Category: wisdom

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Day 29 Good Day

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Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 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 1:1-5
“The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lordturn his face toward you and give you peace.”’ Numbers 6:24-26

I’ve heard a famous Christian teacher tell audiences this profound truth: “It’s one thing to see a miserable sinner but a miserable Christian is a tragic thing.”  While we all, believers and non-believers, have heartbreaking or difficult events in our lives, we have to acknowledge that the majority of our lives run from fun and exciting to dull and average.  Yet throughout it all Jesus followers should emulate the apostle Paul and be always searching and living gratefully for God’s ever presence in our lives.

This truth really hit home for me when I read Corrie Ten Boom’s famous book, “The Hiding Place.”  Her sister Betsie could find joy in God’s provision even in the darkest moments of a Nazi concentration camp.  Corrie, more of a like-mind with me, would roll her eyes when her sister would make joyous declarations such as, “Give thanks in all circumstances.  It doesn’t say ‘in pleasant circumstances.’  Fleas are part of this place where God has put us.”

As lights of the Lord reflecting out God’s love and goodness to the world, we need to be especially mindful of our outward attitude and appearance when events go awry in our lives.  Showing the world who we trust and who is working for our good. And when events turn to joy we need to give it all up to God in His bountiful mercy and glory.

I first heard this song about having a good day when I was visiting and caring for my two-year old grandson.  My daughter had shared with me Owen’s Spotify playlist so we could listen to his pre-school songs in the car.  You know, fun stuff like “icky sticky bubble gum” and the “wheels on the bus” played on repeat.  When this bright and joyous song came on in the car he exclaimed, “Mommy’s song!”  We sang along with vigor.

I asked my daughter about it later that day.  She explained they play this song every morning on their way to work and daycare to set the tone for the day.  To remember that with God in our lives it can always be a good day.  Because while the Lord has blessed us with breath and we acknowledge that the creator of the universe knows our very name, we can have a great day in every single way.  

Friend, I once thought this view of life was blind to the realities of the world.  Until the scales were taken off my eyes and the truth was revealed.  Emmanuel, God with Us, shines His beautiful light on us in all circumstances.  So play it loud and sing it like ya mean it. Because today can and will be a good day.

Click here to listen to today’s song: Good Day 

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Day 25 For All My Life

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“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.  Mark 8:34-35
in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight  Proverbs 3:6

I’ll admit that for almost half of my life I relied on one person to resolve all my problems, to quell my fears, and to help me succeed in life.  Myself.  While I did a decent job of pulling myself up and around by my own boot straps, I also did a bang up job of living a life of stress, anxiety and worry.  When I met my husband, he called me the queen of “woulda, coulda, shoulda.”

In other words, I would regret and worry about every single decision I made.  If I “fixed it” and it didn’t turn out very good then I was also the one to take much of the blame.  I leaned heavily on my own understanding.  The burden became unbearable.  I put the same pressure on friends, family and acquaintances to take on the same responsibility.  When they didn’t, I would look on with annoyance that they weren’t doing life “right.” 

That type of living doesn’t keep quality relationships.  It definitely doesn’t bring joy and love and goodness.  

The study I did this summer on being a slave to Christ (Slave by John MacArthur) has further revealed to me how being owned by Jesus is so much easier than being a slave to a sinful life outside His will.  When we let Him take the lead and shine the light on our paths, we can take a deep breath of fresh air.  We view troubles, challenges or even failures in a different light.

We may not always see our life with Christ as a straight and beautiful path of goodness.  But that’s just the world trying to speak back into us.  As long as we have our eyes always on Jesus it doesn’t matter what seems uncertain.  The North Star is always where it should be even if the road is a bit squiggly.  He will guide you right to Him.

Click here to listen: For All My Life

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Day 15 Fear of God

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Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour…And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 1 Peter 5:8-& 10
He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.  Isaiah 33:6

The fear of God.  I’m not sure if there’s a more misused and misunderstood statement in the Bible by unbelievers.  The Websters dictionary first lists this definition of fear: “an unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger.”  And you could certainly say there were people in the Bible who stood in that type of fear of God.  The armies who faced Joshua were fearful of his god who gave him miraculous victories.  The soldiers who came to arrest Jesus were said to have drawn back and fell to the ground in fear when He revealed himself to them (John 17:6).  

