MAY 27 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR FRIDAY MAY 27 2011.
DELIVERANCE
DEFINITION:
To rescue or save from evil.
SCRIPTURE:
And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly Kingdom. II Timothy 4:18.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
When Adam and Eve were driven from paradise for their sin they condemned all mankind to live in a world subject to the evil devices of the evil one (Satan). Thankfully, because of God’s love for us He had a plan of deliverance through His Son’s death on the cross to redeem us from death into eternal life. Although as believers we are saved from the penalty for our sins, we must live in a world subject to the evil that Satan brings into it.
We can’t read or listen to the news without being made aware of all the evil that exists in our world. When Jesus gave us His example of how we should pray, He taught us to ask for deliverance from evil (The Lord’s Prayer, Matthew 6:9-13). There should be no doubt that this is what we need to pray. We need deliverance everyday from the evil that surrounds us.
Even God’s most faithful servants will not be shielded from dealing with the evil in this world. Paul went through many trials and persecutions and in II Timothy 3:11 he said that the Lord delivered him from all of them. It is from experience that Paul is able to confidently say in the verse above that the Lord will deliver us from all evil and bring us safely to His heavenly kingdom.
Paul also tells us that God delivers us from death in II Corinthians 1:10 and in Colossians 1:13 He delivers us from the power of darkness (Satan). In I Thessalonians 1:10 Paul tells us as believers to look forward to the return of Christ and the deliverance He will bring from the wrath of God to come. What a wonderful assurance we have as believers of the deliverances from evil that we have through Jesus Christ each day.
There are so many examples in the scriptures that we have concerning the way that God delivered those that honored His name and believed in Him. We will give you a short list, as examples to encourage you, for you to consider. You may want to look up each passage of scripture that we leave with each example. Here are just nine examples:
• Noah: Genesis 8:1-22. (Deliverance from the flood)
• Lot: Genesis 19:29-30. (Deliverance from the destruction of Sodom)
• Jacob: Genesis 33:1-16. (Deliverance from the fierce anger of Esau)
• The Children of Israel: Exodus 12: 29-51. (Deliverance from slavery in Egypt)
• David: 1 Samuel 23:1-29. (Deliverance from King Saul who wanted to kill him)
• Jews: Esther 9:1-19. (Deliverance from execution)
• Daniel: Daniel 6:13-27. (Deliverance from the lion’s den)
• Jesus: Matthew 2:13-23. (Deliverance from being killed by King Herod)
• Paul: II Corinthians 1:8-10. (Deliverance from life threatening affliction)
There is no evil of any kind that our Lord cannot overcome. We are living in a sinful and cruel world but as believers we have so much to thank our Lord for daily, including the deliverance that He gives to us from our trials and temptations. Take the time today to thank Him for the way he delivers you from evil and the trials you face.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Jeremiah 33:3.
Call to me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.
PRAYER:
How grateful we are as a family today of the continued deliverance that You give us from evil, trials and so many other issues we face in life. Thank You for the examples You gave us in Your Word of individuals that were continually delivered from the trials and evils in life that they faced in their day. Make today a special day of victory for my family as we do all we can to honor You.
May 29, 2011
Cheerfulness: May 26, 2011
MAY 26 2011, TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY MAY 26, 2011
CHEERFULNESS
DEFINITION:
Serene joyfulness; an attitude of hopefulness and gladness.
SCRIPTURE:
A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance. Proverbs 15:13.
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
How many people do you know that are always cheerful when you meet them? Frankly the pressures of life today make it difficult for one to live a constantly cheerful life as our Lord wants us to live. In the ministry that we worked in for over 30 years we had a secretary that always was cheerful. Every day when you met her she had a big smile and a cheerful comment. She loved the Lord and her face always radiated His love for her.
We all know that we have good and bad days. On our bad days few of us feel naturally inclined to be cheerful. The scriptures tell us that cheerfulness comes from a merry heart (Proverbs 15:13 above). If our hearts are right with the Lord they can be as this scripture says, merry.
