GEMS OF ENCOURAGEMENT FOR SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 1, 2012.
PROVERB:
The fear of the Lord adds length to life, but the years of the wicked are cut short. Proverbs 10:27
PROMISE
Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in His ways. You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours. Psalm 128: 1-2
PRAISE
I will exalt You, my God the King; I will praise Your name forever and ever. Every day I will praise You and extol Your name forever and ever. Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom. Psalm 145:1-3
September 2, 2012
Power: August 31, 2012
TODAYS WORD FOR FRIDAY AUGUST 31. 2012.
POWER
DEFINITION:
The capability to do, act, or accomplish something; the control or command over others; a Deity; physical and mental strength; influence; might.
SCRIPTURE:
“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the world.” Acts 1:8.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
The machines and mechanized devices we use today in our daily lives make life so much easier for us. All of these devices have something in common. They need a power source. They come equipped with a fuel tank, an electrical plug or a solar cell that provides a power source. And these devices are useless unless they have power. A vacuum cleaner needs to be plugged into an electrical outlet and an airplane cannot fly without fuel. Those who have been through a severe earthquake, tornado or hurricane know what it is like to be without power. Everything shuts down. Without power businesses, stores, gas stations, restaurants and schools cannot function.
People today are searching for a power source for their lives. Some look to money and others look to education or a political office. These sources of power are acquired by our own methods. Political leaders want power to control governing policies. Parents want power to control their children. When the power source is our own limited human abilities it is doomed to failure over time.
God is all powerful and has provided a power source for us that is greater than all other sources because it comes directly from Him. Jesus tells us in the above scripture that the Holy Spirit is that source for our power. It is important for all believers to remember that for power in our lives we need to stay connected to our power source that God provides for us.
When the disciples were with Jesus during His ministry on earth, Jesus was right there with them to be their power source. Jesus knew that when He returned to His Father in heaven His disciples would be left powerless.
The words spoken to His disciples in Acts 1:8 were the last words of Jesus to His disciples before He ascended into heaven. Jesus was placing a huge responsibility on the disciples. They were to be His witnesses. He knew that the disciples could not do this in their own power so He tells them that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit would come upon them.
In Acts 1:4 He told them to wait in Jerusalem for a few days until the Holy Spirit came and baptized them. During those few days they must have felt powerless. Perhaps Jesus purpose in this was to help them recognize their need for the power of the Holy Spirit. Just as Jesus told the disciples to be witnesses first in Jerusalem, we are to be witnesses in our Jerusalem. This is our family, our home and our friends. Is your home considered by all that live with you a God-honoring home? Is Christ the head of your home?
Then we are to reach out beyond our home to our Judea and Samaria. This is to our neighborhood and city. And finally we are to reach out to the end of the world. The world is our mission field. God has given us the responsibility to be witnesses of Him wherever we go and has given us power to accomplish this.
As believers we are to be His witnesses. The disciples could not witness in their own power nor can we. We can only do it in the power of the Holy Spirit. This power is freely given to us today but we must be willing to plug into the source. God through His Holy Spirit empowers us to live a God-fearing life and to speak out with authority about our faith.
The power is there for us through the Holy Spirit and is only limited by our lack of faith or lack of vision. The Lord has important work for every believer to do as His representative on this earth. It is time to dream big dreams and then act by asking God through the power of His Holy Spirit to work through you. Do not limit what God wants from you.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Joshua 1:9.
Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
PRAYER:
I love You Lord, because You are my strength, my rock, my protection and my Savior. Thank You for being my rock so I can run to You for safety. Thank You for giving me power through Your Holy Spirit to be a witness for You this day.
POWER
DEFINITION:
The capability to do, act, or accomplish something; the control or command over others; a Deity; physical and mental strength; influence; might.
SCRIPTURE:
“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the world.” Acts 1:8.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
The machines and mechanized devices we use today in our daily lives make life so much easier for us. All of these devices have something in common. They need a power source. They come equipped with a fuel tank, an electrical plug or a solar cell that provides a power source. And these devices are useless unless they have power. A vacuum cleaner needs to be plugged into an electrical outlet and an airplane cannot fly without fuel. Those who have been through a severe earthquake, tornado or hurricane know what it is like to be without power. Everything shuts down. Without power businesses, stores, gas stations, restaurants and schools cannot function.
People today are searching for a power source for their lives. Some look to money and others look to education or a political office. These sources of power are acquired by our own methods. Political leaders want power to control governing policies. Parents want power to control their children. When the power source is our own limited human abilities it is doomed to failure over time.
