“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap”
Galatians 6:7 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you? Today, I want to talk about times when people have said, “Don’t touch this or you will be in trouble.” Or, maybe they said, “Don’t cross this line or you will be sorry.” Then, nothing happened. It is like bullies were warning us to get us scared, hoping that we wouldn’t call their bluff. These bullies like to manipulate the truth to get others to do what they want. They want to mock others for being afraid of them. They want to keep us down, so they feel strong. However, when people call the bully’s bluff, they may jeer at the bully, “I touched it. I touched it”, because they touched it and nothing happened. Or, they crossed the line and nothing happened. So, the bully is then mocked. The bully didn’t have the strength or courage to follow through with his or her threats. With this image and frame of mine, let’s now look at Galatians 6:7. The first part says, “Be not deceived.” That is don’t be mistaken. God can definitely follow through with whatever He says will happen. God has infinite power. God does not trick or manipulate people to get His way. God tells the truth. God is truth. The second part of the verse says, “God in not mocked.” In other words, God will follow through with whatever He says He will do. There will be no, “I touched it, I touched it,” from sinners who thought they got away with something. We may “think” we are getting away with things, because our consequences don’t always come immediately. They come in God’s time, not in the time we always think they will come. For example, if we are told we are going to gain weight if we eat something and then don’t gain weight immediately, we may think that we got away with something. However, what we may not know is that it is probably working unseen negative effects on the body and we will end up gaining weight in the long run because of it. Another example might be, if we smoke after being told it causes cancer and we don’t get cancer right away, we might feel like we got away with something. However, what we might not realize is that sometimes it takes time for the effect of the nicotine to take hold and the cancer to start. It might also be that the cancer is starting inside the body, but we can’t see it yet. No matter what the unhealthy action and sin we may do, we must not think we “got away with something” if our consequences don’t come immediately. Our consequences may not even come during our time on earth, but we will be judged on whatever we do. Our consequences or rewards will come eventually, in this life or in eternity. The last part of Galatians 6:7 (KJV) says, “for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” When consequences don’t come immediately, we may forget or not believe that they will come. Yet, again, God doesn’t lie. He tells the truth and is truth. Even if we forget about them, the consequences are coming. It may also be that the consequences are put to us in worldly terms, but the consequences are according to God’s law and not worldly law. For example, we may “steal something” and not get caught. So, we won’t go to jail and “pay” for the crime. So, we may think that we “got away with something”. However, that is worldly law. God still knows that we stole something and He will still give us His consequences. If we do good things and follow God’s Word, we will reap the rewards He promises. On the other hand, if we sin and don’t heed God’s Word, we will reap the consequences He promises as well. Even if we don’t see the rewards or consequences in this life, we can be sure that we will see them in eternity. As it says in the beginning of the verse, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked.” Heavenly Father, Thank you for your Word. Thank you for the truth and direction you give us. Help us to heed your words and to remember that consequences and rewards are coming according to your Word, even if they don’t come in the time we may expect. We ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Galatians 6:7 (KJV): *What does Galatians 6:7 mean to me? *About what does Galatians 6:7 make me think? *How can I relate Galatians 6:7 to a situation in today’s world? *What do I need to do to better heed the words in Galatians 6:7? Now, it is your turn. I am so glad that you are here. I appreciate your kindness and support. I feel blessed to write the Faith Blog. I feel God has called me to do so. I pray before I write and trust God to give me the words and message that He wants written. I pray you are blessed by it also. If you are finding value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please feel free to share it with your family and friends. Also, if you haven't done so, please consider signing up below to receive the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations and other faith content in your inbox. I look forward to your thoughtful comments. Please, feel free to comment below or to contact me.
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“Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.”
Proverbs 16:24 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you? I hope you are well. There are many verses in the Bible about the power of words. Yet, do we really think about that power in our every day lives? Words must be powerful, after all, God spoke the world into existence. Words can be powerful in a negative and in a positive way, depending on what we say and how we say it. Yet, in the case of Proverbs 16:24, words can make a powerful and positive difference. Let’s look at the first part of Proverbs 16:24, “Pleasant words are as an honeycomb…”. As important as words are to God and how powerful He knows them to be, there must be a reason that the word “honeycomb” was chosen over the word “honey”. So, I did some research about honey versus honeycomb. It seems that as one may expect, honeycomb and the honey within it is healthier for you than the honey we buy from the store. It is in its natural element and how God made it to be, instead of processed and extracted. Honey has many, many nutrients and is good for us in so many ways, but honeycomb has even more and is even better for us. When we speak, do we take time to think about whether we are using “pleasant” words or not? Let’s look at the word “pleasant” for a moment. What does pleasant mean? I think we can all agree that hearing a loved one tell us that they love us is pleasant. I think sometimes, other things might get a little cloudy in our mind as to whether or not it is “pleasant” or not. For example, if you tell someone who has on a hat that you do not like, that they have a “beautiful hat” and you like how it looks on them, is that considered “pleasant words”? Some people may say “yes” because the words seem nice, polite, and even encouraging. Yet, is it really pleasant and encouraging when we are told lies, no matter how nicely they are put? I don’t know about you, but I would rather know the truth. I would like it to be said as nicely as possible, but I would rather hear the truth, so that I know that I can trust that person with other things. (Whether or not a hat is liked or not seems like it is of no real consequence, but if someone lies with little things, will they lie about bigger things?) We can dislike something and still say something nice that is honest and more meaningful like, “That hat isn’t my style, but if you like it, I am glad you are wearing it.” (The latter is not only honest, but it also acknowledges that people have different styles, and encourages people to be themselves.) Even if we are rebuked for doing something that goes against God’s will for us in a kindly way, it can be pleasant for us in the most “heavenly” use of the word. We want to do our best for God and to serve Him in the way that He calls us to do so. We want to be close to God and to receive the gifts and love He has for us. To me, it isn’t only the words that are called to be pleasant, but the way we speak the words as well. Words as simple as “yes” and “no”, can be spoken in a nasty tone or demeanor, or a pleasant tone and demeanor. The words still have the same meaning, “yes” means “yes” and “no” means “no”. However, they can help or hurt, in the manner in which they are spoken. For example, in Proverbs 15:1 (KJV), God tells us, “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.” I think most of us have probably experienced both “soft words” and “grievous words” and can understand the difference. Now, that we have pondered the meaning of “pleasant words” for a while, let’s look at the second part of Proverbs 16:24 (KJV), “…sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.” Can you imagine that every time you speak, you have the power to bring someone sorrow, hardship, depression, anger, sadness, and even ill health or death or you have the power to bring encouragement, truth, love, kindness, happiness, empathy, or even heath and life? That is a huge consideration and responsibility. Yet, God wouldn’t have told us this if it wasn’t important for us to learn. I know that for me, it makes a difference how and what people speak to me. Encouragement and truth have empowered me and brought me joy, while mean words and lies have hurt and discouraged me. Can you relate? Many of us have heard, “Don’t say things in anger” or “think before you speak”. The words in Proverbs 16:24 is a good reason for these sayings. The question is, “Will we understand the importance and heed these words?” Heavenly Father, Thank you for your heavenly love and direction. Thank you for the message and instructions you gave us through Proverbs 16:24. Help us to understand the power of our words and help us to speak “pleasant words” to each other, so that our words will be “sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.” Also, help us to realize that when we heed your words, we glorify you. * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Proverbs 16:24 (KJV): *What does Proverbs 16:24 mean to me? *Do I think before I speak? *Do I speak “softly” and with “pleasant words”? *Do I understand the power of words? *How can I better heed God’s words in Proverbs 16:24? Now, it is your turn. I am so glad you are here. I pray that God is encouraging you and making the words in the Faith Blog to be "sweet to the soul, and health to the bones" for you. I also pray that these words help you to read and ponder God's Word for yourself. If you are finding value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please consider sharing it with others. Your friends, family, and church members may be happy you did. Also, 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. You will also receive the free gift of "5 Reflective Questions to Delve Deeper into God's Word" as my thank you gift. I look forward to reading your thoughts, comments, prayer request, prayers, questions, and suggestions. Hopefully, they are said in "pleasant words", but I look forward to them. Feel free to comment below or contact me. Thank you for your support and kindness. I appreciate it. 
“Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house.”
