There are times that many of us ask what is the point to life? Or sometimes the question sounds more like why am I here? Am I missing out on what I am supposed to be doing? Am I spending the time that I have left wisely?
Isaiah 29:15-16 says, “What sorrow awaits those who try to hide their plans from the Lord, who do their evil deeds in the dark! “The Lord can’t see us,” they say.
“He doesn’t know what’s going on!”
16 How foolish can you be? He is the Potter, and he is certainly greater than you, the clay! Should the created thing say of the one who made it,
“He didn’t make me”?
Does a jar ever say, “The potter who made me is stupid”?
Every day, the Potter’s wheel is shaping us. It’s like the Earth, a ball of dirt and water, as it spins we are being shaped by the hands of God. Sometimes we will feel clean and and sometimes we will feel muddy. We may feel like we are on a circular ride with no end. While we can focus on the spinning or the mud, instead, try to focus on God’s hands holding you. Yes, sometimes it is uncomfortable the way He is shaping us. His goal is to mold us to be more like His Son, Jesus. As humans, we are born full of sin and so the Father works on us throughout our lives to draw us closer to His thoughts and ways.
Isaiah 64:8 says, “And yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We all are formed by your hand.”
Trust God. Seek Him every day. When you hear Him speak, obey. We are the clay, He will shape us. We just need to be ready to be molded by His hands.
Let’s pray. Father in heaven, thank You for the blood of Jesus. Thank You for the promise that You will never leave us or forsake us. Thank You for holding us in Your loving hands. Help us to walk by faith and Your Word. Help us to be an example of Your love to everyone we encounter. Lord, help us to grow in You each day. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
There are many people that want to get rich or grow wealth is another way to say it. Did you know that the Bible tells you how, step by step?
Lesson 4 is to give generously to God’s work.
Step 1 is to tithe (give ten percent to God’s Kingdom) of every dollar God gives you. Step 2 is to take care of your family, especially those in your household. Step 3 is pay off all debts you have, this can be financial or emotional debt. Step 4 is to give, and give generously.
To give generously may sound contradictory to building wealth. Much of the Bible is opposite of the way the world thinks. Read Luke 6:38, “Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”
Wow, did you read that? The amount that you give will determine the amount that you get back. Be wise in your giving, research charities to ensure they are working to advance the love of God in this world. Listen for the Holy Spirit to prompt you, all that you have is His anyway. Giving does not mean just money, but time or things. So, give, generously – but only if you want that amount back.
As you are working on Step 4, never stop doing Steps 1, 2 and 3. God blesses obedience. You will get discouraged, the enemy will try to disrupt your Godly plans. Do not fall for those senseless thoughts, they are the same old tricks. You are stronger and wiser.
Let’s pray. Father in heaven, thank You for the blood of Jesus. Thank You for His sacrifice that provides us access to the loving arms of our Father in heaven. Help us to walk by faith and Your Word. Help us to be an example of Your love to everyone we encounter. Lord, help us to grow in You each day. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
There are many people that want to get rich or grow wealth is another way to say it. Did you know that the Bible tells you how, step by step?
Lesson 3 is to pay off all debts.
Read Romans 8:13, “Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law.”
Step 1 is to tithe (give ten percent to God’s Kingdom) of every dollar God gives you. Step 2 is to take care of your family, especially those in your household. Step 3 is pay off all debts you may have. You may have financial debt or emotional debt.
If you have hurt someone, apologize. Pray for them to have peace and be blessed. Read Matthew 5:23 and 5:24, “So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.”
If the person is no longer in your life or has died, apologize out loud to them.
You may have financial debt. There are many ways to pay off debt and it depends on how much debt you have and what kind. But start. Just start somewhere. Set aside a dime a day, a dollar a day and then at the end of the month, send that money to the credit card company or whatever lender you have. If you can set aside more than a dollar a day – do it. Either pay off the smallest debt you have first if you want a quick result or tackle the biggest debt you have if that would be encouraging to you to see that balance decreasing.
Do not create new debt. Live on less money than God gives you. If you need help paying for food or shelter, ask for help. There is an app called FindHelp, it lists all the local programs based on your location that can assist with food, shelter, mental health services and more. There are also programs that are offered by local churches that can offer food or shelter. Asking for help may not be the easiest thing to do, but God will bless the steps you take to obey.
As you are working on Step 3, never stop doing Steps 1 and 2.
Let’s pray. Father in heaven, thank You for the blood of Jesus. Thank You for His sacrifice that provides us access to the loving arms of our Father in heaven. Help us to walk by faith and Your Word. Help us to be an example of Your love to everyone we encounter. Lord, help us to grow in You each day. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
There are many people that want to get rich or grow wealth is another way to say it. Did you know that the Bible tells you how, step by step?
Lesson 2 is to take care of your family.
Read 1 Timothy chapter 5, verse 8, “But those who won’t care for their relatives, especially those in their own household, have denied the true faith. Such people are worse than unbelievers.”
After Step 1, which is to tithe (give ten percent) of every dollar God gives you, focus on ensuring that your family, especially those in your household, have a roof over their head and food on the table.
Let’s pray. Father in heaven, thank You for the blood of Jesus. Thank You for His sacrifice that provides us access to the loving arms of our Father in heaven. Help us to walk by faith and Your Word. Help us to be an example of Your love to everyone we encounter. Lord, help us to grow in You each day. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
There are many people that want to get rich or grow wealth is another way to say it. Did you know that the Bible tells you how, step by step?
Lesson 1 is to test God. Whoa, what? Yes.
Read Malachi chapter 3 starting in verse 8,“Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me!
“But you ask, ‘What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?’
“You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. 9 You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!”
Test God and tithe, which means that you give ten percent of all money that comes into your life to your home church (storehouse). If you do not have a church home, pray about where God would like the ten percent to go. It is, after all, His money. Tithing is the first and most important step you can take with any income that God sends into your life.
You may think I cannot pay my bills, how can I give ten percent? Test God and faithfully tithe, every week. He will keep His promise.
Let’s pray. Father in heaven, thank You for the blood of Jesus. Thank You for His sacrifice that provides us access to the loving arms of our Father in heaven. Help us to walk by faith and Your Word. Help us to be an example of Your love to everyone we encounter. Lord, help us to grow in You each day. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
Last week, I shared with you part one of a true story about a single mom named Holly who had a very sick daughter, Gem.
At the hospital, Holly watched through the glass as the nurses plunged Gem into an ice bath to bring down the fever. One of the nurses yelled, “We are losing her!” Holly was shuffled to a waiting room as the medical team worked on Gem.
After what seemed to be hours later, a nurse came out and began to ask Holly all sorts of questions about Gem’s medical history, what Gem had eaten that day, what medication she had been given. Wait, medication. Holly had given Gem an over-the-counter pain reliever to help bring down the fever. The nurse asked the name of the medication and then ran back into the room. Holly did not even get an update on how Gem was.
Several hours passed, finally Holly was brought into a hospital room where Gem was laying unconscious in a bed. There were tubes, cuffs, and machines hooked up to Gem that were breathing for her. A doctor came in and explained to Holly that Gem was in a coma and needed emergency brain surgery. Her brain was swelling and she was going to die. The surgery was experimental and had never been performed before. The chances that Gem would survive at all were slim, but the surgery was at least a chance. The doctor shoved some paperwork in front of Holly and told her to sign it so they could prepare the operating room. Holly hesitated. The doctor said for Holly to either sign the paperwork or go plan a funeral. Holly signed.
The next day after many hours of waiting, the surgery was finally over. Holly was escorted into a hospital room where Gem was laying. She was unconscious and had even more machines and wires hooked up to her. Gem’s skin was now a gray color. She had a shaved head that had many stitches in it and monitors taped all over. Holly asked the nurse, ‘what happens next?’ The nurse simply said, ‘we see if she wakes up’ and left the room.
Holly had asked her Gramma to pray even though Holly did not believe in church, prayer or Jesus. Gramma visited Gem often and prayed over her. In fact, Gramma’s entire church was praying that God would heal Gem, it would take a miracle. Gramma told Holly that Gem was going to be fine, God was at work. Holly watched as Gem did not get better and there were no signs of a miracle. Gramma encouraged Holly to pray too, after all, there was nothing to lose.
