“Ye are the light of the world….Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”(Matthew 5:14a, 16)

Have you ever been in an airplane at night? When you look down over a city as you are flying in an airplane, you cannot make out anything because it is so dark. All you can see are the lights. The lights may be of different sizes and different colors. Some are brighter than others. But they are all beautiful to look at.

If you look around yourself right now, you will see darkness all around you. You may not see it on the outside. The darkness I am talking about is the darkness inside the hearts of men. Many people do not believe that Jesus Christ is God’s Son. Some of them don’t believe that God exists at all! Their hearts are dark because they do not have the light of the true Savior.

Because you know Jesus Christ as your Savior, you must show others that you are different because of Him. This is what Jesus meant when He told believers to be the light of the world. When you let your light shine, others will see it, and will want to glorify God and know that Jesus Christ can save them, too.

Maybe you are asking, how can I let my light shine? Whether you are at home, at school, or at play, you must try to please God in everything you do. Even if everyone else is doing something wrong, you must not do it if you know that it does not please God. For example, if your friends ask you to help them play a mean trick on someone, you must ask yourself if that will please God. When you are at home, you can please God by being obedient to your parents. Some people may make fun of you for being polite and kind, but because you are pleasing God, your light will shine before them.

God has commanded us to let our light shine before men. Your unsaved friends and family should be able to see that you are a child of God because you try to please Him in everything that you do.

Jesus wants me to be a light in this world so that others will come to know Him.

My Response:
» Am I trying to please God in all that I do?
» Where do I need to let my light shine?

The post Jesus Wants You To Be a Light for Him appeared first on EquipU Online Library.

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

My mom loves to work with her hands. All around our house hang pictures she made by cross-stitch. Before she starts any cross-stitching project, she always makes sure that she has all of the different colored threads she needs. In order for the picture to turn out right, she has to use black thread when the pattern calls for black thread, and red thread when the pattern calls for red thread.

You can think of your life like one of the cross-stitch projects my mom makes. If you were watching my mom cross-stitch with beautiful red thread – and you hadn’t seen the pattern – you might wonder why sometimes she stops using red and starts using black thread instead. In the same way, you might wonder why God takes away the “good things” in your life and lets “bad things” happen instead. Why is your sister sick? Why did your father lose his job? Why did your family have to move to a different city?

In Isaiah 55:8-9, God tells us that His thoughts and ways are much higher than yours. Sometimes, you don’t understand God’s plans. But whether God is using a red thread or a black thread in your life, you can be confident that He knows what He is doing! Romans 8:28 promises that you don’t have to worry about whether or not your situation will work out right; you don’t have to worry, because you can know that it will work out for your good! My mom has to use many different colors of thread, but in the end the picture turns out right. God knows the picture He wants to make with your life, and He uses many different things – some you may like, and some you may not like – in order for the picture to turn out just the way He planned.

If you want to know what my mother’s cross-stitch will look like when she’s done, you can look at her pattern. But can we see the pattern God is following? We can! Jesus Christ is the pattern, and God is changing us according to the pattern that Jesus made with His life. (That’s what the next verse, Romans 8:29 says.) So when Paul says that God is working everything out, he doesn’t mean that things always turn out the way we want them to. Instead, Paul is saying that we will turn out the way God wants us to!

Is there something going on in your life that you don’t understand? Do you trust that God, Who is sovereign, knows what He is doing? Or do you blame God for not always giving you “good things”? If you are a child of God, you can be sure that He will work all things for your good according to His perfect plan.

God uses everything in my life to make me more like Jesus.

My Response:
» What situation in my life do I need to trust God with?
» How could God be using this situation to make me more like Jesus?

The post God’s Plan Is Perfect appeared first on EquipU Online Library.

“And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD.” (2 Kings 19:15a)

Hezekiah had good reason to pray! Hezekiah was the King of Judah. Maybe you’ve heard of Judah: it was a small nation, the only two tribes left over from the Twelve Tribes of Israel. And Hezekiah, King of Judah, had a problem: he was an enemy of the pagan king of Assyria, Sennacherib (pronounced sen-AK-er-rib). Assyria back then was a little like America is today: the strongest nation on earth. And the nation of Judah was like one of those tiny countries you see on a map – so small that nobody remembers the name of. In other words, King Hezekiah was no match for King Sennacherib.

Because Hezekiah and Sennacherib were enemies, Sennacherib brought his forces down to do battle against Hezekiah and the Kingdom of Judah. Sennacherib fought hard, and his armies defeated a lot of Judean towns. Hezekiah became frightened. So instead of relying on God, he sent money – some of it was God’s money – to Sennacherib, trying to buy him off!

