Divided into parts

 41“Martha, Martha,” the Lord replied, “you are worried and troubled about many things  42But only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, and it will not be taken away from her.Luke 10:41-42 ESV

Helps studies

Worried  3309 merimnáō (from 3308 /mérimna, "apart, as opposed to the whole") – properly, drawn in opposite directions; "divided into parts" (A. T. Robertson); (figuratively) "to go to pieces" because pulled apart (in different directions), like the force exerted by sinful anxiety(worry).

Troubled 2351 thórybos – properly, an uproar, tumult; trouble (accompanied by noisy upheaval) that throws things into disorder; (figuratively) emotions spun "out of control," 

Divided into Parts

I love the way that I made you!  I placed my creative reasoning with inside you.  Adam had such fun naming all of the animals I created.  Joseph organized the harvesting of grain for an entire country in which people would later receive the exact portioned amounts to last through 7 years of drought.

Your emotions, however, are given as markers to highlight your path you are taking.  The right laughter brings joy.  The wrong laughter is taunting and hurtful at the expense of others.  Troublesome worry is the effect of being pulled in two different directions.  Peace over finances or worry that there may not be enough.  Trust that tasks will be completed in time or anxiousness that you will be late again and not measure up.  Faith in Me to do what I promised or fear that I might not come through for you.  Settledness in the end result of your storm, or disturbed by the constant barrage of troublesome waves of the unexpected. 

Martha serving for our needs was good.  Contemplating on one word from my Son could have brought light into her dark thinking of being alone.  Joy comes in the redirection of the focus of the moment.  I am above ALL!  To gaze upon me is to take your eyes off of the myriad of distractions, to the oneness of my love and care.  I have the knowledge to direct your steps to navigate the rocky terrain into green restoring meadows, but it will require you to look at me to follow me.  My Son, knows how to lead stressed and wayward sheep.

Spend more time learning to discern my voice and you will hear my whispers in the chaos.  I am always engaging in your life experiences.  I walk every step with you for I NEVER leave you.  Trust me to help in your time of need.  My shoulders are big to carry the load that you were not created to carry.  Ask Me to help and trust how I use others to carry out my purposes.  You were not designed to walk alone.

I am with you and that makes all the difference in this troublesome life.

Whispers from your Father, God.

To BE

My freshman English 101 teacher demanded that we write in active voice verbs.  This meant that all "be verbs" were not allowed.  All sentences that contained “am, is, was, are, were, be, been, being” had to be reconstructed.  That course stretched and enhanced my writing style…maybe.  It did, however, create a lifelong appreciation for the passive voice.   God revealed to Moses that His name shall be, “I AM THAT I AM”. Exodus 3:14 KJV.  This poem reflects my appreciation to Mrs. Broadnax and the love of just “being

forms" of “BE verbs”

TO BE

To be or not to be

To Be breathing without consciousness or pain, I am thankful

To Be silent to hear animals awaken in the morning, I am happy

To Be with family over a delicious home cooked meal with trimmings of laughter, I am blessed

To Be loved by a Heavenly Father who has forgiven my sins,  I am overwhelmed

To Be singing in worship in which my focus turns heavenward, I am captivated

To Be able to mow, dig in the garden, and bend down to pull weeds, I am mobile.

To Be talking, teaching, and preaching with my own voice, I am fulfilled

To Be creative with communicating through writing, I am so appreciative

To Be a son, husband, father, and granddaddy, I am so privileged

To Be in the most meaningful friendship relationships, I am grateful

To Be aware of God’s flare for color, texture, and movement of the world He created,  I am in awe

To Be able to see  a person become a new creation in Christ with all things new, I am a miracle

To Be a “be-er” first and a “do-er” second, freely receive then freely give, I am in constant pursuit

To Be aware of the gift of time and to steward it with intentionality and grace, I am trying

To Be in the present and not encumbered by my past or fearful of the future, I am fulfilling my destiny

To Be is always happening in the context of my relationships and my surrounding.  I choose To Be in that moment.  I choose to live in the present.  I choose to take one more breath and thank God that He is ever present wherever “I am”.

When was your last BM? another Whisper FromYour Father, God.

