Daily Archives: July 30, 2017

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley –Breaking Down the Faith Barrier

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Exodus 4:1-13

A faith barrier is made up of attitudes that short-circuit our trust and prevent us from obeying the Lord’s will. A negative self-image can hinder us in this way, as can ignorance of God’s character and promises. As we see in Moses’ life, three other attitudes can also trip us up: doubt, feelings of inadequacy, and fear of failure.

Moses doubted the Israelites would believe the Lord had chosen him to lead them. But God graciously reassured him by providing demonstrations of divine power (Ex. 4:1-5). When doubt invades our minds, it can be overcome with diligent study of Scripture and persistent prayer, which will replace uncertainty with biblical truth.

Moses wasn’t eloquent, and a perceived lack of skill left him feeling inadequate for the job—he was afraid trying to speak would make him look foolish. God patiently reassured him of divine help in that task (vv. 10-12). The Lord often chooses unlikely people to carry out His plan because He looks at the heart, not human qualifications (1 Samuel 16:7). He can overcome all our inadequacies.

Thankfully, Moses eventually obeyed. But at first, he didn’t embrace God’s instructions and instead asked to be relieved of the assignment (Ex. 4:13). A fear of failure can prevent us from saying yes to the Lord.

Carrying out God’s will requires a heart that trusts Him, a soul that steps out in obedience, and a mind that leaves success or failure to Him. As we break down the faith barrier, we will be able to see the evidence of God’s presence and power—and experience the joy of obedience.

Bible in One Year: Isaiah 31-35

 

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — All Generations

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Read: Psalm 145:1–13

Bible in a Year: Psalms 51–53; Romans 2

Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations.—Psalm 145:13

My parents married in 1933 during the Great Depression. My wife and I are Baby Boomers, part of the dramatic increase in births following World War II. Our four daughters, born in the seventies and eighties, belong to Generations X and Y. Growing up in such different times, it’s not surprising that we have different opinions about many things!

Generations differ widely in their life experiences and values. And this is true among followers of Jesus. But no matter what we wear or the kind of music we enjoy, our spiritual connection is stronger than those differences.

Psalm 145, a mighty song of praise to God, proclaims our bond of faith. “One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts. . . . They celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness” (vv. 4, 7). Within a great diversity of age and experience, we come together by honoring the Lord. “They tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might” (v. 11).

While differences and preferences could divide us, shared faith in Jesus Christ the Lord brings us together in mutual trust, encouragement, and praise. Whatever our age and outlook, we need each other! No matter which generation we belong to, we can learn from each other and together honor the Lord—“So that all people may know of [His] mighty acts and the glorious splendor of [His] kingdom” (v. 12). —David C. McCasland

Lord, unite Your people from all generations to honor and praise You as we bear witness of Your love.

God’s kingdom is alive and active in all generations.

INSIGHT: Generational differences are unavoidable, but exalting the God who created and redeemed us is always the starting point for building unity among believers. Our Creator-Redeemer God is celebrated in both the Old and New Testaments. Psalm 145 is a marvelous springboard for expressing such unifying praise. Especially meaningful is verse 9, which proclaims: “The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.” It goes on to reflect on the trustworthy character of the God of compassion in verse 13: “The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does.”

How might this psalm inspire you to praise God and build unity with other believers?  Dennis Fisher

 

http://www.odb.org

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Is a Spirit

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“God is a Spirit.” (John 4:24a)

Have you ever seen the wind? Probably not! If someone asked you to describe the wind, you would not be able to tell its shape or color. You would only be able to tell what the wind does – it makes tree limbs sway, causes waves to swell, howls in the night, and cools you down on a hot sunny days. In the same way, you could not describe what God looks like, because God is a spirit.

A spirit is invisible. That means a spirit does not have a body or a form that you can see with your eyes. In the world, there are spiritual things and material things. Material things are things you can see and touch. You see material things every day: cars, your computer screen, your clothes, your nose, the sun, and your schoolbooks are all material things. You know they are real because your five senses show them to you. You can see a cell phone. You can hear it ring. You can touch your book. You can taste your mom’s homemade cooking. You can smell your dad’s dirty feet.

But just because you cannot sense something does not mean it is not real. Spiritual things are the supernatural things that you cannot sense with your five natural senses. It takes faith to believe that spiritual things are there. You might be are tempted to think that just because you can’t see something it cannot be real. But the Bible says very clearly that even though you cannot see God, He is real.

By faith, you can believe that God is real even though you cannot see Him. By faith, you can know for sure that the God who is a Spirit is the same God who does everything. By faith, you can sense spiritual things – not with your five senses, but with spiritual understanding. You can know in your heart that God is who He says He is, even if you cannot see Him for yourself. You can genuinely love Him and live your life before Him, knowing that He is always near and that He is worthy of your trust and your obedience. God expects you to rely by faith on the truth of the Bible. God’s desire is for you to be even more sure about Him than you are about the material things you can see or feel.

God expects you to believe what He says about who He is, no matter what your five material senses tells you.

My Response:

» When is it hard for me to remember that God is real?

» How can I remember that God is real?

 

http://kids4truth.com/home.aspx

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – The Gift of Repentance

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If My people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves, pray, seek, crave, and require of necessity My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.—2 Chronicles 7:14

When I am headed in the wrong direction, I thank God for the ability to turn around and go in the right direction. That is actually what true repentance is. It is not just a feeling of being sorry, but also a decision to turn and go in the right direction from now on.

We get into trouble through making a series of wrong decisions, and with God’s help, we will get our lives straightened out by a series of right decisions. It took more than a day to get into trouble, and it will take more than a day to get out.

Anyone who is ready and willing to make a real investment of time and right choices can see his or her life turn around for the better. God’s mercy is new every day. He is waiting to give you mercy, grace, favor, and help; all you have to do is be thankful for that mercy and say “yes” to whatever God is asking of you.

Prayer of Thanks: Thank You, Father, for the new starts You provide in my life. Help me realize when I do wrong, then help me repent and begin again. I am so grateful for Your mercies that are new every morning in my life.

From the book The Power of Being Thankful by Joyce Meyer.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Help for Hard Times

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“He cares for them when times are hard; even in famine, they will have enough” (Psalm 37:19).

I recall that, in the early 1930’s during the time of the great depression in America, many people experienced hard times. It was not always easy to fully appreciate the fact I know now to be true: God always cares for His children.

“When times are hard” can refer not only to the material, but also to the physical and the spiritual. And during any of these times – whether in poverty, poor health or spiritual doldrums – our great God always cares for us.

In Bible times, God often proved the truth of the assertion that He cares for His people in periods of famine. And no doubt multitudes of sufferers around the world today would attest to that fact, in spite of their suffering.

When physical suffering is involved, it is not always easy to see the hand of God. But one sure way to increase faith is to exercise the sacrifice of praise – praise to our wonderful God for the positive fact that “all things do work together for our good if we love God and are called according to His purpose.”

When spiritual poverty is concerned, we need only retreat to that time and place in our lives where we wandered away from God, whatever degree of wandering that involves, whether large or small. “Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.”

Bible Reading: Psalm 37:16-22

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: At all times of difficulty in my life – spiritual, material, physical – I will look for God’s hand of blessing in the joyful assurance that He cares for me.

 

http://www.cru.org

Today in the Word

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – WHEN GOD CHANGES YOUR PLANS

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Read 1 CHRONICLES 28

Dietrich Bonhoeffer observed, “We must be ready to allow ourselves to be interrupted by God. God will be constantly crossing our paths and canceling our plans.” This was the lesson that David learned when he initially had it in mind to build a temple for God.

If you have been paying attention, you probably noticed that this is the third time this story has been told. The first was in 1 Chronicles 17, which described David’s experience. The second occurrence is 1 Chronicles 22, where David recounts these events to his son Solomon. In today’s passage, David tells the story to “all the officials of Israel . . . the officers over the tribes, the commanders of the divisions in the service of the king, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of all the property and livestock belonging to the king and his sons, together with the palace officials, the warriors and all the brave fighting men” (v. 1).

Since this is a story about how David misread God’s intent, you might think that the author would want to keep it under wraps. Why let everyone know that David was wrong? But there is much more to this story than David’s mistaken idea. Ultimately it is a story about God’s faithfulness. The Lord set aside David’s plan because He had a better plan of His own.

The reason David’s story is repeated in 1 Chronicles is not to highlight the king’s mistake but to underscore God’s promise and Solomon’s responsibility. The Chronicler does this to remind the returned exiles of their obligation to God. The covenant made with David included a condition that Solomon did not meet (vv. 7–9). The return of God’s people to Jerusalem and the rebuilding of the temple were evidence of God’s grace.

APPLY THE WORD

This account of David’s charge to his son Solomon was more than a glance back at a greater time. It was a reminder of God’s enabling power. Does your church look back to a golden age when things seemed to be better? Instead of seeing it as a record of what you have lost, try to view it as measure of what God can do today.

 

http://www.todayintheword.org

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Christ Alone

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Read: Hebrews 13:8-9

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (v. 8)

When I was a baby, my doctor told my mother that it was best to lay me on my stomach to sleep. He said that babies were happier on their stomachs and were less likely to choke if they spit up. When I had babies of my own, the doctor told me to lay them on their backs to sleep. New research shows that babies who sleep on their backs are much less likely to experience a host of dangers. Even though doctors give different advice now than they did 40 years ago, we can still trust that the goal of these doctors has always been to keep babies healthy and safe.

We constantly have new and different circumstances to navigate as the world around us develops and changes. But Jesus never changes. Our world doesn’t look the same today as it did when Jesus walked the earth, so we need to keep seeking God’s path in new ways. We ought to ask ourselves what Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection have to teach us about how to interact with the world around us today. But we can be sure that no matter how circumstances change, Jesus’ message of love is always the same. When the world changes, we don’t look for a new teaching; we look for new ways to follow Jesus’ command to love. And if we cling to the message of Jesus, we’ll find our way in any circumstance life throws at us. —Jen Petersen

Prayer: Jesus, help me hold fast to your truth.

 

https://woh.org/