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August 26, 2013

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Attitudes & Behavior, Challenges & Difficulty, Forgiveness

Suffer the consequences

Endure your discipline. God corrects you as a father corrects his children. All children are disciplined by their fathers. If you aren’t disciplined like the other children, you aren’t part of the family. [Hebrews 12:7-8 (GW)]

Parents spend a great deal of time and effort disciplining children. Since we are God’s children, we need to understand that He, too, will discipline us. Because a loving parent lets his children learn from their mistakes, God’s discipline will often involve allowing us to suffer the consequences of our sins. If we repent of our sin, God forgives us, but God’s forgiveness does not free us from the adverse effects of our actions. Sin has repercussions and forgiveness does not shield us from its impact.

We don’t enjoy being disciplined. It always seems to cause more pain than joy. But later on, those who learn from that discipline have peace that comes from doing what is right. [Hebrews 12:11 (GW)]

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August 25, 2013

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Attitudes & Behavior

Be Nice

It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house with a quarrelsome wife. [Proverbs 21:9 (ESV)]

Something tells me, Lord, that if one of Solomon’s wives had edited his proverbs, she would have included something about a quarrelsome husband as well! Guide us all so that we are even-tempered and good-natured, not just to our spouses, but to everyone we encounter this day. It’s so easy to let trivial irritations become significant; keep us from being argumentative, complaining or grouchy.

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August 24, 2013

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Faith & Hope, God's Plan, Trusting God

He controls our destiny

So he will do to me whatever he has planned. He controls my destiny. [Job 23:14 (NLT)]

When life goes wrong, when disaster strikes, when there is illness, sorrow, or even death, we want to know why. That question is rarely, if ever, answered to our satisfaction, and yet God asks us to trust him and his infinite love and wisdom. Faith is accepting that much of life is inexplicable. Faith is being willing to leave our questions unanswered and to accept an unknown future. Faith is being willing to see God’s presence not just in happy times but also in sad. Faith is saying (and accepting), “He will do to me whatever he has planned. He controls my destiny.”

Faith is not belief without proof, but trust without reservation. [D. Elton Trueblood]

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August 23, 2013

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Money & Wealth, Trusting God

In God We Trust

Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. [1 Timothy 6:17-18 (NLT)]

As if Biblical exhortations were not enough, the recent economic downturn, complete with bank failures and an unstable stock market, should have convinced us that placing our confidence in anything as uncertain as riches is not wise. If we take a good look at our currency, we’ll see the words, “In God We Trust.” That really says it all; trust God, not money!

I will say to the Lord, “You are my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.” [Psalm 91:2 (GW)]

 

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August 22, 2013

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God's Grace & Love, Salvation: A New You

An Amazing Offer

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. [John 3:16 (NIV)]

The words of John 3:16, if believed, can bring us great comfort and peace. If we don’t believe them, however, we might be confused by this extravagant and unbelievable exchange: God traded his only child for a bunch of thankless sinners! That kind of sacrifice seems totally inconceivable. This exchange may appear irrational to some, but let’s consider how much crazier it would be to turn down His extraordinary offer of eternal life.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His love endures forever. [Psalm 136:1 (NIV)]

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August 21, 2013

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Forgiveness, God's Grace & Love

God’s Grace

O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. [Psalm 139:1-4 (NLT)]

In spite of knowing everything about us, God loves us. He knows our weakness and failures, our flaws and sins. He even knows our deepest darkest secrets. And yet, God loves us simply because He made us and we are His. This knowledge of God’s grace truly is too great for me to comprehend! Thank you, God, for loving your children no matter how unlovable we may happen to be.

How unutterably sweet is the knowledge that our Heavenly Father knows us completely. No talebearer can inform on us; or enemy can make an accusation stick; no forgotten skeleton can come tumbling out of some hidden closet to abash us and expose our past; no unsuspected weakness in our characters can come to light to turn God away from us, since He knew us utterly before we knew Him and called us to Himself in the full knowledge of everything that was against us. [A. W. Tozer, from “The Knowledge of the Holy”]