GEMS OF ENCOURAGEMENT FOR SATURDAY MAY 17, 2014.
PROVERB:
A prudent man sees evil and hides himself, the naïve proceed and pay the penalty. Proverbs 27:12.
PROMISE:
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1
The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who take refuge in Him. Nahum 1:7.
PRAISE:
Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth. Psalm 100:1
May 18, 2014
Adoption: May 16, 2014
TODAYS WORD FOR FRIDAY MAY 16, 2014.
ADOPTION
DEFINITION:
Take or receive as one’s own; to take and rear another’s child as one’s own.
SCRIPTURE:
We are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ. Romans 8: 16b-17a.
He predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will. Ephesians 1:5.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
In ancient Rome, adoption was occasionally used by the emperors to pass on succession to competent heirs. Augustus Caesar was adopted by his great uncle Julius Caesar so he could be his successor. Emperors Tiberius and Hadrian did the same thing, adopting a capable person to succeed them.
Such Roman emperors had no entitlement to the emporship by right of birth. It was only because of the Roman law of adoption. Under Roman law, adopted children became an heir to their father’s estate. Adopted children under the Roman laws had all the rights and privileges of the biological children. It was the Jewish practice for the inheritances to go to the first born.
Every Christian, a believer in Jesus, is an adopted child of the King of kings. Our adoption comes at a great cost. God brought us into His family through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus on the cross. We became a child of God when we asked Him for forgiveness for our sins and accepted Him as our Savior. Although we are adopted children, God has made us joint heirs with Christ as written in Romans 8.
In Hebrews 1:2 the writer tells us that God has appointed Jesus heir of all things. As children of God we have inherited eternal salvation along with everything in the universe. Think about what this means for us who believe in Him. Every believer is going to receive, by God’s grace, the same inheritance that Christ receives by divine right. Earthly inheritances will perish, but we are heirs to God’s eternal kingdom and its riches which will never perish.
Paul tells us that “Our Lord Jesus Christ though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor so that you through His poverty might become rich.” Do you realize that you are rich?
We should feel great indebtedness to Him for all that he has done for us. There is no way to repay Him. In return for our being adopted into God’s family, God wants us to live in a way that a child of God is expected to live.
In Colossians 3:5 the apostle Paul writes that we are to get rid of sin in our lives when we have been adopted by God. He writes, “put to death the sinful ways of our old life; sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, greed and idolatry.
These are to be replaced by activities and desires that show that we belong to the family of God. In Colossians 3:12, Paul writes for us to “put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness and longsuffering.”
Can those that meet you daily see that you are an adopted child of God? We should be able to be seen as such by our walk and our talk. Make sure today that you are an adopted son or daughter of God. Now is the time because God is waiting to adopt you. You need to recognize you are a sinner, ask Him for forgiveness and then ask Jesus to come into your heart. He then will adopt you as one of His children and you will become part of the family of God.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is the tenth commandment and found in Exodus 20:17.
You shall not covet.
PRAYER:
Thank You for adopting me into Your family. Thank You, that by Your grace I am a joint heir with Christ. Thank You for the priceless inheritance I have in Your kingdom because I am a joint heir with Christ. May all those that I meet today see by my words and deeds that I am an adopted child of God.
ADOPTION
DEFINITION:
Take or receive as one’s own; to take and rear another’s child as one’s own.
SCRIPTURE:
We are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ. Romans 8: 16b-17a.
He predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will. Ephesians 1:5.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
In ancient Rome, adoption was occasionally used by the emperors to pass on succession to competent heirs. Augustus Caesar was adopted by his great uncle Julius Caesar so he could be his successor. Emperors Tiberius and Hadrian did the same thing, adopting a capable person to succeed them.
Such Roman emperors had no entitlement to the emporship by right of birth. It was only because of the Roman law of adoption. Under Roman law, adopted children became an heir to their father’s estate. Adopted children under the Roman laws had all the rights and privileges of the biological children. It was the Jewish practice for the inheritances to go to the first born.
