Peace with Your Enemies

Peace with Your Enemies TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: When a man's ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. Proverbs 16:7, ESV. TODAY'S WORD: What does it mean to please the Lord? In the book of Hebrews, it says that faith pleases God. Faith is simply believing that God is who He says He is and that He rewards those who seek after Him. The Bible also tells us that faith without works is dead. In other words, our faith is expressed through our actions. For example, when you go to sit down in your favorite chair, you don’t stop and wonder if it’s going to hold you up. No, you have faith in that chair because you’ve sat in it hundreds of times. If you didn’t have faith that the chair would hold you, you wouldn’t sit down. Your actions are affected by your faith. In the same way, when we have faith in God, we follow His commands. We don’t wonder; we don’t wait. We just obey Him. Today, know that you please Him when you seek Him by faith. You please Him when you read His Word. You please Him when you follow His commands. And, when you please Him, He makes even your enemies be at peace with you! PRAYER FOR TODAY: Father, my greatest desire is to please You in all things. Fill me with Your faith as I study and obey Your Word. Help me to stay close to You always and thank You for giving me Your peace in Jesus’ name. Amen. PS...

You Need Friends Who Will Help You Succeed by Rick Warren “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” (Hebrews 10:24 NIV) Hebrews 10:24 says, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (NIV). Real friends bring out the best in each other. They encourage and motivate one another to reach their goals. Friends who will cheer you on to success are a critical part of the Daniel Plan. There’s an old Zambian proverb that says, “When you run alone, you run fast. But when you run together, you run far.” The Daniel Plan — and the lifetime of healthy habits ahead of you — is not a 50-yard dash. It is a marathon. Marathon runners know there comes a point when you start getting a pain in your side that makes you want to give up. But if you have other people running with you, you can find the strength to continue to the finish line. The same is true in your journey to a healthier you. The only way you’ll achieve your God-given health goals is to have others involved in your life. “In Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others” (Romans 12:5). Talk It Over We all have different strengths when it comes to encouraging others. What are some ways you can encourage the people in your Daniel Plan group? Why do you think it’s important to want your friends’ success as much as your own? As you reflect on Romans 12:5, who are the people in your life to whom you can easily reach out for help?