are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long. - Psalm 25:4-5
As shared in the post “The ONE True”, knowing and trusting God
makes a difference in how we treat others. God’s love for us as demonstrated on
the Cross began the healing process for His people. We are brought together as
one in Christ and our attitudes toward others are changed.
If the past has been one in
which we were careless in our relationships or have said or done things that
hurt others, we can make things right by being honest with ourselves and with
others. As in the song “If We’re Honest
by Francesca Battistelli", we can set out on a new path which God has
provided for all.
Things of the world lead down a
long and winding path to nowhere but the path of God leads to a glorious
future. His promised future is laid out on the solid foundation of Truth and we
can rest assured that the promise will be fulfilled.
So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the
teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. – 2
Thessalonians 2:15
The thoughts brought out in the
post “Learn and Apply the Principles”
were inspired by the study of Paul teaching the Thessalonians. We not only have
the advantage of history to look back on but can now read what is stated in the
Bible and know it has come about.
Even in the area of science,
what was written in the Bible has come to pass. Areas such as dealing with
stars, the ocean, and how the earth is shaped. What was not known by humanity
at the time the words were written have since been proven to be true.
Cheer up today and receive this
inspirational video Solid as the Rock by
Avalon and know that the truths found in the Bible are indeed solid as a
rock.
What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God be for us,
who can be against us? – Romans 8:31
In the post “Take Courage” written about was one of the
difficult experiences Paul had to go through as he testified about God’s Way.
While he was in prison, God stood near Paul and told him to take courage. At
that point, it seems as though there was a peace within Paul because he knew
that God was with him and would continue to be with him in his time of need.
It is the same for us today. We
can have an attitude of confidence and peace of mind because we can trust that
God will also be with us in our time of need. Take courage my friends and
inspiration from today’s video: I Am Not
Alone – Kari Jobe.
In the post “Stirring Each Other Up”, I shared some
thoughts on actively seeking out others to care about and share God’s Word with
at our places of work, in our neighborhoods, or at the schools we attend.
The lost get found by taking every
opportunity to care about each other and to share about Christ. Whether it is
at lunch break sharing about God’s Word, helping a neighbor, or meeting people
on a road trip as Britt Nicole did in this video: The Lost Get Found – Britt Nicole, we
are giving glory to God by reaching out to others right where we are.
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the
name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to
observe all things that I have commanded you. - Matthew 28:19-20
There is a saying that character
is doing what is right when no one is watching. In the post He
Knows so Fully Disclose, I wrote about Ananias and Sapphira who sold some
property. They held back a portion of the money and took the rest to lay at the
apostles’ feet.
The husband and wife didn’t give
the full amount they had received; only a portion but wanted people to think
they had given it all. Their pride made them want to look good in front of
others. The result was that they died for lying.
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. - James 1:22
The post Prepare the Heart was about David going to
God in order for justice to be carried out against his accusers. Studying about
David and others in the Bible along with learning the principles found in God’s
word prepares our heart and initiates the application of our faith to handle
the challenges we face in this world.
Let us seek to do something
today that brings glory to God and start by praying with a vision of what that
looks like. With Jesus by our side, we can make it happen. Let us take
inspiration from today’s video: Do Something
– Matthew West.
Some things in life are hard to
figure out. In the post Servant Leader, I
wrote that Jesus teaches about the servant type of leadership during His last
meal with the disciples. Faith is a great quality when leading others as a
parent, teacher, boss, or any other leader.
Through reading the Bible, experiences of life, and sharing with others,
our faith grows stronger. It is a valued possession that allows us to accomplish
much more in life.
Our faith comes from high places
where God is and connects to us. The invisible qualities of faith can’t be
overtaken; even at death, these qualities are valued possessions so go, taste
and see the goodness of God.
Remember that the life we are
living on earth is just the beginning and it passes in a blink of an eye. Watch
this video and be inspired by the story made to music of a daughter who loses
her Dad. It emphasizes the fact that death is just the beginning and we will
see our lost loved ones in due time: Glorious
Unfolding – Steven Curtis Chapman.
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live
your lives in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in faith as you were
taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. - Colossians 2:6-7
Life can get complicated but we
are blessed in the Bible with great lessons that help. In the post Leading With
Servant Authority, the lesson Jesus teaches is about avoiding traps others
want to get us into. Jesus also knew that the people were on his side and this
gave Him a great advantage.
God’s got His hand on you, so
don’t live in fear but be confident that He will get you through. You will do
great things so take your time and pray for the Father’s guidance. Never give
up hope and take a few minutes to be inspired by this video: Words I Would Say – Sidewalk Prophets.
For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body
of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin –
because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. – Romans 6:6-7
Jacob faithfully prays to God
and receives hope in a dream to finally be reunited with his son Joseph. After
all these years and now at an old age, he finally understands what faith is
all about. It’s all about prayer and listening to God in order to follow His
will. As a person spends time with God, changes do occur as in brought to us so
well in this video: Changed – Rascal
Flatts
Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take
advice. – Proverbs 13:10
In the post Redeemer, one point written about is how the
family of Jacob was being destroyed by the past. When Judah steps ahead and
begs Joseph for the chance to take the place of Benjamin, we are reminded of
Christ who died for us on the Cross. Judah was willing to take the place of
Benjamin and become a slave so that Benjamin could go free.
