“My Joy…Your Joy” by Oswald Chambers

“My Joy…Your Joy” These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.  JOHN 15:11 What was the joy that Jesus had? Joy should not be confused with happiness. In fact, it is an insult to Jesus Christ to use the word happiness in connection with Him. The joy of Jesus was His absolute self-surrender and self-sacrifice to His Father— the joy of doing that which the Father sent Him to do— “…who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross…” (Hebrews 12:2). “I delight to do Your will, O my God…” (Psalm 40:8). Jesus prayed that our joy might continue fulfilling itself until it becomes the same joy as His. Have I allowed Jesus Christ to introduce His joy to me? Living a full and overflowing life does not rest in bodily health, in circumstances, nor even in seeing God’s work succeed, but in the perfect understanding of God, and in the same fellowship and oneness with Him that Jesus Himself enjoyed. But the first thing that will hinder this joy is the subtle irritability caused by giving too much thought to our circumstances. Jesus said, “…the cares of this world,…choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful” (Mark 4:19). And before we even realize what has happened, we are caught up in our cares. All that God has done for us is merely the threshold— He wants us to come to the place where we will be His witnesses and proclaim who Jesus is. Have the right relationship with God, finding your joy there, and out of you “will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38). Be a fountain through which Jesus can pour His “living water.” Stop being hypocritical and proud, aware only of yourself, and live “your life…hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). A person who has the right relationship with God lives a life as natural as breathing wherever he goes. The lives that have been the greatest blessing to you are the lives of those people who themselves were unaware of having been a blessing. From My Utmost for His Highest Updated Edition

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS It is an easy thing to argue from precedent because it makes everything simple, but it is a risky thing to do. Give God “elbow room”; let Him come into His universe as He pleases. If we confine God in His working to religious people or to certain ways, we place ourselves on an equality with God. from Baffled to Fight Better, 51 L

A River of Living Water by Charles Stanley

John 7:37-39

If you’ve ever lived in a desert or experienced a long-term drought, you understand how essential water is. Without it, plants dry up, crops fail, animals languish with thirst, and before long the ground cracks and dust starts to blow. Sometimes, this is how life feels, too—dry, fruitless, unsatisfying, and futile.

But this should not be the case for believers. Even if the externals of life resemble a drought, inside we have the ever-flowing living water of the Holy Spirit. Of all the word pictures employed in the Bible to depict the Spirit, a river of living water ranks among the most powerful. He is seen as the source of vitality and abundance in our lives. Like a continually moving stream, He flows through us, performing His sanctifying work of transforming us into the image of Christ.

Getting to know the Spirit is a lifelong process. As we walk in obedience to Him, we experience both His quiet guidance through life’s challenges and His power displayed in our weakness. We marvel when He brings to light a passage of Scripture and find solace in His comfort when we’re hurting. His convictions guide us to repentance so we can be cleansed with living water. And His promptings and warnings keep us from heading down the wrong path. 

Because the life-giving Spirit dwells within us, no Christian has to live a dry, fruitless life. Of course, if we opt to live as we please and indulge in sin, we’ll quench Him. But the more we learn of Him in Scripture and walk with Him in obedience, the more His life will flow through us.

Rejecting the World by John MacArthur

DRAWING NEAR

Rejecting the World  "Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him" (1 John 2:15). The world is opposed to everything God stands for. Loving the world begins with thinking that God doesn't know what's best for you and is trying to cheat you out of something you deserve. That thought soon blossoms into a willingness to disregard God's warnings altogether and take whatever Satan has to offer. Love of the world started in the Garden of Eden and continues to this day. Genesis 3:6 says, "When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate." What made them think the fruit was good for food or able to make them wise? God didn't tell them that. In fact, He warned them that they would die if they ate the fruit (Gen. 2:17). But Eve believed the serpent's lie and Adam followed suit. Satan continues to propagate his lies but you needn't fall prey to them if you love God and remember that the world is opposed to everything He stands for. It is spiritually dead; void of the Spirit (John 14:17); morally defiled; and dominated by pride, greed, and evil desires. It produces wrong opinions, selfish aims, sinful pleasures, demoralizing influences, corrupt politics, empty honors, and fickle love. You can't love the world and God at the same time because love knows no rivals. It gives its object first place. If you love God, He will have first place in your life. If you love the world, the love of the Father isn't in you (1 John 2:15). Galatians 1:3-5 explains that Jesus says that "gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us out of this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forevermore." Christ died to deliver us from Satan's evil system. What greater motivation could there be to reject the world and live to God's glory? Suggestions for Prayer Ask God for greater wisdom and grace to resist the world's influences. For Further Study According to Ephesians 6:10-18, how can you as a believer protect yourself against Satan's evil system?

