Midweek Motivation
Starting Your Day out Right
And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. John 6:35 NKJV
I once heard that man is the only created being who knows when he is alone; and for whatever reason, I feel so alone in this dark world. It’s as if there’s an eerie feeling in the air that seems to make its home deep inside me, in the pit of my stomach. Why is life such a roller coaster of feelings?
Jesus said that man does not live by bread alone (Mathew 4:4). But is there more to that statement than what is initially thought? Man does not live by bread alone; man ought not to be alone. Man was not created to be an island.
When we are isolated and feeling alone, we need to leave that place of isolation; we need to reacquaint with the Word of God. Just as scriptures tell us to do; but is scripture what is lacking in our lives? Maybe we have not been in the Word of God at all, and now, as our feelings consume us, we are left, abandoned, to deal with them alone.
Of all the feelings that I have ever had to deal with, despair is one of the easiest, in the sense that it sobers me to the point of meditation. I can’t stop ruminating over these feelings. And to be honest, when I feel as I do now, I start thinking and rethinking about life, and its purpose. Sobriety kicks in, and I try to understand and grasp my role in the universe. What specific purpose was I created for? What is my specific role in life, and why do I feel as I do?
Is this journey the “road less traveled?” Or perhaps it is a road many have traveled. Is my road that of Moses, Abraham, and Isaac? I don’t want to just exist, which is a horrible thought to me. Existence alone does not satisfy me. I want and need more out of life. I receive joy in the fact that my Father in heaven has an endless devotion for me; a love and devotion which I humbly accept and embrace.
Why do you love me so, my Father? After all that I have done, and where I have been, why do you love me as you do? To be the recipient of this unconditional, never failing love, is unfathomable to me. But I accept it. I embrace it fully. Your love keeps me moving forward in a world of darkness and uncertainty. I want to thank you, my most Holy Father, for loving the most unlovable of creatures, me. I desire to be as devoted to you as you are to me.
Is Your House in Order?
Cleaning, parenting, marriage, organization tips, etc.
Jeremiah 24:7 says, “Then I will give them a new heart to know Me, that I am the LORD; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God, for they shall return to Me with their whole hearts.”
This verse, which we use with our youth group, “24/7”, has been sticking in my brain for the last week. How I wish my heart was fully devoted to the One who loves me twenty-four hours a day, and seven days a week. How I long for a heart that would never stray from the Master of my soul.
The week has been sobering for me. I have seen my hard heart, and how my sins affect everything. I have pondered how badly I have fallen, and how desperately I need to return to the Master for cleansing. I understand that my heart chooses sin far too often; and once again I have wandered away into the wilderness. If it were not for the LORD’s faithfulness, I would die.
In my mind’s eye, I see the Lord leaving his flock to look for me. I hear his voice, yet am too ashamed to respond. In desperation and fear, I cry out for His help when I hear Him calling me. I don’t want Him to see the pit that I have fallen into; Yet, I am alone and afraid. He again frees me from the bondage of my pit. He takes me into His arms where I am secure and loved, though bruised and battered.
Sin looks so tasty; yet when I eat of this fruit, it affects my heart like a weed. It affects my love for the Lord. Sin never satifies, but spoils my appetite like candy before dinner. I no longer hunger for the Word of God, no longer thirst to pray; and in this darkness, my relationships with others are affected by this unrighteousness. In the end, sin produces bad fruit and weeds in my heart. My every action will yield fruit of some kind. So, will I yield fruits of righteousness or weeds?
Afternoon Pick Me Up
Writing Inspiration
“The Just shall live by faith.” Habakkuk 2:4
Six little words that have the doctrine of your salvation & mine. This whole thing is as simple as Habakkuk 2:4. It is that simple. “The just, or better yet, the justified shall live, How shall they live?, by faith.” The phrase, “The just shall live by faith”, is quoted three times in the New Testament. It is in Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, & in Hebrews 10:38.
- Roman = The Just
- Galatians = Shall Live
- Hebrews = By Faith
Paul most likely writes all three of these books, but he takes two words from this one verse in Habakkuk 2:4, and he builds his whole teaching on this little verse. It takes Paul three entire books to explain this one verse. I guess it is important.
What’s For Dinner?
A Dash of This and a Splash of That
So I am going to attempt a recipe….lol. Well, not exactly. What I have in mind is putting a bunch of ingredients together to make something. We know that if you mix sugar, flour, eggs and other things (I am such a guy) that the end result will be a cake. Well, I have decided that I will use acronyms. The acronyms are the ingredients and the word it spells is the cake. Enjoy!
- Basic Instructions Before Leaving – Bible
- God Redeems All Classes Everywhere – Grace
- God’s Righteousness At Christ’s Expense – Grace
- Self Inflicted Nonsense – Sin
- People Expressing A Christ Everlasting – Peace
- Positive Reassuring Action Yielding Eternal Results – Prayer
- God Rewards Our Work – Grow
- God’s Only Son Provides Eternal Life – Gospel
- False Emotions Appearing Real – Fear
- Living in Faith Everyday – Life
- Facts Accepted in the Heart – Faith
- Fantastic Adventures In Trusting Him – Faith
- For Anything I Trust Him – Faith
- Adoration, Contrition, Thanksgiving, Supplication – Acts
- His Ever Loving Presence – Help
- Heated Environmental Living Lounge – Hell (for the politically correct)
A Restful Night’s Sleep
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us – Romans 8:18 NKJV
I guess that as we ride into the sunset for the last time, I believe that it will be at that time in life that we will finally get to see the tangible purpose for our existence. For at the end of our journey I know that we will not only see the sunset, but we will see the SON SIT. We will see Jesus sitting at the right hand of the Father and at that time in our lives everything will make sense. So my prayer in light of that is to simply get to that place where we can see Jesus face to face as that is where we truly long to be.
Bill Scott, Sr.
