Short & Sweet: Cross Out by Mary Kane

Nourishment and refreshment for your soul.

There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved [Jesus].” Acts 4:12

We all remember taking tests in school. Fill in the dot, multiple choice (otherwise known as multiple guess), true and false, short answer, and the dreaded essay question.

If I had prepared for THE TEST, I actually liked working through the process of multiple choice questions using the “Cross Out Strategy.”

The Cross Out Strategy:

Know the truth.
Examine all the questions and search for truth.
Cross out the obvious wrong answers.
Analyze remaining answers.
Cross out answers that contain a bit of truth.
Circle remaining answer.

The key to the Cross Out Strategy is knowing the truth. Without having access to the true answers, the Cross Out Strategy is futile.

The same strategy works when looking for the answer to life’s biggest question: How may we be saved?

Know the truth.
Search for the truth.
Cross out wrong answers that contain a bit of truth.
Accept the correct answer.

The answer to our biggest question is contained in our verse above: There is no other name by which we must be saved. Jesus. It is only by accepting His sacrificial death on the cross that we are saved.

It all comes down to the cross: cross out all other answers.

Action Points:

Is Jesus your Savior? Have you crossed out all other options?
Do you depend only on Him for salvation, restoration and forgiveness?
Do you allow others to rest only on Jesus, or do you require others to continually pay for their sins?
Are you hanging on to something Jesus has already nailed to the cross?

Life is sweet.

Short and Sweet: Forged by Fire by Mary Kane

Nourishment and refreshment for the soul.

29 “Is not My word like a fire?” says the LORD

“And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?

Jeremiah 23:29

In Jeremiah 23:29, God compares His word to two things: fire and a hammer.

Usually when I hear the word fire, I think of destruction. In the Bible, fire is used for refining precious metals, and for consuming useless things such as hay, straw and stubble. Fire is also indicative of the Presence of God. From fiery Mount Sinai, to the burning bush, to the pillar of fire, to the tongues of fire at Pentecost, where there is fire, there is God.

Hammers on the other hand, mean construction. Interestingly, pattiysh, the Hebrew word for hammer, refers to a forge hammer; the type of hammer a blacksmith uses to pound, strengthen and shape metal after it has been heated in … fire.

God uses both of these tools to mature our faith. Destruction and construction, forge and fire, work hand in hand. With the fire of His Word, God clears our lives of hay, straw, and stubble so He can build a sure foundation. Precept and doctrines are then hammered down, board by board, as we study and apply the truth of God’s word. God continues to refine and build until we become His church, living temples filled with the glory of God.

Action Points:

Identify the hay, straw, and stubble in your life.
What can you do to cooperate with the firing process?
What is God building in your life?
How can you aid God in the building process?

Sometimes God must tear down before He can build up.

Life is sweet!

For more information on God’s refining fire, please click on the link below.

Refining Fire Bible Verses

Short & Sweet: The Path by Mary Kane

Refreshment and nourishment for the soul!

Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying,
“This is the way, walk in it,”
Whenever you turn to the right hand
Or whenever you turn to the left. Isaiah 30:21

Today I took a tramp through the woods at an area nature center. As I walked along the wooded paths, I noticed the evidence of new life springing forth to dazzle the senses … trilling birds, sweet-smelling flowers, prancing deer, velvety mosses, verdant grasses. The warm spring breezes blew away the cobwebs of winter. As I hiked, I thanked God for each blessing; the herd of deer I spooked, the pileated woodpecker hammering on a dead branch, and the Dutchman’s-britches peeping out from under last years leaves.

When I rounded the curve of the Old Field Trail, my eyes met a shocking sight; the scorched lands of the tall-grass prairie. While I gazed on the ugliness of the field, I tried to reconcile the carnage of the seared grasses with the beauty of the woods. I felt the Holy Spirit tugging at my heart to stop and reflect on the object lesson before my eyes.

God, I already know sometimes you have to burn off the old to encourage new growth. But God had a new lesson for me. As I scanned the scorched grasses, I suddenly noticed one thing remained–the green path. Formerly hidden by the long dry grasses, the path was now easily seen.

Yes, God does burn off old growth (humdrum habits and unhealthy relationships) so we can continue to mature, but sometimes He burns these things because they are clouding our vision of His path. With the briars, weeds, and old growth removed, we can clearly see the path God wants us to take.

