Today's Word for Friday June 4, 2010
EXPECTATION
DEFINITION
An act of expecting; something expected or awaited; anticipation.
SCRIPTURE
"My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him." Psalms 62:5
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
We can remember so many times when we have experienced expectation in our lives. Our first such experience together was the year prior to our wedding. We were busy planning and working and were 2000 miles apart but the expectation of our soon to be wedding grew day by day. Then the expectation of the birth of all six of our children was exciting. We experienced both quick births and long ordeals. In fact Dottie was in the hospital for 10 days after our first child was born and we both experienced the possible expectation of even death. But God answered our prayers as well as the prayers of many others and the expectation that we anticipated before our son's birth became a very positive reality.
An excellent example of EXPECTATION in our lives is the expectation we see in our children and grandchildren at Christmas. Christmas has always been looked forward to with great expectation and excitement by our family. It is not only the exchanging of gifts, the eating of a wonderful meal but also the annual Christmas play our family puts on starring our grandchildren. It is a wonderful time of being with our family and also a time for us to remember the birthday of our Lord Jesus Christ.
How sad it is that in so many homes Jesus has been left completely out of Christmas let alone the rest of the year. How blest we are as Christians to have even a greater expectation than the excitement of Christmas. We have the wonderful expectation of spending eternity with the Christ of Christmas.
There are exciting expectations and sad expectations in life. When you have people around you that you love like spouses, parents, children, grandparents and extended families then almost every day brings on new expectations - some happy and some sad.
As the Psalmist says in the above verse the toughest part of expectation is the waiting. Waiting on the Lord for His answers is very difficult at times. For Ken patience is not one of his great attributes. Together over the years we have asked God for direction and guidance and then we expected an immediate answer. But sometimes God made us wait and this was very difficult. Perhaps He needed to teach us patience or to better prepare our hearts for something. We have had to learn how important it is in God's sight for us to wait for His perfect timing. For us waiting has always allowed God to do something better through our lives. The challenges have been greater and the victories have been wonderful.
It is the believer's privilege to say that my expectation is from Him (God). When we look to God for the supply of our wants, whether it is temporal or spiritual, our expectation will not be in vain. We can look at our bank in heaven and receive our needs out of the riches of God's loving kindness. Our bank account with God can never be overdrawn.
Our Lord never fails to answer His promises and when we bring them to His throne through prayer, He never sends them back unanswered. Our problem is that we forget to recognize that when God answers He sometimes says "yes," sometimes "no," and sometimes, "wait." Therefore we need to learn to wait at His door and He will open the door according to His will.
Our greatest expectation in life is the expectation that one who believes in Jesus has in spending an eternity with our Lord. When that day comes, do you expect as you approach the heavenly gate to see the door open and hear the welcome invitation to come in to the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world? Do you expect harps of gold and crowns of glory? Yes, one day we will see Him as He is. What is your expectation? We are waiting, excited and have great expectations of what God has for us in eternity.
LEARNING
Our memory verse for this week is found in James 4:17.
Therefore to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.
PRAYER
Thank You for the greatest expectation that You have given us as believers in You, the wonderful and marvelous expectation of spending eternity with You. Help me to honor Your name by doing what You want me to do. Help me to learn more about You by reading Your Word and listening to what You say through Your Word. Help me also to communicate with You through prayer with expectation knowing that You will answer my prayers in Your perfect timing.
June 6, 2010
Peacemakers: June 3, 2010
Today's Word for Thursday June 3, 2010
PEACEMAKERS
DEFINITION
One who loves peace, gives harmony in human relations and is not quarrelsome.
SCRIPTURE
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." Matthew 5:9
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
This is the seventh of the beatitudes that Jesus taught to the masses from the Mount of Olives. Seven was the number of perfection among the Hebrews and it may be that Jesus placed the peacemaker as the seventh on the list because He was the perfect man and He wanted His life to be a model for peace in our lives. What Jesus was trying to make clear to us was that He who enjoyed perfection on this earth is a perfect example for us to understand this seventh beatitude and become a peacemaker.
