Smiling with God...

“But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?” Luke 12:20 At first glance after reading this little parable, you think, “What is wrong with building storage sheds for extra riches?” Really there isn’t anything wrong with that. I was always taught that this passage says for you not to be greedy, which I just accepted as truth. But after reading this specific phrase, “You fool” does this begin to make sense. According to a commentary the word fool is not referenced to some one who is of low intelligence or stupid, but it is a direct reference to someone who does not obey God. So the issue of being rich was not the issue, the issue of storing up wealth wasn’t the issue, the issue was that God gave a direct command to this individual and he did not follow it. Instead the scripture said, “He reasoned with himself.” He talked himself out of God’s will and therefore paid a hefty price for it. It’s not a matte...

When he (King Darius) had come near the den to Daniel, he cried out with a troubled voice. The king spoke and said to Daniel. “Daniel, servant of the living God, Has your God, whom you constantly serve, been able to deliver you from the lions?” Daniel 6:20 Here it is King Darius comes with great concern for Daniel because of a order he gave while listening to his other men. It is kind of weird that a pagan king had great concern for Daniel. From what I can observer I see that it isn’t impossible because of the one phrase that is in this verse: constantly serve. Daniel served God throughout his life and did not falter form left or right. He didn’t give in or give up on God. His life was a living example of what is to be a man devoted to God. Now seeing his life I am inspired to want to be like Daniel. However in reality I know that it is difficult for me to do things like this. But the difference between Daniel and others, he followed through. He followed through in the difficul...

“Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.” Lamentation 3:40 The focus on this verse makes sense. Here the writer is making a case for the people to examine their ways. Look at their problems. Look at what they have done. And after they realize what they have done. The call is to return to the Lord. You need to take a careful analysts of yourself and see what is going on with your life and see what areas you need to give over to God. This is easy to say but difficult to do. So how does this apply to me. Today’s verse beacons me to examine all the areas of my life. I know that I am not perfect. But what God desires is for us to grow closer and closer to Him. In many ways I need to be able to draw closer and closer to God. It seems to be able to see how I am doing is that I need to take this verse to heart. Examine my ways, which requires me to take an inventory of my life and see what areas are God’s and what areas are mine or areas I am not sure o...

When Jeremiah finished telling the poeple all the worlds of the Lord their God- everything the Lord had sat him to tell them- Azariah son of Hosiahiah.... and all the arrogant men said to Jeremiah “You are lying! The Lord our God has not sent you to say ‘You must not go to Egypt to settle!’” Jeremiah 43:1-2 Here we go again. This book of Jeremiah, full of examples of what NOT to do as a believer of God. Here Azariah out right rejects God and chooses to take the people the other way. No one here listens to what God is trying to explain to the believers. The crazy thing is that they begged Jeremiah before to pray to God and get an answer on what to do. Now, they get their answer and they do on to listen. Talk about being not obedient. This is a flat out rejection of the truth. But here Azariah fully believed that Jeremiah did not tell the truth. For whatever the reason, it stands here that Azariah was deceived to think that what he was doing was the right thing, though we know t...

“Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring-those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.” Revelation 12:17 Wow, the devil is raging a war against us. Kind of a crazy though. But, it’s not like I didn’t know this. After studying the bible and hearing enough sermons you know that the devil hates us, with a passion. But for some reason or another it just doesn’t sink in. The enemy is very real, but he does such a great job hiding to make us guess if he really is real. Good strategy. Fade into the background and pounce on your prey when you least expect it. Sort of cowardly if you ask me, but really I guess the devil has no choice. So knowing all this how does this verse apply to me? If someone hates us Christians that much you know that each and every one of us that are believers in Christ will be attacked in some way, shape, or form. The enemy will come after us with great intensity and shoot to kil...

“But after three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them and the stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them.” Revelation 11:11 What can be said about this, evil thought they had won, evil thought that the had defeated the living God, evil thought that salvation was done. But God’s ministry was not complete. He it was not over. God brought it back much more bigger and better then when they died. God brought the ministry back stronger then ever. Kind of a crazy thought but it seems like when God breathes new life back into something, it takes on a life all it’s own. God reinvigorates it and makes it stronger then ever. So what does this mean for me? I know in many areas I feel as if it is dead. I feel as if a relationship is dead, a situation is dead, or dream is dead. It could be my love for a particular individual, or a particular passion. But because of the hardness of life it had died. The dream is nothing but a thought, the bridges of certain...

“Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!” Ezekiel 18:31-32 The great mercy of God is shown here, that if the Israelite just turn and repent, then He will forgive and heal. But what do the Israelites do, they go in the opposite direction. Crazy talk, but hey that’s the way things go huh. God beacons us back to Him but what do we do? We run away. Though there are many verses in the Bible that shows us the wonderful mercy of God and how He gives us chance after chance. Which is a great thing but all the more, why do we not turn? You know after reading this day after day, I began to think: What is going on here? Why are they not turning back to God? I begin to realize that humans are humans. I am one so I know, that though it is the had knowledge is that you must turn back, it is the heart that is wh...