You can't take it with you when you go.

Psalm 49 puts into perspective our purpose in life. The psalmist writes about wealthy men and how...when they die...they pass on to others what they have acquired. It seems that the Bible talks about this problem time and time again. Jesus says do not store up for yourselves treasure in this life...I love the passage that says...don't store up for yourselves treasures where moth and rust destroy and where thieves come in and steal, but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven...but what is a treasure in heaven?
One can assume...maybe it's the good things we have done... except you can't go to heaven on good works, so that doesn't make sense.
Maybe it's our obedience to the Lords commandments, but unless we are obeying consistently, it's no treasure at all.
So why are we not obeying consistently??? perhaps because there are too many variables. I know that Jesus is the constant, but the things around us constantly change and we end up reacting differently and therefore not obeying the same everytime...

but that's the goal... to consistently obey Jesus no matter what the circumstances, and thus storing up treasures in heaven... the feeling and confidence that we did everything we could to live a life like Jesus did...


points to ponder!

Predestination or foreknowledge???

Something that I have always thought about is whether or not our lives our predestined... or if God foreknew our steps. Predestination takes away our ability to choose whereas foreknowledge lets us choose but God already knows the outcome. I am more of a foreknowledge person myself...
As I think about yesterdays passage again...combined with the the story of Joseph in the Old Testament...and it puts into question what this is all about. Why would God make him go through all of that...-thrown into a pit and left for dead...-sold into slavery...-accused of crimes he didn't commit. predestination says that God set those things in place for him. Foreknowledge says that God allowed them to happen.
The bottom line is this (I think)...Things happen! People (and this includes us as well) do some pretty stupid things. these things sometimes affect other people...and sometimes they affect only us. How do we respond to these things that happen...(mistakes...sin sometimes...lets call it what it is).
In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.
Lets not focus on the mistake...but lets focus on the next step that God has placed before us. How much easier would our walk be if we followed the path that God has made for us.

Back again...hopefully it sticks?

I Can't believe it's been almost 4 months since I sat down with the Bible and put a little effort into reading it. It's sad and depressing really, but, like before, whenever I am away for too long, God places that yearning and desire to get back into it. I would like to make excuses... but alas it would be an exercise in futility.
This morning I read out of my devotional "Walk with God"...the book I always seem to come back too. Today it talked about Proverbs 16:9... a passage that I have loved for years.
" In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps."
Of course, timing is everything... because here I am whining and crying and concerning myself over money and employment... trying to figure out what it is I have to do to make sure we have enough food on the table and that all the bills are paid.
I hate that I always second guess God. When I find myself doing that, I remind myself who HE is and who I am not... and the the second guessing goes away. His plan is perfect, even if I don't know what the outcome is going to be.
I remind myself of these few versus...(paraphrased)

Why do I worry about the things you will eat or the things you will wear. God looks after the birds and the flowers. How much more will He look after me...

I have plans for you declares the Lord...plans to prosper you and not to harm you. plans to give you a hope and a future...

Trust in the lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.

These promises... combined with the call I received from God....keep me moving forward.