Peace in the Storm

Psalm 3:3  "But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head."
Psalm 3:4  "I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah."
Psalm 3:5  "I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me."

David's own son Absalom had turned against him.  Absalom wasn't content to simply attempt to take the kingdom, but he desired to take David's life.  David cries out to God in the midst of his trial with words that resonate to us today when trials come our way.

In Verse 3 David declares the Lord is a shield.  He is a protector and defender.  He stands between us and those that would seek to destroy us.  What an incredible confidence we can have when we fully put our trust in Him.  He is our glory.  We have nothing in ourselves that is worthy of glory.  We are simply sinful men saved by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Any thing in our life that is worthy of glory is because of God and His grace.  God is the lifter up of our head.  When we are so discouraged, so beaten down with life, the God of all comfort comes and lifts us our heads and He tells us to look upon Him.  Keep our eyes upon Him and we can be saved from the midst of trouble.  We are reminded of Peter when he stepped out of the boat to walk to Jesus upon the waves during a storm.  When Peter was focused on Jesus he was fine, but when his focus shifted to the storm he found himself in dire straits.  Peter started to sink and the waves were quickly starting to engulf him.

In Verse 4 David cried out to the Lord and God heard him from His holy hill.  We have a God that immediately hears us when we cry out to Him from the anguish of our souls.  When Peter started sinking into the sea, he cried out to Jesus.  Jesus heard his anguished plea and reached out his hand and rescued Peter from the deep.  When the storms of life come to us what should we do?  Cry out to the Lord and allow Him to step in and rescue us in our distress.

In Verse 5 David discovered the result of calling upon the Lord.  David found peace in the midst of danger, as Absalom sought to take his life.  David lay down and slept knowing that God would protect and keep him.  Peter cried out to Jesus and Jesus not only rescued him, but spoke, "Peace, be still" to the storm.

God has the power to help in your life today.  If everything seems turned upside down and you feel that you're teetering on the edge of a cliff, call out to the God of all comfort and allow Him to work in your life.  He stands ready to help.

How to Live Longer

Exodus 20:12  "Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee."

     Have you ever stopped and considered the parents that God has given to you.  You could have been born anywhere upon the face of the earth, with any of eight billion other people as your parents.  God specifically allowed you to be born with the parents that you have.  Science teaches us that you are a composite of both of your parents.  You've inherited traits and characteristics from both of them.  That could be pleasing or scary depending on how you look at it.  We understand the science behind birth, but don't leave God out of the equation.  God gave the life that you received at conception.  God created you and you are fearfully and wonderfully made.
     The Bible teaches that we are to honour our father and mother.  They are due honour from us.  Our parents took care of us and provided for us when we were unable to care for ourselves.  Our parents have loved, encourage and supported us through our life.  They've been there to pick us up and pat us on the back.  They've held us in their arms when the pain of life became too great.  They nursed us back to health when we were sick.  They taught us to ride our first bicycle and taught us another million lessons in life.  Our parents are due great honour for all that they have done for us.
     God teaches us that there is a reward for honouring our parents.  God will bless us with many days upon the earth.  When we give honour to whom honour is due, it brings joy and happiness into our life.  Take time to honour the parent or parents that God has blessed you with.

Handling Hurt

Proverbs 24:17  "Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:"
Proverbs 24:18  "Lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him."

The natural reaction when we see an enemy fall or stumble is to laugh.  We enjoy seeing them taken in their own traps and snares.  The spiritual reaction that Jesus taught in the New Testament was that we should pray for our enemies.  When we are wronged, it is easy to get on a spiritual high horse and feel that we are vindicated when evil befalls the person that hurt us.  God would remind us that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.  He suffered agony, humiliation and separation from the Father to pay the wage for our sin, which was death on the cross at Calvary.  When we consider what God has done for us, how He loved us when we were all together unlovely, the least we can do is pray for those that have wronged us.  Ultimately we must remember that vengeance belongs to the Lord, its not in our authority to punish those that have treated us wrongly.  Leave it in the Lords hands and handle the hurt and pain in a manner that is pleasing to God.

Confident or Ashamed?

