TODAYS WORD FOR MONDAY JANUARY 17, 2011
SATAN
DEFINITION:
The chief evil spirit; the great adversary of God and humanity; the devil.
SCRIPTURE:
“So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” Revelation 12:9.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Satan is a person. Yes, there is a personal devil. We read in the scriptures that he appeared before God, he talked with God, and he deceived Eve in the Garden of Eden, he tempted Jesus, he performed miracles and signs and he tempts both the saved and unsaved to commit sin. Only a person can take part in an intelligent dialogue and reason, so Satan is a person.
He has been given many names and titles in the scriptures. Some of them are:
Satan --- (adversary) He does not have the capacity to love or to show mercy. He is called Satan 50 times in the Bible.
Devil --- (slanderer) this title is used over 100 times in the New Testament
Apollyon --- the Greek word for destroyer which is found in Revelation 9:11.
Lucifer --- (day star) or “morning star” he can transform himself into an angel of light. Isaiah 14:12
He is called “the god of this age” in II Corinthians 4:4, the “prince of the power of the air” in Ephesians 2:2, the “great dragon” in Revelation 12:9 and the “serpent of old” in Revelation 20:2. Jesus called him the ruler of this world in John 12:31. Remember he is not the ruler of creation but the ruler of the world system. God warns us: “Do not love the world or the things in the world.” I John 2:15. Satan desires that we all be caught up in his system and be lost. God desires that all accept Jesus Christ and be saved.
Two things you must be aware of concerning the devil. First of all, we are warned to be alert because the devil is our enemy and always looking to tempt us. I Peter 5:7 tells us to “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
Second, we have a defense against the deceitful ways of the devil. James tells us to: “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7. Satan does have power in this world, but God has power over Satan. We give you this short study of Satan to warn you of the power that Satan has in this world and without God in your life, over you.
It was important for us to remind our children often that there is a devil. We constantly alerted our children that Satan would seek to tempt them and lead them astray. We warned them that he was tricky and would sneak in the back door of their lives. Along with warning them we taught them God’s plan of salvation, and we read the Bible and prayed with them daily. Our best defense against the devil is reading the Bible and praying daily to our Lord. Satan cannot handle this defense. It leaves him powerless.
We all have an on-going battle with Satan. Peter’s description of Satan as a prowling lion seeking to devour us is a perfect description of Satan’s character. Jesus defeated Satan when He rose from the dead after His death on the cross. By conquering death, Jesus destroyed Satan’s ultimate weapon against us. We cannot defeat Satan by our own efforts but Jesus can enable us to have the victory over Satan if we accept Jesus as our Savior. As believers it is important to daily prepare and arm ourselves against Satan’s attacks by growing in our faith through the reading of God’s Word and praying, not just once in a while, but daily. We trust that you are prepared for your battle with Satan today.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in John 3:17.
“For God did not send His Son into this world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”
PRAYER:
Lord, I acknowledge that I cannot defeat Satan and resist his temptation by my own efforts. Give me strength and courage today to stand up against the attacks of the devil so that my life might be a testimony of my faith to You. May the joy of Jesus shine through me to my family, my friends and those that I touch in some way each day. Help me as I teach my children about Your saving grace and prepare them to fight off the Devil’s temptations.
January 23, 2011
Temptation: January 23, 2011
TODAYS WORD FOR FRIDAY JANUARY 21, 2011
TEMPTATION
DEFINITION:
An inducement; enticement; allurement to sin or doing wrong.
SCRIPTURE:
Then the serpent (the devil) said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3: 4-5.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
In the third chapter of Genesis we read about the first recorded temptation and the fall of man. Satan’s devious enticement of Eve in the Garden of Eden reminds us that we cannot be forced to sin. Eve had a choice and her choice was to fall for the temptation of Satan. Each of us is just as vulnerable to temptation today as Eve was many years ago.
Consider what Satan did to Eve and be aware that he can do the same to us today. In Genesis 3:1, he first misrepresented God’s Word. He twisted what God said in Genesis 2:16-17. He planted the seed of doubt in Eve’s mind by saying, “Did God really say that you shall not eat of every tree in the garden?”
