In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must
help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said,
'It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ - Acts 20:35
Generosity is the best way to
find joy and meaning. Paul gave his time to proclaim the gospel of Christ.
Jesus gave everything; even His life. Receive inspiration from today’s song When Love Sees You by Mac Powell.
For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do
what pleases Him. - Philippians 2:13
As pointed out in the post “We Call Upon Your Name”, All who call upon
the name of the Lord receive the way to freedom and even victory over death.
This day with God, let us call
upon His name and just like in the song One
Desire by Hillsong have one request and that is to be devoted to His Way.
To obtain the power the Spirit
offers, let us have one desire; to call upon the name of the Lord for all of
our days. To desire to hear His Word, see Christ at work, and bring the Good
News to others.
What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God be with
us, who can be against us? - Romans 8:31
After reading Exodus
23:1-19 and writing in the post “Reach
New Heights”, the thought entered my mind just how important it is to depend on God to provide the power in
our life.
We can reach new heights by
discovering the strengths God has blessed us with and like in the song White Flag by Chris Tomlin, surrendering
it up for His glory.
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
We may face difficulties daily …
a family member is sick, a rough day at work, trying to balance work, home, and
school but as pointed out in the post “Promise
of the Spirit”, the Good News for us is that by accepting Christ, we are connected forever to the greatest power
ever. We are connected to the Holy Spirit so we can face these difficult
days by turning them over to God.
When we turn our difficulties
over to God, greatness begins because God is bigger than any difficulty we
face. One song that emphasizes this truth is He Is With Us by Love & The Outcome.
So my friend in Christ, set your
sights beyond what you can see. Be determined and know that Christ has paid the
price, giving you an unseen power which cannot be measured or weighed but can tell
you the right things to do for a favorable outcome.
The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
My God is my rock, in
whom I take refuge,
My shield and the horn
of my salvation, my stronghold. – Ps 18:2
In sharing the post “Delivered from Enemies”, noted was how David
faced difficulty but spread his wings in faith to be lifted to a new level as
God fashioned a bright future for David.
We all face difficulties in
life. I once read about actor Sylvester Stallone who not only was the lead
actor but also wrote the script for all the “Rocky” and “Rambo” movies. Before
hitting it big with the movie “Rocky”, Sylvester Stallone went through
homelessness as he struggled to make ends meet as a writer and actor.
If going through a trial in your
life or just having a down day, take inspiration from this video: Lift Me Up by The Afters.
As explained in the post “Applying Our Faith Produces Extraordinary
Results” Paul did just as the title says. During Paul’s time and in current
times, God works in various ways to guarantee the spread of His word.
This day with God, let us pay
attention to our dreams and take action. God blesses those who seek His advice
and follow through on His guidance. The Spirit is with us giving thoughts and
ideas to shape the future in a positive way.
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it
says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man
who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and
immediately forgets what he looks like. - James 1:22-24
In the post Rise Up several parables are told by Jesus
to inspire us to be productive. Like the man who still had hope in the
unproductive fig tree, we can go the extra mile to work on the things in our
life that are unproductive and need a little extra care.
We may not feel good at times
but other times, we may feel lonely or we may feel inferior. Sometimes, we may just
be physically worn out but these are the things that create resistance and
ultimately make us stronger. Like the resistance when lifting weights to build
our physical muscle, we can also build up our spiritual muscle.
Examples include the resistance
of water as we swim laps to burn those extra calories or up a hill to the very top.
Without resistance, the wings of a plane can’t produce lift to 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.
Remember, persistence like a
stream of water eventually cuts into a rock and if we remain persistent at
focusing on the possibilities God gives, we can cut into and go through any
obstacle in our way. This day with God, ask that He keeps making you stronger and
receive inspiration from this video: Keep
Making Me – Sidewalk Prophets.
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
Approach each day with enthusiasm by highlighting the amazing things
around you in order to spark the interest of others. This is how you shine the
light because the amazing parts of life are from God.
Every task can be done with an attitude of praise if we are filled with
the power of the Holy Spirit to fulfill God’s purpose. Being filled is
accomplished by study of God’s Word and striving to obey God’s instructions.
So this day with God, be optimistic, celebrate, see better days ahead,
and be excited about the future. Do everything with an attitude of praise. Sing
the uplifting songs so worry will flee and the eternal light can shine forever.
After all, you are a child of the one true king: Hello My Name Is by Matthew West.
Sing to Him a new
song; play skillfully, and shout for joy. - Psalm 33:3
In the study of Luke 10:1-24, I wrote that Jesus told the seventy-two
that He sent ahead of Him to pray first and then just go in confidence and
assurance that they would have great outcomes because of the power of the
Father.
This day with you Lord, we can also go in confidence and build up Your
kingdom. We pray that we get ready for the challenge of this day by going to
You first for our needs. Lord, You created all things and with Your power, we
can stir each other up to boldly step ahead and do as this video suggest: Build Your Kingdom Here - Rend
Collective Experiment.
The harvest is
plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to
send out workers into his harvest field. - Luke 10:2
