Tag Archives: faith

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Even Atheists Have Moments of Doubt

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Perhaps you have heard of George Bernard Shaw. We was a highly regarded thinker and writer and, among other things, won a Nobel Prize in literature. He also was an avowed and vocal atheist. Shaw firmly believed in science and what mankind could accomplish. But toward the end of his life, he realized this was a misplaced hope. He wrote, “The science to which I pinned my faith is bankrupt. Its counsels, which should have established the millennium, led, instead, directly to the suicide of Europe. I believed them once. In their name I helped to destroy the faith of millions of worshippers in the temples of a thousand creeds. And now they look at me and witness the great tragedy of an atheist who lost his faith.”

As C.S. Lewis wrote, “Even atheists have moments of doubt.” Problem is, George Bernard Shaw put his hope in the wrong thing. Do you have hope today? Victor Hugo said, “Hope is the Word which God has written on the brow of every man.” That all sounds good, but the question is: Hope in what or whom?

When I use the word “hope,” I don’t mean a blind optimism. The modern idea of Hope is “to wish for,” “to expect.” This may be based on fate, serendipity, good luck, or perhaps, wishing on a star. As the great theologian Jiminy Cricket sang to the wooden puppet Pinocchio, “When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are. Anything your heart desires will come to you.” But that really isn’t true is it?

Some will say, “I just know it will get better!” but it won’t always. Some put their trust in their investments; the things of this life than can quickly disappear. The Book of Job reminds us, “The hopes of the godless comes to nothing. Everything they count on will collapse. They are leaning on a spider web. They cling to their home for security, but it won’t last. They try to hold it fast, but it will not endure” (Job 8:13-15).

That is especially poignant in this economy; is it not? We need to put our hope in God. We should not have hope for hope’s sake; we must have hope in God. The Psalmist writes, “Why am I discouraged? Why so sad? I will put my hope in God” (Psalm 42:5). This will give us the strength to go on in life, because we know there is a heaven where wrongs will be made right. The hope of a Christian is a quiet confidence. It is a supernatural certainty.

And where do we find this hope? In the pages of Scripture. Paul reminds us that the Scriptures were written to “give us hope” (Romans 15:4). So put your hope in God today. He will never disappoint.

 

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Keeping an Eye

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Growing up in my grandmother’s house was anything but dull. She is extremely superstitious, and we had to comply with her many interesting but puzzling ways around the house. For example, no one is allowed to give a compliment directly. Instead, to pay a compliment one must utter the opposite of what one means.

I later found out that a similar means of complimenting someone exists within the Turkish culture. If you come across an adorable baby in Turkey, you are to say that the baby looks like a donkey! This may sound ludicrous, but you are actually paying the baby and its mother a major compliment. This custom is rooted in the belief that there are evil spirits all around, which may grow jealous and cause bad things to happen to the little one. Hence to avoid bad luck, you deceive the evil spirits by uttering the opposite of what you mean.

Another custom in Turkish culture intended for protection is the use of the nazar or “the evil eye.” Any visitor would not miss it. It is a round piece of blue glass with a center that looks like an eye. The nazar is believed to have protective powers that guard the bearer from whatever evil that may be cast upon him. The eye, therefore, serves as a protection from evil as it watches over the bearer.

This, in principle, rings true for the Christian as well. That is, we believe there is one watching over us. Yet God calls us not to fear the unknown or to live by unnecessary worry. In various psalms the writer talks about how the eyes of the heavenly Father are always upon us: The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD is on his heavenly throne. He observes the sons of men; his eyes examine them. But not only does the Lord watch over us, we have the assurance that God protects and saves those who fear him. “But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine” (Psalm 33:18-19).

Of course, most of us who profess such a worldview don’t live as if this is reality. We don’t go through our days conscious that God is really present. It is more likely that we are burdened by unnecessary fear and insecurity about all aspects of life from health to finance. This is the posture, in fact, of much of the culture around us. Whatever our religion or worldview, we live bound to what might happen like those who live according to superstitions. There is no denial that life offers its daily challenges—some more severe than others—but we can perpetually remind ourselves that God is not indifferent to our concerns. The Father is watching over us constantly in love, and God can, and will, provide help.

