GEMS OF ENCOURAGEMENT FOR SATURDAY FEBRUARY 15, 2014
PROVERB:
All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord. Proverbs 16:2.
PROMISE:
Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God. I Corinthians 4:5
PRAISE:
You show love to thousands but bring the punishment for the fathers’ sins into the laps of their children after them. O great and powerful God, whose name is the Lord Almighty, great are Your purposes and mighty are Your deeds. Your eyes are open to all the ways of men; You reward everyone according to his conduct and as his deeds deserve. Jeremiah 32:18-19.
February 16, 2014
Love: February 14, 2014
TODAYS WORD FOR FRIDAY FEBRUARY 14, 2014.
LOVE
DEFINITION:
Affection for another person.
SCRIPTURE:
Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an expressible and glorious joy. I Peter 1:8.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
We cannot let this day pass without saying HAPPY VALENTINES DAY. This is a day set aside to put emphasis on love here in America. This is a day when spouses show their love to each other in a special way to express that they care. It may be through a gift or a card or an act of kindness. And this is a day when children and parents show something special to one another to express their love to one another.
In I Peter, Peter reminds us of a benefit that we enjoy because we have received Jesus as our Lord and Savior. This benefit can carry us through times of trial, loneliness and sorrow. It is a rejoicing love that only God can give. It is a quiet joy that fills your heart simply because you know Jesus and His love in an intimate and personal way.
This joy that Peter talks about is not the result of anything God does for you, although He does so much for us. It is simply the result of who He is and the fact that He loves you and you love Him. And Peter reminds us that even though we cannot see Him we love Him. We have joy because of our love relationship with Him that allows us to have fellowship with Him.
Our deepest need in the world we live in today as men, women and children is love. Children cannot grow up whole unless they have love, expressed not only in words, but through affirming eye contact and physical touch. The same is true for the marriage relationship if it is not only to survive but to thrive.
Solomon wrote two books about love relationships. He wrote Ecclesiastics about our love relationship with God. Solomon says that without God and His love for us life is meaningless. He then wrote Song of Solomon about the love relationship between a husband and a wife. Without love a marriage is empty and meaningless.
These two books in the Bible express our need for faith, hope and love. We need to take time to read these books when we ever feel that our love relationship with God is not what it should be and our love relationship with our spouse is failing.
The world is not impressed by what we do not do. The world is impressed by what we do because as believers everything we do in life should show a positive attitude showing that we love. This is love based on our will, not on our emotions. It is a love that is based on our decision to seek the good in others, not on the fact that other people are loveable. In fact this kind of love is precisely aimed at those who are hard to love. This is what God wants from us not just on this VALENTINES DAY 2014, but every day.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Hebrews 11:6.
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
PRAYER:
Thank You dear God for the love You showed to me by sending Your Son to this earth to die on the cross to pay my penalty for my sins. Help me to show Your love to others, this day, in a way that will reveal my love relationship with You and the glorious joy You have filled me with.
LOVE
DEFINITION:
Affection for another person.
SCRIPTURE:
Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an expressible and glorious joy. I Peter 1:8.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
We cannot let this day pass without saying HAPPY VALENTINES DAY. This is a day set aside to put emphasis on love here in America. This is a day when spouses show their love to each other in a special way to express that they care. It may be through a gift or a card or an act of kindness. And this is a day when children and parents show something special to one another to express their love to one another.
In I Peter, Peter reminds us of a benefit that we enjoy because we have received Jesus as our Lord and Savior. This benefit can carry us through times of trial, loneliness and sorrow. It is a rejoicing love that only God can give. It is a quiet joy that fills your heart simply because you know Jesus and His love in an intimate and personal way.
This joy that Peter talks about is not the result of anything God does for you, although He does so much for us. It is simply the result of who He is and the fact that He loves you and you love Him. And Peter reminds us that even though we cannot see Him we love Him. We have joy because of our love relationship with Him that allows us to have fellowship with Him.
Our deepest need in the world we live in today as men, women and children is love. Children cannot grow up whole unless they have love, expressed not only in words, but through affirming eye contact and physical touch. The same is true for the marriage relationship if it is not only to survive but to thrive.
