Wednesday, September 30, 2020
Hope Sustained By Giving Thanks And Counting Blessings
Under normal circumstances, we walk through life and take most things for granted. Darkness falls and hope is often lost when the things we take for granted are taken away. Persons of hope not only can see past the present darkness and look forward with expectation, but persons of hope are also able to look past their present darkness as they count their blessings. Persons of hope deal with adversity by piecing together the shattered nature of their life as they count their blessings. Persons of hope have or call upon the Light of Christ, and the Light shines within them. The Light illuminates the parts of their life and consequently, persons of hope have profound gratitude. Instead of letting the darkness prevail when darkness falls, persons of hope find a flower growing amidst the manure. Persons of hope may not see a shiny silver dollar in a mud hole but they still find it, wash it off, and count it as one of their blessings. Persons of hope focus on what they can do when darkness falls instead of what they cannot do. The focus of our heart determines how alive hope remains in us. When we experience real gratitude within us for the blessings of our life, even if those blessings are small, then hope has a chance to flourish. When we direct our heart, mind, and spirit outward instead of inward, we are more likely to be thankful persons. Losing hope is easy when we lose sight because our spiritual vision does not work in the darkness. However, when we call upon the Light of Christ to shine within us we can see small things mean a lot.
Tuesday, September 29, 2020
How to Overcome Fear, Anxiety, and Worry
Historians will probably call our era “the age of anxiety.” Anxiety is the natural result when our hopes are centered in anything short of God and His will for us. —Billy Graham When Billy Graham wrote those words in 1965, no one knew how true they would be 55 years later. At its best, anxiety distracts us from our relationship with God and the truth that He is “Lord of heaven and earth” At its worst, anxiety is a crippling disease, taking over our minds and plunging our thoughts into darkness. But God wants so much more for us than to walk through life full of fear, worry and anxiety.
“Do not be
anxious about anything,” the Bible tells us in the book of Philippians, chapter
4, “but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your
requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all
understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Monday, September 28, 2020
How We Treat Others
Hebrews 13:2---Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
Things are not always what they seem. People are not always who or what they appear to be. Look at this verse from a common-sense perspective. If God was going to send an angel into the world to do a special work…would God use an angel with wings and feathers or would God send an angel in the form of an ordinary person? To keep down undue attention, God would use the form of an ordinary person as an angelic disguise. From this verse, people you pass on the street, the person you stand in line with at the store, maybe even the stranger you sit next to in church, could be an angel. However, this verse is not about angels but about how we treat strangers. For many reasons, people we do not personally know need our care, concern, love, and attention. Strangers and others need to be enriched by us. Take the time to reach into someone’s life today.
Sunday, September 27, 2020
How You Can be an Example to Future Generations
Proverbs 22:1--- A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold.
An old
Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. “A fight is going on inside me,”
he said to the boy. “It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One
is evil he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt,
resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.” He
continued, “The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity,
humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and
faith. The same fight is going on inside you – and inside every other person,
too.” The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his
grandfather, “Which wolf will win?” The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one
you feed.”
Saturday, September 26, 2020
Hope And Despair
It is a scientific fact that depression caused by despair impairs our body's ability to function properly. When we are depressed or in despair, our body cannot fight off disease, germs, viruses, and other elements that attack our immune system. When we are depressed or in despair, our immune system becomes compromised. Experts tell us our emotions affect our body on a physical, cellular level. Hope in life, the hope we hold within us is an emotional and spiritual choice. Active, positive hope can affect every area of our life including our physical bodies. Likewise, fear and despair have a negative physical influence upon us. We have often heard where there is life there is hope. However, the opposite is also true. Where there is no hope there is death. A life devoid of hope for the future is a life being lived in darkness, dread, and emptiness. A life without hope is a life being lived as if death has become a reality.
Friday, September 25, 2020
IF GOD SHOULD GO ON STRIKE
How good is it that God above has never gone on strike, Because He was not treated fair in things He didn't like, If only once He'd given up and said, "That's it, I'm through! I've had enough of those on earth, so this is what I'll do: I'll give my orders to the sun cut off the heat supply! And to the moon give no more light, and run the oceans dry. Then just to make things tough and put the pressure on, Turn off the vital oxygen till every breath is gone!" You know, He would be justified, if fairness was the game, for no one has been more abused or met with more disdain than God and yet He carries on, supplying you and me with all the favors of His grace and everything for free. Men say they want a better deal, and so on strike they go, but what a deal we've given God to whom all things we owe. We don't care whom we hurt to gain the thing we like; but what a mess we'd all be in if God should go on strike.