God is all powerful and has provided a power source for us that is greater than all other sources because it comes directly from Him. Jesus tells us in the above scripture that the Holy Spirit is that source for our power. It is important for all believers to remember that for power in our lives we need to stay connected to our power source that God provides for us.
When the disciples were with Jesus during His ministry on earth, Jesus was right there with them to be their power source. Jesus knew that when He returned to His Father in heaven His disciples would be left powerless.
The words spoken to His disciples in Acts 1:8 were the last words of Jesus to His disciples before He ascended into heaven. Jesus was placing a huge responsibility on the disciples. They were to be His witnesses. He knew that the disciples could not do this in their own power so He tells them that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit would come upon them.
In Acts 1:4 He told them to wait in Jerusalem for a few days until the Holy Spirit came and baptized them. During those few days they must have felt powerless. Perhaps Jesus purpose in this was to help them recognize their need for the power of the Holy Spirit. Just as Jesus told the disciples to be witnesses first in Jerusalem, we are to be witnesses in our Jerusalem. This is our family, our home and our friends. Is your home considered by all that live with you a God-honoring home? Is Christ the head of your home?
Then we are to reach out beyond our home to our Judea and Samaria. This is to our neighborhood and city. And finally we are to reach out to the end of the world. The world is our mission field. God has given us the responsibility to be witnesses of Him wherever we go and has given us power to accomplish this.
As believers we are to be His witnesses. The disciples could not witness in their own power nor can we. We can only do it in the power of the Holy Spirit. This power is freely given to us today but we must be willing to plug into the source. God through His Holy Spirit empowers us to live a God-fearing life and to speak out with authority about our faith.
The power is there for us through the Holy Spirit and is only limited by our lack of faith or lack of vision. The Lord has important work for every believer to do as His representative on this earth. It is time to dream big dreams and then act by asking God through the power of His Holy Spirit to work through you. Do not limit what God wants from you.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Joshua 1:9.
Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
PRAYER:
I love You Lord, because You are my strength, my rock, my protection and my Savior. Thank You for being my rock so I can run to You for safety. Thank You for giving me power through Your Holy Spirit to be a witness for You this day.
Labor: August 30, 2012
TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY AUGUST 30, 2012.
LABOR
DEFINITION:
Bodily toll for the earning of a livelihood; hard work; a task, strenuous effort.
SCRIPTURE:
Six days you shall labor and do all your work. Exodus 20:9
“Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life.” John 6:27
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Many people sincerely believe that the labor of good works will qualify them for eternal forgiveness. One who believes that good works alone is all one needs to have eternal life with our Lord is really attempting to buy forgiveness on credit. This is the philosophy of many religions. We all want to go to heaven. We all want everlasting life. Sin is the barrier that keeps us from heaven. Good works will not get us through that barrier.
God has sent His Son to this world and He died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. We are all sinners and we all need to pay the debt for our sins, but doing good works and hard labor will not get one into heaven. We need to realize we are sinners, ask God to forgive us of our sins and then ask Jesus into our hearts. Working or laboring hard will not achieve forgiveness of our sins.
God has pre-paid our sin-debt in full so He has no need for our feeble good works, no matter how hard and diligently we labor. So what did Christ mean when He said in John 6:27, “Do not labor for the food which perishes but for the food which endures to everlasting life?” The crowd Jesus was speaking to asked the same question. They wanted to know what they had to do to do the work God requires. Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe on the one He has sent” (John 6:28-29).
In Deuteronomy 10:12-13 we read what God requires of us is “to fear the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and to keep the Lord’s commandments.”
We are Christ’s representatives wherever we go. It is necessary to work in order to provide for ourselves. Whatever our job or wherever our place of work, believers should work as if Jesus is their supervisor. The believer, by honest work ethics, honors the Lord and demonstrates that his faith in God is genuine. A good work ethic means to work just as hard and industriously when the boss is watching as when the boss is not. Thus, your work place is your place of ministry and the one we want to please is not just the boss but our Lord and Savior.
Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 15:58, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” If you are not getting up every day with your primary purpose of laboring for the Lord, then take a good look at your relationship with your Lord.
The author of Hebrews reminds us in Hebrews 6:10 that “God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do continue to minister.” Remember Paul’s words encouraging us to “always give ourselves fully to the work of the Lord because we know that our labor in the Lord is not in vain” I Corinthians 15:58.
