.....name

A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, loving favor rather than silver and gold Proverbs 22:1

There are two days in our lives when our name is prominent: the day we receive our name at birth, and the day our name appears in the obituary column. What happens between those two determines whether our name is a lovely ointment ... or a foul stench.

The late Bill Bright, founder and president of Campus Crusade for Christ, International, told about growing up in Oklahoma in the 1920s and '30s watching his father and grandfather conduct business affairs with other men. It was all done on a handshake (which is almost unheard of today) because of his grandfather's reputation in the area. He didn't realize exactly how respected his grandfather's name and word really were until years later.

In 1948, Bill was driving from Californian to Oklahoma to marry his sweetheart, Vonette Zachary. As he passed through Okmulgee, Oklahoma, where his grandfather had lived for many years, he remembered that he had forgotten to purchase gifts for several members of the wedding party. Stopping at a jewelry store, he asked if he could make a purchase with an out-of-state check and was told no, that it was against store policy.

As he turned to leave, the owner asked him, "Do you know anyone in Okmulgee?" thinking someone might be able to vouch for his honesty. "No, I don't," Bill replied. "My grandfather used to live here, but he died a few years ago." "Who was your grandfather?" the store owner asked. "Sam Bright."

"Are you Sam Bright's grandson?" the store owner asked, his face lighting up as he approached Bill. "Why, Sam Bright was the most honorable man I have ever known! If you're anything like your grandfather, I'll sell you anything in the store - and I'll gladly take your check."

A Good Name - Even though you may not have much in the way of material possessions, a good name is one of those wonderful gifts you can pass on to your children.

- david jeremiah

.....lift

Christ is the solid Rock upon which we have been set. He alone is our stable source of direction and strength. We will need to live this truth again and again as we continue to answer the call to follow.

When Jesus called Peter and Andrew to "Come, follow Me" Matthew 4:19, He was calling them to become His disciples. But Jesus placed strong conditions on a disciple; "Anyone who does not carry his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple" Luke 14:27.

The call to be a disciple is not simply a call to live a good moral life. It's a call to crucify everything of our self that hinders our relationship with God. We must hold loosely to everything but God. The life of a disciple should clearly demonstrate a commitment to Christ by producing fruit for His Kingdom; "This is to My Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourself to be My disciple" John 15:8. A disciple should flow with pure love; "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another" John 13:35. And a disciple maintains a commitment to all Jesus taught; "If you hold to My teachings, you are really My disciples" John 8:31.

We are called to glorify God by drawing very near to Jesus and loving Him with all our heart; but in our own strength, we have no ability to draw near - no ability to be His disciple.

But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself John 12:32 When Jesus was "lifted up" on the cross and died for our sin, He provided the way back to the Father - the way to become His disciple. He drew us to Himself so we could be forgiven and stand in the presence of God. Likewise, the only way to draw near and follow today is to lift Him up to His rightful throne over our life and give Him our pure praise and absolute worship.

If we fail to lift up Christ, our efforts to carry our cross become nothing more than a list of restrictive rules; we will have no ability to produce Kingdom fruit, and our love for others will be selfish and artificial. Without a focus on Christ, our walk will become an impossible burden without direction. Let's "make disciples" by first being His devoted disciple. And let's be His disciple by ensuring that in ALL we do, we love Him and continually lift Him up.

- adapted steve troxel

.....stand

God gives us an eternal hope by lifting us up, washing us clean, and setting our feet upon a new and solid path. When we are in the slimy and muddy pit, we are vulnerable to attack; it's difficult to move and we easily lose our balance. We tend to live in fear, not knowing who to trust or which way to turn. But as Christ lifts us up, we become "a new creation" 2 Corinthians 5:17. Life on solid ground should not be the same as life in the pit! That's worth repeating - Life should NOT be the same!!

As the Spirit of God transforms us, He also provides everything we need to accomplish God's work and live a victorious life; "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness" 2 Peter 1:3. Knowing that our Heavenly Father has created us anew and gifted us with ALL we ever need, we must now be resolved to stand firm.

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 1 Corinthians 15:58

We must firmly stand; while realizing that we cannot stand in our own strength. The ground is solid only because of Christ. He IS the rock upon which we have been set - the Rock of our Salvation. Whenever we feel unworthy or unable to follow - whenever we feel we can no longer stand - we have surely begun to look to our own strength rather than God; "Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ" 2 Corinthians 1:21. He gives us the strength.

