STAY CLOSE

Psalm 27:11
Teach me how to live,
O LORD. Lead me along
the path of honesty,
for my enemies are
waiting for me to fall.



Every day of your life will feature spiritual battles. The Apostle Peter warned us in 1 Peter 5:8 to, “Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour.” Oftentimes, Satan tricks us by appearing in a manner as Paul describes in 2 Corinthians 11:14, “Even Satan can disguise himself as an angel of light.” Our enemy is constantly tempting us to make mistakes. For this reason, we have got to remain prayerful and close to God. For when we stay close to God, we find ourselves living life honestly and staying away from sinful actions.

GET A PROMOTION

Joshua 1:18
Anyone who rebels against your word and
does not obey your every command will be
put to death. So be strong and courageous!



After Moses' death, God appointed Joshua as the Israelites' new leader giving him the same authority that was given to Moses before him. This promotion was a reward for being a faithful right hand man to Moses. Likewise, a young LtCol. Dwight D. Eisenhower believed that he wouldn’t rise much further in leadership. The young Eisenhower was a regiment executive officer that had been a major for sixteen years before being promoted and he had become deeply content with his life. The Army had provided him with a good life and he had friends who respected him. Eisenhower was quoted saying, “No man could ask for more.” His career contentment and faithful commitment to a job well-done carried him all the way to the White House as the 34th President of the United States many years later. Take courage and stay faithful to God, being content with what you have and faithfully committed to doing a good job, and He will promote you in His perfect time.

ARE YOU A NOBODY?

Romans 5:15
And what a difference between
our sin and God's generous gift
of forgiveness. For this one man,
Adam, brought death to many
through his sin. But this other
man, Jesus Christ, brought
forgiveness to many through
God's bountiful gift.



When Adam committed the original sin, sin was passed to all men thereon. The Bible teaches us in Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” We're all sinners and we're all flawed, but we're still nevertheless precious in the sight of God and that’s why He came down from Heaven’s glory to die on the cross. His blood was shed for us so that we could be forever cleansed from all of our sins. Don’t ever think that you're a "nobody" or a "nothing" because each one of us is so special to God that He was willing to leave His throne to save you from the sin enveloping your life. Make everyday a day where you do something precious with the priceless gift He’s given to you. You might be flawed, but God thinks you're precious.

BOUGHT AND PAID FOR

1 Peter 1:18-19
For you know that God paid a
ransom to save you from the
empty life you inherited from
your ancestors. And the ransom
he paid was not mere gold or
silver. He paid for you with
the precious lifeblood of Christ,
the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.



The real problem with the world isn’t money, politics, or even the economy. The real problem facing the world is the sin that resides in the hearts of man. Because of this problem, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God had to be offered as ransom. Regarding ransoms, the Guinness Book of World Records posted that the greatest ransom ever paid was that for Atahualpa by the Incas to Francisco Pizarro in 1533 at Cajamarca, Peru. It was an entire hall full of gold and silver. While that’s a pretty impressive ransom, it just can’t be compared to what God did to pay your ransom. He gave His Son’s life as a ransom for all to be free and have salvation. John 8:36 says, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” You’re neither a slave or hostage any longer. You’re free indeed.

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?

Psalm 13:1
O LORD, how long will
you forget me? Forever?
How long will you
look the other way?



Have you ever prayed and felt like the Lord just wasn’t listening or hearing you? Have you ever felt that the Lord might've abandoned you in your moment of need? Well, you’re definitely not alone. You might even consider yourself in good company because King David at certain points felt that very same way. Every time we sin and make mistakes, we suffer and get that feeling of abandonment. Feeling all alone is just a part of the consequence of sin. The cure for this is asking for God’s forgiveness. David needed to remind himself of this in Psalm 11:4, “The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD is on his heavenly throne. He observes the sons of men; his eyes examine them.” For Jesus, it sure felt like God was looking the other way when He was hanging on the cross carrying the past, present and future sins of the world. He even cried out in pain, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" God didn’t really forsake Jesus though, and Jesus certainly won’t forsake you. Just live a holy life, seek His forgiveness, flee from sin and know that when you're feeling all alone God isn't looking the other way.

GOOD COUNSEL

Proverbs 11:14
For lack of guidance a nation falls,
but many advisers make victory sure.