Every Christian, a believer in Jesus, is an adopted child of the King of kings. Our adoption comes at a great cost. God brought us into His family through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus on the cross. We became a child of God when we asked Him for forgiveness for our sins and accepted Him as our Savior. Although we are adopted children, God has made us joint heirs with Christ as written in Romans 8.
In Hebrews 1:2 the writer tells us that God has appointed Jesus heir of all things. As children of God we have inherited eternal salvation along with everything in the universe. Think about what this means for us who believe in Him. Every believer is going to receive, by God’s grace, the same inheritance that Christ receives by divine right. Earthly inheritances will perish, but we are heirs to God’s eternal kingdom and its riches which will never perish.
Paul tells us that “Our Lord Jesus Christ though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor so that you through His poverty might become rich.” Do you realize that you are rich?
We should feel great indebtedness to Him for all that he has done for us. There is no way to repay Him. In return for our being adopted into God’s family, God wants us to live in a way that a child of God is expected to live.
In Colossians 3:5 the apostle Paul writes that we are to get rid of sin in our lives when we have been adopted by God. He writes, “put to death the sinful ways of our old life; sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, greed and idolatry.
These are to be replaced by activities and desires that show that we belong to the family of God. In Colossians 3:12, Paul writes for us to “put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness and longsuffering.”
Can those that meet you daily see that you are an adopted child of God? We should be able to be seen as such by our walk and our talk. Make sure today that you are an adopted son or daughter of God. Now is the time because God is waiting to adopt you. You need to recognize you are a sinner, ask Him for forgiveness and then ask Jesus to come into your heart. He then will adopt you as one of His children and you will become part of the family of God.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is the tenth commandment and found in Exodus 20:17.
You shall not covet.
PRAYER:
Thank You for adopting me into Your family. Thank You, that by Your grace I am a joint heir with Christ. Thank You for the priceless inheritance I have in Your kingdom because I am a joint heir with Christ. May all those that I meet today see by my words and deeds that I am an adopted child of God.
Depression: May 15, 2014
TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY MAY 15, 2014.
DEPRESSION
DEFINITION:
Sadness; gloom; dejection; an unwarranted and prolonged condition of emotional dejection and withdrawal.
SCRIPTURE:
Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad. Proverbs 12:25.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Just hearing the word depression probably brings to mind some time or times of depression that you have gone through. It may perhaps surprise you to know that great men of God have struggled with depression. One of them that we read about in the scriptures was so depressed that he prayed that he would die. Can you guess who that was?
This man was totally committed to God. He lived during the reign of Israel’s most wicked King and Queen, Ahab and Jezebel. Under their rule, they led many of the Israelites to forsake God and to worship Baal. God chose this man to confront the King and Queen concerning their terrible sin and tell them that the judgment of God on them would be a terrible drought. Perhaps you have guessed that the man was Elijah, God’s great prophet.
There was great famine in the land and Ahab blamed God’s prophet Elijah for the lack of rain. It was in this setting that Jezebel, who was very wicked and anti-God was committed to kill Elijah. She sent a messenger to Elijah telling him that by the same time the next day his life would be over.
Elijah ran away because he had great fear and was in deep depression. Elijah tried to run away from his emotions but running away left him outside of the will of God. He reacted to his feelings and concern and seemingly lost his focus on God who had been with him in the victories in the past.
Being depressed in life always seems to bring isolation. This is what happened to Elijah. He took what the scripture tells us was a day’s journey into the wilderness. He felt alone, rejected and abandoned. He felt life wasn’t worth living. He was at such a low point in his life that he prayed, “I have had enough, Lord. Take my life.” (I Kings 19:4)
We need to remember that Elijah was a man of God and a prophet. Through these hours and days of depression God never left Elijah but Elijah seemed to think that He had. It was at Elijah’s lowest point that God appeared on the scene. He sent an angel to where Elijah was sleeping in the wilderness who told Elijah to get up and get going. This is how God works.
