Keeping a Mind/Heart Focus on God
Truth, Honor, Justice, Purity, Loveliness, Graciousness, Excellence, Worthy of Praise
“ 8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, do; and the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:8-9).
Paul’s directive to keep a mind/heart-focus toward Godly fruits of the Spirit is crucial: “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. . . (Proverbs 23:7). What we think directs what we do and how we do it. Is it done with truth, honor, justice, purity, loveliness, graciousness, and excellence? Is it worthy of praise from God? Do we ask ourselves these questions before we act or speak?
“Think—before you act” was one poster on my classroom door. I, sometimes, had it taped on both sides of the glass window, so students saw this message while entering and exiting from my room. Do we need a poster to remind us—to STOP and THINK before we ACT?
What we put before our eyes will become what we see in our thoughts and, ultimately, what we do in our actions and utter in our speech. The Israelites were told to constantly and consistently place the commandments before them and their children: 4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord, 5 and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. 6 And these words which I command you this day shall be upon your heart; 7 and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 And you shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:4-9).
I still have posters, plaques, and sayings to remind me to STOP and THINK. They are everywhere in my home. Some are included below:
**If you exit from the laundry room door to the garage, you will encounter one on that door: “Help me to remember, Lord, that nothing’s going to happen today that you and I can’t handle together.”
**If you enter my condo from the garage, you will see the message: “God bless.”
**In my kitchen, you will see many messages, two being: “The Lord is my light and salvation.” (Psalm 27:1) and “Lord, guide me with your gentle hand.”
**In the dining room, there is the plaque “Prayer changes things” and the name “JESUS” in a wooden cast that some cannot clearly see until it is pointed out—and, from then on, it is before them.
**Moving to the living room, there is a picture of a deer herd near a stream of water with this scripture imprinted beneath: “As the deer pants for water, so my soul pants for thee” (Psalm 42:1).
**In the hall, I have a crewel-embroidered and cross-stitched picture that I made of the 23rd Psalm.
**My favorite scripture is in my bedroom on the bedpost: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). It is before me—and beside me–every morning and every night.
What reminds you to have a heart/mind focus on God and these fruits of the Spirit, to think always upon these things: Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, whatever is excellent and whatever is worthy of praise. (Philippians 4:8)
What is before you—that reminds you constantly and consistently of God?
Sharon G. Tate blog 03/05/23 (teacherforjesus.com) Meditations on God’s Word
The God-Ache Within Us
“It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for.” (1)
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Have you ever wanted some “thing” so much that you pursued it with persistence and perseverance, expended a great deal of time and energy and, perhaps, money into seeking a way to have it– only to discover that when you finally obtained it, you lost that feeling of really needing or even wanting it? In a short time, the item might be stuffed away in a closet, unused and forgotten, eventually ending up in a garage sale. “I have it now, so what’s the next ‘thing’ that gives me the same feeling of want and desire because I don’t have it yet?”
What we desire and want say a lot about us. How we pursue those things also speaks volumes. These are physical, observable wants, but what is really special to us and what we truly “ache for” may be hidden in a solitary quest of the heart and soul, only seen by God, El Roi, Who sees all.
“What makes something special is not just what you have to gain but what you feel there is to lose.”(2) Something that is very special goes beyond the “gain” of merely having it– to the “ache” of loss without it.
What do we truly “ache for?” Do we have an “ache” inside for Christ that is such a special desire and a want that we would do anything to never lose Him? Would we pursue a relationship with God at a greater degree of persistence and perseverance, giving our time in abundance, for such a yearning in our hearts and souls for Him?
The scriptures speak to this ache and yearning for the Lord, our God:
Isaiah 26:9 My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you. . .
Psalm 73:25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
Psalm 42:2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?
Psalm 63:1 You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.
Psalm 143:6 I spread out my hands to you; I thirst for you like a parched land.
John 6:27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on Him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”
John 7:37-38 37 On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, He cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to Me, 38 and let the one who believes in Me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’”
What we earnestly seek, we will find, if it is in God. What we find, we will hold dear in the God-given soul that aches for Him and longs to be with Him eternally.
