Tag Archives: nature

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – Integrity Stands on Principle

1 Comment

“And the king appointed for them a daily ration from the king’s choice food and from the wine which he drank, and appointed that they should be educated three years, at the end of which they were to enter the king’s personal service. . . . But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself” (Daniel 1:5,8).

Godly integrity is built upon the foundation of biblical authority.

From the world’s perspective, King Nebuchadnezzar had much to offer his Hebrew captives: the best food, the best education, and high positions in his kingdom. But Daniel’s perspective was quite different. He did not object to receiving a pagan education because God had given no direct prohibition against that, and a Babylonian education had much to offer in the areas of architecture and science. But as with anyone receiving a secular education, Daniel would have to exercise discernment in sorting out the true from the false and the good from the bad.

It was when Daniel was asked to violate a direct command from God that he drew the line and took his stand on biblical principle. That’s the character of godly integrity. It bases decisions on the principles from God’s Word, not on mere preference, intimidation, or peer pressure. Seemingly Daniel had every reason to compromise: he was young, away from home, and facing severe consequences if he defied the king’s order. Yet he was unwavering in his obedience to God.

Continue reading John MacArthur – Strength for Today – Integrity Stands on Principle →

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Intimacy through Brokenness 

Leave a comment

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.  Psalm 34:18

Intimacy with God goes hand in hand with your brokenness. Your desire for intimacy with your heavenly Father will be accompanied by brokenness, as it escorts you into intimacy with eternal God. It is your date with destiny. A broken and contrite heart delivers intimacy with the Almighty. Do not despise your broken condition. Rather, delight in its opportunity for intimacy. You long to know Jesus in the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering (Philippians 3:10). These prayers were not in vain. Your brokenness is answered prayer. The answer may not be exactly what you expected. You may have anticipated a smoother route, a paved road free of bumps or pot holes. But the path of personal and intimate relationship with Christ is not always easy.

Most of the time, intimacy requires difficulty. It is at this point of pressure and discomfort that some people disembark the train of intimacy. It is much easier to talk about an intimate relationship with Christ than it is to arrive at this point through brokenness. However, this is an exercise in convenience. It is like placing a “Do not disturb” sign on the door of our life, in place of the “Clean my room” invitation. Brokenness is inviting God to come in and cleanse your life. He stands at the door of our heart and knocks (Revelation 3:20). When you invite Christ into your broken lives, He comes in. Intimacy is then unleashed on His terms, not yours. It is only when you surrender in total desperation and total dependency on God that you experience authentic intimacy.

Continue reading Wisdom Hunters – Intimacy through Brokenness  →

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Safe and Secure

Leave a comment

So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm [I will not fear or dread or be terrified]. What can man do to me? —Hebrews 13:6 AMPC

A confident person feels safe. He believes he is loved, valuable, cared for, and protected by God’s will for him. When we feel safe and secure, it’s easy to step out and try new things.

During the initial construction on the Golden Gate Bridge, no safety devices were used, and twenty-three men fell to their deaths. For the final part of the project, however, a large net was used as a safety precaution. Twenty-five percent more work was accomplished after the net was installed. Why? Because the men had the assurance of their safety, so they were free to wholeheartedly serve the project.

When people feel safe, they are free to take a chance on failing in order to try to succeed. As children of God, we are safe and secure, knowing God loves us and has a good plan for our lives. Therefore, we can live with thanksgiving and confidence as we step out boldly each and every day.

Prayer of Thanks: I thank You, God, that You are always there to catch me when I fall. Today, I choose to live with confidence because I know I am safe and secure in Your love. I know nothing will happen to me that I can’t handle because You are with me.

From the book The Power of Being Thankful by Joyce Meyer

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – The Most Vital Food

Leave a comment

“Your words are what sustain me; they are food to my hungry soul. They bring joy to my sorrowing heart and delight me. How proud I am to bear Your name, O Lord” (Jeremiah 15:16).

