Stop And Think

Friday, ‎April ‎21, ‎2023

Good morning, Lord

Verse of the Day: John 10:28-30

And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.”

Memory of the Month: John 10:27-28

27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

Today's reading: 2 SAMUEL 12-13 LUKE 16

Hold it-Think...

Oil prices have gone back up and a lot of people in the oil field have lost their jobs due to pipelines being shut down.

Back up-hold it-think-Jesus said,

"44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous...Matthew 5

21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. Matthew 18:21-22

Hate takes over so quickly. It destroys the best of times-and these are not the best of times, worldly speaking.

When nothing else works, try injecting a little humor. My mother used to say:

"Holdyetater", meaning to stop, freeze, don't move, wait. It means to stop and think and don't jump off without a soft spot to land.

So,

"Holdyetater"-take that hateful thinking captive by God's word. Hate jumps up and runs and if your gate is not closed, it takes a while to chase it down and by that time it is too late to take back whatever else has come out of your mouth.

Genghis Khan made a gift to a city in 1207 of 1000 cats and 1000 swallows and then set them ablaze simultaneously. The poor creatures set the city ablaze while the Kahn breached the walls of the city.

While we sit and hate over some politician's statement, how many others are doing the same? How much hate does it take to destroy a country while the enemy tears down the walls.

Stop, take it captive and pass it along to your friends and neighbors. Don't sit at coffee or on the phone and spread the fires of hate and discord. Speak life. And don't just speak life-live it from a free heart that has taken the hate captive and locked up in a 'God-strong' place.

They say it takes more muscles to frown-no it does not-no expression is a frown on a face that has lived as long as mine-gravity says so-

It takes much effort to dig deep and find joy in bad times but that is what Jesus died for. Jesus did not die so we could live with complaints on our lips from the hate in our hearts.

He died that our joy would be full.

Holdyetater...think...back up...secure that gate to hate and live as a free heart in Christ Jesus. There is too much work to do to wallow in the slime of hate.

There is an entire life of peace and joy and love that does not travel with hate...

Forgive and judge not.

...because He loves us ...

Father in Heaven,

Forgive me for jumping quickly into hate. Strengthen my resolve to stand in You and forgive and love in peace.

Great Father of mercy and grace!

In the name of Jesus,

Amen