Well, Sennacherib didn’t just want money. He wanted to humiliate Hezekiah in the capital city, Jerusalem. So Sennacherib sent messenger boys to Hezekiah, announcing that Sennacherib would defeat God’s people if they resisted him.

What could Hezekiah do? He’d already sent money to Sennacherib, but Sennacherib wasn’t satisfied. Hezekiah was so upset that he tore his clothes and went to the temple of the Lord. Instead of sending more money to the wicked king Sennacherib, Hezekiah sent word to Isaiah, the prophet of God, asking what to do. Isaiah sent back word not to worry, since God would take care of Hezekiah’s problem with Sennacherib.

When Sennacherib heard what Isaiah had said, he sent a letter to Hezekiah, repeating his threats. Hezekiah grew very upset again. This time, he didn’t send money to the wicked king, and he didn’t even call on God’s prophet. Instead, he spread out the letter on the ground and prayed to God.

After Hezekiah had pled with God for help, God sent word by the prophet Isaiah saying that God had heard Hezekiah’s prayer. In Isaiah 37:21, God says that because Hezekiah had prayed, He would rise up against Sennacherib and defeat him. Soon afterwards, God miraculously killed 125,000 of Sennacherib’s troops, and Sennacherib returned home to Assyria without ever fighting against Hezekiah. Eventually, two of Sennacherib’s sons assassinated him while he prayed to his false god.

You’ve probably noticed that the story of Hezekiah and Sennacherib is complicated. You can read the whole thing in 2 Kings 18-19 and Isaiah 36-37. Each version of the story gives details that the other one doesn’t mention. When Isaiah tells the story, he makes the point that this devotional is making: it wasn’t until Hezekiah himself prayed to God that God defeated Sennacherib.

Was it bad for Hezekiah to ask advice from God’s prophet, Isaiah? Of course not! And when Hezekiah asked advice, God promised to help. But it wasn’t until Hezekiah himself prayed that God actually struck down Sennacherib’s army. God had planned to fight against Sennacherib, but He waited to do it until after Hezekiah asked Him to do it. God wants His people to bring their concerns to Him and to rely on Him to do His will.

When you face difficult circumstances, it’s not good to try working things out on your own, as Hezekiah did when he paid money to Sennacherib. It is good to ask advice from older, more mature Christians like your teachers, parents, and pastors. But that’s not enough! You should ask God for help. God wants to hear your prayers, and He wants to show His power in response to your prayers.

God powerfully responds to the prayers of His people.

My Response:
» When I face difficulties, do I try working things out on my own? Or do I pray for God’s direction and help so that I’ll know how to respond?

The post God Responds to Prayer appeared first on EquipU Online Library.

“The LORD is King for ever and ever: the heathen are perished out of his land.” (Psalm 10:16)

“I’m king of the mountain!” shouted Sammy, as his younger siblings scrambled up the huge mound of dirt to dethrone him. The Rettus children were spending an afternoon playing King of the Mountain. To be king of the mountain, one person had to stand on the top of a designated mountain (a pile of snow, a sand dune, or a mound of dirt) without letting his siblings push him down. Whoever was the lone person on top of the mountain was king, ruling over all the others.

Scripture tells us that God is King. He is King of all the earth (Psalm 47:7); He is King above all gods (Psalm 95:5); He is King forever (Psalm 10:16); He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Revelation 19:16). God reigns over all, and no man can overthrown His rule.

When playing King of the Mountain, the younger Rettus children would plot to overthrow Sammy. Danny and Joey would use dirt bombs and large reeds to distract him, while the Jon would charge up to overthrow the king. But no matter how hard they tried, Sammy usually ended up on the top of the mound shouting, “I’m king of the mountain!”

Wicked men live their lives as though God could be overthrown. It’s like they’re throwing dirt bombs and using sticks to try to defeat God – the King over all. They attempt to fight against God. But in the end, God will always be king, and the wicked will perish for eternity.

Do you serve God as your King? Or do you live in rebellion under His rule? Do you humbly follow His commands in Scripture to obey your parents (Ephesians 6:1), to love your enemies (Matthew 5:44), and to submit to authority (Hebrews 13:17), or do you ignore His Word? Each day you have a choice: you can live in submission to God your King, or you can live in rebellion against the King of all the earth.

Because God is king, you must submit to His rule.

My Response:
» Do I obey God as my King? Do I follow all of His commandments?

The post God Is King appeared first on EquipU Online Library.