Solomon wrote two books about love relationships. He wrote Ecclesiastics about our love relationship with God. Solomon says that without God and His love for us life is meaningless. He then wrote Song of Solomon about the love relationship between a husband and a wife. Without love a marriage is empty and meaningless.
These two books in the Bible express our need for faith, hope and love. We need to take time to read these books when we ever feel that our love relationship with God is not what it should be and our love relationship with our spouse is failing.
The world is not impressed by what we do not do. The world is impressed by what we do because as believers everything we do in life should show a positive attitude showing that we love. This is love based on our will, not on our emotions. It is a love that is based on our decision to seek the good in others, not on the fact that other people are loveable. In fact this kind of love is precisely aimed at those who are hard to love. This is what God wants from us not just on this VALENTINES DAY 2014, but every day.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Hebrews 11:6.
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
PRAYER:
Thank You dear God for the love You showed to me by sending Your Son to this earth to die on the cross to pay my penalty for my sins. Help me to show Your love to others, this day, in a way that will reveal my love relationship with You and the glorious joy You have filled me with.
Friend: Feburary 13, 2014
TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY FEBRUARY 13, 2014.
FRIEND
DEFINITION:
A person on intimate and affectionate terms with another; supporters; well wishers.
SCRIPTURE:
Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. John 15:13-14.
A friend loves at all times. Proverbs 17:17a
A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Psalm 18:24.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
After God created Adam He placed him in a beautiful and magnificent garden paradise with a river running through it. Adam had everything he needed and God had given him dominion over everything in the garden. God, however, saw something was missing. Adam was alone and God knew it was not good for Adam to be alone so God created Eve to be a helper for Adam.
We all need a helper and a friend in our life. As God said, “It is not good for man to be alone” Genesis 2:18. Indeed we all need a friend, someone who will be there for us and help us in our time of need. In this world we live in there are many types of friends. When we were raising our six children we constantly watched and discussed the importance of choosing the right kind of friends.
Children are easily swayed by their friends. We warned our children that many friends are what we call “fair weather friends.” They are with you as a friend as long as all is going well between the two of you or until another “friend” comes along that has something better to offer. There were times when we had to comfort our children because friends let them down.
In the world we live in today, the “ME GENERATION,” many people keep friendships only as long as it benefits them. They are suddenly gone when you face a crises or situation when you really need a friend. The old saying, “A friend in need is a friend indeed” is so true. The greatest characteristic of friendship is loyalty. A true friend loves at all times and sticks closer than a brother.
Where do you look for friends? This is a critical decision that every person must make when looking for friends. One needs to remember that where their heart is that is where there you will feel most comfortable. When you love the Lord you need to look for friends in places where like minded people who also love the Lord gather.
Throughout our lifetime we developed friends in places where we were involved in ministry or church or school activities involving our children. But we found out that in some situations where we became involved we met a different caliber of friends then what we were expecting. One area where we developed friends with was the parents of children that played sports with our children. Many of these were not Christians so we did not have as much in common and the bond of Christian fellowship was not there.
Our best friends in our lives were the leaders we met in missions. It was simple to see why this was so because our heart interests were the same. Take a moment to read the book of Philemon. It is only 25 verses long but Paul in these 25 verses talks to his brother in Christ, Philemon, about Christian brotherly love. They were beloved friends and fellow laborers in the faith so they had a lot in common.
Paul writes in this book and urges Philemon to intercede for Onesimus, Philemon’s runaway slave. Through Paul, Onesimus had become a believer and developed a deep bond of friendship with Paul and was a help to Paul while Paul was in prison. Paul asks Philemon to be forgiving and welcome Onesimus back, not as a slave but as a Christian brother.
Paul reminds Philemon that they have a responsibility to love their friend Onesimus. We as believers have the same responsibility today to love our friends just as Jesus loves us. To love as Jesus does we must be forgiving of those who have wronged us and who seek our forgiveness and accept them back as a friend.
