Bible Sparks

Sharing biblical lessons from everyday activities and the Word of God

Healed in the Waiting Room

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“Your results came back benign…” About 2 months ago, I visited a female doctor for a routine exam. After an unimpressive (that‘s putting it nicely) visit to another doctor previously, I decided to make a change. With light rain dusting across the windshield of my car, I remember being happy to get street parking right in front of the new practice. Cars were flying by so I reluctantly opened my door and quickly hopped out of the car. I then walked across the street as I was greeted by large oak trees that were more so like a temporary umbrella at this point since the rain had picked up.

After finally walking inside the building, I made my way to the elevator bank. I remember making small talk with a person riding up on the elevator with me. Then it was time to get off on the floor where the office is located. After finding the office, I checked in and was back in an exam room in no time. After answering the normal questions that every doctor asks, the exam started. Within a few minutes I recall the doctor saying,

“…lump…1 o’clock”

“Wait what!? What do you mean lump? What do you mean 1 o’clock?” This is what originally ran through my mind. The doctor asked me if I did self breast exams and I honestly answered, “No.” I didn’t think lumps were really prevalent in smaller/average size breasts. So, that’s why I didn’t do self breast exams. The doctor had me feel the lump as well. Yep, there was definitely something there. As a result, they then recommended I get a mammogram and ultrasound. I thought, “But I’m not 40! Aren’t mammograms for women 40 and up?”

I haven’t heard of ultrasounds hurting so I wasn’t anxious about that but the mammogram…I had only heard one thing… “they squeeze your breast in a machine and it hurts!” Yikes! I wasn’t looking forward to it but I eventually made the appointment because I knew it had to be done. I went to an office to get the mammogram and surprisingly it didn’t hurt at all! I was also told 3D is not as bad as 2D (which from my experience is accurate). The radiologist confirmed they saw a mass and that’s when the breast biopsy was recommended. If you are not familiar with breast biopsies they pretty much “numb” the breast and stick a core needle in it to get samples. Ouch is correct! This procedure hurts!! At least it did for me.

So, eventually I scheduled the breast biopsy. I was more interested in the actual procedure than the results. On the day of the exam, a local anesthesia was applied to numb the breast, some samples were taken with a core needle, they bandaged up the area, and did a 2D mammogram right afterwards! A hurting breast and a 2D mammogram are a bad mix. It’s like pain on top of more pain! There has to be a better way to do this procedure! This is also why I think 3D mammograms are way better than 2D mammograms. Night and day difference!

After grabbing comfort food following the procedure and many rounds of ice packs, a few days passed by and I had finally received the news…

“Your results came back benign”….

Prior to the breast biopsy someone asked me, “how are you feeling about it?” I said, “I’m not worried about the results. In my mind, it is benign.” I refused to entertain “What if?” In this situation. I refused to worry. Or maybe I was just tired of worrying about things. Thoughts tried to come up of needing to be prepared either way. But I just couldn’t entertain those thoughts. I decided that it is benign and I acted like it’s benign. The breast biopsy confirmed what was already in my mind.

I did think about how grateful I am to have Christ in my life. Honestly either way, in regards to the results, He is my preparation…my anchor…my strength…my hope. I meditated on healing scriptures, made up my mind, and moved forward. This may be taboo to talk about or share but I don’t care. I want to share my experience because I know that others have also gone through something similar or know someone else that has. Or maybe you were like me and didn’t know much about this topic.

There are a few things I want to note here:

  • Check your breasts regularly!
  • Be kind! You may not always know what is going on in someone’s life unless they tell you.
  • God is Healer! One thing I love about God is His consistency. He’s the same God yesterday, today, and forevermore.

The More Abundant Life In Jesus Christ

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Have you ever wished you had help making each of the thousands of decisions you have to make as you go throughout the day? Perhaps you are like me, it seems like deciding what to eat for lunch is one of the hardest decisions. I don’t think anyone likes making a bad decision when it comes to food. The average person supposedly makes around 35,000 decisions every day. That’s a lot if you ask me!

