I Will Sing of His Goodness

 I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O LORD, will I sing. I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes...

Psalm 101:1-3a

What are the words that come from your lips when in dialogue or discussion about the Lord…? What do you utter from your mouth when you experience His favor or when you go through a rough situation…? Often times we are able to offer up praises to the Lord when things go well, but we indeed change our tune and begin to question Him when things don’t go as planned… These verses taken from the one hundred and first psalm echo the dedication that we must have to the Lord… We all know the story of David and the mistakes that he made, in this psalm we see the expression of David’s love… In the midst of trials and tribulations, let us recognize the beauty of God’s discipline and not think He is distant… Let us recognize that even in the mistakes we make in life God can turn a negative into a positive and help us to learn and mature in Christ… David declares to the Lord today that he will sing of His mercy and judgment… As we look throughout our lives we have a lot to praise God for… Often times we harp on the disappointments in life, but neglect the bountiful blessings that have already been bestowed! 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

There's Power In Shutting Your Mouth

Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world.

Philippians 2:14-15

James 1:19 says, “My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” Cutting straight to the heart of the matter, we must learn to simply shut up… What plagues most Christians in their pursuit of Christ is the ability to listen and hear; often times we become so entrapped with speaking and uttering words that we miss out on hearing and listening to what it is that God has for us… We don't take time to recognize and hear God's voice and in turn, we miss out on all the wonderful things and plans that He has for our lives. Not only must we shut up and learn to listen, but Paul takes it a step further when He instructs us about refraining from disputes and conflict. If you believe God is at work in your life, it should be evident not only through your words but also through how you handle adversity… I have often wondered why is it that Christians believe that by accepting Christ as their personal Lord and Savior that the temptations of this world and trials will cease… The word of God tells me that when Jesus was baptized (accepted God’s call) and then He was tempted by the devil… One thing that we must come to understand and know is that by accepting Christ’s offering on Calvary we are subject to the schemes of the devil... One of the more true sayings I heard was this, “if it comes easy and without much work or endurance to obtain it then it must not be worth much…” A good friend of mine told me this when I was going through a troubling time and I believe this is exactly what Paul is trying to convey to the church of Philippi… You have to work in order to achieve, greatness will not fall into your laps and that’s why we are to do all thing without complaining… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Your Soul Is Priceless

For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

Matthew 16:26

Over 2000 years ago Jesus walked this earth for 33 ½ years. The final 3 ½ years of His life was full of healing, teaching and serving all the way up to the cross… Though many came against Him, Jesus stayed the course and it is ever so clear today that His soul was not for sale as we read in this passage taken from the gospel of Matthew… Ask yourself today if your soul can be brought? The two questions posed in today’s devotion are the questions that we are challenged to observe and look at throughout each and every day of our natural lives… For your soul Jesus came to this earth, for your soul He laid down His life, for your soul He was mocked, spit upon and beaten, all these things He endured for your soul… So what exactly is your soul worth? So many of us partake in communion and commemorate the sacrifice that Jesus made on Sundays, but we all too soon forget that and sell our soul for far less than its true worth… The world is not worth dying for; Christ didn’t die for the world but for those in it… Today, let us recognize that our heavenly calling is priceless compared to the things that we strive to obtain in the physical life… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

He's Able

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.

2 Corinthians 9:8

One thing that’s certain is that God desires for you to have a clear focus in life… He desires for you to prosper beyond your imagination and He doesn’t want to see you fail. Evidence of this desire being true can be found in God sending His only begotten son to die for us while we were still sinners and didn’t even love ourselves let alone Him… Paul makes a powerful statement today through this passage; the first portion encompasses what the true Christian must come to obtain and remember as he simply states to the body of believers today that “God is able…” Despite the way things may appear, despite how gruesome the outlook may be, you must stand your ground, continue to fight the good fight of faith and hold on to the almighty’s unchanging hand knowing and having full confidence in the fact that He is able… There isn’t any problem He cannot solve, no pain He cannot heal, no broken heart that He cannot mend… Wherever your storm wages its biggest attack on your life, wherever you feel like the weight that is upon your shoulders has increased and become unbearable know that not only is God able but that He can “make all grace abound toward you…” This is something that we must depend on and rely on in the basis of our faith… God is able to bring you through the storms of life! God is able to lift you up in times of despair, tragedy and hardship. In times of struggle, in times of tribulations, in times of turmoil, when we feel like giving up when we feel like throwing in the towel when we feel like the enemy has won, the bible says that we are to “stand still and know that I am God!” Remember where God has already brought you from, remember the things that He has promised to those who remain faithful, remember that God is able and has all the grace you need to sustain and be victorious… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Love Is Your Foundation

