JACKS DAILY DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS
(2nd Chronicles 1:7-10) “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”
Suppose that you owned one of those famous magic lamps, and your own private genie promised to grant you anything in this world you desired.
What would you ask for?
Wealth is probably be one of the most popular requests.
Some think more money would solve all their problems.
Good health might also rate high, particularly among those who have lost it.
Happiness would be the leading desire for others.
One worldwide poll of young people revealed happiness as the number one goal in life.
In the Old Testament of the bible (2nd Chronicles 1:7-10), there was a man who had such a choice offered him, not by a fictitious genie, but by the true and living God.
God appeared to King Solomon one night and said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”
Solomon answered, “Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people…”
God was pleased that Solomon asked for wisdom rather than riches, honor, long life, or victory over his enemies, so He granted his request.
Scripture testifies that all Israel “saw that the wisdom of God was in him”
(1st Kings 3:28)
God alone has wisdom… infinite and perfect wisdom.
Job was willing to admit that… even while he was enduring grievous
affliction that made no sense to him at all.
(Job 12:13) he declared… “With Him, are wisdom and might,”
The Prophet Daniel as well said much the same thing after God supernaturally revealed to him Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and its meaning.
(Daniel 2:20) “wisdom and power belong to Him”
But what is wisdom?
The words used in scripture imply the idea of skill and expertise.
For example, Bezalel had the wisdom, knowledge and talent to make artistic designs in gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood for the tabernacle (Exodus 31:1-5)
When he did his work, he had a goal in mind, a plan to reach that goal, the proper materials to use, and the skill to bring it all about.
When applied to God, wisdom seems to refer to Him… “establishing” the best goals and “choosing” the best and most effective means to accomplish them.
Wisdom is “mental excellence” in its greatest sense, more comprehensive and far-reaching than mere knowledge.
Knowledge is an awareness and understanding of the facts.
Wisdom is the ability to adapt those facts into accomplishing a desired end.
God knows all the facts, but He alone also has the ability to work everything He knows… into a perfect plan that accomplishes His perfect purpose.
Wisdom implies a final end or goal.
So if we ever hope to understand God’s wisdom, we must first understand “the primary goal” toward which He is moving.
God is infinitely holy and righteous, He is sovereign, the highest and greatest, infinite in goodness.
In other words, He Himself is best.
He lives to demonstrate His own glory.
That may sound selfish, but it really is not.
It is essential because of “who God is”, and it is to our advantage, for Him to be who He is.
God is God, and there is none greater.
He has the skill to weave everything there ever was or ever will be into the ultimate accomplishment of His glory.
That is His wisdom.
God never faces a situation He cannot handle or a problem He cannot solve, though we certainly do.
I often get myself into predicaments where I simply do not know which way to turn or what action is best to take.
When I face a major decision I try to gather all the facts, because a person’s decisions are only as good as his information.
But even with all the facts, I still may not know the best course of action to take, because I lack the wisdom God has.
But God is the master of every situation.
He knows all the facts, and He knows how to use every one of them to attain the perfect results.
Nobody else can do that.
God’s wisdom is unique.
That is why Paul called Him “the only wise God” (Romans 16:27).
God alone has perfect wisdom in and of Himself.
All other wisdom is merely a reflection of His.
(Proverbs 14:12 and 16:25) says “There is a way that seems right unto a man but the end there of is death”.
(Isaiah 55:8-9) For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord… “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways.
Simply put folks Humanity… the world… does not have the answers nor the wisdom we need, to live life victoriously.
“Jesus said man shall not live by bread alone but by every Word that proceeds form the mouth of God” (Luke 4:4)
I challenge you today and every day forward to seek God and ask Him to impart unto you, His wisdom… to help you with the decisions and the plans that you are making.
“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and though he stumbles he shall not utterly fall, for the Lord upholds him in the palm of His right hand” (Psalm 37:23)
So today, ask God to walk with you and reveal to you the necessary wisdom you need so that you can be and accomplish all that He has set before you… that’s what young Solomon did, and God was well pleased with him.
