Be Still...Don't Stay Still

Dear Reader, 

Since my last post, I obviously had a lot of time on my hands. Time, that I could have used to be super productive or super lazy.  Having "free" time can be a good thing but also can turn out to be a bad thing. When you have free time, this is when the enemy likes to mess with you the most. This is where you have the opportunity to make a choice. 

Do I work on this or that? Do I not work and just lay around relaxing, I mean, I do deserve it right? I normally don't have "me" time. These are just some of the things that have crossed my mind since I have been on my involuntary vacation. 

Psalm 46:10 states: "Be still and know that I am God..." What does that even mean? Do I just do nothing all? NO definitely not. This verse has been with me for some time. 

Be still, but God how am I supposed to take care of my family? BE STILL!  How am I going to get out of this situation? BE STILL!  The deadline is coming up and I have no way of...BE STILL, BE STILL, BE STILL!!!

You see being still doesn't mean to stay still. Being still means to trust in God.  To know that whatever it is you are going through, you trust that He will see you through it. Being still means to not panic, to trust that God has the solution. 

Being still is about TRUST! 

We still should go and do what we can.  You need an income, apply for work.  You have a serious situation that needs solutions, ask for help.  All while being at peace with your knowing that He is God and you will be alright.

I want to encourage you today. Be still...Be at peace...know that you know...He is God.  He was with you for it, He will be with you during it, and He is there waiting for you after it. 

Food for thought: 

Proverbs 3:1-35 

My son, do not forget my teaching but let your heart keep my commandments, for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

I shared on Psalm 46:10 at a men's group. The video is uploaded to my youtube account.

 Osbert Maldonado

WELFARE

 

Dear Reader, 

I recently read this passage and it caused me to think about our current mindset. 

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

As you can see I bolded "Welfare". What did I think about when I saw that one word?  Well first I thought about how if you are ON welfare, most of the time it is backed by a series of negative thoughts. Thoughts that are defeating.  

Allow me for one moment to change this thought. You see I looked up the word in the dictionary on my trusty phone. Take a look: 

Welfare: The health, happiness, and fortunes of a person or group

You see, I was hit so strongly with how our society has changed this word. When you're on welfare it means that you are getting assistance from taxpayer's hard-earned money, which the government facilitates. 

However when you are trusting in God...He has "plans for welfare". Does this mean we should be on welfare?  😬  NO, obviously! It means that He cares for our well-being. 

Yes, now this sounds about right. How often are words taken out of context? Think about that last text argument you had. How did you feel when you read it? Was it taken to a whole different level? Did you read and re-read the text? (I've done that so many times) 

However, if we can just take a step back and think about it for a second. Welfare was intended to mean you care for someone other than yourself. You care for that person's well-being. You want the best for them. You want to see them happy. You want to see them achieve their full potential, to realize their dreams. 

God wants the same for us. He wants to see us free and to trust in Him. Why? Well, that's easy, He loves us. He can see the end of the road, while we can only see what is before us, and sadly what is behind us. 

Keep your focus on God. Just as Jeremiah 29:11 suggests, He has good things planned out for us, we just need to choose, if we are going to trust in His word and have faith or just take the easy way out and choose to stay with our negative welfare mindset. 

Food for thought: 

"So we see that they were not able to enter [into His rest—the promised land] because of unbelief and an unwillingness to trust in God." Hebrews 3:19 (AMP) 

 Osbert Maldonado

 

In Who Do We Trust?

Dear Reader, 

How often do we put our trust in the wrong thing or wrong person? Then when we do, we get hurt, we get burned, or we get angry, at the thing/person, or at ourselves. 

Well, this last week, I lost my job, due to the company downsizing. This news came out of nowhere and I was immediately struck with sadness, fear, anxiety, and a thing called a panic attack. 

Thankfully my wife was there when this all happened, and she helped me get out of the panic attack. This is a real thing. I also had 2 of my best friends who stepped up to the plate and immediately prayed for me. 

Panic attack: Sudden episode of intense fear or anxiety and physical symptoms, based on a perceived threat rather than imminent danger.

After I was able to hear things clearly, I began to pray. Sometimes we need to clear out the clutter, the noise, the distractions around us before we can actually hear from God. The goal for us is to be able to hear from God in any situation. We can develop that communication by spending time with Him and spending time in His word. 

So back to my story. As I began to pray and just pour out all my fears and emotions, I heard deep in my spirit: "Are you not worth more than the birds of the air?" 

"HUH?" Wait this is true! Suddenly, this unexplainable joy came over me and I began to laugh. I was laughing so much that I forgot about my fear. I quickly realized that I do not put my trust in this world to supply my needs. 

