Do You Love Yourself?
When it comes to loving ourselves, I think society is like a field of extremes. We either really, really “love” ourselves or we don’t really love ourselves at all. The worldly ways in our culture has foiled love so much, that we have a difficult time talking about love or even defining love. What is love? Who should we love? Is it right to love? Is it wrong to love? Is that love? Do they really love me? Am I really showing love?
I don’t know about you, but if someone asks me if I love myself, I am not sure how to answer. The question itself can even feel uncomfortable. I was always under the impression that loving yourself was wrong.
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Are You Feeling Lonely?
Are you feeling lonely? If that is the case, I am so sorry. That isn’t a fun feeling, but rather a sad feeling. Loneliness often comes during times of struggle and hardship. Maybe we have lost a loved one or broken up with a friend. Maybe we weren’t chosen to be on a team. Or, maybe we are feeling insignificant or upset because nobody visits with us. We may get all kinds of advice to deal with loneliness, however as Christians we may want to deal with it differently.
Beginnings
When you think about beginnings, what comes to mind? Do you think about story beginnings, your beginnings, or world beginnings? Do you think about world beginnings or Bible beginnings? Do you think of foundations, renewals, and newness? What about the words, “in the beginning”? What comes to mind with those words? Read today’s post and see how pondering these words can not only teach us about many beginnings, but also help build our faith.
Hi friends, How are you? I hope you are well. We are now at the last verse in Psalms 13. We have seen negative emotions in the first few verses. In Psalms 13:5 and now in Psalms 13:6, we see more happy and joyful emotions. Let’s ponder this verse as we wrap up our series on Psalms 13. Psalms 13:6 May be a Continuation of Psalms 13:5:
If we read Psalms 13:5 and Psalms 13:6, it is easy to see that they may go together. Psalms 13:6 may even be a continuation of Psalms 13:5. Let’s read them both together.
“But I have trusted in thy mercy; by heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.” Psalms 13:5-6 (KJV) In the beginning of Psalms 13, we see a depiction of what it’s like when God seems far away and doesn’t seem to be listening to our prayers. The feelings were sad and desperate. Psalms 13:5 is the turning point in the psalm. The feeling isn’t that of sadness anymore. Psalms 13:5 seems to be a breakthrough in faith. After a time of feeling far from God, it seems to be a remembrance and acknowledgement that even though God has seem far before, He is trustworthy and gives us salvation. God is faithful in being a loving Father to us. He has mercy on us. Psalms 13:6 goes on from that remembrance and acknowledgement of God’s mercy, faithfulness, trustworthiness, and love. Psalms 13:6 shows what we can do when we feel that love, trust, faithfulness, and mercy. It shows what we can do when we acknowledge how much God does for us and when we rejoice in the salvation God gives us. We can sing! (Yes, even those who don’t carry a tune well can sing or at least make a joyful noise as we read in Psalms 100:1.) God Gives Us So Much:
It may not feel like it when we go through difficult times, but God gives us so much. He blesses us, gifts us things, provides for us, loves us, leads us, and so much more. It is no wonder that we are told to count our blessings, even when we are down. Even in the depths of our despair, God gives us so much. God offers us a multitude of both earthly blessings and heavenly blessings.
If we sit down and take inventory of every little thing and every single person that comes into our lives, if we look around us and see God’s creations, if we acknowledge that God created us, if we realize all the intricate cycles and systems God created in the world and in every living person, animal, plant, and organism, then we can start to realize just how much God does give us. The heavenly gift such as salvation and eternal life are things that we can’t even begin to imagine yet, so we can’t even completely recognize all that God does for us. Also, sadly, we often take God’s blessings and gifts for granted or overlook the fact that the gifts are even from God. However, once we start to count our blessings and recognize all that God does for us, even in times of great hardship we can have hope. We can hold onto the fact that God has great power and love. We can hold onto the fact that God loves us and provides for us greatly. We can have hope and trust that God will get us through difficult times, love us, and provide us with all our needs, even before we actually see it happen. Singing for Joy:
Have you ever felt so happy that you just felt like singing (or making that joyful noise)? I think that is what David was describing in Psalms 13:6. Because he knows that God has been so good to him and has given him so much, he can and will sing with for joy to God.
Isn’t that the same thing we are doing when we sing and worship God at church? We are glorifying God for his wondrous works and love. At church, it may not be as spontaneous as what David is describing though. I know that I have sometimes just spontaneously started singing. Have you? It is a nice feeling. I don’t remember the specifics, but I remember they were happy times. God’s Word:
Sometimes when we read God’s Word, we lose something or miss something when we don’t look at a passage or chapter as a whole. Let’s look at Psalms 13 in its entirety.
“(To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.) How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? How long shall mine enemy be exalted over me? Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death; Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved. But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.” Psalms 13 (KJV) It is easier to see the pattern of feelings and cycle of faith when we look at Psalms 13 as a whole. We can see and feel the lowness that David describes in the beginning of the psalm and the great joy at the end of the psalm. We can see how our feelings seem to change depending on how far or how close we feel we are to God. We can see that it isn’t that God has moved far away, but that we move ourselves farther away from God or closer to God as our foci, beliefs, and attitudes change. Another thing I like to do to understand God’s Word better is to research and pray about the customs of the times. For example, because of the singing mentioned at the end of the psalm, I looked up some of the customs about singing in biblical times. There are many outside sources of the customs surrounding singing in biblical times as well as various verses in God’s Word. I invite you to do your own research to see if it adds to your understanding as well. Heavenly Father, Thank you for your Holy Word. Thank you for being our Heavenly Father, our Provider, and our Creator. Thank you for the multitude of gifts and blessings you give us, both earthly and heavenly, including life itself. Help us to keep these gifts and blessings in mind, from the smallest earthly gift to the largest and most awesome heavenly gift. Help us to count our blessings and thank you and praise you continuously out of love and joy. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. 
If you missed other posts in the series, you may want to go back and read them now. Here they are: *Psalms 13: Crying Out to God *Psalms 13: When God Seems Far, Do We Fend for Ourselves? *Psalms 13: Crying for Life Over Death *Psalms 13: Good Versus Evil *Psalms 13: What has Changed? If you enjoyed this post, please stay tuned for the rest of the series on Psalms 13. Also, you might like to read these similar posts: *Perseverance: It Will Happen in God's Timing *We are Called to be Careful for Nothing? *Biblical Encouragement for the Depressed and Discouraged Now, it is your turn. I am so thankful that you are here. I pray that God blesses you as you read the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations. If you feel called to do so, please feel free to comment or contact me at any time. I welcome your comments and look forward to reading them. Also, if you have any questions, comments, ideas, or requests for me, please feel free to let me know. Thank you. If you find value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share it with your friends and family. The new share buttons will make it easier for you to do that. Some of your friends and family may appreciate you sharing it, so they can read it as well. Also, if you are crying out to God and want me to pray for you as well, please feel free to contact me. I do sometimes get people who do ask for prayer. For those who do, thank you for reaching out. I am happy to pray for you. Feel free to pray for me as well. Thank you. God bless. I believe that all Christians are called to share God’s Word and encourage others to get closer to God. In helping you with your Bible study, I have a free gift for you. Please, sign up below to receive your free gift and get the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations in your inbox each week. Yes, I may include some other “faith” content with the email at times, especially a prayer.
Hi friends, How are you? I hope you have been enjoying the series on Psalms 13. I have enjoyed pondering it. It is a short psalm, but it covers a wide range in feelings from a very low feeling to a very happy feeling. To me, it gives hope to the reader. Today, we ponder the first sign of a change in feelings from sadness to happiness. I have to admit that this verse is more difficult for me to ponder within the context of the whole psalm and whether Psalms 13 is based upon a particular situation in David’s life or not. However, maybe I am overthinking it, because God gives people their own personal message while reading His Word. So, maybe it isn’t for me to know and that’s okay. I encourage you to read God’s Word and get your own message anyway, not go by my thoughts. These are here to encourage you or as prompts and ideas for your own thoughts and prayers. I certainly have experienced the rejoicing feeling after receiving the gift of God’s mercy. In the end, once we remember to trust in God’s mercy, our attitudes are likely to change for the better. So, let’s ponder and pray. What Happens Between Verse Four and Verse Five of Psalms 13?:
If Psalms 13 is written based on something particular in David’s life, I wonder what happened between verse four and five. The psalm goes from a really sad mood and pleas for help in the beginning of the psalm to more of a happy feeling in Psalms 13:5. Did God talk to David? Did God touch David’s heart? Did God put into David’s memory all the times He has saved David and helped David in the past? Are we even talking about something specific? Or, is David writing about a general cycle of faith? Can you remember a time when you were down for an extended period of time and then you were happy? If so, what happened to change your mood? Did you pray and finally get an answer from God? Did you start reading His Word? Did you attribute that happiness to God or to a friend and change of luck or circumstance? So, what are your thoughts? Is there an event that happens between Psalms 13:4 and Psalms 13:5 or is Psalms 13:5 the change? What if Psalms 13:5 is the Change?:
Have you ever been down and a friend or loved one said, “You will get through this. You have survived difficult situations before”? Or, maybe you were down and prayed or read God’s Word, then all of a sudden you remember that you have been through difficult situations before and God has always helped you through it. I have had these experiences before.
Sometimes when we are down, it is difficult for us to remember that we were down before and got through it. Sometimes when we are down it just feels like we are “ALWAYS” down and don’t have good times. Sometimes it takes encouragement and reminders to let us know that we have been through difficult times before and have been happy. So, if it has happened that way before, we can have hope that it can happen that way again, right? This could be the point that David is writing about in Psalms 13:5. Maybe nothing has happened between verse four and five. Maybe Psalms 13:5 is the change. In the last part of the verse David didn’t say that he is rejoicing. He said, “My heart SHALL rejoice.” Why might David’s heart rejoice? I think we see it in the first part of the verse where he wrote, “But I have trusted in thy mercy”. It seems to me that David remembered that God has brought him through difficulties before. He went from a “poor me” attitude to an attitude of “hope” because God has helped him before, so certainly God can help him again. What are your thoughts? We don’t know if David wrote Psalms 13 about something specific or not. If he did, then we don’t know the reason for this change in attitude. We don’t know if God talked to David specifically, led David to scripture or maybe to writings in a journal that reminded David that God has saved him before. Yet, this change in attitude makes the difference in the feelings and emotions depicted. God’s Word:
In God’s Word, we see many verses that talk about how our attitude should be and how our attitude can help change things for us. One of my favorites is Proverbs 17:22 (KJV) which reads, “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.”
