SUDDENLY, GOD!

Posted on October 17, 2020 by randscallawayffm

How many times have we been at the end of our ropes, then suddenly God steps in and with a way out, a hand up, a plan that makes sense, or an enemy sent away from the situation without warning.  Why, as believers, are we surprised by our God who can do anything, perform miracles, make great things happen from very bad circumstances? 

The theme of this next Psalm of David, who is in a constant battle with Saul who wants to kill him, tells us just how great God is!  David crying out and singing God’s praise when, suddenly, God bursts through the darkness of evil with His blinding Light leading him with a way out. Look for all the ways David describes the attributes of our God.  God is our Rescue, Protector, Provider, Wisdom, Savior, and Deliverer.  God hears us when we cry out to Him.  Why trust anyone else, especially ourselves?

Suddenly, we realize that God is always at work as He was working on David’s problem before David called out to Him.  God knows David’s heart.  God knew David dangerous and threatening situation.  God had a plan for David’s rescue.  Does God still do that for those who believe and call on His Name to be saved?  YES!  A million times yes!   He always has and always will.  He is God and we are not.  Trust God to suddenly do what no one else can do.

Worship and Wisdom, Psalms and Proverbs

Psalm 18, The Message

A David Song, Which He Sang to God After Being Saved from All His Enemies and from Saul

1-2 I love you, God—
    you make me strong.
God is bedrock under my feet,
    the castle in which I live,
    my rescuing knight.
My God—the high crag
    where I run for dear life,
    hiding behind the boulders,
    safe in the granite hideout.

3 I sing to God, the Praise-Lofty,
    and find myself safe and saved.

4-5 The hangman’s noose was tight at my throat;
    devil waters rushed over me.
Hell’s ropes cinched me tight;
    death traps barred every exit.

6 A hostile world! I call to God,
    I cry to God to help me.
From his palace he hears my call;
    my cry brings me right into his presence—
    a private audience!

7-15 Earth wobbles and lurches;
    huge mountains shake like leaves,
Quake like aspen leaves
    because of his rage.
His nostrils flare, bellowing smoke;
    his mouth spits fire.
Tongues of fire dart in and out;
    he lowers the sky.
He steps down;
    under his feet an abyss opens up.
He’s riding a winged creature,
    swift on wind-wings.
Now he’s wrapped himself
    in a trenchcoat of black-cloud darkness.

But his cloud-brightness bursts through,
    spraying hailstones and fireballs.
Then God thundered out of heaven;
    the High God gave a great shout,
    spraying hailstones and fireballs.
God shoots his arrows—pandemonium!
    He hurls his lightnings—a rout!
The secret sources of ocean are exposed,
    the hidden depths of earth lie uncovered
The moment you roar in protest,
    let loose your hurricane anger.

16-19 But me he caught—reached all the way
    from sky to sea; he pulled me out
Of that ocean of hate, that enemy chaos,
    the void in which I was drowning.
They hit me when I was down,
    but God stuck by me.
He stood me up on a wide-open field;
    I stood there saved—surprised to be loved!

20-24 God made my life complete
    when I placed all the pieces before him.
When I got my act together,
    he gave me a fresh start.
Now I’m alert to God’s ways;
    I don’t take God for granted.
Every day I review the ways he works;
    I try not to miss a trick.
I feel put back together,
    and I’m watching my step.
God rewrote the text of my life
    when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes.

25-27 The good people taste your goodness,
The whole people taste your health,
The true people taste your truth,
The bad ones can’t figure you out.
You take the side of the down-and-out,
But the stuck-up you take down a peg.

28-29 Suddenly, God, you floodlight my life;
    I’m blazing with glory, God’s glory!
I smash the bands of marauders,
    I vault the highest fences.

30 What a God! His road
    stretches straight and smooth.
Every God-direction is road-tested.
    Everyone who runs toward him
Makes it.

31-42 Is there any god like God?
    Are we not at bedrock?
Is not this the God who armed me,
    then aimed me in the right direction?
Now I run like a deer;
    I’m king of the mountain.
He shows me how to fight;
    I can bend a bronze bow!
You protect me with salvation-armor;
    you hold me up with a firm hand,
    caress me with your gentle ways.
You cleared the ground under me
    so my footing was firm.

When I chased my enemies I caught them;
    I didn’t let go till they were dead men.
I nailed them; they were down for good;
    then I walked all over them.
You armed me well for this fight,
    you smashed the upstarts.
You made my enemies turn tail,
    and I wiped out the haters.
They cried “uncle”
    but Uncle didn’t come;
They yelled for God
    and got no for an answer.
I ground them to dust; they gusted in the wind.
    I threw them out, like garbage in the gutter.

43-45 You rescued me from a squabbling people;
    you made me a leader of nations.
People I’d never heard of served me;
    the moment they got wind of me they listened.
The foreign devils gave up; they came
    on their bellies, crawling from their hideouts.

46-48 Live, God! Blessings from my Rock,
    my free and freeing God, towering!
This God set things right for me
    and shut up the people who talked back.
He rescued me from enemy anger,
    he pulled me from the grip of upstarts,
He saved me from the bullies.

49-50 That’s why I’m thanking you, God,
    all over the world.
That’s why I’m singing songs
    that rhyme your name.
God’s king takes the trophy;
    God’s chosen is beloved.
I mean David and all his children—
    always.

TRUTH:  Suddenly, God.  “God made my life complete when I placed all the pieces before him.”  Jesus is the Author and Finisher of our Faith…put down the pen…let Him write the rest of our story.

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”  Hebrews 12:2

Proverb 11: The Message

A God-Shaped Life

17 When you’re kind to others, you help yourself;
    when you’re cruel to others, you hurt yourself.

18 Bad work gets paid with a bad check;
    good work gets solid pay.

19 Take your stand with God’s loyal community and live,
    or chase after phantoms of evil and die.

20 God can’t stand deceivers,
    but oh how he relishes integrity.

21 Count on this: The wicked won’t get off scot-free,
    and God’s loyal people will triumph.

22 Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout
    is a beautiful face on an empty head.

23 The desires of good people lead straight to the best,
    but wicked ambition ends in angry frustration.

24 The world of the generous gets larger and larger;
    the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller.

25 The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed;
    those who help others are helped.

26 Curses on those who drive a hard bargain!
    Blessings on all who play fair and square!

27 The one who seeks good finds delight;
    the student of evil becomes evil.

28 A life devoted to things is a dead life, a stump;
    a God-shaped life is a flourishing tree.

29 Exploit or abuse your family, and end up with a fistful of air;
    common sense tells you it’s a stupid way to live.

30 A good life is a fruit-bearing tree;
    a violent life destroys souls.

31 If good people barely make it,
    what’s in store for the bad!

WISDOM: “Take your stand with God’s loyal community and live”.  When we do God will suddenly step in with all you need for every situation.  That’s who He is.

Abba Father,

You have suddenly stepped in when the waters of trouble threatened to drown us.  It is hard to count how many times You have saved us!  But we are grateful, eternally thankful for every single time.  You have proven to us over and over again that YOU are God and there is no one else like you.  You have guided and provided.  You have protected us.  You have rescued us from the enemy.  You are the only One who deserves ALL our praise.  To you be the glory, God our Father, only You!

I’m taking a stand and not giving up for You are right beside me, in front of me and behind me.  You surround me with your relentless love, undeserving grace and mercy.  Thank you, Father.  Thank you, Jesus.  Thank you, Holy Spirit.  Three-in-One.

In Jesus Name, Amen

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GOD HEARS AND ANSWERS

Posted on October 16, 2020 by randscallawayffm

Life in this world does not stand still.  The world is constantly changing at a pace we feel we cannot cope with at times.  For example, bring home a new computer, unwrap it, set it up and begin to know how it works while another, newer, faster, sleeker, product is on its way to Best Buy from production.  There is always a newer, better product on the way to solve all the problems advertisers convince us we have.  In the tech world, you must keep inventing and racing your product to the shelves before your competitors to merely stay alive in business.

Family situations are always changing.  Our children do not stay the same.  They are constantly growing, learning, maturing in thought and following the examples to live from those around them.  They are influenced by who they watch on media.  Influenced by people important to them, they live their lives patterned closely to who they see in front of them.  Children grow up and marry someone else that changes the family dynamic.  Along come grandchildren who grow up similarly to their parents but have minds of their own.  They marry and the changes multiply.  That’s life—constantly changing. 

The way we work is surely changing daily!  Many creatively work and teach from home in a pandemic or go masked to work to protectively serve others in order to stop the spread of a virus that can kill.  We have been forced to be proactive, preemptive and preventative in a constantly changing world.  Commercials are constantly telling us to wash our hands…who wasn’t doing this before the pandemic?  This was taught in first grade, friends.  Okay, as a teacher, I had to say it out loud.

The way we relate to each other is changing because of the confusing times we are coping with today.  We want life as it was and we are already, only seven months since the quarantine began, glorifying the “good old days” before the pandemic.  Were those days that good?  We did everything at a rapid pace, constantly moving toward the next best thing, leaving our loved ones in the dust of our lofty aspirations.  Then a virus shut us down and told us to stay home with our beloved.  Character traits good and bad showed their true colors.  We had time to examine our hearts and found we were falling short in some areas of our lives.

We need answers.  Many stopped blaming everyone else for the disruption in their lives and looked up to God for answers for the real pandemic of sin and all that it was costing their lives. The found answers from the God who hears us when we cry out to Him with humbled, repentant hearts.

God hears.  God answers. 

Worship and Wisdom, Psalms and Proverbs

Psalm 17, The Message

A David Prayer

1-2 Listen while I build my case, God,
    the most honest prayer you’ll ever hear.
Show the world I’m innocent—
    in your heart you know I am.

4-5 I’m not trying to get my way
    in the world’s way.
I’m trying to get your way,
    your Word’s way.
I’m staying on your trail;
    I’m putting one foot
In front of the other.
    I’m not giving up.

3 Go ahead, examine me from inside out,
    surprise me in the middle of the night—
You’ll find I’m just what I say I am.
    My words don’t run loose.

6-7 I call to you, God, because I’m sure of an answer.
    So—answer! bend your ear! listen sharp!
Paint grace-graffiti on the fences;
    take in your frightened children who
Are running from the neighborhood bullies
    straight to you.

8-9 Keep your eye on me;
    hide me under your cool wing feathers
From the wicked who are out to get me,
    from mortal enemies closing in.

10-14 Their hearts are hard as nails,
    their mouths blast hot air.
They are after me, nipping my heels,
    determined to bring me down,
Lions ready to rip me apart,
    young lions poised to pounce.
Up, God: beard them! break them!
    By your sword, free me from their clutches;
Barehanded, God, break these mortals,
    these flat-earth people who can’t think beyond today.

I’d like to see their bellies
    swollen with famine food,
The weeds they’ve sown
    harvested and baked into famine bread,
With second helpings for their children
    and crusts for their babies to chew on.

15 And me? I plan on looking
    you full in the face. When I get up,
I’ll see your full stature
    and live heaven on earth.

TRUTH:  “I call to you, God, because I’m sure of an answer.”  No matter what we are doing or have done, no matter who we are or where we have been, those who call on the name of the Lord will be heard.  God answers the prayers of those whose hearts are completely His, whose minds are focused on His Ways, whose hearts are full of gratitude for all He has provided and whose souls long for Him daily to fill them with His daily manna of wisdom and truth. 

Look up.  Know God.  Love God.  Love Others. Leave the world behind.

Proverb 11, The Message

Without Good Direction, People Lose Their Way

God hates cheating in the marketplace;
    he loves it when business is aboveboard.

2 The stuck-up fall flat on their faces,
    but down-to-earth people stand firm.

3 The integrity of the honest keeps them on track;
    the deviousness of crooks brings them to ruin.

4 A thick bankroll is no help when life falls apart,
    but a principled life can stand up to the worst.

5 Moral character makes for smooth traveling;
    an evil life is a hard life.

6 Good character is the best insurance;
    crooks get trapped in their sinful lust.

7 When the wicked die, that’s it—
    the story’s over, end of hope.

8 A good person is saved from much trouble;
    a bad person runs straight into it.

9 The loose tongue of the godless spreads destruction;
    the common sense of the godly preserves them.

12 Mean-spirited slander is heartless;
    quiet discretion accompanies good sense.

10 When it goes well for good people, the whole town cheers;
    when it goes badly for bad people, the town celebrates.

11 When right-living people bless the city, it flourishes;
    evil talk turns it into a ghost town in no time.

13 A gadabout gossip can’t be trusted with a secret,
    but someone of integrity won’t violate a confidence.

14 Without good direction, people lose their way;
    the more wise counsel you follow, the better your chances.

15 Whoever makes deals with strangers is sure to get burned;
    if you keep a cool head, you’ll avoid rash bargains.

16 A woman of gentle grace gets respect,
    but men of rough violence grab for loot.

WISDOM: “…a principled life can stand up to the worst.”  Be men and women of integrity, do the right thing even if no one is watching from a habitual lifestyle of living God’s ways.  Be people of God who keep a cool head, avoid gossip, and standing firm in the ways of God.  “Good character is the best insurance” in troubled times in a constantly and rapidly changing world.  Good character, moral thinking and behaving, living a grateful, humble life that is full of God’s grace never goes out of style.  God is unchanging in His character.  We should stand firm in His unchanging love and righteousness.

“Without good direction, people lose their way; the more wise counsel you follow, the better your chances.”  Proverb 11:14

“And me? I plan on looking you full in the face. When I get up, I’ll see your full stature and live heaven on earth.”  Psalm 17:15

In Jesus Name, By His Power working in me, Amen.  I believe.

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NOTHING MAKES SENSE!

Posted on October 15, 2020 by randscallawayffm

The most talented people in the world, who amass great wealth, and rarely give back, sit back in later years and wonder why, what does all this mean?  They feel alone in a crowd because they avoided people for fear everyone is out to get what they have.  Aggressive, adamant, and arrogant people assume they are placed on earth to get more, buy and sell more and control more.  In this thinking more is never enough.  Life as it is just doesn’t make sense in this thinking if at the end of it all, we die and leave it all behind, and that’s all there is to life.  Nothing makes sense.

Talented people can also be middle to low middle class to the lowest of the poor, having little in the way of wealth and possessions and wonder the same thing about their seemingly senseless lives without God.  Some people work hard, maybe at two or three jobs, trying to make ends meet.  The family is ignored because of the long hours at work to pay for mounting debt.  Tiredness leads to bad decision making and thinking, “I deserve this for my long hours so purchases are made of what they do not need with money they do not have and run up more debts that will take a lifetime to repay.  They hoard when there is a crisis making sure there is more than enough for their family without thinking of someone else.  It is so easy to become inner focused, selfish thinking, and arrogant when threatened by outside forces of change.  Tiredness from working hard for very little in return because of bad choices foster fear, anxiety, and paranoia.  Nothing makes sense.

But we cannot just look to the rich and assume the lack of integrity or lack of God in their lives.  Some wealthy people live for God, give back generously, giving all the glory to God for their wealth.  God makes perfect sense to them.  They rely on God’s wisdom and direction.  They look to Him in decision making that affects the people in which they can help with their wealth.  Because of Jesus, they have been changed from the inside out and live to please God.

We cannot assume the poor and middle class have nothing to give.  Poor and middle-class believers, young and old, have been proven to give more in relation to the percentage of income than most who have great wealth to give. 

So, what does it all mean in life?  What really and truly makes sense? 

God and God alone.  Without God, like the Psalmist writes and sings, NOTHING makes sense.  The more we get to know God, our Creator, the One who knows all, is in all, knows us by name, and delights in the details of our lives, we discover there is NO ONE like our God!  God makes sense of our lives.  God provides, protects, nourishes, gives us wisdom in confusing times, and guides us into all Truth.  God goes before us, behind us and beside us.  There is no one like Him.  Above all, God loves us, as we are.  But He doesn’t leave us as we are because of His unconditional love.  He teaches and encourages us, not to work harder, but smarter.  “Be still and know that I AM God.”  Only then will our lives begin to make sense.  Obey His voice. 

Because of knowing and believing Jesus work of salvation, reconciling us back to the God, who loves us so much He sent His Son to die for all our sins, life begins to make sense.  We are changed in our thinking and behaving from the inside out and outside in.  Life is not how much we make or possess but how much we love God back and love others the way HE loves us. 

Worship and Wisdom, Psalms and Proverbs

Psalm 16

A David Song

1-2 Keep me safe, O God,
    I’ve run for dear life to you.
I say to God, “Be my Lord!”
    Without you, nothing makes sense.

3 And these God-chosen lives all around—
    what splendid friends they make!

4 Don’t just go shopping for a god.
    Gods are not for sale.
I swear I’ll never treat god-names
    like brand-names.

5-6 My choice is you, God, first and only.
    And now I find I’m your choice!
You set me up with a house and yard.
    And then you made me your heir!

7-8 The wise counsel God gives when I’m awake
    is confirmed by my sleeping heart.
Day and night I’ll stick with God;
    I’ve got a good thing going and I’m not letting go.

9-10 I’m happy from the inside out,
    and from the outside in, I’m firmly formed.
You canceled my ticket to hell—
    that’s not my destination!

11 Now you’ve got my feet on the life path,
    all radiant from the shining of your face.
Ever since you took my hand,
    I’m on the right way.

TRUTH:  I say to God, “Be my Lord!”  Without you, nothing makes sense.  Day and night I’ll stick with God; I’ve got a good thing going and I’m not letting go.

Proverb 10:22-32, The Message

Fear-of-God Expands Your Life

22 God’s blessing makes life rich;
    nothing we do can improve on God.

23 An empty-head thinks mischief is fun,
    but a mindful person relishes wisdom.

24 The nightmares of the wicked come true;
    what the good people desire, they get.

25 When the storm is over, there’s nothing left of the wicked;
    good people, firm on their rock foundation, aren’t even fazed.

26 A lazy employee will give you nothing but trouble;
    it’s vinegar in the mouth, smoke in the eyes.

27 The Fear-of-God expands your life;
    a wicked life is a puny life.

28 The aspirations of good people end in celebration;
    the ambitions of bad people crash.

29 God is solid backing to a well-lived life,
    but he calls into question a shabby performance.

30 Good people last—they can’t be moved;
    the wicked are here today, gone tomorrow.

31 A good person’s mouth is a clear fountain of wisdom;
    a foul mouth is a stagnant swamp.

32 The speech of a good person clears the air;
    the words of the wicked pollute it.

WISDOM:  God’s blessing makes life rich; nothing we do can improve on God.

Be still and know I AM God.

Be still and know I AM.

Be still and know.

Be still.

Be.

In Jesus Name, Amen.  I believe. 

Everything makes sense with you, Lord God.

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DINNER AT GOD’S HOUSE!

Posted on October 14, 2020 by randscallawayffm

Randy and I have been fortunate enough to be invited to a few mind blowing dinners of finery and elegance with everything set perfectly in place.  We were humbled and even a little anxious at being there for we are not people who regularly dined like this.  There were so many courses to the meal, we thought we would be there all night!  But that was acceptable because the host made food an event to be experienced!  It was definitely not our normal fare burgers and fries, oh no!  The food was wonderful, beautifully presented and impeccably served.  Food was the entertainment for the evening.  We felt unworthy to be invited to such a place of beauty.  Knowing it would be such an event, we prepared ourselves for it.  We brought dressy clothes that fit the occasion so we would be acceptable guests fit into the ambience of this evening. 

By now, you are probably wondering why “commoners” such as Randy and I were invited to such an affair.  Because of my work as an event planner, beautiful high-end hotels in various cities fought for our attention and the attention of other planners like myself.  Hotels worked together to bring their very best chefs and servers to show us what they could provide from their city.  The Chambers of Commerce wanted our business!  They did their ultimate best to get us to buy their product of gracious service and elegance for our own event attenders.  It cost me nothing, but it cost them thousands of dollars!

Stop for a moment and consider an invitation to come to our Father’s House!  Nothing will surpass the beauty that will be indescribable, though John the Revelator tried from his visions from God, Himself.  The invitation clearly states that ALL will be invited what we will need as guests.  We will come as guests but we will become joint heirs with Jesus and take up permanent residence in His forever home if we accept the invitation, believe in Jesus as Son of God and Savior.  Wait!  What?!  It’s costs me nothing but belief in Him?

Seriously, can you imagine getting a formal invitation from God to sit at His table in His house?  Can you imagine the prepared table, the luxurious surroundings, the bright lights, the glistening silver and gold, the ornate walls and floors?  You wonder if you are dressed appropriately, ready for His Son to enter and sit at the Head of the Table.  Yes, God’s own Son will sit at the Table with all who accepted the invitation to come.  You wonder why anyone would refuse this invitation. 

There is no one more important at God’s House, at His Table, that has been prepared for all who believe in Jesus, than God, Himself along with His Son.  Imagine it!  Get dressed for it!  Be ready!  Accept Jesus by accepting God’s invitation to believe and be saved! 

Your invitation is engraved by the blood of the Lamb who died for us;

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

The invitation continues with;

“For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in Him will never be put to shame”  “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”  Romans 10

What to wear;

Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.  Colossians 3:14-17

So, who gets invited?  ALL who believe that Jesus died for our sins and rose again.  He is preparing a place for us at His Table with a room for us in His House.  God’s invitation to love Him back by accepting Jesus His Son as Savior and Lord was planned from the Beginning.  That’s why David and Solomon wrote the following words…

Worship and Wisdom, Psalms and Proverbs

Psalm 15, The Message

A David Psalm

God, who gets invited
    to dinner at your place?
How do we get on your guest list?

2 “Walk straight,
    act right,
        tell the truth.

3-4 “Don’t hurt your friend,
    don’t blame your neighbor;
        despise the despicable.

5 “Keep your word even when it costs you,
    make an honest living,
        never take a bribe.

“You’ll never get
blacklisted
if you live like this.”

TRUTH: “Walk straight, act right, tell the truth.

Proverb 10, The Message

The Road to Life Is a Disciplined Life

15 The wealth of the rich is their bastion;
    the poverty of the indigent is their ruin.

16 The wage of a good person is exuberant life;
    an evil person ends up with nothing but sin.

17 The road to life is a disciplined life;
    ignore correction and you’re lost for good.

18 Liars secretly hoard hatred;
    fools openly spread slander.

19 The more talk, the less truth;
    the wise measure their words.

20 The speech of a good person is worth waiting for;
    the blabber of the wicked is worthless.

21 The talk of a good person is rich fare for many,
    but chatterboxes die of an empty heart.

WISDOM:  The road to life is a disciplined life.  

Abba Father,

I do believe.  I accept your invitation!  I love you with all my heart, mind and soul.  I am humbled by your invitation that comes at no cost to me but at a very high cost to you.  You paid it all with your blood in humiliation.  All my sins are gone, as far as the east is from the west, all because of you, dear Jesus.  I want to be invited to your house and sit at your table.  So, help me to be all you created me to be, even if it is hard and takes time.  I have time because I have you.  Help me to hear your voice above all other voices today.  Help me to dress elegantly in love, kindness, gentleness, patience, generosity, by your mercy and grace.  Thank you, Lord and Savior.  In Jesus Name, Amen

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BE EXPECTANT, BE READY!

Posted on October 13, 2020 by randscallawayffm

I don’t’ know about you, but the last thing I want to be is a fool, to appear stupid, to be thought of as “the one” who entertains others with her cluelessness.  No one wants to be put down for not knowing how to be or do something.  We even try to cover up our lack of knowledge with comments such as, “I’m tired, I know better”, or “I knew that, I just wanted to know if you knew that.”  These are expected comments by a clueless world to excuse our unintentional missteps and mistakes of life.  But I wonder, why not be honest and just admit, “I don’t know, but I’ll find out.”

Living foolishly gets worse when it comes to intentionally lying to get by, cheating someone so you can have more, or putting someone down in an effort to lift yourself up.  “God sticks His head out of heaven, looking for someone not stupid”, but expectant and ready to learn from Him.  David and Solomon clearly describe the difference between people whose words and actions give life to others and those who exude poison and lead others to death! 

God is looking for someone, anyone, not stupid.  I know we tell our kids not to use that word, but in this writing, it seems appropriate to use this word to describe the opposite of wisdom.  It is a stupid life to live unprepared and unexpectant of all God wants to be and do in our lives.

Worship and Wisdom, Psalms and Proverbs

Psalm 14, The Message

Bilious and bloated, they gas,
    “God is gone.”
Their words are poison gas,
    fouling the air; they poison
Rivers and skies;
    thistles are their cash crop.

2 God sticks his head out of heaven.
    He looks around.
He’s looking for someone not stupid—
    one man, even, God-expectant,
    just one God-ready woman.

3 He comes up empty. A string
    of zeros. Useless, unshepherded
Sheep, taking turns pretending
    to be Shepherd.
The ninety and nine
    follow their fellow.

4 Don’t they know anything,
    all these impostors?
Don’t they know
    they can’t get away with this—
Treating people like a fast-food meal
    over which they’re too busy to pray?

5-6 Night is coming for them, and nightmares,
    for God takes the side of victims.
Do you think you can mess
    with the dreams of the poor?
You can’t, for God
    makes their dreams come true.

7 Is there anyone around to save Israel?
    Yes. God is around; God turns life around.
Turned-around Jacob skips rope,
    turned-around Israel sings laughter.

TRUTH:  God is around; God turns life around!  God can transform us!  We do not have to live stupid lives.  We have a choice!  Are you that one man who is prepared for all God has for him and is ready to obey when He calls?  Are you that one woman who lives an expectant life of faith in our God who can do anything?  There is NO ONE like our God.  It is stupid living, to think otherwise.

“This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike “What’s next, Papa?” God’s Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what’s coming to us—an unbelievable inheritance! We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we’re certainly going to go through the good times with him!”  Romans 8:15-17, The Message

Be ready!  Be expectant!

Proverb 10:1-14, The Message

The Wise Sayings of Solomon

An Honest Life Is Immortal

Wise son, glad father;
    stupid son, sad mother.

2 Ill-gotten gain gets you nowhere;
    an honest life is immortal.

3 God won’t starve an honest soul,
    but he frustrates the appetites of the wicked.

4 Sloth makes you poor;
    diligence brings wealth.

5 Make hay while the sun shines—that’s smart;
    go fishing during harvest—that’s stupid.

6 Blessings accrue on a good and honest life,
    but the mouth of the wicked is a dark cave of abuse.

7 A good and honest life is a blessed memorial;
    a wicked life leaves a rotten stench.

8 A wise heart takes orders;
    an empty head will come unglued.

9 Honesty lives confident and carefree,
    but Shifty is sure to be exposed.

10 An evasive eye is a sign of trouble ahead,
    but an open, face-to-face meeting results in peace.

11 The mouth of a good person is a deep, life-giving well,
    but the mouth of the wicked is a dark cave of abuse.

12 Hatred starts fights,
    but love pulls a quilt over the bickering.

13 You’ll find wisdom on the lips of a person of insight,
    but the shortsighted needs a slap in the face.

14 The wise accumulate knowledge—a true treasure;
    know-it-alls talk too much—a sheer waste.

WISDOM: “A good and honest life is a blessed memorial”.  Honesty, diligence in work, tenacious integrity, wisdom that knows when to follow are keys to abundant living, not looking over your shoulder in fear.  We discover that wisdom integrated into our lives, done well, by the power of God in us, leads to more wisdom from God. 