Draw Near / WHERE IS GOD?

WHERE IS GOD?

The book of Esther does not once mention the name of God, nor is there a reference to God or a mention of prayer. Yet, the whole book is charged through with His Presence and protection. This dramatic story is told so masterfully that it is impossible to miss the meaning. The story is allowed to speak for itself without any preachments and thus makes an even deeper impression on the reader.

Esther's real name was Hadassah. In Persia, she was known as "Esther" which meant "Ishtar" or "Venus." No doubt the name was given her because of her great beauty. The Israelites' survival was being threatened by a rabid Jew-hater. Haman determined to kill all the Jews and promised a large booty to secure the king's support. His plan backfired because, unbeknownst to him, God had given the king a Jewish wife. Haman was hanged on his own gallows. The message rings out clearly that God protects His people.

Mordecai, Esther's uncle, is a dynamic spiritual force in the story. In the hour of deepest crisis, he calls on Esther to rise to the occasion even at the risk of her life. He reminds her that she was called to the kingdom for just such a crisis as this. In the overview, it is easy to see that Mordecai was right. His stirring words ring in our ears today. In a strife-ridden world, we, too, are called to the Kingdom for such a time as this. May we respond as Esther did, in selfless dedication to our Christ.

“For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

‭‭Esther‬ ‭4:14‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Seeking God's Kingdom by John MacArthur

STRENGTH FOR TODAY

Seeking God's Kingdom  “‘. . . All these things shall be added to you’” (Matthew 6:33). God will provide for those who seek what is eternal. What did Jesus mean when He said we are to seek God’s kingdom first? It means our top priority in life should be to seek what is eternal. That was the priority for the apostle Paul. In Acts 20 he was ready to leave for Jerusalem to defend the faith, not knowing if he might be put in prison or lose his life. The prospect of persecution did not deter him, for he said, “I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself” (v. 24). He was not concerned about how long he would live or worried about what he would eat or wear. Instead, he wanted to “finish [his] course, and the ministry which [he] received from the Lord Jesus” (v. 24). Seeking the kingdom means you want Christ’s rule to be manifest in your life as righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom. 14:17). So, when the lost see those spiritual qualities in your life instead of worry, they know the kingdom of God is there. That is an attractive testimony that the Lord can use to bring the lost to Himself. Seeking God’s kingdom means desiring to extend His kingdom. Seeking the kingdom also means you long for Jesus to return in His millennial glory. We will be joint-heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:1-7), reign with Him forever (Rev. 22:5), live in a new heaven and earth throughout all eternity (21:1), and have all the majesty and riches of eternal Heaven (21:1—22:5). There’s no need to be preoccupied or worried about material things since the whole earth is going to be destroyed and the Lord is going to make a new one. Instead of seeking riches, “seek . . . His righteousness” (Matt. 6:33). Pursue godliness and holiness, and “all these things shall be added to you” (v. 33). God will provide for those who live a righteous life. Suggestions for Prayer According to Matthew 6:33, are the priorities of your life in the right order? Confess and forsake any sin, and thank the Lord for the privilege of serving Him. For Further Study Read Psalm 34:9-10. What is the promise to those who fear and seek the Lord?

