Goodness and Mercy

Recently, I was reflecting on the challenge of maintaining a positive attitude in light of difficulties.   Sometimes all the struggles--and evil--of the world can wear on even the most devoted optimists. And sometimes, simple determination to be happy in itself cannot dispel the tenebrous foes of peace in one's soul.

Romans 12:21 came to mind, "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."  Generally, I have categorized this verse with verses about loving enemies and doing good to those who hate you--rather reactionary, defensive advice to avoid being overtaken by the attrition of evil.

Interview with Micah Versemann

A couple years ago, my friend Kathleen Franck told me about a local filmmaker, Micah Versemann, of Brothers in Christ Productions, who would make a great topic for an interview. I had the privilege of meeting Micah recently, and he agreed to share about his work in a phone interview.

Bethany Carson: Can you tell about yourself and how you became interested in film-making?

Micah Versemann: My name is Micah Versemann, and I currently live in Waverly, Iowa.  Everyone always asks me how I got into film-making, but I still don't have an exact answer.  The first time I got to use a video camera was back when I was about eight years old.  That was one of the most cool things ever, because I'd always seen my dad or my mom running around with it--and they finally let me do it.  From there, it kept growing.  Soon I was making fun videos in my backyard with friends.  And next thing I knew, I was writing a script for a film and producing it.

Staying in Focus

I spotted her, a delicate moth resting on a marigold in my garden.  I crept closer, camera in hand, and tried to focus, but she was not to be captured by my shutter.  She flitted off the flower, dancing to the next and then the next with speed and grace and finally--after flirting with my lenses, too slow in my clumsily amatuer hands to capture her--flying away like a fluttering dream.

What Matters Most

What matters most is not found in fortune or fame.

What matters most is not silver or gold;

It's not in the accolades that men do claim,

But the wealth of strength found in the hearts of the bold.

What matters most is not in the height of glamour.

What matters is not in praises of men;

It's found in the hearts that burn with fervour,

In the faces of those whose beliefs will not bend.

What matters most is not in the rush of the day,

In business and work with burdens untold.

It's in tender moments spent by the way:

In moments in prayer that lighten the load.

What matters is time spent in the presence of God,

Preparing for the glorious life above.

By His mercy and joy we will be awed,

As we ponder upon the wonder of His love.

Hope to the End

"Gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace 

that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ."  --1 Peter 1:13

A dear old friend of mine used to always tell us, "Hope to the end, even if you do die in despair."  It's not the most encouraging quote to pass on, but it is a good reminder that if we build our hopes on the things of this world our hopes may well prove fruitless in the end.  

But there is a hope that maketh not ashamed, a hope that is steadfast and sure: an anchor for the soul.  This hope is in Jesus Christ.  Joel 3:16 says, "The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the Lord will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel."

Sometimes it seems like winter never ends here in Iowa.  Last year we had 6 inches of snow in early May.  But this year the flowers are just starting to bloom and foliage is beginning to reappear.  No matter how long winter lingers, sooner or later, spring always does come.  

Although spring has warmed the earth this year, the world and the human race is still in the dead of winter.  Hearts are frozen, hardened in sin, society is rotting, and moral standards seem to be the only thing breaking up like ice in a spring thaw.  Should we be discouraged?  No.  Jesus will return to earth to reign.  Sitting on the throne of judgment he will uproot all evil and illuminate the heavens and earth with his glory.  Until He comes, we are His ambassadors, and we must be a light to the world.

When we have trouble, pain, and sorrow in our own lives we should not be discouraged.  Often our best plans may not work out.  Sometimes people might say things that we could find offensive or hurtful.  Should we let other people or our own trials and failings discourage us?  No!  Our plans may not always work, but God has better plans for us than we can imagine.  Don't let anything, anyone, or any circumstance dim your joy and hope in Jesus Christ.

What about in death?  Is there hope even then?  In Ezekiel 37, Ezekiel saw a valley of dry bones.  Israel said, "Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost."  But God said, "Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel...and shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live."   God has promised hope beyond death for His people.  Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die."  

Hope in God!  He will never fail you.

"Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.  Our soul waiteth for the Lord: he is our help and our shield. 

 For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name.  

Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in thee."  --Psalm 33:22

I Shall Not Be Moved

One important lesson in life is not to be unduly influenced by what other people say or think.  Some people are encouragers, others are discouragers, and others are determined to hinder.  It is good when people encourage us on our way; appreciate it, but don't depend on their encouragement; you can survive without it.  And don't let the naysayers stop you from your goals; there will always be people who tell you everything is hopeless.  Don't listen to them.

