GEMS OF ENCOURAGEMENT FOR MAY 18, 2013.
PROVERB:
Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. Proverbs 22:6
PROMISE:
As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is My Word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to Me empty but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:10-11.
PRAISE:
Your statutes are wonderful, therefore I obey them. The unfolding of Your Words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. Psalm 119:129-130.
May 19, 2013
Zeal: May 17, 2013
Today's Word for Friday MAY 17, 2013
ZEAL
DEFINITION:
Eagerness; enthusiasm; diligence.
SCRIPTURE:
Then he said, Come with me and see my zeal for the Lord. II Kings 10:16
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
How many people do you know that you would say show real zeal for what they are doing or what they believe day after day? If you are like us you will respond by saying, "Not too many."
We have often seen new converts express their joy with real zeal after their conversion. This might be in a church giving their testimony or even an entertainer on a television or radio program expressing their new found faith in Christ. But so often, after a few months, their passion for the Lord begins to dwindle.
The Lord expects us as believers to show this kind of exciting zeal for our Lord every day of our life. If we are excited about our faith and looking forward to the soon return of Jesus to take us to heaven, it should be expected that we would show excitement and zeal in our daily walk.
In the verse from II Kings above, we read about Jehu who was anointed King of Israel by the prophet Elisha. After Elisha anointed Jehu to become king he gave him instructions from God that Jehu was to destroy all the household of Ahab, the wicked king of Israel (II Kings 9:7). Jehu was chosen by God to fulfill the prophecy of Elijah (I Kings 21:7) that all of Ahab's descendants would be destroyed because of Ahab's many sins against God and because he killed God's prophets.
Elijah’s prophecy was made 20 years earlier. King Ahab and Queen Jezebel had been zealous in killing God’s prophets. Jehu was appointed by God to be His avenger for the murders of these faithful prophets. It is a reminder to us that those who sin against God will in due time be punished for their sins.
Jehu set out immediately to fulfill his commission. After killing all of Ahab's family in Jezreel he set out for Samaria to kill the rest of Ahab's family. On the way he met Jehonadab who was zealous in following the Lord.
Jehu asked him if he was in agreement with what Jehu had to do. He responded favorably so he was invited to ride in the chariot with Jehu. Jehu said to him, "Come with me and see my zeal for the Lord." When God directs us to do something it is important that we do it with zeal but more importantly to do it with His guidance.
As a result of Jehu doing what God asked of him with zeal, we read in II Kings 10:30 that God said to Jehu, "Because you have done well in accomplishing what is right in my eyes and done to the house of Ahab all that I had in mind to do, your children to the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel." God always honors those that show continuously their zeal for Him. This is an example that we can learn from. When we show our zeal for the Lord and honor Him in all we do, He will honor us.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Psalm 118:24:
This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
PRAYER:
Give me and my family a new zeal for You today. Help us to get excited about what You have done for us. May the light of Your salvation shine brightly through our lives drawing others closer to You.
ZEAL
DEFINITION:
Eagerness; enthusiasm; diligence.
SCRIPTURE:
Then he said, Come with me and see my zeal for the Lord. II Kings 10:16
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
How many people do you know that you would say show real zeal for what they are doing or what they believe day after day? If you are like us you will respond by saying, "Not too many."
We have often seen new converts express their joy with real zeal after their conversion. This might be in a church giving their testimony or even an entertainer on a television or radio program expressing their new found faith in Christ. But so often, after a few months, their passion for the Lord begins to dwindle.
The Lord expects us as believers to show this kind of exciting zeal for our Lord every day of our life. If we are excited about our faith and looking forward to the soon return of Jesus to take us to heaven, it should be expected that we would show excitement and zeal in our daily walk.
In the verse from II Kings above, we read about Jehu who was anointed King of Israel by the prophet Elisha. After Elisha anointed Jehu to become king he gave him instructions from God that Jehu was to destroy all the household of Ahab, the wicked king of Israel (II Kings 9:7). Jehu was chosen by God to fulfill the prophecy of Elijah (I Kings 21:7) that all of Ahab's descendants would be destroyed because of Ahab's many sins against God and because he killed God's prophets.