The first verse that we have listed above is one of the Ten Commandments. We are commanded by God to labor six days and then rest on the seventh. Our seventh day should be dedicated to worshipping and praising God for all His blessings to us.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Joshua 1:9.
Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
PRAYER:
It is my prayer today that my labor will be a labor of love for You. Whether, I am in my work place, my neighborhood or at home may all that I do and say honor Your name. May others see Christ not only in me but working through me.
LABOR
DEFINITION:
Bodily toll for the earning of a livelihood; hard work; a task, strenuous effort.
SCRIPTURE:
Six days you shall labor and do all your work. Exodus 20:9
“Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life.” John 6:27
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Many people sincerely believe that the labor of good works will qualify them for eternal forgiveness. One who believes that good works alone is all one needs to have eternal life with our Lord is really attempting to buy forgiveness on credit. This is the philosophy of many religions. We all want to go to heaven. We all want everlasting life. Sin is the barrier that keeps us from heaven. Good works will not get us through that barrier.
God has sent His Son to this world and He died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. We are all sinners and we all need to pay the debt for our sins, but doing good works and hard labor will not get one into heaven. We need to realize we are sinners, ask God to forgive us of our sins and then ask Jesus into our hearts. Working or laboring hard will not achieve forgiveness of our sins.
God has pre-paid our sin-debt in full so He has no need for our feeble good works, no matter how hard and diligently we labor. So what did Christ mean when He said in John 6:27, “Do not labor for the food which perishes but for the food which endures to everlasting life?” The crowd Jesus was speaking to asked the same question. They wanted to know what they had to do to do the work God requires. Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe on the one He has sent” (John 6:28-29).
In Deuteronomy 10:12-13 we read what God requires of us is “to fear the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and to keep the Lord’s commandments.”
We are Christ’s representatives wherever we go. It is necessary to work in order to provide for ourselves. Whatever our job or wherever our place of work, believers should work as if Jesus is their supervisor. The believer, by honest work ethics, honors the Lord and demonstrates that his faith in God is genuine. A good work ethic means to work just as hard and industriously when the boss is watching as when the boss is not. Thus, your work place is your place of ministry and the one we want to please is not just the boss but our Lord and Savior.
Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 15:58, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” If you are not getting up every day with your primary purpose of laboring for the Lord, then take a good look at your relationship with your Lord.
The author of Hebrews reminds us in Hebrews 6:10 that “God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do continue to minister.” Remember Paul’s words encouraging us to “always give ourselves fully to the work of the Lord because we know that our labor in the Lord is not in vain” I Corinthians 15:58.
The first verse that we have listed above is one of the Ten Commandments. We are commanded by God to labor six days and then rest on the seventh. Our seventh day should be dedicated to worshipping and praising God for all His blessings to us.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Joshua 1:9.
Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
PRAYER:
It is my prayer today that my labor will be a labor of love for You. Whether, I am in my work place, my neighborhood or at home may all that I do and say honor Your name. May others see Christ not only in me but working through me.
Speech: August 29, 2012
TODAYS WORD FOR WEDNESDAY AUGUST 29, 2012.
SPEECH
DEFINITION:
The communication or expression of thoughts in spoken word; a particular utterance.
SCRIPTURE:
Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. Colossians 4:6.
But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. Matthew 12:36.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
You can usually judge a person’s character by listening to his or her speech. As grandparents we are always interested in what is going on in the lives of our 20 grandchildren. Dottie was talking with one of our grandsons and she asked him how he liked his new school. He responded very favorably but went on to say that he had a mean girl in his class. Soon it was made clear that the reason he regarded the girl as mean was because of her speech. She said things that were hurtful and called people by degrading names.
Children’s behavior is a reflection of what they are taught in the home. Parents have a great responsibility to teach children how to speak with kindness and humility. In today’s world the speech we, adults and children, hear is almost always degrading. A lot of what we hear would be R-rated in the movies. The problem is that what we hear on the street becomes part of us and influences how we ourselves speak.
What kind of speech do your children hear around the house? Is God’s name taken in vain? Are friends, family, and neighbors talked about in negative and degrading ways? What is taught about speaking to God?
As Christians we must be concerned about our speech. Paul instructs us to “Let our speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how to answer each one.” We must always be gracious and respectful in what we say. In Ephesians 5:4 Paul further admonishes us about our speech telling us, “Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk, or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.” Most importantly, Jesus holds us accountable for our speech, as we read in Matthew 12:36 (above). In order for our speech to be pleasing to our Lord, we must know Him so that the words we speak are words that honor God and are the truth.