God still had work for Elijah to do. God saw that Elijah was down and out and didn’t have the strength to carry on. In times of need God provides just what we need. The angel brought Elijah food and water for two days to strengthen him for his journey.
In life today we as believers are going to have moments when we feel that everything is going wrong and we cannot carry on. We will have to make a choice. Elijah chose to run but that was not the will of God. We can’t run away from ourselves. Our choice must be to run to God and let Him strengthen us and put us back into action. The verse we have put above reminds us that anxiety drives us into depression but we need to remember that the Word of God is powerful and good and will make the heart glad.
God sent an angel to Elijah to strengthen him and encourage him in his darkest time. God has given us His Word to feed us and strengthen us in our darkest times.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is the tenth commandment found in Exodus 20:17.
You shall not covet.
PRAYER:
It is my prayer today that when I feel depressed and alone that I will remember You are always with me. When the events of my life seem to be faltering help me not to run away from You but instead run quickly to You, casting all my cares upon You.
DEPRESSION
DEFINITION:
Sadness; gloom; dejection; an unwarranted and prolonged condition of emotional dejection and withdrawal.
SCRIPTURE:
Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad. Proverbs 12:25.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Just hearing the word depression probably brings to mind some time or times of depression that you have gone through. It may perhaps surprise you to know that great men of God have struggled with depression. One of them that we read about in the scriptures was so depressed that he prayed that he would die. Can you guess who that was?
This man was totally committed to God. He lived during the reign of Israel’s most wicked King and Queen, Ahab and Jezebel. Under their rule, they led many of the Israelites to forsake God and to worship Baal. God chose this man to confront the King and Queen concerning their terrible sin and tell them that the judgment of God on them would be a terrible drought. Perhaps you have guessed that the man was Elijah, God’s great prophet.
There was great famine in the land and Ahab blamed God’s prophet Elijah for the lack of rain. It was in this setting that Jezebel, who was very wicked and anti-God was committed to kill Elijah. She sent a messenger to Elijah telling him that by the same time the next day his life would be over.
Elijah ran away because he had great fear and was in deep depression. Elijah tried to run away from his emotions but running away left him outside of the will of God. He reacted to his feelings and concern and seemingly lost his focus on God who had been with him in the victories in the past.
Being depressed in life always seems to bring isolation. This is what happened to Elijah. He took what the scripture tells us was a day’s journey into the wilderness. He felt alone, rejected and abandoned. He felt life wasn’t worth living. He was at such a low point in his life that he prayed, “I have had enough, Lord. Take my life.” (I Kings 19:4)
We need to remember that Elijah was a man of God and a prophet. Through these hours and days of depression God never left Elijah but Elijah seemed to think that He had. It was at Elijah’s lowest point that God appeared on the scene. He sent an angel to where Elijah was sleeping in the wilderness who told Elijah to get up and get going. This is how God works.
God still had work for Elijah to do. God saw that Elijah was down and out and didn’t have the strength to carry on. In times of need God provides just what we need. The angel brought Elijah food and water for two days to strengthen him for his journey.
In life today we as believers are going to have moments when we feel that everything is going wrong and we cannot carry on. We will have to make a choice. Elijah chose to run but that was not the will of God. We can’t run away from ourselves. Our choice must be to run to God and let Him strengthen us and put us back into action. The verse we have put above reminds us that anxiety drives us into depression but we need to remember that the Word of God is powerful and good and will make the heart glad.
God sent an angel to Elijah to strengthen him and encourage him in his darkest time. God has given us His Word to feed us and strengthen us in our darkest times.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is the tenth commandment found in Exodus 20:17.
You shall not covet.
PRAYER:
It is my prayer today that when I feel depressed and alone that I will remember You are always with me. When the events of my life seem to be faltering help me not to run away from You but instead run quickly to You, casting all my cares upon You.
Deeds: May 14, 2014
TODAYS WORD FOR WEDNESDAY MAY 14, 2014.
DEEDS
DEFINITION:
A thing done; an act.