In my earlier years – as perhaps was true of yours – one thing that seemed to sustain me more than anything else was food: three square meals a day, and sometimes something in between. Food is still vital – I would not understate its value – but I have found something far more vital to my happiness and success as a believer in Christ.

Now, I can truly say with the weeping prophet, Jeremiah, that the very words of God are what really sustain me. They are food to my hungry soul. And they accomplish immeasurable good in my life, and thus in the lives of thousands of people whom I am privileged to meet throughout the world.

God’s Word brings joy to my sorrowing heart. Why? Because it has an answer – theanswer – to every need, every burden, every problem I will face this day, and in the days to come. Furthermore, it will provide the answers for others whom I contact.

God’s Word truly delights me, as it did Jeremiah. When I need encouragement, I turn to the Psalms. When I need practical wisdom for daily decisions, I turn to the Proverbs of Solomon. And so on with every kind of need I face.

All of this being true – God’s Word sustaining me, being food to my hungry soul, bringing joy to my sorrowing heart, and delighting me – “How proud I am to bear your name, O Lord!”

Bible Reading: Jeremiah 15:15-21

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: My spiritual food must take priority over all other considerations in my life.

 

http://www.cru.org

Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – His Name is Holy

Leave a comment

Read: Luke 11:2-4

He said to them, When you pray, say, Father, hallowed be your name… Luke 11:2b

The second petition of the Lord’s Prayer is one of surrender, Hallowed be your name. I am quite sure this is the petition that makes hypocrites out of most of us. For we can say, Father with grateful sincerity, but when we pray Hallowed be your name, we say this with the guilty knowledge that, as we pray, there are areas of our life in which his name is not hallowed and in which, furthermore, we don’t want it to be hallowed. When we say, Hallowed be your name, we are praying, May the whole of my life be a source of delight to you and may it be an honor to the name which I bear, which is your name. Hallowed be your name.

The trouble is that we so frequently know there are great areas of our life that are not hallowed. There are certain monopolies which we have reserved to ourselves, privileged areas which we do not wish to surrender, where the name of our boss or the name of our girl friend or some other dear one means more to us than the name of God. But when we pray this, if we pray it in any degree whatsoever of sincerity or openness or honesty, we are praying, Lord, I open to you every closet, I am taking every skeleton out for you to examine. Hallowed be thy name. There cannot be any contact with God, any real touching of his power, any genuine experiencing of the glorious fragrance and wonder of God at work in human life until we truly pray, and the second requisite of true prayer is that we say, Hallowed be your name.

Continue reading Ray Stedman – His Name is Holy →

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Shelter from the Storm

Leave a comment

Read: Psalm 46

God is our refuge and strength. (v. 1)

Some phrases in this psalm resonate with what I often hear from people when they recount the story of the loss of a loved one. “It felt like the earth was giving way,” they’ll say, or like their world “came crashing down.” Like mountains being swallowed by the sea. Indeed, when we lose someone who is part of the very landscape of our lives, it can feel as though the earth under us is not firm, as though everything we assumed would be as unchanging as a mountain range has suddenly come undone.

Disorienting changes are only part of the psalmist’s song, however. Alongside the tumultuous events are the ongoing promises of God’s presence. A presence so enduring and so trustworthy—even in the midst of great trouble—that we can find solid footing on which to rest.

A friend of mine and her husband lost a baby shortly after birth; as my friend describes what it was like to hold her dying daughter, she says that the sense of God’s presence was almost palpable, even while their anger and sadness and doubts were heavy on their minds. “Be still, and know that I am God,” the psalm also urges (v. 10). We may search for answers and it may take us years or decades to process all that we have been through, but at every moment there persists the invitation to be still, and to know God as a bedrock that shall not be moved.

Prayer:

Help us to find our footing in you, and to be still.

