Thanks seems to be a word that is used less and less in this culture. People seem to expect to be served, and it doesn’t cross their minds to thank the person serving them. Luke 17:11-37 tells the story of 10 lepers who were cleansed by Jesus. Only one returned to thank Jesus for healing him. …
Everyone in this life is searching for happiness. The word happy in Hebrew is the same word for blessed. We all want blessings in our lives, and yet so many fail to live a happy, blessed life. Proverbs 3:13 gives the secret to a continual life of happiness or blessedness: “Happy is the man who …
Most of us are familiar with the Indian war dances, which always occurred before they entered warfare with their enemies. Dancing and rejoicing before the Lord is also an effective weapon before we go to war against Satan (Ps. 149:1-9). We have the scriptural example of this when Jehoshaphat sent the singers ahead of his army …
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When I read this passage—Psalm 135:1-21—about the vapors ascending from the ends of the earth, I recall one of the funniest yet most penetrating sermons I ever heard. The psalmist writes, “He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; He makes lightning for the rain; He brings the wind out of His treasures” …
Philippians 4:1-23 Most of us are familiar with the phrase that is “batted about” so casually today: “Don’t worry, be happy.” There is a way you can not worry and be happy no matter what you are facing in this life—pray. The phrase should be revised to say, “Don’t worry, Pray!” If we followed this admonition, our lives would be filled with joy (not just a happy “ha-ha” joy, but an inner joy that will strengthen us in all circumstances).
Worry is a sin. Worry is negative meditation. When we meditate, we roll over and over again in our minds the same thing. When we worry, we keep thinking over and over again the same negative thought. Both my mother and mother-in-law were worriers. I think since they both went through the Great Depression a little worry bug was implanted deep within them, and it was hard to shake it off. Most of the things they worried about never came to pass.
If the prayer of one righteous man avails much, just think about what
the prayers of two or more righteous people will accomplish.
Matthew 18:1-22
It has been my privilege over my fifty-plus years as a Christian to always have a prayer partner. There are so many advantages in having a prayer partner. This passage in Matthew gives two very important reasons for us to pray with others. Jesus tells us, “Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matt. 18:19-20, KJV).
David knew the secret of the quiet place, and he had to constantly focus to remain in this quiet place. He writes, “Thou preparest a table for me in the presence of mine enemies” (Ps. 23:5, KJV). David had many enemies. However, he knew he was not fighting against flesh and blood. He knew his true enemy was Satan. David knew the secret to overcoming Satan.
When Saul chased after him to kill him, David wrote, “Where can I flee from Your presence?” (Ps. 139:7). The presence of the Lord was always much stronger than the presence of the enemy to David. No matter what difficult situation David encountered, he knew the Lord was ever before him. He wrote, “Your face is ever before me.”
As we think of our Jewish brethren, we wonder how they missed seeing the Messiah clearly presented in the prophets, the psalms and even the Pentateuch. The only explanation is what Paul speaks clearly about in Romans. The Jewish people have a veil over their eyes that has been placed there by God. Should we pray for this veil to be dropped if this is God’s will? The answer to this is a resounding yes.
We like to quote so often the phrase, “For with God nothing shall be impossible” (see Luke 1). If God did not have to work through men, His power on earth would be unlimited. However, even though nothing is impossible with God and He does all things well, the stark reality is that we as Christians do not allow Him to do the impossible in our lives because of our lack of faith.
I am the mother of three sons, and I have spent 40 years in the kitchen cooking. If there is such a thing as a cross to bear, I guess this might be one of mine. With four hungry men to satisfy, I often felt that I was one giant feed bag.
Saturday was not my favorite day, because I would just get through serving a big breakfast when one of the boys would always ask, “What’s for lunch?” I could feel the tingles of resentment crawling up my spine when this was asked, and I always had to pray, “Lord, give me strength.”
There was a song in the musical Fiddler on the Roof called “Tradition.” As this Jewish father sang this song, this message was immediately conveyed: Life is full of traditions.
Traditions can be meaningful, but sometimes they get in the way of the effectiveness of God’s Word in our lives, and they can become very burdensome. As you listen to the song “Tradition” in the film, you can hear the frustration and weariness in the voice of the father. He too had worn himself out trying to keep all the traditions. Keeping traditions can also sometimes prevent us from seeing the newness and freshness of life.
Psalm 81:1-16 Today’s reading includes a promise of God I’ve been claiming for years: “I removed his shoulder from the burden: his hands were delivered from the pots” (v. 6, KJV).
Luke 14:7-35 Jesus shares in this passage the cost of discipleship. He says clearly that discipleship requires forsaking all. He shares the parable about the man who prepared a great supper and invited many to come. Those invited had excuses for not attending the dinner. One man was too busy with his possessions, another was too busy with his business, and another was too busy with his family.
Deuteronomy 34:1-Joshua 2:24 So many seek success and desire to prosper. Financial seminars are held to teach people how to invest and make the most of their money. Training seminars on selling yourself to the interviewer are attended by those who desire to advance in the business world. The Lord sees prosperity and success totally opposite of the way the world sees it.
When we were in St. Petersburg, Russia, for an evangelical music festival designed to reach Jewish people, one of the musicians sang a song that I’ll never forget. The phrase “He is my defense” was repeated over and over again in the song. That phrase still resounds in my spiritual ears.
