Without Hypocrisy

You have heard it ...

it is the goal of a Christian.

We want to walk by faith.

We want to live by faith.

When things get tough, we exclaim, "I am living by faith."

But are we really?

As I thought of this,

I thought of a poster that hung in my room as a child.

There was a small kitten hanging from handle of a basket.

The poster said:

Am I really living by faith?

Is God all that I need - all that I cling to?

What is the backup plan?

Is it a government check?

Is it a savings plan?

Is it an insurance policy?

Easy to think on ... harder to live.

Found a picture of the old poster online - aah Google!

God is Enough

The theme of yesterday's messages at church was "God is Enough."

God continually told His people, Israel, not to forsake Him,

not to turn to idols.

The same is true for us today.

What am I trusting in?

Is it myself?

The failing government?

friends?

family?

a bank account?

a new home?

I am only as secure as the object of my trust.

Help in Time of Trouble

Psalm 108:12-13

 Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man.

 Through God we shall do valiantly: 

for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.

Cut it Off and It Will Die

John 15:5 

I am the vine, ye are the branches: 

He that abideth in me, and I in him, 

the same bringeth forth much fruit: 

for without me ye can do nothing.

More beautiful garden analogies ...

If I lop off any of the vines on my pea plants,

I won't get any produce from those vines.

Without Christ - this vine (me) is NOTHING!

Perspective

The Sunday School lesson for the week is on the 12 spies.

12 Spies - 2 very different opinions - 1 grim punishment

All affected by perspective

Numbers 13:30-31

 And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, 

Let us go up at once, and possess it; 

for we are well able to overcome it.

 But the men that went up with him said, 

We be not able to go up against the people; 

for they are stronger than we.

I often watch my perspective bounce around ...

you can read and sense it in the blog posts daily ...

affected by my sleep,

the weather,

my food choices,

those around me.

And yet it should not be so varied.

It should rely totally on the character and ability of my God.

A Christian should be the most stable, reliable person that you can meet.

Romans 8:31 

What shall we then say to these things? 

If God be for us, who can be against us? 

Deliverance or Grace

He has promised that His grace is sufficient.

I was reminded yesterday ...

to stop praying for deliverance ...

and to start praying more for grace.

He is ALL that I need!

Strength in Weakness

 II Corinthians 12:10 

Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, 

in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: 

for when I am weak, then am I strong.

God lets me experience the tough times to remind us how much I need Him.

I am nothing in myself, but have all strength in Him!

Numbers Can Lie

A man with God is always in the majority. 

 ~John Knox

It is not popular opinion that determines right and wrong.
If I stand on God's side, even if I stand alone, I am in the majority.

Worry or Dependence?

You can tell the size of your God 

by looking at the size of your worry list.  

The longer your list, the smaller your God.  

How big is your God today?
Can others see it?

Shouldn't It Be Obvious?

All that I have seen teaches me to trust God 

for all I have not seen.  

To look at nature is to see a great, powerful, creative, loving God.
The birds and flowers don't worry,
why should I?

God gave me a great example of this in the past month.
I have mentioned that I receive many gently used clothes
from my pastor's wife's mother.
She is a great Goodwill shopper.
Top quality, named brand clothes ...
It is fun to have "Goodwill" brought right to my door.

I recently noticed that one or two of my jean skirts were getting thin. 
I knew my pastor's wife was going to see her mom soon.
I prayed that her mom might want to get rid of some jean skirts.
Selfish?  Maybe?
But God heard.
When my pastor's wife returned,
she did not bring bags upon bags of clothes,
but she did bring 2 pairs of shoes and 4 jean skirts!
Not just "ok" skirts - but 2 skirts I really liked and that fit nicely.

I am learning to ask and depend on God's provision
before trying to solve problems on my own.

Not of Myself

He who kneels before God can stand before anyone. 

I am nothing and can do nothing without the blessing and help of God.
He has told me to ask, seek, and knock.
Why do I try to do it on my own?

The Best Place

I would rather walk with God in the dark 

than go alone in the light. 

~Mary Gardiner Brainard

The best and safest place to be is with God - in His will.

Strong Hands

When we put our cares in His hands, 

He puts His peace in our hearts. 

I am so thankful for His peace.
If only I would give up my worries more faithfully
and give all to Him.

Show It

Prayer is not so much an act as it is an attitude 

- an attitude of dependency, dependency upon God. 

Arthur W. Pink

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Are you depending on God?

You will know if you are spending time in prayer!

Proven, Time and Again

The more we depend on God 

the more dependable we find He is.

- Cliff Richard

First Things First

“We tend to use prayer as a last resort,

but God wants it to be our first line of defense.

We pray when there's nothing else we can do,

but God wants us to pray before we do anything at all.

Most of us would prefer, however, to spend our time

doing something that will get immediate results.

We don't want to wait for God to resolve matters

in His good time because His idea of 'good time'

is seldom in sync with ours.”
―

Oswald Chambers

Well Founded Dependence

"Every thing that a man leans upon but God, will be a dart

that will certainly pierce his heart through and through.

He who leans only upon Christ,

lives the highest, choicest, safest, and sweetest life."

THOMAS BROOKS

Victory through Dependence

"In war, when a commander

becomes so bereft of reason and perspective

that he fails to understand the dependence of arms

on Divine guidance,

he no longer deserves victory."

 

General Douglas MacArthur

 



 

A Proven Record

“As truly as God by His power once created,

so truly by that same power must God every moment maintain.”
―

Andrew Murray

 

No one has a better track record than my God -

HE IS PERFECT.

Why shouldn't I depend on Him?

 

Daily Work

“Relying on God has to begin all over again every day

as if nothing had yet been done.

― C. S. Lewis