“And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.”
Luke 1:38 KJV Hi friends, How are you? Other than the verses that directly relate to Jesus, this is one of my favorite Christmas verses. It shows the faith and obedience of Mary, who is a great example for all of us. I don’t remember where I got the information, however, I remember hearing or reading something about Mary being very young as she was betrothed at this point. I don’t remember the age, this source mentioned, but it seems like it was probably like 10-13 years old. I don’t know her age at this time and maybe it doesn’t matter, but I do believe she was young and I do admire her faith and obedience. I can’t imagine being told that I was going to have a baby created by the Holy Spirit and not through the normal means. I don’t know if I would be scared, confused, mistrusting, pleased, humbled, or what. I have no idea. What about you? I really like what Mary said though. First she says, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord.” She acknowledges that she is God’s servant. How often do we acknowledge the fact that we are indeed God’s servants? We are created by God out of love and are meant to serve and give back out of love. Then, Mary goes further to say, “be it unto me according to thy word”. She knew that she was God’s servant and acknowledged that it what the angel told her would come true. She was open to God’s Word. She accepted God’s Word. May we all learn from Mary’s words and behavior. May we all acknowledge that we are God’s servants and acknowledge that His will be done. Heavenly Father, Thank you for your Word and for role models to teach us to grow our faith and obedience in you. Help us to follow Mary’s example to acknowledge that we are your servants and help us to say that your will be done. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Luke 1:38 (KJV): *What does Luke 1:38 mean to me? *Do I acknowledge that I am God’s servant? *Do I acknowledge that God’s will be done? *Do I acknowledge that I was made out of love and should give out of love? *How would I feel if I got the message Mary received? *How can I better act according to Mary’s example? Now, it is your turn. I appreciate you being here and reading your comments. What is your favorite Christmas verse? Speaking of Christmas, I wish all of you a Merry Christmas. May God touch your heart with the spirit of the true season. If you value what I write, please consider sharing it with friends and family. Also, if you haven't already, please consider signing up to receive the Faith Blog in your inbox. Thank you.
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“Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:”
Colossians 2:16 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you today? Last week, I asked you to ponder the words in Jeremiah 10:3-4 and relate them to the tradition of decorating trees for Christmas. This week, I would like to ponder the words in Colossians 2:16. These too, have to do with celebrating. Taken alone and out of context, Colossians 2:16 can be misinterpreted. It could sound like we can do anything we want to and we shouldn’t let anyone tell us differently. That sounds pretty snobby and self-righteous. Yet, that isn’t quite what Colossians 2:16 means. It doesn’t say that we can have a free for all and do anything we want. If we take this verse in perspective, it is saying that since we have died to ourselves and have followed Jesus, don’t let anyone judge the things we do. When we are acting in Christian ways, it may seem uncool, silly, strange, or foreign to the world. It might not make sense to others. What we eat, drink, do, celebrate, observe and how we do it might be different than those of others. Yet, it doesn’t mean we are doing it wrong. If we are following Jesus and doing the will of God, then we don’t have to do things as others do, not even as other Christians. Unfortunately, people have a tendency to judge others. Although, this is a task better left for God. Sadly, this is true of believers and nonbelievers alike. Nonbelievers may judge, because they don’t know God and His will for us. They may not know the Bible and what we are called to do. They may judge us out of anger or ignorance. Nonbelievers may try to “groom us” to follow more worldly practices. In my humble opinion, this can be seen in things like businesses being open on Sundays, encouraging people to work and shop on a day that is meant to be set aside for rest and spiritual rejuvenation or political correctness that says it isn’t right for us to say, “Merry Christmas” to others, to pray in school with a moment of silence, or any other number of things that it isn’t politically correct to say or do. (Am I judging here?) Even other Christians sometimes judge the way we do things. Some Christian religions have different practices than others, and everyone tends to believe that they have the right way and only way to do things. Yet, just because things are different, doesn’t mean they are wrong. Let’s look at something as simple as eating a peanut. Peanuts are a great source of many nutrients and can be very healthy for you. However, if you are allergic to peanuts, they can be very dangerous. The eating of peanuts are “right” for some and “wrong” for some. We are not to judge others or let people talk us into or out of doing what we believe is right for us. The same is true in spiritual things. In spiritual things, whatever helps us to stay focused on God and whatever is God’s will for us, is what we should do. That is why we are to look to God for answers and let God be our judge, not people. We are called not to cave under peer pressure and not to let people sway us from our beliefs. If we think someone brings up a “good point” about what we are doing and we find ourselves questioning our actions, we are called to look to God through prayer, fasting, and reading the Bible for answers. Heavenly Father, Thank you for giving us your Word, as words to live by. Help us to hold strong in our faith and beliefs as we follow Jesus. Help us to not be turned away or conflicted in our beliefs by worldly practices and judgment of others. Help us to focus only on you, Lord, in the things that we do. If we are uncertain in what we do, think, feel, or say, help us to turn to you through prayer, fasting, and reading your Word. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Colossians 2:16 (KJV): *What does Colossians 2:16 mean to me? *What are some things where people tend to judge me, but I am doing right for me? *Do I judge others? *What are some things that are right for some people but wrong for others? *What were some of things for which Jesus and his apostles were judged? *Do I cave in or let others sway the way I believe, act, think, speak, or worship? *How can I better heed the words in Colossians 2:16? Now, it is your turn. I look forward to hearing your views. Please, leave a comment below or feel free to contact me. Thank you for being here. I appreciate your support. If you find value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share it with a friend, family member, or even your church family. I appreciate it. Also, if you haven't already, please consider signing up to get the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations and other faith content in your inbox. Just check the "faith" box (and any other interest) as you sign up. Thank you. Note: I will also be changing the site for DUO Inspirations a bit soon. Please, feel free to check it out in order to get the before and after feel. 
“For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.”
Jeremiah 10:3-4 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you today? I hope you are well. My topic for today’s Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations may not be a popular one. However, I think we are all called to evaluate ourselves, our actions, as well as the traditions we follow. I was researching verses for today’s post and I came across Jeremiah 10:3-4. It kind of surprised me. I have read the Holy Bible quite a few times and I hadn’t remembered this passage. Could it be that I didn’t remember it, because I didn’t want to remember it or maybe because I wasn’t ready to evaluate myself next to the words in this passage? I don’t know. The words in Jeremiah 10:3-4, sound much like what we do in decorating Christmas trees. So, do we need to look at this tradition and evaluate whether or not we are really called to do it? Regardless of what we decide in the end, I do think it is a good idea to weigh what we do against God’s Word. Are we following and living in accordance to God’s Word? The phrase that hits home for me in this whole passage is “For the customs of the people are vain.” Regardless, of whether we believe we are supposed to set up a Christmas tree as part of our celebration or not, I think if we are honest with ourselves, we will realize that it is a vain tradition. I mean, chopping down a tree purchasing one, whether fake or real, costs quite a bit of money. There is also the extra expense of decorating it, not to mention the extra high electric bill in having the lights on the tree. Do we really need to spend that money? Do all those (real) trees really need to die, just so we can enjoy them lit up and decorated for a month or so? The answer to both questions is probably, “no.” We probably do not need to spend that extra money and live trees probably do not need to die for such a tradition. So, why do we put up a tree? It is tradition! And, this is what I pray we can all evaluate. Are our traditions good in the sight of God? Full disclosure, if you read on in Jeremiah 10 and put this passage in perspective, it probably does not have anything to do with Christmas trees. It is more about making idols out of trees to worship, which is definitely bad in God’s eyes. Yet, this still doesn’t answer the question about our custom of decorating Christmas trees. It touches my heart to bring this up, because we are called to be “in this world, but not of this world.” (See John 15:19 for example.) The world likes to “suck us in” to worldly traditions and beliefs. Yet, we are not of the world. We are called to act in accordance with God’s will for us. I do believe that celebration of Christmas (not just the decoration of trees) is very commercialized. In the commercialized world, the focus is definitely not on the birth of our savior. However, I can’t say whether decorating a tree, as part of a Christmas celebration is right or wrong. I don’t see anywhere in God’s Word, where we are called to decorate a tree. Yet, the right or the wrong of it might be for each one of us to decide. I urge you, and I will as well, to pray about it and really examine whether or not it is right for you. Don’t just blindly follow along with everyone else, because it is tradition. Heavenly Father, Thank you for giving us your Holy Word to show us the way to live. Help us to examine ourselves in accordance to you Word, and let us not be afraid to change, even if it is against our worldly traditions. Help us to pray before we act and let you guide us, instead of doing things our own way. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Jeremiah 10:3-4 (KJV): *What does Jeremiah 10:3-4 mean to me? *Is Jeremiah 10:3-4 talking about Christmas trees? *Do I believe that decorating a tree for Christmas is vain? *Do I believe we are called to decorate a tree for any reason? *Do I let decorating a tree take the focus off of Jesus in anyway? *Have I prayed about the rightness or wrongness of decorating a tree? *Why do I decorate a tree? Now, it is your turn. I am thankful you are here. I look forward to your comments and ideas. Please, let me know your thoughts by commenting below or feel free to contact me. Also, please pray for our Christmas ethics and practices. Let us put our focus on Jesus. If you haven't already, please consider signing up below to receive the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations and other "faith" content in your inbox. (When you sign up, you will also be able to download the "5 Reflective Questions to Delve Deeper into God's Word"). Also, if you value what I write, please share it with your friends and family. Thank you. 
