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Getting Your House in Order

~ mercyfortheday ~ 1 Comment

I’ve never lived alone until I moved almost three months ago.  And the only reason I’m living alone now is because my husband is still working in our former city. He comes home as often as he can, and he’ll be here full-time in a few months.  So I’m learning what it’s like to be alone more often than I’m with others.  Oh.  I get out often enough. That’s not the problem.

Here’s the problem.  I’ve run into more issues living on my own these past three months than is necessary, in my humble opinion. Take for example, the plumber was here twice in the first month to repair a leak in the kitchen. Then we learned that some of the ductwork in our crawlspace was not connected to the vents.

There are the car problems I had within the first month after moving. And the resulting purchase of a new car. Then there’s the leaky roof a couple of weeks ago after a heavy rain.  The next day when the hvac repairman were here to install new ductwork, they discovered water in the crawlspace. The man of the house who was in another state came home two days early to clear out the water. When the repairman returned the following week, they couldn’t finish the work because they didn’t have enough of the materials.  I’m still waiting for them to return.

Now onto issues of this week.   One evening while sitting on the couch, I heard something fall somewhere in the house.  I searched high and low in the entire house and garage but found nothing out of place. It was just very odd. At three thirty the next morning, I was awakened  by a very loud noise in my house.  I though for sure the furnace, which is twenty three years old, was dying.  And I assumed that the water I heard sloshing around was from my dog taking a very long drink of water. But no. The dog was asleep on the bedroom floor, and the furnace wasn’t running.  After walking down the hall, I discovered that the washing machine had somehow turned on and was running. In the middle of the night. Apparently washers are very loud when they are running without dirty laundry in them. And it is a very startling and disconcerting feeling to wake up to this situation. Especially when the washer isn’t a smart machine and can’t be programmed. And this is a brand new washer. I must say.  It took a while before I was able to get back to sleep. I was never so glad to see daylight that morning. After doing some research on this brand of appliances, I learned that this is a common problem. Yikes.

For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. 2 Corinthians 4:17-18

And when I stepped out of the shower the next day, I noticed the ceiling around the shower head looked odd, so I reached up to touch it.  It was wet. There’s a leak somewhere. So much for taking showers in that bathroom at present.

Oh. And our senior dog was recently diagnosed with a disease that causes her to want to eat and drink a lot. This means she has to take frequent trips outdoors at all hours of the day and night. Now I’m getting up with her and going out once or twice a night. Every night. I can’t even get a good night’s sleep and can’t even think of sleeping in. We’re up between 5:30 and 6:00 most every morning. 

As I type this, only a couple hours ago, while sitting on the couch I saw a mouse in the living room. Now I don’t feel safe sitting on the floor. And my sick dog is very needy and wants me to lay with her multiple times a day when she isn’t feeling well. I’m no longer comfortable slipping my feet into shoes because a mouse could be in there. And I’m not comfortable moving around the house in the dark not knowing if a mouse will scurry across my path. I just wonder. How many mice are in this house? Don’t worry. I’m taking steps to rid my house of those rodents.

What is my life coming to? I know. I know. First world problems. These are minor inconveniences in an otherwise quiet and easy life.  But man. Can this type of fun just stop? I’m ok with boring. I write all this as if these are the only problems of the day. They’re not. They’re momentary distractions that can be fixed.

In saying all this, I’m not meaning to complain. I’m just stating facts and trying to keep a positive attitude. My life’s circumstances could be very difficult, and I’m thankful for my home and all of life’s blessings. We felt God guiding us every step of the way in orchestrating this move, and we know we are very blessed.  Life has its ups and downs. I’m living in a home that wasn’t well maintained for many years by previous owners, and I’m the recipient of the consequences.  

Similar problems can happen in our spiritual lives if we don’t build and maintain a close relationship with God.  We need to confess our sins and root out all the bad habits, ungodly attitudes, selfish desires and lustful thoughts. We must keep our spiritual house clean and in a state of constant readiness for Jesus’ return. Otherwise, we’ll be in a heap of trouble on the day he does return unannounced, and we’ll miss the eternity of a lifetime with him. 

