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I Want More

Joshua 17:16

"And the children of Joseph said, The hill is not enough for us: and all the Canaanites that dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both they who are of Bethshean and her towns, and they who are of the valley of Jezreel."

The children of Joseph had one of the same problems that many people have today and that is they wanted something for nothing. They wanted Joshua to have everyone else go and conquer their territory, and then give it to them without them having to do anything. They wanted to enjoy pleasures without the responsibilities it took to acquire those pleasures. However, Joshua was wise in telling these people that if they wanted more than what they had, then they needed to find a way to get it and not to depend on the rest of Israel to help them.

There are many in our society who seem to want something for nothing. One of the ways many presidential candidates win people's vote is to promise them that when they become president they will have the government pay for certain luxuries. As good as this may sound, this is wrong. If a person wants to have something, then they need to work for it. 2 Thessalonians 3:10 says, "For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat."

Christian, be careful about becoming someone who always has their hand out. It is nothing more than murmuring about God not meeting your needs when you whine about what you don't have. God says in Philippians 2:14, "Do all things without murmurings and disputings:" A Christian is to live their life without begging people to help them. If you want to beg someone, then beg God and not man. God tells us in Matthew 7:7, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:" God is the only One Who is capable of meeting your needs. If God wants you to have something, then He will be sure to impress upon someone's heart to give it to you.

Moreover, if you want something, then have the initiative to go find a way to get it. Learn to be creative and find ways to get what you need. One of the greatest assets you have is your mind. So, become creative by using your mind to think of ways to get what you need. Don't expect anyone to give you something, but find ways to get it yourself. If you live with the mentality that you will get what you need, then you will not be disappointed if someone doesn't give it to you.

Furthermore, parents need to teach their children to work for what they get. Just because your children want a new pair of shoes doesn't mean you should go directly to the store and purchase it for them. If their shoes are in good condition and they want better shoes, then tell them to find a way to earn the money to purchase the shoes themselves. Teaching your children at a young age to work for what they get will help them to appreciate what they have. If you give everything to them as a child, then they will expect society to give everything to them as an adult.

Be careful about not becoming like the children of Joseph who wanted others to give them what they could get themselves. If you want something, then find a way to get it, but don't become a Christian who whines and begs for everything. God promises to supply your need, but He didn't say that your need would always come from others, most of the time He will supply your need by having you working to get that need met.

Confidence

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Building Others Confidence in You

Joshua 1:5

"There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee."

There is no doubt that Joshua needed a confidence booster that God would use him. Moses was a great man of God, and Joshua was the one chosen to fill his position. That was a very big position to fill, but Joshua still had the same God of Moses. Because Joshua had a big position that he had just filled, he needed his confidence built that God would use him. Twice God said, "Be strong and of a good courage:..." God said this because Joshua needed confidence that God would use him. The verse above shows three things that are needed to build someone's confidence in you.

First, get involved with what they are doing. God told Joshua, "...so I will be with thee:..." The word "with" means, "to be beside." In other words, if you were to paraphrase what God said to Joshua you would say, "So, I will be beside thee." What a great confidence booster! Knowing that God would be right beside him had to help build his confidence.

If you need to build someone's confidence in you, then you need to prove to them that you will be right beside them in all that they do. The greatest way a parent can build their child's confidence in them is to be there for them when they need you. Many children lack confidence in their parents because their parents are too busy to be there for them when they need them. Likewise, a spouse needs to be with their spouse in times of need. You will build your spouse's confidence in you when you are right beside them as they go through tough times. Furthermore, if you need to build someone's confidence in you in the ministry, then you need to be sure that you will be with them when they go through tough times in their life. If they are in the hospital, then visit them. If they are in suffering the death of a loved one, then be there for them. You will never build someone's confidence in you if you are absent in their time of need.

Second, being dependable will build someone's confidence in you. God told Joshua, "I will not fail thee,..." In other words, God was telling Joshua that he could always count on Him doing what He said He would do. If you want to build someone's confidence in you, then follow through with everything that you told them you will do. Dependability is a great confidence booster. If a person learns that they can depend on you more than they can anyone else, then they will certainly have great confidence in you.

Last, don't forsake them. God told Joshua, "...I will not...forsake thee." It didn't matter what Joshua was going through, God promised him that He would always be there. If you want to build someone's confidence in you, then be there for them in the good and bad times. When they disappoint you, be there for them. When everyone else leaves them, be there for them. When they fall into sin, be there for them. When everyone else is gone, then you be the one who is still standing by their side.

Is someone in your life with whom you need to build their confidence in you? The three things that God does to build our confidence in Him will also build other's confidence in you. However, once you have built someone's confidence in you, be careful that you don't break that confidence. You worked hard to get it, so work just as hard to keep it.

Position

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The Path to Position

Deuteronomy 28:10

"And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the LORD; and they shall be afraid of thee."

One of the mistakes I see in our society is giving position to someone who has never earned it. I like the phrase our military uses, "Earned, never given." Often I see pastors who give their children a position on their staff when their children have not earned the right to be on staff. You see company owners give their children a position when their children have done nothing to deserve a position. Government officials often grant position to people who have not earned the right to a position. Position is something that should be earned.

God shows us the path to position in Deuteronomy 28. He was talking to the nation of Israel in this passage when He showed them four things that were necessary for them to have position. These four steps on this path to position should not be ignored, but it should be something that is required for anyone to get a position.

The first step on the path to position is a command. In verse 8 it says, "The LORD shall command..." If someone wants position, then they first need to learn to listen to the commands of authority. If a person won't listen to the commands of those above them before they have a position, then they will ignore the commands of their superiors once they get a position. A person who will listen to a command is one whose heart is eager to learn.

