Angels Watching

Hey, Y'all,

Today's RST is short and sweet--ran across it again the other day, been a while since I'd thought about it, actually. 'Course it's funny 'cause I really remember this one in Spanish, not English. It's one of those many texts that my mom and dad taught me a long, long time ago, and it's never left me; it's just kind of evolved and grown up right alongside me, acquiring depth and meaning as my life has gone on--pretty cool. So parents, if you wonder if it's worth the effort to teach your kids to memorize these little pearls, the answer, in my humble opinion, is a pretty resounding "yes!" ('course they're also pretty good for you too, you know :-)

Here it is:

"He has given His angels charge of you,
to watch over you,
wherever you go."
Psalm 91:11

Sweet! You've been prayed for (and watched over) today...

Thanksgiving!

Hey, Y'all,

Ran across this quote the other day and it really struck a chord:

Gratitude makes a meal into a feast, a house into a home, and a stranger into a friend. It makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and gives us a vision for tomorrow.
--Melody Beattie

How true is that?

Then I got a text message from Hasani (thanks brother!) earlier today that was in fact going to be the first part of this message--it's a line from the old song that says, "Give thanks with a grateful heart because of what the Lord has done for us." On this one day when we do purposely stop for a minute (for a change) and consider our many blessings, it really does hit home how good we have it and how good God is.

So, "Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise!" (Psalm 95:2), and if you do nothing else today, don't forget that "every good and perfect gift comes from above" (James 1:17) so do say thanks, even if it's just a heartfelt
--repeat after me--

"Rub-a-dub-dub,
Thanks for the grub,
Yay God!"

Happy Thanksgiving--you've been prayed for today...

Little Foxes? Search Me, Show Me

Hey, Y'all,

Song of Solomon (2:15) may seem like an unlikely place to find an RST, but I ran across this useful reminder the other day...

"The little foxes spoil the vine." Are there 'little foxes' in your life? Questionable attitudes or sneaky thoughts that you've allowed to creep into your thinking? Sometimes sin isn't a huge and easily-identifiable thing; sometimes it's small and seemingly insignificant, but it doesn't tend to stay that way, does it? Think about your life for a minute and see if it isn't true.

So, what do you think God wants you to do with these 'little foxes' that entangle your walk and complicate your life? Pray this prayer of David's -- "Search me, O God and know my heart; test me, and know my thoughts; see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way of everlasting" (Psalm 139) -- and be on the lookout for how God responds, what He shows you.

You've been prayed for today...

Plan, Direct

Hey, Y'all,

Today's RST is short and sweet--
it's Proverbs 16:9 which says:

"In his heart a man plans his course,
but the Lord determines his steps."

Once again, I like how it sounds in the Amplified Bible:

"A man's mind plans his way,
but the Lord directs his steps
and makes them sure."

Funny...if you think about it for a second...
ain't that the truth?

You've been prayed for today...

Fulfill Law? Carry Burdens.

Hey, Y'all,

At first glance today's RST appears to have nothing to do with the last one, but upon further review (yep, too much football this weekend :-), I think it does...

"Carry each other's burdens,
and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."
Galatians 6:2

I like it even better in the Amplified Bible:
"Bear (endure, carry) one anothers' burdens and troublesome moral faults, and in this way fulfill and observe perfectly the law of Christ [the Messiah] and complete what is lacking [in your obedience to it]."

Wait; I most-completely fulfill the law of Christ not by focusing on dos and don'ts but rather by helping others carry their burdens?!? Hmmm...I'm going to think about that for a bit--how 'bout you?

You've been prayed for today...

Many Parts Of One Body

Hey, Y'all,

Ran across this passage the other day--I never get tired of re-reading it (I always seem to pick up something new that I hadn't read or understood that way before). It's Romans 12:3-8...

Don't think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ's body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.

In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

Two things jumped out at me this time; been kind of rolling them around in my head, especially in the context of "many parts of one body"...

(1) The idea that "we all belong to each other"--what does that look like?
(2) The exhortation to do well whatever it is you do. Everything I do?

Hmmm...

You've been prayed for today...