Sunday’s Blessing – 11/30/2025 – Wisdom

Sunday’s Blessing – 11/30/2025 – Wisdom

I wrongly get accused of being smart. I always respond to these comments with this: “I just guess well.” One thing I do have going for me is the ability to reason. My background in mathematics trained me to look for patterns, cipher options to find the best alternative, and, for the most part, remember things. That last trait has become less reliable in recent years.

I love to fix things that are either broken or simply not working. A recent example: The charger on the battery-operated blower was acting strangely. Sometimes it would charge and other times it wouldn’t. Was the charger? Was it the battery? Was it an issue with the blower itself? I Googled solutions, tried several options shown, but still the blower would randomly work and randomly fail. Or, at least seemingly random. One day as I was placing the battery back on the charger, I noticed the charger engaged then stopped charging. That was the first time I ever saw the charger stop. I removed the battery and placed it again on the charger. This time I slid the battery in place very slowly until the charger engaged.

I noticed it was not seated all the way down on the charger. Apparently, over time, either the contacts in the fully seated position had worn, or the stop mechanism had gotten worn or broken. Regardless, since placing the battery in the “almost” seated position, the battery always charges.

This repair was the result of knowledge. I don’t know anything about batteries or battery chargers. However, I am observant. By using data from those observations, I can build a bank of options to explore. Sometimes one of those options become a solution.

That is a purely natural example of gaining what I call wisdom. It’s the application of knowledge to solve a problem. Scripture teaches us that there is wisdom available for the Believer because the Holy Spirit, who indwells the believer, can reveal things to you that you have not previously known. 

I have experienced this as well. It had to do with another natural (or carnal) situation. I had struggled with finding an answer to a client’s software issue. One morning on my one-hour commute to work I prayed and ask the Lord to help me with the problem. The client was growing weary of us not providing an answer, and that, in turn, cast a bad light on me. Shortly after this brief prayer, a word came into my head that I do not remember ever hearing. The word, or phrase in this case, was “depletion indicator”. As soon as I got to the office, I found the “guru” of our system design and posed the question, “Have you ever heard of ‘depletion indicator’?” He immediately explained the purpose of this option and where to find it.

I was so excited to contact the client and have them try this option, and it worked! I then went a told my manager what had happened. He said, “Keep praying!” This incident became an opportunity to witness of the wisdom provided by our Creator to those who have entered into the New Covenant with Him.

Now, for today’s blessing:

May the God of Wisdom reveal truths to you in time of need

So you can be a testimony of the goodness of God

So you can be spared the frustration of not knowing

So your purpose can be fulfilled by receiving needing information

May the Holy Spirit bring all things to your remembrance

So you can draw from the reservoir of knowledge accumulated over your lifetime

Brought forth at the appropriate time to help with the challenges you face

So you can appreciate the grace gifts extended to you by the Lord

May you live in a place of thanksgiving for the God-life given to you at salvation

And learn to hear and respond to that Still Small Voice inside you, the Holy Spirit

Who will guide you as you walk through your days

Leading you deeper and deeper into your purpose

Sunday’s Blessing – 11/23/2025 – Abigail

Sunday’s Blessing – 11/23/2025 – Abigail

In the study of the life of David, this week we looked at the encounter with a man named Nabal and his wife, Abigail. Nabal’s name means, “fool.” Apparently it fit him well. Everyone around the man referred to him as an idiot. However, he was very rich. The Hebrew word describing how rich he was means, “heavy.” In other words, Nabal was loaded.

David was holed up in a cave with his six hundred mighty men. His men spent their time roaming the wilderness regions of Israel protecting the shepherds and their flocks from marauders who would raid the fields and rustle the flocks. In return for this protection, which was offered at no charge, the owners of the flocks would share from the profits they made from the livestock.

When the time came to cash in on their herds, David got the news and sent a few of his men to greet Nabal and request compensation for their protection. Even though Nabal’s men spoke very highly of David’s men, he refused to pay them anything, and even insulted them and David, the future King of Israel.

David became so angry at Nabal’s refusal, and even more so of his mockery, that he ordered four hundred of his sword-wielding men to follow him to take this man down.

In comes Abigail. She was both very wise and very beautiful. She got word that David was on his way to kill her husband, Nabal. Even though she was not even aware of what Nabal had done, she took quick action to try and keep David from killing her husband. She mounted up donkeys ladened with food, enough to feed a small army, and went to head off David at the pass. Her humility and tact, as well as her respect for David, convinced him to call of the slaughter of Nabal.

David was willing to change his mind (repent, if you will) of his plan to murder a man because he was dishonored and in doing so, saved himself from ridicule and loss of respect from the people of Israel. His reign as king would have most certainly suffered.

