Psalm 6:2
Have mercy upon me, O Lord; for I am weak; O Lord, heal me; for my bones are vexed.
The closer we get to God, the more glaring are our faults. The brighter the light of perfection that we subject ourselves to, the more flaws are revealed. The better we understand the awesome magnificence of God, the more we expose our own imperfection. As the great men and women of the Bible came to realize, the stronger we become in the faith, the more wretched we sometimes fee.
This, however, is no cause for despair. Our Lord wants nothing more than for us to come to depend on Him. We can only truly become dependent as we acknowledge our inadequacies. As the Apostle Paul found out, true strength comes from admitting our weakness, and total healing comes by realizing that without God we are sickly and terminally diseased by sin. Cry out for the mercy of God and He will strengthen you; ask for His healing and you will be made whole.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, I try to be perfect and f ind that I am hopelessly deficient. Nothing I can do will bring me the perfection You intend for me. Fill me with Your Spirit and do for me all that I cannot do for myself. Amen.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Friday, October 24, 2008
Meditation in Relationship
Many people ask, “What can I do to really grow in my Christian life?” They are usually looking for a secret path to maturity— something to do, some specific type of service, gift, or talent. And yet, the true key to growing in your relationship with Christ isn’t found in any of these things. In fact, I firmly believes the most important thing you can do to mature in your faith is simply to focus on your relationship with our heavenly Father.
We need to realize that genuine maturity and effectiveness are tied to our relationship with the Lord. When we take our focus off of what we can do for Him, our entire thought process will start to shift. This truth puts all believers on the same level, from the high-profile preacher to the quietest, most humble member of the church. Talents, gifts, and personalities do not matter anywhere near as much as the commitment to simply know God.
1 Samuel 13:14 tells us King David was “a man after [God’s] own heart.” And yet, in 2 Samuel 7:18, David himself asked, “Who am I... that You have brought me this far?” Why was God so gracious to him? What was it about him that God valued so highly? It was that David knew God. He spent time with the Lord. He poured his heart out to his heavenly Father. In psalm after psalm, we see him laying everything out before the Lord and seeking His perfect will. David’s strength was in his relationship with God.
Do you want to grow in the Lord? Perhaps you need to stop asking, “What can I do?” Or, “How can I serve?” Instead, say, “Here I am, Father. Let’s talk.”
God’s ways are always perfect, and following them leads to fulfillment and success. One of life’s undeniable truths is that your choices will ultimately determine your future. While you can decide for yourself what career field to enter or who to marry, nothing compares with seeking God first and relying on the wonderful principles of His Word.
We need to realize that genuine maturity and effectiveness are tied to our relationship with the Lord. When we take our focus off of what we can do for Him, our entire thought process will start to shift. This truth puts all believers on the same level, from the high-profile preacher to the quietest, most humble member of the church. Talents, gifts, and personalities do not matter anywhere near as much as the commitment to simply know God.
1 Samuel 13:14 tells us King David was “a man after [God’s] own heart.” And yet, in 2 Samuel 7:18, David himself asked, “Who am I... that You have brought me this far?” Why was God so gracious to him? What was it about him that God valued so highly? It was that David knew God. He spent time with the Lord. He poured his heart out to his heavenly Father. In psalm after psalm, we see him laying everything out before the Lord and seeking His perfect will. David’s strength was in his relationship with God.
Do you want to grow in the Lord? Perhaps you need to stop asking, “What can I do?” Or, “How can I serve?” Instead, say, “Here I am, Father. Let’s talk.”
God’s ways are always perfect, and following them leads to fulfillment and success. One of life’s undeniable truths is that your choices will ultimately determine your future. While you can decide for yourself what career field to enter or who to marry, nothing compares with seeking God first and relying on the wonderful principles of His Word.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
A Second Chance at Heaven?
People fall prey to unbiblical ideas and doctrine when they do not read the Word and evaluate the ideas they hear against God’s truth. Consequently, two popular misconceptions have arisen about life after death. First, some folks believe everyone will get to heaven one way or another. A person will argue that the Bible says God wants everyone to be saved. (1 Timothy 2:3-5, 2 Peter 3:9) Yes, He does. But He does not say everyone will be saved. We are each given an opportunity to choose Jesus Christ as our Savior in this life, but God will not force us to receive Him.
Our eternal home is set before we die. Upon our earthly death, we will either enter the presence of the Lord or be condemned to separation from Him. There is no middle ground between the two. In the afterlife, those who choose God are separated from those who reject Him. (Luke 16:26; Matthew 25:31-46) The people who trust a second false doctrine—purgatory—ignore this truth from the Bible. Purgatory is imagined as a holding cell where souls are tormented for earthly sins before being released into heaven.
