Wednesday, June 29, 2016

RELY - Where to Place Your Hope


When the wicked die, their hopes die with them,
for they rely on their own feeble strength.




Ouch. This verse hurts the heart at first read. It's unhappy and depressing in its Truth. Thank goodness we're not among the wicked! We're good people, who do good things to better the world around us...or are we?

Let's let's dig in and find exactly what He is saying...

wicked - this word is from a primitive root in Hebrew, רָשַׁע râshaʻ, which means to be unrighteous. What does unrighteous mean? In this sense, it is to be unjust, or separated from God because of our sinful nature.

die מָוֶת mâveth  is a Hebrew word meaning, you guessed it, death.


hopes - תִּקְוָה tiqvâh is a Hebrew word used figuratively, meaning expectation, or thing that I long for.

die - interestingly, the original translation does not use the word 'die,' but instead uses the word 'perish.' It is a primitive root in Hebrew, אָבַד ʼâbad. It means to be destroyed. In this verse, it is used metaphorically, meaning hope destroyed, or desires which are frustrated.

I think the rest of the verse is fairly self-explanatory; so let's put what we've learned all together in our own words...

When those who are separated from God die, the things that they long for, their desires, are frustrated to destruction. By relying on themselves, their everlasting life perishes.

What is 'separated from the LORD'?
Why is hope destroyed when we rely on ourselves?

Separated from the LORD, is anyone who has not surrendered their heart to Christ Jesus. The common term is 'unsaved.' Jesus clearly told us He is LIFE. (Read Luke 11:25-26). I am going to plainly speak here:


There is only One God.
We are ALL born into this world separated from Him in our hearts.
In order to have eternal life (that means going to heaven)
we must declare with our mouths
and believe in our hearts that Jesus is LORD.

This is what Christians call salvation, friends. It is the hope we have, knowing this world is not the end; knowing that there is truly something worth far more than anything in this world could provide us. 

Why is hope destroyed when we rely on our own strength? Because our own strength fails, and God's strength NEVER fails. Because everything in this world we live is temporary. It doesn't matter how much work you've accomplished, how many good deeds you've done, or how many things you've acquired. It will all be gone at some point, but Jesus' LOVE is FOREVER. 

Be encouraged in knowing He is forever and always. Question this Truth if you are unsure of it. Seek Him and you will most certainly find your answers. Place your hope in Him, and your life will be forever. He is waiting on you. 


How will you rely on Him today?

Monday, June 27, 2016

RELY - The LORD and His Unfailing Love




But the Lord watches over those who fear Him,
    those who rely on His unfailing love.



I remember when I was new to studying the Bible, and this phrase 'fear of the LORD' was confusing to me. Why be afraid of Him? And here, in this particular verse, that word 'fear' is connected to 'rely.' At first glance, it seems to make no sense to me. So, let's dig in...

fear - this word is from a primitive root in Hebrew, יָרֵא yârêʼ, yaw-ray, which means to stand in awe of; fear, reverence, respect, honor. 

rely - this is also a primitive root in Hebrew, יָחַל yâchal. It means to wait: by implication, to be patient, hope: - (cause to, have, make to) hope, be pained, stay, tarry, trust, or wait.

Let's put what we've learned all together in our own words...

But the LORD watches over those who stand in awe of, revere, respect, and honor Him; those who are patient, and hope - even in painful times, trust in His unfailing love.

Why fear the LORD?
Why stand in awe of and honor Him? 

Because, dearest, He created us in His image, and He is worthy of our utmost praise. When we seek Him first, before we look to anything or anyone else, we can be assured He will not only provide what we need; He will also protect us from evil and the evil one. 

We go to Him with reverence, and we learn to wait in hope. Even in the painful moments, we can be absolutely certain of His love for us. We may not understand the 'why' of waiting, but we are guaranteed He will love us through it all. 

To rely on Him is a form of praise.

We are trusting His guidance, and acknowledging His plan for us is worth following...even when we don't understand it. Quiet your spirit, convene with Him, ask for direction. He is waiting to show you all the good He has in store for you. He is waiting for you to accept His love, you beautiful creation.


How will you rely on Him today?

Friday, June 24, 2016

Relying on Him

I recently used the Keyword Search feature at Biblegateway.com to see how many times the word 'rely' appears in the New Living Translation (NLT) Bible. I was surprised there were only 10 verses specifically using that word, considering how often I hear I am to rely on Him.


Over the next couple of weeks, I'm going to look at each of those verses and unwrap His Truth. I'm hoping it will deepen my connection with Him, as there are times when I feel an incredible disconnect in my relationship.

Looking forward to renewing my hope as I dig into these verses. 

Care to join me?

A note I gave to one of my teens, and a good reminder for me!

Saturday, June 18, 2016

A Rant of Sorts

I try not to rant too often; however, I really just needed to pull this out of my head so I might move forward to dwell on other, more pleasant thoughts. Perhaps it's not as much a rant as it is a soapbox moment for unraveling events of the past few weeks. 

Stepping up on the Soapbox, I must ask:

"What has happened to common sense?"

Common Sense

Noun. 14c., originally the power of uniting mentally the impressions conveyed by the five physical senses, thus 
"ordinary understanding, without which one is foolish or insane" 

(Latin sensus communisGreek koine aisthesis); meaning"good sense" is from 1726.


We've come to a point in our history where ordinary understanding has been replaced with foolishness.  Every day we see people making mistakes which could have been avoided. How? Mainly by slowing down and thinking about the consequences of their actions.


Consequences.



Perhaps that is truly the catalyst for the lack of common sense? There seem to be no consequences any longer. Accountability is just a word, carelessly tossed about, without any action behind it. Children are no longer reprimanded for their rude behavior, because they are 'just being kids.' Teenagers are not punished for their poor choices, because their affluent lifestyles have hindered their thinking skills. Adults are tossed into the court of public opinion; however, not much justice is meted out to them in the court of law.

Until we get back-to-basics in our own homes, using the missteps, blunders, and muddled mistakes as teachable moments in liability life lessons; practical wisdom for living will become obsolete. We will see a continued downward spiral of our society. 

It's time to step up, people, and make one another accountable for our actions. It's time to bring back common sense. Those of us who have it, are desperate to see it being used by others. 

Okay, I'm hopping off my soapbox. Thanks for reading. 

How do you think 
we lost our Common Sense?

Friday, June 10, 2016

Want


Visit all the FMF writers
via Kate Motaung's site.


Saw a link to Five Minute Friday & decided to give it a try. 

The rules:  Use the prompt,
set a timer, 
write 5 minutes,
post what you wrote.

Today's prompt is "Want." 
Here goes!





Begin...

Want...we use this word a lot around our home. 
My teens are always in want of something. 
They want the latest shoes, clothes, phones.
They want food...all the time, it seems. 

And I want, too.

I want them to be healthy, happy, friendly.
I want them to feel loved.
Oh, I want things for me.
I want a new dress, a cute pair of comfortable shoes.
I really want the laundry done and the house to stay clean.
But most of all, I want to feel wanted.

I need to feel wanted.

My life revolves around their wants.
My life is based on their wants.
I want to fill the needs of their desires. 
I want to create a home so filled with love, they want to come back when they inevitably find the want to leave it permanently some day. 

I sometimes worry about when they're all gone.

How am I going to fill the need of being wanted?
How will I pursue my days? 
For now, I'll simply enjoy the role I've been given and the season in which I'm living. 

It's good to be wanted.

...Time's up!

What do you want?

PS...I didn't edit the words of my writing, though I did pretty it up a bit with bold & italics. The Type-A in me couldn't resist!