Today in church we talked about 1 Kings 21.  This chapter discusses the king of Samaria, Ahab with his wife Jezebel.  One day they decided they really wanted to buy this man Naboth’s vineyard.  Ahab wanted to use this vineyard to make a vegetable garden, and he in particular wanted this vineyard because it was close to his palace.  

However, Naboth did not end up selling this vineyard to Ahab even though he was even offered a better vineyard or would be given the money of what the vineyard is worth.  Ahab was offering a nice deal for what he wanted.  However, Naboth knew God’s law really well.  He knew that he wasn’t allowed to sell the vineyard because a man of God was not allowed to sell the land handed down to him from his fathers. It was His.  It was a piece of land that was intended to stay with God’s people.  Naboth was supposed to pass this land along to future generations.  It must have been really scary to be Naboth.  He said no to the king of Samaria, but he was content with what he had and he was also willing to follow God first. 

Now to start, Ahab didn’t do anything wrong.  He just wanted to buy a vineyard for a vegetable garden. It is perfectly fine to offer a deal to pay for a vineyard or a piece of land.  However, it is how Ahab responds to this situation.  Ahab instantly became a big complainer.  He came home sullen and angry.  He just laid in bed and refused to eat.  Now Ahab has switched from just being interested in land to coveting what he couldn’t have. 

Then it gets even worse.  Jezebel creates a scheme where the people had a feast, and then she wrote a letter to have two people accuse Naboth of disrespecting their god and to have him stoned.  He was killed, so then Ahab would be able to take his vineyard for himself.  He got what he wanted.  Ahab does later regret his decision.  Elijah, the prophet, comes to him and rebukes him for the murder of an innocent man.  Ahab also has to face some justice.  Ahab is told by Elijah that there will be a lot of destruction done to his son and his household.  

The main thing we can learn from this story is again, the destructive power of being covet.  The act of not coveting is so important to God that it is one of the ten commandments.  The tenth commandment says, “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house, nor his farm, nor his cattle, nor anything that is his!”  The Lord makes sure to say this because he was very aware that people, when they choose to covet, can become just like Ahab.  Their desires can take root and make them become frustrated, depressed, or angry by the lack of things they have. 

It is so important to love what we already have.  It is important to be content with the talents and the goods one has received, so those don’t feel bogged down by what they don’t have.  Otherwise, we start to look at others and are constantly filled with bitterness and with anger and with more and more discontent.  There are more verses about coveting than just in the Old Testament through the ten commands, but also there is Luke 12:15 which says, “And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

I have recently struggled with this a bit.  I mostly have because I have been struggling with my finances.  I often get very discouraged by the finances I currently have, and I want to be in a different position than I am currently.  I don’t necessarily think it is wrong to set goals to be a better place for the future.  However, I do think it is important to not constantly be looking at others and wishing I was in the place they were financially.  I need to be grateful for the money I currently have and need to be continuously wise with these finances.  

My challenge this week is to spend some time in reflection.  Think about one or two things that you wish you had that other people have.  I want you to be reflective and to be willing to admit the items that you are coveting.  Then instead of thinking about or focusing on how you will receive this item, instead, be grateful for five things you do have instead. I pray for you as you continue to fight against the pull of covetousness. 

I just recently started a new devotional study all about the book of Nehemiah in the Bible.  I was very excited to start this series because this is not a book of the Bible that I know a lot about.  I don’t necessarily know Nehemiah and his story.  I have read through this book before, but it has been some time.  The start of the book, as well as reading my devotional book has really opened my eyes to the beautiful way in which Nehemiah prays.  He prays with adoration, patience and persistence, and prays for the good of multiple communities and people.  

Something I have recently learned about Nehemiah was all about the importance he put on prayer.  There is a lot of emphasis and care when it comes to his prayers.  However, I believe the best part of his prayer is when he spends time in adoration or showing God praise before you ever ask for anything.  Then second, he also prays for forgiveness.  He is aware that he has sinned in the past and needs to ask God for forgiveness to be completely filled with His Spirit.  

I was really struck by this because I am not always the best at spending time in adoration to God.  I know I need to do a better job, but there are definitely times when I don’t spend time praising God as much as I do ask God for certain prayer requests.  I do enjoy spending time thanking God for all he has done for me, but I don’t always spend the time to praise him for all of his quality traits. I definitely take them for granted. This made me realize that I need to make sure to not just spend time praying to God through making requests to God.  

