December 24. TODAYS WORD FOR FRIDAY DECEMBER 24, 2010
CHRISTMAS EVE
We encourage you today to start preparing for tomorrow. It is our prayer for you that CHRISTMAS DAY 2010 will be one of the most Christ honoring and special days of your life.
Tonight read the Christmas story in Luke 2:1-14 to your whole family.
“In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone went to his own town to register.
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.
While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her first-born, a son. She wrapped Him in cloths and placed Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks by night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST, AND ON EARTH PEACE TO MEN ON WHOM HIS FAVOR RESTS.”
The story goes on with the shepherds going to find Mary, Joseph and the baby. (Luke 2: 15-20) After you have read this account to your family this Christmas then take time to pray together, thanking God for sending His Son to pay the penalty for your sins.
Make tonight and tomorrow a real celebration as you celebrate the birth of Jesus.
Have a Blessed Christmas and remember that JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON!
Your friends;
Ken and Dottie
December 26, 2010
Blame: December 23, 2010
December 23. TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY DECEMBER 23, 2010
BLAME
DEFINITION:
To hold responsible; to find fault with; censure; to place the responsibility of.
SCRIPTURE:
“Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in Love.” Ephesians 1:4.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
When we do something wrong we all are inclined to want to blame something or someone else. When our children were young and we caught them doing something wrong they often blamed one of their brothers or sisters. How often we heard --- it was his (or her) fault or he (or she) started it. It is very easy to pass blame to someone to cover a wrong behavior or a lie in order to avoid the consequences.
The “blame game” started long ago after God created Adam and Eve. God put Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Genesis chapter 2-3) and told them not to do only one thing --- “Do not eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.”(Verse 17). But they did and by doing so they sinned against God and the BLAME GAME began. In Genesis 3:7-13, we read that they first tried to avoid having to take responsibility for their actions and attempted to hide from God. When they were discovered Adam first blamed Eve as to why he ate of the tree (verse 12) and even blamed God because God had given him Eve. Then Eve blamed the serpent (verse 13).
The result is that sin came into the world because Adam and Eve were told one thing not to do and they did it. Then to not want God to know what happened, they blamed someone else. To avoid taking responsibility for their own actions, people seem to constantly look for someone to blame.
In Mark 3:2 we read about Jesus and His disciples being in the temple with the Pharisees on the Sabbath. The Pharisees felt that the popularity of Jesus was a threat to them and they wanted to find something that they could blame Jesus for. They were watching Jesus carefully with the intent of criticizing Him for doing something on the Sabbath.
A man with a shriveled hand was in the temple and as the scripture reads: “They watched Jesus closely whether He would heal a man on the Sabbath, so that they may accuse (blame) him.” Jesus was grieved by the hardness of the Pharisees hearts and looked at them with anger and said to the man that needed healing to “Stretch out your hands.” The man obeyed and was healed. The Pharisees immediately left the temple to begin to plot how they might kill Him by blaming Him for healing the man on the Sabbath thus breaking the Jewish law.
Every parent that has raised children has had to live with the “BLAME GAME.” Some of the time a parent has to be the judge as to who is really telling the truth. The scripture gives us a guideline as to how we should handle blame as it happens with our children. It begins with training. In Proverbs 22:6 it reads: “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” Children must be taught to accept responsibility for their actions and when they do wrong they should confess it and ask for forgiveness. Blaming someone else is not an option.
God always knows our every action and He always knows who is the blame. We might be able to fool others, but we cannot fool God as Adam and Eve found out very quickly. The opportunity to blame others will constantly pop up in our lives. Satan loves to tempt us in this way. The only way to resist the temptation is to seek the Lord’s help by reading His Word and praying and asking Him to give us the desire and the strength to do what is right.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Luke 2:14.
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!
PRAYER:
Help me today to do all that I can, with Your help, not to blame people for an issue that I have caused. Give me wisdom and the grace that only You can give to live a Christ honoring life in all that I do. I have the assurance from You that if I live a life honoring You I will have the strength to accept the blame for my own actions.
BLAME
DEFINITION:
To hold responsible; to find fault with; censure; to place the responsibility of.
SCRIPTURE:
“Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in Love.” Ephesians 1:4.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
When we do something wrong we all are inclined to want to blame something or someone else. When our children were young and we caught them doing something wrong they often blamed one of their brothers or sisters. How often we heard --- it was his (or her) fault or he (or she) started it. It is very easy to pass blame to someone to cover a wrong behavior or a lie in order to avoid the consequences.
The “blame game” started long ago after God created Adam and Eve. God put Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Genesis chapter 2-3) and told them not to do only one thing --- “Do not eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.”(Verse 17). But they did and by doing so they sinned against God and the BLAME GAME began. In Genesis 3:7-13, we read that they first tried to avoid having to take responsibility for their actions and attempted to hide from God. When they were discovered Adam first blamed Eve as to why he ate of the tree (verse 12) and even blamed God because God had given him Eve. Then Eve blamed the serpent (verse 13).
The result is that sin came into the world because Adam and Eve were told one thing not to do and they did it. Then to not want God to know what happened, they blamed someone else. To avoid taking responsibility for their own actions, people seem to constantly look for someone to blame.
In Mark 3:2 we read about Jesus and His disciples being in the temple with the Pharisees on the Sabbath. The Pharisees felt that the popularity of Jesus was a threat to them and they wanted to find something that they could blame Jesus for. They were watching Jesus carefully with the intent of criticizing Him for doing something on the Sabbath.
A man with a shriveled hand was in the temple and as the scripture reads: “They watched Jesus closely whether He would heal a man on the Sabbath, so that they may accuse (blame) him.” Jesus was grieved by the hardness of the Pharisees hearts and looked at them with anger and said to the man that needed healing to “Stretch out your hands.” The man obeyed and was healed. The Pharisees immediately left the temple to begin to plot how they might kill Him by blaming Him for healing the man on the Sabbath thus breaking the Jewish law.
Every parent that has raised children has had to live with the “BLAME GAME.” Some of the time a parent has to be the judge as to who is really telling the truth. The scripture gives us a guideline as to how we should handle blame as it happens with our children. It begins with training. In Proverbs 22:6 it reads: “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” Children must be taught to accept responsibility for their actions and when they do wrong they should confess it and ask for forgiveness. Blaming someone else is not an option.
God always knows our every action and He always knows who is the blame. We might be able to fool others, but we cannot fool God as Adam and Eve found out very quickly. The opportunity to blame others will constantly pop up in our lives. Satan loves to tempt us in this way. The only way to resist the temptation is to seek the Lord’s help by reading His Word and praying and asking Him to give us the desire and the strength to do what is right.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Luke 2:14.
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!
PRAYER:
Help me today to do all that I can, with Your help, not to blame people for an issue that I have caused. Give me wisdom and the grace that only You can give to live a Christ honoring life in all that I do. I have the assurance from You that if I live a life honoring You I will have the strength to accept the blame for my own actions.
Happiness: December 22, 2010
December 22. TODAYS WORD FOR WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2010
HAPPINESS
DEFINITION:
The quality or state of being delighted, pleased or glad; good fortune; pleasure; contentment; joy.
SCRIPTURE:
“And whoever trusts in the Lord, happy is he.” Proverbs 16:20.
“Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding.” Proverbs 3:13
“But he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he.” Proverbs 14:21
“But happy is he who keeps the law.” Proverbs 29:18
“A happy heart makes the face cheerful.” Proverbs 15:13.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Many times recently we have commented to one another about how many people we see and talk to that are unhappy. Some people just look cranky and you wonder if every day is just a bad day for them. We are living in a society where happiness does not abound. We think we understand why some people just do not know how to be happy. If they do not know Jesus as their Savior they have no hope and no support, so how can they be happy?
Everyone has things going on in their lives that can be real downers and it is easy to let these things get you down. If you focus only on the down things of life it will make you cranky and unhappy. Happy people do not have it any better than anyone else but they focus on the good things in life. Everyone has bad days with seemingly bad things happening to them, but everyone has something to be thankful for so it really depends on “what you focus on.”
Look at the verses we have listed above from Proverbs. These verses are a short outline of what sets apart a happy person from an unhappy one. Happy is the man or woman who trusts in the Lord, keeps the law, (God’s commandments) has mercy on the poor and who finds wisdom and gains understanding (through studying God’s Word).
Are you happy? If not have you asked yourself the question, “WHY NOT?”
The starting point to find happiness is to trust in the Lord. Whether the non- believer understands it or not, there is a void in everyone’s life that only God can fill. People search in all the wrong places and try the wrong things attempting to fill that void. Knowing your sins are forgiven and that you are saved from the penalty of your sins brings peace and contentment which in turn brings happiness to life.
Happiness comes to our lives when we are faithful in studying God’s Word. This gives us wisdom, understanding and knowledge of how we are to live our lives in obedience to what God’s Word teaches us. This keeps us from sinful things and brings true happiness to us.
Sometimes we have so much on our minds we do not take time just to think about how much we have to be happy about. Some of the happiest people we have ever met were in Nairobi Kenya. These dear people had very little material “things.” They lived in what we called “shanty town homes” with no water, no electricity and very little furniture if any. But every time the church doors opened, they were there. Some would literally walk for hours and never complained. The churches were always filled to capacity and many were standing outside looking through the open windows and cracks.
When they sang, their voices radiated their love for God. The smile on their faces showed how happy they were to be worshipping God. And when we talked to them their smiles showed the joy in their hearts for all that God had given them. Their focus was on God and what they did have, not on what they did not have.
True happiness is not based on circumstances. True happiness is based on our relationship with God. When you go to a store, look at the faces of people. Do they radiate happiness? When you go to church, count how many people have a smile on their face. You may be surprised.
We urge you to look to the Lord and let Him fill you with a spirit of happiness in your heart every day. Why should we not? Jesus has promised to be with us in all that we do. In addition it is Christmas week and in just a few days we will be celebrating the birth of our Savior ---- JESUS!
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Luke 2:14.
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!
PRAYER:
Thank You Lord for the true happiness that I have in my heart because I know You as my Savior. Help me not to let the pressures and events of this day destroy the happiness that You have given me and my family. Thank You for my salvation and the assurance of spending an eternity with You.
HAPPINESS
DEFINITION:
The quality or state of being delighted, pleased or glad; good fortune; pleasure; contentment; joy.
SCRIPTURE:
“And whoever trusts in the Lord, happy is he.” Proverbs 16:20.
“Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding.” Proverbs 3:13
“But he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he.” Proverbs 14:21
“But happy is he who keeps the law.” Proverbs 29:18
“A happy heart makes the face cheerful.” Proverbs 15:13.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Many times recently we have commented to one another about how many people we see and talk to that are unhappy. Some people just look cranky and you wonder if every day is just a bad day for them. We are living in a society where happiness does not abound. We think we understand why some people just do not know how to be happy. If they do not know Jesus as their Savior they have no hope and no support, so how can they be happy?
Everyone has things going on in their lives that can be real downers and it is easy to let these things get you down. If you focus only on the down things of life it will make you cranky and unhappy. Happy people do not have it any better than anyone else but they focus on the good things in life. Everyone has bad days with seemingly bad things happening to them, but everyone has something to be thankful for so it really depends on “what you focus on.”
Look at the verses we have listed above from Proverbs. These verses are a short outline of what sets apart a happy person from an unhappy one. Happy is the man or woman who trusts in the Lord, keeps the law, (God’s commandments) has mercy on the poor and who finds wisdom and gains understanding (through studying God’s Word).
Are you happy? If not have you asked yourself the question, “WHY NOT?”
The starting point to find happiness is to trust in the Lord. Whether the non- believer understands it or not, there is a void in everyone’s life that only God can fill. People search in all the wrong places and try the wrong things attempting to fill that void. Knowing your sins are forgiven and that you are saved from the penalty of your sins brings peace and contentment which in turn brings happiness to life.
Happiness comes to our lives when we are faithful in studying God’s Word. This gives us wisdom, understanding and knowledge of how we are to live our lives in obedience to what God’s Word teaches us. This keeps us from sinful things and brings true happiness to us.
Sometimes we have so much on our minds we do not take time just to think about how much we have to be happy about. Some of the happiest people we have ever met were in Nairobi Kenya. These dear people had very little material “things.” They lived in what we called “shanty town homes” with no water, no electricity and very little furniture if any. But every time the church doors opened, they were there. Some would literally walk for hours and never complained. The churches were always filled to capacity and many were standing outside looking through the open windows and cracks.
When they sang, their voices radiated their love for God. The smile on their faces showed how happy they were to be worshipping God. And when we talked to them their smiles showed the joy in their hearts for all that God had given them. Their focus was on God and what they did have, not on what they did not have.
True happiness is not based on circumstances. True happiness is based on our relationship with God. When you go to a store, look at the faces of people. Do they radiate happiness? When you go to church, count how many people have a smile on their face. You may be surprised.
We urge you to look to the Lord and let Him fill you with a spirit of happiness in your heart every day. Why should we not? Jesus has promised to be with us in all that we do. In addition it is Christmas week and in just a few days we will be celebrating the birth of our Savior ---- JESUS!
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Luke 2:14.
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!
PRAYER:
Thank You Lord for the true happiness that I have in my heart because I know You as my Savior. Help me not to let the pressures and events of this day destroy the happiness that You have given me and my family. Thank You for my salvation and the assurance of spending an eternity with You.
Burden: December 21, 2010
December 21. TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY DECEMBER 21, 2010
BURDEN
DEFINITION:
That which is carried; load; borne with difficulty; trouble.
SCRIPTURE:
“Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you. He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.” Psalm 55:22.
“For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Mathew 11:30.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
I (Ken) was born in China but left with my parents when I was only six months old. About three years ago we were privileged to go back to China and we saw where I was born and what life was like today in that country. One of the things that stood out to us was the heavy burdens that men and women would carry on their bikes. We saw items stacked dangerously high on bikes and some of the women even carried their young child in a sling as they rode a loaded bicycle to their destination.
Over the years we have seen many times in many other areas of the world people carrying heavy loads on their heads, on their backs or in hand pulled carts. This has given us a real understanding of the word “burden.”
When we think of burden we think of two definitions. First, is the burden of carrying a load both physically and spiritually. Secondly, we think of one being a burden to someone else.
Most people we meet today are carrying heavy burdens in their hearts. It may be a spousal concern, a parent/child problem, a family issue, a problem at work, financial stresses or much more. These are burdens that basically are too heavy for one to carry alone. Some times we hear the saying that a person is “carrying a lot of baggage.”
A person that does not know Jesus has no one to help carry his or her burden. But the person that knows Jesus can give “ALL” that burden to Him. In fact the verse we have listed above instructs us to give our burdens to Him. He wants to carry our burdens. The Lord says to “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he shall sustain you.” “Sustain” means to support or bear the weight of or keep from giving way. What a comfort to know that God not only wants to bear the weight of our burdens but He will uphold us in our struggles and the burdens of life that weigh us down.
Paul in writing to the church in Thessalonica said in I Thessalonians 2:9, “For you remember, brethren, our labor and toil; for laboring day and night, that we not be a burden to any of you while we preached to you the gospel of God.” Paul traveled from town to town to preach the gospel but he did not want to be financially dependent on others. He was a tent maker, so wherever he went, he worked to pay his way so that he was not a burden to anybody.
In his letter to the Thessalonians he wanted them to remember how he had worked hard not to be a burden to them. He lived his life as an example to them to live lives pleasing to God. We also should follow Paul’s example and be willing to work and not be a burden on others.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Luke 2:14.
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!
PRAYER:
Help me today to give the burdens I carry to You. Give me the insight to see others that are carrying burdens so that I can show them the way to You. Thank You for the assurance I have that You are with me every moment of every day waiting to carry my burdens if I am willing to give them to You.
BURDEN
DEFINITION:
That which is carried; load; borne with difficulty; trouble.
SCRIPTURE:
“Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you. He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.” Psalm 55:22.
“For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Mathew 11:30.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
I (Ken) was born in China but left with my parents when I was only six months old. About three years ago we were privileged to go back to China and we saw where I was born and what life was like today in that country. One of the things that stood out to us was the heavy burdens that men and women would carry on their bikes. We saw items stacked dangerously high on bikes and some of the women even carried their young child in a sling as they rode a loaded bicycle to their destination.
Over the years we have seen many times in many other areas of the world people carrying heavy loads on their heads, on their backs or in hand pulled carts. This has given us a real understanding of the word “burden.”
When we think of burden we think of two definitions. First, is the burden of carrying a load both physically and spiritually. Secondly, we think of one being a burden to someone else.
Most people we meet today are carrying heavy burdens in their hearts. It may be a spousal concern, a parent/child problem, a family issue, a problem at work, financial stresses or much more. These are burdens that basically are too heavy for one to carry alone. Some times we hear the saying that a person is “carrying a lot of baggage.”
