GEMS OF ENCOURAGEMENT FOR SATURDAY JULY 6, 2013
PROVERB:
Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, but those who plan peace have joy. Proverbs 12:20.
PROMISE:
No one who practices deceit shall dwell in My house; no one who utters lies shall continue before My eyes. Psalm 101:7
PRAISE:
You guide me with Your counsel, and afterward You will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but You? And earth has nothing I desire besides You. My flesh and heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:24-26.
July 7, 2013
Marriage: July 5, 2013
TODAY’S WORD FOR FRIDAY JULY 5, 2013.
MARRIAGE
DEFINITION:
The legal union of a man and a woman; the state of being married or united.
SCRIPTURE:
Let marriage be held in honor among all. Hebrews 13:4.
He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor of the Lord. Proverbs 18:22.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
We knew 56 years ago this month when we were married that in our marriage ceremony we would commit to a vow that we would be faithful and true to one another as long as we both lived. This is absolutely essential for those that are believers in Jesus. Marriage was ordained by God and is to be honored by all believers. Honor means highly esteemed. Marriage is the most precious, warm, tender and the dearest of relationships. God highly honors marriage.
At the time God created Eve as a helpmate for Adam, God instituted marriage. Genesis 2:24 gives us the basic aspects of marriage. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife and they will become one flesh.”
A strong and Godly marriage has these three aspects:
1. The man and woman leave their parents and become husband and wife.
2. They unite themselves to each other by taking responsibility for each other’s welfare and by loving each other above all others.
3. They become one flesh in the intimacy and commitment of sexual union God designed and reserved for marriage.
These three aspects are essential for a strong and healthy marriage. It is also essential that marriage be held in honor as we are instructed in Hebrews 13:4.
God instituted marriage for our enjoyment and He honors marriage. We are to recognize marriage as good and to see our spouse as a good thing as we are instructed in Proverbs 18:22. If we follow this instruction we will obtain the favor of God.
The apostle Paul wrote in the book of Ephesians two important verses about marriage that we have honored all of our married life. In Ephesians 5:25 it reads, "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church, and gave Himself for it."
And in Ephesians 5:31-32 we are told by Paul, "For this cause shall man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh."
Marriage unites two people so that they are no longer two entities but one single entity. This is one of the biggest adjustments for newly married couples because they have been used to having their independence and doing what they wanted to do. After marriage it can no longer be, "I want" but "what do you want." It was an adjustment we had to make but one that has great rewards. There is a joy in working together for common goals to benefit each other.
It was with these thoughts from scripture that we began our married life together. And now 56 years later with six wonderful children and their spouses and twenty grandchildren we continue to thank God daily for bringing us together and leading and blessing us as He has.
Often we are asked questions about the length of our marriage and the successes we have seen with our children and grandchildren. Our answer is always the same. It is because of the grace of God. We daily have put our trust in Him. We read the Bible daily. We pray daily. We ask God daily to protect and bless our children, their spouses and our grand-children. We tithe on all of our income that God blesses us with. And we do not sit back on our laurels waiting for something to happen but daily press on to do more for Him. We feel that this has brought the blessing of God on our marriage. This is God's promise in I Samuel 2:30, "for them that honor Me, I will honor."
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in I John 5:13.
These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
PRAYER:
We thank You today for Your blessing on marriage to those that love You and put their trust in You.
MARRIAGE
DEFINITION:
The legal union of a man and a woman; the state of being married or united.
SCRIPTURE:
Let marriage be held in honor among all. Hebrews 13:4.
He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor of the Lord. Proverbs 18:22.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
We knew 56 years ago this month when we were married that in our marriage ceremony we would commit to a vow that we would be faithful and true to one another as long as we both lived. This is absolutely essential for those that are believers in Jesus. Marriage was ordained by God and is to be honored by all believers. Honor means highly esteemed. Marriage is the most precious, warm, tender and the dearest of relationships. God highly honors marriage.
At the time God created Eve as a helpmate for Adam, God instituted marriage. Genesis 2:24 gives us the basic aspects of marriage. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife and they will become one flesh.”
A strong and Godly marriage has these three aspects:
1. The man and woman leave their parents and become husband and wife.
2. They unite themselves to each other by taking responsibility for each other’s welfare and by loving each other above all others.
3. They become one flesh in the intimacy and commitment of sexual union God designed and reserved for marriage.
These three aspects are essential for a strong and healthy marriage. It is also essential that marriage be held in honor as we are instructed in Hebrews 13:4.
