True Repentance Includes Making Things Right Ezra 10:2-3

Ezra 10:2-3 (New International Version)

² Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, one of the descendants of Elam, said to Ezra, "We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the peoples around us. But in spite of this, there is still hope for Israel. ³ Now let us make a covenant before our God to send away all these women and their children, in accordance with the counsel of my lord and of those who fear the commands of our God. Let it be done according to the Law.

 The kings of Persia had allowed the Israelites to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and restore their practices. God was guiding them in all they were to do. He commanded them not to marry foreign people in that land. When Ezra arrived he learned they had done exactly what God commanded them not to do, they had intermarried. Ezra was appalled. he prayed to God for forgiveness and sought direction. Shecaniah suggested they make a commitment to send away all the foreign women and children to make things right with God. The people agreed to support Ezra in this. Ezra gathered everyone at the temple and issued the order to send away all of the foreigners and again follow God's commands. The people agreed they had sinned and did as Ezra commanded. They repented by changing their ways but also showed their repentance by making things right.

I love God and want to follow Him and please Him in all I do, but I still sin and fall short regularly. When I recognize my sin I repent and promise to change my ways. All too often that is as far as it goes. The sin and the results are still there. I rationalize it my thinking I can't unring the bell. I think that once it happens it's too late to change so I accept it into my life and move on. Many times I like the result of the sin and use this as an excuse to keep it around. True repentance means to turn from my ways but also to make things right with God. I need to remove the sin from my life no matter how painful or awkward it might be. This is never easy, but in doing so I honor god. The Israelites were willing to make major sacrifices to honor God and keep Him first. I need to follow that example and do the same.

Dear Lord,
You are a holy, righteous God. Your ways are perfect and right. I know that and yet I still reject them at times and go my own way. My idea of repentance is often not enough. Help me to take the extra step to make things right before You. Let me be willing to do whatever it takes to fully restore my relationship with You no matter how awkward or painful it might be. Let my repentance be complete as I stand before You to seek Your forgiveness and look to restore fellowship with You. In Jesus' name.

Keep the SON in your eyes,
Ron

Don't let anything keep me from doing what God had called me to do Ezra 4:2,4-6

Ezra 4:2 (New International Version)

² they came to Zerubbabel and to the heads of the families and said, "Let us help you build because, like you, we seek your God and have been sacrificing to him since the time of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here."


 ⁴ Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building. ^{[a] 5} They hired counselors to work against them and frustrate their plans during the entire reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.  ⁶ At the beginning of the reign of Xerxes, ^[b] they lodged an accusation against the people of Judah and Jerusalem.


In Ezra, God called His people to rebuild the temple. They obeyed God and the work was going well when the people around them saw their success and set out to prevent them form completing their work. First, they tried to distract them by drawing them into a relationship that was unhealthy and unholy. When that didn't work they tried to discourage them by hiring people to frustrate their plans. When that didn't work they sent a letter to the king bringing false accusations against them. It was working until Haggai and Zechariah encouraged them  in the Lord (Ezra 5:1). that got them back on track with what God had called them to do.

I have experienced this same thing in my life. When I draw close to God and am living for Him, things come into my life to disrupt all the good that He is doing in me and through me. It could be people in my life or it could be circumstances, but the pattern is similar. First comes the distraction. It is usually subtle and appears harmless. In fact, it may even be disguised as helpful, but it is designed to pull my attention away from God and the work He is doing in me. If I don't fall for that right away, then the discouragement comes. People or situations are put in my life to get me to doubt what I am doing and question what God wants. It could come in the form of anger or depression but their is always more emotion attached to it than before. It gets my attention and takes more of my time and energy to work through. If that doesn't work then come the all out attack. Accusations and lies are usually par of it. This takes focus off of God because all my energy goes into defending myself and what I am doing. By this time I need outside encouragement and support but am usually too stubborn to accept it or ask. I usually end up isolating myself which makes matters worse. Once I allow others in, the healing begins and i get back on track with God. This process has happened in small ways and big, but the pattern is usually similar.

I don't believe this is just a coincidence or a self-destructive pattern, I believe there is more going on. I know the close I draw to God and live to please Him, the bigger a threat I am to Satan. I am convinced this process is a spiritual attack in response to my closer relationship with God. Satan knows how to push my buttons and he does it well. I allow it to pull my focus away from what God has for me. I need to recognize it for what it is and draw closer to God during those times instead of allowing it ot put a wedge in my relationship with Him.

Dear Lord,
I thank You for the work You do in me and through me. I thank  You for all the changes You have made in my life. As I draw closer to You, attacks come in many different forms. I pray that those attacks will not allow my focus to shift off of You. I pray that You would keep a hedge of protection around me so that I might give my undivided attention to what You have called me to. When I stray, bring people into my life who can encourage me and remind me of my true purpose in this life. Get me back on tract to live out the calling You have given me. In Jesus' name.

Keep the SON in your eyes,
Ron

Lord, help me lead a quiet life and mind my own business 1 Thessalonains 4:11-12

1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 (New International Version)

 ¹¹Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, ¹²so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

 Paul spent a short time with the Thessalonians but in his letter to them he shares so much about who God is and what a life in Him means. In 1 Thes. 4:11-12 he encourages them to lead a quiet life, mind their own business, and work with their hands. His reasoning is the in living this way we will earn the respect of others and be independent.

 I agree with Paul's thinking but have a long way to go before my life can truly reflect this teaching. At times I focus too much on the approval of others and compromise my witness to win that approval. I am too quick to join in gossip and too quick to bring attention to my accomplishments. The things I say and the way I act show off my selfish sinful side and do not at all honor God. there are times I think God should take away my tongue for a season so I would have to show others by what I do and not just talk about what I've done. I need to focus more on what I can do today to please God and share Him with others and not focus on what I've done in the past. When I'm around others I need to make sure my conversations honor God and not me. I need to avoid gossip and not embrace it. gossip is harmful on many different levels. It hurts the person we are talking about. They are not even there to defend themselves. It hurts my credibility as a Christian. How can i clam to love God and talk like this about His people? By avoiding gossip and letting my actions speak for themselves, people can judge me for who I am and not compare me to the people I am so quick to talk about. I would rather earn someone's respect for who I am than how good I say I am. Hopefully they will see Christ in my actions and the way I live. In that way I can bring glory to God. By living this way I can rely on God and on others for my success and be able to give Him all the glory when I succeed, because true independence is the ability to rely completely on God alone and not others. That is the example I want to set for others.

Dear Lord,
I thank You for your provision in my life. There is nothing I need that You cannot provide. Help me to trust You and rely on You more than the people around me. Help me to live a quiet life free form gossip. Let that life be pleasing to You and an example to others. Let others see a difference in me that I can attribute to you. Let my actions speak louder than my words and let those actions testify to Your glory. Help me to rely on You alone for my success and my happiness. help me be content with what I have in You and give me opportunities to share all I am and all I have with the people you put in my path today. In Jesus' name.

Keep the SON in your eyes,
Ron

Lord don't let Your radiance fade in my life Exodus 34:33-35

Exodus 34:33-35 (New International Version)

 ³³ When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. ³⁴ But whenever he entered the LORD's presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, ³⁵ they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the LORD.

 Moses was spending time on Mount Sinai meeting with God. When he came down from the mountain his face was radiant and the Israelites were afraid to go near him. Once Moses was done speaking with them he put a veil over his face. When he went to meet with the Lord he would remove the veil. When he was finished he would again cover his face.

When Moses spent time with God and was in His presence something about him changed. He had a glow that was obvious to everyone who saw him. 2 Corinthians 3:13 says that Moses kept the veil over his face so the Israelites would not see the radiance fade. When Moses was with God he was radiant. When he left God's presence the radiance would begin to fade. Moses knew that was a sign God's presence was not as strong in him. He was worried the Israelites would know that as well and tried to hide that from them. I am like Moses. When I spend time with God good things happen on the inside and that shows on the outside for others to see. That change is the evidence of a changed life and evidence that God is real and working in my life. When I am not spending the time with God that I should, that evidence fades. I see it in my life and am sure the people around me do as well. The evidence is confirmation that things are going well in my relationship with God and I have fellowship with Him. The lack of it is a very obvious indicator that my relationship with God is lacking. Like Moses I try to hide it by putting on a mask. That may fool some, but people who know me well can tell. The mask does not fool them nor God. I don't want to have to hide behind a mask. I wnat to live a life in constant fellowship with God. I want a strong relationship with Him and I want it to be obvious to anyone who crosses my path. To have that I need to continually spend time with Him reading and studying Hs word and spending time with Him throughout the day. As I do, the evidence of a changed life with shine for all to see.

