Gems of Encouragement for Saturday January 11, 2014.
PROVERB:
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. And knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Proverbs 9:10
PROMISE:
So that you, your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God as long as you live by keeping all His decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. Deuteronomy 6:2
PRAISE:
How precious to me are Your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with You. Psalm 139:17-18.
January 12, 2014
Trusting: January 10, 2014
TODAY’S WORD FOR FRIDAY JANUARY 10, 2014
TRUSTING
DEFINITION:
Reliance; to place one’s confidence in; believing; to hope.
SCRIPTURE:
Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Psalm 37:3
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Trusting God means that we need to look beyond what we can see to what God sees. At some point in our life, and often many times, we will face what we feel are mammoth trials and difficulties. This is why we must know how to respond to every threat we face by grabbing hold of the kind of victorious trust that looks beyond what we can see to what God sees.
One of the best examples given to us in the Old Testament is David when he met Goliath. David had his ups and downs but the secret of his success was his ability to trust God and to obey Him. Had David looked just at the challenge facing him (Goliath), he would have turned around and run away as did the rest of the Israelites. But through his faith in God and his total trust of God David saw what his countryman did not see. He saw what God saw --- victory.
In times of great pressure, God stretches our faith and deepens our trust and dependence on Him. Without a strong, abiding faith, we can quickly yield to temptation and fear, especially when the trial or difficulty is intense or prolonged. We become fearful to wait on the Lord to respond.
God loves you, and when you place your trust in Him, He will help you to triumph. You may go through times of failure. Life may not always turn out the way you had planned but ultimately, God will be glorified and you will be blessed.
Every challenge we face in life gives God an opportunity to show His faithfulness and love. We can learn from David several principles that can help us to trust completely in our Lord.
David recalled past victories before he proceeded to meet Goliath. He remembered how God delivered him from the paw of the lion and the grasp of the bear. David rejected the discouraging words that came his way from the Children of Israel. We must not succumb to discouraging words from others around us but put our trust in the Lord.
As David stood with the giant Goliath towering over him, Saul and the Israelites saw Goliath as an invincible foe. David saw Goliath as God saw Goliath, a mortal man.
David recognized the true nature of the battle he was facing. He responded that the battle was the Lord’s. David responded to the challenge he faced with a positive confession. He firmly responded to the Children of Israel that he could not lose because God was with him.
So great was David’s trust in God that he gave God the glory for the victory before the battle had begun. David was so positive in God that he declared to Goliath, “This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I will strike you down and cut off your head.” I Samuel 17:46.
David did not need a spear or a javelin to defeat Goliath. He only needed his faith and a homemade sling shot. When you put your trust in the Lord, you tap into an irresistible force that no one and nothing else can successfully oppose.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in John 15:9.
As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.
PRAYER:
Help me today to put my trust completely in You. May I learn how to trust the Lord as David did. Help me to lead others, including my family, into a closer relationship with You so that they will put their trust in You.
TRUSTING
DEFINITION:
Reliance; to place one’s confidence in; believing; to hope.
SCRIPTURE:
Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Psalm 37:3
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Trusting God means that we need to look beyond what we can see to what God sees. At some point in our life, and often many times, we will face what we feel are mammoth trials and difficulties. This is why we must know how to respond to every threat we face by grabbing hold of the kind of victorious trust that looks beyond what we can see to what God sees.
One of the best examples given to us in the Old Testament is David when he met Goliath. David had his ups and downs but the secret of his success was his ability to trust God and to obey Him. Had David looked just at the challenge facing him (Goliath), he would have turned around and run away as did the rest of the Israelites. But through his faith in God and his total trust of God David saw what his countryman did not see. He saw what God saw --- victory.
In times of great pressure, God stretches our faith and deepens our trust and dependence on Him. Without a strong, abiding faith, we can quickly yield to temptation and fear, especially when the trial or difficulty is intense or prolonged. We become fearful to wait on the Lord to respond.
God loves you, and when you place your trust in Him, He will help you to triumph. You may go through times of failure. Life may not always turn out the way you had planned but ultimately, God will be glorified and you will be blessed.