The assumption that Proverbs 11:14 makes is that the "advisers" are Godly and competent. An NFL football team has several different coaches to help the head coach guide the team. The players may play at their very best, but there are still things that a player just can’t see as the action is quickly unfolding. With a Godly and competent coach watching and observing from outside the players’ field of vision, wise counsel can be given to assure the victory. On the journey through life, you'll need competent coaches to help you succeed. For instance, a person enters into some of the most challenging life situations upon entering into a marriage. Don’t get yourself into a challenging situation like that without seeking proper counsel and guidance! Battles like these are ones that you don’t want to lose and you'll require coaching that you may never have realized that you'll need. Even then, with the best coaches and advice available, you'll need to actually be wise enough to heed. You will need a teachable spirit.

WATCH YOUR TONGUE

Proverbs 21:23
If you keep your mouth shut;
you will stay out of trouble.



I read this funny story about an elderly woman complaining to a person next to her about today's youth. “Look at that girl wearing boy’s jeans, a boy’s shirt, and that haircut is so boyish. You wouldn’t know she was a girl at all, would you?” The person replied, “I’d know because she’s my daughter.” The embarrassed woman said, “Oh dear, I’m so sorry – I didn’t know you were her father.” And with that the parent responded, “I’m not, I’m her mother.” Christians, be careful with your words. You should always try to choose words that can edify people and yourself. Paul said Ephesians 4:29, “Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.” There's power in your words, so know when to use them and when to keep your mouth shut.

FULLY LOADED

Ecclesiastes 9:10
Whatsoever thy hand
findeth to do,
do it with thy might.



Campbell Aird, a hotel owner in Scotland, has one of the most advanced artificial arms in the world. The Guinness of Book of World Records labeled him, “The Man With A Bionic Arm.” Aird’s artificial limb is controlled by a motor and gears that are located in his upper arm. ABC News reported that, “Campbell does not get any ‘feedback’ from his arm to his brain. Our hands contain three main nerves, two major arteries and 27 different bones. Even simple movements involve the co-ordination of up to 60 different muscles. There are 2,500 nerve receptors in each square centimeter of the fingertips, so it is extremely difficult for an artificial hand to give its recipient anything like the sensation of touch.” Isn’t it amazing how God designed our arms and hands, and for that matter, our entire body! Man's physical design is a precision engineering masterpiece with all of the layers of systems working perfectly together. It’s for this reason that the wise King Solomon said, “Anything you do, do with all your might,” because God made you fully loaded for whatever challenges lay in front of you.

READY AND WAITING FOR YOU

Psalm 9:10
Those who know your name
trust in you, for you, O LORD,
have never abandoned anyone
who searches for you.



A police car pulled up to the house of an elderly couple and an elderly man got out of the car. The police officer explained to an elderly woman at the house that he found her husband lost in the park. ''Why, Bill,” said the elderly woman, “you’ve been going there for over 30 years, how could you get lost?'' Leaning close to the old lady so the police officer couldn't hear, he whispered, ''Dear, I wasn't exactly lost. I was just too tired to walk home.'' You might be tired from all the wear and tear of life’s journey, but don’t worry – Jesus will never abandon you. He will always be there for you, ready and waiting to give you comfort and to take you home.

FOLLOW INSTRUCTION

Luke 5:5
"Master," Simon replied, "we worked hard
all last night and didn't catch a thing.
But if you say so, we'll try again."



There’s a story about Neil Marten, a member of the British Parliament, who was giving a tour of the House of Parliament to his constituents when his group happened upon Lord Chancellor Hailsham. The Lord Chancellor recognized Marten among the group and cried, "Neil!" Upon seeing Hailsham, the entire set of visiting constituents took to their knees before the Lord Chancellor. In the Bible, Simon was with Jesus when He told the Apostles to drop their nets again. Simon was an experienced fisherman that knew that of no fish at the location Jesus had indicated. Nevertheless, the Disciples obeyed the odd instructions and harvested beyond what they would even be able to carry home. Sometimes we just can’t understand why God gives us instructions when they make no sense to us. The tough lesson here is that even when the instructions seem odd, out of place or nonsensical, if they’re coming from God – follow them. You just might have a miraculous catch that day.

USE YOUR EARS

Hebrews 12:25
See to it that you obey God,
the one who is speaking to you.
For if the people of Israel did not escape
when they refused to listen to Moses,
the earthly messenger,
how terrible our danger if we reject
the One who speaks to us from heaven!