Jesus warned us in John 16:33 that in this world we will have tribulation (trouble). Not every day will be a good day. But Jesus also tells us that we can be of good cheer because He has overcome the world and all the evil in it. We can have cheer because the victory has already been won. As believers we have peace in our hearts because our sins are forgiven and we have the gift of eternal life. Just thinking about all the Lord has done for us and remembering His promise to never leave us nor forsake us will bring cheer to our heart and life and our spirit.
All that we have belongs to the Lord, because He has given it to us and we are required to honor the Lord by our giving back to Him a portion of what He has given to us. In II Corinthians 9:7 Paul reminds us that God loves a cheerful giver.
Some can give more than others because they have been blessed with more to give. It isn’t about how much we give but about our attitude of giving. We should not give reluctantly or just because we feel we have to, but we should give willingly and gladly (cheerfully). The Lord knows our heart and it is the cheerful attitude of our heart that is pleasing to God.
In Romans 12:8 Paul also reminds us that we are all given different talents and abilities and we have a responsibility to use them for His glory and to grow the family of God but we must do it cheerfully. It is by our cheerful attitudes that others see in us that we are Christians and that we have something that they do not have. It is by our attitude that others will see that our faith is real.
We have been in many places around the world and have witnessed church conferences and church meetings. Probably our visits to Kenya have left the most lasting impressions of cheerfulness among believers on our hearts. These people that we worshipped with and ministered to were the poorest of the poor as to physical things, but they were the richest of the rich when it came to spiritual things. Their outward cheerfulness could only come from their love for God and the inward joy they had in their hearts.
Take time today to be cheerful to those you meet. Remember each person you meet today is facing frustrations and concerns in their lives but a smile and a touch of cheerfulness from you will change their day.
Proverbs 11:22 says that a cheerful heart is good medicine. A cheerful word of encouragement from you can be like a pain relieving medicine for someone going through a tough time.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Jeremiah 33:3.
Call to me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.
PRAYER:
Give me and my family today a new attitude of cheerfulness. Help us to be cheerful to each other and also to those we meet today. Help me to manifest my cheerfulness to You by giving a portion of my time talents and treasures back to You.
CHEERFULNESS
DEFINITION:
Serene joyfulness; an attitude of hopefulness and gladness.
SCRIPTURE:
A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance. Proverbs 15:13.
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
How many people do you know that are always cheerful when you meet them? Frankly the pressures of life today make it difficult for one to live a constantly cheerful life as our Lord wants us to live. In the ministry that we worked in for over 30 years we had a secretary that always was cheerful. Every day when you met her she had a big smile and a cheerful comment. She loved the Lord and her face always radiated His love for her.
We all know that we have good and bad days. On our bad days few of us feel naturally inclined to be cheerful. The scriptures tell us that cheerfulness comes from a merry heart (Proverbs 15:13 above). If our hearts are right with the Lord they can be as this scripture says, merry.
Jesus warned us in John 16:33 that in this world we will have tribulation (trouble). Not every day will be a good day. But Jesus also tells us that we can be of good cheer because He has overcome the world and all the evil in it. We can have cheer because the victory has already been won. As believers we have peace in our hearts because our sins are forgiven and we have the gift of eternal life. Just thinking about all the Lord has done for us and remembering His promise to never leave us nor forsake us will bring cheer to our heart and life and our spirit.
All that we have belongs to the Lord, because He has given it to us and we are required to honor the Lord by our giving back to Him a portion of what He has given to us. In II Corinthians 9:7 Paul reminds us that God loves a cheerful giver.
Some can give more than others because they have been blessed with more to give. It isn’t about how much we give but about our attitude of giving. We should not give reluctantly or just because we feel we have to, but we should give willingly and gladly (cheerfully). The Lord knows our heart and it is the cheerful attitude of our heart that is pleasing to God.
In Romans 12:8 Paul also reminds us that we are all given different talents and abilities and we have a responsibility to use them for His glory and to grow the family of God but we must do it cheerfully. It is by our cheerful attitudes that others see in us that we are Christians and that we have something that they do not have. It is by our attitude that others will see that our faith is real.
