Author: Ms. Rita's Minute

Kindness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit mentioned in the Bible (Galatians 5:22/NLT) along with love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. It is one behavior we can all stand to receive and bestow, especially in these latter times of temptation toward angst and frustration.

Kindness is the quality of being gentle, caring, friendly, helpful, generous, considerate, warm-hearted, humane and sympathetic.

The Bible teaches us in Proverbs 19:22/NKJV, that “what is desired in a man is kindness… .” We also find that Proverbs 31:26/NKJV describes this amiable quality as a trait of a virtuous woman, one who “opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness.”

Kindness is exemplified in God’s love toward us, demonstrated largely by his mercy toward us in a myriad of ways. “His merciful kindness is great toward us, and the truth of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!” (Psalm 117:2/NKJV) “But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:4-7/NKJV).

We see in Acts 28:2/NKJV, that the Apostle Paul was certainly appreciative of the kindness granted to him on the Island of Malta where he was shipwrecked while on his way to Rome: “The natives showed us unusual kindness; for they kindled a fire and made us all welcome, because of the rain that was falling and because of the cold.” There are also many acts of kindness shown throughout the Bible, especially the wonderful works of Jesus as he “…went about doing good and healing everyone oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him” (Acts 10:38/NKJV).

So, when we think of clothing ourselves each day, perhaps we should consider this holy attire of heaven: “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do” (Colossians 3:12-13/NKJV).

Showing tact and thoughtfulness toward others despite how they look, where they live, or how they speak is a major mark of maturity and godliness in the life of a believer. It is certainly a challenge in some situations to do so, but any good thing we do is noticed by the Lord and we glorify our heavenly Father when we do so.

There’s nothing like the blessing of knowing God is with you. You’ve accepted the sacrificing atonement given through Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection, turned from your old ways of being and doing, and now being sanctified daily, transformed more and more into the image of Christ. You can now rest in knowing that you are never alone and God is always with you, until the end of the world (see Matthew 28:20).

God has many names, but I’m rejoicing today in His names: Jehovah Immeka, “The Lord is with you”, Jehovah El Roi, “The God who sees,” and Immanuel, “God with us.” His Hebrew names reflect the essence of who He is in many awesome ways.

I love seeing Jehovah Immeka in the book of Judges 6:12 where we meet Gideon when the Angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said to him, “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!” In verses 13-14, Gideon is feeling insecure as God tells him: “…“Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?” Then Gideon responds in verses 15-16: “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” Yet God assures him “…Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man.”

We encounter Jehovah El Roi in the bible in Genesis 16:9-13, where Hagar, a maid fled the harsh treatment of her mistress, Sarai. She was found by the Angel of the Lord who told her to return and submit to Sarai, and blessed her with some prophetic words regarding the future of her family to which she declared she had seen the God who sees. “Then the Angel of the Lord said to her, “I will multiply your descendants exceedingly so that they shall not be counted for multitude.”  And the Angel of the Lord said to her:

“Behold, you are with child,
And you shall bear a son.
You shall call his name Ishmael,
Because the Lord has heard your affliction.
He shall be a wild man;
His hand shall be against every man,
And every man’s hand against him.
And he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.”

Further in Matthew 1:19-21, we find a young man named Joseph told by an angel from God in a dream that he was not to be afraid to take Mary, a young virgin to whom he was engaged, to be his wife, as that which had been conceived in her was of the Holy Spirit and that she would have a Son, and he should call him Jesus, as He would save His people from their sins. This was prophecy being fulfilled, that “…was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:  “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” (Matthew 1:22-23) Imagine having to believe something that had never been seen with one’s natural eyes.

Another instance of God’s presence in the bible is the story in the book of Joshua, where Moses has now died and the Lord tells him to cross over Jordan into the land he was giving them and how “Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses” (Joshua 1:3). God encouraged him to be strong and courageous that he would be with him as he had been with Moses, and that He wouldn’t leave him.

Moreover, in Joshua 1:7-8, God told Joshua to observe to do according to all the laws that Moses commanded him, and not to turn from them, so that he’d prosper wherever he went. His instructions were that he should keep God’s word in his mouth and meditate on it day and night, and this would make him successful. This is very important information for us today. In addition, God told him in Joshua 1:9, not to be frightened or dismayed, but that he was with him wherever he went. So, not only would he prosper him, but he would be with him everywhere. Who wouldn’t want a God like that?

With that said, please be encouraged that you are never alone, despite how you may feel or how your circumstances might appear. Why? Because God said so. He is our great Shepherd on whom we can surely rely. We see how he cares for the birds of the air and how they don’t plant or harvest or gather in barns and our heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t we much more valuable to Him? (See Matthew 6:26-27.)

The Bible talks about two kinds of wisdom: heavenly and earthly. We may think that we should subscribe to the wisdom of earth since this is what we’re most accustomed to. However, there is a better wisdom available to us: heavenly wisdom.

Heavenly wisdom in James 3 is described as:

• pure
• peace-loving
• considerate
• submissive
• full of mercy and good fruit
• impartial and sincere.

The elements of earthly wisdom:

• unspiritual
• demonic
• harboring envy and selfish ambition in our hearts,

producing:

• disorder
• and every evil practice.

James 3 also tells us that those of us who are wise and understanding are to show it by our good lives, works done in humility from wisdom, concluding: Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

There are various ways God may communicate with us. Some of those ways: the Bible, another person, or inner promptings. The Bible tells us to be led by the Spirit of God which means we must accept His guidance. Of course, any way we may hear from God, must line up with scripture to be valid, yet I decided to share my experience in God’s leading, as today I went through an inconvenience of losing something, only to find it again with God’s supernatural help.

Being someone who has a place for everything whether it is in a color coordinated closet, a labeled bag, box, or shelf, I feel the need to know where everything is at any moment. (Don’t judge me.) This time, it was a white cloth bag labeled Beautiful Things that contained two pair of eyeglasses I had purchased on my latest visit to the optometrist. We all know how much glasses can cost, so I must say I was a bit frantic. I only had one other older pair I kept in my purse that at times I still find somewhat comfortable to wear. And then there are those readers I use with my contacts. Yet today, I really wanted to wear a pair of my newer glasses and could not find the bag.

I looked everywhere in every bag and drawer that existed, to no avail. I even checked my car. Then finally, again, I remembered to ask God, wondering why I didn’t do so sooner. “Lord, where are my glasses?”

Unfortunately, I tried to tell myself to recheck the black bag, or the bag by the kitchen. I tried too hard to hear the words God might form in my mind. Why hadn’t I learned from the past? This doesn’t work. Eventually, I sat on the bed and quietly prayed, “Lord, you always help me to find things I misplace. I’ve prayed about my possessions, and you are always faithful to answer. Within a minute I just got up, not hearing anything, pulled out a bag I had already checked and found the glasses in the bag. I had overlooked it twice.

I tell this story to say that sometimes, God will answer you without words etched in your thoughts. If His Spirit dwells in you, at times you will be led directly to what is needed, but you should ask for His help. Trying to do it on your own can just waste a lot of time. Sometimes, you may feel a strong urge to do something. But today, I’m remembering that sometimes you will hear and feel nothing, but you’ll just move to action with success. This happened to me two other times with a debit card.

After being out running errands, I came home to realize I didn’t have my debit card in my purse. I couldn’t imagine losing it. I take special precautions to make sure I don’t leave it with a cashier or drop it, yet I couldn’t find it anywhere. After spending about 20 minutes looking for it without success. I asked the Lord where it was. I heard nothing, but imagined he said something, still finding nothing. I felt defeated and worried. I just sat still and inquired of the Lord again. I calmed myself from worry and with a few minutes, I stood up and happened to look down and found my card in a very strange place that I couldn’t imagine I would even look. It was wedged in the corner under my bed with a slight peak of the card showing under the comforter. How in the world did that happen? I felt so foolish, yet so relieved to find it. “Thank you, Lord!” He’d come through for me again.

Sometimes, God will lead you without you even asking at the moment. I remember going to a pharmacy for my mother to purchase her medication. Upon making my purchase I was just about to leave through the store’s exit, and for no reason I could think of at the time, I just turned around and began to walk back to the pharmacy counter. I wasn’t even thinking of any specific thing. I glanced down and saw my mother’s debit card on the floor. I quickly snatched it up as this was unthinkable to me. I had never misplaced a debit card before. I felt disappointed at myself, but at the same time grateful. I walked out of that store knowing that I’d never forget this as long as I lived. I have no doubt God led me back to the rear of the store even though I wasn’t using my thoughts with reason to do so. I love Him so much for caring.

As I think further, there have been several other times when the Lord has come through for me as I asked for His help with a search. Like when He allowed me to find my favorite pearl earring, I was sure I had lost.

I feel so blessed in these occurrences though initially they may be scary. To know He cares even about the little practical things of life amazes me. I’m convinced this is just one of the many blessings of being His child with acknowledging Him and humbly asking Him for help when you need it.

James 1:5 tells us, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” So don’t hesitate to ask the Lord for the help you need. Sometimes, pride may cause us to want to rely on ourselves, but often we find this won’t suffice.

I don’t want to forget the Lord’s promise in John 14:16-17, “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.”

According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, in 2022, the number of homeless people in one night in the United States was 582,462. Also, in 2022, 49 million people accessed food banks and community programs for food according to USDA reporting. So, clearly, there’s been no shortage of people in need in America.

An interesting observation of how Jesus sees our provision to those who are poor is illustrated in Matthew 25:35, when he stated, “…For I was hungry, and you gave Me food, I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink, I was a stranger, and you took Me in…” and in Matthew 25:40, “…whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Here he has shown himself as the recipient of any blessings we provide the needy which elevates the importance of our action.

The Old Testament of the Bible mentions God’s thoughts on what our attitude should be toward helping the poor when He stated in Deuteronomy 15:7, “If there be among you a poor man, one of your brothers within any of your gates in your land which the Lord your God has given you, you must not harden your heart or shut your hand from your poor brother.” He also mentions in Deuteronomy 15:11 how one should give, “For the poor will never cease from being in the land. Therefore, I command you, saying, “You shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and needy in your land.” This indicates a different view from giving of the occasional dollar or two when encountering someone in need.

We are also shown God’s chastisement of those who would take advantage of, or ignore, the poor in Proverbs 22:16, “He who oppresses the poor to increase his riches, and he who gives to the rich, will surely come to want,” and “He who gives to the poor will not lack, but he who hides his eyes will have many a curse.” (Proverbs 28:27)

On the other hand, we may expect that there are some rewards for giving to the poor. We are told in Proverbs 19:17, “He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will repay what he has given.” “Blessed are those who consider the poor; the Lord will deliver them in the day of trouble. (Psalm 41:1) “He who has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he gives of his bread to the poor.”(Proverbs 22:9)

If one is not sure how and where one provides donations, there are many local churches who provide pantries and foodbanks as service to the poor, as well as donations and sponsorship of food distribution along with other organizations. A quick Google search or conversation with a familiar donor might be of assistance.

For those who may be skeptical of giving monetarily to organizations who help the poor, one may donate one’s time or food in participating in the feeding of the poor or choose organizations where their donations are publicly accounted for and shown on charity accountability websites like CharityWatch, Charity Navigators, or the BBB Wise Giving Alliance.

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Vowing to do life with someone until death is a noble promise. Therefore, before committing, serious self-reflection as well as assessment of the person one desires to marry should be considered. A careful plan that strategizes one’s route to marital success is necessary to avoid the pain and cost of a heart wrenching divorce.

One can choose a mate solely with the wisdom and knowledge they’ve gained on the topic from various sources such as observation of other married couples; Internet articles, videos and podcasts; or books, friends, and relatives. Or one can choose a mate seeking God’s will on the matter as to the biblical and comparable attributes the person should have, along with God’s preferred timing. This would happen via prayer, Bible study, and marriage counseling. Also, those personal elements of one’s attraction or preference, desired in a spouse, are considered.

Since God is all-knowing and sovereign, one can trust that He knows more about a person than they know themselves. He sees the future of both individuals, knows their motivations and personalities well, and the purposes they’ve been created to fulfill. Surely, He knows what’s best and is happy to counsel for success. We mustn’t forget that His Holy Spirit is also known as the Counselor. “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth.” (John 14:16-17) The Greek word for advocate here is paraclete which is likened to a counselor or comforter.

Perhaps most important is that one’s choice should be fairly equal in spirituality among other things. “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness? What communion has light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14) Yet other things to take into account would be one’s liking regarding: interests, education, career, appearance, hobbies, childrearing, etc.

A rewarding experience rests in spending quality time with the Lord and one’s Bible, pen and paper to learn and record what He would say specifically to you about the spouse He desires for you and how you should best prepare. To do anything less would be unwise in making such an important decision. When we are sincere about acquiring godly wisdom, God is faithful to reveal to us those necessary truths in various ways.

The Bible tells us in Psalm 37:4 to “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” So, perhaps we should expect our desires to become His desires as we seek Him diligently. If we’re open to receive from Him, overtime we’d find ourselves learning much about what we should keep our eyes open for in choosing a mate.

Ultimately, we are left with the choice, but God will certainly assist us, if we allow Him to do so. To be successful in choosing, we have to be honest in relinquishing any wrong information we may have held as a standard for a spouse. Remember the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God (1 Corinthians 3:19).

Ah, life! God has given it to us in His image! As a result, His glory should shine on our faces in gratitude. We have so much to be thankful for. Our existence in many colors, sizes and personalities make us masterfully arranged art pieces of great value. God knows well how He’s formed us and what He’s fashioned us to perform, and in knowing what He’s created, we should embrace His brilliance.

The bible says in Genesis 1:27, ” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God, He created him; male and female He created them.” Yet why were we created? “…bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth— everyone who is called by My name, whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him.” (Isaiah 43:6-7) For His glory! Further, Ephesians 2:10 declares “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

Isn’t that something to be thrilled about–the fact that we are God’s artistry or design? The reality that we have a purpose and godly destiny chosen uniquely for us, gives us confidence in the face of any insecurities or frustrations we may possess. Moreover, however we may lack in appearance or substance, we should never forget the truth of God’s word concerning us.

Have you ever allowed the enemy to make you feel anything other than grateful for how God has fashioned you? The fact that you are even alive is a blessing alone. In addition, all that God sees in us is maybe beyond our imagination or comprehension. Perhaps we should just confidently and joyfully embrace the fact that we are a marvelous work of our Great Creator.

On thinking about how trials and tribulations can affect one’s faith, I questioned the status of my own heart’s durability of remaining steadfast and continually receiving God’s word with confidence. I remembered Mark 4:3-8, 16 of the Bible where the Lord tells a great crowd a parable (a basic story used to demonstrate a spiritual or moral lesson) of a farmer sowing seed which fell in different places and its various effects on the plants. He mentions the seed falling on the pathway, rocky places, among thorns, and in good soil. However, I’m focusing specifically on the verses that reference the rocky places and its effect on the plants, also citing its account in Matthew 13:20-21.

Mark 4:5-6 tells us that some seed “…fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.”

Matthew 13:20-21 speaks of the same parable but explains “The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.”

The root of a plant is its support where the plant attaches itself in the soil, the bottom part. The soil must be cultivated. It is where the plant gets its nutrients. A rocky place is not a good place for things to grow. However, some growth may occur in rocky places, but it doesn’t last very long. A plant’s roots can’t grow well in rocks. The rocks hinder growth and later any intense heat would cause the plant to die.

Soil can be filled with pebbles or rocks, lack moisture and nutrients, become compacted, and hard to dig or loosen. This causes the plant to absorb and drain water poorly. Poor drainage potentially causes flooding producing overly wet soil that will leach nutrients, and topsoil can wash away. Soil becomes contaminated from overuse of toxins or chemicals reducing the soil’s fertility.

Assessing our own hearts, we might ask ourselves if our faith would stand when tested by troubles or doubts. Do we keep God first regarding time and interest? Do we get excited about His word, but later pressure causes us to get discouraged toward unbelief? Does our faith have depth? Or are we fickle about the word of God in that we are excited one moment, then later we aren’t? Do we lack endurance? These are important questions for us to consider before facing the trouble and persecution of a Christian’s life. It’s better to be alert and ready ahead of time.

The soil of a plant can be likened to our hearts, with the implanting of the seed of God’s word being necessary to successfully maintain a strong walk of Christian faith. Nurturing this seed in our soil might look like consistent time in personal bible study, meditation on scripture, as well as growing in wisdom through doctrinally sound church sermons and Christian books. All of these aid in strengthening our roots for support that is strong and deep. However, if we allow too many negative stones access to our hearts like false doctrine, offenses toward others, and compromise toward the bible’s teachings, our soil will become shallow. We then risk becoming discouraged, frustrated, weary, and bitter, leading to unbelief.

Let’s remember to do occasional heart checks to ensure we are doing our part to maintain a strong, faith foundation for deep spiritual growth in our lives.

We should fully embrace 1 Corinthians 3:11, “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” Dependence upon this foundation will ensure that our roots are nourished, and our hearts remain healthy.

There’s an interesting satisfaction and flexibility in being content with one’s own life. Wherever we may find ourselves in terms of our relationships, finances, careers, health, etc., embracing being content in God’s care, we are able to experience freedom. This freedom can eliminate the pressure we may feel to perform by the standards of others and allows us room to relax and trust God’s will to manifest in our lives. Knowing and depending upon what God says to us in the Bible regarding this matter is of utmost importance and help.

I define being content as choosing to stay optimistic and hopeful in whatever circumstances we face. Whether trials and tribulations or joys and triumphs, we choose happiness and trusting God over self-pity or bitterness. We realize that as we offer our bodies as “living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God” (Romans 12:1), we can expect nothing less than God’s best for us.

In Philippians 4:11-13 the Apostle Paul shared that he’d learned that in whatever state he was, to be content:  “… I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things, I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” He also reminds us in 1 Timothy 6:6 that “… godliness with contentment is great gain.” What’s key here for me is knowing our ability to endure, succeed, or accomplish anything comes from Christ who strengthens us. Isn’t it a blessing that we don’t have to do it alone?

So, when we’re face with the hard places of life or the ecstatic places of joy and abundance, we can rest in knowing that God favors and loves us as His own. We have the freedom of contentment because we have the promises of God for our lives. The Bible describes them as “exceedingly great and precious” in 2 Peter 1:4. Hence, why would we not embrace the freedom this affords us? When we’re faced with fear and doubt, we can remember Psalm 118:5, ““Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free.” Remember, the Lord is our Shepherd! It is good to be content.