GEMS OF ENCOURAGEMENT FOR SATURDAY AUGUST 4, 2012.
PROVERB
A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret. Proverbs 11:13.
PROMISE
I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted and by your words you will be condemned. Matthew 12: 36-37.
PRAISE
O God, whom I praise, do not remain silent, for wicked and deceitful men have opened their mouths against me; they have spoken against me with lying tongues. With my mouth I will greatly extol the Lord; in the great throng I will praise Him. For He stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save his life from those who condemn him. Psalm 109: 1, 2, 30, and 31.
August 5, 2012
Beginning: August 2, 2012
TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY AUGUST 2, 2012.
BEGINNING
DEFINITION:
A point of coming into existence; a starting point; commence; start; take the first step; origin; source.
SCRIPTURE:
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1.
In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. John 1:1.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
This world and everything in this world has a beginning. Genesis 1:1 states that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. In the beginning God was there. In John 1:1 it reads that Jesus (the Word) was also there in the beginning. Only our triune God (God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit) has existed from the beginning.
We all begin life here on this earth by being born. Birth is a process by which each of us has our beginning. God in His Word speaks of our need to be “born again.” There are many people in this world that do not understand what it means to be “born again.”
These words --”born again”-- were spoken by Jesus when He was talking to Nicodemus. Although he was a devout Jewish Pharisee, he did not understand what being “born again” really meant. He asked how one can be born more than once. Jesus explained that the first birth is a birth of the flesh, but the second birth is the birth of the Spirit. Our first birth gives earthly life and our second birth gives us eternal life.
In order to be “born again” we must go through the process of realizing that we are sinners and ask God for forgiveness and then after asking God for forgiveness we need to ask Jesus to come into our heart and then accept Jesus as our Savior. By our first birth we all were born into this world as sinners because of the fall of Adam and Eve. The penalty for sin is death. Because we are born sinners we need to pay the price for our sins. God has provided a way for us to escape paying the penalty by accepting Jesus as Savior. By our faith in Jesus we are made a new creation. In II Corinthians 5:17 it reads, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come.” As a new creation we have a new beginning and our heart will be changed and our life-style will be changed.
First, we must be ready to expect the unexpected. Your own plan for your life is limited because of who you are. You do not know the future or even what will happen later today. God has His own plan for your life and a new beginning. Your new life in Christ is unlimited because of who He is.
It may be God’s plan to change your plan for your life completely. Paul could never have expected how completely God was going to change the direction of his life. Paul was transformed from being a persecutor of those who believed in Christ into a preacher for Christ. Instead of halting the spread of the gospel he would do more than any other individual to spread the Gospel throughout the Roman Empire.
Secondly, we must be prepared to believe the unbelievable. The message of the gospel is the first unbelievable action that we must believe. Jesus did die on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. Jesus was buried in a tomb. Jesus did rise from the dead. Jesus, as your risen Savior, wants a relationship with you so you can spend an eternity with Him no matter how great a sinner you once were.
Thirdly, in our new beginning with Jesus we must discover the undiscoverable. For example as one who puts his or her trust in Jesus you will discover that you can experience joy at the moment you are troubled or in fear. You can express worship to God at the moment you are most vulnerable to the evils around you in this world. And you can find purpose at the moment you are the most confused about any given situation that has changed the direction of your life. When God is in control of our life nothing is impossible.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in 1 Corinthians 3:11.
For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
PRAYER:
I thank You Lord for forgiving all my sins. I thank You Lord for making me a new creation. My prayer is that You will change me completely so that I will be what You want me to be.
BEGINNING
DEFINITION:
A point of coming into existence; a starting point; commence; start; take the first step; origin; source.
SCRIPTURE:
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1.
In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. John 1:1.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
This world and everything in this world has a beginning. Genesis 1:1 states that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. In the beginning God was there. In John 1:1 it reads that Jesus (the Word) was also there in the beginning. Only our triune God (God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit) has existed from the beginning.
We all begin life here on this earth by being born. Birth is a process by which each of us has our beginning. God in His Word speaks of our need to be “born again.” There are many people in this world that do not understand what it means to be “born again.”
