NOT PULLED DOWN BUT LIFTED UP

NOT PULLED DOWN BY EVIL BUT LIFTED UP BY GOD

Yesterday I walked into a small phone store, and a man waiting to get served was staring at me. I looked away and stood on the opposite side of the store, also waiting to be served. When I looked over at the man, he was staring at me more intently, and his face changed shape, with his neck jutting out and oddly connected to the bottom of his chin. He looked kind of like a chameleon. I could see the evil in his expression. I looked at the demon directly and told it (in a whisper because the whole store didn’t need to know what was going on), but I told it: “Keep away from me in the name of Jesus Christ, and shut up.” His face changed back to something more normal and non-threatening, and then he got called up to the service desk, and when I looked at him again, he seemed normal, and I knew he was no longer a threat to me.

 

God tells us in Second Corinthians 2:11: “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.” In other words, Satan will take advantage of us if we choose to stay ignorant of his devices. In the spiritual realm, ignorance is NOT bliss! So I’ve decided to increase my study of the dark side. The devil is not happy with that, but too bad; it’s God’s will for me right now, and I know that I belong to Him. Because Jesus paid for me, I am his and have the victory. The authority and the power belong to us, not the devil! Don’t worry about me or anyone researching the enemy, his kingdom, or his devices. We know that magnifying God and keeping our eyes on Him is primary and priority in this kind of study.

God can fully deliver us from the evil around us. Jesus gave his original disciples and us a prayer and a promise in Matthew 6:13: “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.” Knowing God delivers us from all evil, we can then look at what He says about it.

 

In that scripture, “evil” is the Greek word “poneros.” It means “the active form of evil, in thoughts, speech, and actions. It is used when the Bible talks about the deeds of devil spirits and is used when talking about Satan as being “the malignant one.” We know what a malignant cell is. It is a normal cell that has been perverted into something else, something that grows, migrates, and destroys. Poneros is evil actions that are “harmful, lewd, and malicious.” But we pray like Jesus said: “Pray to thy Father. . .deliver us from evil” (Matt. 6: 6,13), and He does it.

 

Two other words used in the New Testament for bad or evil are “kakos” and “sapros.” Kakos means that a person or thing is “bad in character, morally, by way of thinking, bad company, bad desires, and all kinds of evil just for the sake of evil itself.” It is used in Titus 1:12, talking about when people take on demons having the nature of wild, vicious, biting beasts or venomous snakes, reptiles or other predatory animal spirits. It’s also used in James 3:8, talking about a person’s tongue being a restless evil wanting to harm and injure.

 

Sapros, another word for bad, means corrupt or rotten, like rotting vegetables or dead carcasses. It expresses something of very bad quality and unfit for use, putrid, also like rotten fruit, old, cooked chicken that’s been left out too long, or rotten fish. In Ephesians 4:29, the word “sapros” is used talking about “corrupt” speech, which eats away at a person rather than lifting them up, as the rest of the verse tells us we should be doing.

 

God delivers us from these rotten and evil people and things and brings us around to believing in what we have and are in Christ.

 

Here are some important verses that point out our authority and power in Christ. Let’s take the time to look some of them up this week.

 

I am a new creature in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17).

I triumph in Christ ((2 Cor. 2:14).

I am an heir of God through Christ (Gal. 4:7).

I have boldness and access in Christ (Eph. 3:12).

Christ hath redeemed us (Gal. 3:13).

I have liberty in Christ (Gal. 2:4).

I have victory through Christ (1 Cor. 15:57).

I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me (2 Cor. 12:9).

I am called in Christ (Rom. 1:6).

I have redemption in Christ (Rom. 3:24).

I reign in life by Christ (Rom. 5:17).

Jesus said: I give unto you power [authority] to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power [dunamis-dynamite] of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you (Luke 10:19).

Jesus said: But ye shall receive power [dunamis-dynamite], after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you (Acts 1:8).

Jesus called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power [dunamis] and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases (Luke 9:1).

I am the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Cor. 5:21).