A person that does not know Jesus has no one to help carry his or her burden. But the person that knows Jesus can give “ALL” that burden to Him. In fact the verse we have listed above instructs us to give our burdens to Him. He wants to carry our burdens. The Lord says to “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he shall sustain you.” “Sustain” means to support or bear the weight of or keep from giving way. What a comfort to know that God not only wants to bear the weight of our burdens but He will uphold us in our struggles and the burdens of life that weigh us down.
Paul in writing to the church in Thessalonica said in I Thessalonians 2:9, “For you remember, brethren, our labor and toil; for laboring day and night, that we not be a burden to any of you while we preached to you the gospel of God.” Paul traveled from town to town to preach the gospel but he did not want to be financially dependent on others. He was a tent maker, so wherever he went, he worked to pay his way so that he was not a burden to anybody.
In his letter to the Thessalonians he wanted them to remember how he had worked hard not to be a burden to them. He lived his life as an example to them to live lives pleasing to God. We also should follow Paul’s example and be willing to work and not be a burden on others.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Luke 2:14.
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!
PRAYER:
Help me today to give the burdens I carry to You. Give me the insight to see others that are carrying burdens so that I can show them the way to You. Thank You for the assurance I have that You are with me every moment of every day waiting to carry my burdens if I am willing to give them to You.
Assurance: December 20, 2010
Today's Word for Monday December 20, 2010
ASSURANCE
DEFINITION
A positive declaration intended to give confidence; support; promise or pledge; freedom from doubt; certainty; freedom from timidity.
SCRIPTURE
"Everyone that calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved." Romans 10:13.
"Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed." Romans 10:11.
"Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see." Hebrews 11:1.
"And we desire that each of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end." Hebrews 6:11.
"That their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ." Colossians 2:2.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
What a wonderful word for us to begin Christmas week with. Our prayer is that for this Christmas every person that reads our daily devotionals will have the personal ASSURANCE in their lives that they know Jesus as Savior.
We both can remember the day that we made our decision to accept Jesus as our Savior. Dottie was five years old and Ken was nine. The one thing we wanted, other than knowing Jesus as our Savior, was that we had ASSURANCE of eternal life. Even though it was many years ago and we were young, we felt the uncertainty of the future. We wanted to know where we were going if we died. We had both been raised in a conservative Christian Biblical based environment. We both attended churches where we heard messages and testimonies that made us realize that in order for us to go to heaven, and not to hell, we needed to act and ask Jesus to come into our hearts.
Assurance is the opposite of uncertainty. We live in a world filled with uncertainty. Things are moving at such a rapid pace that we can not be certain what tomorrow will bring. If anyone had told us the day before that 9/11 attack that terrorists would fly jet airlines into the world trade center we would most likely have said that that would never happen. This example has made us realize that nothing is assured or for certain.
In today's world people need assurance. Many have very low self esteem. There is no one or nothing in their lives that can give them assurance for their future. The general mood of our culture has put a spirit of fear in the life of a person that does not know Jesus. People are experiencing anxiety and depression and then are turning to alcohol, drugs or sexual pleasures which in turn lead to broken marriages, abandoned children, illness and even death. Although those of us who believe in Jesus as our Savior must face the same uncertainties of life, we have the assurance that God is guiding and protecting us through every event of each day. We also have the assurance of spending eternity with Him.
Where does this assurance that believers have come from? The verses in Romans and Hebrews that we have listed above are the basis for the assurance believers have for the future.
• Believers have called on the name of the Lord and have been saved.
• Believers are assured that those who believe in Him will not be disappointed.
• Believers have the assurance of understanding the truth about God and His plan of salvation through Jesus Christ.
• Although we cannot see the future we know who holds the future and our faith assures us that what God has promised will actually happen.
Having this assurance in our lives gives us hopeful anticipation of what God will do through us on any given day. We never know what the day will bring us but we have peace and joy in our hearts knowing that God will get us through the tough times. We both wake up every morning with a positive attitude and a joyful spirit of excitement wondering what God will do through us this day. Do you have this same anticipation? We truly hope so!
LEARNING
Our memory verse for this week is found in Luke 2:14.
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!
PRAYER
Give me today a new spirit of excitement knowing that I have the assurance of spending eternity with You. Help me to have an effect on each person I meet today so that they know that I have hope, peace and joy in my heart because of my trust in You. Bless my family and together may we honor and glorify Your name in all that we do.
ASSURANCE
DEFINITION
A positive declaration intended to give confidence; support; promise or pledge; freedom from doubt; certainty; freedom from timidity.
SCRIPTURE
"Everyone that calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved." Romans 10:13.
"Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed." Romans 10:11.
"Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see." Hebrews 11:1.
"And we desire that each of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end." Hebrews 6:11.
"That their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ." Colossians 2:2.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
What a wonderful word for us to begin Christmas week with. Our prayer is that for this Christmas every person that reads our daily devotionals will have the personal ASSURANCE in their lives that they know Jesus as Savior.
We both can remember the day that we made our decision to accept Jesus as our Savior. Dottie was five years old and Ken was nine. The one thing we wanted, other than knowing Jesus as our Savior, was that we had ASSURANCE of eternal life. Even though it was many years ago and we were young, we felt the uncertainty of the future. We wanted to know where we were going if we died. We had both been raised in a conservative Christian Biblical based environment. We both attended churches where we heard messages and testimonies that made us realize that in order for us to go to heaven, and not to hell, we needed to act and ask Jesus to come into our hearts.
Assurance is the opposite of uncertainty. We live in a world filled with uncertainty. Things are moving at such a rapid pace that we can not be certain what tomorrow will bring. If anyone had told us the day before that 9/11 attack that terrorists would fly jet airlines into the world trade center we would most likely have said that that would never happen. This example has made us realize that nothing is assured or for certain.
In today's world people need assurance. Many have very low self esteem. There is no one or nothing in their lives that can give them assurance for their future. The general mood of our culture has put a spirit of fear in the life of a person that does not know Jesus. People are experiencing anxiety and depression and then are turning to alcohol, drugs or sexual pleasures which in turn lead to broken marriages, abandoned children, illness and even death. Although those of us who believe in Jesus as our Savior must face the same uncertainties of life, we have the assurance that God is guiding and protecting us through every event of each day. We also have the assurance of spending eternity with Him.
Where does this assurance that believers have come from? The verses in Romans and Hebrews that we have listed above are the basis for the assurance believers have for the future.
• Believers have called on the name of the Lord and have been saved.
• Believers are assured that those who believe in Him will not be disappointed.
• Believers have the assurance of understanding the truth about God and His plan of salvation through Jesus Christ.
• Although we cannot see the future we know who holds the future and our faith assures us that what God has promised will actually happen.
Having this assurance in our lives gives us hopeful anticipation of what God will do through us on any given day. We never know what the day will bring us but we have peace and joy in our hearts knowing that God will get us through the tough times. We both wake up every morning with a positive attitude and a joyful spirit of excitement wondering what God will do through us this day. Do you have this same anticipation? We truly hope so!
LEARNING
Our memory verse for this week is found in Luke 2:14.
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!
PRAYER
Give me today a new spirit of excitement knowing that I have the assurance of spending eternity with You. Help me to have an effect on each person I meet today so that they know that I have hope, peace and joy in my heart because of my trust in You. Bless my family and together may we honor and glorify Your name in all that we do.
December 19, 2010
Honor: December 17, 2010
Today's Word for Friday December 17, 2010
HONOR
DEFINITION
High esteem; high reputation; credit for honesty; fairness in dealing; respect; accept.
SCRIPTURE
"Honor your father and mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you." Exodus 20:12.
"Sing out the honor of His name; make His praise glorious." Psalm 66:2.
"Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the first fruits of all your increase." Proverbs 3:9.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
Our life work has been dedicated to help hurting and hungry children. We believe that one of the most important lessons you can teach children today is to honor their God, their parents and their friends. As the verse above states, children are to obey/honor their fathers and mothers. In recent years we have noticed in our travels that the farther one gets away from America the more children honor their mother and father. Here in America most children show very little respect for their parents but in most third world countries children honor their parents.
This is a special day in our household. Today is the birthday of Dottie. In our family she is a very special person. Each of our children and our grandchildren honor her on a daily basis, not only on her birthday. I (Ken) mention this because our word today just happens to be honor and Dottie is an excellent example to our family concerning the word honor.
There are several thoughts that we need to understand concerning the word "HONOR." First and foremost we need to honor God for whom He is and for all that He has done for us. In John 5:23 we are told that all should honor the Son (Jesus) just as they honor the Father (God). He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. The scripture also tells us (John 12:26) that anyone that serves Me (Jesus), My father will honor.
Honoring God is not an option for Christians. You cannot be a true believer and not honor God. When we honor God, He will honor and bless us in all areas of our lives.
We are also to honor our family. This includes children honoring their parents, spouses honoring each other and families showing honor and respect to their extended families and to neighbors and friends. In today's society here in America, this is not happening. Just today we were driving home from a visit to a store and a car came roaring up from behind us and then swerved over one lane. As soon as he was half way past us, he cut back in front of us making us swerve and hit our brakes. This event reminded us that people today basically do not respect or honor any one else, let alone God. This typifies the culture that we live in today. There is no respect or honor for others.
When we think of the word honor, we need to remember to honor the Lord with our possessions. This includes our wealth, our talents and our time. As Christians sometimes we forget that God wants all that He has given to us to be available to Him to further His kingdom. It is not enough just to tithe of your wealth. If you have talents and time that God can use, He expects us to honor Him with these as well. Consider how you can use what God has given you and then ask God to broaden your vision and then let God do His work through you. It might require sacrifice on your part, but if you honor God He will bless you.
REMEMBER: We cannot over honor our God!
LEARNING
Our memory verse for this week is found in I Peter 5:7.
Cast all your cares on Him because He cares for you.
PRAYER
You are a holy God, the creator of all things and the God of our Salvation. Thank You for all that You have bestowed upon me and my family. Thank You for sending Your Son to die and pay the penalty for my sins. Thank You for giving me wealth, talents and time so I can honor You. Give me a new vision so that I can do what You call me to do to honor Your name.
HONOR
DEFINITION
High esteem; high reputation; credit for honesty; fairness in dealing; respect; accept.
SCRIPTURE
"Honor your father and mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you." Exodus 20:12.
"Sing out the honor of His name; make His praise glorious." Psalm 66:2.
"Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the first fruits of all your increase." Proverbs 3:9.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
Our life work has been dedicated to help hurting and hungry children. We believe that one of the most important lessons you can teach children today is to honor their God, their parents and their friends. As the verse above states, children are to obey/honor their fathers and mothers. In recent years we have noticed in our travels that the farther one gets away from America the more children honor their mother and father. Here in America most children show very little respect for their parents but in most third world countries children honor their parents.
This is a special day in our household. Today is the birthday of Dottie. In our family she is a very special person. Each of our children and our grandchildren honor her on a daily basis, not only on her birthday. I (Ken) mention this because our word today just happens to be honor and Dottie is an excellent example to our family concerning the word honor.
There are several thoughts that we need to understand concerning the word "HONOR." First and foremost we need to honor God for whom He is and for all that He has done for us. In John 5:23 we are told that all should honor the Son (Jesus) just as they honor the Father (God). He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. The scripture also tells us (John 12:26) that anyone that serves Me (Jesus), My father will honor.
Honoring God is not an option for Christians. You cannot be a true believer and not honor God. When we honor God, He will honor and bless us in all areas of our lives.
We are also to honor our family. This includes children honoring their parents, spouses honoring each other and families showing honor and respect to their extended families and to neighbors and friends. In today's society here in America, this is not happening. Just today we were driving home from a visit to a store and a car came roaring up from behind us and then swerved over one lane. As soon as he was half way past us, he cut back in front of us making us swerve and hit our brakes. This event reminded us that people today basically do not respect or honor any one else, let alone God. This typifies the culture that we live in today. There is no respect or honor for others.
When we think of the word honor, we need to remember to honor the Lord with our possessions. This includes our wealth, our talents and our time. As Christians sometimes we forget that God wants all that He has given to us to be available to Him to further His kingdom. It is not enough just to tithe of your wealth. If you have talents and time that God can use, He expects us to honor Him with these as well. Consider how you can use what God has given you and then ask God to broaden your vision and then let God do His work through you. It might require sacrifice on your part, but if you honor God He will bless you.
REMEMBER: We cannot over honor our God!
LEARNING
Our memory verse for this week is found in I Peter 5:7.
Cast all your cares on Him because He cares for you.
PRAYER
You are a holy God, the creator of all things and the God of our Salvation. Thank You for all that You have bestowed upon me and my family. Thank You for sending Your Son to die and pay the penalty for my sins. Thank You for giving me wealth, talents and time so I can honor You. Give me a new vision so that I can do what You call me to do to honor Your name.
Afraid: December 16, 2010
December 16. TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY DECEMBER 16, 2010
AFRAID
DEFINITION:
Feeling fear or apprehension; feeling a threat of danger or harm.
SCRIPTURE:
“Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” Matthew 14:27.
“Do not be afraid, for I am with you.” Genesis 26:24.
“I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around. Save me, O my God.” Psalm 3: 6-7.
“When I am afraid, I will trust in You.” Psalm 56:3.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Do you often feel afraid? If so, you are not alone. God’s message to us from the Old Testament is “Do not be afraid.” Great men of God in the Old Testament have all experienced fear and needed the assurance from God that He was with them and therefore they had no reason to fear. Abraham, Moses, Isaac, David and Jeremiah, for example, were all told by God not to be afraid. Jesus used the very same words to reassure His disciples when they experienced fear.
If God has told us not to be afraid, then why do we feel afraid? David tells us in Psalm 18 that being afraid is a result of the evil that engulfs us on every side and this is because of our own unbelief and sinful ways. David tells us to trust in God when we are afraid. (Psalm 56:3)
In Psalm 3, David tells us although he was surrounded by tens of thousands of enemies he was not afraid. He could lie down and sleep because he trusted God. It is hard to sleep when we are afraid, but David reminds us that if we cannot sleep because we are afraid, we just need to put our trust in God.
We can remember our young children from time to time waking up in the middle of the night saying they were afraid. What makes this happen? Most of the time it relates back to something they have heard or something said or seen. It may have been words from a friend, a story, a television program or a negative or misunderstood comment. Our family experienced the Sylmar earthquake in 1971 and a second one, the Northridge earthquake in 1994. The after shocks caused us and the children to fear. So we understand when people say they have had moments when they have been afraid because of things they have seen or heard.
Being afraid is not uncommon for many people today. When you sit down and talk to people you often hear them say that they are afraid. They are afraid of the direction their children are going. They are afraid that they cannot keep their marriage together. They are afraid of losing a job.
Let us repeat what we said above. For those that love the Lord and do what the scripture tells us to do, we should not be afraid. Our hope is in the Lord and He has promised us that He will take care of us. All we have to do is to cast our cares, worries, and fears upon Him and rest in the assurance that He will take care of us. Do you live with this assurance? If not, now is the time to let go of being afraid and let God take care of all your concerns.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in I Peter 5:7.
Cast all your cares on Him because He cares for you.
PRAYER:
Thank You for taking away from me the thoughts of being afraid. Give me confidence today that all my concerns are in Your hands and You are caring for me. May my family find this same assurance as they walk through life today!
AFRAID
DEFINITION:
Feeling fear or apprehension; feeling a threat of danger or harm.
SCRIPTURE:
“Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” Matthew 14:27.
“Do not be afraid, for I am with you.” Genesis 26:24.
“I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around. Save me, O my God.” Psalm 3: 6-7.
“When I am afraid, I will trust in You.” Psalm 56:3.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Do you often feel afraid? If so, you are not alone. God’s message to us from the Old Testament is “Do not be afraid.” Great men of God in the Old Testament have all experienced fear and needed the assurance from God that He was with them and therefore they had no reason to fear. Abraham, Moses, Isaac, David and Jeremiah, for example, were all told by God not to be afraid. Jesus used the very same words to reassure His disciples when they experienced fear.
If God has told us not to be afraid, then why do we feel afraid? David tells us in Psalm 18 that being afraid is a result of the evil that engulfs us on every side and this is because of our own unbelief and sinful ways. David tells us to trust in God when we are afraid. (Psalm 56:3)
In Psalm 3, David tells us although he was surrounded by tens of thousands of enemies he was not afraid. He could lie down and sleep because he trusted God. It is hard to sleep when we are afraid, but David reminds us that if we cannot sleep because we are afraid, we just need to put our trust in God.
We can remember our young children from time to time waking up in the middle of the night saying they were afraid. What makes this happen? Most of the time it relates back to something they have heard or something said or seen. It may have been words from a friend, a story, a television program or a negative or misunderstood comment. Our family experienced the Sylmar earthquake in 1971 and a second one, the Northridge earthquake in 1994. The after shocks caused us and the children to fear. So we understand when people say they have had moments when they have been afraid because of things they have seen or heard.
Being afraid is not uncommon for many people today. When you sit down and talk to people you often hear them say that they are afraid. They are afraid of the direction their children are going. They are afraid that they cannot keep their marriage together. They are afraid of losing a job.