Recently, I was thinking about the fact that the culmination of the decisions we make over time results in the life we live. This compelled me to reflect on the decisions that I am currently making because…hey it’s adding up to be the life I am choosing to live. Then as I was thinking further about this, John 10:10 came to mind just as quickly,

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

I thought to myself, “What does this verse have to do with decision making?” All of a sudden, like light rushing into a dark room, I realized that the more abundant life Jesus offers us is a choice…it’s a decision that we continually make throughout our life. The abundant life is only realized In Jesus Christ!

So imagine this…you encounter a situation where you experience persecution. Persecution is not fun but the Bible gives us instruction in Mathew 5:44 on how to handle this type of situation. You have a choice to make. You could choose to address the situation in your own way and handle it yourself or you could choose to do what God’s Word says…pray! The Bible literally instructs and guides us on how to live life here on earth. It is our instruction manual. Here’s another example, Let’s say a situation arises that tries to bring anxiety. The Bible tells us how to address this situation as well but we still have a choice to make. We can choose to address it in the manner that aligns with God’s Word (found in Philippians 4:6) or we can choose to do our own thing.

In addition to having God’s Word, we have the Holy Spirit as well! He leads us…He guides us…He helps us! Still, it is our choice to yield to Him as He leads us throughout life. Galatians 5:25 says, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” Our lives are to be aligned with God’s Word and Holy Spirit led.

Ultimately, the more abundant life is realized in Jesus Christ! It is realized by choosing to be a doer of God’s Word.  It first starts with the choice to receive Jesus Christ into your heart and accept His gift of salvation. The abundant life Jesus offers cannot be realized apart from Him! Once we have accepted Christ, we continually choose the more abundant life as we choose His way of living. As stated in John 10:10, Jesus came “that [we] may have life, and that [we] may have it more abundantly.” It is our personal choice through our everyday decision making process if we receive the abundant life that has been made available to us all!

Heavenly Father, thank you for helping me to continually make decisions that allow me to realize the abundant life you have made available. I thank you for your promises and I am grateful for the privilege to live life more abundantly In Jesus Christ! Holy Spirit, thank you for continually leading, guiding, and helping me live the life that God has called me to live. I choose to live life more abundantly! In Jesus Name, Amen!

Ephphatha “Be Opened” (Hope for the New Year)

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Years ago, I remember attending a Christian conference in New Orleans, LA. My sister had invited me to join her and the Christian campus ministry she was a leader in at the time and of course I gladly joined. The main theme of the conference was primarily focused on the truth that Jesus is the remedy for everything. After a week of hearing amazing minsters speak throughout the entire conference, there was one word that stood out to me more than anything…Ephphatha.

“It sounds kind of funny honestly! What does it mean?” These are a few thoughts I had after hearing this word. In Mark 7:31-35, we find “Ephphatha” tucked away within the passage of scripture:

Again, departing from the region of Tyre and Sidon, He came through the midst of the region to Decapolis to the Sea of Galilee. Then they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on him. And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue. Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, “Ephphatha,” this is, “Be opened.” Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly.

I had previously read the scripture where “Ephphatha” is found, but I did not remember the words that followed…”Be opened!”

Within the scripture, we see a man that was deaf with a speech impediment being brought to Jesus. I absolutely love that people were brought to Jesus all throughout the gospels. They must have believed that He was able do something about their situation 🙂 Afterwards, we see that Jesus takes the man aside from the multitude and heals him. The man was formerly deaf with a speech impediment but is now able to hear and speak! Oh what an encounter with God can do!

“Ephphatha”…”Be opened!” Simple yet powerful! I believe God’s desire for the body of Christ is to be hearing and speaking, not deaf and mute. May we do what God has said to do in His Word and proclaim the Good News! May we be about our Father’s business! “Ephphatha”…”Be opened!” As we go throughout life, let us “be opened” to being used by God! As you study the Bible, see yourself doing the works that Jesus did in the Bible. See yourself laying your hands on the sick and them recovering! See yourself opening the eyes of the blind! See yourself raising the dead to life (because hello…God has not changed)! See yourself winning souls for the Kingdom of God! I encourage you to step out on the promises of God and do the Word! Be blessed!!

Heavenly Father, I pray that our eyes are opened even further to the truth of Your Word! I pray that we have greater revelation of who we are in Christ and the plan and purpose You have for our life! I pray that we be opened to being used by You God! In Jesus Name, Amen!