Elijah’s prophecy was made 20 years earlier. King Ahab and Queen Jezebel had been zealous in killing God’s prophets. Jehu was appointed by God to be His avenger for the murders of these faithful prophets. It is a reminder to us that those who sin against God will in due time be punished for their sins.
Jehu set out immediately to fulfill his commission. After killing all of Ahab's family in Jezreel he set out for Samaria to kill the rest of Ahab's family. On the way he met Jehonadab who was zealous in following the Lord.
Jehu asked him if he was in agreement with what Jehu had to do. He responded favorably so he was invited to ride in the chariot with Jehu. Jehu said to him, "Come with me and see my zeal for the Lord." When God directs us to do something it is important that we do it with zeal but more importantly to do it with His guidance.
As a result of Jehu doing what God asked of him with zeal, we read in II Kings 10:30 that God said to Jehu, "Because you have done well in accomplishing what is right in my eyes and done to the house of Ahab all that I had in mind to do, your children to the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel." God always honors those that show continuously their zeal for Him. This is an example that we can learn from. When we show our zeal for the Lord and honor Him in all we do, He will honor us.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Psalm 118:24:
This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
PRAYER:
Give me and my family a new zeal for You today. Help us to get excited about what You have done for us. May the light of Your salvation shine brightly through our lives drawing others closer to You.
Sympathy: May 16, 2013
Today's
Word for Thursday MAY 16, 2013
SYMPATHY
DEFINITION:
The
practice or capacity to share in the feelings of another person especially in
times of sorrow or trouble.
SCRIPTURE:
All
of you, live in harmony with one another, be sympathetic, love as brothers, be
compassionate and humble. I Peter 3:8
Bear
one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2
I
have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the
weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, "It is more
blessed to give than to receive." Acts 20:35
KNOWLEDGE
AND EXPERIENCE:
Many
people have trouble showing any kind of sympathy to others in their time of
need. One of the reasons for this, we believe, is because of the selfish
"me only" thinking generation that we live in. When someone
constantly thinks of self only they really do not care about the feelings or
situations of others and they have no communication with God so there is no
spiritual understanding of caring for others.
Do
you have a sympathetic heart? How do you react when you see a hungry child, a
lonely woman, a sick baby or a homeless family? Most people today, when they
see these things, they walk right past them showing no concern or interest.
Being
in the ministry we constantly run into situations where sympathy is needed for
someone in a hurting situation. In today's environment people are losing jobs,
losing their homes, facing economic concerns, need food, live in a
dysfunctional family situation and broken marriages. And then there are those
who are injured, dealing with a dreadful disease or suffering physical pain.
It
is also important to mention that there are many people today that are lonely.
They have no one to talk to, no one to help them in a time of need, and no one
to share their concerns with. These people are looking for sympathy and they
have difficulty finding anyone that even cares.
In
I Peter 3:8 (above), Peter gives us five qualities that should be evident in
the life of every believer. These qualities are first, to live in harmony,
second, to be sympathetic, thirdly, to love each other as brothers, fourthly,
to be compassionate and fifth to be humble. As believers we are to be
sympathetic and compassionate which means when we see someone in need we must
reach out to them in loving concern and doing what we can to help and comfort
them.
The
scripture tells us that if we are sympathetic as believers we need to be
willing to bear the burdens of others. (Read the verse above from Galatians).
Burdens are problems and issues that someone must bear. They can be physical or
spiritual. The law of Christ is love and is covered in the teachings of Christ
and Jesus desires us to fulfill His command by following His example and
showing love and sympathy to those who are burdened down by heartache and
trouble.
We
also need to be willing to help the weak (Acts 20:35 above). Paul says that he
showed us by his own hard work so that we should not be selfish but to be an
example, especially a spiritual example to those who are weak. As believers we
are to express sympathy to those in sorrow and offer to help those around us
who are in need.
Read
again the last part of Acts 20:35 (above) that says that Jesus tells us
that" IT IS MORE BLESSED TO GIVE THAN TO RECEIVE." All of us today
need to learn to be sympathetic to the needs of those people that we meet every
day. Our Lord expects this from us. When we give, the blessing will be ours.
LEARNING:
Our
memory verse for this week is found in Psalm 118:24.