1John 2:28  "And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming."

Christ has promised His return in the Bible.  It is as sure as the promise of God.  Jesus is indeed, returning to this earth.  How should we live our life in light of this promise in the Scriptures?  We are to be active in reaching others with the Gospel message.  We should live day by day allowing God to conform us to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ.  We should live in such a manner that when He comes, we won't have to be ashamed before Him at His coming.  When we allow our life to become polluted with sin, we don't live expectantly, we live with dread at the thought of Christ's return.  We don't want our Saviour to return and find us in the midst of sin.  We must abide in Him.  The bible likens it to the fruit abiding in the branches.  We are to find our sustenance and security in Him.  He is the life-giving source in our life.  How are you living today?  Are you living a life that is eager to see the return of the Lord or would you be ashamed at His coming?  If you would be ashamed, take time to make some things right with God.  He stands ready to forgive, if you simply ask for forgiveness.

ASK

Matthew 7:8 "For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened."

     How many blessings have we failed to receive simply because we didn't bother to ask.  A preacher once said that one of these days we are going to get to heaven and God is going to show us a huge warehouse that contains all of the blessings we could have received, if we had prayed and asked God.  God wants to bless us far more than we even realize.  Just like we enjoy blessing our children, God the Father enjoys blessing His children.
     Another principle contained in this verse is, "He that seeketh findeth."  Have you ever lost something valuable?  If you have, then you can understand the value of this verse.  You search and search, not resting or relaxing till you find the valuable object you were searching for.  What a relief when you find the lost object.  God is teaching us the value of importunity, persistence in praying for the desires of our heart.  We must never forget that we can't command God to do anything, but we can approach our heavenly Father by faith to petition Him for our requests.
     "To him that knocketh it shall be opened."  We are to put action to our prayers.  There are times that God expects us to take the first step and then He responds to our prayer.  God wants to see our willingness to step forward in obedience.  Sometimes the simple action of putting feet to our prayer is the action that shows God we're serious about our request.  It shows that we are willing to act and respond to God's answer to prayer in our life.
     How about you today?  Have you taken time to pray and ask God for an answer to the situation in your life?  Are you diligently seeking an answer from God?  Have you put feet to your prayer, believing that God is going to do a work?

The Great Physician's Mission

Matthew 9:12-13
But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.
But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.


In today's passage of Scripture Jesus explains the underlying motive for His earthly ministry. Jesus uses an illustration that could be easily understood. If you're not sick you don't need a physician. If you are sick, you desperately need one. Jesus understood fully the condition of man. Man is born into this world a sinner, under the condemnation of a holy God. Man is sick to the very core of his being. He stands in need of the Great Physician to do a work in his heart. A work of regeneration, a work of reconcilliation with God the Father. Jesus further explains His mission in verse thirteen. He had not come to earth to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. For a person to repent he needs to see himself as God sees him. When he realizes fully that he is a sinner separated from God, he will come to a place of repentance and a place where he is willing to exercise faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. How is it with you today? Have you allowed the Great Physician to do a great work in your life? He came to heal them that are sick and tired of sin! Let Christ work in your life today!

Glory in Tribulations

Romans 5:1  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
Romans 5:2  By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Romans 5:3  And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
Romans 5:4  And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
Romans 5:5  And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

What an incredibly rich passage of Scripture!  Verse 1 reveals that peace with God comes through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  The clear teaching of Scripture is that before we are saved, we are at enmity with God.  We are literally an enemy of God.  When we believe on Christ by faith, God declares that we are justified in His sight.  Not only does Christ give us peace with God, but Christ gives us access by faith to God the Father.  All of this is wonderful, but there is even better news in verses 3-5.  We see a seeming paradox mentioned in verse 3.  Paul reveals that as Christians, we can can glory in tribulation, understanding that God the Father is accomplishing something in our life.  The concept of being able to glory in tribulation seems crazy to those apart from Christ.  We can rest confidently in tribulation with the understanding that God is accomplishing His perfect work in our life.  He is conforming us through tribulation to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Tribulation works patience in our life.  It teaches us to wait patiently upon God the Father to deliver us through the tribulation.  It teaches experience, because it demonstrates the faithfulness of God to see us through each and every trial that we confront.  It teaches hope, as we wait for God's glorious deliverance.  In verse 5 it is revealed that hope maketh not ashamed.  If there was ever a time in history that God's people need hope, this is that day.  The Holy Spirit of God renews that hope in our hearts as we spend time in sweet fellowship with God the Father.  Remember when God allows tribulation to come to pass in your life, its not that He doesn't care, it's not that He is unconcerned, but He is accomplishing His perfect purpose in your life!

