Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. - Isaiah 26:3
We all have hopes - in our personal lives, our professional lives, our families. And we all find those hopes challenged in times of trial or even just uncertainty. If you're facing a time in your life when something is uncertain, or maybe it's not uncertain and it seems like life has just come against you with everything it's got, it's easy to become discouraged. The best way to fend off hopelessness and discouragement is to use God's word. Read it for yourself, talk about it with others, and even find verses that speak to the situation you know someone else is going through. There's nothing quite as encouraging to you as seeing the look of joy on someone else's face when God uses you to speak encouraging, healing words to them. Let God be your source of hope today, rather than worrying, and you'll find that it's much easier to not be hopeless regardless of the situation.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Days 8 & 9: Priorities and the Good News
Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. - James 4:8
As we begin each day, each new endeavor, and each decision in our life, it is important to remember, well, what is IMPORTANT. Each action we take moves us either closer to God or further from Him and His will for our life. When we make decisions with that reality in mind, we'll evaluate each decision by where it places us in our relationship with God. If our relationship with God is the central purpose of our life, and all else revolves around and is influenced by that, then our priorities will line up with God's priorities.
Our chief purpose in life is first a relationship with our Creator. God made us, individually and as a race of beings, to worship Him. A central part of that worship is to lead others to that same sort of relationship. As we imitate Christ, and as we let the Spirit lead us, we should always be willing to be led to situations and in such a way as to bring glory to God by sharing His truth with others.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. - Phillippians 1:2
We all have a testimony, and yours is uniquely yours. How God has shown grace to you in your life is different from how He's shown it in my life or your church members' lives. And that unique testimony makes you uniquely suited to tell someone whose path you cross today about what God has done for YOU. Taking that opportunity to share our faith with someone else is a way to worship, a way to show obedience to God, and a way to love your neighbor all at the same time. I encourage you to not miss that opportunity to make one of God's priorities your priority today!
As we begin each day, each new endeavor, and each decision in our life, it is important to remember, well, what is IMPORTANT. Each action we take moves us either closer to God or further from Him and His will for our life. When we make decisions with that reality in mind, we'll evaluate each decision by where it places us in our relationship with God. If our relationship with God is the central purpose of our life, and all else revolves around and is influenced by that, then our priorities will line up with God's priorities.
Our chief purpose in life is first a relationship with our Creator. God made us, individually and as a race of beings, to worship Him. A central part of that worship is to lead others to that same sort of relationship. As we imitate Christ, and as we let the Spirit lead us, we should always be willing to be led to situations and in such a way as to bring glory to God by sharing His truth with others.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. - Phillippians 1:2
We all have a testimony, and yours is uniquely yours. How God has shown grace to you in your life is different from how He's shown it in my life or your church members' lives. And that unique testimony makes you uniquely suited to tell someone whose path you cross today about what God has done for YOU. Taking that opportunity to share our faith with someone else is a way to worship, a way to show obedience to God, and a way to love your neighbor all at the same time. I encourage you to not miss that opportunity to make one of God's priorities your priority today!
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Day 7: First Things First
Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; - I Peter 1:13
We have so many things that need doing...or that we should do...or that we want to do. Most of these things are good things, but no matter how good they are, we run into one problem: There simply aren't enough hours in the day to get them ALL done.
Housework, homework, possibly childcare or a career (or both), church, serving your neighbor, quiet time...and that's not even bothering to work in the trivial things like leisure and maybe even stopping to eat!
Maybe we are looking at the wrong thing. Instead of looking at what are all the GOOD things *I* want to do, perhaps a better question is: What are the BEST things that GOD wants me to do?
If you ask any church-going woman what is important to her, probably on the list somewhere in her top three, the answer is something along the lines of "Live the life God wants me to live." We ALL want that - or we wouldn't be reading this devotional book! The problem is that we forget that in order to live "the life" God wants us to live, we first have to live "the day" God has given us today in a manner that is pleasing to Him.
As an example, Daniel didn't start off jumping into the lion's den to prove he was faithful. He started by honoring God in the morals he exhibited in the king's palace, the food he ate, and the time he spent in prayer each day. He wasn't setting out to be a hero. He was setting out to be God's servant...the hero part came later, after he was ALREADY faithful in the everyday mundane things.
He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: - Luke 16:10
Today, we should be faithful in "that which is least". Put first things first...ask GOd to order your priorities, and you'll find that you have EXACTLY enough hours in the day to do what He has planned for you to do.
ACTIONS
Look at your "to do" list today. Pray over that list, and ask if there are some things that can be shed from it, things that warrant being put by the wayside for today...or if there are things at the bottom that need to be a priority.
POINTS FOR DISCUSSION
If you're comfortable doing so, share what it is that you scratched off your "to do" list today...not because you did it, but because it just wasn't important enough to be there!
We have so many things that need doing...or that we should do...or that we want to do. Most of these things are good things, but no matter how good they are, we run into one problem: There simply aren't enough hours in the day to get them ALL done.
Housework, homework, possibly childcare or a career (or both), church, serving your neighbor, quiet time...and that's not even bothering to work in the trivial things like leisure and maybe even stopping to eat!
Maybe we are looking at the wrong thing. Instead of looking at what are all the GOOD things *I* want to do, perhaps a better question is: What are the BEST things that GOD wants me to do?
If you ask any church-going woman what is important to her, probably on the list somewhere in her top three, the answer is something along the lines of "Live the life God wants me to live." We ALL want that - or we wouldn't be reading this devotional book! The problem is that we forget that in order to live "the life" God wants us to live, we first have to live "the day" God has given us today in a manner that is pleasing to Him.
As an example, Daniel didn't start off jumping into the lion's den to prove he was faithful. He started by honoring God in the morals he exhibited in the king's palace, the food he ate, and the time he spent in prayer each day. He wasn't setting out to be a hero. He was setting out to be God's servant...the hero part came later, after he was ALREADY faithful in the everyday mundane things.
He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: - Luke 16:10
Today, we should be faithful in "that which is least". Put first things first...ask GOd to order your priorities, and you'll find that you have EXACTLY enough hours in the day to do what He has planned for you to do.
ACTIONS
Look at your "to do" list today. Pray over that list, and ask if there are some things that can be shed from it, things that warrant being put by the wayside for today...or if there are things at the bottom that need to be a priority.
POINTS FOR DISCUSSION
If you're comfortable doing so, share what it is that you scratched off your "to do" list today...not because you did it, but because it just wasn't important enough to be there!
Monday, November 7, 2011
Day 6: Letting God's Word Light Your Path
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. – Psalm 119:105
The other half of conversation with God is listening to what He has to say. Prayer allows you to turn your cares over to God and to talk to him. While the Spirit can and does move in the life of believers when we are praying and listening for His answers, the primary method God has given for knowing his will is the revealed Word. The Bible is a remarkable book unlike any other, God’s word. It provides wisdom for life’s situations, comfort in times of trouble, and peace during life’s storms.
To ancient people, the verse above would have had great meaning. In our modern society, we live in a world with the convenience of electric lights. If you want to get up in the middle of the night and read a book, you can do so as easily as flipping the switch on your wall. When you go outside, your street is lit so brightly that you could take a stroll and not worry about tripping over anything. Unless you live far out in the country to intentionally get away from the lights and other aspects of the city, your world is lit more brightly than would have been imaginable to people at the time this verse was written.
Nighttime travel was dangerous in ancient times. A light to a traveler’s path in those times meant safety from several things. It could keep wild animals at bay. It lit the path so that the traveler didn’t stumble over hazards in the way. It could even keep the traveler from missing the path entirely and making a wrong turn, becoming lost. A light also meant comfort...beyond the practical applications of making the trip safer, a light meant that the traveler wasn’t constantly confronted with darkness on every side of them with no way to tell direction.
God’s word is like that lamp for us. It can keep us safe, guide us on the right path, and steer us clear of many of life’s hazards that we would otherwise walk into. The guidelines, law, and precepts in God’s word provide a clear map to navigate through the hazards of life, and it provides comfort along the journey.
One other aspect of nighttime travel in ancient times was the wisdom that safety could be found in numbers. Travel with a friend was safer than travel alone. When we read God’s word, follow His laws, and speak with him daily in prayer, doing so is like having a friend along for the journey. God wants to be that friend for you and have a personal relationship with you. He wants to share your everyday life with you, so that you are not traveling alone, stumbling in the dark through everything life throws at you.
ACTIONS
Learn a new verse about God’s word. It may be Psalms 119:105, if you do not have that one memorized already. Other possibilities are: Hebrews 4:12, Matthew 24:35, Colossians 3:16. There are many others.
POINTS FOR DISCUSSION
Share the verse you chose to memorize about God’s Word?
The other half of conversation with God is listening to what He has to say. Prayer allows you to turn your cares over to God and to talk to him. While the Spirit can and does move in the life of believers when we are praying and listening for His answers, the primary method God has given for knowing his will is the revealed Word. The Bible is a remarkable book unlike any other, God’s word. It provides wisdom for life’s situations, comfort in times of trouble, and peace during life’s storms.
To ancient people, the verse above would have had great meaning. In our modern society, we live in a world with the convenience of electric lights. If you want to get up in the middle of the night and read a book, you can do so as easily as flipping the switch on your wall. When you go outside, your street is lit so brightly that you could take a stroll and not worry about tripping over anything. Unless you live far out in the country to intentionally get away from the lights and other aspects of the city, your world is lit more brightly than would have been imaginable to people at the time this verse was written.
Nighttime travel was dangerous in ancient times. A light to a traveler’s path in those times meant safety from several things. It could keep wild animals at bay. It lit the path so that the traveler didn’t stumble over hazards in the way. It could even keep the traveler from missing the path entirely and making a wrong turn, becoming lost. A light also meant comfort...beyond the practical applications of making the trip safer, a light meant that the traveler wasn’t constantly confronted with darkness on every side of them with no way to tell direction.
God’s word is like that lamp for us. It can keep us safe, guide us on the right path, and steer us clear of many of life’s hazards that we would otherwise walk into. The guidelines, law, and precepts in God’s word provide a clear map to navigate through the hazards of life, and it provides comfort along the journey.
One other aspect of nighttime travel in ancient times was the wisdom that safety could be found in numbers. Travel with a friend was safer than travel alone. When we read God’s word, follow His laws, and speak with him daily in prayer, doing so is like having a friend along for the journey. God wants to be that friend for you and have a personal relationship with you. He wants to share your everyday life with you, so that you are not traveling alone, stumbling in the dark through everything life throws at you.
ACTIONS
Learn a new verse about God’s word. It may be Psalms 119:105, if you do not have that one memorized already. Other possibilities are: Hebrews 4:12, Matthew 24:35, Colossians 3:16. There are many others.
POINTS FOR DISCUSSION
Share the verse you chose to memorize about God’s Word?
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Day 5: Want Radical Changes? Pray for Them!
Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer. – Romans 12:12
Pray without ceasing. – I Thessalonians 5:17
How did you wake up this morning? What was the first thing you did?
I know I grabbed my phone and fumbled for the snooze button. Then woke up after the snooze and fumbled for it again…then realized I’d already hit it once. Then started running through what I had to do to get the day started, as I tried to get a few things done before waking the kids up, since it’s so much faster to get things prepared when it’s just me I have to worry about. Then the youngest woke up, and that’s the end of everyone else’s sleep…and the real get-ready whirlwind started. It was a good half hour before I even thought to stop and pray, and then it ran something like, “Thank you, God, that we’re not running late…yet.”
Then it was well over an hour before I got into God’s word. And saw the admonition in this lesson: Pray without ceasing. Be patient. Rejoice. I couldn’t help but think: How much better could my morning have gone if I got up and started the day with prayer and time with God instead of that first snooze? Could that particular fifteen minutes have been better spent…did that fifteen minutes of sleep REALLY make a difference? Or could the time have been spent aligning my attitudes with the ones God would have for me and fixing my thoughts on him? Hope…and especially patience…would have made the morning routine go much more smoothly.
That’s just one example of what we should be doing every day: Turning over the things in our life…even the little thing (perhaps ESPECIALLY the little things) to God. Throughout the day, we should remember that he is our strength, our help, and the he gives us what we need to get through life’s trials…whether it’s the everyday schedule grind or a crisis situation. We should take it to God first through prayer.
ACTIONS
When you’re tempted to be discouraged, angry, impatient, or simply frustrated with something to do, give it to God in prayer, and then let it go and let Him take care of it.
POINTS FOR DISCUSSION
How DID you wake up this morning? Was God first…or even near the beginning…in your morning routine?
What situation did you turn over to God today…and how did it turn out?
Pray without ceasing. – I Thessalonians 5:17
How did you wake up this morning? What was the first thing you did?
I know I grabbed my phone and fumbled for the snooze button. Then woke up after the snooze and fumbled for it again…then realized I’d already hit it once. Then started running through what I had to do to get the day started, as I tried to get a few things done before waking the kids up, since it’s so much faster to get things prepared when it’s just me I have to worry about. Then the youngest woke up, and that’s the end of everyone else’s sleep…and the real get-ready whirlwind started. It was a good half hour before I even thought to stop and pray, and then it ran something like, “Thank you, God, that we’re not running late…yet.”
Then it was well over an hour before I got into God’s word. And saw the admonition in this lesson: Pray without ceasing. Be patient. Rejoice. I couldn’t help but think: How much better could my morning have gone if I got up and started the day with prayer and time with God instead of that first snooze? Could that particular fifteen minutes have been better spent…did that fifteen minutes of sleep REALLY make a difference? Or could the time have been spent aligning my attitudes with the ones God would have for me and fixing my thoughts on him? Hope…and especially patience…would have made the morning routine go much more smoothly.
That’s just one example of what we should be doing every day: Turning over the things in our life…even the little thing (perhaps ESPECIALLY the little things) to God. Throughout the day, we should remember that he is our strength, our help, and the he gives us what we need to get through life’s trials…whether it’s the everyday schedule grind or a crisis situation. We should take it to God first through prayer.
ACTIONS
When you’re tempted to be discouraged, angry, impatient, or simply frustrated with something to do, give it to God in prayer, and then let it go and let Him take care of it.
POINTS FOR DISCUSSION
How DID you wake up this morning? Was God first…or even near the beginning…in your morning routine?
What situation did you turn over to God today…and how did it turn out?
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Day 4 – Keep Searching for Wisdom
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. - James 1:5-6
We all desire wisdom, whether we put that desire into words and know that it’s what we want or not. We want to know how best to raise our children, what career path to pursue, what is a sound financial decision on a certain matter. We have a tendency to look for these things in the wrong places first, then to God last…if we remember to look to Him at all for our answers.
When we’re faced with a decision, most of us tend to turn to our friends or to “the experts” (whoever they are) about the situation we are faced with. What we forget is that God is our closest friend, He is our ever-present help. And he is the most qualified expert, whether we’re seeking answers about relationships, money, our health, or any other situation. He designed it all, so that makes Him the ultimate expert.
“He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” – Colossians 1:17
When we’re tempted to look these other places, we should first go to God’s word. There’s nothing inherently wrong with looking for advice. In fact, the Bible says “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” (Proverbs 15:22). But we need to make sure we seek God’s will first, ask Him to provide us with wisdom. Seek His word for the applicable truths that will help us in the situation. And know His word thoroughly, so we can weigh any advice that friends or experts may give based on a scale of truth. If it matches up with what God’s word says…it is true and the advice should be listened to. If the advice is to do something outside of what God’s word says is right, then we should find another advisor who will not steer us false.
We need to know God’s word. Will it have the specific answers to every question we face? No. If you’re looking in the Bible to figure out who to marry, it’s not going to give you a name. But it will tell you to not marry someone who doesn’t share your faith.
If you’re looking for advice on whether to buy a new car, you won’t find instructions on which one…or even whether to buy at all. But you will find admonition against going into debt to do so.
Virtually every decision we make has applicable wisdom in the Bible. We generally turn to God for the big decisions, the life-changing alterations we see come along. But many people look at everyday decisions as just little things, a decision made in passing that isn’t really a big deal. But…many little things add up to a big thing eventually. In this case, many small decisions add up to how you choose to live your life on a daily basis. Whether you’re making a little decision or a big decision, how you treat that decision in relation to God’s word makes it inherently a spiritual decision. And our life and whether we live our life in the way God wants us to live it is the sum total of all those decisions.
ACTIONS:
Consider your decisions today, and make each one after evaluating it through a filter of God’s word. Especially if you don’t have anything that you think is life-changing on your plate, trust God with the small decisions thoughtfully, as spiritual decisions, today.
Memorize a verse applicable to a decision you are making today.
POINTS FOR DISCUSSION:
Where do you turn most often for wisdom when making a decision?
Share what verse (and, if you’re comfortable with, it what decision it is applicable to) you decided to memorize for today.
We all desire wisdom, whether we put that desire into words and know that it’s what we want or not. We want to know how best to raise our children, what career path to pursue, what is a sound financial decision on a certain matter. We have a tendency to look for these things in the wrong places first, then to God last…if we remember to look to Him at all for our answers.
When we’re faced with a decision, most of us tend to turn to our friends or to “the experts” (whoever they are) about the situation we are faced with. What we forget is that God is our closest friend, He is our ever-present help. And he is the most qualified expert, whether we’re seeking answers about relationships, money, our health, or any other situation. He designed it all, so that makes Him the ultimate expert.
“He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” – Colossians 1:17
When we’re tempted to look these other places, we should first go to God’s word. There’s nothing inherently wrong with looking for advice. In fact, the Bible says “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” (Proverbs 15:22). But we need to make sure we seek God’s will first, ask Him to provide us with wisdom. Seek His word for the applicable truths that will help us in the situation. And know His word thoroughly, so we can weigh any advice that friends or experts may give based on a scale of truth. If it matches up with what God’s word says…it is true and the advice should be listened to. If the advice is to do something outside of what God’s word says is right, then we should find another advisor who will not steer us false.
We need to know God’s word. Will it have the specific answers to every question we face? No. If you’re looking in the Bible to figure out who to marry, it’s not going to give you a name. But it will tell you to not marry someone who doesn’t share your faith.
If you’re looking for advice on whether to buy a new car, you won’t find instructions on which one…or even whether to buy at all. But you will find admonition against going into debt to do so.
Virtually every decision we make has applicable wisdom in the Bible. We generally turn to God for the big decisions, the life-changing alterations we see come along. But many people look at everyday decisions as just little things, a decision made in passing that isn’t really a big deal. But…many little things add up to a big thing eventually. In this case, many small decisions add up to how you choose to live your life on a daily basis. Whether you’re making a little decision or a big decision, how you treat that decision in relation to God’s word makes it inherently a spiritual decision. And our life and whether we live our life in the way God wants us to live it is the sum total of all those decisions.
ACTIONS:
Consider your decisions today, and make each one after evaluating it through a filter of God’s word. Especially if you don’t have anything that you think is life-changing on your plate, trust God with the small decisions thoughtfully, as spiritual decisions, today.
Memorize a verse applicable to a decision you are making today.
POINTS FOR DISCUSSION:
Where do you turn most often for wisdom when making a decision?
Share what verse (and, if you’re comfortable with, it what decision it is applicable to) you decided to memorize for today.
Bible Study - Sorry for the Delay
Ladies,
I am so sorry. I got bogged down with other things. In fact, things that should not have taken precedence. Things that seem urgent and important, but what I really should have done is slow down and take some time. Exactly what we're studying: GOD FIRST.
There...I set an example for your of what NOT to do. Don't copy it.
Well, I haven't done what I ought in this regard. But it's right back to it now. I'm very sorry to all for the delay!
Calinda
I am so sorry. I got bogged down with other things. In fact, things that should not have taken precedence. Things that seem urgent and important, but what I really should have done is slow down and take some time. Exactly what we're studying: GOD FIRST.
There...I set an example for your of what NOT to do. Don't copy it.
Well, I haven't done what I ought in this regard. But it's right back to it now. I'm very sorry to all for the delay!
Calinda
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