Bible

Genesis
Author:
Moses
Date:
About 1440 BC
Everyday Life Principles:
Beginnings are important, and
thankfully God continually
gives us opportunities for a
fresh start.
Be watching for the
opportunities God brings your
way. They will present
themselves in the situations of
your everyday life, such as your
relationships, your workplace,
the way you choose to spend
your time, and issues of
personal integrity.
Only as you take advantage of
these opportunities can you
move forward in God’s plans for
your life.
We often hear the book of Genesis described as a “book of beginnings,”

but I also like to think of it as a book of opportunities. From start to
finish, we read stories of people who were presented with opportunities.
First, we see Eve with the opportunity to choose between good and evil
—between God’s instruction and the serpent’s deception. We see Noah
with an opportunity to demonstrate his faith when everyone around him
thought he was crazy. We see Abraham with an opportunity to believe
God’s promise when it was naturally impossible and then to obey God
when obedience required a willingness to sacrifice the promised son for
whom he waited so long. We see Jacob with an opportunity to deceive,
which resulted in all kinds of trouble—and later with an opportunity to
surrender completely to God, which resulted in great blessing. We see
Joseph with opportunities to forgive and to trust God.
T hroughout Genesis, people were blessed when they took advantage of
opportunities to choose well—to choose truth over deception, faith over
fear, peace over strife, forgiveness over bitterness, patience and waiting
on God over trying to force something to happen. I hope the stories and
principles in this book will help you recognize the opportunities God
gives you and make wise choices that will lead to greater blessings than
you have ever known.
speak the Word

Lord, I thank You that You have blessed me and called me
to be fruitful in my life. I pray that I will use the resources
You have created to serve You and to serve others.
enjoy your life

When God completed His six days of creation, He took time to
look over everything and He saw that “it was very good and He
approved it completely” (Genesis 1:31). God took time to enjoy
the work of His hands, and we should do the same. In our
passion to possess more and more, we often fall into the trap of
working, working, working—and we never enjoy the fruit of our
labor. Sometimes we should simply take time to relax and enjoy
what we have accomplished.
The writer of Ecclesiastes said it is the gift of God for man to find
enjoyment in all of his labor (see Ecclesiastes 2:24). I have
always been a hard worker. A few years ago, I realized I was
working hard but not taking time to enjoy what I was doing. I
made a decision to include enjoyment in my life. I no longer just
“do” conferences; I enjoy them. When my house is clean and
pretty, I take time to look at it and enjoy it. At the end of a year I
go over my calendar and remember the various things I have
done, and I enjoy the sense of accomplishment. I look at what
God has enabled me to do and I say, “It is good.”
Many people feel worthless, insecure, and unacceptable, but God
looked at everything He created, including man, and said, “It is
very good.” He approved it completely. God knows everything
about each of us, and He loves us unconditionally. God approves
of us; He may not approve of everything we do, but He does
approve of us as His beloved children. I encourage you to make a
decision to not only enjoy the labor of your hands, but to approve
of and enjoy yourself as well.
Choosing to enjoy and accept myself is one of the best decisions
I have ever made. God does not create junk. He is good, and
everything He does is good. We cannot believe that God created
us and also believe we are worthless. Begin to accept and enjoy
yourself where you are, and God will help you get to where you
need to be.
life point
God created Adam as a living being, in His image (see Genesis
1:26, 27), and gave him authority over everything else He
created (see Genesis 1:28). Man was created to rule under God
and to be the physical carrier of God’s Spirit in the earth. Part of
human nature is that we, as living beings like Adam, have a free
will. Why? Because God is too loving to force submission from
anyone. He wants us to freely choose to love and serve Him. I
hope that today you will make a fresh and willful commitment
to love and serve God with all your heart.
a very creative God

I cannot imagine what a job it must have been for Adam to name
all the birds and animals. He certainly had to be creative to do
that!
I could go on and on about how diverse and imaginative God was
in creation, but I am sure, if you think about it, you will agree
that our God is awesome not only in His power and His love, but
also in His creativity.
Simply take a walk and look around. Watch something about
nature on a DVD or on television. Find out what is in the ocean,
or learn about how bees and flowers work together. Then realize
that the same Holy Spirit present at creation is living inside you
if you have truly accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.
So much creativity lies within each one of us, and we need to
learn to tap into it and express it without fear. O ften, instead of
exercising creativity, we keep repeating the same things even
when we are bored with them, simply because we are afraid to
step out and do something different. Even if we like the familiar,
we must remember that we all need variety in our lives.
Some people keep the same job or live in the same area all of
their lives because they feel those environments and activities
are safe. Even if they hate their jobs and feel unfulfilled, at least
they know how to do their jobs (they’re familiar) and are
comfortable with them—and the thought of getting other jobs is
terrifying to them! In other cases, people do want to make
changes in their lives, but they do not want to fail at something
new, so they refuse to try and they stick with the familiar.
I do not encourage people to pursue every whim that crosses
their minds or to latch onto every fad that comes their way. But
there is a definite time to step out of the ordinary—out of the
comfort zone—and into new things.
God has created us to need diversity and variety. We are
designed to require freshness and newness in our lives, and
there is nothing wrong with feeling that you “just need a
change.” O n the other hand, never being satisfied and always
trying the next new thing is another type of problem. Stay
within reason, but do not be afraid of the new. Embrace the fresh
and different opportunities, experiences, and environments God
brings your way. He is a creative God; His creativity did not stop
in the Garden of Eden, but is still active today as He continues to
shape and refine the wonderful creation He is making in you!
becoming one
The minute two people marry, they are legally joined together.
Experientially, though, they do not immediately “become one”
when they say, “I do”; they simply begin the process of becoming
one (see Genesis 2:24). As the process works itself out, each
partner should hold marriage in honor and esteem the
relationship as worthy and precious. They should treat each
other as being very valuable.
Note in Genesis 2:24 a three-step progression that demonstrates
how to become one: (1) Leave. Sometimes a wife clings
excessively to her mother and her mother’s opinions about what
she ought to do, or a husband runs to his father for advice, when
the couple should be trusting and leaning on each other. If two
people are married but have not left home (both physically and
mentally), they need to do so. (2) Cleave. In practical terms, the
word cleave means to stick to each other like glue. (3) Become
one. Becoming one means the complete union of body, soul, and
spirit—and again, this takes time.
If both people in a marriage relationship are born again, then
the spiritual union is in place. The most difficult part of the
“becoming one” process is usually the uniting of two souls—the
joining of two minds, wills, and sets of emotions. Most marital
problems in the arena of the soul result from strife over lack of
communication, sexual misunderstanding, money, goals, and the
disciplining of children. All of these things need to be worked
out in the soulish realm of the marriage union, and in order to
become one in that area, a husband and a wife need to give their
issues to God and say, “Father, change my mind or my will if I’m
wrong.” God is the O ne Who will bring them into agreement
with His will and purpose. If each marriage partner is willing to
be brought into agreement with the other, they no longer try to
force each other to be someone they are not, but realize they
need each other to be exactly who God created them to be. They
no longer pick on each other’s weaknesses. Instead, they
partake of their strengths, they enjoy one another, and they
enjoy the process of becoming one.
life point
Adam did what God told him not to do (see Genesis 3:1–6). As a
result, Adam became a captive of Satan, who had lured him into
going against God’s word. By listening to Satan instead of to
God, Adam surrendered to Satan the authority to rule the earth
that God had originally given to man. Always listen to God and
obey His Word.
the devil’s doom

I believe that Adam was clothed with God’s glory before he
sinned. As soon as Adam and Eve sinned, they realized they we
naked. We might say that they lost their “covering.” As long as
they obeyed God, they were protected from everything the devi
wanted to do to them—and, ultimately, through them. Upon
seeing what the devil had done, God immediately announced
Satan’s doom and told him how it would occur.
Satan did not really understand what God was saying;
nevertheless, God said it, and it had to come to pass: “And I wil
put enmity between you and the woman, and between your
offspring and her Offspring; He will bruise and tread your hea
underfoot, and you will lie in wait and bruise His heel” (Genes
3:15).
To “bruise the head” symbolizes a weakening of authority. God
has said that the woman’s Offspring (Jesus) will take away
Satan’s authority. Satan will bruise Jesus’ heel (afflict His bod
—both on the cross and by afflicting mankind).
Through Jesus’ death on the cross, God took Satan’s authority
(which Adam gave him) and gave it first to Jesus and then to
every person who will believe—not only that Jesus died for
them, but also that Satan has lost authority over them. We nee
to understand not only that Jesus died for us, but also that He
has redeemed us!
No matter what the devil tries to do to you, he is doomed to
defeat, and you are redeemed and victorious over him through
Jesus Christ.
putting the Word to work

Cain did not relate well to his brother, Abel. We know that their
interests and pursuits were different, because Abel was a
shepherd and Cain tilled the ground. We do not know what their
other differences were, but Cain’s resentment of Abel
eventually led to murder (see Genesis 4:8). How do you respond
to those who are close to you, yet have different personalities,

According to Genesis 6:12, the world around Noah was
“degenerate, debased, and vicious.” People had “corrupted their
way upon the earth and lost their true direction.” In the midst of
corruption and evil around you today, how can you be like Noah
and be righteous before God in your generation?
speak the Word

Father, I thank You that I have found grace and favor in
Your sight.
the importance of a right heart

Genesis 6:5–8 reveals two things that displease God:
wickedness, and evil imaginations and thinking. Because those
things described the condition of people’s hearts during Noah’s
day, God decided to destroy all mankind—everyone, that is,
except Noah and his family. God spared Noah’s life because
Noah found grace and favor in His eyes.
I can only surmise that Noah must have had a right heart;
otherwise, he would have been destroyed with all the other
people who practiced wickedness, evil imaginations, and evil
thinking.
One of the lessons we can learn from Noah’s story is that many
people today are being destroyed for the simple reason that their
hearts are not right before God. In their hearts they regard
wickedness, they allow impure imaginations, and they think bad
thoughts.
We cannot imagine how many areas of our lives would be
straightened out if we would just get our hearts right with God!
Our hearts may not be filled with the blatant evil we read about
in Noah’s time, but bad attitudes and wrong thinking certainly
qualify as evil imaginations and evil thinking. We need to have
right attitudes toward everything we do, because our attitudes
basically determine everything else about our situations. If our
hearts are full of bad attitudes and our minds are full of
“stinking thinking,” we will not make much progress in life.
We need to have pure, tender hearts. We need to hear and heed
the voice of conscience so that the moment we realize we have a
bad attitude about something or someone, we can make the
necessary adjustments. That is why Proverbs 4:23 instructs us:
“Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that
you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.”
So often, we fail to guard our hearts as diligently as we should,
and we allow too much junk and too many negative thoughts
into our minds. We need to remember the familiar phrase
“garbage in, garbage out,” and realize that we cannot take in
garbage and produce good things. We must be attentive not only
to our actions, but also to our thoughts, imaginations, motives,
and attitudes. God looks at these things because He is a God of
hearts. Whatever you do, make sure you have a right heart
before the Lord, and you will reap abundant life instead of
destruction.
speak the Word

God, I pray that I will be like Noah and do all that You
have commanded me to do.
one step at a time

Abraham learned to trust God to lead him one step at a time.
God essentially told him, “Trust Me with this first step, because
it is best for you to go where I lead you.” At that time, Abraham
might have wondered whether or not packing up his tent and
leaving his family and his country would be to his advantage, but
God told him to go to the place that He would show him, and
Abraham simply obeyed.
When God gave Abraham this instruction, He gave him only
step one, not step two. Abraham would not get to step two until
he had accomplished step one. This is so simple, but so profound:
God gives us direction one step at a time.
You may be like many people who refuse to take step one until
they think they understand steps two, three, four, and five. If so,
I hope you will be inspired to go forward in God’s plan for your
life by trusting Him with the first step. Understanding that His
will for you is revealed a step at a time should build your
confidence to do at least what you already know to do. After the
first few steps, your faith will grow because you will realize
there is always sure footing beneath each step God instructs you
to take.
Know that God has a good plan for your life and that you will be
blessed when you obey Him. You can miss out on blessings by
not obeying what God clearly tells you to do. He shows you the
way to go, and you are to walk in that direction. Sometimes God
may be gracious enough to carry you part of the way, but there
comes a time when the carrying is over, and He says, “Now
walk.”
God wants you to obey Him quickly. He does not want you to
argue with Him for three or four weeks before you will do a
simple little thing. He wants you to trust Him and, like
Abraham, take the first step He calls you to take in faith.
life point
We can read God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:2 and
think, Oh, hallelujah! That applies to me, too! But we cannot forget
that God required a sacrifice of obedience before Abraham could
receive the promise. Abraham had to be willing to leave the
place where he was comfortable; he had to leave his father and
all of his relatives. And he did; he simply moved in faith to the
place God said He would show him. If you are willing to have
Abraham’s kind of obedience, you can have Abraham’s kind of
blessing.
lift up your eyes

In Genesis 13, we read that the herdsmen of Abraham and his
nephew, Lot, were arguing because there was not enough space
for both their flocks and herds to graze. Abraham suggested that
Lot go one way and said that he would go the other way so there
would be enough room for both their animals and households.
Lot chose the best land for himself and left Abraham with an
inferior portion (see Genesis 13:10, 11).
At that point, the Lord said to Abraham, “Lift up now your eyes
and look from the place where you are, northward and
southward and eastward and westward; for all the land which
you see I will give to you and to your posterity forever” (Genesis
13:14, 15).
We would do well to remember this story today. Instead of
becoming discouraged, depressed, or angry when people
disappoint us, God wants us to lift up our eyes, look around, and
trust Him to lead us into an even better situation. He wants us to
look around and count our blessings instead of focusing on what
we do not have. He wants us to fix our eyes on Him, not on the
work of the enemy, because He has plans to bless us and bring
us increase.
life point
If Abraham had bowed his knee to fear, the rest of the story
would never have come to pass. He would never have
experienced God as his Shield and his great compensation, and
he would never have received his exceedingly great reward (see
Genesis 15:1).
speak the Word

God, I will not fear, because You are my Shield and my
abundant compensation. In You my reward shall be
exceedingly great. 12:40.]
give God time

Abraham had a definite word from God about his future. He
knew what God had promised, but he had no indication about
when the promise would be fulfilled. The same is often true for
us. While we are waiting for our manifestation to come forth—
waiting for a breakthrough—we may grow frustrated or
impatient. Sitting in the waiting room of life is not always easy!
Once God speaks to us or shows us something, we tend to be
excited and focus on that revelation. It is as though we are
“pregnant” with what God has said. He has planted a seed in us
—and then we have to enter a time of preparation before that
seed can bear fruit. These seasons of preparation equip us to
handle whatever God has promised to give us or do for us.
This process parallels the development and birth of a child. First,
a seed is planted in the mother’s womb, then a time of
preparation (nine months of waiting) is required, and then,
finally, the baby is born. During the nine months, so much
happens in the mother and in the child. The seed grows to
maturity, while the mother’s body prepares to give birth, and the
family prepares everything necessary for a new baby in the
house.
Just as so much development takes place in the hidden place of
the mother’s womb, there is also much activity taking place in
the spiritual realm concerning God’s promises in our lives—and
we cannot see this, any more than we can watch cells multiply in
an unborn baby. The fact that we cannot see or feel any progress
does not mean nothing is happening. God does some of His best
work in secret; He delights in surprising His children. Whether
you know it or not, God is busy bringing good things to pass for
you, right this minute! Just give Him time—and you will see.
don’t have an Ishmael

Abram and Sarai got tired of waiting. They were weary as they
watched for God’s promise to come to pass, and they wondered if
they might do something to help move things along. Sarai
decided to see if her handmaid, Hagar, would conceive a child by
Abram (see Genesis 16:2). She thought that could be God’s way
of giving her and Abram the child He promised. God had
promised Abram a son by Sarai (see Genesis 17:16), but since it
appeared God was not doing anything, she must have reasoned,
she knew how to help!
Does that sound familiar? Have you ever tried or wanted to
“help” God in your life?
In Sarai’s case, Abram heeded her advice and Hagar conceived
The child, named Ishmael, was indeed a son, as God had spoke
but he was not the child of the promise. Abram and Sarai waite
another fourteen years before Isaac, the true promised son,
arrived. I wonder if it took so long because once we give birth t
the “Ishmaels” in our lives, we must deal with the
consequences. In other words, once an Ishmael is born, we hav
to change his diapers and take care of him!
We would like to carry out our own plans and then have God
bless them, but He taught me years ago that He is not obligate
to bless or care for the things I give birth to out of the strength
of my flesh. The psalmist affirms this point: “Except the Lord
builds the house, they labor in vain who build it” (Psalm 127:1
God has great things in store for you, and He will bring them t
pass in His perfect timing. Let me encourage you to wait on
Him. An Ishmael will be a burden in your life, but God’s
“Isaacs” will bring blessing and delight.
life point
When God entered into covenant with Abraham, He told him to
circumcise himself and all the males eight days old and older
(see Genesis 17:10–12). Blood was shed at what we might refer
to as “the fountain of life”—the place from which the seed for
future generations would come—and circumcision was a sign of
the covenant between God and Abraham.
Blood is a powerful element, and that is because life is in the
blood (see Leviticus 17:11). When anything is covered by blood,
in God’s way of looking at it, it is covered with life and thus
cleansed. Therefore, when we receive Jesus as our Savior, we are
covered by His blood, and God sees us as clean and pure before
Him.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, for making me to walk and live before You
and to be blameless, wholehearted, and complete.
what’s in a name?
Names meant so much more to people during Bible times than
they do to many of us today. Even here in the early chapters of
the Bible, we see that names were tremendously important, for
they described a person’s character.
In Genesis 17, we read that God gave new names to Abram and
Sarai (see Genesis 17:4, 5; 15, 16). He was changing things in
their lives, and He wanted to give them new names to declare
what He was doing in and through them. Abram and Sarai knew
well the importance of names, so they understood the profound
significance of God’s changing their names. When He gave
them new names, He was beginning to speak of “nonexistent
things” as though they already existed (see Romans 4:17). The
name changes indicated to Abram and Sarai that God was
beginning to fulfill His promise when He said to Abram: “Look
now toward the heavens and count the stars—if you are able to
number them. Then He said to him, So shall your descendants
be” (Genesis 15:5).
So what’s in a name? A lot more than many of us realize. Think
about Sarai, for instance. She was a barren woman, who
probably had a poor self-image because, in biblical societies, so
much of a woman’s worth depended on her ability to bear
children. She was an old woman, and, biologically, she had no
hope of ever being able to conceive and deliver a baby. But God
changed her name.
Sarah means “princess.” So when Abraham or anyone else called

Sarai by her new name, Sarah, they were helping her change
her image of herself. They were calling her beautiful and
valuable, a king’s daughter—and they were speaking forth the
image of the mother God had destined her to be. As a result, she
must have begun to see herself differently. She must have felt
faith rising in her heart. She must have begun to be sure God
would keep His word to her.
Similarly, Abram must have undergone his own transformation
and had his own faith bolstered when God changed his name to
Abraham, meaning “father of a multitude.”
Following this idea through to the New Testament and to our
lives today, I encourage you to remember the significance of a
name when you speak the name of Jesus. Remember, His is not
just a name; it is a word loaded with meaning and filled with
life. It declares His character; it proclaims all that He is, all He
has done, and all He will do in your life.
speak the Word

Father, I thank You that there is nothing too hard for You!

Lot and his wife had to leave the city where they lived in order to
escape the destruction God would bring upon that city because of
the sin there. They were instructed not to look back as they left
the city. In what situations in your life do you need to heed
God’s instruction not to look back? How can you look ahead
instead of behind you in those areas?

Abraham and Sarah had to wait a long time before God’s
promise came to pass, but it finally did, as we read in Genesis
21:1–3. What promises of God are you waiting to have fulfilled
in your life? How can you be like Abraham and wait with a heart
full of faith?
speak the Word

God, I pray that I will walk in Your presence habitually,
that You will send Your Angel with me, and that You will
prosper me.
life point
One of the things Isaac did when he grew up was to open the
wells of his father, Abraham, wells that had been stopped up by
their enemies (see Genesis 26:18). The very name Isaac, the one
who caused the wells to flow again, means “laughter.” I think we
may draw from this story the idea that laughter and joy in the
Holy Spirit will open the deep wells of life inside us—wells that
may have been stopped up by the enemy through depression,
discouragement, or disappointment. Go ahead and laugh; and let
God’s joy bubble up in you right now!

When Isaac was old and sick, his son Jacob deceived him into
thinking that he (Jacob) was his brother Esau (see Genesis
27:30–32). That way, Jacob tricked Isaac into giving him the
birthright that should have gone to Esau. Have you, like Isaac,
ever been deceived by someone? Have you forgiven that person?
speak the Word

Father, I thank You that You are with me and that You are
keeping watch over me wherever I go.

The Bible indicates that Leah was not nearly as beautiful or
desirable as Rachel (see Genesis 29:17). Have you ever felt
rejected, as she must have? Remember that God loves you; He
wants you, and He has an awesome plan for your life!
speak the Word

Father, thank You for all the mercy and loving-kindness
and faithfulness You show to me, even though I am not
worthy.
everybody limps
Jacob was a man with many weaknesses, yet he pressed on with
God and was determined to receive God’s blessing. God likes
that kind of determination. He actually told Jacob in Genesis
32:28 that he (Jacob) had contended with God and man, and that
God would be glorified in him. God can always be glorified
through people who will not allow their personal weaknesses to
stop Him from flowing through them.
In order for God to flow through us, we must first come face-to-
face with the fact that we have weaknesses—and then we must
determine not to let them bother us. Our imperfections will not
stop God from working through us unless we let them. We need
to accept ourselves completely—weaknesses and all—because
God does.
I am going to ask you to do something very important. Right
now, stop and wrap your arms around yourself. Give yourself a
great big hug and say aloud: “I accept myself. I love myself. I
know I have weaknesses and imperfections, but I will not let
them stop me, and I will not allow them to stop God from
working through me.” Try doing that several times per day, and
you will soon develop a new attitude toward yourself, a new
outlook on life, and a greater level of confidence in God.
Jacob wrestled with the Angel of the Lord, who touched the
hollow of his thigh. As a result of that encounter, he lived the
remainder of his life with a limp (see Genesis 32:24–32). I like
to say that Jacob limped away from the fight, but he took his
blessing with him! God will bless all of us even though we limp,
even though we are not perfect. Remember, God looks at our
hearts. If we have faith in Him and hearts that long to obey Him
and bring Him glory, then He will work wonders through us in
spite of our weaknesses.

Have you, like Dinah, ever been an innocent victim? I can assure
you that even in the worst circumstances, God gives us grace to
forgive so that we can go on with our lives.
life point
God gave Joseph dreams of greatness, but in his zeal and
excitement, Joseph unwisely told his dreams to his brothers,
who did not share his enthusiasm (see Genesis 37:5). As a
result, they sold him as a slave, and he had to endure some hard
years and difficult experiences. During those years, though, God
developed wisdom in Joseph and thereby prepared him for his
life’s call. Just as He did for Joseph, God is able to develop in
you whatever you may lack today so that you can fulfill His
purpose for your life.
life point
While we are waiting on God, it is important for us to take our
positions and stay faithful. Then, like Joseph, God will raise us
up in His timing (see Genesis 39:2–5). Be faithful as you wait on
God, do your work well, and people will see that God’s hand is
upon you for good.
receive God’s favor

Joseph had been unjustly accused and imprisoned, but the Lord
was with him and showed him mercy and grace. In Genesis
39:20–23, we see that God gave Joseph favor in the eyes of the
prison warden, who basically put him in charge of running the
prison. Even in the dismal circumstances of incarceration, the
Lord caused Joseph to prosper.
God’s favor is also available to us, His children. But like many
other good things in life, just because something is available to
us does not mean that we will ever partake of it. The Lord offers
us many things that we never enjoy because we do not activate
our faith to receive what He has provided.
Favor is actually a part of grace. In the English New Testament,
the word grace and the word favor are both translated from the
same Greek word charis. So the grace of God is the favor of God.
And the favor of God is the grace of God—that which causes
things to happen in our lives through the channel of our faith. It
is the power of God doing something for us that we do not earn
or deserve. For example, if you ask someone, “Can you do me a
favor?” you are asking that person to do something for you that
you have not earned or paid for. You are depending on that
individual’s goodness to manifest in the form of a blessing, even
though there is no natural reason for that person to extend it to
you.
God wants to give you favor, just as He did Joseph. But in order
to receive that favor, you must follow Joseph’s example and
believe God for it. Joseph maintained a good attitude in a bad
situation, and his “faith attitude” led to God’s favor. Expect
God’s favor and keep your attitude of faith in every situation
you face.
life point
God can speak to us today through dreams, just as He did in
Joseph’s time (see Genesis 41). But we need to be balanced in
our approach because many of our dreams are not spiritual. If
God is trying to show you something or speak to you through a
dream, I believe He will confirm it in your heart if you ask Him
for wisdom, use discernment, and stay in balance with His Word.
speak the Word

God, I thank You for causing me to be fruitful even when I
am afflicted.
from the pit to the palace

Because his brothers hated him, Joseph was thrown into a pit
and left there to die (see Genesis 37:23, 24). But God had other
plans! As it turned out, Joseph was sold as a slave in Egypt,
became a servant to a wealthy ruler, and then was thrown into a
pit again for a crime he did not commit (see Genesis 39).
Ultimately, Joseph was freed from prison and ended up in the
palace, second in command to Pharaoh, the ruler over all Egypt
(see Genesis 41:39–46).
How did Joseph get from the pit to the palace? I believe he made
that journey by staying positive, refusing to be bitter, being
confident in God, and trusting Him. Even though Joseph was
labeled a “slave,” he refused to have a slave mentality. Even
though he appeared to be defeated on many occasions, he kept
standing up on the inside. In other words, Joseph had a right
attitude. Without a right attitude, we can start in the palace and
end up in the pit. This happens to a lot of people. Some people
have great opportunities given to them, and they do nothing with
their lives. Others may get a very bad start in life, but then
overcome all obstacles and succeed.
I also believe Joseph believed in the dreams God had given him.
Joseph was a dreamer; he made big plans and refused to give
them up (see Genesis 37:5–10). The devil does not want us to
have dreams and visions of better things. He wants us to stay in
the pit and be “do-nothings.”
I challenge you to make up your mind right now to do something
great for God. No matter where you started, you can have a great
finish. If people have mistreated and abused you, do not waste
your time trying to get revenge—leave them in God’s hands and
trust Him to bring justice into your life. Know what you want
out of life and what you want to do. Don’t be vague; be confident!
To be confident means to be bold, open, plain, and
straightforward—that does not sound like a vague, sheepish,
fearful individual who is uncertain about everything. Decide to
leave your mark in this world. When you depart from this earth,
people should know that you have been here. Even if you are in a
“pit” today, God can still raise you up and do great things in you
and through you!
turn your mess into your message

Joseph’s brothers were afraid he would never forgive them for
wanting him dead and for selling him into slavery. In Genesis
50:20, we see that Joseph had a good and loving attitude as he
gave his brothers the assurance that he had forgiven their
wrongdoing. They may have meant to do evil against him, but
God meant it for good.
It is amazing how many times Satan will set a trap for us,
meaning it for our harm and destruction. But when God gets
involved, He takes what Satan meant to destroy us and turns it
so that it works for our good instead. Nobody else can make
things work out that way, but God can. He can take any negative
situation, and through His miracle-working power use it to
make us stronger and more dangerous to the enemy than we
would have been without it.
My own situation bears this out. I was sexually, mentally, and
emotionally abused for many years during my childhood. This
was certainly a terrible thing to happen to a child, and it was
definitely a work of Satan, but God has worked it out for good.
My mess has become my message; my misery has become my
ministry, and I am using the experience I gained from my pain
to help multitudes of others who are hurting.
I encourage you not to waste your pain. God will use it if you
give it to Him. He has given me beauty for ashes, just as He
promised in Isaiah 61:3, but I had to let go of the ashes. I had to
learn to have a good attitude, as Joseph did. I had to learn to let
go of the bitterness, resentment, and unforgiveness I felt toward
the people who hurt me.
When we have been hurt, it is important not to let the pain go
on and on by having a bitter attitude. We hurt only ourselves
when we hate people. We would not waste our time hating
people if we realized that they are probably enjoying their lives
and are not the least concerned with how we feel about them.
Remember, God is our Vindicator, and He will bring good out of
what the enemy intended for evil.
life point
So often in our lives, Satan thinks he is doing some terrible
thing to bring about our destruction, and yet God has another
plan entirely (see Genesis 50:20). He intends to take what Satan
means for our harm and work it out not only for our good, but
for the good of the many to whom we will minister.
speak the Word

Father, I thank You that when others think evil against me,
You mean it for good.
Exodus
Author:
Moses
Date:
About 1440 BC
When God leads us out of a
situation, He always takes us
into something better.
Deliverance from any kind of
bondage is a process, and God
takes us through it one step at a
time.
Allow God to teach you how to
trust Him and how to follow
Him as He leads you into a
place of fulfilled promises and
great blessing.

When the Hebrew midwives had to choose between fearing God
and obeying the orders of the king of Egypt, they chose to fear
God (see Exodus 1:15–17). How will you respond when you are
faced with a choice between pleasing man and obeying God?
life point
To hear clearly from God, you need to be willing to live on holy
ground (a life of purity), and that means keeping your thoughts
in line with God’s Word. Remember that Jesus said the pure in
heart would see God (see Matthew 5:8).
“I AM.”
If you have ever wondered, “Who am I?” You are not alone.
When Moses thought the same thing, God responded with Who
He is: “I AM” (Exodus 3:14). I have pondered these awesome
words for a long time, and I believe they are much more
significant than we realize.
What was God really saying when He referred to Himself as “I
AM”? For one thing, He is so much that there is no way to
explain Him properly. How can we describe Someone Who is
everything and wrap it up in one name? When Moses asked the
question about God’s identity in Exodus 3:13, evidently the Lord
did not want to get into a long dissertation about Who He was
because He simply told Moses, “You shall say… I AM has sent
me to you” (Exodus 3:14). By way of explanation, He preceded
His statement with “I AM WHO I AM and WHAT I AM, and I
WILL BE WHAT I WILL BE.” God was saying to Moses, “You
don’t have to worry about Pharaoh or anybody else. I AM able to
take care of anything you encounter. Whatever you need, I AM.
Either I have it or I can get it. If it does not exist, I will create it. I
have everything covered, not just now but for all time. Relax!”
We need not worry about who we are, what we can do, what we
cannot do, or anything else. The great “I AM” strengthens us in
our weaknesses. As long as He is with us, we can do whatever we
need to do. Be more concerned about Who God is than you are
about who you are.
To be honest with you, even as I write these words about Who
God is, I can sense His presence and anointing. There is power
in His name! He can handle what we think is difficult or
impossible. God’s answer to our “Who am I?” is “I AM WHO I
AM.” Almighty God is more than sufficient in the face of our
lack. He is truly everything.
speak the Word

God, I pray that You will teach me what to say in every
situation.
speak the Word

Thank You, Lord, for bringing me out from under burdens
and out from bondage. Thank You for rescuing me with
Your outstretched arm.
ADAPTED FROM EXODUS 6:6
speak the Word

God, I declare that there is no one like You!

Do you need favor with the people you work for, as the Israelites
did in the sight of the Egyptians? Ask God to give you the favor
you need, just as He gave the Israelites favor in the eyes of their
taskmasters so long ago (see Exodus 11:3).
apply the blood to your life

God instructed the Israelites to use the blood of a lamb as a
token or a sign that they were not to be harmed under the Old
Covenant. Notice that the Lord said to them, “When I see the
blood, I will pass over you” (Exodus 12:13). In order for the
people to be protected from the angel of death, God had to see the
blood, and He could not see it if they did not put it on the side
posts and tops of their doorframes.
You and I live under the New Covenant, which is far better than
the Old Covenant because the applied blood of Jesus is
permanent (see Hebrews 9:12–26). How do we “put” the blood on
our lives and homes? We do it by believing in Jesus Christ as we
simply say in faith, “I believe the blood of Jesus is on my life
and my home, cleansing and protecting me.” We can apply the
blood in any practical situation we face.
Start applying the blood by faith over yourself and that which
belongs to you—your children, your car, your home, your body.
Are you battling with wounded emotions? Then cover your
emotions with the blood of Jesus so you will not continue to be
devastated by people who do not seem to know how to give you
what you feel you need from them. Are you in financial
difficulty? Lay your hands on your tithe checks and on your
checkbooks and wallets; pray that they will be protected by the
blood of Jesus. Ask God to cause your money to multiply in the
work of the Lord and to see to it that Satan does not steal any of
it from you. Are you sick? Release your faith for the blood of
Jesus to cover and protect your body. The life is in the blood; it
cleanses us from all sin and protects us from things that will
harm us.
Pray with me: “Father, I come to You in Jesus’ name, and I apply
the blood of Jesus to my life, to all that belongs to me, and to
everything You have given me to steward. I put the blood of
Jesus on my mind, my body, my emotions, and my will. I put the
blood on my family, my coworkers, and my friends. Thank You
for protecting me with Your blood. Amen.”
when life gets difficult

Sometimes God leads us the hard way instead of the easy way
because He is doing a special work in us. How will we ever learn
to lean on Him if everything in our lives is easy enough for us to
handle by ourselves? God led the children of Israel the long,
difficult way through the wilderness to prepare them for the
battles they would face in possessing the Promised Land. He was
concerned that when they saw the enemy they might run back to
Egypt and become enslaved again in their former bondage. God
wanted to teach them Who He was and that they could depend
on Him to fight their battles.
Many of us think that when we enter into our Promised Land we
will have no more spiritual battles. Not so! After the Israelites
crossed the Jordan River and went in to possess the land of
promise, they fought one battle after another. But as they
learned to fight in God’s strength and under His direction, they
won their battles.

If you know God has asked you to do something, do not back
down just because it gets hard. When things get tough, spend
more time with Him, lean more on Him, and receive more grace
from Him. Realize that grace comes at no cost to you; grace is
the power of God working in you and through you to do those
things you cannot do. As you face challenges in your life, beware
of thoughts that say, I can’t do this; it’s just too hard. Do not let
your mind give up! Satan knows that if he can defeat you in your
mind, he can defeat you in your experience. That is why it is so
important not to lose heart and not to grow weary or faint. You
can be sure that wherever God leads you, He is able to keep you.
He never will allow more to come on you than you can bear (see
1 Corinthians 10:13). You do not have to live in a constant
struggle if you learn to continually lean on Him for the strength
you need.
speak the Word

God, I pray that You will help me not to fear, but to stand
still—firm, confident, and undismayed—and see the
salvation of the Lord, which You will work for me today.
speak the Word

I declare, God, that You are glorious in holiness, that You
are awesome in splendor, that You work wonders, and that
in Your mercy and loving-kindness You will lead me.
grace for today and every day

God miraculously fed the Israelites as they traveled through the
wilderness, but He gave them only enough for one day at a time
(see Exodus 16:4). Through this, we see one of God’s principles
at work—that we are to trust Him each day for what we need
that day and not worry about tomorrow. Jesus knew this
principle when He taught His disciples to pray in Matthew 6:11,
saying, “Give us this day our daily bread.”
We all like to have what we need for today and plenty set aside
for the future. It makes us feel secure to already have all of our
provision in hand and not have to trust God for it. We rather
enjoy being in control and having everything all neatly planned
out, but God does not allow us to do that. Just about the time we
think we have everything all figured out and that we have taken
good care of ourselves, something happens we did not expect and
we have to trust God anyway.
God said the Israelites could gather a day’s portion every day so
that He might prove them, whether they would walk in His law
or not. Giving them what they needed as they needed it was His
way of teaching them to trust Him and testing them to see if
they would obey His commandments. If they did try to gather
more than enough for one day, what they gathered became
rotten and started to stink (see Exodus 16:20).
When we worry about tomorrow, we waste today. I believe that
we become discouraged and think our lives are worthless
because we have never learned to trust God one day at a time.
Trust requires that we have unanswered questions. God’s ways
are not our ways, but His ways are always best. Trust God and
learn to live one day at a time. As you do, you will enjoy life
more than ever before.
life point
Many of us have real and pressing concerns about the future. We
may be dealing with uncertainties in our jobs, our health, our
families, or our environment. If you are anxious about what the
future holds for you and your loved ones, the first thing you
must do is make a decision not to worry. In the same way God
provided manna for the Israelites in the wilderness, He will
supply what you need today. Believe that He will show you what
to do when the time comes. God wants you to know that what
you need will be there when you need it. He encourages you to
believe and enter His rest—just as the children of Israel rested
from the toil of gathering manna on the Sabbath day (see Exodus
16:29, 30).

If you are in a position of leadership, do you have people who
will be as Aaron and Hur to you, strengthening you when you
are weary? If not, ask God to give you people like that in your
life.
no one can do everything

Moses was a man with many responsibilities. All day, every day,
the Israelites came to him for everything. Wanting to please the
people, Moses tried to meet all of their needs. When God told
Moses through his father-in-law that his task was too heavy for
him, the message came through loud and clear: “The thing that
you are doing is not good… You are not able to perform it all by
yourself” (Exodus 18:17, 18).
One of the fastest ways for a person to grow weary in ministry is
to be a “people-pleaser” rather than a “God-pleaser.” For many
years, I did everything in my ministry except lead the worship. I
taught in all the sessions, and I prayed for sometimes hundreds
of people after the meetings. Between sessions I would greet
people at the tape table, sign books, and do just about anything
that was asked of me, because I was trying to give people
everything I thought they wanted. I finally realized if I kept up
that frantic pace, it would physically kill me. I quickly learned
that God did not anoint my efforts to be a people-pleaser.
People-pleasers have a hard time setting proper boundaries in
ministry. But we need to understand that setting limits is wise
and is a sign of strength, not weakness. Like Moses, we need to
learn that we cannot do it all. We are on the road to burnout if
we try to keep everyone happy and do everything we think they
want us to do all of the time. Seek to please God alone, and you
will experience peace, freedom, and enjoyment you have never
known.
life point
When God calls a leader, He not only anoints that person to do a
certain work, but He also places and anoints people around the
leader to do part of that work. That is the great truth Moses
discovered when he learned to delegate some of his work to
others. Because Moses heeded the wise counsel of his father-in-
law (see Exodus 18:18–22), he was better able to endure the
stress of his task, and at the same time others were given the
opportunity to grow in leadership.
God places certain people in each of our lives to help us. If we do
not receive their help, we can become frustrated and
overworked. Likewise, they feel unfulfilled because they are not
using their gifts and are unable to develop their own sense of
accomplishment.
Do you feel overburdened with the enormity of your task? Are
you in danger of falling apart emotionally or physically? Learn
to delegate. Let as many people help you as possible. If you do,
you will last a lot longer and will enjoy yourself a lot more—and
others will be blessed as they find purpose in doing their part.
God has created us to be interdependent on one another, not
independent of each other. We need each other!
dealing with overload

Have you ever told God, “I don’t know how much longer I can
endure this strain”? I have learned an important truth that has
helped me keep in balance and avoid anxiety in ministry: God
does not have to anoint anything He does not tell me to do. It is
true that Jesus is the Author and the Finisher of my faith (see
Hebrews 12:2), but He does not have to finish anything He did
not start!
In Exodus 18:23, Moses was told that he would be able to endure
the strain if he would do what God commanded him. We need to
realize that God does not give us more than we can stand or
endure. He will give us the ability to perform the assignments
He has given us, and we will not have to drag ourselves around,
half-dead with stress. Remember, Jesus said He came that we
might “have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full,
till it overflows)” (John 10:10). We are out of balance if we think
we can do anything, no matter what it is, without God’s direction
and anointing. Sooner or later we must hear God say, “No, you
cannot do just anything. You can do only the part that I have
anointed you to do.”
Note also in Exodus 18:23 that Moses was told if he followed wise
advice, the people would go home in peace. I believe that when
God puts people around us who are anointed to help us, they will
be frustrated if we do not let them use their gifts. They will have
no peace because they are not able to make progress in their
own lives. But if we will allow God to use them as He intended,
we will be able to stand the strain and they will be happy and
fulfilled.
Everyone in a family needs to contribute to making the home a
great place to live. If a mother wears herself out trying to do
everything herself, she is in danger of feeling that the other
family members are taking advantage of her.
Ask for help and realize that when you allow others to help you,
they may not do everything exactly the way you would do it, but
you need the help more than you need perfection. Look around
you. Do you need to make any adjustments in order to keep
yourself in balance? If you will make those adjustments as
Moses did, then you will have more joy and peace in your life,
you will be releasing others to help and minister, and you will
be more effective than ever in ministry and in life.
speak the Word

Lord, I know that You are a jealous God, and I declare that
I will not worship anyone or anything but You.
Thank You, God, that You show mercy and steadfast love to
me and to a thousand generations of those who love You
and keep Your commandments.
speak God’s name with purpose

Do you want to see the power of God released when you speak
His name? Then it is important not to take His name lightly or
frivolously. I had always thought that to “take the Lord’s name
in vain” meant to attach a curse word to His name. But it is so
much more than that alone. To take the Lord’s name in vain
means to speak His name in such a way that our words are
useless, fruitless, foolish, or irreverent. This sometimes happens
when we casually use His name as a verbal exclamation. Let me
explain.
The Holy Spirit convicted me early in my walk with the Lord
that I had a habit that actually was causing me to break the third
commandment (see Exodus 20:7), but I had been deceived and did
not even realize I was doing it. I used to say things like “Oh, my
God” when I saw something shocking or heard surprising news
—even when I dropped something or when one of the children
broke something. The Lord revealed to me that His name is
more than just a phrase, and when I realized that, I was grieved
in my heart and repented thoroughly.
The name of the Lord represents awesome power, and we need to
reverently fear it (see Malachi 1:14). I believe the church has
lost many things because it has lost reverence for God. It is vital
that we return to a reverential fear and awe of God, His name,
and His work. We need to have such respect for the Lord and all
of His expressive names that we are afraid to speak any of those
holy names without purpose. Ask God to reveal to you the power
and weight of His name, and when you do use it, honor it and
remember how awesome it is.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, for sending angels ahead of me to keep
me and guard me on my way.
God, I thank You for driving out my enemies from before me

little by little, until I am strong enough to take possession
of everything You have for me.
speak the Word

God, I declare as the Israelites did: All that You have
spoken, I will do.
check your “want to”

In Exodus 25:1, 2, we read about giving from a willing heart.
Giving to God willingly and ungrudgingly basically boils down
to whether or not we desire to give. I call this attitude our “want
to,” and I believe without it, we will never do anything
significant.
Throughout many years of ministry I have had to press through
a lot of negative things. Yes, I have a call from God on my life,
but I need something in addition to His call. I need to have a lot
of “want to.” Another word for that is passion. It is the thing that
motivates us to work hard and make sacrifices with a good
attitude.
“Want to” is a powerful thing. With it we can do a job well, lose
weight, keep our houses clean, save money, get out of debt, or
reach any other goal in life. We do not like to face the fact that
our victory or defeat is connected to our “want to.” We are often
really good at laying the blame for our failures on someone or
something else. We like to blame the devil, other people, the
past, and on and on, when usually the bottom line is that we do
not have enough of the right kind of “want to.”
We really need to recognize that we end up doing what we want
to do in life. If we have a strong desire to do something, we will
somehow find a way to do it. Many of us need to sit down and
take a good old-fashioned inventory of our “want to.” We should
be honest enough to admit, “Lord, I didn’t win the victory
because I really didn’t want to. I didn’t pray or read the Bible
because I didn’t want to. I didn’t spend time meditating on the
Word and talking with You because I didn’t want to. Instead, I
sat around all night on the couch watching television because I
wanted to.” There is nothing wrong with rest and entertainment,
but we need to keep our priorities right.
Taking full responsibility for our lives is difficult emotionally,
but we should remember that only “the truth” sets us free (see
John 8:32).
If you and I are going to serve God and be examples to others, we
need to have sanctified “want to.” God is not interested in our
good works if we are not doing them with a willing heart. Ask
God to give you His desires and cause you to want what He
wants.
life point
Skill without good judgment will not take us very far (see
Exodus 28:3). In its simplest form, good judgment is just plain
old common sense. If you want to succeed in life and in ministry,
you need to have spiritual gifts, natural talent, and wisdom.
Seek God for wisdom to accompany your spiritual gifts and
talents, and He will give it to you (see James 1:5).
There are people who have a gift, an ability, or a skill that can
help them climb the ladder of success, but once they arrive they
do not have enough wisdom to keep them there. Use plenty of
wisdom and common sense, and you will succeed in life.
the blood makes atonement

Exodus 30:10 foreshadows Jesus’ crucifixion and the sufficiency
of His sacrifice to atone for our sins once and for all. When the
high priest went into the Holy of Holies on the Day of
Atonement to offer sacrifices for his own sins and the sins of the
people, he had to do so with the blood of animals as a substitute.
The Bible tells us that the life is in the blood and that the blood
has been given on the altar to make atonement for our souls
(see Leviticus 17:11). Note that the priest had to go year after
year and make the same sacrifices. The priest’s sins and the sins
of the people were not washed away; they were merely covered
over. The blood of animals was placed on their sins to atone for
them, but it was not a finished work. It had to be done again and
again.
The action by the high priest who repeatedly offered the blood of
animals was a type, a mere shadow, of what was to come. The
book of Hebrews teaches that when Jesus finished the work of
His sacrifice on the cross, He put an end to continual sacrifices
(see Hebrews 8:1—10:14). How beautifully Hebrews 9:12
communicates the permanence of Christ’s atonement. It says
Jesus “went once for all into the [Holy of] Holies [of heaven],
not by virtue of the blood of goats and calves [by which to make
reconciliation between God and man], but His own blood, having
found and secured a complete redemption (an everlasting
release for us).”
Jesus offered Himself once as a sacrifice for our sins. He does
not have to keep doing it. My husband likes to quip, “If you do
the job right, you won’t have to keep doing it over and over.”
That’s what Jesus did for us, once and for all. He did it right. His
atonement lasts. Forever.
We no longer have to make sacrifices every time we sin. We can
now live by faith, trusting God that the sacrifice Jesus made is
more than enough to cleanse us and make us whole.
speak the Word

I pray, God, that You will fill me with Your Spirit, with
wisdom and ability, with understanding and intelligence,
with knowledge and excellence, and help me do what You
have called me to do.

We all need regular Sabbaths in our lives (see Exodus 31:14)—
times of rest, relaxation, refreshing, and renewal. Do you
incorporate such times of refreshing in your life? If so, keep it
up! If not, what changes can you make in your schedule so that
you can have regular times of rest and renewal?
speak the Word

God, I consecrate myself to You and pray that You will
restore me and bless me.
time to grow up
The Israelites did not want to take responsibility for their
actions. Moses sought God for them, he did their praying for
them, and he even tried to do their repenting when they got
themselves into trouble (see Exodus 32:30–32). However, this
eventually came to an end, and the Israelites had to become
responsible.
A baby has no responsibility when he is born. But as the child
grows up, he is expected to take on more and more
responsibility. One of the most important things parents can do
is to teach their children to accept responsibility. God desires
that His children learn the same thing.
The Lord has given me the opportunity to be in full-time
ministry—to teach His Word on national television and radio
and to preach the gospel all over the world. I can assure you that
there is a responsibility to that call, a responsibility many
people know nothing of. A lot of people say they want to be in
ministry. They expect constant excitement and think they will be
involved in a continual spiritual event.
The truth is, people in ministry do not float around on a cloud
all day singing “The Hallelujah Chorus.” We work, and we work
hard. We have to get up on time, follow a daily routine, and
submit to authority. We walk in integrity and try to do so with
excellence. It is a privilege to work in ministry, but it also
requires a willingness to take responsibility for our attitudes
and actions. Let’s not be people who passively let others do for
us what we need to do. Let’s rise up in faith and be ready to take
responsibility for our own lives and ministries.
speak the Word

God, I do not ever want to be without You. Do not let me go
anywhere that Your presence will not be with me.
rest in His presence

Moses had a big job on his hands. He knew he needed God’s
presence and sought the assurance that God would go with him
and help him (see Exodus 33:12–14). That is all we need too—
God’s presence and His rest. No matter how difficult our
circumstance, the knowledge of His presence will strengthen
and enable us to do the job at hand. Remember to seek God’s
presence, not His “presents.”
In ministry, sometimes we can get upset and frustrated as we try
to bring hope and healing to others, but over the years the Lord
has taught me and my ministry team to remain calm, cool, and
steady in the face of the challenges. He has shown us the
importance of being adaptable, keeping our eyes on Him, and
not focusing on our own plans. If things do not work out the way
we want them to, we need to stay relaxed and trust Him to show
us what to do. I have learned that when I am upset I cannot hear
clearly from the Lord; therefore, I pursue peace at all times.
How do you react when your plans fall through and it seems you
have no options? Some of us just give up, saying, “Well, that
does it! Now my plan is ruined!” We need to think about who did
the “ruining.” If God ruined our plan, we had the wrong plan to
begin with. If the devil ruined our plan, the Lord will give us
another plan, one that will be ten times better than the one that
failed. Too often we start blaming the devil as a conditioned
response when things do not work out just as we want them to.
Not everything is the devil’s fault. There are times when we are
trying to do something that was never God’s will. Even though
there are things that we want, we must learn to want what God
wants even more than we want what we want!
Any time our plans are not working, we must submit it to God
and simply rest in His presence. Psalm 91:1 encourages us, “He
who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain
stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty [Whose
power no foe can withstand].” We need to realize that God is our
Refuge and our Fortress. We can rely and confidently trust in
Him. If the devil is resisting you and causing trouble, God will
show you that. Then you should take authority over him,
reminding him that the greater One lives inside you. As you
resist the devil and steadfastly trust God, His plan will always
prevail.
Moses asked God to show him His way so he could get to know
Him better. The Lord answered by assuring Moses that His
presence would be with him and that He would give him rest.
What Moses really needed at that difficult time of his life was
the presence of God and the rest of God. The same is true for us.
As much as we would like to know God’s plans for us, what we
need most of all is His presence, which will give us rest
wherever He sends us and in whatever task He assigns us.
Want God’s will more than your own. When things do not work
out as you planned, remain peaceful and trust God. Seek His
presence at all times. If your trouble and delay are the result of
satanic opposition, remember that Satan may come against you
one way, but he will have to flee before you seven ways if you
keep your eyes on God.
how to get stirred up for God

The people who built the tabernacle of the Lord were stirred up
about the things of God, and they gave with willing hearts. You
may be thinking, I wish I could be excited about the Lord’s work, but
I just don’t feel that way. I don’t really know how to get myself stirred up.
What can you do to be stirred up for God?
1. Stay around people who are excited about the things of God.
Before long, you will be excited and stirred up too. If you
associate with a person who is a visionary, you will soon get a
vision. But if you stay around lifeless people who want to do
nothing but complain, sit on the couch, eat doughnuts, and
watch soap operas, then soon you will be doing the same things.
2. Decide to take action about the negative way you feel instead
of just wishing things were different. Realize that if you want to
have victory over your feelings strongly enough, you will do
whatever it takes to get it. If you do not want the victory, no one
can motivate you to want it. We need to stop feeling sorry for
ourselves. We need to stop whining, “I wish I had this,” or “I
wish I didn’t have that. I wish my parents loved me more. I wish I
had more money. I wish my back didn’t hurt. I wish… I wish… I
wish…” I used to do that. For years I went around “wishing,”
until the Lord spoke to me and said, “You can be pitiful or you
can be powerful, but you cannot be both. So take your pick.”
3. Avoid passivity, procrastination, and laziness. A passive person
waits to be moved by an outside force before he or she will take
action. We are to be motivated and led by the Holy Spirit within
us, not by things on the outside. The best way we can guard
against the spirit of passivity is to do what we need to do now,
and do it with all our might (see Ecclesiastes 9:10).
4. Stay on fire for God. Romans 12:11 encourages us, “Never lag
in zeal and in earnest endeavor; be aglow and burning with the
Spirit, serving the Lord.” In order to always be aglow and
burning, we have to stay on fire. I have discovered that the best
way to fan the fire is to speak the Word of God in the form of
prayer, praise, preaching, or confession. Those disciplines stir up
the gift within, keep the fire burning, and prevent my spirit
from sinking within me.
Remember, everything we do is to be done unto the Lord and for
His glory. We should do it through Him, to Him, for Him, by
Him, and with Him. And we should do it willingly, with our
whole hearts stirred up within us.
life point
Sometimes when we see a person as gifted as Bezalel, we try to
emulate him instead of exercising our own gifts. We become so
busy attempting to do somebody else’s ministry that we never
get around to doing our own! It is important for us to see that
God has given each person different gifts to be used for the
benefit of the whole body of Christ (see 1 Corinthians 12:4–30).
Often we are not satisfied with what the Lord has given us to do
because we are insecure and do not realize who we are in
Christ. If God has not given you a ministry of standing in front
of people and ministering to them, then do not try to minister
that way. You will not be happy or successful if you try to
minister with gifts you have not been given. Celebrate and
embrace who you are. You will find the most wonderful
fulfillment as you do your very best with the gifts God has given
you.

The cloud that led the Israelites on their journey (see Exodus
40:36–38) symbolizes the leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives
today. Are you following the “cloud” in your life, patiently
waiting on God to lead you on the next phase of your journey
and being quick to obey when He does?
Leviticus
Author:
Moses
Date:
About 1440 BC
God’s laws are in place for our
good. He has established them
so that we can enjoy His
blessings.
Serious consequences result
when we do not obey God.
God calls us to live holy lives
and to have purity and integrity
in every aspect of our everyday
lives.
The basic message of Leviticus is: “If you obey God, you will be blessed.
If you don’t, you won’t.” The laws and instructions we find in Leviticus,
and the commands to obey, all have one purpose: blessing. God knows
that sin and disobedience will separate us from Him, so He gives us
guidelines for living so we can stay close to Him and live under His
blessing. God requires our obedience so we can stay in fellowship with
Him and live in His favor.
In addition to showing us the need to obey the laws of God so we can be
blessed, Leviticus also calls us to holiness in our everyday lives. The
Israelites’ idea of holiness was based on laws and rituals; our concept of
holiness is much different because of what Jesus did on the cross. While
there are certain actions we can take to express holiness, actions alone
do not make us holy. Holiness begins in our hearts with faith in Jesus, and
He leads us to desire to obey God in everything we do.
I hope you will look beyond the animal sacrifices and elaborate rituals in
Leviticus and see the rich symbolism in this book. I hope it will stir you
to live a more holy life in the midst of your everyday circumstances and
bring about greater obedience in your heart so you can live in greater and
greater blessing.
speak the Word
God, I pray that everything I offer You will be pure and
without blemish.

Throughout the book of Leviticus, we read about the sacrifices
required to atone for sin. Aren’t you thankful that God sent His
Son, Jesus, to fulfill all of the laws enumerated in the Old
Testament and to be the once-and-for-all, perfect sacrifice for
our sins? Tell Him today how grateful you are.
why the ceremony?

In Leviticus 8:1–30, God detailed to Moses the ritual required to
consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve the Lord as priests in His
sanctuary, the Tent of Meeting. The meaningful ceremony these
priests went through so many centuries ago is filled with
significance for us today.
Note in Leviticus 8:23 that Moses put ram’s blood on the priests’
right ears, the thumbs of their right hands, and the great toes of
their right feet. Leviticus 8:30 tells us Moses also sprinkled
anointing oil and blood from the altar upon Aaron and his
garments and upon his sons and their garments in order to
sanctify them and make them holy (see also Exodus 29:20, 21).
The significance of God’s instruction to Moses to put the blood
on the right side of the body is that in the Bible, the right side
represents power. The ear was anointed so the priest would hear
clearly and not be deceived, the thumb so that what he laid his
hand to do would be right and blessed, and the right toe so
everywhere he went would be holy and sanctified.
I believe this ceremony is a physical picture of our spiritual
sanctification as priests unto the Lord today (see Revelation 1:5,
6). The shedding of Jesus’ blood for our sin sanctifies those it
covers; the anointing of the Holy Spirit, represented by the oil,
is poured out to empower for service and good works those who
are made righteous by the blood of Jesus. We can hear, take
action, and go in directions that are safe and divinely led. Just as
Aaron and his sons were set apart for God’s use, we believers are
also set apart for holy use.
Ask God to give you ears that hear what He wants to say, not just
what you want to hear. Ask for consecrated ears that are
anointed to hear His voice with clear discernment and without
the interference of fleshly desires. Ask Him to sanctify your
hands to do right and lead your feet to walk in the right path.
speak the Word

God, I declare that You are holy and that You are honored
in my life.
God, I pray that You will help me distinguish between what
is holy and what is unholy, between what is clean and
what is unclean, because I want to live a pure, holy life
before You.

Leviticus contains much instruction on eating. Do you have any
eating habits that you know are unwise or displeasing to the
Lord? Ask Him to help you eat healthfully!
please God with your eating

Leviticus 11 sets forth all kinds of guidelines about what the
Israelites could and could not eat. Over the years, I have needed
God’s help in the area of eating, just as the Israelites did. I
would like to share ten tips I have learned that have enabled me
to eat wisely, healthfully, and in a way that pleases God:
1. Eat when you are truly hungry and not just because someone
offers you food or because it is sitting in front of you.
2. If you listen carefully to your body, it will let you know what it
needs and wants. Sometimes I actually crave vegetables; at other
times I want fish or red meat. That is my body letting me know
what it needs. There are times I want something sweet, and it is
not wrong to eat sweets if we do so in moderation. Eating a
variety of foods is one of the keys to good nutrition.
3. Enjoy what you eat.
4. Eat sitting down. People tend to eat more than they realize
when they are standing while they eat.
5. Eat slowly. After about twenty minutes of eating, your brain
receives a signal that you are full.
6. Stop eating when you are no longer hungry. Take small
portions, planning to have another portion if you want it. Many
times, the first small portion will satisfy you.
7. Eat small portions more frequently rather than one or two
huge meals a day. Anything your body cannot metabolize and
use is stored as fat. Keeping your metabolism working by eating
several small meals a day or healthy snacks between meals will
actually help you stay fit and trim.
8. Do not make provision for “eating binges” by keeping your
refrigerator and pantry full of high-calorie, high-fat, low-quality
foods that you know you should not eat.
9. Stay focused on things you need to do and keep your mind off
food.
10. Eat necessary food. We all consume many calories that are
truly unnecessary every day—a bite of this or that, the piece of
bread and butter before the meal, the second helping when in
reality we are already getting full. Ask yourself if you really
need something before you just mindlessly put it in your mouth.
I think it is amazing that the Bible tells us what to eat. God
cares about every area of our lives, not just the spiritual parts.
He wants us to be healthy, filled with energy, and looking our
best!
speak the Word

Thank You, God, for bringing me out of every form of
bondage that has attempted to ensnare me, just as You
brought the Israelites out of Egypt. Help me now to be holy,
just as You are holy.
life point
The Bible speaks of blood from Genesis to Revelation. In
Leviticus 17:11, we read that there is life in the blood. In
Genesis 4:10 we see Abel’s blood crying out to God from the
ground after Cain murdered him, and in Revelation 19:13 we
see Jesus dressed in a robe that was dyed by dipping it in blood.
Why does the Word of God speak so much about the blood?
Because the life is in the blood, and it is through blood that
atonement is made for our souls. In Hebrews 10:18, 19 we learn
that Christ’s blood was shed for us to permanently atone for our
sins. That’s good news!
life point
Just as light is the only force that can conquer or overcome
darkness, so life is the only force that can conquer death. When
God created Adam, He formed him from dust and “breathed into
his nostrils the breath or spirit of life, and man became a living
being” (Genesis 2:7). Adam’s blood was already flowing through
his body, but there was no life in it until God breathed His own
life into him.
The chemical substance that we call blood carries life. If a
person loses his blood, he loses his life. No blood means no life,
because the blood carries the life. Life is a spiritual substance,
but it must have a physical carrier. As believers in Jesus Christ,
our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit and the
life of God are in us.
speak the Word

Lord, I declare that You are my God. I will obey Your laws
and walk in Your statutes and in them, I will find life.
The Bible specifically instructs us not to gossip. Let me ask you,

how do you handle the things you hear? Remember to always
keep confidences, honor other people’s “business,” and keep
their secrets. Do not be what Leviticus 19:16 calls a “dispenser of
gossip.”

Do you hold grudges? Remember that the Bible teaches us not to
hold grudges (see Leviticus 19:18), but instead to love our
neighbors as we love ourselves. Let go of anything that you have
against anyone.
life point
Many people, including some who consider themselves
Christians, participate in practices that God considers vile and
evil. They innocently think there is nothing wrong with such
things as reading horoscopes and consulting psychics; then they
wonder why they do not have peace.
The Bible says that in the latter days many false prophets will
rise up and tell people what their itching ears want to hear.
People will search for one teacher after another who will tell
them something pleasing and gratifying. To suit their own
desires, they will turn away from hearing the truth and wander
off into listening to myths and man-made fictions (see II
Timothy 4:3, 4).
Never before have we seen such an influx of psychics vying for a
ready ear. Television programs feature mediums who claim to be
connecting with departed loved ones, but the tragic truth is that
psychics such as these are taking advantage of grieving people.
These mediums are really communicating with familiar spirits
who tell half-truths about the past and lies about the future.
God’s Word clearly says to turn away from mediums and wizards
because they will deceive and defile us. This is a serious
command! Fortune-telling, physics, horoscopes, mediums, palm
readers, tarot card readers, divination, witchcraft, and the like
are all forbidden in God’s Word (see Leviticus 19:31). We are to
be led and guided by the Holy Spirit. We do not need a phony
substitute when the real thing is available.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, that You are the One Who sanctifies me
and makes me holy.
in God alone
God says that He will set His face against anyone who turns to
familiar spirits and wizards to prostitute themselves by
following them instead of their Maker (see Leviticus 20:6).
Multitudes of people consult the stars before making decisions,
even for things as simple as when to cut their hair. However, a
study of God’s Word shows clearly that these things are an
abomination to God. Even wearing and depending on “good-luck
charms” is an affront to God. Our faith must be in God alone,
not God plus a lot of other things. Those of us who believe in
Jesus Christ do not need to depend on luck; we can trust God
that He will bless us.
It is wrong to seek guidance for our lives through any means but
God Himself, His Word, or a godly friend or counselor that God
approves of. He is offended when we look to these other sources,
and when we do, we will not have the peaceful, joy-filled, and
prosperous lives He intended for us.
If you have been involved in seeking guidance through
mediums, spirit guides, horoscopes, or any other occult activity, I
strongly encourage you to thoroughly repent, ask God to forgive
you, and completely turn away from it. Then I encourage you to
keep your heart pure and be careful what you read, watch, and
listen to.
Just as you cannot effectively listen to two radio stations at once,
neither can you serve two masters (see Luke 16:13). You may
have to choose new friends if they are filling you with things
contrary to the Word of God. You may have to change television
stations at home and choose new radio stations to listen to while
you are riding in your car to prevent filling yourself with things
not pleasing to God. Do not poison your inner man by being a
garbage dump for the devil. Pay attention: if negative, ungodly
talk is filling the air around you, change your listening habits.
Also, make sure negative, ungodly talk does not come out of
your own mouth for yourself and others to hear.
Jesus said, “Blessed… are the pure in heart, for they shall see
God!” (Matthew 5:8). If you have a pure heart, you will enjoy
having clarity of mind. You will perceive clearly God’s plan for
your life, and you will not feel aimless or confused. To keep your
heart pure before the Lord, turn away from the things that defile
you. Live a pure, clean life that flows like pure, clean water
because God alone is your source.
life point
God never speaks words to make us feel bad about ourselves.
True godly conviction is a positive thing that moves us into a new
level of holiness. The devil’s condemnation presses us down
under a heavy burden so that we cannot even hear from God. If
you sense God speaking to you about something in your
behavior, how do you know it is God? You will know because He
will not shame you or put you down, but He will motivate you
and empower you to change. I could not make progress until I
learned to discern the difference between conviction and
condemnation, and I do not believe you can either. Remember:
conviction makes you aware of a problem and then lifts you up
and out of it. Condemnation makes you feel guilty, presses you
down, and keeps you “in” the problem.
life point
I urge you to be a thankful person. The Bible says we are to
thank God in everything (see I Thessalonians 5:18). That means
we are not to complain, murmur, grumble, or find fault, no
matter what is going on in our lives. Whining shows that we
have no faith in God’s ability to make things better, but
thankfulness opens the door to His blessing (see Leviticus
22:29).

Much of our modern society seems to have lost respect for the
name of the Lord. Do you honor His name in your speech? Do
not use the names God, Lord, or Jesus in a frivolous or
disrespectful way. Always remember that His name represents
all that He is, and His name is to be honored not only in our
hearts but also in our speech.
life point
We must have reverential fear and awe of God in order to hear
from Him and to receive His wisdom and knowledge. Reverential
fear is to know that God is God and that He means what He says.
God has called us His friends, even His sons and daughters, but
we are to respect Him and honor Him with reverential obedience
(see Leviticus 25:17).
speak the Word

I thank You, God, that as I obey You I will dwell safely and
eat my fill of the fruit of the land.
release your grudges

In Leviticus 25 we read about the Year of Jubilee, in which all
debts were forgiven and all debtors were pardoned and set free.
When we are in Christ, every day can be the Year of Jubilee. We
can say to those who are in debt to us by their mistreatment of
us, “I forgive you and release you from your debt. You are free to
go. I leave you in God’s hands to let Him deal with you, because
as long as I am trying to deal with you, He won’t.”
According to the Bible, we are not to hold a person in perpetual
debt, just as we ourselves are not to be indebted to anyone else.
Romans 13:8 instructs us, “Keep out of debt and owe no man
anything, except to love one another.” We need to learn to
forgive people by canceling their debts to us. We also need to
realize we can have our own sins forgiven continually through
repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. We can enjoy a continual
Year of Jubilee.
Can you imagine the joy of a person who learns that he has
been pardoned from a ten-or twenty-year prison sentence?
That’s the good news of the cross. Because Jesus paid our debt
for us, God can say to us, “You don’t owe Me anything
anymore!” Our trouble is either that we are still trying to pay
our debt to the Lord, or that we are still trying to collect debts
from others. Just as God canceled our debt and forgave us of it,
so are we to cancel the debts of others and forgive them what
they owe us.
life point
A continual theme throughout the Bible is that you will be
blessed if you will keep God’s commandments. The Amplified Bible
explains that “blessed” means you will be happy and spiritually
prosperous, with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and
salvation, regardless of your outward condition. That sounds like
a good thing to me! However, you must not miss what you need
to do to receive God’s blessing. Do you see that little word if in
Leviticus 26:3? It may be a small word, but it has a big meaning.
It means that God has a condition for receiving blessing. He does
not require you to be perfect, because no one is perfect, but you
do need to be aggressively attempting to do what God instructs
you to do—to walk in His statutes and keep and do His
commandments.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, for leaning toward me with favor and
regard, rendering me fruitful and establishing me in all I
do.
God, I thank You that You walk with me, that You are my
God and that I belong to You.
wait for God’s timing

Leviticus 26:4 says, “I will give you rain in due season.” When is
due season? I believe it is when God knows we are ready, when
everyone else involved is ready, and when it fits into God’s
corporate plan. God has an individual plan for our individual
lives, but He also has a corporate plan for the entire world.
I remember a time when I was frustrated because nothing was
happening in my ministry. I knew I was anointed to teach God’s
Word, but absolutely no doors opened to me. It seemed I had
waited so long. I felt ready. I had been cooperating with God. He
had done major work in me, and I just could not understand why
something was not happening. I remember asking, “God, what
are You waiting for now? Am I not ready?” He responded in my
heart, “You are ready, but some of the others who will be
involved with you are not yet ready. I am still working some
things out in them, and you will need to wait on them now.”
God does not push, shove, demand, manipulate, or force people.
He leads, guides, prompts, and suggests. Then, each individual is
responsible to give his or her will over to Him for His purpose.
Sometimes this takes longer for one person than for another. An
excellent example of this is the single person who is praying for
the right mate. God is, in fact, preparing that mate, but the one
praying gets tired of waiting since he or she does not know what
is happening behind the scenes. God’s good plan does take time,
and often more time than we anticipated. Seeing the fulfillment
of it requires a willingness to wait for the blessing “in due
season.”
Our wait is easier to endure when we believe God’s timing is
perfect, and He is never late, not one single day. Whatever the
reason for the delay, Galatians 6:9 encourages us not to “lose
heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right,
for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we
do not loosen and relax our courage and faint.” Also, I Peter 5:6
exhorts us to humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand so that
“in due time He may exalt you.”
There is a right time for all things in our lives, and there is
safety in being in God’s perfect timing. I pray to be in God’s
perfect will with His perfect timing—not one step ahead of Him,
nor one step behind. I hope you will pray that way too.
I also want to remind you to enjoy where you are while you are
on the way to where you are going. God’s timing is perfect, and
being frustrated will not make Him hurry! Enjoy today, because
right now it’s all you have!
Numbers
Author:
Moses
Date:
About 1440 BC
Let God lead you. Move when
He says to move, and be still
when He says not to move.
When God has brought you out
of a place of bondage, do not be
tempted to go back. Persevere
until you reach the place where
He is leading you.
Approach life with a positive
attitude and with faith so that
obstacles or challenges in life
will not intimidate you.
One of the primary themes in Numbers is God’s guidance. The Israelites
never knew when God was going to ask them to move as they made their
journey toward the Promised Land. When He did call them to stop or to
resume their travel, He made His leading clear in the appearance of a
cloud by day and fire by night.
Even though God’s guidance was so evident and the Israelites knew He
was leading them into the Promised Land, they grew weary and
discouraged along the way. In fact, they became so disheartened that
they wanted to go back to Egypt where they had been so miserable!
In order to live victorious lives, we need to be sensitive to God’s Spirit
and keep making progress without looking back. We need to move when
He says to move, and we need to stay where we are when He instructs us
to be still. I encourage you to do everything you can to develop an
intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit so that you can sense His
leading in your life. Do not grow weary or become discouraged if you
walk through “wilderness” times, but keep pressing on with a good
attitude. Refuse any inclination to go back to an old place, a place of
bondage or oppression, and instead follow God into all the great things
He has for you.

In Numbers 4, God gave specific responsibilities to the sons of
Kohath and to the sons of Aaron. What specific responsibilities
has God given you in the various areas of your life? Ask Him to
help you fulfill your responsibilities in ways that are pleasing to
Him.
speak the Word

God, I thank You that You are blessing me, watching me,
guarding me, and keeping me. Let Your face continue to
shine upon me and enlighten me. Thank You for being
gracious to me and giving me favor. Thank You that Your
approval is upon me and that You give me peace.
aglow with God’s glory

God pronounced a blessing upon His people, saying that His face
would shine upon them and that He would lift up His
countenance upon them (see Numbers 6:25, 26).
Our countenance is simply the way we look. When people look
at us, we want them to see something about us that is different
from what they see about everyone else. They cannot read our
minds or see into our hearts, but they can see from the glow on
our faces that we have something awesome and wonderful.
Our countenance is important. The look we have on our faces at
work and our tone of voice at home are important. It is
important that we smile at one another, that we are pleasant and
just downright nice to each other. We are supposed to be loving
people who reflect God’s joy on our faces. But how do we do
that?
The Bible talks about Jesus’ countenance and how it was
“transfigured” when He communed with God the Father on the
mountain: “His face shone clear and bright like the sun”
(Matthew 17:2). We need that same experience, and it comes to
us as it did to Jesus—through worshiping God. We look better
when we worship God. Worship puts a smile on our faces. It is
almost impossible to scowl while we are praising, worshiping,
and thanking God. If we regularly spend time fellowshipping
with God and worshipping Him, our countenance will carry His
presence. We will look strong, joyful, and peaceful instead of
frustrated or stressed.
I remember one time when I was at a conference, a woman
looked at my face and said, “I can tell you have been with
Jesus.” She was right. I had spent a long time that morning in
prayer and fellowship with the Lord, preparing for the teaching I
would do that day. How could she tell I had been with Jesus?
Something about my countenance let her know. Perhaps I
looked happy and satisfied, or peaceful. I do not know exactly
what she saw, but something about the look on my face let her
know Whom I was spending my time with.
It is important that we spend more time talking to God,
thanking Him, and worshiping Him; then our faces will carry
His glory. We need to ask, “Does my countenance reflect the
greatness of my God?”

In the midst of your busy life, are you able to be like Moses and
“stand still” (see Numbers 9:8) to hear what the Lord wants to
say to you? Ask Him to help you hear His voice more clearly.
life point
When the Israelites journeyed from Egypt (the land of bondage)
to Canaan (the land of promise), the cloud of the Lord went
before them, leading the way. Each time the ark of the covenant
was lifted up and carried out before them, Moses cried out to
God, “Rise up, Lord; let Your enemies be scattered” (Numbers
10:35). I love that! May we be reminded each day to praise the
Lord and expect His power to bring the victory.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, that You have promised good concerning
me, just as You did for the Israelites so long ago.
don’t turn back

The Israelites spent a great deal of time grumbling and hating
their hardships as they traveled through the wilderness on their
way to the Promised Land. The way we behave and the attitudes
we display in our own “wilderness experiences” may well be the
determining factor in how long we stay there. Some people
never stop complaining, and, as a result, they never make any
progress in their lives.
Not only did the children of Israel complain, they also
frequently wanted to turn around and go back to where they
came from. They had made the mistake of bringing unbelieving
Egyptians out of Egypt with them. Called in Numbers 11:4 the
“mixed multitude” or “rabble,” these people did not love God
and tempted the Israelites by reminding them of the dubious
benefits of Egypt. Similarly, the devil reminds people today of
the benefits they had while they were in the world and doing
things their own way.
When we decide to live for God, all kinds of things are used by
the devil to try to get us to grumble and complain. In 1976, God
called me to quit my job and prepare for ministry. In order to do
so, we had to trust God for money to pay the bills because my
husband’s salary alone was not enough. Many times in those
days, the devil tried to influence me to go back to work and take
care of myself. He reminded me of the days when we had plenty
of money, new cars, new clothes, and cash left over. But he failed
to remind me of how miserable I was because I was not following
God’s will for my life.
There are plenty of places in the road where we can park or even
turn around and go back the way we came. But if we press on
and follow God’s plan for our lives, we will be greatly blessed in
the end. Being in God’s perfect will is the most comfortable
place in the world to be. Don’t ever turn back. Keep pressing on!

Do you ever feel, as Moses did, that you are carrying burdens
that are too heavy for you? At those times, remember to cast
your cares upon God because He cares for you (see I Peter 5:7).
the meaning of meekness

When you think of a meek person, what image comes to mind? I
would like to explain the character trait of meekness to you
because we rarely hear much about it. Meek does not mean
“weak.” I believe a good definition of true meekness is getting
angry at the right time in the right measure for the right reason.
Scripture tells us that Moses was “very meek” (Numbers 12:3).
In fact, he was the meekest man on the face of the earth. Said
another way, he was able to maintain a careful balance between
emotional extremes. What was Moses like? He was patient and
long-suffering with the Israelites. When he could have blasted
them for their sins and rebellion, he prayed for them instead. As
their God-ordained leader and guide, he put up with decades of
griping and complaining and insolence from these people who
never seemed to tire of testing his patience and endurance. Yet
when he came down from meeting with the Lord on the
mountaintop and saw the Israelites bowing down and
worshipping the golden calf they had made, he became so angry
he threw down the tablets with the Ten Commandments written
on them!
There is a time to repress anger, and there is a time to express
anger—and wisdom knows the difference. A meek person is not
someone who never shows anger, but someone who never allows
his anger to get out of control. Although Moses was a meek man,
he was not a perfect man. There was a time when Moses allowed
his anger to get out of control, and God punished him for it.
Meekness does not mean being without emotion; it means being
in charge of emotion and channeling it in the right direction for
the right purpose. Moses was a man to whom God entrusted
great power and responsibility. God had given him a great deal,
and He expected a great deal from him.
I encourage you to develop true meekness in your life. As you
do, remember God’s promise in Matthew 5:5: “Blessed… are the
meek, for they shall inherit the earth!”
speak the Word

God, I pray that I will be like Moses and be trustworthy
and faithful before You and that You will speak clearly to
me.
giant-sized problems
The children of Israel faced giants they feared would stop them
from entering their Promised Land. Moses had sent Joshua,
Caleb, and ten other men to spy out the land of Canaan and
bring back a report (see Numbers 13:17–20). The ten came back
and said that the land was full of good fruit, but it was also full
of giants who would be difficult to defeat (see Numbers 13:27,
28).
Joshua and Caleb had a different attitude. They too had seen the
giants but preferred to keep their eyes on God, Whom they
believed was greater than the giants. Caleb urged, “Let us go up
at once and possess it; we are well able to conquer it” (Numbers
13:30). How did the negative people respond? They answered,
“We are not able… they are stronger than we are” (Numbers
13:31).
Isn’t this the way it is with life? There are positive people who
try to go forward, and there are negative people who try to
contaminate everything good and positive with their bad
attitudes. Ten of the spies were negative and two were positive.
Based on those figures, 80 percent of the people said they were
not able to defeat the giants, and only 20 percent believed God
was greater than the problem. The same thing is true today. If a
higher percentage of people believed in the great power of God,
we would see more people succeeding in life. Evil would not be
rampant, because the righteous in the land would be
aggressively going forth in faith, conquering everything that is
not in harmony with God.
Sadly, we often stare at our giant-sized problems instead of at
our God. We lose our focus; we become entangled with the
problem and lose sight of what God has called us to do. I believe
that more time spent worshipping and praising God would help
us keep a clear focus and enable us to go forward with a strong,
positive attitude, believing we can do anything God tells us to do.
How much time do you spend fellowshipping with your problems
compared to the time you spend fellowshipping with God?
Sometimes when we supposedly spend time with God, all we do
is talk to Him about our problems. We still are not really
spending time with Him; we have just found another way to talk
about all the things we are unhappy about. We can tell God
about what concerns us and ask Him to help, but we need to
spend more time praising than we do petitioning.
Joshua and Caleb reminded the others that God had promised to
give them the land. They encouraged them not to rebel against
the Lord and not to fear the giants. They encouraged the people:
“The Lord is with us. Fear them not” (Numbers 14:9).
God is not with the enemy; He is with us. And if God is for us,
who can be against us? I encourage you to practice maintaining
a good attitude. Be content, thankful. Pay attention to what God
is doing, and do not simply take note of what you think He is not
doing for you. Beware of complaining. Instead, worship God and
keep worshipping Him until your breakthrough comes. Having a
good attitude will bring your breakthrough faster than being
grouchy. However long you have to wait, you might as well be
happy while you wait. Enjoy where you are—on the way to where
you are going! Do not fear the giants; slay them with your faith.
God is greater than any giant or any giant-sized problem you
face.
life point
Possessing the land (see Numbers 13:30) involves dispossessing
the current occupants. To the Israelites, the occupants were
people; to us, they may be people, situations, or even the devil
and his demons. Our spiritual enemy, Satan, seeks to divert the
good things that are ours. In order to possess the land and enjoy
the many blessings available to God’s children, we need to learn
how to deal with the devil. We cannot fight him through
ordinary means; we must combat him with spiritual warfare (see
Ephesians 6:11–18). As we do, we cannot be lazy or irresponsible.
We need to be aggressively walking in the righteousness of God.
We must wear our shoes of peace and wear our helmets of
salvation. We should wield the two-edged sword of the Spirit. To
me that means to speak God’s Word in every situation. Walk in
truth, stay in faith, and pray at all times. We cannot make
excuses, because an excuse is just a reason stuffed with a lie.
I think each one of us carries an invisible “excuse bag.” When
God puts something on our hearts to do what we do not want to
do, we just reach into that bag and draw out an excuse, such as
“It’s too hard” or “I’m afraid”—just as those ten spies did. We
think that an excuse relieves us of our responsibility to do what
God has said. But God’s answer to us is, “Then do it afraid! As
you go, I will help you conquer your fear.”
Who said that you cannot do what God has told you, even if you
have to start off afraid? As you shed your excuses, you will find
that God is more than sufficient. Learn from the two men who
were confident God would help them possess the land He had
given them. Know that God wants you to enter your land of
promise, confidently waging spiritual warfare and going forward
without excuse.
slaying the giants in your land

How do you see yourself? How do you look at the obstacles in
your way? If we feel we are nothing, it will be hard to
accomplish much in life. We will probably shrink back in fear
from every challenge, just like the ten men Moses sent into
Canaan to spy out the land. They saw it was a good land with
abundant fruit, but there was one problem—there were giants in
the land. As these men looked at the giants and then at
themselves, they fainted in their minds and said, “We were in
our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight”
(Numbers 13:33). The big mistake these men made was that they
looked at the giants and they looked at themselves, but they did
not look at God.
In and of ourselves we are nothing and can do very little, but in
Christ we can do all things He asks us to do (see Philippians
4:13). We must keep our eyes on Jesus and not on ourselves or
our weaknesses. (We all have weaknesses, but God will show His
strength through them if we believe He is greater than they
are!) The giants in this world do not have to frighten us if we
keep our eyes on God and put our trust in Him. God says we do
not have to live in fear, because He is with us at all times. He
has promised never to leave us or forsake us. If God is on our
side, why should we be afraid of anybody or anything?
Twelve men were sent into the land to see if they could conquer
it, but only Joshua and Caleb believed that God is greater than
any obstacle. Make a decision today that you will not stand with
those who see only their limitations when facing their giants.
Decide to stand with those who see God and believe the giants
can be slain. Believe that He will take care of the giants and
bring you to a place of abundant blessing.
life point
Do you see how negative the Israelites were in Numbers 14:1–3?
They were complaining, ready to give up too easily, preferring to
go back to bondage rather than press through the wilderness
into the Promised Land. Actually, they did not have a problem;
they were the problem! These people felt exceedingly sorry for
themselves. Every inconvenience became a new excuse to engage
in self-pity. I remember when the Lord spoke to me during one
of my “pity parties.” He said, “Joyce, you can be pitiful or
powerful, but you cannot be both.” It is vitally important to
understand that we cannot entertain self-pity and also walk in
the power of God!
speak the Word

God, let people hear about me what they heard about the
Israelites—that You are in the midst of everything I do, that
I know You intimately, that Your presence stands over me,
and that You go before me in every situation.
on your face
Notice in Numbers 14:5 how Moses and Aaron reacted to the
Israelites’ murmuring and complaining: they fell on their faces.
This action of falling on one’s face is found throughout the
Bible. It was an act of humility and seeking God in prayer. If all
the Israelites had been on their faces before God, they would
have seen miracle after miracle. But they were too busy getting
tripped up by feeling sorry for themselves, talking negatively,
finding fault with God and Moses, and wanting to go back to
Egypt. I thank God for Moses and Aaron. As they fell on their
faces and worshipped God, they demonstrated their reverence
for God. I believe they took this action before the whole
assembly to show them they needed to do the same.
Joshua and Caleb would not allow negative, unbelieving people
to adversely affect them either. These two men remained full of
faith and confidence that they could conquer their enemies.
Likewise, we need to keep our faith positive by not letting
pessimistic people steal our joy. We should not let doubters
destroy our confidence; we should believe that God is a good God
and has a good plan for our lives. Satan uses people like this to
drain us. We must not let their misery and negativism affect or
infect our joy.
When you are tempted to complain, shun the negative talk;
instead, worship and honor the Lord. Rather than getting
sidetracked by all the things in your way, fall on your face
before God in humility and prayer. You will see Him work on
your behalf.
speak the Word

God, I thank You that I belong to You, that You have
chosen me, and that through Jesus, I can draw near to You.
life point
The words the Israelites spoke in Numbers 20:3–5 revealed their
total lack of trust in God. They had a negative attitude and had
decided they were going to fail before they ever really got
started, simply because every circumstance was not perfect. They
displayed an attitude that came from a wrong mind-set. Bad
attitudes are the fruit of bad thoughts. Ask God to give you
thoughts in line with His Word, and watch your attitude change!
life point
Along with other bad attitudes (see Numbers 21:4, 5), the
children of Israel lacked gratitude. They simply could not quit
thinking about where they had come from—and where they
were—long enough to get where they were going! What could
have helped them? They could have considered their forefather,
Abraham. He went through some disappointing experiences in
his life, but he did not allow them to negatively affect his future.
When things get tough, rehearse the good things the Lord has
done. That kind of gratitude to God will help you get through
any trial with faith and emerge victorious.
look and live

The Israelites were dying in large numbers because a plague of
snakes had come upon them and were biting them as a result of
their sin (see Numbers 21:6). What did Moses do? He prayed. To
solve the problem, Moses turned his attention immediately to
God, not to himself or anyone else.
I have found that victorious people in the Bible faced their
problems with prayer. They did not worry—they prayed. I ask
you today: Do you worry or do you take your needs to God in
prayer?
Moses sought God about how to handle the snakes. He did not
make his own plan and ask God to bless it; he did not try to
reason out an answer, nor did he worry. He prayed, and his
action brought a response from God. God told Moses to make a
bronze serpent, set it on a pole, and put it in front of the people.
Every snake-bitten person who looked at it would live. The New
Testament tells us this action represented the Cross and Jesus’
taking our sin upon Himself: “Just as Moses lifted up the
serpent in the desert [on a pole], so must… the Son of Man be
lifted up [on the cross], in order that everyone who believes in
Him… may not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:14, 15).
The message is still the same today: “Look and live.” Look at
Jesus and at what He has done, not at yourself and what you
have done or can do. The answer to your problem, whatever it
may be, is not worry, but trusting God and praying. Pray and
worship God because He is good, and His goodness will be
released in your life.
speak the Word

God, I pray that my behavior will never be willfully
obstinate or contrary before You, but that You will help me
keep my heart and actions pleasing to You.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, that You are not a man that You should
lie, but that You will make good on everything You have
spoken.
speak the Word

God, I pray that I will never be as a sheep without a
shepherd, but that You will always guide me to wise, godly
leaders.
speak the Word

God, I pray that I will be like Joshua and I thank You that
Your Spirit is in me.
Deuteronomy
Author:
Moses
Date:
About 1440 BC
Blessings and curses are set
before us. We need to choose
life and continually make good,
godly decisions.
We do not live “by bread alone.”
In other words, real life is not
in our possessions, positions, or
worldly prestige, but in
knowing God, fellowshipping
with Him, and trusting Him.
We do not need to strive to be
blessed. When we obey God,
blessings come as long are we
are seeking Him for Who He is
and not what He can do for us.
walk out of your wilderness
Moses pointed out to the Israelites that it was only an eleven-day
journey to the border of Canaan (the Promised Land); yet it had
taken them forty years to get there. Then Moses said these great
words: “The Lord our God said… You have dwelt long enough on
this mountain” (Deuteronomy 1:6).
Have you dwelt long enough on the same mountain? Have you
spent forty years in the wilderness trying to make an eleven-day
trip?
In my own life, there was a time when I finally had to wake up
and realize that I was going nowhere. I was a Christian without
victory. I had many wrong mind-sets and many mental
strongholds that had built up through the years. The devil had
lied to me, and I had believed him. I did not even realize I was
deceived. I decided I had been on the same mountain long
enough. I had spent forty years making what could have been a
much shorter journey had I only known the truth of God’s Word.
God showed me that the Israelites stayed in the wilderness
because they had a “wilderness mentality”—certain types of
wrong thinking that kept them in bondage. Let me urge you to
make a quality decision to renew your mind and learn to choose
your thoughts carefully. Make up your mind that you will not
give up until victory is complete and you have taken possession
of your rightful inheritance. Do not stay too long in any one
place, but keep moving toward everything God has for you.
speak the Word

Thank You, Lord, that You are the God who goes before me,
just as You were for the Israelites when You led them out of
their bondage in Egypt.
life point
If we choose to serve God and live His way, we can avoid long
wrestling matches with Him. Wisdom tells us to let God do with
us what He wants, when He wants, so that we do not waste time
going around in circles as the Israelites did (see Deuteronomy
2:3). I have met people who have been going around the same
obstacles and issues for twenty or thirty years. If they had
simply obeyed God in the beginning, they would have moved on
with their lives long ago. They would now be enjoying the
blessings of God, but instead they are still miserable and very
frustrated.
No matter how much we may enjoy where we are, God will not
let us stay there and become stagnant. He has new places to take
us and new lessons to teach us. He wants to keep us fresh and
full of life, full of growth, and full of His great purposes for our
lives.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, that You fight for me. Because You do, I
will not fear.
speak the Word

God, You are a requirement, a necessity, in my life. Help me
to seek You with all of my heart, mind, soul, and life.
Thank You, God, that You are a merciful God. I declare that
You will never fail me or forget the covenant You have with
me.

Deuteronomy 5:16 tells us that things will go well with us if we
honor our parents. How can you better honor your mother and
your father?
speak the Word

Help me, God, to be watchful to do as You have
commanded me to do. I declare that I will not turn aside to
the right hand or to the left and that I will walk in all Your
ways, that it may go well with me.
Thank You, God, that as I am watchful to do Your

commandments, things will go well for me and I will
increase exceedingly.

We know from Deuteronomy 6:23 that God “brings us out to
take us in.” What has God brought you out of in order to take
you into something better? Thank Him today!
speak the Word

Thank You, God, that You have chosen me to be holy, set
apart, and special to You.
God, I know and recognize and understand that You are

the faithful God Who keeps covenant and steadfast love
and mercy with those who fear You and keep Your
commandments.
life point
Just before they entered the Promised Land, the Lord told the
Israelites that He would drive out their enemies before them
“little by little” (Deuteronomy 7:22), lest the beasts of the field
increase among them. I believe pride is one of the “beasts” that
will consume us if we receive too much freedom too quickly, and
the best way to gain lasting freedom and wholeness is to be
liberated one area at a time. That way, we appreciate our
freedom more; we realize it is truly a gift from God and not
something we can make happen in our own strength. If it seems
that freedom is slow in coming to any area of your life,
remember that true progress often happens little by little.
life point
I once went through a difficult and upsetting set of
circumstances in my ministry. One week I would have a meeting
with a large crowd; the next week only half as many would
attend. Satan would say to me, “Well, the people didn’t like
what you said last week, so they didn’t come back.” When
circumstances conveyed to me I was doing well, my emotions
were up. When circumstances indicated I was not doing very
well, my emotions were down. The devil had me on the run.
Every good experience elated me; every bad circumstance
deflated me. (I call this “yo-yo” Christianity).
One day I said to God, “Why is this happening?” He impressed
upon my heart, “I am teaching you that man does not live by
bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of
God” (see Deuteronomy 8:3). Bread was the daily sustenance for
the children of Israel. Bread kept them going. When the Lord
spoke to me about bread, He was saying, “I am trying to teach
you that you cannot live by all these other things that seem to
keep you going. You must look to Me for your daily strength.”
The same is true for you. Seek God, not what He can do for you!
life point
Often, our first impulse when someone disciplines us is to find
fault with him or her. Satan tempts us to do this so we will divert
the conversation away from the real issue. God disciplines us
too, according to Deuteronomy 8:5. Being corrected by God
through people in authority, such as the government, employers,
parents, or teachers, is something we all encounter throughout
our lives. We may not always like the person or source God
chooses to bring correction to us, but we are wise to accept good
discipline and instruction in order to make progress in our lives.
seek God’s presence, not His presents

The Israelites wandered around and around the wilderness,
going through the same struggles time and time again. God said
He allowed this to teach them the truth of Deuteronomy 8:3:
that man does not live by bread alone (worldly things) but by
every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God (His promises).
God met their basic necessities in the wilderness, but they were
a long way from having their desires fulfilled. God wanted them
to have abundant life, but first they needed to learn to obey Him
and trust Him at all times.
Sooner or later God has to teach us that our true life is in Him,
not in anything the world has to offer. It would be great if He
could simply tell us that truth and we could believe it, turn our
backs on the world, and totally trust Him. It does not happen
that way, though. God deals with us and allows us to go through
tests and trials so we can learn by experience that doing things
His way is the best way. God knows that if we will not serve and
worship Him in the hard times of life (the valleys), we will not
consistently serve and worship Him in the good times (the
mountaintops). He wants to bless us with the desires of our
hearts, but He demands first place in our lives at all times.
There is a fine line between serving God because of what He can
do for us and serving Him because of Who He is. We can easily
be deceived into seeking His hand (His presents) and not
seeking His face (His presence) in our lives. We need to seek
first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and then all the
other things will be added unto us (see Matthew 6:33).
Are you in a valley? Worship God! Are you on top of the
mountain? Worship God! Are all of your needs met? Worship
God! Are you in want? Worship God! When all things become
the same to you in the light of His glory, He is free to give you
all things. Seek His presence, not His presents. Keep God first
in your life, and you will be amazed at what He will do for you.
life point
Many people believe and act upon the biblical principles of
tithing and giving offerings, yet they never seem to be able to
leave what I call the “land of even.” Though their basic needs
are met, they are living from paycheck to paycheck. They never
get ahead; they just break even. They live “little lives” and miss
the joy-filled, fruitful, peaceful, and abundant life that God has
for them.
God’s Word clearly teaches that He desires for us to live in the
“land of plenty” (see Deuteronomy 8:7–9). God brought the
Israelites out of the land of lack, through the land of even, and
into the land of plenty. He wanted every one of the Israelites to
live in abundance, but, sadly, only two of the original Israelites
who came out of Egypt actually crossed over the Jordan and lived
in the land of promise, the land of plenty.
Precisely the same situation appears in every generation. Only
a few people enter into the best God has provided for them
through Jesus Christ, while the majority barely get by and have
no joy or peace. They struggle and struggle, hearing about a
better land but not understanding why they cannot take up
residence there.
Be one who makes it all the way to the Promised Land.
Remember that God has abundance for you, and determine to
live the good life that God prearranged for you to live (see
Ephesians 2:10)
life point
Apart from God, we really are powerless. Our joy must be in
Him, our peace must be in Him, our achievements come through
Him, and our abilities are the results of His grace. Take the
advice of Deuteronomy 8:17, and do not let your mind and heart
try to convince you that your own efforts and the strength of
your flesh profit anything. It’s all God!.