These words --”born again”-- were spoken by Jesus when He was talking to Nicodemus. Although he was a devout Jewish Pharisee, he did not understand what being “born again” really meant. He asked how one can be born more than once. Jesus explained that the first birth is a birth of the flesh, but the second birth is the birth of the Spirit. Our first birth gives earthly life and our second birth gives us eternal life.
In order to be “born again” we must go through the process of realizing that we are sinners and ask God for forgiveness and then after asking God for forgiveness we need to ask Jesus to come into our heart and then accept Jesus as our Savior. By our first birth we all were born into this world as sinners because of the fall of Adam and Eve. The penalty for sin is death. Because we are born sinners we need to pay the price for our sins. God has provided a way for us to escape paying the penalty by accepting Jesus as Savior. By our faith in Jesus we are made a new creation. In II Corinthians 5:17 it reads, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come.” As a new creation we have a new beginning and our heart will be changed and our life-style will be changed.
First, we must be ready to expect the unexpected. Your own plan for your life is limited because of who you are. You do not know the future or even what will happen later today. God has His own plan for your life and a new beginning. Your new life in Christ is unlimited because of who He is.
It may be God’s plan to change your plan for your life completely. Paul could never have expected how completely God was going to change the direction of his life. Paul was transformed from being a persecutor of those who believed in Christ into a preacher for Christ. Instead of halting the spread of the gospel he would do more than any other individual to spread the Gospel throughout the Roman Empire.
Secondly, we must be prepared to believe the unbelievable. The message of the gospel is the first unbelievable action that we must believe. Jesus did die on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. Jesus was buried in a tomb. Jesus did rise from the dead. Jesus, as your risen Savior, wants a relationship with you so you can spend an eternity with Him no matter how great a sinner you once were.
Thirdly, in our new beginning with Jesus we must discover the undiscoverable. For example as one who puts his or her trust in Jesus you will discover that you can experience joy at the moment you are troubled or in fear. You can express worship to God at the moment you are most vulnerable to the evils around you in this world. And you can find purpose at the moment you are the most confused about any given situation that has changed the direction of your life. When God is in control of our life nothing is impossible.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in 1 Corinthians 3:11.
For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
PRAYER:
I thank You Lord for forgiving all my sins. I thank You Lord for making me a new creation. My prayer is that You will change me completely so that I will be what You want me to be.
Children: August 3, 2012
TODAYS WORD FOR FRIDAY AUGUST 3, 2012.
CHILDREN
DEFINITION:
A young human off spring; a young person between infancy and youth.
SCRIPTURE:
“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called the children of God. And this is what we are beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” I John 3:1-2.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
By God’s design we do not enter this world fully grown and self-sufficient. Therefore we all know what it is like to be a child. Every child has the need to feel like they belong to someone and that someone loves and cares for them. That need remains within us through life. Because God desires a relationship with us, He created this need within us.
As a believer in Jesus Christ, you are part of a family. John 1:12 tells us that to all who receive Him and believe in His name, He gave the right to become children of God. It was because of His great love for us (John 3:1-2) that God our Father made it possible for each of us to be a child of God by sacrificing His Son to die on the cross in order to pay the penalty for our sins.
Throughout the Bible God speaks to us as a loving and caring parent and in that role He gives us His instructions in the parent-child relationship. In Ephesians chapter six as well as in Colossians the third chapter we are told that children are to obey and honor their parents.
In Proverbs 22:6 we are told as parents that we are to train our children in the way they should go and when they grow up they will not turn away from God. In Psalm 127: 3 we are told that children are our heritage. When John the Baptist was a boy we read about him being a joy and delight to his parents. (Luke 1:14-15).
These same attributes can be related to us as believers in our relationship to God as children of God. We are to obey our Father. We are to honor our Father. We are to read the Bible so that God through His Word can train us so that as we grow as Christians we will mature in our Christian faith. God, our Father considers us as His heritage and wants us to be a joy and a delight to Him.
Child rearing today is a tremendous responsibility for parents. Children are being buffeted by so many outside forces that their parents never faced as children. Self will is the root of most sin and misery and if checked at an early age it promotes future happiness. Children, who are allowed to do as they please, will most likely follow a path in life that leads to their destruction.
As every parent knows, children do not come with instruction manuals, and no two children are alike. In raising children today, many parents struggle with discipline. Some parents are afraid to discipline their children at all and others are all too harsh to the point of being cruel and abusive.
