Grace For Your Day

There is a God

2013-08-29T07:53:00.003-05:00

Psalm 14:1 NLT Only fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good! How can anyone look at the night sky and gaze upon the countless number of brilliant lights, and come to the conclusion that there is no God? How can anyone sit on a porch and watch humming birds fly with speed and precision and conclude that there is no Creator behind the creation? What a leap of faith it is to believe that all of the world's splendor just happened by chance! The Bible has one word for people that believe that way: foolish! They may be highly educated and elevated in the wisdom of men, but in the eyes of Him who looks down from the heavens, they are fools. It is also true that believers can and often do play the part of a fool as well from time to time. We can speak boldly with our voices that there is a God in heaven, but then live our lives as if no one is on the throne of the universe. To carry ourselves in such a way is equally foolish as the atheist and the skeptic. Let us live out our faith in such a way that the foolish might come to see and know the love of God. With our voices, our hearts, our hands and our feet, let us proclaim together......There is a God!

Two Way Praise

2013-08-26T23:05:00.000-05:00

Psalm 9:1 NLT I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done. Praise should come natural to the believer. It's simply a pouring out of our heart unto The Lord because of His majesty and glory. Although we often fail in this, our praise should not diminish based upon what's happening in our life, because praise is about Him and not us! There is, however, another side of praise that we should practice. Not only should we shower God with praise, but we should also tell others about His awesome works. When was the last time that you told someone how amazing God is? In world that is bent toward the negative, we should be a positive voice in their lives. It's really easy for us to fall in line and spew the same toxic language of pessimism, but instead let's join in together and give a two way praise to and for our God!

It's a Small World, or is it?

2013-08-13T22:28:00.002-05:00

Psalm 8:3, 4 When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers— the moon and the stars you set in place— what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them? Our universe is big, even beyond our ability to measure it. As our ability to see farther into space increases, so does our vision of the complexity and enormity of God's creation. We have used the phrase "it's a small world", but nothing could be farther from the truth! Our planet is filled with billions of people and billions of other forms of living creatures. But on the other hand, our world is small compared to other celestial bodes in our galaxy, not to mention the stars that dwarf our own sun that are found millions of light years away. It's really mind numbing, and when you really think about it, you start talking like the psalmist here: "who is man that you are mindful of him?". I am so small in the grand scheme of God's glorious creation, but He thinks of me! I don't know about you, but that makes my day! The majestic name of our God fills the whole earth, and He has placed His excellent name upon us, His sons and daughters. Our God is truly AWESOME! The next time that you look up into the night sky, and you are overwhelmed at its beauty, just remember, the One who hung those stars is madly in love with you :)

Everything He Gives is Greater

2013-08-08T00:01:00.000-05:00

Psalm 4:7, 8 You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine. In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O LORD, will keep me safe. Money can buy a lot of things, maybe even happiness to some degree, but it has its limitations. Possessions can never bring joy or peace into your life. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit that the world can't give. You can't fake it, and there is nothing like it. It truly is a strength to us. Peace is often sought after through substances and relationships, but never achieved that way. As His children, we should live our lives with more joy than the wealthiest, and we should rest with more peace than those whose security is counted in dollars and cents. Why? Because He alone will keep us safe. God help us to trust in You more than our stuff, and to surrender to You until peace flows like a river. Help me learn to receive from You, because everything that You give is greater!

Take a Chill Pill

2013-08-06T21:30:00.002-05:00

Psalm 4:4 Don’t sin by letting anger control you. Think about it overnight and remain silent. Anger is not a sin in itself. It is actually a natural emotion that happens without our permission. The problem comes when we allow anger to control us. People who submit to their anger end up in some troubling predicaments. When anger is involved, our first reaction is almost always the wrong reaction. There is great wisdom here in that when we face situations that cause anger, we need to think about it overnight, and even more importantly, keep quiet so that we don't have to try and undo damage that our words might cause others when we are angry. God gave us emotions for our good, but we must allow the Spirit to control our emotions, instead of letting our emotions rule us.

From He is to You are

2013-07-29T22:19:00.002-05:00

Psalm 3:3 But you, O LORD, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high. God is everything that we need in life. When your enemies surround you, and you need to find that shied of safety and security, He is! When you can't seem to do anything right, and you need the righteousness and glory of The Lord, He is! When life has beat you up, and let you down until your head is hanging low, He is the One who can lift your spirits and your outlook. He is all of this and more, but I don't want to settle for knowing that He is. I want to make it personal. I want to say, like David said, "Lord You are a shield.....You are my glory.....You are the lifter of my head!" David didn't focus on his enemies, even though he could have. He recognized that there were plenty of people and powers that were against him, and in the midsts of them all he declared "But You, O Lord"! I challenge you today to move your faith to a whole new level from "He is" to "You are"!

