God's Strength In My Weakness!

Today's Passage: 1 Corinthians 1:27
Memory Verse: 2 Corinthians 12:9

There's nothing more humbling than coming face to face with your weakness.  It can be embarrassing and humiliating all at once.  Just when you thought you were making strides, an area of weakness presents itself.  What is your area of weakness?  What part of your life do you finally need to have victory?  We have to discover these things and confront them.  If we confront them (instead of deny them) we'll move toward conquering them.

There was a time in my life when I was very selfish.  The thought of giving or making someone else's life better was not something that came easy for me.  I felt like I had been denied so much, I should just spend the rest of my life looking out for myself.  Then I met my wife and not long after that got saved.  What a life change!  My whole world revolved around pleasing Him and covering her.  When sharing was once a weakness for me, I was now giving everything I had to this new life.  I also discovered even while I was weak, God was still using me.  That season of time taught me how God has a purpose for our weaknesses.  Although I was used to hiding, defending, and even excusing them, God was calling me to confront them.  My bad habit was actually preventing Him from using me the way He desired.  His perspective was different than mine and I  needed to come to grips with that.  Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1:27 "But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things that are mighty".  God chose my weakness to break my pride and thus make me stronger.  I love it.  

So don't worry if you have areas of weakness in your life.  Just submit them to God.  He has a purpose and a plan for them and for you.  He's waiting to take your weakness away and replace them with strength.  All you need is faith.  With faith, you can lay it at His feet knowing He'll change you for the better.  After all, a weakness is simply an area of life God hasn't had the opportunity to touch yet.  So let Him....He's ready.

Prayer:  Father I place my life in Your hands.  You know the places that need to fixed.  You know the things that need to be removed.  Make me what You want me to be.  Help me come closer and closer to being Your image...in Jesus' name. Amen!      

God's Power In Our Weakness!

Today's Passage: 1 Corinthians 1:27
Memory Verse: 2 Corinthians 12:9

There's nothing more humbling than coming face to face with your weakness.  It can be embarrassing and humiliating all at once.  Just when you thought you were making strides, an area of weakness presents itself.  What is your area of weakness?  What part of your life do you finally need to have victory?  We have to discover these things and confront them.  If we confront them (instead of deny them) we'll move toward conquering them.

There was a time in my life when I was very selfish.  The thought of giving or making someone else's life better was not something that came easy for me.  I felt like I had been denied so much, I should just spend the rest of my life looking out for myself.  Then I met my wife and not long after that got saved.  What a life change!  My whole world revolved around pleasing Him and covering her.  When sharing was once a weakness for me, I was now giving everything I had to this new life.  I also discovered even while I was weak, God was still using me.  That season of time taught me how God has a purpose for our weaknesses.  Although I was used to hiding, defending, and even excusing them, God was calling me to confront them.  My bad habit was actually preventing Him from using me the way He desired.  His perspective was different than mine and I  needed to come to grips with that.  Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1:27 "But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things that are mighty".  God chose my weakness to break my pride and thus make me stronger.  I love it.  

So don't worry if you have areas of weakness in your life.  Just submit them to God.  He has a purpose and a plan for them and for you.  He's waiting to take your weakness away and replace it with strength.  All you need is faith.  With faith, you can lay it at His feet knowing He'll change you for the better.  After all, a weakness is simply an area of life God hasn't had the opportunity to touch yet.  So let Him....He's ready.

Prayer:  Father I place my life in Your hands.  You know the places that need to fixed.  You know the things that need to be removed.  Make me what You want me to be.  Help me come closer and closer to being Your image...in Jesus' name. Amen!      

H.U.M.P. Day!

Wednesday October 6, 2010

What is a good measure?  How many is it?  How much does it weigh?  It's hard to determine what a good measure is these days because we all need a little bit of this and a whole lot of that.  So what quantity do we ask God for?

Man's measurements are determined by what is "needed" to fill a void.  For example, six feet of something may be needed here, or three inches of something there.  A fixed dollar amount may be needed here, or so many ounces of a liquid there.  Moreover, there HAS to be a void in order to activate the measure.  In contrast, God's measure is determined by what "seed" has been sown.  God sends His good measure into activation when something is given, not lacked.  Jesus said in Luke 6:38 "Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom.  For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you".  Jesus didn't say our good measure would be predicated upon what we lacked, He said it'd predicated upon what we gave.  John 3:16 says For God so loved the world that He GAVE His only begotten Son.  Did He not reap millions of devoted sons and daughters because of His seed?  If it worked for Him....it'll certainly work for you.  Now get out there and share the love of Jesus.  You want your good measure? Give....Happy H.U.M.P. Day!   

