Monday, November 29, 2021
Looking Back Too Often
Philippians 3:13-14---Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
When we look back at
the past too often we end up not living today. God means for us to live in the
here and now not live with our eyes cast back into previous times. We praise
God more fully when we relish the moments of the present. We praise God more
fully when we gaze off into the future and dream of new ways we can make things
today so things will be better tomorrow. When we constantly look back and yearn
to return to yesteryear, we are cheating ourselves and cheating God out of the
best time of our life…the best time of our life being this moment. This moment
can be the best moment for you if we determine to make this moment the best
moment for God and for His glory. We do not have to make this day the best day
of our life. We cannot, in fact, make this day the best day of our life. We
can, however, in the next few seconds, make the next few seconds the best few
seconds we have ever lived. Even at the very end of our journey, when nearly
all of what we have said, thought, done, believed, hoped for, dreamed about,
and prayed about is behind us, our most glorious moment is just ahead as we
step over into eternity. When we realize we can all be headed toward God's
eternity of unbounded love, we do not want the past…we want, at our last moment,
only eternal new moments full of glory and full of grace.
Sunday, November 28, 2021
Saturday, November 27, 2021
Look For Small Positives
Looking for small positives is not a matter of thinking positively in negative circumstances. Looking for small positives is an attitude that helps us seek out the best opportunities and the best resources in every setting. If all we ever see is the negatives, we end up reacting only to the negatives. If we look for small positives, we have an opportunity to use the small positives to our advantage and use the small positives as a resource upon which we can build. Our life is filled with small positives but when we are in a negative frame of mind, we too often do not even look for the small positives, let alone see them. You cannot build upon a negative circumstance as easily as you can a positive circumstance. Most often, a negative circumstance requires time and resources to turn the negative into a positive. Negative circumstances like mistakes require fixing if fixing is possible. Positive circumstances not only require no fixing, but positive circumstances can be used to overcome those matters, issues, and events that are negative. In your life, you can do great things with your positive attributes, your positive talents, your positive traits, and your positive abilities. Your positives are your assets. Your negatives are your liabilities.
Friday, November 26, 2021
Loneliness
Human beings are lonely creatures. We easily think we are the only person alive who knows what we are going through. The presence of God in our hearts and life is infinite. The infinite presence of God can obliterate the loneliness we can feel. When we think we are alone, we are still surrounded by God's infinite power, God's infinite love, and God's infinite wisdom. When we look around and see no other person, we do not visually see God's infinite presence. Yet, His invisible presence within us and all around us has no limits and no bounds. His infinite presence in our hearts and mind is as strong as we are willing to let His presence be. We can know God's infinite presence within us if we are willing to let our heart, mind, and soul be touched by His infinite nature. The supernatural fact is we are never alone, we are never without a companion, and we are never without a friend. Likewise, to have the reality of Christ's presence, His companionship, and His friendship we must be willing to be present with Christ, be a companion to Him, and be His friend. The infinite presence of God in our life depends upon our willingness to walk His path every minute instead of expecting God to walk our path. As we strive to have infinite patience, infinite love for others, and infinite love for Christ, we soon find we have the Lord's infinity within us. Our realizing the Lord's infinite presence depends upon how infinitely desirous we are to be His child and do His bidding. For it is not what God does for us, it is what we are willing to do for Him that brings us the prize of His infinite and ever-present love, kindness, and compassion.
Thursday, November 25, 2021
Thanking God For His Enduring Love
Psalm 136:1---O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Hearing this psalm as
a child, and it seemed to go on forever. The writer of Psalm 136 wished to show
readers repeatedly that God’s love endures forever. Read and re-read this psalm
as a truly attentive child of God who is daily growing to know God better.
Practice by carefully reading aloud the first part of every verse, reflecting
on every phrase. The verses of Psalm 136 recall concrete examples from history
in which the Lord showed his enduring love. If you wish, look up the full
report of each of those examples in the books of Genesis, Exodus, Joshua, and
Judges. Then try to identify personally with as many of the instances of the
Lord’s enduring love that the verses suggest to you. You can identify any of
the Lord’s great wonders? Wonders that awed you? That comforted you? Can you
name a time in your life when the Lord led you through a desert experience? As
you meditate over each verse and each example of God’s love, repeat the psalms
refrain again and again. What do you think is the most fitting response to God
for his enduring love in all its instances? On this Thanksgiving Day How can
you, your family, thank God for his enduring love?