The God Who Can’t Be Figured Out by Adrian Rogers

The God Who Can’t Be Figured Out August 31 “For He looks to the ends of the earth, andsees under the whole heaven; To make the weight for the winds; and He weighs the waters by measure.” Job 28:24-25 There are certain things God is not going to reveal. And that is good news. Who wants to believe in a God that they can put in a box and completely understand? Not me. You can take a bucket down to the ocean and dip out a bucket full of water. Everything in that bucket is ocean, but not all the ocean is in the bucket. Amen? And with our bucket-size minds, we are never going to know all there is about God. I’m not. You’re not. Nobody is. Deuteronomy 29:29 says, “The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.”

August 31 / Streams in the Desert by L.B. Cowman

Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed(John 20:29). How strong is the snare of the things that are seen, and how necessary for God to keep us in the things that axe unseen! If Peter is to walk on the water he must walk; if he is going to swim, he must swim, but he cannot do both. If the bird is going to fly it must keep away from fences and the trees, and trust to its buoyant wings. But if it tries to keep within easy reach of the ground, it will make poor work of flying. God had to bring Abraham to the end of his own strength, and to let him see that in his own body he could do nothing. He had to consider his own body as good as dead, and then take God for the whole work; and when he looked away from himself, and trusted God alone, then he became fully persuaded that what He had promised, He was able to perform. That is what God is teaching us, and He has to keep away encouraging results until we learn to trust without them, and then He loves to make His Word real in fact as well as faith. --A. B. Simpson I do not ask that He must prove His Word is true to me, And that before I can believe He first must let me see. It is enough for me to know 'Tis true because He says 'tis so; On His unchanging Word I'll stand And trust till I can understand. --E. M. Winter

A Lifetime of Growth by Stephen Davey

A Lifetime of Growth James 4:3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. When British Parliament member John Ward died, a prayer was found among his papers; it was rather embarrassing to those inheriting his estate: O Lord, Thou knowest that I have mine estates in the City of London, and likewise that I have lately purchased an estate in the county of Essex. I beseech Thee to preserve the two counties from fire and earthquake; and as I have a mortgage in Hertfordshire, I beg of Thee likewise to have an eye of compassion on that county; as for the rest of the counties, Thou mayest deal with them as Thou art pleased. This type of prayer is so common in our churches today. We ask God for temporal pleasures the way a toddler asks for a popsicle. And when He doesn’t give it to us—and in the flavor we want—we’re likely to throw a spiritual fit. If we want to live truly satisfied lives, James tells us that we’ll have to get rid of our self-seeking, self-indulgent attitude. To live according to the will of God will require daily surrender of our own will. And the key word here is daily. Just keep in mind that daily transformation isn’t finished in a day . . . it’ll take a lifetime of surrender and growth. The day my twin sons turned four years old, I went upstairs to their room when I came home from work.  One of my sons had tears in his eyes. This surprised me, so I said, “Hey, buddy, what’s the problem?” He wiped his eyes and responded, “Today’s my birthday.” I thought to myself, You oughta save those tears for when you hit 40! Instead I said,  “Well, I know it’s your birthday . . . so why aren’t you happy about turning four?”  With childlike sincerity, he looked up at me and replied, “Because I thought when I turned four, I’d be big.” My brokenhearted son had the false idea that he was going to grow up overnight.  He was so disappointed to discover he wasn’t any larger today than he was the day before. Some of the greatest saints I’ve ever met—men and women in their 70s and 80s—never talk to me about reaching some point in their lives where they felt they’d made it to spiritual maturity. Instead they speak about the growing pains and the constant struggle to be satisfied in Christ. This was true of the Puritans as well. One of them made this honest confession before God: When thou wouldst guide me, I control myself. When thou wouldst be sovereign, I rule myself. When I should depend on Thy provision, I supply myself. When I should submit to Thy providence, I follow my own will. When I should honor and trust Thee, I serve myself. Don’t wait until tomorrow to make things right with God. Submit your will to Him now . . . you’ll be able to see growth later on.  In fact, the Lord is committed to growing you up and completing His work in you on the day He calls you home. He just so happens to be stretching your growth process over the course of your entire life . . . so be patient. Prayer Point: Pray through the lines of that poetic confession and consider how each applies to you specifically. How do you rule yourself and supply yourself and serve yourself? Confess these things to Christ and pray for humility to let them go. Extra Refreshment: Read Nehemiah 1:1-31 and compare Nehemiah’s prayer to John Ward’s prayer at the beginning of this devotional.