Let us repeat what we said above. For those that love the Lord and do what the scripture tells us to do, we should not be afraid. Our hope is in the Lord and He has promised us that He will take care of us. All we have to do is to cast our cares, worries, and fears upon Him and rest in the assurance that He will take care of us. Do you live with this assurance? If not, now is the time to let go of being afraid and let God take care of all your concerns.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in I Peter 5:7.
Cast all your cares on Him because He cares for you.
PRAYER:
Thank You for taking away from me the thoughts of being afraid. Give me confidence today that all my concerns are in Your hands and You are caring for me. May my family find this same assurance as they walk through life today!
Calamity: December 15, 2010
Today's Word for Wednesday December 15, 2010
CALAMITY
DEFINITION
A great misfortune or cause of distress; disaster.
SCRIPTURE
"For the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things to come hasten upon them." Deuteronomy 32:35.
"Therefore his calamity shall come suddenly; suddenly he shall become broken without remedy. Proverbs 6:15.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
At some time or the other we all face a calamity in life. Calamities are most often accidents, but we do bring calamities on ourselves. In Proverbs 1:26-27 it reads: "I will laugh at your disaster (calamity); I will mock when calamity overtakes you." This sounds like a heartless reaction but we have no one to blame but ourselves. Those who foolishly laugh and mock God will one day find that God has the last laugh. Solomon tells us in verses 24-25 that the reason why calamities overtake us is because we have rejected God, His wisdom and advice. And Solomon goes on to say: "Then they will call on me and I will not answer; they will seek me diligently, but they will not find me."
God is not the author or the cause of calamities but He will let us experience calamities because of our pride and arrogant ways and when we turn our eyes away from God. When we put our trust in God and listen to Him, He will lead us away from calamity. He wants to protect us from calamities because of His love for us Proverbs 1:33 says: "Whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm."
In real life we have calamities. These are normal events that just happen because of circumstances. After all, we are all human. One of our children over the years became lovingly known as "Calamity Jane" to our family. For some unknown reason she had nine accidents and nine broken bones. Yes, she was very athletic but so were all of our children. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time and became the victim of calamities. Calamities like these come and go and do not affect a relationship one has with God unless one starts to blame God.
The calamities we are concerned about today deal with the calamities that result from not having a relationship with God. In the Old Testament there were so many illustrations given to us that involved men and women who God was ready to use but because of their actions they became calamities in God's sight. When this happens, God cannot use a person that turns away from Him and accepts living without God in a sinful society. How long will you wait to get on track with your Lord and Savior?
LEARNING
Our memory verse for this week is found in I Peter 5:7.
Cast all your cares on Him because He cares for you.
PRAYER
Thank You Lord for keeping my eyes and heart focused on You. Keep me from being a spiritual calamity. Bless my family and help us together to be shining lights for You in a world loaded with calamities.
CALAMITY
DEFINITION
A great misfortune or cause of distress; disaster.
SCRIPTURE
"For the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things to come hasten upon them." Deuteronomy 32:35.
"Therefore his calamity shall come suddenly; suddenly he shall become broken without remedy. Proverbs 6:15.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
At some time or the other we all face a calamity in life. Calamities are most often accidents, but we do bring calamities on ourselves. In Proverbs 1:26-27 it reads: "I will laugh at your disaster (calamity); I will mock when calamity overtakes you." This sounds like a heartless reaction but we have no one to blame but ourselves. Those who foolishly laugh and mock God will one day find that God has the last laugh. Solomon tells us in verses 24-25 that the reason why calamities overtake us is because we have rejected God, His wisdom and advice. And Solomon goes on to say: "Then they will call on me and I will not answer; they will seek me diligently, but they will not find me."
God is not the author or the cause of calamities but He will let us experience calamities because of our pride and arrogant ways and when we turn our eyes away from God. When we put our trust in God and listen to Him, He will lead us away from calamity. He wants to protect us from calamities because of His love for us Proverbs 1:33 says: "Whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm."
In real life we have calamities. These are normal events that just happen because of circumstances. After all, we are all human. One of our children over the years became lovingly known as "Calamity Jane" to our family. For some unknown reason she had nine accidents and nine broken bones. Yes, she was very athletic but so were all of our children. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time and became the victim of calamities. Calamities like these come and go and do not affect a relationship one has with God unless one starts to blame God.
The calamities we are concerned about today deal with the calamities that result from not having a relationship with God. In the Old Testament there were so many illustrations given to us that involved men and women who God was ready to use but because of their actions they became calamities in God's sight. When this happens, God cannot use a person that turns away from Him and accepts living without God in a sinful society. How long will you wait to get on track with your Lord and Savior?
LEARNING
Our memory verse for this week is found in I Peter 5:7.
Cast all your cares on Him because He cares for you.
PRAYER
Thank You Lord for keeping my eyes and heart focused on You. Keep me from being a spiritual calamity. Bless my family and help us together to be shining lights for You in a world loaded with calamities.
Opportunities: December 14, 2010
Today's Word for Tuesday December 14, 2010
OPPORTUNITIES
DEFINITION
A favorable occasion or time; timely; appropriate.
SCRIPTURE
"Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith."
Galatians 6:10.
"Be very careful how you live, not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity because the days are evil." Ephesians 5:15-16.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
By definition the word "opportunity" suggests that it comes with a time limit. In Isaiah 55:6-7 it says: "Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near." The scripture is clear to warn us that this opportunity will not always be there for us. We can distance ourselves away from God by getting deeper into the sinful ways of this world and then the harder our heart gets against God the more difficult it becomes to turn to God. Isaiah 55:7 gives us the assurance that if we are willing to give up our sinful ways we can turn to God and He will have mercy on us and freely pardon us.
The Bible tells us that "All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God." (Romans 3:23), and that the "wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life."(Romans 6:23). If you have passed up opportunities to accept Christ as your Savior, now is the time to accept Christ's free gift of forgiveness and receive eternal life. God gives us many opportunities to receive this gift of eternal life and we like to think there is always a tomorrow, but there will be a time that He will close that door of opportunity.
The Lord can return at any moment and we must be ready. Jesus said in Luke 13:25-28 that the day will come, if we pass up our opportunities to come to Him, when He will say, "I tell you I do not know you or where you come from." When you find yourself standing at heavens' door, will Jesus know you?
Jonah was one person that was given a second chance --- an opportunity to do what God asked him to do. (Jonah 1:1-3). God used the "WHALE" to wake up Jonah and Jonah responded by going and doing what God wanted him to do.
Paul gives us numerous illustrations about making use of every opportunity that came his way. In Acts 21:37, Paul was arrested by the soldiers and he asked for the opportunity to witness. He loved the Lord so much that, whatever situation he was in, he wanted the opportunity to tell others about his Lord.
And Paul tells the church at Philippi as recorded in Philippians 4:10, how much he appreciated their care for him. They had an opportunity to help Paul and he said: "I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me flourished again; though you surely did care, but before you did not have the opportunity."
Paul was in prison at the time he received the gift from the Philippians' church, so it came at a time when he was in a great need. It wasn't that the Philippians didn't care that they had not helped sooner, but that they hadn't the opportunity. What is important for us to see is that when they did have opportunity to help they seized the moment.
Paul stresses to us in Ephesians 5:16-17 (above), the urgency of making the most of every opportunity. Paul felt a sense of urgency because of the evil that prevailed at that time. We live in a world that seems to have even more evil around us then in Paul's time. Every day we have opportunities. We have opportunities to tell someone about Jesus. We have opportunities to help a hurting or hungry person. We have opportunities to build a relationship that is hurting. It is urgent that we as Christians take a look at how we respond to opportunities and act wisely, being careful to obey God.
All of us have these opportunities but we are either too lazy to act, too fearful to respond or just do not care. Read the verse again that we have put above (Galatians 6:10) and then ask your self the question --- "Am I doing good to all that I meet each day?"
LEARNING
Our memory verse for this week is found in I Peter 5:7.
Cast all your cares on Him because He cares for you.
PRAYER
Give me new opportunities today to share my love with people that need to know You. Help me to be sensitive to any opportunities I may see to help people that are hurting. Bless my family and give each one of us opportunities to do good to all we meet.
OPPORTUNITIES
DEFINITION
A favorable occasion or time; timely; appropriate.
SCRIPTURE
"Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith."
Galatians 6:10.
"Be very careful how you live, not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity because the days are evil." Ephesians 5:15-16.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
By definition the word "opportunity" suggests that it comes with a time limit. In Isaiah 55:6-7 it says: "Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near." The scripture is clear to warn us that this opportunity will not always be there for us. We can distance ourselves away from God by getting deeper into the sinful ways of this world and then the harder our heart gets against God the more difficult it becomes to turn to God. Isaiah 55:7 gives us the assurance that if we are willing to give up our sinful ways we can turn to God and He will have mercy on us and freely pardon us.
The Bible tells us that "All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God." (Romans 3:23), and that the "wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life."(Romans 6:23). If you have passed up opportunities to accept Christ as your Savior, now is the time to accept Christ's free gift of forgiveness and receive eternal life. God gives us many opportunities to receive this gift of eternal life and we like to think there is always a tomorrow, but there will be a time that He will close that door of opportunity.
The Lord can return at any moment and we must be ready. Jesus said in Luke 13:25-28 that the day will come, if we pass up our opportunities to come to Him, when He will say, "I tell you I do not know you or where you come from." When you find yourself standing at heavens' door, will Jesus know you?
Jonah was one person that was given a second chance --- an opportunity to do what God asked him to do. (Jonah 1:1-3). God used the "WHALE" to wake up Jonah and Jonah responded by going and doing what God wanted him to do.
Paul gives us numerous illustrations about making use of every opportunity that came his way. In Acts 21:37, Paul was arrested by the soldiers and he asked for the opportunity to witness. He loved the Lord so much that, whatever situation he was in, he wanted the opportunity to tell others about his Lord.
And Paul tells the church at Philippi as recorded in Philippians 4:10, how much he appreciated their care for him. They had an opportunity to help Paul and he said: "I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me flourished again; though you surely did care, but before you did not have the opportunity."
Paul was in prison at the time he received the gift from the Philippians' church, so it came at a time when he was in a great need. It wasn't that the Philippians didn't care that they had not helped sooner, but that they hadn't the opportunity. What is important for us to see is that when they did have opportunity to help they seized the moment.
Paul stresses to us in Ephesians 5:16-17 (above), the urgency of making the most of every opportunity. Paul felt a sense of urgency because of the evil that prevailed at that time. We live in a world that seems to have even more evil around us then in Paul's time. Every day we have opportunities. We have opportunities to tell someone about Jesus. We have opportunities to help a hurting or hungry person. We have opportunities to build a relationship that is hurting. It is urgent that we as Christians take a look at how we respond to opportunities and act wisely, being careful to obey God.
All of us have these opportunities but we are either too lazy to act, too fearful to respond or just do not care. Read the verse again that we have put above (Galatians 6:10) and then ask your self the question --- "Am I doing good to all that I meet each day?"
LEARNING
Our memory verse for this week is found in I Peter 5:7.
Cast all your cares on Him because He cares for you.
PRAYER
Give me new opportunities today to share my love with people that need to know You. Help me to be sensitive to any opportunities I may see to help people that are hurting. Bless my family and give each one of us opportunities to do good to all we meet.
Stewards: December 13, 2010
Today's Word for Monday December 13, 2010
STEWARDS
DEFINITION
A manager or trustee; a chief servant; guard.
SCRIPTURE
"As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." I Peter 4:10
"Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God." I Corinthians 4:1.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
As far back as we can remember our parents trained both of us to be good stewards of our time, our talents and our material possessions. Both of us, because of this training and probably also because of our circumstances in life, have strived to be good stewards.
One thing we have learned and passed on to our children is the importance of being a steward of the finances God has given us. We give our 10% tithe back to God plus over and above offerings. Your tithe already belongs to God. An offering is what is given over and above a tithe.
In Malachi 3:8-12 Malachi had to rebuke God's people because they were not honoring God and were not giving their tithes and offerings. He tells them that they are robbing God when they withhold their tithes and offerings. He also tells them God will bless them if they bring their tithes and offerings to the Lord. Malachi challenges them to test God and see if it is not so. We have tested God concerning the giving of our tithes and offerings over and over again. It is amazing to see how God blesses us when we give our tithes and offerings consistently.
God has always supplied our every need. And, you should know that there have been numerous times that we just did not know how we were going to meet our commitments, but we gave in spite of this concern. We can assure you that God honors this financial stewardship.
The second area of stewardship is the talents that God has given us. One of the saddest things in life is seeing a person just loaded with talent who sits back doing nothing. Then there are people loaded with talent and abilities and they use these for evil purposes. We have learned through the years that God has given us different talents, and He has done this for a reason. We have learned to merge our talents together and Dottie does what she does best and Ken does what he does best. Then together we have seen God do so much more through us than what either one of us could do individually.
The third area of stewardship is our time. God expects us to give of our time to others. We have learned that nothing is more important in our lives, except for our relationship with God than to give time to our children and now our grandchildren.
Time given is time for bonding, listening, guiding, teaching and learning. God also expects us to give time regularly to our spouses, to our extended families, to our neighbors and to the world we live in. Most people today spend there time on themselves. They watch TV; read the paper, magazines and books; play games on the computer or get on the internet for hours. This is not what God wants from you. He wants you to be a good steward of your time and invest it in people through your family, your church, your workplace, your neighborhood or through a mission project to a needy and hurting world.
In Luke 12:42 Jesus tells a parable about the good and bad stewards and that each one was rewarded according to his faithfulness and obedience. How good a steward we are of what God has given to us will determine our heavenly rewards. A good steward will work diligently and be obedient to his master's commands. If our gifts and talents are limited, God does not hold us responsible for over and above what He has given us. We are responsible and rewarded for the stewardship of the gifts He has given us.
We learn through this study that we need to be faithful to God as to how we use the talents, time and material blessings that God has given to us. What kind of a steward are you?
LEARNING
Our memory verse for this week is found in I Peter 5:7.
Cast all your cares on Him because He cares for you.
PRAYER
Thank You for the talent, material blessings and time that You have entrusted to me. Give me a new direction in order for me to be the steward You want me to be each and every day. Help me to invest my time and my talent wisely to benefit my God, my family and others. Help me to use what I have to bring honor and glory to Your name.
STEWARDS
DEFINITION
A manager or trustee; a chief servant; guard.
SCRIPTURE
"As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." I Peter 4:10
"Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God." I Corinthians 4:1.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
As far back as we can remember our parents trained both of us to be good stewards of our time, our talents and our material possessions. Both of us, because of this training and probably also because of our circumstances in life, have strived to be good stewards.
One thing we have learned and passed on to our children is the importance of being a steward of the finances God has given us. We give our 10% tithe back to God plus over and above offerings. Your tithe already belongs to God. An offering is what is given over and above a tithe.
In Malachi 3:8-12 Malachi had to rebuke God's people because they were not honoring God and were not giving their tithes and offerings. He tells them that they are robbing God when they withhold their tithes and offerings. He also tells them God will bless them if they bring their tithes and offerings to the Lord. Malachi challenges them to test God and see if it is not so. We have tested God concerning the giving of our tithes and offerings over and over again. It is amazing to see how God blesses us when we give our tithes and offerings consistently.
God has always supplied our every need. And, you should know that there have been numerous times that we just did not know how we were going to meet our commitments, but we gave in spite of this concern. We can assure you that God honors this financial stewardship.
The second area of stewardship is the talents that God has given us. One of the saddest things in life is seeing a person just loaded with talent who sits back doing nothing. Then there are people loaded with talent and abilities and they use these for evil purposes. We have learned through the years that God has given us different talents, and He has done this for a reason. We have learned to merge our talents together and Dottie does what she does best and Ken does what he does best. Then together we have seen God do so much more through us than what either one of us could do individually.
The third area of stewardship is our time. God expects us to give of our time to others. We have learned that nothing is more important in our lives, except for our relationship with God than to give time to our children and now our grandchildren.
Time given is time for bonding, listening, guiding, teaching and learning. God also expects us to give time regularly to our spouses, to our extended families, to our neighbors and to the world we live in. Most people today spend there time on themselves. They watch TV; read the paper, magazines and books; play games on the computer or get on the internet for hours. This is not what God wants from you. He wants you to be a good steward of your time and invest it in people through your family, your church, your workplace, your neighborhood or through a mission project to a needy and hurting world.
In Luke 12:42 Jesus tells a parable about the good and bad stewards and that each one was rewarded according to his faithfulness and obedience. How good a steward we are of what God has given to us will determine our heavenly rewards. A good steward will work diligently and be obedient to his master's commands. If our gifts and talents are limited, God does not hold us responsible for over and above what He has given us. We are responsible and rewarded for the stewardship of the gifts He has given us.
We learn through this study that we need to be faithful to God as to how we use the talents, time and material blessings that God has given to us. What kind of a steward are you?
LEARNING
Our memory verse for this week is found in I Peter 5:7.
Cast all your cares on Him because He cares for you.
