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26/09/2024

Casting Your Cares

1 Peter 5:7 | Casting all your care upon Him, because He cares about you.

As you've no doubt discovered, becoming a Christian does not make your problems go away. But it does give you an Advocate to whom you can take every concern. The Christians Peter addressed were facing persecution. They did not know whom they could trust; A friend, a neighbor, or even a family member could betray them, resulting in suffering and even death. But Peter had walked with the recent Christ, and he had personally experienced the love that Jesus had for His followers. He knew that Jesus was in control, capable of handing every trial and that He wanted to do so as an expression of His love.

Casting our cares is a choice. It means consciously handling over our anxiety to Christ and allowing Him to carry the weight of our problems. At times this is the most difficult part of trusting God! We don't like turning over the responsibility of our problems. We have been taught that self-reliance is a good and praiseworthy. You may even enjoy worrying. Yet if we are to be freed from the burden of our concerns, we must choose to cast them into the strong hands of our Father.

Peter does not distinguish between little cares and big cares. God does not differentiate between problems we should handle on our own and God-sized needs. He asked us to turn them all over to Him. One of the greatest errors is to assume that we can deal with something ourselves, only to discover that we really can't.

God sees you as His frail child, burdened with a load that surpasses your strength. He stands prepared to take your load and to carry it for you. Would you let Him?



1 Peter 5:7

03/09/2024

The Key to Prosperity

2 Chronicles 31:21 | He was diligent in every deed that he began in the service of God's temple, in the instruction and the commands, in order to seek his God, and he prospered.

There is a way to ensure that you prosper in what you do: serve the Lord with your all your heart! Hezekiah, king of Judah, live in a dangerous and tumultuous time. He face powerful enemies. Idolatry was the popular religion of the day. His parents rejected God and encouraged people to worship other gods (2 Chron. 28). Hezekiah had the opportunity to reject God as well, yet he choose to serve God with all of his heart. He did everything in his power to promote worship of the true God. He diligently followed God's commandments. As a result of Hezekiah's determination to serve God, God blessed him. Hezekiah thrived in an unsettled time because he resolved to follow God despite popular opinion.

God will honor the heart that commits to follow him (2 Chron. 26:5). In times when worshipping God is not in vogue and when the forces of the day opposed Him, it takes courage and resolve to seek after God. God is pleased to prosper those who strive to please Him rather than to seek the approval of people (1 Sam. 2:30). Hezekiah stands in a stark contrast to the Rehoboam, an earlier king of Judah. It is said of Rehoboam that "he did evil, because he did not prepare his heart to seek the Lord" (2 Chron.12:14). When you do not set your heart to seek the Lord, calamity is the inevitable result. The surest way to prosper in your endeavors is to diligently pursue the will of God.



2 Chronicles 31:21

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03/09/2024

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02/09/2024

Far Be It from Me!

1 Samuel 12:23 | As for me. I vow that I will not sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you. I will teach you the good and the right way.

It can be tempting at times to give up on God's people! They are so imperfect and can be so sinful, yet they are His people. Samuel had thoroughly warned the Israelites of the dangers in appointing a king over Israel. Yet they wanted to be like the nations around them, insisting that they will they were willing to pay any price. Almost as soon as the people were granted their desire, they recognized their sin. But he was too late. What was Samuel to do? They had ignore warnings. Now they wanted him to continue to minister to them. It would seem appropriate for Samuel to abandon them and allow them to suffer the consequences of their actions.

Samuel new, as Jesus knew, that God sends His servants to the sick, not the healthy (Matt9:12). Samuel did not take the people's response as a rejection of him but as an indication of their walk with god. Samuel was serving God, not the Israelites. When God commanded him to minister to them he could do nothing else, despite the resistance to his message.

At times people will not respond as they should to the message God speaks through you. Don't become discouraged; it is a reflection of their relationship with God. You are God's servant; If Jesus spends His time with the spiritual needy, you expect Him to ask you to do the same. Don't lose your patience with God's people. Keep in mind that God loves them as much as He loves you.



1 Samuel 12:23

01/09/2024

Working Alone

Exodus 18:14 | When Moses' father-in-law saw everything he was doing for them he asked, "What is this thing that you're doing for the people? Why are you alone sitting as judge, while all the people stand around you from morning until evening?

In our zeal to please God and advance His Kingdom, we Christian often takes on responsibilities that God never intended us to have. One of the great challenges of a Christian life is determining what God does not want us to do! Our intentions are admirable: We love God, we love His people, and we see many needs around us. But sometimes our good intentions cause more harm than good.

Moses was aware of the need for someone to settle disputes among the Israelites. Someone had to help those farmers slaves learn how to live together as the people of God, so Moses took upon himself to meet this need. Long lines of unhappy people, hoping to have their cases heard, stood before Moses each day. Moses spent day after day carrying the weight of his nation's problem on his shoulder. Finally his father-in-law, an outsider, witness what moses was doing and challenged the wisdom of his actions. Moses was taking on more than he could handle. He was wearing himself about trying to do what was impossible for one person. In doing this service alone, Moses was robbing others of an opportunity to serve the Lord. He was also doing a disservice to his people, who are otherwise could have had their issues resolved much sooner.