We have trusted Him to lift us out of the pit, and now that we are His child, we must continue to trust Him to strengthen us and be the stable Rock of our life. "For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life!" Romans 5:10.

The solid Rock is no place to tremble, no place to fear. He will remain solid for all eternity, and as we stand on Him, He will accomplish through us what we are unable to do in our own strength. He is our new life, our strength, our identity, and all our self-worth. He is our comfort when we grieve, and He is our guiding light when we have lost our way. Let's honor our Heavenly Father as we continue to stand. Let's bring Him glory as we resolve to stand firm on the Rock!

.....heart

In the book of Malachi, God called the people of Israel back to the law He established 800 years earlier with Moses. God spoke of the necessity of a pure sacrifice Malachi 1:7-8, and the need for the priests to speak a message of truth Malachi 2:7-8. He also addressed the issue of giving back a portion of our resources - a portion referred to as the tithe.

Will a man rob God? Yet you rob Me. But you ask, 'How do we rob You?' In tithes and offerings. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house Malachi 3:8, 10

The principle of an offering began with Cain and Abel Genesis 4:3-4. Abraham then demonstrated the concept of the tithe when he gave Melchizedek "a tenth of everything" Genesis 14:20. But systematic tithing was not established until God gave the law to Moses, Leviticus 27:30-33.

In the time of Malachi, God not only called for a return to the discipline of tithing, He also directly linked tithing to blessings and gave the ultimate challenge: "Test Me in this and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of Heaven" Malachi 3:10. God certainly never "owes" us because of anything we do, but His Word contains a consistent call to obedience, and true obedience always results in true blessing.

When Jesus died on the cross, He fulfilled the law for all who believe. And though the legalistic letter of the law has passed away, the intent of the law (which is the heart of God) remains for all time; "These {laws} are a shadow of the things to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ" Colossians 2:17.

The intent of all the law is that God dearly loves us and is Lord over ALL areas of our life. The law teaches this truth and shows us how far short we fall of His standard. The purpose of the law was much more than teaching us to comply with a written code. The shadow contained in the written law says "Thou shalt not kill," but the reality in Christ says to not even have hatred in our heart, Matthew 5:21-22 .

When we debate about the "rules" of how much and where to give, we are focused on the shadow and miss the reality of Christ - He loves us and is Lord of ALL! As we focus our eyes on Christ, we will give. We will give generously, "not reluctantly or under compulsion" 2 Corinthians 9:7. 

We will gladly give of our time, talents, and finances to whatever need He directs; and as we give and join in His work, we will better understand His true blessings. When He is truly Lord of all, we will not simply give according to a formula dictated by the law, we will live under His grace and give according to the law's intent. 

When He is Lord, we will cease to rob God and will joyfully give our lives as we give from the heart.

- adapted from steve troxel

.....hug

In the fall of the year, Linda, a young woman, was traveling alone in the rutted and rugged highway from Alberta, Canada, to the Yukon. Linda didn't realize that you don't travel to Whitehorse alone in a rundown little Honda Civic.  So, she set off where only four-wheel-drives and cars with chains normally venture. 

The first evening she found a room in the mountains near the summit and asked for a 5 o'clock wake-up call, so she could get an early start.  She couldn't understand why the clerk looked surprised at the request, but when she awoke to an early morning fog shrouding the mountain tops, she understood. 

Not wanting to look foolish, she got up and went to breakfast.  Two truckers invited Linda to join them, and since the place was so small, she felt obliged.  "Where are you headed?" one of the truckers asked. "Whitehorse," she answered.  

"In that little Civic?" one of them said.  "No way!  This pass is way too dangerous in weather like this."  "Well, I'm determined to try," was Linda's gutsy, if not very informed, response. "Then I guess we're just going to have to hug you," the trucker suggested. Linda drew back.  "There's no way I'm going to let you touch me!" she said angrily.

"Not like that!" the truckers chuckled. "We'll put one truck in front of you and one in the rear.  That way, we'll get you through the mountains safely." 

Throughout that entire foggy morning, Linda followed the two red dots - the tail lights of the rig in front of her.  She had the reassurance of another big rig - right behind her - as they slowly made their way safely up, and through, the mountains. She realized that she could never have traveled this road on her own. She needed the two truckers to "hug" her.