The Posture of Prayer II

Tuesday, October 5th, 2010

Today's Passage: Proverbs 3: 5-8
Memory Verse: Prov. 3:5

We started our discussion on the necessity of prayer in our lives, and we began the process of giving prayer a definition.  The next letter, "R", stands for Recognition.  We must recognize or acknowledge the absolute lordship of our God when we approach Him in prayer.  There must be no doubt in our minds that He is not only able to hear us, but also that He is the only one with the answer.  Hebrews 11: 6 reminds us that the very attitude with which we approach Him must be one of reverence, knowing that He is well able to reward us for our faith in Him.

When we pray, it should never be as a last resort, but our first response to every situation.  I love what the teacher says in today's passage.  We are told to acknowledge Him in ALL our ways -- every decision must include Him.  As Pastor Nette said in her message on Sunday, it breaks every parent's heart to see his or her child in the middle of a mess.  The first thing that parent would want to know is: "why didn't you ask me for help?"  If we stand willing to go to any lengths for our children, surely the Heavenly Father is more than ready to provide the answer to any question and meet any need.  So we must be humble and ASK Him for everything.  He's our Father Who will never withold any good thing from us.  How much confidence God must have to be able to give us a guarantee of an anwser.  All He asks is that we not allow anxiety to steal our faith.

Here's what many people miss as a result of the lack of a prayer life.  The more you pray, the more you will change.  This is because, as we get to know Him more deeper, we become more aware of His character and His love for us.  Consequently, we learn to YIELD to His ways on a matter.  He already told us in His Word that His thoughts are not our thoughts, nor are His ways our ways.  When we ask Him to answer us, it is important for us to always leave ourselves open for Him to answer our prayer HIS way.  He is the ultimate parent Who sees the end of a thing before its very beginning.  Prayer is a time to mould and surrender ourselves to His perfect, not His permissible, will for our lives and the lives of the people we are praying for.

Today, before you even draw up your wish list for God to fulfill, make a decision in your heart that you will come craving His answers and their solutions.Our lives are not ours, and when we live to please him, it will show in the way we respond when He says , "no" or "wait".  Such a heart will always find in the Father a listening ear.

Prayer: Here I am again, Father.  You have been so good to me and my loved ones.  I acknowledge You as the answer to every question I may have ever had in my life.  You've always steered me in the right direction, even when I didn't want You to.  Please come now and abide in my thoughts as well as in the place where I make my decisions.  May I not spend another moment trying to do it on my own.  In Jesus' Precious Name, Amen.

 

The Posture of Prayer

Monday, October 4th, 2010

Today's Passage: Matthew 6: 5-13
Memory Verse: Matt. 6:9

There are quite a few things we all take for granted that we couldn't live without.  Breathing is one of those things.  I couldn't tell you how many breaths I take in one minute, let alone in a day's time.  And yet, the second that breath becomes no longer available to me, my entire existence would go on alert.  Everything else that I thought was so necessary would pale in comparison.

Yesterday's message at The Life reminded me of another thing that is just as important as breathing, if not more so.  It's prayer.  Pastor Nette described it as the posture through which we position ourselves to recieve everything we need from God.  If He holds everything we need, you can begin to see why many of us don't receive it: because we don't pray.  Prayer is one of those words you'll find often in Scripture, because our Father wants us to know how important it is to Him.  And if He thinks it's important, so should we.

One reason prayer is not as precious to us as it ought to be is our attitude towards it.  For many of us, it's only a means of communicating our needs to God.  We don't see it as a time when He also wants to communicate with us.  He desires to reveal Himself -- give us wisdom for confusion, infuse us with His peace in times of storm, and answer the millions of questions we have about day-to-day issues.  Let's start this week with a basic definition of prayer in an attempt to fully understand and devote ourselves to it.

The "P" in prayer stands for Praise and worship.  You can't have prayer without it. Actually, you could go the entire length of your prayer time just giving God words of adoration.  When you think about how awesome and faithful He is in the big and the small things, isn't it worth taking the time to tell Him so?  How do you feel when your own children take the time to tell you how special they think you are?  If you're like me, you want to give them nice things just because they did that.  How much more our Heavenly Father?  Let's determine to make more of our prayer time about Him and not us.

Prayer: Father, let me start right off praising You today.  You are my King, the most powerful and awesome God Who ever existed.  And the fact that You love me never ceases to amaze me.  I will spend the rest of my days worshipping You for Who You are to me.  Thank You for just allowing me to breathe Your air.  May my life make You famous today.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.   

