love

“DUH” MOMENTS

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DUH MOMENT
But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives he will produce
this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Galatians 5:22

Have you ever had a “duh” moment? If you have, you definitely know what I mean. If you haven’t, you may not be completely human! : ) Most of us have them more frequently than we’d like to admit. I had one just the other day and afterward I started thinking about it…not just in the sense of being embarrassed, but in the sense of self-analysis. I came to the conclusion that many of those “duh” moments have to do with the way we think about things. In other words, are you a serious thinker or do you just think about things superficially? Perhaps you’re like my sister… she is always saying, “You know how literally I take things!” This is especially true when I get exasperated with the way she perceives something I said. All the while I’m thinking, “How could you possibly have taken it that way? Are you just dense?” (And she’s probably thinking the same thing about me!) Don’t tell me you’ve never thought things like that before! Are you wondering by now where I’m going with this?

We are all different in the way we think…in the way our brain processes things. A lot of it depends on the way we grew up, our personality, our education…even our genes. Therefore we may perceive what someone says or does in a very different way than it was intended. My point is…that’s when we have to put into practice what the Bible calls long suffering or patience or maybe even kindness. The Lord has been speaking to me lately about being aware of this and being more tolerant of people. Things aren’t always the way they appear. And sometimes when you know the whole story, you think, “Oh that’s why they did or said that!” I’ve even gotten irritated with someone in traffic and then thought, “Hey, I’ve done that same thing before.” Life is so much more harmonious for us AND OTHERS when we ask the Holy Spirit to help us with our thinking. We all remember the Bible verse we learned as children, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” (Luke 6:31) Jesus Himself said these words. Would you like for someone to try to “understand where you’re coming from” when you say or do something? Then perhaps we should try to understand them. I’m not saying this is always possible. Some people mean things exactly the way they say them! But the Holy Spirit will help us discern those who need more understanding, if we just make an effort rather than jumping to conclusions.

Okay…I know you’re just itching to know what my “duh” moment was! I recently bought a new car…a Hyundai Elantra. But seemingly there was something wrong with the automatic key fob. Sometimes it would open the trunk and sometimes it wouldn’t. It was very annoying. I would have to open the door and pull the manual lever. I had already called the young man who sold me the car and made arrangements to come in and have it checked out. When I got there, Brian said, “Let’s just check it again before we go to the service department.” I gave him the fob. He pushed the trunk button and the trunk opened. I said, “Give me that thing!” and tried to open it to no avail. He said, “You do know you have to hold the button down for three seconds before it will open. It’s a new feature to keep you from opening it accidentally.”

Sure enough, Right there on the button beneath the picture of the open trunk it said, “Hold”. “Duh!”  I thought because it was a foreign car, they were calling the trunk, the “Hold”…you know, like a cargo hold. I had no clue it meant to hold down the button! My other cars were…push…open. Probably no one else in the U.S. would have thought that, but I did! I guess that makes me really unique! (Don’t you dare say a word!) And that’s what got me thinking about this whole devotional.

We are all unique and I dare say no two of us think the same way! Remember that next time someone tries your patience.

Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other,
making allowance for each other’s faults
because of your love.
Ephesians 4:2

BALLOONS OF WORRY

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BALLOON THOUGHTS
Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down.
It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
Philippians 4:6
The Message Bible

There has been many a devotional written on the topic of worry. And I think we all know why that is… because no matter what your status in life, it is an emotion that we, as human beings, have to battle on a regular basis. But, as Christians, I firmly believe it is something that we can overcome and actually rise above. Indeed, it is an emotion that we, as children of God, should overcome and rise above! How it must sadden our Heavenly Father to see that we do not have complete trust in His love and provision for us in every area of our lives.

