Psalm 46:10 NASB
Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.
Personal Challenge…
Hmmm…Cease striving and know that I am God. I guess the psalmist is telling us that it is not about what I do, or what I know, but that God is who He is. He will be exalted and I have nothing to do with that exaltation. He wants me to stop trying to make it happen on my own accord and just rest in knowing that He is God and that He will be exalted.
1 Kings 8:22-24 NASB
Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven. He said, “O LORD, the God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing lovingkindness to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart, who have kept with Your servant, my father David, that which You have promised him; indeed, You have spoken with Your mouth and have fulfilled it with Your hand as it is this day.
Words of Encouragement…
Have you ever had someone ask you why in the world would you be a Christian? I have and this proclamation by Solomon so many years ago is still as good today as it was then. I am a Christian because I am in a relationship with a God that is alive and constant. He has always been there for mankind (since He created us) and He always will be. He has redeemed us from death through His Son and established His Bride, His Church of which I am a part. All that the world has to offer is temporary and fleeting. Why would I not be a Christian? That is the real question.
2 Peter 1:5-7 NIV
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, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.
Personal Challenge…
Have you ever had someone call you a wimp, or weak, because you are a Christian? Well to be truthful, Christianity is not for the weak. I know that our strength does not come from us, but from God, but to live a life based on goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and most importantly love is to live a most difficult and challenging life. Oh how often I fail in all of these areas, but by the grace of God He is there to pick me up and help me start all over again.
Hebrews 4:9-10 NLT
So there is a special rest {Or Sabbath rest.} still waiting for the people of God. For all who enter into God’s rest will find rest from their labors, just as God rested after creating the world.
Encouraging Words…
Talk about having something to hope for…how wonderful it will be when that day arrives for me as I enter into God’s rest. Thank goodness that we have a Sabbath rest, but it is only a shadow of an image of what it will be like when I finally enter into that permanent rest with Him.
1 Timothy 6:11-12 NASB
But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
Personal Challenge…
In this passage Paul is encouraging Timothy (and us) to flee from the things of the world and to pursue the things of God. We are commanded to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. We are told that this will be a fight and a struggle, but it is a good fight, one that will allow us to grasp ahold of eternal life. Sometimes the struggle is within, our thoughts and desires for the world and the things of the world. Sometimes the struggle will be with those around us, our friends, our families, our acquaintances who want us to hold onto the things of the world rather than the things of God. It is good to know that we can fight the good fight because we have been called, and therefore equipped, to do it.
Philippians 4:8-9 NASB
John 15:15-17 NASB
No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. This I command you, that you love one another.
Words of Encouragement…
I recently had the opportunity to teach a class on cultural sensitivity to a team that is heading to Haiti in March. This is one of the passages that I share in the training as a reminder that we are not slaves in Christ, but His friends. He shares His love to us much more deeply than if we were slaves. As a matter of fact, as slaves, no love is required. He has picked me so that He can pour out His love on me and share His Father with me. He then commands me to pass this love on to those around me.
Luke 2:52 NIV
And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.
Words of Encouragement…
So many religions worship a concept or an idea…we however worship a living God that became a man. He did not instantly appear as the newest and latest guru, but was born of a poor family, in poor and desolate times. His hospital room was a manger surrounded by the farm animals of the day. He also grew up like everyone of us did, facing daily challenges, emotions, and situations. We worship and serve a God that has navigated the road of a normal human life so that in Him we can find life, joy, rest, peace, love, and eternity. He knows what we are going through because He went through it as well.
Hosea 2:20-21 NLT
I will be faithful to you and make you mine, and you will finally know me as LORD. “In that day,” says the LORD, “I will answer the pleading of the sky for clouds, which will pour down water on the earth in answer to its cries for rain.
Words of Encouragement…
Sometimes we go through long, dry periods in our lives waiting for the clouds to come and bring forth life giving rain. For some of us that waiting may be our entire lives. But the wonderful thing is that if we keep pursuing God and seeking His presence in our lives He will be faithful to us and hold us as His own. We will truly know Him and in that relationship the rain will come and we will be nourished and refreshed. It is the knowing Him as LORD, on His terms and not on ours, that is the difficult part.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, 11 NIV
There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to rebuild. A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance. A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away. A time to search and a time to lose. A time to keep and a time to throw away. A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak up. A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace.
God has made everything beautiful for its own time.
Words of Encouragement…
I have posted this one before, but is is such a great reminder of the importance of events in our lives. We all have those times when we feel abandoned or attacked or just plain out of sorts. Life has its ups and its downs. What is important is how we view the entire journey and recognize that God is always there for us and that it is He who puts the people in our lives that will always stand by our side.
Verse of the Day 