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Demanding Treats Now! Psalm 27:14

Yesterday in the USA Americans celebrated our Thanksgiving holiday when we focus on our blessings and, hopefully, also express gratitude to our Creator “Who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy (1 Timothy 6:17)”.

Buddy nearly drove me crazy last night as he apparently believes that I’ll forget he’s standing near my feet unless he whines consistently to remind me to give him some meat.

There’s no way that I’d ever forget to share with my pal. I’m well aware where he is.

I bought a pocket-sized book of the Psalms. I’m trying to read several every morning before starting my day.

What really strikes me, as I read the Psalms, is how frequently the writers are in deep distress and need to reassure themselves that God will eventually rescue them. They trust by faith in God’s promises and love for them, reassuring themselves that He’ll eventually answer.

It’s just a fact of our spiritual life that God cannot show Himself strong on our behalf if we weren’t in a situation needing rescue.

Psalm 3: The number of enemies against David are overwhelming.

Psalms 4 & 5: David is the victim of slander.

Psalm 6: David is wearing out himself weeping because of his troubles.

Psalm 9: David is oppressed by his enemies.

And so it goes.

David is so distressed, that he laments:

“How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? How long will my enemy be exalted over me?”—Psalm 13:1-2

How long? How long? How long will You make me wait, Lord? I’m suffering!

David’s distress caused him to feel as if God didn’t care and had abandoned him.

It’s easy to keep faith when God answers instantly to rescue us. But much more difficult when the problems last for days, weeks or even years.

I wonder how I must look to God sometimes. Am I whining constantly like Buddy, believing God has forgotten that I need something from Him? Just like Buddy cannot open the refrigerator and grab himself a piece of turkey, there are times that I am totally dependent on God to come through for me. He needs to open that door of blessing that remains shut in my face.

It seems to be a fine line between trusting on God’s love for me and His promises in Scripture…

And barking for treats.

I have to remind myself that my prayers are requests. The same Lord Who fashioned the heavens and the earth and all its inhabitants graciously meets my requests because He loves me.

But I am not God’s boss.

He’s my Lord and King.

I don’t get to order Him around.

When I’m demanding that He rescue me immediately, I’m barking demands at Him, rather than trusting that He knows what He’s doing and what’s best for me.

Poor Job; he suffered severely and unjustly in a cosmic game of chess. Yet God reprimands him for questioning His goodness and fairness, basically reminding Job that He’s not the Creator.

So when in great distress, I need to remind myself not to demand immediate rescue.

Not to bark at God.

Not whine continuously till I’m irritating.

I need to learn to wait—to trust that He hears me.

Delays encourage faith in His love and goodness.

As David reminded himself in his distress:

“Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He will strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!”—Psalm 27:14

And he would see “the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”—Psalm 27:13

Ask Him to strengthen your heart as you wait.

God bless you.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

***

Any situation we find ourselves in this life is fleeting in comparison with eternity.

God’s greatest desire is to rescue us from our sinful lifestyle and bring us into fellowship with Him.

We cannot earn our way into heaven please by doing more good deeds than bad deeds.

Jesus declared that God’s entrance standard was perfection (Matthew 5:48). One nasty word or wicked thought and we fall short of the mark.

We sin because we have sinful hearts that need to be transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit. Only through Jesus can we receive eternal life.

The leaders and gods of other religions cannot give you the Holy Spirit.

Only Jesus can.

Do you sense that your life and heart needs transformation? Do you realize that your life would improve if you weren’t your own worst enemy?

Why not call on Jesus? He lived a perfect life because we cannot. As a result, he could die in our place to take the punishment our sins deserve. He rose bodily from the dead on the Third Day, proving that He was “God in the flesh (Matthew 1:23)”.

If you’re ready, please say the following, out loud if possible:

Dear Heavenly Father, I’m sorry for my sin. Please forgive me. I call on Jesus to be my Lord and Savior, and best friend. Please transform my heart and life by the power of the Holy Spirit. I give my life to You. Teach me how much You love me. Thank You for hearing my prayer. In the mighty name of Jesus, amen.

If you prayed sincerely, congratulations, you’re born again. Please start reading the Bible daily as it’s your soul food. Just as your body needs daily nourishment to be healthy, so does your soul. It’s also the main way that God communicates with us.

