Oh You Sweet Talker You!

I should probably save this for Valentines Day but I'm in a silly mood today so I am going to use it now.

Try this on your spouse sometime.

"Oh baby, your hair is like a flock of goats"

 

"You teeth are like a flock of shorn sheep"

"Your neck is built for an armory, strong enough to carry a 1000 shields"

 

Let me know how that works for you.  LOL!

This is a clear example of "lost in translation".  You're probably wondering what the heck I am talking about.  Well I've been reading Song of Solomon.  Specifically chapter 4.  Here is how it started.

Song of Songs 4:1-5(NKJV)

1The Beloved      Behold, you are fair, my love!     Behold, you are fair!     You have dove’s eyes behind your veil.     Your hair is like a flock of goats,     Going down from Mount Gilead.

2    Your teeth are like a flock of shorn sheep     Which have come up from the washing,     Every one of which bears twins,     And none is barren among them.

3    Your lips are like a strand of scarlet,     And your mouth is lovely.     Your temples behind your veil     Are like a piece of pomegranate.

4    Your neck is like the tower of David,     Built for an armory,     On which hang a thousand bucklers,     All shields of mighty men.

5    Your two breasts are like two fawns,     Twins of a gazelle,     Which feed among the lilies.

I guess back in the day this was probably a great compliment.  I think today it's probably a great way to get slapped or to get your spouse to not speak to you for a week or two, which may or may not be a bad thing depending on your situation. 

If you've never read the Song of Solomon you're in for a real eye opener.  Wow!  If it were re written in modern day language it would be a real bodice buster.  (Couldn't resist, had to see if I could work that phrase in)  But why is it in the Bible?  It seem so out of place. 

Well to answer that question I'd like to use the comment that my daughter posted to what I wrote yesterday.  "I really enjoyed this article! The Bible is the perfect guide to our lives- in every single aspect, even politics and economics!"

That's right, the Bible is the perfect guide to our lives-in every single aspect.  So why would we not expect that guidance to extend to our love lives, our sexuality,  and the way that we see and interact with our spouses in that area of our lives. 

I think we Christians get a bad rap when it comes to sex.  So many of us are afraid to talk about it, afraid to enjoy it,  afraid to embrace it, and I think that is unfortunate because the Bible clearly says that God gave it to us as a gift to be shared.

My wife goes to Bible Study Fellowship.  There was a chapter they were studying recently where my wife made mention about how one verse in particular could also be applied to the sexual relationship in marriage and she was amazed at how many of the women came up to her afterwards and thanked her for making that comment.  So many Christians simply feel constrained in this area. 

We always felt that part of our duty as parents was to model a great marriage.  Because we believe that a great sex life is part of a great marriage we always tried to model that, in age appropriate ways of course.  As an example the kids have always seen us holding hands and kissing and hugging. 

As a funny aside, as the kids got older (mid to late teens) and knew what we were up to they of course would try to embarrass us.  We'd give them money to go to the ice cream store and tell them not to come home for an hour.  With angelic smile on their face they'd ask "Why don't you want us to come back for an hour?"  We'd just look back at them and ask "Do you really want us to tell you?" "NO" Lol!

So what does the Song of Solomon teach us?  That they were HOT for each other.  This wasn't just a procreation thing.  They were passionately hot for each other.  If you haven't read it in a while go back and give it another read.  Use it as inspiration as you make plans for your Valentine (if you're married of course) this year!!!   

Is Capitalism Christian?

I ran across an article this morning that I'd like to share with you.  The title of the article is "What the Bible Teaches About Capitalism" by Rabi Aryeh Spero.  This has always been a subject of interest for me.

It's apparently a subject of interest to many others judging by the number of hits when I searched "Is Capitalism Christian" on Yahoo.  Care to take a guess about how many hits?  Over 20 million!

Back in the early to mid 80's I read a book called "Is Capitalism Christian" which was edited by Franky Schaeffer.  It was a collection of essays by different writers on the subject.  Pretty interesting stuff.

As I've written many times, the Bible is a book of balance.  I can think of many scriptures that I could use to support the argument that the Bible teaches socialism.  I can also think of many scriptures  that speak favorably about capitalistic principals like property ownership, commerce, and enjoying the rewards of our labor.  So as with many other topics I think that if we did a careful Biblical study we would find that we end up somewhere in the middle.  What I mean by that is that we have a duty to care for the poor but I happen to think that is best done through the capitalist system voluntarily vs having a government take my wealth and then do it on my behalf. 