What Satan was saying to Eve was do you really believe God would put these trees in this beautiful garden and then say to you that you can’t eat the fruit of all of them? Satan made Eve think that God was withholding something from them and caused her to doubt God’s goodness. Eve knew the truth and she tried to set the record straight by telling Satan that it was just one tree that they were forbidden to eat from, but that if they did eat of it they would surely die.
Then Satan denied (Genesis 3:4) the truth of what God had said to her and told her a lie --- surely she would not die if she ate from that tree. Finally, Satan questioned God’s motives (Genesis 3:5) by saying to Eve that God knows that the day you eat of the tree your eyes will be opened and you shall be like God.
Satan had accomplished his goal. Eve’s confidence in God was under minded. Eve relied on what seemed desirable to her physical senses and what seemed desirable to her human understanding (Genesis 3:6) and thus sinned. She knew God’s truth but chose Satan’s lies.
Satan is a liar and with his lies he always promises a beneficial result. Be assured that Satan’s benefits are not for our benefit. Satan makes us think that sin is good, pleasureful and desirable. That is Satan’s lie. God’s truth is that sin leads to our destruction and death.
Satan’s temptations are always attractive. We can’t always prevent Satan from tempting us but we can overcome the temptation that he sends to us. To overcome temptation in our lives today we must know God’s Word accurately, trust God’s judgment completely and obey God with the full assurance that what God chooses for us is both right and the best for us. Like Eve, we have the choice to choose God’s truth or Satan’s lies.
As long as Adam and Eve knew only good they remained innocent with no sin, choosing and experiencing only what was right in God’s sight. They did not ever see opportunities to do wrong. When Satan tempted them and they fell they were introduced to their new capacity to see evil choices as well as good ones and with it the desire to try both good and bad. In their new knowledge was that they now knew shame and guilt. Gone was their inner peace of innocence.
Do you spend time in your home discussing the temptations that come your way? Spouses need to communicate so they can pray with one another about their weaknesses and temptations and ask God together for strength to resist them. Parents must teach children first of all what temptation is and then how to deal with it. Families break apart because they do not communicate. Take a look today as to how you communicate with your family concerning the temptations that come your way and hinder your relationship with the Lord and with each other.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in John 3:17.
“For God did not send His Son into this world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”
PRAYER:
Help our family to learn by reading the account in Genesis of how Satan tempted Adam and Eve. Help us to learn through this how Satan tempts us daily. Give our family the knowledge of Your Word and the strength of Your presence within us to live each day honoring You.
TEMPTATION
DEFINITION:
An inducement; enticement; allurement to sin or doing wrong.
SCRIPTURE:
Then the serpent (the devil) said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3: 4-5.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
In the third chapter of Genesis we read about the first recorded temptation and the fall of man. Satan’s devious enticement of Eve in the Garden of Eden reminds us that we cannot be forced to sin. Eve had a choice and her choice was to fall for the temptation of Satan. Each of us is just as vulnerable to temptation today as Eve was many years ago.
Consider what Satan did to Eve and be aware that he can do the same to us today. In Genesis 3:1, he first misrepresented God’s Word. He twisted what God said in Genesis 2:16-17. He planted the seed of doubt in Eve’s mind by saying, “Did God really say that you shall not eat of every tree in the garden?”
What Satan was saying to Eve was do you really believe God would put these trees in this beautiful garden and then say to you that you can’t eat the fruit of all of them? Satan made Eve think that God was withholding something from them and caused her to doubt God’s goodness. Eve knew the truth and she tried to set the record straight by telling Satan that it was just one tree that they were forbidden to eat from, but that if they did eat of it they would surely die.
Then Satan denied (Genesis 3:4) the truth of what God had said to her and told her a lie --- surely she would not die if she ate from that tree. Finally, Satan questioned God’s motives (Genesis 3:5) by saying to Eve that God knows that the day you eat of the tree your eyes will be opened and you shall be like God.