SCRIPTURE:
And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Colossians 3:17.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Accepting Christ as our Savior will bring about a change in our behavior and in our attitude if we sincerely believe in Him. It is not enough to just say we believe. Our conduct should back up our words. As believers we become a new creation in Christ and it should be evident by our deeds.
The apostle Paul speaks about what the heart of the believer must be like. He begins in verses 15-16 of Colossians 3 by saying that the believer’s heart must be ruled by the peace of God and to be filled with the Words of Christ. PLEASE NOTE that Paul says the heart not the mind.
With this in mind Paul goes on in verse 17 to tell us that as believers we are Christ’s representatives and every aspect of our life reflects on the name of Christ. He is telling us that our words and deeds need to exemplify Christ at all times.
We as believers have a choice. We speak and act and no one speaks or acts for us. Whether we speak and act for Christ therefore is our choice. The command is made clear in the verse we have written above, that we are to, in our words and deeds, do all in the name of Christ. The choice is ours.
What does Paul mean when he tells us that we are to act and speak in the name of Jesus? First of all the name of Christ is the only name that God accepts in His presence. Therefore, we are to live with the sole purpose of bringing honor and glory to the name of Christ.
To be what Christ wants us to be we must put all of our trust in the name of Christ and recognize that we are totally dependent on Him. Jesus admonishes each of us that “apart from Him you can do nothing” John 15:5. We must call on the Lord and seek His guidance and claim the name of Christ in all that we say and do. Our deeds must honor Him or they are futile. We must remember that the non-believers are watching and that we must represent Christ in everything we say and do.
Simply said, we must do nothing as believers in Jesus to dishonor Christ. When we speak, Christ should fill our conversation. When we act Christ should be upheld and glorified by our behavior.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is the tenth commandment found in Exodus 20:17.
You shall not covet.
PRAYER:
Give me wisdom to honor and bless Your name through my words and actions. Help me to daily fill my mind with Your Word that I may always have a clear understanding of what is right and what is wrong.
DEEDS
DEFINITION:
A thing done; an act.
SCRIPTURE:
And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Colossians 3:17.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Accepting Christ as our Savior will bring about a change in our behavior and in our attitude if we sincerely believe in Him. It is not enough to just say we believe. Our conduct should back up our words. As believers we become a new creation in Christ and it should be evident by our deeds.
The apostle Paul speaks about what the heart of the believer must be like. He begins in verses 15-16 of Colossians 3 by saying that the believer’s heart must be ruled by the peace of God and to be filled with the Words of Christ. PLEASE NOTE that Paul says the heart not the mind.
With this in mind Paul goes on in verse 17 to tell us that as believers we are Christ’s representatives and every aspect of our life reflects on the name of Christ. He is telling us that our words and deeds need to exemplify Christ at all times.
We as believers have a choice. We speak and act and no one speaks or acts for us. Whether we speak and act for Christ therefore is our choice. The command is made clear in the verse we have written above, that we are to, in our words and deeds, do all in the name of Christ. The choice is ours.
What does Paul mean when he tells us that we are to act and speak in the name of Jesus? First of all the name of Christ is the only name that God accepts in His presence. Therefore, we are to live with the sole purpose of bringing honor and glory to the name of Christ.
To be what Christ wants us to be we must put all of our trust in the name of Christ and recognize that we are totally dependent on Him. Jesus admonishes each of us that “apart from Him you can do nothing” John 15:5. We must call on the Lord and seek His guidance and claim the name of Christ in all that we say and do. Our deeds must honor Him or they are futile. We must remember that the non-believers are watching and that we must represent Christ in everything we say and do.
Simply said, we must do nothing as believers in Jesus to dishonor Christ. When we speak, Christ should fill our conversation. When we act Christ should be upheld and glorified by our behavior.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is the tenth commandment found in Exodus 20:17.
You shall not covet.
PRAYER:
Give me wisdom to honor and bless Your name through my words and actions. Help me to daily fill my mind with Your Word that I may always have a clear understanding of what is right and what is wrong.
Bitterness: May 13, 2014
TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY MAY 13, 2014.