I have been chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world, that I should be holy and without blame before Him (Eph. 1:4).

I am complete in Christ (Col. 2:10).

I have the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16).

Christ is my life (Col. 3:4).

 

Love, Carolyn

 

Read other stories of victories when applying the BIBLE LESSONS FROM NATURE to our everyday lives: https://www.amazon.com/BIBLE-LESSONS-NATURE-Carolyn-Molica/dp/B0BV4GC859/ref=sr_1_1?crid=QACB0S8NH0BF&keywords=bible+lessons+from+nature&qid=1676485121&sprefix=%2Caps%2C222&sr=8-1

 

WHEN GOD SAYS IT ISN'T GOING TO WORK OUT HOW WE WANT IT TO

WHEN GOD SAYS IT ISN’T GOING TO WORK OUT HOW WE WANT IT TO

Have you ever been in a situation where you really wanted to do something, but you got this niggling feeling in your spirit that it wasn’t going to work out? That happened to me this past week. I’ve learned over the years that when the Lord is trying to protect us from a bad situation, He can become quite the nag (in a good way, of course!). He knows the opportunities (i.e., challenges) that will be our biggest temptations, and He will begin to pester us until we give in to His will.

 

Thank God, we’ve trained ourselves to submit because, as the Bible says, we do have an enemy who will try to destroy us in any way he can: physically, financially, relationship-wise, etc. 1 Peter 5:8 tells us to “be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”

 

What happened is a painter friend called and asked if I wanted to help him do a painting for a neighboring city’s competition. I jumped at the idea. But almost immediately, we both recognized things that just didn’t seem right in our spirits. They put out the call for the job, but when my friend showed up on the first day, they weren’t ready with the application. Then the financial pay for the project was put in these terms: “up to $9,500.” We asked ourselves, “What were the criteria for how much they were going to pay?” The terminology sounded awfully arbitrary! One detail after another made us cringe and question.

 

My friend went ahead and worked on a beautifully-rendered mockup. I worked on the write-up for the application, researching costs for a scissor lift, liability insurance, (both of which were not cheap), and some other things on the business end, and putting together portfolio photos.

 

We both felt it was a good learning opportunity and were willing to do what we did without being resentful. But when the Lord says it’s over, it’s over. So today was that day. It’s not a happy resolution, but it’s the right one, and we both know that makes all the difference.

 

All the positive praying we could do, and it just couldn’t make the outcome be what we wanted.

 

My incident with the mural painting was small, but Ezekiel tells of a much graver situation. The prophets didn’t like the messages God was giving about war coming. They decided to enforce their own will and preached peace instead. God said: “I will destroy you for these visions and lies. My hand shall be against you, and you shall be cut off from among the leaders of Israel; I will blot out your names, and you will never see your own country again. And you shall know I am the Lord.  For these evil men deceive my people by saying, ‘God will send peace,’ when that is not my plan at all!” (Ezek. 13:8-10)

 

When we want something and pray about it, we go for the best, and that’s a good thing. But if in our spirit we sense it’s honestly not to be, let’s remember to stop and ask the Lord what’s up. He’ll let us know.

 

Honest raw truth from God is better than even the slightest bit of “positive thinking” that is not true. The sooner we accept the “negative” message from the Lord, the sooner we can deal with it and move through it.

 

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies” (Ps. 23:4-5a). If God needs to tell us negative things, He will do it, but He also leads us through it, no matter what, and we “will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever” (Ps. 23:6).

 

In every case, it’s better to go with the Lord than go with our own earthly desires. And He will always reward our obedience and faith in Him. Hebrews 11:6: “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

Love, Carolyn

 

My new book is out! BIBLE LESSONS FROM NATURE. It should be available on Amazon this week for sure.