PAUSE FOR REFLECTION AND EVALUATION

Does my demeanor match my doctrine (what I know about God)? 

Does my belief match my behavior?  (What is in my heart comes out in my behavior involuntarily eventually.)

Does my lifestyle reflect the love of God to Him and to people I live with and work around daily? 

Do my words give life as I point people to the Giver of Life or do my words leave people in the dark, still wondering, gassed with poison and left to die?

When was the last time I asked for wisdom from God?

“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, NIV

Abba Father,

You are God and I am not.  I need you every hour of every day.  May Your Kingdom come and reign supremely in me and all around me.  May YOUR will be done in every detail of my life on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day your wisdom.  Be our strength and our song all day long and into the night.  Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who hurt us or bring us down because they know not what they are doing.  Lead us not into temptations but deliver us from evil and evil’s schemes to distract us from being ready and expectant.  Oh, how I love you, Lord.  Transform me still.  I’m not there yet.  In Jesus Name, Amen

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MY RESCUE, MY LIFE!

Posted on October 12, 2020 by randscallawayffm

“Long enough, God!”  we cry out like David.  We were not ready to shut down “life as it was” to “life as it is” with restrictions for gathering in small to large crowds.  Humans’ true colors of character come out into the open for all to see when regular routines that we thought were in our control are taken from us.  Control seems to be the biggest issue fueled by living a life opposite of the growing fruits of the Holy Spirit which are the characteristics of God that He wants to mature in all of us!  (See Galatians 5:23)

Some have reverted to survival mode, clustering inside with their families, hoarding supplies, and generally adopted the attitude of “every one for themselves.”  Why?  It shows the true selfishness of the human race.  Humans do not like to be told what to do, especially if it changes their lifestyle.  We don’t like masks, temperature taking, and continually wiping down surfaces, stepping six feet away instead of going in for an infectious hug, treating all people as if they might give us cooties.  That was a playground game, we critically and sarcastically remark, not real life, Lord!  We don’t like this, not at all!

What is going on, Lord?  COVID 19, the enemy virus, is causing us to be enemies of each other!  It happens in our families, work and in our churches.  We are divided over the smallest disagreements.  We accuse each other of not having enough faith which is a scary place to walk and is not what Jesus said about judging.  We walk in on a situation and judge it not to be right immediately without knowing the thinking behind it.

We think less of each other when some do what we are asked to do as safety precautions are put into place and others independently refuse.  “Long enough, God” we impatiently cry out.  “When WILL this end?”, we say to God.  When we don’t get an answer quickly, (or get the answer we want), we complain and ask the same of those trying to create a plan of action in obedience.  Our anxious thoughts are leading us to anger.  Anger is turning our hearts, minds and souls away from a healthy fear and awe of God, who is not surprised by our current situation, and IS and always will be present with us to help us.  He is our rescue, our help, our very life!

A healthy fear of God, our Father, is to run to Him for help, like David.  It is listening to Him with readiness to serve Him as He directs, to walk in His ways, to love like He loves no matter what is before us for this day.  It is asking for HIS wisdom daily.  It is obeying God by obeying our authorities in government, work and in our homes with wisdom, insight and understanding, not hatred and rebellion. 

Friends, troubles will never end in this world.  There will be always be wars and rumors of wars, pandemics, and more.  Remember, Jesus warned us about this.  Jesus told his disciples and us, “In this world you WILL have troubles”.  But He finished that statement with a promise that builds our confidence and hope, “I(Jesus) have overcome the world”.  Jesus, my rescue, my life.  Staying close to Jesus, hearing His voice above all others, and trusting in Him for all of life is the answer.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” –Jesus in John 16:33

Instead of asking, “How long, O God?”, let us prayerfully ask “God, what are you teaching us in this situation?”  “Help me to learn from my present circumstance.”  “What do you want from me today?”  “How can I help others get through this present trouble knowing what I know about You and what you have taught me?”  We might add, “Heavenly Father, let us be watchful and thankful for how you will use a bad situation for your glory, for our growing and maturing, so that the world will know that you are God!  A powerful closing to our prayer, “Lord, I know you have overcome as you always have and always will.  I trust You.”

Do we really believe what we believe about God is really real? 

The answer will be shown in our life, lived for God…or not.  Love of God in us will shine brightly in our love for His people.  Love God.  Love Others.  THIS is the revolutionary life.

Worship and Wisdom, Psalms and Proverbs

Psalm 13, The Message

A David Psalm

1-2 Long enough, God—
    you’ve ignored me long enough.
I’ve looked at the back of your head
    long enough. Long enough
I’ve carried this ton of trouble,
    lived with a stomach full of pain.
Long enough my arrogant enemies
    have looked down their noses at me.

3-4 Take a good look at me, God, my God;
    I want to look life in the eye,
So no enemy can get the best of me
    or laugh when I fall on my face.

5-6 I’ve thrown myself headlong into your arms—
    I’m celebrating your rescue.
I’m singing at the top of my lungs,
    I’m so full of answered prayers.

TRUTH:  I’ve thrown myself headlong into your arms—I’m celebrating your rescue.

Proverb 9, The Message

1-6 Lady Wisdom has built and furnished her home;
    it’s supported by seven hewn timbers.
The banquet meal is ready to be served: lamb roasted,
    wine poured out, table set with silver and flowers.
Having dismissed her serving maids,
    Lady Wisdom goes to town, stands in a prominent place,
    and invites everyone within sound of her voice:

“Are you confused about life, don’t know what’s going on?
    Come with me, oh come, have dinner with me!
I’ve prepared a wonderful spread—fresh-baked bread,
    roast lamb, carefully selected wines.
Leave your impoverished confusion and live!
    Walk up the street to a life with meaning.”

7-12 If you reason with an arrogant cynic, you’ll get slapped in the face;
    confront bad behavior and get a kick in the shins.
So don’t waste your time on a scoffer;
    all you’ll get for your pains is abuse.
But if you correct those who care about life,
    that’s different—they’ll love you for it!
Save your breath for the wise—they’ll be wiser for it;
    tell good people what you know—they’ll profit from it.

Skilled living gets its start in the Fear-of-God,
    insight into life from knowing a Holy God.
It’s through me, Lady Wisdom, that your life deepens,
    and the years of your life ripen.
Live wisely and wisdom will permeate your life;
    mock life and life will mock you.