Think about when someone wants you to do something. Let’s even make it interesting and say that two people ask you to do something at the same time. You know, one of those days when you are pulled in every direction? Let’s say you are busy at the moment. Let’s further say that one person writes you every few minutes with messages like, “I really need help. I am not having fun here. I really need your help. I am stuck. Why won’t you answer me? Hello?!?” Their over all tone is “poor me” and “I need your help now.” The other person waits about a half hour and then says, “I know you are busy. You are so kind and are so helpful. I know you will get to me when you have a chance. I am just thankful that you are willing to help me, so I will do what I can or just hold out for that hope again. I will see you when I see you and I thank you for that.” Which person would you help first? Which person would you enjoy helping the most? Let’s bring this little imaginative story a little further. What if both of these people were your employees? Which person would get a better review? Which one would get the raise? Obviously, God doesn’t look at things in the way we do. God doesn’t save us if we do things better or get better grades. Yet, this scenario is similar in that a good attitude will be better for you, your health, and your well-being. And, just as we try to have a good attitude around our friends and our loved ones, our supervisors and our teachers, we also should try to have a good attitude with God as well. After all, we as Christians seek a relationship with God just as we do with any of our loved ones, right? God deserves our good attitude more than anyone and the good attitude is healthier for us, physically, emotionally, and spiritually than a bad attitude. So, it is no wonder that when we trust in God and His mercy that we can say to Him, our heart “shall rejoice in thy salvation”. When we remember His Word, when we remember His promises, we can put our trust in God and His mercy and we can rejoice, instead of feeling down or scared or whatever negative feeling we might feel. Heavenly Father, Thank you for your mercy! You gift us with your mercy and grace more than we deserve. Help us to remember that our attitude can make a difference in our situations. Help us to remember to thank you and praise you even before we see your mercy in our current situation. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. 
If you missed other posts in the series, you may want to go back and read them now. Here they are:
*Psalms 13: Crying Out to God *Psalms 13: When God Seems Far, Do We Fend for Ourselves? *Psalms 13: Crying for Life Over Death *Psalms 13: Good Versus Evil If you enjoyed this post, please stay tuned for the rest of the series on Psalms 13. Also, you might like to read these similar posts: *Perseverance: It Will Happen in God's Timing *We are Called to be Careful for Nothing? *Biblical Encouragement for the Depressed and Discouraged Now, it is your turn. I am so thankful that you are here. I pray that God blesses you as you read the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations. If you feel called to do so, please feel free to comment or contact me at any time. I welcome your comments and look forward to reading them. Also, if you have any questions, comments, ideas, or requests for me, please feel free to let me know. Thank you. If you find value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share it with your friends and family. The new share buttons will make it easier for you to do that. Some of your friends and family may appreciate you sharing it, so they can read it as well. Also, if you are crying out to God and want me to pray for you as well, please feel free to contact me. I do sometimes get people who do ask for prayer. For those who do, thank you for reaching out. I am happy to pray for you. Feel free to pray for me as well. Thank you. God bless. I believe that all Christians are called to share God’s Word and encourage others to get closer to God. In helping you with your Bible study, I have a free gift for you. Please, sign up below to receive your free gift and get the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations in your inbox each week. Yes, I may include some other “faith” content with the email at times, especially a prayer.
Hi friends, How are you? Are you able to relate to David’s words as we ponder our way through Psalms 13? Psalms 13:4 is the last of the sad verses in the psalm. It is also one that leaves me with the most questions as I ponder it. What are your thoughts? Who is David’s Enemy?
Who is the enemy in which David refers to here? There are many thoughts on that. Some people feel it could be Saul who was jealous of David and was trying to kill him. Some people feel it was Absalom who was trying to overthrow him. Some people feel there wasn’t one particular enemy in mind.
We already know that David had many enemies. He fought many wars. Some were personal and some were for the good of his community. He could even be talking about himself. We can all be our worst enemies on earth at times. David could also mean a more general term in enemy or he could be talking about enemies in general and not one particular situation. He could be talking about “THE ENEMY”, the enemy of us all, Satan. After all, who ever or whatever seems to be our enemy, whatever darkness seems to come over us, Satan is behind it all, even if we don’t see it. We may see the face of a rival at work, or an abuser, or even a loved one who has wronged us in some way, but the one behind the cruelty is Satan. I wonder if it wouldn’t be healthier to see the face of Satan as our enemy instead of the actual person or situation that seems to be against us. In that way, it might not feel so personal. Maybe it would be easier to be more forgiving of the person and more understanding of the situation. For example, I think it is easier to think that God is going to get “even” and be the victor over Satan than it is to think that God might get “even” with the person or situation that did us wrong. I am not saying take the responsibility away from the person or make excuses for him or her. After all, if he or she wronged you, then they still should take responsibility for it and apologize. But if we see them as someone who is struggling against Satan’s influences just as we are, it seems like it would be easier to know that it wasn’t about our worth and that we are called to forgive them as much as others are called to forgive us. Pridefulness:
Have you ever wanted to win or succeed because of how others would think? Have you ever felt like you wanted to succeed because you didn’t want others to think down on you or think less of you? Have you ever wanted to win or succeed because you didn’t want the other person to say, “Ha, ha, I won and you lost. Ha, ha, I won and you lost.”
I know there have been times when I didn’t succeed and my adversary sort of mocked me and put me down. It didn’t feel very well, especially when it happened when I was a child. I didn’t understand that it was “just a game” or that people can be mean sometimes and it has nothing to do with my worth. I also have to admit that I have had my fair share of pridefulness as well. Most of it was meant to be in the name of fun, but some of it not so much. Pride can get in our way, if we are on the “winning” end of it or the “losing” end of it. It doesn’t matter. It still isn’t a pleasant, good, or righteous thing to feel or show. Often times the pridefulness of our adversary and the ribbing that goes with it, feels worse than the original loss. Good Versus Evil:
It might sound strange, but some feel that if David was talking in generalities, if Psalms 13 was a general thought about nothing in particular, then he probably wasn’t thinking about prideful enemies saying anything against him personally. His concerns could have been more philosophical and spiritual. He could have been concerned about good versus evil. David could have been concerned about the devil winning over a child of God.
This is the ultimate conflict in all of our lives. Especially as Christians, we want to do what we can to be on God’s side and see God’s side succeed. We struggle and sin when Satan creeps into our lives in some way. For example, when we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we prayer for God’s kingdom, not for Satan’s kingdom. God’s Word:
I said in the beginning of the post that I have questions with this verse. I have already mentioned one of them about whether it is healthier to view our enemies as Satan and not as the people or situation specifically. However, I have other questions as well.
If David was talking about the fight against Satan and concerned about good versus evil, then his plea was for God to make things right so God wouldn’t look bad. It reminds me of when Moses talked with God and asked for mercy for the Israelites in Exodus 32:11-13 after they had made the golden calf. Let’s look at those words again: “And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand? Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to who thou swarest by thine own self, and sadist unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.” (KJV) In the same way that Moses was pleading for mercy not just for the Israelites, but also to preserve God’s glory, so the enemy can’t boast of a win against God, David may have been doing the same thing in Psalms 13:4. So, why should I question that motive and strategy? I question it, because it sounds like David and Moses are being a bit manipulative to God. I mean God doesn’t need anyone to tell Him how to run His creations and God doesn’t need anyone looking out for Him. I don’t know about you, but it seems a bit sneaky and wrong to ask God to help you, so that others won’t look badly upon God. Yet, God doesn’t seem to mind. In fact, in Exodus 32:14, we see how God changes His mind and “repented”. (That is another verse that puzzles me.) What are your thoughts? My other question is, why are we even caring what other people think? Aren’t we trying to please God and not people? Doesn’t Paul ask in Galatians 1:10 (KJV), “For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.”? We are called to please God, not people. We see it again in 1 Thessalonians 2:4, when Paul says, “But as we were allow of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as a pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.” We see this concept in many verses. What are your thoughts? Heavenly Father, Thank you for your infinite love and wisdom. Thank you for your Word and your mercy. Thank you for being there for us and for showing us the way to You. Help us to be concerned with not only ourselves but with your kingdom as well. Help us to understand your will for us when things seem a bit confusing. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. 
If you missed other posts in the series, you may want to go back and read them now. Here they are: *Psalms 13: Crying Out to God *Psalms 13: When God Seems Far, Do We Fend for Ourselves? *Psalms 13: Crying for Life Over Death If you enjoyed this post, please stay tuned for the rest of the series on Psalms 13. Also, you might like to read these similar posts: *Perseverance: It Will Happen in God's Timing *We are Called to be Careful for Nothing? *Biblical Encouragement for the Depressed and Discouraged Now, it is your turn. I am so thankful that you are here. I pray that God blesses you as you read the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations. If you feel called to do so, please feel free to comment or contact me at any time. I welcome your comments and look forward to reading them. Also, if you have any questions, comments, ideas, or requests for me, please feel free to let me know. Thank you. If you find value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share it with your friends and family. The new share buttons will make it easier for you to do that. Some of your friends and family may appreciate you sharing it, so they can read it as well. Also, if you are crying out to God and want me to pray for you as well, please feel free to contact me. I do sometimes get people who do ask for prayer. For those who do, thank you for reaching out. I am happy to pray for you. Feel free to pray for me as well. Thank you. God bless. I believe that all Christians are called to share God’s Word and encourage others to get closer to God. In helping you with your Bible study, I have a free gift for you. Please, sign up below to receive your free gift and get the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations in your inbox each week. Yes, I may include some other “faith” content with the email at times, especially a prayer.
Hi friends, How are you? We have been exploring a very short, but powerful psalm. In verses one and two of Psalms 13, we read about feeling so down that one doesn’t even think God is listening. If you haven't read post one or post two in this series, you might want to do so now. Let’s continue today in pondering Psalms 13:3. Come Right Out and Ask God to Hear Your Prayer:
Have you ever thought about how your prayers look and progress as time goes by with no apparent answer in sight? They might start out with, “Please, help me, if it is your will.” Then they might go to something like, “Please, please, help me.” Then they might go to something like, “This is so hard. I really need your help.” Then it might go to something like, “Why me? Why do I have to go through this?” Sound familiar? Yes, I have prayed through this progression before.
