Give Credit to Where Credit is Do

I am getting ready to start a bible study on the book of Daniel for our church and in preparation for that my eyes fell on these verses once again. What was written centuries ago still remain true today.

After approaching the throne of God and asking for an answer to the earthly king's request this is the response Daniel gave to God.

"Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever, wisdom  and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells in him. I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors: You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king." ~Daniel 2:20-23 NIV

 

As tempted as I am to break this down and write a piece on all that we can get from these three verses, I will not. However, there are two things that struck me among the many.

 

1. When we ask God for things and when we seek Him, do we expect to hear from Him? Daniel needed an answer by sun up. If no answer came, they were all going to be killed. Instead of panicking about it, he went straight to the source. God Himself. Do we do that? And if we do, how do we respond. Scripture tells us after receiving the message Daniel spoke these words listed above. He then sent word to the king. In his response to the king, he gave God the credit. Do we do that? Or do we want others to think we did it on our own?

 

2. God changes the times and seasons (we are beginning Fall a great reminder God is still in control).  When He created this world he made a cycle for Nature to follow and it is still on course. But keep reading...He deposes of kings and raises up others. Now if you pick up a paper or turn on the news you see all the faces of those wanting to be our next leader. If you look deeper in the paper and watch longer on TV you see this same event is happening all over the world. Some do so peacefully and orderly while others kill one leader to have another leader serve. My point is this, God still controls who and when and how this world will be led. Like it or not. Daniel served under several kings in this lifetime. I am sure he liked some better than others. How did he do it? He served God and then the king. He had a peace and a confidence about his day to day life. He worked for an audience of One. So do you and I. Also, just as Daniel could rely on God for all his needs, so can you and I.

 

If interested in the bible study. It is at our church, Lancaster Alliance Church 210 Pitney Road, Lancaster across from Costco. We begin this Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. till 8:30 p.m. It is the Beth Moore's Women's Study on Daniel. It runs for 12 weeks. I would appreciate your prayers as the women take this study and as I facilitate it.

 

Now just for fun to close the day. I sensed yesterday and today, two different times to take my camera out to the sunflowers. I didn't want to either time because they are starting to wilt and die. Yet the presence was strong to do so. I got my camera and to my surprise I captured the following. I should never be surprised by God, yet I still am. I am loved and so are you! He does the little things from time to time just to see you smile. This butterfly has stayed around for several days. Gold finches are very jumpy and hard to get pictures of.

 

 

What are your little things?

A day this week I was tending to my flowers. I was about to water our hanging basket when something caught my eye. I noticed once branch was wilted and little white flakes were on it. Upon closer inspection I saw aphids had moved in. They are tiny, tiny, little green bugs. They line up on the stem of a plant and slowing start robbing the plant of its moisture. Left untreated they will kill the plant.

I immediately got my spray out because these little ones love the rose bushes as well and went about spraying. The following morning what I found caused me to take a second look. Thousands of little green bugs lay dead on the porch bench as well as on the porch. I swept them up and the following day there were even more. I had no idea how many aphids one plant could hold. Usually when you spray they fall off into the green grass so you don't see them. I was taken back by how many were on the plant. For three days I found bugs. My plant however is looking much better. The leaves aren't curling and the flowers are drooping.

As I was sweeping the porch the idea came to me of how those tiny little bugs worked together slowly to rob the plant of life. Isn't that just how Satan does things are well? He rarely comes in boldly pulling you away. No. It is the little things.