Author: Jessica Bratt Carle

https://woh.org/

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Wants You To Use His Power

Leave a comment

“And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.” (1 Timothy 1:12-13)

In this verse, you see Paul speaking about how God granted him mercy for his past sins because he did them “ignorantly in unbelief.” This is a miracle God does for each new believer. All past sins are forgiven by the Lord and that person is now guilt-free. The new follower now has power through the Holy Spirit to pray and hear God, to read the Bible and understand what it says! This great power was unavailable before the person accepted Christ as his Savior. What an advantage a believer and follower of Christ has over those who do not believe! When a believer acts upon what the Lord has taught, that follower has perfect power from God.

These verses are also a warning for those who have this power – for those who are not “ignorant or unbelieving.” When a believer sins, he has failed to use the power he was free to access. When an unbeliever sins, he doesn’t have access to this power. God’s mercy is great enough to forgive and wipe away the sins of both believers and unbelievers, but the believer’s sin was done in knowledge, and it etches a deeper wound. The believer’s sin can sever the trust of other believers, leaving the person with less responsibility, respect, and influence in God’s work on earth. More importantly, if the sin done in knowledge continues, the believer starts to loose contact with God and God’s work in his heart.

God loves all people, but He cannot give His power to those who are not willing to follow. Have you noticed a loss in power? Even a small loss is big – get back to learning and understanding right away. God wants you using His power for all good things in your life and in the lives of those around you. No sin is worth missing out on God’s power in your life.

God makes His power available to those who are right with Him.

My Response:

» Am I failing to make use of God’s power by refusing to acknowledge my sins to God?

» Are there sins I need to confess and forsake so that the Spirit can enable me to do His work?

http://kids4truth.com/home.aspx

The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – Real-Life Application

Leave a comment

Today’s Scripture: Hebrews 4:12

“For the word of God is living and active.”

We cannot develop Bible-based convictions merely by storing up Bible knowledge, or even by Bible study or Scripture memorization. We come closer as we meditate on Scripture consistently. But convictions are really developed when we begin applying Scripture’s teachings to real-life situations.

My wife and I recently went shopping for a coffee table. We had agreed on the style we wanted and quickly found one at a price within our range. I’m the type of person who’s ready to buy as soon as I find what I like, but my wife is a “shopper.” She likes to look at everything in the store. Sure enough, she soon came upon her “dream” coffee table, a rather uncommon design that she’d dreamed about for years but never thought she would own. As you might guess, it was more expensive.

I started talking about being good stewards of the money God has given us, but God started “talking” to me (through his Spirit’s convicting work) about husbands loving their wives as Christ loved the church (Ephesians 5:25). I realized one of the concrete ways I was to love my wife was to be more sensitive to her dreams and desires. In that situation God desired that I learn more about what it means for husbands to love their wives than about stewarding his resources. But the point of my story is this: I knew Ephesians 5:25. I believed it, had memorized it, and meditated on it. But through the application of it in a real-life situation, I deepened my conviction about it. Since that incident, I’ve found that I’m more sensitive to what it means practically to love my wife as Christ loved the church in a sacrificial, self-giving way.

https://www.navigators.org/Home

The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – Transforming Power

Leave a comment

Today’s Scripture: Romans 6

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. – 2 Corinthians 3:18

The closer we got to the airport in Monrovia,West Africa, the more agitated the man became. He was sitting in the row in front of my wife and me. When we landed in Sierra Leone–the last stop before Monrovia–he went to the flight attendant and asked if she had any rubber bands.

“No,” she said, “we have no use for them.” So during our short stop in Sierra Leone, he went up and down the aisle asking people if they had a rubber band. I had no idea why he wanted one, but I looked in my briefcase, and found two.

When the man returned to his seat, I handed the rubber bands to him. Boy, did that light up his face! He told us that on his trip to Europe he had bought a shirt but had forgotten to check the sleeve length. He feared what his wife would say if he stepped off the plane with shirt sleeves hanging down over his fingers. We watched him take off his suit coat, adjust the sleeves using the rubber band, and put the coat back on with a look of satisfaction on his face.

“Now I am a well-dressed gentleman,” he said in broken English. Amazing! Moments before, the man had been ashamed of himself, standing there as a poorly-dressed klutz. But with a slight “rubber band” adjustment, he was transformed into a well-dressed gentleman.