Many times in life, our past
begins to wear on us and consume our joy. Individuals and families feel that
there is no way out. It is during times like this that the only hope is to let
it go. Once the past is let go, a change can take place through faith to set us
free.
Today’s video is about a
hopeless life being turned around; a new believer seeing the light and being
changed by the amazing cleansing power of the blood of Christ: Something in the Water – Carrie Underwood.
For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into
the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of
sins. - Colossians 1:13-14
In the post The Importance of Honesty and Doing What We Say,
I wrote about just one of many examples found in the Bible of how life gets
difficult when people are deceptive and get off the path that should be
followed in life.
We all want things to go our way
but if our way is not God’s way then it leads to places we may not want to go.
Deceivers lead themselves and others down a path of rough times. Living the way Jesus teaches is following the
right path; leading to meaningful places and making an impact on lives.
We can be thankful for God’s plan for us. With
God there is a freedom ... a freedom that helps us live, give, and love. A
freedom that will speak and teach; laying out a clear path that we can follow.
Here’s today’s inspirational video: Losing
– Tenth Avenue North
Show me Your ways, Lord, teach me Your paths. Guide me in Your truth
and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long. -
Psalm 25:4-5
History is a great teacher and
we must learn from history to help in making the needed adjustments in life. In
the account of Jacob getting Isaac’s blessing in Genesis 27, we are given a sad
chapter of everyone doing the wrong thing and examples of how the world has
become a broken place.
In this account of God’s written
Word, each parent had their favorite child. Rebekah convinced her favorite son
to trick his father and receive his blessing instead of Esau. The results were
disastrous. Rebekah never saw her son again, Jacob’s brother wanted to kill
him, Esau became the founder of an enemy nation, and Jacob was exiled from his
family for years.
God has provided the path for us
to follow but it’s not always followed and the results are disastrous. Our
prayer should always be that God searches inside us and clears out what should
not be there. Here’s a video to inspire this desire: Search Me Lord - Gaither Vocal Band.
Show me Your ways, Lord, teach me Your paths. Guide me in Your truth
and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long. -
Psalm 25:4-5
Abraham wanted to be a father of blessed children and as written about in
the post Promises
Given, God was with
Abraham. He made a promise to Abraham
that He would be the father of many nations.
We can ask what it is that we want out of life and like Abraham, seek
God’s guidance; patiently waiting for our reward. God is with us and we can
lift our voice to Him in prayer to discuss our burdens and listen for the
promises He gives us.
Planning for this day In the Presence of theMaker of the
Heavens, here’s a video to inspire as we pray for our day and ask how to
respond to His promise: In
Your Presence – Jeremy Camp.
And this is the
promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life. - 1 John 2:25
The post Association contained some written thoughts from the study of Genesis 14. A lesson
learned was that the people we associate with are so very important. Lot was
near the sinful city of Sodom and because of this association; he lost all his
possessions and was taken captive. On the other hand, Abraham was where God
wanted him to be and with the people He wanted him to be.
Being around a negative environment can cause great damage in societies.
Think of societies that begin to break down. Respect for people breaks down,
respect for authority breaks down, and respect for keeping the surroundings upright
breaks down.
Like in Genesis 14, the area became a crime riddled wasteland and wars broke
out. What once was the place to be, near prosperous activity and growth became a
devalued area not because of location but because of the lack of integrity
around it.
We need today more people of integrity like Abraham who promised God not
to take the spoils of war. He kept his promise when he refused to take anything
from the king of Sodom. Here is a video that inspires integrity:Search me Lord – Gaither Vocal Band.
Show me Your ways,
Lord, teach me Your paths. Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God
my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long. - Psalm 25:4-5
After the flood, God made a promise to Noah that He would never flood the
earth again and the symbol of this promise is the rainbow. Today, God can
provide music for our ears, laughter for our soul, and a rainbow after every
storm because of His love demonstrated to us through His son Jesus. His Word
provides food for the mind and His Son creates light for understanding so our
acceptance of Jesus as the Son of God truly washes sins away.
The Bible is not about great people doing things for God; it is just
regular people doing extraordinary things because of an amazing God. He knows
each of us by name and has a place for each of us in this world. That is why it
is important to take the initiative in being prepared for each day. Being the
best “you” everyday so God can do His work.
In life, we all have doubts but those who can step ahead even while
having doubts are the people God can use to do great things. It takes humility
and it takes the willingness to learn from each other. Associating with others
of integrity is important along with trust and when our trust is in God’s way,
we are assured of getting to our destination.
As the journey continues through God’s Word for the weeks to come. The
mission of this blog is to bring out ways to apply His Word in our life at
work, at home, and within our neighborhoods. The questions for reflection for
the study of Genesis 13-16 below will help bring out some thoughts and ideas
over the next two weeks.