Every challenge we face in life gives God an opportunity to show His faithfulness and love. We can learn from David several principles that can help us to trust completely in our Lord.
David recalled past victories before he proceeded to meet Goliath. He remembered how God delivered him from the paw of the lion and the grasp of the bear. David rejected the discouraging words that came his way from the Children of Israel. We must not succumb to discouraging words from others around us but put our trust in the Lord.
As David stood with the giant Goliath towering over him, Saul and the Israelites saw Goliath as an invincible foe. David saw Goliath as God saw Goliath, a mortal man.
David recognized the true nature of the battle he was facing. He responded that the battle was the Lord’s. David responded to the challenge he faced with a positive confession. He firmly responded to the Children of Israel that he could not lose because God was with him.
So great was David’s trust in God that he gave God the glory for the victory before the battle had begun. David was so positive in God that he declared to Goliath, “This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I will strike you down and cut off your head.” I Samuel 17:46.
David did not need a spear or a javelin to defeat Goliath. He only needed his faith and a homemade sling shot. When you put your trust in the Lord, you tap into an irresistible force that no one and nothing else can successfully oppose.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in John 15:9.
As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.
PRAYER:
Help me today to put my trust completely in You. May I learn how to trust the Lord as David did. Help me to lead others, including my family, into a closer relationship with You so that they will put their trust in You.
Listening: January 9, 2014
TODAY’S WORD FOR THURSDAY JANUARY 9, 2014.
LISTENING
DEFINITION:
Hear; heed; pay attention.
SCRIPTURE:
Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you! O Israel, if you will listen to me. Psalm 81:8
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Are you a listener? When people talk to you do you let them complete their thoughts or do you interrupt and start talking?
As parents, we learned early in our marriage the importance of listening. Every night at dinner, as we told you yesterday, we set aside a time for listening to each of our six children. We asked each one to tell us to share the events of their day with us all. The results were several. Each sibling developed a concern for the others. There was wonderful bonding that is still there today. But for us, as parents, we could listen for concerns that one of our children was facing or even hurts that were bothering them. This allowed us to talk with them, one on one, allowing that child to work out his or her concerns
One of the most important lessons we can learn is how to listen to God. Many people think, however, that in this hectic world we live in they do not have the time. But nothing is more urgent, nothing more important, nothing more necessary and nothing more rewarding than hearing what God has to say to us and then obeying Him.
But many people ask, or at least wonder, if the Lord really speaks to us today. Let us answer that question by sharing with you the verses found in Hebrews 1:1-2: “In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and various ways but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son.”
Our God is not silent, He is alive and active. He speaks to us individually in a way we can hear Him, receive His message, and obey Him. God is infinite and fully capable to communicate with us right where we are in the midst of our circumstance and in a very personal way.
Listening is more than just hearing words. It requires paying careful attention. It involves focusing our minds and senses on what God is saying to us and being prepared to carry out His instructions.
Learning to listen to God may be one of the most important concepts you will grasp. To begin with, the Word of God, the Bible, contains His truth so you must open it and read it daily. How else can you know what God is saying to you? Whatever God says to you it will always agree with what is written in God’s Word.
When you read the Bible you must also pray and ask the Holy Spirit to open your heart so you will have a deeper understanding of God’s Word. Then as you read and pray daily you will grow spiritually and will gain a deeper understanding of His purposes, provision, care and love.
Maybe you are having difficulty understanding and even listening to God because you do not know how to listen. Maybe this thought will help you.
When you study God’s Word daily you will be expanding your understanding of how God wants you to live. You will have a clear understanding of what is right and wrong in God’s sight. Soon when you are struggling with a situation and if you stop to pray and read the Bible something will happen. You will either come upon a passage that answers your concern or a passage will come to mind that will lead you to the right direction.
The closer you are to God, because you communicate and listen to Him daily, the easier it will be to hear what God has to say to you through His Word. There is no other way to enjoy the amazingly wonderful abundant life He offers than by listening to Him through the reading of His Word.
When you listen and pay close attention to what He is saying to you, He will certainly “tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know” Jeremiah 33:3.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in John 15:9.
As the father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.
