Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – An Attempt to Hide

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“Can anyone hide himself in secret places, so I shall not see him?” says the Lord; “do I not fill heaven and earth?”
Jeremiah 23:24

Recommended Reading: Jonah 1:1-6

An online article featured hilarious photos of children trying to play hide-and-seek. One boy was betrayed by his shadow. Another thought hiding under a blanket in the middle of the kitchen was the perfect spot. A third crawled beneath a rug, unaware of the obvious hump she created. And a fourth removed the lampshade from a lamp, placed it over his head, and assumed he had disappeared completely.

The Lord must look with amusement at our attempts to hide from Him. We cannot run away; He fills heaven and earth. When Jonah ran from God, the Lord sent a storm after him. There was no place he could have gone where the Lord wouldn’t find him. Yet doesn’t that show us how much God loves us? When we move away from God’s presence, we can be assured He will find us.

If you’re hiding from God or if you are trying to hide something from Him, admit it. Ask the One who fills heaven and earth to fill you with His love and mercy.

When you feel like running away, claim your privilege as a child of God and approach the throne of grace.
Warren Wiersbe

 

 

 

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – The Ultimate Snapshot

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Therefore we do not lose heart. 2 Corinthians 4:16

Today’s Scripture

2 Corinthians 4:7-18

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Today’s Devotion

Before our trip to Switzerland, my mental snapshot was of snowy Alps, goats grazing, and mountain farmers blowing alpine horns. However, as we drove south from Zurich, the landscape was the same drab tangle of highways we saw in any city. When we got close to our lodging, we had to drive up a precarious one-lane dirt road. At our rental place, we hauled our suitcases up steep stone stairways. Exhausted and disappointed, we finally made our way onto the patio. And there, opening up before us, stretched an extraordinary vista: the Alps rising up majestically over the blue expanse of Lake Lucerne, with small towns glittering like fireflies below us. The ordeal was worth it.

I recalled the verse, “Therefore we do not lose heart” (2 Corinthians 4:16). The apostle Paul writes of his own struggles: “We are hard pressed on every side, but . . . not in despair” (v. 8). He reveals his positive outlook: “Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (v. 17). He advises us to “fix our eyes . . . on what is unseen” (v. 18), to hope for that eternal landscape.

Sometimes our journey is drab and difficult. But in Christ, we’re assured that we’ll witness the ultimate snapshot. The ordeal will be worth it: His eternal glory far surpasses anything we can imagine.

Reflect & Pray

What are the difficult roads in your life these days? What does “eternal glory” mean to you?

Loving God, I need encouragement through this tough journey. I pray for assurance of Your eternal glory.


Today’s Insights

The encouragement about suffering that the apostle Paul expresses in 2 Corinthians 4:7-18 is similarly noted in Romans 8: “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (v. 18). How encouraging it is to know that as believers in Jesus in a fallen world, we’ve been given God’s Spirit (v. 23) to be with us as we traverse life’s pleasant and unpleasant territory. When we face trials, the Bible reminds us that they’re “achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Corinthians 4:17).

For further study, read: Paul’s Pain and His Passion

 

 

http://www.odb.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – A principal in Nepal saves 900 before school is destroyed

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Rajendra Dawadi, the principal of a school just north of Nepal’s capital, was teaching a class when a staff member burst into the classroom, shouting that a major flood was headed toward them. Mr. Dawadi immediately told the nine hundred children on the campus to run to higher ground. Thirteen minutes after he heard the first warning, a deluge of water, mud, and debris destroyed the school.

Contrast his response with this news: Federal aviation officials have learned that two air-traffic controllers left work early before an Air Canada regional jet crashed into a firetruck at LaGuardia Airport in March. Two pilots died in the runway collision, and six others sustained serious injuries. The Federal Aviation Administration is moving to fire the two controllers.

A principal acts to save his students while air-traffic controllers who could have prevented a tragedy are off the job.

When disasters strike, is God more like the former or the latter?

It’s a question we all have reason to ask today. The Ross Fire west of Fort Worth continues to threaten some of my dearest friends. Tropical Storm Edouard made landfall on the Gulf Coast yesterday, bringing the threat of flooding rain to the part of Texas where I live. Three men from Granbury, one of my favorite North Texas towns, were hiking when floods swept through the Grand Canyon last Saturday; two are dead, and the third is still missing at this writing.