In the old tv series The Six Million Dollar Man and Get Smart, Steve Austin and Maxwell Smart sometimes faced enemy machines and robots which seemed nearly indestructible, impervious to damage.  But humans are not robots.  We have feelings; we can be hurt.  Even if we don't like to admit it, we can be made angry, lose our tempers, or cry.  Emotions are natural, and in many cases they are good.

But emotions can become our enemies if we let them rule our lives.  Everything must have its rightful place.  We must learn to forgive and not holding grudges.  A lot of people say unkind things without thinking.  Don't take them too seriously.  Proverbs 19:11 says, "The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression."

Don't let what other people say bother you; they won't judge you on Judgment Day.  God is your judge, and He is the only one to whom you must give account of your life.  It's what God thinks of you that really matters.  When you're tempted to become discouraged or upset by what other people say, think of the song, "Jesus is my Savior, I shall not be moved."

"For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint,

 and I know that I shall not be ashamed."  --Isaiah 50:7

Vision

"Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he."  --Proverbs 29:18

I recently was able to work in my flower garden for the first time this year.  I trimmed my rose bush, cleaned out the old foliage from my day lilies and some of my irises, and destroyed the remnants of a stray blackberry plant.  I was slightly surprised that weeds were alive and growing as soon as the snow had melted (and before this week's snow storm), and I set to work eradicating my garden of them.

Last year I had my most beautiful flower garden ever, and this year I am hoping to do better; but it takes a lot of work.  Quite a few years ago I was not diligent in keeping it weeded, and I grew a world-champion weed garden: humungous dandelions, 6-foot tall weeds, and healthy wild grasses.  I didn't have a vision for my garden and so nature took over and its floral aesthetic value declined.

The same thing happens with houses.  If someone does not take the time to clean, repair, and upkeep them, they gradually become uninhabitable. In our spiritual lives, we need to deliberately take time to read God's word and spend time with Him, or our relationship with Him will disintegrate.

Nations decline as their people become apathetic, yielding to lives of careless luxury and fruitless pleasures and losing their vision for greatness (as happened with Rome).  We have to have a robust, active vision in life.  Nature's course for men and for nations leads to degeneration, slow steady decline, and eventual death and destruction.  

God has called us to better things.  Never lose your vision.  Build your life on the solid foundation of Jesus Christ.  Spend time with Jesus; He is alive and He can show you the paths He has for you.  You need the Word of God in your life.  God's course leads us higher and higher into the inimitable exaltation of His glory.  Serving Him is our ultimate goal, and he must be glorified in all that we do.

"Whatsoever thine hand findeth to do, do it with thy might."  --Ecclesiastes 9:10

Stand up to the Devil

"For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, 

from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have."  --Mark 4:25

     A lot of things in life are affected by the snowball effect.  The rich seem to get richer; the famous get more fame.  And the talented get more opportunities to increase their talent.  This is not at all bad, but unfortunately it works the other way too.

If you let one person (or government) knock you down or discourage you, others will know you are vulnerable and knock you even further down.  The spirits of fear, laziness, worry, and doubt are just like alcohol: addictive.  Don't yield yourself to them.  Resist evil and be strong.  

Another lesson I learned from my chickens:  Hens who were picked on by the others developed a spirit of fear.  They'd start clucking fearfully and run away whenever another chicken walked by them.  It didn't matter whether they were bigger or stronger; they were scared!  If they had stood up for themselves they might have had a chance, but sadly fear ruined their lives.

Romans 6:16 says, "Know ye not that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?"  Don't let bad habits get a hold of you.  

Waking up at a decent hour is easy for someone who has done so day after day for the past year, but for someone who has said, "Yet a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep!" for the past week, it may be almost impossible.  Getting a job done is easy for someone who is diligent, but for someone who is lazy it may seem like climbing Mt. Everest.

Just like we must stay physically fit by exercising our muscles, we must exercise our will power every day and face the challenges before us.   We must face our bad habits, our fears, our enemies, and every evil that comes against us.  We must stand up to the devil!  If we cower, we may get nothing done in our lives.  We will be just like a poor scared chicken, buffaloed by everything.  But as the saying goes, "Where there's a will there's a way!"  It may be hard at first, but it will get easier as we establish good habits.  The Bible says resist the devil and he will flee!  With God all things are possible.

