May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing
in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. - Psalm 19:14
In the post “The Power of Words”, highlighted were some
thoughts of the study of Proverbs
15 that the wise speak with encouraging words that uplift at a timely
moment but the foolish tear apart crushing all hopes.
This day with God, let us take
this instruction to speak with a tender whisper that gives light to the Way.
Take inspiration from this song Good
Good Father by Chris Tomlin.
Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to
everyone according to what he has done. - Revelation 22:12
As brought out in the post “Keeping Sight of Doing Right”, the greatest
reward is doing the right thing so the heart is at peace in knowing that God
will reward with an eternal destiny.
Just as pointed out in this song
Lose My Soul by Toby Mac ft. Kirk
Franklin, Mandisa, some are consumed by gaining the whole world but in the
process lose their soul. Instead, do the right things in life and look forward
your eternal destiny.
Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know
that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character, and character,
hope. - Romans 5:3
Taking in more spiritual food
and less junk food is a great idea for shedding a few pounds as brought out in
the post “Ideas for Greater Discipline”.
Not only does this idea provide added
physical benefits but also spiritual benefits. As pointed out in the song Stay by Jeremy Camp, remaining in the
light produces perseverance, character, and hope.
This day with God my friend,
never walk away but stay in the light and throw all burdens away.
Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know
that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character, and character,
hope. - Romans 5:3
The post “Path of Righteousness” discussed the path a
person should go in reaction to things that are meant to bring them down;
insults from others, difficulties, and road blocks along life’s journey can be
overcome if first met with perseverance.
I’m reminded of a sermon from my
pastor who pointed out that God’s way is not always the easiest but His way
always allows you to finish strong so follow God day by day and do not quit but
persevere; keep going and God will stir up a passion in your heart. He will be
with you to finish the race strong.*
If someone insults you, keep on
being kind and working hard. Take the path of righteousness and look forward to
a great reward. Along this path are beautiful meadows and majestic
mountaintops. It is the path that leads to immortality.
So the lesson for us today is
that even in difficulty, we can rejoice. Life goes on so we can be inspired
towards a future in which God is in control. What we should do is what the song
Press On by Building 429 says to do.
But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will
soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and
not be faint. - Isaiah 40:31
The post “His Strength in Me” contrasted positive and
negative qualities in our daily living. Contrasting the bankruptcy of a world
with dishonesty, pride, gossip, and material gain to the rewards of integrity,
humility, and eternal riches.
Let us seek to ingest these
positive qualities so they are in our heart. As long as the Holy Spirit is in
us, no one can take that away. The Spirit of Christ is with us everywhere we
go.
As the song In Me by Casting Crowns points out,
when we are weak, God gives us strength and brings victory because of Christ
and the power of the Holy Spirit.
I can do everything through Him who gives me strength. – Philippians
4:13
In the post “Advice for Life”, highlighted is that being
on God’s side gives a tremendous advantage. The scripture above and other memorized
scriptures can be very useful when faced with pressure moments in life.
I once heard about a field goal
kicker in football that repeated over and over in his mind scriptures like the
one above before kicking a field goal. This gave him poise as he got set to
perform the winning kick in the last seconds of the game.
One thing about sports that is
related in life is how we all compete against time. We all set priorities in
the use of our time. As we plan out each day, two questions must be answered: What
is it that needs to be done? What is most important?
The amazing thing to me is that
efficiency is thought of highly in sports but not so much these days in
government, organizations, and businesses. Each sports team competes and the
coach puts players in a position where they can do the best for their team. In
government and in some businesses, people seem to be put out of position. They
are put in a position to fail and organizations are run in such a dysfunctional
way.
We all win some and loose some
but the most important thing is you give it your best. If God is with you
through all of it, then you’ll end up victorious. Here’s a song to inspire us
toward a winning day: Through All of It
by Colton Dixon.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not
from yourselves, it is the gift of God. - Ephesians 2:8
The post “Wisdom’s Call“ highlights the difference
between wisdom and folly. One way leads to much despair and the other way leads
us to God’s blessings.
Many may say that God’s Word is
outdated and not useful in today’s world but it’s a lie. Insight is gained from
reading the Bible and God’s
plan for us is revealed. By accepting what Jesus did for us on the Cross,
we receive the greatest gift of all and we can step out in faith.
Like the song Holy Spirit – Francesca Battistelli
gives attention to, by accepting Christ as Savior we also welcome the guidance
of the Holy Spirit to fill every aspect of our life. We accept the great reward
of God’s presence and guidance.
All I want is to know Christ and the power that raised Him to life. - Philippians
3:10
The post “Desire the Ways of Wisdom” tells us to
accept wisdom’s call because wisdom helps to meet our challenges in life. The
wisest choice is to accept Jesus because this choice is more valuable than
silver and brings knowledge worth more than gold.
In this life, knowing Christ
brings victory. No other choice can match up so accept the ONE who is much more
valuable than the ace picture in the World Series, the great quarterback on the
final drive of the game, or the great basketball player that brings victory on
the last shot of the game.
We have a lot of challenges in
this world but fortunately, we have the ONE who brings the advantage. Our
Savior was there in the beginning and He will be there in the end as the song 10, 000 Reasons by Matt Redman points
out. In between the beginning and the end, there are so many reasons to worship
His Holy name.
