WiseWords
I love WiseWords. You know, those things that are so wise that they must be in the Bible somewhere. Here is one of my favorite: “A luxury once tried becomes a necessity.” In my family, I can start that quote and any of them can finish it. I thought about this truth a lot during the 2008 Olympics. I enjoy watching it on my plasma television in high definition. I cannot imagine watching it on an old black and white set or even a 19 inch color TV.
I remember once when a member of the church used the phone in our house and was talking to his wife. He told her “They even have a color TV.” Now that which seemed to wonderful to him has become a common possession. We can’t go back to how things used to be. A luxury once tried becomes a necessity.
I read about one young bride who was showing her great-grandmother all of the modern conveniences in her kitchen. She showed her a garbage disposal, dishwasher, icemaker, and trash compactor. When she got through she asked her great-grandmother which modern convenience she liked best. Her great-grandmother replied, “I think I like running water the best.”
Not only does a luxury once tried become a necessity, but it also becomes an expectation and an entitlement. We must remember to be appreciative or else our possessions will possess us.
Lonnie Davis
It is a great text: Romans 5:1-5.
Rom 5:1-5
5 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
From this text we see 10 assets that come from Justification:
1. We have PEACE with God.
2. ACCESS to God.
3. we have GRACE
4. We can rejoice in Hope.
5. We can rejoice in Adversity.
6. PERSEVERANCE!
7. CHARACTER.
8. HOPE
9. The love of God
10. The Holy Spirit
It is About Him
It is Olympic time and I love watching the great athletes. My six-year-old granddaughter and I were watching the female gymnasts. As we watched a tiny girl do a big tumbling run, I tried to be clever and told her, “I can’t do that.” Instantly she responded, “I know, cause you’re too old.” I just said, “Yes, I know.”
“Too old was just an excuse,” but I kept it. Even if I were twenty I could not do those things, but for her I needed an excuse. Excuses are a part of the human fiber. Even the great men and women use them.
Moses spent his first forty years living in a palace. He spent the next forty years working as a shepherd. At eighty he had lived a full and varied life, but just when he may have been looking toward the golden years, God had another plan for Moses. From a burning bush God called Moses to go tell the Pharaoh to let God’s people go. Moses started with his excuses. First there was “Who me?” (Ex. 3:11). Next was “Who are You?” (Ex. 3:13) Though he uses other excuses the next one is the real one, “What if I fail?” Here are his exact words, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The LORD did not appear to you’?” (Ex. 4:1). Moses’ next excuse is actually the same fear of failure excuse. “O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” (Ex. 4:10).
God responds to this excuse by telling Moses that it was not about him. It was about God. God says, “Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” (Ex 4:11-12). Moses failed to understand that what God called on him to do, God would help him do.
This is the great lesson that we all need to understand. We all make excuses and we all have fear of failure, but we only need to know what he wants us to do. What God wants us to do, we can do. He will see to it. Do not ask, “Can I accomplish this?” Ask only, “Does God want me to do this?” When we attempt those things that God wills for us, we will succeed. It is not about us. It is about Him.
Lonnie Davis