That’s a picture of what happens when we become Christians. One moment we are lost sinners on our way to hell. The next moment–when we receive Christ and the Holy Spirit comes to live in us–we become a child of God and joint heir with Christ.

Prayer

Lord, thank You for Your amazing transformation in my life, based on my faith in the atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ for my sins. Amen.

To Ponder

How has the Holy Spirit living in you transformed your life?

https://www.navigators.org/Home

Today in the Word

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – Read Genesis 7

Leave a comment

NOAH: GOD’S FAVORED SON

Tommy Smothers, half of the popular comedy duo from the 1960s known as the Smothers Brothers, was famous for saying, “Mom always liked you best.” It turns out he may have been right. Karl Pillemer, a gerontologist from Cornell University, interviewed mothers between the ages of 65 and 75 and discovered they often had favorites among their adult children. Pillemer observes, “Parental favoritism is a fundamental part of the family landscape throughout life.”

Does God have favorites among His children as well? Genesis 6:8 says that Noah found “favor” in the eyes of the Lord. But this does not mean that Noah was God’s favorite. The Hebrew word that is translated “favor” is the Old Testament word for grace. Noah and his family were saved by grace from the judgment that came upon all the earth. The writer of Hebrews adds that Noah received this grace through faith: “By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith” (Heb. 11:7).

God does not play favorites—but He also does not show favor to everyone. Faith is the distinguishing mark of those who experience His favor. If you want to escape the wrath that is yet to come, your ark is personal faith in Jesus Christ. Just as the ark saved those inside it from the waters of judgment in Noah’s day, all those who are in Christ will be spared the judgment that will come at the end of the age.

Jesus is our ark. Faith in Him is the only way to obtain God’s favor today—a favor freely offered to all who call upon the name of the Lord.

APPLY THE WORD

Peter draws an analogy between baptism and the experience of Noah and his family (1 Peter 3:20–21). We are not saved by the rite of baptism but by what it represents—faith placed in Jesus for our salvation and God’s promise to cleanse us from sin. The next time you watch a baptism or see a rainbow, remember God’s promise.

http://www.todayintheword.org

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Things That Cannot Be Shaken

Leave a comment

Hebrews 12:25-29

The Lord is always moving toward the climactic moment when this world will be replaced by a new heaven and earth. Toward that end, He strips away whatever is counterfeit and ungodly from nations and individuals. According to the Bible, this process will accelerate as the last days near. God will remove everything unstable so what remains will be the things that cannot be shaken (Heb. 12:27).

Believers have an unshakeable dwelling place. When we first chose to trust in the Savior, we were born into God’s kingdom and given a new safe position referred to as being “in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 6:11). Outside forces can disrupt neither the kingdom nor the relationship. Even though life will at times entail suffering and tribulation, the followers of the Lord are secure.

For what power can stand against our sovereign Lord Jesus Christ? Everything that exists must submit to Him. Even as wars rage, injustice spreads, and governments fail, He remains in absolute control. People are allowed to exercise wickedness so that the content of their hearts will be revealed, as will their great need for a Savior. Even the most despicable tyrant has the opportunity to repent. But those who refuse grace will be destroyed along with everything else that violates God’s perfect order.

We live in unsettling times. The more conditions worsen, the easier it is to see why Scripture refers to God as a consuming fire (Heb. 12:29). He is burning up all that displeases Him. And He will continue until the only ones who remain are the righteous who stand under the lordship of Christ and await His kingdom here on earth.

Bible in a Year: Job 13-16

http://www.intouch.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – You Have Purpose

Leave a comment

You Have Purpose

Read: 1 Peter 4:7–11 | Bible in a Year: 2 Chronicles 21–22; John 14

If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 4:11

On a hot day in western Texas, my niece Vania saw a woman standing by a stoplight and holding up a sign. As she drove closer, she tried to read what the sign said, assuming it was a request for food or money. Instead, she was surprised to see these three words:

We are “fearfully and wonderfully made” to bring glory to our Creator (Psalm 139:14).