What is Abraham and Lot’s problem? How does Abraham resolve the problem?
How does the way you settle differences and arguments reveal your trust (or
lack of trust) in God? What does Lot’s choice reveal about his character?
What is Abraham’s main concern? How does God encourage Abraham? What
predictions and promises does God make while Abraham is asleep (watch the
future developments)?
How did Sarah and Abraham try to “push” God? What is their basic problem?
In what ways do your actions affect future generations?
The above reading
plan will be used as I share over the next few posts. It’s important to have a
plan. I’m thankful that Jesus is God’s plan for us and by accepting Him as
Savior; we have taken the steps necessary to make this day with Him amazing! At
this link: God’s Plan for Us,
is a post about accepting God’s plan or reaffirming our “YES” for Christ.
Feel free to respond with a short
note or a comment about any of the questions above. Also, I welcome any other
thoughts or ideas, favorite inspirational videos, photos, or favorite Bible
verses. Just add them to the comments or to a Facebook page I’ve set up at this
link: This
Day With God.
Resources and
Supplementary Helps Used in Posts
Adeney, Carol. This Morning with God. Downer Grove
Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1978
Reading in 2 Chronicles 20:14-37, the people of Judah had assembled and Jahaziel stands up to tell them what the Lord has said to him which is to not be afraid or discouraged about the vast army coming at them because He will be with them. God had spoken to Jahaziel with instructions and the people believed in the plan. They responded with worship and praise to God. Then set out with faith to carry out the plan.
Faith inspires true courage. King Jehoshaphat stood in front of the people of Judah to inspire and give courage to his people as they set out to face the enemy. They then started singing and praising the Lord as they headed to battle. While doing this, the Lord was already setting up events for victory; giving advantages to Judah and even confusing the enemies so they were destroying each other.
The Lord gave them victory. At this point in history, the other kingdoms began to notice that God was on Judah’s side so they were afraid to attack them. There was peace and rest for Judah at this time in history but the people again didn’t put their total heart and soul on God so there was mediocrity instead of excellence in their future.
This day with God, pray for protection from evil and victory over temptation. Note how the Bible gives great advice and have assurance that there is victory in Christ to win any battle that life brings.
I wrote in a post at another blog that the way of the world leads to inconsistency and confusion but the way of
God leads to order and certainty. Here’s a video that advances this thought: Stop the World - Matthew West.
God’s Word is
essential for life. It’s like food for the soul and we should meditate on it
and seek it with all our heart. He speaks through the Bible so Follow His Word
and choose the path of truth in getting ready for each day. Then pay attention
to the good things, be thankful, and share these blessings with others.
Over the last few weeks, I have been thinking
about the character trait integrity. Like my Pastor has talked about before
in his sermons, we should be honest with ourselves. Having the attitude of
wanting to know where we fall short and what we need to do.
There are many examples of this
character trait called integrity throughout the Bible. I thought about what
happens when there is a lack of this trait as in Genesis 27:1-45 when Rebekah convinced her favorite son to trick his father and
receive his blessing instead of Esau. This set off all kinds of family turmoil.
Then I thought about the example of
David’s men in 2 Samuel 18:9-12 who honored David’s wishes. They didn’t kill Absalom even
though he was fighting in the enemy’s army and there was a big reward to kill
him.
I then thought about examples of
people in more current times who have demonstrated integrity and about how a
society could build up this quality for future generations. To read these
thoughts, take a look at the post titled Ideas for Building a Society with More Integrity.
I have been going through the book of Zechariah in my daily devotional. The picture received in Zechariah 11 is different from Zechariah 10. Trying to anchor this prophecy in history is next to impossible and the text is difficult. It seems to cover a wider span of history and perhaps going past our present times. The prophecy begins with the desolation of the land; then goes into the rejection of the Messiah and to the destruction of all that do not accept Christ as the Messiah.
On the other hand, the gospel message is really a simple one. Explained throughout the Bible is this need to be reconnected to God. Sin had disconnected people from God and the solution is His Son who died on the Cross as the ultimate sacrifice. We no longer have to fulfill the law but simply belief that Jesus is our Savior. Here’s a link to God's Plan for Us which documents a study I led with a small group.
Jesus is the way and the glue that holds us together. During difficult times like a death in the family or sickness, God’s people are there to care for each other. In the book, The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren, the following is written, “As believers we share one Lord, one body, one purpose, one Father, one Spirit, one hope, one faith, one baptism, and one love. We share the same salvation, the same life, and the same future - factors far more important than any differences we could enumerate”.
Alone we are just one small drop of water but together with God and with other believers we combine to form an entire ocean that brings new life. The video below helps to illustrate this point: Dolphins rescued by people at the beach.
So in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. - Romans 12:5
This day with God, I’m praying that I encourage, build up, and humbly care for my brothers and sisters in Christ. Together, there is an amazing impact.
For an inspirational start to each day, join the journey at:
