The Simple Life

On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses— though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth; but I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:5-10 (ESV)   There is no excuse for not serving God. He does n...

But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you. 2 Corinthians 4:7-12 (ESV)   How do I display that God's power is superior to mine? Paul indicates that the beatings he had taken have proven God's superior power. The more his enemies threw at him, the better God's power was displayed, so God and Paul won!   We were created to glorify or display who God is in a Godless world, and life's circumstances give us ample opportunity to accomplish this mission.   Paul understood thi...

And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 (ESV)   What would it mean to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified? This could be referring to the sin of "busybodies," which is listed as a sin along with murder and others throughout the New Testament.   Paul was not a busybody; he was a busy-body. He worked during the day as a missionary Paul, and at night as a tentmaker Paul. He looked for every opportunity to bring Christ to those with whom he was in contact, and he saw all circumstances as opportunities rather than burdens. ...

For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 (ESV)   Christ gives things without status, status. He surpasses all the world brags about, hopes for, and portrays. He is all a person needs to find significance and security in this world.   "Luther says this: "Next unto my just cause the small repute and mean aspect of my person gave the blow to the Pope; for when I began to preach and write the Pope scorned and contemned me. He thought, 'Tis but one poor friar; what can he do against me?' I have maintained and defended this doctrine in Popedom, against emperors,...

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. Romans 8:26 (ESV)   Trying to position ourselves for praise is futile. In our own strength, we can accomplish nothing. We do not have the thoughts, words, or actions needed to defeat the enemy, and we often aid evil efforts by pretending we are competent.   Every human has perspective leaving us vulnerable to false ideas, hopes, and dreams. God is love and does not have perspective and should be trusted.   I am thankful God has not left the final call to me but has placed me in a position to watch Him work.   This truth is not demeaning but empowering in that God working through us is our hope of glory. https://www.podbean.com/relate365

Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on my high places. To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. Habakkuk 3:17-19 (ESV   Circumstances in life should not dictate our attitudes or purposes. If our circumstances change our purposes, then we have the wrong purpose to start with. God can make any circumstance part of the victory.   For example, the stoning of Stephen was a victory for Stephen. The crucifixion brought salvation to all people. Daniel and his friends brought kings into the presence of God through the fiery furnace and the lions' den. Noah saved the human race by building a boat on a mountain. God deals with the difficult, whereas you and I need to...

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 (ESV   What does it mean for God to be your God? It means that fear and being dismayed are not a part of your life. It means that you are dependent and, therefore, strong when weak.   The love of God is constant and beyond our comprehension. His love gives us our position in Christ and allows us to rest in whatever circumstance we find ourselves.   There are no illnesses, bullets, or bombs that can destroy God's plan for us. So in that, we can and should rest.   Those who continue to live in fear of life's circumstances do not know God or fear Him. There is an answer for that. https://www.podbean.com/relate365

There are never enough concessions to satisfy the self-centered person. We cannot be kind enough to the one who demands kindness. We can never be generous enough to the one who requires gifts. Those who demand affirmation cannot be affirmed enough. People who demand service are never satisfied with the service they receive.  Those basking in authority and power are never satisfied with those who submit.  The wealthy are not satisfied with their income, the comfortable are not happy with their comfort, and those who live in a land of plenty are never satisfied with the plenty.  Our distorted view of self makes contentment available yet seldom experienced. We will never experience peace if we constantly focus on our circumstances. Peace is only available to those who are satisfied in who they are in Christ and trust the lot He has given them.  I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have ...

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:28-31 (ESV)   Have you not known? Have you not heard? Why not?   How does one act who knows that God is the Creator of the ends of the earth, that His understanding is beyond our capacity, and that He strengthens the weak and never tires? Why wouldn't we know this about God?   Our actions are always in step with what we know and believe; they tell us more about our beliefs than our words. If we know God, we will describe Him as this passage describes Him.   If I were...

