Honest Reflections

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Malachi 3-4 GW; Luke 1 GW

You can’t outgive God.

Tithing is one way to prove God’s existence.  I had never thought of this until listening to a recent message from Rick Warren.  Hidden in his seven-step process to getting people to work together, Rick talked about obedience and tithing.  He made the statement it’s the one way you can prove God exists.  I agree with him. When you start tithing, extraordinary things begin to happen, and your faith will start to grow.

Giving God your first fruits isn’t a financial decision; it’s a faith decision. 

My steps of faith into tithing began when I was unemployed over 20 years ago. At rock bottom in my life, what did I have to lose?  Five months later, God gave me a job making more money than I had ever made in my life.  In the interim, not one bill went unpaid, I didn’t have any health issues, and I had a bed to sleep at night and food to eat.  God provided in ways I never imagined.

Put God to the test.

Today’s scripture is the only one that tells us to test God.  In many places throughout the Bible, the writers talk about giving God your first fruits. However, Malachi is the only one who says test God by giving Him the first 10 percent. 

Try tithing.  Re-align your finances with God’s directions.  Give Him the first 10%, save 10% and live on the rest.  Pay off your debts.  If you need help organizing your finances, Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University will teach you all you need to know.

Experience God’s presence in your life.  Give Him your first fruits.  Watch as God provides for you in ways you never imagined.  You’ll learn quickly; you can’t outgive God.

Lord, thank You for all we have.  Thank You for providing for us, even in our disobedience.  Forgive us for not trusting You with our money.  Help us today take new steps of faith. Lord, reveal Yourself to us as we become more obedient with our finances.  Embolden us to give our first fruits to You through local ministries.  As our hearts come into better alignment with Yours, bless our efforts.  Everything we have is Yours; none of it is ours.  Help us remember that truth today.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

What’s keeping you from putting God to the test?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Ecclesiastes 9-12 GW; Malachi 1-2 GW

God is the answer.

Solomon is the author of Ecclesiastes.  At this point in his life, he’s lived a little and learned some things.  He writes this book from an entirely human perspective and finds life lacking.  

“Power, popularity, prestige, pleasure—nothing can fill the God-shaped vacuum in man’s life but God Himself.” Charles Stanley

After living his life, Solomon discovers this truth:  life isn’t about me, it’s about God.  Serving ourselves isn’t our reason for living.  God created us to love Him and love others.  Our purpose today is the same as tomorrow, we are to love.

“The key word in Ecclesiastes is “vanity,” the emptiness of trying to be happy apart from God.” Charles Stanley

None of us will find peace any other way than God.  New shoes don’t bring peace, just debt.  Nor does any of the meaningless things we chase in this world.  Only engaging in relationship with God will we find peace.  As we experience His calm, we’ll begin to spread it with others.  Life with God is about relationships, not things.

Say “Yes!”

Last week, I told my friend Lori about one of those “can’t make it up situations” in life.  Her response still makes me smile, “God puts you in some crazy places, doesn’t He?”  I responded, “Yeah…He really does.  I don’t even know how I get into these things.  Actually, I do…by saying “Yes” to God.”

Saying “Yes” to God will take you into some crazy situations.  But all of them are life-giving, every single one.  Living your life serving the Creator means an adventure you can’t even begin to imagine.  Developing a relationship with God gives you divine perspective.  Life isn’t about you; it’s about God.  In Him, you will find the peace you can find no other way.

Oh Lord, how grateful we are you fill the void we so desperately need filling.  Forgive us for trying to find peace any other way than You.  Help us today move forward in our relationship with You and others.  As You pour Your love into our lives, help us to receive it.  Then Lord, help us share what we receive with others.  Today and always, let us produce good fruit in all we do.  IJNIP.  Amen

Question for reflection

How have you tried to fill the void in your life?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Ecclesiastes 5-8 GW; Psalms 73 GW

Broken promises break hearts.

Every love story that goes wrong often starts with a broken promise; someone didn’t do what they said they would do.  If we’re sincere, we’ve probably broken a promise before too.  You’re better off not making a promise than making one you won’t keep.

Often, the reason people make promises they never intend to keep is that it’s easy.  At the moment, you’re fulfilling the other person’s desire.  But in the long run, you’re building distrust in your relationships.  Eventually, people won’t believe your promises; your words will mean nothing.

To become more like Jesus, we must learn to live up to our word.

Jesus didn’t break His promises. Our love story with Jesus comes with promises He doesn’t break. Seven promises Jesus made to us are:

• Life to the fullest John 10:10 GW
• Acceptance John 6:37 GW
• Reward Mark 10:29-31 GW
• Revelation John 14:21 GW
• Friendship John 15:14-15 GW
• Joy John 15:9-11 GW
• Trials John 16:33 GW

Promise wisely.