We cannot be peacemakers if sin and evil abounds in our life. If we even harbor thoughts of pride, greed, deceit, malice, jealousy, adultery and any other evil deed or thought we cannot be much of a peacemaker. We need to first pray and ask God to work in and through us by His Holy Spirit and to have Him remove our sinful desires, keep us from doing evil and make our hearts pure.
There is also significance as to the position of this text in the Sermon on the Mount. The verse before speaks of 'the pure in heart." We as believers must first be pure in heart and then peaceable. We all know people who are just troublemakers. They seem to find fault with everything and everybody they meet and see and are quick to start an argument. What we need in this world is peacemakers and not troublemakers. Jesus has called us to be peacemakers in this seventh of the beatitudes.
It is also important to note that no matter how peaceable we may be in this world, we will be misrepresented and misunderstood. Even Jesus who came to this earth as a perfect man bringing peace was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and surely acquainted with grief. So we should not be surprised when we try to do what is right and good but run head on into evil opposition from our enemies. Jesus also said: "Blessed are they that that are persecuted for righteousness sake; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
Peacemakers are said to be blessed according to our Lord and are compassed about with blessings. To become this kind of peacemaker we must first be "Justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."(Romans 3:24) To be justified is to be declared just by God because of the righteousness of Jesus.
We are living in a world where we constantly hear the word peace. We hear of peace envoys, peace conferences and peace treaties. The world today keeps talking about ways of finding peace in the Middle East, but the only peace that will come to this earth is the peace that Jesus will bring when He returns to this earth. Until that day or until God takes us home He wants us to be peacemakers in this world proclaiming the good news of the gospel to all who will listen.
In our homes, parents need to be peacemakers and not fuel arguments by their words and deeds. The influence of evil is all around us and our lives need to radiate the peace that one has in his or her heart in knowing Jesus as the great peacemaker. This must begin in our homes and then reach out to our community and to the world we live in.
LEARNING
Our memory verse for this week is found in James 4:17.
Therefore to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.
PRAYER
Dear Lord, cleanse my heart of all evil thoughts so that You can use me to be a peacemaker and not a troublemaker.
PEACEMAKERS
DEFINITION
One who loves peace, gives harmony in human relations and is not quarrelsome.
SCRIPTURE
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." Matthew 5:9
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
This is the seventh of the beatitudes that Jesus taught to the masses from the Mount of Olives. Seven was the number of perfection among the Hebrews and it may be that Jesus placed the peacemaker as the seventh on the list because He was the perfect man and He wanted His life to be a model for peace in our lives. What Jesus was trying to make clear to us was that He who enjoyed perfection on this earth is a perfect example for us to understand this seventh beatitude and become a peacemaker.
We cannot be peacemakers if sin and evil abounds in our life. If we even harbor thoughts of pride, greed, deceit, malice, jealousy, adultery and any other evil deed or thought we cannot be much of a peacemaker. We need to first pray and ask God to work in and through us by His Holy Spirit and to have Him remove our sinful desires, keep us from doing evil and make our hearts pure.
There is also significance as to the position of this text in the Sermon on the Mount. The verse before speaks of 'the pure in heart." We as believers must first be pure in heart and then peaceable. We all know people who are just troublemakers. They seem to find fault with everything and everybody they meet and see and are quick to start an argument. What we need in this world is peacemakers and not troublemakers. Jesus has called us to be peacemakers in this seventh of the beatitudes.
It is also important to note that no matter how peaceable we may be in this world, we will be misrepresented and misunderstood. Even Jesus who came to this earth as a perfect man bringing peace was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and surely acquainted with grief. So we should not be surprised when we try to do what is right and good but run head on into evil opposition from our enemies. Jesus also said: "Blessed are they that that are persecuted for righteousness sake; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
Peacemakers are said to be blessed according to our Lord and are compassed about with blessings. To become this kind of peacemaker we must first be "Justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."(Romans 3:24) To be justified is to be declared just by God because of the righteousness of Jesus.
