A Biblically Supported Idea

Dec 5, 2014 A Biblically Supported Idea by Rick Warren “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”(Luke 21:33 NIV) Many times we wonder if an idea that came to us is instruction from God, a deception from Satan, or just something we want to do. It is extremely important to know the difference and how to discern God’s voice, because it can have eternal consequences. A lot of evil gets blamed on God when people say, “God told me to do it!” The Bible says in 1 John 4:1, “Don’t believe every message you hear just because someone says it’s a message from God. Test it first to see if it really is” (LB). Does the idea you’ve got in your mind right now agree with the Bible? Because God’s will never contradicts God’s Word. God doesn’t say one thing and then change his mind and say another thing. If he said it, it’s true, and it will always be true. God is consistent. He isn’t moody. He doesn’t change his mind. He will never tell you to violate a principle that he’s already given in his Word, the Bible. So the first question you need to ask is, “Does this thought line up with what God has already said?” If what you have in your mind contradicts something that God has already said in the Bible, then you know it’s wrong. Jesus said in Luke 21:33, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (NIV). God’s Word is eternal, because truth never changes. If something was true 5,000 years ago, it was true 1,000 years ago, it is true today, and it will be true 5,000 years from today. People might say, “God said it; I believe it; that settles it.” No! God said it, and that settles it — whether you believe it or not! If God tells you to do something, then he’s never going to contradict it. The first question you must answer is, “Is this idea in harmony with the Word of God?” Talk It Over What is it that you believe God has been telling you to do? Do those instructions contradict any part of the Bible? How do you know? How can you develop a deeper walk with God so that you more easily understand and discern his instructions? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zy_aw6qJ_3U Content in Your Own Race TODAY’S SCRIPTURE “...let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith...” (Hebrews 12:1–2, NKJV) TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria It’s easy to be tempted to go through life competing with everyone around us when we see someone who’s more talented, better looking or has more gifts. Instead of running our race and being comfortable with who we are, oftentimes, we feel inferior and think, “I’ve got to catch up to them.” The problem with this unhealthy competition is that it’s a never-ending cycle. There will always be someone ahead of us. But, it’s a very freeing thing when you realize, “I’m not competing with you. I don’t have to have as big a house as my neighbor to feel good about myself. I don’t have to keep up with my co-worker. I don’t have to be a certain size. I don’t have to have as many Christmas lights outside. No, I understand that I’m not in competition with my friend, my neighbor or my co-worker. Instead, I’m going to be the best me that I can possibly be.” Contentment is an attitude God can work with. When you focus on being who God made you to be and focus on running your own race, that’s when you’ll see things happen. That’s when you’ll rise up higher and position yourself for every spiritual blessing He has in store for you! A PRAYER FOR TODAY Father, I humbly come to You giving You all that I am. I choose to keep my eyes on You and allow You to work in my heart and mind. I declare that I am free from competition today in Jesus’ name. Amen.