God has created each of us for a specific purpose. Primarily that purpose is to bring honor to Him, and one way we do that is by meeting the needs of others (1 Peter 4:10–11).

Continue reading Our Daily Bread – You Have Purpose →

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – Integrity Triumphs over Personal Loss

Leave a comment

“Now among them from the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. Then the commander of the officials assigned new names to them; and to Daniel he assigned the name Belteshazzar, to Hananiah Shadrach, to Mishael Meshach, and to Azariah Abed-nego” (Daniel 1:6-7).

You can’t always prevent personal loss, but you can respond to it in ways that glorify God.

It was a quiet January morning in the San Fernando Valley of Southern California until suddenly and without warning the earth shook with such a violent force that many department stores, apartment houses, homes, and freeway overpasses crumbled under the strain. Within minutes the 1994 Northridge earthquake left scars upon lives and land that in some cases may never heal. Such catastrophic events remind us of just how difficult dealing with personal loss can be.

Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah understood personal loss. Perhaps in our day only those who have suffered as prisoners of war or as refugees from war’s ravages can fully appreciate the deep sense of loss those men must have felt after being cut off from family, friends, and homeland.

Continue reading John MacArthur – Strength for Today – Integrity Triumphs over Personal Loss →

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Foolish Denial 

Leave a comment

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.    Psalm 14:1

Denial can be death to God-awareness, and it is death to self-awareness. Denial can seem like a friend, but its friendship is short-lived and self-serving. It is deceptive with its promises of strange and unrealistic expectations. Denial causes you to believe lies about yourself and God. You may think you are good in a certain role when, in reality, you are average, at best. You may want to continue where you are, but for you to grow and for the organization to flourish, you need to transition into another area of responsibility. You may have a passion to pitch in the major leagues, but if you can’t throw a baseball at least 80 miles an hour, you never will. Denial is cruel in positioning you for certain expectations and then failing to deliver.

Denial of God’s existence is the worst kind of denial. It’s like refusing to accept a sincere gift from an unconditional lover. Just because you deny the lover’s existence does not negate their gift. God is not too good to be true. He is good because He is true. When you accept the existence of God, you accept the reality of His influence over you and His influence over the world. Denial of Deity is like saying the sun is not brilliant in its illumination by day and the moon by its illumination at night.

Moreover, it is foolish to deny a grand designer behind the human body. Common sense craves for acceptance of God as creator. A fool has to work very hard to deny God’s existence. However, denial’s greatest driver may be the desire to behave badly. A fool denies God because he is morally challenged. The thought of God or anyone else telling him how to act is foreign to his foolish heart. Yet, every day, we all have to follow the instruction of some authority. A fool can attempt to remove all authority from his life with denial but he will fail.

Continue reading Wisdom Hunters – Foolish Denial  →

Turning Point

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – Follow the Son This Summer: Holding Possessions Lightly

Leave a comment

And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

Matthew 8:20

It is easy to pass over some things Jesus said because their meaning is not obvious. Or perhaps the meaning is clear but demanding. Would Jesus really ask us to do that?

Recommended Reading: Matthew 19:16-22

When a man declared his desire to follow Jesus, Jesus warned the man that it was not a comfortable life—Jesus had nowhere to sleep at night. And when another young man asked what it would take to inherit eternal life besides keeping God’s laws, Jesus told him to sell his many possessions and give the proceeds to the poor. In both cases, Jesus was illustrating the temporal nature of life on this earth. Homes, goods, wealth—all these are possessions which can confuse us about the nature of our true home. We all must be careful about putting down permanent roots on earth and losing sight of the new earth to come.

Following Christ means having the same detached relationship to the things of this earth that He did. As you follow Christ this summer, hold lightly that which you will one day leave behind.

There is nothing the Christian life suffers more from than the subtle and indescribable worldliness that comes from the cares or the possessions of this life.

