Gifting; April 3, 2025

Posted on April 4, 2025 by jgarrott

1 Peter 4:10-11 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Once again the whole passage is really loaded with important truth, leaving me to pray that each person who uses this Scripture list would read with an open heart, allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to them what they need to hear. I have preached on these two verses several times, I’m sure, but they still speak to me afresh. The thing is, our context is constantly changing as we experience more of life, so in that sense the Bible is always new. Even a verse we have memorized can speak something new to us, as our eyes are opened to see more of the truth that is in it. There are several points in these two verses, the first being that each person is gifted. We speak of a gifted musician, or mathematician, or what have you, often not realizing that we ourselves are also gifted. Perhaps the simplest way to recognize your own gifting is to think about what seems easy or simple to you, but other people struggle with. Any time that is true, it indicates a way in which you are gifted. The problem is, we tend to exercise our gifts to satisfy ourselves, when as Peter says here, they are to be used to serve one another. Selfishness, being self-centered, is never the way to happiness and true satisfaction. It is when we use our gifts to bless others that we are fully blessed. That’s called stewardship, because our gifting is entrusted to us by God, and we are accountable to Him for how we use it. It’s also worth noting here that Peter is pointing out that God’s gifts are incredibly varied, essentially beyond counting, and that they are grace, because we didn’t earn them. The next verse goes on to mention the two main categories of gifting: speaking and acting. We don’t care if a carpenter is an eloquent speaker, so long as he can saw, hammer, etc. correctly. Conversely, we don’t care if a school teacher can hit a nail straight, so long as they can speak truth into our children to prepare them for life. Peter points us to the purpose of all of this: that God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. That echoes what Paul said: “Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:17) With that understanding, we are to use our gifts boldly, speaking God’s truth for what it is, yet with all humility, acting without hesitation, while knowing that it is God who makes it possible. If we will do that, the Body of Christ will be built up and the world will be transformed, as God intends and for His glory.

Just yesterday I was wondering out loud what I was supposed to speak on this Sunday, since the Lord has spoken to me several times over the past three weeks, when I haven’t preached the past two Sundays. I don’t think I have any question now! I have been aware of my own gifting in several areas for most of my life, but I haven’t been very good at encouraging others in their gifting. That’s a real problem for me as a pastor, because Paul says that I am “to equip [God’s] people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.” (Ephesians 4:12) I’m not to do it all myself, which has been something of my pattern for most of my life. I’ve allowed others to help me occasionally, but not too often. That has resulted in a very poor level of spiritual growth in this church, and it’s because I haven’t been a good steward of the gifts God has given me. Personal satisfaction isn’t to be my goal! God has had to use advancing age and occasional medical issues to get through to me, and I need to pay attention if I don’t want more medical issues! I have finally allowed a sister in the church to preach, but I need wisdom in what to ask of whom, recognizing their gifts so that they likewise may recognize and grow in them. Above all, I need to remember that I don’t have all the answers, and be humble in asking for advice. God has great plans for us, and I don’t want to be in the way!

Father, thank You for this strong Word. Thank You for the timing, as we prepare for our annual business meeting on the 13th. I pray that each person would hear what You are saying to them and rejoice to be obedient, even if it pulls them out of their comfort zone, so that all of Your plans for us and for this city and nation may be fulfilled, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Sharing; April 2, 2025

Posted on April 3, 2025 by jgarrott

1 Peter 3:15-16 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.

Verse 15 is the famous one here, but different translations divide the verses differently, and in typing it all out in Japanese, I gained further insight. We need to keep this in context, realizing that Peter is talking about suffering for righteousness, as it says in verse 14. In that situation, remembering that Christ is our holy Lord is important, because He suffered incredibly for us. A Christian’s ability to endure suffering can be very impressive, and that’s what verse 15 is talking about. Nobody notices if you’re just going along like everybody else. However, if you maintain peace and even joy when suffering, or are even under active persecution, then people pay attention. Again, translations differ, but the Japanese makes it clear that we are to be ready to share our hope in Christ “with anyone, at any time.” We probably won’t have a nice little tract with us in that moment, though it’s not bad if we do. What is important is that the message be clear in our heart. We can’t share convincingly something we aren’t fully convinced of ourselves! Our attitude in sharing is important too. Coming across as feeling superior, talking down to people, will never win them to repentance and faith. If you act that way, people will feel fully justified in persecuting you! It comes back to acknowledging Jesus as our holy Lord. If we will do that consistently, then all we do will flow out of His character in us, and that is attractive indeed.

