Fail: August 28, 2017

TODAY’S WORD FOR MONDAY AUGUST 28, 2017.

FAIL

DEFINITION:

To fall short of success or achievement in something expected; to disappoint.

SCRIPTURE:

My heart throbs, my strength fails me; and the light of my eyes, even that is gone from me. Psalm 38:10.

Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away with. I Corinthians 13:8

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

In the Psalm 38 David is feeling that he has totally failed in life and he is overwhelmed by guilt. In verse 5 he says that it is because of his sinful folly in life. In verse 11 he says he has lost his loved ones, his friends and his kinsmen. Those near him had abandoned him. He ends this Psalm by asking the Lord not to forsake him. His sin troubles him and he wants to conquer failure. He recognizes that the only way to do this is to confess his sin and ask the Lord to help him as he pursues good. He doesn’t try to make excuses for his failure but readily acknowledges his sin and asks the Lord to help him.

But do you realize that in a way we tend to offer a variety of justifications to our Father, God concerning our sins and failures. Excuses are way too common and unacceptable in God’s sight. God has set His standard for the way He wants us to live but because of our sinful nature we all have failed in one way or another. Failure is painful.

As every parent knows, children can always find an excuse and excuses begin early in life to avoid taking responsibility. The excuses we give, as children of God, tend to attempt to shift responsibility for what we have done or have not done to something or someone besides our self.

Just like parents want what is best for their children, God wants what is best for us. The reason we fail to receive God’s best in our life is SIN. We often fail to recognize sin in our life. For example, greed and selfishness.

Greed and selfishness will not help us succeed in His kingdom but generosity will. When we give of our time, talent and treasure to Him, as the Lord commands us, and when we take the opportunity to enter an open door that God gives us to speak a word of encouragement to someone or even taking the time just to help someone with a small task it will bring blessings to us from our Father.

Another reason we fail is because we act against what our conscience is telling us. It makes us double minded: we feel guilty over our action but decide to proceed anyway.

And we fail because of laziness, which is often accompanied by excuses and yields the same result -- disobedience to God.

If we are willing to seek the help of the Holy Spirit, we can overcome these common negative tendencies that lead to sin. And finally remember the words of Jesus in John 14:15, “If you love Me you will keep My commandments.” By keeping God’s commandments, we will have God’s best for us.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in I Thessalonians 5:16-17.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing.

PRAYER:

When I fail You and sin Lord, help me to humbly confess it without excuse and ask for Your help, just as David did. Help me to understand that if I love You and seek You with all my heart and listen to what You say to me, You will uphold me and keep me from the pitfalls of life that can cause me to fail. May my family join me in loving You with all their hearts.

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Barometer: August 25, 2017

TODAY’S WORD FOR FRIDAY AUGUST 25, 2017.

BAROMETER

DEFINITION:

Things wished or longed for; want; a longing for something to be obtained that will bring satisfaction.

SCRIPTURE:

Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

One of our favorite passages in the Psalms is found in Psalm 37:1-8 and we will share a few thoughts from this passage with you today.

Verse 4 gives us an awesome promise. “He will give you the desires of your heart if you delight yourself in the Lord.” Many Christians do not read the verses around verse 4 as to the conditions God gives us to receive them. To understand the scope of the Lord’s awesome promise, it is important for us to explore the conditions He set for us in these few verses.

In verse 1 God instructs us not to fret about “evildoers” or envy them. Clearly said we are not to be consumed with the success of unrighteous people. God will deal with them. Our responsibility is to watch our own actions and stop worrying about what others are doing.

In verse 3 God instructs us to trust in the Lord, do good and to cultivate faithfulness. God desires that we grow and mature in our faith and put our trust in Him to be responsible for everything in life that is important to us. Trusting in the Lord means submitting our lives, our families, our jobs and all our possessions to His control and guidance. We must let go and let God be in control.

In verse 4 we are clearly told to delight in the Lord. We are to seek His desires. If we truly follow and pursue God’s good pleasure our own desires will fall right into place with God’s purpose for us. We will desire to read His Word. We will desire to pray. We will desire to worship Him and sing praises to Him.

In verse 5 we are told to commit our way unto the Lord and trust Him. When we focus our steps on His path we will know we are heading in the right direction. God will not bless our sinful missteps. Our purpose is to seek His will for our life and faithfully follow His path.

And finally in verse 7 God calls us to rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him. God’s timing is perfect but constantly we try to rush ahead of Him. When it comes to your desires are you frustrated by God’s seemingly lack of response? Psalm 37:1-8 will bring you into line with what He desires for you if you read it, remember it, live by it and wait on the Lord. God desires only what is best for you.