PRAYER:
Help me to learn to listen to You. Help me to understand that I need to take time daily to read Your Word and to then pray in order to allow you to talk to me. Help me to grow daily in my understanding of just how great Your love is to me and how much You desire me to listen to You.
LISTENING
DEFINITION:
Hear; heed; pay attention.
SCRIPTURE:
Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you! O Israel, if you will listen to me. Psalm 81:8
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Are you a listener? When people talk to you do you let them complete their thoughts or do you interrupt and start talking?
As parents, we learned early in our marriage the importance of listening. Every night at dinner, as we told you yesterday, we set aside a time for listening to each of our six children. We asked each one to tell us to share the events of their day with us all. The results were several. Each sibling developed a concern for the others. There was wonderful bonding that is still there today. But for us, as parents, we could listen for concerns that one of our children was facing or even hurts that were bothering them. This allowed us to talk with them, one on one, allowing that child to work out his or her concerns
One of the most important lessons we can learn is how to listen to God. Many people think, however, that in this hectic world we live in they do not have the time. But nothing is more urgent, nothing more important, nothing more necessary and nothing more rewarding than hearing what God has to say to us and then obeying Him.
But many people ask, or at least wonder, if the Lord really speaks to us today. Let us answer that question by sharing with you the verses found in Hebrews 1:1-2: “In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and various ways but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son.”
Our God is not silent, He is alive and active. He speaks to us individually in a way we can hear Him, receive His message, and obey Him. God is infinite and fully capable to communicate with us right where we are in the midst of our circumstance and in a very personal way.
Listening is more than just hearing words. It requires paying careful attention. It involves focusing our minds and senses on what God is saying to us and being prepared to carry out His instructions.
Learning to listen to God may be one of the most important concepts you will grasp. To begin with, the Word of God, the Bible, contains His truth so you must open it and read it daily. How else can you know what God is saying to you? Whatever God says to you it will always agree with what is written in God’s Word.
When you read the Bible you must also pray and ask the Holy Spirit to open your heart so you will have a deeper understanding of God’s Word. Then as you read and pray daily you will grow spiritually and will gain a deeper understanding of His purposes, provision, care and love.
Maybe you are having difficulty understanding and even listening to God because you do not know how to listen. Maybe this thought will help you.
When you study God’s Word daily you will be expanding your understanding of how God wants you to live. You will have a clear understanding of what is right and wrong in God’s sight. Soon when you are struggling with a situation and if you stop to pray and read the Bible something will happen. You will either come upon a passage that answers your concern or a passage will come to mind that will lead you to the right direction.
The closer you are to God, because you communicate and listen to Him daily, the easier it will be to hear what God has to say to you through His Word. There is no other way to enjoy the amazingly wonderful abundant life He offers than by listening to Him through the reading of His Word.
When you listen and pay close attention to what He is saying to you, He will certainly “tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know” Jeremiah 33:3.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in John 15:9.
As the father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.
PRAYER:
Help me to learn to listen to You. Help me to understand that I need to take time daily to read Your Word and to then pray in order to allow you to talk to me. Help me to grow daily in my understanding of just how great Your love is to me and how much You desire me to listen to You.
Wait: January 8, 2014
TODAY’S WORD FOR WEDNESDAY JANUARY 8, 2014.
WAIT
DEFINITION:
Stay; linger; remain; delay; expect; look for; to patiently anticipate.
SCRIPTURE:
The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him. It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. Lamentations 3:25-26.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
In this hurry up world, waiting for anything can cause us to lose our temper and our good sense, more often than we care to admit. We do not like to wait in line, wait at stop lights, even for dinner. We want what we want right now. But the Word of God tells us that we will learn some of life’s greatest lessons when we learn to wait. God will use the times we wait in life to give us rich rewards.
Waiting for the Lord does not mean sitting and doing nothing. Waiting upon the Lord is seeking God’s direction through prayer, reading His Word, and being obedient to what He tells us to do.
When we wait we will discover God’s will for our life. Stop for a moment and think. When we rush through every moment of everyday responding to our whims when does God have time to work in our lives? How can He even get our attention? The verse we have put above from the Old Testament says it clearly. The Lord is good to those who wait. We must keep our eyes on Him and our ears turned to listen for His voice and direction, eagerly anticipating His provisions for us. He is working all things for good for us (Romans 8:28).