Andrew Murray

Read-Thru-the-Bible: Job 35 – 42

http://www.davidjeremiah.org/

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – A Wandering, Wondering Mind

Leave a comment

Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. —1 Peter 1:13 KJV

In the days when Peter wrote these words, men wore long, flowing robes that hindered fast progress or strenuous action. They wore broad belts (or girdles) about their waists, and when they wanted to move into action, they “girded up their loins”—that is, they shortened their robes by pulling them up inside their belts. That term is similar to what we mean when we say, “Roll up your sleeves.” Peter’s words here are a serious call to action—a reminder that when we lose our focus, it is time for us to do some serious thinking.

I’ve already talked about how staying too busy can result in an abnormal mind as opposed to a normal mind. Now I want to point out that another way the devil attacks your normal mind is by causing your thoughts to wander. It’s a mental attack. If you do not discipline your mind to remain focused on what is important, the devil will cause it to wander aimlessly to other things.

When this inability to concentrate goes on for a while, you may begin to wonder if there is something wrong with your mind. What you often fail to realize is that when you’ve allowed your mind to wander for so long, you’re hardly aware that it’s taking place.

In some cases, there may be physical causes for not being able to concentrate, such as anemia or certain B-vitamin deficiencies. You may not be eating properly. Or you may have become excessively fatigued. It’s a good idea to consider all the potential causes as you search for a solution. I’ve learned that when I’m excessively tired, Satan tries to attack my mind because he knows it’s more difficult for me to resist him during those times.

Sometimes a lack of concentration creates a lack of comprehension. Perhaps as you are reading the Bible, you find yourself hurrying to get through so you can do something else. Out of a sense of duty, you are determined to finish reading a chapter—and you do. But when you are finished, you can’t recall anything you have read. Your eyes scanned the pages, but your mind was engaged somewhere else.

Continue reading Joyce Meyer – A Wandering, Wondering Mind →

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Praise Brings Results

Leave a comment

“And at the moment they began to sing and to praise, the Lord caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to begin fighting among themselves, and they destroyed each other!” (2 Chronicles 20:22).

The armies of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir had declared war on King Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah. So Jehoshaphat called the people together and prayed, “Oh, our God. Won’t you stop them. We have no way to protect ourselves against this mighty army. We don’t know what to do but we are looking to You.”

Then the Lord instructed the people, “Don’t be afraid, don’t be paralyzed by this mighty army for the battle is not yours, but God’s! Tomorrow, go down and attack them!…But you will not need to fight. Take your places; stand quietly and see the incredible rescue operation God will perform for you” (2 Chronicles 20:15-17).

After consultation with the leaders of the people, Jehoshaphat determined that there should be a choir, clothed in sanctified garments and singing the song, “His Loving kindness Is Forever,” leading the march. As they walked along praising and thanking the Lord, He released His mighty power in their behalf.

One of the greatest lessons I have ever learned about the Christian life is the importance of praise and thanksgiving. The greater the problem, the more difficult the circumstances, the greater the crisis, the more important it is to praise God at all times, to worship Him for who He is; for His attributes of sovereignty, love, grace, power, wisdom and might; for the certainty that He will fight for us, that He will demonstrate His supernatural resources in our behalf.

Continue reading Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Praise Brings Results →

Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – Prayer to the Father

Leave a comment

Read: Luke 11:2-4

He said to them, When you pray, say: Father… Luke 11:2a

The Lord’s Prayer begins with a word of relationship, Father. May I point out that it is Father, not Daddy-o! There is a reverence about the word father that is absent in some modern expressions of fatherhood. It is essential to know to whom we are praying. We are not, when we come to prayer, talking about God. We are not engaging in a theological dialogue. We are talking with God. We are going to converse with him directly and so it is very essential that we understand to whom we are speaking. Our Lord gathers it all up in this marvelously expressive word and says true prayer must begin with a concept of God as Father.

Immediately that eliminates a number of other concepts. It shows us that prayer, real prayer, is never to be addressed to the Chairman of the Committee for Welfare and Relief. Sometimes our prayers take on that aspect. We come expecting a handout. We want something to be poured into our laps, something that we think we need, and in making an appeal we are but filling out the properly prescribed forms.