 

https://www.amazon.com/BIBLE-LESSONS-NATURE-Carolyn-Molica/dp/B0BV4GC859/ref=sr_1_1?crid=QACB0S8NH0BF&keywords=bible+lessons+from+nature&qid=1676485121&sprefix=%2Caps%2C222&sr=8-1

 

REMEMBER

REMEMBER

The Israelites grew up knowing they were supposed to remember and recite the great miracles God did for their ancestors and families. They were supposed to tell their children stories to keep God’s love and majesty in their hearts and minds and pass it on to future generations.

 

Recalling the goodness of God was to be an antidote for depression, rebellion, and fearful thinking so that when enemies would come at them, they would have the correct mental weapons to fight. And they would know that God would continue caring for them in hard times.

 

But the Israelites didn’t do what God wanted. Psalm 78: 10-11 tells us: “They did not keep the covenant of God; They refused to walk in His law and forgot His works and His wonders that He had shown them.”

After Jesus came to earth, God “called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles. As He also says in Hosea: ‘I will call them My people, who were not My people, and her beloved, who was not beloved’” (Rom. 9:24-25).

Even though God no longer requires us to be under the Mosaic law, Paul tells us in Romans 15:4: “Whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.”

The Old Testament edicts are for our learning. I’ve found that remembering what God has done for us in the past works the same way God intended it to work in Old Testament times: to give us the mental and emotional weapons we need when life’s circumstances challenge us.

Reading Psalm 78 this week, I saw that God’s people were far from steadfast. Instead, they kept flipping back and forth from following God’s will.

 

When many died, “they sought Him; And they returned and sought earnestly for God. Then they remembered that God was their rock, and the Most High God their Redeemer” (Ps. 78:34-35). But their memory was short-lived!

 

“Nevertheless they flattered Him with their mouth, and they lied to Him with their tongue; for their heart was not steadfast with Him, nor were they faithful in His covenant” (vv. 36-37).

 

“But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and did not destroy them” (v. 38).

“How often they provoked Him in the wilderness and grieved Him in the desert! Yes, again and again they tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel” (vv. 40-41).

“They did not remember His power: The day when He redeemed them from the enemy” (v. 42).

 

After reading this, I figured it would be a good time for me to reflect on my own life to see a few miraculous things the Lord did to rescue me in the past. I don’t want to become insensitive to His power and blessing in my current life, like the Israelites in Psalm 78!

 

I remember when I was about 19, I felt like no one loved me. I had even failed at trying to commit suicide. I was alone and despondent and didn’t know how to improve things. My best offer came from a “friend,” and we would go to LA to become prostitutes. God rescued me just in time when my dad’s San Francisco office suddenly closed, and my parents asked me if I wanted to go with them to Chicago. I went. But things didn’t get much better.

 

I met a guy who I really liked and we went out a few times. Then he said he wanted me to meet him late one night at the pool parking lot where I worked as a lifeguard. I was ready to go, but something didn’t feel right, so I didn’t go. The next day when I showed up at the pool, the head lifeguard told me the guy showed up at about 11 p.m. to do a drug deal. He had a handgun and was really angry that I didn’t come. He had all his stuff in the back of the car and took off cross country. My lifeguard boss said the guy was planning to take me with him! God saved me from being abducted by that guy!

Jane tells me I kept my angels very busy back then, and she’s right.

 

When I think back to those years between 18 and 22, I can tell you so many stories of how the Lord saved me from numerous awful situations. I felt like I was acting like those Israelites in Psalm 78, always carrying my Bible around but absolutely void of any Godly wisdom!

 

Finally, God rescued me for good. In Matthew 3:11, John the Baptist says: “He that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire.” That’s what happened to me. Jesus Christ baptized me with his holy spirit and fire. The fire burned out my old life and gave me power and wisdom, and I never went back.

 

“I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings” (Ps. 40:2).

 

That’s my story in a nutshell, and remembering it gives me great calm and uplifting. If you ever get discouraged or sad, just take a look at what God’s already done for you. 2 Peter 3:9: “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise.” What He’s done for you before, He can do it again and way more!  

