| ...He will work for you today...' Exodus 14:13 |
| If you're battling fear today, listen to these words from the God Who loves you, protects you and promises to be with you. When there seems to be no way out, He says, 'Fear not; stand still (firm, confident, undismayed) and see the [deliverance] of the Lord which He will work for you today.' Notice the words, 'He will work for you today'. Start looking for evidence of His hand at work in your situation; that's how your faith grows. When the problem looks too big, He says, 'Be strong, courageous, and firm; fear not nor be in terror before them, for it is the Lord your God Who goes with you; He will not fail you or forsake you' (Deuteronomy 31:6 AMP). Stop and remind yourself whose company you're in. The One 'Who goes with you' has never lost a battle, and He will win this one. When you feel like you can't cope any more, He says, '...do not look around you... and be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties...' (Isaiah 41:10 AMP). Notice the words 'harden you to difficulties'. God usually doesn't lift us out of the problem, He takes us through it and toughens us up. When you lose your peace of mind, He says, 'Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance... continue to make your wants known to God. And God's peace... which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds...' (Philippians 4:6-7 AMP). Don't listen to the voice of fear. God is with you today! |
Saturday, July 2, 2011
The Voice of Fear (2)
God Will Surprise You
| See, I am doing a new thing... Isaiah 43:19 |
| Can you imagine Moses surprise when God talks to him from a burning bush? As doors shut without explanation, Paul is surprised by a man from Macedonia calling to him in a vision, '...come over here and help us' (Acts 16:9 TLB). Well, He's still the God of surprises who says, 'See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?' Ah, there's the challenge - our perception. We fail to recognise God at work! Maybe you're saying, 'I've prayed, claimed God's promises, done all I know to do, yet nothing seems to be working for me.' Then try this promise: 'Therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you...' (Isaiah 30:18 KJV). Notice the word 'wait'. God has a plan and a timetable. 'Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails' (Proverbs 19:21 NIV). Even when your plans flounder, if your heart's right God will still make things turn out for your good and His glory. When it comes to God's guidance, here are some things you need to know. First, ideas go away, but His direction stays. There's persistence in His leading; that's why time is on your side. Second, His direction is impossible to follow without His help. He plans it that way. '...without Me you can do nothing' (John 15:5 NKJV). Third, His direction usually begins with discomfort. Like 'an eagle that stirs up its nest... The Lord... led him...' (Deuteronomy 32:11-12 NIV). A baby eagle is shocked when its mother forces it out of the nest. But that's when it 'finds its wings'. Think about it! |
Thursday, May 19, 2011
The Cost and Value of Forgiveness
We can easily say that forgive others as God forgive you.
But i know how difficult it is to forgive when someone hurts you.
And i know the value of forgiveness in my life
When i forgave the people who have hurted me,
God helped me to forget
completely what happened in the past,
And i could speak with the person freely
Without remembering the past. And now i got the response that the person who was
forgiven was really happy and overwhelmed with joy.
That is the truth of forgiveness.
This is what God has done once for all in the Cross
But i know how difficult it is to forgive when someone hurts you.
And i know the value of forgiveness in my life
When i forgave the people who have hurted me,
God helped me to forget
completely what happened in the past,
And i could speak with the person freely
Without remembering the past. And now i got the response that the person who was
forgiven was really happy and overwhelmed with joy.
That is the truth of forgiveness.
This is what God has done once for all in the Cross
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Pray about Everything
...pray about everything...Tell God what you need... Philippians 4:6
The four-year-old son of a missionary family in Africa spotted a picture of a little pink dinosaur in a magazine and set his heart on having one. His mum knew it was impossible (the magazine was three years old), but her son never doubted God would come through for him. Ten months later, on Christmas Eve, a box from home arrived. At first glance it seemed to contain something special for everyone-except a four-year-old boy. Then they reached the bottom-and they were stunned. The lady who sent the box had no way of knowing God would use her to answer a little boy's prayer. Before taping up the box, at the last minute, she tossed in the one item impossible for his parents to provide-something so insignificant no rational adult would ever have been foolish enough to ask God for...a pink plastic brontosaurus from a fast-food restaurant promotion! Sometimes we feel foolish bothering God with little things, but we shouldn't. The Bible says: '...pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.' (Philippians 4:6 NLT). God is interested in every detail of your life; if something is important to you, it's important to Him. In Bible times two sparrows were sold for a penny (on sale you could buy five for two pennies!) yet Jesus said, '...not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it...the very hairs on your head are all numbered' (Matthew 10:29-30 NLT). When you learn to trust God in little things, you'll be able to trust Him in big ones.
The four-year-old son of a missionary family in Africa spotted a picture of a little pink dinosaur in a magazine and set his heart on having one. His mum knew it was impossible (the magazine was three years old), but her son never doubted God would come through for him. Ten months later, on Christmas Eve, a box from home arrived. At first glance it seemed to contain something special for everyone-except a four-year-old boy. Then they reached the bottom-and they were stunned. The lady who sent the box had no way of knowing God would use her to answer a little boy's prayer. Before taping up the box, at the last minute, she tossed in the one item impossible for his parents to provide-something so insignificant no rational adult would ever have been foolish enough to ask God for...a pink plastic brontosaurus from a fast-food restaurant promotion! Sometimes we feel foolish bothering God with little things, but we shouldn't. The Bible says: '...pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.' (Philippians 4:6 NLT). God is interested in every detail of your life; if something is important to you, it's important to Him. In Bible times two sparrows were sold for a penny (on sale you could buy five for two pennies!) yet Jesus said, '...not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it...the very hairs on your head are all numbered' (Matthew 10:29-30 NLT). When you learn to trust God in little things, you'll be able to trust Him in big ones.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Thank You Lord
God is faithful in His promises throughout this year.