We have been in many places around the world and have witnessed church conferences and church meetings. Probably our visits to Kenya have left the most lasting impressions of cheerfulness among believers on our hearts. These people that we worshipped with and ministered to were the poorest of the poor as to physical things, but they were the richest of the rich when it came to spiritual things. Their outward cheerfulness could only come from their love for God and the inward joy they had in their hearts.
Take time today to be cheerful to those you meet. Remember each person you meet today is facing frustrations and concerns in their lives but a smile and a touch of cheerfulness from you will change their day.
Proverbs 11:22 says that a cheerful heart is good medicine. A cheerful word of encouragement from you can be like a pain relieving medicine for someone going through a tough time.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Jeremiah 33:3.
Call to me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.
PRAYER:
Give me and my family today a new attitude of cheerfulness. Help us to be cheerful to each other and also to those we meet today. Help me to manifest my cheerfulness to You by giving a portion of my time talents and treasures back to You.
Chastisement: May 25, 2011
TODAYS WORD FOR WEDNESDAY MAY 25, 2011.
CHASTISEMENT
DEFINITION:
Fatherly correction; discipline; training.
SCRIPTURE:
My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, neither be weary of His correction: for whom the Lord loves He corrects. Proverbs 3:11-12.
As a man chastens his son, so the Lord thy God chastens thee. Deuteronomy 8:5.
KNOWLEDGE:
The word chastisement as used in the scriptures may be better understood today as correction. In the verses from Proverbs that we have written above, the psalmist reminds us as children of God not to despise the correction (chastisement) nor get weary of the correction that that God gives us.
In the verse from Deuteronomy we are reminded that God corrects us as do fathers who love their children. As children we did not like it when our parents corrected us even though they told us they corrected us because they loved us. We did not enjoy disciplining our children but we knew we must do so because we loved them and were concerned about them. This is a concept that most people do not understand today, both from the position of giving the correction and when one receives correction.
Allowing children to do whatever they want and giving them everything they ask for is not showing love because it is not in the best interest of the child. Discipline is necessary to teach a child right from wrong.
Chastisement was designed by God to correct us, to prevent us from sinning and to bless us. In Jeremiah 24: 5-6 we are given the story of two baskets of figs --- one of good figs and one of bad figs.
God allowed king Nebuchadnezzar to defeat Jehoikim, the king of Judah because of their sin and disobedience. The baskets of figs represented the exiles that were taken from Judah to Babylon. This was God’s chastisement on His people. The good figs represented the good exiles whose hearts were responsive to God. God blessed them and eventually brought them back to Judah. The bad figs represented the bad exiles that continued in their sins and eventually were destroyed. When God disciplines us it is never without a reason and it is always for a purpose. The lesson for us is to keep our hearts responsive to God’s fatherly correction, and then He will bless us as He did the good exiles.
In II Corinthians 12: 7-9 we are told that Paul was tormented by Satan with what Paul called a “thorn in the flesh.” Three times Paul prayed that the Lord would remove it, but when the Lord did not remove it Paul realized his “thorn in the flesh” kept him humble and showed him he must depend on the Lord and not on his own abilities. It kept him from the sin of pride. God has designed correction to prevent us from sinning. And finally he corrects us so that we can be blessed. In Psalm 94:12, the psalmist says, “Blessed is the man whom You instruct (correct) and teach out of Your law.”
Children respond to correction in different ways. When we think back to the days that we were raising our children and needed to correct them, we remember different responses to let us know they weren’t happy about being corrected. We had sometimes just “a look” and possibly a short comment and a quick exit from the room. Others would like to argue their case and question with a series of questions like, “Why” “How come?” Even though they didn’t want to hear it, we gave them a full explanation. At other times we were just ignored.
No matter what their reaction we knew that it was important to follow through and our discipline had to be consistent. Most importantly, discipline must not be given in anger.