In summary if you want God to give you the desires of your heart you must not fret, trust in the Lord, delight in Him, commit your ways to Him, and rest in Him.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Psalm 100:1

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands.

PRAYER:

Help me to learn not to fret but instead to trust in You, delight in You and to commit my ways unto You. And then help me to rest and wait on You knowing that in Your perfect timing You will meet my every need.

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Barometer: August 24, 2017

TODAY’S WORD FOR THURSDAY AUGUST 24, 2017.

BAROMETER

DEFINITION:

An instrument that indicates or measures changes in atmospheric pressure; It can be used to predict weather.

SCRIPTURE:

When I was a child, I used to speak as a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with the childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. I Corinthians 13:11-12.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

A barometer is a fascinating instrument to many people. A good barometer enables meteorologists to forecast short term changes in the weather in advance. When the barometer pressure drops it is an indication of rain. Rises in barometer pressure indicate improving weather conditions.

From time to time we need to measure our physical maturity. There are tools to measure many things in life. We can check our weight with a scale and our height with a tape measure.

We also need a barometer to measure our spiritual maturity. When someone becomes a child of God, making their decision to accept Jesus as their Savior, he or she becomes a new born babe and like a child must grow to maturity. As a child we think and reason like a child. The same thinking and reasoning comes to one who is a new believer in Jesus. He is like a new born child and must grow in his or her knowledge of God.

As we grow in our Christian life we should be maturing in our understanding of God and His Word, the Bible. The apostle Paul tells us in his second book to the Corinthians that we are to aim for perfection in the spiritual maturing of our faith.

There is no barometer to measure our spiritual maturity. There are, however, three things we can look at in order to take a measurement of our spiritual growth in our new-found faith.

First, what are our desires? Do we look at the pleasures of this world as we did before we accepted Jesus as our Savior? What about our hunger to read and study God’s Word?

Secondly, what is our understanding concerning the spiritual things in our life? Do we see life from God’s perspective as it is written in the Bible? Do trials and temptations that come our way become opportunities for spiritual growth and service for our Lord or stumbling blocks that trip us up and cause us to backslide into our old way of life?

Finally, what is the status of our selflessness? Are we submissive to the Lord when He speaks to us and do we listen to our conscience when it warns us of what is right and what is wrong? Do we pray and ask for God to show us what He wants us to do? Are we more concerned about others rather than ourselves?

Christian maturity requires us too thoughtfully and prayerfully to measure the disciplines of our daily Godly habits. These disciplines should include a time that we increase our knowledge of God by reading the Bible and drawing close to Him by communicating to God through prayer.

We can be sure that Satan will test the strength and endurance of our faith in the Lord with trials of many kinds. We don’t really know the depth of our faith until it has been put to the test. James says in James 1:4 that the testing of our faith develops endurance and makes us mature and complete.

We need mature faith to endure the trials and temptations that come our way. Remember, ENDURANCE REQUIRES PATIENCE!

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Psalm 100:1

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands.

PRAYER:

Help me to continually grow in my spiritual maturity daily. Make it evident to me the things I must change in my life that hinder my spiritual growth. May Your Holy Spirit and Your Word work in me so that I may grow daily working toward perfection in my love for You.

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Abundance: August 23, 2017

TODAY’S WORD FOR WEDNESDAY AUGUST 23, 2017.

ABUNDANCE

DEFINITION:

Plentiful; an over sufficient amount of supply; wealth; overflowing fullness.

SCRIPTURE:

To those who use well what is given them, even more will be given, and they will have abundance. Matthew 25:29.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

It is written in John 10:10 that He (Jesus) came that we may have life and have it more abundantly. As Christians we have in the Lord an abundance of wealth to draw upon each day in order for us to have an abundant life. God has given us the promise that if we live according to His standards and guidelines He will give us an abundant life to live.

The Lord has given us through His Holy Spirit the fruits of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. And we have an abundance of these fruits available to us if we open up our heart to the Lord and let His Holy Spirit direct us daily. There is no limit to what God can do through us because He is a God of abundance.

We have been so very fortunate because we believe that we have lived in the best of times. God has allowed us to have an “ABUNDANCE OF THINGS” in our lifetime, far more than we have deserved. When you stop to compare what our parents and grand-parents had compared to what we have had it is staggering. Our great grandparents and even some grandparents never had indoor plumbing, running water, air conditioning, automobiles, microwaves, television, or telephones. Then our parents never had computers, cell phones, jet airplanes (until they were older), naming a few. Compared to what many in this world have we are wealthy by their standards.