God instituted marriage for our enjoyment and He honors marriage. We are to recognize marriage as good and to see our spouse as a good thing as we are instructed in Proverbs 18:22. If we follow this instruction we will obtain the favor of God.
The apostle Paul wrote in the book of Ephesians two important verses about marriage that we have honored all of our married life. In Ephesians 5:25 it reads, "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church, and gave Himself for it."
And in Ephesians 5:31-32 we are told by Paul, "For this cause shall man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh."
Marriage unites two people so that they are no longer two entities but one single entity. This is one of the biggest adjustments for newly married couples because they have been used to having their independence and doing what they wanted to do. After marriage it can no longer be, "I want" but "what do you want." It was an adjustment we had to make but one that has great rewards. There is a joy in working together for common goals to benefit each other.
It was with these thoughts from scripture that we began our married life together. And now 56 years later with six wonderful children and their spouses and twenty grandchildren we continue to thank God daily for bringing us together and leading and blessing us as He has.
Often we are asked questions about the length of our marriage and the successes we have seen with our children and grandchildren. Our answer is always the same. It is because of the grace of God. We daily have put our trust in Him. We read the Bible daily. We pray daily. We ask God daily to protect and bless our children, their spouses and our grand-children. We tithe on all of our income that God blesses us with. And we do not sit back on our laurels waiting for something to happen but daily press on to do more for Him. We feel that this has brought the blessing of God on our marriage. This is God's promise in I Samuel 2:30, "for them that honor Me, I will honor."
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in I John 5:13.
These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
PRAYER:
We thank You today for Your blessing on marriage to those that love You and put their trust in You.
Conquerors: July 4, 2013
TODAY’S
WORD FOR THURSDAY JULY 4, 2013.
CONQUERORS
DEFINITION:
One
who subdues by force, one who overcomes or gains victory or wins by effort.
SCRIPTURE:
Yet
in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
Romans 8:37
KNOWLEDGE
AND EXPERIENCE:
Here
in America we celebrate today the founding of our country in 1776. This day
culminated the conquering of the British and those that limited the desired
freedoms that our forefathers desired.
Most
people today are conquerors by nature just like our forefathers were some 237
years ago. We like to be victorious in what we do. We all like to conquer a
test we have to take in school. We like to conquer a job at work. We like to
look back in our lives and evaluate circumstances and accomplishments. We
conquered some and we failed at others.
The
story of David and Goliath is one of our favorite Bible stories. Our children
loved to have us read this to them from the scripture. David proved that he
could conquer anything or anybody with God at his side. In the verse we have put above the writer
reminds us that being a conqueror for Jesus is life's greatest accomplishment
for all of us.
David
loved God and trusted Him to be his shield and defender. When David went out to
face the Philistine giant, he went out as a conqueror because he knew the
battle was the Lord's and the Lord would deliver him. When Goliath taunted
David because his only weapon was a slingshot, David's response was, "You
come against me with a sword and spear and javelin, but I come in the name of
the Lord Almighty."
Not
only did David not have a sword or a spear, he had no shield. I Samuel 17:50
tells us, "So David triumphed (conquered) over the Philistine with a sling
and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and
killed him."
David
fought many battles and understood that God was the one that enabled him to be
a conqueror. He gave God the credit and in his Psalm 144:2 he praised God for
being his "shield and defender." David praised God with these words
"He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my
shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me." He knew that
God was with him. This is the key that God has given us so that we can be
conquerors in all situations in our lives. We must recognize that "the
battle is the Lord's" and in Him we can have the victory.
One
of the world's most unusual landmarks is a single granite plaque on a pole on
the western boundary of Russia near the city of Wilna. There are two
inscriptions on this plaque. The western side reads: Napoleon Bonaparte passed
this location in 1812 with 410,000 men on his way to conquer Russia. On the
eastern side it reads: Napoleon Bonaparte passed this location in 1812 with
9,000 men as he returned home. Napoleon, who had the goal of conquering the
world, had met his match in this Russian campaign.
We
are reminded constantly in the scriptures that with God we can conquer anybody
or anything. The scripture tells us that Satan will meet his match when
confronted with the judgment of God and he will have no survivors. Yes, our God
will be the ultimate conqueror of evil.
