saltandlight

So, this year has had it’s challenges.  I’m sure I’m not the only one that can say that.  I’m also very sure that my challenges are small compared to some that others are facing.  Don’t get me wrong, alot of good has happened this year!  Alot of my prayers have been answered this year!  But, one small problem can cloud our vision.

Let me say first off that I have always been one that has had tremendous faith in God.  I’m not bragging about it, I just want you to see how the enemy works.  I was always the optimist and never have been much of a worrier. I actually would call the amount of faith that I had, child like.  My faith wasn’t so much because I was such a good Christian.  It was more of a natural thing.  When my husband was sick, had to quit his job and I was pregnant with our first child – I had faith that God would get us through.  When we left our church because we felt God was leading us to leave and had no idea where we were going next – I had faith that God would see us through.  The Bible tells us that we should have a child like faith.  Why child like?  Well, children seem to have more faith than we adults do, don’t they?  Children – they believe what we tell them.  They have not yet been hurt by the lies of the world.

About 3 years ago, I did start having some anxiety. My faith started to get weak.  I knew what needed to be done, I started praying and studying my Bible more.  I got into the scriptures and prayed and prayed.  And of course my anxiety got less and less.  My faith grew stronger. Well, as this year got busier and busier guess what? I studied scripture less and less.  And the old devil just snuck his way right back in.  I started doubting that God could handle my problem.  Well, not that he could handle it, but rather that he would handle it.  I thought maybe He isn’t going to help me this time, because I’ve done this to myself.  I’ve brought on some of these problems and I’m going to have to find a way to handle it myself.  (I know, I can just see the Father shaking his head at me)  So, of course things didn’t get any better.  And my anxiety got worse. That devil is so sneaky.  If we let our guard down at all, he finds a way in.

So, God started speaking to me in many different ways.  Through sermons, through friends and even through songs.  I heard a song on the radio one day that really spoke to me.  I had heard the song before, but I actually listened to the words of it and it was exactly what I needed to hear.  It said, “When did I forget that you’ve always been the Kind of the world?” (by Natalie Grant).  Wow!  It was God speaking to me and saying, “Now, are you ready to trust Me!?”  The answer was Yes!  So, I’m on the verge now of really watching God do something here.  I can’t wait to see how it plays out.

Father, it’s me again.

First of all let me thank you and praise you for who you are. I am so thankful that I can come to you with everything.

Lord, you know what is on my heart right now and what has been consuming my thoughts.  I’m anxious about some things.  I know that I shouldn’t be worried, I know you have got this.  But, still I worry.  Maybe I haven’t been talking to you about it enough.  Maybe I wasn’t prayed up enough before this situation started.  My prayers have been scatterbrained ramblings a lot of the time.  But, Lord, the awesome thing is that you know my heart.

Lord I just pray right now that you cover my children with your mighty hand.  Please  push them in the right directions.  Please keep a wall of protection around them.  Lord, you know their hearts and their struggles.  Please give them wisdom in making decisions and warn them when they are walking into a bad situation.  Lord I will even be bold enough to ask you to stop them when they are tempted to make a bad choice. Even when they have put themselves into a tempting situation.

I pray for their future relationships.  I pray that you will send people into their lives that will make them happy and will serve and worship you alongside them.  I pray for someone that will encourage them and help them grow closer to you instead of push you away.  Lord, I know their paths will not always be easy.  I know from experience that we have to walk through some things in this life that seem hard, but if we allow you to work, we will grow from it.  I just pray that they recognize that you are always with them.

Father, I give them to you.  I place their lives in your hands and I understand that I have no control here.  But, you do.  I thank you for taking care of them and molding them to be the people that you will have them to be.  I thank you for allowing me the privilege of being their mother.

In your Holy and Precious Name,

Amen!

The tongue, as we all know, can get us in trouble sometimes.

It truly can speak life or death. Our words can truly make or break someone.  That old saying “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me” is just not true.  As much as I insisted that it were when I was a small child that had gotten hurt by someone’s words.

The book of James in the Bible speaks very strongly about our tongues.  James 3:5-8

Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:  But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

I’ll be the first to admit that I struggle with my words.  Have you ever thought back over a conversation and thought “why did I say that”, or “that didn’t come out right”?  Well, I definitely have!  Many more times than I care to admit.

A couple of years ago, I had a conversation with someone about a mutual friend.  Well, our mutual friend who was a guy was currently dating someone that neither of us approved of.  And I didn’t say anything about the person they were dating exactly.  All I said was that I was concerned about our friend dating this girl.  I didn’t say why I was concerned.  The person I was talking to said that they had heard this and that and I just nodded my head in agreement.  I knew that I shouldn’t have even been engaging in this conversation.  Well, about a week or so later, I was confronted with none other than the person that we had been talking about, not our mutual friend, but his girlfriend.  I was accused of saying all kinds of things that I had not said.  And I assured this girl that I had not said any of those things and I didn’t even think that about her.  But, the damage was still done.  She said she believed me, and I hope she did.  Well, that really threw me for a loop.  I mean, I hadn’t said the things this girl thought I had said about her.  After talking to our mutual guy friend, undoubtedly the person that I had engaged in conversation with had gone and told our mutual guy friend that I had said this and that about his girlfriend.

So, I got really upset about this.  I was angry at both of my friends.  My friend for twisting our conversation around into making it sound like it was my words and not hers.  And I was also upset that our guy friend had gone and told his girlfriend all of this without talking to me first.

