Tag Archives: nature

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley –The Landmine of Laziness

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2 Thessalonians 3:6-13

Many people never stop to realize that laziness is a sin. But like any other landmine, it has the potential to hurt or destroy lives. To be constantly idle and fruitless is contrary to scriptural teachings. And anything that goes against God’s Word is a sin. In the parable of the talents, Jesus said of the servant who’d buried his master’s money, “You wicked, lazy servant!” (See Matt. 25:26 NIV.) The Lord put both wickedness and slothfulness into the same undesirable category.

The book of Proverbs gives us a description of the lazy person. First, he is a procrastinator—somebody who puts off what needs to be done (Prov. 20:4). Second, he uses any excuse to avoid work (Prov. 22:13). Third, he wastes time (Prov. 6:9-11). And finally, a slothful person is neglectful and careless with regard to what’s going on around him (Prov. 24:30-32).

Laziness does not fit who we are as believers. Our Father expects us to live purposefully and work conscientiously; to be lazy and turn out a poor performance damages our testimony. Proverbs 25:19 warns, “Like a bad tooth and an unsteady foot is confidence in a faithless man in time trouble.” A lazy, untrustworthy person leaves tasks unfinished and, as a result, is a poor witness for Christ. What will unbelievers see in such a life that they would desire for themselves?

We have a wonderful opportunity to participate in God’s work, and that includes performing well in our vocation as a demonstration of obedience. Choose to work for Him today.

Bible in One Year: Exodus 22-24

 

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – Lack Nothing

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Read: Mark 6:7–12

Bible in a Year: Exodus 7–8; Matthew 15:1–20

God is able to bless you abundantly, so that . . . you will abound in every good work.—2 Corinthians 9:8

Imagine going on a trip without luggage. No basic necessities. No change of clothing. No money or credit cards. Sounds both unwise and terrifying, doesn’t it?

But that’s exactly what Jesus told His twelve disciples to do when He sent them out on their first mission to preach and heal. “Take nothing for the journey except a staff,” said Jesus. “No bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra shirt” (Mark 6:8-9).

Yet later on when Jesus was preparing them for their work after He was gone, He told His disciples, “If you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one” (Luke 22:36).

So, what’s the point here? It’s about trusting God to supply.

When Jesus referred back to that first trip, He asked the disciples, “When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?” And they answered, “Nothing” (v. 35). The disciples had everything they needed to carry out what God had called them to do. He was able to supply them with the power to do His work (Mark 6:7).

Do we trust God to supply our needs? Are we also taking personal responsibility and planning? Let’s have faith that He will give us what we need to carry out His work. —Poh Fang Chia

You are good, Lord, and all You do is good. Help us in our endeavors to pray and to plan and to trust You.

God’s will done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply. Hudson Taylor, founder of China Inland Mission

INSIGHT: We have a wonderful example of a believer in the early church who hosted and supported the workers the apostle John sent out to spread the gospel. Although these visiting itinerant teachers were strangers to him, Gaius provided a place for them to stay, gave them food to eat, and supported their ministry. Commending Gaius for his hospitality and generosity, John wrote, “You are being faithful to God when you care for the traveling teachers who pass through, even though they are strangers to you” (3 John 1:5-6 NLT). We can trust God to supply what we need to serve where He has called us. And we can be partners with others as they teach the truth by praying and providing for them financially and practically. Sim Kay Tee

 

http://www.odb.org

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – What Is Wrong With the World?

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In a world of finger-pointing, Tetsuya Ishikawa paused instead to confess guilt. After seven years at the forefront of the credit markets, he took the idea of a friend to write a book called How I Caused the Credit Crunch because, in the friend’s analysis, “it sounds like you did.”(1) In the form of a novel that discredits the notion of the financial sector as a collaboration of remote, unthinking forces, he admits in flesh and blood that he believes he is guilty, too. Though reviewers note Ishikawa does not remain long with his admission of responsibility, he succeeds in showing the financial markets as a reflection of human choices with real, moral dimensions—and, ultimately, the futility of our ongoing attempts at finding a better scapegoat.

