Zeal: January 29, 2016

TODAY’S WORD FOR FRIDAY JANUARY 29, 2016.

ZEAL

DEFINITION:

Eagerness; enthusiasm; diligence.

SCRIPTURE:

Then he said, “Come with me and see my zeal for the Lord.” II Kings 10:16.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

The verse we have put above concerns Jehu who was anointed king of Israel by the prophet Elisha. After Elisha anointed Jehu to become king he gave him instructions from God. Elisha told Jehu that he was to destroy all the household of Ahab, the wicked king of Israel (II Kings 9:7). Jehu was chosen by God to fulfill the prophecy of Elijah found in I Kings 21:7 that all of Ahab’s descendants would be destroyed because of the many sins of Ahab against God and because he killed God’s prophets.

Elijah’s prophecy was made 20 years earlier. King Ahab and Queen Jezebel had been zealous, according to the scriptures, in killing God’s prophets. Jehu was appointed by God to be His avenger for the murders of these faithful prophets. This is a reminder to us that those who sin against God will in due time be punished for their sins.

Jehu set out immediately to fulfill his commission from God. After killing all of Ahab’s family in Jezreel he set out for Samaria to kill the rest of Ahab’s family. On the way he met Jehonadab, the scriptures tell us, who was zealous in following the Lord.

Jehu asked Jehonadab if he was in agreement with what he (Jehu) had to do. He responded favorably so was invited to ride in the chariot with Jehu. Jehu said to Jehonadab, “Come with me and see my zeal for the Lord.” When God directs us to do something it is important that we respond and do whatever God has told us with zeal, but more importantly to do it with the guidance of God.

As a result of Jehu doing what God asked of him with zeal, we read in II Kings 10:30 that God said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in accomplishing what is right in my eyes and done to the house of Ahab all that I had in mind to do, your children to the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel.” God always honors those that show zeal in serving Him.

How many people do you know that you would say show real zeal for what they are doing for the Lord? What about yourself? Do you have a daily zeal to serve the Lord like Jehu did? The Lord desires us as believers to show this kind of exciting zeal for Him day after day.

If we are excited about our faith and looking forward to the soon return of Jesus to take us to heaven, it should be expected that we would show excitement and zeal in our daily walk. We should show the same exciting zeal that we would show if we were leaving next week on a trip of a lifetime. When we show our zeal for the Lord and honor Him in all we do, He will honor us.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in II Chronicles 7:14.

If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

PRAYER:

Give me and my family a new zeal for You today. Help us to get excited about what You have done for us and help us to be zealous in serving You. May the light of our salvation shine brightly through our walk and talk drawing others to You.

Special Price
Only $10.00
Click Here for More

ONE FINAL SUGGESTION.

If you have not received your FREE BOOKMARK from us, please click on either:

Get your FREE bookmark

or

Write Ken and Dottie a note

And we will send one to you.
It includes 10 golden rules for a happy family.

The Rock: January 28, 2016

TODAY’S WORD FOR THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016.

THE ROCK

DEFINITION:

A foundation; strength; a large stone or cliff symbolic of shelter or safety.

SCRIPTURE:

The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, the God of my strength, in whom will I trust, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge, my Savior. II Samuel 22: 2-3.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

These verses in II Samuel are David’s song of praise to God on the day that God delivered David from his enemies and from Saul. David was the greatest king of Israel, but he is remembered for his deep devotion to God. God called David a man after His own heart in Acts 13:22. David’s faith in God never wavered. He always acknowledged that the Lord was his rock and fortress and that it was God who gave him his victories.

Most families have one person who stands out and is considered THE ROCK for the family. That person seems to be always available when needed for counseling, advice or comfort.

The believer has his or her rock and that is God. In Psalm 31:3 the psalmist tells us: “For You are my rock and my fortress; therefore for Your names sake lead me and guide me.” When we put our complete trust in Him, He will strengthen us and guide us every day through the ups and downs of our life.

God is our “ROCK” and He is always with us. In Ezekiel 35:10 it reads, “Whereas the Lord was there.” After Israel and Judah had been destroyed by the Assyrians and the Babylonians because of their rejecting God, the princes of Edom saw this whole country desolate and felt they could easily conquer the land. But they ran into difficulty that they did not count on. This land was the Promised Land that God had chosen for His people, the Children of Israel and even though they had fallen away from God, the land was still God’s chosen land for His people.

God was there and Edom met up with God’s judgement for their arrogance in trying to take what was God’s. God’s judgement brought about Edom’s total destruction and there are no Edomite’s today.

When the world seems to be against us we need to remember that we belong to God and He is always with us. He is our comfort in times of trouble, our rock in times of insecurity and our strength in times of spiritual conflicts. We are constantly opposed by the evil in this world and yet we are preserved because He is always by our side.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in II Chronicles 7:14.

If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

PRAYER:

Thank You for being my rock and my strength as I walk through my valleys and over my mountains each day. Help me to rely on You so that You can use me to the fullest. Give me the strength and commitment to be the rock you need to bring glory to Your name.

Special Price
Only $10.00
Click Here for More

ONE FINAL SUGGESTION.

If you have not received your FREE BOOKMARK from us, please click on either:

Get your FREE bookmark

or

Write Ken and Dottie a note

And we will send one to you.
It includes 10 golden rules for a happy family.

Sleep: January 27, 2016

TODAY’S WORD FOR WEDNESDAY JANUARY 27, 2016.

SLEEP

DEFINITION:

The natural state of body rest; to cease to be awake.

SCRIPTURE:

It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late; for so He gives to His beloved even in his sleep. Psalm 127:2.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Sleep is essential for good health. Scientist do not know exactly why we need sleep but they do know what happens when we do not get enough sleep. Lack of sleep puts one at risk of premature aging, weight gain, and diseases ranging from colds to flu to cancer.

When we relax and drift into a sleep it is amazing what God can accomplish in our bodies. While we do nothing, God replenishes our energy, rebuilds and restores our cells, and reorganizes information in our brain. We also make better decisions after a good sleep.

In the verse we have put above God makes it clear that sleep is a gift from God and we should receive it with gratitude. Solomon tells us in this verse that overwork should not be something that keeps us from sleep. God blesses us, provides for us, protects us and leads us in our sleep when we have put our trust in Him.

If you feel you are not getting enough sleep, you need to re-evaluate your priorities. Are you stressed with anxiety and worry? Are you staying up late and getting up early to make more money for things you really do not need? Are you involved in ministry efforts that you feel you must do because no one else can? Maybe you are spending too much time socializing, going to functions, even reading too many books or just working too many hours.

Have you ever stopped to think that God may be able to do more for you while you sleep? Sleep is a gift from God and refusing to sleep in order to accomplish other things is like telling God that your work is more important than His. Our bodies need a good balance between work and rest. We all need adequate rest for physical and mental restoration.

Most of us have never read the verse from Psalms that we have put above, or at least never understood what the psalmist is saying. This psalm was written as one of the “pilgrim psalms” for worshipers to sing as they moved uphill walking up the steps to the temple. God is reminding us that that He wants us to take time to rest so that He can work through us.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in II Chronicles 7:14.

If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

PRAYER:

Help me and my family to rest our hearts and minds in the comfort of Your presence. Keep us calm as we sleep so that we will be refreshed by Your presence and Your love and awake each morning refreshed and renewed to serve You.

Special Price
Only $10.00
Click Here for More

ONE FINAL SUGGESTION.

If you have not received your FREE BOOKMARK from us, please click on either:

Get your FREE bookmark

or

Write Ken and Dottie a note

And we will send one to you.
It includes 10 golden rules for a happy family.

Pride: January 26, 2016

TODAY’S WORD FOR TUESDAY JANUARY 26, 2016.

PRIDE

DEFINITION:

Self-respect; self-esteem; a feeling of gratification arising from the association with something good or laudable; arrogance; an excessively high opinion of oneself.

SCRIPTURE:

For everything in the world, the craving of sinful man, the lust of his eyes, and the boasting (pride) of what he has and does, come not from the Father but from the world. I John 2:16.

Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18.

A man’s pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor. Proverbs 29:23.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Self-respect is a positive form of pride. It is what motivates us to strive to be the best we can be. When a person is an unbeliever he or she needs to have some way to feel satisfied and so most people tend to become very proud of what they do or who they are.

Many parents today do not encourage and compliment their children when they do something good. When not encouraged or complimented children feel that everyone else is better than they are and they are worthless. When not encouraged as they grow in the home children, when they grow up, fall into the wrong crowd and do the wrong things.

As believers our pride should be in our faith in Jesus since we accepted God’s gift of eternal life when we accepted Him as our personal Savior.

In the verse we have put above from I John we are warned by the apostle John that things of the world such as lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and pride in ourselves are not of God.

There are numerous references in Proverbs reminding us that God is absolute in condemning pride. Proverbs 6:16-19 lists seven things that the Lord hates. Pride is the number one item on that list. Pride is the devils tool and is the underlying cause for many sins. Nothing good comes from pride. Proverbs 11:2 teaches us that “When pride comes, then comes disgrace but with humility comes wisdom.” Pride brings downfall, destruction and disgrace and leads to quarrels. In contrast humility leads to wisdom, honor and a willingness to take advice.

Pride is arrogance and arrogance causes us to become obsessed with our own ideas. Arrogance had become a problem among some believers in the early church and instead of God’s Word standing as judge over man’s ideas the leaders of the church were judging God’s Word by their worldly ideas (I John).

The danger of pride is that it comes between us and God. It is difficult for a prideful person to rely on God. When we are successful it is human nature to want to take credit and to become proud of what we have accomplished. We forget to acknowledge that it is god who gives us strength and wisdom to do what we do. Pride makes us exalt ourselves over others.

Even the disciples had a problem with pride when they were walking with God. In Luke22:24, “a dispute arose among them as to which was considered to be the greatest.” This took place at the last supper. The disciples were thinking only of themselves and not what Jesus was telling them in order to prepare them for the greatest event in history. In Mark 9:33, Jesus indicted them for their pride saying, “If anyone wants to be first he must be the very last and the servant of all.”

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in II Chronicles 7:14.

If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

PRAYER:

Teach me today to be humble in Your sight. Keep me away from pride as I walk and talk today. May I always give You the honor and glory for any success in my life. Thank You for the many blessings You have blessed me with and may I use these blessings not to show pride but to honor You.

Special Price
Only $10.00
Click Here for More

ONE FINAL SUGGESTION.

If you have not received your FREE BOOKMARK from us, please click on either:

Get your FREE bookmark

or

Write Ken and Dottie a note

And we will send one to you.
It includes 10 golden rules for a happy family.

Light: January 25, 2016

TODAY’S WORD FOR MONDAY JANUARY 25, 2016.

LIGHT

DEFINITION:

Something that makes things visible or affords illumination; exposure to truth.

SCRIPTURE:

For you were once in darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. Ephesians 5:8.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

There is no doubt that we are living in a dark and sinful world. Darkness is a sign of evil and the world today for the most part is evil. Satan, the evil one, is running free in our world. Many people live today in situations where God is not acknowledged, where a Christian’s faith is mocked and godless living is applauded.

In most religions, light is a symbol of God and godliness. The Bible is no exception. In I John 1:5 we read that God is light and in Him is no darkness. Not only is God light but he is the giver of light to the world. In James 1:17, James reminds us that God is the “Father of the heavenly lights.” God is our creator and He created the sun, the moon and the stars so that the world could have light.

God also sent His Son to this earth to die on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins and to give us spiritual light. We read in John 8:12 that Jesus said of Himself, “I am the light of the world.” In John 1:9 John the Baptist said that Jesus came into the world to be the true light for everyone. In Psalms 119:105 it reads that His Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Without light there is only darkness.

As believers we are the light of the world and when we accepted Jesus as our Savior we are no longer walking in darkness but expected by God to represent Him in this world as children of light. This requires us to live moral lives above reproach that reflect our faith. Our actions speak volumes therefore we must think before we act and ask ourselves if what we are considering clearly demonstrates the truth of our faith and the goodness of God.

Darkness basically represents the evil side of life and light represents the good. This is not only true in the Bible but also in the world we live in. For example the plot of many books and movies today (like Star Wars) are between good and bad, light and darkness.

Remember what the psalmist said in Psalms 27:1, “The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?”

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in II Chronicles 7:14.

If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

PRAYER:

Father, I thank You that You are my light and my salvation. Help me to be a shining light for You in this dark world we live in. May I be an example to my family, neighbors and associates of Your love for them.

Special Price
Only $10.00
Click Here for More

ONE FINAL SUGGESTION.

If you have not received your FREE BOOKMARK from us, please click on either:

Get your FREE bookmark

or

Write Ken and Dottie a note

And we will send one to you.
It includes 10 golden rules for a happy family.