Do the Right Thing

Prov. 4:18 The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.  

This week I met with the brother of a friend.  Doug was missing his sister, my friend, who passed away 2 months ago.  I first met Janice when she was trying to break an addiction to alcohol, a struggle she maintained for several years before I met her.  Doug and his family had helped Janice down the rehab road many times giving her moral support, and whatever would assist and not harm.  


The focus of our meeting was Janice's house, which I agreed to manage for her while she was in rehab.  The tenants have a one-year lease, which I signed and guaranteed.  Their question for me was, "Why?  Why are you doing this?  Are you gaining?  Who is?"  


My only answer was that virtue is its own reward.  I made a commitment to Janice and to her tenants, and I intend to do what I said.  Yes, it's a headache.  Yes, it costs me some of my own money.  But the deciding factor for me was, would I want someone to do this for me?  If I were the tenants, would I want someone to defend my lease?  Yes, I would.  


When I put on the helmet of salvation, years ago, I took up the breastplate of righteousness, too.  (Read move about the armor of God in Ephesians, Chapter 6.)  The breastplate represents the blood of Christ - which covers my heart and my sins, but it also means that I DO THE RIGHT THING.  I choose to do the right thing to honor the ONE who gave me life... the ONE who continues to give me life.  


So, friends, love God and love people.  The two commandments.  Treat others like you want to be treated.  It will be the right thing and your heart will be guarded by the breastplate of righteousness, and blessed by God.

No Condemnation.

Romans 8:1Therefore there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

No one likes to be condemned.  I don't even like it when people think badly of me.  Sometimes, it stems from a misunderstanding... she misjudged my motives, or I, with my big mouth, said the wrong thing to the wrong person at the VERY worst time imaginable.


Wouldn't it be great if there was no condemnation for all that stuff?  Wouldn't it be great if there was not only forgiveness, but no condemnation in the first place? 

Well, it's not only possible, it's promised.  If we are in Christ Jesus, we have no condemnation.  Not from anyone.  Yes, people may treat us with contempt, but the condemnation from the One who matters is quite notably absent.  

Isaiah 54:17 no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me," declares the LORD.   Just to clarify, if we purposely sin, we are not in Christ Jesus. Keep your motives pure.  Only seek the Lord and the will of the Father, (all these things-food, clothing, shelter- will be added to you as well anyway  Matthew 6:33).  Cast your cares on Him for He cares for you.   1 Peter 5:7

 

'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus

Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. —2 Corinthians 12:8–9

Have you ever asked the Lord for something and received the answer, "Trust me"?  Lord, that is not the answer I was waiting for!  As children, we want what we want when we want it.  As grown-ups in the Christian life, we are learning to wait.  To trust.  To expect, but on HIS timetable.  Paul was an amazing brother.  He "gladly boasted" in his infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon him.  I wouldn't have used those words for my own experience.  He's a better man than I.  I am only now learning to "put up with" my infirmities (I am nowhere near the 'boasting' in infirmities that my brother, Paul is.) 

'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take Him at His word.
Just to rest upon His promise, just to know, "Thus saith the Lord."

Jesus, Jesus how I trust Him, how I've proved Him o'er and o'er.
Jesus, Jesus precious Jesus.  Oh for faith to trust Him more.

Oh Lord, help me to learn to trust you more.

Education is Expensive

Prov 15:31 He who listens to a life-giving rebuke will be at home among the wise.  We have been fighting a debt for 8 years.  We have disputed it in writing, we have called, we have paid anyway - just to resolve it, and still we wind up in court.  At least, we thought, we will be able to hear their validation of the debt before a judge... have a chance to defend ourselves.  But the law does not require from attorney-represented credit companies what it would require from us.  We are left owing thousands, and quite defenseless.          I have to remember that it is only money... that God owns ALL of the money in the world, and we have everything we need.  Even if they stole everything we own, God would provide what we need.  Maybe we should have hired an attorney.  (Although we are still paying the last attorney that stole from us).  Maybe that wouldn't have helped.  In the end, our hope is in the Lord ONLY.          Like my father, I am a bit of a wheeler-dealer.  I love business, and making money, and the DEAL.  I am learning, though, like Jacob in days of old, that I don't need to content with God... that the more I struggle against Him, the more out of joint I become.  My best efforts cannot impress my Father in heaven, unless they are humble, faithful, and submitted to Him.  My obedience and trust in Him, especially when things look bleak, garners his affection and his shield.  Prov. 18:30 - God is a shield to those who trust in Him.        So, all our vain struggle has taught us to pay up... there is plenty more where that came from.  I just need to hear His voice, follow His lead, and render unto Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's.          HE will supply.

