Philippians 1:6
"Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” You know that one person who is way too confident in themselves? Come on, if we are all honest, at least one name or face probably came to mind. :) However, this isn’t the type of confidence that the Scripture is talking about here. This verse doesn’t refer to us being confident in ourselves or those closest to us. We should never place any confidence in the flesh. “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing…” Romans 7:18 I’ve heard it said before, “We put more faith in FedEx to make a delivery than we do in God to do what He said.” How sad but true that often is! We have no doubt that the item we ordered will arrive at our door at its expected time and place; yet, we doubt whether or not God will supply the need we have. “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 Is there some days that you forget that verse? Have you lost confidence that He is able to deliver exactly what you need? Thankfully, we can be confident in our Saviour & the work He alone has done in us and will do through us. Be confident today, Christian! “…then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” Luke 21:28 Bible Reading: Genesis 21-22 | John 11 | Proverbs 11
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I John 4:4
"…because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” Remember this song? “Bigger than all my problems, bigger than all my fears, God is bigger than any mountain that I can or cannot see!” I can still hear the choir singing it from when I was a kid. The god of this world would have you believe that the mountain in front of you is too steep, the valley you’re in too deep, or the river too wide. Satan has a way of messing with our thoughts, our actions, and our attitudes. If he has you thinking that your struggle is too much for you to handle, he may be right… but if you let God take care of your problem or situation, there’s nothing He can’t handle – no matter how big or how small! No matter what problem or fear you face, God is greater than them all. The devil tempted Jesus Christ Himself when He was here on earth, so none of us are immune. Remember how Jesus defeated him? Every time in Scripture that Satan tempted Jesus, His reply began with four simple words… “For it is written…” He simply used the Word of God to defeat His enemy. And so can we! He is Greater. Bible Reading: Genesis 19-20 | John 10 | Proverbs 10 Ephesians 3:20
"Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we could ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.” When we finally submit to the Master of the sea, letting Him handle the storms of our lives, we can then see Him work like only He can through His infinite power. Many times just after the calm of the storm, the Lord has a way of leaving us speechless by exceeding our requests & thoughts so much that He is the only explanation. It might be a check in the mail for the exact amount you need to pay the mortgage. It may be a phone call for an opportunity that you had given up hope would ever come. It may be God using someone to anonymously fulfill a need in your life that only He knew about. If you are a child of God, you most certainly have had a few or several of what I like to call Ephesians 3:20 moments. When there is no human reasoning or manipulation to explain what occurred… it was just Him. Exceeding: to go beyond, to surpass Abundantly: in great quantity, well supplied Above All: higher than anything, beyond everything Next time you find yourself in awe of how He has worked in your life remind yourself, “That’s Him”. Bible Reading: Genesis 17-18 | John 9 | Proverbs 9 Matthew 8:26
"And he saith unto them, Why are ye so fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.” Are you finding yourself full of fear and empty of faith? Have you focused in on the winds and waves of your circumstance and it seems that the Master of the sea is asleep? My Pastor often says that you’re either in a storm, coming out of a storm, or going into a storm. Oftentimes in the middle of a storm, just when we think it can’t get any worse, we find ourselves fearful, faithless and incapable of saving ourselves. Jesus can speak peace to our weary souls and rescue us if we call out to Him. He will not only save us from our surroundings; but much like the disciples did after Jesus calmed their storm, we can marvel at what the Lord has done for us. Call out to the Saviour today, and allow Him to rebuke the weather of your life. There is nothing like the calm that Jesus can give. Bible Reading: Genesis 15-16 | John 8 | Proverbs 8 I Timothy 6:6
"But godliness with contentment is great gain.” Godliness + Contentment = Great Gain Biblical equations are the only type of math that interests me. Part of my reasoning for choosing a major in college was the fact I only had take one math class. To this day, I’m still not a fan of crunching numbers. But here in I Timothy 6:6, we see a practical Biblical equation with immense opportunity and net worth. We all want great gain. Worldly gain is rarely promised or attainable. Great gain comes only from above. One day I was reading through some Scripture after spending the first week of the New Year and much of the previous year impatient, restless, and confused. I wish I could remember exactly what passage I had been reading, but all I know is that the Lord convicted me of just how discontented I was. I believed I knew what God’s will was, but I certainly wasn’t patient while waiting for Him to allow it to happen. After much conviction through studying the Word, I finally let it go. I decided within my heart that I would be content, and if my situation was what God wanted for me, I would make the best of it regardless of how uncomfortable I was. I had trusted Him for the past few years to lead, guide, and direct me… but not fully trusted. I had given Him one of the reins of my life, while still holding on to the other one. I was sure of my calling, and my desire to serve Him, but He can’t fully use someone who isn’t truly content. I had given him the reins many times before, only to take back one of them before I left my knees. But this time was different. His Word had penetrated my discontented heart. Within just a few days of this movement of God upon my heart, my situation completely changed in a way that only He could have done. Ask for God’s help with contentment, and He will give you great gain. His Word promises us, and God never breaks His promises. Bible Reading: Genesis 13-14 | John 7 | Proverbs 7 Matthew 11:28-29
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” “There is a restlessness within us that cannot be satisfied until we rest fully in God.” A.W. Tozer Impatience leads to restlessness. If we remain impatient for an extended amount of time we will become restless. Physically, emotionally, and worst of all, spiritually restless. I tend to have thought the day went decent and that I was somewhat productive until that moment when I’ve finally gotten into bed and my mind starts to race like it’s running the Boston Marathon. From thinking of the list of “to-dos” for the next day, to wondering how or when something is going to happen. From designing pieces of my next project, to daydreaming about the future. Sometimes even whether or not I locked all the doors of my house or not, and put the garage door down. Maybe you can relate. What’s wrong with this picture when it happens? I haven’t rested in the Lord, and put each of those racing details in His hands and His timing. I haven’t rested in the One Who does all things well and is in control of everything. When we try to do things by ourselves, and don’t seek His help or involvement, we are headed for disappointment and destruction. As Tozer alluded to, we will never rid ourselves of the restlessness we feel until we fully rest and trust in the God of the our Salvation. He wants us to rest in Him. He was us to learn from Him. He wants to lead us. He wants to give us the rest that our soul needs. Are you heavy laden with the trials and troubles of this life? Rest in Him today. Do a search for the word “rest” in Scripture. God is sure to give you something to get your through your restlessness today. Bible Reading: Genesis 11-12 | John 6 | Proverbs 6 I Peter 5:6
"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:” Again, with the patience. If you haven’t already noticed, the words “wait” and some form of “patience” occur many times in Scripture. God wants us to be humble while we wait on Him. Getting ahead of the Lord will only lead to headache and heartburn. If we push open the door of opportunity too soon, we may get what we think we want and need at first, but it will never last without God’s blessing. Only by humbling ourselves under His authority will we ever reach our full potential. This is where the Crucified Life comes in. If we choose to not die to ourselves daily, we will eventually find ourselves at a crossroads not knowing where to turn, crying out to God for Him to help us correct the mess we’ve made. Why not do it His way to start with and avoid the heartache? Obviously waiting is not fun. It’s often more confusing and depressing. He may ask us to wait a few hours, a few days, a few weeks, a few months, a few years, or perhaps many years. Where’s the hope in that? The last part of our verse today… “that he may exalt you in due time.” Exalting ourselves will only be temporary. Waiting for Him to exalt us leads to eternal dividends that money can’t buy. Mary & Martha waited for Jesus to come see Lazarus. All hope seemed gone when Lazarus died. A day passed… two days… three days… “But He’s four days late, and all hope is gone. Lord, we don’t understand why you’ve waited so long… But His way is God’s way, not yours or mine. And isn’t it great, when He’s four days late, He’s still on time.” Aaron Wilburn Still not encouraged to wait? Need some advice on what to do while you’re waiting? Read the next verse… I Peter 5:7. Bible Reading: Genesis 9-10 | John 5 | Proverbs 5 Psalm 37:34
"Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.” God doesn’t do anything by accident. Within the pages of Scripture we can find encouragement, direction, and commands to be patient and wait on Him. His timing is not our timing. His thoughts are not our thoughts. But, regardless of our impatience, our stubbornness, our need to have things our way and/or in our timing…He alone does all things well. His timing, though it may be seem inconvenient and confusing, is always always best. Jim Elliot, the famous missionary to Ecuador, is well known for the phrase: “God always gives His best to those who leave the choice to Him.” If you lack patience today, you’re not alone. They say not to pray for patience, cause God is sure to give you something you won’t be comfortable with in order to help you learn it, but as we read in James 4:2… “ye have not, because ye ask not”. Ever been in a hurry to get somewhere and it seems like every traffic signal in your path is synced is shades of red? Stopping and waiting may be inconvenient, but if we ignore the warning and press the gas pedal, we risk getting hit by oncoming traffic. God may seem to give you more red lights than green ones, but they are for your good. Standing still and waiting for Him to give you a green light on the decision you are facing is much better than getting blindsided by the vehicles of the enemy. Stay on the road, and wait for Him to tell you to move. Bible Reading: Genesis 7-8 | John 4 | Proverbs 4 II Corinthians 6:1-2
"We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)" Have you ever seen someone blatantly put off accepting Christ despite having been obviously convicted of his or her condition? There is nothing sadder to witness. I once asked a lady if she died today was she 100% sure she would go to heaven. She immediately burst into tears, ran to get her car keys and the sped away. My soul-winning partner and I stood still and speechless with each of our jaws open wondering if what we saw had really happened. I’ve often wondered if Marcy ever accepted Christ, or if she was still avoiding and ignoring her need for Him. If you haven’t trusted Christ before and realize yourself as a sinner in need of a Saviour, what are you waiting for? If you would like more information, visit our Free Gift page. Christian, if you have sat back and watched others spread the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, what are you waiting for? The lady at the next drive-thru window you visit needs Christ just as much as the convicted murderer on death row. You could be her last chance of knowing Christ before she is killed in an accident on her way home. I realize the fast pace of a drive-thru doesn’t really allow for a full verbal Gospel presentation… but she may read a Gospel tract that was given to her before she leaves the parking lot. Time is running out. Now is the accepted time. Now is the day of salvation. Bible Reading: Genesis 5-6 | John 3 | Proverbs 3 Galatians 2:20
"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." This verse is much easier to read than it is to live, isn’t it? Life is much easier when we are dead to ourselves and Christ is living for us, but how many times do we die to ourselves only to have picked ourselves back up again before the end of the day, or even the hour? In his book, “The Crucified Life”, A.W. Tozer defined the crucified life as a life wholly given over to the Lord in absolute humility and obedience: a sacrifice pleasing to the Lord. He goes on to simplify and describe it practically as a life absolutely committed to following after Christ Jesus. To be more like Him. To think like Him. To act like Him. To love like Him. To do that, we must be dead to our flesh and own desires. Romans 6 reminds us, “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin…Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Commit yourself to dying each day so that Christ can live through you, and make you more alive than we could ever be by ourselves. Bible Reading: Genesis 3-4 | John 2 | Proverbs 2 |
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