Mining 4 Silver

Give Thanks for the Bad Days!

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Give thanks to God for the bad days!

Give Thanks in All Circumstances

Here is a novel idea! Give thanks for the bad days. Yes, you heard me right. According to the Apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, we are to give thanks in all circumstances.

It is easy to give thanks when I am well-rested, and everything seems to be going my way. Don’t get me wrong; I am thankful for my good days too. I fair better when everything is going right; yet, I often become self-reliant when all is rosy.

One reason, I can give thanks for the hard times is because they point out my need for God. Yet, He is able to give me the strength I need to serve others even when I am at my worst. He never fails to supply all my needs. All I need to do is ask for His help and strength.

Another reason to be thankful for the tough times is to remember God’s many blessings in my life. God uses my bumps in the road to cause my faith to grow. Sure it is nice to want to be on the mountaintop with Him, but it is in the valleys that my faith is strengthened. When I am having a bad day, I can reflect on His blessings to provide me the hope to carry on.

Last but not least, if I reflect on what Jesus went through to set me free, my bad days don’t seem so bad. The joy of knowing Him becomes my strength. So the next time you find yourself having a bad day, give thanks to God, for He is good and will bring you through it all.

I pray: Lord God, Heavenly Father, help me to stop when I am having a bad day and give You thanks for You are good. I know that You will bring me through it. Amen.

Need more on giving thanks? Click here 3 Reasons to Be Thankful

Give thanks for your bad days, too.
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Real Assurance is Found In Jesus Christ!

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Assurance is found in Christ alone!

Assurance in Man or God?

The world around us calls for us to place our assurance in ourselves or even in our government. Neither of these makes for a confident anchor because they are weak and faulty. God’s word says that “The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.” (Proverbs 29:25) Jesus Christ is where our real assurance is found.

In the Amplified version, you can find hope defined as a confident assurance. So what does this mean? Confidence is a firm trust or state of feeling certain about the truth of something. Therefore, we have a firm trust and we can be sure about the truth of what Jesus has done for us. We can say without hesitation that our hope in Jesus, our one true anchor.

“We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” (Hebrews 6:19-20 ESV, emphasis added)

Where is Your Assurance Found?

For me, Christ is my sure foundation. His love sustains me when times are tough. My faith rests on His amazing love.

Where do you place your confidence in man or self? How has that worked for you? Confess this before God and seek to place your trust in Him for He will not fail you.

What is this world to me? With all its vaunted pleasure

When You and You alone, Lord Jesus, are my treasure!

You only, dearest Lord, My soul’s delight be;

You are my peace, my rest. What is this world to me?

What Is This World To Me; Verse 1 LSB #730

 

Prayer: Lord God, Heavenly Father, forgive me for placing my trust in man and myself. Give me the desire to place my confidence in Jesus, Your only son, and my savior. Thank You, Lord, for paying the price for my sins. Amen.

Link to Jesus is Our Anchor!

Blessed assurance is found in Jesus Christ!
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The Truth that Will Set You Free

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The Truth that will set you free

Read All About It!

Everyone is searching for the truth these days. Jesus said in the gospel of John, “I am the way, the Truth, and the life.” (John 14:6) Jesus also told Pilate that He had come to testify to the truth. This truth will set you free from the law of sin and death. Jesus is the Son of God, died for your sins, and raised Him to life again.

Therefore, Jesus is the real power that transforms lives. You can see this when you read the book of John. He and his brother, James, were called the sons of thunder by Jesus. They both wanted to sit in high places next to Jesus, but He told them that to be the first, one had to be a servant to all. John is known as the disciple Jesus loved. Jesus forever changed his life, and he went on to write 1, 2, 3 John, and the book of Revelation.

Here is another truth. After this life, we all will have to give an account of what we did with the knowledge of Jesus. Do we believe Him to be the Son of God who died for our sins? Did we tell others about Him? Or do we deny who He is?

The Hard Truth

Now comes the other side of this. For those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, there will be wrath and fury. (Romans 2:8) God wants all to come to the saving knowledge of Jesus, but those who love the darkness and whose works are evil, reject Him. God loves all and sent His Son to die for all our sins. Yet, some people cannot handle the truth and stand condemned already because they have not believed in Jesus.