Now I happen to believe that the Bible is very compatible with capitalism but there are many who disagree.  All of my kids went to Christian school and even within the Christian School system there was disagreement.  My youngest son actually had a teacher tell him and the rest of the class that you couldn't be a Christian and believe in capitalism which was pretty surprising to myself and all of the other small business owners who sent our kids there!

Anyway I hope you enjoy the article.

Click Here For Article

An Interesting Picture

I read this the other day and noticed something that I hadn't noticed before.  That's what is cool about the Bible.  As I wrote about yesterday, all in God's timing.  He will reveal to us what we need to know when we need to know it. 

Anyway I've read this passage more times than I can remember over the years and yet this is the first time that I picked this up.  It's the story of Jesus when He was around 12 and He stays in Jerusalem and His parents don't realize He is missing until a days journey later.  I used to think, how could that have happened?  Call Child Protective Services.  What horrible parents! 

Luke 2:41-52(NKJV)

41His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. 

42And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast. 

43When they had finished the days, as they returned, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. And £Joseph and His mother did not know it; 

44but supposing Him to have been in the company, they went a day’s journey, and sought Him among their relatives and acquaintances. 

45So when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him. 

46Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. 

47And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. 

48So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.”

49And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” 

Here is what I noticed when I read it this time.  This was a trip they made very year and had been doing so for many years.  It's a trip I can imagine was probably made as a group.   Kind of like tailgating to the football game, minus the Beer and Brats.

I also imagine it a bit like going camping at the State Parks in the summer.  When our kids were young and we didn't have a lot of extra money, camping at the State Park each year made an fun and inexpensive vacation.  Many families have a group of friends that all go at the same time each year.  

It's always great once you get camp set up.  There is a feeling of serenity and safety.  The kids get a little more freedom to ride their bikes around and go exploring.  The parents are a bit less strict and a bit more relaxed cause there is the feeling that out here we all look out for each other.   Those of you that have ever enjoyed the State Park experience know what I mean.

Now you're probably wondering where I am going with this.  Well, it got me to thinking how blessed we have been over the years in our various church homes.  When we were first starting our family I can remember going to church on Sunday and almost as soon as we walked in people would want to hold the baby and we wouldn't see our new kid for an hour.  And the cool thing was as a new parent we weren't a bit worried and were actually thankful  for the break.

Finding a good church home is really important in my opinion because it can give you that sanctuary you need each week.  If you have a great church home then thank God for leading you to such a sanctuary.  If you don't get that feeling at your current church home then keep looking until you find one that you do.  If you are in the Kalamazoo area and are looking for a great church home I would like to invite you to try Valley Family Church.  Here is their website in case you'd like to check them out.

http://www.valleyfamilychurch.org/

Always in God's Timing

Jeremiah 42:7-8(NKJV)

7And it happened after ten days that the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah. 

8Then he called Johanan the son of Kareah, all the captains of the forces which were with him, and all the people from the least even to the greatest, 

--------------------------- 

Always in God’s timing.  Here we have a prophet who prays about something and God gets back with him 10 days later.  God's timing is so cool!  We all know that God answers prayer, we just don't know when He will answer it.  Sometimes it is soon after we prayed it and sometimes it is so long after we prayed it that we may have forgotten we prayed it altogether.

I'd like to tie this to something else that I have written about lately.  Specific prayers.  I have been praying much more specifically recently and the results have been amazing.  I'd like to share what happened today.

I have a meeting today where I am going to propose a joint venture with another company.  So today as I started my Bible study I was in prayer and I was specifically praying for guidance on this meeting.  Now in the past my prayer would have been something like "please guide me Lord" with the underlying implication of just point me in the right direction and I'll take it from there (Me in control). 

Well today I started that way and then moved on to asking for guidance on what to say at this meeting.  Then I got even more specific and asked that "God help me identify and articulate what is in it for them that they would want to participate in this joint venture".  Now that is pretty specific. 

That is when the weirdest thing happened.  As soon as I finished the thought it was like God said "get a pen and start writing".  I could barely write fast enough as the outline of a whole business plan flowed out of the pen and on to the paper.  Insights that I had never thought of on how to structure the proposal.  It was incredible!

Now I'm not suggesting that God will now always give instantaneous answers to prayer just because you are being specific, not suggesting that at all.  What I am sharing with you is that for me it was one of those 2 x 4 moments.  You know what I mean.  Where God just reached out with a 2 x4 and whacked me upside the head to get my attention, as if to say "Dude, see what happens when you simply do things the way I suggested?"  Too cool!