The other big thing about Nehemiah is his patience he had through his prayers.  Nehemiah heard devastating news about the temple of God being in jeopardy.  He also heard that his city of Jerusalem was not going to be protected by a wall as it was before.  He was upset and was scared.  However, we see him spend months and months praying for the exact thing that he was supposed to do.  He knew he was going to have a role to play in helping to fix this issue, but what exactly? That was what he in part was spending prayer time doing.  

After many months of spending time in prayer, Nehemiah was asked by the king as to why he was so sad, why he was upset.  Nehemiah knew this was his moment to finally speak up about what his concerns were about Jerusalem and the temple inside.  Nehemiah knew he finally needed to be honest about what he had been praying about and what he had been concerned with.  So Nehemiah finally spoke to the king, with the courage and the wisdom from months of prayers, to finally ask to go and help build back the wall and the town of Jerusalem.  

The King that Nehemiah was under simply asked how long he would be gone.  He didn’t get angry or upset.  He just let him go without any problems or concerns. This is because God had set the path for Nehemiah to go on his way and help with the new protections for the city of Jerusalem.  God had a plan for Nehemiah, so he let it be so that he could be a part of that plan.  The plan was revealed to him because he continued to pray.  One quote from the devotional book I am reading from the daily grace company says, “Being used by God often begins with prayer and preparation.  Patience and waiting are often things that mark our journeys in serving the Lord.  We often push against seasons of waiting and preparation, but God uses those seasons to prepare us for the work that He called us to do.”  

It is really important to stay consistent and patient in prayers.  It is really important to watch out for God’s signs of His plan. One important piece is to remember to be on the lookout and to be ready for God to tell you when He is calling upon you to act.  This really does become more and more obvious through time in prayer.  I have had this when I was called to move to a new job and town a few years back.  I was praying for direction, and then the Lord provided me with a new opportunity and a new community of which I really love.  

One other thing that I want to highlight when it comes to Nehemiah’s prayers is that he was very good about praying for the world and the problems at large.  I have talked about this before, but I in particular sometimes struggle to pray outside of my frame of reference.  I am good about praying for the needs and the desires of the people around me.  I am good about praying for my friends and family members, even my students.  But sometimes, I struggle to spend time in prayer for the world and the natural disasters/heartaches around it.  For example, as I am writing, the southern part of the United States was very much hit by a massive hurricane.  One of the biggest in a long time.  The destruction that it left was monumental. I need to challenge myself to remember to pray over the people and the communities that were lost in the wake of this massive hurricane.   

My challenge for you this week is to spend time in prayer.  However, I want this to be spending time in prayer like Nehemiah prays. This means spending time in adoration and praise to God to start.  It can be very easy to start praying for the needs of the people around us, but to start time in praise and thankfulness is really the best way to do prayer.  Then be spending time in prayer for the world around you.  Yes, there is always an opportunity to make personal requests and for those loved ones around you, but really spend some time in prayer for those who are suffering all around the world. 

I am continuing my reading of the book about God and work, called “Every Good Endeavor,” by Timothy Keller.  Through this book, there are a lot of chapters of working and the importance of working hard for the glory of God.  However, there is then a chapter about the importance of working selflessly.  This is not working with a sense of pride, but rather this is working with a sense of godliness and overall humility at knowing that the work being done is your calling.  

I wanted to make sure I talked about this because previously in my last blog post, I only talked about the importance of hard work.  Sometimes people could take that and run with it too far.  They may start to try to work too hard where the work starts to become a god to them, or they start to look at work in a very selfish light.  It is only to bring glory to themselves or to bring in a lot of money for them.  They don’t work to spread God’s word or to show other people love.  It is very important to make sure you have a good heart when you go into work, every single day. 

I can sometimes care too much about work.  I care too much about looking a certain way, and I want to be considered a very good worker at whatever place I am working.  I want to make sure I look good in front of everyone and in front of every job employer.  I need to always make sure I look presentable.  In part, I do think this is important.  We should want to look professional and make sure to hold ourselves accountable to do good work.  However, on the other hand, we need to make sure we are doing it for the glory of God, as opposed to doing it for personal glory. 