For many years I have bemoaned what I saw as my lack of evangelistic gifting. It’s true that my gifting and calling is as a teacher, but a close friend called me down on that point just yesterday, saying that particularly as a pastor, I need to not focus on negatives, but rather encourage everyone – including myself – to make full use of what they have been given, what they can do. If we will do that, then just as in the parable of the talents that Jesus told, (Matthew 25) what we can do will be multiplied, for God’s glory. I’m sometimes frustrated with that friend because of his strong denominational, organizational mindset, but God can certainly speak through Him as well. I have long desired that every member of this church blossom as a witness for Christ, but I have been blind to the ways in which I myself have hindered that. Now that it’s starting to happen, I need to encourage it and not get in the way!

Father, thank You for this clear Word. Thank You also for the opportunity to share hope with a lady the day before yesterday. May I indeed be Your instrument to do that with anyone, any time You give me the opportunity, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Lifestyle; April 1, 2025

Posted on April 2, 2025 by jgarrott

1 Peter 2:15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.

I’m currently reading The Untold Story of the New Testament Church, by Frank Viola, and it gives some somewhat horrifying context to this passage. Slavery was an unquestioned part of society, and it had essentially no racial component at all. From verse 18 Peter is expressly addressing slaves, which most translations dress up as “servants.” The point of this verse is that regardless of your social standing, your actions should so reflect Christ that your critics end up with nothing to say. Saying that this is the will of God is a very strong statement, immediately bringing to mind Paul’s words to the Thessalonians: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) We may have questions as to what God’s will for us is in specific instances, but we have no reason to be unsure when it comes to our overall lifestyle. Peter and Paul are in total agreement! The devil loves to slander us (after all, his name means “accuser”) but we are to live so that our lifestyles expose the slander for what it is, and we are to be grateful to God in the process. Everyone’s circumstances are different in various ways, but we can have total assurance that God desires these things of us, whatever form they might take in our particular case. Many things in our lives are totally beyond our control, but these are things that are subject to our choice, and God will hold us accountable for them.

I have experienced slander, and by God’s grace the person doing it was eventually ashamed. I have experienced many things for which rejoicing and giving thanks had to be a very conscious choice, and sometimes a completely illogical one, but every time I have made that choice and acted on it, God has blessed remarkably. Right now I am rather naturally rejoicing that ESWL lithotripsy reduced my kidney stone from 6mm to 3mm, so the stent running from my bladder to my kidney could be removed, but the stone is still there, so I am to rejoice and be grateful that it will ultimately be dealt with God’s way in His timing. I certainly rejoice that in my running around to hospitals yesterday I ran into a lady we haven’t been able to connect with for several months, as well as a brother I haven’t seen in a couple of months. I found out the lady has metastatic cancer, and I was able to speak God’s love to her, though she is not yet a believer. I know God wants her to have the opportunity to commit to Jesus as Lord while she is here. The brother has likewise been hospitalized for a while and is glad to be out, and anxious to get back to church. In all my interactions I am to act as Christ’s representative, sharing His love, grace, and truth with all who will receive it, ignoring the negative voices and circumstances and resting, relaxing, and rejoicing in my Lord, just as He told me to do.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You indeed for those two appointments You had for me, as well as my appointment for the doctor to remove the stent. Help me not overdo things, but flow with Your Spirit on Your schedule at all times, as a good steward of the body, abilities, and opportunities You give me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Influence; March 31, 2025

Posted on April 1, 2025 by jgarrott

James 3:2 We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.

