Drops of Sunshine - Daily Bread

 

 

 

 

 

 

I grew up being told that prayer goes where I can't. Likewise, God's sight is far better than my own. This is why we need to rely on God's direction for all things. Man can deceive one another, but we can't deceive God. In times of uncertainty, ask God to show you the intent. But don't be surprised by what is revealed.

I used to love Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory as a kid. There was something so alluring about that golden ticket. I can't help but recognize a spiritual truth to the moral of the story. Having a golden ticket was not a guarantee for any of those kids to receive the grand prize. Their choices along the journey mattered. The same goes for us.  

 As we grow in Christ, there should be a change. I learn to love the things that God loves and despise those things he hates. What I don't want to do is to indulge in wickedness when I know it causes him hurt. We treat our loved ones with that kind of respect. I don't want to hurt the people I love. If I've come to love God, then my actions should mimic my words. 

 There is no better place to find security than to be deeply rooted and firmly planted in God. Only with that security that he can provide will I find myself not being so easily shaken or uprooted. On a daily basis, we need to continue to check up on our roots. Make sure we are secure and connected to the source.

 At a prior job, I used to have some coworkers joke that they wanted whatever medicine I was on if it meant they'd be as calm. The reality is that we just have to be intentional about being possessors of peace. Don't leave room in your personal space for drama.

 If we are not spending time studying and learning the scriptures for ourselves, then how will we be able to know how to apply them to our lives? How do we know when someone is deceiving us into believing what the bible says unless we read it for ourselves? This is the same concept that I actually didn't like to much in school. I knew the answer. I didn't want to have to put in the work to show that I was sure. Yet, that's my life as a believer. Every day, we should show our faith. We need to be sure! 

We need to be mindful of what we plant in our gardens. If all that we so is disruption and discord, then we shouldn't be surprised by the blooms that spring forth from that. If what we desire is to see the fruit of the spirit flourishing in our lives, then we know for certain that those are the seeds we want to plant and nurture.

One thing that stands out when the reading the scriptures is choice. We are given the opportunity to decide if we are going to walk in darkness or if we want to be in light. There is too much at stake for us to play around with dodging back and forth. If you are not on God's side, you are against Him. There's no alternative.

 There are a lot of "I remember when" people in the world. People that seem to have exceptional memories of all the things you once did wrong. There are others who are simply out to prove that other people are no good and never will be. This is one of the reasons why it matters what you think about you. If God sees the good in us, then why are we so consumed by the voices that only want to relive the wrongs? Instead, we need to spend more time focusing on the God-things so that we'll continue to be those examples that shed light on God being the life changer that he is.

Growing up, I remember there being an occasion at the baby-sitter's house where I repeated a "bad" word I heard the baby-sitter use. I got in a tone of trouble for doing so. If I couldn't talk like that, why was it okay for her to do it? Regardless of the answer, I learned a valuable lesson that I often hear in form of a proverb. If everybody else jumps off a cliff, would you jump too? The point is, when we know what's right, it doesn't matter how many other people are doing the opposite, be the difference.

 As a parent, you want what is best for your children. Because you've lived a life of considerable experience, you've learned a thing or two about a thing or two. It's from that experience that we don't want the people we love to experience the same difficult road. God loves his creation that way and desires the good for us. As our faith grows, so should our discernment of things that will only lead us down a path of unrighteousness.

 It's only been in my adult years that I've come to truly admire the beauty of science and nature. (Nature more than science) I learn so much about my spiritual living from them both. It's amazing how one drop of salt can alter the molecular structure of H20. Just a speck. Showing that however little, it caused my pure water to no longer be pure. That's how I've come to think about what I feed my spirit. I don't want tainted spiritual food. So it's imperative that I'm asking God, daily, for clarity and discernment.

 It may be hard to admit it when the obstacle you are facing is...you. I shared that it can be very easy to walk away from other people tearing you down, but it's not so easy when it's you. You can't walk away from your own mind. However, you can pray. You can cast those cares on God and listen for his direction in overcoming you as an obstacle.

No one truly has to teach us how to do things wrong. As children, we learn pretty quick that honesty, sometimes, is accompanied by a consequence. Consequences we don't want! As adults, we hopefully learn that, as the saying goes, honesty is the best policy. There is so much freedom in being sincere in all areas of our lives. Not just because others are watching, but because God is. As his children, we want to live in a way that is pleasing. We may not get it perfect each day, but thank God that he gives us another opportunity to get back on course and walk in his light.