Waiting: July 31, 2015

TODAY’S WORD FOR FRIDAY JULY 31, 2015.

WAITING

DEFINITION:

Stop briefly; pause; be patient; be in expectation.

SCRIPTURE:

Indeed, none of those who wait for You will be ashamed; those who deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed. Make me know Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; for You I wait all the day. Psalm 25:3-5.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Discipline and commitment is needed when we wait for God’s timing. Waiting on the Lord is especially tough on people with not much patience. That is why discipline and a commitment to Him is necessary when waiting on God.

We can think of several basic requirements that have been given us in the scriptures that will enable us to be successful waiting on the Lord.

The Lord’s ways and timing is nothing like ours. The way He does things is often nothing like the way we would do it. But the good news is that if we trust Him more, we will soon discover that His approach isn’t so strange after all. When we live in harmony with God’s will, His timing starts to make sense. Isaiah 55:8-9 reminds us to wait on the Lord BY FAITH!

To wait on the Lord, you must be convinced of your need for him. Submission to His divine will means and requires humility on your part. Many people say that they are waiting on the Lord for an answer to some concern they have but then charge ahead with their own plans to solve the concern. When we take matters into our own hands it shows we are not convinced of our need for God’s direction and we are not willing to submit to God.

Are you willing to remain in your current position until you receive a clear and divine directive from the Lord? Many people just pause and their impatience will not allow them to wait on Him. Waiting upon the Lord is a deliberate decision that requires patience.

Waiting for God also takes courage, especially when the pressure is on you to act sooner rather than later. If you are not careful it could become very easy for you to stop listening to the Lord and follow other advice. So keep your ear tuned to the voice of God and you will not go wrong.

Waiting upon the Lord is one of the wisest and most important decisions we make in life. And contrary to popular assumptions, it is an active endeavor that requires faith, humility, patience and courage. When you rely upon God and wait for His timing on issues, He will enable us to prevail.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Hebrews 13:8.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.

PRAYER:

Help me today to have the faith, humility, patience and courage that only You can give me so that I might learn to wait upon You for every major issue I face in life.

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Risks: July 30, 2015

TODAY’S WORD FOR THURSDAY JULY 30, 2015.

RISKS

DEFINITION:

A hazard or dangerous chance; exposure to the chance of defeat, injury or loss.

SCRIPTURE:

Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. Joshua 1:7.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

In the first chapter of Joshua God has given the greatest pep talk in all of scripture. Moses had just died and Joshua was very concerned if he could not handle the leadership of the Children of Israel especially entering the Promised Land -- a military action that would surely involve significant risks. Joshua knew from Moses that the Children of Israel were stubborn and rebellious and difficult to lead. But Joshua was God’s choice thus the pep talk to Joshua and to us today.

Joshua was unsettled about facing a strong hostile army. But the lord knew that Joshua could handle the responsibility and spoke words of encouragement to him that still rings true for us today.

Have you ever thought what would have happened if Joshua had refused this assignment given to him by God. The nation of Israel possibly would have continued just wandering in the desert with no one to lead them and nowhere to go or turned back to Egypt to live in slavery. But Joshua was a man of great faith and courage, and he boldly took up the cause of God.

Like Joshua, we face daily obstacles that seem to push our faith to the breaking point. But it seems that when we face adversity at its strongest, God strengthens our faith (James 1:2-4). When we refuse to follow Him into risky situations, the results can be devastating to our spiritual growth. Consider these 5 consequences of disobedience:

•    You will never become the person that God wants you to be.

•    You limit your usefulness to the Lord.

•    You will live a life of rationalized disobedience.

•    You will be governed by fear rather than by faith.

•    You risk not only losing rewards in heaven but also blessings on earth.

The Lord is trustworthy and we need to be careful not to refuse God’s call. Whatever His plan is for your life, be assured he will see you safely through the ordeal just like He did for Joshua.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Hebrews 13:8.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.

PRAYER:

Teach me not to limit what You want me to accomplish through me for Your sake. Help me to be a risk taker for You. Enable me to be strong and courageous.

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Schedule: July 29, 2015

TODAY’S WORD FOR WEDNESDAY JULY 29, 2015.

SCHEDULE

DEFINITION:

A plan of procedure for a proposed objective; a list of the times of planned items, actions or events. An orderly list.

SCRIPTURE:

The plans of the heart belong to man. But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, but the Lord weighs the motives. Commit your works to the Lord and your plans will be established. Proverbs 16:1-3.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

In our pressurized society, we need balanced schedules if we are to live according to God’s purposes. In this fast paced day and age we are all rushing from one thing to another trying to keep up with our busy schedules. The result is that we get so busy that we forget to take time to focus on what God wants to accomplish in our lives. The Lord wants us to use our time wisely so we will reach our full potential to become the person He designed us to be.

There are five areas that we want to mention today. When even one is out of balance, our relationship with the Lord and even those around us will be affected, diminishing our effectiveness as servants of Christ.

First, we need to develop our relationship with the Lord and receive guidance; our top priority should be to spend time with Him each day. When we make this a DAILY priority soon we will be in awe at the way God works in our lives.

Secondly, we need to spend time with our family and friends. This is so essential because relationships are such an important part of God’s plans for our lives.