No
matter what the circumstances of life may be to you, if you believe in Jesus
then you are more than a conqueror. The scriptures tell us that no matter the
circumstances or their severity, Christ will carry us through each situation
giving us strength and encouragement. We cannot lose when we let the battle be
the Lord's. Christ loves us and wants us to be conquerors through Him. Look
what the scriptures say that Christ can do for you:
• He will give you rest.(Matthew 11:28)
• He will give you peace. (John 14:27)
• He provides for you an escape from
temptation. (I Corinthians 10:13)
• He will comfort you through all trials that
you may face.(II Corinthians 1:3-4)
• He will supply all your needs. (Philippians
4:19)
• He will deliver you through all
persecution.(II Corinthians4:8)
• He will enable you to overcome the world.
(I John 5:4)
• He will deliver you from fear. (Isaiah
41:10)
• He will give you eternal life. (John
10:28-29)
• He will keep you from evil. (II
Thessalonians 3:3)
In
everyday life are you a conqueror? Do you as a believer, let Satan and the
world take away your Christian birthright? Realize anew today that you are a
child of the King, the ultimate conqueror. Go out and act like it today in all
that you do and say.
LEARNING:
Our
memory verse today is found in I John 5:13
These
things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that
you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe
in the name of the Son of God.
PRAYER:
I
thank You Lord that believers are the ultimate winners in the great spiritual
battle that I fight day in and day out. Thank You that it is because of Your
power within me that I have because of the marvelous gift that You gave in
providing Your Son to pay the penalty of death for my sins. I praise You for
the assurance that I can conquer every situation I face because You are with
me.
Providence: July 3, 2013
TODAY’S WORD FOR WEDNESDAY JULY 3, 2013.
PROVIDENCE
DEFINITION :
God conceived as the power sustaining and guiding human destiny; the foreseeing guidance and care of God over men or things; God’s guidance in directing human affairs.
SCRIPTURE:
The Lord is righteous in all His ways, gracious in all His works. Psalm 145:17.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Just think how difficult it would be, as a believer in Jesus, to face the situations you face daily in your life without the assurance that God is not only looking out for you but that all things are under His control.
In the 145th Psalm the Lord is extolled for His goodness. In verse 17 (above) the Psalmist is extolling our Lord for His righteousness in all His works and ways.
With all the uncertainties in our world today we as believers can be certain of one thing. We have divine guidance watching over us every moment of every day. Providence is God in control. When people can't find a reason to explain why something happened they often say, "It was just one of those things." Others say, "It was just meant to be." Those of us, who believe in the Lord, our God, know that what happens in this world is by Providence. Providence is the sustaining power of God at work in our world and His ever present hand guiding our destiny.
The scripture clearly tells us that if we cast all of our cares upon Him, He will take care of us. Divine guidance in a clear term means God taking care of those who are known as His believers.
In Psalm 103:19 we are told by the Psalmist that the providence of God is universal. God’s providence extends far beyond our little world called planet earth. It extends to the whole universe. "The Lord has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all." The Lord's rule is righteous and just (Psalm 9:4) and He rules forever (Psalm 9:7). God in His providence, works in all things to accomplish what is right and just and for our eternal benefit.
In Daniel 4:35 we read that it is impossible to fight against the providence of God. Nebuchadnezzar is quoted praising God by saying, "No one can restrain His (God's) hand or say to Him, 'What have you done?'"
God's providence is manifested in how He preserves the world. In Nehemiah 9:6 it reads that “You alone are the Lord; You have made heaven and earth and everything on it, and You preserve them all.”
We need the providence of God (His care) upon our lives each and every day in everything we do. We need His divine guidance and protection when we travel by car, train, bus, bicycle or airplane. We need the providence of God on our lives when we are at church, at school, at meetings, at events and even in a crowd in a store. There is no place that God's providence cannot reach us.
We cannot forget so many people living in our world that are suffering daily with a sickness, a disease, civil unrest and also those who are being personally attacked because of their faith in the Lord. God is aware of each one. In all these things God will guide and sustain believers when we put all of our trust in Him.
In Proverbs 3:6 we are reminded to, "In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths". If we acknowledge God as Lord of our life God's hand will be on us in all that we do and will always be there to guide us and to care for us.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in I John 5:13.
These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
PRAYER:
Thank You Lord that You are always with me and leading and guiding me through every moment of my day. Help me to put my complete trust in You so that I may receive all that You have for me. Bless my family and may they put their trust in You as well.
PROVIDENCE
DEFINITION :
God conceived as the power sustaining and guiding human destiny; the foreseeing guidance and care of God over men or things; God’s guidance in directing human affairs.
SCRIPTURE:
The Lord is righteous in all His ways, gracious in all His works. Psalm 145:17.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Just think how difficult it would be, as a believer in Jesus, to face the situations you face daily in your life without the assurance that God is not only looking out for you but that all things are under His control.
