Bible Reading: 2 Chronicles 7:11-14
"If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land" - (2 Chronicles 7:14, NLT).
It's the only manmade thing on earth that can be seen from outer space.
It's the longest structure ever built by humans, winding for nearly four thousand miles. . . and it was built entirely by hand.
The Great Wall of China was started about four hundred years before Jesus was born, and it continued (off and on) for about two thousand years. Today it stretches (though it has collapsed in places) from the east coast of China all the way into the north-central part of the country. The Chinese people built it to keep other people from attacking and invading their country. To this day, the Great Wall is a great source of pride among the Chinese. Tourists come to see it. Historians study it. And scientists use it to study earthquakes.
But some historians believe the Great Wall--the pride of China--kind of backfired. It may have protected China from some attacks, but it (and the attitudes it symbolized) also isolated the nation from many good things. For centuries, much of the progress and discoveries that benefited people in other parts of the world never reached China. A great nation became a backward nation, partly because the Great Wall kept progress from flowing into China.
That's sort of a picture of what pride does. Some people act prideful because they think it protects them or makes them look better than others around them. But usually what happens is that prideful people obstruct the flow of God's blessings to them. They make it harder for God (and others) to help them and bless them.
On the other hand, humility opens windows of blessing. Humility makes it easier for God to speak to you and help you and bless you. Humility makes it easier for other people to like you and want to be around you. Pride builds a wall that keeps many good things out of your life; humility opens a window that brings many good things into your life.
Reflect: Today's Bible reading lists four things God told his people to do if they wanted him to forgive them and heal their land; what are they? Do you think God blesses humble people more than proud people? Why or why not? How can you make it easier for God to help you and bless you today?
Prayer: "Our Loving Heavenly Father God, you've already given me so many blessings and so many things to be thankful for,
like _________. Please help me keep the windows of help and blessing open by being humble instead of proud." Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, In Jesus Loving Name I Pray, Amen."
Bible reading: Psalm 31:20-24
"The Lord preserves the faithful, but the proud he pays back in full. Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord".- (Psalm 31:24, NIV).
St. Paul's Cathedral was completed in London in 1710. It is one of the most beautiful and impressive churches in the world, and is the center of the Church of England in London.
During World War II, when Adolph Hitler and the forces of Nazi Germany had conquered most of Europe, the city of London was "a besieged city" (Psalm 31:21), under almost constant attack from the planes of the Luftwaffe,the German air force. From September 1940 through May of 1941, Germany's planes bombed London and other British cities almost every night.
Much of London was destroyed during those months, either by the bombs or by the fires the bombs spread through London's buildings. One of the areas that was hardest hit was the section of London called the City. Near the center of the Citystood St. Paul's Cathedral.
In the midst of all the destruction caused by Hitler's planes in London, St.Paul's impressive dome stood. While bombs and fires raged all around, St. Paul's (though damaged) was not destroyed. In fact, if you go to London today, proud Londoners will still show you the scars and scorches that yet mark the great cathedral . . . but that never destroyed it.
The preservation of St. Paul's Cathedral through the devastation of the Battle of Britain is a symbol of what God does for those who are faithful to him. Battles may rage around you, even withinyou. The battles may even touch you and scar you. You may go through fires and storms in your life. But "the Lord preserves the faithful," the Bible says, so "Be strong and take heart, all you
who hope in the Lord" (Psalm 31:24, NIV). Be faithful to him, because he will always be faithful to you.
Reflect: Today's Bible reading says God "will preserve the faithful." Do you think that means, if you're faithful to him, you'll never have a problem? Do you think it means you'll never be sad? If not, what do you think it does mean? Does the Lord's faithfulness to you make you want to be faithful to him? Why?
Prayer:"Our Loving Lord God, I praise you for your wonderful love and faithfulness. Make me really grateful for your faithfulness. Help me to be faithful to you. And please keep me faithful even through the all my temptations and problems. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, In
Jesus Loving Name I Pray, Amen."
And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. -Genesis 3:2-3.
I studied piano as a child because my parents were musicians and wanted me to learn music. I wasn' t much interested in piano, but I memorized pieces for my annual recitals and played reasonably well. My goal was to memorize the notes well enough so I wouldn't freeze or make a mistake while playing before an audience.
As an adult, I sometimes hear those pieces on the radio. The first time that happened was with a Bach Etude I had enjoyed playing only because it made me appear more accomplished than I was. The professional pianist played with such skill that I wept. The professional pianist didn't just learn the notes so he could play without mistakes, but interpreted the composer's intention.