It can be so easy to turn our success around and start to think that this success is only brought by ourselves.  One quote I really like from this chapter said, “We either get our name-our defining essence, security, worth, and uniqueness–from what God has done for us and in us (Revelation 2:17), or we make a name through what we can do for ourselves. (Keller, Timothy, Every Good Endeavor, pg. 110).  It is really an either/or situation.  We can not be completely committed to Christ and His Glory if we are too focused on our own success and glory.  

There are many verses that bring up fighting against idols.  One of them is Habakkuk 2:18, which says, “What profit is an idol when its maker has shaped it, a metal image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own creation when he makes speechless idols!”  This Bible Verse is a good reminder to us people that idols are really not something or anything of value.  They are something of our own creation.  They aren’t something holy or glorious or anything of that nature, they are just a part of our own hands and working.  

Sometimes when we can start to make work too much of an idol, then we can also start to be judgmental of others and how they do work.  We can start to compare ourselves to others.  We can start to make sure we are always looking better than the rest of the other workers.  This can be against other Christians as well as those not yet a part of the Chrisitan faith.  We instead can be so focused on the work that is being done by ourselves, that we don’t see the good that is being done by all people and all workers as a unit. 

This is a good reminder that God gives goods and talents to all people in the world.  He has certain things people need to accomplish, and that is the thing we should be more focused on.  We need to be more focused on the work being accomplished for God’s glory, not whether or not we are the ones who are accomplishing these certain goals and these certain good things.  

I have two challenges for you this week.  The first is to encourage another coworker you have.  It is just a good reminder to say encouraging notes and to keep in mind that God is at work in every one of the workers at your particular job.  He has given various degrees of talents and interests to them, so there can be hopefully a productive work environment.  Sometimes we all need a bit of encouragement, so I encourage you to be that for someone else at your place of work.

I have recently just started a book by Timothy Keller called “Every Good Endeavor.”  This book is really a great book on the importance of work, and how work is a very godly thing to do.  It is a part of God’s plan for humanity, and it is not something we just have to bear or live through.  It should not be considered an unnecessary evil, but rather it should be considered a way to live by God’s example.  

The first thing I loved about this book was the showcase of God as a worker.  It is a good reminder that even before there ever was sin in the world, God was working.  He wanted the chance to be a creative person.  He created the light and darkness in the world.  He created the oceans.  He created the heavens. Then he went back and added some more details. He then added the creatures and the people who were going to occupy the world, so there could be more life and movement.

God also gives us the opportunity to work.  This was mentioned in the book as a reminder, but God did actually give Adam a task to do.  He told Adam to go into the world and name all the animals.  He also gave Adam and Eve the opportunity to work and garden the crops.  Yes, this was even before the fall. This is said in Genesis 2:15,  “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”  The fall and sin meant the labor was going to be hard, but the actual idea of working in and of itself was something God thought was very good and essential for a thriving lifestyle even before sin was in the picture.  

This book also does a really good job of showing that it is not just any jobs Christians need to have.  Sometimes society, especially in the west, can look down on certain jobs.  The ones with the intellectual jobs can look down on those who have manual labor jobs or who are working a service job.  However, throughout the Bible, it shows that any job can have an importance.  Jesus came down and started work as a carpenter, and a lot of his followers had jobs like being a fisherman.    

Other people Jesus would commonly work with were tax collectors.  Granted at the time, they were not the most respected profession, but that was only if they were not following the law well.  The main reason people during the time of Jesus didn’t always respect the tax collectors was because of their behavior and their attitudes towards the job.  They were taking their job and using it for granted, their power and their position to receive more money than they were supposed to. He just wanted them to respect people while they were respecting their job.   Because of this, Jesus would become their friends and would even try to inspire them to become believers and then leaders of how to be a Christian while also being a tax collector.  

There is more information on how to be a better worker throughout the New Testament.  Paul really speaks to the importance of working.  One verse I want to use as an example is Galatians 6:4-5 which says, “Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, for each one should carry their own load.”  I love this verse because this is a good reminder to work really hard, but not in the way of taking pride, but rather there should be more focus on doing your particular “load.”  Load, here I would say, means the task or the calling God has set on a particular person.  