The second step on the path to position is obedience. Verse 8 says, "...and in all that thou settest thine hand unto:..." Once a person hears the command, then obedience is required. Obedience is immediately doing what you have been told. When a person delays doing what they are being told, then they are being disobedient. When you are considering whether someone should be promoted to a position, then watch to see if they immediately obey what they are told to do. If there is any delay, don't give them a position because they have not earned it.

The third step on the path to position is the proving ground. Verse 9 says, "The LORD shall establish thee..." This was a time of testing to see if they would continue obeying without position. Here is where many people make a mistake in giving position. Too many people don't let a person prove that they are going to do right whether or not they get a position. Wait a period of time to see if someone will continue doing right before you grant them a position.

The final step on the path to position is the granting of a position. Verse 10 says, "And all people of the earth shall see..." Let me make this very clear, when a person is ready to be promoted to a position, then it will be clear to everyone. You won't have to persuade people they are ready, for their previous actions will have already proven to everyone that they deserve it.

If you are one who has the authority to grant position in some area, use these four steps to determine whether someone deserves it. If you are one who has no position, simply follow these four steps without a concern for position, and you will find that others will notice you and give you position.

Truly

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Truly, God is Good

Psalm 73:1

Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart."

I was recently taking a trip to a speaking engagement with my father-in-law, Dr. Steve Heidenreich, when we were discussing how good God has been to us. We discussed how many people seem to not see the goodness of God. As we drove, it was good to talk about the goodness of God.

The verse above reminds us of God's goodness. When the Psalmist said, "Truly God is good to Israel,..." he was not saying it in a time when everything was going good. When you read the psalm, you will see that he was declaring God's goodness in bad times. He declared the goodness of God emphatically by using the word, "Truly." The definition of this word shows us how good God really is.

First, "Truly" means, "In fact." In other words, factually God is good. When you read the facts of the Word of God, you will find that God is truly good. It doesn't matter what the world says about God's goodness, the facts show otherwise. God's goodness is never ending. The fact that God is good all the time is declared in Psalm 52:1 when it says, "Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually." God is continually good to you, even when you don't think He is being good. Truly, when you look at the facts of God's Word, you will see that God is good.

Second, "Truly" means, "In deed."When you look at the deeds that God has done, you will have to declare that God is good. God is good because He is righteous. A righteous God cannot and will not do evil to His people. Christian, when you research God's works throughout history, you will find that His works declare His goodness. In fact, when you look at His deeds, you will say that truly God is good.

Finally, "Truly" means, "In reality." In other words, when you make a comparison of God's works by looking at the whole picture of your life, you will find that God is good. Sure, there may be times when you did not think that God was good, but when you look at the whole picture you will say, truly God is good. You cannot look at one portion of your life, but you must look at your whole life to see that God is good.

Just like my father-in-law and I were discussing God's goodness to us, you will also find that God is good when you consider the facts, deeds and reality of life. The message of the song, Count Your Blessings should be our message every day. The chorus says, "Count your blessings, name them one by one, Count your blessings, see what God hath done! Count your blessings, name them one by one, Count your many blessings, see what God hath done." When you count your blessings, you will truly be surprised at how God is good.

Today, take some time to sit down and write the blessings of God on your life. Don't be general when you write down His blessings, but be very specific. I believe if you will do this that you will say with the psalmist, truly God is good.

Looking

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Looking Through a Magnifying Glass

Deuteronomy 1:28

"Whither shall we go up? our brethren have discouraged our heart, saying, The people is greater and taller than we; the cities are great and walled up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakims there."

I remember reading books years ago about detectives using magnifying glasses to help them investigate a clue. The reason they would use a magnifying glass is because it would help them see things that they could not see very well with the naked eye. The magnifying glass magnifies the object that it is on so that it can be seen distinctly and clearly.

The children of Israel made the mistake of looking at life through a mental magnifying glass. When the ten spies went to spy the land of Canaan, they should have laid the mental magnifying glass down so they could see the whole picture. Instead, they used their mental magnifying glass when they said, "The people is greater and taller than we; the cities are great and walled up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakims there." If they would have laid the magnifying glass down, they would have seen a God Who was bigger than those giants, they would have seen a land that flowed with milk and honey, and they would have seen that the giants and walls were a small part of the whole picture. Because they used a mental magnifying glass to look at Canaan, they missed the great opportunity to go into the land God promised them.

You must be careful about using a magnifying glass to look at situations and relationships in your life. No, you may not physically pick up a magnifying glass to look at these, but mentally you have your magnifying glass out inspecting insignificant things that make no impact on the whole picture of the situation or relationship. Many people blow things way out of proportion because they have magnified one little thing in a situation or relationship instead of looking at the whole picture.

Be careful about looking at your relationships through a magnifying glass. You will destroy your marriage and family if you magnify every little situation. Many marriages and families could be much happier if people would look at the whole relationship. Instead, many will destroy their relationship with their parents, children or spouse because they magnify one little thing that they don't like. Lay down your magnifying glass in your relationships and look at the whole picture to get an honest view of the great relationships you have.

Furthermore, don't look at any one situation in your life with a magnifying glass. Often we have one bad situation in life and we look at it through a mental magnifying glass. We make the situation worse because we magnify it instead of looking at the whole picture. Christian, when you look at life as a whole, you will see that your one bad situation is simply a small part of a larger more beautiful picture. Don't ruin the picture that God has painted in your life because you look at it with a magnifying glass.

When you look at these things with a magnifying glass you magnify things that are a small part of the whole picture of your life or relationship. Not only are they a small part, but they are truthfully an insignificant part of that picture. Be careful about letting the small insignificant things in life and relationships ruin your whole picture. When you are tempted to use your mental magnifying glass, step back and look at the whole picture. By doing this you will keep the beautiful picture of your life and relationships in tact.