A Solid Investment

Read It, Learn It, Live It, Share It


“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God.”  – Matthew 4:4
 
What is more important than God?
 

We have created a comfortable life in which God often times is pushed to the backburner in many of our daily interactions.  Think about your daily habits, it might look something like this. 
Every morning you wake up and you start with habitual actions. 

• Go to the bathroomBrush your teethBet a cup of coffeePerhaps have your first cigarette of the dayLet the dog outPull out your smartphone to see who sent you messages or what they posted in Facebook or Twitter or Instagram since you last checked at midnight when you went to bedCheck your email to see if your boss sent you anything criticalCheck your daytimer / calendar to see the meetings ahead of youShower, shave, get dressed for the dayTake the same route to the same office for another day of work
• 
  This is typical of a very large percentage of the population, regardless of where you are at.  We don’t think about whether we should brush our teeth, or go to the bathroom, or let the dog out, we just do it.  These things have become second nature in life, almost like breathing or blinking.  We are creatures of habit and are comforted by repetition in life.
  
  Scientists have said that repetition of an act for 2 weeks straight will create the beginnings of a habit.  Continuing that act for an additional 2 weeks and the habit is engrained in the human psyche.  If you are looking to deepen your relationship with Christ, creating a habit of reading and studying His word will help you in this area.
  
  Think about your strongest relationship, your spouse, your parents, your children.  You know so much about them because you have engaged with them and learned from and about them over years.  Yet, many of you believe you can go to a church building once a week and have a deep relationship with the Creator of the world.  In all honesty, your relationship with Christ should be the strongest relationship you have.  Stronger than your spouse, parents or children relationships.
  
  This relationship has eternal implications, as well as joy, comfort, peace and fulfillment here on this earth.  Every other relationship you have is terminal and will end at some given point.  Investing in a relationship with God the Father should be your focus every single day, and soon enough, you won’t even have to remind yourself to do it, it will just happen.

 
 
 
© Sondove Enterprises, 2019
For more Daily Thoughts go to: http://sondove.blogspot.com
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Tune It Out

Make 2014 a year for sharing

“Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’””– Matthew 4:4

Absolutely quiet.  Have you ever sat in a place and there was no sound at all?  No birds, no cars, no television or cellphone – just the sheer absence of sound.  In this day and age it is often beyond our ability to get to a point where there is peace and quiet.  I’ve found that even when the opportunity, to achieve complete silence, arrives I often cloud the moment with thoughts, worries and my own distractions in life.

If you find yourself silently, watching nature and the world around you, do you realize that there are thousands of radio waves moving past you.  We don’t see these sound waves and voices moving from one radio tower to another, yet they exist none the less.  How do we know they exist?   It’s simple.  Enable a receiver and an antenna and the sounds will be captured.  Connect a speaker and the sounds will be heard.  Cell phones, wireless internet traffic and radio signals are all examples of invisible sound waves that move between a transmitter on one end and a receiver on the other end.  Without the proper hardware on both ends the sounds are not heard.

I’ve heard people say to me, “God doesn’t speak to me.” or “I’ve never heard God.”  What we all must realize is that it’s the same principal.  We must have the appropriate receptor on our end in order to hear the word of God.  Most of us are looking for God to speak to us on our terms, when it’s convenient for us.  God is omnipresent, always with us, and always communicating with us.  He is not a Genie in the bottle that we call upon when we need help.  His desire is to be part of every thought, every moment of our life.  As we wake, as we live, as we speak and as we sleep; His love and mercy should be upon our lips.

God communicates with us through the Word – the Holy Bible.  Every word is captured at the hands of a scribe writing on God’s behalf.  Rich in depth, content and revelations which are as alive in the 21st century as the day they were captured, thousands of years ago.  Secondly, God communicates through the Holy Spirit, dwelling within each of us.  Jesus tells us in John 14:15-17, that God the Father will send us the Holy Spirit to dwell with us and counsel us, comfort us and guide us in the ways of Jesus Christ.  The key is to receive the Holy Spirit though.  It’s one thing to acknowledge His existence; it’s something completely different to develop a relationship with Him to be your mentor and comforter.  Righteousness, humility, love and compassion for others – these are all characteristics of the Holy Spirit within you.