Wednesday, November 24, 2021
Living With Obstacles and Burdens
We may not be able to do anything about some of our obstacles, burdens, or circumstances in life. We may have to just let the obstacle, burden, or circumstance sit in our life. We may just have to let the obstacle, burden, or circumstance be where it is at the moment. We may have to climb over the obstacle, go around it, tunnel under it, and live with the fact the obstacle is always going to be where it is. We may have to learn to live despite the obstacle or burden. In many of the circumstances we cannot change, our greatest victory is learning to live despite the obstacle, burden, or circumstance. As ridiculous as this sounds, if darkness has its way, an inanimate obstacle or a circumstance will get you down, keep you down, and you will not live. It is the will of God that you come back against obstacles, burdens, and circumstances by living fully despite them.
Tuesday, November 23, 2021
Living Through The Impossible
Mark 14:35-36---And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.
So many people who
have never lived through or lived with circumstances that seem impossible tell
us “to just pray”. However, dealing with the impossible is not always that
easy. If we tell the truth in total and complete honesty, for those of us who
live with or who have lived through the impossible, praying is sometimes the
most difficult thing there is for us to do. Adversity tries to kill our spirit.
Adversity tries to kill our soul. Adversity tries to separate us from God. In spite
of what adversity tries to do to us, we can still make prayer attempts. In
spite of our adversity, we can still try to pray even when we might think God
is not listening. You must remember God is always listening, no matter what you
face in your life, God is always near to you and He hears everything you say in
your heart. When you face the impossible and you see no hope, God hears you say
to yourself that you see no way out and you have no hope. When you face the
impossible, you must try to pray even when you think praying is of no value.
Even when you are full of doubt, grief, guilt, shame, and every other kind of inner
pain, you must pray on in spite of impossible odds. When you face the
impossible, and you don’t want to pray, remember praying against the impossible
is like doing a physical workout with your body. When you physically work out,
your muscles and body may ache. When you physically work out, your results or
payoff may be in the far distant future. In the same way, when you pray in
faith during impossible times, your results may be far off, your soul may ache
from the praying, but when you pray, what seems impossible now can easily
become reality in the next moment here and now or later in Heaven.
Monday, November 22, 2021
Peace Rather Than Turmoil
John 14:27---Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
These are soothing
words. In a world full of turmoil, we need soothing words. In our turmoil, we
do want what the world gives us. We want our televisions, cars, houses,
appliances of every kind, money, you name it, and we want it. However, we
cannot find peace in any of these material things. A new car does not bring
peace because a new car is just a diversion. Money does not bring peace because
money is either not enough or too much. What we want most of all is peace in
our hearts. We want our hearts to be calm, at rest, and full of joy. The sad
truth is we try to fill our lives with things and really think that possessions
will bring us joy. When possessions don’t bring joy then we try substances,
drugs, and alcohol and these seem to work for a season but then we come down
from the high just to find that we are still miserable. These distractions we find in our world do
not give us the peace of Christ. Only Christ, who gives us joy, serenity, and
an eternal view of our life, can give us peace calming the troubled waters
of our soul.
Sunday, November 21, 2021
Saturday, November 20, 2021
Living In Times Of Sickness
Proverbs 18:14---A man's spirit sustains him in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?
Most people face
times of illness or sickness. Some illnesses or sicknesses can be a major
circumstance lingering on for years. Other illnesses or sicknesses can be
relatively minor and may go away in a few days. When we feel sick, we may not
feel like praying, reading the Bible, or meditating upon the Lord's love. Even
when we do not feel like praying, we must remember He is still with us. Even
when we feel awful physically, God is still with us. When we are ill, we still
need to remember to pray, whether we feel like praying or not. When we pray
during a time of illness, it may not seem like we are contacting Christ, but in
faith, we know His is listening and working on our behalf. When we speak to the
Lord in prayer, we must ask Him to keep our attitude positive. A positive
attitude in sickness helps us defeat the darkness. When we rest our sickness in
the Lord's hand, His love will temper the pain.
Friday, November 19, 2021
Our War In Life
Our war in life is not with the burdens we must bear. Our war in life is with the dark powers that want us to believe we cannot live because of the burdens and obstacles we face each day. The inside of your life is God's domain, His territory, and His kingdom if you give the inside of your life over to Him. It is the inside of your life where the mighty victories of your life are won with His help. You can pray for things to change on the outside of your life. However, God's greatest victory through you is when He and you defeat the influences on the inside of your life…the influences that keep you down, defeated, depressed, and hopeless.
