Leave It

Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34 (NIV)

 

“Leave it,” commanded my husband, but our seven-month-old German shepherd pulled against the leash not wanting to relinquish the goodie he had found on the floor.

Then my husband did as the trainer in the class instructed. He gently tugged on the leash and took a step. When Kaiser followed my hubby, he received a hefty dose of praise and a yummy treat.

Training a dog to “leave it” is a bit like God training us to keep our minds out of the future. We so often borrow worry and stress from what might be and don’t give the events of today enough attention.

Leaving the future in the hands of God calls for faith, trust, and discipline. We must train ourselves to leave situations and their potential outcomes alone until God directs us to move. And that’s hard to do!

Often a dog owner will use this command to keep the dog from eating something harmful or to keep him out of a stinky mess.  Again, the Father too directs us to focus on the good of today to keep us from feeding our souls on the maybes and worries of tomorrow. Too many times, I’ve found myself in a stinky mess because I didn’t leave it and let God work in his timing.

 

Dear Father,

Forgive us when we find it hard to leave the future to you. May you strengthen our resolve to trust you wholeheartedly in all situations. Give us this day what is needed.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Permissible Pleasures

A friend of mine wrote a book titled Permissible Pleasures based on an old saying she'd heard. After giving it some thought, she decided that the Lord allows us many permissible pleasures and through personal stories and scriptures, she shares many of them in her book. 

This summer, I have discovered one of my life's permissible pleasures: ice cream in a cone. 

It'd been years since I'd indulged in ice cream in a cone. For one, I have a dairy allergy, so my ice cream isn't really ice cream. It's a concoction made by companies to help us poor unfortunates. So, whenever we were out and ice cream was mentioned I would simply decline. 

But in the middle of July on a whim, I purchased the old fashioned cake cones and a pint of Ben and Jerry's non-dairy concoction with caramel and chocolate and had myself a yummy little treat. 

Now, a couple of times a week, I'll grab the scoop and build myself a little cone of happiness. 

"O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusts in him." Psalm 34:8

God is a giver of good gifts. Look around you today and see what permissible pleasures He has given to you in your life. And then, enjoy them with thanksgiving on your lip and maybe a little ice cream.

Father,

Thank you for all the good you infuse into our days and weeks. Help us to see your gifts and to enjoy them. Keep us from turning blessings into burdens.

In Jesus' name, amen.

 What kind of spiritual seeds are you planting?

There are six things the LORD hates – no, seven things he detests . . . a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.

~ Proverbs 6: 16-19

The official first day of spring is here! Though outside the temperatures have hovered in the forties and are supposed to drop to below freezing tonight for the fourth night in a row, my sights are set on the coming of warmer weather, sunshine, and the planting of flower seeds.

I love planting flowers. I've had vegetable gardens, but none of them have brought me as much joy as the years I've planted flowers. The colors and smells sing to my soul. They display the grace and beauty found in God's glorious nature.

In our walk with God, we plant seeds all the time. In some situations, we plant the seeds of encouragement like when a child is having difficulty with homework and we cheer him on. Then there are times we sow the seeds of compassion or mercy like when someone has experienced a loss or has shared with us a need that we can meet.

But recently, I have found that the enemy also plants seeds, and unfortunately, sometimes he uses us to do it.  These seeds slip into our conversations as doubt or worry or fear causing us to look to ourselves for the answers to our problems instead of to God, the Father.

I'm not talking about ignoring your emotions. We all are worried or fearful or have doubts at times. But find a prayer buddy who will take it to the Father with you. Don't let those seeds grow.

 
The enemy also loves to plant the seeds of discord among families and especially the family of believers. A little grudge here, a few unmet expectations there and we voice our hurt to others planting seeds in them as well.   Oh, the enemy is tricky.

 
Be vigilant, both in your home and your heart. When you recognize the seeds of discord, pluck them out. Get rid of them, so your heart will be full of the love of God.

 
As a gardener, I know I have to keep the bad seeds out, so the good seeds can grow and take root. And as a believer, I must protect the good seeds of God's Word planted in my heart, so His Word can grow and take root.

Dear Father, 
Thank you for spring. It brings me such joy. Please as I plant the flowers and tend to the yard this year, show me any seeds that the enemy has planted in my heart and pull them out. Let Your Word, Father, take root in my life and may it grow and bloom bringing hope to others. In Jesus' name, amen.

 

 

Living in the Goodness of God

Dear Friends, 

A few weeks ago, I came across CeCe Winans rendition of Goodness of God in my feed. I decided to give it a try. Popping on my earphones, because I can’t do earbuds, I pushed play.

Immediately, it transported me into the presence of the Lord. I stopped what I was doing, threw my hands up in the air, and sang with my whole heart. With tears in my eyes, I said words of thanks and praise because she was right.

I do live in the goodness of God.

We who are his children all live in His goodness.

The goodness of his faithfulness

Mercy

Love

Grace

Forgiveness.

All this from his goodness. And more.

He’s never left me or forsaken me. He doesn’t fail me. And even when I’m totally oblivious to his workings, he is good to me.

As Acts 17:28 says, “For in him we live and move and have our being.” Christ in me, me in God. Existing in his goodness, living as his child.

If you haven’t heard it, give it a try. You might find yourself drowned in his goodness with hearts and hands lifted high.

Blessings, 

Bonita Y. McCoy

 

 

Good Advice

You’re going to wear yourself out—and the people, too. This job is too heavy a burden for you to handle all by yourself. Now listen to me, and let me give you a word of advice, and may God be with you.

Exodus 18: 18-19a (NLT)

 

Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, had heard all about what God had done for Moses and the Israelites. Stirred by the great news, Jethro traveled with his daughter and his two grandsons to go see Moses in the wilderness.

When he saw how Moses spent his days settling disputes among the people, he asked Moses two clarifying questions.

·         What are you really accomplishing?

      ·         Why are you trying to do all of it alone?

Sometimes, it takes someone on the outside looking in to spot the real problem. Moses spent his time hearing the disputes of the people, while the people stood around waiting for their turn to be heard. The system just wasn’t working.

Instead, Jethro offered Moses some good advice.

Split up the work!

There have been times in my own life that a simple observation from a trusted friend has redirected my “It’s all up to me” mentality. Or their wise words have opened my eyes to new ways of doing the job.

God never gives us more than we can handle. But when we do take on a task that is big, He will provide the needed help.

Thank goodness for Jethro’s insight and good advice.

If you are carrying a heavy burden, be sure to seek the advice of someone you trust. God may have a solution to lighten your load.

Father,

Thank that You are always faithful to give us just what we need when we need it. Help us to always seek You first and to have listening ears when someone offers us good advice.

In Jesus’ name, amen.