Fatih, Hope and Trust

Psalm 9:17-20

17The wicked will return to Sheol,

Even all the nations who forget God.

18For the needy will not always be forgotten,

Nor the hope of the afflicted perish forever.

19Arise, O Lord, do not let man prevail;

Let the nations be judged before You.

20Put them in fear, O Lord;

Let the nations know that they are but men. Selah.

FATIH, HOPE and TRUST

As I was reading this morning so many things were running through my head about this psalm.  The emotions that David must have been going through during this point in his life.  The FAITH that he continued to show in God.  The HOPE that he has in Christ.  The TRUST that God will prevail.  How many times do I sit and think about and compare my life to his.  Well, there really is no comparison. I do not have enemies seeking to kill me like David did.  But I can relate in the sense of believing God’s word that the wicked will return to Sheol (the grave).  I know that God will judge the wicked of this world.  Sometimes as men, we tend to think we have all the right answers but in reality we don’t.  If we look to God’s word we can find the answers that we need for all things.  There has been so much discussion about the entertainment industry when it comes to what is appropriate or not to show on television or in the movies.  

As a Christian woman, a survivor of rape, and as a mother of two small children, I firmly believe we are to teach the world how to live with HOPE in Christ; FAITH in Christ and TRUST in Christ.  I will choose to stand firm on my foundation and convictions of what is appropriate and what is not appropriate for my eyes to see and what I also allow my children to see.  I must continue to deepen my relationship with the Lord so that my actions convey my beliefs.  I TRUST my Lord to take care of the details of convicting others in their beliefs as well as convicting those who are wicked.  I HOPE that others who profess to be Christians will stand firm in their biblical beliefs and not make exceptions just because others are doing it.  I HOPE that other survivors will stand up and show the world how to live with HOPE, FAITH and TRUST in Christ.  I HOPE that mothers will  begin to sow the seeds of scripture into their children so that they may be able to know right from wrong.  I have FAITH in knowing Christ will judge the nations in the end.  I have FAITH that He is the ONLY way to have life eternal.  

So many times we don’t know what to say when praying to God but David is such a good example of showing us what prayer can look like.  Praying through the Psalms is a perfect way to begin.  Sometimes we get so caught up in asking God for things we want for ourselves that we forget of all those around us and their needs.  We need to begin to pray for our children and their relationship with the Lord.  Pray for your husband or wife today, that they will be a light in their workplace.  Pray for your co-workers.  Pray for your church leaders or your neighbors.  Pray for our nation to turn back to God (1Chronicles 7:14).  Thank God for His creation and His calling on your life.  May you find HOPE today in what you have read and may it be a blessing to you.  

Prayer: Father, Thank You that You love me with an everlasting love.  Thank you that You have been right beside me in some of my darkest days just like you were with David.  Thank you that you have given me HOPE for my tomorrows.  I put my TRUST in You.  In Jesus Name I pray, Amen.  

The Good Life

The Good Life?  

Earlier yesterday, I came across a link to a book that has just recently hit the stands, Living Well, Spending Less by Ruth Soukup.  This book has intrigued me because as foreign missionaries, we are constantly trying to live well and spend less.  We have to raise our own monthly living expenses as well as our ministry expenses, so we are truly relying on Faith.  

Faith in knowing God will provide for all that He would have us do this year. 

We have to be good stewards of the money He gives us.  Not only is this a good habit but this is what God instructs us to do.  So on to my two cents worth about the video I watched yesterday.  

In this video she was talking about the good life and what it use to mean to her and what it means to her now. Now remember, this is just my opinion so take it for that, just someones opinion.  She is on the right track about saying that 

Secret #1:The good life is not what we think it is.  

She shares that it is not about what we have but who we are. I just want to take it a step further and say not just who we are but whose we are.  

I AM A CHILD OF THE KING and a good life for me is defined in my relationship with Jesus.  If I am obediently walking daily with Him and striving to bring glory and honor to Him each day, then to me this is the good life.  The author shares about her spending habits and how they had gotten so out of hand that she and her husband were fighting all the time.  She was trying to console herself through shopping.  They decided to have separate bank accounts and that she would get a certain amount each month.  When the money was out, it was out until the next month.  Well, she began her blog to hold herself accountable because she felt she was not “a money saving expert, she was a money spending expert.”  

Can you relater to her?  Have you found yourself at a point in your life that you felt that the only thing that would console you is things? 

Luckily, during the last two years her mindset changed.  She realized that there wasn’t as much that she wanted and she realized that the good life was not about how much stuff she had.  It was about who she was.  I touched on this a little above but I want to go deeper here.  Now if I have not said this yet,  I have not read the book or have I received the other 11 secrets within The LWSL 12 Secrets Challenge so she may go deeper.  If we profess to be Christians then we must be different than the world.  I am not saying that you can’t have things or money but it is what you do with your things and money that makes the difference.  Are you serving the Lord with what He has given you?  Is your home a place that glorifies Him?  

It is about learning to live each day bringing Glory and Honor to Him, no matter what you have been given.  Ruth adds that “We must learn to control the love of money and things or it will consume us”…right on target but lets take it deeper by looking at scripture about this.  In God’s word he gives us clear instructions about how to handle money.  Here are a few scriptures about money:

Ecclesiastes 5:10

[ The Folly of Riches ] He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income. This too is vanity.

1 Timothy 6:10 

For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Does money make you have the good life?  

What is the good life?  

Each of us will define the good life differently and I am not here to make someone feel bad for having money.  It is what we do with our money that matters most.  When Jesus wanted to teach others he spoke in parables.  We see in Matthew 13:10-17 a perfect example. 

“10 And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” 11 [d]Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. 12 For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. 13 Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 [e]In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says,

‘[f]You will keep on hearing, [g]but will not understand;

[h]You will keep on seeing, but will not perceive;

15 For the heart of this people has become dull,

With their ears they scarcely hear,

And they have closed their eyes,

Otherwise they would see with their eyes,

Hear with their ears,

And understand with their heart and return,

And I would heal them.’

16 But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 17 For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

Matthew 25:29  

29 “For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away…”

Luke 12: 47-48

47 And that slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many lashes, 48 but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of [x]a flogging, will receive but few. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more

So again, the question to ponder today is: 

What is the good life?  

What defines you either having the good life or not? 

Does money make you have the good life?

Prayer: Father, show me what it means to truly have the good life.  Open my eyes to your will for my life.  Help me to bring glory and honor to you each and everyday.  Thank you for what you have provided to me, may I use it to bring glory and honor to you.