Everyday Matters by Debbie Griffith

12/2/2024

Resting

Monday Matters-December 2, 2024
Everyday Elijah

In the Bible, Elijah was a prophet and miracle worker who lived during the reign of King Ahab in the northern kingdom of Israel. He is known for pursuing God’s people to worship God alone, no other gods, no other idols and Elijah continually admonished Israel to not be corrupted by Baal. His struggle was real and exhausting because Israel seemed to be in continued rebellion against God and yet God never leaves them.

Nevertheless, Elijah becomes exhausted and “over it” with the evil people of his time and so much so that he runs away and ask God to take his life but Elijah’s story takes a turn when He hears God speak in a still small voice and not through the earthquake, wind and fire that passes by him on Mount Sinai. Turns out Elijah needed a rest, a meal which God provided. We often look to the spectacular of God’s work but look to Him in the simple way He speaks His love to you through the scripture. His word of grace and provision in a difficult season is what Elijah needed and what we all need…everyday.

11/25/2024

Hope

Monday Matters-November 25, 2024
Everyday Always Hope

I’m trying to focus on God but just can’t seem to do it while I’m in a dark pit,” someone wrote me. “I wish my spouse would give up this other person and want to reconcile, but they have no desire. I’m so sorry if you are that person. There’s ALWAYS HOPE. I clung to the words from Micah 7:7-8 when I was in a dark place. “As for me I will wait on the Lord and confident in Him I will keep watch. I will wait with hope and expectancy in the God of my salvation. My God will hear me. So rejoice not against me, oh my enemy! When I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light to me.”

Isn’t that powerful? There is light up ahead. Do what you can do while you wait and focus on helping someone else who may be in a dark place. You’ll end up helping yourself. Never give up. Always hope. It’s not because we’re faithful but because He is faithful… …everyday.

11/18/2024

Future Hope

Monday Matters-November 18, 2024
Everyday Called

I am thankful for God’s call on my life to love and serve others. He hasn’t called me to hand out a rulebook or a list of “you should” and “you should nots,” which means He hasn’t called on me to point out the sins of others. He knows I have enough of my own stuff to cleanup, and with His grace, how can I afford not to extend this gift to others?

I love people. I want to have fun, be real, love God and love others. But it’s also important to note that at no point does God stop being holy. Out of His great holiness and power and might and mercy, do we then deny our own sinful desires and bow to Him. Our flesh wants what it wants and more of it. So it’s only by God’s Holy Spirit in us that we can deny the flesh. I know the message of “sin is not in” and love always wins, but true love involves compassion with truth and His grace…everyday.

11/11/2024

Sinners

Monday Matters-November 11, 2024
Everyday Mother Teresa

It’s so much easier to point out what’s wrong with everybody else rather than look at our own junk to clean up. But we are all sinners, and we all need help which is why our first step toward reconciliation is to confess our sins, receive God’s pardon and walk forward in a restored relationship with our Creator.

We cannot do anything to merit grace, and yet we look at someone like Mother Teresa and think surely she entered into heaven because of what she did. If we emulate her sacrificial love in some small fashion, we are lulled into a false sense of security that persuades us that we have no need of repentance today. When the little saint humbly confessed her brokenness and her desperate need for God, either we were uncomprehending or we secretly suspected her of false modesty. Yet she got it, and by the love she received, she gave in great amounts to others. Receive God’s real love and then walk forward and give it to others…everyday.

11/4/2024

Loneliness

Monday Matters-November 4, 2024
Everyday Empty Void

Ya know, each one of us has a God-shaped hole inside, and nothing can fill it except God Himself. But sadly, the world is filled with empty people hoping to fill this void by using wealth, success and power, approval from people, illicit relationships, drugs, alcohol, sex, or even food to quench the hunger and thirst that only a right relationship with God can satisfy. Without Christ and His forgiveness, we are left crippled and frustrated, like an addict trying to find another fix. Moral "insiders" and moral "outsiders" are equally unacceptable to God. It's hard at first for the self-righteous to see that we are just as needy as hookers and axe murderers.

God loves you; He has a plan for you and in this plan, He doesn't ask you to deny your desires for intimacy, beauty, fun and adventure. Religion does that. Jesus invites us to have an intimate relationship with Him because He wants to satisfy the deepest longings of our souls…everyday.”

10/28/2024

Marriage

Monday Matters-October 28, 2024
Everyday Marriage Well

Marriage Advice 101 from Proverbs 5:15; “Drink water from your own well--share your love only with your spouse, never share it with strangers.”
Problems with remaining faithful in marriage usually begin when a person doesn’t feel loved and think they deserve to be happy. The enemy creeps in with his lies telling us that marriage shouldn't be any work and if we really want to have a good time and feel good, we should maybe start drinking with someone we find more fun and attractive. When a person acts on those thoughts and feelings that’s usually the time when a marriage begins to dissolve. That’s why it's so important that couples work at making time for one another on a good ol’ fashioned date without their children. Find out your love language and begin communicating in the way each of you knows and feels loved. Validate and be refreshed from the well of love you both have. Marriage is work but it's absolutely wonderful when it is working…everyday.

10/21/2024

God’s Kindness

Monday Matters-October 21, 2024
Everyday Rahab

Joshua who served under Moses finds himself ready to lead God’s people into the Promised Land but first he needs to send two scouts to check things out especially into Jericho to see what they might be up against. And it turns out these two scouts are able to lodge at the house of Rahab, a woman who had worked as a prostitute. In Joshua 2:14 we read the promise of the two spies; “We offer our own lives as a guarantee for your safety. If you don’t betray us, we will keep our promise and be kind to you when the Lord gives us the land.” And that’s in fact what happened.

By the end of her life, Rahab too had come to love the God of Israel, and she’s even mentioned as an ancestor of Jesus. No matter how bad your past is, always know that God has a new beginning for you. You may have a rough past, but you also have a future with Him who loves you…everyday.

10/14/2024

Death

Monday Matters-October 14, 2024
Everyday Baby Again

Trish and Ben were excited to deliver their second child but the day before their child was due the doctors couldn’t find a heartbeat. So, Trish was induced and gave birth to baby Brendan, perfectly formed, but already in the arms of Jesus.
The following Sunday their pastor brought a message of hope from 1 Thessalonians: “The grave isn’t the last word. Since Jesus died and broke loose from the grave, God will certainly bring back to life those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.” A songwriter friend of Trish decided to write a song for all the women like her and Trish who know this kind of loss.” The lyrics are:

“Now I lay you down to sleep,
Oh, my baby, sweet and fair,
Until we're caught up in the clouds,
I take your hand, and we meet God in the air.
Until then, I'll miss you.
Until then, I'll love you.
I can't wait to see you.”

I’m sorry if you’ve experienced this kind of loss too. Oh, imagine what a heavenly reunion it will be someday to see those precious ones who’ve gone on before us…everyday.

10/7/2024

Sin

Monday Matters-October 7, 2024
Everyday Fallen Fruit

We are all sinners. I think most of us can recognize that we’re all broken in some way and in need of help, hope and redemption. I remember years ago taking with our son Peter and him saying, “It’s not fair that we’re born into sin. I didn’t eat the forbidden fruit.” I thought the same thing. But even though we weren’t physically present in the actual Garden of Eden, the juice of forbidden fruit dripping from our guilty mouths, the Bible (God Himself) indicates that, if we had been there instead of Adam, we’d have done the same thing.

Here’s the good news: God loves sinners. In fact, He has acted to overcome our sin nature by sending Jesus to pay for our debt and offer us His righteousness. (1 Peter 2:24) It’s not what we do but what Jesus did by taking the death penalty upon Himself, so we’re the righteousness of God. We who were once IN Adam can now be IN Christ by faith. It’s not fair that Christ paid for our sin (who knew no sin) but because He did, we are redeemed with hope now and into eternity …everyday.

9/30/2024

Forgiveness

Monday Matters-September 30, 2024
Everyday Forgiveness Help

“The fact is, I need God to help me love God. And if I need His help to love Him, a perfect being, I definitely need His help to love other, fault-filled humans,” this is wisdom from Francis Chan. In order for genuine love for God to grow in our hearts the Holy Spirit has to move in our lives. Lately I’ve been talking to God and asking for His Holy Spirit to move in me. I haven’t been able to really let go, like God, and forgive completely.

Sometimes it helps to think about Corrie ten Boom’s who personally forgave the Nazi officer at the Concentration Camp she and her sister were held. She said, “The will can operate regardless of the temperature of the heart.” We can choose to forgive even though our anger and hurt make us feel like we can’t. The truth of Philippians 4:13, “We can do all things through Christ’s strength.” Let’s pray, “Jesus’ help. By Your Holy Spirit give us the strength to let go and forgive…everyday.