Brokenness: August 12, 2016

TODAY’S WORD FOR FRIDAY AUGUST 12, 2016.

BROKENNESS

DEFINITION:

Fragmented; overwhelmed; suffering from great sorrow or mournful dejection; disappointment; weakened.

SCRIPTURE:

A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken. Proverbs 15:13.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Have you ever thought that God’s requirement for maximum usefulness for Him is brokenness? So often, Christians struggle to get to whatever they perceive as the top. But what most Christians do not understand is that God is not looking for a long list of accomplishments when you arrive in heaven.

What God is looking for in us is a broken spirit and a contrite heart. If the attitude of our heart isn’t right, we can never please God no matter how great our accomplishments or how good we try. A broken spirit and a contrite heart is the result of recognizing we are lost sinners and being truly sorry for those sins. “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despair.” Psalm 51:17

God never accepts us on the basis of what we have done but He receives us because of what Christ has done for us on the cross. Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us to stop depending on what we can accomplish and instead rely on Him. This is not only for our salvation but for every aspect of our life. He wants our heart broken.

When our children were corrected for doing wrong and were truly sorry they usually shed some tears and they would draw near looking for a hug and reassurance that they were still loved. Their tears showed their brokenness and their contrite heart. They desired to get back into our good graces. This is what a broken spirit and contrite heart does. It makes us want to run back to the one who will love us and comfort us and reassure us.

God wants us to repent for our sinful habits, self-reliance, and prideful desires until we can say, “All that I am and all that I have is God’s. He is in me and I am in Him, and that is all that matters.” When one arrives at this position, this is the brokenness that God requires of us for maximum usefulness to Him.

God wants us to know that brokenness is His requirement for maximum usefulness to Him. No doubt many are suffering brokenness right now. It is a painful process but be encouraged; God is accomplishing His purpose to make each and all of us useful to Him.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Matthew 12:35.

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.

PRAYER:

It is my prayer today that You would break my spirit to the point that I will come to You with a contrite heart so that I can be used by You. Help me to walk daily close to You listening to Your Holy Spirit guide and direct me through life’s valleys and over life’s mountains to do what is right.

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Abundant: August 11, 2016

TODAY’S WORD FOR THURSDAY AUGUST 11, 2016.

ABUNDANT

DEFINITION:

Great or plentiful amount; present in great quantity; more than adequate; richly supplied; overflowing in fullness.

SCRIPTURE:

I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. John 10:10.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Many believers in Jesus just do not take advantage of the abundant life that Jesus offers. Christ promises to provide everything one needs for an abundant life but we do not take advantage of His offer.

God has given us the gift of abundant life through Jesus Christ. Jesus has made it possible for the believer to enjoy a full and rich life. God bestows abundant blessings on believers each and every day but we often fail to recognize them. When we fail to recognize just how good God is to us we miss out on enjoying the good life He has given us.

The abundant life is filled with God’s abundant peace and joy and love. We have real and lasting peace when we know our sins have been forgiven. We have joy knowing that we have eternal life and an eternal home with our Savior Jesus Christ in heaven.

The way to an abundant life is obedience to God and putting God first in our life. God did not promise us that we would not have to deal with problems in life. We have had many. What He has promised is to be with us as we go through them. In the midst of the tough times of life, God is there providing abundant blessings.

We want to share several of these with you today from the scriptures. When you are weak, God is your strength. In Philippians 4:13 it reads, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens us”.

When you are discouraged, God comforts you. In II Corinthians 1:5 it reads, “For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ”.

When you suffer anguish, He mends your broken heart. In Isaiah 61:1 it reads, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.”

When you are tempted, He empowers you to overcome. The scripture reads in I John 4:4, “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”

When you are rejected, He accepts you. We read in Romans 15:7, “Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us to the glory of God.”