As I was reading this verse in Philippians 4:6, the Lord brought an illustration to my mind. He often shows me mental pictures to help me understand a passage or concept. Worries themselves are like balloons that have not been inflated. They are simply passing thoughts of what could come to pass. But when we start to meditate on and embellish those thoughts, we begin to inflate the balloon. The more we meditate on (worry) about the matter, the larger the balloon becomes. We can let those renegade thoughts continue until the balloon reaches its full capacity and you know what happens then…pop! It explodes and little pieces fly everywhere. By this time, our nerves are shot…literally!

But have you ever seen anyone who does balloon art? It’s so cool! They blow balloons to probably three-quarter capacity and then they make them into wonderfully fun shapes that bring joy to the onlookers. They twist and tie and manipulate those elasticized containers of air into objects of joy…a graceful swan, a cute puppy, a lovely flower. Why can’t we learn to do that with the anxious thoughts and worries that try to invade our lives and fill our minds until we reach the breaking point?

When worrisome thoughts come, and they will…when they start to inflate your mind with all sorts of scenarios that likely will not even come to past…stop! Realize what is happening and turn those thoughts around. Twist them and tie them and turn them around until they are totally transformed into something beautiful that fills you with joy and gladness and complete peace…so much so, that it spills over onto those around you!

You may be thinking…well, that is a lovely illustration, but how do I possibly go about it? Well, if you call yourself a Believer, do you or do you not believe God’s Word? Do you believe the verse that says that He will work ALL things for good to those who believe? (Romans 8:28) Do you believe that He will meet ALL your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus? (Philippians 4:19) Do you believe that He loves you with an everlasting love? (Psalm 103:17) Do you believe that He directs your steps and delights in every detail of your life? (Psalm 37:23) Well then, begin meditating on these thoughts and start turning those worries around to objects of beauty! Let’s make some beautiful works of art from what is trying to cause us potential disaster! The minute the worries try to creep in, recognize it and start turning them around! God is faithful. He will NEVER let you down!

 Give all your worries and cares to God,
for he cares about you.
I Peter 5:7 NLT

DON’T BE AFRAID OF THE SPIDERS

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LILAH SLEEPING

At that time the disciples came up and asked Jesus,
Who then is [really] the greatest
in the kingdom of heaven?
And He called a little child to Himself
and put him in the midst of them,
And said, Truly I say to you, unless you repent
(change, turn about) and become like little children [trusting, lowly, loving, forgiving],
you can never enter the kingdom of heaven [at all].
Whoever will humble himself therefore
and become like this little child
[trusting, lowly, loving, forgiving]
is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 18:1-4 AMP

Have you ever heard of the show back in the days of black and white TV called “Kids Say the Darndest Things”? It was hosted by Art Linkletter and was very popular for a long time. It was based on the premise that you never know what kids will say when asked certain questions. Most young children just “tell it as they see it” with no reservations or filters. It can be quite humorous at times (or embarrassing), which accounts for the popularity of the show.

While adults often get caught up in the politics of things, children just look at the facts and accept them in blind trust. Why else would they accept it when they ask a parent why they can’t do a certain thing and the parent says, “Because I said so!”. End of conversation.

Jesus knew the trusting, loving, humility of little children when He told the disciples that the only way to attain greatness in the kingdom of God is to attain the purity of spirit that children display…the honesty, the blind trust in the things of God. We, as adults, tend to complicate things too much. Have I prayed enough? Do I have unconfessed sin? Have I been good enough? If all those things are necessary for us to come before God, why do we need Jesus blood? Those things are based on pride…what do “I” need to do? Jesus has done it all. We need to come before Him in faith in what He has already done!

Having four granddaughters, I have the perfect example. How it blessed my heart when my daughter gave me the following testimony of God’s goodness! My almost three year old granddaughter, Lilah, had not been sleeping well for months. She would wake up several times each night crying and screaming that there were spiders in her bed. We had no idea where the fear started, but we knew who started it…the enemy of our peace, Satan himself! My daughter prayed with her and I prayed for her every night before going to bed.