 

Love, Carolyn  PS: My new book, BIBLE LESSONS FROM NATURE, just came out on Amazon! In color! www.amazon.com/dp/B0BV4GC859?psc=1&smid=A1Y53T3O3Q25L8&ref_=chk_typ_imgToDp

 

HOW TO GET A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF A BIBLE SCRIPTURE

HOW TO GET A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF A BIBLE SCRIPTURE

When the English translators read the Hebrew/Aramaic text of the Old Testament or the Greek version of the New Testament, they chose English words that would best express their understanding of the original languages. A good concordance lets us do that too. We can look up the etymology of any word used in the Bible and see the intricacies of its definition. It’s easy now with an online concordance like Strong’s (https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h3427/kjv/wlc/0-1/). As we read the definition of a word, the Holy Spirit teaches us how it applies to our lives. We get a deeper understanding of the holy scriptures by doing this simple research.

 

As an example, I’ll show you how to do this, using two verses from Psalm 91. First, I’ll show you how to look up the meanings of the words, then make them personal without compromising the integrity or how the scripture fits with the rest of the Bible.

 

Psalm 91:1: “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”

 

The word “dwelleth” is the Hebrew yashab defined as sitting down with, remaining, settling down with, continuing with, marrying, being still with.

 

“Secret” is cether, a place where you’re covered, a hiding place, a place of protection.

 

“The most High” is El Elyon, the Highest, Supreme, uppermost. There is no one and nothing higher.

 

“Abide” is the Hebrew lyin which means to stop (usually overnight), implying to stay permanently, remaining, continuing.

 

“The Almighty” is El Shaddai. Young’s Concordance defines this as the God of overflow, constant supply, and source of all sufficiency.

 

Take a minute or two to think about those definitions and mull them over. What is God saying to you in that scripture? Put it in your own words without changing the meaning.

 

For example, this is how I would say to myself: “Carolyn, sit down a few minutes and relax. Settle down, be still, and picture yourself snuggled up in the protected hiding place of God, up next to the One Who is the Highest Being ever to exist. He wants you there. You can stay overnight, and then in the morning, you’ll be right by His side and go wherever He goes. You’re close enough that His shadow is on you, and you experience a constant overflow from Him. God is your continuing source of everything you need.”

 

The next verse I want to look at is Psalm 91:4: “He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust: His truth shall be thy shield and buckler.”

 

The word “cover” is sakak which means to join together and shut up, entwining as a screen, to fence in or hedge in for protection and defense.

 

“Feathers” are from the root word abar which means to soar or fly.

 

“Truth” is emeth meaning stable, certain, sure, faithful, established and right.

 

“Shield” is a word for pointed hook, prickly like thorns or a cactus hedge. It is a large shield that guards by prickliness. It also carries the definition of being piercingly cold.

 

“Buckler” is translated from cochera, a shield that completely surrounds a person.

 

Again, take a few minutes to think about these definitions and see what God is saying to you.

 

The God of the Bible is our God, and He’s protected His Word all these thousands of years so that when we read a verse, He can speak personally to each of us. It’s great to have people who preach and teach us the Word, but God loves us individually and has made it so that each of us can read the Bible and hear from Him ourselves. God tells us in 2 Timothy 2:15: “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”  

 

When we study a verse or section of scripture by looking up the meanings of the words, we’ll get a deeper understanding of what our Heavenly Father is saying to us.

 

“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened (Matt. 7:7-8).

 

Love, Carolyn

 

My new book, BIBLE LESSONS FROM NATURE, will be out soon. I’m excited for you to be able to read it. The last time I published a paperback, it had to be in black and white, but this time they could do it in color! Yay! I know you’re going to love it. https://www.amazon.com/Carolyn-Molica/e/B007GZO1HA?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_15&qid=1651431514&sr=8-15

 

WHEN SOMEONE DOESN'T ASK FOR YOUR HELP, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN DO?

WHEN SOMEONE DOESN’T ASK FOR YOUR HELP, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN DO?

