Is the Lord helping you build YOUR house

Unless the LORD builds the house,
its builders labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city,
the watchmen stand guard in vain.

In vain you rise early
and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat—
for he grants sleep to those he loves.

Sons are a heritage from the LORD,
children a reward from him.

Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are sons born in one's youth.

Blessed is the man
whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
when they contend with their enemies in the gate. 

Thinks this fits perfectly with where I am in this journey God has given me to enjoy.  God continues to bless us with many material blessing for which I am grateful but I am also very thankful for the children, husband, and family He has blessed me with.  May I continue to be thankful and open to ALL the blessing HE chooses to bless me with.  And may I ask God's guidance in all decisions I make.

Do you ask God's guidance in your decisions?  Do you have the same view as God on Bible topics?  Does God guide your footsteps? Does He help you build your "house"?  If not WHY not?  According to these verses if we aren't consulting God in our decisions then we are laboring in vain.  WOW...what a challenge!  May we all be challenged in each of our decisions to consult God first and read what HE has to say about the matter.  God is the ONLY one we will have to answer to.  We are called to be different, to be in the world but NOT of the world.  Are you different?  Are you trusting and obeying or are you following with what the world says or what YOU want to do.  May we learn to trust and obey more each step of the way!

Give thanks

1 Thess 5:16-18 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Eph 5:20 "giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ"

These are two passages of scripture I have been thinking a lot about lately.  And since it's "that time of year" I thought I'd go ahead and share my thoughts. I think I'll just break it apart verse by verse so here we go....

Rejoice always-  What does that mean?  I think if we take scripture at face value it means just what it says.  We should be "full of joy" at all times. 

Pray without ceasing- Yet again....just what it says..make request and thankgivings to God without stopping.

In everything give thanks-  express gratitude in all that exists; for this is the plan of God in Christ Jesus for you.

And since we already "defined" all the words in Eph 5:20 I won't do that again.

Those two verse are probably two of the most difficult verses in the Bible for Christians to follow.  Why? We are taught that it is okay to "feel sorry" for ourselves when things go wrong.  We can be "angry" when things don't go as planned.  We can be disappointed or hurt when things fail or people are sick.  But that's NOT what God tells us.  He tells us to full of joy, expressing gratitude in all that exist.  And He even goes as far as to tell us when which is "at all times".  That's a far cry from what the world is teaching us. 

He even tells us how to  rejoice always and give thanks in everything.  We can do that by praying without ceasing.   If we continually go to Our Heavenly Father in prayer and let Him be in control of our lives then we will be aware that; whatever, He presents us with He will be there to guide us thru and in that we can rejoice.  We can also rejoice in knowing where we will spend eternity IF we are following His will no matter what may happen in this life. 

Will you choose to follow the world or what God tells us to do? Can you rejoice in all things knowing where you will spend eternity?

Here is how you can know:

Become a Christian according to Word of God:
-Hear
Rom. 10:17
-Believe (Have Faith)
John 5:24
-Repent
Acts 17:30
-Confess
Matt. 10:32-33
-Be baptized
Acts 2:38,41

How to go to Heaven:
-Become a Christian
-Be faithful
Rev. 2:10