Throw some shade

Pr. 10:12:  Hatred stirs up trouble; love overlooks the wrongs that others do.

Overlooks the wrongs.  Doesn’t take notice.  Covers up.  Makes up for.  Forgives.

We went back to WV last weekend and kayaked about 3 miles down the river.  It was hot that day, and the river was low, which mean there wasn’t much current.  That can make some fun rapids, and it can be nice to be on the calm water for a bit; but after a while, it gets hotter, and the sun starts baking your skin.

As the temperature increased and my skin began to turn more red, I found myself seeking out the shady areas of the river.  I was looking for a reprieve.  I was looking for some relief.

I thought about how often, in life, others around us are looking for a reprieve.  They’re just looking for someone to let-up for a while because life has been baking them so much and things have been uncomfortable for some time.  They just need some relief.

Maybe that means we don’t remind them every time we see them of how disappointed we are with their choices, but instead we seek out some way to tell them how proud we are of something they’ve done.

Perhaps it means we don’t offer any advice this time, but just let them talk it out, and then we say we’re sorry for their pain and show them love.

Maybe it means we need to forgive them once and for all, and never bring it up again.

We could just need to completely change the way we speak.  God can help with that.

Sometimes, just remembering that there have been times in our own lives when we have needed a reprieve, and just a little relief, instead of the constant beating down from outside sources.

If there is something that isn’t right between someone and the Lord, you can ask the Holy Spirit to guide you about if you should speak or not, and then if so how and when.  I can assure you; however, that He won’t tell you to not let up and bring it up to them each time you see them, making them feel as though they are a failure or out of His reach.

In fact, praying for people is one of the most beautiful acts of love there is.  Not for our own will and way, but genuine prayers of love for those that we love, just as we would pray for ourselves.  God knows each one of our needs and will work out the plans He has for each one of our lives.  He can be trusted.  Hasn’t He show that in your own life?

Let’s give others some shade (in the best way), when we’re around them, and be the relief this world so badly needs.

“If you love each other, everyone will know that you are my disciples.”  Jo. 13:35

loving you,

jamie

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An unseen enemy

I joined my son in tubing down the Greenbrier a few weeks ago.  Walk up, ride down, and repeat.  As we walked up once, I saw a water snake hiding in the grass.  It headed upstream as we got closer.

My son weren’t fighting the current that day, or the rocks just under the tubes…that wasn’t what we really needed to worry about…and that wasn’t I was watching out for.  I was looking out of the corner of my eye for what I knew was unseen.

Eph. 6:12 says that we are fighting evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.  We aren’t fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but things we can’t see.

Therefore, we need to put on our armor so we will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil.  Then after the battle we will still be standing firm.  (The armor is described in Eph. 6:14-17)  And we are to PRAY in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion and stay alert!

My son didn’t even realize that I had been keeping an eye out the entire time.  Having grown up in the waters of WV, I knew that a snake was most definitely lurking in there somewhere.  They blend in so well, you can’t see them until you’re right up on them or they move.

I stopped my son, and we let it get well ahead of us before we continued.  The truth is that the snake had been there all along, hiding in the shallows, and we had gone by it at least 12 times.

I was definitely staying alert on that river.  I knew there was enemy somewhere.  So, when I saw it, I was able to protect us.

We also have an unseen enemy, who is skilled at keeping us worrying about all the wrong things, and we need to stay alert and keep praying, so God can give us that same pause and wisdom I had when I saw my enemy.  He can, and He will.  He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

This song came on during my worship time this morning, and fits perfectly to this thought.  The waves and wind still know His name…He is still in control…and is still greater than he that is in this world.  If we keep our eyes on Him, it will be well with our souls.

I hope you can take a few moments sometime to today and worship the One who is still in control of all things, and gives you the shield of faith to stop all the fiery arrows of the devil!  Our enemy will never be stronger than our Lord.

Pray and stand firm,

jamie

On their behalf

In yesterday’s blog, I talked about how we should show love to those in pain and trials and not offer judgment and accusations, in the way that Job’s friends did.  I also mentioned how we can pray for those we know who are in pain.  I wanted to talk more on that today, because that is probably the one of the most important things we can do, and yet sometimes we neglect it.

In Matthew 8:5-13, we find the record of Jesus and a centurion.  The centurion’s servant was lying at home paralyzed, and in terribly agony and pain.  (Some versions of the Bible say he was dreadfully tormented.  yikes!)

The centurion came to Jesus, asking Him to heal his servant.  This story is powerful in so many ways.  If you haven’t read it in a while, or ever, I encourage you to read it.

The centurion knew, and acknowledged that Jesus was powerful enough that He need only speak the word and His servant could be healed.  He didn’t even require that Jesus come to his home to do it.  He knew Jesus could do it from right where He stood.

And this is the part I want to stress:  The centurion’s faith alone was great enough that Jesus marveled at it.  (vs. 10)  The servant’s faith was never called into question.  Perhaps his was just as great.  Maybe it wasn’t.  All we know is that the centurion interceded on the servant’s behalf, and that the servant was healed that same hour.

We are called not only to love our neighbors as ourselves, but also to pray for one another that we may be healed. (Ja. 5:16)

Unless they’ve told us it’s the case, we never need to tell someone that they aren’t being healed or delivered from their trial because their faith isn’t strong enough.  We need to intercede on their behalf.  We never need to accuse someone of being sick or in trials due to sin, but we need to pray for them.

What the centurion did on his servant’s behalf is an excellent example of how we should live.  Job, as well, before his children died, offered up offerings to the Lord just in case his children had sinned.  These are excellent examples of people who are going to the Lord on behalf of others.

Not everyone will be healed.  Is that hard to hear?  God has plans for people that sometimes do not include healing, because He uses people in so many different ways.  But that should never stop us from asking.  We do not know His plans.  We need to ask.  We need to seek.

Above all, though, what we need to seek, for ourselves and for each other, is a relationship with Him, which will keep us calm in every storm, every trial, and every sickness.

Let’s be interceders and never accusers,

jamie