We are instructed in Proverbs 23:13, “Do not withhold discipline from a child, if you punish him with a rod he will not die.” Just as God disciplines us, we are to discipline our children.
In this day and age parents here in America are fearful that if they “spank or hit” their child, they would be accused of child abuse, so because of this fear they are fearful of using any discipline. This should not be. Children need just and fair discipline to help them become responsible adults.
As children of God we face today many forces of evil in our lives but the good news is that as children of God, He will be always there for us. Jesus loves His children. In Matthew 19:14, while He was on this earth, we are told that the disciples tried to shield Jesus from the children. But Jesus responded by saying: “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them, for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” Yes, Jesus loves the little children and as a child of God, we can be assured that He loves us, and He wants us to come to Him.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in 1 Corinthians 3:11.
For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
PRAYER:
We are so grateful that You have provided the way for us to be a child of God. Thank You for my children. Help me to be a godly parent. Help me to teach my children to obey and honor You in all they do.
CHILDREN
DEFINITION:
A young human off spring; a young person between infancy and youth.
SCRIPTURE:
“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called the children of God. And this is what we are beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” I John 3:1-2.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
By God’s design we do not enter this world fully grown and self-sufficient. Therefore we all know what it is like to be a child. Every child has the need to feel like they belong to someone and that someone loves and cares for them. That need remains within us through life. Because God desires a relationship with us, He created this need within us.
As a believer in Jesus Christ, you are part of a family. John 1:12 tells us that to all who receive Him and believe in His name, He gave the right to become children of God. It was because of His great love for us (John 3:1-2) that God our Father made it possible for each of us to be a child of God by sacrificing His Son to die on the cross in order to pay the penalty for our sins.
Throughout the Bible God speaks to us as a loving and caring parent and in that role He gives us His instructions in the parent-child relationship. In Ephesians chapter six as well as in Colossians the third chapter we are told that children are to obey and honor their parents.
In Proverbs 22:6 we are told as parents that we are to train our children in the way they should go and when they grow up they will not turn away from God. In Psalm 127: 3 we are told that children are our heritage. When John the Baptist was a boy we read about him being a joy and delight to his parents. (Luke 1:14-15).
These same attributes can be related to us as believers in our relationship to God as children of God. We are to obey our Father. We are to honor our Father. We are to read the Bible so that God through His Word can train us so that as we grow as Christians we will mature in our Christian faith. God, our Father considers us as His heritage and wants us to be a joy and a delight to Him.
Child rearing today is a tremendous responsibility for parents. Children are being buffeted by so many outside forces that their parents never faced as children. Self will is the root of most sin and misery and if checked at an early age it promotes future happiness. Children, who are allowed to do as they please, will most likely follow a path in life that leads to their destruction.
As every parent knows, children do not come with instruction manuals, and no two children are alike. In raising children today, many parents struggle with discipline. Some parents are afraid to discipline their children at all and others are all too harsh to the point of being cruel and abusive.
We are instructed in Proverbs 23:13, “Do not withhold discipline from a child, if you punish him with a rod he will not die.” Just as God disciplines us, we are to discipline our children.
In this day and age parents here in America are fearful that if they “spank or hit” their child, they would be accused of child abuse, so because of this fear they are fearful of using any discipline. This should not be. Children need just and fair discipline to help them become responsible adults.
As children of God we face today many forces of evil in our lives but the good news is that as children of God, He will be always there for us. Jesus loves His children. In Matthew 19:14, while He was on this earth, we are told that the disciples tried to shield Jesus from the children. But Jesus responded by saying: “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them, for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” Yes, Jesus loves the little children and as a child of God, we can be assured that He loves us, and He wants us to come to Him.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in 1 Corinthians 3:11.
For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
PRAYER:
We are so grateful that You have provided the way for us to be a child of God. Thank You for my children. Help me to be a godly parent. Help me to teach my children to obey and honor You in all they do.
Instruction: August 1, 2012
TODAYS WORD FOR WEDNESDAY AUGUST 1, 2012.
INSTRUCTION
DEFINITION:
Teaching; an order; direction; advice; education.