The Way of the Righteous

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“To the right there? Do you see it?” This past summer I had the privilege of serving as a leader at a youth summer camp with my church. The campsite was beautiful! Imagine being in the country with tall oak trees gently cascading down rollings hills, a lake perfectly reflecting gleamers of the sun, and miles of trails. Yes it was beautiful! One particular morning, I woke up early to go on a run. During the run, I noticed the greenery on the right side of a set of steps I had to go down to get to the trails. “Leaves of three, let it be.” This is a phrase I was taught to easily identify poison ivy and lo and behold there it was…”To the right there? Do you see it?”

As I was recently scrolling through my phone, I came across this picture I took of those exact same steps. It honestly reminded me of Psalm 1:1-3….

Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.
-Psalm 1:1-3

The degradation within this passage of scripture can visually be represented with the steps. Blessed is the man…

Step 1- Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly
Step 2- Nor stands in the path of sinners
Step 3- Nor sits in the seat of the scornful

“To the right there? Do you see it?” It is interesting that poison ivy can easily be identify by three leaves because here we see three characteristics which identify the blessed man or the way of the righteous. Degradation happens over time…it’s a process. Imagine a person walking in the counsel of the ungodly. They are moving at least but eventually they get comfortable. Now they are standing in the path of sinners and are not moving at all. Eventually, they get comfortable standing and decide to go ahead and sit in the seat of the scornful. Uh oh. Do you see the degradation? I imagine this person didn’t wake up one day intending to go down a path different than the way of the righteous. It is a result of choices made over time as they became more and more comfortable.

Two more characteristics that we can see of the blessed man are…
1.) His delight is in the law of the Lord
2.) And in His law he meditates day and night

This person is intentionally seeking God. Delighting in the Word and consistently meditating the Word. I love the visual we are given in the Bible to represent this person. It says,

He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth it’s fruit in it’s season,
Whose leaf also shall not whither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.
-Psalm 1:3

That sounds like a promise to me 🙂 I believe that as we continually choose God’s way (the way of the righteous), we too are like this tree planted by the rivers of water (drawing from God, our source). We are bringing forth fruit in it’s season. Our leaf also shall not whither. And whatever we do shall prosper! Do you see yourself doing this? I can! Together let’s choose the way of the righteous 🙂

Of course, I had to include a picture of the lake as well 🙂

Return To Sender

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Return To SenderEvery now and then, actually every time I go to the mailbox, there is mail amongst my mail that has somebody else’s name on it. So weird right haha!? I usually leave it on the kitchen counter until I can write RTS (return to sender) on it and drop it back in the mailbox. I’m eating a late lunch right now and decided to go grab a pen to write RTS on the outside of the envelope and Holy Spirit literally just downloaded a message.

He showed me that the mail that was sent to the wrong address is analogous to lies the enemy sends to our address…the address of our minds. That is the way the enemy tries to deceive us…by getting us to believe a lie. The battlefield is in our minds!

So, I’m currently looking at this envelope and the first thing I think is, “That’s not me! Let me go ahead and write RTS on the envelope so this can be returned to the sender.” Then I thought, if I didn’t know my identity…if I didn’t know who I am (hi my name is LaRonda 🙂 ), I would have just opened up that mail as if it was for me just because of the fact that it was sent to my address. This is similar to the importance of us knowing our identity In Christ!

Every thought that comes to mind may not always be the truth. The mind is where the enemy tries to defeat us so it makes sense that he would try to get us to believe lies. But we are not ignorant of his devices (2 Corinthians 2:11). The Word of God says that we are to take EVERY thought captive to the obedience of Christ! (2 Corinthians 10:5) I used to think, “Okay, I’ll take all the thoughts that don’t seem good and bring them to the obedience of Christ.” The problem with this is that’s not what the Bible says! It says “take EVERY thought captive to the obedience of Christ!”

