Praying Pint

 

 

Php 4:8  Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Sometimes, the solution to our spiritual struggles is less spiritual than we imagined.

Maybe you walk in a spiritual wilderness, afflicted by distressing doubts. Maybe a dull apathy settled upon you some time ago. Maybe you live in a land where joy feels far away. You might imagine that the main solution to these spiritual struggles is, well, spiritual: hold more firmly to God’s promises; draw near to him more regularly; search out hidden sins. And you might be right.  

Sometimes, our spiritual struggles come not because we have neglected God’s word but because we have neglected his world. We have walked through life wearing sunglasses and wondered at the darkness. We have lived with headphones on and questioned why we can’t hear.

We may indeed have spiritual issues to address. But our first solution may simply be this: open your eyes and ears and wonder at the world God made.

By wonder, I mean a wide-eyed awareness of God’s creation that leaves us hushed, self-forgetful, and brimming with joy. Such wonder quiets cares and awakens worship. It gilds ordinary moments and dignifies daily labors. It composes and calms, reminds and recalibrates, adds poetry to prose. Even a little wonder can do wonders for the soul.

But some of us rarely look through the window of wonder. We are too distracted by other attractions, even though they lend far less cheer to heart and mind. Perhaps two allure your attention.

The first is probably not surprising. On average, we Americans check our phones some two hundred times a day, or about once every five waking minutes. “With the smartphone,” Nicholas Carr writes, “the human race has succeeded in creating the most interesting thing in the world” (The Shallows, 233). But this “most interesting thing” has a way of rendering the real world uninteresting. Life looks drab in the smartphone’s glow. So then, the phone and the to-do list, entertainment and efficiency, digital bombardments and hustle-bustle busyness — often, these are the enemies that steal our wonder.

These enemies are also difficult to resist, even when you know what they take from you. The sight of a real mountain may seem dull compared to a digital mountain — or the mountain of work we’d like to get done. Reclaiming wonder takes effort. It takes a willingness to pin down our twitchy thumbs and endure the sight of unchecked boxes as we reorient our vision to “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely” (Philippians 4:8).

we do not lack wonders to choose from. The sun gives one reason for gladness (Psalm 19:1–6); insects give another (Proverbs 30:28). Gentle rains show one kind of beauty (Psalm 104:13); stormy winds show another (Psalm 148:8). We find unspeakable variety in God’s world — from sheep to sharks, earlobes to earthworms, tree rings to the rings around Jupiter — but they all share the glory of God’s original “good” (Genesis 1:10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31).

Some of us feel wonder so rarely because we rarely (or never) walk through a whole day or even afternoon with the phone silent, calendar clear, and to-do list empty. We rarely let creation or those around us set the day’s agenda. And so the trails near home go unwalked, the best of books lie unread, quiet birdsong goes unheard, deliciously complex meals go unmade, and the images of God within our own home go unobserved, unmarveled.

The countless wonders of the world bear one signature. God has written his name in everything good.

Maybe, then, the solution to your spiritual struggle is less spiritual than you thought. And maybe the God of Genesis 1 calls you to seek him not just through his word but through his world, daily and weekly rejoicing in him. (S. Hubbard)

 

 

Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.
Psalm 119:11

Consider all the things you know by heart: your birth date, telephone number, social security number, home address, and more. How is it that we have memorized those items without really trying? By repetition and by reciting them when we need to. We are protected from the dangers of confusion by being armed with this data.

Memorization is a powerful tool, a defensive tool. We can think of memorizing Scripture in the same way—as a defense against impurity and sin. The psalmist said that he hid God’s Word in his heart so that he might not sin (Psalm 119:11). Memorizing Scripture is a sure defense against sin.

The easiest way to begin Bible memorization is to start with a verse you are already familiar with. Review it daily until you know it as well as your own phone number! (D. Jeremiah)

 

James 1:2  Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.  And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

With so much uncertainty in the world right now, it’s easy to sink into despair. The 24-hour news cycle is filled with dire warnings from across the globe. Social media is inundated with worst-case scenarios, hatred, disrespect and bitter defiance.

As Christians, we tend to have more of an eternal view. However, even we get trapped in the hysteria, and lose sight of the fact that God is still in control. We substitute the truth of God’s Word with the last piece of bad news on the internet. We accept the prison of hopelessness the world provides, while forfeiting the comfort and peace that Jesus freely gives to those who trust in Him.

