It’s Wednesday, Girls…half way through the week, how is that going for you? Just another day in Paradise… or, this is as good as it gets…or, what has God planned for me today? It’s all in your perspective isn’t it?
Today when I look out our upstairs bedroom window I can see that it’s kind of gloomy out there. Well that isn’t what I would have designed, but then, who said I got to do that?
I’ve been mentally going through the things that need to be done today…notice I didn’t say “have to be done”, but they could stand to be done today. You know, like the laundry, grocery shopping, etc. Now, I can look at that as being drudgery and put them off, or I can resist procrastinating and get with it (have you ever noticed that every time you procrastinate, it comes back to get you?)
I finished Job yesterday in my daily Bible reading plan (by the way, how’s that going for you?). You know every time I read Job I get it a little more – I guess that’s the same with all of God’s word – but what struck me this time is that his friends were really obnoxious. With those guys around you would hate to see what Job’s enemies were like, you know?
And, what is so neat is finally reading God’s response – which is what we’re interested in anyway – and how awe-inspiring it is. God has such a command about Himself in the writing. I need to read that because sometimes we’re met with people in our lives who “think” they can control everything and everybody and guess what…? My God’s bigger. I know that sounds like something a little bitty kid would say – but sometimes…you get kind of weary with the people with which you have to deal. I get frustrated and you know what, sometimes you can’t get out of a direct confrontation.
This week I had to do that, it wasn’t pretty, I probably didn’t handle it the way others would, but I got through it, again. I really felt like Job, I mean I can understand him a little better now. I know Job felt relieved after his talk with God and so do I. Pray for us all – all of us who have to deal with people who don’t know any better yet, I guess.
I’m praying for you all – and remembering to give God the glory in all things. Pam
Pam. This is my first attempt at blogging. I hope this comment reaches you correctly. This is from a daily devo I receive from "The Working Christian Woman." Have a great day and stay warm!!!
ReplyDeleteWork Principles from Daniel -
Tuesday, February 8th, 2011
As written and presented by Mary Whelchel
Did you ever think that an Old Testament saint could be a great role-model for you as a Christian in the marketplace today? I can assure you that Daniel is that man. We're looking at workplace principles from the life of Daniel. Consider this:
- Daniel was taken out of his comfort zone completely, away from familiar people and surroundings, into a different culture altogether.
When you go to work each day, you are likely to be leaving your comfort zone and entering a different kind of world. In writing to the church in Pergamum, Jesus said-through the Apostle John -'I know where you live-where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name.' Pergamum was thoroughly pagan, and many Christians were martyred there.
The pagan gods may be a bit different today, but they are there:
- The god of materialism
- The god of success
- The god of sexual pleasure
- The god of any kind of pleasure
- The god of 'it's all about me'
Our challenge is to remain true to the Lord even though we may work in Satan's territory. Daniel-and his three faithful friends-were fully immersed in a pagan culture. They worked hard and succeeded in that society. But they did not accommodate their lifestyles or beliefs to the pagan world around them. Their approach was obedient involvement. They stayed involved in the world, while at the same time remaining obedient to God and his principles.
This attitude is a big contrast to other Jewish exiles in Babylon recorded in Psalm 137:1-4:
By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. There on the poplars we hung our harps, for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, 'Sing us one of the songs of Zion!' How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land?'
Have you ever felt like a foreigner in your working world? Well, that's because you are, if you're a believer. This world is not our home. Peter wrote that we are a chosen people, a royal priesthood a holy nation, a people belonging to God. He goes on to remind us that we are aliens and strangers in this world.
But Jesus doesn't want us to 'hang our harps on the poplars.' He wants us to sing songs of Zion, even by the rivers of Babylon! A joyful spirit is one of the most powerful weapons we have, both to fight off the enemy, to sustain us-because the joy of the Lord is our strength-and to testify to the foreigners around us that we do have songs of Zion to sing! We have something to sing about!