Thursday, August 4th, 2011
Ha ha! Those old 'Popeye the Sailor' episodes still make me laugh. It's also funny (in a different way) how old things can still teach relevant messages. For instance, Popeye taught us to never give up. No matter how big your adversary is, you can win if you try. Well, he can't REALLY take the credit for teaching us that, but you get the point. In order to win, we have to know who we are. We have to know what's inside us, right?
I admit, I used to laugh when Bluto would pound on Popeye. But it's not funny at all when the enemies of my life pound on me. Believe it or not, the devil uses people to scheme bad things for you, talk negativiely about you, and even do/say evil things to your face. You can be the nicest person in the world, but it won't matter. Jesus told us that the world will hate you because of Him. That's right. The spirit in your enemies despise you because you're chosen. They resent the fact that God's love and favor is resting on you. In all that, however, we have to be like Popeye. We have to stand against them and declare what God has spoken. We can't allow ourselves to get distracted or too easily angered. Think of the people in your life that persecute you. Now try to see them through God's eyes. They're broken and hurting. They have issues that they are powerless to fix. When their issues get the best of them, their only recourse is to lash out. They need someone to hurt like they're hurting. It's the way they've learned to communicate.
The Bluto's of the world feel as small as they look large. They don't realize that there's a purpose for their lives. All they can think of is the brokenness and anger they feel. Bluto was also very prideful. There were a few things Popeye could have taught him, but he thought he knew it all. Therefore, when Olive Oil (y'all just go with me okay?) would go out with him, he didn't treat her well. His pride made him selfish, believing it was all about him. So Olive would just run back to Popeye (who was the humble gentleman).
Well, in conclusion, Popeye would always win the fight because he was strong and confident, and he had SOMETHING special inside him. When life beats you up, take a bite of God's word and renew your strength. Know that no thing or no one can stand against you if God is on your side. In our text today, God says in verse 7 to hold His teaching inside you and pay no attention to insults. And when you get mocked, don't let it get you down. Hallejuah! It's not what THEY say about you, it's what HE says about you, and what you believe about yourself that matters. So believe God has the best for you. He loves you...and so do we! God bless.
Prayer: Father, thank You for being there for me. Your strength is made perfect in my weakness. With You Lord, I don't have to fear my enemies because You have already made me more than a conquerer. There's no God like You, and no love like Your love. Thanks for being the lifter of my head. I'll always give You praise, in Jesus' name. Amen
Today's Passage: Isaiah 51:1-16
Memory Verse: Isaiah 51:7Ha ha! Those old 'Popeye the Sailor' episodes still make me laugh. It's also funny (in a different way) how old things can still teach relevant messages. For instance, Popeye taught us to never give up. No matter how big your adversary is, you can win if you try. Well, he can't REALLY take the credit for teaching us that, but you get the point. In order to win, we have to know who we are. We have to know what's inside us, right?
I admit, I used to laugh when Bluto would pound on Popeye. But it's not funny at all when the enemies of my life pound on me. Believe it or not, the devil uses people to scheme bad things for you, talk negativiely about you, and even do/say evil things to your face. You can be the nicest person in the world, but it won't matter. Jesus told us that the world will hate you because of Him. That's right. The spirit in your enemies despise you because you're chosen. They resent the fact that God's love and favor is resting on you. In all that, however, we have to be like Popeye. We have to stand against them and declare what God has spoken. We can't allow ourselves to get distracted or too easily angered. Think of the people in your life that persecute you. Now try to see them through God's eyes. They're broken and hurting. They have issues that they are powerless to fix. When their issues get the best of them, their only recourse is to lash out. They need someone to hurt like they're hurting. It's the way they've learned to communicate.
The Bluto's of the world feel as small as they look large. They don't realize that there's a purpose for their lives. All they can think of is the brokenness and anger they feel. Bluto was also very prideful. There were a few things Popeye could have taught him, but he thought he knew it all. Therefore, when Olive Oil (y'all just go with me okay?) would go out with him, he didn't treat her well. His pride made him selfish, believing it was all about him. So Olive would just run back to Popeye (who was the humble gentleman).
Well, in conclusion, Popeye would always win the fight because he was strong and confident, and he had SOMETHING special inside him. When life beats you up, take a bite of God's word and renew your strength. Know that no thing or no one can stand against you if God is on your side. In our text today, God says in verse 7 to hold His teaching inside you and pay no attention to insults. And when you get mocked, don't let it get you down. Hallejuah! It's not what THEY say about you, it's what HE says about you, and what you believe about yourself that matters. So believe God has the best for you. He loves you...and so do we! God bless.
Prayer: Father, thank You for being there for me. Your strength is made perfect in my weakness. With You Lord, I don't have to fear my enemies because You have already made me more than a conquerer. There's no God like You, and no love like Your love. Thanks for being the lifter of my head. I'll always give You praise, in Jesus' name. Amen
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