Trusting in God's promises

Here's a thought that amazed me. I reproduce it (Source: Waterfont Media Inc. © through e-mail delivery "God's daily promises"):

I bow before your holy Temple as I worship. I will give thanks to your name for your unfailing love and faithfulness, because your promises are backed by all the honor of your name. Psalm 138:2 NLT

God makes a promise, faith believes it, hope anticipates it, patience quietly awaits it.
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Precious promises

When David Livingstone had to pass through the most dangerous country of the fierce native chief Mburuma and decide whether to furtively sneak through at night or go by day and risk being killed, he staked his life on the promise of Jesus' presence in Matthew 29:19-20: "Go and make disciples of all nations.…And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age." He wrote in his journal, "t is the word of a Gentleman of the most sacred and strictest honor, so there's an end on it!" Livingstone knew that God backs up his promises with all the honor of his name, so he proceeded in broad daylight, trusting in his Savior's promise. God fulfilled his Word, and Livingstone made the crossing safely because the Lord Jesus was beside him, just as he said he would be. God's promises are just as true and alive today for those who will pray them, trust them, stand on them, and walk in them.

THANK YOU, FATHER, for backing your promises by all the honor of your name. It is a mighty and powerful and trustworthy name! I give thanks to you for your unfailing love and faithfulness. Help me to move forward under your direction in the light of your unfailing and precious promises.

Adapted from The One Year® Book of Praying through the Bible by Cheri Fuller, Tyndale House Publishers (2003), entry for June 20.

Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House

How do you avoid temptation?

She came and grabbed him by his shirt, demanding, "Sleep with me!" Joseph tore himself away. Genesis 39:12 NLT

A man who fled from temptation

Like cream, Joseph rose to the top. Each time he tackled temptation, he thrived. He was the next-to-last son of Jacob, but the first son of Jacob's favorite wife, Rachel. He had two significant dreams. We don't know how he told his brothers about the dreams, in which they bowed down to him, but they hated him for the content.

His brothers tried to kill him, but sold him into slavery in Egypt. At age 17, Joseph was carried hundreds of miles away to Egypt, where he became a slave. Most people in his situation would have become bitter. Not Joseph. He was a worthy worker. And he rose to the top.

He was "handsome and well-built" (Gen. 39:6), 300 miles from home, and single. That was a set-up for someone like Potiphar's wife. She kept after Joseph "day after day" (Gen. 39:10), but he kept saying no. When she tried one last time (Gen. 39:12), grabbing him by the shirt, Joseph ran off minus his shirt.

The reward for his good conduct was jail. Even there, Joseph rose to the top. After interpreting a dream, Pharaoh made Joseph vice-president of the country. When, twenty years later, Joseph's brothers came to Egypt to buy food, they didn't recognize their brother. He resisted the temptation to pay them back for what they had done. But Joseph showed them forgiveness.

Joseph was sold from his father's house, seduced in Potiphar's house, and suffered in a prison house—yet he remained faithful to God. He triumphed over temptation.

Adapted from Men of Integrity Devotional Bible with devotionals by the editors of Men of Integrity magazine (Christianity Today, Intl), Tyndale House Publishers (2002), p 53

Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House

A cheerful spirit

For the poor, every day brings trouble; for the happy heart, life is a continual feast.
Proverbs 15:15 NLT

When I think of God, my heart is so full of joy that the notes leap and dance as they leave my pen; and since God has given me a cheerful heart, I serve Him with a cheerful spirit.
Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)

A happy heart

A person's heart is a major concern of the Lord. God's Word tells us that he doesn't look at the things people look at. We look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart; that is, our "thoughts and intentions" (1 Samuel 16:7). Today's verse tells us that a happy, or cheerful, heart make life "a continual feast." How do we obtain—and maintain—this happy heart? There are many clues throughout the book of Proverbs. We should not let our hearts be anxious or proud because anxiety and pride are deterrents to a cheerful heart (Proverbs 12:25; 16:5). Instead, God calls us to have pure hearts and to keep them on the right path (Proverbs 22:11; 23:19). These are positive steps to achieving a happy heart because when we are being obedient to God's Word and experiencing his smile of approval, our hearts will be lighter, even in difficult times. The Bibles gives us many other ins tructions about how to have "healthy" hearts, but a good place to start is to embrace the truth of Proverbs 15:15 and ask God to show us how to develop hearts that are happy, no matter what challenges we are facing.

