Archive for October, 2010

God Cares

1 PETER 5:7 AMPLIFIED
7 Casting the whole of your care — all your anxieties, all
your worries, all your concerns, once and for all — on Him;
for He cares for you affectionately, and cares about you
watchfully.

EXODUS 3:7 NIV
7 The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in
Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave
drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering.

ISAIAH 63:9 NIV
9 In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of
his presence saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed
them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.

JOHN 11:35 KJV
35 Jesus wept.

Of course, the question arises, “If God cares, why doesn’t He
do something?”

The answer is that God has already done something. Now it is
our turn to act. God has redeemed mankind and set us free from
the dominion of darkness by the sacrifice of Calvary. Now we
must believe God’s Word and act on it.

The truth, which you may find hard to accept, is that God is
already doing all He can to help you. But often, we are
blocking God’s help in our lives by our unbelief and acting
contrary to the instructions of God’s Word.

The solution is to ask God to help us see the truth and act on
it. We should ask God to show us how we can stop hindering Him
from blessing us as He desires.

SAY THIS: God cares about me and everything that concerns me.

Life Is Good

God says that all He made is good.

GENESIS 1:31 NKJ
31 Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was
very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

The devil wants us to believe that life is bad.

(One way he tries to accomplish this is through all the bad
news reported daily. Feeding too much on bad news is not good
for you. You can get the top news stories without spending
hours every day listening to the bad things the devil is trying
to do in the earth.)

If you think life is bad, you will be depressed, or maybe even
bitter.

If you think life is good, you will be thankful.

No matter what your circumstances are, there are always things
to enjoy and rejoice about. If we focus on the goodness and
greatness of God: all He has created and all He has done for
us, life will seem good. If, instead, we focus on our pains and
problems, we will not enjoy life much.

Even the bad things of life — which are all the result of sin,
not what God did — can benefit us IF they cause us to draw
nearer to God and act on His Word.

God’s main purpose is to prepare us to be fit companions for
Himself for eternity. (See Romans 8 — we WILL be conformed to
the image of Jesus Christ.) What God wants you to do is submit
to Him, feed on His Word, be thankful, walk in faith, and let
Him make you like Jesus Christ.

God’s plan is good.

Marriage is good. If we disobey God by husbands not loving
their wives, and wives not respecting their husbands — it can
be bad. But only because we make the wrong choice, to disregard
God’s instruction.

Work is good. It is satisfying to do a job well and accomplish
something. But when we don’t do our work as unto the Lord, or
try to make our jobs our source, worshiping and serving money
instead of God — work can be bad.

Family is good. Being surrounded by those you love and care
for, and who love and care for you, is a wonderful blessing.
But, when we fail to walk in love, and allow strife into our
relationships — it can be bad.

If your life is not good, then you need to make adjustments
based on the Bible.

When you see your cup as half full, instead of half empty –
life will be better for you. Take time to smell the flowers,
and rejoice in all the goodness of God. Rejoice in all the
beauty of God’s creation — life.

SAY THIS: God made life, and it is very good.

Live Long And Strong

DEUTERONOMY 34:7 NIV
7 Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet
his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone.

Old age should not be a time to dread. We can look to God and
receive strength, health, and provision for a full and
enjoyable life.

God’s plan for you is NOT an old age full of sickness, poverty,
and loneliness.

Moses and Caleb are examples for us.

JOSHUA 14:10-11 NKJ
10 “And now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, as He said,
these forty-five years, ever since the Lord spoke this word to
Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I
am this day, eighty-five years old.
11 “As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses
sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength
for war, both for going out and for coming in.

GALATIANS 3:13-14 NKJ
13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having
become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone
who hangs on a tree”),
14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in
Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit
through faith.

Galatians 3 tells us we are to receive the blessing of Abraham
– through faith — because of what Jesus has done. Now, read
the following verses about Abraham.

GENESIS 13:2 NKJ
2 Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold.

GENESIS 25:8 NASB
8 And Abraham breathed his last and died in a ripe old age, an
old man and satisfied with life; and he was gathered to his
people.

Because Jesus has redeemed us from the curse, we also should
believe God for a long, enjoyable, and productive life. And we
should resist the devil who would try to steal it away from us.

We have the promise of God that He will satisfy us with life.
(If you are not satisfied with your life, make some changes.
God intends for you to be satisfied.)

PSALM 91:16 NKJ
16 With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My
salvation.”

PSALM 103:5 NKJ
5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth
is renewed like the eagle’s.

God made our bodies to repair and renew themselves. As we walk
and talk in faith, looking to the promises of God, the life of
God will renew our bodies. (We should also allow God to guide
us in the things we take into our bodies — only putting good
things into our mouths.)

PSALM 92:14 NKJ
14 They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh
and flourishing,

ISAIAH 46:4 NIV
4 Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will
sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will
sustain you and I will rescue you.

God is faithful. He will always be our wonderful Father, our
great Provider, Helper, and Healer — no matter how old we are,
or what we face.

SAY THIS: Jesus redeemed me from the curse, so I will live a
long, enjoyable life to the glory of God.

Don’t Talk Too Much

PROVERBS 10:19 ICB
19 If you talk a lot, you are sure to sin. If you are wise, you
will keep quiet.

1 PETER 3:10 LB
10 If you want a happy, good life, keep control of your tongue,
and guard your lips from telling lies.

JAMES 1:19 NLT
19 My dear brothers and sisters, be quick to listen, slow to
speak, and slow to get angry.

PROVERBS 17:27-28 ICB
27 The person who has knowledge says very little. And a person
with understanding stays calm.
28 Even a foolish person seems to be wise if he keeps quiet. He
appears to have understanding if he doesn’t speak.

ECCLESIASTES 5:3 NLT
3 Just as being too busy gives you nightmares, being a fool
makes you a blabbermouth.

TITUS 3:2 NKJ
2 to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all
humility to all men.

2 TIMOTHY 2:16 NKJ
16 But shun profane and vain babblings, for they will increase
to more ungodliness.

1 TIMOTHY 1:6 NIV
6 Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless
talk.

1 TIMOTHY 5:13 NKJ
13 And besides they learn to be idle, wandering about from
house to house, and not only idle but also gossips and
busybodies, saying things which they ought not.

MATTHEW 12:36-37 NKJ
36 “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak,
they will give account of it in the day of judgment.
37 “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words
you will be condemned.”

SAY THIS: Lord, please help me to control my tongue and only
say what is acceptable to you.

How To Grow Spiritually

1 PETER 2:2 NKJ
2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you
may grow thereby,

Spiritual growth is similar to physical growth. Time, food, and
activity are the requirements. God’s Word provides our
spiritual food.

A full supply of nutritious spiritual food is the main
requirement for spiritual growth. But spiritual activity is
also required for you to grow strong, instead of just growing
fat.

JAMES 1:22 NLT
22 But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it
says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.

Acting on God’s Word is spiritual activity. Some examples are
speaking God’s Word, praying, praising God, being thankful,
walking in love, and trusting God.

EPHESIANS 4:15 NKJ
15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things
into Him who is the head — Christ –

Speaking God’s Word is vital for spiritual growth. You must
personalize and internalize what God said about you. Then you
will begin to think, see, and act in line with God’s Word. This
process is Bible meditation.

1 TIMOTHY 4:15 NKJ
15 Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them,
that your progress may be evident to all.

How will you, and others, know when you are growing
spiritually?

The evidence of spiritual growth is spiritual fruit. So, to
know if you are growing spiritually, check your life for more
of the fruit listed in Galatians 5:22-23.

GALATIANS 5:22-23 ESV
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no
law.

Remember that growth is a process so don’t become discouraged
if you don’t have abundant spiritual fruit immediately. Just
keep feeding on God’s Word and it will produce the fruit of
growth.

Another way of describing spiritual fruit (and thus spiritual
growth) is becoming more like Jesus in the way you act.

EPHESIANS 4:13 NLT
13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our
faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the
Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

When you grow spiritually, you will grow in faith and love.

2 THESSALONIANS 1:3 NKJ
3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is
fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of
every one of you all abounds toward each other,

SAY THIS: I love the pure milk of God’s Word which feeds my
spirit and causes me to become more like Christ.