Decisions, Decisions

"Do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men?

 for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ."  --Galations 1:10

Be wise when making decisions.  You are the only one who will have to live with the decisions you make for the rest of your life.  Other people are well-meaning, and in trying to influence your decisions, they may have your best interest in mind, but they won't have to live with your decisions.  You do.  

Ask the Lord for guidance, follow His leading, and make the decisions you believe are best.  Don't let others pressure you into making decisions you may later regret. 

In Reassess Your Chess, Silman tells us that we have to defend our position and prove it is superior.  You need to believe in what you are doing.  If you don't, no one will.  Your opponent will insist that his position is better, but don't listen to him.  It's your job to prove your position is the best.   

Seize the opportunities you have; if you don't they will soon be gone.  But don't go into commitments half-heartedly.  Acknowledge the Lord in all your ways, and He will direct your paths.  As Davy Crockett said, "First make sure you're right, then go ahead."  

Pleasing others is a hopeless cause.  It doesn't matter what people think of you; they come and go.  Don't depend on other people's principles.  People fail.  People change.  But God is always there; He never fails or changes.  Nothing can be hid from him.  On Judgment Day you won't be answerable to anyone else.  You don't have to give account of your deeds to friends or church or anyone.  You will give account to God.

We each must have the attitude to say, "I'm going to do what God wants me to do, regardless of what anyone else in the entire world says, does, or thinks."  Only people with that attitude will be able to stand in the face of trial.

Throughout history most people simply flow with the tide.  In Nazi Germany most churches started singing the praises of Hitler from the pulpit and the pews.  Only a few dared to stand against it; they suffered persecution.  Under other wicked regimes the story has always been the same; only a chosen few will raise their voices against evil and refuse to bow to the devil when all their friends do.

God is your Judge.  What you do in your life is between you and God.  It doesn't matter what other people say.  Please God.

"Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?  If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.  If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.  If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.  Yea, the darkness hideth not from not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.  For thou has possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.  I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made:  marvellous are thy works;
 and that my soul knoweth right well."  --Psalm 139:7-14

Legacy

"The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage."  --Psalm 16:6

If time continues, sooner or later, we all will die.  What matters is how we live our lives and what we leave behind us.  What will be our legacy?  Will our lives continue to bless others long after we are gone?

Bach and Beethoven will never be forgotten.  Their music has blessed others for hundreds of years.  Anthony Burger died when he was only 44, yet his piano playing still blesses people today.  Many authors like Victor Hugo, songwriters such as Fanny Crosby, actors like John Wayne, statesmen like Thomas Jefferson, tyrants like Mao Zedong, conquerors like Alexander the Great, criminals like Jesse James, lawmen like Wyatt Earp, and inventors such as Thomas Edison have all earned places for their names in history, whether in fame or infamy.  

Children are another important legacy.  They are the ones who can carry on the good fight after the parents' generation is long gone.  In them, many of the parents' traits, characteristics, and (hopefully!) wisdom can live on.  

Many people's life's labor is in providing for themselves and their families; in their endeavors these ordinary people play an integral part in keeping society running smoothly.  They construct buildings, build tractors and cars, drive trucks and busses, fly airplanes, deliver newspapers, repair farm machinery, sew clothing, and doctor the sick.  They leave a legacy of hard work and prosperity.  Without these "ordinary" people, society would long ago have collapsed.  

But sadly, the names of ordinary individuals are often forgotten, by society and even by their own descendents.  Someone may see their names etched on gravestones, but who they are and what they were like is unfortunately soon lost forever.  As Ecclesiastes says, "The memory of them is forgotten.  Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun."

There are a lot of things that we think are very important now that won't matter at all 100 years from now.  But there are other things that will never be forgotten.  Small deeds of kindness and acts of love live on.  Today we still talk about Mary who anointed Jesus' feet with ointment and wiped them with her hair.  

We don't have to conquer the world to leave a worthwhile legacy.  But we must remember that our lives will soon be over; we have only a short time to leave our mark upon this world.  Leave a legacy that will make the world a better place, and shine the Light of Christ.  Be a blessing to others.

A Thankful Heart

"You never know how good you have it until it's gone...gone!"  Aunt Esther used to remind us, frequently starting to cry as she repeated "gone."  She had a long and sometimes hard life.  She was born in 1900, before the first airplane flew and the Titanic sank.  She was from a different era, and she saw many things come and go before her death in 2009.  Though she now too has passed on, her advice on thankfulness has stayed with me.