When we are just starting our hardship, we tend to still have patience and respect for God. We still want to be polite in our prayers and still know that God’s will is best. In the beginning of our troubles, we might not think that they will be too bad or last too long. Yet, as time goes by and our troubles seem to have settled in for the long haul, we tend to get a little less polite with others and with God. We still might pray or look for help, but we might not feel that God’s will is to be the center of our prayer anymore. We might feel that we just want better times to come. We might just call for help. We might get so low in our heart that we are barely praying anymore. We might get to the point of just crying out, poor me. We might want to know why we are going through such troubles. We might just want people to notice us and maybe have pity on us, including God. We might even feel that on the verge of death. We might get so low that we might feel better off dead. We might feel like we can’t take it anymore. We might feel like it won’t be too long before we die if our troubles continue the way they are going. This is where we are in Psalms 13. David writes about the feeling that death will come soon if things don’t change. David writes about calling God to notice him. David cries out for God to listen and consider him. Feeling Small and Fragile:
In Psalms 13:3, David is depicting that point in life where we feel fragile and small. Maybe David was wondering if he was too small, too despicable, and too insignificant for God to help. Maybe David was focusing on all the things that he had done wrong in life. Maybe he felt helpless and hopeless. Maybe when David felt the lowest, he cries out in one last ditch effort, “Consider and hear me, O LORD my God”, as we see in the first part of Psalms 13:3. Have you ever felt like this?
I imagine David feeling like, “God, it is me, David. Don’t you remember me? I know I have sinned, but I am still a person. You made me a person. You know who I am. God? Where are you? God, am I really so horrible that you can’t even look at me anymore? God? God? Where are you? Please, God, I need you. I am going to die if you don’t help me. God? Please, consider me, your old friend David. Please! Please, hear my prayer.” Can you relate? I know that when it feels like God is far away and not listening, I question my significance. I question whether God really wants to see me or talk to me. It might be fleeting thoughts, but at times, they do come up. I start to feel helpless and hopeless. What are your thoughts? How do you imagine David’s thoughts and feelings for this verse? A Plea For Life Instead of Death:
Now, let’s look at the last part of Psalms 13:3. David writes, “lighten my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death.” (KJV) We don’t really talk like that today, so it might be difficult for us to understand. However, with the word death and the way it is used, we can kind of tell that David writes about being on the brink of death or at least the feeling of being at the brink of death.
I think there are a few ways to look at the phrase “lighten my eyes”. The eyes are sometimes referred to as the “light of the body” as in Matthew 6:22. If you think about it, if you close your eyes, things go dark even if it is light outside. So, for most of us, the phrase of the “eyes are the light of the body” makes sense. To be more drastic, closing our eyes could mean forever as in death. Here we can consider death as in a physical death or a spiritual death in not being able to see God and being far from Him. I imagine that heaven is a very bright place with plenty of light. And, in contrast, hell has been described as darkness. Another way of looking at the phrase “lighten my eyes” could include the word “light” to mean as in weight and not brightness. I don’t know about you, but when I feel very tired, run down, exhausted, or even depressed, my eyes feel heavy. David could be talking about that feeling when we are so very tired and run down that we don’t think we can go a step more. Maybe we haven’t slept in a week or two and we have big puffy eyes and bags under our eyes. Maybe we are so overwhelmed, tired, and stressed out that we feel like we are at the end of our rope. One more stress, one more argument, one more disappointment and we are just going to lose it. I am not sure what kind of death David means in the phrase “lest I sleep the sleep of death.” Do you? I don’t know if he might be talking about death in general being so fragile and feeling like God is so far away. I don’t know whether he might be talking about a physical death or a spiritual death. I don’t know if he might be feeling suicidal, because he feels so lost and so far away from God. I don’t know if he is talking about being killed, like he is in danger and is crying for God to protect him. Or, maybe he feels an overwhelming stress or heart ache and might feel like the stress will kill him. Whether it is a specific death or a general death, whether it is a particular instance or a general situation, I think David is describing the fragileness we sometimes feel during a difficult situation. I think it is a cry for God’s help and a last ditch effort to get God to answer prayer on the brink of death. God’s Word:
I like how God’s Word is filled with words with multiple meanings, such as “lighten my eyes” that we see in Psalms 13:3. Not that I know for sure, but it is my guess that God’s Word was set up that way on purpose. I believe that is one of the reasons why we can get something new out of God’s Word every time we read it and that different people get different messages from reading the same passage or verse.
Even with Psalms 13, some people think that David wrote it during a specific time and difficult situation in his life. Some people think it might be during the time when his son Absalom was trying to take over his throne. I am sure that time was a difficult time for David. Can you imagine your own child trying to overthrow you and take your place? That is not the kind of behavior a parent wants to see from a child. Many times, it is harder if a loved one turns against us than a stranger. However, other people tend to think that Psalms 13 was written for a more general purpose. There was no particular difficulty in David’s life that provoked him to write this. It was just something that God put in his heart to write down to show people that God understands the feelings we have and to give us hope during difficult times. Psalms 13:3 or maybe even Psalms 13 in general might be a metaphor. For example, when we get to the point where we don’t feel like God is listening anymore. We might feel like we are dead or dying. After all, God is the source of life, not only our physical life, but everlasting life. If we are so far away from God that we don’t hear Him anymore, we could be in hell. We could be in eternal darkness and eternal death. There could be many ways to interpret Psalms 13 as well as many verses in God’s Word. What are your thoughts? Heavenly Father, Thank you for your Word. Thank you for the infinite wisdom that you posses and that you pass on through your Word. Thank you that your Word is written in such a way that we all are given the message you want us to have at the time it is read, even if it is a different message each time we read it. Help us to continue to turn to you even in difficult situations. Help us to have patience in your timing and trust in you, even if we don’t feel you hear us right away. Help us to stay in your light and not get caught up in darkness. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. 
If you enjoyed this post, please stay tuned for the rest of the series on Psalms 13. Also, you might like to read these similar posts:
*Perseverance: It Will Happen in God's Timing *We are Called to be Careful for Nothing? *Biblical Encouragement for the Depressed and Discouraged Now, it is your turn. I am so thankful that you are here. I pray that God blesses you as you read the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations. If you feel called to do so, please feel free to comment or contact me at any time. I welcome your comments and look forward to reading them. Also, if you have any questions, comments, ideas, or requests for me, please feel free to let me know. Thank you. If you find value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share it with your friends and family. The new share buttons will make it easier for you to do that. Some of your friends and family may appreciate you sharing it, so they can read it as well. Also, if you are crying out to God and want me to pray for you as well, please feel free to contact me. I do sometimes get people who do ask for prayer. For those who do, thank you for reaching out. I am happy to pray for you. Feel free to pray for me as well. Thank you. God bless. I believe that all Christians are called to share God’s Word and encourage others to get closer to God. In helping you with your Bible study, I have a free gift for you. Please, sign up below to receive your free gift and get the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations in your inbox each week. Yes, I may include some other “faith” content with the email at times, especially a prayer.
Hi friends, How are you? Have you read Psalms 13 before? What were your thoughts? I don’t know about you, but I have much pondering to do with this psalm. For example, I wonder why some psalms, like this one, say “to the chief Musician”. Do you know? Anyway, I invite you on this journey of pondering Psalms 13 with me in the next few weeks. Who is the Chief Musician of Psalms 13:1?:
The beginning of Psalms 13 mentions a “chief musician”. There is some speculation as to who is meant be “the chief musician”. Some say it could have been one of musicians of the time. Maybe David wrote Psalms 13 to be played in one of the services back in the day. Maybe David wanted the musician to know or practice or use this psalm for some reason. Who knows? Maybe David was writing a note of sympathy to the musician. My mind can come up with many reasons why these words are part of the psalm.
Others speculate that “the chief Musician” could be God. I mean, God is “the Chief” everything. Why not consider Him the “Chief Musician”? It seems as though David is talking to God throughout the psalm anyway, so it would make sense that the opening statement is directed towards God. Why Did David Write Psalms 13?:
I wonder why David wrote Psalms 13. Was there a particular time in his life where he was feeling particularly low? We know that he had his share of low times. Could one of those times have brought on the need or desire to write this psalm?
Or, maybe David had a much more meaningful and positive reason for writing Psalms 13. Maybe David wanted to write the psalm to glorify God. Maybe he wanted to show that despite feeling the lowest of lows, one can still pray, trust in God, and feel God’s help and presence. The Emotion of Psalms 13:1:
I don’t know about you, but I can feel the emotion in Psalms 13:1. Let’s look at it. After the introduction, it says, “How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD?” Can you imagine the desperation? If David wrote this in the midst of a difficult situation, it sounds like he had been there for quite a while. It sounds like he had started questioning whether God was even listening to him any more or if God was mad at him or something.
Have you ever felt like questioning God? Have you ever felt like you have been going through a situation and you have been praying your heart out, but nothing changes? Have you felt this kind of “almost ready to give up” desperation? One might not feel that questioning God, or yelling at God, or crying to God, whatever David might have been doing here. Yet, it sounds like David was being very vulnerable and honest with his feelings. I don’t know if it is “right” or not. However, I do think that God likes honesty. With the second question in Psalms 13:1, the “for ever?” we can see that David was feeling this for a while. Or, he was showing that the despair or lowness had been for a while. If it wasn’t for something he was going through, he could have been magnifying the fact that people even in the lowest of their lows, can call on God. In the last question of the verse David asks God, “How long wilt thou hide thy face from me?” Whether David was feeling it himself or wanted to stress that it is possible for people in general, he was showing that it might feel at times that God is ignoring you. Have you felt that before? Have you felt that God has ignored you? It seems like David felt desperate and overwhelmed. I wonder if he also felt depressed and angry. I can imagine David yelling out, maybe even crying out to God in desperation. He may have even been standing and dropped to his knees out of exhaustion, almost as a sign of overwhelm and on the brink of hopelessness. We read about how God seemed to rely on God quite a bit and trust in Him most of his life. Feeling a desperation and fear or concern that God might be ignoring him seems quite the opposite of that usual trust and reliance. God’s Word:
How often have you read Psalms 13:1 or any of the verses in God’s Word and glossed through the verses like the words in any other book? We could read Psalms 13:1 and think, “Okay, a man from long ago was having a bad day. It doesn’t affect me.” Yet, all of God’s Word is meant to teach us no matter how long ago it was written.