So folks, always trust God's timing.  As I showed yesterday He has promised to be there for us.  I think what I learned from this is that the more specific I am in my prayers, the more specific God can be in answering those prayers because I have given Him more information to go on. 

Give it a try and see if you aren't amazed also!

Fear Not!

Easy to say, hard to do.  Fear Not!  I think fear stops more people from achieving really great things than anything else.  And the sad things is that most of what we fear or worry about never happens anyway which leads me to this verse in Psalms.

Psalms 64:1(NKJV)

1    Hear my voice, O God, in my meditation; Preserve my life from fear of the enemy.

Isn't that interesting.  Not preserve my life from my enemy but preserve my life from “fear of my enemy".  Could it be that God is telling us that the fear of something could be as bad or worse than the actual thing.  Maybe that is why He told us 10 different times in the Bible to "fear not"!  But why should we fear not?

Genesis 21:17(NKJV)

17And God heard the voice of the lad. Then the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to her, “What ails you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is. 

Isaiah 41:10(NKJV)

10    Fear not, for I am with you;     Be not dismayed, for I am your God.     I will strengthen you,     Yes, I will help you,     I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

Isaiah 41:13(NKJV)

13    For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand,     Saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’

Isaiah 41:14(NKJV)

14    “Fear not, you worm Jacob,      You men of Israel!     I will help you,” says the Lord     And your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah 43:1(NKJV)

1    But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob,      And He who formed you, O Israel:     “Fear not, for I have redeemed you;     I have called you by your name;     You are Mine.

Isaiah 43:5(NKJV)

5    Fear not, for I am with you;     I will bring your descendants from the east,     And gather you from the west;

Isaiah 44:2-3(NKJV)

2    Thus says the Lord who made you     And formed you from the womb, who will help you:     ‘Fear not, O Jacob My servant;     And you, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.

3    For I will pour water on him who is thirsty,     And floods on the dry ground;     I will pour My Spirit on your descendants,     And My blessing on your offspring;

Daniel 10:19(NKJV)

19And he said, “O man greatly beloved, fear not! Peace be to you; be strong, yes, be strong!” So when he spoke to me I was strengthened, and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”

Joel 2:21(NKJV)

21    Fear not, O land;      Be glad and rejoice,     For the Lord has done marvelous things!

John 12:15(NKJV)

15    “Fear not, daughter of Zion;      Behold, your King is coming,     Sitting on a donkey’s colt.” £

There you have it folks.  A nice list of why we should fear not.  God hears us, He's with us, and He's promised to help us.  How cool is that?  So fear not!

One Big Happy Family?

One of the problems in many modern churches today in my opinion is the trend to try to be all inclusive.  We don't want to offend.  We don't want to separate people.  We are just one big happy human race family.  From this trend also comes the belief that we "all serve the same God". 

Unfortunately my Bible tells me something different.  Let's take a look at some verses. 

Isaiah 45:6(NKJV)

    That they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting     That there is none besides Me.     I am the Lord, and there is no other;

Here is just one example of God saying specifically that He is the only God.  Other religions say the same thing.  So only one of them can be right.  They obviously can't all be the same god if they are all claiming to be the only one.  Which one is really God?  

Ezekiel 34:17-24(NKJV)

17‘And as for you, O My flock, thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I shall judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and goats. 

18Is it too little for you to have eaten up the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the residue of your pasture—and to have drunk of the clear waters, that you must foul the residue with your feet? 

19And as for My flock, they eat what you have trampled with your feet, and they drink what you have fouled with your feet.”

20‘Therefore thus says the Lord GOD to them: “Behold, I Myself will judge between the fat and the lean sheep. 

21Because you have pushed with side and shoulder, butted all the weak ones with your horns, and scattered them abroad, 

22therefore I will save My flock, and they shall no longer be a prey; and I will judge between sheep and sheep. 

23I will establish one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them—My servant David. He shall feed them and be their shepherd. 

24And I, the Lord, will be their God, and My servant David a prince among them; I, the Lord, have spoken.

God says very clearly that He will judge between "His sheep". 

Matthew 3:11-12(NKJV)

11I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit £and fire. 

12His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

Again we have God separating and judging.  What is He judging?  What is of value to Him vs. what isn't of value to Him.    Look at how He treats the two groups.  The "wheat" He gathers into His barn, it is valuable to Him so He takes care of it and protects it.  On the other hand look what He does with the chaff.  He burns it like so much garbage.  It is of no use to Him.  Wow, that's pretty harsh.