Many people believe in a place between heaven and hell without realizing what an insult that concept is to God. If we argue that we must suffer for our own wrongdoing, we are saying Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross was insufficient to pay our sin-debt. This idea violates the most important doctrine in God’s Word. But if we are committed to studying the Bible and carefully evaluating what we hear, we will not be swayed by false ideologies.
Our eternal home is set before we die. Upon our earthly death, we will either enter the presence of the Lord or be condemned to separation from Him. There is no middle ground between the two. In the afterlife, those who choose God are separated from those who reject Him. (Luke 16:26; Matthew 25:31-46) The people who trust a second false doctrine—purgatory—ignore this truth from the Bible. Purgatory is imagined as a holding cell where souls are tormented for earthly sins before being released into heaven.
Many people believe in a place between heaven and hell without realizing what an insult that concept is to God. If we argue that we must suffer for our own wrongdoing, we are saying Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross was insufficient to pay our sin-debt. This idea violates the most important doctrine in God’s Word. But if we are committed to studying the Bible and carefully evaluating what we hear, we will not be swayed by false ideologies.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Steps to friendship
For reading & meditation - Proverbs 18:1-24
"A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." (v.24)
Everyone needs a small circle of friends - even those who are married. I feel deeply sorry for anyone who does not have a friend. If friendship is so important, how do we go about making friends? The first step is - be friendly. The King James Version of our text for today says: "A man that hath friends must show himself friendly." You should not, however, become friendly just in order to gain a friend. This is a wrong motive because you are more interested in gaining a friend than being a friend. Self-centeredness will get you nowhere. Friendliness is the art of going out of yourself and appreciating others more than you appreciate yourself. It is really an attitude. Dale Carnegie in his book, How to Win Friends and Influence People, a secular approach to the subject but full of good sense nevertheless, said, "You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you." The main reason why people have no friends is because they demonstrate an unfriendly attitude. To have a friend - be one. The second step is - allow time for friendships to develop. Force no doors open in friendship but, like Christ in the book of Revelation, stand reverently at the door - and knock. Only if the door is opened from within should you go through. Some relationships you have with people may never develop into close friendships. Don't be upset about that. If you are open and friendly, then God will guide you and show you where deep friendships are to be developed.
Prayer:
Father, help me be a friend who does the knocking before I enter instead of knocking down after I have left. And show me not only how to sympathize with my friends' weaknesses, but summon up their strength. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
"A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." (v.24)
Everyone needs a small circle of friends - even those who are married. I feel deeply sorry for anyone who does not have a friend. If friendship is so important, how do we go about making friends? The first step is - be friendly. The King James Version of our text for today says: "A man that hath friends must show himself friendly." You should not, however, become friendly just in order to gain a friend. This is a wrong motive because you are more interested in gaining a friend than being a friend. Self-centeredness will get you nowhere. Friendliness is the art of going out of yourself and appreciating others more than you appreciate yourself. It is really an attitude. Dale Carnegie in his book, How to Win Friends and Influence People, a secular approach to the subject but full of good sense nevertheless, said, "You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you." The main reason why people have no friends is because they demonstrate an unfriendly attitude. To have a friend - be one. The second step is - allow time for friendships to develop. Force no doors open in friendship but, like Christ in the book of Revelation, stand reverently at the door - and knock. Only if the door is opened from within should you go through. Some relationships you have with people may never develop into close friendships. Don't be upset about that. If you are open and friendly, then God will guide you and show you where deep friendships are to be developed.
Prayer:
Father, help me be a friend who does the knocking before I enter instead of knocking down after I have left. And show me not only how to sympathize with my friends' weaknesses, but summon up their strength. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Friendship in the Pit
Proverbs 17:17
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
"I am in there again," I told my friend. "The pit." A time when no one can cheer you up . Have you ever had such times? Discouragement can be devastating even to the best of saints. It can bring us so low. The writer of Proverbs phrased it well when he said, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick" (Prov. 13:12). When we get so low that we despair of our belief, we can identify with the prophet Elijah who wanted to die after being so discouraged with life.
"I'm coming over," my friend said.
"Aw, you don't have to do that," I said.
"I'm coming over. We're going to pray."
About 30 minutes later my friend walked in the door. We sat down on the living room floor and simply lay on our backs as my friend began to pray. I didn't feel like praying. I was too deep in the pit. All I could do was listen. After awhile my friend was quiet. We both sat quietly for ten to fifteen minutes, praying quietly to ourselves. Suddenly my friend said, "First Thessalonians 5:24!"
"What verse is that?" I asked.
"I don't know," he said. "That is the verse He spoke to me."
