Wednesday, February 28, 2018

DISCIPLINE IS GOOD

 

Prov. 3:11-12  My child, don’t ignore it when the LORD disciplines you, and don’t be discouraged when he corrects you. For the LORD corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.

      We never get too old to be disciplined by the Lord. We never get to the point where we don’t need to come underneath God’s corrective hand. Why? Because as long as we are in the flesh, we will be influenced by the flesh. We are prone to slip up and fall. In our weakness, we often aren’t strong enough to resist the temptations that assail us. The Lord disciplines us because we need to understand that we can’t sin and get away with it. Sin is serious business with the Lord and He holds us responsible for it when we do sin.

        It is good for us to come underneath the Lord’s discipline. Why? Because it is a testimony of God’s love for us. If He didn’t care for us and love us, He wouldn’t bother to help us with our sin problem. He doesn’t have to discipline us, but because He loves us He does it. We need to thank the Lord when we come underneath His discipline.

      Don’t let pride keep you from submitting to the Lord’s discipline. Don’t get discouraged when He reveals to you your sin. Don’t get the idea that God is treating you harshly. He loves you and wants to spare you from a life lived in sin. Remember, sin always carries with it a price to pay. Sometimes the consequences are great and the Lord allows us to bear them in order to teach us not to do it again.

       Every time we sin, it’s a chink in the armor of our righteousness. Unless the Lord intervenes, the chink will grow bigger and make us more vulnerable to Satan’s attacks. The more chinks we live with, the more likely we are to sin and wander away from God. Only the Lord can fix the chinks. He can replace the chinks with His righteousness and make us whole again. He loves to do it, but He won’t do it as long as we harbor our sin and don’t submit to His discipline.

      Don’t let sin rob you of the joy of your salvation. Confess whatever sin plagues you. He will forgive you and cleanse you from all your unrighteousness. You may have to go through some difficulty in order to learn that you can’t sin and get away with it, but that is a good thing. It teaches us that the Lord loves us and that we need His constant presence and help so that we don’t let sin rule over us.

Tuesday, February 27, 2018

HONOR THE LORD FIRST

 

Prov. 3:9-10 Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the best part of everything your land produces. Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with the finest wine.

       Honor the Lord with your wealth. No matter how much you may or may not have, you are wealthy if you are reading this. A third of the world barely has enough to survive on, let alone thrive. People everywhere are literally starving to death due to a lack of food or resources to buy it. So, the issue is what are we doing with what we have? Are we hoarding our wealth, using it for selfish purposes, letting it slip through our fingers without knowing where it is going, or perhaps relying on it for our security? Does it honor the Lord when we use our wealth with little regard for others or the kingdom of God? How much of what the Lord has entrusted to you do you use for His honor and glory? Do you even give the Lord a tithe offering? What kind of a message are we sending to the Lord when we give Him our leftovers or spare change?

       The Lord promises to bless those who honor Him. He promises that we will always have enough to both honor Him and live on. There will never be enough to give to the Lord if we don’t first trust Him and act in faith believing in His keeping His word to us.

       And, wealth is not necessarily confined to money. We are rich in so many other ways: intellectually, emotionally, giftedness, etc. Do we strive to honor the Lord in those areas of our lives as well?

Monday, February 26, 2018

SEEK HIS WILL IN ALL YOU DO

 
Prov. 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own wisdom. Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your path.

       Either you trust the Lord or you don’t. There is no middle ground. If you don’t trust the Lord in all things, how can you say you are trusting in Him? We flee to Him with those things that are too big for us and try to handle things which are within our ability to handle. Is God only able to handle the big things? Or, is He so big that He doesn’t care to be bothered with the little things? Blessed is he who trusts in the Lord with ALL things in his heart.

      When we depend on our wisdom, we often don’t do things right. There is so much we don’t know about life and what is before us. We base our actions on what we know, and our knowledge is very limited at best. It is always in our best interest to trust the Lord and not depend on our own wisdom.

       When we seek the Lord’s will in all we do, He will direct our path. We cannot expect the Lord to guide us if we don’t seek Him out for guidance. If we are constantly seeking His will, we can be assured that we are in His will for us. He never lets those who are seeking His will wander around outside His will for them.  He will lead us on the only path that leads to eternal life.  He will not let us lose our way, but we must be willing to let Him lead us.  Jesus is the only way to God; every other path leads to hell.

        If you do not have the will to trust the Lord with all your heart, you will not know what it is to be led by the Lord in all you do.  You cannot have it your way and expect to be on a path that pleases God.  You will never find your way home to heaven by walking on the path laid out by you. 

