Trust Him More

Psalm 25:1-2

English Standard Version (ESV)

25 To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
² O my God, in you I trust;
    let me not be put to shame;
    let not my enemies exult over me.

Psalm 26:1English Standard Version (ESV)

26 Vindicate me, O Lord,
    for I have walked in my integrity,
    and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.

Eighteen years ago I went to school to be a building level administrator.  I left my husband and two little girls for a summer to pursue this career.  Today I sit here, angry at myself for ever doing this.  The girls turned out more than fine and my husband may have enjoyed the break but I have not been successful in my pursuit as an administrator.  I had a short stint of it in a charter school for 3 years that closed due to budget cuts in the State school financing.  Since that time I have struggled even finding a job in education.  I did make it back into education, teaching, yet still feeling unfulfilled in my dreams.  It has been a desire placed in my heart that at times looked like it was God’s will.  Yet the doors continue to slam in my face as my desire grows more and more to be an administrator once again.  Recently I was turned down again and it continues to become more and more frustrating.  When I hear people say “If we work hard enough our dreams will come true”, it just makes me angry because I have worked extremely hard and the doors just keep closing.  I feel that the only ones saying that are the ones lucky enough to have dreams that have been fulfilled.  I am sure there are plenty of people who work hard enough but never get what they really dream and strive to reach.

I cry out to the Lord and He doesn’t seem to hear me.  Something I believe David has said.  Although I know He hears me but is just telling me “NO”.  I ask myself and Him, “Am I not trusting enough?”, “Why have I fallen from your graces.”   When the charter school closed my husband was actually told that I must not be having a strong walk with the Lord  and that is why things weren’t going right for me.  That was the furthest thing from the truth.  It reminded me of Job and how his friends would tell him it was his sin that caused his pain.  I leaned on the Lord through those charter school years tremendously and He blessed me for it.  But then, the blessing stopped and I have struggled and continue this day to struggle.  I have recently been rejected once again for a position that I felt very well qualified for and very excited about.  I really thought I was seeing God’s hand at work only to be told “NO” once more.

I share this all with you because I began to struggle with what I am really doing here on this earth.  I have always tried to be the “good girl” and I lost friends because they didn’t want to be “good”.  I began to wonder if being “good” was all that I thought it was.  I wondered what it would be like if I would just be “bad” for a little while.  Not pray, turn to the dark side and be done with it all.  That thought lasted maybe a day but it was never taken into action.  Then I realized I don’t want that, I want to walk with Christ, I would never turn away from Him.  I also realized that it is not the act of goodness that brings us to Him.  I realized my problem is not the lack of faith but the lack of trust.  I put my faith in Him years ago but I still must struggle with trusting Him with my life.  I thought I trusted Him but when struggles come, I am not at peace but rather turmoil.  I want what I want and I want it yesterday.  I am running out of time to fulfill my hopes and dreams in the area of my vocation.   I feel like a failure in the area of my vocation even though I know there are students out there that have become successful because I believed in them when no one else did.  Yet I do not feel successful. 

I pray as David did that I put my trust in Him and that I won’t have to be ashamed of my work and that I don’t have to be put to shame by those who are my enemies.  At this point I feel that I have failed Him because I am not exulted by my enemies, and then I remember Christ was put to death by His enemies and He let them do it.  My  trust has not been as strong as it should be, but I have walked with integrity.  I have no answers today except that I know I must trust Him more and not worry about the successes of this world.  I may go to my grave with this same need but I will continue day by day to seek Him more so that I may trust Him more.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila

Overcoming When Being Overtaken by Verbal and Emotional Abuse

1 Peter 3:13-17

English Standard Version (ESV)

¹³ Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? ¹⁴ But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, ¹⁵ but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, ¹⁶ having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. ¹⁷ For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=I+Peter+3%3A+13-17&version=ESV

I thought that I might just start reading I Peter from the beginning and work my way through the book but as I read the history of I Peter I was drawn to a reference in the book.  So, I had to go to that verse and see what it said.  I couldn’t just read the verse I Peter 3:15, I had to read before it and after it.  As I read it I knew that this is what I was to think about today, thus, we are looking at I Peter 3:13-17.

