Kicking the Summer Heat...

Did you ever avoid admitting you shattered a vase or busted a window?
Did you ever hide a messy room?
Did you ever lie to try and fix a broken situation?

As much as we want to hide our mistakes, the lies and the deception can eat at us like a disease, crippling us until we can no longer walk and to quote a co-worker "kill us with pin pricks".

When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.
For day and night your hand was heavy on me;
my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.

Psalm 32: 3-4

The psalmist has the description of how a lie or a sin affects our whole person. "My strength was sapped as in the heat of summer." Although it is hard to imagine the middle of winter, the feeling of July heat with 100% humidity and not a cloud in the sky is quite distressing. Your body is weak and you do not have a desire to do anything, but lie around in an air conditioned room and pray for rain. When we live in a lie, when we allow its suffocating nature to consume our beings, we are drained of the life and the joy which typically fills our soul. The lie or the sin pushes out the joy and takes up residence in your house.

But just like rain on the parched gound in the summer breaks a devesating drought, confession of our sin to the Lord returns the joy to our souls and salvation to our spirits.

Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.”
And you forgave the guilt of my sin.

Psalm 32: 5

We cannot hide our sin from God. He knows everything. Hiding our sin, our lies, our deviousness, only hurts ourselves. Releasing our sin to God, seeking His forgiveness, gives us new life and a boldness which can only be found in a relationship with our Savior.

We all sin.

But we have choice to wallow in the heat and the muck, allowing that sin to drag us down or we can turn to God and seek His grace-filled rain on our parched souls. His renewing water will refresh our spirits and allow us to rejoice in the Lord and all of His goodness.

Even in the midst of winter, I still do not want the devestating heat of summer.

How about you?

Scripture

Psalm 32

Quote of the Day

“Sin is not hurtful because it is forbidden, but it is forbidden because it is hurtful”

Benjamin Franklin

Question of the Day

What have you tried to hide in your life?

GUMY is back - this SUNDAY, January 15th.

GUMY Prep - 5PM

Dinner - 5:45PM

GUMY JR - 6:15 PM

If you are an adult who reads this blog, please join us at 6:30 at the church to participate in a unique activity...

Questions? please drop me a line - courtneyhilbert@aol.com



Taking off the Mask

Halloween is a time for dressing up as someone else. Maybe you were a favorite TV character or a sports guy; maybe you dressed up like a princess or a witch. Whoever you chose to be is likely someone you wish you could be - even if only for one night.

Halloween is just one day of the year, but all too often we are wearing masks in our lives. We put on the masks of the people others want us to be or who we think we should be to be a part of a group or a clique. What mask are you hiding behind?

Are you afraid to show who you truly are because you fear that those around you will not like you or accept you? Are you afraid that you won't be good enough or smart enough; cool enough or wealthy enough? Or are you afraid that you is not enough?

Maybe you are afraid that you are not enough for even yourself...

Masks are a very tempting accessory. They come in all shapes and sizes - - some masks come in the form of sarcastic remarks about another student and some masks are about having the right clothes. Some masks are about being the "jock" while others are about being the teacher's pet. Some wear masks that hide them in a corner and some where masks which thrust them in the spotlight. Regardless of the mask you wear - - no mask is truly a reflection of who you are. Masks cover and can block out the light shining from within.

The masks we wear can tug on our hearts. They can begin to twist us and shape us into different versions of ourselves - versions where the outside has little to no resemblance to what the inside once was. As safe as the mask may seem, it cannot protect you from the world; and it cannot protect you from who you are created to be.

God created you. He formed your outside as well as your inside and He called it good and beautiful.

The Creator of the Universe - - The One Who has seen all and been all anointed you as good and beautiful.

God doesn't think you need a mask - - so why do you think you need to hide behind an image you think the world wants to see?

Try facing the world with your own beautiful facing shining brightly - - Stop hiding - - you might be amazed at the joyous reaction your light will bring.

Scripture

Jeremiah 1:4-19

Fun Fact

The main reason and the only real reason for people wanting to wear masks back in the day was to conceal their identity. That is why we use the word masquerade and the word mask comes from this. It means to disguise yourself and to hide who you really are.

Question of the Day

What did you dress-up as for Halloween this year?