The three verses that we have written above are a reminder to us as to how we are always to live our lives in a spirit of love and be the kind of friend Jesus wants us to be. Do you show love to those friends that are counting on you for support and friendship? Do you show the love of Christ in your daily walk and talk? Do your friends see a difference in you than some of the other friends they may have?
It is important for us to remember that the greatest friend we have is Jesus. He is with us through thick and thin. He never leaves us nor forsakes us. A favorite old hymn we have often sung says, “What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear: What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer.” Yes, you can tell Jesus everything because He already knows and He does not want us to go it alone.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Hebrews 11:6.
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
PRAYER:
I rejoice that I have You as my friend and Savior. Help me to be a friend that loves at all times and sticks closer than a brother. Help me to be a witness to others so they will know what a friend they have in Jesus.
FRIEND
DEFINITION:
A person on intimate and affectionate terms with another; supporters; well wishers.
SCRIPTURE:
Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. John 15:13-14.
A friend loves at all times. Proverbs 17:17a
A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Psalm 18:24.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
After God created Adam He placed him in a beautiful and magnificent garden paradise with a river running through it. Adam had everything he needed and God had given him dominion over everything in the garden. God, however, saw something was missing. Adam was alone and God knew it was not good for Adam to be alone so God created Eve to be a helper for Adam.
We all need a helper and a friend in our life. As God said, “It is not good for man to be alone” Genesis 2:18. Indeed we all need a friend, someone who will be there for us and help us in our time of need. In this world we live in there are many types of friends. When we were raising our six children we constantly watched and discussed the importance of choosing the right kind of friends.
Children are easily swayed by their friends. We warned our children that many friends are what we call “fair weather friends.” They are with you as a friend as long as all is going well between the two of you or until another “friend” comes along that has something better to offer. There were times when we had to comfort our children because friends let them down.
In the world we live in today, the “ME GENERATION,” many people keep friendships only as long as it benefits them. They are suddenly gone when you face a crises or situation when you really need a friend. The old saying, “A friend in need is a friend indeed” is so true. The greatest characteristic of friendship is loyalty. A true friend loves at all times and sticks closer than a brother.
Where do you look for friends? This is a critical decision that every person must make when looking for friends. One needs to remember that where their heart is that is where there you will feel most comfortable. When you love the Lord you need to look for friends in places where like minded people who also love the Lord gather.
Throughout our lifetime we developed friends in places where we were involved in ministry or church or school activities involving our children. But we found out that in some situations where we became involved we met a different caliber of friends then what we were expecting. One area where we developed friends with was the parents of children that played sports with our children. Many of these were not Christians so we did not have as much in common and the bond of Christian fellowship was not there.
Our best friends in our lives were the leaders we met in missions. It was simple to see why this was so because our heart interests were the same. Take a moment to read the book of Philemon. It is only 25 verses long but Paul in these 25 verses talks to his brother in Christ, Philemon, about Christian brotherly love. They were beloved friends and fellow laborers in the faith so they had a lot in common.
Paul writes in this book and urges Philemon to intercede for Onesimus, Philemon’s runaway slave. Through Paul, Onesimus had become a believer and developed a deep bond of friendship with Paul and was a help to Paul while Paul was in prison. Paul asks Philemon to be forgiving and welcome Onesimus back, not as a slave but as a Christian brother.
Paul reminds Philemon that they have a responsibility to love their friend Onesimus. We as believers have the same responsibility today to love our friends just as Jesus loves us. To love as Jesus does we must be forgiving of those who have wronged us and who seek our forgiveness and accept them back as a friend.
The three verses that we have written above are a reminder to us as to how we are always to live our lives in a spirit of love and be the kind of friend Jesus wants us to be. Do you show love to those friends that are counting on you for support and friendship? Do you show the love of Christ in your daily walk and talk? Do your friends see a difference in you than some of the other friends they may have?
It is important for us to remember that the greatest friend we have is Jesus. He is with us through thick and thin. He never leaves us nor forsakes us. A favorite old hymn we have often sung says, “What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear: What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer.” Yes, you can tell Jesus everything because He already knows and He does not want us to go it alone.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Hebrews 11:6.