When you become aware of a need, do not automatically assume God wants you to meet it. The only reason to perform ministry is that God clearly tells you it is His will. If you are feeling overwhelmed by all that you are doing, you are probably doing more than God has asked. Pray carefully about the assignments you take on, so that you don't rob yourself and others of God's best.



Exodus 18:14

31/08/2024

If You Seek Him

2 Chronicles 15:2 | The Lord is with you when you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you abandon Him, He will abandon you.

Our response to God greatly determines His presence in our lives. If we seek God with all our hearts, we will find Him (Jer. 29:13-14). The Lord wants to have fellowship with us, but He will not force a relationship upon us. We cannot reject fellowship with God and expect Him to remain near. He does not merely follow us throughout our day in case we need His assistance. If you could take you to forsake Him, a time will come when we desperately need Him and He will not be near (Isa.59:1-2).

It is an affront to sovereign God to treat Him like a servant who should wait upon us. God will relate to us on His terms, not ours. God desires a close walk with us. He will make his presence real and personal if that is our desire. If we repent of our sin and seek God on His terms, we can look forward to imitate fellowship with Him (James 4:8-11). We are to continually seek Him, not content to enter a new day without the assurance that God is walking beside us.

Do you say you want to experience God's presence while your action reveals otherwise? If you say you want to know God better but neglect studying His Word, are you truly seeking Him? Have you regularly forsaken the place of prayer? If your action reveal that you are genuinely seeking God, He promises that you will find him (Matt. 7:7).



2 Chronicles 15:2

30/08/2024

Motives

Mark 10:51 | Then Jesus answered him, "What do you want Me to do for you?"

It is hard to believe that the Lord would ask us what He could do for us. However, sometimes that is the question we must answer. Bartimaeus was blind, and he knew exactly what he wanted Jesus to do for him: restore his sight. Yet he received much more than physical sight! He received salvation, for Jesus knew Bartimaeus's heart was faithful. Bartimaeus immediately uses his gift to become a follower of the Savior.

Jesus also asked James and John what they wanted Him to do for them. They requested the most prominent place in his Kingdom. This time, Jesus answered that He could not give them what they ask. Their request was selfish and it brought dissension among their fellow disciples (Mark 10:41).

Only when we pray according to God's will is He pleased to grant our requests (John 15:16). We will not see our prayers answered if we ask selfishly (James 4:3). If God refrains from giving us what we are asking, we should evaluate our prayers. Are our motives selfish? Are we asking for far less than God wants to give? (2 Kings 13:19; Eph. 3:20). Are our requests worthy of the God we approach? Do we lack the faith God requires to give us our desires? (Matt 17:20). Is there unconfessed sin? (Isa. 1:15). God delights in responding to our requests (Matt. 7:7). If we will ask according to His will, we, like Bartimaeus, will receive far more than we anticipated! (Jer. 33:3).



Mark 10:51

27/08/2024

Open Doors and Adversaries

1 Corinthians 16:9 | A wide door for effective ministry has opened for me - yet many opposes me.

Open doors of service may also let in adversaries. Paul had many of both. As Paul wrote to the Corinthians from Ephesus, he was trying to determine where to go next. He chose to remain longer in Ephesus because of the open doors of service God granted him. Knowing that God had opened doors of ministry, Paul was not going to leave, regardless of how many enemies he faced. We might assume that Paul would reach the opposite conclusion. In light of the opposition he faced, he could have concluded that it was best to serve in less hostile regions. Instead, Paul based his decisions on God's activity rather on what the people were doing.

As you respond to God's invitations, don't be caught by surprise when adversities try to thwart what you are doing. If you concentrate on your opponents, you will be sidetracked from God's activity. Don't base your decision on what people are doing. They cannot prevent you from carrying out God's will (Rom. 8:31). Many times the most rewarding spiritual work is done in the crucible of persecution and opposition. While Paul was in Ephesus, a riot broke out in reaction to his ministry. The city theater resounded with an angry mob who shouted for two hours in support of their God, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians!" (Acts 19:23-41). Despite this fierce rejection of the gospel, Ephesus became one of the chief cities from which the gospel spread throughout Asia.

It takes spiritual discernment to see beyond human activity to God's will. As you see places of service, look beyond what people are saying to find what God is doing.



1 Corinthians 16:9

25/08/2024

Redeeming the Time

Ephesians 5:15-16 | Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk - not as unwise people but as wise-making the most of the time, because the days are evil.

These days we are bombarded with opportunities that entices us to invest our time and energy. Each day the voices of urgency cry out for every available moment. So many causes promise that time spent on them will be great rewards; How can we recognize God's voice among so many competing voices?

