Happy Fall! Fall is here! Enjoy coloring and relaxing today with a hot cuppa something as you memorize scripture.
October 3, 2022 – Psalm 150:6
Tag: kedgeanchor
September 26, 2022 – James 14:17
Happy Monday. We all could use a little peace in our hearts these days. Jesus has that covered.
Be Prompt to Be Quiet
Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.
James 1:19 NLT
It’s hard to be a good listener. Someone says something that triggers us. We want to stop someone in their train of thought, in their tracks to either correct them, express our disdain or just force our opinion on them. When that’s not what the Bible is telling us. Not letting someone speak and interrupting is just, well, it’s rude. Sometimes we do it because we don’t want to forget what we want to say. Well, if you happen to forget, maybe it’s for a reason. Has that happened to you then later, it comes back to you. That can be a good thing, now you have the chance to evaluate what was said and your response. Now maybe if it is something critical and ground breaking you have the opportunity to sort it out for yourself before you go spewing out words that you either regret or at this point irrelevant.
You’ve heard it before, “God gave us two ears and one mouth” for a reason. He wants us to listen more, to Him and others. “Quick to listen.” The word quick in the original Greek, ταχύς tachus takh-oos’ means; of uncertain affinity; fleet, i.e. (figuratively) prompt or ready:–swift. The word prompt stuck out to me. Prompt – being on time, punctual (Wordnik). So once again I began to think. When we are listening and the other person says something that triggers us to interrupt that should be a prompt. Just as the definition says “on time”, like an actor has a cue to deliver a line or an action, we need to be prompt in delivering silence.
This gives us the opportunity for the next part, to be slow to speak and slow to anger. What’s more important to have your opinion expressed or to just let the other person have their say regardless if it triggers something in you? When the other person is talking you then have the opportunity to ask questions. Try asking a question about that trigger. Ask why they feel that way, what lead to that conclusion, maybe the other person has a valid point, maybe they can give you more information to form your own opinion. If the other person is a good listener he or she will give you the opportunity to respond.
If the trigger is something that really rubs you the wrong way, pray about it. Ask God how you should respond. Pray for the other person. This can be a hard thing to do but it’s what God asks us to do, James 1:19. He also tells us to Pray about everything, Philippians 4:6 -“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” And as hard as it can be to keep our mouths shut and our ears open, Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.” And this can be applied to James 1:19 because it’s what God is asking us to do.
A Healthy Perspective on Evil
Are we giving the devil too much credit? When things go sideways who is to blame? Some people blame God, some people blame the devil, do we blame ourselves? Are we owning up to our sin? Or are we saying “the devil made me do it”? Sometimes it’s our own fault, our bad decisions, others throwing us in a pit, poor choices that cause us to fall in a pit. Who do we need to blame? Maybe we need a healthy perspective on evil?
The devil is the father of evil. He is the father of all lies. Evil entered this world with a thought that was a lie. Actually it was a half truth.. Half truths are a dangerous trap. It causes us to doubt God and it’s because it is not an out and out lie, it’s harder to identify. Read Genesis 3.
1 Peter 5:8 – “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” Adam and Eve were all that the devil had to seek at the time. (how hard was that?) He told Eve a lie. Lies are a trap that leads to all kinds of sin. Lies can cause us to doubt, like Eve in the Garden. She doubted what God said, that they would die if they ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. We know now that we don’t need an explanation from God as to why we need to obey, just obey. We know now that after Eve ate of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil that they would die spiritually immediately (separation from God) and a slow human death. So when God gives us an directive, we need to trust Him and obey Him. He may or may not tell us afterwards why. He is God, He can do anything He wants.
Sinning began with a lie and it still holds true today. The devil may have dominion over the world and is the father of all lies, John 8:44, but he has no place in the world or mind or life of a Christian and sometimes we open that door and let him in renting space in our minds. How many times does a thought enter our minds, one that can cause us to doubt, one that causes us to believe something suspicious about someone, or a fearful thought? Our minds are a battlefield. It’s the devil’s primary way to attack us. We need to put on the full armor of God, Ephesians 6:11, we need to protect our minds with the Belt of Truth. We need to filter each thought through God’s word. 2 Corinthians 10:5 – “We are destroying arguments and all arrogance raised against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,” (NASB). Especially the thoughts that cause doubt, a fearful thought should be a warning. 2 Timothy 1:7 – “for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” (ESV). We do not have to give in to fearful thoughts. They are not from God.
The Bible tells us in Romans 12:2 – “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” I may not know the exact specifications of God’s will for me, BUT I know this, I can discern what is fear, I can discern what is not good and what is not pleasing to God and all that is not from God. So how do we renew our minds? By reading the God’s word daily, by praying through everything at all times without ceasing, (emphasis mine)Ephesians 6:18 and 1 Thessalonians 5:17. (Just as side note here about God’s plan, He may not reveal the specifics of that plan because HE IS the plan, the Way, the Truth and the Life and while I make plans He directs my steps – Proverbs 16:9).
