"But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way."
-Daniel 1:8
Last week I was playing basketball as I normally do twice a week. The game was close to finishing, with our team only two points away from winning (in pickup basketball, normal shots are worth one point, three pointers are worth two). Our best shooter was checking the ball with the other team, while I stood on the right wing. The defending team was playing a zone defense, which is very uncommon in pickup basketball. A "zone defense" refers to a defensive strategy in which the players defend an area of the court, as opposed to a "man defense" in which the players defend a specified opposing player.
It turned out that the opposing team's zone defense left me wide open on the right wing behind the three point line. The ball was checked up, and my teammate passed me the ball. One of my teammates called out to me to shoot the ball, since I was wide open. However, I am not a great three point shooter; I am much better at layups and post ups. As I caught the ball, I noticed that the defender guarding our best shooter started sprinting over to contest my shot. I immediately realized the best course of action was to simply pass the ball right back to my teammate. I passed him the ball, he shot the ball, and we won the game.
One of the often overlooked parts of basketball and sports in general is decision making. Many people believe that all you need to be good at basketball is skill. Of course skill is important in basketball, but good decision making is almost just as important. A highly skilled player that makes poor decisions or is indecisive can often hurt a team more than help a team. Take the story above as an example. When I was passed the ball, I could have done a number of different things. Many people would have simply shot the ball, regardless of their skill level. I also could have chosen to drive to the basket, but making a layup would only give our team one point. Passing the ball to a superior shooter would increase our chances of winning the game.
Some of you reading this may not quite understand all of the basketball references I just made, but the general idea remains- decision making is important. The verse at the beginning of this post is from the book of Daniel. It describes how Daniel chose not to indulge in the choice foods that the king of Babylon offered to him. Could Daniel have chosen to eat the king's food and still followed God's will? I'm sure he could have. However, it would have been much harder for Daniel to see God as his provider if he accepted the provision of the king of Babylon.
Making good choices can be hard because sometimes there is no wrong choice. I could have chosen to shoot the ball without anyone questioning me because I was open. However, I chose to pass rather than shoot because there was a better choice available. Also, making the right choice can be hard because it's not always the easy choice. Many people would have shot the ball because they could experience the satisfaction of shooting the winning shot. Passing the ball gives away that chance. However, even though I would have rather had the glory of the game winning shot, I chose to make the better play.
When Daniel chose to only eat vegetables instead of the choice foods, I'm sure it was hard for him. He probably had moments where he wished he'd have chosen the king's food. However, he stuck to his decision. How? He prayed. Chapter one of Daniel doesn't mention anything about Daniel praying, but later in the book it describes that he was a man of prayer. I believe Daniel was only able to make the best choice by praying and obeying God's will.
Our lives are full of choices. Some are small and inconsequential, others can change the course of life. Some choices are harder to make than others. However, we need to bring all things before God in prayer. God has given us the Holy Spirit to be our counselor. We should consult Him at all times to make the best decisions we can in our lives. Only God knows what is best for our lives, and only God can give us the strength to make the hard choices.
-Smart
Story from the Tech Store
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."
-Romans 8:28
Back when I was in college, I worked at my school's technology store. The store mainly sold computers to students and faculty. One summer, I was working at the store when an incoming freshmen girl and her mom came in. I went over to help them, thinking it would just be a typical computer sale. They let me know that she was looking for a computer that she would use over the course of her college career. I asked her the usual set of questions that I would normally ask to gauge what computer would be best suited for her. I don't remember exactly how she answered the questions, but I recall that she had no real need for the model she was asking for- the MacBook Pro. Despite me thinking this, it was my job to make sure the customers were happy, so I went along with her request.
After determining the computer she wanted, I asked her which configuration of that computer she wanted. The main difference in the configurations is the storage space, so I asked her how much storage space she thought she would need. As was the case with most customers, she said she didn't know how much storage space she needed. I proceeded to go through the next series of actions that I normally did, which included looking at the storage space on her current devices. To my surprise, she was using almost 500GB of storage space on her current computer. I asked her if she knew what was taking all of this space, to which she again replied that she didn't know. I opened her computer settings, and found out that she had a huge quantity of photos and movies on her hard drive.