Good Day!
(Ephesians 6:12) ”for we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places”.
The Bible says, ”for we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places”.
These forces of evil have set their sights on all true believers, and they are unrelenting.
While all true believers know Satan exists, many have succumbed to the notion that spiritual warfare
is not that big of a deal.
It would seem to be the case... that before we trusted Christ... the devil was certainly our enemy, but
It would seem to be the case... that before we trusted Christ... the devil was certainly our enemy, but
not to the degree that he became our enemy, after we trusted Christ.
I read a quote somewhere that says, “If God were not my friend, Satan would not be so much my enemy.”
Therefore, we must make every effort to make use of the means our Lord has given us “to fight the good fight of faith”.
It is written in (Romans 12:21)… “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
It is true that we have passions and desires that maintain the opposite.
We have human reasoning that says, “This is impossible… people will do what they want with me… they will walk all over me”.
To fight the good fight of faith means that we stand firmly anchored in the Word of God and in the power of the Spirit… reckoning ourselves dead to our feelings and our human reasoning… not letting sin rule in our mortal body by obeying its lusts.
I read a quote somewhere that says, “If God were not my friend, Satan would not be so much my enemy.”
Therefore, we must make every effort to make use of the means our Lord has given us “to fight the good fight of faith”.
It is written in (Romans 12:21)… “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
It is true that we have passions and desires that maintain the opposite.
We have human reasoning that says, “This is impossible… people will do what they want with me… they will walk all over me”.
To fight the good fight of faith means that we stand firmly anchored in the Word of God and in the power of the Spirit… reckoning ourselves dead to our feelings and our human reasoning… not letting sin rule in our mortal body by obeying its lusts.
We have to do what Jesus says… Take up our cross daily and deny ourselves. (Luke 9:23)
This does not happen without a fight… and as the bible says “sufferings”.
And the sufferings that the bible talks about... is more in the aspect of being uncomfortable, rejection, and in some cases martyrdom.
Peter says it like this… “Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin” (1st Peter 4:1)
Those who want to be faithful to the truth... know that living an overcoming life in the virtues of Christ is not something that comes automatically.
No… its not easy to separate ourselves from the activities and the mindset of this world.
The scriptures speak of a narrow way, about the cross and self-denial… suffering and death.
The scriptures are full of serious exhortations.
They use such words as: “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12)
“Strive to enter through the narrow gate” (Luke 13:24)
“Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine… Continue in them”
(1st Timothy 4:16)
“Exercise yourself rather to Godliness.” (1st Timothy 4:7)
(2nd Peter 1:5) “But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith… “virtue”
“Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your calling and election sure …” (2nd Peter 1:10)
The Holy Spirit within… will ignite the power to fight the good fight of faith.
Paul says to his young prodigy Timothy… (1st Timothy 6:11-14) “But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing”
These words that Paul encouraged Timothy with are not words that lead to being luke-warm, but rather quite the opposite.
CS Lewis said this quote that is so pertinent to my topic this morning.
He said… “Jesus Christ did not say, ‘Go into all the world and tell the world that it is quite right”
(1st John 2:15-17) says… “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world… the desires of the flesh, the desires or lust of the eyes… and the pride of life… is not from the Father, but from the world.
The world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God remains forever.”
Jesus said to His followers, “Ye are not if this world” (John 8:33)
So my question this morning is… why do we live today like we are going to be here forever.
What exactly does it mean that Christians are “not of this world”?
As Christ followers… Christians are members of His kingdom which is “not of this world,” (Philippians 3:20).
Yes, we are on earth for now, but our earthly lives are nothing but a vapor (James 4:14).
However eternity, now that is a long time, and that is where a Christian’s focus should really be (1st Peter 5:10).
The things of this world, wars, famine, suffering, poverty, etc… they impact Christians and non-Christians alike.