Both the Old Testament and the New Testament give us guides as to how we should respond to correction given us by our Lord. In II Chronicles 6:24-31 we see that God desires that we repent in response.
In II Corinthians 12:7-10 we see that we are to show submission to God our Father. It is only as we are willing to submit to God that we can experience His power and blessing in our lives.
We encourage you today to be open to the chastisement that the Lord has for you so that you can repent and change the behavior that hinders your relationship with God.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Jeremiah 33:3.
Call unto me and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.
PRAYER:
Help me to be open to the corrections that You have for me today. May I learn to respond to Your corrections for my life with repentance and submission.
CHASTISEMENT
DEFINITION:
Fatherly correction; discipline; training.
SCRIPTURE:
My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, neither be weary of His correction: for whom the Lord loves He corrects. Proverbs 3:11-12.
As a man chastens his son, so the Lord thy God chastens thee. Deuteronomy 8:5.
KNOWLEDGE:
The word chastisement as used in the scriptures may be better understood today as correction. In the verses from Proverbs that we have written above, the psalmist reminds us as children of God not to despise the correction (chastisement) nor get weary of the correction that that God gives us.
In the verse from Deuteronomy we are reminded that God corrects us as do fathers who love their children. As children we did not like it when our parents corrected us even though they told us they corrected us because they loved us. We did not enjoy disciplining our children but we knew we must do so because we loved them and were concerned about them. This is a concept that most people do not understand today, both from the position of giving the correction and when one receives correction.
Allowing children to do whatever they want and giving them everything they ask for is not showing love because it is not in the best interest of the child. Discipline is necessary to teach a child right from wrong.
Chastisement was designed by God to correct us, to prevent us from sinning and to bless us. In Jeremiah 24: 5-6 we are given the story of two baskets of figs --- one of good figs and one of bad figs.
God allowed king Nebuchadnezzar to defeat Jehoikim, the king of Judah because of their sin and disobedience. The baskets of figs represented the exiles that were taken from Judah to Babylon. This was God’s chastisement on His people. The good figs represented the good exiles whose hearts were responsive to God. God blessed them and eventually brought them back to Judah. The bad figs represented the bad exiles that continued in their sins and eventually were destroyed. When God disciplines us it is never without a reason and it is always for a purpose. The lesson for us is to keep our hearts responsive to God’s fatherly correction, and then He will bless us as He did the good exiles.
In II Corinthians 12: 7-9 we are told that Paul was tormented by Satan with what Paul called a “thorn in the flesh.” Three times Paul prayed that the Lord would remove it, but when the Lord did not remove it Paul realized his “thorn in the flesh” kept him humble and showed him he must depend on the Lord and not on his own abilities. It kept him from the sin of pride. God has designed correction to prevent us from sinning. And finally he corrects us so that we can be blessed. In Psalm 94:12, the psalmist says, “Blessed is the man whom You instruct (correct) and teach out of Your law.”
Children respond to correction in different ways. When we think back to the days that we were raising our children and needed to correct them, we remember different responses to let us know they weren’t happy about being corrected. We had sometimes just “a look” and possibly a short comment and a quick exit from the room. Others would like to argue their case and question with a series of questions like, “Why” “How come?” Even though they didn’t want to hear it, we gave them a full explanation. At other times we were just ignored.
No matter what their reaction we knew that it was important to follow through and our discipline had to be consistent. Most importantly, discipline must not be given in anger.
Both the Old Testament and the New Testament give us guides as to how we should respond to correction given us by our Lord. In II Chronicles 6:24-31 we see that God desires that we repent in response.
In II Corinthians 12:7-10 we see that we are to show submission to God our Father. It is only as we are willing to submit to God that we can experience His power and blessing in our lives.
We encourage you today to be open to the chastisement that the Lord has for you so that you can repent and change the behavior that hinders your relationship with God.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Jeremiah 33:3.
Call unto me and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.
PRAYER:
Help me to be open to the corrections that You have for me today. May I learn to respond to Your corrections for my life with repentance and submission.