During the holidays, we may have seen hurting family members or friends. We try to help the best we can, but sometimes it seems they just can’t receive it from us. Maybe they “know” the old us too well. It’s like Jesus when he went to Nazareth, where he grew up: “He did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief” (Matt. 13:58). They only knew him as the carpenter’s son, as a regular guy, not the spiritually tapped-in empowered guy he was now! God, in His foreknowledge, already anticipated this scenario and provided a solution. There is always something we can do.

 

Jesus explains it in Matthew 9:33-10:1. In verse 33, we see Jesus casting out a demon. In verse 35, we’re told he was “healing every sickness and every disease among the people.” Verse 36 tells us when he saw the multitudes, his heart went out to them. We all have these feelings of compassion and love toward friends and relatives, especially during the holidays it seems. But we can’t help them all. Jesus said: “The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few” (v.37).

 

He told his disciples to pray that God would send other laborers into His harvest. “Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest” (v.38).

 

Then Jesus showed them how it would be done: He sent out other laborers besides himself (chpt.10, verse 1). He didn’t say: “Schedule more meetings for me.” He didn’t say: “I have to do it all myself.” The Savior of the world, when he was here in the flesh, didn’t rely on himself to deliver and heal everyone. What an amazing concept and a really important one for us to understand.

 

As wonderful and powerful as Jesus was when he looked with love and compassion at the hurting people right there in front of him, he couldn’t help them all. When we see the people we love and they are hurting, our hearts go out to them too. But we can’t help everyone, and there’s no need to feel bad about not being able to help someone close to us. Sometimes I just have to tell myself: “I’m not their savior.”  If Jesus couldn’t heal everyone close to him, why do we think we can?

 

But Jesus showed us a way to help them anyway.  

 

He showed us we are to pray for another Christ-inspired person to step in. What a wonderful and powerful thing to know, and what a comfort and assurance. There’s never any guilt when it comes to love. We can always help in some way. In Matthew 9:38, Jesus told us that God is the Lord of His harvest, and we are to pray that He will send the laborers into His harvest. Being the Lord of His harvest, He knows which of His laborers will be best suited for each and every one of His harvest of believers. He knows exactly who they will respond to and when.

 

People respond favorably to different people. You don’t respond to everyone the same way, nor do your loved ones. They’ll connect to someone who says the same thing you say, but when it comes from someone else, it sounds much better. That’s just the way life is; we’re all that way.

 

We can offer help, but if it’s not taken, we can still be very effective by praying for someone else to help them.

 

And what will that other laborer do? Much! Matthew 10:1 says they will have “power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.” That’s spectacular!

 

So don’t be discouraged if you’ve felt snubbed or somewhat helpless. Instead, be encouraged; there’s power in prayer for another laborer to come in to help when you can’t. And if you’re not being anxious about someone you care about, then you free yourself up for God to bless you with even more satisfying situations where you minister in even more amazing ways for Him.  

 

Love, Carolyn 

 

I just sent for my second proof of BIBLE LESSONS FROM NATURE . Once I make any needed corrections, it should be out in less than 2 weeks! YAY! I’m very excited.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Carolyn-Molica/e/B007GZO1HA?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_15&qid=1651431514&sr=8-15

 

 

MAKING DECISIONS

MAKING DECISIONS

Two friends told me similar stories of being on the operating table and knowing they were dying. Both came to a very serious crossroad: “Do I stay or leave?” Fortunately for me and many others, they both chose to stay.  But was this the only crossroad or life-changing decision they’ve faced in life? I don’t think so.

 

They say cats have nine lives. But I think we have several lives too, here on earth, as we come to those crossroads, those precipice points where we have to make the hard choices that alter the future: career choices, marriage, divorce, where to live, children, medical choices, religion, and so many other choices that may or may seem to be life changers. Not every choice may be a life-altering one, but we don’t know till later which ones were gigantic. Only as we look back on our lives can we see the ones that really did make a big difference.

 

One of the biggest ones for me happened when I was in college.

 

Carbondale University of Illinois May 1970. I stood in the crowd of protesters chanting, “Ho Ho Ho Chi Minh, NLF is going to win.” I picked up a rock and threw it as hard as I could. The minute it flew from my hand I was jolted! “What am I doing?” I’d gone too far.