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Matthew 22:37-39

This passage deals with the priorities that we set in life, a certain man inquired of Jesus in the gospel of Matthew as to which of the commandments was the greatest, Jesus replied that “thou shalt love the Lord they God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind…” These verses deal with the required level of commitment that one must have in living under the authority of our Lord and Savior… Simply put, God must be preeminent in your life and you must serve Him in all that you do… We cannot be unstable or double-minded when it comes to following Jesus; either we take up our cross or live according to the world's will! The book of revelations tells us that a lukewarm church will be vomited out of the mouth of God and Jesus is speaking to us today and telling us that we must be committed to serving the Lord in every aspect of our living. This requires that we believe that even when things get tough, we have faith even in times of uncertainty and that we praise Him even when storms have swept through our households! Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. To love is to sacrifice; to love is to take action towards something and that we are giving up ourselves to exalt another… So when you tell someone you love them, do you mean it? Are you willing to sacrifice your own desires to see them succeed, are you willing to humble yourself that they may be exalted, or are you merely saying what they want to hear? This journey takes total humility, reliability and accountability towards our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ… Don’t ask it; don’t say it, unless you are ready to live it… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Conceited Wisdom Digs Its Own Grave

Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? There is more hope of a fool than of him.

Proverbs 26:12 

The same point when we think we have figured everything out is the same point that we come to the harsh realities of life and realize that we have figured out nothing… The bible refers countless times about the importance of remaining humble and always seeking to learn and grow… Eartha Kitt said, “I am learning all the time. The tombstone will be my diploma.” What is the difference between a wise man in his own conceit and a fool? This is the question that has been put forth within this proverb and the answer can be found in these very words. The wise man spoken of in this passage believes he is wise by his on regard; this is a scary concept that plagues a lot of mankind in this day and age. We get a little money in our pockets, a “dream job” and all of a sudden we have a sense that we have arrived… We feel that we are entitled to look down on others and flaunt our success… Solomon is driving us to remember who is at the helm, who touches you in the morning, clothes you in your right mind and sheds His grace upon your life… When we are conceited, we believe that nobody can tell us anything, we believe that we have the ability to do whatever we want whenever we want and that all of our life decisions are true and pure. This can’t be any further from the truth… 

Jesus said that if we confess our sins that He is faithful to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. This wise man will never confess because he doesn’t see any wrong. Jesus said it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a “rich man” to enter heaven… This speaks to the heart of a conceited person, this kind of person refuses to humble himself, they deny the flaws that are present within their lives and try to paint this picture of perfection… That is why there is more hope for a fool, a fool acknowledges himself for what he is, and he doesn’t try to pretend and has already observed the lowest position on this earth… The fool has come to a realization that he is messing up, the people around him have told him of his faults and he has acknowledged that there are things in his life that he needs to change, but until that happens he is of no use to God. Both people portrayed here are on the wrong path; however, the fool has a better chance at salvation because he knows his faults, the question is, is he willing to change them? It’s one thing to know the mistakes you have made, but it is a totally different situation when you feel that you have never made mistakes… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Release The Negative; Increase The Positive

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

2 Corinthians 10:5

There are two important steps in our Christian walk that must be taken daily… The first is that we must cast down imaginations; every day of our lives we are tempted by oppositions or the lust of the flesh. Paul calls for us to stand firm in the faith… Second, once we free ourselves from temptation, we must set our minds on the thoughts of Christ… The psalm writer said, “I have hid thy word in my heart that I might not sin against thee…” We must cast down evil while we cleave to good… Paul tells us in his letter to the Church of Rome, the 12tg chapter that we are not to be conformed to this world, but that we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds… Your mind is one of the most powerful tools that you posses… The bible says that if we believe and not doubt we will be saved and can move mountains… Believing involves your heart and mind (remember Paul said we wrestle not against the flesh)… We must focus our thoughts on things of God or we will fall short in every trial or obstacle that we face… Today Paul reminds us that this war we fight daily is not physical, but spiritual and mental. Our thoughts lead to actions and actions lead to results that could be fatal… 

We must learn to remove negative thoughts that labor in our minds daily (cast down imaginations) and bring into our thoughts the obedience of Christ; that is, learning, studying and applying His word within our lives…First, we must cast down imaginations and high thoughts; in short, we must pry ourselves away from the worldly view and physical gains on this earth. The three P’s (Power, Prestige and Pride) of life are the biggest hurdles that we must overcome in order to abide within the perimeters of this passage… Power is a vice that all too often people will do whatever it takes to obtain. When we seek vainglory and positions of authority we are focused on Prestige, the accolades associated with a title and this leads to a haughty attitude which is better known by its five-letter name Pride… So many of us have become so prideful and power-hungry that we have eased away from God and have a false sense of confidence that we have now placed in the flesh. That’s why Paul says to cast down imaginations, we are imagining the safety in money, and we are imagining the safety in man, or in wealth when we need to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!