Daily Wisodm

 Rth 2:22 ‘And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter in law, It is good, my daughter, that thou go out with his maidens, that they meet thee not in any other field.’

Contempt of courtesy… our blessed Saviour is our ‘Goel’ Hebrew word meaning, "to redeem." (Job 19:25). It’s the Lord only who has the right and ability to redeem us. If we expect to receive blessings by him, let us closely adhere to him, and his fields, and his family; let us not go to the world and its fields for that which is to be had with Him only. Has the Lord dealt bountifully with you? Have we dwelled bountifully in Him only, or do we wonder in other fields in contempt?

We perish for lack of wonder, not for a lack of wonders… HSAY

Daily Wisdom

 ‘I beseech thee, O Lord’ 2 Kgs 20:3

We must be cautious in concern to our want.  Desiring more than what the Lord has for us, can often result in being more than we can handle and thus dangerous for us. Hezekiah was blessed by God and wise in his rule (2 Kg 18:3). Yet, when Isiah told him to get his house in order, the Lord was finally calling him home, Hezekiah wanted a little more. Hezekiah knew the Lord was right, he just didn’t want Him to be right, right now. Prompting him to pray for more years which the Lord gave him. Sadly, Hezekiah was unwise with those extra fifteen years (vs 14-15), which brought about the eventual fall of Jerusalem to Babylon and more so brought about the rule of his son Manasseh, the worse king Israel ever had.  

Desire what you will, just make sure it’s not outside of the Lord’s will for you. Hezekiah’s testimony faltered in the end because he desired a little more.  Be content in the Lord’s will, it will always work to His glory and your good. More is not always better; it can sadly be more than you hoped for.

There’s a difference between desiring what is best, and what is best for you!... HSAY

Daily Wisdom

Gal 6:9 “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” 

I believe we’re all familiar with the process of pulling that little forked “tab/ticket” with that dreaded number on it and staring impatiently at the digital display waiting for our opportunity. Those who are familiar with the movie “Beetlejuice” and the closing scene and him holding his ticket can empathize with him (lol). Everyone waits in life be it for spouses, arrival of a baby, children etc. We can also find ourselves waiting for clarity, direction, healing, hope or a miracle. Yes, we wait on God in our temporal realm! And when we misunderstand what waiting is about, we can get more confused, frustrated and anxious. Patience is one of God’s greatest tools in our spiritual growth. Meaning our patience in God will greatly determine His purpose in and with us!  Our required patience is the time in which God is preparing our hearts for the things we cannot experience once we’ve opened that moment of our life. God knows that, we don’t always grasp it and thus grow impatient in the process. It can be like the song “Even If” by Mercy Me, which says “stood on this stage night after night reminding the broken it’ll be alright” when we ourselves are not confident that it will be!  But just wait, because everyone takes their turn in the waiting room. It’s a long and painful fact of life, but shortcuts and impatience often just lend to spiritual injury. Instead be Patient, Content and in Hope knowing that your patience is preparation for what will be a powerful outcome. Otherwise when our opportunity in the Lord comes, we will be spending our time on the bench healing rather than participating.

Just You Wait, if God’s asking you to wait then be prepared to receive more than you asked for… HSAY

Daily Wisdom

Jdg 11:30 “And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD and said, “If you will give the Ammonites into my hand,”

Jephthah's rash vow brought him unspeakable grief. In the heat of emotion or personal turmoil it’s easy to make foolish promises to God. Though exiled at one time Jephthah was now promised by the same men that he could be their leader if he defeated the Ammonites. This prompted Jephthah to make a vow to God.  Such promises may sound/feel spiritual when we make them, but they may produce only guilt and frustration when we are forced to fulfill them. Making spiritual "deals" only brings disappointment. God does not want promises for the future, but obedience for today. We must be cautious as not to vow/promise in order to get, but rather be content in what we have in the Lord and His will. Don’t serve to receive, but instead serve for what you have already received in Christ Jesus and your salvation. Let the good God has for you be delivered in His perfect timing, purpose and will in your life. In the meantime, just serve in thankfulness and gratefulness for what you do have. Contentment is beautifully illustrated by a bird sitting on a bare branch and still chirps its song.

Contentment is not by addition but by subtraction; seeking to add will not bring contentment. Instead, subtraction from your desires until you’re satisfied only with Christ brings contentment… HSAY

Daily Wisdom

“Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.” Heb 2:15

Like a small root that grows into a great tree, bitterness can spring up in our hearts fostering jealousy and dissension.  

