Apples of Gold

Proverbs 25:11  "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver."   
I expect to pass through life but once.  If therefore, there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow being, let me do it now, and not defer or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again.--William Penn


Words are free and used properly can encourage, inspire,  motivate and most importantly, they can glorify God. 


Psalm 12:6 "The words of the LORD are pure words, Like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.

No matter where we go or what we do daily...the words we use have great potential to either build someone up or tear someone down.  Proverbs 18:21 "The tongue has the power of life and death."

The quote, "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me" is simply not true. Our words can crush a person's spirit, and they can leave people feeling hurt and hopeless.  But they can inspire, encourage and give life as well.

Proverbs 15:4  "A wholesome tongue is a tree of life."  Proverbs 16:24 "Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones."

I once heard it said that "Words are the medium with which the soul paints a picture.  Challenge yourself and others to paint masterpieces."  The way to do that is found in  Psalm 19:14 "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer."

With all this in mind LORD, who needs to hear from You, through me today?  Do I need to call someone, write a note of thanks, or is there a family member who needs to hear "I love you."  Help me LORD to be ready to give a "fitly spoken word" Your Word today.  In Jesus name, amen.

Blessings to you,

Sharon

"Pass the Bread (of Life) Please"

Luke 2:15  "Let us now go even unto Bethlehem and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us." 

When Micah, the Old Testament prophet, foretold the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, he emphasized its lack of significance to the world.   "But thou, Bethlehem, Ephrata, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel: whose goings forth have been from old, from everlasting."  Micah 5:2

Jesus was not born in Jerusalem, nor in Rome, nor in Athens or Alexandria.   He was not born in any political, cultural, educational, or socially significant city of the day. He was born in Bethlehem, and the literal meaning of that city means "THE HOUSE OF BREAD."

"The House of Bread" is interesting...since Jesus said, "I am the bread of life:   he that cometh to me shall never hunger." John 6:35    

I can't help but think of chapter six of the book of John when reading this.  Jesus is a grown man and has just performed the miracle of feeding the five thousand with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish.   He leaves the area but the crowd of people follow Him.   

At first you might think that the people were interested in spiritual things, after all, they were seeking after Jesus.  But Jesus knows the heart of man and puts His finger on the problem... 

John 6:26,27  "Jesus replied, "The truth is, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you saw the miraculous sign.  But you shouldn't be so concerned about perishable things like food.  Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that I, the Son of Man, can give you.  For God the Father has sent me for that very purpose."

Instead of being interested in spiritual things, they were concerned about "perishable things like food", they weren't interested in feeding their soul.  They are missing the whole point of why God the Father had sent Jesus.

People today are still doing the same thing.  God sent His Son to provide the true bread from heaven, the Bread that satisfies and gives eternal life....and instead of being interested in spiritual things of God...They are concerned on what to eat, what to wear, getting a bigger house, a better job.  Many are eating the wrong kind of bread, looking to only satisfy their physical needs.  This isn't the purpose for which Jesus was sent and it's not the purpose for which we were created for either.

The people asked:  "What does God want us to do?"  Jesus told them, "this is what God wants you to do:  Believe in the one He has sent."  

Jesus said, "I assure you, anyone who believes in me already has eternal life.  Yes, I am the bread of life!  You ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died.  However, the bread from heaven gives eternal life to everyone who eats it.  I am the living bread that came down out of heaven.  Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; this bread is my flesh, offered so the world may live."   John 6:47-51

The crowd argued and was offended because of what Jesus said and they walked away.  Jesus turned to the disciples and asked "You don't want to leave too, do you?" And I love what Simon Peter said, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God." John 6:67-69

Peter understood what the crowds had missed. The Apostles weren’t there for fish sandwiches, or to start a Jewish revolt against Rome, or to find a new list of rules to keep, or to get in on a Jesus pep rally, or to hold a big miracle crusade. They were there because they believed and knew that Jesus was the Holy One of God --- the Messiah --- the Bread of Life. All they needed was what they already had --- Jesus himself.

Is He all you need? Is he YOUR Bread of Life? If you had been there the day Jesus preached the Bread of Life sermon would you have walked away, or would you have echoed Peter’s words, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.  We believe and know that you are the Holy one of God.”

Satisfied in Him,

Sharon

Favoritism, It's Not Right, It's Not Fair!"

