BROKEN and BLESSED?

If you stop one hundred strangers on the street today and ask them to describe the state of our world in one word; the word probably uttered the majority of the time would be ….BROKEN!

Yes, when we look in every direction, we see that truly mankind has made a complete and utter mess of our world…it is broken and out of sorts with our Creator's original design and purpose; however, there is hope in the midst of our dysfunctional situation and that is to be BROKEN BEFORE OUR MAKER AND ALLOW HIM TO REBUILD US AS HE SEE FITS.

There is a current TV commercial that illustrates my thought. It deals with a little boy that is out with his Dad and sister and he is putting his remote controlled race car through its paces when the back wheels fall off. He is heartbroken and ask his Dad if he can fix it? One look at his Subaru, he says yes and climbs behind the steering wheel, and with the broken car on the seat, he goes in whichever direction his son turns the controls. If we look closely at this situation, it is where many of us find ourselves in life…we have the controls and we are steering our life in all directions, when something, someone or so circumstance breaks us and our spirit…we want to know if our Heavenly Father can fix us?

It is when we surrender that He takes the controls from our hands, puts us behind the wheel and then guides us to steer as He directs. We just have to stay focused on the path that He has put before us and remain committed to follow whereever He leads.

You see, brokenness in and of itself is not a bad thing. In fact, it is a vital part of the fabric of our lives. The ground must be broken to plant the seed in order to reap the harvest. The clouds must be broken so that the rain will fall and water the crops. The very seed itself must be broken and die to itself so that new life may be born and a harvest of good may be produced.

And you dear Christian brother or sister, you too must be broken if you are to serve your Heavenly Father and allow Jesus to live in and through you. God's greatest desire is that we follow Him in all that we do and He is prepared to do whatever is necessary to make us fit for service in His kingdom…even if that means we must be broken.

King David, a man that had to experience extreme brokenness to regain his relationship with God, said it best; "The sacrifices to God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart--these, O God, you will not despise." Psalm 51:17 

Where do you stand today in this broken world…in service to your King or still holding on to your wants and desires? Give Jesus your broken and contrite heart today and make this world a better place because you are here in His name, under His power and working by His authority….be broken today; it's the first step on the path to BLESSING.

Broken and Poured Out ….Seeking to Serve,

WPQ

Poem of the day….

If for the Father you want to live

There are some things that you must do…

Give you heart as a broken gift

So Christ can live through you.

Just seek to surrender a willing heart
And to go where he will lead....
For when you commit to follow Him,
He'll meet your every need.

A contrite heart, He will love.

A broken spirit, He will mend.

He is your Loving Father and

Your everlasting Friend.

WPQ@August 2014

SEEKING HIM?

SEEKING HIM?

There is a story of a woman who lost her husband of many years very suddenly. She was extremely distraught and very lonely, so at the advice of some friends, she decided to get a pet. She went to the pet store, looked them all over and finally decided to take home a talking parrot. She was sure that a conversing bird would be just the right fix for her loneliness; but after a week, the bird had not spoken, so she went back to the pet store.

The clerk informed her that she needed a ladder for the bird to climb upon and if he had a ladder, he would begin to talk. She bought the ladder, returned home and placed it in the cage. Another week went by with still not a peep from the bird, so she went back to the store. Seems that the clerk failed to mention that she needed to place a mirror at one end of the ladder so the bird would see himself, be content and then, begin to speak. She purchased the mirror and home she went. After another week of silence, she returned to the store, visibly upset that the bird that she bought for companionship was still not talking. The clerk asked if she have a swing in the cage upon which the bird could perch. Her response was an emphatic, NO! He assured her that if she bought the swing and placed it in the cage, the bird would talk and talk and talk. She bought the swing…..

But, the bird did not talk; rather, IT DIED!!!! So, she gathered the cage and her dead bird and stormed back to the pet store. She told the clerk that she had done everything and bought everything that he had suggested, yet the bird would not talk and now, it was dead. The clerk asked her if the bird ever said anything during the month plus that she owned it. …Her reply, “Well, right before he died, he said, “Don’t they have any food down at that pet store?”