After the wife of Scottish minister Arthur John Gossip died suddenly at the age of fifty-four, he preached a now-famous sermon titled, “But When Life Tumbles In, What Then?”

What then, indeed?

“A need to trust something we cannot control”

In Psalm 75, the Lord proclaims: “When the earth and all its people quake, it is I who hold its pillars firm” (v. 3, NIV). What do we do when those “pillars” still seem to “quake”?

In Psalm 46:10, the Lord famously declares, “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” “Be still” and “know” are two separate commands. I have always taken their relationship to mean, “Be still so that you can know that I am God.” Spend time in solitude with the Lord so you can sense more fully his presence. The times I have done the former, I have always experienced the latter.

But today I am reading their relationship differently: “Be still” because he is God. Stop trying to do what only he can do. Trust him to be sovereign over the universe and claim the fact that “the Lᴏʀᴅ of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress” (v. 11, my italics).

Of course, none of this is new truth. Why, then, is trusting God’s sovereignty in the hardest places often so hard to do?

After all, we constantly trust people and objects whose capacities we do not and often cannot verify. We trust doctors when they diagnose our illnesses and pharmacists when they hand us our medications. We trust those who prepare the food we eat. We trust that our air is not poisoned and our chair will support us.

This is the essence of what it means to be creatures rather than the Creator: we must trust our fellow creatures and ultimately our Creator to do what we cannot. As the Christian psychiatrist Curt Thompson notes, “We are invariably made for faith, to operate out of a need to trust something we cannot control.”

“We are unstable, but you make us firm”

But when it comes to trusting God, we face two enemies we do not face when we sit in a chair to eat a meal.

The first is Satan. He hates God but cannot attack him directly, so he attacks his beloved children. The best way to hurt me is to hurt my family. Our Father feels the same way.

So, when we are choosing whether or not to obey God’s word, the devil whispers in our ear, “Did God actually say . . .” (Genesis 3:1). If we insist that he did, the devil assures us that when we disobey, “You will not surely [fill in the consequence]” (v. 4). No one will know; no one will be hurt. To the contrary, “you will be like God” (v. 5), living your life as your own master.

This leads to the second enemy of trust in God: ourselves. As fallen people, we want to be our own God, to handle our own problems, to defeat our enemies and get the credit for our successes. At least, I do. I don’t like having to depend on God or others and do so only grudgingly and when I have no other alternative.

So, I need God to continue sanctifying my heart, to continue molding me into the character of his Son, to make me holier than I want to be. In The Imitation of Christ, Thomas à Kempis prayed,

There is no holiness where you have withdrawn your hand, O Lord; no profitable wisdom if you cease to rule over it; no helpful strength if you cease to preserve it. If you forsake us, we sink and perish; but if you visit us, we rise up and live again. We are unstable, but you make us firm; we grow cool, but you inflame us.

The author Michelle Van Loon is right: “A pilgrim is formed by the question, ‘Do I trust him?’”

Will you be a pilgrim today?

Quote for the day:

“Few delights can equal the presence of one whom we trust utterly.” —George MacDonald

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Denison Forum

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – Being There

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 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 

—2 Corinthians 1:3–4

Scripture:

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 

Years ago, our grandson Christopher was playing in our backyard. Suddenly, he came running into the house with tears streaming down his face, unable to speak because of pain.

“Christopher, what happened?” I asked. He lifted his shirt, and I could see a long, red scrape on his back. It was just deep enough to stir up those little nerve endings, leaving him in that “take-your-breath-away” agony. I scooped him up, grabbed an ice pack from the freezer, and held him in my arms. All I wanted to do was remove the pain, but I couldn’t. I could do something practical like put ice on the wound and hold him tight through his suffering, but beyond that I simply had to wait for the pain to subside.

Oh, how it breaks my heart to see my loved ones hurt. But soon enough, the tears stopped flowing and Christopher felt better. I’m sure the bowl of ice cream I gave him also helped.

So often when someone is hurting, what they want from us more than anything else is just our attention and our love: someone to put our arm around them, listen, and sit with them while they hurt. My hope, my prayer, is that we—as a church, as believers—are doing exactly that. We are coming alongside those who are hurting. We are helping each other. We are welcoming others in. This ministry of presence requires us to be still—to resist the urge to “do,” to fix, or to heal something that’s beyond our power to change.