So do you know Jesus to be the true Son of God? Follow this link for our responsibility as believers.

Jesus is the Truth that will set you free!
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Our Anchor is Jesus Christ

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Our Anchor is Jesus

There is No Other Anchor!

“We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” (Hebrews 6:19-20 ESV, emphasis added)

The purpose of an anchor is to connect a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the craft from drifting due to the wind or current. Anchors can either be temporary or permanent. We have an anchor in Christ which is permanent. No matter what storms come our way, nothing can sheer us away from Him. This hope we have in Jesus is our confident assurance. Jesus is our anchor that will never let go or giveaway under pressure. He will keep us on course through this life.

Jesus went into the holy place and covered our sins with His blood as the high priest did with the blood from their sacrifices. He is our High priest after the order of Melchizedek. Jesus paid the price of all our sins once and for all. He loved us so much that He died in our place. Therefore, we are anchored in Him and our salvation is sure.

Application

What storms are you going through right now? Hold fast to Jesus, your true anchor. Place your confidence in Him knowing that He will not fail you.

What has been your anchor? Has it been yourself, others, or money? Turn to Jesus and ask Him to be your one true anchor.

“Yet even though I suffer the world’s unpleasantness,

And though the days grow rougher And bring me great distress,

That day of bliss divine, Which knows no end or measure,

And Christ, who is my pleasure, Forever shall be mine.”

From God Can Nothing Move Me; Verse 6 Lutheran Song Book #713, 2006

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are my anchor in the storms of life and I place my trust in You. You will not fail or giveaway under pressure. Help me, Jesus, to hold steadfast on to You. Amen.

The Attributes of God can be a source of comfort too! Click here to read more.

Jesus Christ is Our OnlyTrue Anchor!
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Grace & Mercy: Two Sides of the Same Coin

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Grace & Mercy

Disclosure: This page may contain affiliate links. This means at no additional cost to you I may receive a commission if you purchase a product from one of our links. I only recommend products I love.

We love to talk about grace but when was the last time you heard someone talk about mercy. Yet, they are two sides of the same coin and mercy needs to be discussed more. Let me explain.

Grace: What Does This Mean?

It is receiving something that we do not deserve. Thus we find it easy to talk about because who doesn’t like to receive a gift that we did not deserve. Grace is God’s favor to us. Think about the last time you received an unexpected gift. How did that make you feel?

God showed us His grace in sending us His Son, Jesus. He did this out of His great love for us and not because we did anything to deserve it. God’s grace is so amazing and is freely given.

Mercy: What Does This Mean?

It is not receiving what we do deserve. For example, someone is stopped for speeding and the officer gives him/her a warning instead of a ticket. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and deserve eternal punishment. (This is a truth that is hard to swallow.)

Therefore, God sent Jesus to show us not only His grace but also His mercy in that Jesus paid the price for our sins. Mercy needs to be talked about more because it is the only way to fully appreciate God’s amazing grace. Think about a time when you did something wrong and were expecting a consequence, yet, you did not receive it. What feelings did you experience?

Why Do We Not Hear More About Mercy?

This is a good question and the reason is that we do not like to admit they we sin and are in need of a savior. I will be honest and say that I have a tough time admitting to my sins against God and others. Yet, when I read God’s Word I find both grace and mercy in confessing to God and to others. (Matthew 6:14-15, James 5:16, 1 John 1:8-9) Then my relationships with God and others are reconciled and I, once again, have peace.

Can you now see the value in discussing mercy? Here’s a link about grace. 5 of My Favorite Bible Verses on Grace

Mercy is the other side of the coin from grace.
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Mercy is not often talked but it goes hand in hand with grace.

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Words Can Either Build Up or Teardown!

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Words Matter

My Words Can Bring People Down or Uplift.

In the scripture reading this Sunday, I was moved by Ephesians 4:29. This verse instructs me to let no corrupting talk or words come out of my mouth but that which will build others up. This will also give grace to those who hear them.