You see, the woman missed the obvious. She was so busy trying to make the bird happy so it would talk that she failed to give it one of the things it needed most to survive...
You and I are a lot like that woman in our daily walk with the Lord. We are so busy trying to “do” for the Lord in service and activity that we miss one of the most essential reasons that we are alive ….our fellowship with the Father.

From the onset of creation, God has been about the union and fellowship that He desires with His creation. In Genesis, chapter 3, verse 8, we read, “And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the evening, and the man and woman hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God in the trees of the garden.” 

Now God was not out walking for the exercise; He was seeking to spend some quality time with His creation, but their sin had broken that fellowship and they hid themselves from Him. All that God had in store for them was undone in that act of disobedience.

The same is true for us today. God has so much He wants to give us, so much that He wants to accomplish through us; but that bond…that fellowship must remain unbroken if we are to truly live for Jesus. Christ said it best when He said, “I have come that they may have life and have it more abundantly.”
God wants to give you His best! He wants to know you intimately and for you to know His heart and mind. But, if your focus is on reputation rather than relationship, on activity rather than an aspiration to belong to Him, on situations rather than substance….then, just like our widow in the story above, YOU WILL MISS THE OBVIOUS…..

You were made by God….for God …to serve God …to worship God, and most of all, to belong to God in a close relationship that is found in His Son, Jesus Christ. I trust you are seeking His face today…I know He is looking for you.

Seeking the Father….Moment by Moment,

WPQ

Poem for the day...

Running through the world each day

As we scurry from place to place;

Trying to do a million things

As we seek to win life's race.

But we were never meant to run

Apart and on our own...

For we were meant to start each day

With time spent before His throne.

For when we kneel before our God

To spend time with our Father there;

Then we can know without a doubt

That He goes with us EVERYWHERE...

For He has chosen each of us

To be a rare and priceless gem...

And we will know our greatest joy

Is spent will seeking Him!

WPQ © August 2018

Understanding the Sovereignty of God

Life is full of ups and downs, twists and turns and ins and outs…well, you get the picture….and for that reason alone, each of us often struggle to understand what it all means…who is in control and what is my responsibility as I struggle to take charge in my own life.

We are constantly bombarded with problems, trials, troubles and an occasionally, a happy moment….at least that’s the way if often seems to us as we make our way through life. When we look around at the path that our life has taken, we tried to correct our course, pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and get back in the game. After all, that is at the very least our responsibility …to use our free will to decide to make things better for us and for the ones we love. But, sometimes, when we look at our circumstances, we realize that we can do nothing but accept our situation and trust in the sovereignty of God.

Ah, the sovereignty of God….now, there’s a concept that even the brightest, most intellectual minds of the ages have wrestled with …always to no avail. In fact, scripture tells us that we can not understand the mind of God and in Romans 11:33 we read, “Oh, the depth of the riches of both wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out.”

The following is a rewrite of a devotional from Dr. David Jeremiah that I think gives great insight into this topic of God’s sovereignty….

The great minds of history have always struggled to understand the issue of the sovereignty of God versus the free will of mankind. Some day in eternity we may discover how the track of God’s sovereignty and the track of our responsibility finally come together. But the way we should look at this is really very simple….Let God take care of His sovereignty and let us take care of our responsibility. God’s sovereignty explains things that humans cannot possible fathom.

The sovereignty of God in our lives, at least from our perspective, is like looking at a weaving of a tapestry from the wrong side. We see all the various threads and knots and strands sticking out and can’t begin to even imagine the finished picture. We see it from the back side because we do not have God’s perspective…but someday, in eternity, God will take that patchwork that we have looked at and failed to understand and He will turn it around….then, we will see the beautiful tapestry that has been woven out of our lives. At last, we will see what God has seen all along.

Yes, you and I can spend our entire life trying to figure out why God does this or why He did that or what is He going to do next…or we can rest in the knowledge that GOD IS SOVEREIGN AND HE IS IN CONTROL!!!! We can make ourselves sick with worry over how something is going to turn out or we can trust that God always knows what is best for us and that He is at work to accomplish His plan. I have always held firm to the belief that when you can not see the hand of God at work…you can ALWAYS trust His heart.

So, if you are searching for security in this ever-changing, diabolical world, then rest secure in this truth…. GOD KNOWS BEST AND HE NEVER FAILS TO TAKE CARE OF HIS OWN. He will not fail you and there is nothing that can snatch you from His hand…..on that you can build your fortress.

Trusting in my Heavenly Father…for He knows Best,

WPQ

Poem for the day:

God is at work today

As He weaves your tapestry;

So honor Him in all you do

And trust His sovereignty.

WPQ@2009

GOD KNOWS BEST....

When  I was growing up, one of my favorite TV shows centered around a family of five plus their dog...A father, mother, eldest teenage daughter, middle child son and the baby of the family who was loving called "Kitten" by her father. Do you know the name of this show?

You're right...it was Father Knows Best! Each week the family via the children, the mother or the dog would come home with a problem that seemed to confound everyone, except dear ole Dad. Yes, in fact, they even called him Father; a deep and sincere way to show their love and appreciation for the man that would make all things better.

And for a lot of us that call on God as our Heavenly Father, we see Him in much the same light. He is there to make all things right in our life so we can move on without being hindered by our problems or setbacks. But what if we took God at His word in Jeremiah 29: 11-13 which reads,

 ^"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."

You see God had a plan for your life...for my life...for the life of your spouse, your children, your neighbor, the guys at the parts store or at the supermarket.  Yes, for everyone God has a plan; however, the first step in that plan is to surrender to Him....to call on Him, pray to Him for our salvation and to know that He is listening for that prayer. That prayer is the connection that brings us into a "right" relationship with a righteous and holy God. Without that prayer, there is no connection!!!!

It is only when we seek out the Lord and find Him waiting with open arms that we can begin to experience the plans of good and for prosperity  that He has in store for us. The one simple plan that God has for each of us is this.....

BE LIKE HIS FIRST BORN SON....JESUS! When we strive to live like Jesus, we will begin to experience the plans that God has for our lives...and as we seek His face and surrender our will to His, we will know what God knows....for GOD KNOWS BEST!!!

Yes, God knows what is BEST for us and we too can come to know that when we seek Him with all our heart. So, don't let your problems confound and frustrate you; if God truly knows best, these problems are not meant to have you turn from Him...rather they come to have you TURN TOWARD HIM so that you might come to trust Him more as He molds you into the YOU that He wants you to be.

Do you truly believe that God Knows Best...or do you see yourself as an adviser who is chirping in God's ear telling Him what you think would be BEST in this situation? I'm sure of this....if God needs your advice, He is more than capable to ask you...but since He is the one that TRULY knows best, I can't see that happening. Rather than asking God to fix what's wrong, why not say,

Heavenly Father, my life seems to be topsy-turvy and in a real mess, but I know you love me and have plans for my life to prosper and for me to be more like Jesus every day. So, I trust you to do what only you can do to make my life turn out for my good and your glory...because

YOU KNOW BEST!!!!!

Living for the best....Prospering for Jesus,

WPQ

Poem for the day.....

When your life is rough and rocky

And you don't seem to understand...

Remember to put you trust in Him

For the Father has a plan.

He plans to see you prosper;

For all things to turn out good...

If you will only seek Him

And live life the way you should.

When you pray to the Father

Your heart broken and contrite...

And you seek to know Him better

Morning, noon and night.

The Father has planned good for you

Each day you will be blest....

And forever you will reign with Him

For He truly know what's best!!!!!

WPQ © August 2018

Taste and See....

Now I don't know about you, but have you after tasted something for the very first time and became immediately addicted to the taste of it....well, it happened to me some decades ago when I tasted ice cream for the very first time. Since that fateful day, I have ALWAYS had a insatiable craving for ice cream. In fact, it is the one aisle in the grocery store that my wife has forbidden me to visit alone. Otherwise, I come home with a half dozen or so varieties of ice cream and ice cream treats that keep my waistline bulging and my blood sugar count in the stratosphere.

And that's the way it is with sin (not that eating a bowl of vanilla ice cream is a sin)...Sin, whatever it is, teases you with a taste and before you know if, you are hooked. Yes, our adversary, the devil, knows exactly what he is doing...that's how he got his hooks into Eve. He tempted her with how good the apple looked, but he hooked her when she took the first bite.

Isn't that the way it always is...you didn't intend to become an alcoholic, but when your high school friends teased you about being a chicken if you didn't take a drink, you did! And then one sip led to a whole bottle of beer which lead to a fifth of whatever was the cheapest at the ABC store ...and before you knew it that one sip had sealed your fate as an alcoholic. Or remember that first "joint" you were offered in college that lead to some wild trips, being spaced out on some exotic drug...now years later, you know you never reached your full potential because you were always "high".

I could go on and on with the "tastes" we have all taken that have led us away from serving and following Jesus as we strive to make a difference in this world. But this I know, you can't beat the taste of sin until you turn away from it...much like I do when I avoid the frozen food aisles where they place the ice cream in full display. It is only then, once you commit to look forward from your addiction,  that you can taste something better.

Psalm 34, verse 8 has the taste we should be looking for as it reads, "Taste and see that the Lord is good. How happy is the person who takes refuge in him."  Yes, once we have tasted the joy that is found in our great and mighty God, we can replace the awful taste that sin has left behind and we can come to know the sweet joy that belongs to each of us who profess to love the Lord.

So what taste of sin is holding you back from tasting all the goodness that the Lord is waiting to provide? Turn and flee from sin and then, take refuge in the mighty arms of a loving God who only has your best interest at the center of His heart.  He is waiting for you to decide that the taste of His joy is FAR GREATER than the taste of any sin...but you will never know the great joy He gives until you take that first taste....only then can you become addicted to a righteous and holy God who loves you so much that He was willing to die for you so that you could once again belong to Him for all eternity...now that's got to taste pretty sweet!!!!

Tasting the joy that is Jesus...Living for His gain,

WPQ

Poem for the day....

We go about our daily lives

Giving in to the taste of sin...

Which leaves us lost, without hope

When our world comes crashing in.

But God has set a better plan

One we each should follow

If we want to live a life fulfilled

Instead of one that's hollow.

Yes we should turn away from sin

To follow in crucifixion...

And let the Lord takeover

Our prone to sin addiction.

 If  we want to know the sweetest taste

The taste that forever brings....

 Joy and peace and everlasting love

Is found when we serve our KING!!!!

Oh, Taste and see that the Lord...HE IS GOOD!!!!

WPQ©August 2018

Measure What You Say…God's Listening!

It wasn't that long ago that my wife was in the clubhouse that houses her real estate office in the community in which she sells. One of the residents in the community had passed away a few days before and after his funeral, the family was being fed and cared for in the clubhouse. Many friends and family were milling around, sharing their sorrow over the loss of this loved one; but one gentlemen's voice rose above all others…not just because of the volume, but also because of the vulgar expletives that were peppered throughout each sentence.

I am continually amazed by the speech I hear this days, particularly in public places. In the days of my youth, if you hit your thumb with a sledge hammer, a curse word just might leak out of the pain…but it was a short outburst, typically followed by a round of apologies to all those within earshot.

In our society today, it seems that anything is permissible, even if there are women and children present…and too often, the women are just as involved in this abhorrent language as the men.

Our speech has become all too casual and unencumbered by the dictates of social constraints…and it seems that such a mindset has also invaded our prayers. We used to bow and pray in humbleness and reverence, but because we have been led to believe that God is just a good, old grandpa; ever waiting to dole out our next request, we have become careless and indifferent in our manners and in our prayers.

The wise King Solomon warned us, "Do not be quick with your words, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God." Ecclesiastes 5:2  Even Jesus rebuked the religious hypocrites of his age for their many words uttered to impress God with their religiosity….it has never been about how many words you utter that captures the attention and the ear of God; it is the contrite heart that is being laid open and bare before the throne that draws a merciful God near to those that He loves.