BITTERNESS
DEFINITION:
Anger; disappointment at being treated unfairly; resentment.
SCRIPTURE:
See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. Hebrews 12:15
For I see that you are full of bitterness, and captive to sin. Acts 8:23.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Bitterness is one of the most destructive of human emotions. Bitterness stems from the greedy desire for something that we feel has been unfairly denied to us. Bitterness results in anger and resentment that can lead us to do sinful things and can lead to our downfall.
There are many situations in life today that causes bitterness. They include economic concerns, losing a job, a home breakup, family disagreements, jealousy of others, coveting what someone else has, etc. When we feel others are the blame we hold grudges that grow into bitterness.
The writer of Hebrews 12:15 advises us to see to it that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile us. When bitterness becomes implanted in our heart it is like a little root that grows into a mighty tree.
There are two warnings in this verse. We are warned that bitterness will defile us. Bitterness can lead to jealousy and anger which can lead to evil thoughts and actions. Bitterness will eat away at us until it destroys us.
The other warning is that bitterness can cause us to miss the grace of God. When we allow the Holy Spirit to work in us, He will heal our hurt and take away our bitterness.
In the eighth chapter of Acts (verses 5-25), we read about Philip, a disciple of Jesus, who became an evangelist in Samaria. Philip, like many of the followers of Jesus had left Jerusalem to escape persecution. He continued, wherever he went, to preach the gospel message. Philip was preaching to people that were listening to false prophets who were teaching a false religion and urging false confessions.
Among them was a man named Simon, who used sorcery and bewitched the people of Samaria by claiming that he was the great power of God. The people followed him because he amazed them with his magic. The scripture tells us that when Simon heard Philip preach and saw him perform great miracles he was amazed and believed in Jesus and was baptized.
Peter and John came to Samaria to help Philip and to pray for him in this revival. When Peter and John laid hands on the believers they received the Holy Spirit. Simon was envious and wanted to buy this ability and he offered them money so he could perform the same miracles.
It was Peter who saw that Simon’s heart was not right in the sight of God. He told Simon that he needed to repent and ask God to forgive him of his wickedness. Peter told Simon that he saw that he “was full of bitterness and a captive of sin.” Simon was still tied up in the bond of iniquity even though he had made the pretense of being a believer. Like Simon, many people today claim to be saved but still cannot get free of their sinful ways because they have not sincerely repented.
The point is made very clear in this incident with Simon. Simon’s life was filled with hypocrisy, trying to fool people that he was something that he was not. He wanted to be known as the great man of God but for his own selfish purpose.
As so often happens, Simon became bitter because he was denied what he thought he should have. In Ephesians 4:30-31 we are told to get rid of all bitterness and anger because it grieves the Holy Spirit.
Where do you stand in your life? Are you bitter because of circumstances in your life that are not going well? If you are, it is sin in God’s sight and now is the time to ask for forgiveness as Peter told Simon to do. God is willing and waiting to forgive you. You are the one that needs to take that step and the Lord will change your bitterness to joy.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is the tenth commandment found in Exodus 20:17.
You shall not covet.
PRAYER:
Help me to get rid of any bitterness in my life. Help me to realize that bitterness serves as a divide between You and me. May our family be an example to others, never showing bitterness but always showing the love of God through our words and deeds.
BITTERNESS
DEFINITION:
Anger; disappointment at being treated unfairly; resentment.
SCRIPTURE:
See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. Hebrews 12:15
For I see that you are full of bitterness, and captive to sin. Acts 8:23.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Bitterness is one of the most destructive of human emotions. Bitterness stems from the greedy desire for something that we feel has been unfairly denied to us. Bitterness results in anger and resentment that can lead us to do sinful things and can lead to our downfall.
There are many situations in life today that causes bitterness. They include economic concerns, losing a job, a home breakup, family disagreements, jealousy of others, coveting what someone else has, etc. When we feel others are the blame we hold grudges that grow into bitterness.
