Mathew 24:42-43

So be alert (give strict attention, be cautious and active in faith), for you do not know which day (whether near or far) your Lord is coming.  But understand this: if the head of the house had known what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.

We are not to fear the coming of the Lord but to be about doing His work here on this earth.  The Lord doesn’t want us to give up and lose our faith because of the circumstances around us.  Jesus wants our faith to be alive and active, trusting that He will keep us safe until His return.  

Mathew 15:30

And great crowds came to Him, bringing with them the lame, crippled, blind, mute and many others, and they put them down at His feet; and He healed them.

Jesus never refused to heal then, and He doesn’t refuse to heal now.  How did these people know to bring these people to Jesus for healing?  Because they heard Jesus’s message and saw Him work miracles.  We can still hear the message of healing in the bible and see Jesus’ work miracles in our lives.

Ecclesiastes 3:11

He has made everything beautiful and appropriate in its time.  He has also planted eternity (a sense of divine purpose) in the human heart (a mysterious longing which nothing under the sun can satisfy, except God)-yet man cannot find out (comprehend, grasp) what God has done (His overall plan) from the beginning to the end.  

We all know this longing for connection to something, and many of us have searched many areas until we found Jesus.  Many unbelievers are still on this path, waiting for us to share our journey and witness the saving grace of Jesus to them.  No matter what age we are, we are still valuable to the unsaved as a witness to the goodness of God.  

Ecclesiastes 1:17-18

And I set my mind to know (practical) wisdom and to discern (the character of) madness and folly (in which men seem to find satisfaction); I realized that this too is futile grasping and chasing after the wind.  For in much (human) wisdom there is much displeasure and exasperation; increasing knowledge increases sorrow.  

The wisdom of man will never match the wisdom of God.  In many cases, we would benefit significantly by praying over trying to figure it out in our thoughts.  God sees everything, and we can only see our present state with limited knowledge.  We would have a greater sense of peace and safety knowing that we have turned the situation over to God, and He has it under control.  

Proverbs 26:3-4

A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the backs of fools (who refuse to learn).  Do not answer (nor pretend to agree with frivolous comments of) a (closed-minded) fool according to his folly. 

Everyone has had a lesson they have had to learn about themselves and their decisions.  When we do what we think in right in our own eyes and not listen to God as He tries to steer us in another direction.  The same lesson will keep coming before us in many ways until we change our mindset and change our path according to the wisdom that comes from God.  The best part is the victory when we do learn and change.  

Psalm 84:10 

For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand (anywhere else); I would rather stand (as a doorkeeper) at the threshold of the house of my God.  Than to live (at ease) in the tents of wickedness.  

Sometimes we need a reminder of how short our lives are here on earth compared to eternity.  That one day, the believer will see God and His courts in heaven.  The vision is a way to keep our present life in perspective to what is long-term.  Just because a wicked person seems to have a life of ease doesn’t mean that is the complete picture.  

Psalm 23:1-3

The Lord is my Shepherd (to feed, to guide and to shield me), I shall not want.  He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still and quiet waters.  He refreshes and restores my soul (life); He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

Our lives can be filled with so much busy and distraction that we can get tired.  In those times, we need to remind ourselves to follow where God leads and rest.  The noise of life and thoughts in our heads can cause distraction from the still quiet waters.  Our souls need refreshing, and our minds need renewal to continue our journey with God in the lead.

Psalm 50:23

He who offers a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving honors Me; And to him who orders his way rightly (who follows the way that I show him), I shall show the salvation of God.

When we first start as Christians, we are just learning how to walk according to God’s Word.  As we grow, we realize the direction from God comes to keep us out of sin and in the blessings and safety with God. The way we order our lives before God matters, and we must practice consistently.  The bible helps us renew our minds and keeps us on track so we can follow His ways.

John 4:49-50

The royal official pleaded with Him, “Sir, do come down (at once) before my child dies.  Jesus said to him, “Go; your son lives!” The man believed what Jesus said to him and started home. 

Notice that the man believed Jesus healed his son.  Later the man asked the hour that his son recovers, and it was the same hour Jesus proclaimed the son would live.  Isaiah 53:5 declares our healing even before Jesus came to this earth.  If we can believe, just like the man, when it was proclaimed all those years ago, we were healed, we would also see the manifestation through faith.

2 Corinthians 3:16-17

But whenever a person turns (in repentance and faith) to the Lord, the veil is taken away.  Now the Lord is Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (emancipation from the bondage, true freedom).

Our freedom through Christ’s redemptive power removes the old barriers caused by sin.  The veil is taken away and frees us to fulfill the plans for our lives.  Without Jesus, there will always be something missing in a person’s life.  Philosophies can seem to satisfy the mind but cannot fill the spirit of man.  The Spirit brings true freedom to our lives.