Adolph Herseth, a trumpeter for the Chicago Symphony for nearly fifty years said, “Playing the trumpet has less to do with the mouth than the ear. You have to start with a very precise sense of how something should sound. Then, instinctively, you modify your lip and your breathing and the pressure of the horn to obtain the sound.” Likewise, the Bible says those that have ears let them hear. So listen to what the Word of God is telling you. We have two ears, two eyes and just one mouth. It stands to reason that if we talked less, we’d be able to watch more carefully for what God is doing in our lives and that we’d be able to listen and hear clearly what God is trying to tell us.

BE HUMBLE

Philippians 2:3
Don't be selfish; don't live to
make a good impression on others.
Be humble, thinking of others
as better than yourself.



Alexander de Seversky was an American aviator that lost his leg and wore a wooden replacement til his death. There's a story about Seversky visiting another pilot that had recently lost his leg, as well. Seversky tried to cheer up the injured pilot by offering, "The loss of a leg is not so great a calamity. If you get hit on a wooden leg, it doesn't hurt a bit! Try it!" And Seversky pointed at his wooden leg for the patient to hit as hard as he could. The injured pilot raised his walking stick and brought it down twice like a hammer on Seversky's leg. The inventor then cheerfully added, "You see, if you hit an ordinary man like that, he'd be in bed for five days!" With that, Seversky left the now encouraged young pilot and limped into the corridor where he collapsed in excruciating pain. Apparently, Seversky was struck twice on his good leg not the wooden leg. He couldn't bear to see the young pilot lose any more heart, so he took the blows like a champ. In uncomfortable and challenging situations, mature people like Seversky take on a very Christ-like approach as they think of others instead of themselves. In your own Christian walk, consider others before considering yourself. You’ll find that the rewards for finding comfort in uncomfortable situations are more than worthy of your efforts.

THE BEST BUSINESS PARTNER

Proverbs 11:18
Evil people get rich for the moment,
but the reward of the godly will last.



I read a funny story about a very successful businessman having a business meeting with his new son-in-law. He told his daughter's husband, “I welcome you into the family, and to show you how much we care for you, I'm making you a 50-50 partner in my business. All you have to do is go to the factory everyday and learn our operations.” The son-in-law replied, “I hate factories. I can’t stand the noise.” With that the businessman told him, “That's okay, just work in the office and take charge of some of the operations.” To which the younger man responded, “I hate office work. I can’t stand being stuck behind a desk.” Now confused, the business owner said, “I just made you half owner of a money-making industrial company, but you don’t like factories, and you won’t work in an office. What am I going to do with you?” His snarky son-in-law responded, “Well that's easy, just buy out my half of the company.” There are people that have a tendency to take short cuts to success. We read and hear about "get rich quick" businesses a whole lot these days. There really is no such way to become wealthy quickly. Ultimately, the key to gaining wealth (not necessarily riches!) is to make God your partner. Only then will it be possible for blessed riches to appear and for those rewards to last a lifetime.

DON'T TALK TOO MUCH

Proverbs 10:19
Don't talk too much,
for it fosters sin.
Be sensible and
turn off the flow!



According to the Lord Jesus, the things that emerge from behind man's lips have the potential to be destructive. Matthew 15:18 teaches us, “But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean.’” King Solomon was absolutely right on target when he wrote Proverbs 10:19! It reminds me of a story about a doctor making a house call to a sickly old man. The old man’s wife said, “Doctor, I hate to ask you to come so far, but my husband is very sick.” The doctor said, “Oh, that’s quite all right, I have another patient in the neighborhood. So I’ll just come out and kill two birds with one stone.” Hmm. Seems the good doctor might need some sensitivity training. James 3:5 teaches us, “So also, the tongue is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do.” Indeed. Talk less, listen more.

BEEN THERE DONE THAT

Hebrews 4:14-15
That is why we have
a great High Priest
who has gone to heaven,
Jesus the Son of God.
Let us cling to him and
never stop trusting him.
This High Priest of ours
understands our weaknesses,
for he faced all of the
same temptations we do,
yet he did not sin.



Everyday we face temptations, and if we're not equipped to deal with those temptations, it's highly likely that we will succumb to sinfulness. It's really important to point out that people don’t sin because they're tempted. They sin when they yield to temptation. It reminds me of a story about a man and his wife that were shopping together when a very shapely young woman in a short, form-fitting dress strolled by. The husband’s eyes very easily followed the young lady. As he returned to his senses, his wife simply asked, "Was it worth the trouble that you're in now?" Look at it this way, guilt and sin just aren’t worth the troubles or the consequences. It really makes sense to follow Jesus' example of how to deal with temptation. Christ was tempted by the devil himself, but through it all He never gave in to the fleshly desires of power or lust. It's definitely tough, but it's definitely possible.

A LIFE WITH MEANING

1 Peter 1:18-19
For you know that God
paid a ransom to save you
from the empty life you
inherited from your ancestors.
And the ransom he paid
was not mere gold or silver.
He paid for you with
the precious lifeblood
of Christ, the sinless,
spotless Lamb of God.



Jesus knows what can make our lives full. Christ taught is in John 10:10 that, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” He gave His life to rescue all of us from having empty and pointless existences. Make Him a part of your life today and you'll be guaranteed a fulfilling and everlasting life.

DON'T BE ENSLAVED

Titus 2:9-10
Slaves must obey their masters
and do their best to please them.
They must not talk back or steal,
but they must show themselves
to be entirely trustworthy and good.
Then they will make the teaching about
God our Savior attractive in every way.



If you stop and think about it, we labor away on things nearly every single day. We are like just like slaves, except our goal is to try and make ends meet. Sooner or later, however, we come to realize that the reason we exist as Christians is to fulfill our purpose given to us by God. We’re not just here to work for our survival, livelihood or to make ends meet – we’re alive so that we can testify about the good news of God’s salvation. Jesus said in Matthew 6:33-34, “And he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern. So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today.” Try your best to please God in your home, work place or school, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the blessings He is going to bestow upon your life.

MY SAVIOR AND MY GOD

Psalm 42:5
Why am I discouraged?
Why so sad? I will
put my hope in God!
I will praise him again —
my Savior and my God!



I read a story about an elderly widow eager to serve Christ, but because of her advanced age she was restricted from certain activities. She prayed about her situation and realized that she could bring a blessing to others by playing the piano. She advertised, "Pianist will play hymns by phone for those who are sick and downhearted – the service is free." When people called, she’d ask, "What hymn would you like to hear?" Within a few months, her free service had brought cheer and encouragement to several hundred people. Sounds too silly to be true, doesn't it? Nevertheless, it is true! Praise the Lord for those gifts you have and the use those very gifts, no matter how small, to serve the Lord. You'll be encouraged along with the others that are impacted by your service and blessings.

THE SWEET LIFE

Ephesians 5:2
Live a life filled with love for
others, following the example of
Christ, who loved you and gave
himself as a sacrifice to take
away your sins. And God was
pleased, because that sacrifice
was like sweet perfume to him.



The Order of the Mustard Seed, founded by the Austrian noble Count Zinzendorf, has three guiding principles: 1. be kind to all people; 2. seek their welfare; and 3. win them to Christ. Count Zinzendorf began to love the Lord at age six, and lived day after day in fellowship and communion with Christ. He had given his entire life and possessions to the work of Jesus Christ. Zinzendorf's life fulfilled the standards set by Ephesians 5:2 of a pleasing life before God. In that, we can easily surmise that the Count's life deserves the comparison of a sweet perfume to God the Father. Set a goal for yourself to have your life be like a sweet perfume to the Lord.

GOOD DEEDS

1 Timothy 2:5
For there is only one God
and one Mediator who can
reconcile God and people.
He is the man Christ Jesus.



With all the different religions that the world offers, it's no wonder that people often find themselves confused about what to believe. Every religion claims they are the right one, but the Bible teaches us in 1 Corinthians 14:33, “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.” From the beginning, there has been only one God. That sole God came down from heaven and became a man to save men from sin and to reconcile with man. It was God who had to reach down to man for man to be lifted up and saved. "Religion" is man’s feeble effort to try and reach up to God – which explains why religions differ on how to obtain God’s approval, with a common denominator of performing good works to get into heaven. Truth be told, good works alone cannot get you into heaven. The Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:8-9 that, “God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” It is only through the God the Son that we have a mediator to God the Father. Only through His supernatural help are we able to have a way to heaven. There are no other options.

THE NEED FOR VALUES

Genesis 1:27
So God created people
in his own image; God
patterned them after
himself; male and
female he created them.



