Devotion

I have to go take a shower. I'll be back in a bit. ~Hugs~

I'm back and still no visitors? You're all slackers! ~LOL~

Oh well. I'm used to being alone so why should this place be any different? ~Shrugs and sips coffee and works on crocheting~

Well welcome PastorJer. ~Smiles~

Night Mel. ~Waves~

Good night...

~goes to crochet in a comfy chair~

You know Nichol...it's no fair teasing me with these images and not telling me where you get them. ~Grins~


God does provide...~LOL~

PastorJer: I read Isaiah 35 this morning. Thank you for sharing that.

I was watching a late night ministry program last night from the Messiah Baptist Church we have here. The Pastor was speaking on humility. He said that when we get an attitude...God turns off the blessings. Even if we go to church, pray, do bible studies and listen to christian worship music. If we become proud...God turns off the blessings. He was talking about a pair of shoes he'd purchased...same kind he always gets. This particular time, he'd had them about 2 months and they began to come unstitched. The toe was opened up at the end. So he goes back to Penny's and tells the clerk that this shouldn't have happened and he wants a new pair of shoes. The clerk said that's not their policy but that they could fix them for him. Well then he decided he wanted to talk to the shoe dept. manager who told him the same thing after he came up with this argument for them. By this time he was getting a bit angry and demanded the store manager. Store manager said the same thing so...he took his shoe and he left. Now he is out of money and still has a pair of shoes he can't wear. So, he puts the shoe back in the closet and every day he goes by the closet and there's the shoe. He said now it looked like the shoe was laughing at him. After about another month he finally humbles himself and takes the shoes back to the store and asks the clerk if they could please fix the shoes. That same clerk looked at him and grinned and said..."Well that shouldn't have happened, lets get you a new pair of shoes." I was laughing so hard at this because I've had similar things happen in my life. This is when I know that despite the fact that God is teaching us a lesson...the man has a sense of humor. Things in life are not always going to seem fair or right...but, if we humble ourselves and we are obedient...God will bless us. He is in charge of every area of our life. He's in charge of our jobs. If we are obedient at work...he will bless us. If we are not...then he won't. But, he explained...as long as we're obedient then its God's problem not ours. He said he's done thousands of sermon's since he was a teenager. Each week he would give a sermon. Sometimes he had to give sermons that were difficult and controversial but, he did them obediently and just told God..."I did what you asked me to...it's your problem, not mine." He said that when God told Peter to put the boat out farther and drop the nets...Peter could've told him that he knows about fishing and he knows that they wouldn't catch any fish. But, Peter said...since you told me to do it...I'll do it. He said if Peter would've said...you know...we tried this already...we ain't gonna catch anymore...but, I'll gladly do anything else you ask...God wouldn't have blessed him. Humility is all about stepping back and letting God show what he can do in our lives instead of relying on what we can do for ourselves which is so very little in comparison.

Now the serpent was craftier than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"
Genesis 3:1

God gave us freedom to manage what he entrusted to us and boundaries to protect us from evil. The boundaries in the Garden were not set up with the purpose of limiting man. There were there to protect him. God saw to it he had all he needed. He entrusted him with the responsibility of managing the Garden. Each of us has to have freedom and boundaries in our lives. At home and at work. We have to make certain decisions. We must have the authority to manage things within our area of expertise. And we must also have limits in our area of responsibility and know where those limits are and stay within them. Both are under God's care. Jesus understood these boundaries during his 40 days of temptation. He was challenged by satan to go outside of these boundaries. Jesus understood he could do nothing outside of these boundaries for his life. It was God's will for him to be tempted and to withstand that temptation. God was showing his son that he was to do nothing outside of him. We are tempted every day to go beyond our God-ordained boundaries. Whether it's solving problems that arise or making wrong decisions due to pressure, or manipulating someone in order to achieve our ends. It all represents rebellion toward God. We should ask God to show us his freedom and boundaries. They are meant to enhance our lives...not to hinder them.

I struggle each and every day to stay within the boundaries that God has placed in my life so that I can be obedient. It's not always easy. I may not go out of the house much or have much contact with other people but, you'd be surprised at the amount of temptation I face and the things I get tempted with. ~LOL~ But, I've come to a place now where I am able to see that line in the sand and know enough not to cross it. But, believe me...when I've crossed it...I know. And I know I'm in trouble then. ~Grin~ What follows is a time of correction. Sometimes it's easy and sometimes it's very painful. The whole point is that God, like any parent...wants us to learn that these things he asks us to do aren't for his good. They're for ours. He benefits nothing really. He just wants what is best for us. ~Looks at the line and smiles~

I have to go into work early today because we have 26 guests coming for lunch. I have to help set up. So, I gotta go now. Take care and have a good day.

Hi there Gazelle.

Mel...I'm home!!

Hi Nichol

Still not smoking. Still thinking about it though. ~Chuckle~

~Drags my tired self offline to crochet and go to bed~