Stand Firm

From: Michael Youssef Ministries

1 Corinthians 15:58 "Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."

We are reminded throughout the New Testament to stand firm in our faith. We can stand firm because we know that Christ has already defeated the enemy of death and the grave, and He has conquered sin and Satan. We do not have to fight that battle; it was won on the cross. Our call is to stand firm against a defeated enemy.

By standing firm and upholding the Truth of the Gospel, we remain focused on the things that matter most. We experience sufficiency in the Lord when we routinely spend time with Him in order to know His character, His Word, His promises, and His will for our lives.

Paul further encourages us to remain faithful to God in prayer. We feed our stabilizing joy by filling our minds with Godly thoughts. Whatever fills our minds will come out in our actions and decisions. Paul, clearly under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, succinctly exhorts us: "Pray without ceasing." (1 Thessalonians 5:17)  

More Good News

From: Bryant Wright Ministries

John 8:12 "Jesus spoke to them again, saying, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'"

Jesus says He is the Light of the world, the embodiment of how to know God and how to live life. You may feel bewildered at not having discovered the answer to life. 

Invite Christ into your life and the light will be turned on. Life will begin to make sense and you'll be filled with hope and understanding.

Here's more good news. When we do this, Jesus says we can be a light to others by pointing people who are in the dark to the light...the Light of Christ.

Only God Could Do That

From: Ambassadors For Christ International - John North

Romans 8:28 "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."

"All things" — the times when business is good and the times when business is slow, the times when you are fit and healthy and the times when you are sick; when you are filled with joy and happiness and when you are going through the most difficult times — God causes all these things to "work together" for good in your life.

Only God could do that! And notice also all these things do not work for good in everybody’s life. Because not everybody, unfortunately, loves God and seeks His purpose for their lives.

How can you know that the things in your life are being used by God for good? Meet the two requirements in the verse: Make God the first, most important, love of your life; and make a commitment to pursue His purposes for you. Then rest in the promise of this verse!

He's Always Listening

From: Greg Laurie Ministries

1 Thessalonians 5:17 "Never stop praying."

Sometimes we think we don’t know how to pray properly because we’re not sure how to phrase certain things. We wonder if we should use some special kind of language or pray in a certain posture. But these aren’t the main issues at all. Far from it! The most important thing is our hearts. 

The great thing about prayer is that God looks primarily at our hearts. Even if our prayers aren’t perfectly structured, even if they aren’t eloquent, if they come from a heart that is directed toward God, then they are pleasing to Him.

God keeps up with all the latest terminology, so don’t worry about that. He knows what you are saying. He knows what you are thinking. The main thing is to start praying. Just start where you are and speak to God straight from your heart. He's always listening and waiting for you to call on Him! 

Grace

From: Boyd Bailey Ministries

2 Corinthians 12:9 "...My Grace is sufficient for you..."

The ups and downs of life tend to drain us. Physical challenges deplete our energy. Conflict can consume our emotions. Financial stress sucks the life out of our sense of security. The loss of a loved one leaves a hole in our heart. Like a well-traveled car risks running out of gas, so we can run ourselves into spiritual, physical, and emotional emptiness. But God has provided the fullness of Christ to fill us up!

He gives us grace upon grace--not too much to drown us with spiritual pride, and not too little for us to labor in our own power. The grace of our Lord is a regular stream of strength for us to appropriate by faith.

The more your grace capacity enlarges, the more you are able to live graciously and serve others. It's a lifetime of continually taking hold of and receiving the Lord’s grace by faith. Your Lord is the fullness of grace, so you can be full by faith. Empty self and fill up with your Savior.

Think Spiritually

From: Every Day Light - Selwyn Hughes

Ephesians 5:18 "...Be filled with the Holy Spirit."

What is the difference between natural thinking and spiritual thinking? Natural thinking is on the level of the earth - the level of man; spiritual thinking is on a higher level altogether - the level of God. 

It is surprising that so many Christians think naturally about their problems rather than spiritually. We will never learn to live effectively until we understand that the whole of life is spiritual, not just parts of it.

None of the rulers of this world recognized the Lord Jesus Christ when He was here. It was because they looked at Him from a natural perspective - they saw only a carpenter. Without the Holy Spirit operating upon their minds, they just could not understand. Ultimately, the problems and difficulties of life are all spiritual; so the sooner we learn to think spiritually, the better we will be.

Follow Him

From: Bryant Wright Ministries

Luke 9:23 "...If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me." 

When Jesus called His disciples, His first command before He told them their mission was, "Follow Me."

What does it mean to follow someone? Imagine that you are in an unfamiliar place following a friend in your car. To get where you are going, you have to:

• Trust them to get you where you need to go.
• Submit to their leadership; otherwise you get lost.
• Keep your eyes on them; if you lose sight of them, you'll get lost.
• Go at their pace, not get ahead or fall behind.
• This is what is involved in following Jesus, too.

We have to trust Him to guide us where we need to go. We have to submit to His leadership - His will before our own. We have to stay focused on Him and go at His pace. If we do this, He'll lead us to where we need to go. And here's even more good news - in the process He'll lead us to our life purpose.

Stay Connected

From: Boyd Bailey Ministries

John 15:4 "Remain in Me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me."

Connection is a common craving for those created in the image of God. Having a connection is critical to relational health. Without it, you feel alone and fearful. There is a much higher probability of mistrust and misunderstanding when there’s no connection. Indeed, you can be disconnected from someone and not realize it has happened.

Connection travels on the road of clear communication and care. Communication and care connect by understanding one another. This takes time, unselfishness, and discipline, but this is the high road of extending honor to others. Pray about how to best connect with your spouse, parents, children, or friends.

Connection with Christ sets the table for connection with people. The fruits of connection are peace, assurance, and trust. Stay connected for Christ’s sake and feast on the fruit of faith.

He's Waiting On us

From: The Purpose Driven Life Ministries

Revelation 3:20 "Here I stand, knocking at the door. If anyone hears Me calling and opens the door, I will enter his house and have supper with him and he with Me."

If we want to fulfill God’s vision for our lives, we must be open to continually hear from God. It is not just a nice add-on to our lives; it is a necessity for fulfilling our destiny.

The Bible says, "Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed." (Luke 5:16) This was a habit with Jesus and it needs to become a habit in our life. It's something we need to do every day the rest of our life. If we want to get God's vision for our life and hear God's voice, we need to meet with Him daily.

Here’s the thing - We are not waiting on God, He's waiting on us. God wants to meet with us. He wants us to know Him as well as He knows us.

Trust Him

From: InTouch Ministries

Philippians 4:6 "Dismiss all anxiety from your minds. Present your needs to God in every form of prayer and in petitions full of gratitude."

Stressful situations come in a variety of forms and intensities, and in this earthly existence, we will never be totally free of them. However, the important issue is, what are we going to do with our anxiety? If we let it dominate, fretfulness can become a way of life. But if we believe what the Bible says about God and His care for us, we will experience an awesome liberation from worry.

At times we let ourselves get all worked up and stressed out because we're trying to change something that is beyond our control. Just as no one can add a single day to the length of his life, so there are some situations that we are powerless to alter. (Matthew 6:27)

But the sovereign Ruler of the universe loves us and holds everything in His hands—including our stressful and seemingly out-of-control situations. Therefore, we have no reason to fret or fear. If you can trust Him for your eternal security, you can also trust Him for your earthly needs.

The Word

From: Ambassadors For Christ International - John North

John 1:1,14 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory."

Why was Jesus referred to as "the Word"? Because He is God speaking to us—God wants you to know Him! The whole Bible is about God revealing Himself to people. Even in your own life, God is constantly reaching out to you, inviting you every day to live your life in close relationship with Him.

That's why He has given us the Bible, which is also called "the Word." God wants to be totally involved in your life today. He doesn’t just want you to be a "committed Christian"; He wants to walk with you through your day on a relational level.

I encourage you to make your life a pursuit of God! When the Bible talks about "seeking God", this is what it means. It means that you look for any way, any opportunity to get to know God better on a personal level. "Draw close to God and He will draw close to you." (James 4:8)

Patience

From: BBH Devotionals

Psalm 27:14 "Wait for the Lord, take courage; be stouthearted, wait for the Lord!"

The reason that we many times do not see or feel the Lord is that we are not waiting on the Lord. We are still on our own timetable and we are still running madly ahead of God and hoping He will catch up to our plans. But that is not how God works. He doesn’t change and He does not hurry just because we are impatient.

Your trial is real, your burden is heavy and your discouragement is deep. But put your eyes upon this promise: God is never late and He is never insufficient.

What will the future bring? How can I make it through this ordeal? How should I handle this decision? The answer echoes through the tunnel of time and from the soundboard of millions of saints: Wait on the Lord. The trial may not go away tomorrow, but neither will the strength that God has promised to give you. The pain may not diminish, but neither will His grace.

God's Will

From: Boyd Bailey Ministries

Romans 12:2 "Do not conform yourselves to this age, but be transformed by the renewal of your minds, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect."

The will of God is what He wills for His children, but it is not forced. What our heavenly Father wants for us is Himself, His plan and His provision, but only at our instigation. God’s will is a choice. When we are willing, He is more than willing to show us the next step of faith. A little walk with Jesus unveils His vast love for us.

When we choose the will of God, we choose to follow God no matter what. It is a capitulation to Christ and Christ alone. Belief is what brings discernment into focus.

Faith is confidence in Christ; a total trust in His character and His claim to be God. Once you settle this, submit your will to the Lord’s will. Your choice to do God’s will does not guarantee instant revelation, but it does mean you move forward under the Spirit’s guidance. Follow by faith, even if you don’t feel a spiritual sensation. Choose God’s will and He will affirm His truth in your heart. 

His Plan

From: The Word For Today - Bob Gass Ministries

Romans 8:28 "God makes all things work together for good; for those who love God and are called according to His purpose."

When you're in a situation where you've got more questions than answers, it takes faith to accept that "God makes all things work together for good; for those who love God and are called according to His purpose." What you consider wasted experiences can become confidence-builders and priceless sources of insight - when you decide to learn from them! If you don't, they'll keep happening till you do.

When you get too comfortable God stirs things up. The mother eagle teaches her little ones to fly by making their nest so uncomfortable that they're forced out of it. Next they are pushed off a cliff edge. Can you imagine their thoughts: 'It's my mother doing this?'

Who and where you are at this moment in time has been divinely appointed. God in His wisdom knows that you need the challenge of certain situations to mature and stretch you. It's all part of His plan!

Love Forgives

From: Boyd Bailey Ministries

1 Corinthians 13:5 "It keeps no record of wrongs."

Love forgives continually and it forgives comprehensively. Forgiveness wipes clean the slate of offense, hence it is freeing for everyone. Indeed, forgiveness was the heartbeat of Jesus. Christ’s greatest act of love was the forgiveness He extended by His voluntary death on the cross. Jesus was the epitome of love and forgiveness; He owns the trademark.
   
Forgiveness is the fuel for living a life free from the clutter of cutting words or unjust acts. Forgiveness flows when you have been authentically and thoroughly forgiven. Unless the forgiveness of God has graced your heart and soul, your capacity for forgiveness will be foreign and futile.

Your capacity to love is directly tied to your willingness to receive Christ’s forgiveness. Let go of unforgiveness and replace it with His unconditional love. Love looks for excuses to eliminate hard feelings, as it replaces resentment and bitterness with love and forgiveness. Forgiveness forgets the past, engages in the present, and hopes in the future. Love forgives.

God Has A Plan

From: Billy Graham Ministries

Romans 12:2 "Do not conform yourselves to this age, but be transformed by the renewal of your minds, that you may discern the will of God, what is good, pleasing and perfect."

God has a plan for the life of every Christian. Every circumstance, every turn of destiny, is for your good. It is working together for completeness. His plan for you is being perfected. All things working together for your good and for His glory.

As a young Christian, Ruth, my wife, wanted to be a missionary, as were her father and mother. But God had other plans for her life. Changing circumstances revealed God’s will to her, and she was happy where God had placed her.

So many of us ask God to change the circumstances to suit our desires, instead of us conforming our wills to His. Don’t let circumstances distress you. Rather, look for the will of God for your life to be revealed in and through those circumstances.

Never Despair

From: Selwyn Hughes' "Every Day Light"

2 Corinthians 4:8 "We are afficted in every way possible, but we are not crushed; full of doubts, we never despair."

Our spiritual perplexities would never arise if we started out by being prepared not to understand immediately the things that God does or allows. We must accept that one of the fundamental principles of the Christian life is the truth that there will be many times when God will work things out in a manner exactly opposite to the way we think He should.

When we are dealing with such a great and mighty God it should not surprise us that He allows things to happen which we find perplexing. We should note, however, that perplexity is not sinful. It only becomes wrong when we allow it to drive us to despair. 

The apostle Paul, as our text for today shows us, was perplexed but he was not in despair. Make sure you understand the distinction. It is not foolish or wrong to say: "I don't know what is happening." It is only foolish to say: "God doesn't know what is happening."

Worry

From: Bayless Conley Ministries

1 Peter 5:6-7 "Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you."

I have shared many times in my ministry about the incredible truth of Jesus' command, "Do not worry about tomorrow."  It is like we have this 24-hour fuse. We are wired up to deal with the stresses of life one day at a time.

If you worry about tomorrow today, you are putting a 48-hour load on a 24-hour fuse, and something is going to give somewhere. Some people don't just worry about tomorrow, they worry about next week and next month. No wonder the fuse often blows!

The Bible says to cast all of your care, the whole of your care, all your anxieties, on Him, once and for all. Roll your burden on the Lord. The Bible says be anxious for nothing. And that means nothing. Sometimes difficult for sure but possible with God at our side.

Spiritual Antennae

From: Oswald Chambers Devotionals

1 Samuel 3:10 "…Speak Lord, for Your servant is listening!"

Just because I have listened carefully and intently to one thing from God does not mean that I listen to everything He says. But if I love my friend, I will instinctively understand what he wants. And Jesus said, "You are My friends..." (John 15:14)

The goal of my spiritual life is such close identification with Jesus Christ that I will always hear God and know that God always hears me. If I am united with Christ, I hear God all the time through the devotion of hearing. Anything I come into contact with, any situation or any person may convey God's message to me. What hinders me from hearing is my attention to other things. It is not that I don’t want to hear God, but I am not devoted in the right areas of my life. My spiritual antennae are not tuned properly!

God may say whatever He wants, but I just don’t hear Him. The attitude of a child of God should always be, "…Speak Lord, for Your servant is listening!" If I have not developed and nurtured this devotion of hearing, I can only hear God’s voice at certain times. At other times I become deaf to Him because my attention is to other things - things which I think I must do.