This
is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
PRAYER:
Help
me to be sensitive to the needs of others so that I may know when someone needs
sympathy. Give me a helping attitude and as the scripture says, may I learn
that it is more blessed to give than to receive.
Strength: May 15, 2013
Today's Word for Wednesday MAY 15, 2013
STRENGTH
DEFINITION:
Having the capacity for endurance; vigor; firmness or courage; power by reason of influence, authority, resources or numbers.
SCRIPTURE:
And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." II Corinthians 12:9.
For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. Romans 5:6.
I will love You, O Lord, my strength. Psalm 18:1
The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid. Psalm 27:1
He is my strength in time of trouble. Psalm 37:39.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Today's athletes spend hours every day working on increasing their strength so that they may excel in their sport. In fact it is amazing how many hours they work at this and how committed they are for success.
Have you ever wondered what kind of world we would live in today if believers in Jesus spent the same amount of time daily as these athletes do to increase their personal strength in the Lord and knowledge of God's Word?
As believers we should learn something from this illustration and be challenged anew to spend more time working on increasing our spiritual strength by not only reading God's Word but studying His Word and communicating to Him so He can talk to us. Do you have the same dedication for success as athletes do to work this hard at what you believe?
When we think of strength as written about in the Bible, we think of Samson. He was a judge of Israel for some 20 years. He was known for his great physical strength but later in his life his moral weakness became his downfall.
God promised Manoah, according to the account written about Samson in Judges 13-16, a son that would deliver Israel out of the hands of the Philistines. God instructed Samson parents to raise him to be a Nazirite. A Nazirite could be either a man or a woman who was set apart from the things of the world for the service of God. A Nazarite was to never use a razor on his hair but let it grow long. God then endowed Samson with great bodily strength.
God gave Samson the strength to be victorious when he was up against the Philistines but foolishly Samson yielded to the temptation to use God's gift of physical strength for his own selfish purposes. Physically Samson had great strength but spiritually he was weak. Samson did not have the strength to resist the seduction of a Philistine woman named Delilah.
Samson fell in love with Delilah and revealed to her that he was never to cut his hair because of his Nazirite vow to God. Delilah betrayed him and told the Philistines and they captured Samson and cut his hair and he died a slave.
God is the source of our strength and He wants us to rely on His strength not on our own. Samson neglected to give God the glory for his strength and broke His commandment to serve the Lord.
As believers we need to be committed to our Lord in a new and fresh way today and ask Him for new strength to serve Him. Read carefully the verses we have written above and they will give you the assurance that GOD IS YOUR STRENGTH IN ALL YOU DO --- when you put your complete trust in Him.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Psalm 118:24:
This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
PRAYER:
Thank You for the confidence we have that You are our strength for all of our activities. Thank You that we can rely on You for wisdom and guidance. Help us to rely on Your strength and in turn may we give You all the honor and glory for all that You accomplish through our family.
STRENGTH
DEFINITION:
Having the capacity for endurance; vigor; firmness or courage; power by reason of influence, authority, resources or numbers.
SCRIPTURE:
And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." II Corinthians 12:9.
For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. Romans 5:6.
I will love You, O Lord, my strength. Psalm 18:1
The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid. Psalm 27:1
He is my strength in time of trouble. Psalm 37:39.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Today's athletes spend hours every day working on increasing their strength so that they may excel in their sport. In fact it is amazing how many hours they work at this and how committed they are for success.
Have you ever wondered what kind of world we would live in today if believers in Jesus spent the same amount of time daily as these athletes do to increase their personal strength in the Lord and knowledge of God's Word?
As believers we should learn something from this illustration and be challenged anew to spend more time working on increasing our spiritual strength by not only reading God's Word but studying His Word and communicating to Him so He can talk to us. Do you have the same dedication for success as athletes do to work this hard at what you believe?
When we think of strength as written about in the Bible, we think of Samson. He was a judge of Israel for some 20 years. He was known for his great physical strength but later in his life his moral weakness became his downfall.
God promised Manoah, according to the account written about Samson in Judges 13-16, a son that would deliver Israel out of the hands of the Philistines. God instructed Samson parents to raise him to be a Nazirite. A Nazirite could be either a man or a woman who was set apart from the things of the world for the service of God. A Nazarite was to never use a razor on his hair but let it grow long. God then endowed Samson with great bodily strength.