The writer of Hebrews 12:15 advises us to see to it that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile us. When bitterness becomes implanted in our heart it is like a little root that grows into a mighty tree.
There are two warnings in this verse. We are warned that bitterness will defile us. Bitterness can lead to jealousy and anger which can lead to evil thoughts and actions. Bitterness will eat away at us until it destroys us.
The other warning is that bitterness can cause us to miss the grace of God. When we allow the Holy Spirit to work in us, He will heal our hurt and take away our bitterness.
In the eighth chapter of Acts (verses 5-25), we read about Philip, a disciple of Jesus, who became an evangelist in Samaria. Philip, like many of the followers of Jesus had left Jerusalem to escape persecution. He continued, wherever he went, to preach the gospel message. Philip was preaching to people that were listening to false prophets who were teaching a false religion and urging false confessions.
Among them was a man named Simon, who used sorcery and bewitched the people of Samaria by claiming that he was the great power of God. The people followed him because he amazed them with his magic. The scripture tells us that when Simon heard Philip preach and saw him perform great miracles he was amazed and believed in Jesus and was baptized.
Peter and John came to Samaria to help Philip and to pray for him in this revival. When Peter and John laid hands on the believers they received the Holy Spirit. Simon was envious and wanted to buy this ability and he offered them money so he could perform the same miracles.
It was Peter who saw that Simon’s heart was not right in the sight of God. He told Simon that he needed to repent and ask God to forgive him of his wickedness. Peter told Simon that he saw that he “was full of bitterness and a captive of sin.” Simon was still tied up in the bond of iniquity even though he had made the pretense of being a believer. Like Simon, many people today claim to be saved but still cannot get free of their sinful ways because they have not sincerely repented.
The point is made very clear in this incident with Simon. Simon’s life was filled with hypocrisy, trying to fool people that he was something that he was not. He wanted to be known as the great man of God but for his own selfish purpose.
As so often happens, Simon became bitter because he was denied what he thought he should have. In Ephesians 4:30-31 we are told to get rid of all bitterness and anger because it grieves the Holy Spirit.
Where do you stand in your life? Are you bitter because of circumstances in your life that are not going well? If you are, it is sin in God’s sight and now is the time to ask for forgiveness as Peter told Simon to do. God is willing and waiting to forgive you. You are the one that needs to take that step and the Lord will change your bitterness to joy.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is the tenth commandment found in Exodus 20:17.
You shall not covet.
PRAYER:
Help me to get rid of any bitterness in my life. Help me to realize that bitterness serves as a divide between You and me. May our family be an example to others, never showing bitterness but always showing the love of God through our words and deeds.
Success: May 12, 2014
TODAYS WORD FOR MONDAY MAY 12, 2014.
SUCCESS
DEFINITION:
A person or thing that prospers; the favorable accomplishment of what was attempted; a favorable outcome.
SCRIPTURE:
Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; Meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Joshua 1:8.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
In the verse above God has given us the key as to how we as believers can have success in our lives. First, it refers to the Book of the Law. This is God’s Word and we must read it and study it daily so that we may know it. But it is not enough just to know His Word. We must observe it and apply it to our life so that what we say and what we do is based on the words and lessons we have learned from God’s Word. We need to notice that Joshua writes that we need to meditate on God’s Word day and night. God’s Word should always be on our mind.
The end result of following God’s instruction is that “then you will have good success.” You will not have just “success” but “good success.” It is only through our obedience to God’s Word that we will have success as God defines success for our lives.
Several thoughts come to our mind that will help us as believers have success in our lives as God wants us to have.
First, we must always take responsibility for our actions. We see a real lack of this in our society today. People are quick to blame their faults on someone else.
Second, we must be willing to work for what we want in life. It will not just come to us on a golden platter. God expects us to make good use of our time on earth. We are becoming an entitlement society expecting the government and others to provide for us.
Third, do not waste your time fighting for something you cannot change.
Fourth, admit it when you are wrong and pay the consequences. A successful person will always admit wrong when they are wrong and God always honors that decision. It is futile to lie and cover up a wrong doing because, in most cases, the truth eventually comes out and the consequences are worse.