If we don’t keep a close relationship with Christ, we’ll find ourselves in situations we never expected.  We may find ourselves compromising our morals and ethics in life-altering way. We’ll be constantly cleaning up messes and emotions that are out of control when we don’t put our faith in God as our first priority. And we’ll wonder why our life is so messed up. It doesn’t have to be that way. Deliberately sacrificing our will to Christ on a daily basis will keep us walking the path of freedom and grace. Our lives won’t be perfect, but we’ll live forgiven.

We must pray because our days are uncertain. We must live as if today is our last day. We must keep our spiritual house in order. Our world could change in the blink of an eye. And who is ready for that?

So let’s pledge to keep a clean spiritual house. Let’s read our Bible and pray on a daily basis. Let’s meet and fellowship with like-minded believers. Let’s live obediently to Christ’s commands. And then let’s all meet in heaven someday where we will feast and celebrate for eternity. 

No Smell of Smoke

~ mercyfortheday ~ Leave a comment

Daniel’s three friends were in trouble. They had been invited to a celebration of sorts. The king had built an idol and expected his government leaders to bow down to it. And these three said No. They would not bow. They didn’t even have a second thought about changing their minds. Even when given a second chance, they stood strong on the grounds that it would defile their relationship with God. And there was no way they would let anything come between them and God. There was no hesitation or pause in their response. They had made that decision ahead of time, and they were sticking to it.

So here they were standing in front of a blazing furnace. And the king was so enraged that he had the furnace turned up several degrees hotter. And he had his mighty military men bind these three hand and foot before throwing them in the furnace. The fire was so hot that it killed the soldiers who shoved them into the furnace. As they fell down into the flames, the binding around their arms and feet fell away. They were free to move about freely. No. They didn’t burn up. They didn’t die. They were walking around in that big furnace. And suddenly the king shrieked! He saw a fourth one in the fire. I’m sure he was suddenly fearful. How did a fourth person get in the fire? Who was this and how did he get in there? And the king claimed he looked like the son of a god.

Oh. Deep down he knew, but he didn’t want to admit it. The king knew who was in the fire with these three faithful followers of God Almighty. This king, Nebuchadnezzar, had already had a run-in with this God, and God proved his might. Now, once again, here is God showing up to save the lives of three men who faithfully stood strong in their faith against a self-infatuated king. You see. Just before tossing these men in the fire, the king had dared to ask them just what god would be able to save them. And guess who showed the king. God himself.

So the king did the only thing he could do. He called to the men in the furnace to come out. So out of the furnace the three men walked. Not a hair on their heads was singed. Their clothes weren’t scorched. And they didn’t even smell of smoke. It was a miracle indeed.

You can read the full story in Daniel 3.

God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Psalms 46:1-2

Imagine a time when you are called on to bow to a false god or a false ideology that goes against your faith in God. As you stand with the crowd, there are watchers. They are looking for those who refuse to bow to the demand. And the decision must be made in an instant. To bow or not to bow. What would you choose? Oh. If you’ve already made the decision ahead of time that nothing, and I mean nothing, comes between you and God, then you don’t hesitate. Making that decision in advance is key to not bowing to pressure. But if the decision hasn’t been made, then the split second you have will be very telling. If you haven’t thought out what you would do when a very difficult decision that tests your faith stands before you, you could easily bow to a demand you don’t support. And then. There you are.

Let’s say you decide to stand for God’s truth. You buck the trend and choose to share the reason you can’t comply with what is being demanded of you. And then you’re challenged even further with loss of job or worse. Do you still stand strong in your convictions? Or, does your courage begin to fray? Do you go against the grain and maintain your personal faith in the face of any and all threats? Let’s say that you do.

Then the true test comes. You lose your beloved job and no one will hire you. After all, you’re not one who can be counted on to support current cultural trends. So you’re blacklisted. Loss of income. Loss of respect in your field of expertise. You’re an outcast. During that time of testing, do you feel the fourth person in the fire with you? Do you sense God’s sweet presence walking with you through that burning furnace? Just because you alone stood for your faith when others bowed to pressure doesn’t mean you’re standing alone.