 36And having seen the crowds, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were wearied

and cast away, as sheep not having a shepherd. 37Then He says to His disciples, “The harvest indeed is plentiful, but the workmen are few. 38Beseech the Lord of the harvest, therefore, that He might send out workmen into His harvest.”  Matthew 9:35-38 Berean Literal Translation

 “have  compassion” -to have the bowels yearn, i.e. (figuratively) feel sympathy, to pity -- have (be moved with) compassion. Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance.

What do you see as you go throughout your day?  How does it impact your thinking?  Let me wipe your eyes.  Let me apply salve to them so that you may see as I see.  For I see all of the lost.  I wish that none perish but all would come to know me as Father.

When my Son looked on the multitude, He saw what I wanted Him to see.  I poured into Him My desire for the hurt, wearied and confused.  It is a stirring that occurs when you witness an unjust act.  It is that moment when your mind says that a man should not be beating on his child.  It is that sick feeling when you see the elderly being financially swindled.  It is the question that arises when youth are on the streets and you wonder “where are the adults in their lives?”  It is the bondage of finances that the poor experience through payday loans or the paychecks spent on lotteries.  It is the isolation of the bedridden and those left alone in nursing care.  It is the child in foster care who was never adopted.  It is even those who are so desperate to join a cause to try to belong.  They are responding to the emptiness in their own lives, yet they are chasing the wind without finding Me.

Ask Me and I will let you feel again.  Ask Me to create an insatiable desire that moves you to interact with those who are weary.  Ask Me to help you not only see those who are lost, but also to participate in seeking and saving them.  Do you even know how many lost sheep are all around you? Does it cause you angst to know that their bondage could last for eternity?

Let My compassion move you to be a witness.  Let me teach you how to walk with my Spirit in living the most rewarding life of working in my harvest.  The harvest truly is plentiful.  Let what you see with your eyes move you to be one of my workers.

Whispers from your Father, God. 

Hanging on a Word

²⁷ And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left.^[e] 29 And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days,³⁰ save yourself, and come down from the cross!” Mark 15:27-30.  ESV

It’s very important to write down words that you believe God is speaking to you.  For the time will come when you will be tested in your trust and faith by the question, “has God really said…?”  Knowing exactly what was said to you is important.  Adam and Eve were instructed not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil…God did not say anything about touching it.  When Eve touched the fruit and did not die, it gave her strength to continue to question God’s warning to them.

Jesus endured pain and ridicule on the cross.  He suffered ridicule in our place.  This type of taunting makes us feel low and worthless.  We desire to answer back to make the record straight.  But to engage in that discussion is many times trying to answer a fool in his folly.  It is best to remain quite.  Jesus could have said, ”I said, if YOU destroy this temple, I will rebuild it.”  They were in fact destroying the temple of his body.  But Jesus did not answer them a word.

There may be times when you testify of the goodness and/or the direction that the Lord has given to you.  Shortly, you will have an opportunity to “walk out” that word from God.  Will you try to change what He said?  Will you tell others that what you heard was wrong?  Will you believe that you have little ability to discern the voice of God?  Will you stop testifying and become quiet about God’s movement in your life?  Jesus said, “My sheep know my voice, I call them by name and they follow me.”  We have no other choice as children of God than to follow the constant leading of the Holy Spirit.

Draw strength that Jesus endured ridicule.  There will be a testing of faith.  Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.  The test is to hold to the Word of God through its fulfillment.  You can do this!  Jesus led the way, we get to follow. It will be worth hanging onto His word.

The Power of a moment

²¹ And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of

Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross.  Mark 15:21

Some life experiences are branded on our memories in such a way that we will never forget them.  We remember exactly where we were and what we were doing when we heard that a plane flew through one of the towers on 9.11.  For the older generation it may be when JFK was shot, man stepping on the moon or the attack on Pearl Harbor.  Its like a screenshot was taken while the video was still playing

Mark records one type of event during the crucifixion of Jesus.  A man, Simon of Cyrene, is compelled to carry the cross of Jesus on the way to Golgotha.  The side note is the click of the camera, “the father of Alexander and Rufus”.  His two sons were present when this happened.  They saw Jesus.  They saw him too weak to continue.  They saw all of the blood and torture present on his body.  They saw a man that needed help.  Jesus was not in the position to heal, teach or perform a miracle.  He needed the physical help of another man to accomplish his task.  Their dad was that man.