Think about your own life. It isn’t always clean and neat, is it? While many of us would tell the story of our lives in a linear pattern, the reality is that our experiences are more like an overwhelming number of intersecting lines. The ups and downs. The challenges and successes. The blessings and the struggles.

We get bogged down in something that seems insurmountably painful at the time, but then move on with life once that situation drifts into the past. We often remember the hard times, while forgetting the way that God worked in the midst of the difficulties to carry us through them.

In this world you can expect hardships, but also—much more importantly—victory!

The Bible tells us to expect challenges, and to grow in them.  In the midst of a trying time, God is working and developing your faith and character for His glory.

Life is hard, and the pain we endure is very real. However, as we cling to the promises of Christ in the midst of the suffering, understanding “James 1:2  that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ,” (Philippians 1:6, NKJV), we have no reason to retreat. Instead of despair, we claim victory in Him who saved us!

This victory is not a momentary success, dependent upon the daily ebb and flow of life. It’s not tied to a disease, or to a lost job, or even to the death of a loved one. In a temporary world, the victory we have is eternal and unchanging. As Jesus said, “Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you” (John 16:22, NKJV). It’s the hope of Jesus in us! (Graham)

 

 

Hag 2:4  Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, declares the LORD. Be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the LORD. Work, for I am with you, declares the LORD of hosts,

Jhn 15:5  I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

Eph 6:10  Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.

Neh 8:10  Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

Zec 8:9  Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Let your hands be strong, you who in these days have been hearing these words from the mouth of the prophets who were present on the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built.

Isa 35:3-4  Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.”

Jdg 6:14  And the LORD turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?”

Rom 8:31  What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

2Co 4:1  Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart.

Gal 6:9  And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

1Co 15:57-58  But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

How many times a day to I work in my own strength, knowledge, and understanding forgetting God or acknowledging my need in all things I set out to do. Sometimes it works out pretty good and other times through frustration, confusion, and possibly some anger I make it to the end.  You see, I choose to go alone in my own strength, knowledge, and understanding. It is rooted in my desire to accomplish it, me, myself, and I. Oh, I might thank God at the end but I know deep down I was seeking my own praise and self-worth. How sad is this?
There are many things I rely on God for and, more than likely, many for which I rely on myself. How can I give God the glory when I am seeking to do this in my own strength or knowledge? How is Christ glorified in this at all? 

It is not as if I am not thinking about God and things of God. I will be doing this while working on a project. However, the project has not prayerfully been acknowledged before I start. I have often said our sole soul’s purpose on this side of eternity is to bring honor and glory to Jesus Christ in all we think, say, and do.  If I do not intentionally choose to do this at all times it will not happen.

 

 

Rom 3:22-23  the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Most of us love excellence and striving for perfection. We want our surgeon to be the best in the country. We want our professors to be at the top of their field. We want Olympic athletes to set new world records. We want to look as good as possible, aided by makeup, dyes, whitening agents, exercise, and beauty filters. We want our homes spotless and organized.

We are also surrounded by people and institutions that reinforce this culture of excellence. These voices tell us to get another degree, climb the next rung on the corporate ladder, add another bullet to your résumé. Success is everything; failure is not an option.

An unexpected battle cry in our modern world has become, “Do better!” Better technology to improve our lives. More institutional accountability and corporate responsibility. A relentless pursuit of self-improvement. Excellence, success, and constant progress have become the holy trinity of high achievers.

But what happens when we don’t measure up? What if I flat-out fail? What if I disappoint myself and fall short of even adequate? What then?

We might begin by remembering that, as sinners by nature, we are all well acquainted with failure.

While God commands, “Be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:45), we fall short of his glory (Romans 3:23). We don’t measure up. We don’t naturally obey or do his will. We cannot grit our teeth to get it all right. We don’t overcome sin with sheer willpower and determination. We are not perfect. We need grace.

Our imperfection reminds us of our need for Christ’s perfection. We need his righteousness on our behalf (2 Corinthians 5:21). Outside of him, falling short is who we are and what we do. We cannot in our strength please God (Hebrews 11:6). Our imperfections preach that we need God.

