savor the little things in life, because in all honesty, they're important.
what do I mean by the little things?
well for starters, your friendships, they're the single most important thing you will have with you for the rest of your life. and for me, my friendships have probably saved my life more often then not on occasion, just because I had those friends there who I could turn to, who'd listen and be there for me.
stop and listen to nature once in a while; we may be here a short while, but nature will always be. the frogs, the scenery, the forests (okay, those might be gone before we are), but to say the least, nature is very much a part of who we should be.
relationships....now I'm sure you're wondering, didn't he just say friendships? yes. I did. however, relationships are important.....for starters, your relationship with God. that's important, overriding the two other things I mentioned. God is important, not only that, but He's real, and He loves us and desires us.
pets. pets are very important and needed, they provide much, much, much sources of fun and hours away from boredom.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Thursday, April 14, 2011
everything in it's time.
Everything in it's place and everything to it's season.
Ecclesiasties 3:11:
"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end."
--------------------
This verse has been in my head since yesterday when a friend of mine texted me it, as a reminder about how wonderful God is when we let Him be in control. It also brought to mind the movie "Click" by Adam Sandler. the synopis looks something like this:
"A workaholic architect finds a universal remote that allows him to fast-forward and rewind to different parts of his life. Complications arise when the remote starts to overrule his choices."
---------------------
We cannot be in control, God is the one that is in control at all times, we are only given access to the day to day in how we manage it, but ultimately God is the driving force behind everything; as long as we allow Him to be. That's the important part. We can't be like Adam Sandler in Click and try to control events that happen. It doesn't work like that. Just because we don't like where we are at a certain point in our life, doesn't mean we can either ignore it or try and go around it. If we're at this point, its because God is trying to get our attention or help us with something, and while it may seem painful it's for our betterment, since we can look back when we've moved on and realized just how awesome God is.
the rest of Ecclesiasties 3 looks like this:
"There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
What do workers gain from their toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.
Whatever is has already been,
and what will be has been before;
and God will call the past to account.
And I saw something else under the sun:
In the place of judgment—wickedness was there,
in the place of justice—wickedness was there.
I said to myself,
“God will bring into judgment
both the righteous and the wicked,
for there will be a time for every activity,
a time to judge every deed.”
I also said to myself, “As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless. All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. Who knows if the human spirit rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?”
So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work, because that is their lot. For who can bring them to see what will happen after them?"
--------------------------------
underlying message: GOD. IS. IN. CONTROL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! that's how it's meant to be. We've subverted it, we've tried to say this is why, and so forth, we take things out of context and forget who is in control.
Psalm 136 reiterates the same thing, I believe that the author of Ecclesiasties may have been drawing from Psalm 136 when he wrote chapter 3:
"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.
to him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever.
who by his understanding made the heavens,
His love endures forever.
who spread out the earth upon the waters,
His love endures forever.
who made the great lights—
His love endures forever.
the sun to govern the day,
His love endures forever.
the moon and stars to govern the night;
His love endures forever.
to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt
His love endures forever.
and brought Israel out from among them
His love endures forever.
with a mighty hand and outstretched arm;
His love endures forever.
to him who divided the Red Sea[a] asunder
His love endures forever.
and brought Israel through the midst of it,
His love endures forever.
but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea;
His love endures forever.
to him who led his people through the wilderness;
His love endures forever.
to him who struck down great kings,
His love endures forever.
and killed mighty kings—
His love endures forever.
Sihon king of the Amorites
His love endures forever.
and Og king of Bashan—
His love endures forever.
and gave their land as an inheritance,
His love endures forever.
an inheritance to his servant Israel.
His love endures forever.
He remembered us in our low estate
His love endures forever.
and freed us from our enemies.
His love endures forever.
He gives food to every creature.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of heaven.
His love endures forever."
--------------------------------------
God is in control. He created Heaven and Earth. He does everything in His due time. He gives to us when He believes we're ready for it, not when we think we're ready for it. God does what He does because He loves us. He made each and every one of us, He died for each and every one of our sins. HALLEJUAH and AMEN! to that. That's the God I not only serve, and fear, but that's the God I love who'll take me hand in hand and walk with me in the easy and the hard times.
As I end tonight, Michael W. Smith's song "Forever" comes to mind, a wonderful reminder that God has us all in His plans, and nothing will go amiss:
"Give thanks to the Lord, Our God and King
His love endures forever
For He is good, He is above all things
His love endures forever
Sing praise, sing praise
With a mighty hand and outstretched arm
His love endures forever
For the life that's been reborn
His love endures forever
Sing praise, sing praise
Sing praise, sing praise
CHORUS:
Forever God is faithful
Forever God is strong
Forever God is with us
Forever and ever, forever (2X)
From the rising to the setting sun
His love endures forever
And by the grace of God we will carry on
His love endures forever
Sing praise, sing praise
Sing praise, sing praise
(CHORUS)
His love endures forever (8X)
Sing praise, sing praise
Sing praise, sing praise"
------------
Not only will His Love Endure, but He will endure with us forever as well. That's something to sing about, that's something to worship about. That's something to praise about. So as I end tonight, I'd like to ask one thing, if any of you are holding back from God some portion that you don't think is significant enough for Him to have control over, just bow your head where you are, and say this simple prayer, "Abba, father God, I know that you have control over everything, and that you make things happen in your due time, not ours, I've sinned in holding this piece of myself or this event, or this situation back from you; take it Lord and do with it as you will. Heal me of my frustrations with it, heal me of my hurt with it, heal me of everything that is with it, it's in your hands Father....amen." Just pray that prayer, and I can assure you, miraculous things will happen. God says so.