PRAYER
Thank You for the talent, material blessings and time that You have entrusted to me. Give me a new direction in order for me to be the steward You want me to be each and every day. Help me to invest my time and my talent wisely to benefit my God, my family and others. Help me to use what I have to bring honor and glory to Your name.
December 12, 2010
Oaths: December 10, 2010
Today's Word for Friday December 10, 2010
OATHS
DEFINITION
A solemn statement with God as the witness.
SCRIPTURE
"Keep the king's commandment for the sake of your oath to God." Ecclesiastics 8:2
"You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord."
Matthew 5:33.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
An oath is not to be made lightly. As Webster defines an oath, it is a solemn statement with God as the witness. It is a sad commentary on our times that oaths are so often broken. It does not seem important to most people that God is the witness when one makes an oath.
We see this happening with marriage vows today, more than at any time in history. In America the oath of marriage is broken more than 50% of the time. The marriage oath is two people making their vows to one another. This is a sacred promise to be honored for a lifetime. We read in Matthew 5:33 (above) that God condemns taking oaths and then breaking them.
Even though oaths are meant to be kept, every day oaths are made with no expectation by one or both parties to keep the oath. People break their oaths because they have a change of heart or something better comes along. Most often that "something better' never becomes a reality. There is an old adage that says: "The grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence."
Oaths are promises made that are considered unchangeable. Probably one of the saddest oaths recorded in the scripture was when Peter was asked if he knew Jesus when Jesus was arrested and taken to trial. In Matthew 26:72 it reads: "But again he denied with an oath, 'I do not know the man."' And in the following verses, Peter denied that he knew Jesus three times and then Peter remembered the words that Jesus said to him (verse 75), "Before the rooster crows, (in other words before morning), you will deny Me three times." Earlier that night Peter had promised Jesus that he would never disown Him even if he had to die for Him. Peter broke this oath and swore with another oath that he did not know Jesus. Not only did he break his first oath but he lied in his second oath. Peter then went and wept bitterly because he was truly repentant for what he had done. We know Peter's repentance was genuine because he went on to do great things for the Lord.
In Matthew 23 when Jesus was talking to the Scribes and Pharisees, He said "Woe to you" several times because of their hypocrisy in their swearing of oaths along with other "things" they were doing that were against God's teachings. In Hebrews 7:21, the author quotes from Psalm 110:4: "The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind." Unlike us, when God makes an oath He keeps His word.
LEARNING
Our memory verse for this week is found in John 16:33
In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer. I have come to overcome the world.
PRAYER
Thank You God for the promises You have made to me. For the Salvation that I have because I have accepted into my heart the promise of eternal life given me through Your Son, Jesus. Help me to honor the oaths/promises that I have made. Bless my family and give us all the stamina to serve You to the best of our ability.
OATHS
DEFINITION
A solemn statement with God as the witness.
SCRIPTURE
"Keep the king's commandment for the sake of your oath to God." Ecclesiastics 8:2
"You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord."
Matthew 5:33.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
An oath is not to be made lightly. As Webster defines an oath, it is a solemn statement with God as the witness. It is a sad commentary on our times that oaths are so often broken. It does not seem important to most people that God is the witness when one makes an oath.
We see this happening with marriage vows today, more than at any time in history. In America the oath of marriage is broken more than 50% of the time. The marriage oath is two people making their vows to one another. This is a sacred promise to be honored for a lifetime. We read in Matthew 5:33 (above) that God condemns taking oaths and then breaking them.
Even though oaths are meant to be kept, every day oaths are made with no expectation by one or both parties to keep the oath. People break their oaths because they have a change of heart or something better comes along. Most often that "something better' never becomes a reality. There is an old adage that says: "The grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence."
Oaths are promises made that are considered unchangeable. Probably one of the saddest oaths recorded in the scripture was when Peter was asked if he knew Jesus when Jesus was arrested and taken to trial. In Matthew 26:72 it reads: "But again he denied with an oath, 'I do not know the man."' And in the following verses, Peter denied that he knew Jesus three times and then Peter remembered the words that Jesus said to him (verse 75), "Before the rooster crows, (in other words before morning), you will deny Me three times." Earlier that night Peter had promised Jesus that he would never disown Him even if he had to die for Him. Peter broke this oath and swore with another oath that he did not know Jesus. Not only did he break his first oath but he lied in his second oath. Peter then went and wept bitterly because he was truly repentant for what he had done. We know Peter's repentance was genuine because he went on to do great things for the Lord.
In Matthew 23 when Jesus was talking to the Scribes and Pharisees, He said "Woe to you" several times because of their hypocrisy in their swearing of oaths along with other "things" they were doing that were against God's teachings. In Hebrews 7:21, the author quotes from Psalm 110:4: "The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind." Unlike us, when God makes an oath He keeps His word.
LEARNING
Our memory verse for this week is found in John 16:33
In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer. I have come to overcome the world.
PRAYER
Thank You God for the promises You have made to me. For the Salvation that I have because I have accepted into my heart the promise of eternal life given me through Your Son, Jesus. Help me to honor the oaths/promises that I have made. Bless my family and give us all the stamina to serve You to the best of our ability.
Bless: December 9, 2010
Today's Word for Thursday December 9, 2010
BLESS
DEFINITION
Consecrate by a religious rite; invoke God's favor upon; make happy; to make fortunate or prosperous; praise.
SCRIPTURE
"Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His only name!" Psalm 103:1.
"Bless those that curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you." Luke 6:28
"I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth." Psalm 34:1.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
When we think of the word bless, we think of probably one of the most significant verses in the Old Testament. Let us explain. In Genesis Chapter 12, God made this promise to Abraham. "I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing." God fulfilled His promise to Abraham. Abraham fathered a great nation and God did make his name great. There are not many who do not know about Abraham.
And God goes on to promise: "I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you." This nation today is Israel and God is promising us as individuals that He will bless each one of us that bless Israel. In Acts 3:25 Peter preaches to the people, quoting Moses, "And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
Have you thought about how all the world has been blessed through Abraham? First of all God chose him and his descendants to represent God to the world. God's Word, the Bible was given through Abraham to the children of Israel. And the greatest blessing the world has ever received is Jesus Christ who was given to us through the lineage of Abraham. The first chapter of Matthew lists the ancestors of Jesus. The list starts with Abraham.
In Psalm 115:13, the Psalmist says that God will bless those who fear the Lord. Our daily strength comes from God and we can expect His blessing upon our lives when we fear the Lord. God does not give us a spirit of fear (II Timothy 1:7), but expects us to be obedient to His Word. When God promised to bless Abraham, He put a requirement on receiving the blessing. Abraham had to leave his homeland. He obeyed God and therefore was blessed by God.
The instruction in Luke 6:28 is to bless those who treat you badly and this is very tough to do. Jesus wants us to follow His example and love our enemies. It takes a conscious effort on our part to want to bless those who spitefully use us and to pray for them. A kind word softens anger and prayer does change things. If we can bring ourselves to pray for an enemy our attitude toward them will change. Prayer works because it brings God into the situation and God can change the hardest of hearts.
Our Lord is a God of love and He loves to bless us. In Mark 10: 13 to 16 is the account when Jesus took the children into His arms, laid His hands on them and blessed them. The disciples had tried to keep the children away from Jesus and when Jesus saw it He invited the children to come to Him. When He blessed the children He demonstrated that His blessings are freely given and all are invited to come to Him and He will bless them freely. God "richly blesses all who call upon Him." (Romans 10:12)
A group of doctors, dentists and nurses donated their time and paid their own expenses to go for two weeks into the jungles of the Amazon to operate a medical/dental clinic for one of my ministry clients. They were promised difficulty, hardship and discomfort and they were told it would not be a vacation experience.
Upon her return, one of the nurses said that she had never known that life was anything more than what one could get out of it. She went on to say: "Now I know that the real blessing in life lies in seeing how much I can put into someone else's life. Never have I experienced such a blessing."
Our friend, Dr. Vernon Grounds said: "Put yourself into the lives of others for Jesus sake. You will then experience a fulfillment and a blessing from God beyond compare."
LEARNING
Our memory verse for this week is found in John 16:33
In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer. I have come to overcome the world.
PRAYER
Help me to bless people today. Thank You for the abundant blessings You give to me and my family which are more than I could ask or even imagine. May my life be an instrument that You can use to give a special blessing to someone in need today.
BLESS
DEFINITION
Consecrate by a religious rite; invoke God's favor upon; make happy; to make fortunate or prosperous; praise.
SCRIPTURE
"Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His only name!" Psalm 103:1.
"Bless those that curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you." Luke 6:28
"I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth." Psalm 34:1.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
When we think of the word bless, we think of probably one of the most significant verses in the Old Testament. Let us explain. In Genesis Chapter 12, God made this promise to Abraham. "I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing." God fulfilled His promise to Abraham. Abraham fathered a great nation and God did make his name great. There are not many who do not know about Abraham.
And God goes on to promise: "I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you." This nation today is Israel and God is promising us as individuals that He will bless each one of us that bless Israel. In Acts 3:25 Peter preaches to the people, quoting Moses, "And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
Have you thought about how all the world has been blessed through Abraham? First of all God chose him and his descendants to represent God to the world. God's Word, the Bible was given through Abraham to the children of Israel. And the greatest blessing the world has ever received is Jesus Christ who was given to us through the lineage of Abraham. The first chapter of Matthew lists the ancestors of Jesus. The list starts with Abraham.
In Psalm 115:13, the Psalmist says that God will bless those who fear the Lord. Our daily strength comes from God and we can expect His blessing upon our lives when we fear the Lord. God does not give us a spirit of fear (II Timothy 1:7), but expects us to be obedient to His Word. When God promised to bless Abraham, He put a requirement on receiving the blessing. Abraham had to leave his homeland. He obeyed God and therefore was blessed by God.
The instruction in Luke 6:28 is to bless those who treat you badly and this is very tough to do. Jesus wants us to follow His example and love our enemies. It takes a conscious effort on our part to want to bless those who spitefully use us and to pray for them. A kind word softens anger and prayer does change things. If we can bring ourselves to pray for an enemy our attitude toward them will change. Prayer works because it brings God into the situation and God can change the hardest of hearts.
Our Lord is a God of love and He loves to bless us. In Mark 10: 13 to 16 is the account when Jesus took the children into His arms, laid His hands on them and blessed them. The disciples had tried to keep the children away from Jesus and when Jesus saw it He invited the children to come to Him. When He blessed the children He demonstrated that His blessings are freely given and all are invited to come to Him and He will bless them freely. God "richly blesses all who call upon Him." (Romans 10:12)
A group of doctors, dentists and nurses donated their time and paid their own expenses to go for two weeks into the jungles of the Amazon to operate a medical/dental clinic for one of my ministry clients. They were promised difficulty, hardship and discomfort and they were told it would not be a vacation experience.
Upon her return, one of the nurses said that she had never known that life was anything more than what one could get out of it. She went on to say: "Now I know that the real blessing in life lies in seeing how much I can put into someone else's life. Never have I experienced such a blessing."
Our friend, Dr. Vernon Grounds said: "Put yourself into the lives of others for Jesus sake. You will then experience a fulfillment and a blessing from God beyond compare."
LEARNING
Our memory verse for this week is found in John 16:33
In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer. I have come to overcome the world.
PRAYER
Help me to bless people today. Thank You for the abundant blessings You give to me and my family which are more than I could ask or even imagine. May my life be an instrument that You can use to give a special blessing to someone in need today.
Doubt: December 8, 2010
Today's Word for Wednesday December 8, 2010
DOUBT
DEFINITION
An unsettled state of opinion; indecision; matter of uncertainty; suspicion; feel distrust; question the accuracy.
SCRIPTURE
"Your life will hang in doubt before you; you shall fear day and night and have no assurance of life." Deuteronomy 28:66.
"O you of little faith, why did you doubt." Matthew 14:31.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
In the verse above, Matthew 14:31, Peter and some of his fellow disciples were in their boat fishing. A storm came up and they were in trouble. Soon the disciples saw Jesus walking on the water and Jesus tried to comfort them by saying he was there and with them. Jesus told Peter to come to Him and Peter did. Then a wind came up and Peter took his eyes off Jesus. Peter began to sink because he turned his focus on his circumstances. He focused on the wind and the waves and his own inadequacy and his faith in Jesus wavered. His faith turned to doubt.
He knew where to turn for help. He did not call on the other disciples with him in the boat to come and save him. He cried out to the Lord, "SAVE ME." Jesus responded instantly and reached out His hand and caught Peter.
When we find ourselves sinking in a sea of despair and realize that we cannot "save ourselves," we can turn our eyes on Jesus. He is always there offering His outstretched hand to catch us and to lift us up. Jesus said to Peter, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" When our faith is small it does not take much to make us doubt. What a great message for us today.
How many times a day do we doubt? Do you doubt your salvation? If you do then what brings on your doubt. For the most part it will be that you have neglected your communication with God. You must read God's book daily. This is His communication to you. Then you must pray every day. This is your communication to God. When communication breaks down between you and God, doubt will always come your way. It is just the opportunity Satan is looking for to lead you astray.
This is also true in your relationships with your spouse, your children, your family and your friends. To live a life without doubt one must have daily communication, an ability to listen and a commitment to live a Christ-like life. In order for a family to be a cohesive unit they must be able to have faith in one another. They must be able to trust one another without doubt about each other's trustworthiness.
Before Peter was released from prison by an angel (Acts 12:11), he had doubt if God was with him. And the scripture says that when Peter came to himself he said: "Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel and delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people."
We have no reason to doubt if we are in tune with our Lord. In James 1:6 it reads: "But let him ask in faith, WITH NO DOUBTING, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind." One of the last things Jesus told His disciples before He was crucified was: "Assuredly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' it will be done. And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." Matthew 21: 18-22. Strong faith is the key to eliminating doubt in your life.
LEARNING
Our memory verse for this week is found in John 16:33
In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer. I have come to overcome the world.
PRAYER
Help me today not to be a doubter like Thomas was when he saw Jesus after His resurrection. Help me to keep my eyes fixed on Jesus so that my faith may never waver. Give me the faith to make every moment of today a positive experience that honors and glorifies Your name.
DOUBT
DEFINITION
An unsettled state of opinion; indecision; matter of uncertainty; suspicion; feel distrust; question the accuracy.
SCRIPTURE
"Your life will hang in doubt before you; you shall fear day and night and have no assurance of life." Deuteronomy 28:66.
"O you of little faith, why did you doubt." Matthew 14:31.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
In the verse above, Matthew 14:31, Peter and some of his fellow disciples were in their boat fishing. A storm came up and they were in trouble. Soon the disciples saw Jesus walking on the water and Jesus tried to comfort them by saying he was there and with them. Jesus told Peter to come to Him and Peter did. Then a wind came up and Peter took his eyes off Jesus. Peter began to sink because he turned his focus on his circumstances. He focused on the wind and the waves and his own inadequacy and his faith in Jesus wavered. His faith turned to doubt.
He knew where to turn for help. He did not call on the other disciples with him in the boat to come and save him. He cried out to the Lord, "SAVE ME." Jesus responded instantly and reached out His hand and caught Peter.
When we find ourselves sinking in a sea of despair and realize that we cannot "save ourselves," we can turn our eyes on Jesus. He is always there offering His outstretched hand to catch us and to lift us up. Jesus said to Peter, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" When our faith is small it does not take much to make us doubt. What a great message for us today.
How many times a day do we doubt? Do you doubt your salvation? If you do then what brings on your doubt. For the most part it will be that you have neglected your communication with God. You must read God's book daily. This is His communication to you. Then you must pray every day. This is your communication to God. When communication breaks down between you and God, doubt will always come your way. It is just the opportunity Satan is looking for to lead you astray.
This is also true in your relationships with your spouse, your children, your family and your friends. To live a life without doubt one must have daily communication, an ability to listen and a commitment to live a Christ-like life. In order for a family to be a cohesive unit they must be able to have faith in one another. They must be able to trust one another without doubt about each other's trustworthiness.
Before Peter was released from prison by an angel (Acts 12:11), he had doubt if God was with him. And the scripture says that when Peter came to himself he said: "Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel and delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people."
We have no reason to doubt if we are in tune with our Lord. In James 1:6 it reads: "But let him ask in faith, WITH NO DOUBTING, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind." One of the last things Jesus told His disciples before He was crucified was: "Assuredly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' it will be done. And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." Matthew 21: 18-22. Strong faith is the key to eliminating doubt in your life.
LEARNING
Our memory verse for this week is found in John 16:33
In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer. I have come to overcome the world.
PRAYER
Help me today not to be a doubter like Thomas was when he saw Jesus after His resurrection. Help me to keep my eyes fixed on Jesus so that my faith may never waver. Give me the faith to make every moment of today a positive experience that honors and glorifies Your name.
Victory: December 7, 2010
Today's Word for Tuesday December 7, 2010
VICTORY
DEFINITION
The winning of a contest or a battle; any successful performance.
SCRIPTURE
"But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:57.