I prayed about it and prayed about it.  I was really angry and didn’t speak to either one of them for a while.  But, then while praying about it over time God started showing me something (and I really knew this but I didn’t want to admit it).  What if I could go back to that day and change the course of that conversation?  I could have changed the course of that conversation or not said anything at all.  I am sure that she meant well.  She was trying to get our guy friend to realize he needed to be careful with the girl he was dating.  She may have even gotten our conversation mixed up in her mind and actually thought that I was the one that had said those things.  There’s no telling.  I’ve forgiven them both.  But, I learned something from it.  (Isn’t that the point?-God allows these things to happen sometimes for us to learn)

I’m sure you all have stories of your own that you have either been the victim of gossip or been part of the gossip that caused someone to get hurt.

It’s why James wrote so strongly about it.  “But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.”

Proverbs 15:4 “A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit.”

Proverbs 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”

So, how can we ‘tame our tongues’?  We can’t, James said it in verse 8.  But, God can when we submit to him.

So, here are some ways that our tongues can be tamed:

Rely on God’s strength daily.

 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.  Philippians 4:13

 (Think before we speak!)

Dedicate your heart and your tongue to the Lord each day.

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord,          my strength, and my redeemer”  Psalm 19:14.

Your words are an indication of what’s in your heart.

Put your heart in tune with God’s Spirit by daily reading His Word.

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” II Timothy 3:16–17

Assume responsibility for every word you speak.

“But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account    thereof in the day of judgment.” Matthew 12:36.

Ask for forgiveness for any unloving words or attitudes.

For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man . . .” James 3:2

Learn to speak words that will encourage, comfort, inspire, and edify.

Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom” James 3:13

This is something that I think we all struggle with.  We either say something we didn’t mean to say, or it comes out the wrong way.  But, by stopping and thinking before our words come tumbling out, we can say a quick prayer and allow God to control our words.

A conversation with my son this morning reminded me of a verse in the Bible.  I knew part of the verse but I couldn’t quote it word for word so I looked it up.

Matthew was discussing people “in the world” that are also Christians.  But the songs they sing or the way the act tells a different story.  So, I said “You know the Bible says that not everyone that says Lord, Lord will enter the gates of Heaven”.  I sort of confused him with this, so then I had to explain and look up the verse…

Matthew 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

These are some powerful words spoken by Jesus himself.  The reason this verse came to mind this morning was because a friend of mine had just mentioned the same verse a few days ago in conversation.

There are many that call themselves Christians, but aren’t really.  We can know those people by their actions. One verse up, Matthew 7:20 says Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.  We aren’t to judge them, but we aren’t to get down on their level either.

Another verse I’d like to share is James 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.  We are only hurting ourselves if we hear the Word, but we don’t put it into action. 

We must all check our own hearts.  When we pray, ask God to show us our own faults and what we can do to improve.  The more we pray and study, the more God will convict our hearts (in order to guide us).

But, this can only happen if we are truly saved.  We cannot expect God to guide us if we have never truly accepted him as our Lord and Savior.

In order to be sure of our salvation there are a few things we can ask ourselves to “check our hearts”:

Can you recall a time in your life that you accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, (this would have been a life-changing event)?

Do you find yourself wanting to follow God’s word?

Do you have a genuine love for others?

Do you feel conviction of wrong doing?

If you say No to any of the above questions, you need to thoroughly check your heart and pray about whether or not you are truly saved.  Talk to a Pastor or other Christian leader.  There are many that have come to Christ late in life after thinking that they were saved.

Christians are not perfect.  But, when we make mistakes we should at least feel convicted about it.  We can know that we have a Father that is perfect and wants the best for us.  All we have to do is put our faith and trust in Him.  Walk with Him daily.  I promise you that it is definitely worth the effort!

And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake:And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. 1 Kings 19:11-12

Noise.  How much noise do we hear every day?  If you are a Mom of small children, or even teenagers, chances are you hear a lot of noise every day.  If you work outside of the home, you hear noise at work.  And let’s just be honest, if we do get some quiet time, we turn on the tv, or we jump on our smart phones and turn to texting or social media.  Satan, our enemy, makes sure that we are kept so busy, so full of noise, that we will never hear that still, small voice.

I am a little ADD.  I get distracted very easily.  In order for me to have quiet time with God, I pretty much have to seclude myself from the rest of the world.  And that is hard to do.  As a Mom, wife and social worker, it is very tempting to keep so busy that I push God to the side.  And unfortunately I have done this.

Two years ago, I knew that I was going to have to go back to work.  I prayed that God would give me a job where I would be serving in some way.  I didn’t just want any old job.  I wanted to serve God and others.  Well, that is exactly what He did.  (Be careful what you ask for!)  I was offered a job with the Department of Family and Children Services.  I worked the front desk for a year and half before I was given an office to do casework.

My first year I slowly became more and more angry and bitter. I had to miss some important events in my children’s lives due to training with the new job.  I also had to learn how to deal with rude and angry people every day.  I struggled with all of this for about a year.  I knew that this was not good and that I was getting a rotten spirit within.  I tried to find the time to study the Bible and I ‘prayed to’ God alot. I prayed to God but I didn’t sit quietly and listen to Him.  If I felt that still small voice trying to nudge me, I would push it away.

About a year after I started this new job, I began to pray differently.  A dispute came up with a coworker and I didn’t handle the situation very well.  I realized then that something had to change within me.  I began praying more and listening more.  And I also began studying my Bible more.  I had been a christian long enough to know what I needed to do.

It is amazing what prayer can do.  It makes all the difference in the world.  I don’t know how anyone can live without that close relationship with God.  Prayer is not just talking to God.  A very important part of prayer that I think a lot of people miss is the listening part.  Listen for that still small voice.  When the Holy Spirit is your guide, you will make better decisions.

And I will leave you with one more verse.  One of my favorites.  Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

All we have to do is Be Still!