WHAT IS YOUR VALUE?

It started of by my making the mistake of trying

to think.  You know, thinking is hard work and it

hurts to think.  That is why so few of us bother to

think.

But while thinking the thought went through my 

mind how I am not compassionate like God is.  I

want to be a help and kind to people etc.  But also

I tend to not want to be bothered.  [You are not that

way, I'll admit.]

Then when thinking of my lack of compassion, I

could just see some poor homeless person or a 

begger in their need.  You know, a cast off from

society or a parasite just getting in the way.

But, which is the most valuable or important?

A poor homeless person or perhaps a bagger?

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Or an invalid totally incapable of taking care of 

him or her self.

Or perhaps a highly decorated person in an important

position?

Or, maybe even a successful business person

or investor?

Well, none.

We as people only see the outside of a person and that is

what helps us form our opinions.

But God looks at it differently.  Consider when God was

speaking to Samuel he said;

 "Do not look at his appearance or his stature,

because I have rejected him.  Man does not

see what the Lord sees, for man sees what is

visible, but the Lord sees the heart." 

(1Samuel 16:7 CSB)   

The truth of the matter is that in God's sight

that poor cast off person is just as valuable as

some one who is rich or perhaps famous.

Even the disciples of Jesus Christ fell into the

trap we do.  They began to argue among themselves

as to which one was the greatest.

He attempted to correct their thinking by pointing

out that the most important person in the Kingdom

of God was the one who was the youngest, like a

child, or the humble person, a servant.  And that

he himself [Jesus Christ] came as a servant to us.

"But God proves His own love for us in that

while we were still sinners Christ died for us!

(Romans 5:8 CSB)

Yes, we nothings are just as important to God

as a rich person or a celebrity.   Just as important

to God as a president or a king.

It is your heart that God treasures.  Not your

body, money or prestige.  Give him your whole

heart, strength and mind.  Then in truth you will

be away ahead of the rest of the world, even if

you are a nothing to everybody else.

TODAY'S PROMISE

Jesus Christ said,

  "These things I have spoken to you, 

so that in Me you may have peace.

In the world you have tribulation,

but take courage; I have overcome

the world." 

(John 16:33 NASB)

HAPPINESS IS...

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HAPPINESS IS...

in pleasure

"Lord Byron lived a life of pleasure and ease.

He wrote:

'The worm, the canker and grief are mine alone.'"

Well perhaps in political Power.

"William Tweed became the brilliant boss

of Tammany Hall and ruled New York City,

He said: 'My life has been a failure in everything.'"

Possibly in military strength.

"Alexander the Great conquered the known

world of his day.  Then he wept:

'There are no more worlds to conquer.'"

How about atheism and a total disregard

for God Almighty?

"Voltaire was a world-class unbeliever.

He wrote:

'I wish I had never been born.'"

Well, then Fame and Position.

"Lord Beaconsfield enjoyed more than

his share of both.  He wrote:

"Youth is a mistake; manhood a struggle;

old age a regret.'

Then happiness certainly must be in money.

"Jay Gould, the American millionaire,

had an enormous fortune.  When dying,

he said, 'I suppose I am the most miserable

man on earth.'"

But Jesus Christ said,

"Happy are those whose

greatest desire is to do

what God requires;

God will satisfy them fully!"

(Matthew 5:6 GNT)  

  

TODAY'S QUOTE

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"All that God has said is plain, satisfactory, and just.

As God in His Word calls us to seek Him, so He

never denied believing prayers, nor disappointed

believing expectations.  He gives grace sufficient and

comfort and satisfaction of soul."   

-Matthew Henry

WORK: A DEVOTIONAL EXPERIENCE

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WORK: A DEVOTIONAL EXPERIENCE

"What ever your task, work heartily, as serving

the Lord and not men, knowing that from the 

Lord you will receive the inheritance as your

reward; you are serving the Lord Christ."

(Colossians 3:23,24 RSV)   

Is your work dull, boring and meaningless?

Is your work tiring and getting you down?

It doesn't have to.  Your work can be transformed 

into a joyful, refreshing situation with purpose

and meaning.

How can my work be changed from a weary

routine to an invigorating opportunity?  Very

simply.  Take Jesus to work with you.  It works

for me, and it will work for you.  When we do 

our work enthusiastically as unto the Lord it

becomes a holy thing.  We are to do it for God,

and not man.

When we work heartily as serving the Lord, 

with "hymns and spiritual songs, singing and

making melody to the Lord with all your hearts."

(Ephesians 5:19 RSV)  Then the drab routine task

we are doing becomes pure joy.

MY WORK CAN BE A SACRED TASK.  

TODAY'S PROMISE

Jesus Christ said;

Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so 

that the Father may be glorified in the Son, if you 

ask Me anything in My name I will do it."  

(John 14:13,14 NASB)  

DON'T LIKE YOUR LOOKS?

Do you like your looks?  I don't like mine.
And I would bet you don't like your looks
either, unless you are an ego maniac.

Years ago I read how even most actors are
not satisfied with the way they look.  They
would change some little thing or other.
And after all these years I have found
nothing to make me think differently.

It seems to be a problem to all human

beings.  Consider the these statistics.

In the year 2016 world wide there was

61.5  billion U.S. dollars spent on

color cosmetics.   You know, paint,
putty, wood filler or what ever it is
that women use trying to look like
something different.

And we fellows did not do much better.

We spent 48.5 billon dollars on men's
grooming products trying to look better. 

But I noticed something IMPORTANT.