The thing about a lie is that it can be close to the truth. So close that it looks like the truth. It’s like a disguise. Like a wolf in sheep’s clothing! So, if we just decide to take some thoughts captive it leaves room for lies to slip in. Does that make sense? God wants to help us in identifying the truth and rejecting the lies. He gave us Himself (The Word) as well as the Holy Spirit. The Word of God is truth (John 17:17) and the Holy Spirit leads us into all truth (John 16:13). We don’t have to go through life trying to battle the lies of the enemy alone.

So, the next time the enemy tries to convince you that you’re not good enough, not forgiven, not loved, not accepted, not whatever….go ahead and write RTS on that thought and call it out for what it is…a lie! Be blessed!

What Are You Wearing?

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Christian Character Clothing“Did you hear that? The sound of thousands of feet passing nearby just outside the city gates. What is that?” These are a few of the questions I imagine Blind Bartimaeus asking as he felt the dust on the road swiftly being moved aside by the feet of the multitude. Could this be Him? Jesus, the one I had heard of before? I can see Blind Bartimaeus, filled with hope, slowly drawing closer toward the large crowd and asking, “What is happening?” After hearing that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by, Blind Bartimaeus cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Mark 10:47)” Then many from the crowd yelled at him telling him to be quiet. But don’t they know this is Jesus? Don’t they know this is the promised Messiah? He is able to heal me? This is my only chance. I must cry out louder! “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Unsure of whether Jesus had heard his cry or not, I can see Bartimaeus getting desperate. But then shortly afterwards, some people from the crowd tell him, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you! (Mark 10:49)” Jesus is calling for me! Well, I won’t be needing this old thing!  So,

throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus. So Jesus answered and said to him, “What do you want Me to do for you? The blind man said to Him “Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.

(Mark 10:50-52)

As I was studying the Bible recently, I couldn’t help but to notice multiple references to the garment or type of clothing that characters wore throughout the Bible. From linen and purple to sackcloth and ashes, I realized that people didn’t put on certain types of clothes just to “wear” them. The garments one wore seemed to give insight into the condition of the person. The clothes had meaning. They told a story.

So here, in the story of Blind Bartimaeus, we can see that the clothes he wore while he was blind give us insight into his condition. Throughout the Bible, we can see that it was common for beggars to wear a certain type of clothing. Given the condition of Bartimaeus, he was unable to work jobs that required physical labor so he became a beggar. But Jesus heard his cry and we can see that Blind Bartimaeus was healed! As we further examine this story, notice that Bartimaeus “threw aside his garment” in the process of rising and coming to Jesus. It appears as though Bartimaeus displayed faith by the very act of throwing aside his garment as he went to see Jesus. He believed he would no longer have need of the clothes which signified that he was a beggar. So, by faith, he cast those garments aside. I can see Bartimaeus saying, “Healed people don’t wear beggars clothing. I believe that I receive.” So, Bartimaeus threw aside his garment and received his sight! We can even see faith displayed in the words that Bartimaeus spoke and his attitude. He was persistent in asking Jesus to have mercy on him. Even when many from the crowd told him to be quiet, he cried out louder. He didn’t let other people stop him from receiving. Faith is a firm persuasion…to be fully convinced. Bartimaeus had faith that Jesus was able to restore his sight so he didn’t give up in his pursuit. He was persistent and maintained an attitude of faith! I love it!!

In the Bible, we can see that priests, lepers, widows, mourners, and more each had certain types of clothing that indicated their status. You knew the condition or status of a person simply by observing the type of garments they were wearing. As I studied the story of Bartimaeus, I was reminded of Jesus “rising from supper, laying aside His garment, and wrapping a towel around his waist” in John 13:4 right before he began to wash the disciples feet. Jesus took on the form of a servant. This was a visual display of the new commandment Jesus gave to love one another unconditionally. It was an example He gave us to follow. Also, in Isaiah 61:3, we can see that God gave us “the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.” That’s good news!!