Dear Lord,
I thank you for the relationship I have with You. The time I spend with You takes me from the person I am closer to the person I want to be. Help me to stay close to You throughout my Day. Continually fill me with Your spirit. Let that be seen by everyone around me. As I stray Your glory fades. Use the people in my life to keep that from happening. Use my circumstances to keep me close to You. Let Your light in me be the evidence to others of a changed life. Use me in their lives to bring that same light to them as well. In Jesus' name.

Give Me a Heart To Continually Seek You Exodus 33:11

Exodus 33:11 (New International Version)

¹¹ The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.

 Moses set up a tent outside camp called the Tent of Meeting. He would go there to meet with God. When he went there the Cloud that was the Lord's presence would come and stay at the entrance. God would meet Moses face to face and speak with him. Once Moses was done he would leave, but Joshua would stay in the tent even after Moses left.

Moses had a special relationship with God. He was able to meet with Him and seek His will face to face. Moses had a heart to please God. He looked for God' s direction and followed His orders. Aaron was Moses' right hand man, but when Moses was on the mountain talking to God Aaron was with the people. He followed them and was corrupted; worshiping a golden calf he told the people to make. Joshua stayed near the mountain. When Moses was done in the Tent of Meeting Joshua stayed in there. When others gave up, Joshua was faithful. When everyone else was done, Joshua continued to seek God. Joshua had a thirst for God that could not be quenched. He had a desire for the things of God that did not fade. I want to be like Joshua. I want to be the guy who is still there seeking God and worshiping Him when everyone else is gone. I want that thirst for God that can't be quenched. I want to be wherever He is wholeheartedly focused on His will and ready to do whatever He calls me to do. Joshua couldn't get enough of God and took every opportunity to stay in His presence. I hope that one day people will be able to say that of me.

Dear Lord,
You are ever present. You are available to me anytime. I find excuses to avoid You. I spend my time on things that draw me away form You. Give me the hunger for You that Joshua had. Fill me with the desire to continually seek You and Your will for my life. Let me find rest in Your presence and hunger after it more than I do now. Surround me with people who can encourage me an lead me closer to You. Use me in the same way in the lives of others. Let my time with You never be enough and my desire to seek You never fade. In Jesus' name.

Keep the SON in your eyes,
Ron

I can't succeed on my own Exodus 17:11-13

Exodus 17:11-13 (New International Version)

¹¹ As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. ¹² When Moses' hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. ¹³ So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.

 As the Israelites were in the desert the Amalekites came to attack. Moses sent Joshua to select men and fight the Amalekites. Moses went on top of a hill to observe the battle. As long as Moses held up his hands the Israelites were winning. When he lowered his arms the Amalekites would begin to win. Aaron and Hur brought a rock for Moses to sit on. When Moses was too tired, Aaron and Hur held up his arms. With his arms up, Joshua was victorious in battle.

God called Moses to lead His people. Joshua had the necessary skills so Moses used him to lead the battle. Aaron and Hur were encouragers and advisors. They were right there with Moses in his challenges. When he could not do everything on his own, they gave him the support he needed to guarantee success. Moses was successful, but he never could have done it on his own. He had people around him with the skills and the wisdom to fill in the gaps for Moses to make him the leader he was called to be. I need to be more like Moses. God has called me into certain tasks and given me goals. I know I can't succeed on my own. God has surrounded me with people who have the skills I don't. People who can support me and lift me up when I can't do it alone. I need to let them do that for me. God has put these people in my life for a reason. I need to be open to their help, their encouragement, their support, and their wisdom. I know I can't do it all alone, now I just have to act like it and let others share the load.

Dear Lord,
I know You have laid goals and challenges before mt that I can't accomplish on my own. I know You have brought people into my life to help me succeed. I need Your help to let others shoulder my burdens with me. I struggle asking for help when I need it. I struggle accepting help when it's offered. Give me the ability to let others into my life where I am vulnerable. Help me to appreciate all the people You have brought into my life and the assistance they have to offer. As they help me to do the things I can't do on my own, let me be sure to thank them, but return to thank You as well. In Jesus' name.

Keep the SON in your eyes,
Ron

God is always there if I just look for Him Exodus 13:21-22

Exodus 13:21-22 (New International Version)

²¹ By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. ²² Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.

 The Israelites wanted to be free from oppression. God had promised them a land of their own, one flowing with milk and honey. He brought plagues on Pharaoh and his people, finally killing the firstborn male in every household that had not obeyed God's instructions. Pharaoh realized he could not win and allowed the Israelites to leave. The Egyptians even gave them gold, silver, and clothing for their journey. When they left, God guided them with a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire at night.

The Israelites knew God existed but only knew Him through Moses. If the Israelites would have looked around they would have seen God everywhere. God was in Moses and Aaron in the words He gave them to speak. he was in each of the plagues and could easily be seen in the way He kept the plagues from the Israelites. He was in the Passover in the way He protected the firstborn of the Israelites. He was in the giving when He prompted the Egyptians to provide gold, silver, and clothing for the asking. He was visibly there when He went before them on their journey in a pillar of cloud and fire. god was everywhere they turned, they just had to open their eyes so see God among them.

There are times I long for God's presence in my life only to ignore Him everywhere I turn. God reveals Himself everyday in different ways. There are times I sense that and I see that but there are times I am so wrapped up in my own life I fail to see Him at all. There are times when I'm looking for the pillar of fire to guide my way when I need to be looking in the fringes of life. There are times when I think God is not there because I don't see Him the way I expect. I need to remember that God has promised to never leave me or forsake me. Instead of looking for God where I want Him to be, I need to see God where He is in my life. When I seek God with an open mind and heart, I'll discover He is always right there with me.

Dear Lord,
Thank You for always being there for me. It is sometimes difficult to find You in my life. I know that is because I have strayed from You. Oftentimes I seek You in the wrong areas of my life. Reveal Yourself to me and draw me where I need to be. Let me see You everywhere I turn whether You are a pillar of fire of in the fringes of life. Let me be continually drawn to You like a moth to the light. Let my focus be on You and You alone. Let me seek You and find You in every area of my life because I seek You with all my heart. In Jesus' name.

Keep the SON in your eyes,
Ron

i need to be consistent in my relationship with God Exodus 9:27-28, 34

Exodus 9:27-28


 ²⁷ Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. "This time I have sinned," he said to them. "The LORD is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong. ²⁸ Pray to the LORD, for we have had enough thunder and hail. I will let you go; you don't have to stay any longer."

Exodus 9:34

³⁴ When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had stopped, he sinned again: He and his officials hardened their hearts.

 The Lord sent Moses and Aaron to Pharaoh to ask that he allow them to go into the desert to worship God. They had already been warned that Pharaoh would harden his heart and now allow them to go. Moses continually went to Pharaoh with his request and each time Pharaoh refused. God sent plagues to show Pharaoh He was God and He was serious. When God sent hail to destroy the land, Pharaoh finally admitted he had sinned and agreed to Moses' request. As soon as the hail stopped, Pharaoh once again hardened his heart and refused to agreed to the request.

Pharaoh showed a patter in his interaction with God. God would reveal His will. Pharaoh would refuse. God would send things into Pharaoh's life to get his attention. Pharaoh would ignore them. God would continue until it became unbearable. Pharaoh would acknowledge his sin and repent. As soon as the  calamity was over, Pharaoh would harden his heart all over again. My life has been much like Pharaoh's. God has a plan and includes me in it. I ignore God until He has to go to extremes to get my attention. I repent and submit. Once the crisis is over,  I go back to my selfish ways. I want to be the person who can consistently follow God in good times and in bad. I want to be sensitive to God's call in every area of my life and submit to His will as soon as it is revealed to me. Sometimes I have trouble recognizing it but most of the time it is just my stubborn and rebellious attitude. I need to learn and grow so that God doesn't have to start over with me whenever He calls me to a task. I know His plan is best and deep in my heart I know I will do it His way eventually. What I need is a desire to submit when I hear the call and not surrender after the battle. I have no trouble following God when it's easy, it's when he calls me to a challenge that I struggle. I need to be more consistent in my relationship with Him and live a life that pleases God more than me.