We want the church to be a place where there’s no shame, no fear, no hiding—a safe place for people who are suffering. We’re not going to fall back on tired clichés and try to fix people. We need to remember that brokenness takes time to heal. And sometimes the brokenness may never heal, but we need to love people throughout that time.

When I was going through my season of suffering after the death of my son, the greatest gift people could give me was the gift of their presence. Of simply being there. Instead of asking me difficult and sometimes wounding questions before I was ready to open up and talk, they chose to just be present with me.

We are here to be like Jesus, to be His hands and feet. We are to show compassion and to offer the ministry of our presence. We may not understand the complexities of people’s lives, but we are believers with the Holy Spirit living within us, and He will guide us in comforting others.

Can we love somebody? Can we welcome somebody? Can we put our arm around somebody? Let’s challenge ourselves to live out a “yes” answer to these questions.

 

Reflection question: When has someone given you the gift of presence?

Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

 

 

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Days of Praise

Days of Praise – My Every Prayer

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by John D. Morris, Ph.D.

“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy.” (Philippians 1:3–4)

The letter to the Philippian church stands as perhaps the most personal of the epistles, with Paul’s love for the believers being obvious. He expressed his love with heartfelt prayer for them every time he thought of them.

These prayers are constant in the sense that the Philippian believers were never far from his thoughts. Often Paul resorted to prayer for their personal needs and their relationship with God. His prayers are described by at least two Greek words of interest to us. First, he tells that he “thanked [his] God” (Greek eucharisteo) each time they came to mind. To another church he similarly wrote, “I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:4). The word implies a sincere statement of genuine gratitude for their fellowship in being with him in serving God and partnership in the ministry.

Likewise, he used the word “supplication” (Greek deesei), an expression of gratefulness for his needs having been supplied. Paul’s needs were often provided for by those to whom he ministered, and he was profoundly grateful. The Christian minister is enjoined to remember his followers with “joy.” Paul remembered them in thankfulness to God for them and to them for their response.

We should strive to arrive at a balance between our ministry goals in evangelism and ongoing care for believers’ Christian growth and steadfast doctrinal purity. What is the state of our harmony among church members, as well as our prayers for them? JDM

 

 

 

https://www.icr.org/articles/type/6

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Taming the Tongue

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I said, I will take heed and guard my ways, that I may sin not with my tongue; I will muzzle my mouth as with a bridle while the wicked are before me.

Psalm 39:1 (AMPC)

The psalmist David prayed a lot about his words. He said, Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my [firm, impenetrable] Rock and my Redeemer (Psalm 19:14 AMPC). Set a guard, O Lord, before my mouth; keep watch at the door of my lips (Psalm 141:3 AMPC). We can see from these scriptures that David was determined not to sin with his tongue, but at the same time, he relied on God for strength to follow through.

One of the things we should ask God each day is to help us speak right things. Our words are very important, and they should be used for God’s purpose. We should desire to be mouthpieces for God, speaking His Word faithfully.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me guard my mouth and tame my tongue. Give me strength to speak words that please You and honor Your Word, amen.

 

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – One Plus God 

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The devil knows your name. He has a wrecking ball with your name on it. As General Eisenhower wrote to US troops on the eve of the great D-Day invasion, “Your enemy is well-trained, well-equipped and battle-hardened. He will fight savagely.”

But the steadfast soul does not fear Satan. Elijah didn’t. Elijah entered Scriptures talking about the living God. He served and obeyed the living God. He sought the living God. And because he did, the 850+ prophets of Baal meant nothing to him. The equation is never 850 to 1. It is 850 to 1 plus God.

  1. B. Meyer said, “God will never fail the man who trusts him utterly….Be sure that you are on God’s plan, then go forward in God’s name.”

 

 

 

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Today in the Word

Today in the Word – Moody Bible Institute – Seventy Years

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Read Ezra 1:1

It was 70 years ago, in 1956, that Jim Elliot and four fellow missionaries were speared to death in Ecuador while attempting to contact and evangelize the Waorani tribe. Their story, featured in Life magazine, inspired countless individuals to dedicate their lives to missionary service. And it continues to inspire others seven decades later.

Seventy years is also how long God’s people toiled in Babylonian captivity. The Hebrew people might have been tempted to think God had abandoned them forever, but the book of Ezra opens with these words: “In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia” (Ezra 1:1).

