Sunday, July 19, 2009
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Thursday, June 18, 2009
The Light Will Come Bursting In...
"Light shines in the darkness for the godly…"(Psalms 112:4a, NLT)
TODAY'S WORD from Joel and VictoriaEveryone goes through times in life that seem dark or heavy. You may be going through something right now, and you don’t see how it could ever work out. You don’t have the funds.
The problems look insurmountable. But if you will stay breakthrough–minded and focused on what God can do, His Word promises that the light will come bursting in. Notice, it’s not going to trickle in. It’s not going to barely get there. No, like a flood, like the breaking forth of waters, it will come bursting in. That means, suddenly, things will change in your favor.
When things seem dark, don't start complaining. Don't get negative and sour. Remember, God likes to do things suddenly. Keep reminding yourself that the light is about to come bursting in! It may be today, may be tomorrow, next week, next month, next year. But know this: your breakthrough is on the way!
A PRAYER FOR TODAYFather in heaven, I choose to focus on You. I know that as I keep my heart and mind fixed on You that Your light will drive out every bit of darkness in my way. Thank You for directing my steps and keeping me close to You. I love You so much! In Jesus' Name. Amen.
TODAY'S WORD from Joel and VictoriaEveryone goes through times in life that seem dark or heavy. You may be going through something right now, and you don’t see how it could ever work out. You don’t have the funds.
The problems look insurmountable. But if you will stay breakthrough–minded and focused on what God can do, His Word promises that the light will come bursting in. Notice, it’s not going to trickle in. It’s not going to barely get there. No, like a flood, like the breaking forth of waters, it will come bursting in. That means, suddenly, things will change in your favor.
When things seem dark, don't start complaining. Don't get negative and sour. Remember, God likes to do things suddenly. Keep reminding yourself that the light is about to come bursting in! It may be today, may be tomorrow, next week, next month, next year. But know this: your breakthrough is on the way!
A PRAYER FOR TODAYFather in heaven, I choose to focus on You. I know that as I keep my heart and mind fixed on You that Your light will drive out every bit of darkness in my way. Thank You for directing my steps and keeping me close to You. I love You so much! In Jesus' Name. Amen.
It's Time to Grow Up!
Philippians 3:12-14
"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I d Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" (NIV). Friend To Friend I have recently begun working out with weights. Since I am a novice in this area of fitness, I asked my son, Jered, to help me get started. A rugged football player as well as a carpenter who is well acquainted with the fundamentals of weight training, he graciously volunteered to be my personal trainer. Little did he know the challenge that lay before him.
When I first started a regular exercise program, I naturally experienced some soreness. I was just not prepared for every muscle in my entire body to scream out in painful protest! Honestly, my initial reaction was to stop. I wanted to do what was easy, comfortable and painless but still attain the toned body of a professional weight lifter. Right!
Jered had no mercy. He was absolutely committed to my physical success and long-term health. He drove me onward, constantly encouraging me to keep working those muscles even through the pain and discomfort. One glorious day, he pointed out that those once painful muscles were no longer sore and much stronger as well. He even suggested it was time to increase the weight I was lifting because that beginning workout had become too easy. I had indeed come a long way, baby!
I want to accomplish the same thing in my journey with God! I want to be spiritually fit and mature. When I was a child, I spoke, I thought and reasoned as a child, but as I grew, my thought life and heart desires naturally matured as well. Our thought processes illustrate themselves in our desires. A mature believer has mature desires. A "baby" believer naturally has childish desires. It is sad and unnatural for a longtime believer to have new believer traits, habits and desires. Proverbs 3:7 warns "You should not be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the LORD and turn your back on evil" (NLT).
When we come to the place where we are willing to give Him everything, a wonderful process begins. He trains our immature desires to line up with His perfect ones. When we begin to seek His will by laying our desires and plans at His feet - yielding to Him - He shapes our will until it becomes His will.
The Holy Spirit has been given to us as a Spiritual Trainer of sorts. He will lead us in the right spiritual exercises of life that will make us stronger and more mature. Many of those exercises involve the submission of our will and the yielding of our desires to God. As we allow the pain and stress of daily living to "stretch" us spiritually, we will grow and mature until one day we will realize that His desires and our desires are the same. Mature desires - Godly desires - desires that are in line with His will are the desires of a believer who is growing in Christ.