I was reminded of it again this Thursday morning when I temporarily lost my voice due to a mild cold.  I wanted to sing a song; I wanted to talk with my family; I wanted to call my grandparents; but all I could manage was an occasional whisper.  I generally have very good health (thank the Lord), so this rarely happens; it's certainly a reminder of how thankful I should be for my voice!

It's easy to take a lot of the wonderful things God has given us for granted; we sometimes are guilty of complaining when in reality we have everything so good!  We 21st century Americans are particularly spoiled.  We have clean running hot and cold water at every faucet, electricity, more food than we know what to do with, high speed internet connections, good medical care, and nice warm homes.  We haven't had foreign troops invading our soil since the war of 1812.  Many of us have loving families and good health.

We have everything to thank God for. We need to appreciate all the Lord has done for us and give Him the credit.

God hates it when people who are very blessed complain and turn their backs on Him.  God said to Israel in Deuteronomy 28, "Because thou servedst not the Lord thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things; therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the Lord shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee."

Take a moment to tell the Lord how much you appreciate all the wonderful things He has done for you today.  In every circumstance there is always something for which we can be grateful.  The Lord always sends a ray of sunshine and a beam of hope.  Thank Him!

I Know Who Holds Tomorrow

"Worrying does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength."  --Corrie ten Boom

God gives us the strength we need to face each day.  He understands our weaknesses and watches our steps, making sure our burdens are never heavier than we can bear.  

Today is the day He has given us to live.  We make life hard for ourselves when we spend our days regretting our yesterdays and fretting over our tomorrows.  We weren't meant to bear the pains, fears, and cares of 20 years in one day.  We are meant to live today.  

Learn from yesterday.  Forgive and forget the bad things; learn from mistakes, and cherish the sweet by-gone moments.  But live today.  Our wildest imaginations can not grasp what tomorrow will bring, but our heavenly Father holds our future in His Almighty Hand.  We must nurture our relationship with Him.  His plans for us are good; He will see us through every challenge, every mountain, and every valley we must face.  He will give us the strength, fortitude, and wisdom we need.  He gives us our future as we are able to bear it: one moment, one hour, one day at a time.  

We may not know what tomorrow holds, but we know the One who holds tomorrow.

Face to Face

 "Now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; 

but then shall I know even as also I am known."  --1 Corinthians 13:12

Many things today remain a mystery to our limited human minds.  The truth is often hard to find or understand.  What really happened to Amelia Earhart?  Who was responsible for John F. Kennedy's assassination?  Conspiracy theories abound and it is hard to know what to believe.  The sad mystery of the disappearance of Malaysian Flight 370 may soon be solved as satellites seem to have discovered wreckage in the ocean.  But other enigmas are destined to puzzle us for years to come.

God knows the truth about everything.  Hebrews 4:13 says, "Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do."  Luke 12:2 says, "There is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known."  God has perfect vision of the past, present, and future.  Nothing can be hid from Him.

We, however, are looking through a glass darkly.  We cannot understand many of the mysteries of this world, much less the mystery of God.  We can see a glimpse of the heavenly when we feel His presence and are filled with the fullness of joy; but we can't comprehend the brightness of His glory.  

But there will be a day when the Lord will "destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations.  He will swallow up death in victory." (Isaiah 24:7-8)  Then we will be able to see clearly to behold Jesus Christ, King of kings and Lord of lords.  For those of us who love Him, it will be a wonderful day to see our Savior face to face!  No mystery is so great and marvelous as the mystery of God's love.

God's Comfort

"A man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; 

as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land." --Isaiah 32:2

The Lord cares about us, just as a father cares for his children.  He has promised always to be with us.  He is our comforter.  In Isaiah 51 God says, "I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass; and forgettest the Lord thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth."

We have had a flock of chickens for the past 10 years.  Growing up, the chickens were almost like extra siblings.  We followed them around and stalked them in the trees, studied their behavior, learned their language (well, almost--I'm still not fluent), and became friends with them.  

As much as we liked our chickens, they still had some bad habits; one of these habits was picking on the weakest.  If any of the hens were ill or suffering, all the other chickens would pick on her, hastening the coup de grace.  Nature sometimes can be very cruel.