Deuteronomy 10:16 instructs us not to be hard-hearted or
stubborn. Is there any stubbornness or hardness in your heart or
in your mind? Confess your sin in these areas and ask for God’s
help.
speak the Word

Help me, God, to reverently fear You, to walk in all Your
ways, to love You, and to serve You with all my mind and
heart and entire being.
life point
There are many things that can become “gods” to us and we are
not to turn our hearts toward them (see Deuteronomy 11:16, 17).
Even a ministry can become a god if we let it become more
important than God Himself. We must never forget that it is the
Lord Who places the vision for ministry in our hearts. It is He
Who calls us and gives us the desire to minister. He must always
have the first and most preeminent place in our lives. Putting
the things with which He blesses us before Him is offensive to
Him.
We are not going to experience the blessings God desires for us
if our hearts are not right before Him. Sometimes we
erroneously blame the devil for our lack of blessing; we think
everything would be just fine if the devil would just leave us
alone. That is not so. We have it backward. If we would live
rightly, then the door into our lives would be closed to the devil.
He might pester us, but he would have no real power over us,
just as he had no real power over Jesus. Let nothing stand
between you and God. Put Him first, and you will be blessed.
defeating deception
In Deuteronomy 11:18–21 God told the people to write His words
on the doors of their houses, on their gates, on their foreheads,
and on their hands. They were to let the Word permeate their
entire being, whether they were sitting, lying down, or walking
around. Why did God say to do all this? Because He is aware
that knowing the Word keeps a person from having a deceived
heart. This is what Jesus taught in John 8:31, 32 when He said:
“If you abide in My word [hold fast to My teachings and live in
accordance with them], you are truly My disciples. And you will
know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.”
If we do not really care enough about the Word of God to abide
in it, we are going to be in for trouble in these last days in which
we live. Religious fluff is not going to be enough to get us
through; we have to be deeply serious about learning the Word.
When we know the Word, God will protect us and keep us. If we
do not, we will be sucked up into deception. Simply stated,
deception happens when we believe a lie, and Satan lies to us
continually. Without a thorough knowledge of God’s Word, we
do not even recognize the lies.
Some people deceive themselves by reasoning that is contrary to
God’s truth. Earlier in my life, before I learned how to really
surrender to the will of God, He sometimes impressed me to give
something away I wanted to keep, or to do something I did not
want to do. I learned from making mistakes that it was very easy
to deceive myself when God asked for something I did not want
to release.
We make all kinds of excuses to keep us from doing what God
asks of us. Sometimes we pretend, “Well, it must not have been
God dealing with me about that. It probably was just my
imagination or the devil trying to make me miserable by asking
for what’s precious to me.” We can quickly become “spiritually
deaf” to the voice of God when He says something we really do
not want to hear.
A deceived heart will not do for leaders or for anyone who
intends to be victorious in life. We should be diligent to root out
any areas of our lives where we are susceptible to deception. We
need to live openly and honestly, abiding in the light of God’s
truth as He reveals it in His Word.
life point
God has given us the power of choice. We must choose one way
or the other, and whatever pathway we choose will lead to a
specific destination (see Deuteronomy 11:26–28). If we choose
disobedience, we end up with curses and every kind of misery;
but if we choose life, we are blessed. I often wonder why anyone
would choose to be miserable when we could be blessed; yet
multitudes do just that.
We have an enemy, Satan, who tells us we can do what is wrong
and still have good lives, but we have to remember that God’s
Word tells us he is a liar. Satan told Eve the same lie in the
Garden of Eden, and that is where our troubles began. I strongly
encourage you to make right choices. Do not procrastinate or
delay, because that is one of Satan’s favorite ways to deceive us.
We intend to do what is right, but say we are not ready just yet.
We live as if tomorrow will never come, but it always does. I
believe wisdom is choosing to do now what we will be satisfied
with later. Remember, we always reap what we have sown. Make
a decision to keep God’s commands and open the door to the
blessed life He wants to give you.
life point
Deuteronomy 13:4 commands us to obey God. Obedience keeps
us from defiling our consciences and keeps us living for God’s
glory.

God commands us in Deuteronomy 15:11 to “open wide” our
hands to those who are less fortunate than we are. In what ways
can you be more generous or more attentive to the poor and
needy people around you?
speak the Word

God, help me to always open my hands wide to the poor
and give to those in need.
presumption kills
In Old Testament days, God dealt differently with His people
than He does now. I am so glad to be living under the
dispensation of grace. But if we look at how God dealt with sin
under the Old Covenant, we can see how serious it is and be
warned not to wink at it or to be passive about eliminating it
from our lives. We are being presumptuous if we think that we
can purposely sin and get by with it.
In Deuteronomy 17:12, 13, God was telling His people that if one
of their leaders acted presumptuously, he was to be killed. This
was because leaders communicate through their actions that
whatever they do is acceptable for everyone. But God is saying to
us, “I will not let a presumptuous leader get by with wrong
behavior, because if I do, everyone is going to think it is all right
to act the same way.” That is exactly why we must keep right
heart attitudes if we want God to continue to use us. Leadership
carries with it great responsibility. Ministry is more than just
standing up in front of people and exercising spiritual gifts. We
must live our lives with integrity behind the scenes, and that
involves living without presumption. It means we do what is
right when nobody can see us but God.
Why is it so important to be on guard against presumption?
Presumption causes disrespect and a rebellious attitude toward
authority. Presumptuous people think they do not have to listen
to those who have been placed in authority over them. Often
they are overconfident in their arrogance and unreasonably
bold. Presumptuous people talk when they should be quiet. They
try to dictate direction to those from whom they should be
receiving counsel. They give orders when they should be taking
orders. They do things without asking permission. They assume
things instead of asking. They think they can make wrong
choices and get right results, which never works because it goes
against God’s principles.
Presumption is a big problem that comes from a wrong heart, as
we are told in II Peter 2:10, 11, which tells of “those who walk
after the flesh and indulge in the lust of polluting passion and
scorn and despise authority. Presumptuous [and] daring [self-
willed and self-loving creatures]! They scoff at and revile
dignitaries (glorious ones) without trembling, whereas [even]
angels, though superior in might and power, do not bring a
defaming charge against them before the Lord.”
God does not want us to be presumptuous. He wants us to be
humble so that others can come to know and honor Him through
the way we live our lives.
the danger of occult practices

Today many people are going to fortune-tellers and tarot card
readers or calling psychics who charge them so much per minute
to tell them their futures. There are millions of people who
follow horoscopes, making decisions based on the stars. You may
be one of them, and if so, I want you to know that there is no
need to worship the stars when you can worship the God Who
made them.
The Bible has much to say about consulting with mediums and
soothsayers and other kinds of activities that God considers an
abomination (see also Leviticus 20:6). You may not be familiar
with some of the words used in Deuteronomy 18:10–12, but it’s
talking about such things as horoscopes, tarot cards, psychic
readings, mediums, and what we call “New Age” practices.
While the Bible says these occult practices are an abomination
to God, I think many people today do not realize that God is
opposed to such things. In fact, some churches do not even teach
people that those things are wrong. One of the women in a
church I attended for a period of time was getting involved in
transcendental meditation. Since she did not know whether
there was anything wrong with it or not, she asked the pastor.
He told her, “I’m not really sure. Let me know whether it works
or not; I might even try it myself.” I didn’t know any better than
that either. If God had not intervened in my life, I might have
fallen into the dangerous trap of New Age activity. There is no
telling how many people are getting sucked into occult practices
and the New Age movement simply because they really do not
know God’s Word well enough to stay away from such dangerous
pursuits.
God’s Living Word is the only source of truth, and His Spirit is
the only One Who can lead us into peace, joy, and victory in our
everyday lives. Don’t waste your money calling up people who
supposedly can tell you about your future. Let God lead your
future.
gentle as a lamb, bold as a lion

What happens when our hearts faint? In our hearts we say, “I
can’t do this. It’s just too hard.” If we are going to be faithful
believers in the kingdom of God, we cannot quit when things get
tough. We need to be as bold as a lion.
Being bold-hearted does not mean we should be tough and
harsh. It is possible to be tender and tough at the same time, and
the key is to know when to be tender and when to be tough. We
need to be meek, sweet, and gentle toward people, but bold,
tough, and aggressive with the devil—because that is the way he
is with us.
I used to have a problem understanding how a person could be
both tough and tender. When I read the Bible one verse seemed
to say that I was to be as gentle as a lamb, while another passage
(such as Deuteronomy 20:1–4) seemed to instruct me to be
lionhearted. I did not have any trouble with the lion part, but I
did have problems with the lamb part. I had a lot of natural lion
in me, but I needed to develop the lamb part of me. Gentleness
did not come easily to me, partly because I was not raised in a
gentle atmosphere, and partly because my personality was not
gentle by nature.
Jesus is humble, gentle, meek, and lowly—not harsh, hard,
sharp, or pressing. I was not like Jesus, but I wanted to be, so I
went to the extreme of collecting little stuffed lambs and placing
them all over my house. I had pictures of lambs and paintings of
lambs. I had images of Jesus holding lambs, Jesus in the middle
of lambs, and Jesus carrying lambs on His shoulders. I had so
many lambs in my house that it started to look stupid, so I
cleaned a whole bunch of them out and kept only the ones I
liked best. But all of the lambs served a purpose: they reminded
me to be more gentle. They helped me form new habits in how I
dealt with people. We should resist Satan and all of his evil
works as agressively and boldly as a lion, but in our dealings
with people, we usually should be very gentle unless a situation
calls for us to apply some tough love.
Are you more like a lion, or are you more like a lamb? You may
be shy and timid, as gentle and meek as a lamb, preferring to
avoid hard or controversial issues. So God has to put a bit of lion
in you. Or you may have a strong lion in you, as I did, and need
to have some lamb qualities developed in you.
No matter what your temperament is, we all face times that call
for a lion as well as times that call for a lamb. When we feel
fainthearted, we need to dig in our heels and exclaim in lion like
faith, “I am not going to be fainthearted! God will help me! I am
not going to give up or quit, no matter how hard it gets or how
long it takes!”
The Holy Spirit is also very gentle and sensitive. If we are harsh
and hard with people, we can easily offend the Holy Spirit, and
we certainly do not want to do that.
speak the Word

God, thank You for turning curses into blessings in my life
because You love me.
when weariness attacks

Amalek’s attack on the Israelites, mentioned in Deuteronomy
25:17, 18, is a type and shadow of Satan and the method he uses
to assault, hinder, and stop believers today (see John 10:10).
Amalek chose to attack the Israelites when they were faint and
weary. Satan tries to wear us down to the point of exhaustion so
that once we are in that position, he can intensify his attack to
bring us down.
If you, a Christian, are struggling with weariness—if you want
to just give up and quit—you are not alone. Satan is bringing
this attack of weariness on the body of Christ to keep us from
receiving the harvest God has for us. And God is preparing a
great spiritual harvest!
When we plant seed in the natural world, a lot happens
underground that we cannot see. The root system needs to grow
and be established before we notice any harvest. Because God’s
kingdom is based on the principle of seed planting and harvest
(see Mark 4:26–32), God is doing much work “under the
ground,” out of our sight, to bring our planted seeds to fruition.
This “growing stage” is the point when many of us become
weary and want to faint. When we are doing everything we know
to do in God—and we are doing it again and again without
seeing the results we desire in the natural world—we can
become weary in well-doing. We may have planted our seeds of
obedience in faithfulness and diligence, but we have lost sight of
the manner in which the kingdom of God operates to grow fruit.
We need to remember the wonderful promise of Galatians 6:9:
“And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting
nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed
season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage
and faint.”
When the enemy attacks you in times of weakness or fatigue,
stir up your courage, muster your strength, and rise up against
him with the truth of God’s Word! This is a good time to behave
as a bold, aggressive lion.
life point
Obedience is not to be an occasional event; it is to be a way of
life. There is a big difference between people who are willing to
obey God daily and those who are willing to obey only in order
to get out of trouble. God certainly shows people how to get out
of trouble, but He showers blessings on those who decide to live
wholeheartedly for Him and make obedience to Him their
lifestyle.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, that You have made me the head and not
the tail, that I am above only and not beneath anything or
anyone.
receiving outrageous blessings

God’s promises usually come with conditions. He is merciful,
and He does certain things for us that we do not deserve. Even
when we have not behaved correctly, we can still pray for mercy
and ask God to help us. But anybody who wants to live in the
radical, outrageous, chase-you-down-the-street-and-overtake-
you blessings of God has to do something to receive them.
The blessing package described in Deuteronomy 28:1–14 is
conditional. Listen to the condition: “If you will listen diligently
to the voice of the Lord your God… if you heed the voice of the
Lord your God… if you keep the commandments of the Lord
your God and walk in His ways,” then “all these blessings shall
come upon you and overtake you” (Deuteronomy 28:1, 2, 9). The
promised blessings are many: blessings wherever you are or
whatever you do; blessings in your family, with your work, and
in your possessions; victory over your enemies; blessings of
being established as God’s holy people.
While we want all these blessings, many times we are not
willing to do what it takes to receive them. Radical and
outrageous blessings come from radical and outrageous
obedience. They come from a willingness to obey God whether
He tells us to do something in His Word or by speaking in our
hearts. We really do not need to complain about doing what God
tells us because He gives us the ability to do the things He calls
us to do. Our part is simply to listen to His voice and do what He
says without reservation. That’s when the blessings come.
life point
Deuteronomy 30:2 encourages us to obey God wholeheartedly. To
whatever degree we obey God, that’s the measure of our love for
Him. Our love for Jesus grows as we obey Him.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, that as I live in obedience to You, I will
have abundance in all the work of my hands, in my family,
and in everything that concerns me.
choose life
Thousands of thoughts are presented to our minds every day, and
we must allow our minds to be renewed after the Spirit and not
after the flesh. Our carnal (worldly, fleshly) minds have had so
much practice operating freely that we can think wrong
thoughts without much effort at all. On the other hand, we have
to purposely choose to think right thoughts. After we have
finally decided to be like-minded with God, then we will need to
choose and continue to choose right thoughts.
When we begin to feel that the battle of the mind is just too
difficult and that we are not going to make it, we must cast down
that negative kind of thinking. We must choose to think that we
are going to make it and decide not to quit. When bombarded
with doubts and fears, we need to take a stand and say: “I will
never give up! God is on my side. He loves me, and He is helping
me!”
You and I will have many choices to make throughout our lives.
In Deuteronomy 30:19, the Lord told His people that He had set
before them life and death and urged them to choose life.
Proverbs 18:21 also tells us we can choose life or death. It says,
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who
indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life].”
Our thoughts become our words. Therefore, it is vitally
important that we choose life-giving thoughts.
life point
Sometimes we think we have to wait until we are no longer
afraid before we try to do something. But we probably will not
accomplish much for God, for others, or even for ourselves if we
wait until all our fear is gone. We need to face our fear with
courage and do some things despite our fear. We must learn to
“do it afraid.” God promises us that He will be with us (see
Deuteronomy 31:6).
God will go with you

In Deuteronomy 31:6, Moses told the Israelites to be strong,
courageous, and firm. Do you know what it means to be firm? It
means to stick to what you know is right without letting
anything or anyone talk you out of it.
Moses also told Joshua that he was to be strong, courageous, and
firm because he was to lead the people into the land that the
Lord had given them. He assured him that the Lord would never
fail him or forsake him and that God would go with him to lead
him to victory. God makes that same promise to you and me
today.
It is comforting to know that everywhere we go, God has been
before us to prepare the way. Our ministry does many
conferences, and prior to our conferences in other states or
countries, someone always goes ahead of us to get things ready.
They make sure all the arrangements are properly made before
Dave and I arrive. For example, we once had a conference
planned in another part of the world. When our employee
arrived ahead of us, he realized that the arena we had planned
to use was in an inaccessible part of the city. The traffic would be
heavy before and after meetings, there was only one road in and
one road out, and it could take as long as four hours for people
to get through. We were glad we had sent him months in
advance because he was able to change the meeting place and
save us a lot of time.
Also, at least two days before we arrive in a city, a team scouts
out the arrangements and takes care of details so that when we
arrive we can wholly focus on ministering to the people. This
makes our ministry much more fruitful. Knowing that someone
has gone before me comforts me; it gives me confidence.
Likewise, knowing that God has gone before me in every
situation of my life gives me great confidence, and I am free to
live without fear.
Whatever your situation, know that God promises to go with
you. If you have a court case coming up, you need to understand
that God has already gone ahead of you into the court before you
arrive. Or, if you need to confront your employer about some
issue at work, believe what the Word says. Trust God that He will
give you favor and give you the right words to speak in loving
ways when the time comes.
Whenever you go, whatever your circumstances, ask God to go
before you and prepare the way. He will do it—then all you have
to do is follow.
life point
God is our Rock (see Deuteronomy 32:4) and place of refuge. He
is solid, stable, steadfast, dependable, always there, always the
same, always good and loving, always kind and merciful. He is
great and unfailing, faithful and just, perfect and right in all His
doings! We may have emotional ups and downs as we encounter
the influences of negative circumstances and feelings. But the
Lord changes not, and He cannot be moved by circumstances that
would flatten us. We can trust our Rock because He does not
waver in His faithfulness to us. We can learn to respond to life
as He does as we allow ourselves to be molded and transformed
into His image. He is our Rock, but He is also our Example. I
encourage you to be like He is—faithful and steadfast.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, that You love me, that You are holding me
in Your hand, that I can follow You and receive direction
for my life from You.
speak the Word

I pray, God, that You will bless everything I have, as You
did for Levi, and that You will accept the work of my
hands.
life point
It is comforting to know that underneath us are God’s
everlasting arms (see Deuteronomy 33:27). No matter what our
circumstances, His loving arms come down to where we are and
lift us up. As we make the conscious decision to lean on the arm
of the Lord and no longer lean on the arm of the flesh, we will
experience the manifest presence of God.
speak the Word

Lord, cause me to be like Joshua, full of the spirit of
wisdom.
Joshua
Author:
Uncertain; attributed to Joshua
Date:
1400 BC–1375 BC
We may have to fight for the
things God promises us.
Following God requires
boldness and brings blessing.
God doesn’t tell us not to feel
fear; He tells us not to give in to
it.
life point
“Moses My servant is dead” (Joshua 1:2). With those words
plainly said, God opened a new chapter in Joshua’s life. God told
Joshua that he was to accept a new responsibility—to lead the
people across the Jordan into the Promised Land. We also must
be willing to take responsibility as we go forward to claim our
spiritual inheritance. Every blessing God gives us comes with a
measure of responsibility, and we need to take that
responsibility seriously.
life point
How much time do you spend thinking about the Word of God?
The Bible says that if you want to find wise answers to your
problems and be successful and prosperous in all your dealings,
you need to meditate on the Word of God day and night (see
Joshua 1:8).
For most of my life, I did not think about what I was thinking
about. I simply thought whatever crossed my mind because I did
not know that Satan could inject thoughts into my brain. Most of
my thoughts were either lies from Satan or just plain nonsense
—things that wasted my time because they were not truly
important. The devil was controlling my life because he was
controlling my thoughts. Meditate on God’s Word and you can
push back the enemy. When you fill your mind with God’s truth,
you will find that your thoughts are thoughts of truth, freedom,
victory, and peace.
leave the past behind

After Moses’ death, the law allowed the Israelites thirty days to
mourn. After those days were completed, God told Joshua it was
time for him to take his new position (see Joshua 1:2). It was
time to start moving toward new things. Joshua would miss
Moses, but he knew he had to obey God and move on. There is a
proper time for mourning those things that we have lost or that
have come to an end. But, ultimately, we must make a choice to
start living and making progress again. We all have a past, but
thank God we all have a future—and a good one, according to
His Word (see Jeremiah 29:11).
Because Moses had done many things for Joshua and the
Israelites before he died, they needed to learn how to handle
new responsibilities after he died. They may not have felt
prepared to step out into new things, but God knew they were
ready. It is actually a good thing when we do not “feel” ready,
because then we are more likely to totally lean on God. If we
feel self-sufficient, God can’t really use us.
New things always seem frightening, but soon they will become
old things, and God will have another “new thing” on the
horizon of our lives. We need to grow accustomed to stepping out
into new things. The more we do, the more we realize that we
don’t have to be comfortable to be obedient. In order to take hold
of a new thing, we must let go of the old and allow ourselves
time to get acquainted with the new. I believe that when God
reminded Joshua that Moses was dead, He was encouraging him
to let go of the past and press on. I encourage you to do the same.
Remember the good things from your past, but do not get stuck
there. God is always doing a new thing! When God called
Abraham to a new place, he did not even think about where he
was to go. He simply trusted God because he knew God was
faithful. Do not be afraid to release and walk away from what
God is finished with; He has wonderful new things waiting for
you!
passing the faithfulness test

Moses was faithful to God’s people during the forty years they
wandered in the wilderness. Time and time again, he
successfully passed the “faithfulness test.” But God had spent
many years preparing Moses to lead the people out of bondage.
On the back side of the desert, God had taught him how to be
faithful (see Exodus 2:23—3:1). Likewise, Joshua had learned to
be faithful throughout the years and had loyally served under
Moses. When God chose Joshua to lead Israel after Moses’
death, He knew Joshua would be a faithful leader because he
had been trustworthy in the past. Joshua is an excellent
example of a faithful person, and his life reminds us that God
rewards faithfulness.
God works through and blesses faithful people—people who are
faithful in the wilderness (in times of testing) as well as in the
Promised Land (in times of blessing). Being faithful means
being devoted, supportive, and loyal. Faithful people are worthy
of trust or belief; they are reliable, consistent, constant, and
steadfast. They will stay wherever God places them and be true
to those God has given them to work with.
If we want to exercise authority, we must first learn to come
under authority and stay wherever God has placed us until He
moves us. Like Joshua, we must respect and be obedient to those
in authority over us. We must do the right thing simply because
it is right, even though we may never understand the “why” of
every situation—which is a real test of our faithfulness and
obedience. We must be faithful to stay where God has placed us
and perhaps under the leadership of an authority figure we do
not particularly like.
Do you want to have authority and be respected? Then learn to
be reliable and loyal. God loves to reward the faithful.
life point
I love the fact that Rahab was able to get past her past. Before
she met the two Israelite spies, she had worked as a prostitute
(the Bible uses the word harlot) (see Joshua 2:1). But by the end
of her life, she too had come to love the God of Israel and is
mentioned as an ancestor of Jesus Christ (see Matthew 1:5). No
matter how bad your past is, always know that God has a new
beginning for you. Like Rahab, you may have a past, but you
also have a future. You can get past your past!
common people, uncommon things

Do you want to be used by God as a leader? You can be. God is
always looking for people to promote—and you can be one of
them. Like Joshua, you have tremendous capabilities and
potential; all you need to do is fully develop them. That involves
allowing God to change you. The process may hurt at times, but
it will benefit you in the long term.
Is a good leader born or made? Some people are born with
natural leadership qualities, but they still have to go through a
process of development that makes them into all they can be. Do
not look at leadership as something attainable only by rare
individuals who have great talents. God delights in using
common people to accomplish uncommon things. Common
people with uncommon goals who make an uncommon
commitment can help an uncommon number of other people.
As you develop the leadership qualities God has placed in you,
remember that you are investing in the future. You can fulfill
the plan God has for you, but you must be determined and
refuse to be anything less than all you can be. A major key to
moving from where you are to where you want to be is to “keep
on keeping on.”
Develop your potential to the full, and as you do, encourage
others to do the same. Be all you can be, and then help someone
else do the same.

Have you ever had to believe God for something miraculous in
your life, as the Israelites did when they stood at the Jordan
ready to cross over (see Joshua 3:15, 16)? Are you in that
position right now? As you read about how God led the Israelites
across the Jordan on dry ground and about other miracles in the
Bible, be encouraged and remember that God is still a God of
miracles today!
life point
Joshua 3:17 lets us know that the nation of Israel finally did
cross the Jordan to enter the Promised Land. The sad thing is
that they could have crossed over much sooner than they did.
Why the delay? Wilderness mentalities, patterns of thinking
that kept them wandering in the wilderness—and out of the
Promised Land—for forty years. One of the Israelites’
wilderness mentalities was an impatient attitude. They did not
know how to stay calm and to be long-suffering through the
hardships of their journey. How could these people possibly be
ready to go into the Promised Land and drive off the current
occupants so they could possess the land if they could not even
remain patient and steadfast during a little inconvenience?
I really encourage you to work with the Holy Spirit as He
develops the fruit of patience in you. The more you resist Him,
the longer the process will take. Learn to respond patiently in
all kinds of trials, and you will find yourself living not in the
wilderness, but in the joy of God’s promises for your life, your
own Promised Land.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, that Your hand is mighty. May I reverence
and fear You forever!
roll away the reproach

After Joshua led the Israelites into the Promised Land, they
needed to be circumcised before they would be ready to conquer
and occupy their first city, Jericho (see Joshua 5:2–7). After the
men had been circumcised, the Lord told Joshua that He had
“rolled away” the reproach of Egypt from His people. Now they
were ready to overcome and capture Jericho (see Joshua 6). Why
did reproach have to be lifted off them first? What exactly is a
reproach?
The word reproach means “blame, disgrace, or shame.” When
God said that He had “rolled away” the reproach of Egypt from
the Israelites, He was making a strong point. Egypt represents
the world. After a few years of being in the world and becoming
worldly, we all need the world’s reproach to be rolled away.
After many years in ministry, I am convinced that about 85
percent of our problems stem from the way we feel about
ourselves. In my life, I had a shame-based nature because of
things I had done and things that had been done to me. I blamed
myself for what had happened to me. This is despite the fact that
most of these things happened in my childhood, and there was
nothing I could have done to stop them. Disgrace told me that I
was no good—not worthy of God’s love or help. Shame had
poisoned my inner being. I was not only ashamed of what had
been done to me, but I was ashamed of myself. Deep down inside,
I did not like myself. I needed God to roll away my reproach. He
was willing and ready, but I had to believe it was possible. I did
believe, and I am a totally different person today. No more
shame, blame, or disgrace! I am a new creature in Jesus Christ
(see II Corinthians 5:17).
I have said that grace is the power of God coming to us (as a free
gift from Him) to help us do with ease what we cannot do
ourselves. God wants to give us grace, and Satan wants to give us
disgrace, which is another word for “reproach.” God’s action of
rolling away our reproach means that we receive the forgiveness
He is offering for all our past sins.
Self-hatred, self-rejection, refusal to accept God’s forgiveness
(by not forgiving yourself), not understanding righteousness
through the blood of Jesus, and any related problems will
definitely keep you wandering in the wilderness. Your mind
must be renewed concerning the right standing you have with
God through Jesus—not through your own works. You can never
deserve God’s blessings or be worthy of them. You can only
humbly accept and appreciate them, and be in awe of how good
He is and how much He loves you. The Bible says you are a
joint-heir with Christ (see Romans 8:17). He earned your
blessings by carrying your reproach to the Cross. Let God roll
that reproach off you, and experience the freedom from shame
that Jesus wants to give you.

The children of Israel had to fight their way into possession of
the Promised Land. Have you ever had to fight for God’s
promises in your life? Remember that He goes before you, He
fights for you, and He always gives you the victory. Stand your
ground, and refuse to give up!
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No matter what we face in life, Jesus is the Mighty Warrior, the
Captain of the Host. He is our Leader, and He is leading His
people into victory. I do not believe that we have to live in fear.
God has promised to provide for His own. He has assured us, just
as He did Joshua, that we will triumph if we listen to Him and
obey (see Joshua 8:1). Whatever obstacles are before you today,
do not be afraid or dismayed, because God is with you.
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Joshua 9:12 mentions bread that has become dry and moldy. If a
loaf of bread is left on a table for very long, a person can touch it
and tell it is getting stale. It is on its way to becoming hard and
tasteless. The same thing can happen in our lives. If we are not
careful, the enemy will deceive us into allowing our lives to
become dry and stale. We must resist this by staying fresh—
being creative and having different experiences, breaking our
routines once in a while, and allowing God to do new things in
us, for us, and through us.
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Fear is not from God. Fear is from Satan. Fear is the spirit Satan
uses to try to keep God’s people from coming under the
leadership of their true Master, Jesus Christ. The only
acceptable attitude (and confession) that a Christian can have
toward fear is this: “It is not from God, and I will not put up with
it or let it control my life! I will confront fear, because it is a spirit
sent from hell to torment me.”
I believe God works powerfully in us to bring us out of bondage,
to take us from fear into liberty. The Bible is full of instructions
to “fear not.” Events in my own life have led me to understand
that “Fear not” means “Do not run; face it.” I encourage you to
press on, and if need be, “Do it afraid”—whatever “it” is in your
life. Do not run from fear; instead, “Be strong and of good
courage,” as Joshua 10:25 exhorts. Confront fear in prayer and
take whatever actions God leads you to take.
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Joshua fought many battles in order to finally enter the
Promised Land. As the Lord gave him direction all along the
way, He repeatedly told him to be of good courage. Courage
means having a good attitude in the face of dangerous or
frightening circumstances.
Have you ever wondered what would have happened if Joshua
had not listened to God’s encouragement to take courage?
When the enemy repeatedly came against him, Joshua could
have given up, the children of Israel would never have defeated
all their enemies, and they would not have enjoyed living in the
Promised Land.
The same is true in our daily walk. Joy and cheer in the Lord
give us the strength to pursue the goal that He has given us and
to fight the battles we face along the way. When you are tempted
to lose courage, remember that the joy of the Lord is your
strength (see Nehemiah 8:10). Like Joshua, all of your enemies
will be utterly defeated as you stay strong in God.
boundaries are a good thing

After the children of Israel came in and possessed the land, they
wisely established clear boundaries (Joshua 15–19 describes this
in great detail). Likewise, it is smart for us to draw healthy
boundary lines in our lives and relationships.
Just as a person puts up a fence around his property to keep
intruders out, so you must establish limits and margins—
invisible lines you draw in your life to protect yourself from
being used and abused. If you had a privacy fence around your
yard, and on a sunny afternoon you looked out into your yard
and saw your neighbors sunbathing there while their children
played on your swing set without your permission, what would
you do? You certainly would not just say, “Oh, my, I do wish
those neighbors would leave me alone.” You would probably
inform them, maybe quite forcefully, that your yard is off-limits
to them for their leisure without your permission. You need to
be just as lovingly forceful in letting people know you expect
them to respect the limits and margins you have established
around your personal life.
People-pleasers do not live within limits or margins. In their
efforts to please people, they push themselves beyond
reasonable boundaries. Let’s face it—people often expect us to
do things we either should not do or cannot do. People-pleasers
will push beyond the bounds of reason, if they think it means
everyone will be happy with them.
Some people will take advantage of us if we let them; that is just
human nature. And if they do take advantage of us, often we
become bitter or resentful toward them; we do not realize that
we are just as guilty as they are, if not more so. It is impossible
for others to keep taking advantage of us unless we allow them
to do so. We need to be the ones to take responsibility for
ourselves and make sure we do not let people treat us inappropriately.
My responsibility is to manage my life under the direction of the
Holy Spirit, and so is yours. Clear-cut boundaries will help keep
it that way. If you have a problem setting proper boundaries in
your life, ask the Lord to help you set up boundaries with grace
and balance. He will do it because He knows that boundaries are
a good thing!
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We continue to see that once they possessed the land, the
Israelites got very involved in setting up their boundary lines.
This reminds me that normal Christian life should be lived
within the boundaries of balanced living. Once a person has a
serious case of burnout, it is not easy to fix. None of us, not even
those of us “called by God,” can break His natural laws without
paying the penalty. Even though we may work for God, we cannot
live without limits. I encourage you to take care of yourself. You
have only one body, and you need it to live here on the earth. Be
sure you rest physically, mentally, and emotionally. Doing some
things for yourself while you are also busy doing for others is
not wrong. Stay in balance, and you will be able to run your race
well and cross the finish line.

Do you have good boundaries in your life? Ask God to show you
where you may need to improve. Are you stressed out all the
time? Make some changes so you can enjoy a peaceful life.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, that not one of my enemies can withstand
me, but that You deliver them all into my hands.
God, help me to love You, to walk in all Your ways and
keep Your commandments. Help me to cling to You and
unite with You. Help me to serve You with all my heart and
soul, with my very life.
speak the Word

I know in my heart, God, that not one of all the good
things You have promised me will fail, but that all will
come to pass for me.
speak the Word

God, I declare as Joshua did: As for me and my house, we
will serve the Lord.
“i will serve the Lord”

Regardless of what other people may think, serving and
following God really is the only way to live a fulfilling,
victorious life.
In Jesus’ day, many leaders believed in Jesus but would not
confess their faith to others. They feared they would be expelled
from the synagogue if they went public with their belief in Him
(see John 12:42, 43). They were hindered from a relationship
with Jesus because they were addicted to approval. Although
they wanted a relationship with the Lord, they loved the
approval of man more. That is sad, but it happens all the time.
Joshua, on the other hand, was bold about his belief in God,
declaring that “as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”
(Joshua 24:15). Be like Joshua, and determine that you and your
household will serve the Lord. Follow God, not people!
The leaders of Jesus’ day knew that He was real. They believed
in Him, but their love of people’s approval would not permit
them to have a true relationship with Him. I wonder how their
lives turned out. What did they miss because they said yes to
people and no to God? I wonder how many of them were never
mentioned in the Bible again. I wonder if they faded into
oblivion and never fulfilled their destinies because they loved
the approval of men more than the approval of God. How many
of them spent their lives disrespecting themselves because they
were people-pleasers?
We need to realize that not everyone is going to like us. If we
live our lives worrying about what other people think, we will
never take risks or stretch ourselves into new realms. We will
give up our dreams. Satan is a dream thief, and he works
through people who are selfish enough to steal our dreams in
order to have theirs.
Do not let anyone steal from you what Jesus died to give you—
the freedom to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit for you as an
individual. As you follow Him, I guarantee that He will lead you
into a rewarding life. Like Joshua, make a deliberate, personal
decision to serve the Lord and boldly declare: “As for me and my
house, we will serve the Lord.”
speak the Word

Lord, I declare with the Israelites of long ago: The Lord my
God I will serve; His voice I will obey.
Judges
Author:
Unknown
Date:
About 1050 BC–1000 BC
Disobeying and dishonoring
God always brings trouble to
our lives.
God is merciful, and He sends
deliverance when we cry out to
Him.
The Spirit of God works through
people to do miraculous things.
The book of Judges tells us about a time when the people of Israel
departed from God as they settled in the Promised Land. After Joshua
had died and they were left with no leader, they stopped honoring and
obeying God. They disregarded His laws, forgot their covenant with Him,
and began to do whatever they wanted (see Judges 21:25). Because of His
mercy, God raised up good leaders such as Deborah, Gideon, and Samson;
He also sent His Spirit among the Israelites and upon certain people to
lead them, help them, and give them victory over their enemies.
Judges clearly shows us that the Israelites had so much trouble simply
because they would not obey God. They found themselves in a continual
cycle of turning from God, then becoming oppressed by their enemies,
then crying out to God in their misery. When they cried out, God was
faithful to answer in His mercy by sending a person empowered by the
Holy Spirit to deliver them in miraculous ways. After a period of time
they would forget God and, slowly but surely, sink back into being
oppressed by their enemies again.
Do not follow the pattern of the Israelites in the book of Judges by
departing from God and getting yourself in trouble. Instead, remember
how important obedience is, and do everything you can to honor God in
every way, keeping your heart
speak the Word

Thank You, God, that You will never break Your covenant
with me.
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Throughout the Old Testament, as in Judges 3:10, we see that
the Spirit of the Lord “came upon” people and gave them power,
wisdom, or ability beyond what they naturally had.
Outer power comes from inner purity, and that inner
purification (or sanctification) is a work of the Holy Spirit living
within us. He wants to fill us with His Spirit and give us the
power to live the abundant life that is available through
believing in Jesus Christ.
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Deborah and Barak gave God glory for their victory over the
king of Canaan (see Judges 5:1–5). Let me assure you: God uses
people who will give Him the credit and the praise for their
accomplishments. According to I Corinthians 1:29, God will not
allow a human being to boast in His presence. He will not allow
us to steal His glory, which is why He chooses to use and
promote those who know they are nothing without Him and who
give Him the glory and the credit for all their accomplishments.
Every time you have a success in your life, remember to give God
the glory.
what about prophecy?

Throughout the Bible, we see God sending prophets to speak to
an individual or a group for Him, as He did in Judges 6:8. I
believe that the prophetic ministry is still operative today and
that a true God-inspired prophecy can strengthen, encourage,
and comfort the person who receives it (see I Corinthians 14:3).
There is a difference between a person who has a gift of
prophecy and someone who is appointed to the office of prophet
in the body of Christ. A prophet has a stronger word for the
church at large than someone who is operating in the gift of
prophecy to simply strengthen and encourage individual
believers.
The Word of God encourages us to welcome divinely inspired
prophecy (see I Corinthians 14:1, 3, 4). Prophecy must be
consistent with the Word of God, and a personal word of
prophecy should confirm something that is already in your
heart. If a word is truly from God, He will make it happen in His
own time. Hold the prophecy in your heart and wait to see if God
brings it to pass. He does still speak today through prophecy, and
He will confirm prophetic words to you when they truly
represent His heart.
how to have a healthy self-image

Gideon did not have a very good self-image (see Judges 6:15)!
Sometimes, Christians believe that speaking negatively about
themselves is an indicator of humility or holiness. It isn’t! So,
what is a normal, healthy Christian attitude toward “self”?
Here are a few thoughts that reflect a wholesome, God-centered
self-image:
1. I know God created me, and He loves me.
2. I have faults and weaknesses, and I want to change. I believe
God is working in my life. He is changing me bit by bit, day by
day. While He is doing so, I can still enjoy myself and my life.
3. Everyone has faults, so I am not a complete failure just
because I am not perfect.
4. I am going to work with God to overcome my weaknesses, but I
realize that I will always have something to deal with; therefore,
I will not become discouraged when God convicts me of areas in
my life that need improvement.
5. I want to make people happy and have them like me, but my
sense of worth is not dependent on what others think of me.
Jesus has already affirmed my value by His willingness to die
for me.
6. I will not be controlled by what people think, say, or do. Even if
they totally reject me, I will survive. God has promised never to
reject me or condemn me as long as I keep believing (see John
6:29).
7. No matter how often I fail, I am not a failure unless I quit
trying. Therefore, I will not give up, because God is with me to
strengthen and sustain me. He has promised never to leave me
or forsake me (see Hebrews 13:5).
8. I like myself. I don’t like everything I do, and I want to change
—but I refuse to reject myself.
9. I am in right standing with God through Jesus Christ.
10. God has a good plan for my life. I am going to fulfill my
destiny and be all I can be for His glory. I have God-given gifts
and talents, and I intend to use them to help others.
11. I am nothing, and yet I am everything! In myself I am
nothing, and yet in Jesus I am everything I need to be.
12. I can do all the things I need to do, and everything that God
calls me to do, through His Son, Jesus Christ (see Philippians
4:13).
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As believers we are not to be self-confident but God-confident—
and that kind of confidence comes only by the Holy Spirit. The
Bible says repeatedly that we are not supposed to have
confidence in ourselves. Instead, we are to have confidence in God
—that He will work mightily through us, just as He did through
Gideon (see Judges 6:34).
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Sometimes people want God to speak to them with a sign, as
Gideon did when he laid out a fleece on the threshing floor (see
Judges 6:36–40). Even though God did honor Gideon’s request,
Gideon missed out on God’s best. God will sometimes give us a
sign, as He did for Gideon, when we are young Christians.
However, as we mature in our knowledge of God’s leading, He is
pleased when we learn to operate in faith, which requires no
signs in order to believe and obey.
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The Lord instructed Gideon to tell the men who were fearful to
turn around and go home (see Judges 7:3); twenty-two thousand
of them left, leaving ten thousand behind to face the enemy.
That tells us there were more men who were afraid than were
courageous.
How many times does God put something on our hearts to do,
but then we cower when fear comes along, causing us to hesitate
and become double-minded? In this circumstance, we may feel
fear, but we can do things afraid. Remember, God’s Word to us is,
“Fear not, for I am with you.” When fear knocks on your door,
let faith answer!
the reward of relying on God

Instead of telling Gideon that He would give him more men, God
told him that he had too many men to gain the victory.
Interestingly, sometimes God works through our weaknesses
better than through our strengths. There are times when we
have too much on our side in the natural for God to give the
victory. If we depend on ourselves and our own strength too
much, God cannot work. Our problem is not big enough for God
to give us a miracle if anyone can help us but God. God was
telling Gideon that his men were too strong in themselves and
that He wanted them in a position where they would have to
depend entirely on Him. God cut their army down to a size that
made it impossible for them to experience victory without His
divine intervention.
Pride and boasting ruin the best of people, so God has to help us
stay humble and totally dependent on Him. Israel had repeated
the same cycle over and over since their exodus from Egypt. They
would lean entirely on God, and He would help them. Then they
would become self-sufficient, disobedient, and rebellious,
thinking that they did not need God, and their circumstances
would once again become bad. When they trusted God, they
defeated their enemies; when they did not, their enemies
defeated them. Trust God and experience victory in your life.
praise God preemptively

As soon as Gideon received a personal word from God, he began
to talk about the battle before him as though it were already
won (see Judges 7:14, 15). He did not wait to see the results of
the battle before he proclaimed the triumph of the Lord, but he
began to praise and worship God as though he already had the
victory.
In the book of Exodus, the Israelites sang the right song after
they had passed through the Red Sea and their enemies had
been drowned: “For He has triumphed gloriously; the horse and
his rider… has He thrown into the sea” (Exodus 15:1). However,
they sang this song of victory on the wrong side of the river. They
were all excited. They had their tambourines out and were
singing and dancing. They went into a long dissertation about
the greatness of God—after they had seen the manifestation of
His power. They sang the right song at the wrong time. It would
have been so much better if they had sung their victory song
before they crossed the river.
We would certainly be remiss if we did not praise and worship
God after the victories in our lives, but Gideon did the right
thing in worshipping before he won his battle. All he needed was
to hear from God that he would win—and then he started
worshipping. Learning to worship God before the battle gets His
attention, demonstrates our faith, and inspires us to boldly enter
any challenge we face.
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Notice that each man in Gideon’s tiny army held a torch in one
hand and a trumpet in the other, “leaving no chance to use
swords” (Judges 7:20). When God sent them to battle against a
vastly superior host of Midianites, He intentionally put these
items in their hands so they could not draw their swords to fight
on their own. Think about it: God sent out three hundred
fearless men who were focused on what they were called to do,
and He made sure they had something in each hand so they
could not possibly fight their own battle—they had to depend on
Him to fight it for them. All they had to do was break a pitcher,
hold up a torch, and cry, “The sword for the Lord and Gideon!”
(Judges 7:20). We can learn from them to put all of our
confidence and trust in God instead of in our ability to help
ourselves. What God has asked you to do may be impossible for
you, but it is not impossible for Him.
speak the Word

God, I pray that I will never forsake You, but that I will
always serve You.
resisting temptation
We can learn a lot from Samson’s story (see Judges 13:24—
16:30). Samson had extraordinary strength from God, and his
might and ability were directly tied to obedience. God had told
him not to cut his hair and promised that as long as he obeyed,
he would have special strength and be able to do awesome feats.
Satan wanted to weaken and destroy Samson, so he sent
temptation in the form of a woman named Delilah. Day after
day, she pressed him to reveal his secret. Eventually Samson was
“vexed,” the Bible tells us, so he finally gave in and told Delilah
his secret (see Judges 16:15–17). While he was sleeping, she cut
his hair and robbed him of his strength.
When Satan comes to tempt us, he is persistent. He keeps up his
attack, hoping to eventually wear us out. This is exactly what
happened with Samson. He had a weakness for women, and, just
as Satan knew Samson’s weakness and used it against him, he
also knows our weaknesses and tries to take advantage of them.
Let me encourage you to be aware of your weaknesses and to
pray regularly for God to strengthen you in the weak spots in
your life. Do not wait until you are deep in trouble and then
begin to pray. Instead, pray ahead of time. For example, if an
overactive appetite is a weakness for you, then pray every time
you sit down to eat that God will help you control yourself. Do
not wait until you have eaten too much and then spend the rest
of the day feeling guilty. Let your new motto be: “I won’t delay;
I’ll pray right away.”
Jesus told His disciples to pray that they come not into
temptation, and He said the spirit is willing, but the flesh is
weak (see Matthew 26:41). He never told them that temptation
would not come. He said to pray that they would not give in when
temptation comes. We will all be tempted, but God will give us
the ability to resist if we will be faithful to pray for His strength
to recognize and resist whatever attack Satan sends our way,
especially when he tries to hit us in our weak spots.

Notice in Judges 19:5 that the Levite’s father-in-law encouraged
him to “strengthen your heart with a morsel of bread.” In
today’s language, we would call that “emotional eating.” Are
you an “emotional eater”? If so, ask God to help you learn to
find emotional strength in His Word and in no other source.
speak the Word

God, I pray that I will always seek Your ways and Your will
instead of doing what is right in my own eyes.
Ruth
Author:
Unknown; traditionally Samuel
Date:
Between 1050 BC and 500 BC
The power of commitment and
faithfulness cannot be
overemphasized.
Wise, godly choices put us in
position for God to bless us.
God rewards faithfulness and
sacrifice for others.
The book of Ruth is an awesome story of the power of faithfulness,

sacrifice, and wise choices. Ruth made a difficult choice when she decided
not to return to her homeland, choosing instead to endure the hardships
of going to Bethlehem with her bitter, widowed mother-in-law. Even
though Ruth’s husband had died and she did not have to stay with Naomi,
she made the courageous choice to be faithful and merciful to Naomi, to
care for her, and to follow Naomi’s God. Orpah, on the other hand, made
the choice that was easy for her at the moment—and we never hear of
her again.
Ruth’s difficult choice in the present brought great blessing to her future.
It meant that she would have to endure some suffering for a season, but
it put her in position for God to reward her faithfulness. God gave Ruth a
good, wealthy husband in Boaz, who gave her a child. God caused her to
be happy again; and He placed Ruth in the lineage of Jesus Christ.
As you read the book of Ruth, I hope you will commit to be like Ruth—
to make wise choices, to be more faithful than ever to the people God
has placed in your life, to be merciful, and to have a good attitude when
you have to struggle and work hard. When you act on such
commitments, God will delight to bless you as powerfully as He did Ruth.
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God is a God of purpose. We may not always understand His
purpose, but we can be sure He definitely has one. Something
may initially look terrible to us, as Ruth’s situation must have
looked to her and Naomi after the loss of their husbands, and yet
all the while God intends to show His glory by working
something good from it.
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If you have lost your spouse to death, as Ruth and Naomi did (see
Ruth 1:3–5), or to divorce, you will have to make many
adjustments as you learn to function alone. You may have to
learn to do things you have forgotten how to do or have never
done before. You may have to get a job or learn to cook and care
for children or make decisions you are not used to making in
matters you know nothing about.
While you are doing these new things, you may still hurt, but
you can take satisfaction in knowing you are moving forward.
Each day you are making progress. God promises to be with you
in trouble. While you are waiting for Him to deliver you, you
can be comforted by knowing He is with you and working on
your behalf even though you cannot always see what He is doing
in the natural world. Take comfort in these words that Jesus
spoke in Matthew 28:20: “I am with you all the days
(perpetually, uniformly, and on every occasion) to the very
close… of the age.”
In the book of Ruth, we see three women who have lost their
husbands. One of them, Naomi, not only lost her husband, but
her two sons as well. We see Ruth and Naomi recover from their
losses and go on to live joy-filled, fruitful lives. When we suffer
loss in our lives, we also can recover with God’s comfort and
help.
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You and I must resist the temptation to speak negatively even
when we feel negative, as Naomi did in Ruth 1:21. Blurting out
negative statements based on our emotions is extremely
unfruitful. Speaking out of our emotions is not the right thing
to do. Our emotions usually do not do well in times of testing.
But we do have hope, because as we mature in Christ, we learn
to control our emotions and our mouths.
commitment over comfort

Ruth was a woman who experienced loss and tragedy. Her
husband, brother-in-law, and father-in-law were all dead. Ruth
and her sister-in-law, Orpah, had a decision to make. Would
they stay with Naomi, their mother-in-law, or would they return
to their own country?
Naomi had nothing to offer them. She had no more sons, she was
elderly, and she had no money. She encouraged her daughters-
in-law to leave her and go back home where they would be
guaranteed a good life. Orpah did leave, but Ruth insisted on
staying with Naomi. Ruth knew that without divine intervention
her future looked dim, but she insisted on being faithful to
Naomi anyway. Ruth swore she would not leave her, saying that
she wanted to live in Naomi’s homeland and to know and serve
Naomi’s God (see Ruth 1:16, 17). Many people choose comfort
over commitment, but in the end they miss out on the best that
God had for them. Ruth did not know what her future held, but
she determined to be a woman of godly character, which includes
faithfulness. Together Ruth and Naomi went through some lean
and difficult times; however, they kept a good attitude, they were
thankful for what little they did have, and God kept making
special arrangements to bless them. As it turned out, Naomi had
a relative named Boaz who was very wealthy and also happened
to be single. God gave Ruth favor with him, and they eventually
married (see Ruth 4:10).
Faithfulness led Ruth from poverty to abundance. Proverbs 28:20
states that a faithful person will “abound with blessings.” Being
faithful means we will have to endure some difficulty along the
way. We will encounter things that we would rather run away
from, but if we wait patiently for the Lord, we will see His
salvation in every situation.
better, not bitter

After losing her husband, enduring a famine, and moving back
to Judah from Moab, Naomi became bitter (see Ruth 1:20). The
word bitter refers to something that is pungent or sharp to the
taste. Bondage leads to bitterness! Naomi was bitter because she
was in bondage to the pain, the disappointments, and the
difficulties of her circumstances.
We remember that God instructed the children of Israel to
prepare a Passover meal that included bitter herbs when they
were about to be led out of Egypt, on the very eve of their
departure. Why? God wanted them to eat those bitter herbs as a
reminder of the bitterness they had experienced under Egyptian
oppression.
It is said that the bitter herbs the Israelites ate were probably
akin to horseradish. If you have ever taken a big bite of
horseradish, you know it can cause quite a physical reaction.
Bitterness causes precisely the same type of reaction in us
spiritually.
How does bitterness begin? According to the Bible, it grows from
a root. Hebrews 12:15 speaks of bitterness as a “root of
resentment (rancor, bitterness, or hatred)” that “shoots forth
and causes trouble and bitter torment, and the many become
contaminated and defiled by it.” Because Naomi was bitter
inside, she accused the Lord of dealing “bitterly” with her.
Bitterness can result from the many minor offenses we simply
will not let go of, the little things we rehearse over and over
inside us until they become monumental. It can also result from
significant hurts, offenses, traumas, or losses when we do not
deal with them properly.
The longer we allow pain, anger, or disappointment to grow and
fester, the more powerful they become, and the more they infect
our entire being: our personalities, our attitudes and behaviors,
our perspectives, and our relationships.
Just as God turned Naomi’s situation around and made it good,
we can expect Him to do the same for us if we will release our
bitterness, ask Him to help us and heal us, and continue
believing that He is good, no matter what we face.
life point
In response to Ruth’s kindness to Naomi, God spoke to Boaz, the
owner of the field where Ruth was gleaning and the richest man
in the county. God led him to leave handfuls of grain for her “on
purpose” (Ruth 2:16).
If you are kind to people everywhere you go, you will find
“handfuls” of kindness God has left on purpose, lying around
for you. God will return a harvest of kindness to you because
you have sown seeds of kindness. His heart is to bless you, so be
on the lookout, because His “handfuls” are everywhere.
speak the Word

God, I declare that like Ruth, I have come to take refuge
under Your wings.
life point
One of the lessons we learn from Ruth is that loss does not
mean everything in your life is over; just that one part of it has
ended. One season has passed and another can now begin—if
you are willing to believe that you can go forward.
Do not just passively sit around and wait for something to
happen or someone to come along. Pray, and then step out in
faith. That is what Ruth did, and that was when she stepped into
God’s plan of restoration in her life (see Ruth 3:1–5).
If you are lonely, do not just sit and wish you would meet others.
Go make new friends! Find someone else who is lonely too—
someone even lonelier than you are—and be a friend to that
individual. You will reap what you sow. God will return that
friendship to you, multiplied many times over. If you are
hurting, go find someone else who is hurting and help him or
her. As you sow into the lives of other hurting people, God will
heal your wounds.
The Bible teaches us that faith moves us to take God-inspired
action (see James 2:17, 18). I am not suggesting works of the
flesh, or just fleshly zeal, but I am saying to be bold and step out
as God leads. Be like Ruth and put “hands and feet” to your
prayers.
life point
Even though Ruth did not believe in the God of Israel when she
chose to extend kindness to her widowed mother-in-law, Naomi,
she was obeying the biblical principle to be kind and good to
others, especially widows (see James 1:27). In fact, Naomi’s
friends even remarked that Ruth had been better to her than
seven sons (see Ruth 4:15).
Being good to someone else helps us overcome the pain, loss, or
disappointments we experience; it also releases joy in our lives.
Many times people who have been hurt experience depression. I
believe this is partially due to the fact that their attention is on
their own pain instead of on what they can do to relieve someone
else’s pain. God has not called us to “in-reach,” He has called us
to “out-reach.” When we reach out to others, God reaches into
our souls and heals us. He is the only One Who can heal the
brokenhearted and make the wounded better than new. This was
certainly true in Ruth’s case, as God gave her a kind, godly
husband, a baby boy, and a place in the bloodline of Jesus
Christ.

The book of Ruth is a wonderful story of restoration and
redemption in Ruth’s life and in Naomi’s. Is there anything you
are believing God to restore in your life right now? Begin to
thank Him for doing that in His way and in His timing.
First Samuel
Author:
Uncertain
Date:
God will answer the cries of a
pure, desperate heart like
Hannah’s.
God will expose an evil,
rebellious heart like Saul’s.
God looks at our hearts. Our
actions are important, but He
looks beyond them to see the
motives and intentions of our
hearts.
First Samuel tells the story of Samuel, a priest in Israel, and Saul, Israel’s
first king. It introduces us to David and gives us extensive background on
this man who would later succeed Saul as the ruler of God’s people.
Among other things and in the midst of some dramatic stories and
adventure, this book reveals the importance of the heart.
In the beginning of I Samuel, we see a barren woman with a desperate but
pure heart, who prays fervently to God. God answers with a miracle and
gives her Samuel as her son. Samuel, in turn, served God with a faithful
heart as a prophet and a priest in Israel. He anointed Saul as king, and
though God had clearly chosen Saul to rule, we see that his heart was evil,
jealous, fearful, and angry. Against the backdrop of Saul’s wickedness, we
see God raising up the future king, David, who is called “a man after
[God’s] own heart,” (see I Samuel 13:14), so we know that his heart was
pure and honorable before the Lord.
First Samuel 16:7 tells us that “man looks on the outward appearance,
but the Lord looks on the heart.” Determine today that whatever the
Lord sees when He looks into your heart will be pleasing to Him.

Are you praying fervently for something to happen in your life,
as Hannah was praying for a son (see I Samuel 1:1–20)?
Remember Hannah and know God hears your desperate cry and
He will answer.
speak the Word

God, my heart exults and triumphs in You. My strength is in
You. My mouth is no longer silent; it is opened wide over
my enemies because I rejoice in Your salvation.
God, I declare that there is none as holy as You are holy;

there is no god besides You; there is no Rock in my life like
You.
life point
We must remember that what goes up can come down. God lifts
up, and God brings down (see I Samuel 2:7). If we are to be
leaders in His kingdom, we must develop and maintain strong,
godly character and the most intimate communion with God we
possibly can so that we will be able to stay in the positions to
which He elevates us
how to hear God’s voice

When God started calling to Samuel, Samuel thought that his
master, Eli, was speaking to him (see I Samuel 3:4–6). Both
times Eli said to Samuel, “I did not call you.” After this
happened a third time, Eli finally realized God was calling
Samuel. God spoke to Samuel in a voice that was familiar to him
so that he would not be frightened.
Samuel was accustomed to hearing Eli’s voice; therefore, when
God called to him, it sounded like Eli. Likewise, God wants us to
listen to Him, so He speaks to us through a voice that we will
recognize. Sometimes it may sound like our own voice;
sometimes it may sound like the voice of someone we know. But
the point is that the voice will always bring peace when God
speaks to us.
People who listen to my teaching tapes tell me that frequently
when they are about to make a decision, they will hear me say
something that gives them direction or correction. What they
are really hearing is God speaking through His Word, but they
have heard my voice speaking it to them for so long, it sounds
like me when it comes to them..
A woman told me at a meeting, “I was in an intense situation
with my husband. God spoke to me and told me what to do by
reminding me of something you said on one of your tapes. All of
a sudden I heard your voice saying just what I needed to
remember. God reminded me of it as a word in due season.” Even
though she heard my voice playing back from her memory bank,
it was the Holy Spirit Who called forth that memory just when
she needed it.
When God speaks to us, He does not usually boom from heaven.
Often He speaks to us through what His Word calls “a still,
small voice” that comes from our inner man. In such situations,
we may think we are talking to ourselves, but God’s words in
our spirit are always filled with a wisdom that we could never
have on our own.
People have said to me, “You’re always saying, ‘God said.’ You
sound like you have conversations with God all the time.” I do
have fellowship with God regularly, and He speaks to me in
many different ways—and God is trying to talk to everyone else
all the time, too. We all can hear Him if we will simply ask Him
to speak clearly to us, then listen to our “inner man” (our
conscience), and wait for Him to speak (see Psalm 5:3).
God speaks to us in many different ways. Many people think
they do not hear from God because they are looking for some
kind of supernatural manifestation that is not likely to happen.
Most of the time, God speaks in our hearts through peace or a
lack of it. If we have peace, we may proceed with our intended
action, but if we do not have peace, that is a word from God to
stop. God also speaks through wisdom and common sense. He
does not lead us to do foolish things. He speaks to us through
His Word and never tells us to do anything that does not agree
with His Word. He speaks to us through other people and even
our circumstances. Let me encourage you to begin to ask God to
speak to you and then listen for His voice. He has so many good
things to say to you!
speak the Word
Speak to me, Lord. I am listening for Your voice.
God, I thank You that as I continue to grow spiritually, You

will be with me and let none of my words be wasted and
fall to the ground.
speak the Word

God, I pray that Your Spirit will come upon me so mightily
and make me so new that people will hardly recognize me!
changed by the Holy Spirit

When the Spirit of God truly comes upon a person, that person
will be changed. First Samuel 10:6 tells us that Saul would be
“turned into another man,” which really means that he would
be so thoroughly changed that people would think he was
someone else.
The most important evidences of the Spirit-filled life are a
change of character and the development of the fruit of the Holy
Spirit, which is described in Galatians 5:22, 23. God fills people
with the Holy Spirit to enable them to live for Him. If they are
not doing that, they are not showing forth the proper evidence of
being a believer in Jesus Christ. Speaking in tongues was one of
the evidences of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost,
and it still is one today. But the most important evidence was
then—and always will be—changed men and women (see Acts
2:1–4).
At Jesus’ trial, Peter denied Christ three times because he was
afraid of the Jews (see Luke 22:56–62); but after being filled
with the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, he stood and
preached an extremely bold message. Three thousand souls were
added to the kingdom of God as the result of Peter’s preaching
that day (see Acts 2:14–41). The baptism in the Holy Spirit
changed Peter; it turned him into another man. His fear
suddenly disappeared, and he became as bold as a lion.
Peter was not the only person who took a courageous stand that
day; all eleven of the remaining apostles did the same. They had
all been hiding behind closed doors for fear of the Jews when
Jesus came to them after His resurrection (see John 20:19–22),
but suddenly, after being filled with the Holy Spirit, they all
became fearless and brave.
There was a common thread that ran through the lives of Jesus’
disciples—their fear was turned to boldness through the power
of the Holy Spirit. Like them, you do not need to live with the
torment of being afraid. Your fear can also be turned to
boldness.
There is help available to you through the infilling of the Holy
Spirit. The baptism in the Holy Spirit changed Saul; it changed
Peter and the disciples; it changed me; and it continues to
change earnest seekers all over the world. Ask God to fill you
completely with His precious Holy Spirit. Surrender all of
yourself to Him, holding nothing back. Paul prayed for the
church that they would become bodies wholly filled with God
Himself (see Ephesians 3:16). This is my desire, and I pray that it
is also yours.
speak the Word

God, I declare that You are my King!
speak the Word

Lord, I give You reverence and I want to serve You
faithfully, with my whole heart. Help me to always
remember the great things You have done for me.
life point
First Samuel 13:1–14 gives us great insight into Saul’s
character. Saul was anointed king of Israel. He had an
opportunity to enjoy a great and glorious future, but he had
some character weaknesses that proved to be his downfall. Saul
was a people-pleaser. He loved the approval of people so much
that he disobeyed God’s instructions in order to get it. God
instructed Saul to wait until the prophet Samuel arrived to offer
up a burnt offering. When Samuel did not arrive at the expected
time, the people became restless and impatient. Although Saul
knew in his heart that he was being disobedient, he went ahead
and offered the sacrifice he had been forbidden to offer. Saul’s
reply to the question of why he had done this was, “Because I
saw that the people were scattering from me…” (I Samuel
13:11). Samuel told Saul he had done a foolish thing, and
because of his disobedience he would lose his kingdom. Saul was
so addicted to approval that he did lose his kingdom because of
it.
It is important that we do not follow Saul’s example. We need to
resist the urge to please others when they lead us contrary to
God’s ways. We need to be obedient to God, following Him
wholeheartedly. When we aim to please God, and not man, we
open the door for God’s blessing.
speak the Word

God, I pray that I will be like David and be a person after
Your own heart.
life point
Saul had his own ideas about things. One time when Samuel the
prophet was correcting Saul for not doing what he had been
instructed to do, Saul’s reply was, “I thought…” (I Samuel
13:12). He then proceeded to express his idea of how he
“thought” things should have been done (compare I Samuel
10:6–8 with 13:8–14). Samuel’s answer to King Saul’s attitude is
in this verse: “… to obey is better than sacrifice” (I Samuel
15:22).
How many of God’s children fail to “reign as kings in life”
(Romans 5:17; see also Revelation 1:6) because they substitute
what God really requires with what they think He wants? When
faced with a point of obedience, it is dangerous for us to say, “I
think this” or “I want that.” Rather we need to ask God, “What
do You want me to do?” and be obedient to what He says. If Jesus
is not Lord of all, then He is not our Lord at all. He may be our
Savior, but not our Lord and Master. Let God take His rightful
place in your life, which is “first place” in everything.
obedience is better than sacrifice

When the Lord called me into the ministry, He asked me to quit
my job, trust Him to provide what we needed above my
husband’s salary, and spend my time preparing for my future
teaching ministry. I struggled tremendously with the thought of
not working, and, frankly, I was frightened by it. I had been
working since I was thirteen years old and was accustomed to
taking care of myself. Out of my fear, I decided to quit my full-
time job and get a part-time job, instead of stopping work
altogether as God had asked me to do. I had that job for only a
short while before I was fired. I was normally a good employee
and not the type who would be fired. Actually, the reason for my
being fired was not related to my work; the office manager did
not like me personally. I had disobeyed God, and He had
withheld His favor in that job situation. I had tried to partially
obey God and still needed to learn that obedience is not true
obedience unless it is complete.
Like Saul, I had given a sacrifice instead of obedience (see I
Samuel 15:22). God said, “Quit your job,” and I did, but I got a
part-time job to replace it. My part-time job represented part-
time obedience. So often we think we can bargain with God, but
it never works. There is only one way, and that is His way. It is
all or nothing!
The Lord is very clear about disobedience. He says it is rebellion
and that rebellion is like witchcraft (see I Samuel 15:23). We
may think our ideas are better than God’s, but He calls this
attitude stubbornness and says it is equivalent to idolatry. Why
idolatry? Because we are idolizing our own ideas, exalting them
above God’s command.
Saul rebelled and lost the opportunity to be king. I wonder how
many people think they are obeying God when actually they are
offering Him an unacceptable sacrifice. Those same people live
miserable, unfulfilled lives and often blame God for what really
is their own doing.
God requires prompt, complete obedience; nothing less is
acceptable. We may feel that some of the things He asks us to do
are too hard, but we must remember that He promises to give us
grace to do whatever He asks of us; we need only to be willing.
breaking the cycle of abuse and rebellion

First Samuel 15:23 teaches us that “rebellion is as the sin of
witchcraft.” I believe a great deal of rebellion is the result of
abuse. When a person has been repeatedly hurt by others, there
usually comes a time when he makes up his mind, “Nobody is
ever going to push me around again. As long as I live, nobody is
going to tell me what to do. Why should I submit to somebody I
can’t trust to do what’s best for me? From now on, I’m going to
look out for myself and make my own decisions.”
So often, the end result of abuse is willfulness, stubbornness,
and rebellion. I know from my own bitter experience that being
subjected to continual abuse has a lasting effect on a strong-
willed person. It was a nightmare for someone of my personality
type to be controlled and manipulated for years on end. In my
case, I submitted to the Lord, and He used that experience to
make me strong for ministry so that I could help others caught
in similar situations.
The sad thing is that once people do manage to escape from an
abusive environment, the effects of that abuse do not suddenly
end. Many times, hurting, wounded people are drawn to other
hurting, wounded people. Victims of long-term abuse often
marry other such victims. The result is that they end up hurting
and wounding each other. Their children pick up the tendency to
abuse and pass it on from one generation to the next. The
abusive tendency will go on until someone stops it with God’s
help.
Do you desire to break free from the pattern of abuse and
rebellion? You do not have to end up like Saul. You can choose
to follow God and His way rather than mindlessly following
after your feelings and emotions. Boldly declare: “That’s
enough! This curse of abuse is not going any further! It is
stopping right here!” Choose God’s way, apply the victory that
Jesus won at the cross to your life, and watch Him work for you.
You might feel that you have inherited some bad habits and
character flaws through your bloodline, but the blood of Jesus,
when applied to your life by faith, is able to erase the adverse
effects of natural inheritance. Do not look back to your past and
get stuck there; instead, look forward to the great future God
has planned for you!
life point
God is the God of hearts. He does not look at the exterior of a
person—or even the things a person does—and judge an
individual by that criterion. Man judges after the flesh, but I
Samuel 16:7 teaches us that God judges according to the heart.
It is possible to put up a good front and still have an impure
heart. It is also possible to be dealing with personality problems
or bad habits on the outside and still have a right heart on the
inside. God is much more inclined to use a person with a good
heart and a few problems than He is to use a person who appears
to be perfect outwardly, but who has a wicked heart.
If we want to have success as Christians or be used by God as
leaders in His kingdom, it is important that we get in touch with
our inner lives and our heart attitudes. Our motives, thoughts,
and feelings need to be consistent with God’s heart. Having a
pure heart is vital. Start taking a regular inventory of your
inner thoughts and attitudes, and work with the Holy Spirit to
let the thoughts and attitudes of Jesus reside in you (see
Philippians 2:5).
reject rejection
David believed that with God’s help, he could slay the giant
Goliath, but his brother Eliab accused him of presumption and
having an evil heart (see I Samuel 17:28). Eliab’s accusation
came from a jealous attitude toward David. He tried to make
David feel small and worthless. David was a wise young man, and
his response to Eliab was an important key to his future: “David
turned away from Eliab” (I Samuel 17:30).
When we take a step of faith to do something for God or to help
hurting people, Satan attacks. He often works through someone
we love to make us feel worthless, rejected, unacceptable, inept,
or out of place. We must stand against these attacks and keep
our eyes on God and His direction to us. God fills our hearts
with faith, enabling us to believe He can use us, but Satan comes
against us with fears—often with fears about ourselves and our
abilities.
David’s older brothers did not include David in the things they
did because they thought he was too young, and they probably
were jealous of him. As a result, I am sure he felt rejected. Many
times God will choose to use people who have felt rejected and
been excluded. He selects those whom society would reject in
order to show Himself strong. He also purposely chooses what
the world would call “weak and foolish” so no one takes the
credit that is due to Him alone (see I Corinthians 1:26–29).
If you have been rejected or ill-treated, I encourage you to do as
David did. Turn away from it! Forgive your enemies, and do not
let offense fill your heart. Do not pay attention to what the devil
is trying to do; keep your eyes on God and follow His
instructions. Yes, God can use you to do great things. God is not
looking for someone with ability, but someone with availability.
He is not looking for someone with perfect attributes, but
someone with a perfect heart toward Him. Keep your heart pure
by refusing to allow hatred, strife, offense, bitterness,
resentment, or unforgiveness to dwell in it.
Always believe what God says about you above your own feelings
about yourself and above what others have to say. God says you
belong to Him. He loves you and will work through you if you
will simply let Him. You are special to God. You have infinite
worth and value. Perhaps the world would not consider you
usable material for God, but He sees differently than the world
does. Say, “Here I am God, use me,” and watch Him go to work!
life point
When David volunteered to go out and fight the giant Goliath,
nobody encouraged him. Everyone told him, “You’re too young.
You don’t have the right armor or weapons. He’s much bigger
and more experienced than you are,” and on and on. Even King
Saul questioned David’s ability to overcome the boastful
Philistine (see I Samuel 17:33). But David encouraged himself
by recounting the victories God had given him in the past.
If you want to do something for God, you must understand that
there will be hundreds, maybe thousands of times when Satan
will come against you to discourage you. Why? Because he
knows you must have courage to go forward and fulfill God’s
good plan for your life. When you become discouraged, you
become weak and lose the courage you need to go forward. What
must you do in times of discouragement? Shake it off in faith
and recount the victories God has already given you. Have
confidence that He will be strong in your weakness and use you
for His glory.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, that in my battles You will give my
enemies into my hands.
life point
When young David looked at the giant, he “ran quickly toward
the battle line” (I Samuel 17:48). I think David knew that if he
thought about Goliath too long, he might run away. He took
action and obeyed God immediately, and we need to always do
the same. When God prompts you to take action, run to do it.
His grace will be present to help you. Do not procrastinate!
Frequently, those who do put things off never get around to
obeying God. They have good intentions to do what God has
asked of them at the right time, but, sadly, the “right time”
never seems to come, and they lose out merely because they did
not take faith-filled action at the right time.

David and Jonathan were truly great friends to one another (see
I Samuel 18:3). Do you have a great friend, someone you love as
much as you love your own life? Thank God for that person
today.
life point
One day I just happened to notice I Samuel 18:5, and I
underlined it in my Bible. David was a man who was anointed to
be king, yet he was put in the household of Saul for some
training and some crucifixion of the flesh.
Anyone who is anointed for leadership has to be around a person
like Saul sometime in his life. God uses the “Sauls” in our lives
to get the “Saul” out of us. God always puts us around someone
who is like sandpaper to smooth off our rough edges.
It’s important we grasp this truth: Just because we are anointed for
leadership does not mean that we get to move immediately into a
position of leadership. There is a work that has to be done in us, a
testing that has to take place before we get promoted.
After I had noticed and underlined this verse about David’s
serving under King Saul, my attention was drawn to 1 Samuel
18:14, which says, “David acted wisely in all his ways and
succeeded, and the Lord was with him.” Why did David succeed?
Not just because he was anointed, but also because he acted
wisely and allowed the Lord to be with him. If we want to lead,
we must first serve in circumstances that may not be ideal and
learn to behave wisely. This prepares us to be greatly used by
God.
speak the Word

God, I pray that I will act wisely in all my ways, and that I
will honor You with all my behavior. I thank You that You
will be with me, causing me to succeed.

Is there anyone who treats you as a “constant enemy” (I Samuel
18:29), as Saul treated David? Remember the Bible’s
instructions about enemies: forgive them, love them, and pray
for them (see Matthew 5:44).
life point
In ancient Israel, when two people entered into a covenant
relationship, everything they possessed as individuals was made
freely available to the other. The covenant relationship also
meant that they would help one another, fight for one another,
and do anything necessary to meet each other’s needs.
David and Jonathan had a covenant relationship that included
all of their descendants (see I Samuel 20:14–16; 18:3). We know
from later chapters that Jonathan was killed and David became
king. David kept the covenant he made with Jonathan by actively
searching for Jonathan’s heirs so that he could bless them. King
David found Jonathan’s son, brought him to the royal palace,
and restored him (see II Samuel 9:1–13). Just as David honored
his covenant with Jonathan, God will honor the covenant He
makes with us. God is looking for someone He can bless for
Jesus’ sake. It can be you, if you are willing.

In I Samuel 23:2, and throughout the biblical accounts of David’s
life, we see that David “inquired of the Lord.” Do you inquire of
God when faced with a need or a decision, or do you run to your
friends for advice? “Don’t run to the phone; run to the throne,”
as I like to say. Remember that God cares for you, and He will
answer when you inquire of Him.
life point
David remained loyal and faithful to King Saul, recognizing and
respecting God’s anointing on him, even though Saul was trying
to kill him. In his training for leadership, David learned to stay
under God’s protective hand by refusing to rise up against Saul
—even when he had an opportunity (see I Samuel 26:7–11).
Instead, he patiently waited for God to deliver him. If you are a
leader, follow David’s example and refuse to rebel against those
in authority over you. Wait patiently for the Lord to deliver you,
vindicate you, and raise you up as well.

Have you ever suffered loss, as David and the Israelites did in I
Samuel 30? Remember that in God, you will “without fail
recover all” (1 Samuel 30:8).
encourage yourself!
If you need encouragement and no one is around to give it,
encourage yourself as David did (see I Samuel 30:6). He had a
positive attitude about himself, and you should also. We all
should be careful of having a prideful attitude, but it is not
wrong to have a good and confident attitude toward ourselves.
David was in a seemingly hopeless situation—his city was
destroyed, its women and children captured, and his men blamed
him for their misfortune. What did David do? He encouraged
and strengthened himself in the Lord. Later on, that situation
was totally turned around (see I Samuel 30:7–20).
Earlier in his life, when David was just a boy, everyone around
him discouraged him concerning his ability to fight Goliath.
David, however, was confident in God. He believed that God
would be strong in his weakness and give him the victory. He
went out in the name of the Lord, with a heart full of confidence,
and became a giant-killer who was eventually crowned king (see
I Samuel 17). David had no one to believe in him but God, so he
believed about himself what God believed about him; he
believed in God’s ability in him.
The Lord once told me that if I did not have confidence in myself,
I really did not have confidence in Him. He said, “I am in you; I
am your confidence, but I can only do through you what you
believe.” Self-doubt is absolutely tormenting. I lived in it for
many years, and I personally prefer confidence.
You may be thinking, Well, Joyce, I wish I had confidence too.
Confidence is something we decide to have. It is more than a
feeling; it is a decision to step out boldly into whatever we feel
God is leading us to do. We learn about God—about His love, His
ways, and His Word—then ultimately we must decide whether we
believe or not. If we do believe, then we have confidence. If we do
not believe, we live in doubt about everything. Self-doubt makes
us double-minded, and James 1:8 teaches us that a double-
minded person is unstable and uncertain about everything. We
really cannot go forward until we decide to have confidence in
God and in ourselves.
I encourage you to take a big step of faith and stop doubting
yourself. As the old saying goes, “Don’t sell yourself short.” You
have more capabilities than you think you do. You are able to do
a lot more than you have ever done in the past. God will help
you, if you will put your trust in Him and stop doubting yourself.
Like everyone else, you will make mistakes—but God will allow
you to learn from them and will actually work them out to your
good if you will decide not to be defeated by them. When doubt
begins to torment your mind, speak the Word of God and you
will win the battle. Believe wholeheartedly in God, believe that
He is in you, and believe you are able to do whatever you need to
do through Him.
Second Samuel
Author:
Uncertain
Date:
We position ourselves to receive
God’s blessings by getting into
the places God has called us and
staying there. Do not go to a
place unless God leads you to
go, and do not leave a place
until God instructs you to leave.
Being in the wrong place at the
wrong time can have serious
consequences, both short-term
and long-term.
God will help us get into proper
position and stay there as we
follow and obey Him.
One of the major life lessons we learn from II Samuel is that being in the
right place at the right time brings God’s blessings, and being out of
position can keep God’s blessings from flowing in our lives. In II Samuel,
we learn this lesson primarily through people who were not in their
proper places at the proper time.
Examples of people who were out of place include Uzzah,
Mephibosheth, and even King David. Uzzah got out of position when,
against God’s instruction, he touched the ark when it became unstable. A
a result, he died (see II Samuel 6:6, 7). Jonathan’s son, Mephibosheth,
was also in the wrong place, living in the wilderness of Lo-debar and
thinking of himself as a “dead dog” (II Samuel 9:8), when his family’s
covenant with David entitled him to live in the palace and eat at the
king’s table (see II Samuel 9:1–13). We also see King David tragically ou
of place when he committed sin with Bathsheba. Second Samuel 11:1
tells us that he sinned with her “in the spring, when kings go forth to
battle.” If David had been at war where he was supposed to be instead of
at home, he could have avoided falling into adultery and the tragedies
that resulted from it.
Learn from those who were out of place in II Samuel. Ask God to help
you hear His voice so that you will know where you are supposed to be
life point
David and Jonathan had a special bond (see I Samuel 18:1), and
when Jonathan died, David lamented his death greatly (see II
Samuel 1:11, 12).
Any time a person loses a loved one as David did or suffers a
significant loss, he or she will need to grieve. The grieving
process is necessary and healthy—mentally, emotionally, and
even physically. Note that David rent his clothing and mourned
his loss with weeping. Often a person who refuses to go through
the grieving process is not facing reality, which ultimately has a
devastating effect on his entire being.
A spirit of grief is another matter entirely. Usually a spirit of
grief clings to an individual and brings with it severe regret and
crushing guilt. A spirit of grief will not allow people to go on
with their lives after their loss. If a person does not resist a
spirit of grief, it will take over and destroy the life of the one
who has suffered a loss. If not confronted and controlled, it will
rob a person’s health, strength, and vitality—and even life itself.
God’s will is to comfort those who mourn. Are you having
difficulty grieving a loss? I encourage you to face your grief with
God’s comfort. If need be, resist a spirit of grief with God’s
power. Stay in balance and receive the assurance Jesus gives:
“Blessed… are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted!”
(Matthew 5:4).
speak the Word
God, I pray that You would show me Your loving-kindness
and Your faithfulness, and that You would strengthen my
hands and cause me to be valiant.
life point
Second Samuel 4:4 tells the story of Jonathan’s young son
named Mephibosheth. When his nurse heard the dreadful news
that Saul and Jonathan had been killed in battle, she feared that
David might try to take vengeance on the boy because of the
terrible way Saul had treated David. She ran from the palace
with the young child in her arms, dropping him in her escape
attempt. This left him lame in both feet. He would have to live
the rest of his life handicapped for something that was not even
his fault.
Many of us have crippled self-images that prevent us from
receiving all God has for us. If you have a poor self-image, as I
did, I recommend that you read the end of Mephibosheth’s story,
which is found in II Samuel, chapter 9. The story of his
restoration greatly affected my life, and I believe it will do the
same for you. It will help you see not only why you are living far
below the level that God intends for you now, but also why you
are in danger of missing out on what He has in mind for you in
the future—and I do not want you to miss the great things He
has in store for you!

In II Samuel 5:12, we see that David “perceived that the Lord had
established him king over Israel and that He had exalted his
kingdom for His people Israel’s sake.” Can you perceive what
God wants to do in you and through you and why? Ask Him to
help you understand what He is establishing in you right now
and what purposes of His can be served through you, just as His
purposes were served through David.
speak the Word

God, I pray that You would make me greater and greater in
You and for You because You are with me.
Thank You, God, that You break through my enemies before

me, like the bursting out of great waters.
life point
Uzzah disobeyed God by touching the ark, and, as a result, he
was killed (see II Samuel 6:6, 7). I believe that Uzzah reached
out to steady the ark because it had been kept in his father’s
house for a long time and had become familiar to him. We must
not ever regard the holy as commonplace, but keep a reverent
attitude toward sacred things (God’s Word, prayer, worship,
God’s presence, etc.) and not allow them to become so familiar
that we dishonor them.
We should always keep a sense of awe and wonder about the
things of God.

When the ark of the Lord, which represents God’s presence, was
in Obed-edom’s house, Obed-edom and all of his household
were blessed (see II Samuel 6:11). Is God welcome in your home,
and are you enjoying the blessings of His presence upon your
house and your family? Tell Him today that you want His
presence to fill your home and to be with everyone who lives
there.

In II Samuel 6:14–16, King David danced and worshipped God in
a very demonstrative way, and his wife was embarrassed and
despised him for his display of praise to God. In II Samuel 6:21–
23, David tells her that he will continue to worship even more
fervently and boldly than before. Are you expressing your
worship to God as passionately as you possibly can, regardless of
what people think? Go ahead; follow David’s example in II
Samuel 6:21, and express your “pure enjoyment” in God.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, that Your mercy and loving-kindness do
not ever depart from me.
life point
Mephibosheth had been living for years in a small town called
Lo-debar (see II Samuel 9:3, 4). The name Lo-debar means
“pasture-less.” In an agricultural society, a place without
pastures was probably a place of poverty; it certainly was not a
nice or popular town.
When our self-image is poor, we often choose surroundings that
seem to fit the way we feel about ourselves. I have noticed that
some people who are filled with self-loathing will not bother to
fix themselves up or even try to dress or look nice. The way they
feel about themselves inside shows on the outside. Other people
go to the opposite extreme. They feel so bad about themselves
inwardly that they try to hide it by becoming perfectionists
outwardly. Everything around them has to appear to be perfect—
their homes, personal appearance, children, spouse, and
everything else. They live under tremendous pressure, and they
put pressure on the people around them. We all need to realize
that God wants to bless us in spite of our imperfections. Our
worth and value are not found in outward things but knowing in
our hearts who we are in Christ. Relax and learn to receive from
God.
God wants you to have peace knowing that your imperfections
will not and cannot stop Him from working in your life. God
does not want you to live, like Mephibosheth, in a barren place,
but to experience His unlimited kindness. He delights in being
merciful!
looking for people to bless

David desired to bless someone in Saul’s family because of a
covenant he had made with his friend Jonathan (see I Samuel
18:3; 20:14–16). As he looked for Jonathan’s descendants, he
discovered that Jonathan’s crippled son, Mephibosheth, was
alive but living in less-than-desirable circumstances (see II
Samuel 9:3, 4).
Just as David searched for someone he could be kind to for
Jonathan’s sake, God looks for people He can be kind to for
Jesus’ sake. God is merciful and kind; He is constantly
extending His kindness toward us, but we must be willing to
accept it.
David’s covenant relationship with Jonathan included all of
Jonathan’s children. I believe Mephibosheth never exercised his
covenant rights because of the negative way he felt about
himself. Many of God’s children do the same thing. They shrink
back from God in fear rather than approaching Him boldly. They
feel badly about themselves; they look at everything that is
wrong with them instead of looking at Jesus and the
righteousness He offers through faith in Him. Mephibosheth
actually referred to himself as a “dead dog” (II Samuel 9:8). He
had a poor self-image and, although David would have helped
him at any time had he only asked, he never asked because he
felt unworthy.
We can all learn a good lesson from Mephibosheth. God’s
goodness and mercy, and His willingness to help us, are not
based on our perfection, but on our covenant with His Son,
Jesus. When we are “in Christ,” we are included in that
covenant and can go boldly to the throne and receive mercy and
help in plenty of time to meet all of our needs. Even though
Mephibosheth was lame in both feet, he ultimately received the
mercy David offered and ate at the king’s table (see II Samuel
9:13).
We do not have to talk God into being good to us. He is good; and
He is looking for someone to bless for Jesus’ sake. Make a
decision to start receiving what you do not deserve and have not
earned. As you do, you will be living in God’s awesome grace,
which is freely available to all who will receive it.
no more dead dogs

Mephibosheth had a poor self-image, a dead-dog image (see II
Samuel 9:8). He did not think very well of himself. Instead of
seeing himself as the rightful heir of Jonathan (King David’s
covenant friend), he saw himself as someone who would be
rejected. If this were not true, he would have already gone to the
palace long before to claim his inheritance.
A poor self-image causes us to operate in fear instead of faith.
We look at what is wrong with us instead of what is right with
Jesus. He has taken our wrongness and given us His
righteousness (see II Corinthians 5:21). We need to walk in the
reality of that truth.
When I saw that Mephibosheth thought of himself as a “dead
dog,” I realized that I also had a dead-dog image that was
hindering me from being all I could be and having all I could
have in life. I started changing my attitude toward myself. It
took time and a lot of help from the Holy Spirit, but I
determined that I would not live below the blessed life Jesus had
provided for me.
God’s Word says that because of His covenant with you, you can
be the “head, and not the tail… above only, and you shall not be
beneath” (Deuteronomy 28:13). I am sure that, like me, you
have been the tail long enough. It is time to take a stand and
start receiving your rightful inheritance.
David blessed Mephibosheth. He gave him servants and provided
for all of his needs. The story ends by saying that Mephibosheth
dwelled in Jerusalem and ate at the king’s table, even though
“he was lame in both feet” (II Samuel 9:13).
I absolutely love the end of the story! I relate Mephibosheth’s
lameness to our own weaknesses. We may also fellowship and
eat with our King, Jesus—even though we have faults and
weaknesses. We still have a covenant with God, sealed and
ratified in the blood of Jesus Christ. A blood covenant was, and
still is, one of the strongest agreements that can be made
between two parties.
In covenant, we offer God what we have, and He gives us what He
has. He takes all of our sins, faults, weaknesses, and failures,
and gives us His ability, His righteousness, and His strength. He
takes our poverty and gives us His riches. He takes our diseases
and sicknesses and gives us His healing and health. He takes
our messed up, failure-filled pasts and gives us the hope of
bright futures. In ourselves we are nothing; our own
righteousness is like “filthy rags or a polluted garment” (Isaiah
64:6). But in Christ we have a future. We are in covenant with
Almighty God. What an awesome truth!

One of the reasons David fell into sin with Bathsheba was that
he was not where he was supposed to be when he was supposed
to be there. According to II Samuel 11:1, during the springtime,
he should have been on the battlefield instead of in Jerusalem.
Do you try to follow God’s leading in every situation so that you
will be at the right place at the right time? Ask Him to help you.
He wants you to be perfectly positioned, far away from sin and in
a place where you can receive His blessings.
life point
Sin always leads to more sin, as it did when David ordered that
Uriah be killed after he had committed adultery with his wife
(see II Samuel 11:15). When we do sin, we must repent and
receive God’s forgiveness quickly. That way, we do not become
ensnared in a web of sin, but we stay clean and pure before God.
David did not repent for a long time, and, in God’s eyes, the fact
that he covered up his sin was worse than the original sin he had
committed. We can receive forgiveness if we admit we have
sinned and repent, but if we hide sin and make excuses, we
remain in it and live deceived lives.
the gift of repentance

David had committed adultery with Bathsheba and made
arrangements to have her husband killed so that he could cover
his sin (see II Samuel 11:1–15). Time had passed, and he was still
ignoring the issue. He was probably doing what we are all
tempted to do when we sin—he was making excuses and being
deceived by his own reasoning. All of us may not deal with sins
as serious as what David was facing, but sin is sin, and it has a
similar effect on us, no matter what type of sin it is. The point is,
until we admit it, confess and repent of our sin (which is to turn
entirely away from it and go in another direction), we will not be
able to worship God out of a pure heart or with a clean
conscience. King David was quite miserable until he finally
repented of his sin. His joy returned only after he repented (see
Psalm 32:1–7).
I am very thankful for the gift of repentance. Why do I refer to
repentance as a gift? I have seen people who could not feel sorry
for their sins, and that is a terrible thing. When the conscience
is seared (hardened), people are unable to feel the weight and
seriousness of their wrong behavior. Because of this, we should
all pray for a tender conscience toward God.
First John 1:9 states that we can admit our sins, confess them,
and that God is faithful to completely cleanse us of all
unrighteousness. What good news! We can live before God with
a perfectly clear conscience.
beyond grief
What was David saying in II Samuel 12:20–23? He was saying:
“When my child was sick, I did everything I could to save him.
Now that he is dead, there is nothing more I can do. Why should
I sit around mourning over something I cannot change? It is
much better for me if I get up and get on with my life.”
That is what the Lord is encouraging us to do today. He is telling
us to stop mourning over what has happened in the past and to
make the decision to live today and every day for the rest of our
lives. He is telling us not to ruin the time we have left by
grieving what has been lost.
I am not saying that we should not go through a period of
mourning when we experience loss. Going through a grief
process is normal and right. What I am saying is that when we
allow our grief to go on and on without a resolution, it becomes
destructive and turns into self-pity.
Make a vow right now that from this moment on you are not
going to waste any more of your valuable time feeling sorry for
yourself and grieving over things you cannot change. Instead,
pledge that you are going to live each day to the fullest, looking
forward to what God has in store for you as you follow Him.
the deepest kind of shame

The Bible does not ignore the issue of sexual abuse; we find it in
II Samuel 13:1–14, in the story of Tamar. I believe that sexual
abuse is the worst, most offensive, and most damaging of all
types of abuse. When an individual is forced to engage in sex
against his or her will, something that is meant to be given only
willingly as a gift is violently taken from that person. If that
individual is abused in a perverted manner, he or she may suffer
lasting damage to the soul as well as to the physical body.
When people, especially children, are abused sexually, their
minds, wills, and emotions may be tremendously damaged. They
may become negative, suspicious, critical, judgmental, worried,
and unsettled. They may also become what I would call
“mentally deep,” always reasoning, always trying to figure
everything out, always asking, “How can I take care of myself?
How can I keep life under control so I don’t get hurt anymore?”
The problem with such a deep thinker is that he or she never
gets to enjoy life.
In almost every case, an abuse victim like Tamar will be rooted
in shame and will develop a shame-based nature. Because my
father sexually abused me, I felt shame, which I internalized.
Along the way, I made an unhealthy transition in my thinking: I
moved from being ashamed of what my father had done to me to
being ashamed of myself because of what he did. This is a very
common thought process for abuse victims.
The nature of shame is to be embarrassed or feel defective
because of bad things that happen to us, and the only way to be
healed of shame is to apply the medicine of God’s Word to our
lives. God’s Word has healed me, not instantly, but over time. It
will do the same for you if you diligently apply it to your life.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, that You are a God Who delivers me from
all who rise up against me!
life point
Why does praising the Lord and calling Him “worthy to be
praised” (II Samuel 22:4) defeat our enemies? If you and I will
go through the gates of praise into God’s presence and begin to
worship Him there, our enemies will become confused and
destroy one another. When the devil tries to upset us and we
react by singing praise to God, it confuses him and his demons
so badly that they begin to attack each other. In the process we
are delivered from the destruction they want to render to us, and
we enter into new levels of joy.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, for hearing me when I call upon You in
times of distress. Thank You that my cry reaches Your ears
and that You are listening to my voice when I cry out to
You.
life point
God is our Strength, our Rock and our Fortress (see II Samuel
22:32, 33). He asks us to put our faith in Him and to believe that
we can do whatever He asks us to do. He is mighty to uphold us
and make us stand. He will support us and keep us from failing.
God’s strength is readily available to us, and we receive it
through believing the promise He has made to give it to us. If we
believe we are weak, then we will only manifest weakness, but
the Bible says, “Let the weak say, I am strong [a warrior]!” (Joel
3:10). When we can say we are strong with a heart of conviction
—even though we are weak in ourselves—the Lord will be strong
in us, and we will experience victory in our lives!
speak the Word

Thank You, God, that You have girded me with strength for
every battle that I face.
let God be your strength

David said, “God is my strong Fortress” (II Samuel 22:33). God
does not want to just give us strength; He wants to be our
Strength. In I Samuel 15:29, He is called “the Strength of
Israel.”
Many of the men and women in the Bible knew that God was
their strength; they became examples to encourage us today to
trust in God’s strength. David wrote in Psalm 18:29 that by his
God he could run through a troop and leap over a wall. In I Kings
19:4–8 an angel came and ministered to Elijah, who was tired
and depressed, and he went forty days and nights in the strength
that he received from that one visit. The apostle Paul found the
strength of God so wonderful that in II Corinthians 12:9, 10 he
wrote that he would glory in his weaknesses, knowing that when
he was weak, the strength of God would rest upon him and fill
up his weaknesses. To put it in our language today, Paul was
saying that he was glad when he was weak because then he got
to experience the strength of God.
How does a person receive strength from God? By faith. Start
receiving the strength of God by believing His promise to
strengthen you. That faith will quicken your body, as well as
your spirit and soul. For example, if you have a weak back, it can
be made strong. At our conferences, the Holy Spirit has
strengthened weak knees, ankles, and backs as we have prayed
for those who asked God for strength. His healing power came as
we waited in His presence and received it from Him.
By faith you can receive strength to stay in a difficult marriage,
raise a difficult child, or stick with a difficult job in which you
have a difficult boss. You can receive strength to do great things
even though you may have a physical impairment yourself.
Have you been trying to push through difficulties on your own?
If so, make a change right now. Start getting strength from deep
within you, where the Holy Spirit dwells. If that divine strength
does not yet dwell in you, all you need to do to receive it is admit
your sins, repent of them, and ask Jesus to be your Savior and
Lord. Surrender your life, all that you are and all that you are
not, to Him. Ask Him to baptize you in the Holy Spirit and to fill
you through and through with the power of the Holy Spirit. Let
God be your strength. Say with David, “My God, my Rock, in
Him will I take refuge; my Shield and the Horn of my salvation;
my Stronghold and my Refuge, my Savior” (II Samuel 22:3).