Good night and God bless.
Ecclesiasties 3:11:
"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end."
--------------------
This verse has been in my head since yesterday when a friend of mine texted me it, as a reminder about how wonderful God is when we let Him be in control. It also brought to mind the movie "Click" by Adam Sandler. the synopis looks something like this:
"A workaholic architect finds a universal remote that allows him to fast-forward and rewind to different parts of his life. Complications arise when the remote starts to overrule his choices."
---------------------
We cannot be in control, God is the one that is in control at all times, we are only given access to the day to day in how we manage it, but ultimately God is the driving force behind everything; as long as we allow Him to be. That's the important part. We can't be like Adam Sandler in Click and try to control events that happen. It doesn't work like that. Just because we don't like where we are at a certain point in our life, doesn't mean we can either ignore it or try and go around it. If we're at this point, its because God is trying to get our attention or help us with something, and while it may seem painful it's for our betterment, since we can look back when we've moved on and realized just how awesome God is.
the rest of Ecclesiasties 3 looks like this:
"There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
What do workers gain from their toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.
Whatever is has already been,
and what will be has been before;
and God will call the past to account.
And I saw something else under the sun:
In the place of judgment—wickedness was there,
in the place of justice—wickedness was there.
I said to myself,
“God will bring into judgment
both the righteous and the wicked,
for there will be a time for every activity,
a time to judge every deed.”
I also said to myself, “As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless. All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. Who knows if the human spirit rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?”
So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work, because that is their lot. For who can bring them to see what will happen after them?"
--------------------------------
underlying message: GOD. IS. IN. CONTROL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! that's how it's meant to be. We've subverted it, we've tried to say this is why, and so forth, we take things out of context and forget who is in control.
Psalm 136 reiterates the same thing, I believe that the author of Ecclesiasties may have been drawing from Psalm 136 when he wrote chapter 3:
"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.
to him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever.
who by his understanding made the heavens,
His love endures forever.
who spread out the earth upon the waters,
His love endures forever.
who made the great lights—
His love endures forever.
the sun to govern the day,
His love endures forever.
the moon and stars to govern the night;
His love endures forever.
to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt
His love endures forever.
and brought Israel out from among them
His love endures forever.
with a mighty hand and outstretched arm;
His love endures forever.
to him who divided the Red Sea[a] asunder
His love endures forever.
and brought Israel through the midst of it,
His love endures forever.
but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea;
His love endures forever.
to him who led his people through the wilderness;
His love endures forever.
to him who struck down great kings,
His love endures forever.
and killed mighty kings—
His love endures forever.
Sihon king of the Amorites
His love endures forever.
and Og king of Bashan—
His love endures forever.
and gave their land as an inheritance,
His love endures forever.
an inheritance to his servant Israel.
His love endures forever.
He remembered us in our low estate
His love endures forever.
and freed us from our enemies.
His love endures forever.
He gives food to every creature.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of heaven.
His love endures forever."
--------------------------------------
God is in control. He created Heaven and Earth. He does everything in His due time. He gives to us when He believes we're ready for it, not when we think we're ready for it. God does what He does because He loves us. He made each and every one of us, He died for each and every one of our sins. HALLEJUAH and AMEN! to that. That's the God I not only serve, and fear, but that's the God I love who'll take me hand in hand and walk with me in the easy and the hard times.
As I end tonight, Michael W. Smith's song "Forever" comes to mind, a wonderful reminder that God has us all in His plans, and nothing will go amiss:
"Give thanks to the Lord, Our God and King
His love endures forever
For He is good, He is above all things
His love endures forever
Sing praise, sing praise
With a mighty hand and outstretched arm
His love endures forever
For the life that's been reborn
His love endures forever
Sing praise, sing praise
Sing praise, sing praise
CHORUS:
Forever God is faithful
Forever God is strong
Forever God is with us
Forever and ever, forever (2X)
From the rising to the setting sun
His love endures forever
And by the grace of God we will carry on
His love endures forever
Sing praise, sing praise
Sing praise, sing praise
(CHORUS)
His love endures forever (8X)
Sing praise, sing praise
Sing praise, sing praise"
------------
Not only will His Love Endure, but He will endure with us forever as well. That's something to sing about, that's something to worship about. That's something to praise about. So as I end tonight, I'd like to ask one thing, if any of you are holding back from God some portion that you don't think is significant enough for Him to have control over, just bow your head where you are, and say this simple prayer, "Abba, father God, I know that you have control over everything, and that you make things happen in your due time, not ours, I've sinned in holding this piece of myself or this event, or this situation back from you; take it Lord and do with it as you will. Heal me of my frustrations with it, heal me of my hurt with it, heal me of everything that is with it, it's in your hands Father....amen." Just pray that prayer, and I can assure you, miraculous things will happen. God says so.
Good night and God bless.
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