The morsel you have eaten, you will vomit up, and waste your pleasant words. Proverbs 23:8

What a gross thing to think about eating something we think is good then turn around and vomit it up. Yuck! Yet, we can do that in the conversations we engage in with others. We spend time with co-workers or friends and before too long the conversation turns to gossip or negativity. As we feed on the topic, we get sucked into the feast of poison. Our engagement in the conversation just fuels it's fire and shows our approval by allowing it to occur. 

As a child of God, your speech should be seasoned with grace, always with a spirit of forgiveness, humbleness and love. When we engage in conversations counter to these spiritual attributes, we weaken our testimony to those around us and others will be quick to mention our name and unspoken approval of such negative thinking when the next poisionous feast occurs. You are a light. Don't allow yourself to walk in the darkness. Those around you will quickly try to blow out that light so their wicked ways won't be exposed. Walk away from those feasts of negativity and say a prayer for them. There is much said when you stand away,yet visible from a distance. 

There is a lot of talk these days. Don't get sucked into the darkest of conversations....be the light that shines from afar and keep praying for those who toxify themselves with negativity and gossip. Your lack of engagement will keep your mind free to focus on right things and walk in the way of the Lord. Stay the course friend and keep your light shining for Him. God bless.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. 

Isaiah 43:2

Back in my college years, I took a semester of study out west in Colorado. It was the most awesome time of my life. But, on one occasion I faced death head on. The group I was with had to hike up Pike's Peak, to timberline. There, were cabins that awaited us. About 3/4 the way up the mountain, we felt the effects of less oxygen the further we climbed. It was a struggle for this flatlander to take each step. Then, out of no where this powerful winter storm hit us on the side of that mountain. Blowing snow, frigid temperatures and less oxygen made for a very difficult climb. Our group would take a few steps, then fall to the ground for air and rest. Eventually we made it to the cabins, but not without some of our group experiencing frostbite and dehydration.

Looking back, I am still amazed that we even survived. The trail was covered in snow.  Thankfully our group leader knew the way up the mountain. Without him, we probably wouldn't have made it. How about you....have you ever experienced a life and death matter and came out alive and well? God watches over His children. 

Unexpected storms can blow in from out of no where, leaving us with the fear of defeat, even death. But, when we call upon the Lord, He makes a provider, Jesus Christ. He knows the way through your predicament. Trust Him with every step. As today's verse says.....you will walk through the fire's and waters of life, but they will not knock you over or scorch you. 

Storms of life never cease. If you are going through one now, follow Him through the fire, wade through the deep waters with confidence. He loves you enough to shield you from the worst of the storm. It may seem like hell, it might feel like a flood....on the other side of His protective hand is defeat....thankfully you are on the inside of that hand, protected. Thank Him for His protection and guidance. Travel through the storms of life knowing He is always with you. God bless.

 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. 

2 Corinthians 3:18

 Have you ever gone for a period of time with something on your face, hair sticking up in the back or maybe your shirt collar not positioned just right? All this goes on, until you step in front of a mirror and see the flaw. You quickly fix the problem and hope no one noticed...but if they did, you ask why didn't they say anything. Embarrassment probably accompanies this situation as well.

Reality check, as a child of God, have you looked in the spiritual mirror to see if you have any flaws going on in your daily life? If you are human, you most certainly do have some flaws. No one is perfect and we all sin. But there might be something going on in your life that flies just under your fleshly radar, yet doesn't truly reflect the image of God to those outside the faith. Maybe there is a pleasure, habbit or relationship that doesn't reflect the pureness of Christ? Genesis says, God created man in His image. Are you reflecting Christ in all areas of your life? 

If you are a child of God, it should be your goal to surrender everything that blurs His reflection. Trust me, no one on earth will question your questionable behavior. That's why it's important to go before God every day and ask Him to create awareness of your fleshly flaws and help your fix those little pieces of life sticking up or align your relationships in His will. You can go forever without looking in a mirror, but for the believer, it's important to always stand in front of God's mirror to make sure your reflecting the right image. Check yourself today and ask God to reveal those flaws and fix them immediatly. The world is watching and need His image to live by. 

Have a blessed day.

Psalm 115:5-8 ⁵They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. ⁶They have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but cannot smell. ⁷They have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but cannot walk, nor can they utter a sound with their throats. ⁸Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.

 

 

One thing I despise is being sick, especially when it involves my sinuses. As you know when sick, you don't feel well, can't move much and everything has no smell and you can't taste food because all of your sensors are blocked because of the illness. Nothing good comes from times of sickness.

