A Merry Heart

 Proverbs 11:22
A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

God created us with a body, mind, and spirit. But most important is that we have the breath of God in us,  God gave us a soul that will live on forever. Without going into a deep dive, suffice to say that our soul is a separate entity from what is visually observed through human observation. Jesus makes this distinction when He said, “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.” The condition of our soul should always be top priority. This is not to say that we should not care for the well being of our body, mind, and heart (emotions). We are the temple of God, earthen vessels that God desires to fill and use for His glory. In our humanity, we represent Christ in every aspect of our lives. How we treat our body, the thoughts we think, and how we express our emotions (spirit). Our attitude in life is a manifestation of our spirit. We do live in troubled days, and having a cheerful and merry heart is made difficult with the sadness that surrounds us. Having a merry heart comes with believing God is the source of our contentment, He alone can bring true joy to the heart.  With purpose, we rejoice in the Lord, we find that God is good, and can make the heart glad. “This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it”- Psalm 118:24

All Left Behind

 Psalm 49:17 
For when he dies he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him. 
From dust we come, and to dust we go. We come into this world with no possessions and when we die we will leave all of our treasures and possessions behind us for someone else to enjoy. The only thing we take with us is our never dying soul. Every human being born into this world was given a soul by the Creator of life. Scripture indicates that only humans have souls and will live for eternity after we die and leave this world. As much as people become attached to animals, the “beast” of this world have no understanding of life beyond this world. Their flesh will return back to the earth, and the story ends. There is no dog heaven, or pet heaven. But, man is created in the image of God and life after death will continue. May we live each day according to God’s plan. Honor Him with our understanding, live for Him with eternity in mind.

Walk By Faith

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2 Corinth 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

Faith is to see the kingdom of God, a kingdom not of this world, but the world that cannot be seen with the eyes of flesh. It is seeing life through the eyes of God and knowing that this earth is not our home. This body of clay will dissolve and return to dust, but the persona of self, the soul will live on. Walking by faith is to believe that He is in control of all things, and He is a rewarder of them that will diligently seek Him. Walking by faith to trust Him even when all your senses are screaming and telling you it is not so. Walking by faith believes with a purpose, and ultimately God is glorified. It is not possible to walk in faith in the flesh. Our desire and determination play a part as we walk by faith, but living by faith requires the earnestness of the Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit, our faith is hindered by the flesh. Let us put aside these earthly eyes and start to see life through the eyes of God.

Take Up Your Cross

Matt. 16:24  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

To take up the cross is to deny the things of this world and live with eternity in mind. We live in earthen vessels and our humanity in closely tied to what we see, hear, smell, and touch. But every man is created with a soul. The soul is the spirit of man. The self that will live on after this earthen vessel is gone. Living for this world is to be blinded by Satan to what is really important and essential to life. Enjoying life in this world is not forbidden. But if it hinders us from taking up our cross to follow him, then we will lose our eternal soul for what this temporal world has to offer. The implications of taking up the cross goes beyond the unfortunate things that happen in our live that we bare. It is willingness to submit our lives into the hands of God and let Him take control. “Not my will Lord, but Thy will be done”

I Will Not Fear

Ps. 18:6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?

The wicked hearts of men are able to kill the body. They are able to afflict suffering beyond imagination. Those that hated Jesus spit, whipped, pierced, and hung Him on a cross to die. Jesus said,  “Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” The reality is that in this earthly life, sin respects no one. It is natural to fear people who have no conscience and are bent on doing harm to anyone who gets in their way of selfish desires. We are reminded that we should not live in fear of such evil for the Lord is on our side. I don’t claim to understand the evil of our day and why God allows such wickedness to prevail. Even toward those who are serving God, life can be quickly taken away as a result of evil doers. No man can destroy or kill the life one has in Christ. If Christ be in us, who can be against us. I will not fear for He is with me no matter what man can do.

Esau Sells His Birthright

Genesis 25:27-34

The birthright that was handed down was to be given to the firstborn male in the family. Esau, by right of birth was to be given this privilege. He regarded his birthright with contempt. Such are those who are willing to sell their soul to fulfill the appetites of the flesh. “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” The words of Jesus, teach us that we should value our soul as our greatest treasure.
The cunningness of Jacob teaches us that it is never right to accomplish God’s purposes in a wrong way. Instead of being still and waiting on God, Jacob acted with deceitful human intervention. God’s will, should never be enacted in a way that is contrary to His Word.

Personalities of Esau and Jacob (cunning hunter…plain man)
• Contrast between the two boys
• We are made in His image with unique personal traits
• The person of Christ is united with our personality
• We our made to glorify God
Preferring behavior (loved Esau…loved Jacob)
• All are made equal in the eyes of God
• Love should be measured out in equal portions
• Showing equal respect to all person –James 2:9
Preparation in the Human (Jacob sod pottage)
• Circumvent and manipulation
• Getting ahead of God
• Forcing the will of God, instead of waiting
Pottage exchanged (he sold his birthright)
• The traps of the enemy- Beware, Satan is cunning
• Keeping our bodies under subjection
• What shall a man give in exchange for his soul
Profaning of the Birthright (Esau despised...)
• Walked away from his birthright (rejection of Christ)
• Regard his soul with little worth
• Ignored his most valuable treasure
• Neglecting the condition of the soul
• May we guard our hearts with all diligence