Tune In

Today let’s look at God’s response to a prayer that pleased Him in 1 Kings 3:10-14.
¹⁰ The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. ¹¹ So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, ¹² I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. ¹³ Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both wealth and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. ¹⁴ And if you walk in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.” 

Remember back in the days when we had knobs to tune the radio? To hear the station clearly it had to be just right on the channel we wanted. We have to be “right” with the Lord in order to hear His voice clearly.  Solomon position himself in prayer, worship, and his heart to hear from God. His mind was in tune with God’s. The Lord granted his request for knowledge and wisdom, and so much more. I think we would all like to be blessed like that! Amen?

Watch Me

Jesus refers to people coming to Him "as little children". Today's verse tells us why. We must look to Him for guidance, instruction, and direction. The great news is that He will never leave us or ignore us.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. - Psalm 32:8

I was recently blessed to spend some vacation time with my grandchildren. Kids are great, they love showing you their "new" skills, and then you tell them how big they are getting. As they grow, they will start to venture further away, and stretch the boundaries. But even when they get a little far away they will turn around and make sure you are watching them. It gives them a sense of safety and encouragement.

Today remember God's watching you. Put a smile on His face as you serve Him. Say , “Watch me God!”

I Remember

Memorial Day is more than just a long weekend or the start of summer. It exists so we can set aside time to honor all Americans who have died while in the military service. My family has fought in every war since the American Revolution. Some will be remembered today for their sacrifice. It does not matter is you have not lost someone directly to war - it matters because we are a free country. Thousands of men and women have given the ultimate sacrifice for this country. Today we honor their lives and pray for their families.

I have read the following at many funerals. Look at the words and allow them to minister to a loss that you have had. It's called, With Hope

You left us with the memory of your smile,

And nothing we can do, And nothing we can say,

Can take away the pain, The pain of losing you,

But we can cry with hope,

Cause we believe with hope,

 There’s a place by God’s grace,

 There’s a place where we’ll see your face again.

Through the cloud of tears,

I see the Father’s smile and say well done,

 And I imagine you,

 Where you most wanted to be,

Seeing all your dreams come true,

 Because now you’re home, and now you’re free,

And we have this anchor because we believe,

That everything God promised us is true,

So, we wait with hope, and we ache with hope,

We hold on with hope, we let go with hope. - Steven Curtis Chapman

Thank you Jesus for the blessing of hope. May America bless God on this day and always.

Get Out of the Way

A song we learned as children told us of Jesus' love and we can find His strength in our weaknesses. Yes Jesus loves me (and you). The Bible tells me so! As adults the world will tell us we must be strong. The truth is God loves to use weak people. “I am with you; that is all you need. My power shows up best in weak people.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 A weakness is any limitation that you inherited or have no power to change. Everyone has weaknesses. In fact, we have a bundle of flaws and imperfections: physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual. Usually we deny our weaknesses, defend them, excuse them, hide them, and resent them. This prevents God from using them the way he desires.

When you think of the limitation in your life, you may be tempted to conclude, “God could never use me.” But God is never limited by our limitations. Sometimes, however, God turns strength into a weakness in order to use us even more. Jacob was a manipulator who spent his life scheming and then running from the consequences. One night he wrestled with God and said, “I’m not letting go until you bless me.” God said, “All right,” but then he grabbed Jacob’s thigh and dislocated his hip.

What is the significance of that? God touched Jacob’s strength and turned it into a weakness. From that day forward, Jacob walked with a limp so he could never run away again. It forced him to lean on God whether he liked it or not. In crisis we need to do the same.

If you want God to bless you and use you greatly, you must be willing to walk with a limp the rest of your life, because God uses weak people. In your weakness you will find God's strength. Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world! Amen?

Accept and Share

Anyone who has played sports knows that it is preparation and execution is what wins games. The team that prepares the best and uses that preparation on the field will know they have given their best. The Bible says we are to be prepared to share our faith at any time. So why does it seem like we're losing?

I believe it's because we don't prepare or even get in the game of life. We're to busy to allow God to change our heart or outlook on eternity. We find a hundred reasons why we don't want to share what faith we have.

One thing I appreciate about God's plan for humanity is that it is straight forward, and not complicated. “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him. - John 3:16-18 The Message

Accept and share it – it is that easy. Amen?

Real God

God is real, no matter how you feel. “But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and that he will stand upon the Earth at last. And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God! I will see him for myself. Yes, I will see him with my own eyes. I am overwhelmed at the thought!” Job 19:25-27

It is easy to worship God when things are going great in your life – when he has provided food, friends, family, health, and happy situations. But circumstances are not always pleasant. How do you worship God then? What do you do when God seems a million miles away?

The deepest level of worship is praising God in spite of pain, thanking God during a trial, trusting him when tempted, surrendering while suffering, and loving him when he seems distant. How do you praise God when you don’t understand what’s happening in your life and God is silent? How do you stay connected in a crisis without communication? How do you keep your eyes on Jesus when they’re full of tears?

You do what Job did: “Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.’” Job 1:20-21

And remember what God has already done for you. Jesus gave up everything so you could have everything. He died so you could live forever. That alone is worthy of your continual thanks and praise. Amen?

Pleasing God

God wants all of you! “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’” Mark 12:30 God doesn't want a part of your life. God is not interested in halfhearted commitment, partial obedience, and the leftovers of your time and money. He desires your full devotion, not little bits of your life.

A Samaritan woman once tried to debate Jesus on the best time, place, and style for worship. Jesus replied that these external issues are irrelevant. Where you worship is not as important as why you worship and how much of yourself you offer to God when you worship.

The kind of worship that pleases God has four characteristics:

- God is pleased when our worship is accurate.

- God is pleased when our worship is authentic.

- God is pleased when our worship is thoughtful.

- And God is pleased when our worship is practical.

When Jesus said, “Love God with all your strength,” he was saying that worship takes effort and energy. It’s not always convenient or comfortable, and sometimes worship is a sheer act of the will – a willing sacrifice. When you praise God even when you don’t feel like it, when you get out of bed to worship when you’re tired, or when you help others when you are worn out, you’re offering a sacrifice of worship to God. And that pleases God.