Thoughts of a Broken Man

And Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”
Luke 4:8 NKJV

All of creation

Too many times I allow myself to become busy, to become distracted, to become comfortable, to become complacent. When this happens it is easy for me to tell myself that I am just too tired to read the Bible. I tell myself I will write in my blog tomorrow, or next week. I allow myself to fall back into old habits that I should know better than to pick back up.

Satan and his minions are experts at surveillance, with patience and guile. They watch for my guard to drop, and slip in ever so subtly, unnoticed…until they have me again. All of a sudden I am in the mire or my sin, crying out for God’s grace.

Jesus tells us, when talking to His disciples about His second coming, that we are to always be watching, always be attending to His work. In the book of Mark, chapter 13 (NKJV):

³³ Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.³⁴ It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch.³⁵ Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning— ³⁶ lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping.³⁷ And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!”

I don’t want to be “sleeping” when Jesus comes to call me home. I pray that God give me the strength to maintain my vigilance, and the wisdom to recognize the adversaries schemes for what they are. I pray that I reach for my Savior whenever I am weak, or weary. I pray that I be proactively praying more than reactively praying. I pray for you, that may read this, if you struggle as I do, that our Heavenly Father will shine these same blessings on you. I thank you Father for Your love, for Your grace, for Your son Jesus, for your church, and for your blessings. Amen

How Can It Be – Lauren Daigle

I am guilty
Ashamed of what I’ve done, what I’ve become
These hands are dirty
I dare not lift them up to the Holy One

You plead my cause, you right my wrongs
You break my chains, you overcome
You gave your life, to give me mine
You say that I am free
How can it be? Yeah
How can it be? Yeah

I’ve been hiding
Afraid I’ve let you down
[Album version:] Inside I doubt, that you still love me
[Video version:] Inside I doubt, that you could love me
But in your eyes, there’s only grace now

You plead my cause, you right my wrongs
You break my chains, you overcome
You gave your life, to give me mine
You say that I am free
How can it be? Yeah
How can it be? Yeah

Though I fall, you can make me new
From this death, I will rise with you
Oh, the grace reaching out for me, yeah
How can it be, how can it be?

You plead my cause, you right my wrongs
You break my chains, you overcome
You gave your life, to give me mine
You say that I am free, yeah

You plead my cause, you right my wrongs
You break my chains, you overcome
You gave your life, to give me mine
You say that I am free
How can it be? Yeah
How can it be? Yeah

Went on an extended weekend journey with my wife, and we were surrounded by examples of God’s beautiful creation. All we had to do was stop, and appreciate His work.

It always amazes me just how calming it is to walk through nature and take it in. To just be with Him. Walking in His creation. Admiring the artistic handiwork of the Lord of the universe.

And then to realize that the one who painted all of this beauty around us, loves us as His children. That is amazing!

God bless

A picture has been circulating lately…a picture of a miracle in the eyes of man. A shot of firefighters working the fire inside the Cathedral of Notre Dame. To me this picture is a wonderful representation of the faithfulness, the constancy of God. Even though the struggles, the hardship, the fire…He is there. He is waiting for you and I with open arms, to wrap us up in the tender embrace of a Father’s love.

Just like those in the picture are, look for God through the smoke…He will be there.

Firefighters stare towards the holy symbol, which remains intact inside the cathedral (Image: Reuters)

Think about this…

If you’re not dead, He’s not done.

I hope that gives you as much hope as it gives me.

I would love to say that this was my wisdom, but this was quoted on the radio as I drove to work today. The person who actually said this is far more in tune with God than I. But I am working on it.

God bless

Too many times I allow myself to get drawn in by Satan’s murmuring. His lies telling me I am not strong enough to beat this. Or that I will always have to fight with my addiction…I am not worthy of God’s attention, let alone His love and grace.

In times like this (actually…all of the time), I need to remember the words of the song David sang to God after being delivered from Saul’s hands,

“When the waves of death surrounded me, The floods of ungodliness made me afraid. The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called upon the Lord , And cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, And my cry entered His ears. “Then the earth shook and trembled; The foundations of heaven quaked and were shaken, Because He was angry. Smoke went up from His nostrils, And devouring fire from His mouth; Coals were kindled by it. He bowed the heavens also, and came down With darkness under His feet. He rode upon a cherub, and flew; And He was seen upon the wings of the wind. He made darkness canopies around Him, Dark waters and thick clouds of the skies. From the brightness before Him Coals of fire were kindled. “The Lord thundered from heaven, And the Most High uttered His voice. He sent out arrows and scattered them; Lightning bolts, and He vanquished them. Then the channels of the sea were seen, The foundations of the world were uncovered, At the rebuke of the Lord , At the blast of the breath of His nostrils. “He sent from above, He took me, He drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy, From those who hated me; For they were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity, But the Lord was my support. He also brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me.
II Samuel 22:5‭-‬20 NKJV

David realized that it was the power of God that delivered him, and thanks to the sacrifice His son Jesus made for us, and the fact that I have accepted Jesus as my savior, I have access to the power that saved David. That power, the strength of God, is mine as His chosen child.

The adversary has his tricks…but I have God!

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
I John 4:1‭-‬6 NKJV

If I can just remember to pull on the strength of His word, I can defend myself from everything this world has to throw at me.

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
II Corinthians 10:3‭-‬5 NKJV

I pray that you and I will turn to the word of God when we are under attack, and stop trying to win spiritual warfare with our physical weapons. We will suffer devastating losses every time.

God bless

Amen

Heavenly Father,

I am feeling worn down by the constant fight. This world, and the evil in it, are always in my face… dragging me down. I know that you are my strength, and I am nothing without you, so I come to you on my knees, and with my heart and hands lifted up to you. Please, fill me up. Recharge me with your strength, your love. Let me bathe in the warmth of your grace, and soak it in.

Thank you Father for loving me, and for providing for me, so I can provide for others in Your precious name.

Amen