There are times we are caught in the fog of our own dangerous passage through life.  During those times, we, too, need to be "hugged"... Hugged by fellow Christians who know the way and can safely lead ahead of us, and with other Christians behind us to guard the way, gently encouraging us along.

With those fellow Christians "hugging" us - both in the front leading us and also behind us guarding us - we too, can pass safely through the mountains and passes of life.

"Bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ." Galatians 6:2 

- charles swindle

.....solid

As we begin to view our life more from God's perspective - an eternal perspective - our heavy burdens can seem "Light and Momentary” and we can find purpose even in our "Times of Waiting." This view of life cannot be obtained apart from belief in Jesus Christ. The life changing benefit of God's perspective can only be found through a clear understanding of the gospel message. 

This gospel changes everything!

The gospel message is one of hope which says, God loves us and has an ETERNAL plan for our life through faith in His Son Jesus. Without the hope of the gospel, we would continue to live a life of emptiness and an eternity separated from God. Even if we stumbled onto temporary fulfillment - even if our burden was made light - without the gospel our life would end without hope.

But as we place our trust in Jesus, He lifts us up, gives our life new meaning, and transforms us into a new creation through the power of His Spirit.

I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand Psalm 40:1-2

These words, written by King David over one thousand years before the death and resurrection of Jesus yet, they provide an excellent illustration of the hope found in the message of Salvation.

In our sinful nature, we all "have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way" Isaiah 53:6. Our nature is to follow our own sinful desires and walk down paths which cause us to "fall short of the glory of God" Romans 3:23. Each of us have been firmly embedded in the mire of sin and none of us can climb out of the slimy pit with our own strength; we have no ability to build eternal hope!

But praise God that before the creation of the world He loved us and had a plan to bring us back to Himself, a plan to rescue us; "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" Romans 5:8. The death and resurrection of Jesus allows us victory over sin and creates a way out of the mud; "If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved" Romans 10:9.

If we desire to be clean and live with hope and a new view of life, we must call out to Jesus and believe He is who He claimed to be - our Savior and Lord! If we will trust Him and cry out in faith, He has promised to hear our cry and lift us up. He will pour His cleansing love upon us and fill us with purpose! 

He will set our feet for all eternity upon Himself and we will forever stand on solid ground.

.....waiting

As Paul was returning to Jerusalem at the end of his third missionary journey, he already had a sense of where his next journey would lead; "after I have been there, I must visit Rome" Acts 19:21. But he also knew he was about to face many difficulties; "in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me" Acts 20:23. Paul was arrested less than ten days after arriving in Jerusalem. He probably didn't realize it at the time, but his journey to Rome had just begun.

Paul's journey to Rome would last about two and a half years and include many legal and physical trials, and many opportunities to demonstrate his faith in Jesus Christ, it also included two long years where Paul had nothing to do but sit in prison and wait for an occasional visit with Governor Felix before being transferred to the courts of Rome.

As Paul discoursed on righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, 'That's enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you Acts 24:25

This must have been a difficult time for someone accustomed to being so actively involved in ministry. Paul was treated well in this prison, but after receiving specific instructions to minister in Rome, two years must have felt like a painfully long time.

We are never told of God's reason for this waiting period. Many times, waiting is necessary to allow other events to occur and other people to be properly positioned. And many times, waiting is necessary because we need to better learn some of God's truths....

Paul was about to face his most challenging journey and possibly his most significant ministry opportunity; "Take courage! As you have testified about Me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome" Acts 23:11. On his journey, Paul faced a severe storm, shipwreck, snakebite, as threats on his life, he also was given the opportunity to minister to the leaders of the Roman Empire.

Much of our own journey involves patience and learning how to trust and wait on God. Almost nothing seems to occur as fast as we would like; difficult situations take longer to resolve, people take longer to mature, and ministries take longer to grow. But our present circumstances always serve a purpose!

If we have earnestly sought God and not received specific direction, it's possible we are simply being told to wait - wait and be refreshed; wait and spend time abiding in His presence; wait...and prepare. Let's continue to rejoice and learn to trust Him even more during our times of waiting.

- adapted from steve troxel

.....momentary

There is no example of a Christ-changed life which is more dramatic than the Apostle Paul. While on his way to Damascus to capture Christians and put them in jail, Jesus blinded Paul and asked, "Why do you persecute Me?" Acts 9:4. When Paul asked who was speaking, Jesus replied: "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do" Acts 9:5-6.

Jesus identified Paul as "My chosen instrument to carry My name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel" Acts 9:15. This special selection did not make Paul perfect, but he was gifted with a close relationship with Jesus as well as special insight into the true gospel message.

Paul suffered many hardships and trials during his years of ministry. His life was continually threatened; he was beaten many times, placed in prison for extended periods, and faced the frustration of ministering to people who failed to truly appreciate his message. And yet, Paul weighed his trials on the scale of eternity.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 2 Corinthians 4:16-17

Paul had learned "the secret of being content in any and every situation" Philippians 4:12. This secret involved knowing who he was in Christ and viewing his life from the perspective of eternity. This secret also gave him a new understanding of his trials.

Our life must no longer be viewed with a beginning and an end, but truly as being eternal. Though our days on earth may sometimes be difficult, our days are very few. A hundred years is not even a visible speck on the canvas of eternity - our days are momentary! And the weight of our burdens vanish to nothing when compared to the glory of Heaven - our burdens are truly light! This is the lasting power of an eternal perspective.

God's peace and contentment require us to expand our view to include an eternity we cannot see and a glory we may not understand; "I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace" (John 16:33). His peace is available today; it is available in our relationships, our work, our finances, our health, and our ministry.

Let's allow the world to see our confidence in His promised eternal glory by the peace which fills our life. Let's live by the faith of an eternal perspective and be renewed as we rightly consider ALL our trials to be light and momentary.

- steve troxel

.....cross

Anyone who does not take his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me  Matthew 10:38

Luke records similar words as Jesus spoke to a large crowd: "and anyone who does not carry his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple" Luke 14:27. Jesus also said that anyone who would come after Him must "take up his cross daily and follow" Luke 9:23.

But what does it mean to take up our cross? Many people refer to a hardship or difficult situation as "my cross to bear," and I know many of us are facing these kind of hardships right now! But God's Word contains no such reference to cross as hardship. The cross has only one Biblical association: Death! The only time anyone would carry their cross was when they were about to die.

Yes, we are called to die. But the call is not to a physical death; this death will eventually come to us all, and there is never a need to hasten its arrival. The call of Jesus is to a death of "self," the old sinful nature with its evil desires, dreams, and ambitions: "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in this body, I live by faith in the Son of God" Galatians 2:20.

We are called to a death which leads to true contentment and peace. But this death is not a one-time event; we are called to die daily! And this death is a process, every day seems to breathe life into our old nature, when we begin to talk, act, and think contrary to the way of Christ. When this occurs, simply praise God for the conviction of His Spirit, take up the cross once again, and continue to follow down His path.

As we "die" and completely surrender control to God, temptations of the world lose their pull and anxieties lose their source of concern. As we no longer live, we no longer focus on the cravings of our flesh or about what tomorrow may or may not bring. As Christ lives in us, the enemy loses the ability to effectively attack - they are no longer attacking us but Christ.

Our call is to become a follower of Jesus Christ and be transformed into His image. But to follow we must die! Let's become His worthy disciple as we love Him and trust Him with all our heart. Let's set aside all  and take up our cross.

.....fears

Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free John 8:32

Business professors Gary Hamel and C.K. Prahalad wrote about an experiment with four monkeys. In their cage was placed a pole with a bunch of bananas suspended at the top. When one of the monkeys climbed the pole, just as he reached out to grasp hold of a banana, he was doused with a torrent of cold water. 

Squealing, he quickly scampered down the pole. The same thing happened to the three other monkeys. After several more attempts, they abandoned all hope of reaching the bananas. 

The researchers then replaced one of the monkeys with another monkey, and as soon as the newcomer monkey began to climb the pole, the other three monkeys pulled him away. After several more attempts, he too gave up. A second one of the four original monkeys was replaced and the same thing happened to him. He, too, was pulled away from the pole when he attempted to climb it. 

In time all four of the original monkeys were replaced... none of whom dared climb the pole even though they never knew why and had never been doused with cold water. 

False fears, which may have had validity at one time but are no longer valid, are not only taught and learned by monkeys, but also by people. Such fears can be learned through an early traumatic experience--or learned from a parent--and be firmly programmed into our unconscious mind, and hold us back from becoming and doing all that God envisioned for us to be and do. 

For some people, irrational fears can be crippling. Only as we see and know the truth can we begin to be set free.

Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love 1 John 4:18

.....offenses

A person's wisdom yields patience; it is to one's glory to overlook an offense Proverbs 19:11

I have a friend who tells a story of a lesson the Lord taught him through his wife. It seems that every time he and his wife would get in the car to travel somewhere, his wife had a strong need to direct his driving. She would tell him where to turn and when to turn, even in their own subdivision. It was such a horrible habit that it drove my friend crazy and became the source of many an argument. Finally, one day my friend concluded that the Lord was trying to teach him something through this experience. He decided he would let go of his need to be free from this correction. He began to affirm his wife and even thank her for her input. It was excruciatingly painful to do this from where he sat.

A few months passed. He let go of the entire situation and actually got to a place where it just didn't matter to him anymore. An interesting thing happened a few months later. One day his wife looked at him and said, "John, I just realized that I have been directing your driving all these years and now I realize why I do that. It goes back to my childhood when I had to direct my younger brothers and sisters. I am so sorry I have been doing that."

My friend nearly fell out of his seat!

Whenever we work close to another person, whether in an office or home, small offenses can become the source of great conflict. Resentment and irritability soon follow. God allows these "offenses" into our lives to develop character qualities in us. He uses individuals in our lives to accomplish his goal of making us more Christ-like.

So the next time you complain or resist a habit or action from someone close to you, ask God if it has been placed there to develop some quality in you. "Pride is the root source of the need to change another person. A man's wisdom gives him patience - to let go of little offenses." 

This is where spiritual maturity is seen in the day-to-day activity of life. Is there someone close to you who has some habit you really want to change? Give up that desire to the Lord. Who knows, He may even change it after you let go of the need to change it.

.....light

Jesus set the example for ministry by equipping us to serve in His Kingdom. Each of us have been called to minister as we love Him and build up the body of Christ. Our specific roles in ministry may differ, but we have all been called and asked to be a part of His plan; we are all given the charge to tell others of the way to the Father through faith in Jesus. Paul calls this the ministry of reconciliation; "We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us" 2 Corinthians 5:20.

There is more work to be done in the field than we can possibly accomplish - our "job" is never complete. This has the potential for great stress "burnout" if we don't maintain a sense of our true purpose and an understanding of Who is really in charge.

"Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30

A yoke is a dual harness used to attach oxen and plow fields. Jesus said to take up His yoke and join Him in working His field. He is already pulling the load and wants us to attach ourselves to the other harness. As we do, we will discover a well-defined row in bad need of plowing. We will also find a load which is easy to bear.

 Jesus said our main task as we take up His yoke is to "learn from Him." It's as if walking by His side is really enough; as if walking by His side IS our ministry. The field will still get plowed, but in the process we will be blessed with a closer and deeper relationship with the Son of God.

If our burden has become heavy - if we are feeling weary and ready to quit - let's determine if we are properly "hitched" to His yoke and aligned to His row. A heavy burden requires some adjustments - maybe an adjustment in attitude, maybe an adjustment in priority. Let's take up His yoke and remember: His burden is light!

.....name

Jesus came to earth to be our necessary and absolutely sufficient sacrifice for sin. His death on the cross and resurrection from the tomb opened the door of grace for an eternally restored relationship with God for all who believe.

Prior to our salvation, the Holy Spirit draws us near by revealing truth to our heart. We are "born again" John 3:5-7 when we place our trust in the sacrifice of Jesus for the forgiveness of sin. At the moment of our new birth, we are changed - made a "new creation" 2 Corinthians 5:17 - by the power of the Holy Spirit; we also become "co-heirs with Christ" in God's Eternal Kingdom Romans 8:17.

As we begin our walk with Christ, we soon realize we are not who we once were; "the old has gone, the new has come" 2 Corinthians 5:17. The Spirit of God began a change in our heart that will continue all the rest of our days as we are "conformed to the likeness of His Son" Romans 8:29. Some aspects of this change are immediate as the bondage to sin is broken, but other portions of change will take a lifetime.

God has promised that our transformation will one day be complete; "He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion" Philippians 1:6. He will continue to shape and mold us - to chip off the rough edges - until we stand before Him and hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant!" Matthew 25:21. On that day, God's glory will be fully revealed in us and we will understand our true identity in Him.

To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it Revelation 2:17

God knows exactly who we are; "I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind" Jeremiah 17:10. But He also knows exactly who we will become. When we stand before His throne, He will acknowledge our completed transformation by giving us a new name. But as we receive the name, we will also receive full understanding of who we are and how our life has fit into His perfect plan. We will see the purpose of every twist and turn in our path and see what it really means to live in Christ.

Until that day, we must trust Him with all our heart and allow every aspect of our life to bring Him glory and honor. We must seek a consistency with our new identity - with the life God desires us to live. We are not who we once were, nor who we will one day become. Let's live a transformed life with great expectations of the glory to be revealed when we stand in His presence and receive a new name.

- steve troxel 

.....anew

Thomas Edison might be regarded as one of the world's greatest failures. This man tried more than a thousand different light bulbs until he got it right. Have you ever failed at something a thousand times before you got it right? If you had, your name might be right up there with that of Thomas Edison. 

Thomas Edison didn't think of these failed experiments as failures. He regarded them as steps in a long process. But late in his life something happened to him that would have defeated a lesser man. 

Thomas Edison's son Charles, one-time governor of New Jersey, tells the story. On the night of December 9, 1914, Edison Industries was virtually destroyed by fire. Edison lost two million dollars that night and much of his life's work went up in flames. He was insured for only $238,000, because the buildings had been made of concrete, at that time thought to be fireproof. 

Charles was 24; Thomas was 67. The young man ran about frantically, trying to find his father. Finally he came upon him, standing near the fire, his face ruddy in the glow, his white hair blown by the December winds. 

"My heart ached for him," Charles Edison said. "he was 67 - no longer a young man - and everything was going up in flames. He spotted me. 'Charles,' he shouted, 'where's your mother?' 1 don't know, Dad,' I said. 'Find her. Bring her here. She will never see anything like this again as long as she lives.'" 

The next morning, walking about the charred embers of all his hopes and dreams, Thomas Edison said, "There is great value in disaster. All our mistakes are burned up. Thank God we can start anew." 

Three weeks after the fire, his firm delivered the first phonograph. 

But this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus Philippians 3:13-14 

.....able

To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy - to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen Jude 24-25 

Able is the Greek word "dunatos", related to "dunamis", meaning ability, abundance, capability, mighty works, miraculous power, prevailing strength. "God is able" means God has the mighty power to do a miraculous work out of His abundance and strength. Romans 16:25 says God is able to establish you. Listen to the richness of the verse when read with its full definition "God has mighty power to do a miraculous work out of His abundance and strength to establish you." 

Bring your inability to the ability of God. As you read these verses drink in the bigness of God as you replace "able" with "has the mighty power to do a miraculous work out of His abundance and strength." 

God is ...

   Able to give much more 2 Chron 25:9

   Able to deliver from the fire Dan 3:17

   Able to raise up children of Abraham from stones Mat 3:9

   Able to give sight to the blind Mat 9:28-29

   Able to perform what He promised Rom 4:21

   Able to make you stand Rom 14:4; Ephesians 6

   Able to establish you Rom 16:25

   Able to make a way through temptation 1 Cor 10:13

   Able to make all grace abound to you 2 Cor 9:8

   Able to do exceedingly beyond all your asking Eph 3:20 

   Able to subdue everything under His control Phil 3:21

   Able to keep all we have committed to Him 2 Tim 1:12

   Able to save from death Heb 5:7

   Able to save completely, to the utmost Heb 7:25

   Able to raise men from the dead Heb 11:19

   Able to keep you from falling and to present you before His presence Jude 24

"To the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power, and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen." Jude 25

Be blessed in the name of God who is able

 - david langerfed

.....all

After all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you Matthew 6:32-33

Notice how many times in this passage that Jesus said "All These Things"

England's Queen Elizabeth I once asked a British  to undertake a mission for the crown. "But your Highness," said the man, "such a long absence will be fatal to my business." To which the queen replied: "You take care of my business, and I will take care of yours." When the man returned, he found that the queen's patronage had enlarged his company immeasurably.

Alice Taylor was a missionary to China whose four children were captured by the Japanese and interned in a concentration camp during World War II. Alice suffered galloping anxiety. But she recalled her pastor once putting Matthew 6:33 like this: "If you take care of the things that are dear to God, He will take care of the things that are dear to you."

"If you take care of the things that are dear to God, He will take care of the things that are dear to you." Alice forced herself to focus on the Lords work while trusting Him with her cares. In time her children came home safely to the glory of God.

What's our greatest need today? Whatever it is - financial, relational, physical, or emotional - it's included in that universal "all these things". 

Jesus said, "All these things...

        "All these things..."

        "All these things..."