Along with the practical instruction about diligence in work, I find an application for the care of my soul. The thistles of self-interest grow naturally within me, while the fruit that pleases God requires constant weeding and watering through prayer, confession, and obedience to the Lord. Without these, the soil of my heart will become choked with the thorns of trivial pursuits and greed. (Read more inside ..)
Along with the practical instruction about diligence in work, I find an application for the care of my soul. The thistles of self-interest grow naturally within me, while the fruit that pleases God requires constant weeding and watering through prayer, confession, and obedience to the Lord. Without these, the soil of my heart will become choked with the thorns of trivial pursuits and greed. (Read more inside ..)
In the same way, the people whose lives we touch need to experience God's love through our compassion and generosity. That's why we should ask God to make us aware of opportunities. (Read more inside ..)
We had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead....Though we may not choose our circumstances, we do choose whether to trust God. Through the fellowship of the Son and the enablement of the Spirit, we can carry out our mission for God. Trust him to guide you along the way. He offers wise counsel... (Read more inside ..)
In the song "With One Look"
With one look I can break your heart;
With one look I play every part....
With one look I'll ignite a blaze;
I'll return to my glory days...
It's been said that each life is like a book, lived one chapter at a time. If you think your most fruitful years are behind you, remember you're writing a new chapter now. Learn to live each day with contentment in the present. (Read more inside ..)
Life can be frustrating, even exasperating. Yet, many times impatience centeredness in response to life's disappointments. Real love is pictured in the Bible as self sacrifice, and one demonstration of that love is patience towards other.
Sound impossible? It is, if we attempt it in our own strength. But as we pray for help, God provides us with patience that reflects His love even during frustrating circumstances. (Read more inside ..)
In her down to earth book More than sparrows, Mary Welch tells of her discussion about worry with a group of teenagers. Although they were Christians, they were as worried as unbelievers about the common things in life. As she lovingly listened to them, an unusual idea came to her for a game they could play.
Instead of saying "I'm worried," stop and say, "The Lord is my Shepherd" Then add "So I'm worried to death!" The students laughed at the absurdity of the idea, but they all promised to play this new "peace of mind" game. (Read more inside ..)
We shrink from this life's challenges we plead
For watered pastures never touched by pain;
But God will often let us sense our need
Before He sends His cool, refreshing rain.
The more bitter the desert experience, the sweeter the water of the oasis..
If you are being led into a wilderness of disappointment and bitterness right now, trust God, for He knows exactly where you are and what you need. As you obey His commands, He will lead you out of the desert and into a place of spiritual abundance, healing, and refreshment.
(Read more inside ..)
It's important that Christians acknowledge others as people with value. Brennan Manning writes, "A christian who doesn't merely see but looks at another communicates to that person that he is being recognized as a human being in an impersonal world of objects.
Do the people we interact with know that we view them as valuable to us and God. (Read more inside ..)
Inside, music was playing, Outside, leaves were falling. Catching a gust of wind, one of the last leaves of autumn blew briefly upward as I heard the phrase, He is risen!. By the end of the song, however, the leaf had reached the ground. Gravity had overcome the breeze.
The forces of sin outside cannot defeat the life of Christ inside. (Read more inside ..)
Why do people run away from God? Is it because of anger, disappointment, despair, disobedience, or a web of rebellion woven from our own desires? (Read more inside ..)
A story is told about a vendor who sold bagels for 50 cents each at a street corner food stand. A jogger ran past and threw a couple of quarters into the bucket but didn't take a bagel. He did the same thing every day for the months. One day, as the jogger was passing by, the vendor stopped him. The jogger asked, You probably want to know why i always put money in but never take a bagel, don't you? No, said the vendor. I just wanted to tell you that the bagels have gone up....
To often, as believers, we treat God with that same kind of attitude. Not only are we grateful for what He's given us but we want more. Somehow we feel that God owes us good health, a comfortable life, material blessings. God doesn't owe us anything, yet He gives us everything...
Each day, whether good or bad, is one more gift from our God. Our grateful response should be to live to please Him. (Read more inside ..)
