God’s Strength
Stand and lift up your bible and repeat after me.
This is my Bible.
I am what it says I am.
I can do what it says I can do.
I am going to learn how to be what it says I can be.
Today I will learn more of the word of God.
The indestructible, never ending, living word Of God.
I will never be the same.
I will never be the same.
In Jesus Name.
Open your bibles and go to Deuteronomy 6:5 and say, “AMEN” when you are there.
Read along with me.
“Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, with all of your soul, with all of your strength” Dt. 6:5
How do you do that?
How do you do something like that when the world is in such distress?
How do you do that when something you cannot see is destroying things all around us?
You must have hope.
Some of us must laugh at that and say, “David, you are not real.”
You have no idea all I am going through.
You are may be right, but my best friend does.
Have any of you had something come up in life that made you think that God has not even thought of you by allowing this to happen?
I mean what in the world did I do to deserve this? I am a good person who has made some mistakes in my life but, what is happening now?
How am I going to get through it?
Let me tell you a story.
A little boy had some alone time at the beach with his family and he decided to build a sandcastle. He spent hours on it. He was going to make one that people would look at when they walked by and it would be strong and last for a long time. He built towers at each of the corners and made the walls real tall in between each tower. He made windows in each of the towers.
He then dug a moat around the castle and actually set that up so the water as it came closer to the shore would fill the moat up with water just like in the books he had read growing up. He had some popsicle sticks and made a bridge across the moat to the castle. It was awesome. Then he noticed something.
The waves had started coming closer and the moat was filling up. It was awesome, but.. The water in the moat started brushing up against the towers he had made on the front of the castle. Before long the water was coming in through the gates of the castle and tearing at the outer walls. The bridge had washed away.
And then it happened. One of the towers crashed down with a wave and the front wall came down with water filling the inside of his castle. As the tide keep getting higher. Before long there was only a tower remaining and part of a wall. As the water line started to recede, all that was left stood a tower.
All that work and what was left? A tower.
That little boy was me at the beach on Long Beach Island in New Jersey a few years ago. Quite a few years ago.
Since then I have learned who the tower was in my life a little over 30 years ago.
Our God, our tower of strength, allows things to happen in our life for a reason. It would be great to know why all of the time. It would be awesome to know in advance.
But we don’t get that.
All we get is a relationship with God through His son. If we want it.
What kind of relationship? Is it like a “friend” on Facebook or Twitter?
At least we can see them. Sorta.............
Is it like the woman or man or children or the true real friends in our lives?
Is it like that reliable wonderful dog that loves you no matter what?
It is a whole lot better than that if you want it.
It is about having a relationship with Him. AMEN?
Turn with me to Romans 5:11 (GW) and say, “AMEN” when you are there.
Read with me.
“In addition, our Lord Jesus Christ lets us continue to brag about God. After all, it is through Christ that we now have this restored relationship with God. “
I share about my relationships. I share about my relationship with God.
I cherish my relationship with my wife and best friend. And I share that also.
They are both gifts from God. Our lives are not going to be perfect. They are not going to be without times of trouble. But they are going to be guided by Him.
Everyone has to realize that.
No one has a life without trouble. AMEN?
People in the bible, you, me, and those we love, we like, and those we don’t even like to be around our God is in control of it all.
Now I am going to share with you what you can be in control of in your life;
It may just be another way you and I can grow in our relationship with God, but I know I am going to do it.
I don’t know if you have ever met someone who believes in the Islamic faith or not, but those that have that belief in someone who died and did not rise again do something we do not do.
They spend time 5 times a day for 5-10 minutes in devotions to their God.
How many of us do that?
This message is not just for you but has been a series of thoughts for me about my relationship with God.
Is it perfect?
No, it is not.
I say “hello” to Him quietly when I wake in the morning, most of the time.
I acknowledge Him with what I do most of the day with all that happens in my life and those I come in contact with, but not all the time.
I love it when awesome things happen in my life because of Him but sometimes I actually forget to say, “Thanks”
I have changed many habits in my life because of Him but I like you need to continue to grow in my relationship with Him.
But the one thing I do know,
I love Him and know that He gives me the strength I need to get through every day. Amen!
So here is what I am going to do. I am going to make a commitment right here in public with other people watching.
I am going to make a commitment through public prayer to the one who loves me as I am and sent His son to die on the cross for me right now. I am going to make a commitment to Him in front of you all to spend more time with my best friend, the one who gives me strength when I need it.
If you want to join me, stand with me now and bow your heads and talk to Him as I do..