When we wait on Him, we will receive supernatural energy and strength. In Isaiah 40: 29-31 we are given a promise: “He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power --- yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.”
Just as God deepens our relationship with Him when we wait on Him, He also increases our energy, faith, endurance and strength. We grow in the likeness of Christ and all of His attributes. These include love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. Waiting on Jesus is never a waste of our time.
We also win battles when we wait on the Lord. We see the fulfillment of our faith when we wait on the Lord and we see God working on our behalf. When we do things our way we ultimately end up defeated. When we trust Him and obey Him we will see the fulfillment of every hope we have entrusted in Him.
One of the hardest lessons for our family to learn was to wait on God for answers to our prayers. We had a policy that we all were to eat dinner every night as a family without exception. This was our time to be together and talk. There was no TV, radio, cell phones, just us.
Every night we asked all six of our children to tell us how their day went and for people and things to pray for. We then took the time to pray for every need mentioned including hurting families and crises situations. But we all became impatient from time to time because God had not answered our prayer in the next day or two. The result was that we as individuals and as a family needed to learn how to wait.
Waiting can become one of the most difficult things to do in our Christian life but He gives us directions when we wait and He may also change our direction. He gives us instructions and even may change our circumstances while we are waiting. So we need to understand that waiting on the Lord is to our benefit as believers. When we decline to wait we can get ourselves in messes that can have disastrous consequences. When we wait on the Lord we will not get into those messes.
Think of waiting on the Lord as something like planting a garden. You put the seed under the soil and then begin to water it. And then you wait. And wait. And wait. And wait. After the sun and rain nourish the soil you soon see the seeds begin to grow. And finally you begin to see evidence of what you planted.
What if you had grown impatient and dug up your seeds before anything happened? You would have ruined your garden. So all of us need to learn to wait on the Lord and to trust Him and be patient.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in John 15:9.
As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.
PRAYER:
It is my prayer today that You would teach me to wait quietly on You. Keep me patient as I wait for the seeds You plant in me have time to be nourished and to grow. Keep me diligent in seeking You in prayer and in studying Your Word.
WAIT
DEFINITION:
Stay; linger; remain; delay; expect; look for; to patiently anticipate.
SCRIPTURE:
The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him. It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. Lamentations 3:25-26.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
In this hurry up world, waiting for anything can cause us to lose our temper and our good sense, more often than we care to admit. We do not like to wait in line, wait at stop lights, even for dinner. We want what we want right now. But the Word of God tells us that we will learn some of life’s greatest lessons when we learn to wait. God will use the times we wait in life to give us rich rewards.
Waiting for the Lord does not mean sitting and doing nothing. Waiting upon the Lord is seeking God’s direction through prayer, reading His Word, and being obedient to what He tells us to do.
When we wait we will discover God’s will for our life. Stop for a moment and think. When we rush through every moment of everyday responding to our whims when does God have time to work in our lives? How can He even get our attention? The verse we have put above from the Old Testament says it clearly. The Lord is good to those who wait. We must keep our eyes on Him and our ears turned to listen for His voice and direction, eagerly anticipating His provisions for us. He is working all things for good for us (Romans 8:28).
When we wait on Him, we will receive supernatural energy and strength. In Isaiah 40: 29-31 we are given a promise: “He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power --- yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.”
Just as God deepens our relationship with Him when we wait on Him, He also increases our energy, faith, endurance and strength. We grow in the likeness of Christ and all of His attributes. These include love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. Waiting on Jesus is never a waste of our time.
We also win battles when we wait on the Lord. We see the fulfillment of our faith when we wait on the Lord and we see God working on our behalf. When we do things our way we ultimately end up defeated. When we trust Him and obey Him we will see the fulfillment of every hope we have entrusted in Him.
One of the hardest lessons for our family to learn was to wait on God for answers to our prayers. We had a policy that we all were to eat dinner every night as a family without exception. This was our time to be together and talk. There was no TV, radio, cell phones, just us.
