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““The eye is the lamp of the body; so if your eye is clear [spiritually perceptive], your whole body will be full of light [benefiting from God’s precepts]. But if your eye is bad [spiritually blind], your whole body will be full of darkness [devoid of God’s precepts]. So if the [very] light inside you [your inner self, your heart, your conscience] is darkness, how great and terrible is that darkness!” MATTHEW 6:22-23 AMP
http://bible.us/1588/mat.6.22-23.amp
It’s time for a new beginning! Let this day be the day where you start to live life praising God! When good things happen, you say, “Praise the Lord!” When bad things happen, you say, “Praise the Lord anyway!”
Start to live life praising God. Find something good about your country and praise God for it. Find something good about your church and praise God for it. Find something good about your spouse or children and praise God for it!
When you start looking at good things, you will feel so blessed, so rich. Being rich is not a matter of having lots of money. Some people say, “If I have a million dollars, I’ll be rich and happy.” No, you can have a million dollars and still feel poor—always looking around and wondering, “Who will take this from me? How long will this amount of money last?”
So stop majoring on the negative or bad things in your life today. Don’t spend your time and energy constantly focused on what’s not right with your circumstances. Jesus said that the lamp of the body is the eye. When you keep focusing on what is evil in your life, your eye is bad, and your whole body will be full of darkness. But if you keep looking at the bright side—at His goodness, mercy and favor toward you—your eye is good, and your whole body will be full of light!
“Let them shout for joy and be glad, Who favor my righteous cause; And let them say continually, “Let the LORD be magnified, Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.”” Psalms 35:27 NKJV
http://bible.com/114/psa.35.27.nkjv
Jesus delights in blessing you. It is His good pleasure to see you blessed in every area of your life. Now, don’t put a limit on His blessings in your life. The blessings of the Lord are not (as some may erroneously believe) just seen in material things. Jesus is infinitely interested in your total well-being. He is interested in your family, career, fulfillment in life, marriage, ministry, and boy, does the list go on!
When it comes to your desires, hopes and dreams, there is no detail that is too minuscule, minute or insignificant for Jesus. Trust me, if it matters to you, it matters to Him! Even if you go to Him in prayer to remove that small pimple on your nose, He is not going to look at you and reply mockingly, “Hey buddy, don’t you know that I’ve got a whole universe to run? Come to Me when you have a bigger prayer request.”
No way! A thousand times no! Jesus will never ridicule or deride your concerns as petty. He is never dismissive or condescending. If it bothers you, it “bothers” Him, and He wants to fix it because He is interested in your success and total well-being!
“and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.” Colossians 2:10 NKJV
http://bible.com/114/col.2.10.nkjv
When God gave us Jesus, He gave us not just His best, but also everything. We are truly rich because we have Christ, our all in all.
When we have Jesus, we truly have everything. Jesus is our wisdom, our righteousness, our sanctification, our redemption and our success. In Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
My friend, when you need wisdom, Christ is your wisdom. When you need righteousness, Christ is your righteousness. When you need sanctification and redemption, Christ is both to you. When you need faith, He is your faith.
When you are fearful of the odds against you, He is your favor. When you are weak, He is your strength. When you are troubled and anxious, He is your peace. When you feel vulnerable, He is your shield. When you are lonely, He is your faithful companion. And when you are sick, He is your healing and health. Jesus, the great I AM says to you, “I AM to you whatever you need Me to be!”
Beloved, you are truly rich because you have Christ. And in Christ you are complete. Don’t wait to have this or that before you feel complete. You are already complete in Christ—your all in all!
““I am the Alpha and the Omega [the Beginning and the End],” says the Lord God, “Who is [existing forever] and Who was [continually existing in the past] and Who is to come, the Almighty [the Omnipotent, the Ruler of all].”” REVELATION 1:8 AMP
http://bible.com/1588/rev.1.8.amp
In spite of our best intentions, we often find ourselves too busy to do what we’d like to for people. We may be bound by time, but Jesus, the one who created time, is not. He always has time for each one of us!