Thursday, November 18, 2021
Wednesday, November 17, 2021
Living by Faith
2 Corinthians 5:7-- (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
To live by faith is to live the
supreme life. To live by sight means we are imprisoned by what we see, feel,
touch, and sense. When life runs against us, the "seen" world of
earth plagues us. The unseen love of God available to us within our heart can
lift us up and away from the things of earth. Our relationships gone wrong, our
piles of emotional garbage we carry from our past, and our mountains of
problems we carry all suddenly disappear when we live by faith in love. The
"seen" tangibles of life can hurt and destroy us. When we live by
faith, we live in heavenly vibrations from Christ. In Christ, we live in the
streaming Light of Love from God, and the all-encompassing comfort of the Holy
Spirit. In faith, Christ brings us back to life as life should be lived…a life
lived by faith in love.
Tuesday, November 16, 2021
Living A Victorious Life
A person leads a victorious life not when there are no obstacles, burdens, or circumstances. A person leads a victorious life when obstacles abound and the obstacles are all turned to dust by how the victorious person lives. We all have an inside life and an outside life. There are times and circumstances in our outside life we cannot change. There are permanent unchanging inanimate objects and situations outside of us. Our defeat as persons comes about when we let inanimate objects or life obstacles get us down and we stay down. We may have dreams or hopes not filled or not realized in the outside world, but we can live a victorious life when we dictate the terms of our inner life.
Monday, November 15, 2021
Life Is Rough Sometimes
Everyone will go through some hard times at some point in this life, at times life isn't easy. Did you know the people that are the strongest are usually the most sensitive? Did you know the people who exhibit the most kindness are the first to get mistreated? Did you know the ones who take care of others all the time are usually the ones who need it the most? Did you know the three hardest things to say are I love you, I'm sorry, and help me? Sometimes just because a person looks happy, you have to look past their smile to see how much pain they may be in. May I ask my friends wherever you might be, to kindly Pray for those who have family problems, health struggles, and worries of any kind? THEY JUST NEED TO KNOW THAT SOMEONE CARES! PRAY, PRAY, PRAY for them to feel God's presence and know that He cares for them AND THAT YOU DO TOO.
Sunday, November 14, 2021
Life and Curves
I love the way the first eight verses of Psalm 119 reads in the Message Bible.
Psalm
119:1-8---Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the
LORD. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the
whole heart. They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways. Thou hast
commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently. O that my ways were directed to
keep thy statutes! Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all
thy commandments. I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall
have learned thy righteous judgments. I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me
not utterly.
You’re blessed when
you follow his directions, doing your best to find him. That’s right—you don’t
go off on your own; you walk straight along the road he set. You, God,
prescribed the right way to live; now you expect us to live it. Oh, that my
steps might be steady, keeping to the course you set; Then I’d never have any
regrets in comparing my life with your counsel I thank you for speaking
straight from your heart; I learn the pattern of your righteous ways. I’m going
to do what you tell me to do; don’t ever walk off and leave me. Life can throw
you a curve from time to time. Each of us has certain desires and even set
goals for our lives. Many times when we do so we never consider the plans God
may have for our lives, I know I am guilty. Sometimes we just have to flow with
the curve, let go and let God have his way. To let go and let God have His way
means we turn completely loose of the steering wheel and let God do the
steering. I have failed miserably in this area at times and today I want to
recommit myself to surrender all to Christ. All to Jesus I Surrender!!
Saturday, November 13, 2021
Friday, November 12, 2021
Let Your Burdens Go
Luke 17:4---And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.
You can carry a big
bag of lead on your back for your whole life. However, who would want this? No
one would want to walk around with a lead weight on their back for life. When
you carry hurt, pain, grudges, slights, embarrassments, trauma, or any kind of
hurt or pain caused by others, you need to let the burdens go. Carrying
emotional burdens from your past is like carrying a lead weight on your back.
Of course, getting rid of the emotional weight of your past is often not so
easy to do. However, you can forgive. You can look at all the dark moments you
carry on your back and let them go away...by forgiving. You can let go of what
you think others think and you can let go of what others have thought about you
in the past…by forgiving. You can let go of how you think you don’t measure up
and you can let go of how you have felt you didn’t measure up in the past…by
forgiving. You can let go of being afraid…by forgiving. You can let go of being
embarrassed…by forgiving. You can let go of the unnecessary bag of garbage you
carry…by forgiving. To let the burdens go, let Jesus help you. To let the
burdens go, release the bag of garbage into Christ’s hands. To let the burdens
go, let Jesus carry your weight. Jesus came to give you life. Jesus came to
help you. Jesus came to lift your burdens off your back and He will do so if
you are forgiving. So let it all go because letting all your burdens go is what
Jesus wants you to do for Him…by forgiving.