I spoke with the girl and her mom for the next couple of minutes, trying to determine whether she wanted to get the MacBook Pro model with the most storage space. The mother clearly didn't want to spend the money on that model, since it costs a few hundred dollars more than the other models. The girl seemed insistent that she "needed" the extra storage space. Knowing that the mother would ultimately be the one paying for the computer, I tried my best to convince them that the girl could use an external hard drive to store all of her photos and movies, but the girl claimed that this would be an inconvenience that she couldn't live without. After some more back and forth, the mother finally decided to buy her the computer that she wanted.
You might think that this is just a story of a spoiled girl who got something she probably didn't need or deserve. To some extent, that conclusion is true. However, as I reflected on this experience, I realized that this girl's mother teaches us something profound about God. The mother was very reluctant to buy her daughter the computer that she wanted, but the mom ultimately decided to buy it anyway. Even though the girl did nothing to deserve anything from her mother, her mother still treated her well.
How does this relate to God? Just like that girl, we all have done nothing to deserve anything good from God. However, just like the mother, God treats us as His children. Even when it hurt, God spared nothing to save us. However, there is one difference between God and that girl's mom. God works everything for our good, even if it doesn't make us feel good. The girl's mom did something that was both for the girl's good and comfort. The computer was something good that the girl needed for her schoolwork. Having an expensive computer with the maximum storage space was not necessarily for her good as much as it was for her comfort. She only wanted the storage space because it would make it comfortable for her to manage her pictures and movies.
Unfortunately, God doesn't always work for both our good and comfort. There are many examples in the Bible of people that God allowed to go through times that were not comfortable, but ended up being good for them. I've been reading (on and off) the early books in the Bible where God leads the Israelites out of the Egypt. It's obvious to readers like us that this was for their good, since they escaped the harsh conditions of slavery in Egypt. However, time and time again, the Israelites complain to God about their situation. Why? The Israelites were free but they weren't comfortable. They didn't feel good. The desert was harsh and God's laws were numerous. What the Israelites failed to realize was that even in their uncomfortable circumstances, God was working everything for their good.
God works everything for our good, even if it doesn't make us feel good. Often times we think that something that is good should also feel good. We easily complain like the Israelites in the wilderness. What's fascinating to me is that we should know from our experience that what is good doesn't always feel good. Think about exercise. Exercise is good for us, but it doesn't always feel good. Or think about food. The healthiest foods often don't taste the best. Why shouldn't the same be true of the rest of our lives? Be encouraged that even when things don't seem to be going well, God is always working for your good. One of the lines from the song "Good Good Father" gives us one more word of encouragement: "Cause You (God) know just what we need before we say a word."
-Smart
-Romans 8:28
Back when I was in college, I worked at my school's technology store. The store mainly sold computers to students and faculty. One summer, I was working at the store when an incoming freshmen girl and her mom came in. I went over to help them, thinking it would just be a typical computer sale. They let me know that she was looking for a computer that she would use over the course of her college career. I asked her the usual set of questions that I would normally ask to gauge what computer would be best suited for her. I don't remember exactly how she answered the questions, but I recall that she had no real need for the model she was asking for- the MacBook Pro. Despite me thinking this, it was my job to make sure the customers were happy, so I went along with her request.
After determining the computer she wanted, I asked her which configuration of that computer she wanted. The main difference in the configurations is the storage space, so I asked her how much storage space she thought she would need. As was the case with most customers, she said she didn't know how much storage space she needed. I proceeded to go through the next series of actions that I normally did, which included looking at the storage space on her current devices. To my surprise, she was using almost 500GB of storage space on her current computer. I asked her if she knew what was taking all of this space, to which she again replied that she didn't know. I opened her computer settings, and found out that she had a huge quantity of photos and movies on her hard drive.
I spoke with the girl and her mom for the next couple of minutes, trying to determine whether she wanted to get the MacBook Pro model with the most storage space. The mother clearly didn't want to spend the money on that model, since it costs a few hundred dollars more than the other models. The girl seemed insistent that she "needed" the extra storage space. Knowing that the mother would ultimately be the one paying for the computer, I tried my best to convince them that the girl could use an external hard drive to store all of her photos and movies, but the girl claimed that this would be an inconvenience that she couldn't live without. After some more back and forth, the mother finally decided to buy her the computer that she wanted.
You might think that this is just a story of a spoiled girl who got something she probably didn't need or deserve. To some extent, that conclusion is true. However, as I reflected on this experience, I realized that this girl's mother teaches us something profound about God. The mother was very reluctant to buy her daughter the computer that she wanted, but the mom ultimately decided to buy it anyway. Even though the girl did nothing to deserve anything from her mother, her mother still treated her well.
How does this relate to God? Just like that girl, we all have done nothing to deserve anything good from God. However, just like the mother, God treats us as His children. Even when it hurt, God spared nothing to save us. However, there is one difference between God and that girl's mom. God works everything for our good, even if it doesn't make us feel good. The girl's mom did something that was both for the girl's good and comfort. The computer was something good that the girl needed for her schoolwork. Having an expensive computer with the maximum storage space was not necessarily for her good as much as it was for her comfort. She only wanted the storage space because it would make it comfortable for her to manage her pictures and movies.
Unfortunately, God doesn't always work for both our good and comfort. There are many examples in the Bible of people that God allowed to go through times that were not comfortable, but ended up being good for them. I've been reading (on and off) the early books in the Bible where God leads the Israelites out of the Egypt. It's obvious to readers like us that this was for their good, since they escaped the harsh conditions of slavery in Egypt. However, time and time again, the Israelites complain to God about their situation. Why? The Israelites were free but they weren't comfortable. They didn't feel good. The desert was harsh and God's laws were numerous. What the Israelites failed to realize was that even in their uncomfortable circumstances, God was working everything for their good.
God works everything for our good, even if it doesn't make us feel good. Often times we think that something that is good should also feel good. We easily complain like the Israelites in the wilderness. What's fascinating to me is that we should know from our experience that what is good doesn't always feel good. Think about exercise. Exercise is good for us, but it doesn't always feel good. Or think about food. The healthiest foods often don't taste the best. Why shouldn't the same be true of the rest of our lives? Be encouraged that even when things don't seem to be going well, God is always working for your good. One of the lines from the song "Good Good Father" gives us one more word of encouragement: "Cause You (God) know just what we need before we say a word."
-Smart
Belief and Action
"What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?"
-James 2:14
One of the questions I often ask myself is how people can believe in something but not take any action based on that belief. I ask this question because I see it in so often in my life. I claim to believe many things, which you can read on this very blog, but often do not act on those beliefs. Why is this the case? Shouldn't what I believe change what I do?
The other day I was browsing Facebook (something I should probably do less of) when I stumbled across a photograph from a website. I almost scrolled right past it until I saw that it was actually my friend (who I'll leave unnamed) who was in the picture. I opened the link, and realized that my friend was arrested and put into jail because he stood with others to protest the death penalty. At first I was surprised at what I had just seen, but as I thought more about it, I realized that my friend was always the kind of person to act on his beliefs. I was inspired to write this post because of what my friend did.
There are many things that we believe and yet still do not act upon. Take saving energy for example. Many people, including myself, believe that we should use less energy. When you look at people's lives, how often do they actually take steps to reduce energy usage? Perhaps we will buy energy saving light bulbs or appliances, but how often will we change our lifestyle? Saving energy is just one example of how we can have a gap between what we believe and what we do.
So why is this the case? My first explanation was that true belief leads to action, so we must have never believed in the first place. While this answer might seem logical, the more I thought about it, the less I am convinced it is true. Take the example from before. When people say that they believe that we should use less energy, I don't doubt that they believe it. There must be another explanation of this problem.