In the 145th Psalm the Lord is extolled for His goodness. In verse 17 (above) the Psalmist is extolling our Lord for His righteousness in all His works and ways.
With all the uncertainties in our world today we as believers can be certain of one thing. We have divine guidance watching over us every moment of every day. Providence is God in control. When people can't find a reason to explain why something happened they often say, "It was just one of those things." Others say, "It was just meant to be." Those of us, who believe in the Lord, our God, know that what happens in this world is by Providence. Providence is the sustaining power of God at work in our world and His ever present hand guiding our destiny.
The scripture clearly tells us that if we cast all of our cares upon Him, He will take care of us. Divine guidance in a clear term means God taking care of those who are known as His believers.
In Psalm 103:19 we are told by the Psalmist that the providence of God is universal. God’s providence extends far beyond our little world called planet earth. It extends to the whole universe. "The Lord has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all." The Lord's rule is righteous and just (Psalm 9:4) and He rules forever (Psalm 9:7). God in His providence, works in all things to accomplish what is right and just and for our eternal benefit.
In Daniel 4:35 we read that it is impossible to fight against the providence of God. Nebuchadnezzar is quoted praising God by saying, "No one can restrain His (God's) hand or say to Him, 'What have you done?'"
God's providence is manifested in how He preserves the world. In Nehemiah 9:6 it reads that “You alone are the Lord; You have made heaven and earth and everything on it, and You preserve them all.”
We need the providence of God (His care) upon our lives each and every day in everything we do. We need His divine guidance and protection when we travel by car, train, bus, bicycle or airplane. We need the providence of God on our lives when we are at church, at school, at meetings, at events and even in a crowd in a store. There is no place that God's providence cannot reach us.
We cannot forget so many people living in our world that are suffering daily with a sickness, a disease, civil unrest and also those who are being personally attacked because of their faith in the Lord. God is aware of each one. In all these things God will guide and sustain believers when we put all of our trust in Him.
In Proverbs 3:6 we are reminded to, "In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths". If we acknowledge God as Lord of our life God's hand will be on us in all that we do and will always be there to guide us and to care for us.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in I John 5:13.
These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
PRAYER:
Thank You Lord that You are always with me and leading and guiding me through every moment of my day. Help me to put my complete trust in You so that I may receive all that You have for me. Bless my family and may they put their trust in You as well.
Help: July 2, 2013
TODAY’S WORD FOR TUESDAY JULY 2, 2013.
HELP
DEFINITION:
To provide what is necessary to complete a task or satisfy a need; to contribute strength, means or effort.
SCRIPTURE:
Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. Psalm 33:20.
I will lift up my eyes to the hills from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1-2.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
There is a verse in Psalms that we often turn to when we feel we need an extra touch from God. In Psalm 46:1 it reads: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” And the first part of verse 2 reads: “Therefore we will not fear.”
Many of us today seem to feel that we can conquer our daily activities by ourselves. We do not want help and we feel we can do it on our own and we can do anything better than others. But this is just not true. There will come a time in everyone’s life when they will find they are insufficient in and of themselves and that they need help.
The psalmist that wrote Psalms 121 is unknown but certainly he understood the need for help in his life. He asks the question in verse 1, “Where does my help come from?” The psalmist also knew the answer! He says, “My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.
When the psalmist took his eyes off of himself and looked up to the majestic hills of God’s creation, he put his focus on the Creator. The theme of the Psalm is that we can depend on God for help.
This Psalm also is a song for us today as believers in the Lord. This song gives us a strong feeling of assurance that when we put our daily activities in His hands, he will take us over the mountains and through the valley’s of life. He will help us and protect us and give us victory (Psalm 33:20).
In the first 8 verses of this Psalm the writer gives us as believer’s four assurances. God is our helper, our keeper, our protector and our preserver.
In II Samuel 8:6 we read that because David put his total trust in God, despite his many failures, “the Lord helped David wherever he went.” This is the place we want to be as believers in Jesus today. Do you have the assurance that no matter where you go or what you do, the Lord is with you and that He is your helper and your protector.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in I John 5:13.
These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
PRAYER:
Help me to understand fully what it means to rely on You for help in all that I do. Help me to lead my family and friends by my words and deeds to rely on You as their helper, keeper, protector and preserver.
HELP
DEFINITION:
To provide what is necessary to complete a task or satisfy a need; to contribute strength, means or effort.
SCRIPTURE:
Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. Psalm 33:20.