Mark includes their names because they were witnesses of the death of Jesus.  Tradition, not scripture, has it that these two became missionaries.  Perhaps Rufus is the one mentioned by Paul in Romans 16.  Regardless, Mark’s inclusion of their names is at the least, names that others could search out to validate the story and facts of Jesus crucifixion.

But I want you to pray for your children and grandchildren to have memorable moments.  These moments come in a split second.  Most of the time they are not planned ahead.  The action is such that it makes an imprint.  This impression shapes their world view and impacts how they interact with people for the rest of their lives. 

Your child watches you when you could tell a lie, but tell the truth.  Your child sees when you are over-paid and you make the effort to return the money that is not yours.  Your child hears and sees you forgive the man who just drove in your lane nearly causing an accident.  Your child sees you worship God and they know if you are faking it or if it is a sacrifice of praise.  Your child sees and hears you talking with God and when you tell them what you believe He is saying back.  Your child may have even experienced your conversion to Christianity and how it changed everything in your family.  Your child watches how you apply the Bible principles to your daily life or fail to integrate it.

We can be intentional in making sure that our children attend not only church, but special religious events.  Your children should go on mission trips, all night pray times, service projects, and going door to door to share the good news.  One of those times…God is going to imprint Himself on you and your child.  Your child just might get to see you carry the cross of Jesus.  For we are physically now the hands and feet of Jesus.

Tell the stories often how God has moved in your life.  Remember to include others in the story, for God was impacting them also.  Psalms 73 tells us to recite these stories to our children and grandchildren that they may also tell of how God works in our lives.

Judged for doing nothing...almost nothing

Obadiah

11While you stood there doing nothing, strangers carried off Jacob's wealth. Foreigners entered his gates and threw dice for Jerusalem. You acted like one of them. 12Don't gloat over your relative's misfortune or be happy when the people of Judah are destroyed. Don't brag so much when they're in distress. GWT

The book of Obadiah is a one chapter book in the Old Testament.  Nothing is recorded in other books about Obadiah or the timing of his vision from the Lord. Some have calculated the book to be written right after the fall of Jerusalem to Nebuchadnezzar while others date the time to an earlier invasion by the Philistines. The summary of the vision is that Edom gloated and watched over Israel’s calamity, Edom will also be destroyed, God will restore Jerusalem once again.

To do nothing (presupposes that you had ability to do something) when injustice is being perpetuated is to be aligned with the one doing the injustice.  The inaction is further judged by the motives for the inaction.  Obadiah says that Edom gloated over their misfortune and their words exhibited the pride in their heart. Thus God was allowing the destruction of Edom because of their arrogance and pride during the destruction of Jerusalem.

Are there injustices happening in which we are standing aloof, doing nothing?  Even more damaging could be our opinions about why the injustices are happening and how some deserve the injustice.  All the time, we are doing nothing other than talking about wrongness of the events.

Guilt will not be a strong enough motivation to keep one engaged in setting the injustice to order.  Yes, you could show up to a rally and think you have done something.  But attendance  in a rally or even holding a sign does not address the arrogance of the heart. 

The transformation to action comes in two stages.  First, we need to learn to repent.  We allow God to turn his holy lamp in our direction first.  We allow God to probe our heart, our own thinking, and our actions.  Search me, O God and see if there is found in me any wicked way!

This repentance should also include representative confession.  This means that we ask God to forgive as a collective group.  Many abortions take place in America.  When we ask God to forgive our nation, we ask as one who has participated in the wrong doing.  As a priest would go before God, he was standing there at the altar representing the sin of all of the people.  As believers we have authority to ask God to forgive our nation.  “God forgive us, for not valuing life of the unborn.  Forgive us for the shedding of innocent blood.  We have sinned and continue to sin. O God, please forgive us!”  First person language keeps us free from judging others.

Secondly, to gain the highest motivation for engaging in righting the injustice, one moves to first hand identification.  It doesn’t mean that you have to physically experience the exact same thing.  It means that you study and meditate the emotions, reactions, and circumstances that a person was going through during his or her injustice.  In the vision of Obadiah, how would you feel about a person who just sat and watched the dismantling of your home, city or country?  What is the state of hopelessness does a woman feel that she should end her child’s life?  What does a young black male think when he sees another police shooting?  Who cares if a school district is plagued with poverty, failing grades, and the disintegration of family?  Am I my brother’s keeper?