Whenever the subject of blame or fault comes about in any sector of life, whether economic, societal, or individual, scapegoating is a far more common reaction than confession. Most of us are most comfortable when blame is placed as far away from us as possible. Even the word ‘confession,’ the definition of which is concerned with personally owning a fault or belief, is now often associated with the sins of others, which an outspoken soul just happens to be willing to share with the world happily willing to listen: Confessions of a Shopaholic, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Confessions of a Columnist. We are interested in those confessions of a former investment banker/warlord/baseball wife because the ‘owning up’ has nothing to do with owning anything.

Perhaps like many of us in our own confessing, Charles Templeton’s 1996 book, Farewell to God, which offered the confessions of a former Christian leader, is filled with moments of confession in both senses of the word: honest commentary and easy scapegoating. In his thoughts that deal with the Christian church, it is particularly apparent. Pointing near and far and wide, Templeton observes that the church indeed has a speckled past: “Across the centuries and on every continent, Christians—the followers of the Prince of Peace—have been the cause of and involved in strife. The church during the Middle Ages was like a terrorist organization.”(2) He admits that some good has come from Christian belief, but that there is altogether too much bad that has come from it. He then cites the church’s declining numbers as evidence that the world is in agreement; people are losing interest because the church is failing to be relevant. Pews are empty; denominations oppose one another; the church is floundering and its influence waning—except perhaps its negative influence, which he insists is on the rise. Of course, Templeton is by no means alone in these accusations.

Continue reading Ravi Zacharias Ministry – What Is Wrong With the World? →

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Be Renewed

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God selected . . . what the world calls weak to put the strong to shame. And God also selected (deliberately chose) what in the world is lowborn and insignificant and branded and treated with contempt, even the things that are nothing, that He might depose and bring to nothing the things that are, so that no mortal man should [have pretense for glorying and] boast in the presence of God. —1 Corinthians 1:27-29

If you are weak in faith, in mind, in body, in discipline, in self-control, or in determination, simply wait on God. He will be strong through your weakness.

Isaiah 40:31 teaches that if you expect God, look for Him, and hope in Him, you will change and renew your strength and power; you will run, and not faint or become tired. The Bible doesn’t say “hope so, it could be, or it may be”; it declares that you will be renewed.

From the book Starting Your Day Right by Joyce Meyer

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – When You Open the Door

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“Look! I have been standing at the door and I am constantly knocking. If anyone hears Me calling him and opens the door, I will come in and fellowship with him and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20).

“One morning I wanted to feed the birds,” a saint once said. “It was gray and cold, and the ground was covered with snow. I stepped out on the porch and flung them handfuls of crumbs and called to them. But there they sat, cold and hungry and afraid. They did not trust me.

“As I sat and watched and waited, it seemed to me I could get God’s view-point more clearly than ever before. He offers, plans, waits, hopes, longs for all things for our good. But He has to watch and wait as I did for my timid friends.”

What a simple thing it is to open a door!

That still, small voice of conscience that pricks you from time to time is probably Christ Himself knocking at the door of your heart. He is waiting for that very simple act by which you open that door – an act of your will acknowledging that Christ is making a claim upon your life. He has that right; He died for you.

If you are not absolutely sure that Christ is in your life, that you would go straight to heaven if you died today, you can be sure right now.

By faith, respond to the invitation of Jesus and open the door of your life to Him. Why not make this your prayer:

“Lord Jesus, I need You. I know You are the Son of God, the Savior of all men. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord.

“Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be. Enable me to live a supernatural life beginning today. Amen.”

If you asked Christ to come into your life, by faith, trusting that He has answered your prayer even as He has promised, then you can know with absolute certainty that He has done so.

Bible Reading: John 14:23-27

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: If I am already absolutely sure of my salvation, I will invite someone else today to pray this prayer. If I am not sure of my own spiritual condition, I will pray it for myself.

TODAY’S ACTION LINKS: Unsure of your salvation? Let this Transferable Concept help you. The Spirit-Filled Life can also help you understand how to trust God’s work in your life, by faith.

 

http://www.cru.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – Fear in the age of Trump: my analysis

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Donald Trump is the eleventh president sworn into office in my lifetime. I have never seen as much unrest over a new president as our nation is experiencing.

During Friday’s inauguration, ninety-five people were arrested in Washington as protests grew violent. The next day, according to The Washington Post, more than a million people gathered in Washington and cities around the country and the world to protest the new president.

