Ecclesiastes 8:14 NIV, “There is something else meaningless that occurs on earth: the righteous who get what the wicked deserve, and the wicked who get what the righteous deserve. This too, I say, is meaningless.”
This verse reminds me of the age-old question, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” When questions like these come to mind, keeping God’s perspective is what keeps us secure. We will not have all the answers to the misfortunes and tragedies that occur in this life, but we do know that God is just. We have to trust Him to deal with the evil we see. We do not need to carry the burden of trying to answer all of life’s difficult and confusing questions.
Photo by: Olya Kobruseva of Spain 🇪🇸
Although God’s timing often differs from ours, and we don’t always understand how He is working, we can rest knowing that He loves us, He will guide us, He will protect us, He will provide for us, and He will always do what is right.
Ecclesiastes 5:1-2,“Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Better to approach in obedience than to offer the sacrifice as fools do, for they ignorantly do wrong. Do not be hasty to speak, and do not be impulsive to make a speech before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.”
This verse is a reminder to show reverence to God when we enter the church building. Although church is a time of fellowship, even more importantly it is a time to worship the Lord, pray, and hear what He wants to say to us. When we are in God’s house, we should speak less and listen more. He speaks to us corporately through the sermons we hear, but He also speaks to us individually.
Photo by: Rene Asmussen of Denmark 🇩🇰
When we are in church, we should have a praying spirit and be ready to hear and receive whatever it is God wants to tell us. There is a lot going on in churches, and there are various forms of activities and entertainment. However, let us not forget our main purpose for being there. We serve a God who has a great work for us to do, and we need to hear His voice so we can be ready to execute.
I remember a couple of years ago walking into the church trying to get to the sanctuary, but first I had to make my way through the donut section, with the big screen T.V. This area of course, was filled with people who were talking, eating donuts, and watching the worship service on the big screen T.V, the same worship service that was going on live in the sanctuary. I clearly heard the Lord’s voice say, “These people need to pray.”
That is a moment I’ll never forget.
I don’t think the Lord is against donuts, but I do believe He was saying that day and now in the present, we need to be reverent of Him, aware of His presence, and keep His perspective at all times. When we lose sight of what He desires, it’s detrimental to our relationship with Him, and the purpose He has for the church of Jesus Christ.
Let us pray that “thy will be done” in our churches, and that we would follow God’s command to pray.
Proverbs 28:2 NLT, “When there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily. But wise and knowledgeable leaders bring stability.”
Moral rot is widespread. Morals have drifted far from the hearts of many and have been replaced with self gratification. Ungodly desires for control, money, possessions, and sexual perversion have saturated our world. God’s Word, the Holy Bible, provides us with the moral standards we need to live successful and balanced lives. May we hold tightly to the truth of His Word. Please continue to pray for leaders worldwide, that the Lord would give them knowledge and wisdom to make decisions that are rooted in love and justice that are in line with His Word. Thanks for praying. 🙏🙏🏽✝️🙏🏻🙏🏿
Psalm 28:7 NLT, ”The LORD is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.”
Dear Father,
Thank you for allowing us to see this new week. Thank you for your presence with us. Please give us strength as we go about our daily tasks. Help us to walk in your ways and be a light and a blessing to those who are around us. We give any worries and concerns that we have to you; thank you for giving us your peace in return. Help us to trust in you no matter what may come our way. We know you have promised to provide our needs. Help us to hear your voice and obey your instructions so that we may be who you have called us to be, and do all you have called us to do. Thank you for hearing and answering our prayers.
Proverbs 24:17-18 NLT, “17 Don’t rejoice when your enemies fall; don’t be happy when they stumble. 18 For the Lord will be displeased with you and will turn his anger away from them.”
One of the best things we can do for an enemy is to pray for them. Rejoicing when we see others fall is not pleasing to the Lord. The love we show to our enemies can make a difference in their lives. When it’s not easy to be kind to difficult people, we can ask God to help us and give us wisdom about how to approach the situation.
Through our prayers, we can have hope and know that God will intervene in the best way, at the best time. When we’re tempted to rejoice because an enemy has “gotten what they deserve”, instead we can be thankful that God’s will has been done, and pray for His continued work in the person’s life.
Matthew 5:44 NLT, “But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!”
Proverbs 18:17, NIV, “In a lawsuit the first to speak seems right, until someone comes forward and cross-examines.”
It can be easy to form an opinion when we hear one side of a story, but if there are two people involved, that means there are two stories involved. Therefore, we must be careful not to jump to conclusions. Even in our own lives, it is pretty easy to point fingers when we encounter conflicts, however, it pays to examine ourselves and see areas where we may have faults. This doesn’t mean the other person involved has no faults, it just means that in humility we realize that we, or those we love, may also have faults. Prayer is a huge help with this, the Holy Spirit will help us to see truth in every situation.
Satan is the accuser, who is always trying to accuse and condemn us (Revelation 12:10); I’m thankful that God is merciful, and willing to hear our side of the story when we go to Him in prayer and repentance. We should strive to extend the same kindness to others whenever possible.
Proverbs 11:13 NIV, “A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret.”
It’s a blessing when God places trustworthy people in our lives who can keep a secret. Many individuals have been hurt because of people who betrayed them by gossiping. Gossip ruins reputations and destroys relationships. As children of God, one of our goals should be to love and protect people. Gossip does neither.
Photo by: Ben White of Michigan, USA 🇺🇸
Before we “share information”, we should take time to think before we speak, and consider our motives for sharing the information with others. We should also consider how our sharing will affect all of those involved, and even more importantly, we should pray regularly to ask God for strength to stay away from gossip and other ungodly conversations.
May God help us all to be trustworthy people who He can depend on to show His love to others, and help fulfill His purposes here on Earth.
📷 Photography above by Ben White, who says, “I consider myself a servant of Jesus Christ. I love finding beauty in simple things. I want everything I do to bring honor and glory to God...”.
Drawing Closer to Christ 