Aware of our tendency to live with one eye on the possibilities that might befall us, Jesus similarly reminded his followers to not be anxious. Just as God cares for the lilies of the field and the birds of the air, God will give us what we need. Some of us seem to know this truth abstractly, but we struggle to live it out in the daily grind of life. While we want to believe that we are not alone in our struggles, we find it difficult to internalize this promise with certainty. Sometimes it even seems like life continues to get tougher by the day, and you may even find yourself questioning if God really sees or cares.

Of course, this experience of doubt is not alien to anyone who professes a God who never sleeps or slumbers. The writer of Psalm 33 seems to handle this uncertainty by going back to the very beginning. Celebrating the goodness of God, the writer looks to the creation of the heavens. Remembering how God has directed human history from the very beginning to the present serves as a powerful reminder that God is still in sovereign control over all. Even when it appears God has left us alone with our anxiety and God’s hand is far from our trying circumstance, our trust in God can be grounded in God’s goodness and faithfulness, and not on our limited sight of reality. Over time and eternity, who is more worthy of our confidence and hope?

And yet, living in the awareness that God is watching over us calls for a daily response on our part. During times of uncertainty or moments of routine we can choose to remember God as the faithful one who helps and delivers. Then we, too, can echo the faith of the psalmist instead of the qualms of the superstitious: I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.(2)

I’Ching Thomas is associate director of training at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Singapore.

(1) Bruce Demarest, Soul Guide (Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2003), 59.

(2) Psalm 34:4-5.

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – His Child Forever

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Max Lucado

I’m entering my fourth decade as a pastor and I’ve learned the question to ask. If we were having this talk over coffee and you were telling me about your tough times, I’d lean across the table and say, “What do you still have that you cannot lose?” The difficulties have taken much away.  I get that. But there’s one gift your troubles cannot touch.  Your destiny. Can we talk about it?

You are God’s child.  He saw you, picked you, and placed you. Jesus said,  “You did not choose Me.  I chose you.” (John 15:16).

I remember a young groom once leaned over, just minutes before the ceremony and said to me, “You weren’t my first choice.”  “I wasn’t, I responded?”  “No, the preacher I wanted couldn’t make it.”  “Oh, I said.”  He responded, “But thanks for filling in.”

You’ll never hear such words from God. He chose you. Replacement or fill-in?  Hardly.  You’re His first choice. His open, willful, voluntary choice.  Hear him say, “This child is mine!”  His child forever.  That’s who you are!

From You’ll Get Through This

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – Christ in the covenant

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“I will give thee for a covenant of the people.” Isaiah 49:8

Suggested Further Reading: 1 Corinthians 3:16-23

When tempted to sin, reply, “I cannot do this great wickedness. I cannot, for I am one of Christ’s.” When wealth is before you to be won by sin, touch it not; say that you are Christ’s else you would take it; but now you cannot. Tell Satan that you would not gain the world if you had to love Christ less. Are you exposed in the world to difficulties and dangers? Stand fast in the evil day, remembering that you are one of Christ’s. Are you in a field where much is to be done, and others are sitting down idly and lazily, doing nothing? Go at your work, and when the sweat stands upon your brow and you are bidden to stay, say, “No, I cannot stop; I am one of Christ’s. He had a baptism to be baptised with, and so have I, and I am in bondage until it is accomplished. I am one of Christ’s. If I were not one of his, and purchased by blood, I might be like Issachar, crouching between two burdens; but I am one of Christ’s.” When the siren song of pleasure would tempt you from the path of right, reply, “Hush your strains, O temptress; I am one of Christ’s. Your music cannot affect me; I am not my own, I am bought with a price.” When the cause of God needs you, give yourself to it, for you are Christ’s. When the poor need you, give yourself away, for you are one of Christ’s. When, at any time there is anything to be done for his church and for his cross, do it, remembering that you are one of Christ’s. I beseech you, never belie your profession. Go not where others could say, “He cannot be Christ’s.”

For meditation: The Christian is doubly Christ’s one—by his choice to bear fruit (John 15:16) and by his purchase to glorify God in the body (1 Corinthians 6:19,20). Are you giving him at present everything he paid for?

Sermon no. 103

31 August (1856)

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Be a Doer

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But be doers of the Word [obey the message], and not merely listeners to it, betraying yourselves [into deception by reasoning contrary to the Truth].—James 1:22

Any time you see what the Word says and refuse to do it, reasoning has somehow gotten involved and deceived you into believing something other than the truth. There may be times when you don’t understand everything the Word says, but you should move ahead and do it. God wants you to obey him whether or not you feel like it, want to do it, or think it is a good idea. When God speaks, we are not to question His methods. His ways are not our own.

