Hi friends, How are you? Are you able to relate to David’s words as we ponder our way through Psalms 13? Psalms 13:4 is the last of the sad verses in the psalm. It is also one that leaves me with the most questions as I ponder it. What are your thoughts? Who is David’s Enemy?
Who is the enemy in which David refers to here? There are many thoughts on that. Some people feel it could be Saul who was jealous of David and was trying to kill him. Some people feel it was Absalom who was trying to overthrow him. Some people feel there wasn’t one particular enemy in mind.
We already know that David had many enemies. He fought many wars. Some were personal and some were for the good of his community. He could even be talking about himself. We can all be our worst enemies on earth at times. David could also mean a more general term in enemy or he could be talking about enemies in general and not one particular situation. He could be talking about “THE ENEMY”, the enemy of us all, Satan. After all, who ever or whatever seems to be our enemy, whatever darkness seems to come over us, Satan is behind it all, even if we don’t see it. We may see the face of a rival at work, or an abuser, or even a loved one who has wronged us in some way, but the one behind the cruelty is Satan. I wonder if it wouldn’t be healthier to see the face of Satan as our enemy instead of the actual person or situation that seems to be against us. In that way, it might not feel so personal. Maybe it would be easier to be more forgiving of the person and more understanding of the situation. For example, I think it is easier to think that God is going to get “even” and be the victor over Satan than it is to think that God might get “even” with the person or situation that did us wrong. I am not saying take the responsibility away from the person or make excuses for him or her. After all, if he or she wronged you, then they still should take responsibility for it and apologize. But if we see them as someone who is struggling against Satan’s influences just as we are, it seems like it would be easier to know that it wasn’t about our worth and that we are called to forgive them as much as others are called to forgive us. Pridefulness:
Have you ever wanted to win or succeed because of how others would think? Have you ever felt like you wanted to succeed because you didn’t want others to think down on you or think less of you? Have you ever wanted to win or succeed because you didn’t want the other person to say, “Ha, ha, I won and you lost. Ha, ha, I won and you lost.”
I know there have been times when I didn’t succeed and my adversary sort of mocked me and put me down. It didn’t feel very well, especially when it happened when I was a child. I didn’t understand that it was “just a game” or that people can be mean sometimes and it has nothing to do with my worth. I also have to admit that I have had my fair share of pridefulness as well. Most of it was meant to be in the name of fun, but some of it not so much. Pride can get in our way, if we are on the “winning” end of it or the “losing” end of it. It doesn’t matter. It still isn’t a pleasant, good, or righteous thing to feel or show. Often times the pridefulness of our adversary and the ribbing that goes with it, feels worse than the original loss. Good Versus Evil:
It might sound strange, but some feel that if David was talking in generalities, if Psalms 13 was a general thought about nothing in particular, then he probably wasn’t thinking about prideful enemies saying anything against him personally. His concerns could have been more philosophical and spiritual. He could have been concerned about good versus evil. David could have been concerned about the devil winning over a child of God.
This is the ultimate conflict in all of our lives. Especially as Christians, we want to do what we can to be on God’s side and see God’s side succeed. We struggle and sin when Satan creeps into our lives in some way. For example, when we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we prayer for God’s kingdom, not for Satan’s kingdom. God’s Word:
I said in the beginning of the post that I have questions with this verse. I have already mentioned one of them about whether it is healthier to view our enemies as Satan and not as the people or situation specifically. However, I have other questions as well.
If David was talking about the fight against Satan and concerned about good versus evil, then his plea was for God to make things right so God wouldn’t look bad. It reminds me of when Moses talked with God and asked for mercy for the Israelites in Exodus 32:11-13 after they had made the golden calf. Let’s look at those words again: “And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand? Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to who thou swarest by thine own self, and sadist unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.” (KJV) In the same way that Moses was pleading for mercy not just for the Israelites, but also to preserve God’s glory, so the enemy can’t boast of a win against God, David may have been doing the same thing in Psalms 13:4. So, why should I question that motive and strategy? I question it, because it sounds like David and Moses are being a bit manipulative to God. I mean God doesn’t need anyone to tell Him how to run His creations and God doesn’t need anyone looking out for Him. I don’t know about you, but it seems a bit sneaky and wrong to ask God to help you, so that others won’t look badly upon God. Yet, God doesn’t seem to mind. In fact, in Exodus 32:14, we see how God changes His mind and “repented”. (That is another verse that puzzles me.) What are your thoughts? My other question is, why are we even caring what other people think? Aren’t we trying to please God and not people? Doesn’t Paul ask in Galatians 1:10 (KJV), “For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.”? We are called to please God, not people. We see it again in 1 Thessalonians 2:4, when Paul says, “But as we were allow of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as a pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.” We see this concept in many verses. What are your thoughts? Heavenly Father, Thank you for your infinite love and wisdom. Thank you for your Word and your mercy. Thank you for being there for us and for showing us the way to You. Help us to be concerned with not only ourselves but with your kingdom as well. Help us to understand your will for us when things seem a bit confusing. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. 
If you missed other posts in the series, you may want to go back and read them now. Here they are: *Psalms 13: Crying Out to God *Psalms 13: When God Seems Far, Do We Fend for Ourselves? *Psalms 13: Crying for Life Over Death If you enjoyed this post, please stay tuned for the rest of the series on Psalms 13. Also, you might like to read these similar posts: *Perseverance: It Will Happen in God's Timing *We are Called to be Careful for Nothing? *Biblical Encouragement for the Depressed and Discouraged Now, it is your turn. I am so thankful that you are here. I pray that God blesses you as you read the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations. If you feel called to do so, please feel free to comment or contact me at any time. I welcome your comments and look forward to reading them. Also, if you have any questions, comments, ideas, or requests for me, please feel free to let me know. Thank you. If you find value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share it with your friends and family. The new share buttons will make it easier for you to do that. Some of your friends and family may appreciate you sharing it, so they can read it as well. Also, if you are crying out to God and want me to pray for you as well, please feel free to contact me. I do sometimes get people who do ask for prayer. For those who do, thank you for reaching out. I am happy to pray for you. Feel free to pray for me as well. Thank you. God bless. I believe that all Christians are called to share God’s Word and encourage others to get closer to God. In helping you with your Bible study, I have a free gift for you. Please, sign up below to receive your free gift and get the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations in your inbox each week. Yes, I may include some other “faith” content with the email at times, especially a prayer.
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Hi friends, How are you? We have been exploring a very short, but powerful psalm. In verses one and two of Psalms 13, we read about feeling so down that one doesn’t even think God is listening. If you haven't read post one or post two in this series, you might want to do so now. Let’s continue today in pondering Psalms 13:3. Come Right Out and Ask God to Hear Your Prayer:
Have you ever thought about how your prayers look and progress as time goes by with no apparent answer in sight? They might start out with, “Please, help me, if it is your will.” Then they might go to something like, “Please, please, help me.” Then they might go to something like, “This is so hard. I really need your help.” Then it might go to something like, “Why me? Why do I have to go through this?” Sound familiar? Yes, I have prayed through this progression before.
When we are just starting our hardship, we tend to still have patience and respect for God. We still want to be polite in our prayers and still know that God’s will is best. In the beginning of our troubles, we might not think that they will be too bad or last too long. Yet, as time goes by and our troubles seem to have settled in for the long haul, we tend to get a little less polite with others and with God. We still might pray or look for help, but we might not feel that God’s will is to be the center of our prayer anymore. We might feel that we just want better times to come. We might just call for help. We might get so low in our heart that we are barely praying anymore. We might get to the point of just crying out, poor me. We might want to know why we are going through such troubles. We might just want people to notice us and maybe have pity on us, including God. We might even feel that on the verge of death. We might get so low that we might feel better off dead. We might feel like we can’t take it anymore. We might feel like it won’t be too long before we die if our troubles continue the way they are going. This is where we are in Psalms 13. David writes about the feeling that death will come soon if things don’t change. David writes about calling God to notice him. David cries out for God to listen and consider him. Feeling Small and Fragile:
In Psalms 13:3, David is depicting that point in life where we feel fragile and small. Maybe David was wondering if he was too small, too despicable, and too insignificant for God to help. Maybe David was focusing on all the things that he had done wrong in life. Maybe he felt helpless and hopeless. Maybe when David felt the lowest, he cries out in one last ditch effort, “Consider and hear me, O LORD my God”, as we see in the first part of Psalms 13:3. Have you ever felt like this?
I imagine David feeling like, “God, it is me, David. Don’t you remember me? I know I have sinned, but I am still a person. You made me a person. You know who I am. God? Where are you? God, am I really so horrible that you can’t even look at me anymore? God? God? Where are you? Please, God, I need you. I am going to die if you don’t help me. God? Please, consider me, your old friend David. Please! Please, hear my prayer.” Can you relate? I know that when it feels like God is far away and not listening, I question my significance. I question whether God really wants to see me or talk to me. It might be fleeting thoughts, but at times, they do come up. I start to feel helpless and hopeless. What are your thoughts? How do you imagine David’s thoughts and feelings for this verse? A Plea For Life Instead of Death:
Now, let’s look at the last part of Psalms 13:3. David writes, “lighten my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death.” (KJV) We don’t really talk like that today, so it might be difficult for us to understand. However, with the word death and the way it is used, we can kind of tell that David writes about being on the brink of death or at least the feeling of being at the brink of death.
I think there are a few ways to look at the phrase “lighten my eyes”. The eyes are sometimes referred to as the “light of the body” as in Matthew 6:22. If you think about it, if you close your eyes, things go dark even if it is light outside. So, for most of us, the phrase of the “eyes are the light of the body” makes sense. To be more drastic, closing our eyes could mean forever as in death. Here we can consider death as in a physical death or a spiritual death in not being able to see God and being far from Him. I imagine that heaven is a very bright place with plenty of light. And, in contrast, hell has been described as darkness. Another way of looking at the phrase “lighten my eyes” could include the word “light” to mean as in weight and not brightness. I don’t know about you, but when I feel very tired, run down, exhausted, or even depressed, my eyes feel heavy. David could be talking about that feeling when we are so very tired and run down that we don’t think we can go a step more. Maybe we haven’t slept in a week or two and we have big puffy eyes and bags under our eyes. Maybe we are so overwhelmed, tired, and stressed out that we feel like we are at the end of our rope. One more stress, one more argument, one more disappointment and we are just going to lose it. I am not sure what kind of death David means in the phrase “lest I sleep the sleep of death.” Do you? I don’t know if he might be talking about death in general being so fragile and feeling like God is so far away. I don’t know whether he might be talking about a physical death or a spiritual death. I don’t know if he might be feeling suicidal, because he feels so lost and so far away from God. I don’t know if he is talking about being killed, like he is in danger and is crying for God to protect him. Or, maybe he feels an overwhelming stress or heart ache and might feel like the stress will kill him. Whether it is a specific death or a general death, whether it is a particular instance or a general situation, I think David is describing the fragileness we sometimes feel during a difficult situation. I think it is a cry for God’s help and a last ditch effort to get God to answer prayer on the brink of death. God’s Word:
I like how God’s Word is filled with words with multiple meanings, such as “lighten my eyes” that we see in Psalms 13:3. Not that I know for sure, but it is my guess that God’s Word was set up that way on purpose. I believe that is one of the reasons why we can get something new out of God’s Word every time we read it and that different people get different messages from reading the same passage or verse.
Even with Psalms 13, some people think that David wrote it during a specific time and difficult situation in his life. Some people think it might be during the time when his son Absalom was trying to take over his throne. I am sure that time was a difficult time for David. Can you imagine your own child trying to overthrow you and take your place? That is not the kind of behavior a parent wants to see from a child. Many times, it is harder if a loved one turns against us than a stranger. However, other people tend to think that Psalms 13 was written for a more general purpose. There was no particular difficulty in David’s life that provoked him to write this. It was just something that God put in his heart to write down to show people that God understands the feelings we have and to give us hope during difficult times. Psalms 13:3 or maybe even Psalms 13 in general might be a metaphor. For example, when we get to the point where we don’t feel like God is listening anymore. We might feel like we are dead or dying. After all, God is the source of life, not only our physical life, but everlasting life. If we are so far away from God that we don’t hear Him anymore, we could be in hell. We could be in eternal darkness and eternal death. There could be many ways to interpret Psalms 13 as well as many verses in God’s Word. What are your thoughts? Heavenly Father, Thank you for your Word. Thank you for the infinite wisdom that you posses and that you pass on through your Word. Thank you that your Word is written in such a way that we all are given the message you want us to have at the time it is read, even if it is a different message each time we read it. Help us to continue to turn to you even in difficult situations. Help us to have patience in your timing and trust in you, even if we don’t feel you hear us right away. Help us to stay in your light and not get caught up in darkness. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. 
If you enjoyed this post, please stay tuned for the rest of the series on Psalms 13. Also, you might like to read these similar posts:
*Perseverance: It Will Happen in God's Timing *We are Called to be Careful for Nothing? *Biblical Encouragement for the Depressed and Discouraged Now, it is your turn. I am so thankful that you are here. I pray that God blesses you as you read the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations. If you feel called to do so, please feel free to comment or contact me at any time. I welcome your comments and look forward to reading them. Also, if you have any questions, comments, ideas, or requests for me, please feel free to let me know. Thank you. If you find value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share it with your friends and family. The new share buttons will make it easier for you to do that. Some of your friends and family may appreciate you sharing it, so they can read it as well. Also, if you are crying out to God and want me to pray for you as well, please feel free to contact me. I do sometimes get people who do ask for prayer. For those who do, thank you for reaching out. I am happy to pray for you. Feel free to pray for me as well. Thank you. God bless. I believe that all Christians are called to share God’s Word and encourage others to get closer to God. In helping you with your Bible study, I have a free gift for you. Please, sign up below to receive your free gift and get the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations in your inbox each week. Yes, I may include some other “faith” content with the email at times, especially a prayer.
Hi friends, How are you? Last week, we started delving into Psalms 13. If you haven’t read the ponderings about Psalms 13:1, you may want to do so now. I hope you are enjoying it. The psalm starts out as a sad one. As I mentioned in the last blog post though, we aren’t sure whether this psalm is based on a particular situation in David’s life or something written to glorify God and to help others. Regardless of when or why it was written, I do believe the psalm, like the entire Bible, glorifies God and helps others. What do You do When You Feel Sad and Alone for Extended Periods of Time?:
Let’s set the stage or feeling for Psalms 13:2 in our own minds. We have all had times of sadness. We may have even had sadness for extended periods of time. You may have felt this as well. Think back a little. What do you do when you are feeling sad and alone? What do you do when you feel like you are the only one going through a difficult time? What do you do when you feel like nobody cares or nobody will help you? What do you do when you feel like God is distant and not answering your prayers?
