Mist and Miracles

They answered, “Show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you. What can you do?” (NLT) -John 6:30
When we are looking for a miracle it’s much harder to find one. When we aren’t expecting a miracle, we fail to recognize them. Our minds are less focused on God because we are steeped in our logical culture. Therefore, our hearts are hardened to miracles and when it happens we don’t attribute it to God. Are we hardening our hearts to the miracles God has done and will do for us? Don’t let a miracle be like the mist…sometimes it’s not there and sometimes it is, and when it is, we can’t feel it. Loosen your heart and be on the lookout for mist and miracles.
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CONSTRUCTIVE COMPLAINING

“So Moses brought their case before the Lord.” Nu 27:5 NKJV

When you get a reputation as a complainer, people will begin to avoid you. There’s an interesting story in the Old Testament about the five daughters of Zelophehad. Here was their problem. Their father had died in the wilderness before the Israelites entered the Promised Land. He had no sons to inherit his land, and the law didn’t allow women to receive it. Consequently, without a father, brothers, husbands, sons, or other men in their immediate family, Zelophehad’s daughters were left out completely. It wasn’t fair, but it was the law. So rather than complaining to others, the sisters presented their “petition for an inheritance” to Moses and the leaders. And When Moses brought their case before God, He agreed with the women and granted their request (See Nu 27:1-11). Now, what do you think the outcome would’ve been if they’d gone around whining to everyone and anyone who’d listen instead of going directly to those who could do something about it, namely Moses and God? It’s doubtful they’d have obtained their inheritance. Understand this: God can’t bless complainers! The sin of complaining angered Him to the extent He stopped an entire generation of Israelites from inheriting the Promised Land when they were standing on the very threshold. You say, “Well, I’ve suffered an injustice, so who should I complain to?” The Lord, the One who can do something about it! The Psalmist wrote, “I pour out my complaint before Him; I declare my trouble before Him” (Ps 142:2 NAS). And that’s the best advice you can take!

Ezekiel 34:26 I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing

Here is sovereign mercy-“I will give them the shower in its season.” Is it not sovereign, divine mercy?-for who can say, “I will give them showers,” except God? There is only one voice which can speak to the clouds, and bid them beget the rain. Who sendeth down the rain upon the earth? Who scattereth the showers upon the green herb? Do not I, the Lord? So grace is the gift of God, and is not to be created by man. It is also needed grace. What would the ground do without showers? You may break the clods, you may sow your seeds, but what can you do without the rain? As absolutely needful is the divine blessing. In vain you labour, until God the plenteous shower bestows, and sends salvation down. Then, it is plenteous grace. “I will send them showers.” It does not say, “I will send them drops,” but “showers.” So it is with grace. If God gives a blessing, He usually gives it in such a measure that there is not room enough to receive it. Plenteous grace! Ah! we want plenteous grace to keep us humble, to make us prayerful, to make us holy; plenteous grace to make us zealous, to preserve us through this life, and at last to land us in heaven. We cannot do without saturating showers of grace. Again, it is seasonable grace. “I will cause the shower to come down in his season.” What is thy season this morning? Is it the season of drought? Then that is the season for showers. Is it a season of great heaviness and black clouds? Then that is the season for showers. “As thy days so shall thy strength be.” And here is a varied blessing. “I will give thee showers of blessing.” The word is in the plural. All kinds of blessings God will send. All God’s blessings go together, like links in a golden chain. If He gives converting grace, He will also give comforting grace. He will send “showers of blessing.” Look up to-day, O parched plant, and open thy leaves and flowers for a heavenly watering.

Keep the Trash Out

A wise person is hungry for knowledge,
     while the fool feeds on trash. — Proverbs 15:14 (NLT)

Several weeks ago, millions of people were glued to their TVs watching this year’s Super Bowl event. It’s interesting to note that studies have shown while roughly half the audience is watching because of the football game, the other half actually watches for the commercials. Companies create ads so engaging that what is typically perceived as an interference in our entertainment is actually seen as entertainment itself.

But we all know the real reason why companies put together such ads — it’s to increase their sales. In fact, companies spend a whopping $5 million for a 30-second time slot during the Super Bowl and $8 million for 60 seconds. All this proves what ad companies already know: what we see profoundly impacts what we do.

In Proverbs we read: “A wise person is hungry for knowledge, while the fool feeds on trash.” Or as we sometimes say, “garbage in, garbage out.” Whatever goes in, must come out. So if a wise person hungers for knowledge and consumes knowledge, he or she is going to make wise decisions about how to act. On the other hand, a fool “feeds on trash.” A fool is drawn toward foolishness and, as a result, acts foolishly.

What are we feeding ourselves?

In the original Hebrew Bible, there is a phenomenon that occurs every so often where a word is written one way, but we are instructed to read it another way. In this verse, we read that the fool’s mouth desires foolishness, but it actually is written that a fool’s face desires foolishness, or trash. What does it mean that the face desires trash? The most prominent feature of the face aside from the mouth are the eyes. In Deuteronomy 15:39 we are warned about chasing after what our eyes see and desire. What we see is what we ultimately consume — and what eventually consumes us.

Just as it is important to be careful with what we ingest physically so that we might have a strong and healthy body, so, too, we need to be vigilant in what we see and digest in order to keep a strong and healthy soul. Don’t be fooled into thinking that what we see doesn’t affect how we think and what we do. If that were true, no one would pay $5 million dollars for a 30-second ad!

What we look at matters. What we pay attention to matters. So we better guard ourselves from consuming trash. Instead of watching garbage on television, use your eyes to fill yourself up on God’s Words. Don’t listen to trash talk; instead listen to inspiring Bible classes.

It’s been said “you are what you eat.” Perhaps a more accurate statement is we are very much the product of what we see, hear, and think.