When you have financial needs, He is your provider. It reads in Philippians 4:19, “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

When you sin, He forgives. I John 1:9 reads “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

When you are confused, He gives you wisdom. Read Colossians 2:3, “That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the father, and of Christ; in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

When you have suffered through trials that have left you weak and emotionally drained, He provides His all-sufficient grace. In II Corinthians 12:9 it reads, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”

Are you missing out on the ABUNDANT life? If you are, today is the day to turn your life over to Jesus. Thoughtfully and prayerfully reread these verses and you will be amazed how great God is and how abundant are His blessings. God’s desire is to give you an abundant life.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Matthew 12:35.

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.

PRAYER:

Help me to take advantage of Your promise to provide everything I need to live an abundant life. Help me to come to You when I am weak, discouraged, suffering, tempted, rejected, confused and walking through trials. Thank You for being the awesome God that You are.

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Resistance: August 10, 2016

TODAY’S WORD FOR WEDNESDAY AUGUST 10, 2016.

RESISTANCE

DEFINITION:

Stand one’s ground; hold one’s own; make a stand; stand up against.

SCRIPTURE:

Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him standing firm in your faith. I Peter 5:8-9

Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. James 4:7-8

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

The term RESISTANCE MOVEMENT has become well known in the last 50 or so years. It describes situations in which oppressed people rise up against their oppressors. Resistance fighters take the stance, I am not going to stand idly by and allow this evil to continue. They choose to resist the wrongs whether they live or die. They stand for the principles that they believe.

Resistance through the power of prayer is the Biblical approach to confronting and overcoming the devil and evil influences in our lives. Both Peter and James, in the verses we have put above, make it clear we are to actively resist evil by drawing near to God in prayer and standing firm in our faith.

On the surface one might think resistance may appear to be passive. But in practice in everyday life it is anything but passive. Resistance requires action. What would you do if a weight pushed against you attempting to push you off a position that is rightfully yours? Would you resist? Most people would. You would lean against the weight and press or push back. The pressure you exert would need to be equal or greater than the pressure exerted against you. It requires strength.

Resistance against attacks on our faith requires strength as well. When evil starts to pressure us we need to push back, standing firm in our faith and Biblical convictions.  Resistance is first and foremost a firm decision to join the struggle against evil through prayer. It is always easier to choose to ignore the pressure and turn away, backing off and retreating, however Our Lord has called us as believers to resist evil. This will take courage, strength, patience, and perseverance.

To resist the devil we must be prepared. We must strengthen our faith with the knowledge of God’s Word. Satan will do all he can to drag us out of fellowship with Jesus. We must prepare for temptation by deciding how we will act before we are faced with Satan’s temptations. The Bible sets clear standards of right or wrong. Anything that violates the Ten Commandments found in Exodus 20 is wrong and must be resisted.

Peter and James (verses above) point to two key words at the heart of our ability to resist the devil. The first word is SUBMISSION. God is saying to us, you can’t on your own defeat the devil but with Me you can. The apostle Paul took this position when he said in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” When we are willing to submit to God’s will we develop a closer relationship with our Lord and Jesus Christ will give us strength to resist the devil.

The second key word is FAITH.  Simply said, faith is saying to God I believe You will. We grow in faith by exercising it, by trusting God in situations after situations that we face in life.

It is impossible for one to resist the devil for very long if you do not believe that Christ through you can and will defeat the devil. You can remain firm in your faith only when you completely submit to God in all areas of your life.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Matthew 12:35.

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.

PRAYER:

I know in my own strength I cannot resist the devil so I ask You to give me insight to recognize evil and the strength to resist the devil’s evil temptations. Help me to submit to Your will in my life and draw closer to You in my times of weakness.

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Unbeliever: August 9, 2016

TODAY’S WORD FOR TUESDAY AUGUST 9, 2016.

UNBELIEVER

DEFINITION:

A person who does not believe; skeptic; doubter.

SCRIPTURE:

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses (unbeliever), made us alive together with Christ. It is by grace you have been saved. Ephesians 2:4-5.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

God’s Word is always true but not always popular. When it runs counter to the cultural preferences of one who is an unbeliever, the message of the gospel will be uncomfortable to hear and may lead to a challenge and confrontation.