Fifth, do not nurse a grudge and refuse to accept forgiveness or to ask for forgiveness. Holding grudges with people will always hinder you in being successful. Holding a grudge leads to bitterness and bitterness destroys us.
Sixth, always be generous to those in need. So many people today show no generosity but only think of themselves. God will honor those with success that are generous to those in need. We can never out give God.
Seventh, let your mouth always be used to give a word of kindness. Being kind to others always is honored by God and appreciated so much by the one you showed kindness to.
Eighth, refuse to wallow in self-pity. When you are wronged or something does not go your way, do not dwell on it. Instead give your hurt to the Lord and move on with a positive attitude.
Ninth, always be willing to listen. You need to put aside your own agenda when you are talking to people and really listen to what they are saying. God will honor you with success when you listen to others and show concern for their need and seek to help them, even if it is only a word of encouragement.
Finally, learn to be a peacemaker. Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers.” God keeps His promises and He will bless you beyond anything you could ever imagine.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is the tenth commandment and found in Exodus 20:17.
You shall not covet.
PRAYER:
Help me to desire only to be successful from Your perspective and not from mine. Instruct me from Your Word, as I study it, so that I may be a successful disciple for You. Enable me to exemplify You in all that I do.
SUCCESS
DEFINITION:
A person or thing that prospers; the favorable accomplishment of what was attempted; a favorable outcome.
SCRIPTURE:
Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; Meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Joshua 1:8.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
In the verse above God has given us the key as to how we as believers can have success in our lives. First, it refers to the Book of the Law. This is God’s Word and we must read it and study it daily so that we may know it. But it is not enough just to know His Word. We must observe it and apply it to our life so that what we say and what we do is based on the words and lessons we have learned from God’s Word. We need to notice that Joshua writes that we need to meditate on God’s Word day and night. God’s Word should always be on our mind.
The end result of following God’s instruction is that “then you will have good success.” You will not have just “success” but “good success.” It is only through our obedience to God’s Word that we will have success as God defines success for our lives.
Several thoughts come to our mind that will help us as believers have success in our lives as God wants us to have.
First, we must always take responsibility for our actions. We see a real lack of this in our society today. People are quick to blame their faults on someone else.
Second, we must be willing to work for what we want in life. It will not just come to us on a golden platter. God expects us to make good use of our time on earth. We are becoming an entitlement society expecting the government and others to provide for us.
Third, do not waste your time fighting for something you cannot change.
Fourth, admit it when you are wrong and pay the consequences. A successful person will always admit wrong when they are wrong and God always honors that decision. It is futile to lie and cover up a wrong doing because, in most cases, the truth eventually comes out and the consequences are worse.
Fifth, do not nurse a grudge and refuse to accept forgiveness or to ask for forgiveness. Holding grudges with people will always hinder you in being successful. Holding a grudge leads to bitterness and bitterness destroys us.
Sixth, always be generous to those in need. So many people today show no generosity but only think of themselves. God will honor those with success that are generous to those in need. We can never out give God.
Seventh, let your mouth always be used to give a word of kindness. Being kind to others always is honored by God and appreciated so much by the one you showed kindness to.
Eighth, refuse to wallow in self-pity. When you are wronged or something does not go your way, do not dwell on it. Instead give your hurt to the Lord and move on with a positive attitude.
Ninth, always be willing to listen. You need to put aside your own agenda when you are talking to people and really listen to what they are saying. God will honor you with success when you listen to others and show concern for their need and seek to help them, even if it is only a word of encouragement.
Finally, learn to be a peacemaker. Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers.” God keeps His promises and He will bless you beyond anything you could ever imagine.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is the tenth commandment and found in Exodus 20:17.
You shall not covet.
PRAYER:
Help me to desire only to be successful from Your perspective and not from mine. Instruct me from Your Word, as I study it, so that I may be a successful disciple for You. Enable me to exemplify You in all that I do.
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