Jesus’s promised wisely.  He understood His purpose on earth and who His Father was.  Jesus didn’t make foolish promises; He made long-lasting vows that are still true today.  Becoming more like Jesus means knowing which promises to make, which not to make.

Set proper expectations for yourself.  Know what your limitations are.  You are better off under-promising and over-delivering than going back on your word.  Building trust takes time; breaking it can occur with one broken promise.

In years gone by, all you needed was your word.  Handshakes sealed deals instead of contracts.  But over the past century, people’s word has come to mean nothing.  No one trusts anyone without some kind of binding agreement. So choose to become a person whose word means something.  

When you make a promise, keep it.  If you know you’re not capable of living up to your vow, don’t make it.  Know your limitations, don’t overcommit.  Become a person of integrity.

Lord, how grateful we are You keep Your promises.  Forgive us for not keeping ours.  Today, help us become people of integrity.  Help us only make promises we can keep.  Stop us from committing to actions we can’t complete.  Instead, help us set realistic expectations for ourselves and others.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

Have you broken any promises lately?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Song of Solomon 7-8 GW; Ecclesiastes 1-4 GW

Wisdom brings heartache.

Not knowing isn’t the worst thing in the world. We think we want to know everything God is up to, but we don’t. None of us wants to know all that God knows; if we did, we would become overwhelmed with the amount of pain in this world.

Everyone is suffering in some way.

When I see a traffic accident on the road, my first question is, “What happened?” Immediately, I think, “I don’t want to know.” Why? Because for me to honestly “know,” I would have to experience the accident. I don’t need to know. I need to pray for whoever is involved, asking God to help them in whatever way they need.

Wisdom is lovely; we all need it. But we want God’s wisdom, not worldly wisdom. We don’t have to know every detail of someone’s car accident to minister to them. We can love them in their pain with God’s wisdom.

Weep forward.

“Ruth” by Kelly Minter is the current Bible study I am doing.  From her I learned the concept of “Weeping forward.”  Ruth left her homeland to follow God.  She wept as she followed Naomi back to Bethlehem.  But she wept forward, not backward or stagnant.  To gain the wisdom of God, she had to leave her past life behind.  Ruth wept forward.

Following God does mean leaving our past behind.  Like Ruth, we enter the promised land when we place our faith in Jesus.  Sometimes, moving forward is painful, but we must keep moving forward, even in our tears.  We can do that by remembering this life is temporary; one day, God will wipe away our tears, He’ll make the former things pass away (Revelation 21:4 GW).

Weep forward today.  Whatever pain you’re experiencing, let God wipe your tears.  Trust that God’s plan is best, even if you don’t know what it is.  Not knowing isn’t always bad.

Lord, thank You for Your wisdom and for helping us deal with our pain.  Forgive us for taking our pain out on others.  Help us today, give our pain to You, trusting Your plan truly is best.  As we gain Your wisdom, let us not chase worldly wisdom.  Help us become comfortable not knowing everything.  Show us only the things You want us to know.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

What kind of wisdom are you chasing?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Psalms 45 GW; Song of Solomon 1-6 GW

Foxes nibble.

Song of Solomon is the steamiest book in the Bible.  Solomon is writing a love poem to his betrothed, Shulamite.  When we find this gem of a verse hidden in chapter two, it’s an acknowledgment that relationships have enemies.  Little foxes like to nibble at the vines, killing them.  In the same way, couples must become vigilant of the little things that can destroy their relationship.

In marriage, lots of things try to nibble the vines.  Setting up “fences” to keep the foxes out will preserve your relationship.  My husband and I don’t spend time with someone of the opposite sex alone.  We are intentional about church attendance, small group participation and couples devotions.  On the way home from our honeymoon, we created a budget which we still use today.  My husband and I rarely argue about money.  All of these things are fences we’ve put in place that keep the foxes from nibbling our vines.

The problem with nibblers is that the bites are small.  At first, you don’t realize the damage is being done to the vine.  Often, by the time you realize you have a fox nibbling, it’s too late.  The damage is done, sometimes beyond repair.

Creating fences protects the vine.

Planting a flourishing vineyard means keeping the predators out.  Knowing what your foxes are will help you construct protective fences.  If you make your fence with too many gaps in it, the tiny foxes will find a way through.  

Take time to discover what potential foxes you have in your relationships.  Foxes nibble on all types of vines, not just romantic ones.  Understanding the threat helps you construct the proper defenses.  

Become vigilant to the foxes in your relationships and eliminate them. Watch your relationships thrive.