For example: you wake up fully intending on opening your bible and having your morning coffee. You go to make coffee and realize you are out. So you go to the fridge and make a note on the grocery list. While on the list you see a few other items you need and keep adding. While heading to make tea now that you don't have coffee you see the newspaper on the counter that you didn't finish from yesterday and so you begin to read. After finishing the newspaper you realize you better start the laundry if you hope to have it all done before the kids come home and you need to help with homework or run them to their activities. You start the laundry and use the last cupful of detergent. You are back at the list and add it. Only to realize you better just make a quick run to the store. While in line you see a friend that you need to catch up with and the conversation takes longer than you realized. You get home to see that you better grab a little lunch before it gets any later and you are tempted to start snacking because you didn't eat lunch. After lunch you feel a bit sleepy so you decide to take a 15 minute nap. What can it hurt? You wake up 40 minutes later, switch the laundry and start supper prep. While things are simmering you take the dog for a quick walk and see a neighbor. They ask you to watch their place while they are away this coming weekend and you are glad to do it. You come inside to write a note about the weekend and the phone is ringing. You take the call and finish dinner. That evening after running the kids and asking your spouse about his or her day, and folding laundry while doing it, you see the devotional still sitting on the table, waiting. You are too tired from your busy day, you say to yourself, "I better wait till tomorrow, it will mean more then". "I am too tired now and won't remember what I read anyway." Not a problem but I just described a normal day. You find that the next day is just as busy and the next and the next. Before long it is weeks since you opened your bible and spent quiet time with God.

Or maybe you are watching TV at night. A show comes on that while watching it you feel that you should change the channel. But everyone at work tomorrow will be talking about it and you certainly want to fit in. Or you need to watch it so if the conversation comes up you are prepared to some how share your beliefs with them. That is fine, it very well could but weeks after watching the show the opportunity never does come up and you now find the show enjoyable and look forward to it each week. You even aren't bothered by it and once again we are just a bit more numb to the things we as Christians are to run from.

One final example. You start going on social media and comparing your life to what people post. You know full well that they only post the good stuff because no one wants to share when things are going bad. They post the best pictures of themselves and all the recent things they have done or are going to do. You say it doesn't bother you and for some it really doesn't. I love social media to a point, but you need to be careful with it. Anyway, you gradually start acting different. You start wanting what they have. You start spending money when you don't have it. You no longer enjoy what you have because it isn't like theirs. After while you even become angry and may feel unloved because your life isn't their life. I have news for you....given the chance to switch with them. Taking the good that you see and the bad you don't see. You would keep your stuff any day.

You see Satan is busy. His time is running out. He may not be able to claim you as his own, but by golly he will keep you distracted and busy at all possible costs. For you see, if you spend time with God and walk with God. Listen for his still Voice and read His Word. You find that He is all you need. You will crave more and more time with Him and less and less with what this world has to offer. You will work on things that are eternal instead of here today gone tomorrow. You will be known for your honesty, integrity, and willingness to help others.

If left unchecked, the little things will eat at your very soul and before long you will wilt from exhaustion of keeping up with the Jones of your life and you will have your head down instead of looking up.

I think it is time we look at our lives and make those small changes so that the little things can't take hold of our lives. I am speaking to myself more than anyone else. Don't let Satan rob you of your Joy! God is waiting to do a bit of gardening. Let him cut away the dead, prop up the hurts and eventually heal them. A plant does best if you dead head the blooms and keep the weeds away. Is there anything that needs cut out or weeded so it doesn't take root? Ask the gardener to show you where to start.

It has been awhile....

I can hardly believe it has been this long since my last post. I think I am ready to start writing again. However, it may be a bit different this time. I tried to write every week and that worked for awhile. I am thinking this time I will write as I feel the thoughts and ideas come. That may be several times a week or I may only post once a month. I have had thoughts running through my mind lately and each time I sense that would make a good post. So, I am giving it another shot. I will continue to post an update on Facebook when I post, but for those of you following who are not on Facebook, maybe just check every few weeks. I fear I may have lost some of you since it has been so long. My apologies. I think this first post will be filled with some highlights from summer since this is the first of September and Fall is upon us. I hope you enjoy the pictures and that you had a blessed Summer.

Do We Ask?

January seemed to have come by rather quickly. I felt like I had just decorated the house for Christmas and was enjoying the beauty of Christmas. You know what I mean. People are more patient it seems and caring. There is a happiness that time of year that we don't seem to experience any other time of the year. The songs on the radio make us feel warm inside and the stresses of life seem to release their grip for a brief moment. We get to see family and friends that we don't get to be with very often. Our ovens are filled with warm Christmas cookies and our mailbox is full of cards.