Thirdly is the area that we are most likely to become unbalanced. It is our work. The Lord does not approve of laziness but He does not want us overly consumed with our careers that He does not hold priority in our lives.

Fourthly, if we are to achieve God’s purposes in our lives, we need to take care of our bodies, allocating time for exercise, rest and recreation.

Finally in Hebrews 10:24-25 it clearly commands us to meet together regularly with other believers for worship. While some people have limitations that prevent this, most of us have no excuse for being too busy for church.

Jesus made time for each of these in His life here on earth. Jesus did the perfect will of His Heavenly Father and He is the perfect example we should follow.

Yes, a balanced schedule in our lives is desired by God. These general areas that we have outlined above all need space in your life. The Lord has specific plans for each person, and He is the only one that can direct your schedule. We will all have different schedules to keep our life in balance and if we ask God to lead us He will get us on a schedule that honors Him.

Seek His guidance, listen for His voice, and make the changes He brings to mind.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Hebrews 13:8.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.

PRAYER:

Give me the interest and drive to get my schedules in life in sync with Your will for me. Thank You for leading me and guiding me through the struggles of life and bringing me to a right relationship with You.

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Good Shepherd: July 28, 2015

TODAY’S WORD FOR TUESDAY JULY 28, 2015.

GOOD SHEPHERD

DEFINITION:

One who takes care of sheep; one who leads or guides sheep; one who escorts with great vigilance.

SCRIPTURE:

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. Psalm 23:1.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

In ancient times, shepherds had a special relationship with their flocks. Being a shepherd was not a 9 to 5 job. Shepherds spent all day with the animals, guiding their paths, protecting them from danger, and corralling those that went astray. At night they led them to the sheep pen where they would be safe.

Sheep are completely dependent on the shepherd for survival. The shepherd had to be constantly alert to protect his sheep from wild animals that would devour them. The shepherd was the sheep’s constant companion, to the extent that the animals actually grew to recognize the shepherd’s voice and therefore would respond to his call.

God is often portrayed in scripture in ways that are easy for us to understand. One of the best known verses in the Bible does just this. It portrays God as the good shepherd who is constantly watching over us each and every day and night, His hopeless sheep. David, in this passage, acknowledges his position as a wandering sheep under the direction of the Great Shepherd.

David rejoices that he is part of the Lord’s “flock” and God is such a gracious and loving guide. Because God continually gave His assurance to David that He was protecting him and guiding him, David could proclaim, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, because for You are with me” (verse 4).

David made this remarkable statement because he knew he would be facing hard times, but he could rest in the confidence that God would be with him through every ordeal he faced and lead him to green pastures of blessing and rest.

God knows you and me just like He knew David, just as a shepherd knows his flock. Thank Him today for allowing you to graze in the pasture of His blessing.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Hebrews 13:8.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.

PRAYER:

Thank You for being my shepherd and my daily guide. Thank You for protecting me and my family from the “wolves” of this world. Continue to be with me as I walk through the deep valleys of life and lead me to green pastures of blessing.

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Guide: July 27, 2015

TODAY’S WORD FOR MONDAY JULY 27, 2015.

GUIDE

DEFINITION:

One who gives direction.

SCRIPTURE:

But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. John 16:13.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Because our world is such a complicated place we all need guidance from time to time. We are faced with financial issues, health concerns, relational struggles, and all kinds of challenging situations. We may even be in situations that someone is asking us for advice and we are not sure what to say.

It is seemingly so simple to understand that we need someone who can give us true and wise counsel. But wise counsel is not easy to find. The only One who never guides us the wrong way is God.

In Psalms 32:8-11 we are given a wonderful promise to encourage us when we are in need of His guidance. The source of this promise in Psalms is almighty God. The creator of this earth has all knowledge and power and is the one that makes this promise: “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you (verse 8).” God teaches us the way we should go because it is the best way. As God leads us He does so with His eye upon us. He knows everything we are doing every minute.

This is a divine commitment made by God, who never fails to keep His Word. This promise that He has given us is inclusive. It covers everything we need to know to make the right choices in life.

He promises to instruct us with truth. He teaches us when we open up His Word. He provides us with information and Godly instruction that serves to guide us in the daily situation we are facing.

He promises counsel. He watches over us and in so doing we develop a relationship with Him. He provides for us protection wherever we are or whatever we are doing. He shows us the right way even when the choice of paths seems difficult to make.

Most of us have heard the expression, “stubborn as a mule.” God uses the mule in verse 9 as an illustration. We are not to be stubborn as a mule to the point of being unwilling to ask God to guide us. In Verse 10 we are told that when we ignore God’s counsel we will experience trouble and heartache, but if we trust in Him we will be surrounded by God’s unfailing love.

In verse 11 we are reminded that when we follow the Lord’s instructions, we will have a sense of peace, contentment, and joy, even while we are walking through trials and suffering and we will find ourselves rejoicing in the Lord. When you ask the Lord to guide you, you can be assured that He will lead you to the right place.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Hebrews 13:8.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.

PRAYER:

Help me to learn to come to You for guidance for every situation that I face in life. When You teach and counsel me, help me not to be stubborn but open to You and Your Word.

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