For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, "In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength." But you were unwilling…. Isaiah 30:15 (ESV)   There is something "golden" about quietness and trust. Those who are genuinely confident need not constantly discuss why they are confident. They need no social media posts, debates, or polls to prove their confidence. Our lives demonstrate the obvious, and we do not need to confirm the obvious through rhetoric.   Those who excel at sports need not tell people they excel; it will be evident. Likewise, those who are wise or in positions of authority need not debate their smartness or authority, for those things will be evident.   I do not need to argue about God's love and provision; I must live in that context. As I do this, my words can be few, and my quietness and trust become my strength. https://www.podbean.com/relate365

1 Praise the LORD! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting. 2 The LORD builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the outcasts of Israel. 3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. 4 He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names. 5 Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure. 6 The LORD lifts up the humble; he casts the wicked to the ground. 7 Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; make melody to our God on the lyre! 8 He covers the heavens with clouds; he prepares rain for the earth; he makes grass grow on the hills. 9 He gives to the beasts their food, and to the young ravens that cry. 10 His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man, 11 but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.   We should always fear those who have power over us because they have control. Those who ignore o...

Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works! Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice! Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually! Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered…. Psalm 105:1-5 (ESV)   Those who love and walk with God naturally tell others of God's faithful provisions. We often thank God when we understand that all good gifts are from God. We thank Him in public and private, good and evil, always hopeful and confident. This will always contrast a hopeless world, and contrast is what brings people to Christ.   Throughout history, we have been led to believe that similarity brings people into the family of God. Light contrasts darkness. Committed marriages between one man and woman contrast arrangements between anyone. Love contrasts hate, right contrasts wrong, ...

Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O LORD of hosts, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise! Selah, Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion. Psalm 84:3-5 (ESV)   We are blessed when our strength is in God. Once again, God makes it so anybody, anywhere, can gain strength. So today, all people in all places can be blessed--the prisoner, the government official, the beggar, the sports star, the housewife, the laborer, or the retired. The requirement for this strength is to have our hope in God alone.   One of life's great dangers is placing our hope in something God uses and abandoning God. God may use money, time, medication, or some kind words to help heal your body and soul, yet our trust and hope need to always be in Him and not His tools.   Anxiety, despair, and depression can easily be the fruits of mis...

Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:25-26 (ESV)   Those who seek and enjoy God have sought and enjoy life. Those who ignore Him cannot see or experience life.   J. Tillotson said this: "Nothing that is short of all this can make us happy: and no creature, no, not the whole creation, can pretend to be all this to us. All these properties meet only in God, who is the perfect and supreme good; and, consequently, God is the only happiness of man. "   God is man's only happiness, and those who sell themselves out to money, fortune, fame, power, and more will one day be crushed by their resources.   There is a beautiful story of Thomas Aquinas. One day, while worshipping in the chapel where he was accustomed to performing his devotions, the Saviour appeared to him and said, "Thomas, thou hast written much and well concerni...

Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth, I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy. Let me dwell in your tent forever! Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings! Psalm 61:1-4 (ESV)   Lifestyles enable us to declare that He has been our refuge. When life begins to spin out of control, it is wise to repeat what we know rather than what we feel. Here, David repeats what he knows and has experienced; eventually, his feelings change.   During the quiet times in life, we are building a reservoir of truth that will need to be repeated when the storms of life encompass us. Therefore, those who stray from the truth during quiet times have no resources to count on when times are rough.   If life is calm today, enjoy God. If life is rough today, enjoy God.   For those who live right, some things never change.   https://www.podbean.com/rel...

The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength. The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue. Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine. Psalm 33:16-19 (ESV)   On what do you focus in your life? Do you seek great power, resources, or strength? Can what you desire deliver you in times of absolute disaster?   God made it so that all who fear Him are on a level playing field, and all who choose to can fear Him. This fear of God aligns us with success in life and death. This is a verse that states the simple and the obvious.   Those who ignore God and trust themselves will one day need to pull themselves out of an impossible pit. Then it will be too late to change their ways. The wise choice is to seek and fear God.   Psalm 34:21-22 (ESV) 21 Affliction will slay the ...

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1 (ESV)   What is it that you fear? Why?   We need to be careful to avoid unwise counselors and to "trust our trust." (In essence, trust that we have trusted. C.S. Robinson quote) Satan often reminds us of our doubts and fears, and he is quick to reinforce our erroneous thinking by affirming Godless influences. Three out of four of Job's friends were wrong in their assessment of Job's condition, and Job was wise to avoid their counsel.   You cannot grow any plant that you keep uprooting. God is your light and salvation; therefore, you shall fear nothing or no one. If your hope for light and salvation falls on anyone or anything else, you will wilt. If the stronghold of your life is your family, friends, job, health, etc., you will fear.   Those who know God love God, and those who love Him, obey Him, while living in harmony with His cre...