Walking In Light by Alistair Begg

DAILY DEVOTIONAL AUGUST 31, 2018 Walking In Light If we walk in the light, as he is in the light . . . 1 John 1:7 "As he is in the light"! Can we ever attain to this? Will we ever be able to walk as clearly in the light as He is whom we call "Our Father," of whom it is written, "God is light, and in him is no darkness at all" (verse 5)? Certainly this is the model that is set before us, for the Savior Himself said, "You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect";1 and although we may feel that we can never rival the perfection of God, yet we are to seek after it and not be satisfied until we attain to it. The youthful artist as he grasps his newly sharpened pencil can hardly hope to equal Raphael or Michelangelo; but still, if he did not have a noble ideal before his mind, he would only attain to something very mean and ordinary. But what is meant by the expression that the Christian is to walk in light as God is in the light? We conceive it to convey likeness but not degree. We are as truly in the light, we are as heartily in the light, we are as sincerely in the light, as honestly in the light, although we cannot be there in the same measure. I cannot dwell in the sun—it is too bright a place for my residence, but I can walk in the light of the sun; and so, though I cannot attain to that perfection of purity and truth that belongs to the Lord of hosts by nature as the infinitely good, yet I can set the Lord always before me and strive, by the help of the indwelling Spirit, to conform to His image. The famous old commentator John Trapp says, "We may be in the light as God is in the light for quality, but not for equality." We are to have the same light and are as truly to have it and walk in it as God does, though as for equality with God in His holiness and purity, that must be left until we cross the Jordan and enter into the perfection of the Most High. Notice how the blessings of sacred fellowship and perfect cleansing are bound up with walking in the light.

Never Alone by David Jeremiah

Friday, August 31 Never Alone    To this end I also labor, striving according to [Christ’s] working which works in me mightily. Colossians 1:29    As children, we hated having to go places alone without the security of a parent—like walking into a new school building alone on the first day of school. Little has changed. As adults we still fear being alone—in times of trouble or crisis or discouragement, when facing responsibilities and challenges that only we can undertake. God noticed the unnatural state of aloneness shortly after creating Adam (Genesis 2:18).

Recommended Reading: Mark 16:20

There’s another way that little has changed: the presence of Christ with those who follow and serve Him. Before His death, resurrection, and ascension, Christ was always with His disciples. He taught them, modeled life for them, and trained them. After His ascension, His physical presence changed but not His spiritual presence. By the presence of His Spirit, He was with them as much as He had been. Paul gave testimony to this fact more than once (Galatians 2:20; Colossians 1:29). Jesus promised He would be with His disciples (Matthew 28:20), and He was (Mark 16:20).  If you are Christ’s, He is with you in every situation of your life. You never have to go anywhere or do anything alone.  The problem with atheism is having nobody to talk to when you are alone.  Unknown

Call for Help / Our Daily Bread

Call for Help August 31, 2018

Read: Acts 2:14–21 Bible in a Year: Psalms 132–134; 1 Corinthians 11:17–34 Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.—Acts 2:21 After five deaths and fifty-one injuries in elevator accidents in 2016, New York City launched an ad campaign to educate people on how to stay calm and be safe. The worst cases were people who tried to save themselves when something went wrong. The best plan of action, authorities say, is simply, “Ring, relax, and wait.” New York building authorities made a commitment to respond promptly to protect people from injury and extract them from their predicament. In the book of Acts, Peter preached a sermon that addressed the error of trying to save ourselves. Luke, who wrote the book, records some remarkable events in which believers in Christ were speaking in languages they did not know (Acts 2:1-12). Peter got up to explain to his Jewish brothers and sisters that what they were witnessing was the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy (Joel 2:28-32)—the outpouring of the Spirit and a day of salvation. The blessing of the Holy Spirit was now visibly seen in those who called on Jesus for rescue from sin and its effects. Then Peter told them how this salvation is available for anyone (v. 21). Our access to God comes not through keeping the Law but through trusting Jesus as Lord and Messiah. If we are trapped in sin, we cannot save ourselves. Our only hope for being rescued is acknowledging and trusting Jesus as Lord and Messiah. —Marvin Williams Have you called on Jesus to rescue you from your sin? Rescue comes to those who call on Jesus for help. INSIGHT: Luke records the coming of the Holy Spirit in wonderfully descriptive language. For the disciples, the entire three years of walking with Jesus would have been astounding, but the last two months prior to the day of Pentecost would have been especially intense: the trial, the crucifixion, hiding in fear, the resurrection, the ascension. And it all led to the coming of the Holy Spirit and the proclamation of the gospel. Luke doesn’t record the reactions of the disciples, but imagine being in their sandals. As you are together with your closest friends, you hear the sound of wind—inside the house! What appears to be fire descends on you. Even with everything you have seen, the temptation to flinch would have been great. God’s presence was both terrifying and empowering. But it’s this fire that sparks the first gospel message, the message of salvation in Jesus. J.R. Hudberg