A Future of Success

2013-07-25T14:40:00.000-05:00

Psalm 1:3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. Prosperity is not a false teaching, although many have abused it. The word prosper actually means to be successful, and who doesn't want to succeed? This first psalm gives us some basic steps to have success in our lives. Verses one and two tell us to hate evil and love God's Word. Although that might seem too simple, it's really a very powerful principle to live by. Avoiding sin leads to avoiding the results of sin, and meditating on God's Word leads to walking in God's will. That sounds like success to me! What does success look like? It looks like a tree with deep roots that drink from an unending supply of water. Always bearing fruit, always producing and always edifying. Where are you getting your supply from? If it's from others who do not fear God, who do not serve Him, who do not have a desire to follow Him............your strength will dry up fast, and failure will become the norm. Instead, learn to meditate upon God's Word and let your roots grow deep. Success is in your future!

The Secret to Double Blessing

2013-07-23T07:37:00.002-05:00

Job 42:10 And the Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. What a powerful statement! Job's life was restored when he prayed for Hs friends. Job's friends were not the best encouragers to say the least, even though their intentions might have been genuine. But at the end of the book, God had the last word, and it was encouraging. Job's friends were to repent and Job was to pray for them and bless them. I wonder how many times we miss the answer to our own problems because we close our eyes to the needs of others? What if God is ready to restore things in my life, and the key is for me to reach out to someone else who is hurting? Our pride can, and often does get in the way. Couldn't Job have said "no one's problems are as big as mine.......why should I pray for them?". When we take that proud position, we are overlooking the most important fact. The size of our dilemma should not be the center of our focus. Instead, we should consider the size of our God! He only is able to turn losses into gains, and He blesses those who have a heart to bless others. When you pray today, ask God to bless those who are hurting around you, even if they have hurt you in the process. You might just end up with a double blessing yourself!

Open Mouth, Insert Foot

2013-06-30T22:32:00.000-05:00

Job 42:5, 6 I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.” After listening to the wisdom of God from God Himself, Job realized the error of his way. He was making assumptions about things that he knew nothing about, and his foolishness was exposed by his Creator. In essence, Job admitted to opening his mouth and inserting his foot! The Lord knows that I have done it a time or two myself, and wouldn't be surprised if I failed again in that area of my life again in the future. What I'm impressed with about Job, is that he admitted it, and that he took back what he had said. He showed a heart of repentance for doubting God, and it's no coincidence that God would soon begin to shower Job with blessings once again. I pray that we could all learn something valuable from Job here. Repentance is never a bad idea, and when we say or do things that aren't right, we should own up to it. Even more so when it's God who is on the other end of our words or actions. May God give us a greater vision of who He is so that we, like Job, can truly trust Him.

100% Right

2013-06-24T22:51:00.000-05:00

Job 40:1, 2 Then the LORD said to Job, “Do you still want to argue with the Almighty? You are God’s critic, but do you have the answers?” Everybody is a critic, including me. If I was the coach, I would have done it differently. I'm an arm chair quarterback, and I'm confident that I have what it takes. The reality is, I am wrong. How ignorant could I be to think that I could make better decisions than someone who has been trained and game tested like a real football coach. I'm just a pretender, and don't have enough of the needed knowledge to even begin to measure up. Now with that in mind, think about how often we feel the need to question God concerning His ways. Too often we become God's critic, and that's a dangerous combination of arrogance and ignorance. We think that it should be done differently, or that He made a bad decision, but we fail to see that we are lacking the knowledge of the big picture. Every decision that God makes doesn't just effect us, but many others. Could you sit in His throne and judge rightly? No way. I'm so thankful that I serve The Lord of all creation, and even more thankful that the Judge of all the earth is my Father. The next time that you are tempted to dout or question what God is up to, instead of criticizing, try trusting. In the end, you will see that God was right 100% of the time.

The Big Picture

2013-05-19T21:10:00.002-05:00

Job 38:4 “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much. Who are we to question God's wisdom? Was I there when God set the earth on its axis? Was I there when He made the oceans and told them how far they could go? Of course I wasn't, but I, like Job have still been guilty of questioning God. His ways are not always understood, but we should understand them to be perfect. Some things may not ever be proven this side of heaven, but time will eventually show that even the minute details were under the sovereign hand of God. Let's be honest, no one likes a "know it all", because they come across as arrogant and ignorant. When I think about it, it's truly amazing that God shows so much patience with us when we try to tell Him how to run the universe! God, forgive me for doubting and help me to see the big picture. I am the clay, and you are the potter.