The challenge for this week is to spend time being grateful for your job.  Write down a list of ten things you really love and appreciate about the job or the jobs you have currently.  I am not saying they are perfect.  I am not saying you need to stay there till the end of time, but it is a good thing to practice being really grateful for the jobs we do have.  There may be at least a few people you do really enjoy meeting with.  There may be one chance to work on certain tasks you enjoy.  There is something about the job that brings you joy.  I hope you take the time to reflect on this work to really bring work going closer to God.  That joy just might inspire others to become believers as well. 

I have recently finished the book, “Forgive,” by Timothy Keller.  This book has really been a good insight to me on how to feel about forgiving others, as well as how to be overfilled with appreciation and joy from the forgiveness God has shown us.  Through having this deep appreciation over God’s forgiveness, we are able to use that forgiveness to overflow to others. 

This past chapter I read was all about forgiving ourselves or dealing with shame/guilt when we do sin or make a mistake.  I really enjoyed this chapter.  Keller did a good job showcasing to me some of the ways we as people, including myself, can show repentance.  Some of this is true repentance and then some of it is fake repentance.  There may even be times when we believe we are showing true repentance, but instead we are really just trying to make ourselves feel better or get shifted from the blame.  

There are three main ways we as people can show fake repentance and this is through shifting of the blame, self-pity, and lastly, self-flagellation.  Shifting of the blame is when we start to give excuses for the reason we have sinned or made a mistake.  This could be shifting the blame to our upbringing and certain trauma we have experienced, or it could be through shifting the blame to what other people have done.  Keller really showed us that this type of shifting of the blame is not showing repentance and it is not real love for the person you are apologizing to.   

I believe I can often fall into the shifting blame.  I can start to blame my certain attitude or issues on some of the things that are happening around me.  When I am really stressed, I can start to explain the reason why I am not acting like myself.  However, really at the end of the day, I need to just apologize and repent from my sins, accept forgiveness from God and hopefully the other person, and then try to act in a better way for the future. 

Then self-pity is another example of fake or not real repentance and therefore not showing real love.  Self-Pity is when a person cares more about the consequences than they do actually about apologizing. They start to develop a “woe is me” concept.  They can even start to compare themselves to others who do not seem to get as punished, even for a similar crime.   It is important to not fall into self-pity and to not spend time feeling sorry for oneself. 

This last type, if I am honest, is the one in which I struggle the most. This type of repentance is self-flagellation.  This is the idea of self-loathing and cries of feeling awful for who you are as a person.  Essentially, this is calling yourself a really bad person, and eventually hoping there will be someone else to comfort you and tell you that you are not that bad, or the sin that happened wasn’t that bad.  This is to make yourself feel better, or to make yourself feel more self-righteous. 

The quote that really struck me from this description was in “Real Repentance involves an acceptance of God’s free mercy.”  (152).  This means that when we repent to God, we need to be willing to accept the mercy God wants to give us.  We need to realize that part of God’s mercy is that we are not good enough on our own, so God had to send his son to die on the cross for our sins.  

There are times when I really struggle to go on and on about how I feel like a bad person.  There are times when I am genuinely not as happy with myself as I wish I could be.  There are times when I feel as though I have very wrongly sinned and that I am not a very good christian or I am not doing what I need to do.  However, I never took the time to realize that during those moments, I am also looking to be encouraged.  I am looking for someone to tell me the opposite, that I am a good enough person, that I am a good christian, that I am lovable, etc.  

A big part of being a Christian is learning to accept grace and mercy from God.  There is a reason God died on the cross for our sins.  He wanted to make sure to take away all the sins we have done.  He wants us to be forgiven.  He wants us to feel loved and accepted by him once again.  However, in order to really take this acceptance, we do need to believe that we don’t have to keep wailing about how we have sinned.  We need to be willing to accept forgiveness and move on in a better way from that moment on. 

There are many verses throughout the Bible in both the Old and New Testament that speak of the importance of repentance and forgiveness.  Even before the world had the sacrifice of Christ, God was still calling his people to come to Him.  This is from 2 Chronicles 7:14 which says, “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”  The Lord was calling the people to humble themselves, decide that they can not save themselves on their own, then pray to God and seek him in order to really be forgiven and to be made whole.   There is another verse that I do believe really showcases how God feels about how true repentance needs to be.  2 Corinthians 7:10 says, “For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.”  There is a certain level of grief that happens when people need to repent.  However, this needs to be a godly grief.  This needs to have the desire to really reach out to God and seek repentance.  This is different from worldly grief, where the person may be looking to be redeemed through their own actions and through their own words.  No challenge for this week, but please keep these thoughts in mind, the next time you are need of true repentance. 