Jesus was speaking to unbelieving Jewish leaders who desired to kill Him when, as recorded in John 8:45, He said, “But because I tell you the truth, you do not believe Me.” In verse 47, He tells them the reason they don’t believe Him is because they are not of God. They claimed to know God but by their actions and words Jesus said they were followers of Satan. God speaks to the hearts of believers daily through His Word and we hear Him only if we are in tune with Him.
Our Lord wants to speak daily to those of us that believe on Him. Are you talking to Him daily? If not, why not? The only way that we are going to grow in the Lord is to listen to Him speak to us. And more important, if you are not communicating to God daily how can you be prepared to deal with Satan’s temptations and the evil ways of the world we live in?
Remember, one is known by his or her speech. Words communicate much about a person. Take a good look at the words you use and the attitude that you show when you speak those words. Are they hurtful, vulgar, egotistical, or are they kind and loving? Your speech can drive people to the Lord or drive people away from the Lord.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Joshua 1:9.
Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
PRAYER:
Help me to learn from Thy Word to evaluate my speech so that every word that proceeds from my mouth will glorify Your name. Help me to control my speech so that others will see Christ in me.
SPEECH
DEFINITION:
The communication or expression of thoughts in spoken word; a particular utterance.
SCRIPTURE:
Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. Colossians 4:6.
But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. Matthew 12:36.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
You can usually judge a person’s character by listening to his or her speech. As grandparents we are always interested in what is going on in the lives of our 20 grandchildren. Dottie was talking with one of our grandsons and she asked him how he liked his new school. He responded very favorably but went on to say that he had a mean girl in his class. Soon it was made clear that the reason he regarded the girl as mean was because of her speech. She said things that were hurtful and called people by degrading names.
Children’s behavior is a reflection of what they are taught in the home. Parents have a great responsibility to teach children how to speak with kindness and humility. In today’s world the speech we, adults and children, hear is almost always degrading. A lot of what we hear would be R-rated in the movies. The problem is that what we hear on the street becomes part of us and influences how we ourselves speak.
What kind of speech do your children hear around the house? Is God’s name taken in vain? Are friends, family, and neighbors talked about in negative and degrading ways? What is taught about speaking to God?
As Christians we must be concerned about our speech. Paul instructs us to “Let our speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how to answer each one.” We must always be gracious and respectful in what we say. In Ephesians 5:4 Paul further admonishes us about our speech telling us, “Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk, or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.” Most importantly, Jesus holds us accountable for our speech, as we read in Matthew 12:36 (above). In order for our speech to be pleasing to our Lord, we must know Him so that the words we speak are words that honor God and are the truth.
Jesus was speaking to unbelieving Jewish leaders who desired to kill Him when, as recorded in John 8:45, He said, “But because I tell you the truth, you do not believe Me.” In verse 47, He tells them the reason they don’t believe Him is because they are not of God. They claimed to know God but by their actions and words Jesus said they were followers of Satan. God speaks to the hearts of believers daily through His Word and we hear Him only if we are in tune with Him.
Our Lord wants to speak daily to those of us that believe on Him. Are you talking to Him daily? If not, why not? The only way that we are going to grow in the Lord is to listen to Him speak to us. And more important, if you are not communicating to God daily how can you be prepared to deal with Satan’s temptations and the evil ways of the world we live in?
Remember, one is known by his or her speech. Words communicate much about a person. Take a good look at the words you use and the attitude that you show when you speak those words. Are they hurtful, vulgar, egotistical, or are they kind and loving? Your speech can drive people to the Lord or drive people away from the Lord.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Joshua 1:9.
Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
PRAYER:
Help me to learn from Thy Word to evaluate my speech so that every word that proceeds from my mouth will glorify Your name. Help me to control my speech so that others will see Christ in me.
Condemned: August 28, 2012
TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY AUGUST 28, 2012.
CONDEMNED
DEFINITION:
Sentenced to punishment; declared guilty; to express an unfavorable or adverse judgment on.
SCRIPTURE:
“They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved … all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.” II Thessalonians 2:10 b and 12.
“Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” John 3:18.
“How will you escape being condemned to hell?” Matthew 23:33
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
The message of the Bible is that we are all sinners as a result of Adam and Eve’s fall in the Garden of Eden and, as sinners, we are condemned to spend eternity in hell. God, because of His love for us, sent His son, Jesus, into the world to die for our sins.