Undeterred, President Trump visited the CIA on Saturday, spoke yesterday to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, and plans to meet with congressional leaders today and with British Prime Minister Theresa May on Friday.

Amid controversy and dire predictions for the new administration, Pope Francis had the wisest word. He told a Spanish newspaper that he doesn’t like “judging people early. We’ll see what Trump does.”

Some uncertainty is exciting. During the NFL season, when Green Bay was 4–6 and Pittsburgh was 4–5, few predicted they would play in their conference championships. Before yesterday’s title games, few thought they would lose in such convincing fashion. Now no one is sure who will win Super Bowl LI between Atlanta and New England.

Uncertainty is fun in sports but something else entirely in economics and geopolitics. The Washington Post notes that Mr. Trump’s unpredictable financial plans have “helped unnerve a corporate America that traditionally craves stability.” The Wall Street Journal claims that the new president’s plans have made “a high-stakes foreign-policy arena . . . even more unpredictable as he vows a fresh approach.”

Why does unpredictability frighten us?

Continue reading Denison Forum – Fear in the age of Trump: my analysis →

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – God’s Pathway to Success

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Joshua 1:7

Too often, Christians shy away from the whole idea of success, thinking, I’ll just be grateful for whatever the Lord gives me. Such misguided believers have confused success with greed and discontent. How can this be?

It is because of the overwhelming obsession with the world’s definition of the term. To most people, the word is equivalent to “wealth” or “power.” If you stopped the average person on the street and asked whether he is successful, there’s a good chance he would start talking about his career or investments. He might even make a passing reference to his “15 minutes of fame.” Most people simply have no other frame of reference for the concept. But these parameters have nothing to do with spiritual success.

The heavenly Father calls His children to live triumphantly. If the pursuit of success were sinful, how could the Lord have made the promise found in Joshua 1:7? Was He promising money? No. Was He promising fame? No. The Lord was promising success.

For Joshua, this would mean military victory, steadfast faith, and the fulfillment of God’s promise to Moses. Joshua was not concerned with money or fame; rather, he was intensely focused on accomplishing God’s plan for him. Armed with the power of the Word, Joshua marched boldly ahead and received the Lord’s blessings. And for that, God called him a “success.”

Do not be confused—the trappings of the world have nothing to do with succeeding spiritually. Your family, relationships, integrity, faithfulness—these are the things that work together as a godly way of measuring success.

Bible in One Year: Exodus 19-21

 

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – God’s Face

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Read: 2 Corinthians 4:4–15

Bible in a Year: Exodus 4–6; Matthew 14:22–36

For God . . . made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.—2 Corinthians 4:6

Much of my career as a writer has revolved around the problem of pain. I return again and again to the same questions, as if fingering an old wound that never quite heals. I hear from readers of my books, and their anguished stories give human faces to my doubts. I remember a youth pastor calling me after he had learned that his wife and baby daughter were dying of AIDS because of a tainted blood transfusion. “How can I talk to my youth group about a loving God?” he asked.

I have learned to not even attempt an answer to these “why” questions. Why did the youth pastor’s wife happen to get the one tainted bottle of blood? Why does a tornado hit one town and skip over another? Why do prayers for physical healing go unanswered?

One question, however, no longer gnaws at me as it once did: “Does God care?” I know of only one way to answer that question, and the answer is Jesus. In Jesus, God gave us a face. If you wonder how God feels about the suffering on this groaning planet, look at that face.

“Does God care?” His Son’s death on our behalf, which will ultimately destroy all pain, sorrow, suffering, and death for eternity, answers that question. “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6). —Philip Yancey

God’s love for us is as expansive as the open arms of Christ on the cross.

 

http://www.odb.org

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Be a Blessing

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So then, as occasion and opportunity open up to us, let us do good [morally] to all people [not only being useful or profitable to them, but also doing what is for their spiritual good and advantage]. Be mindful to be a blessing, especially to those of the household of faith [those who belong to God’s family with you, the believers].—Galatians 6:10

Our daughter Sandra shared that she was dreading seeing a certain individual because in the past that person had not been very pleasant to her. As she struggled with negative thoughts about the upcoming encounter, God spoke to her heart and said, You don’t need to be concerned about how others treat you; your concern should be how you treat them. This message had a strong impact on Sandra’s life as well as on mine. How true it is.