"And this is the victory that has overcome the world --- our faith." 1 John 5:4.
"... You give us victories over our enemies." Psalms 44:7
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
Today is an anniversary in America of an event that was anything but a victory. It was the bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese and the beginning of World war two. It was a disaster to all Americans and one of the lowest days ever in American history. But Americans rallied and instead of sitting back and surrendering it was the beginning of our march to victory.
All six of our children played several sports while in school. They always strived for victory in their games. In real life, as it is in sports, it is easy to win and celebrate victory, but when one loses as we did at Pearl Harbor and victory does not seem possible it is so easy for us to give up and lose sight of victory.
We were parents sitting on the sidelines watching our children and others play sports and we saw attitudes and conduct of some of the coaches and parents that disturbed us. We then saw coaching as an opportunity to instill some valuable life lessons in the lives of the children including living lives of victory. So for 10 years we coached and our philosophy was what you have heard often: "It isn't whether you win or lose but it is how you play the game." Playing sports should be fun for children but at the same time they can learn from the experience.
They need to see the importance of learning the skills required, team work and good sportsmanship. Most importantly they need to know how to respect their peers and coaches and how to be a good loser. No one ever likes to lose, including us. But in real life, as we taught the players, just as in sports there are winners and losers. A victory in a sports contest is not nearly as important as a victory in life. And if one cannot learn to lose as well as how to win at a young age they will never be able to handle the disappointments and failures they will face in life. No one ever wins all the time.
God spoke of victory first in Genesis 4:6-7, when He was talking to Cain. Cain was very angry at his brother Abel for doing the right thing and bringing an acceptable offering to God. God said to Cain: "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it (have victory over it)."
But Cain did not celebrate victory because he could not handle failure. He allowed anger to rule in his heart which led him to kill his brother Abel. Cain lost the victory. Like Cain, sin lies at our door. Every day we face the challenge of being victorious over sin or losing the battle to Satan. When we sin, Satan wins and he then has victory over us.
There are many illustrations in the Bible where the Lord gave victory to His own. In Judges the 12th chapter we have the account of Jephthah's conflict and victory over Ephraim and 42,000 men because God's hand was on Jephthah as he led Israel.
In II Samuel chapter 8 we read how the Lord gave victory after victory to David because he trusted God. And in Psalm 44:7, we are told that just as the Lord gave victories to David and Jephthah, He will give us victories over our enemies.
Both David and Jephthah recognized that it was not good to go into battle alone. Judges 11:29 says that before Jephthah went to battle the "Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah." Before David went into battle I Chronicles 14:10 says, "So David inquired of God; 'shall I go and attack the Philistines.'" None of us should try to gain a victory on our own. When the Lord is not with us in our battles in life, we will most likely lose.
These victories include all the enemies that we face daily in our lives such as negative attitudes, bad habits, hatred, gossip, unkindness and the list goes on and on. These negative situations we face in our lives can result in victory and can all be conquered when we put our trust and faith in the Lord. Our problem is that we just do not want to change. God is ready for us if we will just ask. It is all up to us.
LEARNING
Our memory verse for this week is found in John 16:33
In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer. I have come to overcome the world.
PRAYER
Thank You Lord for the victories You continue to give me in my life. My prayer today is that You will give courage and foresight to both me and my family to claim victory over sin and our evil actions and thoughts. May Christ be victorious over Satan in our lives.
VICTORY
DEFINITION
The winning of a contest or a battle; any successful performance.
SCRIPTURE
"But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:57.
"And this is the victory that has overcome the world --- our faith." 1 John 5:4.
"... You give us victories over our enemies." Psalms 44:7
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
Today is an anniversary in America of an event that was anything but a victory. It was the bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese and the beginning of World war two. It was a disaster to all Americans and one of the lowest days ever in American history. But Americans rallied and instead of sitting back and surrendering it was the beginning of our march to victory.
All six of our children played several sports while in school. They always strived for victory in their games. In real life, as it is in sports, it is easy to win and celebrate victory, but when one loses as we did at Pearl Harbor and victory does not seem possible it is so easy for us to give up and lose sight of victory.
We were parents sitting on the sidelines watching our children and others play sports and we saw attitudes and conduct of some of the coaches and parents that disturbed us. We then saw coaching as an opportunity to instill some valuable life lessons in the lives of the children including living lives of victory. So for 10 years we coached and our philosophy was what you have heard often: "It isn't whether you win or lose but it is how you play the game." Playing sports should be fun for children but at the same time they can learn from the experience.
They need to see the importance of learning the skills required, team work and good sportsmanship. Most importantly they need to know how to respect their peers and coaches and how to be a good loser. No one ever likes to lose, including us. But in real life, as we taught the players, just as in sports there are winners and losers. A victory in a sports contest is not nearly as important as a victory in life. And if one cannot learn to lose as well as how to win at a young age they will never be able to handle the disappointments and failures they will face in life. No one ever wins all the time.
God spoke of victory first in Genesis 4:6-7, when He was talking to Cain. Cain was very angry at his brother Abel for doing the right thing and bringing an acceptable offering to God. God said to Cain: "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it (have victory over it)."
But Cain did not celebrate victory because he could not handle failure. He allowed anger to rule in his heart which led him to kill his brother Abel. Cain lost the victory. Like Cain, sin lies at our door. Every day we face the challenge of being victorious over sin or losing the battle to Satan. When we sin, Satan wins and he then has victory over us.
There are many illustrations in the Bible where the Lord gave victory to His own. In Judges the 12th chapter we have the account of Jephthah's conflict and victory over Ephraim and 42,000 men because God's hand was on Jephthah as he led Israel.
In II Samuel chapter 8 we read how the Lord gave victory after victory to David because he trusted God. And in Psalm 44:7, we are told that just as the Lord gave victories to David and Jephthah, He will give us victories over our enemies.
Both David and Jephthah recognized that it was not good to go into battle alone. Judges 11:29 says that before Jephthah went to battle the "Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah." Before David went into battle I Chronicles 14:10 says, "So David inquired of God; 'shall I go and attack the Philistines.'" None of us should try to gain a victory on our own. When the Lord is not with us in our battles in life, we will most likely lose.
These victories include all the enemies that we face daily in our lives such as negative attitudes, bad habits, hatred, gossip, unkindness and the list goes on and on. These negative situations we face in our lives can result in victory and can all be conquered when we put our trust and faith in the Lord. Our problem is that we just do not want to change. God is ready for us if we will just ask. It is all up to us.
LEARNING
Our memory verse for this week is found in John 16:33
In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer. I have come to overcome the world.
PRAYER
Thank You Lord for the victories You continue to give me in my life. My prayer today is that You will give courage and foresight to both me and my family to claim victory over sin and our evil actions and thoughts. May Christ be victorious over Satan in our lives.
Belong: December 6, 2010
Today's Word for Monday December 6, 2010
BELONG
DEFINITION
To be a property or a concern of; have a place; to be a part of.
SCRIPTURE
"For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward." Mark 9:41.
"To the Lord our God belongs mercy and forgiveness." Daniel 9:9.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
As Christians we belong to the Lord. In Isaiah chapter 44 we read about God's blessing upon Israel and He clearly states that they belong to Him. In Romans 14:8 it reads that "We are the Lord's" thus we belong to Him. And in Galatians 3:29 it reads: "And if you are Christ's then you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise." So the scripture makes it very clear that if we know Christ as our Savior, we belong to Him.
The next question is, "What things belong to God?" In Job 12:13 we are told that all wisdom and power belong to God. And Job continues in Job 12:16 to say that all strength and victory belong to God. And in Job 25:2, all glory, dominion and awe belong to God.
In Psalms we are told that "The kings of the earth belong to God." (Psalm 47:9)
"The mountain peaks belong to God." (Psalm 95:4) "And the highest Heaven belongs to God." (Psalm 115:16)
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth and therefore all things belong to God. God blesses us by "loaning" to us what we have. When we recognize this fact we realize our own insignificance. We do not understand so many things that happen in this world, but since the world belongs to God who are we to question God's sovereignty, His wisdom or His justice? It blesses us to know that we belong to a God to whom all wisdom, all power, dominion, awe, strength and victory belong.
We can remember a young girl in Guatemala asking how she could know and be sure that she belonged to God. This girl came from a dysfunctional home and her family did not recognize that there was a God let alone even mentioned God in their home. She attended the Christian school that our ministry sponsored and there she heard for the first time about God and His love for her. She heard the plan of salvation and soon understood that she needed to accept Jesus as her Savior. She now belongs to God because she became a child of God.
Do you have questions about who God is? Do you understand that all we have belongs to God? And where do you stand, concerning your relationship with God? If you have questions just communicate with us by using the link below to "write Ken and Dottie a note." We will respond.
LEARNING
Our memory verse for this week is found in John 16:33
In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer. I have come to overcome the world.
PRAYER
Thank You Lord that all I have belongs to You. Help me to understand more clearly today Your power, Your compassion, the awesomeness of who You are and how all this relates to my life. Make me an instrument today to represent You in all that I do and say. May my actions and words glorify Your name!
BELONG
DEFINITION
To be a property or a concern of; have a place; to be a part of.
SCRIPTURE
"For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward." Mark 9:41.
"To the Lord our God belongs mercy and forgiveness." Daniel 9:9.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
As Christians we belong to the Lord. In Isaiah chapter 44 we read about God's blessing upon Israel and He clearly states that they belong to Him. In Romans 14:8 it reads that "We are the Lord's" thus we belong to Him. And in Galatians 3:29 it reads: "And if you are Christ's then you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise." So the scripture makes it very clear that if we know Christ as our Savior, we belong to Him.
The next question is, "What things belong to God?" In Job 12:13 we are told that all wisdom and power belong to God. And Job continues in Job 12:16 to say that all strength and victory belong to God. And in Job 25:2, all glory, dominion and awe belong to God.
In Psalms we are told that "The kings of the earth belong to God." (Psalm 47:9)
"The mountain peaks belong to God." (Psalm 95:4) "And the highest Heaven belongs to God." (Psalm 115:16)
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth and therefore all things belong to God. God blesses us by "loaning" to us what we have. When we recognize this fact we realize our own insignificance. We do not understand so many things that happen in this world, but since the world belongs to God who are we to question God's sovereignty, His wisdom or His justice? It blesses us to know that we belong to a God to whom all wisdom, all power, dominion, awe, strength and victory belong.
We can remember a young girl in Guatemala asking how she could know and be sure that she belonged to God. This girl came from a dysfunctional home and her family did not recognize that there was a God let alone even mentioned God in their home. She attended the Christian school that our ministry sponsored and there she heard for the first time about God and His love for her. She heard the plan of salvation and soon understood that she needed to accept Jesus as her Savior. She now belongs to God because she became a child of God.
Do you have questions about who God is? Do you understand that all we have belongs to God? And where do you stand, concerning your relationship with God? If you have questions just communicate with us by using the link below to "write Ken and Dottie a note." We will respond.
LEARNING
Our memory verse for this week is found in John 16:33
In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer. I have come to overcome the world.
PRAYER
Thank You Lord that all I have belongs to You. Help me to understand more clearly today Your power, Your compassion, the awesomeness of who You are and how all this relates to my life. Make me an instrument today to represent You in all that I do and say. May my actions and words glorify Your name!
December 5, 2010
Worry: November 29, 2010
Today's Word for Monday November 29, 2010
WORRY
DEFINITION
Cause to feel anxious; harass; bother; fret; anxiety; trouble.
SCRIPTURE
"Therefore I say unto you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more important than food and the body more than clothing?" Matthew 6:25.
"Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' for your Heavenly Father knows that you need all these things." Matthew 6:31.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
When Jesus was on this earth the scripture tells us that He went up onto the mountain and the crowds followed Him and that is where He gave what we call today the "Sermon on the Mount." He began with the beatitudes. You can read these in Matthew chapter five. In Chapter six, Jesus instructs us on why we should not worry.
Just as today, many people listening to Jesus had reasons that they believed were valid reasons to worry. But Jesus started out His comments on worry by saying not to worry about one's life. He said not to worry about the necessities of life like food, drink, and clothing.
Jesus is not suggesting that one does not prepare for life. Rather He tells us that one is not to be lazy and thoughtless with a no care attitude. God will not pamper slothfulness and a lack of initiative, effort or planning. He expects us to look after our responsibilities, work to eat and in fact to work extra to have enough to give to others.
In this verse, Jesus is talking to us about being so wrapped up in securing the "things" in life that we become anxious, disturbed and sleepless. We need to be consumed by thinking about and working for the Lord and not "things." Worry is not necessary when we are trusting God.
These words are very relative for today. Doctors tell us that worry is an underlying cause of many illnesses, in fact more than 60% of illnesses relate to worry. It is also a known fact that worry leads to emotional turmoil in family relationships. People also worry about major problems that more than often will never happen. WORRY IS THE INTEREST YOU PAY ON BORROWED TROUBLE. In Matthew 6:27, Jesus says to us, "Who of you by worrying can add a simple hour to his life?"
Why do people today worry so much? Possibly one reason is that they do not feel good about what they are doing in their life. Whether someone is a Christian or not a Christian they know the difference between right and wrong. People are also concerned about being questioned about a past issue or action that was not truthful. They are living with a weight of guilt and in fear that at any moment their world could come crashing in on them. In other words, our own actions give us cause to worry.
Real life happenings are often the cause of worry. A loss of a job, a home foreclosure, expenses running higher than the income being received or even a breaking family relationship, all cause people to worry. But the scripture tells us that when these things come to pass, a Christian needs to respond just as Jesus said in His "Sermon on the Mount." He reminds us that He knows all of our needs and He is willing to meet those needs if we have our priorities straight. He said: "Seek you first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added onto you." He wants us not to worry about our physical needs but to worry about our spiritual needs.
The Apostle said in Philippians 4:6 that "Do not be anxious (worry) about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."
When bad things happen to us, we must do all we can to relieve the issue of worry. We are limited in what we can do, but God is unlimited. He is all powerful, all knowing and always there for us. This is where our trust and faith comes in. We must be willing to let go of our worry and put our trust in Jesus and "SEEK HIM FIRST!"
LEARNING
Our memory verse for this week is found in Romans 10:13.
Whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
PRAYER
Thank You that I can give my worries to You with the assurance that if I seek You first that You will provide what I need. I can always be assured that You know better than I as to what I need. Help my family to understand this as well. May each of us do all we can to learn more about You. Help us to read Your Word and to communicate with You through prayer daily. Help me to remember to turn my worries into prayers.
WORRY
DEFINITION
Cause to feel anxious; harass; bother; fret; anxiety; trouble.
SCRIPTURE
"Therefore I say unto you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more important than food and the body more than clothing?" Matthew 6:25.
"Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' for your Heavenly Father knows that you need all these things." Matthew 6:31.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
When Jesus was on this earth the scripture tells us that He went up onto the mountain and the crowds followed Him and that is where He gave what we call today the "Sermon on the Mount." He began with the beatitudes. You can read these in Matthew chapter five. In Chapter six, Jesus instructs us on why we should not worry.
Just as today, many people listening to Jesus had reasons that they believed were valid reasons to worry. But Jesus started out His comments on worry by saying not to worry about one's life. He said not to worry about the necessities of life like food, drink, and clothing.
Jesus is not suggesting that one does not prepare for life. Rather He tells us that one is not to be lazy and thoughtless with a no care attitude. God will not pamper slothfulness and a lack of initiative, effort or planning. He expects us to look after our responsibilities, work to eat and in fact to work extra to have enough to give to others.
In this verse, Jesus is talking to us about being so wrapped up in securing the "things" in life that we become anxious, disturbed and sleepless. We need to be consumed by thinking about and working for the Lord and not "things." Worry is not necessary when we are trusting God.
These words are very relative for today. Doctors tell us that worry is an underlying cause of many illnesses, in fact more than 60% of illnesses relate to worry. It is also a known fact that worry leads to emotional turmoil in family relationships. People also worry about major problems that more than often will never happen. WORRY IS THE INTEREST YOU PAY ON BORROWED TROUBLE. In Matthew 6:27, Jesus says to us, "Who of you by worrying can add a simple hour to his life?"
Why do people today worry so much? Possibly one reason is that they do not feel good about what they are doing in their life. Whether someone is a Christian or not a Christian they know the difference between right and wrong. People are also concerned about being questioned about a past issue or action that was not truthful. They are living with a weight of guilt and in fear that at any moment their world could come crashing in on them. In other words, our own actions give us cause to worry.
Real life happenings are often the cause of worry. A loss of a job, a home foreclosure, expenses running higher than the income being received or even a breaking family relationship, all cause people to worry. But the scripture tells us that when these things come to pass, a Christian needs to respond just as Jesus said in His "Sermon on the Mount." He reminds us that He knows all of our needs and He is willing to meet those needs if we have our priorities straight. He said: "Seek you first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added onto you." He wants us not to worry about our physical needs but to worry about our spiritual needs.
The Apostle said in Philippians 4:6 that "Do not be anxious (worry) about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."