Psalm 37:4 "Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart" (NIV). "Delight" literally means to enjoy. We can come to God with an attitude of joy, knowing that He is a Father of love who wants what is best for His child. His plan is absolutely the best one we could possibly imagine or accept. We can delight in His love, trust in His goodness and enjoy a growing love relationship with Him. A heart fully and joyfully submitted to God will produce mature desires. High in the Alps is a monument raised in honor of a faithful guide who died while ascending a peak to rescue a stranded tourist. Inscribed on that memorial stone are the words, "He died climbing!" A maturing, growing Christian should evoke the same attitude and desire. The apostle Paul tells us that it is time to "put away" childish things. As our children grow older, we train them to pick up their toys, to put away things that are not needed, to obey house rules and to leave behind what is childish, straining toward what is ahead. Right now, you have the same choice to make. To "put away" indicates an understanding of what needs to be left behind but also a willingness and commitment to do so. The question is, are you ready to grow up in Christ?
Let's Pray Lord, I am so tired of being a "baby" Christian. I want to honor and please You with my life, my attitudes and my habits. Please reveal every childish way in me and then help me to do something about it! Please give me a hunger, thirst for Your word, and teach me how to apply it. I really do want to grow up in You! In Jesus' name, Amen.
Identify and make a list of the childish areas in your life. Surrender this list to God in prayer. Taking one area at a time, ask Him to help you "grow up." Ask yourself the following questions: Do I truly understand that God wants me to "grow up" in Him? Am I willing to give the Holy Spirit free reign in my life? Am I willing to seek Him daily through His Word and through prayer? How can my desires become His desires? Read Ephesians 4:11-19. As you read this passage of scripture, think about the benefits of maturing and growing in Christ.
I can be such a spiritual baby. I am battling attitudes and habits today that I battled years ago. Even as I wrote this devotional, God said to me, "Mary, it is time for you to grow up in these areas." Therefore, I wrote every word you just read to me as well. My prayer is that we grow in Him ... together! You can read Mary's complete journey from darkness to light in her book, Hope in the Midst of Depression. (Coming Out of the Dark is also available on CD or as an MP3 download.) Mary also has a weekly online bible study, Light for the Journey as well as E-Book Bible Studies on managing fear, dealing with stress, learning how to control anger and how to weather the storms of life. Check it out! Seeking God?
"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I d Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" (NIV). Friend To Friend I have recently begun working out with weights. Since I am a novice in this area of fitness, I asked my son, Jered, to help me get started. A rugged football player as well as a carpenter who is well acquainted with the fundamentals of weight training, he graciously volunteered to be my personal trainer. Little did he know the challenge that lay before him.
When I first started a regular exercise program, I naturally experienced some soreness. I was just not prepared for every muscle in my entire body to scream out in painful protest! Honestly, my initial reaction was to stop. I wanted to do what was easy, comfortable and painless but still attain the toned body of a professional weight lifter. Right!
Jered had no mercy. He was absolutely committed to my physical success and long-term health. He drove me onward, constantly encouraging me to keep working those muscles even through the pain and discomfort. One glorious day, he pointed out that those once painful muscles were no longer sore and much stronger as well. He even suggested it was time to increase the weight I was lifting because that beginning workout had become too easy. I had indeed come a long way, baby!
I want to accomplish the same thing in my journey with God! I want to be spiritually fit and mature. When I was a child, I spoke, I thought and reasoned as a child, but as I grew, my thought life and heart desires naturally matured as well. Our thought processes illustrate themselves in our desires. A mature believer has mature desires. A "baby" believer naturally has childish desires. It is sad and unnatural for a longtime believer to have new believer traits, habits and desires. Proverbs 3:7 warns "You should not be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the LORD and turn your back on evil" (NLT).
When we come to the place where we are willing to give Him everything, a wonderful process begins. He trains our immature desires to line up with His perfect ones. When we begin to seek His will by laying our desires and plans at His feet - yielding to Him - He shapes our will until it becomes His will.