      We are not wiser than God.  Let our heart’s desire be, “Where He leads me, I will follow.”

Sunday, February 25, 2018

LOYALTY AND KINDNESS

 
Prov. 3:3-4  Never let loyalty and kindness get away from you!  Wear them like a necklace; write them deep within your heart.  Then you will find favor with God and people, and you will gain a good reputation.

       I have known those who are loyal and kind and those who aren’t.  Those who are loyal and kind hold a very special place in my heart.  I count it a privilege to know them and thank the Lord for bringing them into my life.  I have friends like that who are both Christian and non-Christian.  My life is very rich because of them.  When I speak of them, I have nothing but endearment in my heart for them and I want nothing but the best for them.  I want to treat them well because of my love for them.

       I want to be that kind of a person as well.  It is my prayer that others will know me to loyal and kind.  It is not something that comes naturally for most of us.  However, anyone can become that kind of a friend if they are willing to put forth the effort to do so.  It all begins in the heart; the more we live in relationship with Christ, the more natural and easy it becomes.

      Notice that it is possible to lose what we should have by nature.  Loyalty and kindness can go away from us if we are not careful to protect and keep them.  If we allow selfishness to rule our hearts, we will cease to be the kind of a person that others will cherish as a friend and that will please God.

        In order for our nature to change, we must be committed to the process of change.  We must deliberately seek to be loyal and kind.  It may not come easy at first, but the more we do it the easier it becomes.  It is within the character of every child of God; all we have to do is to let Christ rule the heart.  We must diligently seek Him and strive to please Him.  We must let the Lord transform us and wear the transformation like a necklace around our necks.  Godliness must become the norm and not the exception in our lives.

      He who is loyal and kind finds favor with both God and man.  If you are struggling in this area of your life, ask the Lord right now to change you.  You will be glad you did.

Friday, February 23, 2018

WHAT WISDOM IS

 
Prov. 1:7 Fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge. Only fools despise wisdom and discipline.

       Wisdom is the right application of knowledge. Knowledge is more than remembering information; it is understanding what we remember. Knowledge is obtained by first learning to fear the Lord. If we do not respect who the Lord is, revere Him, or respond to Him as our God, we will never really know what the Lord wants us to know. Life changing knowledge is rooted in a personal relationship with Christ.

       Wisdom is understanding that we need to come underneath God’s discipline from time to time. It is not a pleasant experience, but necessary for our maturity in faith.

      Only fools despise wisdom and discipline. To despise is to hate. Fools hate to know what God demands of us. They hate to be told what to do. They hate to have to change their ways to conform to God’s ways. They hate anything to do with a God who takes a personal interest in our lives.

        Fools despise God’s loving care who sometimes has to take us to the woodshed because we do wrong. They want a God who loves us always and never interferes with us when we don’t return his love in obedience. Fools hate to bow before God. They want instead to live as if they themselves were God.

        May we be a people who fear the Lord. May we become a people who have great knowledge, who seek to know the ways of the Lord and live by them.

Thursday, February 22, 2018

HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD!

 
Ps. 147:4-5  He counts the stars and calls them all by name.  How great is our LORD!  His power is absolute!  His understanding is beyond comprehension!

     When was the last time you really pondered over the greatness of God?  Have you considered the magnitude of the heavens?  On a clear night you can see more stars than you can count.  We are told that the nearest one to us is over two light years away and a light year is how far light travels in a year at 186,000 miles per second.  Some of the stars we see no longer exist.  They are so far away from us that we are still seeing their light as it travels across space.  We are told that there are billions of stars, and most are much larger than our own.  The Psalmist tells us that every one of those stars has a name and the Lord knows it.  He spoke them into existence and named them!  I sometimes have trouble remembering one name, let alone billions of them.  The Lord not only knows the name of every star, he knows the name of every soul.  How great is our God!

     Now, if God has the power to create such a thing as the heavens, don’t you think he has enough power to take care of you?  There is absolutely nothing that is beyond the Lord’s ability to handle.  There is nothing that can stand up to the power of God.  His power and authority are absolute.  We cannot grasp how it can be, but we know it is so.

     Who can fathom the mind of God?  Who can understand how God can be and how He can do what He has done?  Who can grasp God’s potential?  God’s greatness is beyond understanding.  We certainly cannot figure Him out.  All we can do is accept Him for who He is and submit to His power and authority over us.  Only a fool would dare to ignore the Lord our God! 

Wednesday, February 21, 2018

STAYING CLOSE TO GOD

 
Ps. 145:18  The LORD is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him sincerely.