Returned to the Shepherd of our Souls

1 Peter 2:23  Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
1 Peter 2:24  Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
1 Peter 2:25  For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

     In verse 23 we see that Christ was fully committed to the mission that had been given to Him by the Father.  He did always those things that pleased the Father.  When Christ left glory to come to earth, He understood what lay before Him.  A life of thirty-three years that would end with pain, agony and separation from the Father on the cross of Calvary.  Christ fulfilled His mission on the cross, as He hung there suspended between heaven and earth.  He bare our sins in His body on the tree.  He paid the wages for our sin, which were death.  He enabled us as believers to no longer be in bondage to sin.  We have a choice to follow sin or to allow the Holy Spirit to guide us.  We are to live unto righteousness understanding the price that was paid for us by our Lord.  We were as sheep wandering lost in the wilderness, sheep in need of a saviour.  We returned unto the Christ, the Shepherd and Bishop of our soul.
     Christ sets a wonderful example for us in this passage of Scripture.  How much better would it be if we were totally committed unto Him that judgeth righteously?  If we made the decision to allow everything we did to be pleasing to the Father.  Let's be grateful for what Christ has done in our life.  Let's live our lives as lives of gratitude to the Father for what He has done in our life through Christ.

The Light of the World

John 8:12  Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
John 8:31  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
John 8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

     In our passage today Jesus is addressing the Jews.  Jesus declares to the Jews exactly whom He is!  He declares that he is the light of the world.  He came to shine a bright light into the darkness of a sinful world.  A world that was trying to work its way to heaven.  The glorious light that Christ was about to shine, was the Gospel, the death, burial and resurrection of Christ.  Christ would die on the cross and pay the sin debt for all of mankind.  If we choose to follow Christ, we don't have to walk in darkness.  We don't have to be in bondage to sin.  We can have the light of life living within us.  We can allow that light to shine into the lives of others.
     Jesus laid down the litmus test for the Jews.  If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed.  It was a matter of living a life that reflected the new light that shone within through their belief on Christ.  Their obedience demonstrated the reality of their conversion.  Our obedience demonstrates our relationship with Christ.
     In verse 32 Jesus tells the Jewish believers that they would see the truth of their decision become a reality in their lives.  The power of the truth at work in their life would set them free.  They no longer would be bound to the impossible task of perfectly keeping the Mosaic Law.  They would know the freedom of God's grace as they grew into the new life that God had for them.
     How about you?  Have you put your trust in the Light of the World?  If your world is becoming dark Jesus Christ stands waiting to shed light abroad in your life.  He wants you to know the truth that shall make you free.

The Grief of Wisdom

Ecclesiastes 1:12  I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
Ecclesiastes 1:13  And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.
Ecclesiastes 1:14  I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
Ecclesiastes 1:15  That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
Ecclesiastes 1:16  I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
Ecclesiastes 1:17  And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.
Ecclesiastes 1:18  For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.

Verse 12 identifies whom the speaker of this passage is, it is King Solomon.  The wisest man to ever live according to God's Word.  King Solomon had given his heart to seek and search out by wisdom, the things done under heaven.  He understood how hard and grievous the task was before him.  The king declares that he had seen all of the works done under the sun and he had.  There was nothing withheld from King Solomon, not only was he the wisest man in the world, but also the richest.  He could buy anything that he wanted with his vast wealth.  He recognized some important truths about life.  No matter how much wisdom or wealth he possessed, he couldn't straighten out the crooked.  The needs that he saw around him were without number.  The king knew wisdom, but he also allowed himself to experience madness and folly.  He discovered that madness and folly were vexation of spirit.  They did nothing to fulfill his spirit, but they vexed his spirit through their futility.  King Solomon learned that in much wisdom their is grief.  God had blessed him with great wisdom, but with the wisdom had come great sorrow as he could see needs all round him that he couldn't fulfill.

