Honoring God

Commit your way to the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.    Psalm 37:5

     There are some passages in the Bible that really make us stop and think.  Psalm 37:5 is one of those for me.  Common sense and life experience tell us that God won't give us everything we want.  It wouldn't be good for us.

      Doesn't this verse say that God will give me what I want if I am committed to Him?  Look again.  It is not  we who are committed; but, our way that must be committed.

     "So, what's the difference?" I hear you cry.  The difference is one of good verses evil.  Psalm 37 is intended to encourage righteous people to be steadfast in their righteousness.  Verse one tells us to "not be envious of those who do wrong."  Achieving desires appears to be easier for those who are not honest and do not honor God.

     What do you desire?  What steps are you taking to achieve that desire?  Are you pursuing your goal in a way that honors God?

• Does your job honor God?
• Do your relationships honor God?   
• Do your finances honor God?
• Do your hobbies honor God?

      God wants us all to be people of integrity.  In that way, we honor God.

Who do you trust?

"He knows the way that I take:  when he has tried me, I shall come forth as gold."  Job 23:10

     When I was first diagnosed with cancer, I wanted and needed comfort.  I knew I would find it in scripture; but, where in the Bible would I find it?  I decided to turn to the book of Job.  Job lost most of the things in life that we consider valuable.  He lost his children.  He lost his business.  He lost his house, his reputation, and yes, he even lost his health.

        Job's faith in God was strong; but, his faith in himself was stronger and that did not please God.  Job correctly claimed that he was not being punished by God for any sin he had committed; but, Job was arrogant.  He wanted God to justify Himself.  He wanted God to tell him the reasons that bad things were happening in his life.

       God never responded to Job's demands.  Instead, God made Job give an accounting of himself.  His point was that Job was not God.  Only God is God.  His job is to rule the universe.  Our job is to trust Him.

       Where do you place your trust when life goes spinning out of control?  There is only One who controls the universe.  Put your trust in Him.

       

Tomorrow

"Heaven and Earth shall pass away; but my words shall not pass away."  Luke 21:13

     It has been said that the only thing we can count on in life is change.  Good things happen to people:  we grow, we form relationships, we have children, we achieve, we can enjoy our own good fortune and that of those we love.  At the same time, bad things happen:  aging, accidents, sickness, financial problems, foreclosure, eviction, divorce -- the list is long.

     Jesus tells us that one thing we can count on are his own words.  He never spoke anything but the truth.  In Matthew 6:24, Jesus said, "Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow.  Every day has enough trouble of its own."

     When you find that you cannot count on life, focus on what you can count on -- God's Word.  Are you worried about tomorrow?  Your worry won't change anything.  Concern yourself with today.  Ask God to take care of tomorrow.  He loves you more than you love yourself.