Thursday, September 24, 2020
Wednesday, September 23, 2020
He Is Still Working On Me
Romans 7:15-20---For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
One of the greatest New Testament writers the Apostle Paul penned these words. In today's world, there are so many Christians who get crossed up, and one group points at the other and continues to play the blame game that started when man sinned in the beginning. Paul assured us that sometimes we yield ourselves not to do the good that we know we should do. When we don't do it is because of sin and if we confess our sin He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse. Thank You, Lord, that you love us in spite of our failures and continue to work on us to make us what you want us to be. I like Paul have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to do it, SO LORD HELP ME. I can't do anything without you.
Tuesday, September 22, 2020
HE IS ALWAYS NEAR
Psalm 22:19--- But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me.
Sometimes
when we talk with God. We often think He is so far away. We often think He is
far away not because of Him, but because of us. We go our own way, especially
when we are besieged and overcome our pain. Pain seemingly makes us forget
God is with us. Pain makes us weak. However, we have no excuse. We are without
excuse and we must never excuse our behavior because of our pain. In our
weakness, without making excuses, we need help to move through each day. Christ
is our strength. Christ is our helper. When we call on Him in our hour of need,
He will come quickly to help us. He will come quickly to help us because He is
already living within us, night and day, day and night, all the days of our
life if we are saved by his grace. Remember HE IS NEAR James 4:8---Draw near to
God and He will draw near to you.
Monday, September 21, 2020
Guardian Angels
Hebrews 1:14---Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?
We must all take comfort in these words from Hebrews. For all of us who have renounced our sin, we who have thrown down the cunning wiles of temptation, we who have repented of what Satan delights in seeing us do, we all live under the umbrella of angel’s wings. In our humanity, we are often not able to see angels or their protective cover. In our humanity, we cannot see into Heaven nor do we often see our real place in the destiny of the world. Because of what we cannot see, we too often miss out on the number of times an angel has been there to help us, shield us, and keep us from harm. A cancer victim might tell you there are no angels and there is no protection. However, when we have faith, we can see Jesus just across the great divide separating us from Him. When a cancer victim has faith, the victim is not concerned about getting earthly protection in the here and now, for the cancer victim who keeps the faith clearly sees Christ’s arms are open and waiting. Praise be to our Lord Jesus for sending us guardian angels who help us keep our faith and protect us from the evil one who seeks to destroy us.
Sunday, September 20, 2020
Grief, What Do I Do Now?
Grief rips away at the heart and can turn a life teeming with meaning into an empty wasteland. When tears well up in our eyes and grief fill our soul, what are we to do? In a time of grief, our first instinct should always be to run to God. It is in God's arms that we find the comfort and warmth of love. In God's arms, we can find new meaning and new purpose when the dark days of grief attack us. However, when we lead lives apart from God in the present or when we think we do not need God in the present, then when grief comes, God is hard to find. When we share all that we are and share all that we have with God when the times are good, He most surely guides and comforts us when times of grief overwhelm us. When you pour out your heart and love for God today, no matter what grief might fall into your life tomorrow, all the love you gave Him comes back one thousandfold when you need Him the most.
Saturday, September 19, 2020
Good Measure, Pressed Down, Shaken, and Running Over!
His name was Fleming, and he was a poor Scottish farmer. One day, while trying to eke out a living for his family, he heard a cry for help coming from a nearby bog. He dropped his tools and ran to the bog. There, mired to his waist in black muck, was a terrified boy, screaming and struggling to free himself. Farmer Fleming saved the lad from what could have been a slow and terrifying death. The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the Scotsman's sparse surroundings. An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as the father of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved. "I want to repay you," said the nobleman. "You saved my son's life." "No, I can't accept payment for what I did," the Scottish farmer replied, waving off the offer. At that moment, the farmer's own son came to the door of the family hovel. "Is that your son?" the nobleman asked. "Yes," the farmer replied proudly. "I'll make you a deal. Let me take him and give him a good education. If the lad is anything like his father, he'll grow to a man you can be proud of." And that he did. In time, Farmer Fleming's son graduated from St. Mary's Hospital Medical School in London and went on to become known throughout the world as the noted Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of Penicillin. Years afterward, the nobleman's son was stricken with pneumonia. What saved him? Penicillin. The name of the nobleman? Lord Randolph Churchill. His son's name? Sir Winston Churchill. Someone once said what goes around comes around.
