I have always found this disappointing, offering a misleading view of my Heavenly Father who delights in giving good gifts to His children. However, I recently noticed that the Bible itself gives an example of this very thing in 1 Samuel. Here we read about Hannah as she begs God for a child.

Then she made a vow and said, "O LORD of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head." – 1 Samuel 1:11 (NKJV)

Here Hannah was bargaining with God, and God delivered. I wonder if perhaps God occasionally does work as a pawn broker when the bargain is for our own benefit. There can be situations when a need was lifted so sincerely that the person was drawn very near to God. Miraculously the prayer was answered, bringing much joy. But a brief time later that person begins to drift away from God - distracted by the ‘shiny object’ of their answered prayer. Perhaps God sometimes plants this desire to bargain in our heart as a way of keeping our focus on Him, even during life after answered prayer.

For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations. – Psalm 100:5 (NKJV)

When I encounter an imponderable puzzle like this, I return to what I know for certain. I know that God’s thoughts are higher than my thoughts. I know that God is good. I know that He loves each one of us, and that He is worthy of our trust and praise. I believe that whether we bargain or not, God delights in giving good things to those who ask Him. The rest is just details.

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 7:11 (NKJV)

and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. – 1 Corinthians 10:4

In Exodus 17, the Israelites had grown anxious because they were thirsty. God instructed Moses to strike a certain rock which would cause water to flow from this rock to satisfy the thirst of the people. Decades later, the children of those Israelites find themselves in the same situation. In Numbers 20, the Lord again gives instructions to Moses on how to bring forth water from a rock. This time, the instructions were for Moses to speak to a certain rock to bring forth the water. Moses instead strikes the rock twice. For the disobedience of striking the rock instead of speaking to it, Moses was not allowed to enter the Promised Land.

I had always thought this was a harsh punishment for a simple mistake. However, my pastor explained that the rock was a symbolic representation of Jesus. This was actually a very important picture God was drawing of the plan for salvation. Jesus was only to be struck once - in the crucifixion. From that point on, our spoken words of prayer were enough to cause an abundant stream of life-giving water to flow from His saving grace.

This interesting lesson is reaffirmed in the Gospel of John. Here, Jesus described himself in the same language when speaking to the women at the well in Samaria.

Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." – John 4:13-14 (NKJV)

I am very grateful that I have experienced this living water. I want to be so full of gratitude that I share the good news of this life-giving water with as many others as possible while there is still time.

The Bible is just like a library in this sense. It is full of good books that contain more wisdom than I can ever comprehend. With each visit to this storehouse I can receive another piece of knowledge to help me along my way. And best of all, the Lord’s library also provides a pathway for getting to know the wonderful God I serve.

Anything done on a daily basis holds a risk of turning into an automatic routine – an action performed without thought. It is my hope that this library analogy will help me each time I approach my Bible. If I think of what a great treasure chest the Bible is, this could help breathe fresh life into my reading time. It is such a privilege that I can open God’s treasure chest whenever I need it.

Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law. - Psalm 119:18

In 1 Corinthians, Paul is willing to make another sacrifice for his brethren. This time it concerns eating meat sacrificed to idols. There was a concern this practice could cause non-believers to misunderstand, creating a stumbling block in their path toward salvation.

Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble. – 1 Corinthians 8:13 (NKJV)

Today we don’t face this issue, but it does make me wonder how I would react if I was called to give up eating meat for the sake of the lost souls around me. I believe I would do it if called, but would I have the right heart about it? I felt grateful when I came to a passage in second Peter that helped make this clearer for me.

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. – 2 Peter 1:5-8 (NIV) emphasis added

From this I understand that I am not called to measure myself against the Apostle Paul, but against myself. If I am constantly striving to increase in my spiritual gifts, then I am doing what God called me to do. That defines success for me. The yoke truly is easy if I can keep the right perspective on my Christian walk.

This is an excellent picture of what happens when we share our faith. In watching a dear friend become consumed with love and gratitude for Jesus, our own hearts become infused with an extra dose of that same love. We reach out to others with the Gospel for their sake, but isn’t it just like our Lord that he makes the experience satisfying for us as well? He is so good.

I pray that I have many opportunities to share the natural beauty around me with others. But even more, I pray that I can share the beautiful love of Jesus with many souls who need Him.

Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. – 2 Corinthians 2:14 (NKJV)

As you share your faith with others, I pray that they may come to know all the blessings Christ has given us. – Philemon 1:6 (Contemporary English Version)

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. – Colossians 3:16 (NKJV)

We acknowledged that by having more of God’s word stored in our mind, we are providing the Holy Spirit more scripture He can bring to our remembrance when we need it. Our study leader mentioned that he sees reading the Bible as building a filter in your mind. This filter can be used to sift through the input that comes at us every day.

I love this image of a filter because it gives me such a clear picture in my mind. If we only read God’s word occasionally, then our filter has great big holes in it which could allow us to accept information as truth – even if it does not actually align with the Bible. However, if we read God’s word often, our filter can become finer and finer, allowing us to quickly sift out falsehoods as soon as we hear them. This is the type of believer that was praised for their zeal as described in Acts 17.

These [the Berean believers] were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. – Acts 17:11 (NKJV)

 This new outlook helps me to feel more energized about my daily Bible reading. I do not want to be fooled by the false teaching that is so prevalent in our daily world. Each morning when I open my Bible I can remember that I’m building up my protection against untruth. This is a great encouragement to me.

In Luke 23:34, Jesus asks His Father to forgive those who were hurting him. In Luke 23:43, He assures the thief beside Him that ‘today you will be with Me in Paradise.’ In John 19:26-27, Jesus places His mother Mary into the care of his beloved disciple John. In John 19:30, Jesus exclaims, “It is finished!” This is the most others-centered phrase spoken from the cross. It sums up all the work of salvation that Jesus came to accomplish for our sake.

I hope I can remember these sayings from the cross the next time I have a headache or feel hungry and find myself growing short-tempered with those around me. Jesus suffered beyond anything my imagination can conjure, yet He was still kind and caring to others. I want His example to inspire me so that I can demonstrate care during all kinds of conditions. Whether I am feeling pain, illness, impatience, or frustration, I want to display a loving attitude to others. With the help of the Holy Spirit, I pray I can grow in this area.

He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth. – Isaiah 53:7 (NKJV)

This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. - John 15:12-13 (NKJV)

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do so. -Proverbs 3:27 (NKJV)

Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin. - James 4:17 (NKJV)

The Western mind automatically translates this into, “If you have enough money to allow you to give some to charity, you should give.” Freely giving money to help spread the Gospel is very important, if for no other reason than to keep our own love of money in check. But I think these verses imply more of a lifestyle rather than an act we perform occasionally. These verses speak of the need to build doing good into daily life.

I think of Jesus and His interactions with lepers. These people likely had deformities that were very unpleasant, but Jesus approached them with love and respect. He also took pity on sinners of all sorts - people who likely had very little in common with him. Jesus helped others patiently, even when they pursued him at times when He was seeking rest.

For me, perhaps doing good is being kind to the lady at the checkout register who can’t seem to handle basic math. Or not honking at the guy who drives too slowly ahead of me, while proudly displaying a collection of annoying bumper stickers. It may be that I should risk having my emotions stirred by getting involved with someone who is in a crisis. This type of thing is really challenging for me. Thinking about it this way makes the old idea of simply giving money sound easier all the time.

I recently heard a sermon by pastor Jack Graham in which he said, “Our number one priority in life as believers in Jesus Christ is to magnify, to glorify His name with our words, with our songs, with our actions.” This quote describes what these verses speak to me. I need to consciously magnify the name of Jesus through my daily actions. This is an area where God is working on me, and quite possibly in every one of us.

For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. – Romans 7:15 (NKJV)

It sometimes seems as if everywhere I turn, there is a sinful behavior cropping up in my life. I get short-tempered with my husband then later realize this was not godly behavior. I show impatience to another driver on the road then feel regretful. It can be disheartening to feel like I’m moving further from my goal of living out a life that brings glory to God.

However, after reading the book, “The Holy Spirit” by Billy Graham I see the issue more clearly. I understand that I have always had the inclination toward these behaviors, but previously I didn’t recognize them as sin. The fact that I now realize that God wants something better for me is a sign that His Spirit is at work in my life.

Thank goodness Paul continued on this subject in his letter to the Romans. His words give all believers encouragement to keep pressing forward in this worthy struggle. God knows I’m far from perfect – but He also knows that I’m trying. He will be faithful to help me every step of the way.

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death – Romans 8:1-2

We serve a loving God, full of more mercy and grace than we can imagine. I am so thankful for this truth!

And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come at once and sit down to eat'? But will he not rather say to him, 'Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink'? Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. 

So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.' " - Luke 17:7-10 (NKJV)

From this I learn that my service to God is not a great feat I have accomplished, but simply the fulfilling of that which is expected of me. This concept is repeated in the book of Romans.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. – Romans 12:1 (NKJV)

I think God gave us verses like this because He knows the human tendency toward pride. There is something in my spirit that wants to puff up with pride when I have accomplished something difficult in ministry. Thankfully the Holy Spirit can remind me of verses like this to pop that balloon of pride and bring me back to solid ground.

It is equally important to remember that the Bible also tells me that I’m considered an adopted child; a friend; that I’m included in what the Master is doing. So although I need not puff up with pride over my spiritual service, I can rest assured that my Heavenly Father appreciates my meager efforts to share His love with those who need Him.

No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.  - John 15:15 (NKJV)

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. – Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV)

I’ve been taught that the meaning of this passage could be stated, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love. This is demonstrated via joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” That brings to mind this teaching from the book of Corinthians.

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. – 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NKJV)

The New Testament contains many more references to love and the demonstration of that love. I believe this is what would please my dear Jesus the most, to see His children showing love. Not just everyday love, but Spiritual-fruit love.

I cannot muster up this kind of love on my own, I couldn’t even come close. However, I trust that my Father in heaven will give good things to those who ask Him. I want to ask for this gift so I can use it to bless my Lord Jesus. What a Merry Christmas that will be!

This week I asked some of these students to describe what they thought Thanksgiving was about. What I saw through their eyes was disheartening to me. This holiday, which was established as a time to contemplate thankfulness to our Lord and Savior, has become an orgy of gluttony. These students believe Thanksgiving is about nothing more than rampant overeating and overspending at shopping.

