posted Jan 12, 2011 9:46 AM by David Gaboury Sr
[
updated Jan 12, 2011 9:57 AM
]
Hello
and welcome to 2011, I am sorry that I didn’t get to send out a note in
December but like most of you things can get upside down fast
especially with all that goes along with the holidays. I earnestly hope
that you all had a “reasonably happy” Christmas. Time spent with family
and friends, and reflecting on the true meaning of Christmas;” joy to
the world the Lord has come”!! So now we look to this
New Year. God has brought me through many things this last year and I am
thankful that with Him I can face anything and move forward without
fear but with anticipation to see where life will go. Last November I
asked all of you to make a gratitude list that goes hand in hand with
reflection of this past year. Our mind will generally always go to the
“bad”, “scary” things that we faced. I had many things that I didn’t
want to come in my life but I trust that God has a purpose and a plan. I
know that can seem unattainable though with our natural mind. I still
have the feelings at times, i.e., Hurt, frustration, being gloomy,
bummed out, embarrassed just to name a few feelings. But in my heart I
have that peace that He knows best and anything that comes to me I can
get through because He is with me. Psalm 23 (Amplified Bible says, 1THE LORD is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack. 2He makes me lie down in [fresh, tender] green pastures; He leads me beside the still and restful waters.(A)
3He refreshes and restores my life (my
self); He leads me in the paths of righteousness [uprightness and right
standing with Him--not for my earning it, but] for His name's sake. 4Yes,
though I walk through the [deep, sunless] valley of the shadow of
death, I will fear or dread no evil, for You are with me; Your rod [to
protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort me. 5You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with [a]oil; my [brimming] cup runs over. 6Surely
or only goodness, mercy, and unfailing love shall follow me all the
days of my life, and through the length of my days the house of the Lord
[and His presence] shall be my dwelling place” I just love that, it encourages me. Just a side thing, look at that word “encouragement” the words “courage “it smack dab right in the middle. He
gives the COURAGE!!! Many were hard pressed with the economy this year.
We have a few friends that had to surrender there homes, unemployment,
death of friends or family members, health scares, there can be quite a
list! That is were our Faith comes in, that trust, “banking on” a God
that we may not think so but Loves us so much!! So what are we
facing this year? There will be many things that enter our lives that we
didn’t plan on, but there will be things that enter through our own
choices. I started this year reading in Genesis: Genesis 2:9-3:24 9
The LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that
were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden
were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and
evil. 15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
18 The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” But for Adam[c] no suitable helper was found. 21 So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs[d] and then closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib[e] he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
23 The man said, “This is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” 24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. 25
Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame. Genesis 3
The Fall
1
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD
God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not
eat from any tree in the garden’?”
2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3
but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the
middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” 4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6
When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and
pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took
some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her,
and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them
were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig
leaves together and made coverings for themselves. 8
Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was
walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD
God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?” 10
He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” 11 And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” 12 The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” 13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate. This
is a very interesting account of the fall of man. There have been many
jokes made when people look or allude to this passage but there are some
very good points. Wouldn’t you say that it was something quite
interesting that God placed that tree of Good and evil in the middle of
the garden? Not off in some corner? And next to it was the tree of life?
God said don’t eat from the tree of good and evil. He never said don’t
eat from the tree of life. The tree of life represents Christ and the
tree of good and evil represents are own good and bad works we do, our
own self knowledge and deeds. God had put Adam there to work in the
garden not hole himself off away from these trees’. God knew these were
going to be faced all the time. Now there are things in our lives we can
simply stay away from, physically we can distance our selves from them.
And lots of times we simple choose to stay away from issues we know can
be a problem in our lives. And that’s good. But what about those things
that our in our way all the time?? Maybe even smack dab in the middle
of our world. We know as we start this year we will all have these
things. Things in this world, our own desires, people that we struggle
with. That could be family, co worker, and like here seen so clearly the
serpent [the devil] will be right there to plants doubt, negative
thoughts, personal empowerment, and prestige. Craftiness is his name and
his game! He has not changed all these years. We know in our mind
wrong choices, but it can get confusing when we think what we are doing
is right {good]. We start to trust our own understanding. The tendency
is to fall back in behaviors, for example of enabling, finding your self
fixing, becoming a caretaker, dominating. Or on the other side becoming
complacent, emotionally insulating yourself, or becoming passive. The
point is we need to always depend on Christ. He is the tree of life. His
ways are always for the best. We can in a very short time twist and
turn our lives upside down which generally speaking brings us back from
where we have come! Lastly and I know this is long but hey I didn’t
write last month lets finish with these verses· Revelation 2:7
He who is able to hear, let him listen to and give heed to what the
Spirit says to the assemblies (churches). To him who overcomes (is
victorious), I will grant to eat [of the fruit] of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
· Revelation 22:2
Through the middle of the broadway of the city; also, on either side of the river was the tree of life with its twelve varieties of fruit, yielding each month its fresh crop; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing and the restoration of the nations. · Revelation 22:14
Blessed (happy and to be envied) are those who cleanse their garments,
that they may have the authority and right to [approach] the tree of life and to enter through the gates into the city” Always eating of the “tree of life” Christ,
will bring the healing, restoration!! Having Him in our hearts will
give us eternal life and entrance in to the eternal city! May the Lord
bless you and keep you Love Mary
God
grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage
to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time; accepting
hardship as a pathway to peace; taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world
as it is; not as I would have it; trusting that You will make all things
right if I surrender to Your will; so that I may be reasonably happy in
this life and supremely happy with You forever in the next. Amen. |
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