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| Controlling Our Tongues | |||||
Even so, the tongue is a little part of the body and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles.
—James 3:5 Devotion: Tact can go a long way in solving a lot of problems, as one man who worked in a grocery store discovered when an elderly lady came up and wanted to buy half a head of cabbage. “But Madam,” he said, “we only sell the whole head.” “I just want half a head of cabbage,” she replied. “I live by myself and I only need half a head of cabbage.” He tried a number of times to dissuade her. Finally, with some exasperation, he said, “Well, I’ll go and ask the manager.” So he walked to the back of the store and found the manager. “Can you believe that some old idiot wants to buy half a head of cabbage?” he exclaimed. Then he noticed out of the corner of his eyes that the woman had followed him and was standing right behind him. Recovering his tact quickly, he said, “And this dear lady has agreed to buy the other half. Would that be all right?” May God grant that we learn to control our tongues. May He help us to use them to build people up, not to tear them down. May He give us the grace to glorify Him and to use our tongues tell others of Jesus. Question to ponder: How can you use your tongue for someone’s good today? |
Friday, July 29, 2016
Controlling Our Tongues by D. James Kennedy
Do You See Jesus in Your Clouds? by Oswald Chambers
Do You See Jesus in Your Clouds?
In the Bible clouds are always associated with God. Clouds are the sorrows, sufferings, or providential circumstances, within or without our personal lives, which actually seem to contradict the sovereignty of God. Yet it is through these very clouds that the Spirit of God is teaching us how to walk by faith. If there were never any clouds in our lives, we would have no faith. “The clouds are the dust of His feet” (Nahum 1:3). They are a sign that God is there. What a revelation it is to know that sorrow, bereavement, and suffering are actually the clouds that come along with God! God cannot come near us without clouds— He does not come in clear-shining brightness.
It is not true to say that God wants to teach us something in our trials. Through every cloud He brings our way, He wants us to unlearn something. His purpose in using the cloud is to simplify our beliefs until our relationship with Him is exactly like that of a child— a relationship simply between God and our own souls, and where other people are but shadows. Until other people become shadows to us, clouds and darkness will be ours every once in a while. Is our relationship with God becoming more simple than it has ever been?
There is a connection between the strange providential circumstances allowed by God and what we know of Him, and we have to learn to interpret the mysteries of life in the light of our knowledge of God. Until we can come face to face with the deepest, darkest fact of life without damaging our view of God’s character, we do not yet know Him.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
For the past three hundred years men have been pointing out how similar Jesus Christ’s teachings are to other good teachings. We have to remember that Christianity, if it is not a supernatural miracle, is a sham. The Highest Good, 548 L
God's Surprise Visits by Charles Stanley
I recall a time when I was faced with a particularly difficult decision. The timing, the circumstances—everything about the opportunity in front of me seemed wrong. Choosing to pursue the prospect didn’t really make sense at all. Though I simply wanted to turn it down, I understood the importance of praying first. As I spent time with the Lord, He gave me a clear vision of what He expected next from my life. I accepted that seemingly illogical, ill-timed offer and reaped great blessing for my obedience.
As Christians, we expect the Holy Spirit to direct our thoughts through prayer and Scripture. But sometimes He may choose to intervene more directly in a person’s life, as He did with me that day.
God has been visiting people since the beginning, when He walked with Adam and Eve in the garden (Gen. 3:8). The way He reveals Himself is different in each instance. Moses saw a burning bush (Ex. 3:2), whereas Samuel heard a voice at night (1 Sam. 3:1-14). Yet each was clearly a divine encounter.
When the Lord visits someone, He comes for a purpose. Joshua received specific—and unusual—instructions for defeating Jericho (Josh. 5:13-6:5). Saul of Tarsus was called into ministry (Acts 9). Others were warned of danger through dreams (Matt. 2:12-13).
God’s personal calls are rare and unexpected. We cannot pray or fast to make Him come. He simply makes His presence known in a believer’s life when He chooses. So be prepared with an open heart and willing spirit if He visits you.
July 29 / Streams in the Desert by L.B. Cowman
Hast thou seen the treasures of the hail, which I have reserved against the day of trouble? (Job 38:22-23).
Our trials are great opportunities. Too often we look on them as great obstacles. It would be a haven of rest and an inspiration of unspeakable power if each of us would henceforth recognize every difficult situation as one of God's chosen ways of proving to us His love and look around for the signals of His glorious manifestations; then, indeed, would every cloud become a rainbow, and every mountain a path of ascension and a scene of transfiguration.