I love you, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. Psalms 18:1-3 (ESV)   Those who speak like this know God. How do you talk about God? When the name of God is mentioned, where does your mind go?   If you know God, you love Him. If you are weak, you will recognize His strength. If you seek security, you will acknowledge His ability to stabilize your life.   If you have been paying attention to the hopeless, meaningless Godless world, you will see that God is worthy of praise. As you have lived right, your enemies will attack you, yet God will save you from all assaults. On the other hand, if you do not know and love God, you will be anxious, depressed, angry, and hopeless.   You can choose to know God, or you can choose to live in ignorance. Either way, th...

Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually! Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles and the judgments he uttered, 1 Chronicles  16:11-12  (ESV)   God has revealed Himself through His creation and through His Son. If I have not honestly sought Him, I do not know Him. Therefore, not knowing God is not God's problem; it is mine.   We should all seek God, and the promise that comes with seeking is the fact that we will find. This places the responsibility for knowing God on me.   When a young person comes and tells me that they do not know God or cannot find Him, I usually tell them that they are not truly looking for Him. Looking for a God to confirm your lifestyle or sin, or to exist within the scope of your personal preferences and understanding is not seeking God.   Seeking God means you are honestly looking to discover who He is so you can place yourself in the right place in the universe. Apart from God, this life and...

With the merciful you show yourself merciful; with the blameless man you show yourself blameless; with the purified you deal purely, and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous. You save a humble people, but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them down. For you are my lamp, O LORD, and my God lightens my darkness. For by you I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall. This God—his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God? This God is my strong refuge and has made my way blameless. 2 Samuel 22:26-33 (ESV)   Max O'Rell has well and wittily said that people are divided into two classes—those who complain that roses have thorns and those who rejoice that thorns have roses. People see God differently, even though God cannot be defined through personal experiences or expectations. If you ignore God, you will attempt to minimize Him...

He will guard the feet of his faithful ones, but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness, for not by might shall a man prevail. 1 Samuel 2:9 (ESV)   He will guard the faithful, meaning He will not safeguard the unfaithful. In fact, wicked people who ignore God and live in sin, apart from the way it is intended to be, will have many regrets. All things are not equal between those who are faithful and those who are not.   The faithful are faithful because they know God and act like they know God. They are faithful because they know we were created to love God, and that obedience demonstrates our love for God. They are faithful, so their lives are not futile. They are faithful because they have learned that there is no life apart from death. They are faithful because they know that is the only way to please God.   God guards the faithful, for they are beacons of hope to a hopeless world, and He loves the people of this world.   How would God classify you? Why?   ht...

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9 (ESV)   Why would someone doing what God wants him to do need strength and courage? Because we are in a real war, and those who do what is right will always be opposed by those who are evil.   Satan is strong, powerful, and on the prowl. Those who honor God are prime targets for His devious ways, and God allows Him some room to manipulate circumstances. To successfully execute God's marching orders, one must demonstrate strength and courage, so God's command to Joshua aligns with what would be typical and expected.   What is typical and expected in your life? Are you frightened, anxious, or living in dismay? If so, the circumstances in your life may be obscuring or destroying your purpose. Our purpose should never change, and our circumstances will always help clarify and demonstrate our purpose unless we have thin...

The LORD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him,  my father's God, and I will exalt him. Exodus 15:2 (ESV)   The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Psalm 18:2 (ESV)   If we had to fill in the blank after the statement "The Lord is my _____” what would it be? David filled it in with strength, song, salvation, rock, fortress, and deliverer in whom he could take refuge.   God already is someone, and what we think of Him will affect how we live, not who He is. God should be discovered, not created, and those who know Him use the exact descriptive words throughout the Scriptures.   If you do not think of God as your strength, song, salvation, rock, fortress, or deliverer, then perhaps you do not know Him. Therefore, this is the perfect time to commit to this new year to know Him and to make Him known...