Valley of Decision!

We sit watching the movie, "It's a Wonderful Life".   During the movie there are a number of the savings and loan patrons wanting, and in most cases, needing cash. One man demanded his whole amount -and receives it. Most, however, figure up what they need -to get by- and only ask for a small amount.  As the scene unfolds, George Bailey asks the question of his patrons, "What do you need?" Meaning of course, 'how much will tide you over until you can get more. The question catches my attention.

As I reread Bible passages, on occasion, just as in the movie, a scripture will jump out at me. I've seen it before, read it many times, but this time...

Joel~ the son of Pethuel; Joel~ Jehovah is God. Joel begins with a call to God's people for prayer and repentance...but toward the end of his short book he prophesies: "Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! for the day of Jehovah is near in the valley of decision." (Joel 3:14)


So, now, here we are at the Genesis of a new year. Not really a crisis, but at the end of a year we hear people asking 'what do you want for Christmas?' Or, just plain- what do you want? However, is that the right question...?

WHAT DO YOU NEED...?

Here are some things to put on your refrigerator: 
 1) Pray/read your Bible daily. This is number one. Get your life right with God.
2)   Do only acts of kindness spontaneously, make sure they really are the kindness the recipient needs. (The bum on the corner may look like he NEEDS money: he may need a job, a Bible, (or Bible study). He may need something different than a breath mint...
 3) Speak kindly; love others honestly.
4) Love yourself honestly.
WISDOM IN MANY FORMS:
 5) Learn to look down the corridors of time. When you learn this art, here are some things you will understand:
a) Not all that glitters is gold; not all that is gold glitters.
b) Jogging may get you somewhere faster, but if walking is as fast as you can go...by all means walk. c)There are things that will seem trivial today, but in the long avenue of life they will be very, very, VERY important. (I did not think it was important to teach my children the manner of 'Yes, sir. No, sir, etc. However, how important is respect? Respect of elders, respect of authority, respect of parents, respect of others, but most of all respect of God.)
d) Love is not pleasure, and the pursuit of happiness is not God.
e) With liberty and freedom comes responsibility. The more liberty and freedom the more responsibility. You can't have them, and expect someone else to pay for them. (Our ancestors and our soldiers may have fought for and in some cases died for these items.  Unless we are vigilant here on the home front...we will still lose them
f) Human beings, no matter how perfect, are not. They are not perfect, and THEY are not God. That includes yourself...give others, and yourself room for mistakes. We all need that room.
g) Just as no one lives in a vacuum, and no one is an island, what diminishes one person still diminishes us all.
 Proverbs 14:34 "Righteousness exalteth a nation; But sin is a reproach to any people."

Do not take things for granted... Time is not eternal, only God is. God is still the creator. And one day every knee will bow...
Romans 14:11 "For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, to me every knee shall bow, And every tongue shall confess to God. 12) So then each one of us shall give account of himself to God."

Revelation 20:12 "And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne; and books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13) And the sea gave up the dead that were in it; and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works."

"Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! for the day of Jehovah is near in the valley of decision." (Joel 3:14)

As we stand in the valley of decision...What do you need...?