"...But you shall meditate in it [God's Word] day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage: do not be afraid, nor dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1: 8, 9

                                                             Paula

From the onset of my Christian walk, I have made studying God’s Word a priority. Whenever I taught Bible studies or led Christian women’s groups, I stressed to all who would listen that knowing God’s Word intimately and understanding the Father’s precepts is the only surefire way of avoiding satan’s snares.  How can we know God’s will, measure truth against falsehood, or determine if something seemingly good is instead nothing but cloaked evil, unless we measure our conclusions against the yardstick of the Word of God?

God promised Joshua (and all His children) that if he meditated on His Word day and night... “then you will  make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” The same precept also appears in Psalm 1: 2-3: “But his delight is in the law of the Lord: and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”

God couldn’t make Himself clearer. “Delight in my Word,” God says, “and then you shall prosper. Then you shall have good success.” Oh, the depth of this promise and how these words should encourage us!

My ageing mother recently left her home in the San Francisco Bay Area and has moved to Colorado. Because she’s in the process of liquidating her assets, I’ll be taking a trip to California soon to sell her home on her behalf and settle her affairs there. I’m excited. I’m armed with God’s promises. I know and believe God meant what He said when He promised that my way will be prosperous and that I would have good success. I am strong and of good courage, and I am not afraid of what lies ahead. Further, I’m  choosing to surround myself with likeminded people who wholeheartedly support my efforts by way of their positive, faith-filled words and constant encouragement.

But on the other side of the fence, I cannot tell you how much negativity has come through well-meaning “others” who keep insisting that “it’s impossible to sell a house in this dismal economy.” They cite examples of hundreds of homes rotting on the market for months, and can give me countless examples of misfortune, doom and gloom. And if I didn’t know God’s Word like I do, and if I hadn’t walked in faith through the wilderness of this world for so many years, I might have succumbed to their pessimism and given up even before I started.

But I do know God’s Word, and I believe His promises with all my heart. I know that what God says, He means. He cannot lie. But even more than that, He deeply cares about my mother and her affairs, and He cares about me and mine. He wants me to have good success in all that I put my hand to. Not mediocre success. Not success with sorrow attached to it, but GOOD success. So, my question, then, is: what does the failing world economy have to do with me and my current plans for success? I (and my mother) have measured every endeavor against God’s Word and know He is in the midst of each of them. I refuse to look to the right or to the left; I’m keeping focused on my God-given goals and aspirations. Let the whole world fall apart if it must, but as I remain faithful to God’s Word and walk in His precepts, the hopes and dreams I have entrusted to the Lord will surely come to pass.

When I think about readying Mom’s home for market, and when I think of the blessing her little house by the Bay is going to be to some dear family who’s at this very moment praying about owning a home of their own, I feel a warmth in my heart like no other. There isn’t a doubt in my mind that God has already chosen just the right buyer, and that Mom’s home will sell quickly and smoothly. And I can’t wait for the opportunity via this blog to report on our good success.
 

 Pam

Is it my imagination, or are the new television shows even more reprehensible than usual? Most look dreadful. Many of them are enough to make Christians hang their heads and weep. Central themes include, but are not limited to: murder, fear, mayhem, selfishness, sex, the occult, and vengeance.

Don’t get me wrong. I watch my fair share of TV, which includes a few guilty pleasures. But I try to keep it to a minimum. Too many shows should come with a disclaimer, “Warning! The following program is bad for your spiritual growth.” In general, television reflects the values, attitudes, and mores of a world not built on godly principles.

I don’t know when I got to be such a prude, but there you have it. I don’t want to spend all of my free time watching shows centered around values so different from my own. I would like to point out a few really bad ideas television promotes as perfectly acceptable. Getting drunk and having sex with a stranger is okay. Seeking revenge when you’ve been wronged is only natural and brings satisfaction. Violence is the best response to almost any difficult situation and, my personal favorite, being self-centered, to an extreme, is not only normal, it’s healthy. All I can say is, “yikes!”

There is so much junk in the world that the enemy would love for us to pour into our hearts and minds. We live in a fallen world and, sadly, satan has had more say in the structure of our society than Jesus. We live in a world, quite literally, custom made for pain and sorrow.

The good news is that we have an antidote and a shield for all this negativity conveniently located at our fingertips, our Bibles.  Reading God’s Word strengthens our faith. Romans 10:17 “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”  Bible study promotes courage, wholeness, and a strong relationship with our Creator.