We were able to accomplish so much more than our parents and grandparents mainly because of all the technology advances. We were given talents just like our parents but because of technology God expected more from us.

We are so much more aware of the needs worldwide than ever before. Television and the internet brings news right into our home as it is happening. The reality of disasters and tragedies that we may never have known about years ago are with us as it happens. Advances in transportation have “shrunk” the world so we are able to get help to those in need in the far corners of the world almost overnight.

God has blessed so many of us with abundance, but with it He has given us the responsibility to use it well. Jesus said in Luke 12:48: “Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required.” The more resources and knowledge we have, the more responsibility we have to use it effectively and wisely.

We are thankful for the abundance we enjoy even today. God has blessed us by giving us the mind set to invest our abundance wisely. We have always endeavored to use the talents, time and treasures He has given us wisely. We thank God daily for all that He has blessed us with. We never want it to be taken for granted. We know that every good gift comes from God (James 1:17). We encourage you to take the time daily to thank God for the abundance God has given you.

One great example is the computer you have to receive this devotional as well as other helpful information. It was not many years ago that this would have not been possible.

Take a moment today and look at our web site: www.thehungersolution.org and consider partnering with us in one or more of our mission outreaches. We are sure it will bless you as it does us daily.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Psalm 100:1

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands.

PRAYER:

It is my prayer today that You would give me an abundance of the fruits of the Spirit that only You can give through Your Holy Spirit. Thank You for all that You have given me. It is my prayer that I might now use wisely what You give me so abundantly so that I may honor You and spread the good news of the gospel to a hurting world.

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Encourager: August 22, 2017

TODAY’S WORD FOR TUESDAY AUGUST 22, 2017.

ENCOURAGER

DEFINITION:

One who helps, consoles, or strengthens. One who instills courage or insurance in another person.

SCRIPTURE:

You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted; You encourage them and You listen to their cry. Psalm 10:17

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. Psalm 32:8

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Discouragement comes to all of us from time to time. When we get discouraged we have a choice as believers. If we focus on our difficult circumstance and negative feelings we can easily be drawn into despair and depression. If we fix our eyes on Jesus in our time of discouragement, God will lift us up and set us free.

Our great encourager is God. A key element in overcoming discouragement is having a personal understanding of who God is and having a personal relationship with Him through Jesus Christ. How does this happen, you may ask? We learn about God through reading the Bible daily and meditating (studying) what you have read and praying daily to your Heavenly Father. Psalm 10:17 tells us that God not only hears our cry but listens to our desire when we are down and out and He will encourage us.

We often listen to Dr. Charles Stanley on television. We also have read several of his books. He has given us a list of ten attributes of God that make Him our great encourager. They are:

•    Merciful: God feels compassion for us and is our Father of mercies.

•    Omnipresent: We are never out of God’s reach. In times of loneliness and rejection, we are not alone.

•    Omnipotent: Our Lord has all power and governs everything so He can handle with ease any problem we may face.

•    Omniscient: God possesses all knowledge. He has all wisdom to handle our every situation. He is able to give perfect guidance.

•    Gracious: We do not deserve His grace but He knows we are not perfect. He graciously disciplines and corrects us so we will not continue on a path that could ruin our lives.

•    Patient: God is willing to wait until we are ready to obey Him. His goal is to give us spiritual growth.

•    Wise: The Lord’s judgments are unsearchable and His ways are unfathomable. He knows the future and what is best for us and will guide us to that point.

•    Faithful: Even if we are faithless, He remains faithful. What He promises He will do. We may walk away from God but God does not walk away from us.

•    Good: He is the giver of good things and He is the one that determines what is good. He allows trials because He uses them to change us and then mold us to conform to Christ’s likeness.

•    Unchanging: The God of the Old Testament is the same One we worship today. He is just as faithful to us as He was to Abraham.

God encourages us through His Word, through prayer, through songs of praise, through other believer’s and with His presence no matter where we are or what we are doing or how deep we have fallen into despair. Be encouraged. You are not alone. God is always by your side to lift you up and encourage your troubled heart.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Psalm 100:1

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands.

PRAYER:

Keep me encouraged every day so I can acknowledge and appreciate all the good things You provide for me. Thank You for the assurance You give us in Your Word that we are never alone for You will never leave or forsake those that love You.

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