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
PRAYER:
I rejoice that I have You as my friend and Savior. Help me to be a friend that loves at all times and sticks closer than a brother. Help me to be a witness to others so they will know what a friend they have in Jesus.
Alone: February 12, 2014
TODAYS WORD FOR WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 12, 2014.
ALONE
DEFINITION:
Apart from or the exclusion of others or things; solitary; separate.
SCRIPTURE:
I lie awake, and am like a sparrow alone on the housetop. Psalm 102:7
I will both lie down in peace and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety. Psalm 4:8
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Almost every day we receive either an email, meet a person, read about someone in the newspapers or see on television a person that is devastated, frustrated or simply feeling helpless all because he or she is alone. Loneliness brings on depression and self-pity. This can be devastating for most people because they have literally no support in life.
The Hebrew word for alone is Badad and is used in Leviticus 13:46. In this verse it is recorded that the Lord was speaking to Moses and Aaron about health regulations to deal with leprosy. Down through history people with leprosy were separated to some location alone (badad). They were isolated from their family and all who did not have leprosy. Being a leper and cut off from the support and love from those you love must be one of the loneliest situations that a person could be in.
Take yourself back to the day that Jesus was crucified on the cross. When Jesus took our sins upon Himself while on the cross, our sin completely separated Him from His Father. Just think how alone Jesus was as He hung on that cross. He cried out to God. “Why hast thou forsaken Me? It is not humanly possible for any of us to understand just how alone Jesus felt on the cross. Just the anticipation of being separated from His Father brought Jesus to His knees in the Garden of Gethsemane and caused Him to pray asking the Father, “If possible let this cup pass from Me.” He asked not once, but three times. God’s great love for all of us made it impossible for the Father to let the cup pass from Jesus. In obedience Jesus went to the cross carrying on His shoulders all of the sins of the world. He died, carrying our sins, but the good news is that He rose again and is now in heaven preparing a place for us to spend an eternity with Him
When one who knows Jesus begins to feel alone he or she has the comfort to know that being a child of God we have Him right by our side to comfort and encourage us. The bad news is that all those who have not received Christ’s great gift of salvation are separated from God our heavenly Father. They are alone unless they come to God through Jesus Christ receiving forgiveness for their sins; they will remain separated from God for all eternity.
Do you lie awake at night feeling like a sparrow all alone on the rooftop? Or do you lie down and sleep in peace because you have put your trust in the Lord? It is the Lord alone who brings peace and makes us dwell in safety.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Hebrews 11:6.
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
PRAYER:
Help me to remember that as a child of God that You are with me at all times. Today may I be an encouragement and be able to comfort someone who is alone and feeling no one cares. May the joy of Jesus shine out through my actions and in my words.
ALONE
DEFINITION:
Apart from or the exclusion of others or things; solitary; separate.
SCRIPTURE:
I lie awake, and am like a sparrow alone on the housetop. Psalm 102:7
I will both lie down in peace and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety. Psalm 4:8
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Almost every day we receive either an email, meet a person, read about someone in the newspapers or see on television a person that is devastated, frustrated or simply feeling helpless all because he or she is alone. Loneliness brings on depression and self-pity. This can be devastating for most people because they have literally no support in life.
The Hebrew word for alone is Badad and is used in Leviticus 13:46. In this verse it is recorded that the Lord was speaking to Moses and Aaron about health regulations to deal with leprosy. Down through history people with leprosy were separated to some location alone (badad). They were isolated from their family and all who did not have leprosy. Being a leper and cut off from the support and love from those you love must be one of the loneliest situations that a person could be in.