Psalm 73:28 (AMP) states: "But as for me, it is good for me to draw near to God; I have made the Lord God my refuge and placed my trust in Him, That I may tell of all Your works".

I can honestly say that since that moment, I have no fear. I am thankful and I trust that all will fall into place.  

I hope that this lesson I learned can be of inspiration to you. Don't give up! 

Food for thought: 

“Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow [seed] nor reap [the harvest] nor gather [the crops] into barns, and yet your heavenly Father keeps feeding them. Are you not worth much more than they?”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:26 Amp

 Osbert Maldonado

FORGIVENESS = FREEDOM

 

Dear Reader, 

I recently had a situation that has lasted for a bit over a year. This situation was and is very near and dear to me, as it showed me how the power of forgiveness can truly set someone (yourself & others) free.  

My wife and I were waiting for over a year, for the end results from a service that we paid for. Unfortunately, we have yet to receive what we are due. Now here is the kicker, one of the persons that were working on the project, fell into shame and guilt. Due to the shame this person carried, it caused a disconnect and a huge amount of fear. 

Fear overtook this person ( I will call him Attamus). Attamus finally contacted us and we spoke for over an hour. I could hear his burden in his voice. At the moment of me saying, "I forgive you" his burden was lifted not only off his shoulders but my wife's and I. 

This situation made me think about all the times we carry unforgiveness, and our Father in heaven, so lovingly says "I forgive you" when we come to Him and ask for it. However, sometimes even though we get the forgiveness we still feel a weight. I believe this is due to the fact that we have yet to forgive ourselves. 

Forgiveness is the key to freedom. You see when I chose to forgive Attamus and I felt the weight lifting off his shoulders. that same weight lifted off mine. OK sure I have yet to receive the final product but I didn't lose a friend, which was on the brink of happening, had I not chosen to forgive. 

I said something to him that actually hit me hard as well. "You see, a 1 year and 1/2 burden was lifted in 30 minutes, imagine what would have happened had you called me sooner and was honest with me" 

30 minutes to resolve a conflict...When we are filled with shame and guilt, and we bring our burdens to God, He will do the same and maybe a lot faster than 30 minutes. 

What are you holding onto that has weighed you down for a few weeks, months, or even years? What is it that you can't forgive? Is it worth the energy to carry this? 

Food for thought: 
bearing graciously with one another, and willingly forgiving each other if one has a cause for complaint against another; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so should you forgive.  (emphasis me) 
Colossians 3:13

   Osbert Maldonado

Slot Machine Jesus

Dear Reader, 

    So I want to touch on something that has been coming up a lot lately. It's this thing where we have this expectancy from God, that you can pull a lever and just get what you want from Him. I call this the "Slot Machine Jesus" mentality.  How often have we called on the name of Jesus, to get us out of a situation? Even though we were the ones who put ourselves in it in the first place. How often have we called onto God, because we needed something and gave these wonderful false coins (promises) that for some reason or another we forget and go back to doing what we normally do?  

Now understand that what I'm talking about here, I'm am just as guilty of committing. I remember when I was a young boy, I used to pray to God to help me with my bullies. I would pray that He would rain his wrath on them, and allow me to watch as He took care of them. I mean I am His child, isn't that what is stated in the Bible  (And, "I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty." 2 Corinthians 6:18) 

The answer to this is a huge NO. This is not what is meant by that scripture. He is not going to bring that fire and brimstone on our "enemies". Think about that for a second. How many of us, pray these kinds of prayers on a regular? There would be no human existence left.  

Jesus didn't sacrifice his life for us to just be spoiled little brats that expect to get what they want when they want it. Jeremiah 29:13 states: "Then [with a deep longing] you will seek Me and require Me [as a vital necessity] and [you will] find Me when you search for Me with all your heart." 

This verse has some truth did you catch it?  Let me highlight it for you: ...when you search for Me with all your heart. 

Nowhere does this say call me and I will answer your every beck and call, nor does it say I will give you everything you want when you want it. 

As we grow closer to God, by Seeking, requiring Him (needing Him), and searching for Him with our whole heart, then He will come to us. You see what I understand from this is that we need to put in some effort and not just dropping in a coin in the slot and pull a lever. We need to take steps into discovering who He is and as we learn about Him, we will begin to discover who we are and the authority we have in the name of Jesus. 

Food for thought: 

“ Ask and keep on asking and it will be given to you; seek and keep on seeking and you will find; knock and keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you.  Matthew 7:7 (AMP)

           

 Osbert Maldonado