James 2:13-16  ¹³ For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.¹⁴ What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? ¹⁵ If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, ¹⁶ and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good^[b] is that?

This brother or sister may have made very bad choices that put them in their place of need.  But what if it were you that was asking?  How hungry or cold does a person have to be, before someone believes their need is legitimate?

Bad things are happening to people all around us.   Sometimes their actions put them in that bad circumstance.  Sometimes the innocent are being exploited because there is no one to defend them.  The elderly and the orphans are most exposed to this type of cruelty.

Where is the voice of the church, the body of Christ?  How does the church begin to lead in service to those who have been victims of injustice?  How is the church positioning itself to align with the abused?

Let us not be named among those who stood by and watched.

Berated by the truth

And they (soldiers) clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. ¹⁸ And they began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” ¹⁹ And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him. ²⁰ And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him. Mark 15:17-20  ESV

Don’t be surprised when a lost person states a biblical truth.  Throughout this chapter that records the death of Jesus, Mark emphasizes Jesus is the King of the Jews.  Pilate ask what will they do with this man, King of the Jews.  The soldiers beat him, while also mocking him by kneeling and proclaiming “Hail, King of the Jews!”  They put a sign on the cross with the title, Jesus, King of the Jews.  Even the religious rulers proclaimed it at the foot of the cross. ³¹ So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. ³² Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.”

Jesus was present to hear all of this mockery, from Pilate, the soldiers, the crowd and the religious leaders.  It was the truth. Knowing this, one can see Jesus anguish just before his death as He cries out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me.”  He knew He was the messiah and that he had ability to change his circumstances, but He didn’t.

One of Satan’s prominent weapons against God’ children is slander.  John records in the book of Revelation that our enemy accuses us before God night and day.  He uses truth mixed with mockery to attack us.  This is an emotionally worded attack that is surrounded by physical activity.  How do we combat these attacks?

Here are some examples of the way that he attacks

IF you are a child of God, then why are your cars breaking down? Or having money problems?

If you are truly following Christ, why are YOUR children rejecting Christianity?

If you are truly a follower of Christ, why are you stuck in addictions?

IF you are truly a child of God, why don’t you tell more people about him or support those who do?

In each of these examples, Satan attacks our identity first.  Then he twist  the truth through the struggles and persecutions that we are facing.  All of these examples are to force us to conclude that we must not be a “child of God” or at the least “NOT a very good child of God.”  When we believe what the enemy has said about us, it neutralizes God’s power and presence in our lives.  How do you fight this attack? The Cross!

Take everything the enemy is saying and in your spirit go to the foot of the cross.  Tell Jesus what the enemy has been saying and ask Jesus what his perspective is about all of the accusations.  If there is a part in which we need to confess our wrong doing, the cross is the best place to receive forgiveness.  Tell Jesus that you chose wrongly and violated his best plans for your life, then receive His forgiveness.

If the Devil is just harassing you through slander, he will not remain at the cross very long.  It reminds him of his failure and his ending.  He loses.  At the cross we bring none of our skills, pride, or good works.  We stand in front of a Holy God receiving grace and mercy.  Jesus took the slander from those at the cross that we may be free.  THE TRUTH sets us free.  There is a cleansing and strength that comes from being washed in the blood of Christ.  There is no other way for this cleansing to come.  We walk away clean and bold to declare to the enemy that as many as receive Jesus to them he gives the right to be called children of God…and that is what we are!  Quote the promises of God often about your identity in Christ.  Learn to identify the voice of slander that the enemy brings against you and stand firm in the conviction the Holy Spirit gives of righteousness.

We are berated by the truth, because we are related to the TRUTH.  Having done all to stand firm…Stand firm.

What will YOU do with this man, King of the Jews

¹² And Pilate again said to them, “Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” ¹³ And they cried out again, “Crucify him.” ¹⁴ And Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.” ¹⁵ So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged^[a] Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. Mark 15:12-15 ESV

Pilate asked great questions.  John Maxwell says that great leaders ask great questions. Questions are different than opinions.  Opinions are expressions in which we have calculated a judgment about an idea.  Questions leave an uncertainty about the outcome.  Pilate believed he had found a way to release Jesus.  However the outcome was that he should release Jesus to be crucified.