Thursday, November 11, 2021
Let Us Remember And Give Thanks
Psalm 103:2---Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
“Thank you!” Two simple words that let us know
we’re appreciated for what we do and who we are. When was the last time those
words crossed your lips as you prayed to God? I believe the Scriptures place a
great deal more emphasis upon gratitude than we realize. In fact, the
Scriptures consider thankfulness as an extremely important issue. Throughout
the Bible, we’re called again and again to praise and thank God. Most people
have Christianity absolutely backward. They suppose that the motive of the
Christian life is to perform good deeds in the hope of gaining eternal life.
And if that were the case, we wouldn’t need to express thanks to God; we would
have earned our own passage to heaven with no one to thank but ourselves. But
we can’t achieve eternal life on our own; we can gain salvation only through
God’s grace by faith in Jesus Christ. And this truth engenders a heart of
thankfulness and praise. God’s amazing grace inspires us to express our deepest
gratitude to our Lord and Savior. When we freely offer God our thanks and
praise, our lives change. As we count our many blessings, one by one, we may
become overwhelmed by what God has done in our lives. We may also learn to
trust Him for future needs as we review God’s perfect track record of taking
care of us. I encourage you to keep a spiritual journal, where you record your
prayer requests and the Lord’s answers. The ancient Israelites often ran into
problems because they didn’t remember all God had done for them in their past,
such as parting the Red Sea to save them from Pharaoh and the Egyptians. But if
you keep a prayer journal, you won’t suffer from the same “amnesia.” As you
regularly write down God’s answers to your prayers, you’ll remember His
wonderful care for you, and you’ll automatically be filled with gratefulness
and adoration toward God.
Wednesday, November 10, 2021
A Time To Forget
Let us forget the things that vexed and tried us, the worrying things that caused our souls to fret, the hopes that, cherished long, were still denied us, Let us forget. Let us forget the little slights that pained us, the greater wrongs that rankle sometimes yet; the pride with which some lofty one disdained us, Let us forget. But blessings manifold, past all deserving, Kind words and helpful deeds, a countless throng; the fault overcome, the rectitude unswerving Let us remember long. The sacrifice of love, the generous giving, when friends were few, that handclasp warm and strong, the fragrance of each life of holy living, Let us remember long. Whatever things were good and true and gracious whatever of the right has triumphed over wrong, what love of God or man has rendered precious, Let us remember long.
Tuesday, November 9, 2021
Leadership For Christ
Without a surrendered life in Christ, you likely have no plan for the future and no method of getting there. A person can be the most goal-oriented person in the world with a clearly defined strategy for reaching his or her goal. However, this person has little in life if the person is spiritually lost. We are all lost or have been lost in our life. When you are found in Christ's heart and you have invited Him into your heart, you are no longer lost. As a found person, you do not haphazardly live life because you have a purpose and a direction in your life. As a found person, your new purpose and direction are ordained by God. When you have accepted Christ into your life you are found. You are no longer lost. When you have Christ in your life, there is a purpose related to everything you do. When you are found, you can take specific aim at a target, and you can have a clear vision of the target unclouded by Satan's wiles and temptations. When you have a specific target, and you have a clear vision of your target, you appear as a focused and convincing person to others. In this instance, everyone will look at you as a leader because your effort at remaining focused gives you the aura of a leader. As a leader for Christ, you have a purpose in life and you have guidance for all that you do. As a leader for Christ, you are no longer at the mercy of Satan because Satan is at your mercy. As a leader for Christ, you no longer live life as life comes at you because you live your life on purpose with a purpose. As a leader for Christ, you live life with a goal, specifically God's goal, and you have a method of achieving His goal.
Monday, November 8, 2021
Knowing in Greater Abundance
Proverbs 23:23 Buy the truth and do not sell it; get wisdom, discipline, and understanding.
We can know an
abundance of facts about many subjects. Yet, knowing an abundance of facts does
not mean we possess wisdom. Knowing in greater abundance is possible only if we
know spiritual truths. We can live an abundant life if we know we are to
forgive and we do forgive. We can live an abundant life if we know we are to
live in the truth and we then live in the truth. To know what we are supposed
to know is not enough. To know what we are supposed to do is not enough. We
must live out what we are supposed to know and do what we are supposed to do.