Lord, thank You for our relationships with You and others.  Forgive us for letting the foxes nibble at the vines, trying to destroy our relationships.  Show us today the foxes that are attacking our vineyards.  Help us to construct suitable fences to keep them out.  Lord, bless our relationships as we strive to put You first in all of them.  As we grow closer to You, help us become more receptive to the love You have for us, then help us share it with others.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

What are the foxes in your relationship?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Psalms 101 GW; 2 Kings 23-25 GW

Practice integrity, build character.

Integrity is “the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness.”   In other words, tell the truth and do what you say you’re going to do.  Unfortunately, in today’s world, integrity isn’t valued. 

People value narrative over integrity; their story versus the actual story.  

Having integrity is difficult.  Admitting your wrongdoings isn’t fun for anyone. 

Last week I made an expensive, unreturnable impulse purchase without consulting my husband.  We have a rule in our marriage we won’t spend above a certain amount without talking to the other person.  Knowing I was breaking a rule we had set, I bought an “as is” shark robot vacuum cleaner without talking to him.

Growing pains come with integrity.

Immediately after the clerk handed me the receipt I felt guilty.  My husband works hard, I had just spent money we really didn’t need to spend.  I felt horrible and immediately wanted to return the vacuum.  But I couldn’t.

Instead, I told the truth. 

My impulse buy tested my integrity with my husband.  I had a choice of whether I tried to hide the truth from him or not.  Telling the truth is always the right way to go, even if it means you may suffer consequences.  My husband could have been mad at me; thankfully, he wasn’t.

When faced with the decision to cover up your sin, bite the bullet.  Don’t waste time trying to hide something that won’t stay hidden.  Your character grows as you become more comfortable with who you are, a child of God.

Children of God recognize life is a journey.  They understand, each opportunity to practice integrity grows them closer to God and His children.  Our imperfections are made perfect in Christ.  

Experience growth today as you practice integrity.

Lord, thank You for Jesus.  No matter how many times we thank You, it’s not enough.  Forgive us for the times in our lives when we’ve been dishonest.  Help us today to practice integrity.  Whatever situations we find ourselves in today, let us tell the truth.  Help us accept the love You have for us and honestly believe it in our souls.  As we become more comfortable receiving Your love for us, help us share it with everyone, we meet.  All glory is Yours.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

Who do you need to tell the truth to today?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: 2 Kings 20-21 GW; Psalms 82 GW; 2 Kings 22 GW

God knows how to make a point.

Hezekiah was a prominent king of Judah.   In today’s chapters, we learn he was about to die.  Hezekiah desperately cries out to God:

“Please, Lord, remember how I’ve lived faithfully and sincerely in your presence. I’ve done what you consider right.” (2 Kings 20:3 GW)

God hears his prayer; He sends Isaiah with a message.  God is going to heal Hezekiah.  But Hezekiah wants proof that what Isaiah says is true.  To which Isaiah responds:

“This is your sign from the Lord that he will do what he promises. Do you want the shadow to go forward ten steps or come back ten steps?” (2 Kings 20:9 GW)

Hezekiah, a wise man, chose for the shadow to go back ten steps.  Isaiah called on the Lord; God moved the shade backward.  Hezekiah then believed God was going to heal him.

Doubt is normal.

Not only is doubting normal, but it’s also protective.  We shouldn’t believe everything we hear.  Lots of people use “messages from God” as a way to manipulate people.  However, the proof is in the pudding.  Only with time is the truth revealed.  

If you’re unsure of whether or not you’re hearing from God, do what Hezekiah did.  Ask for a sign.   God understands your need for reassurance; He also knows false prophets exist.   By giving us a specific signal, as He did for Hezekiah, we believe the message is from the one true God.

On the night my nephew passed away, his father asked God for a sign.  Three stars shot across the sky.  My brother knew at that moment, Cody was with our parents in heaven.  God gave my sibling the sign he sought.

Ask God for a specific sign.  Then wait for His answer.  Watch how God strengthens your belief.

Lord, thank You for giving us signs. Thank You for helping us discern Your truth from ours.  Forgive us, Lord, for not trusting You.  As we move through our day, help us remember that You are available to us.  If we need help, we can ask You for a sign to show us the way.  Lead us today, one step at a time.  IJNIP. Amen 

Question for reflection

What sign has God given you recently?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: 2 Kings 19 GW; Psalms 76 GW; Nahum 1-3 GW

Thieves are seductive.

Nahum is speaking to Nineveh in today’s text.  Let’s just say the Ninevites pushed God to His limits.   As a result, Nahum from Elkosh had a vision.  Today’s verse is part of the vision.  The businessmen he’s referring to are tradesmen drawn to Ninevah from Assyria’s international trade and commerce.  These traders were the snake oil salesman of their day—people who would say or do anything to sell their wares and take advantage of their clients.  

Today, slick salesman come in the way of fishing emails.  Carefully worded advertisements that draw you into whatever the person is selling.  In our world, recognizing truth is more complex than ever because of technology.  Fake news, videos, and pictures fill the internet, deceiving us all at some point or another.