Let's Clean It Up

Sunday, October 3rd, 2010

Today's Passage: 1 John 1:5-10; 2:1-2
Memory Verse: Psalm 51:10

There are a few people in this world who actually love to clean.  I mean, they have a sincere love for it, and are very happy when they find themselves performing cleaning chores.  I am not one of those people.  For a long time, I wondered why it always took me so long to get a cleaning task done.  I've just figured out why that is:  I DON'T ENJOY CLEANING.  But, like every responsible wife and mother, I know that this is something I need to do so that my family is comfortable and safe.  So I do it with my focus on the results.  I try to get down to where the real stuff is that I've been avoiding.   Under or behind the furniture, I tackle dust mites and stubborn dirt that could harm us even though it is unseen. 

Well, every once in a while, you just have to get down and dirty in the spirit realm.  Hidden in the recesses of your soul (where your mind, will, and emotions reside), you will find thoughts and feelings that don't leave just because you pushed them to the back.  They're still there, waiting to create clutter in your spirit and cause just enough trouble to stop you and God from communicating fully.  As long as they stay there, hidden away from everyone else, we may think we're okay.  But if you truly want to walk in fellowship with the Father, you must expose those things to the light of His Spirit.

Today's passage shows us how David accomplished this necessary spiritual task.  He knew what some of us also know but try to hide: that our hearts are deceitful above all things and desperately wicked.  If we try to pretend it doesn't hold on to thoughts and emotions that are contrary to the Word of God, we keep the light from penetrating, and we harm our relationship with God.  But if we are bold enough to say where we've gone wrong, God is faithful and just to forgive, cleanse us, and set us back in right standing with Himself.

As you prepare to go into the house of the Lord today, let His Spirit gently guide you through the cleaning process.  Expose those things you may have been harboring : you and He know what they are.  Then go to your place of worship and thank Him for His mercy, renewing your resolve to continue serving and being totally devoted to Him.  Whether in the spiritual or the natural, clean feels good.

Prayer: Father, create in me a clean heart.  Renew a right spirit within me.  I desire to be close to You, and I want Your joy to be my strength.  In exchange for all that, I release every sinful thought and feeling, embracing only those thoughts that please You.  Cleanse me from unrighteousness, and bring me back into right standing with You as only You can do.  I love You and thank You for Your amazing grace.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.   

Jesus, the Lion!

Saturday, October 2nd, 2010

Today's Passage: Revelation 5:1-5
Memory Verse: Revelation 5:5

I was watching a movie the other day on TV.  It seemed to me like all the characters of the movie had animal nicknames that were based on their characteristics or personality.  For instance, one guy was named 'Joey the Rat'.  This guy had a squeaky voice, ate anything, and wasn't very clean.  Another guy was named 'The Bull', and another 'The Tiger'.   Yeah I know, sounds like your classic mob flick.  And it probably was, but it still got me thinking.

When I think about men who were truly "tough guys", my mind can't help but go to the Bible.  You had to be really tough to last in those days.  Guys back then didn't complain of headaches and hard times while doing the work of the Lord.  As a matter of fact, these so-called tough guys or gangsters couldn't walk a second in Jesus' shoes.  Okay, let's get back to the names.  Let's start with 'Moses the Ant'.  Ant, you say?  Yes, ant.  A sargeant ant can lead up to 10,000 ants miles across the jungle floor; all at the instructions of his queen.  Moses led half a million children of Israel across the desert; all at the instructions of his King.  Ants are resilient, they are determined, and they can carry haevy objects for long distances.  Yes, Moses the Ant.  He was a true tough guy. 

Here's another one: David the Cat.  He's small, cute, homely looking.  But when threatened, he becomes this ferocious beast that can take down any predator that tries to bring harm to him.  This little dude can handle himself.  Just ask Goliath and the Philistines.  Last but not least, 'Jesus the Lion'.  Who else can be so beautiful and intimidating at the same time?  Have you ever seen a lion in real life?  When you do, part of you wants to lay under his awesome mane; knowing that no other beast in the world would dare try to harm you.  The other part of you is shaken with fear because you know if it weren't for the barricade, that thing could tear you apart whenever it chose to.   Jesus, for those who really know him, is kinda like that.  When we are in His presence, we are compelled to run to Him, knowing that no demon from Hell would ever try to harm us.  But we also have to approach Him with "respectable caution".  He's not some fairy tale character that won't show up to a fight.  And He does possess the power to tear some stuff up, if you know what I mean.

Well, thank you for humoring me, Td Nation.  I try to keep the reading light on Saturdays.  I still have that little kid in me that believes Saturdays are for heroes.  It's just that Jesus is my hero now.  I sleep well at night knowing that He's already saved the day.

Prayer:  Father, I thank you for Your saving grace.  You are as powerful as You are beautiful.  I appreciate how You love and care for me.  I realize just because You are a God of love, it doesn't mean You're not a God of strength.  I am confident that You always know what's best for me.  so I leave my life in Your hands...in Jesus' name. Amen