“For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.”
Psalms 100:5 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you today? I hope you are well. Today, I offer the last of the Psalms 100 Series. I pray you are enjoying it and being blessed by it. In today’s Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, we look at Psalms 100:5. In Psalms 100:1, we are told that Psalm 100 is a psalm of praise. I also mentioned that it is a joyful psalm to me. It is that joy which makes me happy to praise God. In Psalms 100:5, we are told other reasons why God is deserving of our praise. There are three phrases or parts to Psalms 100:5. The first and second are pretty easy for us to understand as believers. We know of God’s goodness and mercy. Many of us have experienced both many, many times. It is the third phrase or part where I think we find division. It is difficult for many people to believe that “his truth endureth to all generations.” I have heard where some people feel that there are parts of God’s Word that are outdated and no longer apply to their lives. Yet, in the last part of Psalms 100:5, we are told otherwise. One might say, “Well, we are no longer required to sacrifice animals, so that is outdated.” The actual sacrificing animals may not apply to us today, but that isn’t because it is outdated. It is because Jesus died on the cross for us. He was the living sacrifice once and for all. This doesn’t mean that we may not be required to show some sort of sacrifice, to repent, to take some sort of responsibility, or to make some sort of amends. It doesn’t mean that we are not called to show our thanks and appreciation. These are some of the reasons behind the animal sacrifices. The actions and feelings behind the animal sacrifices are still very much appropriate for today’s believers. Someone might ask, “But what about how the wife should be submissive to her husband? That is outdated. Nobody does that any more. Women are considered equal now a days. There are laws. It isn’t politically correct to think otherwise.” First of all, it isn’t outdated to God. He still calls wives to be submissive to their husbands. Secondly, there are still women who are submissive to their husbands. It isn’t outdated for them either. Thirdly, just because worldly laws or trends and political correctness seem to wander from God’s truth, it doesn’t render God’s Word outdated or make it less of a truth today than it was when it was written. We are called to follow God’s Word whether it is outdated in worldly view or not, because it isn’t outdated in God’s eyes. That is the real point. God’s Word endures forever. God’s Word is truth for people in all times. It doesn’t change and isn’t outdated. We are called to thank Him and praise Him, and follow the truth of His Word always, no matter what the worldly views of our times may be. Heavenly Father, Thank you for being our Heavenly Father. Thank you for your holy word. Help us to remember and live the words of Psalm 100 and all of scriptures. Help us to remember that your words are truth to us for all times and don’t get outdated. Help us to live by your words and praise you always, for you are good and deserve it always. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Psalms 100:5 (KJV): *What does Psalms 100:5 mean to me? *Do I believe in God’s goodness? *Do I believe in God’s mercy? *Do I believe that God’s Word never gets outdated? *Are there any parts of my life where stray from God’s word, because of wordly views? *Is there anything I need to change in order to get back on track for God’s will for me? *Is there anything I can do to better live out the truth in Psalms 100:5? Now, it is your turn. If you haven't already, you may want to read the other posts in the Psalms 100 Series: Psalms 100:1 Psalms 100:2 Psalms 100:3 Psalms 100:4 I am so thankful that you are here. I pray it blesses you in some way. I look forward to your thoughts and words. I hope you will share them here in the comments or contact me to share them there. If there is anything I can do for you or if you have any prayer requests, ideas, or suggestions, I look forward to you contacting me. If you find value in what I share, please share it with your friends and family. I pray God blesses all those who share and reads the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations. Thank you. You may also want to sign up below, if you haven't already. Get the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations and other faith content right in your inbox. 
“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.”
Psalms 100:4 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you today? In pondering Psalms 100:4, I have just as many questions as I do answers. I am curious about the words gates and courts. Are they meant to be two separate places or does the author just not want to use the same word over and over again? Are they literal places or are they meant to be figurative for drawing close to God? Somehow, I don’t think it matters, because I don’t think the “place” is the important part of the message. I think we are always called to be thankful for all the things God does for us and to bless His name. So, to say that we should “enter his gates with thanksgiving” and to ponder where those gates may be might mean we are missing the point. What do you think? Let’s put our efforts into the thanksgiving part. Do we thank God for all that we have, all that we are, all that we do, all that we see, all that we hear, all that we smell, all that we taste, all that we touch, all that we feel, all that we know, and all that we experience? Do we thank God for our relationships and our very existence? Do we not only say the words “thank you”, but also show our thankfulness? Now, let’s look at the second part of Psalms 100:4. Not only are we called to be thankful for all God provides and does for us, but we are called to praise Him and bless His name. So, what does that mean? What does it mean to “bless His name”? To me, to “bless His name” is to testify to others about the goodness of God. Do we tell others of the greatness of God? As we can see that verse four of Psalm 100, keeps with the theme of joy. We are called to be joyful of what God provides and does for us, to thank Him and to tell others of His greatness as well. We can be joyful, if we are thankful, encouraging, and praising God. Heavenly Father, Thank you for being our Creator, our Teacher, our Heavenly Father, and our Shepherd. Thank you for Psalm 100, which shows us how to be joyful. Help us to come to you in thanksgiving and to sing your praises, so that others will do the same. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Psalms 100:4 (KJV): *What does Psalms 100:4 mean to me? *What do “his gates” and “his courts” mean? Is that the point? *How can I show God my thankfulness? *How can I bless His name? *Do I come to God in thanksgiving? *Do I praise His name? *What can I do to better follow the calling in Psalms 100:4? Now, it is your turn. Thank you so much for being here. If you haven't read other posts in the Psalms 100 Series, you may want to read them as well: Psalms 100 Series - Part 1 Psalms 100 Series - Part 2 Psalms 100 Series - Part 3. I enjoy hearing your thoughts. I am encouraged by your comments and testimony. So, please, comment below or contact me. If you find value in what I write, please share the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations with friends and family. If you haven't signed up to receive the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations and other faith content, please consider signing up below. (Don't forget to check at least the "faith" box.) 
“Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.” Psalms 100:3 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you? I hope you are enjoying the Psalms 100 Series by DUO Inspirations and are finding more joy in your life. Today’s verse seems more of a comfort than a joy. However, it could be a joy as well. I mean, knowing that “we are his people” and that I am part of the “we” makes me very joyful. Psalms 100:3 kind of reminds me of when people need to know their roots. I have heard stories where adopted children feel uneasy, because they don’t know their ancestry. They don’t know anything about their biological parents and they just kind of have a hole in their history that makes them feel confused, sad, or lonely. However, in Psalms 100:3, we are told our place in life and our roots. There is no uneasiness, confusion, sadness, or loneliness. We are God’s people. He made us. He loves us. And, we are the “sheep of his pasture.” Okay, not all people may like the idea of being referred to as sheep. However, if you knew how closely the shepherds back in the day watched over and cared for their sheep, you might not mind it so much. I believe it is very much like a term of endearment here. I was never a shepherd and don’t really know, but I am going to do a little imagining. I imagine that a shepherd led his or her sheep out to a part of the land that is filled with green grass for them to eat. It was far away from the house, so the shepherd had no one with whom to speak, so the shepherd probably often talked to the sheep. I imagine that the shepherd even named all the sheep, and got to know the sheep as individuals with their own little quirks. And, every so often when the shepherd counted the sheep to make sure they were all there, he or she would leave the flock to go find the one or two who had wandered off. This was probably not only done out of necessity of needing all the sheep for making a living, but also out of love. After all, I can imagine that if you spend most of your waking hours tending sheep, you tend to have a pretty close bond with those sheep. They are almost like friends and family. So, being called sheep isn’t so bad. And, being called God’s sheep is actually quite wonderful. God made us, knows all our little quirks, leads us, cares for us, searches for us when we are lost, and loves us. It is a wonderful feeling! There is a part of this verse that I don’t want to overlook and that is “not we ourselves.” It seems like that we are being reassured that we are made well and correctly. We are not “cheap reproductions”, but the real thing. We are made in God’s perfect way and not in any half-hearted, knock-off way. We are special to God. I know that in the beginning of this post, I said that this verse seems to be more of a comfort verse than a joy verse. However, as I wrote, I have felt myself feeling more and more joyful. So, I can actually say that I believe this is a joy and a comfort verse. Heavenly Father, Thank you for being our Creator and Shepherd. Thank you for telling us and reassuring us that we are your people and we are well loved. Help us to know the joy and comfort of the words in Psalms 100:3 in our every day lives. Help us to act and feel like your people. Help us to let you care for us and lead us as a shepherd cares for and leads his sheep. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Psalms 100:3 (KJV): *What does Psalms 100:3 mean to me? *How does Psalms 100:3 make me feel? *Do I feel like God’s own? *Do I let God lead me in the same way that shepherds lead sheep? *Do I feel like God knows me? *Do I feel like I know God? Now, it is your turn. If you haven't read the Psalms 100 Series - Part 1 or the Psalms 100 Series - Part 2, you may want to do that. I hope you are enjoying the series as much as I am. I am so thankful that you are here. You are important to me. I look forward to reading your thoughts, so please comment below. What are your thoughts? If you have any prayer requests or suggestions, please contact me. If you find value in what I write, please share it with friends and family. Also, if you haven't already, please consider signing up to get the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations and other faith content in your inbox. 
“Serve the LORD with gladness:
come before his presence with singing.” Psalms 100:2 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you this week? Last week, I started the “Psalms 100 Series”. I think Psalms 100 is such a beautiful, instructive, inspiring, and joyful psalm. The joy of it sort of reminds me of the opening scene in “The Sound of Music” where Julie Andrews is seen running in a field near the mountains singing. She looks as though she is happy and praising God. (Her character enjoyed singing and praising God, even serving God.) In Psalms 100:1, we are called to give a joyful noise, to be joyful. It doesn’t set a time, place, or restriction. To me, verse two is a reinforcement of verse one. Yes, we are to be joyful. We are to be joyful, no matter how we are serving God. Sometimes, we tend to do our chores at home or labor at work as if they were drudgery. We might not enjoy the tasks or we may feel tired and run down. We don’t like it, but we know we should do it. So, we work, whether at home or at work. We are just not very happy with it. We don’t think about the fact that we are called to do more. We are called to serve with “gladness.” We feel that as long as we do the work, we are fine. Yet, is that really so? So, are we sinning if we work while being less than glad? (This is one of the reasons I feel called to write the Faith Blog; because there are so many things that we do that we might not think about that may different than what we are called to do.) Let’s talk about serving the Lord for a moment. You might try to “argue” that working or housework isn’t serving the Lord, so you don’t have to worry about doing it with gladness. However, is that really true? What constitutes serving the Lord? I think that everything we do, 24/7 should be meant to serve the Lord. He created us. He gave us life. We are His and if we are His, everything we do is meant to serve Him. What do you think? What about the second part of Psalms 100:2, “come before his presence with singing”? Isn’t God with us always? So, aren’t we “before his presence” always? Obviously, I don’t know the definite reasons behind God’s words in the second part of Psalm 100. However, I do have a couple of thoughts on the subject. First, I wonder if the second part of the verse is a strategy or tip in how to fulfill the first part of the verse. You know, like if you are not having fun and don’t feel the joy in what you are doing, just take yourself out of the actual worldly situation and put yourself in God’s presence. In being so close and feeling God’s love, you will forget your drudgery and feel like singing out. In that way, you will be able to do whatever you do with gladness and even sing as you work. Second, I wonder if it is a reminder that if you are God’s child, you are serving God in all that you do, so that you are meant to do with gladness and singing. Again, as we get close to God, love Him, and serve Him, I believe that our hearts will just want to sing. We won’t be able to help ourselves. What are your thoughts? Heavenly Father, Thank you, O Lord for being our Heavenly Father. Help us to fulfill the words call of Psalms 100:2. Help us to love you, to serve you with gladness, and to sing your praises. Melt away our hardness and keep us close to you. Help us to follow your will for us, serving you with love and with a song in our heart. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Psalms 100:2 (KJV): *What does Psalms 100:2 mean to me? *What do I think, “come before his presence with singing” means here? *Do I fulfill the calling of Psalms 100:2? *What can I do to better fulfill the calling of Psalms 100:2? *Am I a joyful person? Why or why not? Note: If you haven't read Psalms 100 Series - Post 1, you can read it here. Now, it is your turn. Please, leave your thoughts and comments. I look forward to reading your thoughts. Thank you for being here. May God bless you and guide you. If you find value in what I share, please share it with others. Also, if you haven't already, feel free to sign up below to receive the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations and other faith content in your inbox. Thank you. 
“(A Psalm of praise.) Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.”
Psalms 100:1 KJV Hi friends, How are you this week? As it is November and November is a month of thanksgiving, I thought I would do a series on a psalm that calls people to worship the Lord with song and thanksgiving, Psalms 100. I came across this psalm kind of accidently as I was searching verses about thankfulness. I don’t mean that I have never read it before. I mean that I have never noticed its beauty before. I don’t know about you, but I have kind of nonchalantly referenced some of the words in Psalms 100:1 when talking about my singing ability. I might say something like, “Well, I don’t know if I can sing, but I can make a joyful noise.” However, I think the words in Psalms 100:1 don’t really have anything to do with singing ability, but have a deeper meaning. I think the verse sets the tone for the entire psalm. In Matthew 12:30 (KJV),Jesus gives us these words: "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment." It occurs to me that if we follow these words of Jesus, this verse and Psalms 100 will be like a summary of our behavior in life. So, how do we do that? What does that look like? In Psalms 100:1, we are all called to make a joyful noise. As with many other things in life, God doesn’t tell us exactly what to say or how to do it. He just says to “make a joyful noise unto the Lord….” I don’t know God’s intentions for sure here, but as for me, I think a joyful noise can be anything thing from laughter, to humming, to singing, to praising, to complimenting, to thanking, to glorifying God. What do you think? In Matthew 7:20 (KJV) Jesus says, “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” And, in Galatians 5:22, one of the fruits of the Spirit is joy. So, this sums up the reason why we are called to make a joyful noise. If we know God and love God, it is often so easy to make a joyful noise. When our heart is full of love and thankfulness, we want to sing out or praise God spontaneously. If God lives within us, we will be joyful and people as well as God will know that we are His. At the end of Psalms 100:1, we are reminded that everyone in all the lands are called to be joyful and make a joyful noise unto the Lord. I am glad. It is nice to see others happy and it is even catching, just as a smile is apt to provoke a smile in return or a compliment is apt to provoke a compliment in return. Songs are like that too sometimes. We might hear someone singing a song and we just want to join in and sing along. Part of me wonders if the last part of the verse doesn’t just refer to people, but to all God’s creations. I feel joyful when I hear waves crashing against the shore, leaves rustling in a gentle breeze, hummingbirds humming and fluttering about, the gurgle of a babbling brook, or a crackling of a campfire. To me, they are all “singing out” and testifying of God’s glory and greatness. If they can do it, can’t we do it all the more? Heavenly Father, Thank you for being our Creator and Heavenly Father. Thank you for calling us to be joyful. Help us to fulfill this calling not only when we are getting our way, but during all times to show others that we are yours. Help us to us to get close you and to “sing out” and testify of your glory and greatness. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Psalms 100:1 (KJV): *What does Psalms 100:1 mean to me? *Why do I think we are called to “make a joyful noise unto the Lord”? *Do I “make a joyful noise unto the Lord”? *What can I do to better fulfill the calling in Psalms 100:1? Now, it is your turn. What are your thoughts? Please, leave me a comment. I enjoy reading your thoughts and comments. I am so thankful that you are here. I pray the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations blesses someone. If you find value in these words, please share them with your friends and family. Consider making an announcement at church that the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations is here. I pray before each post and pray that I write down God's message and His words for the blog and not my own. You may even want to sign up to get the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations and other faith content in your inbox. Also, if you have a prayer request, idea, suggestion, question, or topic request, please feel free to contact me. Thank you. God bless. 
