Tag Archives: health

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Get in Balance

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Joyce meyer

Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening].

—1 Corinthians 13:7

We all get emotional occasionally, or lose our temper once in a while. But if you are out of balance in either one of these areas, it is very important to get back in balance if you want your day to go right.

If your feelings get hurt because someone looks at you crossways, or because friends or family forget your birthday, you need to spend more time with God. He will fill you with so much love and such a sense of self-worth that you won’t feel ill-tempered or touchy toward anyone. Seek God with your whole heart today. Talk to Him about your problems, and then enjoy yourself, knowing that He cares for you.

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

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Stay in the Race

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Max Lucado

Don’t give up! In 1952 Florence Chadwick attempted to swim the ocean waters between Catalina Island and the California shore—through foggy weather and choppy seas.  After 15 hours her muscles began to cramp and her resolve weakened. She begged to be taken out of the water, but her mother riding in a boat alongside, urged her not to give up. She kept trying but grew exhausted.  Aids lifted her out of the water. As they paddled a few more minutes, the mist broke. She discovered shore was less than a half mile away. She said, “All I could see was the fog.  I think if I could’ve seen the shore, I would’ve made it!”

Friend, don’ t give up! The finish may be only strokes away. God may at this moment be lifting His hand to signal Gabriel to grab the trumpet. The shore may be closer than you think. Stay at it.  Stay in the race.  And don’t give up!

from Facing Your Giants

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Such a Friend

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Max Lucado

The next time you lack the will to go on, seek healthy counsel! You won’t want to.  Slumping people love slumping people. We love those who commiserate and avoid those who correct. Yet correction and direction are what we need when we’re tired.

I discovered the importance of healthy counsel in a half-Ironman triathlon. After the 1.2 mile swim and the 56-mile bike ride, I didn’t have much energy left for the 13.1 mile run.  Neither did the fellow jogging next to me.  He said, “This stinks. This is the dumbest decision I’ve ever made.”

I said, “Good-bye!” I knew if I listened too long, I’d start agreeing with him. I caught up with a sixty-six-year-old grandmother who said, “You’ll finish this—stay in there!”

Which of the two describes the counsel you seek? Proverbs 15:22 says: “Refuse good advice and watch your plans fail; take good counsel and watch them succeed!”

Don’t give up. And get some good advice!

from Facing Your Giants

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Results of Uncontrolled Weakness

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Charles Stanley

Romans 6:17-23

It is normal for children, at some point, to become aware of growing stronger. “Let’s see your muscles,” a parent will say. The child bends an arm, makes a fist, and proudly displays the evidence. Parents often encourage their children to increase strength and overcome any weakness. Some youngsters cooperate, but others act indifferent or feel defeated even before they start.

We all have weak areas in our lives. How do we respond to them? Do we make a plan to overcome them? Do we pretend they are unimportant or surrender to them without much effort? None of these responses is what God desires for us. He wants our weaknesses to remind us how totally dependent we are upon His strength and how great our need is for Him. His plan is for our frailties to be a powerful motivator to deepen our relationship with Him.

Handled improperly, those areas in which we lack ability can become stumbling blocks that hurt us and those around us. A proper response—namely, turning to God—means He will take charge of our weaknesses and no longer allow them to dominate our lives.

Samson was a man whom God set apart and equipped for divine purposes. But he had an uncontrollable weakness, which he allowed to run unchecked until it destroyed his work for the Lord (Judg. 13-16). We, as Christ-followers, have also been set apart for God’s work and equipped by Him. We should heed the warning of Samson’s life and turn quickly to God every time our weakness surfaces. Delay could mean disaster.

 

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Managing Tough Times

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Max Lucado

How we handle our tough times stays with us for a long time! When you’re tired of trying, tired of forgiving, tired of hard-headed people, how do you manage your dark days? With a bottle of pills?  An hour at the bar, a day at the spa? Many opt for such treatments.  So many, in fact, we assume they reenergize the sad life. But do they?  They numb the pain, postpone the pain, but do they remove it?