“And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.” (1 Timothy 1:12-13)

In this verse, you see Paul speaking about how God granted him mercy for his past sins because he did them “ignorantly in unbelief.” This is a miracle God does for each new believer. All past sins are forgiven by the Lord and that person is now guilt-free. The new follower now has power through the Holy Spirit to pray and hear God, to read the Bible and understand what it says! This great power was unavailable before the person accepted Christ as his Savior. What an advantage a believer and follower of Christ has over those who do not believe! When a believer acts upon what the Lord has taught, that follower has perfect power from God.

These verses are also a warning for those who have this power – for those who are not “ignorant or unbelieving.” When a believer sins, he has failed to use the power he was free to access. When an unbeliever sins, he doesn’t have access to this power. God’s mercy is great enough to forgive and wipe away the sins of both believers and unbelievers, but the believer’s sin was done in knowledge, and it etches a deeper wound. The believer’s sin can sever the trust of other believers, leaving the person with less responsibility, respect, and influence in God’s work on earth. More importantly, if the sin done in knowledge continues, the believer starts to loose contact with God and God’s work in his heart.

God loves all people, but He cannot give His power to those who are not willing to follow. Have you noticed a loss in power? Even a small loss is big – get back to learning and understanding right away. God wants you using His power for all good things in your life and in the lives of those around you. No sin is worth missing out on God’s power in your life.

God makes His power available to those who are right with Him.

My Response:
» Am I failing to make use of God’s power by refusing to acknowledge my sins to God?
» Are there sins I need to confess and forsake so that the Spirit can enable me to do His work?

The post God Wants You To Use His Power appeared first on EquipU Online Library.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” (Hebrews 13:8)

Julie was sad. Sarah, her sister, had always been her best friend, but now Sarah was too busy to play. Every fall Julie and Sarah made big piles of leaves and jumped in them with their dog, Taffy. But this year every time Julie asked Sarah to play in the leaves she had to study or to go to basketball practice or call one of her friends.

Now all the leaves were gone, and Julie wondered whether Sarah would be too busy to play in the snow this year, too. When Julie asked her mother why Sarah didn’t play with her anymore, Mother said that Sarah was growing up and changing. Mother said that everyone changes and that Julie would change one day, too. “The only person who never changes is Jesus,” Mother said. Julie was glad that Jesus never changed.

Have you ever been sad because someone changed? Maybe you have a brother or a sister who is growing up, or a grandpa or grandma who is getting older. Nobody can keep people from changing, but the Bible tells us that Jesus will never change. Jesus will always be reliable. He promises never to leave you, and He listens to everything you want to say to Him all the time. Isn’t it good to know that He will always be the same!

Although other people change, Jesus will never change.

My Response:
» Do I trust Jesus all the time, knowing that He never changes?
» Do I thank Jesus for never changing?

The post Jesus Never Changes appeared first on EquipU Online Library.

“Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall. My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me. This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord’s mercies that w are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.” (Lamentations 3:19-25)

Have you ever been humbled by your own sin? How about by a trial, something hard that you or your family have to go through? Sin and trials humble us. Sometimes the sins we do have consequences, some bad results that come because of the sin. Sometimes we feel very hurt and sad and worried about trials. When sin and trials come, our hearts can be miserable. But even when we are going through times like that, we should not forget that God can help us and bring us through the hardest things.

Hard times do not happen only to grownups. Kids face temptations and heartbreaks, too. If it were not for the mercy of God, you might get overwhelmed by everything, and you might want to “throw in the towel” (just give up). But God does not fail. He is faithful to care for His children. He is good to those who hope and wait on Him.

Do you know what it means to hope and wait on God? Sometimes we want to try really hard to figure everything out and change everything that is going on so that it will not hurt so much. To hope and to wait on God means to trust Him that He will work everything out for His glory and our best good. It means believing that God will handle the whole thing perfectly, in His perfect timing (because He is perfect), and He will change things if He wants to change things. To hope and wait on God means to look only to Him for your help. Just keep setting your focus on Jesus. He will help you through hard times, and He will not let sin and trials destroy you as long as you are trusting Him for your help.

God is faithful! Hope in Him.

We should hope in God to help us through hard times.

My Response:
» When something makes me sad or worried, do I try to fix it by myself, or do I look to God?
» How can I encourage others who might be fighting against sin or going through a really hard time in their hearts?

The post God Wants Us to Set Our Eyes Upon Him appeared first on EquipU Online Library.

“He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.” (John 14:21)

Jesus had just told His disciples that He was going to go away from them. He said that He was going to go and prepare a place for them in His Father’s house. For three years, His disciples had followed Him. They had walked beside Him, listened to Him teach, watched Him heal sick people, and even eaten meals with Him. But now He said that He was leaving, and they weren’t going to see Him for a while. Their hearts were sad and troubled. Jesus was their Master, their Teacher, their dearest Friend.

