....go

"Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion.  For the Lord is a God of justice.  Blessed are all who wait for Him." - Isaiah 30:18

If you're anything like me, you've come face to face with situations in life in where, out of faith, you let go of trying to control things and turn them over to God.  You may even agree with me that while letting go of our concerns is hard enough, it's even harder for some of us to refrain from taking them back! 

We get impatient with God.  We want results from Him the same way we expect to get our French fries from a drive-through window!  And, all too often, we want things to develop according to OUR plan, not His.

Perhaps that's why the above verse means so much to me in regards to this spiritual dilemma.  It's loaded full of comforting answers and reassurances to the reader.  From just a few little words, it reminds us that:

God YEARNS to give us the very best.

God is COMPASSIONATE, i.e., He suffers with our pain and understands our hurts.

God is fair and His justice for our welfare far exceeds just giving us what we want.

And out of our patience, encompassed in trust, we obtain that PEACE which can only be gotten when we see that no matter what, God's got our back!

So the question I must ask myself is this: Am I going to go through this day without any anxiety about the future; fully trusting that God is in control of all things and knowing that He loves me more than I can imagine?  Well, so far - so good.  But then again, it's only 5:00 a.m.

Thank you, Lord, for your Word that reminds me whose I am and gives me strength to combat the anxiety monster and live peaceably in your arms this day!

-glenn w. miller

free...

I've had lots of friends in law enforcement. I've even had the opportunity to ride in the front seat with a police officer. But the experience I had recently had a totally different feel to it. I was speaking at a large youth festival, and I had to get across this festival's grounds quickly to my next speaking venue. 

Two police officers working security said, "Hey, hop in our squad car, we'll take you over there." Well, I jumped into the back seat of the police car and I quickly realized that I had never experienced a little of what it feels like to be on the custody end of things like that. There was this wall between me and the officers in the front seat. When we arrived at our destination and I tried to open my door - in vain - no way. 

My officer friend had a good laugh at this, and he said,  "Ron, there's no way you can get yourself out of there. You see, somebody has to let you out." I've decided I am not excited about being in the prisoner seat any more.

"There's no way you can get yourself out of there." That's a feeling many of us have experienced, without ever being physically locked up. It's like there are these hurtful emotional cycles and spiritual cycles that we just can't seem to get ourselves out of.

Maybe you know what it is to be trapped in a cycle of destructive behavior, or damaged relationships, or maybe a cycle of guilt and shame over repeated mistakes, or a cycle of slavery to a behavior you just can't seem to change, or a cycle of unfulfillment; where one experience after another fails to give you the peace and the meaning that you've always hoped for. There are no bars, no prison walls, but we know the feeling of being locked up in a way of living we just can't get out of.

Just like a prisoner in a cell, or me in the prisoner seat of a police car, somebody has to let you out. And for 2,000 years, "the" Somebody has been doing that for millions of us spiritual prisoners.

In fact, in Isaiah 61:1, our word for today from the Word of God, He announced His reason for coming to earth this way: "The Lord has...sent Me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners." Jesus under-stands the powerful force that ultimately keeps us locked up in our destructive cycles. He said, "Whoever commits sin is a slave to sin." (John 8:34). Sin is simply our hijacking of our life from the God who was supposed to run it.

And because we're away from our Creator, we're trapped in this self-run orbit where life just doesn't work right.

It took the coming and the dying of the Son of God to break the enslaving power of sin. By taking the death penalty for what we've done, Jesus has the power, not only to save us from our own hurtful ways, but to save us from the eternal penitentiary the Bible calls hell. He's come from the outside to let you out, to set you free. But He waits for your invitation to do that; your invitation  to Him to come into your life, to forgive every sin, and change you from the inside out.

That glorious freedom that so many have experienced, you can experience beginning this very day. It begins when you tell Jesus, "I'm turning from the sin that has enslaved me, Lord; from the sin that nailed You to a cross. I want to give myself to You because you died for that sin to set me free. I'm Yours." 

This could be your day to finally be able to say, "Free at last, free at last - thank God Almighty, I'm free at last!"

-ron hutchcraft

...hour

A man came home from work late, tired and irritated, to find his 5-year old son waiting for him at the door. 

  "Daddy, may I ask you a question?"

  "Yeah sure, what is it?" replied the man.

  "Daddy, how much do you make an hour?"

  "That is none of your business. Why do you ask such a thing?" the

  man said angrily.

  "I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?"

  pleaded the little boy.

  "If you must know, I make $20 an hour."

  "Oh," the little boy replied, with his head down. Looking up, he  said, "Daddy, may I please borrow $10?"

The father was furious, "If the only reason you asked that is so you can borrow some money to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then  you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you are being so selfish. I work long hard hours everyday and don't have time for such this childish behavior!"

The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door. 

The man sat down and started to get even angrier about the little boy's questions. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money? After about an hour or so, the man had calmed down, and started to think he may have been a little hard on his son. Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $10 and he really didn't ask for money very often.

The man went to the door of the little boy's room and opened the door.

  "Are you asleep, son?" he asked.

  "No daddy, I'm awake," replied the boy.

"I've been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier," said the man. "It's been a long day and I took out my aggravation on you. Here's the $10 you asked for."

The little boy sat straight up, smiling. "Oh, thank you daddy!" he yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow he pulled out some crumpled up bills. 

  The man, seeing that the boy already had money, started to get angry  again. 

  The little boy slowly counted out his money, then looked up at his father.

  "Why do you want more money if you already have some?" the father grumbled.

"Because I didn't have enough, but now I do," the little boy replied. "Daddy, I have $20 now. Can I buy an hour of your time? Please come home early tomorrow. I would like to have dinner with you." 

It's just a short reminder to all of you working so hard in life. We should not let time slip through our fingers without having spent some time with those who really matter to us, those close to our hearts.

Share this story with someone you like....but even better, share $20 worth of time with someone you love. 

-author unknown

...humour

 It doesn't hurt to have a little Biblical humour to start the day.........

  Q. What kind of man was Boaz before he married Ruth ?.

  A. Ruthless.

  Q. What do they call pastors in Germany ?.

  A. German Shepherds.

  Q. Who was the greatest financier in the Bible ?.

  A. Noah-- He was floating his stock while everyone else was in liquidation.

  Q. Who was the greatest female financier in the Bible ?.

  A. Pharaoh's daughter.... She went down to the bank of the Nile and drew out

    a little prophet.

  Q. What kind of motor vehicles are in the Bible ?.

  A. Jehovah drove Adam and Eve out of the garden in a fury. David's triumph

    was heard throughout the land. Also, probably a Honda, because the apostles

    were all in one accord.

  Q. Who was the greatest comedian in the Bible ?.

  A. Samson. He brought the house down.

  Q. What excuse did Adam give to his children as to why he no longer lived in

    Eden ?.

  A. Your Mother ate us out of house and home.

  Q. Which servant of God was the most flagrant lawbreaker in the Bible ?.

  A. Moses.... He broke all 10 commandments at once .

  Q. Which area of Palestine was especially wealthy ?.

  A. The area around Jordan......The banks were always overflowing.

  Q. Who is the greatest babysitter mentioned in the Bible ?.

  A. David..... He rocked Goliath to a very deep sleep.

  Q. Which Bible character had no parents?

  A. Joshua, son of Nun.

  Q. Why didn't they play cards on the ark ?.

  A. Because Noah was standing on the deck...(groan...)

  P.S....... Did you know it's a sin for a woman to make coffee?

    It's in the Bible, it says " He - brews ".

  KEEP SMILING !!!! GOD LOVES YOU BUNCHES AND BUNCHES!!!!!!!!

  Faith, hope and love-- but the greatest of these is love.

  1 Corinthians 13:13.

-gina dyosi

....zeal

The following story is one that is reported to have been told by Napoleon to spark patriotism among his men:

Once, while visiting a province he came upon an old soldier in full uniform but with one sleeve hanging empty.  He proudly wore the coveted Legion of Honor.   Napoleon asked, "Where did you lose your arm?"

The soldier answered, "At Austerlitz, sire."   Napoleon asked, "And for that you received the Legion of Honor?"

The man said, "Yes, sire. It is but a small token to pay for the decoration."    Napoleon continued, "You must be the kind of man who regrets he did not lose both arms for his country."

The one-armed man asked, "What then would have been my reward?   Napoleon answered, "I would have awarded you a double Legion of Honor."

And with that, the proud old fighter drew his sword and immediately cut off his other arm.

What a great story of patriotic duty!  It apparently was quite effective in stirring up in Napoleon's men a desire to sacrifice even more for the cause of France!

There's only one problem with the story.  You may have already noticed the inconsistency.  But apparently it was years before anyone dared to ask Napoleon the question, "How did the soldier cut off his arm with only one arm to do it with?"

Nice story.  Stirring, moving, motivating.... but it wasn't true.  And it's possible for the same thing to happen to us in a religious sense.  We can get all "fired up" without much thought as to the truth of what we're getting excited about.  Paul said of those who were motivated in such a way:   "...They are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge." (Romans 10:2)

Zeal is good. We all need more of it.  But we need to make certain that our enthusiasm is firmly based on our knowledge of God's will by reading His Word.

-alan smith

bottle

 A man was strolling along the beach one day when he spotted a bottle washed up on the shore. He went over and picked it up, and noticed a message in the bottle. He popped the cork out and inside was a weathered treasure map indicating that there was buried treasure to be found in the shallow waters below. But the man thought it was a hoax, so he slipped the map back in and threw the bottle back into the ocean...

A little later, another man was walking along the beach and the bottle had washed upon the shore. He too picked up the bottle, popped out the cork, and found the treasure map. This man, however, was curious enough to wade into the water and hoped it was buried shallow enough to find.  But once the cold ocean waters reached up to his thighs, he decided to quit. "This is not worth it!" he thought to himself. So he scrambled back to shore and  chucked the bottle back into the ocean....

A third man was walking by the beach and noticed the bottle washed upon the shore. He went  over, opened the bottle and found the map. The map looked authentic enough, and promised great treasure... So he got himself a small raft and set out into the ocean to claim the treasure..he rowed out far enough into the ocean where the "X" on the map was and to his surprise, he saw the glint of something shining in the waters below..he dove into the ocean and swam towards the shining object below..he could see that there was something that looked like a treasure chest, but he couldn't quite reach it and the deeper he went, the greater the cold and pressure on his body and his mind..," I am about to lose my breath, and the longer i take, my raft might be swept away!", he thought. So the man decided to give up the hunt so he would ensure his own life and safety..when he reached the shore once more, he took the bottle from the raft and tossed it back into the ocean...

Finally, one more man was walking along the beach. He noticed the bottle, went over, popped it open, and was excited to find a map promising great treasure. He noticed someone had left a raft by the water's edge, so he took it and paddled out. He too, got far enough to where the "X" marks the spot, and squinted into the waters and saw the shadow and glint of the treasure below. He took a deep breath and plunged into the waters. Like the man before him, the cold, darkness and pressure upon his senses increased as he got closer. He also  realized that if he kept swimming, that he might lose his breath, the raft, and even his own life! But this treasure could be worth all the risk and he persisted. Just as he was about to give up, he grabbed the long chain that was binding the chest and pulled it up along with himself back to the surface. He broke the surface of the water gasping and  exhausted but with the treasure chest safely in his grasp. He paddled back to the shore, opened up the treasure chest and found what the map had promised--gold, and precious diamonds and jewels that would make him secure for the rest of his life.

A relationship with Jesus Christ is a similar treasure hunt. People hear the same message, but the way they receive it will determine the reward they might find. Eternal life is waiting for all those who are willing to take that risk to follow Jesus all the way to the "X" (the Cross), where we find love, forgiveness and life everlasting.... for eternity.

-author unknown

sustainer

Jesus Christ is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or   dominions or rulers or authorities-all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Colossians 1:15-17

Did you know that there are forces in nature that science can’t explain? Forces such as gravity, centrifugal force, and others. Scientists can study them; they can analyze them; they can even measure them, but they don’t know why they are there. 

One of the physicists who developed the Big Bang Theory puzzled over how we could live in a world in which practically every object was a potential nuclear explosion, and yet not be blown to bits. Carl Darrow, a physicist at Bell Laboratories, wrote that these particles have no right to be alive at all-they never should have been created and, if created, they should have blown up instantly. Yet there is something that relentlessly holds them together.

What is this force that keeps the universe intact? Where does the power come from to keep us from instantly dissolving into one massive nuclear explosion? The answer is found in Colossians 1:17, “[Jesus] is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Not only did He create all things (v. 16), but by His hand, we are held together. Jesus Christ is the power behind every mysterious force in the universe. 

Someday at the time of His Father’s choosing and as 2 Peter 3:10-12 teaches, Jesus will withdraw His sustaining influence and there will be a blowout such as none of us has ever imagined. 

Then, after our old universe has passed away, He will create a new heaven and a new earth, where we will live with Him forever (v. 13).

By just a word of His power (Hebrews 1:3), Jesus holds all things together. He is the relentless force in the universe, and although unbelieving men and women turn away from Him, we worship Him as the central figure in all time and space. He is supreme; He is eternal; He is the Sustainer of all things. 

What burden can He not carry for you?

Walking in the Word

...discouraged

Imagine that I dump 10,000 plastic eggs in your back yard. I assure you that inside one of those hollow eggs is a check for $1 Million dollars with your name on it. Would you get discouraged if you opened the first 100 eggs without finding the check? How about the first 1000 eggs? Of course not ! You'd just keep opening those eggs, just waiting for the moment when you'd find the check.

Paul knew the meaning of the word "suffering." He had been beaten, stoned, imprisoned, shipwrecked, starved, and rejected. And yet Paul said that his sufferings were nothing compared to the glory that would come. In other words, Paul had opened a lot of empty eggs, but he never gave up or got discouraged. He believed that something great was in his future. God's glory revealed in him.

     

Perhaps it feels to you as if your life has been nothing but empty eggs. You've already opened 99000 of them and you're not sure you've got the will to go on. Let me encourage you today. Don't give up. I don't want to trivialize the challenges you are facing, but I do want to help you put them into perspective. They are only temporary, and God has something much greater in store for you. Compared to the glory that will be revealed in us one day, our suffering doesn't merit discouragement.

       

Hang on. Don't give up. Keep going. One day God will replace your discouragement with  incomparable glory!

"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed to us."  Romans 8:18

-

name

I'VE NEVER MET a person who didn't have a name (other than newborn babies whose parents had  procrastinated)... In every society on earth, names are demanded in order to distinguish one  from another. If you don't have a name, someone will quickly attach one. Often we are given an additional name -- a nickname -- based on some attribute others see in us.

Which leads me to wonder: Does God give nicknames?

In John 1:42 we learn that Jesus gave a new name to Simon, brother of Andrew. "And [Andrew] brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, 'You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas' (which is translated, A Stone)" (NKJV). Jesus was not demeaning Simon's character by that name; it was a compliment. In Simon, Jesus saw someone who would one day be a symbol of strength in the kingdom of God.

Mark, in listing the apostles, tells of another naming: "James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is "Sons of Thunder" (Mark 3:17). Luke helps us understand why Jesus gave such a curious name to these men. After some Samaritans refused to allow Jesus and his disciples to enter their town, James and John urged the Lord to call down fire from heaven to destroy that place (Luke 9:54). In this case, the name was not a compliment. It did, however, show the Lord's perception of their true character.

The church to which I minister recently provided name tags for all its members. What would happen if on Sunday we discovered that the Lord had changed the names? In place of the names our parents gave us, we would find instead our God-given name. How many of us would like that? Would my name tag read "Gossip Lover," "Power Seeker," "Hothead," or "Two-Faced"? If the Lord named me as he named others, would I be proud to wear that name tag?

In spite of our flaws, God is patient with us. John identifies the best name that can be bestowed by God: "Behold what manner of love the father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! ..." ( 1 John 3:1). As long as I know I'm a child of the king, there's hope for me.

-tim hall

...feelings

“‘You will not surely die,’ the serpent said to the woman. ‘For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’”

Genesis 3:4-5

On July 31, 1964, Country music star Jim Reeves and his piano player Dean Manuel took off from Batesville, Arkansas. Reeves was piloting his Beechcraft Bonanza and his destination was Nashville, Tennessee. Reeves was qualified only to fly during clear weather, but a storm quickly rose and dark skies and rain buffeted the small airplane.

Then about 5 p.m., the plane disappeared from airport radar, just ten miles from Nashville. Two days later, the wreckage and Reeves and Manual’s remains were found in a heavily wooded area.

The official report said that pilot error was the cause of the accident. Reeves had probably experienced vertigo during the storm. Vertigo is the disorienting sensation caused by an imbalance to the inner ear caused by the person leaning in one direction. While in the dark clouds and the buffeting of the storm, Reeves could not discern what was up or what was down. His inner ear probably gave him the sensation that he was in a turn and he overcompensated by turning the aircraft in the opposite direction. If Reeves had been trained to fly on instruments, he would have been able to overcome this false feeling of orientation.

God has given us an instrument to live by - HIS WORD. We are not to trust in our own feelings or to make decisions “by the seat of our pants.” Today in prayer, thank God for His Word, that it can be trusted and it can preserve us from all types of danger.

“Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119:105

-david langerfield 

...truck

How often do you let other people's nonsense change your mood? Do you let a bad driver, rude  waiter, curt boss, or an insensitive employee ruin your day? Unless you're the Terminator, for an instant you're probably set back on your heels. However, the mark of a successful person is how quickly she can get back her focus on what's important.

I learned it in the back of a Harare City taxi cab. Here's what happened. I hopped in a taxi and we took off for Westgate . We were driving when all of a sudden a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his breaks, skidded, and missed the other car's back end by just inches!

Here's what happened next. The driver of the other car, the guy who almost caused a big accident, whipped his head around and he started yelling bad words at us. How do I know? Ask any Zimbabwean, some words in Harare come with a special face.

Now, here's what blew me away. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was friendly. So, I said, "Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!" And this is when my taxi driver told me what I now call, "The Law of the Garbage Truck."

Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it. And if you let them, they'll dump it on you. When someone wants to dump on you, don't take it personal. You just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. You'll be happy you did. I guarantee it.

So this was it: The "Law of the Garbage Truck." I started thinking, how often do I let Garbage Trucks run right over me? And how often do I take their garbage and spread it to other people: at work, at home, on the streets? It was that day I said, "I'm not going to do it anymore."

I began to see garbage trucks. Like in the movie "The Sixth Sense," the little boy said, "I see Dead People." Well now "I see Garbage Trucks." I see the load they're carrying. I see them coming to drop it off. And like my Taxi Driver, I don't make it a personal thing; I just smile, wave, wish them well, and I move on.

One of my favourite Football players of all times, Ronaldino, does this every day on the football field. With a smile he always jumps up as quickly as he hits the ground after being tackled. He never dwells on a hit.  Ronaldino is always ready to make the next play his best. Good leaders know they have to be ready for their next meeting. Good parents know that they have to welcome their children home from school with hugs and kisses.

Leaders and parents know that they have to be fully present and at their best for the people they care about.

The bottom line is that successful people do not let Garbage Trucks take over their day. What about you? What would happen in your life, starting today, if you let more garbage trucks pass you by?  

You'll be happier. 

I guarantee it. 

-carol muhiu

...house

A house is a house is a house--until love comes through the door, that is. And love intuitively goes around sprinkling that special brand of angel dust that transforms a house into a very special home for very special people: your family. 

Money, of course, can build a charming house, but only love can furnish it with a feeling of home. 

Duty can pack an adequate sack lunch, but love may decide to tuck a little love note inside. 

Money can provide a television set, but love controls it and cares enough to say no and take the guff that comes with it. 

Obligation sends the children to bed on time, but love tucks the covers in around their necks and passes out kisses and hugs (even to teenagers!). 

Obligation can cook a meal, but love embellishes the table with a potted ivy trailing around slender candles. 

Duty writes many letters, but love tucks a joke or a picture or a fresh stick of gum inside. 

Compulsion keeps a sparkling house. But love and prayer stand a better chance of producing a happy family. 

Duty gets offended quickly if it isn't appreciated. But love learns to laugh a lot and to work for the sheer joy of doing it. 

Obligation can pour a glass of milk, but quite often love will add a little chocolate. 

-james s. hewett

sinning

You try to hide from God 

"Adam, where art thou? and he said. I heard thy voice in the garden and I was afraid because I s

naked and I hid myself." Gen 3:9-10. There is no hiding place! "All things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do" Heb 4:13. "He that covers his sin shall not prosper" Pro 28:13. Don't play the fool. God knows all about it. You must confess and forsake it. Don't you know that "Every good and perfect gift is from above" from GOD James 1:17. Run to Him not from Him. 

You stop reading the Bible 

"God wrote you a letter. You ought to read your mail." "Desire the sincere milk of the word that   ye may grow thereby" 1 Pet. 2:2. You would be extremely concerned if your son stopped eating. God is concerned when you stopped reading His word. You get weak and prey to every spiritual disease there is. "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word" Ps 119:9. Read it and heed it. 

You prayer life gets shot 

There is a hotline to heaven. It is never busy. "Call upon me in the day of trouble, I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorify me" Ps 50:15. Turn to the Lord, not from Him. Judge yourself, confess  that sin and get forgiven, cleansed and remember that sin is forgotten by God "their sins and iniquities will I remember no more" Heb 8:12. Don't let Satan bring them up. 

"I have come that they might have life" don't just get half a loaf but all of it "and have it (life) more adamantly" than the lost and most of the found (saved ones). Jn 10:10. 

MY PASSION is that YOU reach YOUR maximum potential for God.. 

-abc Sumner 

...leaf

A man that was "big game" hunting in an unfamiliar land, was crouched low, waiting for his prized  moment to shoot. He heard a 'rustling' behind him. He looked, but saw nothing so he resumed his  position, waiting. He heard it again. As he looked in another angle, he noticed the commotion was  coming from a tree very near him. He spied a large snake slowly making its way to a nest, high up   in a tree. The mama bird was frantically fluttering her wings while chirping, trying to 'scare' the snake away. Not working, and seeing it was too close to her, she left her nest. 

The hunter sat there, watching, knowing the sure outcome of these little birds, when he noticed  the mama bird making a quick dash back to her nest. She was holding a red leaf in her beak, she   dropped it atop her nest, and flew away to a nearby branch, watching. The hunter thought on this  action that this little creature took, so puzzled by it, he thought, surely the bird was maybe trying to "hide" her chicks. He thought in his mind, not a chance!  That snake has "zeroed -in" on his prey.  Then the hunter witnessed something very perplexing.....strange.  Just as the snake came up to the tip of the nest, he turned and began his journey back down the limb and then off the tree. 

The hunter could not figure this out at all until he came to one of the natives later that night. The native asked him if he had any "luck" today, during his hunt. The hunter replied, "I didn't, but a little bird did"...as he began to relay to the native about what he saw, the native told him that it was a poisonous leaf that she dropped in the nest. Highly poisonous to the snake, they "just know" NOT to TOUCH it!!!!!

The Bible says that God sees the ’sparrows’. If He provided a certain leaf  that is offensive to this snake, thus by it her young were not devoured. I ask you……..HOW MUCH MORE pleading the  BLOOD of JESUS over our kids, to keep them from being devoured by our Enemy? The BLOOD of  JESUS is an OFFENSE to him! 

-john & ramona rohrer  

joy

“I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14

As hard as it is to accept, joy is a personal choice. I’d much rather think the opposite-to claim   that people and circumstances steal my joy. I hate the idea that the reason I don’t have joy  sometimes is because I’m not choosing it. 

I don’t know how high your joy meter is right now, but I can tell you on the authority of God’s   Word that if it’s low or if it’s lost, you can find it again in the person of Jesus Christ Himself. You can choose the joy found in following Jesus. 

Sometimes people who have known the Lord for a while get bored. They think, There’s gotta be   something more, something better, something different and off they go in search of some kind of

  unbiblical extravagance to satisfy that itch. To that, the apostle Paul posts a big warning sign in Philippians 3:16-14:

  “Forget what lies behind and strain forward to what lies ahead . . . I press on!”

Instead of longing for more or better or different, God calls us deeper and stronger. Philippians 3   continues, “hold true to what we have attained.” 

If you want to choose joy every day, then hold fast to God. Keep depending on Christ. Do you still  lean on Him as completely as when you first came to the Cross? Is every step with God one of   dependence and faith? What uncertainty lies ahead? What obstacle are you being called to conquer right now? Do you want joy amidst those challenges? Say, I can’t do it, Lord; only You can do it in me.

What do you need to do today to regain lost joy? Maybe you need to stop trying so hard in your own strength to be what God wants you to be and move back into that dependent, Christ-centered approach to life. Remember that the same way you came to the Lord is also how you’ll grow in Christ.

  

Want more joy? 

Get back on the track of desperate dependence on God and abiding faith.  

3

 Three things in life that, once gone, never come back -

  1. Time

  2. Words

  3. Opportunity

  Three things in life that can destroy a person -

  1. Anger

  2. Pride

  3. Unforgiveness

  Three things in life that you should never lose -

  1. Hope

  2. Peace

  3. Honesty

  Three things in life that are most valuable -

  1. Love

  2. Family & Friends

  3. Kindness

  Three things in life that are never certain -

  1. Fortune

  2. Success

  3. Dreams

  Three things that make a person -

  1. Commitment

  2. Sincerity

  3. Hard work

  Three things that are truly constant -

  Father - Son - Holy Spirit

I ask the Lord to bless you, as I pray for you today; to guide you and protect you, as you go long your way.

God's love is always with you, God's promises are true.

And when you give God all your cares,  you know God will see you through.

-phyllis page