Word for Today: It's No Surprise to God

 

But thanks be to God, Who in Christ always leads us in triumph…2 Corinthians 2:14, AMP.

 

In life, we all have to deal with the unexpected. Just because we’re believers, just because we’re good people or doing the right thing doesn’t make us exempt from trouble. The scripture says, “The rain falls on the just and the unjust.” In times when something unexpected happens, or you find yourself facing a crisis, you don’t have to go into “panic mode” or fall apart emotionally. Remember, that crisis is no surprise to God. It may be unexpected to you, but God knows the end from the beginning. He has solutions to problems that you haven’t even had. He has equipped you for every battle, and He goes before you making your crooked places straight.

Today, focus on the fact that He is with you. Remember that He is walking with you and guiding you to a place of peace and victory. No matter what has happened, He will take what the enemy meant for evil and turn it around for your good! He always leads us in victory. So keep moving forward, trusting in the good plan He has for you!

 

Prayer for Today:

Heavenly Father, I come to You with an open and humble heart. I thank You for the victory that You have in store for me even when I can’t see it. I choose to trust You and Your goodness knowing that You are faithful in Jesus’ name. Amen.

 

He Makes all Things New.....Revelation 21:5

Enjoying the everyday is a blessing...

    

 

                                                                                                            MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY DAY

            The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed upon the ground, and then continues sleeping and rising night and day while the seed sprouts and grows and increases – he knows not how…

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Mark 4:26,27

 

Today's Scripture teaches us that a seed's growth and nourishment takes place while the seed is underground.  The same principle applies to our lives.  Most of life involves getting up in the morning, going to bed at night, and doing what we need to do in the interim.  When everything is "business as usual," that's where we develop the ability to enjoy everyday life.

 

Sometimes people think enjoying life means celebrating special occasions or getting raises and promotions.  The truth is that life is not one big party, and we cannot sit around waiting for the next exciting event.  We do need to celebrate life's big, exciting occasions, but in between them, we must be able to find joy in going to work, cleaning house, raising children, and dealing with grouchy neighbors.

 

One key to enjoying each day of our lives is to understand that most of life consists of a routine, unremarkable series of events that take place day after day.  So if we are really going to enjoy every day, we must learn to embrace the ordinary – to delight in little things, and to find pleasure in situations other people might overlook.  And as we enjoy life moment by moment, day by day, week after week and year after year, we find that all of life has become

rich, deep, and satisfying.

 

 

                                                                                    Love Yourself Today: "God, help me to enjoy ordinary days!"

 

 

Don't judge.....

                                                                                                            PRAYER INSTEAD OF JUDGEMENT

                                                There are many in the world who are dying for a piece of bread, but there are many more dying for a little love. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                        MOTHER TERESA OF CALCUTTA

 

God often allows us to see or know things about people specifically for the purpose of praying for them, but we often judge and criticize instead of praying. 

 

Years ago, I saw two women leaving a donut shop.  They were both at least 100 pounds overweight, and they were each carrying an entire box of donuts.  I could sense in my heart that they had serious problems with

their emotions and were eating to comfort themselves.  Perhaps they had been abused or had endured a lifetime of emotional pain and rejection.  When we encounter people, we never know what they have been through

or what they are currently suffering.

 

Although I was tempted to criticize them, the Holy Spirit prompted me to pray instead.  I simply prayed, "God, help those two women to lose weight, and help them know that You are the answer to their problems.  Send

someone into their lives who can speak the words they need to hear. Amen." 

 

There have been times in my life when I needed to lose weight and hoped someone was praying for me.  I would much rather have people's prayers than their judgment.

 

Too often people see situations such as the one I just described and think, That's terrible.  The last thing these women need is a donut!  Many of us are quick to judge others and jump to conclusions about them.  We need to

discipline our minds to refrain from judgment; we need to view people through the lens of compassion and do the one thing that can make a difference: pray!

 

                                               

                                                Love Others Today: "Lord, help me to see others in a loving way and not make quick, unkind judgments."