     You can never stay close to the Lord if you don’t call on Him.  Prayer is the only way you can get to the heart of God.  Like anyone whom you love, the Lord thrives on communication.  He wants to hear from you consistently and often.  There is no getting around it.  You must take the time and put forth the effort to pray.  And, you must pray sincerely.

     Prayer that does not flow from the heart is really not prayer at all.  It’s not the words we say that touches the heart of God; it’s the meaning behind the words that we speak that He hears.  The Lord hears what comes from the heart and not from the lips.  So, if you want to know the closeness of God you must learn to pray from your heart and not your mind.  You must learn to condition your heart to pray.  And the condition of your heart is determined by how well it is saturated by God’s Word.  The Scriptures and God’s Word are essential and inseparable for the heart that wants to draw near to the heart of God.

     Closeness to God is also gleaned from living by faith and not by sight.  It is daily letting faith determine how we live.  It is consistently striving to put into practice the Word.  It is understanding that what we believe doesn’t really matter if we don’t live it.  The more we live out our faith, the closer we are drawn to God.  He becomes more and more of a big deal to us.  He is not someone we can ignore.

     Take the Lord, His Word, and His presence seriously and He will always be near to your heart.  We must fight the tendency to take faith for granted and the blessings of life we enjoy daily.  We must discipline ourselves to be God-conscious.  We must do things to help ourselves to stay near to the heart of God. 

Tuesday, February 20, 2018

HELP FOR THE FALLEN

 

Ps. 145:14 The LORD helps the fallen and lifts up those bent beneath their loads.

     Maybe you have never fallen or have been bent by the load of life you are carrying. If that is you, then this may be one of those verses that doesn’t mean much to you. However, for the rest of us, we can identify with what it is like and find hope and encouragement from this verse.

     I have fallen many times in my walk with the Lord. I try not to sin, but I find myself doing it anyhow. I don’t want to sin, but it has a way of luring me in. It’s a battle that I will fight for the rest of my life. It’s not easy trying to live a pure life. Satan is an expert at exposing and exploiting our weaknesses. But, I have also found great joy in my struggles and failures, because, the Lord helps me. He doesn’t turn His back on me when I fall down. Instead, He takes my hand and gets me back on my feet. He dusts me off, lovingly embraces me, and helps me begin my walk again. My sin causes me to flee to Him and seek His forgiveness. And, He forgives me! He is always there for me to remind me of what I have done and to help me get stronger so that I don’t do it again. I find that I repeat my sin less and less as I let the Lord help me.

     I have often been bent over by the loads of life. The loads vary, but they are real. It is hard to walk with much consistency when you are weighed down. Progress, if any, is very slow. When I am underneath a load, I can think of very little else. I get weary and want to just not go on anymore. However, I have discovered that the Lord is always there to help me carry my load. He may or may not take it from me. When I am asked to carry it, He is there to lighten up the load for me. His presence reassures me and gives me hope. I know that the Lord will never let me fall down underneath the load so that I can’t get up. He gives me strength and power to keep on going. Each step I take I know that He is with me. I know that I can do all things when He is with me. There is wondrous joy for those who let the Lord help them carry their load.

     Always remember this wonderful truth. The LORD helps us when we fall and when we are bent down by the heavy burdens of life. He never lets us walk or carry our burdens alone. To God be the glory!

Sunday, February 18, 2018

NO SIN RECORD

 
Ps. 130:3-4 LORD, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O LORD, could ever survive? But you offer forgiveness that we might learn to fear you.

     If I had to single out which of God's blessings means the most to me, this would be right at the top of the list. I have sinned a lot in my lifetime. I have done and said things that I wish I could take back or forget. I still do things that are sin to God. If the Lord were to keep track of each one and record them to hold them against me, I would have zero chance of ever making it to heaven.

     But, instead of keeping a record of my wrong doings, the Lord forgives me. Not only does He forgive me, He wipes the slate clean with a permanent cleaning solution (His blood) so that they are remembered no more. Only the Lord is able to do that. We can forgive, but we can't forget everything. Forgiveness is the ultimate proof of love. We don't deserve to be forgiven. We don't deserve the opportunity to learn how to live in fellowship with God and to fear Him.

     When we are forgiven by the Lord, we must forgive ourselves. We can't undo what has been done and said. We accept God's forgiveness and make a covenant with Him that we will move forward in grace and not live in the past. We let go of the pain and sufferings we may have caused. We let go of the consequences of our sins. Where we can, we strive to right the wrong of what we have done, but where we can't, we let the blood of Christ set us free from the past.

