Ian's Messy Desk

VERSE:
Listen to advice and accept instruction and in the end you will be wise. Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails. --Proverbs 19:20-21

THOUGHT:
Charles Dickens wrote, in The Mystery of Edwin Drood, "Man proposes, heaven disposes." Most of us are quick to give advice or to make big plans. Proverbs reminds us that wisdom comes from taking the time to accept instruction. Only then will wisdom come. As we pray for wisdom, we need to pray for patience to wait for, and insight to recognize God's purpose.

VERSE:
Stay in that house, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. —Luke 10:7

THOUGHT:
Today is Labour Day in North America. Labour Day is perhaps the most widely recognized secular holiday. Throughout the world, at different times, nations set aside a day that celebrates the contributions workers make to the fabric of their society.

Long before nations recognized workers, Christ taught the principle of a fair wage for work. As he sent out his disciples he instructed them not to be afraid to accept what was due to them by virtue of their work. This becomes an issue of stewardship, for surely a corollary to "the worker deserves his wages" must be, the beneficiary of that work is responsible to pay those wages.

THOUGHT:
I remember a teacher who would say, "if you don't use it, you lose it." Deuteronomy 6 reminds us that regular daily use of God's commandments will place them in our hearts. They should form the beginning and ending of our day. We are to live them in front of our children, teaching them to our family. We should also reflect these commandments to all around as we walk through life.

VERSE:
Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth. —Proverbs 27:1

THOUGHT:
We tend to place a lot of faith in our plans for the future. We are quick to brag about what we expect to accomplish. We take tomorrow for granted. The fact is, we don't know what tomorrow may bring or even if there will be a tomorrow. We can be sure of one thing, however, God knows what tomorrow will bring. Tomorrow is in His hands. It might not be what we expect or even what we want. It will go as God has planned and that should be enough for us!

VERSE: A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man displays folly. - Proverbs 14:29

THOUGHT: It is easy for us to respond quickly to insults, aggravation or threat. In fact, that sort of quick response is often viewed as strength. However, quick temper is foolish; it rarely produces the desired effect and generally compounds the problem. Patiently dealing with difficult situations shows understanding. A patient response will generally bring an effective resolution to the situation.

And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive. -- Matthew 21:22

Unanswered Prayers -Madeleine L'Engle

What happens to all my prayers - those that are not answered, and those that seem to make things worse than anyone ever anticipated? Surely they are still sustaining me. Perhaps there will be unexpected answers to them, answers I may not even be aware of for years. I cannot believe they are wasted or lost. I do not know where they have gone, but I believe God holds them, hand outstretched to receive them like precious pearls.

VERSE:
Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. — Colossians 4:5-6

THOUGHT:
I’m not much for random acts of kindness, I don’t think there’s anything random about them. We make the most of opportunities presented. We act with kindness because we have been seasoned with grace. Not just in what we do for others, but how we speak to others. Never beating them over the head, but graciously, reflecting Christ.

VERSE:
Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. -- Psalm 37:3

THOUGHT:
Having a place of permanence in the middle of life’s uncertainties and having the assurance of God’s provision are based on two very clear principles: trusting in the LORD and doing good to others. When we live by those two commitments, we learn to depend upon God in fresh new ways that bring us refreshment, hope, and new joy.

VERSE:
Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. -- Psalm 127:1

THOUGHT:
“It’s all up to you!” That’s a prevailing mindset for high achievers in our world. But it is wrong. Our efforts to create something great will ultimately fail if the Lord doesn’t bless our them. It may flourish for awhile, under our efforts, but if the work is not from the God, it will not stand the test of time.

VERSE:
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will. — Romans 8:26-27

THOUGHT:
Most of us will face difficult circumstances in our lives. When we do, we can feel that our prayers “bounce off the ceiling”; the words empty and useless. We can’t seem to express what is on our hearts. So what do we do? We trust this promise Paul gave to the Romans. Even when we don’t have words to say, we offer our hearts in prayer, knowing that the Holy Spirit will take those thoughts, emotions, and inarticulate frustrations to God. The Spirit makes our hearts known to God, interceding for us according to God’s will. Even when we don’t have words, the Spirit makes our needs known.

Verse:
He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. — Psalm 91:4

Thought:
It is when things go wrong, when the good things do not happen, when our prayers seem to have been lost, that God is most present. We do not need the sheltering wings when things go smoothly. We are closest to God in the darkness, stumbling along blindly. — Madeleine L’Engle

VERSE:
These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. — Revelation 3:1-2

THOUGHT: by Sundar Singh
Once when I was in the Himalayas, I was sitting upon the bank of a river; I drew out of the water a beautiful, hard, round stone and smashed it. The inside was quite dry. The stone had been lying a long time in the water, but the water had not penetrated the stone. It is just like that with the “Christian” people of the West. They have for centuries been surrounded by Christianity, entirely steeped in its blessings, but the Master’s truth has not penetrated them. Christianity is not at fault; the reason lies rather in the hardness of their hearts. Materialism and intellectualism have made their hearts hard. So I am not surprised that many people in the West do not understand what Christianity really is.

VERSE:
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. — Proverbs 31:8

Thought:
All that we have, our possessions, our position, our power, is not ours; it is a gift from God. These gifts are not given merely to make our lives comfortable; they come with responsibility. God expects us to use what we have to champion the rights of those who lack the means to speak for and defend themselves.

“Look here, you rich people, weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you. Your wealth is rotting away, and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags. Your gold and silver have become worthless. The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh in hell. This treasure you have accumulated will stand as evidence against you on the day of judgment. For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. The wages you held back cry out against you. The cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.” — James 5:1-4

“Nobody who gets enough food and clothing in a world where most are hungry and cold has any business talking about ‘misery.’” — C.S. Lewis

TODAY’S VERSE from HEARTLIGHT

from May 14, 2005, by Phil Ware

VERSE:
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” — Acts 13:2

THOUGHT:
When people genuinely worship, when they fast and seek God’s will, he calls them to service and mission. Christian worship is not an end in itself, but a launching pad to Christian mission. We shouldn’t get so caught up in the worship experience that we leave it at the door when we walk away. Instead, we must understand that our “private” or church worship is to inspire us to public worship and service in the world during our everyday lives (cf. Rom.12:1-2). As we worship with our brothers and sisters, we should also listen to the words to the songs, the message of the Scriptures, and the conviction of the Holy Spirit on our hearts. God is calling each of us to a special mission in our world!

PRAYER:
Father, please help me clearly discern your will and follow your leading while I am worshiping you throughout each day. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

http://www.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/todaysverse.cgi?day=20050514