Continuing to Give Thanks

Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever. Psalm 107:1 (NKJV)

Thanksgiving Day has passed, but the reason we can be so thankful endures forever! What is that reason? God's mercy. Another verse says that His mercies are new every morning. Talk about second chances! We have offered to us a fresh start every day, if we'll just take it.

The whole chapter of Psalm 107 is a great read. It goes on to talk about redeemed, how before they cried out to God, they wandered aimlessly in a wilderness with hunger and thirst. However, when they finally cried out to God, He delivered them from their despair and fulfilled their deepest longing.

The chapter even talks about those who knew better, but rebelled against God. They were "bound in affliction and irons" because of their rebellion. Even then, when they came to their senses and came back to God, He "broke their chains in pieces" and set them free! That's mercy!

The next part of the chapter talks about fools drawing "near to the gates of death" and even then the Lord saved them when they finally surrendered to Him. Another Psalm says that a fool is one who says there is no God. I am so glad He is there at the point the atheist gives up and realizes there is a God. There's not only a God, but there's a Creator who loves him/her even when he/she denied Him and is more than ready to bring that true satisfaction that only comes through His free gift of redemption through Christ's sacrifice on the cross.

As Christians, are we living our lives in such a way that desperate people are drawn to the Christ in us? Are we showing that unconditional loving kindness that loves and receives all--even those who deny Christ? Lord, help us to be ready to bring those who don't know You to You when they are ready to come, and not condemn or push them away! We need to keep in mind that we didn't always know that He was there for us either, but now we do, and it is GOOD! That's why we should be ready to share with others when they are ready to listen what verses 8-9 of this chapter say:

Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
For He satisfies the longing soul
And fills the hungry soul with goodness.

Meet My Parents!

This is a picture of my mom and dad, Lorene and Don Barron, on their recent cruise. Dad came home and shared what he learned at a workshop on editing and posting pictures online.  This is my first attempt!  It worked!  You may see more pictures now!

Obedience - Better than Sacrifice

Obedience is better than sacrifice. In my mind, the word sacrifice has two connotations. 1. (noun) a burnt sacrifice to the Lord (as in the Old Testament animal sacrifices), and 2. (verb) giving something up that is dear. Both of these meanings can be a precious aroma in God’s nostrils, but they can also be a stinch if 1. they are not necessary, 2. they are done by rote as a religious “duty,” 3. they are done to be seen of men and not God.

More is to come on this in the unit on obedience in the book I'm writing, God's Chain Gang: Links in the Chain to Freedom. Any thoughts on this from the gallery? I'd like your feedback on this. Please leave comments.

I will leave you with one thought about #3 about doing "sacrifices" to be seen of men and not God. If God wants others to see the sacrifice you make for Him, He will show them, but if you do it with that in mind, then it is not truly a sacrifice to God. It is just a performance to gain approval of men. Hmmm...much more on THAT in future blogs and in the book, too!

Meditation - the Key to Obedience

This morning I felt that “nudge” of the Lord to wake up before the family. I knew He wanted me to do something. Was I to pray for someone, as that wake-up call often means? Was I to exercise and take care of my body I have been neglecting far too much lately? Was I to write something before the distractions of the day commence?

I prayed, “Lord, what do You want me to do? Why did you wake me? I want to follow Your leading. I want to obey You.” Obedience. For a split second I thought, “I’m so sleepy, and I don’t have clear direction as to what God wants me to do, so maybe He just wants me to go back to sleep!” No. I knew better. Then I prayed the scripture I so often pray, “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart (and I added my actions), be acceptable in thy sight…” Why didn’t God included “actions” in that scripture? I think because if we truly take the time to meditate, we will automatically want to do what pleases Him. After spending time considering the Lord, His Word, His character, and His promises, we will know what He wants us to do.

When we act on impulse, we usually get into trouble. Granted, sometimes something happens in an instant that we have to act on immediately, but more times than not, we can take time to meditate on what God wants us to do before we act prematurely. Besides, if we have made it a lifestyle to meditate on God's Word day and night, then we will do whats right on impulse when those instances arise.

Meditation. It keeps us out of trouble! Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the whole Bible, is all about that. Verse 11 states, "Your Word have I hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You." (NKJV)

After meditating on these truths this morning, I realized my act of obedience was to write this entry! This is going into my new book, God's Chain Gang: Links in the Chain to Freedom. You get the first sample! Please pray for me as I delve into writing this book. I hope to publish it in 2010. (Anyone want to pre-buy a copy?! :) )

Have a great day meditating on God, His Word, His character, and His promises!

Thanksgiving Vision Check

There are many things in our lives for which we have to be thankful. On the top of the list should be family and friends. However, so often those people we love the most end up being our thorn in the flesh. In the words of Rodney King, “Can’t we all just get along?”

What keeps relationships in turmoil? I venture to say “poor vision.” We all see things differently and tend to judge others by whether they view things our way.

When I saw this cartoon, I had to buy the license for permission to include it in this article! Frank has a one-track mind. All he is doing is clearing out the trees so we all can see the view. However, what he doesn’t realize is that he is tearing down the very foundation upon which his wife thrives.

That is exactly what happens in relationships that have conflict. The truth is that each of us has a different set of strengths and weaknesses. That means we all need each other! When one person primarily focuses on the other’s weaknesses and rarely on any of his strengths, like Frank, he is tearing down the very foundation of his cohort.

Instead, we need to ask God to show us the strengths of our loved one so we can see what a benefit they are in our life. We need to look for ways to build them up and not tear them down; ways to praise their strengths; ways to help them in their weaknesses. I have found that when I do these things, I start developing a fresh perspective about other people. I have even seen where what I thought was a weakness in a person often times ends up being a strength that I need! Imagine that!

This Thanksgiving, instead of dreading that family reunion, ask God to bless your gathering. Stop conjuring up potential conflicts in your mind and let go of past offenses before the guests arrive. Ask God to bless that one who normally grates on your nerves. Seek God to show you his strengths and give you insight as to how to deal with his idiosyncrasies. Look for ways to give grace so peace may abound around the banquet table.

It would be a great idea to put Jesus on your guest list! Remember the law of sewing and reaping? Well, you may just reap a cornucopia of His fruit this Thanksgiving….love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control! Oh, yes! Even so, come Lord Jesus!

Wilderness of Busyness

5:29. That's what my clock radio said when I woke up just now with the words, "Early will I seek you," running through my head. I have been telling God that I need to invest some time with Him in the morning when there seems to be a halt to all the busyness. There's no time like the present, right? It's actually a present that I can give to God and that He loves.

I went to www.biblegateway.com and found that verse in Psalm 63. Before the Psalm begins, it says, "A Psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah." That already says a lot to me! Judah represents praise in the Bible. I want my life to praise God. From the rising of the sun until it goes down, I am truly thankful to the Lord, my refuge and strength. But, sometimes--many times--life gets so hectic, I feel like I'm in a wilderness of busyness. So much goes on around me that sometimes the remembrance of God's presence gets lost in the shuffle. As soon as I recognize that, I want to come back to sit at His feet!

Psalm 63:1-5
O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
2 So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.

3 Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
4 Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name.
5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.

Join me today as we just pause and reflect on God's mercies that are new for us this very morning. As we seek Him, He will see to it that everything else will be taken care of. What security! What satisfaction!

Check out our October Newsletter for Legacy Ministries!

Simply click the link below to see our October Newsletter for Legacy Ministries. See what God did in September and what is in store for October. Ladies, also see about our 2010 Ladies Conference.

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