Obedience: October 2, 2015

TODAY’S WORD FOR FRIDAY OCTOBER 2, 2015.

OBEDIENCE

DEFINITION:

Perform as told; respond favorably as ordered.

SCRIPTURE:

Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. Philemon 1:21.

Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you.” Genesis 12:1.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

The question we have for you today is how can we become a more obedient child of God? Obedience is a major characteristic of a person who is mighty in spirit. For example obedience characterized the faith of Abraham from his first encounter with God (the verse from Genesis above) until his death.

We grow in obedience by having faith in the sovereignty (all knowing and all powerful, King of Kings) of God. If we fail to believe in the sovereignty of God we will find it next to impossible to obey God or His Word (the Bible).

We will grow in our obedience to God by learning to wait for God’s timing for things in our lives. God is very time conscious, not in minutes, hours or days, but in regard to our acting according to His schedule.

In order to strengthen being obedient to God we need to refuse to subject God’s plan for us to what we feel is a common sense response or the reasoning of the world we live in. Some things that God requires of us might seem ridiculous at the time. Remember that God told Abraham when he was very old that he would have a son through whom He would bless the whole world. Just think what Abraham must have been thinking about. How could this be possible?

Later after God gives him a son, God gives Abraham the most difficult test imaginable (Genesis 22). God tells Abraham to sacrifice his only son as a burnt offering.

It must not have made any sense to Abraham. Why would God ask him to sacrifice his son after so miraculously giving him his son? Over the years Abraham had learned through some hard lessons the importance of obeying God.

Obeying God often requires giving up what we want. What a struggle it must have been for Abraham to obey God and give up the son for whom he had waited so many long years and whom he dearly loved.

In Genesis 22 we read that Abraham did not hesitate. His obedience was prompt and complete. He got up early the very next morning and saddled his donkey, cut the wood and set off with his son to the place where God told him to go. He prepared the altar; put his son on it and it was not until Abraham was just about to kill Isaac that God stopped him.

If you long to obey God, you will not hesitate when He tells you to do something. Many times we will question what God is telling us because we fear the consequences. What will my spouse think? What about my friends? How will I support my family? Remember, God will never require us to do something that is outside of His will for us. He has promised to meet our every need if we will be obedient to His will. He will take care of the consequences of our obedience to His will.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for today is found in I John 1:3.

That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.

PRAYER:

My prayer is that you would increase my sensitivity to Your will by helping me to obey the commandments that come from You. Help me to trust You, obey You and to then be blessed by You.

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Kindness: October 1, 2015

TODAY’S WORD FOR THURSDAY OCTOBER 1, 2015.

KINDNESS

DEFINITION:

Showing benevolence; compassion; helpfulness; being considerate.

SCRIPTURE:

Let not mercy and truth forsake you; bind them around your neck with loving kindness, write them on the tablet of your heart, and so find favor and high esteem in the sight of God and man. Proverbs 3:3-4.

Blessed be the Lord, for He has shown me His marvelous kindness in a strong city. Psalm 31:21.

For His merciful kindness is great toward us and the truth of the Lord endures forever. Psalm 117:2.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

What does the scripture mean in Proverbs (above) when it says to bind kindness around our neck and write it on the tablets of our heart? It means that kindness needs to be a deep, central part of our lives. Kindness doesn’t seem to automatically be one of our characteristics when we accept the Lord as our Savior. We have to work hard at being kind, especially in the cruel and sinful world we live in where we are often treated unkindly.

We should realize that even though we do not immediately become kind when we accept Christ, we do have the potential to exhibit kindness because of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Galatians 5:22 tells us that the Holy Spirit develops the quality of kindness in us.

We also need to eliminate those characteristics and actions within us that stop us from being loving, tenderhearted, useful and kind. We need to learn that we cannot be selfish. In Ephesians 4:31-32 we are told to lay aside the character traits of bitterness, rage, and anger, brawling and slander which do not fit who we are as believers.

Instead we are to be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another just as Christ forgave you. We are to be imitators of God and live a life of love just as Christ loved us (Ephesians 5:1).

It also is so important that in life we focus on the needs of others instead of our needs, wants, desires and plans. When we focus on others we will forget our needs and become sensitive to the needs of others and we can help them and be imitators of Jesus in showing them God’s love.

Do not forget that we need to ask God daily for kindness in our lives and sensitivity to the needs of others we associate with that day.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for today is found in I John 1:3.

That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.

PRAYER:

Help me to get rid of all bitterness, anger, slander, and jealousy toward others and help me to be kind and compassionate. Help me to be an imitator of God daily by showing love and kindness to others.

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Guilt: September 30, 2015

TODAY’S WORD FOR WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 30, 2015.

GUILT

DEFINITION:

Responsibility for a wrong action; shame.

SCRIPTURE:

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I John 1:9.

O my God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens. Ezra 9:6.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

The verse we have put above from Ezra comes from a problem that the Jewish exiles from Babylon had to face when they returned to Jerusalem. The leaders came to Ezra, God’s prophet, and admitted that the Children of Israel had sinned against God by marrying pagans. The sin of these intermarriages was not only breaking God’s commandment not to marry pagans but they also adopted their religious practices of worshipping false gods. Even some of the Priests and Levites were guilty. When Ezra was informed about what was happening he was deeply grieved and ashamed for them. Ezra was so appalled at the faithlessness of God’s people that he fell on his knees and prayed asking God to forgive them of their sins. And he acknowledged how great their guilt of sin was against God. Ezra 9:6 (above) is the opening of Ezra’s prayer

Guilt is a result of sin. Until Adam and Eve sinned against God in the Garden of Eden they did not know what guilt was. The question we need to answer today is, “How can I get rid of guilt that I am carrying in my life?” Guilt as we know it is under the banner of forgiveness.

The first thing we must do is recognize that guilt has come from some sin in our life so we need to identify that sin and ask God for forgiveness. The Bible is very clear of what sin is and what is not. Society today regards many sins as acceptable that are not acceptable to God. So identify your sin based on Biblical standards, not of the worlds and ask the Lord for forgiveness.

The second suggestion we have is to make amends. If you have wronged another person, do not try to substitute a request for forgiveness by doing kind deeds for that person. Ask God to give you wisdom in identifying an appropriate way for you to make amends. You should also ask God to give you the courage and fortitude to follow through on your commitment first of all to talk to the person and then honor what your commitment is to that person.

And finally accept forgiveness. If you have sinned against God and have asked for forgiveness you can be assured that God has forgiven you, (see the verse we have put at the top from I John). If you have sinned against a person and he or she forgives you accept the words and do not try to second guess whether it is real or just words.

If you ask someone for forgiveness and they refuse to accept your request just move on because at that time the person who refuses the act of asking for forgiveness bears the responsibility for failing to forgive. You have done what the Lord requires of you and you stand forgiven before the Lord and that is what counts.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for today is found in I John 1:3.

That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.

PRAYER:

Help me to remove guilt from my life by confessing my sin and asking for forgiveness. Give me the courage to go to those that I have hurt in some manner and then give me the loving words and courage to ask for forgiveness. Thank You for the assurance that You give me that when I forgive, you also forgive me.

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Doubt: September 29, 2105

TODAY’S WORD FOR TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 29, 2015.

DOUBT

DEFINITION:

Uncertain about; considered questionable; to distrust or fear; lack confidence in.

SCRIPTURE:

Now when the tempter (Satan) came to Him (Jesus), he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” Matthew 4:3.

But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed to the wind. James 1:6.

And Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him saying, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
 Matthew 14:31

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Satan loves to use fear and doubt to discourage believers to make them vulnerable to his temptations. In the verse above from Matthew 4, we are reminded that Satan even tried to put doubt into the thinking of Jesus. Satan knew that temptations create doubt. Satan knows that if he can get you to question God, then maybe you will give up and abandon His will for your life.

Feelings of fear often accompany feelings of doubt and uncertainty. If you let fear and uncertainty control your emotions, very soon you will stop trusting the Lord and His ability to provide for your every need.

The first step one can take to turning away from doubt and discouragement in your life is to proclaim your faith in Jesus Christ. People you associate with, family, friends and associates must see Christ in you and through your words and actions. That is proclaiming your faith. When trouble strikes, God is your omniscient help. He is the one who understands you completely. He knows your weaknesses and strengths and He knows what will lift you up and encourages you so you can walk forward in your faith.

Secondly, set a goal to read God’s Word every day. This is the best way to combat fear and doubt. The Lord uses daily instruction from His Word to teach you to trust Him more and doubt Him less.

Thirdly, prayer is essential in fighting fear and doubt. Prayer puts our faith into action. We pray because we see God as the solution for our concerns. Your faith will increase as you pray more and get to know Him better.

Remember the Lord is your strength and even though you don’t feel you have the emotional strength to trust God fully, do not worry, He will be along your side until your battle is won. The last thing that Satan wants you to do is to go to God in prayer. Always be honest with God because honesty about your lack of faith breaks the pattern of doubt and provides the right atmosphere for God to work mightily in your life.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for today is found in I John 1:3.

That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.

PRAYER:

Thank You that You love me with an eternal love and will provide for me through every trial in life that I may face if I put my total trust in You. Help me to spend the time each day reading Your Word and communicating to You through prayer so that I am ready to stand strong against any doubts Satan puts in my mind.

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Blessing: September 28, 2015

TODAY’S WORD FOR MONDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2015.

BLESSING

DEFINITION:

A special favor, mercy or benefit; a gift bestowed by God; the invoking of God’s favor upon a person.

SCRIPTURE:

I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great. Genesis 12:2

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Last week we discussed the word “Family” and the importance of honoring God together as a family. As we look back at scripture to the 12th chapter of Genesis we read about Abraham, a man who honored God. God promised Abraham because he honored God that in his seed, through him, all the families of the earth shall be blessed. The blessing that God promised in His words to Abraham extends to those of us that put our Lord first place in our lives. God will bless us when we honor Him and let Him control our lives. “For surely, O Lord, You bless the righteous” Psalm 5:12. “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord” Jeremiah 17:7.

The Apostle Paul had a father son relationship with Timothy. Paul was in a Roman prison when he wrote II Timothy. He was writing a young man whom he was mentoring and wanted to be a blessing to him. Although Paul was never married and had no children he recognized the importance of a father’s role in the spiritual growth of a child of God.

Timothy came from a deeply spiritual family heritage. Timothy’s grandmother, Lois, and his mother Eunice were Jewish believers and taught him the scriptures and they were involved in the leadership of their church in Lystra. This is where Timothy met Paul and began his spiritual training with Paul.

Paul’s encouragement, Godly instruction, and careful counsel helped prepare Timothy for a leadership role in the church. Timothy is a prime example of one who was blessed with a God honoring family and a spiritual father in Paul.

From the time that Paul met Timothy in the church at Lystra he was a blessing to Timothy just as we need to be a blessing to those believers that are associated around us daily. It begins with our spouses, children and family. Are you a daily blessing to them? If not make it a reality beginning today.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for today is found in I John 1:3.

That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.

PRAYER:

Thank You for the many blessings that You have bestowed upon me and my family. Thank You for Your Word and the blessing it is to us daily. Give me a greater burden to be a blessing to those who need encouragement in their faith.

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