Flight 171 from India

 

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word.

 

276 people lost their lives in that plane crash in India on June 12^th    Thanks to smart phones, I saw three haunting images that I can’t get out of my mind.

 

The first was a family video showing a man (who was a doctor) and his wife and their three children on their way to London to start a new life.  Doing what most of us would do, capture the moment on film with a video and sharing it with others.

 

But, this was not the “new life”  they were thinking of. Where are their souls now? Only God knows. Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, and that judgement for each soul is either not guilty or guilty, faith in Christ or no faith. Eph 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

 The second video I saw was one of the crew, all in uniforms with smiles on their faces as they prepared for the flight. It was a typical day in the life of flight attendants.

But the Bible tells us that it was also  a typical day in Sodom before judgment struck!

Lu 17:28 "Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built;

 29 "but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.

 

All except Lot and his two daughters.

The third clip that I viewed was taken during the aborted take off, with the fatal crash just seconds away.  People were bracing themselves for the inevitable crash, some were praying, but most were just screaming.

And that is what has been haunting me.  

 

A vivid picture of judgement day spelled out for us by Jesus in Mt 13:42 "and will cast them (unbelievers) into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

 

What about the only survivor of this tragedy. How did he manage to escape? He was seated by one of the escape doors and when they crashed the escape door opened, he saw daylight and scrambled out.

 

He serves as a reminder to God’s people of the rapture of His church on the Last Day!

1Th 4:15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.

 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.

 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

 

We have no way of knowing how many believers were on that plane. Only God knows, but Jesus urges us to learn from all tragedies. And He gives us two examples in Lu 13:1-5,  There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.

 2 And Jesus answered and said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things?

 3 "I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.

 4 "Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem?

 5 "I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish."

 

I pray that these 270 some people y will not have died in vain, I pray that souls will heed these warnings of Jesus, that they, maybe you will repent and believe the gospel.

 

Be like this lone survivor and head for the Light, He’s  your only hope to escape

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Todays Living Word.

Do I Have To Come Down There?

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word.

 

2Ch 36:16 But they mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against His people, till there was no remedy. 17 Therefore He brought against them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man or virgin, on the aged or the weak; He gave them all into his hand.

 

Why did He do that?

Because, they mocked.

They despised

They scoffed

At the words of God’s prophets.

 

They had reached the point of no return, no other remedy, but the perfect justice in all its finality delivered by God.

 

I remember all too well growing up in a house where the kids bedrooms were upstairs and the parent downstairs,

We would get a little raucous in our behavior, and my dad would come to the bottom of the stairs and with a loud threatening voice, “Do I have to come up there?”

 

If he did come up we paid for it with a little butt warming.

 

Well it’s the same principle in play here, except we are downstairs and God is upstairs and when we get a little too raucous and careless with His Word, He says, “Do I have to come down there?

 

It’s what He did with Sodom and Gomorrah, and more than butts were warmed as He rained down on those cities with fire and brimstone, a picture of what will happen when Jesus returns to the earth on the Last Day.

 

But the Good News is right now we are in a place of grace. God’s remedy was sent to the world through Jesus. He took the wrath that we all deserved and died on the cross to pay for our sins.

 

The remedy is right before our eyes. Grab it!

It is faith in Jesus and His Word, and as many as received to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: (Jn 1:12)

 

Time is running out! Stop your mocking, stop your scoffing stop despising God and His Word! All of it!

Repent, believe the gospel and be spared!

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Todays Living Word.

Fasting

 

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word.

 

Another lesson for us from Jehoshaphat!

 

2Ch 20:1 It happened after this that the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and others with them besides the Ammonites, came to battle against Jehoshaphat.

 2 Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, "A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Syria; and they are in Hazazon Tamar" (which is En Gedi). 3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

 4 So Judah gathered together to ask help from the LORD; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.

 

Three nations combined their forces and gathered at En Gedi. En Gedi was an oasis located just west of the Dead Sea. It belonged to the tribe of Judah, but right now, it was occupied by enemy forces who were bent on conquering the Southern kingdom of Jehoshaphat.

 

Notice the reaction of Jehoshaphat. He feared. Fear is a powerful emotion that can rule and ruin our lives. How did Jehoshaphat respond?

He set himself to seek the Lord! And he used one of the tools God has given to us when fear and anxiety, and panic start to move in. Fasting.

 

Fear mongering is part of the devil’s calling card, and he uses it every chance he gets in order to try and separate you and I from the love of God.

 

But Jehoshaphat was having no part of it. He set himself, via a time of fasting to seeking God’s help.

