Today’s meal will have a little different flavor. I would like to share something with you that is hanging in my spirit and on my heart that will give each of you something to think about for a awhile. I have shared messages on the subject a time or two over the years in some form or another so get ready.
Today’s Prayer
Father, on behalf of my brothers and sisters everywhere I ask that you would forgive us for too often burying our heads in the sand, thinking that what we don’t know won’t affect our lives. Help us to be alert to Satan’s deceptions, which sometimes cause even the elect to be deceived; as many today seek to destroy our nation, our Christian freedoms, and our families. Remind us that we can’t serve “other gods.” Let us turn to You, and commit our lives to standing on Your Word, trusting that even in our weakness, Your strength will be sufficient for us. Help us to look around and see that as Christians, we need to move from being an ostrich to being a Prayer Warrior, for more changes are brought about through intercessory prayer than this world realizes! In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Let’s eat.
Praising God for closed doors
I’ve learned to praise the Lord as much for a closed door as I do an open door. The reason God closes doors is because He hasn’t prepared anything over on the other side for us. If he didn’t close the doors that are wrong for us we would never find the right door. God directs our paths through the closing and opening of doors. When a door closes; it forces us to change our course. Another door closes; it forces us to change our course again. Then finally we find the open door and we walk into your blessing.
The Lord directs our paths through the opening and closing of doors, but instead of praising Him for the closed door (which keeps us out of trouble) we get upset because we judge things and situations by appearances. We have an ever-present help in the time of need that is always standing guard. Because He walks ahead of us, He can spot trouble down the road and set up a roadblock or detour accordingly; through our lack of wisdom however, we try to tear down the roadblocks or push aside the detour sign. Then the minute we get into trouble we start crying, “Lord how could You have done this to me?”
We have got to realize that the closed door can be a blessing. Didn’t He say that no good thing will He withhold from them that love Him? If we get terminated from our job – we should praise God for the new opportunities that will manifest themselves – it might be another job, it might be school. If that man or woman won’t return your call – it might not be them, it might be the Lord setting up a roadblock (just let it go). We can sometimes trap ourselves in doubt and discouragement through judging by appearances. I’m so grateful my friends, for the many times Our Father has closed doors to me just to open them in the most unexpected places. The Lord won’t always say in spoken words: “Go to the left, now to the right” -sometimes He will just close the wrong doors.
“Stop telling God how big your storm is and start telling the storm how big your God is“
Quote of the Day
To excuse what can really produce good excuses is not Christian charity; it is only fairness. To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you. This is hard. It is perhaps not so hard to forgive a single injury. But to forgive the incessant provocations of daily life – to keep on forgiving the bossy mother-in-law, the bullying husband, the nagging wife, the selfish daughter, the deceitful son – how can we do it? Only, I think, by remembering where we stand, by meaning our words when we say in our prayers each night, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” We are offered forgiveness on no other terms. To refuse it means to refuse God’s mercy for ourselves. There is no hint of exceptions and God means what He says.
~(Clive Staples) C. S. Lewis~