Sunday, July 10, 2011
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Monday, July 4, 2011
“Trust Me” by Charles R. Swindoll
1 Samuel 17:48–51
All David had was a sling and a stone as he took on a giant wearing two hundred pounds of armor. It may seem silly, but that's the way God operates. In the final analysis, there was a whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—one stone flew through the air, and that's all there was to it. Goliath fell like a sack full of sand. Got any more giants?
I don't know what your intimidating giant is today. It may relate to your job, your roommate, or your school. Maybe it is a person, a lawsuit, unemployment, a disaster . . . maybe even your own partner in life. Perhaps it is some fear that is lurking around the corner, sucking your energy and draining your faith. God is saying to you right now, "All I ask of you is five smooth stones and a sling of faith. I'll take it from there. You don't have to wear somebody else's armor. You just trust Me. And I'll strip you down to nothing but faith, and then I'll accomplish a victory where I'll get the glory. But as for you . . . you trust Me."
Perhaps you don't know what lies across the valley. Maybe you can't get a handle on what that giant is; but it's there, haunting you. That uncertainty alone is a giant. But look at that worry in comparison to the Lord God Himself, and say, by faith, "The battle is Yours, Lord. It is Your battle. I lean on You. I give You all my weapons, all my skills, and I stand before You, trusting You."
It is God's love for us that causes Him to bring us to an end of our own strength. He sees our need to trust Him, and His love is so great that He will not let us live another day without surrendering our arms to Him, giving Him our fears, our worries, even our confusion, so that nothing becomes more significant to us than our Father.
Never, ever forget it: the battle is the Lord's!
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Repost—How to Discern God’s Will
June 20, 2011
My Dad originally sent me this excerpt from the life story of George Mueller. I decided to repost it because it is powerful, timeless, and frankly, it speaks very personally to me in continuing to discover God’s will for my own future. This is how Mueller discerned the will of God. Don’t rush through this—take time to think deeply about each point and personalize them.
Mueller listed the following steps he believed were necessary in determining God’s will regarding any decision. I thought they might be helpful to others:
- “I get my heart into such a state that it has no will of its own in regard to any particular matter.”
- “I do not leave the result to feelings or simple impressions. That can make one open to great delusions.”
- “I seek God’s will through, or in connection with, His Word. If you look to the Spirit without the Word, you open yourself to delusion.”
- “I consider providential [God-controlled] circumstances.”
- “I ask God in prayer to reveal His will to me.”
- “I make sure I have a clear conscience before God and man.”
- “Every time I listened to men instead of God, I made serious mistakes.”
- “I act only when I am at peace, after much prayer, waiting on God with faith.”
“For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.” (Proverbs 24:6)
God's Comfort
By Dr Paul Chappell
"And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us."
1 John 3:23Ð24
God wants you to lean upon Him and His strength during your weakness
There are times in all of our lives when we need the Lord's comforting. Whether it is because of a problem, a struggle, or when we feel alone, we need God's comfort in our life.
One way God comforts us is by abiding with us. John 15;10, "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. When we abide with Christ each day by reading His Word and speaking to Him through prayer, He will comfort us. God is our Heavenly Father, and He knows when we are hurting. Yet, He cannot comfort us if we do not come to Him, abide in Him, and seek His help.
We can also find comfort in the Holy Spirit. Christ sent the Holy Spirit to comfort us during times of sadness and hurt. John 14:16-17 says, "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
When we are going through doubt, discouragement, or even loss, the Holy Spirit is there to help us. God knows that there will be times when we feel alone or hurt and He wants to help us. He wants us to come to Him and seek His help.
Once during Queen Victoria's reign, she heard that the wife of a common laborer had lost her baby. Having experienced deep sorrow herself, she felt moved to express her sympathy. So she called on the bereaved woman one day and spent some time with her. After she left, the neighbors asked what the queen had said. "Nothing," replied the grieving mother. "She simply put her hands on mine, and we silently wept together."
Friend, God wants to help you through your time of sorrow or hurt. He wants you to know that He loves you and cares for you. God wants you to lean upon Him and His strength during your weakness. He wants you to abide with Him and to seek the comfort of the Holy Spirit.
Are you going through a tough time in your life? Do you need God's comfort today? Take time today to seek God's comfort by abiding with Him. Spend time reading His Word and praying to Him. Let Him comfort you by spending time with you. Also let the Holy Spirit comfort you as you go about your day. Lean on Christ and let Him help sustain you in your time of hurt.