Over the next two weeks, various medical team members would enter the room and share details of what happened and why. Through their visits, Holly learned that Gem had died, but the medical team was able to revive her. Holly also learned that the type of illness Gem had became deadly when the patient was given a certain over-the-counter pain reliever. Wait, medication, like the exact one that Holly gave Gem? Holly could not believe what she was hearing. The over-the-counter pain reliever she gave Gem almost killed her!
Holly learned from the surgeon that no one had ever survived with this illness after they had been given that over-the-counter pain reliever. The medical teams were of varying opinions as to whether Gem would wake up, and if she did, how extensive her brain damage would be. As Holly waited day after day for Gem to wake up, she decided to start praying too, she had nothing to lose.
The next day, Gem woke up. She could breathe on her own and move her body. Some of the tubes were removed, so she could talk and eat. Within a few hours, Gem was able to get out of bed and walk, it seemed that her brain had not been impacted at all. Despite dying and the tiny chance of survival she was given by the medical teams, God chose to save Gem, He was not done with her yet.
Within a few days after she first woke up, Gem was sent home. Holly and the medical teams had seen a miracle take place! As Holly helped Gem get comfortable in her bed at home, she decided she would start to pray, after all, there was nothing to lose.
Let’s pray. Father in heaven, thank You that You bend down to listen to our prayers. Thank You that You care so much for each of us that every hair on our head is numbered by You. Thank You for loving us and listening to our prayers, no matter how far we have roamed from Your path. Thank You for Your peace and love. Help us to share You with everyone we meet. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.
Last week, I shared a true story with you about a young girl named Gem. Today, I am sharing the true story of Holly, Gem’s mother.
Holly grew up very poor. Her father had an affair and then ran away with her mom’s best friend when she and her siblings were young. Holly’s mom was working long hours and several jobs to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads. Holly, being the oldest child, became the parent to her siblings, doing the cooking, the cleaning, the laundry and so on. While Holly did what needed to be done, she dreamed of having her own family and house with a loving husband who would never abandon her.
When Holly was in high school, she met the man of her dreams. They got married as soon as they graduated and started a family together. Within seven years, Holly and her husband had five children, Gem was the fifth and final. When Gem was 4 weeks old, her father ran away with a high school cheerleader.
Just like her father had left her mom, Holly’s husband abandoned her and the children. All of the pain that Holly’s mom went through was now hers to bear.
As she was growing up, Gem was sick a lot, in and out of the hospital for various illnesses. Her father was not in her life, she wondered if he even knew Gem’s name, let alone cared about how sick she was. One July day Gem complained of a headache to Holly, her mother did not think too much of it. After all, it seemed Gem was usually sick with some illness or another.
Holly did not have time to take Gem to the doctor, she was working long hours and several jobs to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads. Besides, Gem’s older siblings would be home and could keep an eye on her. After a hasty call to the family doctor, he told Holly to give Gem an over-the-counter pain reliever to bring down the fever and take away the pain from the headache. That is what Holly did.
Out of nowhere, Gem’s fever went up to 103 and then 104 and kept climbing. At the hospital, Holly watched through the glass as the nurses plunged Gem into an ice bath to bring down the fever. Holly began to think this illness was different.
One of the nurses yelled, “We are losing her!” Holly was shuffled to a waiting room as the medical team worked on Gem. As she sat there alone, Holly could not grasp what was happening. She felt helpless as she wondered if her youngest child was going to live or die.
Holly did not attend church, she was too busy for that and she did not believe in prayer. In her desperation to do to something to help Gem, Holly called her Gramma. She did go to church and her Gramma did believe in prayer. Gramma then called church members and the word spread that immediate prayer was needed for Gem as things were looking grim.
Holly thought that even if Gramma praying did not help, it certainly could not hurt. . . .
Let’s pray. Father in heaven, thank You for every breath we take. Thank You that You fill our lungs with air and give our hearts the strength to pump our blood throughout our body. Thank You for medical teams and for healing. Thank You for Your peace and love. Help us to share You with everyone we meet. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, Amen.
Wounded Butterflies 