Satan had accomplished his goal. Eve’s confidence in God was under minded. Eve relied on what seemed desirable to her physical senses and what seemed desirable to her human understanding (Genesis 3:6) and thus sinned. She knew God’s truth but chose Satan’s lies.
Satan is a liar and with his lies he always promises a beneficial result. Be assured that Satan’s benefits are not for our benefit. Satan makes us think that sin is good, pleasureful and desirable. That is Satan’s lie. God’s truth is that sin leads to our destruction and death.
Satan’s temptations are always attractive. We can’t always prevent Satan from tempting us but we can overcome the temptation that he sends to us. To overcome temptation in our lives today we must know God’s Word accurately, trust God’s judgment completely and obey God with the full assurance that what God chooses for us is both right and the best for us. Like Eve, we have the choice to choose God’s truth or Satan’s lies.
As long as Adam and Eve knew only good they remained innocent with no sin, choosing and experiencing only what was right in God’s sight. They did not ever see opportunities to do wrong. When Satan tempted them and they fell they were introduced to their new capacity to see evil choices as well as good ones and with it the desire to try both good and bad. In their new knowledge was that they now knew shame and guilt. Gone was their inner peace of innocence.
Do you spend time in your home discussing the temptations that come your way? Spouses need to communicate so they can pray with one another about their weaknesses and temptations and ask God together for strength to resist them. Parents must teach children first of all what temptation is and then how to deal with it. Families break apart because they do not communicate. Take a look today as to how you communicate with your family concerning the temptations that come your way and hinder your relationship with the Lord and with each other.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in John 3:17.
“For God did not send His Son into this world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”
PRAYER:
Help our family to learn by reading the account in Genesis of how Satan tempted Adam and Eve. Help us to learn through this how Satan tempts us daily. Give our family the knowledge of Your Word and the strength of Your presence within us to live each day honoring You.
Door: January 20, 2011
TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY JANUARY 20, 2011
DOOR
DEFINITION:
A moveable barrier for opening and closing an entrance way; any means of access.
SCRIPTURE:
Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.” John 10:7
I am the door; by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved. John 10:8
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come into him and dine with him, and he with Me.” Revelation 3:20
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Possibly you have seen the picture of Jesus standing outside a door and knocking. This is the mental picture we get when we read Revelation 3:20 (above). A door is a way in or out and is a barrier between those on the inside and those on the outside. The door must be opened in order to obtain access to one side or the other.
The verse above refers to Jesus standing at the door of our heart waiting for us to invite Him in and dine with Him. This refers to our accepting Jesus as our Savior.
Jesus is knocking at the door of our heart asking to come in. If we do open the door and accept Him and show our love to Him, He will come in and will dine (commune) with us. Jesus is standing ready for all to accept Him and to repent of our sins. He has paid the penalty for our sins and all we have to do is open the door of our heart and let Him come in. Then He opens the door to heaven for us.
In John 10:7, Jesus is called the door of the sheep. Jesus is the good shepherd. A good shepherd kept his sheep in a pen to keep them safe at night. The shepherd then acted as the door to the pen, letting the sheep in so he could watch over them and protect them. Jesus is our door to God. It is only through Jesus that we can come to God. Once we have entered the door of salvation, Jesus becomes our shepherd and as our shepherd He is our protector.
One of the definitions of “door” (above) is: “any means of access.” We urge you to open the door of your heart today first to let Jesus into your heart and then open the door of your heart to let God and His Holy Spirit lead you through the day. God wants access to your heart. He is standing at the door of your heart and knocking. Do you hear Him?
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in John 3:17.
“For God did not send His Son into this world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”
PRAYER
Thank You for standing and knocking at the door of my heart and giving me the opportunity to receive You into my heart. Thank You for being my shepherd and watching over me and protecting me. Help me to always follow You wherever You may lead me.
DOOR
DEFINITION:
A moveable barrier for opening and closing an entrance way; any means of access.
SCRIPTURE:
Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.” John 10:7
I am the door; by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved. John 10:8
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come into him and dine with him, and he with Me.” Revelation 3:20
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Possibly you have seen the picture of Jesus standing outside a door and knocking. This is the mental picture we get when we read Revelation 3:20 (above). A door is a way in or out and is a barrier between those on the inside and those on the outside. The door must be opened in order to obtain access to one side or the other.
