BIG PROBLEMS? BIGGER GOD!

What kind of problems and concerns are weighing on your mind and heart today? Financial troubles? A wayward child? Loss of a job? Potential loss of a job? Betrayal by a friend? Whatever it is my friend know that God is bigger and mightier than Satan and your problems. 

In Psalm 40:11-12(NLT) says ' Do not withhold your mercy from me  Lord;  may your love and faithfulness always protect me. For troubles without number surround me; my sins have overtaken me, I can not see. They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart fails within me.' 

Sometimes a situation may seem so huge you get overwhelmed and start conjuring up things in your mind that may happen. This goes back to the devotion on worry. We can not allow Satan to hold us captive with fear and concerns. Our God is a big God and no problem is too big for Him to handle. You have to believe that. 

James 1:2-3(NIV) reminds us 'Consider it all joy brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.'  All of us could probably use a good dose of persevering. When you go "through" trials you know they will eventually end. 

What is it that is bothering you today? Can you trust God to see you through with only strength He provides? 

PRAYER: Today Lord I choose to let you handle my burdens. I often fear for things that have not even happened. I know when  I do this I enable Satan to capture my thoughts. My choice is to demonstrate your perfect peace in a storm. In Jesus' name. Amen.

MARKETING GIMMICKS

Have you ever heard the saying "if something seems too good to be true
it probably is." Advertising giants prey, it seems, on glowing words
and fancy packaging. It is not always women who get sucked into this
trap as men can fall victim to sleek ads as well. One thing I always
try to remember to ask myself is "Want or need" or in other words do you really need what it is someone is trying to sell. The shopping networks on television have non stop
"too good to be true" ads. It takes determination and self control to resist these sales pitches.

Satan is a good one at throwing things at you too and making you feel like nothing bad will happen or no one is going to find out. He is a trickster and a deceiver. He wraps sin in pretty packages and does not include in these packages what to do in case of an emergency, or in case of a life led astray.

2 Corinthians 11:14(NIV) says 'And no wonder for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.' He lures you then traps you in a web of sin. In order to break free it is necessary to know the word of God and claim its' promises such as in Isaiah 54:17(NKJV) which says 'No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment,You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And their righteousness is from Me,” Says the Lord.'

Isaiah 5:20(NLT) says 'What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light and light is dark, that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter.'

Are you discerning and wise or easily led into sin traps? Start today and make it a practice to start your day with prayer and Bible reading asking God to go before you and make your path straight.

PRAYER: Lord I thank you for convicting me of sin in my life. Forgive me Lord when I have allowed Satan to enter my thoughts. I know my true strength and power to resist is from you and you alone. In Jesus' name. Amen.

WEEDS IN YOUR GARDEN

Do you have a garden at home? What are you growing? Is your garden thriving and producing crops or is it limp and choked by weeds? Gardens take time and effort if you want them to produce the desired plant. By time and effort I mean that you need to make sure the plants get adequate water as all living things need water to sustain them or they will die. Next you may want to fertilize them if necessary. One of your biggest responsibilities will be to keep the weeds from growing in the same place with the crops as they will overtake the garden if it is not tended to.

My strawberries have done fairly well this year but there is a wild strawberry plant, also known as a weed, that is growing amongst the big lush berries. If I do not get rid of this, plus the clover that is wrapping itself around the strawberries, then I will not get much fruit from what has been planted.

How is your "spiritual garden"? Is your spiritual life growing and thriving or does it need to be watered, fertilized, and weeded? Is the only time you spend any time with God on Sunday for one hour when you "have to"? Do you even bother trying to get to know Jesus better and strengthening your spiritual life? The "fertilizer" of sorts would be getting into the word of God to know Him better so you can "grow" in Christ. The "weeds" would be things you are doing or sins you commit that take you further away from God. It could be an attitude of your heart.

What kind of "weeds" are growing in your life that need to be pulled out down to the roots? If you have clover in your yard and simply cut the flower off the rest of the weed is still under ground and will spring up again. The thing about weeds is they do not require much to grow but take lots of effort to eradicate.

Matthew 13:7(NIV) says 'Other seed grew among thorns which grew up and choked the plants' referring to the word of God falling on hard hearts that do not have Jesus inside of them. Are the "weeds" of sin choking your relationship with Jesus? Only you can answer that question. Have you neglected your "spiritual garden" and gone out and done your own thing? Do you want to bear spiritual fruit or just have weeds all over the place?

Get those weeds out daily by having time alone with the Lord. Take time to let the "fruits" of the spirit grow in your life.

Galatians 5:22-23(NIV) says 'But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.' Don't let weeds choke your life but be "fruitful" for the kingdom of God.

PRAYER: Today I choose to keep the weeds of sin out of my life. I do not want growing closer to you to be choked out by sins. Give me strength to resist attempts by the enemy, Satan, to make excuses for why I can not spend time each day with Jesus. In Jesus' name. Amen.

FADS COME AND FADS GO....

.....But Jesus is never out of style. Look around you at things popular in our culture today. Clothing styles, tattoos, habits, toys, music, electronic devices, celebrities, dances, baby names, and a host of other things. We buy a certain clothing style and in a couple years you can't be seen in it because it is old fashioned. Computers have really changed from the full room size to one in the palm of your hand.

One thing that never changes or never goes out of style is Jesus.Scripture says in Hebrews 13:8(NIV) that 'Jesus is the same yesterday, today, yes and forever.' We are not to put Him on a shelf because He is not cool. Sadly this is exactly what many people today do. Those who already know Him may "hide their light" for no one to see. Some maybe too embarrassed for others to know so keep it quiet.

Some, even in the Christian community, have tried to change what sins are okay now because "times are a changing". Sin does not become socially acceptable because a sinful godless society misinterprets it. The powers of Satan work overtime to confuse and distort the Bible and bring confusion to the minds of many. Certain sins are even becoming fashionable and accepted by society. Romans 12:2(NIV) tells us 'Do not be overcome with evil but overcome evil with good.' Remember that we do not change what Gods' word says so we can feel better about the sins we are committing.

James 4:17(NIV) says '

If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn't do it, it is sin for them.' PRAYER: Lord forgive me if I have ever treated you like you are old fashioned or out of style or not spoken up against something I know is wrong and against God's word. Keep me from being self righteous and help me to remember to pray for our government in the United States who is going against the word of God. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Click on link below and praise God in song.

http://youtu.be/uMgsMC83ZDs

KILLS,STEALS, DESTROYS (PART TWO)

 

Recently I wrote about how the words we use have the power to kill, steal, and destroy. Another thing that can also "kill, steal, and destroy" is our impatience.

How many readers have observed an angry driver who is tailgating and
can not wait to pass often doing it in a no passing zone? Perhaps you
were the unfortunate witness to a T-bone or head on collision as a
result of someone's impatience to have to get to where they were
going and passing when it is unsafe?

Impatience can cause you to react to a situation before really thinking it over first. Being impatient can result in misspoken and often not well thought out words. Impatience can cause a person to buy something they do not need without first thinking it over or discussing it with their spouse.

You can see being impatient is not a good thing. When our first son was born he was three weeks beyond the anticipated due date. I remember the doctor saying "Don't want to take the cake out of the oven before it is done" and in this case you would wind up with a premature baby.
Rush, rush,rush. Fast food that takes five or more minutes sends some into a rage. Waiting at the doctors office may make your blood boil. It is essential to try to practice this very important "fruit of the Spirit" in order to have a healthy, balanced, loving, Christ centered life.
Galatians 5:22-23(NASB) says 'But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.' It is critical in order to walk with Jesus and be more like Him we develop and "grow" these fruits in our lives.
As for developing patience before we speak or email, Proverbs 29:29(NIV) says 'Do you see a man hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than him.' Ouch, now that hits home with me and maybe it does with some of you.
Let us constantly be seeking to imitate Christ in all that we do and maintain peace and patience.

PRAYER: Today Lord I need your help to not just blurt things out without thinking about how they affect others. I desire to lead a life where I can be patient. I know many "tests" will come my way and help me Lord to learn from them and pass them. In Jesus' name. Amen.

WORRY! WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR?

The answer is "absolutely nothing"!  It was not a trick question. We all know worry is not good for our health or even our relationships. For example, if you are a parent of an adult child who is living on their own , it is not good to have them constantly checking in with mommy or daddy. Trust that God will care for them and you raised them correctly then move on. Easier said than done I know. And as for your health, worry could cause many medical problems as well. 

What do you worry about? Maybe it is waiting to hear back on a college application to see if you were  accepted. It could be your child is in a war zone and you can not stop thinking about the dangers and the "what ifs". Perhaps you worry what people think about you. If you're a parent of a teen out driving you may focus on hoping they get home in one piece without a phone call. In the area my sister lives in they are being inundated now with tornado after tornado. People who live in "tornado alley" may be used to these monster storms but they are still frightened. If you happen to be employed by the US Government or in the military you may be worried about your paycheck or the security of this great nation. This list is obviously endless. The worry is absolutely USELESS as it will do nothing to change a situation. Prayer is what you need to do when you start becoming this way.

Guess who is the author and originator of worries? Well I will tell you who it isn't and that is God!  When  you catch yourself sinking into a worry mode then is the time to begin praising Jesus.  The devil will hate that. Start saying things like "thank you Lord that you are watching over me. Thank you Lord that I do not need to fear. Thank you Lord for protection. Thank you Lord for your perfect peace." Worry and fear go hand in hand. 

Here is a good scripture to memorize or write on a 3 by 5 card to read when you start to let Satan drag you into the "worry pit".  Psalm 91:5-19(NIV) says 'You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. If you make the Most High your dwelling-- even the LORD, who is my refuge-- then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.'  There you have it!  Just remember that when you worry you basically are glorifying Satan because he is a "peace robber" and a "joy stealer". 

Isn't it time we do what it says in 1 Peter 5:7(NIV) and that is "Cast all your cares on God for He cares for you."

PRAYER: Today Lord there are many things I could fret about but I choose to "cast" my concerns on you. It is not your desire that I be weighted down with a load of concern. Only Satan likes that. I refuse to let Satan control my thoughts. I choose peace. In Jesus' name. Amen.

ORANGE SUITS...PRAY DON'T CONDEMN

Most every state in America probably utilizes "good conduct" prisoners to pick up litter on the highway. When you drive by these males and females they usually are dressed in an orange jumpsuit and carry a large garbage sack. Is your first reaction to be scared? Perhaps you wrongly judge them? Maybe you are thinking they get what they deserve. Has anyone ever stopped to think maybe they need prayer?

These individuals could be incarcerated for a variety of reasons. We
know the break down of the family contributes to many crimes in
society today. But do you know a perfectly honorable person who may
never have done a bad thing in his or her life could end up there for
accidentally shooting someone or a vehicular homicide that was never
planned ? Maybe a mental health issue drove them to commit a crime.
Maybe a car wreck and someone sues. Not all are your typical hardened
criminals ending up at the mercy of the courts but those from
respectable families as well.

Next time you are going about your day and pass a group of these
individuals why not pray for them. Pray for the court system to be
fair. Pray for them to get necessary rehab or treatment. Pray for
healing in their family situation. Pray for them to come to know Jesus
in their heart. Pray for their life to be turned around. Pray also for
families they may have committed a crime against to be able to
forgive.

1 Corinthians 6:11(NIV) says 'And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.'

PRAYER: Father help me to not judge and condemn others but to truly have compassion for those who are locked up and pray their lives may be turned around. I know any person can find themselves in this situation so help me when I am driving down the road and see these prisoners to really say a prayer for them to come to know you as their savior. Keep me Lord on the right path of life. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Click link below for a song to start your day.

http://youtu.be/ipwEtvWL_3c


Book reading suggestion: When I Lay My Isaac Down by Carol Kent