The Eyes of the Wise

2013-05-05T21:52:00.002-05:00

Job 31:1 I made a covenant with my eyes not to look with lust at a young woman. If we are to win the battle against the flesh, we must understand its weaknesses and tendencies. Now, more than ever, our world is filled with temptation. Advertisements use seduction and lust more than anything to capture our eyes, and to keep our attention while they try and sell to us their product. For them, it is just a way to keep us looking, but unfortunately, the temptation doesn't end when the commercial does. Our eyes are a gateway to our mind, and when we don't keep them in check, our mind can take an innocent look to a whole new level that ultimately leads to sin, which leads to more sin, which leads to destruction. Job was obviously a wise man that understood lust to be a sin that most often begins with a look. It would be wise for us to guard our eyes. No, we can't keep everything tempting from our sight, because of the multitude of opportunities that each day brings. But we can keep our eyes from gazing to the point of lust, and we can definitely choose to stay away from places or things where sin is just the turn of a page, or just a click away. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we can close our eyes to that which would tear us down, and instead we can choose to gaze upon Him.

True Wisdom

2013-04-30T22:14:00.002-05:00

Job 28:28 And this is what he says to all humanity: ‘The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding.’” Wisdom is more valuable than any material possession. There are many with riches that lack wisdom, and there will come a day when their money won't buy them out of jeopardy. Likewise, the poor may also have a deficit of wisdom and fall prey to the same vices of the enemy. Wisdom comes from a healthy reverence of God, and His moral guidance for our lives. The world doesn't dictate what is right and wrong, that is God's place of authority, and the wise will take it to heart. This chapter speaks of the great knowledge that people have to find all sorts of things, but they can't seem to find wisdom. Their end is ruin, no matter how much they might have of this world's wealth. You can be certain, true wisdom won't bring popularity, but it will bring true prosperity of life. Don't ever forget that the wisdom that comes from God will be looked at as foolishness, but our aim is not to please or impress men. Instead, let us fear our Maker, and know that His Word is best for us.

Stay on God's Path

2013-04-29T23:06:00.000-05:00

Job 23:11, 12 For I have stayed on God’s paths; I have followed his ways and not turned aside. I have not departed from his commands, but have treasured his words more than daily food. It's easy to stay on the right path when you can see tangible results and blessings. It's when the rewards disappear that walking in God's will gets a lot tougher. Job resolved to stay true to God even though he had lost all of the blessings that seemingly were given to Him by God because of Job's integrity. Tribulation makes it difficult to keep walking. It makes you ask questions about God's love, about your own heart. To top it off, Job also had so called friends who were raising more questions about Job and God. Job still had God's Word, and he treasured it. He had God's commands, and he chose to stick with them. We must remember that God's Word is the only thing in our life that will never change. One billion years from now, God's Word will remain. Like Job, we must treasure it, and endeavor to keep it through the power of the Spirit living within us. It will surely keep us through times of blessing, and through times of difficulty. Help us Lord to stay on Your path.

Deep Hope

2013-04-25T22:40:00.000-05:00

Job 19:25, 26 “But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last. And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God! Hope can't be faked. It can't be bought, or stolen. Hope is precious, more valuable than diamonds. Job was robbed of everything that he had. Everything except his hope in God. His hope in God ran deep. Deeper than material possessions. Deeper than livestock and houses. Even deeper than flesh and blood. His hope ran deeper than the grave! To me, this is where the battle was won. This is where the devil must have realized that this whole Job experiment would not pan out the way he wanted it to. After losing it all, and even facing his own mortality, Job still had the faith to recognize that his Redeemer was alive, and had the power to give Job a new body in the resurrection. Job's hope was in the resurrection! He would not hang his hat on finding hope in this life, because that would only lead to misery (1 Corinthians 15:19). Job understood that losing it all in this life would one day be a distant memory, and would be long forgotten in the presence of the Creator for eternity. How deep is your hope? I pray that it runs deeper than life!

