Sunday, September 27, 2009

True Faith

My natural tendency is to look at the bright side of life. Working hard can result in grand and wonderful things. But throughout my life, I’ve heard messages to the contrary. I’ve heard that I should be more realistic. I’ve heard that there just might be limits to what I can do. My basic tendency hasn’t changed but I have bought into some of these other ideas. At least, my fear has bought into those ideas and has kept me from working hard toward those grand and wonderful things.

Hebrews 11 points more toward my natural tendency than toward more realistic thoughts.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, for by it good testimonies are made. And things that are seen now were once not visible.

Without faith, it is impossible to please God. One must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Any good works done must be done in this spirit. Seeing something in your mind and then working to make it reality is a way of imitating God. For God made everything that we see from nothing. Reality says that if it doesn’t exist now it can’t be. Faith says that with God new things can be made.

Abraham set forth on a journey in which he didn’t know where he’d end up. He trusted God to work things out and get him where he was going. He went even though reality said that it would be more comfortable to stay where he was. His wife, Sarah, conceived a child when she was well past child-bearing age. That’s not reality. That’s God.

Many other people in the Bible took huge steps of faith and accomplished great things for God’s Kingdom. Kingdoms were subdued. Righteousness prevailed. Promises were obtained. Lions’ mouths were shut. And the dead were raised to life again! Out of weaknesses comes great strength when God is called up on in faith and we step out in that faith.

Friday, September 4, 2009

Out of the Box

Sometimes it’s easier here in this box
It’s cozy and comfortable
And I can see my boundaries

But other times it’s stifling
It’s confining and dark
And I can hardly breathe

There is another choice
I can choose; each day, I can choose
Life and breath or death and complacency




I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.” -- Deuteronomy 30:19-20 (NKJV)

Thursday, September 3, 2009

I Am Alive

I am alive when I’m around you
I feel like I have wings to fly
I feel like I can reach my dreams
If only I would try

You’ve set my heart ablaze.
And set my eyes ahead
So I can see possibilities
Of how I can be led

You’ve filled me with love
And you’ve shown me
About the true woman
That only I can be

I couldn’t get much higher
My spirit takes flight
When I’m around you
My heart feels light

God knows, that I will be
The one who’ll stand by
Through all of the good
And where troubles lie

I can’t wait to continue
Put my wings to the test
Anything can happen
In your arms, I can rest


You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.
The Spirit, Not the Letter
And we have such trust through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. -- 2 Corinthians 3:2-6 (NKJV)