Choosing Jesus

Matthew 6:21 - For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

The other night, my whole family was in bed... my kids... my wife... and I was still up roaming around trying to find something to do. The nights when I know I have a day off the next day I tend to stay up a little later because most days I wake up so early and I like to take advantage of the days off. It wasn't very late; only 10 PM, and I have a couple shows that I like to watch while relaxing in the evening so I thought that I would do that... but then, I also had the thought that I should spend some time with God and in His Word. The thing that bothers me the most is that I had to think about it. I had to think about which one I would rather do! Know what's sad? The TV won.

Then the verse that you see above came to my mind pretty much right away. "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Is my treasure really in TV? or in anything else above Jesus? It's hard for me to admit that I lost the battle that night and I watched TV rather then spent time in The Word, but it opened my eyes to where I have been for the past little while. God opened my eyes and I'm on the road to recovery, so I am grateful for it.

I'm sure this type of thing happens to a lot of us. Ya know, you're tired at night and all you really want to do is relax and not think too hard because that's what you've done pretty much all day and your brain is tired. You may not have spent time doing your devotions in a while and you think you should be spending that time with God, but something else is drawing your attention. That... thing... whatever it was distracting you from your time with God... it won. You are now doing that other thing...whatever that means for you. I'm sure you can think of what that "thing" is for you. Maybe it's watching American Idol... heh heh heh!

The bottom line is... that night, I wanted to watch TV more than I wanted to spend time with Jesus and it opened my eyes. That kind of thing says a lot about the state of my heart and it scared me. I had been setting my mind on things of the world for too long or something and it was taking a toll on me.

Colossians 3:1-3 says: "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God."

So, let's stay dead, ok? Let's not let our ugly festering corpse win anymore. Why? Because we are alive in Christ and that dead thing that comes around once in a while (sometimes more than wanted) wanting something other than Jesus, just is not worth the pain and sin that comes with it.

2 Corinthians 10: 5b - "...take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

"Jesus, all for Jesus
All I am and have
and ever want to be.
For it's only in your will that I am free!"

What's Your Whale?

Jonah 1:3, 17

Have you ever had that moment in life where you feel like God has abandoned you... or is mad at you or has forgotten about you, but in reality, He's right there with you the whole time taking care of you... teaching you... something?

If you remember Jonah's story at all, you'll remember that Jonah kinda felt like this at one point. God spoke to Jonah to perform a task. God called Jonah to go and tell the people of Nineveh to repent of their sins or they'll all die. But, Jonah hated the people of Nineveh so he decided to run away from his God given responsibility.

Turns out that God was a little frustrated with him and Jonah ended up floating around in the Sea. I'm sure he thought he was as good as dead and I'm sure he felt that God had abandoned him and all those other scary things he probably felt. I can't even begin to imagine what Jonah felt like being tossed over-board of a ship in the middle of the Sea... I certainly can't imagine knowing it was because God was frustrated with me!

It's so true that, probably all the time, when we're going through tough times in life... we forget that God is still good and He still loves us and wants the best for us. Yeah, it's cliché, but the truth is the truth and the truth comes from God.

Here's how good God is... may not have seemed like it at the time, but as you know, God send a huge fish to swallow Jonah! His situation just went from bad to worse! At least, it must have seemed so in his mind... at first. He must have been scared out of his mind! It didn't take long for Jonah to start praying and realizing that this fish was what saved him from drowning.

In Jonah 2:2 he prayed - "In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me. From the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry."

God is GOOD! When Jonah's situation got "worse" by human perspective, it was actually God's way of saving him from certain death. God's grace was sufficient enough to help Jonah realize this. God heard Jonah's cry for help!

What's your Whale? Is there something in your life right now that makes you feel stuck in a rut... abandoned by God... hurled into the sea? Have you run from God? Ask God to show you if there is something holding you back from giving your whole self to God.... what is it... can you live knowing that you're really not listening to God and not fulfilling HIS PURPOSE for your life? Do you honestly think your way is better than our PERFECT GOD'S way for you? Believe me when I say that I am writing this for me as much as I am for anyone else this may apply too.

Think about it... seriously. God wants the best for you... for you to live your life to the fullest... HIS WAY... not the way YOU might think. Just let him tell you what that is.. and listen.

- Bry...