This has inspired me to put more “Thanks” into my Thanksgiving from now on. I want to set aside time to tell the Lord that I notice how very much He has done for me. I appreciate how He is working in my life and the lives of my friends and family. I want to thank him for each new day and for the people who love me. I’m thankful to be an American, and so very grateful that I am a follower of Jesus.

Oh come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. - Psalm 95:1-2 (NKJV)

In this busiest of seasons, if I pause for even a few minutes I can think of many things to be thankful for. This year I want to be sure that my Thanksgiving holiday includes a time for going into His presence with thanksgiving. There is so much to be joyful about when you follow Jesus Christ.

I know this sweet man had only good intentions. However, this experience was a reminder of the power of my words upon others. I realized again the importance of thinking before I speak – even when giving a compliment.

Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing. – 1 Thessalonians 5:11

There are many places in the Bible where we are encouraged to build up our fellow believers. This is important and can be easily neglected in the midst of a busy life. This doesn’t mean we must say only positive things to one another. On the contrary, we’re told to deliver even the hard truth when it is needed. However, we are to wrap that truth in love, a spirit of gentleness, and the desire to restore right relationships. In this way, whether handing out compliments or restoring a brother, we will be edifying the body of Christ.

but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. – Ephesians 4:15 – 16 (NKJV)

I can apply this to my life by asking God to show me opportunities to encourage my brothers and sisters in Christ. When I get the chance to do this, I need to slow down and choose my words carefully, making sure the meaning I intend actually comes through. I also must remind myself not to shy away from the difficult conversations. I pray God will give me the courage to have them, but only after first asking God to cleanse me of ulterior motives and to fill my heart with love for this person. The final application is to give others plenty of grace for those times when their words don’t come out just right. God really taught me a lot of lessons out of one insulting compliment!

This seems symbolic of my daily prayer time. If I am to live in a way that brings glory to God’s name, I need the power of the Holy Spirit to make that happen. When I spend time in prayer, I feel that I am gathering up God’s provision of His Spirit for me. It also seems that I can’t “pray ahead” one day to cover the next day’s need. I must go daily to the Throne of Grace, asking to be filled anew with the Spirit. It is also on those days when I didn’t do this spiritual gathering that I feel the most starved.

And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit – Ephesians 5:18 (NKJV)

In the original Greek, the tense of “be filled” in this verse from Ephesians carries the meaning of “be filled and keep on being filled.” This indicates to me that although you can be completely filled, there is an ongoing need to be filled again at a later time. This reinforces that idea of a daily refilling of my spirit with the Holy Spirit.

This kind of mental imagery is helpful for me. I like thinking of my morning prayer time as “gathering my manna” for the day. God has provided all that I need and He offers it freely. It is right there waiting for me, new each day. What a gracious and generous God we serve.

Mr. Müller is also the author of many inspiring books, articles, and quotes.   One of my favorite George Muller quotes is this one, “The vigor of our spiritual life will be in exact proportion to the place held by the Bible in our life and thoughts…”  Miriam-Webster includes the following in the definition of the word vigor:  active, healthy, well-balanced growth; intensity of action or effect – force.  An active, healthy, and forceful spiritual life sounds wonderful to me.

This reminds me that reading my Bible should be more than a habit or an item on my daily check list; it is what draws me closer to Jesus; it is food for my soul.  Prayer and the Bible are fuel to power a Spirit-driven life.

But Jesus answered him, saying, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE, BUT BY EVERY WORD OF GOD.' " – Luke 4:4 (NKJV)

Psalm 119 affirms the joy that is gained through an appreciation of scripture.  This psalm reads like a love song celebrating God’s Word.

I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word. – Psalm 119:16 (NKJV)

Let Your mercies come also to me, O LORD— Your salvation according to Your word. – Psalm 119:41 (NKJV)

Teach me good judgment and knowledge, For I believe Your commandments. – Psalm 119:69 (NKJV)

This inspires me to seek creative ways to get more of the Bible into my life.  Beyond my daily reading, I can meditate on verses throughout the day, listen to an audio Bible when I go to sleep at night, and practice speaking the verses I have memorized out loud.  As I dig deeper into God’s word, I can look forward to a spiritual life full of energy, vigor, and a greater love for God.

The cats are fed prescription diet food twice a day at 5 am and 5 pm.  This has always been our routine, it is only the quantity of food that has changed.  In the past, they always had a little food left over from the previous feeding by the next feeding time.  Not so anymore.  There are days when their food has been completely eaten for several hours before the clock strikes 5 again.

Whenever the food plate grows empty, they spring into action.  They try to coax, cajole, and coerce me into feeding them.  Sometimes they believe that I can’t understand what they need.  They try harder and harder to communicate their problem to me.  At other times they appear to doubt my goodness, thinking that I don’t care about their pain.  Possibly they think I’m angry at them; that this entire ordeal is simply meant to punish them. No matter what they think, they cannot grasp the true reason.  They have no idea that this experience is for their own good.  My sweet kitties simply cannot understand how this hardship could be the result of my love for them.

I’ve noticed a striking similarity between their behavior and human nature when we relate to God.  When we suffer pain and turmoil, it is often our reaction to think that God doesn’t hear our prayers.  Possibly we doubt whether He truly cares about our pain.  We may even convince ourselves that He is angry at us; that God is allowing our current suffering as some form of punishment.  It is easy to forget that as humans, we cannot see from the eternal vantage point.  We must remind ourselves that we serve a good God, have faith that this experience is for our own good, and trust that He allows trials in our lives because of His love for us.

In the book of Matthew, we read about Peter after he boldly stepped out of the boat to walk on water with Jesus.  Seeing the storm and waves that surrounded him, he panicked and began to sink.  But Jesus did not abandon Peter; He knew Peter’s need and was right there beside him to help at the proper time.  Jesus stretched out His hand to keep Peter from slipping beneath the troubled waters, just as He lovingly does for each of us.

And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" – Matthew 14:31 (NKJV)

As I write this, we are fast approaching the New Year.  This is a perfect time to reflect on the goodness of God.  In this time of new beginnings, I want to dedicate myself to bring glory to God in every area of my life.

[our Lord] …Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel – 2 Timothy 1:9 – 1:10 (NKJV)

This passage of scripture speaks for itself, proclaiming that we serve a powerful, loving, amazing God.  From reading His word, I find I can best bring Him glory by sharing the Good News with the lost and helping my fellow Christians as we grow in Christ together.

Of course, I can do nothing without His help – but I can do all things through Christ.  Hallelujah!  My New Year’s prayer is for the Holy Spirit to guide me into activities that bring honor to my awesome savior, Jesus Christ.

The LORD said to Moses, "How much longer will these people reject me? How much longer will they refuse to trust in me, even though I have performed so many miracles among them? – Numbers 14:11 (NKJV)

I see echoes of this in my beloved country, the United States.  God shed His grace on us for many years. Now it seems that most of our citizens reject Him, refusing to trust in Him even though He has performed so many miracles among us.  Judging by popular media, grumbling and complaining have become two of our favorite pastimes.

While thinking of this, I heard a whisper in my mind saying, “Is there a lesson here for me as well?”  It is easy to hear a teaching and think of all the other people who need it – when all along I’m often the most in need.  Thankfully I don’t reject God, but there are definitely periods of grumbling and complaining in my life.

The solution to my problem can be found in this season of giving thanks.  A thankful heart cannot grumble, nor can a grateful heart complain.  I pray that God will help me develop a habit of gratitude which will last throughout the year.  God is always at work in my life if only I would notice it.  This Thanksgiving, I join with the Psalmist in these words of prayer:

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer. – Psalm 19:14 (NKJV)

I’ve noticed a similar theme running through many of my friends’ experiences.  Often it wasn’t a single, startling event that drew them to Jesus.  Instead, it was the gradual influence of many Christians they met after moving here.  These were just regular Christians performing small acts of kindness while investing time in a foreign visitor’s life.  One international friend told me, “I could tell that these people truly loved me, but I couldn’t understand why.  I had to find out more.”

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. – Ephesians 2:10 (NKJV)

Good deeds are a natural outgrowth of our faith in Jesus.  There are works that God has prepared for each of us.  I believe He will guide us to these works if we prayerfully seek His guidance.  Sometimes we can feel discouraged if our service does not produce obvious fruit.  It may seem that unless we regularly lead someone in a salvation prayer, we must be doing something wrong.  However, if we are faithfully serving wherever God has placed us - no matter how menial the task might seem - it is a beautiful offering to the Lord.  From this side of heaven, we cannot know the number of lives who are impacted by our small acts of service.

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.  - Galatians 6:9 (NKJV)

I share this to encourage anyone who may feel that their ministry is “just” helping out in the church nursery, or “only” helping foreign students practice English.  Don’t be fooled into thinking your ministry is small.  You are showing the love of Jesus to a hurting world every step of the way.

Context is vitally important to understanding the meaning of scripture. Any passage of scripture needs the surrounding context in order to fully communicate its meaning. Sometimes the context is simply the surrounding verses, but it can also include entire chapters or more. In our group we have worked through many passages in which it would be easy to get the wrong idea if we only read one verse in isolation.

I find this line of study very interesting. I am more engaged during my daily quiet time when I am intentionally applying study methods. Reading to answer the questions, “Who was the original audience?” or “What was the original author’s message?” makes me more focused and alert as I read. Since I regularly do my Bible study at 5am, I need this very much!

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. – 2 Timothy 2:15 (NKJV)

In the book of Acts, the citizens of Berea were praised because they “searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” They were rightly dividing the word of truth, which is what I want to do too. I pray God will help me learn and grow in this very important area of my Christian walk. The Bible is my chance to learn the mind of God; I want to make the most of this awesome opportunity!

When I reached someone in Customer Service, I embarked on one of the most frustrating experiences I’ve had in a long time. The lady so expertly misunderstood everything I said that my husband suspected she was doing it on purpose, just to frustrate and annoy me. I honestly don’t think she was being so difficult on purpose, but the end result was achieved. I became aggravated to the point that my speech became condescending and rude.

I repented for this behavior in prayer but my actions on the phone that day still bothered me. I found myself thinking, “Is that how a Christian shines the light of Jesus?” or “Which fruit of the spirit was I using during that call?” Thankfully, I stumbled across the following passage in scripture.

For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. - Hebrews 10:14 (NJKV)

My Nelson Bible Commentary says of this passage, “In this verse sanctification refers to the gradual process by which believers are being made more and more perfect.” This is a reminder to me that I’m not expected to be perfect. Through God’s help, I’m asked only to give myself fully to the process. God knows I will never reach this goal but He loves to be at work in me. This is a wonderful reminder to me of how patiently and mercifully God deals with me.