Dear Lord,
I know You want the best for me. I know Your plan for my life is perfect. I trust You to take control of my life but I have a stubborn spirit. It is easy for me to submit to You when things go my way but I struggle when called to submit to Your plans when they don't fit easily into mine. Forgive me for making You work so hard to bless me and use me to bless others. Change my heart that I would be willing to submit to Your will without hesitation. Help me to live a life that pleases You and follows You through good times and bad. Let me be Your servant and not Your adversary in all I do. In Jesus' name.

Keep the SON in your eyes,
Ron

When God want to use me I have to obey Exodus 3:10-12

Exodus 3:10-12 (New International Version)



10 So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt." 11 But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" 12 And God said, "I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you [a] will worship God on this mountain."

Moses had a heart for his people and showed that by his reaction when he saw them mistreated. God recognized Moses' heart and chose to use him to deliver the Israelites from the oppression from which they were suffering. Moses cared about his people but didn't see himself as a leader. When God approached him all Moses could think about was "who am I?" because he did not see himself in that role. He rejected the idea of speaking out for God because he felt he lacked the skills necessary. When Moses let God down, God had to use Aaron to complete His plan. Moses was willing but hwe lacked faith in himself and in God.
 
God called Moses to be His hands and feet here on earth. Moses had not prepared himself for that task and was concerned he did not have the skills to succeed. It was true, Moses didn't have the skills, but God was able to give him whatever he needed to guarantee success. God has used me to do many things for Him I could never do on my own. I have learned through experience that when God calls me to a task He will give me the skills I need to succeed for Him. Moses said no to God and He had to bring in Aaron to finish the job. I have said no to God only to see Him bring someone else along to do the job I thought was not possible. I have learned to trust God and obey Him when He calls. The more impossible the task, the bigger the opportunity for God to reveal Himself in the situation. I am nobody. I don't possess special skills or superpowers, but when God is working through me there is nothing I can't do. I need to remember this more and trust God enough to say "yes" whenever He calls.
 
Dear Lord,
I know You have a plan for Your people and I now I am a part of that plan. I have experienced Your work through me and have recognized when You have done things through me I could have never done on my own. Forgive me for doubting You as I have and rejecting opportunities to be Your hands and feet. I learn from my failures but You know what a slow learner I am. Give me a heart to say "yes" every time You call. Give me a boldness to reach out for You without fear of failure or concern for the results. I know You will succeed but I need to be reminded. I am weak in that area and need Your strength. Grow me from who I am into who I need to be. Use me to make a difference for Your kingdom. In Jesus' name.
 
Keep the SON in your eyes,
Ron

Freedom has a new meaning in Christ Galatians 5:13

Galatians 5:13 (New International Version)

 ¹³You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature^[a]; rather, serve one another in love.

 the Galatians were struggling with their new found relationship in Christ. They had received Christ and were growing in their relationship with Him when some believing Jews cam along and told them circumcision was necessary as well. They wanted the Galatians to follow Christ and still follow the old testament law as well. Paul took the time to explain that life in Christ frees us from the law. It does not free us up to sin but it frees us up from sin and allows us to live our lives like Christ and for Christ.

As a follower of Christ I am no longer "under the law". The law was a bunch of rules that were good to live by but were put in place to show me I could never meet God's standards without a relationship with Christ. The relationship I have with Christ frees me from the burden of the law. that does not mean I am free to ignore the law and sin all I want, it means I can now focus on Christ and pleasing Him. If I focus on all the rules I spend my time worrying about what not to do and trying to stay inside the lines. If I focus on Christ and pleasing Him, I am drawn to the center and don't have to worry about the boundaries. Both have the same goal, but only one way is attainable. I have tried it both way and the only way I have found success is in Christ. There is freedom in serving Christ in that I don't have to focus on doing a thousand things right, I only have to focus on one thing, pleasing God. When I use that as a guide, the path for my life is more defined and easier to identify. With a clear picture of a defined path I am free to move forward pleasing God as I go. That gives freedom a whole new meaning.

Dear Lord,
I thank You for the new found freedom I have in You. I thank You that You have freed me from a life of sin and given me a new life following You. Help me to grow in my appreciation and understanding of the freedom You give and all that it offers. help me to focus all my efforts on pleasing You and trusting the path You have laid out for me. I know that I will continue to sin. Let me see my sin for what it is and the bondage it brings. Expose my sin so that I can turn from it and back to You. Use me in the lives of others so that they might discover and enjoy the freedom that is found in You and You alone. In Jesus' name.

Keep the SON in your eyes,
Ron

I want to please God more than people Galatians 1:10

Galatians 1:10 (New International Version)

 ¹⁰Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.

 Paul had lived a life impressing and pleasing people. He was a well known and well respected pharisee. Once Christ revealed Himself to him, Paul was no longer worried about making people happy. He lived only to please God. The way he lived and the things he preached alienated him form all his old friends and way of life. He was hated and hunted. He put his own life at risk numerous times. He did this because it was more important to him to please God than to please men. Paul showed the evidence of a changed life. he was willing to follow God and please Him no matter what the cost. Paul know all the sacrifices he made were worth it. He paid whatever price knowing it was worth the cost to follow Jesus. By living out that example, Paul convinced the people around him this was true and continues to convince people today.

I too was like Paul. I thought I had it all figured out. I was a "good guy". People around me liked me. It wasn't until Christ came into my life and changed my heart that I understood how misguided I was. I do my best now to live my life to please God. It is not an easy path bu tit is fulfilling in ways I never imagined. As Paul said, "If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ". To serve Christ is to put Him first in all I do. It is not just a change or an adjustment I have made, it is a completely different way I live my life. This new paradigm has changed the way I do everything and this change has been good. Living for God requires sacrifice, but that sacrifice has proven to be worth it many times over. The new life I have in Christ has meant many changes but living to please God is much more fulfilling and much more satisfying than living to please myself and the people around me.

Dear Lord,
I thank You and praise You for the new life You have given me. I feel I have something to live for. Living to please You and do Your will has brought peas and fulfillment in my life that I have never known before. I no longer want to live to please myself or others, It is my goal to please You. I know there is sacrifice in that but You have shown me many times the sacrifice is more than worth the cost. Help me to grow in my desire to please You and make a difference for Your kingdom. Let all that I do your You be the evidence to people around me of a changed life in You. In Jesus' name.

Keep the SON in your eyes,
Ron

I want the vision Joseph had Genesis 50: 19-20

Genesis 50:19-20 (New International Version)

 ¹⁹ But Joseph said to them, "Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? ²⁰ You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

 Joseph's brothers had treated hm poorly as he grew up. They plotted to kill him and sold him into slavery. Once their father, Jacob, died the brothers were at Joseph's mercy. They were afraid that Joseph would take advantage and exact revenge for all they had done. Joseph recognized there was more going on. He saw that while his brothers meant to harm him, God meant it for good. Joseph didn't hold a grudge. He had forgiven them long ago because he saw God at work even in his difficulties.

Joseph dealt with hardships and difficulties his entire life. Every time things started going well he was dealt another blow. When God revealed his plan in a dream, Joseph was sold into slavery. When he started to do well there, he was wrongly accused and sent to prison. Throughout the hardships and struggles, Joseph saw through his circumstances and kept his eyes on God. He know God had a plan for him and trusted God to see it through. No matter what his current circumstances were, he lived his life to please God. Nothing could dissuade him from it. That focus allowed him to excel during the good times and carried him through the bad. Even at his worst people around Joseph saw God through him. Joseph had the vision to see God in every circumstance and he responded appropriately. Joseph trusted God and was blessed for it.

