Isaiah 26:3
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” No matter how the storm rages around you or how the struggle seems to weigh you down, you can have peace today by focusing your mind on the Lord. Not just any peace, perfect peace. Peace that this world cannot give. His perfect peace surrounds us like a garrison around a city. He wants to protect us from anything that would do us harm. “Those that trust in God must have their minds stayed upon him, must trust him at all times, under all events, must firmly and faithfully adhere to him, with an entire satisfaction in him; and such as do so God will keep in perpetual peace, and that peace shall keep them.” Matthew Henry How do we obtain this perfect peace? Only by fixing our heart and mind upon Him. To have our minds stayed on Him refers to leaning on Him, resting in Him, refreshing and sustaining ourselves in Him. Lean on His everlasting arms. Rest in His sufficient grace. Find refreshing through Him as the Fountain of living water. Find sustenance through Him as the Bread of Life. Philippians 4:7 “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” No peace can be found outside of Jesus. Bible Reading: Jeremiah 15-16 | John 18 | Psalm 83
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Psalm 40:17
“But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.” David acknowledged that he was poor and in need of the Lord’s help. He did not think much of himself, but God doesn’t look on the outward appearance, He looks on the heart. He even called David “a man after his own heart”. Regardless of the situation or state you are currently in, the Lord thinks about you! He wants to help you and deliver you, if only we will come to Him. He not only thinks about you, the Bible says that many are His thoughts about us! Psalm 40:5 “Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.” How did David know that “the Lord thinketh upon me”? God had provided for David time and time again. Take the time today to reflect on all the different ways that the Lord has provided for you. Physical, emotional, financial, spiritual needs…every time one of your needs are met, the Lord has thought about you. It’s no wonder that David pinned: Psalm 139:17 “How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!” You may feel unimportant, but He thinks about you. You may think that no one cares, but He cares for you. Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Bible Reading: Jeremiah 13-14 | John 17 | Psalm 82 John 7:37
“In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.” Come to Jesus For Salvation The water that our body needs will not quench our thirst forever. Just as Jesus explained to the woman at the well that day, He is the Living Water. John 4:14 “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” Come to Jesus For Courage Peter asked the Lord “bid me come unto thee”. He did not ask to walk on the water; he simply asked to come to Him. Once Christ told him to come, he had the courage to step out of the boat. Matthew 14:29 “And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.” Once he got out of the boat, instead of keeping his eyes on Jesus he began to look around and he began to sink. He knew he could not save himself, so he cried unto Jesus to save him. Matthew 14:30 “But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.” God will not turn anyone away or refuse them when they ask to come unto Him. Peter asked to be sent to Him. He sought the Lord’s direction. He asked for permission before stepping out of the boat. Christ not only bid him to step out in faith, but He allowed him to sink a little bit in order for Peter to learn a lesson. Sometimes the Lord allows us to sink a little bit to remind us of our need for Him. Ask the Lord for permission, and then step out in faith. If you begin to sink, just call on Him to deliver you. Come to Jesus for Rest Even in serving the Lord, we must take the time to rest. Whether we are physically, emotionally, or even spiritually tired…Jesus can give us rest if we will simply come to Him. Matthew 11:28 “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” What do you need to come to Jesus for today? Whatever your need, He is the Answer. Bible Reading: Jeremiah 11-12 | John 16 | Psalm 81 Matthew 6:6
“But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” We can only be noticeable Christians if we spend time with our Saviour in secret. Getting alone with God is not limited to a specific place or time. Our closet can be anywhere and anytime we set aside to come before His presence. In His presence we must humble ourselves before Him and examine our hearts of any sin in our lives. Then, we can commune with Him. To pray in secret, we must take the time to set ourselves apart. He meets with us where two or three are gathered, but oh the sweetness of a one on one meeting with the Father. Our time with Him is to be in secret. When we pray so that others may hear us, we have received our reward by their consideration. To boast of the time spent or matter discussed is allowing pride to steal our reward. The best answers to prayer are those that no one but Him knew you asked. He cares for the little minute details of our lives just as much as the big monumental moments. We are left with many examples of those that prayed in secret, and God’s blessings upon their life because of their devotion to Him. Jacob prayed in secret. Genesis 32:24-29 Elisha prayed in secret. 2 Kings 4:33 Peter prayed in secret. Acts 10:9 Cornelius prayed in secret. Acts 10:30 Jesus prayed in secret. Matthew 14:23; 26:36-39 George Mueller is known for his faith and his prayer life. He built many orphanages with little to no resources. He acknowledged that it was not his power that built them, but the power of the Almighty God in which he served. Mueller prayed for everything he needed. When the groceries ran out and there was no money to buy more, instead of asking for help from those in his community…he prayed. He never let the needs of his ministry known to anyone except God in prayer. In his journals he recorded over fifty thousand specific answers to prayer throughout the years of his ministry. This man was full of faith and devout in his time of prayer. If God can openly reward Mueller’s faith that was prayed in secret, He can do the same for us! We serve the same God that he did…and He never changes. What God did for George Mueller, He wants to do for us…if only we will have faith and ask Him in secret. Shut the door to your surroundings today, and enter into His presence. What He sees in secret He promises to reward us openly. Bible Reading: Jeremiah 9-10 | John 15 | Psalm 80 Acts 4:13
“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.” They were thought to be unlearned and ignorant men, but thankfully that’s exactly the kind of people that God specializes in using. 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence.” It was noticeable to the people that Peter and John had been with Jesus. Their boldness allowed others to see Jesus in them. Can the same thing be said of us? Can people tell that we have spent time in His presence? Is it noticeable to those around us that we have been with Jesus? It's a humbling thought if we are truthful. The people also noticed the change in the man that was healed, and could not refute it. These were rulers, elders, scribes, the high priest and others. None of them could disprove what had taken place. Acts 4:14 “And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.” Do we live our lives in such a way that those around us cannot refute what Christ has done in us? May we be noticeable Christians making Him known! Acts 4:10 “Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.” They could not deny that a noticeable miracle had taken place! Acts 4:15-16 “But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it.” If we are saved by the Blood of Jesus Christ, a miracle has also taken place in our lives just as it did in the life of the healed man that day. God desires to make us noticeable Christians so that others will see His Light shine through us! Bible Reading: Jeremiah 7-8 | John 14 | Psalm 79 James 4:10
“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” Humility is not thinking less of ourselves, but thinking of ourselves less. We often get this backwards. When we intentionally think less of ourselves and call ourselves humble, we are sadly mistaken. To call ourselves humble is very prideful indeed. James 4:6 “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.” 1 Peter 5:5-7 “Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” The first mention of the word “humble” is found in Exodus. Just as God had given these words for Moses and Aaron to speak unto Pharoah that day, He also gave them to Moses to pin down for us today. Exodus 10:3 “And Moses and Aaron came in unto Pharaoh, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews, How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me? let my people go, that they may serve me.” How long will it take us to humble ourselves before a thrice-holy God? If we want God to dwell with us, we must humble ourselves. Isaiah 57:15 If we want to be exalted, we must humble ourselves. Matthew 23:12 If we want to receive more grace, we must humble ourselves. James 4:6 If we want to be more like Jesus, we must humble ourselves. Philippians 2:8 Bible Reading: Jeremiah 5-6 | John 13 | Psalm 78 Proverbs 16:20
“He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy is he.” True happiness is only found by trusting in the LORD. Psalm 2:12 “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.” Psalm 34:8 “O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.” To trust in the Lord is to wait on Him. There is grace and mercy in waiting and trusting. Isaiah 30:18 “And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.” To trust in the Lord is to hope in Him. Jeremiah 17:7 “Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the Lord is.” Psalm 146:5 “Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:” May we seek today to wait and hope in the Lord and trust that He does all things well, for it is only then that we will find true happiness. Bible Reading: Jeremiah 3-4 | John 12 | Psalm 77 Jeremiah 10:23-24
“O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. O LORD, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing. ” Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, knew that there was nothing in him that could direct his steps down the right path. He weeped for God’s direction. “O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself” He weeped for God’s correction. “O LORD, correct me” We cannot know which way to go or take through our own wisdom. When did we last weep for God’s direction and correction? Proverbs 16:1-2 “The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD. All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits.” Proverbs 16:9 “A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.” Proverbs 21:12 “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts.” We may appear to be on the right path through our own eyes, but the Lord knows our heart. Jeremiah confessed, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked”. Should we rely on our heart and our own wisdom to direct our steps? Sometimes we need God’s correction before we receive His direction. Determine today to seek the Lord for both His direction & correction. Bible Reading: Jeremiah 1-2 | John 11 | Psalm 76 Luke 15:1-2
“Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.” It was nothing new to have the Pharisees and scribes murmuring. The more people that drew near to Jesus, the more the onlookers complained. Jesus was used to it, and perhaps so are you. When we seek to do something for the Lord, regardless of how or what we do, there will be people who complain and murmur. Sometimes because they are jealous, sometimes because they are content right where they are, and sometimes just because its their nature. Jesus did not let the criticism stop Him, and neither should we. Here we see that this time the cause of the complaints was due to the type of people that Jesus was reaching…publicans and sinners. What the Pharisees and scribes failed to remember was that these were the people He came for. Luke 5:31-32 “And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” What the Pharisees also failed to realize was that they were sinners just as much as those who Jesus sat at the table with. May we always remember that we are nothing but sinners outside of the grace of God. The Apostle Paul understood this Truth. 1 Timothy 1:15 “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.” Could it be said of us that we receive sinners? Oh may we be found guilty! This is the type of criticism we should desire to receive. To be criticized the same way our Saviour was is nothing but a compliment. Luke 5:30 “But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?” Jesus sat down with them to show His love for them, so that they might see their need for Him. May we remember the example that our Saviour set for us. We can love the sinner while still being separated from their sin. Have you been criticized for showing people their need for Jesus? Bible Reading: Isaiah 64-66 | John 10 | Psalm 75 Acts 3:6
“Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.” Peter did not have silver or gold, but he knew the One that had the power to heal the lame man. His healing must have meant so much more than silver or gold to him. There was no power in Peter himself to heal the man, but he spoke in the Name of Jesus Christ and His power. We may not have much money, we may not have much material goods, but “such as I have” Like Peter, we have no power within ourselves to heal or save anyone…but we know the One Who can. We too can speak the Name of Jesus Christ and tell of what He did for us. If you have Jesus, you can give Jesus. When we give Jesus, we do not lose anything, but we give everything. If we had the cure for cancer, we would surely give it to those in need. If we had the ability to defeat terrorism, we would step up and fight. If we had the solution to for our friend’s problem, we would not wait to solve it. Every cure, ability, or solution that someone is seeking can be found by placing faith in Jesus Christ. He is the Answer, yet we tend to hide our faith in Him. “such as I have give I thee” Who have you told about Jesus today? Bible Reading: Isaiah 62-63 | John 9 | Psalm 74 |
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