Have you ever had a time when you felt nobody, not even God was going to help you get out of a difficult and sorrowful situation? Have you ever sort of told yourself that you better start figuring it out, because nobody was going to help you? What is your first reaction when you are in a bind? Do you start thinking about all the “what ifs” or “should I” options? You know how it goes. “What if I do this? What if that happens? Maybe I should do this. No. Maybe I should do that. I don’t know what to do, but I better figure it out soon.” Sound familiar? Psalms 13:2 is depicting these sorts of feelings and thoughts. What is David Saying in Psalms 13:2?
So, what is David really saying in Psalms 13:2? It may be easier to think about if we think about David actually going through these thoughts and feelings at the time. What ever the situation may be, the first question is, “How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily?” (KJV)
That is probably not how we would say it today. So, let’s take it slow and figure out what David is saying. If he is talking about having “sorrow in my heart daily”, then we can imagine that it is something that he has been feeling or going through for a while. What about the first part of this question, when David says, “How long shall I take counsel in my soul…”? What does that mean? Let’s think about what we are doing when we seek counseling or advice from someone. We are trying to find answers, get ideas, and get help in our situation. If you “take counsel” in your own “soul” that is trying to find answers, get ideas, and get help within ourselves. We are trying to figure out our own problems. If this psalm is based on a real life situation David was going through, we see in the second question of the verse the type of situation struggled through that led to writing this psalm. It was one involving an enemy. This second question in Psalms 13:2 (KJV) reads, “How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?” We don’t know which particular enemy David was talking about or if there was one particular enemy. God may have put these words in David’s heart because he had many enemies and wanted to help him and others through difficult situations. We do know that David had many enemies. He fought many wars. He had surrounding nations that were enemies. He had friends and even family members turn into enemies. Sometimes David was even his own worst enemy. It sounds to me that in David’s mind, at least, the “bad guy” is getting all the breaks and is being treated as the “good guy” and he who is the “good guy” isn’t getting any of the breaks and is being treated as the “bad guy”. Did you follow that? Sometimes in life, the ones who try to do the right things get looked down upon. Maybe they get beat out by people who cheat or get accused of a wrong that someone else has done. The person in the wrong, the winner who cheated or the one who “got away with something” sometimes gets praised for their cunning successes even if they were wrong and unfair. God’s Word:
So, what is our biblical take away for Psalms 13:2? What lessons can we learn and hope can we find in these words? What should we think about and pray about based on Psalms 13:2? One of the first questions I find to ask about Psalms 13:2 is, “Is it really such a good idea to try to figure out our own solutions?” The world might praise those who are independent, go-getters who solve their own problems. However, we are not really called to do that. We are called to rely on God. I think David is trying to do that in this verse, but shows how easy it is to teeter back and forth when it feels like God is so far away and not listening. After all, David is asking God how long will he be left alone to his own thoughts? It sounds like he doesn’t want to figure it out for himself, but wants God’s help in this situation. He is just not getting any answers. Just in case we had any doubt about who we should rely on, Proverbs 3:5 (KJV) says, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” Another thing I find interesting about Psalms 13 is that between verses one and two, David asks God “how long” four times. I can relate and feel for David. I can imagine how devastated, sad, and distraught David was feeling. Maybe he was on the brink of depression and feeling overwhelmed, maybe even helpless. Yet, he still cried out to God. He hasn’t given up on God yet. We are called to not give up on God as well. There are many, many verses in the Bible that talks about God’s timing. God’s timing is often not the same as our timing and may not come as quickly as we would like. There is hope when we are going through difficult situations, even if we are going through them for extended periods of time. Galatians 6:9 tells us not to get tired of doing the right thing, because we will end up reaping what we sow in the long run if we don’t stop. Romans 12:12 tells us to rejoice in our hoping, to be patient, and to continue to pray. So, let’s keep praying. Heavenly Father, Thank you for your Word, O LORD. Help us to learn from it and find hope in it. Help us to continue to seek you, cry out for you, and rely on you, even when it feels like you aren’t listening. Help us to know that you are listening, that you have our best interest at heart, and that we will see the goodness and reap the reward if we keep looking to you. Help us to know you are with us as long as we look to you. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. 
If you enjoyed this post, please stay tuned for the rest of the series on Psalms 13. Also, you might like to read these similar posts:
*Perseverance: It Will Happen in God's Timing *We are Called to be Careful for Nothing? *Biblical Encouragement for the Depressed and Discouraged Now, it is your turn. I am so thankful that you are here. I pray that God blesses you as you read the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations. If you feel called to do so, please feel free to comment or contact me at any time. I welcome your comments and look forward to reading them. Also, if you have any questions, comments, ideas, or requests for me, please feel free to let me know. Thank you. If you find value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share it with your friends and family. The new share buttons will make it easier for you to do that. Some of your friends and family may appreciate you sharing it, so they can read it as well. Also, if you are crying out to God and want me to pray for you as well, please feel free to contact me. I do sometimes get people who do ask for prayer. For those who do, thank you for reaching out. I am happy to pray for you. Feel free to pray for me as well. Thank you. God bless. I believe that all Christians are called to share God’s Word and encourage others to get closer to God. In helping you with your Bible study, I have a free gift for you. Please, sign up below to receive your free gift and get the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations in your inbox each week. Yes, I may include some other “faith” content with the email at times, especially a prayer.
Hi friends, How are you? Have you read Psalms 13 before? What were your thoughts? I don’t know about you, but I have much pondering to do with this psalm. For example, I wonder why some psalms, like this one, say “to the chief Musician”. Do you know? Anyway, I invite you on this journey of pondering Psalms 13 with me in the next few weeks. Who is the Chief Musician of Psalms 13:1?:
The beginning of Psalms 13 mentions a “chief musician”. There is some speculation as to who is meant be “the chief musician”. Some say it could have been one of musicians of the time. Maybe David wrote Psalms 13 to be played in one of the services back in the day. Maybe David wanted the musician to know or practice or use this psalm for some reason. Who knows? Maybe David was writing a note of sympathy to the musician. My mind can come up with many reasons why these words are part of the psalm.
Others speculate that “the chief Musician” could be God. I mean, God is “the Chief” everything. Why not consider Him the “Chief Musician”? It seems as though David is talking to God throughout the psalm anyway, so it would make sense that the opening statement is directed towards God. Why Did David Write Psalms 13?:
I wonder why David wrote Psalms 13. Was there a particular time in his life where he was feeling particularly low? We know that he had his share of low times. Could one of those times have brought on the need or desire to write this psalm?
Or, maybe David had a much more meaningful and positive reason for writing Psalms 13. Maybe David wanted to write the psalm to glorify God. Maybe he wanted to show that despite feeling the lowest of lows, one can still pray, trust in God, and feel God’s help and presence. The Emotion of Psalms 13:1:
I don’t know about you, but I can feel the emotion in Psalms 13:1. Let’s look at it. After the introduction, it says, “How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD?” Can you imagine the desperation? If David wrote this in the midst of a difficult situation, it sounds like he had been there for quite a while. It sounds like he had started questioning whether God was even listening to him any more or if God was mad at him or something.
Have you ever felt like questioning God? Have you ever felt like you have been going through a situation and you have been praying your heart out, but nothing changes? Have you felt this kind of “almost ready to give up” desperation? One might not feel that questioning God, or yelling at God, or crying to God, whatever David might have been doing here. Yet, it sounds like David was being very vulnerable and honest with his feelings. I don’t know if it is “right” or not. However, I do think that God likes honesty. With the second question in Psalms 13:1, the “for ever?” we can see that David was feeling this for a while. Or, he was showing that the despair or lowness had been for a while. If it wasn’t for something he was going through, he could have been magnifying the fact that people even in the lowest of their lows, can call on God. In the last question of the verse David asks God, “How long wilt thou hide thy face from me?” Whether David was feeling it himself or wanted to stress that it is possible for people in general, he was showing that it might feel at times that God is ignoring you. Have you felt that before? Have you felt that God has ignored you? It seems like David felt desperate and overwhelmed. I wonder if he also felt depressed and angry. I can imagine David yelling out, maybe even crying out to God in desperation. He may have even been standing and dropped to his knees out of exhaustion, almost as a sign of overwhelm and on the brink of hopelessness. We read about how God seemed to rely on God quite a bit and trust in Him most of his life. Feeling a desperation and fear or concern that God might be ignoring him seems quite the opposite of that usual trust and reliance. God’s Word:
How often have you read Psalms 13:1 or any of the verses in God’s Word and glossed through the verses like the words in any other book? We could read Psalms 13:1 and think, “Okay, a man from long ago was having a bad day. It doesn’t affect me.” Yet, all of God’s Word is meant to teach us no matter how long ago it was written.
I find that it is easier to get more out of God’s Word, when I ponder it. I feel that it is important to find ways to relate to it and find the meaning of not only the people in the day, but for me in my day as well. Like I said, I think whether or not David was going through something at that particular time or not, he was trying to show that no matter how low you are feeling, even in the lowest of your lows, you can call out to God. Even though he might be down, questioning, upset, scared, desperate, or whatever he is feeling, he is still calling out to God. Heavenly Father, Thank you for your Word. We may not know things like why David wrote the exact things he did thousands of years ago, but help us to remember that all your Word can help us and lead us to you. Help us not to gloss past verses that seem outdated. Help us to know that even in our lowest of lows, we are called to turn to you. Even if it might feel that you are listening, we are called to turn to you and trust you. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. 
If you enjoyed this post, please stay tuned for the rest of the series on Psalms 13. Also, you might like to read these similar posts: *Perseverance: It Will Happen in God's Timing *We are Called to be Careful for Nothing? *Biblical Encouragement for the Depressed and Discouraged Now, it is your turn. I am so thankful that you are here. I pray that God blesses you as you read the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations. If you feel called to do so, please feel free to comment or contact me at any time. I welcome your comments and look forward to reading them. Also, if you have any questions, comments, ideas, or requests for me, please feel free to let me know. Thank you. If you find value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share it with your friends and family. The new share buttons will make it easier for you to do that. Some of your friends and family may appreciate you sharing it, so they can read it as well. Also, if you are crying out to God and want me to pray for you as well, please feel free to contact me. I do sometimes get people who do ask for prayer. For those who do, thank you for reaching out. I am happy to pray for you. Feel free to pray for me as well. Thank you. God bless. I believe that all Christians are called to share God’s Word and encourage others to get closer to God. In helping you with your Bible study, I have a free gift for you. Please, sign up below to receive your free gift and get the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations in your inbox each week. Yes, I may include some other “faith” content with the email at times, especially a prayer.
Hi friends, How are you? This month, I have been posting on the topic of love. Today is no different. However, I thought that I would show an example of a woman who showed love in the Holy Bible. It is from someone we might not have expected if we knew this person beforehand. Yet, that doesn’t matter. God Uses Ordinary and Sinful People for His Glory and His Message:
Have you ever noticed how God uses ordinary sinners like you and I for His glory and His message? I mean, you would think that He would use more people like King David, Solomon, Jeremiah, Elijah, and Isaiah. You would think that God would use royalty, prophets, famous people, and social media influencers to spread His messages and show His glory. Right?
Often it is these same famous people or social media influencers who people turn to today to get their messages out. People are more apt to follow the advice of a famous person they admire or that social media influencer who has more than 100,000 followers, right? Well, obviously God uses royalty, such as King David and Solomon to make His point and spread His message. We also know that God uses prophets like Jeremiah, Elijah, and Isaiah in His message too. Yet, do we think about the ordinary people God uses in the Bible and in modern times to spread His message? An Unnamed Woman used in God’s Message of Love:
Not long ago, I pondered the story of Lot’s wife and what we can learn from her. I also mentioned that she was an unnamed woman who God used to teach us. At least with Lot’s wife, we knew a little about her. We knew her husband’s name and knew that she had kids anyway. With the unnamed woman in Luke 7:37-38, the only thing we know is that she was a sinner.
Other than being called a sinner, we don’t know anything about this woman’s past. We don’t know why she has done the things she did. We don’t know how she came to know Jesus. Yet, we do see a glimpse into the love she showed Jesus. Put Yourself in the Unnamed Woman’s Shoes:
Can you imagine being this unnamed woman mentioned in Luke 7:37-38? We are all sinners to one extent or another, so that part might not be difficult to imagine. Let’s imagine knowing that we are known sinners and like this woman hear that Jesus is going to be at this dinner party, so we go as well. (I am not so sure we were even invited either.)
I don’t know if it is out of shame or from being so close to Jesus or what, but we break out in tears, just as the unnamed woman did. I don’t know if you can imagine it, but I can up to this point. Can you? Let’s go on. Can you imagine the rest of it though? Can you imagine getting down on the floor, letting your tears drip onto Jesus’ feet, and wiping those tears away with your hair? Also remember, from a practical sense, those feet after walking around in dust covered lands so much, those feet might not be the cleanest or smell the best. Can you imagine doing that? Remember, this isn’t even in private. This is in the midst of a dinner party. There are others there as well. And, likely Jesus is the guest of honor, so he would be set at a place in plain view of others. So, we would be doing this washing in front of other people, not hidden away somewhere. I don’t know that I can imagine myself washing Jesus’ feet like that, especially in front of so many people. Can you imagine kissing and anointing Jesus’ feet? I think I would be afraid of bringing attention to myself in that way. What about you? Then, the woman is “called out” so to speak. The Pharisee tells Jesus that the woman is a sinner. Of course, Jesus already knows this. Yet, I think I would want to go hide after someone calls me out to my Lord and Savior at a dinner party in front of everyone. Can you imagine the embarrassment? What Jesus Says about this Unnamed Woman:
In Luke 7:40-42, we see how Jesus told the Pharisee a story to depict to him why this woman was doing these things. In the story, we see how the one who is forgiven more will show more love than the one who is forgiven less. It is natural.
