She watches over the affairs of her household...
--- Proverbs 31:27
Friday 31 May 2013
Do Good
Do Good
Today's Scripture:
Even Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed him with
the Holy Spirit and with power; who went about doing good, and healing all that
were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
Acts 10:38, ASV.
Today's Word:
The first thing Jesus did before healing, before
ministering, before delivering is that He was good to people. Think about that
for a moment. We all have an assignment. You could say that we all have a
ministry. It may not be up in front of people. It may not be to go overseas and
be a missionary. Our ministry starts by being good to people.
When goodness flows out of our hearts, it catches
people’s attention. It causes them to want to know more about what we have. We
can say all day long, “I love you,” but true love is seen in what we do. If I
really love you, I’ll be good to you. I’ll prefer you. God said to Abraham, “I
will bless you and you will be a blessing.” One key to being blessed is: are
you willing to be a blessing? Are you willing to do good?
Prayer for Today:
Father, today I ask that You empower me to do good.
Help me to love others. Use me to be a blessing and be a testimony of Your
goodness so that others may come to know You in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
***
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it — not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it — they will be blessed in what they do.” (James 1:22-25 NIV)
James calls God’s Word a mirror. The mirror helps us evaluate ourselves. Once you look at a mirror, you can decide if you need to make any changes before you leave for the day. The Bible helps us do that, too.
You can look at the Bible in one of two ways. You can glance at the mirror, or you can gaze into it. On the old TV show “Happy Days,” the Fonz would glance at the mirror. He’d walk past the mirror, stop, look into it, and say, “Hey!” He didn’t have to do anything else. He was pure perfection. He just needed a glance.
That’s not the way you look into God’s Word. You don’t just glance at the Word of God in a rushed, hurried manner and then leave. Glancing at God’s Word won’t change your life.
Do you want a life that God blesses? It all starts with gazing into God’s Word. James 1:22-25 gives you the blueprint for how to study God’s Word in a way that he blesses.
Talk It Over
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Thursday 30 May 2013
Letting it Go
Letting it Go
Today's Scripture:
And whenever you stand praying, if you have
anything against anyone, forgive him and let it drop (leave it, let it go), in
order that your Father Who is in heaven may also forgive you…
Mark 11:25, AMP.
Today's Word:
Everyone has been hurt, offended, betrayed and
mistreated at some point. Sometimes those wounds are small and easy to move
past, but other times, they are deep and take time to heal. The important thing
is that we choose to forgive so that we can open the door to God’s forgiveness
and healing in our own lives.
Forgiveness is such a powerful tool. Forgiveness
sets you free and draws you closer to your heavenly Father. One of the first
things my mother did when she found out that she had stage four cancer of the
liver was to ask the Lord to search her heart for any unforgiveness. She didn’t
want anything to block her prayers for God’s healing. And now more than twenty
years later, she still has a perfectly clean bill of health.
Whenever you pray, invite the Lord to search your
heart. Choose to forgive anyone that has hurt you. As you walk in forgiveness,
you’ll experience His hand of blessing in ways you never thought possible, and
you will move forward in the abundant life He has in store for you.
Prayer for Today:
Father in heaven, I invite You to search my heart
and mind. I choose forgiveness so that I can receive Your forgiveness in
return. I love You and bless You today in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
***
“Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.” (Romans 10:17 NIV)
Let’s say you’re a gardener. You’ve learned that you can take the exact same seed and plant it in three different locations and get three different results. In one spot, you’ll get giant tomatoes. In another, you’ll get small tomatoes. And in a third, you’ll get nothing. What’s the difference? It’s not the seed; it’s the soil. The soil must be prepared for the seed.
The same is true when you hear God’s Word. It’s why you can take two people to church, set them side-by-side, and one will walk out thinking God really spoke to him and the other won’t get anything out of the service. The heart of one person was prepared; the other’s heart wasn’t.
Your heart has to be prepared for the Word. If you get up late, have trouble finding a parking spot, and are irritated as you rush into church, you’re probably not going to hear God’s voice! You’re not in a receptive mood.