We are living in a world where we constantly hear the word peace. We hear of peace envoys, peace conferences and peace treaties. The world today keeps talking about ways of finding peace in the Middle East, but the only peace that will come to this earth is the peace that Jesus will bring when He returns to this earth. Until that day or until God takes us home He wants us to be peacemakers in this world proclaiming the good news of the gospel to all who will listen.
In our homes, parents need to be peacemakers and not fuel arguments by their words and deeds. The influence of evil is all around us and our lives need to radiate the peace that one has in his or her heart in knowing Jesus as the great peacemaker. This must begin in our homes and then reach out to our community and to the world we live in.
LEARNING
Our memory verse for this week is found in James 4:17.
Therefore to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.
PRAYER
Dear Lord, cleanse my heart of all evil thoughts so that You can use me to be a peacemaker and not a troublemaker.
Poor: June 2, 2010
Today's Word for Wednesday June 2, 2010
POOR
DEFINITION
Needy; lacking desirable qualities; inferior; spiritless; unfortunate; humble.
SCRIPTURE
"They desired only that we should remember the poor, the very thing that I was also eager to do." Galatians 2:10
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
Paul was writing to the people in the church at Galatia to correct false teaching that had gotten into the church after he had left. He referred to James, Peter, Cephas and John, who were the leaders or "the pillars" of the Church in Jerusalem to have given approval of his teaching to the Gentiles, and verified that he spoke the true gospel. They also were the ones that challenged Paul to remember the poor.
We often wonder why God allows so many of His children to be poor. We have traveled to so many parts of our world and it seems that every place we go we are overwhelmed with the poverty that is in our world. The poverty we have seen in the Philippines where 100,000 people, over half of these are children, live on top of a huge garbage dump and in the slum cities close to Nairobi east Africa has moved us to tears. In these situations we ask - why these people and - Why are we so blessed here in America.
When God created Adam and Eve He placed them in a perfect place, the Garden of Eden where they lacked nothing. They let sin enter their hearts by desiring something more. From that time on, man has had to work and provide for himself. Everything in this world belongs to God; however, because God did not make us puppets He has given us a free will to do as we choose while in this world.
The suffering we see in this world is of man's own doing. If the whole world would repent of their sins and turn to God, He might choose to once again see that no one lacked all they needed. He could make us all rich, but God has not chosen to do that for some. One reason He does not is that because riches tend to make people feel they do not need God so they turn away from God.
There is no necessity that people need to be poor but He must have His reasons. He allows the poor to suffer but why? There are many possible reasons but one comes to mind. Possibly He allows there to be poor so that we that are favored by God with blessings have an opportunity to show our love to Jesus by ministering to and helping the poor.
We show our love to Christ by singing songs of praise to Him. We show our love to Christ by praying to Him. But if there were no people in need we would lose the privilege that God gives us to help through our words and deeds. If we truly love Christ then we need to care for those who are loved by Him. Those that are dear to Him need to be dear to us and we need to remember that it is a privilege, not an obligation to help the poor that Jesus loves just as much as He loves us.
Remember the words of Jesus when He said, "In as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." When we look at what we do in this perspective, it should challenge us to have a strong desire to not only help others, but to do it with a willing hand and with a joyful and loving heart. Let us assure you that IT HAS BEEN A PRIVILEGE FOR US!
Through the ages Christian Churches have done the most to help the poor. When raising our children we taught them the importance of tithing and to give of their time to help the poor. Concerning tithing, they understood that a tenth of whatever money they received belonged to the Lord. And they also understood the importance of a percentage of their time be given to volunteer service to the Lord. We as parents led by example and in our case we have been led of God to give all of our time to help the poor who are hurting both physically and spiritually
LEARNING
Our memory verse for this week is found in James 4:17.
Therefore to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.
PRAYER
Challenge me this day to do more to reach out and help the poor that touch my life. Give me a new burden to love as You have loved. May the hearts of each member of my family be challenged to honor those that You love who have so little. Help us to remember that You love all people equally and so should we do the same.