This is a sticky verse for me, because I am very much a man of words, and I am very aware that I am not perfect. The verses following talk about how the tongue, that is, speech, seems small but has an outsized influence, and the verse ahead of this warns that teachers will be “judged more severely.” As someone with Teacher gifting who has lived as a teacher most of my life, that seems dangerous indeed! At the same time, we see examples all around us of people who have violated the trust given them as teachers, teaching vile things and doing great damage to individuals and to society as a whole. The majority of teachers are doubtless sincere and conscientious, but the ones who have perverted minds tend to stand out, and they certainly cause a lot of damage. This applies also to people who might not have the title of teacher, but who have influence over others. There is even a fresh category of people, “social media influencers,” and they come under the warnings in this chapter as well. The thing is, we all influence others to at least some degree, and we should seek to influence them toward good and toward God at all times. That focus needs to be both automatic and intentional. We should intend to do it so consistently that it becomes automatic! Sadly, as this verse says, we all stumble in many ways. The only answer is honest humility, asking God for His help and guidance and asking Him, and those we hurt, for forgiveness when it is called for.

As I said at the outset, this applies to me in spades. I have been aware of the influence I exert for most of my life. A major reason I am a tea totaler is that if people see me drinking, much less drunk, they would think it was fine for them as well. That has also extended to my speech patterns, thankfully. I never knowingly lie. For one thing, covering up for past lies is far too much work! A bigger factor is that when Jesus is “the way, the truth, and the life,” (John 14:6) I would be unfaithful to Him to speak other than truth. At the same time, I am sharply aware that my words can be very hurtful. Just because something isn’t untrue doesn’t mean it’s right! As Paul said, I need to speak the truth in love, (Ephesians 4:15) so that my words my build people up and not tear them down. That doesn’t mean I’m never to speak strongly or that I’m not to correct people; that would be a violation of my calling as a teacher. However, my words should be gifts, drawing people to God and causing them to love and appreciate Him.

Father, thank You for this clear reminder. Thank You for Your patience with me over the years, with my many stumbles. Help me live out each day as You desire, speaking Your words in Your wisdom and love, so that people may be drawn to repentance and faith for their salvation, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Faith and Works; March 30, 2025

Posted on March 31, 2025 by jgarrott

James 2:26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

Martin Luther hated this verse, and indeed, the whole book of James, because he had rediscovered the principle of salvation by grace through faith, (Ephesians 2:8-9) which had effectively been forgotten by the Church, or at least overlooked, for a while at that point. However, that doesn’t change the validity of this principle. There is no way we can purchase our salvation, or even forgiveness for a single sin, but genuine faith is active. It is no theoretical, ivory tower exercise, but is applicable to every moment of our lives. That’s not at all to say we are to be anxiously trying to prove our faith, but rather that genuine faith will inform our every decision and guide our every step. A major part of spiritual growth is in realizing how that is to work out in practical terms. It can require real growth to take the stand that abortion is denying the sovereignty of God and the value of life, for example. It also requires genuine faith to forgive when you are slandered. To repeat a point, faith is not just theoretical! That is the major point of James, I think, and he gives many illustrations of his point. We need to ask the Holy Spirit to open our eyes to see how we might be acting in violation of what we say we believe, and repent to the point of changing how we live.

Of course, this applies to me as much as to anyone. I have made a lot of choices that people have lauded as “showing great faith,” but at the same time I have also ignored the faith I claim, in countless ways. I am never to preach to others and fail to receive the Word myself! If I do that, I am no better than the Pharisees who clashed so strongly with Jesus. I am to lead the way in humility, believing that I can do nothing right on my own, but that God can do anything at all through me. Simply put, I’m to believe enough to act, however things might look on the surface.