FATHER, help me to have a happy heart. Remove the anxiety that sometimes weighs my heart down. Keep my heart from growing proud. Instead, give me a pure heart—a heart that is pleasing to you. Help me to hide your Word in my heart so that I can walk in your ways and enjoy life that is a continual feast.

Adapted from The One Year® Book of Praying through the Bible by Cheri Fuller, Tyndale House Publishers (2003), entry for May 17.

Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House

A Decided Reformation Needed

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life. John 5:24.

Just as long as you allow pride to dwell in your hearts, so long will you lack power in your work. For years a wrong spirit has been cherished, a spirit of pride, a desire for preeminence. In this Satan is served, and God is dishonored. The Lord calls for a decided reformation. . . . Let [a truly reconverted soul] renew his covenant with God, and God will renew His covenant with him. . . . Let angels and men see that there is forgiveness of sin with God. Extraordinary power from God must take hold of Seventh-day Adventist churches. Reconversion must take place among the members, that as God's witnesses they may testify to the authoritative power of the truth that sanctifies the soul. Renewed, purified, sanctified, the church must be, else the wrath of God will fall upon them with much greater power than upon those who have never professed to be saints. }

Those who are sanctified through the truth will show that the truth has worked a reformation in their lives, that it is preparing them for translation into the heavenly world. But as long as pride and envy and evil-surmising predominate in the life, Christ does not rule in the heart. His love is not in the soul. In the lives of those who are partakers of the divine nature there is a crucifixion of the haughty, self-sufficient spirit that leads to self-exaltation. In its place the Spirit of Christ abides, and in the life the fruits of the Spirit appear. Having the mind of Christ, His followers reveal the graces of His character.

Nothing short of this will make men acceptable to God. Nothing short of this will give them the pure, holy character that those must have who are admitted to heaven. As soon as a man puts on Christ, an evidence of the change wrought in him is seen in spirit and word and act. A heavenly atmosphere surrounds his soul; for Christ is abiding within.

"Verily, verily, I say unto you," Christ declared, "He that believeth on me hath everlasting life" (John 6:47). Oh, how few there are who reveal in their lives the principles of this life! They profess to believe the most sacred truth ever given to mortals, but in their lives they dishonor God. He that "eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him" (verses 54-56) . . . It behooves us to live in the fear and love of God. God is supreme, and He cooperates with those who represent Christ in life and character, those who are kind, thoughtful, self-denying, and self-sacrificing. Christ says, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me" (Matt. 16:14) (letter 63, 1903).


EGW

Peace in relationships

Since God chose you to be the holy people whom he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. You must take allowance for each other's faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. And the most important piece of clothing you must wear is love. Love is what binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are all called to live in peace. Colossians 3:12-15 NLT

"[Jon Farrar addresses marriages, but his comments apply to other relationships as well]. Maintaining peace in any relationship is very difficult. Each one of us is a unique individual who interprets and views things differently. Whether in relationships in the church, among family and friends, or in our marriages, conflict is natural. When conflict comes, we need to follow Christ's example by showing love and forgiveness in difficult situations. God loved us when we were still sinners in rebellion against him (Romans 5:9). We need to show that same type of love to others by being kind, merciful, and patient.

Do you long for peace in your marriage? Ask Jesus to point out times when you have not been forgiving, areas where you need to be patient, and ways you can express genuine love to each other. That is how we have peace in our marriages—when we look for ways to love and forgive each other.

from Praying God's Promises for My Marriage by Jon Farrar (Tyndale) pp 42-43

God blesses in the midst of suffering

"Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest.

Psalm 126:5-6 NLT

For he has not ignored the suffering of the needy. He has not turned and walked away. He has listened to their cries for help.
Psalm 22:24 NLT

Those who suffer the same things from the same people for the same Person can scarcely not love each other.
C. S. Lewis

Suffering—the soil of spiritual growth

"The Bible does not promise that Christians won't suffer. In fact, the Scriptures give much evidence that we can expect to suffer, given the evil that is in the world around us and the sin that is in us.

What God does promise is that our suffering can become the catalyst for new growth. God promises to redeem our suffering into his glory.

What griefs are you currently suffering? Can you entrust them to God, confident that he will use them to bring new growth into your life?

The worst kind of suffering is that which we experience alone. When we suffer with another person who is sympathetic to our problem, the suffering is easier to bear. Throughout history, God has sympathized with suffering people. He hears our cries. How would your life and outlook be different if you become convinced that God never failed to respond to your pain?

from the TouchPoint Bible with commentaries by Ron Beers and Gilbert Beers (Tyndale) p 538, 479

What's so bad about a little lie?

Truth stands the test of time; lies are soon exposed. Proverbs 12:19 NLT

"Lying is deceiving someone. It can be direct—"I didn't touch that cake" (as you swallow the last bite)—or it can be indirect, such as telling only part of the truth when it benefits you to do so. But to fall short of truth, in any way, is to lie. Pilate asked, "What is truth?" (John 18:38). Pilate had the answer to his question standing before him, in person. "I am the way, the truth and the life," Jesus said on another occasion (John 14:6). Think of it! Jesus not only tells the truth, he is truth. We cannot follow the God of truth while we persistently tell lies—even "small" ones. Determine to tell the truth in all matters of life, big or small.

From the TouchPoint Bible

Lying is the basic fault line in the foundation of the soul, putting all the superstructure in jeopardy. All the believability a person has, his very integrity, totters on the shifting sand of one lie. Deceit holds hostage all other virtues.

Robertson C. McQuilken

How well are you running the race?

Remember that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize. You also must run in such a way that you will win. All athletes practice self-control. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step. I am not like a boxer who misses his punches. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what I should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 NLT

As he watched athletes training for and competing in their games, Paul saw an illustration of the struggles and victories of the Christian life. Although our final victory over death through Christ is always assured, we must strive for daily victory over the issues and temptations we face now.

We discipline ourselves, not in order to earn salvation, but to experience the joy and victory God intends for us now!

Look hard at your spiritual life. Are you vigorously participating in the game, barely keeping pace, or merely watching from the stands?

Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House

When and how do you pray?

It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to the Most High. It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning, your faithfulness in the evening, accompanied by the harp and lute and the harmony of the lyre. You thrill me, Lord, with all you have done for me! I sing for joy because of what you have done. Psalm 92:1-4 NLT

What a way to start the day! The verses in Psalm 92 represent one of the first prayers on the priests' lips on the Sabbath day: "You thrill me, Lord, with all you have done for me!"

What if before you read your morning paper, before you head out the door, before you start the countless tasks you have to do for each day, you determine that you're going to start your day with praise for how God has "thrilled" you? Right now, you have the chance to start afresh. A new day is before you. Why not start things off right with a regimen of praise instead of the old routine? In prayer today, proclaim his unfailing love, and tonight, before going to bed, praise him again for his faithfulness.

Adapted from The One Year Book of Bible Prayers (Tyndale House) entry for May 15

Do you have a joy that rubs off on other people?

I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me, freeing me from all my fears. Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. I cried out to the Lord in my suffering, and he heard me. He set me free from all my fears. For the angel of the Lord guards all who fear him, and he rescues them. Psalm 34:4-7 NLT

Do you enjoy watching the televised Olympic games? If you do, you know the joy the winners of an Olympic event experience is contagious. That's one reason millions of people watch the Olympics so religiously. It's not simply to see the drama of the event and the excellence and form of the athletes. It's also to share in the contagious joy of the winners. In Psalm 34 David describes the same type of joy radiating from believers. All those who look to God for help will experience a joy so intense that other people can see it in their faces. David says the reason for that joy is that God has heard and answered our prayers. Our shame has been taken away. We have been set free from all our fears because the angel of the Lord encamps around us. He guards his people. Pray today that the angel of the Lord will set up camp around you and your relationships. Commit your fears and worries to God, and ask him to guard you. He can set you free from your fears and grant you radiant joy as you look to him for help.


Adapted from Praying God's Promises for My Marriage by John Farrar (Tyndale House), pp 92-93