A few days ago, at this writing, Lilah stood beside her bed and told her mom, “God helped me with the spiders. Jesus tell me not to be scared of spiders an’ then He give me a hug. Then I hugged Jesus an’ He give me a kiss an’ I said, ‘Ewwww, dat was gross…like dat.’”

She has had no problem sleeping since then. Our God is so good and He does answer prayers! He knew what it would take to comfort my granddaughter and He revealed Himself to her in a very special way. Lilah related the experience in a very matter-of-fact manner. She knew what Jesus did and it was no big deal. It was just Jesus being Jesus.  Why don’t you let Him be Jesus in your life today!

But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me.
Don’t stop them!
For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those
who are like these children.”
Matthew 19:14 NLT

TILL THE CATS COME HOME

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CATS

Take delight in the Lord and He will give you
the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4

Our God is such an awesome God! I am ever amazed at how He cares about the smallest things in our lives. Sometimes I think to myself, “Lord, you must think I am so silly at times. I can obsess about the most trivial things!” But no, if it’s significant to us, it’s significant to Him. That’s how much He loves us.

Think about a small child. Many times, something very trivial to us is so important to them. When they start looking for their favorite blanket to sleep with, do you say, “You don’t have to have that! Just lay down and go to sleep.” Of course not! You tear the house apart if necessary to find it for them. That’s how much you love them. Why would our Heavenly Father be any different? Do you feel childish at times about the things you desire? You ARE a child! You are HIS child!

Now don’t get me wrong, Our Father is not going to do something just because we desire it if it would not be good for us or harm us in the end. But you know the difference and so do I. Let me give you the perfect example. (It’s another one of my cat stories! I have many.)

I have several feral cats who have grown up at my house. Their mother is wild and she either had them on my covered back porch or brought them there shortly thereafter. I have fed her and them since that time. On occasion they allow me to pet them very briefly, but are still very wary of any human presence. As they are now grown, I did not want to have an influx of wild kittens running around. So I figured the humane thing to do would be to take them to the Spay and Neuter Clinic. But the problem was, since they wouldn’t willingly go into a carrier, I had to catch them in a trap in order to take them. That in itself was not an easy task! But with much perseverance and patience I was able to trap the mother and two females and take them to the clinic. When I brought them home I kept them in my guest bathroom for about three days where I talked to them, petted them, fed them and provided bathroom facilities (a litter box). Now what cat, wild or tame, wouldn’t be completely grateful for such royal treatment! But as soon as I let them outside again, they were gone with the wind! Never mind that I had spent my hard earned money to try to give them a better life. Forget the fact that I had tried to bond with them and nurture them back to health. What ungrateful creatures! I was upset, frustrated and hurt at their indifference. (I know…weird, right?)

Several weeks after their disappearance, I was feeling particularly down one day about something totally unrelated that had transpired in my life. And when you’re down, you start pondering everything else sad that you can think about…for me, it was the cats. Where are they? Are they okay or has some wild animal eaten them? (I live in the country.) Do they absolutely hate me now? (Silly, silly…AND sillier.) At that point I was looking to the Lord for comfort and said, “Lord, please bring the cats back. I really miss them and I need to know if they are okay.”

I was driving home from work at the time. When I turned the corner of my house, I saw Fluffy standing on the steps waiting for me. When I went out to the back porch, there was Midnight too. But where was Cherise, my favorite? I don’t see Cherise! (My daughter-in-law thinks that’s a hilarious name for a cat!) At that moment, Cherise came crawling out of a nearby box. After several weeks of no-show, they were all there. We were united once again! (A little drama for effect!) A little thing…even a silly thing to most people, but not to My Father. He cares about me and everything that touches my life. He cares about you too! Never doubt it! Delight in Him and He WILL give you your heart’s desires, even if it’s just bringing your cats home.

LET THE OINTMENT POUR FORTH

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OINTMENT

SONG: LET THE OINTMENT POUR FORTH

When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you…I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—
for she loved much.”
Luke 7: 35-47

Over sixteen years ago now (my how time flies!), just after a divorce from my husband of twenty years, I was going through a very difficult time. I didn’t feel like going to church or even doing much praying. But I knew I had to keep holding on to the things of God for that was the only thing that would sustain me. And although I felt like the picture of the little kitten that is barely holding on to a rope with one paw, I WAS holding on!

So in lieu of going to church on Sunday morning, I tuned the TV to a Christian station. A well-known pastor was teaching on this passage from Matthew about the unnamed woman who anointed Jesus with expensive perfume. She, too, was broken and contrite. She knew that Jesus was her only hope for salvation and she refused to let anything or anyone stop her from reaching Him. She was met with criticism and disdain, but only from those who didn’t matter. Her eyes were fixed on Jesus. Then her confidence in His unfailing compassion was greatly rewarded, for He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven. Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” Not only so, but in the same account in another one of the gospels, Jesus said wherever the gospel is preached, the story of this woman would be told as a memorial to her.

This message of hope in the midst of dogged despondency was just what I needed to hear. The Lord immediately gave me a song. A portion of it is as follows:

You have a vase of ointment…it’s right there at your hand, But you have to reach inside you to find it once again;
Then you have to break it open and you have to pour it out, But there’s deliverance and there’s freedom as its fragrance drifts about.

Jesus is waiting for you to break through your pain and pour out the fragrance of your praise on Him, so that He can say, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN!

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Tortoiseshell-Cat

Jehovah takes pleasure in them that fear Him,
In those that hope in His lovingkindness.
Psalm 147:11

Do you ever get angry with yourself for doing goofy things…things that you should have known better than to do? Picture me raising BOTH hands! Having a bent toward perfectionism, I am harder on myself than most people. But did you know that even when we do goofy things, God is not the One who is hard on us. As a matter of fact, when we call on Him, He will deliver us over and over again, even when the dilemma we are facing is of our own making. What a faithful, merciful and long-suffering Father we have! And the more we trust Him, the more eager He is to intervene on our behalf.

Now those of you who have been following my devotionals for a long time know that I am infamous for telling on myself. I tell you, because first of all, it’s usually funny and can add a laugh to your occasional mundane day…and secondly it may help you to see that we all do foolish things and God loves us anyway!

The above being my preface, I will tell you what prompted this particular devotional. I am an animal lover and feed a number of stray cats. The three I am feeding now are the grown litter of a stray, two of which are females plus the mama cat. I determined that if I did not do something to control this kitty population explosion I would soon be overrun. I found a place that would do spaying on feral cats for a fraction of the usual cost. I managed to trap the mother cat and one of the now grown kittens and have them spayed. But the one I named Cherise, who is my favorite, was much more wile than the others. One time she even followed the trail of food into the trap just up to the bowl where the spring is set, then backed out without tripping it. I was getting desperate, being aware of the fact that spring is the season of new beginnings and new kittens! I prayed, “Lord, please help me catch Cherise, even if you have to send your angels to put her into the trap.” (Okay, I know it sounds a little far out to some of you! But as I’ve said before, God is concerned with any and everything that concerns us.)

I reset the trap although there was no food in it because it was devoured by the neighbor’s cat who had gone in, eaten it, stepped on the trap and wailed until I let it out. But not Cherise…no, not Cherise!

That Friday I came home from work expecting to see the cats sitting on the steps of the side porch waiting to be fed. The neighbor’s cat was there and one of the others, but no Cherise. “Hum,” I thought. “Unusual. Wonder where she is.” At this point I go inside, put down my things and walk out on the back porch and there is Cherise…IN THE TRAP! There was no food there to entice her, so you figure it out. Now what was it I prayed?

Immediately I said, “Thank You, Lord!” But then the wheels of my analytically programed mind started turning and I thought, “I can’t keep her in the trap until Monday. Maybe I could put her in one of my bathrooms…but all weekend?” And before I could even mentally process the entire scenario, I opened the cage and she ran like a turkey without even looking back! Now how goofy can you get?