Thank you, Lord, for this God-ache within us that yearns for You. Only in You can we fulfill all our wants, our desires, and our needs. Only in You, can we find true satisfaction and peace. Amen.
(1) Oriah Mountain Dream, poet
(2) Andre Agassi, tennis pro
(Sharon G. Tate blog : teacherforjesus.com) Meditations on God’s Word
PEACE IN CHRIST
“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)
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Peace is not the world’s offering–
Discord, violence, war, sorrow.
The menu of choice
For those without Christ.
He left His peace with His disciples. He gave His peace to us through the sacrifice of His life. He endured Gethsemane, the cries to crucify Him, physical torture, the cross. His time was not one of peace at the end of His life on earth. Yet He said, “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you.” Where did this peace come from that He could leave it with His disciples and with us?
“My peace.” He was distraught at Gethsemane as He prayed fervently to God, asking to be spared from what was to come—but still yielded to His Father’s will. “My peace.” Did He have it in the garden? Is it what carried Him through the trials, the torture, the anguish? From what source through all this turmoil?
A peace from within–
The Son in the Father,
The Father in the Son,
Transcending peace.
6Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. 7 If you really know Me, you will know My Father as well. From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him.” 8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” 9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know Me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in Me? The words I say to you I do not speak on My own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in Me, who is doing His work. 11 Believe Me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. (John 14:6-11)
Peace is God’s offering–
Love, purity, truth, hope.
The choice is ours to accept;
The choice is ours to decline.
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4: 4-9)
Jesus knew the Source of peace intimately. He had this peace to give and leave behind for His disciples and for all those who believe in Him, accept His Word, and obey His commands. When we do the things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable according to His Will, we have the peace inside from God who will be with us regardless of what is happening around us.
Changing perspectives
From without to within,
Accepting the peace
Jesus bequeathed to us.
God with us is that peace. We can find it in no other source. If we try to seek it elsewhere and find what we think is peace on this earth, it will not last, nor will it sustain us. We will keep looking at the menu of worldly choices only to find the cost too great—discord, violence, war, sorrow. God offers peace that transcends from within as we direct our thoughts, our hearts, our actions toward Him to become more like our Father and our Savior Jesus—so He is within us.
PEACE IN CHRIST
“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)
(Sharon G. Tate blog 04/24/22) teacherforjesus.com Meditations on God’s Word
ONE
6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from Whom all things came and for Whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through Whom all things came and through Whom we live. (I Corinthians 8:6)
5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 Who gave Himself as a ransom for all people. (I Timothy 5-6)
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“Just outside the city, turn east on Wandering Road. Continue east for ten miles. At the intersection, Wandering Road becomes a gravel road. Head south until you eventually reach a dead end and a gated entry. The gate will be wide open, for many pass through it. Continue down the widened, winding road ahead. Follow the tread marks of all those who have gone before –until you arrive. See you there!”
The path down Wandering Road is well-traveled, leading many lost souls astray.
Our tendency as humans is to wander, lose our way, follow the path many take, and think we can make it safely on our own–when, in fact, we have no idea where we are when we are not being led by the ONE guide we need to direct us on the right pathway.
God understands us. We need simple, specific directions. He gives us ONE. There is just ONE way to our Father’s house. Jesus declared that He is that way. We do not need landmarks or directives to turn here or there, south or east. We just need Jesus.
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)
We need the ONE who will help us enter through the gate
to our eternal home with God.
9 I am the gate; whoever enters through Me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. 11 “I am the Good Shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. (John 10: 9-11)
The Good Shepherd will guide us to the restful pasture that He has prepared for us. His direction leads us to life—to the fullest. There is no other way, no other path, no other entry. Only ONE.
1 The Lord is my Shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside quiet waters,
3 He refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for His name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff,
they comfort me.
(Psalm 23:1-4)
With Jesus, we are never alone on this journey of life. We know the Good Shepherd is always there watching over us, and if we stray, He will help us return home. When He opens that gate or door of opportunity, we must recognize that we are lost and need His guidance.
Many will rejoice over the one who was lost but is now found.
