Wednesday, August 5, 2026
God's Beautiful Creation
The Lord's blessing to me this year. I love the animals and the flowers. These plants survived having been made to live in buckets for months while work was being done and then replanted in this spot. We didn't know if they would make it but God made them thrive.
Deuteronomy 28:4 "Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock."
Deuteronomy 28:4 "Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock."
Tuesday, August 4, 2026
Obeying God Rather Than Men
There are women who believe they must obey their husbands even if they are told to sin. This could not be further from the truth.
With Ananias and Sapphira, the husband suggested that they lie to keep back money; his wife went along, and they were counted by God as "conspiring together."
The same is true in the garden when Eve picked the fruit; when Adam took what was offered him, he then became a co-conspirator in the sin.
Each person is responsible for their own sin. The one who offers the opportunity to sin is not considered more culpable than the one who takes it; they are equal in the eyes of God.
Sort of like the "working in concert" idea with the law. If one person steals from a jewelry store and the other person stands outside as a lookout but doesn't steal and takes part of the loot, they are both responsible for the crime.
When we obey those who tell us to sin, we are responsible for our own sin, since everyone is accountable. No one will be able to stand before the Lord on judgment day and blame anyone else for their own sinful choices.
One might say, "But they will cause me all kinds of trouble if I don't do what they say." The answer to that is, it is better to suffer loss doing what is right than to protect ourselves temporarily to avoid suffering.
Let's not forget the three Hebrew boys who refused to bow to the idol of Nebuchadnezzar. They were thrown into a fiery furnace for honoring God and disobeying human authority.
Daniel 3:16-28 tells us that the three young men went into the furnace, but the Son of God was in there with them. They came out unharmed without the smell of smoke on them, and their hair wasn't even singed.
In the case of Abigail, her wicked husband told her to ignore King David in his need, but she disobeyed her husband to honor the King. Her husband died, and Abigail married David. Her desire to do what was right in God's eyes despite ignoring her husband's demands was rewarded by God.
There is no authority on earth that we obey when they tell us to sin.
Obey God first and take your lumps, you will not regret it.
With Ananias and Sapphira, the husband suggested that they lie to keep back money; his wife went along, and they were counted by God as "conspiring together."
The same is true in the garden when Eve picked the fruit; when Adam took what was offered him, he then became a co-conspirator in the sin.
Each person is responsible for their own sin. The one who offers the opportunity to sin is not considered more culpable than the one who takes it; they are equal in the eyes of God.
Sort of like the "working in concert" idea with the law. If one person steals from a jewelry store and the other person stands outside as a lookout but doesn't steal and takes part of the loot, they are both responsible for the crime.
When we obey those who tell us to sin, we are responsible for our own sin, since everyone is accountable. No one will be able to stand before the Lord on judgment day and blame anyone else for their own sinful choices.
One might say, "But they will cause me all kinds of trouble if I don't do what they say." The answer to that is, it is better to suffer loss doing what is right than to protect ourselves temporarily to avoid suffering.
Let's not forget the three Hebrew boys who refused to bow to the idol of Nebuchadnezzar. They were thrown into a fiery furnace for honoring God and disobeying human authority.
Daniel 3:16-28 tells us that the three young men went into the furnace, but the Son of God was in there with them. They came out unharmed without the smell of smoke on them, and their hair wasn't even singed.
In the case of Abigail, her wicked husband told her to ignore King David in his need, but she disobeyed her husband to honor the King. Her husband died, and Abigail married David. Her desire to do what was right in God's eyes despite ignoring her husband's demands was rewarded by God.
There is no authority on earth that we obey when they tell us to sin.
Obey God first and take your lumps, you will not regret it.
Meekness Power Under Control
Every principle and teaching of Christ in the bible is fruitful for growing in holiness.
Meekness is power under control; it is not timid or mousy. When we love people, we tell the truth calmly, and if the person responds with humility and a desire to reconcile, we can learn to understand one another. However, if someone is hostile and does not want to resolve anything, they will argue not to understand but to win.
Those who are political in their mindset will always be interested only in power and victory over others. They are not very interested in understanding or resolving things, nor are they interested in learning and growing in holiness.
1 Peter 1:15-17 "…15 But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” 17 Since you call on a Father who judges each one’s work impartially, conduct yourselves in reverent fear during your stay as foreigners."
