spiritualsnippets.com

Seeing life's events in the light of God's Word.

Aug 25

The Navigator

by Brenda Poulos

Vintage camper van on map

 

Matthew 7:13,14-  “Heaven can be entered only through the narrow gate! The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide enough for all the multitudes who choose its easy way. But the Gateway to Life is small, and the road is narrow, and only a few ever find it.”

 

Hospice invited all of its volunteers to a celebration dinner last month. I looked at the address of the hotel on the envelope, clueless as to where it might be located.

I punched the address into my car’s navigation system and followed the highway from my home, past dozens of intersecting roads, and finally arrived at my destination.

Roads.

Paul was blinded on one.

Palm fronds lined the road as Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey.

The disciples saw Jesus on a road after His resurrection.

Zacchaeus climbed a tree in order to see Jesus when he traveled down a road.

The Bible tells us that broad is the road that leads to destruction and narrow is the road that leads into heaven.

Not as many travel on it. 

It is easier to go the “way of the world” and follow after one’s own devices than it is to follow The Lord. For this reason, Jesus shows us the picture of masses traveling down a wide road—following each other to destruction instead of following The Lord through the Gateway to Life.

He encourages us to take the narrow road.

Just like Zacchaeus, Paul, Matthew and the other disciples. 

Just like believers everywhere who long to spend an eternity in Heaven with Him.

 

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Aug 18

Perfection, Holiness, or Both?

by Brenda Poulos

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Matthew 5:48- “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

 

I recently wrote a blog for authors about how similar words—even synonyms—have slight differences in meaning.

After I finished writing, I thought about the words holy and perfect, which have long been linked together in my mind. God instructs us to be perfect, but since he knows that we are human and can never be perfect, I figure He must not consider these words to be synonymous.

I looked up holy in the dictionary: dedicated or consecrated to God or a religious purpose; sacred morally and spiritually excellent.

Next, perfect: having all the required or desirable elements, qualities, or characteristics; as good as it is possible to be; free from any flaw or defect in condition or quality; faultless; precisely accurate; exact.

I focused on the words “good as it is possible to be,” remembering that the Bible tells us that our own righteousness is like “filthy rags” in comparison to His righteousness AND that He promises to present believers faultless before the throne of God.

So, I determined that any perfection we might attain is due to the workings of the Holy Spirit within us. Not what we can do on our own. 

I looked again at the definition of holy, realizing that we must dedicate ourselves to God and His purpose. It is the Holy Spirit who will do the work in making us perfect. (In God’s sight, of course! Remember, when He looks at us, He sees His perfect Son, our savior, Jesus Christ.)

So, there it is. I can only be holy—I can only be perfect—if I am willing to be changed for His purposes by the Holy Spirit.

 

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Aug 11

He Has Your Back

by Brenda Poulos

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                            I Peter 5:7– “Cast your cares on Him, for He cares for you.”

 

Do you find yourself worrying about things?

Are there times you are fearful? Anxious?

Would it surprise you if I told you that worry and fear aren’t from God?

God really does want us to live a life in which we trust that He is in control and will take care of us.

I Peter 5:7 tells us that God has “got our back.”

He supplies our needs as we trust Him day-by-day. 

This week, I experienced an instance of this happening in my own life as my siblings and I faced a medical crisis with my father. 

In the moments following an accident, he brought us together to comfort and counsel with each other. We drew strength from God—and each other. And, behind the scenes was a network of prayer partners from my church and neighborhood.

How grateful I am for each one of these individuals who were supplied by God to be His hands and His feet here on earth as my father’s life was in crisis. 

Whether it is a financial, emotional, or spiritual need you have, remember God wants you to reach out for Him. 

Because He cares for you!

 

 

 

 

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Aug 4

Is There Such a Thing as Absolute Truth?

by Brenda Poulos

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Judges 21:25- “In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.”

 

On a newscast I saw recently, it was reported that 91% of American teenagers in America don’t believe in absolute truth.

They believe that truth is relative. They think that what is true for one person may not necessarily be true for someone else.

The article said this is what kids are being taught in school these days. It begins with classroom discussions of tolerance of others’ thoughts, beliefs, sexual orientation, and so on. 

Over time, this is carried to the extreme. No one is wrong. Everyone is right.

However, there are a lot of absolutes in our world. God gives many examples in the Old Testament of what happens when people do what is right in their own eyes, rather than following God’s commands. 

There are consequences to doing what we want when our ways go against God’s laws. 

One reason God’s Word was given to us was so that we would learn how God expects us to live… and see the results of disobedience. 

The Israelites fell away from worshipping God and into the worship of idols. When they did, God delivered them into the hands of foreign oppressors. When they cried out to God, he raised up judges who saved them from their enemies. But, after the judges died, the people went back to their old ways. 

When they served God, they prospered, but when they served idols they suffered. 

When they did what they felt was right in their own eyes, they suffered oppression from others and judgment from God.

God is clearly telling us that His Truth is Absolute. He expects us to do what is right in His eyes—not ours. 

 

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