Friday, September 18, 2020
Going Back To The Way Things Were
You may want to go back. You may want to go back to an earlier time when things were better, or easier, or grander than the way things are now. However, you are changed every day. You get better or worse every day. You are not who you were before. You are different. If you could go back, if you could go back and stand where you stood before, things would not be like they were then because you have changed. Our walk through life is determined not by how much we look back, but how much we look forward. Indeed, we can learn from the past by looking back, but we can learn from looking back only if we look back to learn. Yearning to return to where we were can use up too much of our soul. Yearning to go back to another time takes too much of the time God gives us to glorify Him. We tend to forget the darkness of the past. We tend to remember only the best and forget the worst. You do not want to go back because if you went back, you would have to live through the dark times a second time which God does not want you to have to do.
Thursday, September 17, 2020
God With a Man
A man suffered greatly. Every day and every hour, even on Christmas, this man had to battle against pain and suffering only he knew about. For this man, the idea of God being with us sometimes seemed to be a joke because of His suffering. The man seldom spoke about His plight. No one seemed to care about his suffering because everyone seemed to be too busy with their own lives and their problems. The man believed in God and struggled to make contact with Him, but the suffering always seemed to get in the way. The man prayed every day but he seldom prayed for himself. In his prayer life, the man always puts others first. The man died a quiet and even blissful death. He was carried to Heaven on the wings of angels and stood with Christ before His new heavenly home. The Lord was about to escort him to his new home when the Lord asked Him to look back at the earth. In an instant, the man saw how his life and suffering had touched the lives and hearts of others. Then he saw how those lives and hearts had touched still others. On and on the touching went. The man finally saw, even when his suffering seemed to beat down the presence of God, that God was not dead. For when God seemed to be dead within him, others were being touched by God because of his suffering. Standing in Heaven, the man saw God was never really dead but was really with the man, and through this man's suffering, God came to be with others.
Wednesday, September 16, 2020
God Has Given You Direction
What talents and traits have God given you? Most people have some idea of their talents and traits. The talents and traits God has given you can be an indicator of His will for your life. Your talents and traits are pointers you can use to measure your hopes and dreams against God's will. If you are great in math and accounting, God may need you to use your math ability to fulfill His will for your life. If you are mechanically inclined then work or service in a mechanical field may be God's will for you. God's will is like the wind. You can either go with the wind or go against the wind. Walking is easier with the wind at your back. Likewise pursuing hopes and dreams using your native talents and traits is easier than pursuing hopes and dreams requiring you to use talents and traits you do not have.
Tuesday, September 15, 2020
God Is Bigger Than Your Fear
Psalm 112:4-8---Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious and full of compassion, and righteous. A good man showeth favor, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion. Surely he shall not be moved forever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance. He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD. His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he sees his desire upon his enemies.
You sometimes experience fear. Fear is both good and bad. Fear helps you survive what easily threatens you. Yet fear can also make you run away from what you must defeat. No matter what you fear, God is bigger. With God, you can take the courage to face tomorrow. You need not fear death, because, with God, the sting of death has been taken away from your future because of Christ's sacrifice for you. You need not fear poverty because God has built for you a home of incredible wealth where you will spend the rest of your days into eternity. You need not fear being lost, for God is always with you and He will lead you in all His ways. You need not fear being unloved, for God has already poured out His love over you if you would only accept Him and open your heart to Him. You need not fear the future, for God has built for you a glorious future. You need not fear pain, for God has already made for you a way to His comfort. Friend, You Need Not Fear.
Monday, September 14, 2020
God As The Guiding Force
Psalms 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd
God wants to be the guiding force of
your life. Of course, you are not mandated to follow His guidance. Your
decision to let God be the Leader and Guide in your life is purely voluntary on
your part. Although He wants you to go His way, there are a thousand voices
calling you from the world trying to get you to go your way rather than His
way. Every day you are influenced by these pulls and tugs trying to draw you
away from God's guiding hand. When Christ is your Great Shepherd, you must
actively and intentionally follow Him. With God as your shepherd, you may get
lost but He will come looking for you. Matthew
18:12--- if a man have an hundred sheep, and
one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth
into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? If you are willing, He will find you. Every minute of every day He is
always calling your name for He loves you so very, very much.