But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth. – Psalm 86:15 (NKJV)

That Psalm was written by David. He also had some missteps in his life yet experienced God’s great mercy. I am so grateful to serve a God who helps me along each step of the way and graciously forgives me when I stumble.

This speaks volumes to me, because I tend to follow a slightly different pattern.  I tell God my request.  I remember that He cares.  I know He is powerful.  I worry, fret, and stew until He resolves the situation.  Then I thank Him for His faithfulness.  Although I usually end up in the right place, I suspect this is not what resting in God is supposed to look like.

"Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.” - John 14:1 (NKJV)

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God - Philippians 4:6 (NKJV)

These Bible verses assure me that God knew I would behave this way, and that I’m not the only one with this problem.  His word tells me there is a better path to take.  His is a path of trust and peace that surpasses understanding.  His path will allow me to walk in thankfulness even when I am in the midst of hardship.  He has won the victory over sin, death, and any problem in my life.  I need only to remember this truth, thank Him for His faithfulness, and take that rest in Him.  Hallelujah!

In America, we have enjoyed freedom for so long it can be hard to imagine life without it.  However, there are many of our fellow Christians who know that misery too well.  This year I want to celebrate my freedom by using it to pray for those who do not enjoy the same privileges.  The following is a quote from the Christmas letter of one such person.  Pastor Saeed has been imprisoned in Iran since mid-2012.

Dear sisters and brothers, the fact of the Gospel is that it is not only the story of Jesus, but it is the key of how we are to live and serve like Jesus. Today we like Him should come out of our safe comfort zone in order to proclaim the Word of Life and Salvation though faith in Jesus Christ and the penalty of sin that He paid on the cross and to proclaim His resurrection. We should be able to tolerate the cold, the difficulties and the shame in order to serve God. We should be able to enter into the pain of the cold dark world. Then we are able to give the fiery love of Christ to the cold wintery manger of those who are spiritually dead. – From Pastor Saeed Abedini’s Christmas letter 2014, as posted on ACLJ.com.

Pastor Saeed’s focus on those who are spiritually bound in the midst of his great physical suffering is inspiring. I am deeply thankful to be an American, to be free, and that I belong to Jesus.  I want to lift in prayer those without political freedom and especially those who are without salvation in Jesus – the only true freedom.

Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also. – Hebrews 13:3 (NKJV)

That night I was in a hurry to start my trip immediately after work.  Without thinking, I jumped in my car and headed out just as a heavy rain started to fall.  Within thirty minutes I was caught in a violent storm on the Interstate.  The storm pounded my car with hail, surrounded me with flashes of lightening, shook the vehicle with strong winds, and dumped pounding rain so heavy it almost completely blocked my view.  After what seemed like an hour, I was finally able to exit the highway.  I found a tiny bit of shelter under an awning where I immediately checked the weather. There were tornadoes in the towns just ahead of me, with another storm bringing flash floods coming up behind me.

In my rational mind I know that God is bigger, stronger, and more majestic than my human brain can comprehend.  That fearful night I felt in my bones how small I am in comparison to the God of the Universe.  It was just a glimpse, but it was a great reminder of how completely I rely on God for every breath that enters my lungs.  It made me think of Isaiah’s exclamation when he encountered God, “Woe is me, for I am undone!” (Isaiah 6:5)

Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name; Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.  The voice of the LORD is over the waters; The God of glory thunders; The LORD is over many waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful; The voice of the LORD is full of majesty. - Psalm 29: 2 – 4 (NKJV)

The Lord kept me safe that night.  I waited out the second storm, returned home, and easily made the trip the following day – after first checking the weather!  I hope the reminder I got of God’s great power will stay with me for a very long time.  This memory will help me sincerely give to the Lord the glory due His great name.

To do the Stop Light Quiz, jot down two or three verses that you’d like to memorize; then store them in your car.  Review your flash cards the first time you get in the car that day.  Each time you are stopped in your car after that, turn off the radio and say your verses out loud.  Use your flash cards to check your progress.  Please, only do this when the car is stopped, the goal is to learn safely!

The Bedtime Review works exactly as it sounds.  As you lie down to sleep, when your mind is spinning with plans for tomorrow, deliberately set those thoughts aside.   Rehearse in your mind as many of your memorized verses that you can remember – including the chapter and verse reference.   This will help you retain verses you’ve memorized in the past as well as solidify those verses you are currently learning.  As an added bonus, it will direct your mind to a more peaceful subject than your “To Do” list.  Focusing on God’s Word is a great way to relax, preparing the mind for restful sleep.

Hopefully these suggestions will help, and even generate other ideas for creative ways to fit practice time into daily life. However you go about it, the effort is well worth it.  Imagine how happy our Lord must be when he sees us taking delight in His Word.

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. – Psalm 1:1-2 (NKJV)

But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. – Matthew 15:18 (NKJV)

These words revealed a subtle attitude of my heart which was very self-centered.  Not that I think that my prayer was sinful, only that it highlighted a tendency towards pride.  In my heart, all of these things were “mine” and were quite separate from God.

Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life. – Proverbs 4:23 (NKJV)

I’m thankful for the chance to consider this carefully.  I need the reminder that I have been rescued - bought at a price.  Not only everything I have, but everything I am belongs to God.  By changing a few simple words, my prayers can remind me of this.  I thank the Lord for letting me live in a warm house, for blessing me with a wonderful husband, and for the gift of good health.  This small change to my prayer helps my heart truly feel the thankfulness that I expressed with my words, and that my Lord so fully deserves.

I was promptly given a ride to the emergency room with some very nice ambulance drivers.  At the ER I eventually saw a doctor who gave me medication and sent me home.  In the course of getting into the car on a freezing cold night, the spasms resumed - as did the accompanying panic.  There in the car as I felt the stabbing pain of my muscles seizing, the fear began to press down on me and my breath went shallow.  Suddenly Bible verses started to flow from my mouth – everything I had worked so hard to memorize came out in a torrent.  With each verse I spoke my breathing came a little easier, I felt a bit calmer, and eventually the spasm eased.

There are many reasons to memorize Bible verses.  New benefits present themselves regularly, sometimes surprisingly.  This scenario was not one I could have anticipated!  I am so grateful there was comfort to draw on when I urgently needed it.  Knowing that my Savior loves me and will be with me through every trial was the best medicine I received that day.

Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you. - Deuteronomy 31:6 (NKJV)

Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit";   whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.  Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that."  But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.  Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin. – James 4:13 – 17 (NKJV)

We could understand this passage to mean that God does not want us to make plans.  Another interpretation is that we should say the magic words, “If the Lord wills” before speaking of any future event.  Or it could be a warning not to be so proud as to assume we know our entire future.  I didn’t know what to think until I read the following quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer.  The quote is almost a paraphrase of this passage from James.

We must be ready to allow ourselves to be interrupted by God.  God will be constantly crossing our paths and canceling our plans by sending us people with claims and petitions.  We may pass them by, preoccupied with our more important tasks, as the priest passed by the man who had fallen among thieves, perhaps- reading the Bible… it is part of the discipline of humility that we must not spare our hand where it can perform a service and we do not assume that our schedule is our own to manage, but allow it to be arranged by God.  – Dietrich Bonhoeffer

I think this is the central message of these verses.  God wants us to remain flexible and open to change in case He wants to steer us in a new direction.  Ephesians 2:10 tells us that we were created for good works.  The hard part is realizing those good works won’t always fit neatly into our schedule.

When she first came to be ours, I noticed these peculiarities.  Over time I have come to know her sweet and loving personality.  Now when I look at her I see a truly beautiful cat.  It startles me when someone meets her for the first time and remarks on her appearance, because I honestly see her as lovely.  I look at her with my eyes of love and see only beauty there.

It recently occurred to me that this must be how God sees me.  When I examine myself, I see mistakes and missteps - all those times I said or did the wrong thing.   However, God sees me through love-colored glasses.  To Him I must glow with the light of Jesus who lives inside of me, making me appear as lovable and innocent as Jesus did.  I’m not an emotional person, but this thought truly touches my heart.

…that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. – Ephesians 3:17-19 (NKJV)

I am so grateful that Jesus came into the world; that He suffered and died for our sin; and He rose again on the third day to take His place at the right hand of God.  He did all this because He loves each one of us with a love that passes all understanding.  Thank you Lord for seeing me with Your eyes of love!

While most of us are too sane and reasonable to have experienced an overhanging climb for ourselves, we can imagine the experience.  It strikes me as a powerful parallel of my spiritual walk with Jesus.

Each day the world and my own selfish desires pull me away from God with a force that seems as unavoidable as gravity.  If I become lax in my prayer life and Bible reading, I can be drawn farther and farther from my goal of becoming more like Jesus.  Each day I must be purposeful in moving toward Jesus, otherwise the pull of gravity will slowly carry me away.

Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. – Luke 9:23 (NKJV)

Each day I have the chance to spend time with God.  What a joy and an honor it is to have access to the Lord of the universe in a personal way.  May I never take for granted this awesome opportunity I have to be near Him.  I can start today by thanking Him for keeping my husband safe on his rock climbing adventures!

The same can be said of the pursuit of happiness.  Before I followed Jesus, when I made decisions I rarely considered anything beyond my own pleasure.  “What would make me the happiest?” was the primary gauge for my decision-making process.  The ironic thing is - I wasn’t happy at all.  I lived with a constant feeling of vague dissatisfaction.  I tried to ignore it by seeking pleasures that I hoped would quell the gnawing discontentment.

True happiness came to me only when my primary decision-making gauge turned from, “What would make me the happiest?” to, “What would most please Jesus?”  In loving God and seeking to please Him, I found the very thing I had been pursuing so relentlessly (and fruitlessly) for years.  God truly does work in mysterious ways.

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. - Matthew 6:33 (NKJV)

I am so grateful for my salvation, and I pray that many others will be able to experience the joy of God’s saving love as I have.  The next time I find myself trying to sleep in the dead of night, instead of trying to pursue sleep I will pray for each person I know who needs salvation.  Even if I do not get to sleep, the time will be very well spent.

This book offers Biblical explanations on the way that unhealthy eating habits, the consumption of excessive quantities of food, and negligence of exercise are examples of the sin of gluttony.  When I allow these behaviors to take over my life, it elevates them to a higher place than God.  This is idolatry.  It can send me into a destructive cycle in which I’m unhappy when I deny myself certain foods, only to feel guilty when I consume them.  This is not the overcoming life that God intended for me - it is bondage.  At this point the book makes a statement that cuts through all the confusion, “Temptation is temptation.  Desire is desire.”

