GEMS OF ENCOURAGEMENT FOR SATURDAY APRIL 5, 2014.
PROVERB:
A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel. Proverbs 15:18.
PROMISE:
And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet He does not leave the guilty unpunished; He punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation. Exodus 34: 6-7.
PRAISE:
Sing to the Lord, you saints of His; praise His Holy name. For His anger lasts only a moment, but His favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. Psalm 30: 4-5.
April 6, 2014
Sowing: April 4, 2014
TODAYS WORD FOR FRIDAY APRIL 4, 2014.
SOWING
DEFINITION:
Spreading seed over the soil for the purpose of growth; planting seed to produce a crop.
SCRIPTURE:
Behold, the sower went out to sow; and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. Matthew 13:3-4.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Jesus was talking to the crowd of people who had gathered to see Him and He shared with them a parable about the sower going out to sow. Jesus often taught in parables when speaking about the things of God. A parable uses something familiar to the listeners to teach them a principle about something which was unfamiliar to them.
In this parable Jesus uses, as an illustration, the planting of crops. There were in that day many farmers so everyone understood this illustration that Jesus used to teach them. Jesus wanted all those that had chosen to follow Him to understand that planting seed (crops) to meet our physical needs (food) are compared to the need to plant the proper seed (the Bible) in our lives to meet our spiritual needs.
In Matthew 13:3-4 Jesus begins the parable as written in verses 3-4 above. He says to the disciples that, when anyone hears the Word (the seed) and does not understand it, the evil one comes (birds) and snatches away what has been sown in his heart.
Jesus goes on in this parable (Matthew 13:5-9) to explain that the seed which fell on rocky places sprung up quickly but soon withered away because it had no roots. Some seed fell among thorns and soon the thorns choked the good seed out. And then other seed fell on good soil and yielded a crop.
Jesus then in verses 20-23 explains that the seed falling on rocky places is like the man who hears the Word but it never takes root in his life so ultimately when affliction and/or persecution comes his shallow faith fails. His failure is because spiritually He had not applied his reading of the Bible to his life. Basically what he reads in the Bible goes in one ear and out the other.
Jesus explains that the seed planted among the thorns relates to the man who hears the Word but the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke out the Word from his life and he becomes unfruitful.
Finally, Jesus explains that the seed that was sown on good soil is like the man who hears the Word and not only understands it but allows it to take root in his life so that it bears fruit and produces a crop of new believers. This is the kind of life that our Lord wants from us.
The flooding caused by hurricane Katrina here in America several years ago devastated much farmland. When the flood waters receded the soil in many places had too high a PH level to be good for farming. The soil needed to be treated and reconditioned. This is a good illustration of what can take place in our hearts when we allow the influence of the world to come flooding into our life. Our hearts need to be reconditioned by the nourishment of God’s Word and the healing power of prayer.
If you have allowed the sinful influences of the world to come flooding into your life and the Word of God has no affect on you then you are like the bad soil. Your heart and mind have become hardened and the seed of God’s Word cannot take root.
Do not be discouraged. You can change by just praying and asking God to open your spiritual eyes as you read the Bible and be willing to let God’s Holy Spirit speak to you.
This parable is a reminder to all believers to faithfully read God’s Word daily so that we are continually planting the seeds of God’s instruction into our hearts that will cause us to grow spiritually and enable us to bear more fruit.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week continues to challenge us to memorize the Ten Commandments. Exodus 20: 4-6. (Paraphrased)
You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness. You shall not worship them or serve them.
PRAYER:
Help my family realize the importance of the seed we sow. Help us to work each day to sow the good seed of the gospel that You can nurture and grow into a crop of new believers that will bring honor to Your name.
SOWING
DEFINITION:
Spreading seed over the soil for the purpose of growth; planting seed to produce a crop.
SCRIPTURE:
Behold, the sower went out to sow; and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. Matthew 13:3-4.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Jesus was talking to the crowd of people who had gathered to see Him and He shared with them a parable about the sower going out to sow. Jesus often taught in parables when speaking about the things of God. A parable uses something familiar to the listeners to teach them a principle about something which was unfamiliar to them.