By remembering that we are “not of this world”… remembering that these things are just for a little while… and soon we can and will see them in a different light.
We are still in this world but we are no longer of it (John 17:14).
We are still surrounded by all the horrors and tragedy of this life, but this is not our life (Philippians 3:8-14).
The knowledge that we are not of this world gives Christians hope even in the darkest times (1st Peter 1:6-9)
Hope that this will soon pass and at the end of it… we will be in heaven with our God face to face forever (Revelation 21:3-4)
This cracked and broken place is not where we belong, and it is not where we will stay (Hebrews 13:14)
Christians are not of this world.
We have been adopted as heirs of heaven by God Himself… and Heaven… that is our world… our citizenship (Titus 3:7).
And in the meanwhile we wait (Titus 2:13)
And we hope… and we do what we can to bring others into the “not of this world” relationship with Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:5)
But this world is not our home, and never will be.
So stand up, man up and start fighting the good fight of faith!
Good day!
(Ecclesiastes 4:10) "Pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up."
God never meant for any of us to “fly solo.”
We all need help and encouragement from time to time, but we need to be careful who we you turn to.
God never said living our life according to His call and great purpose would be easy.
But we do know that when we “abide in Him”, there is a supernatural grace upon us… and whatever we put our hands to.
We don’t have to strive so hard because we operate from a place of rest, knowing that He goes before us to prepare the way.
We have access to an overflow of joy and peace, regardless of our circumstances, no matter how dark they are.
It’s true that there is risk involved any time we reach out to others and open our heart.
But there are also great rewards: support, hope, and encouragement.”
So when you open up to others… here are some rules or advice to consider.
1) Don’t go to someone who can’t handle your problem.
By sharing your situation with them, you may experience temporary relief, but what if they’re not mature enough to handle it?
It’s okay to turn to a proven friend as long as they’re spiritually mature. The Bible says, “A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity” (Proverbs 17:17)
But you must know that they’re a true friend. Some one truly concerned about you and your spiritual welfare
Peter wrote, “Love covers over a multitude of sins” (1st Peter 4:8).
Someone who truly loves you will pray for you and walk with you until you have the victory. And when you’re on the wrong path, they won’t cover up or make excuses for you… no, they will hold you accountable with gentle mercy and patience, much like a loving father.
2) When possible, turn to a spiritual father.
Don’t let pride keep you from submitting to someone who is more spiritually mature.
There is no shame in asking for help, especially when you recognize the spirit of God working in that someone.
Paul said, “You might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers” (1st Corinthians 4:15).
Think of a good father’s attributes. He corrects, but never condemns you.
He won’t give up on you. He evaluates you based on your best qualities rather than your worst.
Instead of reacting negatively to your failures, He recognizes your potential and keeps on working with you.
So ask God today for a spiritual father, and stay in regular communication with Him.
One more thought I’d like to encourage you with.
There are many whom have been stranded in life as it were, because of the loss of a loved one, perhaps a divorce, or an interference in a relationship.
Be careful whom you open up your life too!
I know waiting can be a desolate place, but true friendship can help make it less so.
As we walk through this life together I invite you to join me in prayer and study of the Word together as we encourage each other and reap the beautiful benefits of friendship?
(Proverbs 18:12) says… “there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.”
I have, over the course of my life, known these kind of friends.
The kind of people who are ready and willing at a moment’s notice to pray, listen, give, and support.
Those with whom you share life and all its joys and pains.
Those that, when you are in the same room with them, bring an instant comfort and security.
And yet we know that these friends are only shadows… pointers… to a greater friend who is indeed closer than a brother.
For in the Gospel, Jesus has done something that seems commonplace in a world full of friends, and yet it helps each of us recover the true gravity and meaning of the word friends.
Jesus, the King of the Universe, calls us His friends: “I do not call you slaves anymore, because a slave doesn’t know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from My Father” (John 15:15).
What a marvelous thing to be called a friend of Jesus.
