by George | Aug 17, 2020 | Community News, Devotional, Newsletter
Lowering the Goal
“Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 3:12-14
I started using a step tracker app to keep up with how far I walk.
It also keeps up with how long I walk and the calories. It has some built in daily “goals.”
After a couple of days, the app noticed I hadn’t reached the calorie burning goal. (I guess I wasn’t working hard enough!)
The app asked me if I wanted to “adjust” the goal. Make it more attainable. Lower it.
At first it was tempting. “Maybe I can settle for an easier goal and SOMEDAY reach the higher goal.”
There was also this thought that I was failing. (That’s not a good feeling!)
Ultimately, I decided to keep the goal. I can’t say that I have attained it yet, but I’m going to keep pressing on. A little at a time.
What if Paul had just “settled” for an ordinary life? Just getting by. Lowered his goal.
Where would be our inspiration to keep running the race? Let’s keep our goal just like Paul.
“That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.”
Philippians 3:10-11
Sure, we are going to stumble sometimes, but if you keep your eyes on Jesus, and commit your life fully to Him, you will reach the goal.
by George | Aug 13, 2020 | Community News, Devotional, Newsletter
“Morning, Noon and Night “
“Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and he hears my voice.”
Psalm 55:17
I talked to a man recently who is going through cancer treatments. This is not the first time he has gone through it. The subject of prayer came up, and he told me that he prays so much that God gets tired of hearing from him.
Do you feel that way sometimes? We keep bringing up the same requests to God day after day. It seems that nothing is happening, that God hasn’t answered our prayer yet.
Jesus said: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”
Matthew 7:7
I’ve been told that it literally means keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking. Not asking once, or a few times.
In the parable of the unjust judge, in Luke 18, Jesus talks about a judge who “neither feared God or man.” A widow kept coming day after day, seeking justice. He kept putting her off. Finally, the judge granted her request because she was wearing him out. Jesus said: “And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them?”
Luke 18:7
Rest assured that God is going to answer in His own time and way. In the delay, we can say with the Psalmist in Psalm 55:17, “He hears my voice.”
When God answers prayer, it’s better than anything we can think of.
“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,”
Ephesians 3:20
Don’t give up. Keep praying!
by George | Aug 6, 2020 | Community News, Devotional, Newsletter
“Not Finishing Well”
“For it was so, when was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the LORD his God, as was the heart of his father David.”
I Kings 11:4
Every year, I dread reading this passage.
God gave Solomon more wisdom than any man in history. And, made him very very wealthy. But, Solomon didn’t finish well. Why?
The simple, Biblical reason was that his many wives and concubines turned him away from the Lord, and he worshipped many gods.
What else contributed to his failure?
I think Solomon had a restless heart.
“All the labor of man is for his mouth, And yet the soul is not satisfied.”
Ecclesiastes 6:7
He wanted more. He tried many things to make himself happy.
He worked hard, played hard and acquired great riches. Solomon recalls all this in the book of Ecclesiastes and said that it was all “vanity.”
In all this he lost sight of the main thing. If only he had remembered what he wrote…
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all.”
Ecclesiastes 12:13
Let’s not lose sight of the simplicity of faith and trust in God, and let us never be distracted by things that take our mind off of God.
“…If riches increase, Do not set your heart on them.”
Psalms 62:10
Be blessed, and finish well