Look at Job. The devil had to go to God first before attacking God’s servant. Though there may not be a specific verse saying that the devil has to go to God first, I do believe that God is ultimately in control, Satan is limited right now. Satan is NOT omniscient, God has no equal, God has no rival, God’s name is above all names. Colossians 1:17 – “He is before ALL things, and in Him ALL things hold together.” (emphasis mine) God goes before us in in the valleys and on the mountain tops. Isaiah 41:10- He upholds us with His righteous right hand. Philippians 2:9-11 – “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
So though God may allow an attack from the devil, rest assured it is part of God’s plan and He is still with us through the fire and the flood. Proverbs 15:3 – “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.” Job 28:24 – “For he looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.” Jeremiah 23:24 – “Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord.” Here is a link to some more verses to read, for the sake of the length of this post.
The devil isn’t behind every seemingly bad situation. Sometimes it’s just our own dumb fault. Sometimes it’s just a bad choice The trial or test that comes along that appears to have the devils signature on it… have you considered that God is allowing it? The devil can meet us in the valley or the mountain top waiting for us to be find ourselves in another valley. Our Christian walk are the roads to and from the valleys and the mountain tops. We are either traveling through a valley or sitting on a mountain top. God works together all things for our good and His glory- Romans 8:28. We need to remind ourselves that if we are followers of Jesus, we are going to be attacked. Jesus said that we would have trouble in this world but He has overcome the world – John 16:33. So the devil may be behind it but God is still in control, which brings me far greater comfort than hearing someone say “Oh it’s just Satan. He knows his time is limited and he’s doing all he can.” While that may be true, personally, and I don’t know about you, but that isn’t helping me, how is that comforting? This is where, I believe we are giving the devil too much credit. It may explain a few things, but not everything. To me that statement could be a half truth. And half truths cause us to doubt. It’s not explaining that God may be allowing this trial or unpleasant circumstance to grow us. Perhaps if we are going to use that statement we need to follow it up with John 16:33 and Romans 8:28. Satan may behind something gone sideways BUT (be careful where you put your but) the more important part about this is GOD IS IN CONTROL! He will never leave us or forsake us.
Someone once told me that “God grows us through what we grow through.” So is it safe to say; we need to look for God working in every situation, not the devil’s doing? We need to own up to our sin and wrong doings and stop giving the devil credit for what God may be allowing.
September 5, 2022 – Colossians 3:23
August 29, 2022 Pslam 146:5
Today’s coloring page and Psalm 146:5 made me think of the Israelites wondering in the wilderness. Their grumbling and complaining caused them to doubt and disobey God. And it’s really easy to do. How often do you find yourself complaining? It can appear that we are ungrateful for what God has provided. Like a child who doesn’t appreciate the amount of cookies the parent allows him or her to eat and can throw a tantrum because more was expected.
God always provides what we need. We just aren’t always expecting what He gives us, be it more or less, we always have an idea of the outcome we want whilst God has His own plan and purpose. We need to have open minds to what God has for us.
The remedy for this is to recall how God has provided in the past and be thankful for His provisions. Being joyful and thankful, recalling God’s goodness is hope to those who have the Lord their God as their helper
What was Meant for Evil, God Means for Good.
A while back, I was working in South Florida during Hurricane Andrew. After the storm, a co-worker was sharing a report of a church in the area that had been flattened. Bibles and hymnals strewn all over the neighborhood. Papers, bulletins everything that was inside was now outside. Down the street was an adult store, what appeared to be untouched by the storm.
Many people were asking “why”? Why would God allow the church to be destroyed and the adult store untouched? Some would see it as evil. But what was meant for evil, God meant for good. Think about it for a second if the scenario was reversed. What if the adult store was demolished and the church was unscathed? Think about all the pornographic magazines and books strewn about the neighborhood for anyone to see. Now I don’t know if there was any internal damage, which very well may have happened, but God was protecting the neighborhood.
The church could and would rebuild. As far as the adult store, I don’t know. But the point here is God is in control. God was actually protecting the neighborhood from the pornography being exposed. One can definitely say the word of God was spread that day. God’s creation may be suffering from the effects of sin, such as enduring storms, decay, etc. but God is still in control. Like the disciples in the boat with Jesus, Matthew 8:23-27. The disciples freaked, Jesus slept, the storm raged. One thing the disciples did,(even though they were freaking out) they did seek Jesus in the storm, (isn’t that what we should do when we are freaking out?) even though He was right there, they were frightened, so they called on Him. Except now we don’t have to wake Him, He is available 24/7!!
Maybe we should be looking more for God’s work in what seems to be the work of evil. Was it bad that the church was destroyed? Jesus said the temple would be restored in three days, John 2:19. His blood was strewn all over the day He sacrificed His life for us. Evil may have been done to Him, but what He did for us was far from evil. His sacrifice ordained by His Father, Jesus’ willingness to go to the cross, was grace, mercy, and love for us all!
No matter the storm, seek Jesus, look for the good He means.
August 22, 2022 – Isaiah 6:8
How are we serving our communities, our neighborhoods? We are only as effective as we let God use us. We can be physically present but unless we are answering God’s call… we aren’t going to be affective.
August 15, 2022 Isaiah 6:3
August 8, 2022 – Nehemiah 8:10
” … the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Have you ever wondered exactly what that meant or means for us today? Click here to read a recent post about the joy of the Lord.
The Kedge Anchor 
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