The last part is what struck me the reasoning being that I have a 3-year-old niece who often rides with me in the car. I have had to explain my words to her when I say something about other cars. God has made me aware that I need to ask Him to help me to use words that are building up others not ones that teardown.

Pleasant, Appropriate and Gracious Words

Therefore, I sought out what God’s Word had to say about comes out of our mouths. In Proverbs, I found a lot about the type of speach that should come out of my mouth. Gracious words are good for the soul and health to the body. Thus, I desire to speak graciously so that those around me will be lifted up.

When my words are rightly spoken they are like apples of gold in a setting of silver. It is better to speak wisdom in quiet than shouting among fools. This would draw others to Christ and others would want to know me.

Do I Always Make the Right Choice? No.

 

Now, I have to admit that there are often many times when I do not say the kindest of words in traffic. It is challenging to explain my poor choices to my niece. She has made me very aware of how what I say comes across to others.

So I need to be more mindful of what comes out of my mouth not only with my niece but with whomever is near me. I am a poor example of Christ when I speak unkindly about others. I know that God can help me with what comes out of my mouth if I abide in Him.

Thinking of being in His image reminds of this Hymn: Lord Jesus, Imprint Your Image on My Heart

Lord God, help me to be ever mindful of my speech and give me the ability to say what others need to hear. Forgive me, Lord, when I fall short. Help me to be a good example to my niece.  Amen.

What We Say Matters and Can Either Build Up or Teardown.
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Remember What Jesus Has Done!

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Remember

Remember & Not Be Afraid!

Last Sunday’s sermon was titled “Distributing Multiplied Blessings” based on Mark 6:30-44. Today’s sermon picked up where we left off from last week, Mark 6:45-50. What struck me about this week’s sermon is that the disciples did not remember the miracle that Jesus had done earlier that day.

So they were in a boat out on the water late in the evening when a storm came upon them. Jesus was not with them. After they had been out on the water for some time, Jesus came to them walking on the water though He meant to pass by them. When they saw Him they thought He was a ghost and were terrified. Therefore, He called out to them, “Do not be afraid, it is I.”

Pastor Crowe, asked us to write down what makes us afraid. He gave his own example of being afraid of the dark when he was younger and how his brother revealed that there was nothing to afraid of once he turned on the light. Jesus is our light therefore, we have nothing to fear.

If Only I Would Remember

For me, this sermon spoke to me about remembering what Jesus has done for me and not being afraid of my storms. I know that it is not easy to remember the goodness of the Lord when I am in a storm. But if I stop and take time to remember that Jesus is more than able to do all and more than I can ask, I can trust that He will see me through to the other side of my storm. I so much want to live by this motto; come what may I will be okay for the Lord is with me.

However, I know that this is easier said than done. There have been many times in my life that God has seen me through the storms in my life and I know there will be more. Yet, I will probably be afraid when they come just as the disciples were in their storm.

Related link: Storms in Life Have a Purpose

Lord God, help me to remember Your goodness when storms come my way. Amen.

What has the Lord done in your life that you can remember to help you through your storms?

How remembering what Jesus has already done can help us weather our storms in this life.
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We Have an Obligation, as Believers in Christ.

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An Obligation to Live according the Spirit of Christ.

An Obligation, What Does That Mean?

There are a few definitions for the word obligation taken from Dicitionary.com,

  1. Something by which a person is bound or obliged to do certain things, and which arise out of a sense of duty or results from custom, law, etc.
  2. Something that is done or is to be done for such reasons: to fulfill one’s obligation.
  3.  A binding promise, contract, sense of duty, etc.

So where does this sense of duty or obligation stem from? It comes from Jesus who gave His spirit to live within us. But the obligation is not to our flesh, to live according to our sinful impulses, but to live according to the Spirit within us. (Romans 8:12 AMP)

How Are We to Fulfill This Obligation?

We do so by living by the power of the Holy Spirit and habitually putting to death the sinful deeds of the body. As we ourselves are led by the Spirit, we are called God’s children. Thus we have received the Spirit of adoption and can call or cry out, “Abba, Father.”

Therefore, we can call unto our Heavenly Father to cause us to follow His Spirit and live accordingly. The mind of the Spirit is life and peace. This peace is a spiritual well-being that comes from walking with God – both now and forever. Our following His Spirit will bring Him glory and draw others to know Him through us.

