JACKS DAILY DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS
(Psalm 37:23) “The steps of a man are established by the Lord”
Yesterday I talked about the metaphor “opening and closing doors” often used by believers of God concerning our success and failures in life.
As if God is some “cosmic doorman”… making our decisions for us.
Today’s scripture text that I have chosen assures believers that God will guide and direct the affairs of those who love Him.
The foundational message of this Psalm is love and trust in God.
Those who delight in the Lord will seek to know Him through the study of His Word or the Bible… (Psalm 119:97)
We are taught that the Lord also provides us with a “Helper,” the Holy Spirit (John 14:16)
Whatever situation believers face, they can decide rightly or make good choices… based on what they know of the Lord through His Word as well as the leading or direction of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Choices… that is one of the compelling messages of the scriptures from the Old Testament thru the New.
We love and trust the Lord to work all things to our ultimate good (Romans 8:28)
(Psalm 37:23) promises that “if we walk according to God’s ways… He will take care of us no matter what happens”.
(Psalm 37:23–24) says, “The steps of a man are established by the Lord when he delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand.”
Its true… the Lord provides direction in the lives of those who love Him.
Those who delight in the Lord will study His Word and seek to live in a way that pleases God.
This does not guarantee "always-pleasant circumstances ", or even that we will not experience failures or setbacks and fail and fall into sin.
But we do learn and know that God’s ways are for our best.
When we are living unto Him or for Him, we can trust Him and His sovereign care, but we are also required to make choose how we walk or how we live.
We are required to make choices and to adopt responsibility as mature children
(Psalm 119:105) says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
God’s Word, the Bible, shows us who God is and provides guidance on how we should live... and that outcome is based on the choices we make.
In (Joshua 24:15) the people were told “Choose ye this day”… that same instruction is given to us as well today/
How we should live… is not dependant or blamed upon God opening and closing doors… but by the choices we make.
Regular reading and study of the Bible leads to wise decisions based on its precepts.
The Psalmist compares the guidance of God’s word to “a lamp” that lights our path in life… following its precepts, shows us the proper way and helps us avoid missteps.
(Proverbs 3:5-6) says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and He will make straight your paths.”
Note… “opening and closing doors” for us is not the offer… but giving us the ability to walk an unhindered path and to make choices along that way is what is intended.
The foundation of (Psalm 37:23) is to trust in the Lord.
This is also the message of (Proverbs 3:5-6).
God wants us each to grow in maturity and make the right choices that result in us fulfilling our destiny in Him.
God is our “Omniscient Creator”, He knows us better than we know our selves.
(Romans 8:28) expresses God’s sovereignty and providence in our affairs… “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
“Those who love God” are those who “delight in his way” (Romans 8:28… Psalm 37:23)
In both scriptures, God’s providence is at work in the lives of those who love Him.
The Bible teaches us God’s ways and therefor gives us options or choices to help us to decide rightly… in other words, “make good choices”.
(2nd Timothy 3:16–17) states, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
That “training in righteousness” helps us navigate life or “make good choices” that pleases our Lord and benefits us.
We may have concerns… but we don’t worry as unbelievers do.
We know that our perfect Heavenly Father is our guide and He guides us thru His Word and by the Holy Spirit as well.
In (John 14:15-17) Jesus promises, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. You know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.”
The Spirit teaches us and helps us remember what our Lord has taught us in His Holy Word (John 14:26… John 16:13)
God is sovereign and directs the affairs of His children in accordance with His perfect will (Romans 8:28… Romans 12:2)
He does not open and close doors as such… but He gives us choices to make!
We are not robots with limited cosmic programing… responding to a cosmic doorman making decisions for us!
(Psalm 37:23) specifically refers to those who “delight in God” and desire to follow His Word… that’s you and I His children… believers in Christ.
God has given us all we need to abide in Him as He abides in us (John 15:1–17).
We can "swing for the fences" as we seek Him for wisdom in all of our circumstances (James 1:5).
When we are rooted/grounded in God’s Word… when we have the inner witness of the Holy Spirit, when we avail ourselves of the wisdom of brothers and sisters in Christ… we will know what to do… how to live… what are good choices… and we can trust God with the outcome.
It’s all part of growing up in Christ… growing unto maturity!
Good Day!
(James 1:2-5) “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds”
I hear a lot of people in faith communities talking about open and closed doors, like God is a concierge at an apartment building.
The phrase “He opened the door” or “He closed the door” gets tossed around a lot.