Proverbs 3:5 says, “Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.” In other words, don’t rely on reason or logic. When God speaks, we are to mobilize, not rationalize.

 

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – Independence of Christianity

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“Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of Hosts.” Zechariah 4:6

Suggested Further Reading: 2 Corinthians 3:17-4: 7

The grand thing the church wants in this time, is God’s Holy Spirit. You all get up plans and say, “Now, if the church were altered a little bit, it would go better.” You think if there were different ministers, or different church order, or something different, then all would be well. No, dear friends, it is not there the mistake lies; it is that we want more of the Spirit. It is as if you saw a locomotive engine upon a railway, and it would not go, and they put up a driver, and they said, “Now, that driver will just do.” They try another and another. One proposes that such-and-such a wheel should be altered, but still it will not go. Some one then bursts in amongst those who are conversing and says, “No, friends; but the reason why it will not move, is because there is no steam. You have no fire, you have no water in the boiler: that’s why it will not go. There may be some faults about it; it may want a bit of paint here and there, but it will go well enough with all those faults if you do but get the steam up.” But now people are saying, “This must be altered, and that must be altered;” but it would go no better unless God the Spirit should come to bless us. You may have the same ministers, and they shall be a thousand times more useful for God, if God is pleased to bless them. You shall have the same deacons, they shall be a thousand times more influential than they are now, when the Spirit is poured down upon them from on high. That is the church’s great want, and until that want be supplied, we may reform, and reform, and still be just the same. We want the Holy Spirit.

For meditation: God doesn’t come to us in the most spectacular ways possible (1 Kings 19:11-12). For his idea of power-evangelism see 1 Corinthians 1:17,18,23,24; 2:1-5, also Romans 1:16.

Sermon no. 149

30 August (1857)

 

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Your Giant in Perspective

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Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” —1 Samuel 17:26

This is a joke. He can’t be serious!

David was on an errand for his father, who had sent him to the front lines to deliver food to his brothers. He arrived to find Goliath bellowing from the valley, mocking the God of Israel, blaspheming his Lord that he loved so deeply.

Goliath was a gigantic Philistine—nine feet and six inches of solid muscle, covered in armor. Every day he would taunt the Israelites, shouting, ” I will make you a deal. Send someone out to fight me. If he wins, we’ll be your servants. But if I win, you will be our servants. Any takers?”

No one wanted to go near him.

Meanwhile, there stood David. Though David was a musician, a poet, and a tenderhearted guy, he also was as tough as nails. When there were threats against his sheep, he took them on. He had killed a lion and a bear. He wasn’t afraid. And he wanted to know why someone wasn’t responding to Goliath’s challenge.

David wasn’t intimidated by his giant because he looked at things differently than everyone else. Everyone else saw a giant of a man and, apparently, a small God. David, however, saw a big God. That giant wasn’t as threatening to him as he was to the others.

Maybe you have a giant in your life that is taunting you right now. Maybe it is some kind of threat. Maybe it is an unsaved spouse or a prodigal son or daughter. This giant, so to speak, seeks to control you. It seeks to hurt you. It seeks to torment you.

So what should you do? Like David, see God for who He is and your giant for what it is. Call on God and pray for His power. Then attack your giant.

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Turn a Deaf Ear

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Max Lucado

Two kinds of voices vie for our attention.  One says, “God will help you.”  The other says, “God has left you!”

And here’s the great news:  you select the voices you hear.  Why give ear to pea-brains and scoffers when you can, with the same ear, listen to the voice of God?  I had a friend who battled alcohol.  He tried a fresh tactic.  He gave me and a few others permission to slug him in the nose if we ever saw him drinking. If the wall is too tall, try the tunnel!  Try something different… God will help you!

Ephesians 1:19-20 says, “God’s power is very great for those who believe.  That power is the same as the great strength God used to raise Christ from the dead and put Him at His right side in the heavenly world.”

Turn to God and he will give you what you need.  Turn a deaf ear to the old voices. Open a wide eye to the new choices!

from Facing Your Giants

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Stronger by Faith

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The Lord is my Strength and my Song, and He has become my Salvation; this is my God, and I will praise Him, my father’s God, and I will exalt Him. —Exodus 15:2

God does not want to just give you strength; He wants to be your strength. In 1 Samuel 15:29 God is referred to as the Strength of Israel. There was a time when Israel knew God was their strength. But when they forgot it, they always started to fail and their lives began to be filled with destruction.