This woman knew she was a sinner. She also knew that washing Jesus’ feet, kissing his feet, and anointing his feet wasn’t above her. We don’t know whether she went in and started doing these things in hopes of forgiveness or out of love for a man of love, or out of humbleness to her savior, or what. We don’t know much about her motives or expectations. We don’t even know if she knew much about her motives or expectations. After the story about the two men who owe and are forgiven, Jesus tells the Pharisee these things that the woman has been doing for him and the things that the Pharisee himself neglected to do for him. That by itself may have been some comfort for the woman. Would it be for you? It may have been kind of a vindication of sorts or at least an acknowledgement of understanding and kindness. I don’t know if I can really imagine myself in this unnamed woman’s shoes for most of this passage. However, I would really like to imagine myself in this woman’s shoes as the events in Luke 7:47-50 play out. I really like what Jesus says about the woman in Luke 7:47 (KJV), “Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much, but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.” Then in Luke 7:48 (KJV), Jesus turns to the woman and tells her directly, “Thy sins are forgiven.” Jesus knew she was a sinner. The woman knew she was a sinner. Yet, she showed a great amount of love and Jesus lovingly acknowledged that and forgave her sins. I know I have sinned and I know that Jesus forgives me. However, I don’t know that I have ever tried to imagine Him saying it to me in such a loving way. Have you? It might be something for us to try to imagine. Then, we may be able to feel it in such a way as this woman did. Then, as the people who are at the dinner party seem to talk among themselves and wonder who Jesus really is and how can he be forgiving sins (Luke 7:49), Jesus turns to the woman and says, “Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.” (Luke 7:50) Yes!!! I would like to imagine myself in that situation. I would like to imagine myself being next to my Lord and Savior and having him tell me plainly that my faith has saved me and I can go in peace. I would think that would be a life altering and live giving situation to remember. What about you? God’s Word:
There are many things in God’s Word that mean many things to many people. They may also mean various things to the same person depending on what they are going through in life and where they are in their faith journey.
There are other verses about women anointing Jesus in the Bible. Could this unnamed sinful woman be part of God’s message that shows a bigger picture? Jesus isn’t only anointed by this woman (and others), but he is more importantly also anointed by God. We see that in Luke 4:18-21, where we see Jesus reading from the book of Isaiah in the synagogue in Nazareth about the anointed one of God and he tells the people that he is the one about which the scriptures is speaking. We often see human stories and circumstances noted to help explain heavenly principles. We see depictions by people in biblical times that help teach us lessons and make sense of other parts of God’s Word we might not understand as much. Many of the New Testament authors rely on Old Testament scripture or things that are understandable to the people of the time to explain God’s message. Heavenly Father, Thank you for sending Jesus down to be our Savior. Thank you for the forgiveness of our sins. Thank you for your infinite love. Thank you for using ordinary people for your glory. Thank you for teaching us. Help us to show the love that this unnamed woman showed. Help us to treat you, your Son, and your Holy Spirit with the same level of love that this woman treated Jesus. Help us to never think that we are “above” or “below” anything that you call us to do. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. 
This month has been a month for posts about love. Have you read the other posts about love? If you liked this post, you may also like these similar ones.
*Why are We Called to Love Our Enemies? *Charity Among Ourselves? *Love and Fear Here are also a couple of posts from the more distant past on love. *How Do You Show Jesus You Love Him? *Do You Reflect the Love of God? Now, it is your turn. I am so thankful that you are here. I pray that God blesses you as you read the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations. If you feel called to do so, please feel free to comment or contact me at any time. I welcome your comments and look forward to reading them. Also, if you have any questions, comments, ideas, or requests for me, please feel free to let me know. Thank you. If you find value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share it with your friends and family. The new share buttons will make it easier for you to do that. Some of your friends and family may appreciate you sharing it, so they can read it as well. As you can tell from the post, I believe that all Christians are called to share God’s Word and encourage others to get closer to God. In helping you with your Bible study, I have a free gift for you. Please, sign up below to receive your free gift and get the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations in your inbox each week. Yes, I may include some other “faith” content with the email at times, especially a prayer.
Hi friends, How are you? This week, we are still pondering verses having to do with love. There are many verses about love and many kinds of love mentioned in the Bible. Yet, today may not be a kind of love, but more of a clarification of love. I have to say, that when I looked at 1 John 4:18 as a possibility for today’s blog topic, I saw it out of context. My first thought was different than the context in which it was written. Just to be clear, I am not advocating for people to twist the truth for their own use or to study God's Word out of context. My first thoughts were out of context, but as you can see I say the correct context. Can 1 John 4:18 and the Concept of Love Help Battered Women?:
In the past, I have worked with battered women. So, when I read 1 John 4:18 out of context and saw, “There is no fear in love”, I thought about the fear battered women have of their boyfriends or husbands. I thought about how battered women often feel that they deserve the battering and that their boyfriends and husbands love them despite the violence they show.
I wondered, “Can 1 John 4:18 be used to help battered women?” I thought about how batterers often use fear to control their victims all the while they are telling their victims that they love them. I wonder. In reading 1 John 4:18, it doesn’t look to me that fear and love can go hand in hand. It seems like there is only one or the other. So, can 1 John 4:18 be used to help battered women? There is no mention of battered women or men, in the context of 1 John 4:18. I don’t know if I would advocate for trying to use a verse out of context, unless specifically called to do so by God. However, there may be useful lessons in a verse that can be used in similar or related circumstances. After reading this post, I will let you decide for yourself if 1 John 4:18 can be used to help battered women. Love and Fear:
When I think about love and fear, I think about how a parent may comfort a child who is afraid. A parent’s love can often wash a way the fears of a child. A hug and gentle, reassuring words often helps when a child is afraid. Coming from a loving parent, these things are often all that is needed for a child to feel safe again. It is like the child can’t feel the fear and the love at the same time.
I think the opposite as well. I think no matter how much a couple thinks they are in love; if there is violence or fear between them it is difficult (if possible at all) to feel the love and fear at the same time. The more the fear is used as a tool by the batterer to control the battered, the more difficult it will be to feel the love. Often the battered struggles to keep the love and the relationship together. She (or he) wants the relationship, tries to say the abuse was her fault, that she deserves it. But, is it really possible? Is it possible to feel the love and the fear at the same time? Can the violence of the batterer, push the love away? Is the violence of a battered relationship love? Is there any love in the relationship? The batterer and the battered may claim there is love. They may want it. However, is that real love? Or, is that just wishful and misled thinking? God’s Word:
Now, let’s look at 1 John 4:18 in context. If we read 1 John 4, we can see that John is giving the early Christians a pep talk. In earlier verses John talks about how there will be false prophets (1 John 4:1) and the spirit of the antichrist (1 John 4:3) in the world. These things will cause fear, disconnect, and division. John is reminding the early Christians as God reminds us, that no matter how bad things get, move closer to God. Keep God close and keep your focus on His infinite love. One can’t feel nor be disturbed by the fear and violence of the world, if one is close to God and feels God’s loving presence. Nothing else matters when we are close to God, not even the most fearful and shocking thing the world can do to us. Yes. That is easier said than lived. God didn’t say it would be easy. Yet, it as 1 John 4:18 (KJV) says, “…perfect love casteth out fear”. God’s perfect love can get rid of the fear we feel. Heavenly Father, Thank you for your infinite love. You know that there is violence and things that scare us in this world. Even some of the things you call us to do outside of our comfort zone seem frightful at times. Help us to draw close to you in difficult times instead of dwelling on the fear. Help us to come to you and to feel your love. Help us to understand that your perfect love and fear cannot occupy the same space. Help us to realize that your love is infinite and powerful. Help us to know your faithfulness. Help us to be close to you and focus on you always. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. 
If you enjoyed this post, you may also want to read these similar posts: *How Do You Show Jesus You Love Him? *Do You Reflect the Love of God? *Do You Practice Pure Religion? *Why are We Called to Love Our Enemies? Now, it is your turn. I am so thankful that you are here. I pray that God blesses you as you read the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations. If you feel called to do so, please feel free to comment or contact me at any time. I welcome your comments and look forward to reading them. Also, if you have any questions, comments, ideas, or requests for me, please feel free to let me know. Thank you. If you find value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share it with your friends and family. The new share buttons will make it easier for you to do that. Some of your friends and family may appreciate you sharing it, so they can read it as well. As you can tell from the post, I believe that all Christians are called to share God’s Word and encourage others to get closer to God. In helping you with your Bible study, I have a free gift for you. Please, sign up below to receive your free gift and get the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations in your inbox each week. Yes, I may include some other “faith” content with the email at times, especially a prayer.
Hi friends, How are you? I was hoping to write a post about biblical ways of marriage and love between spouses today. However, I decided that there is so much to consider and talk about with a post like that, so I chose a more general form of love today. That love is “charity”. A Few General Thoughts about the Definition of “Charity”:
I am sure there are many definitions of the word charity. We may each have our own definition. Our definition may even change, as we grow older and mature in faith and understanding.
I can remember reading the word “charity” in the Bible and automatically thinking of the noun “charity, as in an organization that helps the poor. So, maybe I thought of the word “charity” as in “a kind-hearted feeling for those in need”. I don’t remember for sure. Now, I think of “charity” as being a “Christianly love for all” and something that is to be done always. It is a love we are called to have for others, because God calls us to love others. They don’t have to be poor. They don’t have to be rich. They don’t have to be kind. They don’t have to be friends or friendly. We are just called to love others. What is your definition for the word “charity” as mentioned in 1 Peter 4:8? I would be interested in hearing thoughtful considerations by other Christians. If you are uncertain of a definition, you might want to research it. A Bible concordance may be helpful for you. Here is a page that explains and defines “charity”. What Reason Does Peter Give for Having “Charity” for Others?:
In 1 Peter 4:8, the reason Peter gives us to have charity for others is “…for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.” (KJV) So, what does this mean? When I first read this, I thought about how we tend to “overlook” or more easily forgive minor misgivings from our loved ones, because of our love for them. We might think or say something like, “Oh yes, he (or she) might have done something wrong, but I can’t stay mad. I love him (or her).” The more endearing the person may act towards us, the more difficult it is to stay upset with that person.
Was Peter’s meaning this practical? Was he talking about the practicalities of human behavior? Is that what God means? Is God calling us to love one another in 1 Peter 4:8, because it will make it easier to forgive one another when our human behavior slips into sin? I am not sure. However, in the practical sense, I do think Peter wanted to stress to the early Christians that they should stick together, encourage each other, and help build the kingdom of God. I think he wanted to stress the need to be of one mind in God and guard against being divided. God’s Word:
When reading and studying God’s Word, it is often important to consider the context of the statement before taking it to heart. For example, when reading 1 Peter 4:8, I am kind of surprised to read that Peter’s instructions was to “have fervent charity among yourselves” above all instead of loving God above all or something like that.
Let’s dive a little deeper and look at 1 Peter 4:7 for some context. In that verse Peter notes that “the end of all things are at hand”. So, I am thinking that Peter is probably expecting Jesus to come back and the world to end soon. He wants to do what he can to comfort the newest Christians and to encourage them to love each other and to stick together. He is probably warning them that things will get difficult, that there may be persecution from the non-Christian community. He may be saying that they should make sure they have their “ducks in a row”, so that when the end comes, they will be with God. He wants them to remember that “together we stand and divided we fall”, so sticking together and encouraging each other is important. Maybe Peter figured that if he said to “love God above all”, the new Christians might not understand the message that he was giving them about sticking together and encouraging each other. Maybe Peter was remember back and relaying the message that Jesus gave in verses such as Matthew 22:39, Mark 12:31, and John 15:12 that we are called to love one another. Maybe Peter knew that we couldn’t dislike each other and love God at the same time (as mentioned in 1 John 4:20). Maybe Peter wasn’t sure if the new Christians would understand that, so he just said to love each other. I believe that we get more out of God’s Word and His message, when we look at things in context and also try to put ourselves in the shoes of the speaker or listener back in biblical times. Although, nothing is better in gaining knowledge about God’s Word then to read it and then pray to ask God for knowledge. So, let’s pray. Heavenly Father, Thank you for your love and your Word. Your Word is a living and life giving Word. However, at times it can be difficult for us to understand and to take out of context. Help us to turn to you in prayer, especially if we have the least little doubt about what you are telling us through your Word. Help us also to love each other and to encourage each other in your Word. Help us also to understand that we don’t love you, if we don’t love others. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. 
If you enjoyed this post, you may also want to read these similar posts: *How Do You Show Jesus You Love Him? *Do You Reflect the Love of God? *Do You Practice Pure Religion? *Why are We Called to Love Our Enemies? Now, it is your turn. I am so thankful that you are here. I pray that God blesses you as you read the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations. If you feel called to do so, please feel free to comment or contact me at any time. I welcome your comments and look forward to reading them. Also, if you have any questions, comments, ideas, or requests for me, please feel free to let me know. Thank you. If you find value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share it with your friends and family. The new share buttons will make it easier for you to do that. Some of your friends and family may appreciate you sharing it, so they can read it as well. As you can tell from the post, I believe that all Christians are called to share God’s Word and encourage others to get closer to God. In helping you with your Bible study, I have a free gift for you. Please, sign up below to receive your free gift and get the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations in your inbox each week. Yes, I may include some other “faith” content with the email at times, especially a prayer.
Hi friends,
There are many kinds of love. However, one kind of love may be more difficult to do or to understand than the others. That is the love we are called to do in Matthew 5:44. We are called to love our enemies. Think for a moment about the people who may have hurt you. Think of the people who you dislike or distrust. Think of the people who may have been cruel to you or abused you at one time or another. Did you know that you are called to love those people? Yes. We aren’t just called to love family, friends, and neighbors. We are called to love our enemies also. Do you love your enemies? Do you love those who have been mean to you, cruel to you, and abusive to you? I know. This might not seem logical to us humans, especially being surrounded by worldly reasoning which says the opposite. Worldly ways say something like, “hate those before they hate us” or “get them before they get us” or “if they don’t like us, we don’t have to like them”. Yet, worldly ways are not God’s ways. So, why do we have to love our enemies? Well, God could just say, “because, I told you to” but He gives us other reasons as well. Let’s look at some of the reasons why we should love our enemies as Jesus tells in in the words of Matthew 5:44. If We Love Our Enemies, We are not Murderers:
One of the reasons why we are called to love our enemies is found in 1 John 3:15 (KJV) which says, “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.” God knows human nature. Killing someone isn’t always a physical act.