 

I believe the same is true when we allow idols to become the center of our life. Idols may involve a certain person, pleasure, financial obligation, or thing. We become so focused on the idol that we loose touch with everything and everyone around us, especially God. When this happens, it's a set up for disaster. Just like if you are sick, you become almost useless in the hands of God.

 

Evaluate your life. Do you have any idols that isolate yourself from the people and family around you? Does it take away time spent with the Lord in prayer and worship? If you can answer yes to any of these questions, you have an "idol" sickness and you need to call upon God to help you either remove that idol or place it in a lower priority. God wants you to have nice things, they are His blessings. But when they consume every aspect of your life, you loose touch with reality and God. Always center your attention on Him and the other things and people in your life will fall in the proper priority alignment.

Have a blessed day!

 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. Psalm 103:12

 Back in my college years I had a business detailing cars with a friend of mine. Together we'd wash about 2 cars a day in the summer months. Some cars would come in so filthy and covered in bug guts; It took some time to scrub off the bugs, tar and dirt. But once finished, it was like a brand new car, all shiny and the owner was glad to pay our fee. 

As children of God, He wants us to be spotless in this world so we can be shiny enough to reflect every attribute of himself in our life. When we drive through the mud puddles of sin, get hit with the bug splatter of our wicked thoughts and covered in the sticky tar of greed and pride, we become less useful for Him. As we go through life, we see the dirt and grime we've accumulated and feel the need to isolate ourselves from everyone....even God. Friend, those feelings of guilt and shame are of the devil. God's grace washes you clean day by day, minute by minute. There is no sin in your life He hasn't pardoned. 

It's ok to pull your life out of the garage and get out there to shine for Christ. He has already washed you clean. Every time you ask for forgiveness, He does a deep clean on your soul. All that sinful grime is washed away, never to be remembered. Go shine for Christ today with a clean spirit, you've got a lot of miles to travel, do it with joy in the Lord. Have a blessed day!

For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. 

Habakkuk 2:3

Yesterday the final wave of storms passed through our area and the weather forecast between here and the Smoky Mountains looked good for the next few days. So I quickly threw clothes in my saddle bag and off I rode on my motorcycle. 165 miles from home I encounter an unexpected storm with heavy and repeated rains. I found shelter in a bank drive through and waited it out. Once the rain stopped and sun came out, I slowly traveled a little further north, reached Blue Ridge, ate supper and decided to come back since it was so late.  Although disappointed I wasn't able to get to my intended destination, I still enjoyed the ride. 

In yesterday's blog I talked about those times when we are falsely accused or done wrong by others. God has a plan and purpose for everything. When we encounter unexpected storms, we have to remember God has allowed them to come into our life. What's our responsibility? Drive safe....journey through the storm at a slower pace....God has a purpose in the rain storm of adversity and if you keep a fast pace you'll either miss His blessings or have a wreck. Sometimes God allows those storms to slow us down, meanwhile He is preparing the way forward. Never discredit a storm, there is a purpose in it...Drive slow and safely through it. 

Are you in a storm? Trust God to steer you forward, it's ok to stop and seek shelter under His loving arms of protection and healing. When the sun comes back out, you can resume your normal pace. Wait upon the Lord and He shall renew your strength so you can soar like the eagles. Trust Him in the storm and drive safely through life friend. God bless.

But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good in order to bring it about as it is this day; to save many people alive. 

Genesis 50:20

Wrongly accused and treated unfairly. Has this ever happened to you? In the last chapters of Genesis, we read about Joseph. As a young boy, his father loved him more than his older brothers. Out of envy, his brothers sold Joseph into slavery. While separated from his family, Joseph lived closely to God and God blessed him. Everything Joseph did was done well and it advanced him from slavery, being falsely accused of sleeping with his masters wife and thrown in jail, to interpreting the dream of Pharaoh and he was given leadership over the land. 

While in charge, Joseph knew famine was coming and stored back grains and food for the years of drought. He was able to save many people, including his father and his jealous brothers by providing them food for the lean years. When you sit back and digest this entire story, you see that without Joesph going through this horrible chain of events, many would have starved and died. God used Josephs mistreatment to place him in a higher position to bring blessings to others. 

Maybe you've been wrongly accused or treated unfairly by co-workers, friends...maybe even your own family. Although it's a painful experience, trust God in what's happening and stay the course...be the obedient child of God He has called you to be. Keep living the faith for Romans 8:28 says..."and we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 

If you are a child of God, you have a purpose and that's to obey Him and always stay true to your faith no matter what horrible events befall you. God has a plan and purpose for every event in your life. Let me say it again...God has a PLAN and PURPOSE for every event in your life. Trust Him and follow in obedience, then watch His works unfold before you to bring blessings down the road. Keep living the faith! God bless.