Slacker: September 16, 2016

TODAY’S WORD FOR FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 16, 2016.

SLACKER

DEFINITION:

Idler; shirker; loafer; sluggard; couch potato; one who is negligent of his duty; goof off.

SCRIPTURE:

How long will you slumber, O sluggard? Proverbs 6:9

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

We noticed when reading through some Bible study notes on Proverbs that the writer suggested changing the word “sluggard” in Proverbs (above) to “slacker.” This made more sense to us because we have seen many people in our lifetime that were basically what we would call slackers.

Slackers by definition are negligent of their duties. In our society they are often called “goof offs” or “couch potatoes.” Slackers choose to be lazy and would rather sleep than work. We all know a few slackers.

Parents that fail to teach and discipline their children are slackers. They are neglecting the responsibility that God has commanded them to do. What about the husband or even sometimes the wife that just refuses to help around the house? They would have to be considered slackers.

What about the teenagers that neglect their studies and play internet games and send text messages day and night? Yes, they too are slackers. The list can go on and on but the bottom line is that too many people today are slackers or as the scripture tells us in Proverbs, sluggards.

We have stated the problem above as we see it but what is the solution? Many of the types of people we have referred to above are lazy because they have no purpose in life. Thus it becomes a spiritual problem. They need something or someone to give them a purpose in life and a desire to be happy and functional responsible parents, loving spouses, and obedient children.

If we are honest we are all susceptible to being slack in what we do. Are you a “prayer slacker or a Bible reading slacker?” Possibly you are a “non-exercising-of –our-spiritual-gift slacker or a non-witnessing slacker?” If we are not doing what we know that God wants us to do then we are certainly spiritual slackers. In fact, when we refuse to obey God, we are more than slackers, we are sinning.

In the book of James 4:17 we are given some challenging and convicting words. “It is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.”

Take a few moments today just to make sure you are not a spiritual slacker. If you feel you are then take actions now to change your direction in life. It is a matter of will and determination. It begins with reading the Bible daily and then communicating with God through prayer. We may make excuses for not reading His Word and praying. Our excuses do not change the fact that when we neglect to spend time with God, we are not just slackers, we are rebelling against God.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Job 41:22.

Strength dwells in his neck, and sorrow dances before him.

PRAYER:

Give me the determination today not to be a slacker. Help me to know what You want me to do and then help me to obey Your call. Keep me from ignoring Your voice and choosing sinful ways that do not honor Your name.

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Community: September 15, 2016

TODAY’S WORD FOR THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 15, 2016.

COMMUNITY

DEFINITION:

Group of people who live in a particular locale; a group having interests or religion in common or have the same cultural or historical heritage.

SCRIPTURE:

Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. James 5:16.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

We can remember our grandparents talking about the community that they lived in. Every person within miles was considered part of their community. When one was sick everyone would endeavor to help out. If another was facing a concern everyone wanted to be with them in their time of need.

Community life today has all but left us. Many people do not even know the names of their neighbors let alone show any interest for them if they are in need. This is a by-product of the “ME” generation that we live in. Everyone is concerned about self and no one else.

In chapter 5 (above), James paints a beautiful picture for us of an authentic Christian community. A community is not limited to neighbors but for most believers a community consists of people with like mind -- a love for Jesus.

James shares with us four qualities that make a Christian community of believers. They are confession, prayer, honesty and love.

As believers in Jesus we need Christian fellowship. This fellowship gives us opportunity to talk openly with fellow Christian brothers and sisters about our situations and concerns and then to pray for insight and healing, with honesty and love.

If Christians were committed to live this way we can only imagine how it would impact the world.

Most Christians today live in isolation cells not willing to let anyone else into their lives and not willing to let anyone see exactly who they are. You can ask someone how they are and they will answer something like, “just fine.” But they really are not just fine but have hurts and concerns that basically, they feel, no one cares about.

The real problem today, as we see it, is that most Christians do not want to share with others because in the past they have been betrayed by others who were not trustworthy. Christians need to learn to share with trust-worthy believers who will encourage them, share in their concerns and pray for them. This is how it should be among the community of those who love the Lord.

The community is built on families so trust must start in the home. Far too often people cannot confide in their own family and count on them for encouragement and support. This creates the need to find a community of Christian believers that are trust worthy and caring such as a Bible study group or a Bible believing Church.

