Think Carefully.

A scribe came to Jesus and said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go."

But Jesus said, "The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head."

Another man said to Jesus, "Lord, permit me to go and bury my father first. (He thought he should wait until his father passed on before following Jesus)

Jesus said, "Follow me, and allow the dead to bury their dead."

My Bible commentary says, "Jesus was always direct with those who wanted to follow him. He made sure they counted the cost and set aside any conditions they might have."

The scribe needed to realize there would be no worldly or monetary benefit to following Jesus. The second man needed to realize the decision to follow Jesus should not be put off. We should put him first above our family and all other considerations.

"Your Eye is a Lamp."

Jesus said, "The eye is the lamp of the body; so if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!"

The commentary in my Bible, New American Standard Life Application Study Bible says:

"A clear eye is one that is fixed on God."

"A clear eye sees the world through God's point of view."

I like what they said. I want to fix my eyes on Jesus and see people with his point of view.

He Has Given Us Everything.

II Peter 1:3-4
“His divine power has granted us everything pertaining to life and godliness.”

I read this verse this morning and was excited by the thought that God has already given us all we need to live this life and and to live it in godliness. This gift is ours. The next verse tells us how we receive it. “Through the true knowledge of Him who called us…”

The knowledge of God comes through the Bible. The next verse: “By these (knowledge from the Bible) he has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises. By these promises we partake of the divine nature…”

I’ve realized that in the past I didn’t really believe all of God’s promises. It seemed to me they were for Super-Christians, not me. I didn’t think I had strong enough faith. But I believe now that all of God’s promises are for me. I believe he has given me everything I need to cope with life and live a godly life because this is what he says. Belief has given me peace and confidence in what the Lord can do for me.

Forgiveness.

"Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”
Colossians 3:13

I read an article that said most people believe communication is the most important thing in a marriage. But when asked, a woman who had been married a long time said she would say the most important thing is forgiveness.

You can communicate your hurt feelings, but you can also hang onto them for a long time. You can tell your spouse what is wrong, but how do you fix what is wrong. Forgiveness.

I find this to be true in my marriage. Forgiveness means you look at your husband with love and acceptance. Unforgiveness means you look at him with contempt or hatred. I'm thankful my husband and I have learned how to forgive each other.

Thank you God for the gift of forgiveness!

We are Chosen.

I have started reading 1Peter and I have been moved by the first seven verses. The Bible is so rich in truth and goodness.

Verse 2 says we have been:

1. Chosen by God.
2. Sanctified by the Holy Spirit to obey Jesus.
3. Sprinkled with Jesus' blood.

One verse tells us the different works of God.

Verses 3 and 4 tell us we have a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. We have an inheritance which is "...imperishable, undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you."

A beautiful promise for our future.

Verse 6 talks about our suffering here in this world. "...even though now, for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials..."

Verse 7 tells us what will be the result of our trials. "...to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ."

The Light of Dawn.

"The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day." Proverbs 4:18

Both of my sisters are Christians. Every year when I go down to Nevada to visit them I notice they have grown spiritually. They are more patient, thoughtful and kind. When I read this verse this morning, I thought of them.

I told one sister how much she has changed every year. She said, "I don't think I've changed at all. How have I changed?" I then told her how I could see God's work in her life. She was amazed. I think sometimes we change so slowly that we cannot see it ourselves. It is like the first gleam of dawn. We don't see the movement of the earth or sun - but the movement is there until it is the full light of day.

It is best we don't look at ourselves too much anyway. It is best to keep our eyes on Jesus who is the Author and Finisher of our faith.

We are Complete in Him.

I was watching Joyce Meyer today and she quoted Colossians 2:10 "For you are complete in Him..."

My ears perked up at that. I have never felt complete. I feel full of gaps and holes. I feel like I need to be patched up; that there are too many things wrong with me. I don't feel whole. But these are just feelings.

The preceding verse says, "For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form..."  Jesus is full of God and in Jesus I am complete; I am fully formed; I am whole.  These words aren't feelings, they are facts. I am complete in Jesus.

Thank you God for making me whole!