MyDivineJourney

1 Samuel 24:14 Whom did the king of Israel come out in pursuit of, anyway? A dead dog? A lone flea? Someone as insignificant as I am? In this exchange David shames Saul for using an army of thousands to conquer one peasant boy. It made me think of how we spend so much time agonizing over things or trying to conquer people who really don’t add value or make a difference. How much time do we spend majoring in the minors?   Years ago my brilliant supervisor told me to pick my battles wisely – it has proven wonderful advice in my professional as well as in my personal life. High blood pressure, strained relationships and countless psychological and physical maladies happen when we go after insignificant things. 

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ, because he gives me strength.  I went down that tricky and dirty path called offense before I remembered that the Lord Jesus Christ can strengthen my world and direct my words if I only ask.  Think of the families that would still be together, of the companies that would reach financial goals and of the wars that would be avoided if we called on the Lord first.  The Bible commands us to think a new way.  Romans 12:2 Do not be shaped by this world; instead be changed within by a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to decide what God wants for you; you will know what is good and pleasing to him and what is perfect.  Try it.  You'll like it.  And peace might just prevail around you! 

The wicked shouldn't bother to pray since God will not listen to them, read this:  Proverbs 15:29 The Lord does not listen to the wicked, but he hears the prayers of those who do right.  Wicked ways irritate God.  The Bible says He hates what evil people do, read this: Proverbs 15:9 The Lord hates what evil people do, but He loves those who do what is right.  These Scriptures reveal several key things: God listens to those in relationship with Him (John 1:12-13) who do the right thing. The wicked who fall on hard or sad times will be on their own. God's not listening to their prayers.  The wicked who are apart from God will be wiped out of history: Psalm 9:5 You condemned nations.You destroyed wicked people.You wiped out their names forever and ever.  Wow.

Proverbs 8:34  The one who listens to me, who carefully seeks me in everyday things  and delays action until my way is apparent, that one will find true happiness. I've  been breezing through Scripture with a great new 10 chapter-a-day Bible reading plan I found on Challies.com that has changed the way I approach daily reading beyond my theological and devotional studies.  God and His truths simply jump off the pages of my Bible and I smile, laugh and cry. And I take lots of notes so I can blog. As I was thinking about how I finally got my Bible-reading groove, I thanked the Lord for making this new method easy for my brain to process. Immediately I came upon this Scripture that tells me why things are easier to process:  I actively seek God in everyday things! Yes – God is in the mundane of my life! He is aware of it all. My good, my bad and my ugly – well, my bad and ugly take processing, but He’s there with me. I also have an opportunity to ...

Psalm 118:24 This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad today!  It's been a season of weather discontent. Too much snow, too much rain, too much gloom and on and on.  Lamenting the rain that gives life to greenery is now a pastime for many in my area. We forget the drought that killed vegetation and maimed our properties, park and public spaces. Complain, complain, complain. FaceBook, Twitter, in person or phone, we complain that we have no sunshine. Massive gray skies and clouds frame my daytime views most days, and I also ask for the sunshine. But I and countless others fail to see the beauty of the current moment. Seems like we should stop and thank the Lord that we're alive to see the day with its dreariness and all.  That's how I've decided to look at my days. Soon we'll see endless days ushering in soaring temperatures and humidity fit for a sauna spa.  Instead of lamenting out loud and influencing others a...