There are many items throughout the Word that we are told to put on or take off. God really cares about the clothing we are wearing 🙂 We are told to…

  • put on “the whole armor of God” (Ephesian 6)
  • put on “tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering…and love” (Colossians 3:12-14)
  • be “clothed with humility” (1 Peter 5:5)
  • “put off our old self” (Ephesians 4:22)
  • “lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us” (Hebrews 12:1)
  • put off “anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and filthy language” (Colossians 3:8)

Now that I think of it, the way we dress could give insight into our condition…insight into our status. Redeemed…Delivered….Loved…Healed…Righteous….A Child of God! Are you choosing to put on love? What about kindness or humility? Our decision of what we chose to wear as we go throughout life can determine whether people see God in us or not. That’s huge! It looks like The Word of God is a great personal stylist for help deciding what to wear and what not to wear 🙂 Who knew God was so interested in clothing! Psalms 104:1-2 even tells us that God Himself is “clothed with honor and majesty…covered with light as with a garment.” So beautiful!! I encourage you to pause, reflect and honestly ask yourself the question, “(Insert Your Name Here), What Are You Wearing?”

Whoa Baby, Look How Much You’ve Grown

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Spiritual GrowthFor everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven…A time to plant and a time to harvest (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2).

Have you ever considered how much plants and your life have in common? Last year I received a unique birthday gift from my husband. It was a blue pot that had soil in it. My husband told me that bulbs of my favorite flower had been planted in the soil and would grow over time. For an individual who knew very little about properly caring for a plant, I was excited yet skeptical about how successful this process would be.

I remember taking trips to the porch frequently to water the plant. Other days when water wasn’t needed, I would go outside just to see if there was any progress in the growth process. Personally, the hardest part for me was waiting patiently and watching for some sign of hope to show itself above the soil. Days passed, weeks passed, and even a couple of months passed; however, my plant successfully grew. I was so excited and would often say, “Whoa baby, look how much you’ve grown.”

This summer my attempts with planting did not go as well as last year. It’s ok, I’m still learning. I’ll just try again next year. Although my pursuit of growing plants this year was unsuccessful, I still learned some valuable life lessons through planting.

One sunny day I remember staring out the window at my pots with freshly planted seeds. I was so grateful for the sun because it had been overcast and raining every day for almost a week. My plants, that had yet to sprout, could finally get all the food and nurture they needed. Again, came the process of waiting patiently for a sign of hope. I frequently wondered if anything was happening beneath the soil, but of course, I knew the answer would be revealed in time. During that very moment God reminded me that just because I couldn’t see below the soil, it didn’t mean nothing was happening. He also pointed out to me that all plants don’t grow at the same rate. Some plants need more time and nurture to fully grow and develop. Either way, it takes faith and hope to believe that change is occurring even when I can’t see it.

This moment wasn’t just about a plant, it was about life. I reflected on seeds in my own life that I had recently worked so hard to plant; praying and hoping that one day I would see the results of my labor. Despite all of my hard work, many days I felt like nothing was happening and wondered if it was all in vain. It’s amazing how with time and patience, some of the seeds that I felt were growing the least were in the process of manifesting the whole time.

My reflective question to you today: What seeds in your life are you tired of waiting on to fully develop? What seeds in the soil of your life do you need to look at and say, “Be patient, give it a little more time?” Have you been anxiously waiting to see the results of a seed planted in your life called faith, authenticity, patience, timeliness, consistency, self-awareness, courage, health, balance, etc.? You may not be able to see every seed in your life quickly grow and manifest right before your eyes; honestly sometimes you may not notice any change at all. During those moments remember that just because you can’t always see below the soil it doesn’t mean that nothing is happening. When you least expect it, you will realize your hard work was not in vain, and just like my planting season last year, you will surprisingly and gratefully look at yourself in the mirror with a smile and say, “Whoa baby, look how much you’ve grown.”