There are other ways of “killing someone” other than physically doing it. You can incite a riot to kill someone. In that case, words work on people’s emotions until they are caught up in the moment and get violent. Look at they way the crowd called for the murder to be released and for Jesus to be crucified. People can act in a different way than they normally would or even want to act when caught up in the moment or feel pressured. Look at the way Peter denied Jesus. He was caught up in the moment and felt pressured, even when he didn’t want to feel that way. We often hear that if we think positive thoughts, positive things will happen and if we think negative thoughts, negative things will happen. It is why we are concerned when a friend or loved one may start to have suicidal thoughts. We know that if the thoughts are there, the actions might not be too far away. There is a fine line sometimes between thoughts and actions. Therefor, if we hate someone, we might not be far from saying mean things towards him or her or about him or her. If we say mean things about someone, we might not be far from being violent towards that someone. If we are being violent, we might not be far from killing. So, we are called not to hate at all, not even those who are mean to us. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be a murder. To me, that is motivation for me to love my enemy. If We Love Our Enemies, We Love God:
Another reason we are called to love our enemies is found in 1 John 4:20 (KJV) which says, “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” If we hate our enemy, we don’t love God.
God is love. If we don’t love, we are not near or even around God. We aren’t thinking of God. It is like God is far away and out of our mind, if we don’t love others. So, how can we expect to be or say that we are close to God, if we don’t love others, even our enemies? If we don’t love, God is out of sight and out of mind. That is not where God wants to be. God wants to be close to us. Even more than not being a murderer, I don’t want to be far from God. This is even more motivation for me to love my enemy. I know that I am called to be close to God and that is where I want to be. What about you? If We Love Our Enemies, We are Children of God:
Still another reason to love our enemies is in the very same breath as Matthew 5:44. Yes, Matthew 5:45 tells us the answer as well. It says (KJV), “That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”
Yes, as children of God, we are called to love our enemies. If we want to be considered children of God, we are called to love our enemies. God makes the sun rise on the good and the evil. He shows the same “Godly love” to enemies as He does loved ones. As God’s ambassadors and as God’s friends and family, we are called to show our enemies “Godly love” as well. God’s Word:
Friends, I get it. God’s Word is full of concepts that are difficult for us to understand and even more difficult for us to live, especially being surrounded by worldly people telling us just the opposite. If it were easy, we wouldn’t read about most of the people in the Bible NOT getting it.
Living by God’s Word and doing all the things God calls us to do may seem impossible at times. We do know that, “For God nothing shall be impossible.” (Luke 1:37 KJV) So, let’s pray: Heavenly Father, Thank you for your holy Word. Thank you for showing us the way to you. Thank you for loving us like friends and family. Thank you for showing us love and how to love. Help us to love not only our friends and family, but our enemies as well. Help us to love when we are hurt, angry, or confused as to why we are even called to love. Help us to love, when how hurt seems so enraged that it doesn’t feel natural to love. Help us to love our friends and our enemies, so that we may know you and be close to you. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. 
If you enjoyed this post, you may want to read these similar posts: *How Do You Show Jesus You Love Him? *Do You Reflect the Love of God? Now, it is your turn. I am so thankful that you are here. I pray that God blesses you as you read the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations. If you feel called to do so, please feel free to comment or contact me at any time. I welcome your comments and look forward to reading them. Also, if you have any questions, comments, ideas, or requests for me, please feel free to let me know. Thank you. If you find value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share it with your friends and family. The new share buttons will make it easier for you to do that. Some of your friends and family may appreciate you sharing it, so they can read it as well. As you can tell from the post, I believe that all Christians are called to share God’s Word and encourage others to get closer to God. In helping you with your Bible study, I have a free gift for you. Please, sign up below to receive your free gift and get the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations in your inbox each week. Yes, I may include some other “faith” content with the email at times, especially a prayer.
Hi friends, How are you? We seem to be on a “salt theme” on the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations. I hope you are enjoying it. We have talked about learning from Lot’s wife (who as we know was turned into a pillar of salt) as well as being the salt of the earth. Today, we are furthering our discussion of salt and how it relates to speaking. Do You Have Trouble Knowing What to Say or How to Say it?:
Have you ever had times when you haven’t known what to say to someone? Maybe during an argument and someone takes a jab at you, you want to “come back” with a statement of your own. You know that you aren’t supposed to be mean, even if others are mean to you. Yet, you just don’t want to leave it. You want to say something. Maybe you are trying to explain something and just don’t know how to get your point across. Maybe you need to tell someone something very important, but not quite sure how to get your message out.
If you have trouble knowing what to say or how to say it, you are not alone. It can be difficult for most of us at times. For, example, I don’t like conflict. When someone says something against me, I have a difficult time knowing what to say, how to say it, or if I am even supposed to say anything at all. Do I ignore it? Do I stand up for myself? I am sure the answer to this is different in each circumstance and for each person. I just know that my first reaction is often to feel uncomfortable. This is not what we are called to do by the way. The Worldly Attitudes about What to Say and How to Say it:
It probably doesn’t help that the worldly views and attitudes about what to say and how to say it seem to bombard us from such a young age. As far back as I can remember, there was a saying that I heard in school that went like this: “Anything you say bounces off me and sticks to you.” Now, this may seem like an innocent enough way to react. After all, if you say that, you aren’t coming right out and calling the other person what they just called you. You didn’t say the same mean words. Yet, in reality, you are saying the same thing. You are saying and wishing whatever mean thing someone said to you back to them.
Worldly thinking when it comes to speaking or talking with someone is often “tit for tat” or “jab them before they get a chance to jab you”. Sometimes it is more like “the one who speaks the loudest wins”. However, this is not what we are called to do. We are not called to worldly ways in speaking, or in anything else. How are We Called to Speak?:
So, how are we called to speak? Let’s start by looking at Colossians 4:6 to answer that question. The beginning part of Colossians 4:6 (KJV) says, “Let your speech be always with grace”. It doesn’t say, “Be nice when others are nice and be mean when others are mean.” It says, “Let your speech be always with grace”.
We are called to speak with kindness in our heart. When someone says something mean to us, we are called to speak to with grace. We are called to be kind and forgiving. It might be difficult at times to understand why we are called to always speak with grace, but I think we can understand what it means to speak with grace pretty well. However, the second part of Colossians 4:6 (KJV) which says, “seasoned with salt”, might be a little bit harder to understand. What are your thoughts on this? As I was thinking just now and God gave me a thought about how we say, “that leaves a bad taste in my mouth”. We need to speak in a way that doesn’t “leave a bad taste in the mouth of others”. We need to speak in a way that leaves a savory taste in the mouth of others. We need to speak in a way that encourages others in godly ways. It also means that we need to be prepared to answer the why of what we are saying at times. We can’t just say, “because, I said so” and expect that everyone is going to be okay with that. I mean, “who are we”, right? Why We are Called to “Speak with Grace” and “Seasoned with Salt”:
Let’s take a few minutes to think and talk about why we are called to speak “always with grace” and “seasoned with salt”. First of all, we are called to speak in that way, because our God told us that is His will for us. Yet, just as there were practical reasons for Paul to say it to those in biblical times spreading God’s Word, there are also practical reasons for us as well. Most of them are the same practical reasons.
People are less likely to listen to us, if we have a bad attitude while we are speaking. Who wants to listen to someone when they are being rude, sarcastic, and condescending or yelling and snickering? We also do want to be “in their face” or expect them to understand right away where we are coming from, especially if we don’t want to take our time to understand from where they are coming. Yes, it might be difficult to speak to others “with grace” and “seasoned with salt” if they have treated us badly. And, no, there is no more excuse for them to treat us badly than we have to want to repay their bad behavior likewise. However, that is why we are called to speak to them with grace. People may be having a bad day or be hurt themselves and lashed out without thinking. We don’t know. We would want others to give us a break and treat us with grace during such times, right? So, we are called to treat others, as we would want to be treated. (i.e.- Matthew 7:12, Luke 6:31) We God's ambassadors on earth and we are called to be role models for unbelievers and new Christians. If we speak harshly, criticize others, or speak in a way others can't understand, what kind of motivation is that for others to get closer to God. After all, if we proclaim to be godly people and treat others horribly, why would anyone else be interested in being godly? However, if we speak with kindness, grace, truth, love, encouragement, and in a way that they can understand, they will be much more likely to want to be more like us and get closer to God themselves. How Do We Speak “with Grace” and “Seasoned with Salt”?:
Sometimes it is easier said than done. So, how do we speak “with grace” and “seasoned in salt”? It helps to know how we are to respond. Reading God’s Word and knowing how to speak is helpful. By reading God’s Word, we also know that we are not always called to come up with the words. For example Mark 13:11 (KJV) says, “But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.”
If we are having a difficult time with the words we should speak, we can turn to God. His Holy Spirit will give us the words we seek. This is great motivation for not speaking too hastily. Instead of speaking before we think, we can pause not only to think but to pray as well. Taking that quick minute to pray before we speak could make the difference between speaking with grace and speaking in anger or in foolishness. God’s Word:
To me, the Bible is a great example of speech that is “seasoned in salt”. Have you ever notice how the different books in the Bible are written in such a way that the particular readers would understand? Most of the authors in the Bible “knew their audience”. They could write and speak in a way that would have meaning for their readers. More so, they could write and speak in a way that would encourage their readers to follow God’s will and to take it as truth.
When Paul wrote the words in Colossians 4:6, he was giving direction to early Christians working to spread the gospel. He was giving good advice on how to speak, so that others would be more likely to listen and accept what they were saying. For example, Luke does this when he wants to “prove” to his readers that Jesus is the Messiah. He knew that his audience was big on ancestry and that they were expecting to the Messiah to come from the “house of David”. So, Luke gives his readers Jesus’ earthly genealogy. (Luke 3:23-38) God’s Word as a whole is great at inspiring us and encouraging us to follow God’s will and plan for us. We don’t always follow through, just as our listeners don’t always heed us when we speak. However, in God’s Word, the encouragement and inspiration are there. Let's pray: Heavenly Father, Thank you for your wisdom, your love, and your Word. Thank you for telling us the way we are called to speak. Help us to turn to you in knowing what to say and how to say it. Help us to "speak with grace" and "seasoned with salt" even in the most difficult of times. Help us to treat others as we would like to be treated and to encourage others in your Word, so we can be your helpers in spreading the gospel and enlarging your kingdom. We ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. 
If you enjoyed this post, you may want to read these similar posts about: *The Power of Words *Encouraging Others Now, it is your turn. I am so thankful that you are here. I pray that God blesses you as you read the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations. If you feel called to do so, please feel free to comment or contact me at any time. I welcome your comments and look forward to reading them. Also, if you have any questions, comments, ideas, or requests for me, please feel free to let me know. Thank you. If you find value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share it with your friends and family. The new share buttons will make it easier for you to do that. Some of your friends and family may appreciate you sharing it, so they can read it as well. As you can tell from the post, I believe that all Christians are called to share God’s Word and encourage others to get closer to God. In helping you with your Bible study, I have a free gift for you. Please, sign up below to receive your free gift and get the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations in your inbox each week. Yes, I may include some other “faith” content with the email at times, especially a prayer.
Hi friends, How are you? Today, we are going to talk about salt. Yes, salt. What do you think of when you think about salt? For me, I think the first thought is a nice tasty potato chip. Some say salt is bad for you. Others say that salt is yummy. What do you say? Some Background About the Importance of Salt:
Before we talk about Matthew 5:13, let’s look at some background about salt. In the introduction, I half-heartedly mentioned that salt made me think of a nice tasty potato chip. Some may think that I am a salt-aholic. Some may say that salt isn’t good for you. That is truer for some than for others. However, if you research it, you might find that we all need some salt. I can’t confirm or deny the scientific truth of it, but this post by “Dr. Steven Lin” tells some reasons why we need salt.
Way back in the day, salt was used like money. This post by “Ancient Origins” tells some of the ways in which salt was widely treasured in the ancient world. I found the article really interesting and it even mentions Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:13. As a matter of fact, the word “salary” that we use today comes from the word salt. Again, salt was used like money or paid as part of a salary for work back in the day. This post by UnitChefs explains it well and also mentions the Bible. In this case, the book of Ezra is mentioned. I find it interesting when you can learn more about biblical times and it is linked to the Bible. I have also heard that salt is used for healing. Are those “old wives’ tales or is that really true. I can’t remember ever trying it, except to gargle with salt water for a sore throat at times. What about you? Again, I don’t have the knowledge to be able to confirm or deny the truth of it, but this post by “Daily Health Post” mentions many ways in which salt is used for healing or better health. Still, another use for salt is as preservative. Salt helps to preserve the goodness of food and helps them keep longer without going bad. Hmm. That makes sense. That is why so much of the food we buy has salt added. Salt of the Earth:
Now, that we know that salt isn’t just bad for us, and in fact has many good qualities, lets ponder Jesus’ words as written in Matthew 5:13. To put it in perspective, Matthew 5:13 comes after the “Beatitudes” in the Sermon on the Mount, which is relayed in Matthew 5-7. Matthew 5:13 (KJV) says, “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.”
So, what do the words in Matthew 5:13 mean? First of all, since Jesus is mainly talking to his followers, we can infer that Jesus was calling all good Christians the “salt of the earth”. That means that you and I are the salt of the earth. But, what does that mean for us? What does that mean to others? The spiritual connotation and value for salt are much the same as the physical. As mentioned above, salt had financial value in Bible times. It was an important part of trading. So, we can also infer that good Christians are highly valued by Jesus. Of course, he would value his friends and family, right? Don’t we value our friends and family? Yet, our importance as “salt of the earth” goes much deeper than being on Jesus’ “friends and family list”. As we know, salt is also a preservative. How do we fit in with that use of salt? Well, if you think about it, if Matthew a follower of Christ (and other Bible authors), didn’t write down the words they did that formed the Bible, we probably wouldn’t know about them today. As we read the Bible and pass the “Good News” along to our children, our friends, our relatives, and our “followers”, we might help preserve the word and keep it alive and in the hearts of people we touch. God is the only one who can truly “keep it alive”, because they are His Words, and He is all-powerful. We are not, but we can be helpers in that mission. We can do our part by following God’s Word and will for us, and sharing His Word with others. Not Being Salt of the Earth:
If we look at Matthew 5:13 (KJV) again, we see what happens if Christians don’t act in such away as to be the “salt of the earth”, “…but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.” That doesn’t sound like fun to me. It is great motivation to keep being a good Christian, living a good Christian lifestyle, and preserving God’s Word and the “Good News” by sharing it with others and testifying about how God works in our lives.
