How to Manifest God’s Promises in Your Life

RUTH L. WHITFIELD

 

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After years of owning used cars—dealing with surprise breakdowns on busy streets and highways, being stranded, and scrounging for money for car repairs and maintenance—we were finally able to buy a “new” car. It was new to us and we felt blessed indeed.

It was a 1994 Taurus and we bought it late summer of 1995, so it had already depreciated two years before we drove it off the lot. But it was “new” and came with full warranty at an excellent price, and for several years we enjoyed its many amenities.

Then one summer the air conditioner went out. We live in central Florida, where this is a must-have—not a luxury. Based on past experiences we believed the dealership would charge too much money for repairs, so we opted to have an acquaintance look at it. He recommended a friend and together they worked on the repairs. They were veteran auto mechanics and although we paid a substantial sum, we thought we were being frugal because it was better than “what the dealer would charge.” We were satisfied that we were being good stewards and made the right decision.

Bumper Stickers

* FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION! It comes bundled with the software.

* I can't dial 911. There's no 11 on my phone.

* What is a free gift? Aren't all gifts free?

* Can you yell "MOVIE!" in a crowded fire station?

* It's hard to make a comeback when you haven't been anywhere.

* If ignorance is bliss, why aren't more people happy?

* To vacillate or not to vacillate, that is the question.... ....or is it?

* I didn't fight my way to the top of the food chain to be a vegetarian.

* I haven't spoken to my wife in 18 months. She gets mad if I interrupt her.

* Very funny, Scotty. Now beam down my clothes.

* A closed mouth gathers no foot.

* What happens if you get scared half to death twice?

* Where there's smoke, there's dinner.

FUN THINGS TO DO DURING BORING SERMONS

~ Pass a note to the organist asking whether he/she plays requests.

~ See if a yawn really is contagious.

~ Slap your neighbor. See if they turn the other cheek. If not, raise your hand and tell the preacher.

~ Devise ways of climbing into the balcony without using the stairs.

~ Listen for your preacher to use a word beginning with 'A' then 'B and so on through the alphabet.

My Powerful Judge

I had sinned. Despite my efforts to convince myself that I hadn't really failed God, guilt whispered quietly, and then more loudly when I ignored its protests. It didn't matter if anyone else was aware. I knew. That self-knowledge made it terrible to bear. 

During that period, I read every day from the Psalms. Although I didn't speak quite as dramatically as the poet, I understood his words on an emotional level: "When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was drained away as with the fever-heat of summer" (Ps 32:3-4, NAS).

I had sinned. 

To make it worse, it wasn't what the Old Testament refers to as a sin of ignorance. I had deliberately gone astray. Before I sinned, I told myself that I was protecting my rights, standing up for myself and being faithful to my convictions. At other times, I've told myself that I had technically sinned, but I had really been overwhelmed by temptation (as though that made it a lesser offense).