Knowing Is Half The Battle

In school, we are taught many different things. We learn how to read. We learn the mathematical formulas necessary to calculate problems. We learn scientific facts and historical information. All of what we learn is in one way or the other a form of memorized fact. As we go through school, we are tested to determine the things that we have learned. With all the testing that is done, rarely does someone take an accurate account of what we know. After all, knowing is only half the battle. The other half is understanding.

Proverbs 2:6 says 

For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

This scripture illuminates a deficit in how we approach learning. Knowledge and understanding go hand in hand. Far too many times we accept one without even seeking the other. We believe that knowing something be it a mathematical equation, a piece of historical information, or even a scripture is something to be proud of. Think about it. When we are young, we are rewarded for being able to recite information. 2+2=4. The capital of Florida is Tallahassee. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son. With each recitation comes some form of encouragement or a tangible token because we have demonstrated what we know. This is a great beginning for a child, but without gaining an understanding the individual is limited to only having won half the battle.

Consider how many of us still operate in this manner in both our natural and spiritual lives. We seek out knowledge for knowledge sake. We exalt ourselves by showing off how much information we can recite. But how many of us truly seek to understand the things that we are so proud to say we know? How many of us seek wisdom from God? How many of us are patient enough to sit at His feet to hear the Lord impart both knowledge and understanding?

Adayinthelife :-)

When In Need Of A Breakthrough

I'm trying and trying.
I need to get out.
When in need of a breakthrough,
I scream and I shout.

I scratch and I claw
with all of my might.
I am relentless until
I win the fight.

First I take stock of all
the things that I've lost.
It may seem like a quick overview,
but I'm counting the cost.

I'm thinking. I'm looking.
I'm doing my very best to find.
Everything that has been taken from me
I want what is mine.

When my joy has been taken
When I can' t find my way
When my hope has been shattered
When I don't know the words to pray

When I've tried to reach out
And my friends turn a deaf ear
When I've said Father can you hear me?
And I can't feel God's presence near

When I've come to the edge
of giving up hope
I'm about tired of looking for answers
and I have lost the will to cope

I take inventory of what's missing.
I grab hold of my own hand.
I take a step forward into the darkness.
I am careful to make sure that I stand.

I stand on the promises
that God has already made.
I will not leave you nor forsake you.
The price for your life I have already paid.

Hold your peace and I will fight for you.
Look to Me to supply your every need.
Believe in Me and I will save you.
Trust in My words to set you free.

I will heal you. I will restore you.
I will comfort you when death draws near.
I will wash away the stench of sin.
I will dry every one of your tears.

I have made you in My image.
I have appointed you a child of the King.
I have made My grace sufficient
to cover everything.

His words are what I look to
to breathe into me new life.
When I'm in need of a breakthrough
I remember God has had my back the whole time.

"Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert."

Isaiah 43:19

Adayinthelife :-)

Renewing Your Mind

Where the mind goes, the body follows. This is why it's so important to make sure that your thoughts are always on God. When we allow ourselves to get caught up in worldly thoughts and the desires of our flesh, our bodies end up serving as sin's playground instead of temples of the holy spirit. We end up in the very position that causes us to be separated from God.

I can tell you that I've been there. I've been so wrapped up in a thought that I completely forgot how I got there. I completely forgot what it was that took me to a place where God wasn't the focus or even a fraction of what was going on in my mind. It was in these moments that I was most vulnerable to sin. My mind was unguarded. Thoughts were completely unchecked. I found myself doing things that I cannot now explain. In the past I've said, it was just for fun or I did what I wanted to do. But, who truly wants to live a life on the edge of death?

The edge of death was where I was because of what I let control my mind. My mind told me I wanted a drink so I had one. Then my mind told me I was alright to drive myself and three friends home after having had far more than a few drinks. Where the mind goes, the body follows right? My mind took me on the same path countless times. Hang out with your friends. Have a few drinks. Drive everyone home. It was so routine that I no longer even had to think about what we were going to do. Surprisingly when I stopped rehearsing hanging out and drinking in my mind, I stopped wanting to do it. 

Where the mind goes, the body follows. My mind was so exhausted that it stopped. I am asked all the time. Why did you stop hanging out? How come you no longer drink? What changed for you? Depending on what day it was I may have answered that I was tired of hanging out. I may have said that I no longer enjoyed the taste of alcohol. On occasion I have even said at some point you just have to grow up. What I should've said, the thing that wasn't always clear to me before, is a whole lot simpler. God renewed my mind.

"I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh."

Ezekiel 11:19

Adayinthelife :-)

Home Field Advantage

One of the first things that I learned as a student at LSU was that Death Valley, also known as Tiger Stadium, was the place where dreams went to die. I was so perplexed by that statement. The place where dreams went to die? I made it my business to figure out what exactly that meant. I was surprised to find out that a part of the reason that the saying is so popular is that LSU is almost unbeatable in Death Valley. From 2005 to the present, LSU has won 62 of 70 home games. That's an 89% win percentage. I would say that's a pretty sweet home field advantage.

As much as I love LSU, I want more than 89%. I want to know that I am going to win 100% of the time. Many think that it is impossible to win all of the time. No team is that good home field advantage or not. I believe that victory can be achieved 100% of the time if you are on the right team.

It is not hard to gather that I am going to say that victory is guaranteed if you are playing on God's team. What is going to be hard for some to accept is that victory requires more than just identifying yourself as a member of the home team. Anyone can say "Geaux Tigers". Anyone can wear a jersey. Anyone can become a fan. Many of LSU's die hard fans have never attended the school and certainly never played a single down of football. Yet, each person believes that week after week LSU will leave the field victorious.

But what is it that fuels that belief? How can a man, woman, or child who has not put forth any action expect that victory will be the end result? This is the expectation that we as Christians also have. We put on bracelets that says WWJD. We sing our hearts out to our favorite worship songs. We even identify ourselves as Baptists, Catholics, or the ever popular nondenoms. But we forget to enroll in Jesus University and study the word of God. We forget to run out on the field and play our position. We forget that we cannot expect to have the home field advantage without being coached by God.

"For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory."

Deuteronomy 20:4

Adayinthelife :-)