Isaiah 56:1  "Be just and fair to all," says the LORD."   "Do what is right and good, for I am coming soon to rescue you."

Being treated unfairly hurts...because we are faced with the reality that the person, who isn't being just and fair, thinks less of us than they ought to and in essence is saying you are inferior, you aren't important to me...you don't matter.    

But did you know that there are two sides of "favoritism"?   And it might seem strange, but both sides of "favoritism hurts."  On one side you are treated as if you don't matter and on the other side, you receive special treatment, not because someone thinks you are worth more as a person, but because of what they may gain from your wealth or your position...they don't care about you...they just want something you have.  

Either way..."It's not right, it's NOT Fair!"   But the LORD says, "do what is right and good...and blessed are those who are careful to do this...Blessed are those who keep themselves from doing wrong."  

Everything changes at the foot of the CROSS and God wants His children to do be like Jesus.


The ground is level, at the foot of the CROSS,
no man stands higher than I,  
I can call on JESUS' name, and a king can do the same,
the ground is level at the foot of the CROSS!  (Old hymn)

Doing what is right and good, just and fair isn't going to be easy.  It's not going to come natural, because we are going to be on the receiving end of this injustice and our flesh is going to want to retaliate.   And we are going to have to see to it that we are careful and keep ourselves from doing wrong. 

I can't help but think of Matthew 5:44-47  “But I say, love your enemies!  Pray for those who persecute you!  In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much.  If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else?  Even pagans do that."

Back in chapter 55 verse 10 & 11 we see how we will be able to be just, be fair, do right and be good...even in the face of injustice.  "The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth.  They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry.   It is the same with my word.  I send it out, and it always produces fruit.  It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it."  

We often apply this verse when we are speaking God's Word to others...but when we are listening to the Word...doing our daily devotions, hearing others teach/share His Word...and applying it in our lives...God's Word will produce fruit in our lives and we will be able to "Be just and fair to all".  God Word will accomplish in us what He intends for it to do...change us to be like Him.

In verse one the LORD gives us hope to keep on, keeping on...doing what is right and good, "for I am coming soon to rescue you."   This battle won't last forever, this injustice won't last forever...our LORD is coming soon!"  

Blessings on your day,

Sharon

"Do Your Hear Something?"

Proverbs 22:17 "Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge."  

As I re-read and prayed for which verse to share on this morning, I remembered something from yesterday. I was in the midst of deep cleaning my desk....15 guests for Christmas Dinner is a great motivator to clean every nook and cranny...and came across a word study that I had gathered together earlier this year on the "EAR" and how important it is... So here are three examples from Scripture that I had found.

In 1 Samuel 3 we see that Samuel had his "EAR" trained. The LORD is speaking to Samuel, but he didn't recognize His voice...verse 7 tells us why: Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. But the LORD continues to speak to Samuel:


1 Samuel 3:8-10 "the LORD called Samuel a third time, and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me." Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, "Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, "Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening." So Samuel went and lay down in his place. The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" then Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening."

And then there's Moses ~ often times our ears are full with the things of Egypt and we need to get away from the noise of the world just like Moses ....he had his training in quietness in the Toyr's desert...getting the noise of Egypt out of his ears so he could hear the fire tones of God's voice.

Exodus 3:3-4 "So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight-why the bush does not burn up." When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses" And Moses said, "Here I am."

And my favorite verse to share is found in Isaiah:  Isaiah 50:4b,5a He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught. The Sovereign Lord has opened my ears, He awakens Me morning by morning: 

Here in Isaiah, Our Messiah prophetically speaks of His daily, wonderful, deep fellowship with God the Father. It is in these times that Jesus heard from His Father, that He could say He awakens My ear to hear as the learned.

We see in all these passages of how our Father pursues Samuel, Moses and even Jesus.  Seeking to spend time with them. Doing all that is necessary to get their attention, faithfully...persisting with Samuel, dramatic with Moses and with Jesus...He simply wakens the ear of Jesus.

The response is the same with all three....they gave ear, their full attention to what the LORD was saying. "Speak, for your servant is listening."