 

I was throwing a baseball-sized rock into a line of police officers, not even thinking who or what it could hit. I quickly backed out of the crowd of protesters and retreated to the trailer. I waited for my friends. And I was silent as we rode back to the other side of the state, where we all were enrolled at a different Illinois State College. 

 

When I returned to my dorm, I had some real soul-searching. I’d come to one of those crossroads. If I stayed with the friends I had at the time, my whole life would have been a totally different story. I was afraid of the person I’d become. I didn’t recognize her. I had to abandon my protester friends and began to look inward and to the Bible for answers. The next semester at school was awfully lonely.

 

At some point, we all come to crossroads where we honestly have to ask ourselves: “Why am I doing this?” And then we have to answer ourselves just as honestly.

 

Second Kings 7 tells us about four lepers who were in that predicament. The enemy was coming from without the city and there was a great famine within the city. They just sat there. Finally, they woke up and “they said one to another, ‘Why sit we here until we die?’” They realized they were being foolish just sitting there and waiting to die. Instead, they were motivated by a tiny spark of hope.

 

They decided they’d move toward the enemy camp, and just maybe, there was a very slight chance something good would happen. As it turned out, their hope was rewarded. As the lepers went out, the enemy thought they heard a great army coming against them, and they fled.

 

“And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried thence silver, and gold, and raiment” (2 Kgs. 7:7). There was so much food and wealth, the whole city was able to prosper from it.

 

The lepers’ action was motivated by hope, and they were rewarded.

 

Hope is a great attitude to have.  Psalm 146: 5 tells us a person can stay happy if he stays in hope. “Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord.”

 

Even if we don’t always make the right decisions, we can pray like David did: “Create in me a clean heart, O God” (Ps. 51: 10), because we know that “the Lord looketh [is looking] on the heart (1 Sam. 16:7).

 

When our hearts are right with God, we can be assured that things will work out, no matter what they may look like now. We can smile with hope, “being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6).

 

And we do like it says in Philippians 2:12: “work out [our] own salvation [wholeness] with fear [reverence] and respect toward trying to do our absolute best for the Lord” for we have to trust it really is, “God which worketh [is working] in [us] both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13).

 

We are loved by God Almighty, the creator of all things, and we can trust Him to help us, especially at those life-changing crossroads.

 

Like me, when I decided to drop my protestor friends, or like the four lepers who made the scary move toward the enemy, if our heart is cleansed and our hope is in the Lord, the future is a very bright and happy one for us.

 

Let’s make sure we present our life choices, great and small, before the Lord Jesus, for his take on them. He was God’s perfect son, and he lived here on earth. He understands all earthly things, including all the choices that would ever confront us. And he knows what are the best choices we could make. When we were born again we confessed that Jesus would be our Lord. Let’s make sure our actions show that this is true.

 

Love, Carolyn

 

Watch for my new book to be out by the end of this month. I should get the proof back this week and be able to make the final adjustments – yay! The book is titled BIBLE LESSONS FROM NATURE .

 

https://www.amazon.com/Carolyn-Molica/e/B007GZO1HA?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_15&qid=1651431514&sr=8-15

 

 

 

MAKING IT RIGHT

MAKING IT RIGHT

When I went into the store, I was distracted, thinking about the drawing I’m working on. I did self-checkout and loaded the items into three bags, put them in the cart, and out I went. It wasn’t until I got home that I realized I never paid for the items! I have no idea why the alarm didn’t go off as I exited the store!

 

As I thought about this crazy incident, I was reminded how easily Satan opens the door for people to sin. He just slips in the opportunities so smoothly. It takes discipline to live honestly by Biblical standards, and of course, I went back the next day with a list of all the items so I could rightfully pay for them.

 

Even though I didn’t know at the time that I did anything wrong, I did, and I admitted it. But making it right takes so much more time and effort! Darn!