The verse above refers to Jesus standing at the door of our heart waiting for us to invite Him in and dine with Him. This refers to our accepting Jesus as our Savior.
Jesus is knocking at the door of our heart asking to come in. If we do open the door and accept Him and show our love to Him, He will come in and will dine (commune) with us. Jesus is standing ready for all to accept Him and to repent of our sins. He has paid the penalty for our sins and all we have to do is open the door of our heart and let Him come in. Then He opens the door to heaven for us.
In John 10:7, Jesus is called the door of the sheep. Jesus is the good shepherd. A good shepherd kept his sheep in a pen to keep them safe at night. The shepherd then acted as the door to the pen, letting the sheep in so he could watch over them and protect them. Jesus is our door to God. It is only through Jesus that we can come to God. Once we have entered the door of salvation, Jesus becomes our shepherd and as our shepherd He is our protector.
One of the definitions of “door” (above) is: “any means of access.” We urge you to open the door of your heart today first to let Jesus into your heart and then open the door of your heart to let God and His Holy Spirit lead you through the day. God wants access to your heart. He is standing at the door of your heart and knocking. Do you hear Him?
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in John 3:17.
“For God did not send His Son into this world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”
PRAYER
Thank You for standing and knocking at the door of my heart and giving me the opportunity to receive You into my heart. Thank You for being my shepherd and watching over me and protecting me. Help me to always follow You wherever You may lead me.
Mercy: January 18, 2011
TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY JANUARY 18, 2011
MERCY
DEFINITION:
Compassionate or kindly forbearance shown toward an offender; the disposition of power to be compassionate; an act of kindness, compassion or favor.
SCRIPTURE:
So then it does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.” Romans 9:16
“But God is so rich in mercy, and He loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, He gave us life when He raised Christ from the dead.” Ephesians 2:4
“For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.” Psalm 100:5
“He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy.” Titus 3:5
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Webster defines mercy as one being compassionate toward an offender. We have all sinned against God so we are all offenders and in need of God’s mercy. It is because of God’s mercy that He offered up His only Son to pay the penalty for sin so that we can know Jesus to be our Savior. (God is truly a God of mercy and of love)
In 1Samuel 24 we read of David showing mercy to Saul. David was being pursued by Saul and his army because Saul wanted to kill David. Saul entered a cave where David and his men were hiding. David managed to creep up unnoticed on Saul and cut off a piece of Saul’s robe. David could have easily killed Saul, but instead he showed mercy to Saul and let him escape. When Saul was made aware of David’s act of mercy, Saul repented and reconciled with David. Like Saul, we should be so grateful for the mercy God has shown for us that we desire to repent of our sins and be reconciled to God.
Although we are undeserving, because we are all sinners, He showed His mercy to us by sending His Son to this earth to save us from death which is the punishment we deserve. He sacrificed His only son to die on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins and then Jesus arose from the grave and soon went to Heaven to prepare for us a place to live for eternity. God then showed His mercy to us by sending His Holy Spirit to be with us and guide us each day we live on this earth.
Throughout the Bible we read about God showing mercy. In Genesis 18 we read of Sarah laughing at God’s promise, to give her a son in her old age, because she doubted God. God had mercy on her, in spite of her doubt, and gave her the promised son. Time after time the people of Israel turned away from God and sinned against Him, but God had mercy on them and continued to love them and bless them. This was the standard of mercy that God continued to give all the generations that followed. In Psalm 18:21 it reads that God gives mercy to the merciful. God wants us to be merciful to those our lives touch each day. Then He promises to be merciful to us. We as Christians serve an awesome God who shows mercy to us each and every day.
As parents we have the responsibility to teach our children to be merciful. When Children get into fights they usually have no desire to show mercy.
Our children loved to participate in sports and we coached some of their teams because we felt it gave us a chance to teach important life values not only to our children but their peers. We taught them what it meant to be good sports, win or lose. We taught the importance of teamwork, how to play fair, the value of practice and hard work.
