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Poor Man’s Proverb #38: God Is Bigger Than The Box We Sometimes Put Him In

God can do anything.  Some of us pray about a situation or circumstance and when God does not answer or respond immediately many of us begin to doubt.

Doubt is a weapon of the devil and is cancerous to our faith. It slowly eats away at our faith. Doubt is like a parasite that eats away at its host. The devil cleverly uses doubt to encourage our subconscious to put God inside of the box. It makes us believe that our problem is located outside the box just inches short of God’s reach.

In James 1:6, God gives us a warning about the danger of doubt. “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.” Where is the stability in that? Doubt has no stability. It will have your mind all over the place, just like that wave tossed by the wind.

In 2 Corinthians 5:7, God tells us that “…we walk by faith, not by sight.” We don’t even need to use our eyes, we just have to trust in God and believe that He will help us.

He takes it a step further in Hebrews 11:6. “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Did you catch that? There is a reward for those who earnestly seek him. It is clear that God considers doubt a Debbie Downer!

Note 2 self: Could it be that we are derailing our rescue from life’s problems because of our doubt? I believe one’s faith is the shortest distance between our problems and their solutions.  Whenever I occasionally take the Doubt Train, I remind myself that God created the universe and everything in it.  I think He can handle my little problems.

Blessings to you all, my friends.

Daniel

The Note 2 Self Guy

 

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Poor Man’s Proverb #36: Never Add To An Already Perfect Plan

One day I prayed and asked God to provide me with an opportunity that would allow me to make ends meet in my finances. God answered and gave me specific instructions on an opportunity designed to help improve my finances. And sadly, I did what I sometimes do; I followed 3/4th of His instructions and added a little to His plan.

Note 2 self: Not a good move! Well, the part I added, blow up in my face and actually cost me money and time. As soon as it happened, the Spirit said, “Next time follow my instructions completely.” It is important that we all remember what God told us in Jeremiah 29:11. ”For I know the plans I have for you, ‘declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Really, does it look like God needs our help in planning our future? In a word, NO!

Blessings to you all, my friends.

Daniel

The Note 2 Self Guy

 

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Poor Man’s Proverb #35: Are You Taking A Knife To A Gunfight With The Devil?

Make no mistake about it, the devil is out to get us. God gives us a warning in 1 Peter 5:8. “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaming lion looking for someone to devour.” In other words, the devil has a gun pointed directly at us with his finger on the trigger.

So what are we to do? How can we fight back? Have you ever heard the term, “Fight fire with fire”?  Well, if you have – that won’t work! We need something stronger.  We need something that will extinguish the fire.  God gives us some help in 2 Timothy 2:15.  “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

Note 2 self: God is telling us to study the Bible so that we will be empowered to correctly handle the word of truth.  This will give us the power to fight back. When the devil presents us with a thought, an action or a situation/circumstance we will be equipped to put out the devil’s fire with water (God’s Word).  It is nearly impossible to remember something if we never learned or knew it in the first place. This is why studying scripture is so important. For every trick of the devil, God has an answer.

So to the question, are we taking a knife to a gunfight with the devil. Nah bruh, we’re packing a bazooka! Study the Word!

Blessings to you all, my friends.

Daniel

The Note 2 Self Guy

 

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Poor Man’s Proverb #34: Death Can Be A Bridge To The Greatest Family Reunion Ever Told

Within a 48 hour period, I learned of three deaths.  A former church member, a neighbor, and a former co-worker – all gone just like that.  Sadness and shock became my reality. Whenever someone dies I immediately think about the condition or state of their soul. Were they saved? Had they accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior (John 3:16)? It really matters. If they had, then my sadness graduates to a form of comfort because I know I will see them again.

Note 2 self: God offers many words of encouragement concerning death. Here are a couple.  For those who have accepted Him, death is merely a transition.  “To me, living means having Christ. To die means that I would have more of Him” Philippians 1:21. We when die, we get the 411 on Christ. In other words, we get the full scoop on Jesus – we will know Him in ways that the living can only dream of.  It is super comforting to know what 2 Corinthians 5:8 reveals. “Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord.” For those of us who love the Lord, death is a homecoming and the greatest family reunion of all times becomes a reality as we are reunited with our loved ones.  In the meantime, cherish the good times spent with our loved ones and they will continue to live in us.

Blessings to you all, my friends.

Daniel

The Note 2 Self Guy

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Poor Man’s Proverb #33: Are You A Good Man?

Are you a good man?  Fellas, we may want to think long and hard before we answer this question. Society has it’s definition of what a good man is but that definition pales in comparison to what God considers a good man.

Let’s review a few of God’s standards that defines such a man.  “A good man leaves an inheritance for their children’s children, but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous” (Proverbs 13:22).  Providing financial support for your children and your grandchildren is only part of our responsibility. I believe this scripture lends itself to legacy building. We teach our children right from wrong and to be examples of godly men. What we teach our children will be passed on to future generations. These life lessons are needed to help our children and their offspring become faithful Christians. We are to be forward thinking in our efforts to lay down the foundation for future generations.

Ephesians 5:22-33 governs how a man should treat his wife. We are the spiritual leaders of our households. We are to love our wives like Christ loved the church. He loved the church so much that he gave His life for it. We are to leave our parents to be with our wives. In other words, the wife becomes your number #1 priority outside of God. Everyone else takes a back seat.

“Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Timothy 5:8).  Gentlemen, if we don’t take care of our families especially our wife and children, then we are worse than an unbeliever. Wow! It appears God is not a fan of dead-beat dads.

Note 2 self: The key to being a good man is to be a God-fearing man. A man who fears God desires to keep the Lord’s commands and to do what is right. Doing so will greatly increase his chances of being a good man. So, to the question – are you a good man? We should all strive to be.

Blessings to you all, my friends.

Daniel

The Note 2 Self Guy

 

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Poor Man’s Proverb #31: Favor From God Will Take You A Long Way

The story of Joseph (Genesis 37 to 45) is packed with valuable life lessons.  His story shows perseverance in the midst of terrible situations; faithfulness; communication with God; favor from both God & man; forgiveness of others; prosperity (where you start isn’t necessarily where you finish); God’s will for one’s life in spite of the evil that man unleashes on us; and LOVE. It is a story that will give us HOPE.

Note 2 self: Yeah, there’s something in the story of Joseph for everyone.  If you’re going through some stuff, check out the story of Joseph. You too can have favor from God.

Blessings to you all, my friends.

Daniel

The Note 2 Self Guy

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Poor Man’s Proverb #26: Girl, He Is A Bum. You Can Do Better!

Throughout the years, I have been amazed at some of the poor choices in men my female friends have made. Many of these women were beautiful, educated, talented, God-fearing and all-around good woman of high moral fiber.  Yet, they seemed to be attracted to men who were not good for them. And sadly, many entered into relationships with these men at their own peril.

So the question becomes, why? None of us have the power to see the future, but some things are obvious. We just choose to look the other way and before we know it, we think we are in love but love should not cause us pain and suffering.

 

Note 2 the ladies: If he is morally bankrupt don’t waste your time with him.  If you see behavior in him that is unbecoming of who you are as a person, then head for the hills.  Do not allow yourself to be lured into a relationship that will cause you future devastation. If he is indeed a man who loves the Lord, then opportunity may await you.  Ask yourself a question before you enter into a relationship with any man.  Is he an Ephesians 5 kind of guy?  Ephesians 5 outlines how a man should love and treat his wife. If you see that in him, then maybe he is worth going out with.    

You are God’s daughters, and He loves you. He loves you too much to send you junk! “He who finds a wife finds a good thing, And obtains favor from the Lord.” (Proverbs 18:22) Remember, you are some man’s good thing!

Blessings to you all, my friends.

Daniel

The Note 2 Self Guy

 

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Poor Man’s Proverb #24: Do Your Plans Have A Fatal Flaw?

Many of us spend hours, days, weeks and even years trying to come up with plans for our lives. Certainly, there is nothing wrong with planning for our future but many of us do so at our own peril.  You see,  our plans have one fatal flaw.  We often make these plans at the exclusion of God.  Why would we not include the one person who knows the future and who wants what is best for us?

Note 2 self: Want a compelling reason to include God in all our plans? Jeremiah 29:11 reveals the pure heart of the matter.  “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

The bottom line is this; God has plans for us. His plans for our lives are complete with the promise of watching over us.  Therefore, we may want to file 13 (throw away) our plans.

Blessings to you all, my friends.

Daniel

The Note 2 Self Guy

 

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Poor Man’s Proverb #23: Do You Want To Be A Superhero?

When I was a little kid, I always wanted to grow up to be a superhero.  I thought that having superpowers and using them for the good of humanity would have been awesome.  Was it a pipe dream or was it really possible?

Interestingly enough, the Bible gives some advance intelligence on this question.  In John 20:19,  Jesus appears to His disciples after His crucifixion. “That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing  there among them and said, “‘Peace be with you!”’  It is important to note that Jesus was in His resurrected body at this point and He walked through walls.

In Luke 24:36-53, Jesus appears to the disciples and then goes to heaven.  He became visible to disciples out of nowhere and then ascends to heaven. In other words, He could fly.

Note 2 self: Followers of Christ will eventually receive resurrected bodies (1 Corinthians 15:42-43). I believe we will have similar superpowers as Jesus as we will have resurrected bodies like His.

To the question, do you want to be a Superhero? Why not, you will have superpowers.    

Bless to you all, my friends.

Daniel

The Note 2 Self Guy

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Poor Man’s Proverb #20: You still have time to make it to the Hall of Fame.

Many of you may be thinking, I am on the north side of forty and well past my prime. While others may be thinking,  I am still pretty young, but I do not have the physical or athletic ability required to make it to anybody’s Hall of Fame.

The Hall to which I speak is the Faith Hall of Fame.  One’s physical or athletic ability has nothing to do with gaining entrance into this illustrious club.

To understand what the Faith Hall of Fame is, we must first define faith.  God defines faith in Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” The rest of Hebrews 11 goes on to give us several examples of people who demonstrated faith. This chapter is known as the Faith Hall of Fame.

So, you might be thinking – these were great people of the Bible, and I am just an ordinary Joe. News flash – many of them were incredibly flawed. It was their consistent and sustained faith that made them great people of God.

Note 2 self: Until we take our last breath, we all have an opportunity to earn our place in the Faith Hall of Fame. Jesus tells us in Luke 17:6, “… If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.” Even with just a little faith, we can accomplish great things.

So, who wants to join me in my effort to earn my way into the Faith Hall of Fame?

We can do this!

Blessings to you all, my friends.

Daniel

The Note 2 Self Guy