Proverbs 24:27 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you? Are you a planner? Some people like to plan and some people do not. However, we are often called to plan. Let’s look at Proverbs 24:27 for an example. It seems to be instruction on literally making a house, which it could possibly be. Yet, I believe it is good advice for many situations. The first part of Proverbs 24:27 (KJV) says, “Prepare thy work without”. In a physical sense, like in building a house, you have to do some of the preparations before you can even bring the materials to the home site. You have to cut the trees, mill the lumber, make the floor plans, and things like that before you can even think about starting to actually build a house. (We may not cut down our own trees and mill our own wood any more, but it still fits.) We can look at it in a spiritual and emotional way as well. We often have dreams and ideas that we find desirable. Sometimes, though, we leap before we look. Before we get all excited to the point of really, really wanting something, it is good to do some thinking and some research. Once we internalize things and feel passionate about it, we often do not want to turn back or listen to reason. We just want it. If we look at the second part of Proverbs 24:27 (KJV), it says, “and make it fit for thyself in the field…”. In our house building experience, that is in keeping with milling, cutting, and planing the lumber before you bring it to the house site. There are reasons not to bring it to the house site first. There are practical reasons, such as it belongs at the mill or you don’t want to spend extra gas money bringing to the house and then taking it to the lumber mill. You may also not want the lumber under foot while you are digging and pouring the foundation. The same considerations can be made in our spiritual and emotional examples. For example, we want to keep things in their place. We want to keep work things at work and home things at home and not let stress build up between them. We can also think about what fits for our life and our situation at the moment. Just because someone else does it one way, doesn’t mean that it is the way we need to go. Our “fit” might not be the same as someone else’s “fit”. This is the same for physical fit, emotional fit, financial fit, spiritual fit, social fit, time fit, talent fit, and other kinds of “fit”. So, before we take on things we may really want to do or are asked to do by others, we need to consider our “fit” for it. Now, let’s look at the third part of Proverbs 24:27 (KJV). It says, “…and afterwards build thine house.” Does this sound a little like, “don’t put the cart before the horse”? Or, maybe it sounds like, “There is a time and place for everything.” All these verses are not only good advice, but biblically based, which is what we want in our life. Whether we are building a house or reading God’s Word, or anything in between, we can heed the words in Proverbs 24:27. We talked about the building of the house and that we need to research what it entails, make the plans, draft the floor plan, and get the supplies ready, before we even start to build the house. It is the same with reading God’s Word. We need to sit quietly, prepare our hearts, make sure we have time to read, and then read, study, and pray God’s Word. It is then, that we are ready to internalize it and accept God’s gift of making it a reality in our life. Maybe that last part is the point when we ask God for something that seems good, but we don’t seem to get it. We may “WANT” something, but God may know that we are not ready to accept His gift of it. We may need to “prepare our work without and make it fit for ourselves in the field” first. Before I close, I want to consider another way we can think of these words. We know that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. So, let’s consider that as “our house”. Wholesome food is grown in the garden and not in a laboratory. We prepare a field for gardening and make sure the soil is fertile. We plant the seeds and work the gardens. We also harvest the food and wash it, before we end up eating it so it can nourish us. We can’t eat it before we do all the other things and we shouldn’t eat it, if it isn’t from God, like the wholesome foods from a garden. After all, the verse doesn’t say, “prepare it in a laboratory”. I don’t know. It might be a reach to look at it in this way. However, I pray before I write and God brought the thought to my mind. I think it can fit. Does it “fit” for you? Heavenly Father, Thank you for being our Heavenly Father and for loving us the way you do. Thank you for giving us guidance in the way we should live. Help us to take time to plan things out, research, and set a firm foundation, before we internalize it and go forward with our plans. You know what is a “fit” for us and when, but help us to lean on you and to follow YOUR plan instead of our own in your timing. Help us to ready ourselves to receive and accept your gifts, instead of just getting impatient if we don’t get what we want right away. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Proverbs 24:27 (KJV): *What does Proverbs 24:27 mean to me? *What does “prepare thy work without” mean to me? *What does “and make it fit for thyself in the field” mean to me? *What is God trying to teach me with Proverbs 24:27? *How can I better live my life to heed the words in Proverbs 24:27? Now, it is your turn. I am so thankful you are here. I pray that you find value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations. I value your thoughts. Please, feel free to leave a comment and let me know your thoughts. If you do find value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share it with friends, family, and church family members. Let us all strengthen each other in God's Word. Also, if you haven't done so already, please consider signing up below to receive the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations and other faith content. If you do, you will also receive a free gift as my thank you to you. I appreciate your kindness and support. 
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
2 Chronicles 7:14 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you? Today’s verse, 2 Chronicles 7:14, is a long one with many parts to it. In researching and praying about the verse, I have found that there are many interpretations of the verse. As always, I pray that you read God’s Word, pray, and research yourself for the meaning of the verse. However, I would like to give you some food for thought. First of all, it is interesting to notice that this is an “If/then statement.” We read, if this happens, then that will happen. It is one of those times when we are called to know and understand that even though God has unconditional love, His actions and answers to prayer are not necessarily unconditional. Out of His unconditional love, He tries to discipline His people and teach them right from wrong, so that they will seek Him and do His will for them. The first part of 2 Chronicles 7:14, says, “If my people…”. And, actually, that first part of “my people” is clarified further by “which are called by my name...”. I have noticed in my research that there is disagreement among interpreters as to who is meant by “If my people, which are called by my name…”. At the time, it was meant for God’s chosen people, the Israelites. However, since God’s Word, like God himself, transcends all time, and since God opened up his Word to everyone to have the opportunity to believe, I think it is meant for all believers and followers of God. What are your thoughts? Another thing to point out about 2 Chronicles 7:14 before I go much further is that this isn’t the only time that God has said these basic words. He has warned and encouraged His people time and time again with these words. And, this isn’t the first time God has said these words. There had been other times in history where these words were said and things were good for a while, but then the Israelites turned away from God and His commands and started worshipping idols, so God brought the famine or exile or promised consequence until His people listened to His message to “humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways”. We are called to do four different things in 2 Chronicles 7:14. We are called to humble ourselves, to pray, to seek God’s face, and to turn from our wicked ways. Let’s look at that first one, especially. I think to humble ourselves is difficult for all of us, because of our human nature. What does it mean to humble ourselves? I think if we were to put it simplistically, it would mean to not think that we know it all, because we don’t. To humble ourselves might mean to apologize, even though it may seem like we are making ourselves look weak or wrong. In a way, being humble is being honest and kind. We don’t know it all, God does. So, if we are honest, we will show that in our words and actions. If we are kind, we will care about others and be honest, take responsibility for our actions, even our mistakes and apologize. We wouldn’t want to hurt someone or do something wrong without making amends and helping the other feel better. Being humble is showing that we don’t think we are bigger, stronger, more important, smarter, or better than anyone else, including God. Once we realize these things, it seems easier to pray, to ask God for forgiveness, to be honest, to admit our faults and limitations, to turn to God and to seek Him, as well as to ask God for help and for guidance. As we turn to God and get closer to Him, it will be easier for us to turn from our wicked ways. Isn’t it wonderful that God loves us and gives us a schematic in the way we should go!?! It is such a blessing that God loves us so much to be not just our Creator, but also our Heavenly Father. He cares enough to be a loving parent, to teach us right from wrong, to reward us if we do right, to show us the way to go and what is best for us, and to love us like we have never been loved before. There is one other point that I want to bring up. Right now, we are going through a pandemic. People are fighting about rights. There are arguments about whether or not we should get vaccinated and whether or not we should be required to wear masks. There are people struggling, losing life, losing money, losing jobs, worrying about loved ones, working under pressure, and many other things with this pandemic. I wouldn’t hesitate to say, that no matter which side of the arguments or theories we are on, we are probably all tired of the pandemic. So, it might be interesting to look at the pandemic in light of 2 Chronicles 7:14 and other similar verses. Does that mean I am saying that God created the pandemic? NO! I am not saying that at all. I don’t know whether God created it or is allowing it or what. Are we being called to learn a lesson from the pandemic? Are we being called to humble ourselves, to pray, to turn to God, and to turn from our wicked ways, so that God can heal our land? No matter our thoughts on the pandemic, it might do us well and to show God our love to humble ourselves, to go to Him in prayer, to seek His will for us and His guidance in this situation, and to turn from our wicked ways. I know. It is difficult at times to think that anything we do is really wicked. However, that isn’t the point. It is good to know that we are sinners and big or small, sin is sin. So, no matter how good we think we are, we can still learn from this verse. Heavenly Father, Thank you for being our Creator and our Heavenly Father. Thank you for loving us and guiding us. Help us to put our trust in you and to follow your will for us. Help us to live according to your Word. Help us realize your love and be thankful for it. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for 2 Chronicles 7:14 (KJV): *What does 2 Chronicles 7:14 mean to me? *Do I understand that God truly loves me, even enough to discipline me? *Do I understand the difference between unconditional love and unconditional doing things for others? *Do I understand that showing our loved ones the difference between right and wrong is a wonderful form of love? *What is God teaching me through 2 Chronicles 7:14? *Is God teaching me something through the pandemic or other hardships? *How can I reframe my thinking to better understand 2 Chronicles 7:14? Now, it is your turn. Thank you for being here. I appreciate your kindness and support. I look forward to reading your comments and ideas. What are your ideas and comments in regards to 2 Chronicles 7:14? What is God trying to teach you through those words? Do you think we can relate those words to the pandemic? If you haven't done so already, please consider signing up below to get the Faith Blog and other faith content in your inbox. Also, if you are finding value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please feel free to share it with others. Thank you. God bless. 
“Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”
Psalms 16:11 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you? I hope and pray that you are well. Today, I would like to talk a bit about joy. Do you feel joyful? Do you know what joy feels like? I think we may have fleeting moments of joy. I think we may be happy over this or that circumstance in our life. But, most often, it fades away as circumstances change. It is like, we can think about and imagine how sad it is to lose a loved one, but we never know until it happens to us. We can empathize and try to sympathize with our friends and neighbors as it happens to them, but we can’t truly know their sadness until it happens to us. On the flip side, we can hear about how joyous it is to have a child and to hold our baby in our hands for the first time, but unless we have a child and experience it for ourselves, we don’t truly know that joy. We can only imagine. So, with this in mind, we can start to imagine the monumental encouragement in this verse. We can only imagine what the psalmist is thinking or feeling. We can tell that he puts his trust in God and has great hope for the future and everything God promises. Let’s look at the first part of Psalms 16:11. It says, “Thou wilt shew me the path of life.” The psalmist has great faith and trust in God. It doesn’t say, “Please, show me the path to life.” It doesn’t say, “Will you show me the path of life.” It doesn’t even say, “If I am good, you will show me the path of life.” The psalmist is very positive and sure of the outcome. He has complete faith and trust in God. Do we have such trust in God? In Matthew 21:22, it says, “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” It seems to me that the psalmist shows that sort of faith in exclaiming that God will show him the path of life. Do we go to God with that same unwavering faith? The second part of Psalms 16:11 says, “In thy presence is fulness of joy.” I think this is where we need to consider that we don’t even know what joy means at this point. We may have experience a partial joy in different moments of our life. However, I don’t think we can even wrap our head around the idea of what “fulness of joy” could even mean in reality. We might think we can imagine a joy so magnificent and so total as being in God’s presence forever. I just don’t think it is possible to even imagine the joy we will feel. The last part of Psalms 16:11 says, “…at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” I am not sure if the psalmist could even know or imagine just how wonderful and majestic these pleasures may be. I don’t know that any of us can. However, we can see his belief, trust, faith, and passion in this verse. The psalmist may not have fully understood his own statement in Psalms 16:11. Although, he believed what God told him through prayer and scriptures about leading him to eternal life and the joy of being in the presence of God for eternity. Heavenly Father, Thank you for your infinite love and faithful guidance. Thank you for your mercy and grace. Help us to value your Word and take to heart your truth as did the psalmist is Psalms 16:11. Help us to pray and rejoice with the same confidence and faithfulness that the psalmist did. Thank you for showing us your ways and your love for us. Help us to love and appreciate all you do for us. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Psalms 16:11 (KJV): *What does Psalms 16:11 mean to me? *Do I know what “fulness of joy” really means? *Can I imagine what it would be to be in God’s presence forever? *Can I see and feel the belief, trust, faith, and passion of the psalmist? *Do I have this same sort of belief, trust, faith, and passion? *What does God want me to learn from Psalms 16:11? *How can I better heed the words in Psalms 16:11? Now, it is your turn. I am thankful that you are here. I appreciate your support and kindness. I hope and pray that I will find the belief, hope, faith, love, and passion that the psalmist shows in Psalms 16:11. I believe God is working on me with this. I hope and pray that you will find it also, if you haven't already. I look forward to reading your comments, thoughts, beliefs, faith, and testimonies. Please, feel free to leave a comment below or to contact me. I pray that you are finding value with the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations. I pray that it at least touches your heart and gets you to thinking or encourages you to read God's Word more. If you are finding value with the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share it with friends and family. Thank you. Also, if you haven't done so already, you may want to consider signing up below to receive the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations and other faith content in your inbox. Get my free gift of the "5 Reflective Questions to Delve Deeper into God's Word" by DUO Inspirations as my thank you. I pray it helps you to get more out of God's Word as you read it. 
“Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
John 6:54 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you? I pray you are well, if not physically, then spiritually. Today’s verse may be difficult to understand. When one reads John 6:54, it might seem a bit cannibalistic. Whoever heard of eating someone’s flesh and drinking someone’s blood and having eternal life? I can imagine that back when the words were written, many people were wondering just that. At least now, over 2000 years later, we have had time to get used to the idea that this is the Bible. It is God’s Word. And, those who believe in God, mostly believe that to be true. I can only imagine what were going through the minds of the people who first heard these words when Jesus spoke them. What do you think? Now, let’s look at the meaning of John 6:54. As we know, Jesus often didn’t say things right out plainly. He often said things in parables or metaphors. The concepts He taught were difficult for people to understand. Not only that, but not everyone was meant to know and understand things right away. The first part of John 6:54 says, “Whoso eateth my flesh….” Jesus wasn’t talking about physically eating his flesh, so what did He mean? I think the key to knowing that is in looking at some of the other metaphors Jesus uses about himself. Earlier in the chapter, in John 6:35, Jesus says, “…I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” John 6:35 is similar to John 6:54 in that they both talk about taking Jesus in as nourishment. To me, John 6:35 states it a little more plainly in stating Jesus is the “Bread of life”. However, Jesus isn’t talking about physical nourishment, but spiritual nourishment. Another metaphor that speaks about Jesus can be found in John 1:14, which says, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” So, is Jesus physically the Bible? Again, I believe it is a metaphor. Jesus knows all that is in the Bible. He spoke the same words. He knows and taught the same truth. Just like the Bible contains the physical words of God’s will and is often considered to be like a road map to eternal life, Jesus spoke the words that lead to eternal life. Yet, this metaphor goes a little more in depth, because Jesus is the key or way to eternal life. If one doesn’t believe in Jesus, his words, his miracles, his death and resurrection, his being Christ, his being our Savior, or all he did for us, one won’t have eternal life. So, how do we take Jesus in as nourishment? How do we benefit from the “Bread of life” and the “Word that was made flesh”? We get to know Him. We spend time with Him and build a relationship with Him. We read the Bible and learn all we can about Him and God’s will for us. We believe. Let’s now look at the second part of John 6:54 where Jesus says, “…and drinketh my blood…” Again, Jesus isn’t talking about literally and physically drinking his blood. No. I believe that Jesus is talking about following in his footsteps and following his ways. Blood is often a symbol for sacrifice. I believe that Jesus is saying here that we are to be willing to not only believe in Him, but also to give our physical life (if necessary) to follow God’s will for us and for the good of others. To me, John 6:54 is both similar to and points to Mark 12:30, which says, “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.” If we spend time with Jesus, believe in Him, get to know Him, read the Bible, get to know God, and appreciate all that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit does for us, and be willing to follow Jesus even including sacrificing our physical life to do God’s will, then we are following this first commandment and will gain eternal life. Heavenly Father, Thank you for loving us so much that you gave us Jesus as our brother and Lord and Savior. Thank you for giving us Jesus as the Word and Way to eternal life. Thank you for the love and salvation you have given us. Help us to love you and show you our appreciation. Help us to follow Jesus according to your will. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for John 6:54 (KJV): *What does John 6:54 mean to me? *What does Jesus mean when he says, “eateth my flesh”? *What does Jesus mean when he says, “drinketh my blood”? *Do I understand John 6:54 or should I research and pray more? *How can I better live and follow the words in John 6:54? Now, it is your turn. Have I confused you yet? I feel like I John 6:54 is so in depth, that I could write a mini book or pamphlet on it. However, to me, the main point is that if we believe in Jesus and follow him with all that we have and do, if we love and appreciate what he did for us (all God does for us), then we will gain eternal life. What do you think? I am so glad you are here. May God bless you for your kindness and support. If you are finding value with the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share it with others. Maybe your family and friends, including your church family, will find value in it as well. Also, if you haven't already done so, you may want to consider signing up below to receive the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations and other faith content in your inbox. (You will get my free gift of the "5 Reflective Questions to Delve Deeper into God's Word" by DUO Inspirations in the process.) Thank you. 
“A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.”
Proverbs 17:22 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you today? How are you feeling? Are you happy in life? Do you have a positive outlook or a negative one? When stress hits, do you handle it well or do you let it handle you? It is good to self-reflect on such things once in a while. It is even better to pray and to ask God how you are doing in such areas. Now, that we have acknowledged our feelings and reflected on our outlook, let’s delve into God’s Word. The first part of Proverbs 17:22 says, “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine”. This verse is wonderful encouragement to have a positive outlook instead of a negative one. When you are happy overall, when you trust God and fear nothing but Him, and when you are able to find joy even though others cannot, you go a long way in staying healthy, not only emotionally, but spiritually and physically as well. Let’s look at the phrase, “like a medicine” for a moment. Medicine can sometimes be a controversial topic. Some believe that medicine, or at least man-made medicine does more harm than good. Others take medicine as needed and believe it is what is needed to help, if not cure their ailment and condition. However, we look at it, we know from the context that the author meant “medicine” to be a good thing just as a “merry heart” is a good thing and causes good things to happen. The second part of Proverbs 17:22 says, “but a broken spirit drieth the bones.” We have all probably felt down or depressed at one time or another. As people who have chronic depression can testify, being depressed can be debilitating not only emotionally, but also physically and spiritually as well. Even feeling down or depressed for a short time, we can sometimes notice how it changes our physical and spiritual health in a negative way too. I know there have been times when I have felt down or depressed and I felt old. I felt slow, unstable, unsure of myself, and hesitant. My posture was kind of hunched over and my body ached. I just felt bad overall. Have you ever felt like that? I hope you haven’t, but if you have, you know the feeling I mean. So, if we are down or depressed, how can we have the “merry heart” instead of the “broken spirit”? We can try things like listening to music, talking with a friend, smiling or laughing (even for no reason), taking up a hobby that we might enjoy, Christian fellowship, going to church, or any number of things. However, there is only one true way. Here are some verses that can help: “Ye shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and [that it may be] well with you, and [that] ye may prolong [your] days in the land which ye shall possess.” Deuteronomy 5:33 (KJV) “But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26 (KJV) “And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.” Matthew 17:20 (KJV) “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” Isaiah 41:10 (KJV) “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” Mark 11:24 (KJV) “And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” Luke 18:27 (KJV) So, if we are down or depressed, if we can only remember Proverbs 17:22 and other verses that encourage us to find joy in the Lord. It will be better for us not only emotionally, but also physically and spiritually as well. Before we think, “Oh, it is not my fault I am depressed. I can’t just be happy”, we have to remember that only part of that is partially true. The cause of our depression may not be something we did or created. And, while we may not be able to “just be happy”, all things are possible with God. We can’t do anything alone and that is good to remember. However, we need to pray and call on God for help. He can help us find the joy we need. We need to remember that as well. Heavenly Father, Thank you for being our Father in heaven. Thank you for loving in a way that we couldn’t even imagine. We know that you are a loving God, a Father of all Fathers, and we know that you only want what is best for us. If we are down and depressed, either for a short time or chronically, help us to remember your infinite love and to call on you to bring us out of our depression. Help us to find joy in You, Lord. Help us to remember your Word, in Proverbs 17:22 in times us despair. Be our strength and hold on for us, when we don’t know how ourselves. Touch our mind, our heart, and our spirit, so that we can see and appreciate your work in our life. Help us to reach up to you, even when we don’t think we have the strength to reach anywhere at all. Help us to find the hope and joy you want us to find. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Proverbs 17:22 (KJV): *What does Proverbs 17:22 mean to me? *Am I happy in life? *Do I have a positive or negative outlook on life? *Do I handle stress well or do I let stress handle me? *What can I do to live according to the words in Proverbs 17:22 better? *When I am down, do I pray and ask God to help me through it? *What can I do to remember to rely on God instead of letting things get me down? *What can I do better in order to have a “merry heart”? Now, it is your turn. I am so thankful that you are here. I pray that you are blessed by the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations. And, if you are depressed or down, I pray that this particular post touches you in a special way and I pray that you reach out to God for help, strength, and joy. He can help. Whether He helps supernaturally or gives you help through a verse, a thought, a song, a friend, or whatever, He can help. And, most of all, He WANTS to help. He loves you greatly! Please, feel free to comment below or contact me. Feel free to share your story, leave a prayer for those who may be suffering from depression or hardship, or just to let me know your thoughts on Proverbs 17:22. If you find value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share it with friends and family, so that they can as well. Also, 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. You will also receive, as my gift, "5 Reflective Questions to Delve Deeper into God's Word". Thank you for you kindness and support. 
“Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord:
this shall not be unto thee.” Matthew 16:22 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you? Let’s look at Matthew 16:22 today. This verse kind of baffles me in many ways. Jesus had already asked Peter who he says that Jesus is earlier in the chapter (Matthew 16:15) and Peter answers correctly in Matthew 16:16 as we can see: “And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” The part that baffles me is, if Peter knows who Jesus is at this point, why would he be so bold as to rebuke him and to his face no less? I am not trying to be self-righteous or anything, but I don’t know if I could do it so boldly like that, if at all. Could you? In the second part of Matthew 16:22, Peter says, “Be it far from thee, Lord.” I wonder if Peter was trying to be kind and saying, “I hope it isn’t so. I hope they won’t kill you.” Looking at just the middle part of Matthew 16:22, it kind of sounds like Peter is trying to be kind. However, this is why we need to put each word, phrase, and verse into perspective. We need to look at the whole and not just a verse, phrase, or word out of context. In the last part of Matthew 16:22, Peter flat out tells Jesus, “this shall not be unto thee”. I wonder why Peter thought that he knew better than Jesus in that matter. Peter is human and can’t tell what is going to happen in the future and certainly not better than Jesus. Did Peter think that he could stop it or that Jesus would stop it somehow? What do you think Peter was thinking when he spoke the words written in Matthew 16:22? It may sound that I am trying to judge Peter or trying to be self-righteous. That is not my intention. I believe it is important to not only read the Bible, but to also ponder and reflect upon the words and meaning. We can learn quite a bit by the actions of those depicted in the Bible. We can read about what they said and did, then ponder and pray about why or how they did it and what God is telling us through their experience. Another reason that I am not trying to be self-righteous or judge Peter is that I know he is human and humans make mistakes. I also know that I am human and make mistakes. Plus, I know that it is not my place to judge Peter. The real question for us is, “How do we ‘rebuke’ Jesus with our words or actions?” We may not think of it in that way, but I am guessing at times, we do “rebuke” Jesus through actions or words. Through our actions and words, there are many ways we tell Jesus, “No, it isn’t true. We know better. Our way is better than your way. I want to do it my way and not your way.” Maybe the verses that baffles us the most are the ones about which we need to pray the most. It could be that God uses our emotions and thoughts to point us in the direction we need to look to reflect on our own words and actions. What do you think? Heavenly Father, Thank you for your infinite wisdom and love. Thank you for sending your Son, Jesus, to save us and to be the ultimate roll model in how we should live. Help us to be not only mindful and respectful of that, but to also praise you and honor Jesus’ words instead of to try to do things our own way. Help us to follow Jesus and not contradict his words and your will for us. Help us to learn the message you are giving us. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Matthew 16:22 (KJV): *What does Matthew 16:22 mean to me? *What does “rebuke” mean to me? *What made Peter think that he could rebuke Jesus? *What did Peter mean by his words spoken to Jesus in Matthew 16:22? *Could I have rebuked Jesus to his face like that? *What actions or words of mine can be considered as rebuking Jesus? *What is God telling or showing me in this verse? *How can I better adhere to the message in this verse? Now, it is your turn. I am thankful that you are here. I pray that you are blessed by the Faith Blog. I want to say that I have been blessed to be called to write it. There is quite a bit to take in with today's post. I pray that you ponder it and pray about it. I look forward to your comments, ideas, and feedback. Please, comment below or feel free to contact me. Your ideas are important and they allow us all to learn from each other. If you find value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please consider sharing it so others can find value in it as well. You may have friends, family, and church members who may be interested in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations. It is also a great stepping stone in starting to read the Bible. I do encourage you to read the Bible for yourself and not just take the word of others about what it says. Also, if you haven't already done so, I encourage you to consider signing up below to receive the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations and other faith content in your inbox. Then, you don't have to remember to look back each week to read the new post. Not only that, but you get a free gift for doing it to help you delve deeper into God's Word. God bless. 
“Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded.”
Proverbs 13:13 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you today? Last week I pondered the words in Psalms 119:127 and how the psalmist cherished God’s Word more than the finest gold. You can read it here. Proverbs 13:13 is similar to Psalms 119:127 in that it too shows that we are to cherish God’s Word and commandments. Let’s look at the first part of Proverbs 13:13 (KJV). It says, “Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed.” What does the “destroyed” mean? To tell you the truth, I am not sure I want to find out. However, if we truly think of God as our Heavenly Father, we know that like any good parent, He only wants what is best for us. His Word will lead us to this goodness. “Destroyed” could be hardship in this life, as in if we don’t follow God’s Word and kill someone we could be sent to jail or even sentenced to death. I would guess that would be a way of being destroyed. Or, maybe we don’t follow God’s Word and we don’t trust Him, so we worry ourselves to death. That could be a way of being destroyed. While these extreme examples of how not listening to God and how they can destroy us in this life, the worst way it can destroy us is in eternal life, or shall I say eternal death. It may be difficult to deal with the consequences of not following God’s Word in this life, I can’t imagine suffering the consequences in the eternity. I don’t want to be destroyed in this life or in eternity. Do you? Now that we know we don’t want to be destroyed, let’s look at the second part of Proverbs 13:13 (KJV), “but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded.” It might be nice to know that the word “commandment” here doesn’t just refer to what we call the “Ten Commandments”, but to God’s Word and commands or will for us in general. I believe it means not only what God commands us in scripture, but also through prayer. What about you? Another word to look at in the second part of Proverbs 13:13 (KJV) is the word “feareth”. What does “feareth the commandment” mean to you? Usually, when I think about “fear” I think about being so afraid of something that I don’t want to be near it. I want to turn and run away from something that I fear. (Insert a picture of a snake chasing me as I think, “feet don’t fail me now.”) However, this isn’t the meaning here. After all, God wants us close to Him and not far from Him. God wants us to cherish His word, to know it, read it, listen to it, and love it always. God doesn’t want us to run away from His Word. This kind of fear is more of a reverence and respect. It is a fear of going against it, because of the terrible consequences, such as destruction and eternal death. It is like an extreme desire of wanting to do the right thing, to not disappoint God, and to follow His will, not only because we don’t want the consequences of doing something wrong, but also because we love Him and we know He loves us. I like the last part of Proverbs 13:13 the most. I like the part about …”he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded”. I like the idea of being close to God throughout eternity. That is the ultimate reward for those who follow His Word. It is also another great reason to read the Bible. If we don’t know God’s Word, it is difficult to fear or follow it. Two posts in a row about cherishing and following God’s Word. Can you tell that I am encouraging you to read scripture for yourself and follow God’s will for you? Like I said before, I am finding that the more I read God’s Word, the more I do cherish it. Heavenly Father, Thank you for being our Father in Heaven. Thank you for you holy Word and for giving us a path to you. Help us to read and follow your Word as a way of life, this life and eternal life with you. Help us to take in, understand, and cherish your Word. Help us to be closer to you, now and in eternity. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Proverbs 13:13 (KJV): *What does Proverbs 13:13 mean to me? *What does “despiseth” mean to me? *What does “destroyed” mean to me? *Do I despise God’s Word? *Do I cherish God’s Word? *How do my actions show what I think of God’s Word? *What does “feareth the commandment” mean to me? *Do I fear the commandment of God? How do I show it? *What does “shall be rewarded” mean to me? *How can I better live according to the words in Proverbs 13:13? Now, it is your turn. I am thankful that you are here. I pray that you are finding value and even being blessed by the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations. I look forward to your comments. I enjoy reading your thoughts, understanding, and ideas. It helps us all to learn. If you are finding value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share it with friends, family, and church family. Thank you. Also, if you haven't already, please consider signing up below to receive the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations and other faith content in your inbox. At the same time, get the free gift of the "5 Reflective Questions to Delve Deeper into God's Word" by DUO Inspirations. Thank you. 
“Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” Matthew 5:11-12 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you? Before I get to today’s passage, I would like to kind of ponder the scene during the Sermon on the Mount for a bit and the words relayed to us by Matthew, especially during the beginning. What do you imagine the Sermon on the Mount looking like? Obviously we weren’t there and don’t really know the look and feel of the Sermon on the Mount. However, I kind of imagine that Jesus was sitting on a rock or outcropping of some sort. His closest friends and followers were sitting next to Him. These closest friends and followers probably came to the Sermon on the Mount with Jesus. Then, a crowd of people from the general public probably sat out from there. People in the crowd were probably made up of various groups of people. Some may have heard about Jesus and wanted to hear Him speak. Others may have been there in hopes of being healed. Others may have been there to “spy” in order to go back to the Pharisees and gossip about what Jesus said. We don’t know. Yet, when Jesus spoke the words in Matthew 5:3-10, I believe He was probably speaking rather loudly, so the crowd could hear Him. (I don’t think they had a public announcement system back in the day, especially one that could be used on a mountain. I do wonder if Jesus was speaking through a horn or something to help His voice carry or if supernaturally He made it so everyone could hear Him.) Although, when Jesus got to the words in Matthew 5:11-12, I can sort of imagine Him leaning in with a tender loving look on His face and telling his closest followers, “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” (KJV) Or, maybe He was speaking to the whole crowd, but wanted to reinforce the fact that they would be persecuted if they followed Him, yet they are in good company because the prophets were persecuted. They weren’t alone. Maybe Jesus wanted to reinforce the fact that they will be rewarded in heaven for following Him. When I think of verses such as Matthew 5:11-12, I think of the persecution of the early church and people like Saul who were persecuting the Christians as we read about in Acts 8:3 (KJV), “As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.” I can’t imagine being persecuted in that way or to the point of death. Can you imagine someone coming into your home and forcing you to jail, not because you did something wrong, but because of your belief in God and in Jesus being the Son of God, the Christ and your Savior? I look at the strength of those who have gone before us who did in fact endure all kinds of evil and persecution for following Jesus, even to the point of death, but didn’t sway in their belief. I pray that I can have that sort of endurance, faith, and belief, under any level of evil and persecution. The most difficult part of this passage for us to understand and live out may be the beginning of Matthew 5:12 (KJV), “Rejoice: and be exceeding glad…”. We, as humans, don’t usually enjoy or feel glad about being persecuted. We don’t enjoy being picked on, abused, talked about, put down, shunned, ignored, or neglected for any reason. We don’t like being hurt in anyway. This way of thinking doesn’t come naturally to the human way of doing things. So, how and why can we think about rejoicing when we are persecuted as followers of Jesus? Well, I would say the first reason why to do it, would be because our Lord and Savior told us to do it. Trusting in God and praying for help in being able to rejoice will be the answer in how we can do it. I noticed that in Matthew 5:12, the prophets are mentioned, whereas they are not mentioned in Matthew 5:10 in almost the same sentiment. Is it because Jesus wanted to relate this important sentiment in a way that they would understand and in the way that would mean something special in the eyes of His very human followers. I can imagine that the Jewish people of the New Testament read the Old Testament and admired the words of the prophets and the fact that they saw those words coming true throughout their history. I can imagine they may have grouped the prophets in a group of godly people. Jesus may be using this thought to show that those who are persecuted for following Him, will join the prophets in the group of godly people. They will be in the heavenly group and not the worldly group. Even more importantly, we will be in God’s family. It is definitely a joyful thought and worth rejoicing in knowing that you are part of God’s family and will be greatly rewarded. God’s Word has many verses encouraging us and reminding us that no matter what sort of hardship, hurt, persecution, and even death we may go through in our earthly lives, it doesn’t compare to the reward we will get in heaven as His followers. (This is one of the reasons we read the Bible, so we can know these verses and remember them in time of need.) Heavenly Father, Thank you for your Word and your encouragement. Thank you for sending Jesus to us to teach us and to show us the way to you. Help us to stay strong throughout all the evil, hardship, and persecution we endure especially in following your Son, Jesus. Help us to follow His example, and endure no matter what, so that we can join you in heaven as well. I ask you this in His Holy name, Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Matthew 5:11-12 (KJV): *What does Matthew 5:11-12 mean to me? *What is the difference between these verses and Matthew 5:10? *What was it like for the prophets and people in biblical times to be persecuted for righteousness’ sake? *Was I persecuted for righteousness’ sake? *If I was persecuted, when and how? How did it feel? How did I deal with it? *Does it help to know that the prophets were also persecuted? *Do I rejoice during times of persecution? *What can I do to better live according to the words in Matthew 5:11-12? Note: If you enjoy this post, you may want to read the posts in The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations. *The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations - Part 1 *The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations - Part 2 *The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations - Part 3 *The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations - Part 4 *The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations - Part 5 *The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations - Part 6 *The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations - Part 7 *The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations - Part 8 Now, it is your turn. I am thankful you are here and would enjoy reading your thoughts, ideas, comments, and suggestions. Let me know in the comments below or feel free to contact me. If you are finding value, please feel free to share the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations with family and friends. You may also want to share it with your pastor and church family. Thank you so much for your kindness and support. If you haven't already done so, please feel free to sign up below to receive the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations and other faith content in your inbox. Thank you. 
“Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.”
Matthew 5:7 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you today? I have always enjoyed the Beatitudes and pray that you are enjoying reading and pondering The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations. In many of the verses of the Bible, we are told if we do this, this will happen. The Beatitudes are no different. As we can see, in this beatitude, if we are merciful to others, we will get mercy. This verse reminds me of Matthew 6:12, where in the Lord’s prayer, we are told that God forgives us as we forgive others. So, what do we need to do to be merciful? What does merciful mean? I do believe that forgiving others is a way to be merciful. Yet, I don’t believe it is the only way to be merciful. I think being merciful encompasses many things. What do you think? I think to be merciful means to be kind to others, to help out when you can, to lighten their load. I also think it means to be sympathetic and empathetic to their feelings and experiences. Being merciful is showing the type of kindness, caring, love, and understanding that we would want others to show, especially if we were struggling and in need. 
When we think about mercy, we can imagine a person struggling to carry a heavy load. The person may be tired, weak, depressed, down, frustrated, sad, overwhelmed, afraid, or any number of things. The load could be a physical load, such as large bags of groceries or difficult manual labor. The load could be children or others who are not cooperating. The load could be an illness or sorrow, a loss of a loved one or an estrangement of some kind. The load could be disbelief and a spiritual void. The load could be anger or division of some sort. The load could be sin. The load could be homelessness or financial worry. It doesn’t matter the load.
The question is… do we help and try to lighten the load in some way? Do we help, give, encourage, heal, forgive, or show any act of kindness, love, or understanding? Or, do we walk away or add to the stress and burden in some way? This situation can be likened, in a way, to the saying, “What goes around comes around.” Yet, in a way, it is different. Although, we can say that if we show mercy to others, God will show mercy to us, unlike the saying, God gives us soooooo much more than we could ever give another. So, in this situation we can say the saying is, “What goes around comes around infinitely better and more than we could ever imagine.” In other words, if we are merciful to others, God will be more merciful to us than we can even imagine. That brings us back to the fact that we are talking about the beatitudes. That is to say, that we will be blessed (happy beyond belief) if we are merciful to others, because if we are merciful, God will be infinitely more merciful and better merciful than we could ever imagine. Heavenly Father, Thank you for your infinite love, kindness, and understanding. Thank you for your holy Word and for the instruction you give to lead us to true happiness with you. Help us to be merciful to others, Oh Lord. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Matthew 5:7 (KJV): *What does Matthew 5:7 mean to me? *What does merciful mean to me? *Am I merciful? *How am I merciful? *What can I do to better live according to the words in Matthew 5:7? Note: If you haven't already, you may want to read the other posts in the series: *The Beatitudes Series - Part 1 *The Beatitudes Series - Part 2 *The Beatitudes Series - Part 3 *The Beatitudes Series - Part 4 Now, it is your turn. I am so thankful that you are here. I hope you are enjoying The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations. I would be interested in your thoughts and feedback. What are your thoughts? Please, feel free to comment below or contact me. Also, if you haven't already, please consider signing up below to get the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations and other faith content in your inbox. If you are finding value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share it with friends and family. Thank you. 
