In All Circumstances

In All Circumstances TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18, NIV. TODAY'S WORD: Are you giving thanks in every circumstance? This might seem like a stretch at first, especially when you are going through a season of difficulty. But notice today’s verse doesn’t say to give thanks “for” everything, it says give thanks “in” everything. In other words, no matter what’s going on, find something to be thankful for. Don’t just focus on what’s wrong in your life; focus on what God will do in your life. When you are thankful, it opens the door for God to move on your behalf. That’s why it says “this is God’s will for you.” He wants you to be close to Him to receive His strength and power by giving thanks. That’s why we should always have the attitude that says, “God, in spite of what’s happened, I choose to be grateful. I may be sick, but Father, thank You for being my healer. Thank you for giving me great friends and family.” Or, “I may be struggling in my marriage, but God, thank You for being my restorer. Thank You for giving me another sunrise.” As you give thanks in everything, you will see God’s hand move mightily on your behalf, and you’ll come out of that difficulty better, stronger and wiser than before. PRAYER FOR TODAY: Father God, today I choose to give You thanks in all things! I know that You are a good God, and You have good plans in store for my future. I bless You and thank You for another day to sing Your praise in Jesus’ name! Amen.

PS...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nae2DnvIiXo

Utilize Your Time of Loneliness   by Rick Warren "Be sure to bring the coat I left with Carpus at Troas. Also bring my books, and especially my papers.” (2 Timothy 4:13 NLT) What do you do when you go through a season of loneliness? The answer is illustrated in the life of Paul in 2 Timothy 4, when he was in prison and awaiting his execution. When you go through a season of loneliness, you need to utilize your time. That means make the best of a bad situation. Resist the temptation to do nothing. Take some action — any kind of action. Try to think of creative ways to take advantage of the seasons in which you are alone. Paul wrote to Timothy from prison and told him, "Be sure to bring the coat I left with Carpus at Troas. Also bring my books, and especially my papers” (2 Timothy 4:13 NLT). In a season of loneliness, you need to be comfortable and productive. Even though he was lonely, Paul didn’t throw a pity party. He didn’t complain or give up. This is Paul, the greatest Christian who ever lived next to Jesus himself, who won thousands of people to Christ, and who is completely alone in his final days. What does he do? He makes the best of the situation. He utilizes his time. He says two things: “Bring my coat.” Those Roman prisons were damp, dark, and cold. He did the best he could to take care of himself. It is true of human nature that when we are lonely and depressed, we don't take very good care of ourselves — physically or any other way. We don’t exercise. We don't rest well. We don't eat right. Paul did the best he could to take care of himself. Some of you need to hear this today, because you're not taking very good care of yourself because you're lonely. “Bring my books.” Paul was a people person. He didn’t like to be alone; it wasn't the way God wired him. Being in solitary confinement in a Roman prison was the antithesis of where he wanted to be. Yet he did the best he could. He wrote letters that today are compiled in a book we call the New Testament. The only way God could slow him down was to put him in solitary confinement. Two thousand years later, we are still benefiting from Paul's loneliness. Is anybody going to benefit from your loneliness? Talk It Over What can you do now, when you’re lonely, that would be difficult to do with others around? What practical steps do you need to take today to take better care of yourself?