I came to the conclusion that it is in fact possible to believe in something and still not act on it. It almost sounds contradictory, but I think we all experience the gap between belief and action in our lives. What is the real reason we fail to act on what we believe in? Effort and consequences. Think about it. Why don't people do more to save energy? It's because saving energy requires effort that we often aren't willing to put in. It's also because saving energy has the consequence of changing our comfortable lifestyle.
Another interesting thing I realized is that effort and consequences are related. The measure of effort we are willing to put in is based on the perceived consequences of the action. Although the word "consequence" is often used in a negative context, it actually can refer to both good and bad consequences. "Consequence" has essentially the same meaning as the word "result". With this in mind, we can see that the effort we are willing to put in is based on the negative and positive consequences. We don't take more steps to save energy because we don't think the effort required is worth the consequence of taking us out of our comfort and saving only a small amount of energy.
The book of James has a stern warning for Christians, as listed in the verse above. Faith without deeds is dead. In the words of this post, belief without action is useless. What good is it to believe in saving energy but never do it? Of course, everyone realizes this principle, but how do we actually do what we believe in? Somehow, we have to change our perception of the consequences of our actions. I truly believe in Jesus Christ. I truly want to surrender my entire life to Him. However, I am hesitant to take action because I don't think the effort required is worth the consequence of losing out on my comfort. I also don't see the full extent of the positive consequences of giving my life to Him.
I'm sure many of you reading this have the same struggles as myself. I want to encourage you first by saying that just because you aren't radically taking action doesn't mean you don't believe in God. However, I also want to encourage you to reevaluate your views on the effort and consequences of knowing God. Does your perception of the effort and consequences of living for God affect how you act every day?
Adam and Eve decided to sin against God, ignoring His warnings of the consequences. This sinful nature has been passed onto us, and so have the consequences of sin. The good news is that Jesus came down to this earth in order to save us. The effort we would need to put in order to pay for our sins is impossible for us to achieve. Jesus put in all the effort needed by dying on the cross in order to save us from the consequences of sin. Now, the only effort we need is to give our lives to Him. The consequence of giving our hearts to Him is that we will experience eternal life, even here on earth. The negative consequence of having to live a changed life is actually a positive consequence. Are we willing to put our beliefs into action?
-Smart
-James 2:14
One of the questions I often ask myself is how people can believe in something but not take any action based on that belief. I ask this question because I see it in so often in my life. I claim to believe many things, which you can read on this very blog, but often do not act on those beliefs. Why is this the case? Shouldn't what I believe change what I do?
The other day I was browsing Facebook (something I should probably do less of) when I stumbled across a photograph from a website. I almost scrolled right past it until I saw that it was actually my friend (who I'll leave unnamed) who was in the picture. I opened the link, and realized that my friend was arrested and put into jail because he stood with others to protest the death penalty. At first I was surprised at what I had just seen, but as I thought more about it, I realized that my friend was always the kind of person to act on his beliefs. I was inspired to write this post because of what my friend did.
There are many things that we believe and yet still do not act upon. Take saving energy for example. Many people, including myself, believe that we should use less energy. When you look at people's lives, how often do they actually take steps to reduce energy usage? Perhaps we will buy energy saving light bulbs or appliances, but how often will we change our lifestyle? Saving energy is just one example of how we can have a gap between what we believe and what we do.
So why is this the case? My first explanation was that true belief leads to action, so we must have never believed in the first place. While this answer might seem logical, the more I thought about it, the less I am convinced it is true. Take the example from before. When people say that they believe that we should use less energy, I don't doubt that they believe it. There must be another explanation of this problem.
I came to the conclusion that it is in fact possible to believe in something and still not act on it. It almost sounds contradictory, but I think we all experience the gap between belief and action in our lives. What is the real reason we fail to act on what we believe in? Effort and consequences. Think about it. Why don't people do more to save energy? It's because saving energy requires effort that we often aren't willing to put in. It's also because saving energy has the consequence of changing our comfortable lifestyle.