Then a few days later, the calendar is flipped and a new year has arrived. The sun sets and moon rises just as it did the day before, but some how this time it feels different. A new year. A fresh start. Resolutions are made, and broken. Some are kept, but few are. Then the weather on the east coast hits. Snow, ice, freezing temps. Who wants to venture outside? Find a good book and curl up. Sometimes I wish we were like bears, hibernate until better weather comes our way. I think they are onto something...

A few Sundays' ago we sang a song in church and the chorus has stuck with me and in turn, has challenged me. As we sang this song, we were asking God to show us His glory, show us His power, we ask Him to open up Heaven, we want to see Him. I was struck with the fact that we sing verses that our worship leader puts on the screen. We sound beautiful. Much praise is given. But when the lights go off and the worship band takes their seat, do we mean the words we just spoke to God? Are we really in our day to day life asking God Almighty to show us His Glory, His Power and if he opened Heaven could we stand it?! If we saw Him, would we recognize Him? Aw, this is my point. We just finished the Christmas season and we worshiped the baby, we spoke of the baby, those that were there 2000 plus years ago did the same thing, but did they recognize Him? Some did, many did not. Many felt He should have looked different. He should have released them from the grip of the Roman government. He didn't meet the requirements they had formed in their minds. It didn't matter that he fulfilled EVERY detail of prophecy. It wasn't what they were looking for, so it mustn't be true. We shake our heads at that. But, I ask you, do we not do the same thing? We ask Him to show us, and when he does, we call it coincidence and look to other possibilities. Worse yet, do we recognize His hand in our lives? That inner voice that guides and directs. Do we listen and care that it is there? Can you imagine what our life would be like if we prayed to God asking Him to show us his power, glory and the details he has put into our lives? I challenge you to do just that this week. Be ready to be floored. Sometime we don't have, because we do not ask. Now, keep in mind, that means we need to ask for things that will please Him and bring Him glory. What do we do with silence and no response when we ask?  We keep asking and trusting. In his time, it will come. Just because it isn't immediate, doesn't mean it isn't possible. I am always amazed in scripture when Jesus spoke how the people wanted more and more miracles to prove that he was the Messiah. How may miracles did he have to perform to please them? He never could have performed enough. He knew that, yet, he had compassion on them and healed and performed miracles to bring glory to His father, our father.  Do we use God as a Jeanie in a bottle? Or do we trust him with our very lives and as much as we need air for our next breath, we need Him to direct our lives and show us his power, glory and Himself? The longer you walk with Him, the more you will understand that His power and glory are all around Him. You won't want to take your eyes off Him. Then one day, he will reach down and call you home. Then and only then will we be able to see His face. Until then, His fingerprints will have to do. I see them everyday, but I must look for them. I saw them on the smiles of my daughters faces today. I saw them in the pure white snow that glistened off the fields. I saw them in the mockingbird as he ate red berries from my winter holly bush. I saw him in my husband's eyes as he said I love you before heading out the door for a meeting. I felt his fingerprints on the cold wet nose of the beloved Labrador as she nestled against me begging for some play time. She was an answer to prayer that I prayed four years for and she is a perfect fit for me. Most importantly, I felt His fingerprints in the warmth of my heart that no matter the circumstances I have joy, endless joy. So, please when you are ready, ask Him to show you his power, glory, and Himself. He will not disappoint. He is crazy about you and loves when you choose to spend time with Him.

The Rest of the Story...

Christmas season is upon us. Some of us may be ready and others may still have a long list waiting. I am somewhere in the middle. I love Christmas and it is my favorite time of year. Easter is a close second. I know I am starting to get older, because I have become much more reflective with each passing holiday. Some of my thoughts...