I would not want to be “cast out” of Jesus’ “friends and family” list, nor would I want to be “good for nothing”. However, when we don’t go to church, hear sermons, talk with godly people, read the Bible, pray, or do things that brings us closer to God on a regular basis, we tend to lose our way and our momentum for being good Christians. If we don’t practice good spiritual habits, we may lose them and fall away from God day by day. In essence, we cast ourselves out of God’s family, by not actively participating in it. God’s Word:
God’s Word has many verses that talk about salt. Here are just a few of them in KJV.
*Colossians 4:6 – “Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye out to answer every man.” *Mark 9:50 – “Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.” *Numbers 18:19 – “All the heave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer unto the LORD, have I given thee, and thy sons and thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever: it is a covenant of salt for ever before the LORD unto thee and to thy seed with thee.” *Leviticus 2:13 – And every oblation of they meat offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat offering: with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt.” *Genesis 19:26 – “But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.” Let’s pray: Heavenly Father, Thank you for your Word and your love. Help us to keep our “saltiness”, so that we can do your will and spread your good news. Help us to enrich and help us to keep our “savour” in order to help in building your kingdom and sharing your words to others. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. 
If you enjoyed this post, you may also like to read these similar posts: *About Lot’s wife *Encouraging others Now, it is your turn. I am so thankful that you are here. I pray that God blesses you as you read the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations. If you feel called to do so, please feel free to comment or contact me at any time. I welcome your comments and look forward to reading them. Also, if you have any questions, comments, ideas, or requests for me, please feel free to let me know. Thank you. If you find value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share it with your friends and family. The new share buttons will make it easier for you to do that. Some of your friends and family may appreciate you sharing it, so they can read it as well. As you can tell from the post, I believe that all Christians are called to share God’s Word and encourage others to get closer to God. In helping you with your Bible study, I have a free gift for you. Please, sign up below to receive your free gift and get the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations in your inbox each week. Yes, I may include some other “faith” content with the email at times, especially a prayer.
Hi friends,
How are you? I haven’t done this often, but let’s ponder the life of someone in the Bible. I think it helps us to learn from others, especially from those God puts in our path to teach us a lesson. There are many people in our lives and in the Bible from whom we are meant to learn. Today, let’s ponder Lot’s wife. What We Know About Lot’s Wife:
Actually, we know very little about Lot’s wife. The Bible doesn’t even mention her name, nor when she and Lot were married. We do know that she and Lot were living in Sodom, a city known for it’s sinful ways. We also know that she and Lot had at least two daughters.
The Bible talks about how Lot traveled with Abraham and they split ways. Lot, of course, ended up in Sodom. But, Lot’s wife isn’t mentioned during the travels. Can we surmise that Lot’s wife was from Sodom? Since, Lot was brought up in a family who knew God, could we also surmise that Lot and his wife were “unequally yoked”? I don’t know. The Bible doesn’t say. We also know that her story is told in Genesis 19. Again, very little is said about her. However, her story teaches us a great lesson. Lot’s Wife and the Angels Who Visit:
What is the most exciting thing that happened in Lot’s wife’s life? Well, I don’t now about you, but I think it was probably that not only was she visited by angels, but also touched by angels and hurried on her way by angels.
I can only imagine how her last hours on earth went. First, angels come to her house. If that is not exciting enough, their message is that they have come to destroy the city because of its sinfulness and that her family should leave, so they will be saved. How cool is that? Something else happens when the angels come to the house of Lot and his wife. Lot tries to protect the angels from a mob of sinful men wanting to get at the strangers for sexual pleasure. Instead, Lot offers his two virgin daughters. Could you imagine being Lot’s wife and hearing this? Can you imagine your husband trying to protect two strangers, but offering your two young daughters to such sinfulness instead? As a mom, I couldn’t even imagine. I am sure that I would be extremely angry and upset with my husband. The Bible doesn’t say that she questions it or says anything. The Bible doesn’t give her any words at all. However, I would say that she probably had some strong emotions going on during this time. (In all reality, we don’t even know if she heard these words spoken by Lot.) Did Lot’s wife believe that the strangers were angels? We don’t know. It isn’t mentioned one way or another in the Bible. We aren’t told that the angels looked or acted differently than any other visitors, except that after Lot tried to protect them, they protected Lot. They grabbed Lot and pulled him inside the house and caused the mob to be blinded. Does the fact that they blinded the mob and saved her husband make it real for her that they are angels? We don’t know. Again, nothing really is known about Lot’s wife. We are also told that Lot went out to warn his son-in-laws to take his daughters and leave Sodom because it is going to be destroyed. However, the son-in-laws just mock him. This brings up a new question. Did Lot and his wife have more than two daughters? It sounds like they may have had at least four daughters, the two at home and others that were with the son-in-laws. (However, again, that is just conjecture. We don’t know for sure.) I can only guess that Lot’s wife’s emotions were running rampant. Would she have loved ones that wouldn’t be saved? Were these really angels? What is going on? Are we really going to die? I don’t know what she was thinking or feeling, but I can imagine what I might have been thinking or feeling. Lot’s Wife’s Fatal Decision:
In Genesis 19:15-16 we read where the angels tell Lot to get up and take his family and leave the city. The time of destruction is near. We read that Lot “lingers” and the angels take their hand and put them out of the city.
We aren’t told why Lot and his family lingered. Could it be that they don’t want to leave their home, their family, and their friends in the city of Sodom? Could it be that they aren’t morning people and that it was taking them a while to get going in the morning and get things together? Only God knows the answers to these questions. Maybe, it was just that “that first step” is always the most difficult to take. I know I have had many situations where that first step was scary and difficult. I hesitated quite a few times and even missed out, because I hesitated or didn’t take the step at all. Yet, it seemed like God, through the angels, “took” that first big step for them and with them, when the angels grabbed them and put them outside of the city. I would hope that if it were I, I would be so grateful and so appreciative that I would willingly do everything I was told in return after that. However, how often is that not true? How often do we get a health scare and a near death experience and then not be moved by it or show appreciation? In Genesis 19:17 Lot and his family is told to go to the mountains and not look back and in Genesis 19:26 we read about Lot’s wife’s fatal decision. It says in the KJV, “But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.” It could be very easy to question the motives of Lot’s wife. After all, that first big step was already done. Mercy was given to her and at least part of her family. They were already out of the city. Why would she look back? Why wouldn’t she be appreciative and just keep going? Was it heartache? Was it because she wanted one last look? We get some answer to this in the book of Luke. What Jesus Says About Lot’s Wife:
In Luke 17:32 (KJV) Jesus says, “Remember Lot’s wife.” Taken out of context, we might not know to what Jesus was referring and why he said it. However, our clue comes in the next verse and the context of the conversation Jesus was having with the Pharisees.
The Pharisees had asked Jesus about when the Kingdom of God was coming. (We read this is Luke 17:20.) Jesus goes on to tell the Pharisees that it isn’t a time when they will know. It will be a time when people don’t know and won’t be expecting it. Jesus goes on to tell them how it was in the times of Noah, when people didn’t know the flood was coming and then it came and people died. He also gave the Pharisees the example of when Sodom was destroyed and people didn’t know it was coming. (Luke 17:26-31) Then, as we know in Luke 17:32 we read how Jesus says, “Remember Lot’s wife.” It is a warning or a lesson to be learned. But, why are we to remember Lot’s wife? What is the lesson? About what are we being warned? The answer comes in Luke 17:33 (KJV) when Jesus says, “Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.” So, it seems that when Lot’s wife was looking back, she in some way wanted to preserve the worldly life she knew in Sodom. It is unclear as to whether she didn’t want to leave it physically, or she didn’t want to leave her family and friends, or she just wanted one last look at it for sentimental reasons or whatever. However, Jesus used her as an example of someone not wanting to give up a past life of sinful ways and paying a fatal consequence for it. Lessons I Have Found in the Story of Lot’s Wife:
I have found several lessons that can be taken from the story of Lot’s wife. Here is a list of some of them.
*God uses even nameless people to teach big lessons. *God is merciful to people found even in the most sinful of places. *Even some of the most “insignificant of decisions” can have fatal consequences. (Who knew that just looking back would get you turned into a pillar of salt? Sometimes people do things more significant than that with seemingly much less of a consequence.) *God is all loving, but it doesn’t mean that He won’t give us consequences. *Every decision we make brings us closer to life (God and His Kingdom) or death (Satan and hell). *We should always be obedient to God. *Nothing (not our homes, not our families, not our past, not culture) is more important or worth saving, when it goes against God’s will. *Heavenly life is better than worldly life. Did I forget any lessons? What lessons do you find in the life of Lot’s wife? God’s Word:
The Bible is God’s Word. Jesus is God’s Word. The nudges we get from the Holy Spirit is God’s Word. The answers we get through prayer is God’s Word. Something God tells us through the words of those around us are God’s Word. In acknowledging that, let’s use the words of Jesus in Luke 17:32 to pray.
Heavenly Father, Thank you for your Word. Thank you for your holy guidance. Help us to “Remember Lot’s wife” and the lessons you want us to learn from her life. When we are about to make a wrong decision, a decision that will lead us a way from you, let us hear in our hearts the words of Jesus, “Remember Lot’s wife.” Let those words warn us and encourage us not to make that bad decision, but to make a decision that brings us closer to you. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. 
If you enjoyed this post, you may also like to read these similar posts: *About focusing on God *About guidance Now, it is your turn. I am always happy to hear from you. Oh, how do you like this new format? Is it better than the "old" format? Likes, dislikes, thoughts? Please, feel free to comment below or to contact me. I hope you enjoy the "pin it" buttons and the share buttons. I hope it makes it easier to share the posts with your friends and family. After all, if you are finding value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, they may as well, right? If you haven't done so already, you may want to sign up below to get the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations and other "faith" content sent right to your inbox. Don't worry, I won't spam you. I send the email once a week. And, if you sign up below, you will get a free gift as my thank you. God bless.
Hi friends, How are you? Welcome to 2023! I pray that you will have a wonderful year. You may notice some differences in me, in DUO Inspirations, and in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations this year. Do you have differences or changes for 2023 in mind? Do you feel God is calling you to do something differently or to change in some way? God Calls Us to Change Not Only What We Do, but also What We Think:
It is nice to say we are changing, but sometimes a change doesn’t last unless we not only change our behavior but change our outlook as well. If we are just going through the motions and aren’t totally onboard with this change, we are likely to not follow through for very long. However, if we do something wholeheartedly as we are called to do in Colossians 3:23, we are more apt to continue doing the right things for the right reasons.
We can’t make these changes alone. We need God’s help, so we pray and hope. A good scripture passage to remember in times like this is Ephesians 4:23-24 (KJV): “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” When we have a whole new outlook, it is like we are a new person. Our focus is no longer on the things of the past, or on worldly things, or on doing things halfheartedly. We are now focused on heavenly things and on God’s will. God Calls for Changes in Me:
I have been feeling God nudging me to make some changes in my life and to “step up my game” so to speak. I won’t get into all the personal changes that God has in store for me now. However, I do want to say that I am called, just as is everyone else, to do things wholeheartedly. That means, I need to be more focused, not only on what I have in mind to do or the letter of the law so to speak, but I need to be focused on my relationship with God and His will for me.
God has been showing me that I can’t do that without His help and I can’t do that halfheartedly. He has been nudging me and making changes in me from the inside out. He has been chipping away at my mind and my heart, so that I can now feel “renewed in my spirit and in my mind”. It is such a blessing! God Calls for Changes in DUO Inspirations:
Not only has God given me a “renewed spirit and mind” in what He calls me to do in my personal life, He has given me a “renewed spirit and mind” in what He has called me to do through and with DUO Inspirations as well. Again, this change has to do with focus and with doing things wholeheartedly.
Anyone who is familiar with me and with DUO Inspirations may know that I have struggled with focus. I enjoy doing many things such as sharing my faith, teaching and learning in education, being creative, and encouraging others. Yet, I could never find a focus statement that described DUO Inspirations and the mission I have with it. However, through prayer and a “little help from my friends” I now have a more focused statement for DUO Inspirations: “DUO Inspirations helps Christian women overcome difficult life circumstances and grow their faith by providing tips, resources, gifts, and biblical truth.”
I am thankful that God nudged me in a better direction and brought people into my life that could give me that help and encouragement I need. We all need a little help and direction at times.
You may notice that the new description specifies Christian women. So, does that mean I don’t want to help women who are not Christian? Does it mean that I don’t want to help men or children? Does it mean that I don’t want to help plants and animals? No. I will happily help all of God’s creatures if I can. And, you don’t necessarily have to be a Christian woman in order to find DUO Inspirations helpful in some way. However, as a Christian woman, I feel that I can probably most relate to other Christian women and may know their struggles a bit better than I would know the struggles of other groups of people. You may be wondering what specifically DUO Inspirations will be doing to help others, especially Christian women through their difficult times. Well, as you can see, the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations will be very much a part of that help. I believe that the best help in anything is to have faith and to build a loving personal relationship with God. I very much hope to be able to play even a small part in helping you be able to do that. Encouraging you in faith won’t only take the form of the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations. I have other “faith” related products and services in the works. I will get more specific as they come closer to fruition. I believe you will also still see new things in the “education”, “creativity”, and “encouragement” categories as they are developed and put in place. They are all meant to be “tips, resources, gifts, and biblical truth” to help you through some struggle or circumstance in your life. I am looking forward to this new beginning and what God has in store for me in 2023 and beyond. I pray this will help me to focus more on God, His will, and heavenly things. I pray that this change will help me to be more heartfelt and purposeful in what I do with DUO Inspirations and that DUO Inspirations can help others make meaningful changes in their lives so that they can feel “renewed in their hearts and minds” as well. Note: A happy side effect in being more focused in doing God’s will and doing things more wholeheartedly, it helps SEO (search engine optimization) for DUO Inspirations, so that more people will see the site and can be encouraged. It is also the reason that you will see a more outlined post look now. (It feels kind of strange right now, because I am not used to writing in this way, but God is good. He will help me through it.) God Calls for Changes in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations:
So far, I have told you about some changes that God has called me to make personally and in DUO Inspirations as a whole. Now, I would like to talk with you about some changes in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations.