Another interesting thing I realized is that effort and consequences are related. The measure of effort we are willing to put in is based on the perceived consequences of the action. Although the word "consequence" is often used in a negative context, it actually can refer to both good and bad consequences. "Consequence" has essentially the same meaning as the word "result". With this in mind, we can see that the effort we are willing to put in is based on the negative and positive consequences. We don't take more steps to save energy because we don't think the effort required is worth the consequence of taking us out of our comfort and saving only a small amount of energy.
The book of James has a stern warning for Christians, as listed in the verse above. Faith without deeds is dead. In the words of this post, belief without action is useless. What good is it to believe in saving energy but never do it? Of course, everyone realizes this principle, but how do we actually do what we believe in? Somehow, we have to change our perception of the consequences of our actions. I truly believe in Jesus Christ. I truly want to surrender my entire life to Him. However, I am hesitant to take action because I don't think the effort required is worth the consequence of losing out on my comfort. I also don't see the full extent of the positive consequences of giving my life to Him.
I'm sure many of you reading this have the same struggles as myself. I want to encourage you first by saying that just because you aren't radically taking action doesn't mean you don't believe in God. However, I also want to encourage you to reevaluate your views on the effort and consequences of knowing God. Does your perception of the effort and consequences of living for God affect how you act every day?
Adam and Eve decided to sin against God, ignoring His warnings of the consequences. This sinful nature has been passed onto us, and so have the consequences of sin. The good news is that Jesus came down to this earth in order to save us. The effort we would need to put in order to pay for our sins is impossible for us to achieve. Jesus put in all the effort needed by dying on the cross in order to save us from the consequences of sin. Now, the only effort we need is to give our lives to Him. The consequence of giving our hearts to Him is that we will experience eternal life, even here on earth. The negative consequence of having to live a changed life is actually a positive consequence. Are we willing to put our beliefs into action?
-Smart
DFT
"The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul."
-Deuteronomy 13:3b
The past two weeks have been absolutely insane for me at work. I've been tasked with many assignments and I often feel out of my depth. Interestingly, I've been thinking about writing this post for a while, but it turns out that this might be the perfect time because it applies so well to my current situation. I hope you are encouraged as you read through this blog entry.
If you happen to be an engineer, you might know that the acronym "DFT" stands for "Discrete Fourier Transform". You might also know that discrete Fourier transforms are extremely complex and boring. Today I don't want to talk about that DFT. I want to talk about DFT in the context of test engineering. If you are a test engineer, you probably know that "DFT" stands for "design for test".
What DFT refers to is the capability of a device or system to be tested. The testing of products is extremely important in the semiconductor industry, as it is in many industries. When a device is being designed, the designers must consider how the device will be tested. This is where DFT comes in. Design engineers and test engineers work together to create functions in the device that allow it to be thoroughly tested. Design for test functions are only for the testing of the device, and are not used for the actual operation of the device.
You may wonder why engineers go through the trouble of adding extra capabilities in the device that will not be used in the normal operation of the device. DFT capabilities are added to a device because certain failures cannot be detected without these functions. One of the major DFT functions is the ability to test smaller blocks of the device. For example, the normal usage of a battery charger may use a smaller circuit that feeds into a bigger circuit in the device. A DFT function would be the ability to test the smaller circuit independently of the bigger circuit.
The most important question to ask is why engineers bother testing devices at all. The answer is quite obvious, even to non-engineers. Testing verifies that the product works as it is intended. If a device is never tested, it is impossible to know whether that device does what it was made to do. What good is a product that cannot do what is advertised?
I believe that this idea of DFT applies to us as human beings. If you read through the Bible, you will hear many stories of God testing people that He chooses. One great example is Abraham. God asked Abraham to kill his long awaited son Isaac. God didn't ask Abraham to do this because He is a cruel God; He wanted to confirm that Abraham's faith was real. Abraham's test ensured that he was a faithful follower of God.
