..."Following all that the Lord my God has commanded" and not turning "to the right or to the left" is quite a challenge. (Last week's memory verses Deut. 5:32-33)
Last week's scripture memory has been one of my favorite verses to think on in terms of God's will, and God's best. He knows what is best for His children, and sometimes it's as simple as obeying what He has already told us.
One big way that we can obey is to be debt free. It's hard. Really hard in this culture of 'have it now' and 'pay later.' But so important. This is a goal that my husband and I have been diligently working toward, and God is blessing our obedience already. Can't wait for the day to be able to say we are DEBT FREE!
Another way we know we need to obey is spending time with our Lord. Good, quality time. Oh, car conversations are important, and so is corporate worship and group Bible study, but we need to make time for Him on our own. Time to read. Pray. Listen. Obey.
House work. "What?" you might ask. "How is housework God's will?" It's a seemingly small thing butI think God considers it important. In it's place (not above family or God) it is part of being diligent and responsible for what God has entrusted us. Spending time dusting and doing dishes on a regular basis is a way to obey God by taking care of His gift to us.
So why am I going on and on about all this? These are some of the things that I believe take discipline in the Christians life. God's Word says to follow what God has told us, and not to get sidetracked by things on our right hand or left. And one thing I've noticed is that when I'm distracted from even little things like house work or saving money, other areas of my life don't run as smoothly.
A week ago, my husband and I sat down and talked about one area we needed to address in our discipline: watching TV. Although not bad in itself, TV for us was relaxation after a long day at work, but consumed our energy and time which affected our timeliness in chores, and time with the Lord. Together, we decided that during the week we would not watch any TV. Shows we wanted to see would be recorded and watched on the weekends (fast forwarding commercials), and weeknights would be spent taking care of our house, devos, couple time, and true relaxation.
And what fun it has been! By practicing discipline in one area, I have found discipline in many! I have had time to work out, cook dinner, clean up the house, play games with my husband and fall asleep as early as 8:30pm if I needed to! Such freedom! And another example of how God blesses our obedience.
So, two weeks into the memorization, and God is already at work. His Word is alive, and does not return void.
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My heart is burdened in prayer for several brothers and sisters I know facing health issues. Would you please pray for Matt, *Amy* and *Tammy* (names changed for privacy) who are facing serious health problems. Pray for God's peace that passes understanding, and wisdom for the doctors and family, as well as healing of their bodies.
How can I pray for you?
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