Take the time now to look for several people that you can trust because they have the same spiritual desires that you have and begin your community. Start with prayer for others and then allow God do His work.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Job 41:22.

Strength dwells in his neck, and sorrow dances before him.

PRAYER:

Help my family to find a Christian community that will serve as a support base for us and that we, in turn, can be a support base for them. Give us a renewed desire to serve others and make known the love of God that He has for each of us.

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Seeking: September 14, 2016

TODAY’S WORD FOR WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2016.

SEEKING

DEFINITION:

To look for; go in search or quest of; to try to obtain.

SCRIPTURE:

For the Son of man came to seek and to save those that were lost. Luke 19:20

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. Revelation 3:20.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Down through the ages it seems people have been seeking something they do not have. The children of Israel began seeking to have a king like the pagan nations around them, so God allowed the Children of Israel to choose a king who would make their decisions for them. They were in the process of taking their eyes off of God. They choose Saul and it turned out to be one of the great tragedies in the Bible because Saul continually made his decisions seeking to obtain human favor for himself.

For example, God told Saul to kill all of the Amalekites, but he chose to save the life of their king because he felt it would gain him favor in the eyes of his people. Saul had a divided allegiance. He was quite content to serve God as long as it pleased those around them. The failure in the life of Saul was his continual hunger for the approval of people around him. As King of God’s chosen people, he should have been seeking God’s approval. If he had been willing to seek he could have found it. Do you know people like that today that are associated with you? We all do.

In contrast to Saul who was seeking to obtain something for himself we have Jesus who came into the world seeking nothing for Himself. God created the world and all that is in it and all the world already belongs to Jesus. Jesus tells us in Luke 19:10 that He came seeking what was lost. All those who are without Christ are the lost. Because Jesus does not need anything there is only one thing we can give Him -- OUR HEART!

In Revelation 3:20 John tells us how Jesus is seeking us. First, He is pictured as standing at the door of our heart. Jesus takes the initiative and is willing to seek us even when we have erected a barrier.

Secondly, He is pictured knocking at the door. Jesus is knocking to get our attention and it may be through circumstances we may be facing, such as financial problems, painful hurts, broken relationships, illness or death of a loved one.

When someone witnesses to someone and asks him or her to accept Jesus they can be sure God is knocking loudly.

Thirdly, Jesus invites us to open the door. The door knob is on our side. We alone can open it. Jesus seeks us and He is omnipotent but never pushes His way into a relationship with us. We are the one that chooses, not Jesus.

Fourthly, Jesus enters through the door. If we open the door to Him He will come in. Through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in our lives we will actually partake of Christ’s divine nature and be transformed into His image.

Finally, Jesus will dine with us inside the door. When we allow the seeking Jesus to come into our heart nothing stands between us and Jesus. It is then we can begin to enjoy all the benefits of an intimate relationship with Jesus and be nourished by His Word.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Job 41:22.

Strength dwells in his neck, and sorrow dances before him.

PRAYER:

I am so grateful that You were seeking me out and continued to do so until I opened the door of my heart to let You in. Use me today to show to others that You are their seeking Savior, patiently waiting for them to open the door of their hearts.

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Rock: September 13, 2016

TODAY’S WORD FOR TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 13, 2016.

ROCK

DEFINITION:

A foundation; strength; mass of strong material; symbol of shelter or safety.

SCRIPTURE:

Behold, I shall stand before you there on the rock of Horeb; and you shall strike the rock and water will come out of it, and the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. Exodus 17:6

The Lord is my rock and my fortress, and my deliverer. Psalm 18:2

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

The word “rock” is often used in the Bible. It is very symbolic and has significant meaning as it is used in the Bible as we see in the following illustrations.

On the way to the Promised Land the children of Israel were upset that there was no water to drink and the scripture says the people contended with Moses. They complained by asking Moses why he brought them out of Egypt if they were going to die of thirst? So Moses cried out to the Lord asking Him what he should do. In fact, he told God that the children of Israel were ready to stone him.

Seeing that his life was in danger Moses turned to his Rock and his refuge of safety. He prayed and God heard his plea for help. God commanded Moses to strike the rock of Horeb and water would come out of it. The rock became the source of life saving water.

God told Moses, “I will stand before you.” God not only directed Moses to the rock of Horeb but he was there with Moses. In times of trouble God is always right there before us, ready to act when we call upon Him. God affirmed to the Israelites that He was their God and their ever present guide and their all-mighty defender.

God reassured Moses that he was chosen by God to be the leader of the Israelites and that He was ever present to act standing before him. Notice that God said that He was standing before him, not beside him and not behind him. God stands before us as our shield and defender.

After the Lord had delivered David from the hand of his enemies and the hand of Saul, David gave praise to God saying so all could hear: “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer” (II Samuel 22:2). David knew where his strength came from and made it known that the Lord was his rock in his time of need.

David described the Lord as his rock because the word “rock” represents not only strength but safety and shelter.

It is the role of parents to be the rock their children look to for refuge and safety. As parents we must ask ourselves if we are the strong rock our children need and are we standing before them to shelter them from life’s dangers?

Most importantly, are we teaching them and showing them that God is their rock and their fortress who is standing ever present ready to act when they call upon Him?

In the New Testament, Matthew 16:18, Jesus tells Peter and the disciples that He is building His Church. He said: You are Peter, and on this rock (Peter) I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. Jesus called Peter a rock to indicate that he was giving Peter the responsibility of being the leader of the church after Jesus returned to heaven. To be that leader Peter was going to need to be solid and strong like a rock.

The story is told of a young preacher, Augustus Toplady, walking through the English countryside when a sudden storm swept across the landscape where he was walking. This young preacher spotted a wide rock formation with an opening that he could climb into for shelter against the storm. As he sat there in the cliff of the rock waiting for the storm to end he contemplated the symbolic connection between his shelter and God’s help in the storms of life that he faced.

He had no paper to write on but found a playing card on the floor of the cave like structure. He began to write the words to a song we still sing today.

Rock of ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee: Let the water and the blood, from Thy wounded side which flowed, be of sin the double cure, save from wrath and make me pure.

Take a moment to think of your struggles. Do you need a rock to hide in? Do you need someone to shelter you from your problems of life? As the words from the song above say, you can find shelter and salvation in God. He is waiting for you to cry out, “You are my Father, my God and the Rock of my salvation.” Psalm 89:26.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Job 41:22.

Strength dwells in his neck, and sorrow dances before him.

PRAYER:

As I face the storms of life today keep me aware that I do not stand alone in them. I seek Your shelter and Your protection. Thank You that You are my rock of my salvation and the strong rock that gives me shelter in this cruel and evil world we live in.

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Wings: September 12, 2016

TODAY’S WORD FOR MONDAY SEPTEMBER 12, 2016.

WINGS

DEFINITION:

A limb usually occurring in pairs; a flight.

SCRIPTURE:

Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. Psalm 55:6.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

David wrote openly and honestly about the ups and downs in his life. Although he was King, life was not easy. He had violence, oppression and strife around him on all sides. Much of this was stirred up by disloyalties from old friends and even family. On many occasions fear and terror, pain and trembling, anxiety and restlessness overwhelmed him. No wonder he wrote in the verse above that he wanted wings so he could fly away.

When many of us face strife, pain or anxiety we want to go somewhere to get away from it all. So we can understand how David felt when he wrote this verse (above). You can hear him sigh and say, oh, if I only had wings like a dove, I would get out of here and fly away and be at rest for a few days.

Certainly David was a man of great faith and walked with the Lord his God, yet even he had those moments in life when he felt he could bear no more. He just wanted to escape the pressures of this evil world. No matter how close we are to God we will have to deal with an evil world. There is no way of escaping it, not even for David who was a King.

David could only give his circumstances to God. In Palm 55:16-17 he writes, “As for me, I will call upon God, and the Lord shall save me. Evening and morning and noon I will pray, and cry aloud, and He shall hear my voice.”

David was confident that when he called upon the Lord, the Lord would hear him and would protect him. There is no escaping from the difficult situations we face in life. But whatever our circumstances, a difficult marriage, a problem child, a loss of a job, the loss of a loved one, neighbors that are hurtful, or deep loneliness, we can give them to God.

God has lifted the burden of our sins so will He not lift the weight of our distress and sorrows? We have trusted Him with our eternal souls, can we not trust Him with our current circumstances. In Psalms 55:22 it reads, “Cast your burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain you.” Because God cares for us, we can leave our cares with Him.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Job 41:22.

Strength dwells in his neck, and sorrow dances before him.

PRAYER:

I am so grateful that I can put in Your hands all my cares and concerns. Help me to teach my family and friends to daily cast their cares and concerns upon You, knowing that You will in turn care for them.

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