Second Samuel 23:3, 4 offers valuable insight to leaders. When
we lead others in righteousness and in the fear of God, good
things result. If you are a leader, ask God to help you increase
more and more in righteousness and in the fear of the Lord as
you lead those God has put under your care.
fear God, not people

David understood one of the essential qualities of a leader, as we
see in II Samuel 23:3. Anyone who wants to lead well must fear
the Lord. When we talk about fearing God, we are not talking
about a wrong kind of fear. We are talking about the reverential
fear that causes us to bow in His presence and even to prostrate
ourselves before Him and say, “My God, there is none like You;
Whom shall I fear? If You are for me, what can man do to me?”
The apostle Paul wrote something in Galatians 1:10 that has
always gripped my heart. He said, “Now am I trying to win the
favor of men, or of God? Do I seek to please men? If I were still
seeking popularity with men, I should not be a bond servant of
Christ (the Messiah).”
I know firsthand how Satan uses rejection to prevent us from
going forward with the call of God on our lives. Have you ever
been attacked by rejection? Of course you have; we all have. The
devil uses it to keep us from making progress. He knows that we
will be blessed if we are in the will of God, so he uses the fear of
man’s rejection to hold us back.
When I was filled with the Holy Spirit in 1976, I experienced
rejection from most of my friends, my church, and my family.
They did not understand my new zeal and enthusiasm and
thought I was being deceived. The rejection grew even worse
when God called me to teach and preach His Word. Everywhere I
turned, I was being rejected by someone I loved and cared about.
It was very difficult to go on. Many times I wanted to give in to
the pressure and make decisions that would please people. I look
back now and shudder to think what I might have sacrificed had
I bowed down to the pressure. There have also been other
important times in my life and ministry when the devil
launched attacks of rejection against me, and each of them came
at a time when God was trying to promote me into the next level
of what He had for my life.
Anyone who is going to do the will of God must have more fear
of God than of man. I wanted acceptance, but I did not want to be
out of God’s will, and I knew that I would be if I did what my
friends wanted me to do. I thank God for His grace that
sustained and strengthened me through those difficult times of
testing.
Anyone who is going to do God’s will must remember what
Jesus told His disciples: “A servant is not greater than his
master… If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you”
(John 15:20). He was saying, “If they reject you, in effect they
are rejecting Me.” I believe the Lord takes it personally when
people reject you because you are trying to do the right thing.
He knows how you feel about being rejected, because He felt the
same thing. He is your Vindicator; your reward comes from
Him, and you must reverentially fear and honor Him more than
anything or anyone else.
life point
David’s heart “smote” him after he had sinned against the Lord
(II Samuel 24:10). This means that his heart condemned him. A
condemned heart steals confidence.
Anyone who wants to be a leader must learn how to handle
condemnation. When he sins, he must know how to admit it,
repent, and receive forgiveness. We must shake off mistakes
from the past and go on, because no one is perfect. We may have
perfect hearts, hearts after God’s own, but still we will not be
perfect in our every thought, word, and deed.
As a leader and teacher of God’s Word, I know how condemning
it is to teach others about what is right and then foul up in that
very area myself. When we leaders do that, we feel a double dose
of condemnation because the devil will say to us, “You, of all
people, ought to know better.” If we listen to him, he will make
us feel that we are not worthy to be leaders of God’s people.
God convicts us of our wrongdoing; He does not condemn us.
Conviction helps us to repent and be lifted out of the problem;
condemnation only pushes us down and makes us feel bad about
ourselves. We must shake off the feeling of condemnation
because if we don’t, we won’t have confidence before God.
Without confidence, we will have no faith. And without faith, we
cannot please God or receive His empowerment to fulfill His
calling.
speak the Word

God, I pray that when I am in distress, I will fall into Your
merciful hand and not into the hands of man.
First Kings
Author:
Unknown
Date:
600 BC–550 BC
God values and works through
relationships.
Honor your covenant with God.
Your relationship with Him will
be a powerful legacy for your
descendants.
Remember that the character
traits and standards of other
people affect you, so be sure to
associate with godly people.
In many ways, the everyday life lessons we learn from I Kings are woven
through the stories of four men—the natural father-son team of David
and Solomon, and the spiritual father-son team of Elijah and Elisha.
Indeed, I Kings tells the stories of the division of the kingdom and of
various rulers in the north and in the south, but much of its practical
instruction for our lives is found in the context of relationships.
In David and Solomon, we see a son fulfilling his father’s dream—the
building of the temple. We also see God fulfilling to Solomon the
covenant He made with David. Even when Solomon went astray and
married foreign women, God left him on the throne for David’s sake. In
this, we see that a person who has a powerful relationship with God, as
David did, will leave an awesome legacy for his or her descendants.
In the relationship between two prophets, Elijah and Elisha, we see
Elisha learning from Elijah, observing him and doing everything he can
to develop in his life the qualities he saw in his mentor. Elisha reminds us
that other people affect us, and we can incorporate their character
qualities into our lives. Elisha’s faithfulness, as we learn in II Kings,
resulted in his having a double portion of Elijah’s spirit after Elijah was
taken to heaven.
As you read I Kings, remember that relationships are important, and be
sure to connect with godly people who can be a blessing in your life
speak the Word

God, I pray that I will keep Your charge, walk in Your
ways, and keep Your statutes and commandments, that I
may do wisely and prosper in all that I do, wherever I turn.

Today’s world is full of examples of people who have maneuvered
or manipulated their way into positions of authority that were
not rightfully theirs. Have you ever felt that you have been
cheated out of a promotion or a position of leadership? Like
Solomon, you can rest confidently in the knowledge that if such
a position is God’s purpose for you, nothing or no one can keep
you from being established in that place. Put your faith in God
and His power to promote you, and do not ever let resentment or
bitterness take root in your heart. Always remember that God’s
timing and ways are perfect!

If God came to you and said, “Ask! What shall I give you?” as He
did to Solomon (see I Kings 3:5–10), how do you think you would
respond? Solomon could have asked for riches beyond
imagining, great fame, or unsurpassable power. Yet Solomon’s
response is an amazing demonstration of humility and
recognition of his need for God and for wisdom. When you take
your requests before God, ask Him to show you those things you
truly need, and always remember that your greatest need is for
Him, not the things He can do for you.
speak the Word

God, I pray that You would give me an understanding mind
and heart that hears Your voice so that I can discern
between good and evil.
seek the best

If God were to tell you that you could ask for anything and He
would give it to you, what would you ask for? Solomon had this
opportunity, and God was extremely pleased with his request
(see I Kings 3:5–10). He asked for wisdom, an understanding
mind, and a hearing heart so that he might discern between
good and evil.
It would be a great blessing if all God’s children understood the
value of wisdom, understanding, discretion, discernment, and
prudence. Proverbs teaches us that these things are more
valuable than anything else we could desire. They are more
valuable than silver and gold, rubies, pearls, or other precious
gems (see Proverbs 3:13–15).
What we seek after in life reveals so much about our character.
Too many of us seek the wrong things, and, as a result, we are
never satisfied and fulfilled. If we will seek God as our number
one necessity in life and ask for understanding of His ways, we
will be content and God will add other things, as He did for
Solomon. God was so pleased with Solomon’s request for wisdom
that He also gave him popularity, fame, an abundance of wealth
and possessions, friends, family, success, and anything else he
could ever want in life.
What are you seeking? God confronted me with this question
several years ago, and I discovered that my answer was not
pleasing to Him. I was ashamed when I realized how much more
concerned I was with my circumstances than with my spiritual
life. At that point, God began to teach me what is truly valuable,
and His grace enabled me to change my focus. I am eternally
glad that God asked me that question, and I now ask it of myself
on a regular basis. I always want to seek those things that are
pleasing to my Lord, and I am sure you feel the same way.
Do not feel condemned if you find that the focus of your desires
needs to be adjusted. Just ask God to help you make the
necessary changes. Seek wisdom; seek to have a heart that
understands other people’s hurts and needs. Ask for the ability
to discern between good and evil and the grace to always make
the right choices. As you seek these things, you will enjoy a life
that is beyond anything you could ever imagine.
Have you ever thought that a law or perhaps a court verdict was
unfair or unjust? The Israelites ruled by Solomon were greatly
blessed by his God-given wisdom in administering justice among
them (see I Kings 3:28). Some governing officials today are like
Solomon, but not all of them are. Remember to pray for those in
the legislative and legal systems, that they might have great
wisdom and discernment in matters of justice. Pray that they
will all totally submit their lives to God and make laws based on
His Word and principles.
speak the Word

Lord, I pray that You would do for me what You did for
Solomon and give me exceedingly much wisdom and
understanding, and breadth of mind like the sand of the
seashore.
handling your relationships wisely

Solomon asked God for wisdom, and God gave it to him (see I
Kings 5:12). Solomon wrote the book of Proverbs, a collection of
wise truths that have helped many people successfully live their
day-to-day lives.
The Bible teaches us that it is hard to succeed at anything if we
do not possess wisdom. Many people have gifts, but they do not
operate in wisdom or develop good character because they
simply will not grow up and allow God to do the things He needs
to do in their lives. As believers in Jesus Christ, His wisdom is
in us, but it does us no good if we do not use it. Nothing works
right in life or relationships if we do not seek and walk in
wisdom.
Let me give you an example of what can happen when people do
not use wisdom in relationships. So many people get hurt
because they tell friends what is on their hearts, and those
friends betray them. Then they become angry with their friend.
If they had used wisdom and kept their mouths shut in the first
place, they would have avoided that whole situation. I know this
is true because it has happened to me many times. God once told
me, “Joyce, if you don’t want your friends hurting your feelings
and betraying you, then just learn to keep quiet about things
you don’t want anyone to know.” If we expect God to share His
secrets with us, we must be able to keep His secrets. Not telling
people things I do not want repeated has taken a great deal of
pressure out of my relationships. I no longer have to worry about
their telling things I do not want known.
I cannot overemphasize the importance of using wisdom as we
deal with other people—family, friends, coworkers, neighbors,
and even casual acquaintances. Ask God to give you wisdom in
your relationships. He’ll do it!

Do you sometimes wonder whether God is concerned with the
details of your life? Take heart in knowing that the God Who
gave such precise instructions for the construction of the temple
(see I Kings 6:14—7:51) is even more concerned about the
particulars of your life. If something matters to you, it matters
to Him!
life point
As you read about the construction of the temple, notice that
God’s house was built with extreme excellence (see I Kings
6:18–21). Today, we, His people, are His “house,” the place where
He lives and reveals Himself. We modern-day believers need to
be diligent to follow the example of the Old Testament temple
and provide excellence to the world around us by being excellent
people.
His awesome presence

In the Old Testament, the ark of the covenant represented the
presence of the Lord. I cannot stress enough how much we need
God’s presence in our lives—in fact, we need His presence more
than we need anything else.
When God called Moses to tell Pharaoh to let God’s people go,
Moses was scared and insecure about his lack of abilities. But
God said to him, “I will surely be with you” (see Exodus 3:10–
14). Later God told Moses, “My Presence shall go with you, and I
will give you rest” (Exodus 33:14). I love Moses’ reply: “If Your
Presence does not go with me, do not carry us up from here!”
(Exodus 33:15). In other words, “God, if You’re not going to be
there, don’t send me!” That’s exactly the way I feel when I start
to minister to others.
We need to really understand the awesomeness of the presence
of God and the magnitude of what is available to us as believers
if only we will take the time to be in His presence! Why in the
world would we not want to spend time with God? We spend time
on the telephone, we hang out in the shopping center, we spend
hours in front of the television—and we seem to have no
problem investing our time in those pursuits. The truth is this:
The devil fights us more in the area of our spending time with God than
he does in any other area of our Christian lives. In fact, Satan would
much prefer that we get involved in all kinds of religious activity
rather than spend time with the Lord.
There is only one way I know to maintain the anointing on my
life, and that is by spending time in the presence of God. You
may be wondering, But what do I do when I spend time with God?
You simply set aside a portion of your time for that purpose. Try
not to be legalistic about it, but do try to be as regular with it as
you can. During that time period, read the Bible and Christian
books that minister to you. Talk to God. Sometimes you may
want to listen to Christian music and worship; other times you
may want to sit there and enjoy the silence. If you will do that,
you will begin to feel and sense the presence of the Lord.
life point
There are many facets of God’s character, and each one of them
seems to be more wonderful than the next. In I Kings 8:23,
Solomon referred to God as covenant-keeping, merciful, loving,
and kind. He is also faithful, true, long-suffering, just, and
honest—among many other wonderful attributes. We need to get
acquainted with God’s qualities because they reveal God’s
character to us. The better we know His character, the better we
know His heart for us, and the easier it becomes to trust and
obey Him.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, for graciously considering my prayers
and supplications and for hearing the requests that I make
of You today.
speak the Word

God, I pray that I will have a revelation of Your presence in
my life.
speak the Word

Lord, I pray that my heart would be blameless and wholly
true to You, my God.

People who do not really know God often have questions about
Him, and will sometimes even try to “stump” us with hard
questions. The queen of Sheba did this to Solomon (see I Kings
10:1–3). Is there someone in your life who is asking you
questions about God? Scripture talks about the importance of
being prepared to respond to people’s questions. Reading the
Bible, praying, and listening to Christian teaching are all ways
to prepare ourselves. As you prepare, ask God to give you
wisdom, as Solomon did, that you will also know how to answer.
life point
Even though God had given Solomon a great gift of wisdom, he
did not use wisdom in every area of his life (see I Kings 11:1).
You see, godly wisdom does not automatically lead to obedience.
Solomon defied God and loved foreign women. Having wisdom
does not mean that a person uses wisdom. Let’s thank God that
His wisdom is in us as believers in Him, but let us also ask for
the ability to act on the wisdom He gives us and to have hearts
that are obedient to Him.

Even though Solomon did so much right, Scripture tells us that
he did not fully follow God, and this was evil in God’s sight (see I
Kings 11:1–6). Ask God to identify anything in your life that is
keeping you from following Him fully, repent and receive His
forgiveness, and ask Him to help you to trust and follow Him
completely.
speak the Word

God, may I do what is right in Your eyes, turning not aside
from anything You have commanded me all the days of my
life.
Have you ever wondered how all the bills were going to get paid,
or perhaps even where your next meal was coming from? God
can be very creative when it comes to providing for His people, as
Elijah found out in I Kings 17:1–9. As you follow God, you can
always trust Him to provide for you, even if it is in ways you
don’t expect! Be sure to thank Him for His faithful provision
every day.
life point
In the story that begins at I Kings 17:9, God sends Elijah to
Zarephath. I believe God sent Elijah to the widow at Zarephath
not because God wanted to do something in Elijah, but because
God wanted to do something in the widow. If God relocates you
or sends you into a situation you do not understand, He will
bless you, but it may be for someone else’s sake. If your “brook”
dries up, as it did for Elijah in I Kings 17 before he went to
Zarephath, that does not mean you have done anything wrong; it
more likely means God needs you somewhere else. If God closes
one door, you can always expect Him to open another one.

Is there something that God is asking you to do that seems like
a hardship or involves great personal cost, as it did for the widow
at Zarephath (see I Kings 17:8–16)? Know that God’s
instructions may not seem to make sense, but when you obey
you will discover, like the widow, that God will do amazing
things in you, through you, and for you.

Do you sometimes feel that God does not really hear you when
you pray? The prophets of Baal went through quite a routine to
try to get their god to hear them—without success (see I Kings
18:25–39). But you can have the confidence of Elijah when you
pray, knowing that you pray to the living God, Who hears every
prayer and is ready to act on your behalf.
the truth about doubt

When we read in I Kings 18:21 about halting and limping
“between two opinions,” we can interpret that phrase quite
simply as “doubting.” I once heard a story that offers valuable
insight into the doubt that so often affects Christians.
There was a man who had a financial need and was confessing
God’s Word over his life, quoting Scriptures, and believing that
God had already provided a way for him. He was just waiting for
his breakthrough to become a reality. While doing so, he was
intermittently attacked with thoughts of doubt. After he had
suffered a particularly difficult time and was beginning to get
discouraged, God opened his eyes to the spiritual world. This is
what he saw: a demon (an evil spirit) speaking lies to him,
telling him that he was not going to get the help he needed and
that confessing God’s Word was not going to work. But he also
saw that each time he confessed the Word, light would come out
of his mouth like a sword, and the demon would cower and fall
backward.
As God showed him this vision, the man then understood why it
is so important to keep speaking the Word. He saw that he did
have faith, which was why the evil spirit was attacking him with
doubt.
Doubt is not something God puts in us. Romans 12:3 says that
God gives every man the “measure of faith” (KJV). God has
placed faith in our hearts, but the devil tries to negate our faith
by attacking us with doubt.
Doubt comes in the form of thoughts that are in opposition to
the Word of God. This is why it is so important for us to know
the Bible. If we know the Word, then we can recognize when the
devil is lying to us. Be assured that he lies to us in order to steal
what Jesus purchased for us through His death and resurrection.
I encourage you to be like that man who sought help from the
Lord: speak God’s Word because His Word is true, and because
confessing the truth sends the demons of doubt away!
right as rain
God had brought drought and famine on Israel to show His
power to Ahab. God was letting Ahab and his wicked wife,
Jezebel, know that they needed to change their wicked ways,
and if they did not, the circumstances were not going to be good.
After three years of famine, God sent His prophet Elijah to tell
Ahab it was going to rain. Elijah said to Ahab that he was
hearing “the sound of abundance of rain” (I Kings 18:41). He
told him to get ready because there was going to be a downpour.
Ahab and Jezebel could not stand the sight of Elijah because he
was a prophet and servant of God. Have you ever noticed how
wicked people hate righteous people for no reason at all? They
will hate the righteous simply because we represent the One
they are rebelling against. All Elijah did in I Kings 18 was to
show up; that alone was enough to send Ahab into a rage.
Although Ahab wanted rain, he did not want Elijah to be right or
to be the one in control.
I do not believe Elijah really heard the sound of rain in the
natural. He heard it in the Spirit by faith. He was listening to
the Spirit of God; he believed what God said and began to act on
it before he saw the manifestation of it. We need that kind of faith!
worship before the rain

After announcing to Ahab what was going to happen—rain was
coming—Elijah went to the top of Mount Carmel. There he got
down on his knees with his forehead on the ground (see I Kings
18:42). Can’t you just see him? In that position of worship,
Elijah sent his servant to run back and forth several times to see
if it was starting to rain.
Seven times his servant came back with a bad report, but Elijah
did not get out of his worship position. Imagine how Elijah must
have felt every time the report came back that nothing was
happening! But each time Elijah just said, “Go again” (see I
Kings 18:43). Despite the repeated negative reports, Elijah never
gave up. He stayed right where he was, worshipping God.
Worship strengthens our faith. Doubt could have caused Elijah
to give up, but his worship kept him strong. Romans 4 tells us of
another person in the Bible who had absolutely no human
reason to hope. Doubt and unbelief came against Abraham but
did not defeat him; he became strong as he gave praise and glory
to God. If praise and worship worked for Abraham and Elijah, it
will work for us also.
Elijah’s servant could have been saying to him, “Elijah, you
must have missed God this time because nothing is happening;
there’s not even a cloud out there.” But each time Elijah refused
to give up! Finally, Elijah’s servant came back and reported that
he saw a cloud as small as a man’s hand. At that word, Elijah
came up shouting, “Hallelujah! Go tell Ahab to hurry home and
seek shelter because it’s beginning to rain!” (see I Kings 18:44).
When you worship God, He will send the rain of His Spirit upon
you, and it will drown all the “Ahabs” and all the other
resistances in your life. Take your position and praise the Lord,
worshipping before it begins to “rain” in your life.
keep your balance!

Why in the world would a man like Elijah, who the previous day
had made absolute fools of 450 prophets of Baal and then
personally slain every one of them, suddenly allow himself to
become so intimidated by the threats of a solitary woman named
Jezebel that he ran away in fear (see I Kings 19:1–3)? I doubt
very much that Jezebel was so fearsome that Elijah had to do
that. I believe he responded in such an unbalanced way because
he was exhausted.
Many of the problems we face in relationships come from being
out of balance, and often that imbalance is the result of simply
being worn out. When we are totally exhausted, we respond to
people differently than we do when we are fully rested. We tend
to respond emotionally and get our feelings hurt easily. We are
touchier and more likely to get upset over the slightest thing
that goes wrong. Even our creative ability dries up when we are
overly tired. Like Elijah, we become vulnerable to depression
and discouragement. I know from personal experience that my
faith is affected when I am too tired; it is even difficult to want
to pray at those times.
In many of today’s families, both husband and wife need to work
full-time just to provide for themselves and their children. After
working all day, they then have to go home and take care of the
children, prepare meals, do laundry and housework, go grocery
shopping, see to the yard work, pay bills, and on and on. Sooner
or later, they may become exhausted. If they are Christians,
they will want to attend church and may also take on other
church commitments.
While many of these activities are good, they may not all be
commitments that are Spirit-led. If the people are not careful,
they may end up trying to be everything to everybody, which
wears them out. They may begin to feel that they are being
pulled apart because everywhere they look, someone wants them
to do something. Although serving in church and community is a
very important part of our overall duty and desire, we must be
Spirit-led and simply realize that we can do some things, but we
cannot do everything.
I know all about this because I have gone through it in my own
life. Not only am I a minister with an international ministry to
operate, I am also a wife, a mother of four grown children, a
grandmother, and a friend with many other duties,
responsibilities, and relationships.
I am extremely busy; we all are, which is why we need balance
in our lives. That may mean having to cut off some things we do
not really want to get rid of, but which will cause problems if we
do not allow God to prune them. In some cases, that may mean
giving up a second job. We may have told ourselves that we took
the job for our families, but the truth may be that our family
needs us more than they need the money we could earn for
them.
Let Elijah’s story in I Kings 19:1–3 remind you to maintain
balance in every aspect of your life: physical, mental, emotional,
social, and spiritual. God wants you blessed, and in order to
receive, enjoy, and wisely steward His blessings, you need to be
strong and refreshed, not stressed and exhausted.
life point
Nothing in life looks good to us when we are exhausted. It seems
that nobody loves us, nobody helps us, and nobody is concerned
about us. We think that we have to do all the work. We think we
are being abused, misused, misunderstood, and mistreated.
Many times when we feel we have a deep problem, all that is
wrong is that we (like Elijah) are just plain tired (see I Kings
19:4). When people are already exhausted and they continue to
do more and more things, they usually become very confused
and cranky. We must learn to listen to our bodies and rest when
we need it. Rest is not a luxury; it is essential to living a
balanced, fruitful life.
life point
How did the Lord through His angel get Elijah to the place
where he was strong enough to go on with the next phase of his
ministry? He gave him two good meals and a nice long nap (see I
Kings 19:5, 6). That was all He gave him, and in the strength of
that food, Elijah went forty days and nights on a journey to
Horeb! There was nothing great, spiritual, or supernatural about
this. Elijah was worn out from everything he had done the day
before and everything he had been through since. His body was
broken down, and his emotions had fallen apart. He was not
handling himself the way he normally would. He was afraid,
depressed, discouraged, and even suicidal.
The Lord said to him, “You’re worn out. You need a couple of hot
meals and a good night’s rest.” And after Elijah was refreshed
and made the journey to Horeb, the word of the Lord came to
him there. With a fresh word from God, he was sent off again to
do the work of the Lord.
Remember, staying spiritually strong does include natural
wisdom. Take care of your body, exercise, and eat healthfully so
that you will have the physical stamina and alertness necessary
to complete God’s next assignment for you.
avoiding burnout
I have observed that after a person goes through a real
emotional high, he will usually bottom out with an emotional
low.
We see this in the life of Elijah the prophet. One day he is on
Mount Carmel, in triumph and at the height of his victory. The
next day he is sitting under a tree in the wilderness, asking God
to let him die because he feels so depressed (see I Kings 19:4).
In my own life, I have noticed when I minister in a long series of
meetings, I spend everything I have spiritually, emotionally, and
mentally praying for people and meeting their needs. And when
I return from something exciting like that to normal, everyday
life, it is quite a transition. This might be compared to climbing
an emotional mountain, then falling off it. Who would want to
go from doing miracles one day to hiding from Jezebel the next?
Often we get the idea, Oh, if I could just stay on this emotional high
forever! But God knows we could not stand to maintain that level
of intense emotion. Too many emotional highs and lows wear us
out in every way. When I have finished an extensive ministry
trip and I feel completely drained, I have learned to rest. It
usually takes about two days for me to totally recuperate
physically, mentally, emotionally, and even spiritually. I need to
sleep, have some quality food for nourishment, spend extra time
with God, do something fun for my emotions, and not make
decisions that would require any mental effort.
When you feel “low” after an emotional high, do not do as
Elijah did and get down on yourself. Do not allow the devil to
take advantage of you during those times. Use wisdom and get
the rest you need—it will make a huge difference.
life point
The ways of the Holy Spirit are gentle; most of the time He
speaks to us as He did to Elijah, in “a still, small voice” (I Kings
19:12).
hearing God’s still, small voice
I was fascinated to learn that some horses have what their
trainers call a “reining ear.” While most horses are guided and
led by a strap fastened to the bit in their mouth, some horses
keep one ear turned to their master’s voice. One ear is open for
natural warnings; the other is sensitive to the trusted trainer.
Elijah needed to hear from God, and thankfully he had a reining
ear toward God even though his circumstances had frightened
him. He had experienced tremendous victory but afterward he
ran for his life, hid in a cave, and prayed to God to die. Knowing
Elijah’s need, God taught Elijah a wonderful lesson about what
His voice sounds like. As Elijah waited on God, He demonstrated
His power through wind, earthquake, and fire. But God was not
in those things; instead, He spoke to Elijah in a “still, small
voice” (I Kings 19:12) and gave instructions for Elijah’s next
mission. Later in this chapter we will see that Elijah obeyed the
still, small voice of the Lord.
Elijah’s story helps us understand how to hear God when we
need direction. God did not reassure Elijah with a showy, flashy
manifestation of power, although He had already proven that He
was capable of doing so. Instead, God spoke to His prophet
through a still, small voice—and He still chooses to
communicate directly to His children through a whisper deep
within their spirits.
The Bible tells us that God is a spiritual Being, and those who
worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth (see John
4:24). Jesus explained that some people do not hear the voice of
God because they do not believe Him and thus do not have His
Word living in their hearts (see John 5:37–40). He taught us that
we must be born again in order to hear God’s voice: “You must
all be born anew (from above). The wind blows (breathes) where
it wills; and though you hear its sound, yet you neither know
where it comes from nor where it is going. So it is with everyone
who is born of the Spirit” (John 3:7, 8). When we are born again,
we are made alive in our spirits to be sensitive to the voice of
God. We hear His whisper even though we cannot tell where it
comes from. Our ears become “tuned in” to hear our Master’s
voice. He whispers to convict, correct, and direct us by a still,
small voice deep within our hearts.
speak the Word

Lord, may I be obedient and always speak what You say to
me.
Second Kings
Author:
Unknown
Date:
600 BC–550 BC
Obeying God leads to blessings;
disobeying or dishonoring Him
brings curses.
The ministries of both Elijah
and Elisha can remind us that
God is a God of miracles and He
still does miracles today.
A double portion awaits those
who are faithful until the very
end.
Second Kings, like I Kings, continues the biblical record of the names,
reigns, and some of the actions of the rulers of the divided kingdom. On
the time line of history, II Kings picks up where I Kings leaves off.
Throughout II Kings, we see good kings and bad kings, those who sought
to serve God and those who did not. We continue to see Israel as a nation
go back and forth between honoring God and dishonoring Him.
One of the same truths we see throughout the Old Testament is
reiterated yet again in II Kings: When we obey God, we are blessed; when
we are living in disobedience to God, we cannot expect Him to bless us.
One noteworthy event in II Kings is the death of Elijah, which was not a
typical death—he was simply caught up in a whirlwind and taken to
heaven in a chariot of fire. Elisha remained faithful to Elijah until the
very end, and after Elijah died, Elisha received a double portion of his
spirit and went on to witness and be used by God in great signs, wonders,
and miracles.
As you read II Kings, remember that obedience brings blessings and
disobedience brings curses. Remember too that God will reward your
faithfulness, just as He did Elisha’s. Many people give up just prior to a
breakthrough, but the double portion awaits those who will stay faithful
until the end.

Having a spiritual mentor is a great gift. Is there a more mature
Christian in your life who is helping you to grow in your
relationship with God? If not, ask God to identify someone who
can be a mentor to you, as Elijah was to Elisha (see I Kings 2:2–
8). If you do have a spiritual mentor, one way to show your
appreciation is through faithful support of and loyalty to that
individual.
double-portion blessings
Seeing an assignment or a project from God through to the
finish is extremely important. Many people start things
enthusiastically but never finish them, and this is not pleasing
to God. The Bible says in Luke 14:28–30 that we should count
the cost before we begin to build and make sure we have what
will be needed to finish the project.

Elisha was Elijah’s servant and had been chosen and anointed to
take Elijah’s place when he was gone. As Elijah neared the end
of his time on earth, he asked Elisha what he could do for him.
We read in II Kings 2:9 that Elisha requested a double portion of
his mentor’s anointing. Elisha had asked for a hard thing, but
was told he could have it if he saw Elijah when God took him
away.
I have always felt that Elijah was saying, “If you stick with me
until the very end, if you finish what you started many years ago
—then you may have what you asked for.” Many people ask for
things and then are not willing to do what is required of them to
have their requests granted. Asking is easy, but seeing things
through to the finish is not. Beginnings are exciting, and they
come with zeal and enthusiasm. Many times, in the beginning of
an endeavor, lots of people are willing to help. However, the way
becomes tougher when the newness wears off and some of the
people who originally committed to help lose interest or grow
weary.
We must be able to endure hard work, wait longer for results
than we expected to, endure loneliness, betrayal,
misunderstanding, and many other unpleasant things if needed.
Jesus endured all these things in order to complete God’s will
for His life, and we are to follow in His footsteps. Jesus said,
“Take up your cross and follow Me” (see Luke 9:23). I believe the
cross we are called on to carry is the challenge of living an
unselfish life. That means we cannot quit or give up just because
we do not enjoy the difficult work of pressing on. We must live
beyond how we feel, what we think or want, and, in the face of
hardship, do all that God asks us to do.
Make a decision today that from now on, by God’s grace, you will
always finish what you start. It may be cleaning out your closet,
or keeping a commitment at church or to a friend. It could be
paying for the things you have purchased or going to a Bible
college. Whatever it is, just do it! God has a double-portion
blessing waiting for you, but you will find it at the finish line.
flow freely again

In Old Testament times, stopping up wells with stones was one of
the weapons used to defeat one’s enemies (see I Kings 3:19).
Our enemy, the devil, still uses that weapon against us today.
I believe that you and I are born open and free with an ability to
flow. But over time our enemy, Satan, comes along and starts
throwing stones into the well of our inner beings—stones of
abuse, hurt, rejection, abandonment, misunderstanding,
bitterness, rejection, resentment, self-pity, revenge, depression,
hopelessness, and on and on. By the time we become adults, our
wells are so filled with stones that they have become stopped up
and no longer flow freely within us. Every now and then we may
feel a little gurgle down inside, but we never seem to experience
the full release that is needed for the waters of our souls to flow
freely once again.
It is interesting that when Jesus went to raise His friend
Lazarus from the dead, He ordered, “Take away the stone” (John
11:39). In a similar sense, I believe the Holy Spirit wants to take
away the stones that have been clogging our wells of living
water.
When speaking of living water in John 7:37–39, Jesus did not
say that from those who believe in Him there will flow rivers of
living water once in a while. He said these rivers of living water
would flow continuously. That living water is the Holy Spirit.
What Jesus was talking about here is the outpouring of the Holy
Spirit, which we (who have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior)
have received. Let the power of the Holy Spirit remove the
stones that block the wellspring of your life, and let the water of
life within you be released to flow again.
the first step to fullness

The key to value and worth is knowing who we are in Jesus.
When we know that, there is nothing for us to do but stand in
awe of the Lord and give Him thanks and praise for what He has
done for us in Christ. Like the poor widow in II Kings 4:1–7, our
first step to fullness is to recognize we are empty.
All of us are empty vessels. None of us has anything in us of any
value except the power of God that is resident there to flow out
of us. What do we have to offer to God? Nothing. God is not
needy. He does not need you or me; He can do His own work
without us. We are not indispensable. I do not make this
observation to tear us down or make us feel bad about ourselves,
but to remind us all that being used by God is a great privilege
and an honor, not a right.
We do have value, but only the value the Lord assigns to us
because of the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ. We have nothing
in and of ourselves. In Christ, we exist and have everything. But
in our flesh, there is nothing of any value or worth. What is
born of the flesh is flesh, and it profits us nothing.
When I first started ministering, I wanted to help people. The
Lord spoke to me then and said: “When you are empty of
yourself so that all you have left within you is the ability to
depend on the Holy Spirit, when you have learned that
everything you are and have comes from Him, then I’ll send you
around to those you know to fill their empty vessels with the life
I have poured into your empty vessel.”
Arriving at the place of being empty of ourselves is not an easy
task, and it does not happen quickly. I spent many years
wondering if I would ever reach a place of manifesting humility
instead of pride—of being dependent on God instead of
independent—of trusting in the strength of His arm instead of
my arm. If you feel the same way, let me encourage you that as
long as you don’t give up, you are making progress.
It may seem as though reaching the place you desire to go is
taking forever, but “He Who began a good work in you will
continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of
His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and
bringing it to full completion in you” (Philippians 1:6).
If we press on and are sincere about spiritual maturity, we will
eventually be like the woman in II Kings 4:1–7—empty of
ourselves and ready to be used by God to fulfill His great
purposes for our lives.
owe no man anything but love

The Bible teaches us that we are to owe no man anything except
to love him (see Romans 13:8). In II Kings 4:7, we see that we are
to pay our debts. When we allow debt to overwhelm us, we can
quickly and easily become discouraged and depressed.
Have you realized that one of the main reasons people get into
\debt is that their emotions are out of control? When a desire for
personal pleasure, a sense of prestige, or the ability to impress
others causes us to live beyond our means, we end up in debt.
When Dave and I were young marrieds, we got into trouble with
debt. We did it by running up our credit cards to their maximum
limit, buying things we wanted for ourselves and our children.
We made the minimum payments on our balances each month,
but the interest was so high we never seemed to make any
progress toward paying off what we owed. In fact, we just kept
getting deeper and deeper into debt.
What caused that? Emotions and a lack of wisdom.
If you and I are ever going to get anywhere in the kingdom of
God, we must learn to live by wisdom and not by our carnal
desire, which is human emotion (Proverbs 3:13–15).
Wisdom makes the decision today that it will be comfortable
with tomorrow. Emotion does what feels good today and takes no
thought of tomorrow. When tomorrow arrives, the wise enjoy it
in peace and security, but the foolish end up discouraged and
depressed. Why? Because the wise have prepared for tomorrow
and are able to enjoy the fruits of their labor, while the foolish,
who have put pleasure first, now must pay for yesterday.
It is much better to work now and play later, than to play now
and worry later!
It is so discouraging to go to the mailbox every day and find
nothing there but bills, bills, and more bills. Eventually that
discouragement leads to depression because of the pressure of
not being able to see a way out. When we charge things we
cannot pay for, we are spending tomorrow’s prosperity today.
Then when tomorrow comes, all we have is debt.
To live a disciplined life, which is what it takes to produce good
fruit in our lives, we have to be willing to invest today so that we
can reap tomorrow. To relieve the discouragement and
depression that come from being in debt, we must get out of debt
by becoming self-disciplined enough to think not of today’s
sacrifices, but of tomorrow’s rewards.

Would you like to bless your pastor or some other Christian
leader in your life? Offering hospitality in various forms is a
wonderful way to demonstrate both your appreciation and God’s
love. As the Shunammite woman discovered (see II Kings 4:8–
17), you can be sure that God honors those who provide
hospitality!

Do you ever feel that you do not have much to offer in ministry?
The man from Baal-shalisha had only a little bit of food to offer
one hundred men, but he gave it willingly (see II Kings 4:42–44).
Not only did the men eat, but there was food left over! As you
freely offer what you have to give in service to God, ask Him to
multiply what you have given and make it a blessing beyond
what you can imagine.

Second Kings 5:9–14 tells the story of Naaman’s healing. This
man’s pride almost kept him from receiving the healing God
wanted to give him. Do you struggle with pride, perhaps
thinking you should be treated a certain way because of your
station in life? Ask God to identify areas of pride and to teach
you humility. Do not let pride keep you from experiencing all
God wants to do in your life.

Are you ever tempted to seek material gain even at the cost of
your integrity? Elisha’s servant Gehazi learned the hard way
that greed is evil in the eyes of God (see II Kings 5:20–27). Ask
God to teach you to be content and trust His provision for you.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, that I do not need to fear because there
are more with me than with my enemies.
speak the Word

God, I pray that I will be such a passionate believer that
others will be able to clearly see my zeal for You.

We learn from II Kings 17:6–23 that the Lord allowed Israel to
be taken captive and led away into exile because of their
disobedience. Do you ever get careless about doing what God has
asked you to do, letting sin creep into your life? Do not let our
enemy, the devil, lead you into the captivity of sin and
disobedience; it leads only to destruction.
speak the Word

God, I pray that I will not give in to the influence and
customs of the world around me, but that I will always
honor You.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, that You will deliver me out of the hands
of my enemies as I reverently fear You.
God, may I be like Hezekiah, trusting in, leaning on, and

being confident in You. May I cling to You and hold fast to
You, never ceasing to follow You.

One of the first things Hezekiah did when he became king was
to get rid of the things that kept his people from walking in
obedience to God (see II Kings 18:1–7). What keeps you from
obeying God? It may be something that seems very important to
you, but there is nothing more important than obeying God. Ask
God to help you do what is right in His eyes, and know that He
will honor your obedience, as He did Hezekiah’s (see II Kings
18:8).
speak the Word
God, I declare that You alone are God of all the kingdoms
of the earth!
life point
God answered Hezekiah’s prayer by healing him and adding
fifteen years to his life (of course, God does not always respond
this way, but in Hezekiah’s case, He did). During that time,
many horrible things happened (see II Kings 20:17), and
Hezekiah suffered greatly. It seems that although God answered
Hezekiah’s request, it was not God’s best for him. We need to
remember that the only safe prayer policy is for God’s will. The
best prayer always acknowledges that we do not really know in
most instances what is best for us; therefore, we must be willing
to say, “Whatever You want, Lord.” As Proverbs 16:9 reminds us:
“A man’s mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.”

Have you ever doubted someone’s spiritual leadership because
he or she was young? Josiah was a young king (see II Kings
22:1), yet he led his people in great spiritual renewal, restoring
worship and leading the people back into a right relationship
with God. Encourage and pray for your children and other
Christian young people, that they would walk in the destinies
God has for them.
speak the Word

God, may I never forsake You or fail to walk in Your ways.
like a child
In II Kings 22:1, we see that Josiah became king when he was
only eight years old. In II Kings 11:21, Joash became king at age
seven; and in II Kings 21:1, Manasseh became king at age
twelve. These boys were forced to grow up quickly!
Many people feel that they, like these young kings, were forced
to grow up too fast. When that happened, they lost something,
and that loss was detrimental to their enjoyment of adulthood.
As adults we should be able to accomplish things in our lives
without feeling burdened. We should be responsible and yet
lighthearted enough to enjoy our daily lives, even our work, as
we read in Ecclesiastes 5:18: “Behold, what I have seen to be
good and fitting is for one to eat and drink, and to find
enjoyment in all the labor in which he labors under the sun all
the days which God gives him—for this is his [allotted] part.”
I believe we should be able to enjoy every single thing we do.
Some years ago this fact was brought to my attention because I
realized I was past forty years of age, married with four
children, and yet I could not say I had ever really enjoyed much
of my life.
John 10:10 tells us Jesus came to this earth so that you and I
might have life and enjoy it to the full. I really think we have
forgotten how to enjoy life. We need to learn how to be
childlike, because if there is one thing a child knows how to do,
it is to enjoy anything and everything! But when a child is
forced to grow up too quickly without being permitted to be a
child, he often ends up with tremendous emotional problems.
Not being permitted to play will steal a person’s childhood and
his enjoyment of adulthood. My problem was thinking I had to
deserve every bit of fun, enjoyment, or blessing that came my
way. Now I have learned to work until quitting time and then
leave whatever I am doing for the next day. If you and I don’t do
that, we open ourselves up to burnout—and once we get burned-
out, it is very hard to recover.
The good things that come to us in this life are given to us by the
Lord (see James 1:17). He wants to give them to us. He wants us
to enjoy life to the fullest. If you lost part of your childhood
because you had to grow up too quickly, pray and ask God to
restore your joy, your childlike faith, and your ability to
celebrate life.

Do you ever wonder if it is just too late, or perhaps that your sin
is too great, to receive forgiveness from God? Even though the
sin of the people was enormous, God responded to Josiah’s
repentant heart (see II Kings 22:18, 19). Do not hesitate to seek
God’s forgiveness; He will not turn away a humble, tender
heart.
speak the Word

God, help me to keep my heart tender, penitent, and
humble before You.
the gift of a tender heart

In II Kings 22:19, Huldah the prophetess, speaking for the Lord,
declared that King Josiah had a tender heart. Having a tender
heart is equivalent to having a tender conscience, and
tenderness of conscience is vital to our being used by God.
It is dangerous to become hard-hearted and develop a seared
conscience so that we cannot really tell if we are doing anything
wrong or not. One way we develop a tender conscience is by
repenting quickly if God convicts us of something and by not
making excuses for our behavior.
When God shows us we have done something wrong, we need to
say, “You’re right, Lord, I’m wrong. There is no excuse, so please
forgive me and help me not do it again.” It is amazing how much
that will help us have a tender conscience toward God. But as
soon as we start trying to reason things out and make excuses
for our wrongs, we start getting a little callous on our
consciences. It becomes just a little bit harder for us to feel than
it was the time before.
For example, if I mistreat someone without repenting, my
conscience starts to become calloused. The next time I do it, my
conscience becomes a little more calloused. Soon, although I go
around presenting myself as a person who loves God, He cannot
use me anymore because I am mistreating people and talking
down to them and talking wrongly to them. The worst thing is
that I don’t even realize I am doing it, because I no longer have a
tender heart and a tender conscience toward God.
We must remember that God does not care how gifted or
talented we are; His primary concern is our heart attitude. If we
have willing hearts, stirred-up hearts, wise hearts, perfect
hearts, and tender consciences, then the devil is no real threat to
us or our future, because nothing can stop God from using us.
Acts 23:1 describes the good conscience Paul had. He said,
“Brethren, I have lived before God, doing my duty with a
perfectly good conscience until this very day.” How many of us
can go to bed at night saying, “Well, Lord, I can go to sleep with
a perfectly good conscience”? Paul goes on to describe what he
did to keep his conscience tender: “Therefore I always exercise
and discipline myself [mortifying my body, deadening my carnal
affections, bodily appetites, and worldly desires, endeavoring in
all respects] to have a clear (unshaken, blameless) conscience,
void of offense toward God and toward men” (Acts 24:16).
Why did Paul strive to keep a clear conscience? Because he
knew he could not minister to others out of a hard heart. He
knew that if he wanted to help people, he had to keep a tender
conscience toward God. I believe all of us should pray regularly,
“Lord, help me to have a tender heart and a tender conscience
toward You.”

Do you have difficulty in figuring out what it means to follow
God or how He would want you to respond in certain situations?
Josiah realized that if he and those he ruled were to know how
they were to follow God, they had to know His law (see II Kings
23:1–3). Likewise, if you want to walk in God’s ways, it is
important that you learn all you can about God and His ways by
reading Scripture and doing what it says.
First Chronicles
Author:
Attributed to Ezra
Date:
Probably between 425 BC and
400 BC
God is faithful.
Faithfulness to God results in
rewards from God.
God’s presence makes all the
difference in our everyday lives.
First Chronicles is full of encouragement to stay faithful to God. Its first
nine chapters chronicle the family line of the godly King David, and its
remaining twenty chapters tell the story of his righteous reign over
God’s people.
A key theme we find throughout I Chronicles is the theme of God’s
faithfulness to His people. His faithfulness brings blessings, which is why
He continually calls for faithfulness and warns against unfaithfulness.
One of the highlights of this book is David’s bringing the ark (the
symbol of God’s presence) back to Jerusalem. This ancient story reminds
us of how desperately we need God’s presence in every part of our lives
today.
As you read I Chronicles, remember that faithfulness has its rewards, and
unfaithfulness leads to trouble. When we are unfaithful, God always takes
us back because of His mercy, but we often suffer the consequences of
breaking fellowship with Him. Let me encourage you today to stay
faithful to God in every situation in your life. Remember that He is
faithful to you. He is always near you, always watching over you, always
wanting the best for you.
When you come across the story of the ark’s return to Jerusalem,
consider the various aspects of your life—your family, your work, your
friendships, your home, your spiritual life, your entertainment, your
hobbies, your finances, and the other things that concern you
do things God’s way

As believers, we need to be reminded of our heritage in God. The
author of I Chronicles (presumed to be Ezra) provides us with a
list of families among God’s people, and as he does, we can
remember and honor the legacy of faith in our own lives.
First Chronicles 1:27 mentions Abram. We recall that Genesis
12 teaches us that God called Abram to leave his family, his
home, and all he was familiar with and go to a place God would
show him. Just imagine—Abram left everything, not having any
idea where he was supposed to go. As a result of his radical
obedience, God made some very radical promises to him—
promises of blessing, wealth, fame, leadership, descendants, and
so on. God entered into covenant with Abram, changing his
name to Abraham (see Genesis 17:5). Gold told Abraham that if
he would believe, it would be counted unto him as right standing
with God, and he would be taken care of in every way (see
Genesis 15:5, 6).
Abraham believed God! That is all God asks of us: “Believe.” Not
just for things, but in and through things. Abraham believed God
for a child that would be his heir, but he had to believe God
“through” some difficult and lengthy things before he saw the
promised child. You might say that those years of waiting were
his “silent years,” years during which he believed God, even
though there was no outward evidence to him or anyone else
that God had truly spoken to him.
During those silent years of waiting, Abraham took action that
was not God-inspired when he followed his wife’s advice and
took her maid to be his secondary wife. Abraham’s name has the
prophetic meaning “father of a multitude” because God was
planning to make him the father of many nations. But because
Abraham and his wife, Sarah, got tired of waiting for God’s
promise, they took matters into their own hands, and Sarah’s
maid by Abraham gave birth to Ishmael. Although Abraham
loved Ishmael, he was not the promised child and eventually
brought great pain to Abraham and difficulty into his life.
There are times in our lives, as in Abraham’s, when God simply
lets us go our own way so we can learn by experience that “our
way” does not work. We suffer during these years. We
experience confusion and frustration, but we eventually emerge
from our struggles as changed people, finally ready to do things
God’s way!
be faithful and be blessed

One of the things we remember when we see Joseph’s name in I
Chronicles 2:2 is that he was faithful to God. Even though he
was a slave in Potiphar’s house, God blessed him and prospered
him because He was with him everywhere he went (see Genesis
39:1–6).
Even when we are going through difficult times, God will bless
us in them, not just when they are over. The important thing for
us to do is keep a good attitude, which includes being thankful
for what we do have and giving praise to God, worshipping Him
for Who He is.
For example, even if your boss treats you improperly, does not
recognize your true value, and will not let you do anything but
sweep the floor, if God is with you, He can prosper you and make
you successful in so many other ways. God can certainly
promote you in His timing because all true promotion comes
from the Lord (see Psalm 75:6, 7). Do not look to anything on
this earth as your source; look only to God as your Source.
The world will soon recognize that God is with us. Some of those
people who have rejected us in the past will come to see that God
is with us; they will see the evidence of His presence in our
lives. If we, like Joseph, will take our positions and be faithful
in them while we wait on Him, God will raise us up in His
timing, and it will become obvious that God’s hand is upon us
for good.

Have you ever wondered why there are so many genealogies in
the Bible? First Chronicles is full of them! Clearly, family is
important to God. When you asked Jesus to forgive your sins
and to come into your life, God adopted you into His family.
Thank Him for your brothers and sisters in Christ, and ask Him
to help you fully enjoy and experience the blessings of
belonging to His family.
speak the Word

God, I pray like Jabez that You will bless me and enlarge
my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and that
You would keep me from evil.
life point
Notice in I Chronicles 5:1 that Reuben’s birthright was given to
the sons of Joseph. Why? Because Reuben “polluted his father’s
couch” (I Chronicles 5:1) with his father’s concubine. A
birthright was an enormous and extremely valuable blessing to
a man during Bible times. Whoever had the birthright inherited
“the best of the best” from his father. But Reuben forfeited all
the blessings of the birthright for a few moments with a
concubine. He lost a great inheritance because he could not
control his emotions.
Ask God to help you perceive what is truly valuable and to never
allow the lust of the flesh or your emotions to cause you to miss
out on a blessing.
life point
Saul lost his kingdom because he did not keep God’s Word and
he consulted a medium (see I Chronicles 10:13, 14). No doubt he
thought this person would speak truth to him, but such people
are not only deceived themselves, they also speak deception to
others and present it as truth. The world we live in would have
us believe that there are many sources of truth. Remember to
love, honor, know, study, and obey God’s Word so that you can
live by “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth,”
because it is “the Truth” that makes you free (see John 8:32).
speak the Word

Thank You, God, that I have peace because You are
helping me.
speak the Word

God, I pray that You would make me like the men of
Issachar and give me understanding of the times, so that I
will know what to do.
the power of focus

In I Chronicles 12:33 the writer describes the brave men who
helped David wage war. As we see, they were not double-hearted;
they were focused, stable, and trustworthy. They stuck to their
sole purpose in life.
God taught others in the Bible to be single-minded in purpose.
When God called Abraham, He told him to leave the past behind
and to focus on the place that God would show him (see Genesis
12:1). Being single-hearted was what Paul spoke of when he said
to let go of what lies behind and press on to what lies ahead (see
Philippians 3:13, 14). Being single in purpose was what the Lord
was encouraging Israel to do through the prophet Isaiah: “Do
not [earnestly] remember the former things; neither consider
the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing!” (Isaiah 43:18,
19).
Our problem is that we always want to hold on to the past and
still go into the future. There are times when God tells us to
move on, but our souls are still tied to the place we need to leave
behind. That causes a double heart, and when we are double-
hearted it is difficult to find peace of mind.
Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will
hate the one and love the other, or he will stand by and be
devoted to the one and despise and be against the other…”
(Matthew 6:24). In James 1:8 we read that a person who is of two
minds is hesitating, dubious, irresolute, unstable, unreliable,
and uncertain about everything he thinks, feels, or decides.
We need to avoid having a double heart and a dual purpose in
life. Instead, we should be decisive people. Leaders especially
should be able to make decisions and then stick to them. If we
make decisions and then continue to go back and forth in our
minds about whether we did the right thing or not, we are
unstable in our ways. We need to hear from God, and then make
a decision based on what He has said to us. Once we have
decided something, we need to do it with all our hearts, and
totally commit to it.
Also, we need to be focused and single-hearted with respect to
God’s gifts and calling. In Romans 12 the Apostle Paul talks
about the different gifts of grace that have been given to the
individual members of the body of Christ. He says that if you are
a teacher, you should give yourself to your teaching. If you are a
giver, you should give yourself to your giving. If you are an
exhorter, you should give yourself to exhortation. In other
words, Paul says not to get overly involved in things God has not
gifted you for and called you to do. Resist the temptation to get
entangled in things that do not help you accomplish your goals.
Do not be double-minded. If you believe you are supposed to do a
specific thing with your life, then be consistent in your belief.
Stay on track and remain focused and stable, always pressing
toward your goal in the power of the Holy Spirit.

When you are facing a challenge, do you depend on your own
wits to see you through or do you seek the counsel of others?
David, even with all of his might and power, knew the value of
trusted counsel (see I Chronicles 13:1). Seek people who can
provide upright and reliable counsel to you, and avail yourself of
their wisdom.
take a praise pause

When the ark of God was placed in the tabernacle, David stopped
everything and began to worship God (see I Chronicles 16:1–7). I
do not think anything blesses God more than when we stop right
in the middle of what we are doing and lift our hands to worship
Him, or take a moment to bow down before Him and say, “I love
You, Lord.” In Psalm 119:164, the psalmist says he took time to
praise God seven times a day and all day long too!
Think about a businessman, for example, maybe the president of
a large company. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if several times a day,
he closed the door to his office, turned the lock, knelt, and said,
“God, I just want to take some time to worship You. Father, all
these things You are giving me—the business, the money, the
success—are great, but I just want to worship You. I magnify
You. You are so wonderful. I love You. You are all I need. Father,
I worship You. Jesus, I worship You. Holy Spirit, I worship You.”
I do not think a businessman with such a habit would ever need
to be concerned about his business, his finances, or his success.
All of those things would be taken care of (see Matthew 6:33).
The same is true for students, stay-at-home moms, retired
people, secretaries, flight attendants, brain surgeons, clerks, and
salespeople—anyone you can think of. All of them would have
many more fruitful, productive, and peaceful days if they took
time to praise the Lord throughout the day.
We all would benefit greatly from taking a “praise pause.” I
encourage you to take one today.
speak the Word

I give thanks to You, God, and I call upon Your name. I will
make known Your deeds among the people around me. I
will sing praise to You and meditate on all Your wondrous
works!
life point
Reverential fear, as is mentioned in I Chronicles 16:25, is to
know that God is God and that He means business. He has called
us His friends (see John 15:14, 15) and His children, but He is
still an awesome, holy God. We need to honor Him, respect Him,
obey Him, and revere Him in all things.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, that honor, majesty, strength, and joy are
found in Your presence.
life point
David loved God very much, yet he made serious mistakes. His
passions gained mastery over him and caused him to commit
adultery and have a man murdered. I believe David talked so
much about the mercy of God (one example is in I Chronicles
16:34) because he had experienced it firsthand in his life and
ministry. That same mercy is available today to all who will seek
God for it.
life point
When I was learning to hear from God and desiring with all my
heart to be led by the Spirit, I Chronicles 17:1–4 really helped
me to realize that we can move about with some degree of
freedom following our sanctified desires, as long as we are ready
to immediately go in another direction if God shows us we need
to do so. It is not wrong to have a plan and follow it if we are
willing to give up that plan when God does not approve of it.
In John 15:7 Jesus said, “If you live in Me [abide vitally united
to Me] and My words remain in you and continue to live in your
hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you.” How
can this be possible unless there really is a merging of our
desires with God’s as we mature in Him?
The goal of every true believer is to be one with God. This
happens spiritually when we are born again; and it occurs in our
minds, wills, and emotions as we grow and mature spiritually. In
Ephesians 4:15 the Apostle Paul urges us, “Let us grow up in
every way and in all things into Him Who is the Head.” As we do
so, our desires become His desires, and we are safe in following
them.
words and actions

Must we always have a specific word from God before we take
any action? I do not think so. David wanted to build a house for
God, and the prophet Nathan told him to do all that was in his
heart, for God was with him (see I Chronicles 17:1–4). That
night, however, God spoke to David through Nathan and gave
instructions that David was not to build His house, but that one
of his sons would do it (see I Chronicles 17:11).
It seems to me that the general guideline on taking action is
simply to follow our hearts unless God gives a specific word. We
are told in Proverbs 3:6 to acknowledge God in all of our ways
and He will direct our paths. To acknowledge God means to care
about what He thinks. We are never told in Scripture that we
must have specific direction from God before taking any action
at all. God gives us wisdom, and He expects us to use it. As we
study His Word we learn His ways, and He expects us to follow
them. God gives us freedom; He believes in us and believes we
can make good choices, so He lets us do so. In all our prayers we
should tell our Lord that we want His will in all things and then
trust Him to lead and guide us.
Note that David was planning to build God a house until the
moment God said no. When He did, David immediately praised
God for choosing one of his family members and never showed
any disappointment or rebellion against God’s choice. David had
a heart after God. He wanted what God wanted.
This story was particularly helpful to me as a young believer
who wanted God’s will, but did not know what to do when God
was not speaking. I learned that because we have His Spirit and
heart, we should trust the inner witness that we sense about
what we should or should not do. Do what you believe to be best
based on the knowledge you have, and be willing to change if
and when God shows you something definite.
speak the Word

God, I thank You that the word You have spoken
concerning me and my household will be established.
speak the Word

Thank You, Lord, that You are God and You have promised
good things to me!

Many of us spend hours preparing for a special event, a big
project at work, or a test at school. David did all that he could to
prepare for the building of the temple (see I Chronicles 22:1–5).
Will you put the same diligent preparation into the work God
calls you to?

Have you ever been disappointed when someone else was given
the privilege of doing something in ministry that you wanted to
do? Rather than be frustrated or discouraged, follow David’s
example in I Chronicles 22:6–11. Bless the efforts of others;
pray for them that they might have wisdom; and encourage them
to keep following the Lord in all they do, that they might
prosper. God will be faithful to honor you.
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First Chronicles 22:13 warns us against dread. Dread will not
only keep us from fulfilling God’s Word, but will also hinder
our prosperity. Dread is a forerunner of fear, and fear never
brings a blessing. Instead of being dismayed over the things that
frighten you, take courage in the Lord.
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King David was an exceptional leader for many reasons, but
what stands out to me about him in I Chronicles 22:14 is that he
took a lead role in providing for the house of God even while he
was troubled and afflicted. He did not expect others to do what
he would not do, and he wanted to make sure that a good
example for giving had been set so that all the people would
follow. That’s what an effective leader does—leads by example
even when it requires pain or sacrifice.

Are you looking for purpose and meaning in your life? Take
heed of David’s counsel in I Chronicles 22:19, and set your heart
and soul to seek the Lord your God. As you do, you will find that
God has plans and purposes for your life beyond anything you
can dream of.
give when it hurts

God said that David was a man after His own heart—one who
would do all of His will and carry out His program fully (see Acts
13:22). David was a giving man, and he gave generously toward
the building of God’s house. Even in his own times of trouble
and affliction, he continued to give generously (see I Chronicles
22:14).
It is tempting to stop giving to others when we are hurting.
During those times, we do not feel like being a blessing to
someone else; we want someone to comfort us and make us feel
better. But when we are hurting, we should behave as we would
if we were not hurting. We should keep all our commitments,
including our financial commitments to the work of God.
We all go through times of testing, and our behavior during
those times clearly reveals our level of spiritual maturity.
Spiritual babies do what is right only if they are quickly being
noticed and rewarded. But mature Christians do what is right
because it is right—and they never quit. They do not change
when their circumstances change.
To me there is a big difference between giving and being a
“giver.” People who are givers look for opportunities to give to
others; they do not look for reasons to get out of giving. It is easy
to use personal problems as an excuse to be selfish, but I believe
that seeds sown during hard times are more powerful than any
other kind. God appreciates our faithfulness no matter what we
are going through. Do not be an emotional giver, but choose to
be one who does what is right on purpose, no matter how you
feel.
If I am hurting from a trial I am going through and the devil
tempts me not to give because of my personal pain, I purposely
give a little extra, just to let the enemy know where I stand.
When Jesus died for us He was hurting, yet He still gave His
best. Let’s always go the extra mile and never compromise on
our commitments.
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First Chronicles 23:30 teaches us about those who were to
worship the Lord morning and evening. I hope you will also
begin to worship early in the morning. I suggest starting before
you even get out of bed. Worship while you get ready for work;
worship on the way to work; worship when you get home in the
evening and as you go to sleep. You will be amazed to see how
things begin to change. Worship creates an atmosphere where
God can do mighty things in your life.
Worship is not difficult. It simply means to adore the Lord and
be thankful for Him and all He does for you. Tell Him regularly
how much you love Him and how wonderful He is!
speak the Word

God, may I heed David’s instructions and know You,
cherish You, and serve You with a blameless heart and a
willing mind. I know that if I seek You and require You as
my first and vital necessity, I will find You.
speak the Word

God, I will be strong and courageous and will do what You
have asked me to do. I will not fear or be dismayed,
because You are with me and You will not fail me or
forsake me.

Have you ever had your heart set on something, only to be
disappointed? David knew that only by fixing their hearts on
God would the people he led prosper and have joy (see I
Chronicles 29:3). Ask God to help you fix your heart on Him; He
will never disappoint or fail you.
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It is important to look at our attitudes and motives for working.
If we are lazy and do not want to work, we will not work. We will
make all kinds of excuses and end up in ruin. But if we have
strong desires, they will motivate us to work and work hard; we
will do whatever it takes to get the job done, as the people
mentioned in I Chronicles 29:6 did. Smart people realize that
nothing worthwhile is ever accomplished without dedication and
a lot of hard work.
be willing to be willing
Do you like it when people do something for you, but you know
they do not really want to do it? I absolutely despise that. I
believe that comes from my upbringing. It seemed to me that
even when my father allowed me to do things, he really did not
want me to do them. So to this day if people do not really want to
do something for me, I would rather they just forget it.
If we are like that, how much more is God like that? We human
beings do a halfway decent job of hiding our true feelings from
people, but we cannot hide our hearts from God. We may as well
start being honest about the way we feel and start doing things
out of a willing heart—or at least start praying for God to give us
a willing heart—so we can do them for the right reason.
Sometimes we may have to pray, “Lord, make me willing to be
willing.” And sometimes we may have to pray, “Lord, make me
willing to be willing to be willing—because I don’t even really
feel that I want to be willing at all!”
God examines our heart attitudes, and whatever we do for Him
needs to be done willingly. I particularly like I Chronicles 29:9
because it emphasizes that God really delights in those who give
to Him willingly, joyfully, and cheerfully. He does not take
pleasure in those who give legalistically or under compulsion.
There are times when we obey God even though it is difficult for
us, but we still do it because we love Him and want to please
Him. In those cases I still see us as willing. We are willing to go
beyond our own fleshly feelings about a particular thing and
honor God anyway. Even if you have to ask God to make you
willing, be willing—and be one in whom God delights

Do you regularly give of your finances to the work of God? As
David’s people willingly gave, they were filled with great joy
(see I Chronicles 29:2–16)! Remember, anything you have to
give came from God in the first place, and one way to honor Him
is by joyfully giving of your resources.
Second Chronicles
Author:
Attributed to Ezra
Date:
400 BC
We need to see ourselves as a
temple, a place where God is
pleased to abide.
God blesses us when we seek
Him.
Remember, the battle belongs to
the Lord.
Just as I Chronicles recounts the reign of King David, II Chronicles
records the rule of David’s son, King Solomon, who is often called the
wisest man who ever lived. No doubt, Solomon’s greatest achievement
was the completion of the temple—a permanent place where God would
be pleased to dwell and be worshiped in the midst of His people.
One of the ongoing themes of II Chronicles is the instruction to seek
God. Because of their history, God’s people knew how miserable their
lives could be when they did not seek Him and how blessed they could be
when they did inquire of Him. Nevertheless, God continually reminded
them in various ways throughout II Chronicles to consult Him in every
situation.
I believe that one of the greatest truths in Scripture—one that we need
to keep in the forefront of our minds as we go about our everyday lives
—is found in II Chronicles 20: When we belong to God, our battles
belong to Him too. We do not have to fight life’s wars in our own
strength, but we fight in the power of our God, Who always gains the
victory.
I hope that II Chronicles will serve as a reminder to you to seek God
continually and make a place for The battle belongs to the

Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed by everything you are
supposed to be doing? Solomon certainly seemed to struggle
with such feelings. Ask God, as Solomon did, for wisdom as to
how you are to carry out your tasks (see II Chronicles 1:9, 10).
He has promised to give wisdom to those who ask.
speak the Word

I declare, God, that You are greater than all other so-called
gods!i
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When Solomon was building the temple, a dwelling place for
God, he chose laborers who were skilled in their crafts (see II
Chronicles 2:7). These men knew what they were gifted to do,
and they were skilled at doing it. When I think about them, I am
reminded of how many people today are asking, What am I
supposed to do with my life? What is my purpose on earth? Does God
have a calling on my life? God answers these questions through
our natural gifts and abilities, and He helps us discover our
purposes through the natural skills and unique talents He
bestows upon us.
God-given gifts are the skills a person easily performs without
formal training. Although training and education may help to
perfect our skills, they are readily recognized prior to the
training. Many great artists know exactly how to put shapes and
colors together, and so they enjoy designing buildings or
sculpting beautiful and useful items. Many songwriters simply
write down the music they hear in their heads. Some people are
great at organizing, while others are natural counselors,
helping people sort out their lives and their relationships. I have
always been a good communicator. No matter what our gifts are,
we all derive great pleasure from doing what we are naturally
good at doing. We do not have to try to do it; it comes naturally.
If you are unsure of your purpose in life, just do what you are
good at doing, and watch God confirm it by blessing your
endeavors. Then be diligent to develop your gifts, so you can be
skilled at what you are gifted to do.

Worship is a powerful way for us to draw near to God, just as it
was in Solomon’s day (see II Chronicles 5:11–14). Do you long to
experience His presence in your life? Then worship, worship,
worship!
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In the Old Testament, God’s glory visibly filled the temple and
overwhelmed the priests to the point that they were unable to
stand (see II Chronicles 5:13, 14). Today, under the New
Covenant, you and I are God’s temple (see I Corinthians 6:19).
God wants to display His glory in and through us as dramatically
as He did in the physical temple of Solomon’s day. When God’s
glory is manifested in your life, others will look at you and say,
“Wow, what a great God you serve,” because the power of His
goodness toward you is visibly evident to them. God wants to
“wow” you as He fills your temple with His power and glory.
speak the Word

I bless You, Lord, because You fulfill with Your hands what
You promise with Your mouth.

God is faithful to fulfill every one of His promises to us. How do
you respond to Him when He brings one of His promises to pass
in your life? Be like Solomon; tell others about God’s greatness
and worship Him with thanksgiving (see II Chronicles 6:12–15).
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Throughout II Chronicles 6, we see Solomon crying out for God
to hear his prayers. In order to accomplish what God has called
us to do in this life, we need to be assured He does hear our
prayers and does respond to them (see Psalm 65:2). Never
neglect to pray, because God is always listening and ready to
answer. Where there is prayer, there is power!
speak the Word

I thank You, God, for giving me Your Word to teach me the
good way in which I should walk.
speak the Word

Lord, I rejoice in You and in Your goodness!

God is very clear about what is necessary for a nation to receive
His blessing (see II Chronicles 7:14). Did you know that you can
help to bring about God’s blessing upon your country? In
humility, pray on behalf of your nation, identifying its sins and
confessing them. Seek God’s face, and pray that anyone who
may be doing evil in your nation will turn from their wicked
ways. God has promised forgiveness and healing to those nations
that come to Him in humility and repentance.

If someone wanted to give you either wealth or wise counsel,
which would you choose? Although the riches of Solomon
surpassed those of all the kings of the earth, it was his wisdom
that other rulers sought (see II Chronicles 9:23). Recognize, like
the kings in Solomon’s day, that God-given wisdom is far more
valuable than wealth.
speak the Word

God, there is none besides You to help me, and it makes no
difference whether I am feeling mighty or powerless, I still
need Your help. Help me, God; I am relying on You alone.

Have you ever felt that God is hiding from you? Second
Chronicles 15:1–4 provides us with encouragement as we seek

God. He promises that when you seek Him, you will find Him.
Always remember that He draws near to all those who draw near
to Him.
speak the Word

God, help me to be strong and not let my hands be weak or
slack, knowing that my work will be rewarded.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, that You show Yourself strong in behalf of
those whose hearts are blameless before You. Let my heart
be blameless before You!
how to have a “perfect” heart

God looks for those whose hearts are perfect or blameless
toward Him. Earlier in my life, I misunderstood this truth.
When I read that God’s eyes roam to and fro looking for
someone in whom He might show Himself strong (see II
Chronicles 16:9), I always thought, Boy, I had better straighten up.
Then I finally saw the remainder of that verse about God’s
looking for someone whose heart is perfect toward Him, and I
began to understand what “perfect” really is. What does it mean
to have a perfect or blameless heart? It does not mean to
“perform” perfectly; it means to have a heartfelt desire to do
right and to please God.
People who have a perfect heart truly love God, though they
themselves may not be perfect. They may still have things in the
flesh to deal with. They may say things they should not say. They
may make mistakes or lose their tempers. But when they do,
they are quick to repent and make things right with God again.
If they have offended someone, they will humble themselves and
apologize.
If we have perfect hearts toward God, He counts us as perfect and
works with us while that perfection becomes more and more real
in our lives.
I am not a perfect person, but I do believe I have a perfect heart
toward God. I am sure there are things I am unaware of in my
heart that need to be exposed and rooted out, but I believe God
holds us responsible for only those things we are aware of. I do
not have a perfect performance. Every day, I still do things I wish
I did not do. But I love God with all my heart. There are many
people with right hearts, and those are the ones God uses. Keep
working on the things you need to work on in your life, and
while you’re at it, keep a perfect heart toward God.
Have you ever found yourself in circumstances that made you
fearful? Jehoshaphat found himself surrounded by enemies, but
instead of giving in to fear, he sought God’s advice (see II
Chronicles 20:1–4). When you are afraid or uncertain how to
handle a difficult challenge, ask the Lord to help you know how
to handle the situation correctly. He will give you the guidance
you need.
run to the throne

Are the “-ites” after you? In II Chronicles 20:1–3 it was the
Moabites, the Ammonites, and the Meunites who were after
King Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah. In other places in
the Old Testament it was the Jebusites, the Hittites, and the
Canaanites who were the troublemakers for God’s people.
But with us it is the “fear-ites,” “disease-ites,” “poverty-ites,”
“bad marriage-ites,” “stress-ites,” “grouchy neighbor-ites,”
“insecurity-ites,” “rejection-ites,” and on and on.
How many “-ites” are chasing you around? However many there
are, let’s look at what King Jehoshaphat did to turn his
attention on God instead of focusing on all those “-ites” that
were trying to rise and rule.
When Jehoshaphat was told that the “-ites” were coming
against him, the first thing he did was to fear. But then he did
something else: He set himself to seek the Lord. Determined to
hear from Him, he proclaimed a fast throughout the land for
that very purpose. He knew he needed to hear from God. He
needed a battle plan, and only God could give him one that was
sure to succeed.
When we have trouble, we should develop the habit of running
to God instead of to people. We should seek God rather than our
own minds or other people’s minds. Ask yourself, “When
trouble comes, do I run to the phone or to the throne?” God
might direct us to a person for advice, but we should always go to
Him first to show that we honor and trust Him above all else.
these are fighting words

The words in II Chronicles 20:6–11 are fighting words! If we
listen to what the Lord is saying to us through them, we will
learn something that will change our battle plan forever and
give us victory after victory.
After starting his prayer by acknowledging how great, awesome,
powerful, and wonderful the Lord is, Jehoshaphat then began
relating specific mighty acts God had performed in the past to
protect His people and uphold the promises He had made to
them. And in finally presenting his request, he expressed his
confidence that God would handle the problem. Jehoshaphat
said in so many words, “Oh, by the way, our enemies are coming
against us to try to take away the possession that You gave us for
our inheritance. I just thought I would mention this little
problem. But You are so great; I know You already have it all
under control.”
When we do ask God for help, we should remember that He
hears us the first time we ask Him for something. We do not
need to spend our prayer time asking Him for the same things
over and over. We may keep talking to Him about our needs
until we have assurance in our hearts that we have a
breakthrough, but we do not have to do that to move God.
God has a plan for our deliverance from every situation, even
before those situations present themselves. He knows what we
need before we ask Him. God is not surprised when the enemy
attacks, and He is not in heaven wringing His hands, trying to
figure out what to do. Our job is to focus on Him and His mighty
power, worshipping Him and praising Him for the manifestation
of His solution and listening for a word or direction from Him.
He always has a winning battle plan!
rest in the storm

I love II Chronicles 20:12 because it tells us what to pray when
we are facing a big battle: “We do not know what to do, but our
eyes are upon You.” The people in this war realized three
things: (1) They had no might against their enemies; (2) they did
not know what to do; (3) they needed to have their eyes focused
on God.
The Lord responded with these powerful, assuring words: “You
shall not need to fight in this battle; take your positions, stand
still, and see the deliverance of the Lord [Who is] with you…
Fear not nor be dismayed” (II Chronicles 20:17).
What is our position? It is one of abiding in Jesus and entering
the rest of God. It is one of waiting on the Lord continually with
our eyes focused upon Him, doing what He directs us to do. In
other words, having a “reverential fear” of moving in the flesh.
Concerning entering God’s rest, I would like to say this: There
is no such thing as “the rest of God” without opposition. To
illustrate, let me share a story I once heard involving two artists
who were asked to paint pictures of “peace” as they perceived it.
One painted a quiet, still lake, far back in the mountains. The
other painted a raging, rushing waterfall that had a birch tree
leaning out over it with a bird resting in a nest on one of the
branches.
Which painting truly depicts peace? The second one does,
because there is no such thing as peace without opposition. The
first painting represents stagnation. The scene it sets forth may
be serene; a person might be motivated to want to go there to
recuperate. It may offer a pretty picture, but it does not depict
“the rest of God.”
Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give
and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you…”
(John 14:27). His peace is a spiritual peace, and His rest is one
that operates in the midst of the storm—not in its absence. Jesus
did not come to remove all opposition from our lives, but rather
to give us a different approach to the storms of life. As we learn
His ways and approach life in the same way He did, we will
experience His rest in the midst of our storms.
life point
When “all Judah” was assembled before the Lord in II
Chronicles 20:13–17, Jahaziel began to prophesy and speak
God’s direction to them. I believe the Spirit of God came upon
him because everyone was waiting on God.
When we learn to seek God and wait on Him, He will answer us.
That answer may be very plain and simple, as Judah’s was. The
Lord told Judah to not be afraid because the battle was not to be
their battle, but His. That does not sound too mystical or deeply
spiritual, but it was all they needed to hear.
The battle is not yours, but God’s. What good news! God did not say
there was nothing for them to do in the battle; He was saying
that He was going to show them their part. They could do it in
the strength and wisdom of the Lord, but the battle was still His
to win.
After God gave them that word of encouragement, He gave them
a word of specific instruction (see II Chronicles 20:17). We are to
wait on the Lord until He has told us what to do, and then we are
to do it in the strength He gave us while we waited on Him.
life point
Second Chronicles 20:22 says that while the people of Judah
were singing praise to God, He set ambushments against their
enemies. What happened next was astounding: The enemy
soldiers slaughtered one another! Praise confused the enemy!
Just think about it. The people of Judah set themselves to seek
God rather than live in fear. They told God how awesome He is;
they stood and waited on God. He sent a prophet with a word for
them, telling them the battle was not theirs but His. He told
them to take their position and stand still. They worshiped and
praised. Jehoshaphat appointed singers to sing and praise, and
the Lord defeated their enemies by confusing them so much that
they killed each other! What an awesome God we serve!
doing the right thing with the right heart

There are many conditions of the heart. Some are positive, and
some are negative. Of course, many people do have a right heart.
They love God with all their hearts, and they really want to do
the right thing in every situation. But there are others who have
a wrong heart, and they do the right thing, but with the wrong
motive.
In II Chronicles 25:1, 2 we read about a king who had a negative
condition of the heart. This passage says that King Amaziah did
all the right things, but his heart was not right. Therefore, God
was not pleased with him. That’s a scary situation. We can do the
right thing, and yet it still will not be acceptable to God because
we do it with a wrong heart.
Let’s take giving, for example. In II Corinthians 9:7 we are told
that God loves a cheerful giver, one who gives not out of
compulsion or with a bad attitude, but out of a willing heart. God
wants us to give joyfully. In fact, this verse says that God loves a
cheerful giver so much, He is absolutely unwilling to abandon or
do without a person whose heart is in his giving.
There is a physical heart and a spiritual heart, and the two are
parallel. Physically speaking, the heart is the most important
organ in our bodies. Spiritually speaking, I believe the heart of
an individual is the most important aspect of his or her spiritual
life. And it is the most important thing we can give to God. That
is why the condition of our hearts is so important. Make sure
that you are not only doing the right things, but also that the
attitude of your heart is pleasing to the Lord.
speak the Word

Help me, God, to not be stiff-necked or stubborn, but to
always stay yielded to You.
God’s strong arm

When the Assyrians came in great strength to invade Judah and
lay siege to Jerusalem, King Hezekiah inspired courage in the
people with strong words of encouragement saying basically, “Do
not trust in the arm of flesh, but trust in the Lord” (see II
Chronicles 32:7, 8).
That is the attitude you and I need to have in the face of
seemingly overwhelming problems. Rather than looking at our
past failures, our present fallacies, or our future fears, we need
to be looking to the Lord and trusting in His wisdom, strength,
and power. We should be reminding ourselves that no matter
how many problems may be facing us, the One Who is with us is
greater than all those who oppose us. With them is the arm of
the flesh, but with us is the arm of the Lord.
In Jeremiah 17:5–8 we read that those who put their trust in the
arm of the flesh are cursed with “great evil” (Jeremiah 17:5).
They are like a plant in the desert that is dry and destitute. They
will not see any good happen. But those who put their trust in
the arm of the Lord are blessed. They are like a tree planted by a
river that produces fruit even in the midst of a drought. No
matter what comes, they will flourish and not be anxious.
Jeremiah says, “Blessed is the man who believes in, trusts in,
and relies on the Lord, and whose hope and confidence the Lord
is” (Jeremiah 17:7).
If we lean on the arm of flesh, meaning other people or
ourselves, we will end up being disappointed and perhaps
devastated. We need to love and enjoy people, but we also need
to realize that they have the ability to ultimately let us down.
We must rely on the strong arm of the Lord to help us, because
He will never fail us nor forsake us.
life point
Notice in II Chronicles 32:31 that God left Hezekiah “to himself
to try him, that He might know all that was in his heart.” Do not
be discouraged if you feel there are times when God has left you
“to yourself,” when you do not sense His presence or hear His
voice. Sometimes He is quiet and seemingly imperceptible, just
to see if we will continue to be faithful to Him. Determine right
now that you will always be faithful in hard times as well as in
good times!
looking up
In answer to the prayers of King Hezekiah and the prophet
Isaiah, the Lord intervened and saved Hezekiah and Judah from
their enemies. As a result, Hezekiah began to be lifted up in the
sight of the people (see II Chronicles 32:22, 23).
God is not against that. If you become a leader, people will look
up to you and honor you. They may want to do nice things for
you. That is not all bad, but it can be dangerous. As happened
with Hezekiah, people’s admiration for a leader, or the leader’s
view of that admiration, can lead to pride if not kept under
control. In his pride, Hezekiah fell ill and almost died. But he
humbled himself and repented of his proud heart and things
were straightened out (see II Chronicles 32:24–26).
It is interesting that when Hezekiah turned to God, the Lord
began to honor, promote, and bless him again (see II Chronicles
32:27). That is exactly what happens to people who commit
wholeheartedly to the Lord. Sooner or later their ministry starts
increasing, and they start moving up. People begin looking up to
them. But if they become proud, God will deal with them about
their pride. Like Hezekiah, they can quickly repent and come
back to a place of humility; and God can continue to bless them
in amazing ways. Or, if they refuse to repent, they will begin to
lose God’s blessing and eventually their place of honor.
This is a key issue in Christian leadership. Everyone who is
doing anything of importance for the Lord must resist the
attacks and temptations of the spirit of pride. That is why no one
automatically always has a right heart; it takes effort to keep
our hearts right. We have to work at it all the time. And one of
the most powerful things we have to guard against is a spirit of
self-righteousness, which is rooted in pride.
Our enemy Satan is going to use every opportunity he can to get
us into places where our hearts are not right. When that
happens, we need to repent to God immediately.
If you and I want to stand before God one day and say, as Jesus
did in John 17:4, “I have glorified You down here on the earth by
completing the work that You gave Me to do,” then we must be
careful to keep a right heart. Psalm 101:5 says that God will not
tolerate anyone who has a haughty look and a proud and
arrogant heart. We need to be diligent to guard against pride
and make sure that we walk before God and others with a
humbled heart. God’s Word teaches us to guard our hearts with
all diligence, for out of them flow the issues of life (see Proverbs
4:23).
Ezra
Author:
Probably Ezra
Date:
538 BC–457 BC
The enemy always wants to
oppose people who are doing
something for God so that he
can stop their work.
You do not have to be afraid
when you experience
opposition, because God is with
you.
Even though the enemy does not
give up easily, he is a defeated
foe, and we will eventually
overcome him if we stay
“strong, alert, and courageous.”
The events recounted in the book of Ezra cover a period of about eighty
years and tell the story of diligent, faithful people who overcame
opposition and resistance in order to rebuild God’s temple and restore it
to its former glory.
When the people grew weary and discouraged because of the taunts of
their enemies, God sent the two prophets Haggai and Zechariah to
remind them of God’s faithfulness and to encourage them to finish the
work. In fact, we can read some of the words that inspired the people
and their leaders to continue in Haggai 2:4, 5: “… be strong, alert, and
courageous, all you people of the land, says the Lord, and work! For I am
with you, says the Lord of hosts… My Spirit stands and abides in the
midst of you; fear not.”
I believe that God has a great plan for your life and that you are called to
do something special for Him. The enemy will resist you, but let the
book of Ezra remind you that God is on your side and the enemy is a
defeated foe. Whatever battles the enemy wages against you, do not
become discouraged, but stay “strong, alert, and courageous” in God. Fear
not, but remember that God is faithful and He is with you; He always
wins and in Him, you do too.
life point
God moves on our behalf when we focus on Him instead of on
our fears. The feeling of fear or fearful thoughts is simply our
enemy Satan trying to distract us from God and His will for our
lives. We would do well to follow the Israelites’ example in Ezra
3:3 and focus on God, worshipping Him with all our hearts. The
Israelites worshipped by offering burnt offerings, which was a
requirement of the old covenant. Under the new covenant, we
worship Him by offering everything we have and everything we
are for His use and glory. He no longer wants dead animal
sacrifices; now He wants us to come to Him as “living
sacrifices,” holy, well-pleasing, and devoted to Him (see Romans
12:1).

Have you seen evidence of God fulfilling His plans in your life
or ministry? Be sure to thank Him for His faithfulness from the
very beginning, as the Israelites did when the foundation of the
second temple was laid (see Ezra 3:10, 11).
life point
The children of Israel faced much opposition as they worked to
restore the temple, but they never lost sight of God’s goodness
(see Ezra 3:11). Like the Israelites, we need to remember that
God is good all the time. He wants us to understand and
experience His goodness in every situation.
When resistance attempts to stand in your way as you seek to
obey God, remember to not question His goodness. Instead, let
opposition provoke you to praise and declare the goodness of
God. Be like the children of Israel and refuse to be discouraged.
Instead, believe and proclaim God’s goodness more aggressively.
He is good, and His goodness is available to you, no matter what
obstacles are in your way.

Is change happening in the midst of your personal life or the life
of your church or ministry? Experiencing mixed emotions
during times of change is not uncommon (see Ezra 3:12, 13). Do
not try to make serious decisions during emotional times. As I
like to say, “Let emotions subside and then decide!”
grace to overcome opposition

In Ezra 4:1–5, we read about the two tribes of Judah and
Benjamin, who received permission from Cyrus, the king of
Persia, to build a temple to the Lord. When the Samaritans
heard what was going on, they went to the governor, Zerubbabel,
and the other leaders of the people and asked to join in
rebuilding the temple, because they claimed to worship the
same God.
If we investigate, we will discover that although it is true that
these Samaritans were worshipping the God of Israel, they were
worshipping Him for the wrong reason. They were doing it
because, basically, they had been taught to do so in order to keep
evil out of their camp. These people were not Israelites; they
were Assyrians who had simply added the Lord God of Israel to
the list of other gods they worshipped. While they did worship
the one true God, Jehovah, they also kept their false gods and
idols.
Since the Israelites were well aware of this fact, they told the
Samaritans, their longtime enemies, that they would have no
part in building a temple to the Lord. This made the Samaritans
so angry that they began to do everything in their power to
harass and cause trouble for the Israelites, to frustrate their
purpose and plans.
What should be the reaction of the godly to that kind of
opposition and persecution? Jesus said we should “calm down”
and “cheer up” (see John 14:27; 16:33). I believe the willingness
to do that is a key to enjoying the life of grace that God provides
and wants for His people.
If we think we can do anything for God without opposition, we
are wrong. Jesus warned us that in this life we will have
tribulation (see John 16:33). He said that if people hated and
persecuted Him, they will also hate and persecute us, because
we belong to Him (see John 15:18, 20). We know that we cannot
go through life on this earth without encountering some kind of
trouble. Yet so often it is trouble that frustrates us and makes us
miserable and unhappy. If we know that trials are a fact of life,
we should make the decision to not let them steal our peace and
joy. If they do, they will also steal our power.
Often, when people first come to the Lord, they suddenly begin
to be attacked in ways that are totally different from anything
they have experienced before. Many times they do not
understand what is happening to them or why. If they do not
have proper instruction in this area, their misunderstanding and
frustration can cause them to give up and fall away from God.
We must remember that the devil is not going to just sit back
and allow us to take new ground without putting up a fight. Any
time we begin to make progress in building the kingdom of God,
our enemy will come against us. Many times the mistake we
make is the one I made in my early Christian life—trying to use
faith to get to the place where there is total freedom from
trouble. I am sure you know by now that it just does not work
that way.
The purpose of faith is not always to keep us from trouble; it is
often to carry us through trouble. If we never had any trouble, we
would not need any faith. What we need in the midst of trouble
is grace—God’s powerful, overcoming grace.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, for giving me the diligence I need in order
to press on in the work You have given me to do and for
causing it to prosper in my hands.
the truth about hard work

It is easy to drift backward amid obstacles and persecution, but
we, like those who rebuilt the temple, need to press on and go
forward. Effortless living is never effective. Everyone thinks that
the more we can do with less effort, the better life is—but that is a
lie!
Think about the number of buttons we push each day to make
our lives easier. We push a button to get on an elevator and push
another one to get to the next floor; we put dirty dishes in a
washer and push a button and the dishes come out clean; we put
the dirty clothes in a machine, push a button, and they are
washed; throw them into another machine, push a button, and
they are dried—and if we remove them from the dryer quickly
enough, they do not even wrinkle enough to need ironing. Still,
we complain and grumble because we have to load and unload
we are also not supposed to be the kind of people who always
take the easy way out.
Look at what the people mentioned in Ezra accomplished with
their hard work—they rebuilt God’s beautiful temple, restoring
worship to the Lord their God in Jerusalem (see Ezra 6:14, 15).
Let their story restore diligence in your heart to faithfully serve
the Lord.
the machines!
Speaking of effortless living and its effects, consider this story
about a science experiment: Some bees were taken along on a
space flight to see how they would do in a gravity-free
environment. Because the bees floated in space, they did not
have to make any effort to fly. When the astronauts were asked
how the bees seemed to respond to the experiment, they replied,
“They enjoyed the ride, but they died.”
We may think we would enjoy an effortless life, but it would kill
us. We are created to make effort. Whether we know it or not,
we are created for work, involvement, participation, and
struggle. We are not supposed to struggle with everything, but
we are also not supposed to be the kind of people who always
take the easy way out.
Look at what the people mentioned in Ezra accomplished with
their hard work—they rebuilt God’s beautiful temple, restoring
worship to the Lord their God in Jerusalem (see Ezra 6:14, 15).
Let their story restore diligence in your heart to faithfully serve
the Lord.
speak the Word

Lord, I pray that You would help me to prepare and set my
heart to seek Your will, to inquire for it and to yearn for it.
God, whatever You command me to do, I will do it

diligently and honorably.
speak the Word

God, I bless You because Your steadfast love and mercy are
extended to me. I am strengthened and encouraged
because Your hand is upon me.

Ezra knew that the exiled Jews needed guidance and protection
as they prepared to return to Jerusalem (see Ezra 8:21–23). Are
you facing a challenging situation and opposition from the
enemy? Humble yourself before God, seek Him desperately and
trust Him to honor your dependence on Him.
speak the Word

God, I thank You that Your hand is upon me for good
because I seek You.
seek God desperately

In Ezra 8:23, we read that Ezra proclaimed a fast to show his
desperation to God when the Israelites required protection and
needed to know what to do. Missing a few meals and taking that
time to seek God is not a bad idea. Turning the television off and
spending the time you would normally spend watching it with
God instead is not a bad idea either. Stay home a few evenings
and spend extra time with the Lord instead of going out with
your friends and repeating your problem over and over to them.
Ezra and the Israelites “besought” God (Ezra 8:23), which simply
means they sought Him, they inquired of Him. When we seek
God we pursue, crave, and go after God with all our might. In
other words, we act like a starving person in search of food to
keep us alive. We need to seek God all the time, not just when
we are in trouble.
God once spoke to me that the reason so many people have
problems all the time is that the only time they seek Him is
when they are in trouble. He showed me that if He removed the
problems, the people would not spend any time with Him. He
said, “Seek Me as if you were desperate all the time, and then
you will not find yourself desperate as often in reality.” I think
this is good advice, and I highly recommend that we all follow it.
Hearing from God is vital, and we need to do whatever it takes to
hear His voice clearly.
Have you ever been tempted to take sin lightly? Remember, in
the eyes of the Lord, there is no distinction between “small”
sins or “large” sins: sin is sin. We need to be like Ezra and
approach God with true sorrow and humility when we ask for
forgiveness (see Ezra 9:1–6).
Nehemiah
Author:
Nehemiah
Date:
Approximately 423 BC
God wants to repair every
broken thing in your life and
restore everything that has
been lost.
The enemy’s resistance should
be an encouragement that God
is doing something significant
in your life, because he never
opposes anything that does not
threaten him.
The enemy will oppose
restoration in your life, but be
like Nehemiah and stay focused
and prayerful. You will
overcome!
The book of Nehemiah is the story of a man who had a burden from God
to rebuild the walls of the ruined city of Jerusalem. It is also the story of
people who came together for a common purpose, worked and prayed in
unity, resisted their enemies, responded to Nehemiah’s good leadership,
achieved their goal, celebrated their victory, enjoyed the rewards of their
labors, and experienced spiritual renewal.
But in order to accomplish the task set before them, Nehemiah and the
people had to be totally dedicated to the restoration to which God had
called them. As their leader, Nehemiah stayed focused on his assignment,
steadfastly refusing to be distracted or discouraged. Even in the midst of
intense mocking and persecution and all kinds of resistance, he remained
diligent and prayerful until his God-given assignment was complete.
Just as Nehemiah’s enemies were relentless in their various efforts to
stop the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls, the devil will use multiple
strategies as he repeatedly tries to thwart the restoration and rebuilding
God wants to do in your life. The enemy does not oppose anything that
does not threaten him, so let his resistance be a sign that God is indeed
doing a great work in you. Be like Nehemiah; fight back with frequent,
fervent prayer and with increased diligence as you partner with God to
bring His purposes to pass in you.
life point
Nehemiah was not afraid of emotion; notice that he wept
unashamedly in Nehemiah 1:4. Some people refuse to weep or
show any kind of outward emotion, which is not healthy. Pent-up
emotions are powerful and need to be released. If you do not
release your emotions at appropriate times, as Nehemiah did
when he heard that the walls of Jerusalem had been destroyed,
then your emotions will eat away at you on the inside. Since
God has given us tear glands and the ability to cry, that must
mean there will be times in life when we, like Nehemiah, need
to weep.
life point
Like Nehemiah, we are to confess our sins and failures to the
Lord (see Nehemiah 1:6, 7), confident that He will forgive us of
those sins and failures and cleanse us from all unrighteousness,
as He has promised in His Word (see I John 1:9).
Nehemiah waited for God to respond to his prayers (see
Nehemiah 1:5–11). When you pray, do you give God time to
answer or do you try to push ahead? Remember Nehemiah, and
always wait on God to respond to your prayers in His timing.
speak the Word

I thank You, Lord, that Your good hand is upon me.
speak the Word
Thank You, God, for prospering me. I will arise and do
whatever You have called me to do.

Do you ever struggle with your role, thinking others are called
to more important or more valuable work? In Nehemiah 3:26–
31, some workers were called to repair large portions of the wall,
while others were to repair only the section in front of their own
house. Be encouraged: All work done for God is significant; and
the most important thing is to be obedient to do what God calls
you to do.
life point
When the enemy is coming against you, the most powerful thing
you can do is refuse to let it upset you. Instead, be like
Nehemiah in Nehemiah 4:9: intensify your prayers and increase
your vigilance.