Bitterness Breeds…. It’s poison to one’s soul and those around them, and arises through unmet expectations (Gen 27:34).

The antidote is: 1.) Learn to be content (Phl 4:11) and 2.) Learn to forgive (Lk 17:1-4)

What a person eats is not nearly as important as what’s eating at him.

HSAY... Todd

Daily Wisdom

Pro 27:7 “The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.”

Those who have everything, nothing is truly satisfying (Pro 30:7-9). But, the wise seek substance that is for convenience, not comfort: vs 9 “Lest I be full, and deny thee and say, Who is the Lord?”  The only problem with prosperity is that one often loses their spiritual priorities. Paul was both prosperous and poor, but claimed no matter what state he was in, he was content in what God had for him (Phl 4:11-12). The Hebrew word used for convenient in (Pro 30:8) refers to provision for a need, to be applied both to physical and spiritual. That’s the key, don’t get more interested in your desires than your needs. God promises to meet every need, not so much your desires. Don’t be confused in thinking prosperity makes life painless! It may fix a temporal physical need, by has no affect on one’s spiritual and eternal needs; just ask the rich young ruler (Mt 19). The greatest form of wealth one can amass is contentment in God’s care (I Tim 6:6).

Contentment is not found in the fulfillment of desires, or in the lack of desire. It’s only found in the surrendering of your desires over God’s for your life!

HSAY… Todd

Daily Wisdom

"Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water." Jn 4:10

Don't miss an opportunity with Jesus because you're busy making a day instead.  As Jesus proclaimed the promise of living water, the woman at the well was more focused on her surroundings and missed the presence of the Saviour. She was so content in her expectations of the future (vs 25) she was missing the present (vs 26).  Don't get complacent in your expectations of God's workings, and get so caught up in your priorities that you miss an opportunity in His presence.

You'll make a day worthwhile when you make it about Jesus!

Daily Wisdom

“... for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” Phl 4:11

Find contentment by killing comparisons. Age old struggle, Cain compared himself to Abel and the disciples (Peter to John) struggled as well.  Comparison only has two options and both equal failure: 1.) Comparison resulting in feeling better, which is pride. 2.) Comparison resulting in feeling worse, which is low self-esteem. You must swap lies with truth. God calls us to walk by faith, while Satan wants you to walk by sight. (2 Cor 5:7)  The danger of living by sight is that you don’t see the whole picture, Satan mixes in a little truth to hide the lie he wants you to miss.  The world is forever pointing out things that should be ours, creating in you a sense of entitlement. Then Satan points you to those who have attained the things you hope for, pushing you farther into discontentment. David, when facing Goliath was not interested in just being like his brothers. He had no interest in finding matching armour to blend in, he just wanted to embody God’s character.  Discontentment distracts your devotion to Christ, and gets you focused on that around you instead of him who’s within you!

Discontent develops when you desire what you don’t have more than what you do have.

HSAY… Todd

Daily Wisdom

“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” Heb 13:5

It’s said “You get what you get and don’t pitch a fit!” I remember a friend showing me a new car he had recently purchased, to which he stated it was the car he had always dreamed of.  Interesting enough I ran into him less than a year later and you guessed it; he was driving a new car again.  Is that not life today, I got to have it until I find something better!  Lack of contentment in one’s life fuels impulsive, emotional and temporal thinking.  It is said, contentment is a natural and healthy wealth; luxury is artificial poverty. Contentment does not mean or require one to be without prayers, but it does mean that one’s joy and peace is not based one’s prayers being answered.  God often may answer NO! It’s then one will be able to determine their own level of contentment in their soul.  Many claims are made concerning the lives one would live and the deeds they would do, if only they were better circumstances.  Moses was called to deliver and birth a nation with only a rod and he opened parted a sea with it.  David had only five pebbles and yet with God brought down Goliath. The widowed woman was able to pay all her debts with just a minuscule amount of oil and God. The most glorious and powerful deeds don’t require the wealth of men, but only the abundance God.  Where is your “Contentment”, is it found in the resources of this world or in the promises and strength of the Lord?  “…The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear”; “…for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” (Heb 13:6; Phil 4:11)

You’ll never know what enough is until you know what’s more than enough.

HSAY…Todd