People who have not accepted Jesus as their Savior do not want to hear about condemnation, or about hell. It takes them way out of their “comfort” zone. Preachers today shy away from preaching about hell because church attendees would rather hear a message that makes them feel good rather than face the fact that they are sinners in need of a Savior.
This is nothing new. Jeremiah was a prophet chosen by God to bring a message of condemnation to Jerusalem because they had rejected God and had turned to worshipping false Gods and doing all kinds of evil. They did not want to hear it. At the time Jerusalem had already been besieged by King Nebuchadnezzar who ransacked the temple and carried off to Babylon all the valuable temple articles. In addition, he took all but the poorest people as captives to live in exile in Babylon.
Now Jeremiah was warning them that greater disaster was coming unless they repented and came back to God. The people chose to listen to the more encouraging message of the false prophet Hananiah. Hananiah told them that within two years Nebuchadnezzar’s power over them would be broken and the temple articles would be brought back to Jerusalem.
Choosing not to listen to a message we do not want to hear will not change the truth. The encouraging message of the false prophet proved to be a lie. Jerusalem did not repent and Jeremiah’s message of condemnation was fulfilled when Nebuchadnezzar again besieged and completely destroyed Jerusalem. The temple, the palaces and even the walls of the city were torn down.
God’s Word is truth. Paul tells us in Thessalonians that all will be condemned who do not believe the truth. The question Jesus asked in Matthew, “How will you escape being condemned to hell?” is answered by Jesus in John 3:18. “Whoever believes in Him is not condemned but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”
What about you? Have you believed the truth and been saved? If you were to stand before Jesus today, would you stand condemned or would you stand forgiven and not condemned?
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Joshua 1:9.
Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
PRAYER:
Thank You for the assurance that I have of eternal life because I have asked You for forgiveness for my sins and have accepted You as my personal Savior. May my words and deeds today be a testimony to those I meet that they may see their need for You and that they do not have to be condemned to an eternity in hell.
CONDEMNED
DEFINITION:
Sentenced to punishment; declared guilty; to express an unfavorable or adverse judgment on.
SCRIPTURE:
“They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved … all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.” II Thessalonians 2:10 b and 12.
“Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” John 3:18.
“How will you escape being condemned to hell?” Matthew 23:33
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
The message of the Bible is that we are all sinners as a result of Adam and Eve’s fall in the Garden of Eden and, as sinners, we are condemned to spend eternity in hell. God, because of His love for us, sent His son, Jesus, into the world to die for our sins.
People who have not accepted Jesus as their Savior do not want to hear about condemnation, or about hell. It takes them way out of their “comfort” zone. Preachers today shy away from preaching about hell because church attendees would rather hear a message that makes them feel good rather than face the fact that they are sinners in need of a Savior.
This is nothing new. Jeremiah was a prophet chosen by God to bring a message of condemnation to Jerusalem because they had rejected God and had turned to worshipping false Gods and doing all kinds of evil. They did not want to hear it. At the time Jerusalem had already been besieged by King Nebuchadnezzar who ransacked the temple and carried off to Babylon all the valuable temple articles. In addition, he took all but the poorest people as captives to live in exile in Babylon.
Now Jeremiah was warning them that greater disaster was coming unless they repented and came back to God. The people chose to listen to the more encouraging message of the false prophet Hananiah. Hananiah told them that within two years Nebuchadnezzar’s power over them would be broken and the temple articles would be brought back to Jerusalem.
Choosing not to listen to a message we do not want to hear will not change the truth. The encouraging message of the false prophet proved to be a lie. Jerusalem did not repent and Jeremiah’s message of condemnation was fulfilled when Nebuchadnezzar again besieged and completely destroyed Jerusalem. The temple, the palaces and even the walls of the city were torn down.
God’s Word is truth. Paul tells us in Thessalonians that all will be condemned who do not believe the truth. The question Jesus asked in Matthew, “How will you escape being condemned to hell?” is answered by Jesus in John 3:18. “Whoever believes in Him is not condemned but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”
What about you? Have you believed the truth and been saved? If you were to stand before Jesus today, would you stand condemned or would you stand forgiven and not condemned?
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Joshua 1:9.
Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
PRAYER:
Thank You for the assurance that I have of eternal life because I have asked You for forgiveness for my sins and have accepted You as my personal Savior. May my words and deeds today be a testimony to those I meet that they may see their need for You and that they do not have to be condemned to an eternity in hell.
Waiting: August 27, 2012
TODAYS WORD FOR MONDAY AUGUST 27, 2012.