WISDOM:  Skilled living gets its start in the Fear-of-God, insight into life from knowing a Holy God.  You are my life!

Abba Father,

We are thankful and eternally grateful for all you have done, are doing and will do in our lives here as we prepare for life there with you someday.  We praise you for always being at work, in control, always present, with each one of us on your mind.  You know us.  You know how we think and behave and yet you love us still.  Thank you for saving us.  Thank you for rescuing us from our selfish thinking.  Thank you for overcoming this world, dear Jesus, and overcoming the enemy, the real enemy, daily.  Continue to transform me to be all you created me to be.  Help me to love like you love even when it’s hard.  You are God and I am not.  I need you every hour.

In Jesus Name, Amen

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THE LIE LANGUAGE

Posted on October 10, 2020 by randscallawayffm

We ask ourselves if anyone knows what the truth about anything anymore!  We hear debates about nothing based on lies.  We follow the lives of lying, yet popular people, seeking anyone who will tell us the truth.  They make millions, so they must be telling the truth, we tell ourselves.  They must be right!  Right?

In everyday life we skeptically ask if what is advertised really true because we have been fooled more than once.  Does that new appliance really last a lifetime?  Then why must we buy a warranty?  Will that vehicle really last until the wheels fall off?  Will this roof really last a lifetime?  Whose lifetime? 

Who are trustworthy people who can lead us financially, emotionally, professionally, physically and spiritually? Can this job really feed my family and take me to places I never dreamed?  Will this person who has all the credentials and degrees truthfully guide and mentor me to where I need to be?  Who speaks truth?  Where is truth to be found?  “If it seems too good to be true, it probably isn’t”, say the wise sages.

Oh my, help us, Lord!

Worship and Wisdom, Psalms and Proverbs

Psalm 12, The Message

A David Psalm

1-2 Quick, God, I need your helping hand!
The last decent person just went down,
All the friends I depended on gone.
Everyone talks in lie language;
Lies slide off their oily lips.
They doubletalk with forked tongues.

3-4 Slice their lips off their faces! Pull
The braggart tongues from their mouths!
I’m tired of hearing, “We can talk anyone into anything!
Our lips manage the world.”

5 Into the hovels of the poor,
Into the dark streets where the homeless groan, God speaks:
“I’ve had enough; I’m on my way
To heal the ache in the heart of the wretched.”

6-8 God’s words are pure words,
Pure silver words refined seven times
In the fires of his word-kiln,
Pure on earth as well as in heaven.
God, keep us safe from their lies,
From the wicked who stalk us with lies,
From the wicked who collect honors
For their wonderful lies.

TRUTH:  God’s words are pure Truth, like silver refined, on earth as it is in heaven.  So, to pray to God to keep us safe from all the lies on earth is appropriate and wise, showing our trust in the Only One who speaks truth.  Why trust anyone else but God who is Truth?

God cannot lie.  Lying is not in God’s nature or character.  God is Truth. Jesus, His Son, walked earth as His Person of Truth.  God’s Truth is not what we believe to be true, what elements we choose to believe or how we create our personal spin on His Truth for God’s Truth is not based on human thinking.  God’s Truth just is.  Believe it or not.

The question we must ask ourselves often is this, “Do we really believe that what I believe is really real?”

Truth is God.  The ultimate source of Truth is God.  Our faith and trust is in the Truth claims about God.  Our faith overcomes our feelings.

Our culture is filled with lies.  Lies bombard us from everywhere.  Our worldview drives what we think and how we behave.  What is our worldview and what is it based upon?

Everything not God and of God is a lie.  This is Truth.  We need to change our minds from world thinking to God-thinking and behaving, says Paul;

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”  Romans 12:1-2

God’s Truth transform us from the lie language to God’s way of thinking and behaving.  We are new people because of knowing Truth that is unchanging and forever reliable to be Truth!

So, like David, we will pray to God to keep us safe from the language of lies and show us Truth. 

Our parallel Proverb paints a masterpiece of God’s Truth and Wisdom for living Truth.  If you read closely you will see Jesus described beautifully as Truth. “When you find me, you find life, real life…”

Proverb 8, The Message

Lady Wisdom Calls Out

1-11 Do you hear Lady Wisdom calling?
    Can you hear Madame Insight raising her voice?
She’s taken her stand at First and Main,
    at the busiest intersection.
Right in the city square
    where the traffic is thickest, she shouts,
“You—I’m talking to all of you,
    everyone out here on the streets!
Listen, you idiots—learn good sense!
    You blockheads—shape up!
Don’t miss a word of this—I’m telling you how to live well,
    I’m telling you how to live at your best.
My mouth chews and savors and relishes truth—
    I can’t stand the taste of evil!
You’ll only hear true and right words from my mouth;
    not one syllable will be twisted or skewed.
You’ll recognize this as true—you with open minds;
    truth-ready minds will see it at once.
Prefer my life-disciplines over chasing after money,
    and God-knowledge over a lucrative career.
For Wisdom is better than all the trappings of wealth;
    nothing you could wish for holds a candle to her.

12-21 “I am Lady Wisdom, and I live next to Sanity;
    Knowledge and Discretion live just down the street.
The Fear-of-God means hating Evil,
    whose ways I hate with a passion—
    pride and arrogance and crooked talk.
Good counsel and common sense are my characteristics;
    I am both Insight and the Virtue to live it out.
With my help, leaders rule,
    and lawmakers legislate fairly;
With my help, governors govern,
    along with all in legitimate authority.
I love those who love me;
    those who look for me find me.
Wealth and Glory accompany me—
    also substantial Honor and a Good Name.
My benefits are worth more than a big salary, even a very big salary;
    the returns on me exceed any imaginable bonus.
You can find me on Righteous Road—that’s where I walk—
    at the intersection of Justice Avenue,
Handing out life to those who love me,
    filling their arms with life—armloads of life!

22-31 “God sovereignly made me—the first, the basic—
    before he did anything else.
I was brought into being a long time ago,
    well before Earth got its start.
I arrived on the scene before Ocean,
    yes, even before Springs and Rivers and Lakes.
Before Mountains were sculpted and Hills took shape,
    I was already there, newborn;
Long before God stretched out Earth’s Horizons,
    and tended to the minute details of Soil and Weather,
And set Sky firmly in place,
    I was there.
When he mapped and gave borders to wild Ocean,
    built the vast vault of Heaven,
    and installed the fountains that fed Ocean,
When he drew a boundary for Sea,
    posted a sign that said no trespassing,
And then staked out Earth’s Foundations,
    I was right there with him, making sure everything fit.
Day after day I was there, with my joyful applause,
    always enjoying his company,
Delighted with the world of things and creatures,
    happily celebrating the human family.

