Beginning this week, we are changing the dating format for Weekly Powerpoint. Future editions will begin on Monday and run through Sunday. This change is necessary due to my travel schedule.
Monday, Job 3:25; Fear can be a blessing to us when it is rational (such as not driving too fast, avoiding dark alleys, etc), while irrational fear can be debilitating to our ability to function in the world. But there is another kind of fear that lurks in our minds, which if left unchecked sets in motion self-destructive forces that can negate our happiness and cause things to unravel around us. Psychologist call this a “self-fulfilling prophecy”, meaning that if we believe something (good or bad) is going to happen, the mind sets in motion the steps necessary to prove itself right. In Job’s case, the evil one used the one thing that Job feared the most as his tool to try to shake his faith. As children of God we need to keep a tight reign on fear by counting it with affirmations of faith and confidence in God’s goodness toward us. After all, we don’t want to set in motion a negative self-fulfilling prophecy, and we never know who in the spirit world might be listening to our thoughts. Truly, the thing that I fear comes upon me, and what I dread befalls me
Tuesday, Micah 6:8c1; I once talked to a couple of people, one of whom shared how he had helped a fellow employee with a problem. The other person we were talking to exclaimed, “After what he did to you last month! How could you do anything to help him?” The reply was, “I judge the situation based on two principles, ‘Loving my neighbor as myself’ and ‘Doing unto others as I wish they’d do unto me’—that’s how, even though I wouldn’t trust him too far, I can justify helping him.” The ancient prophet asked the question, “What does God require of us?” Then he gives us the answer, we are to do justice, which means that like a judge, we apply existing law to the case at hand and carry it out. As children of God that means we are ruled by a higher law than other people and we judge everything based on that law. What does the Lord require of you but to do justice?
Wednesday, Micah 6:8c2; My grandchildren were visiting me a few years ago and got into one of those quarrels that are the result of sibling rivalry. After realizing that the problem wasn’t going to resolve itself, I step in and suggested they apologize to each other and move on. After much urging, the oldest one said she was sorry to her younger sister. Thinking for a moment, the youngest granddaughter looked at her sister and said, “I’m sorry, but only because Pappy said I was!” Isn’t that the way we sometimes approach the teachings of Jesus? Don’t we often do things grudgingly “because Jesus told us too”? Being kind to others is one of the basic traits of God’s children that we are taught in both the Old and New Testaments, but it should be a kindness motivated not “because we’re told to”, but because it flows from both enjoying being kind and an attitude of love for other people. What does the Lord require of you but…to love kindness?
Thursday, Micah 6:8c3; I was in an elevator waiting for the door to close when a little boy raced in ahead of his father. By the time the father got there, the little tyke had pressed every button he could reach. The father looked at me and apologized about our having to stop on every floor. He explained “He knows we’re going to my office, but he just doesn’t know which floor it is on.” Isn’t that a picture of the way we sometimes slow ourselves down? Like the little boy, we have an idea of where God wants us to go, but instead of walking calmly beside our Heavenly Father, we run a head and start pushing all the buttons we can find? How much quicker would we have gotten there had we been wise enough to let Him take the lead? What does the Lord require of you but…to walk humbly with your God?
Friday, Habakkuk 3:19; A woman who had gone through some very difficult times related how much her faith had grown and sustained her as she worked her way through her adversity. It had taken several months for the situation to resolve itself, but she said that through it all she discovered that when her ability to think clearly and act decisively seemed diminished it was like God gave her a fresh infusion of clarity and power. When we rely upon Him, He not only lifts us to heights where we have a better view of the situation, He also give us the strength and power to do what needs to be done. God, the Lord, is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, and makes me tread upon the heights.
Saturday, Proverbs 16:20; Several years ago, I had a good friend who was president of a Tulsa bank. One of the things he used to say was “If you watch the pennies, the dollars will take care of themselves.” Another friend of mine, who is a retired vice president of a fortune 50 company likes to quote his grandfather’s advice, “To pull a rabbit out of a hat, you must first put the rabbit in the hat!” Both of these highly successful men were saying the same thing, we need to pay attention to not only the big picture, but the details that are required to turn it into a reality. This excellent advice applies not only to the world of high finance and business, but to our daily and spiritual lives as well. This attention to the details, combined with a strong trust in God make for an unbeatable combination. Those who are attentive to a matter will prosper, and happy are those who trust in the Lord.
Sunday, Amos 9:13a; If you’re like most people there have been times in your life when it seemed like all the news in your life was bad news and it felt as if everything was working against you. During those periods it is easy to become despondent, discouraged and depressed as thoughts like “what’s the use in trying” or “there’s no hope” fill our minds. The Bible is not always filled with good news. Our text comes from a book that has lots of bad news in it, but there is a silver cloud at the end—there is hope, there is help and there will be better day. When it seems like all the news in your life is bad news and you feel that everything is working against you, just remember that when we stay close to God, we can honest say we have a brighter future and that The time is surely coming
May God Bless You All The Way, In Everyway, Everyday!
Robert Hidde
bob@confidentliving.com
Monday, July 20, 2009
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