Smiling with God...

“Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said ot him...” Romans 4:18 The story of Abraham is somewhat amazing. If you think about it, he was old, his wife was old, yet he was promised to have offspring that would be more numerous then the stars, but at that time he didn’t even have a kid yet. Yet God miraculously provided. He gave him what was promised. That must have taken a lot of faith. Trusting in God for that long of a time, to hold on to a promise that was given for that long, that is faith. Now Abraham could have given up anytime and no one would have blamed him. It was after all, for all arguments sake, impossible to father a child at his wife’s age. And it’s not like he wasn’t trying. They were probably trying to conceive a child for maybe three decades but were not successful. That’s a long time to hold out in faith. That is a long time to pass and during that time he must have gone through some sort o...

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.... In the same way let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” This command from the Sermon on the Mount is one of those that cannot be ignored. Well, none of them should be ignored, but this one in particular grabs me. Jesus says it let your light shine before men. Let it shine, show it off, be bright. So that they may see your good deeds and praise God. See your good deeds. The implication is that you not only got to say your are a Christian, but also you got to really live it. You got to really dig deep and follow God with all your heart and also at the same time you go to follow through with action. Sometimes I think that I am around Christians way too much. Way too much. I long for the times where I can hang out with non Christians and just hear life with them. Also I would love to be closer to the action of the non Christian. There is where you...

“Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” -Jesus (Matt. 5:19) Jesus when he calls you it is very bold and very direct. When he gives a command there is power, authority, and influence behind Him. Well, he is God of course, but what does this mean, for him to be so bold and connected that people just follow. I love this verse, it just beckons you to listen, and stirs a fire within you. Or if you have been following for quite some time this should reignite the fire that so burns within. The call to be a fisher of men. What an amazing call. Every time I read this verse it just makes me stop and reexamine my call to be a fisher of men. What have I been doing to be an influence to the kingdom of God? How have I been a fisher of men? Often times I get caught up in too much of me, and I don’t closely listen to the Father’s call. Being a fisher of men, entails so much. To be the light in the midst of darkness, to bring hope to the hopeless, to be an ambassador of justi...

“I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted.” Job 42:2 After chapters of complaining and probably things not going well, God has now spoken. Job did exactly what any human would do, sit still and and be in awe and wonder. God is powerful above all things. He can do a things that we cannot fathom, he will complete things and bring them full circle. God is the beginning and the end. I love this verse, it just makes you sit and reflect upon God. It make so you sit and just say wow. No plan of his can be thwarted. No plans of his can be changed, revised, or stopped. When God sets it in motion, it’s good as done. I know it’s hard for me to fully comprehend this. Especially when I’m in the middle of a problem. Like now. I thought God wanted me to do something, but it has been so far very difficult. Daily I am faced with obstacles and filled with a little doubt about the direction I am on. Or one area of my life suffers because of decisions I felt the ...

“I cry out to you, O God, but you do not answer, I stand up, but you merely look at me.” Job 30:20 Though this is heartbreaking, this is a very true reality. Job here is cracking under the pressure, cracking under the pain, cracking as the weight of God presses into him. Job here is begging for an answer, but nothing is coming together. He is under great distress, but he feels he is God is gone. But that is power of pain, it begins to mess with your mind, you doubt, you feel as if nothing is going together. And when relief does not come, you feel ignored, left out, and sometimes forgotten. Pain can do two things; build you up or break you down. Here after 30 chapters Job is beginning to break down. I love to read Job, though sometimes its long, Job has so much for us to learn. I can dig deep and see that Job is very much like me. An everyday Christian trying to live a life pleasing to our Saviour, but getting hammered by the winds and rains of life. When the storm is too gre...