SCRIPTURE:
“Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go.” Proverbs 4:13
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for instruction in righteousness.” II Timothy 3:16
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Think of all the times in your life when you were given instruction regardless of whether you wanted it or thought you needed it. When you were a child you needed instruction from your parents. When you went to school you received instruction from your teachers. When you went to Sunday school you received instruction about the Bible from your Sunday school teacher. When you had a new job, you received instruction as to your responsibilities.
The reality is that there is never a time in our life that we cannot benefit from instruction if it is the right kind of instruction. That is why Solomon says, “Take firm hold of instruction, do not let it go.”
We learned from an early age from our parents the value and importance of instruction. As children we did not always like the instruction that was given us. With children, correction is a necessary element in instruction. Children often rebel at corrective instruction but if it is given consistently and in love soon the rebellion will be overcome. As we grew older we realized the value of the instruction given to us by our parents.
We also learned at an early age the value of the instruction we received in school. Our teachers and our parents taught us to study and to accept instruction as to how we were to study and learn. Without proper instruction how can a child succeed in life? Today many children do not get encouragement at home to do well in school. The result is that children then feel if no one cares why should they?
Many books have been written that provide instruction as to how to do things. They are all written from the limited scope of the human mind. With time they must be changed and updated. The Bible is not a human book. It is different from all other books. The Bible is the “inspired Word of God.” This means that what the scripture speaks to us it is God speaking to us. God’s Word never changes.
Paul tells us that because scripture is given by inspiration of God it is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, and for instruction in righteousness.
The above scripture verse found in II Timothy reminds us that the Bible was given to us as God’s inspired word for instruction as to how we are to live our lives in this world as believers in the Lord. God’s Word provides for us positive training information in godly behavior. The instruction that we receive as we read God’s word at times seems hard to understand and many wonder if it is even realistic in today’s culture. But when one accepts Jesus as his or her Savior the heart and mind changes and the instruction we receive from the Bible can be understood. We must understand that the instruction that God has given us in the Bible has never changed through the centuries, only people and cultures change.
We are to take hold of the instruction that God gives us and we are not to let it go. (Above verse from Proverbs) We are to guard it with all we have got. In this Proverb the father is commanding his son to acquire wisdom and instruction and in this verse he is strongly suggesting for the son to guard the scriptures and what instruction he has received from the scriptures. We encourage you today to use discernment about what others do or what others say if it conflicts with the instruction given to us in God’s word.
As parents we must instruct our children in the ways of the Lord and as children we must learn from the God-given instruction that our parents give us. Remember others learn from our words and our deeds. Make sure that what you do and say today is consistent with the instruction given to you in God’s Word.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in 1 Corinthians 3:11.
For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
PRAYER:
Thank You for giving us Your Word to instruct us as to how we are to live our lives so that we will honor You. Thank You that You never change nor does Your Word. Make my heart receptive to Your instruction for my life.
INSTRUCTION
DEFINITION:
Teaching; an order; direction; advice; education.
SCRIPTURE:
“Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go.” Proverbs 4:13
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for instruction in righteousness.” II Timothy 3:16
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Think of all the times in your life when you were given instruction regardless of whether you wanted it or thought you needed it. When you were a child you needed instruction from your parents. When you went to school you received instruction from your teachers. When you went to Sunday school you received instruction about the Bible from your Sunday school teacher. When you had a new job, you received instruction as to your responsibilities.
The reality is that there is never a time in our life that we cannot benefit from instruction if it is the right kind of instruction. That is why Solomon says, “Take firm hold of instruction, do not let it go.”
We learned from an early age from our parents the value and importance of instruction. As children we did not always like the instruction that was given us. With children, correction is a necessary element in instruction. Children often rebel at corrective instruction but if it is given consistently and in love soon the rebellion will be overcome. As we grew older we realized the value of the instruction given to us by our parents.
We also learned at an early age the value of the instruction we received in school. Our teachers and our parents taught us to study and to accept instruction as to how we were to study and learn. Without proper instruction how can a child succeed in life? Today many children do not get encouragement at home to do well in school. The result is that children then feel if no one cares why should they?
Many books have been written that provide instruction as to how to do things. They are all written from the limited scope of the human mind. With time they must be changed and updated. The Bible is not a human book. It is different from all other books. The Bible is the “inspired Word of God.” This means that what the scripture speaks to us it is God speaking to us. God’s Word never changes.