POOR
DEFINITION
Needy; lacking desirable qualities; inferior; spiritless; unfortunate; humble.
SCRIPTURE
"They desired only that we should remember the poor, the very thing that I was also eager to do." Galatians 2:10
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
Paul was writing to the people in the church at Galatia to correct false teaching that had gotten into the church after he had left. He referred to James, Peter, Cephas and John, who were the leaders or "the pillars" of the Church in Jerusalem to have given approval of his teaching to the Gentiles, and verified that he spoke the true gospel. They also were the ones that challenged Paul to remember the poor.
We often wonder why God allows so many of His children to be poor. We have traveled to so many parts of our world and it seems that every place we go we are overwhelmed with the poverty that is in our world. The poverty we have seen in the Philippines where 100,000 people, over half of these are children, live on top of a huge garbage dump and in the slum cities close to Nairobi east Africa has moved us to tears. In these situations we ask - why these people and - Why are we so blessed here in America.
When God created Adam and Eve He placed them in a perfect place, the Garden of Eden where they lacked nothing. They let sin enter their hearts by desiring something more. From that time on, man has had to work and provide for himself. Everything in this world belongs to God; however, because God did not make us puppets He has given us a free will to do as we choose while in this world.
The suffering we see in this world is of man's own doing. If the whole world would repent of their sins and turn to God, He might choose to once again see that no one lacked all they needed. He could make us all rich, but God has not chosen to do that for some. One reason He does not is that because riches tend to make people feel they do not need God so they turn away from God.
There is no necessity that people need to be poor but He must have His reasons. He allows the poor to suffer but why? There are many possible reasons but one comes to mind. Possibly He allows there to be poor so that we that are favored by God with blessings have an opportunity to show our love to Jesus by ministering to and helping the poor.
We show our love to Christ by singing songs of praise to Him. We show our love to Christ by praying to Him. But if there were no people in need we would lose the privilege that God gives us to help through our words and deeds. If we truly love Christ then we need to care for those who are loved by Him. Those that are dear to Him need to be dear to us and we need to remember that it is a privilege, not an obligation to help the poor that Jesus loves just as much as He loves us.
Remember the words of Jesus when He said, "In as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." When we look at what we do in this perspective, it should challenge us to have a strong desire to not only help others, but to do it with a willing hand and with a joyful and loving heart. Let us assure you that IT HAS BEEN A PRIVILEGE FOR US!
Through the ages Christian Churches have done the most to help the poor. When raising our children we taught them the importance of tithing and to give of their time to help the poor. Concerning tithing, they understood that a tenth of whatever money they received belonged to the Lord. And they also understood the importance of a percentage of their time be given to volunteer service to the Lord. We as parents led by example and in our case we have been led of God to give all of our time to help the poor who are hurting both physically and spiritually
LEARNING
Our memory verse for this week is found in James 4:17.
Therefore to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.
PRAYER
Challenge me this day to do more to reach out and help the poor that touch my life. Give me a new burden to love as You have loved. May the hearts of each member of my family be challenged to honor those that You love who have so little. Help us to remember that You love all people equally and so should we do the same.
Weapon: June 1, 2010
Today's Word for Tuesday June 1, 2010
WEAPON
DEFINITION
Any instrument used in fighting.
SCRIPTURE
"But all the Israelites would go down to the Philistines to sharpen each mans plow-share, his mattock, his ax, and his sickle." I Samuel 13:20
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
The children of Israel were at war with the evil Philistines and they knew that all of their weapons needed to be used in their fight and they all needed to be sharpened. These were their farm tools because there were no swords or spears to be found in Israel. These rough farm tools needed to be sharpened so they could inflict deadly blows. They knew that killing would not be easy but it needed to be done effectively and Saul had only 600 soldiers left.
So as God lead them they went to the Philistine village and had their farm tools sharpened so that they were ready for battle. It never dawned on the Philistines that the Israelites would use their farm tools in battle. The lesson we should learn from this is that God can use whatever we have if we will follow His command. We will always then win our battles by following how God leads us. Even though the Children of Israel had their farm tools sharpened for battle, they never had to use them because God won the battle for them. But they were prepared.