 

I find myself wondering, when’s the last time I fasted. Have I ever even thought about it using it when anxiety and panic rise up in my life.

 

Fasting is one of the disciplines that mark the followers of Jesus. In His sermon on the Mount Jesus mentions three of those disciplines.

 

Prefacing them with the word “when.” In other words, it’s not “if” but when. When you pray, when you give, and when you fast.

 

It doesn’t have to involve day upon day, just skipping a meal is enough, or giving up other things that are important to you.

 

In fasting, we declare to God that hearing from Him is more important to us than food or pleasure itself. It is as Jesus said when the devil came to tempt Him.

 

Mt 4:4 But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'"

 

If you struggle with fasting, this is a great verse to have on hand.

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Todays Living Word.

Lessons From Jehoshaphat

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word.

 

2Ch 17:3 Now the LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the former ways of his father David; he did not seek the Baals,

 4 but sought the God of his father, and walked in His commandments and not according to the acts of Israel.

 5 Therefore the LORD established the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah gave presents to Jehoshaphat, and he had riches and honor in abundance.

 6 And his heart took delight in the ways of the LORD; moreover he removed the high places and wooden images from Judah.

 

Jehoshaphat was one of the “good kings” of the southern kingdom. He sought the Lord and his heart took delight in the Lord’s ways.  

 

The timeless message of Jehoshaphat is get rid of the idols in your life. Admit (confess) that there is only one God. And if He is indeed your God, then seek to live your life in accordance with His  Word, the Bible’ Let the word of God shape your life, rather than the ways of the world.

A promise given a long time ago to Solomon is relevant even today.

1Ch 28:9 "As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.

 

It’s either/or isn’t it? Life with God forever, or life without (forsaken) by Him forever.

 

I’d say that’s pretty high stakes! We could get caught up with the theology of salvation, embodied in the “who sought who, but I would rather rejoice in my state right now.

 

Because I once was lost, but now I am found. I don’t care about the semantics, I just rejoice in the fact that God has seen to it that I am found! The glory is all His!

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Todays Living Word.

Bunny Trail

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word.

 

In my last blog, I found myself reading  about the reign of King Jehoshaphat, which led me to wonder where the phrase, “Jumpin  Jehoshaphat” came from.

It was another one of my many trips down what I call “Bunny trails.”   Just ask any of the ladies in my Monday morning Bible class. We have been going verse by verse through the Book of Genesis, and in two years of study we still have 19 chapters to go!

 

Given the state of our culture and even in the church, most of these bunny trails (topics) are worth examining,

 

One of the good things about bunny trails is the rabbit usually leads the hunter on a giant circle, and  eventually  back to the topic on hand.

 

We have some good lessons coming our way from the story of Jehoshaphat and we will get to them I promise. But before we move on, I want to spend another day talking about “minced  oaths,” and pseudo swear words.

Our world today is being overwhelmed by a tsunami of profanity and even many professing Christians join in the unholy song. 

 

I want to give a shout out today to Dave who commented on my last post with these words, ““profanity is a device that makes ignorance audible.”

 

Talk about hitting the nail on the head, that’s bumper sticker worthy! But be careful it might also serve as an invitation to get you flipped off or your car may be keyed.

 

Words matter, and we would all do well to heed  Col 4:6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Todays Living Word.

Jumpin Jehoshaphat!

 

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word.

 

So this morning as I was preparing my blog, I found myself in 2 Chr 20, and learned about a king of Judah named Jehoshaphat.  Ever hear someone say, “Jumpin Jehoshaphat?”  I am one of those people who cut their teeth on Saturday morning Looney Tunes and we often heard Yosemite Sam exclaim  Jumpin’ Jehoshaphat!

 

The expression originated  in the united Sates in the 19^th century as a “minced oath, or pseudo swear words.

In other words a way to replace profanity with inoffensive words.

 

A way to clean up language.

 

Lord knows, these days  we need to clean it up more than ever! F bombs are commonly used by people of all ages,  It seems no one can express themselves with out swearing! Even the name of Jesus Christ escapes from many a pair of angry lips. The name of the One who died for our sins spews out with inflexion that are clearly full of disdain!

 

Christian writer and pastor, Max Lucado tells of the time a revivals happened early in the twentieth century in Wales. One hundred thousand people came to Christ in less than a year. Almost-empty bars were closed for lack of business.

 Magistrates saw their courts emptied of criminals. Miners even had to retrain the mules that worked in the coal mines – many of the animals had been trained to respond to vulgar commands. But when the men got cleaned up, their language did as well, and the mules had to learn a new vocabulary.