One thing I have really enjoyed about working with the Job Foundation is building connections with a lot of people.  I have gotten to meet so many different people and learn about non-profit organizations through this job at the Job Foundation.   I believe building connections is the great foundation for the Christian church.  It is so vital for christians and for everyone to build connections and to make friends and love with people from many different places.  

I recently have experienced that even more through just being at Cedar Falls.  Cedar Falls is the town where I went to college.  I went to UNI or the University of Northern Iowa, so because I live in the town I used to live in for college, I was able to build connections from college and continue to grow them in the new job I am at now.  Even today, I got invited back to one of my college’s picnics for new students as well as faculty.  It was a perfect chance to go and see some of my old professors and meet some older alumni.  

This has really also hit home recently when I did some reading of the book, “The Sacred Acre” by Mark Tabb.  This book was about Ed Thomas.  Ed Thomas was a very talented football coach living in Parkersburg, IA who won some state championships, helped coach many young football players to colleges, and the NFL, and he was even the winner of the NFL high school coach of the year.  He was very much talented, but more than that he was very beloved to those students and the players of whom he taught/coached.  He especially showed that, even amidst tragedy.  

On May 25th of 2008, Parksburge was hit with an EF5 tornado, destroying much of the town in its path.  Thomas went through a great amount of  heartbreak and devastation, as did most of the town.  They lost their house, and the school was badly destroyed.  However, he knew he couldn’t just sit there in self-pity.  He wanted to have his school back and he wanted the football team to make it back to their field.  Because of this, he made an outstanding goal to play the first scheduled football game on their field.  This was going to take a great deal of hard work and it would take a lot of hands.  However, they were able to do it.  Because of his hardwork and continued hope after this devastation, the town was able to get back to the place where they were before.   The town was starting to get its light back, and in a much faster timeline because Ed Thomas believed they could. The football season even made it to the second round of playoffs to get to the state competition.  They had a great season, and it was because the athletes wanted to work hard for both Ed Thomas and the Lord. 

There is another tragedy to this story.  A little over a year after the tornado took down the town, Ed Thomas was sadly and devastatingly murdered by a former athlete and student. This student was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.  He was very mentally ill at the time of the shooting.  This doesn’t mean to take away from the evil he bestowed on Ed’s family, students, and town.  I say this, so those can know that Ed really was beloved.  He wasn’t murdered by a hurt student, rather a student who had mental illness at the time.  

This town was in shock.  There were so many former colleagues, students, and just town people who loved Ed and loved the way he coached with authority yet integrity.  They loved the way he prayed with the students and taught them about Christ in a very non formal way.  They loved Him, and they were heartbroken.  Yet, there were many people who were touched and were inspired by him to go and follow Christ.  Many people came to his funeral and visitation where the Gospel was given to those in attendance, just as Ed would have desired.  Ed touched people.  He made connections, and in the end, people heard about Christ and came to be Christians. 

There are many verses in the Bible about building connections with others and about building relationships.  One example is 1 Thessalonians 3:12 which says, “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.”  This verse speaks of having a great love for everyone around us.  It is important to constantly be building connections with those around us, in any situation.  You have the ability to touch so many people, just when going about your daily life.  

My challenge for you this week is to go and make a new connection or a new relationship.  This could be starting a conversation with someone whether that be in the gym, or at your job, or even while at the grocery store.  I will work really hard to follow this challenge as well.  I can sometimes get very focused on myself, especially when I am super busy, and I am trying to really manage my time, but there are so many opportunities God wants to put in front of us to make connections.  I pray that good connections are made for all of you. 

I am currently reading a book called, “Forgiveness,” by Timothy Keller.   This book started with a description of the world we live in today that has forgiveness as not a main priority.  The world, as a whole, believes forgiveness doesn’t give people justice.  They believe that when people are often forgiven, then they are being forgiven from all the wrongs in the world.  For example, when someone has murdered someone else, and the mother of the deceased has forgiven the murderer, people say that this forgiveness takes away the justice from what he did.  There should be no forgiveness to certain people is a common belief.  