I find that it is easier to get more out of God’s Word, when I ponder it. I feel that it is important to find ways to relate to it and find the meaning of not only the people in the day, but for me in my day as well. Like I said, I think whether or not David was going through something at that particular time or not, he was trying to show that no matter how low you are feeling, even in the lowest of your lows, you can call out to God. Even though he might be down, questioning, upset, scared, desperate, or whatever he is feeling, he is still calling out to God. Heavenly Father, Thank you for your Word. We may not know things like why David wrote the exact things he did thousands of years ago, but help us to remember that all your Word can help us and lead us to you. Help us not to gloss past verses that seem outdated. Help us to know that even in our lowest of lows, we are called to turn to you. Even if it might feel that you are listening, we are called to turn to you and trust you. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. 
If you enjoyed this post, please stay tuned for the rest of the series on Psalms 13. Also, you might like to read these similar posts: *Perseverance: It Will Happen in God's Timing *We are Called to be Careful for Nothing? *Biblical Encouragement for the Depressed and Discouraged Now, it is your turn. I am so thankful that you are here. I pray that God blesses you as you read the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations. If you feel called to do so, please feel free to comment or contact me at any time. I welcome your comments and look forward to reading them. Also, if you have any questions, comments, ideas, or requests for me, please feel free to let me know. Thank you. If you find value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share it with your friends and family. The new share buttons will make it easier for you to do that. Some of your friends and family may appreciate you sharing it, so they can read it as well. Also, if you are crying out to God and want me to pray for you as well, please feel free to contact me. I do sometimes get people who do ask for prayer. For those who do, thank you for reaching out. I am happy to pray for you. Feel free to pray for me as well. Thank you. God bless. I believe that all Christians are called to share God’s Word and encourage others to get closer to God. In helping you with your Bible study, I have a free gift for you. Please, sign up below to receive your free gift and get the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations in your inbox each week. Yes, I may include some other “faith” content with the email at times, especially a prayer.
Hi friends, How are you? This month, I have been posting on the topic of love. Today is no different. However, I thought that I would show an example of a woman who showed love in the Holy Bible. It is from someone we might not have expected if we knew this person beforehand. Yet, that doesn’t matter. God Uses Ordinary and Sinful People for His Glory and His Message:
Have you ever noticed how God uses ordinary sinners like you and I for His glory and His message? I mean, you would think that He would use more people like King David, Solomon, Jeremiah, Elijah, and Isaiah. You would think that God would use royalty, prophets, famous people, and social media influencers to spread His messages and show His glory. Right?
Often it is these same famous people or social media influencers who people turn to today to get their messages out. People are more apt to follow the advice of a famous person they admire or that social media influencer who has more than 100,000 followers, right? Well, obviously God uses royalty, such as King David and Solomon to make His point and spread His message. We also know that God uses prophets like Jeremiah, Elijah, and Isaiah in His message too. Yet, do we think about the ordinary people God uses in the Bible and in modern times to spread His message? An Unnamed Woman used in God’s Message of Love:
Not long ago, I pondered the story of Lot’s wife and what we can learn from her. I also mentioned that she was an unnamed woman who God used to teach us. At least with Lot’s wife, we knew a little about her. We knew her husband’s name and knew that she had kids anyway. With the unnamed woman in Luke 7:37-38, the only thing we know is that she was a sinner.
Other than being called a sinner, we don’t know anything about this woman’s past. We don’t know why she has done the things she did. We don’t know how she came to know Jesus. Yet, we do see a glimpse into the love she showed Jesus. Put Yourself in the Unnamed Woman’s Shoes:
Can you imagine being this unnamed woman mentioned in Luke 7:37-38? We are all sinners to one extent or another, so that part might not be difficult to imagine. Let’s imagine knowing that we are known sinners and like this woman hear that Jesus is going to be at this dinner party, so we go as well. (I am not so sure we were even invited either.)
I don’t know if it is out of shame or from being so close to Jesus or what, but we break out in tears, just as the unnamed woman did. I don’t know if you can imagine it, but I can up to this point. Can you? Let’s go on. Can you imagine the rest of it though? Can you imagine getting down on the floor, letting your tears drip onto Jesus’ feet, and wiping those tears away with your hair? Also remember, from a practical sense, those feet after walking around in dust covered lands so much, those feet might not be the cleanest or smell the best. Can you imagine doing that? Remember, this isn’t even in private. This is in the midst of a dinner party. There are others there as well. And, likely Jesus is the guest of honor, so he would be set at a place in plain view of others. So, we would be doing this washing in front of other people, not hidden away somewhere. I don’t know that I can imagine myself washing Jesus’ feet like that, especially in front of so many people. Can you imagine kissing and anointing Jesus’ feet? I think I would be afraid of bringing attention to myself in that way. What about you? Then, the woman is “called out” so to speak. The Pharisee tells Jesus that the woman is a sinner. Of course, Jesus already knows this. Yet, I think I would want to go hide after someone calls me out to my Lord and Savior at a dinner party in front of everyone. Can you imagine the embarrassment? What Jesus Says about this Unnamed Woman:
In Luke 7:40-42, we see how Jesus told the Pharisee a story to depict to him why this woman was doing these things. In the story, we see how the one who is forgiven more will show more love than the one who is forgiven less. It is natural.
This woman knew she was a sinner. She also knew that washing Jesus’ feet, kissing his feet, and anointing his feet wasn’t above her. We don’t know whether she went in and started doing these things in hopes of forgiveness or out of love for a man of love, or out of humbleness to her savior, or what. We don’t know much about her motives or expectations. We don’t even know if she knew much about her motives or expectations. After the story about the two men who owe and are forgiven, Jesus tells the Pharisee these things that the woman has been doing for him and the things that the Pharisee himself neglected to do for him. That by itself may have been some comfort for the woman. Would it be for you? It may have been kind of a vindication of sorts or at least an acknowledgement of understanding and kindness. I don’t know if I can really imagine myself in this unnamed woman’s shoes for most of this passage. However, I would really like to imagine myself in this woman’s shoes as the events in Luke 7:47-50 play out. I really like what Jesus says about the woman in Luke 7:47 (KJV), “Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much, but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.” Then in Luke 7:48 (KJV), Jesus turns to the woman and tells her directly, “Thy sins are forgiven.” Jesus knew she was a sinner. The woman knew she was a sinner. Yet, she showed a great amount of love and Jesus lovingly acknowledged that and forgave her sins. I know I have sinned and I know that Jesus forgives me. However, I don’t know that I have ever tried to imagine Him saying it to me in such a loving way. Have you? It might be something for us to try to imagine. Then, we may be able to feel it in such a way as this woman did. Then, as the people who are at the dinner party seem to talk among themselves and wonder who Jesus really is and how can he be forgiving sins (Luke 7:49), Jesus turns to the woman and says, “Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.” (Luke 7:50) Yes!!! I would like to imagine myself in that situation. I would like to imagine myself being next to my Lord and Savior and having him tell me plainly that my faith has saved me and I can go in peace. I would think that would be a life altering and live giving situation to remember. What about you? God’s Word:
There are many things in God’s Word that mean many things to many people. They may also mean various things to the same person depending on what they are going through in life and where they are in their faith journey.
There are other verses about women anointing Jesus in the Bible. Could this unnamed sinful woman be part of God’s message that shows a bigger picture? Jesus isn’t only anointed by this woman (and others), but he is more importantly also anointed by God. We see that in Luke 4:18-21, where we see Jesus reading from the book of Isaiah in the synagogue in Nazareth about the anointed one of God and he tells the people that he is the one about which the scriptures is speaking. We often see human stories and circumstances noted to help explain heavenly principles. We see depictions by people in biblical times that help teach us lessons and make sense of other parts of God’s Word we might not understand as much. Many of the New Testament authors rely on Old Testament scripture or things that are understandable to the people of the time to explain God’s message. Heavenly Father, Thank you for sending Jesus down to be our Savior. Thank you for the forgiveness of our sins. Thank you for your infinite love. Thank you for using ordinary people for your glory. Thank you for teaching us. Help us to show the love that this unnamed woman showed. Help us to treat you, your Son, and your Holy Spirit with the same level of love that this woman treated Jesus. Help us to never think that we are “above” or “below” anything that you call us to do. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. 
This month has been a month for posts about love. Have you read the other posts about love? If you liked this post, you may also like these similar ones.
*Why are We Called to Love Our Enemies? *Charity Among Ourselves? *Love and Fear Here are also a couple of posts from the more distant past on love. *How Do You Show Jesus You Love Him? *Do You Reflect the Love of God? Now, it is your turn. I am so thankful that you are here. I pray that God blesses you as you read the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations. If you feel called to do so, please feel free to comment or contact me at any time. I welcome your comments and look forward to reading them. Also, if you have any questions, comments, ideas, or requests for me, please feel free to let me know. Thank you. If you find value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share it with your friends and family. The new share buttons will make it easier for you to do that. Some of your friends and family may appreciate you sharing it, so they can read it as well. As you can tell from the post, I believe that all Christians are called to share God’s Word and encourage others to get closer to God. In helping you with your Bible study, I have a free gift for you. Please, sign up below to receive your free gift and get the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations in your inbox each week. Yes, I may include some other “faith” content with the email at times, especially a prayer.
Hi friends, How are you? This week, we are still pondering verses having to do with love. There are many verses about love and many kinds of love mentioned in the Bible. Yet, today may not be a kind of love, but more of a clarification of love. I have to say, that when I looked at 1 John 4:18 as a possibility for today’s blog topic, I saw it out of context. My first thought was different than the context in which it was written. Just to be clear, I am not advocating for people to twist the truth for their own use or to study God's Word out of context. My first thoughts were out of context, but as you can see I say the correct context. Can 1 John 4:18 and the Concept of Love Help Battered Women?:
In the past, I have worked with battered women. So, when I read 1 John 4:18 out of context and saw, “There is no fear in love”, I thought about the fear battered women have of their boyfriends or husbands. I thought about how battered women often feel that they deserve the battering and that their boyfriends and husbands love them despite the violence they show.
I wondered, “Can 1 John 4:18 be used to help battered women?” I thought about how batterers often use fear to control their victims all the while they are telling their victims that they love them. I wonder. In reading 1 John 4:18, it doesn’t look to me that fear and love can go hand in hand. It seems like there is only one or the other. So, can 1 John 4:18 be used to help battered women? There is no mention of battered women or men, in the context of 1 John 4:18. I don’t know if I would advocate for trying to use a verse out of context, unless specifically called to do so by God. However, there may be useful lessons in a verse that can be used in similar or related circumstances. After reading this post, I will let you decide for yourself if 1 John 4:18 can be used to help battered women. Love and Fear:
When I think about love and fear, I think about how a parent may comfort a child who is afraid. A parent’s love can often wash a way the fears of a child. A hug and gentle, reassuring words often helps when a child is afraid. Coming from a loving parent, these things are often all that is needed for a child to feel safe again. It is like the child can’t feel the fear and the love at the same time.