I grabbed my Bible and looked up the verse. "The one who calls you is faithful and He will do it."
We laughed. Can He be so personal? Can He care that much? That night I grew more in my love of my two friends, not to mention being brought out of the pit.
Do you have a friend who is there when you need somebody at any hour of the day? Are you there for your friend? Ask the Lord how you can be a better friend to someone today.
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
"I am in there again," I told my friend. "The pit." A time when no one can cheer you up . Have you ever had such times? Discouragement can be devastating even to the best of saints. It can bring us so low. The writer of Proverbs phrased it well when he said, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick" (Prov. 13:12). When we get so low that we despair of our belief, we can identify with the prophet Elijah who wanted to die after being so discouraged with life.
"I'm coming over," my friend said.
"Aw, you don't have to do that," I said.
"I'm coming over. We're going to pray."
About 30 minutes later my friend walked in the door. We sat down on the living room floor and simply lay on our backs as my friend began to pray. I didn't feel like praying. I was too deep in the pit. All I could do was listen. After awhile my friend was quiet. We both sat quietly for ten to fifteen minutes, praying quietly to ourselves. Suddenly my friend said, "First Thessalonians 5:24!"
"What verse is that?" I asked.
"I don't know," he said. "That is the verse He spoke to me."
I grabbed my Bible and looked up the verse. "The one who calls you is faithful and He will do it."
We laughed. Can He be so personal? Can He care that much? That night I grew more in my love of my two friends, not to mention being brought out of the pit.
Do you have a friend who is there when you need somebody at any hour of the day? Are you there for your friend? Ask the Lord how you can be a better friend to someone today.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Building Lasting Friendships
If I were to ask you how many friends you had, you may mention a large group of people, each of whom you call “friend.” However, if I were to ask how many really knew you—heart and soul—I wonder if anyone in that group would qualify. The sad truth is, genuine friendship has become a rare commodity in this world.
What does it take to be a true friend? There could be no finer example than the relationship between David and Jonathan. These two knew what was required to maintain a healthy friendship, and their commitment to that relationship is legendary.
Three things characterized their friendship. First, they had a mutual respect for one another. This is a point that often gets lost in today's world. However, the reality is that we can never maintain a genuine friendship with anyone whom we do not completely respect.
Second, David and Jonathan shared an emotional love for one another. There was nothing sexual or inappropriate about their feelings; rather, they simply rejoiced in the comradery that God had brought together.
Third, they maintained a genuine commitment to each other. These were no “fair weather friends.” In fact, their bond even withstood the attempts of Jonathan's father to kill David. (1 Samuel 23:15-17) Jonathan refused to allow anything to come between him and his friend.
Think about your best friend. Do you have a mutual respect? Do you feel an emotional bond between you? Are you both committed to your friendship? One true companion is a blessing from God. (Proverbs 18:24) Praise Him for the gift of your friend.
What does it take to be a true friend? There could be no finer example than the relationship between David and Jonathan. These two knew what was required to maintain a healthy friendship, and their commitment to that relationship is legendary.
Three things characterized their friendship. First, they had a mutual respect for one another. This is a point that often gets lost in today's world. However, the reality is that we can never maintain a genuine friendship with anyone whom we do not completely respect.
Second, David and Jonathan shared an emotional love for one another. There was nothing sexual or inappropriate about their feelings; rather, they simply rejoiced in the comradery that God had brought together.
Third, they maintained a genuine commitment to each other. These were no “fair weather friends.” In fact, their bond even withstood the attempts of Jonathan's father to kill David. (1 Samuel 23:15-17) Jonathan refused to allow anything to come between him and his friend.
Think about your best friend. Do you have a mutual respect? Do you feel an emotional bond between you? Are you both committed to your friendship? One true companion is a blessing from God. (Proverbs 18:24) Praise Him for the gift of your friend.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Joseph , Tried and True
Joseph's dreams; Joseph sold into slavery; the cruel lies of Potiphar's wife; Joseph imprisoned
Joseph was the only one of Jacob's 12 sons who expressed interest in spiritual things. Joseph was deeply troubled about his older brothers' evil conduct while away from home. At 17 years of age, Joseph . . . was feeding the flock with his brethren and reported to his father the evil things they were doing (Genesis 37:2). The fact that Joseph was the son of his old age (37:3), and possiblybecause of Joseph's concern for his brothers' spiritual well-being, influenced Jacob to love him more than all his brethren (37:4).
Some people discourage exposing wrongdoing, and others say they do not want to become involved. But Joseph possessed spiritual integrity and was willing to face abuse from his brothers for exposing their evil ways. Their hatred increased when Joseph shared his prophetic dreams with them (37:5-7). His brothers scoffed, saying: Shall you indeed reign over us? . . . they hated him yet the more for his dreams (37:8).