We also see that there are many people who seem to only focus on forgiveness from the point of the person who needs to forgive.  This could be the victim or the survivor of a perpetrator’s actions.  It is all about whether or not they are ready or if they want to forgive this other person.  Even many certified therapists have taught and trained those studying to become therapists to not push the idea of forgiveness on their clients.  This has to be when they are ready to forgive and when they are willing to choose to let this piece of pain go. 

Another type of forgiveness is only forgiving those who “deserve it”  Those who have worked to apologize, ask for forgiveness, been shamed, etc.  Then maybe after they have “served their time,” then they can be forgiven.   This shows that forgiveness is something gained and worked for. Forgiveness is not something simply granted to anyone. 

However,  Keller reminds us, especially in the last type of forgiveness-the forgiveness earned, that we are forgiven by God even when we do not deserve it.  We could never earn our forgiveness from God.  This is why Jesus had to die on the cross and create our salvation for us. Keller reminds us that the reason why we should be able to forgive is because God has forgiven us.  The love we receive from Christ, should extend to others, even when they have wronged us.  

One quote I thought was really good from this book, taken from Martin Luther King Jr. was “He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power of love.”  This reminds us that when we forgive, we are also showing love.  When God forgives us, he is showing the greatest amount of love anyone or any being could.  He is choosing to forgive us, even though we could never repay him or make up for the negatives we did.  

The Bible speaks so heavily of forgiveness. Forgiveness is mentioned over a hundred times in the Bible. One verse is Colossians 3:13 which says, “Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”  There are going to be people in the world who hurt us.  There are going to be those who have wrong thoughts or opinions of you, and there are going to be those who complain against you.  However, the Bible wouldn’t describe the greatness of forgiveness so much if it was not worth doing.  

I am not going to say forgiveness is always easy.  The main reason I am reading this book is because there are few people who have hurt me, who I have just not been able to forgive so well.  They have hurt me and have left me crying at different points.  I want them to feel sorry for how they have made me feel.  However, I realized how I was responding to their hurt was no better than how they were acting towards me.  I didn’t deserve much better.  I wasn’t showing any more love than they were showing to me.  Because of the struggle to forgive, I saw this book, and I realized I did need to have a heart more filled with love and forgiveness.  

The basis of this is that forgiveness is important and essential for the Christian faith.  This is not because we need to let people “off the hook,” or to give them grace.  It isn’t to feel like a better person. It is also not because we need to forgive for our own benefits.  We don’t need to just forgive so we don’t have the anger inside of us.  Both of these are beneficial, but these are not the reasons for forgiveness.  Forgiveness comes because we are so filled with love from Christ dying on the cross for our sins, that we simply love others with a similar kind of love.  We are so filled with God’s love that we want to show that love to everyone we meet.  We want everyone to know about this kind of love.  The book reminds us that if we are not filled with a heart of forgiveness, then we have not fully experienced the love that God has for us.  

I have a few challenges for you through this week. The first one is to spend time reading the Gospel.  This can be found in the final chapters of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.  The reason to spend time in these chapters is to remember the love the Lord has for you.  This is the love that God bestowed on you.  You should be able to see how much he has forgiven you for every wrong and choice and every mistake you have ever made.  This goes for everyone.  

The second part of the challenge for this week is to spend some time thinking about one person or a group of people of whom you are struggling to forgive.  It is important to spend time reflecting on why you are struggling to forgive them.  What is it that makes it hard for you to forgive this person or this group of people?  Why do you not want to forgive?  After spending time in the Gospel and being able to reflect on God’s forgiveness, then pray for the ability to forgive those who have wronged you in the past.  We are all loved and forgiven, so we do have the ability to forgive.  

I was recently reading the book, Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki along with Sharon L. Lechter for work.  Robert’s rich dad had interesting ideas and new thoughts when it comes to making money and becoming more financially independent of the job you have.  This book, overall, did have some interesting views and takes, and I did get some good thoughts and good lines for my financial literacy lessons, but there was a great quote I saw that really struck and inspired me. 

This says, “Most of us have heard the saying, ‘You are what you eat.’ I have a different slant on the same saying.  I say, ‘You become what you study.’ In other words, be careful what you study and learn, because your mind is so powerful that you become what you put in your head.”  I thought this was so important to reflect on.  It is amazing what our brains can do.  Our brains even control our muscles to create muscle memory.  After a person has done the same act continuously, the muscles can complete the task subconsciously.  This shows that our brain really does adapt to what we think, what we do or what we study.  The brain remembers.  It remembers the information we are constantly putting inside of it.  