I went inside and after trying to kick my own behind for several minutes, I called my daughter to vent my frustrations at my own impulsive action. You can just imagine what I was saying! After listening to me for several minutes she said, “Mother, just calm down. The Lord helped you to catch her once, He can help you catch her again. He knows everything. He knew you were going to let her go even before you did it. Stop beating yourself up. Trust Him! He’ll help you again if you ask.”

Not fully convinced that the Lord would give me a second answer to prayer after I had blatantly thrown the first one out the window, I asked Him to please help me catch Cherise again.

The next morning when I went out to feed the cats, Cherise came up to me to be petted. She had never allowed me to pick her up before, but I thought why not try. The most I can get is a few stitches! I picked her up, stroking her and started toward the bathroom. The closer I got the more agitated she got…but I made it! I serve a God of second, third and fourth chances! From the confinement of the bathroom and with the help of my granddaughter, I was able to get her into a cage on Monday and take her to the vet. God is good ALL the time! Don’t ever think that He doesn’t care about even the minutest details of your life. And don’t ever think that He won’t give you a second chance!

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong in behalf of those whose hearts are blameless toward Him.
2 Chronicles 16:9a

THE TRIUMPH OF THE CROSS

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JESUS EMPTY TOMB
Click below to hear the song…
THE TRIUMPH OF THE CROSS
Words & Music by Nancy Gilbert Crowson

[God] disarmed the principalities and powers
 that were ranged against us
and made a bold display and public example of them,
in triumphing over them in Him [Jesus] and in it [the cross].
Colossians 2:15 AMP

For us as Christians, Easter should be the most exciting and popular holiday of the year… even beating out Christmas! You may say, “But without Jesus birth He couldn’t have died and been resurrected.” True…but without His death on the cross and resurrection from the dead, we would have no sacrifice for our sins, no fellowship with God the Father and no hope of heaven! As a matter of fact, Jesus sacrifice would have been in vain if the resurrection hadn’t taken place.

Let’s go back in time for a moment. Can you imagine how the disciples must have felt when the man they had accepted as Messiah was crucified on a wooden cross like a common criminal? Indeed, He was crucified between two criminals. Jesus had tried to prepare them for this moment, but they hadn’t understood. They just couldn’t fathom such a thing! He was the Son of God, the Messiah, the Prince of Peace, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Savior and Deliverer and NOW He was hanging lifeless on a cross. What would happen to them now…to His followers everywhere? They huddled in an upper room in hopelessness and despair. You could have heard a pin drop as they were rendered speechless by the atrocity that had just taken place. Their Deliverer had been himself delivered into the hands of the enemy. Would they be next? The fear and trepidation in the room was almost tangible. Every movement on the street below was suspect! They stayed confined there the entire weekend…watching…waiting… contemplating…grieving.

He had been laid in the empty tomb of one of His benevolent followers. The women in the group went down early Monday morning to anoint the body with spices they had prepared prior to the commencement of Sabbath. But as they arrived, they were startled to see that the huge stone covering the entrance of the tomb had been moved to the side. They had wondered how they would manage to move it. But stranger still was the fact that a man was sitting on the stone…not just any man, but an angel! He told them that Jesus had risen from the dead just as He had said and commissioned them to go and tell the other disciples.

Filled with joyful excitement and fear they hurried quickly on their way. But as they were going, Jesus met them and greeted them with the firm assurance that only He can give…“Don’t be afraid. Go and tell my disciples to go to Galilee and they will see me there.”

Indeed they did see Him there alive and well! Hope was restored, joy was reinstated, victory was secured, not just for the moment, but for eternity! Satan thought he had done Him in. The disciples thought He was gone forever. But…the mouth of an empty tomb continues to shout the TRIUMPH OF THE CROSS! HE IS RISEN INDEED!!!