The Holy Spirit has been given to us as a Spiritual Trainer of sorts. He will lead us in the right spiritual exercises of life that will make us stronger and more mature. Many of those exercises involve the submission of our will and the yielding of our desires to God. As we allow the pain and stress of daily living to "stretch" us spiritually, we will grow and mature until one day we will realize that His desires and our desires are the same. Mature desires - Godly desires - desires that are in line with His will are the desires of a believer who is growing in Christ.
Psalm 37:4 "Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart" (NIV). "Delight" literally means to enjoy. We can come to God with an attitude of joy, knowing that He is a Father of love who wants what is best for His child. His plan is absolutely the best one we could possibly imagine or accept. We can delight in His love, trust in His goodness and enjoy a growing love relationship with Him. A heart fully and joyfully submitted to God will produce mature desires. High in the Alps is a monument raised in honor of a faithful guide who died while ascending a peak to rescue a stranded tourist. Inscribed on that memorial stone are the words, "He died climbing!" A maturing, growing Christian should evoke the same attitude and desire. The apostle Paul tells us that it is time to "put away" childish things. As our children grow older, we train them to pick up their toys, to put away things that are not needed, to obey house rules and to leave behind what is childish, straining toward what is ahead. Right now, you have the same choice to make. To "put away" indicates an understanding of what needs to be left behind but also a willingness and commitment to do so. The question is, are you ready to grow up in Christ?
Let's Pray Lord, I am so tired of being a "baby" Christian. I want to honor and please You with my life, my attitudes and my habits. Please reveal every childish way in me and then help me to do something about it! Please give me a hunger, thirst for Your word, and teach me how to apply it. I really do want to grow up in You! In Jesus' name, Amen.
Identify and make a list of the childish areas in your life. Surrender this list to God in prayer. Taking one area at a time, ask Him to help you "grow up." Ask yourself the following questions: Do I truly understand that God wants me to "grow up" in Him? Am I willing to give the Holy Spirit free reign in my life? Am I willing to seek Him daily through His Word and through prayer? How can my desires become His desires? Read Ephesians 4:11-19. As you read this passage of scripture, think about the benefits of maturing and growing in Christ.
I can be such a spiritual baby. I am battling attitudes and habits today that I battled years ago. Even as I wrote this devotional, God said to me, "Mary, it is time for you to grow up in these areas." Therefore, I wrote every word you just read to me as well. My prayer is that we grow in Him ... together! You can read Mary's complete journey from darkness to light in her book, Hope in the Midst of Depression. (Coming Out of the Dark is also available on CD or as an MP3 download.) Mary also has a weekly online bible study, Light for the Journey as well as E-Book Bible Studies on managing fear, dealing with stress, learning how to control anger and how to weather the storms of life. Check it out! Seeking God?
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Strenght Through Weakness
2 Corinthians 12:7-11
Our culture values independence and personal ability but sees weakness as a failure. The biblical viewpoint, however, is the exact opposite: Scripture teaches that when we recognize our lack of strength, we become more keenly aware of our need for God.
As we know, everyone has shortcomings, and the apostle Paul was no exception. In today's passage, we read his acknowledgement of the "thorn" that was constantly harassing him. The Bible does not tell us whether this was a physical problem, a struggle with temptation, or some other weakness; all we know is that Paul prayed fervently for its removal. But the Lord chose to let the irritant remain.
Amazingly, the apostle responded with contentment concerning the very difficulty he had begged God to remove (v. 10). He realized that the Lord had changed a hindrance into a glorious revelation: Paul's deficiency became the pathway and showcase for God's magnificent power.
The thorn, it turns out, also had a second purpose--as an "immunization" to protect against pride.
The Holy Spirit impacted the world so greatly through Paul that he could easily have exalted himself. A lack of humility would have negatively impacted his ministry.
Would we prefer to have our "thorn" removed? Humanly speaking, of course we would! But we can trust that, regardless of our circumstances, our loving heavenly Father is working something beautiful into our lives. Our response to hardship and weakness should be, "Lord, what are You trying to teach me in this situation?"
Our culture values independence and personal ability but sees weakness as a failure. The biblical viewpoint, however, is the exact opposite: Scripture teaches that when we recognize our lack of strength, we become more keenly aware of our need for God.
