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REFLECT YOUR LIGHT FORWARD

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LAMPSTAND
The Lord said to Moses,
“Give Aaron the following instructions:
When you set up the seven lamps in the lampstand,
place them so their light shines forward
in front of the lampstand.”
So Aaron did this. He set up the seven lamps
so they reflected their light forward,
just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
Numbers 8:1-3

Sometimes when I’m reading my daily Bible reading, I tend to speed read or scan over passages in the Old Testament that I feel are more historical in nature than applicable to my life today. And although that is the case many times, especially in the Books of Numbers or Leviticus, sometimes a passage will jump out at me and preach an entire sermon. That is what happened this morning as I was reading in the Book of Numbers. The verse above, that ordinarily would be just another one of the Levitical regulations set out for the operation of the temple caught my attention like a neon sign in an otherwise dark city. “When you set up the seven lamps in the lampstand, place them so their light shines forward in front of the lampstand.”

If I am to be totally honest, and I usually am, I have spent most of my life looking backward, shining a judgmental, critical and remorseful light on my past. “Oh, why did I do that? Why didn’t I do this? How could I have been so stupid? What is wrong with me?” Do you sense a slight hint of perfectionism? Yes…and not just a slight hint, but a full-blown expose’! I don’t know if I was just born with that propensity or if it was developed early in my childhood, but it has made me miserable most of my life. As I said, I was my own worse critic!  Even when I did well…in my own eyes I didn’t measure up. I always could have done it differently…or better!  Not until recent years have I come to a full realization of this and tried to change it.

What if a person is walking down a dark path at midnight? There is only a sliver of a moon which really provides no beneficial light. The person has a flashlight, but is holding it the wrong way, thus the light is illuminating the pathway behind them. They can’t see where they’re going, only where they’ve been. Their hope for the future is minimized, as they focus only on the past.

What about someone who is driving, but rather than focusing on the road ahead, is obsessed with the view in the rear view mirror? To put it very tactfully, their future would be a very dismal one indeed! Are you getting the picture? It is so not worth it to focus on the past. Every once in a while you do have to glance in your rear view mirror, but a prolonged look could cost you.

Look at your past, learn from your mistakes, ask God to forgive you, forgive yourself and move on. Shine the light of your attention forward, in front of you…on the future God has prepared for you. He declares if you put your trust in Him, it will be a good one!

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord.
“They are plans for good and not for disaster,
to give you a future and a hope.
Jeremiah 29:11

YOU HAVE SPIRITUAL GPS

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HIGHWAY

SONG: HE’S THE WAYMAKER

By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud
to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire
to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night.
Exodus 13:21 NIV

I was listening to a minister on the way to work and he made a most interesting point that I would like to share with you. This verse about the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire has always fascinated me. And I have always equated it to the guidance of the Lord in our lives. Just like he provided such absolute and direct guidance for His chosen people, so He does for His children today, as we abide in and lean on Him. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own under-standing; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:3-6) We do not have the visible images of His guidance as they did, but we have the presence of the Holy Spirit within us to direct our steps as we seek to walk in His ways.

This minister pointed out something that I had never thought of before. The children of Israel were traveling through the desert of Sinai on the way to the Promised Land. During the day, the heat radiating off the desert sand would have been blistering hot and almost unbearable. But at the same time, when the sun dropped below the horizon, so also did the temperature. It became very cold at night. Only a loving Heavenly Father would take this into consideration and find a solution that is both comforting and practically beneficial. He sent the cloud by day to shield them from the heat of the desert sun, as well as to be their own personal GPS system. What an awesome God! But not only so, He sent the pillar of fire at night to guide them, yes… but also to give them warmth in the frigid desert night.

This is the same Heavenly Father that we serve today. Not only does He direct our steps, but He gives us provision and meets our needs in all areas, as we call on Him and trust in Him. He is indeed our Cloud by day and our Fire by night!

Thank you, Heavenly Father,
That you are my Cloud by day and my Fire by night;
Thank you that you are always with me
in every circumstance, leading, guiding,
comforting and blessing me.
You shield me from the heat of life’s trials and temptations,
And You warm me with the presence
of Your blessed Holy Spirit.
You are my Heavenly Father, my All in All.

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.”