When bad things happen to us, we must do all we can to relieve the issue of worry. We are limited in what we can do, but God is unlimited. He is all powerful, all knowing and always there for us. This is where our trust and faith comes in. We must be willing to let go of our worry and put our trust in Jesus and "SEEK HIM FIRST!"
LEARNING
Our memory verse for this week is found in Romans 10:13.
Whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
PRAYER
Thank You that I can give my worries to You with the assurance that if I seek You first that You will provide what I need. I can always be assured that You know better than I as to what I need. Help my family to understand this as well. May each of us do all we can to learn more about You. Help us to read Your Word and to communicate with You through prayer daily. Help me to remember to turn my worries into prayers.
Ask: November 30, 2010
Today's Word for Tuesday November 30, 2010
ASK
DEFINITION
Put a question to; interrogate; seek to obtain; request; invite; inquire about.
SCRIPTURE
"And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." Matthew 21:22
"So I say to you, ask, and it will be given you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you." Luke 11:9
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
In the verse above (Luke 11:9) we are taught how to ask and seek. In the next verse (10) we are told that everyone who asks receives. Why does God want us to ask, when He knows what we want and what we need? He wants us to ask and seek Him so that we will recognize that He is the one who provides for us and that He alone hears and answers our prayers.
In Luke 11 (above) Jesus gives us a mini sermon to persevere and endure in prayer. We are to ask through prayer continually for what we need. But if God does not provide then we are to seek. And if seeking does not receive it then we are to knock and it shall be opened to us. The point Jesus is making is for us to pray continuously. The verbs ask, seek and knock are all continuous action words. The answer is assured. God will hear and answer the person who perseveres and endures in prayer. God answers the prayer of the believer, if his heart is in tune with God, in His way and in His perfect timing.
Many people just do not want to ask anybody for anything because of pride, let alone God. We should not let pride keep us from seeking God's help. Remember, Jesus says: "ask and it will be given you; seek and you will find."
In our consulting responsibilities with Christian ministries these past years we trained people how to "ASK" for help in supporting their ministries. Christian ministries are dependent on others to give of their time and money. Some people often complain that they receive too many requests for donations. Ministries are raised up by God to meet needs of people that are not being met by others. In order to exist, they must ask and asking for a legitimate need is honored by God. In fact, as the scripture says, we need to ask if we want a response. How is someone to know your need if you do not ask.
There are many situations in life where we need to ask for help. Families need to be willing to help others in need if God has blessed you. And families need to be willing to ask in their time of need. Remember there is a difference between asking and demanding. When asking for help the response you receive is affected by the way you ask. When you ask favors of people or when you just ask questions for informational purposes, learn to ask kindly, gently and with a loving tone.
Today the most important lesson we can learn from the scripture is that God expects us to ask so He can fulfill His plan through our life. We are to ask God for every thing we need. In John 11:22 it reads: "Whatever you ask of God, God will give you." Can it be said any clearer? In James 1:5 and 6, we are told that if we lack wisdom let us ask of God. Then it says we are to ask in faith with no doubting.
Our problem today is that we limit God in what He will do for us. We rely on our own wisdom and so often fail. When we ask in prayer, ask believing and ask in faith with NO DOUBTING, we will receive. But remember God will never give to us what is not good for us.
LEARNING
Our memory verse for this week is found in Romans 10:13.
Whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
PRAYER
Open my eyes today to the reality that I need to see and practice by asking You for all that I need today. Help me to ask not only for the large issues I may face but for the small ones as well. Give me wisdom in all that I do and may I proceed today with the faith that only You can give me.
ASK
DEFINITION
Put a question to; interrogate; seek to obtain; request; invite; inquire about.
SCRIPTURE
"And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." Matthew 21:22
"So I say to you, ask, and it will be given you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you." Luke 11:9
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
In the verse above (Luke 11:9) we are taught how to ask and seek. In the next verse (10) we are told that everyone who asks receives. Why does God want us to ask, when He knows what we want and what we need? He wants us to ask and seek Him so that we will recognize that He is the one who provides for us and that He alone hears and answers our prayers.
In Luke 11 (above) Jesus gives us a mini sermon to persevere and endure in prayer. We are to ask through prayer continually for what we need. But if God does not provide then we are to seek. And if seeking does not receive it then we are to knock and it shall be opened to us. The point Jesus is making is for us to pray continuously. The verbs ask, seek and knock are all continuous action words. The answer is assured. God will hear and answer the person who perseveres and endures in prayer. God answers the prayer of the believer, if his heart is in tune with God, in His way and in His perfect timing.
Many people just do not want to ask anybody for anything because of pride, let alone God. We should not let pride keep us from seeking God's help. Remember, Jesus says: "ask and it will be given you; seek and you will find."
In our consulting responsibilities with Christian ministries these past years we trained people how to "ASK" for help in supporting their ministries. Christian ministries are dependent on others to give of their time and money. Some people often complain that they receive too many requests for donations. Ministries are raised up by God to meet needs of people that are not being met by others. In order to exist, they must ask and asking for a legitimate need is honored by God. In fact, as the scripture says, we need to ask if we want a response. How is someone to know your need if you do not ask.
There are many situations in life where we need to ask for help. Families need to be willing to help others in need if God has blessed you. And families need to be willing to ask in their time of need. Remember there is a difference between asking and demanding. When asking for help the response you receive is affected by the way you ask. When you ask favors of people or when you just ask questions for informational purposes, learn to ask kindly, gently and with a loving tone.
Today the most important lesson we can learn from the scripture is that God expects us to ask so He can fulfill His plan through our life. We are to ask God for every thing we need. In John 11:22 it reads: "Whatever you ask of God, God will give you." Can it be said any clearer? In James 1:5 and 6, we are told that if we lack wisdom let us ask of God. Then it says we are to ask in faith with no doubting.
Our problem today is that we limit God in what He will do for us. We rely on our own wisdom and so often fail. When we ask in prayer, ask believing and ask in faith with NO DOUBTING, we will receive. But remember God will never give to us what is not good for us.
LEARNING
Our memory verse for this week is found in Romans 10:13.
Whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
PRAYER
Open my eyes today to the reality that I need to see and practice by asking You for all that I need today. Help me to ask not only for the large issues I may face but for the small ones as well. Give me wisdom in all that I do and may I proceed today with the faith that only You can give me.
Joy: December 1, 2010
Today's Word for Wednesday December 1, 2010
JOY
DEFINITION
A deep seeded pleasure; exultant satisfaction; keen delight; an inner gladness.
SCRIPTURE
"Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning." Psalm 30:5.
"These things that I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full." John 15:11.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
Joy as spoken of in the Bible is not based on the happiness that the world considers happiness. Joy does not come to a person because he has wealth, possessions, fame or status. People work hard to obtain these things in order to find happiness, but as Solomon, who had everything, tells us in Ecclesiastes 1:2, that it is all meaningless.
Webster's closest definition of JOY as used in the Bible is "exultant satisfaction." Only those who know the Lord understand the true meaning of JOY. Those who have accepted Christ as their Savior have peace in their heart because they know their sins have been forgiven and that God loves them. Jesus explains what He means when He says "MY JOY" in John 15:11 (above). In the previous two verses He says: "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in My love, just as I have obeyed My Fathers commands and remain in His Love." This is the "JOY' we pray you have in your life.
Jesus has one great purpose for believers and that is the completion of their joy. He talks in these verses first about His joy --- doing the will of God. He then reminds us that our joy is like the joy of Christ Himself ringing in our hearts and finally that our joy is fulfilled as we study His Word.
Joy is divine and given only by God. Joy does not depend on happiness or circumstances. Joy springs from our faith and keeps us faithful to Him.
In the scripture, Matthew 25:21 where Jesus told the parable of the "Talents", He talked about the joy that the master had in his heart when one of his servants responded as he had hoped. He said: "Well done good and faithful servant, you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of the Lord." The servant's faithfulness and the success he obtained because of his faithfulness brought joy to his master and allowed the servant to share in the master's happiness.
The apostle Paul lists the fruits of the Spirit that are evidenced in the lives of Christians through the work of the Holy Spirit in us. These are love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. [Galatians 5:22-23]. Only those who have united themselves with Christ can understand the true meaning of joy. James reminds us in James 1:2 that when we face the trials in our day to day life we are to "count it all joy." He does not mean we are to be happy about our trials, but we are to face our trials with an attitude of joy because of what it can produce in our life for Christ's glory. Joy is a vital need for our everyday living.
What we learn from the scripture is that we as believers can have a spirit of joy that is not based on the positive or negative circumstances of our life. When we have the "JOY OF THE LORD' in our life we will find it easier to face the difficulties of life.
The bottom line that we learn from these scriptures and from what we have learned in real life is that we are to face every moment of every day with a spirit of Joy! When we do this the negatives in life seem to go away fast and the positives of life seem to stay with us. We all need to remember to put Christ first place in all of our lives and call upon Him for every situation that arises every moment of every day. The only way to have real joy is to have the right relationship with our Lord. Joy is lasting! Happiness is temporary!
We have several close friends that are facing serious health problems. Each one has been through many tests, consultations, treatments and medicines and you often wonder how much they can humanly take. But the one thing that is true in all their lives is that they are living each day with a spirit of joy. They have done all that they can from a medical perspective and they continue to respond to their doctors care. They have put everything into God's hands. They pray for healing daily as do scores of their friends. They understand the meaning of Psalm 30:5 where it says that weeping and suffering lasts only for a while, but for the believer there is joy coming. They are living their lives full of joy and hope. They are all ready to meet their Lord but each one also realizes that they still have a mission here on this earth. That mission is to share their faith, their attitude and their joy with everyone they touch daily. Do you live a life of joy? If not, we encourage you to ask God today to give you a life of joy.
LEARNING
Our memory verse for this week is found in Romans 10:13.
Whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
PRAYER
Give me joy in my life throughout today. Help me to realize that whatever happens to me today that according to the words of James, I am to count it all joy. Give me wisdom to make decisions that honor You and give me Your joy in my heart so that my joy may be full.
JOY
DEFINITION
A deep seeded pleasure; exultant satisfaction; keen delight; an inner gladness.
SCRIPTURE
"Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning." Psalm 30:5.
"These things that I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full." John 15:11.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
Joy as spoken of in the Bible is not based on the happiness that the world considers happiness. Joy does not come to a person because he has wealth, possessions, fame or status. People work hard to obtain these things in order to find happiness, but as Solomon, who had everything, tells us in Ecclesiastes 1:2, that it is all meaningless.
Webster's closest definition of JOY as used in the Bible is "exultant satisfaction." Only those who know the Lord understand the true meaning of JOY. Those who have accepted Christ as their Savior have peace in their heart because they know their sins have been forgiven and that God loves them. Jesus explains what He means when He says "MY JOY" in John 15:11 (above). In the previous two verses He says: "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in My love, just as I have obeyed My Fathers commands and remain in His Love." This is the "JOY' we pray you have in your life.
Jesus has one great purpose for believers and that is the completion of their joy. He talks in these verses first about His joy --- doing the will of God. He then reminds us that our joy is like the joy of Christ Himself ringing in our hearts and finally that our joy is fulfilled as we study His Word.
Joy is divine and given only by God. Joy does not depend on happiness or circumstances. Joy springs from our faith and keeps us faithful to Him.
In the scripture, Matthew 25:21 where Jesus told the parable of the "Talents", He talked about the joy that the master had in his heart when one of his servants responded as he had hoped. He said: "Well done good and faithful servant, you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of the Lord." The servant's faithfulness and the success he obtained because of his faithfulness brought joy to his master and allowed the servant to share in the master's happiness.
The apostle Paul lists the fruits of the Spirit that are evidenced in the lives of Christians through the work of the Holy Spirit in us. These are love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. [Galatians 5:22-23]. Only those who have united themselves with Christ can understand the true meaning of joy. James reminds us in James 1:2 that when we face the trials in our day to day life we are to "count it all joy." He does not mean we are to be happy about our trials, but we are to face our trials with an attitude of joy because of what it can produce in our life for Christ's glory. Joy is a vital need for our everyday living.
What we learn from the scripture is that we as believers can have a spirit of joy that is not based on the positive or negative circumstances of our life. When we have the "JOY OF THE LORD' in our life we will find it easier to face the difficulties of life.
The bottom line that we learn from these scriptures and from what we have learned in real life is that we are to face every moment of every day with a spirit of Joy! When we do this the negatives in life seem to go away fast and the positives of life seem to stay with us. We all need to remember to put Christ first place in all of our lives and call upon Him for every situation that arises every moment of every day. The only way to have real joy is to have the right relationship with our Lord. Joy is lasting! Happiness is temporary!
We have several close friends that are facing serious health problems. Each one has been through many tests, consultations, treatments and medicines and you often wonder how much they can humanly take. But the one thing that is true in all their lives is that they are living each day with a spirit of joy. They have done all that they can from a medical perspective and they continue to respond to their doctors care. They have put everything into God's hands. They pray for healing daily as do scores of their friends. They understand the meaning of Psalm 30:5 where it says that weeping and suffering lasts only for a while, but for the believer there is joy coming. They are living their lives full of joy and hope. They are all ready to meet their Lord but each one also realizes that they still have a mission here on this earth. That mission is to share their faith, their attitude and their joy with everyone they touch daily. Do you live a life of joy? If not, we encourage you to ask God today to give you a life of joy.
LEARNING
Our memory verse for this week is found in Romans 10:13.
Whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
PRAYER
Give me joy in my life throughout today. Help me to realize that whatever happens to me today that according to the words of James, I am to count it all joy. Give me wisdom to make decisions that honor You and give me Your joy in my heart so that my joy may be full.
Awesome: December 2, 2010
Today's Word for Thursday December 2, 2010
AWESOME
DEFINITION
Inspiring; admiration or reverence; feeling awe.
SCRIPTURE
"Let them praise your great and awesome name." Psalm 99:3.
"Come and see the works of God; He is awesome in His doings." Psalm 66:5.
"You shall not be terrified, for the Lord your God, the great and awesome God, is among you." Deuteronomy 7:21.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
We have teenage grandchildren and a frequent word that we often hear in their conversation is "awesome." They talk about awesome times, awesome events, awesome friends, awesome ideas and the list goes on and on.
In church we sing songs that refer to an awesome God that we serve. The awesomeness of the God we serve and the awesomeness that our grandchildren refer to in their conversations are not even comparable.
Yes, we serve an awesome God! Each one of us should stop for a moment from our busy life and think about that statement. God is awesome. He is all powerful; He is all knowing; He owns the cattle on a thousand hills (as the old hymn says), He is our creator and He is our Father. The most awesome thing about God is His great love for us and that He loved us so much that He gave His only Son to die to pay the penalty for our sins. And when we accepted His Son and asked Him to forgive us for our sins, He did and then we began to experience how awesome He is. We are privileged to serve an awesome God.
We have traveled to many areas of our world and have viewed many sites that our grandkids would call awesome. Some of these sights are considered wonders of the world (like the Great Wall of China and the Pyramids in Egypt). Yes, they are awe inspiring and they leave a lasting impression on our minds.
We have experienced other sites in this world that have left even a greater and lasting impression on our hearts and minds. Two sites we visited were not awesome in a positive sense but they had an awesome affect on our lives. One was the dump in the Philippians where 100,000 people live on top of the garbage. The other was the shanty towns in Kenya East Africa where we witnessed the worst poverty and disease we had ever seen. To us this was overwhelming and heart breaking.
We have also seen sights in our travels that have had left a lasting emotional impression on our lives. To us at the time they were awesome. One example was the awesome emotional impression we experienced at a two day conference for the 75 churches in Kenya that was sponsored by the ministry we were part of at that time. These Kenyans came together for this conference to learn more about the Lord. Some walked for two to three days to be part of this opportunity. The singing by the choirs, the praying by the people and the preaching by the pastors all showed us the dedication each person attending had for their Lord. They showed a deep desire to know more about God and to us this was what we would call awesome.
But when we think of the word awesome none of these places or events even come close to what we know as the real definition of the word "awesome" --- that is our God! Let us never forget that we serve an awesome God and He is always there for us if we only ask for Him.
LEARNING
Our memory verse for this week is found in Romans 10:13.
Whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
PRAYER
Truly You are an awesome God and I praise You for all that You have done for me. Thank you for Your love, Your direction, Your protection, Your leading and Your blessing to both me and my family. May I never forget how awesome You are and may I always be thankful for Your great love and awesome leading in my life.
AWESOME
DEFINITION
Inspiring; admiration or reverence; feeling awe.
SCRIPTURE
"Let them praise your great and awesome name." Psalm 99:3.
"Come and see the works of God; He is awesome in His doings." Psalm 66:5.
"You shall not be terrified, for the Lord your God, the great and awesome God, is among you." Deuteronomy 7:21.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
We have teenage grandchildren and a frequent word that we often hear in their conversation is "awesome." They talk about awesome times, awesome events, awesome friends, awesome ideas and the list goes on and on.