As we know, everyone has shortcomings, and the apostle Paul was no exception. In today's passage, we read his acknowledgement of the "thorn" that was constantly harassing him. The Bible does not tell us whether this was a physical problem, a struggle with temptation, or some other weakness; all we know is that Paul prayed fervently for its removal. But the Lord chose to let the irritant remain.
Amazingly, the apostle responded with contentment concerning the very difficulty he had begged God to remove (v. 10). He realized that the Lord had changed a hindrance into a glorious revelation: Paul's deficiency became the pathway and showcase for God's magnificent power.
The thorn, it turns out, also had a second purpose--as an "immunization" to protect against pride.
The Holy Spirit impacted the world so greatly through Paul that he could easily have exalted himself. A lack of humility would have negatively impacted his ministry.
Would we prefer to have our "thorn" removed? Humanly speaking, of course we would! But we can trust that, regardless of our circumstances, our loving heavenly Father is working something beautiful into our lives. Our response to hardship and weakness should be, "Lord, what are You trying to teach me in this situation?"
Monday, June 15, 2009
Know What You Believe
1 Peter 3:13-16
Some people claim that it doesn't make a bit of difference what they believe. In fact, certain individuals go so far as to deny the existence of truth. Yet our belief system actually matters tremendously, because it is the foundation for our character, conduct, and decisions.
For instance, a person who concludes that there is no God and no eternity will live selfishly for the moment. On the other hand, someone who trusts in the Lord and His promise of heaven will have a completely different lifestyle and purpose. Obedience, faith, and responsibility will characterize him as he lives to please his heavenly Father.
Knowing what we believe is critical--first of all, because our salvation depends on it. In John 8: 24, Jesus made a powerful and unequivocal statement about this subject: "Unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins." The Bible is very clear that all people have sinned and in their natural state are separated from God (Rom. 3:23). The punishment for sin is death, which is eternal separation from the Lord. But the Father, in His love and mercy, sent His own Son to die in our place. As a result, everyone who believes in Jesus is forgiven and receives His free gift of salvation.
Believers are to share the good news of salvation, but the world's hostility can make us afraid. Today's passage encourages us not to fear. Telling others about Jesus doesn't require lofty words or long quotations of memorized Scripture. Simply be ready with an answer if you're asked about "the hope that is in you" (1 Peter 3:15).
Some people claim that it doesn't make a bit of difference what they believe. In fact, certain individuals go so far as to deny the existence of truth. Yet our belief system actually matters tremendously, because it is the foundation for our character, conduct, and decisions.
For instance, a person who concludes that there is no God and no eternity will live selfishly for the moment. On the other hand, someone who trusts in the Lord and His promise of heaven will have a completely different lifestyle and purpose. Obedience, faith, and responsibility will characterize him as he lives to please his heavenly Father.
Knowing what we believe is critical--first of all, because our salvation depends on it. In John 8: 24, Jesus made a powerful and unequivocal statement about this subject: "Unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins." The Bible is very clear that all people have sinned and in their natural state are separated from God (Rom. 3:23). The punishment for sin is death, which is eternal separation from the Lord. But the Father, in His love and mercy, sent His own Son to die in our place. As a result, everyone who believes in Jesus is forgiven and receives His free gift of salvation.
Believers are to share the good news of salvation, but the world's hostility can make us afraid. Today's passage encourages us not to fear. Telling others about Jesus doesn't require lofty words or long quotations of memorized Scripture. Simply be ready with an answer if you're asked about "the hope that is in you" (1 Peter 3:15).
Friday, June 12, 2009
Your moment is now
From where you are, with what you have, live this moment fully. Wishing for things to be perfect, or worrying that things will get worse, will rob you of the great value that already is.
Live now, without holding back and without hesitation. Go ahead, do what you've been meaning to do, and discover new ways to bring great value to life.
The past is already decided and the future is not yet available. Now is when you can savor the boundless richness in which you are immersed.
All is well, all is now, and all is open for you to experience. Life's exquisite beauty is yours the instant you appreciate it.
See the beauty, the wonder, and the rightness in the way things are. Generously express your joy, and feel the great fortune of your existence.
Your moment is now. Live the profound treasure that is.
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