And what a thing to know that no matter how deep, how precious, or how committed the other friendships we have are… they pale in comparison to this one.
You don’t have to fly solo any longer in life.
Jesus is as close as the mention of His name, and He is truly waiting for you to invite him into your heart, your mind, and your soul… to be that friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
Believe me… I know this because I experience it every day.
Good Day!
(Psalm 119:130) "The entrance of Your words gives light."
In March 2005, Brian Hardin says, God told him to podcast the Bible.
Hardin wrote, “On New Year’s Eve when I read my first podcast, I said,
‘I’m Brian…I have no broadcast experience… I really don’t know what I’m doing, but I plan to read through the Bible this year.
If you hear this, here’s my email address.
I expected about five people to sign up.
On New Year’s Day 2006, I had 257 responses, and by June, the daily audio Bible had been downloaded 200,000 times.
Now, following our sixth anniversary, it’s been downloaded more than 51 million times and is still one of the top podcasts on I-Tunes.
With more than 1.5 million downloads monthly, the daily audio Bible is one of the most-listened-to podcasts in the world.
We’ve become a vast online family that prays and hears the Bible together.
When somebody calls or goes into the online prayer line with a request, thousands of people pray for that person.
We receive an endless stream of emails from disenfranchised believers whom have found the place appealing.
Separated couples who had nothing left to do but sign divorce papers… started listening to the Bible and found their marriages restored.
I can tell you many stories of people who were hopeless… I mean suicidedly hopeless… yet they found comfort in God’s Word and were restored.
The Bible has a voice, and if given a chance to speak… in context… it will create amazing things in your heart.
The Bible can transform even the most tangled life.
I know.
It radically changed mine.”
The bottom line is… reading the Bible will change your life.
Jesus said “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds form the mouth of God” (Luke 4:4)
(Colossians 3:16) says, “let the Word of Christ dwell within you richly”.
(Psalm 119:105) “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
Have you ever been walking somewhere at night with a flashlight and then suddenly the battery dies and the light goes out.
For a moment panic sets in, but if you wait a moment or two, your eyes will adjust to the dark and you will be able to see enough to continue most of the time depending on your circumstances.
As your eyes adjust you can actually see things you could not with the flashlight… as it is bright… but only in a small focused area.
The same applies to this scripture from the Psalms.
Apart from God… we are walking in the dark spiritually speaking… and can only see a short distance in front of us.
As we come to trust in Jesus and follow in his footsteps… our path becomes easier to see… and we learn from the scriptures how we should live and treat others.
In time, our heart becomes more like His and we can see things never seen before… as the Holy Spirit speaks to our heart and mind and can further direct us where to go and what to do when we arrive.
Gods Word is alive with everything we need so we can see in and through the spiritual darkness that surrounds us… and it directs us to safety.
We also become like a lighthouse to those stranded in that darkness and offer hope like a beacon of light in the midst of a storm.
The Bible truly illuminates our path to the father… but we first must be willing to put down our own flashlight… and allow Him to adjust our spiritual eyes to see with a new light… a light better than the one we have known.
(Proverbs 16:25) says, “there is a way that seems right unto men but it’s the way of death”.
(John 8:12) records, “When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, I am the Light of the World.
Whoever follows me, will never walk in darkness… but have the light of life”
The allegory used by the Lord in this verse speaks of the light of His Truth, the light of His Word, the light of eternal Life.
Those who perceive the “true Light” will never walk in spiritual darkness.
(John 14:6) Jesus said “I am the way, the truth and the life”.
It is the Word of God that brings light and life to all that will believe.
You have a choice today… a choice to trust God and follow His Word to life, love, and liberty… or choose your own path, your own way, and continue to stumble in darkness.
O by the way… some of you wonder why God insists that you come to Him thru Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son.
It’s because the blood of His Son was shed for your deliverance and freedom.
If there was any other way, then Jesus would not have had to die on the cross.
