Category: Whispers (Page 9 of 161)

The big question then is whom do we obey? We are free when we obey the Lord. If we look back on our lives, it becomes quite evident whom we serve by the decisions we have made. But it is good when we can admit and deal with the many ways we are enslaved by our own will and humbly come to the Lord for forgiveness. Then we can follow the Lord and let Him control our life, and His love helps us displace our selfishness. Often it boils down to saying “no” to ourselves and “yes” to Him.

Perhaps we can all think of people who always seem to get their way. Are they happy and liked by others, and are they growing? Probably not. If they only live to please themselves and their own pleasure, they are not concerned about others. Their world is a very small.

As we seek daily to do God’s will there are often times He uses others in our lives to guide us in His will. If we are humble and open to the Lord, we will choose His way over ours and be open to hear from those He sends. We all have toxins within us that need to be neutralized and God uses others to help us see what needs to go. Let us be open to God and do His will from a heart of faith and obedience.

It is good when younger people can give their fresh perspective on things, but it is also good when they respect those who have endured many struggles, know how to get along with others and work together. Our grandson seeks to be a master electrician, so he has to go through a long period of apprenticeship and be open to learn from one who has that license.  We all need to know how to yield to others and not demand our own way, but to know how to seek the common good. Sometimes a less-qualified person gets the job because he knows how to get along with others, rather than one-up-manship.

We may ask ourselves if we are content where the Lord has placed us, and have we learned to have servant heart towards others? We all need to be open to receive from those people God puts around us. We will miss out on what the Lord would teach us if we isolate ourselves and refuse to work together with others. It all goes back to being humble as David says in Psalm 25:9, “He leads the humble in what is right and teaches the humble His way.” He goes on to say that God will instruct him in the way he should choose, and the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness.

Let us be open, humble and not feel too highly of ourselves, but have a servant’s heart.

Hope is the perfect antidote to pessimism. and we can choose to let it dominate in our lives. If we do, we will find less depression, better health, lower levels of distress, and live 15% longer than pessimists.  For some who desire to become an optimist, it will be a radical change. Learning scripture will help change their thinking, helping to avoid worry or negative thoughts. Phil 4:6-7 is one such scripture, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience Gods peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.” You can continue to challenge negative thoughts by speaking positive things to contradict them and thinking redemptive thoughts. Seek what God says and then act on it. God’s perspective is the true one and we can give up our hopeless thoughts.

Gratitude and hope go together and grateful people experience more hope and enthusiasm, along with positive emotions. Research shows they get better sleep, have more joy, and are pleasant to be around. It makes sense that Christians should be the most joyful people on earth, since God’s love is in their hearts.

During the last quarter of life, we often experience pain as our health begins to decline. But rather than dwell on pain, we can still wisely choose to live deeply and well, gaining wisdom. We don’t know what the years ahead will hold, but we can gather beautiful memories and remember God’s many gifts to us. The Word says that our later years are a gift and reward from God. It’s up to us what we do with our gift. My dad lived to be 100 and he was one that just accepted life as it came to him. He didn’t complain, but received the gift and cherished it. Some people get bitter as they age, but others get better. Let us be ones that treasure each quarter of our life, and get better.

Griffen tells us to enjoy the adventure of living, relish the unexpected, and to trust God. We are to cherish the years and to live each day fully. It is written in Psalm 90:12,”Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” We all need faith to trust God with our lives, treasuring our years until the very end. Let us be grateful for the quarter the Lord has us in and for each day He gives us to know and love Him more.

Challenge for today: Ask the Lord to teach you to live the day fully and be open to new ways of growing closer to Him.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy