Category: emptiness

Thursday 3/8 ~ If you lost everything tomorrow

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The scripture for today, March 8 (3/8), is Philippians 3:8 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

00-PAUL COVER-Thumbnail-“What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish that I may gain Christ.”

Wow! Paul, who wrote this, considered everything he had previously owned and every position he had ever held as rubbish ~ garbage ~ compared with belonging to his Lord.

Paul apparently came from a well-to-do family since he was born in today’s Turkey but went to school in Jerusalem. He also apparently held a position in the Jewish ruling body, the Sanhedrin, since he could vote on whether to execute someone. So he probably owned a lot of things and had an honored position. The King James Version of the Bible says he considered it all as dung ~ manure.

Where are your priorities? What do you spend most of your time on? The stuff you just have to own, exciting things you just have to do, the power you just have to claim? All to enhance the little inch of your life on earth?

What if a storm destroyed your house, your car, and all your stuff tomorrow?  What if you were banned from a sport you love tomorrow? What if a rumor destroyed your career with all its power tomorrow?  Then what?

Where are your priorities? What do you spend most of your time on? The stuff you just have to own, exciting things you just have to do, the power you just have to claim? All to enhance the little inch of your life on earth?

Or could you consider the deep and unconquerable love of Christ Jesus your Lord the most valuable thing in your life?  Could you accept your loss, take advantage of it, and unleash a different kind of life for Jesus with no regrets?  

Tuesday 2/27 ~ Satan exists too?

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The scripture for today, February 27 (2/27), is Jeremiah 2:27 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

Old Testament Survey-Cover-thumbnail“ ‘Why do you bring charges against me? You have all rebelled against me,’ declares the Lord.”

More and more people are blaming God for bad things happening in their life. That is their excuse for rebelling against God and declaring he does not even exist. Their view of God is a Santa Claus or Genie in a Bottle who grants their every wish and keeps them from all harm. No one ever dies, no one ever sins, and it is heaven on earth.

Other people sometimes blame God for bad things happening in their life because blaming is one of the ways they handle their grief. They don’t really want to blame God because they want to think God loves them. But there is no one else to blame.

No one else to blame? Oh, yes, there is. There is Satan. We tend to forget Satan is out there too. It is Satan who causes bad to happen, not God.

Is that what you’ve done lately ~ blame God for bad happening, then rebel against him? Or do you know someone who is going through many problems not of their doing or choosing? Are they blaming God and rebelling against him? Help them. Remind them of Satan.

People want to blame someone. They will be relieved to be reminded that Satan exists. Now they can put the blame where it belongs. 

Let us not blame God for the bad. Instead, let us thank Him for the good. Ah, yes. God does love us after all and is the source of everything good.

Monday 2/26 ~ Paralysis or freedom?

On By In blessings, emptiness, good works, Loss, victoryLeave a comment

The scripture for today, February 26 (26), is Ecclesiastes 2:26 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-Bk3-HeartsAfire-COVER-Kindle.thumbnail-new“To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.”

Are you happy regardless of how much wealth you do or do not have? Do you require things in order to be happy? Solomon, who wrote the above scripture, was the wealthiest man in the world, but he found it to be meaningless, a chasing after the wind. In another place in Ecclesiastes (5:10) he said that a man loving money never has enough.

Indeed, centuries later, the highly educated and intelligent apostle Paul, who did not own a home or much of anything else, explained his happiness: “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want” (Philippians 4:11b-12).

If you lost everything tomorrow, would you panic? Or would you use God’s wisdom and knowledge to create a new happiness?  Might you look around and begin doing something you have always wanted to do but were too tied down with things to do?  If you lost everything tomorrow, might it bring a new freedom to you or paralyze you?

Saturday 2/17 ~ What do you crave?

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The scripture for today, February 17 (2/17), is 1st John 2:17 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-Michel-COVER-Kindle-Thumbnail“The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.”

Have you lost anything very important to you lately? Has it left you feeling empty?

Were you injured and cannot participate in a certain sport or your bones are getting old and you have to get around in a wheelchair?  Did you lose a savings or part of your income and no longer can buy fancy clothes, a shiny car, a big house?  Did you miss out on being an official for a committee or community and all the importance that comes with it?

The previous verse in the KJV says there are three basic types of sins: Lust of the flesh and eye, and pride. Is your loss devastating to you? Do you now feel worthless?  Do you sometimes even have fleeting thoughts that life is no longer worth living?

Or, perhaps recently you actually obtained your heart’s desire. Were you satisfied? Or did you begin to look higher wanting a little more? Take a deep look at yourself?  Do you think you will ever be truly satisfied?

What are your cravings? Are they all that important?  Are they all that valuable?

Only one thing can ever give us what we truly crave ~ doing the gentle will of God. He is our Creator and he knows what will make us happy. Then we can have all we ever craved ~ forever.

 

Sunday 2/11 ~ How’s your heart today?

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The scripture for today, February 11, is Ecclesiastes 2:11 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-Titus-Cover-Lg Thumb“Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind, nothing was gained under the sun.”

King Solomon wrote this. He tried everything to bring deep happiness and satisfaction into his life. He had both the money and power to do it. He tried writing proverbs and songs. He tried having a thousand women. He tried working hard with his hands. He tried building big fancy buildings with grand gardens to surround them. He tried investing his money and becoming the richest man in the world. Nothing worked. He still couldn’t achieve the deep happiness he longed for.