Disappointment is an undeniable aspect of life in our fallen world. We plant gardens that get devoured by disease, bugs, rodents, and deer. Or we tackle work projects that end in spectacular failure. Or we memorize, rehearse, and study only to fail. We disappoint ourselves and others. We don’t measure up to our own standards. This is life in a fallen world. And it should remind us that we are not God; he is. Even when failure comes through no fault of our own, it can remind us that we are sinners, and we fall short. He alone is perfect, and we need his grace.

Alongside this fundamental reminder, however, God has more to teach us when we don’t measure up. Consider some other lessons we can learn from failure.

1. God shows his power through our weakness.

The apostle Paul was caught up to the third heaven and beheld unspeakable glories, yet God gave him a thorn to keep him from becoming arrogant (2 Corinthians 12:2–4, 7). This was no mere bout of sleeplessness or minor back pain, but rather a torturous thorn — a messenger of Satan that harassed and harangued. This pain pierced as if from the pit of hell.

Yet the thorn was from God to accomplish his good purpose in Paul: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). God makes his people weak to display his strength and power. We are allergic to failure and weakness. We beg God to make us strong. We ask him to renew our strength so we might run and not be weary (Isaiah 40:31). Yet God may answer such a prayer by revealing our weaknesses and limitations. Paul’s thorn displayed God’s all-surpassing greatness in a way Paul’s strength otherwise couldn’t do.

2. God uses different measures of success.

God does not measure success as the world does: large bank accounts, plush accommodations, plaques, trophies, accolades, or degrees. Jesus warns against gaining the whole world — riches, pleasure, comfort, fame, and success — and yet forfeiting one’s soul in the process (Matthew 16:26). Losing one’s life for the sake of Christ’s name will reap infinite rewards. Earthly success is not the plumb line that God employs.

Instead, Jesus tells his good and faithful servants, “I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25:21). God measures success according to faithfulness: “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much” (Luke 16:10). Do we strive for success as defined by God? Are we seeking to be faithful with all that he has entrusted to us — time, talents, and treasure? Or have we adopted the lying weights and measures of our world? Will our labors result in hearing the words “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:23)?

Put aside striving for the world’s facade of perfection.

3. God’s grace makes us what we are.

In Christ, we are not defined by our success or failure. Our worth is not in what we own. Our reputation, résumé, or retirement accounts do not determine our value. We are what we are by God’s grace.

Paul writes, “By the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10). Which is it, Paul? Did you work hard, or was it by grace? Paul’s answer is yes, both. He labored, yet he did so by grace. We too are to strive, labor, and work — knowing that it is God who works in us both to will and to work for his good pleasure (Philippians 2:12–13).

We are not defined by success or failure. We are defined by God and his grace at work in us. This grace strengthens and empowers us to work hard, even as it reminds us that success comes only from God. So we work, but our hope is not in our abilities. We live and labor by God’s grace at work in us.

4. God’s Spirit inspires good work.

Though we cannot be perfect, we are not designed or resigned to mediocrity. Don’t settle for poor workmanship. Don’t aim to be below average. Don’t produce what is barely passable. When the tabernacle was to be built, God told Moses that he filled Bezalel with the Spirit of God, “with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft” (Exodus 31:3–5). God’s Spirit prepared the finest craftsman to construct his earthy dwelling place.

Similarly, God equips his Spirit-filled children to build, create, and undertake great works. God gives these skills not to elicit earthly accolades but to reveal the beauty of the one who made all. He is the chief architect who calls us to mimic him in taking dominion over this great world.

God does not need our perfection. Such striving undermines his grace and reinforces our self-sufficiency. Instead, God receives the humble, whom he will exalt at the appropriate time (James 4:10; 1 Peter 5:6). In our failures, we trust that God will fulfill his purposes for us according to his steadfast love (Psalm 138:8). Though we are not perfect, we have a perfect Savior who invites us to receive his perfect work on our behalf. He gives his empowering Spirit to enable us to labor in the strength he provides for his glory. We labor not for the praise of man or the markers of earthly success. Instead, we labor for Christ, producing what is beautiful for his honor.

(S. Lee)

 

 

1Jn 4:7-19  Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.  In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.  No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.  By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.  Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.  By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world.  There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us.

Anybody with a TV has likely stumbled upon reality television: reality survival, reality jobs, reality living, and reality love. The funny thing, of course, is that there’s often very little reality in these programs. They’re usually highly scripted productions meant to entertain, educate, market, or further an agenda.

The problem is that the content being pushed as “reality” tends to offer a skewed view of the world.