“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”
Matthew 5:6 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you today? Have you ever been hungry or thirsty? I think we all have felt the feelings to some extent at one time or another. Thankfully, (or unthankfully) many of us have never been in dire straits enough to know the feelings of a desperate hunger or thirst. In the past few posts, I have been pondering the meaning and words of the Beatitudes. Like the others, this beatitude speaks to us about how God wants us to live. More than that, it speaks to us about how to be happy and fulfill God’s will for us. Let’s look at the first part of Matthew 5:6. It says, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness.” The words hunger and thirst are more than just a “normal” desire for food or drink. It is more of a craving. Do you get cravings? I get cravings and sadly, they aren’t always for good things. Like, I get cravings for too many sweets or salty foods. They sure are yummy, but not necessarily good for me. I get good cravings too. I want to do God’s will and to live the life God has for me. I want to help others. I want to encourage others. I want to share my faith and encourage others in their faith. I want to teach and learn. These things I crave as well. Think of what crave means. When I crave a certain food, I can eat this or that to try to get my mind off it. I can feel “full” with eating these other things, but somehow, I still don’t feel satisfied. It isn’t until I either give into the desire or stand up to it (through prayer and the desire to do the right thing under no uncertain terms), that the craving feeling goes away. Sometimes, we feel like we aren’t accomplishing or getting the desires of our heart. We want this or that and they seem like good things, but we still aren’t getting them. In those times, we have to ask ourselves if they are “normal” wants or if they are hungers and thirsts. Like when we are truly starving for food, we will often do just about anything to get food. We will work at jobs we wouldn’t necessarily like or consider under normal circumstances. We will eat food that we don’t necessarily care for just so that we can have something in our stomachs. (I am not talking about stealing or anything illegal, but humbling ourselves to do or accept less than we normally would think to do.) So, what does being on the brink of starvation have to do with hungering and thirsting for righteousness? Just like when are stomachs are empty and we hunger for food or thirst for drink, when we hunger and thirst for righteousness we our hearts and minds are empty except for the desire to do God’s will for us. Any worldly desires, manipulations, or feelings we may have had in the past are out of our mind and out of our heart. We don’t have any self-serving thoughts or desires and no alternative motives at all. Instead, we only desire what is right. We desire God’s will for us and for the kingdom of God. Now, we can look at the second part of Matthew 5:6, “…for they shall be filled.” If we empty ourselves from the worldly cares and only seek God’s will for us, then we will feel satisfied. It won’t be just a worldly feeling of being satisfied, but a heavenly feeling as well. Just as all the other Beatitudes lead to not just a “regular” feeling of happiness, but a “heavenly” feeling as well. It goes past emotional thoughts and feelings, but spiritual as well. A spiritual “fullness” isn’t just a feeling of being “full”, but also of being truly satisfied as well. Heavenly Father, Thank you for the Beatitudes. Thank you for showing us the way to true happiness, which is a closeness with you in your kingdom. Help us to hunger and thirst for You and your ways. Help us to pray for others to hunger and thirst for you so that your kingdom grows and others may find a closeness to You as well. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Matthew 5:6 (KJV): *What does Matthew 5:6 mean to me? *Have I ever hungered or thirsted? What did it feel like? *Have I ever craved anything? *Have I ever felt “full” without feeling satisfied? *Have I ever felt like I was hoping for good things, but they never seemed to come? Did I look to see if my desires were pure or if I had any alternative motives? *How can I better live the words in Matthew 5:6? Note: If you haven't read the other parts of The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations, you may want to read them here: *The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations - Part 1 *The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations - Part 2 *The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations - Part 3 Now, it is your turn. I am thankful you are here. I hope you are enjoying The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations. What are your thoughts? Is there anything that you have learned or thought about since reading the series? Please, feel free to comment below so we can all learn from you or contact me. Thank you. If you are finding value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share it with friends, family, and neighbors, so they can find value in it as well. Also, if you haven't already, please consider signing up to receive the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations and other faith content in your inbox. Thank you. God bless. 
“Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.”
Matthew 5:5 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you today? As I looked at The Beatitudes and prepared for today’s blog post, I noticed that this is the only beatitude (at least in the Sermon on the Mount) where Jesus says, “shall inherit the earth”. Most of the Bible verses that I remember say, “shall inherit the kingdom of heaven”, so I am wondering if this is significant. There are different thoughts on what that means and to tell you the truth, I am not sure of it’s meaning. Yet, with prayer and God’s help, I will write this post and prayerfully bring meaning to us all. First, let’s look at the first part. Many times, we think of “meek” as shy, timid people, who let people walk all over them. However, in keeping with the rest of the beatitudes, meek has to do with our spiritual wellbeing and way to eternal life. It has nothing to do with how we are to people. It is a submission to God, not a submission to others. Although, when we submit to God, often that means we are also submitting to others indirectly. For example, when we turn the other cheek, we do so because God has called us to do so. God wants to fight our battles for us. He wants the vengeance. He doesn’t want us to take things into our own hands. It shows strength and not weakness to not fight back when we are hurt, angered, or criticized. We are submitting to God, by not fighting back. But in worldly views, it looks like we are submitting to people as well. Now, with an understanding of who is meant by the word meek, we can look at the second part. It is only these people who submit to God that “shall inherit the earth”. So, what does that mean? Well, we know that inherit means to get or receive something, usually after a loved one has passed away. Like it is passed onto us, when someone is through with it or releases ownership. An inheritance is something that is given and gifted to us, many times through a will or rather the will of the person who passes away. God gives us many things both here on earth and also in heaven. It is God’s will that we follow Him, submit to Him, and do His will for us. If we do that, we will get His will. We will receive all the good things he has in store for us, not only here on earth, but in heaven as well. Jesus also tells us that He can give us peace; a peace unlike anything the world can give us. (John 16:33) Is this what is meant, by “shall inherit the earth”? I think, for me, it is best described in Matthew 6:33… “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” In other words, if you seek and do God’s will, you will get the desires of your heart on earth (because they will be aligned with God’s will for us) and we will get what God has planned for us in heaven as well. What do you think? Heavenly Father, Thank you for showing us the way to You. Thank you for giving us the Beatitudes so that we know what you want for us. Please, help us to not only live according to your words in Matthew 5:5, but also according to your will for us in everything. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Matthew 5:5 (KJV): *What does Matthew 5:5 mean to me? *What is meant be the word meek? *What is meant by the word inherit? *What is meant by “shall inherit the earth”? *Why does it say “shall inherit the earth” instead of “shall inherit the kingdom of heaven”? *What can I do to better live according to the words in Matthew 5:5? *How can I better live according to the will of God? Now, it is your turn. What are your thoughts? I would be interested in hearing your interpretation and thoughts on Matthew 5:5. I always look forward to the thoughts of others. Please, feel free to comment below or contact me. If you find value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share it with friends and family, as well as on your social media sites. Also, if you haven't already, you may want to sign up below to receive the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations and other faith content in your inbox. P.S. - If you haven't already, you may want to go back and read the other posts in The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations: The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations - Part 1 The Beatitudes Series by DUO Inspirations - Part 2 
“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly host praising God, and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.’”
Luke 2:13-14 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you? I hope you all had a blessed Christmas. Last week, I spoke and pondered about Mary. This week, I will talk and ponder about the message that the angel of the Lord said to the shepherds. Can you imagine being in the place of the shepherds? One day you are quietly tending your sheep, as usual. The next day, the angel of the Lord comes to you and tells you a savior is born and you should go visit. Then, as if you aren’t freaked out enough by the angel, all of a sudden, heavenly hosts start praising God with the angel. How would you feel? Would you be fearful, joyful, confused, hesitant, disbelieving, worried, humbled, or what? Would you want to start praising God with the heavenly hosts? Would you want to hide or celebrate? Would you feel honored that the angel came to you with a message? The shepherds go to see Jesus, so we can guess that they either believed everything they were told or they were curious. Would you drop everything and go see your Lord and Savior? Would you believe or at least be curious? I can’t even imagine being those shepherds. It must have been a magnificent, humbling, and joyous experience, once they got over their fear. It is difficult enough to imagine being visited by an angel of the Lord. I wonder what a multitude of heavenly hosts praising God would look like. It must be beautiful though. Were they angel and heavenly hosts sent by God so that the shepherds would believe that Jesus was their Savior? Was it so the shepherds would understand the magnitude of Jesus’ birth and purpose on earth? I don’t know. Do we understand the magnitude of Jesus’ birth and purpose on earth? Do we show it? Do we live it? Do we share it with others? I can imagine that we will experience something like this in heaven some day. I wonder if the shepherds felt a little bit of heaven in those moments on earth. Let’s ponder the message of the heavenly hosts, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Was this a foreshadowing of how Jesus would spend His time on earth? Was it a message and example of how we should act? I wonder if the shepherds understood it. Do we give glory to God? Do we act with peace and good will towards others? Heavenly Father, Thank you for the gift of your Son, Jesus! Thank you for the message through your holy Word. Help us to join with the heavenly hosts in praising you, giving glory to you, and giving peace on earth and good will towards others. Help us to appreciate and acknowledge the message you gave to the shepherds that day long ago. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Luke 2:13-14 (KJV): *What does Luke 2:13-14 mean to me? *Do I appreciate the message of the angel of the Lord and the heavenly hosts? *How would I feel if I received that message on that day so long ago? *Do I understand and appreciate the magnitude of Jesus’ birth and purpose on earth? *What is the lesson God has for me in Luke 2:13-14? *How can I better live the message of Luke 2:13-14? *What can I do differently to better appreciate and live the words of Luke 2:13-14? Now, it is your turn. I am thankful that you are here. Please, let me know your thoughts. Comment below or contact me. I would like to hear your thoughts. If you find value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share it with family and friends. Let them find value in it as well. Also, if you haven't already, please consider signing up below to receive the Faith Blog and other faith content in your inbox. Thank you. I pray you have a safe and Happy New Year! I will be praying and preparing for the new year this week. I will also be updating and changing the DUO Inspirations site a bit. If you have any ideas, suggestions, or requests, please feel free to contact me. I am open to your thoughts. Please, feel free to explore it now and after I change it. God bless. 