Generous: May 24, 2011
TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY MAY 24, 2011
GENEROUS
DEFINITION:
Generosity toward others; showing kindness to others; showing a readiness to give more of something, such as money or time, than is necessary or expected.
SCRIPTURE:
Only they would that we should remember the poor. Galatians 2:10
And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profited me nothing. I Corinthians 13:3
“It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Acts 20:35.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
As believers how are we to be generous to others? Today we want to share with you several biblical directives about being generous to others.
God is a generous God who has given us everything we need and He expects us to be generous to others.
Giving to the poor and the needy was a mandate given by God to Moses which he in turn was to give to the Israelites. At harvest time the Israelites were to leave the edges of their fields un-harvested to provide food for the needy. In Galatians 2:10 we read that when Paul was beginning his ministry as an apostle to the Gentiles, the apostles James, Peter and John instructed him to remember the poor. In Ephesians 4:28 Paul advises that we do something useful with our hands so that we are able to have something to share with those in need.
In Proverbs 25:21 we are told to feed our enemies if they are hungry. We are not inclined to be generous to our enemies and to do so is most difficult. Jesus tells us to love our enemies and do good to them as we are told in Luke 6:35.
In Philippians chapter four, Paul thanks the church at Philippi for their generosity in sending him aid when he was in need. In verse 18 Paul says that gifts to God’s servants are “a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice pleasing to God."
As believers we are not only expected but commanded by our Lord to be generous to the poor and needy, to our enemies, and to God’s servants.
Our parents trained us and constantly reminded us that God wanted us to be generous in helping the poor, the needy, our enemies and those who were God’s servants. Our parents practiced what they preached to us. They were generous in their giving and this served as a great example to us. Just as God instructed Moses to teach the Israelites to be generous we must teach our children to be generous. Children are naturally inclined to be selfish. They must be taught to share and be generous.
The scripture gives us some guidelines on being generous. When we give we are to give in love. Love for the Lord and love for others should be what motivates our acts of generosity (I Corinthians 13:3). We are to give cheerfully because God loves a cheerful giver as recorded in II Corinthians 9:7. In Acts 11:29 we are first required to be generous to the poor and give according to our ability. This is what God expects of us. If God has blessed us with time, talent and or treasures we are to share these, based on what He has given us, to the needy, the poor, and our enemies and with those that serve Him in the ministry.
Finally, the scriptures tell us the blessings of being generous that we can expect when we give to those He requires us to give to. In Hebrews 13:16 we are told that when we give with sacrifice, God is well pleased. In the verse above from Acts, Paul tells us that when we are generous to others we will be blessed by God. Proverbs 11:25 says that being generous to others, enriches us and in I Timothy 6:17-19 we are told that we will be rewarded.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Jeremiah 33:3.
Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things which thou know not.
PRAYER:
Thank You for the ability that You have given me to be generous with those who are in need today. Help me to be alert to the leading that Your Holy Spirit gives me today. May my family be known as a generous family that acknowledges that we have received so much from You that we cannot help but give and give even more back to others in Your name.
GENEROUS
DEFINITION:
Generosity toward others; showing kindness to others; showing a readiness to give more of something, such as money or time, than is necessary or expected.
SCRIPTURE:
Only they would that we should remember the poor. Galatians 2:10
And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profited me nothing. I Corinthians 13:3
“It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Acts 20:35.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
As believers how are we to be generous to others? Today we want to share with you several biblical directives about being generous to others.
God is a generous God who has given us everything we need and He expects us to be generous to others.
Giving to the poor and the needy was a mandate given by God to Moses which he in turn was to give to the Israelites. At harvest time the Israelites were to leave the edges of their fields un-harvested to provide food for the needy. In Galatians 2:10 we read that when Paul was beginning his ministry as an apostle to the Gentiles, the apostles James, Peter and John instructed him to remember the poor. In Ephesians 4:28 Paul advises that we do something useful with our hands so that we are able to have something to share with those in need.
