A Man of His WordWritten by Joyce C. Lock
Suppose we make a promise that seems fully reasonable. Though later, circumstances arise in which we have to neglect someone in need in order to fulfill that promise. Maybe, a person came to visit and was just leaving in time to fulfill original promise, but they slipped and fell; being injured and in need of medical attention. Do we leave injured person, unattended, because we made a promise? Of course not. But, what if we aren't doing what God called us to, because we are busy keeping our word elsewhere, and miss opportunity to meet a spiritual need? Isn't that same thing? The only difference is where wound is located. Perhaps, we gave our word and later realized God wasn't calling us to it. Do we ignore what God is calling us to in order to meet previous obligation? Does He come first or second? In such cases, we have a choice. Is our word God? Is law our God? Is what people think our God? Or, does God's will for us come above all gods? If we make a promise only later to realize our error, in order for God to be first, we just might have to eat humble pie. But, therein is a lesson to be learned. The error in making such a promise wasn't God's.
| | Greater Than Any StormWritten by Joyce C. Lock
If you have ever known someone that would ask forgiveness (sometimes, even before church), then turn around and do same thing again, you are not alone. Though, that is not anything new to God. We do same thing to Him, all time, "I am sorry for my sin, please forgive me, and I will try to do better." And, maybe we do try, really try. Only, we fail, again. We want to be a better person. However, when 'we' try to do improving, it is a form of works ~ as if we could actually become good enough. None-the-less, as long as there is some secret part in us that wants temptation, it will come back again and again. Once we see sin for ugliness that it is (realizing sin is what put Jesus on cross) and we no longer want to dishonor God with temptation even in our thoughts, all we have to do is to ask God to remove it. God always answers true desires of our heart. We no longer need beg to be made good enough and giving it to God makes Him Divine Keeper. Satan is no longer aloud to tempt us, in that way, ever again! It is not hard to walk a pure life once we have made our heart pure. But otherwise, we are destined to fail. Though, how we let another's sin affect us is a different matter.----------------- Throughout state of KY, people are not prepared for harsh winter weather, as it happens too seldom for them to see reason in financing labor and equipment. So, being that one cannot get up or down even smallest icy hills, as truckers well know, state is pretty much at a stand still until snow and ice melts; good part being that winter thaws much quicker than it does farther north. For three years, my family and I lived in KY ~ where I worked retail. If snow clouds even appeared, employees would periodically go stand at door (all day long), where they could check to see if anything had changed in weather. And, at first snow flake, employees verbally expressed worrying about weather throughout remaining of entire work day. To those accustomed to more northern exposure, it was as if these people had never seen snow before. And for all purposes, it seemed so, as they had no clue how to drive in it. Observing them caused me to realize how truly foolish it is to let weather effect our day. If it so much as rains, people are depressed. Yet, how else will grass, flowers, and trees get water? Otherwise, there would be no beauty for us to enjoy and beautiful KY mountain sides would turn into mud slides at winter's thaw. So, when it rains, I tell Satan he doesn't have a right to ruin my day. Instead of focusing on gloom, I thank God for watering flowers. When temperatures are frigid, I can be thankful for bugs we will not have to contend with come spring. And, when really bad storms come, I still thank God for watering everything that needs it, but ask Him to not terrorize us with weather. Wind calms, tornadoes vanish, lightening is suddenly miles away, hail does not dent my car, white-outs pass, power is restored, and children arrive home safely! I thank God that weather does not have right to ruin my day!
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