WAITING
DEFINITION:
Remain in place expecting something; to patiently anticipate; a stay or delay.
SCRIPTURE:
Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I will wait all day. Psalm 25: 4-5
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Many of the Psalms were written by David. In many of his Psalms David bares his soul and openly and honestly expresses his feelings. In Psalm 25, David vividly portrays his complete dependence on God and his willingness to wait upon God for His leading in his life. It takes discipline and commitment for us to learn to wait on God for His leadership in our lives. There are several basic conditions that we must understand in order for us to wait upon the Lord.
The ways of the Lord and His timing are nothing like ours and we need to learn that fact. From a human standpoint, He usually does things in a totally different way than what we expect. We, therefore, must have faith and learn to put our total trust in Him. We will discover that God’s way is always better than ours. God alone knows the future and he is certainly wiser then we are. When we learn to live in harmony with God’s will, His timing will begin to make sense to us.
To wait upon the Lord you must be convinced, as David was, that you need Him in every area of your life. Submission to His divine will requires humility. You cannot charge ahead with your own plans, which we tend to do at times, and at the same time be fully surrendered to God.
Patience is one of the hardest things to learn in order to wait upon the Lord. You need to ask yourself the question, “Are you willing to remain in your current position until you receive clear divine direction?” Waiting upon the Lord is a deliberate decision that requires patience. It is so much wiser to pause for clarity from God than to plunge ahead and do something we will come to regret.
Waiting upon God often takes courage, especially when there is pressure being put upon you to act immediately. If you are not careful, you might stop listening to the Lord and begin to follow the advice of others. Keep your ear tuned to God and you will not go wrong.
In Isaiah 40:31 it reads in part, “those who wait upon the Lord will gain new strength.” God does strengthen us when we wait on Him during delays. He sometimes says no, sometimes yes and sometimes later. There is no verse in the scripture that tells us to take control and fight our own battles. When we face difficult battles and decisions the key is learning to wait.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Joshua 1:9.
Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
PRAYER:
Help our family to learn to wait upon You as we make our daily decisions and face concerns in our daily life. Help us to understand that when we have You, our God and creator, as Lord of our life You will lead us through every difficult battle we face. Help us to understand that learning to wait on You requires faith, humility, patience and courage.
WAITING
DEFINITION:
Remain in place expecting something; to patiently anticipate; a stay or delay.
SCRIPTURE:
Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I will wait all day. Psalm 25: 4-5
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Many of the Psalms were written by David. In many of his Psalms David bares his soul and openly and honestly expresses his feelings. In Psalm 25, David vividly portrays his complete dependence on God and his willingness to wait upon God for His leading in his life. It takes discipline and commitment for us to learn to wait on God for His leadership in our lives. There are several basic conditions that we must understand in order for us to wait upon the Lord.
The ways of the Lord and His timing are nothing like ours and we need to learn that fact. From a human standpoint, He usually does things in a totally different way than what we expect. We, therefore, must have faith and learn to put our total trust in Him. We will discover that God’s way is always better than ours. God alone knows the future and he is certainly wiser then we are. When we learn to live in harmony with God’s will, His timing will begin to make sense to us.
To wait upon the Lord you must be convinced, as David was, that you need Him in every area of your life. Submission to His divine will requires humility. You cannot charge ahead with your own plans, which we tend to do at times, and at the same time be fully surrendered to God.
Patience is one of the hardest things to learn in order to wait upon the Lord. You need to ask yourself the question, “Are you willing to remain in your current position until you receive clear divine direction?” Waiting upon the Lord is a deliberate decision that requires patience. It is so much wiser to pause for clarity from God than to plunge ahead and do something we will come to regret.
Waiting upon God often takes courage, especially when there is pressure being put upon you to act immediately. If you are not careful, you might stop listening to the Lord and begin to follow the advice of others. Keep your ear tuned to God and you will not go wrong.
In Isaiah 40:31 it reads in part, “those who wait upon the Lord will gain new strength.” God does strengthen us when we wait on Him during delays. He sometimes says no, sometimes yes and sometimes later. There is no verse in the scripture that tells us to take control and fight our own battles. When we face difficult battles and decisions the key is learning to wait.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Joshua 1:9.
Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
PRAYER:
Help our family to learn to wait upon You as we make our daily decisions and face concerns in our daily life. Help us to understand that when we have You, our God and creator, as Lord of our life You will lead us through every difficult battle we face. Help us to understand that learning to wait on You requires faith, humility, patience and courage.
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