I want to be like Joseph, but I struggle with that every day. I know God has a perfect plan for my life. He has been faithful time and time again. My problem is that I lose focus. I take my eyes off of the big picture and lose sight of God. I am so busy worrying about my problems or my situation that I fail to see God at work. I need the vision Joseph had. I need to see God at work during the bad times as well as the good. I also need better long term vision so I can see and stay focused on God's bigger plan for my life. I need the strength and the vision to keep looking up instead of just looking around. If I can keep focused on God and keep His vision in my sight I can more effectively live a life that pleases Him.

Dear Lord,
I know You have the perfect plan for my life. I know I can trust You to see it through. It is easy to remember that at times, but other times I struggle. Give me eyes to see You in every area of my life. Reveal Your plan to me in a way that I will respond. Surround me with people who will help me stay focused on You. Ly all I do and all I say work toward furthering You plan for my life. In Jesus' name.

Keep the SON in your eyes,
Ron

I want a servant's heart like Joseph Genesis 47:11-12

Genesis 47:11-12 (New International Version)

 ¹¹ So Joseph settled his father and his brothers in Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land, the district of Rameses, as Pharaoh directed. ¹² Joseph also provided his father and his brothers and all his father's household with food, according to the number of their children.

 Joseph was the youngest in his family. God had big plans for him but his family did not recognize it. His brothers hated him and plotted to kill him. They sold him into slavery to get him out of their lives. Years later Joseph had wealth and power because of God's blessing. He ran across his brothers whom he had not seen since they sold him into slavery. he reconnected with them and brought the entire family down to Egypt. He gave them choice land and food to eat. What he did saved the lives of his family.

Joseph had every right to be angry with his brothers. He had every right to hold a grudge. I don't know that I could have forgiven what they did. When Joseph finally reconnected with his bothers he had the power and influence to get even for what they had done to him. He wasn't thinking about getting even. His desire was to serve them. He gave them all they asked for and more. Instead of even, he brought his entire family to him to serve them and make sure they were safe. Joseph had some hardships and disappointments but did not focus on them. He knew God had a perfect plan for his life and trusted that all the good and the bad would work out for God's glory. Even as a leader he was a servant. He served to please God and he did it well. He repaid evil with good and in doing so shared God's unconditional love with people who didn't deserve it. Joseph was modeling a Christ like attitude a couple of thousand years before anyone even knew what that was.

I want to be like Joseph. I want a true servant's heart. I want to see others through God's eyes and get past the hurts to repay evil with good. Joseph had it figured out and modeled it for me. I want to grow to become that type of person. I not only have Joseph, I have Christ as a perfect example of a true servant. I have the Holy Spirit to guide me in my journey. I have the tools, I just need to put the to good use. As I do, I hope to become more like Christ, living my life as a servant of God.

Dear Lord,
You loved me when I ignored You. You reached out to me when I hurt You. You have shown me how to love unconditionally and serve other out of that love. I've seen how You do it and I know what it is, but I still struggle to be the servant You have called me to be. There are times I can't imagine repaying evil with good even though that is exactly what You have called me to do. change my heart and make me more like You. Help me to see others as You do and serve them as You would. Give me the unconditional love for the people around me that You have for the people around me and mold me into an acceptable servant of the Living God. In Jesus' name.

Keep the SON in your eyes,
Ron

Live for God and let everything work itself out Genesis 41:39-30

Genesis 41:39-40 (New International Version)

 ³⁹ Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. ⁴⁰ You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you."

 Joseph was wrongly accused and put in prison. While there he interpreted dreams for two men. The interpretations proved accurate. Later Pharaoh heard of Joseph and sent for him to interpret a dream he had. Joseph told Pharaoh there would be seven years of abundance and seven years of famine. He gave Pharaoh a plan for success. Pharaoh recognized this was from God and that God's hand was on Joseph. Pharaoh said he could find no one else like Joseph on whom was the hand of God. He put Joseph in charge of his entire kingdom.

Joseph lived his life to please God. He had opportunities to take shortcuts in life but always took the high road and trusted God. He did not chase pleasure or worldly desires, he only wanted to please God. It showed in his life and people around him saw that. He was recognized for that and rewarded by both Potiphar and Pharaoh. Pharaoh saw something in Joseph he didn't see in anyone else. He saw someone who live for the Lord no matter what. Pharaoh saw wisdom he saw in no one else because he saw God through Joseph. This could not have happened except that Joseph reflected God in all he did. God rewarded that and others enjoyed the blessing from Joseph's obedience to God.

I am faced with opportunities to take shortcuts and chase worldly desires everyday. I could have success on my terms if I choose. I don't want that, I want the success God has planned for me. I know I can trust God to do what is best for me and give me true success, whatever that looks like. I know this is true but I still struggle when faced with decisions. I want to trust Him when it really matters and let the results be left to God. I want others to see God at work in my life and recognize it's all Him in me. I want to be more like Joseph who was not focused on selfish success or worldly results, but focused instead on living to please God. As I do, I pray that God will give me His success and bless the people around me.

Dear Lord,
True success is found in You and You alone. I want the life You have laid out for me. I want the success in life that comes from You. I know I am very goal oriented. Let my goal above all be to live a life that is pleasing to You. I want that to be enough. Let all the success I have be from You and not from me. Let others around me see that success and praise You, recognizing You are the author of it. Give the people around me a hunger for You because they see the evidence of a changed life in me. In Jesus' name.

Keep the SON in your eyes,
Ron

I want people to recognize the success they see in me is acutually Christ in me Genesis 39:3-4

Genesis 39:3-4 (New International Version)

³ When his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD gave him success in everything he did, ⁴ Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned.

 Joseph was a Godly man who lived his life to please God. He was sold into slavery to Potiphar by his brothers. Even in the midst of that he did right by God and was blessed with success. Potiphar saw that Joseph prospered in all he did and recognized it was God's blessing that gave him success. Because of that, Potiphar put Joseph in charge of all he had. Later Joseph was wrongly accused and put in prison. Again he prospered in all he did. the warden saw this and recognized it was God's blessing that gave Joseph success. The warden put Joseph in charge of the entire prison.

When people saw Joseph and his success, they did not just see him, they saw Christ in him. I know where my life has been and where it is now in Christ. I have sen my successes and my failures both before and after. I have put God in charge of my life and trust Him to guide and direct me in my decisions. I know the success I have now is directly because of God's work in me and through me. I have seen the difference before and after and am confident that this life I have in Christ offers me much more than I had before. I know people around me see when I excel at something and they see when I have success. It is my prayer that my life would reflect Christ in me in all I do. There was something about Joseph and his success that others recognized God's hand at work in it. I want what Joseph had I want people to know the difference Christ has made in my life. I want it to be obvious in my accomplishments. If I live my life properly and give credit where it is due, everyone around em should see more of Christ and less of me.

Dear Lord,
I praise You and thank You for the difference You have made in my life. I know the success I have is a direct result of You at work in me. Help me to live a life that reflects that. Help others to see You through me. Let my life be a positive example of the difference You can make. Let that example lead other to You. In Jesus' name.

Keep the SON in your eyes,
Ron

Sometimes I need to refocus on God Genesis 35:2

Genesis 35:2 (New International Version)

 ² So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, "Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes.

 Jacob needed to move. God called him to go back to Bethel. Jacob gathered all the people and told them of his plan. He had them gather all their foreign gods, their idols, to him. They were then to purify themselves and put on clean clothes. Jacob buried the idols before getting a fresh start.

Somehow Jacob's family had taken their eyes off God. They brought idols in their homes in place of God. I don't see where their hearts were necessarily hardened, but there were definitely distractions in their lives. Jacob was ready for a change. He called everyone together to search their homes for idols and purify themselves. They needed to regroup and get focused on God.

There are times in my life when distractions and idols creep in. It is not a conscious decision I make nor can I point to a specific time when it happened. If is always a gradual process where I look around at some point and realize I need to do some spiritual housecleaning and get back on track with God. These are the times that I need to do like Jacob's family. I need to gather all the idols in my life and bury them. I need to purify myself and get re focused on God. When I wander away it is always a process that occurs over time. When I refocus on God it is a decision. It is a time I can point to when it happened. That is a reminder that no matter how far I stray form God it is always just one step to get back. God is faithful and longs to have that relationship with me. I need to be more faithful and keep form letting idols creep into my life in the first place. I am thankful that I can rely on God's grace and forgiveness to get me from where I am to where I need to be with Him.