While I had committed the piece to my head, the professional had also committed the piece to his heart. The piece reached me intellectually; the piece reached the artist both intellectually and emotionally.
Adam had heard God's rule, "You may freely eat of every tree in the garden; but the tree of knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die," directly from God and before God created the woman. Genesis does not tell us how the woman heard the rule. Whether God told her personally or she received the rule second-hand through Adam, she had memorized it well enough to recite it flawlessly to the serpent. She had committed the rule to her head but not to her heart.
When we commit ideas to both head and heart, they become a part of our being,and we remember them.
Preayer: Almighty God, your rules are few and benefit our relationships with each other and with you. Help us remember them in both mind and heart. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer.Gratefully, In Jesus Loving Name I Pray, Amen."
"This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light,and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin." - 1 John 1:5-7 NLT.
Thoughts for Today : God is light. Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life" (John 8:12 NLT). When we follow Jesus, we live in his light.
Unconfessed sin breaks that fellowship. When we persist in an on-going sin,refusing to confess it or ask forgiveness, we hinder our relationship with Jesus and begin to walk in darkness. It doesn't mean we have lost our salvation, but it does mean we have temporarily lost our way. To restore that relationship and walk in Jesus' light, we must admit our sin to him and receive his forgiveness.
Consider this: Walking in the light results in fellowship with God and one another. Sin always hinders true fellowship with our Lord and among believers.
Walking in Jesus' path of light produces holy character. Only in the light can we become all God wants us to be.
Is there sin in your life that is keeping you from God's best? Ask God to search your heart and reveal anything that shouldn't be there. Then admit the sin to yourself and confess it to him. Let him help you change. If you have hurt others, confess your sin to them so your relationship can be healed. And then walk on in the light of Jesus, doing what he has called you to do.
Prayer: Our Loving Lord, I want to walk in your light. Show me anything in my heart and my life that is hindering that. Forgive me and help me become all you have designed me to be. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, In Jesus Loving Name I Pray, Amen."
"Work hard and become a leader, be lazy and never succeed"
- (Proverbs 12:24, TLB).
One of the greatest time wasters is procrastination. Many of us tend to put off those tasks we don't like doing or are afraid to tackle. Then we feel frustrated or guilty because we're not getting them done. And the more frustrated we get, the more we procrastinate and so on.
How do we get out of this cycle of defeat?
Oftentimes there's a deeper reason people keep putting things off. If this is so for you, ask God to show you the cause and work on that. In the meantime you can make a start by changing your self-talk. If you keep telling yourself that you are hopeless at getting things done on time, you will reinforce this belief and keep acting accordingly. Remember, what the mind dwells on the body acts on!
So, First of all change your self-talk by saying things to yourself like, "With God's help I can get things done on time."
Next (Second), make a list of things to do today. List them in order of priority and tackle them one at a time. Make sure your list is realistic. If you list more than you can do, you will end up feeling discouraged and reinforce your tendency to put things off.
Third, set a positive goal. Make up your mind you are going to get each task done, giving yourself a realistic time limit in which to achieve your goal.
Fourth, plan your work then work your plan. Have a definite plan of attack and follow that plan. Take cleaning your house, garage, or yard for example. Imagine it to be a giant clock and start cleaning at the 12 o'clock position and keep working around the clock. Don't jump from one room or corner or from one task to another until each section is completed. Keep to your plan and pretty soon a sense of achievement will make the task more encouraging and enjoyable.
Fifth, whatever the task is, break it down into "bite-size" proportions. When I first thought about writing a book, the task seemed overwhelming. A friend suggested to think about writing it just one page at a time. I did. And the book got finished.
Sixth, reward yourself in some positive way for getting your task or tasks done on time. This will help reinforce your new belief that you are a person who gets things done when they need to be done.
Seventh, pray-especially if you are a compulsive procrastinator. Pray that God will help you to face the root cause of your problem. If you pray this prayer and truly mean it, God will show you if you genuinely want him to.
Prayer: "Almighty God, with my procrastination problem I have (and any other problem) please give me the insight to see the cause of it, find the help I need to resolve it, and the courage to do all that is in my control to master it instead of allowing it to master me. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, In Jesus loving Name I Pray, Amen."
"In my Father's house are many rooms ... I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go ... I will come back and take you to be with me" - (Jesus in John 14:2-3, NIV).
I remember reading a few years ago about a strange occurrence which I was informed took place in Haiti. A man reported to a gas
(petrol / fuel) station owner that he had picked up a hitchhiker who
was sitting in the back seat when, as they were driving along,
suddenly blurted out, "Jesus is coming! Jesus is coming!" Whereupon the man looked around and his passenger had disappeared.
Even more strange was the response from the gas station owner who said, "You're the third person who has told me the exact same story."
Whether this incident was a strange coincidence, the figment of
someone's imagination, or something supernatural I cannot be certain. But of one thing we can be sure, Jesus is coming again. He himself promised he would.
Christ's first coming is an indisputable fact of history. His second
coming is just as certain. He said he would come when we least expect it. The important thing is to be ready by receiving him as our
personal Lord and Savior. He is coming again. It may be today. If so, are you ready?
Remember, too, "Only one life, 'twill soon be past. Only what's done for Jesus will last."
Prayer: "Gracious loving God, Thank you for the wonderful hope you have given us that Jesus is coming again so we can all be together forever in heaven. I pray today for all who haven't received you as their Lord and Savior. Please use me to help share your gospel message of salvation to others around the world, which is now possible with e-mail and the Internet. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, In Jesus loving Name I Pray, Amen."
"Whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and
whoever wants to be first must be your slave" - (Matthew 20:26-27,
NIV).
On an occasion following a great victory Napoleon was asked how he made his army cross the Alps and he replied, "One does not make an army cross the Alps; one leads it across."
Whether a boss, a parent, a teacher, or a friend, the most effective
way to lead others, to teach others, to motivate others, to train our
children and/or to influence others is by example; that is, by who we are, by what we do, and most of all by how much we care about them. In other words, we need to model what we want others to learn and do. We need to lead the way, not by being demanding or controlling, but by showing through both our caring and our doing—by example not by telling.
Furthermore, "People don't care how much we know until they know how much we care," and as Carl Jung stated, "Where love rules, there is no will to power, and where power predominates, love is lacking. The one is the shadow of the other."
Prayer: "Our Heavenly Father, please help me to teach others your
ways, not by my telling them how but by showing them how by my
example. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, In Jesus loving Name I Pray, Amen."
Bible Reading: Galatians 3:15-24
"The commandments of the Lord. . . . are a warning to those who hear them; there is great reward for those who obey them". - (Psalm 19:7a, 11, NLT).
Imagine a cool playground filled with happy kids. Some kids are playing on the massive log jungle gym in the center of the playground, climbing in and out of the many openings, tubes, and passages, swinging on bars, playing "fort," and "pirates," and all kinds of other games. Some kids are swinging on the gigantic swing set in one corner of the playground, pumping their legs in rhythm, smiling as the wind blows in their hair and giggling as the motion tickles their tummies. Other kids are crawling around the large square sandbox in another corner, digging and shaping and burrowing in the warm sand. Still others are playing on the seesaw or sliding down the slide or spinning on the merry-go-round.
Now, what if I told you that the playground is surrounded on four sides with a high fence? Would that spoil your picture of the playground? The children can leave the fenced area anytime they want, of course, but if they want to enjoy the playground, they have to play inside the fence.
Does that sound cruel or confining? No? Why not?
"Well," you might say, "some playgrounds have fences because they're right next to a busy street; if there were no fences, the kids might run out into the street and get hurt."
"Or" you might add, "this playground could be built next to a river or pond, and the fences are there to keep kids from wandering into danger."
"Or," you might suggest, "maybe this playground has a fence to keep people from coming in and messing up the playground equipment when nobody's there."
And you would be right, of course. We can see that fences around playgrounds are good; they protect the kids and make it easier for them to have fun.
God's commands work the same way. They're not given to us to be cruel or confining. He gave us commands (such as "Don't steal, "Love one another," and "Honor your father and mother") so that we can enjoy as much freedom as possible while still being protected from all sorts of dangers. His commands are meant to be like a playground fence. . . protecting us setting us free to have fun.
Reflect: In today's Bible reading, Paul says God's law is like two things; what are they? How are God's commands like a playground fence? Do you really think obeying God's commands (such as "Don't steal," "Love one another," and "Honor your father and mother") can protect you from danger? If so, what dangers?
Prayer:"Our Loving Father God, thank you for giving me guidance for my life that will keep me from being hurt. Help me stay inside the loving protection of your commands . . . ." Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, In Jesus Loving Name I Pray, Amen."