But that type of fear doesn’t always bring what the dictionary describes further: : “profound reverence and awe especially toward God.”  That’s the type of fear the Israelites felt after they saw the power God brought against Pharoah.  Exodus 14:31 says, “they believed in the Lord and his servant Moses.”  It’s the same fear or awe of God which Rahab the prostitute experienced when she heard of the power of God against Joshua’s enemies. It’s why she helped Joshua’s spies.  She believed, just like 11 of the first 12 apostles.  

It seems hard to believe that anyone who witnesses the power and awe of God would just remain fearful and not reverential.  Yet Judas did just that.  

Today the power of God is seen as “mother nature” or a “big bang.”  God’s miraculous healing is called chance or science.  Blessings are considered accidents or coincidences.  And people fear a god who would put His will upon them, taking away their independence.

Satan is pleased when we sit in ignorance or fear rather than awe.  That’s because awe and submission bring people into the promised land of salvation and out of the hands of the devil. 

Friend, God is the Lord of Hosts, the leader of all spiritual armies.  He is the creator of all things seen and unseen.  He is the giver of all good things.  He is fighting battles on our behalf right now and in a blink of an eye the world could change.  We may not win every battle we go through here on earth but He will win the war. That’s a God we should hold in reverence.

Click here to listen to today’s song: Fear of God

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Day 14 Lion

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Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. Revelation 1:7
Clouds and thick darkness are all around him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. Fire goes before him and burns up his adversaries all around.  His lightnings light up the world; the earth sees andtrembles. The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, before the Lord of all the earth. Psalm 97:1-6

So often when we share our faith we talk about the gentle love of God.  He comforts us in our sorrows.  He counsels us in our pain.  He provides for us in our time of need.  While this is all true, we can’t forget the basis for why we can be comforted.  Why we know one day our pain will disappear.  The hope that we have through God’s promised victory is the foundation for all that we believe.  That one day we will stand beside our conqueror, Christ, in heaven.

Our gentle Lamb of God is the Lion of Judah.  The God who destroyed evil nations, who moves mountains, who promises that justice will be His in the final battle, that is also our God.  While we may romanticize Jesus during His time here on earth as humble and gentle, we need to remember the Jesus who cleared the temple with a whip.  The one who called the Pharisees, who distorted the Word of God, vipers and evildoers.  He was quiet and gentle at times because of a strength that no man can imagine.  

When we feel sorrow over the ways of this world, we need to remember two truths.  The first is that nothing that is happening is new.  The words of Peter, James, Paul, and Jesus attest to that.  The disciples who were killed for nothing more than proclaiming their faith in God’s son are just another scene played out for centuries before and after.  Injustice, violence and evil perpetrated by people who deny the sovereignty of God.  

If we sit and marinate in the knowledge of these evils, we too dismiss the second truth – the power of God and promise of things to come.  It is that power and the written account of future events which lift us.  We see the glory of God bringing His sword of justice to all mankind.  With no one escaping judgement.  No one. 

We don’t know the day or time.  But we should always plan as though it is today.  Acting, speaking, loving, and doing in such a way as Jesus has ordained us.  Spreading the word of His coming justice to truly ease our pain.  And the hope of salvation from eternal damnation.  Through our belief in Jesus Christ, who died for our punishable sins, we can stand in assurance of God’s coming roaring, glory.  

Click here to listen to today’s song: LION

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Day 13 Blessings Everywhere

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Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11: 28-30
From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised! Psalms 113:3

I’ve given this assignment to women I’ve discipled in the past.  For a week keep a small notebook with you.  As you go through your day make note of all the good things around you or that have been given you.  It might be you found a deal while shopping, a nice text was sent you, or even just that you had a good night sleep.  If nothing seems obvious that day there’s always the fact that you had a place to sleep, food in your refrigerator, the sun rose again and you received one more day to serve the Lord.

I’ll admit this assignment was born out of the fact that I’ve lived most of my life as a pessimistic person.  When I started my day what first was on my mind were the problems I faced or imagined.  Nothing was going to work out the way I’d hoped.  If it did, I’m sure something else bad would happen to ruin it.  What an exhausting, burdensome way to live.  But my friend, I know for certain I’m not the only one to suffer this way of existence.  

I thought positive people, especially Christians, were just blind to reality.  And I was sure I’d be the one cleaning up the mess they never imagined.  Not only was this prideful it’s not the reality of God.  There may be some truth to this way of thinking because this world is full of evil, riddled with tragedy and pain.  But when we seek to live for Christ and become yoked with Him, He opens our eyes to the new sunrise each day.  He removes the scales and a whole new world is open to us.  

