May 27, 2011
There really is a "secret for success" formula, and here it is: Psalm 128:1–2 - "Happy are those who respect the LORD and obey him. You will enjoy what you work for, and you will be blessed with good things." And THAT is "financial freedom." You are free from the pursuit of "things" because your respect, obedience, dependence, hope, and faith is in God. You don't need to try and "get" because it is God who freely "gives." You can't take (or obtain) what God gives. Peace of mind, happiness, joy, enjoyment, blessings, and as the KJV says, "it shall be well with thee." It doesn't matter what your wealth status is, only God can give what really matters. Nothing else compares.
Again, you cannot gain what only God (so freely) gives. And people cannot take from you what God has given to you!! Frankly, I believe that is what so angers some people. They want what you have—literally. But they can't take it because it is God-given. They want your joy, peace of mind, contentment, happiness, all things they don't have, and they go to great lengths to try and get it. They go after "things" hoping that if they can take the "things" they will be successful in removing from you your joy and peace. But it can't and won't work. You cannot take away what God has given. The more they try, the more God gives. It is an amazing thing to sit back and watch what happens when you respect, obey, and wait upon the LORD.
Psalm 129:2 - "They have treated me badly all my life. Like farmers plowing, they plowed over my back, making long wounds. But the LORD does what is right; he has set me free from those wicked people." (When the LORD sets you free you are free indeed!) This is what we believe, and what we freely share with anyone we come into contact with. Evil CANNOT win over good. CANNOT! However, if God for some reason decides to allow the removal from us the things He has given us, then we are okay with that because we trust Him. We know the LORD does what is right. We know that our peace, joy, and contentment does not come from the things "we" own. We know God has the best planned for us. We know that He has promised to protect us. We know that we are safe in Him. A smile just came across my face. What are the two words Jane (Her Name Was Jane) has underlined in her KJV Psalm 140? I know!
Psalm 130:5–6 - "I wait for the LORD to help me, and I trust his word. I wait for the LORD to help me..."
Psalm 131 - "LORD, my heart is not proud; I don't look down on others. I don't do great things, and I can't do miracles. But I am calm and quiet like a baby with its mother. I am at peace, like a baby with its mother."
Psalm 131:3 - "Put your hope in the LORD now and forevermore."
Addendum: 3/13/15 ~ There are times we feel like to have a target on our backs. Yesterday was one of those days. Psalm 129:2–3 clearly expressed our feelings. "They have treated me badly all my life. Like farmers plowing, they plowed over my back, making long wounds." But it doesn't stop there. Verse 4 goes on to say, "But the LORD does what is right; he has set me free..." Once again we are faced with trying to undo and set right situations created by others. There is a storm brewing around us, but after some much needed rest, we are at peace again.
One week ago I spent the night and next day in the hospital with chest pains. After MUCH testing it was determined that my heart is just fine, but the gall bladder has to go. That will be scheduled soon. The doctors and nurses asked if we have any unusual stress in our lives and we laughed out loud. Yes, we do. As we started listing the things that are going on they just shook their heads and couldn't believe it. But then we went on to tell them, "there are storms around us but we are very content and happy," and they could tell we truly were at peace. When it was time for a nurse shift change, my nurse told the new nurse coming on duty what was going on and then she captured our situation perfectly. She said, "There are storms brewing around them but they are on their own personal island." So true. Yesterday we learned of yet some more issues with my husband's elderly parents that we need to spend time on and try to make right. There has been SO many things and SO much time invested. It has been exhausting. It has been disappointing. And at times, it has been discouraging. BUT!! "Put your hope in the LORD..." and wait for Him to solve the problems. HE does what is right. HE will set us free.
"The storm" tried to come on shore, but we are back on our peaceful island. We will wait. We will trust. We will believe. We will hope. We will have joy. We will tell HIS Story.
Next Entry: Psalm 132:1 – 134:3
There really is a "secret for success" formula, and here it is: Psalm 128:1–2 - "Happy are those who respect the LORD and obey him. You will enjoy what you work for, and you will be blessed with good things." And THAT is "financial freedom." You are free from the pursuit of "things" because your respect, obedience, dependence, hope, and faith is in God. You don't need to try and "get" because it is God who freely "gives." You can't take (or obtain) what God gives. Peace of mind, happiness, joy, enjoyment, blessings, and as the KJV says, "it shall be well with thee." It doesn't matter what your wealth status is, only God can give what really matters. Nothing else compares.
Again, you cannot gain what only God (so freely) gives. And people cannot take from you what God has given to you!! Frankly, I believe that is what so angers some people. They want what you have—literally. But they can't take it because it is God-given. They want your joy, peace of mind, contentment, happiness, all things they don't have, and they go to great lengths to try and get it. They go after "things" hoping that if they can take the "things" they will be successful in removing from you your joy and peace. But it can't and won't work. You cannot take away what God has given. The more they try, the more God gives. It is an amazing thing to sit back and watch what happens when you respect, obey, and wait upon the LORD.
Psalm 129:2 - "They have treated me badly all my life. Like farmers plowing, they plowed over my back, making long wounds. But the LORD does what is right; he has set me free from those wicked people." (When the LORD sets you free you are free indeed!) This is what we believe, and what we freely share with anyone we come into contact with. Evil CANNOT win over good. CANNOT! However, if God for some reason decides to allow the removal from us the things He has given us, then we are okay with that because we trust Him. We know the LORD does what is right. We know that our peace, joy, and contentment does not come from the things "we" own. We know God has the best planned for us. We know that He has promised to protect us. We know that we are safe in Him. A smile just came across my face. What are the two words Jane (Her Name Was Jane) has underlined in her KJV Psalm 140? I know!
Psalm 130:5–6 - "I wait for the LORD to help me, and I trust his word. I wait for the LORD to help me..."
Psalm 131 - "LORD, my heart is not proud; I don't look down on others. I don't do great things, and I can't do miracles. But I am calm and quiet like a baby with its mother. I am at peace, like a baby with its mother."
Psalm 131:3 - "Put your hope in the LORD now and forevermore."
Addendum: 3/13/15 ~ There are times we feel like to have a target on our backs. Yesterday was one of those days. Psalm 129:2–3 clearly expressed our feelings. "They have treated me badly all my life. Like farmers plowing, they plowed over my back, making long wounds." But it doesn't stop there. Verse 4 goes on to say, "But the LORD does what is right; he has set me free..." Once again we are faced with trying to undo and set right situations created by others. There is a storm brewing around us, but after some much needed rest, we are at peace again.
One week ago I spent the night and next day in the hospital with chest pains. After MUCH testing it was determined that my heart is just fine, but the gall bladder has to go. That will be scheduled soon. The doctors and nurses asked if we have any unusual stress in our lives and we laughed out loud. Yes, we do. As we started listing the things that are going on they just shook their heads and couldn't believe it. But then we went on to tell them, "there are storms around us but we are very content and happy," and they could tell we truly were at peace. When it was time for a nurse shift change, my nurse told the new nurse coming on duty what was going on and then she captured our situation perfectly. She said, "There are storms brewing around them but they are on their own personal island." So true. Yesterday we learned of yet some more issues with my husband's elderly parents that we need to spend time on and try to make right. There has been SO many things and SO much time invested. It has been exhausting. It has been disappointing. And at times, it has been discouraging. BUT!! "Put your hope in the LORD..." and wait for Him to solve the problems. HE does what is right. HE will set us free.
"The storm" tried to come on shore, but we are back on our peaceful island. We will wait. We will trust. We will believe. We will hope. We will have joy. We will tell HIS Story.
Next Entry: Psalm 132:1 – 134:3
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