Even in His earthly ministry, in His limited form as Man, He always had time to minister to people. Consider a typical day in His ministry: When a severely demon-possessed man cried out from the tombs of a distant region, He had time to sail all the way from Galilee to the country of the Gadarenes to save that lonely, tormented man. On the way there, He had time to respond to the cries of His disciples when a fierce storm arose. He awoke from a much-deserved sleep and calmed the storm for them.
After He saved the demonized man and returned to Galilee, another man, Jairus, came to him for help. Jairus’ 12-year-old daughter was dying and he begged Jesus to come to his house to heal her. Jesus agreed—He had time. But on His way there, a woman with a 12-year bleeding condition touched the hem of His garment and received her healing. Though Jairus’ daughter was in the throes of death, Jesus had time to find out who had touched Him, just so that He could minister to the woman.
While Jesus was ministering to her, He received a death report concerning Jairus’ daughter. Now, in the natural, Jesus was “too late.” Yet, He did not consider it a waste of time to encourage Jairus, “Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well” (Luke 8:49–50). He wasn’t troubled or harried. He still took time to go to Jairus’ house and raised the little girl from the dead.
My friend, this same loving Jesus always has time for you. He hears your cries, cares about the little and big things that bother you, and will come and save you. Even when He’s “busy,” He has time to stop and minister to you. And even when it seems “too late,” He will still see to it that you get your miracle!
http://odb.org/2015/02/07/birthday-celebration/
Birthday Celebration
Joe Stowell
Psalm 71:5-18
By You I have been upheld from birth . . . . My praise shall be continually of You. —Psalm 71:6
I used to love birthdays. I can still remember standing excitedly on our front porch waiting for my friends to show up for my 5th birthday party. I wasn’t just excited about the balloons, the gifts, and the cake. I was happy that I was no longer only 4! I was growing up.
As I’ve gotten older, however, birthdays have sometimes been more discouraging than exciting. Last year when I celebrated a birthday that marked me by decades more than by years, my wife, Martie, cheered me up with the reminder that I should be grateful to be growing older. She pointed me to Psalm 71, where the psalmist talks about God’s presence throughout his life. He remembers that God “took me out of my mother’s womb” (71:6), and he proclaims with thankfulness, “O God, You have taught me from my youth; and to this day I declare Your wondrous works” (v.17). And now, when the psalmist is older, he has the honor to proclaim: “[God’s] strength to this generation, [His] power to everyone who is to come” (v.18). God had blessed the psalmist with His presence through every year of his life.
Birthdays now remind me of God’s faithfulness. And they bring me closer to being in the presence of the One who has been with me all these years!
Lord, remind me often that growing older means
I am growing nearer to You! Keep my heart
filled with gratitude for Your many blessings,
and keep my mind fixed on the joy of heaven.
Count your many blessings—birthday by birthday!
God’s faithfulness is cause for praise. The psalmist says, “By You I have been upheld from birth” (Ps. 71:6). It is His faithfulness that inspires our confidence in Him: “I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more” (v.14).
Bible in a Year:
Leviticus 1-3; Matthew 24:1-28
http://odb.org/2015/02/03/chinese-proverbs/
Chinese Proverbs
Poh Fang Chia
2 Timothy 2:1-6
Always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. —1 Corinthians 15:58
Chinese proverbs are common and often have stories behind them. The proverb “pulling up a crop to help it grow” is about an impatient man in the Song Dynasty. He was eager to see his rice seedlings grow quickly. So he thought of a solution. He would pull up each plant a few inches. After a day of tedious work, the man surveyed his paddy field. He was happy that his crop seemed to have “grown” taller. But his joy was short-lived. The next day, the plants had begun to wither because their roots were no longer deep.