Our new reality, which can only be achieved through the belief in our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit’s power, leads us down a path that sees our breath each day as a blessing.  That acknowledges so much beauty and good around us, especially in times of trouble. Sometimes we just need God to help us see it.  There truly are blessings wherever we go or wherever we stay.  Thank you Lord.

Click here to listen to today’s song: Blessings Everywhere

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Day 4 Your Love

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This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 1 John 4:10
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10

In God’s Big Book of Life He constantly demonstrates He has a plan, an order of all things. All one needs to do is picture the cosmos, see the structure of our solar system, recognize we have everything we need here on this Big Blue Ball to sustain and enjoy life. He loves His creation so much that He promises to never leave us, never forsake us. He sent His son to bring us back into a relationship, bringing order into our lives.

He created an order for marriage, for our sexuality, roles for both genders, for how we treat others and so much more. It’s all there in that big book called His Word or the Bible. Yet for 1,000s of years we humans take our gifts of a free will and a big brain and buck against His order of all things. We are the only created beings that do this.

A tree, as a tiny seed, doesn’t decide if it wants to become a tree. It doesn’t decide where it will grow, or even what type of tree it will be. No, its very essence is to live according to how it was made by God. The same for all plants and animals. A bird doesn’t stress and ponder how to make a nest or even if it wants to lay eggs. It seamlessly moves to God’s plan and rhythm.

Believer or not, all humans seem to instinctively know when they aren’t in sync with God’s plan. Some of us may recognize we push to the limits of the natural order. While others may blame everyone else for not conforming to their plan for the world. But we all feel that friction when our marriages struggle, when we act sexually immoral, or when we are constantly unkind and ungenerous. That friction is God reminding us He is the creator; He is the keeper of the order of all things.

It’s taken me awhile but I finally decided I want to stay right in the middle of God’s love at all times.  I want my life to be ordered such that I never leave the comfort, joy and peace that He promises when we stay close to Him.  Because the thing about God is if you want to live outside His order, He will allow you.  And you will experience a friction that maybe you just can’t understand.

No, I want to be right in the middle of His love.  Not following my own will but His.  Not sitting on the fence straddling between two worlds.  Right in the middle.

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30 Days of Worship

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Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous;
    it is fitting for the upright to praise him.
2 Praise the Lord with the harp;
    make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.
3 Sing to him a new song;
    play skillfully, and shout for joy.
4 For the word of the Lord is right and true;
    he is faithful in all he does.
5 The Lord loves righteousness and justice;
    the earth is full of his unfailing love. Psalm 33:1-5

Hello Friends!  While we may not have a 10-string lyre laying around we can definitely sing joyfully to the Lord!  I’m excited to announce my new 30 Days series which starts on July 1, 30 Days of Worship.  For 30 days, we will worship the Lord through my current Spotify Christian music playlist called Kris’ Inspirational.  This playlist has seen its fair share of changes over the years.  Its messages are as diverse as the artists.  There’s even a hidden gem from the band at my daughter’s church in St. Charles, Missouri!  

You’ll notice each day’s devotional scripture most likely is not the verse that seemed to have inspired the artist.  That’d be too easy!  Instead, you’ll read complementary verses that spoke to me while listening to the songs.  If you’ve studied the Bible at all, you soon learn that every verse has its set of other verses which complement, repeat, or confirm each other.  I also included accompanying commentary that flowed from the music.

With this series of 30 day devotionals, I hope you listen to the song, no matter your favorite musical style, and lift up your arms in praise!  You’ll notice Psalm 33 doesn’t say you must sing in hymns, praise, gospel, rap or a dirge.  It tells us to shout for joy and make music!

Along the way, be sure to comment your favorite song that matches the message for the day.  Enjoy and sing loud and proud to the Lord because He is so, so, good!

If you’ve missed any of my 30 Days series, be sure to check out this page on my blog, Emboldened: Living a Bold Christian Life. And if you aren’t already a subscriber, sign up to receive your 30 Days of Worship via email each morning!

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Enjoying Life’s Possibilities

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It’s been a great adventure studying Ecclesiastes with you! I hope you have enjoyed it — please share the series with your friends or catch up on what you missed. Click here for all of the Enjoy Life: from Meaningless to Meaningful posts!