Declared Innocent

2013-04-23T06:52:00.002-05:00

Job 9:2 “Yes, I know all this is true in principle. But how can a person be declared innocent in God’s sight? No one is innocent in God's sight on their own. Even the best of the best have blemishes that become obvious when placed before the holiness of God. Now I can find people to compare my righteousness with that leaves me looking pretty good, but righteousness isn't based on how good my neighbor is. There is a much higher standard than that, and our white robes look very dingy in His presence. So if blessings come through obedience and righteous living, how do any of us stand a chance? That' is Job's response to his friend Bildad. If living right excludes someone from tragedy, how can anyone be excluded? First of all, none of us are excluded from tragedy or loss because of our right living. As long as we live in a world under the curse of sin, we will see and experience tribulation. We will lose loved ones. We will hurt. The good news, however, is that condemnation has been destroyed in Christ. When "Bildad" tries to place the guilt upon us, we can rest assured in His grace that we have been declared innocent through Jesus.

Bad Counseling

2013-04-21T22:15:00.002-05:00

Job 8:4 Your children must have sinned against him, so their punishment was well deserved. I don't claim to be the best at helping someone through a time of grieving, but I think I can do better than Job's friend Bildad! After telling Job that everything must have happened because of his lack of integrity, he tells him that his children got what they deserved. Now that is not what you tell someone on the verge of a mental breakdown! This is the danger of trying to reason things with our weak and sinful minds. We see disaster and tragedy and jump to the conclusion that God must be punishing someone or even a place for their wickedness. I've heard Christians give reasons for tornadoes and hurricanes, and even terrorists, linking them to what must certainly be the deserved wrath of God. Who are we to jump to such conclusions? Obviously, Bildad was wrong in his assumption. Job was not facing great tribulation because of his sins, in fact, it was quite the opposite! Now surely there have been times throughout history where God dealt justly with the wicked, but we have not been called to identify what or why. The bottom line is this: He is God, and I am not. He can do what He wants, and He doesn't need my permission, neither do I need to understand everything about it. I personally thank God that He doesn't give everyone what they deserve, because if He did, I wouldn't be breathing today. It's okay if you don't know all of the answers as long as you trust in the One who does!

Making Much of You

2013-04-17T22:18:00.000-05:00

Job 7:17 “What are people, that you should make so much of us, that you should think of us so often? Job, because of all that had happened, was ready to throw in the towel. Who could blame him for desiring that God just let him die? To Job, death seemed easier to handle that all of the misery. But God, even though He created us from dirt, does not treat us like dirt, even though we deserve it. I often feel compelled to ask the question. Why does God make so much of us? Why does He think about us so often? It's mind blowing to think that the Creator of the universe has feelings for us! Well, it might be mind boggling, but it's true. Even when it seems that God doesn't care, He still does. Job didn't know that God was showing the devil up through Job's faith and perseverance. Not only was God paying attention during Job's struggles, God was paying very close attention to every detail of his life. I believe that if we knew how much the Father thought of us each day, it would drive us to be with Him more. Even today, God is making much of you!

Be There

2013-04-15T22:24:00.000-05:00

Job 2:13 Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and nights. No one said a word to Job, for they saw that his suffering was too great for words. We have all tried to console someone in the midst of tragedy. What do you do? What do you say? How do you help? These are tough questions, and the answer isn't always the same. In the case of Job, his friends didn't say a word for a whole week. They just sat there with him. It was the right thing to do, as a matter of fact, his friends did well until they started talking. They would have done better just to sit there with him. No doubt God has called us to be there for people. We don't have to know the perfect thing to say, we just need to be willing to give of our time. Sometimes the right thing to do is to help someone stop crying, while other times it is best to cry with them. Whatever the case, may we always be sensitive to God's guidance when He simply wants us to be there for someone.

Praise in the Same Chapter

2013-04-14T21:12:00.000-05:00

Job 1:21 He said, “I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The LORD gave me what I had, and the LORD has taken it away. Praise the name of the LORD!” It is hard to comprehend that Job could still praise God after losing everything. Not only did he praise Him, but he praised Him in the same chapter! I feel that I would need some time to pass, but not Job. He felt the weight of the tragedy, and still had the spiritual vision to see God's greatness. Job recognized the true owner of his possessions. Everything that he had, and he had great wealth, really belonged to God. How could he curse the God who had blessed him above measure? Job's analogy is right on. I've never seen a baby come into this life with anything, and I have yet to see someone be able to leave this life with a single possession either. Everything that we accumulate between our birth and death is really just a loan from The Lord. With this in mind, we can praise Him when we have much, and even when we have our much taken away. I pray that God's praise would be on my lips, even when the world wouldn't expect it from me. Lord help me not to wait until I regain what is lost. May I also praise God in the same chapter!