     When we are forgiven by the Lord, we extend His forgiveness to others. They may not change their ways, but we can change ours. We can in Christ forgive and learn to love those who wrong us. In fact, we can't really love the Lord unless we do.

     When we are forgiven, we learn how to fear the Lord. We learn how to respect Him for who He is. We learn how to keep Him in our thoughts and let Him govern our lives. We learn how to pay attention to what He says and do it.

Thank you, Lord, for amazing grace.

Saturday, February 17, 2018

FEAR THE LORD

Ps. 128:1  How happy are those who fear the LORD--all who follow his ways!

     There is much resistance today about fearing the Lord.  The thinking is that because we live in grace, God is no longer to be feared.  The emphasis is on God's love and not His holy nature.  When we talk about Him being holy, we treat it lightly, as if it no longer needs to concern us.  We have mellowed God to the point where He is no longer perceived to be fearsome.  We hide in grace and don't talk much about God being holy and the judge of all sin.  Hell is seldom talked or preached about.  Preaching a soul to the altar no longer characterizes our preaching.  Condemnation for sin is not promoted much. 
     I wonder what we have lost as a result of our "new" approach to the Gospel.  Is the church as strong as it once was, a guiding voice in the local culture?  Has the fire gone out of our evangelism?  Are we as concerned for lost souls as we once were?  Does anyone really listen to us anymore?  Are we paying a price for removing the altar out of our churches?  Why is there an alarming shortage of pastors in the evangelical church?  Why is it that there are so many in the pulpits today preaching a different message than the Gospel?
     I believe there is a correlation between the condition of the church today and our sacrificing our fear of God.  Fearing God instills within a respect for God in His holiness.  It keeps us aware of our need for Him.  It motivates us to not take for granted God's grace.  It keeps us from removing God from off His throne.  It keeps us from adapting God to our likings.  It moves us to live holy lives before Him.
     Those who fear the Lord are happy because they are diligent about staying right with God.  Their relationship with God is the most important part of their lives.  They purposely and diligently seek Him.  Because God is the priority of life, they know the peace of God that comes from knowing all is well with their soul.  There is no greater joy in life than to follow the Lord in all His ways. 

Friday, February 16, 2018

PRECIOUS CHILDREN

Ps. 127:3  Children are a gift from the LORD; they are a reward from him.


     Throughout history, children have had mixed reviews.  History records how children have often been treated no better than animals, sometimes even worse.  Children have often been regarded as a problem for those who have birthed them.  They have often been victimized, abused, and discarded as if they didn't exist.  In most places in the world today, nothing has changed. 

     Many adults lord it over their children.  They have little regard for the humanness of their children.  They don't care about their feelings or thought processes.  They force their wills on their children.  They use their power and authority over them and care very little about the effect it has on them.  Children are considered by many to be a liability and measures are taken to keep them even from existing. 

     But God does not see children as so many do.  Children are a gift from the Lord.  Each child is precious in the Lord's sight.  God puts His imprint on each child's life.  Each child is created by God for a purpose.  God has a plan for each one.  God loves each child dearly and it grieves His heart when man thwarts His plans.  I believe there will be great punishment on Judgment Day for those who mistreat and snuff out the lives of children.

     Your life is precious in the Lord's sight.  Dear child, the Lord loves you.  He created you in your mother's womb to be just who you are.  He brought you into the world with purpose and has very special plans for you.  The Lord wants to lavish on you His love.  He wants you to know just how special you are to Him.  The Lord wants to bless you and keep you for His own for all of eternity.  Oh, dear friend, do not believe the lies of Satan and others about you.  You are a precious gift from God.  You are special and dearly loved by Him.  Your life is not an accident.  God created you and longs to have eternal fellowship with you. 

     Children are a reward, not a curse, for the righteous.  We have our children in our lives for such a short period of time.  Each child should be lavished with love and cared for carefully.  The Lord entrusts you with the opportunity to bring them up in the Lord.  He considers you dependable and believes in your ability to prepare your children for life.  Teach your children the ways of the Lord by the things you say and do and when they are older they will never be able to get away from them.

Thursday, February 15, 2018

UNLESS THE LORD

 
Ps. 127:1  Unless the LORD builds a house, the work of the builders is useless.  Unless the LORD protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good.

     This verse speaks to me.  First, unless the Lord builds His church, the church is useless.  The tendency by many is to build the church around certain people, who may or may not be centered in Christ and intent on doing His will.  There is the temptation to instill our agenda in the church and lose sight completely of what the will of Christ is.  Programs, personalities, and productions, no matter how good they may seem to be, are useless unless they are centered in and directed by Christ.

     Another thing that strikes me is that unless one's home is built by the Lord, the home is useless.  No eternal good will come from the home if the Lord is not in it.  Out of the home comes that which we need to face the world unscathed.  If the Lord is not in the home, there is little chance that we can survive, let alone thrive, for Christ outside the home.  There is no greater place where the soul can be nourished, encouraged, and inspired than in the home.  It is our training ground for the world.

     Unless the Lord is in charge and doing the building, what we do is useless.  We can assist Him, but we can never take His place as the Lord of our living.  When the Lord is in charge, He protects our souls.  Whenever we fail to let the Lord watch over our souls and protect us, we make a mess of things.  We are not alert or sharp enough to stay out of trouble when we strive to be the watchman over our souls.  We need the Lord’s constant help and influence.

     Whether it is in the church, the home, or in the world, if we try to wing it without the Lord orchestrating our lives, we labor in vain.

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

GLAD TO GO TO CHURCH?

Ps. 122:1 I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the LORD."

     Be honest.  When was the last time you could say you were glad to go to church?  We attend church for a variety of reasons, but do we do so out of gladness?  Are you so connected with Christ that you can't wait to get to church? 

     Does the stuff of life sap the gladness out of you?  It is easy to let life determine our attitude in worship.  We can focus on the things of life, or we can focus our thoughts on God.  What we focus on determines whether or not gladness follows us as we gather for worship.

     Gladness is not something we can manufacture for special events.  It is rooted in the heart and flows from it.  It is nurtured by living consistently in relationship with Christ every day.  Gladness is rooted in thankfulness.  The more grateful you are for Christ in your life, the more naturally gladness will flow from your heart.  Consider the goodness and blessings of the Lord and watch your heart bubble with gladness.

     Do people sap the gladness out of you?  People are not always easy to get along with, even in church.  There are issues that arise that cause us to not want to be around certain people.  Some have personality traits that rub us the wrong way.  Regardless of the situation, let me ask you this, "Do you gather for worship to be with people or with the Lord?  Is your focus on the people that surround you or on God who envelopes you?"  When God is the focus of our worship, then gladness can drive our worship.

     Does sin sap the gladness out of you?  We all sin and it has an adverse effect on us.  It dampens our souls.  We are plagued by guilt and shame.  God seems so far away.  The only remedy of our sin problem is to confess them before the Lord, ask Him to forgive us, and determine in our hearts to go and sin no more.  When our hearts are pure before God, there is a spring in our steps; gladness floods our souls.

     Does weariness sap the gladness out of you?  Learn the meaning of the word no when there is too much on your plate and get some rest for your soul.  No one can maintain gladness of heart when they are physically and mentally worn out and frazzled. 

     "I was glad when they said to me, Let us go to the house of the LORD."

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

THE LORD WATCHES OVER YOU!

 
Ps. 121:5-8 The LORD himself watches over you! The LORD stands beside you as your protective shield. The sun will not hurt you by day; nor the moon at night. The LORD keeps you from all evil and preserves your life. The LORD keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.

     What I want us to think about today is that it is the LORD who watches over us and does what He does for us. Stop and consider who He is. He is Lord. What do we mean when we call Him, Lord?  He is absolute ruler and controller of life. There is no power or authority equal to Him. He is the beginning and end of all things. He has the right to determine life and how it is lived. He alone is able to control and alter that which He has created. He alone is worthy to be called Lord.

    Now, go back and reread the verses for today. It is the LORD who watches over you. Isn't that great news?!! He doesn't miss a thing in His gaze. He knows at all times where you are at. The LORD stands as your protective shield. Satan cannot get to you!! You are absolutely safe when you are under His care. No one, nothing, can harm you when the Lord is protecting you.

     The LORD keeps you from all evil and preserves your life. He keeps you from ALL evil. Isn't that a marvelous truth? The Lord will not let evil overtake you as long as you stay under His care. No matter what kind of sin it may be, the Lord can, and wants to, protect you from it. His intent is to keep you free from sin and to preserve your life for eternity. 

     Now, this wonderful truth requires our cooperation.  We must let the Lord watch over us and protect us.  We must not strike out on our own.  We must abide in Him always.  We must work with Him to keep us holy. 

     The LORD keeps watch over you as you come and go, which reminds me that I am never alone. He is always keeping His eyes on us. He is always aware of our needs and is ever ready to meet them. He is with me each step I take. He is my Lord, my Emmanuel!