I have already mentioned one change, in that the form of the Faith Blog will look more like an outlined essay. It will have some subheadings and quotes that may stand out a little better. This outline style is not only meant to keep me more focused and make the blog post easier for you to read, but also it is better for the blog’s SEO. Yay! Another change I hope to add to the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations in 2023 is to host guest bloggers or to have guests in some way. This won’t happen every week or anything like that, but I do believe that “it takes a village” and that God works through others to help us on our journey. It is good to hear other people’s perspectives, outlooks, journeys, and testimonies. If you have read the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, you probably know already that my strategy was to mainly choose a verse and “ponder” it’s meaning throughout the post. I may still do more of that. However, I don’t believe it will be the only format for the posts. I am getting excited! Are you? I also hope to add a pin at the end of the Faith Blog posts for you to pin on your Pinterest boards. In that way, we can all help to bring others closer to God and encourage them through faith and the perspectives of other Christian people. Truth be told, I am not sure I know how to do that yet, but I believe it is a good idea. So, stay tuned for that development. LOL. Although the specific focus of DUO Inspirations and in turn the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations is geared towards helping “Christian women through difficult life circumstances and grow their faith…” the general focus of the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations has not changed. It is still meant to encourage you to read God’s word, to grow your faith, and to encourage you to have a closer relationship with Him. God’s Word:
There have been a few scripture quotes for this post. However, the driving scripture passage for the post is Ephesians 4:23-24 (KJV), which reads, “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” I say that, because it is a new year, a new beginning, and I feel the new heart and new mind that God is giving me. The whole point of the post is that God is guiding me to change and renewing “the spirit of [my] mind”. I yearn to show you some of these developments in my posts and business, as well as (if you know me) in my personal life. I believe that with a renewal in the spirit, comes a renewal in responsibility. In this case, as in the case of any Christian faith renewal, we are called to set worldly ways behind and focus only on God and His will. We are no longer “of the world”. So, we are called to no longer act in worldly ways, but in godly ways. One way to do that is to hold onto God’s Word and keep it as our compass and lifeboat in life. So, when life gets tough and we feel like slipping back into our worldly ways, something we can do to help us through the struggle is to remember God’s Word, even make a prayer out of God’s Word. To specifically make a prayer out of Ephesians 4:23-24, one might say something like: Heavenly Father, thank you for your comfort and guidance through your holy Word. Help me to know and feel the renewal you have given me in my mind, my heart, and my spirit. Let it act as my courage and obedience to continue to do your will, so that I can do your will, be closer to you, and portray your righteousness and holiness through my new outlook. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. Note: This is why I have been trying to include a prayer at the end of most of my posts. I try to model the idea of turning scripture into prayer to keep us focused on God. Also, I really do pray that encouraging you to read God’s Word and to build a relationship with Him, will have an impact on your life. The prayer is for me and for you. God bless. Now, it is your turn: I would enjoy hearing your thoughts about the new look of the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations and DUO Inspirations as a whole. I would also enjoy hearing your thoughts about blog topics and formats, especially if you have new ideas. Also, if you are a Christian blogger and would be interested in guest posting, please feel free to contact me. If you haven't done so already, please consider signing up below to receive the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations and other "faith" content in your inbox. Also, if you enjoyed this post, you may also want to read similar posts about: *Focus on God *Thankful Note: I don't do this often. However, since it is the beginning of a new year and I am making some changes, now is a good time to give you some of my other links, so you can keep up with me in other places. *DUO Inspirations on Pinterest *DUO Inspirations on Twitter *DUO Inspirations on Facebook *DUO Inspirations Bible Study and Faith Journey (Facebook group) 
Edited to Add: I don't know why this pin image doesn't work. (I think it might be because I added it after I originally published the post. I will try again next post and hopefully it will work.) if you have the answers, please feel free to contact me. Thank you.
“The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.” Proverbs 13:4 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you? I hope you had a blessed week. I have been writing on the topic of “thankfulness”. This may not be directly related to thankfulness. However, I can make a connection by saying that most people who are thankful for opportunities, work to use those opportunities to the fullest. Make sense? LOL. I hope so. Now, let’s look at Proverbs 13:4. It is a verse of comparing and contrasting those who work hard and those who are lazy. It is implied that both the sluggard and the diligent have dreams and wishes about their life. They both may have a wish list of things they want. They both may want things like a high sum of money, a good job, a nice house, a new car, and a dream lifestyle. They may both want great relationships with God, friends, and family members. I think we all have hopes, dreams, and desires at times. However, the difference comes in the amount of work that one is willing to put in to get the things they want. The first part of Proverbs 13:4 (KJV) says, “The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing:”. This makes sense. Those who are not willing to do anything won’t end up with much as a result. I know what you are thinking. Okay, maybe I don’t. But… you might be thinking that there are some people who are born into money and seem to get anything they want without lifting a finger. How does this verse fit into their life? Well, you might have a different thought, but I am thinking that even though they may not lift a finger for what they get, their heart may not be happy and satisfied with what they are getting. They may want to be out there making a difference. They may want to be out of the “castle”, so to speak, and to live like “the rest of the world”. We don’t know their heart’s desires. So, it is wrong to assume that they are getting what they desire, just because they are wealthy in monetary value and seem to be spoiled. So, does sluggard mean someone who does nothing at all? I don’t think this is necessarily true. I think sluggard could also means someone who does the least amount possible or those who try to find the easy way out. I think a sluggard might be someone who works hard for maybe a few days or weeks and expects to have as much as someone who has worked a lifetime. A sluggard might be someone who isn’t focused and who jumps from one thing to another to another and doesn’t work on one desire for very long. It is someone who ends up spinning their wheels and digging a rut, because of the lack of focus and diligence on one goal. I also think that we need to really look sometimes, because it might feel like we are being diligent, but we are really being more of a sluggard. In contrast, the last part of Proverbs 13:4 (KJV) states, “but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat”. To put this in simple terms, it means that those who work hard will reap a big reward for their efforts. This makes sense as well. Often times, people will give up before reaching their goal or chooses another goal thinking that their goal isn’t quite right. Yet, a diligent person will work at it and stick with something until achievement. Sometimes, a goal and its path need to be adjusted. However, a diligent person will know that and be willing to do that as well. I think a diligent person also makes allowances for various contingencies in order to get to the end goal. A diligent person might also be considered as someone who has “all their bases covered” so to speak. They especially know that prayer and a relationship with God is their best resource in choosing and working towards a goal. If we have goals that align with God’s will for us, we will be more apt to be able to achieve what we want as well. Being diligent might be a “mindset” as well as actual work. A diligent person might work “smart” as well as hard. He or she might utilize all the given resources and opportunities, including things like prayer, faith, courage, and obedience, as well as the actual physical work. Another thing to remember is that a diligent person keeps working even when he or she doesn’t see success. God might be showing them that they are really working for a more heavenly goal than the one they think they want. Just because a person may not be in a season of monetary wealth and may not feel successful, or may even be in a time of trials, doesn’t mean that he or she should give up. A diligent person will pray for guidance and keep on going in the direction God calls him or her to go. I have one last thought about Proverbs 13:4 and it’s message. I think that we can’t judge a book by its cover. We can’t necessarily look at someone and tell whether they are a sluggard or a diligent person. Remember the story of Mary and Martha. Martha was in the kitchen doing things and preparing things. She thought that Mary was being lazy in not helping her. However, Mary was doing something. She was listening, learning, and following Jesus. (Luke 10:38-42) Heavenly Father, Thank you for being our Provider, our Heavenly Father, and our Creator. Thank you for giving us a road map to follow and being our Guiding Light down the path of life. Help us to be the diligent person in life, instead of the sluggard. Help us to know that diligence isn’t just an act, but also a mindset. Help us to do our due diligence in heeding your Word and your will for us. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Proverbs 13:4 (KJV): *What does Proverbs 13:4 mean to me? *Am I a sluggard or a diligent person? *Do I seem to achieve my goals and get the desires of my heart? *Do I agree that diligence is a mindset as well as the act of working? *What other verse or verses remind me of Proverbs 13:4? *How can I better heed the words in Proverbs 13:4? If you enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy ponderings on: *Proverbs 22:13 *Proverbs 6:6-8 *2 Corinthians 13:5 Now, it is your turn: I am so thankful that you are here. In a post like this, please know that I am not judging. I offer these posts so we all can self-reflect on our own actions or inaction, pray, and ask for guidance from our loving Lord. I pray that God speaks to you and blesses you through this time of pondering and self-reflection. If you feel called to do so, please feel free to leave a comment or contact me. I am always looking for what you might want to ponder next. I enjoy digging deeper into God's Word. I hope you enjoy it with me. If you haven't done so, you might want to sign up below to receive the Faith Blog and other faith content in your inbox. In that way, you don't have to remember to come read it each week. By doing so, you will get a free download to help encourage you to dig deeper into God's Word. God bless. 
“When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.”
John 6:12 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you? I have been writing posts on the topic of thanksgiving during the month of November. At first glance, John 6:12 might not seem like a topic of thanksgiving. There is no word that resembles “thanks”, “thankfulness”, “thank you”, “thankful”, “giving thanks”, or “thanksgiving” in the verse. Yet, to me, it fits in so many ways. Let’s refresh our memory about what happened before this verse. Jesus just fed about or over five thousand people starting with five barley loaves and two small fish. (John 6:9-10) Now, we are hearing that there are leftovers. Before we dive into meaning and thoughts about John 6:12, let’s think about our food practices for a moment. How often do we forget that we have something in the fridge and it gets pushed aside just to spoil? How often do we have leftovers and not want to eat them, so we just throw them away? I don’t know about you, but Thanksgiving Day is a prime time to have leftovers. And, once we look into it and ponder it awhile, I think we will see that John 6:12 has more to do with thanksgiving than leftovers. So, what can we learn from the words in John 6:12? Well, from the first part of the verse we can see that the people were filled. It wasn’t just a snack or a crumb that Jesus gave the people to “hold them over” until they could eat again. They were filled! I have to wonder just how thankful everyone in the crowd was that Jesus gave them such a gift. I mean, not only did Jesus perform a miracle right in front of them, but also they got to eat of its bounty. It must have been an awesome experience! From the words in John 6:12, we can also tell how Jesus feels about wasting food. The Bible has a number of verses about not wasting things, so I am guessing that waste of any sort is not anything that Jesus likes. We can learn from this verse, that it isn’t good to be wasteful. Also, I think being wasteful is not a way to show thankfulness. Remember, Jesus gave thanks for the barley loaves and fish before they were multiplied. Did people give thanks after they were received? Would they have thrown away the leftovers if Jesus hadn’t told his disciples to go pick up them up? What do you do with your leftovers? I can’t help but think that maybe this verse is about more than food. I think we can look at it and also ponder how we look at everything God gives us. Are we wasteful about our home, our family, our vehicle, our friends, our possessions, our body, our land, or our time? Are we wasteful of our thoughts, emotions, spirit, presence, or life? Are we wasteful of our skills or talents? Are we wasteful of our impressions, expressions, guidance, or care? There are many ways to be wasteful. It isn’t just throwing away leftovers instead of eating them or forgetting that something was in the fridge and letting it go bad. Wasteful can be in many forms. It can be in the form of not keeping up the maintenance on your vehicle or not letting things get in a state of disrepair, so they don’t last as long as their potential duration. Being wasteful can come in the form of not valuing a person, their talents, or skills that God puts into your path. Wastefulness can come in the form of not embracing the “personal development” opportunities that God puts in front of you. I am thinking about all those times when God says to reach outside of our comfort zone and rely on Him and we say…. “No, we are too scared.” I am sure we could spend all kinds of time pondering about the meaning of wastefulness. There are so many ways to be wasteful! Now, let’s consider not only our own wastefulness, but also the wastefulness of those around us. Are we convicted for just our own wastefulness or are we also convicted for not trying to dissuade the wastefulness in others? It might seem like we are only convicted about our own wastefulness. After all, in Deuteronomy 24:16 (KJV) we read, “The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin.” That doesn’t sound like we are to be convicted for other people’s wastefulness. However, we also have verse like Colossians 3:16 which tells us to admonish one another and Hebrews 10:24 which tells us to provoke each other to do good things. So, maybe we are convicted if we don’t at least encourage others not to be wasteful or show them that it isn’t a good thing to do. Maybe we can even brainstorm ways to be less wasteful. And, of course it is always good to encourage each other to use our gifts, talents, blessings, resources, knowledge, thoughts, feelings, time, and life to the fullest. There is something else about John 6:12 that we can wonder. Do you know what it is? Are you wondering it too? We all know that God knows all and can do all. He knew how much each would eat. So, how come when He multiplied the fish and barley, He didn’t make just enough? I know I sometimes make extra on purpose, so that I can use it for multiple meals and in different ways. That way, I don’t always have to cook every meal. I can just pop something in the microwave. (Well, my hubby does most of the cooking, because I don’t care for cooking. But… I have cooked and have done that, and so does he.) But, it isn’t like the disciples were just going to gather the leftovers, wrap them in foil or plastic wrap, and put them in the fridge. They gathered the leftovers into baskets, which they would probably have to carry for quite a distance. So, why create the extra food, so that they would have to carry it? Obviously, we may not ever know the real answer to that. We might not even be called to question it. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if it wasn’t to teach us multiple things. Maybe it was as pragmatic as the fact that He knew that Jesus and the disciples would need food to eat later on. Maybe it was to tell us that it is okay to have leftovers and they should be valued as well as the original meal. The reason could be something above and beyond the pragmatic though. It could be that God wants to show us that when we give thanks, when we ask, and when we have faith, that He can and will give us even something even better and even more than what we ask. It could be to show us that He is an awesome God and cares for us and provides for us more than we can ever imagine. What do you think? Heavenly Father, Thank you for being such an awesome God. Thank you for creating us and for providing for us. Thank you for the meaning blessings, gifts, and resources you give us. Thank you for the love you have for us. Thank you for your Word and for your Son, Jesus. Help us to not be wasteful, but to be thankful and value the gifts you give us instead. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for John 6:12 (KJV): *What does John 6:12 mean to me? *What are all the ways it means to be wasteful? *Am I wasteful? *In what ways and in what areas of my life am I wasteful? *Do I encourage others to not be wasteful? *Am I thankful for the gifts and blessings God gives me? *What other verses remind me of John 6:12? *What other verses help me to understand John 6:12? *What can I do to better heed the words in John 6:12? If you liked this post, you may also like the following posts: *Colossians 3:17 *Ephesians 5:20 *Deuteronomy 8:18 *2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Now, it is your turn: I am thankful that you are here. I appreciate your kindness and support. I hope that you are enjoying the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations. If you are finding value with it, please feel free to share it with others. I look forward to reading your thoughts and comments. If you feel led, please feel free to leave a comment on the post. If you would like to contact me privately with questions, comments, requests, ideas, suggestions, prayer requests, praise reports, testimonies, or anything faith related, please feel free to do that. If you haven't done so already, you might find it helpful to sign up below to get the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations link sent right to your inbox each week. That will save you from trying to remember to come find it. Happy Thanksgiving! Have a great week! And... remember to be mindful about wasting. God bless. 