But Jesus had good news for them. He was going to send them a Helper—the Holy Spirit—who would stay with them always. Even though Jesus was returning to heaven after His death, and even though His followers would not see Him anymore, He promised that they could still know Him, talk with Him, and be close to Him.

Do you have a desire in your heart to know God—I mean really know Him? Do you want to have a deep, personal relationship with Him, even though you can’t see Him with your eyes? Do you want to know what He thinks and how He feels? Do you want to understand Him as He really is?

According to this verse, knowing God starts with obedience. The very first thing we have to obey is the Gospel. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me.” (John 14:6) But after we’ve entered into a relationship with God through repentance and faith in Christ, we need to keep on obeying Him. We need to take everything that He tells us in His Word very seriously. That is the best way to show God that we love Him. And once we are saved, we have His Holy Spirit dwelling in us. The Holy Spirit helps us understand God’s Word and gives us power to obey it.

Jesus said that He will manifest Himself, or make Himself known in a special way, to those who love Him. If you really want that kind of closeness with Jesus Christ, He wants to give it to you. Ask Him for it, and then start listening to His voice and obeying Him. A close relationship with Jesus carries a price tag of obedience. But it is a price well worth paying, and the rewards will last through eternity.

Jesus reveals Himself to those who love and obey Him.

My Response:
» How much do I want to know God?
» Am I willing to pay the price of obedience?

The post God Reveals Himself to Those Who Love Him appeared first on EquipU Online Library.

“I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.” (Job 23:12b)

How do we know when someone really loves us? One way we can tell is when that person gives up something they love in order to spend time with us. Imagine that you came to your parents when they were busy with something they enjoy—maybe reading a good book or watching a basketball game on TV. What if your mom put her book down and said, “I can read this book any old time. I would rather spend time with you. Let’s go for a walk!” Or what if your dad turned off the TV and said, “You’re more important to me than a basketball game. I’d rather go shoot some hoops in the driveway with you.” If your mom or your dad were willing to give up something for you, you’d know that they really cared about spending time with you.

It’s the same way in our relationship with God. We show our love for God by showing that He comes first. One way that we can show Him how much we love Him is by spending time in His Word—even if it means giving up something else we love in order to do it. God’s Word is the primary place where He reveals Himself, the best place to get to know Him.

Job was a man who really, really loved God. He said that he would rank God’s Word even higher than the food he needed to stay alive! He would be willing to give up food if necessary, because God’s Word was more important to him.

We don’t always have to give up food or a sport or a hobby to spend time in God’s Word. Sometimes it just means pulling our thoughts away from some other fascinating topic we would rather think about. It means turning our minds to think about what God is saying, and turning our hearts to obeying.

Are you willing to love God by showing Him that time in His Word is very important to you—every day?

We show love for God by placing great importance on our time in His Word.

My Response:
» Have I spent time reading and thinking about God’s Word yet today?
» Is there anything I’ve been doing that is stealing away the time I would usually spend with God?
» What do I need to do to guard my time with God?

The post God Must Come First appeared first on EquipU Online Library.

“The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.” (Proverbs 21:1)

King Nebuchadnezzar was rich and powerful. He was king of Babylon, and his country had conquered many other nations in wars. He had many slaves, many soldiers, and many wise men to give him advice and answer his hard questions. Because of his greatness, King Nebuchadnezzar was proud.

One day the king was walking in the palace. Looking around he said, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built . . . by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?”

A very humbling thing happened to Nebuchadnezzar that very hour. He lost his mind. He was driven away from the palace, and he lived like an animal, eating grass. His hair grew thick and shaggy, and his nails became as long as birds’ claws.

After a time, Nebuchadnezzar’s reason returned. He became a normal man again. But one thing about him was very different—his heart. At the end of Daniel 4, we find him praising God instead of himself. God had changed his heart from a proud one to a humble one.

Is there someone you know who needs a heart change? Maybe one of your friends or loved ones needs to trust Jesus Christ as Savior. Or maybe someone you know is living a proud and disobedient life. What is the best thing you can do for that person? Ask God to change that person’s heart into a heart that loves and glorifies God. God can change anyone’s heart for His own glory.

God changes hearts that He might receive glory.

My Response:
» Am I praying regularly for God to change the hearts of people I know?
» Have I ever asked God to change my heart to love and glorify Him more?

The post God Changes Hearts appeared first on EquipU Online Library.