Monday, February 12, 2018

STEADY AS YOU GO

 
Ps. 121:3-4 He will not let you stumble and fall, the one who watches over you will not sleep. Indeed, he who watches over Israel never tires and never sleeps.

     Let this wonderful truth comfort and bless your heart today. The Lord watches over, protects, and takes care of His children all the time. There is never a moment in which the Lord is not aware of where we are at. He knows when we stumble and is there to pick us up when we fall. He will not let us stay down.

     There are many reasons why we may stumble and fall. We may take our eyes off of where we are going and lose our bearings. We may not notice the obstacles in our path and stumble over them. We may get in too big of a hurry and outrun the Light before us. We may become more tuned into the voice of Satan than the Lord and become unsteady in our walk. Our tendency is to stumble. The only way we can walk steadily is if we walk with our hand firmly clasped in the Lord's hand on solid ground at the pace the Lord wants us to walk.

     The Lord watches over all our steps all the time. He never goes off duty. He never takes a vacation. The Lord is always alert and never grows weary. You would think that He would become tiresome with all we put Him through, but He never does. He is always at His best. He never tires or sleeps.

     You are never out of the Lord's sight or protective care. He is on your side and will see you home to heaven. He never abandons those whose eyes are fixed on Him. He will help you when you are down to get back on your feet.

     Don't ever believe Satan's lie that all hope is gone. Don't let him persuade you that the Lord has abandoned you. Rather, believe God who declares that He will not let you down. He will not let you stumble and fall away from His watchful care. He watches over you all the time. There is never a time in which you are out of His sight.

     Thank you, Lord, for being our constant guiding and protecting Light.

Sunday, February 11, 2018

THE LORD IS MY HELPER

 
Ps. 121:1-2 I look up to the mountains---does my help come from there? My help comes from the LORD, who made the heavens and the earth!

     If there is but one truth that we must get, it is this. Our help comes from the Lord. No one can help us with our most basic needs of life except the Lord. Only the Lord can peel away those things that don't really matter and get to the core of our needs. There is nothing that you will find in this world that helps you in a way that really matters. Our most basic need is a right relationship with God. If we don't get that right, nothing else really matters. We come into the world with absolutely nothing and we will leave the same way. If we don't have the Lord, we have nothing.

     You may look everywhere in life for help, but if you don't look to the Lord, you will be bitterly disappointed by what you find. Only the Lord has the wisdom and ability to help you find your way to heaven. Before you start looking for help with whatever need you may have, first look to the Lord. His help is sufficient for your every need.

     There are many gifted and very wise people in the world whom we have learned they are trustworthy and deserving of our respect.  They may have great understanding and love the Lord deeply.  Yet, we must never rely upon them in place of the Lord.  We must never think that their wisdom and counsel are the final say.  Only the Lord knows all things and has all understanding.  Only the Lord can be counted on to always give us the best advice and guidance.  Only the Lord will never fail us.

The Lord will never let you down or disappoint you if you will but trust Him to help you. He made the heavens and the earth and is more than capable of helping you. Study the Scriptures diligently and you will find the help you need.  Will you let Him help you today? 

Saturday, February 10, 2018

REJOICE TODAY

 
Ps. 118:24 This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.

     We don't know what is going to be in our day. For some of us, there will be great blessings from God. For some of us, there will be great difficulty or even suffering. For some of us, there will be much opposition to our faith. Some of us will experience ridicule because of our faith. Some of us will face unexpected circumstances that will throw us for a loop.

     The attitude we have before we get started on our day will determine how we face whatever we may encounter today. If we are determined to be positive and praise the Lord no matter what, we will have a great day. If we are not determined to see opportunities to praise Him, we will probably not have such a great day. Each day is a gift from the Lord. He gives us life and the opportunity to live it to the fullest. He wants us to have fun as we go through our day. He wants us to see good in all things. The enjoyment we get from today is directly related to our ability to praise the Lord. There are lessons to learn today. There are things we must go through to grow stronger in our faith. There are things we must do and say as a witness for Him. There are things we will face that require us to go through by faith and not by sight.

The choice is yours to make. You can have a great day in the Lord by being thankful and rejoicing in it, or you can have a lousy day by letting circumstances dictate how you feel. Don't let your experiences determine whether or not you will rejoice. Be determined before you even start your day that you WILL rejoice and be glad in it.  You don't have to like the circumstance you may be in to find reason to rejoice in it.  Rejoice!  You are a child of God bound for heaven with Jesus as your ever-present guide and help. 

Friday, February 9, 2018

TRUST THE LORD, NOT MAN

 

Ps. 118:8 It is better to trust the LORD than to put confidence in people.