1 Timothy 2:5(NKJV)

For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, 

Here you have God very specifically saying that there is one God.  Not several. Not a couple. One.  And only one way to Him, through Christ.  Not through several ways, take your choice; nope, only one way.

Revelation 5:4-7(NKJV)

4So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open £and read the scroll, or to look at it. 

5But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and £to loose its seven seals.”

6And I looked, £and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 

7Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.

Jesus is the only one authorized to open the scroll.

Revelation 5 really testifies to Jesus’ credentials

There are many other scriptures I could quote like Jesus saying "I didn't come to bring peace, but a sword" but you get the picture.

Now here is the point that I want to make.  Who decides which group a person falls within?  We do!  We each individually make that choice.  Once each person has heard the Gospel they have a choice to make.  You can either accept God or reject Him but the choice is totally up to you.

Now scripture tells us very clearly what God thinks of those who reject Him.  He considers them chaff to be burn up.  What's chaff exactly?

Chaff  

noun

1. the husks of grains and grasses that are separated during threshing.

2. straw cut up for fodder.
3. worthless matter; refuse.

4. the membranous, usually dry, brittle bracts of the flowers of certain plants.
5. Also called window. Military . strips of metal foil dropped by an aircraft to confuse enemy radar by creating false blips.

So God sees those who reject Him as garbage?  That's the way I read it.  There are those who would say that I am being judgmental and all that.  My response is that I am not being judgmental.  Each person who rejects God has voluntarily put themselves in this category that God told them ahead of time they would be in if they rejected Him.  That's not being judgmental.  That is self selection.

Now once a person rejects God, are they chaff forever?  Nope!  That's the cool thing about God.  He will always take you back unless you have blasphemed the Holy Spirit.   Just confess your sins, ask for forgiveness, and accept Christ as your Lord and Savior.  That is why we need to keep witnessing to them.

So whose side do you want to be on?  It's your choice! 

Eat the Rich!

Normally I try to keep my politics and my blog separate but here is an issue that just bugs the snot out of me and because I ran across these verses today I am going to write about it.

Ecclesiastes 10:5-7(NKJV)

5    There is an evil I have seen under the sun,      As an error proceeding from the ruler:

6    Folly is set in great dignity,     While the rich sit in a lowly place.

7    I have seen servants on horses,     While princes walk on the ground like servants.

Ecclesiastes 10:20(NKJV)

20    Do not curse the king, even in your thought;     Do not curse the rich, even in your bedroom;     For a bird of the air may carry your voice,      And a bird in flight may tell the matter.

The thing that is really bugging me in the political rhetoric today is this whole class warfare, eat the rich campaign coming out of Washington.  The Bible has a lot to say about wealth, both good and bad.  The verse that most seize upon is the Eye of the needle parable.  You know the one.  It's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into Heaven. 

Ecc. 10:6 seems especially relevant right now.  We have all of these pointy head academics, politicians, and theorists (folly) flailing about trying to save the economy.  They ridicule, belittle, and demonize the rich; in other words "sitting them in a lowly place".  But before you decide who to listen to wouldn't it make sense to compare the fruit of the two?

On the one hand we have folly  driving country after country into financial distress and bankruptcy.  On the other hand we have businesses (the rich) that have made the adjustment and are more profitable and have more cash than ever.  Take a look at this chart. 

 

While the politicians continue to spend and drive us further in debt, the companies (the rich) have made the adjustments necessary to survive and prosper.  If we want our country to return to prosperity maybe it is time to listen to God and not curse the rich!

Live Joyfully!

I have always believed in living life to the fullest.  Work hard and enjoy life.  That's why I like these passages from Ecclesiastes.

Ecclesiastes 5:18-20(NKJV)

18Here is what I have seen: It is good and fitting for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor in which he toils under the sun all the days of his life which God gives him; for it is his heritage. 

19As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labor—this is the gift of God. 

20For he will not dwell unduly on the days of his life, because God keeps him busy with the joy of his heart.

Ecclesiastes 9:9-10(NKJV)

9Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which He has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity; for that is your portion in life, and in the labor which you perform under the sun.

10Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.

What is so interesting about Ecclesiastes is that it is written by King Solomon (or I guess I should say that many scholars attribute it to him) who also wrote much of Proverbs.  Where Proverbs is positive and uplifting, Ecclesiastes is kind of dark and a downer as you can see above where he refers to a "vain life" and "all your days of vanity".  But even within that I have found some gems and this is an example.