As we live and work for God, opposition will come. Do you find
yourself under attack in your ministry? It is vitally important to
have people in your life who will faithfully be at your side
through prayer and other means of support (see Nehemiah 4:16,
17).
speak the Word

When my enemies come against me, Lord, I pray that You
will frustrate their purposes so that I can do as the
Israelites and return to the task You have given me.
God will fight evil for you

When people or events come against us to destroy us, as
Sanballat and Tobiah tried to destroy Nehemiah and his work,
we are to stand firm, confident that everything is going to work
out for the best (see Nehemiah 4:20). Whatever you are going
through, remember, “this too shall pass.”
When problems arise—and they will—we are not to assume that
the Lord will intervene and take care of all our problems
without our invitation. We are to pray and ask Him to change
our circumstances. Then we are to remain constant and stable as
Nehemiah did, and that will be a sign to the enemy of his
impending downfall and destruction.
Do you know why our constancy and fearlessness are a sign to
Satan that he will fail? Because he knows that the only way he
can overcome a believer is through deception and intimidation.
How can he threaten someone who is not afraid of him? How can
he deceive someone who recognizes his lies and refuses to
believe them? What good does it do him to try to stir up fear or
anger or depression in someone who will not be moved by
emotions but chooses to stand firmly on the Word of God?
When the devil sees his tactics are not working, he realizes he
is failing and will be utterly defeated. God will fight for us as He
did for Nehemiah, and we will have the victory.
life point
Nehemiah knew how to make the difficult choices that
leadership demands. He had to be a leader, not a pal, to the
Israelites. Because he related to them as not only a leader but
also a comrade, he was able to confront them successfully in
Nehemiah 5:7–10. The great end result of Nehemiah’s correction
was that the people praised the Lord and said, “We will do as you
say” (see Nehemiah 5:12, 13). If we want to be leaders who make
a difference in people’s lives, we would be wise to follow
Nehemiah’s example.

Are you in a position of leadership or authority? Learn from
Nehemiah’s example as governor (see Nehemiah 5:14–19). Use
your position to serve the people you lead, extend generosity in
praise and in provision, and do not use your position for
personal gain at the expense of those you lead.
life point
If we need help, we are to confidently ask God for it, as
Nehemiah did when he cried out to God, “But now strengthen
my hands!” (Nehemiah 6:9). Then we are to listen in faith for
His answer. The Word explains that when we ask God for
something, we must ask in faith with no wavering, no hesitating,
and no doubting (see James 1:6). God wants us to be totally
confident in Him to manifest His power and love in our lives.
life point
Nehemiah’s enemies had hired someone to tempt him to fear
and hide in the temple (see Nehemiah 6:11–13). This was yet
another obstacle that Nehemiah refused to accept. He continued
to move forward and do what God had called him to do.
Like Nehemiah, God has made a way for us to do everything He
has put in our hearts. He does not put dreams and visions in us
to frustrate us. We must be like Nehemiah and keep our
confidence in God all the way through to the end, not just for a
short while. When it looks like the obstacles in front of you are
too formidable, do not give up! The completion of your project
may be just one or two steps away, as it was for Nehemiah.
life point
Tobiah was trying to frighten Nehemiah (see Nehemiah 6:19),
but Nehemiah did not succumb to fear. Fear prevents us from
receiving and doing all God has planned for us. Hear God’s
message to you: “Fear not, for I, the Lord, am with you.”
finish well
Nehemiah knew how to finish what he started (see Nehemiah
6:15), and God uses people who know how to complete what they
have begun. Many of us are good at starting, but not good at
finishing. The reason is simple. Emotions motivate us and get us
going, but it takes more than emotion to get us to the finish.
Let’s say we receive an encouraging word from God or someone
else, and we are off and running. The question is, how long do
we keep running after the emotions wear off? Many of us stop
right that minute, as soon as we no longer feel anything.
I remember one time early in my Christian walk when I got so
excited because of a word the Lord gave me. A guest speaker with
the gift of prophecy came to our church, and as he was laying
hands on people, praying for them and blessing them, he said to
me, “I see you laying hands on multiplied thousands of people,
and they are all coming under the power of God.”
I went ballistic emotionally. To me, that word was confirmation
of something I believed God had been speaking to me. I got so
emotional about it that I think I scared the man! I usually do not
respond with such enthusiasm, but I was so excited. After a few
years, I was still going ballistic emotionally, but it was for
another reason. It was not out of excitement; it was because I
was still waiting for it to happen, and I thought, I don’t think I can
stand this waiting another moment. Emotions can be up and they can
be down, but we must remember that they are fickle and do not
speak truth to us. They can radically change overnight!
The beginning of a new thing is almost always exciting. But it is
not those who start the race in excitement who win; it is those
who stick to it and make it across the finish line—when nobody
is excited anymore, when nobody is cheering them on, when
their emotions are no longer supporting them, when they do not
feel they can go on any longer, when it looks as if they will
never make it to the end, when all they have left is that one
word from God that got them started in the first place. Those
people are called finishers, and Nehemiah was certainly a good
one!
life point
When Ezra opened God’s Word, all the people stood (see
Nehemiah 8:5). I love this image of honoring the Word because
the Word has the power to change people’s lives. I enjoy
teaching the Word, and one of my goals in life is to provoke
tremendous respect and love for God’s Word. If you have not
experienced the transforming power of God’s Word, I urge you
to give it a try—and you will see why it is worthy of honor and
respect.
life point
I believe that when we worship God, at least part of the time we
need to assume a posture of worship, as the Israelites did in
Nehemiah 8:6. We need to bend our knees and bow down before
Him because those postures are signs of reverence and humility.
They are outward representations of our inner heart attitudes.
Satan cannot see what is in our hearts, but he can see our knees
bent and our hands uplifted in worship to God.
Why should we make all these outward signs? Isn’t what is in
our hearts sufficient? As I have already written, the devil cannot
see what is in our hearts, but he certainly can see our actions
and hear our words. Satan can see the outward manifestation of
our uplifted hands, and he knows what is going on when we bow
down. That makes him afraid. He knows he cannot deceive and
control a true worshiper.
I realize that our posture in worship is an outward form of
worship, and outward appearance without a right heart attitude
is useless. But both need to work together. Our heart attitude
establishes things in the spiritual realm, and our actions and
words establish things in this natural realm.
life point
Isn’t it easy to find things to worry about? It is indeed, but if we
could learn to laugh a little more, our loads would be much
lighter. In the world we live in, there is not a great deal to laugh
about, so we will need to look for things to chuckle about on
purpose! We need to laugh and have a good time as often as
possible. Ask the Lord to help you be joyful and of good cheer.
His joy will give you strength (see Nehemiah 8:10).
the joy of the Lord is your strength

When the people heard the words of the law they wept because
of their sorrow. But Ezra spoke to them and said: “… be not
grieved and depressed, for the joy of the Lord is your strength
and stronghold” (Nehemiah 8:10).
The writer of Proverbs said that a merry heart does us good and
acts just like a medicine (Proverbs 17:22). God has given us joy
—it is a fruit of the Holy Spirit that is given to believers, but we
must nurture and release it in our lives.
Satan is much more interested in stealing our joy than our
goods. He knows that if he can sadden us, he can weaken us. He
hopes that by causing the washing machine or other things to
break down, he can steal our joy. Do not let him do it! No matter
what kind of trouble Satan tries to use to distract you, do not pay
attention to him. Each day that God gives us is holy and a
precious gift from Him. We should enjoy it fully. We should not
waste what God gives. Let the devil wear himself out starting
fires in your life, but do not spend your time trying to put them
out. Put your trust in God, and make a decision to rejoice.
Joy is powerful. Ezra knew that, and that is why he instructed
the people to find their strength in God’s joy. He also told them
to eat, drink, and send portions to those who had nothing. They
understood these words and got busy being a blessing and
rejoicing. The Bible says it is more blessed to give than to
receive (see Acts 20:35). Why? Because when we get something
we only get the gift, but when we give, we receive the joy of
giving. Nothing releases supernatural joy in our lives more than
being a blessing to other people.
Selfishness and self-centeredness turn our focus in on ourselves
and block our joy, but giving does just the opposite. People are
happy when they are reaching out to others because they are
functioning in the will of God. God has not called us to “in-
reach,” He has called us to outreach.
Be a blessing and be happy and rejoice on purpose. Satan comes
to steal from us, but Jesus came that we might have and enjoy
life in abundance (see John 10:10).

Do you ever find yourself doubting God’s promises or His ability
to act on your behalf? During such times, be sure to remember
God’s promises and might. Recall and recite the Lord’s
faithfulness throughout Scripture in your own life, as Ezra and
the leaders of Israel did (see Nehemiah 9:5–15), and faith, hope,
and confidence in God will well up within you.
speak the Word

God, I will bless Your name continually. Your name is
glorious and exalted above blessing and praise. You alone
are my God!
trusting day by day

In chapter 9 of Nehemiah, Ezra recounted the mighty miracles
God had performed in Israel’s past as a way of encouraging the
people to believe Him for their present. In verse 20 he reminded
them of God’s faithfulness to provide food (manna) for His
people when they were in the wilderness on their way to the
Promised Land (see Exodus 16:15–25). During this time, God
provided manna for them every day. He told them to gather each
morning only what they needed for that specific day. He was
teaching them that they were to live by faith, believing that what
they needed each day would be supplied. The only exception to
this was the Sabbath. On the day before the Sabbath, the people
were to gather twice as much so they would not have to work on
the day of rest.
There is a great lesson for us here. Have you ever thought that
your future would be secure if you could stockpile God’s
provision? It is so easy to want to store up His grace to cover us
for today as well as for tomorrow. But God teaches us that His
provision of grace does not work that way. It comes one day at a
time. God’s grace, like His provision of manna, cannot be stored
up because it doesn’t take trust to live that way.
When you and I start fretting about what we are going to do
tomorrow, we are “trying to gather manna for the future.” That
does not work! God wants us to know we can trust Him daily.
Didn’t Jesus teach us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread”
(Matthew 6:11)? Note that the Lord did not instruct us to ask for
tomorrow’s bread. He told us to request today’s bread. God wants
us to believe that when the time comes, He will provide what we
need.
If you are concerned about what the future holds for you and
your loved ones, the first thing you must do is make a decision
not to worry. Believe God will show you what to do when the
time comes. Trust Him to provide for you every day, one day at a
time. If you feel overwhelmed when you think about what may
happen tomorrow, just remember that you do not have
tomorrow’s grace today, but when tomorrow comes God’s grace
will be sufficient for all your needs.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, for giving Your good Spirit to instruct me.
speak the Word

Thank You, Lord, for being gracious and merciful to me!

When was the last time you celebrated God’s goodness and
faithfulness in your life? Nehemiah demonstrates the
importance of both dedicating our work and accomplishments to
the Lord and celebrating what the Lord has done for us. As
individuals, families, and as the body of Christ, let’s celebrate
often the goodness of the Lord!
speak the Word

Thank You, God, for turning the curses in my life into
blessings.
life point
Because Nehemiah was a good leader, he chose faithful men as
treasurers (see Nehemiah 13:13). It does not matter how gifted a
person is, if he is not faithful, God cannot use him.
We must understand that God tests faithfulness. It is not enough
to say, “Oh, yes, I’m faithful,” because God will say, “Well, let’s
see.” Do you know how God tests our faithfulness? He assigns
us to do something for a period of time that we do not want to do,
something that is not fun or exciting, something that may
require us to submit to someone else’s authority for a while, and
He will speak to our hearts, “Just be faithful.”
Faithfulness is not only showing up day after day; it is showing
up day after day with a good attitude and an excellent spirit. God
will reward that kind of faithfulness. Luke 16:12 tells us that if
we are faithful over what belongs to someone else, God will give
us our own. If you are being tested in the area of faithfulness, be
unwavering in your resolve to be faithful and dependable. You
will be glad you did.
life point
Nehemiah knew the importance of a Sabbath rest (see
Nehemiah 13:19). When Elijah neglected to rest, he grew tired
and became discouraged (see I Kings 19:1–4). He was depressed,
and he wanted to be alone. This is an important lesson for all of
us to learn. When we get overly tired and out of balance,
depression and discouragement quickly try to come upon us.
Whatever you do, remember to rest.
Esther
Author:
Unknown
Date:
Probably before the end of the
fifth century BC
Even though you are only one
person, you can make a
difference!
In order to fulfill a great
calling, you will need great
preparation.
When you do what God asks
you to do, victory is sure.
I believe that the great encouragement the book of Esther offers us is
the fact that one person can make a difference. Esther was certainly an
unlikely candidate to become the queen of Persia and save the lives of an
entire nation. First of all, she was not even Persian, and second, she was
an orphan. No natural circumstances facilitated her marrying the king,
but God intervened supernaturally and put her in a position of influence
so that His purpose for her people, the Jews, would come to pass.
God called and chose Esther to bring deliverance to the Jews when they
were marked for destruction. He appointed her for a difficult and
dangerous work. Because her call was so significant, she needed thorough
preparation. Without proper preparation, she could have faltered in her
responsibilities or failed to obey God, but because she was thoroughly
prepared and had an obedient heart, she succeeded gloriously. In Esther’s
case, the preparation included twelve months of beauty treatments and
instruction from Hegai, the king’s attendant. This type of preparation
was necessary to assure that the king would respond favorably to her,
which was what she needed in order to save her people.
I believe that God has a great call and purpose for your life, as He did for
Esther’s. Your assignment may not be the deliverance of a nation, but
whatever God has called you to is extremely significant. Whatever it is,
be diligent to embrace the preparation process it requires so that you will
be well-equipped when the time

Often God’s assignments to us require preparation, as Esther’s
did (see Esther 2:12, 13). It may be spiritual preparation, or it
may be that certain circumstances must first be in place, such as
further training or others to help you. Are you confident that
you are prepared for the work the Lord has for you at this time
in your life? If not, ask God to show you the further preparation
you need and, like Esther, embrace it.

Do you have a hard time asking for advice? Take a lesson from
Esther, who recognized the source of wisdom that the Lord had
given her in Hegai (see Esther 2:15). In seeking and heeding his
counsel, she found favor that led to great deliverance and victory
for her people. Ask the Lord to show you the people who are
sources of wisdom and godly counsel in your life.
speak the Word

God, I pray that You will do for me what You did for Esther,
and give me favor in the sight of everyone I meet.
believe for God’s favor

Do you know that there is a verse in the Bible that says God
brings one person down and lifts up another (see I Samuel 2:7)?
In Esther 2:15–17, He raised up Esther from obscurity to become
the queen of the entire land. God gave her favor with everyone
she met, including the king, because she had favor with Him.
Later on in the story, we will see that Esther drew upon that
favor to save herself and her people, the Jews, from being
murdered by the evil Haman, who was out to destroy them. She
was not afraid to go to the king and ask him to intervene on
behalf of herself and her people, even though such a bold
request of the king could have cost her very life, because she
knew that she had favor with God.
If you find yourself in a situation in which you are being
harassed, persecuted, or discriminated against; if someone is
trying to take something from you that rightfully belongs to you
—whether it is your job, your home, your reputation, or
anything else in life—do not try to retaliate by seeking natural
favor. Instead, believe God for supernatural favor, because
despite how hopeless things may look from a human perspective,
God can lift you up and bring your enemies down.
Every single day when you go to work, let me encourage you to
say, “I believe that I have favor in this place today. I believe that
the light of the Lord shines upon me and that I have favor with
everyone, with God and with men.”
Do not go through life being afraid that nobody likes you. Do not
harbor the fear of rejection. Instead, believe that God is causing
everyone you come in contact with to like you, to want to be
around you, to look upon you with favor.
life point
Mordecai was a man called and anointed by God to bring
deliverance to His people, just as you and I are called and
anointed by God to bring deliverance and help to others in our
day.
a better plan
If you are familiar with Esther’s story, you know that Esther, the
cousin and adopted daughter of a Jew named Mordecai, had been
chosen by King Ahasuerus to be elevated to the position of
queen of his kingdom. She was taken into the king’s harem as a
young maiden, and I feel sure that this was not the plan she had
for her life. The situation probably frightened her and may even
have seemed evil to her at the time. In the harem, her whole
purpose was to prepare for a night with the king. Then when the
time came, God gave her favor with the king, and he chose her to
be the queen (see Esther 2:7–17). Little did she know that God
was putting her in position to save a nation (see Esther 3:5, 6).
Often we have a plan in mind for our lives, but something
happens to interrupt our plan. We often resist and are not happy
about the change, but no matter what we do, this new thing
seems to be God’s will for us. We cannot imagine how it could
turn out good, but God has a plan in mind that is much better
than ours. In Esther’s case, Mordecai told her that she was called
to the kingdom “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14) because
the Jews were in danger of extinction. Her destiny was to save
them from destruction, and if she did not do what God was
asking her to do, she would perish along with everyone else (see
Esther 4:14). She agreed to do whatever needed to be done.
I pray that you and I will be just as courageous as Esther was—
even when we are led in a different direction than we had
planned.
for such a time as this

Queen Esther was asked to do something very difficult in order
to help bring deliverance to her people. Most likely, she did not
feel like being in the challenging place where God had put her.
She probably did not want the responsibility, nor did she want to
risk the personal harm she knew could come to her. Esther was a
young maiden with her whole life ahead of her. Leaving her
dreams behind, she was being asked to follow instructions from
the Lord that seemed very dangerous. Esther was to go before the
king to expose a wicked plot that had been launched against the
Jews. No one was allowed to go before the king unless he or she
was invited—not even the queen. Esther knew that unless God
gave her favor, she would be killed (see Esther 4:16). I would say
that Esther put everything on the line in order to obey God’s
will.
Mordecai, who was speaking to Esther on God’s behalf, told her
that she must not keep silent. If she did, people would perish. He
reminded her that perhaps she had been called to the kingdom
for the very task that lay before her.
You, too, may be alive today in order to fulfill the purposes of
God in your generation. The timing and place of your birth are
not accidental; God purposely and specifically places us all in
certain time frames and places. Many people spend their entire
lives never knowing what their purpose is, but perhaps it is
because they try to choose their own destiny rather than follow
the leading of the Holy Spirit. Following God requires sacrifices
and a willingness to be uncomfortable. Esther reached a point of
being willing to lay aside all her own thoughts, plans, and ideas.
She was even willing to die if she needed to in order to obey
God.
Because of Esther’s sacrifice and bold step of faith, God did use
her to save a nation. She was more blessed in God’s will than
she could ever have been anywhere else. God’s will is not always
easy, but it is always worth any sacrifice we need to make.
speak the Word

God, I pray that You will give me a heart like Esther’s,
willing to do Your will at any cost.

Do you sometimes wonder about your position in life—why you
are where you are? Scripture teaches us that God has placed us
where we are for His purposes, and Esther is a powerful example
of this truth. Look for opportunities around you—in your
neighborhood, your workplace, even your home—for ways the
Lord wants you to partner with Him in the work of His kingdom.
3 Then the king said to her, What will you have, Queen Esther?
What is your request? It shall be given you, even to the half of
the kingdom.
4 And Esther said, If it seems good to the king, let the king and
Haman come this day to the dinner that I have prepared for the
king.
life point
The Bible contains some very radical examples of things people
did to obey God. It was radical of Esther to put everything on the
line when she went before the king without being summoned.
Her motive was right, and she did it in obedience; therefore, God
gave her favor, and she was instrumental in saving her nation
from disaster.
When we are called upon to make a sacrifice or do something
radical for God, we should not feel deprived, but privileged. In
the most radical act of human history, Jesus sacrificed His very
life for us, and we are to follow in His footsteps. It is time to
shake ourselves into reality and start doing what He asks us to
do, no matter what the cost.

Esther found favor in the sight of the king and received what she
asked for (see Esther 5:2–5). Do you ever hesitate to ask Jesus,
the King of kings, for what you need or desire? Know that you
have favor with God and can approach Him with total confidence
because of what Jesus has done on your behalf.
God does not forget

I would like to share a truth with you. Whatever good thing you
and I do, even in secret, God has recorded. He is not going to
forget it. The day will come when our good deeds will be brought
out into the open.
Every prayer we have prayed, every time we have submitted to
authority when we wanted to rebel, every time we have
confessed God’s Word when our emotions were screaming at us
to say negative things—each act of obedience is recorded and
will be rewarded. Every time we have taken our position of faith,
worship, and maintaining a good confession, every time we have
offered up to God the sacrifice of praise, God remembers. He
does not forget the things we have done right. He has them
recorded in His book of memorable deeds, as we read in Hebrews
6:10: “For God is not unrighteous to forget or overlook your
labor and the love which you have shown for His name’s sake in
ministering to the needs of the saints (His own consecrated
people), as you still do.”
Mordecai had been doing some good deeds, but he had not made
a big deal about them. He had simply been doing them in secret,
as unto the Lord. The Word teaches us that when we do good
deeds, we are not to let our left hand know what our right hand
is doing (see Matthew 6:3, 4). This means that we should do what
we feel God is leading us to do—do it for His glory, then forget it
and go on about our business. It means not patting ourselves on
the back or telling others what we have done, but simply
knowing that our reward will come from God when the time is
right. When God’s timing was right, He rewarded Mordecai (see
Esther 6:1–3), and you can be sure He will do the same for you.

Has there ever been a time in your life when someone else tried
to take credit for something you had done? Haman coveted the
honor that rightfully belonged to Mordecai. When you do not
receive the honor or credit that you know is rightfully yours,
trust God; He does not forget, and He will be faithful to reward
you.
life point
The king, who represents God in this story, was telling Haman,
“Every blessing you planned for yourself, you are going to confer
on Mordecai. You are going to watch while I bless him” (see
Esther 6:7–10). When God decides to bless someone, no person
on earth or no devil in hell can stop Him.
life point
Esther had worshipped God by her obedience and willingness to
stay in a situation that was unpleasant to her. She was willing to
lay aside her plan and accept God’s plan, even though she did
not understand it for a period of time. Each act of obedience is a
type of worship that God does not ignore. When we keep our
eyes on God, stand firm in faith, continue to worship, and hold
fast a good confession, we will always see the devil’s plan for evil
in our lives work for our good and to his demise, just as Esther
did.
life point
Not only did the Lord turn the tables on Haman so that he had to
give Mordecai the honor he had planned for himself (see Esther
6:11, 12), He also turned back on Haman the evil plan he had
devised for Mordecai (see Esther 9:25). When Haman went to the
dinner that Queen Esther gave for the king and for him, she
revealed Haman’s wicked plot to kill her and her people. As a
result, the king had Haman hanged on the same gallows he had
built for Mordecai (see Esther 7:9, 10). When we trust God, the
evil that is planned against us will come to ruin and God will
give us the ultimate victory.
life point
I wholeheartedly believe that Esther 10:3 is a word in due season
for our lives, one that we desperately need right now. Esther and
Mordecai did receive honor and position at the end of the story,
but first they had to be willing to sacrifice everything to avoid
the extinction of their people. They did not seek position for
themselves, but unselfishly laid their lives on the line in
obedience to God’s purpose. They did not give up until their
people were saved and the victory was won.
I encourage you to take your position as Mordecai and Esther
did. Do not give up. Stand still and trust God. Enter into God’s
rest. Like Mordecai, seek the welfare of others and speak peace
to everyone you meet. Quit worrying and trying to figure out
everything that is going on in your life. When you are tempted
to waver, take your position and see the salvation God has
planned for you.
Job
Author:
Uncertain
Date:
Probably written in the second
millennium BC, but put in its
present written form around the
time of Solomon
God does allow people to go
through difficulties.
God loves us and helps us in the
midst of our suffering.
When we suffer, we must be
diligent to keep our faith strong
and to maintain a good attitude.
Faith in God and a positive
attitude not only help us endure
suffering, but also lead to
restoration.
Simply put, the book of Job is about hard times. It teaches us that God
does allow His people to suffer at times, but it also reminds us that God is
with us in the midst of our suffering and encourages us to cling to Him
through it all, no matter what we face in life.
Job endured almost every kind of loss imaginable—the loss of money,
possessions, family, health, and the support of his friends. But he did not
lose his hope in God. Even when things became so bad that his wife
wanted him to “renounce God and die!” Job called her foolish and
responded: “Shall we accept [only] good at the hand of God and shall we
not accept [also] misfortune…?” (Job 2:9, 10). Verse 10 continues, “In
[spite of] all this, Job did not sin with his lips.” He remained faithful to
God despite devastating and difficult circumstances. In the end, God
rewarded Job’s faithfulness and restored double what he had lost. I want
to repeat that he received double what he had lost.
I hope you will remember the lessons of Job when you face suffering in
your life. Remember that God loves you, that your Redeemer lives and is
working on your behalf, that nothing can steal God’s presence from you,
that you may have to close your ears to the skeptics in your life, that
your persevering faith will ultimately cause you to triumph, and that God
is able to.
speak the Word

Help me, God, to be like Job—blameless and upright,
fearing You and abstaining from evil.
speak the Word

God, I pray that no matter what I go through, I will not sin
or make foolish accusations against You.

Have you ever struggled to know what to say to someone who is
grieving? After seeing Job’s profound grief, his friends did not
say anything for days, but they did stay with him and share in
his grief. Often the best thing to do for those who are grieving is
simply to be present in the midst of their pain and pray for
them.
understanding misunderstanding
Job’s friend Eliphaz gave him wrong advice because he totally
misunderstood Job and the cause of his trouble. There are times
when, like Job, we are misunderstood by people we thought
would understand and comfort us. Sometimes even the people
who are the closest to us do not understand our struggles, our
dreams, our personalities, or our callings from God.
Before my ministry became established, I remember when
people misunderstood me because I was too serious for them.
They did not like the same things I did or do things the way I did.
Instead, they would ask me, “Why do you act the way you do?”
I look back now and realize that everything I needed to do the
work of Joyce Meyer Ministries was already in me. The
personality type and qualities that God wanted me to have were
already there. God just had to polish me and get me in good
working order.
As God is preparing you for His use, and as you are discovering
exactly what He wants you to do, you might also feel strange and
out of place. You may feel that you do not fit into the regular
regimen of what is going on around you. If you are already
feeling strange, you may be tempted to be confused or bothered
when people say things such as, “What’s wrong with you? Why
do you act the way you do?” Part of your training for leadership
is realizing that people will misunderstand you. You have to
make up your mind that you are going to stand with God and do
what He says even if nobody understands you, agrees with you,
or supports you.
I believe He wants to do great things through you, so stick with
Him even when others do not understand. Most often, people
who do not understand you do not mean to hurt you, they simply
do not understand.
life point
Job 5:22 is one of my favorite passages on laughter as an
expression of joy. It tells us that we will laugh at destruction and
famine, which is what God would do in a similar situation. We
see God laughing at His wicked enemies in Psalm 2:4: “He Who
sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord has them in derision [and in
supreme contempt He mocks them].” If God can laugh at His
enemies, we can laugh at ours once in a while. When things
come against you, do not be uptight and sensitive—just stay
godly while you enjoy a good laugh! You are not laughing about
the problem; you are laughing at the fact that it cannot do you
any permanent harm because God is on your side.
passing the frustration test

I cannot imagine anything more frustrating to Job than
suffering as much as he did and never knowing why. We all
experience frustration. It usually comes from trying to do
something about a situation we cannot do anything about. We
get frustrated because it seems things are taking too long, our
task is too hard, or no one is willing to help us. We get
frustrated because the money we need is not coming in, or the
aches, pains, and burdens we have prayed to be removed from us
keep going on and on.
I know what frustration is like because I spent a lot of years
frustrated. I knew nothing of the grace of God. I have since
discovered that when I get frustrated, it is almost always because
I am trying to make something happen instead of waiting on the
Lord to bring it to pass. My frustration is a sign that I am acting
independently.
In order to pass the frustration test, we have to let go and trust
God to do what only He can do. We have to let God be God.
Are you frustrated with your spiritual growth? Do you feel that
you will never change? Does it seem that the more you pray and
seek God, the worse you get? Are you wrestling with some area
of your personality that is causing you problems, or are you
dealing with some specific bondage in your life? If so, the reason
you are getting so frustrated may be that you are trying to
change yourself rather than trusting God to change you. The
minute you sincerely say, “Lord, I can’t do this, so I let it go,”
you can almost feel the frustration lift right off of you.
God is the only One Who can make things happen for you. He is
the only One Who can bring the things you want and desire into
your life. He is the only One Who can open doors of ministry for
you; trying to knock them down on your own will not do you any
good. The more you try to make your own way, the tighter the
doors will stay closed. But when you do things God’s way,
suddenly He can open significant doors for you and do it so
quickly that you will be amazed. You can end up running, trying
just to keep up with God and all the good opportunities He is
giving you. So do not give in to frustration. Wait on God, and you
will see awesome results.

In the midst of his trials and difficulties, Job felt as though
there was no one to come to his aid or defense (see Job 9:32, 33).
Have you ever felt this way? Thankfully, you have an Advocate,
Jesus Christ, the one Mediator between God and man. Trust Him
to intercede for you.

Do trials make you wonder if God really cares about you? Even
in the midst of his suffering, Job knew he had to remember that
it was God Who gave him life and preserved his spirit (see Job
10:12). Ask God to show you ways that He is caring for you even
in the midst of your difficulty, so that you can be strengthened
and encouraged.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, that my life is in Your hand.
God, I declare that wisdom and might are found only in

You, and You alone can give me counsel and
understanding.
speak the Word

God, in the midst of suffering that threatens to defeat me, I
will trust You and wait for You.

Are you facing great difficulty and feeling abandoned by all who
care for you? Job certainly did. Like Job, realize that your
Redeemer lives and that He will never fail you nor forsake you
(see Job 19:25). Ask God to surround you with His presence and
to give you His peace.
faith over feelings

Job endured many tests and trials, but his patience and faith
triumphed in the end, as we will see in chapter 42. God tests us
too. One of the ways He does so is by allowing us to go through
dry times—times when nothing seems to minister to us or water
our souls. We go to church, but we feel no different when we
leave. We read the latest book or listen to the latest song, but it
does us no good at all.
I have had those times in my life and ministry, and Job certainly
had them—in what seems like extreme measure (see Job 19:7–
11)! I have gone through mountaintop experiences, and I have
been through valleys. I have had dry times in my prayer life and
in my praise and worship. I have had times when I would go into
a meeting or conference and be able to feel the presence of God,
and I have had times when I would go and feel absolutely
nothing. I have learned to believe that God is with me whether I
feel it or not. There have also been times when I could hear from
God so clearly and know that I had heard “a word in season” for
me. There have been other times when I have not heard
anything at all.
Looking back on my spiritual life, I realize that at times I have
gone up and down, up and down. When I was up I felt that I was
saved, and when I was down I felt that I was lost. When I felt
sure God had called me, I was up, and when I was uncertain of
my calling, I was down. When dry times came upon me, I let
them affect me. At the time I did not know what was happening
to me or why. Now I realize that God was working all the
harmful things out of me and getting me to the point where I
did not base my faith on my feelings.
I will be honest with you. I rarely go through those times now. I
just love God, and that’s it. I worship Him, and that’s it. I pray, I
believe He hears me, and that’s it. I know I am called, and I go
out and do what I am called to do, and I do not go through all the
ups and downs I used to go through. Why? Because I have
learned to stop basing everything on my feelings and to live by
faith instead. I do not allow my emotions to determine whether I
believe God is with me or not. I just choose to believe He is. That
does not mean I never experience a rough time or have a bad
day, but those times no longer control what I believe.
I do not believe God can allow us to go from one emotional high
to another. If He did, we would depend too much on them and
would probably start thinking more highly of ourselves than we
should. God loves us and protects us from depending on
emotions too much so that He can continue to use us.
We must learn to trust that God knows what He is doing in us. If
we feel something in our emotions, that is fine. If we do not feel
anything, that is fine too. We must remember that we are in this
for the long haul—not just for those times when we feel good,
but also for those times when we feel bad or do not feel anything
at all. Be patient and stay faithful. God will come through for
you, and you will be amazed!
life point
God is our Vindicator (see Job 19:25). As long as we behave
properly toward others—even when they come against us or do
not understand us—God will reward us for being steadfast
toward Him.
life point
There is a nugget of truth in the midst of the accusations of
Job’s friend Eliphaz in Job 22:21. It is true that when we are at
peace, good comes to us. In fact, nothing is worth anything if we
do not have peace.
Money is no good if we do not have peace. Fame is no good if we
do not have peace. Having the most important, prestigious job in
the whole company is not important if we do not have peace.
How many people will spend their lives trying to climb the
ladder of success, and every time they go up one more rung they
lose more of their peace because of the pressure? They also lose
more of their time to spend with their families. Everything about
their lives is consumed with the stress of trying to play all the
games to keep that job. They may have great positions, but they
have to worry about keeping them all the time. Soon, their
health is falling apart, and they do not have any peace of mind.
Without peace, our lives are full of confusion and chaos, but
when we are at peace, we have a good thing indeed!
speak the Word

God, when I have questions, I want to know Your answers,
and I want to understand what You are saying to me.
trained to trust
One of the tests we can expect to encounter in our journey with
God is the trust test. Like Job, we must learn to trust God when
we do not understand what is going on in our lives (see Job
23:10).
How many times do we say to God, “What are You doing? What
is happening? What is going on in my life? I don’t understand
this at all.” At this point, many people get confused and give up
or fail. They fall by the wayside and go back to something that
will be quicker and easier for them.
If you are in a place right now where nothing in your life makes
any sense, trust God anyway. Say to yourself, “This must be a
test.”
One of the things I have learned through the years is this: There
is no such thing as trusting God without unanswered questions. If we
have all the answers to all the questions, we have no need to
trust because we already know everything.
As long as God is training us to trust, there are always going to
be things in our lives we simply do not understand. That is why
we have to learn to say, “God, I don’t understand, but I trust
You.”
Sometimes I start to get frustrated and feel like saying, “Tell me
something, Lord.” But I have learned that if He does not tell me
anything, I need to stay busy doing the last thing He told me to
do, whatever it was, and just keep trusting Him. It may be five
years before He gives me another direction. If He speaks
something different to me, then I will do it. But until He does, I
will just go on doing what He has already told me to do.
Without trusting God, our lives are miserable. So we, like Job,
must learn to trust God when we do not understand and when
heaven is silent.
Do your troubles ever seem so great that you doubt God’s power
to act on your behalf? In the midst of his trials, Job recalled the
greatness of God and recognized that he saw only the “outskirts
of His ways” (Job 26:14). Be encouraged by the knowledge that
the same God Who is powerful enough to “hang the earth on
nothing” (see Job 26:7) has promised to act on your behalf!

Where do you seek wisdom? Do you understand its value? Job
knew that the value of wisdom is far beyond any wealth, and that
wisdom is found in fearing the Lord (see Job 28:12–28). Ask the
Lord to teach you what it means to fear Him and to help you
grow in wisdom.

Do you ever struggle with the temptation to boast or brag? Ask
the Lord for humility, so that you will not have to learn, as Job
did, that those who exalt themselves will be humbled.

Have you ever been tempted to consider your wealth as a greater
source of security than God? If so, like Job, realize that such an
attitude denies God’s power and is sinful. Repent and ask God to
increase your faith in His ability to always provide for you.

Perhaps you have heard the saying “With age comes wisdom.”
In some cases this is true, but not always. Have you ever
dismissed someone’s counsel because he or she didn’t seem to
be old enough or at the proper stage of life to know what he or
she was talking about? It is important to recognize, as Job’s
friend Elihu did, that it is the Spirit of the Lord Who gives
people understanding and wisdom (see Job 32:8).
life point
In Job 32:17–20, Job said that he was full of words to the point of
feeling as though he would burst. But, he said, “the spirit within
me constrains me” (Job 32:18). In the midst of everything he was
going through, Job still exercised self-control. When you find
yourself so hurt, angry, or stressed that you feel you could burst,
be like Job and exercise self-control!
life point
Even though Job’s friend Elihu was critical and judgmental of
Job, he did offer a good piece of advice in telling Job to “stand
still” (Job 37:14). Standing still is action in God’s economy. It is
spiritual action. We usually take action in the natural realm
and do nothing in the spiritual realm, but when we wait on God
and stand before Him, we are taking spiritual action. Do you
need God to move in a circumstance? Take spiritual action by
saying, “Lord, I am going to wait on You until You do something
about this situation.”
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When God asked Job where light dwells and where the abode of
darkness is (see Job 38:19), He was making a point about His
limitless knowledge and about the mystery that surrounds Him.
We will never know everything He knows, nor will we ever know
everything there is to know about Him. But He knows
everything there is to know about us, and in His awesomeness,
He is doing great things for us and in our lives.
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When others have betrayed us or done us wrong, we must pass
the test of forgiveness. In Job 42:7–10 we read that Job prayed
for his friends. These were the friends who had judged and
criticized him. These were the friends who did not stand with
him in his pain and suffering when he lost everything. What
happened when Job prayed for them and forgave them? He
received a double blessing from the Lord. Based on Job’s story, I
like to say: If you do things God’s way, He will give you double for
your trouble.

Have you ever been wrongly accused and thus deeply wounded
by others? Like Job, pray for those who have hurt you, and
forgive them (see Job 42:10). When we forgive, God brings
restoration.
speak the Word

God, I know that You can do all things, and that no
thought or purpose of Yours can be held back or thwarted.
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No matter what you are going through, God still has the same
good plan for you right now that He had the moment you were
born. He has never changed His mind. From the instant the
enemy attacked you, God has had your restoration in mind.
Psalms
Author:
David, Asaph, the sons of Korah,
Moses, and others
Date:
1000 BC–300 BC
The Psalms are full of practical
advice for you, and they are
easy to read and to pray.
When you need
encouragement, instruction, or
comfort, read the Psalms.
Express your heart to God freely
and fully, just as the psalmists
did.
The Psalms are a collection of 150 songs and poems written over a
period of many years.
Because they were originally intended and used as worship songs for
congregations or individuals, many of the psalms address God directly,
and they are very easy to read and to pray. They are filled not only with
praise and worship to God, but with practical advice and great insight
into the various emotions, victories, and struggles that people face.
One thing I love about the Psalms is that the writers were very honest
with God, and they communicated with Him from their hearts. Whether
they were joyful, confident, depressed, angry, lonely, or afraid, they
wrote about it. In the midst of expressing themselves freely and fully to
Him, they also realized their need for God in fresh new ways and
reaffirmed their trust in Him. Every emotion you or I could ever
experience seems to be mentioned in the Psalms. No matter what you
are going through, God wants to hear your heart.
Many people have a favorite psalm. For most, it is probably Psalm 23;
for others, it is Psalm 91; and for others it is Psalm 100. I would have to
say that my personal favorite is Psalm 27.
I encourage you to read the Psalms and read them often. Let them
remind you to always tell God what is in your heart and receive comfort,
strength, and direction from Him. Let them also remind you to praise.
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Psalm 1 promises prosperity to those who delight in God’s law
(His precepts and instructions) and who meditate on His Word
day and night. In other words, those who give God and His Word
first place in their lives can expect to prosper in every way.
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I once saw a movie in which a king issued a royal decree. He
wrote down his command and then sent forth riders on
horseback throughout the country to “declare the decree” to the
citizens of that kingdom. In the Scriptures we see the issuing of
such royal decrees in Esther 8:8–14 and in Luke 2:1–3.
In Psalm 2:7, the psalmist wrote that he would “declare the
decree of the Lord.” What decree? The decree in which the Lord
declares that He (Jesus) is God’s only begotten Son (see
Hebrews 1:1–5).
The written Word of God is the formal decree of the Lord, our
King. When we declare God’s Word out of our mouths, with
hearts full of faith, those faith-filled words go forth to establish
God’s order in our lives. When the royal decree is pronounced,
things begin to change!
hold your head high
Although there are “downers” in this life, there are also
“lifters.” In Psalm 3:1–3, the psalmist says that despite his
distressing situation, he is not despairing or becoming depressed
because his confidence is in the Lord, the lifter of his head.
When we are depressed, it seems everything around us is falling
apart. We lose strength; our heads and hands and hearts all
begin to hang down. Even our eyes and our voices are lowered.
We become downcast because we are looking at our problems
rather than at the Lord.
No matter what is causing us to be downcast, the Lord
encourages us throughout His Word to lift our heads and our
hands and look to Him. We find one of these many examples in
Genesis 13:14 when God told Abraham, who had been
shortchanged by his nephew Lot, to “lift up” his eyes and look
around him in all directions, for He was giving him all the land
as far as he could see for his inheritance. In Psalm 24:7 the
psalmist says, “Lift up your heads, O you gates; and be lifted up,
you age-abiding doors, that the King of glory may come in.” In I
Timothy 2:8, the apostle Paul encouraged people to pray, “lifting
up holy hands.”
These instructions are good for us to remember today. When
people disappoint us, God wants us, instead of becoming
discouraged and depressed, to decide to lift up our heads and
eyes and look at the possibilities, not the problems, around us,
trusting Him to lead us into an even better situation—because
He has one for us.
We may be tempted to say, “Oh, what’s the use?” and just give
up rather than moving in a new direction as Abraham did, but
the Lord is constantly exhorting us to lift up our eyes and heads
and hearts to take inventory of our blessings and not our
problems. God encourages us to look at Him because He has
plans to bless and increase us abundantly.
No matter how your life has turned out to this point, you have
only two options. One is to give up and quit; the other is to keep
going. If you decide to keep going, again you have only two
choices. One is to live in constant depression and misery; the
other is to live in hope and joy.
Choosing to live in hope and joy does not mean you will not face
any more disappointments or discouraging situations; it just
means you have decided not to let them get you down. Instead,
you will lift up your eyes and hands and head and heart and look
not at your problems, but at the Lord, Who has promised to see
you through to abundance and victory.
speak the Word

Thank You, Lord, for listening and heeding me when I call
to You.
Thank You, God, that I can take refuge in You and that I
can trust You. Thank You for making a covering over me
and for defending me.
speak the Word

God, I thank You for hearing my supplication and
receiving my prayer.
when God tests your emotions

In Psalm 7:9 we read that God “tries” our emotions (Revelation
2:23 conveys a similar message). What does the word try mean in
this context? It means “to test until purified.”
A few years ago, as I was praying, God said to me, “Joyce, I am
going to test your emotions.” I had never heard of anything like
that, and had not yet discovered the scriptures about this in the
Bible.
About six months later, I became an emotional wreck. I cried for
no reason. Everything hurt my feelings. There were times when I
went to bed praying, feeling as sweet as could be, then I woke up
the next morning in a really cranky mood, as if I had stayed up
all night eating nails! I thought, What is the problem here? What’s
going on? Then the Lord reminded me of what He had spoken to
me earlier: “I am going to test your emotions.” As He led me to
Psalm 7:9 and Revelation 2:23, He caused me to understand that
He was doing a work in my emotional life for my own good. He
was going to teach me how to be stable and continue walking in
the fruit of the Holy Spirit, regardless of how I felt.
No matter who you are, there will be periods of time in which
you feel more emotional than usual. You may wake up one
morning and feel like breaking down and crying for no reason.
You may feel sad or depressed; you may feel that nobody cares
about you; or you might feel sorry for yourself. During those
times you must learn how to manage your emotions and not
allow them to manage you. At these times your feelings will
probably get hurt very easily. The slightest thing might make
you angry. Emotions are very fickle! They can be one way one
day and entirely different the next day. God has to teach us not
to live by our feelings, or we will never enjoy victorious living
and we will not give God the glory He deserves.
What should you do when you start feeling that your emotions
are being tested? (1) Do not allow yourself to fall under
condemnation. (2) Do not even try to figure out what is
happening. (3) Instead, simply say, “This is one of those times
when my emotions are being tried. I’m going to trust God and
learn to control them.”
How are you and I ever going to learn to control ourselves
emotionally unless God allows us to go through some trying
times? Remember, the Bible says that God will never allow any
more to come upon us than we are able to bear (see I
Corinthians 10:13). If the Lord does not allow such testing times
to come upon us, we will never grow, and we will never learn
how to deal with Satan when he brings things against us—which
he will sooner or later.
Trying times are learning times. They are testing times, and I
always say, “Pass your test this time so you will not have to take
it again.”

Have you ever looked into the vast, starry sky at night and felt
very small in comparison? Consider the greatness of God as you
observe His creation all around you, and remember that you are
a masterpiece of God’s creation, made in His very image! Take a
moment and praise God for His excellence and thank Him for
crowning you with glory and honor.
speak the Word

I will praise You, God, with all my heart, and I will tell
people about the wonderful things You have done for me. I
will rejoice in You and be in high spirits!
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You have been singled out by God, Who has placed His crown of
glory and honor, or favor and excellence, upon your head,
according to Psalm 8:5. You may not see your crown, but it is
there—just like the robe of righteousness in which you are
dressed. You may not see with your physical eyes your robe of
righteousness or the crown of God’s favor, but they exist in the
spiritual realm (see Isaiah 61:10). We need to remember that
the natural man cannot perceive the things of God because they
are spiritually discerned (see I Corinthians 2:14).
Even though the Bible says we have been crowned with God’s
favor and excellence, often we do not act as though we are. One
reason we do not tap into God’s blessings is that we do not
believe we deserve them. Another reason is that we have not
been taught that the blessings of God can be ours and
consequently have not activated our faith in this area. So we
wander through life, taking whatever the devil throws at us
without ever resisting him and claiming what is rightfully ours.
If you will reread Psalm 8:6, you will see that all things have
been placed under our feet by God, Who has given us dominion
over all His creation. To me, those words do not indicate that we
are supposed to allow our problems or the devil and his demons
to intimidate, dominate, and oppress us. If we will receive by
faith the blessing of glory and honor with which the Lord our
God has crowned us, not only will our faces shine forth with the
glory of the Lord, but we will enjoy respect, esteem, favor, and a
good reputation.
the importance of faithfulness

In Psalm 12:1 we read that David asked the Lord for help
because people were not being godly or faithful. Being faithful
is as important today as it was then.
It is hard to find people who will be really faithful—people who
will stick with you when they find out you are not perfect. The
Bible says, “A friend loves at all times, and is born, as is a
brother, for adversity” (Proverbs 17:17). In other words, a true
friend is a person who is born to stick with you in your hard and
not-so-nice times. I believe one of the saddest things in our
society today is that we do not have this kind of loyalty and
commitment. Many people miss out on so much because they are
not faithful to see things through to the finish. Even sadder is
that most of them will never even realize what incredible
blessings they have missed.
David continues to say in the next verse of this psalm that people
were speaking worthless, untrue words with deceitful, double
hearts. We need single-minded men and women who can set
their hearts on something and stick with it without being
double-minded and speaking empty words. Double-hearted
people believe one thing one day and something else the next.
One day they like you and the next day they do not. They may be
for you today, but against you tomorrow.
The Bible gives us many examples of faithful people. One of
them was Moses, who was faithful in all the house of God (see
Numbers 12:7). That means he was faithful to do exactly the
duties God gave him to do day after day, month after month, year
after year, even when he did not feel like being faithful. Moses
was so faithful that even when his sister and brother, Miriam
and Aaron, spoke against him, he loved them and remained
faithful to them. He had so much faithfulness in his character
that even when the people in his life did not treat him well, he
remained the same way.
The Bible tells us that God remains faithful even when we are
faithless (see II Timothy 2:13). That is the way God wants us to
be. If everybody else is faithless, then we remain faithful. If you
feel as though you are the only one who is being nice, the only
one who apologizes or tries to do the right thing, keep on doing
it. Determine in your heart to stay loyal to God and to keep
bearing the fruit of faithfulness.
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We must learn to seek God’s face and not just His hand.
Seeking God for Who He is, not just for what He can do for us,
assures us “fullness of joy” (Psalm 16:11) and is vital to our
victory as believers.
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Psalm 17:15 is one of my favorite verses because it teaches us
how to wake up in the morning feeling satisfied in the Lord.
Earlier in my life, I had many unhappy days because the minute
I awoke each morning, I began to think about all the wrong
things. But since I have learned the importance of seeking God’s
presence and not just His presents, I am a different person. I
wake up with a thankful heart, and God has taught me to think
of others and not just myself. Fellowshipping with God early in
the morning is one sure way to begin enjoying every day of your
life.
speak the Word

Lord, I declare that You are my Rock, my Fortress, and my
Deliverer. You are my keen and firm Strength, my Shield, the
Horn of my salvation, and my High Tower!
speak the Word

God, I know that Your way is perfect; Your word is tested
and tried!

Our everyday lives are governed by man-made laws that are for
our benefit—obeying the speed limit, stopping at red lights, etc.
Are you equally aware of the benefits of living by God’s perfect
law? Wisdom, joy, righteousness, rewards—all these things and
more are benefits that come from living according to God’s law.
Spend time studying God’s Word each day, and ask Him to help
you live by it, so you can glorify Him and enjoy His blessings.
enjoy God’s handiwork

God speaks to everyone through His handiwork. Even people
living outside the will of God perceive right from wrong and the
reality of God, because Psalm 19:1–4 tells us that nature itself
testifies of God’s power and divine plan.
I encourage you to take time to look at what God has created.
The main message God speaks to us through nature is that He is.
This is an important revelation because the Bible says that
before we can get anywhere with God, we must first believe He
is: “But without faith it is impossible to please and be
satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must
[necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder
of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out]” (Hebrews
11:6). We can believe God because the Bible says He has given
every person a measure of faith to believe in Him (see Romans
12:3).
The very first words of the Bible give our first lesson of faith: “In
the beginning God…” Many people acknowledge that God exists,
but they have not learned to relate to Him on a day-to-day level.
Through grace, God tries to reach us every day, and He places
reminders of Himself everywhere. He leaves clues of Himself all
around us, clues that bellow out clearly, “I am here. You do not
have to live in fear; you do not have to worry, I am here.” God
wants to be involved in every aspect of your life. If He has taken
time to keep all your tears in a bottle and count the very hairs
on your head, then surely He cares about everything else.
Jesus said to consider the lilies of the field (see Matthew 6:28)
and the birds of the air (see Luke 12:24). Meditating on how God
adorns the fields and provides for the birds can remind us that
He cares even more for us. A nice walk outdoors is a great
opportunity to take a short vacation from the pressures of daily
living and look at the trees, the birds, the flowers, and the
children playing. Let me encourage you to take time to
appreciate God’s awesome handiwork today and to thank Him
that He is.
Life is sometimes very complicated, but we can purposely learn
to enjoy the simple yet powerful and beautiful things God has
created!
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In Psalm 19:14, the psalmist prays: “Let the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O
Lord, my [firm, impenetrable] Rock and my Redeemer.” Notice
that he mentions both the mind and the mouth. This is because
the two work together. We need to make sure that our
meditations (our thoughts) are pleasing to God so that our words
will be acceptable to Him as well.
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God inhabits the praises of His people (see Psalm 22:3). That
means He is comfortable in the midst of our sweet praises, but
He is not comfortable in the midst of our sour attitudes.
I encourage you to take an inventory of your inner life because
it is the dwelling place of God. When God dwelled in the
portable tabernacle that the children of Israel carried through
the wilderness, they understood that the inner court was a holy
place. But now in the mystery of God’s plan, we are like a
portable tabernacle; we move from place to place, and God
dwells inside us. There is still an outer court, a holy place, and a
most holy place. The outer court is our body, the holy place is
our soul, and the most holy place is our spirit.
When we examine our inner lives, we are looking at holy
ground where the Spirit of God wants to make His home. God is
much more interested in our inner lives than in our outer lives,
and we need to be more concerned about what goes on inside us
than about our external behavior. Praise, worship, and honor
God in your inner life. When your “insides” are right, your
“outsides” will follow!
God restores and leads

The Twenty-third Psalm is so comforting. In it the psalmist David
tells us the Lord leads, feeds, guides, and shields us. He causes
us to lie down and rest, and He “refreshes and restores” (Psalm
23:3) our lives. I like the way the Amplified Bible translates this
verse, but I also like the way the beautiful old King James
Version renders it: “He restoreth my soul.” The soul is
comprised of the mind, the will, and the emotions.
With our souls, we process our circumstances, we entertain our
thoughts, we feel and express emotions, and we make decisions.
What a wonderful promise—that God will restore our souls! The
word restore means “to bring back into existence or use” or “to
bring back to an original state or condition.” The word is often
used in a situation when a dethroned ruler is put back on his
throne. Restore also means “to make restitution, to cause to
return, or to refresh.”
When David says God will restore our souls and our lives, I
believe he means that God will return us to the state or
condition we were in before we erred from following the good
plan God had predestined for us before our birth, or before
Satan attacked us to draw us out of God’s plan for our lives.
We can take confidence that God will lead us in the path of
righteousness, uprightness, and right standing with Him. I
believe David is saying here that God individually leads each of
us in the path that is right for us, a path that restores us in every
way to the good places God has for us.
God has a path predestined for your restoration. If you will allow
Him to do so, He will guide you by His Holy Spirit along the
unique way that leads to restoration and to being able to fulfill
the great purposes He has for your life.

At some point in our lives, all of us will walk through the valley
of the shadow of death, either facing our own death, the death of
a loved one, or some other extraordinarily difficult time (see
Psalm 23:4). Are you or is someone you love walking through
that valley right now? Remember, where there is a shadow, there
must be light—and the Light of the world, Jesus, has promised
to be with you always. Ask Him right now to comfort and guide
you, and know that He is walking with you in every situation.
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This last part of the beloved Psalm 23 describes the condition in
which the Lord wants us to be continually. He wants us to be
protected, guided, and comforted. He wants to set a table of
blessings before us in the very face of our enemies. He wants to
anoint us with the oil of joy instead of mourning. He wants our
cup of blessings to overflow continually in thanksgiving and
praise to Him for His goodness, mercy, and unfailing love toward
us. And He wants us to live, moment by moment, in His
presence.
All these things are part of His good plan for each of us.
Regardless of how far we may have fallen, He wants to raise us
up and restore us to that right and perfect plan He has for our
lives.
speak the Word

God, I pray that You would show me Your ways and teach
me Your paths. I am asking You to guide me in Your
faithfulness. You are my salvation, and I am waiting
expectantly on You.
at ease
In order to live victorious lives, we need to be comfortable
spiritually. That may sound strange to you, so let me share a
story to explain what I mean.
In 1980, I had a job as the pastor’s secretary at my church in St.
Louis. After working one day, I got fired. Do you know why?
Because I was not supposed to be a secretary; therefore, God
would not bless me in that job.
You see, my desire to be a secretary was my idea, not God’s; it
was something I wanted to do, not something God wanted me to
do. The job was not a “fit” for me; it was not comfortable for me,
and I did not have grace to do it. It was not part of God’s purpose
for my life, and He would not allow me to stay in that job
because He had other plans for me.
Trying to do things that are not part of God’s plan for our lives is
like trying to force our feet into shoes that are too small. I have
been guilty of wanting to buy shoes that are slightly too tight,
but I do not do that anymore. I have learned that tight shoes are
not comfortable, and I want my feet to be comfortable.
During those days, I wanted to be comfortable spiritually too. I
wanted to be relaxed in spirit; I wanted my inner life to be at
ease, as though I were walking around in my most comfortable
shoes. I wanted to be relaxed in my relationship with God and to
feel at home in His presence. I also wanted to be comfortable
around other people and not be afraid of their disapproval. All
those things that I wanted I now enjoy because I have learned to
follow God’s plan rather than my own.
Do you feel the same way? Are you tired of being uncomfortable
and being in places that do not fit God’s call on your life? Are
you tired of being spiritually uncomfortable, insecure, or
anxious all the time?
I have good news for you. Psalm 25:12, 13 tell us that we can be
at ease if we fear God, worship Him, and do only the things He
has planned for us without trying to force our own agendas or
striving to do what we want to do. God loves you, and He has
awesome plans for your life. Surrender to His plans and His way
—and you will find yourself at ease.
seek the “One Thing”

If you could ask for only one thing, what would it be? In Psalm
27:4, David said there was only one thing that he sought after—
to dwell in God’s presence. More than anything else, David
wanted to know God, to see God as He really is and to be with
Him. Truly, to know God is the highest calling we have.
Unfortunately, we can get so distracted with the busy details of
our lives that we neglect the most important thing—spending
time with God. Luke 10:38–42 illustrates this point well as it
relates the story of busy Martha. When Jesus visited her home,
she became preoccupied with serving, but her sister Mary
stopped all work and sat at His feet. Jesus told Martha that only
one thing was really important, and Mary had chosen it. Mary
had decided she was not going to miss the opportunity to visit
with the Master. I suppose Martha intended to work Jesus into
her schedule somewhere, but Mary was willing to stop what she
was doing and work her schedule around Him.
How foolish we are to spend our lives seeking those things that
cannot satisfy while we ignore God, the “One Thing” Who can
give us great joy, peace, satisfaction, and contentment. The world
is filled with empty people who are trying to satisfy the void in
their lives with the latest-model car, a promotion at work, a
human relationship, a vacation, or some other thing. Their
efforts to find fulfillment in those things never work. It is sad
that so many people waste their entire lives and never realize it.
They never know the joy of seeking the “One Thing” they really
need. Each one of us has a God-shaped hole inside, and nothing
can fill it except God Himself. No matter what else we try to fill
it with, we will remain empty and frustrated.
If God is on your list of things to seek, but not at the top, I
encourage you to move everything around and put it all after
Him. If you will put Him first in everything you do, you will be
so blessed. Investing your life in God is the very best thing you
can do.
the land of the living

In Psalm 27:13, David asked, basically, “What in the world would
have happened to me? What kind of condition would I be in?
What pit would I be in, had I not believed I would see the Lord’s
goodness in the land of the living?”
We spend a lot of time talking about what heaven will be like.
That is great, but we are here on earth right now. We need to
know something good is going to happen to us now. David said
that he believed he would see God’s goodness while he was alive,
not just after he went to heaven.
I am looking forward to heaven, but I do not believe that God put
us on earth to try to muddle through life until we get to heaven
so we can finally have some joy. In John 10:10, Jesus says, “The
thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came
that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to
the full, till it overflows).” God wants us to have abundant life
right now, and one of the worst things we can do is fail to live
lives that we enjoy. I have decided to enjoy my life while I am
“in the land of the living.” I want to have so much fun that the
devil gets frustrated at my joy.
Let me encourage you to be like David and to believe that you
will see and experience God’s goodness not just in the “sweet
by-and-by,” but here on earth, every day, in the ordinary
activities of your life. No matter what you are going through, put
your hope in God’s goodness and expect Him to move in your
situation. Be brave and of good courage; let your heart be stout
and enduring. Wait for and hope for and expect the Lord where
you live today—in the land of the living.
speak the Word

Lord, You are my Strength and my impenetrable Shield. My
heart trusts in, relies on, and confidently leans on You.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, that Your anger lasts for only a moment,
but Your favor lasts for a lifetime. Thank You that weeping
endures for only a night and that joy comes in the morning.
everyday Christianity
God is good. All the time! Psalm 31:19 says that He stores up
goodness for those who fear, revere, and worship Him. Notice
also that this verse mentions the importance of trusting God
before the sons of men. This phrase says to me that if I refuse to be
what some might call a “closet Christian,” but instead be open
and live my Christianity before the sons of men, God will store
up His goodness for me.
A number of people today profess to be Christians, but they do
not want to admit it or live the principles of their faith outside
their Christian circles. They are “Sunday morning” Christians,
but on Monday morning they act no differently than unbelievers
do. I call them “Sunday morning saints and Monday morning
sinners.”
I was once that way! I used to do all the “right” things in the
right Christian circles, but I was not demonstrating vital faith
elsewhere. I was on the church board, my husband was an elder
in the church, our children went to Christian schools, our social
life revolved around church, and we had a set of Christian
bumper stickers for our cars. However, in my neighborhood, a
person could not tell the difference between my behavior and
the behavior of an unsaved person. At work, a person could not
tell from my words or behavior that I was any different from my
unsaved coworkers. Perhaps there was some difference, but not
enough to notice! I was not taking the strong stand that I should
have taken for God.
This is true for many of us. Because we are afraid of being
rejected, isolated, or laughed at, we are afraid to take a stand
and say, “I really don’t want to hear a dirty joke. I’m a
Christian, and I don’t like to hear people take the Lord’s name
in vain. I’m not really interested in going to movies that leave
wrong images in my mind or running to the bar every night
after work for happy hour. That’s not what I’m about. My life and
my relationship with God are too important to me.” That is what
the scripture means when it says, “Those who trust and take
refuge in You before the sons of men” will be blessed. We must
care more about our reputation in heaven than our reputation
among men on earth. Stand strong for God, and never be
ashamed or embarrassed to live the Christian life openly and
boldly before other people.
life point
Psalm 32:9 encourages us not to be like horses or mules, which
need bits and bridles in order to follow their masters. Either a
horse follows the pull of the bridle, which controls the bit in his
mouth, or he experiences great pain by resisting it. The same
principle applies to us and our relationship with the Holy Spirit.
He is our bridle and the bit in our mouths. He should be
controlling the reins of our lives. If we follow His promptings,
we will end up at the right places and stay out of the wrong
places. But if we do not follow Him, we will end up with a lot of
pain. Determine today that you will let Him guide you and that
you will not resist His leading in your life.
speak the Word

God, I declare that Your Word is right and that all Your
work is done in faithfulness.
at all times
Notice that the psalmist says he will bless the Lord at all times,
not just when it is convenient or it feels good (see Psalm 34:1).
Let me share with you a story that really emphasized this point
for me.
One of my favorite things to do when I have finished a
conference is to go to a restaurant, sit down, and have a good
meal. I work hard, and that is one way I relax. One time, we
called a restaurant and asked for a reservation. They sounded
like they had taken our reservation, but when we got there, we
found out they had not. The place was jam-packed, and we waited
about forty-five minutes for a table. I felt irritation rise in me,
but I told myself, Joyce, you just finished preaching and telling people
how to behave in hard times, so just practice what you preach. (You
know it is amazing how sometimes when you talk about what
you believe, Satan will come around and test you on it!)
Finally we were seated and began ordering. The waitress came
with our beverages on a large tray. The place was so crowded that
she accidentally bumped the tray and dumped all the beverages
on my husband, Dave. He had on a very nice suit, and it was
soaked in water, coffee, iced tea, and soda pop. At that point he
could have blown up. But Dave was so nice to the waitress about
the whole ordeal. He said to her, “Don’t worry about it. It was a
mistake. I understand. I used to work at a restaurant, and one
time I dumped malts inside a customer’s car. He had on a really
nice suit and was taking his date out. I know how you feel. Don’t
worry about it.” Then he went to the manager and said, “I don’t
want her to get in trouble. The place is overly crowded. She is
doing a good job. It was not her fault.” He went to the extreme to
be nice.
Soon the waitress came back with the second tray of beverages,
and it was obvious she had been crying. She said to us, “I feel so
bad that I dumped all those drinks on you.” Then she looked
right at me and said, “I think I’m just nervous because you’re
here. I watch you on television every day.”
In my heart I said, Oh, thank You, God, thank You, thank You, thank
You, that we didn’t act badly about this! What would it have done to
her—what would it have said to her about God, about leaders,
about television evangelists—if she would have heard me preach
every day on television and then seen Dave and me have a fit
over her spilling the beverages on him?
Did I feel like blowing up? To be honest, yes. The Bible never
says that our temptation to sin dies or goes away. It says that
since Christ died for our sin we should consider ourselves dead
to sin. And sometimes that means learning to bless Him at all
times—especially when things are not going our way.
life point
Psalm 34:7 teaches us that “the Angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear Him…” Do you want angels to go to work
in your life? Then start worshipping God, because the Bible says
that the Angel of the Lord camps around those who revere and
worship Him to watch over them and deliver them.

Psalm 34:8 encourages us to “taste and see” that the Lord is
good. Think for a moment about your favorite food. Can you
imagine how it tastes and the pleasure it brings? How infinitely
greater is the pleasure of knowing the goodness of God! Let the
sweetness of His praise be on your lips continually!
speak the Word

Thank You, Lord, that Your mercy and loving-kindness
extend to the skies and Your faithfulness to the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the mountains and Your
judgments are like the sea.
I declare, God, that the fountain of life is with You. In Your
light, I see light.
delight yourself in God

Does a way exist for us to have our desires fulfilled? According
to Psalm 37:4, 5, if we delight ourselves in the Lord, He will give
us the desires of our hearts. I have learned that letting God give
me something is so much better than trying to get it for myself.
Most of us struggle greatly in our lives, trying to make things
happen that only God can do. He wants us to seek Him, and He
promises that He will add the things we desire if and when the
time is right.
We are to commit our way unto Him and let Him bring the
things that we desire to pass. Jesus said all those who labor and
are heavy-laden should come to Him. He promised to ease,
relieve, and refresh their souls (see Matthew 11:28, 29). His ways
are higher than our ways, and His thoughts are higher than
ours. In other words, God knows much better than we do what we
need to do!
I spent much of my life frustrated and struggling, always trying
to do something about things I could not do anything about. I
worked really hard at life, but life still was not working for me.
My first Bible was a gift from my mother-in-law, and on the
inside cover she wrote: “Commit your way to the Lord” from
Psalm 37:5. Little did I know, when she gave me that Bible years
ago, just how long it would take for me to let go of my ways and
submit to God’s.
I do not know why we tend to be so stubborn, but we do. I
encourage you to let go of your ways and let God be God in your
life. He wants to give you the desires of your heart as you
commit your way to Him.
life point
God will tell us the way to go (see Psalm 37:23), but we have to
do the walking. A walk with God develops by taking one step of
obedience at a time. Some people want the entire blueprint for
their lives before they will make one decision. God does not
usually operate that way; He leads us one step at a time.
By faith, we take the step God has shown us, and then He gives
us the next one. At times we may fall down and must get back
up; we may stumble, but He always helps us. We continue on by
His strength and His grace, knowing that every time we face a
fork in the road (a place of decision), God will guide us.
life point
When the Bible speaks of “the pit,” as it does in Psalm 40, I
always think of the depths of depression. The psalmist David
often spoke of feeling as though he was going down into a pit
and calling out to the Lord to rescue him and set his feet on
solid, level ground.
Like David, nobody wants to be in the pit of depression. It is a
terrible place. I cannot think of a worse place to be. When we
are deeply depressed, we feel bad enough as it is. Then the devil
comes along to add to our misery by bringing thoughts of every
negative thing imaginable. He reminds us of every disappointing
thing that has ever happened to us and tries to make us believe
that nothing good will ever take place in our lives. His goal is to
keep us so miserable and hopeless that we will never rise up to
cause him any problems or to fulfill the call of God on our lives.
We must learn to resist descending into the pit of depression
where we are at the mercy of the tormentor of our souls, who is
determined to totally destroy us and our witness for Christ. Be
like David; cry out to God and allow Him to set your feet upon a
rock and bring stability to your life.
speak the Word

God, all of my hope and my expectation are in You.
speak the Word

God, I delight to do Your will.
pray and obey

God really wants us to hear and obey Him, and according to
Psalm 40:6, He has given us the capacity to do so. In fact, God
delights in the atmosphere of our obedience. Naturally, it does
not do God any good to talk to us if we are not going to listen
and obey!
For many years, I wanted God to talk to me, but I wanted to pick
and choose what to obey. Like many others, I had “selective
hearing.” I wanted to do what God said to do if I thought it was a
good idea. If I did not want to submit to what I was hearing, I
could easily choose to think it was not from God.
God has given us the capacity both to hear Him and to obey Him,
and obedience is the greatest sacrifice we can make to Him.
Some of what God says to you will be exciting; other things may
not be so thrilling to hear. But you can be assured that what God
tells you will work out for good if you will just do it His way.
If God convicts you that you were rude to someone and instructs
you to apologize, it is pointless to answer back, “Well, that
person was rude to me too!” If you talk back with excuses, you
may have prayed, and even heard, but you have not obeyed.
Instead, go apologize. Say to that person, “I was rude to you, and
I’m sorry.” Now you have obeyed. Now God’s anointing can flow
through your life because you are obedient.
I was moved by a story about a message given at a pastors’
conference by a pastor of a very large church. Hundreds of
pastors had gathered from all over the nation to hear this man
tell what he did to build his church. He told them simply, “I pray,
and I obey. I pray, and I obey.” One of the ministers who
attended this meeting expressed to me his disappointment in the
pastor’s message. He said, “I spent all that money and went all
that distance to hear this world-renowned leader tell me how his
ministry grew to the point it has. For three hours, in various
ways, he said the same thing, ‘I pray. I obey. I pray. I obey. I pray.
I obey. I pray. I obey.’ I kept thinking, Surely there is something
else.”
Looking back over nearly three decades of walking with God, I
would have to agree that if I put into words the simplest
explanation for all the success we have enjoyed at Joyce Meyer
Ministries, we too have learned to pray, hear from God, and then
do what God tells us to do. Over the years, I have been seeking
God about the call on my life and pressing forward in what I feel
He has told me to do. The essence of it all is that I have prayed,
and I have obeyed. My obedience has not always been popular
with everyone else, but to the best of my ability I have prayed, I
have obeyed—and it has worked. God’s plan is not hard; we
make it hard. Like everyone else I have made mistakes, but I
have learned from them and have pressed on. Failing does not
make you a failure. A person is a failure only if he gives up and
refuses to try any longer.
If you want God’s will for your life, I can give you the directions
in their simplest form: Pray and obey. God has given you the
capacity to do both.

Psalm 42:1 tells of a deer that longs for a refreshing stream. On
a hot day, knowing about water does nothing to quench your
thirst; only drinking water does. The same is true of our desire
for God. Have you ever longed for more than just information
about God? God wants you to experience Who He is. Seek Him,
and He will satisfy your desire to know Him intimately.
life point
In Psalm 42:5, we see the sons of Korah struggling with
depression. I would like for us to examine how they handled
their situation, because it shows us what to do when we are
feeling depressed.
As we dissect this verse, we see three distinct responses the sons
of Korah give to their depressed feelings. First, they put a
question to their own souls and ask themselves: “Why are you
downcast?” Then they give an instruction to their souls: “Put
your hope in God.” Finally, they declare what they are going to
do: “I will praise the Lord.” We might say the sons of Korah
have a talk with themselves.
We must follow this same basic pattern of action as we confront
our feelings of depression and come out of them and into victory.
how to deal with discouragement

In Psalm 42:5, the psalmist is discouraged. Discouragement
destroys hope, so naturally the devil always tries to discourage
us. Without hope we give up, which is exactly what the devil
wants us to do.
The Bible repeatedly tells us not to be discouraged or dismayed.

God knows that we will not be victorious if we get discouraged,
so He always encourages us as we start out on a project by
saying to us, “Do not get discouraged.” God wants us to be
encouraged, not discouraged.
When discouragement or condemnation tries to overtake you,

the first thing to do is to examine your thought life. What kind
of thoughts have you been thinking? Have they sounded
something like this? I am not going to make it; this is too hard. I
always fail; it has always been the same. Nothing ever changes. I am
sure other people do not have this much trouble getting their minds
renewed. I may as well give up. I’m tired of trying. I pray, but it seems as
if God doesn’t hear. He probably doesn’t answer my prayers because He
is so disappointed in the way I act.
If these examples represent your thoughts, then no wonder you

get discouraged or feel condemned! Remember, you become
what you think. Think discouraging thoughts, and you will get
discouraged. Think condemning thoughts, and you will come
under condemnation. Change your thinking and be set free!
Instead of thinking negatively, think more like this: Well, things

are going a little slowly, but, thank God, I am making some progress. I
am sure glad I’m on the right path that will lead me to freedom. I had a
rough day yesterday. I chose wrong thinking all day long. Father, forgive
me, and help me to keep on keeping on. I made a mistake, but at least
that is one mistake I won’t have to make again. This is a new day. You
love me, Lord. Your mercy is new every morning. I refuse to be
discouraged. I refuse to be condemned. Father, the Bible says that You
do not condemn me. You sent Jesus to die for me. I’ll be fine—today will
be a great day. I ask You to help me choose right thoughts today.
I am sure you can already feel the victory in this type of

cheerful, positive, Godlike thinking. Practice this type of
thinking today!
speak the Word

God, send Your light and Your truth, and let them lead me.
Let them bring me into Your presence.
be free from shame

Many people are “rooted” in shame. This means that their
shame is so deep it functions as the root of a tree and actually
produces “fruit” in the form of unhealthy thoughts and
behaviors.
If you are rooted in shame, then you need to be aware that
shame is different from guilt. I believe shame is a deeper
problem than guilt. We may feel guilty over something we have
done wrong, but shame makes us feel bad about who we are.
There is also a difference between “normal” shame and “rooted”
shame.
For example, if I knock over my water glass in a fancy
restaurant, I feel ashamed or embarrassed because I have made
a mess in front of everybody. That’s normal. But I soon adjust to
the mishap and go on. That incident does not mar my life.
In the Garden of Eden after the Fall, Adam and Eve were
ashamed when they realized they were naked, and so they made
aprons of fig leaves to cover themselves. But that too was a
normal reaction.
When you and I make mistakes or commit sin, we feel bad for a
while until we repent and are forgiven. Then we are able to put
our mistakes and sins behind us and go on without any lasting
harm.
But when an individual is rooted in shame, it affects his entire
life. His bad attitude toward himself poisons everything he tries
to accomplish. He is doomed to failure because he has no
confidence. Jesus bore our shame for us on the cross (see
Hebrews 12:2). Ask Jesus today to give you understanding of His
work on the cross for you. Ask Him to heal you so that you can
live free from shame.
life point
What Psalm 45:13 means to me is that God puts the Holy Spirit
inside us to work on our inner lives; our attitudes, our reactions,
and our goals. Through His work in us, our inner lives can be
tested and refined into an environment in which the Lord is
comfortable to reside.
life point
The Lord encourages us in Psalm 46:10 to be still and to know
that He is God. Often it is difficult for us to be still or quiet
because our flesh is full of energy and usually wants to be active
doing something. Do not go to God and talk to Him only when
you want or need something; also spend quiet time with Him
just listening for His voice. He will give you great revelation and
direction if you will be still before Him and simply listen.
express yourself!
The Bible instructs us to dance, to play musical instruments, and
to do all kinds of outward things to express worship to the Lord
(see Psalm 47:1). We need to do this; it brings a release in our
lives, it honors God, and it aids in defeating the devil.
It is not enough just to say, “Well, God knows how I feel about
Him. I do not have to make a big display.” That would be no
different from saying, “Well, God knows I believe in Him;
therefore, there is no real need for me to be baptized.” Or to say,
“God knows I am sorry for my sins; therefore, there is no need
for me to admit my sins and repent of them.” We readily see
how foolish this would be, and people from all denominations
would agree that we need to be baptized and confess our sins.
Yet not all denominations teach people to have outward
expression of their praise and worship. Some teach that quiet
reverence is the only proper way to worship. We definitely need
to be quiet and reverent before the Lord at times, but we also
need to express our emotions in worship. I am convinced that
God gave us emotions for more purposes than just being
enthusiastic at a ball game or about a new car. Surely God wants
us to employ our emotions in expressing our love and gratitude
to Him.
I am not encouraging unbridled emotion. People who just get
“emotional” all the time in worship can be distracting. What we
need is balance. I personally believe that if we had a proper
emotional release during praise and worship, we might not
release emotions at other times in improper ways. Our emotions
are just as much a part of us as our body, mind, will, or spirit.
God gave us emotions, and they must be cared for, just like the
rest of us. We are not to be controlled by emotions because they
are known to be fickle or untrustworthy, but neither can we
stifle them and not be adversely affected.
I think it is tragic not to allow people the freedom to express
their hearts and their love for God in a balanced way. It is wrong
to be so afraid of something getting out of balance that we cut it
off altogether. It also is a bad idea to do things the same way
every time because “that is the way we have always done them.”
We all must be open to growth, which always involves change.
Jesus said that He could not pour new wine into old wineskins,
meaning some of the people’s old ways had to go (see Matthew
9:17). They had to “let go” of old things and take hold of the new,
fresh things. Knowledge and revelation are progressive; if a
thing (such as your worship) is not moving forward in your life,
it is at the point of dying.
I encourage you to be expressive in your praise and worship. Do
this at home if you attend a church where it would be
unacceptable to do so in the public services. I also encourage you
to pray that everyone will be taught to worship God as He truly
deserves to be worshipped.
life point
David frequently wrote of meditating on all the wonderful works
of the Lord—the mighty acts of God. He said that he thought
about the name of the Lord, the mercy of God, and many other
such things. If you and I will do the same, we will stay
encouraged, full of faith, and victorious in our everyday lives.
speak the Word

Lord, You are not only God, but You are my God.
life point
In Psalm 51, King David cries out to God for mercy and
forgiveness because the Lord had been dealing with him about
his sin with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband. Many
people do not realize that David had done these things
approximately one full year before he wrote this psalm.
Apparently, he never really acknowledged this sin until long
after it happened. He had not faced the truth, and as long as he
refused to face the truth, he could not truly repent. And as long
as he could not truly repent, he could not receive forgiveness
from God.
Psalm 51:6 conveys a powerful message. It says that God desires
truth “in the inner being.” That means if we want to receive
God’s blessings, we must be honest with Him about our sins and
ourselves. Let me encourage you not to let sin linger in your
life. We all sin, and when we do, we need to be quick to repent.
speak the Word

Lord, I will thank You and confide in You forever because
You have delivered me and kept me safe. I will wait on,
hope in, and expect in Your name because it is good.
Thank You, God, for being my helper and my ally.
speak the Word

God, I thank You that You have redeemed my life from the
battles that are against me.
speak the Word

God, I will release the weight of my burdens and cast them
on You, knowing that You will sustain me. I declare, God,
that You will not allow the righteous to be moved!
steadfast and confident
In Psalm 57:7, we read about a heart that is not only fixed and
steadfast, but also confident.
I have discovered that staying confident at all times is vital to
successful ministry and to an overcoming life. Even while I am
in front of an audience teaching and ministering, the devil will
try to introduce thoughts into my head to make me lose
confidence. For example, there have been times when if I noticed
two or three people glance at their watches, the devil whispered
to me, “They are so bored they can’t wait to get out of here.” If a
couple of people got up and left to go to the restroom, the devil
would say, “They are leaving because they don’t like your
preaching.”
I know that when people are singing or leading worship, it is not
uncommon for the devil to tell them, “Nobody likes this. You
picked the wrong music. You should have chosen a different
song. Your voice sounds lousy. You are singing off-key,” and on
and on.
The mind is a battlefield, and the devil lies to us by putting
wrong thoughts in our minds. He is constantly trying to steal
our confidence. He does not want us to believe that we can hear
from God or believe in the power of prayer. He does not want us
to have any confidence concerning the call on our lives or to be
confident that we look nice, that we have any wisdom, or that we
know anything at all. He wants us to go around feeling that we
are failures. That is why we need to keep our hearts confident
within us all the time. I have learned that we do not have to feel
confident to be confident. We can be confident by faith because
our confidence should be in Christ, not in ourselves. No matter
how I feel, I still believe that I can do whatever I need to do
through Christ, Who strengthens me. If we do not feel
confident, then we feel afraid, and I have learned at those times
to “do it afraid.”
We do not have to drag ourselves out of bed each day in fear or
discouragement. Instead, we should get up every morning
prepared to keep Satan under our feet. How do we do that? We
do it by confidently declaring what the Word says about us,
confessing scriptures such as, “I am more than a conqueror
through Jesus. I can do all things through Christ Who
strengthens me. I am triumphant in every situation because God
always causes me to triumph” (see Romans 8:37; Philippians
4:13; II Corinthians 2:14). Speaking God’s Word not only causes
the devil to leave us alone, but it also strengthens our
confidence—and confidence is essential if we are going to keep
growing and keep going in God.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, for always meeting me with mercy and
steadfast love.

Has life ever seemed so overwhelming that you wanted to run
and hide? You can be sure of God’s eternal protection and
ability to be your refuge (see Psalm 61:3, 4). Whether you need
the strength of a rock or the comfort of His arms around you, cry
out to God; He will answer in your time of need.
speak the Word

God, through You, I will do valiantly.
stability releases ability

Psalm 62:8 teaches us that we are not to have faith in God just
once in a while, but at all times. We need to learn to live from
faith to faith (see Romans 1:17), trusting the Lord when things
are good and when things are bad.
It is easy to trust God when things are going well. But when
things are not going well, we develop character by trusting God
in our difficult situations. And the more character we develop,
the more our ability can be released. That is why I say that
stability releases ability. The more stable we become, the more our
ability will be released because God will know that He can trust
us.
Many people have gifts that can take them to places where their
character cannot keep them. Gifts are given, but character is
developed. I have learned this in my own life.
Throughout my childhood, one thing I could do well was talk. In
school, I could talk enough to make the teacher think I
understood everything she was teaching, when I really knew
nothing about it. I have always been a communicator and a
convincer. But in order for God to allow me in the pulpit to
preach to millions every day, not only did I have to have a gift, I
also had to have character so that He could trust me to use my
mouth to teach His Word and communicate His heart.
Otherwise, He could not allow me to teach that many people,
because I might say one thing one day and something else the
next day. Or, even worse, I might preach to others what I was
unable to do in my own private life.
By disciplining our emotions, our moods, and our mouths, we
become stable enough to remain peaceful, whatever our
situation or circumstance, so that we can walk in the fruit of the
Spirit—whether we feel like it or not. The more stable we
become, the more ability can be released through us. Desire and
pursue stability in every area of your life so that all the ability
in you can be released!
speak the Word

God, I am trusting in, leaning on, and relying on You;
trusting You at all times. You are a fortress and a high
tower for me!
life point
In Psalm 63:1, David cries out: “O God, You are my God,
earnestly will I seek You…” Throughout the Psalms, David
prayed similar prayers, which I call “seeking prayers.” Many
times per day, I find myself whispering in my heart or even
aloud, “Oh, God, I need You.” This is a very simple but very
powerful way to pray. I encourage you to join me in seeking God
in this quick and effective way.
life point
Sacrifice and Christianity have always been connected. In the
Old Testament, the Law required sacrifices of various kinds.
David speaks of lifting up the “hands as the evening sacrifice” in
Psalm 141:2.
Other scriptures talk about the lifting up of hands in worship
(see Psalm 28:2; 119:48; 134:2). Lifting our hands to God seems
a natural thing to do when we are in His presence. To me, it is an
expression of adoration, reverence, and surrender. We should
continually surrender ourselves to God and His plan for us.
You can lift up your hands and speak a word of praise all
throughout the day. Even at work, you can go to the bathroom
and take a moment to praise God. When we willingly surrender
and worship God as a sacrifice, He responds. God inhabits the
praises of His people.
life point
David spoke frequently about meditating on God, His goodness
and His works and His ways. It is tremendously uplifting to
think on the goodness of God and all the marvelous works of His
hands.
I enjoy watching television shows about nature, animals, ocean
life, and other things in the physical world because they depict
the greatness and the awesomeness of God, His infinite
creativity, and the fact that He is upholding all things by the
might of His power (see Hebrews 1:3). Always remember that—
and know that He is not only upholding and maintaining the
moon, the stars, the planets including the earth, the animals,
and all of creation, but that He is also upholding and
maintaining everything about you and your life in the palm of
His hand.
life point
In his writings the psalmist often uses the word selah, which
means “Pause, and calmly think of that.” This phrase lets the
reader know that this is a good place to stop and to slowly digest
the meaning of what has just been said. The reader is given the
opportunity to do this at the end of Psalm 66:4.
Jeremiah talked about stopping to feed on and digest the words
of God. He said, “Your words were found, and I ate them; and
Your words were to me a joy and the rejoicing of my heart”
(Jeremiah 15:16). We must, so to speak, “chew” on the Word of
God. Often we read the Bible for quantity when we should read
for quality. Whatever passage you are reading, read in a manner
that allows the Word to go down into your innermost being and
feed your spirit.
speak the Word

I bless You, Lord, because You have not rejected my prayer
or removed Your mercy and loving-kindness from me.

God wants all nations and people to know Him, worship Him,
and enjoy Him. How can you be involved in God’s work in the
world?
speak the Word

Thank You, God, for bearing my burdens and carrying me
day by day. To me, You are a God of deliverance and
salvation.
speak the Word

God, I am seeking You, inquiring of You, requiring You as
my vital need and rejoicing in You. I love Your salvation
and I will say continually, “Let God be magnified!”
speak the Word

God, I will hope in You continually. I will praise You more
and more.

Have you ever wondered who will be there for you when times
are really tough? Even when you feel as though you cannot go
on, God promises to be your strength (see Psalm 73:25–28). Ask
God to draw you nearer to Himself, so you can experience His
goodness and strength even more fully.
life point
In Psalm 77:6, David shows us how he sought God’s leading. The
next time you have a decision to make, do not try to figure it out
with your mind. Go somewhere to get still and let your spirit
search diligently for God’s voice.
leave your stubbornness behind

Psalm 78 describes some of the things that happened to the
Israelites as they journeyed from Egypt to the Promised Land.
Despite God’s gracious and miraculous provision for them time
and time again, verse 8 tells us that they were very stubborn and
rebellious during their years in the wilderness. That is precisely
what caused them to die out there. They simply would not do
what God told them to do! They would cry out to God to get them
out of trouble when they got into a mess. They would even
respond to His instructions with obedience—until circumstances
improved. Then, repeatedly, they would go right back into
rebellion.
This same cycle is repeated and recorded so many times in the
Old Testament that it is almost unbelievable. And yet, if we are
not walking in wisdom, we will spend our lives doing the same
thing. As we read about the Israelites and their time in the
wilderness, let us learn from their mistakes and not repeat them
in our own lives.
I suppose some of us are just, by nature, a little more strong-
willed than others. And then, of course, we must consider our
roots and how we got started in life, because that affects us too.
I was born with a strong personality. The years I spent being
abused and controlled, plus my already-strong personality,
combined to develop in me the mind-set that nobody was going
to tell me what to do. Obviously, God had to deal with this bad
attitude before He could use me.
The Lord demands that we learn to give up our own ways and be
pliable and moldable in His hands. As long as we are stubborn
and rebellious, He cannot use us.
I describe “stubborn” as obstinate, difficult to handle or work
with; and “rebellious” as resisting control, resisting correction,
unruly, refusing to follow ordinary guidelines. Both these
definitions describe me as I used to be! The abuse I had suffered
in my early life caused a lot of my out-of-balance attitudes
toward authority. But in order to grow as a person and be
successful in life, I could not allow my past to become an excuse
to stay trapped in stubbornness, rebellion, or anything else.
Victorious living demands prompt and precise obedience to God.
We grow in our ability and willingness to lay aside our will and
do His. It is vital that we continue to make progress in this area.
It is not enough to reach a certain plateau and think, I have gone
as far as I am going to go. We must be obedient in all things—not
holding back anything or keeping any doors in our lives closed
to the Lord.
Let Him do a thorough work in you so that you can leave your
“wilderness” behind and enter your Promised Land.
life point
When our strength is in God, the difficult places in life can be
turned into blessings; the valleys of weeping can be turned into
springs (see Psalm 84:5, 6). Whenever you face a tough situation
or a place of sadness and despair, draw your strength from God.
As you do, you will find yourself going “from strength to
strength” and “increasing in victorious power,” as Psalm 84:7
promises.

The Bible teaches us that God is our home. We view our homes
as places of rest and comfort, shelters from all the other parts of
life. Psalm 84:10 reminds us that dwelling in the presence of
God is where the greatest blessing is to be found. Spend time
every day with God through prayer, worship, and time in His
Word, and you will find there is no place you would rather be
than in His presence. When you are with Him, you will feel as
though you are at home!

Have you ever bent over to let a child whisper something in your
ear? God does this for us—He inclines His ear to hear our every
cry (see Psalm 86:1–7). If you have ever felt that no one is
listening to you, take heart; God hears every one of your
prayers, and He will be faithful to answer.
speak the Word

God, I know that You give what is good. Righteousness
goes before You, and You leave Your footprints to show me
where to walk.
Teach me Your way, Lord, that I may walk and live in Your
truth. Direct and unite my heart to fear and honor Your
name.
speak the Word

Lord, I will sing of Your mercies and loving-kindness
forever. I will tell others of Your faithfulness from
generation to generation.
speak the Word

Lord, teach me to number my days, that I may develop a
heart of wisdom.
God, let Your beauty and favor be upon me. Confirm and
establish the work of my hands.
what do you say?

The psalmists frequently spoke about the goodness and
character of God. In Psalm 91:2, one of them says God is his
Refuge, his Fortress—a God he can really trust. It is interesting
to note that the psalmist also wrote this verse, “I will say of the
Lord…” (italics mine). Perhaps we should also regularly ask
ourselves, “What am I saying of the Lord?”
We need to say right things, not just think them. We may think, I
believe all those good things about the Lord, but are we also saying
anything that is helping us? Often we claim to believe
something, yet the opposite comes out of our mouths.
We need to speak aloud the goodness of God. We need to do it at
proper times and in proper places, but we need to be sure we do
it. I cannot encourage you strongly enough to make verbal
confessions part of your fellowship time with God.
I often take walks in the morning. While I walk, I pray, I sing,
and I confess the Word out loud. I say something like, “God is on
my side. I can do whatever He assigns me to do.” Or “God is
good, and He has a good plan for my life. Blessings are chasing
me and overflowing in my life.” When I speak words like these,
I am nullifying the evil plan Satan has for me.
Verbalize your thanksgiving, your praise, and your worship. Say
aloud the things that are in your heart about God; sing songs
that are filled with praise and worship. Take aggressive action
against the enemy by speaking of the goodness of God!
life point
When you and I feel a tide of emotions beginning to swell
within us, we need to return to the secret place of the Most High
(see Psalm 91:1), crying out to Him: “Father, help me resist this
surge of emotions that threatens to overwhelm me!” If we will
do that, the Lord has promised to intervene on our behalf. We
need to learn to take refuge under His shadow, where we will be
safe and secure, knowing that no power in heaven or on earth
can withstand Him.
life point
In Psalm 94:12–15, God is saying that He deals with us and
disciplines us for a reason. He wants us to come to the point
where we can keep ourselves calm in the day of adversity.
In verses 14 and 15, notice the emphasis on God’s faithfulness
and justice toward His children. We can be sure that if we are
being obedient to His Word and His will, and we are being led by
His Holy Spirit, we have nothing to fear from our enemies,
because the Lord Himself will fight our battles for us. Do you
want God’s help? If the answer is yes, then ask for His help and
receive it by faith. Even God cannot help someone who does not
want to be helped. Decide that you sincerely want God’s help,
and He will run to your aid and move mightily on your behalf.
speak the Word
God, when there are a multitude of anxious thoughts
within me, Your comforts cheer and delight my soul.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, for lighting the pathway for those who
are uncompromisingly righteous and for giving
irrepressible joy to those who are upright in heart.
life point
When we have the mind of Christ, our thoughts will be filled
with praise and thanksgiving. When we complain, we open many
doors to the enemy. Complaining—either in thought or word—
causes us to live weak, powerless lives and can sometimes bring
on physical illness. Do you want to live a powerful life? Take the
advice of Psalm 100; be thankful to God and say you are
thankful. Realize that complaining is a death principle, but
being thankful and saying so is a life principle that will bring
joy to your everyday life.
speak the Word

Lord, I will behave wisely, and I will pay attention to Your
blameless way. I will walk within my house in integrity and
with a blameless heart.
speak the Word

God, I am Your servant, and I declare that my children
shall dwell safely and that their descendants shall be
established before You.