Here was the most powerful ruler in the world, and God reached down to move his heart. The people had waited for God to move for 70 years. Why now? God was fulfilling His promise through Jeremiah (Jer. 25:11–13) that He would rescue His beloved people out of captivity and return them to the land He had promised them (Gen. 15:12–19). The people’s sins were great, that’s certain. And 70 years no doubt felt like a long time. But this first verse in Ezra reminds us of the great truth of the gospel: God’s promises are certain and His mercy is greater than our sin.

Though God had disciplined His people for their sin, and though He disciplines His children today, He never once—and never will—abandon those He loves. As the writer of Hebrews says, “strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees” (Heb. 12:12), and we can, because we know the One who has redeemed us. God is trustworthy, and His promises sure. Even the king’s heart is a “stream of water” in the Lord’s hands.

Go Deeper

Have you experienced a long period of waiting on God? How does today’s passage reassure you that God’s delay does not mean He will not act?

Pray with Us

Lord, we thank You for keeping Your promises and showing us such great mercy. We praise You for redeeming us. There is none like You.

In the LORD’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water that he channels toward all who please him.Proverbs 21:1

 

 

 

https://www.moodybible.org/

Today in the Word

Today in the Word – Moody Bible Institute – Taming the Tongue

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Read James 3:3–10

When I teach creative writing, I read the entire book of James out loud to my college students. I give them each a printed copy of the text to follow along. While they listen, I ask them to circle every example of imagery they hear. This keeps them busy. James is full of striking metaphors, similes, and descriptions.

Chapter 3 is another good example of this. Here, James challenged his readers with the power of their communication. Using the metaphors of a bit in the mouth of a horse (v. 3), the small rudder on a great ship (v. 4), and a spark which can start a raging fire (v. 5), James describes how something very small like our tongue can have enormous and far-reaching consequences.

When James used “tongue” in this passage, he is using another figure of speech called a metonymy. One word is substituted for a concept with which it is closely associated. Typically, a concrete object stands in for a more abstract idea. The “tongue” represents not just the physical organ, but our human capacity for verbal expression. Communication shapes our relationships, creates culture, and even affects eternity.

James spends time developing his image of the tongue as a fire—with uncontrollable potential (vv. 6–8). Words, once expressed, cannot be reversed. And their effects often spread far beyond our intent. James intensified the warning by calling the tongue a “restless evil” and “full of deadly poison” (v. 8). Language is a primary vehicle through which sin is expressed. In verses 9–10, James confronted the most piercing contradiction. With the same tongue, Christ followers praised God—and cursed other human beings. James rebukes his audience for such behavior.

Go Deeper

Once again, James hits close to home for most of us. Is your speech consistent with your theology? Check your speech for both blessing and cursing.

Pray with Us

How it must grieve Your Spirit when we worship you but tear each other down with our tongues! We are sorry that we do not always cherish the people You have made in Your own image.

Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts.James 3:5

 

 

https://www.moodybible.org/

Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – Fives: Five Smooth Stones

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Then [David] took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had.
1 Samuel 17:40

Recommended Reading: 1 Samuel 17:40-47

The story of David—especially his epic face-off with Goliath—speaks to every generation. Even recently, a television series and a major animated feature film have brought the story of David to life for modern audiences. When we read the Bible story, we cannot help but notice the number five.

Why five stones? The Bible doesn’t say. Some suggest David anticipated more than one opponent since Goliath had relatives. Others point out that a skilled slinger would naturally carry several stones. Most simply, David was prepared. His faith in God didn’t eliminate wise action. Like an old Revolutionary War adage—“Trust in God, but keep your powder dry.” David trusted the Lord fully, but he was also well armed.

Here is an application for us. We face many giants in life. Some are problems that we must try to solve, and others are temptations that we must overcome. The Bible has more than 31,000 verses. So when a giant problem or temptation confronts you, gather into your mental pouch five smooth Bible verses. God’s Word is rock solid when it comes to our victory.

The Bible was given not to increase our knowledge but to change our lives.
D. L. Moody

 

 

 

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

NEW!Listen Now

Then [David] took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had.
1 Samuel 17:40

Recommended Reading: 1 Samuel 17:40-47

The story of David—especially his epic face-off with Goliath—speaks to every generation. Even recently, a television series and a major animated feature film have brought the story of David to life for modern audiences. When we read the Bible story, we cannot help but notice the number five.