Hi friends,
How are you today? I hope you are enjoying the Noah’s Ark Series. Today is the last post of the series. I will be highlighting verses and information in Genesis 9. I have seen and heard of Noah being compared to Adam theologically. After all, they were both “firsts” as far as men go. Adam was the first man created and Noah was the first or eldest of men to survive the flood. God spoke to both of these men in the Bible. As a matter of fact, God told both men very similar things. There have been times when I have even heard of Noah as “the new Adam” in a way. As a matter of fact, God’s message to Noah in Genesis 9:1-3 is very similar to God’s message to Adam in Genesis 1:28-30. The latter seems like it may be a little different in that, as I understand it God gives Adam plants and fruit to eat and in Genesis 9:3, God includes animals as food too. What is your understanding between the two passages? Although, in Genesis 9:4-6, God adds to his message to Noah. God tells Noah not to eat animals with lifeblood still in it. God stresses the importance of life to Noah. It is my understanding that God is saying not to be violent and hurt or kill others, because God and others will require accountability for your actions for it. Not only that, but I think God is also telling him that if a person kills another person the death penalty will be given on earth. What are your thoughts? This is different than in Genesis 1, because in Genesis 1:31 we see where God looks at all that He has created and sees that it is good. There is no reason to warn Adam about violence or killing others. No violence has occurred. In verses 8-17, God tells Noah and his sons about His covenant. He tells how never again will He destroy the earth and all people with a flood and how the bow in the clouds will be the token of that covenant. Maybe this is why so many people get enjoyment out of seeing a rainbow in the sky. Sometimes, I just seem to enjoy the beauty of it and the awe of it. However, there are times when I see it and I remember God’s words in Genesis 9 about His covenant with all mankind and the earth. Either way, seeing a rainbow often makes me smile. In preparing for writing this post and rereading Genesis 9, this seemed to have been where most of my memory of reading Genesis 9 before ended. However, there is more to the chapter. God has more to His message and more lessons for us to learn within Genesis 9. How much do you remember of the rest of the chapter? I seem to have more questions than answers for the verses in Genesis 9:18-29. We see sin in these verses, even after being recently saved from a flood in which everyone else perished. It may be easy to feel that Noah and his family should be so thankful from being saved and having a new beginning that they shouldn’t sin, especially so soon after the flood. Noah plants a vineyard. That sounds great. Fruit is good for you. However, as a result, Noah ends up making wine from the fruit of the vineyard and gets drunk. Not only does he get drunk, but also he lies around naked and not covered up. I wonder why Noah drinks wine. I wonder if he drank before the flood. I wonder why he got drunk. I wonder if he had stress from the flood that had sort of caught up with him, now that he was safe and out of the ark. The Bible doesn’t say and maybe it is none of my business. LOL! The important part is learning the lessons God wants us to learn from the passage and being thankful that God has given us the passage from which to learn. Then, to make things worse, so to speak, Noah’s youngest son Ham sees him naked and instead of covering Noah up himself, he goes and tells his brothers about it. Again, it may be easy to judge the inappropriateness and the sinfulness of dishonoring his father by telling others of his sin or by not covering him up so that others don’t see him that way. Yet, I don’t believe we are called to judge others in that way, especially if they are not neighbors or friends or part of our church family. Then, we may be called to point out the wrongdoing and encourage better behavior and repentance. I don’t believe we are called to gossip about others though. What are your thoughts? It may seem surprising that Noah and Ham can sin so soon after the flood and after being saved. It may seem like the only thing that they should have in their hearts is thankfulness. However, don’t we do the same? Don’t we sin when all we should have in our hearts is thankfulness? I wonder if that is part of God’s lesson for us in this passage. I find it interesting that the Bible doesn’t say anything about Noah saying anything bad to or about Ham as a result of the indiscretions. Noah does curse Canaan, Ham’s son. I wonder why. I wonder if Canaan was in on it in any way. Or, I wonder if Noah knew that cursing a child is more often painful for a parent than cursing the parent his or herself. (Parents would often rather go through pain than see his or her child go through the pain.) Maybe Noah couldn’t bring himself to curse his own child because of that same way of thinking. I don’t know. What are your thoughts? I also wonder if there is a connection of Ham’s son being named Canaan and the land that God wants to give the Israelites in Numbers 13, when God tells Moses to send people out to search the land which I will give you. (Numbers 13:1-2) The symbolism seems to fit to me. What do you think? Heavenly Father, Thank you for sharing with us the words in Genesis 9. Thank you for giving us this resource so we can read and gain knowledge. Thank you for teaching us and showing us what is right and wrong. Thank you for giving us rules to live by. Help us to learn from your Word and to walk in the way of righteousness according to your will for us. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Genesis 9: *What does Genesis 9 mean to me? *What can I learn from the message in Genesis 9? *Did I judge Noah and Ham when I read about their sins in this chapter? *Do I have the right to judge Noah and Ham or should I just learn from their experiences? *How do I feel when I see a rainbow and why? *Do I compare Noah to Adam in anyway? Is this a good thing or a bad thing? *What does God’s covenant in Genesis 9 mean to me? Now, it is your turn. Thank you for being here. I hope you have enjoyed the Noah's Ark Series by DUO Inspirations. What are your thoughts? Do you have any requests for other topics? (Feel free to comment or contact me.) If you are finding value in what I write, please share with friends and family. Also, if you haven't already, please consider signing up to get the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations and other faith content in your inbox. (Sometimes, I even send treats. For example, those who are currently signed up as of the writing and sending of the email for this post, four word searches will be sent on the subject of Noah's Ark/Genesis 6-9.) 
Hi friends,
How are you? I hope you are enjoying this look into the possible thoughts and feelings of Noah. I like to consider the thoughts and feelings of others. I believe it helps you to get to know them better. We can even learn from the thoughts and feelings of those from long ago. In Genesis 8, Noah and his family, and the animals with him, mainly ride out the flood and wait for the waters to recede after the flood. However, at the end of the chapter, they are able to disembark and touch land once again. Then, Noah builds an altar and sacrifices a burnt offering to God. God is pleased with Noah’s sacrifice and enjoys the aroma, and thinks to Himself that we will never again destroy the earth. So, it is raining and raining and it probably feels to Noah and his family that the rains are never going to stop. How do you think they feel at this point? Do you think they are getting restless and maybe getting on each other’s nerves a bit? How do you think you and your family would do cooped up on an ark for days, weeks, and even months? (And, remember, there are no TVs, video games, or cellphones.) One thing that stood out for me when reading Genesis 8 was that Noah sent out a raven and a dove. I am not sure the meaning, but I wonder if it has to do with unrighteous versus righteous, anxious versus meek, human’s spirit versus God’s. What do you think? Any thoughts? Can you imagine everyone’s feeling when the dove didn’t come back and everyone was finally able to get off the ark after about a year of being cooped up? How would you feel? What would you think? Would you be tired? Happy? Apprehensive? Curious? Thankful? What would you want to do first after you got off the ark? Look for a place to set up your tent or build some sort of shelter? The Bible doesn’t mention Noah doing that in Genesis 8. It says that Noah built and altar and sacrificed some of the clean animals for God. I don’t know, but I can imagine that Noah was so thankful to be alive, to be saved from the flood, to have his family safely with him, and to be on dry ground again, that he just wanted to thank and praise God for it all. What are your thoughts? Heavenly Father, Oh, Lord, thank you for new beginnings and new adventures. Thank you for being our protector and our provider. Thank you for remembering us as we go through difficult times. Help us to be thankful, to praise you and glorify you for all that you do. And, help us to give you our first and best thoughts, prayers, praises, and thanks, just as Noah did when he first got off the ark so many years ago. Help us to learn all that you want us to learn from your words in Genesis 8. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Genesis 8: *What does Genesis 8 mean to me? *How would I feel after being in an ark with seven other people and many animals for about a year? *What can I learn from Genesis 8? *Am I apt to give thanks to God for everything He provides and does for me? Now, it is your turn. Friends, I am so glad you are here. I look forward to reading your thoughts. I learn from you as well. God often uses others to inspire us. Please, leave a comment below. (Feel free to contact me, if you don't want to share publicly.) If you find value in what I write, please consider sharing the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations with your friends and family. Also, if you haven't already, please consider signing up to receive the Faith Blog in you inbox as well as other faith content. Thank you. Note: Remember, for those who are signed up next week when I post the Faith Blog and send out the email, there will be some Noah's Ark word searches with your email. 