Paul tells us that because scripture is given by inspiration of God it is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, and for instruction in righteousness.
The above scripture verse found in II Timothy reminds us that the Bible was given to us as God’s inspired word for instruction as to how we are to live our lives in this world as believers in the Lord. God’s Word provides for us positive training information in godly behavior. The instruction that we receive as we read God’s word at times seems hard to understand and many wonder if it is even realistic in today’s culture. But when one accepts Jesus as his or her Savior the heart and mind changes and the instruction we receive from the Bible can be understood. We must understand that the instruction that God has given us in the Bible has never changed through the centuries, only people and cultures change.
We are to take hold of the instruction that God gives us and we are not to let it go. (Above verse from Proverbs) We are to guard it with all we have got. In this Proverb the father is commanding his son to acquire wisdom and instruction and in this verse he is strongly suggesting for the son to guard the scriptures and what instruction he has received from the scriptures. We encourage you today to use discernment about what others do or what others say if it conflicts with the instruction given to us in God’s word.
As parents we must instruct our children in the ways of the Lord and as children we must learn from the God-given instruction that our parents give us. Remember others learn from our words and our deeds. Make sure that what you do and say today is consistent with the instruction given to you in God’s Word.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in 1 Corinthians 3:11.
For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
PRAYER:
Thank You for giving us Your Word to instruct us as to how we are to live our lives so that we will honor You. Thank You that You never change nor does Your Word. Make my heart receptive to Your instruction for my life.
Contentment: July 31, 2012
Today's Word for Tuesday July 31, 2012
CONTENTMENT
DEFINITION:
Being satisfied with what one is or has; not wanting more or anything else.
SCRIPTURE:
"Be content with what you have, because God has said, 'never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.'" Hebrews 13:5 (NIV)
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Everyone looks for contentment in their life. Many search for it their whole life and never find it. In the Bible two men, each from very different circumstances in life, give us a summary of their lives.
In his own words this is what one man said concerning his life: I have worked hard, been in prison frequently, been flogged severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods and once I was stoned.
I was shipwrecked three times and spent a night and a day adrift in the sea. I was constantly on the move from place to place. I have been in danger from rivers and bandits. I have labored and have often gone without sleep. I have known hunger and thirst and have gone without food many times. I have been cold and naked. This account is from II Corinthians 11:23-27.
The other man gave this account of his life: I had more riches and wisdom than anyone else. I had a beautiful palace. I built houses for myself and planted vineyards, gardens and parks. I had much silver and gold. I received 25 tons of gold a year. I denied myself nothing in life. I had 12,000 horses, 4000 stables and 1400 chariots. I did not refuse my heart from any pleasure. I had 700 wives and 300 concubines. I had everything a man could desire.
It would seem that only the second man had reason to be content. The man who had everything was Solomon. You can read about his riches in I Kings 10:14 to 11:3. Although he had everything he tells us that he did not have contentment in them. To paraphrase Solomon's own words he said that, as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all just meaningless. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere. (Ecclesiastics 2:11).
In verse 13 of Ecclesiastics Solomon tells us what became meaningful to him. He said, "Here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments."
The first man who described his life as one of hard work and suffering was the apostle Paul. It would seem unlikely if not impossible, humanly speaking, to find contentment in the life that Paul endured. In his own words Paul said: "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation." Philippians 4:12.
Paul found contentment in his life because he was doing what God wanted him to do -- preach the gospel. Paul did not see his life as meaningless because he was focused on pleasing God, not on pleasing his personal desires. Paul's conclusion was: "For me to live is Christ." (Philippians 1:21).
True contentment is never based on our circumstances. The writer of Hebrews gives those of us who believe in God the reason we can be content with what we have. It is because we have God’s promise that He will never leave us nor forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5) This is a priceless promise, worth more than anything in the world.
For us as believers, contentment comes from the inner peace we have from our faith in God. Are you frustrated, worried, angry and discontent because of circumstances in your life? If so then it is time for you to turn them over to the Lord in prayer. Jesus wants us to give all of our anxiety and worry to Him because He cares for us. (I Peter 5:7)
If you are seeking contentment you will find it in loving the Lord, keeping His commandments and in living for Him.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in I Corinthians 3:11:
For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
PRAYER:
Help me, dear Lord, to seek contentment in loving and knowing You. Help me to obey Your commandments and to guide my children on the right path of life by teaching them to obey Your commandments. May each of us in our family have faith in You and not in the things of this world we live in.
