Can I See Clearly?

Today I picked up two pairs of glasses. One for readiing. The other for distance. I need them for reading small print or clearly seeing objects at a distance;

There are people who don't know they need glasses. They don't know that other people can see things that they cannot see. They don't know what they are missing.

Then there are those who know they need glasses but don't want to be bothered with them. They would rather miss out on seeing some things than go to the expense or trouble of getting and wearing glasses or contact lenses.

If we can't see something well enough to know what it is, we are blind to it. This is true whether we're talking about a road sign or print that is smaller than what we're able to read with our unaided eyes.

This is true in spiritual as well as physical matters.

4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. 5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, 6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, 7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.  (2 Peter 1:4-9 NASB)

 Some people think that just saying they accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior is all that really matters when it comes to being a Christian.

But is God content with just our saying "Thanks God for saving me" and then living our lives however we feel like it?

What does God expect of us? And what else does God have for us other than forgiveness of our sins?

I believe what Peter wrote in 2 Peter chapter 1 should help us know what to do with the faith God gives to true believers. We should now be capable of the diligence to add moral excellence to our faith. It should bother us when we do wrong, and we should seek to do what is right.

In order to do w what is right. we need the knowledge of what is right, so we will want to know what is in God's Word. We'll want to apply the knowledge God Word in order to grow in self control. As we practice controlling ourselves, our perseverance should strengthen. That will enable us to exhibit more godliness, being more like God.


Progressing in such things will enable us to more considerate of others, demonstrating brotherly kindness and love of the kind that God wants us to have.


I need glass lenses that have been ground according to an eye doctor's prescription for me to see properly with my natural eyes. I need God's prescription found in 2 Peter chapter 1 for me to be sure I'm seeing myself and everything else with His perspective..


Seeing physical things improperly can be hazardous. Seeing spiritual things, including my own spiritual condition, improperly can even more dissasterous..


If we don't know what is in God's Word, we will live lives of short sightedness and even blindness, missing out on so much of what God intends for us.

We'll probably even forget we've been purified from sins, and will fall back into them. Instead of moving forward into godliness we'll slide backward into unrighteousness.


Let us always seek to see things as clearly as God wants us to see them, so we can live as God wants us to live.

Do We Rejoice in God's Statutes As We Do In Great Riches?

 I rejoice in following your statutes
       as one rejoices in great riches.
 I meditate on your precepts
       and consider your ways.
 I delight in your decrees;
       I will not neglect your word.
Psalm 119:14-16  (NIV)


Let us consider for a moment that we don't just sort of believe that the Bible is the Word of God, but that we seriously believe it is His Word.

If I seriously believe that there is gold buried in my back yard that is mine to keep if I dig it up, will I simply be content knowing it is there? No, in that situation I think I'd be out back digging up the yard and examining the gold I unearthed.

If I believe the Bible contains the words and precepts and insights of almighty God that He put there to benefit me in ways I can scarcely imagine, then I think I ought to take more time to dig into the Book.

When I come across a precept in the Bible that convicts or blesses me, I certainly ought to think about it for awhile. Maybe even pray about what I've read. Maybe even use some Bible study tools get a deeper or more clear understanding on how to apply it in my life.

When we delight in something we take the time to learn more about it, and do more with it. If something doesn't mean much to us we neglect it.

How much does the Word of God mean to us? Do we find the time, even if inconvenient, to read and study it? Or do we value it so little that we ignore it most of the time?

If we took the  time and discovered a golden nugget of understanding in God's word, maybe our interest in it would be renewed. Maybe we'd want to find another nugget, and then more and more.

Let's give it a try. Let's search for the treasures God's Word that he wants us to find and use.

A Few Little Things I'm Thankful For Today

Today, like most days, I had lunch with my wife. Because we're in the middle of a heat wave with high humidity and temperatures in the 90's we did not have our lunch in Boston. We had it at home in our apartment.

It was a tasty lunch. We both had some tasty red grapes, chilled from being in the refrigerator. We also shared a peach I'd sliced up.

Her salad also included small chunks of sharp cheese, pieces of dried apricots, a sprinkle of sunflower kernels, and was topped off with a drizzle of ranch salad dressing.

The main part of my lunch was a little less exotic, but still quite healthy. I had my favorite lunch meal, natural peanut butter and grape jelly on hearty rye bread. (I also like strawberry jam but not at the same time as grape.)

Nothing fancy. But healthy and tasty, for which I'm thankful. I'm also thankful for the people on farms, in trucks, and stores who made it possible for us to have such a nice variety of good food to enjoy.

Thank You, Lord, for making food and making it available to us.

The Borrower Is Servant To The Lender

The title of today's blog post is taken from Proverbs 22:7

As I understand the principle behind this proverb, if we are in debt to somebody, we're not as free as we would be otherwise.

If I borrow your hammer, and you want it back before I'm finished using it, you have the right to take it back. If I still have nails to put into boards I either need to wait until you will loan me your hammer again, or maybe use something else for hammering those nails. Maybe a rock.

If we owe money on a TV, car, or house, and we don't pay what we owe on time then those who lent us the money for them can repossess what we had use of for a time.

Sometimes circumstances beyond our control bring us into debt for things we really need for health, shelter, or mobility. But if there are times when we do get into debt, we should not be content to remain there.

Right now our nation owes trillions of dollars to other countries. I hope our leaders will eventually see that those who loan us all that money may one day make demands of us that we won't appreciate.

I pray that as individuals, families, businesses, communities, states, and a nation we will learn to be better stewards of our money and all of our other resources.