I think the opposite as well. I think no matter how much a couple thinks they are in love; if there is violence or fear between them it is difficult (if possible at all) to feel the love and fear at the same time. The more the fear is used as a tool by the batterer to control the battered, the more difficult it will be to feel the love. Often the battered struggles to keep the love and the relationship together. She (or he) wants the relationship, tries to say the abuse was her fault, that she deserves it. But, is it really possible? Is it possible to feel the love and the fear at the same time? Can the violence of the batterer, push the love away? Is the violence of a battered relationship love? Is there any love in the relationship? The batterer and the battered may claim there is love. They may want it. However, is that real love? Or, is that just wishful and misled thinking? God’s Word:
Now, let’s look at 1 John 4:18 in context. If we read 1 John 4, we can see that John is giving the early Christians a pep talk. In earlier verses John talks about how there will be false prophets (1 John 4:1) and the spirit of the antichrist (1 John 4:3) in the world. These things will cause fear, disconnect, and division. John is reminding the early Christians as God reminds us, that no matter how bad things get, move closer to God. Keep God close and keep your focus on His infinite love. One can’t feel nor be disturbed by the fear and violence of the world, if one is close to God and feels God’s loving presence. Nothing else matters when we are close to God, not even the most fearful and shocking thing the world can do to us. Yes. That is easier said than lived. God didn’t say it would be easy. Yet, it as 1 John 4:18 (KJV) says, “…perfect love casteth out fear”. God’s perfect love can get rid of the fear we feel. Heavenly Father, Thank you for your infinite love. You know that there is violence and things that scare us in this world. Even some of the things you call us to do outside of our comfort zone seem frightful at times. Help us to draw close to you in difficult times instead of dwelling on the fear. Help us to come to you and to feel your love. Help us to understand that your perfect love and fear cannot occupy the same space. Help us to realize that your love is infinite and powerful. Help us to know your faithfulness. Help us to be close to you and focus on you always. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. 
If you enjoyed this post, you may also want to read these similar posts: *How Do You Show Jesus You Love Him? *Do You Reflect the Love of God? *Do You Practice Pure Religion? *Why are We Called to Love Our Enemies? Now, it is your turn. I am so thankful that you are here. I pray that God blesses you as you read the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations. If you feel called to do so, please feel free to comment or contact me at any time. I welcome your comments and look forward to reading them. Also, if you have any questions, comments, ideas, or requests for me, please feel free to let me know. Thank you. If you find value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share it with your friends and family. The new share buttons will make it easier for you to do that. Some of your friends and family may appreciate you sharing it, so they can read it as well. As you can tell from the post, I believe that all Christians are called to share God’s Word and encourage others to get closer to God. In helping you with your Bible study, I have a free gift for you. Please, sign up below to receive your free gift and get the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations in your inbox each week. Yes, I may include some other “faith” content with the email at times, especially a prayer.
Hi friends, How are you? I was hoping to write a post about biblical ways of marriage and love between spouses today. However, I decided that there is so much to consider and talk about with a post like that, so I chose a more general form of love today. That love is “charity”. A Few General Thoughts about the Definition of “Charity”:
I am sure there are many definitions of the word charity. We may each have our own definition. Our definition may even change, as we grow older and mature in faith and understanding.
I can remember reading the word “charity” in the Bible and automatically thinking of the noun “charity, as in an organization that helps the poor. So, maybe I thought of the word “charity” as in “a kind-hearted feeling for those in need”. I don’t remember for sure. Now, I think of “charity” as being a “Christianly love for all” and something that is to be done always. It is a love we are called to have for others, because God calls us to love others. They don’t have to be poor. They don’t have to be rich. They don’t have to be kind. They don’t have to be friends or friendly. We are just called to love others. What is your definition for the word “charity” as mentioned in 1 Peter 4:8? I would be interested in hearing thoughtful considerations by other Christians. If you are uncertain of a definition, you might want to research it. A Bible concordance may be helpful for you. Here is a page that explains and defines “charity”. What Reason Does Peter Give for Having “Charity” for Others?:
In 1 Peter 4:8, the reason Peter gives us to have charity for others is “…for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.” (KJV) So, what does this mean? When I first read this, I thought about how we tend to “overlook” or more easily forgive minor misgivings from our loved ones, because of our love for them. We might think or say something like, “Oh yes, he (or she) might have done something wrong, but I can’t stay mad. I love him (or her).” The more endearing the person may act towards us, the more difficult it is to stay upset with that person.
Was Peter’s meaning this practical? Was he talking about the practicalities of human behavior? Is that what God means? Is God calling us to love one another in 1 Peter 4:8, because it will make it easier to forgive one another when our human behavior slips into sin? I am not sure. However, in the practical sense, I do think Peter wanted to stress to the early Christians that they should stick together, encourage each other, and help build the kingdom of God. I think he wanted to stress the need to be of one mind in God and guard against being divided. God’s Word:
When reading and studying God’s Word, it is often important to consider the context of the statement before taking it to heart. For example, when reading 1 Peter 4:8, I am kind of surprised to read that Peter’s instructions was to “have fervent charity among yourselves” above all instead of loving God above all or something like that.
Let’s dive a little deeper and look at 1 Peter 4:7 for some context. In that verse Peter notes that “the end of all things are at hand”. So, I am thinking that Peter is probably expecting Jesus to come back and the world to end soon. He wants to do what he can to comfort the newest Christians and to encourage them to love each other and to stick together. He is probably warning them that things will get difficult, that there may be persecution from the non-Christian community. He may be saying that they should make sure they have their “ducks in a row”, so that when the end comes, they will be with God. He wants them to remember that “together we stand and divided we fall”, so sticking together and encouraging each other is important. Maybe Peter figured that if he said to “love God above all”, the new Christians might not understand the message that he was giving them about sticking together and encouraging each other. Maybe Peter was remember back and relaying the message that Jesus gave in verses such as Matthew 22:39, Mark 12:31, and John 15:12 that we are called to love one another. Maybe Peter knew that we couldn’t dislike each other and love God at the same time (as mentioned in 1 John 4:20). Maybe Peter wasn’t sure if the new Christians would understand that, so he just said to love each other. I believe that we get more out of God’s Word and His message, when we look at things in context and also try to put ourselves in the shoes of the speaker or listener back in biblical times. Although, nothing is better in gaining knowledge about God’s Word then to read it and then pray to ask God for knowledge. So, let’s pray. Heavenly Father, Thank you for your love and your Word. Your Word is a living and life giving Word. However, at times it can be difficult for us to understand and to take out of context. Help us to turn to you in prayer, especially if we have the least little doubt about what you are telling us through your Word. Help us also to love each other and to encourage each other in your Word. Help us also to understand that we don’t love you, if we don’t love others. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. 
If you enjoyed this post, you may also want to read these similar posts: *How Do You Show Jesus You Love Him? *Do You Reflect the Love of God? *Do You Practice Pure Religion? *Why are We Called to Love Our Enemies? Now, it is your turn. I am so thankful that you are here. I pray that God blesses you as you read the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations. If you feel called to do so, please feel free to comment or contact me at any time. I welcome your comments and look forward to reading them. Also, if you have any questions, comments, ideas, or requests for me, please feel free to let me know. Thank you. If you find value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share it with your friends and family. The new share buttons will make it easier for you to do that. Some of your friends and family may appreciate you sharing it, so they can read it as well. As you can tell from the post, I believe that all Christians are called to share God’s Word and encourage others to get closer to God. In helping you with your Bible study, I have a free gift for you. Please, sign up below to receive your free gift and get the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations in your inbox each week. Yes, I may include some other “faith” content with the email at times, especially a prayer.
Hi friends,
There are many kinds of love. However, one kind of love may be more difficult to do or to understand than the others. That is the love we are called to do in Matthew 5:44. We are called to love our enemies. Think for a moment about the people who may have hurt you. Think of the people who you dislike or distrust. Think of the people who may have been cruel to you or abused you at one time or another. Did you know that you are called to love those people? Yes. We aren’t just called to love family, friends, and neighbors. We are called to love our enemies also. Do you love your enemies? Do you love those who have been mean to you, cruel to you, and abusive to you? I know. This might not seem logical to us humans, especially being surrounded by worldly reasoning which says the opposite. Worldly ways say something like, “hate those before they hate us” or “get them before they get us” or “if they don’t like us, we don’t have to like them”. Yet, worldly ways are not God’s ways. So, why do we have to love our enemies? Well, God could just say, “because, I told you to” but He gives us other reasons as well. Let’s look at some of the reasons why we should love our enemies as Jesus tells in in the words of Matthew 5:44. If We Love Our Enemies, We are not Murderers:
One of the reasons why we are called to love our enemies is found in 1 John 3:15 (KJV) which says, “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.” God knows human nature. Killing someone isn’t always a physical act.
There are other ways of “killing someone” other than physically doing it. You can incite a riot to kill someone. In that case, words work on people’s emotions until they are caught up in the moment and get violent. Look at they way the crowd called for the murder to be released and for Jesus to be crucified. People can act in a different way than they normally would or even want to act when caught up in the moment or feel pressured. Look at the way Peter denied Jesus. He was caught up in the moment and felt pressured, even when he didn’t want to feel that way. We often hear that if we think positive thoughts, positive things will happen and if we think negative thoughts, negative things will happen. It is why we are concerned when a friend or loved one may start to have suicidal thoughts. We know that if the thoughts are there, the actions might not be too far away. There is a fine line sometimes between thoughts and actions. Therefor, if we hate someone, we might not be far from saying mean things towards him or her or about him or her. If we say mean things about someone, we might not be far from being violent towards that someone. If we are being violent, we might not be far from killing. So, we are called not to hate at all, not even those who are mean to us. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be a murder. To me, that is motivation for me to love my enemy. If We Love Our Enemies, We Love God:
Another reason we are called to love our enemies is found in 1 John 4:20 (KJV) which says, “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” If we hate our enemy, we don’t love God.
