“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:”– James 1:19

 We ought to think twice before we speak. Sometimes we are advised if we are feeling unkindly, to count ten before we open our mouth. Yet hasty words ofttimes fly from our lips in the moment of excited feeling; and before we have time to think twice, or count half of ten, the harm is done, the sharp word has flashed like a dart into some gentle heart.

These hasty words are spoken, too, most frequently between those who love each other. We control our speech fairly well when it is with strangers, or ordinary acquaintances we are speaking; but with those we love best–we are less careful. We let our worry or our weariness make us irritable, and then we utter the hasty words which five minutes afterward, we would give all we have to recall. But such words never can be recalled. They may be forgiven, for love forgives until seventy times seven times; but the wounds, the scars, remain.–J. R. Miller

David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

“Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD”. – Psalm 27:14

The reason that we many times do not see or feel the Lord is that we are not waiting on the Lord. We are still on our own timetable and we are still running madly ahead of God and hoping he will catch up to our plans. But that is not how God works. He doesn’t change just because we are fickle and he does not hurry just because we are impatient.

Believer, I do not doubt that your trial is real, that your burden is heavy, or that your discouragement is deep. But put your eyes upon this promise, wrap your mind around this word: when we wait courageously on the Lord, he will strengthen our hearts. God is never late and he is never insufficient.

What will the future bring? Wait on the Lord. When will this sorrow end? Wait on the Lord. How can I survive this ordeal? Wait on the Lord. How should I handle this decision? Wait on the Lord. The answer echoes through the tunnel of time and from the soundboard of millions of satisfied saints. Wait, I say, on the Lord.

The trial may not go away tomorrow, but neither will the strength that God has promised to give you. The pain may not diminish, but neither will his grace. (Baptist Bible Hour)

David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

“Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:”- Isa. 46:10

God is actively training us each day of our lives.  Some of this training is easily evident to us.  Bible study, prayer, church involvement, missions, and community with other believers all equip and prepare us for His work.  There is, however, some other not-so-obvious training He uses.  This comes in the form of bad news, sickness, grief, job losses, relationship struggles, financial hardship, and mistreatment from others.  How do such things prepare us for anything good when they seem so bad?  How can brokenness make us stronger?  It seems backwards, but God can do it.  He has done it throughout time in the lives of His people.
  
Take a quick survey of the Bible and you will find example after example of how God used the seemingly bad for His greater purposes.  Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Gideon, David, and Elijah are just a few examples.  And the greatest example is Jesus Christ.  How must things have seemed on the day that He hung dying?  What do you think His followers thought as they witnessed the execution of an innocent man – their beloved Rabbi and friend?  Could they have even fathomed the good that would come from His death?

These biblical examples remind us that God is infinitely wise.  He is in control of our lives, even when things seem out of control.  We can trust His ways.  We can rely on His goodness.  We must humble ourselves before our King, remembering that He has a plan for each of us; and anything He allows into our lives is intended to prepare us for His service. (James Merritt) 

David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. – Pro. 3:5-6
 
Everyone should know that human wisdom is very fallible. In spite of that, a woman in Haifa, Israel, is suing a television weatherman in small claims court for $1,000 after he predicted sunshine for a day that turned out to be stormy. The woman claims the forecast caused her to leave home lightly dressed. As a result, she caught the flu, missed four days’ work, spent $38 on medication and suffered stress. Whether the legal system agrees with her or not, however, it’s obvious that she reaped the consequences of trusting in human wisdom.

Solomon believed that no one should rely upon his own understanding. Instead, he declared, place your trust in God and seek His wisdom in every aspect of life. The promise God gave through this wise king is that, in return, He will direct your steps into the right path. God never makes a wrong prediction.

Most things, including the weather, are understood very imperfectly even by people who have spent many years studying them. At best, we can only make educated guesses. If those guesses prove true, it’s still usually beyond our control to change our circumstances. The Lord, on the other hand, possesses all knowledge (Ps. 139:4-6). Furthermore, He is in control of all things–not only the weather (Mark 4:39), but illnesses (Matt. 8:3; Mark 1:30-34) and death itself (John 11:43-44). Every nation of the earth is at His mercy (Ps. 2:1-9). What He declares will come to pass. You can count on it.

In the Bible you’ll find the wisdom of God. Trust Him to guide you when you read His Word. Be confident that He will direct your paths as you apply the Scriptures to your life. Take every opportunity, every difficulty, every issue that comes up in your life and let God show you His way through His Word.   When you read God’s Word you read God’s mind. – (Woodrow Kroll)

David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346