Has the Holy Spirit been working on cleaning up your language? Jumpin Jehoshaphat. That’s good news!

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Todays Living Word.

Stay On Track

 

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word.

 

Ps 119: 32 I will run the course of Your commandments, For You shall enlarge my heart.

 

She was just  150 meters away from winning the 2023 Peachtree 10 kilometer road race when Senbere Teferi,  the defending champion followed a motorcycle off course, costing her the win and thousands of dollars in prize money.

The Bible  likens the Christian walk of faith to a race. And there’s a lot more at stake than money.

Our race is not a sprint, it’s a marathon that requires endurance to the finish line.

 

Heb 12:1b “let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

 

We enter the race by the grace of God, the hour we first believed, and the course that He sets before us are marked by His  Ten Commandments.

 

If someone were to ask you to name  The Commandments, could you do it? If not,  how then can you expect to stay on course and finish! Believe me, this race has many distractions along the way ,

 

Ga 5:7 You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?  8 This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you!

No, this persuasion comes from the devil, our flesh, and the world.

By now, you and I should recognize that we need the enlarged heart that the Psalmist speaks of in Ps 119:32. An enlarged heart speaks of greater love for God, a love that gives us the desire to serve and obey Him. Obeying the commandments won’t get you to heaven, but they will keep you on track for the race that God has set before you.

 

Review them often, confessing your wrong turns along the way, receiving His promised forgiveness, and then thank Him for getting you back on track again.

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Todays Living Word.

The Matter of Rape and Incest

 

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word.

 

2 Ch 25:3 Now it happened, as soon as the kingdom was established for him, that he executed his servants who had murdered his father the king.

 4 However he did not execute their children, but did as it is written in the Law in the Book of Moses, where the LORD commanded, saying, "The fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall the children be put to death for their fathers; but a person shall die for his own sin."

 

The year is 796 B.C. King Amaziah began to reign in the southern kingdom. His father (Joash) had been assassinated, and one of the first things Amaziah did was execute judgment on those who had murdered his father. This was in accordance

with God’s Word given to Noah in  Ge 9:6 "Whoever sheds man's blood, By man his blood shall be shed; For in the image of God He made man.

 

However, Amaziah, also  in compliance with the Word of God given to Moses, spares the lives of the children of the murderers.  De 24:16   "Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall the children be put to death for their fathers; a person shall be put to death for his own sin.

 

God’s perfect justice is on display here for all to see. Over 66 million unborn children have been executed in America since the Roe v wade decision of 1973! Would someone please tell me what crime they have committed?

 

Did the unborn child rape? Did the unborn child commit incest?  These are terrible crimes, and quite frankly need to be dealt with in severe fashion. A strong message needs to be sent to the convicted rapist and the one who sexually violates a family member!

 

But rather than go after the perpetrators we take it out on the unborn child, and allow for abortion in these cases. Virtually every piece of pro life legislation has this exception, and in the spirit of compromise the legislation will allow for abortion to take place at various times of development. (6 to 8 weeks seems to be the most popular.)

 

These exceptions deny the biblical truth of when life begins. CONCEPTION! Even before conception as God told Jeremiah, Jer 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations."

 

We need to have compassion for the women impregnated against their will, but eliminating the unborn child only adds fuel to the fire of guilt. It is a 9 month long (sometimes longer)  cross to bear, but God will help you through it. There are several Christian ministries that deal with this topic. Seek them out and find help for you!

 

And remember, there is no sin that Jesus didn’t pay for  on the cross.

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Todays Living Word.

Put On Christ

 Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word.

Re 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.

 

It’s judgment Day! No one escapes it! Small and great men will stand before God. The criteria for all men is the same. It comes down to what have you done with Jesus? Joh 12:48 "He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words , has that which judges him--the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.

 

On that day, there will be two sets of books. One set, consisting of many books listing all the deeds (good or bad) the other not a set, just one book, called the Book of life. No deeds in that Book, just the names of those who put their trust in Christ.

 

V15 of Revulsion 20, is blunt, but it’s that cut and dried!  And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

 

Again, I take you back to the parable of the sheep and the goats! Mt 25:31-46

 

The sheep (believers) frantically looking in the books of deeds for the good they have done. “Lord, when did we do these things, it’s not here in the books of deeds!

 

The goats (unbelievers) arguing that they did all these things and more! They were in black and white in the books of deeds for God and all to see. And the sad reality of Isa 64:6 comes to bear: But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;

 

And deeds, good and bad will serve as a witness against the goats (unbelievers) on that last day. But the sheep (believers) have put on Christ and are judged solely by His righteousness’s. Eph 4:24 reminds us to put off the old man and all his deeds and put on Jesus.  24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. How do we do that? By faith and by baptism.

