Day 362 - Don't Miss Out

"... the team listened to my instruction and improved..."

It is so simple we often miss it. I have overlooked the simplicity many times. In fact I usually want to make it harder on myself than it should be just to be more pious or something like that. It doesn't work though. 

God intended for us to live a blessed and abundant life. There are too many verses to prove it and I won't be convinced otherwise. Even in the Old Testament God was trying to bless the socks off the children of Israel but they weren't having it. (Don't believe me? Still think God is an angry old miser in the Old Testament? Read Nehemiah chapter 9 and then tell me what you think.) 

God made it so simple though. Just hear His word, understand and do it. If we can simply hear, understand and do we will be blessed. When we lack or fail in any of these areas we will not be blessed. I didn't say it was easy, I said it was simple. 

Hearing is probably the easiest part of the process though. You can study the Bible, pray and listen to preaching in order to hear the Word of God for your life. But then comes the understanding. This is where you have to look at what you are hearing with spiritual eyes. You can ask the Holy Spirit to explain it to you. Read it i=over and even ask people who you trust to know the Word of God to explain it to you. This is also one of the many reasons it is good to have a home church where you can hear the systematic teaching of God's word so that you can get a better understanding through repeated messages and built systems of doctrine (that is a fancy way of saying teaching of a subject). 

Next comes doing. Again, not always easy but simple. When we hear we will show how much we understand by what we do. If you know the blessing then you will go after it. If you know the reward then you will labor for it. It just makes sense because it is so simple. I know I personally will endure a workout to feel good and to look good. I will abstain from foods that I like in order to feel good and look good. I know the reward so I will put myself through the pain in order to get to it. With God's word it is no different. If we truly understand what God is offering to us we will endure any hardship and make the changes we need in order to succeed. 

It is so simple and yet we may miss it if we are not careful. Don't miss out. Hear, understand and do. 

Have you seen this work in your life? What are some other ways to have a better understanding?

Day 230 - Learning the Hard Way

"I found out later that I didn't put any sunblock on my face."

I would imagine you know how I found out that I didn't have any sunblock on my face. Pain and redness! 

Like the old DC Talk song says; "Some people gotta learn the hard way, I guess I'm the type of guy who's gotta find out for himself". Experience is a tough teacher. She doesn't discriminate nor does she pull any punches. Like walking into a wrecking ball there have been things that I wanted to know for myself and later wished I would have listened to sound wisdom. Or to take it a step further asked someone who would know!

Thankfully not everything in life is learned this way. There are lots of things we can only learn from experience and hard knocks. But if you can learn from the experience of others or from instruction then you will save yourself many sorrows and painful learning lessons. 

This is where the student of the Bible will be glad to know their efforts aren't wasted. The Bible is more than a bunch of stories from history. It is examples of people who failed and succeeded. It shows us what to do and what not to do. 

Why learn from tough times when you can receive the instruction of God's Word?

What tough life lessons have you learned in the school of hard knocks? What lessons have you learned from others or from the Word of God?

Day 79 - It Just Works

"We laid hands on her, prayed and anointed her with oil."

We see in the scriptures ways of doing things. There is a way of God for every way of man. Before we ever made a way God made a way. Marriage was God's idea and He designed a way for marriage. Economy was designed by God and He speaks much about business, economics and finances in His word. 

The great this is we don't have to go at it alone. I couldn't do what I do without the Bible and the Holy Spirit. Gos not only tells us what to do but then empowers us to do it. 

Now, to my thought from last year. The woman we prayed for went to the doctor and had a miraculous report. The point is that when we do things the way God wants them done we get the results God designed for us to get. The laying on of hands and anointing with oil is prescribed in the book of James with fervent prayers of the righteous. We are told that these types of prayers are answered. The testimony of this woman last year confirms it. 

What have you done God's way and had God's results? What areas, if any, can I help you find God's way in the scripture?