Matthew 4:4 "But Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
1 Corinthians 1:19 "For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”
Romans 3:4 "Certainly not! Let God be true and every man a liar. As it is written: “So that You may be proved right when You speak and victorious when You judge.”
Romans 12:1 "Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship."
Meekness is power under control; it is not timid or mousy. When we love people, we tell the truth calmly, and if the person responds with humility and a desire to reconcile, we can learn to understand one another. However, if someone is hostile and does not want to resolve anything, they will argue not to understand but to win.
Those who are political in their mindset will always be interested only in power and victory over others. They are not very interested in understanding or resolving things, nor are they interested in learning and growing in holiness.
1 Peter 1:15-17 "…15 But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” 17 Since you call on a Father who judges each one’s work impartially, conduct yourselves in reverent fear during your stay as foreigners."
Matthew 4:4 "But Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
1 Corinthians 1:19 "For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”
Romans 3:4 "Certainly not! Let God be true and every man a liar. As it is written: “So that You may be proved right when You speak and victorious when You judge.”
Romans 12:1 "Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship."
Expressing Love God's Way
When we express concern and dismay at how someone is treating us, and the response is to argue, then we know they meant to do it and don't care about our concern.
When love is present, we are deeply aware of the way we treat others so that they will sense love, even if that love is expressed in correction to help.
Those who refuse to communicate in love without anger are those who only care about winning over and controlling you.
1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 "4 Love is patient, love is kind, it is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not arrogant.
5 It does not act disgracefully, it does not seek its own benefit; it is not provoked, does not keep an account of a wrong suffered,
6 it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 it keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
1 John 4:6-7 "6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. That is how we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception. 7 Beloved, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."
Those who are walking in the Spirit easily recognize God's love emanating from someone, and they just as easily recognize a lack of love radiating from those who love themselves more than anyone else, including God.
1 Peter 2:11 "Beloved, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from the desires of the flesh, which war against your soul."
The desires of the flesh drive out love, leaving room only for self-indulgence and personal aggrandizement.
John 13:34-35 "A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”
Hebrews 5:14 "…13 For everyone who lives on milk is still an infant, inexperienced in the message of righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained their senses to distinguish good from evil."
Ephesians 4:13-14 "until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, as we mature to the full measure of the stature of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed about by the waves and carried around by every wind of teaching and by the clever cunning of men in their deceitful scheming."
James 1:22-25 "Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves. For anyone who hears the word but does not carry it out is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror, and after observing himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. …
have trained their senses."
Proverbs 2:1-5 "My son, if you accept my words and hide my commandments within you, if you incline your ear to wisdom and direct your heart to understanding, if you truly call out to insight and lift your voice to understanding,"
Those who seek Christ with the intention of learning and obeying will be those who will develop God's love for others and obedience to Him. These people will be very discerning in ways others cannot notice good from bad.
When love is present, we are deeply aware of the way we treat others so that they will sense love, even if that love is expressed in correction to help.
Those who refuse to communicate in love without anger are those who only care about winning over and controlling you.
1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 "4 Love is patient, love is kind, it is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not arrogant.
5 It does not act disgracefully, it does not seek its own benefit; it is not provoked, does not keep an account of a wrong suffered,
6 it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 it keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
1 John 4:6-7 "6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. That is how we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception. 7 Beloved, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."
Those who are walking in the Spirit easily recognize God's love emanating from someone, and they just as easily recognize a lack of love radiating from those who love themselves more than anyone else, including God.
1 Peter 2:11 "Beloved, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from the desires of the flesh, which war against your soul."
The desires of the flesh drive out love, leaving room only for self-indulgence and personal aggrandizement.
John 13:34-35 "A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”
Hebrews 5:14 "…13 For everyone who lives on milk is still an infant, inexperienced in the message of righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained their senses to distinguish good from evil."
Ephesians 4:13-14 "until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, as we mature to the full measure of the stature of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed about by the waves and carried around by every wind of teaching and by the clever cunning of men in their deceitful scheming."
James 1:22-25 "Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves. For anyone who hears the word but does not carry it out is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror, and after observing himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. …
have trained their senses."
Proverbs 2:1-5 "My son, if you accept my words and hide my commandments within you, if you incline your ear to wisdom and direct your heart to understanding, if you truly call out to insight and lift your voice to understanding,"
Those who seek Christ with the intention of learning and obeying will be those who will develop God's love for others and obedience to Him. These people will be very discerning in ways others cannot notice good from bad.
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