Graves' This and That

There is so much nonsense about manhood today and the determinants  by which a man is identified.  Of course gender is the most obvious, yet there are authentic qualifying factors which are so needful for a man and his family if it is going to be spiritually healthy and to thrive in this culture, especially. Since he is the chosen and designated one to love his wife as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, he bears the responsibility to pray for his wife and the children whom God has entrusted him. Ephesians 5:33.  He is to be the priest to his family interceding and standing in spiritual battle for them.  An humble man on his knees, or a man praying, in my opinion, is the greatest portrayal of his mind, his heart,  his spirit, and his love for his God and family. I would love to see media BOLDLY present a man with integrity and a moral sense of right and wrong and not be some Elmer Gantry sick mentality. Instead man, husband, son, father is por...

As I was looking over Psalm 118, the psalmist requested that the gates of righteousness be open for him.  He vowed that he would enter and give thanks.  The next verse was rich: "This is the gate of the LORD through which the righteous may enter, I WILL GIVE THANKS , FOR YOU HAVE ANSWERED ME, You have become my salvation."  I am being obviously reminded that I enter His presence, by His grace, and upon that entrance, I give thanks.  I forget to be a thankful spirit.  I wished that I would FORGET to whine, complain, and grumble!  It all has to do with what am I willing to practice and what do I believe about God.   I loved a study that I got to watch and take notes, Being Tested.  Bruce Wilkinson was the speaker, and he gave a real practical that I NEEDED to hear.  Everyday as he is journaling his prayers, he FIRST lists 10 blessings that God has done, and then after listing, he proceeds with his prayer and study.  I have been aski...

How much I needed the reminder from Prov. 4:23, "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."  As I pray and make requests of Father God, as I "try" to wait upon Him, sometimes the waiting and the "when God" begin to press on my heart.  Once my heart begins to consider what is God doing, then my heart begins to fill with anxious thoughts:  What is my sin?  Why is He not hearing and responding to my 911?  What else do I need to do?  God is testing what I believe about HIM and HIS faithfulness, even His promises.  The heart becomes divided with the taunts and lies of the evil one and my offensive ways of fear, doubt, pride, not can God, but will He?   I get to guard my heart by praying and hearing Him speak.  Then being willing to grab the anchor of hope, HIS promise and be steadfast with the power of the ONE who indwells me.  For me, this is a life-long process, NO SHORTCUTS in being a Christ follower....

It has been said there are some 30,000 Promises in Scripture.  I understand that His Word is Truth.  He has said that He honors above all, His Name and His Word. (Ps. 138:2)  In listening and watching Bruce Wilkerson in a Bible study on "The Testing of My Faith", my ears perked up as he spoke of Hebrews 6:13-20.  God made His promise to Abraham that he would have a son, Issac.  He swore, no pinkie swear, but He swore by Himself because there was NO ONE GREATER that Abraham would bear a son. Abraham received that son...thinking some 25 years later.   He wanted to make known His purpose to His heirs, us, He confirmed His promises with an oath.  Bless His Name, for it is impossible for God to lie!  We get to take hold of this hope, that HE is a Promise Maker and Promise Keeper.  This hope/promise is an anchor for my soul, my mind, my will, and  my emotions whether there is much joy or the winds are blowing hard against me.  Th...

I confess, there are times that I had rather sit quietly and ignore what is going on around me.  There are times when I must interrupt my "sittin" and be willing to stand with boldness.  The choice will have to be bathed in prayer. Every year I choose to read through the Bible and there are several dreaded reads: most of Judges, Leviticus, and the two chapters of 2 Samuel 11-12 which relate the story of David's sin with Bathsheba, the murder of Uriah, Nathan's fingering of David's "secret" sin, and the death of the child.  Sounds like a story from our local newspaper or maybe a television show?   Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the boldness of Nathan who dared to finger the king.  Hear his words from the LORD: "Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity upon you."  With that choice came the consequences of his son's rebellion, his son raping his half-sister, his son sleeping with a concubine of David....why he needs 6 w...

If God should ever tweet my most frequent phrases to Him, my most frequent would be, "God, I don't understand what You are doing!" I just betcha that HE who is Almighty, All-Knowing, Ever-Present, All-Hearing, All-Seeing, Sovereign LORD God surely must shake HIS majestic head and wonder, "Who does she think that she is to be able to understand my ways?"  Flawed, finite, and fragile one understanding the Magnificent and All-Glorious ONE?  I wonder who told me that I would understand and that I was supposed to understand?  Is this the veiled thought that I could be like God?  When I don't understand what God is doing, which can be all too frequent, I want to have the heart of the Psalmist, Psalm 27:7-8, "Hear my voice when I call, O LORD, be merciful to me and answer me.  My heart says of you, "Seek His face!"  Your face, LORD, I will seek."  I don't need to seek to understand, but to seek HIS face and remember that God is good, ALL t...