God gave Samson the strength to be victorious when he was up against the Philistines but foolishly Samson yielded to the temptation to use God's gift of physical strength for his own selfish purposes. Physically Samson had great strength but spiritually he was weak. Samson did not have the strength to resist the seduction of a Philistine woman named Delilah.
Samson fell in love with Delilah and revealed to her that he was never to cut his hair because of his Nazirite vow to God. Delilah betrayed him and told the Philistines and they captured Samson and cut his hair and he died a slave.
God is the source of our strength and He wants us to rely on His strength not on our own. Samson neglected to give God the glory for his strength and broke His commandment to serve the Lord.
As believers we need to be committed to our Lord in a new and fresh way today and ask Him for new strength to serve Him. Read carefully the verses we have written above and they will give you the assurance that GOD IS YOUR STRENGTH IN ALL YOU DO --- when you put your complete trust in Him.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Psalm 118:24:
This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
PRAYER:
Thank You for the confidence we have that You are our strength for all of our activities. Thank You that we can rely on You for wisdom and guidance. Help us to rely on Your strength and in turn may we give You all the honor and glory for all that You accomplish through our family.
Simplicity: May 14, 2013
Today's Word for Tuesday MAY 14, 2013
SIMPLICITY
DEFINITION:
The condition of being simple, not complicated; plain; pure; absolute; unaffected and humble.
SCRIPTURE:
For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God. II Corinthians 1:12.
But I fear, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, that your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. II Corinthians 11:3.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
We tend to make issues that we face very complicated. In fact most people today live complicated lives and get overwhelmed when they need to face the daily issues of life. How do I pay all these bills? How do I handle my child? Why is my spouse upset with me? How do I get all this work done that my boss has given me to do? Do these questions sound relative to you?
People complicate their lives by succumbing to worldly pressures to have material things, such as bigger houses, new cars, the latest electronic devices, and on and on it goes. For those raising children there is the added pressures of parenting. There are many activities available for children to participate in and parents are hard pressed to fit their children's schedules into their already busy schedules. Life is no longer simple. The hazard of today's complicated lifestyle is that it causes us to neglect our relationship with our Lord.
The apostle Paul lived a life that was uncomplicated by worldly distractions. He did not live by worldly wisdom but by the grace of God, as written in the above verse. Paul was concerned about the Christians in Corinth because he had heard they were complicating the simplicity of the gospel message with false teaching.
False teachers can be very convincing and persuasive. Their message will sound good and some would say their message makes good sense. That is because they say what people want to hear. Their message is one of prosperity and victory in life. It makes them popular but they add human ideas and standards to their message that are inconsistent with God’s Word and the simplicity of the gospel message. They make God’s love something to be earned rather than something to be freely accepted.
In his letter to the Corinthians Paul talks about the simplicity of our salvation (verses above). God did not make receiving Jesus into our hearts complicated. Paul preached the clear and simple plan of salvation given by Jesus in the third chapter of John (verses 2-19). In John 3, beginning in verse 2, we read about Nicodemus coming to Jesus and asking Him how to know God. Jesus responded very simply by saying, "Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
Perhaps you are like Nicodemus and do not understand what "born again" means. Here is what it means to be born again according to the words of Jesus. One must first realize that he or she was born a sinner and must pay the debt for his or her sins. Secondly, one must ask God for forgiveness and then ask Jesus to come into his or her heart, acknowledging that He paid the penalty, the entire debt you owe for your sins, by dying on the cross. All those who believe in Jesus have eternal life.
This is the simplicity of the gospel. Jesus did the tough part. After you receive Jesus as your Savior you then must communicate with God daily by reading His Word and praying to Him. He is your new friend and as with all friends you should have a desire to communicate with Him. Then you give your issues to the Lord in prayer and seek His guidance in changing your standards in life so that you honor God in all you do.
The writer of Hebrews warns us that there is no alternative in order to escape God's condemnation of our sins. He wrote in Hebrews 2:3, "How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which was first spoken of by the Lord (when He was on this earth), and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him."