32-36 “So, my dear friends, listen carefully;
    those who embrace these my ways are most blessed.
Mark a life of discipline and live wisely;
    don’t squander your precious life.
Blessed the man, blessed the woman, who listens to me,
    awake and ready for me each morning,
    alert and responsive as I start my day’s work.
When you find me, you find life, real life,
    to say nothing of God’s good pleasure.
But if you wrong me, you damage your very soul;
    when you reject me, you’re flirting with death.”

WISDOM:  “Blessed the man, blessed the woman, who listens to me, awake and ready for me each morning, alert and responsive as I start my day’s work.  When you find me, you find life, real life, to say nothing of God’s good pleasure.

Jesus was there before the creation of the earth.  God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, Three-in-One.  Truth.  Truth saves us.  Truth protects us.  Truth provides a blessed way to live well. Truth was, is and always will be Truth.  This is the Language of Truth.

Abba Father,

I pray I only hear your Voice today above all others that bombard my mind.  Change my mind.  Transform my thinking and behaving to match Truth, to be Truthful, to live without the lies.  In Jesus Name, by His power working in us, Amen.  I believe.

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GOD HASN’T MOVED

Posted on October 9, 2020 by randscallawayffm

There is a old saying of the saints, “If you feel God is far away, then guess who moved.”  The obvious answer, of course is, “It wasn’t God”.  But can we, for a moment, consider the notion that sometimes it isn’t you or me, either.  Maybe, like David, it is thinking less about performance to God and meditating on the mere fact that God is near and will never leave us. 

God, our Father in heaven, truly is near.  Right now, He is listening.  Right now, Our Father is at work, fighting our upcoming battles with evil, before we even enter the ring in the first match.  God instills is abiding love and unfailing trust in us so that when we are tempted, we can run to Him for help, knowing that He is there.  Always there.

Stop and understand with gratitude this powerful, unbelievable truth that God is near. “That even when you can’t feel Him, he is still there, always there, never leaving or forsaking, his love big enough to span even the distance of your wandering heart”, writes Addie Zierman, blogger for “Faith Reimagined”.

She continues, “I want to say now what I wish someone had said to me years ago in my struggles to please God.  If you feel far away from God, maybe it’s possible that NO ONE moved. Not God, of course. But maybe not you either. Maybe this is just a normal part of the long work of faith.”

“Maybe the silence of God is not a punishment, but an invitation to a new kind of trust. In a world that is so loud and constant, where we are talking on social media even when we’re not using our voices, always saying something, always conversing and communicating…we’ve forgotten about the layers of Silence. The richness of it. The power of it. We’ve forgotten that God has a habit of going quiet with his people.”

I tend to agree with Addie.  Most times, it’s not another Bible Study we need to attend, another book we need to read, or another group we need to start at church.  That leads us into another temptations called “performance”.  God doesn’t expect more performance, He just wants us to BE with Him.

If you don’t feel God right now, if you don’t hear him and you desperately want to, be still. It’s possible that you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be. Rest in the quiet certainty of your own Belovedness. Stay where you are.

You are found. You are always being found.

Worship and Wisdom, Psalms and Proverbs

Psalm 11

A David Psalm

1-3 I’ve already run for dear life
    straight to the arms of God.
So why would I run away now
    when you say,

“Run to the mountains; the evil
    bows are bent, the wicked arrows
Aimed to shoot under cover of darkness
    at every heart open to God.
The bottom’s dropped out of the country;
    good people don’t have a chance”?

4-6 But God hasn’t moved to the mountains;
    his holy address hasn’t changed.
He’s in charge, as always, his eyes
    taking everything in, his eyelids
Unblinking, examining Adam’s unruly brood
    inside and out, not missing a thing.
He tests the good and the bad alike;
    if anyone cheats, God’s outraged.
Fail the test and you’re out,
    out in a hail of firestones,
Drinking from a canteen
    filled with hot desert wind.

7 God’s business is putting things right;
    he loves getting the lines straight,
Setting us straight. Once we’re standing tall,
    we can look him straight in the eye.

David, described in the Bible as “a man after God’s own heart”, knows God.  David doesn’t perform more, he trust more knowing God will put things right.

TRUTH: “God’s business is putting things right; he loves getting the lines straight,
Setting us straight. Once we’re standing tall, we can look him straight in the eye.”  God is near.  God hasn’t moved.  God is always at work.  We pray.  He works.  Rest in His abiding faithfulness to His created and beloved.  Think of it this way…

Be still and know that I am God.

Be still and know I am.

Be still.

Be

Proverb 7

1-5 Dear friend, do what I tell you;
    treasure my careful instructions.
Do what I say and you’ll live well.
    My teaching is as precious as your eyesight—guard it!
Write it out on the back of your hands;
    etch it on the chambers of your heart.
Talk to Wisdom as to a sister.
    Treat Insight as your companion.
They’ll be with you to fend off the Temptress—
    that smooth-talking, honey-tongued Seductress.

WISDOM:  Knowing God is near, ready to help, is our first line of defense to fend off and avoid all temptations to leave God and His best for us.  Ask for wisdom and God will give it to us readily. 

James 1:5 tells us that if you ask for wisdom, God will give it generously without finding fault: “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”  Wisdom leads us away from tempations.

We are His beloved.  God will provide all we need.

Abba Father,

Thank you for these words of Truth and Wisdom.  Thank you for insight and understanding how important it is to just BE with You before doing anything.  You are God and we are not.  Guide us into Your Truth and continue to teach us Your ways.  “Even when I don’t feel it You’re working…”  In Jesus Name, Amen

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GOD KNOWS ALL ABOUT IT…

Posted on October 8, 2020 by randscallawayffm

Worship and Wisdom

Psalms and Proverbs

Psalm 10, The Message

1-2 God, are you avoiding me?
    Where are you when I need you?
Full of hot air, the wicked
    are hot on the trail of the poor.
Trip them up, tangle them up
    in their fine-tuned plots.

3-4 The wicked are windbags,
    the swindlers have foul breath.
The wicked snub God,
    their noses stuck high in the air.
Their graffiti are scrawled on the walls:
    “Catch us if you can!” “God is dead.”

5-6 They care nothing for what you think;
    if you get in their way, they blow you off.
They live (they think) a charmed life:
    “We can’t go wrong. This is our lucky year!”

7-8 They carry a mouthful of hexes,
    their tongues spit venom like adders.
They hide behind ordinary people,
    then pounce on their victims.

9 They mark the luckless,
    then wait like a hunter in a blind;
When the poor wretch wanders too close,
    they stab him in the back.

10-11 The hapless fool is kicked to the ground,
    the unlucky victim is brutally axed.
He thinks God has dumped him,
    he’s sure that God is indifferent to his plight.

12-13 Time to get up, God—get moving.
    The luckless think they’re Godforsaken.
They wonder why the wicked scorn God
    and get away with it,
Why the wicked are so cocksure
    they’ll never come up for audit.