Is there a solution? There is.  Be quick to pray.  Stop talking to yourself. Talk to Christ, who says, “Are you tired? Worn out?  Burned out on religion?  Come to Me. Get away with Me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. (Matthew 11:28).”

God, who is never downcast, never tires of your down days.“Come to Me,” Jesus says.  “I’ll give you real rest!”

from Facing Your Giants

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Exercise Self-Control

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Joyce meyer

Adding your diligence [to the divine promises], employ every effort in exercising your faith to develop virtue (excellence, resolution, Christian energy), and in [exercising] virtue [develop] knowledge (intelligence), and in [exercising] knowledge [develop] self-control, and in [exercising] self-control [develop] steadfastness (patience, endurance), and in [exercising] steadfastness [develop] godliness (piety), and in [exercising] godliness [develop] brotherly affection, and in [exercising] brotherly affection [develop] Christian love.—2 Peter 1:5–7

Does the thought of mowing the lawn get you discouraged? Do you think, “Oh man, I wish I didn’t have to mow the lawn today. I really dread it. I wish I could just go shopping or do something fun.” If so, you’re not abnormal. We are all tempted to think like that, but the good news is God has given you the spirit of self-control and you can choose what you will think about any situation (2 Timothy 1:7). You can also choose to do what you know is right no matter how you feel at the moment.

Dale Carnegie said, “You can conquer almost any fear if you will only make up your mind to do so. For remember, fear doesn’t exist anywhere except in the mind.”

We can conquer worry and fear, and we can also conquer dread. God has given us a spirit of self-control; all we have to do is exercise it and we will experience freedom from fear and dread.

Lord, I thank You that I don’t have to live bound by what I feel about situations. Strengthen my mind and thoughts with the power of Your Word. Amen.

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; C.H. – Break Time

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Fitness gurus know you don’t build muscles by lifting weights alone. Heavy workouts actually tear down muscle. The strength comes through rest. A period of inactivity is necessary to allow muscles to rebuild – and become stronger than before.

In plowing time and in harvest you shall rest.  Exodus 34:21

God, the Creator of the all things including the human body, was well aware of the benefits of taking a break. Rest isn’t just beneficial; it’s vital. When God gave the commandment to rest, He knew what was best. A respite is not only good for muscles, it helps you lose weight, stay focused, improve memory, increase creativity and even live longer. Your Heavenly Father knew busyness would abound and, therefore, the tendency to skip a day off would surface. So He specifically pointed out, even during the busiest times (plowing and harvest during biblical times), you need to rest.

At least once each week, make time for break time. Stop and observe God’s beautiful creation. List His attributes. But most of all, be still and know that He is God and will be “exalted among the nations.” (Psalm 46:10) Pray today for Christians across the nation – as well as your nation’s leaders – to regularly rest and reflect on the one true God and exalt Him only.

Recommended Reading: Psalm 46

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Age is No Enemy

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Max Lucado

I remember some years ago when my doctor said, “Nothing to worry about, Max—your condition is pretty common for folks in their mid-age!”

Don’t you hate it when someone reminds you?  Of all the things you couldn’t count on, there was one thing you could, and that was your youth. Just because you’re near the top of the hill doesn’t mean you’ve passed your peak. Your last chapters can be your best. What was intended to be an island of isolation for the apostle John became a place of inspiration, and in his final years he wrote the last book of the Bible.

When J.C. Penney was ninety-five years old, he affirmed, “My eyesight may be getting weaker, but my vision is increasing.”  Many are anticipating the destination.  I hope you are.  And I hope you’ll be ready when you get home.

Age is no enemy.  It’s a mile-marker—a gentle reminder that home has never been so near!

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Decide to Be Second

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Joyce meyer

Love one another with brotherly affection [as members of one family], giving precedence and showing honor to one another. —Romans 12:10

Giving preference to others requires a willingness to adapt and adjust. It means to allow them to go first or to have the best of something. We show preference when we give someone else the best cut of meat on the platter instead of keeping it back for ourselves. We show preference when we allow someone with fewer groceries in his cart than we have in ours to go in front of us at the supermarket checkout counter, or when we are waiting in line to use a public restroom and someone behind us in line is pregnant or elderly and we choose to let that individual go ahead of us. Each time we show preference we have to make a mental adjustment. We were planning to be first, but we decide to be second. We are in a hurry, but we decide to wait on someone else who seems to have a greater need.

A person is not yet rooted and grounded in love until they have learned to show preference to others (see Ephesians 3:17 NKJV). Don’t just learn to adjust, but learn to do it with a good attitude. Learning to do these things is learning to walk in love.

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Avoid Dehydration

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Our Daily Bread

John 7:37-39

If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. —John 7:37

A couple of times in the past few years I’ve experienced dehydration and, believe me, it is not something I want to repeat. It happened once after I suffered a torn hamstring while cross-country skiing, and another time in the 115-degree heat of an Israeli desert. Both times I experienced dizziness, disorientation, loss of clear vision, and a host of other symptoms. I learned the hard way that water is vital to maintaining my well-being.

My experience with dehydration gives me a new appreciation for Jesus’ invitation: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink” (John 7:37). His announcement was dramatic, particularly in terms of the timing. John notes that it was the last day of the “great feast”—the annual festival commemorating the wandering of the Jews in the wilderness—which climaxed with a ceremonial pouring of water down the temple steps to recall God’s provision of water for the thirsty wanderers. At that point, Jesus rose and proclaimed that He is the water we all desperately need.

Living like we really need Jesus—talking to Him and depending on His wisdom—is vital to our spiritual well-being. So, stay connected to Jesus, for He alone can satisfy your thirsty soul! —Joe Stowell

Dear Lord, forgive me for thinking that I can do life

without the water of Your presence, advice, counsel,

comfort, and conviction. Thank You that You are

indeed the living water that I so desperately need.

Come to Jesus for the refreshing power of His living water.

Bible in a year: Job 32-33 & Acts 14

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – A Living Nightmare

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Alistair Begg

The ugly, thin cows ate up the seven attractive, plump cows.  Genesis 41:4

Pharaoh’s dream has too often been my waking experience. My days of laziness have ruinously destroyed all that I had achieved in times of zealous endeavor; my seasons of coldness have frozen all the genial glow of my periods of fervency and enthusiasm; and my fits of worldliness have thrown me back from my advances in the divine life. I had need to beware of lean prayers, lean praises, lean duties, and lean experiences, for these will eat up the fat of my comfort and peace.

If I neglect prayer for never so short a time, I lose all the spirituality to which I had attained; if I draw no fresh supplies from heaven, the old corn in my granary is soon consumed by the famine that rages in my soul. When the caterpillars of indifference, the worms of worldliness, and the snares of self-indulgence lay my heart completely desolate and make my soul languish, all my former fruitfulness and growth in grace avails me nothing whatever.

How anxious should I be to have no lean-fleshed days, no ill-favored hours! If every day I journeyed toward the goal of my desires I would soon reach it, but backsliding leaves me still far from the prize of my high calling and robs me of the advances that I had so strenuously made.

The only way in which all my days can be like the fat cows is to feed them in the right meadow, to spend them with the Lord, in His service, in His company, in His fear, and in His way. Why should not every year be richer than the past, in love and usefulness and joy? I am nearer the celestial hills; I have had more experience of my Lord and should be more like Him.

O Lord, keep far from me the curse of leanness of soul; let me not have to bemoan such leanness, but may I be well-fed and nourished in Your house, that I may praise Your name.

 

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – You Are Not Alone

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Max Lucado

Have you ever gone to the grocery on an empty stomach?  You’re a sitting duck.  You buy everything you don’t need.  Doesn’t matter if it’s good for you—you just want to fill your tummy!  When you’re lonely, you do the same in life, pulling stuff off the shelf, not because you need it, but because you’re hungry for love.

Why do we do it?  Because we fear facing life alone.  For fear of not fitting in, we take the drugs.  For fear of standing out, we wear the clothes.  For fear of appearing small, we go into debt and buy the house.  For fear of sleeping alone, we sleep with anyone.  For fear of not being loved, we search for love in all the wrong places.

But all that changes when we discover God’s perfect love. 1 John 4:18 says, “Perfect love casts out fear.”  You are not alone!

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Max Lucado – A Great Race to Run

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God wants to use you my friend, but how can He if you’re exhausted?

The other day when I was getting ready for my run, the sun was out, but the wind was chilly.  Jacket or sweatshirt?  The Boy Scout within me prevailed and  I wore both.  Got my cell phone, my water bottle. So no one would steal my car, I pocketed my keys.  I looked more like a pack mule than a runner!  Within half a mile, I was pealing off the jacket.

That kind of weight will slow you down. What’s true in jogging is true in faith.  God has a great race for you to run.  But you have to drop some stuff.  How can you lift someone else’s load if your arms are full with your own?

For the sake of those you love, travel light. For the sake of the God you serve, travel light. For the sake of your own joy, travel light!

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Charles Stanley – Much Practice

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No matter what you desire to do, some element of practice is required for the end result to be excellent. No one is born with any ability that is fully developed. Most skills are developed slowly and incrementally.

As you follow God and He prepares you to pursue His purpose for your life, you may be discouraged at how slowly you progress. But stick with it. True gifts, skills, and talents are worth developing to the point of mastery. When you have mastered something, you no longer have to struggle at it. You may work at it, but the sense of struggle is gone.

There’s an old saying: “If something is worth doing, it is worth doing well.” That’s the goal in the development of your God-given talents. The Creator did not give you gifts to have you squander them, ignore them, or dabble at them. He intends for you to develop them to the highest levels possible.

I strongly encourage you to make practicing your gifts and talents an act of praise to God. You may never have thought about it that way. But I have no doubt that you will gain much if you begin your practice times with prayer. Simply tell God, “I exalt You, Lord, and I thank You for the gift You have given to me. I know You are the Giver of my talent, and I give You this session of practice as my gift to You today.”

A young college-age musician was encouraged to think this way, and she later said, “I sat down to practice the clarinet, and I made a conscious decision to see that half hour as an offering of praise to God. I can only begin to tell you what happened. I played better in those 30 minutes than I ever had before. The more I saw myself as playing for God—like a private mini-concert just for Him—the more I found myself wanting to play with perfection and also with sensitivity. I thoroughly enjoyed my practice time and came away feeling absolutely great. I also felt inside me a greater excitement about playing the clarinet than I had ever felt before. It was an amazing time.”

What about practicing your skill? Something wonderful will happen in you when you make it an act of praise to God as well.

Takeaway

While “practice” is another way of saying “work,” the development of your gift can be a source of immense joy for you. Few things bring greater satisfaction than knowing that you have tackled a difficult skill and mastered it. Along the way, you will find these concepts coming into play as you develop your gifts:

Diligence. Practice must be regular and frequent. That takes diligence.

Discipline. Practice doesn’t happen by accident. You must plan for it and set apart time for it. You must motivate yourself to actually do it.

Perseverance. There will be days when you will be discouraged by your lack of progress. You must persevere.

Consistency. Practice is most effective when it is focused and scheduled as a regular part of your daily or weekly routine.

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Joyce Meyer – Lift Up Your Eyes

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But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.—Psalm 3:3

When you feel down, everything around you seems to fall apart, and you begin to lose your strength. Your head and hands and heart begin to droop. Even your eyes and your voice are lowered.

You are downcast because you are looking at your problems, and this only makes you feel worse. Sometimes you are tempted to say, “Oh, what’s the use?” and just give up. But God is waiting for you to lift up your eyes and look to Him for help.

Life will always bring discouraging situations, but you don’t have to let them get you down. Despite life’s distressing circumstances, you can be confident in the Lord, the lifter of your head.

Lift up your eyes, hands, head, and heart and look not at your problems, but at the one who has promised to see you through to victory. Smile . . . it will lift your spirit.

 

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Joyce Meyer – Train Yourself

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For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. —Proverbs 23:7

I encourage you to practice being a positive person. It’s just a matter of breaking one bad habit and forming a new one. I was so negative at one time in my life that if I even tried to think two positive thoughts in a row my brain got into a cramp. But now I am very positive and actually don’t enjoy being with people who are negative.

Discipline is required any time you are forming a new habit. You might consider putting some reminders around your house or in your car, like little signs that say “Be positive.” Ask a good friend or spouse to remind you if they hear you slipping into negativism.

Practice trusting yourself rather than doubting yourself. If you are applying for a promotion at work, don’t think to yourself or say, “I probably won’t get it.” Pray and ask God to give you favor with your employer and then say, “I believe I will get the job!” And if you try and the outcome isn’t what you were hoping for, then tell yourself, “If the job was right for me, God would give it to me, and since He didn’t, He must have something even better in mind for me.” You can train yourself to be positive in what appears to be a negative situation.

Lord, show me where I am stuck in negativity and need to break through to trusting You. Help me to have the right thoughts and attitudes that move me forward. Amen.

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Charles Spurgeon – Christ—our substitute

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“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

Suggested Further Reading: Isaiah 53:10-12

In no sense is he ever a guilty man, but always is he an accepted and a holy one. What, then, is the meaning of that very forcible expression of my text? We must interpret Scriptural modes of expression by the words of the speakers. We know that our Master once said himself, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood;” he did not mean that the cup was the covenant. He said, “Take, eat, this is my body”—none of us conceives that the bread is the literal flesh and blood of Christ. We take that bread as if it were the body, and it actually represents it. Now, we are to read a passage like this, according to the analogy of faith. Jesus Christ was made by his Father sin for us, that is, he was treated as if he had himself been sin. He was not sin; he was not sinful; he was not guilty; but, he was treated by his Father, as if he had not only been sinful, but as if he had been sin itself. That is a strong expression used here. Not only has he made him to be the substitute for sin, but to be sin. God looked on Christ as if Christ had been sin; not as if he had taken up the sins of his people, or as if they were laid on him, though that were true, but as if he himself had positively been that noxious—that God-hating—that soul-damning thing, called sin. When the judge of all the earth said, “Where is sin?” Christ presented himself. He stood before his Father as if he had been the accumulation of all human guilt; as if he himself were that thing which God cannot endure, but which he must drive from his presence for ever.

For meditation: God regarded Christ crucified just as if he were sin, not Son. The substitutionary atonement is the key which enables the Christian to make use of the description “Just as if I’d never sinned.”

Sermon no. 310

16 April (Preached 15 April 1860)

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Max Lucado – The Plate Runs Over

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Give us this day our daily bread.  What a statement of trust!  Some days the plate runs over.  God keeps bringing out more food and we keep loosening our belt.  A promotion.  A privilege.   A friendship.  A gift.  A lifetime of grace.  An eternity of joy.

The Psalmist said:  “You serve me a six-course dinner right in front of my enemies.  You revive my drooping head; my cup fills with blessing.”  (Psalm 23:5, The Message).

And then there are those days when, well, we have to eat our broccoli. Our daily bread could be tears or sorrow or discipline. Our portion may include adversity as well as opportunity.  The next time your plate has more broccoli than apple pie, remember who prepared the meal.  Even Jesus was given a portion He found hard to swallow.  But with God’s help, He did.  And with God’s help, you can too.

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Max Lucado – Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread

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Many of us have trouble relating to the prayer, “God, give us this day our daily bread.” Because our pantries are so packed and our bellies so full, we seldom ask for food. More likely, we need to ask for self-control and say, “God, help me not to eat so much.”

You won’t find books on surviving starvation, but you will find shelves loaded with books on losing weight. That doesn’t negate the importance of the prayer, however. Just the opposite. We pray only to find our prayer already answered!  At some point it occurs to you that someone is providing for your needs.

You take a giant step in maturity when you agree with King David’s words in 2nd Chronicles 29:14, “Everything we have has come from You, and we only give You what is Yours already.” Long before you knew you needed someone to provide for your needs, God already had!