Yet I’ve come to realize that although God does order our steps, (Psalm 37:23)… we have agency or responsibility over the moves we make and or choices we decide on.
We turn to God for answers, direction and purpose in our lives and He gives us Jesus all over again.
Our faith isn’t a puzzle to be solved… it’s a path to be followed.
But how?
Sure, I get the concept about open and closed doors… but we are not robots that only move as if he was directing some tactical directive.
I’m just not sure I accept the premise that God is playing “red light, green light” games, telling us to advance or go back, in every situation.
While I do think God cares intimately about our hearts ambitions… goals and dreams when we’ve offered them up to Him… I don’t think He’s necessarily some cosmic bellman standing at the door, opening and closing it.
While I hesitate in embracing the thought of God opening and closing doors like some cosmic bellman… I do believe that He presents opportunities for us to “choose” and as we make choices… He does give us direction and advice/divine wisdom to make the choices that will ultimately unfold for good or evil as we make the good choices.
It’s all a part of growing up or growing unto maturity.
If you’re a musician or a singer and you play or sing badly, I wouldn’t be too quick to say “God shut the door on my career.”
It’s a hard truth, but maybe it’s time to get some singing lessons and get better at singing.
What I’m saying is that it’s easy to conjure up “divine intervention” for poor performance, but you can’t be blaming God for your own mistakes or failures.
Too often I think we like to blame God for the poor choices we make by saying “God closed the door”.
Let’s not fall for misdirection of responsibility or lack of obedience!
And instead, lets get busy getting better.
Does God engage in our lives in unseen ways… most certainly!
Who knows how many guardian angels have put them selves between you and a bad outcome?
But hitting a couple of road bumps doesn’t always mean God is trying to send a secret encrypted message to you.
Maybe what we tried just didn’t work out the way we hoped, so failure leads us in another direction… and as we takes steps in another direction… God does lead us in the way or order our steps as it were.
However what I have come to learn and really believe is that in God’s timing and in His economy, nothing is ever wasted… not our pain, nor our disappointments, nor our setbacks… even our mistakes and our failures.
These are simply tools that can be used later as a recipe for our best work.
Today’s scripture verse says it best… “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him” (James 1:2-5)
Thankfully, God isn’t tapping His pencil on a scorecard, scrutinizing our every move until we get it right.
But He is with us while we navigate life’s difficulties.
We all mess up … and I might admit, far too often.
But that doesn’t mean we quit, nor does it mean that God closed a door.
But we must use the information and the mistakes we have experienced as lessons to keep moving forward!
I read that it took Thomas Edison 1000 try’s before he perfected the common light bulb.
Can you even imagine that?
You or I would have probably given up after the 4th or 5th try and say it can’t be done!
So let’s keep moving ahead with our eyes on Jesus rather than caring about how we look to everyone else.
If we keep it about Jesus, He promised that we’d come to know more about Him while we’re figuring out and learning a few more things about ourselves.
Some things we try will work, others won’t… it’s that simple!
So I’m making it my goal to learn what I can from the successes or set backs I experience and move on.
Our failures don’t name us… God does.
So lets all make the following prayer our prayer today… and realize that God does have a plan for you and it may well be a specific plan, as Jeremiah talks about, in (Jeremiah 29:11)
“Dear God, help me remember that failure is just part of the process, and it’s not just OK… it’s better than OK.
Thank You for never keeping a record of my strikes and always helping me dust myself off so I can swing for the fences again.
And thank you for loving me always, no matter what…
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
(Galatians 6:9), “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”
Good Day!
(Micah 6:8) “He has told you O man, what is good… and what does the Lord require of you. But to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
As I shared yesterday, scripture makes it clear that the meaning behind the word “justice” is far beyond just making sure bad guys are punished.
To fully grasp what we can glean from (Micah 6:8) and God’s desire for justice and righteousness, there are 4 things we need to recognize from the full counsel of God’s word that relate to our current crisis.
1) Recognize the worth of every life in today’s world.
In the beginning, “God created man in his own image” (Genesis 1:27)
We were never intended to be like animals.
We were imprinted with a moral code and an ability to see injustice.
As we think about this within the backdrop of today’s current events,
I want to be clear about one thing.
That is that right now, we need to understand the suffering of “specific groups”… as a first step to helping us all to heal.
There’s a powerful image circulating on social media of Jesus going to rescue the one lost sheep of (Luke 15:3) while the other 99 are behind him holding “All sheep matter” signs.