 

Nobody wants to be wrong at anything, but the truth is that the last perfect guy got out of here over 2000 years ago, and so all of us are going to do wrong things, no matter how hard we try always to do things right. And we need to fix those things that are wrong, no matter how much time or effort it takes. My small incident is nothing, compared to some of the other things that need to be fixed, that take a lot more time and a lot more diligence.

 

A form of the word “diligent” is used 61 times in the Bible. The results of being diligent to the things that are important to God are told to us in Exodus 15:26:

 

“If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee.”

 

A form of the word “disciple” or “discipline” is used 257 times, and of course, Jesus named his closest followers “disciples.”

 

Job tells us that God helps us toward being disciplined because He knows we will be so much happier with the results:

 

“He openeth also their ear to discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity [sins specifically that come to us from our bloodlines].

 

“If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures” (Job 36:10-11).

 

We all know there are things in our lives that the Lord would prefer if we would change them. In other words, we usually know when we’ve done something that’s not very good. And God knows too—we can’t hide from our Creator! So, if we want to make things right, and God knows we do, then He’ll find a way to let us know.

 

And when God makes us aware of our sin, our bad judgment, or errors, He doesn’t want us to get all mad about it or despondent either. To God, one sin is just as big or small as another. All can be forgiven and all can be changed for the better.

 

King Solomon speaks to his children in Proverbs 3:11-12: “My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord;
neither be weary of his correction: for whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.”

 

And 1 John 3: 2 tells us: “Beloved, now are we the sons [and daughters] of God.” So being disciplined and corrected by God is a good thing. It means He loves us.

 

But as every child who’s been spanked, knows: “No chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous.” And as every parent knows: “Nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby” (Heb. 12:11). A good spanking can motivate a child to act right. And a spanking from the Lord can work the same way.

 

Verse 12 goes on to encourage us in how we are to respond to God’s spankings. We are not to get all down in the dumps and pull a pity party for ourselves. We are to get up and act right, so whatever we did doesn’t keep happening.

 

“Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; and make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed” (Heb. 12: 12-13).

 

Being wrong can be righted as long as we admit to God that we were wrong, and when we do wrong to someone, we should repent to them as well. Luke 17: 1 tells us that offenses will absolutely come and when they do come, verse 3 tells us: “Take heed to yourselves: if thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him.” Yep, that’s a bit of a tough one in our contemporary culture. We don’t really like having the responsibility of having to tell someone they’re wrong. We’d rather just ignore it or pray that the person will recognize his or her error on their own.

 

But the verse goes on to say: “And if he repent, forgive him.” It doesn’t say that we just randomly forgive everyone who has wronged us. No; We are to tell them they did something wrong, according to the Bible, so that they have the opportunity to repent. THEN, we are to forgive them. Verse 4: “And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.”

 

When I read that section of scripture recently, I realized it was way different than what I’d been taught previously. I was not used to telling people, especially Bible people, to their face that their actions were wrong. And when I read those scriptures, I saw that I was the one who was wrong by keeping silent! I repent! I probably could have helped a few more people to do God’s will if I’d been bolder in this category. And of course, we are to always remember to utilize the Lord’s wisdom and kindness, rather than snarkiness!

 

But, no crying over the past. God forgives me and will make a way for me to move forward in more victory.

 

We have spiritual ability within us to change into better Christians, because of being born again of Christ’s seed, making it so that we really can get back on track on anything. Romans 12:1-3 tells us how:

 

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

 

“For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”

 

One thought at a time, we can make our minds new again on any subject. I’m not saying it’s easy, but it is definitely doable, and God promises it’s well worth the effort.

 

I’m looking forward to an amazing year ahead as we forge our way into this 2023. I expect changes in the world and changes in me too.

 

God bless you.

 

Love, Carolyn

 

I’ve got my new book almost ready to go! I only have to design the front and back cover and do some promotional stuff that the publisher is asking for. The book is called BIBLE LESSONS FROM NATURE (including cats and dogs). I think you’re really going to like it 😊