.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Seize the Moment!
Ecclesiastes 9:10 (KJV)
10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.
In James 4:14 a very critical question is asked about life. The writer asked the question what is life. Then he answers the question in the same scripture by saying it is as a vapor that vanishes away. The scripture seems to suggest that we need to move with a since of urgency when it comes to purpose. God has given everyone of us time to fulfill his purpose for our life. Have you ever thought about what your legacy will be when you die? Whose life will be impacted in a positive way because you lived? What will people say about the life you lived? Will your life matter after you are gone off the scene? Will anyone remember you?
The author of our text mentioned above is Solomon. The bible labels him as the wisest and wealthiest man to ever live. He is at the end of his life and he is trying to find meaning in life because he was involved in a bunch of vain and empty things. I think we need to pay close attention to Solomon because I think he was on to something. One of the themes in the book of Ecclesiastes is vanity. Is your life full of empty things that do not have spiritual significance attached to it? Solomon admonishes us to grab hold of God’s purpose for our life and put our all into it. Do you put your all into the purpose God has for your life? Don’t allow distractions, discouragement, or debacles inhibit you from doing your best for God.
Understand we all have a certain amount of time to be productive. Do your best while you have the opportunity. I like the saying “don’t put off what you can do today for tomorrow.” The reality of life is none of us know what the future holds. We can be gone in the next second or we can be inflicted with a debilitating disease that prevents us from performing or functioning at our best for God. As John 9:4 says, I must work the works of him that hath sent me, for when night comes no man can work. John puts life into perspective and we all need to ask ourselves if we will be prepared when night comes. Remember, all of our talents and gifts are loaned to us by God. One day we will have to stand before God and answer for how we managed what he loaned to us.
God bless and keep you is my prayers.
10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.
In James 4:14 a very critical question is asked about life. The writer asked the question what is life. Then he answers the question in the same scripture by saying it is as a vapor that vanishes away. The scripture seems to suggest that we need to move with a since of urgency when it comes to purpose. God has given everyone of us time to fulfill his purpose for our life. Have you ever thought about what your legacy will be when you die? Whose life will be impacted in a positive way because you lived? What will people say about the life you lived? Will your life matter after you are gone off the scene? Will anyone remember you?
The author of our text mentioned above is Solomon. The bible labels him as the wisest and wealthiest man to ever live. He is at the end of his life and he is trying to find meaning in life because he was involved in a bunch of vain and empty things. I think we need to pay close attention to Solomon because I think he was on to something. One of the themes in the book of Ecclesiastes is vanity. Is your life full of empty things that do not have spiritual significance attached to it? Solomon admonishes us to grab hold of God’s purpose for our life and put our all into it. Do you put your all into the purpose God has for your life? Don’t allow distractions, discouragement, or debacles inhibit you from doing your best for God.
Understand we all have a certain amount of time to be productive. Do your best while you have the opportunity. I like the saying “don’t put off what you can do today for tomorrow.” The reality of life is none of us know what the future holds. We can be gone in the next second or we can be inflicted with a debilitating disease that prevents us from performing or functioning at our best for God. As John 9:4 says, I must work the works of him that hath sent me, for when night comes no man can work. John puts life into perspective and we all need to ask ourselves if we will be prepared when night comes. Remember, all of our talents and gifts are loaned to us by God. One day we will have to stand before God and answer for how we managed what he loaned to us.
God bless and keep you is my prayers.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
A Lesson About Life’s Unexpected Turns.
Mark 4:35-40 (KJV)
35 And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.
36 And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.
37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.
38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?
39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?
I am a former athlete and I have learned many lessons about life from athletics. There was a phrase we used on the sideline in football to get everyone’s attention. Whenever there was a drastic change the phrase “sudden change”. It let everyone know there was a change in the course of the game. Have you ever had a sudden change in your life? Has life ever caught you off guard? Have you ever received a phone call that changed the course of your life? You are still trying to get back on track, but you cannot seem to get on track.
Have you ever received an unfavorable diagnosis from the doctor that made you want to give up? The diagnosis made you feel like your life was over. How do you adjust to a curve ball life throws at you? How do you go forward and not really know how the situation will turn out?
In our lesson Jesus has just finished performing miracles. He tells his disciples to get into a boat with him and go to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. While they were in a ship they encountered an unexpected storm. It is interesting to me how being obedient to Christ can create a storm in our life. This lesson reminds me none of us are exempt from storms in our life.
As disciples, we have to encounter problems so we can grow. It does not matter how close we are to God, we have to go through different situations. The sobering reality of the storm is Jesus was with them. In the midst of your storm, understand if you followed the command of Christ he is with you. The problem is how the disciples allowed the elements of the storm startle them. Do not allow the wind and waves of life to make you afraid. As long as Jesus is with you do not be afraid. Jesus teaches us how to handle a storm. He went to sleep in the midst of the storm because he knew who was in control of the storm. When we encounter storms, we should be able to rest because Jesus is with us and he is in control of the situation. We have to understand he has the power to turn the situation around. All we have to do is trust him. How much do you trust God? Are you willing to get out of his way so he can work out your situation?
God bless and keep you is my prayer.
35 And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.
36 And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.
37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.
38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?
39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?
I am a former athlete and I have learned many lessons about life from athletics. There was a phrase we used on the sideline in football to get everyone’s attention. Whenever there was a drastic change the phrase “sudden change”. It let everyone know there was a change in the course of the game. Have you ever had a sudden change in your life? Has life ever caught you off guard? Have you ever received a phone call that changed the course of your life? You are still trying to get back on track, but you cannot seem to get on track.
Have you ever received an unfavorable diagnosis from the doctor that made you want to give up? The diagnosis made you feel like your life was over. How do you adjust to a curve ball life throws at you? How do you go forward and not really know how the situation will turn out?
In our lesson Jesus has just finished performing miracles. He tells his disciples to get into a boat with him and go to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. While they were in a ship they encountered an unexpected storm. It is interesting to me how being obedient to Christ can create a storm in our life. This lesson reminds me none of us are exempt from storms in our life.
As disciples, we have to encounter problems so we can grow. It does not matter how close we are to God, we have to go through different situations. The sobering reality of the storm is Jesus was with them. In the midst of your storm, understand if you followed the command of Christ he is with you. The problem is how the disciples allowed the elements of the storm startle them. Do not allow the wind and waves of life to make you afraid. As long as Jesus is with you do not be afraid. Jesus teaches us how to handle a storm. He went to sleep in the midst of the storm because he knew who was in control of the storm. When we encounter storms, we should be able to rest because Jesus is with us and he is in control of the situation. We have to understand he has the power to turn the situation around. All we have to do is trust him. How much do you trust God? Are you willing to get out of his way so he can work out your situation?
God bless and keep you is my prayer.
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