God’s Hands

When we are unable to do something that we need to do, we often place our trust in the hands of experts. We trust our insurance companies to provide support when our lives, health, automobiles, and property is damaged or taken. Banks are entrusted with our money. Health care providers are trusted with helping to manage our health. And the list of people that we place our trust in goes on.

Psalm 31:5 says, “Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O LORD, faithful God.” Through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, God paid the price for our redemption from our slavery to sin. It is only reasonable then that we commit our spirits to faithfully serve and honor Him. He is faithful to honor all His promises to us.

Perfect and Complete

If we want to do our best work on what we undertake to do, often we will need to keep at it for a while. Our initial effort may produce something acceptable, but if we want to do better we will have to persist on the course of good process.

James 1:4 says, “And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” Because of God’s steadfast love and faithfulness, we can be firm and unwavering in faith. When we continue in faith, God is able to build in us the character and fruitfulness that we were designed to produce.

Observers of Wrong

Recently in the news, we have seen a number of occasions where a crowd of people stood as witnesses only to evil. They did nothing to protect the innocent or even speak out about the wrong. Evil increases and people are hurt, but we continue on our own path hoping that the evil will not touch us.

James 4:17 says, “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” Evil triumphs when good people do nothing to stop it. In these cases, the solution to sin becomes more sin. We must stand up for right and protect others, as well as ourselves, from evil.

This Queue Is Not Moving

One of the places that my impatience most frequently displays itself is in a queue that is very slow moving. If I am seeing workers moving slow or customers unprepared to do basic tasks, then my impatience grows. Fortunately, God is patient with us when we are slow to follow Him or ignore Him completely.

II Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” We don’t often think of God’s patience with us. But when we sin, that is, go our own way rather than His, He acts with calm restraint, although we are provoking His anger and straining our relationship with Him. When we turn away from God, we must come to Him quickly and repent. God wants us to avoid the suffering that sin brings.

Talking Heads

Everywhere I look, I see and hear talking heads. Sports commentators are hired to offer their opinions, right or wrong. Advertisements feature full screen actors trying to speak with authority while using wild gestures. The internet and social media are full of people espousing their opinions on a variety of subjects that they are not qualified to speak about. In social environments, the talkative person is valued above the listener. It seems society values those who use the most words, speak louder, and use more animated gestures.

Ecclesiastes 5:1 says, “Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil.” God places a high value on listening to His instructions. Waiting and listening are essential first steps before we take action, because we cannot know the right thing to do without first listening to God’s instructions.