How to Rejoice when you don’t feel so joyful

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Rejoice! What does that word even mean? I remember recently going through a season where it seemed like there was a lot going on in my life personally and in the lives of those around me. Have you ever just been at a place where all you could say was, “Jesus!?!” Well, this was that season. It got to the point where a co-worker was driving and randomly saw me and noticed that I looked really sad. Anyone who knows me knows that I always have a smile on my face and an optimistic, happy go lucky, personality no matter what is going on. Yet that day, I realized my focus was off and it showed. What was going on affected me to the point where it could be seen in my facial expression at that time. I remember someone in the past saying, “LaRonda! You always have a smile on your face! No matter what, you’re always smiling and optimistic. If I ever see you without a smile I know that something is really going on.” Weird how that comment came to mind after hearing the words of my co-worker who observed the change in my countenance that day. There was so much happening that I just had to choose not to be stressed and to trust God. Looking back, I realized that I was going through spiritual attacks. It literally felt like I was being Mike Tysoned in the spiritual realm and it seemed to come from out of nowhere. As I was reading the Word one day, I remember coming across a lot of scriptures that encourage us to rejoice as Christians. Of course, in that season, I can honestly tell you that rejoicing was the last thing I was thinking about doing. Who rejoices when they’re going through hell? As I kept reading and noticing more and more scriptures that encourage us to rejoice as Christians I was reminded that it didn’t matter what was going on or how I felt, the Word encourages us to REJOICE! So, how do you rejoice when you don’t feel so joyful?

 

  1. Fix Your Focus

Now I know some of you may be thinking, “Hold up…wait a minute!” And I thought the same thing. “Why would I be happy or joyful or rejoice about something that doesn’t feel so happy and joyful?” It seems to contradict what may be going on or to be fake to be joyful and jolly when you’re in a rough season. But here’s the thing…the basis for rejoicing should not even be dependent on what’s going on externally. As Christians, we have much reason to rejoice because of what has already been done within us internally.

“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” -2 Corinthians 5:17

Because of the work Jesus did on the cross, we have a reason to rejoice no matter what is happening! When we focus on that truth, we are able to rejoice ALWAYS!”

I see rejoicing as similar to putting a phone on a charger. Rejoicing helps you to maintain your joy like plugging in your phone to the charger helps you keep a charge. Rejoicing is like a recharging of your joy. Paul was in prison, locked in chains, and he was still thankful and joyful, praising God! Philippians 4:4 says, “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.” Paul’s repetition of the word rejoice in this scripture emphasizes it’s importance. Actually, when you think about it, rejoicing regardless of what is going on should cause us to shift our focus to Christ and off of the situation. There is joy in the presence of the Lord! (Psalm 16:11)

Why is it important to rejoice or that we maintain our joy? God must have known that the enemy would try to steal it! That’s probably one of the reasons he reinforces this so much throughout the Word. John 10:10 says, “The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy. God’s come to give us life and life more abundantly!” If we allow the enemy to steal our joy, we give him an open door to do damage in our life. He can come and take other things as well through this open door. Nehemiah 8:10 says, “The joy of the Lord is our strength.” Since the joy of the Lord is our strength, it makes sense why the enemy would want to steal it! Imagine someone kicking your legs from under you…that’s an example of what it visually looks like if you allow the enemy to steal your joy. It prevents you from moving forward and running the race God has called you to run! Notice I said ALLOW! Just because situations arise you don’t have to allow them to steal your joy. I recall shopping at a store once and noticed an employee who was always smiling and happy every time I visited. Joy just seemed to exude from them so one day I couldn’t help but to stop and tell them that their attitude was refreshing. I also asked them if they knew Jesus and they said, “That’s the reason I’m so joyful!” Don’t you just love that! It’s encouraging to see other people exuding joy despite their circumstances. I didn’t personally know the employee at the store but I’m sure they had their own battles throughout life like all of us, yet their joy was consistent in spite of what may or may not have been happening. As I think about it, their joy was reflective of God’s consistency in our life.

 

  1. Trust God

I love the story of the 3 Hebrew boys in the book of Daniel. Their ability to trust and praise God in the midst of the fire (literally) is amazing! Not to mention that King Nebuchadnezzar noticed a fourth man in the fire with them which represents God’s continual presence with us. No matter what we go through, we can find comfort in the fact that God is with us and that He never leaves us nor forsakes us. The 3 Hebrew boys could have looked at their circumstances and allowed it to discourage them or to allow it to get them in fear but they didn’t. They chose to stand on God’s Word! And at the end of the day, they didn’t even look like what they went through. They didn’t look like they had been through the fire or even smell like it. Only God can do that! They chose to put their focus on God and trust in Him!