The Deception of Drink Prov 23:29-35

Proverbs 23:29-35

29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes? 30 Those who linger over wine, who go to sample bowls of mixed wine. 31 Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly! 32 In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper. 33 Your eyes will see strange sights and your mind imagine confusing things. 34 You will be like one sleeping on the high seas, lying on top of the rigging. 35 "They hit me," you will say, "but I'm not hurt! They beat me, but I don't feel it! When will I wake up so I can find another drink?"   We dog-sat a Beagle for a few months last summer.  She was a sweet dog... loving, fun, playful, but sooo disobedient.  If a door was open a crack, she was out and running.  the more we called, the farther she would run.  Finally, we had to give her up to her own devices, and just pray she would come home on her own.  She did, eventually, but she wouldn't come into the house unless we tricked her and dragged her in against her will.  Once she was in, she was happy and content.  Her owner, my good friend, was the same way.  She knew that alcohol was killing her, but she quit rehab said that "God told her to come home".  The word came last Thursday.  She was gone.  My friend was dead.  I knew she was in trouble, but she didn't like what I had to tell her.   She was a believer in the Lord, but she couldn't break the addiction that held her so tightly in its grip.  She ended up choosing what would destroy her instead of living the life she was meant to live... one of safety, security, comfort and surrounded by love.  We all grieve for her.  We, who tried so desperately to save her from herself.  But in the end, it was not enough.  
Like her beagle, when the door opened a crack and she saw a way to escape rehab, she ran.  The more we called, the farther she ran.  The more we pursued, the more she hid.  So we had no choice but to leave her to her own desire.  We continued to pray for her, to ache for her, but in the end she had enough money to destroy herself and she did.  
It's odd that the dog was her reason for wanting out of rehab, and it is the dog that is now alone in the shelter because she got what she wanted.   Lord, help us to obey, even when it's not what WE want at the moment... especially when it's not what we want.

Prov. 19:18 Discipline your son, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to his death.  Discipline, in today's society is a dirty word.  I brings up thoughts of child-beating, and rigid, loveless strictness.  In short, discipline has gotten a bad name.  We all discipline ourselves in a myriad of ways... we go to work on time, we do the dishes, we wash clothes, we curtail our recreational driving to save on fuel expense, we live on a budget.  Discipline is just TRAINING.  
Our children need training, as we all do.  Children need to learn self-control.  Not Mom-control (though parents who constantly re-direct toddlers instead of teaching self-control seem very controlled by their offspring), not situation control - none of us have situation control, though we try to, but SELF control.  "In that there is hope."  Hope that the young person will someday be able to rule their own desires.  It begins as soon as a child begins to walk... "Don't go in the street."  "Stay on the sidewalk."  "Come here."  These are life-saving commands, but only if they can be obeyed.  (Obey - another word verboten in our culture)  
Without teaching self-discipline, parents are a "willing party to" their children's death.  Ouch!  That cuts deep!  But it is so true... young movie/rock stars who are manager-controlled, or Disney-controlled, at 18, suddenly have no external control.  If they have not been taught self-control, they have no holds barred and frequently crash and burn at a very young age... we all know of child stars who are dead or dying of addictions.  
We must teach our children to deny themselves.  This exercise works for toddler.  Place a nick-knack on the coffee table and tell the child "No, don't touch".  (For parents who object on the grounds of entrapment, I refer you to Genesis, Chapter 2, where God himself puts a tree in the middle of the garden where Adam and Eve can see it, and touch it, but tells them NOT to eat of it.)  Then just wait and watch.  If the child touches it, give a little slap to the offending hand.  It usually doesn't even need to be painful... just so the child knows it is a rebuff.  Repeat the "No!, Don't touch!" command.  If the child touches it again, repeat the hand-slap, but not any harder than before.  If the child goes a whole minute without touching the object, praise them and give a reward!  Then, put the object away for training later.  If the child continues to touch, reward after a smaller amount of time, but always before the disobedience.  If the child continues to disobey, put the object away for next time.  Never give a reward unless the child is successful.  Repeat often, and with different objects.  The "come here" command is one that also needs to be trained, and could save their lives.  Conversely, if it is not taught effectively, could kill them.
So, discipline your children, for in that there is hope.  Do not be a willing party to their deaths

Proverbs 22:22-23  Do not exploit the poor because they are poor, and do not crush the needy in court; for the Lord will take up their case and will plunder those who plunder them.


Years ago we were selling a property.  Our attorney demanded $2,000 MORE dollars to do the closing than the sum to which we had all agreed.  We were out of state, the attorney was holding all the cards and we all knew it.  The buyers were there with cash - but not enough to pay his raise in fees.  My husband had only recently been laid off from his company, and was, at that time unemployed, but we felt there was nothing we could do, except trust the Lord.  So we agreed to pay.  We are STILL paying, since that was our agreement. 

There have been many times I have wished for a good (and honest) attorney.  Many wrongs go unpunished since the poor (and the new middle class-poor) cannot afford to defend themselves much less prosecute wrong-doers.  

Though I have read this verse many times, only today did I see that "the Lord will take up their case..."  He will accept their case in court, as it were.  He is our advocate, not only before the Father, but in the court of LIFE.  Verse 23 says "He will plunder those who plunder them". (the poor) 

When I look at our financial situation, and our family and work situations, I realize that we are below poverty level by many standards... we would qualify for food assistance, energy assistance, probably Medicaid, but we have chosen to trust the Lord, and not the government.  AND we have everything we need!  We have food, because we distribute food for the food bank; we have shelter because the Lord lead us to some people with a run-down property who needed to sell. (And we LOVE to fix up old places).  We have vehicles that are paid for, and run  (thanks to the Lord's blessing and my husband's mechanical skills - which grow each time we break down!)  WE ARE BLESSED AND JOYFUL.

But, I wonder about this attorney, this man who would sell his integrity for a mere $2000.  Is his family happier and healthier because of the $50 per month we are STILL paying him?  Or is the Lord plundering his family, his fortune and his soul?