If you want to hear words from the mouth of God, you must be willing to enter into a full relationship with Him.  This includes receiving Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord of your life, and receiving the Holy Spirit into your life as your counselor, mentor and guide.  The next step is to follow His teachings and directions in your life, with the understanding that God is in control and we are here to serve Him and His needs.  So many times I get caught up in the things I want to do for the Lord that I often forget to ask, “God, what will You have me to do today?”  Hearing from God daily requires tuning into His station and picking up on His message.  This is what sustains life, not the possessions of this world.


© Sondove Enterprises, 2014
For more Daily Thoughts go to: http://sondove.blogspot.com
If you would like to be added to the email distribution please click here: Daily Thoughts

Words of a King – “Trust God”

It has been a few days since my last post.  I have been struggling with a message that I feel strongly should be told.  I have wrestled with the Holy Spirit on how to communicate it, and it took a few days to get my obstinate attitude out of the way. 

Read It, Learn It, Live It, Share It

“But He {Jesus} answered {devil} and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’”” – Matthew 4:4

What if we actually lived by the instructions and words that came from Jesus while He was here on earth.  For the next several days we will look specifically at His instructions as they pertain to our modern day society.  Perhaps, if we were more attuned to His word, we could actually make a change for the better in the world in which we live.

We all make choices each and every day on a number of different topics from clothing to wear, what to eat, spending money, our daily plan at work or school and who we talk to throughout the day.  You and I make a choice as to how much time we are spending with God and His word, learning, educating and growing in our faith and relationship with Him.  It’s no different than any other choice you make, but the results are dramatically different in the end.  You might choose a different route to the office each day and save 5 minutes in the commute.  You might choose a more healthy lunch or you might choose to spend 30 minutes longer at the gym and shave off a few pounds.  You prioritize your spending, your calendar and your time throughout the day – where does God fit?

Jesus first recorded words after He was baptized are captured above in Matthew 4:4.  In responding to the temptation that Satan has placed before him, He is teaching you and I how we should respond in the face of temptation, but He is also telling us to strengthen our walk each day by spending time with the Lord.  It’s not about what the world can give you (bread) but rather what God wants from you and will give you in return. 

This is counter-intuitive to what the world is telling you. “Make more money” “Buy bigger and faster” “Each man for himself”  “Keep your religious beliefs to yourself”, our lives should not be focused on what we are getting from the world.  Our lives should be focused on what we are giving back to the Lord, God Almighty, each and every day.  I believe in my heart you are agreeing with me and that you are looking for that deeper relationship, that intimacy with God in your life.  Are you waking up each morning asking God what you can do for Him today, or are you praying over your struggles, calendar and concerns each day?  Perhaps it is time for a change in how we are communicating to God. 

The scripture tells us to concentrate and “focus on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”  This requires you to know what God is saying.  Perhaps it’s not verbal voice, but the written word.  The Holy Bible is known as the Word of God, and when studied will bring you closer to an understanding of who God is and what does He say.  I’m saying study the Bible, not just read a passage or two, and consider your duty done for the day. 

If you are reading this, you have likely made a choice at some point and time to believe in Jesus Christ for eternal salvation.  That is the single most important decision you will make in this life.  But, it is also the single most dangerous decision you will make.  You see, choosing to believe in Jesus Christ is a requirement for your eternal destiny, but if you have not chosen to follow Him, and make Him the Lord of your life, you are simply convincing yourself that you are a Christian and walking in that lie.  God needs to be at the center of your life, period. 

It’s not a matter of saying the words, but a matter of changing your life and committing yourself to His purpose and His desire in your life.  It is not a light hearted raising of your hand on Sunday morning and then back to your “worldly life” on Monday morning.  Get into the word of God every day.  Study it.  Learn from it and Share it with others.  Take part in the greatest opportunity you have ever had in your life and trust that in doing so, you are becoming less like the world and more like the Christ that you have proclaimed as your King.

© Sondove Enterprises, 2013
For more Daily Thoughts go to: http://sondove.blogspot.com
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