He promised that no weapon formed against you shall prevail.
In the midst of many situations He has been good to me.
He promised that no weapon formed against you shall prevail.
In the midst of many situations He has been good to me.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Never Betray a Confidence
...he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter. Proverbs 11:13
We all need a shoulder to cry on. When we're battling habits and hang-ups we need a safe place to go, confident we'll be loved, understood, supported and prayed for. If those who are hurting can't find these qualities in church, where are they supposed to go? The betrayal of a confidence is a terrible sin. 'But what I said was true,' you object. So what? 'A talebearer reveals secrets, but he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter.'(Proverbs 11:13 NKJV) Note the words 'reveals' and 'conceals.' The Hippocratic Oath says: 'Whatsoever I shall see or hear in the course of my profession, I will never divulge, holding such things to be holy secrets.' That oath is taken by physicians and other professionals in positions of trust. But it ought to be binding on every one of us! How would you feel if your doctor, counsellor, minister or a trusted friend violated your confidence and broadcast your holy secrets? Hurt? Betrayed? The longer we live the more we realise there's a severe shortage of people who can be trusted to keep their mouths shut, and the more we value them. If you were asked to define a person of integrity, wouldn't the ability to keep a confidence be close to the top of your list? So here are some ground rules to live by: a) Instead of talking, pray about it; b) Instead of criticising, look for something good; c) Instead of showing anger, show grace. How you handle others determines how God will handle you!
We all need a shoulder to cry on. When we're battling habits and hang-ups we need a safe place to go, confident we'll be loved, understood, supported and prayed for. If those who are hurting can't find these qualities in church, where are they supposed to go? The betrayal of a confidence is a terrible sin. 'But what I said was true,' you object. So what? 'A talebearer reveals secrets, but he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter.'(Proverbs 11:13 NKJV) Note the words 'reveals' and 'conceals.' The Hippocratic Oath says: 'Whatsoever I shall see or hear in the course of my profession, I will never divulge, holding such things to be holy secrets.' That oath is taken by physicians and other professionals in positions of trust. But it ought to be binding on every one of us! How would you feel if your doctor, counsellor, minister or a trusted friend violated your confidence and broadcast your holy secrets? Hurt? Betrayed? The longer we live the more we realise there's a severe shortage of people who can be trusted to keep their mouths shut, and the more we value them. If you were asked to define a person of integrity, wouldn't the ability to keep a confidence be close to the top of your list? So here are some ground rules to live by: a) Instead of talking, pray about it; b) Instead of criticising, look for something good; c) Instead of showing anger, show grace. How you handle others determines how God will handle you!
Friday, November 5, 2010
Fresh Oil
...You anoint my head with oil... Psalm 23:5
The shepherd anoints his sheep with oil for two purposes. First, to repel insects. If allowed to deposit their eggs into the soft membrane of a sheep's nose they can drive the sheep insane; the ewes stop giving milk and the lambs stop growing. So the shepherd anoints his sheep with an oil-like repellent that keeps the enemy at bay and the flock at peace. Second, to heal wounds. Most wounds result from living with the flock. So the shepherd regularly inspects his sheep because he doesn't want today's wound to become tomorrow's infection. Whether circumstances are driving you crazy, or you've just been wounded as a result of living with the flock, always go to the Shepherd. Before you go to anybody else, go to God because 'He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds' (Psalm 147:3 NIV). Then, bow before Him. In order to be anointed the sheep must lower their heads and let the shepherd apply the oil. Humble yourself, call on the Lord. 'God will always give what is right to his people who cry to him... he will not be slow to answer them' (Luke 18:7 NCV). David writes, '...I shall be anointed with fresh oil' (Psalm 92:10). Yesterday's oil is quickly contaminated by the dirt and grime of the journey, so you must go to God daily and ask Him to empower you with His Spirit. A sheep doesn't understand how the oil works, but it doesn't have to. It's enough to know that something happens in the presence of its shepherd that happens nowhere else.
The shepherd anoints his sheep with oil for two purposes. First, to repel insects. If allowed to deposit their eggs into the soft membrane of a sheep's nose they can drive the sheep insane; the ewes stop giving milk and the lambs stop growing. So the shepherd anoints his sheep with an oil-like repellent that keeps the enemy at bay and the flock at peace. Second, to heal wounds. Most wounds result from living with the flock. So the shepherd regularly inspects his sheep because he doesn't want today's wound to become tomorrow's infection. Whether circumstances are driving you crazy, or you've just been wounded as a result of living with the flock, always go to the Shepherd. Before you go to anybody else, go to God because 'He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds' (Psalm 147:3 NIV). Then, bow before Him. In order to be anointed the sheep must lower their heads and let the shepherd apply the oil. Humble yourself, call on the Lord. 'God will always give what is right to his people who cry to him... he will not be slow to answer them' (Luke 18:7 NCV). David writes, '...I shall be anointed with fresh oil' (Psalm 92:10). Yesterday's oil is quickly contaminated by the dirt and grime of the journey, so you must go to God daily and ask Him to empower you with His Spirit. A sheep doesn't understand how the oil works, but it doesn't have to. It's enough to know that something happens in the presence of its shepherd that happens nowhere else.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)