November 15 2014

November 15 2015 Greetings My Friend, One of the things I find by reading the Bible daily is when “a teacher” teaches me something that is not in the Bible I now know it. To be honest I’d rather hear the “feel good messages” more than the reality of what God says at times. I have been taught that “hell and Satan” don’t exist. I’m sorry but Jesus talked about both. He even spent time in the wilderness with Satan. Satan kept tempting Jesus with things of this world and Jesus rejected those gifts for God’s truth. Jesus also taught from the O.T. and I find so many rich lessons by reading the O.T. I meet King David each year as I read the Bible and I learn that he messed up big time. He slept with another man’s wife, had her husband killed and when Nathan the Prophet called him on his evilness, King David repented with a sincere heart. King David had to pay a price for his actions but he stayed close to God and God stayed close to King David. To me King David is very real and in that reality I find peace. I find that God loves me, will keep me and also show me how to walk away from things that truly can hurt me. I do have to have a sincere heart to grow and learn and even to face my faults. I learn this lesson in both the O.T. and the N.T. When God says He doesn’t like certain things I know He means that. I also learn that if I agree with God no matter my sin that God will show me how to walk away from those things which hinder my relationship with Him. That means He does not like an adulterer but will forgive and adulterer if they seek forgiveness and walk away from that choice. It is hard for sure but over time the need to commit adultery goes away and a life of seeking to walk a more Godly life begins to consume the person. God doesn’t like the sin but He will forgive the sin if you are willing to face it, admit it and seek to walk away from it. If you justify it then you will find yourself knee deep in the ugliness of it. God has given us a choice to do life His way or our way. There will be a time you will have to pay for the choice you make. I learn these things from reading my Bible. I also learn how to be Junior’s wife by reading the Bible and prayer. If you read the Proverbs 31 woman it can be intimidating. Through the years I find that no two women have to be exactly the same. We need to care for our families in ways that work for us and with God. The norm in my childhood years was for women to stay home. In my family Dad had polio. Mom went to work to support the family and later when Dad was able he found a job he could handle. He made less money but he worked to help support the family. In the Proverbs 31 woman I see a woman who will work to provide for her home also. So staying home with a family works for some families and both parents working also works. I am grateful that Mom did go to work to support our family. I learned to let go of only one way of doing life, the wife at home and entered into the workforce as needed. Today I am a wife retired and at home. I can’t do the amount of work I’ve done in the past but I am able to keep the house in order, a warm meal on the table for Junior after he works hard. My time as a wage earner is not needed now. My health won’t let me either. So I work for my family in a way that I can. I also learn that I want to be “loved” and my husband feels loved when I am respecting him in the work he does. The Bible teaches me the things I need to learn and to ask God what He wants me to be and do. When I am in tuned to God’s Word I hear him so much more so. May God bless you and keep you make His face shine on you. Love Janet