Still, Pilate ask a very probing question that has implications for each of us today.  What will YOU do with the man called King of the Jews? Here are some of the following answers.

1.       He is King of the Jews.  That has nothing to do with anyone that is not a Jew.  Why would a person in America follow a Jewish leader that lived 2000 years ago? 

2.       He was a Jewish leader, not God.  If He was God, how could they crucify him?

3.       How does his death have any impact on my life?  If he is not my King, why would I have to be subject to His rule?

4.       Let Him be king, but He doesn’t really care or know what is happening in my day to day life.  He has the whole world to govern.   If he is not that involved with my life, why should I change anything about the way I live?

5.       He is King, He is God, He is worthy of worship.  This answer is true.  But many relegate that worship to one service or day of the week.  Their words are true, but their hearts haven’t yielded their knee to His loving rule.

6.       He is my savior and king.  I owe my very life existence and next breath to him.  He forgave me of my sins and gave me a new life.  Every decision in life acknowledges his lordship for me.  Every word, action, money decision, interaction with people, behavior at work, and use of my time is subject to His approval.  For He is good and He desires the best for me in every situation.

    

What will you do with this man called King of the Jews?

To speak or not to speak?

² And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.” ³ And the chief priests accused him of many things. ⁴ And Pilate again asked him, “Have you no answer to make? See how many charges they bring against you.” ⁵ But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed. Mark 15:2-5. ESV

The Scriptures have much to say about controlling the tongue, mostly how hard it is.  We are told in James that no one can tame the tongue,  Both blessing and cursing come from our lips,  Each of us can think of times in which we wish that we had kept silent.  The proverbs record that even a fool is thought wise if he remains silent.  How do we know when to speak and when to remain quiet?

In America, the right to free speech seems to trump the scriptures.  Some would think that they have a right to say whatever they want to say, whenever they want to say it, to whomever they want.  To deny them this freedom is to take away their rights, or so they think.  However, the Miranda rights state that we also have the right to remain silent.  Again, how do we determine when to remain silent?

We are “living beings”.  This means that life is in constant motion, so there is not one answer that fits every situation.  But there are some guiding principles that can be helpful in knowing when to keep quiet.  First, learn to breathe.  Before responding to someone, learn to count three good breaths. The process of counting your breathing, lets your “will” step back into first place.  Now you have an opportunity to make good choices.  Do you really want to say what you are about to say?  Is it hurtful, is it damaging, is it degrading, is it the truth, or is it gossip and slandering?  Questions like these can be asked if we pause long enough to count our breathing.

Secondly, learn to follow the voice and nudging of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus said that Holy Spirit is a guide and teacher for all occasions.  As a man on earth, Jesus was totally dependent on the Holy Spirit to lead and guide him.  In Mark we read that immediately after Jesus was baptized, the Spirit directed him to go into the wilderness for 40 days where he was tempted by Satan.  Jesus was in constant communion with the Holy Spirit.  Jesus said on the day we go into court, don’t worry about what we will say, for the Spirit will guide us.  Ask God for ears to hear the Spirit, then begin to follow His guidance by faith.

Lastly, trust the process of repentance and confession.  We all make mistakes and say things that were hurtful and sinful.  BUT, we don’t always follow through with the steps of repentance.  Confession before God makes us own up to our failures.  How many of us are like Adam, “I wouldn’t have said what I did, if she hadn’t said something to me first.”  That is not confession that is blame shifting.  We must learn to tell God that we are sorry for not being able to control what came out of mouth.  We need to take responsibility for our actions that were spiteful and wrong.  Then we may need to follow that confession by asking forgiveness from the one who we offended.  Say something like this, “I am sorry for what I said to you.  I was wrong.  Will you please forgive me.?”  Humbling ourselves like this puts a marker in our memory.  This marker reminds us the next time we are about to say something wrong….hold up and slow down.  The marker helps us remember the pain of the last event and redirects us to choose another path.  Confession is good for the soul, because God cleanses us from the oppression of sin.

Be encouraged.  If Jesus remained silent, you can learn to do this also.  As Christians we have been given the mind of Christ.  Let us think before we speak and we may learn the art of remaining silent.

