Joy Even in Trials

Count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. - James 1:2-4

Within the post “Joy and Excellence in the Future” are ideas to building up character. By following God’s plan for us, we have joy and the game plan for a victorious life.

We may not feel good at times, we may feel lonely, we may feel inferior or just physically worn out but these are the things that create resistance and ultimately make us stronger; the resistance like lifting weights to build muscle. The resistance of water as we swim laps to burn extra calories or the hill as we run to the top.

Without resistance, the wings of a plane can’t produce lift and fly through the air. Without resistance to fear, there is no courage. Next time your day is filled with some resistance, smile at it, say thank You God, and keep going.

As in the song Keep Making Me – Sidewalk Prophets let us have the attitude of continuous growth in the ways of God. Even during tough times, there is joy when God is put in control.

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Speak with Words that Build Up

Be careful! Our words can hurt or help. "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up". - Ephesians 4:29

The post “Free to Be All We Can Be” highlighted the importance of God’s Word in your life. As you take in God’s Word, your heart will be filled with the fruits of the Spirit. So full that the overflow will naturally build others up. 

Our Creator has produced 100 billion galaxies with each galaxy having billions of stars but it is His people that are His greatest creation of all. Therefore, treat everyone with kindness and tact. As the song Words – Hawk Nelson points out, God’s Words bring truth and abundant life for all.

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Inspired Hearts

Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. - Colossians 3:12

The study written about in the post “Neighbor Helping Neighbor” gave some meaningful qualities that need to be a part of our life.

Our kindness to our fellow neighbor starts with the amazing kindness God first showed to us when He sent Jesus to die on the cross. It is highlighted in today’s song Kindness By Todd Agnew and has inspired the following poem.   

God’s love opened up

the skies of mercy

for His love reigned down

to take away worry.

Keep falling down on us,

amazing grace like rains

with a cleansing stream

washing away the stains.

Better than life itself

is the kindness of the Lord

and His favor that blesses

so keep on reigning Lord.

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Renewed Strength

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.

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We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. – 2 Corinthians 6:3

The post “Accepting Others and Working Together” brought out the thought that we are bound together by the peace and joy of the Holy Spirit. The idea is to have an attitude of kindness by focusing on the big issues that bring us together rather than the small things that divide us.

What we make happen for others will be given back to us so when we give a smile, a smile will be given back. When we act kind, we receive kindness from others. Be inspired by today’s song Humble and Kind by Tim McGraw and have a day filled with peace and joy.

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Change for the Better

My child, eat honey, for it is good, and the honeycomb is sweet to the taste. In the same way, wisdom is sweet to your soul, If you find it, you will have a bright future, and your hopes will not be cut short.

In the post “Riches of the Soul”, one idea brought out is to put God’s Word into practice by evaluating our life and determining the changes that need to be made.

We spend a lifetime working hard and trying to save enough to someday retire. But along the way, our greatest activities are to accept the riches of God’s kindness, tolerance, and patience to help us change for the better.

Persistently living as the Bible teaches adds to the riches of our soul which we will have not only in this life but the eternal one too! Take inspiration from this song: Live Like That – Sidewalk Prophets and give it all you have today.

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Be Strong and of Good Courage

Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. – Joshua 1:9

Within the passage Exodus 22:1-15 as written about in the post “Love Your Neighbor as Yourself” are penalties for deliberate theft and negligence. This passage elaborates on the Eighth Commandment in which the instruction is to not kill or steal but to show genuine concern for your neighbor.

In order to manage society’s problems, we should each show concern for our neighbor’s possessions and alert authorities if a theft or crime is taking place in our neighborhood. As in the song Voice of Truth by Casting Crowns, we should have the courage to make a stand against those who take advantage of others.

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By Grace Saved By Faith

We put no stumbling block in anyone's path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. - 2 Corinthians 6:3

In the post “All Obstacles Are Removed”, studied was how some spiritual leaders tried to set up stumbling blocks that confused the Galatians. They were more concerned about maintaining their own power over others rather than explaining God’s love for them as demonstrated on the Cross.

A person can go from being a nobody to a somebody when they understand God’s love for them. Jesus demonstrated that love and this song Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone) by Chris Tomlin explains the freedom we have received by accepting Christ as Savior.

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The Boomerang Effect

A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself. - Proverbs 11:17

As highlighted in the post “Invite God in so Kindness Begins”, there are benefits to being observant to the needs of others and reaching out with acts of kindness. It has what is called the boomerang effect!

Paul was observant to the needs of those on the island of Malta and in return was given the needed supplies to complete the journey as they set sail for Italy. He was committed to doing God’s work and his acts of kindness went a long way to open up doors. As we go through this journey called life, let us be observant to the needs of our neighbor.

What we make happen for others because of our kindness has a way of coming back to us so this day with God, make it a point to offer an act of kindness; give a smile or invite someone into a conversation. If we do, there is a strong possibility that a smile or affirming thought may be returned.

When we invite God into our presence to help with our caring actions towards our neighbor, there is strong possibility that we will receive blessings in return. As we celebrate today, here is a great song to inspire our actions: The Invitation – Rachel Belman.

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Results of Kindness

Moses was helped early in life to survive. The king of Egypt was threatened by the Hebrew people whose population was growing in a nation that forced them to work as servants. Pharaoh had ordered every Hebrew male child born be put to death so the parents of Moses put him in a basket in the Nile River. Because of Pharaoh’s daughter and her kindness, Moses was able to be raised within the palace as the son of the princes.

Later in life, Moses returned an act of kindness to some Midian women when he came to their rescue while they were trying to water their father’s flock. Let us remember the results of being kind to others. What we make happen for others will be given back to us so when we give a smile, a smile will be given back. When we act kind, we receive kindness from others.

This day with God, remember the kind gift of His Son: Kindness – Todd Agnew.

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. - Ephesians 4:32

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Acts of Kindness

In the post Act Kind and Receive Kindness in Return, Jesus explains the need for leaders to remove obstacles instead of creating difficulties. The Pharisees and Layers created burdens that made the path to God very difficult.

What Jesus has done for us is make the path to God less burdensome rather than loaded down with the burdens of social ceremonies. In the same way, we should not set up any social barriers.

This day with God, receive inspiration from this video and look for opportunities to offer acts of kindness to others: Kindness Returns!

 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. - Ephesians 4:32

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Law’s Requirements for Eternal Life

Some examples were studied the last few days of the law’s requirements for eternal life and written about in the post Love the Lord and Love Your Neighbor as Yourself.

The first example is the Parable of the Good Samaritan and the other is At the Home of Martha and Mary.

When we love the Lord, we care about His people. Here is a video that demonstrates how caring for others and being kind is like a relay in which we pass the baton to a teammate: Kindness Returns.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, Love your neighbor as yourself. - Luke 10:27

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Kindness Interjection Leads to Life Redirection

In the post Bless with Gentleness, it was explained that Joseph never considered taking revenge on his brothers or those who placed him in prison. He was kind and respectful and this influenced those around him in a positive way. The result was the favor of the Lord and success in whatever he did.

Just like God showed us mercy and kindness which led to positive results, we can also influence those around us in a positive way. This day with God, let us use this video to inspire acts of kindness and mercy towards others: Kindness – Todd Agnew.

Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. - Ephesians 4:31-32

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He Loves Us Even When We Do Not Deserve It

Joseph had been sold into slavery many years ago because of his brother’s jealousy but his ability to interpret dreams helped him progress from slave to second-in-command in Egypt. When a famine hit the region, Joseph was prepared because God had told him in a dream that the famine would occur so Joseph had stored up provisions.

In much the same way, Jesus became a servant only to rise up as King. He loves us even when we do not deserve His love and provides for our needs. Today’s video is about this love that has been given to us: You Loved Me Anyway – Sidewalk Prophets.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no records of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. - 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

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Words are Powerful

In a few thoughts expressed after reading Genesis 37 and writing in the post Treating Others with Kindness and Tact, I wrote that Joseph did not show tactfulness to his brothers. He had a dream and told his brothers in a boastful way about how he would rule over them. This caused a situation that damaged the whole family.

The words we use are powerful. Here are a few more thoughts about the words we use: 

·         Using the wrong words can cause a business to lose customers

·         Using the wrong words can get someone fired

·         Be gentle in what we say and how we say it

·         Words direct our life

·         Think about how even a small child can direct a powerful horse with just a few words

·         Use words that help and encourage

This day with God, let us understand the power of words. They can fill us up or break us down so let our words encourage, inspire, bring about positive actions, and be of truth. Here is today’s video called Words by Hawk Nelson.

Be careful! Our words can hurt or help. "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up". - Ephesians 4:29

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Repairing Bad Feelings

Jacob wanted to repair any bad feelings with his brother for tricking their father and receiving his blessing. The key lessons learned and written about in the post Humility and Kindness to Resolve Conflict is that words are important.

Jacob communicated his desire to meet with Esau. The words he used were kind and respectful. What we make happen for others will be given back to us so when we give a smile, a smile will be given back. When we act kind, we receive kindness from others. As brought out in this video, the words we use are so important: Words – Hawk Nelson.

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. - Ephesians 4:32

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Building the Steps

By adhering to the teachings of Christ, we are building the steps needed to live praiseworthy lives. The apostle named Peter is writing shortly before his death, bringing both warning and hope to believers who receive it. In 2 Peter 1:1-11, he is reminding them to live lives worthy of Jesus who has given power to escape corruption.

We should respond to God’s work for us with great effort to increase positive qualities like faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, kindness, and brotherly love. What inspires is the promise of a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (v. 11).

When driving a car, there is power but we must steer. So in life, there is power to grow which comes from God. Keep on praying for the power of God and the skill to steer in the right direction. Pray that the power from God helps to equip with the virtues listed above and that one virtue builds from the other.

This day with God will be amazing because of Jesus who is God’s gift to us. God’s work has laid the path and we just need to simply follow the road map. As we continue the journey, we can sincerely believe that there will be fuel for our travel. We can also look forward to enjoying the scenery along the way, celebrating progress, and giving praise as we take a step closer to Him each day.

For an inspirational start to each day, join the journey at: This Day with God Devotional.

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Peace of Mind and Joy

Billy Graham was quoted to say the following, “The word romance, according to the dictionary, means, excitement, adventure, and something extremely real. Romance should last a lifetime”. When I was single, the guys in a small group at my church made lasagna from scratch for the single girls of that group and planned a dinner for them on Valentine’s Day. I don’t know if it’s a coincidence or what but about four or five marriages were produced from that group.

There is something to be said about having a partner for life. Researchers have found that people who are lonely have more health issues. Loneliness is more of a factor in health concerns than being overweight, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. There are not many happy hermits. God created us to be social beings that depend on one another. Psychiatrists have done studies to proof that having meaningful relationships will add to better health.

In Luke 14:16-24 is the parable of the great banquet. Invitations were sent out for a feast but everyone made excuses for not showing up. The lesson is to not miss out on the gift of God who helps us physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually.

What provisions has God made for us? Every person is in equal standing with God who wants to provide us with joy and peace of mind. He is a God of justice who makes wrongs right. This is provided for in that everyone who believes in what the gospel clearly explains and accepts God’s Son as their savior has a protective antidote to a life of eternal misery. Our needs are provided for and He provides joy and peace of mind.

Two ways to increase both physical and mental health are to be kind to others and to be the person that God desires you to be by following His instructions. These are prescriptions to keeping a sound mind filled with wisdom and a sound body that makes available a wholesome dwelling for your soul.

Each day during the week, I write a post at this link. The mission of this blog is to demonstrate an instrument for Bible study that uses technology to develop a better way to study the Bible by integrating the principles or core values God gives into our daily life at work and at home. One core value God gives that I think is important is to take care of our physical and mental body. Next week, we will continue with this core value God gives that I think is important to being all we are intended to be. We will get more into how to build up this key core value in the post next weekend.