James 1:21

Today's devotional verse:

Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.

James 1:21 (NASB)

The devotion talked about how for a plant to grow and flower properly, you have to deadhead. This makes perfect sense to me, my mother and father are gardeners. :) And while deadheading is work, its worth it.

The same goes for our lives. We need to cut out the bad for the good to thrive. We need to put aside the filth and wickedness, find humility and save our souls.

I'm reminded of one of my favorite movies here - Boondock Saints. "Destroy all that which is evil. So that which is good may flourish."

Ecclesiastes 7:14

To go with our 'God's plans' theme a little, today's verse is --

In the day of prosperity be happy, But in the day of adversity consider-- God has made the one as well as the other So that man will not discover anything that will be after him.

Ecclesiastes 7:14 (NASB)

God makes the good days and the bad days. Thus you cannot know what your future holds.

Proverbs 10:9

He who walks in integrity walks securely, But he who perverts his ways will be found out.

Proverbs 10:9 (NASB)

Another translation makes a little more sense:

“People with integrity walk safely, but those who follow crooked paths will slip and fall.” Proverbs 10:9 (NLT)

What I take from this is pretty basic: Follow God and walk safely, don't and you're in trouble.


I'm still working on giving my troubles to God.

And I haven't been to church in months. Not for want of desire to go, but because I was not impressed by the new pastor at my church. I know I should go, but I just can't make myself. I should be better about it.

Proverbs 24: 17-18

Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; Or the LORD will see it and be displeased, And turn His anger away from him.

Proverbs 24:17-18 (NASB)

I think this is the most appropriate response to recent events.

Weirdness

But its weirdness that proves God is listening.

Yesterday while talking to my mother about our family, I was mentally bemoaning my singleness, my childlessness.

You see, two of my cousins are married with children -- one wed ten years ago at the mere age of twenty and they've been blessed with two children in recent years; the other met, married and had a child with her husband within the last four years. Both of them are older than me, but my younger brother is also married although they haven't had children yet.

And here I am, approaching thirty, with a boyfriend that talks about marriage but who may not follow through and I'm still undecided whether I even want to have kids for a myriad of reasons. However if I don't have my own, I will adopt.

Thirty. Unmarried. No children.

This is not how I expected my life to turn out. At all.

And this morning, I open up my daily email devotional from Proverbs 31 Ministries to find "Answer Envy" -- when God answers your prayers but for someone else. When God tells you no, but someone else yes. She specifically mentioned miscarriages and having to go to yet another baby shower at church.

And I went, "Okay God, I hear you. Once again, my prayers are answered on your terms, not mine."

But as we've discussed before its such a hard concept to grasp. And even harder to follow through on.

Honestly, I'm not very happy with my life. I have a lot of debt, from school and from credit cards, plus my car. I work two jobs and can barely keep my head above water, let alone pay off any of my debt. Plus I can't find a job in my field so not only do I work two jobs but both are way below my education level. I want to get married but can't afford it right now.

And I know that God will provide. I know that He never gives me more than I can handle, even though it may seem overwhelming its really not.

But...I do have a family that loves me and helps when they can, even if its just sending me a Wendys gift card so I can eat a few meals. My parents' finances are worse than mine, but when I visit I never leave empty handed. My mother even mailed me a devotional book that I forgot to bring with me when I left after my last visit! I have friends that make sure I don't go hungry -- my awesome roommate and one of my best friends from law school. I have a boyfriend drives me crazy but who does love me and who does his best to take care of me, even though I tend to resist.

I know my life isn't horrible, I just wish that I had the job I went to school for and that my finances were a little better. I know that God will answer my prayers one day. I just hope its soon.

Link to the daily devotional that inspired this post - http://devotions.proverbs31.org/

My Favorite Part of the Easter Story: The Theif

And one of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, "Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!"

But the other answered, and rebuking him said "Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?

"And we indeed justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong."

And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!"

And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise."

Luke 23:39-43 (NASB)

I think why I love this passage is because it shows that you can be saved even in the last hour of your life, no matter what you have done.

Yet another trust God and let him lead the way Bible verse:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart…” Proverbs 3:5