It is easy to see other situations where sinful temptations and desires should be resisted as with sexual sin, lying, or stealing.  But unhealthy food, the source of my temptation, is socially acceptable.  I can freely indulge in my desire to overeat without immediate consequences.  Because of this, it is easy to fool myself into thinking that it is OK.  The fact remains that temptation is temptation, and desire is desire.

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. – 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NKJV)

I don’t want to serve any master but Jesus – especially not my stomach!  This book provided encouragement that I needed to continue on my journey of health, and the assurance that God will help me as I go.

Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. – 1 Corinthians 10:31 (NKJV)

I would like to start a new habit.  I want to look for opportunities to be a blessing to others, to more prayerfully and intentionally approach my human interactions.  I want to actually look into the eyes of those around me, honestly caring about the problems in their lives.  If I could develop the habit of asking, “How are you?” with a sincere desire to know the answer, I would have the opportunity to pray with others every day.

Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.  And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. – Ephesians 5:1-2 (NKJV)

I am not naturally a people-person, so all of this personal contact sounds a bit uncomfortable to me.  However, God wouldn’t tell us to walk in love unless He was willing to help us follow His instruction.  With prayer and practice and a lot of God’s help, this new habit can become a reality.

And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. – 1 John 3:23 (NKJV)

The problem arises when this habit comes face-to-face with the grace of my Lord Jesus.  He loves me so much that He died for me; even while He knew about all my mistakes.  He loves me so much that He doesn’t want anyone to be mean to me, including myself!  I think this was one of the things Paul had in mind when he wrote the following to the believers in Philippi.

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. - Philippians 4:8 (NKJV)

He didn’t say, “Whatever mistake you just made…” or “Whatever stupid thing you said yesterday...”  He didn’t even say, “Whatever you fear may happen tomorrow – meditate on these things.”   No, Paul clearly wanted his readers to train their minds to focus on the good things God had placed in their lives.

I believe that self-reflection and self-correction play an important role in any Christian’s life.  However, we should approach ourselves in the same loving manner that Our Savior would use.  I pray that each time my thoughts venture into condemnation, the Holy Spirit will remind me to turn my mind toward truth, purity, and things worthy of praise.

I occasionally encounter someone who knew only the old me.  When this happens, I feel very sad that this person saw me behave in a way that I regret.  I’m especially saddened when I remember that I called myself a Christian at that time.  We so often hear the “Christians are all hypocrites” insult tossed around.  When confronted with my past, I see that I could have added to that misconception.

I know my Lord does not want me to wallow in feelings of guilt and regret.  He loves me too much for that.  Though His great love, He has cleansed me of my sin.

As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. – Psalms 103:12 (NKJV)

I believe that any situation can be used for His glory so I have asked God to show me how to deal with this.  I see now that speaking about my past to others could be His way of opening a door to their heart.  If I will be open and honest, those embarrassing memories could become the gateway to a conversation about the transforming power of my Lord.

The Apostle Paul spoke about his own spiritual transformation in his first letter to Timothy.  When Paul spoke of his past, he focused on God’s grace, not his own failures.  What great instruction we find in God’s word!

And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. - 1 Timothy 1:15 (NKJV)

Times of pain are a good time to remember the character of our Lord.  The Bible tells us this about God:

He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds.
He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name.
Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite. – Psalm 147:3-5 (NKJV)

In the Bible we are also told about how Jesus handled trials.  Peter shares this description of Jesus in His time of suffering:

Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously - 1 Peter 2:22-23 (NKJV)

The reaction of my friends to hardship is perfectly aligned with God’s word.  They remind themselves that the Lord is great, He is mighty in power, and He loves them.  They also follow the example of Jesus – when they feel pain, they commit themselves more deeply to our Heavenly Father.

This is the pathway to the peace that passes all understanding.  What a sweet blessing God brings out of even our hardest times.   God is good!

One day I saw a mental image of myself that communicated an idea to me. In this image I held an ugly, slimy, brownish lump that was wrapped up in a bow.  I laid this nasty thing at the feet of Jesus, as if I was giving him a gift.  To me this meant that my struggle against that ugly emotion is a way of showing Jesus that He is my Lord, even when I am not getting it right.

In my studies of the word I came to believe that there is a way to overcome emotions like anger.  We must fill our hearts so full of thankfulness to God and love for God that it crowds out any other emotion.  There is no room for anger in a heart that is full of love.

Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.
And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. – Ephesians 4: 31-32 (NKJV)

As I cultivate a grateful heart, the first thing I’m thankful for is that God is patient with me.  Like any good parent, He appreciates my gift of a lump of anger, even when it isn’t what He truly wants.  I am also thankful that He will help me as I go on this journey toward a grateful, loving heart.   We serve a good God!

I suddenly had a very realistic vision of each person in the room turning to speak this phrase to me, meaning ‘lost’ in the Christian sense - the lack of Jesus as their savior. This gave me a fresh realization. Every day I am surrounded by wonderful people who are truly lost. I have been given the ultimate blessing of meeting Jesus, the key who unlocks eternity in Heaven. Yet even so, I find myself going through my daily life without a thought for the eternal destiny of those around me.

In the Gospel of Luke, the Bible tells us this is the reason why Jesus came to earth.

for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. – Luke 19:10 (NKJV)

In Matthew 28, Jesus Himself gives his followers these instructions:

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit – Matthew 28:19 (NKJV)

Why then do I continue to go through most of my life without telling more people about the wonder of Jesus’ love? I think fear is the biggest reason. I feel a fear of looking foolish, fear of rejection, fear that I won’t have the right words to say. These fears have no place in this situation of ultimate importance.

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. – Matthew 10:28 (NKJV)

I believe this realization is a God-given opportunity to grow in this area. I need to honestly examine my reasons for not sharing the Gospel more often. I suspect I will find that many of these “reasons” are groundless. Please join me in praying that God will strengthen His followers to be witnesses for Him in our towns, our countries, and to the end of the earth.

The truth of that statement rings loudly in my ears because I am guilty of impatience so often.  I don’t call it that, of course.  I’m trying to get three errands done on my lunch hour so I am being efficient.  So it is reasonable that I ride the bumper of the car in front of me, right?  I only have one item and exact change so I should I break into a trot to reach the checkout line before that person with 25 items, right?  Wrong!  It is impatience, pure and simple.  That is me holding myself in higher esteem than others.

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.   Philippians 2:3 (NKJV)

I’m pretty sure the verse above is not fulfilled when I do the fast-walk to jump in front of someone in line or honk at a slow driver in traffic.  If these behaviors are in direct opposition to the instructions of my Lord; that tells me they are sinful.  Sin is a high price to pay for getting those errands accomplished on time. 

Now that I see what I am doing, I will repent of it and ask God to train me to be better in this area.  I fear this training process will mean a LOT of chances to be in the slowest line at Wal-Mart.  I would appreciate your prayers as I embark on this journey!

As I write this, we’ve just begun a new year.  That always starts me thinking about changes I want to make in my life.  One change I’d love to see is to become more Christ-like in my words and actions - obviously a very challenging goal.  I’ve considered the many facets of how this might look in real life.  The startling revelation came when I realized it all boils down to one thing: love.  There’s that love message coming at me again!

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;  bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.   – 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NKJV)

I see now that if I have love for other people I will naturally be more patient and kind with them.  If I love to please the Lord more than pleasing myself, then my life more closely align with His will.  If I love God with all my heart, then my prayer time will reflect the depth of that love through intensity in which I seek Him. 

Wow, this is starting to make a more typical New Year’s goal of, “Lose 10 pounds and run a marathon” look easy!  Rather than become discouraged, I must remind myself that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.  I trust that He will be glad to help me on a journey like this.  This is an intimidating goal, but I serve a big God! 

You may be going about your daily life when suddenly a person around you seems to shine as if they are in a spotlight.  You suddenly have a new understanding of difficulties they are facing, or feel an urge to encourage them in some way.   This is the body of Christ in action.  It is a beautiful part of following Jesus. 

Thanksgiving did not become an annual holiday until President Lincoln’s proclamation was issued in 1863.  It included these words, “The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God.”   It is astounding that such an effort was made to be grateful as a nation, considering that the country was in the middle of our long and brutal Civil War at that time.

The proclamation lists many blessings that the nation had enjoyed despite the ongoing war.  It is touching to know that our leaders were able to look about a war-torn country and still find things to be grateful for.  The proclamation goes on to express, “No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.”

I thank the Lord that I live in a country founded on Godly principles.  I pray that He will not give up on this great nation.  May be humble ourselves and turn to Him.   

giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ – Ephesians 5:20 (NKJV)

One favorite study method is to get many different perspectives of the same text.  I like to read two or three different translations of the same verse.  This helps me understand the language and intent of the author.  My favorite translations are the New King James Version and the Wuest Expanded New Testament Translation.  The Wuest version helps to communicate the original Greek in a very literal way.  It gives a nice, full picture of what the verse is saying. 

Another way to get different perspectives is to use several commentaries.  I love the Thomas Nelson NKJV commentary.  I find I’m always copying things down from Warren Wiersbe’s commentary because I want to remember them later.  I find the Life Application Study Bible’s commentary helpful as well.    Matthew Henry’s commentary was written in the 1700’s but is still very applicable today.    

If you have a computer-based tool like e-Sword, which is free to download, you can view many different Bible translations and commentaries all in one place.  Not only is the software free, but many of the translations and commentaries are as well.  Others can be purchased as add-on modules. 

Last but not least, the YouVersion Bible app is a free application for your mobile device.  It provides translations of the Bible in 450 languages, including audio versions and study plans.   

However you decide to approach your Bible study time, I’m confident that God will make each verse come alive to you.  Be sure to write down your thoughts and impressions as you read.  If you do this long enough, you will have built your own commentary! 

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear – 1 Peter 3:15 (NKJV)

that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him,
being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power,
for all patience and longsuffering with joy; - Colossians 1:9a–11 (NKJV)

Paul wants us to walk in wisdom and spiritual understanding, being filled with the knowledge of God’s will.  I believe this is a call to careful study of the Bible.  Since the Bible is God’s Word to us, what better way to know God than by reading His words?  When we accompany our studies with sincere prayers for His wisdom, I believe those prayers will be answered.  

We are to walk worthy of the Lord.  This means to live our lives in a way that brings Him glory.  A life lived in this manner will bear fruit.  It will also display a natural outpouring of good works.  To accomplish this we must form the habit of asking ourselves many times each day, “Will this activity bring glory to God?”

