God’s Awesome Creation

“The earth is the Lord’s,

and everything in it.

    The world and all its people belong to him.”

Psalm 24:1

Do you ever stop, look around, and say to yourself, “Wow! God created this for me.”

My husband and I had the privilege of taking our kids on a trip this past weekend to visit some family in Texas. While we were there we went to Lake Mineral Wells State Park.  If you have never been, I would highly recommend that you go. It is a beautiful park with hiking trails, a place to swim, and camping sites. There are even bike trails, trails for riding horses, and sections made for rock climbing and rappelling.

When we first entered the park, I was awestruck by the beauty of it. I was instantly reminded of the mighty God we serve.

Many people want to call it mother nature, others call it evolution; I call it the mighty work of God my creator.

When you look at the trees and the rocks, standing tall and mighty, remember that God spoke each of them into existence. It was not coincidence, it was not the result of a big bang. What was once a dark, empty void, was instantly transformed by one word from our Heavenly Father.

In the Scripture it says, “The Earth is God’s.” It belongs to Him. I afraid that we have somehow forgotten that. The country in which we live wants to believe that it belongs to no one. We as a people want to believe that we can run ourselves, that we can take care of ourselves, that we are self-sufficient. When you visit a place such as this, it should not take you long to realize, that is simply not true. Could we create something so vast and beautiful alone? The answer is simply, No.

Only someone as powerful as the mighty God we serve could create something such as this. Only He could speak, and make mountains move. Only God himself could form the waters in the lakes and seas. Only He could start with nothing, and in an instant create the world in which we live.

I pray as you look at these pictures today, that you will take the time to think about who created all of this. Remember who is responsible for our very existence. And then take a moment to thank Him.

Let us remember why, in the beginning, God even created a place such as this. It is because of His love for us, His children.

May we never take for granted the awesome power of the God we serve.

May we never forget that without Him we are nothing.

May we always be thankful and grateful for the very air that we breathe every day.

May we always remember to give God all the honor and all the glory forever and ever.

 This picture was taken down in the bottom of the canyon. There were people rock climbing

in places like this in other parts of the park.

The tree you see just to the right of the picture has roots that are growing out of the ground.

 

 In this picture, the cliff is hanging over the canyon floor.

A very awe-inspiring image indeed.

 This is one of my favorite pictures. I was amazed when I saw this tree.

It’s roots are actually growing out of the ground, yet it is standing tall.

I am sure there has to be a lesson in this picture 🙂

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Motivational Monday: A Lesson in the Weeds

My children and I spent a couple of days last week working for a man from our church. Here in the south we have a plant that we call a goat weed. For those of you who are not familiar with them, here is what they look like:

I had never even heard of these nasty little weeds until last year. We were asked to come and help pull them up so they did not overtake the pasture.

In the field in which we worked, there were hundreds of these weeds. Some are just inches tall, and some can even grow to be two to three feet tall. We picked a few last year that were as tall as our little girl at four years old, and covered an area big enough in which you could hide an ATV.

 My children were offered the summer job again this year. They knew how difficult it would be, but they were excited to make some extra money and I was glad to see them wanting to get out and work.

As we worked, we discussed the verses in the Bible that teach about working with your own hands, (1 Thessalonians 4:11) and the verse that says if you do not work you should not eat. (2 Thessalonians 3:10), but as I thought about these little weeds, and how they start out so small and seemingly harmless and then grow into a weed so big you almost can not pull it out of  the ground, I thought about sin.

I used the goat weed as a teaching tool for my children this morning. As I sat down to write about our experience working in the field, God placed this on my heart:

 “These weeds that we are picking from this field are a perfect example of sin in our lives; our hearts are like these fields.”

As Christians, our hearts are like these open fields: clean, healthy, and ready for God to use and work in.

If we are not careful to follow God’s word and we allow sin to come in and dwell in our hearts, we will begin to see things grow in our lives that are dangerous and unhealthy to us. Sure, they may seem harmless at the time, just as these little weeds do to the field, but if not removed(forgiven), they will grow and they will multiply.

So many times, what has started out as a seemingly harmless little sin in our lives has grown and oftentimes develops into more sin, until one day we realize that what was once a beautiful, clean heart, is now overrun by weeds (sin).

We need to allow God to come in and clean up our fields (our hearts), to remove all the weeds (the sin), and to create a healthy place for His love to grow.

Just as a farmer can not allow even one of these weeds to grow in his field, we as Christians can not allow any sin to take root in our lives. If we do, we will soon begin to see them spring up everywhere and they will begin to grow and take over.

Let us be aware of what is growing in our hearts. The choice is ours to make.

Will you have a heart of weeds, or will you allow God to come in and clean you up, pull up all the weeds, and then plant his flowers of love in your heart?

I pray today that this will encourage your heart.

I believe that God gives us great examples every day of His love and also of the dangers of sin. I pray that we will have open ears and open hearts to receive what He has for us.

God  bless you today!

Part 2: The Freedom of Forgiveness

” If the Son therefore shall make you free,

ye shall be free indeed.”

John 8:36

Friday we discussed the Seriousness of Sin, and how it affects our lives. Today I want us to look at the flip side of that coin: The Freedom of Forgiveness.

Freedom: It is such a big issue these days. It seems everywhere you turn people are talking about it. They want freedom of speech, freedom of religion. Some women are seeking freedom to control their own bodies and their decisions. Others are fighting for the freedom to choose who they want to marry.

The freedom I want to talk about today does not have to be fought for. You do not have to earn it, you do not have to work for it, you do not have to protest in order to be heard.  It has already been fought for and it is free for the taking. All you have to do is receive it. It is a gift.

I am talking about the gift of salvation, the gift of forgiveness.

Forgiveness is free, and it will bring you freedom like you have never known.

Friday we talked about the three things that sin causes in our lives: Sin saturates, separates, and it destroys.

Today I want us to look at forgiveness and what it brings. I want you to notice how different the two are.

First, Forgiveness cleanses and heals.

It heals the hurt that sin has caused. It cures that cancer-like sickness that threatens to destroy our very being. Forgiveness is like a salve that soothes a broken heart. 1 John 1:9 tells us, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Have you ever gotten hurt? Maybe as a child you fell and scraped your knee, maybe you have burned your hand on the stove, or you have cut yourself working outside. How good does it feel when you dress that wound? You may put a Band-Aid on it, or you may have some sort of ointment that you can apply. How soothing is that?

Forgiveness is just like that. When we accept Jesus into our hearts, we let Him come in and clean us up. He dresses those wounds that sin has caused, and He begins to heal our brokenness.

Second, Forgiveness brings fellowship.

Jesus tells us in Revelation 3:20, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” You see, friend, where sin separates and causes loneliness, forgiveness brings fellowship.

Jesus wants a relationship with you. We just read that He stands at our heart’s door and knocks. He waits for us to open the door of our hearts to Him. When we do, then Jesus will come in and fellowship with us. He will abide in our hearts, and then we no longer have to feel that separation that sin brings. We have someone with us all the time, communing with us, caring about us. “What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear. what a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer.”

Third, Forgiveness brings freedom.

As sinners, we have no hope, nothing to which we can look forward. We are bound, trapped by our sin. But, oh the freedom we receive when we allow Jesus to come in and break those bonds of sin! Forgiveness sets us free.

When we accept Jesus into our hearts, He gives us new life, and the promise of a home in Heaven with Him some day. We do not have to let the things of this world get us down. We read in John 16:33, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

In a world where freedom is being begged for, sought after, and fought for, we know where to find it. Freedom can only come through salvation. When we accept Jesus into our lives, we receive freedom from sin, and then as we grow in Christ, everything else will begin to make sense.

Our World needs freedom, but not the kind of freedom for which we are fighting. We need freedom from Sin. We need the kind of freedom that can only come from the shed blood of Jesus Christ. It has already been paid for. This freedom is offered to each of us today. All we have to do is receive it.

What about you, friend? Will you accept this freedom that is being offered today?

Will you allow sin to saturate your life, or will you let forgiveness cleanse you? Will you let Jesus heal your sickness, your brokenness?

Are you going to allow sin to cause separation, or will you accept the fellowship that only forgiveness can bring? Salvation is the only way.

Are you going to sit back and allow sin to destroy your life, or will you allow Jesus to come in and free your soul from the destruction that will surely come outside of the forgiveness of sin?

The choice is yours. It has been laid out for you. What will you choose to do?

I pray, right now, that you have chosen forgiveness. I pray that if you do not know the freedom that forgiveness can bring, that you will accept it right where you are. Ask Jesus to cleanse your heart today, allow him to come in and fellowship with you, and experience the freedom of salvation.

 If you have made a decision for Christ, I would like to hear about it. You can leave a comment here for everyone to read or you can contact me by e-mail.

If you have read this today, but have not made a decision for Christ, I want to encourage you not to wait. You never know when it might be too late. We are not promised tomorrow, today, or even our next breath. If you have questions you would like to ask, feel free to contact me or leave your questions here. I will be happy to answer them the best I can.

God bless you.

Part 1: The Seriousness of Sin

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

Romans 3:23

How serious is sin?

The Bible tells us in Romans 6:23a

“For the wages of sin is death.”

I would say that is pretty serious. Would you agree?

Why then do we treat sin as if it is harmless?

And why do we categorize sin as if one is worse than the others?

This verse tells us that the wages of SIN is death. It does not say that the wages of  some sin is death.

I fear today that we as a people have forgotten the seriousness of sin, and what it does to our lives.

Sin causes a lot of trouble in our lives.

First, Sin saturates.

Sin is not just something that we do. We sometimes look at sin and think to ourselves, “I’m not hurting anyone,” but is that true? Can we really harmlessly sin? I do not believe that we can. I believe that unforgiven sin is like a disease, like cancer; it may start out as something small and harmless, but left untreated it grows, it saturates into every part of us.

Second, sin separates.

Sin is one of those things that looks fun at the time, but as it progresses we find ourselves separated and alone.

Do you remember when Jesus was on the cross? Do you know why he was in so much anguish? Yes, it was from physical pain, but I believe that it was also because of the separation he felt from His Heavenly Father. You see, when Jesus took on the sins of the world (those would be my sins and your sins)  they caused separation between Jesus and His father. We read in Matthew 27:46: ” And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”  God is a  Holy God, he can not dwell where sin abides. When we sin we not only separate ourselves from those we love, but more importantly we separate ourselves from God.

Finally, sin destroys.

We read in Romans 6:23a: “For the wages of sin is death.” That does not leave much room for discussion. In God’s word, He is very clear about sin and what it brings. So many times in life we see this play out. Someone decides to dabble in sin and before they know it their life has been turned upside down. How many times has one drink turned into a life of drunkenness and broken families, one pill turned into hundreds of dollars wasted on drugs that do not satisfy any longer, or one dirty picture turned into a downward spiral of pornography addiction and broken relationships?

God has not given us His word to bind us, to control us, or to keep us from having fun. God has given us His word so that we can be safe, so that we can live, and so that we can be free. The second part of Romans 6:23 tells us, “but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Praise God that He did not just leave us in our sin. He loved us so much that He gave His only Son to come to this earth and to die for you and for me.

I know this post today has not been the normal encouraging, uplifting, motivating words that you normally find here, but I believe that it is what God has placed on my heart to share today. I pray that you will take what you have read today and think about it. Sin is  not something that we should take lightly. It is serious business.

Along with the title for today’s entry I feel that God has also given me a second part. Monday we will discuss: The freedom of Forgiveness. Thank God that he did not just leave us where we were, but He looked ahead in time and saw where we were going, and He has made a way.

God bless you today. I look forward to discussing this further on Monday.

God is Good

“Oh, how abundant is your goodness,

which you have stored up for those who fear you

and worked for those who take refuge in you,

in the sight of the children of mankind!”

Psalm 31:19

Is not God good?

Today, instead of offering some advice on a  particular subject or telling you a story about our lives, I just want to focus on God. I want us to take a few minutes today and really think about how blessed we are and how good God has been to us over the years.
I am sure, if we were all sitting in a room together, coffee in hand (of course) and I asked you to share with me a time when God had blessed you, that you would not have to think very long before you could begin to share with me. Those are the times I want us to focus on today.

I know that life gets hard sometimes. I know that we all face our own trials from day to day. In John 16:33 Jesus warns  His disciples about this. He tells them:

“These things I have spoken unto you,

that in me ye might have peace.

In the world ye shall have tribulation:

but be of good cheer;

I have overcome the world.”

The same goes for us today. We are going to have tribulation, but we can still have joy. We know that God is good. He did not leave us to struggle; He sent to us the Holy Spirit. God is Good.

When we were younger we attended a youth camp here in our home town. Our song director would stand before us in the mornings and before we would start to sing,  he would say to us, “God is Good all the time.” In response we would say, “All the time God is good.”

That phrase has stuck with me all these years. When I woke up this morning, the first thought that crossed my mind was just how good God is to His children.

Let us think about some of the ways that God is good. I know that we will not have time to cover them all, but let us look at just a few together.

1. God is good; He saved us from our sins. John 3:16  tells us:

 “For God so loved the world,

that he gave his only begotten Son,

that whosoever believeth in him should not perish,

but have everlasting life.”

If this were the only thing we could say about God’s goodness it would be enough. Let us just reflect on this for a moment. God loved us so much, that He sent His only Son to die on a cross for our sins, so that we would not perish, but so that we could live forever with Him.  No matter what happens to us in this life, this is a promise that we can cling to forever.

2. God is good; He supplies our needs. Philippians 4:19 reads:

 “But my God shall supply all your need

according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

This verse does not say that God will supply some of our needs, or that if we beg and plead that God might supply our needs. This verse tells us that God will supply all our needs according to his riches in glory. We do not have to worry today. God is good; He will take care of His children.

3. God is good;  He hears and answers our prayers. In 1 John 5:14-15 we read:

 “And this is the confidence that we have toward him,

that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.

And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask,

we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.”

We discussed this in Monday’s post. God does hear and answer our prayers. It may not always be in the way that we would like, or in the way that we expect. This verse tells us that we are to ask according to His will. This means that God will answer our prayers in the way that He knows is best for us. We have to trust that His way is better than our way.

4. God is good; He has promised us a home in Heaven. 2 Corinthians 5:1

” For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved,

we have a building of God,

an house not made with hands,

eternal in the heavens.”

Our homes here on this earth are temporary. Over time they are going to break down and crumble. God has promised us a home in Heaven that will last forever. Can you imagine getting to live with our Heavenly Father forever? That thought alone is enough to make us shout!

I pray that this has brought you some encouragement today. I pray that you will remember today that you are blessed beyond belief.

I hope from now on when you hear someone say, “God is good all the time,” that you will respond, “All the time, God is good.”

God bless you today, friend.

You are loved; you are blessed!