“And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.”
Luke 1:38 KJV Hi friends, How are you? Other than the verses that directly relate to Jesus, this is one of my favorite Christmas verses. It shows the faith and obedience of Mary, who is a great example for all of us. I don’t remember where I got the information, however, I remember hearing or reading something about Mary being very young as she was betrothed at this point. I don’t remember the age, this source mentioned, but it seems like it was probably like 10-13 years old. I don’t know her age at this time and maybe it doesn’t matter, but I do believe she was young and I do admire her faith and obedience. I can’t imagine being told that I was going to have a baby created by the Holy Spirit and not through the normal means. I don’t know if I would be scared, confused, mistrusting, pleased, humbled, or what. I have no idea. What about you? I really like what Mary said though. First she says, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord.” She acknowledges that she is God’s servant. How often do we acknowledge the fact that we are indeed God’s servants? We are created by God out of love and are meant to serve and give back out of love. Then, Mary goes further to say, “be it unto me according to thy word”. She knew that she was God’s servant and acknowledged that it what the angel told her would come true. She was open to God’s Word. She accepted God’s Word. May we all learn from Mary’s words and behavior. May we all acknowledge that we are God’s servants and acknowledge that His will be done. Heavenly Father, Thank you for your Word and for role models to teach us to grow our faith and obedience in you. Help us to follow Mary’s example to acknowledge that we are your servants and help us to say that your will be done. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Luke 1:38 (KJV): *What does Luke 1:38 mean to me? *Do I acknowledge that I am God’s servant? *Do I acknowledge that God’s will be done? *Do I acknowledge that I was made out of love and should give out of love? *How would I feel if I got the message Mary received? *How can I better act according to Mary’s example? Now, it is your turn. I appreciate you being here and reading your comments. What is your favorite Christmas verse? Speaking of Christmas, I wish all of you a Merry Christmas. May God touch your heart with the spirit of the true season. If you value what I write, please consider sharing it with friends and family. Also, if you haven't already, please consider signing up to receive the Faith Blog in your inbox. Thank you. 
“Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:”
Colossians 2:16 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you today? Last week, I asked you to ponder the words in Jeremiah 10:3-4 and relate them to the tradition of decorating trees for Christmas. This week, I would like to ponder the words in Colossians 2:16. These too, have to do with celebrating. Taken alone and out of context, Colossians 2:16 can be misinterpreted. It could sound like we can do anything we want to and we shouldn’t let anyone tell us differently. That sounds pretty snobby and self-righteous. Yet, that isn’t quite what Colossians 2:16 means. It doesn’t say that we can have a free for all and do anything we want. If we take this verse in perspective, it is saying that since we have died to ourselves and have followed Jesus, don’t let anyone judge the things we do. When we are acting in Christian ways, it may seem uncool, silly, strange, or foreign to the world. It might not make sense to others. What we eat, drink, do, celebrate, observe and how we do it might be different than those of others. Yet, it doesn’t mean we are doing it wrong. If we are following Jesus and doing the will of God, then we don’t have to do things as others do, not even as other Christians. Unfortunately, people have a tendency to judge others. Although, this is a task better left for God. Sadly, this is true of believers and nonbelievers alike. Nonbelievers may judge, because they don’t know God and His will for us. They may not know the Bible and what we are called to do. They may judge us out of anger or ignorance. Nonbelievers may try to “groom us” to follow more worldly practices. In my humble opinion, this can be seen in things like businesses being open on Sundays, encouraging people to work and shop on a day that is meant to be set aside for rest and spiritual rejuvenation or political correctness that says it isn’t right for us to say, “Merry Christmas” to others, to pray in school with a moment of silence, or any other number of things that it isn’t politically correct to say or do. (Am I judging here?) Even other Christians sometimes judge the way we do things. Some Christian religions have different practices than others, and everyone tends to believe that they have the right way and only way to do things. Yet, just because things are different, doesn’t mean they are wrong. Let’s look at something as simple as eating a peanut. Peanuts are a great source of many nutrients and can be very healthy for you. However, if you are allergic to peanuts, they can be very dangerous. The eating of peanuts are “right” for some and “wrong” for some. We are not to judge others or let people talk us into or out of doing what we believe is right for us. The same is true in spiritual things. In spiritual things, whatever helps us to stay focused on God and whatever is God’s will for us, is what we should do. That is why we are to look to God for answers and let God be our judge, not people. We are called not to cave under peer pressure and not to let people sway us from our beliefs. If we think someone brings up a “good point” about what we are doing and we find ourselves questioning our actions, we are called to look to God through prayer, fasting, and reading the Bible for answers. Heavenly Father, Thank you for giving us your Word, as words to live by. Help us to hold strong in our faith and beliefs as we follow Jesus. Help us to not be turned away or conflicted in our beliefs by worldly practices and judgment of others. Help us to focus only on you, Lord, in the things that we do. If we are uncertain in what we do, think, feel, or say, help us to turn to you through prayer, fasting, and reading your Word. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Colossians 2:16 (KJV): *What does Colossians 2:16 mean to me? *What are some things where people tend to judge me, but I am doing right for me? *Do I judge others? *What are some things that are right for some people but wrong for others? *What were some of things for which Jesus and his apostles were judged? *Do I cave in or let others sway the way I believe, act, think, speak, or worship? *How can I better heed the words in Colossians 2:16? Now, it is your turn. I look forward to hearing your views. Please, leave a comment below or feel free to contact me. Thank you for being here. I appreciate your support. If you find value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share it with a friend, family member, or even your church family. I appreciate it. Also, if you haven't already, please consider signing up to get the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations and other faith content in your inbox. Just check the "faith" box (and any other interest) as you sign up. Thank you. Note: I will also be changing the site for DUO Inspirations a bit soon. Please, feel free to check it out in order to get the before and after feel. 
“For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.”
Jeremiah 10:3-4 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you today? I hope you are well. My topic for today’s Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations may not be a popular one. However, I think we are all called to evaluate ourselves, our actions, as well as the traditions we follow. I was researching verses for today’s post and I came across Jeremiah 10:3-4. It kind of surprised me. I have read the Holy Bible quite a few times and I hadn’t remembered this passage. Could it be that I didn’t remember it, because I didn’t want to remember it or maybe because I wasn’t ready to evaluate myself next to the words in this passage? I don’t know. The words in Jeremiah 10:3-4, sound much like what we do in decorating Christmas trees. So, do we need to look at this tradition and evaluate whether or not we are really called to do it? Regardless of what we decide in the end, I do think it is a good idea to weigh what we do against God’s Word. Are we following and living in accordance to God’s Word? The phrase that hits home for me in this whole passage is “For the customs of the people are vain.” Regardless, of whether we believe we are supposed to set up a Christmas tree as part of our celebration or not, I think if we are honest with ourselves, we will realize that it is a vain tradition. I mean, chopping down a tree purchasing one, whether fake or real, costs quite a bit of money. There is also the extra expense of decorating it, not to mention the extra high electric bill in having the lights on the tree. Do we really need to spend that money? Do all those (real) trees really need to die, just so we can enjoy them lit up and decorated for a month or so? The answer to both questions is probably, “no.” We probably do not need to spend that extra money and live trees probably do not need to die for such a tradition. So, why do we put up a tree? It is tradition! And, this is what I pray we can all evaluate. Are our traditions good in the sight of God? Full disclosure, if you read on in Jeremiah 10 and put this passage in perspective, it probably does not have anything to do with Christmas trees. It is more about making idols out of trees to worship, which is definitely bad in God’s eyes. Yet, this still doesn’t answer the question about our custom of decorating Christmas trees. It touches my heart to bring this up, because we are called to be “in this world, but not of this world.” (See John 15:19 for example.) The world likes to “suck us in” to worldly traditions and beliefs. Yet, we are not of the world. We are called to act in accordance with God’s will for us. I do believe that celebration of Christmas (not just the decoration of trees) is very commercialized. In the commercialized world, the focus is definitely not on the birth of our savior. However, I can’t say whether decorating a tree, as part of a Christmas celebration is right or wrong. I don’t see anywhere in God’s Word, where we are called to decorate a tree. Yet, the right or the wrong of it might be for each one of us to decide. I urge you, and I will as well, to pray about it and really examine whether or not it is right for you. Don’t just blindly follow along with everyone else, because it is tradition. Heavenly Father, Thank you for giving us your Holy Word to show us the way to live. Help us to examine ourselves in accordance to you Word, and let us not be afraid to change, even if it is against our worldly traditions. Help us to pray before we act and let you guide us, instead of doing things our own way. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Jeremiah 10:3-4 (KJV): *What does Jeremiah 10:3-4 mean to me? *Is Jeremiah 10:3-4 talking about Christmas trees? *Do I believe that decorating a tree for Christmas is vain? *Do I believe we are called to decorate a tree for any reason? *Do I let decorating a tree take the focus off of Jesus in anyway? *Have I prayed about the rightness or wrongness of decorating a tree? *Why do I decorate a tree? Now, it is your turn. I am thankful you are here. I look forward to your comments and ideas. Please, let me know your thoughts by commenting below or feel free to contact me. Also, please pray for our Christmas ethics and practices. Let us put our focus on Jesus. If you haven't already, please consider signing up below to receive the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations and other "faith" content in your inbox. (When you sign up, you will also be able to download the "5 Reflective Questions to Delve Deeper into God's Word"). Also, if you value what I write, please share it with your friends and family. Thank you. 