Every night we asked all six of our children to tell us how their day went and for people and things to pray for. We then took the time to pray for every need mentioned including hurting families and crises situations. But we all became impatient from time to time because God had not answered our prayer in the next day or two. The result was that we as individuals and as a family needed to learn how to wait.
Waiting can become one of the most difficult things to do in our Christian life but He gives us directions when we wait and He may also change our direction. He gives us instructions and even may change our circumstances while we are waiting. So we need to understand that waiting on the Lord is to our benefit as believers. When we decline to wait we can get ourselves in messes that can have disastrous consequences. When we wait on the Lord we will not get into those messes.
Think of waiting on the Lord as something like planting a garden. You put the seed under the soil and then begin to water it. And then you wait. And wait. And wait. And wait. After the sun and rain nourish the soil you soon see the seeds begin to grow. And finally you begin to see evidence of what you planted.
What if you had grown impatient and dug up your seeds before anything happened? You would have ruined your garden. So all of us need to learn to wait on the Lord and to trust Him and be patient.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in John 15:9.
As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.
PRAYER:
It is my prayer today that You would teach me to wait quietly on You. Keep me patient as I wait for the seeds You plant in me have time to be nourished and to grow. Keep me diligent in seeking You in prayer and in studying Your Word.
Victims: January 7, 2014
TODAY’S WORD FOR TUESDAY JANUARY 7, 2014
VICTIMS
DEFINITION:
Sufferer; martyr; a person who suffers from a destructive or injurious action.
SCRIPTURE:
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Many families today feel they are “victims” of their environment or culture. And in many cases they are. Children feel to be a “victim” when a friend has something they desire and their family cannot afford to give them what they want. Parents feel that they are “victims” when they do not have enough money to pay the rent or buy some food for the family.
God knows that the Christian life is not easy. Many times, we are certain, you have felt you have been the victim of a situation. When you received the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, He set you on a course. He mapped out all the bumps, turns, detours, hills, and valleys. He knew all the difficulties you would face. He knew long ago when you would become the victim of some situation.
He also knew when you would clash with the world, the flesh, and the devil. But the good news is that He did not just set you on a path hoping you would survive. He sent the Holy Spirit to indwell you, guide you, and encourage you. With the Holy Spirit, if you communicate and listen to Him, He will remind you of God’s faithfulness and power and you can remain faithful to Him through every situation you face.
When the going gets tough, and it will, you can’t run away. You can’t quit. It is important for us to understand that the longer we faithfully obey the Lord, regardless of the circumstances, the stronger our faith becomes. We will become stronger and steadfast. Do not quit but persevere through all situations. You need not feel that you are the victim. You are a child of God who loves you, cares for you and will take you through every difficulty you face in life.
God chose Jeremiah to urge God’s people in Judah to turn from their sins and to return to God. Jeremiah preached and preached but no one listened. By the world’s standards he was a failure. He was persecuted, His life was threatened, He stood all alone, a victim of his circumstances. In Jeremiah 1:8 we read God’s promise to Jeremiah: “Do not be afraid of them for I am with you to deliver you.” God does not keep us from encountering conflict with the world but He has promised to be with us and deliver us from those who victimize us because we serve the Lord.
Take a moment today and read through the eleventh chapter of Hebrews where there is listed what some call God’s Hall of Fame. All of these people endured some of life’s toughest situations. But they kept firm in their faith, not allowing themselves to become victims, and God took them through whatever they face.
You are not alone; your sovereign Lord is with you in every situation just as He was with Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David and so many others. Call on Him today to infuse you with His power and wisdom and then obey anything He calls you to do. You are not a victim of your circumstances because the Lord will use everything that happens to you for your blessing and His glory.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in John 15:9.
As the Father loved me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.
PRAYER:
Help me today to understand that I am not a victim when I face serious situations in my life. I call on You today to infuse me with Your power and wisdom. I commit to you that I will obey when You call. Help my family to understand that they as well do not need to be victims. Thank You for Your promise to deliver us and to give us the victory.
VICTIMS
DEFINITION:
Sufferer; martyr; a person who suffers from a destructive or injurious action.
