- Tuesday, 12/12/17 Would you like to be godly today? Psalm 68:19, Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefit... OK, go and try to over-bless those in your world today. Be far sweeter, generous, patient, accommodating, forgiving than anyone would expect you to. Go WAAAAY over and above.
Proverbs11:17, The merciful man doeth good to his own soul: but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh. The first half of the verse is pretty easy to understand: showing mercy to another benefits us; it helps our soul. However, in context, the second half is also, therefore, talking about the same thing: not showing mercy hurts my own flesh. Of course, mercy is not giving someone a deserved negative. So, whoever has hurt you: NO, they don’t deserve mercy, but give it anyway; release them from their bond of justice. LET IT GO AND LET GOD DEAL WITH IT. Doing so will help your soul; and not doing so will harm your flesh. The merciful man doeth good to his own soul: but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh.
- Wednesday, 12/13/17 Psalm 1:6a, For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous... Wanna be like Christ today? Notice, acknowledge, and reward the righteous things those around you do, or attempt to do. 1 Kings 19:4, ...It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers. It seems that a source of Elijah’s depression was an attempt to be better than his ancestors. Remember, we are not in competition with anyone else. No one else has had the unique circumstances that you or I have had; no one else has the exact genetic makeup: truly, we are unique beings running a unique race. Any comparison is apples to oranges, so it’s invalid. Plus, in making comparisons, we are seldom objective: either we are far to harsh on ourselves (like Elijah here) leading to depression, or we give ourselves a pass, leading to pride and laziness.
- Thursday, 12/14/17 Job 1:15, And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. The spotlight is on Job, but the families of these servants were devastated. Lesson: there’s a LOT of people hurting around us...notice and care. Mark 6:31, And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. A simple truth: make meal time “leisurely.” Enjoy your meals. Slow down and relax while eating. Eating on the go, in the car, while working...I don’t think these are optimal.
- Friday, 12/15/17 Job 1:21, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. Perhaps a major sign of spiritual maturity is the ability to bless God when He takes away. (Ouch...) Job 1:5, And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually. Job’s story is in the Bible to teach us that others have gone through horrendous suffering before us and came out OK and that God was aware of Him through the storms. He did stumble a bit on his pride in the storm, but one thing that he did do well was live for God while on topside. Success and prosperity are often harder to handle than burdens and problems. Today, as 2017 comes to a close, many of us are doing fairly well: we’re “healthy, wealthy, and wise,” as it were. Is our relationship with the Lord prospering? 3 John 2, Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
- Saturday, 12/16/17 Job 3:25, For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me. Satan, for all his power, is not omniscient. So, when we talk about our fears and make them obvious, we advertise to him a means of effectively attacking us. Psalm 3:1-3, Lord, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me. Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah. But thou, O Lord... You can stack up all of the enemies and foes and demons of Hell on one side of the scale, and those 4 short words, But thou, O Lord, 12 letters on the other side, and...YOU WIN!!!! So, quit with the blues and walk and work and serve like a champion today.
- Sunday, 12/17/17 Psalm 2:6, Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. Regardless of the might or the angst of the enemies arrayed against you, God is in charge. So, nothing will happen that He does not allow, and since He loves us, nothing will happen that ultimately is not for our good. Ask what ye will, and trust. Psalm 4:2, O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah. In our society, it is shameful (their opinion) and, at times, embarrassing (our opinion) to live as a Christian. “No, I don’t drink...” “I always wear skirts because...” “I didn’t kiss my spouse until our wedding...” But, keep on doing rightly because “there is coming a day” when our glory, our Saviour and His way will shine forth with all of the brightness that it has. If you live rightly now, that’ll be a bright and happy day. If you live embarrassed and ashamed now, you’ll be embarrassed and ashamed on that day too. Plan your future wisely...even though it’s hard now.
- Monday, 12/18/17 1 Kings 21:27, And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly. Even this most wicked man in the entire OT could react rightly to a harsh rebuke. Can you? When was the last time you did this? 1 Kings 21:25, ...whom Jezebel his wife stirred up. “Stirred up” means to stimulate, seduce, entice, or provoke. Ladies, do you entice or prompt your man to do rightly or sinfully? Do you encourage or discourage him from fulfilling the roles and the tasks that God has given him to do? Do you encourage him to lead your home and serve God and direct the family, or are you his adversary in those arenas? Are you more Jezebel-ly than you’d like to admit?
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Bible thoughts from some others:
- Pro 11:3, The integrity of the upright shall guide them, but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them. We are about to find out in America who is going to take charge and win the battle for right and wrong! If we ever needed godly direction, it’s now.
- Matt 26:41, Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. We’ve not changed much! Without His help we’ll never have victory over temptation and the flesh. Will we live by His strength or ours?
- Pro 14:5, A faithful witness will not lie: but a false of witness will utter lies. The greatest character trait we can possess and pass on is honesty.
- 1 Tim 3:5, For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God? Instructions for pastors: 1) a man. 2) One who rules, or runs, his own house wisely. How do his wife and kids treat him? 3) He controls the affairs of the church. The recipe still works today.
- Ps 103:6, The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed. How blessed we are to have a God Who stands beside us, treats us rightly, and does not condemn or forsake us, no matter how bad our circumstances may be.
- 2 Tim 1:16, The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus: for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain. We should always be ready to stand with, defend, and encourage men of God. It will be a blessing to them and to us.
- "Without counsel purposes are disappointed. This kind of disappointment is unnecessary and completely avoidable. Repeat offenders are guaranteed the same results every time.
- The American dream should be called The American work! Maybe we've been misguided. Ecclesiastes 5:3a, For a dream cometh through the multitude of business;"
- “If I were telling somebody how to initiate a fervent Prayer life, I would first tell them to have a time and place for Prayer, a time and place for preparation, and a rigid adherence to that time and place.” Dr. Jack Hyles.
- He is still called Emmanuel, because He is still with us. Now there is a Merry thought.
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Miscellaneous thoughts from others:
- Friendship should not be about someone agreeing with us, but about another who helps bring us into agreement with God.
- Alcohol is the poorest crutch any soul ever leaned upon in a season of distress. Learn to lean on Jesus, and find that He is a Brother born for adversity!
- God didn't rest on the 7th day because He needed rest. He was setting an example. Paul didn't deny himself meat because of a personal conviction. He was being an example. Leadership is becoming a lost art. And it's most destructive force begins in the home.
- Anyone can be faithful during the celebration while everyone is watching. That is not faithfulness, but theater. Faithful is remaining true in the long dark moments of rejection, loneliness and abandon. Oh, may all who come behind us find us faithful!
- I don't read my Bible because I have such a warm heart for God. I read my Bible because my heart is ice cold. After I read, His Word begins the thawing process and the ice in my heart starts to melt and swell in my eyes and run down my cheeks.
- Don’t let what you want rob you of what you already have.
- You become the person who hurts you when you decide to hurt them back.
- Much of the world will embrace the celebration of Christ's birth, but precious few will embrace the truths he taught.
- Tears of sorrow wash my eyes so that I can see the sorrow of others more clearly.
- Every hero is a villain to someone. The heroic home team quarterback is a villain to the opposing team. Thus it is impossible to be a hero for a cause without being the villain to those who oppose your cause. We are allowing American heroes to be made villains by those who are anti-American in their ideology.
- When your mood is bad do not speak because when your mood changes you will not be able change the words.
- Rules control immature Christians. Character controls mature ones.
- Faith may move a mountain, but don't be surprised if God tells you to pick up shovel and get to work.
- I found peace not when my enemies stopped attacking me but when I quit attacking back.
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