Be still and know that I am God - Psalm 46:10

In my personal opinion, much of the chaos and unrest in the world today is because people are making decisions based on their feelings/emotions rather than what they know to be truth.  Holley Gerth says "...our emotions are good messengers but bad bosses".  When they control our decisions, the choices are not always the best.

Our verse today tells us we can know God as God and to follow Him.  That word is an "experiential" kind of knowing...meaning we can experience Him as God.  The 'be still' and 'know' are connected (please don't ask me to explain!)...you can't do one without the other.  When our focus is on surrendering our control ('going limp' as one commentator put it), then we can experience who God is and what He says.  When our focus is on what we are feeling, it will lead us down the wrong path.  It led Eve down the wrong path when she felt like she needed more than God provided.

Listen to Joanna Weaver in HAVING A MARY SPIRIT:

Careless thinking is a dangerous habit.  For as our

thoughts go, so go our emotions.  And as our emotions go,

so often goes our faith.  If the enemy can get me confused,

he can get me discouraged.  If he can get me discouraged,

he can cause me to doubt.  If he can make me doubt,

he can distract my mind -- and that's just a step away

from dividing my heart.

Do you see the danger of letting our emotions lead us...not letting the truth of God's word lead us?  We can know God...see the verses below for proof.  Truth is given in His word - His word is truth! (John 17:17).  Don't let the enemy confuse your mind with lies...he wants nothing more than to divert you from obeying God.

We have lovely FaceTime calls with our granddaughter.  As we were saying our goodbyes last week, she called out to us "Make good choices!"  I love that!  Choose today to believe what God tells you...what you can KNOW to be true!  Let your emotions send you messages but don't allow them to be your boss!

For further study:  Proverbs 1:7, Ecclesiastes 2:26, Jeremiah 24:7, John 10:4, John 17:3, Romans 8:28, 2 Corinthians 10:5, Philippians 4:8-9, Colossians 2:2-4, 1 John 5:20.

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

Love,

Holly

Every good and perfect gift is from the Father above - James 1:17

I just love Noah and all his life teaches me in Genesis 6-9!  This is a playset I have recently purchased to be able to teach our grandbabies about "walking with God".  We have mistakenly made this only a child's story when it is one of the key Biblical passages for everyone about pursuing a life of faith.  However, it is such a privilege to be able to teach this lesson to our children.

What a guy Noah was...righteous, blameless and "he walked faithfully with God"!  In the midst of corruption and violence, Noah knew his God and honored Him with obedience.  We will do our children no favors if we only teach them about right and wrong behaviors.  Listen to my friend, Barbara Reaoch in her article HOW TO REACH A CHILD'S HEART FOR CHRIST:

The gospel is the most important truth for us to

teach a child...moralism and manipulation harden

a child's heart.  But the gospel is God's message

of love and grace that transforms the heart of a child.

It was only when God changed my heart and I became His through a relationship with Jesus Christ that I was able to stop my lifetime pattern of yielding to my flesh.  Humility is recognizing who God is and who we are.  Noah, in humility,  did not give in to his flesh...he yielded to the power of God within Him.  I believe Noah knew God and overflowed with gratitude and it was his gratitude that resulted in his obedience.  To whom are you grateful?

"Trust and obey for there's no other way

to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey."

For further study:  Deu. 13:4, Psalm 1:1-3, Isaiah 2:5, Micah 6:8, John 14:23, Romans 6:16, Galatians 5:16-25, Colossians 2:6-7, Hebrews 11:7, 2 John 6.

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

Love,

Holly