God is love. If we don’t love, we are not near or even around God. We aren’t thinking of God. It is like God is far away and out of our mind, if we don’t love others. So, how can we expect to be or say that we are close to God, if we don’t love others, even our enemies? If we don’t love, God is out of sight and out of mind. That is not where God wants to be. God wants to be close to us. Even more than not being a murderer, I don’t want to be far from God. This is even more motivation for me to love my enemy. I know that I am called to be close to God and that is where I want to be. What about you? If We Love Our Enemies, We are Children of God:
Still another reason to love our enemies is in the very same breath as Matthew 5:44. Yes, Matthew 5:45 tells us the answer as well. It says (KJV), “That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”
Yes, as children of God, we are called to love our enemies. If we want to be considered children of God, we are called to love our enemies. God makes the sun rise on the good and the evil. He shows the same “Godly love” to enemies as He does loved ones. As God’s ambassadors and as God’s friends and family, we are called to show our enemies “Godly love” as well. God’s Word:
Friends, I get it. God’s Word is full of concepts that are difficult for us to understand and even more difficult for us to live, especially being surrounded by worldly people telling us just the opposite. If it were easy, we wouldn’t read about most of the people in the Bible NOT getting it.
Living by God’s Word and doing all the things God calls us to do may seem impossible at times. We do know that, “For God nothing shall be impossible.” (Luke 1:37 KJV) So, let’s pray: Heavenly Father, Thank you for your holy Word. Thank you for showing us the way to you. Thank you for loving us like friends and family. Thank you for showing us love and how to love. Help us to love not only our friends and family, but our enemies as well. Help us to love when we are hurt, angry, or confused as to why we are even called to love. Help us to love, when how hurt seems so enraged that it doesn’t feel natural to love. Help us to love our friends and our enemies, so that we may know you and be close to you. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. 
If you enjoyed this post, you may want to read these similar posts: *How Do You Show Jesus You Love Him? *Do You Reflect the Love of God? Now, it is your turn. I am so thankful that you are here. I pray that God blesses you as you read the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations. If you feel called to do so, please feel free to comment or contact me at any time. I welcome your comments and look forward to reading them. Also, if you have any questions, comments, ideas, or requests for me, please feel free to let me know. Thank you. If you find value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share it with your friends and family. The new share buttons will make it easier for you to do that. Some of your friends and family may appreciate you sharing it, so they can read it as well. As you can tell from the post, I believe that all Christians are called to share God’s Word and encourage others to get closer to God. In helping you with your Bible study, I have a free gift for you. Please, sign up below to receive your free gift and get the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations in your inbox each week. Yes, I may include some other “faith” content with the email at times, especially a prayer.
Hi friends, How are you? We seem to be on a “salt theme” on the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations. I hope you are enjoying it. We have talked about learning from Lot’s wife (who as we know was turned into a pillar of salt) as well as being the salt of the earth. Today, we are furthering our discussion of salt and how it relates to speaking. Do You Have Trouble Knowing What to Say or How to Say it?:
Have you ever had times when you haven’t known what to say to someone? Maybe during an argument and someone takes a jab at you, you want to “come back” with a statement of your own. You know that you aren’t supposed to be mean, even if others are mean to you. Yet, you just don’t want to leave it. You want to say something. Maybe you are trying to explain something and just don’t know how to get your point across. Maybe you need to tell someone something very important, but not quite sure how to get your message out.
If you have trouble knowing what to say or how to say it, you are not alone. It can be difficult for most of us at times. For, example, I don’t like conflict. When someone says something against me, I have a difficult time knowing what to say, how to say it, or if I am even supposed to say anything at all. Do I ignore it? Do I stand up for myself? I am sure the answer to this is different in each circumstance and for each person. I just know that my first reaction is often to feel uncomfortable. This is not what we are called to do by the way. The Worldly Attitudes about What to Say and How to Say it:
It probably doesn’t help that the worldly views and attitudes about what to say and how to say it seem to bombard us from such a young age. As far back as I can remember, there was a saying that I heard in school that went like this: “Anything you say bounces off me and sticks to you.” Now, this may seem like an innocent enough way to react. After all, if you say that, you aren’t coming right out and calling the other person what they just called you. You didn’t say the same mean words. Yet, in reality, you are saying the same thing. You are saying and wishing whatever mean thing someone said to you back to them.
Worldly thinking when it comes to speaking or talking with someone is often “tit for tat” or “jab them before they get a chance to jab you”. Sometimes it is more like “the one who speaks the loudest wins”. However, this is not what we are called to do. We are not called to worldly ways in speaking, or in anything else. How are We Called to Speak?:
So, how are we called to speak? Let’s start by looking at Colossians 4:6 to answer that question. The beginning part of Colossians 4:6 (KJV) says, “Let your speech be always with grace”. It doesn’t say, “Be nice when others are nice and be mean when others are mean.” It says, “Let your speech be always with grace”.
We are called to speak with kindness in our heart. When someone says something mean to us, we are called to speak to with grace. We are called to be kind and forgiving. It might be difficult at times to understand why we are called to always speak with grace, but I think we can understand what it means to speak with grace pretty well. However, the second part of Colossians 4:6 (KJV) which says, “seasoned with salt”, might be a little bit harder to understand. What are your thoughts on this? As I was thinking just now and God gave me a thought about how we say, “that leaves a bad taste in my mouth”. We need to speak in a way that doesn’t “leave a bad taste in the mouth of others”. We need to speak in a way that leaves a savory taste in the mouth of others. We need to speak in a way that encourages others in godly ways. It also means that we need to be prepared to answer the why of what we are saying at times. We can’t just say, “because, I said so” and expect that everyone is going to be okay with that. I mean, “who are we”, right? Why We are Called to “Speak with Grace” and “Seasoned with Salt”:
Let’s take a few minutes to think and talk about why we are called to speak “always with grace” and “seasoned with salt”. First of all, we are called to speak in that way, because our God told us that is His will for us. Yet, just as there were practical reasons for Paul to say it to those in biblical times spreading God’s Word, there are also practical reasons for us as well. Most of them are the same practical reasons.
People are less likely to listen to us, if we have a bad attitude while we are speaking. Who wants to listen to someone when they are being rude, sarcastic, and condescending or yelling and snickering? We also do want to be “in their face” or expect them to understand right away where we are coming from, especially if we don’t want to take our time to understand from where they are coming. Yes, it might be difficult to speak to others “with grace” and “seasoned with salt” if they have treated us badly. And, no, there is no more excuse for them to treat us badly than we have to want to repay their bad behavior likewise. However, that is why we are called to speak to them with grace. People may be having a bad day or be hurt themselves and lashed out without thinking. We don’t know. We would want others to give us a break and treat us with grace during such times, right? So, we are called to treat others, as we would want to be treated. (i.e.- Matthew 7:12, Luke 6:31) We God's ambassadors on earth and we are called to be role models for unbelievers and new Christians. If we speak harshly, criticize others, or speak in a way others can't understand, what kind of motivation is that for others to get closer to God. After all, if we proclaim to be godly people and treat others horribly, why would anyone else be interested in being godly? However, if we speak with kindness, grace, truth, love, encouragement, and in a way that they can understand, they will be much more likely to want to be more like us and get closer to God themselves. How Do We Speak “with Grace” and “Seasoned with Salt”?:
Sometimes it is easier said than done. So, how do we speak “with grace” and “seasoned in salt”? It helps to know how we are to respond. Reading God’s Word and knowing how to speak is helpful. By reading God’s Word, we also know that we are not always called to come up with the words. For example Mark 13:11 (KJV) says, “But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.”
If we are having a difficult time with the words we should speak, we can turn to God. His Holy Spirit will give us the words we seek. This is great motivation for not speaking too hastily. Instead of speaking before we think, we can pause not only to think but to pray as well. Taking that quick minute to pray before we speak could make the difference between speaking with grace and speaking in anger or in foolishness. God’s Word:
To me, the Bible is a great example of speech that is “seasoned in salt”. Have you ever notice how the different books in the Bible are written in such a way that the particular readers would understand? Most of the authors in the Bible “knew their audience”. They could write and speak in a way that would have meaning for their readers. More so, they could write and speak in a way that would encourage their readers to follow God’s will and to take it as truth.
When Paul wrote the words in Colossians 4:6, he was giving direction to early Christians working to spread the gospel. He was giving good advice on how to speak, so that others would be more likely to listen and accept what they were saying. For example, Luke does this when he wants to “prove” to his readers that Jesus is the Messiah. He knew that his audience was big on ancestry and that they were expecting to the Messiah to come from the “house of David”. So, Luke gives his readers Jesus’ earthly genealogy. (Luke 3:23-38) God’s Word as a whole is great at inspiring us and encouraging us to follow God’s will and plan for us. We don’t always follow through, just as our listeners don’t always heed us when we speak. However, in God’s Word, the encouragement and inspiration are there. Let's pray: Heavenly Father, Thank you for your wisdom, your love, and your Word. Thank you for telling us the way we are called to speak. Help us to turn to you in knowing what to say and how to say it. Help us to "speak with grace" and "seasoned with salt" even in the most difficult of times. Help us to treat others as we would like to be treated and to encourage others in your Word, so we can be your helpers in spreading the gospel and enlarging your kingdom. We ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. 
If you enjoyed this post, you may want to read these similar posts about: *The Power of Words *Encouraging Others Now, it is your turn. I am so thankful that you are here. I pray that God blesses you as you read the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations. If you feel called to do so, please feel free to comment or contact me at any time. I welcome your comments and look forward to reading them. Also, if you have any questions, comments, ideas, or requests for me, please feel free to let me know. Thank you. If you find value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share it with your friends and family. The new share buttons will make it easier for you to do that. Some of your friends and family may appreciate you sharing it, so they can read it as well. As you can tell from the post, I believe that all Christians are called to share God’s Word and encourage others to get closer to God. In helping you with your Bible study, I have a free gift for you. Please, sign up below to receive your free gift and get the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations in your inbox each week. Yes, I may include some other “faith” content with the email at times, especially a prayer.
Hi friends, How are you? Today, we are going to talk about salt. Yes, salt. What do you think of when you think about salt? For me, I think the first thought is a nice tasty potato chip. Some say salt is bad for you. Others say that salt is yummy. What do you say? Some Background About the Importance of Salt:
Before we talk about Matthew 5:13, let’s look at some background about salt. In the introduction, I half-heartedly mentioned that salt made me think of a nice tasty potato chip. Some may think that I am a salt-aholic. Some may say that salt isn’t good for you. That is truer for some than for others. However, if you research it, you might find that we all need some salt. I can’t confirm or deny the scientific truth of it, but this post by “Dr. Steven Lin” tells some reasons why we need salt.