Usefulness or Relationship? by Oswald Chambers

Usefulness or Relationship? Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.  LUKE 10:20 Jesus Christ is saying here, “Don’t rejoice in your successful service for Me, but rejoice because of your right relationship with Me.” The trap you may fall into in Christian work is to rejoice in successful service— rejoicing in the fact that God has used you. Yet you will never be able to measure fully what God will do through you if you do not have a right-standing relationship with Jesus Christ. If you keep your relationship right with Him, then regardless of your circumstances or whoever you encounter each day, He will continue to pour “rivers of living water” through you (John 7:38). And it is actually by His mercy that He does not let you know it. Once you have the right relationship with God through salvation and sanctification, remember that whatever your circumstances may be, you have been placed in them by God. And God uses the reaction of your life to your circumstances to fulfill His purpose, as long as you continue to “walk in the light as He is in the light” (1 John 1:7). Our tendency today is to put the emphasis on service. Beware of the people who make their request for help on the basis of someone’s usefulness. If you make usefulness the test, then Jesus Christ was the greatest failure who ever lived. For the saint, direction and guidance come from God Himself, not some measure of that saint’s usefulness. It is the work that God does through us that counts, not what we do for Him. All that our Lord gives His attention to in a person’s life is that person’s relationship with God— something of great value to His Father. Jesus is “bringing many sons to glory…” (Hebrews 2:10). From My Utmost for His Highest Updated Edition

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS Am I becoming more and more in love with God as a holy God, or with the conception of an amiable Being who says, “Oh well, sin doesn’t matter much”? from Disciples Indeed, 389 L

Our Incomparable Companion by Charles Stanley

John 14:15-17

Having a faithful friend is one of God’s greatest blessings. No matter what’s going on in your life, you can count on that person to stick with you. However, there is no guarantee that you won’t lose that friend. Unavoidable circumstances like relocation, illness, or death may take your companion away, but if you are a Christian, you have a friend who will never leave you.

He’s the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus called the Helper. He’s no fair-weather friend, slipping in and out of our lives when it’s to His advantage. When He takes up residence within us, He comes to stay forever (John 14:16). 

In most human relationships, we try to avoid the use of sweeping negative or positive statements such as, “You are always late,” or “You are always there for me.” However, such superlative declarations are completely fitting when applied to the Holy Spirit. Listen to how the Lord Jesus described Him: 

• “He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you” (John 14:26). 
• “He will testify about Me” (John 15:26). 
• “He will guide you into all the truth” (John 16:13).
• “All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you” (John 16:15). 

Throughout the New Testament epistles, we find even more descriptions of this marvelous companion. His ministry in our lives is varied, and His accomplishments in and through us are many. How wealthy we are to have the Holy Spirit. He is a friend who truly sticks closer than a brother!

The Love God Hates by John MacArthur

DRAWING NEAR

The Love God Hates  "Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God abides forever" (1 John 2:15-17). If you love the world, you’re engaging in a love God hates. Satan, from the very beginning of his rebellious activities, has been developing an invisible spiritual system of evil designed to oppose God and enslave people to sin. The apostle John identified that system as "the world," and warned us not to love it. Satan has had many centuries to develop his evil system, so it is very effective on those who reject Christ. First John 5:19 explains that while we as Christians belong to God, "the whole world lies in the power of the evil one," whom Jesus called, "the ruler of this world" (John 12:31). In John 8:44 He identified certain unbelievers as children of their father, the devil, who is a murderer and the father of lies. That's how completely unbelievers are identified with Satan. As a believer, you are identified with God. You have been delivered out of the domain of darkness and placed into the kingdom of Christ (Col. 1:13). You are from God and have overcome the evil one because the Holy Spirit who indwells you is greater than he who controls the world (1 John 4:4). Sadly, Christians sometimes flirt with the very things they've been saved from. Don't do that. Satan and his system have nothing to offer you. They are doomed! First John 2:17 says, "The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God abides forever." Suggestions for Prayer If you've been flirting with the world, ask God's forgiveness. Praise God that someday Satan and his evil system will be vanquished. For Further Study Read the epistle of 1 John, noting the contrasts between the children of God and the children of Satan.

Draw Near / "I CAN'T COME DOWN"

"I CAN'T COME DOWN"

Satan will do everything possible to stop the work of God. The book of Nehemiah exposes some of the subtle tricks the devil uses to stop or slow down the progress of the Kingdom. Called to rebuild the crumbled wall of Jerusalem, Nehemiah faced the almost impossible task of inspiring a defeated people. They had been living under the threats of their enemies for so long that they had resigned themselves to the prospect of never being any better off. Nehemiah changed all that.

Riding into the city with a kind king's decree, Nehemiah challenged the people to rebuild the walls. Immediately Sanballat and Tobiah, longtime enemies of the Jews, launched a campaign to stop the work. By threat, innuendo, and ridicule, they tried to get the Israelites to stop building the wall. Finally, when none of these worked, they sent a servant who said, "At least, can't we talk about it?" Nehemiah recognized the trick for what it was and curtly replied that he was involved in a great work for God and could not come down. His determination paid off, and the people finished the wall in a record fifty-two days. Their city was again safe.

As we work for God, Satan will do everything he can to discourage us. He has not changed his tactics and still uses threats, innuendos, ridicule, and compromise. Often, we get so caught up defending our position that we cannot get the work done on our wall of faith. Nehemiah's book shows us we do not have to be victimized by the devil. We can rise above all of his onslaughts. We are involved in the greatest work in the world and we "cannot come down."

“And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?”

‭‭Nehemiah‬ ‭6:3‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Living One Day at a Time by John MacArthur

STRENGTH FOR TODAY

Living One Day at a Time  “‘Do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own’” (Matthew 6:34). The believer is not to worry about his future. British pastor Martyn Lloyd-Jones said, “Although it is very right to think about the future, it is very wrong to be controlled by it.” He was right, because worry is a tremendous force that will endeavor to defeat you. It will try to destroy you today by making you upset and anxious. But if it loses today, it will take you into the future until it finds something to make you worry about. In Matthew 6:34 Jesus says that you have enough to deal with today. Take the resources of today for the needs of today, or you will lose the joy of today. Lack of joy is a sin too. Many people lose their joy because of worry about tomorrow, and they miss the victory God gives them today. That is not fair to Him. God gives you a glorious and blissful day today; live in the light and fullness of the joy of that day, and use the resources God supplies. Don’t push yourself into the future and forfeit the joy of today over some tomorrow that may never happen. Learn this one little statement: fear is a liar. It will cause you to lose the joy of today. What’s more, God gives strength for only one day at a time. He doesn’t give you grace for tomorrow until tomorrow. When the Bible says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever” (Heb. 13:8), it means He will be doing the same thing tomorrow that He was doing yesterday. If you have any questions about the future, look at the past. Did He sustain you then? He will sustain you in the future. Since there is no past, present, or future with Him, there is no need for you to worry. Suggestions for Prayer Praise God for being the same yesterday, today, and forever. For Further Study Read Lamentations 3:21-24. What never ceases and never fails (v. 22)? What does that say about God (v. 23)? What does that give you (v. 21)?