3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. (Luke 15:3-7)
Are we yet roaming on Wandering Road?
Do we still fumble with east and south directions, hoping an open gate will appear so we can proceed down a winding, well-traveled road—where, surely, many others have arrived safely? Time is on our side, we rationalize, as we continue to wander, straying farther away from the ONE, true way.
13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:13-14)
The ONE path to follow is behind the footprints of Jesus, showing us the way. When we become closer to the Lord and strive to be more like Him, we try to walk more in His footprints, not just as a follower behind. That path is not an easy one, but it is the one we must take. Bearing our own cross, the imprints of our burden are evident in our footprints, much smaller and with less depth than His, on a path made easier to walk because of Him.
We must daily strive to move forward, keeping in step on the path with Jesus.
Time is not on our side.
13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and get gain”; 14 whereas you do not know about tomorrow. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and we shall do this or that.” (James 4:13-15)
Day-by-day,
Step-by-step,
Following Him
On the ONE path
To the ONE Father
Through the ONE Savior.
(Sharon G. Tate blog 03/06/22) teacherforjesus.com Meditations on God’s Word
THE HOME OF NO GOODBYES
“Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.
2 In My Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you
that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And when I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also.
(John 14:1-3)
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Waving as we drove away,
My parents waving back,
From the front doorstep
Of my childhood home,
That memory held within,
Undisturbed by change.
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The house was then sold,
And they moved south.
I cannot let myself return,
The home does not exist,
New owners across time—
I never went back.
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Recently, I went to a doctor appointment in a city north of where I now live. I used to reside in that city for three years in the 1970s. It had grown exponentially since then when I would visit friends. Yet, on this trip, I saw empty malls and blank store front windows with no advertising or products displayed. Familiar businesses were gone with many closed stores, including the one where I worked those three years. I felt great sadness and loss with the changes. This view altered my former memories. I could not block out the newer perspective. I had gone back.
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Earth holds no treasures that endure,
Even memories fade with aging,
Yet, we long for some place secure
From birth to the very end of life,
Seeking always that changeless place
In a world where it cannot abide.
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Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” 5 And He who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also He said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” (Revelation 21:1-5)
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Looking beyond sight to faith,
Not back to memories that fade,
Jesus knocks at the door of our hearts,
Offering life eternal secure with Him;
The home prepared for us awaits,
Where goodbyes are never waved.
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14 For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city which is to come.
15 Through Him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God,
that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge His name. (Hebrews 13:14-15)
(Sharon G. Tate blog 02/19/2022) teacherforjesus.com Meditations on God’s Word
HE KNOWS MY NAME
3 . . . The sheep hear His voice, and He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When He has brought out all His own, He goes before them, and the sheep follow Him, for they know His voice. . .
14 I am the good shepherd. I know My own and My own know Me, 15 just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. (Matthew 10: 3-4, 14-15)
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Do you long to hear His voice?
How long, O Lord?
I wait for His calling,
the Voice of the One
who knows me completely—
from the womb to childhood,
in the passage of adolescence,
through the ages of adulthood.
In all the seasons of my life,
He has been with me.
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One day, I will be called
By the One who knows my name.
I will know His voice.
He will lead, and I will follow.
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Psalm 23
1 The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters,
3 He restores my soul. . .
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the House of the Lord forever–
WITH THE ONE WHO KNOWS ME and MY NAME.
(Sharon G. Tate blog 10/17/21) teacherforjesus.com Meditations on God’s Word
JESUS: OUR ABIDING, EVER-PRESENT FRIEND
“What a friend we have in Jesus.
All our sins and griefs to bear!
Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Precious Savior, still our refuge—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,
Thou wilt find a solace there.” 1
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There are friends who are there for a time of loss or a time of crisis for a season, and there are special friends who are there for seasons. But there is not one there for every grief and every sorrow as an ever-present, abiding refuge to listen, to care, to shield, to love. There is not one earthly friend/companion here who can take our sins and griefs and bear these in a personal sacrifice of his or her own life.
There is but ONE:
“Precious Savior—still our refuge”
STILL
Now
Always
Eternally
Faithful.