Why five stones? The Bible doesn’t say. Some suggest David anticipated more than one opponent since Goliath had relatives. Others point out that a skilled slinger would naturally carry several stones. Most simply, David was prepared. His faith in God didn’t eliminate wise action. Like an old Revolutionary War adage—“Trust in God, but keep your powder dry.” David trusted the Lord fully, but he was also well armed.

Here is an application for us. We face many giants in life. Some are problems that we must try to solve, and others are temptations that we must overcome. The Bible has more than 31,000 verses. So when a giant problem or temptation confronts you, gather into your mental pouch five smooth Bible verses. God’s Word is rock solid when it comes to our victory.

The Bible was given not to increase our knowledge but to change our lives.
D. L. Moody

 

 

 

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – God’s Breath of Life

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The Lord God . . . breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Genesis 2:7

Today’s Scripture

Genesis 2:1-7

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Today’s Devotion

Researchers discovered that the water anole can stay underwater for twenty minutes without a fresh gulp of air. The tiny lizard has water-repelling skin, and after taking a deep dive it exhales a bubble of air that sticks to its snout. The clever creature then rebreathes the bubble again and again—something scientists believe is the recycling of the trapped air supply. Although water anoles possess this special ability, like many creatures, they must breathe to live.

In Genesis 2, we read that God “breathed into [Adam’s] nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being” (v. 7). As He created all things in “the heavens and the earth” (v. 4), He also created man from “the dust of the ground” (v. 7). But it took God’s breath of life to make His creation fully alive. He transformed the first human into a living being—a living soul. Later, He formed Eve from Adam’s rib (v. 22). As spiritual beings, we’re able to enjoy fellowship with Him by belief in Christ. Jesus “breathed on” the disciples and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:22). One commentator writes that this “‘inbreathing’ of the Holy Spirit is essential in order for people to enjoy fellowship with God.”

Each breath we take is God’s gift of physical life. As believers in Jesus, it’s also a reflection of our eternal life and being indwelt by the life-giving Spirit (Romans 8:11).

Reflect & Pray

What does God’s breath of life mean to you? How has the Spirit made you spiritually alive?

Loving God, thank You for eternal life and Your breath of life.

Today’s Insights

Ancient Hebrew literature often conveyed meaning through intentional wordplays. In Genesis 2, the Hebrew word translated “man”—’adam (Genesis 2:7) is very similar to the Hebrew word translated “ground” (vv. 5-7)—’adamah. If a modern translation attempted to capture this wordplay, it might translate “man” (adam) as “earthling” and “ground” (’adamah) as “earth.” By pairing these words, the passage communicates key insights into human nature. Humanity was formed from the earth or ground (v. 7) and so is intimately connected to it. But humanity was also given a unique relationship to God, who gave human beings “the breath of life” (v. 7). Each breath we take is a reminder of God’s gift of physical life.

God is loving and merciful, and He chose to give us new life. God simply gives it to us. And once we’re alive in Him, He gives us the privilege of walking in this new life and serving Him. Read more on this: Alive with Christ

 

 

http://www.odb.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – Will we soon be living in a Terminator movie?

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“This is a risk for the whole world. In a few years, we will be living in a Terminator movie. It’s no joke. Machines are making decisions to strike.” This is how Col. Serhiy Minaiev responded to a Russian drone strike that killed three civilians in southeastern Ukraine last month.

The New York Times reports that the drone was guided by an experimental artificial intelligence system, not a human pilot. It had been programmed by human operators to fly toward a particular gas station, but when it got close, it chose its exact target, most likely propane tanks, on its own.

According to the Times, this development was long watched for in the war in Ukraine, “presaging a dystopian future in which killer robots roam the skies making life-or-death decisions that reduce targets to data points.” (For more, see Dr. Ryan Denison’s latest Focus article, “Russia launches AI-piloted drones in Ukraine. What comes next?”)

“The only Foundation of Republics”

From the time the first human used the first tool to kill another human, our ethics have struggled to keep up with our technology. Today, genetic engineering can alter the DNA makeup of an organism in ways that change the species with unforeseeable consequences. Autonomous robots and weapons systems can make life-and-death decisions without human accountability. AI agents can “hallucinate,” producing errors that result in patient suicides and generating misinformation as much as 51 to 79 percent of the time.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Will we soon be living in a Terminator movie? →

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – One Mouth, Two Ears

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 Take control of what I say, O LORD, and guard my lips. 

