Negative or Positive

Ezekiel 13: ²² Because you disheartened the righteous with your lies, when I had brought them no grief, and because you encouraged the wicked not to turn from their evil ways and so save their lives, ²³ therefore you will no longer see false visions or practice divination. I will save my people from your hands. And then you will know that I am the Lord.’”

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It was a small still voice that told me to encourage this particular person so I did. That person desperately needed to hear the words of encouragement. The next day there was a preacher who said some words in a way that I did not agree. “I wonder if I need to tell that person what they did wrong?” was the first thought that came to mind.

• Sometimes I want to discourage the righteous people with “my” opinion.
• Sometimes I want to dishearten the righteous people with “my” thinking.
• Sometimes I want to disagree with the righteous people because I want “my” voice heard.

When I want the spotlight so badly I may try to argue “my” point or fight to be heard rather than being led by GOD. This quarrelsome behavior causes discouragement rather than building people up for the LORD, meanwhile I have not gone to the people who “do” need to hear encouragement to change their ways. GOD wants me to make a choice.

• GOD wants me to choose my words carefully and not twist HIS words into mine.
• GOD wants me to stay away from discouraging words by seeking the best for people.
• GOD wants me to encourage people to change their ways and focus on GOD rather than looking at me.

Negativity is all around, from television to work to neighbors, it is hard pressed to hear an encouraging word. BUT GOD says “encourage people to follow ME.” GOD is truly amazing, I feel encouraged by HIS word.

• Are you speaking negativity?
• Do your words tear people down or build people up?
• Can you stop using your poisonous negative words and build “that” person up?
• Will you go out and encourage a person to follow GOD today?

Do NOT Trust Your Instincts

Psalm 146: ¹ Praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord, my soul.

² I will praise the Lord all my life;
    I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
³ Do not put your trust in princes,
    in human beings, who cannot save.
⁴ When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;
    on that very day their plans come to nothing.
⁵ Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
    whose hope is in the Lord their God.

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Running had never made me excited and this particular day it was no exception. It was “time to run” and I didn’t feel like it but I started on my trek anyway. “Why are you doing this?” popped in my mind as I approached the first mile. “You can’t make it” was the thought at mile five. “Everyone is faster than you and you will not finish” was the thought at mile fifteen. “Just give up” was the inclination when I hurt my ankle at mile twenty two. With 4.2 miles left I had a decision, press on or give up.

• Sometimes I feel like giving up.
• Sometimes it seems like the task in front of me is too great.
• Sometimes my thoughts are full of fear and my answer to fear is fear.

Fortunately I pressed on. I walked three miles with a slight limp and it seemed like even the slowest people who I passed hours earlier had caught up and passed me. My “comparison to other runners” thinking was thrown out the window and my pride was adjusted to simply finishing the race. As I approached the last mile I developed a trot that turned into a gallop. I crossed the finish line before they shut everything down and I was elated.

• GOD wants me to trust HIM rather than trusting in my abilities.
• GOD wants me to trust HIM rather than thinking I have all the answers.
• GOD wants me to trust HIM rather than paying attention to the stuff that pops in my head.

My thoughts can question GOD and sometimes the thoughts of others can be confusing. I mean my fears mixed with another person’s fears create a super fear that GOD allows me to hold onto. HE wants me to grow up and have trust, drawing on the many great and marvelous experiences HE has taken me through in the past. HE wants me to rebuke fear and trepidation while grabbing onto compassion for others as well as myself. GOD does not want me to trust any instinct but HIS and HE provides HIS word, HIS SPIRIT and HIS people to guide me.

• Are you listening to yourself?
• Have you been listening to your own instincts too long?
• Can you ask GOD to break down what you have been holding onto for years?
• Will you allow HIM to guide you by reflecting on what HE has brought you through in the past?

Horoscopes, science or GOD, which do I believe in?

1 John 4: ¹ Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. ² This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God

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“Where is the newspaper” I asked. This question probably confused my parents since I had not demonstrated any interest in it before. I had just discovered “my sign” and I wanted to check the horoscopes to see if the prediction would come true. I should have had some suspicion with a name like “horoscope” which sounds like some microscope that looks at horror!

“Their prediction was absolutely right” I thought to myself. I think it said something like “you are warm and loving but beware of people who are not.” “How could they know?” my gullibility asked.

• There are many conflicting stories that take GOD out of the picture.
• Scientists try hard to prove GOD does not exist.
• Psychics, palm readers and fortune tellers desire to make money at the expense of being contrary to GOD.

There are many stories of people being shunned for telling the truth about GOD. This has caused some to desire to be quiet about their faith and blend into the crowd. GOD wants me to be bold with my faith, telling all about HIS SON no matter what the worldly consequences are.

• GOD gets excited when I speak about JESUS.
• GOD loves when I tell people HE took my sentence of death by dying in my place.
• GOD is thrilled when I ignore the attempts to explain HIS work through what a human feels or can see.

I went through a stage where I questioned GOD’s existence because of all the terrible things that were happening in my life. BUT GOD has been faithful to me throughout the years and I have been blessed to see HIS marvelous works in many lives. GOD wants me to remain focused on the truth and that truth is JESUS.

• What do you believe in?
• Do you believe in science more than GOD?
• Are you seeking your future in fortune cookies, horoscopes or other general predictions?
• Can you believe that GOD loved you so much that HE would do anything for you, even die for you?
• Will you believe that JESUS is now alive and has been placed over everything?