And on a few occasions we even dealt with mercy. In youth sports there is a “MERCY RULE” which brings a game to an early ending when one team has such a big lead that it is evident the losing team has no chance to win. This spares the losing team the humiliation of suffering a greater defeat.
Our children and their teammates were having a great time winning so they were not thrilled to see the game end. However, when we asked them to think about how they would feel if they were the other team, they understood that it was right and proper to show mercy to them.
We are familiar with Psalm 23 written by David. In verse 6 it reads: “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” All those who love the Lord can be assured of God’s unfailing love and goodness and mercy, just as David was. We fail but God’s mercy does not. God’s mercy is everlasting.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in John 3:17.
“For God did not send His Son into this world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”
PRAYER:
Thank You Lord for the mercy You have shown to me by dying on the cross to save me from my sins so that I do not have to pay the penalty that I rightly deserve. Thank You for the assurance I have that Your mercy is everlasting and that Your love is unfailing. Help me to be merciful to others so that they may see Christ in me.
MERCY
DEFINITION:
Compassionate or kindly forbearance shown toward an offender; the disposition of power to be compassionate; an act of kindness, compassion or favor.
SCRIPTURE:
So then it does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.” Romans 9:16
“But God is so rich in mercy, and He loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, He gave us life when He raised Christ from the dead.” Ephesians 2:4
“For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.” Psalm 100:5
“He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy.” Titus 3:5
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Webster defines mercy as one being compassionate toward an offender. We have all sinned against God so we are all offenders and in need of God’s mercy. It is because of God’s mercy that He offered up His only Son to pay the penalty for sin so that we can know Jesus to be our Savior. (God is truly a God of mercy and of love)
In 1Samuel 24 we read of David showing mercy to Saul. David was being pursued by Saul and his army because Saul wanted to kill David. Saul entered a cave where David and his men were hiding. David managed to creep up unnoticed on Saul and cut off a piece of Saul’s robe. David could have easily killed Saul, but instead he showed mercy to Saul and let him escape. When Saul was made aware of David’s act of mercy, Saul repented and reconciled with David. Like Saul, we should be so grateful for the mercy God has shown for us that we desire to repent of our sins and be reconciled to God.
Although we are undeserving, because we are all sinners, He showed His mercy to us by sending His Son to this earth to save us from death which is the punishment we deserve. He sacrificed His only son to die on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins and then Jesus arose from the grave and soon went to Heaven to prepare for us a place to live for eternity. God then showed His mercy to us by sending His Holy Spirit to be with us and guide us each day we live on this earth.
Throughout the Bible we read about God showing mercy. In Genesis 18 we read of Sarah laughing at God’s promise, to give her a son in her old age, because she doubted God. God had mercy on her, in spite of her doubt, and gave her the promised son. Time after time the people of Israel turned away from God and sinned against Him, but God had mercy on them and continued to love them and bless them. This was the standard of mercy that God continued to give all the generations that followed. In Psalm 18:21 it reads that God gives mercy to the merciful. God wants us to be merciful to those our lives touch each day. Then He promises to be merciful to us. We as Christians serve an awesome God who shows mercy to us each and every day.
As parents we have the responsibility to teach our children to be merciful. When Children get into fights they usually have no desire to show mercy.
Our children loved to participate in sports and we coached some of their teams because we felt it gave us a chance to teach important life values not only to our children but their peers. We taught them what it meant to be good sports, win or lose. We taught the importance of teamwork, how to play fair, the value of practice and hard work.
And on a few occasions we even dealt with mercy. In youth sports there is a “MERCY RULE” which brings a game to an early ending when one team has such a big lead that it is evident the losing team has no chance to win. This spares the losing team the humiliation of suffering a greater defeat.
Our children and their teammates were having a great time winning so they were not thrilled to see the game end. However, when we asked them to think about how they would feel if they were the other team, they understood that it was right and proper to show mercy to them.
We are familiar with Psalm 23 written by David. In verse 6 it reads: “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” All those who love the Lord can be assured of God’s unfailing love and goodness and mercy, just as David was. We fail but God’s mercy does not. God’s mercy is everlasting.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in John 3:17.