Then, by God’s grace and provision, you land on your feet. You find a job and you’re saved from homelessness and embarrassment. You can once again pay your bills and provide for your family. You know that it is through the hand of God that you have gotten through the difficulty, and you’re so very thankful. You know that God is truly the source of your strength, and your faith is stronger than ever.

But do others see that stronger faith and courage in you? Did you walk out of the fire without any smoke damage? Was your hair singed? Were you clothes scorched? Do you smell like the smoke of testing? Did you walk out with a bitter attitude? Do you grumble and complain because life isn’t fair? Do you carry the smell of smoke or the aroma of Christ?

We’ve all been through deep trials in our lives. Some are walking through the fire of testing at this moment. Others feel they’re about to be burned. They are standing strong in their faith, but some days are more difficult than others. They wonder if standing strong is really worth it. They wonder if giving up and giving in to the pressures they’re facing is the best thing to do. Is it better to cave to pressure or burn in the fire?

When we are in the fiery trials, we can know that God is with us. We know his goodness exists even when life doesn’t feel good. We can sense his nearness as we walk through the fiery trials of life. We don’t know if the three men in the furnace knew there was a fourth person in the fire with them. So, we may not always be aware of God’s presence with us as we face trials and tests in our lives. Can we accept the trials knowing that God has allowed them, even if we don’t sense his presence?

We must walk worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ regardless of the cost. We must stand for what is biblical. We must also decide that the things we believe, the biblical values we hold near and dear to us, will impact the way we live our lives. It is time for Christians to be courageous.

Just Say No

~ mercyfortheday ~ Leave a comment

These three young men said no. No. They wouldn’t bow to the image the king had made. They wouldn’t bow to a god that was manmade. They would risk their lives and their livelihoods in order to remain faithful to the One True God. And so they didn’t bend their knee just to puff up the king’s ego. Oh. It’s most likely that they knew in advance what they would be asked to do so. How could they not know the king was having a huge image built outside the city limits? I’m sure it was the talk of the town. I can imagine people passing each other on the street and checking to see what progress had been made. I’m sure it was a curiosity of sorts. And what exactly was it for?

Then suddenly anyone who was anyone was asked to bow to this monstrosity. As the king and his top officials sat and watched, the crowd was instructed to bow when they heard the orchestra begin to play. I’m sure it was a large crowd. After all, anyone with a title and leadership role from far and wide had been invited to this celebration. And they were expected to attend. To refuse would have been a career breaker. To say the least. So all invitees were in attendance on that day.

But back to these three young men. Most likely, they were still teenagers. They had been taken captive by the Babylonians when King Nebuchadnezzar had seized the city of Jerusalem. They and many other young men of nobility had been whisked away to a foreign land to live as exiles. They had no choice but to go. And then they were sent to a re-education school where they learned exactly what their new employer, the king, wanted them to know. His plan was to erase their allegiance to God and insert allegiance to his many gods. His plan was a failure, at least when it came to these three guys. But they had become acquainted with the king, so he knew who they were. They weren’t total strangers to the king, much as all the other attendees in the crowd were. The king could identify these three young men, because they were close friends of one of his top officials named Daniel.

As they heard the news that a celebration was being planned for the new image being built, these three men set in their hearts to stand true to the God of their people, the Israelites. They would not bow to this new idol, regardless of the cost. And so, when the music played announcing it was time to bow, they stood tall. They refused to bow. They refused to obey the king’s orders. And, of course, their act of disobedience was noticed. When everyone is bowing, it’s easy to see who isn’t. So they didn’t go unnoticed on that day, and their act of alleged treason was reported to the king.

At first, the king gave them a second chance. There must have been enormous pressure on these young men to just bow. Just do it. As they say. Perhaps they didn’t understand the instructions to bow. Or perhaps, they were sidetracked by gawking at all the other attendees. But no. They knew exactly what they were doing when they didn’t bow. And they even said so in no uncertain terms to the king. They would not bow to this idol. Of course, the king changed his mood from kindness to anger very quickly. He lashed out at them and demanded that they be thrown into a fiery furnace. He wanted to see them die.

You can read the full story of these brave young men in Daniel 3.

Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. 1 John 2:15-17

I wonder. What would I have done? If I was told ahead of time that my employer was planning to require all employees to bow to an idol they had made, what would I do? Perhaps I could call in sick for the day. But I’m sure that would be noticed. Could I half bow? Would that appease them? Or. I could make the tough decision to stand firm in my faith and not let fear of the unknown weaken my stance. If I knew ahead of time that this idol worship was to be required of me, I could prepare my defense. I could begin praying and asking my friends to pray with me and for me. I could surround myself with prayer warriors who would stand in the gap if my faith began to waver.

People today are being called on to go against their faith. Some are asked to add pronouns to their work email signatures. Some are asked to appease men who want to participate in women’s sports. We’re asked to applaud and affirm social agendas that go directly against our faith. We’re asked to support events and speakers who stand against those who present a biblical worldview.

And just for the record. When we’re asked to go against our faith, we must refuse. We must make the decision beforehand that there is a line we won’t cross. We must decide that we will be willing to defend our faith when the moment comes. Do or die. We must be ready, willing and prepared to die on the hill that stands before us. If we’re asked to do or say anything that would defile our relationship with God, we must be courageous and stand strong in our faith. If God doesn’t approve of it, this his followers mustn’t either. If we contradict God, we’re placing our relationship with him in grave danger. 

Perhaps our step of courage will be the start of a movement that gives others the same courage to stand for their faith. Let’s never underestimate the power of God working in us and through us. Children of God, we are not in this fight alone. God is on our side. Let’s make it known that we’re on God’s side. No hesitation. No doubt. No denial.

If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Romans 8:31

But all it takes is the courage of one in the face of opposition for others to follow.

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Proving Ground

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So the Israelites moved into the land God had promised their parents forty years earlier. He had commanded them to destroy all the people living in the land. They did not. Oh. They fought a lot of battles and killed a lot of people. But they didn’t kill all the people. And this would come back to haunt them.

God had specifically told them to destroy everyone in their new homeland, because the people living in Canaan were wicked. They were not followers of God, and they would lead the Israelites astray. If left alive, the Israelites would befriend their enemies. They would work together. They would play together. They were marry each other. They would learn to worship the false gods of their enemies. That’s exactly what God didn’t want. And that’s exactly what happened.

I’m sure it was easier to not kill everyone, because killing is hard business. But it was God’s command. And they disobeyed. So God let some of the nations of Canaan remain alive. This was a proving ground for the Israelites. The people who had sworn to always follow and obey God were put to the test. He wanted to test his chosen people to see if they would remain faithful to him while living with the enemy. We can already guess how the story goes.

Oh. God could have destroyed all those remaining nations of Canaan on his own. He didn’t need the help of the Israelites. This was a test. And as we know, we tend to rely more on God when faced with tests than when life is easy.

God allowed their enemies to live, because he wanted his people to learn to know war. Sounds a little odd. Why would God want his people to learn about war? Because this generation had never known war. After all, they had abandoned the God who had brought their ancestors out of Egypt. They worshipped idols and did evil in the sight of God. They angered God. That meant that neighboring nations would war against them. They must become acquainted with war.

To read more of this story, read Judges 2-3.

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13

The tower of Babel was built by people who had everything. They wanted to build a city and a tower that reached toward heaven, so they could make a name for themselves. When God saw their hearts, he confused their languages so they couldn’t understand each other. Then he scattered them throughout the earth, and they stopped building the city. 

God knew they didn’t trust him and that their plans were evil. He saw their rebellious hearts and separated them. He knew there was great potential for these people to commit evil atrocities, so he put a stop to it.

The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. Genesis 6:5

Our country was founded on Christian principles. Our founding fathers fashioned the words of the documents declaring independence and the formation of the nation on biblical principles. Yet look where we are today. Our nation is far removed from biblical principles. And we wonder why we’re experiencing troubling times. Godless leaders. Extortion. Bribery. Lies. Corruption. Mandates. Killing of unborn babies. Gender identity issues. Liberal agendas that mock God.

Our country is much younger than the nation of Israel. We’ve only been a nation for two hundred forty six years. We hear of wars and rumors of wars. Devastating weapons are at the ready for evil leaders if they wanted to wreak havoc on the world. Famine is predicted. Inflation is at an all-time high. Shortages of food and fuel may be on the horizon. And it doesn’t have to be this way. But we as a nation have rejected the commands of God. We flaunt our defiance and liberalism in his face. It’s no wonder we’re in this moral decline. We’ve pushed God away from our nation.

