31 Day Challenge - Day 28

"Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to poverty will be cursed" (Proverbs 28:27).

I know a part of our society says that people need to learn to take care of themselves, pull themselves up by their bootstraps and stop taking from the government and from the rest of us, but could it be that there are people in our society that need a helping hand? The Bible tells us that  the poor will be with us always, even within the Christian community, and that we need to have compassion. One thing we need to remember is that everything we have belongs to Him; none of this is ours. We didn't bring it into the world and we're not taking it out.

Proverbs 28:8 says "Income from charging high interest rates will end up in the pocket of someone who is kind to the poor". What do we think of that statement?  How can we be kind to the poor with income from high interest rates? What do we think about Acts 2:44, 45, "And all of the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need." What does that mean? Do true believers really need assistance?

The scripture says if we don't work we don't eat, but what about the people who work and still don't have quite enough? Are they not real Christians? What about the people who live where jobs are scarce, or people who were laid off, or those who suffered physcical or mental illnesses that prohibit them from working?

If you've ever been without, how did you stay afloat? Most believers would say, God provided it, and they would be absolutely correct! God did provide! But how did He provide; what or who did He use to provide? Did it come out of the air or did He use a person to give, donate, or volunteer the things you were in need of?

When Glenn and I were pregnant with Lauren, we had nothing. Rent was high and we both worked, but what we made kept a roof over our heads and some food on the table. Neither of us knew how we were going to purchase a crib, car seat, stroller, baby bathtub, diapers, and the many other things we'd need for our new arrival. But God knew, and we trusted Him, so we weren't worried, just concerned. We prayed and by God's hand, everything we needed, and I do mean everything, including lamps and bedroom furniture, was given to us, by others. We were blessed with four baby showers from four different friends groups who didn't know eachother.  We never made a formal list of what we needed (because we needed everything) and yet nothing was duplicated. Friends and family members who lived out of state mailed things to us. It was incredible, it was unbelievable; it was God! God used people to provide His children with everything needed to welcome Lauren into this world. And to date, we are still being taken care of by God's hand, and we now have an opportunity to share with others what God has given to us. Not because we have so much, but because everything belongs to Him!

"Don't think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measureing yourselves by the faith God has given us. Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ's body. . . Don't just pretend to love otheres. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take dellight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God's people are in need, be ready to help them." (Romans 12:3-13, NLT).

31 Day Challenge - Day 27

Proverbs 27:12 says "A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions". That's really what Proverbs is all about. God wanting us to have wisdom so that we can have eyes to see and do what's necessary to keep ourselves from evil.

I enjoy looking at model homes. I put it under the guise of "getting ideas" for my own house, but I can't say that I've used any of the ideas I've gathered. What I can say about looking at model homes is that it has the ability to provide discontentment to my heart. I become envious of what I don't have. My answer to not allowing this discontentment to invade my heart regarding my current residence is to first admit that I can become discontent with my home. My next step is to determine in my mind that I am completely content with what I have, that it is lovely and is a gift from God. But the best possible solution to avoid discontentment 100% is to not go and look at the model homes. Now, to some, that may sound drastic, but not so. Everyone knows their limits, whether they choose to abide by them or not. A recovering alcoholic stays away from liquor. A spend-a-holic cuts up their credit cards. A person who has lust of the eye deprives the eyes of what makes them lustful. The Bible says if your eye offends you, you should pluck it out, (Matthew 18:9; 5:29 and Mark 9:47). Of course, we may not literally pluck or gouge out our eyes, but we instead stop doing and stop enabling those things that cause us to stumble. We practice the new life, the forgiven life, the redeemed life. Why should we agonize over things that cause us death; over things that God has not determined we need or has provided for us?

Whatever obstacle or danger lurks in our path, the Bible tells us that by practicing wisdom, using the knowledge and understanding it brings, and then exercising restraint, we will keep ourselves from danger and more importantly, make our Savior glad!

31 Day Challenge - Day 26

It's so difficult to bless your enemies, and yet God tells us to feed our hungry enemies, and give them water if they are thirsty. It says we will heap burning coals of shame on their heads and the Lord will reward us, (Prov. 25:21,22).  What we're doing is letting God's hand of grace and mercy bless the situation and soften the hearts of those who mistreat us.

If we could see the outcome of this unconditional act of kindness before we practiced it, it would be so much easier, but that would defeat part of God's blessing/reward towards our obedience to His word. The more we let God work in us, the more we come to know Him. After all, this is not just to open the other persons eyes, but it's a beneficial exercise that gives us a closer view to the heart of  God. What a testimony for us to be able to spread God's love to others and see His hand of work in the lives of numerous people because we obeyed His word. By taking us (our emotions, our selfishness, our greed) out of the equation, God is free to work in and to touch hearts. He doesn't really need our help, does He? Our enemies will not be able to strike back at us because we will be extending mercy and grace and not emotional or physical aggression. When we fight back, it keeps the fight going. When we let God, He becomes our defense - and He never loses!

So as we're living this month of thankfulness, I want to make a personal challenge to myself and anyone else who is interested to see this scripture come to life. I want to allow others to see the Jesus in me. I want to witness God's blessing as I yield my will to His and allow the Holy Spirit to work through me to bless to bless my enemies. I have nothing to lose and everything to gain!

If you have an example where this has already played out in your life, please recently share it in this blog. If you're interested in joining the challenge, let me know.

31 Day Challenge - Day 25

 I wrote a short story in 1987 about a large house surrounded by woods. It was based on the homes I  might see on my way home from work. They were massive, beautiful and had lots of space around them. About this time of year, autumn, you could see them clearly as the trees that surrounded them shed their leaves. My desire was to live in one of those homes, and if not, atleast to look inside. That was the focus of my story; peering inside.

At that time in 1987, the Lord gave me a vision of what the inside of these homes could look like, but on a spiritual level. He let me know that even if the outside of the house was gorgeous, what really mattered was what was on the inside of the home; where the people lived. When I read Proverbs 24:3-5, I remembered the story and the lesson God taught me from it. In the story, I peekked through the window and discovered that the house was pretty much empty and very much unkept. What I thought would be filled with expensive furniture and exquisite decor was dusty and desolate and needing much care. The curtains had moths and cobwebs hanging on them and what I thought was a once beautiful home no longer had an appeal. I wondered what people saw when they looked into my life. Did they find a blessed home or chaos and decay? It's easy to have a nice outward appearance, but how do we have a well kept home?

Proverbs 24:3-5 says, "A house is built by wisdom and becomes strong through good sense. Through knowledge its rooms are filled with all sorts of precious riches and valuables. The wise are mightier than the strong, and those with knowledge grow stronger and stronger." It's not what people see on the outside of us, but what they encounter on the inside of us that matters most. We all have to determine what our house is built of and who the builder is. The homes in my story were worthless in their current state. They looked very attractive on the outside, but the inside had no value. That's not the house I want built; that's not the house I want to live in. I desire a house built with wisdom, and as the Proverbs says, by wisdom. A house erected by good sense and knowledge, which will make it a strong and secure home. That's how I want my home to be built, so that it is established through Christ from glory to glory, growing stronger and more secure every day!