Nor is prayer addressed to the Chief of the Bureau of Investigation. It is never to be merely a confession of our wrong-doings, with the hope that we may cast ourselves upon the mercy of the court. Nor is it an appeal to the Secretary of the Treasury, some sort of genial international banker whom we hope to interest in financing our projects. Prayer is to be to a Father with a father’s heart, a father’s love, and a father’s strength, and the first and truest note of prayer must be our recognition that we come to this kind of father. We must hear him and come to him as a child, in trust and simplicity and with all the frankness of a child, otherwise it is not prayer.

Someone has pointed out that this word father answers all the philosophical questions about the nature of God. A father is a person, therefore God is not a blind force behind the inscrutable machinery of the universe. A father is able to hear, and God is not simply an impersonal being, aloof from all our troubles and our problems. Above all, a father is predisposed by his love and relationship to give a careful, attentive ear to what his child says. From a father, a child can surely expect a reply.

Continue reading Ray Stedman – Prayer to the Father →

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – A Wise Heart

Leave a comment

Read: Psalm 90

Teach us to number our days. (v. 12)

The psalmist depicts a stark contrast between the everlasting nature of God’s presence and the swift passage of human life. If anything sends us the message, “your days are numbered,” it is the realization that life can change in an instant, that the end of our lives or of those we love can come upon us in startling ways. Like the psalmist, we may entreat God to prosper the work of our hands, hoping that what we have accomplished in our lifetimes will be a legacy for those who come after us. For those who live with chronic or terminal illness, each day may bring new challenges and new insights into what it means to live out our days in grace and trust.

Gaining a wise heart can often come at great cost. But knowing that our lifetimes are in God’s hands can offer us new freedom instead of fear, no matter our age or state of health. A mind-set in which we number our days leads us to regard our days as gifts, rather than taking them for granted. Entrusting our lifetimes to God allows us to see the abundance of what our lives contain, even in moments where the remainder of our time on earth may seem scarce. None of us knows what tomorrow will bring, but we can measure today in the light of God’s mysterious gift of life, seeking the wisdom that equips us to face with courage whatever tomorrow brings.

Prayer:Grant us wisdom to live out our days with hope and purpose.

Author: Jessica Bratt Carle

https://woh.org/

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – If You Want to Be Happy, Live Holy!

Leave a comment

“Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the lord. Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with the whole heart.”—Psalm 119:1–2

Surveys by Gallup, the National Opinion Research Center, and the Pew Organization conclude that spiritually committed people are twice as likely to report being “very happy” than the least religiously committed people.

So, happy people are spiritual people. But let me take it further: truly happy people are godly people. The Bible says, “Happy are the people whose God is the Lord!” (Psalm 144:15 NKJV).

According to the Bible, if we seek to know God and discover His plan for our life, we will as a result, find the happiness that has eluded us for so long—not from seeking it but from seeking Him! As Matthew 6:33 says, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (NKJV).

C.S. Lewis said, “God designed the human machine to run on Himself. He Himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our spirits were designed to feed on. There is no other. That is why it is just no good asking God to make us happy in our own way without bothering about faith. God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.”

According to the Scriptures, happiness is never something that should be sought directly. It is always something that results from seeking something else.

If we seek holiness, we’ll find happiness.

And what is holiness? The word holiness has gotten a bad rap. If you hear that a person is “holier than thou,” it is not a good thing. But true holiness is not a fake, condescending, or mystical thing. Holiness can be understood better if we spell it another way: whollyness.

It was said of Caleb, “He wholly followed the Lord God” (Joshua 14:14 NKJV). When you wholly follow God, you will be a holy person—and a happy one too!

We find what we are looking for in life by seeking God, not seeking “it.” Henry Ward Beecher once said, “The strength and the happiness of a man consists in finding out the way in which God is going, and going in that way too.”

So, if you want to be happy, be holy. In other words, live a life that’s wholly committed to Him.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie