WHAT DOES IT TAKE ?

What does it take to make you happy ?

   What does it take to make you blue ?

Is there anything special today

   that you should plan to do ? 

Right now — right now — count your blessings !

   Your Heavenly Father loves you.

Your life reflects your response to Him;

   Ask Him what is best now to do.

Somebody may observe you,

   seeing what you are doing today;

Would your example be helpful,

   like what you do ?  or what you say ?

Someone might come to mind today, 

   someone from a long time ago.

Maybe it’s your opportunity ?

   Pray, even if details you don’t know.

Weather predicted to turn bad,

   Oh, such boring news to hear;

What can our politicians do?

   Well, pray for them:  isn’t that clear ? 

And ask the LORD for good health, 

   energy, and His protection;

Keep on going with a smile !

   Read the Bible for His directions. 

                 + + + 

by Elaine Hardt ©2018

Awake? Alert? Aware? Available!

Father, there’s so much I don’t remember, don’t know, can’t do!

Keep me focused on the Great Future when I’ll come to You.

Things down here are sad, confusing, mean, and harmful,  bad!

You are the only One who loves me, best Friend I’ve ever had. 

Keep me awake, alert, aware of what I need to know,

I want to be available: show me how to come or go;

I need words to say, wisdom for the day’s necessities, 

All of this You will provide, giving  ample energies.

by Elaine Hardt ©2012

Did You Pray for that Hateful Man?

        The first time I heard his name in the news it was shocking.  Then, as months went by this hateful man was mentioned several more times in the national TV news.  

        I remember meeting that man years ago when I was a teenager when he came to speak at our church as a visiting evangelist. What he said then was real Bible preaching. What he said and did now was angering the people who needed to hear the message of God’s love and salvation. 

        Finally, last week the latest news: he had died. It was sort of a relief that he was gone, and I knew he’d face the judgment of God for all the bad he had done.

        But, out of the blue, the thought came to me, I had never prayed for the man.

        Oh, you might say, what makes you think one prayer from you, now and then, would have made any difference to that bad man!

        Maybe my prayer wouldn’t have changed a thing.  But, still, I could have prayed for him. It is no big complicated thing to pray for someone, to ask the LORD to put circumstances into his life that could bring him to repentance and restoration. 

        If he did read his Bible in those years he would have been reminded of the importance of repentance.  He needed a big dose of honesty to own up to his hateful attitude.  As a traveling speaker he should have had a team of intercessors who helped keep him accountable to God’s Word. 

        Did you pray for him?  Did you pray for those who saw and heard him, and grew angry, or confused, or hurt, or turned away rejecting God and the Bible?  Did you pray for the media people who were there to document the protesting?

        No, it wasn’t any of my business; I was busy with my own life, the people nearby and around me. I do pray for my siblings, my family and relatives. And I do read the Bible, completing the whole thing by the end of each year.  So, am I doing what I should?                + + + 

by Elaine Hardt ©2014

Does God Automatically Help Us?

Will God automatically spare us from trouble?

Does God automatically lead us to truth?

Does God automatically give us what we need?

Does God automatically give us what we want?

Life goes on. Some days we feel energetic and capable; things go very well.  Other times we may feel like there is a backpack of bricks that we’re forced to carry. 

What’s the difference?  As Christians won’t God just automatically give us what we need?  Can’t we count on Him?

We can count on circumstances changing.  Some people welcome challenge; others take it as a personal affront.  Some expect risk, others want comfort. Many expect good things, automatically.

Is this normal?

For a long time we believed that Christians are supposed to “tough it out” and “put on a smiling face.” We expected to have some troubles, since they were good for teaching us patience.  

Does this unwittingly play into the hands of our spiritual enemy?

By taking a passive stance do we actually invite more problems?

Remember, then . . .