Sunday, September 13, 2020
God's Invisible Breath
The man whispered, "God, speak to me." And a meadowlark sang. But the man did not hear. So the man yelled, "God, speak to me!" And the thunder rolled across the sky. But the man did not listen. The man looked around and said, "God, let me see you." And a star shone brightly. But the man did not notice. And the man shouted, "God, show me a miracle!" And a life was born. But the man did not know. So, the man cried out in despair. "Touch me God, and let me know that you are here!" Whereupon God reached down and touched the man. But the man brushed the butterfly away and walked on. MORAL: Don't miss out on a blessing because it isn't packaged the way you expect.
- Author
Unknown -
Saturday, September 12, 2020
Giving Hope...As A Form Of Giving Love
Each of us is called to love others. One of the best ways of showing others we love them is to give them hope for the future. When you give hope as a form of love to others you help others prepare themselves for the future. When you give hope away you help others feel more confident and secure in a world where many people have little confidence and little security. When you give the gift of hope, others can begin to understand how much God loves them and how much He cares for them. It was noted elsewhere, "When you give hope, you give joy to the joyless. When you give hope, you give the laughter to destroy the grip of hopelessness. When you give hope, you show the beauty of giving without the "show" reflecting upon yourself. When you give hope, you show the godly inner glow of humility. When you give hope, you show others another person cares for them and cares about them. When you give hope, others see hope is not so distant a leap to see Christ also loves them and cares about them. When you give hope, you show others there is no end in sight within the heavenly realms of love."
Friday, September 11, 2020
Giving And Sacrificing
In the First World War, there was a young French soldier who was seriously wounded. His arm was so badly smashed the arm had to be amputated. The soldier was a magnificent specimen of young manhood, and the surgeon was grieved the young man must go through life maimed. So the surgeon waited beside the young man's bedside after the surgery to tell the young man the terrible news about having to amputate the arm. When the young man awakened from the anesthetic and the young lad's eyes opened, the surgeon said to him: "I am sorry to tell you that you have lost your arm." "Sir," said the lad, "I did not lose it; I gave it for France." Jesus was not helplessly caught up in a mesh of circumstances from which He could not break free. Apart from any divine power He could have called upon, to the end of His earthly life Christ could have turned back and saved His life. However, Christ did not lose His life; He gave it. The cross was not thrust upon Him; He willingly accepted the cross for us.
Thursday, September 10, 2020
Gave All He Had
I once heard the story of a rice farmer who saved an entire village from destruction. From his hilltop farm, he felt the quake and saw the distant ocean swiftly withdraw from the old shoreline, like some prodigious animal crouching back for a leap. He knew that the leap would be a tidal wave. In the valley below, he saw his neighbors working low fields that would soon be flooded. They must run quickly to his hilltop or they would all die. His rice barns were dry as tinder. So with a torch, he set fire to his barns, and soon the fire goon started ringing. His neighbors saw the smoke and rushed to help him. Then from their safe perch, they saw the tidal wave wash over the fields they had just left. In a flash, they knew not only who had saved them but what their salvation had cost their benefactor. They later erected a monument to his memory bearing the motto, "He gave us all he had, and gave gladly." I think the same words could be said of our heavenly Father and the gift of his only begotten Son!
Wednesday, September 9, 2020
From God's Perspective
When you are unsure of what you should do, try to see things from God's perspective. Try to see things like God sees them. Try to see how God could take a situation you are in and make the situation better or make the circumstance come out OK. Try to see how you could open doors in a circumstance so God can do his work. In other respects, God needs you to pave some highways on this earth. He needs you to make straight the way, so others can follow. Even in very bad, desperate circumstances, God can do great works but He still needs you to open doors, pave roads, and Move Mountains for Him.
Tuesday, September 8, 2020
Found your wings yet?
2 Corinthians 8:2---How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.
A man
watched a butterfly trying to emerge from a cocoon. Thinking he would help, the
man took his penknife and slit the side of the cocoon, and the butterfly
flopped out. It lay there for a while, feebly beating its wings, then collapsed
and died. “How sad,” you say. You’re right—God designed a plan for butterflies.