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Psalm 118:24:
This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
PRAYER:
We thank You for the freedom we have to worship You in spirit and in truth. May our patriotism to our heavenly country and, more importantly, to our Lord be strengthened daily. May we be courageous and bold in defending the simple message of God’s love and our faith in Jesus Christ who gave His life on the cross to save us from all of our sins.
SIMPLICITY
DEFINITION:
The condition of being simple, not complicated; plain; pure; absolute; unaffected and humble.
SCRIPTURE:
For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God. II Corinthians 1:12.
But I fear, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, that your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. II Corinthians 11:3.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
We tend to make issues that we face very complicated. In fact most people today live complicated lives and get overwhelmed when they need to face the daily issues of life. How do I pay all these bills? How do I handle my child? Why is my spouse upset with me? How do I get all this work done that my boss has given me to do? Do these questions sound relative to you?
People complicate their lives by succumbing to worldly pressures to have material things, such as bigger houses, new cars, the latest electronic devices, and on and on it goes. For those raising children there is the added pressures of parenting. There are many activities available for children to participate in and parents are hard pressed to fit their children's schedules into their already busy schedules. Life is no longer simple. The hazard of today's complicated lifestyle is that it causes us to neglect our relationship with our Lord.
The apostle Paul lived a life that was uncomplicated by worldly distractions. He did not live by worldly wisdom but by the grace of God, as written in the above verse. Paul was concerned about the Christians in Corinth because he had heard they were complicating the simplicity of the gospel message with false teaching.
False teachers can be very convincing and persuasive. Their message will sound good and some would say their message makes good sense. That is because they say what people want to hear. Their message is one of prosperity and victory in life. It makes them popular but they add human ideas and standards to their message that are inconsistent with God’s Word and the simplicity of the gospel message. They make God’s love something to be earned rather than something to be freely accepted.
In his letter to the Corinthians Paul talks about the simplicity of our salvation (verses above). God did not make receiving Jesus into our hearts complicated. Paul preached the clear and simple plan of salvation given by Jesus in the third chapter of John (verses 2-19). In John 3, beginning in verse 2, we read about Nicodemus coming to Jesus and asking Him how to know God. Jesus responded very simply by saying, "Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
Perhaps you are like Nicodemus and do not understand what "born again" means. Here is what it means to be born again according to the words of Jesus. One must first realize that he or she was born a sinner and must pay the debt for his or her sins. Secondly, one must ask God for forgiveness and then ask Jesus to come into his or her heart, acknowledging that He paid the penalty, the entire debt you owe for your sins, by dying on the cross. All those who believe in Jesus have eternal life.
This is the simplicity of the gospel. Jesus did the tough part. After you receive Jesus as your Savior you then must communicate with God daily by reading His Word and praying to Him. He is your new friend and as with all friends you should have a desire to communicate with Him. Then you give your issues to the Lord in prayer and seek His guidance in changing your standards in life so that you honor God in all you do.
The writer of Hebrews warns us that there is no alternative in order to escape God's condemnation of our sins. He wrote in Hebrews 2:3, "How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which was first spoken of by the Lord (when He was on this earth), and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him."
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Psalm 118:24:
This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
PRAYER:
We thank You for the freedom we have to worship You in spirit and in truth. May our patriotism to our heavenly country and, more importantly, to our Lord be strengthened daily. May we be courageous and bold in defending the simple message of God’s love and our faith in Jesus Christ who gave His life on the cross to save us from all of our sins.
Satisfaction: May 13, 2013
Today's Word for MONDAY MAY 13, 2013
SATISFACTION
DEFINITION:
A feeling of contentment, gratification or fulfillment.
SCRIPTURE
And My people shall be satisfied with My goodness, says the Lord. Jeremiah 31:14
For He satisfies the longing soul and the hungry soul He fills with good things. Psalm 107:9
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Receiving the feeling of satisfaction for a successful accomplishment is something that every person we know hopes to receive. Children, young people and adults are constantly looking for satisfaction.
A child receives satisfaction when he or she realizes that they have taken their first step. And then when they put steps together and begin to walk the satisfaction is expressed so clearly with their big smiles. And when a parent cheers them on and shows how excited they are, the satisfaction is even greater.