Paul prays that we would always be increasing in our knowledge of God. Here again we see Paul urging us to turn to God’s Word and to prayer in order to better know the heart of our Lord.  We see by the double mention of knowledge, Paul desires that we remain students of the Word always.  He is basically reminding us that we never ‘graduate’ from this learning process until our days are complete.

When we pursue God in this way, we will face challenges.  But Paul knows that our Lord is stronger than any challenge we might face. He prays that we will be strengthened with all might (not just a little might) according to God’s glorious power.  Wow – that is a lot of power. 

Next we see that Paul wants us to use this God-given strength and power in order to have patience in our daily lives.  We are to endure unfair situations, unkind comments, and accidental insults with longsuffering endurance and even joy.  Now we see why we need so much power!  I sadly fail in this area every day.  When this happens I go back to the Word and back into prayer.  I ask the Lord to help me do better tomorrow than I did today. 

Thank you Lord that You don’t leave us to accomplish Paul’s prayer for us by ourselves.  You have made a provision for us that will allow us to walk worthy of You.  Amazing!

Therefore "IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM; IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP COALS OF FIRE ON HIS HEAD." - Romans 12:20 (NKJV) [quoting Proverbs 25]

This reads as if the only reason we should do something nice for our enemy is so that something bad will happen to him.  That’s not a very loving message!  I recently took the time to research this further.  Thanks to this study, I learned the term ‘coals of fire’ refers to a burning sense of shame; shame that could lead to repentance and reconciliation with God. 

Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. - 2 Corinthians 7:9 (NKJV)

Wouldn’t that be the ultimate in conflict resolution?  This is yet another reminder of how deeply God loves each one of us.  What a blessing!

I am convinced that cats can tell time.  They know exactly when the magical food-dispensing moment is drawing near.  During the half hour before feeding time, the cats will frantically lead me toward the food container as I walk past it.  When that doesn’t work, they stand beside the food plate and meow with a pitiful cry.  As a last resort they use their bodies as ankle-brushing obstacles – attempting to trip me as I walk near the food. 

I see them work themselves into a state of anxiety and I want to tell them, “Calm down. I will feed you in 20 minutes.  Getting yourself upset will not change a thing about my plan.”  I will give them their food at the right time, but they are convinced it will only arrive if they work hard enough to coerce it out of me.  

It is easy to laugh at my funny cats, but I wonder how often my behavior with God is just like this?  There is something that I want, something that I know God can give me, and I think it should come NOW.  I scramble, plead, worry, and fling myself toward the solution – but am I really only upsetting myself for nothing?  God is going to follow his plan on his timetable whether I work myself into a frenzy or not.  This reminds me of a favorite verse:

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; - Proverbs 3:5 (NKJV)

When I give a situation to the Lord, I need to remember to relax and continually put my trust in Him in that area. If I trust in the Lord with my entire heart, there shouldn’t be room for anxiety.  Just in case I forget this, I have a reminder four times each day – as I trip over my cats.

Jesus demonstrated the importance of prayer again and again.  In Luke’s Gospel, we read about Jesus as He prepares for the crucifixion.  On this night he takes His disciples with him to Gethsemane for prayer.  

When He came to the place, He said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation." – Luke 22:40 (NKJV)

We are told that Jesus moved a little way off and prayed fervent, heartfelt prayers.  He then returned to His disciples and found them sleeping.

Then He said to them, "Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation." – Luke 22:46 (NKJV)

I have to admit, my pride rises up when reading this.  I find myself thinking, “If I’d have been there, I would have stayed awake for Jesus.”  Then I immediately have a mental image of myself in my early-morning prayer time.  I remember a time when I started out in prayer but ended up thinking about work instead.  Then I have another memory of a morning when I realized I’d been staring at the same spot on the wall for several minutes, dozing off during time that I could have been experiencing the presence of my Lord.  Now I see there is no difference between me and the disciples in Gethsemane.

What a humbling experience!  My prayer is that this new view of my morning time with Jesus will help inspire me to deeper, richer, more faithful time spent seeking Him.  I hope this helps you as well.

I find myself imagining what I would have felt if the tornado hit my home that afternoon.  I can imagine the roar of the storm, the breaking of glass, and the helpless feeling of having nothing to do but hide.   As a Christian, I know that death is not to be feared.  As a human, I fear it anyway.  I know those long minutes of hiding must have been full of terror for everyone who was near that storm. 

How should we handle fear?  The same way we are to handle any problem – take it to Jesus.  We lay our fears at His feet as an offering.   How comforting it would be to have some verses memorized to speak over any fear that tries to overcome us. 

The LORD is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I will praise Him. – Psalm 28:7 (NKJV)

The LORD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; My father's God, and I will exalt Him. – Exodus 15:2 (NKJV)

This storm strengthens my resolve that memorizing scripture is one of the most valuable things I can do with my time.  I want to be prepared with verses hidden in my heart in case of emergency.  God’s Word is sharper than any two-edged sword.  Let’s use it as a powerful weapon in the battle against fear. 

God is holy and righteous and He hates sin; it provokes a righteous anger from Him.  However, Jesus took that anger onto Himself on the cross.  God satisfied His anger toward our sin by pouring out His wrath His Son Jesus, who accepted it willingly on our behalf. 

In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. – 1 John 4:9 (NKJV)

There are always consequences of sin and we must face those consequences.  God will discipline us because He loves us, but he isn’t angry at us. 

God loved us so much that He gave his only begotten son Jesus to take on the judgment that we deserved.  It is only natural that we would respond to such love with a grateful heart, desiring to live in a way that brings honor to Him. 

God’s love goes beyond our comprehension.  Let’s live in gratitude of that!

Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. – Genesis 2:15 (NKJV)

There are many places in the Bible where the promise of a reward means more to do in heaven.  In Matthew, Jesus relates a parable about two servants.  The faithful and wise servant is rewarded by being given more responsibility. 

"Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?  Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods….” - Matt 24:45-47

In this life, our service to others is our service the Lord.  Service should be done out of an overflow of gratitude for the wonderful gift of salvation that we have been given.  There are always more reasons to be thankful to God - so we will never run out of reasons to express that gratitude; even into our retirement years.  Our social system may relieve us from our traditional work duties at a certain age, but that only gives us more time to serve our Heavenly Father.  Let’s plan to use our lives for something meaningful at every stage. 

The founder Jimmy Pena believes that our health is a means of giving praise to God.  He also believes that this praise requires a sacrifice.  To better see what he means, think on the following section of 1 Chronicles.  This passage describes King David purchasing the land that would become the Temple Mount.

But Ornan said to David, "Take it to yourself, and let my lord the king do what is good in his eyes. Look, I also give you the oxen for burnt offerings, the threshing implements for wood, and the wheat for the grain offering; I give it all."

Then King David said to Ornan, "No, but I will surely buy it for the full price, for I will not take what is yours for the LORD, nor offer burnt offerings with that which costs me nothing." – 1 Chron 21:23-24

Exercise can be seen as an expression of gratitude.  It is a way to show the Lord that we are grateful for the blessing of health.  If you have been struggling to maintain a healthy lifestyle, I pray that this perspective would be that encouragement you need to stay with it.  Each drop of sweat that rolls off your brow is a fragrant offering to the Lord – very fragrant! 

I am the type of person who needs a plan, so this is my strategy.  Each month I will select a verse that I want to memorize.  I will copy it many times onto a sheet of paper and place those papers around my home and office.  Each time I see the verse, I will practice by speaking it aloud until I have it fully memorized.  Then I’ll spend the rest of the month reviewing it and the verses I’ve learned in previous months. 

I want to encourage you to try this with me, for there is no doubt that this is a valuable exercise.  The Bible is God speaking to man – what else could be more important?  

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. – 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NKJV)

“They believe that a good intention already means a new beginning.  They believe that on their own they can make a new start whenever they want, but that is an evil illusion.  Only God can make a new beginning with people - whenever God pleases, but not people with God.  Therefore people cannot make a new beginning at all.  They can only pray for one.  Where people are on their own and live by their own devices, there is only the old, the past. Only where God is can there be a new beginning.  We cannot command God to grant it, we can only pray to God for it.  And we can pray only when we realize that we cannot do anything; that we have reached our limit.  That someone else must make that new beginning.”     Dietrich Bonhoeffer, quoted from “God Is in the Manger”  

For my entire Christian life, I may have left God completely out of my New Year’s resolutions.  I somehow had the idea that it is up to me to push through these changes on my own. 

What a blessing to stumble onto this wonderful insight in time to do things differently this year.  I’m not going to wait for January either;  I’m going to start asking God for a new beginning in my life right now! 

that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. – Ephesians 4:22 - 24

 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.  -  1 John 4:8 (NKJV)

Take heart!  The Lord will never require us to do something without offering us His power to succeed.  The Bible gives us a two-step program for achieving this love of others.  Be warned – it isn’t a program you can do once and then forget about it.  It’s a daily, sometimes hourly, process that must be repeated as often as needed.  The steps are:

1.       Admit that we are incapable of doing this without the Holy Spirit working through us

2.       Acknowledge the need for a constant flow of grace from God to ourselves to others

I believe item 1 is already clear to most of us.  If you are like me, you don’t have to remember very far back to think of a time when you had unkind thoughts about another person, or lost your temper with someone.  We very much want to behave in a way that honors Christ, but our personal will power is not enough to get us there. 

When thinking about item 2, you can imagine that flow of grace as if you are a fire hose on full blast.  One end of that hose is connected to the Holy Spirit.  It must be connected so well that His grace and love floods into you.  You realize how much was done for you when you deserved it the least.  Your heart becomes so full of God’s love that it begins to overflow and pour out in the form of patience, kindness, and mercy when dealing with others.  The key here is the source – not our own willpower, but the passing on of Jesus’s love to others. 

When you find yourself about to become irritated or angry by another person, start a new habit of prayer at those moments.   Tell God that you know you cannot react appropriately and that you need His love to flow into and out of you, to this other person.  Over time we can develop this into a habit so the behavior will become automatic.

And above all things have fervent love for one another, for "LOVE WILL COVER A MULTITUDE OF SINS." - 1 Peter 4:8 (NKJV)

My wonderful pastor, Pastor Ken says, “Consider yourself to be a dispenser of grace, not just a catching pot.”  This is a great lesson.  I pray the Lord will help me learn it well. 