 

 

Isaiah 58:9-10

Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, 'Here I am.' "If you take away from among you the yoke, the putting out of the finger, and speaking wickedly; and if you draw out your soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul: then your light shall rise in darkness, and your obscurity be as the noonday."
– Isaiah 58:9-10

Sent from Daily Bible Inspirations

Arlene Wilson

Field Director for Mission Delivery

Key Markets East

Sent from my iPad

GIVE YOUR SOUL A BREAK

                                                                                    GIVE YOUR SOUL A BREAK

                                                            Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him…..PSALM 62:5NIV

 

 

When you take a vacation, do you give your soul a break, just as you give your body some rest, recreation and refreshment?  Your soul is comprised of your mind, will, and emotions, and it is a very

Important part of your entire being.  You are a spiritual being, and you live in a physical body.  But if you don’t understand your soul’s needs, you will not be a whole, healthy individual.

 

When we are weary, exhausted in strength, endurance, and vigor, we need help.  We need to be refreshed not only physically, but mentally and emotionally as well.  Being weary is not something to be

Ashamed of; it’s simply a sign that we need a break.

 

You can take a vacation thinking you need a physical rest, but if you don’t let your soul rest at the same time, you will return home just as exhausted as you were when you left.  Lying on the beach worrying

does not equal a day of vacation.  If you take a day off and spend it trying to deal with personal problems, traffic, high prices, and rude people – you’d have been better off at work!

 

Learning to let our souls rest is vitally important.  Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30 that if we are over burdened, weary, and worn out, we should spend time with Him and see how He handled life.  He promises to

give us rest.  The Amplified Bible’s translation of these verses indicates that the type of rest He is talking about is recreation, refreshment, and blessed quiet for our souls.  Jesus is really offering us a vacation for

our souls, our inner lives.

 

            Love Yourself Today: Permit your entire being to take a vacation.  Get plenty of rest physically.  Rest your mind, quiet your emotions, and let your will be in total agreement with God’s.

 

 

WHAT’S IN A NAME? EVERYTHING!

                                                                                                WHAT'S IN A NAME? EVERYTHING!

                                                            ….Jesus is the Christ….you may have life through (in) His name [through who He is]        JOHN 20:31

 

The name of Jesus represents everything that He is----all His righteousness, perfection, grace and love.  There is o power in your name or my name, but there is awesome power in the name of Jesus.  It

Represents everything about who He is.

 

Let's thing about this in practical terms.  My name has not always been Joyce Meyer.  I did not take Dave's last name until I married him.  Nothing of his belonged to me until we entered into the legal

covenant of marriage.  When we married, I did not have much money, in fact, I was in debt.  Dave did have money, so when I married him I had money, too and was able to pay off my bills.  I did not have

access to anything of Dave's until I married him and took his name.  When I became Mrs. Dave Meyer, everything he had became mine.

 

We cannot "date" Jesus and expect to enjoy the privileges that come with true commitment.  By that, I mean that we cannot just spend time with Him occasionally and try to keep up a relationship only because

Of the blessings He offers us.  We can only enjoy the full privileges of a relationship with Him when our hearts are truly committed.  God knows whether we are "dating" or whether we have given ourselves to Him

In total commitment.  When we are joined to Him in committed relationship, we can be confident that He will give to us everything His name affords – and we can enjoy it.

 

 

                                                            Love God Today: Are you in a committed relationship with Jesus? Then everything His name represents belongs to you.

 

 

THE BEST TIME TO GIVE

 

                                                                                                            THE BEST TIME TO GIVE

                                                            In my affliction and trouble I have provided for the house of the Lord……..1 CHRONICLES 22:14

 

God said that David was a man after His won heart – one who would do all of His will and carry out His program fully (see Acts 13:22).  David was a giving man, and he gave generously toward the building of God’s house.  Even in his own times of trouble and affliction, he continued to give generously.