How do you receive strength from God? By faith. Hebrews 11:11 says that by faith Sarah received strength to conceive a child when she was well past childbearing age. By faith you can receive strength to stay in a difficult marriage, raise a difficult child, or prosper in a difficult job. Start receiving God as your strength by faith. It will quicken your body as well as your spirit and soul.

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; P.G. – Who God Is

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Effective prayer depends on true faith.

Whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.

Matthew 21:22

Think about it. What’s the point of bringing a matter before the God of all creation if you really don’t think He’s going to do something about it? His power, mercy and grace far exceed human expectations. Doubting prayers are unbelieving, fearful prayers. Jesus said you must have faith. Where does that level of faith come from?

Faith comes by letting the Word of God permeate your life. Your regular Bible study engages and strengthens belief within you. Knowing, understanding and submitting to the Scriptures gives insight into the heart of the Lord, making your prayers more in line with His will. As you delight in Him, your heart will be transplanted with new desires that match His own. Your maturing faith will be shown in your total dependence on God.

As you become more aware of who God is, you’ll see your faith deepen and your prayers change. Let your focus become more intent on the One you are praying to. Then, and perhaps only then, will you see great answers to your prayers that will leave you awed, humbled and more in love with your Savior – and make a noticeable difference in your home and nation!

Recommended Reading: Psalm 37:23-31

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Living Beyond The Odds

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Our Daily Bread

Acts 12:1-11

Constant prayer was offered to God for [Peter] by the church. —Acts 12:5

Many of us make daily decisions based on the odds. If there’s a 20 percent chance of rain, we may ignore it. If there’s a 90 percent chance, we’ll take an umbrella. The greater the odds, the more our behavior is affected because we want to choose wisely and be successful.

Acts 12:1-6 describes a situation in which Peter’s odds of survival were very low. He was in prison, “bound with two chains between two soldiers” while others guarded the door (v.6). Herod had already executed James, one of Jesus’ closest followers, and he had the same fate in mind for Peter (vv.1-3). A gambler would not have put any money on Peter getting out of this alive.

Yet God’s plan for Peter included a miraculous deliverance that even those who were interceding for him found hard to believe (vv.13-16). They were astonished when he showed up at their prayer meeting.

God can operate outside the odds because He is all-powerful. Nothing is too hard for Him. The One who loves us and gave Himself for us is in charge of our lives. In ordinary circumstances and impossible situations, God can reveal His power. Whether we are showered with success or sustained in sorrow, He is with us. —David McCasland

Dear God, we’re so thankful that nothing is too

difficult for You. You can do amazing things!

Help us to trust that You are always with us

and always in control. We love You, Lord.

God is always in control behind the scenes.

Bible in a year: Psalms 107-109; 1 Corinthians 4

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – The Giant of Grief

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Max Lucado

After the wife of C.S. Lewis died he wrote:  “Her absence is like the sky, spread over everything.”

Just when you think the beast of grief is gone, you pass a restaurant where the two of you used to eat, or you hear a song she loved. And the giant of grief keeps stirring up. You see couples and long for your mate. You see parents with kids and yearn for your child. The giant stirs up insomnia, loss of appetite, even thoughts of suicide.

Grief is not a mental illness, but it sure feels like one sometimes. Jesus understands. Next to the tomb of his dear friend, “Jesus wept.” And in His tears we find permission to shed our own. Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 7:3, “Sorrow is better than laughter, for sadness has a refining influence on us.”

Go ahead.  Face your grief.  Permit yourself tears. God understands, and He will get your through this.

from Facing Your Giants

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Don’t Forget God’s Promise

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[Abraham], having waited long and endured patiently, realized and obtained [in the birth of Isaac as a pledge of what was to come] what God had promised him.  —Hebrews 6:15

God gave Abraham the promise of an heir, but he had to wait much longer than he could have ever imagined. Today’s Scripture says that Abraham “waited long and endured patiently.” During those times, I am sure he had to remind himself of God’s original promise over and over again. Extended periods of waiting can tend to cause us to doubt that we ever heard from God at all.

Perhaps you are waiting on something right now and need to remind yourself of what God originally spoke to your heart.

