A father is the one person in your life who provides for and protects you.
That is exactly what God has done! When our oldest daughter, Jenna, was two years old, I lost her in a department store. One minute she was at my side and the next she was gone. I panicked. All of a sudden only one thing mattered—I had to find my daughter. Shopping was forgotten. The list of things I came to get was unimportant. I yelled her name. What people thought did not matter. For a few minutes, every ounce of energy had one goal—to find my lost child. I did, by the way. She was hiding behind some jackets. No price is too high for a parent to pay to redeem his child. No energy is too great. No effort is too demanding. A parent will go to any length to find his or her own. So will God! "So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil." 1 Kings 3:9
Years ago God said to Israel's young King Solomon, "Ask whatever you wish Me to give you." What an offer! Solomon chose "wisdom to lead and discernment between good and evil." God was pleased, knowing he could have asked for wealth or long life. So God granted his wish and a wealthy, long life. Asking God for wisdom is a wise request indeed, for so often with wisdom comes great success and the respect of others. The world is drawn to people who are wise. Remember, God and His Word are the best sources of wisdom. If you find it difficult to make decisions, or you worry that your
decisions are not good decisions, or you lack the confidence to make decisions in a timely manner... you're not alone! Many people express their concerns about their decision-making abilities. But if you ask them, "What's your routine for making decisions?" they often will tell you they don't have one. Truthfully they do, but they don't recognize it, or they don't like it. Their decisions are based on SOMETHING, and if they stop and think about it they'll discover what it is. However, it's much better to purposefully and thoughtfully develop your decision-making system, and then follow it whenever you need to make decisions. I'll share with you some basic rules I follow: 1. If I'm really tired, I don't make significant decisions (except in emergencies). 2. If someone is pressing me to decide something "right now," unless an immediate decision is critical, I say, "If I have to decide now, the answer is no. After I have had a chance to catch my breath and review the facts, there's the possibility it could be yes." Then I put the ball back in his or her court and ask, "Do you want my decision now, or should we wait?" 3. I like to determine the maximum benefit of a decision, assuming that everything goes my way. Then I ask, "Suppose nothing goes my way? Suppose this doesn't develop and materialize as I expect it to? What is my maximum exposure? What would I lose?" 4. For significant business-related decisions, I run them past my advisors. These people are successful in their businesses and professions and have a considerable amount of knowledge, experience, and wisdom, all of which are musts in the decision-making process. I get their advice and follow their recommendations, with good results in most cases. If the decision is too minor to involve my advisors but I still want input, I get my family together to look at the pros and cons. 5. I like to pray about my decisions. I ask God to help me see the truth of my motives and to lead me in the way I should go. If I'm about to make an unwise decision, I simply don't have peace about that decision, and I consequently act on that feeling of unease. I ask myself, "How will this decision affect all the areas of my life--personal, family, career, financial, physical, mental and spiritual?" Obviously, not all decisions affect all areas, but if the decision involves a financial reward but also carries considerable family sacrifice, for example, I think carefully as to whether what I give up is compensated for by what I gain. One final note: Prioritize your decisions. Some are more urgent than others! “And this hope is what saves us. But if we already have what we hope for, there is no need to keep on hoping.” Romans 8:24
Faith is a power, and Hope is a promise. Why? Because Hope is always about that which is yet to come; never about what we currently possess. It is true that Faith reaches into the future and brings into the present a borrowed power that enables us to live today in the strength of tomorrow; to possess this earth with heaven in mind; to live in the presence of the “not yet.” But Hope differs in this regard: it knows what is promised, even though it cannot see it, and though it will never lay hold of it until the day it actually arrives — Hope nevertheless holds firm without wavering. Faith is for this world; Hope is for the next. There will be no need for Faith in Heaven once we are there, so we should spend all that we have while we are here. Hope is a promise that holds our hearts forward to a better day that lifts us above the present darkness of a bad stretch and keeps us afloat in the midst of turbulence and trouble. And our Hope will pay off huge on That Day when we step across the threshold of Time into Eternity and see what our hearts have only imagined. But sometimes Hope flags in the face of delays; and Hope deferred can make the heart sick. Thus weakened with soul-sickness, our hearts may lose their grip on what is promised; our Hope may fade and our passion to keep a forward view can diminish in the dusk of uncertain turns. That’s when Love steps in to lift Hope back on its feet — for Love never fails. And Love is a Person. That Person is the Lord Himself. When we read a command in the Bible, whether we understand it or not, we ought to obey it. The Bible is not first and foremost a book to be explained, it is a book to be believed and obeyed.
So many times we want to tell God how He ought to do things. I can imagine those early apostles when they first met Paul persecuting believers. Those well-meaning Christians could have been praying for God to strike Paul dead - But what did God do? He struck him alive! And aren't you glad He did? Don't substitute human reasoning for obedience. God says, "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8-9). Adrian Rogers © 2011 Love Worth Finding Ministries www.lwf.org "Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:7-8)
Dwight L. Moody told about a story about a young man who was called to serve in Napoleon Bonaparte's army but didn't want to go. A friend volunteered to go in his place and was accepted as his substitute. Unfortunately, the friend was later killed in battle. However, because of a clerical error the same young man was called up to serve again. "You can't take me. I'm dead. I died on the battlefield," he told the astonished officers. After checking the records, the officers found documentation of his name and alongside it the name of the friend who died in his place. The case was presented to Napoleon who, after examining the evidence, said, "Through a surrogate, this man has not only fought, but has died in his country's service. No man can die more than once, therefore the law has no claim on him." And that's exactly what Jesus Christ, the Son of God, did for you and me. He died in our place to pay the penalty for all our sins so we could be freely forgiven and given the gift of eternal life. When we accept God's pardon, we will never have to pay the price for our sins because Jesus did that for us. He died in our place. "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20) In Luke 17:5 the apostles asked for increased faith . His reply was that if they have the faith of a mustard seed they could say to a tree be pulled up and be planted in the sea and it will obey them. What Jesus meant was that we release our faith by doing something for God. Faith is mostly active i.e. active prayer, confession of Gods word etc. Trust God for a word to stand on in your circumstances.
Life is not measured by how much one owns. Luke 12:15
Jesus had a definition for greed. He called it the practice of measuring life by possessions. Greed equates a person's worth with a person's purse. 1. You got a lot = you are a lot. 2. You got a little = you are little. The consequence of such a philosophy is predictable. If you are the sum of what you own, then by all means own it all. No price is too high. No payment is too much… Greed is not defined by what something costs; it is measured by what it costs you. If anything costs you your faith or your family, the price is too high. When God Whispers Your Name (Max Lucado) Therefore you are no longer outsiders (exiles, migrants, and aliens, excluded from the
rights of citizens), but you now share citizenship with the saints (God’s own people, consecrated and set apart for Himself); and you belong to God’s [own] household. EPHESIANS 2 : 19 YOU ARE IN THE HOUSE !! A Little Bit Of Revelation Knowledge To Refresh And Brighten Up Your Soul !! YOU BELONG !! Is Jesus Christ Your Lord And Savior ? Yes, you say .. Fantastic !! .. Then .. You are no longer a stranger or a foreigner !! .. What You Are Is A Part Of The Family .. A Fully Fledged Member Of The Household Of God !! You have total access to God and His home .. and .. You are to “come home’ confidently and boldly at all times .. and .. in all places .. and .. under all circumstances !! Are you aware that if you continue to approach God as though you are a foreigner .. Approach Him unconfidently, timidly crying and begging .. “God please do not chase me away .. Please, please let me in” .. God, your Father will just stare at you incredulously wondering .. “What on earth is wrong with you ?” Well .. Put yourself in God’s shoes for a moment !! What would you think if one of your children came into your house like that ? .. Wouldn’t you find it just a little strange if you were in your house and one of your kids came up to the front door and started ringing the doorbell ? Your reaction will no-doubt be .. “What is wrong with you ? .. You know you do not have to ring the doorbell .. You live here .. You are not one of the neighbours who live in another house .. You are not some stranger from across town .. You are not a foreigner who is visiting from another country .. You Are My Child, My Flesh And Blood !! So .. God is standing there with His arms folded saying to you .. What Are You doing Ringing The Bell When Jesus Died To Give You The Key ? You have the key and you can come in and out and find green pastures whenever you desire .. You are one of My children now .. My Spirit dwells in your spirit and I have drawn you near to Me, to live in My house forever !! “Oh, I know” .. You say .. But you just have no idea what I have been going through”. And there you go focusing on your Condition again, totally forgetting about your Position !! Please, Please .. Pause And Take A Deep Breath !! If you are able to get a grip on your Position !! .. That you are a member of the household of God, living in His miracle-producing, peace-inducing presence .. You are going to break through your Condition !! You Are No Longer A Stranger !! You Are No Longer A Foreigner !! You Are A Fellow Citizen With The Saints Of The Household Of God !! God’s Workmanship Has Placed You In His House !! Welcome Home Child !! .. Welcome Home !! FALL SO IN LOVE WITH YOUR FUTURE THAT YOU ARE WILLING TO DIVORCE YOUR PAST !! |
Ana & Andre Schoonbee God uses us to motivate and encourage the body. Authors
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