I wonder how many times God doesn’t remove evil from our path to see if we’ll remain faithful to him. It’s obvious how that test is going. Oh. How the mighty have fallen. It’s time for a revival in our country. We have an opportunity to turn this nation around and serve God once again. Will our leaders repent? Can we get godly leaders elected who will stand for biblical truths? Our time may be running out, but we can still repent today.

This is a Test

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Do you think God trusts you? No, really. Do you think God trusts you? Has God ever tested your faithfulness to him? Would you know it if he has? Do you think you passed the test? Hmm. Let’s think about this for a minute.

If you read the Bible, you will find that God tested people. And he didn’t let them know their struggles were a test. A test of their faithfulness. Imagine the nerve. But he did it anyway. After all, God alone is God. He knows our hearts. He knows if we will turn to him in those moments of darkness. And he knows if we will turn away from him.

In Exodus 15, God decided to test the Israelite people as they were settling into a new camp. Oh. He didn’t tell them about his plan, but he mapped out the requirements for the test.

  • Listen to the voice of God
  • Do what is right in God’s eyes
  • Obey God’s commands
  • Keep all of God’s decrees

Seems simple, right?

Listen to the voice of God. What does God’s voice even sound like? Have I ever heard him speak? Have I heard his voice? Would I know it was God if he spoke to me?

Now. God may have spoken audibly to Moses. But God also spoke to Moses through a burning bush. He has never spoken to me in an audible voice. And I’ve never seen a burning bush.

However, I do have a conscience. I know when I do right. And I know when I do wrong. I know when my heart is pounding out of my chest and I have to choose which path to take. Which words to say or not to say. That is God speaking to me. I must listen closely and not close my ears and heart to God. I must listen to God.

Do what is right in God’s eyes. If I’m listening to God and obeying him, then I am doing right. If I’m not listening to God, all bets are off as far as what I may or may not do. And if I’m not listening to God, then who am I listening to? And does the speaker I’m following speak the truth? Would I know the truth if it hit me smack in the face?

Obey God’s commands. I think immediately of the ten commandments (Exodus 20:3-17).

  1. You must not have any other gods before me
  2. You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind
  3. You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God
  4. Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy
  5. Honor your father and mother
  6. You must not murder
  7. You must not commit adultery
  8. You must not steal
  9. You must not testify falsely against your neighbor
  10. You must not covet

But those aren’t the only commands God gives. There are many, many commands that God gives in the Bible. God commands us to avoid certain things, to beware of specific evils. We are commanded to do things and not to do things. The Word of God is full of commands. We only need to look for them.

Keep all of God’s decrees. According to Easton’s Bible Dictionary, the decrees of God are his eternal, unchangeable, holy, wise, and sovereign purpose. They comprehend all things that come to pass. What does all of that even mean? One of God’s decrees that pretty much sums up everything says: Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. Ephesians 1:4

It was there at Marah that the Lord set before them (the Iraelites) the following decree as a standard to test their faithfulness to him. He said, “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his sight, obeying his commands and keeping all his decrees, then I will not make you suffer any of the diseases I sent on the Egyptians; for I am the Lord who heals you.” Exodus 15:25-26

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28

And then there’s Job. God told Satan to test Job. And he gave clear instructions on how the test was to be conducted. He told Satan what he would allow and what he would not allow. So Satan obeyed and carried out those tests as if it were his only job. He made Job’s life miserable and destroyed everything Job had worked for. He killed all of Job’s children and his livestock. Only a handful of servants were spared. Yet Job persisted in his faith in God. His faith held firm. His trust in God withstood every test that Satan threw at him.

How do I know that some of the troubles that come my way aren’t designed by Satan? Under God’s approval. I’ll never know this side of heaven. I’m not sure it matters who designs the test. God or Satan. The point of the test is to prove my faithfulness to God. I wonder. Would I be found as faithful as Job if I were put to the limit, as he was? I pray that I will be found as faithful as Job. Will you?