—Psalm 141:3

Scripture:

Psalm 141:3 

It’s been said that God gave us one mouth and two ears for a reason: He wants us to listen more and to speak less. Think of how often we jump to conclusions or pass judgment in a situation. The writer of Proverbs warned, “Spouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish” (Proverbs 18:13 NLT). Nevertheless, when we hear something damaging about another person, our first instinct is to conclude immediately that the person is guilty as charged. And instead of saying, “Let’s go to that person and find out the truth,” we start to spread the news as if it were fact.

In the old days when you went to a doctor, he would ask you to stick out your tongue. Then he would pull out a tongue depressor and tell you to say, “Ahhh.” Why? Because the tongue can be an indicator of what’s going on inside you. By observing your tongue, a doctor could tell what was wrong with the rest of you.

The principle applies in a spiritual sense as well. Our tongue—or, more specifically, our words—are the table of contents to our lives. What we say gives away who or what we really are.

That’s why David wrote, “Take control of what I say, O Lord, and guard my lips” (Psalm 141:3 NLT). In essence, he was saying, “Lord, set a watch over my mouth. I can’t stop other people from speaking evil about me, but I will not do the same to them. I will not be guilty of it, Lord. But I need your help. I can’t do this in my own strength.”

Keep in mind that David faced off against a lion, a bear, the murderous King Saul, and a host of other enemies. He stepped onto a battlefield with the warrior giant Goliath with no fear and barely a second thought. Yet he knew what he was up against with the tongue.

We need to follow his lead. We can accomplish some important work with our words. The apostle Paul wrote, “Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone” (Colossians 4:5–6 NLT). He also wrote, “Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them” (Ephesians 4:29 NLT). And the writer of Proverbs advised, “Gentle words are a tree of life; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit” (Proverbs 15:4 NLT).

But we can’t do those things on our own. Like David, we must pray that the Lord will set a guard over our mouths and keep a watch over the door of our lips.

 

Reflection question: In what areas do you need the Lord to help you guard your lips? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

 

 

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Days of Praise

Days of Praise – The Weight of the Wind

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by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.

“For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven; to make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure.” (Job 28:24–25)

It was only discovered by scientists in modern times that air actually has weight. This passage in Job, however, written 35 or more centuries ago, indicated that the two great terrestrial fluids of air and water forming Earth’s atmosphere and hydrosphere are both “weighed” by God’s careful “measure” to provide the right worldwide balance of forces for life on Earth.

Another remarkable “weighing” act of God is noted in Job 37:16: “Dost thou know the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of him which is perfect in knowledge?” Clouds are composed of liquid drops of water, not water vapor, and water is heavier than air, so how are they “balanced” in the sky? “For he maketh small the drops of water: they pour down rain according to the vapour thereof: which the clouds do drop and distill upon man abundantly” (36:27–28).

Meteorologists know that the weight of the small water droplets in the clouds is “balanced” by the “weight of the winds”—air rushing upward in response to temperature changes. Eventually, however, the droplets coalesce to form larger drops that overcome these updrafts and fall as rain. “By watering he wearieth the thick cloud” (37:11). The coalescence is probably triggered electrically in the clouds themselves, “when he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder” (28:26).

Although these verses are not couched in the jargon of modern science, they are thoroughly scientific and up to date. “Lo, these are parts of his ways: but how little a portion is heard of him? but the thunder of his power who can understand?” (26:14). HMM

 

 

 

https://www.icr.org/articles/type/6

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – God Forgives Our Sins and Heals Our Diseases

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Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.

Psalm 103:1–3 (NKJV)

It is important that we do not forget all the benefits with which the Lord blesses us. Praise Him for them regularly and thank Him often. Even in the midst of other activities, we can praise God in our innermost being, thanking Him for everything He does for us.

He forgives all our sins, and that is marvelous. He also heals all our diseases. This does not mean that He heals all of them miraculously, but I do believe that all healing comes from God. God still does miracles today, but He also uses medical technology and medicine, which I believe He gave human beings the wisdom to create.

Sometimes we pray for healing, and it comes quickly. At other times it takes much longer than we would like. In December 2017, I became very sick. I was diagnosed with severe adrenal fatigue and told to rest for 18 months. The recovery actually took longer than 18 months, but thankfully I now feel very well. Over the years, God has healed me from many different things, and I trust Him for healing no matter how long it takes or how it comes.

Prayer of the Day: Father, I believe You are the Creator of all healing, and I trust You for healing. I am grateful that You forgive all my sins, and I praise and thank You.

 

 

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – Clear Windshields

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But we have the mind of Christ.
1 Corinthians 2:16

Recommended Reading: Romans 8:1-6

In the old movie Young at Heart, there’s a scene in which Barney Sloan (Frank Sinatra) is so discouraged he turns off his windshield wipers while driving in a snowstorm. He can no longer clearly see the road, and everything is blurred. It’s a frightening moment that illustrates how we often look at life. We can “turn off the wipers” in our own lives by neglecting truth and withdrawing from God’s Word.

The only way to see clearly is by looking at things through the eyesight of Jesus. Paul twice spoke of “the mind of Christ.” He told the Philippians, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5), and he said to the Corinthians, “But we have the mind of Christ.”

Having the mind of Christ means having the Savior’s point of view. We learn to think as He does, not as the world thinks. Here is a verse to say aloud today and to turn into a prayer for this hour: “Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires” (Romans 8:5, NIV).

Believers must regain the use of the mind for God’s glory.
Bill Muhlenberg

 

 

 

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – The Courage God Gives

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Shammah took his stand. 2 Samuel 23:12

Today’s Scripture

2 Samuel 23:11-12

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Today’s Devotion

The CEO was hurting employees with his sharp tongue. No one dared confront him. Everyone was afraid of him, including Gene. But one day the CEO berated a new employee, reducing her to tears. When Gene saw how everyone in the room stayed silent, he spoke up.

“I told him the way he was treating people was wrong,” Gene recalls. “He was astonished; it was the first time someone stood up to him. He didn’t change, but I’m glad I spoke up.”

Scripture tells us of another man who stood up to a challenge many were afraid of. Shammah, a military warrior of David, came to the future king from difficult circumstances (see 2 Samuel 23:11-12), but God used him to defeat the Philistines. “When the Philistines banded together at . . . a field full of lentils, Israel’s troops fled from them” (v. 11). Only Shammah had the courage to defend Israel’s food supply. Being the lone man against the Philistine army meant death, but Shammah “took his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it” (v. 12).

God helped Shammah defeat the Philistines (v. 12). He may have been the only Israelite in the field, but he wasn’t alone—God was with him, giving him great victory that day. There may be times when we’re called to stand up to a challenge that everyone else is avoiding. Like Shammah, let’s take our stand, relying on God’s presence and help.

Reflect & Pray

What challenge is God calling you to stand up to? How can you rely on Him for help?

Dear Father, please give me the courage to take a stand for You.

Today’s Insights

Thirty-seven loyal and fearless chief warriors led David’s army (2 Samuel 23:8-39). Collectively known as “the Thirty” (vv. 13, 23-24), God used these men to fulfill His purpose of making David king of the entire land of Israel (1 Chronicles 11:10). Of these chief warriors, a group called “the Three” (2 Samuel 23:8) were David’s top elite commanders. Josheb-Basshebeth killed eight hundred men at one time (v. 8). Eleazar struck down the Philistines after the rest of the Israelites had abandoned him (vv. 9-10). And Shammah stood his ground against the Philistines and was victorious through God’s power while the rest of Israel’s troops fled (vv. 11-12).

The apostle Paul likens the faith of believers in Jesus to warfare, urging us to “put on the full armor of God” in order to “stand [our] ground” (Ephesians 6:13). Today, God can give us courage as we fight our battles and enable us to “be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power” (v. 10).

If you would like to read “One Woman’s Inspirational Story of Trust and Courage: Click here: For This, I Have Jesus. 

 

 

 

http://www.odb.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – Responding to the Nepal floods with hope and purpose

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On Wednesday, August 26, flash floods broke out across Nepal, leaving chaos and destruction in their wake. Scientists believe that a glacier broke loose from high in the Himalayas near the Tibet-Nepal border. The melting ice mixed with rocks, boulders, and mud to create a concrete sludge. Videos show this sludge mixture barreling down from the mountain, over 40 miles, sweeping away bridges, buildings, cars, and people with  tremendous force.

It’s believed that more than 1,500 individuals are missing, and over 165 people have been reported dead. However, according to a local Christian worker, due to the remote nature of some of the villages affected by the flooding, not everyone is registered. So, it is extremely likely that the numbers are much higher than this, and they will continue to rise.