Take yourself back to the day that Jesus was crucified on the cross. When Jesus took our sins upon Himself while on the cross, our sin completely separated Him from His Father. Just think how alone Jesus was as He hung on that cross. He cried out to God. “Why hast thou forsaken Me? It is not humanly possible for any of us to understand just how alone Jesus felt on the cross. Just the anticipation of being separated from His Father brought Jesus to His knees in the Garden of Gethsemane and caused Him to pray asking the Father, “If possible let this cup pass from Me.” He asked not once, but three times. God’s great love for all of us made it impossible for the Father to let the cup pass from Jesus. In obedience Jesus went to the cross carrying on His shoulders all of the sins of the world. He died, carrying our sins, but the good news is that He rose again and is now in heaven preparing a place for us to spend an eternity with Him
When one who knows Jesus begins to feel alone he or she has the comfort to know that being a child of God we have Him right by our side to comfort and encourage us. The bad news is that all those who have not received Christ’s great gift of salvation are separated from God our heavenly Father. They are alone unless they come to God through Jesus Christ receiving forgiveness for their sins; they will remain separated from God for all eternity.
Do you lie awake at night feeling like a sparrow all alone on the rooftop? Or do you lie down and sleep in peace because you have put your trust in the Lord? It is the Lord alone who brings peace and makes us dwell in safety.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Hebrews 11:6.
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
PRAYER:
Help me to remember that as a child of God that You are with me at all times. Today may I be an encouragement and be able to comfort someone who is alone and feeling no one cares. May the joy of Jesus shine out through my actions and in my words.
Accomplish: February 11, 2014
TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY FEBRUARY 11, 2014.
ACCOMPLISH
DEFINITION:
Bring to pass; do; complete; achieve; gain; finish.
SCRIPTURE:
So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:11.
After this, Jesus knowing that all things were accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I THIRST.” John 19:28
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
In the verse above from Isaiah the phrase, it shall accomplish what I please, shows the power of God’s Word. Isaiah was God’s prophet and God called him to deliver a message the people did not want to hear. Isaiah called the people to turn from their sinful ways and warned them that if they did not repent of their sins God would bring judgment and punishment. Like most of us they chose to ignore what they didn’t like to hear.
The first 39 chapters of Isaiah proclaim God’s message of judgment for sin. In contrast the last 27 chapters present God’s message of forgiveness and redemption through the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Although His message was being ignored, Isaiah kept preaching because he had God’s assurance God’s Word would accomplish what God intended it to accomplish and every word would be fulfilled. Our Savior, Jesus Christ will come and He is coming again.
All of us want to be successful and accomplish things during our lifetime. We are successful in some of the tasks that we attempt, and that gives us the satisfaction of accomplishment. All of us like to successfully accomplish what we start but sometimes we fail. Isaiah must have felt he was not accomplishing a thing because the people ignored his message. God works in ways we do not see. It is often in our failure that God is able to accomplish His purpose for us. Failure can make us realize our need to rely on His power and not ours.
The Hebrew word in this verse in Isaiah for accomplishment is ASAH. In Hebrew it makes the point that God is able to bring out of Himself the power, the victory, the solution to problems and the comfort needed anywhere and anytime. In other words, our God can accomplish whatever He desires and no one can prevent God from accomplishing His purposes.
When we became parents we realized we had the responsibility to teach our children God’s message from His Word. It was our prayer that they would not ignore it or reject it. We believe, as did Isaiah, that God’s Word would not return void, and that God through His Word would accomplish His purpose in each of their lives.
God has a purpose and a plan in everything He does. Jesus came into this world to accomplish what God pleased. It pleased God to give His only Son to die a cruel death on the cross to save all of us lost sinners from eternal death and give us eternal life.
Jesus always knew what His purpose was in coming to earth. At the age of twelve He said, “I must be about My Father’s business” Luke 2:49. In John 4:34 He said, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and finish His work.”
In the verse above that we have given you from John we need to note that when Jesus was on the cross He did not respond to His need until He knew that all had been accomplished to fulfill what had been prophesized in the scriptures. And at that point he said, “I THIRST.”
God will not quit on us until he has accomplished His purpose for our life. Make sure that you do not limit God’s power in your life by your lack of faith. There is nothing God cannot accomplish through your life if you will seek to do His will. We all need to wake up, step up and let God perform in and through us what He wants to accomplish.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Hebrews 11:6.
