The Spirit God Gave Us

 For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.—2 Timothy 1:7

Christians, remember that God has graciously given us his Holy Spirit, who makes us fearless in troubled times, works his power in our weakness, stirs in us genuine love for our neighbors and even our enemies, and gives us self-control to live as God’s holy people. The apostle’s words in 2 Timothy 1:7 make us want to sing: “The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him Who with us sideth.”¹ Therefore, “fan into flame the gift of God” because of the presence and power of God’s precious Spirit at work in our lives.

~crossway.org

Jesus Is The Light

“I am the light of the world.”  John 8:12

The theme of light is found all throughout John’s Gospel starting from the very beginning (John 1:4-5). And even John 3:16, arguably the most famous passage, contains a strong illustration of dark and light. And here Jesus claims he is the light of life that whoever believes in Him will enjoy the light that comes from God’s presence and produces life.” 

This light metaphor was common through the Israelites history. They associate light with God’s presence. Throughout the Old Testament God reveals himself to the Jews with light. From creation to the burning bush and in many of the celebrations, light symbolized God’s presence.  

~ rethinking.org

You Are Never Alone

 “Cast your cares on the Lord

and he will sustain you.”

Psalm 55:22

Whenever you’re feeling down, the Psalms are an excellent source of comfort and encouragement. In today’s passage, the psalmist shares how God offers comfort to you, His child, in hard times. To receive it, you should …

• Look within. Before you can deal with despair, you need to know what is causing it. If you’re not sure, ask the Lord to help you figure out what’s going on.

• Look up. The next step is to lift your eyes to the Lord and place your hope in Him. Remember, discouragement comes to everybody at one time or another, but it should not be permanent.

• Look back. Despair has a way of making you forget all the good things God has done over the years. Recalling His past care and provision helps to overpower discouragement.

• Look ahead. Knowing that the Lord’s plans are good, you can look forward to what He is going to do in the future. His lovingkindness will support you by day and bring comfort by night.

To overcome discouragement, fixing your focus on the Lord is key. His Word promises that He walks with you through the valley. Remember, even if you feel disheartened, you are never alone.

~ Charles Stanley - In Touch

Acquiring Discernment

 “For wisdom will enter your heart,

and knowledge will fill you with joy.

Wise choices will watch over you.

Understanding will keep you safe.”

                                   Proverbs 2:10-11

Discernment is the ability to make sound judgments by perceiving what is not readily obvious, and it is critical to our life in God. For example, what should you do when you want to follow the Lord but have multiple choices that appear promising and good? How can you know if you’re hearing from God or simply listening to your own desires?

All we have to do is ask. Proverbs 2 says, “If you cry out for insight, and raise your voice for understanding … then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and discover the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding” (vv. 3-6). Those verses are a clear promise from God that when we ask for insight, He will answer.

~ Charles Stanley Devotional, In Touch

Guard Your Spirit

“Above all else, guard your heart, 

for everything you do flows from it.”

Proverbs 4:23

 “You have a space that belongs only to you. It’s your thoughts, your attitude, your emotions. It’s who you spend time with, what you watch and listen to. That’s your atmosphere. That’s what you have control over. Some people live worried, offended, and negative because they let all that in—the bad news, the negative medical report, the criticism from coworkers. That sours their life. The problem is they’re not ruling their atmosphere. They’re not careful what they allow into their spirit. You can’t stop everything from coming, but you can stop it from getting down in your spirit. You need to keep your atmosphere full of faith, full of praise, full of hope, full of victory. Anything or anyone that tries to poison that atmosphere, you have to say, “No, thanks. You’re not welcome here. I’m not letting that offense in. I’m going to stay in peace. I’m going to enjoy this day.” You don’t have control over what people do, but you have control over your thoughts, your attitude, and how you respond.”

~Joel Osteen

Trust God

 

“Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.”

1 Peter 5:7

To trust is to believe in the reliability, truth, ability or strength of something. So, when it comes to trusting God, that means believing in His reliability, His Word, His ability and His strength. The Bible says that God cannot lie. That He always keeps His promises. That He loves you and has good in store for you. Trusting in Him means believing what He says about Himself, about the world and about you is true.

Trusting God is more than a feeling; it’s a choice to have faith in what He says even when your feelings or circumstances would have you believe something different. Your feelings and circumstances matter and are very much worth paying attention to. God cares about them both. But those things alone are not reliable enough to base your life on. They can change at any moment, even in an instant. God, on the other hand, does not change. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow and therefore is worthy of your trust.

Trusting God is not about ignoring your feelings or reality. It is not pretending that everything is OK when it isn’t. Trusting God is living a life of belief in and obedience to God even when it’s difficult.

~ cru.org

Keep Praying

 “Rejoice always, pray continuously, give 

thanks in all circumstances, for this is

God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

“We cannot spend all our time on our knees, but it is possible to have a prayerful attitude at all times.  This attitude is built upon acknowledging our independence on God, realizing his presence within us, and determining to obey him fully.  Then we will find it naturally to pray frequent, spontaneous, short prayers. A prayerful attitude is not substitute for regular times of prayer, but an outgrowth of those times.”

~ Life Application Study Bible

“Keep praying.  Don’t quit.

Miracles happen every day,

so never stop believing.

God can change things 

very quickly in your life.”

            - TrustGodbro

God’s Love

“Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to

love another.  No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another,

God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.”

1 John 4:11-12

“If no one has ever seen God, how can we ever know Him?  John in His Gospel said, “the one and only Son, who himself is God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made known.  Jesus is the complete expression of God in human form, and has revealed God to us.  When we love one another, the invisible God reveals Himself to others through us, and His love is made complete.”

~ Life Application Study Bible