Smiling with God...

Scripture: “Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Saviour and my God.” Psalms 42:11 Observation: As of recently I have been really distressed over a situation. And what do you know the Lord comes through again. So here David is down and out. It appears as if he it a wall, come to the edge of his rope and seems he just wants to give up. But here is where God saves him. He builds up enough strength and says, “Put your hope in God.” Application: So now I stand here distressed over a situation. I stand here one year later still fretting about the past. Still holding out. But what does the bible say to do? Give up? No way. God wants us to put our hope in Him. Sound easy but really it isn’t. It is one of the hardest things to do. Not that I am a worry wart, but I do worry. I also grow impatient when I feel that God needs to move faster. But here he states to put my hope in Him. To put my future, my...

His mother (Mary) said to him (Jesus), “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” “Why were you searching for me? Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he was saying to them. Luke 2:48-50 Mary and Joseph must have been going crazy. Having one of their children missing for three days. That alone is scary. Not to mention that he was at the temple and responding the way he did. I would not understand that also. However, what is interesting here is that Mary and Joseph should have been expecting things like this. They should have been seeing this a mile away. Jesus was beginning to walk in his calling, beginning to take a chance and grow. Mary and Joseph should have been expecting this, they should have not been surprised. I often get like this, I often get like Mary and Joseph. I know where God is moving, I know what is about to come, but when it actually happens I scramble,...

Scripture: “I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe, how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things” John 3:12 Observation: Jesus here is speaking to Nicodemus trying to explain the essence of being born again. Though not surprising, Nicodemus is not catching on. Looking at Nicodemus’ situation now and after reading this, I find it rather simple. Believe in Jesus, be born again, in spirit. Now this is after the fact of the Resurrection, and about 2000 years of people writings and a lot of theological discussion this topic. To Nicodemus who is hearing this for the first time, it is kind of blowing him away. Maybe his understanding was hindered. It seems as if he was stuck on something that did not allow him to fully grasp what Jesus was explaining. Application: After reading this I wondered how much of Nicodemus is suck in me. I wonder how many times God was showing me some sort of Heavenly truth or a moment where He is working but because me b...