A fool makes unwise choices with his time period with every new opportunity that comes along, the fool chases off in a different direction, not questioning whether that is the best choice. The loudest voice gains attention. At some point the full discovers twice dismay that he has squandered they investment office time.

The days in which you live are evil. Marriages are under tremendous pressure; families are disintegrating. Multitudes are dying each year without hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Investing your life wisely is critical to you and to those around you. Foolishly spending your time in sinful or wasteful pursuits can cost you and others dearly.

Often, it is not evil pursuit the rob your time. Rather, the temptation is to sacrifice what is the best for what is good. The enemy knows that blatantly tempting you with evil will be obvious, so he will lure you with distractions, leaving you no time to carry out God's will. He will tempt you to so fill your schedule with good things that you have no time for God's best. You may inadvertently substitute religious activity for God's will, pursuing your own goals for God's Kingdom instead of waiting for his assignment. Time is a precious commodity. Be sure to invest it wisely.



Ephesians 5:15-16

24/08/2024

Abundant Life

John 10:10 | " A thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance."

Jesus wants us to be on the guard for thieves who will rob us of what God has for us. Jesus wants us to enjoy abundant life (John 10:10). Since the time of Adam and Eve, people have had to choose whom to believe. Satan convinced Adam and Eve that forfeiting their obedience to God would gain them everything. Instead, their disobedience robbed them of all they had. For the rest of their lives they experienced only a fraction of the blessings God has intended. Scripture is replete with accounts of those who forfeited their inheritance as children of God in order to gain that is which was transitory and empty.

The world seeks to convince that you will find fulfillment if you adapt its standard of morality in your marriage, raising your children, advancing your career, or pursuing pleasure. If you believe this, you'll never experience the blessing God intended for you. Sin brings death (Rom. 6:23). It is tragic to listen to the voices of the world instead of to the One who created life and who wants you to experience life to its fullest.

Jesus wants you to live your life with security, knowing that you are a beloved child of God. If you are not experiencing love, joy, and peace, you have settled for less than what God intends for you. If you have been making excuses for why you are not experiencing an abundant and joyful life, determined today to settle for nothing less than God's best for your life. Stop following the world's way of finding satisfaction. Instead, listen to the Savior's voice, and you will find true fulfillment.



John 10:10

22/08/2024

The Meek

Matthew 5:5 | "The gentle are blessed, for they will inherit the earth."

In popular thinking the term meek implies weakness. The word Jesus used had a different meaning. His picture of meekness is that of a stallion that has been brought into subjection to its master. Whereas it once fought against any attempt to bring it under control, resisting direction with all its strength, now it yields its will to its master. The stallion has lost none of its strengths or endurance; it has simply turned these over to the control of the master.

For the Christian, meekness requires submitting our will to the Master. Meekness is not submitting to everyone around us; It is taking our direction from God. Meekness means that we do not have to defend our rights, but we allow the Lord to defend us. Meekness means a life that is submissive to the Holy Spirit, giving Him the freedom to make any changes He knows are necessary. Meekness involves a self-control that comes from trusting God. Meekness demonstrate an attitude of long-suffering that allows God to deal with the injustices we face.

Jesus's life was the paragon of meekness. He could have called up legions of angels to remove Him from the cross, yet he allowed sinners to torture and kill Him. Although Jesus was by no means powerless to defend Himself, He choose to yield His life to the Father's will. He did this because He trusted the Father completely. When we doubt the Father, we tend to act in our own strength, rather than relying on His power. Jesus said that in relinquishing control over our lives to God, we will gain life in abundance!



Matthew 5:5

20/08/2024

Hunger and Thirst

Matthew 5:6 | "Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are blessed, for they will be filled."

Hunger and thirst are the body's way of telling us that we are "empty". Our natural response to physical and hunger and thirst is to seek food and water to satisfy our need. Each Christian has an inner longing that only Christ's righteousness can satisfy. But we cannot be filled with righteousness if we are filled with self. Throughout the Scriptures God emphasizes that the one who longs for Him with all his heart will find Him (Jer. 29:13). As we crave righteousness, we will repent our sin, and God will remove it from us. Our selfishness will be replaced by the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5: 22-23). The Spirit will make us to be like Christ.

Righteousness is not to be taken lightly, nor it is easily attained. Holy God does not give His righteousness to people indiscriminately. He gives it to those who know they cannot live without it. Our desire for personal righteousness must be powerful, all consuming, dominating everything we do. Pursuing righteousness means that we value the opinion of God far more than we treasure the opinion of people.

Righteousness is not merely an absence of sin. It is allowing God to fill us with His Holiness (Rom 6:11). It is being like Christ. Jesus is our model of One who thought God's righteousness first, and then the Father glorified Him. We are not only to seek the Kingdom of God, but we are to pursue His righteousness (Matt. 6:33). If we will hunger and thirst for righteousness, we will be satisfied!



Matthew 5:6

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