Hi friends,
How are you? Last week, I started delving into the possible thoughts and feelings of Noah regarding his circumstances in Genesis 6. This week, I will continue with his possible thoughts and feelings regarding his circumstances in Genesis 7. In Genesis 6, Noah was mainly getting the instructions to build the ark as well as building the ark. In Genesis 7, Noah is mainly loading everyone into the ark and riding in the ark during the flood. Can you imagine being in Noah’s shoes? Have you ever thought about being in Noah’s predicament? I have tried to imagine myself in his circumstances some, but I don’t know that I can really get the full feeling or picture of it. I wonder if at this point, Noah was hoping that everything was just a dream. I mean it is one thing to say that one will do something kind of scary, different, and outside of one’s comfort zone when it is a ways in the future. However, as the time for the actual event gets closer, sometimes worry sets in and one’s feeling may change. One may get nervous or have second thoughts. During the pandemic, there have been times when it has been mandated that people should stay home, except for essential outings. During the flood, Noah was cooped up in an ark with seven other people and a bunch of animals for days, weeks, and even months. I doubt there was much room to “get away” and have a personal moment in the ark. What can you imagine about being in an ark with seven other people and a bunch of animals? Can you imagine the room (or lack of), the smell, or the noise? I wonder what Noah and his family were thinking and feeling. Do you? I wonder if the animals were in pens, cages, or stalls. Were they “free” in each deck of the ark? Did some animals chase others, as they were accustomed to doing? Or, did God supernaturally quiet the animals to make it a more pleasant voyage for all involved? God had told Noah that He would make it rain for forty days and forty nights in Genesis 7:4, so Noah probably realized he would be in the ark for a while. I wonder what one does in an ark for over forty days. Do you? (It isn’t like Noah had video games and TV back in the day.) Maybe the animals, meaningful conversation with family, and prayer kept Noah and his family busy. I wonder if they thought about being the only people alive. I wonder if they thought about where the rains were taking them. I wonder what it was like to look out the ark window and see the water rising and then one day, only seeing water. I wonder how they felt. I wonder if they talked about this “adventure” they were experiencing and what their life might be like in the future. What do you think? Heavenly Father, Thank you for the story of Noah, so that we may be motivated to be righteous in your sight as well. Thank you for the earth and all you have given us. Help us to trust you, as Noah did, and to do your will. Help us to learn from Noah’s experience all that you want us to learn. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Genesis 7 (KJV): *What does Genesis 7 mean to me? *How would I feel about being cooped up in an ark with seven other family members and a bunch of animals for so long? *How would I feel knowing that my family and I were the only people alive? *How would I feel being tossed about with the water during the flood in such a tiny ark? *What can I learn from Genesis 7? Now, it is your turn. How do you think you would feel if you were in Noah's shoes? What do you think he was thinking and feeling? I look forward to knowing your thoughts. Also, if you are finding value with what I write, please share with your friends and family and feel free to signing up to receive faith content in your inbox. Thank you. 
Hi friends,
Do you ever think about the people of biblical times and wonder what it would be like to be in their shoes? I think this gives us a better understanding of the Holy Bible and the messages God gives us. So, I thought for this month, I would look at Noah and his family to try to get a better understanding of how they may have felt or how I would feel in their situation. In Genesis 6:13, God tells Noah that he is going to flood the land and kill all the people in it because of all the violence. At this point, we don’t know much about Noah other than that he is old, he has three sons, and that he has found favor with God because he is a righteous man. I wonder how Noah felt getting this message from God. How do you think Noah felt? How would you feel if you lived in Old Testament times and all of a sudden God tells you that he is going to destroy the earth and all people in it? In 2 Peter 2:5 we find out that Noah is a preacher of righteousness. I am guessing that Noah probably knew that the world around him was violent and probably didn’t like it. He probably felt a struggle in trying to reach the people around him and get them to see God’s ways. He may have been distressed about the lack of loyalty to God from the people around him. Maybe he was worried for the safety of his family with the violence all around him. Noah may even have been praying that God would touch his neighbors, family, and friends so that they would better heed God’s Word. So, did he have a congregation? Did he have relatives? Did he have neighbors? Was he worried that God was going to kill all those around him? Did Noah think that killing everyone was kind of drastic? Did he worry about being the only family alive? Did he worry about being lonely with only having his family with whom to talk and interact? What are your thoughts? In Genesis 6:14-16, God tells Noah to build an ark and tells him with what specifications it should be built. Now, we aren’t sure what kind of tools or skills Noah may have had in order to build an ark. If Noah was a full-time preacher with a congregation, most of his time may have been reading the Word of God, working up a sermon, or preaching. He may have had other ministerial duties as well. He may not have had all the latest carpentry tools or the latest skills in order to build an ark. I wonder what Noah thought when God said build an ark. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that Noah talked back or questioned God. However, I wonder what he thought. Was he thinking, “An ark? You want me to build an ark? You know I am a preacher and not a carpenter, right? I have never in my life built an ark and you want me to build one now, so you can flood the earth? Okay, if you say so.” Maybe Noah’s thoughts went something like that or maybe, Noah knew that God knows his every thought too. In Genesis 6:17, God tells Noah again that He is going to flood the earth and kill everyone. But, there is good news for Noah. In Genesis 6:18, God tells Noah that He will establish a covenant with him and Noah gets to board the ark with his wife, his sons, and his sons’ wives. They will be saved from the death by flood. I wonder if Noah felt thankful that his family would be saved when all of his neighbors, friends, acquaintances, and kinfolk would perish. Do you think that Noah wondered why the ark needed to be so big just for him and his family? If he did, his answer came in Genesis 6:19-21. God told Noah to bring two of each sort of animal and to bring all kinds of food on the ark with him. I wonder what Noah thought about that. I wonder if I would have thought something like, “Can we leave behind the snakes? You know what they did to Adam and Eve. And, can we leave out the ticks, spiders, mosquitos, mice, rats, and bats too?” What about you? What would you think if God asked you to bring one of each animal with you on the ark? Scripture doesn’t tell us what Noah thought. However, in Genesis 6:22, it does tell us that Noah did just as God told him to do. And, I am pretty thankful of that. We might not be here, if Noah had refused. Why do I think it is important to consider the thoughts, feelings, struggles, and actions of someone who lived thousands of years ago? I think it is important, because it is noted in the Bible. God wouldn’t have placed such words in the Bible, if He didn’t mean for us to consider their meaning and impact. Also, even today, God calls us to do some things that may seem to be out of the blue, out of the ordinary, and out of our reach. If we consider Noah’s thoughts, feelings, and situation, we may not feel too bad, when God asks us to do things that may seem extraordinary. Heavenly Father, Thank you for being our Heavenly Father. We may not understand why you ask us to do things that seem beyond our skills, experience, and comfort zone. We may not understand why you call us to do things that seem extraordinary and even absurd. Yet, I thank you and praise you for giving us the story of Noah about which to read, ponder, and pray. Thank you for calling us to do extraordinary things outside our comfort zone as well. Help us to follow Noah’s example and do all that you ask us to do. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Genesis 6: *What does Genesis 6 mean to me? *What would I think if God asks me to build an ark, especially if ark building wasn’t my vocation or hobby? *How would I feel hearing that God was going to kill everyone, except for me and my close family members? *How would I feel if God wanted me to bring every kind of animal with me? *How do I answer when God asks me to do things that may seem strange and out of my comfort zone? *What can I learn from Genesis 6? *What can I learn from considering Noah’s thoughts and feelings? Now, it is your turn. Tell me what you think. How would you feel if you and your immediate family were suppose to build and ark and be the only ones to survive a world flood? Please, leave a comment or feel free to contact me. Also, if you find value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share it with your friends and family. If you haven't already, you may want to sign up to receive the Faith Blog in your inbox. Subscribers may even find a bonus in their inbox once in a while. 