In this parable Jesus uses, as an illustration, the planting of crops. There were in that day many farmers so everyone understood this illustration that Jesus used to teach them. Jesus wanted all those that had chosen to follow Him to understand that planting seed (crops) to meet our physical needs (food) are compared to the need to plant the proper seed (the Bible) in our lives to meet our spiritual needs.
In Matthew 13:3-4 Jesus begins the parable as written in verses 3-4 above. He says to the disciples that, when anyone hears the Word (the seed) and does not understand it, the evil one comes (birds) and snatches away what has been sown in his heart.
Jesus goes on in this parable (Matthew 13:5-9) to explain that the seed which fell on rocky places sprung up quickly but soon withered away because it had no roots. Some seed fell among thorns and soon the thorns choked the good seed out. And then other seed fell on good soil and yielded a crop.
Jesus then in verses 20-23 explains that the seed falling on rocky places is like the man who hears the Word but it never takes root in his life so ultimately when affliction and/or persecution comes his shallow faith fails. His failure is because spiritually He had not applied his reading of the Bible to his life. Basically what he reads in the Bible goes in one ear and out the other.
Jesus explains that the seed planted among the thorns relates to the man who hears the Word but the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke out the Word from his life and he becomes unfruitful.
Finally, Jesus explains that the seed that was sown on good soil is like the man who hears the Word and not only understands it but allows it to take root in his life so that it bears fruit and produces a crop of new believers. This is the kind of life that our Lord wants from us.
The flooding caused by hurricane Katrina here in America several years ago devastated much farmland. When the flood waters receded the soil in many places had too high a PH level to be good for farming. The soil needed to be treated and reconditioned. This is a good illustration of what can take place in our hearts when we allow the influence of the world to come flooding into our life. Our hearts need to be reconditioned by the nourishment of God’s Word and the healing power of prayer.
If you have allowed the sinful influences of the world to come flooding into your life and the Word of God has no affect on you then you are like the bad soil. Your heart and mind have become hardened and the seed of God’s Word cannot take root.
Do not be discouraged. You can change by just praying and asking God to open your spiritual eyes as you read the Bible and be willing to let God’s Holy Spirit speak to you.
This parable is a reminder to all believers to faithfully read God’s Word daily so that we are continually planting the seeds of God’s instruction into our hearts that will cause us to grow spiritually and enable us to bear more fruit.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week continues to challenge us to memorize the Ten Commandments. Exodus 20: 4-6. (Paraphrased)
You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness. You shall not worship them or serve them.
PRAYER:
Help my family realize the importance of the seed we sow. Help us to work each day to sow the good seed of the gospel that You can nurture and grow into a crop of new believers that will bring honor to Your name.
Emotions: April 3, 2014
TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY APRIL 3, 2014.
EMOTIONS
DEFINITION:
A state of mind in which feeling, sentiment, or attitude is predominant; a specific feeling such as love, joy, hate, fear, grief, etc.
SCRIPTURE:
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. Psalm 23:1-2.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
The book of Psalms is the book of human emotions. The Psalms is a collection of Hebrew poetry, songs, prayers and praises that express the deep emotions and feelings of the writers. Over the centuries these Psalms have been a source of comfort to Christians, in their times of distress and heartache. All the shades of emotion that surge in the human soul are reflected in the Psalms. The Psalms have words of encouragement for us that will lift our spirit and bring us hope.
These Psalms were the hymnbook of ancient Israel. Many were written to be sung in public. David is the author of about half of the Psalms. God gave this shepherd-king the inspired gift of capturing the rich emotions of his experiences. Other Psalms were written by Moses, King Solomon and King Hezekiah, to name a few.
Without feelings and emotions life would be dull and humdrum. Emotions are what motivate us to act. Some emotions motivate us to do things that are right and good. Some motivate us to do what is wrong and evil. Love, joy and compassion are what motivate us to do good. Emotions such as hate, envy, pride, jealousy and anger are motivating factors in vicious acts that cause great harm.
Envy motivated Cain to kill Abel. Jealousy caused Joseph’s brothers to sell him as a slave. Anger motivated Sara to mistreat Hagar. Anger caused Esau to plot to kill his twin brother Jacob. Bad emotions are emotions that need to be controlled.