For you see, if we live by the flesh, living a life that caters to sinful impulses, we cannot please God.

To Whom Are You Obligated?

Now, comes the question, are you obligated to the Spirit or to your sinful nature? For me, my obligation is to live according to the Spirit that Christ has given me. I may not always get it right but I know that He will forgive me and set me straight if I confess and seek His face. All glory is His.

Here is a related link: Adoption: Earthly Compared to Heavenly

As a believer in Christ, where do your obligations lie?
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The Attributes of God, A Source of Comfort

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Attributes of God

I Take Comfort in God’s Attributes

March has been a sad month. Once again, death has taken another loved one from my life. Yet, I take comfort in God’s attributes. I started reading through the Psalms looking for them. Here is what I found from a select few.

Comfort is Found in Your Attributes, Lord!

I take comfort knowing that You know the way of the righteous (Psalm 1:6).

You are my refuge and a shield about me. You are my glory and the lifter of my head when I am downcast (Psalm 2:12b; 3:3).

It is comforting to know that You uphold all who are falling and raise up all who are bowed down (Psalm 145:14).

You only need to open Your hand to satisfy the desire of every living thing (Psalm 145:16).

You are righteous in all Your ways and kind in all Your works (Psalm 145:17).

The greatest comfort is knowing that You are near to all who call on You, to all who call on You in truth (Psalm 145:18).

You fulfill the desire of those who fear You; You also hear them when they cry and save them (Psalm 145:19).

These are but a few of Your many wonderful and amazing attributes.

I can turn to God for comfort because He knows all things; He is my refuge and lifter of my head. He satisfies all my needs. He is near to me when I call or cry out to Him. He will uphold me when I fall. Therefore, I will praise the Lord forever and ever.

Grief is never easy and without God, I could not bear it. My heart is grieving over the loss but I know that God is near and will see me through this yet again. Praise His holy name.

Related Link: A Psalm of Praise unto My Lord!

I find comfort in the character of God as I read the Psalms.
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Fasting and Mourning for Days

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Fasting, mourning along with prayer

In light of the shootings in our schools, Nehemiah is a good example for us to follow. He mourned and fasted over the state of Jerusalem. How often do you hear of people fasting, mourning, and praying over a tragic situation? Well, people do hold prayer vigils but those often only last a day or so.

Nehemiah is an Example of Fasting & Mourning

Nehemiah was the cup-bearer to the Persian King Artaxerxes during the time that the people of Israel were beginning to return to Jerusalem. The cupbearer was a noble position. This was a place of trust and close connection to the King. He would be the one to taste the King’s food and drink to prevent the King from being poisoned.

With that being said, when we read the book of Nehemiah Chapter 1 and 2 we read about the character of the cup-bearer. In chapter one, he had heard from a man from Judah that Jerusalem was in bad shape. “The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.” Nehemiah 1:3 ESV

His Reaction to Tragic News

His response was immediate. He sat down and wept and mourned for days. Not only that but he continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. This man must have known the scriptures for he prayed mightily. “O LORD God of Heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant and steadfast love…” 1:5 ESV

Furthermore, he must have been in mourning and fasting for close to four months. In chapter 2, much time had passed since Nehemiah had received the troubling news. His countenance must have been downcast for even the King noticed that his cup-bearer was not happy. It was customary in those days for the servants to be happy in their service and could be punished if they were not.

Yet, the King had respect for His cup-bearer and wanted to know why he was sad and what could be done. The king’s servant made a quick prayer and then answered the king. There were several requests that the cupbearer made and each one the king gave.

What Can We Learn From His Example?

Well, I will be the first one to admit that I don’t stop and mourn when I hear the tragic news. It does sadden me but only for a while. I need to desire to be like the cup-bearer and not only mourn but also fast and pray before my God, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments.

Therefore, maybe churches might encourage their members to fast and pray on the behalf of those who lost loved and for our nation. So the next time you hear of a tragedy what will you do?

Related post: Let’s Feast on God’s Word

Related Link on Fasting: 12 Reasons to go Hungry

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