Unfortunately, people too sometimes yield to these brutish tendencies, knocking down those who are falling and hurting those who are suffering.  But God is not that way.  He comforts those who are sad and lifts up the weak.

Jesus feels our suffering.  He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.  He endured temptation.  He knew the pain of being despised and rejected of men, of being scoffed, beaten, crucified, and separated from His Father.  

Jesus came to heal the brokenhearted.  He came to give us peace, so that we could know the comfort of His Holy Spirit.  He came to give us a zeal and fire for Him that no earthly power can dim.  He is faithful, full of compassion, and He understands our every need and sorrow. 

"For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." --Hebrews 4:15-16

Beyond the Grave

Beyond the grave, I see a Light shining 

Far past the entrance of the tomb.

I hear a voice, to me it is calling,

The voice of Him who called me from my mother's womb.

"Fear not, my dear child, I'm with you always:

Always to lead you by the hand.

I've comforted you on cold, gloomy days.

I'll never forsake you, this you  must understand.

"So trust in me, death also shall soon pass;

I've conquered it in victory,

Defeating enemies that did compass.

The tomb is not the end of life's marv'lous story."

Beyond the grave, my Jesus awaits me;

His glorious presence I shall see,

And with the angel chorus I shall sing

Of God's love and mercy--a song of victory!

Facing the Giants

David's father sent him on a mission to deliver supplies to his brother and the Israelite army.  David delivered the supplies, and having done his duty, could have quickly left and returned to work caring for his father's sheep.  No one expected him to fight Goliath.  His elder brother even scolded him for the idea.  

How could a shepherd boy with a slingshot and a few stones defeat this huge warrior?  From a human perspective it was impossible.  But David knew Goliath was wrong in defying the God of the armies of Israel.  He stood up for what was right at the risk of his life.  He had the courage to face the giant because he knew his God was greater.

It is easy to go about our daily tasks, avoiding confrontations, just doing our duty and trying to stay out of trouble.  It is good to live a peaceful life.  But it is wrong to shut our eyes to evil and injustice.  We must stand against wickedness.  

Raoul Wallenberg was a citizen of neutral Sweden during World War II.  He didn't need to fight; he could have stayed at home and read about the results of the war in the newspaper.  But no, he heard that thousands of innocent Jews were being murdered in Hungary by the Nazis, and he tried to rescue as many as he could.  It may have seemed like a hopeless task; he couldn't rescue everyone.  All the forces of evil were working against him.  His life was in danger.  

Still he persevered, saving tens of thousands of lives.  In the end, he was arrested by Soviet "Allies" and after rescuing so many Jews, died alone in a Soviet prison with no one to rescue him.  Even today his fate remains shrouded in mystery.  He could have lived out his days unknown in quiet peace, but he chose instead to fight against evil.  He faced the giants.  He made a difference in this world.

If we do not fight for what is right, who will?  The Bible says, "When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will raise up a standard against him."  Stand against injustice.  Your actions, great or small, can make a difference in this world.  God is bigger than the greatest giants we will ever face.  

"If God be for us, who can be against us?"  --Romans 8:31

The Mark of God

We recently read in Ezekiel when in a vision the Lord commanded a man clothed in linen to "Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof."  After him, others followed to execute everyone who did not have the mark of God on their foreheads.  In Revelations the well known mark of the beast is mentioned in chapter 13, and the seal of God in chapter 7.

Many books and articles have been written speculating about the mark of the beast and the seal of God, but what really matters to me is that God's name is written on my forehead: in my thoughts, in my speech, and in my heart.

1 John 4 says: "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.  They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.."

Some people have the mark of this world on their lives.  They can't think or talk about anything other than this world.  Several years ago I was in a church eating delicious homemade pie with all the other attendees after a concert and was quite surprised to overhear a few elderly gentlemen talking about their last trip to the bar!

We need to be just the opposite.  We need to have the seal of God so much on our lives that our every thought honors Him.  We need to confess Him before men, so that people can't help but notice we are Christians.

We need His presence and power with us so mightily that it's unmistakable.  We need His Spirit in us so that we will hate the wickedness and abominations that he hates.  We need His love to cry out for the souls that are perishing in sin.  The desire of our hearts must be to do His will.

We need daily communion with our Savior, so that on the Judgment Day he will recognize us and say, "Come ye blessed of my Father into the kingdom prepared for you."  It will be a sad day for those to whom he says, "Sorry, I never knew you."