With rescue efforts already underway, CNN reports the threat is still ongoing. Many fear a secondary flooding event because the initial floods and landslides have “created a new lake, increasing the risk of landslides, mudslides and flash floods, with the three days of rain ahead.”

The collapsed earth is forming unstable dams and is liable to break. Thus, an already desperate circumstance has become all the more urgent.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Responding to the Nepal floods with hope and purpose →

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – The Burden Giveaway

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 I said to the LORD, ‘You are my God!’ Listen, O LORD, to my cries for mercy! O Sovereign LORD, the strong one who rescued me, you protected me on the day of battle. 

—Psalm 140:6–7

Scripture:

Psalm 140:6–7 

Few people in Scripture had a better understanding of God than David did. David knew what it was like to be favored by God. In 1 Samuel 13:14, he is referred to as a man after God’s own heart. He also knew what it was like to be on the business end of God’s discipline after his affair with Bathsheba. But more importantly for the purposes of this devotion, David knew what it was like to be protected by God and to have his burdens lifted by the Lord.

Look at his words in Psalm 140:6–7: “I said to the Lord, ‘You are my God!’ Listen, O Lord, to my cries for mercy! O Sovereign Lord, the strong one who rescued me, you protected me on the day of battle” (NLT). Such confidence can only come from experience.

If you’ve ever wondered how David rose to the occasion time and time again when other people might have crumbled, look at his words to Goliath in 1 Samuel 17:46: “This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands” (NIV). He didn’t boast about his speed, agility, or prowess with a sling. Instead, he invoked the name of the Lord, the One who had seen him through other dangers and carried his burdens in the past. David so completely trusted God to protect him again that he walked onto a battlefield against a heavily armored giant in his shepherd’s clothes.

In 1 Samuel 17:46 and Psalm 140:6–7, David’s message was the same: “Lord, I place it all on you.”

Have you reached the point in your relationship with God where you can say the same thing? You probably don’t have to think hard to recall times when He answered an urgent prayer request or saw you through a difficult situation.

Let those memories serve as confidence builders. Replay them again and again in your mind. Give thanks and praise to the Lord daily for His work in your life. Keep track of it in your prayer journal. Tell others about His goodness to you. Memorize Scripture passages that testify to His goodness, strength, and protection. For example, in Isaiah 41:10, God says, “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand” (NLT). And in Philippians 4:19, the apostle Paul writes, “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus” (NLT).

Are you burdened today? Is something troubling you? Do you have anxiety over some situation? Maybe it’s a problem at work or an issue with a loved one. Whatever your burden may be, David has given you the example. Cast it on the Lord. He will sustain you. Psalm 55:22 says, “Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall” (NLT).

God’s done it before, and He’ll do it again. Armed with that confidence, you can face any circumstance.

 

Reflection question: What burden do you need to give to God? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

 

 

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Days of Praise

Days of Praise – The Apple of the Eye

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by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.

“For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.” (Zechariah 2:8)

This common phrase is often used to identify an object of one’s special favor or affection. The apple of the eye, of course, is not a fruit but the pupil of the eye. It is so essential for sight that it becomes a peculiarly apt symbol for a prized possession. It is used five times in the Bible as a translation of three different Hebrew nouns, none of which refer to the actual apple fruit. In each case, however, it speaks of something highly valuable to the owner.

Three of these (Deuteronomy 32:10; Lamentations 2:18; and our text above) are in reference to the chosen people, Israel, as the apple of the eye of God Himself. God has often punished Israel for her sins and has allowed other nations to be His rod of judgment, but woe to that nation that touches the apple of His eye in this way!

That individual believers can also be so regarded by the Lord is evident from one of David’s prayers: “Shew thy marvellous lovingkindness . . . . Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings” (Psalm 17:7–8).

To be kept by God as He would keep the very apple of His own eye requires an implicit trust in Him and His Word. In fact, His Word must become the apple of our eye! “My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee. Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye” (Proverbs 7:1–2).

There are many beautiful and appropriate figures used for God’s Word (“light,” “hammer,” “sword,” “milk,” etc.) but none more personally meaningful than this. May the Holy Scriptures, the indispensable Word of God, truly be the apple of the eye for each of us. HMM

 

 

 

https://www.icr.org/articles/type/6

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