Ga 3:27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

 

Clothed in His perfect righteousness and His gift of persevering faith, we are ready for that Last Day!

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Todays Living Word.

The Necessity of a Loyal Heart

 

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word.

2Ch 25:2 And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a loyal heart.

 

The “he” in this verse refers to King Amaziah, He was 25 years old when he began his reign in the Southern Kingdom and he reigned for 29 years. He did much good in line with God’s Word, but he lacked the most important thing. A heart loyal to God! But how do you define loyalty? It is a personal  pledge of allegiance to Jesus. When I say something like, “I’ve given my heart to Jesus,” I am declaring my loyalty to Him come hell or high water. That kind of loyalty catches the eye of God the Father!

 

2 Ch 16:9 "For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.

 

This loyal, sold out heart to Jesus is more important than we like to think.

 

Consider the parable of the sheep and goats. On judgement day the sheep are likened to the righteous believers. They are commended for their good works that flowed from a loyal heart. Faith in Jesus is the engine that leads the way, pulling the box cars of good works.

 

The goats on the other hand did the exact same good deeds, But they did them in the spirit of Amaziah, they lacked that sold out heart of loyalty. They had the box cars, but lacked the engine of God granted faith.

 

King David had seven brothers, and they were paraded before Samuel as possible successors to Saul. But was God looking for outward appearances or the inward condition of the loyal heart?

 

1Sa 16:7b,  . For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

 

We all know people who do such good things, but they have no relationship with Jesus,  Eph 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

 

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Todays Living Word.

The Whole Sha-Bang

 

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word.

 

Ps 90:8 You have set our iniquities before You, Our secret sins in the light of Your countenance.

 

What’s the difference between sin and iniquities? Sin is sin right?

 

Well yeah, but sometimes the Holy Spirit calls it something else. Words like transgression – (willfully sinning against God) – or “trespass – (crossing a line that God’s Word has established) or case in point, (iniquities)

 

Verse 8 in Psalm 90 steers us in the right direction concerning iniquities! It ties them in with the secret sins we have committed or continue to commit.

 

We think no one knows. And we live in the constant fear of being found out!

No one knows of our iniquities, (secret sins) but this verse says, God knows! Not only  knows but has put them front and center. They are exposed by His countenance (light.) He sees, He knows!

 

Joh 3:19 "And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

 20 "For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.

 

 

We may think we are getting away with something but we are not. Even if we manage to carry our sin to the grave, it will be exposed on the Last Day.

 

And the longer we hold onto them, the more fear increases, the more our peace is held captive! Classic examples: David’s sin with Bathsheba read about it’s effects on him in Psalm 38, and Psalm 51!

 

Another classic example is the brothers of Joseph.

 

Ge 42:21 Then they said to one another, "We are truly guilty concerning our brother, for we saw the anguish of his soul when he pleaded with us, and we would not hear; therefore this distress has come upon us."

 

What a haunting! Their last memory of their brother joseph  was the look of anguish on his face as he begged them not to sell him into slavery!

 

God some secret sins in your past or present that are weighing you down? Walk into the light of Jesus! Confess them, seek to turn from them, and believe His promise to cleanse you from all your unrighteousness. (1 Jn 1:9)

 

And remember Jesus paid for every sin on the cross…the whole sha bang! Believe it! Trust it, and experience the relief! Then go and sin no more!

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Todays Living Word.

Watch Your Language

 

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word.

 

Pro 23:7a says:  For as he thinks in his heart, so is he

 

Have you ever entertained some sin in your heart and it’s like slamming on your spiritual brakes and you find yourself wondering, “Where did that thought  come from? I thought I was free and clear of that sin a long time ago!”

 

It happened to me just the other day. I was angry at someone for a very legitimate reason! And I dropped an f bomb against them in my thoughts!

 

Where did that come from Lord?  It took me by complete surprise. I haven’t thought that word or used that word since the day before I came back to Christ! (Where, I must confess, I had used it a lot!)

 

It may seem strange to some of you, but the first thing the Holy Spirit cleaned up upon my conversion was my foul mouth. Cursing in Jesus name? Gone! F-bombs and other uncivil words…Gone! Until today. (41 years later)

 

 What happened?

 

 The F-bomb and other foul words had been lying dormant in my heart and suddenly it awakened! And I don’t like it! I think I know where it came from I think I know what awakened that slumbering sin in my . It snuck in through the open door of social media.