“For God did not send His Son into this world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”
PRAYER:
Thank You Lord for the mercy You have shown to me by dying on the cross to save me from my sins so that I do not have to pay the penalty that I rightly deserve. Thank You for the assurance I have that Your mercy is everlasting and that Your love is unfailing. Help me to be merciful to others so that they may see Christ in me.
Time: January 19, 2011
TODAYS WORD FOR WEDNESDAY JANUARY 19, 2011
TIME
DEFINITION:
A continuous duration as that in which events succeed one another; a limited period or interval as between two events; a particular period.
SCRIPTURE:
“To everything there is a season, a time for every person under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die.” Ecclesiastes 3:1-2
“The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favor to men of skill; but TIME and CHANCE happen to them all.” Ecclesiastes 9:11
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Near the end of his life Solomon reflected back on his life and wrote down his analysis of his life in the book of Ecclesiastes. Solomon is known as the wisest man who ever lived. He not only had wisdom but he had fame and fortune. However, he recognized that there was one thing that he had no more of than anyone else and that is “TIME.” In Ecclesiastes he wrote, “Time and chance happen to them all.” (Second verse above)
God has given time to us on this earth so that we can come to know Him and then to be a witness of Him to a world that needs to know Jesus. Time to God is different than time to us. In Psalm 90:4, the Psalmist says that “For a thousand years in Your sight are like yesterday when it is past, and like a watch in the night.” One day on God’s calendar is like a thousand years on ours.
With all the evil present in our world today it is no wonder that people wonder why God withholds His judgment. There is a reason. God wants everyone to have TIME to repent and be saved. God’s time table is not our time table.
After analyzing his life, Solomon came to his conclusion as to what is the most important priority of life for him, and not only for him, but for all of us as well. Solomon said, “Here is the conclusion of the matter: fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” Ecclesiastes 12:13
One of the major reasons we made a decision early in our ministry to work with children was because we felt that reaching a child for Jesus at an early age gave that child a lifetime of opportunity to serve the Lord.
The question for us as Christians is: “How do we spend our time when we know the Lord?” For weeks we have referred to many areas in our lives that relate to how we use our time. One of the great failings of Christians today is not having adequate time to give to God. In order for us to be in tune with God it demands time on our part. Specifically, it demands that we spend time daily reading God’s Word, the Bible. This is how God communicates to us and how we learn how God wants us to live.
Secondly, God desires us to communicate with Him through prayer. Most Christians do not take the time to pray each day. Oh yes, some will say that they pray before each meal and before they go to bed each night. God wants more than that from us. He wants us to give Him time with our prayers so we can make known to Him our requests and our needs. And, more importantly, He wants us to thank Him and give Him our praise for all that He has done for us.
Time is a valuable asset to each of us every day. How we spend our time depends on our priorities and we all have different priorities. Choosing how we use our time becomes a moral and spiritual issue. We always find time to give to what is important to us.
One of the major reasons for the breakdown of family unity is because parents and children do not spend time together. Time needs to be spent together talking, praying and reading God’s Word. Time also is needed for a family to play and relax together. We urge all parents to reevaluate today how you spend your time personally and with your family.
We are reminded of the life of George Mueller. He was used of God in a very special way establishing orphanages for children. He spent at least six hours each morning in prayer asking God for His leading and direction for the day. Some might say that spending six hours in prayer was a waste of time. George Mueller saw it differently. He saw prayer as preparation of his heart for God to use and bless him, and to give him strength and wisdom to go and knock on doors asking for assistance for his orphanage. George knew that he could not do it alone. Through prayer God not only prepared his heart but the hearts of those he would visit. As a result of George Mueller’s faithful prayers, God blessed him and supplied what he needed to establish and maintain the orphanages.
We encourage you to make communication with God a priority. Make time to pray to God daily and read the Bible daily so God can respond to you through His Word. If you do this you will be surprised at how God will change you and work in your life.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in John 3:17.
