Nae's Notes

Goodness…what is that really? Merriam-Websters’s dictionary says “the state or quality of being good”. The Webster’s 1828 dictionary includes words like “favor shown”, “compassion”, “mercy”. These days it can be a struggle to find good things to say to others or good things to talk about. I know people who have had some things happen that aren’t good. It’s hard to stay focused on “good” when all you see is not good. And what do you say to them as friends or colleagues? “Everything’s going to be fine? Don’t worry… this will pass.” Nice words but probably not what they want to hear. That’s where you have to turn off your brain to logic and turn on your brain to faith.

That’s where goodness jumps in the picture. A well-known example of this in the Bible is the children of Israel wandering through the desert. It started with God showing his goodness (favor) to them by having Pharaoh allow them to leave the slavery they were in during their time in Egypt. It continued with them being saved from the army when crossing the Red Sea. Then in the desert, He provided food for them when there seemed to be none. Next came the grumbling, complaining, and doubt about entering the promised land. God could have halted everything there and left them to create their new home in the desert. Instead, progress was delayed. He did postpone their entering the final destination by allowing them to wander in the desert for 40 years. However, it was only postponed. He continued to show them goodness (compassion, mercy) while in the desert because they had food and things they needed in order to live. The promised land was the main event of goodness, but the provisions in the desert were another type of display of goodness. Without the provisions in the desert, the Israelites would not have survived to make it to the promised land. Surviving was good. We will also survive our trials through God’s goodness (compassion, mercy). Staying faithful and focusing on God during the trial will lead us into thriving in His goodness (favor) when the trial season ends.

Don’t give up in the midst of your trial. Take time each day to focus on at least one good thing, even if it seems small. You want to survive so you can thrive!

Regret. Mistakes. Missed opportunities. We all have them. Some may have been life changing while others may have only helped our daily lives run more smoothly. I was thinking about some future things the other day and caught myself regretting the fact that I missed some opportunities to plan for some things. I started to wonder, “What will happen when….?” I ultimately know the answer based on the events I have already experienced. The answer is, “God will show up.” I know this because He has shown up for me in the past.

The Bible says, “It is the LORD who goes before you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or abandon you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” Deuteronomy‬ ‭31:8‬ ‭AMP‬‬ A good example of this is the story of Abraham in Genesis 22 when the Lord asked him to sacrifice Isaac. Abraham was sensitive to God’s voice at the beginning of the chapter when he responded with, “Here I am,” when God called. Then God asked him to do a difficult thing, but Abraham obeyed. When he arrived at the mountain, he was prepared to complete the task at hand. However, a messenger of God again called to him and he answered, “Here I am,”. God showed up and provided an animal for the sacrifice. It’s like somehow Abraham knew God would show up because He had showed up for him in the past. However, I found myself wondering how different that would have turned out had Abraham not answered the messenger immediately. Abraham wasn’t so distracted that he missed God showing up and providing for him.

Abraham had to tune out everything around him in order to hear God and what he was supposed to do. Our lives are so busy with things that distract us from seeking God and spending time with Him. Our minds are filled with more clutter than clarity. Make a conscious effort to tune out the clutter so God can show up and you can thrive instead of survive!

“Consider it nothing but joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you fall into various trials. Be assured that the testing of your faith (through experience) produces endurance (leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace).” James 1:2-3 AMP.

Webster’s 1828 dictionary defines consider as the following: to fix the mind on; to think on with care; to ponder; to study; to meditate on. Thinking on these definitions gives new light to the verse above and how we should act in trials. The verse says to consider it nothing but joy. So when we substitute some of the definitions, we get to fix the mind on joy; to meditate on joy. I’ve heard this verse before and seemed to pass over the first sentence, which is actually the command or instruction we should follow. The last thing we want to do when facing trials or disruptions in our lives is to consider it joy. It feels good to complain about our trials, our disruptions, and our interruptions. Most people don’t judge too harshly when we do because they have been there too. It doesn’t take any extra effort or brain power to complain about our situation. It usually feels good to tell other people about it and get their sympathy.

How do we get out of our feelings and off the easy route to actually consider it joy in these situations? It comes in our focus of minute by minute reminding ourselves of all the good things we have. For example, when disruptions come at your job, focus on being joyful you actually have a job. When you have to adjust something in your family schedule to accommodate activities, be thankful you can attend those activities. As we focus on, ponder, and think on the things we can do, we will find more joy in the situation than frustration. We will feel better though the situation and also gain the promises of the verse, endurance and inner peace. Those are some powerful promises! I don’t want to feel like I’m in turmoil or not equipped to do the things I need to do in my life.

Don’t merely survive each day by giving in to your feelings. Next time consider joy so you can thrive!

