There Is No Hurry

A Sort-Of Made-Up Story

Scene: Satan and several of his esteemed advisors are meeting secretly

Satan is worried. 

He is behind schedule. By this time he had planned to have God and His influence completely erased from American culture. But he has met far more résistance than he had anticipated. He calls an emergency conference with his top advisors.

"What can we do to speed up our work?" he begins. "We must get rid of all acknowledgment of our Enemy! We must erase him. We cannot let him win. We are too close to victory!"

One advisor speaks up. "We just keep telling them their god is a myth, that there is no god like that. There is no god at all. We are making progress on the campuses. It just takes longer than we thought."

Satan becomes angry. "That hasn't worked! We have been trying that for decades. The Enemy's followers just come up with more ridiculous propaganda. We need a new plan!"

Another suggests: "Let's discredit the Enemy. Tell people he really doesn't care about them. He does not love them! They are believing in a fairy tale."

"No," Satan booms. "Our Enemy does love them - those ridiculous bi-peds! I don't know why but he does and they know it!"

The last advisor hesitates and then speaks up quietly, "I have an idea. Let's keep them on the fence. Tell  them not to worry about it -- there is no hurry...Just take their time and consider all possibilities. Don't be in a hurry to throw their lives away!"

Satan beams! "That's perfect! Don't make a decision yet. Wait. There is time. There is no hurry! I love it! That is now our official strategy! There is no hurry!"

(2 Corinthians 6:2 -- "Now is the acceptable time. Now is the day of salvation.")

What Does It Mean to Open a Bible?

 From David Platt in his book "Radical" --

"God has chosen in His matchless grace to give us a revelation of Himself in His Word.

It is the only Book that He has promised to bless by His Spirit to transform you and me into the image of Jesus Christ. It is the only Book that He has promised to use to bring our hearts, our minds, and our lives into alignment with Him.

I'm not saying that God has not used or blessed other books throughout Christian history, but there is only one Book that He has perfectly inspired by His Spirit for the accomplishment of His purpose.

When you or I open the Bible, we are beholding the very words of God -- words that have supernatural power to redeem, renew, refresh, and restore our lives to what He created them to be.

If we want to know the glory of God, if we want to experience the beauty of God, and if we want to be used by the hand of God, then we must live in the Word of God."

[supernatural power to restore us to what He created us to be....]

How to Not Forget

More on Psalm 103:1-2 --

 "Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits"... 

David, in talking to himself, reminds himself not to forget all the LORD has done for him....I do this, too, and probably you do, too.,.,,,when things seem overwhelming, or just confusing, I  remind myself of all God has done for me already, and how He has promised to always be there to help me and defend me.

"Hey," I say to myself, "you can get through this. You have God to help. His Spirit is giving you wisdom and divine revelation. You are strong and you will figure this out. Remember the 'joy of the Lord is your strength!" and things like that. I can boost myself up and point myself in the right direction. Help myself focus on what is happening and Who is there to guide me.

Talking to ourselves is usually very helpful. David apparently thought so, too. He seemed to talk to himself quite a lot in the Psalms. Always positive, encouraging advice!

"Forget not all His benefits..." The best way to not forget is to remember! That's a brilliant observation, right?

Thinking about that old song, "Count Your Blessings" again. What good advice!

     "When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed.

     When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost

     Count your many blessings, name them one by one

     And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

        Are you ever burdened with a load of care?

        Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?

        Count your many blessings, every doubt with fly

        And you will be singing as the days go by!"

Get out that big journal and make a list - what's first?

Start now...and you will be singing as the day goes by....

A

Why are we allowed two?

          A great truth from G K Chesterton --

EVENING PRAYER

 "Here dies another day during which I have had eyes, ears, hands. And the great world around me, and tomorrow begins another. Why am I allowed two?"

A grateful heart - Why are we allowed so much? 2 days? 3? A whole string of days? A month? Even years!  

Days of grace...days to work with God to bring His Kingdom to earth....days with amazing creatures to remind us of His power and majesty...days of vibrant color that surround us...the eternal adventure of His Word to enthrall us...friends and family to share with us His limitless bounty...

It's all about gratitude!

MORNING PRAYER

As another poet said, "For the wonders that astound us, for the truths that still confound us, but most of all that love has found us! Thanks be to God!"  (Fred Green)

YES, it's all about gratitude. Make this a thanksgiving day!

What I Need Today

 James 1:20 -19-- "You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires."

So simple! So easy to understand! So hard to do!

Anger does not fix anything...and God wants us to fix things!

There is ample reason to get angry these days. Much of what we feel we call "righteous indignation."

I have found that much of what we call "righteous indignation" isn't! It's pride and empty ''virtue signaling' -- showy and self-serving.

The righteousness God desires is not produced by our anger. It takes intentional actions of calm resolution and persevering determination. It takes planning, organizing, stubbornness and relentless energy.

Since we are the ones who messed up God's perfect creation, it only makes sense that we fix the problems in front of us!

What's on your list of things to fix?

[P.S. I also need the first parts of that verse, "quick to listen and slow to speak."]