Now for today’s blessing:

May you find the courage to change your mind when presented with Truth

So you, like David, can keep from becoming shipwrecked by poor decisions

So you may become a vessel the Lord can use

And fulfill your purpose given you by the Creator

May the Lord send those like Abigail to speak the Truth to you at critical times

To give you understanding of which path to take

Which will lead to your promotion and not your demise

So God may be glorified in your life

Sunday’s Blessing – 11/16/1015 – Perspective

Sunday’s Blessing – 11/16/1015 – Perspective

When you are in the middle of a major project, effort, chore, etc., it’s easy to lose sight of where you are in the process. Something unexpected arises, and instead of pausing to reevaluate the situation, you tear into the new development not realizing it will take too much time and cost more than expected, nullifying the benefit of the original plan’s outcome. Some refer to these “somethings” as rabbit holes. What seems to be a simple hole in the ground quickly become a maze of tunnels which lead in all directions. Before you know it you have spent all day with nothing to show for it.

Maintaining perspective is the easiest fix for this wasteful process. Before electronic navigation, sailors had to rely on manual steps to ensure they were heading in the right direction. Without the benefit of landmarks out on the open waters, they used a sextant which measured the angle between a celestial body (sun, moon, star, etc.) and the horizon. By introducing a constant into the mix (e.g. celestial body) they could maintain the desired course and arrive at the planned destination.

This is the same counsel Paul gives for Christians to maintain their walk toward becoming like Christ. “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” Colossians 3:2 (ESV) When you maintain focus on the outcome you are less likely to get sidetracked by trivial, meaningless, and unexpected issues. This verse, combined with the charge to “… destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, …” 1 Corinthians 10:5 (ESV), helps keep us on track in our journey. This is much easier said than done. The key is keeping perspective.

Today’s blessing:

May you find grace to follow the lighted path provided by the Holy Spirit

To place each step in the spot which gets us closer to the destination

To maintain joy in the journey

To arrive at your desired destination

May you be led by peace

So when distractions come, you can quickly identify the lack settled-ness

And get back on track before much time or distance has lapsed

Optimizing the trek toward fulfilling your purpose

Sunday’s Blessing – 11/09/2025 – Surprise!

Sunday’s Blessing – 11/09/2025 – Surprise!

Have you ever been surprised? I don’t mean a “surprise” birthday party that you were pretty sure was coming. I mean something that was not even on the radar. When the tire blows on the interstate – surprise! When the phone rings with a call from the hospital – surprise!

Or, when a friend calls and says they are coming over today – unexpectedly – surprise!

The point of all of this is when a surprise comes which calls your giftings into action or allows you an opportunity to operate in your purpose, the reaction is very different. Even though there is still an element of stress, the energy you feel somehow overrides the nerves and allows you to perform nearly super-human tasks in order to get the job done.

What if we actually planned times to operate in our purpose instead of waiting on “surprise” moments? Many more people would be blessed and you would not be as stressed. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you how. Plan that meet-up with the widows or single moms in your life. Go help the neighbor with their lawn. Visit a nursing home. Volunteer to do taxes for folks in your church or civic group (if you know how!). Leave a sack of groceries on the porch, anonymously,  of the family who just lost a job, or a loved one, or just because.

You will find great fulfillment in your life and others will be greatly blessed.

Now for today’s blessing:

Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Hebrews 13:20-21 (ESV)

Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 (ESV)

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word. 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 (ESV)

Sunday’s Blessing – 11/02/2025 – Random Thoughts

Sunday’s Blessing – 11/02/2025 – Random Thoughts

If you have ever seen the movie, Men In Black (the first one), the outro of the movie shows aliens playing marbles with, what is understood from the context, galaxies. Strangely enough, I had a very similar thought years before the movie was ever made. Sitting on a beach as a young teen this thought occurred to me: What if our solar system is actually an atom in a much larger existence? What if all the various galaxies are part of some being much larger than we could ever comprehend?

After seeing the movie, I realized I’m not the only one with a strange imagination. The reality, however, is we are actually part of a much bigger something. This something is what we call God. God is not found in nature. Nature is found in God. You and I are not “islands” unto ourselves. We are intrinsically part of a whole.

The early Church knew this. They used the word, ekklesia (Greek – meaning called out ones), when speaking of the Church. It was not until Constantine that “church” was used to describe a building. THE Church is not a building. It is a people who bear the name of Christ. Jesus was Head of The Church. He was not “our personal Lord and Savior” as many in the West describe Him. That terminology was first used after North America was being populated by those coming here looking for religious freedom. Jesus does not come into us as individuals. We are actually baptized into Him!

Until we (The Church) get a proper perspective on our connectedness to other Christians we will never be “a single body” in the earth, “with parts in particular.” If we continue to see each “church” (local fellowships) as autonomous from all the other Christians, we will continue to struggle for identity and miss our opportunity to BE Jesus in the earth.

