The Unifier and Provider

In the post, “Dissipation of a Nation”, the people turned to idol worship instead of giving credit to God for all they had been given. Written about were some lessons we can take from this passage which can be applied today within nations or used by individuals. Many throughout the world seem to think governments can best provide for needs even though governments have a way of setting up roadblocks to productivity by setting up regulations that are impossible to meet or enforce.

In the nation in which I live, every state is different but united. Within the United States, some states choose to do things one way and others choose to do things another way. Texas has just a few natural lakes. Years ago, some smart people noticed that there were many rivers in Texas but the water just ran into the Gulf of Mexico. During the hot summers, the state would get low on water so they thought of the idea of building damns along the rivers to make lakes that stores the water.

The point is that it’s important to plan using the lessons taught by history. Some states never learned from history; never built lakes to store rain water, and as a result, have to either do without or barrow water from other states at a high price.

The Bible has many lessons taught by history that the United States adopted to form The U. S. Constitution as a guide to run the nation. Unfortunately, many have decided that it should no longer be “One Nation Under God” so they’ve instructed to ditch the advantage that history brings; going instead to the lead of a few unqualified bureaucrats as the best way to the future.  

God’s Plan for Us is the best way. It’s been proven over and over again. This day can be amazing because our growing faith can never be taken away or depleted. The gospel message has a beautiful and refreshing simplicity about it that sets us free and never let us down. Be inspired by the song The Way by Jeremy Camp.

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Look Forward To Time Spent With Him

From the depression of the 1930’s and to a smaller degree with the stock market crash in 2008, there is a lesson to be learned. Bad loans build up a bubble that eventually will burst. As written about in the post Heaven’s Riches Are Far More Valuable Than Earthly Wealth, a manager was accused of wasting a rich man’s possessions. We are not told what possessions the manager was wasting but we have to speculate that the manger’s greed caused him to take risk with the rich man’s money.

It could also have been that he just couldn’t say “no” to those who bought things from his master on loan without the ability to pay back the loan. We see the same things happening with many money managers of today. There is this push to sale things or give out loans to people that can’t pay it off.  

When we serve God, the emphasis is not so much on short term gain but on doing the right things that result in long term success. There are right attitudes, motives, and actions to take. If we are focused on serving Him only; to being a good steward for what He gives and look forward to the time we get to spend with Him each day, then we have a tendency to think things through and make better decisions.

I found this video that inspires this desire to hear God’s voice and help make good decisions: Word of God Speak – MercyMe. As we go to God each day in prayer, it’s important to listen for the instructions and take the proper steps.

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. – James 1:5

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Seal the Deal by Obeying His Way

There is a cost to being a Disciple as I explained in the post Being Disciplined to Follow. The key is to determine if you’re willing to pay the price. Remember, there is freedom in obeying God’s way because He cares for us and understands our needs.

Stay focused on the ultimate victory. Taking action will seal the deal by using the high quality principles of faith, hope, and love.  Ultimately, our life will be lost unless we surrender all to Jesus which brings the ultimate victory of eternal life. Here’s a video that highlights this plan God has for us: I Surrender All – Oslo Gospel Choir.

 

But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold. – Job 23:10

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Listening for Direction

God knows who we really are and the strengths we bring to the world so listen to the Words of God for direction. If we give it all to God, He will provide for all we need. As we turn to God this day, take in the inspirational qualities of this video: Hosanna – Paul Baloche.

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. - Mark 1:35

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Journey through Life with Encouragement

In the post Journey through Life with Respect, Joseph invites his brothers to dinner and respects the Egyptian custom of serving Hebrews separately. His brothers show respect to Joseph and humbly give gifts. As we live on this earth, there are several common sense lessons that were brought out in the post.

We should always make God our number one priority. We should always live with integrity in order to build trust with others. We should respect the customs and values of the country in which we live. We should celebrate the successes of others and wish them the best. And we should ask for God’s help in using words that help and encourage others as this today’s video points out: Words – Hawk Nelson.

May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. - Psalm 19:14

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Deja Vu

Have you ever had something occur and you feel like you have been there before? It’s like on the old TV show “Raven” when she could see into the future. That’s kind of what happened with Joseph as his dream is realized.

In the post Dream Coming to Fruition, Joseph’s ability to see into the future allowed him to be prepared for the famine. Every detail of what was needed could be mapped out so his actions would lead to the dream he had many years ago when his brothers bowed down before him.

It’s the same with us; hope becomes reality through prayers so paint a colorful and detailed picture. Let God deliver His blessings as we study the Holy Scripture. Here is a video I produced a while back with these thoughts in mind: Blessings Throughout Each Hour.

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. – James 1:22-24

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Priorities for Success

Written about in the post Our Priorities are Bible characters who are good examples to follow and those that provide bad examples. Abraham was a man who took his relationship with God serious and in turn was blessed. His grandson Esau on the other hand traded his inheritance for a dish of stew. He only looked at what he wanted in the short term.

The lesson for us is to make decisions based on long term success rather than short term desires and to follow God’s plan for our life; being a part of His team. Today I have a video to give some motivation with A Pep Talk from Kid President to You.

He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm. – Proverbs 12:20

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Plan to Grow and Prosper

Time and money are two very important resources that need to be managed wisely.

The questions we have to answer every day are what do we need to spend time on today and what are the monetary investments that need to be made.

In 1626, there was an island inhabited by Indians. The island was great for tapping and selling fur. This caught the interest of a man named Peter Minuit who worked for the Dutch West India Company. He offered the Indians $26 in beads for the island. After about four years, there were 200 people that lived on the island. They set up a town called New Amsterdam. Minuit didn’t plan that well for the island and mostly wanting to increase his own personal wealth so the island didn’t increase in value.

This Island didn’t grow at first until some planning took place. They started planning streets and planted trees to make the area more appealing. Today that island bought for $26 is worth somewhere in the vicinity of $200 billion dollars. We know the island today as Manhattan. Some say the most valuable land on the planet earth. Insignificant land became skyscraper building sites. Once a place valuable for trapping and fur trade is now a trading center for finance; home of Wall Street, fashion, and center of New York City.

Now neighbor and friend, you know the lesson of the day. It takes a lot of planning to make something grow and prosper. Sometimes you have to get up early or stay up late to plan before getting busy. Also, money has to be used wisely so you can multiply that wealth. 

How do we budget our time and money wisely?  We need to focus more on activities like preparation, planning, and relationship building. We need to use money wisely by investing and increasing what was entrusted to us. We should accept our lot and be happy in our work. It is important to be concerned about money but it is by no means the only way to keep score. There is much to be said for a job well done, the respect of others, or the thrill of building something from nothing.

Check out my other blogs; where I receive a constant supply of inspiration for my writings by clicking on the links below:

Step Ahead

This Day with God Devotional