When we fully understand the intrinsic value of each human life, it’s easier for us to feel pain when they feel pain.
2). Recognize the need for justice in today’s world.
I’ve always been amazed when Christians have no problem acknowledging the fact that we live in a fallen world where sin is prevalent, but cannot bring themselves to admit that sin can permeate and become a cancer in our earthly systems.
No system is immune to sin’s destruction… the judicial system, criminal justice system, education, politics or even the church.
We live in a broken world.
Any system created by man, by nature, will be flawed and rife with injustice.
Once we acknowledge that, we need to develop a clear picture of who is suffering the most injustice due to these systemic failures.
I’m not here to tell you what the right solutions are, because I don’t know, I’m just here to ask you to do one thing… and that is to care.
Realizing there is injustice and caring, is the first step to enacting meaningful change.
3. We must recognize the most vulnerable to injustices in today’s world
were there as well throughout the Old Testament… and it is clear that God cares for the vulnerable.
“This is what the Lord Almighty said… administer true justice… show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor,'"(Zechariah 7:9-10).
These are the four specific types of people often mentioned in regards to “injustice”… the poor, widows, orphans and immigrants.
They are often referred to as the “Quartet of the Vulnerable”
These four groups of people lack the capital, influence or power to improve their situations.
They were and still are, stuck at the lowest rungs of society and they are often mistreated and abused.
Jesus spoke to this in (Luke 4:18-19): “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor… He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives… and recovering of sight to the blind…to set at liberty those who are oppressed… and to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”
In this verse Jesus expands on the “quartet of the vulnerable” and includes the prisoner, the blind and the oppressed.
It’s clear that God is for the forgotten, the beat-down, the shut-out and the left-behind.
Today, it’s easy to think about other groups who are vulnerable.
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, I was heartbroken hearing the stories coming out of our nursing homes and other “senior living” facilities.
Elderly people would certainly classify as vulnerable.
And so to as well… the population of people experiencing homelessness in our societies right here in North America?
Of course!
In light of everything that has happened over the last decade… it’s imperative that we carefully examine our response to “racial” injustice as well.
Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote this from a Birmingham jail… “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
We are caught in an inescapable network of “mutuality”, tied in a single garment of destiny.
Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.
Any neglect shown to the needs of the members of these groups, is not called merely a lack of mercy or charity… but a “violation” of justice”.
God loves and defends those with the least economic and social power, and so should we.
That is what it means to “do justice.”
4). We need to recognize our own role in bringing justice in today’s world.
(James 2:14-17) “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead”
In (Matthew 25), Jesus describes the final judgment, when the sheep will be separated from the goats.
And, it isn’t an “internal private faith” that He references.
It’s the fact that His true followers took action… “For I was hungry and you gave me food… I was thirsty and you gave me drink… I was a stranger and you welcomed me… I was naked and you clothed me… I was sick and you visited me… I was in prison and you came to me” (Matthew 25:35-36).
God’s desire for each of us… is to have “an active faith”.
To me it’s clear that He is not as interested in our presence in a church pew on Sunday morning, as He is that our presence be found working in our community the rest of the week.
(Micah 6:8) hits the nail on the head. “Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil?”
(Micah 6:7) God doesn’t desire our worship as much as He desires our obedience.
As a child of God, a believer in Christ or as a Christian… the concept and call to justice is inescapable.
We do justice when we give “all human beings” their due as creations of God.
Doing justice includes not only the righting of wrongs… but generosity and social concern, especially toward the poor and vulnerable,”
A closer walk with Christ necessitates that we care deeply about issues of injustice in our community and in our world.
(Micah 6:8) makes it clear that we be found in an active role in our community… recognizing injustice and then working actively to correct it.
Jesus said (Luke 10:27-28) that “loving your neighbor as yourself” was just as important as loving love the Lord your God with all your heart mind and soul.
He said… “do this and you will live”.
Today, we are living in a moment begging for that type of response.
May this simple prayer become yours this morning… “Lord, break our hearts for what breaks Yours”.
And I might add that as I see these injustices happening around our world and in our communities…
My Prayer is please… please… please… Lord come quickly!
Good Day!
(Micah 6:8) “He has told you O man what is good… and what does the Lord require of you… but to do justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?”
(2nd Timothy 2:4) tells us… (the believer in Christ)… not to be entangles with “the affairs of this world” as we grapple with ongoing “unrest” in response to racial tension and injustice, the collapse of economies world wide and the increased tension of political unrest…
And the question could be asked… “How am I to deal with the societal problems that we are facing without entangling myself in the affairs of this world?
The best recourse for the Christian is to turn to Scripture.
It’s important to not only read it and share it, but to allow the Holy Spirit to use it to challenge and mold each of us.
This scripture text I have chosen to day has long been one of my favourite verses in the Bible.
It is simple in its message and easily quotable… but it is also one of the most challenging verses for each of us to adopt… speaking directly to the heart of the issues we are facing today as true believers in Christ and the sovereignty of God in our lives.
Micah wrote his prophecy to warn Israel and Judah of its impending judgment because of their disloyalty to God.
But, it’s not all bad news.
Micah also prophesies about God’s plan for redemption through Jesus (Micah 5) and the love, compassion and forgiveness God offers to the transgressors (Micah 7:18-20).
Essentially, Micah is saying that God is more pleased with our actions than our words… He’s more satisfied with our obedience than our worship.
Micah mentions three things God “requires”.
They are… to do justly, loving mercy and loving-kindness towards others… and walking humbly.
Each of these three things involve action… love expressed in positive response or “activity” towards another.
Walking humbly with God implies an active faith… one that sees God as a daily guide.
It implies that we are seeking Him in all aspects of our lives.
In doing so, we are reminded that as followers of God, we are to be marked by “a life of humility”!
We are encouraged to set aside our selfish desires and align ourselves to God’s will as opposed to our own.
It means having a full reliance on God, not ourselves.
But what does it mean to “do justice”, as used in this verse?
To some, justice might seem simple, but there’s a lot here that many of us don’t always grasp about the biblical concept.
In unpacking it, it speaks directly to many of our current issues.
When we think of justice, many of us conjure images of a courtroom, with a judge, attorneys, witnesses and a jury.
I think of Tom Cruise thundering away at Jack Nicholson in the movie, “A Few Good Men”… as he demands accountability and an answer to the search for justice for his clients… “I want the truth!”… and the response was…You can’t handle the truth!”
Simply put, we usually just think of justice as being a punishment for wrong doing.
Someone has committed a crime, and they receive the punishment they deserve.
Justice is served!
But, it’s often times more than that.
It includes giving people “their due or right”.
This is often referred to as “restorative justice”.
It’s proactively seeking out “the vulnerable” and helping them.
In (Proverbs 31:9) we read, “Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.”
(Psalm 146:7-9) “The Lord executes justice for the oppressed, gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets the prisoners free… the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down… the Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the sojourners… He upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the way of the wicked He brings to ruin.”
(Psalm 146:7-9) “The Lord executes justice for the oppressed, gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets the prisoners free… the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down… the Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the sojourners… He upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the way of the wicked He brings to ruin.”
This speaks of God breaking down “unjust systems” and restoring dignity to the downtrodden.
Scripture makes it clear that the meaning behind the word “justice” is far beyond just making sure bad guys are punished.
To fully grasp what we can glean from (Micah 6:8) and God’s desire for justice and righteousness… there are 4 things we need to recognize from the full counsel of God’s word, that relate to our current crisis.
I will share them with you in tomorrows devotional.
But today lets all recognize our need for “empathy” toward those that are the “down trodden” of our society, and ask God to give us “a heart of compassion” for each of them.
No matter whether they are red, yellow, black or white… all are precious in His sight.
Good Day!
(2nd Corinthians 12:7) "To keep me from becoming proud."
The Bible doesn’t tell us what Paul’s thorn in the flesh was, but Paul tells us why God permitted it… “To keep me from becoming proud.”
Increased achievement and success can lead to increased pride and independence from God.
Have you noticed that when life is going great, staying close to God becomes a forgotten priority?
We tend to think God is so good to us because we are so good to Him.
We don’t drink… we don’t chew or go with girls that do! (A little humor there)
We pride ourselves on being better than most folks or at least thinking we
are… when all the while God knows our heart of pride and arrogance.
We must always guard against this.
God can use anything for your good and His glory.
In His wisdom and patience… He permits or allows something we think is intended to hurt us…
but He instead turns it around and uses it to help us… and that help is usually a stepping stone unto maturity
Here is what He does… He balances blessings with burdens.
(Matthew 28:11) “for my yoke is easy and my burden is light”
Christ’s invitation encourages believers to trust Him with their struggles, embrace His teachings, and rely on His strength.