14 But you know all about it—
    the contempt, the abuse.
I dare to believe that the luckless
    will get lucky someday in you.
You won’t let them down:
    orphans won’t be orphans forever.

15-16 Break the wicked right arms,
    break all the evil left arms.
Search and destroy
    every sign of crime.
God’s grace and order wins;
    godlessness loses.

17-18 The victim’s faint pulse picks up;
    the hearts of the hopeless pump red blood
    as you put your ear to their lips.
Orphans get parents,
    the homeless get homes.
The reign of terror is over,
    the rule of the gang lords is ended.

TRUTH:  God knows all about evil and the schemes of evil to bring people down.  “God’s grace and order wins; godlessness loses.”  Evil’s terror will be over some day.  God wins in the end.  Every.  Time.

Proverb 6, The Message

A Lesson from the Ant

6-11 You lazy fool, look at an ant.
    Watch it closely; let it teach you a thing or two.
Nobody has to tell it what to do.
    All summer it stores up food;
    at harvest it stockpiles provisions.
So how long are you going to laze around doing nothing?
    How long before you get out of bed?
A nap here, a nap there, a day off here, a day off there,
    sit back, take it easy—do you know what comes next?
Just this: You can look forward to a dirt-poor life,
    poverty your permanent houseguest!

Always Cooking Up Something Nasty

12-15 Riffraff and rascals
    talk out of both sides of their mouths.
They wink at each other, they shuffle their feet,
    they cross their fingers behind their backs.
Their perverse minds are always cooking up something nasty,
    always stirring up trouble.
Catastrophe is just around the corner for them,
    a total smashup, their lives ruined beyond repair.

Seven Things God Hates

16-19 Here are six things God hates,
    and one more that he loathes with a passion:

eyes that are arrogant,
a tongue that lies,
hands that murder the innocent,
a heart that hatches evil plots,
feet that race down a wicked track,
a mouth that lies under oath,
a troublemaker in the family.

WISDOM:  Work and manage life well for that is God’s purpose.  Beware of evil and evil’s schemes to bring us down and stay down.  God hates the characteristics of evil.  Allow God to build his character in us. 

The lifestyle God loves in us:

Eyes that reflect the beauty of Jesus in us,

Tongues that speak Truth, His Truth at all times,

Hands that help, not hurt,

Hearts that love like relentlessly and unconditionally like Jesus,

Feet that walk with God in trust and obedience,

Mouths that speak Life and Truth,

Minds of Christ who bring peace because the peace of Christ is in them.

Abba Father,

Help us.  Help us to be opposite of what You hate and be all that You love in us!

In Jesus Name, By His power working in us, Amen. 

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RUN FROM THE ENEMY

Posted on October 7, 2020 by randscallawayffm

Worship and Wisdom

Psalms and Proverbs

Psalm 9

A David Psalm

1-2 I’m thanking you, God, from a full heart,
    I’m writing the book on your wonders.
I’m whistling, laughing, and jumping for joy;
    I’m singing your song, High God.

3-4 The day my enemies turned tail and ran,
    they stumbled on you and fell on their faces.
You took over and set everything right;
    when I needed you, you were there, taking charge.

5-6 You blow the whistle on godless nations;
    you throw dirty players out of the game,
    wipe their names right off the roster.
Enemies disappear from the sidelines,
    their reputation trashed,
    their names erased from the halls of fame.

7-8 God holds the high center,
    he sees and sets the world’s mess right.
He decides what is right for us earthlings,
    gives people their just deserts.

9-10 God’s a safe-house for the battered,
    a sanctuary during bad times.
The moment you arrive, you relax;
    you’re never sorry you knocked.

11-12 Sing your songs to Zion-dwelling God,
    tell his stories to everyone you meet:
How he tracks down killers
    yet keeps his eye on us,
    registers every whimper and moan.

13-14 Be kind to me, God;
    I’ve been kicked around long enough.
Once you’ve pulled me back
    from the gates of death,
I’ll write the book on Hallelujahs;
    on the corner of Main and First
    I’ll hold a street meeting;
I’ll be the song leader; we’ll fill the air
    with salvation songs.

15-16 They’re trapped, those godless countries,
    in the very snares they set,
Their feet all tangled
    in the net they spread.
They have no excuse;
    the way God works is well-known.
The cunning machinery made by the wicked
    has maimed their own hands.

17-20 The wicked bought a one-way
    ticket to hell.
No longer will the poor be nameless—
    no more humiliation for the humble.
Up, God! Aren’t you fed up with their empty strutting?
    Expose these grand pretensions!
Shake them up, God!
    Show them how silly they look.

TRUTH:  Just watch closely and don’t miss it! God blows the whistle on the godless.  He is always in control.  When we ask for wisdom and clarity, God gives it readily.  He exposes our enemies and flushes out the wicked and evil that brings us down.  Can we raise a hallelujah?  God will always set everything right in every detail of life when we trust Him and call on His Name.  Come to God with thanksgiving in our hearts for all He has done, is doing and will do in our lives.  “We’ll fill the air with salvation songs!”

Proverb 6

Run Like a Deer from the Hunter

1-5 Dear friend, if you’ve gone into hock with your neighbor
    or locked yourself into a deal with a stranger,
If you’ve impulsively promised the shirt off your back
    and now find yourself shivering out in the cold,
Friend, don’t waste a minute, get yourself out of that mess.
    You’re in that man’s clutches!
    Go, put on a long face; act desperate.
Don’t procrastinate—
    there’s no time to lose.
Run like a deer from the hunter,
    fly like a bird from the trapper!

Always Cooking Up Something Nasty

12-15 Riffraff and rascals
    talk out of both sides of their mouths.
They wink at each other, they shuffle their feet,
    they cross their fingers behind their backs.
Their perverse minds are always cooking up something nasty,
    always stirring up trouble.
Catastrophe is just around the corner for them,
    a total smashup, their lives ruined beyond repair.

WISDOM:  Don’t get caught up in what the world wants and takes from you that has nothing to do with God and His Will.  This is a trap.  God describes clearly who to avoid in this life; the perverse, liars, and manipulators of your emotions and grabbers of your wealth, luring you from your spiritual foundation.  RUN from the enemy hunter who longs to trap your soul!  When we run to God, we are set free.  God takes care of our enemies in God-fashion.  God fights our battles for us when we ask, trust and believe that He will.

Abba Father,

You are God and we are not.  You are amazing in the ways you work your salvation in us and through us, teaching us your character traits.  You are a merciful God who frees us from the traps of the enemy.  You are a God full of grace giving us what we do not deserve because of your relentless love for us.  You are Creator, Forgiver, Sustainer, Protector, Provider, and Lover of our souls.  I humbly bow to give you praise and thanksgiving for saving my soul and making me whole.  Yes, there is no one like you, God.  Give me wisdom and clarity for this day so I will not be trapped in what is not for me according to your will and plan.  In Jesus Name, Amen

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