Way back in the day, salt was used like money. This post by “Ancient Origins” tells some of the ways in which salt was widely treasured in the ancient world. I found the article really interesting and it even mentions Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:13. As a matter of fact, the word “salary” that we use today comes from the word salt. Again, salt was used like money or paid as part of a salary for work back in the day. This post by UnitChefs explains it well and also mentions the Bible. In this case, the book of Ezra is mentioned. I find it interesting when you can learn more about biblical times and it is linked to the Bible. I have also heard that salt is used for healing. Are those “old wives’ tales or is that really true. I can’t remember ever trying it, except to gargle with salt water for a sore throat at times. What about you? Again, I don’t have the knowledge to be able to confirm or deny the truth of it, but this post by “Daily Health Post” mentions many ways in which salt is used for healing or better health. Still, another use for salt is as preservative. Salt helps to preserve the goodness of food and helps them keep longer without going bad. Hmm. That makes sense. That is why so much of the food we buy has salt added. Salt of the Earth:
Now, that we know that salt isn’t just bad for us, and in fact has many good qualities, lets ponder Jesus’ words as written in Matthew 5:13. To put it in perspective, Matthew 5:13 comes after the “Beatitudes” in the Sermon on the Mount, which is relayed in Matthew 5-7. Matthew 5:13 (KJV) says, “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.”
So, what do the words in Matthew 5:13 mean? First of all, since Jesus is mainly talking to his followers, we can infer that Jesus was calling all good Christians the “salt of the earth”. That means that you and I are the salt of the earth. But, what does that mean for us? What does that mean to others? The spiritual connotation and value for salt are much the same as the physical. As mentioned above, salt had financial value in Bible times. It was an important part of trading. So, we can also infer that good Christians are highly valued by Jesus. Of course, he would value his friends and family, right? Don’t we value our friends and family? Yet, our importance as “salt of the earth” goes much deeper than being on Jesus’ “friends and family list”. As we know, salt is also a preservative. How do we fit in with that use of salt? Well, if you think about it, if Matthew a follower of Christ (and other Bible authors), didn’t write down the words they did that formed the Bible, we probably wouldn’t know about them today. As we read the Bible and pass the “Good News” along to our children, our friends, our relatives, and our “followers”, we might help preserve the word and keep it alive and in the hearts of people we touch. God is the only one who can truly “keep it alive”, because they are His Words, and He is all-powerful. We are not, but we can be helpers in that mission. We can do our part by following God’s Word and will for us, and sharing His Word with others. Not Being Salt of the Earth:
If we look at Matthew 5:13 (KJV) again, we see what happens if Christians don’t act in such away as to be the “salt of the earth”, “…but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.” That doesn’t sound like fun to me. It is great motivation to keep being a good Christian, living a good Christian lifestyle, and preserving God’s Word and the “Good News” by sharing it with others and testifying about how God works in our lives.
I would not want to be “cast out” of Jesus’ “friends and family” list, nor would I want to be “good for nothing”. However, when we don’t go to church, hear sermons, talk with godly people, read the Bible, pray, or do things that brings us closer to God on a regular basis, we tend to lose our way and our momentum for being good Christians. If we don’t practice good spiritual habits, we may lose them and fall away from God day by day. In essence, we cast ourselves out of God’s family, by not actively participating in it. God’s Word:
God’s Word has many verses that talk about salt. Here are just a few of them in KJV.
*Colossians 4:6 – “Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye out to answer every man.” *Mark 9:50 – “Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.” *Numbers 18:19 – “All the heave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer unto the LORD, have I given thee, and thy sons and thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever: it is a covenant of salt for ever before the LORD unto thee and to thy seed with thee.” *Leviticus 2:13 – And every oblation of they meat offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat offering: with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt.” *Genesis 19:26 – “But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.” Let’s pray: Heavenly Father, Thank you for your Word and your love. Help us to keep our “saltiness”, so that we can do your will and spread your good news. Help us to enrich and help us to keep our “savour” in order to help in building your kingdom and sharing your words to others. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. 
If you enjoyed this post, you may also like to read these similar posts: *About Lot’s wife *Encouraging others Now, it is your turn. I am so thankful that you are here. I pray that God blesses you as you read the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations. If you feel called to do so, please feel free to comment or contact me at any time. I welcome your comments and look forward to reading them. Also, if you have any questions, comments, ideas, or requests for me, please feel free to let me know. Thank you. If you find value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share it with your friends and family. The new share buttons will make it easier for you to do that. Some of your friends and family may appreciate you sharing it, so they can read it as well. As you can tell from the post, I believe that all Christians are called to share God’s Word and encourage others to get closer to God. In helping you with your Bible study, I have a free gift for you. Please, sign up below to receive your free gift and get the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations in your inbox each week. Yes, I may include some other “faith” content with the email at times, especially a prayer.
Hi friends,
How are you? I haven’t done this often, but let’s ponder the life of someone in the Bible. I think it helps us to learn from others, especially from those God puts in our path to teach us a lesson. There are many people in our lives and in the Bible from whom we are meant to learn. Today, let’s ponder Lot’s wife. What We Know About Lot’s Wife:
Actually, we know very little about Lot’s wife. The Bible doesn’t even mention her name, nor when she and Lot were married. We do know that she and Lot were living in Sodom, a city known for it’s sinful ways. We also know that she and Lot had at least two daughters.
The Bible talks about how Lot traveled with Abraham and they split ways. Lot, of course, ended up in Sodom. But, Lot’s wife isn’t mentioned during the travels. Can we surmise that Lot’s wife was from Sodom? Since, Lot was brought up in a family who knew God, could we also surmise that Lot and his wife were “unequally yoked”? I don’t know. The Bible doesn’t say. We also know that her story is told in Genesis 19. Again, very little is said about her. However, her story teaches us a great lesson. Lot’s Wife and the Angels Who Visit:
What is the most exciting thing that happened in Lot’s wife’s life? Well, I don’t now about you, but I think it was probably that not only was she visited by angels, but also touched by angels and hurried on her way by angels.
I can only imagine how her last hours on earth went. First, angels come to her house. If that is not exciting enough, their message is that they have come to destroy the city because of its sinfulness and that her family should leave, so they will be saved. How cool is that? Something else happens when the angels come to the house of Lot and his wife. Lot tries to protect the angels from a mob of sinful men wanting to get at the strangers for sexual pleasure. Instead, Lot offers his two virgin daughters. Could you imagine being Lot’s wife and hearing this? Can you imagine your husband trying to protect two strangers, but offering your two young daughters to such sinfulness instead? As a mom, I couldn’t even imagine. I am sure that I would be extremely angry and upset with my husband. The Bible doesn’t say that she questions it or says anything. The Bible doesn’t give her any words at all. However, I would say that she probably had some strong emotions going on during this time. (In all reality, we don’t even know if she heard these words spoken by Lot.) Did Lot’s wife believe that the strangers were angels? We don’t know. It isn’t mentioned one way or another in the Bible. We aren’t told that the angels looked or acted differently than any other visitors, except that after Lot tried to protect them, they protected Lot. They grabbed Lot and pulled him inside the house and caused the mob to be blinded. Does the fact that they blinded the mob and saved her husband make it real for her that they are angels? We don’t know. Again, nothing really is known about Lot’s wife. We are also told that Lot went out to warn his son-in-laws to take his daughters and leave Sodom because it is going to be destroyed. However, the son-in-laws just mock him. This brings up a new question. Did Lot and his wife have more than two daughters? It sounds like they may have had at least four daughters, the two at home and others that were with the son-in-laws. (However, again, that is just conjecture. We don’t know for sure.) I can only guess that Lot’s wife’s emotions were running rampant. Would she have loved ones that wouldn’t be saved? Were these really angels? What is going on? Are we really going to die? I don’t know what she was thinking or feeling, but I can imagine what I might have been thinking or feeling. Lot’s Wife’s Fatal Decision:
In Genesis 19:15-16 we read where the angels tell Lot to get up and take his family and leave the city. The time of destruction is near. We read that Lot “lingers” and the angels take their hand and put them out of the city.
We aren’t told why Lot and his family lingered. Could it be that they don’t want to leave their home, their family, and their friends in the city of Sodom? Could it be that they aren’t morning people and that it was taking them a while to get going in the morning and get things together? Only God knows the answers to these questions. Maybe, it was just that “that first step” is always the most difficult to take. I know I have had many situations where that first step was scary and difficult. I hesitated quite a few times and even missed out, because I hesitated or didn’t take the step at all. Yet, it seemed like God, through the angels, “took” that first big step for them and with them, when the angels grabbed them and put them outside of the city. I would hope that if it were I, I would be so grateful and so appreciative that I would willingly do everything I was told in return after that. However, how often is that not true? How often do we get a health scare and a near death experience and then not be moved by it or show appreciation? In Genesis 19:17 Lot and his family is told to go to the mountains and not look back and in Genesis 19:26 we read about Lot’s wife’s fatal decision. It says in the KJV, “But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.” It could be very easy to question the motives of Lot’s wife. After all, that first big step was already done. Mercy was given to her and at least part of her family. They were already out of the city. Why would she look back? Why wouldn’t she be appreciative and just keep going? Was it heartache? Was it because she wanted one last look? We get some answer to this in the book of Luke. What Jesus Says About Lot’s Wife:
In Luke 17:32 (KJV) Jesus says, “Remember Lot’s wife.” Taken out of context, we might not know to what Jesus was referring and why he said it. However, our clue comes in the next verse and the context of the conversation Jesus was having with the Pharisees.
The Pharisees had asked Jesus about when the Kingdom of God was coming. (We read this is Luke 17:20.) Jesus goes on to tell the Pharisees that it isn’t a time when they will know. It will be a time when people don’t know and won’t be expecting it. Jesus goes on to tell them how it was in the times of Noah, when people didn’t know the flood was coming and then it came and people died. He also gave the Pharisees the example of when Sodom was destroyed and people didn’t know it was coming. (Luke 17:26-31) Then, as we know in Luke 17:32 we read how Jesus says, “Remember Lot’s wife.” It is a warning or a lesson to be learned. But, why are we to remember Lot’s wife? What is the lesson? About what are we being warned? The answer comes in Luke 17:33 (KJV) when Jesus says, “Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.” So, it seems that when Lot’s wife was looking back, she in some way wanted to preserve the worldly life she knew in Sodom. It is unclear as to whether she didn’t want to leave it physically, or she didn’t want to leave her family and friends, or she just wanted one last look at it for sentimental reasons or whatever. However, Jesus used her as an example of someone not wanting to give up a past life of sinful ways and paying a fatal consequence for it. Lessons I Have Found in the Story of Lot’s Wife:
I have found several lessons that can be taken from the story of Lot’s wife. Here is a list of some of them.