In Hebrews 4:16, God encourages us to come before His throne with boldness and confidence, but never in carelessness. Our words are incredible instruments when laid before a righteous and holy God. Maybe we would all do well to remember this when we enter our "prayer closet"….

SURELY GOD HAS MORE IMPORTANT INFORMATION AND DIRECTION TO SHARE WITH US THAN WE HAVE TO SHARE WITH HIM…Yes, God cares about your needs and even your desires, but He also wants us to listen to His desires that will draw us into the center of His will…both are extremely important to anyone who loves the Lord and wants to be a good and faithful servant.

So, today, WHEN you pray, remember this simple statement by John Bunyan…

When you pray, rather let your heart be without words than your words be without heart!

Reverently listening more… obediently speaking less,

WPQ

Poem for the day....

As we live each day we must be careful

When we open our mouths and speak....

The words that we may utter

Will not make us seem petty and weak.

It is hard to believe that our tongue

Can be our ruling Master;

But it's the words we often utter

That can lead us to disaster.

How can it be the same mouth that speaks

Never ending praises to the Lamb;

Can spew forth such sordid speech

When faced with a precarious  jam?

Yes, it is only by the grace of God

And  a heart set on purity....

That shows the world how to live a life

Without a mouth filled with vulgarities.

WPQ © August 2018

Running the Good Race...Winning Life's Prize!

This is a reprint of a former blog from August 2008....

My wife and I just finished our study of Philippians and I was once again reminded of “running the good race” In fact, watching the Olympics this last week has definitely reinforced that concept.

Now I, for one, am a great admirer of the young talented sprinters that compete to see who can cross the finish line in the shortest amount of time. As a young child and even into my adult years, I was always considered to be pretty fast for a “white guy with short legs.”….so I love to watch the track portion of the games. In using my keen eye of observation and listening to the commentators, I realized there are three major parts to a race….getting out of the blocks,(the start), running hard through the straight-aways (the middle) and exploding with the “kick” at the finish (the end).

Paul tells us in Philippians 3:13-14, “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it on my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” It is clear in these few short lines that Paul has set the tone for the race that he calls life.

And……The race begins anew each day…..

Getting out of the blocks is so important for that sets the tone for the rest of the race. For us as Christians that begins by starting the day by communicating with our Heavenly Father…we talk to Him and He, through His ordained word, talks to us. If you want to begin to run the race that presses on to the high calling that God has set before you…you’ve got to get off to a great start each day. Start your daily walk with a time of fellowship with Jesus and you will be out of the blocks with great speed, stamina and serenity.

The next portion of the race is where many falter….Running hard through the straight-aways. Its here, in the trenches, where our enemy lulls us in to thinking we can meet all the demands of home, work, church and life in general on our own. We can and should take care of our problems and only bother God when we can’t seem to handle the matter by ourselves. This kind of thinking will slow you down and cause you to lose valuable time and energy in the race to claim the prize that God has laid before each of us. God wants to be intimately involved in your life, but He will not intrude. Invite him in by talking with Him about all the hopes, dreams, mistakes, failures and everything else that affects your desire to remain close and to follow His leading in you daily activities. He is with you in all things and is cheering you on as you make the turn toward home.

And last, but surely not least is that “Exploding Kick” ….an all out sprint for the finish line and the opportunity to stand on that podium and receive you prize…for an Olympian, a gold medal….for a child of The KING…YOUR CROWN. But that winner’s podium is reserved for those that finish well. Paul says it best when he tells us to “strain forward”, to lean into the finish line of what God has set before you. Too many Christians become complacent with their past accomplishments or too saddened by past failures and they quit …..just short of God’s finish line for their life. Run to the end of the race.

Don’t let your past dictate the outcome of your race ….Run the good race and finish strong for the Lord. Others are watching and many will copy what you do ….so run hard, stay the course and strain for the prize; then you can stand proudly on the podium and hear the cheers of the heavenly throng as you receive your crown and give honor and glory and praise to Him that sits on the throne…the Author and Finisher of our Faith.

Running to win the prize,
WPQ