So much of what we do and talk about today has to do with feelings. “I feel tired.” “I feel happy.” “I feel sad.” “I feel confused.” “I feel confident.” “I feel comfortable.” We do various things throughout the day based on what we feel. We rank activities based on how they make us feel. Most of the time I choose what I want to eat based on my current feelings. I’m what could be called an emotional eater. I eat well when I am confident and comfortable, and I eat poorly when I am not confident or am worried about something. This has not served me well as I have grown older mostly because my poor food choices cause me to need new clothing. Now don’t get me wrong. I like shopping and buying new clothes. However, I don’t like being forced in to buying new clothes because I’m outgrowing the old ones. I have done my share of reading and researching healthy foods and eating plans. I know what I should eat. Honestly, when I eat well I do feel better. Those are the times I’m using wisdom to guide my food choices.

Using wisdom in all of our life choices is really the way to go. Ecclesiastes 2:13 says, “Then I saw that wisdom is better then folly and self-indulgence as light excels darkness.” (AMP) Self-indulgence in the foods that make me feel better emotionally only causes brief periods of satisfaction. When I use wisdom and make healthy eating choices, my whole body feels better. If I can avoid giving in to my feelings temporarily then I benefit more permanently.

I know it may seem odd to use this verse and the subject of eating to make a point. However, I believe this truly applies to all areas of our lives. I can survive my temporary indulgence in foods that improve my mood, but I thrive when I choose ones that are good for my health. What areas can you use wisdom in to help improve your day?

Verse 3 of Psalm 66 says, “Say to God, ‘How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you’.” (NIV)

I was struck by the words, “say to God”. This is basically telling us to tell God how great He is. At first I thought this was an unusual thing to say. The Psalms are filled with words like sing praises to Him, tell of His works, and shout for joy, all of which are done when we praise God. When we do those things we are telling God and others about His goodness and the good things He has done. God is good and will do good things for us, which we are to thank and praise Him for doing. However, the specific instruction of “say to God” seemed a little stronger than a suggestion but makes sense when you think about it.

Think of it like this: We all want to do good things for our families and our jobs because we want to show goodness. Many times those deeds go unnoticed. They are still appreciated, but you don’t always get recognition or a thank you for what you’ve done. That tends to make us a little slower to act next time because we feel under appreciated. We don’t stop doing the good things, but we wonder if they are noticed. We like the praise. The same is true for God. He’s not going to stop being good to us if we don’t thank Him and praise Him for what He does. However, praising Him gets our eyes off of ourselves and our circumstances and focuses us back on Him and His plans for us. Even when things are tough, find something good where you can give God praise. We will survive and continue on without praise, but we thrive more when we get praise. Choose to thrive today by giving God praise!

We need words, whether they are spoken or written. Many words don’t cause harm or controversy. However, it seems that as we use more words and increase our communication, more people are offended or hurt by words. It happens many different ways. A wrong word at the wrong time; a wrong word spoken hastily; a right word at the wrong time; a right word spoken harshly. Proverbs 25:11-12 says, “The right word at the right time is like a custom made piece of jewelry, and a wise friend’s timely reprimand is like a gold ring slipped on your finger.” (MSG) Some people might not be interested in jewelry. You can think about it in terms of anything you think is valuable. So wise words or words spoken appropriately are valuable.

Proverbs 29:20 says, “Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.” (NSRV). Proverbs talks a lot about fools -not favorably. It even says that wise words in the mouth of a fool are useless, (Proverbs 26:7). This makes a lot of sense when I think about my own experience. When I don’t choose my words carefully or speak hastily, I feel foolish. Proverbs 28:26 says, “He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but he who walks wisely will be delivered.” (NSRV) So, the opposite of a fool is one who is wise. There are many promises in Proverbs for those who are wise, including the words above about being delivered. Thanks to God’s grace, I can survive the times I don’t watch my words and appear foolish. However, I can thrive if I put aside foolish ways and choose my words wisely.

I came across this verse that stated, “If you are slack in the day of distress, your strength is limited.” (Proverbs 24:10 NSRV). Webster’s 1828 dictionary has one definition of slack as “weak” or “not holding fast”. This happens to many of us when we encounter trouble of any kind. Our world is full of things that want to steal our peace of mind and cause us to focus on things that are not encouraging. Many times the things that distract us are not necessarily bad things. I get distracted with work. I enjoy my job and want to do well. Doing well in my job makes me feel successful. That success is limited to what happens in my job on a daily basis. I can’t control everything that happens in my job. Therefore, I have days where I feel limited because something unexpected interrupted my day. Those are the days I have to force myself to stop looking at the immediate and focus more on the big picture. I don’t abandon the processes that have helped me be successful in the past. I “hold fast” to the practices where I have experienced success in the past.