Another aspect of DFT is that it allows a device to be changed. When a semiconductor device is developed, the process is not accurate enough to guarantee high repeatability. To compensate for the lack of repeatability, engineers design something called "trims". Trims are circuits that change a certain function of the device. For example, a trim may be used to change the resistance of a battery charger so that the desired resistance can be achieved.
We too are changed through testing. Tests don't only verify our faith- they can change our faith. God designed us in such a way that sometimes the only way we can be changed is through testing. I have heard countless testimonies of people who were completely changed because of the tests in their life. In fact, I find it rare to hear testimonies where someone is not tested. Everyone's tests are different, but we will each face them. God is using these tests for our good.
After reading up to this point, it might seem that the idea that we were "designed for test" is quite depressing. Why would God design us just to be tested? I don't believe this is the case. DFT has an alternative meaning, which I found a great liking to: "design for testability". With this new definition, it's clear that DFT functions are intended to make sure the device is able to be tested. Similarly, God didn't design us to be tested; He designed us to be able to be tested. God's purpose for our lives is not to test us, but testing is a part of our purpose. Take heart in knowing that we were designed to be able to be tested. The only question is: will you fail or pass?
-Smart
-Deuteronomy 13:3b
The past two weeks have been absolutely insane for me at work. I've been tasked with many assignments and I often feel out of my depth. Interestingly, I've been thinking about writing this post for a while, but it turns out that this might be the perfect time because it applies so well to my current situation. I hope you are encouraged as you read through this blog entry.
If you happen to be an engineer, you might know that the acronym "DFT" stands for "Discrete Fourier Transform". You might also know that discrete Fourier transforms are extremely complex and boring. Today I don't want to talk about that DFT. I want to talk about DFT in the context of test engineering. If you are a test engineer, you probably know that "DFT" stands for "design for test".
What DFT refers to is the capability of a device or system to be tested. The testing of products is extremely important in the semiconductor industry, as it is in many industries. When a device is being designed, the designers must consider how the device will be tested. This is where DFT comes in. Design engineers and test engineers work together to create functions in the device that allow it to be thoroughly tested. Design for test functions are only for the testing of the device, and are not used for the actual operation of the device.
You may wonder why engineers go through the trouble of adding extra capabilities in the device that will not be used in the normal operation of the device. DFT capabilities are added to a device because certain failures cannot be detected without these functions. One of the major DFT functions is the ability to test smaller blocks of the device. For example, the normal usage of a battery charger may use a smaller circuit that feeds into a bigger circuit in the device. A DFT function would be the ability to test the smaller circuit independently of the bigger circuit.
The most important question to ask is why engineers bother testing devices at all. The answer is quite obvious, even to non-engineers. Testing verifies that the product works as it is intended. If a device is never tested, it is impossible to know whether that device does what it was made to do. What good is a product that cannot do what is advertised?
I believe that this idea of DFT applies to us as human beings. If you read through the Bible, you will hear many stories of God testing people that He chooses. One great example is Abraham. God asked Abraham to kill his long awaited son Isaac. God didn't ask Abraham to do this because He is a cruel God; He wanted to confirm that Abraham's faith was real. Abraham's test ensured that he was a faithful follower of God.
Another aspect of DFT is that it allows a device to be changed. When a semiconductor device is developed, the process is not accurate enough to guarantee high repeatability. To compensate for the lack of repeatability, engineers design something called "trims". Trims are circuits that change a certain function of the device. For example, a trim may be used to change the resistance of a battery charger so that the desired resistance can be achieved.
We too are changed through testing. Tests don't only verify our faith- they can change our faith. God designed us in such a way that sometimes the only way we can be changed is through testing. I have heard countless testimonies of people who were completely changed because of the tests in their life. In fact, I find it rare to hear testimonies where someone is not tested. Everyone's tests are different, but we will each face them. God is using these tests for our good.