Remembering God’s faithfulness to us is an important means of
building our faith. Psalm 105:5 encourages us to recall the
things He has done for us. What are some of your favorite
memories? Regularly take time to remember God’s faithfulness
in your life and what He has done for you, and thank Him.
Share with others God’s goodness to you so they too can hear
what He has done!
remember Joseph
Psalm 105 is another wonderful place in the Bible where the
writer takes time to recall God’s working through history.
Similar accounts can be found in Nehemiah 9 and in Hebrews
11. Each time a biblical writer recounts stories from the past, our
faith is strengthened and our hearts are encouraged.
In Psalm 105:17–19, we are reminded of Joseph and of the

unjust treatment he received from his brothers. They sold him
into slavery and told his father that a wild animal had killed
him. Meanwhile, Joseph was purchased by a wealthy man named
Potiphar, who took him into his home as a slave. God gave
Joseph favor everywhere he went, and soon he had favor with his
new master.
Joseph kept getting promoted, but then something unjust would
happen to him. Potiphar’s wife tried to entice him into having
an affair, but because he was a man of integrity, he would have
nothing to do with her. Lying to her husband, she said that
Joseph had attacked her, which caused him to be imprisoned for
something he had not done!
Joseph tried to help others the entire time he was in prison. He
never complained, and because he had a proper attitude in his
suffering, God eventually delivered and promoted him. He
ultimately had so much authority in Egypt that no one else in
the entire land was above him except Pharaoh himself.
God also vindicated Joseph concerning the situation with his
brothers, in that they had to come to Joseph for food when the
whole land was in a state of famine. Once again, Joseph
displayed a godly attitude by not mistreating them even though
they deserved it. He told them what they had meant for his
harm, God had worked out for his good—that they were in God’s
hands, not his, and that he had no right to do anything but bless
them (see Genesis 37—45 for the details of this story). We can
expect similar results when we stay patient through suffering
and keep a positive, forgiving attitude.
be happy
Psalm 106:12–15 reminds us of the Israelites when they became
greedy and demanding. It warns us of the dangers of a greedy,
lustful heart because such a heart is never satisfied—and that is
an unsafe spiritual condition.
Although God had led the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt and
had destroyed Pharaoh and his army, who were chasing after
them, the Israelites were not satisfied. They continued to gripe
and complain every step of the way. No matter how much He
provided for them, they always wanted more. They were on the
way to the Promised Land, but they were not enjoying the
journey. Many times, we have the same problem.
Early in my ministry, I taught twenty-five people every Tuesday
evening in my living room. That was all I was mature enough to
handle. I had a vision to do what I am doing now, so I grumbled,
murmured, pleaded, prayed, and fasted, but I never got out of my
living room. All my efforts were a waste of time and energy. I
could have been relaxing, praising God, laughing, and enjoying
my family and my life. But no, I had to be miserable all the time
because I was not getting my way.
I finally got an opportunity to teach another Bible study. I was
happy with that for a little while, but not for long. Then I went to
work for a church where I was associate pastor for five years, but
after a while I was not satisfied there anymore. Then I started
my own ministry, and before long, I was unhappy with that. No
matter what I was doing, I always wanted something else.
If people are not careful, they can waste their entire lives by
always wanting what they do not have. They fall in love and
cannot wait to get married. Then once they are married, they
think about everything that is wrong with their spouses and they
still are not happy. They have children and cannot wait for them
to grow up and start school. As soon as the children are in
school, they cannot wait until they graduate.
On and on it goes. No matter what their place in life, they
always want something else. They keep murmuring and
grumbling to God about what they want. Then as soon as He
gives it to them, they start complaining again because they want
something more.
The moral of the story of the Israelites is that they got what they
asked for, but they were not really ready to handle it. Ask God to
give you a heart that is satisfied and content at every point along
your life’s journey and to be able to handle increase when it
comes. Learn to enjoy where you are on the way to where you
are going!
healed healers
Psalm 109:22 speaks of a wounded heart. Is it wrong to have a
wounded heart? No, a wounded heart is not wrong, but if you
have one, I encourage you to receive God’s healing and go on
with your life.
In Old Testament days if a priest had a wound or a bleeding sore,
he could not minister. I think we can learn from that today,
because we have a lot of wounded people who are trying to
minister and bring healing to others while they themselves still
have unhealed wounds from the past. These people are still
bleeding and hurting. They are what I call “wounded healers.”
Am I saying such people cannot minister? No, but I am saying
they need to be healed. Jesus said the blind cannot lead the
blind because if they do, they will both fall into a ditch (see
Matthew 15:14). There is a message in that statement. What is
the use of my trying to minister victory to others if I have no
victory in my own life? How can I minister emotional healing to
others if I am not dealing with my emotional problems from my
past? In order to minister properly, we first need to go to God
and let Him heal us.
I have found that when I have a relationship problem, when I get

wounded or when someone hurts my feelings, I cannot minister
properly until I get that situation worked out because it takes
away my strength and affects my faith. When I have unresolved
problems in my life, I am not as strong as I could be.
God loves to use people who have been hurt or wounded and
then healed because nobody can minister to someone else better
than a person who has had the same problem or been in the
same situation as the person he or she is trying to help. Ask God
to heal you everywhere you hurt so that He can use you to help
others. Ask Him to make you a healed healer!
life point
The Bible says that those who walk in wisdom will be successful
and live long lives. They will be exceedingly happy. They will be
blessed, so blessed that they will be envied (see Proverbs 3:1–18).
But there is no such thing as wisdom without worship. Psalm
111:10 says that reverence for God and worship are the
“beginning of Wisdom.” In other words, worship and reverence
are foundational to having a fruitful life.
Many people today are seeking knowledge, and knowledge is
good, but wisdom is better. Wisdom is the right use of
knowledge. Knowledge without wisdom can cause a person to be
puffed up or filled with pride, which will ultimately ruin his or
her life. A wise person will always be knowledgeable, but not all
knowledgeable people are wise.
God’s Word tells us to cry out for wisdom, to seek it as we would
silver and gold, to make it a vital necessity in life. There is
nothing more important than wisdom, and wisdom starts with
reverence and worship.
your Provider
Do you need provision in an area of your life, and you are not
really sure where it is going to come from? Be encouraged
because, in Psalm 111:5, God promises to provide for those who
“reverently and worshipfully fear Him.” As long as we worship
God, we are going to have His provision.
Perhaps you have been told that you are going to lose your job or
housing. Maybe you are elderly and living on a pension or Social
Security, and you wonder what is going to happen to you in the
future. You see prices on everything rising all the time, and the
devil whispers in your ear, “You are not going to have enough to
live on.” Or maybe the figures just do not add up; your income
simply is not enough to support you, and yet you are doing all
you know to do.
Whatever the reason for your concern about your provision,
mark Psalm 111:5 in your Bible. Meditate on it and even
memorize it, because it holds the key to having your needs met.
That way when a need arises in your life, you will have hidden
the Word of God in your heart, and it will strengthen you and
help you remain in faith rather than fear.
Believe God’s Word when He says He gives food and provision to

those who reverently fear Him and worship Him. Whatever your
situation may be, God will provide for you as you continue to
worship and magnify Him.
Worship is actually fun and energizing; worry makes our hearts
heavy and causes a loss of joy. Do not worry; worship and see
God provide for your every need.
speak the Word

Lord, I declare that because I fear You, prosperity and
welfare will be in my house!
life point
Notice that in Psalm 116:17, the psalmist says that he will call
on the name of the Lord, but only after he has offered the
sacrifice of thanksgiving.
Many times I have attempted to call on the power of the name of
Jesus to help me, while at the same time my life was filled with
complaining—not thankfulness. I have discovered that there is
no positive power in complaining. Complaining is filled with
power, but it is negative (evil) power. If we want God’s power to
be released in our lives, we will have to stop complaining and be
thankful.
confess the Word

When we speak what we believe, as the psalmist did in Psalm
116:10, we are making a “confession.”
I recommend having a list of confessions—statements or
declarations that can be backed by the Word of God—things that
you speak aloud over your life, your family, your circumstances,
and your future. You can find a list of confessions in the back of
this Bible.
Before learning to confess God’s Word, I was terribly negative. I
was a Christian and active in church work. My husband and I
tithed and attended church regularly, but we did not know that
we could do anything about any of our circumstances. God began
teaching me that I should not think and say negative things. I
felt He told me He could not work in my life until I stopped
being so negative. I obeyed, and I became happier.
After some time had elapsed, I felt that my circumstances had
not improved significantly. I asked the Lord about it, and He
said, “You have stopped speaking negatively, but you are not
saying anything positive.” That was my first lesson in “calling
those things which be not as if they were” (see Romans 4:17). I
had not been taught it by anyone else; God was teaching me
Himself, and it proved to be one of the major breakthroughs in
my life. He showed me that confessing God’s Word helps
establish His life-giving truths in our hearts.
I made a list of the things that I had been learning were
rightfully mine according to the Word of God. I had scriptures to
support them. I confessed those truths aloud twice a day for
approximately six months. I did this in my house, alone. I was
not talking to any human person; I was declaring the Word of
God and speaking it into the atmosphere I lived in. To this day,
almost twenty years later, when I am praying and confessing the
Word, I still hear many of those early confessions come out of
my mouth.
I would like to share a few confessions from my list with you:
I am dead to sin but alive to God (see Romans 6:11); I will study the
Word of God; I will pray (see II Timothy 2:15; Luke 18:1); I take
every thought captive unto the obedience of Jesus Christ, casting down
every imagination, and every high and lofty thing that exalts itself
against the knowledge of God (see II Corinthians 10:5); No weapon
that is formed against me shall prosper, but every tongue that rises
against me in judgment, I shall show to be in the wrong (see Isaiah
54:17); I do not think more highly of myself than I ought to in the flesh
(see Romans 12:3); I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.
I will speak forth the righteousness and praise of God all the day long
(see Psalm 17:3; 35:28); God has not given me a spirit of fear, but one
of power, love, and a sound mind (see II Timothy 1:7).
I can look at my list now, and I am absolutely amazed at how

many of the things have come to pass, and how impossible they
seemed in the natural at the time.
I encourage you to make your own list, tailored to your
situation. As you begin to confess God’s Word, you will notice
major changes in your life.
the right kind of fear

The psalmist says in Psalm 118:4 that he will reverence and
worship God by declaring that His mercy and loving-kindness
endure forever. As he worships God and talks about some of His
great attributes, his faith is being strengthened.
Notice something interesting in Psalm 118:5. The psalmist tells
how, in his distress, he called upon the Lord. But he did not do
that until after he had worshipped the Lord and praised Him in
verse 4 for the very attributes he was calling upon Him to
display in his distressing situation. He continues by declaring:
“The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to
me?” (Psalm 118:6).
Why should we fear? If Almighty God is for us, and He is, then
what can mere human beings do to us? We definitely need to
realize how big God is and how small our enemies are when
compared to Him.
You may be worried about what man is going to do to you. You
may be worried that man is going to take your job away, that
man is not going to give you what you need. Man may treat you
unfairly or may reject you. You may be worried about what man
is going to think or say about you. I encourage you to be more
concerned about what God thinks of you than what people think
of you. The Bible tells us that we are not to fear man, but that we
are to reverently and worshipfully fear the Lord. When we
refuse to fear man, but instead reverently and worshipfully fear
the Lord, then God moves on our behalf so that nothing man
tries to do to us ever harms us permanently. Evil people may
come against us one way, but they will have to flee before us
seven ways (see Deuteronomy 28:7).
For a period of time it may seem as if someone is taking
advantage of you. But if you keep your eyes on God and continue
to worship Him, keeping your conversation in line with His
Word, in the end God will reward you and bring justice because
He is a God of justice. He loves justice and hates wrongdoing.
God is our Vindicator, and He always makes wrong things right
if we keep trusting Him long enough.
We need to retire from self-care and cast our cares upon the
Lord. If we have our trust in God, nobody is going to take
advantage of us—at least not for very long. God has thousands of
ways to get His blessings to us. When a door closes, He opens
another one. If there are no doors, He makes one!
Do you find yourself in distress or afraid of people? Then do
what the psalmist did. First focus on God’s mercy and loving-
kindness, and encourage yourself with the knowledge that God
is on your side.
life point
Part of the reason many people backslide during tough times is
that they have never learned how to speak in accordance with
God’s will. A trial is discouraging enough in itself, without
adding insult to injury by depressing ourselves through negative
speech. That is why we must learn to align our conversation with
God’s will and His Word.
When you find yourself in a time of trial, try not to simply focus
on where you are right now and what is happening to you at the
moment, but see yourself and your circumstances through the
eyes of faith. You may feel as though you are out in the middle
of an ocean with a storm raging around you, but you will get to the
other side. There are blessings waiting for you there, so do not
jump overboard! Learn, as the psalmist did, to order your
conversation and conduct in accordance with God’s plan (see
Psalm 119:1). You will be blessed when you do!
life point
I believe Psalm 119:6 says what we need to be saying in our
hearts every day: “God, if I will just read Your Book and do what
You say, everything in my life will work out for the best.”

Have you ever been lost? Do you remember the relief you felt
when someone was able to give you good directions? The best
directions we have for living an abundant life that is pleasing to
God are found in the Bible. Hide God’s Word in your heart by
studying and even memorizing scripture verses and passages, so
you will not sin against Him and will be able to live in His
blessings (see Psalm 119:9–11).
speak the Word

Lord, I pray that You would open my spiritual eyes so that I
can have revelation of the wonderful things in Your Word.
Wandering around in the dark can be scary and frustrating! Do
you ever feel that you are wandering in life, not sure of which
way to go? Learn God’s Word; it is a lamp unto your feet and a
light unto your path (see Psalm 119:105). God promises to use
His Word to instruct you in the way you are to go, one step at a
time!
life point
According to Psalm 119:130, the entrance of God’s Word brings
light, which is something we all need. We do not always know or
see what we need to do, and many times we do not recognize our
own problems. We need God’s light to understand ourselves and
to see how we need to change and how we can cooperate with
God to make things better. Reading God’s Word is like looking
in a mirror. It enables us to see what needs to be cleaned up in
our lives.
speak the Word

God, I declare that my help comes from You. You will not
allow my foot to slip. You do not slumber or sleep, but You
are always watching over and keeping me. You are the
shade on my right hand. You will keep me from all evil. You
will keep my life and watch over my going out and my
coming in.
seek God first

We should be mature enough in our faith that we do not run to
somebody else every time we need to know what to do in a
certain situation. I am not implying that it is wrong to go to
people we feel are wiser than we are to ask for a word of counsel
or advice. But I do believe it is wrong, and insulting to God, to go
to people too often. Having someone give us advice is not
necessarily a problem; the problem comes when we seek man
rather than God. God is a jealous God (see James 4:5 and
Deuteronomy 4:24), and He wants us to ask for His advice.
It is important to clearly establish in our hearts that we will
seek God first, as the psalmist did in Psalm 121:1, 2. God wants
to guide each one of us—not just pastors or ministers, but every
person who truly trusts Him.
I encourage you to seek balance in this area and to wean
yourself from seeking other people’s opinions if you have a
consistent habit of doing so. Discipline yourself to go to God
first, and let Him choose whether He wants to speak to you
Himself or use the counsel of other believers to clarify things
for you.
life point
God is for us; He is on our side (see Psalm 118:6). The devil has
one position: he is against us. But God is over us, under us,
through us, for us, and He surrounds us. So like Mount Zion, we
should not be moved, because God is all around us (see Psalm
125:1, 2).
fill your mouth with laughter

Psalm 126:2, 3 speak of laughter and gladness. I once watched a
Christian television talk show in which the participants were
talking about a laughing revival that took place in various parts
of the world at one time. Someone asked the host of the show if
he thought it was of God.
“Does it offend your mind?” the host asked.
“Yes, it does,” answered the person who had raised the question
“Well, then,” responded the host, “it is probably of God.”
Have you ever noticed that Jesus offended people who were
falsely religious? It sometimes seemed He did it on purpose. In
Matthew 15:12 Jesus’ disciples said to Him, “Do You know that
the Pharisees were displeased and offended and indignant when
they heard this saying?” Jesus’ answer to them was: “Let them
alone and disregard them; they are blind guides and teachers.
And if a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a ditch
(Matthew 15:14). If we are going to follow God, we need to
realize that our minds may not always understand everything
He does. Stop checking with your mind and start asking if you
bear witness in your spirit to what is happening. We often rejec
things and movements that are genuinely of God simply becaus
we have never seen them and do not understand them in our
minds.
We must guard against “Pharisee-ism” in our hearts and
attitudes. If the truth were known, the church today is full of
Pharisees. I used to be one of them. In fact, I was a chief
Pharisee. I was rigid, legalistic, boring, out to impress others,
humorless, critical, and judgmental. I was on my way to heaven,
but I was not enjoying the trip.
We need to stop being so rigid. Jesus was sent into this world,
not to bind us up, but to set us free. We need to be free to laugh,
enjoy life, love people, and not be afraid to step out and try new
things.
Now, I do not mean we are to go through life trying to see how
ridiculous we can act. I am not talking about weirdness and
fanaticism; I am talking about freedom and joy. I am talking
about freely following the leading of the Holy Spirit. Go ahead,
laugh a little. God will not be offended; He wants you to be
joyful!
life point
According to Psalm 127:1, unless the Lord builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain. We may be able to build, but
what we build will not last if God is not involved in it. He is our
Partner in life, and as such, He desires to be a part of everything
we do. God is interested in every facet of our lives. Believing
that truth is the beginning of an exciting journey with Him.
speak the Word

Lord, I wait for You, and in Your Word I do hope.
getting rid of “what if”

Our oldest son, David, and his wife once needed a place to live
temporarily. They had just sold their mobile home, and their
newly purchased house would not be ready for a month. Of
course, my husband and I invited them to live with us, even
though I was a bit wary. My son and I are alike in many ways—
we are both strong-willed, which does not always mix well in
close quarters. Nothing negative had happened between us, but
in anticipation of this move my mind kept coming up with
“what-ifs.”
My husband and I would be driving down the road, and my
mouth would want to start talking about negative things that
could take place: “What if there is no hot water left for my
shower in the morning after everyone else is finished? What if
they leave messes for me to clean up?” David and his wife had
not even moved in, and nothing bad had yet happened, but my
mouth wanted to declare disaster ahead of time.
Satan wanted me to prophesy my future. He wanted me to be
critical of the situation in advance.
If the devil can get us to be negative, he can provide us with
negative circumstances. Often we call for our own problems. We
“call those things which be not as though they were” (see
Romans 4:17), only we do it in the negative sense by sowing
negative seeds.
Look at it this way: My blender works regardless of what is
placed in it. If I put ice cream and milk in it, I will get a milk
shake. If I put in water and dirt, I will get mud. The blender
works. It is created to work. It is up to me to decide what I will
put in it. What I put in is what I will get out. The same is true
with our minds and hearts and mouths. What goes in is what is
going to come out—for good or for bad.
Our son and daughter-in-law did live with us for a month, and
everything worked out fine. I knew enough biblical principles by
then to resist the temptation to complain in advance, and I urge
you to beware of this temptation also. When I was tempted to
speak negative words, I would choose to say, “This will work out
fine. I am sure everyone will cooperate and be sensitive to the
needs of the others.”
My son and I made a joke about our challenge of getting along
for thirty days under the same roof. We both like to be right, so
he said, “I’ll tell you what, Mom. Let’s take turns being right.
During the thirty days we are together, you can be right fifteen
days, and I will be right fifteen days.” We both laughed and had
a good time. But the point is that I learned to discard “what if”
and accepted the blessing of pleasant unity in my home (see
Psalm 133:1).
speak the Word

Thank You, Lord, that Your hand is strong and Your arm is
outstretched toward me.
speak the Word

Lord, I declare that You will perfect that which concerns
me!
God’s good plan

God’s plan for our lives has been established in the spiritual
realm since before the foundation of the earth, and it is a good
plan, as we see in Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the thoughts and
plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for
welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final
outcome.”
Psalm 139:16 tells us that before we were even born, God had
planned our days. However, Satan has worked hard to destroy
the Lord’s good plan in many of us, and he has had a high
success rate.
God sent His Son, Jesus, to redeem us and to restore all things
to proper order. He has written down His will for our lives, and
as we believe it and confess it, it literally begins to become
reality.
Some people believe for a great number of things but see very
little manifestation of them. Perhaps the reason is because they
are believing but not speaking. They may see some results of
their faith, but not the radical results they would experience if
they would bring their mouths along with their hearts into
God’s service (see Romans 10:9, 10).
Some people are trying to live in the blessings of the Lord while
still talking like the devil. We must not make that mistake. We
will not see positive results in our daily lives if we speak
negative things. We should remember that what we are
speaking, we are calling for. We are reaching into the spiritual
realm and drawing out something according to our words. We can
reach into Satan’s realm, the realm of curses, and draw out evil,
negative things, or we can reach into God’s realm, the realm of
blessings, and draw out good, positive things. Words are like
containers; they carry creative or destructive power.
The choice is up to us.

Have you ever heard the saying “Sticks and stones will break my
bones, but words will never hurt me”? We all know that is not
true; in fact, words can deeply wound us. Heed the advice of
Psalm 141:3 and ask God to set a guard over your mouth, that
your words will be encouraging and full of blessing.
when your mouth gets you in trouble

I pray Psalm 141:3 often because I know that I need help with
my mouth on a daily basis. I want the Holy Spirit to convict me
when I am talking too much, when I am saying things I should
not, when I am speaking negatively, when I am complaining,
when I am sounding harsh or engaging in any other kinds of
“evil speaking.”
Anything that offends God in our conversation needs to be
eliminated. That is why we need to pray continually: “Set a
guard, O Lord, before my mouth; keep watch at the door of my
lips.”
Another scripture on the importance of watching what we say is
Psalm 17:3: “I have purposed that my mouth shall not
transgress.” This says we need to plan to keep our mouths from
speaking bad or negative things. We purpose not to speak them.
Whatever we do in this life of faith, we must do it on purpose.
Discipline is a choice. It is not necessarily easy, but it begins
with a quality decision. During difficult times when the storm is
raging, we will need to purpose to keep our mouths from
transgressing.
A third scripture that I pray regularly on this subject is Psalm
19:14: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my
heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my [firm,
impenetrable] Rock and my Redeemer.”
Are you having difficulty with your mouth? Pray the Word. It is
God’s Word that carries the power of the Holy Spirit. Let these
scriptures be the cry of your heart. Be sincere in your desire to
gain victory in this area, and as you seek God for His help, you
will begin to notice that you are changing. This is what the Lord
has done for me, and He can do it for you too; He is no respecter
of persons (see Acts 10:34). All those who follow God-ordained
guidelines get God-ordained results.
Pray this prayer of commitment to exercise control over your
mouth: “Lord, I pray that You will help me to develop sensitivity
to the Holy Spirit concerning all manner of my conversation. I
do not want to be stubborn like a horse or mule that will not
obey without a bridle and bit. I want to move in Your direction
with only a gentle nudge from You. Place a guard over my lips
and let all the words of my mouth be acceptable in Your sight, O
Lord, my Strength and my Redeemer. In Jesus’ name I pray,
amen.”
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David’s response to his feelings of depression and gloom was not
to meditate on his problem. Instead, he literally came against
the problem by choosing to remember the good times of past days
—pondering the doings of God and the works of His hands (see
Psalm 143:5). In other words, he thought about something good,
and it helped him overcome his battle of depression.
Never forget this: your mind plays an important role in your victory.
I know it is the power of the Holy Spirit working through the
Word of God that brings victory into our lives. But a large part of
the work that needs to be done is for us to line up our thinking
with God and His Word. If we refuse to do this or choose to think
it is unimportant, we will never experience victory. But we will
win if we discipline ourselves to meditate on the good things
God has done.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, for dealing bountifully with me.
a biblical prescription for depression

Psalm 143:3–10 gives a description of depression and how to
overcome it. Let’s look at this passage in detail to see the steps
we can take to defeat this attack of the enemy:
Psalm 143:3: Identify the nature and cause of the problem. David says
he feels as if he is dwelling in “dark places as those who have
been long dead.” This certainly sounds to me like a description
of someone who is depressed. I believe that the source of the
depression described here is our enemy, Satan, who attacks the
soul.
Psalm 143:4: Recognize that depression steals life and light.
Depression oppresses a person’s spiritual freedom and power.
Our spirits (empowered and encouraged by God’s Spirit) are
powerful and free. Therefore, Satan seeks to oppress our spirits’
power and liberty by filling our minds with darkness and gloom.
Please realize that it is vital to resist the feeling called
“depression” immediately when we begin to sense it. The longer
it is allowed to remain, the harder it becomes to resist.
Psalm 143:5: Remember the good times. In this verse we see
David’s response to his condition. Remembering, meditating,
and pondering are all functions of the mind. He obviously knows
that his thoughts will affect his feelings, so he gets busy
thinking about the kinds of things that will help overcome the
attack upon his mind. He thinks about God and the good things
He does.
Psalm 143:6: Praise the Lord in the midst of the problem. David
knows the importance of praise; he lifts his hands in worship.
He declares what his need truly is: He needs God. Far too often
when people get depressed, it is because they are in need of
something, and they seek it in the wrong place, which only adds
to their problems. God alone can water a thirsty soul. Do not be
deceived into thinking that anything else can satisfy you fully
and completely. Chasing after the wrong thing will always leave
you disappointed, and disappointment opens the door to
depression.
Psalm 143:7: Ask for God’s help. David asks for help. He is
basically saying, “Hurry up, God, because I am not going to be
able to hold on very much longer without You.”
Psalm 143:8: Listen to the Lord. David knows that he needs to hear
from God. He needs to be assured of God’s love and kindness. He
needs God’s attention and direction.
Psalm 143:9: Pray for deliverance. Once again David declares that
only God can help him. Please notice that throughout this
discourse, he keeps his mind on God and not on the problem.
Psalm 143:10: Seek God’s wisdom, knowledge, and leadership.
Perhaps David is indicating that he has gotten out of the will of
God and thus opened the door to the attack on his soul. He wants
to be in God’s will because he realizes that it is the only safe
place to be. Then he requests that God help him to be stable. He
wants his unsettled emotions to be level—not up and down.
I encourage you to meditate on God’s Word and apply its
principles to your life. Let it bring you freedom and peace.
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What is David doing in Psalm 143:5–8? He is crying out to God
for help. When you and I feel ourselves sinking into the pit of
depression, we can do what David did here. We can remember
the days of old. We can meditate on all of the Lord’s doings on
our behalf. We can ponder the mighty works of His hands. We
can spread forth our hands in prayer and supplication to Him.
We can call upon Him to answer us speedily because we are
leaning on and trusting in Him. We can lift up our souls, our
inner beings, to Him.
All these things constitute an act of faith, and the Lord has
promised to always respond to faith. If we are under a minor
attack, it may take only a few hours or days. But if we are under
a major attack, it may take much longer. However long it may
be, we must stand firm and continue to cry out to God, receiving
the help and encouragement that only He can give. We need to
be confident that the Lord will deliver us, just as He delivered
David from all his woes.
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In the final verses of Psalm 143, David calls upon the Lord to
deliver him from his enemies because he has run to Him for
help and protection. He asks the Lord to teach him His will and
to let His Spirit lead him into a “level country.”
I believe that what David was asking for when he spoke of a level
country was balanced emotions. Secure in who he was and in
Whose he was, David was able to place himself into the hands of
the Lord. David allowed God to bring his life out of trouble, free
him from distress, punish his enemies, and cause him to win the
victory over all those who were afflicting his soul, because he
belonged to the Lord.
You and I are to place ourselves in God’s hands. We need to
withstand the devil’s attempts to drag us down into the depths of
depression and despair by allowing God to move on our behalf to
win our victory.
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In the opening verses of Psalm 144, David praises the Lord with
strong, compelling words—Rock, Fortress, High Tower, and more.
The Lord subdued his enemies under him, but David also did his
part. We must always remember that we are partners with God.
God has a part, and we have a part. We cannot do God’s part, and
He will not do our part. In verse 1, David said the Lord taught his
hands to war and his fingers to fight. This is the key to
conquering depression. We must do what David did. We must
recognize depression, submit it to the Lord, call upon Him for
His help, and then fight that depression in the strength and
power of the Holy Spirit.
How do we fight depression? By spending time with God, by
praying, and by speaking His Word. We also fight by lifting our
eyes, heads, hands, and hearts and offering the sacrifice of
praise and thanksgiving to the Lord, our Rock and Strength, our
Steadfast Love and Fortress, our High Tower and Deliverer, our
Shield and the One in Whom we trust and take refuge, the One
Who subdues our enemies under us.
speak the Word

God, I am happy because my help and my hope are in You!

If you have ever been to a professional sporting event, you have
seen and experienced the exuberant enthusiasm of the fans. Do
you praise God with that kind of intensity? While at times you
may praise Him in the quietness of your heart, the psalmist tells
us that we are also to praise God with instruments, with
dancing, or with shouts of joy! He is worthy of your exuberant
praise.
Proverbs
Author:
Solomon, with smaller portions
by others
Date:
About 950 BC, with portions
about 720 BC
Whatever you do, seek wisdom.
Walking in wisdom means
making decisions today that you
will be happy with tomorrow.
Look to Proverbs to find godly,
practical advice about many
practical matters you face in
your everyday life.
Proverbs was written by Solomon, who has been called the wisest man
who ever lived, and is a book filled with wisdom and godly common sen
about the practical matters of life. One of the most beneficial things we
can seek in life is wisdom, which I like to define as “decisions you make
now that you will be happy with later.”
Within the pages of Proverbs, you will find sound guidance and advice o
a multitude of situations you face on a regular basis, including how to:
• Think properly
• Control your mouth
• Manage your finances
• Plan for the future
• Treat people correctly
• Deal with offenses
• Receive correction
• Keep from being foolish and to handle those who are
• Be a good friend
• Behave as husbands and wives should
• Have good parent/child relationships
It also teaches us that our words are carriers of either life or death,
that a happy heart does us good like a medicine, and that the fear o
the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
Because Proverbs has 31 chapters, many people read one chapter of
Proverbs per day, each month of the year. Whether you read a chapter
per day or the entire book at once, I encourage you to read Proverbs
often and let its wisdom saturate your heart and direct your life.
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Proverbs 1:1–4 teaches us that wisdom is full of prudence.
Prudence means “good management.” Prudent people do not
operate in extremes. They are balanced and conduct themselves
wisely. I encourage you to be prudent in every situation!
speak the Word

God, I pray that You will help me to be wise. Help me to
hear and increase in learning, to acquire skill, and to
attain to sound counsel so that I may steer my course
rightly.
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God says in Proverbs 1:23 that He will make His words known to
us if we listen to Him and repent when He corrects us. He will
open up wisdom to us, and we will have more revelation than we
could ever imagine.
All we need to do is obey what God has told us to do. He will
reveal to us hidden treasures within His Word. We have not even
scratched the surface of the revelation that is in the Word of
God. If we obey Him, He will make His will clearly known to us.
He will speak living words (rhema) to us—His personal word for
our lives.
speak the Word

Thank You, Lord, for giving me skillful and godly wisdom,
knowledge, and understanding.
understanding people
Proverbs 2:1–5 teaches us about the necessity and rewards of
understanding. We need to seek understanding—of God’s Word
and will, of ourselves, and of other people.
I would like to focus for a moment on the importance of really
understanding others. In order to minister to them we must have
an understanding heart, and how can we do that if we do not
have a clue about their hurts and struggles?
One way to understand what people are going through is by
going through it ourselves. We do not have to experience exactly
the same thing, but I do not think anyone can understand a
hurting person without having been hurt or having gone
through a similar situation.
It is amazing how caring and compassionate we are when we
have gone through a few problems of our own, and how flippant
and judgmental we can be if we have not had the same problem
ourselves. How easy our answers can be: “Well, now, sister, you
just need to believe God.” How different it is when we have been
hurting for months, and somebody comes along with a problem.
We throw our arms around that person and say, “Oh, I understand
how you feel.”
We all want understanding. It is one of the things we cry out to
God for when we are going through rough times. We just want to
be understood. Jesus understands, as we see in Hebrews 4:15:
“For we do not have a High Priest Who is unable to understand
and sympathize and have a shared feeling with our weaknesses
and infirmities and liability to the assaults of temptation, but
One Who has been tempted in every respect as we are, yet
without sinning.” Jesus can help us because He knows what we
are going through. We can open up to Him without fear of
judgment and rejection because He understands.
I am not sure that Jesus ever prayed for anybody until
compassion was flowing. I recall an instance in the Bible in
which a man came to Him asking for healing for his son who
was possessed by a demon that caused him terrible suffering.
Jesus asked the man, “How long has he had this?” (Mark 9:21).
The answer did not affect whether or not Jesus would heal him. I
believe Jesus asked the question because He wanted to have
even more compassion than He already had for that father and
the boy.
We need to be concerned enough about people to ask them
questions about their situations: “How long have you been like
this? Where does it hurt? What gives you comfort?”
When some of us ask a person how they are doing and they say
that they are having a rough time, we tend to answer, “Well,
praise the Lord anyway!” But when we are hurting or in trouble,
that is not how we want others to respond to us. We want them to
show us some real heartfelt understanding and compassion.
Be a person who seeks understanding and desires to be
compassionate, and you will find yourself acting wisely toward
others.
why not ask, “why?”

Proverbs 3:5, 6 is basically a passage that encourages us to have
faith in God and not in our own thinking or reasoning. People
who must reason out everything have a very hard time with faith
because reasoning is not faith, and without faith it is impossible
to please God (see Hebrews 11:6).
I can teach on reasoning because I used to be a “class A” chief
“reasoner.” I was the lady who had to have everything figured
out. I had to have a plan. I had to know not only all about my
own business but all about other people’s business too—even
God’s. I was continually asking, “Why, God, why? When, God,
when?”
In some respects, I had to reason everything out like the
religious leaders of Jesus’ day. We read about them in Mark 2:6–
8: “Now some of the scribes were sitting there, holding a
dialogue with themselves as they questioned in their hearts,
Why does this Man talk like this? He is blaspheming! Who can
forgive sins [remove guilt, remit the penalty, and bestow
righteousness instead] except God alone? And at once Jesus,
becoming fully aware in His spirit that they thus debated within
themselves, said to them, Why do you argue (debate, reason)
about all this in your hearts?”
Notice that the scribes were “holding a dialogue with
themselves.” Do you ever hold a dialogue with yourself?
Realistically, you probably talk to yourself more than you talk to
anybody else. I encourage you to examine what you are saying to
yourself. These scribes were not saying those unkind things in
Mark 2 aloud, but in their hearts. They were asking questions
about Jesus within themselves. Immediately, He became aware
in His Spirit of their arguing, debating, and reasoning and
called it to their attention.
We need to be aware that trying to reason everything out by
ourselves is a problem. It is a serious matter that we need to deal
with, just as Jesus dealt with it in the hearts of those who
followed Him. Ask God to help you stop reasoning and begin to
live by faith, leaning on and trusting in Him and not on your
own understanding.
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I believe what God meant when He said, “Be not wise in your
own eyes” (Proverbs 3:7), was “Do not even think that you can
run your life and do a good job without My help and direction!”
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As Christians, we should not place our confidence in our
education, our looks, our position, our property, our gifts, our
talents, our abilities, our accomplishments, or in other people’s
opinions. Through Proverbs 3:26, our heavenly Father is
basically saying to us, “No more; it is time to let go of all those
fleshly things to which you have been holding so firmly so long.
It is time to put your trust and confidence in Me, and Me alone!”
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We can have good intentions and still be disobedient.
Procrastination is very deceptive and Proverbs 3:27, 28 instructs
us not to do it. Often, we do not see putting things off as
disobedience because we intend to obey God; it is just that we are
going to do it when—when we have more money, when we are not
so busy, as soon as Christmas is over, after we get the kids in
school this year, when we return from vacation, etc. Remember,
the best intentions do not produce results. Ask God to help you
take action in a timely manner in every situation.
the benefits of wisdom

Proverbs 4:5 instructs us to get “skillful and godly Wisdom,”
and I would like to share some of the results you can expect as
you apply wisdom in your life.
Wisdom will always lead you to God’s best. Wisdom teaches that
you will not keep friends if you try to control and dominate
everything that goes on in your life and theirs. You will not keep
friends if you talk about them behind their backs or tell their
secrets. Wisdom says, “Do not say things about others that you
would not want people saying about you.”
Wisdom will guide you in money matters. You will not get into
debt if you do not spend more money than you make. A lot of
people never have fruitful ministries because they think they
can run a ministry without good business principles. The Holy
Spirit does not need to speak in an audible voice to tell us that
we cannot have more money going out than we have coming in.
Wisdom tells us that we will get in trouble if we do that.
Wisdom will not let us get overextended in our commitments if
we listen to her. No matter how anxious we may be to accomplish
things, wisdom says we need to take time and wait on God to
give us peace about what we are to do and not do. It has been
very difficult for me over the years to learn to say no to certain
speaking opportunities, but I have learned that it is not wise to
wear myself out trying to do so much that I end up not doing a
quality job.
To God, quality is more important than quantity. Many times
wisdom leads us to say no to things we would like to say yes to.
Wisdom may also lead us to say yes to something to which we

would like to say no. For example, if a friend invites me to do
something that is extremely important to her, and I have
recently had to say no to her several times, even if I do not really
want to accept the invitation, it might be wise for me to do so if I
value her friendship and want to keep it.
Wisdom is our friend; it helps us not to live in regret. I think
the saddest thing in the world would be to reach old age and look
back at my life and feel nothing but regret about what I did or
did not do. Wisdom helps us make choices now that we will be
happy with later.
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Proverbs 4:18 is so encouraging to me! This verse says to me that
God is not angry with us because we have not yet “arrived.” He
is pleased that we are pressing on, that we are staying on the
path. If you and I will just “keep on keeping on,” God will be
pleased with our progress.
Keep walking the walk. A walk is something taken one step at a
time. This is an important thing to remember.
If I invited you to take a walk, you would think I was crazy if I
became angry after the first few steps because we had not yet
arrived at our destination. We can understand ordinary things
like this, and yet we have a difficult time understanding that
God expects our spiritual growth to take some time.
We do not think there is something wrong with one-year-old
children because they cannot walk perfectly. They fall down
frequently, but we pick them up, love them, bandage them if
necessary, and keep working with them. Surely our awesome
God can do even more for us than we do for our children. He is
patient and stays with us until we reach our destination.
life point
Proverbs 4:23 exhorts us to guard our hearts “with all
vigilance.” Practically, that means we need to examine our
attitudes and our thoughts on a regular basis and make
adjustments as needed.
Many people are deceived into believing they cannot help what
they think, but we can choose our thoughts. We need to think
about what we have been thinking about. When we do that, it
doesn’t take very long to discover the root cause of a bad
attitude.
Satan will always try to fill our minds with wrong thinking, but
we do not have to receive everything he tries to give us. I would
not take a spoonful of poison just because someone offered it to
me, and neither would you. If we are smart enough not to
swallow poison, we should also be smart enough not to allow
Satan to poison our minds, attitudes, and, ultimately, our lives.
Guard your heart aggressively. Let your thoughts be good
thoughts. Think about things that are honorable and true (see
Philippians 4:8), and watch your heart attitude change.
life point
As believers, you and I should not hate instruction as we read
about in Proverbs 5:12, but we should be teachable. If we ever get
to the point where we think we know everything, then we can be
assured that we know nothing! We need to stop hating and
despising things—even little things. People use the words hate
and despise quite casually, making comments such as: “I hate
going to the grocery store,” or “I hate traffic,” or “I despise my
job.” We are not supposed to hate anything but sin.
We all are tempted to hate certain things, just as we are prone to
dread certain things. God has taught me that dread is a close
relative of fear. We do not need to dread doing the dishes,
getting up, going to work, exercising, or anything else. Satan
uses those feelings of dread and our feelings of hatred to deceive
us. We simply are not to have hearts that despise anyone or
anything. If you have hatred in your heart, repent and then ask
God to replace your despising attitude with His love and grace.
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Proverbs 8:6–9 describes what should be our confession, our
testimony, and our reputation. Our reputation involves not only
what we say about ourselves, but also what others say about us.
Unfortunately, many of us have learned in this life to “talk in
circles,” and often when we finish talking, others still do not
have the slightest idea what we have just said. We need to learn
how to engage in plain, straightforward, honest, truthful
communication.
James 3:10 tells us that we should not let both blessings and
cursings come from our mouths. Instead, we ought to be like the
virtuous woman in Proverbs 31:26, in whose mouth is the law of
kindness. As children of God, we need to be excellent in our
speech and speak words that are righteous and true.
a little common sense goes a long way

In Proverbs 8:15, 16, Wisdom is speaking, and she says that
through her, leaders rule. Wisdom brings us to places of
leadership, and if we want to be good leaders, we need wisdom
and common sense!
People are constantly asking me, “How were you able to build a
ministry like yours?” I share with them a ministry success
principle—one of the most positive aspects of our ministry, the
thing that has brought us to where we are today: common sense!
My husband, Dave, and I use common sense in everything we do
in our ministry. You might call it “sanctified common sense.” It
is not merely reason or logic. Romans 8:6 states that the mind of
the flesh is sense and reason without the Holy Spirit. Dave and I
strive not to walk according to the mind of the flesh, because we
are aware that sense and reason alone can cause a lot of trouble.
We seek godly, Spirit-filled, sanctified common sense. We
believe common sense leads us to present a balanced gospel. We
do not buy things we do not have the money to pay for. We do not
hire people if we cannot afford to pay their salaries. We know
that we cannot try to control our friends if we want to keep
them. We have enough common sense to know what to do to stay
out of trouble.
Living by common sense is really not difficult; just do what you
would want others to do to you. Pay your bills on time;
communicate properly; mix encouragement with correction so a
person’s spirit is not broken—these are just a few examples of
good common sense.
As you use more and more common sense, things will get better
and better for you. Do not do things that are foolish; ask God for
wisdom. While you are at it, ask Him to help you also use good,
sanctified common sense in every situation.
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We can miss God by being in a hurry to get what we want. If we
do not wait, especially in important areas, we will bring trouble
into our lives (see Proverbs 8:34–36). I am “fine-tuning”
patience in my life all the time.
I am a natural-born confronter. In the past, if I wanted
something solved, I confronted the issue and forced a solution. It
took me years to learn that sometimes it was not good for me to
deal with issues that directly. I learned that I could make
matters worse, or get in God’s way and end up having to go
through the same situation again because I did not wait for
God’s timing. Because I was impatient, I did not give God a
chance to solve things for me.
I have learned that when I feel overly anxious to handle
something, I should let it rest for at least twenty-four hours. It is
amazing how we can change our minds if we will just let things
settle for a few hours. We can save ourselves so much trouble if
we will learn to wait on God.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, that blessings are on the heads of the
uncompromisingly righteous and that I am righteous
through Your Son!
speak the Word

Thank You, God, that Your blessing makes rich and that
You add no sorrow with it.

Proverbs 11:14 teaches us that there is safety in a multitude of
counselors. Do you have wise, godly people who can provide
sound counsel in your life? If so, consult them often. Never put
them ahead of God, and do not let them make your final
decisions, because those should be made between you and God.
However, wise counselors are very valuable, and if you do not
have such people in your life, ask God to send them.

Proverbs 11:25 says that people who are generous will be
enriched and that when we “water” others, we will be “watered”
in return. In what ways can you be generous to someone today?
life point
I believe every Christian should keep his heart light. The King
James Version of Proverbs 12:25 says, “Heaviness in the heart of
man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad.”
We do not have to go around with a troubled, heavy heart or with
a spirit of heaviness on us. In John 14:1 Jesus told His disciples,
“Do not let your hearts be troubled (distressed, agitated).” Isaiah
61:3 gives a wonderful promise to those who need the Lord to lift
the heaviness from them. It says that God wants to “grant
[consolation and joy] to those who mourn in Zion—to give them
an ornament (a garland or diadem) of beauty instead of ashes,
the oil of joy instead of mourning, the garment [expressive] of
praise instead of a heavy, burdened, and failing spirit…”
The Lord does not want us to have heavy or troubled hearts. The
next time things are not going well for you, remember to release
your burdens and anxieties to the Lord. He wants you to be
lighthearted and to enjoy life.
from disappointment to reappointment

Proverbs 13:12 says that “hope deferred makes the heart sick.”
What is “hope deferred”? I believe it is what we call
disappointment.
We all are disappointed when things do not work out the way we
want them to. We become disappointed when we have a plan that
fails, a hope that does not materialize, or a goal that is not
reached. We are disappointed by everything from a picnic that is
rained out to the loss of a job. We are disappointed when the
new watch we were given will not keep time correctly, or when
the child we had hoped would turn out right shows no signs of
doing so.
When things like that happen, for a certain period of time we
experience a letdown—one that can lead to depression if it is not
handled properly. That is when we have to make the decision to
adapt and adjust, to take a new approach and just keep going
despite our feelings. That is when we must remember that we
have the Greater One residing within us, so that no matter what
may happen to frustrate us, or how long it may take for our
dreams and goals to become realities, we are not going to give up
and quit just because of our emotions.
That is when we must remember what God once told me in just
apart.
How disappointing and discouraging it is to see the things we
love senselessly destroyed by others or, even worse, by our own
neglect or failure. Regardless of how it may happen or who may
be responsible, it is hard to go on when everything we have
counted on falls down around us. That is when those of us who
have the creative power of the Holy Spirit on the inside can get a
new vision, a new direction, and a new goal to help us overcome
the frustrating, downward pull of disappointment. Hope deferred
does make the heart sick, but hope can be rekindled, and our
hearts can be made whole again by the power of the Holy Spirit.
such a moment: “When you get disappointed, you can always make
the decision to get reappointed!”
Disappointment often leads to discouragement, which is even
more of a “downer.” We have all experienced the depressing
feeling that comes after we have tried our very best to do
something and either nothing happens or it all falls totally
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A prudent person is balanced; he avoids extremes in the
management of his life and faith. It seems to me, after many
years of observation in the kingdom of God, that people have a
difficult time with balance. Ideas concerning the power of words,
the mouth, confession, calling those things that be not as though
they are, and speaking things into existence, is one example of
an area in which I have seen people move into extremes. It
seems that the flesh wants to live in the ditch on one side of the
road or the other, but it has a difficult time staying in the middle
of the highway between the lines of safety. We should speak
positively about our lives and our futures. We should agree with
what God says about us in His Word. Our confession does have a
lot to do with our possession, but we should not ever think that
we can have whatever we want just because we say it. We are to
speak forth God’s Word, not our carnal desires.
Extremes are actually the devil’s playground. If he cannot get a
believer to totally ignore a truth and live in deception, his next
tactic will be to get him so one-sided and out of balance with the
truth that he is no better off than he was before. Sometimes he
is even worse off than he was.
Wisdom is a central theme of God’s Word. As a matter of fact,
there is no real victory without it, and we are wise to remain
balanced in our everyday lives.
speak the Word

Help me, Lord, to speak wisely, because wise words will
preserve me.
Thank You, God, for making me upright and giving me

Your favor.
free from bitterness

Proverbs 14:10 speaks of bitterness in our hearts. Bitterness
(harboring unforgiveness) in our hearts is extremely dangerous
because the Bible tells us very plainly that if we will not forgive
other people, then God cannot forgive us (see Mark 11:26). If we
do not forgive others, our faith will not work. And everything
that comes from God comes by faith. If our faith does not work,
we cannot receive from God and we are in serious trouble.
When I preach on the subject of forgiveness, I often ask
members of the audience to stand if they have been offended and
need to forgive someone. I have never seen less than 80 percent
of the congregation stand up.
It does not take a genius to figure out why we are lacking the
power we need in the body of Christ. Power comes from love, not
from hatred, bitterness, and unforgiveness.
“But you don’t know what was done to me,” people say when
trying to excuse their bitterness, resentment, and unforgiveness.
Based on what the Bible says, it really does not matter how great
the offense was. We serve a God Who is greater, and if we will
handle the offense in the right way, He will bring us justice and
recompense when we allow Him to do so.
In Isaiah 61:7 the Lord promises us, “Instead of your [former]
shame you shall have a twofold recompense.” A recompense is a
reward. It is a payback for past hurts. It is like worker’s
compensation. The Lord once told me, “Joyce, you work for Me,
and as long as you do, if you get hurt on the job, I will pay you
back.”
In Romans 12:19 we are told, “Beloved, never avenge yourselves,
but leave the way open for [God’s] wrath; for it is written,
Vengeance is Mine, I will repay (requite), says the Lord.” Do not
try to get people back for what they have done to you. Leave it in
God’s hands.
Jesus taught us that we are to forgive those who hurt us, pray for
those who spitefully use us, and bless those who curse us (see
Matthew 5:44). That is hard. But there is something harder:
being full of hatred, bitterness, and resentment.
Quite often, people do not even know that they have hurt us. Do
not spend your life hating someone who is probably out having a
good time while you are all upset! Rather, choose to allow God to
work forgiveness in you so that you may be released from your
bitterness and set free to enjoy life.
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Think about it: a person who has a calm and undisturbed mind
has health for his body. But as we see in Proverbs 14:30, envy,
jealousy, and anger can actually destroy the physical body.
Keeping these negative emotions far from you is good for your
health!
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The Bible teaches us in Proverbs 15:1 that a “soft answer turns
away wrath.” In other words, if someone is angry and yelling,
then responding to that person calmly and gently will change
the situation and stop an argument. How awesome! The next
time angry words seem to be flying around you, respond with
soft, gentle words. That’s the best way to diffuse an argument.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, that I have strong confidence as I hold
you in fear and reverence. In You, I will always have a
place of refuge.
life point
Throughout the Word of God we are told to be careful how we
use our mouths. We are to pay attention to our words. We are
never to speak things that are going to make people want to give
up or quit. We are not to pollute one another or ourselves with
negative words from our lips.
Proverbs 15:4 tells us that willful contrariness breaks down the
spirit. Notice that the word spirit is spelled with a small s. This
verse is not talking about the Holy Spirit; it is referring to our
own human spirits. Depression of the human spirit is another
problem created and magnified by wrong thoughts and words—
our own or those of others.
We are not to use our mouths to hurt, break down, or depress,
but rather to heal, restore, and uplift. The tongue has healing
power, and we need to use it to bring healing.
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Those who are wise in heart use their lips to spread knowledge
(see Proverbs 15:7), but those who are foolish in heart speak
whatever comes to mind. I believe one of the biggest problems
with people is that they do not use wisdom when they think and
thus say or do foolish things. Ask God to help you identify and
correct any foolishness in your life and to enable you to use
wisdom in everything you do.
life point
Proverbs 15:13 says that a glad, happy heart makes a cheerful
countenance. The Bible uses the word countenance in many
places, so I think we should pay attention to it. Your
countenance is your face, the way you look. God is concerned
about how we look because either we are walking
advertisements for Jesus or we are walking advertisements for
Satan. That is why it is important that we learn how to have a
cheerful countenance and a pleasant look on our faces.
My husband has a secretary who is always smiling. Everything
he asks her to do, she does it with a smile. I think that is the way
God wants all of us to be. When we smile, it puts other people at
ease. It gives them freedom and liberty and a sense of
confidence.
It is amazing how much more comfortable and secure we are
when we smile at one another and how much discomfort and
insecurity we cause one another when we go around with a sour
look on our faces.
Sometimes our problems are not caused by the devil as we might
like to assume—they are the results of the way we feel and act.
We need to cheer up. When we relax and smile, it makes us (and
everyone around us) feel better.
the wise answer of the tongue

Sometimes the Lord gives us “the [wise] answer of the tongue”
(Proverbs 16:1) from our very own lips. I learned this truth when
I was in a situation where I did not know what to do and my own
thoughts left me confused. I was not getting anywhere with my
circumstances until I took a walk with a friend.
I was facing a major decision that needed a godly answer, but I
could not find God’s leading. My friend and I discussed the issue
for about an hour as we walked together, enjoying the fresh air
and each other’s company. That is when I learned that
sometimes wisdom comes out of our own mouths as we begin to
talk to someone about a situation.
We talked about the circumstance and discussed several
different possible solutions and their potential outcomes. We
talked about how good it might be if we handled the situation
one way and how bad it might be if we handled it another way.
Suddenly, one particular answer settled in my heart.
What I decided I needed to do was not something I naturally
wanted to do. A stubborn mind-set is a great enemy of peace.
Some of my struggle was because I wanted to convince God that
my situation should be dealt with differently from the way He
was leading me. His voice was difficult to discern because my
mind was already set against His plan.
We have to be willing to lay aside our own desires or we may
miss a clear word from God. Our natural inclination is to
manipulate things to work the way we want them to work. Some
of our best childhood toys taught us that square pegs will not fit
into round holes, and we must remember that our plans do not
always fit God’s ways—no matter how forcefully we try to make
the two work together.
While my friend and I considered the situation together, a wise
answer came out of my mouth that I knew was from the Lord. It
did not come from my mind, but it rose from my inner being.
God promises that if we open our mouths, He will fill them (see
Psalm 81:10), and Jesus promises to give us words and wisdom
that none of our adversaries will be able to resist or contradict
(see Luke 21:15).
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Proverbs 16:2 says that all our ways are pure in our own eyes. In
other words, most of us do not see our own faults.
It would do us good to choose about three of our most trusted
friends, sit down with them several times a year, and ask them,
“How do you see me?” This is because we see ourselves a whole
lot differently than others see us. Ask this question of mature,
trustworthy, honest people. Take their answers seriously and
pray about them, asking God to help you in your weaknesses.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, that as I roll my works on You and trust
You, You will cause my thoughts to agree with Your will
and make my plans succeed.
humble people are happy people

People who are proud are hard to deal with because they refuse
correction and good advice. In fact, Proverbs 16:5 says they are
“disgusting, hateful, and exceedingly offensive to the Lord.”
They cannot be told anything because they think they already
know everything. Since they are so opinionated, they are always
on the defensive, which makes it hard for them to receive
correction. To them that would seem to be an admission that
they are wrong—and that is something they find almost
impossible to do.
In my ministry, the Lord uses me to bring correction from His
Word. Generally, the flesh does not care for that, but it is what
makes us grow up in the Lord. Although I try to do it in a loving
way, sometimes it still causes people to react against me
because, being proud, they resist the truth. Yet Jesus told us that
it is the Truth that sets us free (see John 8:32). Remember: free
people are happy people.
It was good for me to learn that when the Lord does lead me to
correct people, it is not my job to convince them. That is the job
of the Holy Spirit. In John 16:8 Jesus said that it is the Holy
Spirit Who convicts and convinces people of the truth. That
means you and I do not have to try to “play God” in other
people’s lives.
Proud people feel they have to convince others that they are
right and everyone else is wrong. They try to tell people how
they need to change or what they need to do. As Proverbs 16:5
tells us, that kind of domineering, superior approach is not
pleasing to God. He wants His children to walk in kindness and
humility, not arrogance and pride.
Proud people are also usually very rigid, which explains why
they are often such strict disciplinarians. They have their own
way of doings things, and if anyone does not do it their way, they
react strongly, sometimes even violently: “This is it! This is the
way it has to be done—or else!”
Finally, proud people are often complicated people. Although the
Bible calls us to a life of simplicity, proud people feel that they
have to make a big deal out of everything, to make a mountain
out of every molehill. Part of the reason is because they think
they have to figure out everything, that they have to know the
“ins and outs” of every situation and know the reason for
everything that happens in life. To put it simply, they want to be
in control because deep down inside they feel that nobody can
handle things as well as they can!
All these things help to explain why proud people are usually
not very happy people. And unhappy people do not make very
many other people happy either. Cultivate humility in your life
so that you can be happy and bring joy to others.
people who laugh, last

We need to enjoy life while we work and perform the things we
think we are supposed to do. Proverbs 17:22 teaches us that
happiness in our hearts is like a good medicine.
Because my childhood was stolen from me through abuse, I
never learned to be childlike. I never learned to “lighten up”
and “live a little.” I was so serious that I thought I should not
have anything to do with things I considered to be “frivolous.” I
was always uptight about everything, and I rarely laughed
because I was so busy working and taking life seriously. On the
other hand, my husband, Dave, is the type who enjoys life
regardless of what is going on around him. Although I may
never have the ability to be just like he is because of our
different personalities, I have learned I can be much happier and
more lighthearted than I used to be.
As a minister of the Gospel, I have a huge responsibility. I have
to work hard at what I have been called to do, and I love it. I
really do enjoy my work. But if I am not careful, I can become
stressed and burned out. That is why I have to make an effort to
apply to my life verses such as Proverbs 17:22 and develop a
happy heart and a cheerful mind.
You and I need a balance of fun and responsibility. If we are not
emotionally balanced, our entire lives will be affected. I truly
believe if we do not learn to laugh more, we are going to get into
serious trouble because, as the Bible teaches, a happy heart is
like medicine. There have been many articles written in recent
years stating that medical science now confirms that laughter
can be instrumental in bringing healing to the body. Laughter is
like internal jogging—it exercises our inner soul, bringing
health to it.
We need to find more humor in our everyday lives. We ought to
laugh at ourselves, not taking ourselves too seriously. We all
need to laugh more—and sometimes we need to do it on purpose.
Remember, a happy heart is good medicine!
speak the Word

God, I declare that Your name is a strong tower. I can run
into it and be safe!
strengthen the weak

Do you realize what Proverbs 18:14 is saying? Regardless of
what comes into a person’s life, he can bear up under it if he has
a strong spirit within to sustain him in those times of trouble.
But if his spirit is weak or wounded, he is going to have a hard
time bearing anything in life.
Do you know what is wrong with many in the body of Christ
today, why they cannot seem to handle their problems? It is not
because their problems are any worse than those of anybody
else. It is because they are weak in spirit. The Bible says that we
are to bear with the failings and the frailties of the weak (see
Romans 15:1). We are to lift them up and support them (see I
Thessalonians 5:14).
Romans 12:8 tells us that one of the ministry gifts God gives to
the church is the encourager or exhorter. Such people are
usually easy to recognize because every time we get around
them, they make us feel better by the things they say and do. It
just seems to come naturally to them to uplift, encourage, and
strengthen others by their very presence and personality.
If you are like I am and would not call yourself a naturally
gifted encourager, then form a habit of being more encouraging.
That is what I have done, and it not only makes others feel
better, it also increases my joy level. We all can give
compliments, and we all can say, “Thank you.” We all can refuse
to be slanderers. We all can refuse to allow evil things to come
out of our mouths that tear people down. We all can build up,
edify, lift up, and speak life to others.
life point
Proverbs 18:21 teaches us that “death and life are in the power
of the tongue.” I do not believe we can overestimate the
importance of our words, because they truly can make the
difference between life and death. Determine today to use the
power of your words to speak life everywhere you go!
power in your mouth
Proverbs 18:21 is a verse I have known for years and am very
familiar with, but I am blessed every time I read it. I do not
think we can read it too often, know it too well, or apply it too
much. As you can tell by reading this verse, it teaches us that
death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who
indulge in it will eat its fruit, either for death or for life.
Basically, the writer of Proverbs is saying in this verse: “Every
time you open your mouth, you are ministering death or life,
and whatever you dish out is what you are going to eat.”
We have heard the phrase “You’re going to have to eat your
words,” and Proverbs 18:21 confirms this truth. The words we
speak have power to influence our lives. In fact, you may be
eating your words right now, and that may be why you are not
happy with your life. Your mouth may be getting you in trouble
with yourself!
Proverbs 18:21 teaches us that words are so awesome. They are
containers for power; they carry either a life-giving force or a
destructive force.
For example, in my conferences I speak words, and those who
hear those words receive life—life in their relationships, in
their ministries, in their thoughts, and in all the areas that God
uses me to speak to them about.
I have written a book called Me and My Big Mouth!, which deals
with the words we speak and how to make them work for us
instead of against us. The subtitle of the book is “Your Answer Is
Right Under Your Nose.” Perhaps you are desperately looking
for an answer to what is happening in your life. Do you believe it
is even remotely possible that your answer could be found in
changing the way you talk? Go ahead and try it. I know the truth
of Proverbs 18:21 and have experienced it many times in my own
life. I believe if you will begin to speak positive, encouraging
words of life and blessing, you will see blessing in your life!
life point
Jesus is a friend who sticks closer than a brother (see Proverbs
18:24). Let Him be your best friend. If you do, you will be
blessed, and your relationships will be more peaceful and
balanced.
speak the Word

Thank You, Lord, that Your purpose for me will stand.
speak the Word

Lord, I wait expectantly for You. I know that You will
rescue me.

Proverbs 22:6 teaches that children will not depart from good
training. If you are a parent, how can you train your children in
godly ways? Ask God to help you. He will!
speak the Word

God, I declare that no human wisdom, understanding, or
counsel can prevail against You. Deliverance and victory
come from You alone.
think as God thinks

Proverbs 23:7 teaches us that we become what we think, and I
have certainly learned this truth over the years. Indeed, “where
the mind goes, the man follows.” One of the first principles
believers must learn if we intend to walk in real victory is that
our minds must be renewed according to the Word of God. We
must learn to think like God!
Sadly, we believe many things that simply are not true. For
example, some people believe they have no worth and value
because people have said they do not or have treated them in a
way that made them feel worthless and devalued. However, the
Bible makes clear that we are so valuable to God that He sent
His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die and suffer in our place in
order that we might be redeemed from our sins and have an
intimate relationship with Him.
As we learn to think as God thinks, we exchange depression and
hopelessness for joyful expectation. We believe God has a
wonderful future planned for us, no matter what our past has
been like. We believe God wants to bless us.
When we have negative thoughts, we end up with negative
results. But positive thoughts open the door for God to work in
our lives. If we think we are unable to do certain things, we will
be rendered unable—even though God’s Word says that we can
do anything God asks us to do because of His ability in us (see
Philippians 4:13). Our thoughts are that powerful.
We must all change our way of thinking before our lives will
change. Romans 12:2 says we are not to conform to the world
and its ways, but we are to completely renew our minds and
attitudes so we can prove for ourselves the good and perfect will
of God. In other words, God has good plans for us, but we will not
experience them if we cling to old ways of thinking.
We must cast down wrong thinking and replace it with thinking
that God approves of. The mind is the battlefield on which our
war with Satan is won or lost. Satan is a liar and a deceiver. His
lies become our reality only when we believe them. Stop
allowing your mind to be a garbage dump for Satan’s trash and
instead, make it available for God’s ideas. Then you will enjoy a
life worth living and have the testimony of bearing good fruit for
God’s glory.
life point
Proverbs 23:7 lets us know how crucial it is for us to think
properly. Thoughts are powerful, and according to the writer of
Proverbs, they have creative ability. If our thoughts are going to
affect what we become (and they will), then thinking right
thoughts should be a high priority in our lives.
life point
Proverbs 23:12 instructs us to apply our minds to “instruction
and correction.” Correction is probably one of the most difficult
things for most of us to receive, especially when it comes
through another person. Even if we have problems, we do not
want others to know we have them. I believe God prefers to
correct us privately. However, if we will not accept His
correction, or if we do not know how to allow Him to correct us
privately, He will correct us publicly, using whatever source or
means He needs to use. God’s correction, even if it is
uncomfortable to us, is always intended for our good.
life point
Proverbs 24:10 tells us that our strength is small if we faint
when we encounter hard times or difficult situations. The Bible
never promises that we will not face adversities; it promises us
the strength and grace we need in order to overcome those
adversities. With God’s strength, we never have to become
fainthearted or give up, no matter what trials or tribulations come our way.
life point
Have people done you wrong and then later had problems
themselves? Proverbs 24:17, 18 strongly warns us to keep a right
heart attitude and not be happy about their affliction. Basically
these verses say that if we rejoice and think they deserve what
they are getting, our offense becomes worse than theirs, and we
will experience the wrath they would have experienced.
That is really an awesome scripture. All of us will have to admit
that when someone has done us wrong, it takes a lot of “heart
work” for us not to be at least a little bit glad to see that person
get what is coming to him. We may pretend we do not feel this
way, but I believe we all have problems with spiteful attitudes
from time to time.
We need to see that God is supremely concerned about our heart
attitudes. It is so important for us not to be petty and small-
minded about offenses against us. We need to just keep a right
heart attitude and let God take care of everybody else. We
should always remember that “hurting people hurt people.”
Those who hurt us are usually hurting within themselves, and
their pain may be so strong that they are not even aware they
are hurting us.
life point
Spending too much time with any one person or group of people
is usually not a good idea. In fact, Proverbs 25:17 says that
people can get tired of us if we overdo it. We can appreciate one
another more if we stay balanced in our relationships.
bold as a lion
If we intend to succeed at being ourselves and truly enjoy our
everyday lives, we must reach a point where we allow the Holy
Spirit to lead us. Only God, through His Spirit, can lead us to
succeed and be all we can be. Other people usually will not, the
devil certainly will not, and we are not able to do it ourselves
without God.
Being led by the Spirit does not mean we never make mistakes.
The Holy Spirit does not make mistakes, but we do. Following
the Spirit’s leading is a process that can be learned only by
doing. We start by stepping out into things we believe God is
putting on our hearts; and we learn by wisdom and experience
how to hear more clearly and definitely. I always say, “Step out
and find out.” That is one way to discover if what is in your heart
is from God. If it works it is God, and if it doesn’t work it is not
God, and there is no shame in stepping out to find out. Take
little “baby steps” and see if the first one produces good fruit; if
it does, then take another step. If it does not, then back off and
pray some more.
Each time they make a mistake, they come under a new load of
guilt and condemnation. They end up spending all their time in
the cycle. They make a mistake, feel condemned, make another
mistake, feel condemned, and on and on. Finally they become
frozen with fear and never fulfill their destinies.
I encourage you to step out in faith and be all that God has
called you to be. If you do step out and two weeks later discover
that you made a mistake, are you going to be bold enough to
pray, wise enough to learn from your mistakes, and determined
enough to go on? Or are you going to feel condemned and go
back to wasting your life? There is no point in learning to be led
by the Holy Spirit if you do not understand that you will make
some mistakes while on the journey.
Be as bold as a lion in your faith. Do not hide behind fears,
insecurities, and mistakes any longer. If you have already made
major blunders in your life and have been living under
condemnation because of them, this is the time to forgive
yourself and press on!
You can be all God planned for you, in Christ. Do not be half of
it or three-quarters of it, but be all that God designed you to be.
Do all He wants you to do, and have all He wants you to have.
You will not enjoy God’s fullness without His boldness.
Remember, condemnation destroys boldness, so do not stay
under condemnation.
Proverbs 28:1 says that the wicked flee when no one is even
pursuing them. The wicked are running all the time. They run
from everything. But the uncompromisingly righteous are as
bold as a lion. And whether you feel it or not, you are righteous!
I say that boldness is required to be led by the Spirit because
only boldness steps out and only boldness can survive making
mistakes. We must remember that the “righteous are bold as a
lion” (Proverbs 28:1). When insecure people make mistakes,
often they will not try again. Bold people make many mistakes,
but their attitude is, “I am going to keep trying until I learn to
do this right.”
Those who suffer from condemnation usually do not believe they
can hear from God. Even if they think they may have heard from
God and do step out, a minor failure is a major setback to them.
life point
A life of faithfully serving and obeying God allows Him to place
us in a position to be consistently blessed. As we learn from
Proverbs 28:20, a person who is faithful abounds with blessings.
the importance of vision

People who have a sad past need to be able to believe in a bright
future. Proverbs 29:18 says that where there is no vision, people
perish.
A vision is something we see in our minds—“a mental sight,” as
one definition puts it. It may be something God plants in us
supernaturally or something we see on purpose. It involves the
way we think about our past, our future, and ourselves.
Some people are afraid to believe God for a vision. They think
they may be setting themselves up for disappointment. They
have not realized they will be perpetually disappointed if they
do not believe. If I am describing you, remember this truth: it
does not cost anything to believe. I feel that if I believe for a lot and
get even half of it, I am better off than I would be to believe for
nothing and get all of nothing.
I challenge you to start believing that something good is going to
happen to you. Ask God for a vision to pursue, and believe you
can do whatever you need to do in life through Christ. Do not
have a “give-up-easily” attitude. Let your faith soar. Be creative
with your thoughts. Take an inventory and ask yourself, “What
have I been believing lately?” An honest answer may help you
understand why you have not been receiving what you have
wanted to receive. Allow God’s redemptive revelation to lead you
away from the dead ends of your life and give you vision for your
future.
speak the Word

God, every word of Yours is tried and purified; You are a
shield to me because I trust You.
kindness on your lips

One of my biggest problems in learning to control my anger and
my words was the fact that I had been mistreated and abused in
the earlier years of my life. As a result, I ended up with a harsh,
hard spirit. I was determined that nobody was ever going to hurt
me again, and that attitude influenced the things I said.
Although I tried to say things that were right and pleasing to
others, by the time my thoughts had passed through my soul and
picked up the hardness and bitterness hidden there, my words
came out harsh and hard.
No matter how right you think your heart is before the Lord, if
you have pride or anger or resentment in your spirit, you cannot
open your mouth without expressing those negative traits and
emotions. Why is that? Because, as Jesus told us, it is out of the
abundance of the heart or the spirit that the mouth speaks (see
Matthew 12:34).
I began to realize that the Lord had an important work to do in
me. Gentleness became a key issue in my life. Part of what God
revealed to me in His Word on this subject was in Proverbs 31,
the chapter that speaks of the “capable, intelligent, and
virtuous” woman (verse 10). In verse 26, the writer says that on
her tongue is the “law of kindness.”
When I read that, I thought, Oh, God, I’ve got anything in my mouth
but the law of kindness! It seemed to me that I was so hard inside
that whenever I opened my mouth, out came a hammer.
You may relate to that situation. You may have been mistreated
and abused as I was so that you are full of hatred, resentment,
distrust, anger, and hostility. Instead of kindness and gentleness,
you are filled with harshness and bitterness.
Ask God to heal you from all the pain of your past and to help
you develop the kindness and gentleness He wants you to
possess. Let His healing words flow from your mouth and keep
kindness on your lips.
Ecclesiastes
Author:
Traditionally, Solomon
Date:
Traditionally, near Solomon’s
death (about 931 BC)
We need to accept what God
gives us and be happy with our
lives.
Fearing God and keeping His
commandments is the solution
to every problem we face in life.
God is the ultimate Judge. We
need to do things His way; and
He will reward us accordingly.
Solomon, the wise king who wrote Ecclesiastes, had tried everything.
After he had exhausted almost every imaginable worldly pursuit, he
finally realized that everything on earth is an exercise in vanity if we do
not fear God and obey His Word. He makes this point in one of my
favorite Bible verses, Ecclesiastes 12:13: “All has been heard; the end of
the matter is: Fear God [revere and worship Him, knowing that He is]
and keep His commandments, for this is the whole of man [the full,
original purpose of his creation, the object of God’s providence, the root
of character, the foundation of all happiness, the adjustment to all
inharmonious circumstances and conditions under the sun] and the whole
[duty] for every man.”
On the way to his conclusion that everything about our lives comes
down to fearing God and keeping His commandments, Solomon learned
some other lessons that are important for us. He learned that being
happy in life and in work is one of the best things we can do. He learned
that there is a time and a season for everything that needs to be done.
And he learned that God will bring all of our works, good or evil, into
judgment.
As you read Solomon’s words in Ecclesiastes, remember to take his
advice: enjoy your life, be happy with your work, fear God, and keep His
Word.
life point
I like the way Solomon summarized the earthly pursuits so
many of us run after. He said that trying to find fulfillment in
anything the world has to offer is like chasing the wind (see
Ecclesiastes 1:14). No matter how hard we chase after it, it
always evades us. No matter how fast we run, we will never catch
it.
the secret of fulfillment

Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes 2:17, 18: “So I hated life, because
what is done under the sun was grievous to me; for all is vanity
and a striving after the wind and a feeding on it. And I hated all
my labor in which I had toiled under the sun, seeing that I must
leave it to the man who will succeed me.”
Solomon was a busy man; he tried everything that could be tried
and did everything there was to do, but at the end of his
experience, he was unfulfilled and bitter. Many people today
have this same problem; they try everything they can think of to
find satisfaction and joy in life, but in the end, they are
exhausted, disappointed, and frustrated.
So what is the secret to happiness and fulfillment in life? I
believe it is making sure that we are obeying God’s will and
giving ourselves to what He has called us to do. Will that always
be easy? No. Doing God’s will is not without challenge. We will
struggle at times. We will get tired, but it will be a “good kind of
tired” that comes from doing what we are supposed to do.
Let me encourage you today to take a serious inventory of the
way you spend your time. Get out the pruning shears and, as
God leads you, cut activities and commitments out of your life
until you no longer go through every day at such a frantic pace.
Realizing that you cannot do everything, then deciding with
God’s help what you can and cannot do, will make you more
effective at the things you are supposed to do and will greatly
increase the level of peace in your life. Peace equals power;
without it, you will stay frustrated and weak.
As you evaluate how you are spending your time and what you
are doing with your life, use this simple rule: If you have peace
about it, keep doing it. If you do not have peace about it, stop.
Hearing yourself complaining about it on a regular basis
indicates that you need to make an adjustment.
God does not want you to end up like Solomon, hating your life
and being bitter. No, His great desire is for you to enjoy being in
His will and to be satisfied and at peace as you fulfill His call on
your life.

Ecclesiastes 2:24 tells us that there is nothing better than
enjoying what we do. Are you enjoying what you do or are you
tired, weary, or bored? Ask God to refresh you and enable you to
enjoy your work.
speak the Word

God, I want to please You and have Your wisdom,
knowledge, and joy flowing in my life.
life point
God has shown me that the devil offers us two lies: the “forever”
lie and the “never” lie. The enemy tells us the negative things
in our lives will “never” change and will “forever” be the way
they are. He tells us we will “never” get what we want, and we
will “never” experience the freedom or healing we desire. He
says you will be the way you are right now “forever.” The devil is
a liar! These lies create fear in our hearts, and they are untrue
because sooner or later, everything changes. If we continue to
believe God and place our trust in Him, bad things ultimately
give way to better things. As Ecclesiastes 3 reminds us, there is a
time for everything. The good things you are believing God for
are on their way!

Ecclesiastes 3:17 declares that there is a time appointed for
every matter, every purpose, and every work. In other words, God
has an appointed time in which to do everything He has planned.
Are you submitted to His timing in your life, or have you grown
impatient waiting for something to happen? I encourage you
today to repent for any impatience you have had and to make a
fresh surrender to God’s perfect timing for everything He wants
to do in your life.
life point
Ecclesiastes 5:1 instructs us to give our minds to what we are
doing, and to “keep [our] foot”—meaning our footing. We must
learn to focus on what we are doing. If we do not, we will “lose
our footing” and end up anxious and worried because we will
always be mentally dealing with yesterday or tomorrow when we
should be living today.
life point
We can be led of the Spirit through internal peace every day of
our lives, but we do need to beware of false peace. A strong
desire to do something can produce a false peace that actually
comes only from excitement. As time passes, this false peace
disappears, and God’s true will emerges in our lives. For this
reason we should never move too quickly on important
decisions. A little time of waiting is always wise and prudent.
This is why Ecclesiastes 5:2 tells us not to be rash in what we say
or hasty in the commitments we make. Excited emotions are
often mistaken for God’s will. However, emotions rise and fall,
and if our desire and determination rise and fall with them, we
will end up in real trouble. I always say, “Let emotions subside
and then decide!”
life point
Ecclesiastes 5:3 teaches us that we need to put effort into seeing
our dreams come true. I hope you have a dream or a vision in
your heart for something greater than you have now. Though
you will likely have to work in order to see your dream come to
pass, I know that God is for you and He will help you. If you are
not dreaming of anything, you are cheating yourself. We all
need to think big thoughts, hope big hopes, and dream big
dreams!
stay on track
I believe the expression “keep your foot” in Ecclesiastes 5:1
means “Do not lose your balance or get off track.” The
amplification of this phrase indicates that one stays on track by
keeping his mind on what he is doing.
I used to have a wandering mind, and I had to train it by
discipline. It was not easy, and sometimes I still have a relapse.
While trying to complete a project, I will suddenly realize that
my mind has just wandered off to something else that has
nothing to do with the issue at hand. I have not yet arrived at a
place of perfect concentration, but at least I understand how
important it is not to allow my mind to go wherever it wishes,
whenever it desires.
The word wander means “to move about aimlessly; to roam or
ramble.” It implies that a person is taking an irregular course of
action at no particular pace and in no particular direction. If you
are like I am, you could be sitting in a church service listening
to the speaker, really enjoying and benefiting from what is
being said, when suddenly your mind begins to wander. After a
while you “wake up” to find that you do not remember a thing
that has been going on. Even though your body stayed in church,
your mind was at the shopping center browsing through the
stores or at home cooking dinner.
Remember, in spiritual warfare the mind is the battlefield. That
is where the enemy makes his attack. He knows very well that if
we cannot keep our minds on what is being taught, we will gain
absolutely nothing by being in a church service. The devil knows
that we cannot complete a project if we cannot discipline our
minds and focus on what we are doing.
This mind-wandering phenomenon also occurs during
conversation. There are times when my husband, Dave, is
talking to me and I listen for a while; then all of a sudden I
realize that I have not heard a thing he has been saying. Why?
Because I allowed my mind to wander off to something else. My
body was standing there appearing to listen, yet in my mind I
heard nothing.
For many years, when this sort of thing happened, I would
pretend that I knew exactly what Dave was saying. Now I stop
and say, “Can you back up and repeat that? I let my mind
wander off, and I did not hear a thing you said.”
In this way, I feel that at least I am dealing with the problem.
Confronting issues is the only way to get on the victorious side
of them! Staying focused is not only important in our church
lives, our professional lives, our social lives, and our
relationships; it is also vital in our spiritual lives if we want to
overcome the enemy. I encourage you to pay attention to your
thoughts and not let your mind wander. Defend your mental
battlefield by staying focused!
enjoy your journey

Years ago my husband and I enrolled in a nine-month Bible
study course because we felt that God’s will for us was to start
training for ministry. The course met two or three nights a week,
which was quite a commitment, especially for Dave because he
worked so hard in the engineering field during the day.
That course seemed like a major undertaking until the Lord
gave me a vision about having goals and reaching them. In the
vision I saw the horizon ahead of me, which in this case
represented graduating from the course. As I began moving
toward the horizon in the vision, it faded from sight and another
would rise up.
The Lord was showing me that we will always be moving toward
some goal or objective in our lives. As soon as we finish one,
another will take its place. As believers, we are always
extending our faith for something. Whatever we believe God for
right now could happen a year from now, but by that time we will
be believing God for something else. The Lord was teaching me
that since we are going to spend the majority of our lives waiting
for something, we should learn to enjoy life as it unfolds. If we
do not, life will pass us by, and we will never enjoy where we are
right now.
Let me encourage you, as the writer of Ecclesiastes does (see
Ecclesiastes 5:18), to enjoy everything you do to the fullest
extent, for as long as you live!
be slow to anger
Ecclesiastes 7:9 exhorts: “Do not be quick in spirit to be angry or
vexed, for anger and vexation lodge in the bosom of fools.” Not
being “quick in spirit to be angry” speaks to me of self-control.
We cannot ever develop into victorious, overcoming believers if
we do not learn to exercise self-control by managing our
emotions, especially the emotion of anger.
Ecclesiastes 7:9 is only one of many Bible verses that address the
subject of anger. For example, Proverbs 14:17 says, “He who
foams up quickly and flies into a passion deals foolishly.” In
Proverbs 16:32, we read that someone who is slow to get angry is
better than one who is mighty. Proverbs further addresses anger
by stating that “Good sense makes a man restrain his anger”
(Proverbs 19:11). And in James 1:19, 20, we read: “Let every man
be quick to hear [a ready listener], slow to speak, slow to take
offense and to get angry. For man’s anger does not promote the
righteousness God [wishes and requires].”
Notice in James 1:19, 20 that “man’s anger does not promote”
righteousness. Part of righteousness, or the right way of being
what God wants us to be, is fulfilling our potential—and we
cannot do that unless we learn to restrain our anger.
We all want more than we have in various areas of our lives, but
we do not always want to operate within the boundaries of self-
control. If we really want to grow spiritually, we must keep our
passions under control. That does not mean we have to be perfect
or that we can never make mistakes. Although the Holy Spirit
will give us power to control our emotions, we may still lose our
tempers at times. But as soon as we do, we should immediately
confess and repent.
A disciplined, self-controlled life not only requires time,
determination, and hard work; it also requires self-denial, but
the rewards are worth the effort.
life point
If we seek God only when we are desperate, then He will keep us
in desperate circumstances because He deeply desires to
fellowship with us.
God will rescue us and get us out of trouble when we come to
Him. But, according to Ecclesiastes 8:12, if we want to stay in a
place of constant victory, we must diligently seek Him at all times
and desire to experience His continual presence in our everyday
lives. We must never forget that relationship is built on
fellowship.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, that because of Jesus, You have already
accepted my works.
the pitfall of procrastination

In 1993, when God showed my husband, Dave, and me that He
wanted our ministry to begin television broadcasts, He said, “I
am giving you an opportunity to go on television; but if you
procrastinate and do not take the opportunity now, it will never
pass by you again.” Perhaps if God had not told us this
opportunity was open only for that particular moment, we might
have put off pursuing it. After all, we were finally in a position
where we could be comfortable and perhaps not have to work as
hard as we had in the past.
For nine years, we had been in the process of “birthing” Joyce
Meyer Ministries. Now, suddenly, God was giving us an
opportunity to reach more people, which is something we wanted
to do with all our hearts. However, in order to do it, we would
need to take on new responsibility.
When the Lord asks any of us to do something, we can be
tempted to wait for a convenient season, a time when “all
conditions are favorable,” as we read in Ecclesiastes 11:4. There
is always the tendency to hold back until it will not cost
anything or be so difficult.
I encourage you to be a person who is not afraid of responsibility
and who does not procrastinate when God speaks. If you do only
what is easy, you will always remain weak; but as you meet
resistance and overcome, you will build your strength.
God expects you and me to be responsible and take care of what
He gives us; He wants us to do something with His gifts that will
produce good fruit. If we do not use the gifts and talents He has
given us when He directs us to do so, then we are not being
responsible over what He has entrusted to us.
If you are a procrastinator, I urge you to heed the instruction of
Ecclesiastes 11:4. You do not have to wait until everything is
perfect to obey God. Do what He says to do, when He says to do
it, and you will reap the blessings of obedience.
life point
After a lifetime of trying everything the world had to offer,
Solomon finally concluded that the only thing that made any
sense at all was God. He realized that no one can find any
lasting enjoyment apart from Him. Solomon said what he had
learned from all his searching was that the best way to spend
our lives is to fear God and obey Him. This is our highest
purpose and our most noble duty, so I encourage you to make a
priority of it in your life.
Song of Solomon
Author:
Attributed to Solomon
Date:
930 BC
The lessons we learn about love
in the Song of Solomon can be
applied spiritually and
naturally.
We need to abandon ourselves
to those we love in committed,
intimate relationships. This is
true for believers in
relationship with God and for
husbands and wives within the
marriage covenant.
True love is worth pursuing, and
it should be expressed with
passion.
Some people believe the Song of Solomon applies only to a physical
love relationship between husband and wife; others believe it is entirely
symbolic of God’s love for His people. I believe its principles and lesson
can be applied both naturally and spiritually. It does provide insight and
guidance for marriage and for the sexual relationship within marriage, bu
it also reveals the passion with which God loves us.
This book is a beautiful story about pursuing love, expressing love, and
enjoying love. It teaches us to abandon ourselves to the Lover of our
souls (God) and to the husbands or wives to whom we are joined in the
marriage covenant. It encourages us to love God and our spouses
wholeheartedly and passionately, holding nothing back. It also reminds u
that God is chasing us, wooing us, pursuing us with the same type of
tenderness and zeal that a young man employs when trying to win the
heart of the woman he loves.
As you read through the Song of Solomon, I encourage you to learn from
it on two levels. First, let it stir your passion for God and inspire your
gratitude for His relentless pursuit of you. Second, if you are married or
hope to marry some day, let this book teach you lessons of intimacy
that will serve your marriage well. Above all, intensely enjoy and
celebrate the beauty and the richness of your love relationship with God
and with your mate.
NOTE: Among the multitudes who read the Bible there are
comparatively few who have a clear understanding of the
Song of Solomon. Some have thought it to be a collection of
songs, but it is more generally understood to be a sort of
drama, the positive interpretation of which is impossible
because the identity of the speakers and the length of the
speeches are not disclosed.
life point
The maiden portrayed in the Song of Solomon says, “Draw me!
We will run after You” (Song of Solomon 1:4). In attempting to
have a close intimate relationship with God, we must first ask
Him to draw us by His Holy Spirit. No matter how much we want
to come to Him, He must be drawing us, wooing us, and leading
us to be closer to Him. The maiden does not say, “I” will run
after you, she says, “we” will run after you. I think there is a
strong possibility that she is talking about the various
components of her personality. She may be saying that her
mind, will, emotions, heart, and every other faculty she
possesses will run after him if he will only draw her. She is
ready to abandon herself to him and hold nothing back! Have
you come to that place yet? Do you want a visitation from God?
Make a decision to give all of yourself, and ask Him to draw you
to Himself.
speak the Word

Draw me, Lord, and we will run after You. I will rejoice and
be glad in You!
speak the Word

Lord, You are like a shepherd who leads me day by day,
and You are beautiful to me.
life point
Tucked away in the midst of the romance of the Song of Solomon
is an extremely valuable piece of wisdom for everyday life: It is
“the little foxes” that spoil the vine (Song of Solomon 2:15).
What this means is that people’s lives are typically not
destroyed by what we would consider “big” issues, but by a
series of smaller, seemingly insignificant choices or
compromises.
Watch the “little foxes” in your life; forgive even the most
minor offense so that your heart stays clean, do not cut corners
in your finances or on the job when you think no one will
notice, do not expose yourself to ungodly influences, thinking, It
won’t hurt me if I do it just this once. Little things add up to big
things, and before you know it, little foxes can ruin a strong,
healthy vine.
life point
Just as the woman in Song of Solomon 3:4 who found her
beloved and “would not let him go,” we need to do everything
possible to honor the legally and spiritually binding covenant of
marriage.
fulfillment in marriage
Solomon uses rich and unusual imagery to portray the love
between a man and a woman in marriage. In Song of Solomon
2:16 and in other passages throughout this book, the married
couple share a oneness that can be found in no other
relationship.
The Bible says that when a man and a woman are married, “they
shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). Notice the word become.
When you and your spouse are married, you are “one” before
God, as well as legally, but in your relationship you are still in
the process of becoming one. While you work this process out
between you, you should hold your marriage in honor, and
esteem your partner as worthy and precious.
Many couples get stumped when trying to work on their
marriage because men and women are so different. It helps to
understand that God made us different on purpose. Do not
confuse weaknesses with differences. We are to help build up
each other’s frailties, but we are not called to change one
another’s differences. It certainly is not God’s plan for us to try
to make our partners be like we are. But we are in each other’s
lives to help build each other up to become all that God has in
mind for us to be.
I exhort you to treat your spouse as if you were still courting
each other because, in effect, you are still courting. If you do not
work at your marriage, you will not have a good one. Make a
fresh commitment today to be diligent in your relationship with
your spouse and to keep becoming one. It will take effort, but
the rewards are sweet!
first a wedding, then a marriage

Song of Solomon 3:11 mentions Solomon’s wedding day and
refers to it as “the day of his gladness of heart.”
Wedding days are happy indeed, but after every wedding comes a
marriage. The Bible says that marriage is a union—such an
intimate joining together of two separate entities that they
become one. We tend to be somewhat casual in our use of the
word union today. We know that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
are in a union known as “the Godhead”; we know that there is
supposed to be a union among all believers; and we know that
when a man and a woman marry, a union is supposed to take
place. But what does this marriage union really mean?
Let me suggest a word picture that may help you understand.
Picture an empty glass. Beside that empty glass is a cup of
strong coffee and a glass of water. Of course, the coffee is dark
and black, while the water is clear. Many times, when two people
marry, they are as different as the coffee and the water.
Occasionally a husband and a wife are very similar, but typically
they are quite different when they first join together.
Now, envision pouring both the coffee and the water into the
empty glass. This is a great image of what happens in a
marriage. Once you have done that, could you ever possibly
separate those two liquids again?
Once the coffee and the water have been poured into the
previously empty glass, you cannot even call the substance all-
coffee or all-water; it is a mixture of both. It looks and tastes
different from 100 percent coffee or 100 percent water—and you
would have no idea how to separate one from the other.
When a man and a woman marry, God intends for their lives to
blend together in an inseparable way. They become one new
person joined together in Christ Jesus. That is the way God
planned for our marriages to be. Do everything you can to
cultivate a true union in your marriage, and you will enjoy not
only your wedding day, but a wonderful life as one with your
husband or wife.

The man in Song of Solomon 4:7 is so in love with his bride that
he sees “no flaw” in her. We know that no one is perfect, but
love does enable us to overlook people’s faults. Is there anyone
for whom you need to “cut some slack” in your life right now?
Remember to always look for the best in people.
life point
Marriage is more than a sexual union, and it is more than a
legal institution that binds the property accumulated by two
people to an equal right of ownership. Marriage is a promise of
companionship and provision for the spiritual, emotional, and
physical needs of two people.
life point
Regarding the sexual relationship in marriage, unless it is
perverted outside marriage, sexuality is to be holy, fun, and
wholesome. It is a stress reliever that brings two people into a
closeness that cannot be found in any other way except through
a right relationship in a marriage union. Being single-hearted
toward a person’s spouse brings great fulfillment for both
partners in marriage.
speak the Word

God, I rejoice that I belong to You. I am Yours and You are
mine.
Isaiah
Author:
Isaiah
Date:
Approximately 700 BC–690 BC
Sin cannot be tolerated; it must
be dealt with. God forgives sin.
God is in the business of
redemption and restoration.
God will comfort and guide you.
Isaiah is the first book in a series of books (which make up the remainder
of the Old Testament) written by prophets. Prophets are spokespeople
for God, and they communicate the things that are on God’s heart. They
are His mouthpieces, sharing what God wants people to know, informing
people of what God intends to do, speaking words of warning and
offering encouragement from the Lord. They often prophesy doom and
gloom to people who will not obey, and words of comfort, direction, and
assurance to those who do obey.
Isaiah’s ministry as a prophet included warnings to kings who ignored
him, but it also included several prophetic references to Jesus. One such
reference is Isaiah 9:6, which declares: “For to us a Child is born, to us a
Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His
name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting
Father [of Eternity], Prince of Peace.”
Isaiah’s writing is not soft on sin, but it points to Jesus and gives people
clear hope for salvation. This book is loaded with comfort, inspiration,
and variety. It speaks of God’s love for us, reminds us that He redeems
and restores us, encourages us to trust Him, and promises that He will
guide us.
Whether you need comfort, strength, hope, peace, or a reminder!
speak the Word

God, I come to You. Teach me Your ways and help me to
walk in Your paths.
when God removes your props

In Isaiah 2:22 God asks, “Why are you putting your trust in frail
people who are only alive for so short a time?” Then in the next
verse, God says that He is removing from His people their props
—the external things on which they depend. The reason? He
wants His people to trust Him.
What happens to us when our props are pulled out from under
us? We discover what we are really leaning on, what we are
really rooted and grounded in. Let me give you an example.
My husband and I play golf frequently. On the golf course are
little twigs that will someday grow into trees. Those little plants
have no strength or roots, and they are so tiny and weak that
usually, there are sticks set on either side of them as props to
hold them up. Without those sticks to hold them up, they would
be destroyed when the wind and rain come.
That is the way we are as new believers. When we begin our
walk with God we need a prop system, something to help us
stand up straight and strong. We need a group of people around
us to keep us studying the Bible, praying, and seeking the Lord.
If we do not have that support system, when the storms of life
come against us, they will blow us over.
Our support system may take many forms, but whatever it is,
sooner or later God is going to start taking it away by removing
the props from under us. At first, this is pretty scary because we
do not understand it, and we do not like it. Our props may be
things from which we derive pleasure and satisfaction—things
like singing, playing an instrument, being part of the worship
team, or being a recognized leader or pastor in the ministry.
Then suddenly, for whatever reason, we lose that position or God
requires us to give it up. It is then that we discover how much of
our sense of value and worth depends on the things we are
doing.
In order for us to grow, God sometimes has to strip away
everything we put our security in—everything else but Him.
This is because He is a God of restoration. He restores our
minds, our emotions, our souls, and our health. When we start
to restore a beautiful, expensive piece of antique furniture, we
have to first strip away the old paint or varnish before we apply a
new finish. We have to sand it so the new application will stick.
If you are going through that stripping process, do not be upset.
Cooperate with God while He does the work.
Do not be like a twig thrashing about in the wind because its
props have been taken away. Instead, put down some roots so
that one day you can stand tall and steady and be a tree of
righteousness. And remember that whatever God takes away
from you or requires you to give up, He will give you more than
you previously had, and everything will be better than before.
speak the Word

God, I declare that You are holy. The whole earth is full of
Your glory.
Lord, here I am. Send me wherever You want to send me.
cleansed, then used

Before God can use us, He needs to cleanse us. In Isaiah 6:1–9,
Isaiah realized he had a sinful, unclean mouth that needed to be
dealt with. I believe that because Isaiah’s heart cried for change,
God sent help.
The coming forward of the seraphim with a coal of fire is
recorded in verse 6 as an instantaneous happening, but answers
may not always come so quickly to us. We all would prefer
miraculous deliverance, but most of the time the Lord puts us
through a cleansing process.
Notice that God forgave Isaiah’s sin and then issued a call:
“Who will go for Us?” (Isaiah 6:8). Isaiah responded, “Here am
I; send me” (verse 9). Isaiah’s heart wanted to serve the Lord,
and God knew that. God will always look for someone who has a
perfect heart toward Him, not necessarily someone who has a
perfect performance before Him. When the Lord has the heart,
He can always change the behavior.
This truth should encourage those of us who want to be used by
God, but who often feel that we just have too many flaws. God
uses “cracked pots,” as the saying goes. We come to Him as we
are, and He molds and makes us into vessels fit for His use (see
II Timothy 2:21).
After Isaiah’s mouth had been cleansed, God called him, saying,
“Go and tell this people…” (Isaiah 6:9). The call, the anointing,
and the appointment can occur in different time periods, but no
matter how they take place or in what order, the process of
preparation is as important to us today as it was to Isaiah long
ago. One thing is sure: when God calls us into His presence, He
is going to deal with us, and we must let Him do that. He is
doing a good work!
speak the Word

Thank You, God, for being with me!
speak the Word

God, You are my Wonderful Counselor, my Mighty God, my
Everlasting Father, and my Prince of Peace.
God’s government
Isaiah 9:6, 7 reveals so much about the character and nature of
Jesus because it lists some of the names by which we know Him.
Verse 7 also declares that “of the increase of His government and of
peace there shall be no end” (italics mine).
The government that is upon Jesus’ shoulders is not a political
government; no, this verse refers to the governing of our lives.
We are not supposed to be running our own lives. In fact, we are
not even capable or qualified to do so. None of us are intelligent
enough to know what is best, and that is why we need to be so
thankful for God’s intervention and His willingness to lovingly
guide our lives.
The more God’s government increases in my life (the more He
directs my thoughts, conversations, decisions, and actions), the
more my peace will increase. Peace does not come from success,
professional position or promotions, social status, educational
achievements, money, or an engaging personality. No, we find
peace as we live according to the kingdom of God, which is
defined as righteousness, peace, and the joy of the Holy Spirit
(see Romans 14:17). Being right with God, knowing we are right
with God, and doing right things out of knowing who we are in
Christ is a process, but it leads us to peace, and peace leads us to
joy.
If we do not have righteousness, peace, and joy, then we are not
enjoying the kingdom of God as we should. Occasionally, we
may need to take a break from all our other pursuits and simply
seek God’s kingdom. Matthew 6:33 exhorts us to “seek (aim at
and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness
(His way of doing and being right), and then all these things
taken together will be given you besides” (italics mine).
Many times, we work, struggle, and strive for “all these things,”
such as food, clothing, a relationship we desire, pleasure, and
position in society, when we should be diligently seeking God’s
kingdom, loving Jesus, and making sure that His government is
established in our lives.