We are so concerned about how we are being treated that we have little or no concern for how we treat others. We are afraid of being taken advantage of, especially if our experience with someone has been painful in the past. The fear and dread we feel probably makes us supersensitive to everything that is said or done. We may even misinterpret things and see them in a negative way because of our expectations.

What we fear does come upon us, according to God’s Word (see Job 3:25). I agree that it is difficult not to be concerned that others will treat us badly if they have done so in the past. That is why it is so important not to think about it at all.

We are to deposit ourselves with God and trust Him to take care of us (see 1 Peter 4:19). He is our vindicator (see Job 19:25), and as long as we behave properly toward others, including our enemies, God will bring a reward into our lives. The Bible says we are to be “mindful” to be a blessing (see Galatians 6:10). That means that we are to have our minds full of ways we can help others. When our minds are filled with ways to be a blessing, we have no time to dwell on our personal problems. It gives God an opportunity to work on them for us.

From the book New Day, New You by Joyce Meyer.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – He Sets Us Free

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“I don’t understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I can’t. I do what I don’t want to – what I hate…When I want to do good, I don’t; and when I try not to do wrong, I do it anyway….It seems to be a fact of life that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong…So you see how it is: my new life tells me to do right, but the old nature that is still inside me loves to sin. Oh, what a terrible predicament I’m in! Who will free me from my slavery to this deadly lower nature? Thank God! It has been done by Jesus Christ our Lord. He has set me free” (Romans 7:15,19,21,24,25).

Harry gave every indication of being a happy, joyful, fruitful Christian. He was active in every major event of the church and many large citywide Christian efforts. He always had a high visibility, and because of his extrovertive, outgoing personality he seemed to be a model Christian.

Then one day I saw the real Harry. He just blurted it out.

“I’m a hypocrite – miserable, defeated, frustrated. I’ve lived a lie and worn a mask all my life, never wanting to reveal my true self. But I need help. I’m seriously thinking of committing suicide. I just can’t live the Christian life, no matter how hard I try.”

As I began reading Romans 7:15-25, he said, “That is my biography, the story of my life. I’ve done everything I know to find victory – to live the Christian life as I know I’m supposed to live it. But everything fails for me no matter how hard I try.”

I encouraged him to read on. Paul asks the question in the 25th verse, “Who will free me from my slavery to this deadly lower nature?” Then he answers that question by saying “Thank God! It has been done by Jesus Christ our Lord. He has set me free.”

If you are living a carnal life, as described in Romans 7, you can be liberated to experience a full and abundant, victorious and fruitful life, as you by faith claim the fullness and power of the Holy Spirit day by day, moment by moment.

Bible Reading: Romans 7:18-23

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: By faith, I will claim the power of the Holy Spirit to enable me to live the abundant, supernatural life that Jesus promised, so that I can bring glory to God by bearing much fruit.

 

http://www.cru.org

Turning Point

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – New Year’s Resolutions – Resolve to Complain Less

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Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness.

Exodus 16:2

John Killinger told of a baseball manager who grew disgusted with his center fielder, threw him out of the game, and took the position himself. The first time a ball came toward him, it took a hop and hit him in the mouth. The second ball hit him in the head, and the third flew between his hands and struck his eye. Throwing down his glove, the manager stormed to the dugout and shouted to the center fielder, “You idiot! You’ve got center field so messed up that even I can’t do a thing with it!”1

Recommended Reading: Philippians 2:12-18

How easy to blame our problems on others. That’s essentially what we’re doing whenever we grumble and complain. The Israelites murmured from the time they left Egypt until they arrived in the Promised Land—and they often blamed Moses for their problems.

This year, resolve to practice patience and complain less. Patience comes from trusting God with the things about which we want to complain. A good new year’s resolution comes from Philippians 2:14-15: “Do all things without complaining and disputing…children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation.”

A person who has a negative attitude toward himself will also be quite critical of others.

Paul Meier

Read-Thru-the-Bible: Exodus 17 – 23

“Let’s Illustrate,” Leadership Journal, Fall, 1989, 51.

 

http://www.davidjeremiah.org/

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Pay Attention to the Little Things

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Read: Luke 8:40-56

Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.” (v. 46)

Jesus had a habit of paying attention to the little things. He knew that the little things are the big things. Even though he was walking through a crowd he felt a tiny, hesitant tug on his cloak. Most people would have thought nothing of it.

