"Who Deserves the Credit?"

Day # 150 - (WEHOO!) 'A Woman of Faith' Devotional
Verse: "But God, who comforts the humble, comforted us..." 2 Corinthians 7:6 HCSB

I love it whenever it says 'but God...', it shows we were, for examplein this case, lost in sin and conflict, and there was no way out... BUT GOD... Wow! Thank you Lord, for You do deserve the credit. BUT God, He always intervenes, as He doesn't want to see us lost. He is the God of 2nd chances for sure, BUT we don't always take them unfortunately!

'Give credit where credit is due.' An old saying, that proves true for Papa God. Everything I do (to be praised for) is from the Father, so I try to continually give the praise back to Him. When asked where I got my talent, my Mom always used to say 'from her father', and then she would say 'her heavenly Father'. I have kept that 'slogan' and have been quick to thank the Lord for the MANY talents He has give to me. For sure I know that God comforts the humble, but in another verse it says that God gives grace to the humble. "God opposes the proud but favors the humble. So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." James 4:6-7 NLT He gives grace to those who are humble enough to receive it!


...to be continued! <3

BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING!

Day 29: October 29th, 2009 - - Mark 9:35

“POINTS TO PONDER” – Day 29
Written by M. Hall
Please feel free to agree or disagree with points made, and feel free to comment if so desired. If you would like, you could write your own thoughts on the verse of the day, and include that in your own comments below. Thank you and may you be blessed!! =)

Jesus sat down and called the twelve apostles to him. He said, "Whoever wants to be the most important must be last of all and servant of all." Mark 9:35

Last? Who wants to be last? I work in a daycare, and the children, like these disciples always argue over who is going to be first in line. Being first is important to today’s society. That is why everything is ‘fast’ now. We have fast food, microwaves, internet banking, debit machines, express lines at stores, self-checkouts, etc… we have learned that we need to do things quickly, to get ourselves ahead of the other guy. Jesus says in this verse that we are to be last, and servant to all. That doesn’t mean every time in the grocery store you should let someone ahead of you, but yes, sometimes you should. Sometimes Holy Spirit may be telling you to pay for the groceries, or the gas, or Timmy’s, or whatever for the person ahead of you or behind you in line. Serving others is a difficult thing, because it requires a humble spirit on our part, and we need to show a little grace, and kindness. We also need to strip ourselves of our selfish fleshy desires, and put others desires first. We are not called to be ‘doormats’ though, or to be taken advantage of, and we do have the right to say ‘No’.

A servant’s heart is an important character trait to have, and it is not easily come by. It takes time to train yourself to put others first. You need God to help you see others with His eyes. Simple things like making dinner for a family who’s mom is sick, or watching the kids for a young couple who have a lot of things on their plate can truly be a blessing to those with needs. Slipping $20 to a single mom in church on Sunday, playing baseball with her son who doesn’t have a dad… taking time to care! Being like Jesus… it’s not as hard as we may think!

Rick Warren did a study on a “Servants Heart”. He found 6 main points or characteristics to know if you have a servant’s heart:

1. AVAILABILITY - Real ‘servants’ do what’s needed, even if it is inconvenient for them. It’s been said that ‘God isn’t interested in your ability He’s interested in your availability’. Are you available for your family, friends, co-workers, enemies, strangers?? What steps can you take to make yourself available?
2. PAY ATTENTION TO NEEDS – Real servants see the needs and act on them before anyone else may even notice the need. They take initiative and do what needs to be done. They see the need, and do their best to meet the need, or at least try to find someone who can. Do you have the ‘eyes of Christ’? Can you see the needs of others quickly and easily? Are you too occupied with your own needs that other’s needs fall to the wayside? What steps can you take to pay more attention to other’s needs?
3. DO THE BEST WITH WHAT YOU HAVE – It basically goes along with the last one, where they do what needs to be done, with what they have available, or who they have available. This leads us back to the first one as well. Are you available for others to use to help serve someone? Do you procrastinate, and wait for a better time to help… wait for more money to help… wait for… ? Can you use everyday items or giftings that are available to you to make things work for other’s needs to be met? Are you one who says, “Well I haven’t gone to Bible College…” or “I don’t have the training…” or use other excuses not to serve?
4. DO EVERY TASK WITH EQUAL DEDICATION… or with all your heart. Small tasks or large tasks, tasks where you get noticed and appreciated, tasks with which you remain anonymous… Do you work diligently at every task, no matter what it is or who it’s for? It says in the Bible, in Colossians 3:23, “In all the work you are doing, work the best you can. Work as if you were doing it for the Lord, not for people.” Do you serve with the heart that you are working for the Lord, or do you work grudgingly or looking for a reward all the time? Do you feel yourself to be too important to be doing the ‘little jobs’?
5. BE FAITHFUL TO YOUR MINISTRY – Finish what you begin. Stay committed, and don’t quit. Commitment these days isn’t as strong as it once was. Lack of commitment in marriages today results in a really high divorce rate. People are giving up too easily on things of great importance. We need to remember that we are working for the Lord, and He has given us the gifts, talents and traits to fulfill the position we are in. Sometimes we may feel like we are insignificant compared to others in the church… but we should still work hard at what we’ve been called to do, as we are all the same in the Lord’s eyes. We need the fruit of faithfulness in our lives to grow, so that we may persevere. Can you be counted on? Can people trust your word? Are you faithful in the little things?
6. MAINTAIN A LOW PROFILE – Be humble. “Hey everyone, look at me, see what I did, I’m so humble” is not a sentence that should be in your vocabulary. No one should think they are more important than others, and you certainly should not brag about it. Doing a service or fulfilling a task in ministry should not be something that you brag about to others. Others may lift you up and thank you for a job well done, but you are not to seek praise from others. We are working for the Lord, so it is His rewards that we should seek. No one is more important than another. “If anyone thinks he is important when he really is not, he is only fooling himself.” Galatians 6:3 (NCV) WOW… do you seek the praise of men or the praise of God? Do you do tasks only when others are watching or can notice that you are doing them? Can you anonymously fulfill a task large or small, and not receive praise? Do YOU take credit for work that someone else did? Can you do the ‘little things behind the scenes’ and not receive acknowledgement or acclaim? Are you a self-promoter?

A servant’s heart is a humble heart, it requires a lot of work, yet it should be really easy to accomplish once you set your mind to it. These steps are just a start… putting others above yourself, requires putting Jesus first in your life, and spreading the JOY of being in a relationship with Him. To have real JOY, you need to have your priorities in the right order – J.O.Y. = Jesus, Others & You! Be blessed and ask the Lord to help you have a servant’s heart.
Serving… it’s not really that difficult. It’s an important part of life, one that should not be overlooked. Where would the game of volleyball be without serving?
1 Corinthians 15:58 –“So my dear brothers and sisters, stand strong. Do not let anything move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your work in the Lord is never wasted.”

Here are some ‘Christian cartoons’ regarding humility, and servant-hood… enjoy! (Clicking on the link below the cartoons will take you to the cartoonist’s website – REVERENDFUN.COM and CHURCH MICE)

http://www.reverendfun.com/

http://www.zorowski.com/churchmice/frames.htm

PRAYER: O’ Lord it’s hard to be humble… help us to have a heart for others instead of ourselves, and to walk in humility. Help us to STEP UP and SERVE! Help us to love others like you love us, so that we may put their needs ahead of our own. Let us be filled with joy when we perform both large and small tasks for your glory and not our own. Continue to guide us and direct our steps so that we may glorify You and Your Son, and it’s in His Name I pray, AMEN!

Day 19: October 19th, 2009 - - Ephesians 4:2

“POINTS TO PONDER” – Day 19Written by M. HallPlease feel free to agree or disagree with points made, and feel free to comment if so desired. If you would like, you could write your own thoughts on the verse of the day, and include that in your own comments below. Thank you and may you be blessed!! =)“Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.” Ephesians 4:2 (NLT)



According to the dictionary, here is the definition of fault(s),
- A defect or imperfection; flaw; failing: a fault in the brakes; a fault in one’s character.
- Responsibility for failure or a wrongful act: It is my fault that we have not finished.
- An error or mistake: a fault in addition
- A misdeed or transgression: to confess one’s faults.
We just spoke of flaws in our last devotional and we realized that we are all perfectly flawed. We are all sinners, yet Christ died for us. He has unconditional love for us. Unfortunately we as carnal humans don’t always have the mind of Christ when forgiveness and love are needed. When someone faults us, or sins against us, or makes a mistake, we are quick to judge and condemn. But this verse reminds us that we are to be humble (as we all can make mistakes), and gentle (constructive criticism in love or discipline in love). We are to be patient (it takes time for us as humans to see where we made our mistake, and to correct it. Although sometimes, the mistakes need to be corrected immediately), and loving, allowing for each other’s faults. If we truly say we walk in the light we have to love our brothers and sisters and others around us. We cannot walk with the stick in our own eye, trying to get the plank out of our friend’s eye. I don’t even know how we can see the plank, when the thing in our eye is blocking our vision. We need vision in our lives (physically and spiritually).