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
PRAYER:
I yield my will to You, dear Lord, and pray that You might accomplish what You want through me today. Thank You in advance for the blessings that You have for me today as I seek to obediently serve You and do Your will.
ACCOMPLISH
DEFINITION:
Bring to pass; do; complete; achieve; gain; finish.
SCRIPTURE:
So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:11.
After this, Jesus knowing that all things were accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I THIRST.” John 19:28
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
In the verse above from Isaiah the phrase, it shall accomplish what I please, shows the power of God’s Word. Isaiah was God’s prophet and God called him to deliver a message the people did not want to hear. Isaiah called the people to turn from their sinful ways and warned them that if they did not repent of their sins God would bring judgment and punishment. Like most of us they chose to ignore what they didn’t like to hear.
The first 39 chapters of Isaiah proclaim God’s message of judgment for sin. In contrast the last 27 chapters present God’s message of forgiveness and redemption through the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Although His message was being ignored, Isaiah kept preaching because he had God’s assurance God’s Word would accomplish what God intended it to accomplish and every word would be fulfilled. Our Savior, Jesus Christ will come and He is coming again.
All of us want to be successful and accomplish things during our lifetime. We are successful in some of the tasks that we attempt, and that gives us the satisfaction of accomplishment. All of us like to successfully accomplish what we start but sometimes we fail. Isaiah must have felt he was not accomplishing a thing because the people ignored his message. God works in ways we do not see. It is often in our failure that God is able to accomplish His purpose for us. Failure can make us realize our need to rely on His power and not ours.
The Hebrew word in this verse in Isaiah for accomplishment is ASAH. In Hebrew it makes the point that God is able to bring out of Himself the power, the victory, the solution to problems and the comfort needed anywhere and anytime. In other words, our God can accomplish whatever He desires and no one can prevent God from accomplishing His purposes.
When we became parents we realized we had the responsibility to teach our children God’s message from His Word. It was our prayer that they would not ignore it or reject it. We believe, as did Isaiah, that God’s Word would not return void, and that God through His Word would accomplish His purpose in each of their lives.
God has a purpose and a plan in everything He does. Jesus came into this world to accomplish what God pleased. It pleased God to give His only Son to die a cruel death on the cross to save all of us lost sinners from eternal death and give us eternal life.
Jesus always knew what His purpose was in coming to earth. At the age of twelve He said, “I must be about My Father’s business” Luke 2:49. In John 4:34 He said, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and finish His work.”
In the verse above that we have given you from John we need to note that when Jesus was on the cross He did not respond to His need until He knew that all had been accomplished to fulfill what had been prophesized in the scriptures. And at that point he said, “I THIRST.”
God will not quit on us until he has accomplished His purpose for our life. Make sure that you do not limit God’s power in your life by your lack of faith. There is nothing God cannot accomplish through your life if you will seek to do His will. We all need to wake up, step up and let God perform in and through us what He wants to accomplish.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Hebrews 11:6.
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
PRAYER:
I yield my will to You, dear Lord, and pray that You might accomplish what You want through me today. Thank You in advance for the blessings that You have for me today as I seek to obediently serve You and do Your will.
Heroes: February 10, 2014
TODAYS WORD FOR MONDAY February 10, 2014.
HEROES
DEFINITION:
One admired for courage, fortitude or ability; one known for brave deeds; one regarded as a model or ideal
SCRIPTURE:
These all died in faith. Hebrew 11: 13.
For living to me means simply “Christ” and if I die I should merely gain more of Him. Philippians 1:20 (J.B. Phillips translation).
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
All of us during our lifetime have had heroes in our lives. When we were younger we had many more heroes than now. Part of that was due to our age and lack of maturity. Over the years we have seen some of our heroes fail in some way and burst our so called bubble, because we thought they were the greatest. It is a great disappointment when someone turns out not to be what we thought they were.
In Hebrews chapter 11, we read about heroes of faith from the Old Testament. They include Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, David and many others. When you look to the Bible for your heroes in life you will find role models that you can confidently use in growing your spiritual life.