The Bible says, “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you” (James 1:19b-21 NIV).
For good reception, this passage teaches you have to have four attitudes:
Talk It Over
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Wednesday 29 May 2013
Make Your Requests Known
Make
Your Requests Known
Today's
Scripture:
…it is your Father’s good
pleasure to give you the kingdom.
Luke 12:32, ASV.
Today's
Word:
As a father, there’s no one
I’d rather bless than my own children. There’s no one I’d rather see increase
and rise higher in life. It’s the same way with our heavenly Father. It gives
Him pleasure to give His children His Kingdom. It brings a smile to His face.
If my own children never
acted like I wanted to bless them and were always afraid to ask me for
something, or acted like they were bothering me or intimidated, it would break
my heart. I want them to be bold and come to me. I want them to ask for the
desires of their hearts.
Today, know that God loves
you with an everlasting love. He longs to be good to you. He wants you to come
boldly to Him. He wants you to make your requests known. Trust that when you
call on Him, He will answer. He will show you His love and lead you in
everlasting life.
Prayer
for Today:
Father, thank You for Your
goodness and faithfulness in my life. Thank You for Your love. I know that it
gives You pleasure to reveal Yourself to me. Have Your way in my life as I
boldly come to You and make my requests known in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
***
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Acts 17:27 NIV)
God, your Heavenly Father, loves you more than you will ever know. You can turn to him when you need acceptance, when you need approval, and when you need attention.
God has seen every single moment of your life. He has witnessed every word you’ve ever said — good or bad — and every hurt you’ve ever experienced. God knows every fear, every sin, and every sorrow you’ve ever felt.
Unlike your human father, God has known every thought you’ve ever had, and he’s understood you completely. Today, you can turn to him because he’s a caring, consistent, close, and competent Father. He will never leave you.
Maybe you’ve allowed experiences with a human parent to warp or cloud your view of your heavenly Father, and that has made you think God is unreasonable or unreliable or unconcerned. You were wrong. You need to turn to the truth today.
Would you pray this prayer in your heart?
“Dear God, I want you to be my heavenly Father, and I want to be your child. I ask you to adopt me into your home. I want to be spiritually born into your family through Jesus Christ. Jesus, I don’t understand it all, but I accept you as the way to the Father. I want you to be in charge of my life to guide me and direct me. Thank you that you are a loving, caring, and consistent Father. Thank you that you are competent and that you can handle all the problems that I give to you. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
Talk It Over
- How has your relationship with your earthly father affected how you view God?
- How do you think God wants us to use the model of the heavenly Father with our own children?
Tuesday 28 May 2013
In the Day of Trouble
In the Day of Trouble
Today's Scripture:
In
the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the
shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.
Psalm
27:5, NIV.
Today's Word:
People
ask all the time, “Where is God in tragedy?” When we encounter difficulty and
tragedy, we have to trust that God is right there offering His shelter of peace
to our troubled hearts. He has a plan to lift you up out of despair and set you
in a place of stability. He has a plan to restore, renew and revive your soul.
Scripture
tells us that it is the thief—the enemy—who kills, steals and destroys. God’s
plan is to bring you life. (See John 10:10). We have to remember, the enemy
uses circumstances to get our eyes off of Jesus. He tries to steal our peace
and keep us focused on this earthly realm. But when we lift up our eyes to
Jesus, when we hold fast to our profession of faith, that’s how we stay in
victory.
Friend,
when the day of trouble comes, know that God is with you and for you. He’s not
the one who is against you. Keep your eyes on Him. Trust that He has a plan.
Trust that He will make your crooked places straight and your rough places
smooth. Lift your eyes to Jesus because He is the Author and Finisher of your
faith—a very present help in the day of trouble.
Prayer for Today:
Father,
thank You for being my shelter when the storms of life rage. When I don’t have
the answers, I trust that You do. I put my hope in You and receive Your peace
and strength. Thank You for leading me in the path of victory all the days of
my life in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
***
“You know how to give good things to your children. How much more, then, will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:11 GNT)
The Bible says that God is a caring Father.