Today we as believers are in a war against evil just like Saul was. Our weapons are different but they need to be sharpened. Just as in the days of Saul, every weapon that we have available to us must be used. Preaching, teaching, praying and giving all must be readied for action. Each moment of time, each amount of ability, education, or opportunity, whether it be favorable or unfavorable must be used. This is because our enemies (evil) are many and our forces are few.
As believers we must sharpen our weapons and be prepared for battle. We need quickness of perception. This means that we need to be alert to see and recognize evil when it approaches us. We need strength, an unwavering faith, tact, energy and a prepared heart to respond to evil. All of the talents that God has given us must be employed daily in our Christian walk as weapons to fight against the evil we face.
For the children of Israel it was war to protect what God had given them. For us today it is war to protect our faith in Jesus Christ. God has promised to be with us just as He promised the children of Israel. He kept His word with them and He will do the same for us.
One of our longtime friends owns and operates a company that manufactures parts for weapons. Often he has told us how important it is that every part that they manufacture is accurate and sharpened with perfection. Our friend also told us that if just one item was not done exactly according to the specs given, the contract would be cancelled. Perfection in the making of today's weapons is expected and God expects us to sharpen our weapons to perfection so we are ready for the battle against evil. This is what God wants for us. We need to sharpen daily all the weapons that God has given us. We may not have swords or spears just like the children of Israel but we can take our "FARM TOOLS" that God has given us and sharpen them to be used for His glory.
The best weapon we have to challenge the evils of this world is the Bible. Hebrews 4:12 describes God's Word as the sword; "For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than a double-edged sword, and it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."
As parents we thought it of utmost importance to arm our children with God's Word. Part of our family devotional time each evening was spent in memorizing scripture verses. When having to defend our faith nothing squelches the fire of an argument like God's Word. No one can successfully argue against God's Word because the Word is like a sword, it pierces to the heart and soul of the unbeliever.
The Bible verses that we recall the quickest are the ones we learned as children. Children learn quickly so begin to arm them early with the sword of God's Word. You will never regret it.
LEARNING
Our memory verse for this week is found in James 4:17.
Therefore to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.
PRAYER
Thank You for the talents that You have given me. Help me to understand that these talents need to be continually sharpened so they can be used as weapons by You to fight the evil that I make contact with daily. Help my family to sharpen their weapons so together we stand armed and ready to represent You with honor and with praise.
WEAPON
DEFINITION
Any instrument used in fighting.
SCRIPTURE
"But all the Israelites would go down to the Philistines to sharpen each mans plow-share, his mattock, his ax, and his sickle." I Samuel 13:20
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
The children of Israel were at war with the evil Philistines and they knew that all of their weapons needed to be used in their fight and they all needed to be sharpened. These were their farm tools because there were no swords or spears to be found in Israel. These rough farm tools needed to be sharpened so they could inflict deadly blows. They knew that killing would not be easy but it needed to be done effectively and Saul had only 600 soldiers left.
So as God lead them they went to the Philistine village and had their farm tools sharpened so that they were ready for battle. It never dawned on the Philistines that the Israelites would use their farm tools in battle. The lesson we should learn from this is that God can use whatever we have if we will follow His command. We will always then win our battles by following how God leads us. Even though the Children of Israel had their farm tools sharpened for battle, they never had to use them because God won the battle for them. But they were prepared.
Today we as believers are in a war against evil just like Saul was. Our weapons are different but they need to be sharpened. Just as in the days of Saul, every weapon that we have available to us must be used. Preaching, teaching, praying and giving all must be readied for action. Each moment of time, each amount of ability, education, or opportunity, whether it be favorable or unfavorable must be used. This is because our enemies (evil) are many and our forces are few.
As believers we must sharpen our weapons and be prepared for battle. We need quickness of perception. This means that we need to be alert to see and recognize evil when it approaches us. We need strength, an unwavering faith, tact, energy and a prepared heart to respond to evil. All of the talents that God has given us must be employed daily in our Christian walk as weapons to fight against the evil we face.
