Morning Moments

with Sandra Bivens Smith

Category Archives: Words of Hope


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Why?

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)

LogoIts hard for us to understand many of the things that happen in this life.

Man’s great question continues to haunt us – Why?

  • Why is one healthy but another suffers?
  • Why do some have plenty while others go without?
  • Why does one heart accept Christ but another rejects?

The more we try to understand it seems the more our understanding fails – yet another “why”?  For this “why”, God has given us the answer.  Are you ready?  We don’t really want to understand.  We just want things to be different.  We want things to conform to our own mind set. We want God to think like us.  To put it in our modern terms, we try to “dummy down” God’s word to fit our thoughts and our ways rather than raising our thoughts and ways to His.

Take heart.  Jesus did not leave us without a Helper.  For those of us who are in Christ, and who are willing to accept, the Holy Spirit will reveal to us all truth and give us all understanding.  Look what Paul writes:

“For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him? “But we have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:16)

Does that mean we will never again ask why?  No, of course not.  We are still trapped in our human bodies and limited by our human minds.  Does the knowledge make it easier to accept?  No.  Suffering continues, our hearts still break, our strength still fails. But even so, we do not become discouraged because we have our hope in the promise of that better day to come.

Final thought.  Let us thank God that His ways and thoughts are higher than ours.  Imagine if you will what this world would be like if our thoughts and ways were higher than God’s!

Sandra

 


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Everything Beautiful

He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.  (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

Whatever you’re doing right now, stop.  Take a moment to look around you at the world God created.  He has truly surrounded us with beauty.  All of His creation declares His glory.  The colors of the seasons, the laughter of a child.  The sounds of nature – a bird singing, the whisper of a gentle wind, the falling rain.

Time slips away so quickly.  Lives are busy; so much so that I fear too often we neglect the beauty of God’s creation.  We fail to “take time and smell the roses.” That’s a shame because He has given us so much to enjoy.

And just think, as beautiful as all this is, it is only a sampling, a taste of what is to come.

But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”–(1 Corinthians 2:9)

Can I get an “AMEN”?

Sandra


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Confessions

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. (1 Timothy 2:1-2)

Confession time. I fall short in this area, I struggle with it a lot. I mean, on a good day I might be able to make supplications for the politicians, but thanksgivings?  That’s really tough.

And, God doesn’t stop there.

But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you (Matthew 5:44)

I don’t do well in that area either.  Sometimes I have a hard time loving the people I love and praying for my friends much less my enemies. (I’m just being honest here).

As I think about what these commands (yes, I said commands) mean and how I can obey them, I’m reminded of Jesus’ dying words and I am ashamed.

And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. (Luke 23:34)

For they know not what they do.  Those without Christ are blind to the truth, they can only do what is right in their own eyes.  If anyone needs our prayers, it is them.

Will you join me in this prayer?  “Lord, help me to pray for those, who in Your wisdom, You have put in authority over me, so that, as Your word says, we can live in peace.  And help me to love and pray for my enemies, so that You will be glorified.”

Sandra