I’m going to be completely honest with you, my friend.  Today’s post was to be what the British call “a bit of a fob off.”  You see, I had always planned to write the last look at Ecclesiastes after I returned from a 10 day trip to see my daughter and grandkids.  With a five month old infant and a two-year old who is obsessed with every sport, it’s now too difficult to continue writing when I visit and take care of them for eight hours.  Let’s just say this 59-year old grandma (Guga as I’m affectionately called) passes out from exhaustion about 8:30pm each night after a day of bottles, diapers, up and down the stairs, laundry, baseball, football, golf, hockey, and little bits of quiet snuggling in between.  I love every single bit of it.

So here I was back home ready to jump in to the wise words of King Solomon.  And I started feeling ill.  After just a few days home I became so delirious and short of breath that I caused myself a full blown panic attack one night thinking I was dying.  My husband managed to get me to the doctor where I tested positive for Influenza.  I can’t remember the last time I had the actual flu.  A flu that then turned into pneumonia — which is why I didn’t seem to be getting better. My hopes of feeling up to writing even a few lines were put way, way back on the burner.

But through the blessings of the Lord, I was put on new medications just yesterday.  I now have a veritable neighborhood pharmacy on my counter.  And although walking from one room to the next still seems a bit like I’ve tried tackling the 213.7 mile John Muir Trail with my friend Betsy, I can feel my body recovering.  So instead of “fobbing off” and writing a placeholder, here I am through God’s providence, jumping into wisdom and life and the wonderful meaning of it all.

However, many years anyone may live, let them enjoy them all. But let them remember the days of darkness,for there will be many. Ecclesiastes 11:8

You see, even in my darkest moments when I was really sick I was remembering some important things about this life.  That I don’t know how it all works but God does.  Ecclesiastes 1 reminded us that although we are made in God’s image, He still is the ultimate creator and has more power and knowledge than we can ever hope to amass.

Is there anything of which one can say, “Look! This is something new”? It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time.  Ecclesiastes 1:10

I also allowed myself to ask why God doesn’t fix things immediately at my whim or even pleading?  Which, of course, reminded me of the famous Ecclesiastes 3 scripture:

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens … a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, 3  a time to kill and a time to heal, Ecclesiastes 3: 1 & 2-3

After my 4am panic attack and my husband had calmed my breathing, I laid back in bed thinking, “Is this what it will be like in the end?  At my final moments?  Worried and panicked?  Clawing to hold on to one more day of this life?”  

When we looked at Ecclesiastes 9, we ran head first into the only truth no one can deny, no matter how hard they try.  “The same destiny overtakes us all.” (vs 3).  And yet we cling so hard and forget about the other truth the people of this world want to deny – we have hope for those who believe.  We have an eternal place where God has a plan for justice.  Where He has brought every single one of our loved ones, who also believe, to live with us forever and ever.  Nothing left behind but sin and strife and pain and death.

My friends, if we accept that death is our future and as Solomon told us in verse 9:12, “No one knows when their hour will come,” we must take all that he says in wisdom in his last chapters 11 and 12 to heart.

As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things. 6 Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let your hands not be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well. Ecclesiastes 11:5-6

It’s a message repeated throughout the New Testament.  Know God, love God, trust God, obey God.  We are not God and we can only know what is happening this very moment (and we can barely remember what happened yesterday!)  

There’s a trend on Instagram where very talented photographers stop every day looking strangers on the street and ask to take their picture.  The people (usually women) tell the photographer all the reasons why they are not worthy of having a photo taken of them.  One adult woman with fairly new braces said she would start smiling once her braces came off.  In what — two or three years?  And yet her braces-filled pictures were gorgeous! 

Are you waiting to smile until something better happens in your life?  Until the right person comes along?  The right job?  The right bank account?  That “happiness” seeking roller coaster that Solomon warned us about in Ecclesiastes 6.  It’s a joy killer.  It may look like seeking meaning but it all becomes so meaningless.

Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment. 10 So then, banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of your body, Ecclesiastes 11:9-10

Solomon tells us, “go!”  Try that new hobby or skill.  Actively seek out new friendships and opportunities.  Tell your friend or family member how much God loves them – today.  Stop waiting until you get to the point where there’s no longer time, but also remembering all along who you belong to – our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Not hedonism as we looked at chapter 10 and the Right Side of Life.  That’s meaningless folly.  True joy, true enjoyment comes from knowing and listening to the Lord and stepping onto the narrow path.

I read a quote recently that went something like this:

Trusting God is like being married to adventure but if you are looking for an excuse, you will find one.”

In other words, if you truly trust in the Lord for His love and provision.  If you truly believe you are a beloved and beautiful daughter or son of God then He wants you to enjoy this short life He’s given you on this little blue planet.  