For the children of Israel it was war to protect what God had given them. For us today it is war to protect our faith in Jesus Christ. God has promised to be with us just as He promised the children of Israel. He kept His word with them and He will do the same for us.
One of our longtime friends owns and operates a company that manufactures parts for weapons. Often he has told us how important it is that every part that they manufacture is accurate and sharpened with perfection. Our friend also told us that if just one item was not done exactly according to the specs given, the contract would be cancelled. Perfection in the making of today's weapons is expected and God expects us to sharpen our weapons to perfection so we are ready for the battle against evil. This is what God wants for us. We need to sharpen daily all the weapons that God has given us. We may not have swords or spears just like the children of Israel but we can take our "FARM TOOLS" that God has given us and sharpen them to be used for His glory.
The best weapon we have to challenge the evils of this world is the Bible. Hebrews 4:12 describes God's Word as the sword; "For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than a double-edged sword, and it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."
As parents we thought it of utmost importance to arm our children with God's Word. Part of our family devotional time each evening was spent in memorizing scripture verses. When having to defend our faith nothing squelches the fire of an argument like God's Word. No one can successfully argue against God's Word because the Word is like a sword, it pierces to the heart and soul of the unbeliever.
The Bible verses that we recall the quickest are the ones we learned as children. Children learn quickly so begin to arm them early with the sword of God's Word. You will never regret it.
LEARNING
Our memory verse for this week is found in James 4:17.
Therefore to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.
PRAYER
Thank You for the talents that You have given me. Help me to understand that these talents need to be continually sharpened so they can be used as weapons by You to fight the evil that I make contact with daily. Help my family to sharpen their weapons so together we stand armed and ready to represent You with honor and with praise.
The Rock: May 31, 2010
Today's Word for Monday May 31, 2010
THE ROCK
DEFINITION
A foundation; strength.
SCRIPTURE
"The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; the God of my strength, in whom will I trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge; my Savior." II Samuel 22:2-3
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
In the verse above from II Samuel, David is praising God on the day that God had delivered him from his enemies and from Saul. David makes it clear that God is his rock and it was God that gave him his victories.
Most families down through the ages have had one person who has stood out and was considered the "ROCK" of that family. Usually it was a grandfather, a grandmother or even a mother or dad. It was this person that was always available in time of trouble, in times when counseling and advice was needed and always available just to show love. Many times we have heard friends say that they miss someone who has passed on because they were always there for them. This is the role for a "ROCK" in a family. We look back in our past and the "Rocks" in our family were our parents. Our prayer today is that we will be the "ROCKS" that our children and grandchildren need in their lives. One thing is certain, and that is to always live a Christ honoring life and be available.
The believer has his or her rock and that is Jesus our Lord. The Psalmist prayed to God in Psalm 31:3, "For You are my rock and my fortress; therefore lead me and guide me." When we put our complete trust in Jesus, He will be our rock and will lead us and guide us every day through our valleys and over our mountains.
Jesus is our "ROCK" and He is always there. In Ezekiel 35:10 we read, "Whereas the Lord was there." After Israel and Judah had been destroyed by the Assyrians and the Babylonians, the Princes of Edom saw this whole country desolate and felt that they could easily conquer the land. But they ran into difficulty that they did not count on. This land was the Promised Land that God had chosen for His people, the Children of Israel. God was there and Edom met up with God's judgment for their arrogance in taking what was God's. God's judgment brought about Edom's total destruction. There are no Edomites today.
We can learn much about how God will work in our lives through this illustration. We are Gods heritage and because of this He is always there for us. He is our comfort in times of trouble, our rock in times of insecurity and our strength in times of spiritual conflicts. We are constantly opposed by evil in this world we live in and yet we are preserved because He is always there for us.
The only reason something good or lovely survives in us is because our Lord - our Rock - is there. It is the Lord that is with us so we need not fear. Our feet will stand on the "ROCK OF AGES" when time is passing us by.