Joseph's brothers went to feed their father's flock in Shechem, which was a considerable distance from their home (37:12). Some time later, Jacob, concerned about his sons' welfare, sent Joseph to see if everything was all right with them (37:14). After a long search, Joseph found his brothers near the village of Dothan (37:17).
When his brothers saw Joseph coming, they plotted to slay him. . . . and . . . say, Some evil beast has devoured him (37:18-20). Shocking as it must have been to the poor teenager, they stripped Joseph out of his coat . . . of many colors . . . and cast him into a pit (37:23-24). Joseph then was sold as a slave to Ishmaelites, who sold him in the slave market in Egypt to Potiphar, the captain of the royal guard (37:27-28,36; 39:1). Their last memories of their terrified younger brother were of him pleading for his life (42:21).
God used the experiences of Joseph to prepare him to be the preserver of God's people and, thus, the lineage of the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ. This once again confirms that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).
Word Studies:
37:9 made obeisance = did reverence; 27:22 rid = rescue; 38:2 took = married; 38:18 signet = ring of authority; 38:28 travailed = gave birth; 39:8 wotteth not = does not know.
Christ Portrayed:
By Joseph who was rejected by his own brothers, sold for 20 pieces of silver to Gentiles and imprisoned, but who eventually became their savior and a world ruler (Genesis 37:28; 41:39-40). Jesus came to His own (people), and His own received Him not (John 1:11). He was sold for 30 pieces of silver, imprisoned, crucified, and became our Savior and soon will return to rule the world (Revelation 20:6).
Pray For:
Country: Laos (5 million) in Southeast Asia · Major languages: Lao and French · Great suppression of all Christian activities · 58% Buddhist; 33% belief in spirits and ancestor worship; 2% Christian; 1% Muslim · Prayer Suggestion: Remember that God delights in your joy (Psalm 43:4).
Optional Reading: Matthew 13
Joseph was the only one of Jacob's 12 sons who expressed interest in spiritual things. Joseph was deeply troubled about his older brothers' evil conduct while away from home. At 17 years of age, Joseph . . . was feeding the flock with his brethren and reported to his father the evil things they were doing (Genesis 37:2). The fact that Joseph was the son of his old age (37:3), and possiblybecause of Joseph's concern for his brothers' spiritual well-being, influenced Jacob to love him more than all his brethren (37:4).
Some people discourage exposing wrongdoing, and others say they do not want to become involved. But Joseph possessed spiritual integrity and was willing to face abuse from his brothers for exposing their evil ways. Their hatred increased when Joseph shared his prophetic dreams with them (37:5-7). His brothers scoffed, saying: Shall you indeed reign over us? . . . they hated him yet the more for his dreams (37:8).
Joseph's brothers went to feed their father's flock in Shechem, which was a considerable distance from their home (37:12). Some time later, Jacob, concerned about his sons' welfare, sent Joseph to see if everything was all right with them (37:14). After a long search, Joseph found his brothers near the village of Dothan (37:17).
When his brothers saw Joseph coming, they plotted to slay him. . . . and . . . say, Some evil beast has devoured him (37:18-20). Shocking as it must have been to the poor teenager, they stripped Joseph out of his coat . . . of many colors . . . and cast him into a pit (37:23-24). Joseph then was sold as a slave to Ishmaelites, who sold him in the slave market in Egypt to Potiphar, the captain of the royal guard (37:27-28,36; 39:1). Their last memories of their terrified younger brother were of him pleading for his life (42:21).
God used the experiences of Joseph to prepare him to be the preserver of God's people and, thus, the lineage of the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ. This once again confirms that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).
Word Studies:
37:9 made obeisance = did reverence; 27:22 rid = rescue; 38:2 took = married; 38:18 signet = ring of authority; 38:28 travailed = gave birth; 39:8 wotteth not = does not know.
Christ Portrayed:
By Joseph who was rejected by his own brothers, sold for 20 pieces of silver to Gentiles and imprisoned, but who eventually became their savior and a world ruler (Genesis 37:28; 41:39-40). Jesus came to His own (people), and His own received Him not (John 1:11). He was sold for 30 pieces of silver, imprisoned, crucified, and became our Savior and soon will return to rule the world (Revelation 20:6).
Pray For:
Country: Laos (5 million) in Southeast Asia · Major languages: Lao and French · Great suppression of all Christian activities · 58% Buddhist; 33% belief in spirits and ancestor worship; 2% Christian; 1% Muslim · Prayer Suggestion: Remember that God delights in your joy (Psalm 43:4).
Optional Reading: Matthew 13
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