“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Galatians 6:9 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you? I thought I would tell you of a lesson I have had lately in perseverance. I have wanted to create a list a digital product now for well over a year. At first, I procrastinated a bit, because I wasn’t sure which product to list. Then, I procrastinated a bit, because I wasn’t sure if I was going to be good enough. I was getting imposter syndrome. Yet, I felt God was calling me to step outside of my comfort zone and do this. After a while, I created the digital product, I got feedback, tweaked it, and finally got it so that all the feedback was positive. Yay! Then, I ran into trouble with actually listing the product. I wasn’t sure where to list it. Some places didn’t handle the taxes and I didn’t know how to deal with taxes online. I was afraid that I might get into some sort of trouble. Yet, I still felt that God was calling me to do this. So, I prayed, I researched, and I asked around, but nothing. I didn’t get any answers. Ugh. It was frustrating, but I still felt God was calling me to do this. Yes, there were more ups and downs than this. However, long story short, finally, the other day, after praying with a friend, doing more research, making a phone call, and trying out a new platform, I was able to list my first product with confidence. It took a while, but God showed me the way. (No, I am not giving you the link here, because I am not trying to sell you anything and that is not the point. LOL.) So, what is the point of this story? I needed perseverance and I needed to trust God and His timing. Even though creating and listing a digital product, at first I didn’t trust that I could do it, although I felt God calling me to do it. I say that I didn’t trust that I could do it, but what I am really saying is that I didn’t trust God to give me a way to do what he was calling me to do. I know, over a year may seem a bit extreme to list one digital product. Yet, it was all in God’s timing. God knew that I needed to be ready to list it. He needed me to trust Him fully, to do the work and experience the ups and downs to get there. No, I didn’t always enjoy and appreciate the time it took to get from start to finish. There were times when I wanted to give up. There were also times when I set it aside for a while. And, I did waste the time in the beginning procrastinating. However, I am here. I am thankful and I thank and praise God for bringing me here. I give Him the credit. I couldn’t have done it without Him! I feel very blessed! I believe the words in Galatians 6:9 refer to doing well spiritually and we will reap in due time the rewards of being in heaven and with God eternally. Yet, I also believe that we can also use these words to encourage us to trust in God and His timing doing what He has called to do here on earth. Will trusting in God and having the perseverance to list this digital product help me to have eternal life with Him? Well, I am not sure. It doesn’t seem like something that would have that big of an effect. I do think that it is a step in the right direction. This is a step in learning to trust God in small things, which also is a step in learning to trust God in important things like life, death, and eternity. Heavenly Father, Thank you for your guidance. Thank you for letting us experience all we need to experience in order to be in a better place and where you want us to be in the end. Help us to have trust in you and perseverance to follow through with all that you ask us to do. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Galatians 6:9 (KJV): *What does Galatians 6:9 mean to me? *Do I persevere in what God wants me to do or do I give up easily? *Do I trust that God can help me do what I don’t think I can do? *Do I get weary of doing well, especially when I feel threatened or persecuted? *What can I do to trust God more? *What can I do to better persevere in what God calls me to do? Now, it is your turn. What are your thoughts? Have you ever felt like giving up? Did you end up succeeding in God's time? I look forward to hearing your testimony. Also, if you are finding value in these posts, please share with your friends and family. And, if you are not signed up already, please consider joining the email list to get these posts right in your inbox. Thank you. 
“But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.”
Deuteronomy 8:18 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you? Recently, I started trying to set up email marketing and a way to sell digital products. I feel God is calling me to expand my way of business and to step outside of my comfort zone to do things unfamiliar to me. As I have been looking into these things, I feel like my mind has been into finances way more than I would like. (Call me an ostrich if you must, but I don’t like thinking about finances. That isn’t to say that I am irresponsible with money. I just think my mind and soul does better pondering other things.) Anyway, I believe that it is a good reminder to look at what God’s Word says about money. So, while I was praying for and looking for a verse to use for today’s blog post, God directed me to Deuteronomy 8:18. Deuteronomy 8:18 starts off with a reminder that I really like, “But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth the power to get wealth....” Often times, we forget to include God or to thank our Heavenly Father. Sometimes, we get to thinking about what “we” need to do in order to accomplish this or that and we don’t take time to pray or to consider that we can’t do anything without God’s help. This may seem like “backwards thinking” in today’s society. We are bombarded with phrases like “self-made man” and “independent person” that make us think that we decide what we make. With phrases like these and statements like “You get out of it what you put into it,” makes it difficult to remember that God is in control and He is the one that gives us what we need to do things. So, does this mean that we need to sit back and wait for God to do things for us? No. God often calls us to do something, before He guides us to our destination. The saying, “God helps those who help themselves” may be close to how we are called to work. We are more apt to make more money or be more successful if we put more into it. Yet, the point is that we are to pray, to remember God, to know that we can’t do anything without God, and to thank God for all that we have and can do. We aren’t to think that we did something by ourselves, even if we don’t see anyone else physically helping us. Heavenly Father, Thank you for being our Heavenly Father. Thank you for creating us and giving us all that we have. Help us to remember you in all that we do. Help us to thank you and not to take all the credit for something as if you weren’t a part of it. Help us to include you in all that we do, to pray for your guidance, and to be thankful for all that you do for us. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective Questions for Deuteronomy 8:18 (KJV): *What does Deuteronomy 8:18 mean to me? *Do I remember God in all that I am doing or trying to do? *How can I better remember God in all that I do? *Do I give God credit for all that I am able to accomplish or do I take all the credit? *Do I use phrases like “independent” and “self-made”? Now, it is your turn. What are your thoughts? How can we, as Christians, involve God more and dissuade ourselves and others in thinking we are "independent" or "self-made"? Friends, if you are finding value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share it with your friends and family. Also, if you are not signed up to receive it in your inbox, please consider doing so. Thank you. 
“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
2 Peter 3:9 KJV Hi friends, How are you? I hope you are well. Sometimes I think about the pandemic and whether or not it was brought on by God or by Satan. I am not sure the origin of the pandemic. Yet, I do know that many people have been touched by it. Regardless of the origin, I wonder if God is using the pandemic to give people a chance to grow closer to Him. I wonder if it is like a “last chance motivator” to get our affairs in order and get on the right path. And, yes, either way, I can’t wait for it to be over. I will be glad when the difficulties of the pandemic will be over. What are your thoughts? I do believe that God either initiates or allows difficult things to happen, so that we feel a warning. It could be a “close call” in a health matter. Or, it could be a global pandemic, such as the Covid-19 pandemic. It could be many different things. Whatever the affliction or struggle, we sometimes realize that there is a lesson in it for us. That lesson could be that we need to learn patience or that we need to learn to praise God even during difficult times. Although, that lesson could be that we need to learn to follow God’s Word and to grow closer to Him. Our difficult time may be to remind us that we have something buried in our life that needs forgiveness. I don’t know about you, but I am way over the pandemic. I am ready to have a mask free life. Yet, if God is using this time to give us motivation to get “right with Him”, then we must still need time. This might be difficult to understand. I mean, we are all tired of the pandemic. We know that. God is a loving God. We know that. So, why can’t it just be over already? Well, if we go back to the idea that the pandemic may be a warning, we may be able to understand it a little better. Have you ever given a child a warning, like, “When I count down from twenty to zero your toys better be picked up or you will be grounded”? Then, you start counting down. And, if the child isn’t acting right away, you start counting slower in order to give that child a better chance to finish. Yes. I have done that as well. I wanted to give that child every chance to succeed within the restrictions I had set. It is the same way with God. God wants us to succeed, so He will give us many chances and as much leeway as possible in order to succeed. So, if the pandemic is a warning of “you better get right with God by the time this pandemic is over or you will be sorry”, then God is probably letting the pandemic continue to give even more people a chance to “get right with Him”. Are you right with God? If the answer is “yes”, great! If the answer is “no’, now is the time to get right with Him. So, what can we do? We can pray. We can pray that more and more people, ourselves included, do what is necessary to get right with God. Yes, we want the pandemic to be over. But that might not be the prayer we should be praying, maybe the prayer should be that as many people as possible use this time to get right with God. What do you think? * * * * * * * * * * * * * Heavenly Father, Thank you for your holy Word. Thank you for being our Heavenly Father and loving us so much. Help us to remember that when we are going through difficult times, often there are lessons to be learned or good to come out of it. Help us to not just pray for the difficulty to stop, but for the lessons to be learned and for the good to come. Help us to be right with you. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. Reflective Questions for 2 Peter 3:9 (KJV): *What does 2 Peter 3:9 mean to me? *Am I right with God? *Do I feel that the pandemic is from God or from Satan? *Is the pandemic a warning or motivation to get “right with God”? *Am I praying for the pandemic to be over or for people to get “right with God”? Now, it is your turn. I would like to know your thoughts. Please, comment below or feel free to contact me. Also, if you haven't already, and you find value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please consider signing up to receive it in your inbox. Thank you. 