I Peter was most likely written by Peter, the disciple of Jesus.  It was written to encourage those who were being persecuted for their faith.  However, more than likely, it was not a physical abuse but rather a verbal abuse.  It has been found that verbal and emotional abuse has long lasting side effects that cause physical symptoms for years to come.  People who experience this type of abuse may have a difficult time in making decisions, doubt themselves, have feelings or worthlessness, have trouble communicating, among other long lasting symptoms.n (https://www.healthyplace.com/abuse/verbal-abuse/effects-of-verbal-abuse-on-children-women-and-men/)   No doubt, Peter knew this was a huge problem during the time of this writing.  As Christians we need to have a belief that is firm, that can’t cause doubt, where we know we are worth more to God than man would ever realize.   In the early church, just as today, we need to be able to convey a hope far beyond the understanding of mankind.  If we shrink up in a ball and/or try to avoid those who are verbally abusing us, they will never see the love of Christ.  They may think they have won the battle by beating us down but they have also lost the war. 

I can relate to this feeling.  I was once a very shy little girl that didn’t like to talk very much because I couldn’t speak very well not because of any type of abuse.  I was a very loved little girl.  By the time I was in high school, I was still a bit shy but pretty much came out of my shell.  As an adult you would never had thought I was shy at all.  Yet as an adult, when I have spoken my passion, at times,  it  has resulted in verbal and emotional abuse, and even false accusations, and in turn, I did not handle it with gentleness and respect.  I am still learning this tool of self-control towards those who attack my passions.  Being more gentle and kind and hoping to win them over to my side rather than push them further away.  Take note, these attacks can be from those we thought were our friends as well as those who never have claimed to be our friends.  We should respond the same to both.

When we treat others the way they treat us, they learn nothing from us.  When we treat others they way we want to be treated they are more likely to either back off or join our side.  I would much rather help them to the side where they may know the God I know.  Where they can hear of the Christ who died and rose again so that they could have life.  I would rather be Christ-like than to be Sheila-like.  I want all to know of the Savior who will come again and bring new life to those who call upon His name.

As you go through times of doubt because of abuse, remember your one defense, Jesus Christ, remember to seek Him with all your heart, and remember these verses of gentleness and self-control. 

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila

Dreams/Aspirations

Psalm 37:3-4

English Standard Version (ESV)

³ Trust in the Lord, and do good;
    dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness
⁴ Delight yourself in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

(https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+37%3A3-4&version=ESV)

As human beings we all have things that we want in this life.  We often call them dreams.  I looked up the synonyms for dreams and found they are:  visions, aspirations, fantasies, delights, fantasizes, imagines and ideas.  There is quite a variety of ways to state dreams.  The dreams I have in the form of sleeping at night, never come true.  Just a couple of nights ago I dreamt that several of my friends and I were in a car driving with President Donald Trump who was in the passenger seat in the front, I was in the middle, and my daughter was driving the car.  He was directing us to a restaurant where he was going to treat us to a meal but he didn’t stay for the meal.  When we got to the restaurant he went somewhere else.  When I dream like that I know it is merely a fantasy and I know it will not come true. 

Other dreams that I have come in the form of thoughts, which again are often times just fantasies that don’t come true.  However, sometimes I try to force those dreams to come true. Often times we hear from people who have had dreams come true say that if you work hard enough you can obtain those aspirations like they did.  Yet, for everyone who succeeded there are probably hundreds who didn’t.   We set out to work hard and prove that theory to be true only to have dreams/aspirations taken right out from under our feet.  Have you ever been there?  I certainly have, on more than one occasion.  We begin to second guess ourselves, wonder what is wrong with us, and for me, want to just give up and consider those dreams more of a fantasy than an aspiration.  Yet there is an aching deep within that wants to keep trying. 

When I get to that point, this verse always comes to my mind.  “Delight yourself in the Lord”.  I find it interesting to see that delight is a synonym for dream.  I have to ask myself if I am dreaming more about the Lord or more about that aspiration that I have.  When we delight or dream more of Him we want less of this world.  I must confess that as much as I would like to say that I always dream more of Him, I realize that if that were true, I would not be devastated when my aspirations sink into the abyss.  So I continue to seek Him, to lean not on my understanding, delight in Him and grow closer to His desires for me.

Seek Him and know that dreams and aspirations come to fruition when we put our full trust in Him. 

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila

Earthly Dads and a Heavenly Father

Psalm 103:6-14E

English Standard Version (ESV)

⁶ The Lord works righteousness
    and justice for all who are oppressed.
⁷ He made known his ways to Moses,
    his acts to the people of Israel.
⁸ The Lord is merciful and gracious,
    slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
⁹ He will not always chide,
    nor will he keep his anger forever.
¹⁰ He does not deal with us according to our sins,
    nor repay us according to our iniquities.
¹¹ For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
    so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
¹² as far as the east is from the west,
    so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
¹³ As a father shows compassion to his children,
    so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.
¹⁴ For he knows our frame;^[a]
    he remembers that we are dust.

(https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+103%3A+6-14&version=ESV)

My husband and I were and are both very fortunate to have an earthly dad’s  that loved/s us very much.  They both exemplified these verses.   One of my father-in-laws favorite verses lies within this passage,  “¹² as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.”.

 However, I know there are some out there, maybe even some reading this blog that cannot say the same for their earthly Dad.  Sometimes when we identify God as our Heavenly Father they cannot imagine a God who is loving and just.   They may identify a father as someone who only becomes angry with them or never seems to want them around.  Maybe they could go as far as to identify them as someone who used them as a punching bag.  If I could say one thing to someone in this situation, I would want them to know that not all dad’s are like that and our Heavenly Dad is as far from that as the east is from the west.  He loves us so much and wants only the best for us. 

Why did He give you a dad that was less than this?  I can’t answer that question anymore than I can answer why I have one that showed this love to me.  Maybe, just maybe you can appreciate the Heavenly Father’s love so much more than I can because you know how different His love is from the earthly one.  I don’t have the answers except to know that He doesn’t hold our childish ways against us be helps us grow into mature men and women for Him.  Forgiveness is the key to happiness.  Forgive those who have hurt us, as our Father has forgiven us. 

My dad helped me grow in the Lord and I am proud to call him Daddy.  He told me I could call him anything but Father because we only have One who can fulfill that role and that is our Heavenly Father. 

Ivan was always proud to call his dad, Dad.  He was so loving and kind and was known as the bear hugger.   He and Ivan worked side by side for years on the farm.  We loved him deeply and he went to be with the Lord long before we wanted him too. 

We are both very thankful to have had men in our lives that raised us to love the Lord our God.  Then we were fortunate to raise two daughters and Ivan continued the role of a good earthly dad, raising them to love the Lord.  I am doubly blessed to have a husband that exemplifies the verses above just as my dad.  We are not perfect, neither were our dads but we have a Father that loves us, chides us, He may even become angry with us but more than that He does not hold our sins against us forever. 

Seek Him and find the Father who is even better than an earthly Father.  One who loves us as far as the east is from the west, a never-ending love.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila

A Better Forever

Hebrews 11:1-16

English Standard Version (ESV)

 

11 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. ² For by it the people of old received their commendation. ³ By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

⁴ By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. ⁵ By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. ⁶ And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. ⁷ By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

⁸ By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. ⁹ By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. ¹⁰ For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. ¹¹ By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. ¹² Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.

¹³ These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. ¹⁴ For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. ¹⁵ If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. ¹⁶ But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.

(https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+11%3A1+-+16&version=ESV)

By faith is the theme of this passage.  I tried to make a short passage today but I just couldn’t do it as all of this ties together.  I have probably written on this before as it is a favorite passage of mine.  When we are asked to do something that we don’t feel very comfortable doing we tend to be a bit nervous even second guess ourselves.  We might ask ourselves,  “Was this really from God or is it my own selfish ambition that has caused me to go in a different direction?”  When things get tough we might say, “I knew I wasn’t suppose to do this!” or we might say, “God told me not to do this and I did it anyway.”  I am not sure that God tells us not to do something, unless of course it is a blatant sin against Him, sometimes I think we use that as a crutch because we ourselves have doubt that we should do it.  My take on this is that anything that we do, we do for the glory of God.

1 Peter 4:10-11English Standard Version (ESV)

¹⁰ As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: ¹¹ whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

(https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Peter+4%3A10-11&version=ESV)

We also do it by faith.  Abraham had no idea where he was going or what he was doing but he obeyed God’s direct command.  We may think that would be easy, after all, The Lord directly gave the command to Abraham (Genesis 12:1) but for most of us, we don’t hear His direct voice.  Hmmm, have you ever argued with God in your prayers?  Have you ever questioned why He allowed certain things to happen?  Have you at times lacked faith in the direction that He has sent you?  I know I can answer yes to every single one of those questions!  I don’t think it would have been any easier for Abraham than it is for us but yet he obeyed and he went by faith.

All of the people mentioned in this passage had a higher calling than the things of this earth.  Maybe everything we learn on this journey is just a preparation of things to come.  If we only hold on to the here and now and do not look towards the future homeland, we can become distraught, discouraged, and quite frustrated.  If we look at this time as a time to grow closer to the Lord through any difficulties we might face, we can find joy in the journey.  Seek Him and know that whatever decisions (such as career moves, relocation, etc.) we make in this life , God has our back and we need to give Him all the Glory. 

There are better days ahead and soon we will forget what was behind us and we will see Him face to face.  Seek Him and know that He is in control and take courage, by faith, have hope and the assurance of a better forever.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila

Some Thoughts on Hope and Righteousness

1 John 2:28-3:3

English Standard Version (ESV)

²⁸ And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. ²⁹ If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.

3 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. ² Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears^[a] we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. ³ And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

(https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=I+John+2%3A28+-+3%3A3&version=ESV)

Job 13:15English Standard Version (ESV)

¹⁵ Though he slay me, I will hope in him;
    yet I will argue my ways to his face.

(https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job+13%3A15&version=ESV)

 

Job 14:7

English Standard Version (ESV)

⁷ “For there is hope for a tree,
    if it be cut down, that it will sprout again,
    and that its shoots will not cease.

(https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job+14:7&version=ESV)

The I John scripture verse caught my eye today for a number of reasons.  It states the importance of living a life that is pleasing to our Lord and Savior.  There are times that I have to wonder how good I am doing at that.  I try living a life that is pleasing and then I hear that someone doesn’t like me, or that I have offended someone with my words or actions that weren’t meant to be offensive.  I was once told I offended someone because I told her I didn’t need her help in the kitchen and all I was trying to do was serve her, not realizing she felt a duty to help.  Why is it that actions and our words become twisted and turned against our true intent?

The second reason I was attracted to this verse was because it spells out how we should practice righteousness.  I noted in the reading the word “practice” because we cannot fully obtain that until we are changed to be like Him, which won’t happen until He appears.  That does not mean that we are to blatantly go out and sin just because we know we are not perfect.  The evidence of a true Christian is one that continually practices righteousness.  We cannot judge a persons heart, that we cannot see but we can see evidence of a changed heart. 

Then, I John 3:3 caught my eye!  “And everyone who thus hopes in Him purifies Himself as He is pure.”  I began to contemplate what John meant by these words.  What does it mean to hope.  At that point Job came to my mind and I quickly headed to the book of Job.  A man who had everything almost lost everything, yet he continued to “hope” in the Lord.  As I was reading scriptures in Job I found a footnote that caught my eye, it said,  “ ‘Hope’ is to wait for something.  This hit home to me in a big way.  When our hope is in Christ, we may or many not be patient in the times of waiting but we still trust that His will is going to be done.  It may not be in the time or manner that we had “hoped” for yet we should not lose sight of that hope.  Job wished to die but he refused to not hope in the Lord.  He didn’t know why he was being tormented but he knew that God was in control.

Today as we face troubles, tribulations, illnesses, and all the struggles this world brings, there is one thing we can hold to and that is a hope in Christ.   He may or may not deliver us the way that we are asking but one thing is for sure, when our hope is in Him our future is secure.

Seek Him and know that He is in control and that justice will be served.  I pray that He will find you righteous in His eyes and that the world may know that you are His by the righteousness you practice today.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila

Peace Comes from the Lord

Psalm 27

English Standard Version (ESV)

27 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
    whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
    of whom shall I be afraid?

² When evildoers assail me
    to eat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes,
    it is they who stumble and fall.

³ Though an army encamp against me,
    my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
    yet I will be confident.

⁴ One thing have I asked of the Lord,
    that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
    and to inquire in his temple.

⁵ For he will hide me in his shelter
    in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
    he will lift me high upon a rock.

⁶ And now my head shall be lifted up
    above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
    sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the Lord.

⁷ Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;
    be gracious to me and answer me!
⁸ You have said, “Seek my face.”
My heart says to you,
    “Your face, Lord, do I seek.”
⁹     Hide not your face from me.
Turn not your servant away in anger,
    O you who have been my help.
Cast me not off; forsake me not,
    O God of my salvation!
¹⁰ For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
    but the Lord will take me in.

¹¹ Teach me your way, O Lord,
    and lead me on a level path
    because of my enemies.
¹² Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;
    for false witnesses have risen against me,
    and they breathe out violence.

¹³ I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord
    in the land of the living!
¹⁴ Wait for the Lord;
    be strong, and let your heart take courage;
    wait for the Lord!

(https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+27&version=ESV)

I thought you might like to listen to this  amazing song after reading the scripture for today:

https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-iry-fullyhosted_011&hsimp=yhs-fullyhosted_011&hspart=iry&p=my+one+defense+my+rightousness+oh+God+how+I+need+you#id=2&vid=fa1744a05228f5550f4f0377edf8d579&action=view

As I was watching Ninja Warriors with my husband last night, one of the athletes had Psalm 27 written on her arm.  Of course I grabbed my Bible to see what she had on her arm because I could not readily remember what that chapter was about.  As I read the Psalm, I thought, this would be a good one to write about today.   

Often times when I am down and out, I can go to the Psalms and find comfort and strength in the words written.   I myself have cried out to the Lord and asked Him to hear me but when I think of the struggles that David faced, I realize my cries are quite minimal in nature yet God hears and cares for each and every cry that we make to Him.  As it says in Psalm 56:8, English Standard Version (ESV)

⁸ You have kept count of my tossings;
    put my tears in your bottle.
    Are they not in your book?

(https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+56%3A8&version=ESV)

He collects our tears, He hears our prayers, and He is our One defense, our righteousness and yes, we need Him!  I love the song along with this scripture today.  Life is hard, times can be rough but there is hope when you know and seek the Lord.

I have no idea what struggles you may be facing.  I have no idea what questions you have asked the Lord.  I have not heard your cries but I know our Heavenly Father has taken notice of you when you have cried to Him.

As you seek Him today may you find peace and comfort that comes only from the Lord.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila

How to Overcome the World

1 John 5:1-5

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

 

5 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him. ² By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. ³ For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. ⁴ For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

⁵ Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

(https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=I+John+5%3A+1-5&version=NASB)

 

Matthew 22:36-40New American Standard Bible (NASB)

³⁶ “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” ³⁷ And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the great and ^]foremost commandment. ³⁹ The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

(https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+22%3A36-40&version=NASB)

Last week I wrote about certainty in uncertain times.  I had the most views on that post as I think people are all uncertain about the days in which we live.  However, as it says in Ecclesiastes 1:9, “there is nothing new under the sun”.  Since sin arrived into this world with the bite of that forbidden fruit, sin has been happening.  When we start seeing those things as “normal” rather than as sin, God’s heart is grieved, just as we see in Genesis 6:5-8New American Standard Bible (NASB):

⁵ Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. ⁶ The Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. ⁷ The Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them.” ⁸ But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

(https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+6%3A5-8&version=NASB)

Why do you think Noah found favor in the sight of the Lord?  ⁹ These are the records of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God. (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+6%3A9&version=NASB)

Yes, he was a righteous man and there were none other like him in the land.  Now let’s forward ahead a whole bunch of years.  Now we are in the days just prior to Jesus coming to earth as a newborn babe.  Seems to me that things were not as bad as in the days of Noah so why did Jesus need to come to earth?  Malachi gives us these words: Malachi 2:17-3:1New American Standard Bible (NASB)

¹⁷ You have wearied the Lord with your words. Yet you say, “How have we wearied Him?” In that you say, “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and He delights in them,” or, “Where is the God of justice?”

3 “Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,” says the Lord of hosts.

(https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Malachi+2%3A17+-+3%3A1&version=NASB)

Just from reading this scripture I believe the times prior to the days of Jesus were much like they are today.  Today we hear how God is love and how He loves everyone.  We hear how we need to accept everyone, every religion, all is good, yet this is not  what the word of God says.  Today people can live on this earth, not follow the Lord, never claim Him as their own (as far as we know) and they die.  Somehow we believe that if God is a God of love then He won’t send anyone to hell.  Have you ever heard that argument?  I certainly have.  What we tend to forget is that God is a Just God, He is a God who loves those who believe on His name AND keep His commandments.  Keeping His commandments is not a way to salvation but it is evidence of our commitment to Him.  As the scripture says today, they are not burdensome.  We should delight in keeping His commandments. 

One last verse in Malachi for today as I feel it is important to share, Malachi 3:6a, “For I the Lord do not change,” these are important words to remember.  It is not up to the Lord to change, it is up to us to change. 

Are we keeping His commandments to Love the Lord our God with all our hearts, soul and mind?  Are we loving our neighbors as ourselves?  Are we living righteous lives in the sight of our Lord?  Are we believing in His name and living lives that show that we believe?  As you seek Him today, may you be encouraged to live your lives pleasing to our Father in Heaven.  Don’t worry about the future if the future includes the Lord your God.  He has this under His care.  He has proven to us time and time again that He is a loving God but He is also a just God.   Seek Him and know and you will overcome this world when you love the Lord your God and keep His commandments.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila