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Psalm 94:22
22But the Lord has been my defense, and my God the rock of my refuge.
Imagine being a poor widow, a stranger in the land and holding one of the lowliest jobs in society. That was Ruth’s situation, so it would have been easy for her to feel vulnerable and defenseless. But because she trusted the Lord (Ruth 1:16), He placed her under Boaz’s protection.
Boaz, the owner of the field she worked in, commanded his young men saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her.” (Ruth 2:15) What he was saying to his men was this: “She might be a gleaner, but because I care for her, treat her with respect and make sure she is not put to shame.”
Boaz is a picture of our Lord Jesus. If you are feeling vulnerable and defenseless right now, imagine Jesus commanding His angels, “Watch over this one who belongs to Me. Make sure he is treated with respect and not put to shame because he is someone I love and someone whom I died for.”
God’s Word tells us that if God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31) No one who has set himself against us can prevail because when God is for us, His protection is upon us. That is why I have never answered any of the poison email messages which I have received in the course of my ministry.
My attitude is this: Jesus is my defense. If He does not defend me, it means that there are things in my life that are not to be defended, and I would be glad to find out about them now rather than later. On the other hand, because I take the Lord as my defense, and He defends me, what can those who are against me do to me?
When you defend yourself, you have only your two hands and your own human resources. But when you let Jesus take up your defense, He defends you with His nail-pierced hands and His legions of angels! The results will be amazing.
Beloved, the Lord is your defense and refuge. Trust Him to defend and protect you!
Romans 8:31
31What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
Whenever the devil throws something at us, we need not lose hope. In fact, we can be sure that God will turn it around for our greater blessing because He is for us.
When God first made man, He gave man dominion over everything on earth. (Genesis 1:26) But when Adam fell, sin and death entered the world, and man lost his authority to the devil.
So did the devil win? No, God executed His redemption plan by sending His Son Jesus to die for us. And He wants us to know that Jesus’ death did more than just restore us to the same position that Adam had — it placed us in a much higher position!
When the Father raised Jesus from the dead, we who are in Christ were raised with Him. In other words, we are now seated with Him at God’s right hand in the heavenly places, “far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come”! (Ephesians 1:21) Adam never had this position. So through Jesus’ death and resurrection, we have received so much more.
In the Old Testament, we read of how God brought the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt into a land flowing with milk and honey. The devil thought that he could foil God’s plan by putting giants in the promised land to stop the Israelites from inheriting it. But God outsmarted the devil. He allowed the giants to build their homes and cities, dig wells and cultivate crops until the right time came. Then, He brought the Israelites into the land and evicted the giants!
So the Israelites ended up inheriting large beautiful cities which they did not build, houses full of all good things which they did not fill, hewn-out wells which they did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees which they did not plant! (Deuteronomy 6:10–11) Although the devil tried to prevent God’s plan for His people from coming to pass, they ended up receiving so much more!
Beloved, the devil may throw obstacles and evil circumstances at you, but God will turn those evil schemes around for your greater blessing because He is for you!
Hebrews 11:6
6But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Most people quote only the first part of Hebrews 11:6 — “without faith it is impossible to please Him”. Yet, it goes on to say, “for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him”. In other words, the faith that pleases God is the kind of faith that believes that God exists and that He is a rewarder.
The Bible also says that “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”. (Hebrews 11:1) So even in times of difficulty, when we don’t see good things happening in our circumstances, we are to believe that God will turn things around and reward us.
God turned things around for Ruth, the Moabite widow, when she believed the Lord and made Him her God. (Ruth 1:16) The Bible tells us that she was given a “full reward” by the Lord when she came under His wings for refuge. (Ruth 2:12) Not only did He give her protection, He also gave her abundant provision, exceeding favour and a glorious redemption. (Ruth 2:9–17, 3:11, 4:10–13)
When Rahab, the harlot of Jericho, heard reports of how the Lord had opened up the Red Sea for the children of Israel, she believed that “He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath”. (Joshua 2:9–11) Though Rahab had not personally witnessed the miracles, she believed God and hid the Jewish spies from their pursuers. (Joshua 2:4–6) Because of her faith, she not only did not perish with those who did not believe (Joshua 6:25, Hebrews 11:31), but she was also given a place in the “hall of faith” in Hebrews 11.
God was so pleased with the faith of these two Gentile women that He not only blessed them in their lifetimes, but He also put them into the genealogy of His Son Jesus Christ, the great Redeemer and rewarder.
Beloved, when you come to the Lord with your needs, believe that He is God, and that He is a rewarder. God has pleasure in this kind of faith. He wants to be the rewarder of your faith in Him!
““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!
“Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” Matthew 7:9-11 NKJV
http://bible.com/114/mat.7.9-11.nkjv
How do we know that God is a good God and a good Father?
Jesus dealt with this question simply by asking another question: “If earthly fathers, imperfect as they are, know how to give good gifts to their children, don’t you think that your loving Father who is in heaven will be even better?”
My friend, if your child asks you for bread, would you give him a stone? Certainly not! You would give him the best bread you could find. How much more then, will your heavenly Father give good things to you when you ask Him!
Beloved, meditate on His love and His tender mercies for you today. Know in your heart that God is a good Father to you. So if you need something today, just ask Him for it. And as you ask Him, know that it is His joy to see you, His beloved child, blessed with His best!
“Then children were brought to Jesus so that He might place His hands on them [for a blessing] and pray; but the disciples reprimanded them. But He said, “Leave the children alone, and do not forbid them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”” MATTHEW 19:13-14 AMP
http://bible.com/1588/mat.19.13-14.amp
In this hectic, everybody-for-himself world that we live in, your friends and colleagues may not have time for you. Sometimes, even your loved ones may not have time for you. But don’t despair—Jesus always has time for you! Whether you come to Him at noon, in the night or in the wee hours of the morning, He has time for you!
“But Pastor Prince, there are millions of believers on this planet vying for His time!”
My friend, God being God lives outside of time. Whenever you come to His throne of grace, it’s as if you are the only child there—you have His undivided attention, love and care! You’ll never find a crowd there and Jesus telling you, “Take a queue number and wait for your turn.”
So what is troubling you today? Do you have a pressing need to bring to Him or do you just want to pour your heart out to Him? Whatever your need is, just go to Him right now like a little child. He has all the time to listen to you, provide for every one of your needs and love you into wholeness!
“And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” Luke 22:44 NKJV
http://bible.com/114/luk.22.44.nkjv
God gave Adam a job before he fell into sin. Adam was to tend the garden of Eden. So man was meant to work. Work was part of his blessed state. But because of Adam’s sin, the curse came. God told Adam, “Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life…In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread…” (Genesis 3:17–19). Work for man thus became stressful. He had to toil and sweat to eat of the land.
My friend, are you toiling and stressed out at work today? Are you working long hours but not getting the desired results? The good news is that Jesus has redeemed you from the curse of stress. When did that happen? Well, it happened when the Lord was in another garden—the garden of Gethsemane.
The Bible tells us that “being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (Luke 22:44). The blood of Jesus touched the ground that was cursed. We know that His blood has a redeeming quality, so He redeemed us from the curse of stress!
Beloved, you have a blood-bought right to a work life that isn’t stressful, but full of God’s favor and blessings. So start confessing God’s favor over yourself and your work. Ask Him for favor with your bosses, colleagues and clients. Ask Him for wisdom to do your work well. Believe and see Him put you at the right place at the right time and cause you to prosper!
“In righteousness you shall be established; You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; And from terror, for it shall not come near you.” Isaiah 54:14 NKJV
http://bible.com/114/isa.54.14.nkjv
Source: http://share.josephprince.com/mbr/160/be-established-in-jesus-righteousness
It is important for you to be established in the righteousness of Christ. Why? Because it will determine how you respond to the voice of accusation when you are believing God for big things and trusting Him for answered prayers.
Let’s say that you are driving to a job interview and the accuser says, “Look at how easily you lose your cool on the road. How can you have the cheek to expect good things to happen to you?”
Now, you could respond by saying, “Yeah, you are right. How can I expect God’s favor to be on me at the interview?” That’s believing that you need to earn your own righteousness and place of acceptance and favor before God.
Or you could respond by saying, “Yeah, you are right. I don’t deserve to have God’s favor at all, but you know what? I am not looking at what I deserve. I am looking at what Jesus deserves. Even right now, Jesus, I thank You that You see me perfectly righteous. Because of the cross and Your perfect sacrifice, I can expect God’s unmerited favor at my interview!”
See the amazing difference? In the second response, you are established upon Jesus’ righteousness and not your own right doing or good behavior. So you go for the interview depending on the unmerited favor of Jesus and you do well. You drive home with peace and joy, feeling the Father’s love and favor. Consequently, you are more patient with other drivers.
Beloved, being established in your righteousness in Christ and depending on His unmerited favor results in a life of success, peace and practical holiness!
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/2015/01/28/battling-distractions/
Battling Distractions
Bill Crowder
Luke 10:38-42
Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her. —Luke 10:42
Every day I drive the same highway to and from the office, and every day I see an alarming number of distracted drivers. Usually they’re talking on the phone or texting, but I have also seen people reading the newspaper, putting on makeup, and eating a bowl of cereal while trying to maneuver a car at 70+ miles per hour! In some circumstances, distractions are fleeting and harmless. In a moving vehicle, they can kill.