There was a book published a few years ago entitled, How to Want What You Have. Is the deep contented happiness you crave always just around the corner? If you could just be selected for that promotion, if you could just get married, if you could just get a pay raise, if you could just be on the winning team, if you could just have children, if you could just get that house or car….

Always if. Is the problem that, once you attain what you believe will bring you happiness, you just want the next promotion, the next pay raise, a different marriage partner, the next house, no children, the next car?

What was Solomon’s conclusion? He suspected what it is in 3:11: “God set eternity in the hearts of man.” In other words, there is a God-shaped emptiness in man’s heart. Then, after he had tried everything his own way, he had no choice. He spelled it out in the final few verses of his writing: True happiness comes from a love relationship with God. How’s your heart today?.

 

Thursday 1/11 ~ Do you hear it?  Shhh.  Listen…  God is calling you.

On By In death, emptiness, Inspirational2 Comments

The scripture for today, January 11 (1/11), is 2nd Peter 1:11 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

00-Stephen-Cover-Kindle-Thumbnail“And you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

How often do you forget that earth is not your home? As an old gospel song says, “We’re just traveling through.” Do you really believe that?

If someone told you tomorrow you were going to die, would you go into a panic? Would you beg God to let you live another ten or twenty years? Would you feel this was the beginning of the end?

To a true Christian, your dying is the end of the beginning. You have a whole “life” ahead of you in heaven. A never-ending life? Do you live like you believe it? Will you die looking forward to it?

Are you even a Christian yet? What is your life like? Do you even know what is in the Bible, God’s messages to you? Does the thought of heaven sound boring to you?  Do you even like God?

Stop and listen to the empty place in your heart (Ec. 3:11).  Do you hear it?  Shhh.  Listen…  God is calling you.

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link to ebook & discount paperback:  http://bit.ly/stephenmartyr

Friday 1/5 ~ Faith wavering? You can still hope.

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The scripture for today, January 5 (1/5), is Colossians 1:5 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

365LifeChangingScriptures-Front Cover“…the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the Word of Truth, the gospel.”

Does your faith have its ups and downs? Is it strong sometimes and weak sometimes? When things sometimes go so wrong you have trouble having faith in God? You can still hope. Do you grow angry at God sometimes?  You can still hope. During such low times when faith does not come easy, you can still hope. Hope is the springboard of faith.

And stay close to the Word of Truth, for John 14:17 says the Comforter is the Spirit of Truth, and John 17:17 says Truth is the Word of God. Read when you don’t feel like it. Ephesians is what I go to. David tells of his own faith problems in Psalm 42.

When your emotions are pulling you down, rely for a little awhile on only your logic, your intellect, until your emotions heal. Someday they will.

So keep on hoping ~ the springboard. And someday it will return to being faith.

#faith, #hope

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Wednesday 1/3 ~ Lord, I’m coming back. Help me.

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The scripture for today, January 3 (1/3), is Jonah 1:3a as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-Bk3-HeartsAfire-COVER-Kindle.medium-new“But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish.”

Do we spend our lives running away from the Lord? Do we do it with busy-ness, with resentments toward people, with anger that God does not make people stop being bad to us, with disbelief that he even exists?

Is it even possible to run away from the Lord? Eventually, it is. But for a long time, the Lord runs after us. He does things to get our attention such as he did by causing a storm at sea where Jonah was on board his escape ship. 

Perhaps there are storms in your life. Have you ever thought of them as God trying to get your attention?  Perhaps you run here and there day after day, too busy to even think about God. But when disaster hits, it seems a lot of people suddenly remember God so they can blame him for their hardships.

Yes, perhaps they’re blaming God, but at least they’re thinking of him. Perhaps it’s been years since they’ve thought seriously about God. 

He has big shoulders. Go ahead and blame him for a while, then remember how he loves you and just wants you by his side.

But don’t wait too long. God only runs after us for so long. Eventually, he gives up on us. Don’t wait so long that God gives up on you and treats you the way you have been treating him.

“God, I’m coming back. Help me.”

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Scripture for Wednesday 12/13 ~ A God-shaped emptiness

On By In emptiness, Inspirational1 Comment

The scripture for today, December 13 (12/13), is Ecclesiastes 12:13 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-Titus-Cover-Medium“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”

When the King James Version was published in the early 1600s, they italicized all words that were not in the original language of the Bible. The word “duty” above was not in the original. Translators inserted it to help us understand the original. But perhaps, in this case, it did not help. Fearing God is the whole of man ~ not our duty, but our essence.

Fearing the Lord is a gift. Isaiah 11:2 predicted regarding Jesus: “The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him ~

“…the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,”

“…the Spirit of counsel and of power,”

“…the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.”  

Solomon had tried everything to find happiness, as he explained in his book of Ecclesiastes ~ Pleasure (ch. 2), hard work (ch. 3), advancement (ch. 4), riches (ch. 5). None brought him true happiness.  Eventually, he concluded that only one thing can bring that happiness deep down inside where no one and no situation in life can touch it ~ God. God is the whole of man ~ if we let Him be.

Why? Ecclesiastes 3:11 explains it richly: “He has also set eternity in the hearts of men.” Another way to view this is “There is a God-shaped emptiness in the heart of man.” Fill your mind with the Word of God. Then God will fill your heart and being, and make you feel complete.