MY TIMES ARE IN HIS HANDS

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CD COVER-FRONT
As I stated in my Bio, I am a singer, songwriter and guitarist. Over the years, the Lord has blessed me greatly by giving me “songs in the night” to comfort my soul and those of others. In the next devotionals, I’m going to add my songs to enhance our devotional experience.  The Lord has always given me a verse on which to meditate and then a song from that verse. Other than the Word of God, there is nothing like music to soothe the soul…and what better way than the two of them together.

My times are in your hands;
deliver me from the hands of my enemies,
from those who pursue me.
Psalm 31:15

Do you ever feel that as the years have flown by, so have the dreams in your heart taken flight and disappeared into oblivion? You don’t have to be old to feel this way, although the older you get the more the thoughts haunt you. I know, not only have I been there…I’m still there! What I mean is, on occasion, I still deal with such thoughts. I have, however, learned to temper them with the promises in God’s Word…the most relevant of those being, “my times are in His Hands.”

My Father God knew all the mistakes I would make before I made them. He knew I would not be perfect or even near perfect and yet He loves me! You notice I said, “He loves me, not He loved me.” His love is unconditional. His love is irrevocable. His love is merciful. His love is capable of restoring hopes and dreams that you thought were long gone. When people in your life, even your own family have given up on you and deemed you unsuccessful, His plans for you are still intact! Even when you have given up on yourself, He will not loosen His hold on you! “For He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!] (Hebrews 13:5b AMP)

As long as you have breath in your body, it’s not too late! “For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable. [He never withdraws them when once they are given, and He does not change His mind about those to whom He gives His grace or to whom He sends His call.] (Romans 11:29 AMP) God never says, “Uh oh, they’ve done it now! They’ve made one mistake too many. I’m writing them off.”  No, God knows the plans He has for you. He wants you to get on your feet, dust yourself off, and get back on track toward the goals He has put in your heart.

You’ve heard the saying, “Who knows what the future holds?” That is a true statement. We don’t know what the future holds. But if we are a Christian, we know Who holds the future! And the plans He has for us are good! “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11 LB)

Look at your future through God’s eyes. It’s growing brighter and brighter each day! He hasn’t given up on you. Now don’t give up on yourself!

CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO HEAR THE SONG…

GOOD vs EVIL

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For God says, “I will break the strength of the wicked,
but I will increase the power of the godly.”
Psalm 75:9b
New Living Translation
And having disarmed the powers and authorities,
he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
Colossians 2:14 NIV

Have you ever felt that evil people seem to prosper and don’t have a care in the world, while those that are trying to do good and serve the Lord seem to be having one challenge after another? I certainly have…and King David did too. He wrote about it in the following Psalm.

One thing I greatly admire about David is that he was not afraid to tell his innermost thoughts, especially to the Lord. And because of that, we have many life-lessons that can be learned from his conversations with God. At one point he even says, “God, I wouldn’t be able to speak to people about this. They would think I’m a traitor to You. So I’m just trying to understand it myself.”

Read the following Psalm and understand that the wicked may be prospering now, on this earth, but it will not always be so. God is the Righteous Judge and He will not allow evil to go unpunished…nor will He allow good to go unrewarded!