Dear Lord,
You have given me the gift of eternal life and a relationship with You. I sometimes take ti for granted and take my eyes off of You. When I let idols into my life it harms my relationship with You. I pray You would convict me every time it happens. I pray I would hate those idols and the sin they bring just as much as You do. Give me the eyes to identify these idols early on and turn form them and back to You. Fill my mind and my heart with thought of You and a desire to follow You. Let this desire crowd out any others, leaving no room in my life for idols to dwell. Mold me into the person who wholeheartedly live for You. In Jesus' name.

Keep the SON in your eyes,
Ron

My children learn by watching me Genesis 26:7&30:3

Genesis 26:7 (New International Version)

 ⁷ When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he said, "She is my sister," because he was afraid to say, "She is my wife." He thought, "The men of this place might kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is beautiful."
 
Genesis 30:3 (New International Version)

 ³ Then she said, "Here is Bilhah, my maidservant. Sleep with her so that she can bear children for me and that through her I too can build a family."

 Isaac went to live in a foreign land. He was afraid of the people there an feared they would kill to take his wife. He told everyone she was his sister to save his own skin. He was found out and the people couldn't understand how he could do such a thing. How could he do it? He learned it from his father, Abraham (Genesis 12:11-13). Rachel was unable to have children. Rather than trust God and wait on Him, she gave her servant to Jacob to give him children for her. How could she give another woman to her husband? How could Jacob agree to this? They learned it from Abraham and Sarah (Genesis 16:1-2).

Abraham was a man of God who led his family in God's ways, but he had a tendency to do things his own way rather than wait on the Lord. While I'm sure Abraham told his family about God, they were learning from his actions as well. It is said, "More is caught than taught" and I see it at work here. Abraham's children learned what to do by watching him as well as listening. The problem was the part they were watching should have never been followed. Abraham's sin effected not only his children but his grandchildren as well.

If my kids follow me around long enough they can learn how to live for God. The problem is there are some things they should emulate and some things they should ignore. Ho do they know the difference? They trust me. I tell them about god and how we should live for Him. When they watch my life they rightly assume that is how those words are lived out. If they choose the same path it is my fault when my children follow my example into sin. I need to live a life hat lines up with what I say. AS a husband and father I'm responsible for setting a Godly example for my family. If they have to go elsewhere to find a Godly model, I have failed them. If they follow my poor example, it's even worse. I need to live my life to please God not just but for all those who follow me as well.

Dear Lord,
You are the perfect example in my life. I can always look to "You as a model of how to live my life. My children cannot always say that of me. Forgive me when I fail them. Reveal those failures to me that I might work to make them right. Help me to be a Godly example my family can follow. Let the life I live not only be pleasing to You but be a righteous path for my family as well. Keep me from making foolish decisions and help me live a life that will make You proud to call me one of Your children. In Jesus' name.

Keep the SON in your eyes,
Ron

How much do I really appreciate God's gifts? Genesis 25:30-32

Genesis 25:30-32 (New International Version)

³⁰ He said to Jacob, "Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I'm famished!" (That is why he was also called Edom.)
 ³¹ Jacob replied, "First sell me your birthright."
 ³² "Look, I am about to die," Esau said. "What good is the birthright to me?"

 Esau was Isaac's firstborn and was in line for the birthright. This would have put him over the family as the spiritual head. he did not appreciate that gift and gave it away for a moment of worldly pleasure. Jacob deceived Esau and took the birthright. H did it by worldly means that were wrong but he did appreciate the birthright and the spiritual responsibility that came with it. His desire was good but his execution was wrong.

I see myself in both of these brothers. I have received gifts from God, incredible blessings from Him, only to set them aside. I often don't appreciate the gifts He has given me and have let some slip away because I did not appreciate them and did not care enough. I have also recognized opportunities and blessing from God in my life, only to pursue them my own way. Because of my impatience and strong will, I chose to chase after these things with my own strength and my own plan. I thank God for he blessing but ignore Him in the process. both of these areas are struggles for me. I need to appreciate God's gifts in my life more and put them all to good use. He has  given me these gifts for a reason. Whenever I set them aside I am saying, "No" to God. I also need to appreciate God's timing and His plan for me. He knows best what I need and how to put it in my life. I need to trust Him more from start to finish and not shove Him out of the way. My nature is to take over and get it done my way. That shows a lack of faith in God's plan. I need to trust God enough to allow Him to work out his will for me in His time and by His way. I know I am still very much a work in progress, but I pray God will work these things out in me sooner instead of later.

Dear Lord,
I thank You for Your gifts that You give. I pray that I will recognize these gifts and put them to good use for You. I know that all too often I squander Your gifts and blessings in my life. Help me to be a better steward of these things You give me and use them for Your glory. I do recognize some gifts and opportunities from You but in my own stubbornness and selfish nature I pursue them in my own strength. Help me to trust You enough to wait on You and Your perfect plan. Help me to better see Your path adn choose if over my own. As I do, guide my every step. In Jesus' name.

Keep the SON in your eyes,
Ron

What am I really willing to do for God? Genesis 22:1-2

Genesis 22:1-2 (New International Version)

¹ Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!"
      "Here I am," he replied.  ² Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about."

 God promised Abraham a son and said he would give him countless descendants. Abraham had to wait until his old age to finally see the answer to his prayers. When Abraham finally received his blessing, a son, God called him to sacrifice that son. Abraham wanted to obey God more than anything else and was even willing to give up the most precious thing in his life to please God.When God saw Abraham's heart, he revealed it was only a test and provided the offering for the sacrifice.

The bible tells me this was only a test, but Abraham didn't know that. He went up the hill willing to do whatever it took to please God. Abraham didn't give up his son but was willing to. When God saw that He was pleased and provided another way. God may challenge me to do things I am not comfortable doing. Sometimes He wants me to do it and sometimes He just wants to see my willingness. God's motives shouldn't matter to me. I should always be willing to do whatever God calls me to do. I have seen Him work in my life enough to know I can trust Him in whatever he calls me to do. Still, there are too many times I have said no to God because of my fears and lack of faith. I have failed many tests over the years and am sure I will fail more. Through this process I hope to become more like Abraham, willing to do whatever God calls me to do adn more like Christ who took that extra step and actually did it.

Dear Lord,
Your are a God who can be trusted to always do what is best for me. I know that and know You would never call me to do anything to contradict that, but I still lack the faith to follow wherever You lead. Fill me with the desire and willingness to obey You in all I do and answer Your every call. Give me the faith to say yes to You no matter what the request may be. Help me to be like Abraham who trusted You at Your word and was willing to do whatever You called him to do. Let me show my willingness to follow You with my actions adn not just my words. As I do, use me more and more to do Your will. In Jesus' name.

Keep the SON in your eyes,
Ron

Raising a Godly family is my responsibility Genesis 18:19

Genesis 18:19 (New International Version)

¹⁹ For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him."

 God promise Abraham a son by Sarah. god renewed His covenant with Abraham saying that his descendants would be rulers and kings. God told Abraham his people would become a powerful nation and nations would be blessed because of him. In verse 19 God said he would do this so that Abraham would direct his children and household to live for God and do what was right and just. Of all the people on the earth God chose Abraham. Abraham's obedience and love for God convinced God that Abraham could lead his family and his people in God's ways. God had laid challenges before Abraham and he had succeeded. Abraham had proven himself worthy of the blessing God had promised.

I love God an do my best to live for Him. Like Abraham, God has Given me a family He expects me to lead in His ways, I am humbled and honored to think that God sees something in me that would allow Him to entrust these people to me. They have given their lives to God. He in turn handed them to me and asked me to raise them up to know Him. He trusts me to protect them and instruct them in His ways. God has given me His most precious gift and trusts me to take care if it just as He would. this is a responsibility I don't take lightly and I pray that I can lead my family to know God better and live their lives to please Him. god will but decisions before them and they will have to make their own choices when the time comes, but if they are not prepared to make godly decision that is my fault. If they are not equipped to live  for God then I have failed them and failed the Lord. This is not a responsibility I take lightly. I pray everyday the God will equip me to leatd my family for Him because I know that without God I can't do it.

