Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and
glorify your Father which is in heaven. - Matthew 5:16
As pointed out in the post “Integrate Faith with Lifestyle”, the Bible
is filled with words of counsel and knowledge but you have to apply this by first
listening to these words of knowledge and then let them inside so they become a
part of your heart and soul.
To turn on the light switch to
let your light shine today, here’s a song called Speak life by Toby Mac that inspires
hope, encouragement, concern, and love for your neighbor.
One of my favorite takeaways
from the study of Proverbs
18 and posted in “The Power Like a
Strong Tower” is that our words have the power of life and death. By
keeping the name of the Lord in our everyday living, we not only have power in
our own life but also give power to those around us as we encourage them.
Keeping the name of the Lord
shelters us like a fortified tower providing safety from the wind and high
ground above the floods. As pointed out in the song Strong Tower by Kutless, keeping the
name of the Lord provides strength when we are weak and courage if afraid. When
the storms of life rage, the Lord is our strong tower and His mercy sets us
free.
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.
Two are better than one because they have a good return for their work:
If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and
has no one to help him up! - Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
The post “Being Industrious” gives some thoughts
after reading Proverbs
6 about the importance of working together to make the right moves in life.
The importance of setting goals and managing our time. We also received
instructions in good relationships and how to handle our personal lives.
Our moves in live may not always
line up with how God tells us to live but remember that the King of kings
always has one more move before the game of life is over. The blood of Christ
is the extra move God gives us for the path to victory. Then each day we can
study God’s Word for continual cleaning. We can also hold each other
accountable, share ideas, and encourage one another.
So in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to
all the others. - Romans 12:5
In the post “Communication for the Lord’s Work”, brought
out is the idea of each member of the church being connected and the importance
of having those behind the scenes making a ministry work.
There is no better time to put
this idea to work with the latest technology that allows us to study God’s Word
and share thoughts. We can worship from any place or anytime with songs like
this one: How Great is Our God by Chris
Tomlin.
So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for
this sums up the Law and the Prophets. – Matthew 7:12
In the post “Loving Our
Neighbor”, some ideas were discussed and the thought came out that if these
ideas were applied in each person’s life, there would be no need for laws
because no commandment would ever be broken.
For most of us the concept is
easily understood but the application of it is extremely difficult. The key is
to use the lessons from the Bible and follow the “Golden Rule” by letting love
from the Father overflow from our heart to those we meet.*
God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble - James 4:6
In the post “Power Available to All”, the mystery
revealed in reading Romans
11:25-36 is that the divine power of God is available to Jew and Gentile.
Understanding this mystery helps us all observe the greatness of God which
takes away personal pride and makes us more apt to humbly show concern for
others.
There have been several times
when my vehicle would not start because of a dead battery. Jumper cables were
used to recharge one battery from another. In a similar way, we can be the link
that connects the power of God to people. We can get interested in them, listen
to their needs, offer some help, or pray for them.
Sharing a song is a good way to
connect each other to the power and recharge each other for the day. Here’s a
song with that purpose in mind: Come as you
are by Crowder.
Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. - 2
Peter 3:18
Explained in the post “From Death to Life” is how the pattern of
sin and death was broken by the free gift of Christ. The grace of God and the
gift of righteousness reigns in life eternal. There’s no better deal in the
world. To me, it makes good sense to take it.
Everyone needs God’s grace. Once
received, one can gain wisdom to live the way life is meant to be lived. As the
main point given to us in the songDear Younger Me by MercyMe, our
tomorrows can be better than our yesterdays and today can be amazing because
our growing faith can never be taken away or depleted. The Gospel message has a
beautiful and refreshing simplicity about it that sets us free and never let us
down.
Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to
bring praise to God. - Romans 15:7
God has made us all for a
purpose and we need to celebrate differences.
According to Guinness World Records, the tallest man living is 8 ft. 3 inches.
The shortest man living is 2 feet tall. A startling comparison is that if
humans varied as much in height as dogs do, the smallest person would be 2 feet
tall and the tallest person would stand 31 feet tall!
The picture we get from the post
“Always Remains the Same” is that we all are
different. Some are skilled in teaching, some are skilled in administration,
and others may be skilled in encouragement. We all also have some weaknesses
but let us be thankful that God always remains faithful, true, righteous, and
just.
Rather than expecting perfection
from others, we can accept each other as a child of God and work in unity using
our specific gifts God has given us. Then we are not competing against each
other but against our enemies like doubt, bondage, and hate.
As the scripture above says, we
should approach each day with the attitude of accepting one another. Take
inspiration from today’s song: Come As
You Are by Crowder.
All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who
are the called according to His purpose. - Romans 8:28
As pointed out in the post “Fertile Ground for a Great Harvest”, Paul
put a lot into his relationship with the Roman Christians. He knew that by
teaching them, God’s purpose for him of spreading the Word would take root and
the harvest would be plentiful because Rome was the center of communication
throughout the world during this time.
Let us also see this purpose of
Paul as our great purpose because the only things in life that last forever are
the Word of God and our relationships with His people. Therefore, let us do
things daily that last forever by getting to knowing God’s Word and creating a
stream of compassion that flows from one Christian heart to another.
The song Who Am I by Casting Crowns points out
that our forever home is with God. We are just here on earth for a short time.
Our life on this earth will fade away into the sunset but our relationship with
God and other Christians will last forever.
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.
May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same
attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind
and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. -
Romans 15:5-6
The post “Through His Diverse People” has some
thoughts about Christianity and how it is like a relay race. We all help each
other out with our unique abilities for God’s purposes.
A diverse group of people has an
advantage because with one mind and one voice, they have the opportunity to
pull together with various ideas and skill sets. Each day can be amazing when
we fix problems together.
This song by Miranda Lambert
talks about the pluses of All Kinds of
Kinds.
Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be
strong and courageous. This is what the Lord will do to all the enemies you are
going to fight.” – Joshua 10:25
As shared in the post “Victory Builds Momentum for Future Victories”,
the Ammonites were the people of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and
Eglon. The kings of each joined together to attack Gibeon. But Joshua and his
army came to their rescue and God was with them as He produced hail stones to
kill the enemy. He even stopped the sun so that Joshua and his army had the
extra daylight to pursue the five kings.
The kings could not get away so
they hid in a cave at Makkedah (vv. 16-17) but they were found and Joshua told
his officers to put their feet on the king’s necks to engender trust in God for
future victories (v. 24).
Joshua’s army always returned to
Gilgal (v. 43) for rest, encouragement, inspiration, and to develop a strategy.
My friend, let us daily return to God for study, prayer, and encouragement. He
inspires us to jump into life with enthusiasm.
We can pray, listen for instructions, and get things done now. Opportunities to
do great things are right in front of us so let’s give God our best.
When we believe God is for us and
if we see God at work in our life; confidence grows, victories come our way,
and these victories can be used to build momentum to face future challenges
just like in the song Live
with Abandon by Newsboys.
Therefore encourage one another with these words. – 1 Thessalonians
4:18
This day with God, let us take
every opportunity to encourage and learn from each other so we are ready for
the challenges of tomorrow. Go to the ONE who created it all and passionately
stir each other up to boldly step ahead.
Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of
the Lord our God. - Psalm 20:7
The world has a way of making us
feel that we are not quite good enough. We may feel that we are not quite skilled
enough or that we just don't catch on to a new concept. If thoughts like these come
to mind, remember that with God there is no need to get stressed out. He's big
enough to make up the difference and provide the extra needed to finish each
day a step ahead.
Trust in the ONE true
He will always keep you
And always provide for you
Here is a link to a video that
can change the momentum for your day: This
Day with God.
Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has
stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God promised to those
who love him. - James 1:12
In Acts 23:11, Paul was promised
that he would one day testify in Rome. As shared in the post “Christ in our Heart is a Promised Treasure”,
Paul went through so much but God was faithful and Paul finally arrived in
Rome. He got there in chains and had survived a storm at sea, but he made it
through.
Because of God blessing Paul,
many people have been supported over the years because of the work of Paul. The
lesson we have discovered is to never give up and focus on the reward God has
for each of us as we stay the course.
As with Paul, Christ in your
heart as the Holy Spirit is a treasure that will take care of you in your time
of need. This day, welcome in this treasure as you enjoy today’s video: Holy Spirit – Francesca Battistelli.
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.
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
During the missionary journeys
of Paul, he went through physical and mental strain yet carried out God’s will.
Paul spoke all night at one stop along the way as explained in the post “Joy Even in Trials”.
There were plots out to kill
Paul, yet he had confidence that God would protect him. He took every
opportunity to share about the Lord even when it caused personal inconvenience.
As the scripture above states,
let us take this inspiration and count it all joy when we fall into various
trials; knowing that God is making us into the person He wants us to be. Enjoy
today’s inspirational video Keep Making Me
– Sidewalk Prophets.
When Paul faced opposition in
Corinth as shared in the post “The Day May Be
Demanding but God is there to Keep You Standing”, he was able to stand his
ground. He received help from his friends and God gave him assurance of safety
in a vision. In this vision, God spoke to Paul telling him to keep on teaching
the Gospel and not be afraid because he would be protected.
We can be assured today that
friends will stand with us. We may face some opposition but like anything that
takes off, there is the need for some resistance. A kite flies high because of
the resistance of the wind. An airplane couldn’t take off without the
resistance of the air on the wings which creates a lift.
This day with God, know that He
will always be by your side to encourage and He will provide others to help.
His army of angels will provide for your needs to overcome fear and go the
distance. Receive inspiration from today’s video: Whom Shall I Fear – Chris Tomlin.
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
Working with computer systems,
many times things don’t go as they should because one piece is missing. Like a
recipe, all the ingredients must be there and applied like the instructions
tell you.
One time, I was setting up this
system and doing some testing but I just couldn’t figure out why the bar code
was not printing on a document we send out through our mail machine. Eventually,
after spending some time going through all the pieces and asking for a fellow
worker to go through it with me, we found one piece of code that was missing.
When this code was included, everything worked.
You might have that missing
piece for someone that may make their life easier and this might make all the
difference between helping them have a good day or a bad day. The words you say
or the ideas you give can make all the difference and we need all kinds of
people on our team, especially in our complicated world in which we live today.
Here is a video using a country
song and the students of a Jr High to explain the importance of all kinds of
people. A good team, good school, or good company requires all kinds of people
working together; using individual skills to help lead to success. Enjoy
today’s video: All Kinds of Kinds –
North Park Jr High – Miranda Lambert.
May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same
attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind
and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! -
Romans 15:5-6