We need to know that biblical truth, including the fact that God sees unbelievers as dead in their trespasses and sins, is true and real. Spiritual death comes to all generations, without exception, through the first Adam. Spiritual life is available to all generations through Jesus, the last Adam according to I Corinthians 15:45. So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being the last Adam a life giving Spirit.” Many choose not to believe this is true, but not believing does not change God’s mind. God doesn’t change what He has declared to be truth just because we choose not to believe.

Those who are spiritually dead, which is everyone who does not believe in Jesus as their Savior cannot perceive the things of God. Divine truth cannot penetrate because their “receiver spirit” is dead within them.

Paul tells us in II Corinthians 4:4 that Satan “has blinded the minds of unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel, the glory of Christ.”

John 1:12 reminds us that there are only two families in the world. They are God’s and Satan’s. We are all born in sin into Satan’s family, and then “born again” into God’s family by trusting in Christ’s sacrifice for our sins and receiving Him as Savior.

We need to be reminded that according to Romans 3:12 unbelievers, no matter how good, how kind and loving they may be are under judgment. A sin debt is owed according to Romans 6:23, “For the wages (penalty) of sin is death and it cannot be paid by kind or loving acts of service. Jesus paid the penalty for our sins and only by trusting in Him and His sacrifice can we escape God’s wrath for our sins.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Matthew 12:35.

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.

PRAYER:

Help me to be able to communicate to unbelievers that they are in grave danger even though they do not believe this fact. Give me the courage and the words to present and make known Your gift of salvation to unbelievers today. I offer my hands and the words of my mouth today for You to use according to your will and desire.

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Trusting: August 8, 2016

TODAY’S WORD FOR MONDAY AUGUST 8, 2016.

TRUSTING

DEFINITION:

Reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, or surety of a person or thing; to place one’s confidence in; believing; to hope.

SCRIPTURE:

Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Psalm 37:3

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Trusting God means that we need to look beyond what we can see to what God sees. At some point in our life, and often many times, we will face what we feel are mammoth trials and difficulties. This is why we must know how to respond to every threat we face by grabbing hold of the kind of victorious trust that looks beyond what we can see to what God sees.

One of the best examples given to us in the Old Testament is David when he met Goliath. David had his ups and downs but the secret of his success was his ability to trust God and to obey Him. Had David looked just at the challenge facing him (Goliath), he would have turned around and run away as did the rest of the Israelites. But through his faith in God and his total trust of God David saw what his countryman did not see. He saw what God saw --- victory.

In times of great pressure, God stretches our faith and deepens our trust and dependence on Him. Without a strong, abiding faith, we can quickly yield to temptation and fear, especially when the trial or difficulty is intense or prolonged. We become too fearful to wait on the Lord to respond.

God loves you, and when you place your trust in Him, He will help you to triumph. You may go through times of failure. Life may not always turn out the way you had planned but ultimately, God will be glorified and you will be blessed.

Every challenge we face in life gives God an opportunity to show His faithfulness and love. We can learn from David several principles that can help us to trust completely in our Lord.

David recalled past victories before he proceeded to meet Goliath. He remembered how God delivered him from the paw of the lion and the grasp of the bear. David rejected the discouraging words that came his way from the Children of Israel. We must not succumb to discouraging words from others around us but put our trust in the Lord.

As David stood with the giant Goliath towering over him, Saul and the Israelites saw Goliath as an invincible foe. David saw Goliath as God saw Goliath, a mortal man.

David recognized the true nature of the battle he was facing. He responded that the battle was the Lord’s. David responded to the challenge he faced with a positive confession. He firmly responded to the Children of Israel that he could not lose because God was with him.

So great was David’s trust in God that he gave God the glory for the victory before the battle had begun. David trusted so completely in God that he declared, “This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I will strike you down and cut off your head.” I Samuel 17:46.

David did not need a spear or a javelin to defeat Goliath. He only needed his faith and a homemade sling shot. When you put your trust in the Lord, you tap into a trustworthy and all powerful force that no one and nothing else can successfully oppose.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Matthew 12:35.

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.

PRAYER:

Help me today to put my trust completely in You. May I learn how to trust the Lord as David did. Help me to lead others, including my family, into a closer relationship with You so that they will put their complete trust in You.

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