I DON’T HAVE A CARE IN THE WORLD

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CAST YOUR CARE

Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties,
all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him,
for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.
I Peter 5:7 Amplified

SONG: I DON’T HAVE A CARE

Are you worried about something today?  You may say, “I’m not really worried, just a little concerned.” Do you know that God cares about everything you care about?  Yes, He does . . . because He cares about you.  I love the way this verse puts it in the Amplified Bible.  (The Amplified Bible is just a version that amplifies or defines the words so that we can understand them better.)  Care is defined as anxiety, worry or concern.  That pretty much covers it all doesn’t it? It goes on to say that we can cast or throw all of those cares on the Lord, because not only does He watch over us in a protective way, but He also has a deep affection for us as His children.  He wants the very best for us. “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4) “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32) The Father’s kingdom consists of ALL good things… health, wealth, joy, peace… anything you need.

It always helps me to understand our relationship with the Heavenly Father by comparing it to the relationship we have with our own children.  Do you care about everything that touches the lives of your children?  Of course you do!  Then why would you think our Heavenly Father would feel any differently?  “He who did not spare even his own Son, but gave him up on behalf of us all — is it possible that, having given us his Son, he would not give us everything else too?” (Romans 8:32 Complete Jewish Bible) Not only does He care, but He wants to help us if we just bring our cares to Him and leave them there.  How many times have you said to your child, “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it.”  Does that child worry about it anymore?  No, because Daddy said he would take care of it. Today your Heavenly Father is saying, “Child, give it to me.  I’ll take care of it.” Usually the problem is that we want control. We want to try to figure it out ourselves first and then when we fall flat on our face or have exhausted all our resources, give it to God. It’s like my three year old grand-daughter saying, “I can do it myself, Meme!” Wouldn’t it be so much better to save ourselves all of the anguish and self-imposed worry, and give it to God the Father in the first place?

For some reason, society has taught us that if we care about something, we have an absolute obligation to worry about it. That mentality is passed down from generation to generation even among church-going people. It is a slap in our Father’s face and a life filled with agony for us, for this world is filled with opportunities to worry. Haven’t you seen people that you actually envy for their carefree attitude? I have. It is my greatest desire to live a life of complete rest in Jesus, trusting Him in every situation…knowing that He loved me so much that He gave His life for me and the Father loved me so much that He sent His only Son to die. What greater love…what greater care…what greater peace exists? Let’s make this our confession today:

Father, I cast all my care [all my anxieties,
all my worries, all my concerns, once and for all] on You,
for You care for me affectionately
and care about me watchfully.
I rest in Your love for me.

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

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.

 

MACRO GOD

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UNIVERSE

God, brilliant Lord, yours is a household name.

 Nursing infants gurgle choruses about you;
      toddlers shout the songs
   that drown out enemy talk,
      and silence atheist babble.

 I look up at your macro-skies, dark and enormous,
      your handmade sky-jewelry,
   Moon and stars mounted in their settings.
      Then I look at my micro-self and wonder,
   Why do you bother with us?
      Why take a second look our way?

  Yet we’ve so narrowly missed being gods,
      bright with Eden’s dawn light.
   You put us in charge of your handcrafted world,
      repeated to us your Genesis-charge,
   Made us lords of sheep and cattle,
      even animals out in the wild,
   Birds flying and fish swimming,
      whales singing in the ocean deeps.

 God, brilliant Lord,
      your name echoes around the world.

Psalm 8:1-9
The Message Bible

When I read this passage of scripture, especially this poetic rendition from The Message Bible, my heart swells with excitement and awe! Why? The psalmist is talking about my Heavenly Father and His unprecedented, unequaled love for me. The brilliant God who made the macro vastness of the universe cares for micro me!  And in His eyes, I am not micro, but macro also. He loves me so much that He made me in His image and put me in charge of His glorious creation.

I know you’ve often heard stories of kids bragging on their dads. Each one thinks his dad is the greatest! What about the children of famous actors or football stars? Well, let me tell you, they have absolutely nothing on us! Our Father is not just world famous, He is universally famous. His power and influence extends to the far reaches of the earth, the universe and beyond. His exploits are renowned to every people group that inhabits the earth. Even creation itself proclaims His existence with voices loud and clear! And we have the awesome privilege of saying, “That’s my Father…that’s my Dad!”