Controlling bad emotions is most difficult. The Lord experiences emotion and He understands our emotions. Believers have the Holy Spirit within them to convict them when emotions tempt them to do evil. When a believer experiences emotions like depression, sadness, discouragement and loneliness they have a caring Savior who desires to comfort them and cheer them through His written Word.
We want to share with you words of encouragement and inspiration from the book of Psalms that relate to some of the emotions we all feel at one time or another.
If you are happy and want a Psalm to express your joy, read Psalm 92. If you are grateful and want to express your thankfulness to God, read Psalm 40. If your heart is full of praise and love for God, then read Psalm 84 and 116.
If you are troubled by fear and dread, read Psalm 56 and 23. If you are discouraged read Psalm 42. If you are lonely read Psalm 62. If you are angry read Psalm 13.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week continues to challenge us to memorize the Ten Commandments. Exodus 20: 4-6. (Paraphrased)
You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness. You shall not worship them or serve them.
PRAYER:
Whether I am emotionally up or emotionally down, whether sad or glad, keep me faithful in reading Your Word and give me a song of praise in my heart. Thank You for the words expressed through David that lift me up filling my heart with joy, peace and happiness.
EMOTIONS
DEFINITION:
A state of mind in which feeling, sentiment, or attitude is predominant; a specific feeling such as love, joy, hate, fear, grief, etc.
SCRIPTURE:
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. Psalm 23:1-2.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
The book of Psalms is the book of human emotions. The Psalms is a collection of Hebrew poetry, songs, prayers and praises that express the deep emotions and feelings of the writers. Over the centuries these Psalms have been a source of comfort to Christians, in their times of distress and heartache. All the shades of emotion that surge in the human soul are reflected in the Psalms. The Psalms have words of encouragement for us that will lift our spirit and bring us hope.
These Psalms were the hymnbook of ancient Israel. Many were written to be sung in public. David is the author of about half of the Psalms. God gave this shepherd-king the inspired gift of capturing the rich emotions of his experiences. Other Psalms were written by Moses, King Solomon and King Hezekiah, to name a few.
Without feelings and emotions life would be dull and humdrum. Emotions are what motivate us to act. Some emotions motivate us to do things that are right and good. Some motivate us to do what is wrong and evil. Love, joy and compassion are what motivate us to do good. Emotions such as hate, envy, pride, jealousy and anger are motivating factors in vicious acts that cause great harm.
Envy motivated Cain to kill Abel. Jealousy caused Joseph’s brothers to sell him as a slave. Anger motivated Sara to mistreat Hagar. Anger caused Esau to plot to kill his twin brother Jacob. Bad emotions are emotions that need to be controlled.
Controlling bad emotions is most difficult. The Lord experiences emotion and He understands our emotions. Believers have the Holy Spirit within them to convict them when emotions tempt them to do evil. When a believer experiences emotions like depression, sadness, discouragement and loneliness they have a caring Savior who desires to comfort them and cheer them through His written Word.
We want to share with you words of encouragement and inspiration from the book of Psalms that relate to some of the emotions we all feel at one time or another.
If you are happy and want a Psalm to express your joy, read Psalm 92. If you are grateful and want to express your thankfulness to God, read Psalm 40. If your heart is full of praise and love for God, then read Psalm 84 and 116.
If you are troubled by fear and dread, read Psalm 56 and 23. If you are discouraged read Psalm 42. If you are lonely read Psalm 62. If you are angry read Psalm 13.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week continues to challenge us to memorize the Ten Commandments. Exodus 20: 4-6. (Paraphrased)
You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness. You shall not worship them or serve them.
PRAYER:
Whether I am emotionally up or emotionally down, whether sad or glad, keep me faithful in reading Your Word and give me a song of praise in my heart. Thank You for the words expressed through David that lift me up filling my heart with joy, peace and happiness.
Doubt: April 2, 2014
TODAYS WORD FOR WEDNESDAY APRIL 2, 2014.
DOUBT
DEFINITION:
To lack confidence in; an unsettled state of opinion; indecision; uncertainty.