So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him. - Mark 3:9 (NKJV) 

In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples… - Luke 12:1 (NKJV) 

We see the news footage every year of people behaving very badly in order to purchase something at a discount.  It is times like these when people are often at their worst.  With this in mind, it is amazing to think that Jesus was in the center of these unruly crowds and yet He still showed them love and compassion.   

This is further proof of what we already know – Jesus wants us to come to Him just as we are.  We don’t have to clean up our act first.  He just wants a relationship with us.  After that, His Holy Spirit will help us work through the changes we need to make.  This is astounding, beautiful, and comforting news.    

Jesus answered and said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance." – Luke 5:31-32 (NKJV) 

Let’s take this Good News into the holiday season ahead.  And this includes the time when we are shopping.  Fellow Christians, let’s walk through Black Friday in love.   His Spirit will help us!

Would you show up and track mud all over the floors, spill grape juice on the carpets, or allow your cat to pee in Bill’s closet? Of course not; most of us would tiptoe around the place, feeling terrified of breaking anything. We might eventually grow comfortable enough to relax, but I doubt we would ever abuse or misuse Bill’s belongings.

I use this analogy to illustrate what God has done for us when blessing us with the planet earth. This is a beautiful, amazing place the Lord has given us in which to live. In Genesis chapter 1, God twice states that man is to have dominion over the earth. This is in both Genesis 1:26 and again in Genesis 1:28.

…fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.– Gen 1:28 (NJKV)

My Thomas Nelson commentary teaches that “have dominion” means to rule as God would rule and that to “subdue” means to run things as God planned. This does not mean the earth is ours; we are simply custodians. You can see this in Exodus and Psalms:

The earth is the LORD's, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein. – Psalms 24:1 (NKJV)

… the thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, that you may know that the earth is the LORD's. – Exodus 9:29 (NKJV)

For this reason, I believe that Christians should tread lightly on this earth. We should treat it better than we’d treat Bill Gate’s Barcalounger. A good place to start is by just being aware of our own impact. The next time you dry your hands with a paper towel, ask yourself whether you could have dried your hands with half the amount of towel. Give your hands a little shake first, you’ll be amazed at how little you actually need! Think about each thing you throw away and ask yourself whether there was a more environmentally friendly alternative you could have used. Reduce, reuse, recycle isn’t just for greenies – it is also for those in whom our Lord has entrusted the care of our pre-Heaven home. Let’s honor God by being gentle to this beautiful, temporary home He has given us.

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. – Eph 5:25 – 27 (NKJV)

He specifically focused on the phrase, “cleanse her with the washing of water by the word.” We can understand that the church in this verse means all who believe in Jesus. So this says that Jesus gave Himself so that He might sanctify and cleanse each of us with the washing of the Holy Bible.

When you think about the act of washing clothes in your washing machine, imagine how the clothing is totally immersed in the soapy water. It penetrates down into the weave of the fabric. The clothing is completely saturated in the cleansing water. That’s how we need to view ourselves in relation to God’s word. We need to fill ourselves so full of the Bible that it penetrates into the “weave” of our being.

To get to this level of saturation, we might consider ways that we can work more Bible time into our daily lives. Daily Bible reading during our quiet time with the Lord is a great first step. We can go further by seeking out music that contains scripture. Two excellent examples of this are the CD, “Word of God Speak: The Worship Session” and the children’s CD by Steve Green, “Hide ‘Em In Your Heart – Bible Memory Melodies.” If you are the kind of person who likes background noise, try listening to an audio Bible instead of reaching for the television remote. You can also hang flash cards of your favorite verses around your home and office.

If we purposefully seek out ways to fill ourselves with God’s word, we will find more and more opportunities to bring the Bible into our daily lives. Let’s pray together, asking God to show us how we can more fully fill our lives with His word.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. – Col 3:16 (NKJV)

“The word which God addresses directly to us is an instrument, not only of government, but also of fellowship. For, though God is a great king, it is not His wish to live at a distance from His subjects. Rather the reverse: He made us with the intention that He and we might walk together forever in a love relationship. But such a relationship can exist only when the parties involved know something of each other. God, our Maker, knows all about us before we say anything (Psalms 139:1-4); but we can know nothing about Him unless He tells us.

O LORD, You have searched me and known me.
You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off.
You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways.
For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.
– Psalms 139:1-4 (NKJV)

Here, therefore, is a further reason why God speaks to us: not only to move us to do what He wants, but to enable us to know Him so that we may love Him. Therefore God sends His word to us in the character of both information and invitation. It comes to woo us as well as instruct us; it not merely puts us in the picture of what God as done and is doing, but also calls us into personal communion with the loving Lord Himself.” By J.I. Packer, from “Knowing God”

Isn’t that beautiful? I’m not normally an emotional person, but after reading that I was deeply moved by the thought of the Bible as a personal love letter from the Lord. Of course there is a lot more to the Bible than that one facet; but this is one that I often overlook. I pray this insight gives me fresh eyes and a renewed love for God’s word. The Bible is truth; it is good; it is from God. What a precious gift!

Do you ever sing along to a song on the radio containing lyrics that would shock your grandmother? Do you ever participate in a joking conversation that sinks into lewdness? Do discussions at work slip into gossip about a particular co-worker? I don’t ever intend to do things like this, but sometimes they just happen.

If I stopped to realize that Jesus, the pure and holy Son of God was listening to every word that escapes my lips, would I alter the words I choose to speak? As believers, the Holy Spirit lives inside us. That means God hears every word that escapes our lips and every thought that doesn’t.

Wow, that’s a scary thought, isn’t it? I’m going to need a LOT of help with this one. Thankfully the Bible comes through for me again, giving me scriptures that I can learn to help me improve my behavior. I can even turn them into prayers when asking God to help me in this area. Here are two that I plan to use:

Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips. - Psalms 141:3 (NKJV)

He who guards his mouth preserves his life, But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction.
- Proverbs 13:3 (NKJV)

I pray the Holy Spirit will help me learn to use my words to glorify God. Will you join me in this? He has given us eternal life – let’s praise Him!

1. Storgos – affection or family love
2. Eros – sensual love, love that stirs your senses
3. Phileō – returned love or reciprocal love, love because of what you get out of it
4. Agapē – selfless and sacrificial love, as in that given by God

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. – 1 John 4:7-8 (NKJV)

In the verse above, the word agapē is the root of all the “loves” mentioned in those verses. So you could restate that verse this way, “Beloved, let us sacrificially love one another, for sacrificial love is of God; and everyone who gives sacrificial love is born of God and knows God. He who does not sacrificially love does not know God, for God is sacrificial love.”

Sacrificial love is hard for me, mostly because of the whole “sacrifice” part of the equation. It’s a lot more comfortable when I don’t have to sacrifice anything. I have to remind myself daily (and should probably change it to hourly) that life is not all about me and my wants, but God and His will.

So here’s the “Love Test” I mentioned in the title. In the scripture below, you can see how well it works when you substitute the name “Jesus” for the word “love” in this passage. That’s the easy part. Now for the test: how well does it work when you put your own name into that spot?

Love suffers long and is kind;
love does not envy;
love does not parade itself,
is not puffed up;
does not behave rudely,
does not seek its own,
is not provoked,
thinks no evil;
does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
bears all things,
believes all things,
hopes all things,
endures all things.
Love never fails. – 1 Cor 13:4 – 8 (NKJV)

Obviously it is going to take a lot of help from the Holy Spirit for us humans to get a passing grade here. Let us not feel condemned by this little test. Instead, may this be an awakening to us for the wonderful way Jesus wants to work in our lives.

But He answered and said, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE, BUT BY EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS FROM THE MOUTH OF GOD.'"- Matthew 4:4 (NKJV)

Many of us can fall into the trap of deciding we are going to read a certain quota, like a chapter per day. Soon we become determined to read that chapter no matter what - even if we have to read it so fast we have no idea what it said.

I recently realized that I was doing this. There were some afternoons I couldn’t have told you what book of the Bible I had read from in my morning devotional time. I thought and prayed for help to improve in this area. I want to share the changes I’ve made to my daily Bible reading in hopes that it will spark some ideas which will enrich yours as well.

First, I decided my priority was to read the Bible to comprehend, not to meet a goal. This applies even if I must focus on only one sentence during my entire reading time. Then I added two things to my daily Bible study: note taking and a pop quiz. Each day I choose one segment of my reading which I want to think about more deeply, want to memorize, or that I admire. I copy that segment into a journal and add my impressions, bits of commentary, or plans for how I will apply this to my life. This ensures that I’m really thinking about what I’m reading. Now I approach each day’s reading with the expectation that I will find at least one gem worthy of writing down and thinking about more fully.

The pop quiz part works best if you have a friend or loved one to help you. I gave my husband permission to ask me at any time during the day what I’d read about in my morning Bible reading. He rarely does this. However, just knowing that he might ask helps me to remain alert as I read. If no one else will quiz you, test yourself! Knowing you will be asked to recall the information later will really help it sink into your memory.

Other ideas include reading several alternate versions of the same passages each day, reading one or more commentaries, or asking questions about the text. An example of asking questions would be, “Why was this word chosen and not a similar word? How is the meaning different because this was the word used here?” Each of these things will help you slow down as you read the Bible and savor each juicy morsel. There is more than enough here to sustain us all for eternity.

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! - Psalms 34:8 (NKJV)

Whenever I study science, psychology, or any other science, I’m always brought back to awe at our amazing God. We think we have discovered so much when all along, it was all right there in His Word! In this case, I see how living as the Bible teaches will mesh so perfectly with the way our brains handle the issue of status in marriage.

When two people are continuously working to maintain their status, they will necessarily be at odds. Both individuals can’t be the “top dog” so someone is always struggling to protect or gain status. My own marriage was that way for many years. We maintained separate bank accounts because I did not want my husband to have power over me regarding financial decisions. We frequently got into arguments regarding areas where we could not agree on a particular action to take. I also had a nasty habit of making belittling remarks about him in front of others. I now see this was merely a subconscious attempt to give myself a higher status than him in the eyes of others.

What does the Bible say about this?

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. - Ephesians 5:22 (NKJV)

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her - Ephesians 5:25 (NKJV)

Then my husband and I came to know Jesus and learned how the Bible says to structure a marriage. It basically comes down to this: the wife is asked to concede the battle for status; voluntarily giving it to the husband. In exchange, the husband is asked to treat the wife better than he would treat himself. The husband has all of the responsibility to answer to God for how he led his family. It only makes sense that the members of his family would concede to him the authority needed to fulfill this duty.