The key to those that are listed above in Hebrews 11 is that they all lived by faith. If we pick these as our heroes and our role models and want to be like them we need to do all we can to live as they did. They all had their times of failure but in their faith they found their comfort, their daily guide, their motive for living and their support.
They believed the promises that came from God, under the law, and lived their lives relying on these promises. They were assured that their sins were blotted out through the mercy of God. These heroes were confident of their acceptance by God. They enjoyed living in His love and resting in His faithfulness.
They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth just as we are as believers today. They were looking forward to a country of their own, a better place than where they were or had been. They all were looking for their heavenly home and knew that one day they would arrive there and live an eternity with their Lord and creator. Is this the kind of hero you have chosen in your life?
In the verse we have written above from Hebrews 11: 13 we read that they all died in faith. They died in faith because they lived in faith. Hebrews 11:1 explains, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”
Faith is more than belief. We can believe a chair will support us if we sit on it. It is by faith that we sit on it. These men and women of faith had confidence that God would do all that He said He would do and acted on it. They had confident assurance of what they could not see.
Dying in faith looks to the future. They died knowing that the Messiah would surely come and one day they would rise from their graves to behold Him in the air.
If you are looking for heroes in your life, look no further than these heroes we read about in Hebrews. And you can be a hero just like them if you will look to Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith. You can be confident that God wants you to be assured of your faith as were the Bible heroes of faith. When you have doubts ask God to remove them and put your complete trust in Him. Live to gain more of Him.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
PRAYER:
As our family picks heroes in our lives help us to understand that we need to look up to men and women who lived lives of faith. Help us to live our lives daily by the faith we have in You so that others will see to us as a person of great faith fully devoted to You.
HEROES
DEFINITION:
One admired for courage, fortitude or ability; one known for brave deeds; one regarded as a model or ideal
SCRIPTURE:
These all died in faith. Hebrew 11: 13.
For living to me means simply “Christ” and if I die I should merely gain more of Him. Philippians 1:20 (J.B. Phillips translation).
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
All of us during our lifetime have had heroes in our lives. When we were younger we had many more heroes than now. Part of that was due to our age and lack of maturity. Over the years we have seen some of our heroes fail in some way and burst our so called bubble, because we thought they were the greatest. It is a great disappointment when someone turns out not to be what we thought they were.
In Hebrews chapter 11, we read about heroes of faith from the Old Testament. They include Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, David and many others. When you look to the Bible for your heroes in life you will find role models that you can confidently use in growing your spiritual life.
The key to those that are listed above in Hebrews 11 is that they all lived by faith. If we pick these as our heroes and our role models and want to be like them we need to do all we can to live as they did. They all had their times of failure but in their faith they found their comfort, their daily guide, their motive for living and their support.
They believed the promises that came from God, under the law, and lived their lives relying on these promises. They were assured that their sins were blotted out through the mercy of God. These heroes were confident of their acceptance by God. They enjoyed living in His love and resting in His faithfulness.
They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth just as we are as believers today. They were looking forward to a country of their own, a better place than where they were or had been. They all were looking for their heavenly home and knew that one day they would arrive there and live an eternity with their Lord and creator. Is this the kind of hero you have chosen in your life?
In the verse we have written above from Hebrews 11: 13 we read that they all died in faith. They died in faith because they lived in faith. Hebrews 11:1 explains, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”
Faith is more than belief. We can believe a chair will support us if we sit on it. It is by faith that we sit on it. These men and women of faith had confidence that God would do all that He said He would do and acted on it. They had confident assurance of what they could not see.
Dying in faith looks to the future. They died knowing that the Messiah would surely come and one day they would rise from their graves to behold Him in the air.
If you are looking for heroes in your life, look no further than these heroes we read about in Hebrews. And you can be a hero just like them if you will look to Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith. You can be confident that God wants you to be assured of your faith as were the Bible heroes of faith. When you have doubts ask God to remove them and put your complete trust in Him. Live to gain more of Him.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
PRAYER:
As our family picks heroes in our lives help us to understand that we need to look up to men and women who lived lives of faith. Help us to live our lives daily by the faith we have in You so that others will see to us as a person of great faith fully devoted to You.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