Father, thank You for this reminder. It’s a very simple, almost simplistic, principle, but it’s vital. Help me indeed walk out my relationship with You, and with Christ Jesus my Lord, so that all of Your plans may be fulfilled on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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The Fear of the Lord; March 29, 2025

Posted on March 31, 2025 by jgarrott

Hebrews 10:31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

This is a famous Scripture, largely because it was the foundation for a famous sermon by Jonathan Edwards which triggered the revival in North America called The Great Awakening. From our perspective we can see that God used it to prepare the people for the Revolutionary War, but at the time it was simply a mass repentance and turning to God. Contemporary records indicate that Edwards read his sermon from the elevated pulpit of his Congregational church very unemotionally, but the Holy Spirit took his words and pierced the hearts of his hearers, generating such fear that some literally clung to the posts that held up the balcony, fearful to fall into hell. That shows a number of things. The first is that God doesn’t need “special effects” to get His message into people’s hearts. All the lights and smoke machines and such that are found in some churches are humanistic manipulation. The second is that the people had no real Scriptural foundation for their faith, whatever that faith might have been. Clinging to something physically won’t keep you from hell! Sadly, a huge percentage of church members today are in the same situation, without a genuinely Biblical world view and therefore with unbiblical beliefs and practices in their lives. Third is that God’s grace and mercy don’t always seem gentle! Failing to speak truth because we don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings is not accurately representing Christ. We are indeed to speak the truth in love, but doing so faithfully will doubtless get us accused of being unloving! For example, “affirming” someone’s gender confusion is horribly unloving, but is called the opposite by people who don’t have a Biblical world view. American society, and modern society in general, has largely lost the fear of God, and that is a dangerous thing indeed. It is clearly the source of the idiocy that is so publicly proclaimed by many. As it says so clearly in Proverbs, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Proverbs 9:10)

For many years I thought I was in some way related to Jonathan Edwards, but My Heritage hasn’t come up with any connection that I’ve seen. I seem to be related to at least one president, not to mention the Plantagenet kings of England, but not Edwards. I would consider that the higher honor! All that aside, my own relationship to the fear of the Lord has certainly had its ups and downs. I was raised to love the Lord with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength, (Mark 12:30) but I didn’t really understand what fear had to do with it. In the years since I have come to know that fear is an essential part of discipline, so if I don’t fear God I won’t respond rightly to the discipline He applies in love. I was too focused on 1 John 4:18, ignoring Hebrews 12:7-11. I’m reminded of something Dennis Prager reports. In his decades of doing talk radio, he asked many people who had never done drugs why they hadn’t, and the reply was always the same: “My mother would have killed me.” If we fail to fear God’s wrath, we will be open to countless deceptions of the devil. I am to proclaim God’s grace and love, certainly, but always in the framework of His holiness and omnipotence. This verse, so effectively used by Jonathan Edwards, should never be forgotten.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me follow through in all my interactions so that people will be given the opportunity to repent and believe for their salvation, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Sacrifice for Sin; March 28, 2025

Posted on March 29, 2025 by jgarrott

Hebrews 10:18 And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary.

Hebrews is an extremely logical book/letter. This chapter clearly explains why the temple sacrificial system is no longer needed, but there are still people who try to atone for their own sins before God, when those sins are actually already dealt with by Christ on the cross. This is why salvation is by grace through faith. (Ephesians 2:8-9 and several other passages) We have to believe that Jesus died for our own sins for His sacrifice to be effective for us, but if we do believe that in repentance, then those sins are wiped away as if they never happened. Where it gets tricky is that we sin again, so we need to keep our repentance up to date. That said, we aren’t to be neurotically picking at ourselves for things of which to repent. We need to learn from Paul: “My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.” (1 Corinthians 4:4-5) We are to be open to the Holy Spirit for whatever He tells us we need to get rid of, and be quickly obedient when He does, but that doesn’t mean always being introspective. It’s no accident that “satan” means “accuser.” He will accuse us of stuff whether or not it is sin, and particularly whether or not we’ve already repented of it. That’s one of the ways we must resist him. (James 4:7) As Peter pointed out, forgetting that we have been forgiven is a horrible trap. (2 Peter 1:9) We’ve got to remember that Christ’s atonement for sin is total, eternal, and final, and walk in obedient gratitude.

