Cushioned Against Anxiety

From: InTouch Ministries

Philippians 4:6 "Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God."

Anxiety is the enemy of a peaceful life. People go to great lengths to get rid of stress: travel ads promise that vacations will sweep you away from it; gyms offer to help you "sweat it out"; and popular magazines suggest ways to lessen it by adjusting schedules or habits. The problem is that no one can adequately shift circumstances to achieve total freedom from heartache, burdens, or trouble.

However, we can have unshakeable peace during anxious times. Jesus said to seek peace in Him because He has overcome this troublesome world (John 16:33). The key is to shift our focus from the scary problem onto God, who lovingly provides whatever we need from His limitless resources and power (Psalm 50:10; Romans 8:11).

The Holy Spirit produces a sense of calm in believers who seek the Lord's protection against anxiety (Galatians 5:22). God wraps hearts and minds in peace, effectively safeguarding both against all-consuming worry or fear. Notice that He doesn't make problems go away—we may still be under pressure or prone to weep, but we're cushioned against anxiety and surrounded by peace instead.

Keep trusting in God so that your defenses are strong and anxiety cannot slip in.

We Have An Instructor

From: The Word For You Today - Bob Gass

Psalm 32:8 "I will instruct you... in the way you should go... and watch over you."

Being in God's will doesn't exempt you from problems. God doesn't promise a carpet on the race track or a bed of roses on the battlefield. But you can be "... confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion.... " (Philippians 1:6)

Jon Walker says, "God knows every step of the journey... the blessings and dangers... where you've been... where you're going, and... the best path to take... He never intended you to figure out the steps without Him. How you get on mission and succeed... are God's responsibilities. Your responsibility is to seek His guidance and obey His instructions.

He said, 'I will instruct you... in the way you should go... and watch over you.' Your job is to trust Him with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. His job is to set your path straight (Proverbs 3:5-6). There's no requirement for you to figure it all out."

Reassuring And Calming

From: Boyd Bailey Ministries

Micah 6:8 "He has showed you what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

God has expectations for His children: justice, mercy and humility are three of His requirements. These are not electives for the student of God’s Word, but three virtuous attributes that are required of each of us. Furthermore, the Lord does not ask His followers to behave in any fashion that He has not already modeled for them.

He acts justly, He loves mercy and He walks humbly. He does not expect any behavior from His followers that He has not already exhibited. His justice is sure, right, and above questioning. His mercy is fresh, deep, and everlasting. His humility is authentic, tranquil, and service oriented. Jesus came to earth from heaven to give us a picture of God’s glory and expectations.

So what does it mean to walk with God? First, you quit striving in your own strength. Slow down and prayerfully channel that same energy heavenward. By faith, trust God to work out the people and the circumstances which are beyond your control. This is a walk of faith.

Secondly, as you walk with Him listen to His voice and enjoy His presence. His voice is reassuring and His presence is calming. Justice, mercy and humility will come upon you as you walk with your heavenly father. Walking with God meets His requirements, as He provides for that which He requires. Isn’t this just like our gracious God? Act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.

Guard Your Mind

From: Adrian Rogers Ministries

Proverbs 23:7 "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he."

There was a sign in a business that said, "We are not what we think we are; what we think - we are."

What are you allowing into your mind and thereby controlling your heart, your actions, and your words?

God made you where you can't think two thoughts at one time. If you're thinking what's right, you can't be thinking what's wrong. And as you think, you will become.

Guard your mind. Center your mind upon the Lord Jesus. Don't let the devil take away your pure-hearted devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ. Stay in love with Jesus, and there won't be any room for those filthy, dirty, wicked, lascivious, lustful, and prideful thoughts that bombard us all.

Start today to become more active in marshalling your thoughts and bringing them into obedience to Christ (2 Cor. 10:5).

Unmistakable Work Of God

From: My Utmost For His Highest - Oswald Chambers

John 3:3 "Jesus answered and said to him, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.'"

Being born again by the Spirit is an unmistakable work of God, as mysterious as the wind, and as surprising as God Himself. We don’t know where it begins— it is hidden away in the depths of our soul. Being born again from above is an enduring, perpetual, and eternal beginning. It provides a freshness all the time in thinking, talking, and living— a continual surprise of the life of God.

Staleness is an indication that something in our lives is out of step with God. We say to ourselves, "I have to do this thing or it will never get done." That is the first sign of staleness. Do we feel fresh this very moment or are we stale, frantically searching our minds for something to do? Freshness is not the result of obedience; it comes from the Holy Spirit. Obedience keeps us "in the light as He is in the light . . ." (1 John 1:7)

Guard your relationship with God. Jesus prayed "that they may be one just as We are one"(John 17:21). Keep your whole life continually open to Jesus Christ. Don’t pretend to be open with Him. Are you drawing your life from any source other than God Himself? If you are depending on something else as your source of freshness and strength, you will not realize when His power is gone.

Being born of the Spirit means much more than we usually think. It gives us new vision and keeps us absolutely fresh for everything through the never-ending supply of the life of God.

The Path We Choose

From: Boyd Bailey Ministries

Psalm 119:105 "Your Word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path."

The path you choose is the path you use, so be very wise about the choices you make. Make sure that the path you traverse follows through the woods of God’s will. Your path is a picture of overlaid choices. One after another, your daily decisions dig out a well-beaten path.

Your current path is not insignificant. If it is a path of preparation, then prepare well. The more you prepare, the wider this path becomes. The less you prepare the narrower it becomes. The path of preparation may seem long and onerous at times, but be patient and stay the course. Your faithfulness now will bolster your influence later. The path of preparation is the strong foundation of any excellent and eternally significant endeavor.

Another path to walk wisely upon is the path of personal intimacy with God. When you walk the path of intimacy with God, He fills you with His peace, security and hope. This is not a path of quick fixes; rather, it is one of trust and endurance. Traveling a path without God is like walking in the country on a moonless night, or like running through a city during the day—blindfolded.

In either case there is a lot of activity, but the activity is filled with fear, confusion, misdirection and eventual hurt. Indeed, the path of God is not without pain or uncertainty. But, as you travel on His path, you are filled with His presence...peaceful, purifying and pleasing to the soul.

The path of Christ is bumpy at times, but His freedom is exhilarating. As you travel with God, be ever mindful of His guardrails of grace, love and law. They are there for your protection. They keep you from straying off His path of kingdom purpose.

A Personal Encounter

From: Ambassadors For Christ International - John North

Isaiah 6:5 "Then I said, 'Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.'"

You'll only really understand yourself when you have a personal encounter with God! Isaiah's immediate response to his personal encounter with God wasn't great joy, excitement and vigor. No, Isaiah was devastated. He'd thought quite well of himself. He had a good self-image.

But suddenly that self-image was shattered by his exposure to God. In the face of God's presence, holiness and glory, Isaiah suddenly realized that he wasn't the center of his own existence, that his sense of his own goodness was a delusion in the face of God's holiness. Here was this unfallen, perfect angel covering his face in the presence of God. What hope did Isaiah have?

Isaiah fell before his great God a broken man, aware of his weaknesses, failings and sins. That is just where he needed to be; it was where God wanted him. That brokenness was God's goal in Isaiah's life.

It is God's goal in your life too. Brokenness comes first; anointing comes later. Tears come first; joy comes later. Confession comes first; healing comes later. God comes first; then He makes you what you need to be. But you'll never find that brokenness until you encounter God Himself.

Taking Inventory

From: The Purpose Driven Life Ministries

Romans 12:3 "Do not think of your self more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you."

You can’t get to where you need to be until you first know where you are. Romans 12 says you need to humbly assess or evaluate your current state. Now the reason I say humbly is because we don’t want to admit what’s not working in our lives. We don’t want to admit things aren’t working out. We don’t like to admit we need to change. We want to pretend we have it all together. That’s the barrier of pride.

Humility is the ingredient for change that will counter our pride. We have to start by admitting we don’t have it all together. What are you pretending is not a problem in your life? Is it a problem in your marriage? An addiction? A problem with your body? Whatever it is, you need to start with an honest evaluation of yourself.

Change also takes faith. Do you believe you can change? Do you believe things can be different in your life? Ask yourself how much faith you will need in order to make the changes you want in your life. Is it more than you have right now? That’s evaluating the measure of your faith.

Without faith it is impossible to please God. I want you to grow in the measure of your faith, and I want you to set goals that are so big they force you to grow in faith. Where will you get this faith to grow? Romans 10:13 says, "Faith comes from hearing the Word of God." In other words, if you read the Bible more often, your faith will grow, your trust in God will deepen, and then you will change.

Headlights In Dark Times

From: Our Daily Bread Ministries - Joe Stowell

Psalm 119:105 "Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

I’ve always thought that I could get through just about anything if the Lord would tell me what the outcome would be. I believe that "all things work together for good" in the end (Romans 8:28), but I’d do a lot better in dark times if I knew exactly what the "good" would look like.

But God usually doesn’t show us where He is taking us. He just asks us to trust Him. It’s like driving a car at night. Our headlights never shine all the way to our destination; they illuminate only about 160 feet ahead. But that doesn’t deter us from moving forward. We trust our headlights. All we really need is enough light to keep moving forward.

God’s Word is like headlights in dark times. It is full of promises we need to keep us from driving our lives into the ditch of bitterness and despair. His Word promises that He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). His Word assures us that He knows the plans He has for us, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give us "a future full of hope" (Jeremiah 29:11). And He tells us that our trials are there to make us better, not bitter (James 1:2-4).

So the next time you feel as if you’re driving in the dark, remember to trust your headlights—God’s Word will light your way.

Self-Help Books

From: The Purpose Driven Life Ministries

Proverbs 16:9 "We plan the way we want to live, but only God makes us able to live it."

Godly goals are achieved only through God's power. This is what makes them different from every other goal planning program on the planet. The other day I checked on the internet and found there are almost 90,000 self-help books currently available. That's a lot of advice!

But the problem is, none of those books can do what the Bible does. None of those books can give you the power to do what they say to do. They tell you don't hold onto that hurt, let it go. But have you ever tried to do that? It's not easy. It takes God's power to let it go.

So these self-help books tell you the right thing, but they can’t give you any power. Only God can do that. Only God can give you the ability to truly change.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. In all things be mindful of Him, and He will direct your paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6)

What's the Bible saying here? First, trust the Lord with all your heart, then God becomes your spiritual partner to guide you toward your goals.