SCRIPTURE:
O you of little faith, why did you doubt? Matthew 14:31
Be merciful to those who doubt. Jude 1:22.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Why do we doubt? This is the question that Jesus asked Peter on the Sea of Galilee and a question each one of us must answer. Doubts come from the great deceiver, the “Father of lies,” Satan himself. Satan uses false teachers to deceive believers in Jesus and this causes them to doubt. Doubt is Satan’s tool. If our faith is little, it is easy for doubt to creep into our lives.
Jude, in his book, deals with the issue of doubt and weak faith that believers have to deal with. Jude tells us (above) that we should be “merciful to those who doubt.” He wants us to be understanding and not judgmental toward those who struggle in their faith.
Believers are often critical of other believers. A person who has questions or doubts about his Christian faith should not be condemned or shunned as an enemy of the faith. Jude tells us that rather than condemning such people we should show them compassion and endeavor to bolster up their faith so that they can be strong and secure in their trust in the Lord.
Not only does Satan use others to deceive us and bring doubts about our faith, but he uses fear that comes when we face difficult circumstances and life gets scary.
In the verse above from Matthew, we read the account of when the disciples were in the middle of the Sea of Galilee being tossed by the waves and saw Jesus, not knowing who He was, walking on the sea. The disciples were troubled feeling it was a ghost that they were seeing and cried out with fear.
But Jesus spoke to them, “Be of good cheer, it is I; do not be afraid (or doubt).” Peter responded by asking if the person they saw was the Lord and if it was to command him to come to Him on the water. Jesus said, “Come.” Peter responded and began walking on the water toward the Lord. At that moment Peter was fearless. He was focused only on seeing Jesus.
The wind became boisterous and the waves became huge. Fear caused Peter’s faith to grow weak and doubt began to take hold of him. The scripture tells us Peter took his eyes off of Jesus and began to sink and cried out, “Lord save me.” Jesus held out His hand and His words to Peter are so relative for us today “O you of little faith, why do you doubt.”
As believers when we have doubts because our faith is weak the words of Jesus challenges us to reach out to Him and focus on Him, not on our circumstances. This is a challenge to all of us that should be a goal that we work toward daily. Keep your eyes on Jesus and you will not be overcome with doubt.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week continues to challenge us to memorize the Ten Commandments. Exodus 20: 4-6. (Paraphrased)
You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness. You shall not worship them or serve them.
PRAYER:
Help me to eliminate doubt in my life by putting my eyes on Jesus in all that I do. May my family learn to keep our lives centered in Christ so that we can stand strong in our faith and reach out to strengthen the faith of others who are dealing with doubt.
DOUBT
DEFINITION:
To lack confidence in; an unsettled state of opinion; indecision; uncertainty.
SCRIPTURE:
O you of little faith, why did you doubt? Matthew 14:31
Be merciful to those who doubt. Jude 1:22.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Why do we doubt? This is the question that Jesus asked Peter on the Sea of Galilee and a question each one of us must answer. Doubts come from the great deceiver, the “Father of lies,” Satan himself. Satan uses false teachers to deceive believers in Jesus and this causes them to doubt. Doubt is Satan’s tool. If our faith is little, it is easy for doubt to creep into our lives.
Jude, in his book, deals with the issue of doubt and weak faith that believers have to deal with. Jude tells us (above) that we should be “merciful to those who doubt.” He wants us to be understanding and not judgmental toward those who struggle in their faith.
Believers are often critical of other believers. A person who has questions or doubts about his Christian faith should not be condemned or shunned as an enemy of the faith. Jude tells us that rather than condemning such people we should show them compassion and endeavor to bolster up their faith so that they can be strong and secure in their trust in the Lord.
Not only does Satan use others to deceive us and bring doubts about our faith, but he uses fear that comes when we face difficult circumstances and life gets scary.
In the verse above from Matthew, we read the account of when the disciples were in the middle of the Sea of Galilee being tossed by the waves and saw Jesus, not knowing who He was, walking on the sea. The disciples were troubled feeling it was a ghost that they were seeing and cried out with fear.
But Jesus spoke to them, “Be of good cheer, it is I; do not be afraid (or doubt).” Peter responded by asking if the person they saw was the Lord and if it was to command him to come to Him on the water. Jesus said, “Come.” Peter responded and began walking on the water toward the Lord. At that moment Peter was fearless. He was focused only on seeing Jesus.
The wind became boisterous and the waves became huge. Fear caused Peter’s faith to grow weak and doubt began to take hold of him. The scripture tells us Peter took his eyes off of Jesus and began to sink and cried out, “Lord save me.” Jesus held out His hand and His words to Peter are so relative for us today “O you of little faith, why do you doubt.”
As believers when we have doubts because our faith is weak the words of Jesus challenges us to reach out to Him and focus on Him, not on our circumstances. This is a challenge to all of us that should be a goal that we work toward daily. Keep your eyes on Jesus and you will not be overcome with doubt.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week continues to challenge us to memorize the Ten Commandments. Exodus 20: 4-6. (Paraphrased)
You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness. You shall not worship them or serve them.
PRAYER:
Help me to eliminate doubt in my life by putting my eyes on Jesus in all that I do. May my family learn to keep our lives centered in Christ so that we can stand strong in our faith and reach out to strengthen the faith of others who are dealing with doubt.
Conversion: April 1, 2014
TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY APRIL 1, 2014.
CONVERSION
DEFINITION:
Change into something of different form or properties; to change from one belief or view to another.
SCRIPTURE:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. I Peter 1:3.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
As young people we both can remember listening to adults, youth and even children tell about their conversion. They would say, “The greatest thing that ever happened to me was the day I met Jesus Christ.” Neither of us had a shattering emotional experience at our conversion even though it was an experience we never have forgotten. It was a response to the moving of God’s Holy Spirit in our life. We look back now on all that has happened to us during our lifetime and without a doubt, the decision we made to accept Jesus as our Savior stands out today as the greatest decision of our lives.
Peter in I Peter chapter one deals with the subject of conversion. The words “begotten us again” means a rebirth or born again. Some translations read, “He has given us new birth into a living hope.”
In verse three Peter tells us why the experience of the new birth is so important. First, it gives us a hope of heaven when we die. And secondly, our conversion gives us a living and lasting hope to carry us through this life because Jesus conquered death. He was resurrected after he died on the cross and He is alive today. He is working in the lives of believers today to change and convert them into a new person.
In the gospel of John, third chapter, Jesus has a conversation with Nicodemus who was a Pharisee and a ruler of the Jews. The Pharisees thought of Jesus as an enemy therefore Nicodemus came to Jesus by night so that his fellow Pharisees would not know about his visit. He said to Jesus that he knew that He was a teacher come from God because no one could do the signs He had done unless God was with Him.
Nicodemus had knowledge about Jesus but knowledge does not save. Nicodemus came seeking, probably out of curiosity, to learn more but did not know what he was seeking. Nicodemus had not really asked a question but Jesus who knows the heart of all of us knew what Nicodemus was seeking.
Jesus answered his asked question saying: “I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus and Jesus had a lengthy conversation about being born again or conversion (verses 4-15). In the 16th verse Jesus said what many feel is the most significant verse in the Bible. This verse concisely tells us of God’s plan of salvation: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” John 3:16.
We are all sinners but God loves all of us and loves us so much that He gave His only Son, Jesus, to die for our sins so that we can have eternal life if we believe in Him. This is the only way we can have a spiritual conversion. It is God’s act of spiritual regeneration in us whereby we receive eternal life.
In recent weeks we have had numerous of our friends who are reading our devotionals ask how they can know Jesus or expressed that they want to become a Christian. If you want to know more about how to have a personal relationship with Jesus, just drop us an email and we will send you scripture helps that will help you understand how to accept Jesus as your Savior and make Him part of your life.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week continues to challenge us to memorize the Ten Commandments. Exodus 20: 4-6. (Paraphrased)
You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness. You shall not worship them or serve them.
PRAYER:
Thank You for Your mercy that saved me. In these troubled times never have I been more thankful for the certainty that I have knowing personally my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I praise You that my conversion process that changed my life is real and what I want to share with all those that I meet.
CONVERSION
DEFINITION:
Change into something of different form or properties; to change from one belief or view to another.
SCRIPTURE:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. I Peter 1:3.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
As young people we both can remember listening to adults, youth and even children tell about their conversion. They would say, “The greatest thing that ever happened to me was the day I met Jesus Christ.” Neither of us had a shattering emotional experience at our conversion even though it was an experience we never have forgotten. It was a response to the moving of God’s Holy Spirit in our life. We look back now on all that has happened to us during our lifetime and without a doubt, the decision we made to accept Jesus as our Savior stands out today as the greatest decision of our lives.
Peter in I Peter chapter one deals with the subject of conversion. The words “begotten us again” means a rebirth or born again. Some translations read, “He has given us new birth into a living hope.”
In verse three Peter tells us why the experience of the new birth is so important. First, it gives us a hope of heaven when we die. And secondly, our conversion gives us a living and lasting hope to carry us through this life because Jesus conquered death. He was resurrected after he died on the cross and He is alive today. He is working in the lives of believers today to change and convert them into a new person.
In the gospel of John, third chapter, Jesus has a conversation with Nicodemus who was a Pharisee and a ruler of the Jews. The Pharisees thought of Jesus as an enemy therefore Nicodemus came to Jesus by night so that his fellow Pharisees would not know about his visit. He said to Jesus that he knew that He was a teacher come from God because no one could do the signs He had done unless God was with Him.
Nicodemus had knowledge about Jesus but knowledge does not save. Nicodemus came seeking, probably out of curiosity, to learn more but did not know what he was seeking. Nicodemus had not really asked a question but Jesus who knows the heart of all of us knew what Nicodemus was seeking.
Jesus answered his asked question saying: “I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus and Jesus had a lengthy conversation about being born again or conversion (verses 4-15). In the 16th verse Jesus said what many feel is the most significant verse in the Bible. This verse concisely tells us of God’s plan of salvation: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” John 3:16.
We are all sinners but God loves all of us and loves us so much that He gave His only Son, Jesus, to die for our sins so that we can have eternal life if we believe in Him. This is the only way we can have a spiritual conversion. It is God’s act of spiritual regeneration in us whereby we receive eternal life.
In recent weeks we have had numerous of our friends who are reading our devotionals ask how they can know Jesus or expressed that they want to become a Christian. If you want to know more about how to have a personal relationship with Jesus, just drop us an email and we will send you scripture helps that will help you understand how to accept Jesus as your Savior and make Him part of your life.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week continues to challenge us to memorize the Ten Commandments. Exodus 20: 4-6. (Paraphrased)
You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness. You shall not worship them or serve them.
PRAYER:
Thank You for Your mercy that saved me. In these troubled times never have I been more thankful for the certainty that I have knowing personally my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I praise You that my conversion process that changed my life is real and what I want to share with all those that I meet.
Contentment: March 31, 2014
TODAYS WORD FOR MONDAY MARCH 31, 2014.
CONTENTMENT
DEFINITION:
To be satisfied; to be happy; the feeling of being satisfied with one’s possessions, status or situation.
SCRIPTURE:
Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content. Philippians 4:11
And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4: 19.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
The more we talk to people we realize that they are not content. When we think of contentment we go back many years and remember the contentment we saw on the face of all our children after feeding them and watching them fall asleep. Babies have that look of contentment because they have no concerns about life.
Life is not easy. For many people life is extremely difficult and they face many problems. Many children and adults today are not even sure if they will have enough to eat from one day to the next. Life seems hopeless to them. Where there is no hope there is despair. Where there is despair how can there be contentment?
Before his conversion Paul was not in need for anything. He had it all, the best of education, prestige, and power and was living in plenty. Paul willingly gave it all up to follow the Lord and preach the gospel. As a result he often lived in need.
In the verse above from Philippians 4:11, Paul tells us that he has learned to be content in any and every situation. Apparently, Paul was not naturally inclined to be content. Being in need was new to him. He continues in verse 12 to tell us that he learned to be content “whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”
In I Corinthians 4:11 Paul describes his state of need: “To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated and homeless.”