Of course, this applies to me as much as it does to anyone. The Lord used 2 Peter 1:9 to liberate me from a besetting sin, because the more I dwelt on what I had done, the more likely I was to do it again. Realizing I was cleansed helped me realize I was under absolutely no obligation to do that sin again. That’s not to say that my weakness in that area was eliminated with a stroke, but it broke the bondage, and in the years since I have been greatly strengthened in that very area. In ministering to Japanese I have a double-edged problem. In the first place, because linguistically they conflate “sin” with “crime,” it is hard for them to realize they are sinners. In the second place, they have a very weak understanding of forgiveness, because again linguistically they conflate forgiveness with permission. God doesn’t give us permission to commit sins, but He does forgive them! I have to show people first of all that they are sinners, and then that Jesus died to remove their sins. I can’t do that on my own! However, the Holy Spirit is more than able to do it, so I am to stay open and obedient to Him at all times, so that He may work through me.

Father, thank You for this reminder. It’s such a huge, vitally important subject. May I walk fully in the atonement of Christ and extend it to all to whom I minister, so that many may repent and believe for their salvation, and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Assurance; March 27, 2025

Posted on March 28, 2025 by jgarrott

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

This chapter has many justly famous verses, perhaps most notably 16-18, but I really like these two as well, probably because of a musical setting for them in Japanese that I learned several years ago. The translation used for that was slightly different, and when I translated it into English I had to pad it out to match the music, but it is certainly a helpful, encouraging passage, and music is a wonderful memory aid. Sometimes we get really discouraged at our own lack of spiritual maturity and/or progress, and this speaks directly to that. We aren’t particularly faithful, but Jesus is! We would have run away long before Gethsemane, but Jesus didn’t, and so we can anchor our faith in Him. It’s not at all that we aren’t to try to be faithful in all things, but it is a reminder that though we can’t get it all right, Jesus can and He has already accomplished it in eternity.

I’m reminded of what the Lord told me personally several years ago: rest, relax, rejoice. The world is full of conflict of various kinds, much of it internal. As the hymn, Just As I Am says, “fightings within and fears without.” We won’t be completely free of it all until we stand before the Throne, but even right now we can be assured of victory, because our Lord conquered all on the cross. (Romans 8:37) I’m not to be careless or presumptuous, but neither am I to be afraid, even of my own weakness. After all, I’m not to depend on myself, but on my Lord. Looking back over my life, it is very interesting to see that when I was most weak, the temptations that came were mild, but when the temptations were extreme, I was strong. God is incredibly gracious! As a little chorus puts it, “God’s got it all in control. Way down in my spirit, way down in my soul, God’s got it all in control.” The better I remember that, the better I can obey the instructions He gave me.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Right now my body is what’s giving me the most issues, but I can release that to You as well. May I walk in the peace and gratitude You desire and have prepared for me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Sexual Purity; March 26, 2025

Posted on March 27, 2025 by jgarrott

1 Thessalonians 4:7-8 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.

Talk about a currently unpopular teaching! The entire platform of the Democratic Party in the US is based on sexual immorality, from abortion to LGBTQ+ to you name it. And it’s not just the “progressives.” The whole reason for the declining birth rate around the world is that procreation has become an afterthought, with pleasure in the forefront. God gave us such a strong sex drive to help cement couples together, just as Christ and the Church, as Paul explained in Ephesians 5. A male high school student in England a few years ago made a statement that blew me out of the water, precisely because of who it came from. He said he wanted to save sex for marriage, because in his observation of his friends, sex was like super glue: once the bond was made, tearing it apart caused major damage. That was a level of wisdom seldom seen in people of any age, much less a teenager! God knows how He made us, so He gave us rules that would give the best results for us, not to hem us in but to bless us maximally. As John noted, His commands are not burdensome, if we look at them rightly. (1 John 5:3) The current state of affairs (pun not necessarily intended, but appropriate) is because the devil hates us and wants to tear us down any way he can. James’ instructions to submit to God and resist the devil (James 4:7) apply to every area of life, but certainly to this area. We are bombarded with the message of “If it feels good, do it,” and we must stand firm in Christ.