“For God did not send His Son into this world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”
PRAYER:
Thank You for the time You have given me to live on this earth. Help me today to reevaluate how I spend my time. Give me the will and dedication to spend more time with You. Help me to take time daily to study Your Word and to communicate to You through prayer. Honor our family with Your blessing and help us to rededicate our time to better serve You.
TIME
DEFINITION:
A continuous duration as that in which events succeed one another; a limited period or interval as between two events; a particular period.
SCRIPTURE:
“To everything there is a season, a time for every person under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die.” Ecclesiastes 3:1-2
“The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favor to men of skill; but TIME and CHANCE happen to them all.” Ecclesiastes 9:11
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Near the end of his life Solomon reflected back on his life and wrote down his analysis of his life in the book of Ecclesiastes. Solomon is known as the wisest man who ever lived. He not only had wisdom but he had fame and fortune. However, he recognized that there was one thing that he had no more of than anyone else and that is “TIME.” In Ecclesiastes he wrote, “Time and chance happen to them all.” (Second verse above)
God has given time to us on this earth so that we can come to know Him and then to be a witness of Him to a world that needs to know Jesus. Time to God is different than time to us. In Psalm 90:4, the Psalmist says that “For a thousand years in Your sight are like yesterday when it is past, and like a watch in the night.” One day on God’s calendar is like a thousand years on ours.
With all the evil present in our world today it is no wonder that people wonder why God withholds His judgment. There is a reason. God wants everyone to have TIME to repent and be saved. God’s time table is not our time table.
After analyzing his life, Solomon came to his conclusion as to what is the most important priority of life for him, and not only for him, but for all of us as well. Solomon said, “Here is the conclusion of the matter: fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” Ecclesiastes 12:13
One of the major reasons we made a decision early in our ministry to work with children was because we felt that reaching a child for Jesus at an early age gave that child a lifetime of opportunity to serve the Lord.
The question for us as Christians is: “How do we spend our time when we know the Lord?” For weeks we have referred to many areas in our lives that relate to how we use our time. One of the great failings of Christians today is not having adequate time to give to God. In order for us to be in tune with God it demands time on our part. Specifically, it demands that we spend time daily reading God’s Word, the Bible. This is how God communicates to us and how we learn how God wants us to live.
Secondly, God desires us to communicate with Him through prayer. Most Christians do not take the time to pray each day. Oh yes, some will say that they pray before each meal and before they go to bed each night. God wants more than that from us. He wants us to give Him time with our prayers so we can make known to Him our requests and our needs. And, more importantly, He wants us to thank Him and give Him our praise for all that He has done for us.
Time is a valuable asset to each of us every day. How we spend our time depends on our priorities and we all have different priorities. Choosing how we use our time becomes a moral and spiritual issue. We always find time to give to what is important to us.
One of the major reasons for the breakdown of family unity is because parents and children do not spend time together. Time needs to be spent together talking, praying and reading God’s Word. Time also is needed for a family to play and relax together. We urge all parents to reevaluate today how you spend your time personally and with your family.
We are reminded of the life of George Mueller. He was used of God in a very special way establishing orphanages for children. He spent at least six hours each morning in prayer asking God for His leading and direction for the day. Some might say that spending six hours in prayer was a waste of time. George Mueller saw it differently. He saw prayer as preparation of his heart for God to use and bless him, and to give him strength and wisdom to go and knock on doors asking for assistance for his orphanage. George knew that he could not do it alone. Through prayer God not only prepared his heart but the hearts of those he would visit. As a result of George Mueller’s faithful prayers, God blessed him and supplied what he needed to establish and maintain the orphanages.
We encourage you to make communication with God a priority. Make time to pray to God daily and read the Bible daily so God can respond to you through His Word. If you do this you will be surprised at how God will change you and work in your life.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in John 3:17.
“For God did not send His Son into this world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”
PRAYER:
Thank You for the time You have given me to live on this earth. Help me today to reevaluate how I spend my time. Give me the will and dedication to spend more time with You. Help me to take time daily to study Your Word and to communicate to You through prayer. Honor our family with Your blessing and help us to rededicate our time to better serve You.
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