The struggle to break free builds the strength they will need to fly. God
doesn’t want you to live weakly and die feebly. He wants you to grow and mature.
Find the wings in your trial today. Strengthen them by the promises in God’s
Word. Venture on new heights of freedom in Christ today.
Monday, September 7, 2020
Forces For Victory in Life
2 Chronicles 20:15 - And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle [is] not yours, but God's.
We can
easily live our life with loose ends. We can live our lives as if there is no
tomorrow. When we live our life with loose ends, we end up never assessing and
using the forces we have at our disposal. Remember the battle is not yours, but
God’s. If we do not marshal our forces for victory, we can never gather
ourselves or get our life together so we can win. To achieve victory in life,
you must know your forces. To achieve victory, you must gather your forces
together and channel your power. You do not want your forces scattered unless
there is an advantage to scattering. You want your forces gathered together so
you can maximize their strength. Some of your forces are the minute by minute
blessings you can count. Every blessing is both a power you can add to your
arsenal as well as a message from God about how you are doing in being His
child. Your forces are your ability and your willingness to be forgiving to let
old hurts die away. Your forces are your abilities to love and accept others,
no matter who the others are or where they are.
Sunday, September 6, 2020
Friday, September 4, 2020
Focus On The Task Not On The Score
When we think we are behind and we keep looking at the clock or looking at the scoreboard, we are looking in the wrong direction. When we focus on anything other than the task at hand, our focus is not where our focus should be. When we focus on the task at hand, we are dramatically more successful than when we are looking at the clock or the scoreboard to see whether we are ahead or behind. If you keep looking at the scoreboard and you see you are behind, you may get so dejected you put winning out of the question. The objective in any circumstance defines what our next step must be. Knowing the score may help us change our objectives but when we change objectives we must still implement the tasks to be accomplished rather than continually trying to determine what the score is or will be.
Thursday, September 3, 2020
Finding Hope and Security Now
In the adversity of life, we can and do ask… "How can I be secure where I am? How can I feel like good things will happen when everything has always gone bad? How can I find hope and security when life has devastated me so?" In response to these kinds of questions, we must remember things change and times change. As Christians, we can look over the horizon knowing the paradise of God waits to receive us. All human beings and all living creatures come to an end. Also, with us coming to an end, so will our pain, hurt, disappointment, and sorrow as we sail upward to our new home in heaven. Moreover, when things are at their worst, we can always take charge enough to go to God. In God, we find rest from the turmoil and strife we must endure. God is a shelter from the storms of life if we will only go to Him and trust in Him. Trusting in God may not change your circumstances on your outside. However, trusting and having hope in God changes everything on your inside. There are many things on the outside we cannot change, but the inside is God's territory or kingdom. He will rule there if we give Him a chance and learn to keep out of His way as we go His way.
Wednesday, September 2, 2020
Finding Courage
Isaiah 41:13---For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.
Everyone has
fear. Some of our fears are irrational. Some of our fears are based on our
experience. Fear is a dark spot on our soul. Fear is a spot not easily erased. God
knows your every fear and anxiety. God is our ultimate resource when we face
fear. When we need courage we need an ultimate resource like God because when
we face a fear and have to take action, we are the only ones who can act. No
one can face your fear but you. You can have support and encouragement. You can
talk about your fear, but fear requires courage from each of us individually. This
point is where God comes in because He wants you to take His hand and help you.
God wants you to find the courage you need in Him because with Him you need not
fear.
Tuesday, September 1, 2020
Fighting The Fires Of Life
Some people can praise God in the deepest darkness. Maybe you are one of those who can praise God when you are in trouble. However, many people get too tired and too exhausted from dealing with the problems of their life to praise God. They get worn out from trying to put out the fires popping up. After a while, many people don't care anymore. Living life in this way is not what God wants for anyone. God's will is not for us to live a life full of exhaustion and hopelessness. If we are honest, we can understand, to some extent, what it is like to run out of hope from putting out the fires life. We all need a break from problems and pain. We all need a break from being in the hopeless darkness. Our faith in God gives us a rest from all these dark circumstances. Faith in God gives us a break from constant, unrelenting problems. We can find rest in God because He desires to see us happy and full of joy rather than seeing us beset by problems at every turn. God can provide security and a break from having to fight the fires of life. We find in God the hope to sustain us and even hope for an end to our problems.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)