We are supposed to live out humility, patience, and determination. When we know
and we live out, we then know in greater abundance. We can know many facts
about God. However, do we know God as a real person in our real-time in our
reality? Knowing in greater abundance leads us to a place in our hearts where
we know we need God in every circumstance. Knowing in greater abundance leads
us to the foot of Christ's cross where He died to set us free.
Sunday, November 7, 2021
Knowing God Hears You
Psalm 5:1-3---Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation. Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray. My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will lookup.
Each of us can go
past believing in God to actually knowing Him. We can take a great deal about
God for granted. We can take our faith structure for granted. We can even take
the fact our prayers are heard by God for granted. In faith and believing, we
say our prayers. We then go on to the next day and we say our prayers, with our
prayer activity going on like this for months and years without ever really
knowing God hears us. Each of us is no bigger than a mustard seed compared to
all the other people on the earth. What are we when we are compared to all the
contents of the physical universe? Relatively speaking, we are nothing compared
to all the contents of the universe. In physical terms, if we take all of the
physical universe and compare the size of all of God's created physical
universe to us, we are nearly invisible. Yet He hears us. God hears you when
you pray. As small as you are, He hears you and He knows all about you. He
knows about the numbering of the hairs on your head. When you come to know God
hears you then a miraculous power of God flows down into our hearts and lives.
God's miraculous power flows into your life when you come to "know"
beyond any doubt God hears you…when you come to "know" you are not
invisible to God but are fully known, fully heard, and fully loved by Him, His
miraculous power flows.
Saturday, November 6, 2021
Knocking On The Door
Matthew 7:7-8---Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
You can believe
Christ was the Son of God, believe He died on the Cross for you personally, and
believe He rose again on the third day. You can believe these truths in an
objective way just as you can believe it is now 65 degrees outside because you
can read an outdoor thermometer. You can believe these truths, but will you
take other steps on your faith journey? Will you begin to dig deep into the
love and truth of your Christian faith? Will you seek, ask, and knock for the
rest of your life? According to the words of Jesus, there is a spiritual door
within you. You have the power and the decision-making ability to open this
spiritual door or you have the power to leave the door closed. Clearly, Jesus
is putting the responsibility for action upon you by telling you to ask, seek,
and knock on your spiritual door. Like a physical door, people can give a few
tiny taps on this spiritual door and quickly walk away. People can pound for a
long time on this door. People can knock on this door and not really want to be
there. When this door is finally opened some people may get frightened and back
off and run away. However, if you remain, the door will be opened and He will
welcome you, talk with you, and be with you.
Friday, November 5, 2021
Keeping Your Focus on Christ
Psalms 25:15---Mine eyes are ever toward the LORD; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.
Each of us has the
ability to think and focus our thinking on given subjects or ideas. As a
Christian, one of your obligations to Christ is to hold Him as the centerpiece
of your life. Every minute of every day for the rest of your life should be
devoted to holding Him as your reason and purpose for living. Christ should be
your focus when you wage the many battles of life. He should be your focus when
trying to make decisions about your family, your job or career, your friends,
your church, or any other matter. Yet, we know in reality, we are distracted
from holding Christ as the center of our life. Millions of thoughts, ideas,
images, cares, worries, concerns, fears, anxieties, phobias, and doubts can
assail you each day. Despite this attack upon you from outside your will, you
can counter the distractions by willfully and purposely spending time in prayer
and meditation each day. You can, each and every hour, pause for just a second
to refocus your heart on Him.
Thursday, November 4, 2021
Keep Your Eyes On Jesus
Matthew 14:30, ---But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’
Have you ever faced a
storm in your life, one so big that you thought you’d never see the light of
day again? Maybe you face one even now, and you feel threatened and dismayed by
the waves crashing around you. Peter knew exactly how you feel. After a long,
hard day of ministry, Christ had sent his disciples to sail across the Sea of
Galilee while He climbed a mountain alone to commune with His Father. The
disciples’ crossing was anything but smooth. The winds had whipped the sea into
a frenzy, and the disciples struggled to control their boat. Unable to make
headway, the disciples feared for their lives. Then, in the last watch of the
night, Jesus came to them—walking on the water! When the disciples saw Jesus
coming toward them, they were terrified. They thought they had seen a ghost,
and they cried aloud. But Jesus said, “Take courage! It is I, don’t be afraid.”