CONTENTMENT
DEFINITION:
Being satisfied with what one is or has; not wanting more or anything else.
SCRIPTURE:
"Be content with what you have, because God has said, 'never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.'" Hebrews 13:5 (NIV)
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Everyone looks for contentment in their life. Many search for it their whole life and never find it. In the Bible two men, each from very different circumstances in life, give us a summary of their lives.
In his own words this is what one man said concerning his life: I have worked hard, been in prison frequently, been flogged severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods and once I was stoned.
I was shipwrecked three times and spent a night and a day adrift in the sea. I was constantly on the move from place to place. I have been in danger from rivers and bandits. I have labored and have often gone without sleep. I have known hunger and thirst and have gone without food many times. I have been cold and naked. This account is from II Corinthians 11:23-27.
The other man gave this account of his life: I had more riches and wisdom than anyone else. I had a beautiful palace. I built houses for myself and planted vineyards, gardens and parks. I had much silver and gold. I received 25 tons of gold a year. I denied myself nothing in life. I had 12,000 horses, 4000 stables and 1400 chariots. I did not refuse my heart from any pleasure. I had 700 wives and 300 concubines. I had everything a man could desire.
It would seem that only the second man had reason to be content. The man who had everything was Solomon. You can read about his riches in I Kings 10:14 to 11:3. Although he had everything he tells us that he did not have contentment in them. To paraphrase Solomon's own words he said that, as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all just meaningless. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere. (Ecclesiastics 2:11).
In verse 13 of Ecclesiastics Solomon tells us what became meaningful to him. He said, "Here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments."
The first man who described his life as one of hard work and suffering was the apostle Paul. It would seem unlikely if not impossible, humanly speaking, to find contentment in the life that Paul endured. In his own words Paul said: "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation." Philippians 4:12.
Paul found contentment in his life because he was doing what God wanted him to do -- preach the gospel. Paul did not see his life as meaningless because he was focused on pleasing God, not on pleasing his personal desires. Paul's conclusion was: "For me to live is Christ." (Philippians 1:21).
True contentment is never based on our circumstances. The writer of Hebrews gives those of us who believe in God the reason we can be content with what we have. It is because we have God’s promise that He will never leave us nor forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5) This is a priceless promise, worth more than anything in the world.
For us as believers, contentment comes from the inner peace we have from our faith in God. Are you frustrated, worried, angry and discontent because of circumstances in your life? If so then it is time for you to turn them over to the Lord in prayer. Jesus wants us to give all of our anxiety and worry to Him because He cares for us. (I Peter 5:7)
If you are seeking contentment you will find it in loving the Lord, keeping His commandments and in living for Him.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in I Corinthians 3:11:
For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
PRAYER:
Help me, dear Lord, to seek contentment in loving and knowing You. Help me to obey Your commandments and to guide my children on the right path of life by teaching them to obey Your commandments. May each of us in our family have faith in You and not in the things of this world we live in.
Standards: July 30, 2012
TODAYS WORD FOR MONDAY JULY 30, 2012.
STANDARDS
Definition:
Something established by authority, custom or general consent as a model or example; criterion; the morals, ethics, customs etc., regarded as acceptable.
SCRIPTURE:
What does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God with all your heart, to walk in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees. Deuteronomy 10:12.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
God has set standards for us who love Him to keep. Setting human standards that ignore God and His commandments have no lasting effect. For the non-believers standards are made to be broken.
For those who know Jesus as his or her Savior, a standard has significant importance. A believer in Jesus lives by the standards that Jesus lived by and taught. They are God’s standards. God first gave His standards to the Children of Israel on their way to the Promised Land. The purpose of God’s standards was to make His people spiritually and morally unique from the rest of the world. Their godly standards of living were to be a witness and a testimony of the true and living God to the nations. We read in Deuteronomy 10:12-13, that there were five things that God expected of them. They were: 1. Reverence God. 2. Walk in all His ways. 3. Love Him. 4. Serve Him with all your heart and soul. 5. Observe His commands.