In church we sing songs that refer to an awesome God that we serve. The awesomeness of the God we serve and the awesomeness that our grandchildren refer to in their conversations are not even comparable.
Yes, we serve an awesome God! Each one of us should stop for a moment from our busy life and think about that statement. God is awesome. He is all powerful; He is all knowing; He owns the cattle on a thousand hills (as the old hymn says), He is our creator and He is our Father. The most awesome thing about God is His great love for us and that He loved us so much that He gave His only Son to die to pay the penalty for our sins. And when we accepted His Son and asked Him to forgive us for our sins, He did and then we began to experience how awesome He is. We are privileged to serve an awesome God.
We have traveled to many areas of our world and have viewed many sites that our grandkids would call awesome. Some of these sights are considered wonders of the world (like the Great Wall of China and the Pyramids in Egypt). Yes, they are awe inspiring and they leave a lasting impression on our minds.
We have experienced other sites in this world that have left even a greater and lasting impression on our hearts and minds. Two sites we visited were not awesome in a positive sense but they had an awesome affect on our lives. One was the dump in the Philippians where 100,000 people live on top of the garbage. The other was the shanty towns in Kenya East Africa where we witnessed the worst poverty and disease we had ever seen. To us this was overwhelming and heart breaking.
We have also seen sights in our travels that have had left a lasting emotional impression on our lives. To us at the time they were awesome. One example was the awesome emotional impression we experienced at a two day conference for the 75 churches in Kenya that was sponsored by the ministry we were part of at that time. These Kenyans came together for this conference to learn more about the Lord. Some walked for two to three days to be part of this opportunity. The singing by the choirs, the praying by the people and the preaching by the pastors all showed us the dedication each person attending had for their Lord. They showed a deep desire to know more about God and to us this was what we would call awesome.
But when we think of the word awesome none of these places or events even come close to what we know as the real definition of the word "awesome" --- that is our God! Let us never forget that we serve an awesome God and He is always there for us if we only ask for Him.
LEARNING
Our memory verse for this week is found in Romans 10:13.
Whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
PRAYER
Truly You are an awesome God and I praise You for all that You have done for me. Thank you for Your love, Your direction, Your protection, Your leading and Your blessing to both me and my family. May I never forget how awesome You are and may I always be thankful for Your great love and awesome leading in my life.
Gentle: December 3, 2010
Today's Word for Friday December 3, 2010
GENTLE
DEFINITION
Mild in manner or disposition; tender; peaceful; tame; kind.
SCRIPTURE
"Rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very special in the sight of the Lord." 1 Peter3:4.
"See, your king comes to you gentle and riding on a donkey." Matthew 21:5.
"Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Matthew 11:29.
"To speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men." Titus 3:2
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
One of the characteristics of Jesus is that He is gentle. Matthew describes Jesus triumphal entry into Jerusalem as the coming of a gentle king. Kings are usually tyrants and arrogant and war-like. Jesus is the opposite. He is gentle, humble and peaceful. Jesus is depicted as a shepherd and a shepherd gently leads his sheep and carries the lambs that need help. He never forcefully drives his sheep.
The prophet Isaiah tells of the coming of the Lord and in Isaiah 40:11 says "He will feed His flock like a Shepherd; He will gather His lambs with His arm, And carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those who are young." And then Jesus says in Luke 18:16 to let the little children come to Him. The scriptures give us many illustrations on how Jesus was gentle to those He met and how we need to be gentle in all that we do. We need to be gentle to our spouses, to our children, to our family and to our friends. Gentleness requires showing consideration for others. Paul tells us in Philippians 4:5 to "Let your gentleness be evident to all."
Gentleness is a characteristic missing from the lifestyles of most people today. Very rarely do we see a person that we would call gentle. In our family, Dottie is very gentle and Ken is more aggressive. Dottie has always had a very caring attitude toward all kinds of people that always begins with gentleness. This is a trait that we all need to work on daily.
People today are not gentle by nature. In 11Timothy 2:24, the Apostle Paul exhorts us as Christians by saying: "And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach and be patient." The scripture also reminds us that we need wisdom as given to us from God that is pure, peaceable and gentle. James 3:17.
In Proverbs 15:1 it tells us that a gentle or kind answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Our challenge to you today is to be gentle to all that you associate with, treat people with consideration and do all you do gently. We are sure that you will get a response from those who know you that will bless you.
LEARNING
Our memory verse for this week is found in Romans 10:13.
Whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
PRAYER
Help me to be gentle in all that I say to people and in all that I do. May my life radiate to others the love of the Lord through my actions! Help me to be gentle and considerate to my family, to my friends and to my associates. Help me to remember that gentle words will turn away anger.
GENTLE
DEFINITION
Mild in manner or disposition; tender; peaceful; tame; kind.
SCRIPTURE
"Rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very special in the sight of the Lord." 1 Peter3:4.
"See, your king comes to you gentle and riding on a donkey." Matthew 21:5.
"Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Matthew 11:29.
"To speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men." Titus 3:2
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
One of the characteristics of Jesus is that He is gentle. Matthew describes Jesus triumphal entry into Jerusalem as the coming of a gentle king. Kings are usually tyrants and arrogant and war-like. Jesus is the opposite. He is gentle, humble and peaceful. Jesus is depicted as a shepherd and a shepherd gently leads his sheep and carries the lambs that need help. He never forcefully drives his sheep.
The prophet Isaiah tells of the coming of the Lord and in Isaiah 40:11 says "He will feed His flock like a Shepherd; He will gather His lambs with His arm, And carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those who are young." And then Jesus says in Luke 18:16 to let the little children come to Him. The scriptures give us many illustrations on how Jesus was gentle to those He met and how we need to be gentle in all that we do. We need to be gentle to our spouses, to our children, to our family and to our friends. Gentleness requires showing consideration for others. Paul tells us in Philippians 4:5 to "Let your gentleness be evident to all."
Gentleness is a characteristic missing from the lifestyles of most people today. Very rarely do we see a person that we would call gentle. In our family, Dottie is very gentle and Ken is more aggressive. Dottie has always had a very caring attitude toward all kinds of people that always begins with gentleness. This is a trait that we all need to work on daily.
People today are not gentle by nature. In 11Timothy 2:24, the Apostle Paul exhorts us as Christians by saying: "And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach and be patient." The scripture also reminds us that we need wisdom as given to us from God that is pure, peaceable and gentle. James 3:17.
In Proverbs 15:1 it tells us that a gentle or kind answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Our challenge to you today is to be gentle to all that you associate with, treat people with consideration and do all you do gently. We are sure that you will get a response from those who know you that will bless you.
LEARNING
Our memory verse for this week is found in Romans 10:13.
Whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
PRAYER
Help me to be gentle in all that I say to people and in all that I do. May my life radiate to others the love of the Lord through my actions! Help me to be gentle and considerate to my family, to my friends and to my associates. Help me to remember that gentle words will turn away anger.
November 29, 2010
Affection: November 26, 2010
Today's Word for Friday November 26, 2010
AFFECTION
DEFINITION
Fond attachment; devotion or love; emotion; feeling; the emotional realm of love; to hold a place in one's affection.
SCRIPTURE
"Love each other with genuine affection and take delight in honoring each other." Romans 12:10.
"For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ." Philippians 1:8
"Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind." Philippians 2:1.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
Genuine affection is demonstrated by selfless kindness that causes a person to put aside their own interests for the good of another.
When we think of "genuine affection" we think of the relationship between David and Jonathan. In I Samuel 18:1 we are told that when they met each other an immediate bond developed between them and it says that Jonathan loved David as himself. To show his affection for David Jonathan gave him his robe, tunic, sword, bow and belt. In affirmation of their affection and friendship Jonathan and David made a covenant with each other. Jonathan was Saul's son and David was his son in law.
David was so successful in all that Saul sent him to do that Saul became jealous of David's success and he wanted to kill him. Jonathan interceded because of his brotherly affection for David. Jonathan remained loyal to David and helped him escape Saul's many attempts to kill him. Jonathan kept his covenant with David even though it meant he had to go against his own father. David continued to honor their covenant after Jonathan was killed and David became king by showing kindness to Jonathan's son.
In Psalms 36 David expressed the vast extent of affection that God has for us. We are to give thanks to God, for His affection and mercy which endures forever. In Jeremiah 31:3 we are reminded of the Lord's affection to us when it is written that God has loved us with an everlasting love. And because of this love for us He reached out to us with loving kindness. God truly loves us with genuine affection.
God wants us to have that same genuine affection for others that He has for us. He wants us to exemplify the mutual love and commitment of true affection in our relationships with our family and our Christian friends.
We can think back over 55 years ago when we first met each other as college students at Wheaton College. At first we shared an interest in each other and soon we began to have affection for each other. Soon our affection grew and we knew we were right for each other. After about six months of dating we were separated for a year as Dottie finished at Wheaton and Ken went to Fuller Seminary, about 2000 miles apart.
In those days there was no text messaging and telephone calls were expensive so our affection for one another was continued through letters. We soon knew that God was in our relationship and decided to get married. We then raised our support and headed for the mission field in Korea. True affection for one another started us on our way because of our true affection for our Lord and we knew His hand was upon our marriage and ministry.
Our marriage has lasted because of our deep affection for each other. We are committed to one another, we care for one another and we seek to put aside our own interests in deference to the need of the other. We delight in honoring God and each other. Marriages fail when they are based only on physical affection and not on spiritual affection as well.
Paul describes his affection for the Christians in Philippi as being like the affection of Jesus Christ by asking them to be like minded and have affection for the Lord. When we truly love the Lord we will, like Paul, be able to love others with the affection of Jesus.
The scripture in 1 Peter 4:8-9 reads: "Above all things have a fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without grumbling." But also we are to have a true affection for our Lord.
LEARNING
Our memory verse for this week is found in Philippians 4:19.
God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
PRAYER
Give me affection today for my family, my friends and for those I meet. Help me to radiate through my walk and my talk the love of Jesus to all I meet.
AFFECTION
DEFINITION
Fond attachment; devotion or love; emotion; feeling; the emotional realm of love; to hold a place in one's affection.
SCRIPTURE
"Love each other with genuine affection and take delight in honoring each other." Romans 12:10.
"For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ." Philippians 1:8
"Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind." Philippians 2:1.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
Genuine affection is demonstrated by selfless kindness that causes a person to put aside their own interests for the good of another.
When we think of "genuine affection" we think of the relationship between David and Jonathan. In I Samuel 18:1 we are told that when they met each other an immediate bond developed between them and it says that Jonathan loved David as himself. To show his affection for David Jonathan gave him his robe, tunic, sword, bow and belt. In affirmation of their affection and friendship Jonathan and David made a covenant with each other. Jonathan was Saul's son and David was his son in law.
David was so successful in all that Saul sent him to do that Saul became jealous of David's success and he wanted to kill him. Jonathan interceded because of his brotherly affection for David. Jonathan remained loyal to David and helped him escape Saul's many attempts to kill him. Jonathan kept his covenant with David even though it meant he had to go against his own father. David continued to honor their covenant after Jonathan was killed and David became king by showing kindness to Jonathan's son.
In Psalms 36 David expressed the vast extent of affection that God has for us. We are to give thanks to God, for His affection and mercy which endures forever. In Jeremiah 31:3 we are reminded of the Lord's affection to us when it is written that God has loved us with an everlasting love. And because of this love for us He reached out to us with loving kindness. God truly loves us with genuine affection.
God wants us to have that same genuine affection for others that He has for us. He wants us to exemplify the mutual love and commitment of true affection in our relationships with our family and our Christian friends.
We can think back over 55 years ago when we first met each other as college students at Wheaton College. At first we shared an interest in each other and soon we began to have affection for each other. Soon our affection grew and we knew we were right for each other. After about six months of dating we were separated for a year as Dottie finished at Wheaton and Ken went to Fuller Seminary, about 2000 miles apart.
In those days there was no text messaging and telephone calls were expensive so our affection for one another was continued through letters. We soon knew that God was in our relationship and decided to get married. We then raised our support and headed for the mission field in Korea. True affection for one another started us on our way because of our true affection for our Lord and we knew His hand was upon our marriage and ministry.
Our marriage has lasted because of our deep affection for each other. We are committed to one another, we care for one another and we seek to put aside our own interests in deference to the need of the other. We delight in honoring God and each other. Marriages fail when they are based only on physical affection and not on spiritual affection as well.
Paul describes his affection for the Christians in Philippi as being like the affection of Jesus Christ by asking them to be like minded and have affection for the Lord. When we truly love the Lord we will, like Paul, be able to love others with the affection of Jesus.
The scripture in 1 Peter 4:8-9 reads: "Above all things have a fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without grumbling." But also we are to have a true affection for our Lord.
LEARNING
Our memory verse for this week is found in Philippians 4:19.
God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
PRAYER
Give me affection today for my family, my friends and for those I meet. Help me to radiate through my walk and my talk the love of Jesus to all I meet.
Thanksgiving: November 25, 2010
Today's Word for Thursday November 25, 2010
THANKSGIVING
DEFINITION
An occasion to give thanks to God.
SCRIPTURE
Offer to God thanksgiving and pay your vows to the most high. Psalm 50:14.
Let us come before His presence with Thanksgiving: let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. Psalm 95:2.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him and bless His name. Psalm 100:4
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
Today is Thanksgiving in America. This is a unique holiday celebrated by decree only in America. When the first settlers came to the shores of America they set aside a day to give thanks to God for all of His blessings to them. They were a grateful group of people that knew that their freedom, their success and their blessings came from God.
How will you spend today? All across America people will celebrate Thanksgiving by going to or watching on television parades or football games. Families will get together for big feasts and eat and drink until the day is over. The problem with most Americans is that they have forgotten God and do not even think to thank Him for the blessings that they have personally received let alone to thank Him for how He has blessed our country.
In our family, Thanksgiving has always been a special day of thanksgiving. As far back as we can remember it was a time for our family to get together. But more important it was a time that we took to thank God for His blessings. As you read this devotional today we will be doing the same - having Thanksgiving with some of our family and thanking God for His past blessings but also asking God for continual blessings for ourselves, our family, our friends and our nation and world.
The psalmist in the three verses we have listed above gives us several suggestions for us to do today. First, he suggests that we offer God thanksgiving and fulfill our vows to Him. Most of us have so much to thank God for today such as our salvation, our family, our health, our freedoms and our friends.
Secondly, we are to come before His presence - pray - with thanksgiving and shout joyfully to Him with psalms --- singing. And finally the psalmist suggests that we enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise. As a family today we will take the time to enter into His gates by praying with joy and thankfulness for all that he has and is doing for us.
We urge you and your family to make this day very special. Whatever busy schedules you have planned take the time to give thanksgiving to your Lord, your Savior and your God. Have a most blessed Thanksgiving and together let us praise the Lord with all of our hearts, mind and soul.
LEARNING
Our memory verse for this week is found in Philippians 4:19.
God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
PRAYER
We thank You Lord, that we live in a country that has set aside a day to give thanks to You for Your blessings. As a family we thank You for all that You have given to us. Help us to never take Your blessings for granted and to always give You the praise and glory for what we have. May our family be a blessing to others and may our words and deeds throughout this special day exalt Your name in all that we do.
THANKSGIVING
DEFINITION
An occasion to give thanks to God.
SCRIPTURE
Offer to God thanksgiving and pay your vows to the most high. Psalm 50:14.
Let us come before His presence with Thanksgiving: let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. Psalm 95:2.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him and bless His name. Psalm 100:4
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
Today is Thanksgiving in America. This is a unique holiday celebrated by decree only in America. When the first settlers came to the shores of America they set aside a day to give thanks to God for all of His blessings to them. They were a grateful group of people that knew that their freedom, their success and their blessings came from God.
How will you spend today? All across America people will celebrate Thanksgiving by going to or watching on television parades or football games. Families will get together for big feasts and eat and drink until the day is over. The problem with most Americans is that they have forgotten God and do not even think to thank Him for the blessings that they have personally received let alone to thank Him for how He has blessed our country.
In our family, Thanksgiving has always been a special day of thanksgiving. As far back as we can remember it was a time for our family to get together. But more important it was a time that we took to thank God for His blessings. As you read this devotional today we will be doing the same - having Thanksgiving with some of our family and thanking God for His past blessings but also asking God for continual blessings for ourselves, our family, our friends and our nation and world.
The psalmist in the three verses we have listed above gives us several suggestions for us to do today. First, he suggests that we offer God thanksgiving and fulfill our vows to Him. Most of us have so much to thank God for today such as our salvation, our family, our health, our freedoms and our friends.
Secondly, we are to come before His presence - pray - with thanksgiving and shout joyfully to Him with psalms --- singing. And finally the psalmist suggests that we enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise. As a family today we will take the time to enter into His gates by praying with joy and thankfulness for all that he has and is doing for us.
We urge you and your family to make this day very special. Whatever busy schedules you have planned take the time to give thanksgiving to your Lord, your Savior and your God. Have a most blessed Thanksgiving and together let us praise the Lord with all of our hearts, mind and soul.