Blessings on your day,

Sharon

Self-Surrender

"Yes, come, buy priceless, spiritual wine and milk without money and without price    simply for the self-surrender that accepts the blessing.  Isaiah 55:1b AMP                                                                 What comes to mind when you think of surrender?  Do you think of war, battles or a white flag being waved. Our nature is self-seeking, not self-surrendering...a battle is being fought...we don't want to surrender our will to the Father...that's why it takes us so long to"accept the blessing" of salvation...and even after we surrender...there's still the battle of the flesh and the spirit going on inside our soul (Galatians 5:17).

As I read this chapter and look back, I now recognize the LORD's work in my life as He was inviting me to receive Him, the Living Water.   In verse one, I can hear Him saying, "WAIT and listen"...as I'm running quickly to get away.

In verse two, the LORD has caught my attention, probable because I heard the words in verse one..."come, without money and receive something priceless."  Jesus isn't giving up on me and speaks to me about the things I'm chasing, thinking they will be bring me happiness..."Why do you spend your money ...for what doesn't safisfy?"   "Your right, I think to myself"...as I slow down and  begin to consider...and the LORD continues to speak to me..."give ear to Me that your soul may live."

The LORD's invitation becomes more direct as He pleads for me to come and listen to His Words.  In verse 3 the LORD says:  "Come to Me; Hear, and your soul will be revived; I will make an everlasting covenant with you, promised to David”

The promise to David was to love him, never forsake him and to be faithful and merciful to him.  This is where the LORD catches my heart and my soul...and I completely surrendered.

My only regret in coming to the LORD, is that I didn't surrender sooner. 

Standing in His Love,

Sharon

"Blinded by the Bling"

Isaiah 39:1 "Soon after this..."

Hezekiah was on his deathbed and the LORD sent Isaiah to tell him, "set your house in order, for you are going to die. Hezekiah prays that he wouldn't die and the LORD extends his life 15 years.

When King Hezekiah was well again, he wrote a poem and said: "Think of it--the LORD has healed me! I will sing his praises with instruments every day of my life in the Temple of the LORD." Isaiah 38:20

It hasn't been long since Hezekiah had recovered from his illness, when his adversary, the king of Babylon, sent him his best wishes and a gift. That gift caught his eye. Watch out - the enemy is at the door.

But there's another enemy...that's already made his way inside - into the heart of Hezekiah. He has been blinded "his treasures--his wordly bling". "They came from the distant land of Babylon. I showed them everything I own--all my treasures." Isaiah 39:3b,4. How quickly we can forget the LORD...especially when He blesses us. The words of Hezekiah's poem are still ringing...but Hezekiah has forgotten.

When we are going through a trial, God has our attention in a way that's different when things are going smoothly. The LORD becomes our constant companion...not just in the morning while we are praying and studying. But through out the day and night. It changes how we look at everything and everyone.

All that matters is what the LORD wants...not what I want or might accomplish...but what the LORD had created me for. We saturate ourselves with Him and pour the LORD into all we meet...family, friends and strangers.

When the trial ends...we go back to the way we were. Sometimes slowly, barely noticeable. Other times, like Hezekiah, quickly. We move three steps forward and then take two giant steps back. The urgency to know God above all else and the desire to make Him known is gone and we lose that intimacy.

Strange, that trials, the very thing we don't want...turns into the very thing we need...the valley is the place of vision...where we become what we are suppose to be...utterly dependent on the One who we are utterly dependent on, but have lost sight of it because we have been "blinded by the bling."

Strange that trials, the very thing we don't want...turns into the very thing we need...the valley is the place of vision...where we become what we are suppose to be...utterly dependent on the One who we are utterly dependent on. Here's a poem that I've read that seems to fit:

The Valley of Vision (dont' know author)

LORD, HIGH AND HOLY, MEEK AND LOWLY,

Thou has brought me to the valley of vision,

where I live in the depths but see thee in the heights;

hemmed in by mountains of sin behold thy glory.

Let me learn by paradox

that the way down is the way up,

that to be low is to be high,

that the broken heart is the healed heart,

that the contrite spirit is the rejoining spirit,

that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,

that to have nothing is to possess all,

that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,

that to give is to receive,

that the valley is the place of vision.

Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells,

and the deeper the wells the brighter thy stars shine;

Let me find thy light in my darkness,

thy life in my death,

thy joy in my sorrow,

thy grace in my sin,

thy riches in my poverty

thy glory in the valley.

Standing in Him,

Sharon