But friend believe me… believe His Word… believe the millions of believers whom have experienced His love and redemption since that day on Calvary over 2000 years ago.
Believe His millions of children whom give their lives freely to His service every day .
Jesus is the light of the world, He is the Word of God… assuring our salvation and hope for eternity…
He is the way the truth and the light.
Good Day!
(2nd Corinthians 6:17) "Come out from among them and be separate.”
Stop and think about the products we once considered not only to be harmless, but actually beneficial.
Toxins such as asbestos, lead, mercury, etc.
A generation later, we are still treating sick workers who worked with asbestos and breathed in its toxic fibers.
With that illustration in mind, we need to “beware” of the toxins in our everyday life, and don’t let our selves become infected.
I’m talking about toxins called sin carried by toxic people around us!
They are all around us in every aspect of our lives.
The Bible says, “‘Come out from among them and be separate,’ says the Lord. ‘Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.’”
Now, God is not telling you to separate yourself from your co-workers, family and friends.
He’s not telling you to adopt a spiritually “superior” attitude as you live and work in this world.
He’s telling you to watch out for toxic attitudes, toxic behaviors, and toxic values.
Even as we are having to be careful of toxins in the work place… we must be careful of toxin carriers that we allow in our lives and into our very own home.
The obvious ones are complainers, gossipers, backbiters, manipulators and harassers.
When these agents come your way, do whatever you can to distance yourself from them.
Just being associated with them can be dangerous to your emotional and spiritual health.
And beware of the toxin of “work-a-holism”, whether it is the expectation from your boss or
A generation later, we are still treating sick workers who worked with asbestos and breathed in its toxic fibers.
With that illustration in mind, we need to “beware” of the toxins in our everyday life, and don’t let our selves become infected.
I’m talking about toxins called sin carried by toxic people around us!
They are all around us in every aspect of our lives.
The Bible says, “‘Come out from among them and be separate,’ says the Lord. ‘Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.’”
Now, God is not telling you to separate yourself from your co-workers, family and friends.
He’s not telling you to adopt a spiritually “superior” attitude as you live and work in this world.
He’s telling you to watch out for toxic attitudes, toxic behaviors, and toxic values.
Even as we are having to be careful of toxins in the work place… we must be careful of toxin carriers that we allow in our lives and into our very own home.
The obvious ones are complainers, gossipers, backbiters, manipulators and harassers.
When these agents come your way, do whatever you can to distance yourself from them.
Just being associated with them can be dangerous to your emotional and spiritual health.
And beware of the toxin of “work-a-holism”, whether it is the expectation from your boss or
self-induced.
Be willing to go the extra mile when it’s required, but maintain clear boundaries between your work life, your home life and your attention to spiritual growth.
Learn to separate business from pleasure.
If you don’t allow yourself time for physical rejuvenation and spiritual restoration, you’ll burn out.
As a result, Satan will be able to trip you up.
Be willing to go the extra mile when it’s required, but maintain clear boundaries between your work life, your home life and your attention to spiritual growth.
Learn to separate business from pleasure.
If you don’t allow yourself time for physical rejuvenation and spiritual restoration, you’ll burn out.
As a result, Satan will be able to trip you up.
O and yes, don't let busyness and pleasure deter you from spiritual nutrition.
The most effective antidote to toxins is good nutrition.
And spiritually speaking, that calls for daily prayer, Bible reading, and fellowshipping with believers who strengthen and encourage you.
And be careful of the toxin of pleasure as well.
I’ve seen too many people reach the end of the work week and then reward them selves with play dates and activities that keep them so busy, they allow no time or have time… for time with God.
Holiday’s and a weekend at the cabin or the lake are good and necessary, but so is time spent with God.
Make sure you cultivate the habit of meeting with a gathering of believers where you can be encouraged, inspired and taught the word of God so that you can “grow” in your relationship with God and become “a workman that needeth not be ashamed” (2nd Timothy 2:15)
I’ve seen too may people replace worship and time with God with work and with pleasure …
The most effective antidote to toxins is good nutrition.
And spiritually speaking, that calls for daily prayer, Bible reading, and fellowshipping with believers who strengthen and encourage you.
And be careful of the toxin of pleasure as well.
I’ve seen too many people reach the end of the work week and then reward them selves with play dates and activities that keep them so busy, they allow no time or have time… for time with God.
Holiday’s and a weekend at the cabin or the lake are good and necessary, but so is time spent with God.
Make sure you cultivate the habit of meeting with a gathering of believers where you can be encouraged, inspired and taught the word of God so that you can “grow” in your relationship with God and become “a workman that needeth not be ashamed” (2nd Timothy 2:15)
I’ve seen too may people replace worship and time with God with work and with pleasure …
and the end result is “estrangement”.
A “coolness” when it comes to serving God, and being focused on His Kingdom… with no time to fulfill our responsibility to be His witness promoting His kingdom… not only in our own lives, but in our families lives, and our community.
Our whole relationship or responsibility in life is to “love the Lord God with all of our hearts, with all of our minds, and our neighbor as ourselves. (Mark 12:30-31)
The most important thing in your life is your relationship with God and your relationship with your family.
Don’t let the toxic attitudes of our world get in the way!
Good Day!
(2nd Chronicles 20:15) "The battle is not yours, but God's."
In order to really experience the “peace of God that passes all understanding”, we need to learn to relax in faith.
Notice how God responded to Jehoshaphat’s prayer… “The battle is not yours, but God’s.”
Many of us wear ourselves out trying to fight God’s battles in our own strength.
Do you remember your initial excitement of becoming a Christian?
We’re eager to win the world to Jesus and wanted to go out and single handedly bring about His kingdom.
Then after we worked hard under our own steam, reality set in… and we ended up crawling back on our hands and knees, disappointed because we think we’ve let God down.
Jehoshaphat was feeling that way as well.
Here he is the leader of a small nation with out many resources or a trained army that could defend themselves.
Common sense says run!
But Jehoshaphat went to the Lord instead.
We don’t have Him in our hands, He has us in His hands!
And He’s telling us to relax in faith and let Him do the work through us.
Paul writes in (Colossians 2:6) “As you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in Him”
In other words, remember how you first became a believer… it was by simple faith in the finished work of Christ… and we must continue to live by simple faith.
You didn’t become a Christian by striving for perfection and doing good works.
Good works have nothing to do with it!
Salvation is a free gift.
God doesn’t need us to micromanage things… He has everything under control, and He wants us to relax and let Him live through us.
Bottom line is, victory in life is a gift from God!
“Thank God, who always leads us in victory because of Christ”
(2nd Corinthians 2:14)
I meet so many people whom will ask “but I don’t understand… Why does He allow this or that”?
(Isaiah 55:8-9) “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
The truth is if you stop trying to do things in your own strength and in your own wisdom and understanding… that’s when you release God to begin to work on your behalf.
You need to accept the fact that the Lord He is God… and you and I are but dust in His hand (Psalm 103:14)
I love how the “Message Bible” quotes this great verse of scripture from the above Psalm.
(Psalm 103:14) “God makes everything come out right… He puts victims back on their feet.
He showed Moses how He went about His work, opened up His plans to all Israel.
God is sheer mercy and grace… not easily angered, He’s rich in love.
He doesn’t endlessly nag and scold, nor hold grudges forever.
He doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve, nor pay us back in full for our wrongs.
As high as Heaven is over the earth, so strong is His love to those who fear Him.
And as far as sunrise is from sunset, He has separated us from our sins.
As parents feel for their children, God feels for those who fear Him.
He knows us inside and out, keeps in mind that we’re made of mud.
Men and women don’t live very long… like wildflowers they spring up and blossom, but a storm snuffs them out just as quickly, leaving nothing to show they were here.
God’s love though… is ever and always.
Eternally present to all who fear Him, making everything right for them and their children, as they follow His ways and remember to do whatever He said”.
Listen folks… God says there is peace in the storm (Isaiah 26:3) “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you”.
I encourage you today to, rest in the Lord!
He know the beginning from the end.
He will not leave us or forsake us.
This promise was given by God in one of the darkest period of Israel’s history, yet it will be a great help to us now, when we are surrounded by so much gloom and depression, constantly threatened with the three enemies of doubt, fear and worry.
When all is going well it’s easy to read a promise like this in a superficial way, but when disappointment and trial comes… these words become precious pearls of promise.
There is no promise in the Bible to suggest that here on earth we shall ever experience freedom from trouble, war, trial, temptation, anguish, loss etc.
But something far better is promised: It is the promise of perfect peace in the midst of all these.
Of what value would freedom from these troubles be if we had no inward peace?
Yet it’s possible in the fiercest battle for the trusting soul to experience a deep-down calm, an inward peace and a quiet confidence in God.
Trust in the Lord for your peace today!
Good Day!
(2nd Chronicles 20:12) "We have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us."
I know that some of you feel like you’re a little tiny boat out on the open ocean in the midst of a huge storm as we face the traumatic circumstances and challenges that have risen up in the last couple of years.
Many are of you are wondering how your going to make it thru and will you be the next one to go down.
But folks, with God’s help, King Jehoshaphat overcame not just one army, but three!
And his victory teaches us how we can win life’s battles and have peace in the midst of the storm.
But first you must Identify the enemy.
Many of us have no clue who the real enemy is.
We think it’s the person who is interested in taking our job, our spouse, or our money.
But many times the enemy is our own attitude!
It’s not so much what’s happening that gets us down, it’s our response to the situation.
Before you can win on a personal level, you must identify the enemy.
Note how Jehoshaphat reacted when he heard “a vast army” was coming against him.
(2nd Chronicles 20:2-3) says He was “alarmed”
It’s a fairly typical human response.
We see a big problem, panic, and become fearful about what’s going to happen to us.
And in truth, fear isn’t all bad… unless we deal with it in the wrong way.
We can use it to motivate us to conquer the problem and drive us closer to God.
It’s when we get discouraged, give up, get angry, and start asking, “Why me, Lord?” that fear defeats us.
If you’re in a situation that’s filling you with fear and anxiety today, remember… God doesn’t respond to need… He responds to faith.
So stake your faith on His unshakeable Word and stand on His promise… “Fear not, for I am with you… be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you… yes, I will help you… I will uphold you with My righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).
Unshakeable trust in God’s Word is what brings His help.
(Philippians 4:4-8) “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again… Rejoice!
Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable… if anything is excellent or praiseworthy… think about such things.
Whatever you have learned or received, heard from me or seen in me…put it into practice… and the God of peace will be with you.”
There is peace in the midst of every storm of life that we will face… its found in Jesus and Gods saving grace.
Good Day!
We see a big problem, panic, and become fearful about what’s going to happen to us.
And in truth, fear isn’t all bad… unless we deal with it in the wrong way.
We can use it to motivate us to conquer the problem and drive us closer to God.
It’s when we get discouraged, give up, get angry, and start asking, “Why me, Lord?” that fear defeats us.
If you’re in a situation that’s filling you with fear and anxiety today, remember… God doesn’t respond to need… He responds to faith.
So stake your faith on His unshakeable Word and stand on His promise… “Fear not, for I am with you… be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you… yes, I will help you… I will uphold you with My righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).
Unshakeable trust in God’s Word is what brings His help.
(Philippians 4:4-8) “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again… Rejoice!
Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable… if anything is excellent or praiseworthy… think about such things.
Whatever you have learned or received, heard from me or seen in me…put it into practice… and the God of peace will be with you.”
There is peace in the midst of every storm of life that we will face… its found in Jesus and Gods saving grace.
Good Day!