In 2 Timothy 2:6, the apostle Paul compares the work of being a minister of the gospel to that of a farmer. He wrote to encourage Timothy that, like farming, making disciples can be continuous, hard labor. You plow, you sow, you wait, you pray. You desire to see the fruits of your labor quickly, but growth takes time. And as the Chinese proverb so aptly illustrates, any effort to hurry the process won’t be helpful. Commentator William Hendriksen states: “If Timothy . . . exerts himself to the full in the performance of his God-given spiritual task, he . . . will see in the lives of others . . . the beginnings of those glorious fruits that are mentioned in Galatians 5:22, 23.”
As we labor faithfully, we wait patiently on the Lord, who makes things grow (1 Cor. 3:7).
Dear Lord of the harvest, help us to work faithfully as
we wait patiently on You for the fruit. Encourage us
when we are discouraged and strengthen us when we
are weary. Help us to persevere, for You are faithful.
We sow the seed—God produces the harvest.
Timothy is first introduced in Acts 16:1. Paul and Silas had been working their way through the provinces of Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) sharing the gospel of Christ. When Paul and Silas arrived in Lystra, they met Timothy (a follower of Christ) and Paul invited this young man to join them. Timothy became a student of Paul’s and a pastor who, according to tradition, shepherded the church at Ephesus. Eventually, he received the two letters from Paul that bear his name. Each of those letters was intended to instruct and encourage the young pastor in his work with the congregation he served.
Bible in a Year:
Exodus 31-33; Matthew 22:1-22
http://odb.org/2015/01/29/our-source-of-help/
Our Source Of Help
David C. McCasland
Psalm 121
My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. —Psalm 121:2
Twenty-year-old Lygon Stevens, an experienced mountaineer, had reached the summits of Mt. McKinley, Mt. Rainier, four Andean peaks in Ecuador, and 39 of Colorado’s highest mountains. “I climb because I love the mountains,” she said, “and I meet God there.” In January 2008, Lygon died in an avalanche while climbing Little Bear Peak in southern Colorado with her brother Nicklis, who survived.
When her parents discovered her journals, they were deeply moved by the intimacy of her walk with Christ. “Always a shining light for Him,” her mother said, “Lygon experienced a depth and honesty in her relationship with the Lord, which even seasoned veterans of faith long to have.”
In Lygon’s final journal entry, written from her tent 3 days before the avalanche, she said: “God is good, and He has a plan for our lives that is greater and more blessed than the lives we pick out for ourselves, and I am so thankful about that. Thank You, Lord, for bringing me this far and to this place. I leave the rest—my future—in those same hands and say thank You.”
Lygon echoed these words from the psalmist: “My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth” (Ps. 121:2).
O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Still be our guard while troubles last
And our eternal home. —Watts
We can trust our all-knowing God for the unknown future.
Three times in this short chapter the Lord is referred to as our keeper (vv.3,4,5). This idea is of great comfort to the believer because it presents God as one who is not passive but active in our lives. To “keep” something is to actively guard and protect it. This idea is underscored by the fact that as our keeper, God does not sleep or slumber (vv.3-4) and watches over us day and night (v.6). How wonderful to know that the God who holds our lives is not disinterested but is constantly watching over us.
Bible in a Year:
Exodus 21-22; Matthew 19
http://odb.org/2015/01/21/pointing-to-god/
Pointing To God
Lawrence Darmani
Deuteronomy 8:11-18
Remember now your Creator . . . before the difficult days come. —Ecclesiastes 12:1
“God bless our homeland, Ghana” is the first line of Ghana’s national anthem. Other African anthems include: “O Uganda, may God uphold thee,” “Lord, bless our nation” (South Africa), and “O God of creation, direct our noble cause” (Nigeria). Using the anthems as prayers, founding fathers called on God to bless their land and its people. Many national anthems in Africa and others from around the world point to God as Creator and Provider. Other lines of anthems call for reconciliation, transformation, and hope for a people often divided along ethnic, political, and social lines.
Yet today, many national leaders and citizens tend to forget God and do not live by these statements—especially when life is going well. But why wait until war, disease, storms, terrorist attacks, or election violence occurs before we remember to seek God? Moses warned the ancient Israelites not to forget God and not to stop following His ways when life was good (Deut. 8:11). Ecclesiastes 12:1 urges us to “remember now your Creator . . . before the difficult days come.”
Getting close to God while we are strong and healthy prepares us to lean on Him for support and hope when those “difficult days” in life come.
Father, I always need You. Forgive me for
thinking I am sufficient in myself. Help me to
follow You and Your ways whether life is easy
or difficult. Thank You for caring for me.
Remembering our Creator can be our personal anthem.
Deuteronomy records a significant moment in Old Testament history. At the end of Israel’s wilderness wanderings, Moses reaffirmed the laws of God. A generation had died in the wilderness and the new generation needed these lessons to prepare them for entry into the land of promise. The challenges that awaited them in Canaan made it important to remind the people of both God’s provisions and God’s instructions.
Bible in a Year:
Exodus 1-3; Matthew 14:1-21
http://odb.org/2015/01/08/extraordinary-showers/
Extraordinary Showers
Jennifer Benson Schuldt
Ezekiel 34:25-31
There shall be showers of blessing. —Ezekiel 34:26
What do fish, tadpoles, and spiders have in common? They have all fallen from the sky like rain in various parts of the world. Fish fell on the Australian town of Lajamanu. Tadpoles pelted areas of central Japan on multiple occasions. Spiders showered down on the San Bernardo Mountains in Argentina. Although scientists suspect that the wind plays a part in these intriguing showers, no one can fully explain them.
The prophet Ezekiel described a far more extraordinary downpour—a shower of blessing (Ezek. 34:26). Ezekiel spoke of a time when God would send blessings like rain to refresh His people. The Israelites would be safe from enemy nations. They would have enough food, be liberated from slavery, and be freed from shame (vv.27-29). These gifts would revive Israel’s relationship with God. The people would know that God was with them, and that “they, the house of Israel, [were His] people” (v.30).
God blesses His modern-day followers too (James 1:17). Sometimes blessings abound like rain; sometimes they trickle in one by one. Whether many or few, the good things we receive come with a message from God: I see your needs. You are mine, and I will care for you.
“There shall be showers of blessing”—
This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
Sent from the Savior above. —Whittle
Daily blessings are daily reminders of God.
In today’s passage, the prophet Ezekiel offers a message of future hope and peace to a nation that had suffered defeat and was living in exile far from their homeland. Ezekiel 34:20-24 speaks of the shepherd who God will raise up to lead His people in the wonderful age described in verses 25-31. Jesus calls Himself the Good Shepherd (John 10:11-18), and the joy and peace described in Ezekiel 34 are ours only in Him.
Bible in a Year:
Genesis 20-22; Matthew 6:19-34
Join me in reading Today’s Word with Joel and Victoria Osteen:
A NEW ROUTE
I know people who feel like they’ve wasted years of their lives because of poor choices. They spent years in a relationship that was toxic, years with an addiction, years at a job where they weren’t fulfilled. But you have to realize, nothing you have been through is ever wasted. Your past experiences, good and bad have deposited something on the inside of you. Those challenges have sharpened you to help make you who you are today.
When the enemy brings hardship into your life, God has a way of taking that experience and turning it around for your advantage. You may think you’ve hit a dead end, but if you’ll stay in faith, you will see God begin to open up a new route. He’ll put the right people in your path, the right opportunities, the right circumstances to move you forward toward your God-given destiny.
Today, don’t focus on what’s happened in your past, focus on what God will do in your future. He wants to restore your soul and revive your dreams. Keep believing, keep expecting, keep hoping because God has a new route for your future!
Prayer:
Father God, I come humbly before You today. I give You my past, present and future knowing that You will redeem my life. I release those who have hurt me, I choose forgiveness so I can be free to move forward in the new route You have for me in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Join me in reading Today’s Word with Joel and Victoria Osteen:
FAILURE IS NOT FINAL
Are you down on yourself today because of past mistakes you’ve made or because you’re not where you want to be in life? God knows every poor choice, every difficulty, every wrong turn you may have made, and He’s already planned your comeback! In scripture, Jonah took a detour, so to speak. It took him a little bit longer, but because he called out to God, because he believed, God not only rescued him, but God got him to his final destination.
Friend, know today that failure is not final. God always has the final say. Mistakes don’t have to keep you from your destiny. God’s plan can override every setback. Your world may be in turmoil today in a relationship, in your finances or health. But know this: not only will God rescue you; He will set your feet on a rock and lead you to your final destination in life. Remember, the promise He placed on the inside of you didn’t go away because you had some personal failures. No, that failure is only temporary but His Word remains forever! Keep hoping, keep believing because He will move you into the blessing and victory He has prepared for you!
Prayer:
Father God, thank You for Your hand of victory and blessing that is on my life. Today, I shake off the past, I shake off failure, I shake off poor choices and trust that You are restoring me and leading me into the plan You have for me in Jesus’ name. Amen!
Join me in reading Today’s Word with Joel and Victoria Osteen:
OPEN THE DOOR TO BLESSING
Did you know that when you do something to the best of your ability because you want to honor God, it opens the door to His blessing? That means it will be easier, it will go better, and you will accomplish more. That’s why no matter what we do, we should give it our best. This is especially true even in the little things. For example, when you’re doing the dishes or mowing the lawn, don’t drag around sour and frustrated. Mow with enthusiasm! Mow it like you’re on a mission from God. With every step, thank God that your legs work. Thank Him that you’re healthy and strong.
At the office, don’t just do enough to get by. You’re not working unto people, you’re working unto God. Do it with your whole heart. When you volunteer at church, don’t wake up and think, “Awe, man. Why did I volunteer? I want to sleep in!” No, serve Him with all your heart because that’s what honors God. When you honor God, He’ll honor you. He’ll give you His life, peace, health and blessing now and forevermore!
Prayer:
Father God, thank You for Your hand of blessing on my life. I choose today to serve You with my whole heart and do everything to the best of my ability. Thank You for Your faithfulness to me in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Join me in reading Today’s Word with Joel and Victoria Osteen:
TAKE THE LIMITS OFF OUR THINKING
One way we “close our mouths” so to speak, is by choosing negative thoughts. If you go around thinking, “Well, I don’t think I’ll ever meet my sales goals this year with the economy like it is”; or “I don’t think I’ll ever get promoted because I’m not that qualified”; or “I don’t think I’ll ever get well,” then the problem is that your mouth is barely open. But Jesus said, “According to your faith it will be done unto you.” He might as well have said, “If you’ve got a cup, I’ll fill you with a cup’s worth of blessing. If you’ve got a bucket, I’ll fill you with a bucket’s worth of blessing.”
I believe He is asking us to take the limits off our thinking, and believe for supernatural opportunities. Why don’t you go out each day expecting increase and promotion? If you’ll go out each day expecting far-and-beyond favor, if you’ll “open wide your mouth,” you won’t be disappointed. He’ll fill your cup until it overflows so that you can live the abundant life He has in store for you!
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I come to You today, giving You all that I am. I trust that You have a plan for my good. I trust that You are opening doors that no one can shut. I open myself to You and thank You for filling me with You today. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Join me in reading Today’s Word with Joel and Victoria Osteen:
THE SEED OF THE WORD
Sometimes in the natural, we don’t see how God’s promises are going to come to pass in our lives. It seems like there are so many obstacles to overcome. But we have to see God’s Word like a seed. When it’s planted in our hearts, and we water it by thinking the right thoughts and expecting good things, that little seed begins to grow into something much, much greater.
Jesus told a parable in Mark, chapter four. He said, “God’s Word is like a tiny mustard seed. When it is sown, it is less than all the other seeds, one of the smallest. But when it grows up, it becomes greater than all.” Notice it goes from being less than all to being greater than all.