What we put in our bodies is really important.  It is essential to make sure we have a good amount of healthy foods with fruits, vegetables, grains, protein, etc.  It is also critical to make sure to not always eat junk food or food with high amounts of sugar.  Similarly, it is significant what we focus our thoughts on, including what we study.  This is why it is so important to read and study the Bible.  There is so much Christians need to learn in the Bible.  There are a lot of books to study and gain from.  The Bible provides us with so much insight to how we as Christians should act and think.  

When I was in college, I really had to study hard.  I had to make sure I knew the material for each test.  However, I also knew I needed to read the syllabus.  The syllabus is the papers the professors would hand out on the first day of class, so students can know what will be expected of them in regards to assignments and tests.  It was also good to know if there was any grading being done on participation or daily points/quizzes.  No professor was the same, not even in the slightest, so because of that, it was pertinent a person knew each syllabus, so they could know each professor’s expectations. 

Similarly, it is important to know the Bible. It is so paramount to focus our minds on the things above.  We need to make sure we focus on the love the Lord has for us and the rest of his people.  We need to make sure we depend on God for our whole salvation and our whole life.  We need to make sure to depend on his control and his timing, not ours.  It is also important to know how to interact with other people, both believers and nonbelievers to better shine God’s light to the rest of the world.  

The Bible mentions its importance of reading and following the word.  One verse that speaks of the importance of study in the Bible is Joshua 1:8.  This verse says, “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” This is a good reminder to have the word, so you can meditate on it, and know it from the inside, out.  This is mainly because if you really know God’s Word, you will then be able to follow God’s commands better.  

I should say that being prosperous and successful doesn’t always include being prosperous and successful in the worldly way, but rather in the Godly way.  God doesn’t ever promise we as Christians will be rich or will have everything we dream of in this world.  We are, however, promised to grow spiritual fruit to inspire other Christians.  This is how we are prosperous and successful, when we help spread the love of Christ to all peoples.  Then one day we will be celebrating with Christ in complete prosperity.  

The challenge for this week is to spend time studying one section of the Bible.   This could be anything you want to study or anything that has more of an interest for you.  The only caveat is to spend time really studying that same passage/topic this week.  Take 10 to 15 minutes daily to reread the same chapter over and over again.  Really try hard to make sure you have an understanding of a new concept. 

I have started the book, “Miraculous Stories of the Healing Power of Prayer,”  by Harris Faulkner.  This book has been really delightful.  I have enjoyed hearing stories of prayer and miracles by the everyday person.  Some of the stories have been about a woman who conquered her heroin addiction and is now a missionary, one was about teens who were rescued by a boat when they were drowning in a huge lake, and a missionary who was put in prison for a while in Turkey who was finally released.  

One story I read recently was over George Washington Carver, the scientist who discovered many purposes of the peanut.  I knew about George Washington Carver, but I realized there were many things I didn’t know about him.  I wasn’t aware of how religious he was, and how those religious views are the main reason as to why the uses of the peanut were created.  In today’s world, we obviously know a lot about peanuts.  We know we can eat peanuts for a healthy snack, use it in peanut butter, cook with peanut oil, etc.  It is almost hard to imagine that at one time, there were many people who didn’t know anything about the peanut and how it could be consumed or used for everyday life.  

One quote from the book that really struck me was, “But George’s lifelong philosophy had been that God never created worthless things.”  I loved reading this.   I think there are many times we as people don’t find much purpose in the things of nature or we don’t find purpose in the small or obsolete things.  I know I personally struggle to find much purpose with things such as wind and certain bugs like mosquitos.  

Another one was “To those who have as yet not learned the secret of true happiness. Which is the joy of coming into the closest relationship with the Maker and Preserver of all things. Begin now to study the little things in your own door yard, going from the known to the nearest related unknown for indeed each new truth brings one nearer to God.”  When we as people take time to reflect on life and the things around us, we can be filled with a lot of joy.  We can often feel closer to God when we can see all the things and the goodness around us. 