Truly God is good…to those whose hearts are pure.
But as for me, I almost lost my footing.
My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone…
For I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness.
They seem to live such painless lives; their bodies are so healthy and strong.
They don’t have troubles like other people;
They’re not plagued with problems like everyone else.
They wear pride like a jeweled necklace and clothe themselves with cruelty.
These fat cats have everything their hearts could ever wish for!
They scoff and speak only evil; in their pride they seek to crush others.
They boast against the very heavens, and their words strut throughout the earth,
And so the people are dismayed and confused, drinking in all their words.
“What does God know?” they ask.
“Does the Most High even know what’s happening?”
Look at these wicked people—enjoying a life of ease while their riches multiply.
Did I keep my heart pure for nothing? Did I keep myself innocent for no reason?
I get nothing but trouble all day long; every morning brings me pain.
If I had really spoken this way to others, I would have been a traitor to your people.
So I tried to understand why the wicked prosper. But what a difficult task it is!
Then I went into Your sanctuary, O God,
and I finally understood the destiny of the wicked.
Truly, You put them on a slippery path
and send them sliding over the cliff to destruction.
In an instant they are destroyed, completely swept away by terrors.
When You arise, O Lord, You will laugh at their silly ideas
as a person laughs at dreams in the morning.
Then I realized that my heart was bitter, and I was all torn up inside.
I was so foolish and ignorant—I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you.
Yet I still belong to You; You hold my right hand.
You guide me with Your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny.
Whom have I in heaven but You? I desire You more than anything on earth.
My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak,
but God remains the strength of my heart; He is mine forever.
Those who desert Him will perish, for You destroy those who abandon you.
But as for me, how good it is to be near God!
I have made the Sovereign LORD my shelter,
and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things You do.
Psalm 73 NLT

LIAR, LIAR, PANTS ON FIRE!

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LIER

(Oops! Did I say that out loud?!)

No weapon forged against you will prevail,
and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.
This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD,
and this is their vindication from me,”
declares the LORD.
Isaiah 54:17 NIV

“Liar, liar…pants on fire…hanging on a telephone wire!” Have you ever heard that saying? If you live in the south you have. I know we used to chant it as children when we thought someone was greatly stretching the truth.

There is speculation that it originated from a version of the 1810 poem “The Liar” by William Blake. Although some people dispute that fact, I read the poem and there certainly are a number of similarities. The phrase itself sounds a bit like a perverted nursery rhyme, but the message is universal. You’re probably thinking to yourself, “Well what in the world even brought this to mind?” Think again and you can probably guess. Right! Someone blatantly lied to me…straight-faced! (It also reminds me of a verse in an old Bob Dylan song (I’m aging myself now!)… “♫ You lied, straight-faced while I cried; still I look to find a reason to believe. ♪”

I just don’t understand it! Completely aside from being a Christian…why do people lie when they know that there’s a very strong possibility that they will be caught? Maybe they just sense that there’s a “patsy”…uh, I mean a naïve or trusting person around. Maybe they just don’t care if they get caught or haven’t thought that far ahead. Maybe they just enjoy fabricating things. Either way, lies are always perpetrated with a self-serving motive and total disregard for the person being lied to! Believe me…I’ve had plenty of personal experience in this area…on the receiving end!!!

Now I know the Bible tells us to “think the best of every person,” but surely the Lord draws the line somewhere! Actually, this is what Proverbs, the Book of Wisdom says about Iying…“There are six things GOD hates, seven which he detests: a haughty look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that plots wicked schemes, feet swift in running to do evil, a false witness who lies with every breath, and him who sows strife among brothers. (Proverbs 6:16-19 Complete Jewish Bible) Did you realize that God hates lying? It is mentioned twice in this passage. But how many people think nothing of telling “a little white lie” or even a “black one” for that matter! The only time it bothers them is when they get caught and I know people who are not even bothered by that. They just tell another lie to prop up the last one or make excuses for it. And it is absolutely NEVER their fault!

One time I asked a lady who had blatantly lied to me…“How can you just lie to me straight-faced and with no conscience?” Her reply was, “It’s easy. I just pretend the thing I lied about never happened.” I was dumbfounded! But the Book of James does tell us…“But be doers of the Word [obey the message], and not merely listeners to it, betraying yourselves [into deception by reasoning contrary to the Truth]. (James 1:22 AMP)

I could give you many more examples in my own life of people who are apparently self-deceived, because they believe their own lies. It is incredulous, but is a serious matter indeed. Anything that God hates is not to be taken lightly!  Don’t get caught in the world’s trap of thinking it’s no big deal.

As Christians, how do we handle someone deliberately lying to us or about us? There is only one way… pray for them and ask God to be your vindicator.