Sometimes distractions can be a problem in our relationship with God. In fact, that was the concern Jesus had for His friend Martha. She “was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made” for a meal (Luke 10:40 niv). When she complained about her sister Mary’s lack of help (apparently due to her devotion to Christ and His teaching), Jesus told her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her” (vv.41-42).
Martha’s distractions were well-intentioned. But she was missing the opportunity to listen to Jesus and enjoy His presence. He is deserving of our deepest devotion, and He alone can fully enable us to overcome any of life’s distractions.
Lord, I want a heart like Mary’s—that takes
time to sit at Your feet to learn from You and be
close to You. And I want a heart like Martha’s—
that takes time to serve You, the One I love.
If you want to be miserable, look within; distracted, look around; peaceful, look up.
Martha’s distractions in Luke 10 brought a loving challenge from Jesus. But after the death of her brother Lazarus (John 11:17-27), we see that she was fully focused on Him. She affirmed her confidence that Jesus had a special relationship with the Father (v.22) and then declared her belief in the coming resurrection (v.24). Ultimately, she voiced her clear conviction that Jesus is the Son of God (v.27).
Bible in a Year:
Exodus 19-20; Matthew 18:21-35
http://odb.org/2015/01/25/quiet-rest/
Quiet Rest
David H. Roper
Mark 6:30-32;
I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety. —Psalm 4:8
Some years ago my son Brian and I agreed to haul some equipment into an isolated Idaho backcountry ranch for a friend. There are no roads into the area, at least none that my truck could negotiate. So Ralph, the young ranch manager, arranged to meet us at road’s end with a small wagon hitched to a pair of mules.
On the way into the ranch, Ralph and I started chatting and I learned that he lived on the property year-round. “What do you do in the winter?” I asked, knowing that winters in the high country were long and bitter and that the ranch had no electricity or telephone service, only a satellite radio. “How do you endure it?”
“Actually,” he drawled, “I find it right peaceable.”
In the midst of our pressure-filled days, we sometimes crave peace and quiet. There is too much noise in the air; there are too many people around. We want to “come aside . . . and rest a while” (Mark 6:31). Can we find a place to do this?
Yes, there is such a place. When we take a few moments to reflect on God’s love and mercy and cast our burdens on Him, we will find in that quiet God-filled space the peace that the world has taken away.
There is a place of quiet rest,
Near to the heart of God,
A place where all is joy and peace,
Near to the heart of God. —McAfee
Spending quiet time with God will bring quiet rest.
Jesus is concerned with our physical health. He showed this when He invited the disciples to come away and rest because “they did not even have time to eat” (Mark 6:31). Rest from work and time to refresh our minds and bodies is important. Jesus is also concerned for our spiritual health and invites all those who are weary and burdened to come to Him for rest (Matt. 11:28).
Bible in a Year:
Exodus 12-13; Matthew 16
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
http://odb.org/2015/01/07/where-can-i-help/
Where Can I Help?
Dennis Fisher
Galatians 6:1-10
As we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. —Galatians 6:10
Last winter our city was hit by an ice storm. Hundreds of ice-heavy tree limbs cut into power lines, leaving thousands of homes and businesses without electrical power for days. Our family kept basic energy coming into the house through a generator, but we were still unable to cook meals. As we set out to find a place to eat, we drove for miles past closed businesses. We finally found a breakfast restaurant that had not lost power, but it was packed with hungry customers who were in the same fix as we were.
When a woman came over to take our order for food, she said, “I’m not really an employee of this restaurant. Our church group was having breakfast here, and we saw how the staff was overwhelmed with so many customers who came in. We told the restaurant management we would be willing to help by waiting on tables if it would ease the burden and help people to get fed.”
Her willingness to serve reminded me of Paul’s words: “As we have opportunity, let us do good to all” (Gal. 6:10). In light of the many needs around us, I wonder what could happen if we all asked God to show us opportunities to serve Him and help others today.
Dear Lord, show us where and how we might
serve others and ease their burdens. Give us
hearts of love and compassion that reflect
Your love. Then help us to take action.
We follow the example of Christ when we serve people in need.
The letter to the Galatians is one of the most intense in the New Testament. Paul was dealing with a legalistic Judaism seeking to impose the demands of the law upon people who had, by faith, embraced grace in Christ. This legalism was intended to pull those followers of Christ back into a performance-oriented approach to pleasing God. Our service for God is to come from an overflowing heart of appreciation for His love for us.
Bible in a Year:
Genesis 18-19; Matthew 6:1-18
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.
Lord, lead me everyday 