Sweeter than Honey
“What does he know that I don’t?” David, the writer of Psalm 119, says, “How sweet your words taste to me; they are sweeter than honey.” (Psalm 119:103) Granted, there are some nice things in the Bible, but really, “sweeter than honey?” Here’s what David understands that we often miss when we...
Wineskins
Which is better, old or new? “Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.” -Matthew 9:17 How easy it is in our “newer-is-better” consumer culture to discard the old in...
Need
If you think you have it all together, it’s doubtful Jesus has much for you… And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors...
Careful Who You Count On
“We were counting on Egypt to protect us from Assyria…”
Over and over again the the Scriptures, we find this theme of people relying on something other than God, only to have it fail. Most often, that object of reliance is simply another person or group.
How easy it is to do this; to see with natural eyes and rely on them, rather than trusting the supernatural call to look to God and rely on Him!
How quickly we rush to someone close at hand who seems to have our answer and meet our bees, only to find emptiness on the other side.
Remember this, walk in it and find hope: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” -Proverbs 3:5-6, ESV
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Faithfulness
In 2 Chronicles 24, Jehoida the priest serves God faithfully, lives 130 years, and is buried with the great honor in the royal cemetery, “among the kings.”
Joash the king, by contrast, starts strong but finishes poorly, abandoning his once-faithful worship of Yahweh to worship pagan gods instead.
The result? He is assassinated by his own officials and buried in Jerusalem, “but not in the royal cemetery”.
Don’t just start strong. Finish well, for the ones God rewards the greatest are those who were the most faithful to Him.
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Work the Gift
“We have received God’s Spirit…so that we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.” -2 Corinthians 2:12
“The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work.” – 2 Corinthians 3:8
When I was a boy, my dad had me mow the lawn each week.
That was how I earned money, but the condition was that while there were $10 available for me, only $4 were for getting the grass cut. The other $6 were all about the character I showed in how I got the job done. Was I prompt or did I drag it out? Was my attitude cheerful or negative? Did I focus on the opportunity or the obligation?
No matter how I did the job (or even if I did it at all), my dad never stopped loving me, never stopped accepting me. In fact, he couldn’t. Nothing I could do would ever take away his love.
The thing is, my father freely gave me everything I needed to reap the maximum blessing. What I did with it, however, was up to me.
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Pray for Me [an Encouraging Word 004]
“Pray for me”.
It’s a simple request that can bring so much comfort, but what do you do when the thing you need prayer for is something you just can’t admit to?
(NOTE: Scripture references below video.)
SCRIPTURES USED:
Romans 8:26
Romans 8:34
[Pray for Me: an Encouraging Word 004 | © 2011 phillipgonzales.com]
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Timidity or Trust?
“Be courageous!
Let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. May the Lord’s will be done.” -1 Chronicles 19:13
Often we find ourselves so fixated on a particular outcome that we become slaves to our own expectations. In this, we open ourselves up to fear of what might happen if things don’t go the way we hope, and can become so timid that we refuse to take risks any more.
When we have absolute trust in God’s perfect will -regardless of circumstance or outcome- we can have absolute confidence in any situation.
When we have confidence in God’s perfect plan -regardless of circumstance or outcome- we are free to risk, free to fail, free to live to the fullest because our life no longer depends on our faith, but on His faithfulness.
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Great and Noble
The gray dawn of a momentous day loomed on the horizon as thousands of soldiers prepared themselves for war.
On June 6, 1944, United States Commander-in-Chief Dwight D. Eisenhower delivered these words of challenge and encouragement to the men and women of the U.S. Armed Services and the Allied Expeditionary Forces as they steeled themselves for the brutal fight ahead.
Read them with gratefulness for those who sacrificed so much on your behalf, and let them be an inspiration for you and me to rise up and meet the challenges of our age with the same courage and determination as the generations who have gone before.
(Thanks to Jim Patch for sending this.)
ALLIED EXPEDITIONARY FORCES
Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force!
You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on other Fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world.
Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped and battle-hardened.
He will fight savagely.
But this is the year 1944! Much has happened since the Nazi triumphs of 1940-41. The United Nations have inflicted upon the Germans great defeats, in open battle, man-to-man. Our air offensive has seriously reduced their strength in the air and their capacity to wage overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions of war, and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men. The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together to Victory!
I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full Victory!
Good Luck! And let us beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.
Ike
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Scripture Notes: Psalm 52
“I will trust in Your good name in the presence of Your faithful people…” -Psalm 52:9b
My desire is for a good name for myself and those I love. My hope, however, is not in my own achievements, virtue or reputation, not in my “good name”, but in HIS.
“The name of the Lord is a strong fortress; the godly run to Him and are safe.” -Proverbs 18:10
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