Who Possesses Me

2013-04-11T22:39:00.002-05:00

Job 1:12 “All right, you may test him,” the LORD said to Satan. “Do whatever you want with everything he possesses, but don’t harm him physically.” So Satan left the LORD’s presence. After the accuser Satan had his meeting with God, Job's life turned upside down. God gave Satan permission to invade the life of Job with a series of disasters. Messenger after messenger brought increasingly bad news until Job had lost almost everything. I honestly can't say how I would react to a day like that. I would like to think that I would, like Job, worship The Lord who gives and also takes away. I would like to think so, but having never faced it, I can't say it with complete confidence. Having said that, I really don't think that the purpose of this book is to determine if I would hold onto God in the midst of great trial. I believe that hope is found, not in our holding onto Him, but in His holding onto us. I am not defined by my possessions, but rather by Who possesses me! Because of that, just like Job, I have a guaranteed happy ending to my life's story.

A Lot to Learn

2013-04-10T21:07:00.000-05:00

Job 1:1 There once was a man named Job who lived in the land of Uz. He was blameless—a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil. Wow, what a resume! Job had complete integrity, and he feared God, and he stayed away from evil. As we continue to read, we also find out that Job was extremely blessed. He had an awesome family, and great wealth. So far, it looks likes everything is perfect. Wouldn't you expect a man such as Job to cruise through life in nothing but God's blessings and favor? Some would say that everyone with Job's integrity would also be wealthy like him. We are definitely going to learn a few things in this book about Job! We are going to learn that The Lord gives, and He also takes away. We will learn that we will all leave this world in the same manner that we entered it.......with nothing (Job 1:21). We will learn that what appears to be one way on the earth, has a much different perspective in heaven (Job 1:12). We will learn that God is God, and we will learn that integrity and faith does not keep you from adversity, but it will always bring you through it to see that the end of The Lord is good (Job 42:10)! God help us to grow in your wisdom as we study this book.

Recipe for Promotion

2013-04-09T22:13:00.000-05:00

Esther 10:3 Mordecai the Jew became the prime minister, with authority next to that of King Xerxes himself. He was very great among the Jews, who held him in high esteem, because he continued to work for the good of his people and to speak up for the welfare of all their descendants. Mordecai didn't bow before the evil Haman, and it placed his life in jeopardy. He encouraged Esther to go before the king, and this too required faith and courage. In the end, Mordecai was promoted to prime minister, second only to the king. Not only did God show him favor, but his fellow Jews held him in high esteem also. What was his recipe for promotion? He was honored because he genuinely wanted and worked for what was best for them. He was also willing to speak out for those who couldn't speak out for themselves. Mordecai's faith didn't keep him out of difficulties, in fact it helped to bring them on, but Mordecai understood that getting to the right place often means walking through a hard place. Are you willing to walk through the trial in order to do what's right? We should do what is right no matter the consequences, and when we do, God will notice, and so will those around us. Everyone won't like it, but in the end you will be respected for your faith, and rewarded by God for your obedience, and that's a recipe for promotion!

God is at Work

2013-04-08T21:16:00.000-05:00

Esther 6:1 That night the king had trouble sleeping, so he ordered an attendant to bring the book of the history of his reign so it could be read to him. Lives were on the line, and the day ahead would determine the fate of Esther, Mordecai and the nation. Was God paying attention? Would He help them? Sometimes God's interventions are clearly evident, but other times He works behind the scenes. It was not a coincidence that the king couldn't sleep. That was God's doing. Neither was it coincidental for the king to look at the records that brought Mordecai to his attention. It wasn't just chance that caused Haman to walk in as the king was making plans to honor Mordecai. That was all God. Just because you can't see God working in your situation, it doesn't mean that He isn't. The Bible clearly states that God will work all things together for my good (Romans 8:28). Our God doesn't sleep, or take vacations. He is always working. When it's dark, when the skies are threatening, when my enemies are advancing.....He is working for me.

Positioned with a Purpose

2013-04-04T21:59:00.001-05:00

Esther 4:14 If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this? Our God is sovereign, meaning He is in ultimately and totally in control. He positions us strategically to carry out His purposes and to advance His kingdom. Sometimes it is easy for us to see how He has placed us, and other times it is not so easy. For Esther, it was obvious that she had been given a promotion with a purpose, but it was scary to think about barging in on the king without being invited. It's often not the big picture that causes us to delay, but instead it's the details. When we come to the place that we are certain that He is leading us, then we can come to the conclusion that He can handle all of the obstacles that lie ahead of us. As a child of God, your job is not just a job, or your school is not just a school. They are places where God has chosen to position you to carry out His purposes. This is your time!