Jesus, however, stopped and asked who touched him. Not only did Jesus feel her touch, but he saw a woman whom no one else would have seen. She had been ceremonially unclean for 12 years due to her medical condition. Being unclean, she would not have been allowed in the temple. No one would have touched her, or she would have made them unclean, too. She would not have been seen in public for 12 years . . . until she touched Jesus’ cloak.

That little touch transformed her life. She was healed, and would be welcomed back into her community after 12 long years of solitude. This was no little thing!

How often do we rush through our days, striving to accomplish the “big” things? Do we ignore or miss the little things? Jesus knew that true transformation happened within the small things; the interruptions in life, not necessarily in the “important” things we spend hours trying to accomplish. What little things—the little interruptions—can you pay attention to in your life and through them allow God to transform you?  —Susan Hetrick

Prayer: Lord, help me pay attention to the little things, for I know that they really are the big things

 

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Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Fiery Heart 

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But if I say, “I will not mention him or speak any more in his name,” his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.” Jeremiah 20:9

The word of God flows through the human heart like orange-hot lava out of an erupting volcano. Nothing can hold back the effects of God’s word. It penetrates the hardest of hearts and disturbs its apathy. It ignites a tender and teachable heart with confidence and gratitude. The heart cannot contain the Word of God any more than a mother can hold back her joy after the birth of her baby. There is an engagement with endurance and excitement that happens when Scripture seeps into your soul. It cuts into your being (Hebrews 4:12). You cannot remain unchanged by the living Word of God. It arrests your thinking. Scripture engages you with eternity; its eternal truths demand a response.

Any open-minded person who seeks to understand the Scripture will benefit now and for eternity, if he embraces its claims. You cannot silence a person who has been spoken to by the Lord via His Word. The Bible is a conduit for knowing Christ. It facilitates faith like nothing else. As a follower of Jesus, you engage with eternal purposes when you hide God’s Word in your heart. You hide it within, but it explodes without. Truth in is truth out. Moreover, Jesus was a man of the Word (Matthew 7:29). The Scripture was fire in His bones. He spoke like no one else because His authority was not in His words but in the words of His heavenly Father.

You can stand confident in Christ when your decisions and rationale are based on the Bible. The Word of God perseveres. It is your teacher. The Bible defines your belief system.

Continue reading Wisdom Hunters – Fiery Heart  →

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley –The Holy Spirit, Our Guide

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John 16:12-15

All of God’s children are on a journey. And as we travel through life en route to our eternal home, every one of us will face a multitude of choices. Forks in the road and unmarked intersections challenge and frustrate us. In such circumstances, how can we know which way to go?

Jesus promised to give us an internal and ever-present Guide. Starting at the moment of salvation, everyone who trusts in the Savior is indwelt by the Holy Spirit, who promises to lead believers into all the truth. Like a built-in compass, He will direct us exactly the right way, regardless of the choice. He never makes a mistake.

So you may be thinking, If He is living in me and never makes a wrong choice, why do I keep messing up? His leadership is always right, but our reception isn’t always clear. Yielding to the Lord is an essential part of receiving His direction. We cannot tolerate sin and go our own way in one area and expect to receive His guidance in another.

Sin does to our understanding of the Lord’s clear direction what a magnet does to the needle of a compass. If a magnet is placed next to a compass, the needle will point in a multitude of directions. In the same way, sin will mislead us.

When a decision is unclear, ask yourself these questions: Will Christ be glorified in this choice? Can I do this in Jesus’ name? If either answer is no, then don’t follow that path, because the Holy Spirit is not guiding you there. His leading always aligns with Scripture and brings glory to Christ.

Bible in One Year: Exodus 16-18

 

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – Abandon It All

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Read: Romans 12:1–8

Bible in a Year: Exodus 1–3; Matthew 14:1–21

I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice.—Romans 12:1

When I played college basketball, I made a conscious decision at the beginning of each season to walk into that gym and dedicate myself totally to my coach—doing whatever he might ask me to do.

It would not have benefited my team for me to announce, “Hey, Coach! Here I am. I want to shoot baskets and dribble the ball, but don’t ask me to run laps, play defense, and get all sweaty!”

