From: Our Daily Bread Ministries
Psalm 90:12 "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom."
The designers of an innovative Web site call their creation a "snapshot" of our world. Every hour, computers monitor international news sources, select the most frequently occurring words and pictures, then display them as an interactive image. Over time, these hourly snapshots compose a mosaic of unfolding world events.
If a computer could track our words and actions, what would a snapshot of yesterday reveal? Over the weeks and months, what patterns would emerge? And what theme would dominate the final mosaic of our lives?
Psalm 90, a prayer of Moses the man of God, is a powerfully honest look at the brevity and significance of life. The writer compares an entire lifetime to a dream or a blade of grass, and cries out to God: "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." Our days often seem so insignificant, yet they add up to so much. The Message is: "Teach us to live wisely and well." It is a prayer for the snapshots of life with the final image in view.
When all the pictures of our life are laid on the table, they will reveal our recurring words and actions. What story will they tell? It's worth considering as we make our choices each day.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
The Right Seasoning
From: Bryant Wright Ministries
Colossians 4:6 "Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person."
Scripture gives some wonderful advice for witnessing more effectively: "Season your speech with salt." How is that? If somebody sprinkles salt on food and makes it taste good, you appreciate it. But if somebody hands you a spoon of salt and says, "Take this all at once," it's a little hard to swallow. In fact, you can't even digest it!
Well, think how the non-Christian feels when all you do is talk about God and church and Jesus. You never talk about baseball. You never talk about the office. You never talk about politics. You never talk about the struggles in the neighborhood. You never talk about your family. You never talk about the everyday concerns that a non-believer has. On the other hand, if you talk about all of these things and occasionally sprinkle in a little word about the Lord when there's the right opportunity, or an insight you learned from a sermon, or a Bible verse they might not know, then they may think, Well, where did that wisdom come from? Their curiosity is aroused, and longer, deeper conversations may follow.
When you have the opportunity, just sprinkle the conversation with a little spiritual salt. It adds zest and flavor to life.
Colossians 4:6 "Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person."
Scripture gives some wonderful advice for witnessing more effectively: "Season your speech with salt." How is that? If somebody sprinkles salt on food and makes it taste good, you appreciate it. But if somebody hands you a spoon of salt and says, "Take this all at once," it's a little hard to swallow. In fact, you can't even digest it!
Well, think how the non-Christian feels when all you do is talk about God and church and Jesus. You never talk about baseball. You never talk about the office. You never talk about politics. You never talk about the struggles in the neighborhood. You never talk about your family. You never talk about the everyday concerns that a non-believer has. On the other hand, if you talk about all of these things and occasionally sprinkle in a little word about the Lord when there's the right opportunity, or an insight you learned from a sermon, or a Bible verse they might not know, then they may think, Well, where did that wisdom come from? Their curiosity is aroused, and longer, deeper conversations may follow.
When you have the opportunity, just sprinkle the conversation with a little spiritual salt. It adds zest and flavor to life.
Monday, July 28, 2008
A Place Of Waiting
From: Today God Is First - Os Hillman Ministries
Psalm: 46:10 "Be still and know that I am God."
There is a time and place in our walk with God in which He sets us in a place of waiting. It is a place in which all past experiences are of no value. It is a time of such stillness that it can disturb the most faithful if we do not understand that He is the one who has brought us to this place for only a season. It is as if God has placed a wall around us. No new opportunities--simply inactivity.
During these times, God is calling us aside to fashion something new in us. It is an isolation chamber designed to call us to deeper roots of prayer and faith. It is not a comfortable place, especially for a task-driven person. Our nature cries out, "You must do something," while God is saying, "Be still and know that I am God." You know the signs that you have been brought into this chamber when He has removed many things from your life and you can't seem to change anything. Perhaps you are unemployed. Perhaps you are laid up with an illness.
Most religious people live a very planned and orchestrated life where they know almost everything that will happen. But for people in whom God is performing a deeper work, He brings them into a time of quietness that seems almost eerie. They cannot say what God is doing. They just know that He is doing a work that cannot be explained to themselves or to others.
Has God brought you to a place of being still? Be still and know that He really is God. When this happens, the chamber will open soon after.
Psalm: 46:10 "Be still and know that I am God."
There is a time and place in our walk with God in which He sets us in a place of waiting. It is a place in which all past experiences are of no value. It is a time of such stillness that it can disturb the most faithful if we do not understand that He is the one who has brought us to this place for only a season. It is as if God has placed a wall around us. No new opportunities--simply inactivity.
During these times, God is calling us aside to fashion something new in us. It is an isolation chamber designed to call us to deeper roots of prayer and faith. It is not a comfortable place, especially for a task-driven person. Our nature cries out, "You must do something," while God is saying, "Be still and know that I am God." You know the signs that you have been brought into this chamber when He has removed many things from your life and you can't seem to change anything. Perhaps you are unemployed. Perhaps you are laid up with an illness.
Most religious people live a very planned and orchestrated life where they know almost everything that will happen. But for people in whom God is performing a deeper work, He brings them into a time of quietness that seems almost eerie. They cannot say what God is doing. They just know that He is doing a work that cannot be explained to themselves or to others.
Has God brought you to a place of being still? Be still and know that He really is God. When this happens, the chamber will open soon after.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
One Week To Live
From: Wisdom From The Psalms Ministries
Psalm 90:12 "So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom."
Shelley had a dream. In it she was told she had only one week to live. The dream haunted her throughout the day. Everytime she did something, she asked herself, "Is this really important?" She found that there were so many things she did that wasted precious time.
People became more important to her than things. She wanted to go for a walk, rather than sit in front of the television set. Time became more valuable, and it caused her to realign her priorities. Shelley found her life completely changed.
God wants us to value the time we have on earth. We take time for granted, acting as though our earthly life will go on forever. Time on earth is too short to waste. Number your days, and God will fill you with a special wisdom.
Psalm 90:12 "So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom."
Shelley had a dream. In it she was told she had only one week to live. The dream haunted her throughout the day. Everytime she did something, she asked herself, "Is this really important?" She found that there were so many things she did that wasted precious time.
People became more important to her than things. She wanted to go for a walk, rather than sit in front of the television set. Time became more valuable, and it caused her to realign her priorities. Shelley found her life completely changed.
God wants us to value the time we have on earth. We take time for granted, acting as though our earthly life will go on forever. Time on earth is too short to waste. Number your days, and God will fill you with a special wisdom.
Spiritual Fitness
From: Our Daily Bread Ministries
2 Cor. 4:16 "Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day."
Some people are obsessed with physical fitness—daily workouts, vitamins, organic food—in spite of the fact that our bodies keep ticking away in inevitable decline. In our twenties and thirties we think we're invincible, but in the decades that follow, the eyesight starts to go, then the knees, then the mind. Let's face it, trying to ensure long-lasting physical health is like trying to stem the tide with a pitchfork!
And while it is true that the older we get the worse we get physically, it doesn't have to be that way spiritually. Believe it or not, it is possible to get better with age. It's what the apostle Paul meant when he said, "Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day."
Many of us fear aging with all the trouble it brings. But when we are gradually stripped of everything that props us up—whether wealth, independence, health, dignity, beauty, or all of the above—we are left with more and more of God.
So no matter how old you are, it's not too late to dig deep in God's Word and invest more and more time in your spiritual well-being. You'll see the payoffs, now and later. The older you get, the better you can become! - Joe Stowell
2 Cor. 4:16 "Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day."
Some people are obsessed with physical fitness—daily workouts, vitamins, organic food—in spite of the fact that our bodies keep ticking away in inevitable decline. In our twenties and thirties we think we're invincible, but in the decades that follow, the eyesight starts to go, then the knees, then the mind. Let's face it, trying to ensure long-lasting physical health is like trying to stem the tide with a pitchfork!
And while it is true that the older we get the worse we get physically, it doesn't have to be that way spiritually. Believe it or not, it is possible to get better with age. It's what the apostle Paul meant when he said, "Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day."
Many of us fear aging with all the trouble it brings. But when we are gradually stripped of everything that props us up—whether wealth, independence, health, dignity, beauty, or all of the above—we are left with more and more of God.
So no matter how old you are, it's not too late to dig deep in God's Word and invest more and more time in your spiritual well-being. You'll see the payoffs, now and later. The older you get, the better you can become! - Joe Stowell
Searching For Contentment
From: The Word For Today - Bob Gass Ministries
Jeremiah 2:13 "My people have… forsaken… the… living water, and… dug… broken cisterns that cannot hold water."
It's easy to be content when things in life are going your way. But how often does that happen? The Bible says we are to practice being "happy at any time in everything" (Philippians 4:12) because if you put your life on hold waiting for what you want to happen, you may be waiting a long time! Epicurus said, "Don't spoil what you have, by desiring what you don't have. Remember that what you now have was once among the things you hoped for."
Three things constantly feed our discontentment:
(1) Greed. When you dwell on what you don't have, you're not enjoying what God's already given you. Be satisfied! Setting goals is good, but stop focusing so hard on the end result and learn to rejoice in the Lord while you're on your way.
(2) Fear. It wants you to run from something that's not chasing you. It's the enemy's way of (a) robbing you of peace and stability; (b) tormenting you with the 'what if's'; (c) keeping you from trusting God. The Psalmist said, "In God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?" (Psalm 56:4).
(3) Seeking satisfaction in the wrong places. God said, "My people have… forsaken… the… living water, and… dug… broken cisterns that cannot hold water." It's said that we spend our first 50 years searching for security, and the rest of our lives looking for significance.
But we don't have to. "Happy the man who follows not the counsel of the wicked, nor walks in the way of sinners, nor sits in the company of the insolent, but delights in the law of the Lord, and meditates on His law day and night. He is like a tree planted near running water, that yields its fruit in due season, and whose leaves never fade." (Psalm 1:1-3)
Jeremiah 2:13 "My people have… forsaken… the… living water, and… dug… broken cisterns that cannot hold water."
It's easy to be content when things in life are going your way. But how often does that happen? The Bible says we are to practice being "happy at any time in everything" (Philippians 4:12) because if you put your life on hold waiting for what you want to happen, you may be waiting a long time! Epicurus said, "Don't spoil what you have, by desiring what you don't have. Remember that what you now have was once among the things you hoped for."
Three things constantly feed our discontentment:
(1) Greed. When you dwell on what you don't have, you're not enjoying what God's already given you. Be satisfied! Setting goals is good, but stop focusing so hard on the end result and learn to rejoice in the Lord while you're on your way.
(2) Fear. It wants you to run from something that's not chasing you. It's the enemy's way of (a) robbing you of peace and stability; (b) tormenting you with the 'what if's'; (c) keeping you from trusting God. The Psalmist said, "In God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?" (Psalm 56:4).
(3) Seeking satisfaction in the wrong places. God said, "My people have… forsaken… the… living water, and… dug… broken cisterns that cannot hold water." It's said that we spend our first 50 years searching for security, and the rest of our lives looking for significance.
But we don't have to. "Happy the man who follows not the counsel of the wicked, nor walks in the way of sinners, nor sits in the company of the insolent, but delights in the law of the Lord, and meditates on His law day and night. He is like a tree planted near running water, that yields its fruit in due season, and whose leaves never fade." (Psalm 1:1-3)
Your Thought Life
From: Neil Anderson Ministries
Job 42:2 "I know that You can do all things and that no purpose of Yours can be hindered."
In a general sense, your emotions are a product of your thought life. If you are not thinking right, if your mind is not being renewed, if you are not perceiving God and His Word properly, it will be reflected in your emotional life.
You are not shaped so much by your environment as you are by your perception of your environment. Life's events don't determine who you are; God determines who you are, and your interpretation of life's events determines how well you will handle the pressures of life.
In reality we have very little control over our emotions, but we do have control over our thoughts, and our thoughts determine our feelings and our responses. That's why it is so important that you fill your mind with the knowledge of God and His Word. You need to see life from God's perspective and respond accordingly.
Job 42:2 "I know that You can do all things and that no purpose of Yours can be hindered."
In a general sense, your emotions are a product of your thought life. If you are not thinking right, if your mind is not being renewed, if you are not perceiving God and His Word properly, it will be reflected in your emotional life.
You are not shaped so much by your environment as you are by your perception of your environment. Life's events don't determine who you are; God determines who you are, and your interpretation of life's events determines how well you will handle the pressures of life.
In reality we have very little control over our emotions, but we do have control over our thoughts, and our thoughts determine our feelings and our responses. That's why it is so important that you fill your mind with the knowledge of God and His Word. You need to see life from God's perspective and respond accordingly.
Character Development
From: The Purpose Driven Life Ministries
Ephesians 4:22-24 "You must lay aside your former way of life and the old self which deteriorates through illusion and desire, and acquire a fresh, spiritual way of thinking. You must put on that new man created in God's image, whose justice and holiness are born of truth."
God uses his Word, people, and circumstances to mold us. All three are indispensable for character development. God's Word provides the truth we need to grow, God's people provide the support we need to grow, and circumstances provide the environment to practice Christlikeness. If you study and apply God's Word, connect regularly with other believers, and learn to trust God in difficult circumstances, I guarantee you will become more like Jesus.
Many people assume all that is needed for spiritual growth is Bible study and prayer. But some issues in life will never be changed by Bible study or prayer alone. God uses people. He usually prefers to work through people rather than perform miracles, so that we will depend on each other for fellowship. He wants us to grow together.
In many religions, the people considered to be the most spiritually mature and holy are those who isolate themselves from others in mountaintop monasteries, uninfected by contact with other people.But this is a gross misunderstanding. Spiritual maturity is not a solitary, individual pursuit! You cannot grow to Christlikeness in isolation. You must be around other people and interact with them. You need to be a part of a church and community.
Why? Because true spiritual maturity is all about learning to love like Jesus, and you can't practice being like Jesus without being in relationship with other people. Remember, it's all about love – loving God and loving others.
Ephesians 4:22-24 "You must lay aside your former way of life and the old self which deteriorates through illusion and desire, and acquire a fresh, spiritual way of thinking. You must put on that new man created in God's image, whose justice and holiness are born of truth."
God uses his Word, people, and circumstances to mold us. All three are indispensable for character development. God's Word provides the truth we need to grow, God's people provide the support we need to grow, and circumstances provide the environment to practice Christlikeness. If you study and apply God's Word, connect regularly with other believers, and learn to trust God in difficult circumstances, I guarantee you will become more like Jesus.
Many people assume all that is needed for spiritual growth is Bible study and prayer. But some issues in life will never be changed by Bible study or prayer alone. God uses people. He usually prefers to work through people rather than perform miracles, so that we will depend on each other for fellowship. He wants us to grow together.
In many religions, the people considered to be the most spiritually mature and holy are those who isolate themselves from others in mountaintop monasteries, uninfected by contact with other people.But this is a gross misunderstanding. Spiritual maturity is not a solitary, individual pursuit! You cannot grow to Christlikeness in isolation. You must be around other people and interact with them. You need to be a part of a church and community.
Why? Because true spiritual maturity is all about learning to love like Jesus, and you can't practice being like Jesus without being in relationship with other people. Remember, it's all about love – loving God and loving others.
A Work In Progress
From: The Purpose Driven Life Ministries
Colossians 3:17,23 "Whatever you do, whether in speech or in action, do it in the name of the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being. Do it for the Lord rather than for men."
Becoming like Christ is a long, slow process of growth. Spiritual maturity is neither instant nor automatic; it is a gradual, progressive development that will take the rest of your life. You are a work in progress. Your spiritual transformation in developing the character of Jesus will take the rest of your life, and even then it won't be completed here on earth. It will only be finished when you get to heaven or when Jesus returns.
Much confusion in the Christian life comes from ignoring the simple truth that God is far more interested in building your character than He is anything else. We worry when God seems silent on specific issues such as "What career should I choose?" The truth is, there are many different careers that could be in God's will for your life. What God cares about most is that whatever you do, you do in a Christlike manner.
God is far more interested in who you are than in what you do. We are human beings, not human doings. God is much more concerned about your character than your career, because you will take your character into eternity, but not your career.
Sadly, a quick review of many popular Christian books reveals that many believers have abandoned living for God's great purposes and settled for personal fulfillment and emotional stability. That is narcissism, not discipleship.
Jesus did not die on the cross just so we could live comfortable, well-adjusted lives. His purpose is far deeper: He wants to make us like Himself before he takes us to heaven. This is our greatest privilege, our immediate responsibility, and our ultimate destiny.
Colossians 3:17,23 "Whatever you do, whether in speech or in action, do it in the name of the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being. Do it for the Lord rather than for men."
Becoming like Christ is a long, slow process of growth. Spiritual maturity is neither instant nor automatic; it is a gradual, progressive development that will take the rest of your life. You are a work in progress. Your spiritual transformation in developing the character of Jesus will take the rest of your life, and even then it won't be completed here on earth. It will only be finished when you get to heaven or when Jesus returns.
Much confusion in the Christian life comes from ignoring the simple truth that God is far more interested in building your character than He is anything else. We worry when God seems silent on specific issues such as "What career should I choose?" The truth is, there are many different careers that could be in God's will for your life. What God cares about most is that whatever you do, you do in a Christlike manner.
God is far more interested in who you are than in what you do. We are human beings, not human doings. God is much more concerned about your character than your career, because you will take your character into eternity, but not your career.
Sadly, a quick review of many popular Christian books reveals that many believers have abandoned living for God's great purposes and settled for personal fulfillment and emotional stability. That is narcissism, not discipleship.
Jesus did not die on the cross just so we could live comfortable, well-adjusted lives. His purpose is far deeper: He wants to make us like Himself before he takes us to heaven. This is our greatest privilege, our immediate responsibility, and our ultimate destiny.
The Small Things
From: Today God Is First - Os Hillman Ministries
Matthew 25:21 "His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! Since you were dependable in a small matter I will put you in charge of larger affairs. Come, share your master's joy!'"
Life is filled with a series of small things that can amount to something big. Have you ever considered why the God of the universe came to earth and spent 33 years identifying with mankind through work? Jesus grew up as a carpenter's son and, no doubt, learned the trade from His daily routine of helping His father. For 30 years He worked. When it was time for Him to begin to fulfill His purpose for mankind, He told countless stories of people and their work. He told stories of landowners, farmers, fishermen, tax collectors, and so on. He related to the everyday man because He Himself was one. This is why it was important for Him to have some personal work experience.
Life is filled with daily routines. Every now and then, God takes us to the mountaintop to experience His presence in a dramatic way. This is not the norm. It was not the norm for those in the Bible either. Moses spent 40 years in preparation. Paul spent a great deal of his life working toward the wrong purpose until a dramatic event changed his life. Jacob spent 20 years working for Laban.
God uses work to develop character qualities that He plans to use at the appropriate time. In the small things we develop trustworthiness with God. The day-in and day-out grind of working life molds us and makes us into what God desires. God may still be preparing you for something far greater. For now, however, you are learning the daily lessons of small things. Pray that you will be faithful.
Matthew 25:21 "His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! Since you were dependable in a small matter I will put you in charge of larger affairs. Come, share your master's joy!'"
Life is filled with a series of small things that can amount to something big. Have you ever considered why the God of the universe came to earth and spent 33 years identifying with mankind through work? Jesus grew up as a carpenter's son and, no doubt, learned the trade from His daily routine of helping His father. For 30 years He worked. When it was time for Him to begin to fulfill His purpose for mankind, He told countless stories of people and their work. He told stories of landowners, farmers, fishermen, tax collectors, and so on. He related to the everyday man because He Himself was one. This is why it was important for Him to have some personal work experience.
Life is filled with daily routines. Every now and then, God takes us to the mountaintop to experience His presence in a dramatic way. This is not the norm. It was not the norm for those in the Bible either. Moses spent 40 years in preparation. Paul spent a great deal of his life working toward the wrong purpose until a dramatic event changed his life. Jacob spent 20 years working for Laban.
God uses work to develop character qualities that He plans to use at the appropriate time. In the small things we develop trustworthiness with God. The day-in and day-out grind of working life molds us and makes us into what God desires. God may still be preparing you for something far greater. For now, however, you are learning the daily lessons of small things. Pray that you will be faithful.
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