When we began trying to live this way, everything changed for the better. There was no longer any feeling of competition between us, but cooperation. Now I cannot imagine belittling my husband at all, and especially not in front of others! He is my hero, my protector, my advisor, and my best friend. All I gave up was a little status and I got enormous happiness, peace, and fulfillment in exchange. This is how God’s economy often works. I’m so glad I gave Jesus the proper “status” in my life – as Lord!

A fairly common reason people give when asked why they don’t believe in God is, “I prayed for help and He didn’t answer my prayer.” Be it the recovery of a loved one from illness, rescue from a bad situation, or some other tragic event. While I do not dispute that whatever this person endured was a very bad experience, getting angry at God because of it is not a reasonable response.

When people say this, they are in essence saying, “I told God what to do and He didn’t do it, so I don’t like Him anymore.” It is both pouty and presumptuous to think we can tell the Lord of the Universe how things should be done, then stalk off in a huff when He does not see things our way.

The Bible is extremely clear that becoming a believer only increases your likelihood for suffering. Nowhere in scripture is salvation offered as a “get out of problems free” card. Instead Jesus says,

"You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you… - Matthew 5:43-44 (NKJV)

We generally get stuck on the part where we’re told to be nice to people who are mean to us. However if you read beyond that, you see Jesus lists things that are likely to happen to His true followers. People will hate us. We will be unjustly accused and injured (which is ‘spitefully used’ in modern language), and we should expect persecution. This doesn’t sound like a promise of life in a patch of daisies.

Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you. -1 John 3:13 (NKJV)

The New Testament is full of encouragement to those who are being persecuted. They were being burned alive, torn apart by lions for the entertainment of others, and hunted like criminals; yet they did not give up their faith.

I pray that anyone who has bought into the vending-machine lie would visit the scriptures. Search and you will see that the Lord promises us to be with us in our struggles, not exempt us from them. He will send His Holy Spirit to help us endure hard times if we only turn to Him.

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." -John 16:33 (NKJV)

Each time I would hear the bells chime, I would ask myself, “Have I done anything worthwhile since the last time the bells rang?” Most often the answer was, “No.” Rather than beat myself up about it, I considered it a chance to change my direction and do something more worthwhile.

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. - Ephesians 5:15-16 (NKJV)

As I begin this New Year, I intend to be watchful of my time. I want to guard it from foolishness and try to use it for more beneficial things. Of course, I believe one of the best uses of time is memorizing Bible verses. I also hope to invest more time in family, friends, prayer, reading, serving others, and exercise. What would you like to do with yours? The clock is ticking on all of our lives – let’s live to the fullest!

Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end." - Luke 1:30-33 (NKJV)

Mary displayed great faith when she responded with, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." However, what strikes me most was how she must have felt 3 decades later at the foot of the cross. Her Son did not appear great on that day, He did not have the throne of His father David, and He certainly did not appear as if He was going to reign over anything forever - He was obviously about to die. Mary didn’t know the plan for the resurrection and the redemption of the world. It was all there in God’s design, but she would not be able to see it for some time.

I think we should keep this in mind when we face difficult things. We can rest in the assurance that our lives are safe in His hands. If you are facing difficult times this Christmas season, take heart! Like Mary, your perspective is limited by your vantage point. The Lord sees the big picture - trust Him.

I just finished reading an interesting book by Carl Medearis called, “Speaking of Jesus.” I wanted to share an insight from this book here.

Mr. Medearis writes that we can only speak of that which we know, so how can we really know Jesus? He puts forward the idea that by reading the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) until they become a part of us, we will get to know Jesus in a very real way. After immersing ourselves in the Gospels, we will get a feel for how Jesus would react in different situations, almost as if we had been with him when he walked the earth as a man.

Most of us can predict the actions and comments of those closest to us. Wouldn’t it be great to be that familiar with Jesus? I plan to incorporate this into my daily Bible study. When I’m faced with a difficult situation, I would love to have a ready answer to the mental question, “How would Jesus handle this?”

But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. - Deuteronomy 4:29 (NKJV)

As I was reading, I noticed a commonality in each of these books. When God spoke to these people, He did it through scripture. They would pray for God’s guidance and eventually the Lord would put a piece of scripture in their minds which would serve as an answer.

This has resonated with me as a very important facet of communicating with God. All sincere Christians would love to hear more from God. I feel that if I put in the effort to study His Word, then I can trust His Holy Spirit to bring the things I learned back to my memory at the time of God’s choosing.

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. - John 14:26 (NKJV)

This verse quotes Jesus speaking to His disciples regarding things that He said to them when he walked the earth. For today’s believers, I think “all things I said to you” can mean what we read in the Bible.

Of course, God can speak to anyone at any time by any means He chooses. Knowing this, I want to do all I can to ensure that I will always hear His voice when he speaks to me. I believe a rich prayer life and times of quiet listening are two things I can do to make myself ready to hear from God. The third leg of this stool is a deep knowledge of God’s Word. I work toward growth in these areas every day.

I do these things in hope of becoming a better servant to my Lord, as I know we all want to be. Let us take inspiration from the lives of others who have been used by the Lord and commit to do whatever it takes to grow closer to Him. We memorize scripture because He is worth it!

Life’s little pleasures are the best
A day of work, a night of rest
A secret shared, a friend or two
And love to brighten all you do

I never tried to memorize it, it never even occurred to me to want to memorize it. It simply hung on my bedroom wall over the foot of my bed for years during my childhood.

Recently I began to think about this effortless memorization and decided to try an experiment. I selected a verse that I wanted to learn and copied it onto an index card. I then placed that index card next to my computer at work where I would see it all day long. I selected this verse:

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Philippians 2:3 (NKJV)

About two months later, I was listening to an audio book which quoted this verse. I was quite surprised to find my lips moving along with the narrator as he read the verse - I hadn’t realized I had memorized it. What a pleasant surprise!

Now please don’t think I am suggesting this as a primary study method for scripture memorization. If you have seen anything of my “Memorize Scripture – On the Go!” program you know that I believe we learn best when we approach scripture memorization by involving as many senses as possible. Hearing, speaking, writing, and reading each verse helps us to learn better and more quickly than any other method I’ve tried.

I simply offer this passive learning method as a supplement to your normal scripture study methods. How nice it was to find more of God’s Word hidden in my heart when I hadn’t even made a conscious effort to put it there. I hope that you will experience this joy as well!

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. - Ephesians 5:22-23

So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. - Ephesians 5:28

The Bible teaches how husbands and wives should treat one another in Ephesians chapter five. One way this teaching plays out in real life is by each spouse showing respect to the other.

Speaking from the vantage point of a wife, I’ve seen something in men that responds positively to praise from his wife. It is very meaningful for a man to hear the most important female in his life tell a story in which he is the knight in shining armor. I believe that a man will grow into the expectations held out for him by his wife –either high or low.

Since we are all human, we already know that none of us is perfect. That means your spouse will have some flaws. However, let’s honor our spouse by keeping those flaws to ourselves. When we speak to others, let’s speak of the good qualities in our spouse. Share with the world all those reasons that you love your spouse and watch them bloom into an even more loveable person. This is the beauty that God intended for marriage – let’s live it!

Upon further reflection I see that he is at least partially correct. Our government is made up of individuals who are elected by popular vote. The candidates who are voted into office represent beliefs of the voters. If our democratically elected leader says we are not a Christian nation, then what he says must be supported by the majority of the voters.

In the end, it does not matter what label you put on our nation. What matters is the heart of the citizens. If we focus on becoming a nation of Christians, over time our democratically-elected leadership will come to reflect those Christian values.

American Christians must care more about reaching our lost neighbors, co-workers, and friends than anything else. It is so easy to focus on our political issues like the health care system, the attempts to socialize this country, and the impact of increased debt. I completely agree that these things are worthy of much concern. The key is to constantly hold them up beside the ultimate goal of reaching the lost for Christ. That will help us to keep our perspective.

When America is full of authentic, sincere Christians who vote based on Biblical values, it follows that Christian candidates will rise up and be voted in. When our leaders look to the Bible for wisdom rather than their own understanding, our problems will work themselves out.

if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. - 2 Chronicles 7:14

This passage is speaking of the nation of Israel at the time of Solomon. I pray that it also speaks of the United States of America in the year 2011. God Bless the USA!

I imagine the installation program has been reworked by now to make it more politically correct. Maybe they’ve even stopped praying before the start of each football game. If so, it would be a great loss. These moments of corporate worship were part of what helped shape my character as a young adult.

This reminds me of a line from the song Christmas with a Capital C. This song is about the controversy around saying, “Merry Christmas.” There is a line from the song that haunts me. They sing, “It’s my country too.” It makes me think that Christians have been too passive about letting Jesus be taken out of modern life.

Maybe Jesus wants to stir up the “overturning table” spirit in His church. Perhaps He wishes that, “Zeal for His house would eat us up” (from Psalm 69:9.) I’m not trying to start a revolution here, only to suggest that we be less passive about the freedoms that have been taken from us as Christians.

So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. - Revelation 3:16 (NKJV)

Perhaps if there were more Christians serving on school boards, giving financially to Christian political candidates, and running for office, we could reclaim some of this lost ground. Listen closely to the promptings of the Holy Spirit in your heart. Is God leading you to become more active in our civic world? May His spirit empower you!

This thing I’ve been doing is selective reading during my Bible time. This occurs when I read the words, “prayer and fasting.” In my mind an edit process goes on so that it becomes, “prayer and even more prayer.”

People in the Bible fasted a lot. Jesus fasted for 40 days in the wilderness. Cornelius fasted for 4 days before becoming the first Christian Gentile. I clearly remembered that Jesus spoke about how we only needed to have faith the size of a tiny mustard seed to move mountains. However, imagine my surprise then the Holy Spirit caught me ignoring the very next verse!

So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.

However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."  Matthew 17:20 - 21 (NKJV)

I believe that fasting may not always be about missing food. Recently my husband felt he was called to fast candy for a month. It was not just any month either, but the month of December when tempting Christmas candy lurks on every flat surface. My chocoholic husband felt that each time he wanted candy, he should pray for a specific prayer request instead. It was a great exercise in obedience.

Ask God to show you if there is a fast He wants from you. Perhaps you will fast one hour of television a night and devote that time to family time or Bible study. Better still, devote that hour to a family Bible study. You’ll grow in the Lord and grow closer together at the same time. God delights in double blessings like that.