Action Points:

Are you following God’s path for your life?
Is there anything you need to give up to follow God more closely?
What needs to go so you can clearly see God’s path?

Life is sweet!

Short & Sweet: The Final Four by Mary Kane

Nourishment and refreshment for the soul.

1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2

The air is full of madness, March Madness. Throughout the dismal days of March, we’ve all been glued to our devices with our crumpled brackets in hand, cheering for our favorites. (What else is there to do in March?) Now we are down to the Final Four.

As I watched the news this morning, I was moved by a photograph of a player from Duke, arms out-stretched, muscles quivering, body straining, and eyes intensely focused on the prize–the basketball. I admired his determination and perseverance to pursue his goal against all odds, sacrificing himself for the prize.

We have a final four as well: Self. World. Sin. Jesus. They all vie for our attention in a battle for mastery over our souls. Which ever one we focus on we will master us. Where the eyes are focused, the body will follow.

Action Points:

Where do you want to end up? Are your eyes focused in the right direction?
Do your current habits help or hinder your goal?
How can you better focus your eyes on Jesus?

Short & Sweet: Use It or Lose It, by Mary Kane

Nourishment and refreshment for the soul.

“Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days.” James 5:3

On my earring rack hangs one lonely silver hoop earring. I lost it’s partner three years ago during Christmas play practice. It fell out of my ear, rolled across the floor, and was crushed beyond recognition underneath the size 12 tennis shoe of a 6th grade boy. Since they were sterling silver, I couldn’t bring myself to throw the remaining earring away. I hung the lone hoop back on the rack and forgot about it … until the other day.

I was searching my rack for a fresh pair of spring-like earrings (yes, the snow has finally melted in Michigan), when I spotted a dull black earring, hanging by itself in a dark corner of the rack. What is this? I asked myself as I picked up the dingy earring. As I turned the earring over in my hand, I recognized my long-ago favorite hoop earring, now corroded from neglect and disuse.

All of my other silver earrings gleamed on the rack. What kept them shiny? Not polish, but daily use. Slowly my mind made a connection to a Bible verse from the book of James. If we do not use our gifts and our resources, but let them sit idly on a shelf, they will corrode. They’ll turn black and dingy from disuse, and will eventually disintegrate. Ultimately, no one will benefit from our gifts; they will be a complete loss.

God gives us gifts to bless others, and we reap blessings in return. Let’s dust off our gifts and use them today.

Action Points:

Are your gifts corroded or shiny from daily use?
What do you love to do, and how can you use that gift to serve others?
Find a way to use your gifts to bless someone today.
Ask God to show you your gifts and how to use them for His kingdom.

Short and Sweet: Green Pastures by Mary Kane

Nourishment and refreshment for the soul.

The LORD is my shepherd:I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

Psalm 23:1-3

Because Jesus is our Good Shepherd, will lack for no good thing.

Knowing that God supplies everything we need pertaining to life and righteousness, our souls can find rest.

In order to experience His rest, we must lie down, but not just anywhere. According to our verse, God “makes His sheep lie down in green pastures.” I began to ponder why God made His sheep lie down in green pastures and why sheep find green pastures particularly peaceful. The answer?

Food.

The sheep rest peacefully because they are surrounded by their favorite fodder, green grass. The flock did not need to worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow was already provided for … as far as the eye could see.

We are God’s sheep. We also find peace by resting on our green pastures, the word of God. “For man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” We can rest because our tomorrows are already provided for, and we can partake as often and as long as we like. The more we feast upon God’s word, the more peace we shall have.

If your life lacks peace, and your soul is troubled, come to God and rest in His Word.

Action Points:

Set a consistent time to read God’s word. My favorite time is morning. Get up 15, 20, 0r 30 minutes early and start your morning feeding your soul with God’s Word. You will find healing and restoration for your heart and soul.
Download an audible version of the Bible. Listen while you are driving, running, or working out at the gym. I listen at night while I’m drifting off to sleep (double peace!).
Set a goal for Scripture memory. Copy meaningful verses on note cards and memorize them while waiting at traffic lights, in checkout lines or while walking.
If you’re a techy, you’ll enjoy joining an online Scripture memory group such as Siesta Scripture Memory. Click on the link and sign up today!