Paul really had reasons to want to be content. He suffered greatly for preaching the gospel. In II Corinthians 11: 25-28 Paul gave specific examples of his sufferings: beatings, stoning, shipwrecks, hunger, thirst, being cold and naked, and imprisonments.
In verse 19 (above) Paul tells us what it was that he learned. Paul said the secret of contentment is to know that “God will supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
In II Corinthians 1:9-10, Paul gives us a testimony of his faith in God that is the source of his contentment: “Indeed in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us. On Him we set our hope that He will continue to deliver us.”
The message for us today is that when we know Jesus as our Savior and put our total trust in Him and rely on His power and strength then we will learn that we can be content in all situations.
Our Lord is our strength, our energizer, the supplier of all our needs, and the one who enables us to keep going and going and going. In truth, we are no different from Paul. The same One who lived in Paul now lives through us. Christ is our life. He is our confidence and our energizer and we can be totally content in Him.
Many people feel empty inside. Often the desire for more possessions is a longing to fill that emptiness. That emptiness is a God-shaped void. It can only be filled by accepting Christ into our life and allowing God to fill that empty place in our life. This is the only way to find contentment.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week continues to challenge us to memorize the Ten Commandments. Exodus 20: 4-6. (Paraphrased)
You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness. You shall not worship them or serve them.
PRAYER:
Help me and my family to be content in Christ throughout this day. May we learn from the apostle Paul that whatever situation we are in to trust in God’s promise to supply all our need according to Christ’s glorious riches.
CONTENTMENT
DEFINITION:
To be satisfied; to be happy; the feeling of being satisfied with one’s possessions, status or situation.
SCRIPTURE:
Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content. Philippians 4:11
And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4: 19.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
The more we talk to people we realize that they are not content. When we think of contentment we go back many years and remember the contentment we saw on the face of all our children after feeding them and watching them fall asleep. Babies have that look of contentment because they have no concerns about life.
Life is not easy. For many people life is extremely difficult and they face many problems. Many children and adults today are not even sure if they will have enough to eat from one day to the next. Life seems hopeless to them. Where there is no hope there is despair. Where there is despair how can there be contentment?
Before his conversion Paul was not in need for anything. He had it all, the best of education, prestige, and power and was living in plenty. Paul willingly gave it all up to follow the Lord and preach the gospel. As a result he often lived in need.
In the verse above from Philippians 4:11, Paul tells us that he has learned to be content in any and every situation. Apparently, Paul was not naturally inclined to be content. Being in need was new to him. He continues in verse 12 to tell us that he learned to be content “whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”
In I Corinthians 4:11 Paul describes his state of need: “To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated and homeless.”
Paul really had reasons to want to be content. He suffered greatly for preaching the gospel. In II Corinthians 11: 25-28 Paul gave specific examples of his sufferings: beatings, stoning, shipwrecks, hunger, thirst, being cold and naked, and imprisonments.
In verse 19 (above) Paul tells us what it was that he learned. Paul said the secret of contentment is to know that “God will supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
In II Corinthians 1:9-10, Paul gives us a testimony of his faith in God that is the source of his contentment: “Indeed in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us. On Him we set our hope that He will continue to deliver us.”
The message for us today is that when we know Jesus as our Savior and put our total trust in Him and rely on His power and strength then we will learn that we can be content in all situations.
Our Lord is our strength, our energizer, the supplier of all our needs, and the one who enables us to keep going and going and going. In truth, we are no different from Paul. The same One who lived in Paul now lives through us. Christ is our life. He is our confidence and our energizer and we can be totally content in Him.
Many people feel empty inside. Often the desire for more possessions is a longing to fill that emptiness. That emptiness is a God-shaped void. It can only be filled by accepting Christ into our life and allowing God to fill that empty place in our life. This is the only way to find contentment.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week continues to challenge us to memorize the Ten Commandments. Exodus 20: 4-6. (Paraphrased)
You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness. You shall not worship them or serve them.
PRAYER:
Help me and my family to be content in Christ throughout this day. May we learn from the apostle Paul that whatever situation we are in to trust in God’s promise to supply all our need according to Christ’s glorious riches.
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