This ancient book of wisdom on the surface seems like the last place to go to for this inspiration.  I mean reminding us from beginning to end we will all die…a real party conversation killer.  But sprinkled throughout this truth are the six reminders to “Enjoy Life.”  Enjoy life while fearing the Lord and keeping His commands (Ecc 12:13).  King Solomon did a bit too much of the first and forgot the second until towards the end of his life.  He’s pleading with you hear his God-given words now.

I read this article by editor and founder Joanna Gaines in my most recent copy of Magnolia magazine.  I realized it was a great way to end this series studying Ecclesiastes and the meaning of life.  Especially for those of you who struggle with life’s changes, the good and the frequently not so good.  We may want to retreat, go back to the old.  We pray for God to remove the struggle and the pain.  And it might get us stuck.  Stuck in bad habits and bad relationships.  Stuck in not believing the God who created the heavens and the earth also has a plan and blessings waiting for you.  Stuck in the lie that your personal cycle of life will just keep plugging away, never changing and never ending.  Which keeps us far from the concept of joy and enjoyment.  Listen to this excerpt from Mrs. Gaines’ essay titled, “Space to See Possibility” (spring 2024).

When life swung, for the first time I didn’t hold my breath.  I stood tall.  I looked around.  I worried less what was changing now and instead looked forward to what it could give way to the next.  I asked myself, “What beautiful thing can come from this?  What did I learn that can carry me forward?  And I came to realize that it’s the aftermath that’s the most formative.  It was how we landed, how we let what was different be its own kind of beautiful.  It was how we reset, changed course, and believed in the goodness to come.”

As my head has started to clear from my illnesses – my dizziness is dissipating and my vision is clearing – I look back over how often I sought the Lord.  How often I thanked Him for seemingly endless boxes of Kleenex, soft sheets, a comfortable bed, doctors, pharmacists, drug inventors and scientists, friends, clean water, my husband and daughters, and more.  I pleaded but I didn’t know if I would be healed or when. I felt terrible yet, still I knew my life is good.  A life to enjoy even in the least enjoyable moments.  Because that’s what our faith gives us.  Head scratching, oppositeness from the world.  A life of meaning.

My friend, I hold out my hand to you asking you to join me on this great adventure called Jehovah, God, Jesus, Elohim, Holy Spirit.  Ask Him today, “What’s next?” and go enjoy.

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Enjoy The Right Side of Life Part Two

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Did you miss part one? Click here!

We need to put the best people on the horses and don’t apologize for it.”  

Warren Wiersbe

I have to ask you – who have you placed as your “experts” in life?  Your “ruler who sits on the horse,” (Ecc 10:6&7) who is ready to lead you into battle?  Are they leading you in the right hand life of Christ or in the left hand life of folly?  How can you know?  The Bible.  It is the preserved Word of God that does not change, no matter the era or point in history.

When faced with people who think following the truth and wisdom of the Bible say that’s “old fashioned” or irrelevant today, all you really need to do is read through the entire book of Ecclesiastes to see Solomon’s study of life in his age.  We are no different.  We want what we want and we want it now.  Preferably served with a slice of fun and merriment.

If you want to rejoice in the “right hand” life (by the way,  the word “sinister” comes from the Latin word meaning “on the left hand”… sorry again lefties), what do we need to do?  

Look to and at Jesus like we do our cell phones.  When we abide in Him, we experience abundance.”  

Pastor Ryan Paulson

When I heard this a few weeks ago at church it really hit home.  I carry my phone around in my back pocket throughout my small home.  I can hear the phone ring from any room in my house.  Yet I keep it close.  I look at it even when it hasn’t rung or chimed in a while just to make sure I haven’t missed a call or text.  

“One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.” Psalm 27:4

That’s how we need to place God – right in our back pocket.  Right in front of our face.  Not in a drawer we pull out in times of trouble or a couple times a year.  We dust off our Bibles, we sign up for Bible study (and actually do the work and attend), we find a church that is biblically based, not wishy washy.  We commune — not on-line in a faceless, non-participatory way — with other Christians to help bolster us and them.  We make God our expert, our Lord and our Holy King.

“If the iron is blunt, and one does not sharpen the edge, he must use more strength, but wisdom helps one to succeed.” Ecclesiastes 10:10

Do you need to sharpen up your edge so that you can cut through the lies of this life?  A knife so sharp we can spot the people we should and shouldn’t allow to guide us in the right handed life?  