Fear of an unknown future

⁷⁰ But again he denied it. And after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, “Certainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.” ⁷¹ But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know this man of whom you speak.” ⁷² And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept.^[j]  Mark 14:70-72. ESV

Which page of sin and failure from your life would you like to have recorded in the Bible?  Peter’s denial included lying all within 12 hours of his famous, “I would die for you” declaration.  Only 12 hours and Peter failed at keeping his commitment.  Sometimes we fail to make it past lunch after the Sunday Sermon.

The circumstances are all different, but there are some common elements to our failures.  Fear of an unknown future causes us to divert from our commitments.  What would have happened to Peter if he had told the truth about knowing Jesus?  Would they have arrested him, beat him, or interrogated him?  Not knowing that future response caused Peter to deny Jesus.  Can you tell when you are fearful about not knowing the future.  When you boss ask if you performed a task that you have not completed when you told him you would…what do you say?  When your spouse ask if you made a deposit, do you make an excuse?  Not knowing how a person is going to respond causes fear to rise up and we do stupid things.  Are you sensitive to how fear affects your thinking?  Later Peter learned to trust God for his future, no matter what the outcome may be.

Second, there is a plea for “excused by ignorance”.  Peter’s first response to the servant girl, was “I don’t even know what you are talking about”.  There are times when we legitimately do not know what is expected.  But most of the time, ignorance is used as an excuse for negligence or out right rejection of doing what was expected.  Listen to your first response when questioned about actions.  If it sounds like you are parsing the letter of the law…you probably need to fess up.  Did you clean your room?  I made the bed. Did you clean all of the room? Oh, I didn’t know you wanted the whole room clean.  Learn to hear if you are using this type of defense mechanism.  Telling the truth is freedom.

Finally, Peter changed the focus of the question about knowing Jesus to a focus on himself.  He swore and cursed himself.  This is a ditch that is very easy to fall into.  When someone addresses your actions, you reply that…you always mess up, you’ve never been good enough, you are smart enough, not spiritual enough, don’t have abilities like others, or that you didn’t have the proper upbringing.  You are hoping that this deflection will lessen the impact that you failed to do what was expected.  Listen to yourself, are you using deflecting language?

 A simple response of admission is usually all that is needed.  Peter could have said, “Yes, I know him.”  Likewise, we need to let our Yes be Yes and our No should be No.

Father, help us to trust you for our future…a future that encompasses our failures and is smothered in forgiveness…a future that reveals our total dependence on you…a future that lets us make commitments and fulfill them…a future in which lying, denying and deception a rare.  Help us Oh God because we are so needy and don’t see it most of the time.  In Jesus name, Amen.

Did you smile today?

Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. Proverbs 27:17 KJV

I love to see you smile.  I created joy and happiness to be the norm for your daily experiences.  Nearly everyone smiles while looking at a young child taking their first steps.  Others enjoy watching the playfulness of their pets.  I enjoy watching each of you growing in your trust for me.

Sin, stress and the sorrow of life squeezes your spirit man.  I have made you in such a way that this compression cannot be contained.  It finds a way to express itself in your countenance.  My servant David expressed this when he wrote, “Why are you so downcast, O my soul?”  Adam and Eve not only felt the guilt of their sin, but it was revealed in their face when they looked at me as I approached them in the cool of the evening.

Each of you have the ability to see the hurt, confusion, disorientation or the uncertainty in the face of your relationships.  Speak life!  Created in my image, I have given you the ability to speak (stir up) life in one another.  The words that flow forth from your tongue have the greatest potential.  You can break the chains of hopelessness in another, just by the words you share.  Every day, you are fitted with a whole arsenal of life transforming words. 

The change in Zacchaeus started the moment when My Son, Jesus, said to him, “Zacchaeus, today I am going to your house.”  Don’t every underestimate how important inclusion is the life of a person.  When was the last time you invited someone to participate in a daily activity?  Stop waiting to be asked, go ask someone else.  Ask Me, and follow my leading, I will show you many who are in need of a word of inclusion.

The “sense of belonging” is communicated with words.  I know that some of you wanted to hear your parents, spouse, or a significate person say that they love having you in their life…it never happened or it occurred so infrequently that it failed to communicate.  I told my Son, that I take great delight in him at his baptism.  He needed this reminder as he was about to be in the wilderness for the next 40 days.

I love you and enjoy doing life with you daily.

Whispers from your Father, God..