In Proverbs 25:21 we are told to feed our enemies if they are hungry. We are not inclined to be generous to our enemies and to do so is most difficult. Jesus tells us to love our enemies and do good to them as we are told in Luke 6:35.
In Philippians chapter four, Paul thanks the church at Philippi for their generosity in sending him aid when he was in need. In verse 18 Paul says that gifts to God’s servants are “a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice pleasing to God."
As believers we are not only expected but commanded by our Lord to be generous to the poor and needy, to our enemies, and to God’s servants.
Our parents trained us and constantly reminded us that God wanted us to be generous in helping the poor, the needy, our enemies and those who were God’s servants. Our parents practiced what they preached to us. They were generous in their giving and this served as a great example to us. Just as God instructed Moses to teach the Israelites to be generous we must teach our children to be generous. Children are naturally inclined to be selfish. They must be taught to share and be generous.
The scripture gives us some guidelines on being generous. When we give we are to give in love. Love for the Lord and love for others should be what motivates our acts of generosity (I Corinthians 13:3). We are to give cheerfully because God loves a cheerful giver as recorded in II Corinthians 9:7. In Acts 11:29 we are first required to be generous to the poor and give according to our ability. This is what God expects of us. If God has blessed us with time, talent and or treasures we are to share these, based on what He has given us, to the needy, the poor, and our enemies and with those that serve Him in the ministry.
Finally, the scriptures tell us the blessings of being generous that we can expect when we give to those He requires us to give to. In Hebrews 13:16 we are told that when we give with sacrifice, God is well pleased. In the verse above from Acts, Paul tells us that when we are generous to others we will be blessed by God. Proverbs 11:25 says that being generous to others, enriches us and in I Timothy 6:17-19 we are told that we will be rewarded.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Jeremiah 33:3.
Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things which thou know not.
PRAYER:
Thank You for the ability that You have given me to be generous with those who are in need today. Help me to be alert to the leading that Your Holy Spirit gives me today. May my family be known as a generous family that acknowledges that we have received so much from You that we cannot help but give and give even more back to others in Your name.
Defeat: May 23, 2011
TODAYS WORD FOR MONDAY MAY 23, 2011
DEFEAT
DEFINITION:
Conquer or overcome; overwhelm, overthrow or route
SCRIPTURE:
And He began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and subscribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. Mark 8:31
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels, nor demons, neither the present or the future nor any powers, neither height nor depth nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39.
KNOWLEDGE:
Do you find it difficult at times to believe that your situation can ever be better or that something good can come from it? Even the disciples who walked with Jesus were completely devastated after the crucifixion. The Savior had told them repeatedly what was going to happen with Him as recorded in the verse we have written above (Mark 8:31).
Yet they doubted and felt totally defeated. They simply could not see past their human perceptions or expectations of what was happening. Their expectation and hope was that Jesus had come as a conquering Messiah to defeat their enemies and free them from Roman rule. Now their Messiah was defeated and put to death by the Romans. The disciples were brokenhearted and despondent. They felt absolutely helpless. Deep within their hearts, they believed it was all over. Yes, they had seen Jesus suffer and die on the cross with their own eyes. From their perspective, all of their hopes and dreams had been dashed.
How often do you get caught up in this same attitude of defeat? It is because you are overwhelmed by your circumstances because you are focused on your limited comprehension instead of God’s awesome purposes for our lives. You need to see past your imperfect understanding of what is happening in your life to our extraordinary Lord and Redeemer and then your heart will be filled with joy.
Let us look at the disciples after the resurrection of Jesus to see what they discovered.
First, they were able to realize that God always succeeds in carrying out His plans. Jesus did come as the conquering Messiah but not to conquer the Romans, but to conquer death. Jesus promised to pay the penalty for our sins and deliver us from the penalty of death and He did. (Luke 24:46-48) The same will happen in your life. Whatever your problem you need to remember that the Lord is greater. He can help you overcome any problem you encounter.