While discipleship requires commitment, it is ultimately fulfilling and joyful because it aligns with God’s purpose and is sustained by His grace
“My burden is light” reassures Christians that following Jesus transforms the weight of spiritual obligations… into a source of rest, peace, and empowerment, making the path of discipleship both sustainable and rewarding
The psalmist said, “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits” (Psalm 68:19).
If God filled your hands only with blessings, eventually you would fall over on your face.
And if He continually loaded your back with burdens, you would fall on your hindquarters.
So He apportions blessings and burdens… so that we can stay in balance.
It’s easy to get out of balance.
We become so absorbed with the joys of Heaven that we neglect our calling to be salt and light here on earth.
We get so involved in the work of the Lord that we fail to spend time with the Lord of the work.
We get so involved in church and church activities that we rob our families of the love and attention they need.
We get so involved with the things of this life, this world, that we forget that this world is not our home we are just passing thru… that we are citizens of Heaven (Ephesians 2:11)
So God brings us back into balance by allowing us a thorn to remind us that we need Him.
Some thorns are sharper than others but they all remind us that we need His healing, saving, keeping grace… so that we can be overcomers in this life and more than conquerors yes... but only thru Him that loves us.
So stop complaining, and start letting the discomfort of the thorn drive you to giving thanks to the
Here is what He does… He balances blessings with burdens.
(Matthew 28:11) “for my yoke is easy and my burden is light”
Christ’s invitation encourages believers to trust Him with their struggles, embrace His teachings, and rely on His strength.
While discipleship requires commitment, it is ultimately fulfilling and joyful because it aligns with God’s purpose and is sustained by His grace
“My burden is light” reassures Christians that following Jesus transforms the weight of spiritual obligations… into a source of rest, peace, and empowerment, making the path of discipleship both sustainable and rewarding
The psalmist said, “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits” (Psalm 68:19).
If God filled your hands only with blessings, eventually you would fall over on your face.
And if He continually loaded your back with burdens, you would fall on your hindquarters.
So He apportions blessings and burdens… so that we can stay in balance.
It’s easy to get out of balance.
We become so absorbed with the joys of Heaven that we neglect our calling to be salt and light here on earth.
We get so involved in the work of the Lord that we fail to spend time with the Lord of the work.
We get so involved in church and church activities that we rob our families of the love and attention they need.
We get so involved with the things of this life, this world, that we forget that this world is not our home we are just passing thru… that we are citizens of Heaven (Ephesians 2:11)
So God brings us back into balance by allowing us a thorn to remind us that we need Him.
Some thorns are sharper than others but they all remind us that we need His healing, saving, keeping grace… so that we can be overcomers in this life and more than conquerors yes... but only thru Him that loves us.
So stop complaining, and start letting the discomfort of the thorn drive you to giving thanks to the
One that holds all of us in the palm of His hand. (Isaiah 41:10)
(Psalm 121-1-7) Fear thou not for I am with thee, be not dismayed for I am thy God. I will strengthen thee… yea, I will help thee… yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
Understand that the thorns are there for one purpose only… to get our attention and keep us focused on Him... the one whom has an individual plan for you…
“Plans for good and not for evil” (Jeremiah 29:11)
Good Day!
(Psalm 121-1-7) Fear thou not for I am with thee, be not dismayed for I am thy God. I will strengthen thee… yea, I will help thee… yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
Understand that the thorns are there for one purpose only… to get our attention and keep us focused on Him... the one whom has an individual plan for you…
“Plans for good and not for evil” (Jeremiah 29:11)
Good Day!
(2nd Corinthians 12:7) "I was given a thorn in my flesh."
Bible scholars disagree as to what Paul’s “thorn” was.
Many explanations have been put forward, but whether Paul is referring to a physical, spiritual, or emotional affliction… has never been clearly answered or proven.
Since he was not talking of a literal thorn, he must have been speaking metaphorically.
Some think it may have been poor eyesight, others a speech impediment, and others a physical challenge.
Why doesn’t the Bible tell us?
Paul clues us in concerning the thorn’s purpose… “To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations.”
So, God’s goal in allowing the thorn in the flesh was to keep Paul humble.
Lets face it, anyone who had encountered Jesus face to face and was commissioned personally by Him (Acts 9:2-8) would, in his natural state, tend to be “puffed up” or maybe a little pride full.
Add to that the fact that Paul was moved by the Holy Spirit to write much of the New Testament, its easy to see how Paul could become “haughty” or “exalted above measure” or “too proud” of his accomplishments.