     In case you haven't noticed it yet, people will disappoint you. People will not always treat you fairly or nicely. People will not always have your best interests in mind. People will not always be honest with you. In other words, people are unreliable. You must be wise in whom you trust. Trust only those who have earned the right to be trusted. And, it takes time to observe a person in action before you know whether or not they can be trusted. Don't just jump into a relationship with someone you don't know anything about. Check them out. If you need help in discerning someone's character, go to the Lord who knows the heart of every soul.

     One of the problems with people is that we are all sinners.  No one is going to act perfectly towards you all the time.  Everyone is capable of breaking your trust in them.  It is why grace is so important in our lives.  Not every misstep is worthy of a broken trust.  We need to extend grace to others as much as we can.  There are certainly issues that arise that are worthy of a broken trust, but don't hold all people at arm's length out of fear they can't be trusted. 

     You may not be able to trust some people, but you can always trust in the Lord. The Lord never varies in who He is. He is absolute Truth. He is always holy. He will never let you down. He will never seek anything but your good. He will always act in a loving way toward you. The Lord is always worthy of your trust. If you will let Him, He will take care of you and bring to completion all the good He has planned for you.

     You can trust the Lord with anything and everything.  He will never violate your trust in Him.  He always keeps do what He says He will do.  He will always be who He is.  Put your life in His hands.  The more you learn from Him, the more confidence you will have in His trustworthiness.  God earned your trust in Him at Calvary.

Thursday, February 8, 2018

YOU ARE PRECIOUS TO GOD

 

Ps. 116:15  The LORD's loved ones are precious to him; it grieves him when they die.

     This is a verse that comforts the soul.  We need to be reminded of it over and over again.  We who are children of God are precious to Him.  Dear friend, you need to grasp this awesome truth today.  You are loved by God and are precious to Him.  Regardless of how you may feel about it, it is true.  God's love for you does not depend on how you feel or your circumstances of life.  He loves you.  And, His love for you is not a sentimental love.  He loves you with the highest form of love there is.  He loves you unconditionally and sacrificially.  You do not have to be somebody, know somebody, or cater to anybody to be loved by God.  You are loved simply because God is love and it is impossible for Him to not love you. 

     You are precious to Him.  You may sense that you don't matter to anyone.  There may be times in which you feel like your life is so insignificant that if you weren't alive no one would care.  You may feel like everyone is against you and that your life is worthless.  Those thoughts and feelings come straight from the pits of hell.  Dear child, you are precious to the Lord.  He loves you and loves to hold you close.  You are the object of His love.  You are why He came to earth and died at Calvary.  You are why He is in heaven today preparing a dwelling place for you.  Because you are precious to Him, He will never leave you alone or forsake you.  He will always be available to you when you call on Him.  He will always come to your rescue when everyone else abandons you.

     It grieves the Lord when people die.  The Lord loves and He is grieved when people die without knowing His love.  He is not willing that anyone would perish and spend eternity in hell.  It would be the greatest news the Lord could ever have if hell would be empty except for Satan and his demonic forces.    He loves everyone in the world and longs for fellowship with them, but He knows that most will spurn His love and not be with Him in heaven.  It greatly grieves the heart of God when a soul goes to hell because they chose to not let Him be the lover of their soul.

     Oh dear friend, won't you let the Lord love you today?  No matter what your circumstances may be or how you may feel, won't you open up your heart to Him and let Him give you a love bath?  Let the Lord in and let Him hold you close.  You will be glad you did.  Precious in the sight of the Lord is the life of His children.

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

VALUE YOUR SALVATION

 

Ps. 116:12-14  What can I offer the LORD for all he has done for me?  I will lift up a cup symbolizing his salvation.  I will praise the LORD’s name for saving me.  I will keep my promises to the LORD in the presence of all his people.

     There is nothing we can offer the Lord that can come close to being good enough to show our gratitude for our salvation.  His gift of life is priceless.  It cannot be fully understood or appreciated.  All we can do is treasure it.  The more we treasure it, the more valuable it becomes to us.

     I fear that many of us do not treasure it much.  We accept it, but then we take it for granted and let it lose its luster in our lives.  We don’t take pride in it and keep it fresh and glowing in our lives.  We let our living tarnish it and even render it useless in our lives.  We treat God’s gift with little respect and fail to appreciate what we have been given.   How can we be so foolish?

     Salvation is the gateway into heaven.  Salvation is the gateway into holiness.  It is God’s way of preparing us so that we can enter into His presence without fear and judgment because of our sin.  Salvation allows us to have fellowship with God!  Salvation is God’s guarantee that we will not spend eternity in hell.