Jesus, when He was here on earth, lived by and taught these same standards. God does not change. His standards for us are the same that they were for the children of Israel and as they were some 2000 years ago when Jesus was on this earth and taught them personally. Godly standards are essential in every believer’s life. Are you living the way that God expects you to and are you keeping God’s standards?
Here is a list of standards for you to evaluate. Do you set a time daily for reading the Bible, praying to God, spending time with the family and communicating with your spouse?
At the workplace do you set yourself a standard of excellence in your work, completing your work, communicating to the people you work with and living a life that exemplifies the Lord?
What about your church? Do you set examples and a standard for your family, friends and neighbors? Do you attend church and Sunday school? Are you involved in a home Bible study group? Do you volunteer to help in some area? Do others during the week see the same standard on Monday that you live by on Sunday?
We are sure that these are enough questions to get you to think about setting standards in your life that honor God. Keeping God’s standards are essential if we want to be used by God and be a testimony to the rest of the world of God’s love and saving grace.
The commands and decrees that we are told to keep in Deuteronomy 10:12 are given to us in Exodus 20. We know them today as the Ten Commandments. We urge you to read these today and then print them and put them in a prominent place in your home so you have to read them daily. If you choose to do this and then choose to live by them God will change you and your life dramatically. Commandments are not options. They are the requirements necessary to have a right relationship with God.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in I Corinthians 3:11:
For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
PRAYER:
Father in heaven, help me and my family to be obedient to Your commandments so that others will see that we are morally and spiritually unique. Keep us committed to living by godly standards so that our lives are a testimony that we have been changed by Your saving grace that we have received through the shed blood of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
STANDARDS
Definition:
Something established by authority, custom or general consent as a model or example; criterion; the morals, ethics, customs etc., regarded as acceptable.
SCRIPTURE:
What does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God with all your heart, to walk in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees. Deuteronomy 10:12.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
God has set standards for us who love Him to keep. Setting human standards that ignore God and His commandments have no lasting effect. For the non-believers standards are made to be broken.
For those who know Jesus as his or her Savior, a standard has significant importance. A believer in Jesus lives by the standards that Jesus lived by and taught. They are God’s standards. God first gave His standards to the Children of Israel on their way to the Promised Land. The purpose of God’s standards was to make His people spiritually and morally unique from the rest of the world. Their godly standards of living were to be a witness and a testimony of the true and living God to the nations. We read in Deuteronomy 10:12-13, that there were five things that God expected of them. They were: 1. Reverence God. 2. Walk in all His ways. 3. Love Him. 4. Serve Him with all your heart and soul. 5. Observe His commands.
Jesus, when He was here on earth, lived by and taught these same standards. God does not change. His standards for us are the same that they were for the children of Israel and as they were some 2000 years ago when Jesus was on this earth and taught them personally. Godly standards are essential in every believer’s life. Are you living the way that God expects you to and are you keeping God’s standards?
Here is a list of standards for you to evaluate. Do you set a time daily for reading the Bible, praying to God, spending time with the family and communicating with your spouse?
At the workplace do you set yourself a standard of excellence in your work, completing your work, communicating to the people you work with and living a life that exemplifies the Lord?
What about your church? Do you set examples and a standard for your family, friends and neighbors? Do you attend church and Sunday school? Are you involved in a home Bible study group? Do you volunteer to help in some area? Do others during the week see the same standard on Monday that you live by on Sunday?
We are sure that these are enough questions to get you to think about setting standards in your life that honor God. Keeping God’s standards are essential if we want to be used by God and be a testimony to the rest of the world of God’s love and saving grace.
The commands and decrees that we are told to keep in Deuteronomy 10:12 are given to us in Exodus 20. We know them today as the Ten Commandments. We urge you to read these today and then print them and put them in a prominent place in your home so you have to read them daily. If you choose to do this and then choose to live by them God will change you and your life dramatically. Commandments are not options. They are the requirements necessary to have a right relationship with God.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in I Corinthians 3:11:
For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
PRAYER:
Father in heaven, help me and my family to be obedient to Your commandments so that others will see that we are morally and spiritually unique. Keep us committed to living by godly standards so that our lives are a testimony that we have been changed by Your saving grace that we have received through the shed blood of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
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