If we will look back upon the past, many of us will find that the very time our Heavenly Father has chosen to do the kindest things for us, and given us the richest blessings, has been the time we were strained and shut in on every side.
God's jewels are often sent us in rough packages and by dark liveried servants, but within we find the very treasures of the King's palace and the Bridegroom's love.
--A. B. Simpson
--A. B. Simpson
Trust Him in the dark, honor Him with unwavering confidence even in the midst of mysterious dispensations, and the recompense of such faith will be like the moulting of the eagle's plumes, which was said to give them a new lease of youth and strength.
--J. R. Macduff
--J. R. Macduff
If we could see beyond today
As God can see;
If all the clouds should roll away,
The shadows flee;
O'er present griefs we would not fret.
Each sorrow we would soon forget,
For many joys are waiting yet
For you and me.
If we could know beyond today
As God doth know,
Why dearest treasures pass away
And tears must flow;
And why the darkness leads to light,
Why dreary paths will soon grow bright;
Some day life's wrongs will be made right,
Faith tells us so.
"If we could see, if we could know,"
We often say,
But God in love a veil doth throw
Across our way;
We cannot see what lies before,
And so we cling to Him the more,
He leads us till this life is o'er;
Trust and obey.
As God can see;
If all the clouds should roll away,
The shadows flee;
O'er present griefs we would not fret.
Each sorrow we would soon forget,
For many joys are waiting yet
For you and me.
If we could know beyond today
As God doth know,
Why dearest treasures pass away
And tears must flow;
And why the darkness leads to light,
Why dreary paths will soon grow bright;
Some day life's wrongs will be made right,
Faith tells us so.
"If we could see, if we could know,"
We often say,
But God in love a veil doth throw
Across our way;
We cannot see what lies before,
And so we cling to Him the more,
He leads us till this life is o'er;
Trust and obey.
Rich Man, Poor Man by Adrian Rogers
JULY 29
Rich Man, Poor Man
“Two things have I required of Thee; deny me them not before I die: Remove far from me vanity [falsehood] and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient [needful] for me: Lest I be full, and deny Thee, and say, Who is the Lord? Or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.” - Proverbs 30:7-9
To pass the test of life, one test you may have to pass is the test of poverty. If so, the Lord has some advice for you. See your poverty in the proper perspective. Because in the Lord Jesus Christ you are highly exalted, no matter how poor you are. Having Christ, you are richer than the richest man on earth without the Lord Jesus Christ. As a Christian, you have gone from rags to riches.
Did you know that many of you would do better being poor than being rich? Some people can stand almost anything but prosperity. This is what our passage in Proverbs is saying.
Actually, it’s very hard to be poor and it’s even harder to be rich. The rich man may have an easier time in life, but he has a harder time passing the test.
The Lord does not tell the rich man to renounce his riches....just to properly assess his riches. It’s not wrong to have money. Some of God’s choicest of saints were extremely wealthy. Abraham is an example. But the rich man is to see his riches from a proper perspective.
Come Boldly
| The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety. — Exodus 33:12 |
| Come Boldly from Daily Light: Morning and Evening Devotional |
MorningYou shall put the two stones on the shoulders of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. So Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord.[Jesus], because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. • [He] is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory. Seeing... that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace. The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by Him, who shelters him all the day long; and he shall dwell between His shoulders. Exodus 28:12; Hebrews 7:24–25; Jude 24; Hebrews 4:14-16; Deuteronomy 33:12 EveningThat night the king could not sleep.You hold my eyelids open. • Who is like the Lord our God... who humbles Himself to behold the things that are in the heavens and in the earth? He does according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. • Your way was in the sea, Your path in the great waters, and Your footsteps were not known. • The wrath of man shall praise You; with the remainder of wrath You shall gird Yourself. The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. • We know that all things work together for good to those who love God. Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Esther 6:1; Psalm 77:4; Psalm 113:5-6; Daniel 4:35; Psalm 77:19; Psalm 76:10; 2 Chronicles 16:9; Romans 8:28; Matthew 10:29-30 Excerpted with permission from Daily Light: Morning and Evening Devotional, copyright Thomas Nelson. |
A Covenant With Eyes by Billy Graham
Day By Day With Billy Graham |  |
Day 212 of 366A Covenant With Eyes
Someone has said, "You cannot help the first look, but the second is sin." Jesus indicated that you can engage in immorality by a look. The Bible places the "lust of the eye" right along with other major sins. Listen: "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world." Peter spoke of having "eyes full of adultery." No wonder Job said, "I have made a covenant with my eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?" Your eyes see only what your soul allows them to see.
Daily Prayer
May my eyes be on You, Lord Jesus, for I need Your purity and love to fill my heart and mind.
1 Timothy 5:22 KJV
22 Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men's sins: keep thyself pure.
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NIV 365 / God Comforts You
The NIV 365-Day Devotional Reading Plan | |
Day 211 of 365God Comforts You
All of us need comfort once in a while. Maybe it's an illness that sets us on life's sidelines. It might be the pain of hurt or betrayal that causes us to want to withdraw into our shell and never come out. Maybe it's the grief of loss that makes it feel like life is just not worth living anymore.
We search for comfort in all kinds of places - escape into the latest TV sitcom, food, the Internet. Maybe we have some caring friends who listen and try to understand, but we can only lean on them so much, for we know they have their own lives and responsibilities.
So where do we turn for comfort? Today's verse tells us to "shout for joy" for "the Lord comforts his people and will have compassion on afflicted ones." That's you. And that promise is for you. The Lord will give the comfort you need. Turn to him and pour out your hurt in prayer. He is always there for you.
God's Promise to Me
*I am there for you in your time of need.
*I will give you comfort.
*I will comfort you and have compassion on you.
My Prayer to God
I need your comfort today, Lord. The hurt goes deep. I need to know that there is purpose for this pain; I need to know that it will not be wasted. I need to feel the comfort that only you can give.
Taken from Once a Day Bible Promises
Isaiah 49:13 KJV
13 Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.
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Make God Your Refuge by Max Lucado
Make God Your Refuge
by Max Lucado
Refuge is a favorite word of David’s. You will count as many as forty-plus appearances in some Bible versions. But never did David use the word more poignantly than in Psalm 57. The introduction to the passage explains its background: “A song of David when he fled from Saul into the cave.” Lost in shadows and thought, he has nowhere to turn. Go home, he endangers his family; to the tabernacle, he imperils the priests. Saul will kill him. Here he sits. All alone. But then he remembers he’s not. And from the recesses of the cave a sweet voice floats:
“Be merciful to me, O God!
For my soul trusts in You; and in the shadow of Your wings I make my refuge.” (Psalm 57:1)
For my soul trusts in You; and in the shadow of Your wings I make my refuge.” (Psalm 57:1)
Make God your refuge. Let Him be the foundation on which you stand!
From Facing Your Giants
Listen to UpWords with Max Lucado at OnePlace.com
Plans and Purposes by David Jeremiah
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Love Your Neighbor / Our Daily Bread
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Our Daily Bread -- Love Your Neighbor
July 29, 2016
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For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” —Galatians 5:14
An anthropologist was winding up several months of research in a small village, the story is told. While waiting for a ride to the airport for his return flight home, he decided to pass the time by making up a game for some children. His idea was to create a race for a basket of fruit and candy that he placed near a tree. But when he gave the signal to run, no one made a dash for the finish line. Instead the children joined hands and ran together to the tree.
When asked why they chose to run as a group rather than each racing for the prize, a little girl spoke up and said: “How could one of us be happy when all of the others are sad?” Because these children cared about each other, they wanted all to share the basket of fruit and candy.
After years of studying the law of Moses, the apostle Paul found that all of God’s laws could be summed up in one: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Gal. 5:14; see also Rom. 13:9). In Christ, Paul saw not only the reason to encourage, comfort, and care for one another but also the spiritual enablement to do it.
Because He cares for us, we care for each other. —Mart DeHaan
Father, thank You for the love You shower on us day by day. Teach us, in turn, to care for others. Open our eyes to see their need and respond as You want us to.
We show our love for God when we love one another.
INSIGHT: Paul’s words in today’s passage remind us of Jesus’s words to the young teacher of the law who asked what he needed to do to inherit eternal life (Luke 10:25-29). Love for God and neighbor is the fulfillment of all the laws of the Old Testament. In Luke, Jesus defines who our neighbor is and what love for that person should look like (vv. 30-37). Paul provides thoughts about this to the people at the church in Rome. After telling them to love their neighbor in chapter 13, he goes on to tell them in chapter 14 to consider the effect their actions will have on their neighbor. Love is to guide everything we do. . J.R. Hudberg
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Thursday, July 28, 2016
What the Master Wants by Max Lucado
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