It is easy to put my hope in my job or in a person, but there is a story where Jesus describes how one builder built his house on sand and another built the same model house on the solid rock. They both built the same structure, the same amount of rooms. The detailed it the same and there focus was on making it the best house around. But just like in life the storms came and the house that was built on the solid rock stood strong, it wasn't pushed over, but I am sure the wind pushed on it and the water licks at the boards, but the house remains standing. But the man who spent all the time building his house on the sand, next to the beach without paying attention to the foundation, well he didn't fair so well. His house well came down and was floating in the aftermath of the storm.
We are so much like that not just with our Christian lives, but with our relationships, with who we are and every day life. If was base it on our own beliefs, our own feelings, our own ways we are building our house on the sand. The house can be the most beautiful one on the block, but when the storms come and they will, our house will fall.
God calls us to put Him first, to build our house on The solid rock of Jesus Christ and when storms come our foundation is on Him and we are able to trust to rely on Him. We will be blown, we will be tossed, but our house will remain standing, because it is built on His truth and righteousness.
Praise God for allowing us to build our houses on Him. He will protect us and keep us from the storms and even though we go through them, we can fall back on Him. Allow Him to work in your storms, build your foundation on Him the rock and know that even if the storm allow Him to work. He is the only way.
My Hope is Built on Nothing Less
by Edward Mote, 1797-1874
1. My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus' name.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
2. When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale
My anchor holds within the veil.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
3. His oath, His covenant, and blood
Support me in the whelming flood;
When every earthly prop gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
4. When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found,
Clothed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne!
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Fog
What is fog caused by? I am no earth science expert or anything like that, but I believe it is either when the ground is cooler then the air above it, or when the ground is warmer then the air above it. Fog can set in at any time, but generally we see it in the early morning hours, or late night hours. It can be very hard to see through and even the lights of your car can not cut through it, just seems to swallow up all headlights trying to penetrate it. Have you every noticed that?
As I drove in, I was reminded of a story that my grandfather use to tell. He lived on the east coast around Maine, now I don't remember all the story or even where, but I do remember he had taken a small boat out to go fishing or to get lobster off the coast. While he was out there the fog set in, it was almost impossible for him to see the rough area's around, or even where he was suppose to come back to the shore. He prayed and somehow he made it back to shore. He gives all the credit to God for showing him the way back.
That story came to me as I drove through the fog on the way in. In areas it was very hard to see, but in other areas it was clear. In our lives fog may set in, it could be worst then any storm, but Jesus has laid out markers for us to follow, almost like the dotted white line on the road, He has provided us with His voice, His love and His truth. We just need to listen, when all else seems to fail, doesn't mean that you have failed, it just means that you need to press into God, trust in the unseen, He is with you. He is are Rock and our strong place in Him will we trust, not in the dotted line, but in Him, He is the only one that will lead us through the fog.
Don't look at the fog as a bad thing, see it as how God wants to remind us to keep our focus on Him, not on what is happening around us. Not in not being able to see, but in Him for He is the only way. It is not my will but yours, it is not my way but yours. It is when we lay down our wants, our needs, our lives for Him (maybe not literally) being able to surrender all to Him. The fog is just to remind us that we are not alone, no matter what you can't see, He is with you. Call out to Him to guide you through. He will, don't give up for He is God and He is here to help you through.
As I drove in, I was reminded of a story that my grandfather use to tell. He lived on the east coast around Maine, now I don't remember all the story or even where, but I do remember he had taken a small boat out to go fishing or to get lobster off the coast. While he was out there the fog set in, it was almost impossible for him to see the rough area's around, or even where he was suppose to come back to the shore. He prayed and somehow he made it back to shore. He gives all the credit to God for showing him the way back.
That story came to me as I drove through the fog on the way in. In areas it was very hard to see, but in other areas it was clear. In our lives fog may set in, it could be worst then any storm, but Jesus has laid out markers for us to follow, almost like the dotted white line on the road, He has provided us with His voice, His love and His truth. We just need to listen, when all else seems to fail, doesn't mean that you have failed, it just means that you need to press into God, trust in the unseen, He is with you. He is are Rock and our strong place in Him will we trust, not in the dotted line, but in Him, He is the only one that will lead us through the fog.
Don't look at the fog as a bad thing, see it as how God wants to remind us to keep our focus on Him, not on what is happening around us. Not in not being able to see, but in Him for He is the only way. It is not my will but yours, it is not my way but yours. It is when we lay down our wants, our needs, our lives for Him (maybe not literally) being able to surrender all to Him. The fog is just to remind us that we are not alone, no matter what you can't see, He is with you. Call out to Him to guide you through. He will, don't give up for He is God and He is here to help you through.
Monday, April 7, 2014
Relationships
I was thinking this morning on my way to work, just how many times I have started a blog just in this same fashion. The air was crisp and awesome sleeping weather, but here I am driving into work for a new start of the week and what is better it is a Monday. Yes, we can look at Mondays as oh no, or we can except them for what God has for us. Well, this morning, I am excited to share that I was in the mind set to see what God has for me today and He started out by bringing relationship to mind. What a way to start the Monday, with a hard, but true lesson.
Our relationships with people and Jesus Christ can be much the same. It is by making a choice, but not just one time that we go deeper. This choice must be day to day. It is like when you first meet a person you want to invest in them and find out all you can, but as you learn all you can, you slowly stop investing, but it shouldn't be like that. I do not agree. See we need to invest every single day, not just when we start dating, but every single day of our lives, learning and growing. In the same way we need to continue investing into being a Christian, not after a year of being a Christian does the relationship slow down or after 2, but every single day do we need to put what we have learned in our dating lives, or our married lives into walking as Christ did, investing into life, into God each day. Just as we will our spouses, our kids, our friends. It isn't just at the stage of starting, but every single day is a new start is a new day and that is the best lesson that I have today.
It is a new day and what we have is a chance to grow, to change to allow God to work in us and then He can work through us. It is the marriage of Christ, we tend to forget that our marriage needs to be day by day, moment by moment and so does this apply to every relationship, not just physical, but spiritual as well.
Today take a step back and look at your relationships. Are they where they need to be? Remember this question... What would Jesus do? Isn't it time we start living moment to moment, instead of saying we are to busy.
Think and pray that God will show you the area's in which we all need to grow, but it isn't just 1 year, it is the rest of our lives. It is time for the change to start and that change starts with you.
Our relationships with people and Jesus Christ can be much the same. It is by making a choice, but not just one time that we go deeper. This choice must be day to day. It is like when you first meet a person you want to invest in them and find out all you can, but as you learn all you can, you slowly stop investing, but it shouldn't be like that. I do not agree. See we need to invest every single day, not just when we start dating, but every single day of our lives, learning and growing. In the same way we need to continue investing into being a Christian, not after a year of being a Christian does the relationship slow down or after 2, but every single day do we need to put what we have learned in our dating lives, or our married lives into walking as Christ did, investing into life, into God each day. Just as we will our spouses, our kids, our friends. It isn't just at the stage of starting, but every single day is a new start is a new day and that is the best lesson that I have today.
It is a new day and what we have is a chance to grow, to change to allow God to work in us and then He can work through us. It is the marriage of Christ, we tend to forget that our marriage needs to be day by day, moment by moment and so does this apply to every relationship, not just physical, but spiritual as well.
Today take a step back and look at your relationships. Are they where they need to be? Remember this question... What would Jesus do? Isn't it time we start living moment to moment, instead of saying we are to busy.
Think and pray that God will show you the area's in which we all need to grow, but it isn't just 1 year, it is the rest of our lives. It is time for the change to start and that change starts with you.
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