The continual sacrifices made by the priests since the time of Moses could never change any one's sinful standing before God. But the onetime sacrifice of Christ on the cross the sinless One dying for the sinful perfected us forever in the eyes of God. Jesus once for all payment for our sins was sufficient. We are perfected forever to stand before God because of the perfect work accomplished by Jesus on the cross. This is the assurance of our salvation. (Read more inside ..)
Like Isaiah, we have been sent to let freedom ring. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we must proclaim that the captives can be released, that the downtrodden can be freed from their oppressors, and that the time of the Lord's favor has come... (Read more inside ..)
Jesus told a story of a sower, a seed, and four kinds of soil. The soil among the thorns represented those who permit the Word of God in their hearts to be choked by the cares and pleasure of the alluring world.
That's a dangerous possibility of anyone who thoughtlessly responds to God's Word. The world may induce a forgetfulness of spiritual reality and responsibility.
When the sun sets tonight, let it not be said that we have forgotten God.. (Read more inside ..)
The greatest danger in becoming too closely identified with our possessions lieds in the spiritual area of life. An unhealthy attachment to material things can keep an unsaved person from turning to Christ and prevent a believer from living for Him.
Keep a wide gulf between yourself and your possessions. It will spare you many heartaches. If you are not a believer in Christ, don't make the mistake of the rich young ruler. It will lost your soul. (Read more inside ..)
When willingly you keep your promise true,
To live for Christ, the One who died for you,
Your words and actions are for all to see
They speak aloud of your integrity.
No legacy is as rich as integrity
In his word, God gave us an example of integrity in the life of Joseph. Potiphar had put him in charge of overseeing his house and all that he had. When he was propositioned by his master's wife, Joseph refused, saying, How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? He knew what God's standards were, and he chose to stand for the right at the cost of his freedom.
(Read more inside ..)
In the novel No Blade of Grass, a destructive virus attacks the grasses of the world. Not just the grass in lawns but all grasses, including wheat, barley, rye, oats, and rice. In a matter of months, the world is plunged into famine and its brutal companion, violence. People begin by fighting, then killing, for food. The novel depicts a scene that has been lived out in the real world in recent famines and is terrifying when seen on TV news networks.
The world is starving for the knowledge of the God who can satisfy the needs of the human heart. Let's help fill their hearts by sharing His Word. (Read more inside ..)
We may feel a tension between living a holy, separate life and the great commandment to love our neighbor as much as ourselves. But these tow concepts don't really conflict. A central part of a life of obedience to God is to show concern and love for the lost.
Revelation's witness to the future chorus "They sang as it were a new song before the throne". One day, "God will wipe away every tear from our eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying"
Our worship here is a mere prelude to the great praise service in the future when we stand in God's presence. But sometimes when we join with others in vibrant worship, we experience an echo of paradise on this earth. (Read more inside ..)
Psalm 46 describes times of great calamity, including war and natural disasters. Yet it is a song of tust that begins and ends with the same affirmation "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
The Lord is always at work accomplishing His purposes even when the world seems to be falling apart. He tell us, "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will exalted the earth!"
We don't have to fear, when we call for help, we know that He hears and will come near. (Read more inside ..)
Everyone wants to be happy. But many fail in their quest to find that elusive prize because they are looking in the wrong places.
The foundation for happiness is a proper relationship with the Lord. But to fully experience that happiness, we must build on that foundation in practical ways. I found this list in Ten Rules for Happier Living:
1. Give someting away.
2. Do a kindness.
3. Give thanks always.
4. Visit the elderly and learn from their experience.
5. Work with vim and vigor.
6. Look intently into the face of a baby and marvel.
7. Laugh often it's life's lubricant.
8. Pray to know God's way.
9. Plan as though you will live forever, you will.
10. Live as though today is your last day on earth.
These are excellent ideas for living a happy life. Undergird each of these rules with praise, and your happiness wil be complete. (Read more inside ..)
On the day Jesus died, three crosses were raised. Jesus hung on the center one between two criminals. One of the men mocked Jesus, but the other said to Him, "Remember me when you come to your kingdom." Imagine the man's thoughts as he took his last breath. He had paid a horrible penalty for his crimes. But now, because he put his faith in Jesus, he was welcomed into heaven as a child of God.
Like the thief on the cross, we all face a choice. Have you made the decision to trust Jesus? Can you say with confidence, "I'm with Him"? (Read more inside ..)