Dear Lord,

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I have a family who has given their live to You. You in turn handed them back to me and asked that I watch over them for You. I pray that You give me the wisdom and abilities I need to direct them to keep Your ways and grow to love You more each day. Let me live my life as an example of how to follow You. Give me the strength to do the right thing even when it is difficult so that I might be a living example in their lives. Give my family hearts to follow as I lead them toward You. In Jesus' name.

Keep the SON in your eyes,
Ron

I do believe, I just need a reminder Genesis 15:1-6

Genesis 15:1-6 (New International Version)

 ¹ After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision:

       "Do not be afraid, Abram.
       I am your shield, ^[a]
       your very great reward. ^[b] "  ² But Abram said, "O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit ^[c] my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?" ³ And Abram said, "You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir."
 ⁴ Then the word of the LORD came to him: "This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir." ⁵ He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars—if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be."
 ⁶ Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

 God had given Abram success and blessed him in many ways, but he had not given Abram children and specifically an heir. God reminded Abram that He would protect him and reward him. Abram saw that as empty without children. god showed his that he would have countless descendants. Abram believed God an it was credited to him as righteousness. Abram already knew that. In Genesis 13:16 God made a covenant with Abram and promised him descendants as numerous as the dust of the earth. So, what Abram heard later was nothing new, he just needed to believe it. It appears he did because in verse 6 the bible says that he believed and it was credited to him as righteousness.

Like Abram, I believe some things are true but still have trouble believing they are true for me. I read the promises from God and believe them to be true. God shows me the blessings He wants to give me in His time and I know He can. I still become filled with doubt at times and need a reminder. It is oftentimes a process for me. God tells me and I believe it but it takes me a while to accept that it is true for me as well. It is a lack of faith on my part that I have to work through. There usually comes a time when I "get it" and finally believe as I should. I want to be like verse 6 Abram. I don't want to believe the face, I want to believe the Lord. I want to trust in Him enough that I'm not focused on the facts and how it will work out, but focused on putting my trust in Him, truly believing in my heart that God will make it true in the way He sees fit. I want to live by faith that God will provide and make His word true in my life and not just be the knowledge that these things are possible. That thinking is a big difference for me and becomes a stumbling block in my relationship with God. he knows that and continually reminds me of His promises and reassures me of our relationship. He knows what I need to get to the place where I truly trust Him by faith and he is patient enough to make sure I get my heart where it needs to be.  Each time I got through that process it makes it easier to trust God the next time. I just wish I wasn't such a slow learner.

Dear Lord, Your are trustworthy and You prove that to me on a daily basis. You have always been faithful to me. I know from experience that I can trust You but still need constant reminders. Forgive me for being so slow to learn. help me Lord to trust You the first time and not be filled with doubt. Give me the ability to live for You by faith with no hesitations, no fear, and no doubt. Build me up from the man I am to the man You've called me to be. In Jesus' name.

Keep the SON in your eyes,
Ron

Trust God enough to tell the truth Genesis 12:11-13

Genesis 12:11-13 (New International Version)

¹¹ As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, "I know what a beautiful woman you are. ¹² When the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This is his wife.' Then they will kill me but will let you live. ¹³ Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you."

 God told Abram to leave his comfortable surroundings and go wander around until God showed him he was in the right spot. Abram had enough faith the uproot his family and leave without knowing what would happen but trusting God to take care of him. God showed him the land He would give Abram and his descendants, showing Abram He was trustworthy. Abram went to Egypt looking for food. Rather than trust God, he took matters into his own hands. He told his wife to lie and say she was his sister so he would be safe and be treated well. He selfishly compromised his wife for his own safety and well being. When he trusted God he was safe and was treated well. Abram even built an alter to worship God for the blessings. For whatever reason Abram felt this was too big for God and had to handle this one himself. The result was Pharaoh took Abram's wife to be his own, thinking she was available. When Pharaoh found out what Abram had done, he was appalled. he gave Abram's wife back along with all the stuff he gave Abram as well. Abram did it his own way without trusting God and got the result he wanted. The problem is rather than trust God, Abram became a pimp and turned his wife into a prostitute to meet his own desires.

Over the years I have grown in my relationship with God and have learned to trust Him. God has proven himself trustworthy time and time again and has never let me down. Even still, there are times that I choose to take matters into my own hands and leave God out of the process. There are times the result is exactly what I want and I feel it is a success. I don't realize until later what a mistake it was. Had I trusted God it may have turned out different that I expected but it would have been better. Like Abram I often don't see the real cost of my decisions. The long term effects are not worth getting what I want. God always knows better than me and has proven it many times in my life. I just need to trust Him more and me less. When I do, God will provide and I won't have to mess up my life and hurt the people around me.

Dear Lord,
You are a trustworthy God. You are always faithful and provide for me in ways I could never see myself. I need to trust You more and lean on You to guide my life. Give me the faith I need to do that. Give me the desire to seek Your will more than my on. Protect those around me from being hurt by my foolish decisions and use them to keep me focus on You. I know You have the perfect plan for my life. Help me to live that plan out and not lean on my own understanding because You are always right and I want to do you will. In Jesus' name.

Keep the SON in your eyes,
Ron

What will people say about me? Genesis 6:9

Genesis 6:9 (New International Version)

 ⁹ This is the account of Noah.
      Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God.

The Lord created the heavens and the earth and everything in it. God felt the things He created were good. When He created man, he felt that it was "very good". The we started eating forbidden fruit and murdering our brothers. Things continued their downhill slide until God looked around and saw "how great our wickedness had become" and that "every inclination of the thought of our heart were only evil all the time". we had completely abandoned our relationship with God and were chasing evil. God was grieved and heartbroken. He realized the only way to rectify the situation was to destroy everything and start over. In the middle of this He saw Noah. Noah was surrounded by all sorts of evil. He was living among a civilization so wicked they were about to be wiped off the face of the earth. God described Noah as "a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God". When God chose to wipe the slate clean He trusted Noah to start everything over and do it in a Godly way.

I know the person I was and I know who I am in Christ today. I have seen the change He has made in me. I sometimes wonder how others see me. I pray regularly that people would see past my faults and see Christ in me, but I wonder just how effective I am. I wonder if my epitaph would ever say "he walked with God". I would hope that my life reflects my relationship with God but I know me well enough that I don't instantly think of the words "righteous" or "blameless" when describing myself. It would be nice if people saw me that way but what really matters to me is how God sees me. I don't know what his friends thought, but god saw Noah as blameless. My prayer is that my life would be pleasing to God. I hope that when God sees something that needs to be done He could look at my life and trust me to toe the right thing for Him. I pray that at the end of my life God will be able to say, "Ron? Yes, he walked with God".

Dear Lord,
You have given me a life filled with opportunities to please You, to walk with You, and to serve You. I have wasted some of those opportunities and have done well with others. Continue to work in my life to make me more like You. Let others see You in my life and the change you have made in it. Mole me into the righteous and blameless man You have called me to be. Help me to run this race for You and give me the strength to finish well. Let the life I live reflect Christ in me so that others will be able to see I walked with God. In Jesus' name.

Keep the SON in your eyes,
Ron

Sin is always crouching at the door Genesis 4:6-7

Genesis 4:6-7 (New International Version)

 ⁶ Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? ⁷ If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."

 Cain and Abel both presented an offering to God. Abel presented a blood offering to God and it was pleasing to Him. Cain presented a grain offering but God did not look upon it favorably. Cain god upset because his offering was not acceptable. God told him if he gave the proper offering it would be accepted, but if he didn't do what God asked "sin is crouching at his door and desires to have him". It seems there was some previous instruction from God about offerings and how to present them. Abel obeyed and Cain did not. God reminded him and explained it again. God even explained that this was a sin issue that Cain had "to master". Rather than obey God, Cain took his anger and jealousy out on his brother, Abel, and killed him. Cain's disobedience to God fueled his sin and it grew. Cain had the proper instruction, he had a Godly example in his brother, he had a warning and a second chance from God, but ignored all that and chased his own sinful desires. He suffered the consequences for his sin and was removed from God's presence and from his family. His sin and rebellious selfish choices effected not just him but his kids, grand kids, and more.

I have all the same opportunities as Cain. I have God's instruction, I have good examples around me, I have multiple chances to get it right, and even have the Holy Spirit to guide me. Many times this is enough to keep me on God's path and I make good choices. However, there are times that just like Cain, I ignore all the proper instruction, all the examples, all the chances, even the guidance form the Holy Spirit, and choose to sin. I know God's way is better for me but I make sinful choices. I deserve the same punishment as Cain but by God's grace I still have a relationship with Him. Sin is constantly "crouching at my door" but my hope is to master it. I want to control my sin instead of having it control me. With God's help and the tools He has surrounded me with, I hope to get closer to the goal every day.

Dear Lord,
You are  a patient God and You prove it daily in my life. You give me chance after chance when I fail and You are always there to pick me up and get me back on the right path. You have surrounded me with the tools to do the right thing and live my life to please You. I know sin is always crouching at my door. Help me to turn form it and toward You. Thank You for never giving up on me. It is by Your grace I am able to make the good choices I do and avoid the sin in my life. continue the good work You have started in me and help me to master the sin in my life. In Jesus' name.

Keep the SON in your eyes,
Ron

Make me more aware of my sin Genesis 3:7

Genesis 3:7 (New International Version)

⁷ Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

Adam and Eve were happy living in the Garden of Eden. They were oblivious to evil and focused on God and God alone. When the ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, their eyes were opened in a new way. Their eyes, weren't just opened to see sights but they now had a new realization of the surroundings, their situation, and their actions. they now saw sin as it was in their lives and felt compelled to do something about it. They hid from God because the did not want to stand before Him naked. They were now aware it was wrong and wanted to do something about it. Even thougth they sinned they still didn't want to disappoint God.

I see the same thing in my relationship with God. There was a time when I was not following God. My sin did not bother me like it should. Once God was in my life I became much more aware of my sin. I had a desire to do something about it that I did not have before. Things I used to embrace no linger pleased me. Some even disgusted me. the closer I got to God the more my nakedness was exposed and the more I realized it. God filled me with a desire to please Him and clean up the sin in my life. There are times when sin creeps into my life and it doesn't bother me like it should. I now what that conviction should feel like but it is not there. When that happens I know that I am not close to God. I know that when I am close to god my sin disgusts me. When it doesn't, it is a warning to check my relationship and draw close to Him again. I know what it is to be far from God and I know what it is to be close to him. I need to spend more time drawing close and staying there. When I do I spend less time fighting sin and more time embracing God. That is where I want to be.

Dear Lord,
You have opened my eyes to Your truth and the right way to live. You have given me a new life and a love for you. I thank You and praise You for the changes You have made in my life and pray that You will continue that good work in me. You know my sins and my weaknesses. you know the areas of my life in which I want to please You and in which I want to hide. Expose my sins and keep me close to You. Make me more aware than every the areas I fall short and stir my heart to change so that I may please You and stay in Your presence. Mold me into the person You want me to be and work those changes into my life so that they would no just be what I do, but who I am, living my life to please You. In Jesus' name.

Keep the SON in your eyes,
Ron

Do the right thing not the easy thing Matthew 27:24-25

Matthew 27:24-25 (New International Version)

 ²⁴When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. "I am innocent of this man's blood," he said. "It is your responsibility!"
 ²⁵All the people answered, "Let his blood be on us and on our children!"

Pilate wanted to release Jesus. He know it was the right thing to do. His wife even encouraged him to do it. The crowd that had gathered wanted Jesus crucified. Pilate washed his hands and refused to have any more to do with it, claiming he was innocent in the matter. The crowd was all to willing to take responsibility for what was about to happen. The crowd could have had Jesus released but refused, instead chose to crucify an innocent man. Pilate felt he got off the hook because he "washed his hands" of the whole thing. It's not that easy. The crowd is responsible for their actions but Pilate is just as responsible for his. The passive aggressive attempt to put the decision and the blame on the crowd was nothing more than a cop out on Pilate's part. He had the authority and responsibility to make that decision. It was his chance to do the right thing, but he squandered it and tried to shift the blame because he was afraid. Courage is not the lack of fear but doing the right thing in the face of fear. Pilate failed a big test that day.

God puts me in situations constantly where I have to make hard choices. Each choice is mine to make and each decision I own alone. Sometimes I do well, other times I fail. I know there is forgiveness for my bad mistakes and poor choices, but I still have to own them. God has put me in the position to make those decisions, and and as scary as it is sometimes, I need to have the courage to make those decisions.Each decision is an opportunity to do the right thing for God. When I refuse to act and put that decision on someone else, I'm avoiding the responsibility God has give me. I refuse to act because I am afraid of the outcome. By forcing other to decide I can shift the blame later. that is the coward's way out. I need to stand up and do or say the right thing even when I stand alone. With God's help, I'll find the courage to do so.

Dear Lord,
I know that You have prepared me beforehand for the tasks and decisions you have put before me. I pray that You would give me the courage to do the right thing even when I stand alone. Help me to remember that even during those times I don't ever stand alone because You are always by me side. Give me the wisdom to make the right decisions. When I'm weak give me the strength to stand by them. When I fail, show me the path to right my wrongs. and give me the courage to follow through. Let all that I do and the decisions I make be pleasing to You. In Jesus' name.

Keep the SON in your eyes,
Ron

The risk is worth the reward Matthew 25:25

Matthew 25:25 (New International Version)

²⁵So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'

 This servant took the money his master gave his and hid it. He obviously could have done much more. I see what was possible by looking at the other two servants in the story. He was afraid to take the risk because he was focused on failure. The other two were focused on multiplying what was given to them from the master. The servant's plan didn't work so well. He wasted the opportunity to gain more for the master's kingdom. Not only was he not rewarded and entrusted with more, even what he had was taken away.

God has given me many opportunities to serve Him over the years from chance encounters with people on the street to organized ministry opportunities. Each time the opportunity is before me, I have to make a choice, I can take the risk or pass up the chance. there is always risk involved but the reward is always worth the risk. God does not give me these opportunities to watch me fail, He me to succeed. When I prove faithful He entrusts me with more. There are times when I have been too afraid of failure and squandered opportunities. I have seen those opportunities dry up because I was too worried about what could happen if I fail instead of all that could come from success. That fear is a lack of faith. God has proven too many times in my life that He is faithful and wants to see me succeed and grow for Him. I need to put that fear away and trust Him to give me success in His name. The more I do that, the more chances God will give me to succeed because everyone who has will be given more and will have an abundance. I want to be that person for Christ.

Dear Lord,
You fill my life with opportunities to serve You. Give me eyes to see them all and give me the desire to take every chance for You. Fill me with a boldness to reach out and take the risks, knowing that You are with me every step of the way. When fear and doubt enter my mind, fill me with confidence to reach out in Your name, knowing that I am doing Your will. When I fear the risks involved, remind me that the risks in serving You are always worth the reward. Help me to see past the risks and focus on the goal You have set before me. In Jesus' name.

Keep the SON in your eye,
Ron

Practice what you preach Matthew 23:27-27

Matthew 23:25-27 (New International Version)

 ²⁵"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. ²⁶Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.
 ²⁷"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean.

 Jesus spends much of chapter 23 scolding the Pharisees for the lives they lead. He tells His followers not to do as the Pharisees do, because "they do not practice what they preach" (Matt 25:3). Jesus tells the Pharisees they are great at putting on a good appearance for others but in their hearts they are not following God. He compares them to a whitewashed bomb, clean and presentable on the outside, but filled with dead men's bones. The Pharisees were great at telling everyone else hat to do but would not put those same truths into practice in their own lives.

I love God and believer that I an living my life to please Him as best I can. I try to share His love and truths with the people around me in what I say and the what I do. While I fall short on a regular basis, I think I am on the right track. I'm sure there were many Pharisees who felt the same way I do when they looked in the mirror. They thought they were on the right track, but as Jesus pointed out, they were deceiving themselves and those around them as well. Self assessment does not work, especially for me. I can deceive myself and others into thinking all is good in my life and with God. I need people around me who will be honest and tell me when they see a problem or an area of concern in my life. I don't ever want anyone to have a reason to call me a hypocrite, which can easily become a true statement unless I cling to God each and every day. If you are reading this blog, I invite you to be one of those people who will give me an honest assessment of my walk with God from time to time.

Dear Lord,
You have given me a new life. You lead me to live a life that is consistent with Your teaching and share that life with the people around me. I pray that I will grow closer to You every day; that my words and my actions would line up with a life lived for You. When I stray bring conviction and accountability swiftly. Help me to live a life  that is transparent for all to see. Let what others see in me glorify You in every way. Let my life be an example to others as a follower of Christ and not a hypocrite, praising You with my lips but not with my actions. I thank You for the life I have and the chance to live it out for You. In Jesus' name.

Keep the SON in your eyes,
Ron

I'm not obedient until I do it. Matthew 21:28-31

Matthew 21:28-31 (New International Version)

The Parable of the Two Sons

 ²⁸"What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work today in the vineyard.'  ²⁹" 'I will not,' he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.
 ³⁰"Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, 'I will, sir,' but he did not go.
 ³¹"Which of the two did what his father wanted?"
      "The first," they answered.

 Jesus speaks of a son given a command from his father. He say he won't do it but later does. The other son says he'll do it but never acts. The chief priests agreed the first son was the obedient one. Jesus showed them it's not what you say that matter, but what you do that really counts. The chief priests knew God's word and could recite it but there was no evidence it had made any impact in their lives. The people who were shunned by society heard God's ward  and it changed their lives. It was seen in their actions. Jesus told the chief priests the outcasts understood better and would be welcomed in heaven.

James 1:22 say I need to be a doer of the word and not just a hearer. I need to put God's word into action in my life to truly be a follower of Jesus Christ. If I can hear God's word and study it, it should move me to action. the cations others see is the Holy Spirit working through me. That is the evidence of a changed life and my guarantee that I am going to heaven (2 Cor. 1:22). If I belong to God it will be known by my fruit. That fruit is the cation that comes from a changed life.

Dear Lord,
I thank you for choosing me and changing my life. I pray that Your word would stir me to action every day. I pray that others would see the evidence of a changed life and praise You for it. I pray they would recognize that it is You working in me to bring about change and help me to live for You. Let Your word fill me up to overflowing. Let that overflow bless those around me and prompt them to seek You out. Let my life be a positive example of life in Christ and use me to make a difference for you. In Jesus' name.

Keep the SON in your eyes,
Ron

Never pass up an opportunity from God Matthew 19:21-22

Matthew 19:21-22 (New International Version)

 ²¹Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
 ²²When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

 The rich young ruler was a good guy who had done good things. He thought he had it all figured out. Jesus showed him just how far off he was when He exposed the man's true problem, "sell all you have". It's not about what I've done or how hard I've worked, it's about what I am willing to do. The rich ruler was not willing to make the sacrifice Jesus called him make and he went away empty. He missed our on the opportunity of a lifetime, walking in the presence of God here on earth and for eternity.

God has called me to many challenges both big and small. Some challenges I have accepted and other I have walked away form. Every challenge God lays before me is an opportunity in disguise. I look back on those opportunities I passed up and wonder what I missed out on. Every time I say no to God I miss out on a blessing. There are others who God wants to bless through me as well. When I say no to God, it affects them as well. There are  people who have missed out on unknown blessings because I was too scared, too tired, too selfish, too lazy, or too busy to say, "Yes". It is my goal to always say, "Yes" from now on, not just for me, but for the people God may bless through me.

Dear Lord,
You are the Giver of life. You are the giver of gifts beyond my comprehension. Everyday You lay opportunities to serve You and be obedient to your call. Too many times I've said, "No". I ask Your forgiveness and pray that You would fill me with the desire and ability to say, "Yes" to Your every call. I know You have tried to use me in the lives of others and I have let You down. I pray for those people and ask that You bring others in their lives who were willing to say yes when I didn't. Don't let them miss out on your blessing because of me. I lift them up to you in Jesus' name.

Keep the SON in your eyes,
Ron

I want to rely on God's thinking Matthew 16:23

Matthew 16:23 (New International Version)

 ²³Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."


 Jesus shared with the disciples that He would be killed and raise again on the third day. Peter in his own wisdom pulled Jesus aside to correct Him, saying, "This shall never happen to you". Jesus saw the spiritual implications in that statement and rebuked Peter. Peter was relying on his own thinking and was not open to God. He thought he knew best and shared his thought with the best intentions, but was misguided. His best thinking fell short and was a stumbling block before Christ. 

I often rely on my own wisdom and my own thought when dealing with issues. There is a danger in that because Satan can use that to pull my focus away from God's will. He can also use me as a stumbling block in the lives of others. I need to seek God's will in my decisions and trust Him to speak through me in my conversations. The closer I am to God the easier this is. When I don't spend time with Him. I rely on my own wisdom. That gets me in trouble. If I want God's wisdom in my life, I need to stay close to Him and look to Him first in all I do.

Dear Lord, 
You are the giver of true wisdom. You know all and work in my life to do what is best for me. I know that but don't recognize it in my daily life nearly as much as I should. Keep me in Your presence, give me Your wisdom, and help me to rely on You in every decision I make. Keep Your hedge of protection around me and guard my heart am mind. I pray that the enemy would not gain a foothold in my life nor use me as a stumbling block in the live of others around me. Let all my decisions and conversations be pleasing to You. In Jesus' name.

Keep the SON in your eyes,
Ron

What is my "pearl of great price"? Matthew 13:45-46

Matthew 13:45-46
    "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. [46] When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.



Jesus speaks of a pearl merchant looking for fine pearls. He found one so special that he sold everything he had just to buy this one pearl. I have to believe that as a pearl merchant he had seen many fine pearls in his day, but there was something so special about that one that he was willing to give up all he had just to possess it.

There are many things in my life that I enjoy. There are many things that are very valuable to me. Of all the things, there is one that is most important of all. It is my "pearl of great price". My "pearl" is my relationship with Jesus Christ. It trumps everything else and is worth whatever the cost may be. God has proven time and again just how valuable this is in my life. At this point in my life I am willing to give whatever it takes to have this relationship and stay in His will. I could not always say that. I see others around me who have things of great importance in their lives but Christ is not anywhere near the top. It saddens me to think of all the jot and blessings they miss out on by ignoring what God has to offer, but i continue to pray that one day they will share the same rleationship I have in Christ and discover the true pearl of great price.

Dear Lord,
You truly are my pearl of great price. My relationship with you is the most important thing in my life. I praise You and that You for the relationship I have in You. I pray the distractions and junk in my life will never get in the way of our relationship.I ask that You do whatever it takes in my life to keep You first in all I do. Lord, I lift up those who don't know You as I do and pray that You will become real in their lives. I pray that they would discover and accept You as their "pearl of great price" and live their live to please You. In Jesus' name amen.

Keep the SON in your eyes,
Ron

Watch the careless words Matthew 12:34-37

Matthew 12:34-37
    You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. [35] The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. [36] But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. [37] For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."

Jesus says the things we say are not just thoughts from our mind but flow from our heart. The things we say show the condition of our heart. If I store up the good things then good things come out in my speech. If I store evil in my heart, bad things come out. I am responsible for every word that comes out of my mouth and will be held accountable not just here on earth but before God as well.


The thing I say reflect where my heart is with God. The bad attitude, the coarse talk, the gossip, the angry words all reflect my current relationship with Christ more than what I say about Him. I think of the things I thing and say throughout the week and am ashamed. People who don't know God as well as I do praise me for my words and my lifestyle, but I know where I am and where I should be. Every word out of my mouth should be pleasing to God but I know it is not. The closer I am to God the more convicted I get over the words that come out of me and I am not convicted nearly enough. People praise me because I don't use profanity, but if the works I use have the same intent, there is no difference. I need to guard my speech as much as I do other areas of my life. That begins by changing my heart. That happens as I grow closer to God.

Dear Lord,
I know what You want from me and yet I fall short every day. You hear every word I say and know my every thought. You see my heart and know it's true condition. Change my heart. Fill me with a desire to live for You and please You in everything I do. Let this change be reflected in what I say and how I think. Any praise I get is not what others see in me, buy what they see in You through me. I pray the people in my life will see more of You and less of me. In Jesus' name, amen.

Keep the SON in your eyes,
Ron