Doubt and unbelief did attack Abraham and when they did he offered thanksgiving and praise. When Satan attacks, we must not be passive, taking no action at all. We should war against him and his lies by reminding him of God’s Word and promises to us. Speak them out loud, meditate on them, and write them down. When Habakkuk was waiting on God he was instructed to write the vision on tablets plainly so that everyone passing by might read it (see Habakkuk 2:2). Perhaps this was an Old Testament version of a billboard!

Fight the good fight of faith and hold fast your confession. No matter how you might feel right now, don’t give up because God is faithful, and just as He fulfilled His promise to Abraham at the appointed time, He will also fulfill His word to you.

God’s word for you today: When you talk to friends, don’t talk excessively about how you feel; tell them what God’s Word says.

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Subduing the Enemy

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“At that time Samuel said to [the Israelites], ‘If you are really serious about wanting to return to the Lord, get rid of your foreign gods and your Ashtaroth idols. Determine to obey only the Lord; then He will rescue you from the Philistines'” (1 Samuel 7:3).

As I was reading and meditating upon the Word of God this morning, the thought struck me forcefully that this passage relates to multitudes of defeated, frustrated Christians today who feel that they have lost contact with God. They are puzzled as to why He has withdrawn His blessing from them, but the reason, in most cases, is very simple.

Throughout the history of Israel, the people alternately obeyed God and disobeyed Him. When they obeyed, He blessed, and when they disobeyed, He disciplined. At this particular time the Lord seemingly had abandoned them. It was because, as Samuel explained, they were worshiping foreign gods and idols. “If you will only obey God,” he counseled, “He will rescue you from the Philistines.”

So they destroyed their idols and worshiped the Lord, and then a miracle happened. Samuel invited all of Israel to come to Mispah and said, “I will pray to the Lord for you.” As they gathered there, the Philistine leaders heard about it and mobilized their army to attack. Of course, the Israelites were terribly frightened, but God spoke with a mighty thunder from heaven, and the Philistines were thrown into terrible confusion. Israel surrounded them, and subdued them, and the Philistines did not invade Israel again for the remainder of Samuel’s life.

Enemies can take many forms, but their intent is always to destroy. What are the Philistines in your life? Lust, pride, jealousy, materialism, financial indebtedness, physical illness, resentments, antagonism, criticism, discrimination? Do you feel that God has forsaken you?

Why not look into the mirror of God’s Word? Ask the Lord to reveal the idols of your life, then turn away from them. Confess your sins and claim God’s victory over those areas of life that are destroying you.

Bible Reading: I Samuel 7:1-12

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will carefully examine my life to see if I am harboring any idols that would cause the Spirit of God to be grieved and quenched. I will destroy any that I find, and will confess my sins and appropriate God’s fullness to live a supernatural life for His glory.

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; C.P. – Growing Faith

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Like all humans, Robert Ludlow, the tallest man that ever lived at 8 feet 11.1 inches, started out as a tiny embryo. A newborn elephant grows from about 200 pounds to as much as eight tons. A two millimeter mustard seed can become a tall tree.

A grain of mustard seed, which, when sown…is the smallest of all the seeds.  Mark 4:31

Jesus said if you had faith as big as a mustard seed, you could command a mulberry tree to be planted in the sea, or you could move mountains (Luke 17:6 and Matthew 17:21-22). Yet you may become discouraged, thinking, “If mustard seed-sized faith moves trees and mountains, my faith must be microscopic.” Remember…embryos, baby elephants, mustard seeds and faith grow. You may not be able to raise the dead or relocate landscapes, but you can exercise and nurture the faith you do have.

How do you grow your faith? Know God is your authority (Matthew 8:5-13). Pray for faith (Luke 22:32), meditate on who Jesus is (Acts 3:16), and read the Bible (Romans 10:17). Be encouraged by the faith of others (Acts 14:22), and recall answers to your prayers, knowing God can do anything (Romans 4:21). Whatever the size of your faith, thank God for it and use it to seek Him concerning your personal needs, your family, your church…and your country.

Recommended Reading: Matthew 6:25-33

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – God’s Steadfast Love

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Alistair Begg

The steadfast love of God.   Psalms 52:8

Meditate a little on this steadfast love of the Lord. It is tender love. With gentle, loving touch, He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He is as gracious in the manner of His steadfast love as in the matter of it. It is great steadfast love. There is nothing little in God; His steadfast love is like Himself-it is infinite. You cannot measure it. His mercy is so great that it forgives great sins to great sinners after great lengths of time and then gives great favors and great privileges and raises us up to great enjoyments in the great heaven of the great God.

It is undeserved steadfast love, as indeed all true mercy must be, for deserved mercy is only a misnomer for justice. There was no right on the sinner’s part to the kind consideration of the Most High; had the rebel been doomed at once to eternal fire he would have richly merited the doom, and if delivered from wrath, sovereign love alone has found a cause, for there was none in the sinner himself. It is rich steadfast love. Some things are great but have little efficacy in them, but this steadfast love is a tonic to your drooping spirits, a golden ointment to your bleeding wounds, a heavenly bandage to your broken bones, a royal chariot for your weary feet, a bosom of love for your trembling heart.

It is manifold steadfast love. As Bunyan says, “All the flowers in God’s garden are double.” There is no single steadfast love. You may think you have only one steadfast love, but you will find it to be a whole cluster of mercies. It is abounding steadfast love. Millions have received it, but far from its being exhausted, it is as fresh, as full, and as free as ever. It is unfailing steadfast love. It will never leave you. If mercy is your friend, mercy will be with you in temptation to keep you from yielding, with you in trouble to prevent you from sinking, with you in living to be the light and life of your countenance, and with you in dying to be the joy of your soul when earthly comfort is ebbing fast.

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — The Anchor Of Our Hope

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Our Daily Bread

Hebrews 6:13-20

This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast. —Hebrews 6:19

Frank, Ted, and I were fishing for bluegill on Rice Lake in Ontario, Canada. We were on a pontoon boat, and the fish were really biting. Busy baiting and hooking, we slowly became aware that the action had slacked off. Then we realized why: The boat was no longer sitting where we had put it. A strong wind had come up and pushed it across the water. The anchor could not hold us and was sliding across the lake bottom. We hauled it up, returned to our hot spot, and re-anchored. We were moved away again. After a third try, we went back to shore. We could not get our anchor to grab and stick.

When it comes to our salvation, our hope is anchored in the promise of God and the work of Jesus Christ. The winds and waves of doubt, discouragement, and spiritual attack by the evil one can cause us to think that we are adrift and salvation from God is not secure. Not so! God has given His promise that our salvation is sure, and He cannot lie (Heb. 6:18-19). Our hope is securely fastened in Jesus Christ who redeemed us once and for all when He died, rose again, and ascended to heaven.

Our anchor is the Rock unmovable—Jesus Christ. His limitless love holds us sure and steadfast. —David Egner

We have an anchor that keeps the soul,

Steadfast and sure while the billows roll;

Fastened to the Rock which cannot move,

Grounded firm and deep in the Savior’s love. —Owens

Our anchor is the Rock, Jesus Christ.

Bible in a year: Psalms 91-93; Romans 15:1-13

 

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; P.G. – Consider the Dandelion

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A dandelion’s little yellow blossom matures into a puff ball whose white fuzz attached to the seed acts as a parasol. The wind catches it and can carry the seed sometimes miles from the parent plant.

Behold, the days are coming…when I will sow the house of Israel.  Jeremiah 31:27

Like so many fields of dandelion puffs hit by strong winds of adversity, enslavement and dispersion, the Jewish people spent centuries away from their homeland. Jeremiah foretold their return from Babylonian captivity, but his prophecy is no less true to today as the great diaspora continues their return to Israel. As seeds sown by the hand of God, they have prospered in their covenant land.

In the New Testament, Paul reminds Christians of another day coming. Though warned of future adversity, you are to remain vigilant and encourage one another. God doesn’t expect you to “put on a bold face,” but rather He gives you garments of courage: the breastplate of faith and love and the helmet of salvation.

Therefore, as you intercede for the nation today and offer your prayers for America’s leaders, beseech God to reveal Himself in undeniable ways to them, that they might find boldness to stand when coming winds of trouble blow.

Recommended Reading: I Thessalonians 5:1-11

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – Is Your Attitude Accurate?

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Alistair Begg

You, O Lord, have made me glad by your work.  Psalms 92:4

Do you believe that your sins are forgiven and that Christ has made a full atonement for them? Then what a joyful Christian you ought to be! How you should live above the common trials and troubles of the world! Since sin is forgiven, can it matter what happens to you now? Luther said, “Smite, Lord, smite, for my sin is forgiven; if You have forgiven me, smite as hard as You will.” And in a similar spirit you may say, “Send sickness, poverty, losses, crosses, persecution, what You will. You have forgiven me, and my soul is glad.”

Christian, if you are thus saved, while you are glad, be grateful and loving. Cling to that cross that took your sin away; serve Him who served you. “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”1 Do not let your zeal evaporate in some little exuberant song. Show your love in meaningful ways. Love the brethren of Him who loved you. If there is a Mephibosheth anywhere who is disabled, help him for Jonathan’s sake. If there is a poor tried believer, weep with him, and bear his cross for the sake of Him who wept for you and carried your sins.

Since you are forgiven freely for Christ’s sake, go and tell others the joyful news of pardoning mercy. Do not be contented with this unspeakable blessing for yourself alone, but publish widely the story of the cross. Holy gladness and holy boldness will make you a good preacher, and all the world will be a pulpit for you to preach in. Cheerful holiness is the most forcible of sermons, but the Lord must give it to you. Seek it this morning before you go into the world. When it is the Lord’s work in which we rejoice, we need not be afraid of being too glad.

1Romans 12:1

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – When You Feel Discouraged

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Charles Stanley

It’s natural to experience discouragement when someone lets you down. But unfortunately, this emotion can be a breeding ground for bitterness and resentment. If we blame God for what happened, our devotion to Him may suffer. We might forsake spending time alone with Him or give up on the dreams He gave us. Eventually, we could give up on Him altogether. Disappointment has the potential to poison our entire lives. Unless you and I respond to it wisely, we can become overwhelmed by hopelessness, cynicism, and depression.

David experienced discouragement. Samuel had anointed him king of Israel, but for years the former shepherd had to live in the wilderness, running from Saul. Through that difficult time, he looked to the Lord for encouragement. Psalm 23 gives us insight into how David coped with unexpected setbacks.

First, David turned to God with his discouragement. “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want” (v. 1). He didn’t ask, What am I going to do? He knew Who the source of his strength was. God would both show him how to deal with the situation and reveal any feelings of disappointment.

David went on to write, “He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters” (v. 2). When our hearts are in tune with the Lord, we will have peace. Even though we may be in the middle of a trial, we will be able to walk through difficulty without becoming overwhelmed by fear.

You may not know why God has allowed disappointment, frustration, or deep sorrow in your life. Regardless, what matters most is the focus of your faith. Is it set on God or your ability? The Lord has good plans for your life, but they will likely include more than just mountaintop experiences; you must be willing to walk with Him through the valleys as well.

Second, David admitted there was a problem. He did not try to deny or ignore it. We have to wonder how many times Satan whispered, “You are never going to be king” or “You will die in battle before you take the throne.” The Enemy’s tactic is to draw us away from God by planting seeds of doubt. However, David resisted. He had a personal, loving relationship with the Creator of the universe and knew that the Lord would fulfill His promise at the right time. Hebrews 11:6 says, “Without faith it is impossible to please [God], for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”

Third, David understood that the Lord had allowed his trials, and there was purpose in his suffering. Instead of sinking into despair, David immediately turned to God, admitted there was a problem, and acknowledged his inability to face it alone. He refused to let the Enemy’s attack overwhelm him. And He realized the Lord wanted to teach him a lesson.
The same is true for you. When trouble comes, you can know without a doubt that God plans to use it for good (Rom. 8:28-29).

Fourth, David kept his focus on the Lord. There will be times when you receive conflicting information. For instance, a friend’s advice may clash with what your mind tells you. In cases like this, ask God to make His will perfectly clear.

Open your Bible, get on your knees, and cry out, “Lord, speak to my heart. Help me hear Your voice so I will have clear guidance through this stressful time.” Sometimes the Lord will lift the discouragement immediately and completely because you have turned to Him in faith. When that happens, thank Him for the truth of Jeremiah 33:3: “Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”

David often recalled the times God had delivered him in the past. The cornerstone of his confidence was the Lord’s faithfulness. Time after time, he had witnessed God’s goodness at work in his life. Therefore, he could say, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; my cup overflows” (Ps. 23:5).

Finally, David confessed with his mouth that God would fulfill His promise. “Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever” (Ps. 23:6). When it came to devotion, there was no question that David was committed to God.

You can overcome discouragement by proclaiming biblical truth. Turn to God’s Word and study about His faithfulness, attributes, and promises to the church. Dig deep and you will gain an awesome perspective of His nature—who He is and the depth of His intimate love for you. The Father listens when you pray to Him, and He will come to your aid, just as He did for David.

Adapted from “Landmines in the Pathway of the Believer” (2007).

 

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