*God uses even nameless people to teach big lessons. *God is merciful to people found even in the most sinful of places. *Even some of the most “insignificant of decisions” can have fatal consequences. (Who knew that just looking back would get you turned into a pillar of salt? Sometimes people do things more significant than that with seemingly much less of a consequence.) *God is all loving, but it doesn’t mean that He won’t give us consequences. *Every decision we make brings us closer to life (God and His Kingdom) or death (Satan and hell). *We should always be obedient to God. *Nothing (not our homes, not our families, not our past, not culture) is more important or worth saving, when it goes against God’s will. *Heavenly life is better than worldly life. Did I forget any lessons? What lessons do you find in the life of Lot’s wife? God’s Word:
The Bible is God’s Word. Jesus is God’s Word. The nudges we get from the Holy Spirit is God’s Word. The answers we get through prayer is God’s Word. Something God tells us through the words of those around us are God’s Word. In acknowledging that, let’s use the words of Jesus in Luke 17:32 to pray.
Heavenly Father, Thank you for your Word. Thank you for your holy guidance. Help us to “Remember Lot’s wife” and the lessons you want us to learn from her life. When we are about to make a wrong decision, a decision that will lead us a way from you, let us hear in our hearts the words of Jesus, “Remember Lot’s wife.” Let those words warn us and encourage us not to make that bad decision, but to make a decision that brings us closer to you. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. 
If you enjoyed this post, you may also like to read these similar posts: *About focusing on God *About guidance Now, it is your turn. I am always happy to hear from you. Oh, how do you like this new format? Is it better than the "old" format? Likes, dislikes, thoughts? Please, feel free to comment below or to contact me. I hope you enjoy the "pin it" buttons and the share buttons. I hope it makes it easier to share the posts with your friends and family. After all, if you are finding value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, they may as well, right? If you haven't done so already, you may want to sign up below to get the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations and other "faith" content sent right to your inbox. Don't worry, I won't spam you. I send the email once a week. And, if you sign up below, you will get a free gift as my thank you. God bless.
Hi friends, How are you? Welcome to 2023! I pray that you will have a wonderful year. You may notice some differences in me, in DUO Inspirations, and in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations this year. Do you have differences or changes for 2023 in mind? Do you feel God is calling you to do something differently or to change in some way? God Calls Us to Change Not Only What We Do, but also What We Think:
It is nice to say we are changing, but sometimes a change doesn’t last unless we not only change our behavior but change our outlook as well. If we are just going through the motions and aren’t totally onboard with this change, we are likely to not follow through for very long. However, if we do something wholeheartedly as we are called to do in Colossians 3:23, we are more apt to continue doing the right things for the right reasons.
We can’t make these changes alone. We need God’s help, so we pray and hope. A good scripture passage to remember in times like this is Ephesians 4:23-24 (KJV): “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” When we have a whole new outlook, it is like we are a new person. Our focus is no longer on the things of the past, or on worldly things, or on doing things halfheartedly. We are now focused on heavenly things and on God’s will. God Calls for Changes in Me:
I have been feeling God nudging me to make some changes in my life and to “step up my game” so to speak. I won’t get into all the personal changes that God has in store for me now. However, I do want to say that I am called, just as is everyone else, to do things wholeheartedly. That means, I need to be more focused, not only on what I have in mind to do or the letter of the law so to speak, but I need to be focused on my relationship with God and His will for me.
God has been showing me that I can’t do that without His help and I can’t do that halfheartedly. He has been nudging me and making changes in me from the inside out. He has been chipping away at my mind and my heart, so that I can now feel “renewed in my spirit and in my mind”. It is such a blessing! God Calls for Changes in DUO Inspirations:
Not only has God given me a “renewed spirit and mind” in what He calls me to do in my personal life, He has given me a “renewed spirit and mind” in what He has called me to do through and with DUO Inspirations as well. Again, this change has to do with focus and with doing things wholeheartedly.
Anyone who is familiar with me and with DUO Inspirations may know that I have struggled with focus. I enjoy doing many things such as sharing my faith, teaching and learning in education, being creative, and encouraging others. Yet, I could never find a focus statement that described DUO Inspirations and the mission I have with it. However, through prayer and a “little help from my friends” I now have a more focused statement for DUO Inspirations: “DUO Inspirations helps Christian women overcome difficult life circumstances and grow their faith by providing tips, resources, gifts, and biblical truth.”
I am thankful that God nudged me in a better direction and brought people into my life that could give me that help and encouragement I need. We all need a little help and direction at times.
You may notice that the new description specifies Christian women. So, does that mean I don’t want to help women who are not Christian? Does it mean that I don’t want to help men or children? Does it mean that I don’t want to help plants and animals? No. I will happily help all of God’s creatures if I can. And, you don’t necessarily have to be a Christian woman in order to find DUO Inspirations helpful in some way. However, as a Christian woman, I feel that I can probably most relate to other Christian women and may know their struggles a bit better than I would know the struggles of other groups of people. You may be wondering what specifically DUO Inspirations will be doing to help others, especially Christian women through their difficult times. Well, as you can see, the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations will be very much a part of that help. I believe that the best help in anything is to have faith and to build a loving personal relationship with God. I very much hope to be able to play even a small part in helping you be able to do that. Encouraging you in faith won’t only take the form of the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations. I have other “faith” related products and services in the works. I will get more specific as they come closer to fruition. I believe you will also still see new things in the “education”, “creativity”, and “encouragement” categories as they are developed and put in place. They are all meant to be “tips, resources, gifts, and biblical truth” to help you through some struggle or circumstance in your life. I am looking forward to this new beginning and what God has in store for me in 2023 and beyond. I pray this will help me to focus more on God, His will, and heavenly things. I pray that this change will help me to be more heartfelt and purposeful in what I do with DUO Inspirations and that DUO Inspirations can help others make meaningful changes in their lives so that they can feel “renewed in their hearts and minds” as well. Note: A happy side effect in being more focused in doing God’s will and doing things more wholeheartedly, it helps SEO (search engine optimization) for DUO Inspirations, so that more people will see the site and can be encouraged. It is also the reason that you will see a more outlined post look now. (It feels kind of strange right now, because I am not used to writing in this way, but God is good. He will help me through it.) God Calls for Changes in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations:
So far, I have told you about some changes that God has called me to make personally and in DUO Inspirations as a whole. Now, I would like to talk with you about some changes in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations.
I have already mentioned one change, in that the form of the Faith Blog will look more like an outlined essay. It will have some subheadings and quotes that may stand out a little better. This outline style is not only meant to keep me more focused and make the blog post easier for you to read, but also it is better for the blog’s SEO. Yay! Another change I hope to add to the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations in 2023 is to host guest bloggers or to have guests in some way. This won’t happen every week or anything like that, but I do believe that “it takes a village” and that God works through others to help us on our journey. It is good to hear other people’s perspectives, outlooks, journeys, and testimonies. If you have read the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, you probably know already that my strategy was to mainly choose a verse and “ponder” it’s meaning throughout the post. I may still do more of that. However, I don’t believe it will be the only format for the posts. I am getting excited! Are you? I also hope to add a pin at the end of the Faith Blog posts for you to pin on your Pinterest boards. In that way, we can all help to bring others closer to God and encourage them through faith and the perspectives of other Christian people. Truth be told, I am not sure I know how to do that yet, but I believe it is a good idea. So, stay tuned for that development. LOL. Although the specific focus of DUO Inspirations and in turn the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations is geared towards helping “Christian women through difficult life circumstances and grow their faith…” the general focus of the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations has not changed. It is still meant to encourage you to read God’s word, to grow your faith, and to encourage you to have a closer relationship with Him. God’s Word:
There have been a few scripture quotes for this post. However, the driving scripture passage for the post is Ephesians 4:23-24 (KJV), which reads, “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” I say that, because it is a new year, a new beginning, and I feel the new heart and new mind that God is giving me. The whole point of the post is that God is guiding me to change and renewing “the spirit of [my] mind”. I yearn to show you some of these developments in my posts and business, as well as (if you know me) in my personal life. I believe that with a renewal in the spirit, comes a renewal in responsibility. In this case, as in the case of any Christian faith renewal, we are called to set worldly ways behind and focus only on God and His will. We are no longer “of the world”. So, we are called to no longer act in worldly ways, but in godly ways. One way to do that is to hold onto God’s Word and keep it as our compass and lifeboat in life. So, when life gets tough and we feel like slipping back into our worldly ways, something we can do to help us through the struggle is to remember God’s Word, even make a prayer out of God’s Word. To specifically make a prayer out of Ephesians 4:23-24, one might say something like: Heavenly Father, thank you for your comfort and guidance through your holy Word. Help me to know and feel the renewal you have given me in my mind, my heart, and my spirit. Let it act as my courage and obedience to continue to do your will, so that I can do your will, be closer to you, and portray your righteousness and holiness through my new outlook. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. Note: This is why I have been trying to include a prayer at the end of most of my posts. I try to model the idea of turning scripture into prayer to keep us focused on God. Also, I really do pray that encouraging you to read God’s Word and to build a relationship with Him, will have an impact on your life. The prayer is for me and for you. God bless. Now, it is your turn: I would enjoy hearing your thoughts about the new look of the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations and DUO Inspirations as a whole. I would also enjoy hearing your thoughts about blog topics and formats, especially if you have new ideas. Also, if you are a Christian blogger and would be interested in guest posting, please feel free to contact me. If you haven't done so already, please consider signing up below to receive the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations and other "faith" content in your inbox. Also, if you enjoyed this post, you may also want to read similar posts about: *Focus on God *Thankful Note: I don't do this often. However, since it is the beginning of a new year and I am making some changes, now is a good time to give you some of my other links, so you can keep up with me in other places. *DUO Inspirations on Pinterest *DUO Inspirations on Twitter *DUO Inspirations on Facebook *DUO Inspirations Bible Study and Faith Journey (Facebook group) 
Edited to Add: I don't know why this pin image doesn't work. (I think it might be because I added it after I originally published the post. I will try again next post and hopefully it will work.) if you have the answers, please feel free to contact me. Thank you.
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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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