“And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” Colossians 3:17 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you? I am enjoying these posts on thankfulness. I hope you are enjoying them too. I don’t know about you, but God is convicting me and changing my heart as I research and write about these verses. I hope we all have a more thankful heart by the end of this month. In last week’s post, I pondered the words in Ephesians 5:20. You can read it here. The words in Ephesians 5:20 are quite similar to the words in Colossians 3:17. Let’s think about the reasons we do things for a moment. When we are children, many times we do things because our parents or teachers tell us to do them. Now, we may do things to please our spouse or to keep our jobs. We may do things to make our children happy or to help them. We might take care of ourselves better for our children, so we can be there for them longer. We might even do something just because we enjoy it. What are some of the reasons you do things? These are considered very good reasons. However, it may not be “THE reason” we are called to do things. We are called to focus on God, even more than on our parents, teachers, kids, bosses, or selves. God may ask us to do the same exact things. He may remind us of the love of our family and the righteousness in having integrity in our selves and in our job. Yet, we are called to do things “for Him” and in Jesus’ name. It is easy to think that we can do this or that for a family member, a friend, and an employer. We can “see” them and touch them physically. And, it may be easy to think that we are going to church or feeding the poor “for God” or in Jesus’ name. Although, we are called to do more “for God” and in Jesus’ name than just the “churchy” and “volunteer” type things. We are called to do ALL things for God and in Jesus’ name. So, what does that mean? It means that everything we do or say we do it for God and in Jesus’ name. Why am I trying to lose weight? I am trying to lose weight because God has asked me to be obedient and be healthier. Why am I writing this blog? I am writing this blog because God has called me to write it and to encourage others to read the Bible and pray more. Why do I try to be a good wife? God has called me to be a good wife. We are called to do every thing, from the most impressive and exciting to the most inconsequential and mundane, for God and in the name of Jesus. It may be more difficult for us to do things for God instead of for our family, for our friends, or for our boss. At first, we might not know that we are called to do things for God. However, once we do know, it can still be difficult. It might be so ingrained in us from our culture and upbringing to do things for those around us, that we might forget that we are called to do things for God. We might feel strange or afraid to say that we are doing things for God, while our culture still says to do things for those around us and for ourselves. Or, because we don’t physically see God and we do our family, it might be hard to remember to do things for God instead of those around us that we do physically see. Yet, the more we build a relationship with God and the more we get close to Him, the more apt we are to remember to put Him first and to do things for Him. We will pray in the morning and ask God what we can do for Him during the day. Then, we will be more apt to do each thing that we do or say for Him. Not only will we be more apt to do things for God, but we will also be more apt to do things better. After all, aren’t we more apt to do things better for those we love, for those we respect, for those we admire, and for those we want to impress? So, let’s look at Colossians 3:17 more closely, before I close this post. The first part of Colossians 3:17 (KJV) says, “And whatsoever ye do in word and deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus…”. I have touched on quite a bit of this already. (In the last post, I gave a link to a great explanation for doing things in the name of Jesus and what it means. You can read my last post here. However, in this post, I will ponder the words myself.) So, what does it mean to do things in the name of Jesus? We may all have our own answer to this. For me, it is doing something as Jesus has shown us to do, because He has called us to do it. It is doing something with Jesus’ power, strength, peace, or will. It is doing something because Jesus died on the cross for us and we are so thankful. It is doing something because we are Jesus’ brothers and sisters and we are called to the same mission of loving our Father in heaven and building His kingdom. It means doing something the way Jesus wants us to do it because we are proud to be on “team Jesus” and want to do everything we can to stop, put down, dismiss, and overcome “team devil”. I hope I said that well. What do you think? What do you think it means to do things in the name of Jesus? There is one last point to Colossians 3:17. Not only are we called to do everything in the name of Jesus for God, we are also called to do it while “giving thanks to God and the Father by him”. I know that some of the things we are called to do aren’t very fun. We might be called to do some very difficult, mundane, strenuous, emotional things during some times of hardship, displeasure, fear, and awkwardness. However, even then, we are called to do everything while giving thanks to God. (I gave more thought to the thankfulness while pondering Ephesians 5:20 in the last post. You can read it here.) For me, this seems like the most difficult part. We aren’t used to giving thanks in difficult times. What do you think? Heavenly Father, Thank you for your heavenly Word and your precious gift of Jesus, your only begotten Son. Thank you for showing us your will and guiding us through your Word and prayer. Help us to “remember” to do things for you and in the name of Jesus. Help us to focus on you, even more so than the loved ones that we can physically see. Help us to do all things for you and with you. And, help us to be thankful to you as we do the things we are called to do. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Colossians 3:17 (KJV): *What does Colossians 3:17 mean to me? *What does it mean to do all things for God? *Do I do all things for God? (If no, why not?) *What does it mean to do things in the name of Jesus? *Do I do things in the name of Jesus? (If not, why not?) *What does it mean to do everything while giving thanks to God? *How are we called to give thanks to God even in difficult times? *What other verses come to mind when I read Colossians 3:17? *What can I do to better heed the words in Colossians 3:17? Note: If you enjoyed this post, you may like the following similar posts: *Focusing on God *Giving thanks *Doing things in Jesus' name Now, it is your turn: I am so thankful that you are here. I feel blessed to be called to write the Faith Blog. I believe that we are called to encourage each other in the Word of God and to help each other through life. I hope that the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations encourages you to read the Word of God, to pray, and to put on the entire armor of God more than you do already. Lean on Him and let Him bless you. God bless. If you feel called to do so, please leave a comment. I am always interested in your thoughts, ideas, questions, and understanding surrounding God's Word and what we are called to do as Christians. Also, if you haven't done so already, please feel free to sign up below to receive the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations in your inbox. Then, you don't have to remember to check it each week. 
“Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;” Ephesians 5:20 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you? As I mentioned last week, I thought it would be a nice idea to have a group of “thankfulness” posts this November, since we think of November as the month of thanksgiving. Last week’s post was on Psalms 105:1. You can read it here, if you haven’t already. This week’s verse is Ephesians 5:20. In Ephesians 5, Paul writes lists of things we should and shouldn’t do as Christians. One of those things that we should do is to give thanks to God, as we see in Ephesians 5:20. In the previous verse (Ephesians 5:19), we are called to do things such as “speaking to [ourselves] in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in [our} heart to the Lord;”. So, are these things suggested ways to “give thanks” to God or other things on the list of things to do? How do you give thanks to God? I think that Ephesians 5:19 can be taken in both ways. I think that singing psalms and God’s praises can be one way that we give thanks to God. I think that any time we thank God, show Him appreciation, rely on Him, testify of His love, and give Him the glory; we are giving thanks to God. Although, if we look closely, Ephesians 5:20 tells us more than to “give thanks to God”. It also tells us to give thanks “always” for “all things” unto God. Hmmm. Being called to “give thanks to God” might sound easy enough to do, especially as you are growing in faith and knowing that we have so much about which to give Him thanks. However, giving thanks “always” and for “all things” might sound more difficult. So, are we called to say “thank you God for…, thank you God for…, thank you God for…, thank you God for…, every minute of every day about every thing that we experience whether it is good or bad? You might have a different perspective on it, but I think it is taking it too literally and out of context. I think it is good to realize that we have so much about which to thank God, including for our life, skills, talents, world, friends, family, and so much more. It is good to realize that the things “we accomplish” and the things “we do” couldn’t be done without God. We are His creations and He has created us to be able to do the things we can do. So, yes, I think God wants us to learn to be humble and thank Him, giving Him the credit instead of taking the credit for ourselves. And, just as most of us would thank someone for a gift or a kindness, we are also called to thank God for gifts and kindnesses. Okay. Being thankful often might be something we can learn to do. But… are we really called to give thanks for all the bad things we experience too? My thought? I think we remember that God doesn’t “give us” all the bad things. However, He does help us through them. And, He uses them as “teaching tools” and uses them to “help us grow closer to Him”. So, I think we need to be thankful, even in difficult times. However, I think we need to watch what we say and how we say it. For example, if we have a car accident, I don’t think we would say, “thank you for this accident”. God didn’t make us or give us an accident. I think we would rather say something like, “thank you for helping me through this accident. Help me to be thankful that it wasn’t worse. Use it to help me get closer to you”. There is one thing more that we are called to do in Ephesians 5:20. We are called to give thanks in Jesus’ name. I found a post by Pastor JD Greear that explains this part very well. Please, click here to read it. Heavenly Father, Thank you for being our Heavenly Father. Thank you for giving us your Son to be, not only our Lord and Savior, but also our ultimate role model and guide to you. Help us to heed your calling to give you thanks always and help us to do so no matter our circumstances. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Ephesians 5:20 (KJV): *What does Ephesians 5:20 mean to me? *How do I give thanks to God? *What does it mean to give thanks to God always? *What does it mean to give thanks to God in all things? *Do I really have to give thanks for “bad things” too? *What does it mean to give thanks to God in the name of Jesus? *What other verse or verses remind me of Ephesians 5:20? *How can I better heed the words in Ephesians 5:20? Note: If you enjoyed this post, you may enjoy one of these posts as well: *Do We Claim to be Self-made or God-made? *3 Things We are Called to do in Psalms 105:1 Now, it is your turn: I am so glad you are here. I hope you are enjoying the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations. If you feel led, please feel free to comment or contact me. I look forward to reading what you have to say. May God bless you and guide you. If you haven't done so already, you may want to sign up below to receive the Faith Blog and other faith content in your inbox. I am happy to add you to my list of subscribers. Take care. 
“O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.”
Psalms 105:1 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you? Since this is the month of Thanksgiving, I thought it would be nice to write some posts on thankfulness. I think Psalms 105:1 asks us to go all out in our thankfulness. Psalms 105 highlights some of the key parts of Jewish history and the many reasons they have to be thankful. The psalm points out some of the wonderful and miraculous things that God has done for His people. It was written by King David and sung at the time when the ark was being brought back to Jerusalem. So, it was sung at a very special and joyous time. Psalms 105:1 kind of reminds me of show and tell in a kindergarten class. It is fun to watch a child bring in a treasured belonging from home and share it with the class. He or she often has such an excitement and sense of value when sharing his or her item. Sometimes, it is a new gift that was recently received. Just by listening to the child, you can tell that he or she is thankful and values the blessing. Children often show an all out exuberance and thankfulness for something they receive that they treasure. I can just picture a young child’s eyes lighting up, while he or she jumps up and down with excitement when seeing the gift for the first time, and him or her running to the gift bearer, and with a big hug, saying “Thank you, thank you, thank you. This is what I have always wanted. I love you.” It is interesting that little children often don’t hold back their emotions. It is only as we grow older, that we learn to hold back in the name of being dignified. It is good to have self-control. However, in things like love, worship, praise, and thanksgiving to God, we are often called not to hold back. We owe God everything, even our life, as we couldn’t be here without Him, so thanksgiving, praise, love, and worship should be more ingrained and forthcoming without holding anything back. Nothing is too good for our God, for our Creator, for our Heavenly Father. Psalms 105:1 calls us to do three things: give thanks to God, call upon His name, and testify to others what God has done. Let’s ask ourselves if we do this. Our answers will vary, of course, but we could probably all work on doing all three better. The way we give thanks to God, the way we call upon His name, and the way we testify to others might look different for each one of us. It might also look different each time we do these things. For instance a shy person might not get up in front of a congregation to testify about what God has done for him or her, but may tell a friend during a quiet outing. It’s okay to be different. God made us all different and we are all called to have a personal relationship with God. We aren’t called be the same or to do things the same. One last thing about Psalms 105:1, that isn’t explicitly stated in the verse, but I think we are called to do is to give God the credit. I think the “make known his deeds among the people” part of the verse could be a reminder for us that God gave us life, gave us our talents, gave us our minds, gave us our hearts, gave us our strength, gave us our opportunities, gave us so many things. We often forget that we couldn’t have this or that or couldn’t do this or that without God. We sometimes talk about things as if they are our accomplishments and don’t give God proper acknowledgement and thanks for able to do these things. Heavenly Father, Thank you for being our Creator, our Provider, our God, and our Heavenly Father. Help us to be thankful, to praise your name, and to testify to others what you have done for us. Help us to act according to your will and in a way that others will glorify you because of the way we act, speak, and glorify you. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Psalms 105:1 (KJV): *What does Psalms 105:1 mean to me? *How do I imagine that it looked like when this psalm was first sung? *Which part of Psalms 105:1 do I do most often? *Which part of Psalms 105:1 do I do the least? *What can I do to better heed the words in Psalms 105:1? *What is God telling me through the words in Psalms 105:1? *What other verse or verses remind me of Psalms 105:1? Note: If you enjoyed this post and would like to read another on a similar topic, please press the following link. *Thankfulness/Giving God the credit Now, it is your turn: Thank you for being here. I pray that God blesses you in some way. If you feel called, please leave a comment and/or share the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations with someone. I believe that we can all share and learn from each other. I also believe that we are called to encourage each other in God's Word and God's ways. If you haven't done so already, you may want to sign up below to receive the Faith Blog and other Faith content in your inbox. Until next time, God bless! 
“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.”