We can still hear in our heads our children singing a song about the wise man who built his house upon the rock and the foolish man who built his house on sand. The song went that when the rain came down the house built on the sand crashed but the house built on the rock stood firm. It is a simple little song but has a mighty message. It is based on the teaching of Jesus as recorded in Matthew 24:27.
This little song taught our children that they needed to build their life on the solid rock of their faith in Jesus Christ. Make sure your life is built on the Lord who is our rock and then teach your children the same and bring them up knowing the Word of God. The rains and the storms of life will surely come, but if your life is built on the Lord, you will come through the storms of life standing firm on the rock.
LEARNING
Our memory verse for this week is found in James 4:17.
Therefore to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.
PRAYER
Thank You for being my "Rock" and my strength as I walk through my valleys and over my mountains each day. Help me to rely more on You each day so that you can use me to the fullest. Give me the strength and commitment to be the "rock" in my family. Bless my family and help us as a family to praise You daily.
THE ROCK
DEFINITION
A foundation; strength.
SCRIPTURE
"The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; the God of my strength, in whom will I trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge; my Savior." II Samuel 22:2-3
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
In the verse above from II Samuel, David is praising God on the day that God had delivered him from his enemies and from Saul. David makes it clear that God is his rock and it was God that gave him his victories.
Most families down through the ages have had one person who has stood out and was considered the "ROCK" of that family. Usually it was a grandfather, a grandmother or even a mother or dad. It was this person that was always available in time of trouble, in times when counseling and advice was needed and always available just to show love. Many times we have heard friends say that they miss someone who has passed on because they were always there for them. This is the role for a "ROCK" in a family. We look back in our past and the "Rocks" in our family were our parents. Our prayer today is that we will be the "ROCKS" that our children and grandchildren need in their lives. One thing is certain, and that is to always live a Christ honoring life and be available.
The believer has his or her rock and that is Jesus our Lord. The Psalmist prayed to God in Psalm 31:3, "For You are my rock and my fortress; therefore lead me and guide me." When we put our complete trust in Jesus, He will be our rock and will lead us and guide us every day through our valleys and over our mountains.
Jesus is our "ROCK" and He is always there. In Ezekiel 35:10 we read, "Whereas the Lord was there." After Israel and Judah had been destroyed by the Assyrians and the Babylonians, the Princes of Edom saw this whole country desolate and felt that they could easily conquer the land. But they ran into difficulty that they did not count on. This land was the Promised Land that God had chosen for His people, the Children of Israel. God was there and Edom met up with God's judgment for their arrogance in taking what was God's. God's judgment brought about Edom's total destruction. There are no Edomites today.
We can learn much about how God will work in our lives through this illustration. We are Gods heritage and because of this He is always there for us. He is our comfort in times of trouble, our rock in times of insecurity and our strength in times of spiritual conflicts. We are constantly opposed by evil in this world we live in and yet we are preserved because He is always there for us.
The only reason something good or lovely survives in us is because our Lord - our Rock - is there. It is the Lord that is with us so we need not fear. Our feet will stand on the "ROCK OF AGES" when time is passing us by.
We can still hear in our heads our children singing a song about the wise man who built his house upon the rock and the foolish man who built his house on sand. The song went that when the rain came down the house built on the sand crashed but the house built on the rock stood firm. It is a simple little song but has a mighty message. It is based on the teaching of Jesus as recorded in Matthew 24:27.
This little song taught our children that they needed to build their life on the solid rock of their faith in Jesus Christ. Make sure your life is built on the Lord who is our rock and then teach your children the same and bring them up knowing the Word of God. The rains and the storms of life will surely come, but if your life is built on the Lord, you will come through the storms of life standing firm on the rock.
LEARNING
Our memory verse for this week is found in James 4:17.
Therefore to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.
PRAYER
Thank You for being my "Rock" and my strength as I walk through my valleys and over my mountains each day. Help me to rely more on You each day so that you can use me to the fullest. Give me the strength and commitment to be the "rock" in my family. Bless my family and help us as a family to praise You daily.
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