Know the Lord Jesus as your Father and your best friend.  Let God place His mark upon your life.  Stand against all wickedness.  We must be living testaments of the great work of Jesus Christ.  

Secret Sorrow

"Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?"
  --Psalm 56:8

Treating everyone respectfully, kindly, and considerately is a good general rule.  There are many things we will never know about the people we deal with: the cashier at the grocery store, the mailman, the waitress at a restaurant.  

Most, if not all, people have a secret sorrow, physical or emotional: a sore foot, a cough, a back-ache, an injustice, a broken tooth, a heartache, insomnia, and the list goes on.  They may smile and try to be brave, living their lives as joyfully as they can in spite of the problem, but the pain is still there.  

Even the apostle Paul had a "thorn in his side" which he prayed the Lord would deliver him from.  God said, "My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness."

Be kind to your fellow humans.  Try to encourage and lift them up.  Everyone has a pain or secret sorrow.  

There are three types of people in the world: those who tear down, those who do nothing, and those who build up.  Help others along life's way; encourage others.  Be a blessing in this life.  

"Only one life; twill soon be past.  Only what's done for Christ will last."  

The Last Minute

Some people, including yours truly, have the bad habit of waiting till the last moment to complete projects or goals.  We cram as much work as possible into one day or one hour, usually getting everything done only a few minutes before the deadline.   

A few years ago I wanted to submit an essay about the Federal Reserve to a contest.  The deadline was the New Year, so I spent New Year's Eve laboring in my studies on the intricacies of economics.  I finished the essay on time, but missed out on time I could have spent pleasantly otherwise.  

However, on my "hurry to get everything done" days I get a lot of things done.  One Bible verse I am reminded of is "Be ye also ready; for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh."  We don't know when the deadline is for this world or our lives.  We need to be ready at any moment for Jesus to return.  

Any moment could be our last; do we have our lives in order?  Do we have everything we need to get done completed?  There won't be time for last-minute changes.  The Lord said He will return like a thief in the night.  Are we ready for eternity?

Good Friendships

Having good friendships makes life happier!  We can't always expect others to be good friends, but we must make sure we ourselves are trustworthy.  Below are listed a few qualities which can be found in the greatest friendships of the Bible.

Two of my forever best friends and I under the St. John's Bridge

1. Fellowship and Encouragement: "The Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh to his friend."--Exodus 33:11 "Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend."  --Proverbs 27:17  "Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel."  --Proverbs 27:9

God created man to have fellowship with Him.  Abraham was called the friend of God.  The Lord wants to talk with us and wants us to talk with him; He wants to be our Friend.  Our friendships with other people should glorify the Lord.  We need to "encourage one another and build each other up" in the Lord.  Our conversations should help each other progress on life's way.

Biblical examples: Jesus is the premier example; he loved his disciples and spend his time talking with them and telling them about the Kingdom of God.  

2. Faithfulness and Trustworthiness: "Thine own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not."  --Proverbs 27:10

Be a faithful friend, not a fair-weather friend.  Never betray anyone.  Your first allegiances should be to God and your family; you should always be trustworthy.  Be someone who can be depended on.  A true friend is one who is always there, even when the going is tough.  

Biblical examples: Ruth's name is nearly synonymous with faithfulness.  She left her homeland and all she held dear to take care of her mother-in-law Naomi; she never deserted her.  God rewarded her for her faithfulness.  Jonathan was faithful to God and David even when his own father was trying to kill David.  David's friend Hushai helped him when he was running for his life from his son Absalom.

3. Caring: "Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful."  --Proverbs 27:6.

It's important to care enough for your friends to tell them truth, even if they don't like it.  There are "yes men" in the world who flatter and agree with everything, but they are not good people to be around.  Don't be like them.  Always speak the truth in love.  Constructive criticism can help people--but be sure to keep it constructive! 

Biblical examples: In Galatians 2:11 Paul tells about his disagreement with Peter because Peter stopped eating with the Gentiles when other Jews came to visit.  Paul "withstood Peter to the face," because he believed what he did was not right.  They both were servants of God, and it appears from other books in the Bible that they remained friends.

4.  Joyfulness: "When she hath found it, she calleth her friends and neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost."  --Luke 15:9

One of the best parts of friendship is happiness and rejoicing together.

Biblical examples: After God delivered the Jews from the hands of Haman, Mordecai and Esther proclaimed a day of rejoicing and giving gifts.  The Bible says "Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice."

May God bless you with many happy friendships!