When we look around us today, we may be tempted to simply give up.  On every hand we see hearts growing cold toward the things of God.  We see people flaunting their sin and living unrepentant lifestyles.  To be perfectly honest, we can't help everyone, the task is truly impossible, but we can pray for everyone.  We can help those that we can by sharing the glorious Gospel of Christ with them.  The ones we simply can't reach, we can pray for.  We can pray that God will send someone along their path to meet their need.  When we get frustrated at our inability, then it's time to rely wholly on God's ability.

Preach the Truth

1Peter 4:11  If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

This verse is primarily referring to a preacher carrying out the ministry that God has given to him.  The truth of the preaching must align itself with the truths of the Scriptures.  Man has no right to wrest the Scriptures to meet his own needs.  God calls men to the ministry and God gives the ability for the ministry to be carried out.  A preacher must be fully reliant upon the Holy Spirit of God in order to do the job that God has called him to.  The whole purpose of every ministry that we find ourself in, is to glorify the Father through Jesus Christ.  God is worthy of our praise.  Focus on the truth of the Gospel and keep sharing it with everyone you come in contact with.

Renew Your Strength

Mark 3:9  And he spake to his disciples, that a small ship should wait on him because of the multitude, lest they should throng him.
Mark 3:10  For he had healed many; insomuch that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had plagues.
Mark 3:11  And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God.
Mark 3:12  And he straitly charged them that they should not make him known.

Jesus had been healing many during his earthly ministry.  The more that healed, the more people flocked to him seeking a healing.  Jesus commanded that a boat should be made ready so that he could escape the press of the crowd.  The crowd understood the miraculous power of Christ as they pressed upon him, so that they could simply touch him and be healed.  In verse 11 it is revealed that the unclean spirits that possessed men recognized Jesus for whom he was.  They recognized him as the Son of God, the Messiah, the Christ, the deliverer that had been sent to set the captives free.  Jesus forbid the unclean spirits from declaring who he was. Jesus wasn't fully ready for everyone to fully realize who he was.  He was still doing the preparatory work that would eventually lead him to the cross of Calvary.
The practical application that we can draw from this passage is that even Christ understood the need to spend time alone with the disciples in prayer.  Ministry can be a very busy place.  As we seek to use our spiritual giftedness for the cause of Christ, we can find ourselves burning the candle at both ends.  We are busy in the work that God has called us to, but we find that our energy reserves are quickly being depleted.  True ministry is only done through the power of the Holy Spirit of God.  To walk in the Spirit requires us to spend time in intimate fellowship with our Heavenly Father.  We have to make time to get away from the throngs and spend time in sweet fellowship with God.  It's during this time that we find our strength being renewed by his presence.

How are your energy levels today?  Is it time to take a moment and spend some quiet time with God in the place of prayer?

God Has a Plan for You!

Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end."
What if I asked you right now, "What are your plans?"  Where are you going?  How are you going to get there?  I'm sure you would quickly answer with your goals, dreams and aspirations.  We all have plans for what we want to accomplish in life.  The real question should be, "What is God's plan for your life?"  God has a plan for the life you're living.  His first plan for your life is that you would believe on His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.  Trust his finished work on the cross at Calvary for you.  His second plan is that once you know His Son,  that you be conformed to the image of Christ.  All of God's plans for you have this plan in mind.  God has a perfect plan for your life.  He has spiritually equipped you for the mission that he has entrusted you with.  God's plan for your life will lead you to a place of peace.  A place that knows the abiding peace that comes through the right relationship with God.  Our verse for today tells us that God will fulfill his plan.  He will give you an expected end.  He will guide and lead you to the place of blessing that He has for you, right in the center of His will for you.

Man's Two Natures!

Every born again believer has two natures that live inside.  Once they have trusted Christ as their Saviour, they receive a new nature.  A nature that is imparted to them through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit of God.  II Corinthians 5:17 declares, "Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things are passed away, behold all things have become new."  At the very moment of salvation the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in the believer, unfortunately, the old sin nature, also know as the flesh, still dwells in the believer too.  It would be wonderful to become a child of God and become perfect and never have to struggle with sin, but we understand from God's Word and our own experience, that is not the case.  Our two natures will conflict with each other until we lay this earthly tabernacle down in death.  The Apostle Paul understood this conflict in the book of Romans Chapter 7.  Take time to read this chapter and understand the struggle that raged within Paul.  It is the same struggle that every believer must contend with.  How do we allow the new nature to win the struggle, as we strive to become Christ-like?  Romans 6:8 teaches us that we are crucified with Christ.  The old nature has been put to death.  Sin no longer has to have victory in our lives.  We don't have to be in bondage to our old nature.  The story is told of an old, Native American Chief that had two dogs, one black and one white.  Someone asked the Chief which of the dogs would win in a fight.  The one I feed, replied the chief.  It's the same in our life.  The nature that we feed will have dominance in our life.  We don't have to be a slave to sin.  We have the very presence of God living within us and the Word of God.  Spend time today feeding your new nature and keeping the old man dead and buried.

Dangers of Witchcraft

"Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God."  Leviticus 19:31

The Bible contains many clear warnings for Christians in regards to witchcraft.  We are not to regard them that have familiar spirits.  These are spirits that those that practice witchcraft communicate with.  It may sound hocus-pocus or spooky, but if we believe the Bible we have to accept that there are real demonic spirits in the world eager to communicate with man.  The message of these spirits is to cause harm and destruction, unlike the glorious message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which has the power to transform lives.  The Bible declares that we are not to seek after wizards.  If we choose to follow after them, the end result will be defilement.  There are many today that follow after and seek out psychics and witches to help guide them, or to help them make decisions.  The Lord instructs us that this is a dangerous practice that will result in our lives being polluted and corrupted by sin.  The only guide we need is the True Guide, the Holy Spirit of God that indwells us at the very moment of salavation.  He stands eager and able to help us guide our lives, all we have to do is yield to Him.

Reason to Rejoice

Psalm 118:24  "This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."

I love waking up in the early morning hours and listening to the sounds of the birds singing in the trees right outside of my bedroom window.  The early light creeping slowly across the floor, reaching for the far wall of my bedroom.  When I hear the sound of the birds and see the light shining through the blinds, I know that God has blessed me with another day.  God has created another day for me.  Another day to go forth and allow God to use me to be a blessing in the lives of others.  I have a choice as I rise for the day.  I can focus on myself, my concerns, my fears, my trials and tribulations or I can turn my focus on the needs of others.  The Lord Jesus Christ set the perfect example for us with His life.  His focus was never on Himself, but always on the needs of others.  He came to serve!  When we focus on the needs of others we will find cause to rejoice and find cause to be glad.  Be a blessing to someone else this day!  God made this day for you with all of its opportunities for service!

No Fear

Psalm 118:6 "The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?"

As Christians we have a rich heritage of our faithful ancestors that faced persecution and death for their belief in God's Word. Those faithful Christians of days gone by understood a vital principle contained in Psalm 118:6. They knew, that as Christians, they had a Father in Heaven that stood by their side during times of fear and persecution. They had a God of all comfort that would bring them solace during the dark days that they faced. They understood that the power of man was limited, but the power of their God was unlimited. Man can only destroy our physical body. Man can't destroy our soul and spirit. If we have trusted the Lord Jesus Christ by faith, we don't have to fear man, because we have a God that has already taken eternal possession of our soul and spirit. We can face the worse that the world has to offer with boldness and courage by faith in our God. We don't have to be subjected to a life of fear and defeat.

Every Knee Shall Bow

Philippians 2:10  "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;"
Philippians 2:11  "And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."


We live in a world that worships a variety of different gods.  The Bible declares to us unapologetically, that there is only one God manifested in three personalities.  Today's bible verses teach us that there is coming a day when all of mankind, past, present and future will bow their knees in obeisance to the Lord Jesus Christ.  Those that know the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour will bow down in thankfulness for what Christ has done in their life.  Those that reject the Lord Jesus Christ in this life will be forced to bow in that day in the presence of the Saviour that died for them and the one whom they rejected.

How much better will it be for those that are able to bow down in love and obedience to Christ.  Where are you today?  Have you acknowledged that you're a sinner and asked God for forgiveness, putting your faith and trust in Christ's finished work on the cross at Calvary?

Help for Marriage

Image Ronnie MacDonald Wikipedia Common Images

Ephesians 5:21  "Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God."

There are tons of books on the market that deal with the topic of having a happy, healthy marriage.  If you read all of the books you will find many ideas and suggestions on how to improve your marriage.  You will find ideas that agree and others that conflict with one another.  God's Word has much to say about marriage.  What should we rely on, the wisdom of man or the wisdom of God?  The answer should be obvious.  Who knows more about the creature than the Creator?  God instituted marriage and He knows the ingredients to a happy and fruitful marriage.

This verse in Ephesians 5:21 is framed within a passage of Scripture that outlines the proper relationships between husbands and wives.  Husbands and wives have a responsibility to submit themselves one to another.  When we put our spouse first in the marriage relationship we avoid a variety of ills.  Selfishness in a marriage leads to all kinds of problems in the family and home.  A selfish spirit is never satisfied.  A selfish spirit quickly grows discontent in the marriage.  If everything in the marriage doesn't revolve around the selfish spouse, the spouse will seek fulfillment elsewhere.  This selfishness is a tremendously destructive force in a marriage.  When our heart's desire is to see our spouse fulfilled our marriage finds itself on a path that is pleasing to God.  An interesting thing happens when we focus our attention on the needs of others.  When we focus on others, our problems, concerns and fears quickly diminish.  Paul instructed Christians in Philippians 2:3b "Let each esteem other better than themselves."  This counsel is good for a marriage, good for a family and good for a church.  Let's concern ourselves with the well-being of others and quit focusing so much on ourselves.

God's Everlasting Mercy

Psalm 118:1-2  "O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever.   Let Israel now say, that his mercy endureth for ever."

We can rest assured that the God whom we serve is always good.  Many times in our lives when trials happen we have a tendency to  believe that God has somehow forgotten about us.  That He isn't aware of the trial that we are facing.  We would do well to realize that God does everything for our good, including the trials, even the ones we don't fully understand. 

 Not only is God good, but He is also merciful.  The Bible gives us the illustration of God's mercy toward Israel.  God the Father sent his Son Jesus Christ to be Israel's long awaited Messiah.  Israel rejected Jesus as their messiah and caused Him to be crucified.  The Scriptures teach us that because of unbelief Israel has been temporarily set aside.  God will eventually restore the nation of Israel to their place of prominence in His plan.  God loves Israel and in spite of her rejection of Christ He will show forth His mercy toward Israel.

God's mercy towards Israel should speak to our own hearts.  God loves us and is willing to be merciful to us, if we come to Him with repentant hearts.  You may have started to doubt God or to blame God because of some trial that you're experiencing.  Never forget that God is good and His mercy  is everlasting.

Release Anxiety

 

1 Peter 5:6-7

^{6 "}Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
⁷ Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you."

Have you ever felt like you were running in quicksand, expending more and more energy to get absolutely nowhere?  As humans we often find ourselves getting ahead of God's perfect plan for our lives.  We tend to forget that God's timetable isn't our timetable.  God has his own schedule for accomplishing things in our lives for his honor and glory.  We're guilty of racing ahead of God and trying to shine the spotlight on our own accomplishments.  The Bible teaches us that if we will humble ourselves, then God will exalt us in due time.  When we're trying to accomplish everything in our strength and our energy we feel like we're banging our head against the wall.  It can lead to disappointment and frustration, but we are taught in these verses that we can cast all of our care upon him because he cares for us.  

Let's focus on serving God day by day and leave the results up to God.  If you faithfully serve God in spite of any lack of recognition God will exalt you in his perfect time.