“The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.”
Proverbs 18:15 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you? I hope you are well. It seems a little strange to write something after the Lord’s Prayer Series. Part of me, finds it difficult to “beat” a topic such as that. However, all of God’s Word is important and deserves acknowledgement. So, today’s topic is knowledge. I figured, since it is the beginning of the school year for many, knowledge would be a great topic to explore. The Holy Bible has many verses on knowledge. This week’s verse is Proverbs 18:15. First of all, I looked up “prudent” in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary online. It shows four different definitions for prudent. The one I think fits the best is the following: “characterized by, arising from, or showing prudence: such as a: marked by wisdom or judiciousness” God considers knowledge important. Here, the words in Proverbs 18:15, say that “the heart of the prudent getteth knowledge”. So, to me, God is saying that those who are wise and judicious (or even those who want to be wise and judicious) learn. They know the importance of knowledge. So, they do what is necessary to learn as much as they can and value education. If that means study, they study. If that means, read, they read. If that means ask questions, they ask questions. If that means, taking notes, they take notes. Prudent people do what they need to do to learn. I don’t know for sure the Lord’s meaning behind the second part of this verse. Maybe it is meant to mean something different to everyone. I like that it states, “…and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.” The word “ear” stands out for me. I am used to hearing that a person’s “heart” seeks knowledge. People often talk about their “heart’s dream” or “passions of the heart” or whatever. Heart is mentioned quite a bit about things we seek, and we do see the “heart” mentioned in the first part of this verse. Yet, in the second part of the verse it is the “ear” that is mentioned. So, to me, the second part of Proverbs 18:15 highlights the importance of listening. Not everyone possesses skills to listen or values the importance of listening. However, I think that this verse shows its importance. I don’t think the word “ear” would have been used and related to wisdom, if listening wasn’t important. Not only that, but one can learn more by listening than by speaking. I also think that if one is listening, one is showing that one is willing to learn. This isn’t always true when one is talking. One can say that one wants to learn, but if one is listening, one is showing that one is willing to learn. It may also be a reminder that one would be wiser to ask questions and remember to listen to the answer when one is seeking answers. Sometimes, we want answers, so we ask questions, plead for answers, and pray for help, yet we forget to actually stop and listen for the answers. Or, if God or someone else tries to give us answers, we say, “yeah, but…” and don’t really listen. Through our behavior, it seems like we don’t really want answers. We don’t want to learn. We need to remember that listening is an important part of learning. Heavenly Father, Thank you for giving us words to live by. Thank you for showing us the importance of learning and knowledge. Help us to seek knowledge all the days of our life. Also, help us to remember that listening is an important skill and an important part of learning. I thank you and praise you for your words of wisdom and life. Help us to learn all that you want us to learn. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective Questions for Proverbs 18:15 (KJV): *What does Proverbs 18:15 mean to me? *What are my thoughts about learning? *Do I value knowledge? *Do I seek out knowledge? *Do I pray and ask God what He wants me to know or learn? *Do I remember to listen, especially when I am searching for answers? Now, it is your turn. I value you being here and value your thoughts. Please, let me know what you think. Also, if you enjoy reading the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please consider signing up to receive it in your inbox. (Just check the "faith box" as you sign up. Thank you.  “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”
Matthew 6:13 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you? This verse is sort of a bottom line, summary, of our prayer to God and this post is the last post in this Lord’s Prayer devotion series. I hope it has blessed you in some way to ponder the words of the Lord’s Prayer more closely and in depth. I pray that you pray these words and not recite them. I pray that I do the same. I believe that every word in the Bible means something and is meant to be there. However, to be honest, I am not sure why “And lead us not into temptation” is part of this prayer. I trust Jesus, and wouldn’t question their worth. It just sounds kind of strange, knowing that our Father in Heaven is a loving God. He wants the best for us and it is strange asking Him not to “lead us into temptation.” Unless, maybe it is saying not to harden our hearts, as He did Pharaoh’s when we go against His will, but to give us more chances and more direction. Often, once our heart is hardened and our mind is closed, we spiral downhill and we are not only tempted but sin in many ways. What do you think? After consulting a friend, praying, and rereading this verse, I believe that the word “lead” is the important word in this phrase. We are to put our trust in God and let Him lead us. We are to be obedient to His will and not try to do things our own way. Trust me, the latter isn’t good. We are often our own worst enemy. Yet, God is good and will lead us away from temptation if we ask and put our trust in Him. I understand the part about, “but deliver us from evil.” I have prayed that many times. I want to do God’s will and I don’t want anything evil to come near me, tempt me, or hurt me in anyway. The last part of this verse is a powerful one. I believe that it is meant for us to acknowledge that we are nothing without God and that everything we do should be for God and to grow His kingdom. I believe that it is meant to acknowledge that we pray and we do what we do as Christians, because we want to be of the kingdom of God and not of the world. That is our focus. We are called to acknowledge and understand that God has the power to help us, to hurt us, to give us life, to give us death, to move mountains, to heal us, to create everything from nothing, to destroy everything, as well as to love us and provide for us unconditionally or conditionally. Acknowledging God’s power also is intended to assure us that we can put our faith in Him fully and that we are to fear Him in a loving way and be obedient to Him. We are His creations. We are His servants. We are His children. We are called to give Him the glory. And, I believe as Christians, that this isn’t a chore or a task given to us by a master, but an act of love. We want to do these things. We know that God loves us and we want to love Him back. Heavenly Father, Thank you for sending us Jesus, your only begotten Son, to be our teacher, our savior, and our ultimate role model. Thank you for these words on how to pray. Help us to pray them and not just recite them without thought or feeling. Help us to strive to build, to pray for, and to uplift your kingdom. Help us to acknowledge your ultimate power and to fear you and love you in the most loving and obedient way. Help us to give you the glory in all that we do and not do or seek our own glory. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Matthew 6:13 (KJV): *What does Matthew 6:13 mean to me? *Do I pray these words or recite these words? *Have I truly pondered or prayed about the meaning of the Lord’s Prayer? *Do I pray for God’s kingdom and try to uplift it and grow it? *What can I do to uplift and grow God’s kingdom? *Do I acknowledge God’s power? *Do I both fear God and have faith in Him, knowing that He has the power to help me or hurt me? *Do I give God the glory in all I do or do I seek the praise and the credit for myself?  “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.”