To me this seems to be saying whatever you do, do it with passion.  Work hard.  Strive to be the best.  And when through that hard work you are blessed with some success, it is OK to gather your family around and celebrate and enjoy your success.  Live Joyfully!

A Bit of Personal Testimony

Here’s an interesting observation that God just provided me.  I come up with great ideas for my businesses and then am slow it implement them.  I often wonder why and here is the insight I just received.  I don’t want to implement them because the hope that it will be a huge success is much more satisfying than the pain of trying the new idea and finding out that it won’t actually work and I am back to square one.  And I think a deeper part of that issue stems from the fear that if I end back up at square one I won’t have any more good ideas as options.

Here is a real example of what I mean.  I am starting another business.  I don’t have a lot of extra cash flow right now and so I am looking for ways to promote this new business through a joint venture with another local business.

I have been delaying making the call to propose this joint venture and I think part of the reason is that I don’t have a backup plan, another idea if this one doesn’t work.  Kind of the feeling that if this fails, then what?  Like there won’t be another idea after this one. 

Which leads me to the insight God gave me this morning.  “Just trust me.  If this idea doesn’t work out just trust me, I’ll give you another great idea.  Want proof?  Look at your daily blog.”  Wow!

When I first started doing the blog I knew right up front that there was no way I would ever be able to come up with something to write about everyday by myself.  So right from the very start I have just always trusted God to provide the ideas to write about.  And day after day He comes through.  It truly has been amazing to experience. 

And what has been the key?  You’re going to hate the answer.  :)  In my opinion the key has been the “diligent seeking” of God through spending more time in prayer and more time in the word.  Now that shouldn’t really be a surprise because after all, God clearly told us that the more we seek Him the more He will reveal to us.

So how does this relate to the procrastination issue?  I now have a new frame of reference from my personal experience with God.  Instead of fearing that if this ideas fails I won’t have another good one, I can now start blasting through the good ideas as fast as I can with full confidence that if this one doesn’t work out, there will be another great idea tomorrow.  How can I be so sure?  Because I’ve personally experienced it for the last two to three months on a daily basis, that’s how!

This is just another example of what I refer to as practical Christianity.  The more effort you put into building your relationship with God, the deeper that relationship will grow and that will improve all areas of your life, it’s not just a spiritual thing! 

Praying For Specifics

I mentioned recently that I had received some enlightenment about my prayer life and so I thought  I would share that tonight.   One of the things that our Pastors have talked about on multiple occasions is the need to be specific with our prayers. 

Unfortunately I don't have any of the scriptures that they referred to right at hand but I believe part of it was Psalm 37:4.

Psalms 37:4(NKJV)

4    Delight yourself also in the Lord,     And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

What I draw from this is that it is OK to have desires.  Things we want.  Not only that but God wants to give them to us.  In Matthew it talks about "Ask and it shall be given..".  So it is OK to ask for things, not just material but spiritual, physical, etc.

They had several other scriptures that talked about the need to be specific when we pray.  That was not something I have ever really been comfortable with and I was trying to figure out why.

I'll try to trace the thought process as to why I was uncomfortable with it.  Part of it stems from Solomon's request when God said Solomon could have anything.  Instead of asking for great wealth or something, he asked for great wisdom.  And with the wisdom he got the great wealth and everything else. 

The other things is that I don't want to be a bother.  Now that's not to be confused with not feeling worthy, that's not the issue.  God's a great God and He's got a lot of stuff to do.   There are a lot of people out there who need His help way more than I do.  He's blessed me with lots of talents and abilities and I should be able to take care of this myself. 

So my prayer requests have always been more general in nature.  Something like "Lord could you help me with this issue please?  Just give me a bit of wisdom and guidance and I'll take it from there cause you've got more pressing issues to deal with. Thanks!" 

So the other day God drops this thought on me.  Maybe my always praying in generalities  is really just another way of me continuing to be in charge?  "Just give me a little guidance and I'll take it from there".  Interesting.

So I've been trying to make a conscious effort to be more specific in my prayer life.  The results have been very cool so far.  I'll share more on that at another time.   If you are also a person that prays in generalities, try getting specific and see what God does in your life!

Total Bafflement

Here is one that has always baffled me and so far God has seen fit to leave me baffled.  There are many scriptures that leave me puzzled but not baffled.  What's the difference? 

Scriptures that simply puzzle me at least have a plausible meaning to me.  What I mean by that is that while I don't get it totally I have a vague idea of the point it is trying to make.  Total bafflement on the other hand means I just don't have  a clue.