I have decided to be open to fasting by the Lord’s leading. When I really think about it, being fearful of missing a few meals is silly. If the Lord calls me to a fast, then He will provide the strength I need to get through it. I already gave Him my heart and soul, so shouldn’t I also be able to trust Him with my stomach as well? I’m going to say “Yes” to God. However, I must admit I feel a bit like Indiana Jones when he took the first step onto the invisible bridge. But that’s just part of what makes being a Christian such a wild ride, right?

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.  Ephesians 4:9 (NKJV)

I didn’t get the full impact of the holy elbow until I read the commentary in my Thomas Nelson study Bible. I read, “Bearing with one another in love describes being patient with the shortcomings of others. Often we ask God to be patient with our own failings, and yet do not exercise the same type of patience ourselves.“ Has Thomas Nelson been following me to work? Was Mr. Nelson listening at the door the last time I got annoyed with my husband for losing his keys (again)?

Then, as the Holy Spirit often does, this thought was reinforced though a sentence that jumped out of a book I was reading:

“It is impossible to forgive someone when you feel superior to them.” – Timothy Keller, from the book, The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith

I always thought it was other people’s fault that they got on my nerves. Could it be a pride issue with me instead? Surely not, I say and go on about my business. Then I attend church and my pastor decides to dwell on this passage:

This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.  John 15:12 (NKJV)

Hmm. Let’s see. Did Jesus ever snap at Peter for being slow on the uptake? Did He get snippy with His disciples when they answered a question wrong or misunderstood one of His parables? Nowhere in my Bible can I find an example of this. I only see Jesus responding to them with the patience and kindness one would show to a small child.

That gives me a lot to think about, and pray about too. One thing I know for sure, if we have a willing attitude and a teachable spirit, God can work wonders in each of us. I pray that the thorn I felt in my Bible today will be a blooming rose of more Christ-like behavior in my future.

• Was that time well spent?
• Do I feel better for having done that?
• What does God think about the things I just watched?

If any of your answers bring a feeling of discontent to your spirit, perhaps that is God stirring your heart to break away from television. God did this for my husband and me in 2006. We still own a TV but it does not get any reception. We use it for exercise videos and the occasional well-selected movie. Life without television has been a beautiful, liberating experience for us. We now spend more time together. We read, take walks, and share what we’re learning in our Christian walk.

These days, free time is a precious asset. You could easily describe it as a treasure. The Bible tells us in both Matthew and Luke, Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. So often this scripture is applied to money. I propose this scripture also rings true when applied to our time. Compare the number of hours per week you spend watching television to the number of hours pursuing God. When I did this, I found my answer to be very humbling.

What would happen if all of the Christians in America said no to the constant stream of ungodliness pouring into our homes by turning off the television? This ungodliness is going straight into our minds and most importantly, the minds of our children. It is power we are giving away to those who create the programs: the power to tell us what to think, who to believe, and who to ridicule.

Advertisements are created with the single goal of making us feel unsatisfied. News programs are created with the single goal of stirring our emotions. Do we really need dissatisfaction and stirred up emotions as part of our daily lives? We may think we have control over it, but I truly question that.

I challenge you to give up all television for just one month. This may sound like a big request, but I believe it takes that long to get over the addiction. Do this and be amazed at how shocked you are when you see television again after your long break from it. Take this challenge and you’ll discover that television is far worse than you imagined. Come on, you can do it! Find out how many useful things you can do with all that extra time you’ll gain. Put the treasure of your time into something with eternal value. You’ll be so thankful that you did!

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.  Isaiah 55:9 (NKJV)

I was trying to associate the chapter and verse to the scripture and got the most wonderful image in my mind. It was an old man in a robe, who I knew to be Isaiah. He was standing with both hands reaching toward heaven with his fingers outstretched. Off to the right was a cloud and on the cloud floated the number 9 (because of the old saying, “I’m on cloud 9.”) Now when I think about the heavens being higher than the earth I remember that image of Isaiah with his hands making a 55 and the cloud 9 off to the side. I always know that this verse is Isaiah 55:9.

I was so excited when this happened because I knew that verse and citation was permanently ingrained in my memory. I was also excited because I thought that God was going to show me a picture like that for every verse in the program. I knew this would be a revolutionary key to help everyone to associate verses with their location.

Unfortunately, that was the only one I ever got. At first I thought I was wrong in imagining that those mental images were to be a part of this tool. However, now I think that God’s point was for me to share the experience in this article so that each of us can develop our own methods for associating verses to their locations. Maybe He just wanted me to share the idea to get your creative juices flowing.

If you come up with some clever ways to associate a scripture to its chapter and verse, please comment here to share your idea. Maybe God will give each person who reads this one mental aid. If we all share them here, we will have many new tools to help us. I believe God loves it when we help one another grow closer to Him through His Word. Let’s work together and achieve more!

I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food. Job 23:12 (NKJV)

Wow – now that’s a tough one. Do we treasure the Bible more than our necessary food? Most Westerners cannot even begin to answer this question because we have never been without our necessary food, even for a few hours.

When I get close to missing a meal, I become very focused on my need to reach something edible - soon. How can I train myself to feel the same drive to seek out God’s Word? Each time I find something like this in myself that I need to change, my only hope is to pray. I ask God to help me change my behavior.  After that I start catching myself when I mess up – and I always mess up. God is faithful and patient to help me dust off and try again. Eventually I have fewer mess ups; that’s about the time He shows me something new that needs a tweak!

As this new year begins, won’t you join me in asking God to help me love His Word as much as my necessary food? God will help us in this, I’m sure of it.

The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever  Isaiah 40:8 (NKJV)

Like many people, I have struggled with my weight for most of my life. I was overweight in my early twenties which had an impact on my overall health. By the grace of God over a two-year period, I was able to lose it. Keeping that extra weight off is a battle I face every day. If I am not continually vigilant, I start to gain weight again immediately.

I eventually learned a crucial lesson helpful in winning this struggle. I realized that habitually eating unhealthy food only because it tastes good is gluttony. What an ugly word! I don’t mean to say that having a treat every now and then is gluttony - I am speaking of a lifestyle. My pattern of repeated choices to consume food that did not nurture my body was gluttony.

Easton’s Bible Dictionary defines a glutton as being derived from the Hebrew zolel meaning “to shake out,” “to squander;” and hence one who is prodigal, who wastes his means by indulgence. God gave us food and allowed us to enjoy it as a gift. Just as murder abuses God’s gift of life and adultery abuses God’s gift of love, gluttony abuses God’s gift of good food.

It was only after I had made myself name the sin and repented of it that I began to overcome it. Even though this realization came years ago, I continue to pray each day for strength in fighting gluttony. Sometimes, I pray this several times a day!

I think that this lesson can be applied to any fleshly lust that you are battling. Name the sin, repent of it, and pray for help in avoiding it. God is always faithful to step in and help us.

For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Matthew 7:8-9 (NKJV)

Imagine that a wealthy benefactor gave you a brand new Porsche. Picture yourself driving the car and giving your friends rides around town. You would give this car only the highest grade of gasoline and perform maintenance exactly as the owner’s manual advises. The great value of the gift and the amazing fact that it was given to you would motivate you to give the car the very best care possible. Now think about the fact that the human body is a far more amazing work than any motor vehicle. When we realize that the body God gave us is a precious gift, our gratitude will overflow into a desire to give it the very best fuel and maintenance possible. I think that often people do not take care of themselves because they take their body for granted, but life is a gift – let’s live with grateful (and healthy!) hearts.

I compiled the list of verses for the Overcoming Lusts of the Flesh version of Memorize Scripture – On the Go! for a particular purpose. I wanted to provide help for the many Christian men who struggle to keep their minds pure. It is difficult to follow Godly principles while being bombarded by sexual images in every area of life. I hope the verses will arm these good men in the spiritual battle they face each day.

I have since learned how helpful those verses are in fighting other lusts of the flesh. I use them for all kinds of temptation that comes my way. There are so many ways our flesh will try to take over in our daily lives. We can easily fall prey to materialism, gossip, laziness or watching a program we know we shouldn’t see. Unfortunately, the list goes on and on.

2 Corinthians 13:5 encourages us to examine ourselves. During your next quiet time, ask God to show you an area where you are allowing your flesh too much free reign. Then make up your mind to conquer your flesh in this area. Embrace the challenge by remembering that God loves us too much to leave us as we are.

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.  Romans 8:5 (NKJV)

I read somewhere that the key to overcoming temptation is distraction. If you can get your mind to dwell on something else besides the temptation, you will win the struggle against it. What could be more powerful to think on than God’s Word?

Jesus used scripture to fight off temptation during his 40 days in the wilderness. From this we learn that every verse we memorize is like an arrow in our quiver - ready to be fired at the enemy when he tries to tempt us. The Word of God is a way of escape that God has provided for us, use it boldly!

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.  1 Corinthians 10:13 (NKJV)

How wonderful it is to offer my friend something real and true instead of my feeble human opinion. Answers that come from the Bible bring comfort and guidance to my struggling friend.

There are many great reasons to study the Word of God and I see this as one of the most beautiful. It is such a blessing to share the wisdom of the Bible with someone when they need it most.

After all, the Bible tells us in James 1:5, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him." One way God answers our request for wisdom is through His Word. May God bless you in your quest for Godly wisdom!

     “I’m just not good at that sort of thing.”

     “My memory isn’t good enough to do that.”

If this sounds familiar, you may be the perfect candidate for memorizing scripture!

Most Christians know the Holy Spirit helps us to live a life that glorifies God. We don’t hesitate to lean on the Holy Spirit when we are facing temptation; we know we need His help. However, many of us will approach learning the Word of God with the feeling that we’re on our own. It is easy to forget that the same Holy Spirit who helps us live for Jesus is also our source for learning scripture.

The Bible tells us in John 14:26 (NKJV):  But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

I am convinced that when we feel completely inadequate at learning God’s Word we are actually in the best position to learn it. God will honor that step of faith if we press on and try anyway. By His power, through His spirit, the scriptures will become embedded in our hearts. We have to do the groundwork of studying and practicing, but (as always) God will do the heavy lifting. We are like Gideon in that great Old Testament story. Gideon is called to battle the Midianites with a force so small that it is obvious the victory came from the Lord. Our battle to supply our spiritual arsenal will be won the same way – with no one but God to receive the glory.

What if the only thing keeping us from memorizing Bible verses is our own self-doubt? We must realize that it doesn’t matter what our “self” is capable of learning. As we learn to rely on the Holy Spirit, we will feel a new confidence and excitement about the many scriptures we are about to learn. With God, all things are possible!