SCRIPTURE:
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Many families today feel they are “victims” of their environment or culture. And in many cases they are. Children feel to be a “victim” when a friend has something they desire and their family cannot afford to give them what they want. Parents feel that they are “victims” when they do not have enough money to pay the rent or buy some food for the family.
God knows that the Christian life is not easy. Many times, we are certain, you have felt you have been the victim of a situation. When you received the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, He set you on a course. He mapped out all the bumps, turns, detours, hills, and valleys. He knew all the difficulties you would face. He knew long ago when you would become the victim of some situation.
He also knew when you would clash with the world, the flesh, and the devil. But the good news is that He did not just set you on a path hoping you would survive. He sent the Holy Spirit to indwell you, guide you, and encourage you. With the Holy Spirit, if you communicate and listen to Him, He will remind you of God’s faithfulness and power and you can remain faithful to Him through every situation you face.
When the going gets tough, and it will, you can’t run away. You can’t quit. It is important for us to understand that the longer we faithfully obey the Lord, regardless of the circumstances, the stronger our faith becomes. We will become stronger and steadfast. Do not quit but persevere through all situations. You need not feel that you are the victim. You are a child of God who loves you, cares for you and will take you through every difficulty you face in life.
God chose Jeremiah to urge God’s people in Judah to turn from their sins and to return to God. Jeremiah preached and preached but no one listened. By the world’s standards he was a failure. He was persecuted, His life was threatened, He stood all alone, a victim of his circumstances. In Jeremiah 1:8 we read God’s promise to Jeremiah: “Do not be afraid of them for I am with you to deliver you.” God does not keep us from encountering conflict with the world but He has promised to be with us and deliver us from those who victimize us because we serve the Lord.
Take a moment today and read through the eleventh chapter of Hebrews where there is listed what some call God’s Hall of Fame. All of these people endured some of life’s toughest situations. But they kept firm in their faith, not allowing themselves to become victims, and God took them through whatever they face.
You are not alone; your sovereign Lord is with you in every situation just as He was with Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David and so many others. Call on Him today to infuse you with His power and wisdom and then obey anything He calls you to do. You are not a victim of your circumstances because the Lord will use everything that happens to you for your blessing and His glory.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in John 15:9.
As the Father loved me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.
PRAYER:
Help me today to understand that I am not a victim when I face serious situations in my life. I call on You today to infuse me with Your power and wisdom. I commit to you that I will obey when You call. Help my family to understand that they as well do not need to be victims. Thank You for Your promise to deliver us and to give us the victory.
Brokenness "2": January 6, 2014
TODAY’S WORD FOR MONDAY JANUARY 6, 2014.
BROKENNESS “2”
DEFINITION:
Despondent; feeling worthless, lonely and frustrated; fractured or shattered; violated or transgressed against.
SCRIPTURE:
Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. I Peter 4: 12-13.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles. I Corinthians 1:3-4a
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Maybe you are facing a time of brokenness in your life and it feels as though the emotional pain is more than you can bear. Or perhaps you are dealing with disappointments that have completely undermined your security in life. When you are in this position you need to ask the Lord what He is trying to teach you rather than feeling fearful.
The Apostle Paul faced a time like this in his life and he wrote in II Corinthians 12:8, “I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me.” Although God did not remove the so called “Thorn” in his life, He did help Paul to understand that this “Thorn” was given him to keep him from exalting himself and from relying on anything other than Christ (II Corinthians 12:7-11).
The same is true for us today. Whenever we experience brokenness in our lives, God’s grace can sustain and mature us. He will show us how to relinquish our reliance on earthly things and teach us how to rest in His wonderful provisions and love.
This is the way we can grow to be more Christ-like in our lives and know that it is Gods way to prepare us for future service for Him. We need to keep in mind that God uses brokenness to deepen our understanding in three ways.
First, we will gain a new perspective of God’s mercy and provision and also learn to depend on Him more each day. Secondly, we will develop a more complete comprehension of ourselves. And finally, our compassion and understanding of others’ suffering will grow.