After reading up to this point, it might seem that the idea that we were "designed for test" is quite depressing. Why would God design us just to be tested? I don't believe this is the case. DFT has an alternative meaning, which I found a great liking to: "design for testability". With this new definition, it's clear that DFT functions are intended to make sure the device is able to be tested. Similarly, God didn't design us to be tested; He designed us to be able to be tested. God's purpose for our lives is not to test us, but testing is a part of our purpose. Take heart in knowing that we were designed to be able to be tested. The only question is: will you fail or pass?
-Smart
2017 Key Verse Testimony (Excerpt)
“He told them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.’”
-Matthew 13:31-32
2016 was definitely a year full of changes for me. However, I found that I had trouble changing the one thing I wanted to change: myself. I was still lazy in my daily bread, choosing to watch TV or play videogames rather than read the Bible and pray. As 2017 approached, I realized that I even had trouble remembering my key verse for 2016. I was really disappointed in myself. Even though God has blessed me in so many ways in 2016, I had failed to deepen my relationship with Him.
In the last months of 2016, one truth has been pressing on my heart. This truth is that faith is something you have to grow. I had often thought of faith as something that you either had or you didn’t. However, I realized that faith is something that you have to plant, water, and grow. I decided that I wanted to pick a key verse that reflects this truth, so I chose Matthew 13:31-32: “He told them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.’” Jesus tells His disciples that the Kingdom of Heaven is like a seed. A seed is something that starts off very small and needs time to grow. A seed does not become a tree in one day. In the same way, my faith is not something that will grow in one day. The same is true for joy, peace, hope and love. These are all characteristics of the Kingdom of God. Another truth based on the idea of a seed is that you have to take care of the seed in order for it to grow. A farmer goes out to take care of his crops every day. Even though it might appear that nothing is growing, the farmer knows that if he works every day, the seeds will eventually become fruit. The key is consistency. The farmer is not concerned about his crops not bearing fruit; he is concerned about what he needs to do today for his crops. I want to take the same attitude for 2017. I don’t want to worry about my faith not producing fruit; I want to worry about what I can do for my faith today. Even though what I do today for my faith can seem so small, I am encouraged by this one line in Matthew 13:32- “yet when it grows”. Faith that grows slowly is better than faith that doesn’t grow at all. My goal for 2017 is to focus on growing my faith one day at a time, and to see what fruit grows as a result.
-Smart
-Matthew 13:31-32
2016 was definitely a year full of changes for me. However, I found that I had trouble changing the one thing I wanted to change: myself. I was still lazy in my daily bread, choosing to watch TV or play videogames rather than read the Bible and pray. As 2017 approached, I realized that I even had trouble remembering my key verse for 2016. I was really disappointed in myself. Even though God has blessed me in so many ways in 2016, I had failed to deepen my relationship with Him.
In the last months of 2016, one truth has been pressing on my heart. This truth is that faith is something you have to grow. I had often thought of faith as something that you either had or you didn’t. However, I realized that faith is something that you have to plant, water, and grow. I decided that I wanted to pick a key verse that reflects this truth, so I chose Matthew 13:31-32: “He told them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.’” Jesus tells His disciples that the Kingdom of Heaven is like a seed. A seed is something that starts off very small and needs time to grow. A seed does not become a tree in one day. In the same way, my faith is not something that will grow in one day. The same is true for joy, peace, hope and love. These are all characteristics of the Kingdom of God. Another truth based on the idea of a seed is that you have to take care of the seed in order for it to grow. A farmer goes out to take care of his crops every day. Even though it might appear that nothing is growing, the farmer knows that if he works every day, the seeds will eventually become fruit. The key is consistency. The farmer is not concerned about his crops not bearing fruit; he is concerned about what he needs to do today for his crops. I want to take the same attitude for 2017. I don’t want to worry about my faith not producing fruit; I want to worry about what I can do for my faith today. Even though what I do today for my faith can seem so small, I am encouraged by this one line in Matthew 13:32- “yet when it grows”. Faith that grows slowly is better than faith that doesn’t grow at all. My goal for 2017 is to focus on growing my faith one day at a time, and to see what fruit grows as a result.
-Smart
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