Eat the Good of the Land

Eat the Good of the Land TODAY’S SCRIPTURE “If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land.” (Isaiah 1:19, NIV) TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria God wants you to have the best in life. He wants to give you the good of the land. God tells us in His Word how to take hold of His promises in our lives. Notice this verse doesn’t say that just obedience will cause you to eat the good of the land; it says we have to be willing and obedient. In other words, God isn’t just concerned with our actions. He’s looking at the motives of our hearts. He doesn’t want us to be robots. He wants us to know Him and obey Him because we love Him. He wants us to understand His goodness and kindness which draws our hearts toward Him. He wants us to receive His love that causes us to respond to Him with love and obedience in return. Don’t just serve God out of obligation today. Don’t just read the Word because you think you have to. Instead, open your heart and see His goodness. Receive His love and acknowledge His faithfulness in your life. Let your willing obedience open the door to God’s blessing! A PRAYER FOR TODAY Father, search my heart today. Remove anything that stands in the way of my love for You. I choose to willingly obey You and thank You for giving me Your best in Jesus’ name. Amen. PS... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpTjqmjXB9Q

Meekness Does Not Equal Weakness

BY RICK WARREN — AUGUST 29, 2014

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5 NIV)

If you want to make healthy choices to be well and whole again, you have to learn to be meek. Matthew 5:5 says, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth”(NIV).

The Bible lists many benefits of meekness: The meek will be satisfied (Psalm 22:26); God will guide them (Psalm 25:9); they will become wise (Proverbs 11:2); they will be filled with fresh joy (Isaiah 29:19).

There are many, many others. The problem is, we misunderstand this term. None of us really know what meekness is. In fact we often confuse it with another term that sounds like it — “meek” sounds like “weak.” Nobody wants to be weak, so nobody wants to be meek.                                                                                                                      

But the truth is meekness and weakness are at the opposite ends of the spectrum. Meekness is in no way weakness. In fact the Greek word for meekness literally means “strength under control.” To be meek is not to be weak. It’s used to describe a wild stallion that has been tamed. That stallion still has all the strength it had when it was wild, but now its strength is under control. It is strength bottled up for the master’s use. God doesn’t want you to be weak, but he does want you to be meek. The Bible teaches that it’s one of the keys to stress reduction in your life.

Here’s a simple definition of the word meek: Let go, and let God. That is the essence of meekness. It is surrendering, submitting, and agreeing to what God wants to do in your life. It’s letting God be God in your life. Let go, and let God.

I don’t know a phrase that will do more for your health physically or emotionally than this phrase. If you’ll begin to practice it in your life, it will relieve stress and eliminate worry. If you’ll let go and let God, it will defuse anger and end your hurt and resentment.

Talk It Over

• What areas of your life do you especially need to surrender so that God can take control?
• What might keep you from displaying meekness and submitting your life to God?