Parents need to be reminded that when a child has brokenness (a hurt) in their life that this is an opportunity to teach that God’s grace can overcome all hurts. Many events that a child faces in life is a major crisis to the child but to the parent it may seem insignificant. A child hurts should never be ignored or brushed aside. Children’s feelings are sensitive and they are easily hurt.
Children instinctively run to their parents for comfort when they are hurt. God has given parents the role of being their children’s comforter. God tells us in Isaiah 66:13 that, “as one whom his mother comforts so I will comfort you.” Shouldn’t this wonderful promise from our heavenly Father cause us to run instinctively to Him for comfort in our times of brokenness? There are three things each of us should think about:
• Are we, as parents there for our children to comfort them in their times of brokenness?
• Do we ourselves turn to God, our comforter, in times of our own brokenness?
• Are we teaching our children to know that God loves them as a father and mother loves their children? Do we tell our children that He wants them to run to Him when they are hurting? They need to know that He wants to be their comforter.
When you face a season of trials and brokenness remember that if you put your trust in God and learn from Him, He will reveal Himself to you and work through you in wonderful ways known only to Him. The Lord has only one goal in mind for you and that is spiritual victory. We need to be confident that Jesus can take our weakness and turn it into strength, hope, and honor.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in John 15:9.
As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.
PRAYER:
Help me to learn to put my complete trust in You. When trials and frustrations come my way, help me not to face them in my own power but to run to You for comfort and strength.
BROKENNESS “2”
DEFINITION:
Despondent; feeling worthless, lonely and frustrated; fractured or shattered; violated or transgressed against.
SCRIPTURE:
Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. I Peter 4: 12-13.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles. I Corinthians 1:3-4a
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Maybe you are facing a time of brokenness in your life and it feels as though the emotional pain is more than you can bear. Or perhaps you are dealing with disappointments that have completely undermined your security in life. When you are in this position you need to ask the Lord what He is trying to teach you rather than feeling fearful.
The Apostle Paul faced a time like this in his life and he wrote in II Corinthians 12:8, “I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me.” Although God did not remove the so called “Thorn” in his life, He did help Paul to understand that this “Thorn” was given him to keep him from exalting himself and from relying on anything other than Christ (II Corinthians 12:7-11).
The same is true for us today. Whenever we experience brokenness in our lives, God’s grace can sustain and mature us. He will show us how to relinquish our reliance on earthly things and teach us how to rest in His wonderful provisions and love.
This is the way we can grow to be more Christ-like in our lives and know that it is Gods way to prepare us for future service for Him. We need to keep in mind that God uses brokenness to deepen our understanding in three ways.
First, we will gain a new perspective of God’s mercy and provision and also learn to depend on Him more each day. Secondly, we will develop a more complete comprehension of ourselves. And finally, our compassion and understanding of others’ suffering will grow.
Parents need to be reminded that when a child has brokenness (a hurt) in their life that this is an opportunity to teach that God’s grace can overcome all hurts. Many events that a child faces in life is a major crisis to the child but to the parent it may seem insignificant. A child hurts should never be ignored or brushed aside. Children’s feelings are sensitive and they are easily hurt.
Children instinctively run to their parents for comfort when they are hurt. God has given parents the role of being their children’s comforter. God tells us in Isaiah 66:13 that, “as one whom his mother comforts so I will comfort you.” Shouldn’t this wonderful promise from our heavenly Father cause us to run instinctively to Him for comfort in our times of brokenness? There are three things each of us should think about:
• Are we, as parents there for our children to comfort them in their times of brokenness?
• Do we ourselves turn to God, our comforter, in times of our own brokenness?
• Are we teaching our children to know that God loves them as a father and mother loves their children? Do we tell our children that He wants them to run to Him when they are hurting? They need to know that He wants to be their comforter.
When you face a season of trials and brokenness remember that if you put your trust in God and learn from Him, He will reveal Himself to you and work through you in wonderful ways known only to Him. The Lord has only one goal in mind for you and that is spiritual victory. We need to be confident that Jesus can take our weakness and turn it into strength, hope, and honor.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in John 15:9.
As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.
PRAYER:
Help me to learn to put my complete trust in You. When trials and frustrations come my way, help me not to face them in my own power but to run to You for comfort and strength.
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