After all He was just another human being like you and like me, and how often do we puff ourselves up with pride and a haughty attitude when we accomplish greatness.
Another reason the Bible may not tell us what Paul’s thorn was, is because of the bibles “relevancy “for all of us, in all of our lives.
If his problem was poor eyesight, then we would say, “That doesn’t help me because I have 20/20 vision”.
If it was a speech impediment, those with the gift of communication wouldn’t find comfort in his words.
If it was a physical challenge, those with good health would think they are exempt.
The reason the Bible doesn’t tell us may be this… no matter what your particular struggle or affliction is, the same God who gave Paul victory over his thorn will give you victory too.
The exact nature of Paul’s thorn in the flesh is uncertain and there is probably a good reason that we don’t know.
God likely wanted Paul’s difficulty to be described in general enough terms.. to apply to any difficulty we may face in each of our lives today.
Whether the “thorn” we struggle with today is physical, emotional, or spiritual… we can know that God has a purpose for each of us and that His grace is “all-sufficient”.
The point is this… God wants all of us to lean on Him, depend on Him, focus on Him!
No one likes to live in pain.
Paul sought the Lord three times (2nd Corinthians 12:8) to remove this source of pain from him.
Like you and I, Paul had many good reasons why he should be pain-free.
But the Lord was more concerned with building Paul’s character and preventing pride.
Instead of removing the problem, whatever it was, God gave Paul more overwhelming grace and more compensating strength.
Paul learned that God’s “power is made perfect in weakness”
(2nd Corinthians 12:9)
So here is the question I’d like to present for all of us today.
Who the person, or what is it in your life today, that you would describe as “a thorn in your side”?
What’s the “thorny” situation at work you face day after day?
You can have a “thorny” relationship with someone that requires extra grace, love, and prayer.
That’s why Peter wrote, “Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord…Jesus” (2 Peter 3:18).
Each of our thorns is different because God customizes them to our need and personality.
Why?
So that we will “grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus.”
God is more interested in our “character” than He is in our comfort… so when we pray for a lighter burden, in actuality He gives us stronger backs… patience develops stronger… and with that we learn to perservere.
The songwriter said… “He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater,
He giveth more strength when the labors increase,
To added affliction He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace.”
There’s an old cliché that says that which doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.
So, while what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger… you can ease the suffering and difficulties by learning to surrender to your Heavenly Father... and trust Him for the strength, patience, tenacity, and determination… to rise above its limitations.
It may not make it magically go away, but it will bring you closer to the heart of God… where you can hide your heart in His and know Him more intimately… make it less painful and your relationship with Him more meaningful.
In the end it’s all about our relationship with Him!
Good Day!
(Psalm 3:2) "Many are saying of me, God will not deliver him".
Regardless of how badly or how often you have failed in life... God does not, and will not give up on you!
Peter writes “God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance
So don't give up on yourself!
There is forgiveness with God for you today!
Nothing you've done is beyond the scope of His grace.
Others may give up on you, but not God.
King David fell as low as a person can get.
He was guilty of adultery, deception, and murder… all of which are “major-league” offences… but God forgave and restored him.
David writes about it in two of the Psalms.
In (Psalm 3:2-7) he writes… "Many are saying of me, God will not deliver him. "But you are a shield around me O Lord… you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.
To the Lord I cry aloud, and He answers me from His holy hill.
I lie down and sleep… I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.
I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side... from the Lord comes deliverance".
Then in (Psalm 40:1-3) he writes, "He turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire… He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.
He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear… and put their trust in the Lord".
There is a comforting message delivered to us in both of these Psalms.
It’s a message for you and I to understand and be encouraged with… in that this God whom David is speaking about in these two Psalms, is the same God who turned David's greatest failures and mess into a message of hope for you and I.
It’s a testimony of a sinful human being whom others had given up on… but not God.
Forgiveness is granted to the humble and the penitent.
He God will do the same for you when you turn to Him and receive His forgiveness, His mercy, and His grace. ?
From the Book of Acts (Acts 10:34) we read… "Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons and of a truth there is no partiality with God".
And in (Romans 2:11) “For there is no respect of persons with God”… meaning that not one person is more important than another in the eyes of our Heavenly Father.
What He did for King David, He is more than willing to do for you as well today!
So you are not to late!
You have not committed the unpardonable sin!
You can find forgiveness, you can find mercy, you can find restoration!
Turn to Jesus today, confess to Him your weaknesses, your faults and failures, and ask Him to forgive you and set you free.
Good Day!