I’m certainly not immune or armor-clad in this area by nature, so I have to put on God’s armor by choice. (Ephesians 6) I have been very happily and actively married for almost 56 years now, and my wife and I are certainly bonded together! Even so, temptations arise, particularly with the proliferation of pornography on the Internet. Unwelcome but tempting images come up with distressing frequency. I too need to remember Paul’s admonition here and allow the Holy Spirit to strengthen me. As a pastor I deal with people who are not so strong spiritually. One man I know despises himself for the way he lives, even though he believes the facts about Jesus. He has already suffered assorted consequences, including medically, but he doesn’t believe he can break free and be cleansed. However, the Gospel is precisely what he needs. As Paul wrote to the Corinthians, after listing various categories of people who, by their activities, had excluded themselves from God’s kingdom, “That is what some of you were.” (1 Corinthians 6:11) No one is beyond the reach of God’s grace, but we have to repent and believe to receive it. That must be my message, on every level. I had an OB/Gyn friend who was convinced he was headed for hell because he had performed abortions, even though he was never a Christian. I only pray that he cried out to the Jesus he had heard about from me, before he died in his 90s.

Father, there are many things about Your grace that I don’t understand. Help me indeed follow those wonderful words in Proverbs: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:6-7) May I be a pure vessel of Your grace, for the salvation of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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In Word or Deed; March 25, 2025

Posted on March 26, 2025 by jgarrott

Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

This chapter has many dearly-loved verses, but I think I’m to focus on this one this morning. This is about as all-inclusive a statement as you could make: “Whatever you do.” That doesn’t leave any wiggle room! On top of that, it specifies, “in word or deed.” Words are powerful, and are not to be taken lightly, but words by themselves are at times meaningless. The Japanese term for integrity is literally, “word-action agreement.” James wrote a great deal about that in his letter. In reading this verse we also need to be aware of what it meant to do something in someone’s name. We pray, “In Jesus’ name, amen,” not thinking about how that means “in harmony with, as that person would desire.” Here Paul expands that beyond prayer to everything we say and do, and then he tacks on that we are to thank God, echoing the verse just ahead of this. Gratitude is absolutely essential, but it’s also virtually inescapable if we have any kind of a grasp of all that God has done for us in Christ. That’s actually very convenient, because psychologists tell us, very reasonably, that gratitude is the key to happiness. You could condense this chapter by saying, “You want to be happy? Get your eyes off of the junk around you (verses 1-2) and focus fully on Jesus!” Some people think the Bible is theoretical and impractical, but actually it’s the most practical book in the world!

I have particularly loved verses 16-17 since learning a musical setting for them in Japanese. Translating that song into English, I included part of verse 15, because I had “notes left over,” but in either language it is a joyful and practical exhortation. I try to follow it, but I’m not the best judge of how well I do. God of course knows that perfectly, but the people around me are also likely better judges than I am. This particular verse is pointed for me because I have a gift for words, and I must be very careful in my stewardship of that gift. I am to speak and write in line with my Lord Jesus, not saying or doing anything that is out of synch with Him. However, as I told some people just recently, God has been so good to me that I would be a total fool not to believe in Him and be grateful. I do have things I don’t enjoy, but in comparison to the world at large, God has been more than gracious. I need to seek and receive His help to live out this verse, and indeed this chapter, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You that the ESWL to break up my kidney stone yesterday went smoothly, though it was surprisingly painful. I didn’t know to expect that, but it was hardly unbearable. Thank You that my vital signs just now were fine, so I’ll be able to get out of the hospital this morning. I do pray that everything will be clear in the check next Monday so that they will be able to remove the stent and I’ll be able to get back to my usual active lifestyle. In any case, may I indeed say and do everything in perfect harmony with You, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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