     I challenge you to keep the promises you made to the Lord.  When you first believed, did you promise Him the best of your love?  Did you promise Him to go anywhere He would lead you, to do whatever He bid you to do?  Did you promise Him that you would right some wrong that you had done?  Did you promise Him that you would be faithful to Him and do what is right in His eyes?  Did you promise to let Him have His way with you? 

     Lift up the cup of your salvation to the Lord today.  Repent of those things that are not true to your salvation.  Repent of the promises you have made to the Lord and have not kept.  Renew your vows to Him.  Let your heart once again be able to sing His praises.  He is waiting for you.

Tuesday, February 6, 2018

GIVE GOD THE GLORY

 

Ps. 115:1 Not to us, O LORD, but to you goes all the glory for your unfailing love and faithfulness.

     We are not as careful as we should be about accepting the praise and adoration of others. We like the attention and sometimes let it go to our heads. We get the idea that we deserve it. We accept praise because of our hard work and talents. We somehow get the idea we are worthy of the attention lavished on us. We soak it up and before you know it, we become arrogant and proud of who we are and what we have done.

     We are sinners by nature and it is the natural thing for us to do. It takes determination and a right relationship with God for us to resist the temptation. We must constantly be reminded of the fact that only God deserves the praise, honor, and glory others try to bestow on us. We dare not forget that who we are and what we become is all because of God’s mercy and grace. It is God who enables us to become who we are. God alone deserves the credit.

     If our heart is right with God, we will want to give Him the glory for all things. We will understand that it is because of God’s unfailing love and faithfulness towards us that we are who we are. We will understand that we deserve nothing from God but His wrath, but instead He has given us His mercy and favor.

     If our hearts are right with God, we will be careful to not hoard the praise of others. Instead, we will give it to the Lord who alone deserves it. We will not take ourselves seriously. We will always understand who we are before Him. We will always strive to please and honor Him in all things. We will understand that whatever we may be able to become or achieve is because of God’s gracious work in us. And, we will understand that all of it can be taken away from us in a moment if we let sin creep in and take away from the Lord the glory due His holy name.

Monday, February 5, 2018

REVERENCE FOR THE LORD

 

Ps. 111:10 Reverence for the LORD is the foundation of true wisdom. The rewards of wisdom come to all who obey him.

     Do you want wisdom so that you can live rightly before God? If so, it begins with reverence for the Lord. We must be in awe of who God is. The Lord cannot be contained by our thoughts of Him. He is not limited by what we know of Him. He is much greater than the creation He created. All that exists came into being by the utterance of His word. He said it, it was, and it still is. God is the essence of all things good and holy. He is governed by His holiness and driven by His love. It is the Lord who did the impossible; He set us free from sin’s death grip on us and forever removed our sins from us, to be remembered no more. Wise is he who understands these things and bows before God in worship.

     God rewards those who obey Him. If you desire to live within the blessings of God, obey Him. When we obey the Lord we do it without picking and choosing what we will or will not do. We will obey the Lord in all things. Selective obedience is no obedience at all. Whatever the Lord instructs and commands us to do, we strive to do it. Great is the reward of those who have enough reverence and respect for the Lord that they submit to His authority over them and obey Him.  Empty are the words of those who declare their love for the Lord and do not obey Him. 

     Revere the Lord and you will find true wisdom.  Wise are those who obey the Lord.  Great are the rewards of those who find true wisdom.

Sunday, February 4, 2018

GET TO KNOW THE LORD

 

Ps. 111:7-8  All he does is just and good, and all his commandments are trustworthy.  They are forever true, to be obeyed faithfully and with integrity.

     One of the strengths of the Psalmist is that he knew how to observe the workings of God in life.  He recognized God’s goodness and character in nearly every circumstance and rather than look negatively at God, he looked positively.  He relied heavily on what he knew to be true about God and did not let circumstances cause him to doubt or change his mind.  It’s a lesson of life we must learn as well.

     ALL He does is just and good.  The Lord never fails in doing good and meting out justice.  ALL of His commandments are trustworthy.  There is nothing that God says that cannot be trusted.  God has NEVER spoken a lie and never will.  What God says He means and He means what He says.  We are to take His Word for what He says and faithfully live it with integrity of heart.  We are to do our best with what we know and understand and we are to do our best to grow in our understanding.  The more we know and understand the more like Him we will become.

     So, what do you know about God?  Are you looking, listening and learning about our God?  Are you regularly reading His Word to discover new things?  The more interest you show in learning about God, the more of himself He will reveal to you.  How great is our God!