 

Sometimes when we are struggling, we are tempted to stop giving to others.  Our thoughts turn towards ourselves and we do not feel like being a blessing to others; we want someone to comfort us.  But when we are hurting, we should behave as we would if we were not hurting.  We should keep all our commitments, including our financial commitments to the work of God.

 

We all go through difficult seasons of testing, and our behavior during those times clearly reveals our level of spiritual maturity.  Mature Christians do what is right because it is right – and they never quit.  They do not change when their circumstances change.

 

People who are givers look for opportunities to give to others; they do not look for reasons to get out of giving.  I believe that seeds sown during hard times are more powerful than any other kind.  God appreciates our faithfulness.  If I am hurting because of a trial I am going through and I feel tempted not to give because of my personal pain, I purposely give a little extra, just to let the enemy know where I stand.  When Jesus died for us He was hurting, yet he still gave His best.  Let’s always go the extra mile and never compromise on our commitments.

 

 

                                                            Love Others Today: Do not be an emotional giver; choose to be a person who does what is right on purpose, no matter how you feel.

 

 

Don’t Forget Your Own Flesh and Blood

                                                                                                Don't Forget Your Own Flesh and Blood

                                               

                                    It is not to divide your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house – when you see the naked, that you cover him,

                                    and that you hide yourself from (the needs) of your flesh and blood?       ISAIAH 58:7

 

Some people become so involved in ministry that they overlook their own family members and friends, but the Lord makes clear in today's Scripture that we are not to neglect one in order to attend to the other.

 

In this verse, God tells us that we are not only to meet the needs of those around us in the world (the poor, needy, and disadvantaged), but that we are also to meet the needs of our families.

 

I have a widowed aunt to whom I minister quite often.  I once thought I was too busy to help her, but God showed me that she is my "flesh and blood." She is part of my family, and I am responsible to minister

to her needs just as I am responsible to minister to thousands of people in many locations.  If I ignore my responsibilities toward my relatives, I will pay the price of losing an aspect of God's anointing in other areas

of my life. 

 

Isaiah 58:7 says that we must not only feed the hungry and clothe the naked, but that we also must not hide ourselves from the needs of our own flesh and blood.  After we have done these things, then Isaiah 58:8

will work for us: or light shall break forth like the morning, our healing (restoration and the power of a new life) will spring forth speedily, our righteousness (our rightness, our justice, and our right relationship with God)

will go before us (Conducting us to peace, and prosperity) and God's glory will guard us from behind.

 

                                                                                    Love Others Today: "Lord, help me be a blessing to all people, including my family."

 

 

                                                           

 

 

Hope for the Future

                                                                                                                        Hope for the Future

 

Before I formed you in the womb I knew (and) approved of you [as My chosen instrument], and before you were born I separated and set you apart, consecrating you; [and] I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.

JEREMIAH 1:5

 

Over the years, I have come to believe that people either look forward to the future with enthusiasm and confidence, or they are concerned or fearful about it.  But God takes a positive view of the future, and we need to agree with him.  He loves us unconditionally, has had good plans for our lives since before we were born, and we can trust that He is leading us into good things in the days to come.

 

God had a great plan for Jeremiah before he was even born.  He also has a great plan for your life; He’s had it since before you drew your first breath.  He did not wait until He saw what you looked like, or until you began to develop talents and abilities to assign you a purpose in life.  No, your purpose was decided in heaven before you were born. 

 

I really want to understand and believe the truth that God has a great future for you.  He has a more awesome plan for your life than you could ever imagine simply because He loves you.

 

I challenge you today to believe God’s Word about your life.  If you have ever doubted that He has a purpose for your life, It’s time to change your mind.  If you have ever wondered whether He has good plans for you, it’s time to believe it with all your heart.  I guarantee you; You have a great future ahead.  All you had to do is believe it and embrace it.

 

                                                                       

                                                                        Love Yourself Today: “Lord thank You for having such a great plan for my life.  Help me to embrace it with all my heart.”

 

 

Have a great weekendJ