Are you in an overwhelming situation today, maybe in your health, finances or relationships? Does God’s promise seem small compared to what you’re facing?
Don’t sit back and think, “Man, it’s never going to get any better. It’s never going to change.” Instead, sow the Word by speaking it every single day. Water that seed by staying in faith because the seed of the Word has supernatural power in it. It will grow and flourish, and you will see God’s promises come to pass all the days of your life!
Prayer:
Father God, today I choose to sow the Word of God! Thank You that it will not return void, but it will accomplish what it was sent forth to do! Thank You for giving every good and perfect gift to Your children. I bless Your holy name today and always. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Join me in reading Today’s Word with Joel and Victoria Osteen:
FOCUS ON WHAT YOU HAVE
The scripture talks about how God has given us the power to enjoy what is allotted and appointed to us. That simply means that I don’t have the power to enjoy your life. You may have more success, more money, more friends or a better job, but if you put me in your life, I’m not going to enjoy it. We are uniquely designed to run our own race.
When we truly understand and embrace this, we won’t be tempted to compare or wish we had what someone else has. You won’t think, “If only I had their talent…” No, if God wanted you to have that talent, He would have given it to you. Instead, take what you have and develop it. Make the most of it. Don’t think, “If only I had her looks…” No, God gave you your looks. That’s not an accident. The life you have has been perfectly matched for you.
Now, you’ve got to do your part and get excited about your life. Be excited about who you are — your looks, your talent, your ability, your personality. When you’re passionate about who you are, it brings honor to God. That’s when God will breathe in your direction and the seeds of greatness in you will take root and begin to flourish!
Prayer:
Father, I thank You for giving me the gifts, talents and abilities to enjoy life and accomplish Your will. Today I choose to put my trust and hope in You knowing that You have equipped me for the destiny You have for me in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Join me in reading Today’s Word with Joel and Victoria Osteen:
THRIVING EVERY DAY
God doesn’t want you to live with a “barely-get-by” attitude. He has new seasons of increase in front of you. He wants you to thrive, to live an abundant, overflowing life!
Sometimes when things seem difficult, it’s easy to slip into “survival mode.” When times get tough, it’s tempting to just “hunker down” and settle where we are. If you’re not careful, you’ll develop a survival mentality that will keep you from growing and releasing your faith. You’ll be happy just to “break even.” But as God’s children, we’re not supposed to just break even; we’re supposed to break through to a new level! We’re supposed to believe for more of God’s favor, increase and promotion no matter what is happening in the world around us.
Make up your mind today that no matter how difficult things seem, you are going to thrive every day! Take hold of God’s promises and declare that you are rising higher. As you continue to expect His favor and increase, you’ll see His hand of blessing in your life, and you will thrive and live in victory all the days of your life.
Prayer:
Father in heaven, thank You for giving me life. I choose today to agree with Your Word which says I can thrive and enjoy my life to the full. Help me see Your hand at work more and more each day. I bless You and give You praise. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Today I am reading day 1 of Joseph Prince: Experiencing God’s Provision:
You Have Jesus—You Have Everything!
When you love someone deeply, you would want to give that person your very best. To show your love to that person, you would give him or her what you value the most.
My friend, that’s exactly what God did when He gave you JESUS. Jesus is the apple of God’s eye, heaven’s darling Son. Yet, God gave Him up for you because that’s how much He loves you. God wants you to have His very best!
And Jesus is God’s best for us because when we have Jesus, we have EVERYTHING! Jesus is our wisdom, our righteousness, our sanctification, our redemption, our success. In Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge!
Beloved, you are truly rich because you have Christ. And in Christ you are COMPLETE. Don’t wait to have this or that before you feel complete. You are already complete in Christ—your all in all!