 

  1. Faith It

I’ve learned to “Faith It” and use my authority against the attacks of the enemy. REJOICE… yep, even when you don’t feel like it. Why? Because that’s what the Bible says 🙂 As Christians, we aren’t to operate by our feelings! The Bible says “the just shall live by faith!” Forget your feelings! Rejoicing is a choice! It’s a choice you have to make no matter what is going on. It takes faith to rejoice! And faith pleases God 🙂 Rejoicing and giving thanks and being thankful in all circumstances is a sign of spiritual maturity. Joy is a fruit of the spirit. It takes faith to rejoice in the midst of the not so happy moments! (When the absolute last thing you feel like doing is to rejoice). It goes against what your flesh tells you to do! No, I’m not saying you should not cry or show any emotions (or go through your process) but it shouldn’t be what rules or dominates you! Don’t stay there! We as Christians aren’t to be moved by how we feel…or even by what we see. We are to be moved by God’s Word! And God’s Word tells us to REJOICE!

 

Your Fruit Matters

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But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! (Galatians 5:22-23)

What kind of fruit do you produce on your job? My job? Yes, your job. Whether you wake up excited and vibrant ready to embark upon another day of work, or you drag yourself out of bed wishing the weekend would come more quickly, the type of fruit you produce on your job does matter and it can make a difference in the lives of others.

For the past five years I’ve worked nights as a nurse in a hospital. As one can imagine I’ve taken care of all different types of patients and their family. I’ve worked shifts where everything went smoothly, and my patients were content, but I’ve also worked shifts where it seemed that no matter what I did and how hard I tried a patient was not satisfied. Typically, this has nothing to do with me directly as their nurse, but compiled frustrations of being sick and hospitalized for several days; however, caring for an unsatisfied patient can still make a shift very challenging and tiring.

Over the course of my career, I’ve developed the habit of saying a prayer before I start any shift at the hospital. I pray that God will be with me (my hands, feet, mind and tongue) as I care for His people. It’s during the busier and more stressful nights that sometimes I must stop in my tracks, amid quickly gathering another medicine or filling another cup with ice and water and ask the Lord to help me adequately get through the remainder of the shift. How amazing is it that on several occasions when I’ve least expected it, the same patients who made my night rather challenging were the same ones who by the end of the shift said, “Thank you for being patient with me. Thank you for being so kind. We need more nurses like you.”

Reflecting on a shift, I remember hearing a variation of these comments from two separate patients. Hearing compliments like these only made me smile at God with admiration and gratefulness. I could only think, “Wow God how cool is that? Patient. Kind. Those are all fruits of the Spirit you’ve shown to my patients, through me, amid a stressful and difficult night.”

So again, I ask, what type of fruit do you produce on your job? In your life it may be the typical Monday through Friday nine to five, or volunteer at a local center, or a busy day at home with your children. In whatever way a job is displayed in your life right now, know that your fruit matters because you never know how the kind of fruit you produce can positively impact the life of another, while reflecting the character of Jesus Christ.

Distractions

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“Wake up. Quiet Time. Write out to-do list. Review presentation for work. Reply to Alex text message. Make breakfast. Find keys. Clean up the box of cereal that the dog just spilled. Wait…What was it I was supposed to be doing again?” Distractions…How many of us have had this happen during our day? “I promise I meant to call you but I got distracted and totally forgot!” It’s not uncommon that many of us experience moments that would cause us to get sidetracked. It’s like you have something in mind that you plan to do and then before you know it, something else comes up and shifts your focus from what you intended to do to a completely different task.

There are a number of items that grab for our attention as we go throughout the day. Many of us have to manage different projects, meetings, spending time with various people, social media, and a number of other things. I’m not sure about you but I write down notes as I go throughout the day to keep up with everything. Amongst all of the things that demand for our attention, I’ve found that direction from God at the beginning and during the day is key. Sitting still with Him first thing in the morning, before the busyness of the day gets started, and getting direction from Him has been invaluable. This time helps me prioritize my to-do list for the day and allows me to discern what I need to say no to. If I don’t do this, everything automatically seems to become a yes which is super unproductive.

As I was reading the Bible one day I came across the story of what the Bible called “A man of God.” No name is given…the Bible just tells us that he was a man of God. There was something very interesting though about the story of this man of God. During his day, Jeroboam had become the king of Israel and did not do what was pleasing in the sight of the Lord…bummer. In response, the Lord sent this man of God as a prophet to denounce Jeroboam. Let’s look at these verses in 1 Kings 13:1-22:

“At the Lord’s command, a man of God from Judah went to Bethel, arriving there just as Jeroboam was approaching the alter to burn incense. Then at the Lord’s command, he shouted, “O alter, alter! This is what the Lord says” A child named Josiah will be born into the dynasty of David. On you he will sacrifice the priests from the pagan shrines who come here to burn incense, and human bones will be burned on you. That same day the man of God gave a sign to prove his message. He said, “The Lord has promised to give this sign: This alter will split apart, and its ashes will be poured out on the ground.”

When King Jeroboam heard the man of God speaking against the alter at Bethel, he pointed at him and shouted, “Seize the man!” But instantly the king’s hand became paralyzed in that position, and he couldn’t pull it back. At the same time a wide crack appeared in the alter, and the ashes poured out, just as the man of God had predicted in his message from the Lord.

The king cried out to the man of God, “Please ask the Lord your God to restore my hand again!” So the man of God prayed to the Lord, and the king’s hand was restored and he could move it again.

Then the king said to the man of God, “Come to the palace with me and have something to eat, and I will give you a gift.”

But the man of God said to the king, “Even if you gave me half of everything you own, I would not go with you. I would not eat or drink anything in this place. For the Lord gave me this command: You must not eat or drink anything while you are there, and do not return to Judah by the same way you came.” So he left Bethel and went home another way.

As it happened, there was an old prophet living in Bethel, and his sons came home and told him what the man of God had done in Bethel that day. They also told their father what the man had said to the king. The old prophet asked them, “Which way did he go?” So they showed their father which road the man of God had taken. “Quick, saddle the donkey,” the old man said. So they saddled the donkey for him, and he mounted it.

Then he rode after the man of God and found him sitting under a great tree. The old prophet asked him, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?” “Yes, I am,” he replied. Then he said to the man of God, “Come home with me and eat some food.” “No, I cannot,” he replied. “I am not allowed to eat or drink anything here in this place. For the Lord gave me this command: ‘You must not eat or drink anything while you are there, and do not return to Judah by the same way you came.’”

But the old prophet answered, “I am a prophet, too, just as you are. And an angel gave me this command from the Lord: ‘Bring him home with you so he can have something to eat and drink.’” But the old man was lying to him. So they went back together, and the man of God ate and drank at the prophet’s home.

Then while they were sitting at the table a command from the Lord came to the old prophet. He cried out to the man of God from Judah, “This is what the Lord says: You have defied the word of the Lord and have disobeyed the command the Lord your God gave you. You came to this place and ate and drank where he told you not to eat or drink. Because of this your body will not be buried in the grave of your ancestors.”

Wow! Here we have a man of God that was given a specific message with detailed instructions on how to carry out everything. The first distraction came from Jeroboam who attempted to invite him to his house. The man of God wisely refused and responded with the command God had given him. The second distraction interestingly came from another prophet who was older and also invited him to his house. The man of God wisely responded with the command God had given him yet the old prophet told him that he had a different command of the Lord for the man of God. Yikes! Unfortunately, the man of God was persuaded by the old prophet and he went to eat and drink in the very land which the Lord commanded him not to eat and drink. This distraction literally cost him his life!

The reason why the older prophet lied to the man of God is unknown. More than anything though I believe one of the main takeaways is to be led by God and to hold onto what He tells you! If you are in Christ, you are His sheep and you hear His voice! It’s important that each of us cultivate our own personal relationship with God! Yes, God can speak to us through people but if what you’re receiving from someone else doesn’t confirm something God has already shown you I encourage you to “put it on the shelf” and continue walking with God and walking in the revelation He has already given you. (Put it on the shelf means don’t focus on it. Focus on God J). God uses man but not to contradict what He has already said. “God is not a man that He should lie” (Numbers 23:19). I want to encourage everyone not to allow anything to distract you from God or from “attending to His Word” as you go throughout life (Proverbs 4:20-22). Trust Him! You are His sheep and you hear His voice (John 10:27)! You know Him! (John 14:17) God honors His Word! Be blessed!