Another woman who was very good about finding purpose and being grateful even in the small things was Betsie Ten Boom.  She was a sufferer of the Holocaust, but even amidst her suffering, she found ways to appreciate God’s goodness.  She was even grateful for the fleas in her and her sister, Corrie Ten Boom’s cabin.  She praised God for the fleas.  Her sister thought it was completely crazy for her to praise God about fleas.  However, these fleas ended up being vital for Corrie and Betsie’s safety.  At one time the guards at the concentration camp were doing searches in cabins. Corrie and Betsie had a Bible in the cabin.  Because of the fleas, the guards decided not to enter the cabin.  They were pretty grossed out, and therefore, Corrie, Betsie, and their Bible were saved.

We as people, even Christians, even myself, can also forget about the things all around.  We can sometimes forget about the little blessings in the world.  This is especially true when we are struggling or having a bad day.  When I am not in the best mood, I am more upset about things like the wind, especially when I am doing something outside.  However, I also have done some research in my time and have discovered that wind not only provides a chance for us humans, and animals to cool.  It also provides a source of energy, which is something that my home state of Iowa produces in great quantities. 

The challenge for this week is to spend some time in research over an item in life that we don’t see much of the benefit in.  For example, if you are a person who doesn’t see the benefit of wind, spend some time in research as to the importance of wind and why we need it.  I will personally do my own research.  It can even be great to spend some time in prayer over this small thing in the world.  Praise God for creating it and for it to be in your life.  Even if it is something one finds inconvenient.  

Recently something happened to me that has never happened before.  If I am quite honest, it was over something, I will usually tease other people about.  I left my cell phone on top of my car, while I was driving.  In case you are curious or are wondering, that is not an ideal place for a phone to be.  Cell phones shouldn’t necessarily ride on the top in case it falls off and breaks or gets run over.  Anyway, but in my infinite wisdom, I forgot to remove it from the top of my car when I got in my car and started driving.  

I wasn’t completely aware of this situation.  I just assumed I left my phone at the office when I got to my new destination and didn’t have it with me.  However, as I am sitting drinking my tea at the tea shop, behind the scenes, a stranger found my phone, posted it on facebook, asking a whole bunch of people to share it and if they know who the phone belongs to.  Then he also brought it to a safe location, where I could eventually pick it up.

I obviously did find out my phone had gone missing.  I got a call on my work phone from my supervisor who in turn had gotten a phone call from my mom, who had seen and been notified on facebook about my phone being missing.  I lost my phone, without any stress in trying to find it! Talk about modern social media technology at its best.  I am so extremely grateful for this man who found my phone and did everything in his power to find me as the owner and to keep my phone safe.  

It can be very easy to do things for the people we love.  When we love someone, we want to be kind and help them out to the best of our ability.  It can be a bit harder to do this for a complete stranger or even someone who is an enemy.  It can feel as though it has a lot less benefit to us.  We don’t get the satisfaction of seeing our loved ones happy.  We may not also receive the same kindness shown back to us when we are showing love to a complete stranger.   However, sometimes we as people are so dependent on the kindness and the random love shown by someone we had never known.

I have always heard stories of kindness shown by strangers.  There is finding a wallet and making sure the person finds it through all sorts of means, as opposed to leaving it where it was or stealing it for themselves.   I have heard of paying it forward and paying for the coffee for the person next in line at the drive thru.  I have heard of people stopping randomly to pray over those they meet in the street.  I have always been impressed and inspired by those who have done this for strangers, and now I am even more inspired because of my own personal blessings from a stranger.  

The Bible also gives a lot of verses when it comes to showing love, even to strangers.  One verse that describes this love is Hebrews 13:2 which says, “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing so some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”  The whole chapter of Hebrews 13 describes different people we are supposed to love.  He reminds people to love our brothers and sisters in Christ, prisoners, those who are mistreated, and strangers.  He reminds his workers that through helping strangers, you may be showing love to God the Father.  Remember that all people are in the creation of God, so this is the main reason we need to show love to all people.  

The challenge for you this week is just as much of a challenge for you as it will be for me.  My challenge for you is to do something really loving and really kind to a stranger.  This has so many potential options.  This could be paying for someone’s coffee that is behind you in the drive thru.  This could be helping someone with a task they need to complete.  There may be an opportunity that comes up unexpectedly, like me with my phone.  Be willing this next week to show love, even to strangers.