Need Answers? Ask
God!
This
week in honor of our Saddle Ridge Ranch VBS theme I rounded up some
Cowboy
Wisdom:
Never approach a bull from the
front, a horse from the rear or a fool from any direction.
A day without sunshine is, like,
night.
When you get bucked off, dust off your britches and get back
on.
If you haven’t been bucked off, you haven’t ridden
much.
Only
cows know why they stampede.
Never
slap a cowboy who’s chewin’
tobacco.
Always drink upstream from the herd.
If
you're ridin' ahead of the herd, take a look back
every now and then to make sure it's still there with ya.
Never kick a cow chip on a hot
day.
Don't
squat with your spurs on.
You
can't tell how good a man or a watermelon is 'til they get
thumped.
Our motto for
Why do we need
wisdom?
We need wisdom because life is full
of questions. If we back up a couple verses, before James says that we should
ask for wisdom, he says that we should “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever
you face trials of many kinds.” We need wisdom because we face times in life
that test us. We have to make tough decisions. As life tests us questions arise
in us, like: What do I do now? Should I take this job? Should I move my family?
Is God real? Can I know Him? What should I do?
Where do we find
answers?
Ask God.
James writes, “Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should
ask God (James 1:5).” James is saying that when we are in the midst of
trials and testing, we should ask for wisdom for the moment. When we need
answers for life, God is the one who knows all. After all, He is truth! He can
give us the answers we need, and according to this passage, He
will!
Receive the Answer – James
1:5
James 1:5 goes on to say, we “should ask God, who gives to all
generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him.” God, on
the other hand, says that He will give to us generously if we will ask Him in
faith. If we as earthly parents want our children to have answers to life’s
toughest questions, how much more will our Heavenly Father want us to receive
the answers that we need?
Grow – James
1:3-4
Questions lead to maturity. Your
kids learn more every time they ask a question and
receives an answer. James says that our test of faith will produce
endurance, “but endurance must do its
complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.”
Every test that we come up against will strengthen our faith, if we will allow
it. We are tested, so that we can grow up in our relationship with God.
Here’s an important question you may
want the answer to today: How can I have a relationship with God?
To learn how to become a Christian,
we use the letters A, B, and C to remind us of three important words.
A stands for
admit. When
God’s Holy Spirit lets you know it is time to trust Jesus as your Savior and
Lord, the first thing you must do is admit to God that you are a sinner. You
need to ask God to forgive you of your sin, and tell God you want Him to change
you. This is called repenting. Acts 3:19 says, "Repent therefore and be converted, that
your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the
presence of the Lord.”
B is for believe. To become a Christian you must
believe that Jesus is God’s Son and accept Jesus’ gift of forgiveness from sin.
John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the
world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should
not perish but have everlasting life.”
C stands for
confess.
Confess your faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord. Give God the reins, let him control your ride. Romans 10:9,10 says, “That if
you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God
raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you
believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are
saved.”
You can begin a relationship with
God by following these simple steps. Jesus becomes your Savior and Lord when you
admit you are a sinner, believe that Jesus is God’s Son and trust Jesus to save
you, and confess your faith in Him as your Savior and Lord. If you are ready,
you do all of this by one simple conversation with God. If you feel all this
deep inside your soul, allow me to help you with what you might say to
Him.
God, I’m a sorry sinner that
realizes I cannot save myself, so I need you. I should be punished for what I am
and what I have done, but I know that Jesus took all that punishment for me. I
am now askin’ forgiveness and I am handin’ you, not just the reins, but the whole bridle of my
life. Thank you for loving me and saving me.
Faith is trustin’ God no matter what the trial or test. Trusting in
God ensures a home in heaven and help along the trail even though it might be a
rough ride at times.
One last bit of cowboy wisdom,
“Never miss a good chance to shut up.”
So I’m gonna stop right there.
Need answers? Ask
God!