“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.”
Psalms 100:4 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you today? In pondering Psalms 100:4, I have just as many questions as I do answers. I am curious about the words gates and courts. Are they meant to be two separate places or does the author just not want to use the same word over and over again? Are they literal places or are they meant to be figurative for drawing close to God? Somehow, I don’t think it matters, because I don’t think the “place” is the important part of the message. I think we are always called to be thankful for all the things God does for us and to bless His name. So, to say that we should “enter his gates with thanksgiving” and to ponder where those gates may be might mean we are missing the point. What do you think? Let’s put our efforts into the thanksgiving part. Do we thank God for all that we have, all that we are, all that we do, all that we see, all that we hear, all that we smell, all that we taste, all that we touch, all that we feel, all that we know, and all that we experience? Do we thank God for our relationships and our very existence? Do we not only say the words “thank you”, but also show our thankfulness? Now, let’s look at the second part of Psalms 100:4. Not only are we called to be thankful for all God provides and does for us, but we are called to praise Him and bless His name. So, what does that mean? What does it mean to “bless His name”? To me, to “bless His name” is to testify to others about the goodness of God. Do we tell others of the greatness of God? As we can see that verse four of Psalm 100, keeps with the theme of joy. We are called to be joyful of what God provides and does for us, to thank Him and to tell others of His greatness as well. We can be joyful, if we are thankful, encouraging, and praising God. Heavenly Father, Thank you for being our Creator, our Teacher, our Heavenly Father, and our Shepherd. Thank you for Psalm 100, which shows us how to be joyful. Help us to come to you in thanksgiving and to sing your praises, so that others will do the same. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Psalms 100:4 (KJV): *What does Psalms 100:4 mean to me? *What do “his gates” and “his courts” mean? Is that the point? *How can I show God my thankfulness? *How can I bless His name? *Do I come to God in thanksgiving? *Do I praise His name? *What can I do to better follow the calling in Psalms 100:4? Now, it is your turn. Thank you so much for being here. If you haven't read other posts in the Psalms 100 Series, you may want to read them as well: Psalms 100 Series - Part 1 Psalms 100 Series - Part 2 Psalms 100 Series - Part 3. I enjoy hearing your thoughts. I am encouraged by your comments and testimony. So, please, comment below or contact me. If you find value in what I write, please share the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations with friends and family. If you haven't signed up to receive the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations and other faith content, please consider signing up below. (Don't forget to check at least the "faith" box.) 
“Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.” Psalms 100:3 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you? I hope you are enjoying the Psalms 100 Series by DUO Inspirations and are finding more joy in your life. Today’s verse seems more of a comfort than a joy. However, it could be a joy as well. I mean, knowing that “we are his people” and that I am part of the “we” makes me very joyful. Psalms 100:3 kind of reminds me of when people need to know their roots. I have heard stories where adopted children feel uneasy, because they don’t know their ancestry. They don’t know anything about their biological parents and they just kind of have a hole in their history that makes them feel confused, sad, or lonely. However, in Psalms 100:3, we are told our place in life and our roots. There is no uneasiness, confusion, sadness, or loneliness. We are God’s people. He made us. He loves us. And, we are the “sheep of his pasture.” Okay, not all people may like the idea of being referred to as sheep. However, if you knew how closely the shepherds back in the day watched over and cared for their sheep, you might not mind it so much. I believe it is very much like a term of endearment here. I was never a shepherd and don’t really know, but I am going to do a little imagining. I imagine that a shepherd led his or her sheep out to a part of the land that is filled with green grass for them to eat. It was far away from the house, so the shepherd had no one with whom to speak, so the shepherd probably often talked to the sheep. I imagine that the shepherd even named all the sheep, and got to know the sheep as individuals with their own little quirks. And, every so often when the shepherd counted the sheep to make sure they were all there, he or she would leave the flock to go find the one or two who had wandered off. This was probably not only done out of necessity of needing all the sheep for making a living, but also out of love. After all, I can imagine that if you spend most of your waking hours tending sheep, you tend to have a pretty close bond with those sheep. They are almost like friends and family. So, being called sheep isn’t so bad. And, being called God’s sheep is actually quite wonderful. God made us, knows all our little quirks, leads us, cares for us, searches for us when we are lost, and loves us. It is a wonderful feeling! There is a part of this verse that I don’t want to overlook and that is “not we ourselves.” It seems like that we are being reassured that we are made well and correctly. We are not “cheap reproductions”, but the real thing. We are made in God’s perfect way and not in any half-hearted, knock-off way. We are special to God. I know that in the beginning of this post, I said that this verse seems to be more of a comfort verse than a joy verse. However, as I wrote, I have felt myself feeling more and more joyful. So, I can actually say that I believe this is a joy and a comfort verse. Heavenly Father, Thank you for being our Creator and Shepherd. Thank you for telling us and reassuring us that we are your people and we are well loved. Help us to know the joy and comfort of the words in Psalms 100:3 in our every day lives. Help us to act and feel like your people. Help us to let you care for us and lead us as a shepherd cares for and leads his sheep. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Psalms 100:3 (KJV): *What does Psalms 100:3 mean to me? *How does Psalms 100:3 make me feel? *Do I feel like God’s own? *Do I let God lead me in the same way that shepherds lead sheep? *Do I feel like God knows me? *Do I feel like I know God? Now, it is your turn. If you haven't read the Psalms 100 Series - Part 1 or the Psalms 100 Series - Part 2, you may want to do that. I hope you are enjoying the series as much as I am. I am so thankful that you are here. You are important to me. I look forward to reading your thoughts, so please comment below. What are your thoughts? If you have any prayer requests or suggestions, please contact me. If you find value in what I write, please share it with friends and family. Also, if you haven't already, please consider signing up to get the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations and other faith content in your inbox. 
“Serve the LORD with gladness:
come before his presence with singing.” Psalms 100:2 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you this week? Last week, I started the “Psalms 100 Series”. I think Psalms 100 is such a beautiful, instructive, inspiring, and joyful psalm. The joy of it sort of reminds me of the opening scene in “The Sound of Music” where Julie Andrews is seen running in a field near the mountains singing. She looks as though she is happy and praising God. (Her character enjoyed singing and praising God, even serving God.) In Psalms 100:1, we are called to give a joyful noise, to be joyful. It doesn’t set a time, place, or restriction. To me, verse two is a reinforcement of verse one. Yes, we are to be joyful. We are to be joyful, no matter how we are serving God. Sometimes, we tend to do our chores at home or labor at work as if they were drudgery. We might not enjoy the tasks or we may feel tired and run down. We don’t like it, but we know we should do it. So, we work, whether at home or at work. We are just not very happy with it. We don’t think about the fact that we are called to do more. We are called to serve with “gladness.” We feel that as long as we do the work, we are fine. Yet, is that really so? So, are we sinning if we work while being less than glad? (This is one of the reasons I feel called to write the Faith Blog; because there are so many things that we do that we might not think about that may different than what we are called to do.) Let’s talk about serving the Lord for a moment. You might try to “argue” that working or housework isn’t serving the Lord, so you don’t have to worry about doing it with gladness. However, is that really true? What constitutes serving the Lord? I think that everything we do, 24/7 should be meant to serve the Lord. He created us. He gave us life. We are His and if we are His, everything we do is meant to serve Him. What do you think? What about the second part of Psalms 100:2, “come before his presence with singing”? Isn’t God with us always? So, aren’t we “before his presence” always? Obviously, I don’t know the definite reasons behind God’s words in the second part of Psalm 100. However, I do have a couple of thoughts on the subject. First, I wonder if the second part of the verse is a strategy or tip in how to fulfill the first part of the verse. You know, like if you are not having fun and don’t feel the joy in what you are doing, just take yourself out of the actual worldly situation and put yourself in God’s presence. In being so close and feeling God’s love, you will forget your drudgery and feel like singing out. In that way, you will be able to do whatever you do with gladness and even sing as you work. Second, I wonder if it is a reminder that if you are God’s child, you are serving God in all that you do, so that you are meant to do with gladness and singing. Again, as we get close to God, love Him, and serve Him, I believe that our hearts will just want to sing. We won’t be able to help ourselves. What are your thoughts? Heavenly Father, Thank you, O Lord for being our Heavenly Father. Help us to fulfill the words call of Psalms 100:2. Help us to love you, to serve you with gladness, and to sing your praises. Melt away our hardness and keep us close to you. Help us to follow your will for us, serving you with love and with a song in our heart. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Psalms 100:2 (KJV): *What does Psalms 100:2 mean to me? *What do I think, “come before his presence with singing” means here? *Do I fulfill the calling of Psalms 100:2? *What can I do to better fulfill the calling of Psalms 100:2? *Am I a joyful person? Why or why not? Note: If you haven't read Psalms 100 Series - Post 1, you can read it here. Now, it is your turn. Please, leave your thoughts and comments. I look forward to reading your thoughts. Thank you for being here. May God bless you and guide you. If you find value in what I share, please share it with others. Also, if you haven't already, feel free to sign up below to receive the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations and other faith content in your inbox. Thank you. |
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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