Vision is another topic altogether on its own, deserving of another devotional, yet, the Bible says without a vision the people perish. Not that has really anything to do with this verse, but your vision has to do with the Will of God. In His Will we are examples of God and His Son Jesus. Therefore, we need to put on the characteristics that Jesus had. Jesus was a very humble man, and was also very gentle. Of course we see throughout the New Testament that He was very patient, and he did indeed make allowances for other’s faults. He did get irritated by his disciples at some times, but he spoke his discipline/criticism/teaching in words of life and words of love. For example, when the disciples were with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane during His prayer time before His journey to the cross, He asked the disciples to watch and pray with Him, or to intercede for Him. However, the night was long and tiring, and the disciples fell asleep. Jesus came to speak with them, and was irritated, and said “Could you not tarry one hour?” But He forgave them, and loved them with His gentle spirit.

We as humans are quick to speak, and judge, and we need to ‘chew our words’ before we speak them. The old ‘Golden Rule’ comes into play here… “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”. It should also say, “Speak to others as you would have them speak to you”. WOW! What a different world we would live in, if we took those two sayings to heart. The 80’s catch-phrase, ‘W.W.J.D.?’ comes into effect as well. ‘W.W.J.D.?’ (What Would Jesus Do?) People have brushed that off, and made jokes of it, but in reality we do need to put ourselves in Jesus’ shoes and think what He would do. We then need to put ourselves into the other’s shoes, and see what they really feel like, and how we would react if we were spoken to with the words of discouragement and judging. I know it’s easier said than done, and its not always easy to live what you teach or practice what you preach. But, God is always with us, and He is there to help us along the way. But we need to make the conscious effort to try. Trying is ½ of the battle. If we consciously set out to try to love, forgive and show mercy, then God will help us the rest of the way. There is another verse in the Bible that I am reminded of as I write this, as I am singing the song that goes with the verse. (Yes I do know a lot of scripture songs – its an easy way to remember Scripture, and I was taught a lot of songs from a young age.) “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly, and love mercy, & to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8 NIV

We just need to take the first step, and we will walk humbly with our God. Knowing that it isn’t anything we have done, that we should boast about, but it is everything that God has done for us. This helps us to remember to have mercy on others when they do us wrong. God is teaching me as well, I am not just telling you this. I need to show more love and mercy to others, remembering that they have inner problems as well that don’t always show on the outside. I need to remember to pray for my family, my friends, my co-workers and my enemies (or people who don’t like me too much). (I’m sure each of them is intertwined in some way or another). Therefore, we should never ever underestimate the power of prayer, the power of the Father, or the power that we have through the Holy Spirit.

May God bless you this week as you live out the truths and promises spoken of in these ‘Fresh as a Daisy Devotional thoughts’. For I know that there will be many a test that I will have to pass regarding the words that I have declared in these devotional thoughts. I have already been tested in many ways, and I hope to prove faithful to God, as He proves faithful to me in standing beside me as I walk the path of life He has called me to. I pray the same for you that you will prove faithful to God, as you learn how to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with Him all the days of your life.

Prayer: Father God, we thank you for your unconditional love for us, especially in the times that we screw up and sin against others and You. Lord we know that it is hard to live as You did, but that we are to be an example to the world in thought, word and deed. God, I ask You now to forgive me (pray this along with me as you are reading this) for all that I have done that is not according to Your will, in thought, word & deed, intentionally and unintentionally. Help us God to forgive others as You forgive us. You send our sins as far from us as the east is from the west, and You remember our transgressions no more. You basically wipe our slate clean. Lord, I thank You for Your blood that washes us white as snow. May we be humble enough to walk in another’s shoes before we judge or condemn them. Help us use words of love and life. I ask all these things in the precious name of JESUS, AMEN!

"Jesus can you show me just how far the east is from the west?"

~Casting Crowns