Matthew 22:37 (KJV) Hi friend, How are you? We often hear how much God loves us and He does love us so much. However, do we think about and talk about how we should love God? We are not only called to love God, but also commanded to love Him. And, of course, we are given free choice as to whether or not we will follow through and obey that command. Before we look more closely at the words in Matthew 22:37, let’s ponder the word “love” and what a “godly love” might look like. When you think of a godly love, what kinds of thoughts, feelings, and actions come to mind? If you were playing a word association game, what sort of words would come to mind when you think about godly love? I ask these questions, because it seems to me that it is difficult to talk about a verse highlighting love, without calling to mind what it means to love. Some of the things that come to mind when I think about a godly love are: *A deep care about how others are feeling and doing *A strong willingness to help others and lift them up when we can *Faithfulness to those we love and not abandoning them *Trusting that our loved ones love us and want the best for us *Being trustworthy, so that others can depend on the fact that we love them *Being joyful that our loved ones are a part of our life *Being thankful for all our loved ones do for us *Seeking to do things with and for those we love This is not an exhaustive list of what love may look like and how we show love. What are some things that come to you mind when you think about showing godly love? Now, let’s look at what Jesus tells us through the words in Matthew 22:37. Notice that the love we are to have for God isn’t just a fleeting love in a certain way. Notice that it isn’t a partial love. We are called to love God with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind. First, Jesus tells us that we are to love God with all our heart. To me, the heart is the center of our feelings and emotions. To me, we are to have an emotional love for and connection with God. He is not to be considered a stranger, but someone close and familiar. Think of the love you have for your closest friend or closest family member. Think about how it pulls at your heart strings when that person is feeling down and how it fills you with joy when that person is happy. Think about how you feel when you get to spend time with your loved one, and how happy you feel to share that time together. Do you have that same love for God? Second, Jesus tells us that we are to love God with all our soul. To me, our soul is the deepest and truest part of ourselves. It is what we have when we peel the shell of our body away. It is the part of us that may sometimes be hidden from ourselves or from others, but never from God. However, sometimes it is thought of as an entire being as in mind, body, and spirit. We may think of this kind of love as “with every fiber of our being”. Third, Jesus tells us that we are to love God with all our mind. To me, “with our mind” can mean two kinds of things. In one way, it can mean that we are just saying that we love someone. We love them intellectually, but not emotionally. We don’t really have a bond with them, but knowledge of a love, a kindness, or a friendship. It can also mean a logical trust, faithfulness, and even companionship that come with loving someone. I think it also encompasses the understanding that if we love someone, we will treat them with respect, spend time with them, help them, do things for them, care about them, etc. Matthew 22:37 is such a deep and wonderful verse. In a way, it describes our purpose and meaning in life in one sentence. It is also a one sentence guide to how we should live our life, because if we do this all other things will fall into place. It is also a very personal command, because each one of us will have a different life, a different love, and a different relationship with God. I encourage you to go out and live your most fulfilled, most lively, and most loving life you can, according to God’s will for you. Love God with your whole being, in the most full, most giving, most meek, and most honest way possible. Heavenly Father, Thank you for being our Creator and Heavenly Father. Thank you for loving and providing for us. Help us to love and appreciate you with our whole beings as well. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Matthew 22:37 (KJV): *What does Matthew 22:37 mean to me? *What does love mean to me? *What does loving God with my whole heart mean to me? Do I do it? *What does loving God with my whole soul mean to me? Do I do it? *What does loving God with my whole mind mean to me? Do I do it? *What other verses remind me of Matthew 22:37? *How can I better heed the words in Matthew 22:37? *What message is God giving me through Matthew 22:37? Note: If you like this post on "love", you may also like these other posts on "love". *How Do You Show Jesus You Love Him? *Do You Reflect the Love of God? *Do You Practice Pure Religion? Now, it is your turn: I am so thankful that you are here. I hope you are encouraged to pray and read God's Word more through reading the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations. I pray God has a message for you in each post. If you find value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please feel free to share it with others, so they can have the opportunity to find value as well. Please, if you feel called, feel free to leave a comment or contact me. I look forward to your thoughts and questions regarding God's Word, the Faith Blog, prayer requests, praise reports, testimonies, and suggestions. Also, if you haven't done so already, you may want to consider signing up below to receive the Faith Blog and other faith content in your inbox. 
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”
Isaiah 26:3 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you today? Before I talk about Isaiah 26:3 specifically, I want to discuss some concepts that go with the verse. Let’s first think about having a “one-tracked” mind. Have you ever had a one-tracked mind? You know the sort, when you are hyper focused on something and right or wrong, once you have it in your head to do something a specific way, nothing can stand in your way. I have experienced that before in myself and in others. I know that when I am focused on something that strongly, I can forget all that is around me. I could forget that I have water boiling on the stove or forget that my husband is in the room and not hear him ask me a question. Our brains are “funny” in that way. Think about the “placebo effect”. If people believe enough, often sugar pills can help as much as the “real” medicine or cure for something. The mind is focused on the fact that it will work. It believes. It trusts that it will work. Another thing to think about is the “power of thought”, especially the “power of positive thinking”. If we think positively, often times positive things happen. If we think negatively, often times negative things happen. I find it interesting that we bring up these principles to encourage each other when we are down. We often believe these sentiments as true and good. We think we are doing good to encourage others with these things. And, many times, we do feel a certain amount of encouragement. They do seem to help us many times when we are down. Yet, these are worldly sentiment. None of it gives credit to God. None of it gives us what God can give us. Now, let’s look at Isaiah 26:3 and ponder it a while. The first part of Isaiah 26:3 (KJV) reads, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace”. When do we need peace or think about needing peace? It is when we are troubled, anxious, frustrated, confused, angry, depressed, or scared that we need to be reassured that God can give us peace. We also need peace when we are sinful and do the wrong things. We may feel sorry, ashamed, or self-conscious. We need the peace of knowing that we are forgiven, wiped clean, and back on the right path. We need to know we are not in conflict with each other, with ourselves, or with God. This is the type of peace that God can offer. It is a peace in our heart, not just in our mind, that He loves us and will keep us safe. (It might not be a worldly safe at times, but it is a heavenly safe. It will be in His arms and not lost or out of His sight.) God’s peace is more than just a lack of fighting and turmoil. It is a heavenly peace that touches more than our mind and heart. It touches us deeply within in our spirit. It seems to me that when we fear something, it is the not knowing or worry that we really fear. Often, I fear trying new things. It isn’t really the fear of trying new things that really bother me, it is more that I fear making mistakes, wasting materials, or getting into trouble. I fear flying. It isn’t really that I fear flying, but more that I fear crashing and dying. I fear dying, but it isn’t so much that I fear dying. It is more that I fear not knowing what it will be like or being afraid that I won’t be with God in heaven. (These fears come and go depending on how I am feeling. My mind knows that I have nothing to fear, because I believe in God and love Him. My heart isn’t always as calm as my mind. My spirit isn’t always at peace.) See how our fear can seem to be one thing but really another? God can help us. He can give us a peace, but not just any peace, a heavenly and perfect peace. The middle part of Isaiah 26:3 (KJV) reads, “…whose mind is stayed on thee…”. That is the person who will get the perfect peace from the first part of the peace, the person whose mind is focused on God. That is why it is good to have some Bible verses committed to memory, so we can remember the inspirational and helpful words God gave us. It is the reason why we should be in the habit of praying about every little thing, so when we are upset it will almost be second nature to pray about it and to ask God for help. Let’s go back to what I was saying earlier about being super focused on something. When we are super focused on someone or something, we get tuned in to just that person or thing. We tune out and sometimes even forget other things and people around us. The more we focus on God, His Word, and His love for us, the more at peace we begin to feel. The more we do this, the more we yearn for a relationship with Him, and the more we grow to feel and understand these things more deeply. As we do that, the stronger and more real our peace becomes. So, when we are down or afraid or have any number of negative emotions, we have two choices. We can focus on the fear and negative emotions or we can focus on God. Which would you rather do? Now, it might sound simple to just say, “Focus on God.” Well, it is not always that simple. It can be one of the more difficult things to do amongst some strong emotions and tumultuous situations. However, the more we do it, the more God will change our hearts, and the easier it will become. The last part of Isaiah 26:3 (KJV) says, “…because he trusteth in thee”. If we didn’t believe in God, if we didn’t trust God’s love and faithfulness, we wouldn’t put in the time or the effort to get to know Him or to focus on Him. We didn’t believe that He could give us perfect peace. We wouldn’t love Him and yearn to be close to Him. May God give you and may you accept His heavenly peace, my friends. Heavenly Father, Thank you for being our Heavenly Father and for wanting the best for us. Thank you for giving us your protection, comfort, guidance, and love. Help us to focus only on you. Help us to remember your words and promise of peace, especially in times of fear and tribulation. Help us to feel and accept your heavenly peace that you want to give us. I ask you this through Jesus, your Son. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Isaiah 26:3 (KJV): *What does Isaiah 26:3 mean to me? *What does “perfect peace” mean to me? *How is God’s peace different from worldly peace? *Have someone I know or I ever been super focused? What has it felt like? *Do I trust God? *What can I do to better heed the words in Isaiah 26:3? *What other verses remind me of the message in Isaiah 26:3? *What is God telling me right now through Isaiah 26:3? Note: If you enjoyed this post, you may enjoy the following posts on similar topics. *Fear *Peace/Peacemakers Now, it is your turn: Thank you for being here. I appreciate your kindness and support. I pray you are enjoying and finding value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations. If you do, please feel free to share the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations with your friends and family. They may enjoy it and find value in it as well. Also, if you haven't done so already, you may want to sign up below and get the free gift as well. You will also receive the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations and other faith content in your inbox. I welcome your thoughts, questions, comments, ideas, and requests. Please, feel free to comment below or contact me. Thank you and God bless. 
“Teach me good judgment and knowledge: for I have believed thy commandments.”
Psalms 119:66 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you? Today we look at a verse from one of the longest psalms and the longest chapter of the Bible. It also contains a topic of prayer about which I pray quite often. I have read the Bible quite a few times. However, each time I learn something else. God uses His word to speak to us all. He has the same basic commandments for all of us. Yet, God does use His Word to speak a different message to each of us. He may also speak a different message to each of us each time we read His Word. One would think that once we read His Word and study His commandments, that we would “know it” and wouldn’t need to ask for knowledge or good judgment. Unfortunately, that is just not true. We need to continually as for knowledge and good judgment. We are human and don’t always “remember” or follow through with what is right. So, let’s take a look a Psalms 119:66 a little closer. There are three statements and topics in Psalms 119:66. Let’s start with the last part of Psalms 119:66 (KJV) which reads, “…for I have believed thy commandments”. If we don’t believe that God’s Word is the right way to live, if we don’t trust God, if we don’t believe that we are to do as God calls us to do, we might as well not ask Him to give us good judgment or knowledge. Sometimes we may say that we believe, but our actions are different than our words. Our actions don’t match what is written in God’s Word. That has happened since the second human was created. Our nature of sin is the reason we need to pray the first part of this verse. There are two main groups of people in the world, believers and nonbelievers. (There are also “on the fence” people.) Once we realize and admit, especially to God, that we are believers, than we can go on to the first two parts of Psalms 119:66. In the second part of Psalms 199:66, the psalmist is asking God to teach him knowledge. To me, there are different levels of knowledge. When we learn math as a kindergarten student for example, we learn things like identifying numbers, adding and subtracting numbers up to ten, counting by ones and fives and tens, and the basic coins. Those are the types of things a kindergarten student can know and understand. Asking a kindergarten student to solve long algebraic equations would be wrong. No matter how much a kindergarten student tries, he or she couldn’t have the knowledge to solve such a difficult problem. The same goes with God’s Word. Every time we read God’s Word, we may have a new understanding. We may have more knowledge and be able to understand it’s meaning a little better. Sometimes we go through the motions of reading God’s Word, but don’t take the time to take it in, study it, or pray about it. We may know God’s Word on one level, but not to the extent that we could with more study and prayer. We might know the words in our mind, but not know the words in our heart. This brings us to the first part of Psalms 119:66 (KJV) which reads, “Teach me good judgment…”. As I mentioned earlier, it is one thing to know the difference between right and wrong, but it is another thing to actually follow through and do what is right. This is the part of the verse where we acknowledge the fact that we are sinners and need to ask God to help us good judgment often. Satan has a way of giving us temptations and trying to get us to go down the wrong road each day. So, praying for help in having good judgment needs to be something that is continual instead of a one-time thing. The first time we pray, we might learn how to have good judgment when one problem comes up. However, we might not have the strength to make a good judgment the second time it comes up. We may also not know how to make a good judgment when a different problem arises. To me, Psalms 119:66 is a prayer that we can pray always. Like other verses in God’s Word, we can learn something new from it as we grow in our faith, our relationship with God, our knowledge, and also grow in our abilities to do things such as make good decisions. Each time we grow in knowledge and faith in God, we can know God’s Word on a higher level. We can know His Word and know the knowledge in our hearts as well as our minds. Heavenly Father, Thank you for your precious Word. Help us to pray the words in your Word and seek the wisdom you want to share with us continually. Help us to have faith in you and trust in you always. Help us to not only know your Word, but also to reflect upon it in order to make good judgments. Give us the strength to do what is right and follow your Word and way for us, I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Psalms 119:66 (KJV): *What does Psalms 119:66 mean to me? *Why must we continually pray for knowledge? *Why must we continually pray for the ability to make good judgments? *What is the difference between judgment and knowledge? *Do I trust God’s Word? Do I show it? *What can I do to better heed the words in Psalms 119:66? *What message is God giving me right now through Psalms 119:66? Note: If you enjoyed this post, you may like similar posts on the same topics. *Knowledge *Prayer Now, it is your turn: Thank you for being here. I appreciate your kindness and support. I pray that you find God talking to you through the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations. If you are finding value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please feel free to share it with others, so that they might find value as well. If you would like me to address a specific topic or verse, please feel free to contact me. I welcome all comments, questions, ideas, thoughts, and requests regarding God's Word and growing our faith. Please, feel free to share prayer requests, testimony, and praise reports as well. And, if you haven't done so already, please consider signing up below so you can receive the Faith Blog and other faith content in your inbox. Thank you. God bless. |
Hi friends!
This is Jodi. I am so glad you are here! I am a Christian and life-long learner. I enjoy sharing and encouraging others. I pray you are blessed by this blog. Thank you for being here. Archives
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