Harsh words

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Proverbs 15:1 NIV

Have you ever tried to reason with a 3 year old?  This verse really reminded me of life in our house lately.  My son is at that stage of wanting everything he sees.  And of course when you tell him no to something, he starts into a temper tantrum.  While it certainly doesn’t always work, we try to give him a gentle no, to prevent stirring up anger. 

While I know it’s not the best way to deal with him, the times that I lose my cool and tell him a bit more harshly that he is not going to get what he wants, anger is certainly stirred up in him. 

Today I encourage you to think about how you speak to others.  Are you turning away wrath by giving a gentle answer or are you stirring up anger with a harsh response?

Thurs Devo: How's Your Endurance?

How well do you and I wait? What about for something simple like our next meal? If I’m hungry, but busy, I might not think about it too much. If I’m hungry and standing in the kitchen waiting for my food to finish cooking, sometimes I’m not so patient and can get cranky. The same goes for the foster kids we’ve been keeping some weekends. If they are busy playing, they’re fine, but if they are standing in the kitchen or sitting in their chairs waiting for the meal to be fixed, they keep telling me how hungry they are. We endure until our next meal, but sometimes we don’t patiently endure. J  

There’s a difference between enduring something and patiently enduring! God calls us to patiently endure, especially those who will be here in the last days.

Revelation 14:9-13    ⁹ A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, ¹⁰ they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. ¹¹ And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.” ¹² This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.

¹³ Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.”

“Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”

What will patient endurance look like in the last days? I think it will include staying busy doing God’s work, obeying Him without compromise, not giving in to the pressures of the world to worship the beast or take his mark, trusting God’s plan and His timing, not having a complaining or grumbling attitude, not having a pity party, and persevering in faith (even to the point of death).

James 1:12    Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

What difficulty, hardship, or trial (whether big or small) are you and I going through right now? How will you and I seek God’s help to not just endure it, but patiently endure for His glory?


As a child of God, I know that no matter what happens, I’m guaranteed eternal love from the Creator of the universe and eternal life with Him! 

Alice

Have A Talk With God

When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again.  Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!  Matthew 6:7-8

People who know me say that sometimes I talk with myself.  Often it is in response to something that I did not do as well as I should (Gee Kent.  That was brilliant), and other times it is for self-motivation (Come on, Kent!).  Someone told me after a workout session at the gym that they enjoyed hearing me talk out loud because it actually motivated them.  People at work would say that they enjoy hearing me speak noting that I have ‘the gift of gab’ you could say.  I’m always humbled to hear that because I was pretty introverted growing up (maybe closet extrovert closer to the truth J).  Lately, I have been challenged to be more prayerful both openly and behind closed doors.  This is not to say that I do not have conversations with God.  In fact, that’s where I’m good.  Yet, what I am referring to is the heart wrenching, totally vulnerable, completely transparent talk with the awesome, Alpha and Omega, all knowing one true living God.

Prayer life is more than just the Lord’s Prayer.  It’s a habit of confessing struggles, thankfulness, failures, and hopes.  It is a total unveiling of those things that you love and those things you struggle with.  It should mirror your life as a Christian; evolving, ever growing, painful, and filled with joy.  A little advise to those of you who feel like you do not know what to say to God.  Don’t get caught up in the order and what are the right things to tell him.  Today’s verse is not meant to discourage.  It’s to encourage that you might not have it all right today, but with each day, you will get better.  My father use to be a man that could pray on anything, and I would marvel the words he would use never ever thinking I could hope to sound like him.  Then one day, I sounded just like he did as the Holy Spirit began to take my words and turn them into His.  Trust God that as today’s verses state, He knows what you need even before you ask, and your goal is to just reach out to Him with an open mind, heart, and spirit.

Prayer changes things.  These are not just idle words to convince one of what God can do.  They are a reminder that you cannot expect change without putting in the work.  Do not focus on where you are in your prayer life.  Focus on the relationship you have with God and your willingness to open up to Him.  Then and only then will you see God truly work within your prayer life and everything else.  How is your prayer life?  If yours is good, how can you make it more heart felt and intentional.  My prayer is that no matter where our prayer life is, we learn to better have a talk with God.  Amen.

Tues Devo: That place

Proverbs 30:5 “Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.”(NASB)

Hello,

Things may be going well or poorly – but in either case we all want the place. The place where we can go, and just take a breath. The place where we can express our joy or our sorrow. The place that may not bring explanation – but can bring peace. God and His word is that place. We see here in Proverbs that every word has been tested – those words hold up under any circumstance.

We know the place is there. We know that place is reliable. But, are you there enough? Do you go there regularly and quickly?

I hope the answer is yes – if not, I pray this encourages you to make it more yes today than yesterday.

Have a blessed day,

Will Hill