Isaiah 11:2 declares that God’s Spirit is the Spirit of wisdom and
understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of
knowledge and of the reverential and obedient fear of the Lord.
How have you experienced the Holy Spirit’s ministry in each of
these ways? If you have not, ask God to give you such
experiences with His Spirit.
life point
We see in Isaiah 11:3, 4 that Jesus did not make decisions “by
the sight of His eyes” or “the hearing of His ears,” yet He was of
“quick understanding.” If we follow His example, not relying on
what we see or hear with our natural senses, but watching and
listening for the Holy Spirit to lead us in our hearts, we will also
understand quickly what we would otherwise not learn in a
lifetime.
8
God, You are my salvation! I will trust and not be afraid,
for You are my strength and my song.
vote against yourself

Notice in Isaiah 14:12–15 that self-will destroyed Lucifer. In
exalting himself, he said, “I will” five times. God had an answer
for him: “You shall be brought down to Sheol (Hades), to the
innermost recesses of the pit (the region of the dead)” (Isaiah
14:15). In other words, “You will be cast down to hell.”
We need to guard against self-will by following Jesus’s example.
Sooner or later God will ask us to do something contrary to our
will, and we will need to remember what Jesus said, “My Father,
if it is possible, let this cup pass away from Me; nevertheless, not
what I will [not what I desire], but as You will and desire”
(Matthew 26:39).
Not getting our own way is one of the most painful things we
ever go through in life. When we want something, we really
want it, and we do not give up easily. We do not like to vote
against our own desires! It takes a lot of work and a lot of
humility and brokenness to bring us to the place where we are
pliable and moldable in the hands of God, to the point where we
can say, “Well, God, I’d rather not do this, but I’m willing to do
whatever You want.”
The lesson here is that we must be willing to do whatever God
says, and not what we think, feel, or want. We must deny
ourselves if we are going to follow Him. We need to say, “Your
will, God, be done in my life,” and really mean it!
We are afraid that we will never get the things we want if we
deny ourselves, but God will give us what we desire, and even
better, in due time. Do not be afraid to delay gratification and
trust God to give you what you really need.
a person of purpose
Isaiah 14:26, 27 tell us that God is a God of purpose, and that
when He purposes something, it will come to pass.
Jesus knew His purpose. As we know from John 10:10, He said
that He came into the world that we might have life. In John
18:37 He told Pilate, “This is why I was born, and for this I have
come into the world, to bear witness to the Truth.” John wrote
that Jesus’s purpose was to destroy the works of the devil (see I
John 3:8).
If we do not have a purpose in life, we feel useless, worthless,
and frustrated. So it is very important for us to see that God has
designed us with a purpose in mind (see Psalm 139:16).
Generally, He wants us to enjoy ourselves and to enjoy the life
He has given us. But as far as our specific purpose, that varies
from individual to individual and from one season of life to the
next, so we must seek to discover what it is.
Right now you may be in a time of transition from one season to
the next. If so, do not be discouraged. God will show you what He
has for you to do next. Sometimes you may have to step out and
try a few things until you find what you are comfortable with.
But you can be assured that whatever it may be, you do have a
purpose, and you are never going to be fulfilled until you find it
and start flowing in it.
Not only do we need to know our purpose, we need to do it “on
purpose.” This involves making decisions to live right. We need
to love on purpose. We do not love because we feel like it; we
love because we purpose to do so. Love is not a gooey feeling we
get about people; it is a decision we make about how we relate to
people. Giving is also a decision. We do not give just because we
feel like giving. We give because we are convinced it is what God
wants us to do. We give on purpose and for a purpose.
The same is true of being merciful, being kind, and walking in
the Spirit. We do those things not because we necessarily always
feel like it, but because we are called to do them. Love, joy,
peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and all the other fruit of
the Spirit are characteristics of the Holy Spirit that we have
within us when we accept Jesus as our Savior. And we can
release them if we do it on purpose. Make a choice to let the
good things God has placed in your spirit flow through your soul
and body so others may be blessed and God will be glorified.
Our flesh is not always going to agree with us to do these things.
But we must choose to love on purpose, give on purpose, and stay
at peace on purpose. If we want to have peace, we must purpose
to have peace, because the devil will try to steal it.
Everything we do for others, and everything we do in life, needs
to be done on purpose. Ask God to help you increasingly become
a person of purpose!
speak the Word
God, I declare that You are my God and I exalt You. I praise
Your name because You have done wonderful things
planned from long ago for me. You continue to fulfill those
purposes in faithfulness and truth in my life.

Isaiah 26:3 promises that God will keep us in perfect and
constant peace when our minds are stayed on Him. Are you
anxious or worried today? Then turn your thoughts toward Him
so that you will experience His perfect peace.
life point
Peace of mind must precede peace in every other area of our
lives. Isaiah 26:3 promises perfect peace to those who keep their
minds on God. When we allow our minds to wander and when
we think too much about everything we do, we push ourselves
out of peace and into turmoil; when we think about the future
and the responsibilities we will have, we can be overwhelmed.
This kind of thinking is called anxiety. Likewise, we grow
anxious and lose our peace when we spend today trying to figure
out tomorrow or when we try to live tomorrow in our minds
today.
We will never enjoy the rich and fruitful lives God intends for
us unless we learn to discipline our thoughts and resist anxiety
by keeping our minds on God. I often say: “Where the mind
goes, the man follows.” Let your mind lead you into peace!
speak the Word

God, I trust You. I lean on You and hope confidently in You.
You are my everlasting Rock!
speak the Word

God, I declare that You are wonderful in counsel and
excellent in wisdom. You are working effectively in my life!
life point
Isaiah 30:1, 2 is another of those “woe” passages we see from
time to time in the Bible. In it the Lord pronounces a curse upon
those rebellious children who turn from trusting in Him to take
counsel of themselves, carry out their own plans, and flee to
“the shadow of Egypt,” rather than resting under the “shadow of
the Almighty.”
In this case, fleeing to the “shadow of Egypt” refers to turning to
the arm of the flesh rather than leaning on the arm of the Lord.
In other words, we are not to trust in others, in ourselves, or in
the world, but only in the Lord. We are to acknowledge Him in
all our ways so that He may direct our paths. We are to find our
strength in Him alone.
life point
In Isaiah 30:3–7 the Lord continues to warn against relying on
the strength of Egypt—the superpower of that day. I believe the
Lord is saying to us, “Do not run away from trusting in Me to
trusting in your own plans and devices. They will not work, and
you will only end up humiliated and confused. Before you do
anything, check with Me to see if it is what you should be doing.
Do not look to the world for answers, because it has none to give.
The help it has to offer is absolutely worthless. Salvation and
deliverance are with Me, and Me alone.”
from brokenness to blessing

When you and I make our own plans or run to other people
instead of trusting in the Lord, we leave a weak spot in our wall
of divine protection. At a time when we least expect it, the
enemy will break through that weak spot. When that happens,
we will indeed be like the “broken section of a high wall”
mentioned in Isaiah 30:13.
God does not want us to have weak spots in our lives. He wants
us to rely on Him and be obedient to Him so our “walls” will
remain strong and thick and our lives will be blessed and full.
The more we depend on God, the more He can do through us. But
sometimes we go through brokenness before we enter His blessings.
Once, for about a year and a half, I thought I might be going
mad. All day long I walked around in my house, praying, “Help
me, Lord!” I did not even know what kind of help I needed, or
why I needed it. Now as I look back on that experience, I know
what was happening. God was breaking off my spirit of
independence, and He was bringing me to the point where I
knew I could do nothing apart from Him.
I remember one night as I was getting ready to go to sleep, I
picked up a little book and started reading it. Suddenly I had a
visitation from God. For about forty-five minutes I sat there on
the edge of my bed and wept. Finally, the Lord spoke to me and
said, “Anything good you do has nothing to do with you. I am the
One Who is good. When you see yourself doing anything good,
it is only because I have wrestled with you to get your flesh
under subjection long enough to allow My glory to shine
through it.”
Sometimes before God can promote us, He has to remind us of
our place. In my own case, my ministry was just about to
experience a sudden growth spurt. God was preparing me in
advance by telling me, “I’m going to do something marvelous in
your life and ministry, and when it happens you must remember
that it is I and not you who is bringing it to pass.”
God was teaching me what He is teaching all of us today: He is
the answer to all of our problems.
life point
Isaiah 30:18 is one of my favorite scriptures. If you will meditate
on it, it will begin to bring you great hope.
In this verse, God says that He is actively looking for someone to
be good to. In fact, He waits and expects and looks and longs to be
gracious to you! But He cannot pour out His goodness on anyone
who has a negative attitude. He is looking for someone who is
expecting His goodness, someone who is on the lookout all the
time, someone who is full of faith and trust, someone who is
eagerly anticipating His gracious gifts. He wants to be good to
you, so be expecting an outpouring of His goodness!
speak the Word

Thank You, God, for saving me as I return to and rest in
You. In quietness and confidence, You give me strength.
this is the way

No matter what has happened to you in your lifetime—even if
you have been abandoned by your spouse or abused by your
parents or hurt by your children or others—if you will stay on
the narrow path as God directs you and leave all your excess
fleshly baggage behind, you will find the peace, joy, and
fulfillment you seek. As you walk through this process, you can
find comfort in God’s promise from Isaiah 30:21 to guide you.
Jesus is the Way, and He has shown us the way in which we are
to walk. The Lord has sent upon us His Holy Spirit to lead and
guide us in the way we are to go, the narrow way that leads to
life and not the broad way that leads to destruction.
Whatever happens, we must keep walking in the ways of the
Lord. Galatians 6:9 encourages us: “And let us not lose heart
and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in
due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not
loosen and relax our courage and faint.” The Bible does not
promise that when we do right we will reap the rewards
immediately. But it does assure us that if we keep doing right,
eventually we will be rewarded.
God says that as long as the earth remains, there will be
“seedtime and harvest” (see Genesis 8:22). We might
paraphrase it like this: “As long as the earth remains, there will
be seed, time, and harvest.” When we walk in God’s path, we must
be patient like the farmer, who plants the seed and expectantly
waits for the harvest. He looks forward to reaping the harvest,
but he knows that time will elapse between seed planting and
harvest. He does not allow that God-ordained process to frustrate
him.
God promises in Isaiah 30:21 that “your ears will hear a word
behind you, saying, This is the way; walk in it.” If you continue
to walk in the way the Lord has prescribed for you in His Word
and by His Spirit, you will enjoy great blessing both in this life
and in eternity.
So keep walking the narrow path that leads to life—life in all its
fullness and abundance!
speak the Word

Thank You, God, that the effect of righteousness is internal
and external peace in my life.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, for the stability You bring to my life.
Thank You for the abundance of wisdom and knowledge
You give me. I treasure You.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, for seeing my tears and hearing my
prayer.

We all have “mountaintop” experiences and valleys (low
moments) in our lives; we all have crooked places that seem
confusing, times that are uneven (up and down), and situations
that are rough and difficult (see Isaiah 40:4). In what ways has
God brought stability and evenness to your life? How has He
made crooked places straight and given you grace for the rough
spots along your journey? Remember how He has helped you
and thank Him today.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, that Your Word stands forever!
magnets for His power

Isaiah 40:6, 7 teaches us that the flesh (people, just like you and
me) is like puffs of smoke or blades of grass. We are here on
earth for a very short time; we tend to be fragile, unsure, and
shaky during our relatively brief lifetimes. God knows that and
has no problem with it, because He is willing to work through us
and to show Himself strong in our weaknesses. Actually, the
Bible teaches that God’s strength shows itself most effectively
through our weaknesses (see II Corinthians 12:9). Our
weaknesses and shortcomings are like magnets for His power.
God can handle knowing what we lack and knowing that we fail.
We, on the other hand, tend to beat ourselves up over our
imperfections. We try to make excuses for them, try to
compensate for them, and try to keep other people from seeing
them. Instead, we need to admit our weaknesses and face them,
not feel badly about them. We need to be honest about what we
can do, but we need to be equally honest about what we cannot
do, recognizing that those things are great opportunities for God
to work through us.
Let me encourage you to get up every morning, love God, and do
your best in every situation. He will do the rest! Remember that
God is not surprised by your inabilities, imperfections, or faults.
He has always known about those areas of your life, even if you
are just now discovering them. Only God is perfect; He chose
you anyway, and He loves you in spite of all your shortcomings!
life point
I have experienced the truth of Isaiah 40:29, and I honestly
believe that being filled with the Holy Spirit actually gives us
physical energy.
Many times I have been quickened by the Holy Spirit and have
suddenly gone from being extremely tired to feeling as if I could
run around the city. This is a good reason to keep ourselves
filled with the Holy Spirit; we need all the energy we can get! I
firmly believe we can make ourselves feel drained by the way we
think and talk. Likewise, we can help ourselves feel energetic by
following biblical guidelines for everyday living.
It seems that most people in the world today are tired. Part of
their fatigue comes from being too busy, but another large part
of it is due to the way they live—how they think, talk, and act
toward other people.
The Holy Spirit will not energize us to be mean, hateful, selfish,
or self-centered. He will give us strength and energy to do the
things God has called us to do and to be kind, loving, diligent,
and focused in the process.
life point
Quietly waiting on God (spending time alone with Him in
prayer, worship, or Bible reading), as Isaiah 40:31 encourages
us, does more to restore our bodies, minds, and emotions than
anything else we can do. We need to do this regularly. I urge you
to insist on quiet time with God; do not let anyone take those
consecrated moments from you. In those times, God empowers
you to face everything you need to do with renewed physical,
emotional, mental, and spiritual strength.
life point
If there is something we are supposed to be doing, the Lord will
give us the ability to do it. He will not lead us into a situation
and then leave us there to face it alone in our own weak, human
power. No, because as Isaiah 41:10 reminds us, He is with us. He
is our great God; He will harden us to difficulties, help us, and
uphold us with His hand of victory.
waiting on God
Isaiah 40:31 teaches us that waiting on God is expecting, looking
for, and hoping in Him. It is spending time with Him in His
Word and in His presence. We do not worry while we wait on
God; we do not get frustrated while we wait on God; we do not
get upset while we wait on God. We rest.
Sometimes when you start to get nervous and upset, anxious, or
worried, you just need to tell yourself, “Sit down.” That does not
mean just your physical body; it also means your soul—your
mind, will, and emotions. It is important to let your entire being
rest.
Under the Old Covenant, when the high priest went into the
Holy of Holies to make blood sacrifices for the sins of the
people, he did not sit down. It seems very unlikely that there was
a chair in there because the Bible does not mention it, even
though it offers detailed descriptions of the Israelites’ place of
worship. The requirements on the high priest were so stringent
that he did what he had to do and left. He could not rest in the
presence of God.
I have been told that the high priest wore bells on his robe and
that he had a rope tied to his waist. As he moved around the
Holy of Holies, people outside could hear the bells. If the bells
stopped ringing, the people knew he had done something wrong
and had died, so they pulled him out by the rope.
There is such a powerful lesson in that. It teaches us that people
could not rest in God’s presence under the Old Covenant. The
Old Covenant had many laws and was based on works. But
thank God, the New Covenant is based on the work Jesus has
accomplished, not on our own merits or works.
Jesus, our High Priest Who went into the Holy of Holies with
His own blood, put the blood on the mercy seat in heaven and sat
down. Now the atonement for the sins of the world is finished.
If you are struggling in your life, take a seat and rest in God’s
presence. The promise of God’s peace is not made to those who
work and struggle in their own strength but to those who sit and
rest in Christ Jesus. Wait on Him, and your strength will be
renewed.
God declares new things

In Isaiah 42:9 God speaks to His people and declares new things
before they happen. If you are like I am, you may be ready and
waiting for some new things in your life. You need some
changes, and those changes may be coming soon.
Even though I know the principles I am about to share with you,
I too need to be reminded of them occasionally. Sometimes we
all need to be “stirred up” in things we already know. That
encourages us to begin operating once again in powerful
principles that we have let slip away.
If you are tired of the old things, then stop speaking the old
things. Do you want some new things? Then start speaking some
new things. Spend some time with God. Set aside some special
time to study His Word. Find out what His will is for your life.
Do not let the devil push you around anymore.
Find out what God’s Word promises you, and begin to declare
the end from the beginning. Instead of saying, “Nothing will
ever change,” say, “God is making changes in my life and
circumstances every day.”
I heard the story of a doctor who was not a believer but who had
discovered the power of the principle I am sharing with you. His
prescription to his patients was to go home and repeat several
times daily: “I am getting better and better every day.” He had
such marvelous results that people traveled from all over the
world to avail themselves of his services. How much better, then,
is it when we say God’s Word in anticipation of the new thing
He says He is going to do. Remember, unlike the words of man,
God’s Word is eternal and true; it does not return to Him void:
“Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I
now declare.”
life point
Many people have 20/20 vision in their physical eyes, but they
are spiritually blind. If you feel that you are just stumbling
around in the darkness and do not know what to do, I encourage
you to take the promise from God in Isaiah 42:16 for yourself.
God wants to turn your darkness into light. He has determined
to do good for you, and He will not leave you forsaken.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, for redeeming me and for calling me by
name. I am Yours!
through it all
In Isaiah 43:2, God tells us that He will be with us as we go
through the water and through the fire. This means that we will
have to face some tests and trials in our lives; they cannot be
avoided. There will be some difficult things that we have to go
through.
I do not know what specific form your challenges may take, but I
know that they are intended to strengthen you, to develop your
character, to cause you to persevere, to sanctify you, to purify
you, to teach you the unique lessons of suffering, to teach you
the benefits and disciplines of sacrifice, and to make you a
better person. You may cringe as you think about these things,
but if you really want to fulfill your potential, you simply must
be prepared to go through them.
I have been through many tests and trials. I have faced
loneliness, obstacles, and persecution. There have been times
when I wanted to give up, and in the midst of those times, God
often put someone in my life I did not particularly like or want
to deal with. I now know that He placed those people near me
because I needed them. He used them to be the sandpaper that
was needed to smooth my rough edges.
Has God put someone or something in your life as sandpaper?
That situation may feel like a flood or a fire to you, but it is
serving a great purpose, and God is going to take you through
the difficulty to the other side. He is going to use it to
strengthen you, change you, and advance His purpose for your
life.
God must take us through hard things because He must change
us in order to use us. We must become like Jesus in our
character; we must follow His example and walk in His ways.
Gifts are given to us by God, but good fruit and godly character
must be developed.
I struggled with the process of change for a long time, but finally
realized that I was not going to succeed in getting God to do
things my way. He did not want to hear an argument from me;
He wanted to hear, “Yes, Lord. Your will be done.”
We will always face obstacles and difficulties—“floods and
fires”—as God continues to strengthen us and prepare us to be
used in His service in greater and greater ways. We would be
wise to settle down and deal with the challenges He puts before
us. Whatever they are, if we will receive them as His training
for us and submit to His will, we will not get stuck, but go
through to victory.
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Careful consideration of Isaiah 43:18, 19 seems to indicate that
you and I can cooperate with God’s plan, for He says, “Will you
not give heed to it?”
We can release God’s plan for our lives by no longer thinking
about the things of old, believing that God has a good plan for
our future. Since what we think about eventually comes out of
our mouths, we will never get our mouths straightened out
unless we do something about our thoughts.
I believe that if we stop mentally living in the past, we can begin
to think in agreement with God. Then once we do that, we can
begin to speak in agreement with Him. By so doing we can
actually prophesy our own future.
If God can make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert,
He can make a way for you.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, for blotting out and canceling my
transgressions and for forgetting my sins completely.
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In Isaiah 46:9, 10 the Lord says that He is the same God Who
has helped us in the past; He is able to declare in the beginning
how things will turn out in the end.
The Word says the Lord is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning
and the End (see Revelation 1:8). He is also everything in
between. He knows before trouble ever shows up that we can be
victorious if we fight the battle His way. His way is not a
negative way, but a good and right way. God already has an
answer before we have a problem.
Romans 8:37 affirms that we are “more than conquerors…
through Him Who loved us.” I believe that means we can know
we will win before the battle even begins. Through Him we can
see the end from the beginning, and we know that victory is
sure.
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We learn in Isaiah 46:10 that God knows the beginning from the
end of all things. He already knows what our thoughts are, and
He already hears every word we will speak. He is acquainted
with all our ways (see Psalm 139:1–4). Sometimes we act as
though God is shocked to discover that we make mistakes. We
need to remember that He is not in heaven wringing His hands,
saying, “Oh, no! I had no idea you would act this way when I
chose you!” God has a big eraser, and He uses it to keep our
records clear and clean. Even with His foreknowledge of our
weaknesses and mistakes, He still chose us on purpose and
brought us into relationship with Himself through Jesus Christ.
When you make a mistake, relax. God knew long ago that you
would do so and has provided full forgiveness for you through
His Son.
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Notice the basic principle of God’s method of operation: first He
declares things; then He does them.
This principle explains why God sent the prophets. They spoke
God-inspired, God-instructed words that brought forth God’s
will from the spiritual realm into the natural realm on earth.
Jesus did not come to the earth until first the prophets had
spoken about Him for hundreds of years. God operates on
spiritual laws that He has set in place, and we cannot ignore
them.
“Sowing and reaping” is an example of a law that operates in
the natural earth, but it also operates in the spiritual realm. We
sow material seed, and we reap material blessings of all kinds.
Words are also seeds. We sow word seeds and reap according to
what we have sown.
God wanted stubborn Israel to know that it was He Who was
doing great works in their lives, so He announced them ahead of
time. What was the end result? The things God declared came to
pass. His Word is always true, and He always does what He says
He will do.
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God has an individual plan for each person. If you will go to Him
and submit to Him, He will come into your heart and commune
with you. He will teach you and guide you in the way you should
go. Do not try to be someone else. Do not try to do what someone
else does. Just allow the Lord to show you how to fellowship with
Him. Then follow Him step-by-step as He directs your life.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, for imprinting me on Your hand. That
way, I know that You will not forget me!
God, I wait for, look for, hope for, and expect You in my life.
I know that I will not be put to shame.
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The prophet said that the Lord had given him the tongue of a
disciple—a learner, one who is taught—so that he would know
how to “speak a word in season” to the weary (Isaiah 50:4).
Do you see weary people in the body of Christ? While the world
has serious problems that can wear us down, we can experience
joy from God, Who lifts us up. According to the Bible, the joy of
the Lord is our strength (see Nehemiah 8:10). Joy is not found in
our circumstances; it is found in Christ, the Mystery of the
Ages, Who dwells within us. You and I are learning to find our
joy in Christ alone. While we are in the process, speaking words
in due season to one another will keep us from growing weary.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, for contending with those who contend
with me.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, for always going before me and behind
me. I know that I am safe in Your presence!
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Jesus did not seem to let the fact that He was despised and
rejected bother Him (see Isaiah 53:3). He certainly did not
complain about it. I am sure He felt intense pain, just as you and
I do when we are rejected, but He did not allow it to prevent Him
from fulfilling His purpose. Do not let it hinder you either!
speak the Word

Thank You, Jesus, for bearing my grief’s and sicknesses, for
carrying my pain and sorrow, for being wounded for my sin
and obtaining peace and wellbeing for me. I declare today
that by Your stripes, I am healed.
condemnation or conviction?
If condemnation is filling our consciences, it is not from God. He
sent Jesus to die for us to pay the price for our sins. According to
Isaiah 53:3–6 and many passages in the New Testament, Jesus
bore our sin and the guilty condemnation that accompanies sin.
We should get rid of the sin and not keep the guilt. Once God
breaks the yoke of sin from us, He removes the guilt too. He is
faithful and just to forgive all of our sins and to continuously
cleanse us from all unrighteousness (see I John 1:9).
How does condemnation differ from conviction? Let me explain
it this way: We need forgiveness every day of our lives. The Holy
Spirit sets off the alarm in our consciences so we can recognize
sin, and He gives us the power of the blood of Jesus to
continuously cleanse us from sin and keep us right before Him.
This process is called “conviction,” and it is of the Lord, while
condemnation is from the enemy.
Often when we are convicted of sin, we become grouchy while
God is dealing with us. Until we admit our sin, become ready to
turn from it, and ask for forgiveness, we feel a pressure that
squeezes out the worst we have in us. As soon as we come into
agreement with God, our peace returns and our behavior
improves.
The devil knows that condemnation and shame keep us from
approaching God in prayer so our needs can be met and we can
once again enjoy fellowship with God. Feeling bad about
ourselves or thinking that God is angry with us separates us
from His presence. God does not leave us, but we withdraw from
Him because of our guilt or fear.
That is why it is so important to discern the truth and know the
difference between conviction and condemnation. Remember, if
you heed conviction, it lifts you up and out of sin; condemnation
only makes you feel bad about yourself.
When you pray for people to change, the Holy Spirit convicts
them of their sin, and many times they will start acting worse
than they did before. But do not let that make you believe your
prayers are ineffective. Their behavior is actually a good sign
that God is indeed working, convicting them of sin and
convincing them of their need to change. So keep praying!
As you pray, regularly ask God to convict you of your own sin.
Realize that conviction is a blessing, not a problem. If only
perfect people could pray and receive answers, nobody would
pray. We do not need to be perfect, but we do need to be cleansed
of sin. As we begin our prayer time, it is good to ask the
heavenly Father to cleanse us of all sin and unrighteousness.
When we pray in Jesus’ name, we are presenting to our Father
all that Jesus is, not all that we are.
Experiencing conviction through the Holy Spirit’s work in our
lives is necessary for a vital walk with God. Remember that
conviction is a gift from God because it leads us to hear from
Him. Do not make the mistake of letting it condemn you, as I did
for years. Let conviction lift you to a new level in God. Do not
resist it; receive it.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, for being my Redeemer, the God of the
whole earth.
God, I declare today that Your love and kindness will

never depart from me and that Your covenant of peace and
completeness will never be removed.
free from shame

Do you have a shame-based nature? Are you rooted or grounded
in shame? The curse and power of shame can be broken off from
you through the power of God.
We know from Isaiah 54:4 that the Lord has promised to remove
the shame and dishonor from us so that we remember it no
more. In fact, God has promised that in their place He will pour
out upon us a twofold blessing. We will possess double what we
have lost, and we will have everlasting joy (see Isaiah 61:7).
Take your stand on the Word of God. Become rooted and
grounded, not in shame and dishonor, but in the love of Christ,
being complete in Him.
Ask the Lord to work a healing miracle in your mind, will, and
emotions. Let Him come in and fulfill what He came to do: heal
your broken heart, bind up your wounds, give you beauty for
ashes, joy for mourning, a garment of praise instead of
heaviness, and a double honor for a double shame (see Isaiah
61:1–3).
Determine that from this moment on you are going to reject the
roots of bitterness, shame, negativism, and perfectionism, and
nourish the roots of joy, peace, love, and power.
By faith, draw the bloodline of Jesus Christ across your life and
boldly declare that you are healed from the pains and wounds of
your past; you have been set free to live a new life of health and
wholeness. Continue to praise the Lord and confess His Word
over yourself, claiming His forgiveness, cleansing, and healing.
Stop blaming yourself and feeling guilty, unworthy, and unloved.
Instead begin to say, “If God is for me, who can be against me?
God loves me, and I love myself. Praise the Lord, I am free in
Jesus’ name, amen!”
speak the Word

God, I declare that all my children shall be taught by You
and that great shall be their peace.
speak the Word

I declare today, God, that no weapon formed against me
will prosper and that every tongue that rises against me in
judgment will be proved wrong. This is my heritage in You!
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The prophets were mouthpieces for God. They were called to
speak God’s words to people, situations, cities, dry bones,
mountains, or whatever God told them to speak to. To fulfill
their Godordained mission, they had to be submitted to the Lord,
and their mouths had to be consecrated to Him.
Those who desire to be used by God need to allow Him to deal
with them concerning their mouths and the things they say. If
you want Him to use you, be prepared for Him to deal with you
concerning your words so that you are able to represent Him
well with your mouth when the time comes for you to speak His
Word.
13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree, and
instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree; and it shall be
to the Lord for a name of renown, for an everlasting sign [of
jubilant exaltation] and memorial [to His praise], which shall not
be cut off.
the power of God’s Word

God’s Word is filled with inherent power. When God speaks,
powerful things take place. As we read in Isaiah 55:11, His Word
never returns void; it always accomplishes its purpose. When we
learn to speak God’s Word instead of rehearsing how we feel or
declaring what we think, we are also releasing power. The Word
of God spoken in faith from a believer’s mouth can change
circumstances. We may experience negative facts in our lives,
but God’s Word is truth, and truth is more powerful than facts.
Lazarus was dead; that was a fact. But when Jesus, Who is the
Truth, walked up to the tomb and spoke, that truth changed the
facts. Throughout the Gospels, we repeatedly read of people who
were sick and demon-possessed who went to Jesus. When He
spoke, their facts changed. They were healed, delivered, and set
free. We must never magnify the facts of our circumstances
above God and the power of His Word. When God speaks, things
change!
Actually, God has spoken, and all we need to do is believe what
He has said. His Word is loaded with promises that are for
anyone who will believe them and act accordingly. Just as you
may have, I had a set of unpleasant facts in my life. I had been
badly abused. I was emotionally wounded and experienced
various personality disorders as a result of enduring a very
dysfunctional life. I had a sour attitude, a chip on my shoulder,
and was filled with bitterness and unforgiveness. But Jesus
came into my life, and I learned to believe and speak His Word
in faith, and today I am free from all those things that were
definitely negative facts years ago.
God compares His Word to seed. When we plant the seed by
speaking it, praying it, believing it, and acting upon it, it will
produce what it says. God promises us that it will produce! Begin
to speak God’s Word regularly and believe what it says more
than you believe your circumstances. Hold fast your confession
of faith in Him (see Hebrews 4:14), and soon you will be sharing
your testimony of victory with others.
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Under the old covenant, the temple was the house of God, the
place of prayer for His people. Under the new covenant, we are
now God’s house because He dwells within us (see I Corinthians
3:16; 6:19). We may still be under construction, but nonetheless
we are His house, His tabernacle, His dwelling place. Therefore,
we should consider ourselves “houses of prayer.”
Ephesians 6:18 gives some practical instruction on how to be a
true house of prayer. It lets us know that we can pray anywhere
at any time about anything, and that we should be watchful to do
so: “Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the
Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty. To that end keep
alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance,
interceding in behalf of all the saints (God’s consecrated
people).” Believing and practicing Ephesians 6:18 can be
lifechanging. This kind of continual communion with God helps
us truly become the living “houses of prayer” that God speaks of
in Isaiah 56:7.

Isaiah 57:15 tells us that God dwells in a high and holy place,
but that He also dwells with those who have a penitent and
humble spirit. Do you have a penitent and humble spirit? Are
you struggling with stubbornness or pride in any area of your
life? If so, repent and ask God to forgive you. Then He will revive
your heart, as He promises in this verse.
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The scene we read about in Isaiah 58:5 is an exchange between
the Israelites and God. The people had been fasting, and they
felt that God had not noticed. He told them that they were
fasting with the wrong motives, and that they had things in their
lives that needed to be dealt with.
True fasting is for the purpose of breaking the power of the flesh
in our lives. It is supposed to be a special, consecrated time of
prayer in which God’s people seek Him seriously and
sacrificially for themselves or for others. True fasting, with right
motives, is effective.
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What wonderful promises we find in Isaiah 58:9–12! When can
we expect these blessings of the Lord to come upon us and
overtake us? When we stop judging others and put away every
form of vain, false, harsh, unjust, and wicked speaking. We
should not expect God’s blessings when our mouths are
speaking curses, but when we begin to speak blessings to others
from a sincere heart, blessings begin to flow toward us.
first things first

Some people become so involved in ministry that they overlook
their own family members and friends, but the Lord makes clear
in Isaiah 58:7 that we are not to neglect one in order to attend to
the other.
In this verse, God tells us that we are not only to meet the needs
of those around us in the world (the poor, needy, and
disadvantaged), but that we are also to meet the needs of our
immediate and extended families.
I have a widowed aunt to whom I minister quite often. I once
thought I was too busy to help her, but God showed me that she
is my “flesh and blood.” She is part of my family, and I am
responsible to minister to her needs just as I am responsible to
minister to thousands of people in many locations all over the
world. If I ignore my responsibilities toward my relatives, I will
pay the price of losing an aspect of God’s anointing in other
areas of my life.
In Isaiah 58:7, the Word says that we must not only feed the
hungry and clothe the naked, but that we must also not hide
ourselves from the needs of our own flesh and blood. After we
have done these things, then Isaiah 58:8 will work for us: our
light shall break forth like the morning, our healing (our
restoration and the power of a new life) will spring forth
speedily, our righteousness (our rightness, our justice, and our
right relationship with God) will go before us (conducting us to
peace and prosperity), and God’s glory will guard us from
behind. Those are awesome promises, and I encourage you to do
what is necessary for you to be in position to receive them in
your life.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, for raising up a standard against the
enemy and putting him to flight when he comes against me.
life point
In Luke 4:18 Jesus stood up in the temple to read the prophetic
passage from Isaiah 61:1, and after doing so He said, “Today this
Scripture has been fulfilled” (Luke 4:21). One of the things said
in Isaiah 61:1 is that Jesus has come to open prison doors and
set captives free. I believe this refers to the prison of sin, guilt,
and condemnation. Jesus died so that our sins could be forgiven
and completely removed along with any sense of guilt and
condemnation.
speak the Word

God, You are an everlasting light to me. You are my glory
and my beauty.
healing in every way

Jesus can heal us everywhere we hurt! He wants to help us
mentally and emotionally, as well as spiritually and physically.
For a long time, I did not know that, and my lack of knowledge
caused me to live a dysfunctional life. Abuse and rejection had
left me emotionally wounded until I discovered that Jesus
wanted to give me—and all of us—beauty for ashes.
When we accept Jesus as Savior and Lord, a great exchange
takes place in the spirit realm. He gives us everything He has
and is—and we are supposed to give Him not only everything we
are, but even what we are not. He takes our weakness and gives
us His strength. He takes our sickness and gives us His health
and healing. We give Him our sin, and He gives us His
righteousness. He will give us beauty for ashes, but we must be
willing to give up our ashes. We cannot live in the past and press
into the future at the same time. Let go of what lies behind and
start enjoying the new life that Jesus has for you.
When I married my husband in 1967, I had no automobile, but
he did, so suddenly I had one too. My poverty was swallowed up
in his abundance. Similarly, when we accept Jesus our sin-filled,
miserable, hopeless lives are swallowed up in His goodness,
mercy, and grace. If you have problems, you are just the person
Jesus died for. He came for the sick and needy, not for those who
need nothing. It is not a shame to be needy. The greatest need
that most people have is to admit they have a need!
It is time for you to enjoy God’s favor (see Isaiah 61:2). That
means He will bless you even though you do not deserve it, if
you place your faith in Him. God wants you to enjoy yourself
and your life. He wants to heal you everywhere you hurt! He
wants to heal you spiritually, mentally, emotionally, physically,
financially, and socially. Do not close off any part of your life to
His healing touch. Invite Jesus into every area and ask Him to
make you whole.
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If we consistently believe God’s Word, He will turn
circumstances from negative to positive—from ashes to beauty
(see Isaiah 61:3)—in His perfect timing.
A lot of negative things have happened to me, and Satan used
them to sour my attitude toward life and people. I was trapped in
my past because I did not believe I had a future. As soon as I
believed in Jesus Christ, I was released from the past and began
making progress toward the good things God had in mind for
me. It did not all come to me immediately in manifested form,
but believing in God gave me renewed hope that kept me going
from day to day. Slowly but surely I began to see changes take
place in my life, and each change encouraged me to believe God
more.
Believing God is the key to receiving from Him. No matter what
has happened to you in the past, if you believe, you can receive
beauty for your ashes too. You can begin to enjoy the good
future that is set aside for you in Jesus Christ, Who came to do
the will of His Father in heaven.
speak the Word

God, I will greatly rejoice in You. My soul will exult in You
because You have clothed me with garments of salvation
and with a robe of righteousness.
double for your trouble

The word recompense, which we see in Isaiah 61:7, means
“repayment.” So when Isaiah says that the Lord will recompense
us for our shame, dishonor, and reproach, he means that God
will make up for all the hurts we have experienced in life.
One of the greatest mistakes we make is trying to avenge
ourselves, to get even, to bring the scales of justice into balance
rather than trusting God to do that for us. If we try to do this
ourselves, we only wind up making a huge mess. The Bible says,
“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave the way open for
[God’s] wrath; for it is written, Vengeance is Mine, I will repay
(requite), says the Lord” (Romans 12:19).
When the Bible talks about recompense or justice, it simply
means that you and I will get what is right for us, what is coming
to us. Now, as blood-bought children of God, we know that as
long as we trust in the Lord and are obedient to Him and
repentant of our sins and failures, we will not get what is
coming to us in the form of punishment for our sins, but we will
get rewards for our righteousness. Jesus took our punishment,
and we receive His inheritance.
The Bible says in Psalm 37:1, 2, “Fret not yourself because of
evildoers, neither be envious against those who work
unrighteousness (that which is not upright or in right standing
with God). For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and
wither as the green herb.” We should not want anyone to “be cut
down” and “wither,” even those people who have harmed us.
Instead, we need to allow God’s love to be “poured out in our
hearts through the Holy Spirit” (Romans 5:5).
In my own life, I thank God I have come to the place of not
wanting to see my tormentors have a miserable life. But what
God has promised us who belong to Him and follow Him is that
those who have hurt us will one day pay for their transgressions
against us, unless they come to a place of repentance. But God
will make it up to us if we trust Him to do so.
Too often believers do not seem to realize they are not to take
matters into their own hands. Many of them are angry at what
has been done to them—and that anger manifests itself in many
destructive ways.
Part of the problem is that we as Christians have not yet learned
that everybody experiences difficulties in life. The Bible says,
“Many evils confront the [consistently] righteous” (Psalm
34:19). We fail to realize that even though we are God’s
children, not everything will go just the way we want, and not
everyone will treat us the way we would like to be treated.
However, the Bible teaches that if we continue to trust God no
matter what happens to us, if we keep our eyes on Him and have
faith and confidence in Him, He will balance out the scales. The
second half of Psalm 34:19 says a person may have problems,
“but the Lord delivers him out of them all.”
The time will come when everything will be set straight. Our
enemies will be repaid for all their treachery, and we will be
paid back double for all we have lost and suffered. True justice is
worth waiting for.
Jeremiah
Author:
Jeremiah
Date:
626 BC–586 BC
Remember that you were born
with a God-given purpose. Stay
focused on Him, even amid
opposition, and you will prevail
in fulfilling your purpose.
Trust God with all of your heart.
Make a priority of seeking God
above and before everything
else.
Have you ever met someone you considered “a born leader,” “a born
athlete,” or “a born salesman”? Well, Jeremiah was truly “a born
prophet.” God called him in his mother’s womb, before he ever breathed
his first breath, for the specific purpose of giving His message to the
people of Judah. Jeremiah enjoyed good times during the reign of a good
king, Josiah; he also endured persecution and hostility when he had to
deliver difficult messages and warnings to bad kings. Even though he did
not quickly embrace his call as a prophet in his younger days, he did obey
God and stay faithful to Him.
Some of Jeremiah’s key themes include obeying God’s call, trusting God
and not putting faith in people, staying faithful to a covenant
relationship with God, seeking God wholeheartedly, continuing to obey
God in the face of opposition, and remembering that God loves us with
an everlasting love. In addition to these great themes, Jeremiah also
includes some beloved Bible verses, such as Jeremiah 29:11, which says:
“For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord,
thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you
hope in your final outcome.”
I hope you will read the book of Jeremiah and be encouraged in God’s
purpose for your life as you continue to trust and seek Him.
approved!
God told Jeremiah that He knew him and approved of him
before he was formed in his mother’s womb (see Jeremiah 1:5).
When God said He knew Jeremiah, He was not speaking of a
casual acquaintance, but of the deepest, most intimate
knowledge. God knows us the same way. He knows everything
about us, even things we will never discover about ourselves. He
knows every mistake we will ever make—and He loves us and
approves of us anyway.
God does not always approve of our behavior and choices, but He
does approve of us as His chosen instruments. There is a big
difference between who we are and what we do. Jeremiah was a
child of God, and God knew his heart. He did not “do”
everything right. For one thing, he was afraid of what people
would think of him. The fear of man displeases God. He wants us
to realize that when He is on our side, it does not matter who is
against us. We should strive to be God-pleasers, not man-
pleasers.
If we live with feelings that God disapproves of us, we will
always have the wrong kind of fear of Him, and that will hinder
us from enjoying an intimate relationship and rich fellowship
with Him. God wants us to have a reverential fear and awe of
Him, but He does not want us to be afraid of Him in a wrong way.
He wants us to come boldly to the throne of grace and ask Him
to meet our needs and help us in every situation we face (see
Hebrews 4:16). Ephesians 3:12 teaches us that we should have an
unreserved approach to God, with freedom and without fear.
Do not shrink back in fear, but press forward in faith. Without
faith we cannot please God (see Hebrews 11:6), and without fear
we cannot please Satan. Whom do you want to please? I am sure
it is God, so begin right now by living in the freedom of
realizing that God knows you and approves of you as His chosen
instrument.
you are chosen

We all want other people to like us and approve of us. However,
our desire for approval can truly be met only by receiving God’s
acceptance and approval of us. God told Jeremiah that before He
formed him in the womb of his mother, He knew him and
approved of him as His chosen instrument (see Jeremiah 1:5).
When God says He knows us, He means He really knows us. This
is a knowing that leaves nothing out.
I am amazed that God chose me. I do not think I would have
chosen myself. But God’s tool chest has some interesting things
in it. He works with what the world would reject as useless and
throw away as trash (see I Corinthians 1:27, 28).
Yes, God chooses and uses what the world would reject! Was
Jeremiah perfect? Absolutely not! Jeremiah was fearful, and
God had to correct him about his fear of people. Jeremiah was
afraid of being rejected and disapproved of. God corrected him
about speaking negatively and encouraged him to go forward
and not give up.
It is interesting to note that God actually told Jeremiah in
Jeremiah 1:8 not to be afraid of people’s faces. Why is that? We
tend to watch people’s faces to see if they approve or disapprove
of everything about us—what we are wearing, our hair, our
performance, etc. We pay too much attention to how people
respond to us.
Yes, Jeremiah had problems just as we do. When God saw
Jeremiah, He did not see perfection, but He obviously did see
someone with a right heart who believed in Him. He saw in
Jeremiah two main ingredients essential to pleasing God: (1)
faith in God, and (2) a deep desire to please Him. Although
Jeremiah was not perfect, he did submit to the call of God on his
life. Jeremiah, despite criticism, unpopularity, and attacks
against him, faithfully delivered God’s message to the nation of
Judah. By doing so, he honored God, demonstrated faith and
courage, and chose obedience over his personal preferences. I
encourage you to do likewise!
make your work succeed

The people in Jeremiah 2:13 worked hard to dig wells for
themselves, but their wells could not hold water. I am sure they
were very disappointed when they did not get the result they
wanted after working so hard. I know what it is like to work hard
with no results. I have spent many years of my life digging
“empty wells” like these, and that frustrated and discouraged me.
It took me a long time to realize that unless “the Lord builds the
house, they labor in vain who build it” (Psalm 127:1).
You may be digging an empty well right now. You may be
working on something or somebody. You may have your own
little project going on, but you are doing it your way. You may be
following your own little plan, trying to make things happen in
your own strength and ability. If so, it is not going to work if you
have left God out of your plan.
There is nothing more frustrating than trying to do something
about something you cannot do anything about. It is similar to
having your car stuck in the mud and continuing to press the
accelerator down and spin your wheels until you burn up the
engine. We often burn out from weariness due to “works of the
flesh,” which are works that do not work!
Many times we make a plan and then pray for it to work. God
wants us to pray first and ask Him for His plan. After we have His
plan, then He wants us to trust Him to bring it to pass.
Our activity birthed out of the flesh actually prevents God from
showing Himself strong in our lives. That is not the way to live
the higher life that God has prepared for us. Ask God to help
you and lead you as you work, so that your efforts will be
productive.

Do you have a “spiritual shepherd” (a spiritual leader) who has
God’s heart, as mentioned in Jeremiah 3:15? If so, thank God
for that person. If not, ask God to give you such a leader.
words of fire
In Jeremiah 5:14, we see that God was calling Jeremiah to a new
level where his words would be mighty and powerful, like fire.
God is also calling you and me to experience a higher level of
His power and blessing, and we need to realize that with every
new level comes new opposition. In the face of that opposition,
we should choose our words carefully. We must realize that
wrong words can open doors for the enemy that we do not want
to open.
For years God spoke to me about not opening doors to Satan.
Then one day He said, “Joyce, forget about doors; Satan is
looking for any tiny crack he can crawl through in your life.”
God was actually telling me that I would need to live more
carefully than ever before.
Whatever Jeremiah had been doing previously was not as
aggressive against the kingdom of darkness as what God had
planned. I believe the same thing holds true in your life and
mine. Things that God was patient with in the past, He will have
to deal with now. We cannot walk in the flesh until it is time to
exercise our ministry gifts and then quickly try to get in the
Spirit. There will be no power, no anointing, released through
such a life.
Remember that God told Jeremiah He would make His words
like fire in his mouth, and that He would make the people like
wood. I have read books that spoke of past revivals and explained
how the anointing of the Lord was so strong on the preaching at
times that hundreds of people fell out of their chairs onto the
floor and began crying out for deliverance and salvation. I
believe that is a manifestation of God, making the words of the
speakers’ mouths like fire and the people like wood. But we will
not see such signs and wonders as long as we intentionally allow
a mixture in our lives and in the words of our mouths. We may
never experience complete perfection in this area, but it is time
to deal with this issue very seriously.
When I speak God’s Word, I want it to have a dramatic effect on
people, changing them radically. Let me encourage you to do
likewise. Ask God to put His fire in your mouth so that your
words will be life-changing for those who hear them.
life point
In the sixth chapter of Jeremiah, the Lord told Jeremiah to warn
His children of the impending destruction of the city that was
full of oppression. God wants to protect and provide for His
people, and it is so tragic when they cannot hear His voice
because they have not consecrated their ears to His service (see
Jeremiah 6:10). Ask God to make your ears sensitive to His
voice.
speak the Word

God, I glory only in the fact that I know You, that I
understand You are the Lord, Who practices loving-
kindness, judgment, and righteousness.
life point
Life would be so much easier if we would believe God’s Word
and act accordingly, but most of us have to find out the hard way
what works and what does not work. God’s Word says in
Jeremiah 10:23 that we do not have it in us to run our own lives,
but we still try. Let me encourage you to give up trying to control
your own life or someone else’s. God is in control, so relax and
let Him direct your steps.
life point
Every time God gives us a test, we can tell how far we have come
and how far we still have to go by how we react in that test.
Attitudes of the heart that we did not know we had often come
out through tests and trials. Embrace your tests as opportunities
how to pass life’s tests

Jeremiah 11:20 tells us that God tests our hearts, emotions, and
thinking powers.
When we want to test something, how do we do it? We put
pressure on it to see if it will do what it says it will do; we look
to see if it will hold up under the stress. God does the same
thing with us. When we pray, asking Him to use us and to put us
into positions of leadership, His answer is, “Let Me try you out
first. Let Me put you to the test.”
I am saddened when I realize how many people never make it
past the trying point. They never pass the test. They spend their
whole lives going around and around the same proverbial
mountains. But in God’s school we do not flunk; we get to keep
taking the test again and again until we pass it.
To test something means to prove its truth or genuineness by an
experiment, a trial, or an examination. It also means to compare
something against a standard. One of the ways God tests us is by
requiring us to manifest what we say we know. Head knowledge
alone is not enough. If we cannot produce the goods, head
knowledge means nothing.
Deuteronomy 8:2 says that God led the Israelites in the
wilderness for forty years to humble them, to prove them, and to
see if they would keep His commandments. Tests usually do not
come in good times. They come in hard times because not
everything God asks us to do is going to be easy. That is why He
tests us to see if we are ready and able before He promotes us to
a higher level of responsibility.
So many things come our way every day that are just nothing
more than tests. For example, sometimes when we have to wait
to be seated at a table in a restaurant and then we get a bad
meal, it is a test. Sometimes when we are going to pull into a
parking space and someone zooms in and takes it, it is a test.
Sometimes when our boss tells us to do something we do not
want to do, it is a test.
James 1:2–4 says that tests bring out what is in us. In times of
trial we become best acquainted with ourselves and with what we
are capable of doing. Peter did not think he would ever deny
Jesus, but when he was put to the test, that is exactly what he
did (see Luke 22:60–62). God is not impressed with what we say
we will do; He is impressed with what we prove we will do under
pressure. We do not get promoted in ministry because we have
our Bible underlined in two colors. We are raised up in life and
ministry because we have been tested and tried, and we have
passed our tests.
speak the Word

God, to me Your words are a joy and they bring rejoicing to
my heart, because I belong to You and am called by Your
name.
speak the Word

Lord, heal me and I shall be healed; save me and I shall be
saved. You are my praise.
live deeper
Jeremiah 17:9 teaches us that our hearts are deceitful above all
things. Self-deception is one of the easiest traps of the enemy
that we can fall into. The self always helps the self get whatever
it wants. When we have a strong desire for something, we can
easily deceive ourselves by telling ourselves whatever we want to
hear. If my will wants a thing, my mind will give me a variety of
reasons I should have it, and my emotions will certainly produce
ample feelings that agree with my will’s wants!
We must learn to live deeper than the shallowness of our own
minds, wills, and feelings. Deeper living means that we go
beyond what we want, what we think, and how we feel and live
by the Word of God. We must bow our knees in humility to
God’s Word and His will because that is where we find true
blessings.
I encourage you to have regular times of waiting in God’s
presence, asking Him to reveal any impure motives you might
have. Pray against deception, for Satan is the great deceiver.
When we believe something that is not true, we are deceived.
Satan also seeks to lead us astray through reasoning that is
contrary to the truth.
When you believe a lie, it becomes truth to you even though it is
not actually truth at all. Do not trust yourself too much. Realize
that not everything you want is best for you. Ask God for what
you want, but always be willing to change if you discover that
you are not in agreement with God’s will. If what you ask God
for is His will, it will come in due time. If it does not come, then
believe that He has something better in mind for you.
Above all, hold your peace and remain at rest. God can easily
lead the believer who is not frustrated and anxious. Pray as
David in Psalm 51: “Behold, You desire truth in the inner being;
make me therefore to know wisdom in my inmost heart” (Psalm
51:6). The more you truly know God’s wisdom in your heart, the
less likely you are to be deceived.
life point
In Jeremiah 18:1–4 we read of the potter who had to remake his
vessel because it had been marred. That is a picture of us in the
hands of the Lord, the Master Potter.
When we enter into a relationship with Christ, the Bible tells
us that we become new creations (see II Corinthians 5:17). Old
things have passed away, and we are given an opportunity for a
new beginning. We become new spiritual clay for the Holy Spirit
to work with. I believe that He is shaping you into a beautiful
vessel, perfectly designed for the great purposes He has for your
life.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, that You are mighty and You are with me.
speak the Word

God, I declare that I do have Your word and I ask you to
help me to speak it faithfully.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, for setting Your eyes upon me for good
and building me up. Thank You for giving me a heart to
know You and for being my God.
life point
The Lord sees not only what you are right now, but also what you
can become. He knows the plans He has for you, and, according
to Jeremiah 29:11, they are good plans for progress and success,
not defeat and failure. Let me encourage you to give God
everything about yourself. He will be patient with you as He
works His good plans in you.
God’s good plan

According to Jeremiah 29:11, God has a plan for each of us, a
plan that should give us great hope for our future. It is our
destiny. But that plan is a possibility, not a “positively.”
If someone prophesies over us wonderful things in the name of
the Lord, what they say to us may express the heart, the will,
and the desire of God for us. But that does not mean it is
positively going to happen just as it is prophesied. This is
because it cannot and will not come to pass if we choose to
refuse to cooperate with God or to stray away from His will.
God does have a plan for our lives, but we have to participate in
that plan for it to come true. God is not likely to do anything in
our lives without our cooperation.
We need to cooperate with God every single day of our lives in
order for our potential to be developed. Every day we ought to
learn something. Every day we ought to grow. Every day we ought
to discover something. Every day we ought to be a bit further
along than we were the day before. We should be “lifetime
learners.”
We must understand that no other human being on the face of
the earth can develop our potential for us. We must each
discover our own God-given gifts and talents, what we are truly
capable of, and then put ourselves to the task of developing those
gifts, talents, and capabilities to their fullest extent.
God has a plan for each of us. It is a good plan, an uncommon
plan, a great plan; it is not an average, mediocre plan. I
encourage you to seek that plan and cooperate with God so that
it will be wonderfully fulfilled in your life.
life point
Jeremiah 29:13 is an awesome promise; God says, “Then you
will seek Me, inquire for, and require Me [as a vital necessity]
and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” Notice
that we are to require God “as a vital necessity.” In other words,
the wonderful life Jesus died for us to have depends on our
personal relationship with God. We need Him just as we need
food, water, and air to breathe.
When you spend time with God, everyone knows. You become
calmer; you are easier to get along with; you do not lose control
of your emotions as quickly. Your patience increases, wisdom is
manifested through you, and your heart soon understands what
God likes and what offends Him. As with any friend, the more
time you spend with God, the more you become like Him. Spend
time with God today. Make it a priority. Your life depends on it
because He is your vital necessity.
speak the Word
Thank You, God, for restoring health to me and for healing
my wounds.
Thank You, Lord, for loving me with an everlasting love,

for drawing me with Your loving-kindness, and for
continuing Your faithfulness to me.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, for turning my mourning into joy and for
comforting me in my sorrow.
God, I declare today that there is hope in my future!
speak the Word

God, You satisfy my weary soul, and You replenish me.
“I will remember your sin no more”

No matter what your problem is or how badly you feel about
yourself as a result of it, God loves you. In Jesus Christ He has
given you a new life. He will provide new friends to love, accept,
appreciate, and uphold you. You are okay, and you are going to
make it because of the One Who lives inside you and cares for
you.
Regardless of what you may have done, you need a deeper
revelation of what God means when He says in Jeremiah 31:34,
“I will remember your sins no more.” Once you have confessed
your sins and asked for God’s forgiveness, if you continue to
bring them up to Him every time you go to Him in prayer, you
are reminding Him of something He has promised to forget—
something He has removed from you as far as the east is from
the west (see Psalm 103:12). You need to realize that once you
have confessed your sins to God and asked Him to forgive you of
them, He has not only forgiven them, but He has actually forgotten
them.
You may have to look at yourself in the mirror and confess your
deepest failure. You may need to say to God something like, “I
had an abortion.” Or, “I committed adultery. I did that, Lord, and
it is a marvel to me to realize that I can stand here and look
myself in the eye. But I can do so because I know that even
though I did something so wrong, You have put my sins as far
away from me as the east is from the west, and You remember
them no more!”
Whatever your sin or failure, you need to confess it to God and
then let it go. Stop punishing yourself for something that is in
the past. Refuse to remember something God has chosen to forget.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, that a time is coming when You will fulfill
every good promise You have made to me.

Jeremiah 34:17 declares that God proclaims liberty to us. In
what ways has He set you free? Thank Him today for the liberty
He brings to your life.
proclaim liberty
I encourage you to give the gift of freedom and “proclaim
liberty” to your family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers.
People will love you for it. Obviously, this does not mean letting
others do whatever they want to do. But it does mean that you
stop trying to control people and situations and let God be God.
For years I tried desperately to control and remold my husband
and children, until I finally realized that my efforts were acts of
selfishness, not love. I told myself that I simply wanted God’s
best for them; however, I had decided what His best was and was
trying to force it upon them.
Unknowingly, I was ignoring scriptures that shed light on the
proper attitude parents should have toward their children.
Proverbs 22:6 tells us that we are to train up our children in the
way they should go, and when they are old, they will not depart
from it. Ephesians 6:4 tells us that we are not to irritate and
provoke our children or exasperate them to resentment, but to
bring them up tenderly and in the training, discipline, counsel,
and admonition of the Lord. Quite frequently we have plans for
our children. We have our own ideas about what they should do
with their lives, and we pressure them to go in the direction we
desire for them.
At one point in my life, I wanted all of my children to preach,
just as I do. That did not happen, and, actually, I now realize that
was not even what would have blessed me after all. Each of my
grown children performs a different function that fulfills a great
need for me in the ministry, and I would really be missing
something if I had gotten my way with them. God is in control,
and I am glad. Trying to control others is hard work, and it does
not work!
Make sure the atmosphere in your home and your business is
free and relaxed, not one that makes people feel that if they do
not please you all the time, tension will fill the air and tempers
will explode. When people make mistakes, do not make them
feel rejected, but go the extra mile to make them feel forgiven
and accepted. Treat others the way you want to be treated.
Relax. Loosen up a bit. Proclaim liberty as Jeremiah 34:15
instructs, and give everyone around you the gift of freedom.
do it again!
Even though Jeremiah was in prison, he still received prophecies
from the Lord and recorded them, according to Jeremiah 36. God
would give him a message, and he would record it on parchment
that was rolled up into a scroll. Then one of his servants would
come and carry the message throughout the land, since
Jeremiah was unable to go personally. From this we see that God
is not put off by inconveniences; He always finds another way to
get the job done.
The people of those days did not have computers and printers,
typewriters, or even ballpoint pens and pads of paper, so imagine
how tedious their job of writing was! Everything had to be taken
down by a quill and ink on a scroll. If more than one copy was
needed, then it had to be made by hand from the original, which
was a long, tiresome, painstaking process.
In Jeremiah 36:1, 2, God gave Jeremiah a specific prophecy
about Israel and Judah, and He told him to record it on a scroll.
Jeremiah called his secretary, Baruch, who wrote while
Jeremiah dictated (see Jeremiah 36:4). When the king heard
about the scroll, he ordered it to be brought to the royal palace
and read to him. As his attendant Jehudi was reading it to him,
the king would take a few columns that had been read, cut them
off the scroll with a knife, and then burn them in a fire (see
Jeremiah 36:22, 23).
It was wintertime. Maybe the king was sitting there by the fire,
warming his toes and eating an apple. Whatever the case, the
king did not like what Jehudi was reading because he liked his
unrighteous lifestyle and did not want to change it. So he cut up
and burned section after section from the scroll until he burned
up all Jeremiah’s prophecies.
Can you imagine how Jeremiah must have felt when he learned
that all of his hard work had been burned up? Can you relate to
that experience? Have you ever worked on something for a long
time and struggled and tried and done everything you knew how
to do and somehow the devil got in and destroyed it all? The
word to you is: Do it again!
That is what Jeremiah did. God’s answer to Jeremiah’s terrible
dilemma and discouragement was: “Take another scroll and
write on it all the former words that were on the first scroll”
(Jeremiah 36:28). God said, basically, “Jeremiah, go get yourself
another scroll and write the thing over.”
In other words, do it again.

If you and I want to be strong and victorious in the kingdom of
God, we must be willing to do it—and then do it again and again
and again, if necessary—until we get a breakthrough and what
God has called us to do is completed.
speak the Word

God, I pray that You would show me the way in which I
should walk and the things that I should do.
speak the Word

God, I will not fear, because You are with me.
Lamentations
Author:
Traditionally, Jeremiah
Date:
587 BC
Bad things—even devastating
things—happen. When they do,
run to God and find comfort.
Even when we know we do not
deserve God’s mercy, we can
still call upon Him. Because of
His great compassion, He will
hear us and help us.
Never stop hoping in God’s
mercy.
To “lament” is to feel intense sorrow, sadness, or grief, even to cry or to
wail. This book, entitled Lamentations, focuses on suffering, loss, and
hopelessness. It acknowledges the reality of pain, grief, and tragedy, not
only in Old Testament times (pain and grief resulting from Israel’s
turning away from God), but in our lives today. Even though some of the
circumstances of our suffering may be different from the Israelites’
experience, the pain of suffering is just as real.
Against the dismal backdrop of Lamentations, a ray of hope begins to
shine. Having written extensively about the destruction in the beginning
of Lamentations, the writer admits in Lamentations 3:17, “I have
forgotten what good and happiness are.” But then he begins to come out
of his misery, saying: “But this I recall and therefore have I hope and
expectation” (Lamentations 3:21). He then moves into one of the best-
known, best-loved scriptures I know of: “It is because of the Lord’s
mercy and loving-kindness that we are not consumed, because His
[tender] compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great and
abundant is Your stability and faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22, 23).
No matter what you are facing today, let Lamentations remind you of
God’s faithfulness to you. Recall God’s mercy in every situation, and let
it give you hope and expectation!
speak the Word

God, I will pour out my heart like water before You. I will
freely and fully express my feelings to You.
life point
In Lamentations 3:19, 20, we read about the writer of this book,
who has his mind on all his problems and whose soul is bowed
down within him with sorrow. However, he declares in
Lamentations 3:21: “But this I recall and therefore have I hope
and expectation.” Now he makes a turn. He says, “Okay, I am
going to get something else in my mind that gives me hope and
the expectation of good.” The thing that he begins to think about
pulls him out of this pit. Then in verses 22–24 he talks about the
Lord’s mercy, His compassion, and His faithfulness.
The writer’s positive thoughts about God brought him out of the
depressed, miserable state he was in. When we think about our
problems, we sink lower and lower, but thoughts about the
goodness, mercy, kindness, and faithfulness of God give us hope.
life point
Lamentations 3:25 says that God is good to those who wait for
Him and expect Him to be good to them. We do not deserve His
goodness, but it is available to all who expect it.
new every morning

Thank God for His great and abundant mercy! His mercies are
new every morning (see Lamentations 3:22, 23). Surely we
would all live miserable, defeated, wretched lives separated from
His presence if it were not for His compassion and willingness to
forgive us.
When we meditate on God’s mercy and truly realize how much
He willingly forgives us, we can much more easily show mercy
to others. Good relationships are impossible unless we are
generous with mercy and forgiveness. Being merciful simply
means that we are good to those who do not deserve goodness.
We have received unmerited blessings from God, and He expects
us to give to others what we have received from Him. Let the
goodness of God flow through you, because He has created you
to be blessed and to be a blessing.
Jesus said that we are to forgive our enemies (see Luke 6:37)
and be kind, doing favors in such a way that people derive
benefit from them. In this way we show ourselves to be like our
Father in heaven, for He is merciful, kind, and good. He
promised that we would lose nothing and our reward would be
great. God is our Vindicator, and we always come out on top
when we do things His way.
God’s mercy is new every morning, and I am glad—because I am
sure I use my allotted portion every day. I am grateful for a new,
fresh start each day. God desires mercy, not sacrifice. When we
make mistakes, He does not want our sacrifice. Jesus is the only
sacrifice ever needed. He wants us to admit our mistakes,
repent, and receive forgiveness and mercy. When others make
mistakes and hurt or offend us, He wants us to give them mercy
and not require sacrifices from them. What this means is that
we are not to try to make people feel guilty or pay for their
errors, but to give them the gift of mercy instead, just as we
receive that gift from God.
We are wise to give mercy today because none of us know how
much mercy we will need tomorrow. Learn to give and receive
mercy regularly. Let mercy become a way of life for you.

In Lamentations 3:40, the people decided to “test and examine”
their ways, and return to the Lord. Have you examined your
ways lately? Ask God to show you whether or not you have
strayed from Him in any area of your life. Then turn back to
Him through repentance and receive His great mercy.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, for being moved to compassion according
to the multitude of Your loving-kindness and mercy.
Lord, I will lift up my hands and my heart to You in prayer.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, for drawing near when I call to You and
for pleading the causes of my soul—managing my affairs
and protecting me. You have rescued and redeemed my life!
Ezekiel
Author:
Ezekiel
Date:
593 BC–571 BC
Hope and restoration are always
available in God.
Hard, stony hearts can be made
soft and tender again by the
touch of the Holy Spirit.
“Dry bones”—things that seem
to be dead in your life—can live
again!
The name means “God is strong,” and throughout the book that bears
Ezekiel’s name, we see the strength of God. Ezekiel was a righteous man,
called by God to be a preacher of righteousness in a pagan culture. In the
midst of idolatry and sin, he trumpeted a prophetic message of God’s
unending, unbreakable covenant with His people. He called them to
return to God and be changed and restored.
Though Ezekiel’s message was intended for an entire nation, it can be
applied in very personal ways. I believe that one of the most hopeful,
personal promises we can find in the Bible is found in Ezekiel 11:19:
“And I will give them one heart [a new heart] and I will put a new spirit
within them; and I will take the stony [unnaturally hardened] heart out
of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh [sensitive and
responsive to the touch of their God].” Similarly, God promises in
Ezekiel 36:26: “A new heart will I give you and a new spirit will I put
within you, and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and
give you a heart of flesh.”
As you read through Ezekiel, you will find fascinating stories and some
interesting prophetic content. More than anything, I hope this book will
encourage and remind you that, as a believer, you are in covenant with
God. His hope and restoration are always near to you!
speak the Word

Lord, I pray that I will be like Ezekiel and hear You when
You speak to me.
speak the Word
God, every word that You speak to me I will not only hear
with my ears, but I will also receive in my heart.
life point
In Ezekiel 11:19, God says He will replace the stony hearts in
His people with new hearts that are sensitive to His touch.
When we give our lives to God, He puts a sense of right and
wrong deep within our consciences. But if we rebel against our
consciences too many times, we can become hard-hearted. If that
happens, we need to let God soften our hearts so we can be
spiritually sensitive to the leadership of the Holy Spirit.
I was very hard-hearted before I really began fellowshipping
with God. Being in His presence regularly developed the new
heart in me—the new heart that Jesus died to give me. Without
a heart sensitive to God’s touch, we will not recognize many of
the times He is speaking to us. He speaks gently, in a still, small
voice, or with gentle conviction about a matter.
Those who are hard-hearted and busy “doing their own thing”
will not be sensitive to God’s voice. I am grateful that He has
softened my heart with His Word, because a hardened heart
cannot receive the blessings He wants to give.
the cure for hard-heartedness

I believe the secret to being happy is to walk in love. And
walking in love is impossible unless we allow the Holy Spirit to
tenderize our hearts. As God says in Ezekiel 11:19, it is not His
will for us to be hard-hearted.
I had a hard heart because I had been abused as a child and
abandoned by people who said they loved me. It seemed that all
my life, people had taken advantage of me and used me for their
own selfish purposes. My response was to become hard-hearted
in an attempt to block further emotional pain.
Once our hearts become hardened, it is nearly impossible to
change them by decision alone. That type of change requires a
supernatural working of the Holy Spirit. He is the only One
Who can get inside our souls and heal the wounds and bruises
there. He alone can restore us to the condition we were in prior
to our injuries. He is the One Who sheds God’s love abroad in
our hearts. He is also the One Who teaches us, convicting us of
wrong conduct when we mistreat others; and He works in us to
give us tender hearts.
When I realized that I grieved the Holy Spirit when I was sharp,
angry, or hateful toward someone, I began to take that kind of
behavior more seriously. I love God, and I certainly do not want
to grieve His Spirit.
When you and I do grieve the Holy Spirit, we also feel grieved.
Even though we may not realize what is wrong with us, we know
that we feel sad or depressed, or that something is just not right.
I have come to believe that much of the sadness, depression, and
heaviness we experience is most likely linked to our own
behavior toward other people. Galatians 6:7 says that whatever
we sow, we will reap. If we sow words and actions that sadden
others, we will reap sadness. But if we sow happiness in the lives
of others, we will reap happiness in our own lives.
Do not ever allow yourself to remain hard-hearted. Pray for God
to soften your heart and give you a tender conscience—one that
is responsive to His touch. Ask Him to allow you to feel what He
feels and to work His character in you. Learn how to walk in
love with a heart that is open to God and sensitive to the needs
of others.

In Ezekiel 14:6, God calls Israel to repent and turn away from
idols. An idol is anything we worship by giving it too much
attention or anything that is more important to us than God. Do
you have any idols—social status, money, your job, your house
or car, your children? Obey God’s Word and ask Him to forgive
you and to help you put Him in first place in your life. He will
gladly do it!
the sin of ignoring the needy

Sodom and Gomorrah are usually known for their sexual sin,
but we see in Ezekiel 16:49 that God actually considered other
sins to be the root of all their problems. First of all, they had
such an overabundance of everything that their hearts grew
proud. This still happens today. When people do not have any
needs, they frequently turn away from God.
According to Ezekiel 16:49, life was too easy for the people in
Sodom. They were idle, and idleness always leads to trouble. Yes,
these two cities had many problems, but one of the worst was
that they did not help the poor and the needy.
God’s Word explicitly teaches us to help those less fortunate
than we are. He instructs us to share some of what we have with
those who are in need. When we do not share, I believe we invite
a curse onto our lives. God is always giving. Something good is
always flowing out of Him to those in need—and He expects us,
as His children, to be the same way.
Pure religion that is unblemished in God’s sight is to visit and
help and care for the orphans and widows in their affliction and
need (see James 1:27). This simply means we should be involved
in helping people who are hurting and needy. Our religion is
worthless if we are not.
God has not called the church to “in-reach”; He has called us to

“out-reach.” I frequently find that I cannot solve my own
problems, but I can always reach out and help someone else.
When I do, I am sowing seeds for the harvest I need in my own
life. Proverbs 11 teaches us that when we are merciful to the
poor and needy we benefit ourselves. Do not be like Sodom and
become proud in your abundance. Instead, make giving and
helping others in need part of your daily life.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, for establishing Your covenant with me
and helping me know, understand, and realize that You are the Lord.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, for the gift of the Sabbath. Help me to live
a balanced life, not wearing myself out or overworking,
but regularly observing the times of rest and refreshment
that You provide.
put God first

Ezekiel 20:40 says that we should bring to the Lord our
first fruits, the choicest selections of all our offerings. To stay in
perfect peace, we should give God the best of our time and our
goods. We must be honest with ourselves about what our
priorities really are and start making changes that will enable
us to keep God in first place.
Being too busy is not an acceptable excuse for not staying
focused on what is truly important. Everyone sets his or her own
schedule. We need to establish boundaries, and we need to learn
to say no when people ask us to do something that leads us away
from peace.
Be honest with yourself as you examine how you spend your
time. Do not give God your leftovers; do not give Him the part of
your day when you are worn out and you cannot think straight
or keep your eyes open. Give God the firstfruits of your
attention. Give Him the best part of your day.
God needs to be your priority in everything you do. From getting
dressed to setting your schedule, you can ask God for wisdom to
make choices that will glorify Him. You can intermingle your
time with God into everything you do to such a degree that you
can pray without ceasing by praying your way through your day.
As you become aware of His presence, it will not be possible to
separate secular activities from sacred ones. Even ordinary
events will become sacred because He is involved in them.
You can just talk to God as you go about your day, asking Him to
direct you in the choices you are making and to empower you for
the jobs you need to get done. As you acknowledge that God is
always with you, you will keep Him first in everything you set
out to do, and He will show you a direct path that will lead you to
peace. You will experience great pleasure in your life, knowing
you are keeping God first and thereby partnering with Him in
everything you do.
stand in the gap

God is looking for people today who will “stand in the gap” for
others, just as He was in Ezekiel’s time (see Ezekiel 22:30). If
there is a gap in a person’s relationship with God due to a
particular sin in his life, we have the privilege of placing
ourselves in that breach and praying for him. If he has needs, we
can intercede for him and expect to see him comforted and
encouraged while he waits. We can also expect a timely
breakthrough for this person concerning his needs being met.
I do not know what I would do if people did not intercede for me.
Literally thousands of people have told me over the years that

they pray for me. I actually ask God for intercessors. I petition
Him to give me people to intercede for me and for the
fulfillment of the ministry to which He has called me.
If our prayers are filled with only petition for the things we want
and are void of intercession, that makes a statement about our
character—just as when petition outweighs praise and
thanksgiving in our prayer lives. I have discovered that the more
I am delivered from selfishness, the more I pray for others.
Praying for others is equivalent to sowing seed. We all know
that we must sow seed if we are to reap a harvest (see Galatians
6:7). Sowing seed into the lives of other people is one sure way
to reap a harvest in our own lives. Each time we pray for
someone else, we are assuring our own success.
If you want to succeed as a believer, I highly recommend that
you include ample intercession for others in your prayer life.
Give away what you need or want.
If you want to be a success, help someone else succeed by
praying for him or her. If you want your ministry to succeed,
pray for someone else’s ministry. If you want your business to
succeed, pray for someone else’s business. If you need a
breakthrough over some bad habit that is hindering you and
holding you back, pray for someone who has a need in a similar
area.
Remember, we are often tempted to judge others, and that only
holds us in bondage. Give people prayer instead of judgment, and
stand in the gap for them as often and as fervently as you
possibly can. Then you will be a blessing to them, and you will
make much faster progress toward the fulfillment of your
destiny.
life point
Basically, what God was saying in Ezekiel 25:15–17 was that He
would take vengeance on the Philistines because they had taken
vengeance upon their enemies with spite and malice in their
hearts. When people hurt us, we are wise to not take our own
vengeance upon them; instead, we need to turn them over to
God. Waiting on God to make things right is an act of trust, and
it is also the smartest response we can make.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, for seeking what is lost and bringing
back what has strayed in my life. Thank You for bandaging
my hurts and strengthening me.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, that You are for me!
life point
Ezekiel 36:26, 27 contains God’s promise that the day would
come when He would give people a new heart and put His Spirit
within them. Under the old covenant, the Holy Spirit was with
people and came upon people for special purposes, but He did
not live inside them. God dwelt in a tabernacle made with
human hands during that dispensation. But under the new
covenant, signed and sealed in the blood of Jesus Christ (see
Hebrews 13:20), He no longer dwells in a tabernacle made by
human hands, but in the hearts of people who have committed
their lives to Him.
an exchange of hearts
You and I may have similar backgrounds. I had lived a hard life,
and my heart was hardened because of it. I suffered many years
of abuse. I built invisible walls around myself and decided that
people could not hurt me if I did not let them into my life.
When we receive Jesus as our Savior, He takes our old hard
hearts and gives us His heart instead (see Ezekiel 36:26, 27). The
new heart God gives is one that desires to love and be involved
with people. It usually takes time, and we go through a process
of change before our actions and behavior catch up with our new
hearts, but God does give us new desires. He gives us a heart to
obey Him and, for this reason, we can no longer be comfortable
with sin. We still sin, but we do not want to. Our consciences are
bothered when we go against God and His Word. Our new hearts
war against the flesh; the two are continually antagonistic
toward each other. But thank God, we submit areas of our lives
to Him little by little, and as we do, He changes our behavior to
match our new hearts.
God gives us His Spirit, and only because of His Spirit within us
can we obey God and His Word. The Holy Spirit, Who dwells in
us, strengthens us, and enables us to do the will of God. We
must learn to lean on Him and not be independent, trying to do
things in our own strength.
Galatians 3:3 teaches us a wonderful lesson. It asks: “Having
begun [your new life spiritually] with the [Holy] Spirit, are you
now reaching perfection [by dependence] on the flesh?” In other
words, why do we think we can perfect ourselves by our own
effort? We need to learn to “let go and let God be God,” and that
is one of the biggest challenges we face. Jesus said that we can
do absolutely nothing apart from Him (see John 15:5). Our job
is to believe, and God’s job is to perform. If we were called to
achieve we would be called achievers, not believers. God said, “I
will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My
statutes” (Ezekiel 36:27). Learn to depend more on the Holy
Spirit within you and less on yourself. If you do, you will love
the results. Your peace and joy will greatly increase, and your
progress will be apparent to you and to everyone around you.
life point
You may feel as if your life is no better than the dead, dry bones
described by the prophet in Ezekiel 37:1–4. Your circumstances
may be so dead that they stink. Your hope may seem lost, but
God has a way out.
As this passage continues, the prophet does as God instructs, and
he sees God totally revive and bring breath and spirit back into
what once were dead, dry bones (see Ezekiel 37:5–10). The same
can happen to you. God can revive things that have been dry,
brittle, and dead in your life.
hear the word of the Lord

I am sure that at one time or another in your life, you have felt
that everywhere you looked you saw a pile of dead, dry bones,
such as the scene in Ezekiel 37:1–4.
God showed a pile of such brittle bones to Ezekiel and asked
him, “Can these bones live?” (Ezekiel 37:3). In other words, He
was asking, “Can anything be done with this mess? Can this
situation change?”
Then He told Ezekiel to speak to the bones and say to them,
“Oh, you dry bones, hear the word of the Lord” (Ezekiel 37:4).
If you have a big mess in your life and you are trying to run the
devil off your property and keep him under your feet, you can do
it with words. You can say, “Listen, you big mountain, hear the
word of the Lord! Listen, you big mess, hear the word of the
Lord! Listen, poverty, hear the word of the Lord! Listen, sickness
and disease, hear the word of the Lord! Listen, you tormenting
spirit, hear the word of the Lord!”
As you read the remainder of the story in Ezekiel 37, you will
find that after Ezekiel had done as God told him to do and
prophesied to those dry bones, they came together, sinews and
flesh came upon them, and skin covered them.
Then, in Ezekiel 37:9, the Lord told Ezekiel to prophesy and
command that breath and spirit come into them. In verse 10
Ezekiel said, “So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the
breath and spirit came into [the bones], and they lived and stood
up upon their feet, an exceedingly great host.” All of that
happened because one man prophesied God’s Word over a
situation that needed to be changed.
Let me ask you: What are you saying to the dead, dry
circumstances in your life? Are you prophesying to your dead
bones? Or is what you are saying making them more dead and
dry?
Maybe this sounds familiar to you: “Nothing in my life is ever
going to change. Every time I get a dollar the devil takes it away
from me. It never fails; every time I think something good is
going to happen, I get attacked.” If that is what you are saying,
then you are just asking for more trouble. Every time you speak
that way, you are giving the devil the right to use his power.
Instead, learn how to speak God’s Word and neutralize Satan’s
power.
Do not talk about how you feel or what you think; do not look at
your life and what you do not have. Open your mouth and talk
about what God has promised you! Once you change your words,
it’s all over for the devil. There is nothing he can do against
God’s Word. The victory belongs to you!
speak the Word

Thank You, God, for putting Your Spirit in me!
speak the Word

Help me, Lord, to look with my eyes, hear with my ears, and
to set my heart and mind on all the things You are showing me
speak the Word

God, I pray that You would help me to know the difference
between the holy and the common, between the clean and
the unclean. I want to live a life that is holy and clean
before You.
Daniel
Author:
Daniel
Date:
Late sixth century BC
Like Daniel, we must determine
in our hearts that we will not
defile ourselves, but that we
will stay faithful to the Lord.
An excellent spirit is one of the
best character qualities a
person can have.
We must refuse to compromise
or to allow the world’s
influence to cause us to turn
from God.
Daniel is one of several biblical books that teach their lessons through a
person’s life. Two of the great lessons we learn from Daniel are
excellence and courage.
Daniel 5:12 and Daniel 6:3 both tell us that Daniel had “an excellent
spirit.” Throughout the book of Daniel, we see him making excellent
choices, and we read that he did things in an excellent way. But his
choices and his actions were “fruits,” not roots. The fruit of excellent
decisions and behavior was rooted in his excellent spirit. As believers,
you and I have God’s Spirit living in us and we, like Daniel, can live with
excellence because God is an excellent God!
Daniel also teaches us about courage. He was always willing to stand up to
the authorities in Babylon who did not share his devotion to God. He was
willing to suffer and even die for his beliefs. His courageous refusal to
compromise landed him in a den of hungry lions, but God delivered him!
Daniel ended up in a high government position; and the king of Babylon
forsook his old ways, turned to God, and required his subjects to believe
in God as well.
As you read the book of Daniel, I pray that you will be inspired to reach
for higher levels of excellence in everything you do and that your
courage will be stirred. As we learn from Daniel, one uncompromising
and brave person can change a
life point
After the fall of Judah to Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar—the king of
Babylon at that time—decided to bring in some young Hebrew
men and train them as his attendants. His purpose was for them
to conform to the lifestyle of his court.
But Daniel, one of the devout young men of Judah who loved the
Lord, was determined to be a God-pleaser and not a man-pleaser.
He refused to conform to what the king and others thought he
should be.
Daniel stood his ground and won favor with the king and his
court. As a result of his fearless stand, God ended up using him
in a very powerful way.

Daniel had the opportunity to eat “rich and dainty” food from
the king’s table (Daniel 1:8), but he determined not to defile
himself with those delicacies. You and I have similar
opportunities to defile ourselves today, especially in the area of
entertainment. We can be defiled by the ungodly influences of
television shows or movies we watch or the music we listen to.
We can also defile ourselves by compromising and going along
with friends who are making wrong choices. Are you willing to
be like Daniel and determine not to defile yourself? Ask God to
help you make godly choices and stay faithful to Him.
the blessings of wholehearted commitment

Because of their sins against the Lord, the nation of Judah was
carried away into captivity in Babylon. There, some of the most
promising young men, including Daniel and three of his friends,
were chosen to become attendants to the Babylonian king. As
part of their three-year period of training and preparation, these
young men were supposed to follow a diet of rich meat and wine
provided from the king’s table. However, Daniel and his friends
had apparently made a previous commitment to God concerning
their diet, and they determined that they would not defile
themselves by eating the king’s food and drinking his wine (see
Daniel 1:8). Instead, Daniel asked the eunuch who oversaw them
if it would be possible for them to follow their own diet of
vegetables and water.
The Bible tells us that the Lord gave Daniel favor (compassion
and loving-kindness) with the eunuch, who agreed to allow them
to follow their diet as long as it did not harm them. Of course,
not only did it not harm them, it made them stronger and
healthier than all the other young men in training as royal
attendants. In fact, the king was so impressed by their wisdom
that he chose them out of all the young men to serve as his
trusted counselors (see Daniel 1:10–20).
God’s favor rested on Daniel and his friends so strongly that
eventually Daniel rose to become the chief governor of Babylon
—the world’s greatest power at that time—and the other three
were made high officials in the kingdom.
What was the key to Daniel’s success? He followed God with his
whole heart and refused to compromise, and as a result, God
gave him wisdom, skill, and favor.
speak the Word

God, I pray that You would give me knowledge, skill, and
understanding in all the things I need to know.

Daniel 2:21 tells us that “God changes the times and the
seasons.” This is not only true in the natural world, but in our
lives. His timing and His ways are always perfect. Are you fully
trusting Him to bring the changes you need in your life at the
time that is right? He is doing a good work in you, so I
encourage you to cooperate with the changes He brings. You will
be glad you did.
refuse to conform
Daniel went through a period of testing and trial, but in the end,
the same king who tried to get him to conform had such respect
for him that he exalted him to a high position in the kingdom
(see Daniel 2:48).
The same thing happened to me years ago in the work world. My
boss wanted me to help him steal some money, in a roundabout
way. I was a bookkeeper, and he wanted me to write off a
customer’s credit balance. The customer had paid a bill twice,
and my employer did not want that fact reflected on the client’s
statement.
I refused.
Several years later, I ended up having great favor in that
company. I was made second-in-command of the office, the
warehouse, all of the inventory, and all the truck drivers. I was
called upon to solve problems I did not even understand, and God
gave me the wisdom I needed to do the job accurately.
As a young woman, I had a major position of leadership in the
company. I did not really have the education or even the training
for the position. How did that happen? It came about because,
like Daniel, I refused to conform to a lower standard. I was
respected in the company and was exalted to a higher position of
honor.
Those who try to get you to conform will not respect you if you
do conform. In fact, they will despise your weakness. They will
know they are controlling you and that what they are doing is
wrong. But if you will stand your ground, you will be the one
who ends up with the respect. For a while they may treat you as
though you were the lowest creature on earth. But when all is
said and done, you will gain their respect. Integrity and godly
convictions lead to blessing and favor.
life point
King Nebuchadnezzar set up a huge golden image in Babylon
and required everyone to bow down before it and worship it (see
Daniel 3:14). Anybody who refused to do so would be thrown into
a fiery furnace.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, three of Daniel’s close
friends, refused to bow down. They had the same excellent, godly
spirit that Daniel had, so they refused. The king said to them,
basically, “If you do not do as I say, I am going to burn you alive”
(see Daniel 3:15).
Isn’t that basically what the world says to you and me? If we
refuse to conform to its standards, the world threatens us by
saying, “If you do not bow down and do what we want you to do,
if you do not fit into our mold, we are going to hurt you in some
way.” The world may threaten us, but with God, we will always
emerge victorious.
life point
Do you know what I like about Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego? Their absolute refusal to be frightened or
intimidated. They told the king: “We believe God is going to
deliver us, but even if He does not, we are not conforming to your
image of what you think we ought to be. We are going to do what
God is telling us to do. You can do what you want to with your
furnace. But whatever happens to us, we will have peace” (see
Daniel 3:17, 18).
That is the attitude we ought to have toward those who try to
pressure us into disobeying what we know to be the will of God
for us. Pray for that kind of courage and faith.
life point
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego experienced affliction when
they remained firm in their commitment to the one true God.
When they refused the command of the wicked king
Nebuchadnezzar to worship the golden image he had set up,
Nebuchadnezzar cast them into the fiery furnace, which he
heated seven times hotter than usual!
Nebuchadnezzar was “astounded” to see that Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego were joined by a fourth man in the fiery
furnace—one who was, according to the King James Version,
“like the Son of God” (Daniel 3:25). Not only did the three come
out of the fiery furnace loosed from their bonds and totally
unharmed, they did not even smell like smoke!
Just as God was with these men in their furnace of affliction, so
He will be with you in whatever situation you may have to face
in life.
speak the Word

God, I declare like Nebuchadnezzar that all Your works
are faithful and just. All Your ways are right!
life point
Daniel 5:12 tells us that “an excellent spirit” was found in
Daniel. We must make up our minds and get into agreement
with God that we, like Daniel, are going to be excellent, not
mediocre. We must take an inventory of our lives and prune off
anything that entangles us or simply steals our time. We must
be determined, work hard, and refuse to quit or give up—
drawing strength from God and not depending on ourselves. If
we will do these things persistently and with an excellent spirit,
we will eventually be victorious.
life point
We know by reading Daniel 6:10 that Daniel certainly believed
in the importance of prayer. The king had issued a royal decree
saying that for thirty days, anyone asking a petition of any god
or man other than the king would be cast into a den of lions.
Daniel continued to pray as he always had. He apparently knew
that God’s protection could render men’s threats totally null
and void. If we believe we are doing God’s will and then run into
opposition, we need to be like Daniel and boldly continue to do
as God has instructed us, trusting Him to protect us.
be excellent!
Daniel was a man of excellence, and because of that, the king
promoted him to a position of great influence and authority (see
Daniel 6:3). Daniel was also a man who refused to compromise.
Even if his choices endangered his life, he would not
compromise. He believed strongly in keeping his commitments,
promises, and vows, and he was willing to endure personal
discomfort to do so. The Bible says we should swear to our own
hurt and change not. In other words, we should do what we say
we are going to do even if it is hard or brings negative
consequences.
Ecclesiastes 5:4, 5 says: “When you vow a vow or make a pledge
to God, do not put off paying it; for God has no pleasure in fools
(those who witlessly mock Him). Pay what you vow. It is better
that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.”
In Daniel chapter 1, we see that Daniel requested to not have to
eat the king’s rich and dainty food because he felt it would
defile him. Obviously, he had made a commitment to not eat
that type of food. Because of his convictions, God caused Daniel
to find favor with the man in charge, and no harm came to him.
In Daniel chapter 6, the king signed a decree stating that anyone
who asked a petition of any god or person besides the king for
thirty days would be cast into a den of lions. Daniel refused to
stop praying to God and was indeed sent into the lions’ den;
however, no harm came to him because God miraculously shut
the lions’ mouths. The king was so impressed with Daniel’s
decision and the miraculous way God took care of him that he
issued a decree that all the people had to fear and tremble
before Daniel’s God, for He was indeed the living God. After
this, Daniel prospered in the reign of King Darius and in the
reign of Cyrus.
Our God is an excellent God, and He has called us to be

excellent too. To be excellent is a decision we must make, and it
means we should always go the extra mile to do things the very
best way they can be done. And, we should strive to do what we
believe God would do in a situation similar to the one we are in.
Make a decision today to be excellent!
uncompromising worship
Daniel’s enemies were jealous of him and of his high position in
the kingdom. Because Daniel was a righteous man, they knew
there was no way to bring a true accusation against him because
of any wrong behavior. Therefore, they sought to find a way to
stop his worship and devotion to God through fear of harm.
Daniel’s enemies knew that his habit was to go into his room
three times a day, open the windows toward Jerusalem, and
kneel down to pray and worship God (see Daniel 6:10). With this
in mind, they persuaded King Darius to issue a decree that for a
thirty-day period, no one would be allowed to petition any god or
man other than the king. Anyone caught disobeying this order
would be thrown into a den of lions.
Daniel continued to worship after the decree had been issued. I
love the part of this story that says he prayed with his windows
open as he had done previously. In other words, he was not
trying to keep his worship a secret. He had reverential fear and
awe for God that far exceeded any fear of man.
Because Daniel refused to compromise his worship, his enemies
brought him before the king for not honoring the decree (see
Daniel 6:13). The king had no choice but to have him thrown
into the den of lions. King Darius spent a sleepless night and in
the morning cried out in front of the den, “O Daniel, servant of
the living God, is your God, Whom you serve continually, able to
deliver you from the lions?” (Daniel 6:20). In triumph Daniel
came out of that lions’ den totally unharmed and refreshed in
his faith because God had shut the mouths of the lions.
Afterward, Daniel’s enemies were thrown into the same den and
were all destroyed by the hungry lions.
If you and I will trust God and worship Him when our enemies
conspire to bring harm to us, then, like Daniel, we will come out
unharmed.
speak the Word

God, I pray that as You did for Daniel, You will deliver me
as I continually serve you.
life point
Daniel’s life was characterized by pressure to conform to what
others wanted him to do and be. He refused to yield to pressure.
After a period of trial and tribulation, God exalted him, and he
was put in charge of the entire kingdom.
Have the courage to be different. It will change your life, and
God will exalt you in the process.
life point
Daniel 7:21 speaks of the king who made “war with the saints.”
Daniel 7:25 tells us that in the end times Satan will wear out the
saints! But it also tells us in verse 27 what happens after that:
“And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the
kingdom under the whole heavens shall be given to the people of
the saints of the Most High.”
Even though Satan is releasing an attack of weariness against
the saints, Jesus came to give us victory over the attacks of Satan
and “to undo (destroy, loosen, and dissolve) the works the devil
[has done]” (I John 3:8).
Let this truth sink in: Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil.
Even though Satan will try to attack those of us who have
received Jesus, “He Who lives in you is greater (mightier) than
he who is in the world” (I John 4:4). Always remember that!
how to resist satan

Satan works diligently to cause trouble in virtually every area of
our lives. He does not attack every area at one time, but
eventually he gets to everything. He will bring inconvenience of
every kind. Problems never come when we are ready to deal with
them.
Daniel 7:25 says that Satan seeks to wear out the saints of the
Most High God. How does this “wearing out” take place? Often
Satan’s work is barely noticeable because he tries to wear us
down gradually—a little here and a little there. Satan knows it
takes more than one attack to wear us out, so he relentlessly
comes again and again. One way Satan seeks to wear us out is
by stealing our time, forcing us to deal with trouble that he
starts. He would like us to spend our lives trying to put out the
little fires he starts.
What is the answer? James 4:7 says we are to submit ourselves
to God, resist the devil, and he will flee. We see that we have to
resist the devil. But when should we resist him? How long should
we wait? How much should we put up with before coming
against him? While the Bible teaches Christians to be patient
with one another, we are not to be patient with the devil. First
Peter 5:9 shares a wonderful and most important principle:
“Withstand him; be firm in faith [against his onset—rooted,
established, strong, immovable, and determined].” We are to
resist the devil at his onset.
When Satan attacks, we should immediately begin to praise
God; in this way, we resist Satan. When he speaks lies, we
should speak truth. The instant we sense an attack, we should
draw near to God and pray. The Bible tells us to be alert for
when we can practice prayer. Several times the Word of God
instructs us to “watch and pray.” This means to watch for things
going wrong in our own lives or the lives of others and to pray
immediately. As I like to say: “Do not delay, pray right away!”
Another way to resist Satan is to apply the blood of Jesus by
faith to the situation. Just as the Israelites were delivered from
death by putting the blood of the lamb on the lintels and
doorframes of their homes during Passover (see Exodus 12:1–13),
so we can apply the blood of our Passover Lamb, Jesus, by faith
and be protected.
Remind Satan of the cross on which Jesus totally defeated him;
remind him that he is already a defeated foe and that you will
not be deceived or deluded in any way. Let Satan know that you
recognize it is he who is coming against you and that you will
not blame people, God, or life for what he is doing.
Satan wants us weak and worn out; that way we have no power to
resist him. He knows that if he gains a foothold, he can get a
stronghold. As I said before, resist the devil at his onset! Be
aggressive; do not wait to see what will happen. If you wait, you
will not like it. Stir yourself up in the Holy Spirit, fan the
embers of your inner fire, and do not let it go out during trouble.
Remember that Jesus, the Victor, lives inside you—you have the
victory!
speak the Word

God, to You belong mercy and loving-kindness and
forgiveness!
God, I declare that You are uncompromisingly righteous

and rigidly just in all Your works and that You always
keep Your word.
speak the Word

Thank You, Lord, that the people who know You will prove
themselves strong, stand firm, and do exploits for You!
Hosea
Author:
Hosea
Date:
About 750 BC
God loves us unconditionally.
God is faithful, even when we
are faithless.
God’s love and mercy never stop
reaching out to us. We can
always have a new beginning in
Him, no matter what we have
done.
Sometimes, people who are prophets of God must live the messages they
preach. That was certainly the case with Hosea. God had called Hosea,
whose name means “salvation” or “deliverance,” to proclaim His love
and faithfulness to the people of Israel, who had turned their backs on
Him, forgotten His goodness, and forsaken Him as a man forsakes his
wife for a prostitute. In fact, God said through Hosea that Israel had
“played the harlot” (Hosea 2:5).
In order to understand and demonstrate God’s love for backsliding Israel,
God required Hosea to marry a prostitute, named Gomer, who continually
turned her back on him and lived as a harlot. Hosea, in response,
repeatedly rescued Gomer from her sinful, low-class living, took her back
home, and loved and cared for her. But after a while, she would leave him
again and return to prostitution. The cycle of her unfaithfulness and
Hosea’s unconditional love continues throughout this book to show
God’s people that He never, ever gives up on us. It also teaches us that
love cannot be bought; it must be received as a gift, for God says in
Hosea 14:4, “I will love them freely.”
As you read the book of Hosea, let it remind you of God’s unconditional
love and unfailing mercy. He will never leave you or let you down, no
matter how you have sinned or turned away from Him. In God, you
speak the Word

Thank You, Lord, for speaking tenderly to my heart and for
turning the place of my trouble into a door of hope and
expectation.
speak the Word

Thank You, Lord, for betrothing me to You forever in
righteousness and justice, in steadfast love and in mercy, in
stability and faithfulness. I will know, be acquainted with,
appreciate, give heed to, and cherish You.