LEARNING
Our memory verse for this week is found in Philippians 4:19.
God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
PRAYER
We thank You Lord, that we live in a country that has set aside a day to give thanks to You for Your blessings. As a family we thank You for all that You have given to us. Help us to never take Your blessings for granted and to always give You the praise and glory for what we have. May our family be a blessing to others and may our words and deeds throughout this special day exalt Your name in all that we do.
Call: November 24, 2010
Today's Word for Wednesday November 24, 2010
CALL
DEFINITION
To cry out in a loud voice; to summon or invite to come; to announce authoritatively; proclaim; to cause to come.
SCRIPTURE
"Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near." Isaiah 55:6.
"And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28
"The one who calls you is faithful and He will do it." I Thessalonians 5:24.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
As Christians we have a most wonderful and reliable source to call on every moment of every day. God has promised to be with us through every trial and tribulation we have. And He has also promised to be with us through all the good times. All we have to do is call on Him and He is there for us. He is near and He can be found as we read in Isaiah 55:6 (above).
When we consider the word "CALL" as referred to in the scriptures there are several considerations for us.
In 1 Samuel chapter three we read of the account of when Samuel was called by God. He was woken up in a dream and was not sure how to respond. He first thought it was Eli, who was very old, who was calling and needed him. But Eli told him to go back to his room and if you are called again, respond by saying: "Speak Lord for your servant hears." And that day Samuel was called to serve God.
Each one that God calls is called according to God's purpose. Those who heed God's call have the assurance that "in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28) And we can be sure that God will accomplish His purpose to which we are called.
In I Thessalonians, Paul tells us that God will do it because He is faithful. When God calls you, are you ready to answer as Samuel did, speak Lord your servant hears?
The scripture also has a lot to say about those that reject God's call. In Isaiah Chapter 65:12 it reads: "Because when I called, you did not answer; when I spoke you did not hear." Then the Lord will withdraw His blessings and in Isaiah 65:14 it reads, "You shall cry for sorrow of heart, and wail for grief of spirit." And in Psalms 81:11-12 we are told that when My people would not heed my voice (call), I gave them over to their own stubborn heart, to walk in their own counsels. And finally in Jeremiah 7:13 and 15 we read that the Lord said: "but you did not hear, and I called you, but you did not answer, and so I will cast you out of My sight."
God is patient and gives us ample opportunity to respond to His call, but when we continually reject His call, He let's us continue in our stubborn ways satisfying our evil desires. There are always consequences when we turn a deaf ear to God. We not only lose God's blessings on our life, but we bring God's judgment on our lives.
In contrast to those who do not respond to God's call we read about how the disciples responded (Mark 1 and 2) to the call of God. They did not ask questions. They immediately left what they were doing and followed Jesus. They were moved by the power of God to completely commit themselves, not knowing all that Jesus had for them. They responded as Samuel did --- YES LORD, HERE AM I.
And we are told in the book of Acts 16:9-10 how Paul responded to the vision calling him to Macedonia to preach the gospel. Paul answered the call of God without reservation. He got ready at once and left for Macedonia to preach the gospel.
When God calls we can be sure that He is faithful and will do all that He has promised. Now it is your decision as to how you respond when God calls you.
LEARNING
Our memory verse for this week is found in Philippians 4:19.
God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
PRAYER
I commit my life to You today, dear Lord, willing to answer Your call for my life. Give me an open heart to listen and a willing heart to respond. Unite my family to serve You together and to seek Your best for our lives. Bless us, challenge us and lead us in the paths of Your righteousness today.
CALL
DEFINITION
To cry out in a loud voice; to summon or invite to come; to announce authoritatively; proclaim; to cause to come.
SCRIPTURE
"Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near." Isaiah 55:6.
"And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28
"The one who calls you is faithful and He will do it." I Thessalonians 5:24.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
As Christians we have a most wonderful and reliable source to call on every moment of every day. God has promised to be with us through every trial and tribulation we have. And He has also promised to be with us through all the good times. All we have to do is call on Him and He is there for us. He is near and He can be found as we read in Isaiah 55:6 (above).
When we consider the word "CALL" as referred to in the scriptures there are several considerations for us.
In 1 Samuel chapter three we read of the account of when Samuel was called by God. He was woken up in a dream and was not sure how to respond. He first thought it was Eli, who was very old, who was calling and needed him. But Eli told him to go back to his room and if you are called again, respond by saying: "Speak Lord for your servant hears." And that day Samuel was called to serve God.
Each one that God calls is called according to God's purpose. Those who heed God's call have the assurance that "in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28) And we can be sure that God will accomplish His purpose to which we are called.
In I Thessalonians, Paul tells us that God will do it because He is faithful. When God calls you, are you ready to answer as Samuel did, speak Lord your servant hears?
The scripture also has a lot to say about those that reject God's call. In Isaiah Chapter 65:12 it reads: "Because when I called, you did not answer; when I spoke you did not hear." Then the Lord will withdraw His blessings and in Isaiah 65:14 it reads, "You shall cry for sorrow of heart, and wail for grief of spirit." And in Psalms 81:11-12 we are told that when My people would not heed my voice (call), I gave them over to their own stubborn heart, to walk in their own counsels. And finally in Jeremiah 7:13 and 15 we read that the Lord said: "but you did not hear, and I called you, but you did not answer, and so I will cast you out of My sight."
God is patient and gives us ample opportunity to respond to His call, but when we continually reject His call, He let's us continue in our stubborn ways satisfying our evil desires. There are always consequences when we turn a deaf ear to God. We not only lose God's blessings on our life, but we bring God's judgment on our lives.
In contrast to those who do not respond to God's call we read about how the disciples responded (Mark 1 and 2) to the call of God. They did not ask questions. They immediately left what they were doing and followed Jesus. They were moved by the power of God to completely commit themselves, not knowing all that Jesus had for them. They responded as Samuel did --- YES LORD, HERE AM I.
And we are told in the book of Acts 16:9-10 how Paul responded to the vision calling him to Macedonia to preach the gospel. Paul answered the call of God without reservation. He got ready at once and left for Macedonia to preach the gospel.
When God calls we can be sure that He is faithful and will do all that He has promised. Now it is your decision as to how you respond when God calls you.
LEARNING
Our memory verse for this week is found in Philippians 4:19.
God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
PRAYER
I commit my life to You today, dear Lord, willing to answer Your call for my life. Give me an open heart to listen and a willing heart to respond. Unite my family to serve You together and to seek Your best for our lives. Bless us, challenge us and lead us in the paths of Your righteousness today.
Anchor: November 23, 2010
Today's Word for Tuesday November 23, 2010
ANCHOR
DEFINITION
A person or thing that can be relied on for support, stability or security; mainstay.
SCRIPTURE
"This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast." Hebrews 6:19.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
When we think of anchors, we think of ships or boats. An anchor is lowered to keep the ship in place so it will not float into a dangerous position. In Acts chapter 27, the apostle Paul gives us an account of the time he was on a ship as a prisoner being moved with other prisoners to their trial. A terrible storm came up and the sailors had to put the anchor out to keep the ship wrecked vessel from being dashed to pieces on the rocks.
Thinking of ships and boats, we remember going out in a boat with an out board motor with my (Ken) mother and step father. We had our six children with us and we went out probably no more than a mile into the Pacific Ocean. All of a sudden we noticed that the boat was slowly beginning to fill with water. Since we had young children on board my step father radioed the Coast Guard for help. We knew an anchor would not help and a bucket bailing the water out of the boat was not sufficient. We knew that now was the time to pray and we all were praying and doing all we could to help get rid of the water at the same time.
Soon we saw a Coast Guard ship getting close. To say the least it was huge. We thought the whole American Navy was coming. They responded quickly probably because they knew there were small children on board. To make a long story short the Coast Guard got us and the boat safely back to shore. That day, in our situation, a boat anchor was not what we needed. It was the anchor of hope in Jesus Christ that we relied on.
As Christians, our hope in Jesus is the anchor for our soul and it is sure and steadfast so we will not drift away. In the storms of life we are like a ship at sea that is tossed and battered and in danger of being dashed to pieces. Our anchor, Jesus Christ, is always with us to keep us safe and stable and by the power of His Holy Spirit will keep us from drifting away to follow our sinful desires.
When you face each day in life, make sure your anchor of faith in Jesus is steadfast and sure. You can ask the Lord daily to keep your anchor firm and trust Him to keep you steady in the storms of life. He will be there with you every moment of the day.
LEARNING
Our memory verse for this week is found in Philippians 4:19.
God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
PRAYER
As I face this day, I think of the old hymn sung years ago, 'My Anchor Holds." Thank You for being my anchor throughout this day and it is my prayer that You will hold me close to You and lead and guide me and keep me on a steady course through my voyage in life.
ANCHOR
DEFINITION
A person or thing that can be relied on for support, stability or security; mainstay.
SCRIPTURE
"This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast." Hebrews 6:19.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
When we think of anchors, we think of ships or boats. An anchor is lowered to keep the ship in place so it will not float into a dangerous position. In Acts chapter 27, the apostle Paul gives us an account of the time he was on a ship as a prisoner being moved with other prisoners to their trial. A terrible storm came up and the sailors had to put the anchor out to keep the ship wrecked vessel from being dashed to pieces on the rocks.
Thinking of ships and boats, we remember going out in a boat with an out board motor with my (Ken) mother and step father. We had our six children with us and we went out probably no more than a mile into the Pacific Ocean. All of a sudden we noticed that the boat was slowly beginning to fill with water. Since we had young children on board my step father radioed the Coast Guard for help. We knew an anchor would not help and a bucket bailing the water out of the boat was not sufficient. We knew that now was the time to pray and we all were praying and doing all we could to help get rid of the water at the same time.
Soon we saw a Coast Guard ship getting close. To say the least it was huge. We thought the whole American Navy was coming. They responded quickly probably because they knew there were small children on board. To make a long story short the Coast Guard got us and the boat safely back to shore. That day, in our situation, a boat anchor was not what we needed. It was the anchor of hope in Jesus Christ that we relied on.
As Christians, our hope in Jesus is the anchor for our soul and it is sure and steadfast so we will not drift away. In the storms of life we are like a ship at sea that is tossed and battered and in danger of being dashed to pieces. Our anchor, Jesus Christ, is always with us to keep us safe and stable and by the power of His Holy Spirit will keep us from drifting away to follow our sinful desires.
When you face each day in life, make sure your anchor of faith in Jesus is steadfast and sure. You can ask the Lord daily to keep your anchor firm and trust Him to keep you steady in the storms of life. He will be there with you every moment of the day.
LEARNING
Our memory verse for this week is found in Philippians 4:19.
God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
PRAYER
As I face this day, I think of the old hymn sung years ago, 'My Anchor Holds." Thank You for being my anchor throughout this day and it is my prayer that You will hold me close to You and lead and guide me and keep me on a steady course through my voyage in life.
Belief: November 22, 2010
Today's Word for Monday November 22, 2010
BELIEF
DEFINITION
Something believed; opinion; conviction; confidence in the truth or existence of something not immediately susceptible to rigorous proof; confidence; faith; trust; a religious creed or trust.
SCRIPTURE
"God from the beginning chose you for salvation that came through the Spirit who makes you holy and through your belief in the truth. Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle." II Thessalonians 2:13, 15.
"He must have a strong belief in the trustworthy message he was taught; then he will be able to encourage others with wholesome teaching." Titus 1:9
"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name." John 1:12
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
Anyone who says he is a Christian is saying that he has a belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and follows His teachings. Webster defines belief as confidence in the truth or existence of something. Jesus said: "I am the way, the truth and the life." John 14:6. God and Jesus are the source of all truth and that is the basis of our belief. Therefore those that put their belief or trust in Jesus can have confidence in the truth of His teachings.
As Paul writes in the verses above in II Thessalonians, we are to stand fast and hold tight to the traditions we are taught. It is by our belief in Jesus that God has given us the right to be a child of God. (John 1:12 above)
The book of Titus is a letter that Paul wrote to Titus. Paul had given to Titus the responsibility of appointing leaders for the churches that Paul had been involved in establishing. In Titus 1:5-9, Paul describes to Titus the leadership qualities that leaders in the church should have. All Christians should strive to meet these qualifications in their lives today. The message of Salvation that Jesus gave us is trustworthy and we should have a strong, unshakeable and confident belief in what He taught us so we can encourage others.
The keys to living according to our Christian beliefs are:
TRUSTING GOD: This comes first no matter what we are facing in life. Our belief is in God and our faith is strengthened by trusting God. We must trust in the Lord with all our heart. (Psalm 37:3 and Proverbs 3:5 are good verses for you to read)•
DO GOOD: Our faith is demonstrated by the good we do whether it is by word or deed. Psalm 37:3 instructs us to trust in the Lord and then do good.
RELY ON THE LORD: When we have troubles we are to "Cast all our cares on Him." I Peter 5:7. Thus at all times when we face a situation that is difficult for us, we are instructed to give it to the Lord. We do not have to go it alone. We can rely on the Lord to be a constant help in our troubles.
COMMIT OUR PLANS TO GOD: Every day when we begin our activities, our belief in God allows us to "Commit to the Lord what ever you do and your plans will succeed." (Proverbs 16:3) Problems that we have during our day usually occur because we have not committed our plans to our Lord in the morning and given Him the opportunity to guide us.
Many people living in today's world really believe in nothing more than themselves. We do not know how we could make it even through one day without our faith in the Lord. With all the stresses and all the uncertainties of life in today's world, we are certain that if we did not have our strong belief in God and Jesus, we would be in deep despair. How strong and real is your belief in God?
LEARNING
Our memory verse for this week is found in Philippians 4:19.
God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
PRAYER
Thank You Lord that You can give me strength to live every moment of this day for You. Keep my belief in You strong and help me to trust You, to do good, to cast all my concerns upon You and to commit each situation I face to You. Bless my family, my friends and those I meet today for the first time. May my belief in Christ be evident in my life as I serve You today.
BELIEF
DEFINITION
Something believed; opinion; conviction; confidence in the truth or existence of something not immediately susceptible to rigorous proof; confidence; faith; trust; a religious creed or trust.
SCRIPTURE
"God from the beginning chose you for salvation that came through the Spirit who makes you holy and through your belief in the truth. Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle." II Thessalonians 2:13, 15.
"He must have a strong belief in the trustworthy message he was taught; then he will be able to encourage others with wholesome teaching." Titus 1:9
"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name." John 1:12
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
Anyone who says he is a Christian is saying that he has a belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and follows His teachings. Webster defines belief as confidence in the truth or existence of something. Jesus said: "I am the way, the truth and the life." John 14:6. God and Jesus are the source of all truth and that is the basis of our belief. Therefore those that put their belief or trust in Jesus can have confidence in the truth of His teachings.
As Paul writes in the verses above in II Thessalonians, we are to stand fast and hold tight to the traditions we are taught. It is by our belief in Jesus that God has given us the right to be a child of God. (John 1:12 above)
The book of Titus is a letter that Paul wrote to Titus. Paul had given to Titus the responsibility of appointing leaders for the churches that Paul had been involved in establishing. In Titus 1:5-9, Paul describes to Titus the leadership qualities that leaders in the church should have. All Christians should strive to meet these qualifications in their lives today. The message of Salvation that Jesus gave us is trustworthy and we should have a strong, unshakeable and confident belief in what He taught us so we can encourage others.
The keys to living according to our Christian beliefs are:
TRUSTING GOD: This comes first no matter what we are facing in life. Our belief is in God and our faith is strengthened by trusting God. We must trust in the Lord with all our heart. (Psalm 37:3 and Proverbs 3:5 are good verses for you to read)•
DO GOOD: Our faith is demonstrated by the good we do whether it is by word or deed. Psalm 37:3 instructs us to trust in the Lord and then do good.
RELY ON THE LORD: When we have troubles we are to "Cast all our cares on Him." I Peter 5:7. Thus at all times when we face a situation that is difficult for us, we are instructed to give it to the Lord. We do not have to go it alone. We can rely on the Lord to be a constant help in our troubles.
COMMIT OUR PLANS TO GOD: Every day when we begin our activities, our belief in God allows us to "Commit to the Lord what ever you do and your plans will succeed." (Proverbs 16:3) Problems that we have during our day usually occur because we have not committed our plans to our Lord in the morning and given Him the opportunity to guide us.
Many people living in today's world really believe in nothing more than themselves. We do not know how we could make it even through one day without our faith in the Lord. With all the stresses and all the uncertainties of life in today's world, we are certain that if we did not have our strong belief in God and Jesus, we would be in deep despair. How strong and real is your belief in God?
LEARNING
Our memory verse for this week is found in Philippians 4:19.
God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
PRAYER
Thank You Lord that You can give me strength to live every moment of this day for You. Keep my belief in You strong and help me to trust You, to do good, to cast all my concerns upon You and to commit each situation I face to You. Bless my family, my friends and those I meet today for the first time. May my belief in Christ be evident in my life as I serve You today.
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