He’s compassionate, loving, gracious, and he cares about you.
It’s important to note that when Jesus spoke the word “father,” he used the Aramaic word “abba.” “Abba” is one of the first words that every Middle Eastern child learns, because it means “daddy” — papa, dada, abba. It is the ultimate term of endearment, of closeness, of family. It is an intimate phrase that says there is no barrier between a little baby and a father.
What do we know about our heavenly Father, about our “Abba”? Let me tell you three things today:
First, God is never too busy for you. When you pray, God does not say, “Not now. I’ll see you later.” God never turns away. He’s with you every single day.
Second, God loves to meet your needs because he’s a close Father. The Bible says, “You know how to give good things to your children. How much more, then, will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”(Matthew 7:11 GNT) I hate to admit it, but I am sometimes selfish and self-centered, thinking only of my needs. Yet, as a parent, I love to give to my kids. I love to meet their needs. How much more does God — our perfect Father— want to meet your needs?
Third, God is sympathetic to your hurts. He’s never too busy, he loves to meet your needs, and he’s sympathetic to your hurts. When you come to God with your pain, he doesn’t say, “Oh, come on! Get over it! Put a smile on your face. That’s an easy little thing. Get a Band-Aid!” If you’ve had a tough week, God understands.
The Bible says, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18 NIV). Some of you feel crushed in spirit. What do you do? Turn to God. He is sympathetic to your hurt. He loves to meet your needs. He is never too busy for you. He wants to help you out! He’s your heavenly Father.
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Monday 27 May 2013
He Knows How It Ends
He Knows How It Ends
Today's Scripture:
Declaring
the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet
done…
Isaiah
46:10, NKJV.
Today's Word:
Sometimes
I will record a football game and watch it when I get home later. Most times, I
already know how the game ends. I’ve talked to friends or watched the news. I
know my team wins. While I’m watching, I don’t get discouraged if my team falls
behind. I don’t get uptight if it’s halftime and we still haven’t scored. I’m
totally at peace. Why? I already know the outcome. The truth is that the
further behind we fall, the more excited I am because that means a big comeback
is on its way. I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen.
As
believers, God has promised us victory. You may go through disappointments. At
times, it seems like you’re far behind. But you’ve got to remind yourself, “God
holds my future in the palm of His hand. He already knows the outcome. God
never ends in defeat!” I’m going to come out of this better and stronger than
ever before! Remember, He knows how it ends, and it ends in peace, joy and
victory in every area of your life!
Prayer for Today:
Father
God, how awesome You are! Thank You for declaring victory over my life. I
choose to trust Your Word, even when I don’t understand. I trust that You are
good and that my end shall be in victory in Jesus’ Name! Amen.
***
"The king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the Lord and praising him for his holy splendor. This is what they sang: 'Give thanks to the Lord; his faithful love endures forever!'" (2 Chronicles 20:21 NLT)
In 2 Chronicles 20:21, King Jehoshaphat had a very unusual way of organizing an army: "The king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the Lord and praising him for his holy splendor. This is what they sang: 'Give thanks to the Lord; his faithful love endures forever!'" (NLT)
Jehoshaphat’s battle plan was to put a choir before the infantry. Patton would have fainted! Picture this: On one side are the three enemy armies amassed to do battle against Israel. Then there’s the valley where they’re going to do battle. Then there are the lowly Israelites. Jehoshaphat says, “We’re going to take those who sing and make a choir out of you and put you in front of the army as you march into battle.”
There’s a very important truth here: The Israelites were thanking God in advance for the victory. Praise and thanksgiving are verbalized faith. If you thank God after the fact, that’s gratitude. If you thank God before it happens, that’s faith.
Notice the effect of praise in verses 22 and 23: “When they began to sing, the Lord threw the invading armies into a panic. The Ammonites and the Moabites attacked the Edomite army and completely destroyed it, and then they turned on each other in savage fighting" (GNT). God confused the enemy, and they turned on each other and destroyed themselves while the Israelites looked on. There is power in expectation.