Every successful athlete has to trust the coach enough to do whatever the coach asks them to do for the good of the team.

In Christ, we are to become God’s “living sacrifice” (Rom. 12:1). We say to our Savior and Lord: “I trust You. Whatever You want me to do, I am willing.” Then He “transforms” us by renewing our minds to focus on the things that please Him.

It’s helpful to know that God will never call on us to do something for which He has not already equipped us. As Paul reminds us, “We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us” (v. 6).

Knowing that we can trust God with our lives, we can abandon ourselves to Him, strengthened by the knowledge that He created us and is helping us to make this effort in Him. —Dave Branon

Heavenly Father, no one deserves our sacrifice and dedication more than You. Help us to realize the joy that comes from abandoning ourselves to You.

There is no risk in abandoning ourselves to God.

INSIGHT: In many ways, Paul’s letter to the Romans is the most theological of his epistles. Yet it is also intensely personal and wonderfully practical. The first eleven chapters of Romans describe God’s grace and how it relates to our rescue from sin and restoration to God. This is the heavily doctrinal portion of the letter, but it is also marked by encouraging and comforting words of the depth of God’s care for us. Chapters 12-15 bring us the practical implications of the teaching of Romans 1-11. The call to be living sacrifices, exercise spiritual gifts, and so on, all find their basis in the work of Christ that has brought us back to God.  Bill Crowder

 

http://www.odb.org

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Enjoy Your Everyday Life

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Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is for one to eat and drink, and to find enjoyment in all the labor in which he labors under the sun all the days which God gives him—for this is his [allotted] part. Also, every man to whom God has given riches and possessions, and the power to enjoy them and to accept his appointed lot and to rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God [to him]. —Ecclesiastes 5:18-19

I want you to notice the words allotted part and appointed lot in the above passage. What King Solomon is basically communicating here is this message: enjoy your life. Take your “appointed lot” in life and enjoy it. In other words, embrace the life—the personality, the strengths and weaknesses, the family, the resources, the opportunities, the physical qualities, the abilities, the gifts, and the uniqueness—God has given you.

The only life you can enjoy is your own. That statement may seem so obvious that it’s unnecessary, but think about it. One of the primary reasons many people do not enjoy their lives is because they are not happy with the lives they have. When I speak to them about enjoying their lives, the first thought they often have is, I would enjoy my life if I had your life, Joyce! Instead of embracing the realities of their lives, these people spend their time thinking, I wish I looked like So-and-So. I wish I had So-and-So’s job. I wish I were married. I wish my marriage weren’t so difficult. I wish I had children. I wish my children would grow up. I wish I had a new house. I wish I didn’t have such a big house to clean. I wish I had a big ministry . . .

The truth of the matter is, the first step to enjoying our everyday lives is to be grateful for the lives we’ve been given. We must not allow jealousy to cause us to be absent from our own lives because we want what someone else has. You have to take what you have and decide you are going to do the best you can with it. What are you doing with what you have been given?

Trust in Him: God is asking you to be faithful with your life, not with someone else’s. Trust that God knew what He was doing when He gave your life to you.

From the book Trusting God Day by Day by Joyce Meyer.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Sure Road to Faith

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“So then, faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17, KJV).

Martin Luther said he studied his Bible in the same way he gathered apples. First, he shook the whole tree, that the ripest might fall; then he shook each limb, and when he had shaken each limb, he shook each branch, and after each branch, every twig; and then he looked under every leaf. He admonishes us:

“Search the Bible as a whole, shaking the whole tree. Read it rapidly, as you would any book. Then shake every limb – study book after book.

“Then shake every branch, giving attention to the chapters when they do not break the sense. Then shake each twig, by careful study of the paragraphs and sentences. And you will be rewarded if you will look under each leaf, by searching the meaning of the words.”

Seek to know the Lord with all your heart. While you may have no difficulty in worshiping the omnipotent God, you cannot really know God unless you study His Word. The one who spoke and caused the worlds to be framed is waiting to reveal Himself to you personally.

Faith is not given to those who are either undisciplined or disobedient. Faith is a gift of God which is given to those who trust and obey Him. As we master His Word and obey His commands, our faith continues to grow.

It is my strong conviction that it is impossible to ask God for too much if our hearts and motives are pure and if we pray according to the Word and will of God.

Every time you and I open and read God’s Word carefully, we are building up our storehouse of faith. When we memorize the Word, our faith is being increased. When we study or teach a Sunday school lesson, or hear a sermon faithfully expounding the Word, we are growing in faith.

Bible Reading: Hebrews 11:1-6

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will read, study, memorize and meditate upon God’s Word daily, knowing that in the process my faith will grow, for “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”

 

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Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Sees Everything

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“The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.” (Proverbs 15:3)

Seven-year-old Natalie had just won a special prize at school: a spy kit. “It’s got glasses with mirrors in them,” she said. “I can see things in front of me and behind me at the same time!” Natalie’s spy glasses allowed her to do something humans normally can’t do: see more than one place at a time.

Unlike humans, God can always see everything in every place, all at the same time. He can see you sitting at your computer, and at the same time He can see another child lying down to sleep on the other side of the world. He sees you when you’re doing things that please Him, even if no one else notices. He also sees you when you’re doing wrong. He can even look inside your heart and know the reasons for what you do.

You can never be out of God’s sight. Does that thought make you feel scared or comforted? A heart that is right with God never wants to hide from Him.

God sees everything, in every place, all the time.

My Response:

» Is God pleased with what I do when no one else is watching?

 

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Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Divine Direction 

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I know, O Lord, that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps. Jeremiah 10:23

We do not own our lives.  We have been bought with a price (1 Corinthians 6:20).  Jesus’ sacrificial blood purchased our freedom from the fire of hell, sin, and death.  By faith, He owns us.  A great exchange took place when you first believed in Jesus.  What’s yours became His, and what’s His became yours.  The life of Christ became your life. It is not your life to define, but His.  He has wrapped a wonderful definition around whose you are in Him.  You are a child of God.  You are secure because your Savior keeps you.  You are valuable because the Lord values you.  You are protected because the Almighty owns you.

The Bible is God’s glossary of how to define yourself.  Scripture gives you a family tree of faith for you to trace your religious roots.  It is a mirror of how God sees you.  He sees you as accepted in His Son, though you suffer rejection from others.  Cherish and enjoy daily the acceptance of Jesus. Moreover, your mistakes are His opportunity to affirm His acceptance.  There are still consequences to your sin, but He is always available to receive you back because you are His.  He accepts and receives His own.

Furthermore, He directs His own (Isaiah 48:17).  God’s desire for you is to understand and follow His plan for your life.  Praise God it’s a step-by-step process and He directs your steps!  Some days you may feel like it is three steps forward and two steps back, but do not be discouraged or dismayed.  God is still directing your steps, though at times they seem tedious and laborious. The Lord leads you in lockstep with His steps.  In His steps is the wise way to walk.  Do not run ahead thinking you have to set a record for speed or quickness.

In fact, fast steps may cause you to backtrack and have to re-learn what God is trying to teach you.  Walk patiently with Him, and watch Him work.  The Holy Spirit is your step director.  You are in His step class for instruction in His word and exercise in faith.  Learn how to let the Lord direct your steps.  Prayerfully listen to the quiet prompting from His Spirit.  Stop when you need to stop.  Speed up when you need to speed up.  Slow down when you need to slow down.  God directs the steps of a submitted and surrendered man or woman.

Continue reading Wisdom Hunters – Divine Direction  →

Streams in the Desert

Streams in the Desert for Kids – Go Where?

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Acts 16:7

Have you ever played a game where you were blindfolded and your friends shouted directions about which way you should go? If you have, you know it’s scary. It’s hard to trust that your friend will keep you safe. They might let you walk into a wall. They might not see a curb you could trip over. You might not understand their directions and ram into something. Often when we are trying to figure out what God wants us to do, we might feel blindfolded. We may have to just listen to his directions and keep walking even though we can’t see where we are going. Is it scary? You bet!

But God will guide us and keep us safe in his care. He’s promised. Our job is to pray, trust in God’s wisdom, and listen for his direction. So if we have to change schools or don’t make a team we tried out for, it doesn’t have to discourage us. Often God closes doors to lead us in a different direction, meet a new person, or offer us a new opportunity that will help us to grow and change. It might be scary at first, but we’re never alone.

Dear Lord, Help me believe that you will guide me even when I can’t see anything ahead. Help me to keep walking and listening until you show me the next path to take. Amen.