Also, please start attending a Bible believing church or Bible study. And get baptized. If that’s not possible right now, I recommend these two ministries, which also have apps, if that’s your preference: http://www.LTW.org (Leading The Way) and http://www.AndrewFarley.org (The Grace Message). There are other godly ministries, but it’s easy to be misled by bad teaching or legalism till you know the Bible fairly well.

God bless. May Buddy and I meet you in heaven one day.

The Benefit of Appreciation, Romans 5:8

My pal

Buddy came into my life 4 months after my beloved grandmother died, who was my best friend. I know that she would’ve adored my furry pal as she loved animals.

My grandma had a way of making people want to serve and help her. I loved to visit Grandma on the weekends. One day I started laughing to myself while pulling the familiar objects from her wooden coffee table to dust them and also dust the table’s surface and its metal legs with the curly scroll pattern. Somehow, Grandma had tricked me into doing the vacuuming, dusting, floor and window washing for her many times besides other tasks. I tried to figure out why I was not only doing most of her housework, but doing it gladly.

It was because my grandma was always so appreciative of anything a person did for her. She always expressed her thankfulness through words or other demonstrations of gratitude.

I wonder if God is the same way. When we gladly open up our hearts in gratitude for the blessings He freely bestows on us, does that impel Him to want to bless us more to hear us express our love and appreciation?

We are made in God’s image, given emotions so that we can relate to Him, others and His creation. If human appreciation can compel us to want to serve someone we love even more, perhaps God loves to hear us give thanks for His good gifts and wants to give even more.

However, God is far superior to us. Jesus healed 10 lepers yet only one turned about to give Him thanks (Luke 17:11-18). Knowing the future, Jesus could’ve chosen just to heal the one man He knew would give thanks, but He healed all ten anyway. He healed everyone who asked, without requiring them to make vows or promises to turn their lives around.

Jesus stated in Matthew 5:44-46 that we are to “love our enemies and pray for those who persecute you…for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have?”

God sent Jesus to die for our sins “while we were enemies (Romans 5:10)” of God, rebelling against His authority.

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).” Jesus died “once for all (Romans 5:10, Hebrews 10:10).” He sacrificed His life for everyone: for those who hate Him, for those who disobey Him, for those who mock Him, for those who harm His believing children. Because “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).”

Christmas season is when we celebrate the gift of Jesus. God the Father sent Jesus to live among us, heal us, encourage us and love us—as a gift.

Isaiah prophesied more than 600 years before the birth of Jesus in a manger in Bethlehem: “For a child will be born to us, a son will be GIVEN to us;…and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).” I emphasize the word “given” because God gave His Son as a gift of love to all of humanity to reconcile us to Him through the death of His Son on the Cross, to everyone who will believe—as a gift.

Still, I cannot help but think that God wants to give us good things because He loves to hear our heartfelt thanks.

Just as I loved helping my Grandma who loved me so much.

God bless.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

***

Did you catch that? Sin separates us from a holy God. But He loves us so much, that He had to find a way to bring His rebellious creation back into fellowship with Him.

It’s impossible to be good enough to earn God’s love. He freely gives it to us. But we have to be willing to receive the gift He sent to earth to reconcile us back to Him: Jesus.

You think you’re not good enough to earn God’s love? Congratulations. You’ve got it right.

Since we can never be good enough, and sin must be punished, Jesus lived a sinless life to pay for our sins “once for ALL”. We just need to humble ourselves to acknowledge to God that we’ve screwed up, and will continue to do so, and need Him to be our Lord and the Good Shepherd. We ask Him into our lives. We cannot earn His love or our salvation: it’s a “gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).”

If you’re ready to receive this good gift of forgiveness to be reconciled to your Creator, please recite the below prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, I’ve screwed up too many times to count. I need You in my life. I call on Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. Please forgive my sins. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I give my life to You. In the wonderful name of Jesus, amen.”

If you prayed with sincerity, congratulations, you are a born again child of God. But just as your body needs proper nutrition to function properly, your soul needs supernatural food—the Word of God. Please find a Bible-based church or Bible study. Avoid any teacher who claims that you can pick and choose from the Word of God. That’s acting as your own god and not acknowledging Jesus as your God and Savior.

If you cannot attend church or Bible study in person at this time, I recommend these three ministries, which also have apps for your convenience: http://www.LTW.org, http://www.InTouch.org and http://www.BasicGospel.net.

There are so many wonderful truths for you to learn. I can only barely scratch the surface in a blog post.

Buddy and I will see you in heaven one day.

God bless you this Christmas season.

“Singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord (Ephesians 5:19).”