Peter responded, “Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come to you on the water.”
Jesus replied, “Come.” As Peter began to walk on the surface of the water, he
focused his sights on Jesus. Step after step, he walked on top of the water!
But, as the sea continued to churn around him, Peter looked at the water, the
storm and began to sink. He cried out in terror, “Lord, save me!” So Jesus
reached out His hand and rescued him, saying, “You of little faith.” As long as Peter kept his eyes trained on his
Lord, he had safe passage in the midst of a raging storm. But when he focused
on the churning waters, he lost sight of Jesus and lost his footing, too. As
you face storms in your life, don’t look at the waves crashing around you.
Instead, keep your eyes focused on Jesus. He can steady and sustain you through
any storm. Look at Him and walk toward Him—He’ll give you safe passage through
the raging seas.
Wednesday, November 3, 2021
Keep Your Balance
Proverbs 11:1---A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight.
The food of the heart
is love. We thrive upon love. However, where is God's love when disaster
strikes, or when we lose a loved one? Where is God's love when we are staring
at death's door? Where is God's love when we and those we care about become
innocent victims? Where is God and His love when we are alone in our private
pain? Where is God and His love when we are besieged on every side by every
spiritual enemy? We have all been in places in our life when these questions
occur. The reality for most of us is we ask these questions because there are
times when His love seems absent. There are times when God is silent when we
talk with Him. There are times when it seems God has forgotten us. Many of us
have wrestled with these questions for years. The Bible is full of answers for
us and most of us know what the answers are. We know in our mind God is with us
all the time. However, there are times when we need another way of looking at
the way God works. Think of God's presence in your life like training wheels on
a bicycle. Sometimes you lean to one side while you are learning to ride the
bike and the training wheels keep you from falling over. At other times, when
you have your balance the training wheels never touch the ground. In either
case, if you are so busy just trying to keep your balance, you are never aware
of the training wheels. Many times in our life, we are too busy trying to keep
our balance to know or notice how Christ is still there supporting us.
Tuesday, November 2, 2021
Just Passing Through—Our Real Home Is Waiting
1 Peter 2:11--- “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.”
God saved you out of
this world and sent you back into this world to tell the world that Jesus
saves. He is scattering you as precious seed. You are an ambassador upon
foreign soil for the King of kings. You are not only scattered as a precious
seed, you are also scattered as a persevering saint. You are a foreigner in a
land where you march to a different drummer. You don’t settle down in this
world. It’s not your home; you’re only passing through. You ought to pray,
“Lord, if I am building a nest, put a thorn in it.” If you dabble and delight
in this world, yet your citizenship is in heaven, you’re going to have one foot
in the world and one in heaven—just enough religion to make you miserable in
the world and just enough of the world to make you miserable in your spiritual
life.
Monday, November 1, 2021
Jesus Understands
John 11:35---“Jesus wept”
When you’re going through a
difficult time, nothing means more than having someone come alongside who
understands what you’re going through. We can know He understands us because we
know He has walked in our shoes as a person. Jesus understands us and knows
what we go through each minute because He lives with us. He lives both within
us and outside of us. In addition, no one can understand us like He
understands. Even we cannot understand ourselves as He understands us. He knows
more about us than we will ever know about ourselves until we see Him face to
face. We have His spirit alive within us. When we recognize we have this
person, Jesus, with us on the inside, this recognition is the most profound
step in our journey on earth. The recognition that Christ by the Holy Spirit
are alive within us is so profound the recognition is life-changing and life-altering. Jesus knew temptation: “He was in the desert forty days, being
tempted by Satan” (Mark 1:13). Jesus knew poverty: “Foxes have holes and birds
of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head”
(Matthew 8:20). Jesus knew frustration: “He scattered the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables.… ‘Get these out of here! How dare you
turn my Father’s house into a market!’” (John 2:15-16). Jesus knew weariness:
“Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well” (John 4:6).
Jesus knew disappointment: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem…how often I have longed to
gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks,…but you were not
willing” (Luke 13:34). Jesus knew rejection: “From this time many of his
disciples turned back and no longer followed him” (John 6:66). Jesus knew
sorrow: “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (Matthew
26:38). Jesus knew ridicule: “Again and again they struck him…and spit on him.
Falling on their knees, they paid [mocking] homage to him” (Mark 15:19). Jesus
knew loneliness: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46).
Hebrews 4:15---For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the
feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet
without sin.
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