As a child, I couldn't wait for school to be out and a week's vacation to begin. I loved helping bake cookies and wrap gifts. I loved Christmas concerts and hearing the beautiful music. I liked opening Christmas stockings and the excitement of opening one gift on Christmas Eve and then having to wait till morning to open the rest. I remember sitting on my window sill as a very young child and wondering how it would be if Santa really was for real. Flying through the night sky delivering packages. I had favorite Christmas movies that you only had one chance of watching it, they didn't have it play every three days starting at Thanksgiving and going till Christmas day. All the better if it snowed on Christmas and we could play outside and have warm hot chocolate. I loved Christmas caroling with our church. I also remember clearly standing outside on a cold winter night and watching the stars and wondering, "what must His star have looked like?". I also enjoyed going to a local church and watching them reenact the Christmas Story.

I have grown up and many of those things I still love about Christmas. I love sending Christmas cards, receiving them, wrapping gifts and baking, baking, baking. I enjoy playing my Cd's with my favorite songs. I love decorating the house for Christmas and my favorite decoration still remains the Nativity set. I look upon that set and my mind wonders....how did we go from that to this?

I am not judging anyone and I am the first in line to celebrate some of the more secular traditions along with everyone else. But as I said earlier, I am being more reflective. I have noticed this year, maybe more than others past, that people as a whole are more exhausted looking. They are not laughing and happy while shopping. They are tired, they are stressed and just getting stuff of the shelves to have something for the kids to open. They are yelling at their children, they are standing in long lines and snapping at those around them. They are in hurry. They cut people off in the parking lot, and are pulling out in front of you while driving as if their time is more important than your time.

I wish things could be like a Hallmark movie. You know, the perfect log cabin decorated with fresh greens and snow on the roof. The person who hates their job or loses their job, finds the best one for them in 90 minutes and of course the single person who doesn't have a family finds prince charming and they are happily ever after, or all the towns people knows your name and support you in all you do.... I love Hallmark and I love their movies, I have seen many, but if that was our world, would the baby had to have come? Yes, because sin had entered the world long before movies were made and the relationship between God and man was forever changed, but you understand what I am saying. Since sin has entered the world it day by day decaying.

If you would ask people on the street about Jesus at Christmas, many would know the facts. Even the non-believers know the facts. Satan knows the facts. My challenge this week for all of us is the rest of the story. We get so excited about Christmas and all it brings. We put Jesus in the manger, where He should be this time of year, however, we then put Him back in the box and on the shelf till next year. His coming was huge! The prophets spoke of his coming 700 years before he came. Then God was silent for 400 years. The Word was made flesh, in a squirming little baby boy. That which created the world, came into it. Read that again. That which created the world came into it. Quietly. Life moved on. The animals remained and the Inn kept getting guests. The shepherds went back to their flocks. Life was quiet for 30 years. Then that little boy grew up. Those close to him could see he was different. He began his ministry and called his disciples. The whole point in his coming was to save his people, it is the reason he was called Jesus in the first place. The other name was Emmanuel - God with us. My personal favorite. For you see, He has never left. Once He died and rose again, the Holy Spirit came to reside inside each and every believer. God is still with us, in the form of the Holy Spirit.

Don't forget the rest of the story. Yes, celebrate his birth, but please don't put Him back on the shelf in the box. Invite him into your heart and allow him to write the rest of the story into your life. We know the rest of His story, it is recorded best in the book of John and Revelation. His birth is recorded best in Luke. If you have time this week or month, go back and read those accounts in Matthew and Luke, then this winter, read the book of John. There is so much more to him then being a baby in a manger. That my friend is just the beginning! Then pray about it and ask God to show you places you can tell and show others the rest of His story. Not just the Christmas story, but the rest of it. So many around us are hurting and money can't buy what they need. They need a Savior and you and I aren't it, Jesus is the one and only.

I wish you each a very Merry Christmas and blessings in the New Year! I plan to continue my blog but life has gotten a bit busier for me and so I see myself writing every other week instead of weekly, but will trust God with that. Time will tell. I have always said I will do this blog as long as He gives me the thoughts. I appreciate your feedback and may you love Him more today than you did yesterday, I know I do.