Tag Archives: Needtobreathe

Seek Sound Advice

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Do you have someone, or someones you go to for wise godly advice? Each of us should, you know. King David did not think himself above seeking advice from a counselor he felt spoke God’s truth to him. Neither should we.

None of us are experts on everything. We all need others in our life who can help us be successful in whatever job God has for us to do. We need mentors; friends who are grounded in God’s word who can advise and correct when necessary.

 

Building a circle of support means we are honest with each other. It takes humility to both give and receive advice. We need people in our circle from different backgrounds, personalities, and skill sets.

If everyone we asked advice from all thought as we did, we wouldn’t need to ask their opinion, would we? They’d tell us the same thing we were thinking. No growth there.

Surrounding ourselves with friends who are lovingly honest can give us the courage, the extra push, we might need to reach our potential. They can challenge, teach, and inspire us to stretch ourselves.

These friends can help us see any blind spots we might have. But we need to choose wisely. We need to pray God brings those people into our lives who should be in our support circle, and keep out those who shouldn’t be there. Once we have our support circle, we need to make sure we each pray for the other, and pray for the godly wisdom to support each other.

 

I’m fortunate to have godly people in my life who support and advise. Are there people in your life you consider the same way?

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Now in those days the advice Ahithophel gave was like that of one who inquires of God. That was how both David and Absalom regarded all of Ahithophel’s advice. 2 Samuel 16:23 (NIV)

I wish you well.

Sandy

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A Listening Ear

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by Sandy Kirby Quandt

In life, I believe, there are times we need to be available to listen while others share their heart, hurts, and pains. I believe there are also times when the roles are reversed, and we are the one who needs someone to listen.

Unfortunately, the two situations may not always come at convenient times or neatly fit into our schedules.

Sometimes we may not feel like listening. Sometimes we may not feel like sharing.

As I thought about this, I remembered a story Mary Southerland told at a women’s conference I attended last summer.

On her flight to the conference, Mary was tired and didn’t want to be bothered with talking to anyone seated next to her. If we’ve ever been on a plane, I’m sure we can relate.

After she found her seat, she began looking through a magazine hoping the man next to her would get the hint. Well, he didn’t.

He asked where she was headed, and why. That’s when the young man explained the reason for his flight. He hoped to reconcile with his estranged wife.

For the entire flight Mary listened and ministered to the stranger God placed next to her on that plane.

God places people in our path he wants us to interact with too, you know. We may be tired and not really in the mood to engage in a conversation, especially one that requires us to actively listen and give input, but that’s what God wants.

What keeps us from being available to listen to others, I wonder.

Could it be our busy schedules? Feeling as if we have nothing of importance to offer?

And what keeps us from being willing to share our own hurts? Embarrassment? Feeling hopeless?

We’re called to be the light and salt of the world. How can we do that if we stay isolated and ignore opportunities to reach out to others?

May we never become so busy with doing stuff we don’t leave time for what’s important.

People.

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You listen to the longings of those who suffer. You offer them hope, and you pay attention to their cries for help. Psalm 10:17 (CEV)

I wish you well.

Sandy

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God’s Multiplication

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by Sandy Kirby Quandt

In the familiar story told in all four Gospels of the five loaves and two fish, Jesus used multiplication. Not just any multiplication. Miracle multiplication.

From that small offering of a boy’s lunch about five thousand men, not counting the women and children who accompanied them, were fed. After everyone ate all they wanted, twelve basketfuls of bread and fish remained.

When the boy with the loaves and fish willingly handed his lunch to Jesus, he had no way of knowing the multiplication miracle about to unfold.

He may have felt what he had to offer was insignificant and hardly enough to do any good. Yet, he offered it anyway.

Sometimes we may feel as if we have nothing of importance to offer. Or if we do have something, surely it is not grand enough to be used by God. We might feel our offering is as small as five crackers and two sardines.

Whenever we limit ourselves and what we have to give, we forget who Jesus is and the miraculous way he uses multiplication.

We can choose to offer what we have back to him, or not.

We can surrender our life to be used for his purpose, or not.

We can offer everything we are and everything we hope to be to him, no matter how small or insignificant we believe that to be, or not

The One who fills us with his love can take the little we have and multiply it beyond our greatest imaginations.

Are we willing to give our little?

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When Jesus saw the large crowd coming toward him, he asked Philip, “Where will we get enough food to feed all these people?”  He said this to test Philip, since he already knew what he was going to do.

Philip answered, “Don’t you know that it would take almost a year’s wages just to buy only a little bread for each of these people?” John 6:5-7 (CEV)

I wish you well.

Sandy

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One of my devotions is scheduled to post on Christian Devotions February 10, 2016. Please stop by.