There is a source that presents an authentic description of love, but it certainly isn’t a prime time show with roses and multiple contestants. Instead, I’m referring to the Bible, and 1 John 4:7–19 gives a wonderful and true picture of real love.

The Source: Verses 7–8 show us the source of true love. It comes from God and Him alone. You cannot manufacture love, recycle it, or even copy it. True love is only of God, because by nature God is love. Therefore, love is something we cannot experience apart from God.

The Example: A reality star dropping to one knee in proposal is not the example of true love. Rather, true love is demonstrated by God in that He gave us His only Son (verses 9–11). Verse 10 states it very clear: “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

God loved us so much that He sent His only begotten Son to die on a cross so that we might live forever with Him. That’s true love!

The Experience: Most individuals want to love and to be loved. It’s a natural yearning within us. Verses 12–13 show that true love indwells the believer in the form of the Holy Spirit. If you want to experience what true love is all about, you must have the Holy Spirit dwelling within you.

Our Response: Similarly, verses 14–16 make it clear that real love demands a response. John encourages us to respond to God’s love by believing in and confessing Him as Lord. When we do that, God Himself will abide in us so that we can experience true love.

The Outcome: First, the love of Christ makes us complete. The “love” that the world gives leaves us searching and wanting. We search for fulfillment in philanthropy, education, sex, drugs, or money, but it doesn’t make us complete. Verse 17, on the other hand, says, “Love has been perfected among us in this …”

Second, knowing true love will give us boldness both in this world, and as we stand before God when entering eternity. Verse 18 says, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.”

Because of God’s true love for us, we don’t have to fear His judgment, or—for that matter—other people, losing a loved one, or losing a job. Fear is driven away as our eyes are fixed on the One who gave His life for us.

My friends, the world may have a confused understanding of love, but we—as children of God—understand true love. In a world filled with hate and anger, we must share that love with others.

John 13:35 says, “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” Let’s live in such a way that people will recognize us by the love we have for one another, recognize we’re different, and see the love of Christ in and through us. (F.Graham)

 

Genesis 50:20     But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it isthis day, to save many people alive.

 Psalms 56:5    All day long they injure my cause; all their thoughts are against me for evil.

 Genesis 45:5-8    And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.  For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest.  And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors.  So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

 Psalms 105:16-17    When he summoned a famine on the land and broke all supply of bread,  he had sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave.

 Psalms 119:71    It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes.

 Acts 2:23     this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.

 Romans 8:28    And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

After their father Jacob died, Joseph’s brothers were afraid he would use his power and prestige in Egypt to get revenge against the brothers who had sold him as a slave, essentially leaving him for dead.

From a human perspective, Joseph had the right and the ability to get revenge against his brothers, but he knew God was God and he was not. Such retribution belonged to God, not Joseph’s.

Yet, Joseph did not romanticize the wrong his brothers did. He plainly said, You meant evil against me. Although this was true, it was not the greatest truth. The greatest truth was God meant it for good.

Every Christian should be able to see the overarching and overruling hand of God in their life; to know that no matter what evil man brings against us, God can use it for good. Joseph did not have the text of Romans 8:28, but he had the truth of it: And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Sadly, some of us who have the text do not have the truth.

Ultimately, our lives are not in the hands of men, but in the hands of God, who overrules all things for His glory.

There was an old minister who had a unique gift to minister to distressed and discouraged people. In his Bible, he carried an old bookmark woven of silk threads into a phrase. The back of it, where the threads were knotted and tied, was a hopeless tangle. He would take the bookmark out and show the troubled person this side of the bookmark and ask them to make sense of it. They never could. Then the pastor would turn it over, and on the front were white letters against a solid background saying, “God is love.” When events in our life seem tangled and meaningless, it is because we can see only one side of the tapestry.

There was an immediate good in the situation: to save many people alive. If this large family did not come to Egypt and live, they would have perished in the famine. Had the family barely survived, it would have assimilated into the surrounding Canaanite tribes. Only by coming to Egypt could they be preserved and grow into a distinct nation.

The evil done by Joseph’s brothers became part of a chain of events that led to the survival of the Jewish people, and the eventual coming of Jesus the Messiah according to God’s plan.

Thankfully, the sin others do against us never is the last word. God has the last word, and believers can therefore forgive those who sin against them. Can you say it? “God meant it for good.” (Guzik)

 

 

Mat 11:27-30  All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

 Luke 6:46-48   “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?