Today I am reading day 1 of Joseph Prince: Growing in Grace:
Grace And Truth Are One
Did you know that God sees grace (unmerited favor) and truth as one and the same thing? Notice in John 1:17 that truth is on the same side as God’s grace and both grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. When I did a study of this verse in its original Greek, I found out that “grace and truth” are actually referred to as a singular unit, since they are followed by the singular verb translated as “came.” In other words, in God’s eyes, grace and truth are synonymous—unmerited favor is truth and truth is unmerited favor.
Sometimes, people tell me things like, “Well, it’s good that you preach grace, but we also have to tell people about truth.” This makes it seem as though grace and truth are two different things when, in fact, they are one and the same. You cannot separate truth from grace and grace from truth as they are both embodied in the person of Jesus Christ. In fact, just a few verses before this, John 1:14, referring to the person of Jesus, says, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace unmerited favor and truth.” Grace and truth came together through the person and ministry of Jesus. Grace is not a doctrine or teaching. Grace is a Person.
I want you to notice that grace came by Jesus whereas the law was given through Moses. Jesus didn’t come to give us more laws. He came to give us His unmerited favor, which is His truth! It would be of immense profit to you to keep in mind that every time you read the word “grace” in the Bible, you translate it mentally as “unmerited favor,” because that is what it is.
My friend, “grace came.” It is one thing to give, but it is another thing to come. Grace came by Jesus Christ. God came down to where we were to lift us up to where He is!
Today I am reading day 1 of Joseph Prince: Pursue God’s Wisdom:
Ask The Lord For Wisdom
We need God’s wisdom for the challenges we face every day. His Word declares that wisdom is the principal thing. So today, I want to encourage you to prioritize asking God for wisdom with regard to any challenge that you might be facing.
In the Book of James, we learn that if anyone lacks wisdom, “let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5).
God is most pleased to give you wisdom generously when you ask Him for it. And His wisdom will help you to identify the root cause of the problem confronting you and the best way to solve it.
My friend, in all your daily pursuits, pursue God’s wisdom. Ask and thank Him for it every day, and see yourself overcoming every challenge!
Today I am reading day 361 of Joseph Prince’s Devotional:
Day 361
Don’t Sweat It, Rest!
Ruth 3:18 18Then she said, “Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will turn out; for the man will not rest until he has concluded the matter this day.”
God does not want you to “sweat”. Sweat here does not refer to your body’s perspiration, but your self-reliance or self-effort. God does not want you to believe that if you don’t do anything, nothing will happen. That may be true for someone without God in his life, but it is not true for you because you have God. And when He is in the picture, the God-factor changes everything!
When you are resting in God, He works for you. In fact, when He works, you end up with more. He is the one who is giving to you. It is not about you trying to give to yourself.
This was what happened to Ruth in the Old Testament. After laboring in the barley fields from morning to evening, she was able to glean one ephah of barley (Ruth 2:17), which was equivalent to a 10-day supply of barley. Certainly, this amount was a blessing to her.
But when she rested at the feet of Boaz, her kinsman-redeemer, and did not labor, she received six ephahs of barley (Ruth 3:15), which was equivalent to a 60day supply! When Ruth sought her own blessing, she obtained only one ephah. But when she sought the blesser, she received much more.
Ruth’s blessings did not stop there. While Ruth rested and sat still as her mother-in-law Naomi had instructed, Boaz, who was the owner of the barley field, went to work, initiating actions, executing them and speaking on Ruth’s behalf. Right through it all, Ruth sat still and rested. Eventually, Boaz, the barley man himself, married Ruth. (Ruth 4) That meant no more measured wealth of six ephahs, but the yield of the whole barley field in total!
Boaz is a picture of Jesus, our heavenly kinsman-redeemer. When we rest in the Lord, He will not rest. He will work on our behalf. What do we do then? We just trust in and enjoy His love for us.
Beloved, stop striving and be at rest. If salvation, the greatest work, comes to us by resting in Jesus’ finished work, how much more will all the other blessings?
Thought For The Day
If salvation, the greatest work, comes into our lives just by us resting in Jesus’ finished work, how much more will all the other blessings?
Lord, lead me everyday 