For young people satisfaction comes by such things as being accepted by their peers and complimented for a deed done well. A good grade on a test, or a good play in a game, and even being on a team that wins a game brings great satisfaction to a young person. Graduating from high school or college is a milestone in every student's life that is long remembered as a special time of satisfaction.
Adults also look for satisfaction in accomplishments in their own lives. When a job or project is completed successfully satisfaction abounds. When a spouse solves a family concern satisfaction is felt by everyone.
These are all worldly satisfactions. Such satisfaction is short lived and empty and leaves one longing for more. The only fulfilling and lasting satisfaction comes from knowing God. It has been said that the soul of man is so big that only God can fill it. The Lord our God longs for us to be filled with love and goodness that truly satisfies our hungry soul. God grieves over every one who is lost and rejoices over anyone of His lost children who comes to Him. The scriptures tell us that the angels sing and rejoice when one person repents and comes to Jesus.
The only way you can have fulfilling satisfaction is by accepting Jesus as your Savior and asking Him to forgive your sins. When we accept Jesus we are a child of God. Children depend on their parents to satisfy their needs. God, our heavenly Father will not only satisfy all of our needs but will reward us from above if we are faithful to Him. The Lord satisfies us with His "goodness." (Jeremiah 31:14) The Lord's goodness gives us true and lasting contentment, more satisfying than anything we receive from this world we live in. Make sure today that your satisfaction comes from above and be assured that your satisfaction comes from the goodness of God.
LEARNING :
Our memory verse for this week is found in Psalm 118:24.
This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
PRAYER:
We praise You for the satisfaction You give us each and every day that comes from Your goodness. As children of God make us examples that others can see our satisfaction in You so that they will want to know You as their Lord and Savior. Make us Godly vessels to be used by You .
SATISFACTION
DEFINITION:
A feeling of contentment, gratification or fulfillment.
SCRIPTURE
And My people shall be satisfied with My goodness, says the Lord. Jeremiah 31:14
For He satisfies the longing soul and the hungry soul He fills with good things. Psalm 107:9
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Receiving the feeling of satisfaction for a successful accomplishment is something that every person we know hopes to receive. Children, young people and adults are constantly looking for satisfaction.
A child receives satisfaction when he or she realizes that they have taken their first step. And then when they put steps together and begin to walk the satisfaction is expressed so clearly with their big smiles. And when a parent cheers them on and shows how excited they are, the satisfaction is even greater.
For young people satisfaction comes by such things as being accepted by their peers and complimented for a deed done well. A good grade on a test, or a good play in a game, and even being on a team that wins a game brings great satisfaction to a young person. Graduating from high school or college is a milestone in every student's life that is long remembered as a special time of satisfaction.
Adults also look for satisfaction in accomplishments in their own lives. When a job or project is completed successfully satisfaction abounds. When a spouse solves a family concern satisfaction is felt by everyone.
These are all worldly satisfactions. Such satisfaction is short lived and empty and leaves one longing for more. The only fulfilling and lasting satisfaction comes from knowing God. It has been said that the soul of man is so big that only God can fill it. The Lord our God longs for us to be filled with love and goodness that truly satisfies our hungry soul. God grieves over every one who is lost and rejoices over anyone of His lost children who comes to Him. The scriptures tell us that the angels sing and rejoice when one person repents and comes to Jesus.
The only way you can have fulfilling satisfaction is by accepting Jesus as your Savior and asking Him to forgive your sins. When we accept Jesus we are a child of God. Children depend on their parents to satisfy their needs. God, our heavenly Father will not only satisfy all of our needs but will reward us from above if we are faithful to Him. The Lord satisfies us with His "goodness." (Jeremiah 31:14) The Lord's goodness gives us true and lasting contentment, more satisfying than anything we receive from this world we live in. Make sure today that your satisfaction comes from above and be assured that your satisfaction comes from the goodness of God.
LEARNING :
Our memory verse for this week is found in Psalm 118:24.
This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
PRAYER:
We praise You for the satisfaction You give us each and every day that comes from Your goodness. As children of God make us examples that others can see our satisfaction in You so that they will want to know You as their Lord and Savior. Make us Godly vessels to be used by You .
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