 

I check into social media  often just to kill time, and it seems that no one can express themselves on social media without throwing f-bombs on every post and every tweet.

 

Eventually, this bombardment of it wore me down, and found  acceptance in my thought life. The next step of course is to pass through my vocal chords and verbally express it.  

I know how to deal with this uprising of coarse language.

And all other sins for that matter! 1Jo 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

 

I need to be reminded of Holy Spirit led speech! The kind spoken of in  Col 4:6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

 

Graceful speech and f-bombs don’t mix! And as Christians our speech should be seasoned with salt, not seasoned with salty language.

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Todays Living Word.

Show God the Letter

 

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word

 

2Ki 19:14 And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD.

 

Bad news. It can come to us in many ways. Could be bad test results from the doctor, or a letter from the IRS, or could be a “dear John letter” (for you younglings, that’s a heart wrenching letter that says the relationship is over.)

 

Hezekiah had just received a threatening letter from the King of Assyria. The King mentioned all of his latest conquests and then basically said “your next Hezekiah!”

 

Hezekiah immediately, with letter in hand, went to the house of the Lord and spread  the letter out before the Lord.

 

It seems kind of silly in a way, I mean God is aware of the situation, letter or not, but this laying out of the letter is in itself a prayer.

 

It says, Father, I have been threatened by the king of Assyria.

 

It reminds me of the wedding at Cana, Mary comes to Jesus and says, “They are out of wine.” She doesn’t tell Jesus what to do, but she does tell the servants to do whatever Jesus tells them to do.

 

And the prayer was answered.

 

Sometimes a prayer is answered by just trusting God to hear and act.

It could be something like “the plumber is coming today” or,  “I’m taking the car to the shop today,” or in a more serious situation, “Lord, “I got divorce papers today,” or “I’ve been diagnosed with cancer”

 

It doesn’t matter what the need is, put it before the Lord, not demanding that He fix the situation your way, rather trusting Him to work it out.

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

 

Delight In the Lord

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word

I recently celebrated my 78^th birthday,  God has allowed me 78 years on His turntable of trips around the sun, And like the old 78 rpm records my voice is getting a little scratchy.  I am thankful for the voice he has given me and for the avenues which He has given me to express the truths found in His Word.

 

I am a blessed man, and I can say with David, Ps 16:6 “The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places.” And I often wonder, “Who am I Lord that You would visit me! Ps 8:4 What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? 5 For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor.

 

Every thing that I have comes from the Lord, He has literally given me the desires of my heart! Ps 37:4 Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. The word “delight” here means to be pliable in the hands of the Potter (God) To be pliable is to be obedient, and that obedience will lead you to God’s will for your life.

 

You will get a refreshing take on this verse when you insert “be pliable”: for “delight.”  Try it, right now! “ Be pliable in the Lord’s hands  and He shall give you the desires of your heart,”

The refreshing part of this Psalm is you and I have just one thing to do. Be pliable! Be like soft clay in the hands of the Potter! We don’t have to waste a  lot of energy trying to figure out our life’s purpose!

 

That clay is being shaped with every act of obedience on our part. He will do the rest, and we will be on our way to fulfilling our purpose in His kingdom

Eph 2:10 will come to pass! “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

 

Your purpose in life (God’s will for you) is made plain as you)  daily submit to Him. No guess work on our part. He knows His plans for you and I, and our pliability in His hands will get us there.

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s today’s Living Word.

Oh Look! A Squirrel

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word

 

Happy New Year! Last year I wanted to come up with one word as a benchmark for the coming year and the word that the Lord gave me was “engage.”

I sought to engage (connect) the culture of the world and the culture of the church with God’s Word. …the Bible.

 

It turns out that the word I selected was even more personal than I thought it would be. God reminded me (Oh look! A squirrel!) that I have a bad habit of disengaging in one on one situations and conversations. I’m often off in a different world even before I make eye contact with the person I am conversing with.

 

It’s a character flaw that I am not proud of, and with the help of the Lord, and the Holy Spirit I am determined to press on, reminding myself that there will always be squirrels, and I would be better off engaging the person who I am conversing with the way Jesus did!.

 

Checking out of a conversation puts me in Duane’s world, and that is a small world indeed. It winds up being just me and the squirrels.

 

Lord, help me to engage with people around me, like Jesus engaged people around Him. Remember his encounter with the rich young ruler? Jesus did not say “this is what you must do to inherit eternal,   O look a squirrel”

 

Is that what He did! No Mr 10:21 Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him,  That’s the target, that’s the example Jesus gave us. Lord help us all as we seek to engage (connect) with others!

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s today’s Living Word