It’s time to learn that the way we’ve always done “life” may not be working out so great for us.  We are weak and feel so much rejection from the left hand way of the world.  It’s time to step up and rejoice!  To enjoy a life of strength and wisdom and acceptance given to us freely by God.  The God we put squarely in the center of lives, riding us onward into victory.

"For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;he will lift me high upon a rock. 6And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the Lord."  Psalm 27:5 & 6
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Enjoying the Right Side of Life

krisshetter

I’ve mentioned in past series that I wasn’t raised in a Christian home.  My father is, to this day, an atheist and my mom is well, just sort of lost.  In my younger years, I would probably tell you I believed in God but I didn’t really know what that meant.  God was the creator and He was still hanging around, I supposed.  If I had died back then I would’ve had the same judgement as my father, I believe.  Because just like my atheist father, I didn’t have God as the centerstone of my life.

I hate to say it but I talk to a lot of folks who seem to be in this same boat.  They might even call themselves “Christian.”  But dig a bit deeper and they don’t believe the basic tenets of the faith.  Such as Jesus being full man and fully God who died to cover our sins and make us righteous before God.  Or that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God.  Without these basic truths to help us navigate through life what’s to keep them from wandering off the path?  To avoid a life of fool-hardy behavior and thinking?  To be led by foolish teachers and pastors?

“Dead flies make the perfumer's ointment give off a stench; so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor. 2A wise man's heart inclines him to the right, but a fool's heart to the left.” Ecclesiastes 10:1-2

Back in the ancient world of King Solomon, the right hand represented the place of honor and power.  The left hand (sorry lefties) represented weakness and even rejection.  In this introduction to chapter 10 of Ecclesiastes, Solomon shines the light on our propensity to lean a bit too far into our personal temptations and sins.  We give way to the left-hand side of life.  Those sinful “flies in the ointment” create a life that looks a lot like one without knowing or trusting in God.

Blessed is the man who has the God of Jacob for his Helper; he need not fear either want or pain, or death. The more you can realize this, the happier will you become; and the only means for so doing is to hold frequent communion with God in prayer. Get alone with Jesus, and He will comfort your hearts, and restore your weary souls.”

Charles Spurgeon

No only had I not put God as a cornerstone of my life I put so many other things and people there in His place.  In Solomon’s words I put “fools in a high position” (Ecc 10:6).  And wisdom?  Let’s just say it wasn’t a top priority for me.  

“The toil of a fool wearies him, for he does not know the way to the city.” Ecclesiastes 10:15

What a sad state to be in, as so many are today.  Lost amongst well-travelled roads.  Thinking they know the way to enjoying life to the fullest only to find themselves each morning back on the wrong side of a meaningful life.

I’ll make a confession to you.  I started having sex when I was about 16 years old – sad to say that may be a bit old nowadays.  By the time I met my future husband at age 22, I had been with more than 15 different men.  The first few sexual relationships were ones I sometimes, still today, thank God that He didn’t allow me to become pregnant because I was also unprotected.  In the midst of my sexual promiscuity years something inside me knew what I was doing was wrong but it didn’t stop me.  I plowed ahead in my left hand life.

Later, I even realized my behavior was borne out of a need to seek love and acceptance.  Of which, I usually received the exact opposite.  Folly, folly, folly.  And more wandering over the same roads.

My centerstones, or my go-to experts, were like-minded travellers.  Women’s liberation bullhorns, pro-abortionists, people who believed we deserved to do what we please, and others who scoffed at the religious right and their limiting “rules for life.”  I was going to do what I wanted, with whom I wanted, and was going to be happy and successful.  

Until I wasn’t.

As a person searching for a meaningful life, that younger me was bombarded by foolish rulers.  College teachers who were all about living the life that was “true to yourself.”  The people I worked with had no place for God and encouraged debauchery and folly.  Even the pastor of the church, where I spent about 10 years as  a new Christian, never talked about sin.

Now, as a Christ-centered Christian, it angers me that there are pastors who fall into these same categories.  Their own lives and their teaching don’t reflect God as their centerstone.  They are ok with abortion – murdering the innocent.  They are just fine with people having sex outside of marriage.  With living immoral lives as long we know we are “loved” and “don’t judge.”  They’re apparently reading from a different Bible than the one I have.  

They are not leaders of the right handed side of life.  When we look at who we’ve put as our centerstones we have to ask: are they simply leading us back around in circles to all our old sinful paths?

Click here for Enjoying the Right Side of Life Part Two as we discover the path straight to love and joy.