Amen.
12 “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:12-13)
Our Savior had the greatest love as He gave His life for friends and enemy alike.
“WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS.”
The One who gave His life for every one individually.
Our FRIEND, Our SAVIOR, Our LORD.
1 https://www.hymnal.net Lyrics:Joseph Scriven Music: Charles Crozat Converse
(Sharon G. Tate blog 07/04/21 teacherforjesus.com Meditations on God’s Word
The Decision to Limp or Soar
20 So Ahab sent to all the people of Israel, and gathered the prophets together at Mount Carmel. 21 And Eli′jah came near to all the people, and said, “How long will you go limping with two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Ba′al, then follow him.”
And the people did not answer him a word. (I Kings 18: 20-21)
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A lone eagle perched on a dead tree branch. Watching. Looking. How long? To stay and build a nest here. To go and seek a more life-sustaining home. The eagle cannot remain in that stance on the branch. A decision must be made.
Like the eagle, we cannot sit on a branch or straddle a fence and remain there. A choice must be made where we will dwell. Indecision is not an option with God. We are for Him –or we are against Him. “How long will you go limping with two different opinions?”—when you could soar like an eagle.
. . .but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,
they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not faint.
(Isaiah 40:31)
Willingness to make the choice and commitment to follow the Lord.
Christ made the choice and was committed to it throughout His life unto His death. He was not a fence straddler or a branch sitter. He chose. He acted. He committed Himself to the choice of giving us salvation through Him in His act of death on the cross. He was the only One capable of giving us renewed strength to soar above the sin of this world that we might view a higher plane and strive to dwell there.
With the Lord, we will not be limping. Our strength will be renewed. We can soar to new heights of understanding, compassion, and love. We will not be divided internally. Our commitment will result in the resolution to act for Him, to be like Him, to follow only Him.
We will not be the people who “did not answer a word” when asked “how long will you go limping with two different opinions.” We will answer.
14 “Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve Him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River, and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 And if you be unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:14-15)
Others will see us soar, watch where we land, notice how we build our homes, and observe the way we live our lives in service only to the Lord.
Will they still choose to limp as we soar?
The noncommitted must see the faithful
Live committed lives for Christ,
That they too will choose to answer–
“But as for me and my house,
we will serve the LORD.”
(Sharon G. Tate blog 06/17/21) teacherforjesus.com Meditations on God’s Word
To Train a Child: The Influence of a Godly Mother
Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6
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Teacher, nurse, doctor, lawyer, judge, chef, hygienist, interior decorator, mechanic, psychologist, hairdresser, librarian, negotiator, cheerleader, financial advisor, role model, artist, and so much more.
MOTHER: Multi-Occupational, Talented HER.
HER role is pivotal in the life of her children. HER influence emanates through the life of her child from birth to death—and throughout eternity. When a God-fearing mother is that influential presence, Proverbs 22:6 can be fulfilled. Father and mother are both the responsible trainers in their children’s lives, but the mother has the initial bond internally in child-bearing and continues to be the child-bearer in many ways throughout the life of her daughter or son.
“Being a mother means that your heart is no longer yours; it wanders wherever your children do.” (George Bernard Shaw) 1
“A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.” ― Washington Irving 2
A praying mother is a powerful presence, moving through time with her sons and daughters.
“I remember my mother’s prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life.” (Abraham Lincoln) 3
A praying mother has no boundaries of space, traveling ahead of her children with protective prayer.
“If you have a mom, there is nowhere you are likely to go where a prayer has not already been.” (Robert Brault) 4
God gave mothers a special place in His plan. A human mother bore the Savior of us all. Mothers bear the children who have the potential to become the followers of Jesus and carry on His work here in His church and throughout the world—if properly trained, if earnestly prayed for, if devoutly reared by a Godly mother.
May we be mothers who carry forth the plan God designed for us. God help us faithfully nurture and raise children who will know the Way to go and never depart from it. Amen.
1 quotetab.com
2 goodreads.com
3 brainyquote.com
4 pinterest.com
(Sharon G. Tate blog 05/09 21) teacherforjesus.com Meditations on God’s Word