God’s Wisdom

 “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should 

ask God, who gives generously to

all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt.”

                                        James 1:5-6

At first glance, today’s passage on wisdom doesn’t seem related to trials, but James is actually continuing His thoughts from the previous three verses. We need wisdom to know how to respond to suffering. This means we should see trials from God’s viewpoint and understand His purposes in allowing them in our life. If you want to profit from struggles, be sustained in them, and come through with joy, you must believe:

• The Lord is in control. Your trial won’t go beyond the boundaries He has set.

• He has a specific purpose for your suffering.

• This hardship will prove to be profitable if you submit to God and trust Him through it.

• Trying situations are opportunities for faith to prove genuine and grow stronger.

• When you endure suffering with unexplainable peace and joy, God will demonstrate His sustaining power to others.

• The Father uses trials to produce Christlike character.

• God will walk with you through all difficulties.

If you believe these principles, they will shape how you respond to painful challenges. This perspective eliminates the negative reactions normally elicited by trials and makes supernatural responses possible. Instead of feeling miserable and hopeless, you’ll experience amazing peace and joy.

~Charles Stanley Devotional - In Touch

Guard Your Words

 “May these words of my mouth and this meditation

of my heart be pleasing in your sight,

Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”

Psalm 19:14

“Many Christians are plagued by guilt.  They worry that they may have committed a sin unknowingly, done something good with selfish intentions, failed to put their heart into a task, or neglected what they should have done.  Guilt can play an important role in bringing us to Christ and in keeping us behaving properly, but it should not cripple us or make us fearful.  God fully and completely forgives us - even for those sins we do unknowingly.”

~ Life Application Study Bible

Laughter Is Good For The Soul

 “He will yet fill your mouth with laughter

and your lips with shouts of joy.”

Job 8:21

What does the Bible say about laughter? The Bible says that laughter is from God, useful in praise, a symbol of victory, and part of the joy of a Christian life even after hard times. Webster’s Dictionary defines laughter as, “A cause of merriment.” Laughter is good medicine. When we have hearts of gratitude and joy, this will overflow into our everyday lives. Others will see the life of victory and desire what we have too. Shining for Jesus can very much include laughter. Have you laughed today? If not, ask the Lord to fill you with His joy and that you may live in His sweet victory and gift of having an attitude of laughter.

~ crosswalk.com

Renewing Your Mind

 “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed

by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to

test and approve what God’s will is - his good, 

pleasing and perfect will.”

“The renewal of your mind involves a transformation of the way a person thinks and lives, which can be achieved through the power of the Holy Spirit as we reflect on God’s Word.  By being transformed in this way, believers can discern what is good, acceptable, and perfect according to God’s standards.”

~ Life Application Study Bible

“Living In God’s Truth”

 “The truth will set you free.”

John 8:32

“Jesus himself is the truth that sets us free.  He is the source of truth, the perfect standard of what is right.  He frees us from continued slavery to sin, from self deception, and from deception by Satan.  He shows us clearly the way to eternal life with God.”      ~ Life Application Study Bible

“The truth of the gospel allows us to enter into relationship with our Heavenly Father.  Then, as we read and study God’s Word, His truth becomes more engraved in our hearts.  Biblical truth provides guidance, wisdom, strength, courage, comfort and faith.  Living in God’s truth let’s us experience the life He wants for us - a life of joy and freedom!”

God’s Promises

10 Promises of God

1. God promises to strengthen you.

“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being.” (Ephesians 3:14-16 ESV)

2. God promises to give you rest.

“Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you,because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.’” (Matthew 11:28-30 NLT)

3. God promises to take care of all your needs.

“And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19 NLT)

4. God promises to answer your prayers.

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7 ESV)

5. God promises to work everything out for your good.

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” (Romans 8:28 NLT)

6. God promises to be with you

“I will not fail you or abandon you. This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:5, 9NLT)

7. God promises to protect you.

“This I declare about the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.” (Psalm 91:2 NLT)

8. God promises freedom from sin.

“But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” (1 John 1:9 NLT)
“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36 ESV)

9. God promises that nothing can separate you from Him.

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39 ESV)

10. God promises you everlasting life.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 ESV)

This is not an endless list of the promises of God, no, in fact, there are over 3,000 promises in scripture. I encourage to take hold of the promises listed, but as well, continue to search the Word of God – meditating, memorizing and praying into existence all the promises that are tucked away and available to you as a believer.  As you do, you will watch God respond to your faith by fulfilling his promises in your life.

~ James River church.com

Closer Relationship With God

 “You God, are my God, earnestly I seek you.”

Psalm 63:1

Psalm 63

The theme of this Psalm:  A desire for God’s presence, provision and protection.  No matter where we are, our desire should be for God because only he satisfies fully.

What do you want more than anything else in life? Is it a relationship? An opportunity? Most of the things we wish for involve someone else. We all want to be loved. But even our closest relationships can leave us feeling disappointed or lonely at times, despite our best efforts.

Consider our relationship with the Lord. He says he loves us “with an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3), but it can be difficult to know what true intimacy with Him looks or feels like. In Psalm 63, David compares his soul’s great hunger for God to feeling thirst “in a dry and exhausted land where there is no water” (v. 1) Have you ever felt that kind of longing for God’s company? It’s exactly the kind of closeness He wants for us.

Perhaps you struggle to feel near to the Lord. It could be pride that’s preventing you from admitting your need for Him.  Maybe you feel life’s too hectic to sit in His presence. Or it’s possible you’re afraid to be transparent. That’s understandable, especially if you’ve been betrayed in the past. But remember, God will never fall short the way humans do. Whatever the case, simply start spending a few minutes with Him each day, and you’ll notice you have a bit more margin than you thought.

~ Charles Stanley Devotional - Intouch

Living By The Spirit

 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, peace, patience,

goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”

Galatians 5:22-23

“If your desire is to have the qualities listed in 5:22,23, then you know that the Holy Spirit is leading you.  At the same time, be careful not to confuse your subjective feelings with Spirit’s leading.  Being led by the Holy Spirit involves the desire to hear, the readiness to obey God’s Word, and sensitivity to discern between your feelings and his promptings.  Live each day controlled and guided by the Holy Spirit.  Then the words of Christ will be behind your actions, and the power of Christ will help you with your selfish desires.”

“The fruit of the Spirit is the spontaneous work of the Holy Spirit in us.  The Spirit produces these character traits that are found in the nature of Christ.”

~ Life Application Study Bible

God’s Grace

 “My grace is sufficient for you,

for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

2 Corinthians 12;9

God’s grace is sufficient, and this verse reaffirms that God’s grace is big enough to cover every area of our lives. Many times, it is easy to want to compartmentalize sections of our lives from God. God’s grace covers the good, the bad, and the ugly. God’s grace fills in the gaps where we fall short and make mistakes. That is great news! Today, I invite you to allow God’s grace to be sufficient and cover allareas in your life. God is not concerned with perfection, but for us to grow each day depending on Him more. God’s grace shines brightest in the broken places of our lives.

~ Biblestudytools.com

                        “For when I am weak, I am strong.”