Matthew 6:12 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you? Today’s blog post topic is forgiveness. It isn’t only forgiveness, but the sentence of the Lord’s Prayer in which Jesus tells us to forgive others. How many times have you said the Lord’s Prayer and then not forgiven someone? I think that asking for forgiveness and giving forgiveness are often difficult for people. I think some people have a misconception about forgiveness. They might think that forgiveness condones the action, encourages the action, or some how makes the action okay. They might think that forgiveness means that everything will go back to the way it was before the action. That isn’t necessarily true either. Actions have logical consequences whether we forgive others or not. For example, if someone steals from you, you can forgive him or her, but that doesn’t mean that you will instantly trust him or her as if they have never stolen before. That trust will probably have to be earned. To me, the forgiveness is separate. What does forgiveness mean to you? To me, forgiveness means that you release yourself from the feelings that you have in trying to harbor powerful negative feelings in the situation. It frees you from feeling the need to take vengeance in the situation. It admits that it is God’s place and not yours to take vengeance and show wrath. Forgiveness in this way is for the forgiver. Not forgiving someone often puts more of a hold on you than it does on the perpetrating party. We often see how people who hurt us, may not feel as bad as we do. By harboring the hate, the want for vengeance, the ideas of retaliation, and the refusal to forgive, we are hurting ourselves. It effects not only our emotional life, but also our physical and spiritual lives as well. Stress can kill and all that ill will that we harbor inside of us gets turned back to us and wrecks havoc on us. Don’t get me wrong; forgiveness also helps the offending party. It gives him or her hope and encouragement. It helps him or her to feel that he or she is not doomed to death. It helps him or her to forgive him or herself and to ask forgiveness from God. Think about it. How do you feel when someone has forgiven you? More importantly, how do you feel when God has forgiven you? We might say, “Well, I can forgive people for little things, but I don’t know if I can forgive people for big things, like abuse and murder.” Yet, we need to look closely to Jesus’ words. He doesn’t say, “Forgive people if they do little things.” He says, “Forgive our debtors.” Forgiveness may be difficult. However, we wouldn’t be called to do it if it wasn’t something that we couldn’t do. We also need to remember that we can’t do anything without God’s help, so forgiveness shouldn’t be any different. We are called to ask God for help in forgiving others, just as we are called to ask God’s help in doing anything. In this short verse, Jesus uses the word “as” here. I believe that this is a reminder to ask God for forgiveness and acknowledgement that it is only fair that God treats us like we treat others. If we treat others well, God is more inclined to treat us well. If we forgive others, God is more inclined to forgive us. It is like that with people too. If we smile at someone, they are more inclined to smile back. If we encourage someone, they are more inclined to encourage us back. So, with this verse, we are praying that when or while we forgive others, God will also forgive us. Wouldn’t life be so much better if we all learned to ask forgiveness and give it better? (I like how God always wants what is best for us and we can see it in every word He gives us!) Heavenly Father, Thank you for your love. Thank you for always wanting the best for us: your children and creations. Thank you for sending your Son, Jesus to be our Lord, our Savior, and our Teacher. Thank you for these words in the Lord’s Prayer. Help us to pray them and live by them whole-heartedly. Help us to forgive others, even when it is difficult. I ask you this through Jesus, your Son. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Matthew 6:12 (KJV): *What does Matthew 6:12 mean to me? *What does forgiveness mean to me? *Do I recite these words or pray these words? *Do I forgive others? *Do I ask God’s help to forgive others? *Do I ask God’s forgiveness? Now, it is your turn. I look forward to reading your thoughts. Please, share how you like this post and what Matthew 6:12 means to you. If you don't want to share with everyone, feel free to contact me. Thank you for reading. P.S.- - If you haven't read the other posts in the Lord's Prayer series, you may want to read those as well. * Lord's Prayer Series - - Post 1 * Lord's Prayer Series - - Post 2 * Lord's Prayer Series - - Post 3  “Give us this day our daily bread.” Matthew 6:11 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you? I hope you are doing well. This is a rather short verse, yet it tells us quite a bit. “Give us this day our daily bread.” We are asking God to give us what we need for the day and to show us His will for us for the day. We as humans are very needy. Thankfully, Our Father in heaven wants to give us what we need. He also wants us to ask Him for our needs, to acknowledge that we can’t provide our needs without Him, and trust that He will provide our needs for us. Jesus uses the word “bread” in Matthew 6:11 and obviously, I don’t know for sure his meaning. Yet, I believe that he is referring to more than food. I believe that he is referring to everything that we need to get through the day and to do the things that God wants us to do in that day. They also refer to physical, emotional, spiritual, and intellectual things. Physical things might be food, water, sleep, rest, shelter, and clothing. It might also include a job or income so that these things can be earned. Emotional, spiritual, and intellectual things might include the knowledge of what God calls us to do and the willingness, courage, and obedience to do what God calls us to do. They may also include things like giving us the knowledge, strength, willingness, courage, and obedience to stay away from sin and temptation during the day. These words by Jesus also remind us that we are to pray daily. The words don’t say, “Give us our weekly bread or our monthly bread.” We are to go to God daily in prayer and ask for His will to be done and for our needs to be provided for everyday. Prayer is important and it is important to pray every day. These words also remind us to only worry about one day at a time. Again, Jesus uses words like “this day” and “daily bread.” He doesn’t say that we should pray for or about things that are going to happen next week, next month, or next year, or even tomorrow. We are to pray daily for what we need for each day. It is also interesting to note, that Jesus doesn’t say anything about the “desires of our heart” here. He doesn’t say anything about wants. It is needs that are mentioned. (No daily “frosting” here.) Heavenly Father, Thank you for being our Heavenly Father. Thank you for sending your only begotten Son, Jesus to us to not only be our savior, but to be our ultimate teacher and role model. Thank you for giving us the Lord’s Prayer through Jesus. Please, help us to live according to the words that Jesus gave us. Help us to pray to you and come to you daily for our daily needs. Help us to not only ask you, but to trust you to provide what we need each day to do the things you want us to do each day and to live in the way that you want us to live each day. Help us to pray the Lord’s Prayer and not just recite it. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Matthew 6:11 (KJV): *What does Matthew 6:11 mean to me? *Do I pray to God daily? *Do I ask for my needs every day? *Do I trust that God will provide for me daily? *Do I ask what God’s will is for me each day and ask that He gives me the courage, skill, and obedience to do His will for me each day? *Do I take one day at a time or worry about things in the future? Now, it is your turn. I would enjoy hearing your thoughts. Comment below or feel free to contact me. Thank you. I pray someone is blessed by this.  “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”
Matthew 6:10 (KJV) Hi friends, Last week, I started a series on the Lord’s Prayer, given to us by Jesus. We may say or recite the Lord’s Prayer, but do we pray it? Do we think about the words? Do we live by the words? “Thy kingdom come.” What does that mean to you? We all get something out of the Bible and out of a prayer. God has a special message for each of us. I read commentaries and each says something different. It means something different to each of us. However, it means the same also. That is why I pray before I write. I want God’s message and not my own message. We are called to grow God’s kingdom and to pray for it. There are believers, unbelievers, and people who are lukewarm in the middle. Yet, we are called to encourage belief and to grow God’s community of believers. We are called to believe ourselves and help others to believe. We are called to be part of God’s kingdom and not the “kingdom of the world” or “Satan’s kingdom” or whatever we want to call the evilness of the world. So, we have heard of the second coming of Jesus and how He will rule. Is that what Jesus is talking about here? Um. I don’t think it is just that. It may be part of it. Yet, to me, it means that we are to pray for and be a part of God’s kingdom now and forever, here and in life everlasting. Our choice is to be of this world or of God. We are also called to not only submit to God’s will, but to want it. We are called to ask for it. We are called to acknowledge it. We are called to do it. In so doing, we are acknowledging that we are part of God’s kingdom and willingly want to do His will here on earth and once we get in heaven. And, why would we do all this? Why would we want to have God’s will instead of our own? Love! We want this, because we love God and we know that He loves us. We know that God’s way and God’s plan is better than anything we can plan. It all comes down to love and thanksgiving. If we have a place in God’s kingdom here on earth, we will be rewarded with a place in God’s kingdom in heaven. What a beautiful reward in which to look forward! Heavenly Father, Thank you for loving us and creating us. Thank you for sending us your Son, Jesus, who taught us how to pray. Thank you for inviting us and calling us to be part of your kingdom on earth and in heaven. Help us to pray for your will and your kingdom. Help us to be like Jesus, our ultimate role model, in our efforts to pray, to follow your will, and to grow your kingdom. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Matthew 6:10 (KJV): *What does Matthew 6:10 mean to me? *Do I want to be part of God’s kingdom, part of the world’s kingdom, or part of my own kingdom? (Be honest.) *Do I ask God to let His will be done or ask that my will be done? *Do I recite the Lord’s Prayer or do I pray it? *What can I do to better live the Lord’s Prayer? *What can I do to help grow and pray for God’s kingdom? Now, it is your turn. I would like to hear your thoughts. Please, leave me a comment. Thank you. God bless! |
Hi friends!
This is Jodi. I am so glad you are here! I am a Christian and life-long learner. I enjoy sharing and encouraging others. I pray you are blessed by this blog. Thank you for being here. Archives
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