Today’s Blessing:

May you get the revelation of the Headship of Jesus to the whole Church

So you can discern the Lord’s Body, as commanded by Paul in Corinthians

And in doing so, realize that you are a part of something much larger than you

Which will allow the world to see the Kingdom of God

May you gain perspective in the reality that the Holy Spirit brought you into Jesus

As opposed to you deciding to “join” The Church

Which allows you to lose your identity in this world

And prepare you for living in the World to come – The Kingdom of Heaven

May you develop true humility, like John the Baptist

Who declared to the world, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness”

Accepting your purpose, as John accepted his, will lead to your fulfillment

And the expansion of the Kingdom of God in the earth

Sunday’s Blessing - 10/25/2025 - Retreat

Sunday’s Blessing - 10/25/2025 - Retreat

A retreat doesn’t always mean giving up. In the midst of an intense battle, a strategic retreat can be just what is needed to regroup, restock, and replan. A new assault can then be launched with a rejuvenated force against the enemy. 

Our modern culture uses the same word, retreat, to mean a purposeful time of training, team building, and relaxation by going to a neutral location where interruptions and distractions are minimal. When used effectively, these times of pulling away from normal schedules can boost morale and reenergize a team. 

Jesus did this regularly in the years spent with His disciples. He tried to show them a major key in living a life dependent on the Creator. We must pull away from our routine life to hear His Spirit speak to our spirit. When done effectively, these timeouts can make a marked difference in the outcome of every situation we face. 

Today’s blessing:

May the Lord of the Sabbath help you find rest

So you can learn how to relax

So you will gain perspective of your purpose 

And be able to show others how to discover their place

May the God of peace reveal to you The Prince of Peace

So in stressful times you will seek refuge in Him

And allow peace to repel the pestilence 

So you can absorb His presence 

Sunday’s Blessing – 10/19/2025 – Familiarity

Sunday’s Blessing – 10/19/2025 – Familiarity

In our study of King David, we looked at the aftermath of killing a giant. However, there were still a couple of things to look at from last week when we read about the encounter between David and Goliath. First of all, when David went to see Saul before facing Goliath, King Saul tried to convince David to wear the king’s armor. Before rejecting it, David actually tried it on. There is something to be learned from this. Before going out to meet the giant based on his own experience, David at least took time to consider some new information.

Once the armor was on his body, David knew he could not fight effectively because the armor did not fit him. It was made exclusively for King Saul, who was much larger in stature than David. But that was not the reason David rejected the additional protection. He said, “I cannot wear these things because they haven’t been proven by him in battle.” David had been in battles but never while wearing armor; much less someone else’s armor.

He went with what he knew had worked for him in the past. He then headed out to meet Goliath and on the way he stopped at the stream nearby and picked up some rocks. Samuel comments, “He (David) placed them in his bag, even in his pouch.” For some reason, this caught my attention. It reminded me of something Ray Hughes shared about the “bag” which Judas carried.

Some thought that, because Judas had the moneybag, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor. John 13:29

Moneybag in this verse comes from the Greek word “glóssokomon”, which means “a case to keep reeds for wind instruments.” Judas was likely a musician and used his reed bag to carry money for Jesus’ ministry.

I then remembered David was also a musician. So, I looked up the meaning of “bag” David carried it found it has many interpretations, one of which was “psaltry”. In I Chronicles 23:5 the same word is used to describe the 4000 instruments which David made for the gatekeepers to use for worship in the Tabernacle of David.

This is what I think David was carrying with him into battle with the giant: his bag which he carried everywhere which contained his harp (which he played for Saul) and the rest of his “stuff”, like his slingshot and a pouch for the stones. These things were familiar to David because he had “proven” them out in the pasture tending sheep. These were the same “weapons” which he used to battle wild animals attempting to take the sheep under his care, and also tamed the evil spirits which tormented Saul, his king. David was not unarmed when he left Saul’s tent with armor or weapons. He was simply going with what was familiar to him so he could focus his attention on his Lord, whose strength he confessed would help him defeat the enemy, and the tools which fit his hand well.

Now, for today’s blessing:

May you come to know the Lord’s presence as Mary, the sister of Martha, did

So when trouble comes (death of Lazarus) you find comfort at the feet of Jesus

Because you have already spent time there before trouble came

And welcome the Lord’s presence in good times and bad

May you practice the Presence of the Lord (as Brother Lawrence wrote)

By acknowledging God’s presence even when you don’t “feel” Him there

And also when you know the Lord is near

So others will realize the source of your strength is from above

May you be conscious of the indwelling Spirit promised by Jesus

So you may hear His still small voice when He speaks

So you will follow the path He illuminates for you to follow

And act from the place of knowing you are fully within the purpose of God