Can you think of a specific situation in which not knowing
something was hurtful or detrimental to you? Ask God to
continually give you knowledge and revelation so that lack of
knowledge will not destroy you (see Hosea 4:6).
when we know right, we can choose to do right

We cannot do what is right if we do not know what is right. We
must learn God’s Word and, by it, learn His will and His ways.
Righteousness is, first of all, a position given to us by Jesus
Christ when we accept Him as our Savior. It is then to be worked
out in our lives and is said to be “conforming to the will of God
in purpose, thought, and action.” (I John 2:29).
We learn from Hosea 4:6 that people are deceived and thereby
destroyed through a lack of knowledge. Satan is the great
deceiver. When people do not know better, they believe Satan’s
lies and live miserable lives. Satan comes only to kill, steal, and
destroy; but Jesus came that we might have and enjoy our lives
in abundance (see John 10:10). For many years Satan stole from
me while I blamed other people; sometimes I even blamed God.
As a child I was filled with fear and torment. I did not know that
Satan was the source of all my problems. I did not know that
even though people had hurt me, the pain was actually inflicted
by Satan as he worked through them. I did not know that
although I had a painful past, I could have a wonderful future.
There was so much I did not know! I had a genuine lack of
knowledge and I was perishing—living in darkness and bondage
—because of it.
In 1976, God gave me a strong desire to study and understand
His Word (the Bible), and my life has been changing for the
better ever since. Once I knew that God loved me and wanted me
to have a good life, my outlook on everything changed. Prior to
knowing truth, I felt hopeless and trapped; I was very bitter. I
blamed everyone for my pain except Satan, the real culprit. Yes,
people had hurt me, and they were responsible too, but I learned
that “hurting people, hurt people.” The people who hurt me had
done so because someone had hurt them. This knowledge helped
me forgive my enemies, and my healing began.
When you take time and make the effort to gain knowledge, you
not only help yourself but all your descendants. My children
have better lives than I did because of the knowledge I have. We
never know so much that we do not need to keep learning. Make
a decision to be a “lifetime learner” so that a lack of knowledge
will not cause you to suffer.
life point
The Bible is filled with scriptures inviting us to seek God in
whatever circumstances we find ourselves. Hosea 5:15
encourages us to seek Him when we need forgiveness and
healing from the distress and affliction of our guilt.
Exactly how do we seek God? One way is to think about Him and
to consider what matters to Him and what He says about certain
situations. When we seek Him, we find much more than His
answers to our problems. We also find joy, peace, love, wisdom,
and everything else we need in our lives. Let me urge you to
seek Him in every area of your life today.
life point
Hosea 6:1 contains one of God’s promises to heal us. Unless we
receive a miracle, all healing is a process that takes time,
especially emotional healing. Healing does not come easily and
can be quite painful. Sometimes we have wounds that are still
infected, and before we can be thoroughly healed, those wounds
must be opened and the infection removed. Only God knows how
to do this properly. As you seek God for the healing from your
hurts, there are two main things you can do to facilitate the
process: spend time with God in His Word and wait in His
presence. I guarantee you will find healing there!
speak the Word

God, let me be zealous and passionate to know You, for
You will come to me as the heavy rain, as the latter rain
that waters the earth.
speak the Word

God, I will sow for myself according to righteousness and
reap according to mercy and loving-kindness. I will allow
You to break up the fallow ground in my heart, for it is time
to seek You, to inquire for and of You, and to require Your
favor, till You come and rain righteousness on me.
life point
Hosea 12:6 teaches us to wait expectantly for the Lord. Waiting
for God means spending time with Him in His Word and in His
presence. When we wait expectantly for God, we are anticipating
something good from our time with Him.
speak the Word

Lord, I declare that there is no Savior besides You.
God, in You is my help.
God loves you freely

Do you ever wonder how God can love us, as imperfect as we are?
He can because He wants to; it pleases Him. Hosea 14:4 tells us
that God wants to heal our faithlessness and freely love us.
God’s Word is full of verses about His love. Ephesians 1:5
teaches: “He foreordained us (destined us, planned in love for
us) to be adopted (revealed) as His own children through Jesus
Christ, in accordance with the purpose of His will [because it
pleased Him and was His kind intent].”
God loves because love is His nature—God is love (see I John
4:8). If He were otherwise, He would not be Who He is.
God always loves us! He may not always love everything we do,
but He does love us. His love is unconditional. It is love based on
Him, not on us; we receive God’s love without deserving it.
God’s unconditional love is the power that forgives our sins,
heals our emotional wounds, and mends our broken hearts (see
Psalm 147:3).
Once you realize that you are loved by God, not because of
anything you are or anything you have done, then you can quit
trying to deserve or earn His love and simply receive and enjoy
it. Remember, He loves you freely—without requiring or asking
anything of you.
If you struggle to believe or accept God’s unconditional love for
you, start by confessing that God loves you. Say, “God loves me”
aloud several times a day when you are alone. Speak it out into
the atmosphere and become accustomed to hearing it. Get
comfortable with the thought of it. Bask in His love, soak in it,
and let it saturate your soul, your thinking and emotions.
Imagine how awesome it is: “God loves me!”
Once your heart is filled with the knowledge of God’s awesome,
unconditional love, you can begin to love Him in return and to
express His love to others too.

In what ways has God shown you love, pity, and mercy (see
Hosea 14:3)? How has He healed you and loved you (see Hosea
14:4)? Thank Him today!
Joel
Author:
Joel
Date:
Traditional view is about 830 BC
Sin requires repentance.
Continual sin and lack of
repentance lead to God’s
judgment.
God does execute judgment, but
He also brings restoration.
In modern-day language, the basic message of the book of Joel is:
“Straighten up!” Joel wrote during difficult days, a time when the entire
land of Judah suffered under a massive locust plague, in which crops
failed, livestock died, and people perished. Joel interpreted this
destruction as God’s judgment and declared that to the people. Joel went
on to urge the people to repent and to encourage them by telling them
God wanted to bring restoration to their devastation.
Perhaps the most familiar passage in Joel is God’s promise of restoration
in Joel 2:25, 26: “And I will restore or replace for you the years that th
locust has eaten—the hopping locust, the stripping locust, and the
crawling locust, My great army which I sent among you. And you shall
eat in plenty and be satisfied and praise the name of the Lord, your God
Who has dealt wondrously with you. And My people shall never be put
to shame.”
Whatever has been lost in your life, I pray that the book of Joel will
remind you that God is a God of restoration. He is able to restore what
has been lost or stolen from you. He wants to make the words of Joel
2:26 a reality in your life, so that you are able to declare that the Lord
your God has dealt wondrously with you.
speak the Word

When I sin, I repent and return to You, my God, for You are
gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in
loving-kindness.

Have you ever received a halfhearted apology? Repentance is not
just a matter of going through the motions; it is honest
confession and a conscious decision to return to following God.
Do not take for granted God’s grace, kindness, and mercy, but
recognize your sin and be wholehearted and sincere in asking
for forgiveness. God will be merciful to you (see Joel 2:12–14)!
speak the Word

God, I will not fear. I will be glad and rejoice, for You have
done great things.

All of us have experienced the consequences of sin. Is there an
area in your life where you are still feeling the ramifications of
your sin? Be encouraged; God can bring healing and restoration
(see Joel 2:25–27). Remember to thank Him for His grace and
mercy.
life point
Joel 2:28 states that in the last days the old men shall dream
dreams, and the young men shall see visions.
Dreams are certainly one of the valid ways God speaks, but this
is also an area in which people can easily get out of balance.
This is because dreaming is common to all of us, and not all
dreams are from God. If you want to know whether or not a
dream is from God, use discernment, wisdom, and balance, and I
believe you will have confirmation in your heart if God is trying
to speak to you or show you something.

Have you ever called on someone for help who was either too
busy to lend a hand or could not provide the help you needed?
No matter how desperate your situation, God’s promise is sure:
He will save and deliver whoever calls upon Him (see Joel 2:32).

Have you ever been discriminated against because of your age,
gender, or situation in life? God does not discriminate, and He
continues to pour out His Spirit. Ask God today for a fresh
outpouring of His Spirit in your life (See Joel 2:28, 29).
rejoice!
Joel 2:23 instructs us to rejoice in the Lord our God. Joy is one
of the most powerful weapons we have against the devil. He has
evil intentions to destroy our lives, but joy is a great source of
strength that God has given us to interrupt Satan’s plan. The
devil wants us down because he knows if we lose our joy, we will
lose our strength, and if we lose our strength, he will be able to
walk all over us. But the Lord wants to lift us up, and He does
that through the joy of the Lord, which is our strength (see
Nehemiah 8:10).
The Bible says to be “glad-hearted continually” (I Thessalonians

5:16). It is not godly to be joyless all the time. Instead, I believe
we need to aim to be joyful on a regular, ongoing basis. Let me
urge you not to wait to feel joyful, but to be joyful on purpose.
Think about right things; smile and laugh as often as possible.
Believing releases joy. Believe in God, believe His promises, and
believe that He really wants you to enjoy your life.
I was not raised in a joyful atmosphere. I was made to feel that if
I was having fun, I was doing something wrong. So I was
frequently discouraged and sad. I worked hard and was a
responsible person, but I did not really enjoy my life.
Satan robbed me of many things through my ignorance of God’s
Word (see Hosea 4:6). Because I lacked proper spiritual
knowledge, for a while Satan deceived me and stole the
victorious, joy-filled life Jesus had already provided in His plan
for me. Now I live a life of joy because the Lord has helped me.
The next time you feel as if you have lost your joy, I encourage
you to remember that joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. However,
it is released only by making a decision not to allow adverse
circumstances to rule your emotional and mental attitudes.
Through joy, you can receive strength to do things that would
otherwise be impossible. Through joy, you can overcome
problems the devil will tell you are impossible to overcome. You
can be defeated only if you lose your joy. No matter what
happens in your life, remember this: You have the ability to
maintain and release joy in your life, and there is nothing Satan
can do to stop you when your heart is full of joy. So, take Joel’s
advice and rejoice in the Lord your God!
God of restoration
God is a God of restoration (see Joel 2:25, 26). He makes worn-
out and destroyed things brand-new. In fact, many words that
begin with “re” describe actions of God: He re-news, re-wards,
re-deems, re-fines, brings recompense, re-surrects, restores, re-
vives, releases, and He teaches us to re-pent.
The penthouse is the highest place in an apartment building or
hotel. When we repent, God takes us back to the highest place,
where we belong and from which we have fallen through sin.
God is the God of mercy, Who continues to work with us as long
as we desire change in our lives. He never gives up on us. He is
not a harsh taskmaster Who is angry and impatient. Actually,
God is just the opposite. He is merciful, gracious, kind, patient,
slow to anger, compassionate, good, faithful, and every other
wonderful thing.
When something has been lost or stolen from us, we become
bitter unless we know there is hope of restoration. God not only
gives back what was lost but promises us “double for our
trouble.” Isaiah 61:6, 7 says that for our former shame He will
give us a twofold recompense. God promises that, instead of
suffering with dishonor and reproach, we will rejoice, for He
loves justice, and He hates robbery, wrongdoing, and violence.
Job went through a very difficult time, but he remained faithful
to God—and God restored to him twice as much as he had lost.
How can a person be bitter about their past when God promises
such a bright future? Forget what lies behind, remember that
God loves to restore, and press on into the new things He has for
you.

Do you remember the day you decided to follow Jesus? Perhaps
it was a quick decision, or perhaps you spent months or even
years thinking about that decision. Joel’s message is both
timely and urgent for today: As you once were, there are
countless people still in that “valley of decision” (Joel 3:14),
weighing whether or not to follow God. Pray earnestly both for
those you know personally and for those you do not know who
are in the valley, that they will decide to follow Him.
speak the Word

Lord, I declare that in You I am strong!
Lord, You are a refuge and a stronghold for me.
Amos
Author:
Amos
Date:
760 BC–750 BC
Guard your heart during good
or prosperous times so that you
do not forget God.
Continue to seek the Lord in
the midst of blessing, when
everything seems to be
wonderful and you may not feel
a need for God.
True life is not found in
prosperity or ease, but in
seeking and finding the Lord.
Amos prophesied during a time of great prosperity in Israel and Judah.
The nations were powerful politically, economically, and militarily—and
everything appeared to be going better than ever. Because the people
enjoyed such power, wealth, and material abundance, they assumed that
God was pleased with them and that their prosperity was a sign of His
blessing.
The truth was that in the midst of seemingly good times, there was much
corruption, idolatry, injustice, and immorality. God sent Amos into this
situation to declare to His people that their prosperity did not indicate
His pleasure. Instead, He was displeased with their hearts and their
behavior, and judgment was inevitable unless they changed their ways and
began to seek Him again.
Amos teaches us that God will judge corruption and immorality in a
society. He is not looking for cities or nations that will be merely
“religious,” but for those who value and practice righteousness and
justice, for people who will love one another, stand up for the oppressed,
and seek Him.
Remember as you read the book of Amos that material prosperity is not
always a sign of God’s blessing and that it can cause people to think they
do not need God. Let this book remind you of your desperate need to
seek Him, because, as Amos 5 repeatedly affirms, we live not by material

The name Amos means “Burden-Bearer.” Do you know the
meaning of your name? If you are a follower of Jesus,
“Christian” is one of your names, and it means “one belonging
to or resembling Christ.” Like Amos, seek to serve the Lord
your God with all your heart.

The people of Judah despised God’s Word and did not keep His
commandments (see Amos 2:4). Most of us would be quick to say
we do not despise God’s Word, but do you know that the word
despise also means “to regard as unimportant”? Know that living
by God’s Word is important in every area of your life, and make
every effort to keep His commandments.
life point
In Amos 3:3 we read, “Do two walk together except they make an
appointment and have agreed?” To walk with God, we must
agree with God. This means agreeing with His Word, with His
heart, and with His character. We need to agree with everything
He says, everything He does, and everything He is. As we do, we
will be empowered to live victorious, blessed, overcoming lives.
speak the Word

God, I know that as I seek You, inquire of You, and require
You as I require food, I will live.
a healthy kind of anger

Amos 5:15 tells us to hate what is evil and love what is good.
Since the devil is the source of all evil, being angry at him and
the devastation he causes can be healthy—if that anger is
expressed in a biblical manner. In Ephesians 6:12 we are told
that we war against “the world rulers of this present darkness,
against the spirit forces of wickedness.” So we see that our war
is definitely not against God or against people, but against the
enemy of our souls. How can anger at the devil be effectively
expressed? Let me give you an example from my own personal
life.
For many years, I was angry with Satan because of the fifteen
years of child abuse I had endured, but I was venting my anger
in the wrong way. I became hard-hearted and harsh in dealing
with others. I have since learned that we defeat and overcome
evil with good (see Romans 12:21).
I was angry at the devil because he had stolen my childhood
from me, but my being bitter and resentful was not repaying
him for my loss. Now I am preaching the gospel, helping people
who are hurting, and seeing countless lives restored. As I do
these things I am overcoming the evil Satan did to me by being
good to others through bringing the good news of God to them.
This is the way to get back at the devil!
When you have been hurt, you will be better off if you help
someone else. Reaching out to other hurting people helps you
forget about your own pain.
The only way to repay the devil for hurt and devastation in your
personal life is to aggressively and passionately seek to do the
work of Jesus. Hate evil, and be angry with the devil, who causes
it; just express that anger in a godly, productive way.
life point
Amos 6:8 tells us that God hates pride. Pride is a hideous
monster that prevents us from asking for help. We want to be
self-sufficient and independent. However, God created us in such
a way that although we do have strengths, we also have
weaknesses and will always need help from Him in those areas.
He knows how much we need Him, and He wants us to recognize
our need for Him. When we are proud, we do not acknowledge
our need for Him, and that keeps Him from blessing us. That is
one of the reasons God hates pride.
speak the Word

God, I pray that as Your Word says, justice will run down
like waters, and righteousness will run as a mighty and
ever-flowing stream.

A plumb line provides a true measure for a vertical line or for
depth. Amos is telling the Israelites that God is going to
measure them by His standard (see Amos 7:7–9). How do you
measure your life? I encourage you to spend time in God’s
Word, so you can learn about His standards and His promises for
your life.

Do you ever feel that you are not important enough to do great
things for God? Imagine Amos’s surprise when he, a shepherd
with no “prophetic qualifications,” was told by God to prophesy
to Israel (see Amos 7:14, 15)! Ask God to show you what He
would like you to do, and, like Amos, be confident that as you
are obedient to God’s call, He will equip you.
Obadiah
Author:
Obadiah
Date:
Between the ninth century and
the fourth century BC
The pride of our hearts does
deceive us.
Pride will cause us to mistreat
other people.
Judgment comes as a result of
mistreating others.
Obadiah is the shortest book in the Old Testament, but it conveys a
powerful message that is as valid today as it was when the prophet
Obadiah, whose name means “servant of the Lord,” wrote it centuries
ago. Obadiah prophesied God’s judgment against the kingdom of Edom,
which was formed by the descendants of Esau. The Edomites were strong
people who were enemies of God’s people Israel, just as their founder,
Esau, had been opposed to his brother, the Israelite patriarch, Jacob. The
rivalry between the two brothers extended to their descendants, and the
Edomites seemed to take great pleasure in invading and plundering
Jerusalem.
Simply put, the Edomites had a problem with pride, just as many nations
and individuals do today. Obadiah declared God’s warning of destruction
to Edom, saying, “Behold, I will make you small among the nations
[Edom]; you shall be despised exceedingly. The pride of your heart has
deceived you” (Obadiah 2, 3).
In the end, the Edomites’ pride did lead to their destruction. God did
execute His judgment against them, and these people are never
mentioned in Scripture again after the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70.
I hope the message of Obadiah will remind us that pride is deadly. God
wants us to live before Him and before others with a humble, tender
heart. Pride, whether it is in a nation or in an individual, will not escape
God’s judgment, but humility brings
life point
The pride spoken of in Obadiah 3 says, “Who can bring me
down?” This kind of pride says, “I am better than you; I am
smarter than you. My opinion matters; yours does not.
Everything I do is better.”
Did you know that “me, myself, and I” are the greatest problems
we have? We spend our time and energy admiring ourselves and
simply being full of ourselves, when in reality we are supposed
to be full of God and empty of ourselves—totally empty.
God can use only humble men and women. I have heard it said
that it is yet to be seen what God can do through a man or a
woman who will give Him all the glory.
Pride and love do not mix. Love is not proud and haughty. It is
not boastful or conceited. It is not puffed up. Love does not look
down on others; it does not see others as little and insignificant.
Because love values every individual, everyone who comes in
contact with a person who is full of love will be made to feel
special, valuable, and encouraged.
Do you want God to use you? Ask Him to deal with your pride
and give you love for people. Look to your example, Jesus, Who
humbled Himself and gave Himself for you.
who, me?
Pride is a difficult problem for us to deal with because it hides.
As Obadiah 3 says, it deceives us and causes us to think we do
not have it. It hides in our thinking, in the deepest recesses of
our minds. It will not admit that it is present because it is too
proud to do so!
For years, Joyce Meyer Ministries has had teaching resources
available on the subject of pride. They are not our best sellers! I
believe that is because those people who need them are too
proud to admit it and begin getting the help they need. After all,
someone might see them or hear about it and wonder if they
have a problem with pride!
Luke 18:9–14 describes somebody who was full of pride, and I
doubt he even realized it. He was a religious leader who looked
down on a tax collector he considered to be lowly and unworthy
of God. If we are not careful, the spirit of pride can deceive us in
that same way.
Satan wants our minds and attitudes to be filled with pride so he
can bring destruction into our lives. Ask God to show you
anywhere pride may be hiding in your life and to help you
develop the humble attitude He wants you to have.

Have you ever been tempted to be glad about someone else’s
hardship? Clearly this is displeasing to God. When someone
near you is facing adversity, extend the same mercy and
compassion to him or her as God extends to you.
life point
In Obadiah 17, God expresses through the prophet His desire for
His people to be holy—and that comes by the Holy Spirit. The
Holy Spirit is in the conviction business and He works out the
process of sanctification and holiness in us.

Most of us struggle with loss and brokenness in our lives. Has
your enemy the devil robbed you of joy? Has he turned your
peace into doubt or insecurity? Do you know that God wants to
bring healing and restoration to you? Ask God to come into
those broken places in your life, and trust Him in His perfect
ways and timing to bring wholeness again.
Jonah
Author:
Jonah
Date:
About 760 BC or after 612 BC
Whatever God sends you to do,
do it without delay.
Remember that you cannot
successfully run from God or
His call.
God loves everyone and desires
to be merciful to every person,
city, and nation on earth.
The message of the book of Jonah centers on obedience. God specifically
called the prophet Jonah to go and call the people of Nineveh to
repentance and announce that God’s mercy would follow their
repentance. The problem was that Jonah was a devout patriot of Israel,
and Nineveh belonged to the Assyrians, who were dreaded and despised
enemies of Israel. Jonah was bullish on Israel and did not want to tell the
Ninevites that God wanted to be merciful to them, so he tried to run
away.
You will read in the book of Jonah that the prophet had to endure all
kinds of unpleasant circumstances and hardship as a result of his
disobedience. In the end, he finally obeyed God and went to Nineveh.
The Ninevites did repent, and God was merciful to them, proving to
Jonah that God loves everyone, not just particular races or nationalities.
Let the story of Jonah remind you that God requires obedience. He can
wait patiently for us to do as He asks, but we are wise to respond
promptly. We can try to run away, but in the end we must obey, or we
will be miserable. When God calls us to do something, He is serious. We
may not want to do it, but no matter how we resist, He will not change
His mind. When He calls you, be quick to obey.
life point
In Jonah 1:1–3 we read that God told Jonah to go to Nineveh and
preach repentance to the people there. But Jonah did not want to
go, so he ran away to Tarshish, a city in the opposite direction
from Nineveh. Running from God does not help us to be at peace
with Him. If God gives you an assignment, embrace it. If you do
not want to do it or if you find it exceedingly difficult, ask Him
to help you have the right attitude about it and give you strength
to fulfill it.

Have you ever been tempted to think that disobeying God will
not affect anyone but you? Jonah’s story paints a very different
picture (see Jonah 1:10–16)! By not obeying God, he put the
lives of others in jeopardy. In contrast, his later obedience was a
blessing to a whole city! When you are tempted to disobey God,
remember that you, and others as well, will face consequences.
Ask God to help you to obey Him, so that you, like Jonah, can be
a blessing to many!

Are you currently in unusual or difficult circumstances? Jonah
certainly felt that way in the belly of the whale, yet God was
using those circumstances to get his attention. No matter how
desperate or hopeless your situation, no matter how far away
God seems, know that God hears your prayer and will help you.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, for hearing me in my distress. I know that
You hear my voice, no matter where I am.
never too late

What happens when we go in the opposite direction from where
God has directed us? What happened to Jonah? Jonah 1 tells us
that when he boarded a ship and headed in his own direction, a
storm arose. Many of the storms we face in life are the results of
our own stubbornness, nothing else. We may try to blame them
on other things and people, but the truth is that in many
instances, we have been disobedient to the voice and leadership
of God.
The violent storm that came upon Jonah frightened the men on
the ship, and they knew that they would all die if something did
not change. They cast lots to see who was causing the trouble,
and the lot fell on Jonah. They asked Jonah what he had done
that made God so angry. He knew he had disobeyed God, so he
told the men to throw him overboard in order to deliver them
from danger. They did as he requested; the storm stopped, and a
great fish swallowed Jonah. From the fish’s belly (not a pleasant
place), he cried out to God for deliverance and repented of his
stubborn ways.
Even though Jonah was in a bad place—seaweed was wrapped
around his head and the “abyss” surrounded him—he turned to
the Lord.
Jonah did the right thing. He did not say to himself, Well, I’ve
really blown it now. I’ve disobeyed God so much that there is no turning
back. Instead, Jonah turned to the Lord, praised Him, and
expressed faith in His delivering power.
It is never too late for us to pray to God, even when we may have
run the opposite direction from Him. God is a God of mercy and
grace. He heard Jonah’s prayer and spoke to the fish to vomit
him out on dry land. While this was not pleasant for Jonah, his
life was spared. His story speaks to us that we can never stray so
far from God that He cannot hear us. He will respond when we
cry out to Him. We will be able to say, as Jonah: “I cried out of
my distress to the Lord, and He heard me” (Jonah 2:2).
speak the Word

God, You have brought up my life from the pit. When my
soul fainted, I remembered You, and You heard my prayer.

Have you ever needed a second chance? God went to great
lengths to give Jonah a second chance, and when Jonah availed
himself of the opportunity God gave him, lives were changed for
eternity (see Jonah 3:1–5). God is still the God of second
chances today! Ask Him for yours, and then be faithful to follow
through.

When you share with people about your faith, do you ever feel
that your words are falling on deaf ears? Ask God what you are
to say to people when you talk with them, and then pray that
they will have hearts ready to respond to God as wholeheartedly
as the Ninevites did (see Jonah 3:5–10).
life point
As Jonah noted in Jonah 4:2, one of God’s awesome character
traits is mercy. Mercy chooses to be kind and good to people who
deserve to be punished. Always remember that God is a merciful
God and that, according to Lamentations 3:22, His mercies are
new every morning. We may deserve to be punished, but God has
extended His mercy through Jesus Christ, and His mercy never
runs out!
the God of the second chance

In Jonah 3:1 we see that the word of the Lord came to Jonah a
second time, and it was no different from the first time (recorded
in Jonah 1:2). God told him to go to Nineveh and preach to the
people there. God gave Jonah a second chance.
No matter how long we avoid God’s instruction, it is still there
for us to deal with when we stop running. Eventually we see that
being in God’s will, not out of His will, is what brings peace and
joy to us. We have to surrender our own wills because walking
in our self-centered ways keeps us unhappy.
Running from difficult things never works in the long term. I
know a woman who ran from everything in life that was
difficult. She ignored things she needed to deal with, including
abuse in her home. She lived in fear and had a very miserable
life. She ultimately carried so much turmoil, she had a complete
mental and emotional breakdown. Pretending that her problems
did not exist did not make them go away. They were there,
pressuring her all the time. God was trying to lead her to deal
with her conflicts, but she would not trust Him enough to do so.
God never leads us anywhere He cannot keep us. If God is
leading you to deal with an unpleasant situation in your life, do
not run from it. He promises to be with you at all times and
never to leave you or forsake you.
Surrender to God can be frightening when we first begin to
practice it because we do not know what the outcome will be if
we yield ourselves to God’s will. However, once we have
surrendered and begin to experience God’s faithfulness and the
peace that passes understanding, we learn quickly that God’s
way is better than any plan we could ever devise.
Not knowing exactly what will happen in the future, but trusting
God to take care of us and enjoying peace, is far better than
erroneously thinking we have life all figured out while
continuing to live in fear and anxiety. To enjoy peace with God,
we must become comfortable with not always knowing what the
future holds.
There is no such thing as trust without unanswered questions. If
God is leading you to do something difficult, just begin to take
baby steps of faith, and after each one He will show you what to
do next. We do not have to have an entire blueprint for the
future; we do not need to have all the answers. All we need is to
know the One Who knows, and that is Jesus Himself.
Micah
Author:
Micah
Date:
Leaders must practice what they
preach.
God does not require strict
adherence to rules and
regulations; He requires us to
practice justice, to be kind and
merciful to others, and to live in
humility.
Waiting on God is always worth
it.
Micah, whose name means “who is like the Lord?” declares in his
prophecy that God has no equal, especially when it comes to His
compassion and faithfulness. Against that backdrop, Micah calls
attention to the poor leadership that prevailed in his day among not
only civic authorities, but also among priests and prophets. These leaders
did not do as they commanded the people to do, and they failed to honor
God as they carried out their responsibilities. Their disregard for God and
lack of holiness demanded judgment, but Micah continually contrasts
their sin with God’s mercy.
Though God’s mercy and the importance of good leadership are
prevailing themes in Micah, this book also stresses holiness, not
tolerating injustice, the importance of practicing what we preach, and
the rewards of waiting on God. It also emphasizes God’s promise of
restoration, reminding us that there are no dead ends in God, that there is
always hope.
Perhaps the best-known verse in this book is Micah 6:8, which says: “He
has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of
you but to do justly, and to love kindness and mercy, and to humble
yourself and walk humbly with your God?”
I hope you will learn from the various lessons of the book of Micah.
Above all, remember to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly
before God and others.
life point
Micah 3:8 tells us that we can be full of power by the Holy Spirit.
I believe any common, ordinary, everyday person can be mightily
used by God. I believe we can do great and mighty things, things
that will totally amaze us, if we believe God can use us and if we
are daring enough to have uncommon goals and visions. What I
mean by “uncommon” is things that we could never do without
divine help. Our vision does not always make sense to the mind,
but it is solidly planted in our hearts.
Ephesians 3:20 teaches us that God is able to do exceedingly

abundantly above and beyond all that we could dare to ask,
think, or hope, according to His great power that is at work in
us. God does it, but He does it through us, so we need to
cooperate with Him. That means we need to be daring in our
faith and in our prayers.
Some of us do not believe for enough. We need to stretch our
faith into new realms. We need to be people with uncommon
goals because we are full of power by the Spirit of the Lord.

Do you sometimes dread watching the news because of the
overwhelming amount of evil we see played out before us?
Micah 4:1–4 reminds us that a day is coming when the kingdom
of God will be fully established, and injustice, violence, and war
will cease. Pray for the nations of the world as you wait for this
day to come.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, that Jesus, the prophesied Messiah, is my
peace.
speak the Word

God, I know what is good and what You require of me: to
do justice, to love kindness and mercy, and to humble
myself and to walk humbly with You.
God’s requirements
What we think God requires of us and what He actually requires
can often be very different. We might think God requires us to
do a lot of church work or a certain number of good deeds. We
might think He requires extreme sacrifices or perfection from
us. We might even think He requires us to read the Bible from
Genesis to Revelation every year and spend hours each day in
prayer and meditation. Although all of these things can be good
and have their place, we may do them and still miss what God
considers to be important.
His requirements have a lot to do with how we treat people.
According to Micah 6:8, we are to do what is just, love mercy and
kindness, and walk humbly with our God. God is just, which
means that He is always fair and that He works to make wrong
things right. We should treat people justly and work to see that
justice is done in their lives. Many people have been terribly
mistreated and abused, and we have the opportunity as God’s
representatives to help them enjoy what Jesus died for them to
have. We can help restore them to the knowledge of God and His
love for them, as well as bringing practical aid and help in areas
where it is needed.
God also requires us to love mercy and kindness. We certainly
need more kindness and mercy in the world! People do not need
to be pressured to perform perfectly; they need to be loved and
accepted. It is the goodness of God—not the judgment of God—
that leads people to repentance. Our job is not to be faultfinders,
but to be dispensers of God’s mercy and kindness. God is
merciful and kind toward us, and He expects us to give to others
what we have received from Him.
Finally, as shown in Micah 6:8, humility is the attitude of heart
and mind that God requires of us. Never, under any
circumstances, view yourself as better than or above other
people. According to Proverbs 6:17 a proud person overestimates
himself and underestimates others. If we think more highly of
ourselves than we ought, having an exaggerated opinion of our
own importance, we will see others as beneath us. This can cause
us to have a disrespectful attitude and harsh behavior toward
other people, even our family and friends. Strive to give God
what He truly requires, which is to do what is just, love mercy
and kindness, and walk humbly with Him.
outlast the devil

Your enemy, Satan, may come against you, but when you fall,
you will arise (see Micah 7:7, 8)! Make a decision to endure
whatever comes against you. That literally means you will
outlast the devil. Greater is He Who is in you than he who is in
the world (see I John 4:4). You are more than a conqueror
through Jesus Christ (see Romans 8:37).
Even during times of intense trouble, believers should live with
expectancy. Expect God to work something good out of your
situation, and expect Him to bless you even in the presence of
your enemies. David said in Psalm 23:5, “You prepare a table
before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head
with oil; my [brimming] cup runs over.” In the midst of trouble,
keep a positive attitude and talk about the possibilities, not the
problem.
Being positive is very important because it leads to progress or
forward motion. We cannot go forward or overcome negative
situations unless we choose to be positive. I believe there is
something good in everything that happens to us; we just need
to look for it. If you are stuck in traffic and in a hurry, you may
become frustrated or angry, but the delay might have caused you
to avoid being involved in an accident. God may have saved your
life!
God hears us when we pray in faith. Put your confidence in Him
and expect something good to happen to you. Expect your
situation to change for the better, and know that in the
meantime, God will use whatever you are going through to help
you be a better person in the end. You can choose to let every
trial you encounter make you bitter or better. Trials and
tribulations are a part of life, and the way we handle them
reveals our level of spiritual maturity. Be stable and do not let
Satan intimidate you. This will be a sign to him of his
impending destruction. Satan cannot do any real harm to a
person he cannot manipulate and control. God has a good plan
for your life, and He never changes His mind about it. Make a
decision right now that you will never give up; once you have
made that decision, your victory is sure.
speak the Word

God, I will look to You. Confident in You, I will keep
watch. I will wait with hope and expectancy for the God of
my salvation. I know that You will hear me. When I fall I
will arise; when I sit in darkness You will be a light to me.

Micah 7:7 teaches us how to wait. Whether we are sitting in
traffic, waiting for an appointment, or waiting in line at the
grocery store, waiting is a part of everyday life for most of us. Is
it hard for you to wait? When you wait on God, you can wait
with hopeful expectation that He hears your every prayer and is
working for your good.

Do you ever have a hard time forgiving someone? When it is
hard to forgive, focus on God’s forgiveness and remember His
mercy toward you (see Micah 7:18–20). Ask Him to help you let
go of your anger, to extend compassion and forgiveness to those
who have wronged you. You may not be able to quickly forget the
wrong or hurt that you have experienced, but you can quickly
forgive, as God does.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, that You do not retain Your anger forever,
because You delight in mercy and loving-kindness.
Thank You, God, for showing Your faithfulness to me and

for performing Your promises.
Nahum
Author:
Nahum
Date:
Shortly before 612 BC
God will not tolerate evil
forever.
Trouble comes to every life.
God never gives us more than
we can bear with His help.
The message of Nahum is that even though evil may seem to prevail for
a period of time, God will not tolerate it forever. As we read in Psalm
37:2, evildoers will “be cut down like the grass.” Sin is extremely serious;
it is not something God ignores or takes lightly, even if it seems to go
unpunished for a season. Nahum 1:3 teaches us that the Lord is slow to
anger, but He is also great in power. When He does execute His judgment,
it is so fierce that nothing can stand against it.
The primary theme of Nahum is God’s judgment on the Assyrian city of
Nineveh, but it also contains a message of great comfort to the people
of Judah. This is appropriate, since it was written by a man whose name,
Nahum, means “consolation” or “comfort.”
One of the verses of comfort in Nahum is 1:7: “The Lord is good, a
Strength and Stronghold in the day of trouble; He knows (recognizes, has
knowledge of, and understands) those who take refuge and trust in Him.”
Even when our enemies seem to prevail and a “day of trouble comes,”
God will intervene, and He will not give us more than we can bear.
I encourage you to remember that God is your strength and your
stronghold when trouble comes, and He knows you intimately if you
have put your trust in Him.

Do you know someone, perhaps even yourself, with a quick
temper? Those bursts of temper can be frightening, but they are
nothing compared to the anger of God as described in Nahum
1:2–6. It is important to recognize that God has been slow to
anger in your life, reaching out to you with His mercy, grace,
and compassion through Jesus Christ. Although God is merciful
and long-suffering, justice ultimately must be satisfied. If we
continue in willful sin, God’s judgment will eventually come
into our lives, but if we admit we are sinners, ask God to forgive
us, and receive Jesus Christ as our Savior, we can be spared and
enjoy the abundant life He has promised.
speak the Word

Lord, I thank You that You are slow to anger and great in
power.
in the day of trouble

What will you do in the “day of trouble” (Nahum 1:7)? I believe
we are wise to make up our minds ahead of time concerning
what we will do when trouble comes. Let me encourage you to
decide to be stable before trouble ever comes. Decide to stay in
faith and remain thankful for what God is doing in your life.
When difficulties arise, keep praising Him, and do not ever give
up.
Do not be surprised by trouble. Jesus said that in the world we
would have tribulation and trials (see John 16:33), but we know
that He will also strengthen us and enable us to do whatever we
need to do in life (see Philippians 4:13). God is our Strength, our
Refuge, and our Stronghold in the day of trouble.
God knows those who trust Him, and He already has a plan for
our deliverance before our trouble ever begins. The Bible
teaches us that we are more than conquerors through Christ,
Who loves us (see Romans 8:37). I have thought a lot about what
that means, and I believe one way to explain it is to say, “In
Christ, we have won the battle before it ever begins.” Therefore,
we have no reason to be afraid of anything that comes our way.
You may be tempted to think God will not help you in your
times of trouble if you have made mistakes or been less than
perfect, but that is not true. James 1:5 tells us that if we ask for
wisdom in our times of trial, He will help us without
faultfinding or reproaching us. Yes, the Lord is good, and,
thankfully, our weaknesses cannot change that. He loves us
unconditionally and looks for a heart that trusts and loves Him,
not for perfect performance. Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and mind, and lean not on your own understanding (see
Proverbs 3:5). You may not know how your problem will be
solved, but as long as you know God and He knows you, then you
know all you really need to know.
life point
Nahum 1:7 reminds us that God is good. Goodness is one of His
many wonderful character traits. When something is part of an
individual’s character, we can expect him to always respond in
ways that are consistent with that trait. God is good all the time
—not just some of the time, all the time.

Have you ever seen or visited a castle and been impressed by the
strength of its fortifications? Although the city of Nineveh had
remarkable protection—immense walls, moats, armed guards,
and more—in the face of God’s wrath, those defenses drastically
failed (see Nahum 1:8). No matter how great the trouble or
calamity you face, as one who trusts in God, you are protected by
the ultimate Stronghold—the Lord Himself (see Nahum 1:7).
His protection will never fail you.
Do you remember the last time you received good news? Just as
the bearer of good news in Nahum 1:15 brought word of
deliverance from the tyranny of the enemy, the good news of the
gospel of Jesus Christ was delivered to you. You too have been
set free from the enemy! Ask God to show you people to whom
you can deliver this good news, that they too might enjoy
freedom from the enemy and new life in Christ!
Habakkuk
Author:
Habakkuk
Date:
586 BC
Remember that righteous
people live by faith.
God always does what is right.
God will give us opportunities
to grow.
The book of Habakkuk was written as a dialogue, or conversation,
between God and the prophet Habakkuk. In the beginning of this book,
Habakkuk is overwhelmed by the devastation that surrounds him. He
cannot seem to get his focus off his circumstances and the bad things
that are happening in his country.
In Habakkuk 2, God tells Habakkuk that righteous people live by faith
and that even in the midst of suffering, oppression, and destruction, the
righteous know and trust that God is doing what is right.
One of the verses many people know from Habakkuk is 3:19, which
says: “The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my
invincible army; He makes my feet like hinds’ feet and will make me to
walk [not to stand still in terror, but to walk] and make [spiritual]
progress upon my high places [of trouble, suffering, or responsibility]!”
As you read the book of Habakkuk, be reminded that God is your very
own invincible army and that He is helping you make spiritual progress
by giving you opportunities to grow, which may include trouble,
suffering, or responsibility, but which are designed to make you stronger.
No matter what happens around you or in your own life, live by faith
and trust God to do what is right.

When you see evidence of violence and injustice in the world, do
you ever wonder why God does not put a stop to such evils?
Habakkuk asked God such questions, and found that God
answered him in unexpected ways (see Habakkuk 1:2–6). God
wants us to bring our questions to Him, but we may not always
get the answers we expect. We can, however, always trust that
God’s ways are best, even when we do not fully understand
them.
speak the Word

God, I know that You are of purer eyes than to behold evil
and that You cannot look inactively upon injustice.

Habakkuk fully expected that God would respond to his
questions, and he waited in a position of watchful expectation
(see Habakkuk 2:1–3). Do you believe that God will answer you?
Like Habakkuk, learn to wait for God’s reply. Ask God to help
you recognize when you are seeing His answer to you. Keeping a
journal of God’s responses to your prayers is a wonderful
testimony to His faithfulness.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, that the righteous shall live by faith and
in faithfulness. I declare that I am righteous in Christ;
therefore, I live by faith in You.
discovering your vision
Do you know what God’s will is for you? Do you have a vision?
Do you know what you are going to do with your life? You
should! Having a vision for your life is very important, as God’s
Word declares in Habakkuk 2:2, 3.
When young people start out in life, they may not know what
their futures are going to hold. There is nothing wrong with that
because many times God unfolds His plan as we start to move in
a direction and trust Him to lead. What young people need to do
is to seek God’s plans for their lives and then write down what
they believe God is saying to them. As they begin to move in a
certain direction, what they are supposed to do with their lives
will become increasingly clear.
People who are older should have figured out their purposes in
life. However, many of them still do not know what they want to
be when they “grow up” because issues in their lives have
blocked the formation of their vision.
Too many people concentrate on what they cannot do. They focus
on everything they do wrong and never on what they do right.
They get so caught up in their mistakes and inabilities that they
lose sight of the fact that we serve a great God. If this is you, I
encourage you to study Hebrews 12:2. This verse tells you to
look away from the things that distract you and focus on Jesus.
Even if you are being sidetracked by your own inabilities and
weaknesses, stop looking at those things and start looking up to
Jesus. If you believe you can do only one thing, make up your
mind that you are going to do that one thing well. Decide that
you are going to be the best you can be at that one thing.
Take an inventory of your life and decide what you have that you
can use to fulfill God’s purpose for you. What are you doing
with your time, your energy, and your abilities? Stop looking at
what you do not have and begin using what you do have.
Become a person of purpose. Know why you are doing what you
are doing. Make sure you do not lose sight of your goals. In
order to do that, you may need to heed the advice of Habakkuk:
write your vision and make it plain!
life point
Habakkuk 2:3 speaks of an “appointed time” for a vision to
come to pass. “Appointed time” simply means that God knows
the time is right. We must humble ourselves and our ideas to
His wisdom and power; and we must trust Him when He says He
will not be late. “Appointed time” also means a time already
established and decided for certain reasons. It is like having an
appointment. We cannot have access to a doctor, a dentist, or a
mechanic until our appointment time has come. Similarly, God
has “appointments” for specific things in our lives. Those things
will happen at their appointed times; they will not be early, but
they will not be even one minute late. Be encouraged. God will
keep the appointments He has for you!

Have you ever been tempted to cheat on your taxes or to not be
completely honest in your business practices (see Habakkuk 2:9,
10)? While such actions may bring short-term gain, they lead to
shame and seriously damage your relationships with others and
God. Be intentional about acting with integrity and honesty in
your business practices.
life point
Habakkuk 2:20 instructs us to “keep silence” before the Lord. I
believe that sitting silently in God’s presence is a type of prayer
and is one aspect of what we define as “waiting on God.”
Waiting is a vital part of prayer, and learning to wait on the Lord
is extremely important. Prayer is not talking to God all the time
—it is also listening to Him, which may require waiting. Take
time today to be quiet before God and to wait on Him to speak to
you.
life point
In Habakkuk 3:2, the prophet prays for God to remember mercy
in the midst of His wrath.
Some people cannot appreciate God’s mercy until they have
experienced a bit of His wrath. It is important for us to
understand that God is never wrathful against His people
personally; He directs His anger toward the sin in their lives. He
hates sin, and we must learn to hate it also. Like God, we must
hate sin but love the sinner.
If we do not receive God’s mercy for our sins and failures, we
will not have any mercy to give to others when they fail us and
disappoint us. We cannot lead people into powerful relationships
with the Lord through harshness, hardness, rigidity, and
legalism. We must show them that the God we serve is merciful,
patient, and long-suffering. In His wrath, He does remember
mercy.
life point
The prophet proclaims in Habakkuk 3:18 that he will rejoice in
God. Similarly, the psalmist said, “This is the day which the
Lord has brought about; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm
118:24). I believe the psalmist had chosen to rejoice, and he was
establishing this attitude not only for himself but also for
everyone who wanted to listen.
Joy is not just a feeling; it is a decision. We can decide to
declare: “God has given me this day. And if He has decided to let
me breathe another day, then I am going to enjoy it.” Choose
today, like Habakkuk and the psalmist, to rejoice!
the Lord is your strength

What shall we do when everything in life seems to be going
wrong? What if we have several problems all at one time, like
the situation mentioned in Habakkuk 3:17? Perhaps you are
having problems in any number of areas: your children, your
marriage, your finances, your health, your job, your neighbors,
or your mind and emotions. If so, I am sure you need to be
encouraged.
God promises to be your Strength. He is the God of our
salvation. That means He delivers us and provides a way out of
the troubles in which we find ourselves. It is important to keep
rejoicing even in times of trouble, because the joy of the Lord is
our strength (see Nehemiah 8:10). Depression, discouragement,
and despair only weaken us, but being positive and finding
something to rejoice about adds energy to our lives. Even if you
cannot find something to rejoice about, you can rejoice over
your relationship with the Lord. He is your joy, not your
circumstances.
When we trust in God, He enables us to make spiritual progress
even during times of trouble. Through Him we can keep on
walking forward. I have said in the past, “Keep on walking when
the devil is stalking.” Satan’s favorite tool to use against God’s
children is fear. Fear immobilizes us if we let it, and it prevents
us from making progress. But thank God that in Him we can
still make progress even in times that are hard to endure.
We tend to think that the highest place to be is on the
mountaintop with no problems and everything going our way,
but that is not true according to God’s Word. He says that our
high places are trouble, suffering, and responsibility, and He
promises that He will give us hinds’ feet. A hind is a type of
mountain goat that can leap about freely on the rocky, difficult
slopes. Hinds climb mountains with seemingly no effort at all
because of the way God has made them.
Look to God as your Strength, and trust Him to help you make
progress during trouble.
life point
Whatever obstacles you may have right now in your life, I
encourage you to go through them and not give up!
Habakkuk 3:19 says that we need to allow our difficulties to
help us develop “hinds’ feet.” When we have hinds’ feet, we will
not stand still in terror in the face of our problems. Instead, we
will walk and make progress through our trouble, suffering,
responsibility, or whatever is trying to hold us back.
It is easy to quit in hard times; it takes faith to go through those
hard times. Know that God wants to be with you to help you
make spiritual progress. He wants to strengthen you and
encourage you to “keep on keeping on” through the storms of
your life.
Zephaniah
Author:
Zephaniah
Date:
About 630 BC
God is the God of history.
After repentance comes
restoration.
God is singing over you.
One of Zephaniah’s key themes is that God is the God of history—and
that He has always been and will always be deeply involved in human
affairs. Like other Old Testament prophets, Zephaniah recognized the
sin that surrounded him. Specifically, his prophecy was a message of
impending judgment against Judah, Jerusalem, and surrounding nations.
He urged repentance, knowing that sin demands judgment; and He knew
that God was merciful and eager to forgive. He believed that God would
always have a remnant of faithful people who would seek Him, who
would go after Him with all their might. Zephaniah knew that God’s
wrath is severe; but he also knew that God’s love is awesome.
Zephaniah gives us a beloved Old Testament verse, one that has
encouraged people in God’s love for generations: “The Lord your God is
in the midst of you, a Mighty One, a Savior [Who saves]! He will rejoice
over you with joy; He will rest [in silent satisfaction] and in His love He
will be silent and make no mention [of past sins, or even recall them];
He will exult over you with singing” (Zephaniah 3:17).
I urge you to learn from Zephaniah that repentance is the only
appropriate response to sin and that restoration follows. I also encourage
you to remember that no matter what happens in life, God loves you and
is always singing over you.

Have you ever heard someone say, “All religions are alike; it
doesn’t really matter what you believe,” or something like that?
The truth is that it does matter whom you believe in, and
Zephaniah 1:4–6 illustrates that following and worshipping God
alone is what is acceptable.

Although we do not know the specific time, the day of God’s
judgment is coming, and Zephaniah 1:14 helps us understand
how terrible that day will be. Do you regularly pray for people
who do not yet know God and salvation in Jesus Christ? Let me
encourage you to do so.

Many people are driven by the pursuit of money, convinced that
it is both necessary for fulfillment in life and also the ultimate
protection against calamity, but that is not true (see Zephaniah
1:18). Do you invest more time and effort in pursuing money or
intimacy with God? While making a living is admirable,
remember that it is your relationship with God that brings the
greatest reward and the ultimate security.
speak the Word

Lord, I seek You. I inquire of You and for You; I seek You as
the foremost necessity in my life.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, that You are uncompromisingly righteous.
Every morning You bring Your justice to light. You never
fail me.

Do you ever wonder how much God really loves you? Zephaniah
3:17, in Hebrew, gives us the image that God literally “spins
around” with joy over you and that He sings and shouts over you
with joy! God has not only saved you from His wrath through
Jesus, but He delights in you! Thank God for His great love for
you, and ask Him to help you understand the depths of His love
for you even more fully.
life point
Zephaniah 3:19 says that God wants to bless those who would
appear to be outcasts, those with “limps” in their lives. He has
determined to gather and bless those who are imperfect—and
that includes all of us. He promises to cast out the enemy, which
is in many cases shame, blame, or disgrace. God does not want
you to “limp” through life anymore. He wants you to have peace
and enjoy your life.
Haggai
Author:
Haggai
Date:
520 BC
We can be deceived into
thinking we are obeying God
simply because we have good
intentions.
Good intentions do not equal
obedience.
We need to obey God quickly.
After the Jews returned to Jerusalem from exile, much restoration was
needed in the city. The prophet Haggai, along with Zechariah, realized
the importance of having a place to worship and encouraged the Jews to
rebuild the temple, as God had directed them. The Jews were slow to obey
God, and after He told them to rebuild the temple, they spent eighteen
years rebuilding their own homes and ignoring God’s house. They had
good intentions of rebuilding the temple, but they had not done it. They
thought their good intentions and plans to rebuild the temple would
satisfy God’s request; they thought they were being obedient to Him
because they knew they would eventually get around to doing what He
had told them to do. But after eighteen years of putting off obedience to
God, they began to suffer drought, crop failure, and all kinds of
discomfort and trouble because of their procrastination (see Haggai 1:6,
10, 11).
Haggai knew that the people were struggling because they had not obeyed
God promptly. They had put their own desire for comfortable homes
ahead of their desire to complete the task God had assigned to them.
We must learn from the Jews’ mistake to prioritize God’s work and
respond quickly to the assignments He gives us. Good intentions will not
get the job done; we must act. Let the book of Haggai remind you to
obey without delay when God asks you to do something for Him.

Some people believe the Bible is simply a collection of stories
and legends. Others view it solely as a historical document. Yet
in Haggai 1:1, 2 we see that Scripture is set in history and also
that God is actively involved in human affairs, speaking to His
people. How do you view God’s Word? As you read the Bible, ask
God to reveal Himself to you even more fully through His living
Word.

Have you ever heard the saying “You have to look out for
number one”? Our culture emphasizes putting self over
anything or anyone else. Yet God, through Haggai, told the
people that as they trusted Him and gave to Him of their time
and money, He would see to their needs. “Consider your ways,”
as Haggai 1:7 instructs, and ask God to show you areas in your
life where you still need to put Him first. You will be blessed as
you honor and trust Him.
consider your ways

The first chapter of Haggai introduces us to a group of people
who had ignored an instruction from God. He had told them to
rebuild the temple eighteen years earlier, but they told
themselves it was not the right time to do it. Instead of
rebuilding God’s house, they built their own houses during
those eighteen years and experienced fruitlessness and
frustration as a result. They found themselves in desperate
circumstances. They never had enough money. Things were not
working out for them. Whatever they did gain, they quickly lost.
God spoke to them through the prophet Haggai and said,
“Consider your ways” (Haggai 1:7). In other words, “Look at
your situation and ask yourselves why you are in such dire
straits; it is because you are trying to take care of yourselves
instead of obeying Me and working together to provide
something for everyone. It will not work!”
Selfishness did not work for the people of Haggai’s day, and it
will not work for us today. It stops up every avenue of blessing
that would otherwise flow into our lives.
Selfish people are quite miserable and usually think if they
could just get what they want, they would feel better. Satan has
them on a treadmill of striving to make themselves happy and
never succeeding.
speak the Word

God, I will be strong, alert, and courageous because You
are with me.

Haggai 2:3, 4 really are verses about dealing with change. When
changes come in the life of a church, some people are unhappy.
They will say, “I wish we could go back to the way we did it
before,” or “I liked the old way better.” How do you handle
change in your church? Pray for your church leaders, that they
will have wisdom in making decisions concerning the church,
and continue to be actively involved in the life and ministry of
the church, remembering that God is with you.
life point
As we see in Haggai 2:11–13, unholiness is infectious; holiness
is not. This means that when you and I associate with someone
who is living a sinful life, that individual’s sinfulness can rub
off on us. We can catch it like a disease. But holiness is not like
that. It cannot be picked up by contact or exposure; it has to be
chosen on purpose. Choose to be holy today!
speak the Word

Thank You, God, for giving me peace and prosperity.
more and more glory

In Haggai 2:9, God promises that the glory of the latter house
will be greater than the glory of the former temple.
Do you know that you and I are the temple of God today (see II
Corinthians 6:16) and that God’s glory (His manifest
excellence) is upon us? Just as the temple in Haggai would
increase in glory, so you and I also increase in glory as we grow
in God. The glory we had in the past (the former glory) is not as
great as what we have today or will have tomorrow.
In II Corinthians 3:18, Paul states that God changes us “from
one degree of glory to another.” In other words, the changes in
us personally, as well as in our circumstances, take place in
degrees.
You are in the glory right now! If you are born again, then you are
somewhere on the path of the righteous. You may not be as far
along as you would like to be, but thank God, you are on the
path. There was a time when you were totally outside covenant
relationship with God through unbelief (see Ephesians 2:11, 12).
But now you belong to the household of God and are being
transformed by Him day by day. Enjoy the glory you have right
now, and do not feel jealous of where others may be. They may
have already passed through the place where you are now.
We have a strong tendency to compare our glory with everybody
else’s, but this is fleshly thinking. The devil arranges for us to
think that way, but it is not God’s way. God wants us to realize
that each of us is a unique individual and that He has a unique
plan for every one of us. Satan wants to make sure that we never
enjoy where we are at the moment. He wants us in competition
with one another, always wanting what someone else has. When
we do not know how to enjoy the glory we are in right now, all
we do is slow down the maturity process. I do not believe we pass
into the next degree of glory until we have learned to enjoy the
one we are in at the moment.
In this sense, a “glory” is simply a place that is better than the
previous one. I had so many flaws in my personality and
character that even after five years of trying to walk with the
Lord, I still felt that I had made practically no progress. Yet, all
that time I was gradually becoming a little more “glorious.”
We are usually too hard on ourselves. We would grow faster if
we relaxed more. We cannot live by our feelings in these
matters. Satan makes sure we frequently “feel” that we are an
unredeemable mess or that God is not working in our lives. We
must learn to live by God’s Word and not by how we feel. His
Word states that as long as we believe, He is working in us! Your
latter glory will be greater than your former!

Haggai 2:15–19 illustrates the importance of making God’s
purposes for your life top priority. Without priorities, it is
difficult to live with any sense of purpose or to accomplish much.
What are your priorities in your life?
speak the Word

Thank You, God, that You are blessing me today and from
this day on.
Zechariah
Author:
Zechariah
Date:
The only way to overcome the
enemy is by God’s Spirit.
Rely on God’s grace and on the
power of the Holy Spirit to
overcome obstacles.
We make progress little by
little.
Zechariah is a book of encouragement to Jews who were rebuilding the
temple after their return to Jerusalem from exile. Zechariah’s
encouragement is as relevant to us today as it was to them centuries ago.
Whatever work you have set your hand to, these truths from Zechariah
4 will serve you well.
First, the only way to defeat an enemy or accomplish God’s purpose is
through His Spirit (see Zechariah 4:6). One of the biggest mistakes we
make is trying to obey God in our own strength rather than by His Spirit.
We will fail if we try to achieve anything by human effort, but when we
work by His Spirit, we always succeed.
Second, we will encounter obstacles as we seek to obey God, and we need
God’s grace in order to overcome them. As we rely on the Holy Spirit to
help us, those mountainsized obstacles become as molehills.
Third, we make progress step-by-step. We are not to despise small things
(see Zechariah 4:10) or look upon seemingly minor accomplishments as
insignificant. Everything big has to start small, and in fact includes
many, many small parts.
As you read Zechariah’s words, I hope you will be encouraged in the work
God has given you to do. Just as He encouraged the Jews in the rebuilding
of the temple through the prophet, He is encouraging you today by His
Spirit. Just as He brought about the restoration of the temple in their
day, He wants to bring restora-
speak the Word

God, I know that anyone who comes against me comes
against the apple of Your eye.

Zechariah 3:3–5 is a brief illustration of God’s power and desire
to cleanse us from sin. Have you ever had a piece of clothing
ruined by a stain that would not come out? Our lives are stained
by sin, and there is nothing we can do on our own to cleanse that
stain. Yet God removed the stain of sin in our lives through the
sacrifice of His Son, Jesus. If you have not already done so,
acknowledge that your life is stained by sin, and ask God for
forgiveness. Rejoice that He will remove the stain of sin and
clothe you with righteousness!
life point
Are you faced with a difficult obstacle? Like the Israelites, you
cannot overcome any situation by determination alone. You do
need to be determined, but as Zechariah 4:6 teaches, be
determined in the Holy Spirit—not in the effort of your own flesh.
The Holy Spirit is your Helper; seek His help. Lean on Him. You
cannot make it alone. You need Him.
life point
In Zechariah 4:7, the Lord tells Zechariah that the problem
facing the Israelites, although it may appear to be a mountain, is
actually a molehill. How would you like for all your mountains
to become molehills? They can, if you will do what God is saying
here and look not at the problems, but at the Lord and His
power.
If God has told you to do something, it certainly is His will that
you begin it. But it is His will that you finish it as well. You will
never complete your God-given task if you do not understand
grace—the power of the Holy Spirit—and shout, “Grace, Grace!”
to the obstacles in front of you.
Remember, it is not by power or by might, but by the Spirit that
we win the victory over our enemy. We overcome through faith, by
grace.
life point
Zechariah 4:10 instructs us not to despise “the day of small
things.” When we despise something, we take it lightly; we
disregard it and count it as nothing.
When we are believing God for something “big,” we need to
remember that great things start small. We need to appreciate
“the day of small things,” because the little things will grow if
we recognize them, appreciate them, and honor them as gifts
from God and indicators of greater things to come.
by His Spirit
Have you ever been frustrated because you were doing
everything right you knew to do in a situation, but no matter
what you did, nothing worked? I have certainly had times like
that, and I believe everyone else has too. After many years of
being frustrated most of the time, I finally learned that I was
placing too much trust in myself and my own efforts and not
trusting God enough.
God’s Word refers to us as “believers,” and our job is to believe.
We usually think we should be doing or achieving something,
but if that were the case we would be called “achievers” instead
of “believers.” We are certainly responsible to do certain things,
but most of us go far beyond our God-given responsibility and
try to do things that only God can do.
What needs to be accomplished in our lives and circumstances is
not going to happen by might or power on our part, but it will be
done by the Spirit of God as we place our trust in Him (see
Zechariah 4:6). God gives us the Holy Spirit as our divine
Helper. He enables us to do what we need to do, and He does
what we cannot do. We are partners with God; He has a part and
we have a part. Our part is to trust God and do whatever He
leads us to do, and His part is to accomplish what needs to be
done in our lives and work on our behalf. God will not do our
part, and we cannot do His part. This is one of the most
important lessons we must learn in life unless we want to be
frustrated most of the time.
When I begin to feel frustrated, I know that I have slipped over
into trying to make things happen by my own efforts and have
stopped fully trusting God. As soon as I get my trust back where
it belongs, which is in God and not in myself, I start to feel
relaxed again. Jesus said if we labor and are heavy-laden and
overburdened, we should come to Him (see Matthew 11:28). He
put it very simply, and we need to very simply do what He said.
What needs to be done in our lives will not be done by might or
power, but by the Holy Spirit.
small things lead to big things

As I look back on the early days of my ministry, I can remember
“the day of small things” (Zechariah 4:10), which would have
been so easy to despise! When I first started out, my meetings
would draw just a handful of people, maybe fifty at the most. It is
just as hard to preach to fifty as it is to preach to five thousand,
so I had to put the same amount of time and effort into my
lessons then as I do now.
When my ministry team started traveling, we needed a vehicle
to transport all our equipment and all of the team. The first van
we bought cost twenty-six hundred dollars. It had bald tires and
rust spots on it. We would leave our hometown and drive to a
little town several hours away, where there would be 70 to 125
people in attendance at our meeting.
Since we did not have enough money to spend the night in a
motel, we would drive back home that same evening after the
services had ended. We would usually get back about three
o’clock in the morning. On the way home we would get so tired
we would have to pull off on the side of the road and get ten or
fifteen minutes of sleep before driving on.
Those days frustrated me while I was living them, but now I can
see their value. They were important because they were times of
preparation for the greater days the Lord knew lay ahead. I
sincerely believe Joyce Meyer Ministries would not have grown
to the point of reaching the number of people it does today if we
had not been faithful enough to press through those early
hardships. We need to remember that God anointed David to be
king long before he actually became king, and David was tested
in many ways while he waited. Patience must be tested, humility
must be manifested, and faith must grow. Only after we pass our
tests do we get promoted into the next level of what God has in
mind for us.
I hate to see people give up in the hard times and never get to
enjoy the fruit of all their labors. Starting an endeavor is easy,
but finishing it is much harder. In the beginning, we are excited,
and usually people give us all kinds of enthusiastic support. But
as the days go by and the “great and glorious cause” becomes a
matter of daily, consistent hard work, often we are left with
nobody to urge us on except God and ourselves.
That is when we have to decide if we are going to see it through
to the finish. That is when we have to realize everything we are
going through at the moment will one day pass and we will
enjoy the fruit of our labors. In the meantime, we need to enjoy
where we are while we are on the way to where we are going and
be sure to appreciate the small things.

Clearly, acting with integrity and peace and for the good of our
neighbors is important to God (see Zechariah 8:16, 17). Do you
know who your neighbors are? Take an opportunity to reach out
to a neighbor with a word of encouragement or an act of
kindness. Ask God to show you how to be a good neighbor and
pray for those in your neighborhood to be blessed.
life point
As “prisoners of hope” (Zechariah 9:12), we must allow
ourselves to be captured by and filled with hope. We must think
hope and we must talk hope. When you face a seemingly
hopeless situation, remember that in God, you are a prisoner of
hope; there is no way to get away from the hope that is in Him.
prisoners of hope
What is a prisoner of hope (see Zechariah 9:12)? It is someone
who refuses to stop hoping in God, no matter how bad his or her
circumstances are. Abraham was such a man. We learn from
God’s Word that all human reason for hope being gone,
Abraham hoped on in faith that God’s promise would come to
pass in his life (see Romans 4:18).
Godly hope is not the same quality as what the world calls
“hope.” Usually when we hear people say they are “hoping”
something will or will not happen, they are vaguely hoping, but
clearly doubting. They speak negatively and complain about
almost everything and then wonder why nothing works out for
them. True biblical hope is a solid foundation; it is a springboard
for our faith to take off from and actually take hold of the
promises of God.
I know this may sound simple, but I think we can say real hope
is a constant positive attitude that no matter what is happening
currently, things will change for the better. Satan cannot defeat
a person who refuses to stop hoping in God. Abraham refused to
give up hope, and just as God had told him, he did become a
father when he was far too old to father children. Hope is
powerful. It opens the door for the impossible to become
possible. All things are possible with God, but we must cooperate
with Him by being hopeful and full of faith.
God promises that He will restore double what we have lost or
had stolen if we will stay hopeful. It does no good at all to be
hopeless. It only makes us unhappy, critical, and grouchy.
Hopelessness leads to depression and many other problems.
Become a prisoner of hope. Be the kind of person who absolutely
refuses to be negative, and get ready to receive a double blessing
for your former trouble.
speak the Word

Thank You, Lord, that I am being strengthened in You. I
will walk in and glory in Your name.
life point
The Holy Spirit not only leads us to pray, He also helps us pray.
He shows us how to pray when we do not know what to pray for
(see Romans 8:26, 27). Welcome the Spirit of supplication (see
Zechariah 12:10) into your life and allow the ministry of prayer
to be fulfilled through you. It is quite wonderful to watch the
miraculous things that take place in response to prayer.
the Spirit of grace and supplication

In Zechariah 12:1–10 God is saying to His people that He will
destroy all their enemies and give them a great victory by
pouring out upon them His Spirit of grace (or unmerited favor)
and supplication.
There is no way to live in victory without an understanding of
the Spirit of grace and supplication. These two words, grace and
supplication, go together because the Spirit of supplication is the
Holy Spirit. That means He is the Spirit of prayer. Each time we
sense a desire to pray, the Holy Spirit is giving us that desire.
We may not realize when people or situations come to mind that
the Holy Spirit is leading us to pray for them. We may wonder
why we are thinking of them so much, but we neglect to pray for
them. We do not grasp the fact that the Holy Spirit is at work in
our thoughts.
Recognizing when we are being led by the Holy Spirit to pray is
often a lesson that takes a long time to learn. We attribute too
many things to coincidence or chance rather than understanding
that God is attempting to lead us by His Spirit.
It is important that we realize the Spirit of supplication and
grace accomplishes what we cannot do in our flesh if we will
trust God’s leading. We can relax and let God intercede through
us as we pray. I believe what God is saying in Zechariah 12:10 is:
“When the Spirit of supplication comes upon you and you begin
to pray in faith, then My Spirit of grace will come flooding into
your life. Through that channel of prayer I will, by My power,
accomplish in your life what needs to be done, that which you
cannot do alone.”

Have you ever heard the phrase “trial by fire”? God says that He
tests us by fire to refine us, to remove the impurities of sin (see
Zechariah 13:9). If you are in a season of testing or trials in your
life, call upon God, for He has promised to answer you. Trust
Him as He refines you, and know that He is at work to
accomplish His purposes in you.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, that You hear me and answer me when I
call upon Your name. You say that I am Yours, and I say
that You are mine.
Malachi
Author:
Malachi
Date:
About 450 BC
Even when there is a place of
worship in our lives, we still
must have hearts that worship
and honor God.
Christian leaders must live
holy lives, not causing others to
sin but setting worthy examples
for them to follow.
Christianity is about
relationship, not religion.
The name Malachi means “my messenger,” and indeed Malachi was
God’s messenger to the Jews in the years following the rebuilding of the
temple. Even though the temple had finally been rebuilt, the people were
not worshipping and relating to God as they should have been. Some had
turned to idolatry, some had disobeyed God by marrying foreigners, and
some were neglecting to pay their tithes. These practices and others
combined to create a general dishonor toward God and disregard for the
things of God—and these attitudes demand judgment unless people
repent.
Malachi does rebuke the people for their attitudes and behavior, but he
also addresses leaders extensively, rebuking the priests for causing the
people to stumble and for not living holy lives. He promises that God
will come “like a refiner’s fire” and like launderers’ soap (see Malachi
3:2) to purify the priests and restore them to a place of being able to
serve Him in righteousness, with right heart attitudes and right actions.
As you read the book of Malachi, remember that being a Christian is not
about religion, but about relationship. It is not only about having or
going to a “temple,” which in today’s society would be equal to going to
church, but about developing and maintaining the heart attitudes that
keep you in close relationship with God.

Many things in life—our studies, our work, our relationships—
demand or expect our best. Do you give your best to God in
worship? I encourage you to commit to worshipping Him
wholeheartedly and always doing your very best for Him (see
Malachi 1:11–14).
speak the Word
God, You are my Father and my Master. I honor You and I
fear You.
life point
There is power in the name of the Lord, and His name is to be
reverently feared (see Malachi 1:14). You and I need to have
such reverence for the Lord and for His name that we are afraid
to speak His holy name casually or without purpose.
life point
Malachi 2:5–7 deals with priests and the way they are supposed
to speak. Since I am a minister of the gospel, this subject
naturally interests me. But in reality, according to Revelation
1:6, all believers are kings and priests because Jesus Christ has
“formed us into a kingdom (a royal race), priests to His God and
Father.”
Notice that in Malachi 2:5, God says He will make a covenant
with His priests. In the Bible, whenever there is a covenant
between two individuals, each has a part to play in that
agreement or contract. In our covenant with the Lord, He has a
part to play, and we have a part to play. He covenants to give us
life and peace; our part is to give Him reverence and worshipful
fear, to revere Him, and to stand in awe of His name.
If we have reverential and worshipful fear of the Lord—if we
revere Him and stand in awe of His name—then we will not use
our mouths to speak evil against His people, whom we serve as
His priests and ministers.
life point
In Malachi 2:13–17, the prophet is addressing the issue of
marriage. In Malachi 2:16, he writes: “Keep a watch upon your
spirit [that it may be controlled by (God’s) Spirit].” We cannot
expect anything to go well for us or in our marriages if we do not
allow ourselves to be controlled by God’s Spirit. But if we will
listen to God and be diligent to obey, our lives and our marriages
can be wonderful.
life point
In our daily relationship with God, one of the things we
appreciate most about Him is the fact that we can count on Him
not to change.
We love God and can trust Him because He never changes. He
says in Malachi 3:6, basically, “This is the way I have always
been, and this is the way I’m always going to be.” If you can
count on anything, you can count on Jesus never changing. He
can change anything else that needs to be changed, but He
always remains constant, steady, and eternal. Hallelujah!
the refiner’s fire

God desires to consume everything in our lives that does not
bring Him glory. He sends the Holy Spirit to live inside us
believers, to be in close fellowship with us, and to bring
conviction of our every wrong thought, word, or action. We must
all go through the “refiner’s fire” (Malachi 3:2).
What does that mean? It means God will deal with us. He will
change our attitudes, desires, ways, thoughts, and conversations.
Those of us who go through the fire instead of running from it
are the ones who will bring great glory to God.
Going through fire sounds frightening. It reminds us of pain and
even death. However, in Romans 8:17 Paul said that if we want to
share Christ’s inheritance, we must also share His suffering.
Because of that truth, it is important for us to think about how
Jesus suffered. We know He suffered horribly on the cross, so
are we expected to go to the cross also? The answer is yes and no.
We do not have to physically go to a cross and be nailed to it for
our sins, but in Mark 8:34 Jesus did say that we should take up
our crosses and follow Him. What does that mean? Taking up
our crosses means laying aside selfish, self-centered lifestyles.
Believe me, getting rid of selfishness takes some fire (difficult
times)—and usually a lot of it—but it is worth it in the end.
life point
Verses 10–12 of Malachi chapter 3, a chapter known for its
teaching on tithing and giving, describe the blessings God tells
Israel tithing will bring: God will rebuke the devourer for the
tithe’s’ sake! The fruit of their ground will not be destroyed, and
all nations will call them happy and blessed. By obeying God’s
directions rather than following the world’s system, they will be
blessed.
The Lord wants His people to bring their tithes to the storehouse
to prove Him. When we bring tithes in obedience to His Word,
He promises to pour out a blessing so enormous that there will
not be room to contain it.

Do you ever wonder if faithfully serving God is really worth it,
as people said in Malachi 3:14? Sometimes it may seem as
though it really does not make a difference. But be encouraged!
Know that God sees your faithfulness and remembers. Ask God
to help you to trust that He is always at work in you and through
you for your good and for His purposes.
are you angry with God?

Many times people blame God for their unhappiness. They
develop bitterness and resentment toward God, especially if they
have had a lot of disappointments in their lives.
The devil wants us to blame God if we are not happy. He wants to
create a rift between God and us so that we will lose our joy. In
Malachi 3:13–15, we read about people who were angry with God
and spoke harshly against Him. Similarly, we may become angry
with God and if so, then we need to take steps to get rid of that
anger.
Sometimes we try to get things we want from God by imitating
what we have seen others do. Then we get upset when He does
not answer the way we think He should. But by copying others’
actions, we may be doing things God never told us to do. Do not
be angry with God for not blessing something He did not tell you
to do. And do not blame Him for the things the devil has brought
into your life.
This may sound odd to you, but if you are angry with God, you
need to “forgive” Him. God does not need your forgiveness—He
has done nothing wrong—but you need to be released from the
harsh results of the unforgiveness and bitterness you may have
directed toward God. If you have unforgiveness in your heart
against God, give it up and let it go. God is your friend, not your
enemy. Let faith and joy fill that place where unforgiveness once
was.
You will not be disappointed with God if you wait in faith to hear
from Him. Romans 10:17 teaches: “So faith comes by hearing
[what is told], and what is heard comes by the preaching [of the
message that came from the lips] of Christ (the Messiah
Himself).” If you want joy in your life, you have to believe that
God is good and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him
(see Hebrews 11:6). Joy will fill you when you quit demanding
answers to your questions about why bad things have happened
to you. Trust God’s ways and His timing, and remember that
trust always requires some unanswered questions.
God wants to bless every person. No matter what is going on in
your life right now, no matter how badly it hurts, do not blame
God. You may not always understand what is happening, but God
is perfect. He is good, and He is right. Fault and error are either
caused by people or instigated by the devil.
If you have been upset with God, I encourage you to release your
anger to Him. Pray with me, “God, I have held anger against
You. I know You have done nothing wrong, and I am in need of
Your forgiveness. But I believe that my saying, ‘I forgive You,’
will help me let go of unforgiveness that I have misdirected
toward You. I forgive You. My problems are not Your fault. You
are my answer.”
a book of remembrance
The Lord listens to every conversation we have. A greater
awareness of that fact would probably cause us to change some
of our conversations. When our conversations please Him, He
records them in a book called a “book of remembrance”
(Malachi 3:16).
I keep a book of remembrance, and I believe keeping such a
book is a good habit for anyone to form. In my book, which is
more like a journal, I record things God has done for me, special
things that clearly remind me that His favor and love are upon
me. Writing them down helps me to remember them. We are to
be thankful and to give God praise at all times. Keeping a record
of God’s awesome deeds is beneficial to us because we can read
them anytime we want to and bring to our minds how good He is
to us.
Why would God keep a book of remembrance of the things we
say in conversation to others? I believe He does so because our
words come from our hearts. Words are very important; they are
containers for power. Our words can bless or they can curse;
they can build up or tear down. Obviously our words are
extremely important to God, they are important enough for Him
to record the good ones. I wonder if He also reads over His book
of remembrance and gets pleasure when He thinks of His
children who have sat at lunch having conversations that
included praise and a grateful attitude or loving and kind words
for others.
God actually indicates that a day will come when He will openly
and publicly declare that type of person to be His special
treasure, or His jewel. All righteous deeds bring a reward in due
time, and all unrighteous deeds bring a curse in due time. We
reap what we sow. Start today guarding your conversations, and
let the words of your mouth be filled with good things so God
can record them in His special book of remembrance.

All of us have areas of brokenness in our lives or wounded
hearts. These wounds may be from a broken relationship, a
difficult experience, or disappointments. Is there a particular
area in your life where you need healing? God promises to bring
healing; ask Him to cover you with His wings of healing and to
bring restoration and wholeness to your life.
Matthew
Author:
Attributed to Matthew
Date:
Probably shortly before AD 70
Jesus’ teachings in the book of
Matthew and in the other
Gospels are as relevant and as
important to your life today as
they were while He lived on
earth.
Jesus taught us with words,
with stories, and by personal
example. I strongly encourage
you to study His teachings and
to imitate His attitudes and
actions.
One way to be blessed is to
cultivate the heart attitudes and
character qualities Jesus taught
in The Beatitudes and
throughout the book of
Matthew.
The book of Matthew begins the New Testament and is the first of the
four Gospels—accounts of Jesus’ life and ministry, which include stories
He told (called parables), lessons He taught, and miracles He worked. The
Gospels also include the teachings, insights, and instructions Jesus gave to
the people who followed Him so many centuries ago—and to those who
follow Him today.
Matthew focuses on Jesus as the fulfillment of the Old Testament law, on
Jesus as the Messiah Who was prophesied for so long, and on the
kingdom of heaven. There are so many treasures in Matthew; it is
especially rich with Jesus’ practical instructions for our lives. This book
emphasizes Jesus’ teaching ministry, and as we read it, we see Jesus
teaching people, both through the spoken word and by example: how to
live, how to think, how to treat people, how to pray, and how to be wise
and godly in everyday life.
In Matthew chapters 5—7, we find a collection of teachings called The
Sermon on the Mount. In this great sermon are The Beatitudes (a list of
heart attitudes and character qualities that bring blessing to our lives,
found in 5:1–12) and The Lord’s Prayer (6:9–13).
I hope you will take time to read, meditate on, and apply to your life the
teachings and truths in Matthew. As you do, you will be blessed.
life point
Satan is always out to kill things in their infancy, which is why
he planted the thought in Herod’s mind to order every male
child in Bethlehem, two years old and under, put to death.
Because Herod was frightened of the newborn Christ Child—the
“King of the Jews” Whom the wise men sought—he wanted to
kill Him (see Matthew 2:1–16).
I find it interesting that Satan was afraid of a child, and that a
child was the King of the Jews. Kings rule, and perhaps one
lesson here is that if we desire to rule and reign as kings in life
(see Romans 5:17; Revelation 1:6), we must also become like
little children. When we become childlike (humble, trusting,
lowly, and forgiving), we frighten the devil just as the Christ
Child frightened Herod. If you want to be a threat to the enemy,
become childlike in your faith.

Do you ever struggle with wondering if you do enough to please
God? When Jesus was baptized, He had not yet publicly taught,
performed any miracles, or “done” any sort of ministry. Yet God
called Him “My Son, My Beloved Son, in Whom I delight!”
(Matthew 3:17). Likewise, God is delighted with you because you
are His child. That pleases Him far more than anything you can
do. Ask Him to show you more and more how delighted He is in
you.
speak the Word

God, I pray that my life will bring forth fruit that is
consistent with the change of heart that You have worked
in me.

We should not be surprised when temptation comes. Satan
deliberately tried to tempt Jesus, and he tries to tempt us. How
do you respond to temptation? Every time Jesus was tempted, He
responded with the Word of God (see Matthew 4:1–11). Be
diligent to study God’s Word, so that when temptation comes,
you too will know what action to take in order to resist and
overcome it.
life point
In Matthew 5:4, Jesus said that those who mourn are blessed and
that they will be comforted. The comfort of God, which is
administered by His Holy Spirit, is so awesome that it is almost
worth having a problem just to be able to experience it. As with
most of the things of God, it goes far beyond any kind of
ordinary comfort.
Let God be your source of comfort. When you are hurting, just
ask Him to comfort you. Then wait in His presence while He
works in your heart and emotions. He will not fail you.
pure-hearted and powerful

God is seeking people who are pure in heart (see Matthew 5:8).
A person who has a pure heart, who is wholeheartedly serving
God, is truly powerful. In Psalm 51:6, David tells us that having
a pure heart means having truth in our “inner being,” which is
who we really are deep in our hearts. Having a pure heart starts
with paying attention to our thoughts, because from our
thoughts come our words, our emotions, our attitudes, and our
motives.
It took me a long time to realize that God will not bless actions
that are done out of wrong motives or an impure heart.
Purity of heart is not a natural trait; in most of us, it is
something we must work on. First Thessalonians 4:3 teaches us
to desire and work toward purity of heart because that is God’s
will. This is a challenge that every believer should be excited
about accepting, but we do not have to face it alone.
God has created us to be dependent upon Him, to bring Him our
challenges and allow Him to help us with them. Only He knows
what is in our hearts, and He is an expert at removing the
worthless things from us while retaining the valuable.
There is a price to pay to have a pure heart, but there is also a
reward. We do not have to be afraid to make the commitment to
allow God to do a deep purifying work in us. We may not always
feel comfortable about the truth He brings us, but if we do our
part—facing it, accepting it, and allowing it to change us—He
will make sure that we are blessed.
life point
In Matthew 5:13, Jesus tells us we are the salt of the earth, but if
salt loses its flavor it is not good for anything.
I say that all of life is tasteless without love. Even acts of
generosity that are done out of obligation, but without sincere
love, leave us empty. Love represents the salt; it is the energy
and the flavor of our lives.
Every day can be exciting if we see ourselves as God’s secret
agents, waiting in the shadows to sprinkle some salt on the
tasteless lives of the people we encounter. For example, we
might see a woman behind a counter in a fast food restaurant
who looks unhappy, tired, and angry. A simple comment such as,
“Your hair is really pretty,” can add flavor to her day.
Love is an effort, and sometimes we allow ourselves to become

lazy in dispersing this gift. I hope you will actively express
God’s love everywhere you go, sprinkling “salt” on everyone you
meet because God has placed you where you are for that very
purpose.
life point
Pharisees and hypocrites want to be “recognized and honored
and praised by men,” according to Matthew 6:2. I call this kind
of desire “approval addiction.”
Many people never receive God’s best for them because they are
addicted to the approval of others. Even if they know God’s will
for them, they will not walk in it because they are afraid their
friends may not understand or agree.
Not everyone approves of the way God moves in our lives. In fact,
almost everyone I knew rejected me when I began following His
will for my life. It was hard to stand alone against so much
disapproval, but during that time I learned that other people’s
opinions do not really matter; it is what God thinks that is
important.
In Galatians 1:10, Paul wrote, “Now am I trying to win the favor
of men, or of God? Do I seek to please men? If I were still
seeking popularity with men, I should not be a bond servant of
Christ (the Messiah).”
Do not be addicted to approval. Follow your heart. Do what you
believe God is telling you to do, and stand firm in Him and Him
alone.
secret goodness
In Matthew 6:1, Jesus warns us against trying to impress people
with our good deeds and encourages us to wait for our reward
from God. God really brought this point home for me once
through something that happened in my own life.
I was having my nails done in a shop where I went regularly, and
I happened to be wearing a rhinestone “Jesus” pin. God
prompted me to give it to a nurse, who was sitting nearby talking
about ministering to cancer patients in the hospital where she
worked. She said that she was not allowed to preach to them
openly, but wanted to be able to give them something.
The Lord spoke to my heart and told me to give her my pin so
that when she wore it on her lapel as she bent over her patients,
just the name of Jesus would minister to them. I hesitated
because I felt the Lord wanted me to do that privately, but saw no
way to do so because of the girl who was doing my nails.
Suddenly the manicurist stopped and said, “Oh, I ran out of
something. I have to run next door to get some more. I will be
right back.”
I knew God was making a way for me to give the nurse my pin
discreetly and without any fanfare, but my flesh wanted some
credit. So instead of doing what God wanted me to do the way He
wanted me to do it, I kept putting it off, reasoning to myself, I
think it would really bless this manicurist to see my generosity.
I waited until the manicurist came back. Then I took off the pin
and made a big deal about giving it to the nurse. Just as I
envisioned, the ladies expounded on my generosity, going on and
on about how kind it was of me to give my pin away. As I left the
shop thinking about how generous I had been, the Holy Spirit
spoke to my heart and said, “Well, I hope you enjoyed that
because it is all the reward you are going to get. Whatever
reward you would have had from Me, you just traded for those
compliments.”
I often wonder what God would have done for me if I had obeyed
and done what He told me to do, letting Him have all the glory
and credit. Let me urge you not to make the same mistake I did.
Obey God and do what He wants you to do, when He wants you
to do it, the way He wants you to do it.
life point
Although some prayers are meant to be public prayers or group
prayers, most of our prayer lives should be conducted in secret.
In other words, we do not have to broadcast how much we pray
and everything we pray about. Jesus encourages us in Matthew
6:5, 6 to practice “secret prayer.”
“Secret prayer” means a number of things. It means that we do
not tell everyone our personal experiences in prayer. We pray
about the things and people God places on our hearts, and we
keep our prayers between Him and us unless we have a really
good reason to do otherwise.
There is nothing wrong with saying to a friend, “I have been
praying for the youth of our nation a lot lately,” or, “I have been
praying for people to enter into a more serious relationship with
God.” Sharing of this type is simply a part of friendship, but
there are things God places on our hearts to pray about that we
should keep to ourselves.
“Secret prayer” means that we do not make a display of our
prayers to impress people. True secret prayer from a humble,
fervent heart results in awesome answers from God.
short and simple

I believe God has instructed me to make my requests of Him
with as few words as possible. As I follow this practice, I
understand more and more why He has asked me to pray this
way. I find if I can keep my requests simple and not confuse the
issue by trying to come up with too many words, my prayers
actually are more clear and powerful.
We need to spend our energy releasing our faith, not repeating
phrases over and over when they only serve to make our prayers
long and involved.
I am not advocating praying only for a short period of time, but I
am suggesting that each prayer be simple, direct, to the point
and filled with faith. Let me give you an example. If I need
forgiveness, I can pray, “Lord, I lost my temper, and I am sorry. I
ask You to forgive me. I receive Your forgiveness, and I thank
You for it, in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
Keeping my prayers short and simple was difficult when I first
began praying that way. Then I realized that my problem was a
lack of faith that my prayer would get to God if it was short,
simple, and to the point. I fell into the same trap that many
people do—“the-longer-the-better” mentality. However, after
praying that way, most of the time I felt confused and unsure, as
though I still had not gotten the job done.
Now as I follow God’s direction to keep it simple and make my
request without unnecessary and excessive words, I experience a
much greater release of my faith, and I know that God has heard
me and will answer.
Confidence in prayer is vital to our lives as believers. Be really
honest with yourself about your prayer life and make
adjustments wherever they are needed. If you are not praying
enough, pray more. If your prayers are complicated, simplify
them. God wants to hear what you have to say through prayer
and He wants to answer. I encourage you to become more
effective in prayer by keeping it short and simple.

Do you have a savings account or a financial portfolio? Even if
you do not, you are probably very aware of your financial
situation. It is wise to plan and be financially responsible. Being
greedy, however, is a different story. Do not let the pursuit of
money or material possessions keep you from pursuing the
treasures of God’s kingdom, which have far greater worth and
eternal value than anything on earth (see Matthew 6:19–21).