 John 13:15    For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.

 Acts 3:22-23    Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you.  And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.’

 Ephesians 4:20-21    But that is not the way you learned Christ!—  assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus,

 1 John 2:6     whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

We find rest in Jesus. He promised to give our souls rest from the heavy burdens that take residency in our hearts and minds. The problem is we usually do not recognize the initial “troubling.” It can come in many ways. Certainly, Satan has the means to influence things of this world and the people around us that can and do affect our lives. It is easy to see the gut-punch attacks, but very hard to discern the subtle attacks and lies.
Jesus said, “Learn from Me”. How are we to do this? God in His grace, mercy, and love inspired men by the Holy Spirit to write the bible. Learning would require us to study it. The gut punches are easily seen and felt. Even the newest of believers can understand the need to give this burden to Jesus. However, the subtle attacks come at us slowly and we don’t always discern the unrest that is growing in our hearts. They will start off with thoughts and reactions to something that seems appropriate responses to whatever it is. 

Every believer has be given the indwelling Holy Spirit to lead, instruct, teach, guide, correct, convict, and give us eyes to see and ears to hear, and mind to understand it all. If we limit our time in God’s Word then we diminish our ability for the Holy Spirit to give us understanding and discernment. When a person is in God’s Word they will tell you they have rest and peace even though there are periods of overt gut punches that knock the wind out of them time to time. The subtle attacks have little effect. Why? The fruits of the Holy Spirit guide them and give them power over them. 

How many anxious thoughts (worry, anger, retaliation, fear, unrestfulness) are overcome with the fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control? Sanctification is the process of maturing in our understanding and knowledge of God’s Word and its application in our lives as we grow and discern how to honor and glorify Jesus Christ in every thought, word, and deed.
Jesus said ,“Learn from Me”. How can this happen when so many other things take priority over time in His Word?

 

 

Gal 5:22-25  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.

1. Am I demonstrating God’s love?

Even the most aggravating people in our lives represent souls for whom Christ died, and our approach to them should be layered in charity.

2.  Am I spreading joy?

Since the fruit of the Spirit includes joy, our cheerfulness should never evaporate under any circumstances. Our joy isn’t in our situations but in our Savior, and that enables us to pass along encouragement, even on dark days.

3. Am I promoting peace?

We must do our best to promote unity in our divided age. It’s not always possible. Jesus said, “Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division” (Luke 12:51). He warned us to expect hatred from the world (John 17:14).

4. Am I acting with compassion?

Compassionate people connect with the unseen emotions of others, exercising sympathy and empathy, understanding before seeking to be understood.

5. Am I being generous?

The word “generosity” makes us think of money and charitable giving. But benevolent hearts are generous in all things.

6. Am I exercising integrity?

The other decisions connected with the fruit of the Spirit are anchored by a solid core of integrity, purity, and biblical insight.

7. Am I practicing self-control?

When provoked, it’s the hardest thing in the world to remain calm and collected. Yet the Bible says, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly” (Proverbs 15:1-2).

8. Am I a humble spirit?

Humble people don’t think of themselves as higher or lower than others. They don’t think of themselves as superior or inferior. They just don’t think of themselves very much at all—they consider the other person more.

9. Am I patient?

There is short-term patience, which means we don’t easily lose our tempers. And there is long-term patience—perseverance—which keeps us going for the long haul.

 

 

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.
Matthew 5:6

It is not necessary to remind newborns that it is time to eat. Newborns don’t know much, but they know when they’re hungry! And adults know the same thing. Yes, at times we may be so busy that we forget to eat when we should, but our body soon reminds us. When we are physically hungry, we know only one solution: food.

But the same is not true with spiritual hunger. We may think we can satisfy spiritual hunger with materialism, advancement, entertainment, or other worldly intake. But spiritual hunger—lack of purpose, identity, meaning, or fulfillment—can only be satisfied by taking in more of God. It was Blaise Pascal who said, in essence, that there is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every person that can only be filled by God. Just as there is a “food-shaped vacuum” in the human stomach that can only be filled by food, so God is the only Bread of Life that can satisfy our spiritual hunger.

Jesus said that those who hunger for the righteousness of God will be blessed by the fullness of His presence. Satisfy your spiritual hunger for Him today. (jeremiah)