I will lift up my eyes to the hills from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1-2.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
There is a verse in Psalms that we often turn to when we feel we need an extra touch from God. In Psalm 46:1 it reads: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” And the first part of verse 2 reads: “Therefore we will not fear.”
Many of us today seem to feel that we can conquer our daily activities by ourselves. We do not want help and we feel we can do it on our own and we can do anything better than others. But this is just not true. There will come a time in everyone’s life when they will find they are insufficient in and of themselves and that they need help.
The psalmist that wrote Psalms 121 is unknown but certainly he understood the need for help in his life. He asks the question in verse 1, “Where does my help come from?” The psalmist also knew the answer! He says, “My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.
When the psalmist took his eyes off of himself and looked up to the majestic hills of God’s creation, he put his focus on the Creator. The theme of the Psalm is that we can depend on God for help.
This Psalm also is a song for us today as believers in the Lord. This song gives us a strong feeling of assurance that when we put our daily activities in His hands, he will take us over the mountains and through the valley’s of life. He will help us and protect us and give us victory (Psalm 33:20).
In the first 8 verses of this Psalm the writer gives us as believer’s four assurances. God is our helper, our keeper, our protector and our preserver.
In II Samuel 8:6 we read that because David put his total trust in God, despite his many failures, “the Lord helped David wherever he went.” This is the place we want to be as believers in Jesus today. Do you have the assurance that no matter where you go or what you do, the Lord is with you and that He is your helper and your protector.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in I John 5:13.
These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
PRAYER:
Help me to understand fully what it means to rely on You for help in all that I do. Help me to lead my family and friends by my words and deeds to rely on You as their helper, keeper, protector and preserver.
Care: July 1, 2013
TODAY’S WORD FOR MONDAY JULY 1, 2013.
CARE
DEFINITION:
A cause or object of worry or concern; to be concerned; have thought or regard; to make provision.
SCRIPTURE:
Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. I Peter 5:7
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Casting means to throw something on something. Peter, in the verse we have put above, is reminding Christians that they are to throw all of their discontent, discouragement, despair and suffering on the Lord, and then trust Him for knowing what He is doing with their lives.
We want to remind you that submission to God, living a humble life and putting your complete trust in God are three attitudes necessary for victorious Christian living.
The best and only lasting way we as parents, grandparents, children, teenagers and young people can sooth our sorrows, whether large or small, is to cast our sorrow or sorrows upon Jesus. And when you do this have the confidence and assurance that "He cares for you" and will take your sorrow from you."
Too many Christians today dishonor their faith and belief in Jesus by always wearing a frown of care on their face. Friends that know someone like this must feel sad for that person. When you carry that frown on your face you are staggering with a weight which your Father in heaven can handle and all you have to do is to give it to Him.
To continue to carry the burden of stress and worry of your problems and your concerns concerning your life by yourself is an indication that you have not trusted God fully with your life. What seems to you to be a crushing burden seems to God to be a little dust.
You need to stand firm in the life-saving power of faith in God against what you consider a sea of trouble and by doing this your burdens (cares) will be washed away into the sea. We are reminded in the scripture that God cares enough about the sparrows that fly in the air that He feeds them. If He does this how much more does He care for you and me! His eye is fixed on you every moment of every day watching and caring just for you. His heart beats with mercy and concern for you when you are bowed down with despair and worry over your worldly problems. He can bind up your wounds and heal your broken heart if you will only in faith believing cast your care upon Him.
It is time for you to replace the "things" in your life that really do not count by placing them in the hands of the Lord. Then replace those "things" with the "things" that will count for eternity. This will happen when you place all of your cares with the Lord.
We read in the scripture how Elijah out lived the famine of his day. (I Kings 17:2-6) He did this because he put all of his cares and concerns in the hands of God. First, God led him to a brook where God sent ravens carrying meat and bread for him. When the brook dried up, God sent Elijah to a widow who had only a little oil and a handful of flour. From this meager supply God provided enough oil and flour for them until the famine was over. It never ran out and He can do the same for you and me. There is no limit to God’s provision. Even when the circumstances seem impossible, if we turn all of our cares over to the Lord, He can do the impossible.
Whatever family concerns that are weighing on you today, God wants you to cast those cares on Him.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in I John 5:13.
These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
PRAYER:
Help me to learn today to put my complete trust in You and cast my cares into Your hands. Help me to be able to release the "things" in my life that bog me down daily. Give me blessings in areas of my life that today are troubling me. And most important, as You take my cares, give me a new drive to commit everything I do to You so that my thoughts will be established in You.
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