You know that insurmountable problem in your life — the one with the odds stacked against you? When are you going to start thanking God for it? After it’s all solved? If so, that’s called gratitude. How about thanking God now, while you’re in the problem or see it coming at you? That is faith.
When you allow God to solve your problems, it becomes a testimony to unbelievers. The world takes notice when the Christian lives by faith. And, God loves to demonstrate his power in those who expect him to work in their lives.
Are you facing a difficult circumstance this week? Do you feel like the odds are against you? Do you think your problem is overwhelming? What do you do? You turn to God — Jehovah Nissi, the God who defends you.
Talk It Over
- For what do you need to thank God in advance today?
- How can you show your unbelieving friends and family that you are trusting God to solve your problems? What does that kind of faith in you look like to other people?
Sunday 26 May 2013
God's Value System
God's Value System
Today's Scripture:
Keep
me as the apple of your eye…
Psalm
17:8, NIV.
Today's Word:
In
this day and age, people are considered to be important for so many different
reasons—titles, position, possessions, where you go, what you drive. But God’s
value system is very different from the value system of the world. God
cherishes and values you so much simply because He made you. You are His
beloved creation—the apple of His eye; the center of His world!
If
you’ve ever thought that God has too many other important things on His plate
to be concerned with you and your life, know this today—you are God’s number
one priority. And, there’s nothing you can do to be more important or less
important to Him. He values you today, and your value will never change. You
are significant. Your life is significant. The things that concern you, concern
God. He carefully watches over every detail of your life, and there is nothing
too big or too small for His attention.
Today,
find peace and security in God’s love for you. Don’t be afraid to take your
concerns and cares to Him. He loves it when you come to Him, and He’s ready to
receive you with open arms because you are the apple of His eye!
Prayer for Today:
Father in heaven, thank You
for loving me today. Thank You for keeping me the apple of Your eye. I open my
heart and mind to You and cast every care on You. I receive Your love for me in
Jesus’ Name. Amen.
***
“Put your trust in the Lord your God and you will stand your ground. Believe what his prophets tell you, and you will succeed." (2 Chronicles 20:20b GNT)
The biggest mistake people make when we're overwhelmed is focusing on the problem. We don't look to God. We put our eyes on the problem instead of God.
When you ask many people, “How are you doing?” they say, “I'm doing OK — under the circumstances.” What are you doing under the circumstances? Who put you there? Why don't you get on top of the circumstances? Circumstances are like the mattress on your bed. Get on top of them, and you'll rest easy. Get underneath them, and you're going to suffocate.
What are you focusing on right now? If you're discouraged, it's not God. You can't be discouraged and focus on God at the same time. If you turn to God first, talk to him about your problem, and trust him to help you, God will respond: "The Lord says you must not be discouraged or be afraid to face this vast army. The battle depends on God, not you" (2 Chronicles 20:15b GNT).
The reason why you're so tired all the time is because you're trying to fight battles that belong to God. We try really hard and give it our best shot. Inevitably, we fail and we're disappointed in ourselves and we come back with our tail between our legs and say, “God, I'm so sorry. I've really let you down." Guess what? You cannot disappoint God. This is what grace is all about! You don't earn God's pleasure or approval. It is a free gift when you trust in his Son, Jesus Christ.
What does God want you to do if he doesn’t want you to fight in the battle? What are you supposed to do when you’re facing an overwhelming situation?
Two words: “Stand strong.” What does it mean to stand strong? It is a mental attitude. It’s an attitude of quiet confidence. You're not getting ahead of God, but you're not backing up, either. You're going to stay put and watch God work. You're going to stand strong.
One of the most important truths you have to learn in life is it is never God’s will for you to run from a difficult situation. If you do, he’s going to bring it up again. He wants you to learn that he is sufficient in every situation, and if you don't learn it here, he’ll just provide the opportunity again.
What do you stand firm on? “Put your trust in the Lord your God, and you will stand your ground. Believe what his prophets tell you, and you will succeed" (2 Chronicles 20:20b GNT).
Do you want to be successful? Then stand on two things: the character of God and the Word of God. Have faith in the character of God and what his prophets have said.
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