thoughts by Bethany Hayes Archives - Page 5 of 5

Published November 30, 2012

Grand Theft

“You are not your own. For you were bought at a price.”
1 Corinthians 6:20 (NKJV)

Sitting in a Shari’s booth the other day with a friend, I looked outside as someone’s car alarm was blaring incessantly. I wondered what was taking the guy in the backseat so long to turn it off. (This happens to me frequently. It’s embarrassing!)

Suddenly the “guy in the backseat” took off running, carrying something close to his chest. The car alarm continued to blare in front of a whole line of onlookers watching from their booths.

Just as he jumped into a waiting car, someone in the restaurant cried, “Call the cops!” and the car reeled away in a mad escape.

I had just witnessed a burglary.

Burglary.

Just the word sounds evil, dirty; like something I would never do.
I would never take something that belonged to someone else. And certainly not in front of curious onlookers trying to enjoy a meal!

Then, I read in Scripture that I am not my own. I don’t belong to myself.
I am God’s.

If my life is not my own, what kind of theft am I committing when I make decisions without Him in mind? Without considering if my decisions would reflect His ownership over me, or mine?

This would be “Grand Theft,” because we’ve been bought with a price far greater than we could have paid.

Belonging to the Lord is true freedom, and He is a careful Guardian.
We don’t need to take what belongs to Him into our own hands and do whatever we think is better.

What kind of lives would we live in secret and in front of onlookers if we remembered that our lives are not our own?

They are either His. . .

Or Stolen.

You can comment on this devotional online at:
https://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2012/11/30/bh_grand-theft/

Thoughts by All thoughts by Bethany Hayes Thoughts by Women

Published February 28, 2012

What is Greatness?

by Bethany Hayes

If someone were to ask you the question, “Who was the greatest person who ever lived?” what would be your answer?

Moses? King David? The Apostle Paul? Abraham Lincoln?

What about. . . .John the Baptist?

Jesus said, “Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist.” (Matthew 11:11)

But why? Why was John the Baptist considered the greatest person who ever lived?

He wasn’t the son of a king. He was the son of a common, elderly couple.
He was despised by many and eventually decapitated.
He lived in isolation.
He fearlessly rebuked the people for sin.
He lived a separate way of life.
He didn’t even become a priest (like his father).

But when his miraculous birth was announced, Gabriel told Zacharias he would be “great in the eyes of the Lord.”

John would be the promised prophet who would prepare the way for the life and ministry of the Messiah. He would point many to Christ.

But Gabriel also said he would be filled with the Holy Spirit, “even from his mother’s womb.” God’s Spirit would be in total control of his life.

Others would have a huge influence – his godly mother and a wicked woman who arranged his death.

But the greatest influence on his life would be that of the Holy Spirit.

John the Baptist became “great,” because of who GOD made him to be.

But listen to what Jesus said next: “Not withstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

Because greatness isn’t determined by. . .
What kind of human influences we’ve had in our lives, or haven’t had.
Who our family was, or wasn’t.
What we did for the Lord, or what we didn’t do.

True greatness is determined by what GOD has done in our lives.

It doesn’t matter whether we’re called . . .
“the least“,
“greater than”, or
“the greatest“.

If we’re seeking to be filled with His Spirit – letting HIM have total control – we’re considered “great in the eyes of the Lord.”

“GREAT” . . . .because of what God is making us to be.

You can comment on this devotional online at:
https://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2012/02/28/bh_what-is-greatness/
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Short Thoughts for Cell Phones – God-daily.com

Thoughts by All thoughts by Bethany Hayes Thoughts by Women

Published April 27, 2011

What If. . .?

by Bethany Hayes

Of all the questions we ask in life,
the “What if. . . ?”questions seem to be the most popular. What if this happens? What if that doesn’t happen? What if so-and-so doesn’t come through on his promise? What if she were to do such-and-such. . . .What if. . .? “What if” questions rarely have answers. But we tend to ask them anyway.

The disciples did the same thing. They begged for unattainable answers to complicated questions. Jesus explained to His followers how unprofitable this questioning is. To be free from anxiety involves asking a completely different set of questions—questions with simple answers.

See if you can answer the same questions He asked His disciples:

•    Aren’t your life and your body more important than food and clothing? (Matthew 6:25)
•    The birds of the air are fed by your heavenly Father. Aren’t you more valuable to Him than they are? (Matthew 6:26)
•    Which of you by worrying can add to your height or your life span? (Matthew 6:27)
•    If God clothes the momentary grass of the field with such beauty, won’t He provide your needs in greater abundance? (Matthew 6:30)

The disciples knew the answers to these questions. And so do we.

We are all prone to ask the complicated “what if” questions, when we should be dwelling on what we already know. The simple, unchangeable truth will turn our focus away from our cares to the God who cares. Let’s not unnecessarily carry them on our own.

Category: <span>thoughts by Bethany Hayes</span>

Grand Theft

What is Greatness?

What If. . .?