One late night (or should I say very early morning) after writing devotionals, I went to bed with the television on. While I was falling asleep, there was a reality show that featured a wedding between two teenage girls, with both sets of parents giving their full consent to the marriage. I thought to myself about how family values are being shattered before our very eyes. This is what the Apostle Paul wrote about in Romans 1:26-28, “That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. And the men, instead of having normal sexual relationships with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men and, as a result, suffered within themselves the penalty they so richly deserved. When they refused to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their evil minds and let them do things that should never be done.” The penalty for the rejection of God's values is really steep. Don't leave God out of your life, but rather have God at the center of your life so that you might truly be in the likeness of the Creator.

OPEN YOUR MIND

John 19:6
When they saw him, the leading priests
and Temple guards began shouting,
"Crucify! Crucify!" "You crucify him,"
Pilate said. "I find him not guilty."



Jesus was crucified even though He was never found guilty of any of the crimes that He was accused of. The hordes shouted for a verdict led by the Jewish leaders that wanted Jesus dead because they wouldn’t accept that He was the Son of God. The Apostle Paul was at one point in his life the main killer and prosecutor of early church Christians, but upon personally encountering Jesus while traveling to Damascus, he became a key preacher of the Gospel thereafter. Paul wrote in Romans 9:1-5, “In the presence of Christ, I speak with utter truthfulness – I do not lie and my conscience and the Holy Spirit confirm that what I am saying is true. My heart is filled with bitter sorrow and unending grief for my people, my Jewish brothers and sisters. I would be willing to be forever cursed – cut off from Christ! – if that would save them… He made covenants with them and gave his law to them. They have the privilege of worshiping him and receiving his wonderful promises. Their ancestors were great people of God, and Christ himself was a Jew as far as his human nature is concerned. And he is God, who rules over everything and is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.” Do not be like the religious leaders of Jesus’ day, but rather be open and accepting of the gift of truth. Open your minds to His possibilities!

RESPECT AND REVERENCE

Psalm 93:3-4
The mighty oceans have roared, O LORD.
The mighty oceans roar like thunder;
the mighty oceans roar as they pound the shore.
But mightier than the violent raging of the seas,
mightier than the breakers on the shore —
the LORD above is mightier than these!



King Frederick the Great was making folly of the Lord Jesus at a dinner and he had everyone laughing when suddenly the great General Von Zealand stood up and said, “Sire, you know I have not feared death. I have fought and won 38 battles for you. I am an old man; I shall soon have to go into the presence of One Greater than thou, the mighty God who saved me from my sin, the Lord Jesus Christ whom you are blaspheming against.” With a trembling and apologetic voice, King Frederick said, “General, I beg your pardon. I beg your pardon! I beg your pardon!” Our Lord Jesus is God and He is mighty. A full respect and reverence towards Him is required. Know it and practice it.

HANDLING DEPRESSION

Psalm 73:25-26
Whom have I in heaven but you?
I desire you more than anything
on earth. My health may fail,
and my spirit may grow weak,
but God remains the strength
of my heart; He is mine forever.



Depression will attack you when you're burdened with problems and you feel like you’re all alone. It can be enslaving and people in this kind of situation will sometimes go to great measures to find escape. It could be drugs, alcohol or even shopping, but the sad reality is that those "solutions" don't make the real problem go away. Asaph, the author of Psalm 73, admits his burden and dipping emotional state in verse 2 when he sang, “But as for me, I came so close to the edge of the cliff! My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone.” We later find that Asaph was reassured of God's security and refuge. The more that we desire God, the stronger we become in times of trials and problems because He becomes the center strength of your heart. Have God at your core and when your down days arrive you'll find yourself content in His peace rather than depressed within your emotions.

INHERIT RICHES

Numbers 18:20
And the LORD said to Aaron,
"You priests will receive no
inheritance of land or share
of property among the people
of Israel. I am your
inheritance and your share."



According to 1 Peter 2:9, Christians are peculiar because they, "Are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." This means that as priests of God we become an heir not only to blessings here on earth, but also of the possessions God owns in heaven. Jeremiah said in Lamentations 3:24, "I say to myself, The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!" David said Psalm 16:5, "Lord, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing. You guard all that is mine." Our riches are untouchable because God's economy is not affected by the economic crisis and meltdowns of this world. Rejoice in knowing that He is our inheritance!