Mark 11:12-14(NKJV)

12Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry. 

13And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 

14In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.” And His disciples heard it.

Here is what I find odd.  God is a just God and so by extension Jesus is also just.  That was the whole purpose behind Jesus dying on the cross.  As much as God wants to forgive us, someone had to pay the just penalty.  Jesus stepped up and paid for us all.

In the case of the scripture above, I don't see any justice.  Figs weren't in season.  Why would Jesus get mad and curse a tree for not providing fruit in a season that God had not designed it to provide fruit in?  If it was the middle of harvest and the tree wasn't producing figs I could see it, but out of season?

Oh well, that's what makes the journey so cool.  While I am baffled by this scripture I take comfort in knowing that I don't need to know it all, God's got it all under control and I will ad this to the list of things  I want to ask God about someday when I get to Heaven.

A Twofer!

In Ecclesiastes I came across a couple of great little tidbits.

Ecclesiastes 5:2(NKJV)

2    Do not be rash with your mouth,      And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God.     For God is in heaven, and you on earth;     Therefore let your words be few.

This goes right along with the saying "God gave us two ears and one mouth, He was trying to tell us something".  

This verse just reminds me that I need to spend way more time listening to God then I do talking to Him.  He's way smarter than me and so I'm going to learn more listening to Him than I am by talking to Him!

Ecclesiastes 5:3(NKJV)

3    For a dream comes through much activity,     And a fool’s voice is known by his many words.

This one also reminds me of another saying.  "Even God can't steer a parked car". 

Now first off I disagree with this saying.  God can do anything He wants, He's God.  But I like the spirit of the saying.   Here is what I think both Ecclesiastes 5:3 and this saying are trying to communicate. 

 It's saying that we have to do our part.  God can guide us but it is so much easier for Him to guide us if we are at least moving forward.  If you are just sitting around waiting on God to make everything happen you're going to be disappointed.  We have to be moving, and trying.  God will give us dreams and visions for our life but we have to be actively seeking those dreams and visions and once we receive them we have to actively pursue them. 

Let me just give one illustration of what I think this means.  Someone starts a little ministry  feeding the homeless or something.  It starts small but year after year it grows.  As it grows, the dream grows to turn it into a national ministry helping thousands across the country.  Now when it was started do you think that the person had plans for to be a big national ministry?  No.  They were just trying to help some local people but as they helped more people (activity) God slowly helped them dream bigger.  Does that make sense?

The last thing today is a prayer request.  Out church is doing a 21 day fast.  I have never done a fast before.  Not sure what to expect but I do love eating and so I know I am going to need some prayer support on this one!

Thanks!

"All the labor of man is for his mouth."

I thought that this was an interesting scripture.

Ecclesiastes 6:7(NKJV)

7    All the labor of man is for his mouth,      And yet the soul is not satisfied.

Doesn't that pretty much sum up the reason most people work (labor)?  To feed themselves, keep a roof over their heads, to be able to provide for their families, etc.  "All the labor of man is for his mouth".

"And yet the soul is not satisfied."  Deep inside most people there is a need to connect spiritually.  You see it in just about every culture around the world.

What struck me about this passage today was the thought that we need to "labor" in our quest to know God.  I don't mean that it should be a chore, or boring, or anything like that.  What  I mean is that the more we actually work at our relationship with God, the more we will get out of it.  The more the soul will be satisfied. 

Let me say right up front that this is not meant to be judgmental.  I just want to illustrate a point.

People that just go to church occasionally get a certain amount of "soul satisfaction" out of that.  Now let's compare that to some one who goes to church every week and also spends time in the Bible every day (or most days at least).  Do you think they are likely to experience more "soul satisfaction" than the people that just go to church?  I think most people would probably say yes to that question.  And again let me be clear.  I'm not saying one is better than the other, I'm talking about the amount of "soul satisfaction" of the two groups.

My point is that if you want a really great spiritual life, it takes effort (labor).  Doesn't mean that it can't be enjoyable or fun, or that it has to be all consuming,  just that it takes some extra effort.  It has to be a priority.  You actually need to put it in your schedule.

So as we start this new year, ask yourself if there is anywhere in your spiritual journey you should be focusing some of your labor.  If so then make the adjustments to your schedule to make that happen.  I can promise you two things.  Even if you think you don't have the time, make the adjustment by putting God first and He will solve the time issue for you.  The second promise is that it will be worth it!