Step number one is realizing; people exist who are trying to deceive you.

You simply can’t trust everyone you meet.  Not everyone believes in Jesus.  Most people only know God’s Son by how people who follow Him treat them.  God knows, professed Christians have hurt me more profoundly than any non-believer.  Unfortunately, our imperfect humanity doesn’t always represent Jesus well.

Trust the gut.

As a Christ-follower with God’s Spirit living within you, trust the nudges. When someone says or does something that doesn’t sit right with you, trust the gut.  If you feel apprehensive, take time to investigate why?  Don’t just believe everything you hear, read or see.

Nahum was warning the Ninevites to change their ways.  We can learn from their mistakes.  Instead of being taken by the next snake oil salesman to come along, stay on your toes.  Trust your instincts.  If something seems too good of a deal, it probably is.  

Lord, thank You for Nahum and his vision.  Forgive us for acting like the Ninevites.  Thank You for Your grace that covers our sin.  Today, we pray for those who actively seek to deceive us.  God, whoever they are, draw them closer to You today.  Give us eyes to see and ears to hear the truth, today and always.  As we move through our day, help us represent You well.  In all things, let us produce good fruit.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

Who is the snake oil salesman in your life?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: 2 Kings 18 GW; Mark 16 GW

Heavy lifting is God’s job.

Mary and Mary are heading to the tomb where Jesus lay in today’s verse. We’re listening to their conversation as they walk. On the way, they were trying to decide who would roll the stone away for them.  But to their surprise, when they arrived, the tomb was already open.  They spent their morning walk trying to solve a problem that wasn’t theirs to remedy.

How many times do we find ourselves trying to solve problems that aren’t ours to solve?  God never intended for us to solve the problems of the world, yet we try to anyway.  Pretty sure God doesn’t need our help.  What He does want is our obedience. 

Even though the Marys can’t move the rock, they can walk the walk.  Just because they didn’t know how they would get into the tomb, they went anyway.  Not knowing didn’t stop them from doing.

Faith moves forward.

Even though we don’t know the divine solution for our circumstances, we must keep moving forward.  What if the two Marys decided not to go to the tomb because they couldn’t roll the stone?  They would have missed the most significant event to happen in history, Jesus’s resurrection. Because of their faith, they were the first ones to spread the Good News!

Divine solutions come when we walk by faith:

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7 ESV)

You don’t have to have all the answers to take steps of faith.  Walking the walk means loving God and people.  God doesn’t ask you to fix people’s problems; He’s got a plan for them.  What God does ask us to do, love others as ourselves (Mark 12:30-31 GW).

Today, walk the walk.  Spread love wherever you go.  Don’t worry about moving the boulders.  Breather easier knowing God will do the heavy lifting.

Lord, thank You for rolling the stone for the Marys and for resurrecting Jesus for us.  Forgive us for trying to solve problems that aren’t ours to solve.  Lord, help us embrace our realities today, whatever they are.  Then give us a hint at Your divine solution for our problems.  Help us to breathe easier today as we rely more heavily on You.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

What boulder are you trying to move?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: 2 Kings 17 GW; Mark 15 GW

God’s rules trump ours.

Since I spent most of my twenties making my own rules, living life my way, I learned this lesson first hand.  Growing up, the church was the center of our lives.  God’s way was the only way I knew.  But after my Dad died, I decided I didn’t like God’s way of doing things.  Instead, I thought I’d make my own rules, follow my desires.  God gave me what I wanted:

“So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.”  (Romans 1:24-25 NLT)

Trading the truth about God for a lie will leave you miserable.  When I believed the lie, I ended up alone and broke.  My way didn’t work.

God’s way gives life.

When I turned back to Jesus, He embraced me with open arms.  Just like the father in the prodigal son, Jesus rejoices when we decide to believe His truth, leaving the lies behind.  I knew, from personal experience, making up my own rules didn’t work.

Implementing God’s rules into your life is a choice you won’t regret.  God doesn’t tell us how to live to bring us down; He does so to give us life to the full.

When I stopped abusing my body and treating it like God’s temple, life changed.  My heart healed from the many breaks it endured.  Over time, I became whole again, forgiving myself of my past mistakes, becoming a new creation in Christ.

God’s way is the best.  Put His commands into practice.  Find life to the fullest in Christ.

Lord, thank You for loving us, even when we don’t obey.  Forgive us for trying to live life on our terms.  Help us today follow Your commands.  When tempted to fall back into our ways, protect us from ourselves.  Help us make good decisions today, putting You first in all things.  Let us represent You well as we move through the next 24 hours.  Let us find life to the fullest in You.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

Whose rules are you following these days?