Secondly, the disciples learned that nothing can separate us from God. Paul assures us in Romans 8:31-39 that no matter what hardship or defeat we may suffer in this world it is impossible for those who trust in the Lord to be separated from God. God’s love will reach us no matter where we are or what circumstances we are in or even how defeated we think we are. As Christians there will always be those who desire to see us defeated. We will face hardships in this life but not one thing can separate us from the love of God. The disciples thought they had lost Jesus through the crucifixion but the resurrection assured them that they would never be divided from Him again. Likewise now we have the same assurance that we always have our Lord with us.
Thirdly, the disciples discovered that any adversity we experience is temporary because Jesus has given us eternal life. You may feel that you are facing defeat because your situation is so grave. You may be weary and disheartened, but do not give up hope. Cling to the promise that God acts on behalf of those of us who wait upon Him. Keep seeking Him and you will overcome your feeling of defeat.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Jeremiah 33:3.
Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
PRAYER:
Help me today to face every situation with an attitude of victory. Help me not to be overwhelmed or even overcome by situations that I may face. May I learn from the disciples as they faced Jesus after His crucifixion to face every moment of every day with confidence and victory in You.
DEFEAT
DEFINITION:
Conquer or overcome; overwhelm, overthrow or route
SCRIPTURE:
And He began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and subscribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. Mark 8:31
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels, nor demons, neither the present or the future nor any powers, neither height nor depth nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39.
KNOWLEDGE:
Do you find it difficult at times to believe that your situation can ever be better or that something good can come from it? Even the disciples who walked with Jesus were completely devastated after the crucifixion. The Savior had told them repeatedly what was going to happen with Him as recorded in the verse we have written above (Mark 8:31).
Yet they doubted and felt totally defeated. They simply could not see past their human perceptions or expectations of what was happening. Their expectation and hope was that Jesus had come as a conquering Messiah to defeat their enemies and free them from Roman rule. Now their Messiah was defeated and put to death by the Romans. The disciples were brokenhearted and despondent. They felt absolutely helpless. Deep within their hearts, they believed it was all over. Yes, they had seen Jesus suffer and die on the cross with their own eyes. From their perspective, all of their hopes and dreams had been dashed.
How often do you get caught up in this same attitude of defeat? It is because you are overwhelmed by your circumstances because you are focused on your limited comprehension instead of God’s awesome purposes for our lives. You need to see past your imperfect understanding of what is happening in your life to our extraordinary Lord and Redeemer and then your heart will be filled with joy.
Let us look at the disciples after the resurrection of Jesus to see what they discovered.
First, they were able to realize that God always succeeds in carrying out His plans. Jesus did come as the conquering Messiah but not to conquer the Romans, but to conquer death. Jesus promised to pay the penalty for our sins and deliver us from the penalty of death and He did. (Luke 24:46-48) The same will happen in your life. Whatever your problem you need to remember that the Lord is greater. He can help you overcome any problem you encounter.
Secondly, the disciples learned that nothing can separate us from God. Paul assures us in Romans 8:31-39 that no matter what hardship or defeat we may suffer in this world it is impossible for those who trust in the Lord to be separated from God. God’s love will reach us no matter where we are or what circumstances we are in or even how defeated we think we are. As Christians there will always be those who desire to see us defeated. We will face hardships in this life but not one thing can separate us from the love of God. The disciples thought they had lost Jesus through the crucifixion but the resurrection assured them that they would never be divided from Him again. Likewise now we have the same assurance that we always have our Lord with us.
Thirdly, the disciples discovered that any adversity we experience is temporary because Jesus has given us eternal life. You may feel that you are facing defeat because your situation is so grave. You may be weary and disheartened, but do not give up hope. Cling to the promise that God acts on behalf of those of us who wait upon Him. Keep seeking Him and you will overcome your feeling of defeat.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Jeremiah 33:3.
Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
PRAYER:
Help me today to face every situation with an attitude of victory. Help me not to be overwhelmed or even overcome by situations that I may face. May I learn from the disciples as they faced Jesus after His crucifixion to face every moment of every day with confidence and victory in You.
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