When God came down as a man - Jesus

Christ - so he could die in our place if

we will accept it.  You would think He

would come as the most outstanding person

of all time.  But He did not.  Notice the 

thing of the appearance of Jesus Christ 

in the prophecy given about Him.

"For before him he grew up like a young plant,
like a root out of dry ground.  He was not well-
formed or especially handsome; we saw him,
but his appearance did not attract us.
People despised and avoided him, a man of pains,
well acquainted with illness.  Like someone from
whom people turn their faces, he was despised;
we did not value him."

(Isaiah 53:2,3 CJB)

Did you catch that?
The very one who created the Universe and
gives life to you, when he came to be one of
us, He came as the plainest of the plane people.

Don't you think that we put way to much
emphasis on our outward appearance?

"God sees not as man sees,
for man looks at the outward appearance,
but the LORD looks at the heart."
(1 Samuel 16:7 NASB) 

TODAY'S QUOTE

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"It is easier for me to have faith in the Bible

than to have faith in D. L. Moody, for Moody

has fooled me lots of times."

- D. L. Moody 

GOD KNOWS BEST

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GOD KNOWS BEST.

Last night as I was getting ready for bed God brought

a number of decisions and directions I have taken to 

mind and do you know what?   God knows best.

Bear in mind that now I am an old man looking back

over the past.  I think that some of these can be an 

encouragement to you.  There are two verses of Scripture 

that I have often had to think of and now see in a new

light.  Consider them before we proceed.

"The mind of man plans his way,

But the Lord directs his steps."

"Man's steps are ordained by the Lord,

How then can man understand his way?"

(Proverbs 16:9 & 20:24 NASB)

These plans or decisions will be listed more by

subject than by time or order.

As a much younger, single man I was obviously 

looking for a wife.  I remember in particular two

ladies that I thought the world revolved around.

(One at the time.) It hurt, but neither of them

worked out.

Now, many years latter as I have watched their

lives it is obvious that had I married either one of 

them, I would have been hurt real bad.

And better yet,  God clearly gave me direction

latter as who to marry.  Yep!  Time has proven

that I got the best wife in the world.

On the matter of property.

When I moved into this area I wanted out in the

country with at least 40 acres.

Well, it did not work out that way.

I ended up with God clearly indicating that I was

to get this little place.  It is only an acre and half.

At least it is out of town.

Do you know what?

Time has proven that it was the best thing for me

even thought it was not want I thought I wanted.

Again on property.

A number of years ago I wanted a hideout in the

country.  A place to go hide from the noise

and confusion in this area.  Things have built up

a great deal here since I bought it over forty years

ago.  So a patch of woods to go hide in for a few

hours or days.  Perhaps just camp in, but away 

people and noise.

I had decided to go after tax property, that is 

property the state had up for sale for taxes.

There were several that I had my heart set on.

As you can figure, I was out bid on every one.

But in desperation I went after one that no one

wanted.

Got it.  It was just a little run down place of 

only a little over three acres of woods, way 

out in the country.  But for several reasons I

have had reason to thank God many times that I

was allowed to get this one rather than the ones

I thought I wanted.

One more. Living conditions.

My living conditions are not what I would have

chosen.  I would have chose a different location,

different housing, and different relationships.

But, guess what?  God knew best.

I have had to spend several years getting use

to things being nicer than I would have chose.

And with advance age and sickness etc. it has

proven to be much more beneficial to me than

had I had my way.  And no, I am not in a

rest home in town.

PRAISE GOD.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart

And do not lean on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge Him

And He will make your paths straight."

(Proverbs 3:5,6 NASB)

TODAY'S PROMISE

"Poor is he who works with a negligent hand,

But the hand of the diligent makes rich.

He who gathers in summer is a son who acts wisely,

But he who sleeps in harvest is a son who acts

shamefully."

(Proverbs 10:4,5 NASB)

CHASING THE MONEY

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OFF AFTER THE MONEY.

Many years ago the state I live in had a yearly vehicle

inspection.  It was only so they could get federal funding

for the roads.  I just happened to be one of the inspectors

at our dealership.

One day a man came in for an inspection for his old

pickup truck with a camper shell on the back.  We got

to talking and he told me that he was a machinist.  He

was on his way to another place of employment because

they paid more.  He shared with me how he always went

to where they paid the most.  The result was that he 

moved a lot.

As we talked I found out that his wife finally got tired

of all the moving around.  So now he was on his own.

Also, that everything he owned was in the back of 

the pickup.

Was all the chasing after money worth it????

"He who loves money will not be satisfied
with money, nor he who loves abundance
with its income.  This too is vanity."
(Ecclesiastes 5:10 NASB)

TODAY'S QUOTE

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"If you make a great deal of Christ,

He will make a great deal of you;

but if you make but little of Christ,

Christ will make but little of you."

-R. A. Torrey

THE BREATH OF LIFE

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It there were any validity at all to the theory of 

evolution,  how many millennia were necessary for

mammals to learn the necessity of breathing in

order to sustain life?

???????????

Sorry.

I just liked this little guy.

TODAY'S PROMISE

 But He gives greater grace. Therefore He says: God 

resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. 

(James 4:6 CSB)

BEWARE OF TEACHERS

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"Be on your guard against the teachers of 

the Law, who like to walk around in their 

long robes and love to be greeted with 

respect in the marketplace; who choose 

the reserved seats in the synagogues and 

the best places at feasts;"

(Luke 20:46 GNT)

TODAY'S QUOTE

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"The secret of peace within and power without,

is to be always and only occupied with Christ."

- E. Schuyler English