The same holds true for our lives as a whole. We can’t allow ourselves to abandon the truths of God’s word when the “day of distress” comes. His words don’t change. Verse 16 later in the same chapter says, “A righteous man falls seven times, and rises again…”. That is the truth that doesn’t change regardless of our circumstances. You can survive your day of distress, but why not hold fast to God’s word and thrive through the day of distress!

Words. Can’t live with some and can’t live without most. What do I mean by that? We use words to communicate our thoughts, feelings, ideas, dreams, concerns, etc. through speaking and writing. Therefore, we can’t live without them because it would be a very lonely world where nobody would know anything about anybody else. Which leads me to the can’t live with some.

There are words I should live without and words I wish I’d never shared. Words I can live without are the ones that focus on negative things about others, which are typically the ones that should never be shared. Sometimes when I’m struggling with something myself, I tend to notice only negative things about others. I guess I thought it would make me feel better. That feeling doesn’t last long because I soon realize I’m focusing on the wrong thing. Rather than trying to help myself through the situation to a positive end, I bring other people down to my level. Most of the time I don’t know a person well enough to make a determination on his/her life. So my observations are not only negative but usually wrong.

Proverbs 18:21 says that death and life are in the power of the tongue. (NASB). Words won’t physically cause someone’s death. What happens on the inside of them is where the real damage is done. Every time someone hears a word about him or herself, it creates a reaction on the inside. Most people believe what others say about them. Positive words help people gain confidence and make them feel better about themselves. Negative words take a piece of a person every time they are spoken. Sharing negative words about people with others gives the wrong perspective. You may briefly feel better unloading your negative feelings, but then reality sets in and so does guilt. Then you just feel bad again. The cycle never stops. So words are death and life for the people you are speaking about and for yourself.

I will survive if I choose to use words carelessly. However, I can thrive if I choose my words carefully!

“You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you” Psalm 63:1a NIV

I was drawn to the word “earnestly” when I read this verse. It is defined as “serious in intention, purpose or effort”. The Webster’s 1828 dictionary has “with real desire” as one definition option. I have to admit that there are days when “earnestly” is not part of my seeking. As someone who grew up in church, I often found my self seeking but not “with real desire”.

We get comfortable in our relationships, including our relationship with God. For many people, simply knowing what happens after they die is enough to satisfy them. This mindset could look something like trying to live a good life but really only acknowledging or seeking God when something big comes along. God’s typically not part of your daily thoughts or routine.

I’ve been there, and honestly, things were fine. Throughout my life I’ve met people who were a little more diligent about seeking God (earnestly seeking), and I found myself curious as to what that would look like for me. I found 2 major advantages as I’ve tried to earnestly seek God.

First, I’m a worrier by nature. I can take a situation and see more negatives that’s positives, mostly to protect myself from disappointment. Since beginning to seek God more earnestly, I still have times where I resort to worrying. However, I don’t tend to stay there as long as I used to stay. I’m able to move through that more quickly and remember that God wants good things for me.

Second, I’ve been able to step back and see things from a different perspective. In the past when someone didn’t react or do things the way I would, I’d become frustrated. Now I’m able to stop and think about what something looks like from the other person’s perspective and not be quick to judge their actions.

Earnestly seeking God takes more time and effort on our parts, and time is something many people don’t think they have enough to spare. One thing I’ve realized is that time is short, and we never know what is going to happen tomorrow. You will be able to survive and have good things with just a casual relationship with God. But what about trying to thrive each day by earnestly seeking Him and what He has for you?

So here we are. Still moving through a “new normal” in the ever changing world where we quickly figured out nothing is guaranteed. 2020 prior to the middle of March felt like what was going to be a spectacular year that was running very smoothly. Then we all found ourselves on a roller coaster no one wanted to ride. The ups and downs have been exhausting, confusing, and disheartening many days. Information changes daily. We are constantly finding the need to adapt to whatever the new thing for that day brings.

As I was reading Psalm 143 today, I was reminded of a few things. Verse 5 says” I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Thy doings…” (NSRV). At first you might think that would bring sadness at how our world looked before March. However, I chose to think about the good things God has done in my life, and the way He has taken other less than desirable circumstances and turned them around for good. He’s still the same God that He was before March, so He can make good out of this too.

Later in verse 10 it says He will lead us on level ground and revive us. That is just the encouragement we need for today! God is the one who can lead us through this uncertain time on a steady path and revive our weary souls if we will look to Him for our strength and guidance and not the world. God doesn’t change! His word doesn’t change! Those things are not dependent on my current mood or what I see around me!

Look to God for your strength, your comfort, and your direction. He is not phased by what we see, so let Him keep you steady! 2020 can still be your best year yet!