Are you worried about something right now? Jesus understood
how burdensome and destructive worry can be in our lives, and
He commands us not to worry (see Matthew 6:25–31, 34). Instead,
He calls us to look to God’s sure and faithful provision as the
antidote to our worry (see Matthew 6:33). Encourage yourself by
remembering other times when God has provided for you and
ask Him to help you trust Him for your every need instead of
worrying.
life point
God gives us enough grace for one day at a time, and to avoid
fatigue and burnout, weariness and fainting in our minds, we
must learn to live one day at a time. That is why Jesus teaches
us in Matthew 6:34 to meet each day’s challenges as they come
and not to borrow trouble from tomorrow. If we will do that, then
at the appointed time God’s grace will be available to us in
sufficient supply to help us face and overcome whatever may
occur in our lives.
first place
Simply put, I believe Matthew 6:33 teaches that “the main thing
is to keep the main thing the main thing.” We must know what
the most important thing in our lives is and keep our priorities
in line. In our society today we see a huge emphasis on
commerce and material things, but we must remember that
things are not most important to God. He wants us to have and
enjoy nice things, but He demands first place in our lives. We
are taught to seek the kingdom of God and His way of being and
doing before we seek anything else.
The word seek is a very strong word. It means “to pursue,” “to
crave,” and “to go after with all your might.” When we seek
something, we think about it often; we talk about it; and we are
willing to pay a price to have it. Some people even fall into the
trap of seeking God so He will give them the things they want.
When they do that, their motives are wrong and God withholds
what they want.
We must form a habit of seeking God’s face and not His hand. In
other words, we are to seek His “presence,” not His “presents.” I
urge you to seek Him for who He is, not for what He can do for
you.
God is pleased immensely when we want to spend time with Him
just because we love Him. He is also pleased when we praise and
worship Him just because He is. Everyone enjoys having their
“being” celebrated, not just their “doing.” I do not want friends
who are only interested in what I can do for them; I want them
to be interested in who I am and to like me for me. I am sure you
feel the same way—and so does God.
When we put Him first, keep Him there and seek to do things
His way, we are showing that we delight in Him. Then He gives
us the desires of our hearts (see Psalm 37:4).
life point
Matthew 7:1, 2 plainly tells us that we will reap what we sow
(see Galatians 6:7). Sowing and reaping do not apply solely to
the agricultural and financial realms, they also apply to the
mental realm. We can sow and reap an attitude as well as a crop
or an investment.
One pastor wisely says that when he hears that someone has
talked about him in an unkind or judgmental way, he asks
himself, “Are they sowing, or am I reaping?” Many times we are
reaping in our lives what we have previously sown into someone
else’s life. Be sure you sow good seeds!
life point
The devil loves to keep us busy, identifying and judging the
faults of others in our minds. That way, we never see or deal with
what is wrong with us!
When we focus our thoughts and conversations on the
shortcomings of others, we are usually being deceived about our
own conduct. Therefore, Jesus commanded that we not concern
ourselves with the wrongs of others when we have so much
wrong with ourselves (see Matthew 7:3–5).
We cannot change others; only God can. We cannot change
ourselves either, but we can cooperate with the Holy Spirit and
allow Him to do the work. Allow God to deal with you first, and
then you will be able to humbly, lovingly, and effectively help
others.
do not judge
I believe Matthew 7:6 refers to our God-given ability to love each
other.
If we have the ability to love others and know that God has
commanded us to love them, but we judge and criticize them
instead, we have taken the holy thing (love) and cast it before
dogs and hogs (evil spirits). We have opened a door for those
spirits to trample on holy things and turn and tear us to pieces.
When I became pregnant with our fourth child, I was a

Christian, baptized in the Holy Spirit, called into ministry, and
a diligent Bible student. I had learned about exercising my faith
for healing. Yet, during the first three months of the pregnancy,
I was very, very sick. I lost weight and energy. I spent most of my
time lying on the couch, so nauseated and tired that I could
barely move.
This situation was really confusing to me since I had felt
wonderful during my other three pregnancies. I was also
sincerely trusting God that I would not be sick during this
fourth pregnancy.
One day as I lay in bed listening to my husband and children
having a good time in the backyard, I aggressively asked God,
“What in the world is wrong with me? Why am I so sick? And
why am I not getting well?”
The Holy Spirit prompted me to read Matthew 7, and as I did, He
reminded me of an event that had happened a couple of years
earlier.
As I lay in my bed that day, I recalled that a Christian friend and
I had talked about, judged, and criticized another Christian
friend who was pregnant and had stopped attending our weekly
Bible study because she said she felt so bad. We believed her
problem was that she was unwilling to “press through” her
circumstances and come to Bible study. We never offered to help
her in any way. We just decided that she was a weakling and was
using her pregnancy as an excuse to be lazy and self-indulgent.
Now, I was in the same circumstance that woman had been in.
God showed me that although I was healthy during my first
three pregnancies, I had opened a huge door for the devil by my
judgment and criticism. I took my pearls, the holy things (my
ability to love the woman), threw them before the dogs and hogs,
and now they were turned and tearing me to pieces. I can tell
you, I was quick to repent. As soon as I did, my health was
completely restored.
From this incident I learned an important lesson about the
dangers of judging and criticizing others. Jesus tells us not to
judge others for our own good; He does not want us to be judged
in return. Resist the temptation to criticize and judge, and
thereby enable yourself and others to enjoy blessings instead of
judgment.
persistent, not repetitious

It is difficult to lay down strict rules on the subject of how often
to pray about the same situation. I have heard some people say,
“Pray repeatedly until you see the breakthrough.” I have heard
others say, “If you pray more than once for something, then you
do not believe you got it the first time.”
I do not believe we can make any strict rules, but I do think
there are some guidelines we can apply that will help us have
more confidence in the power of prayer.
If my children told me their shoes were worn out and asked me
to get them some new ones, I would probably respond, “Okay, I
will get them as soon as I can.”
What I would want from my children is trust. I would want them
to trust me to do what they asked me to do. I would not mind,
and might even like it, if they occasionally said, “Mom, I am
sure looking forward to those new shoes,” or “I am excited about
my new shoes, Mom; I will be glad when I get them and can wear
them.” Both of those statements would declare to me that they
believed I would do as I promised. They would actually be
reminding me of my promise, but in a way that would not
question my integrity.
On the other hand, if they came back to me an hour later and
made the same request again, I might be irritated. If they said,
“Mom, my shoes are worn out, and I am asking you to get me
some new ones,” I would think, “I heard you the first time, and I
told you I would get them as soon as I can. What is your
problem?”
I believe that, sometimes, asking God for the same thing
repeatedly is a sign of doubt and unbelief, not of faith and
persistence.
When I ask the Lord for something, and that thing comes to my
mind or heart again later, I talk to Him about it again. But when
I do, I try to refrain from asking Him the same thing as if I think
He did not hear me the first time. I believe we honor God when
we demonstrate faith and persistence by thanking Him for
hearing and answering us.
Jesus said in Matthew 7:7: “Keep on asking… keep on seeking…
keep on knocking.” We should be persistent, but not repetitious
in prayer. Keep pressing on and do not give up, and keep
expressing your faith and gratitude to God for answering you.
life point
In Matthew 7:13, 14, Jesus speaks of two different paths we can
take in our lives: the broad way that leads to destruction and the
narrow way that leads to life.
As I meditated on this passage, the Lord quickened it to me by
saying, “Joyce, on the broad way there is room for all kinds of
fleshly things like bitterness, unforgiveness, resentment, and
vindictiveness. But on the narrow way there is only room for the
Spirit.”
In the flesh it is easy to take the broad path, but the end result is
destruction. It is much harder to take the narrow path, but in the
end it leads to life.
Emotions tempt us to take the easy way, to do what feels good for
the moment. Wisdom moves us to take the way that seems hard
at first, but later on we find that it leads to life.
known by our fruit

One time my husband and I were in Florida, and I saw a tree
that I thought was very attractive. I asked, “What kind of tree is
that?” Before anyone could answer, I saw oranges beginning to
blossom on the branches, and I realized that it was an orange
tree. I knew it by its fruit.
Jesus teaches in Matthew 7:20 that we will know people by their
fruit. Let me encourage you to examine your own fruit to see if
it is good. I did that in my own life and discovered that I was like
an apple tree that sat all day long and yelled, “I am an apple
tree! I am an apple tree!” but I never produced any apples.
Believers often carry outward signs of their Christianity in an
attempt to share their faith. Bumper stickers on automobiles are
a good example. These signs say that the drivers are Christians,
but what kind of fruit do they bear in traffic? Are they obeying
the speed limit or are they speeding? How do they react to other
drivers, especially to those who cut them off in traffic? Their
actions are true signs of who they are.
You and I can carry big Bibles, wear Christian jewelry, and
display large collections of Christian books in our homes—and
still not be producing any good fruit. We must be concerned
about producing the fruit of the Holy Spirit, because the Holy
Spirit is concerned with that. One of His main purposes in
making us His home is to continually work His fruit in us and
display it through us.
In John 15, Jesus compares our relationship with Him to that of
a living plant. He is the Vine, we are the branches. Although it
is not stated in John 15, we could also say the Holy Spirit is the
Gardener who prunes us and keeps the weeds in us from
choking the fruit.
God has planted a garden in each of us (see I Corinthians 3:9)
and He has assigned the Holy Spirit the job of Gardener. A
gardener aids in the production of fruit. That is what the Holy
Spirit was sent to do in us—help us bear good fruit.
Examine your own fruit regularly. If any of it is diseased or
rotten, ask the Gardener to help you get rid of it and produce a
new crop. He will gladly do it!
as you have believed

In Matthew 8:13, Jesus told the centurion that the healing he
requested would be done as he believed. The centurion had a
positive, believing attitude and Jesus did what he asked Him to
do.
Do you know that positive minds produce positive lives? Negative
minds produce negative lives. Positive thoughts are always full
of faith and hope. Negative thoughts are always full of fear and
doubt.
Some people are afraid to hope because they have been hurt so
much in their lives. They experience so many disappointments
that they do not think they can face the pain of another one.
Therefore, they refuse to hope so they will not be disappointed
in case things do not work out as they hoped.
Disappointment hurts! But this type of behavior sets up a
negative lifestyle. Everything becomes negative because the
thoughts are negative. Remember, Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as he
thinks in his heart, so is he…”
Many years ago, I was extremely negative. I always say that if I
thought two positive thoughts in a row my mind would cramp.
My whole philosophy was this: “If you do not expect anything
good to happen, then you will not be disappointed when it does
not.”
I thought that my avoidance of hope would protect me from
being hurt. I had encountered so many disappointments in life—
so many devastating things had happened to me—that I was
afraid to believe that anything good might happen. I had a
terribly negative outlook on everything. Since my thoughts were
all negative, so were my words and therefore, so was my life.
When I really began to study God’s Word and to trust Him to
restore me, one of the first things I realized was that the
negativism had to go. I began to see the truth of Matthew 8:13—
that it will be done for me as I have believed.
I do not mean to imply that you and I can get anything we want
by just thinking about it. God has a perfect plan for each of us,
and we cannot control Him with our thoughts and words. But, we
must think and speak in agreement with His will and plan for
us.
If you do not have any idea what God’s will is for you at this
point, at least begin by thinking, “I may not know God’s plan for
me, but I know He loves me. Whatever He does will be good, and
I will be blessed.”
Begin to think positively about your life: practice being positive
in each situation that arises. Even if whatever is taking place in
your life at the moment is not so good, expect God to bring good
out of it, as He has promised in His Word.
treasure mercy
As a young woman, born again, filled with the Spirit and in
ministry, I had no idea that I had a problem with mercy. I had
probably preached messages on mercy, but God began
impressing upon me that I needed to experience the truth of
Matthew 9:13. In my heart, I could hear Him say over and over
again: “Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy.”
Mercy is kindness. It took a long time for me to understand what
I am sharing with you, but slowly I discovered two things about
myself: I was not a merciful person, and I was not merciful to
others because I was raised in an atmosphere in which I had not
experienced much mercy in my own life.
I became very legalistic and rigid. I had a way I wanted things
done and that was the way I wanted them done. I was not too
willing to give an inch in either direction. If I did not get it the
way I wanted it, although the other person did their best and
really could not give me what I wanted, I became upset with
them. I was not merciful. I refused to give people any room for
error.
Although I reached a place where I wanted to be merciful with
all my heart, I was not able to be. I got angry because I saw other
people show mercy, and I wanted to do the same. Then God
showed me that there are two sides to mercy. We have to learn
how to receive God’s mercy before we can give God’s mercy.
I had a hard time being merciful because I would not receive
mercy. I was very legalistic with myself, and therefore, very
legalistic with everyone else. The Bible says you are to love your
neighbor as you love yourself (see Matthew 22:39). It is
important to look at how you treat yourself because sometimes
you try to give something to someone that you yourself do not
have.
If you do not receive God’s love and then love yourself in a
balanced way, how can that love flow through you to anybody
else? If you do not receive God’s mercy when you make
mistakes, you do not have a reservoir of mercy from which to
draw for others.
I have learned to be a merciful person, and I enjoy the mercy of
God every day in my own life. When I sin, I receive mercy
immediately. I am sorry for the mistakes I make, but I refuse to
live under condemnation (see Romans 8:1). We should admit our
sins, repent, ask God to forgive us, receive His mercy, and press
forward. Mercy is for people who do not deserve it. Remember
that for yourself and for others.
speak the Word

God, I pray that You will teach me how to be as wise as a
serpent and as gentle as a dove.

The Bible tells us that we love because God first loved us. Who
do you love most? Your love for God should exceed even the
strongest love you have for another person. As a follower of
Jesus, you demonstrate your love for Him by placing His
purposes before your own interests. Ask God to show you what it
means to pick up your cross daily to follow Him (see Matthew
10:38).
speak the Word

Thank You, Jesus, that You will ease and refresh my soul
when I am weary and that You will cause me to rest. Thank
You that Your yoke is not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing,
but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant and that Your
burden is light and easy for me to bear.
lighten your load
God will give you the power and the strength you need to serve
Him. Matthew 11:28–30 teaches us that Jesus is not a hard
taskmaster.
In this passage, Jesus is saying that He is good and His system is
good, not burdensome or difficult. Religious rules and
regulations can be harsh and pressing, and you can easily get
overburdened if you do not know how to do everything you feel
is expected of you. But Jesus is saying here: “I am not that way.
My ways are not like that. They are not hard, harsh, sharp, and
pressing, but they are comfortable, gracious, and pleasant.”
God not only tells us what to do, He gives us the strength and
wisdom to do it. If God did not give me the power to run Joyce
Meyer Ministries, I would be burdened and in way over my head.
But it is not hard for me. I am comfortable doing what God has
equipped me to do. I would not be equipped with any power to get
it done if I tried to serve God from the standpoint of mere rules
and regulations, and I would be miserable. But I serve Him
because I deeply love Him; therefore, I have joy in what I do.
Jesus leads us to a place that is comfortable, gracious, and
pleasant. I believe that serving God is easy if we learn to hear
from Him and simply obey rather than struggle to do things He
never asked us to do for Him.
Take time and seek God about whether your works are His
works. Is He leading you to do them? If you discover that you are
involved in works of the flesh and that God has not given you the
grace to do them, do not be afraid to lay them down and seek
Him about His will for your life. Remember, it will not always be
easy, but there will be comfort, grace, and pleasure associated
with doing His works. Jesus wants to lighten the load you have
been carrying all by yourself and give you rest.
life point
Matthew 12:33 says that a tree is known by its fruit. The same is
true in our lives. Thoughts bear fruit. If we think good thoughts,
the fruit in our lives will be good. If we think bad thoughts, the
fruit in our lives will be bad.
We can look at a person’s attitude and know what kind of
thinking is prevalent in his life. A sweet, kind person does not
have mean, vindictive thoughts. By the same token, a truly evil
person does not have good, loving thoughts. Your thoughts
determine your results in life, so think good thoughts and bear
good fruit!
life point
Matthew 12:34 teaches us that “out of the fullness (the overflow,
the superabundance) of heart the mouth speaks.” If we permit
wrong thoughts to dwell in our hearts, we will ultimately speak
them. Whatever is hidden in our hearts will sooner or later be
expressed openly through our mouths.
life point
As parents, employers, friends, husbands, wives, and children—
all of us need to make a commitment to love with our words and
to build confidence in others. Every word we speak can be a brick
to build with or a bulldozer to destroy.
Choose your words carefully because according to Matthew
12:36, you will have to account for the idle, thoughtless things
you say. Remember, words are seeds; they are containers for
power. They carry creative or destructive power and they produce
a good harvest or a bad harvest in your life and in the lives of
those you love.
speak the Word

God, I pray that I will be one who hears the Word and
grasps it. As the Word takes root in my heart, I pray that I
will bear much fruit.
speak the Word
Jesus, I pray that I will be like Peter and always trust You
enough to step out in faith when You call. Help me to keep
my faith strong and not doubt.
life point
What rock is Jesus talking about in Matthew 16:17, 18? He is
talking about the rock of faith. He tells Simon Peter that on the
faith he has just displayed He will build His Church, and “… the
gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (KJV). That means that
the powers of hell shall not prevail against the person who walks
in faith.
life point
Matthew 16:19 says that we have authority as believers to bring
heaven’s will to earth by acting in partnership with God. He is
in heaven, and we are on earth. Because His Spirit is in us, and
because we have His Word, we can know what His will is. We
have authority on earth to bring heaven’s will into action. What
God binds or looses in heaven—what He allows or disallows—is
all that we can allow or disallow here in the earth.
“not me!”
In Matthew 16:22, Peter rebuked Jesus. Anyone who rebukes
Jesus has a problem with pride, and Peter had a big problem
with pride. He was full of himself. He thought he had a better
idea than Jesus did.
Jesus had just said He was going to Jerusalem to be killed and
to be raised from the dead. Peter’s response was something like,
“Oh, no Jesus. You must not go. No, that is not the thing to do.”
How did Jesus respond to Peter’s remark? He said in verse 23:
“Get behind Me, Satan! You are in My way [an offense and a
hindrance and a snare to Me].”
Later Jesus told Peter that Satan was going to try to sift him like
grain and that Peter would deny his Lord three times. Jesus told
Peter He had prayed for him that his faith would not fail (see
Luke 22:31–34). Peter did not believe that. He did not say, “Oh,
thank You, Jesus. Please pray for me.” He essentially said, “Oh,
I would never deny You. No, not me.”
Have you ever said, “I will never do that!”? It is amazing the
number of things we think we will never do that we end up
doing.
It is interesting that when Jesus was being accused, Peter was
the only disciple recognized as having been with Jesus. Others
were present, but the spotlight shined on Peter. Peter
vehemently denied this and started cursing to prove that he did
not know Jesus (see Matthew 26:69–74). I believe that God
arranged for Peter to be recognized because Peter needed to be
humbled. God had a plan for Peter’s life.
Peter loved Jesus, but he was still full of himself. He argued
with Jesus on these occasions. I do not think he did it
maliciously, but that always happens when someone has a spirit
of pride. They think they know more than others do and will
always argue, attempting to prove they are right.
Jesus knew that Peter was useable material, but he needed some
work. You might say that Peter was a diamond in the rough.
Peter needed some polishing, he needed some time on the
Potter’s wheel—but he was blind to his own faults and
weaknesses, just as we usually are. Jesus had to teach him a
lesson, and teach him He did. Peter ended up very meek, very
repentant, and very submissive after his humbling experience.
God has a plan for your life and He will deal with every bad
attitude and character flaw in you in order to prepare you to
fulfill and enjoy the great purpose He has for your life, just as
He did with Peter.

When another Christian wrongs or offends you, what do you do?
Your first inclination may be to run and tell someone else all
about it or to let anger or hurt build up inside of you. However,
Jesus teaches us the appropriate method for bringing correction
and reconciliation in Matthew 18:15–17. The next time you are
hurt or wronged by another believer, be sure to go to that person
first. Ask God to help you forgive.
life point
The Amplified Bible makes clear in Matthew 18:18, 19 that God
gives us authority in order to bring His will to earth, not to bring
our own will to pass.
As believers, we have spiritual authority and we should exercise
it. One of the ways we do that is in prayer. God desires to use
His surrendered servants to pray His will down from heaven to
earth, as we are taught by Jesus to pray: “Your will be done on
earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).
What an awesome privilege. Our prayers can affect our own
lives as well as the lives of other people. God can use us to help
them experience the fullness of all He has planned for them in
life.

Sometimes forgiving someone can be very difficult, especially if
that person has repeatedly hurt or offended us. Is there someone
in your life you are having a hard time forgiving? Remember
the gracious gift of God’s forgiveness to you. As you have
received forgiveness, you are called to extend forgiveness to
others (see Matthew 18:21–35). Ask God to help you forgive as
you have been forgiven.
how many times?

As believers, we will never experience joy-filled, victorious lives
unless we are ready to forgive people. This is something we are
going to have to do frequently, and according to Matthew 18:21,
22, even repeatedly. The Lord tells us plainly in the Bible that if
we will not forgive other people for the wrong things they have
done against us, then God will not forgive us for the wrong
things we have done against Him (see Matthew 6:14, 15).
What kind of condition would we be in if God refused to forgive
us? We could not possibly have a proper relationship with Him.
Everything in our lives would be stopped up. We like to think
that we can stay angry with other people and yet go to God and
receive forgiveness for our sins. But the Lord tells us in the
Bible that this is not so.
Jesus taught us to pray, “And forgive us our debts, as we also
have forgiven (left, remitted, and let go of the debts, and have
given up resentment against) our debtors” (Matthew 6:12). God
is a God of mercy, and this issue of forgiveness is very important
to Him. He tells us repeatedly in His Word that if we want
mercy, we have to give mercy.
In Matthew 18:21, 22, Peter asked Jesus how many times he had
to forgive his brother: “up to seven times?” Jesus’ answer was
not seven times, but seventy times that many.
I do not know about you, but I am glad that God does not put a
limit on how many times He will forgive us. How many of us
have done the same wrong thing at least seventy times seven,
and God has still forgiven us for it? We are willing to keep
taking and taking forgiveness from God, but it is amazing how
little we want to extend forgiveness to others. We freely accept
mercy, yet it is surprising how rigid, legalistic, and merciless we
can be toward others, especially if they have wronged us in some
way. Yet the Bible says that the debt we owe God is much greater
than any debt anyone may owe us. Always remember how great
God’s generosity is, especially in the area of forgiveness. Aim to
forgive others as quickly, as often, and as generously as God
forgives you.
love yourself
One of the greatest problems many people have today is that
they do not think well of themselves. They need to know that
God’s Word teaches them to love themselves!
Since the Lord commands us to love our neighbors as we love
ourselves (see Matthew 19:19), He must think that it is as
important to love ourselves as it is to love others. But it is not
enough just to love ourselves; we must also like ourselves.
I learned this truth several years ago when I was having a
terrible time getting along with other people. I discovered the
reason I had so much trouble getting along with others was that
I was not getting along with myself.
If you do not like yourself, you will have a hard time liking
anyone else. You may pretend you do, but pretense does not
alter fact. Sooner or later, the truth will come out.
Every one of us is supposed to be a powerhouse for God, living in

balance and harmony within ourselves and with others. In order
to do that, we must have not only the right attitude toward
others but also the right attitude toward ourselves. We need to
be at peace with our past, content with our present and sure
about our future, knowing it is all in God’s hands. We need to be
stable, rooted, and grounded in the love of God as expressed in
His Son Jesus Christ.
Because we are rooted and grounded in love, we can be relaxed
and at ease, knowing that our acceptance is not based on our
performance or our perfect behavior. We can be secure in the
knowledge that our value and worth are not dependent upon who
we are or what we think or say or do. It is based on who we are in
Christ Jesus and what He has done for us.
Secure in our knowledge of who we are in Him, we can give up
our masks and façades. We do not have to pretend anymore. We
do not have to be phony. Instead, we are free to simply be
ourselves—just as we are. We are also free to love ourselves, and
that will enable us to love others too.
all things are possible

It is exciting to know that with God all things are possible (see
Matthew 19:26). In our human thinking we hit brick walls, so to
speak, when we come up against something that is impossible
for us. We feel frustrated and hopeless. But with God, that never
has to happen. When we put our trust in Him another world
opens up to us, a world of possibilities that we would have never
thought possible in the natural.
You may have practically worn yourself out trying to accomplish
something and, when you finally gave up and turned it over to
God, you saw Him do with ease what you had struggled with for
a long time. I know that has happened to me over and over again.
I am so glad that we serve a God of possibilities. Even the word
impossible makes me feel hopeless and frustrated. I always like
to believe there is hope, no matter how bad things may look.
If God can take a hard, sinful, hateful, bitter heart, and make it
soft, holy, loving, and forgiving, then, as far as I am concerned,
He can do anything. I think that sometimes we do not realize
what a miracle our salvation is. We become completely new
creatures and are given a brand-new start in life by accepting
Jesus Christ as our Savior (see II Corinthians 5:17). How much
more awesome could anything be? No wonder the Gospel is
called the “good news”!
God can change hearts, heal a sick body, rekindle a marriage, or
restore finances. He can feed five thousand people with a little
boy’s lunch, walk on water, read men’s hearts, and anything else
He wants to do. Nothing is impossible with God. Do not ever look
at a situation and think or say, “This is impossible.” It may be
impossible with men, but with God all things are possible.
If we keep praying and believing, God can keep working, but if
we give up, we close the door on the miracle God has in mind for
us. You may say, “You just don’t realize what a mess I have in
my life.” My advice to you is to ask God to take your mess and
turn it into your greatest miracle. He can work it out for your
good and you will have a testimony that encourages others. With
God, all things are possible.
life point
I once heard a Bible teacher say that Matthew 20:16 means that
many are called or given an opportunity to do something for the
Lord, but very few are willing to take the responsibility to
answer that call. God’s call does come with responsibility, but it
also comes with rewards. I believe that you are called for a very
special purpose. I hope you will say yes to Him!
keep love from growing cold

The twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew deals with signs of the
end times. Most of them we are very familiar with—wars and
rumors of wars, earthquakes, famines, and widespread
deception. But there is another sign of the end times. Matthew
24:12 says that “the love of the great body of people will grow
cold” due to the lawlessness and wickedness in the land.
The “great body” is the church, not the world. The pressure of
rampant evil, difficult circumstances, and even the stress of our
modern-day lifestyle produce an atmosphere so supercharged
with problems that most people totally ignore their love walk
with God. Instead they concentrate on themselves, look out for
themselves, and try to solve their own problems.
This is something that God never told us to do. If we tend to His
business, He will tend to ours. We are to concentrate on
representing Him properly, and that is impossible to do unless
we are walking in love. As we do that, He gives us wisdom to deal
with our problems and brings deliverance from our foes.
Have you ever noticed that God does not always give us the
ability to solve our own problems, yet when we are powerless to
solve our own, He enables us to solve someone else’s?
At one point in my own life, I realized I was spinning my wheels,
so to speak. I was trying to solve all my problems, thinking that
when my life got straightened out I could go forward in ministry
to others. The fact is I had it backwards, as do so many others. I
needed to cast my care on the Lord. I needed to do what He
showed me concerning my situations in life without getting
entangled in them. I needed to sow seeds in other people’s lives
by helping them, and then God would bring a harvest in my own
life.
Refuse to let your love grow cold. Stir up the love in your life—
toward your spouse and toward your family, friends, neighbors,
and coworkers. Reach out to others who are hurting and in need.
Pray for people and bless them. Grow to the point that one of
your first thoughts each morning in your heart is about how you
can bless someone else that day.
life point
All ten of the virgins in Matthew 25:1–10 had the same
opportunity, but only half of them were prepared to take it.
In a society where people needed oil to provide light, five virgins
were wise and had extra oil on hand; the other five were foolish
and lost out because they did not keep their lamps filled with
oil. When the bridegroom came, the five virgins without the oil
missed their opportunity to go with him because they were lazy
when they should have been working and were out trying to buy
more oil for their lamps at the wrong time.
God is an “equal-opportunity employer.” It does not matter to
Him what kind of background we come from, what kind of
parents or family life we have, what color or gender we are, what
kind of education we received, or what our physical handicaps
may be. None of those things make any difference to Him. In
Him, we all have equal opportunity. Anyone who will follow His
guidelines and do what He tells them to do can be blessed and
used by Him. All ten of the virgins had the same opportunity, but
only five were willing to do their part.
God puts potential in all of us and if we are willing to develop it,
we will see wonderful things take place in our lives. Do your
part and don’t be left out as the five foolish virgins were.
use it or lose it
In Matthew 25:14, 15, Jesus tells the story of a man who was
going on a long journey. He called his servants together and
gave them different amounts of money to handle, according to
their abilities.
No, we do not all have the same talents and abilities. We cannot
all do the same things, but we can all be what God has called us
individually to be. I cannot be what you are, and you cannot be
what I am, but we can each be all that God wants us to be.
Many people are frustrated and miserable because they do not
feel fulfilled. They are not being all they can be and are not
doing all they know they are supposed to be doing. They are
letting the devil or other people talk them out of their callings
and their blessings.
This is what happened to one of the servants in Matthew 25. The
man who was going on the journey gave talents to three of his
servants before he left. While he was gone, one servant invested
what he was given and received it back with interest. When the
man returned and found out what the servant did with the
talent, he said, “Well done, you upright (honorable, admirable)
and faithful servant! You have been faithful and trustworthy
over a little; I will put you in charge of much” (Matthew 25:21).
The second servant did the same, and was told the same thing by
the man (see Matthew 25:22, 23). But the third servant buried
his talent in the ground because he was afraid. When the man
found out what that servant did, he was so upset with him that
he took away his talent and gave it to the servant who had the
ten talents (see Matthew 25:24–28).
Many people are like that third servant. They hide their talents
because they are afraid—afraid of responsibility, afraid of
judgment, afraid of what people will think. They are afraid to
step out; afraid they might fail, afraid of criticism, afraid of
other people’s opinions, afraid of being misunderstood. They are
afraid of the sacrifice and hard work involved.
I do not want you to be afraid to take the talent God gave you
and use it for His glory. I do not want you to end up unhappy,
unfulfilled, and dissatisfied because you are compromising what
He has placed in you.
Let me encourage you to use your talents to the greatest
possible extent and to do your best in every area of your life.
Then you will hear your Master say, “Well done!”
speak the Word
Jesus, I declare that You are worth so much more than the
most precious thing I have. Help me to love You
extravagantly.
life point
We need to apply Jesus’ admonition to “watch and pray”
(Matthew 26:41) to our own lives. Watch for the attacks of the
enemy in your life and then pray immediately. Come against
Satan when he is trying to get a foothold, and he will never get a
stronghold!

Have you ever wondered about your purpose in life? Know that
you have been called by God to teach others about Who He is
and what it means to follow Him. God gave you the authority to
do so, and has promised to not leave you on your own, but to be
with you always (see Matthew 28:18–20). Ask God to show you
where He wants you to go—to someone in your office, in your
neighborhood, perhaps even in your own family—so that you can
help others follow Him too.
speak the Word

Thank You, Jesus, that You rose from the dead, just as You
promised!
Mark
Author:
Mark
Date:
Possibly AD 55–65
In order to follow Jesus, we
must deny ourselves and lose
sight of our own interests.
We must continually and
steadfastly cling to Jesus in
every aspect of our lives.
The only way to experience true
joy is to allow God to work
through you to bless others.
Mark is the shortest of the four Gospels and tells the story of Jesus in a
style that is simple and concise, yet detailed. It focuses on facts more
than on themes and on actions more than attitudes. Because of Mark’s
straightforward and unadorned approach, many believe this book gives a
much more vivid account of Jesus’ life and ministry than the other
Gospels.
Scholars believe Mark’s Gospel was written during a time when Christians
were viciously persecuted and killed for their faith. This may be the
reason for the sense of urgency we feel in Mark and for its emphasis on
the cost of following Jesus. Mark 8:34 records Jesus’ words: “If anyone
intends to come after Me, let him deny himself [forget, ignore, disown,
and lose sight of himself and his own interests] and take up his cross, and
[joining Me as a disciple and siding with My party] follow with Me
[continually, cleaving steadfastly to Me].”
I do not believe the “cross” we are to carry is a burden of disaster,
disease, and misery, but is a sacrificial life of allowing God to work
through us to bless others. This kind of cross is the only way to truly
experience the joy that Jesus gives.
As you read Mark’s vivid presentation of Jesus’ life and ministry, I pray
that you will see Him more clearly and follow Him, as Mark 8:34 says,
“continually, cleaving steadfastly to [Him]” all the days of your life.
life point
Before Jesus’ public ministry began, He was immersed in water
and anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power (see Mark
1:10). This enabled Him to do the task His Father sent Him to do.
Similarly, when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we are
equipped for service in the kingdom of God because we are able
to draw on the power of the Holy Spirit, Whom we received when
He came upon us to be His witnesses. According to Acts 1:8, His
power can be defined as “ability, efficiency, and might” that
enable us to be what God wants us to be as His witnesses.

Several of Jesus’ disciples were fishermen by trade (see Mark
1:16–20). Have you ever been fishing? Even if you have not, you
probably know that people use many different types of bait to
catch a fish. As a “fisher” of men and women, God asks you to
demonstrate through your life, words, and actions the blessing
of following Him. Some people will respond to hearing about
God, others will respond to your actions that demonstrate His
love and grace, and still others by seeing the joy and peace you
have in your life. Remember, every day brings opportunities to
fish!
life point
Surely prayer was important to Jesus; otherwise, He would have
stayed in bed! Most of us do not get up early for anything unless
it is very important.
But, Jesus did not make a big display of prayer. In Mark 1:35, He
went to a private place, where the Bible simply says, “He
prayed.” Prayer is vital and powerful, but needs to be kept
simple in our lives.

Some people have a hard time coming to Jesus, just as the man
mentioned in Mark 2:1–4. They may be “paralyzed” by their
doubts, their questions, or even their fears. Is there anyone in
your life like this? Make a commitment to do whatever it takes
to help this person see Jesus. Ask the Holy Spirit to break
through the walls of their unbelief.
life point
Do you ever hold a negative dialogue with yourself as the scribes
were doing in Mark 2:6? The fact is that you probably talk to
yourself more than you talk to anybody else. The question is,
what are you saying to yourself?
These scribes were questioning Jesus’ authority to be God’s Son
by asking, “Who does this Man think He is?” They did not speak
those words out loud, but said them deep within their hearts.
Without a word being spoken, Jesus picked up right away that
they were arguing, debating, and reasoning within themselves.
As believers we need to avoid this kind of negative self-talk. It is
a serious matter that we need to deal with, just as Jesus dealt
with it. We need to learn to have simple faith, to be discerning,
and to be led by the Spirit instead of by our own divisive
thoughts and reasoning.
life point
Jesus teaches us in Mark 3:27 that we must bind the strong man
if we want to plunder his house. The strong man represents the
devil. Do not ever become passive as a Christian and forget that
Jesus instructs us to take authority over and bind the enemy.
life point
Mark 4:24 is a great scripture! It tells us that the more time we
spend thinking about the Word we read and hear, the more
power and ability we will have to obey it—the more revelation
knowledge we will have about what we have read or heard.
Basically this tells us that we will get out of God’s Word what we
put into it. I want you to receive maximum benefit from God’s
awesome Word, so be diligent to read it, study it, and apply it to
your life.
when your breakthrough is delayed

I discovered a long time ago that when I became impatient,
frustrated, and fretful it was because I tried to make something
happen that only God could make happen. I was caught up in
works of the flesh, which I define as “human energy attempting
to do God’s job.”
Sometimes when we pray and believe for a breakthrough, it
seems like nothing happens. If we really want to know how to
act during those times, we can receive much help from the story
of the patient farmer Jesus spoke of in Mark 4:26–28.
The farmer sows his seed in the ground and then goes on his
way, sleeping and rising. Eventually, the ground brings forth its
yield on its own. The farmer does not know how the harvest will
come or exactly when it will come, but his job is to get up in the
morning, do his work, and go to bed at night. He keeps up his
patient vigil over the seed he has sown until he receives the
harvest.
Jesus was telling us that this is the way we should respond to
God. Our problem is that we are often impatient. We
continually ask God, “How are You going to do this? When are
You going to do that?”
A farmer never knows exactly when his crop will come in. He
just keeps sleeping and rising, does what he can to enrich his
soil and cultivate his crops, but leaves the rest in the hands of
the Creator. Let me encourage you to do likewise.
life point
When Jesus and the disciples were crossing the lake and a
storm arose, the disciples panicked, but Jesus was able to stand
up in the boat and rebuke the storm (see Mark 4:39).
You cannot rebuke the storms in your life if you have a storm on
the inside of you. The disciples could not rebuke the storm
because they lost their peace and were as “stormy” as the storm.
But when Jesus spoke out of His reservoir of peace for the wind
and waves to be still, immediately there was calm.
what to do on a sinking boat

It is always exciting when Jesus says to us, “Let’s do a new
thing.” To me the phrase, “Let us go over to the other side”
(Mark 4:35), is equivalent to saying, “Promotion is coming,” or,
“Blessings are on their way,” or “Come up higher,” or any
variety of phrases God uses to communicate to us that it is time
for a change.
I am sure the disciples were excited to see what would happen on
“the other side.” What they did not expect or foresee was a
raging storm on the way!
The disciples probably were not nearly as excited in the middle
of their voyage as they may have been in the beginning.
Although God often calls us to launch out to a new destination,
He usually does not let us know what is going to happen on the
way. We leave the security of where we are and start out for the
blessings of the other side, but it is often in the middle where we
encounter the storms.
The middle is often a place of testing.
The storm that the disciples experienced was no little “April
shower” or harmless summer squall, but a storm of hurricane
proportions.
The waves were not gently rolling and tossing, they were beating
into the boat with such fury that it quickly filled with water.
That would be enough to frighten anyone.
The storm was in full force, and Jesus was asleep! Does that
sound familiar? Have you ever had times when you felt that you
were sinking fast, and Jesus was asleep? You prayed and prayed
and heard nothing from God. You spent time with Him and tried
to sense His presence, and yet you felt nothing. You searched for
an answer, but no matter how hard you struggled against the
wind and waves, the storm raged on and you did not know what
to do about it.
We sometimes refer to those seasons as “the midnight hour” or
“the dark night of the soul.”
At times like these, when it looks like the boat is sinking with
us in it, we must use our faith. Jesus simply wanted His
disciples to believe Him. He said, “Let us go to the other side.”
He expected them to believe that if He said it, it would happen.
But, like us, they were afraid. Jesus calmed the storm, but He
rebuked the disciples for their lack of faith.
It is vital to our future that we grow in faith, which shows
confidence and trust in God. We must learn to conquer our fear
and press on to the other side. We must also learn to have peace
and joy in the midst of the storm, not only when it has passed.
life point
The woman with the issue of blood, whose story is told in Mark
5:25–29, had the same problem for twelve years. She had
suffered greatly, and no one was able to help her.
Surely this woman was attacked with thoughts of hopelessness.
When she thought about going to Jesus, surely she must have
heard, “What’s the use?” But she pressed on past the crowd that
was so thick on all sides that it was suffocating. As she touched
the hem of Jesus’ garment, His healing virtue flowed to her and
she was made well.
Whatever you are facing today—no matter how long you have
struggled with it—let me encourage you to press on. Whatever it
takes, reach out and touch Jesus!
speak the Word

God, when I am tempted to be afraid, may I remember Jesus’
words to the ruler of the synagogue: “Do not be seized
with alarm and struck with fear; only keep on believing.”
shake off rejection

Mark 6:11 speaks of rejection. When I first started preaching, I
was extremely insecure and often felt rejected. If a few people
got up and walked out of the service, the devil told me they were
leaving because they did not like to see a woman preaching. That
did happen a few times in churches whose pastors warned me
ahead of time that they had never had a woman in their pulpit
and were not sure how their congregations would react. When it
did happen, I was always embarrassed and I felt bad.
Then God gave me this scripture from Luke 10:16: “He who
hears and heeds you [disciples] hears and heeds Me; and he who
slights and rejects you slights and rejects Me; and he who
slights and rejects Me slights and rejects Him who sent Me.”
The Lord simply told me, “I am the One who called you. Do not
worry about what people think. If you do, you are going to worry
all your life because the devil will never stop finding people who
will think something unkind about you.”
In Mark 6:7–11 when Jesus sent His disciples out into the towns
to preach, He told them what to do if people rejected them. He
did not tell them to stand around and cry and be wounded, hurt,
bleeding, and embarrassed. He told them to “shake it off!”
You and I need to take Jesus’ advice and learn to shake off our
troubles, problems, disappointments, and rejections. So if there
is a call on your life, and one person or group of people rejects
you, there will be others who will accept you.
Just shake off the rejection and move on.

Do you ever feel like you do not have much to offer in ministry?
As you willingly offer Jesus what you do have, He will bless and
multiply it to meet the needs of others, as He did in the story
found in Mark 6:30–44. What may seem to you like a small
contribution of time, treasure or talent, can become an
enormous blessing when you put it in God’s hands.
the lonely leader

In Mark 6:45–47, we see that Jesus sent the disciples and the
crowds away and ended up “by Himself.” Apparently Jesus chose
to have a few moments of solitude. All leaders need solitude at
times, but there will also be times when we face loneliness. That
is part of leadership. I do not know what you think about people
who are “at the top” in leadership, but let me share a little
secret with you: Sometimes it can get pretty lonely up there.
The relationship between a Christian leader and those who work
with him is similar to an employer/employee relationship. There
may be some exceptions, but usually it is not a workable
situation for the boss or leader to become extremely close to
those under his authority. Sometimes employees do not realize
this fact and think their employer separates himself from them
because he thinks he is better than they are.
The fact is that usually, if a spiritual leader tries to be really
chummy with the people who work for him, they frequently
develop a spirit of familiarity that causes them to take liberties
with him they should not take and to assume things about the
relationship they should not assume. Through years of
experience I have learned that I simply cannot become close
buddies with most of my employees because it inevitably causes
problems. As I said earlier, there are exceptions, but they are
rare.
When you are in a position of leadership, people tend to look up
to you. They may even develop expectations of you that are not
realistic. They know you are only human, as they are, but they
really do not want to see your human flaws and weaknesses. For
example, they do not want to ever see you lose your temper or
say anything negative about anything or anybody. The first time
something like that happens, the devil whispers in their ear,
“How can you receive ministry from someone who acts like
that?”
Whatever position of leadership you may fill, realize that you
must depend upon God to bring what I call “divine connections”
into your life. By that I mean people who are right for you,
people to whom you can get close, people who understand your
call and how they should relate to you and your ministry.
One of the things about leadership you need to understand is
that if you really want to be a key leader, then you will probably
experience some loneliness.
reasoning robs your peace

In Mark 8:14–17, as in other Bible passages, we see that Jesus
was able to discern the reasoning in the hearts of His disciples,
who frequently did not act wisely. They needed revelation, not
reasoning.
For all their reasoning, they failed, as we often do, to understand
what the Lord was saying to them. Jesus was not talking about
literal bread; He was talking about spiritual leaven—about the
legalistic teachings and practices of the Pharisees. He warned
His disciples to stay away from hypocritical attitudes that say,
“Do what I say, not what I do.” Jesus knew that a person is
poisoned when he does not practice the good things he preaches
and hides behind a legalistic front.
But the disciples just did not understand what Jesus meant, and
so they “reasoned with one another” about it. Notice in verse 17
that Jesus’ response was, “Why are you reasoning… Do you not
yet discern or understand?”
That is what I used to do. I used to have a lot of problems with
reasoning. I was always trying to figure things out. Then one day
the Lord said something interesting to me: “As long as you
continue to reason, you will never have discernment.”
Discernment starts in the heart and enlightens the mind. As
long as my mind was so busy reasoning, God could not get
through to me, just as Jesus could not get through to His
disciples.
This is an important issue. Reasoning is such a huge problem
because reasoning is not faith. Romans 8:6 says that the mind of
the flesh is sense and reason without the Holy Spirit. It goes on
to say that those operating in the mind of the flesh will
experience a miserable life, but those who flow in the mind of
the Holy Spirit will have life and peace. Reasoning belongs to
the mind of the flesh and does not produce good fruit.
The “reasoning” I refer to is reasoning that is contrary to the
truth in the Word of God. God wants us to use common sense!
There is nothing wrong with using our minds in an attempt to
understand something. However, when we reason to a point of
being confused we need to recognize that we have gone too far.
At that point we need to pray for discernment and wait on God to
reveal to us what we need to know.
You cannot have peace of mind and heart if you reason without
God’s truth to enlighten you. If you lack peace in your life, it
may be that you are trying to figure out too many things. Stop
asking, “Why, God, why?” Just say, “Lord, You know, and I need
to be satisfied with that. When You are ready to show me, do so.
Until then, with Your help, I am going to enjoy my life, trusting
that You are in charge and that You will take care of everything
that concerns me.”
life point
Jesus heard clearly from His Father that He needed to go to the
cross. In Mark 8:31, Jesus told the disciples that it was necessary
for Him to suffer many things: be tested, disapproved, rejected
by the elders and the chief priests and scribes, and be put to
death, but, after three days, rise again from the dead. In
response, Peter “took Him by the hand and led Him aside and
then [facing Him] began to rebuke Him” (Mark 8:32). But Jesus
disregarded Peter’s comments and rebuked him. Jesus honored
whatever His Father said, no matter what it cost. He was a God-
pleaser, not a people-pleaser.
Sometimes we only listen to God if what He says will not cost us
anything, or if He tells us what we want to hear. Most of the
time, if we receive a discomforting word, we act like Peter and
say, “Oh no, this cannot be God!” We cannot have what I call
“selective hearing,” only paying attention to those things that
please us. We must hear and obey all of what God says to us
through His Word.
the cross we bear

Jesus died on the cross for us and He said that those of us who
want to follow Him will also have to carry a cross in life (see
Mark 8:34). What is the cross that we are expected to bear as
believers in Jesus Christ? It’s not disasters, disease, devastation,
or any other miserable thing we can think of. Some people like
to make Christianity seem like a burden to bear rather than a
relationship to enjoy.
We do carry a cross, but Jesus said our cross is to live unselfish
lives. He said we are to forget about ourselves, losing sight of
ourselves and our own interests. That literally means we must
live for God and other people. We must lay our lives down and do
what is for the good of other people and the kingdom of God.
When we think of the choice to live an unselfish life, something
deep within us cries out, “What about me?” The good news is
that God takes care of us if we do what He asks us to do. Each act
of obedience to God’s will is a seed we sow that reaps an
abundant harvest of peace, joy, and blessing in our own lives.
We can spend our lives trying to take care of ourselves and we
will end up needy and unhappy. God has not called us to take
care of ourselves. He has not called us to “in-reach,” but to “out-
reach.” Reach out to others, and God will reach into your life
and take care of all of your needs.
God’s ways sometimes seem to be upside-down from what we
think. He says that the first will be last, the greatest of all is the
servant of all, and that the way to get more money is to give
away some of what you have. None of these statements seem to
make sense; they do not make sense to the natural mind, but
they do work. God’s ways work!
Do not be afraid to trust God with yourself. Give yourself away,
sow yourself as a seed and get ready for a great life. Jesus said
that unless the grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it
would abide alone, but if it dies, it will bear much fruit (see
John 12:24).

Most of us can relate to this man who asked Jesus, “… help my
weakness of faith!” in Mark 9:24. The man’s honesty is so
refreshing, and Jesus immediately acts on his behalf. Is there an
area of your life where you need more faith? Be honest with
God and know that He is compassionate and will meet you
where you are. Ask Him to increase your faith daily, that you
will know with certainty that all things are possible when you
believe.
life point
Mark 9:23 teaches us that “all things can be (are possible) to
him who believes!” Spiritually speaking, when you and I believe
something, we receive it into our hearts. If a physical
manifestation is needed, it will come after we have believed, not
before. In the world we are taught to believe what we see. In
God’s kingdom, we must learn to believe first, and then in due
time we will see manifested what we have believed.

If God asked you today, “What do you want me to do for you?”
how would you respond? James and John wanted positions of
honor for themselves (see Mark 10:35–37). Bartimaeus, however,
wanted to see and the first thing he saw was Jesus Himself (see
Mark 10:46–51). What do you want God to do for you? Ask God
to help you to see—more of Him, His purposes for your life, and
what you are to do as you follow Him.
speak the Word

God, I declare that all things are possible with You!
when obedience means sacrifice

Several years ago, our ministry needed two couples to go to
Australia and manage our office there. In order to move that
distance, they basically had to give up everything they owned
and start over. It was too expensive to ship a lot of personal
belongings that far.
The two couples who responded to God’s call to go to Australia
took a big step of obedience. In stepping out, they made huge
personal sacrifices. They sold their cars and furniture, left
behind family and friends, and separated themselves from
churches where they were deeply rooted. They left everything
and everyone they loved in order to obey God and move to a
faraway place. Despite their love for God and their desire to do
His will, it was a difficult transition.
When we go to a new place, often we feel that everything and
everyone around us is strange. We are lonely and do not feel
comfortable or “at home.” But that kind of radical obedience
pays great dividends—not only in the personal happiness and
contentment that comes from knowing we are in the will of God,
but also in the material blessings that God provides according to
the promises of His Word.
When we take steps of faith and obedience and give up
important things for the sake of the Gospel, we will find the
promise of Mark 10:29, 30 to be true. We will experience great
rewards now and for eternity.
Jesus loves to be merciful

I believe that mercy must precede healing. My favorite story
about mercy and healing is the story of blind Bartimaeus in
Mark 10:46–52. In this passage, Bartimaeus cried out to Jesus,
“Son of David, have pity and mercy on me [now]!” (Mark 10:47).
I can just imagine the scene. Jesus was on His way somewhere
and this guy shouted out, “Jesus! Have mercy on me.” The crowd
urged the blind man, “Shut up. Quit bothering Him. He does not
want to be bothered with you.” But this made Bartimaeus all the
more determined to have Jesus hear him, so he continued to cry
out for Jesus’ mercy. What did Jesus do? He stopped. He could
have listened to the crowd and ignored the man, but He
responded to the man’s plea for mercy. Jesus healed Him.
We do not cry out for God’s mercy enough. We spend too much
time trying to deserve God’s goodness. In Luke 17:12–19, lepers
cried out for mercy, and they all received healing, but only one
came back to give Him thanks. In Matthew 15:22–28, a woman
from the Canaanite district said with a loud and urgent cry,
“Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is
miserably and distressingly and cruelly possessed by a demon!”
Her daughter was delivered. In Matthew 17:15, we see a man
whose son had epilepsy, and he came to Jesus and said, “Have
mercy on my son, for he has epilepsy.” Jesus stopped again and
cured the boy.
It seems wherever Jesus traveled, somebody asked Him for
mercy. In response to them, He stopped, talked to them, and met
their needs.
Let me assure you that Jesus will listen to and respond to your
cry for mercy, just as He did for blind Bartimaeus and many
others.

When world leaders or other famous dignitaries gather, there is
often a great deal of pomp and pageantry involved. Most people
in Jesus’ day would expect a king to arrive in Jerusalem on a
great horse with a large entourage, surrounded by evidence of
military might and wealth. Jesus entered the city on the back of
a colt (see Mark 11:1–11). Does God always work in your life in
ways you expect? Ask God to help you recognize Him at work in
your life, and enjoy His presence even when He works in
unexpected ways.
walk the walk

In Mark 11:13, 14, when the hungry Jesus saw that the fig tree
did not have any figs on it, He said to it, “No one ever again shall
eat fruit from you.” Mark 11:20 tells us that the next morning
the fig tree completely withered.
One day when I read this story in The Amplified Bible, I finally
understood what happened here because this translation makes
the point that the fruit of the fig tree appears at the same time as the
leaves.
With most fruit trees, if there are leaves, there is fruit under
the leaves. When Jesus saw that it had leaves but no fruit, He
cursed it because it was a phony. Where there are leaves, there
is supposed to be fruit also!
If our lives revolve around the church but we have no fruit, we
are not living our faith. We can have Christian bumper stickers
on our cars, wear Jesus pins, carry our Bibles around, spend the
lunch break sitting alone reading our Bibles, have plaques
listing the fruit of the Spirit hanging on our walls, and listen to
teaching tapes and say, “Praise the Lord! Hallelujah,” but if we
do not have time to help anybody else or even show kindness, we
are like the fig tree with leaves but no fruit.
If a friend calls and says, “Could you do me a favor and watch
my children for half an hour? I have a problem and need to run
somewhere quickly,” and we respond, “I would like to help you,
but I just can’t right now. I have plans. I’m sorry. I hope you
understand.” If we could have changed our plans but were
simply too selfish to do so, we are like that phony fig tree.
People with a spiritual outward appearance but no fruit are hard
to get along with and never allow themselves to be
inconvenienced by anybody else. I know because I used to be that
way! But I decided a long time ago that I am not going to be a
phony Christian.
I want people to see that Christians are genuine. I want them to
see that our ministry is real and what we do behind the scenes is
the same thing we preach outwardly.
If we have leaves, we need to also have fruit.
Many people who are searching for God will be watching us.
They will want to know Jesus like we do when they see that our
fruit is real and that we are not pretenders that only look good
on the outside. We will be the ambassadors for Christ that He
intends us to be.
life point
Notice in Mark 11:22 that the first thing Jesus tells us to do is to
have faith in God constantly. We must beware of putting our
faith in anything other than God Himself and His Word. There
was a time in my life when I had my faith in my faith. I relied on
my ability to believe God rather than relying on God Himself.
Then I read in God’s Word that even when we are faithless He
remains faithful (see II Timothy 2:13). None of us has perfect
faith. Although we should strive to have faith in God constantly,
there will be times when we allow doubt to creep in. I am
comforted by the knowledge that even in those times God is still
God and He does not change. He is always faithful!
what to do with your mountain

Usually when we have mountains in our lives we talk about
them, but God’s Word instructs us to talk to them, as we see in
Mark 11:22, 23.
When Jesus said that we are to speak to our mountains in faith,
commanding them to be lifted up and thrown into the sea, He
made a radical statement and one that deserves some study.
First of all, what do we say to the mountains in our lives? It is
obvious that we should not hurl our will at them; we are to hurl
God’s will at them—and His will is His Word.
Speaking the Word of God is powerful and absolutely necessary
in conquering our mountains. However, it is only the beginning.
Obedience is equally important. If a person thinks he can live in
disobedience, but speak God’s Word to his mountains and get
results, he will be sadly disappointed, as Jesus clearly stated in
this passage.
Mark 11:22–26 must be considered as a whole. In verse 22 Jesus
said to constantly have faith in God. In verse 23 He talked about
releasing faith by speaking to mountains. In verse 24 He spoke
of prayer and the importance of praying believing prayers. In
verse 25 He gave a command to forgive. And in verse 26 He
stated plainly that if we do not forgive, neither will our Father in
heaven forgive us our failings and shortcomings.
There is no power in speaking to a mountain if our hearts are
full of unforgiveness. Yet the problem of unforgiveness is
rampant among God’s children. Multitudes of people who have
accepted Christ as their personal Savior fall into the deception
of trying to operate under one of God’s principles while
completely ignoring another.
Ask God to help you understand the whole counsel of the Word
so that you can live a balanced, victorious life as a believer.
speak the Word

Help me, Lord, to love You with all of my heart, soul, mind,
and strength and to truly love my neighbor as I love myself.

When your boss is away from the office, what do you spend your
time doing? As a good employee, you should spend your time
working diligently to continue the work you were assigned to do.
The same principle applies as you wait for Jesus’ return. Do not
waste time speculating about when He is coming back, but serve
Him wholeheartedly every day, as Mark 13:33 instructs.
the meaning of Communion

The scene in Mark 14:22–24 is what we commonly refer to as
“The Last Supper.” Jesus wanted to eat a final meal with His
disciples and be strengthened in their fellowship before facing
all the agony that was ahead. During this last meal He spoke
prophetically, instructing them to partake of His broken body
and shed blood by eating and drinking the bread and wine. In
verse 24 He made clear that His blood would seal and ratify, or
validate, the New Covenant they were to have with Almighty
God. Today we remember Jesus’ shed blood and broken body
through our taking of Communion.
Like many others, I received and participated in Communion
services for years without truly understanding what I was doing.
I knew the bread and juice represented the body and blood of the
Lord Jesus. I knew He instructed that we eat it and drink it in
remembrance of Him. But there is a much deeper and more
glorious meaning of Communion.
Holy Communion was never intended to be an empty ritual with
little or no meaning to those participating in it. First, we take
the bread: Jesus is the Bread of Life, He is the Word made flesh
(John 6:35; 1:14). As we partake of the bread, we take Him as
our Living Bread, the only source that can truly satisfy our
hunger in life. We remember what He has done for us. We take
Him as our Living Drink, the only source that can satisfy our
thirst. As we drink of the cup, it is the equivalent of “sprinkling
blood” or “shedding blood” on the sacrifice of His body. It is
important that we take both the bread and the cup. If people
attempt to remove the blood, they are removing the power of the
Gospel.
Communion can and should be a fresh dedication of our lives to
the Lord, a reminder of the blood covenant that we have with
God because Jesus stood in our place. In His great love for us,
He took our sins upon Himself and remembers them no more.
His sacrifice on the cross made it possible for us to receive His
salvation, mercy, grace, and favor.
When you take Communion, realize that Jesus has given you
His best. Remember that He shed His blood and gave His life for
you. Communion is a time to examine your life and ask for
forgiveness in areas where it is needed. It is also a good time to
release your faith and ask God for healing in your physical body,
as well as every other area of your life.
life point
Those of us who are leaders on any level at all may encounter
what I call the “Judas-kiss test,” that is, the test of being
betrayed by friends, as happened to Jesus in Mark 14:43–46.
Some time ago I talked with a person who went through
something that was emotionally hard because it involved
rejection and betrayal by people this individual considered close
and trusted friends. I told this person the same thing I share
with you now.
There were certain things Jesus did for us that we should not
have to go through. For example, He bore our sins so we do not
have to bear them. But there are other things that Jesus went
through and that He endured as an example for us, things we
will have to follow in His footsteps and go through. One of those
things is betrayal.
To be honest with you, I do not know very many key leaders—
people who have been in positions of leadership for a very long
time—who have not at one time or another in their lives been
betrayed by someone they really loved, respected, and trusted. If
and when that happens to you, do as Jesus did and stay focused
on your purpose. Forgive the offender and do not allow him or
her to cause you to fail or delay in doing what God has called
you to do.
life point
When Jesus died, the veil that separated the Holy Place from
the Most Holy Place in the temple was torn from the top to the
bottom (see Mark 15:37, 38). That opened the way for every
believer to go into God’s presence. Prior to Jesus’ death, only
the high priest could go into God’s presence, and then only once
a year with the blood of slain animals, to cover and atone for his
sins and the sins of the people.
It is significant that the tear in the veil of the temple was from
top to bottom. The veil or curtain was so high and thick that no
human could have torn it. It was torn supernaturally by the
power of God, showing that He was opening up a new and living
way for His people to approach Him.
life point
Mark 16:15 records what we commonly call the Great
Commission: “And He said to them, Go into all the world and
preach and publish openly the good news (the Gospel) to every
creature [of the whole human race].” People from every
Christian church accept and attempt to carry out this verse. Yet
two verses later, in Mark 16:17 and 18, Jesus says believers will
cast out demons, speak in new tongues, and lay hands on the
sick. Some churches do not practice these things, and many
teach against them.
I honestly believe that a few moments of sincere thought will
reveal to the seeking soul that if Jesus meant for us to carry out
Mark 16:15, then He intended for us to carry out verses 17 and
18 as well. It is dangerous business to pick and choose among
scriptures. If we are going to follow the full Gospel, we cannot
take the scriptures we are comfortable with and ignore the rest.
We need the whole counsel of God’s Word, not just bits and
pieces of it.
life point
Mark 16:20 says that the apostles went everywhere preaching
the Word, and God confirmed the Word with “signs and
miracles.”
I always believed those signs and wonders to be miraculous
healings until God began showing me to believe not only for
miraculous healings to confirm the Word preached, but also to
believe for and expect miraculous breakthroughs and abundant
fruit in whatever area I was ministering.
Whatever you do to serve the Lord, whether it is at home taking

care of your family, as an employee of a corporation, as a public
servant, as a volunteer at a hospital or nursing home—whatever
you do, wherever you do it—believe God for miraculous
breakthroughs to follow the things you do to serve Him. Jesus
heals us everywhere we hurt! When we are about His business,
we can expect signs and wonders to follow us.
Luke
Author:
Luke
Date:
Around AD 60
As you read Luke and see its
emphasis on the ministry of the
Holy Spirit, remember that He
wants to be actively involved in
every aspect of your life today.
Nothing is impossible with God.
Do not let the devil intimidate
you. Talk back to him, using the
Word of God.
Each Gospel is unique. These four books are written in different styles,
to different audiences, from different points of view, and with different
emphases on certain aspects of Jesus’ life and ministry.
Luke’s Gospel is the longest of the four Gospels and presents Jesus as the
Savior of the world; it highlights the ministry of the Holy Spirit; and it
pays particular attention to women, children, the poor, and the
oppressed.
Luke contains many wonderful stories and lessons, including one of the
greatest and most important truths for any Christian’s life: “For with
God nothing is ever impossible and no word from God shall be without
power or impossible of fulfillment” (Luke 1:37). No matter how difficult
our situations are, God can always bring change and restoration.
In Luke 4, we learn another critical lesson. Here, we see the devil
tempting Jesus in the wilderness and every time the devil says something,
Jesus immediately responds, “It is written,…” and fights back with a
verse or passage of Scripture. This teaches us that we too must know the
Word and use it as our weapon against the enemy. Jesus overcame him
that way, and we will too.
As you read the book of Luke, I pray you will remember that nothing is
impossible with God, that the Holy Spirit is always there to help you, and
that you can have victory over the enemy as you use the weapon of

Has God ever asked you to do something you never expected to
do? No doubt, Mary was very surprised when the angel told her
she would give birth to the Son of God (see Luke 1:26–34).
Mary’s trust in God, and her obedience and cooperation with
God’s plans and purposes, is a great example to follow. Allow
God to work in you as He wants to, and know that all His plans
for you are for your good. When unexpected things happen, keep
trusting Him!
speak the Word

Lord, I know that with You, nothing is ever impossible and
that no word from You will ever be without power or
impossible of fulfillment.
when not to speak

Mary had some pretty serious things happen in her life. She was
a sweet, ordinary girl who loved God when an angel of the Lord
appeared to her and told her she was going to become the
mother of the Son of God.
She had to have thought about Joseph, the man she was engaged
to marry. She had to have wondered how she was going to tell
him this news and how he would react. She had to have
questioned whether her parents and friends would believe her
story.
Then time passed and the birth took place. The angels appeared
to the shepherds and told them to come to the stable and worship
the Christ Child. The shepherds told Mary and Joseph and
everyone else what happened. These are the things that Mary did
not speak about. She kept them in her heart and pondered them,
according to Luke 2:19.
Whatever Mary may have thought or felt, she controlled it
because she said to the angel who first brought the news, “… let
it be done to me according to what you have said” (Luke 1:38).
I believe that when God speaks something to us, many times we
need to keep it to ourselves. He gives us the faith to believe what
He has said to us, but if we try to tell it to others, they may think
we have lost our minds.
You should have heard some of the things people said to me
when I told them that God spoke to my heart and called me into
the ministry. Knowing my background and the condition I was in
at the time, they were not encouraging at all.
That is one of the problems with sharing too much with others;
we get discouraged instead of encouraged. Other people do not
always have the faith to believe what God has told us.
When God calls you to do something, He also gives you the faith
to do it.
You do not have to live in fear all the time, thinking that you are
not able to do what He has given you to do. When you have a gift
of faith, things seem easy to you. But to someone else without
that gift of faith, these things seem impossible.
When God spoke to Mary through the angel, there was a gift of
faith that came with that word to her from the Lord so that she
was able to say, “Let it be done.” But she was also wise enough
not to go around knocking on doors saying, “I just had a
visitation from an angel who told me I am going to give birth to
the Son of God. I am going to get pregnant by the Holy Spirit,
and the Child I will bear will be the Savior of the world.” Mary
knew how to keep her mouth shut and her heart open. I
encourage you to do likewise!

Throughout the Bible, we see that children hold a special place
in God’s heart. Think for a moment about a child who is
important to you. Do you pray regularly for him or her? Praying
for children as they grow up is one of the greatest gifts that you
can give to them. Pray that he or she, like Jesus, will increase in
wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and with people
(see Luke 2:52).
speak the Word

God, I believe by faith that because I am in Christ, You say
to me as You said to Him: “You are… My Beloved! In You I
am well pleased and find delight!”
life point
Jesus answered every temptation the devil used against Him
with God’s Word. Throughout Luke 4:1–12, we read that He
repeatedly said, “It is written… “and then quoted scriptures that
directly addressed the enemy’s lies and tempting schemes.
We may start to fight the devil with the Word, but when we do
not see quick results, many times we stop speaking the Word
and begin talking about our feelings or our circumstances.
Let me encourage you to be persistent as you wage war against
the enemy by speaking the Word. A stonecutter may strike a
rock ninety-nine times without even making a crack in the rock.
But the hundredth strike may split the rock in two. Each blow
weakened the rock, even though there were no outward signs of
it.
Persistence is vital to victory in our lives just as it is in the
stonecutter’s work. Do not relent in speaking the Word against
the enemy. The next time you do, it may deal him a deathblow!
step out and find out

The only way we ever fulfill our destinies and succeed at being
our true selves is to take many, many steps of faith. Stepping out
into the unknown and launching out into the deep water, as we
read about in Luke 5:4, can be frightening.
Because of feelings of fear, many people never step out; therefore
they never find out what they are capable of.
Each of us needs to obey God when He wants us to step out into
something new or challenging. We are living in the dispensation
of grace and many doors of opportunity are open to share the
Gospel of Jesus Christ with others. Make a decision that you
will not miss any opportunity that God gives you. Do what God
asks you to do even if you must “do it afraid.” Feel the fear and
do it anyway!
Many people miss God’s will for their lives because they play it
safe. I do not want to come to the end of my life and say, “I was
safe, but I am sorry.”
“Better safe than sorry” does not always work in God’s economy.
If I tried to be safe all the time, I am sure I would not be where I
am today. I would never have sown the seeds of obedience that
produced the harvest I now enjoy in my ministry and in many
other areas of my life. Nothing feels better than knowing you
are in the will of God—and nothing feels worse than knowing
you are not.
I am not suggesting we all start doing foolish things that are
unwise, but I know for a fact that not everything God wants us to
do makes sense to the natural mind. You and I must learn to be
led by discernment in the inner man (the spirit) and not by our
own carnal minds or what other people suggest to us. When we
step out, we should do all we can to be sure that we respond in
faith and obedience to God’s leadership—and not act on some
wild thought we have or on a lie of Satan to try to lure us into
destruction. I encourage you to be willing to go into deep waters
for God. Ask Him to make clear what He wants you to do and
then obey.
life point
Jesus made sure He had seasons of peace and time alone (see
Luke 5:15, 16). He ministered to the people, but He slipped away
regularly from the crowds to be alone and pray. Surely if Jesus
needed this type of lifestyle, we do also.
give Jesus all you are not

If you are needy, you are just the person that Jesus died for (see
Luke 5:31). So often we feel we must hide our weaknesses and
always pretend that we are strong and in need of nothing, but
that attitude only closes the door to God’s help. He said, “Ask
and it shall be given you” (see Luke 11:9). Do not be ashamed of
yourself or your needs.
I suggest that when people receive Jesus Christ as their Savior,
they give Him not only all they are, but especially all they are
not. We try to impress God and other people with what we are
while we hide what we are not. I do not believe people can
become all that God wants them to be until they face what they
are not and no longer have a problem with it.
I am a teacher, but I am not a singer, or a musician. I tried for a
period of time to learn to play the guitar and to sing, but I just
did not have the ability. I struggled and wasted time—precious
time I could have spent developing the gift of teaching that I do
have. Many people never fulfill their God-ordained destiny
because they keep trying to be something or somebody they
were never meant to be. All God wants us to be is who we are!
We do not have to compare ourselves with others or compete
with them. We all have weaknesses and inabilities. Satan would
like for you to think you are the only one with the problem or
weakness you have, but that simply is not true. If we were all
perfect, Jesus would not have needed to come to earth. According
to Luke 5:31, He came for those who were sick (needy) not those
who were healthy (not needy).
When the apostle Paul finally saw this truth, he stopped
struggling with his weaknesses and said that he would “all the
more gladly glory in [them]” from that point on (see II
Corinthians 12:7–10). God’s strength is made perfect in our
weaknesses. Whatever we are not, He is, and He is what He is,
for us.
Go ahead and be needy. Tell God everything you need. He
already knows anyway and is waiting for you to ask for help.
speak the Word

Help me, God, to be merciful—sympathetic, tender,
responsive, and compassionate—to others, even as You are
all of these to me.
further than forgiveness

Luke 6:27, 28 teaches how to deal with our enemies. Something
is missing when we say we forgive those who have hurt or
offended us and go no further.
Let me share with you a lesson I learned from ministering on
the subject of forgiveness. I once asked the Lord, “Father, why is
it that people come to our meetings and pray for the ability to
forgive, and yet in just a short time they are right back again
still having the same problems with bitterness, anger, and
hyper-sensitivity, and asking for help?”
The first thing the Lord told me is that these types of people are
not doing what He instructs in His Word.
You see, though God tells us in His Word to forgive others, He
does not stop there. He goes on to instruct us to bless them. In
this context, the word “bless” means “to speak well of.” So one
of our problems is though we pray and try to forgive those who
offend us, we turn right around and curse them with our tongues
or we rehash the offense again and again with others.
This will not work!
To work through the process of forgiveness and enjoy the peace
we seek, we must do what God tells us to do, which is not only to
forgive but also to bless.
One reason we find it so hard to pray for those who hurt us and
mistreat us is that we tend to think we are asking God to bless
them physically or materially. The truth is that we are not
praying for them to make more money or have more
possessions; we are praying for them to be blessed spiritually.
What we are doing is asking God to bring truth and revelation to
them about their attitude and behavior so they will be willing to
repent and be freed from their sins.
It is not enough to merely say we forgive others; we must be
careful not to curse them or speak evil of them even if we think
they deserve it. Instead, we must do as Jesus did and pray for
them, bless them, and speak well of them. Why? Because by
doing so, we bless not only them, but ourselves too. Hating those
who hurt you is like taking poison and hoping your enemy will
die. Obviously, anyone who did that would only be hurting
himself. Why spend your life angry at people who probably do
not even know or care that you are angry? These people are
thoroughly enjoying their lives while you are miserable.
Release them, let the offense go, drop it, and have the same
attitude toward them that Jesus had toward His enemies. By
doing this, you will experience wonderful freedom and God will
show Himself strong as your Vindicator.
life point
The blind cannot lead the blind—if they try to do so, they will
both fall into a ditch (see Luke 6:39). Think of it another way:
trying to help others while ignoring our own problems never
helps anyone.

Luke 6:43–45 teaches us that our actions reflect what is in our
hearts. Does any of your behavior indicate a need for a change in
your heart? Ask God to continue to transform you more and
more into His image, so your actions will reflect His work and
His presence in your heart.
the root of unhealthy attitudes

Jesus said that every tree is known and identified by its fruit
(see Luke 6:44). Imagine looking at a fruit tree that depicts all
the bad things produced in the life of someone who is unhealthy
emotionally. If you look at the roots of that person’s life you will
see things like rejection, abuse, guilt, negativism, and shame.
If you have a problem with unhealthy attitudes in your life, they
are the bitter fruit of what has rooted into your thinking. You
may be the product of improper mirroring and imaging of your
parents and others. You may suffer from the bad example you
were exposed to in your earlier years.
If parents, teachers, or other authority figures told you over and
over in your youth that you were no good, that there was
something wrong with you, that you could not do anything right,
that you were worthless and would never amount to anything,
you may actually believe it. Satan reinforces that message by
repeating it in your mind again and again until it becomes such
a part of your self-image that you actually become on the
outside the way you envision yourself on the inside.
It has been proven that if people believe something about
themselves strongly enough, they will actually begin to behave
the way they perceive themselves to be. But I have good news:
Your mind can be renewed by the Word of God (see Romans
12:2). This does not happen instantly, but it is possible with the
help of the Holy Spirit. God wants you to bear good fruit, and He
will help you do so by replacing bad roots with good roots as you
meditate on His Word. Jesus invites us to be rooted and
grounded in Him and in His love (see Ephesians 3:17, Colossians 2:7).
What do you think is the most important part of a house? It’s
the foundation, of course, as we learn from Luke 6:47–49.
Without a firm foundation, a house is constantly in danger of
collapsing. The same is true in your life as a Christian. Knowing
God’s Word and obeying it is the foundation of the Christian
life. Ask God to teach you His Word and to help you obey Him in
every area of your life, so you can stand strong in all
circumstances.
the woman with a past

The woman in Luke 7:37 was a woman with a past. She sold her
love by the hour; she was a prostitute. The Pharisee called her
“an especially wicked sinner.” I believe her presence in the
Bible and in Jesus’ life shows us that God does not always call
people with wonderful pasts to serve Him. But we also learn
from this woman that He does call people with a negative past to
a powerful, blessed future. Just because you did not have a good
beginning in life does not mean that you cannot have a great
finish.
In Luke 7:38, we see the account of the woman anointing Jesus’
feet with a bottle of very expensive perfume, washing them with
her tears and drying them with her hair. Since she was a
prostitute, the perfume was probably either a gift from one of
her clients or purchased with money she earned from her
profession. Other people probably viewed her act of love as
erotic because of her past, but Jesus knew it was an act of pure
love.
When we have an unpleasant past, people often misjudge our
actions, and we find ourselves caught up in the approval game,
trying to convince others that we are acceptable. People do not
forget our past as easily as God does. The Pharisee could not
understand why Jesus allowed the woman to even touch Him
(see Luke 7:39). But Jesus responded to this by saying that those
who have been forgiven much will love much (see Luke 7:47).
This woman knew her past well; she loved Jesus greatly because
He forgave her greatly for her sins. She wanted to give Him the
most expensive thing she owned; she wanted to serve Him. He
saw her heart, not her past. This is what He sees in you too.
life point
When Jesus sent His followers out two by two to do His kingdom
work (see Luke 10:1–11), He said to them, basically, “Go and
find a house and say, ‘Peace be unto you.’ And if your peace
settles on that house, then you can stay there. If it does not,
shake the dust off your feet and go on” (see Luke 10:5–11,
Matthew 10:12–14).
One time God kept leading me to these scriptures, and I did not
know what He was trying to get across to me. Then finally I saw
it. He was trying to help me understand the same thing that
Jesus was saying to His disciples: “I want you to minister with
My power and anointing, Joyce, but to do that you need to live in
peace.”
In Luke 10:5–7, Jesus was essentially saying, “Once you find a

peaceful place, it can be your base of operations, and you can go
out and come back, go out and come back. If it is not peaceful,
you need to do whatever you can to gain and maintain a peaceful
atmosphere because strife and confusion adversely affect the
anointing and power of God that rests on your life.”
Let me encourage you to do all you can do to ensure peace in
your “home base.” That way, everyone who lives and works from
that place will do so in God’s power and with His anointing—and
they will have success.
intimacy with Jesus
We know from Luke 10:1 that Jesus appointed at least seventy
people to travel ahead of Him to every place He went. We know
that Jesus chose twelve disciples to share a deeper level of
intimacy with Him, and out of the twelve there were three—
Peter, James, and John—who were taken by Jesus into
situations that none of the others shared (see Matthew 17:1, 2).
But of these three, who was closest to Jesus? Only John felt
comfortable enough to rest his head on Jesus’ chest (an act of
intimacy) as he listened to the Lord talk at the Passover Feast
(see John 13:23). When Jesus was dying on the cross, he told
John to take care of His mother. He knew that John loved Him
enough to do whatever He asked of Him.
Jesus had seventy acquaintances, twelve disciples, three close
friends, and one who loved Him even more deeply than all the
others. Jesus loved them all, and they all loved Jesus, but there
were few willing to make the same level of commitment as those
who entered into a more intimate relationship with Him.

Not everyone is willing to obey God and pay the price required to
be close to Him. Intimacy with God requires an investment of
time and not everyone is willing to invest the same amount of it.
God does not ask for all of our time, but He does ask to be kept
in first place at all times (see I John 5:21). Some people think
the only way to be close to God is to do nothing but spiritual
things. However, God designed us with a body, a soul, and a
spirit; and He expects us to take care of each area of our being.
If we keep God first, then everything we do can be spiritual. Even
something like cooking breakfast can be an act of worship if we
do it unto the Lord and for His glory.
However, I believe the main issue of intimacy with God involves
how we prioritize our time.
We may say we do not have time to seek God, but we take time
to do the things that are the most important to us. “I am busy”
can be an excuse. We all have to fight distractions every day to
protect our time to seek God. He is the most important
requirement in our lives, so why does He not have that place of
importance in our time? Perhaps it is because when we start
making a spiritual investment, we want instant gratification.
But to seek God means to continue craving, pursuing, and going
after Him.
We will not experience instant gratification when we seek God.
We must sow before we reap; we must invest before we get a
return. In other words, we must lose before we gain; we must
give up time before we can experience intimacy with God.

When you see people in need, do you know how to help? The
parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:29–37 provides some
valuable insight. First, it is necessary to draw near to people in
difficulty to be able to offer comfort and assess their needs.
Second, be aware that you may not be able to meet all of their
needs, and that you may need others to help. Pray that God will
help you see the needs of those around you and give you wisdom
regarding who to help and how best to care for them.
speak the Word

Jesus, help me be like Mary and choose to put anxieties
aside and spend time with You.
take time to enjoy Jesus

Are you too busy? It seems today that almost everyone is. Quite
often I run into people I have not seen for a long time and when
I ask them how they have been they reply, “Busy.” I think that is
a shame and a problem. Martha was also busy (see Luke 10:40).
She was too busy to take time to enjoy Jesus when He came to
her home. She was busy working and trying to impress Jesus
and everyone else. She wanted everything to be just right, and
everything was just right—except her motives.
Mary, on the other hand, seized the opportunity to sit at the feet
of Jesus and learn (see Luke 10:39). She knew the work would
always be there, but that Jesus would not. We need to spend
regular, quality time with God. Do not make the mistake of
trying to work Him into your schedule, but make a decision to
put Him first and work the rest of your schedule around your
time with Him.
Not spending time with God is the biggest mistake we make in
our spiritual lives. Isaiah 40:31 tells us that those who wait upon
the Lord shall change and renew their strength. They shall
mount up with wings as eagles, run and not be weary, walk and
not faint. Spending time studying God’s Word, praying, and
fellowshipping with Him changes us and makes us strong
enough to endure whatever challenges come our way in life. The
truth of the matter is that we really cannot get along well at all
unless we do this one thing that Jesus told Martha was so very
important. He told her there was need of only one thing and
“Mary has chosen the good portion” (Luke 10:42).
Nobody on a deathbed has ever said, “I wish I spent more time
working at the office.” Most people wish they spent more time
on relationships. If we make right decisions now, we will not live
in the agony of regret later on in life. Learn to recognize the
time of your visitation, those special times when God calls you
to come and spend time with Him. When Jesus knocks at the
door of your heart, do not answer with, “I’m busy. Come back
another time.” Welcome Him in and enjoy His presence.
life point
In Luke 10:41, Jesus implied more than we sometimes realize
when He spoke the two words, “Martha, Martha.” Martha was
too busy for relationships; she chose work and worry over
intimacy. As a result, she misused her time and missed what was
vital to her.
Mary operated in wisdom; she took advantage of the moment.
She could spend the rest of her life cleaning, but Jesus was
there and she wanted Him to feel welcome. He came to see her
and Martha, not their clean house. This does not mean that a
clean house is not important, but there is a time for everything
—and this was not the time for cleaning house. Let us use
wisdom and not miss God’s presence when it is available.

Do you ever struggle with how to pray or what to pray for? You
are not alone—even the disciples needed to learn how to pray
(see Luke 11:1–4)! Although there is no one “right way” to pray,
the prayer that Jesus taught His disciples is an excellent model.
Worship, intercession, repentance, surrender, praise, and
petition are all important elements of prayer. Even as the
disciples did, ask God to teach you about these different aspects
of prayer and be sure to spend time with Him in prayer. Daily.
life point
Our asking, seeking, and knocking (see Luke 11:9) must be
sincere and we should always be ready to make a deeper
commitment to God. When this happens, He will move and send
His Holy Spirit to touch each of us in a special way. Ask and
believe by faith that God will do something wonderful. While
you wait for Him to do it, keep thanking Him and offering Him
praise.
speak the Word

God, I know that You are faithful and that if I ask and keep
on asking, I will receive from You. If I seek and keep on
seeking, I will find. If I knock and keep on knocking, the
door will be opened.
ask, seek, knock

Luke 11:9–13, just as in Matthew 7:7–11, encourages us to keep
on asking, seeking, and knocking on a continual basis, day in
and day out, 365 days a year, so that we may keep receiving what
we need.
How many times do we stay awake all night wrestling with our
problems and losing sleep over them, instead of simply casting
our cares upon the Lord and asking Him to meet our needs—
then trusting Him to do so?
How often do we try to make something happen in our lives
without asking God for help? How often do we try to prosper in
some area without asking God for prosperity? And how often do
we try to handle our own problems without asking God to work
them out for us?
Our mistake is failing to ask and seek and knock, failing to
trust God, our loving heavenly Father, to give us all the good
things that we ask of Him. We struggle and frustrate ourselves
with works of the flesh when we should humble ourselves under
God’s mighty hand knowing that in due time He will bring to
pass what is right for us (see I Peter 5:5, 6).
In Matthew 7:11, Jesus says, “If you then, evil as you are, know
how to give good and advantageous gifts to your children, how
much more will your Father Who is in heaven [perfect as He is]
give good and advantageous things to those who keep on asking
Him!” (emphasis mine). In Luke 11:13, Jesus says, “… how
much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those
who ask and continue to ask Him!” (emphasis mine).
Notice that both passages say that if we who are evil know how to
bless our children with good gifts, how much more will our
heavenly Father who is perfect be willing to bless His children
with good things. The most important of those “good things” that
God wants to give us is His own Holy Spirit. This is a truly
awesome gift!
uncovering the treasures in God’s Word

God’s Word contains incredible hidden treasures, powerful life-
giving secrets that God wants to reveal to us, and Luke 12:2
confirms that whatever is hidden to us will be revealed. How
does this happen? These treasures are disclosed to those who
meditate, ponder, study, think about, mentally practice, and
declare the Word of God.
As a teacher of God’s Word, I know personally the truth of this
principle. It seems there is no end to what God can show me out
of one verse from His Word. I will study it one time and gain an
understanding, and later I will see something new that I did not
even notice before.
The Lord reveals His secrets to those who are diligent to study
and meditate on the Word. Do not be the kind of person who
always wants to live off someone else’s revelation. Study the
Word yourself and allow the Holy Spirit to bless your life with
truth. Love God’s Word and give it a place of priority in your
daily life, and you will walk in wisdom and power.
Meditating on God’s Word is one of the most important things
that you and I can learn to do. As you go about your daily life,
ask the Holy Spirit to remind you of certain scriptures so you
can meditate on them. You will be amazed at how much power
will be released into your life from this practice. The more you
meditate on the Word of God, the more you can readily draw
upon its strength in times of trouble. Remember: the power to do
the Word comes from the practice of meditating on it (see Joshua 1:8).
life point
God’s children are not to be like the world. The world seeks
after things, but we are to seek the Lord and His kingdom. He
promises that if we will do that, He will add to us everything else
He knows we need (see Luke 12:31).
speak the Word

God, I will not be anxious and troubled with cares about
my life, because I know that I am very valuable to You and
that You will take care of me.

Have you ever lost something of great value, like the man and
the woman that Jesus talks about in Luke 15:1–10? If so, you
probably spent some frenzied moments searching, retracing
your steps, and may have even asked others to help you look for
your lost valuable. Do you remember the joy you experienced
when you found what was lost? That joy pales in comparison to
the joy in heaven when even one sinner repents. If there is
someone in your life who does not yet know God, pray often that
he or she will soon come to know Jesus as Savior and Lord.
the problem with a double purpose

In Luke 16:13, Jesus talked about not serving “two masters.” Let
me give you an example from a time in my life when I wrestled
with this truth.
Some years ago I served at a church as an associate pastor. I
loved this ministry and the people of the church, but the Lord
told me to leave my job there and start my own ministry.
I knew that when the Lord calls you to do something, you need
to do it. If you do not move forward to answer that call,
everything else in your life will dry up.
I also knew that I was no longer enjoying what I was doing and
eventually realized it was because God was finished with it. And
when God gets finished, we may as well get finished too or we
will end up essentially miserable trying to serve “two masters.”
The job I once thoroughly enjoyed, I now dreaded, simply
because God was calling me to something new.
Even though I knew all this, I stayed in that position for another
year. During that time I experienced all kinds of things that I did
not like. I was not happy at all, and I did not know why. Nothing
seemed to be right any longer.
Finally, the Lord spoke to me and said, “Take your ministry and
go north, south, east, and west.” I obeyed that direction, but for
three years I deeply felt the loss of what I left behind. I
experienced excitement about the future and sorrow over the
past at the same time. I could not understand why I felt the
sadness and sorrow I did since I thought I had heard from God
and was doing His will. My pastor felt the same way I did and we
kept trying to work out ways that I could have my own ministry
but still work at the church and be heavily involved in all they
were doing.
Through all of this, God really dealt with me. Finally, He said to
me, “Joyce, I cannot do anything else in your ministry until you
set your heart fully and completely on what I have called you to
do.” I came to realize that I had “soul ties” to that old job. I
invested five years of my life there. God told me to move on, but
my soul (mind, will, and emotions) was still tied to the place I
left behind. My basic problem was that I tried to serve two
masters. As long as I was torn between my past and my future, I
could not find peace of mind. I made the same mistake that
multitudes of others make. I tried to press into the future while
holding on to the past.
That is why, when God called Abraham, He told him to get away
from his country, his family, his relatives, and everything he
knew, and go to a place that God would show him (see Genesis
12:1). This does not mean we must all leave our family members
behind to serve God. However, some scholars believe that many
of Abraham’s relatives were idol worshippers and, for that
reason, God did not want anything from the past influencing
him. Paul said we must let go of what lies behind and press on to
what lies ahead (see Philippians 3:13). The Lord told Israel
through the prophet Isaiah, “Do not [earnestly] remember the
former things; neither consider the things of old. Behold, I am
doing a new thing!” (Isaiah 43:18, 19).
Our problem is that when we want to hold on to the past and
still go into the future, we are double-minded and serving “two
masters.” Let me encourage you today to let go of the past and
embrace the good things God has ahead for you!

When was the last time you thanked God for working in your
life? Even if you have not seen your breakthrough yet, it is
important to cultivate an attitude of gratitude for all that God
has done and is doing for you. Be like the leper in Luke 17:11–
19 and be sure to take time to thank God for His work in your
life, for His unfailing love and grace, and for all that He means
to you.
how to increase your faith

People often pray for “great faith,” yet they do not understand
that faith grows through challenges like stepping out to do
things they do not fully understand or have experience with. I do
not believe anyone is automatically a person of great faith; faith
becomes great through experience. It develops as it is used.
In Luke 17:5 the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”
Jesus responded in the next verse by encouraging them to have
faith like a small mustard seed; then they could say to a
mulberry tree, “Be pulled up by the roots, and be planted in the
sea,” (Luke 17:6) and the tree would obey them. I believe what
Jesus meant was that if you have any faith, you will plant it by
doing something. One of the ways we release our faith is by
doing something God asks of us. Faith often requires us to take
action. The apostles were doing nothing in this situation, and yet
they wanted great faith.
I am not saying to take action without God’s leading. There are
times when God does not want us to take action because He
wants us to wait for Him to take action for us. However, we need
to understand that trust is active rather than passive. It includes
being active in prayer, praise, and confession of God’s Word. We
should actively trust God, pray, and confess His Word in our
situation while we wait on Him to act on our behalf. As we do,
our faith will increase.
life point
In Luke 18:8, Jesus asks whether He will find faith on the earth
when He returns. We need to remember that God is pleased with
us as long as we believe. We need to maintain a high level of
confidence in Him. We must deal sternly with our flesh and not
allow it to rule, remembering that Jesus wants to find us full of
faith!
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In Luke 18:17, Jesus stressed the importance of being childlike
in our faith. What are children like? Matthew 18:3 states they
are “trusting, lowly, loving, and forgiving.” Oh, how much more
would we enjoy our lives if we only operated in these four
virtues! I encourage you to develop them in your life.
the trap of trusting yourself

In Luke 18:9–14, Jesus tells a parable to people who “trusted in
themselves.” This means they were proud; they felt confident
they were righteous, upright, and in right standing with God
because of their own works.
The parable describes two people who came to the temple to pray.
One was a Pharisee and one was a tax collector. The Pharisees
were revered because they were religious, and the tax collectors
were hated because many of them extorted money from their
own people. Tax collectors were considered very wicked.
I love the way the Amplified Bible depicts this Pharisee. I can
almost picture him: “The Pharisee took his stand ostentatiously
and began to pray thus before and with himself…” (Luke 18:11).
Do you see that? The Pharisee was not even talking to God; he
was really talking to himself. This portion of Scripture helped
me realize that there were times in my own life when I also
prayed publicly but I was not truly talking to God. My only
concern was how I sounded in front of people. Now when I lead a
prayer in front of other people, I always try to keep my attention
fully on God, not what the people think about how I sound. We
spend too much time being concerned about what everyone
thinks.
The Pharisee continued his monologue with himself. He
favorably compared himself to others he considered lowly—
robbers, swindlers, and adulterers—“or even this tax collector
here.” Ouch! This Pharisee was saying, “Thank You God that I
am not like he is; thank You that I am so holy.”
I have never prayed that prayer, but that does not mean I never
thought it. You probably have a friend in your life right now that
you consider yourself spiritually superior to. This could be a
Christian friend who does not practice his or her spirituality the
way you do. You attend early-morning prayer three times a week
and this person does not. Your tithe even includes money you
received as a birthday gift and you are sure theirs does not.
Those Pharisees were such good little tithers. They gave ten
percent of every little mint and leaf, every little grain of spice.
They would not miss giving their tithes, but they were rotten to
the core. Jesus referred to them as a bunch of whitewashed
tombs full of dead men’s bones. Jesus had a problem with the
Pharisees because they put on a good show, but they had rotten
hearts (see Matthew 23:23–27). God tells us to give a tithe of all
of our increase, but He does not tell us to presume that we know
what others are doing.
It is so easy to develop an “I’m better-than-you” attitude when
we compare ourselves to others. Guard your heart against self-
righteous attitudes. Be like the man in this parable who trusted
in the mercy of God—not in himself or his own goodness.
life point
Do you have a miserable past? Are your current circumstances
negative and depressing? Do you face situations that are so bad
it seems you have no real reason to hope? I say to you boldly,
your future is not determined by your past or your present!
Let me encourage you today to believe that with God all things
are possible (see Luke 18:27). Humanly speaking, some things
may be impossible, but we serve a God who created everything
we see out of nothing (see Hebrews 11:3). Give Him your
nothingness and watch Him go to work. All He needs is your
faith in Him. He needs for you to believe, and He will do the
rest.
life point
Notice that Luke 19:10 says “that which,” not “those who.” In
the previous verse we see that the chief tax collector, Zacchaeus,
and his household just received salvation. They were lost and
were now saved, but their salvation was not going to end there.
The statement Jesus made about coming to save that which was
lost tells me He intends to save us not only from our sins, but
also from everything Satan tries to do to ruin our lives.
life point
Judas was one of Jesus’ twelve disciples, yet we read that Satan
entered into him (see Luke 22:3). We must understand that
Satan can work through anyone, even those who are close to us.
That is why it is dangerous to expect too much of the people
around us. When we expect them never to hurt us, we set
ourselves up for severe disappointment.
That does not mean we should adopt a sour, bitter, cynical
attitude toward everyone and say, “Well, a person cannot trust
anybody these days.” I am not saying that at all. I like people,
and I trust people. I do not go through life being suspicious of
everyone I meet. At the same time, I also do not go through life
expecting never to be hurt by anyone because I know that other
people are flesh and blood, just as I am.
I realize that they are going to fail just as I fail. Therefore, I put
my trust not in people but in Jesus, the Friend who sticks closer
than a brother. I encourage you to do the same. He will never
disappoint you!
who is the greatest?

Early in my life, I struggled with jealousy and envy as I
compared myself to other people. This is a common habit of the
insecure. If we are not secure concerning our own worth and
value as a unique individual, we will find ourselves competing
with anyone who appears to be successful and doing well.
Learning that I was an individual with a God-ordained, unique,
personal plan for my life has indeed been one of the most
valuable and precious freedoms the Lord has granted me. I am
assured that I do not need to compare myself, or my ministry, to
anyone.
I am always encouraged that there is hope for me when I look at
Jesus’ disciples and realize that they struggled with many of the
same things I do. In Luke 22:24 we find the disciples arguing
over which of them was the greatest. Jesus responded to them by
saying that the greatest was actually the one who was willing to
be considered the least or the one who was willing to be a
servant. Our Lord spent a great deal of His time trying to teach
His disciples that life in the kingdom of God is usually the
direct opposite of the way of the world or the flesh.
Jesus taught His disciples great principles like these: Many who
are first will be last, and the last will be first (see Mark 10:31);
rejoice with the lost who have been found (see Luke 15:6, 32);
love your enemies and pray for people who persecute you (see
Matthew 5:44); it is more blessed to give than to receive (see
Acts 20:35). The world says this is foolishness—but Jesus says it
is true power. Be a disciple and determine to live your life by
Jesus’ kingdom principles.

Jesus struggled when faced with the reality of going to the cross,
yet He chose God’s will over His own (see Luke 22:39–42). How
will you respond when God asks you to choose His will over what
you want to do? You may never be asked to sacrifice your life for
your faith; yet in every sacrifice whether great or small, ask God
for the strength to do His will, His way.
speak the Word

Help me, Jesus, to never deny You.

Do you ever struggle with feeling like you need to earn God’s
love and favor? Take a lesson from the thief in Luke 23:39–43:
there is nothing you can do to make God love you any more, and
there is nothing you have done that makes God love you any
less.
John
Author:
Apostle John
Date:
Near the close of the first
century
We live under a new
commandment: to love one
another. This is essential.
Apart from Jesus, we can do
nothing.
The Holy Spirit is our
Comforter, our Counselor, our
Helper and our Teacher. He is
also the Spirit of Truth.
While Matthew, Mark and Luke differ in several ways, they are similar in
that they include many of the same teachings and parables of Jesus in
sequential order. John, on the other hand, does not take such a
chronological approach, but tells about Jesus in terms of themes and
topics.
One of the great themes in John is love—loving God, receiving His love
and loving others. In John 13:34, Jesus says: “I give you a new
commandment: that you should love one another. Just as I have loved
you, so you too should love one another.” This is one of the most
important principles of our faith and is vital to our lives as believers.
Another important theme in John is the necessity of abiding in Jesus. In
John 15:5, He tells us: “… apart from Me [cut off from vital union with
Me] you can do nothing.” We must stay as close to Jesus as we possibly
can. As we do, we are blessed and our lives bear much fruit.
John also gives us great insight into the ministry of the Holy Spirit (see
chapters 14—16), who is our Teacher, our Comforter, our Helper, our
Counselor and the Spirit of Truth.
As you read John, be reminded of God’s love for you and of the necessity
of staying intimately connected to Jesus. Allow the Holy Spirit to
minister to you in every area of your
speak the Word

Thank You, Jesus, that because I have received You, You
have given me the authority to become a child of God,
because I believe in, adhere to and rely on Your name.
dealing with prejudice

For years, I did not understand John 1:45–47. Nathanael seemed
to make a negative statement when he said, “Can anything good
come out of Nazareth?” Yet in the next verse Jesus seemed to
compliment Nathanael saying, “Here is an Israelite indeed [a
true descendent of Jacob], in whom there is no guile nor deceit
nor falsehood nor duplicity!”
Then one day I saw it. Nathanael had a negative opinion of
Nazareth because the prevailing sentiment of his day was that
nothing good ever happened there. So when he heard that Jesus
was from Nazareth, Nathanael was initially closed to the idea
that Jesus was the true Messiah simply because of where He
came from.
So often we are like Nathanael. We decide that a person cannot
be any good because of where he lives or where he comes from.
We can be so biased and opinionated, often without even
realizing it. We have prejudices that have been placed in us by
others through the things they have said to us. This is why we
have to carefully examine our hearts to see if they are truly
open.
The thing Jesus seemed to like about Nathanael was that
although he seemed convinced that nothing good could come out
of Nazareth, he was willing to check it out. Even though he had a
strong opinion, he had an open heart. Let me encourage you to
have an open heart toward everyone you meet. Think of it. If
Nathanael had been unwilling to open his heart to Jesus, he
would have missed the greatest blessing of his life—a great
relationship with the Lord. I believe God has blessings in store
for you through relationships too, so keep your heart open.

Has God ever asked you to do something that did not seem to
make much sense? No doubt the servants wondered why Jesus
asked them to fill pots with water when it was the wine that ran
out. To their credit, they obeyed—and they witnessed Jesus’ first
miracle. Even when you don’t understand why God asks you to
do something, heed Mary’s advice and do whatever God tells you
to do. You will be blessed because of your obedience.
people aren’t perfect
Having unrealistic expectations of people sets us up to be
disappointed. Am I saying that we should not be expectant? Of
course not! We should expect the best out of people, but at the
same time we must remember they are human beings with
imperfections.
When Jesus’ disciples disappointed Him, He was not devastated
because He already knew and fully understood human nature,
as we learn in John 2:25. Jesus expected His disciples to do their
best, but He knew that even their best would still be imperfect.
I have come to realize that we tend to look for the perfect
spouse, perfect friend, perfect job, perfect neighborhood, perfect
church, and the truth is, it does not exist! As long as we are in
earthly bodies we will manifest imperfection. God must have
known that to be true, because He gave us instructions in His
Word on how to handle people who irritate us or disappoint us.
People are not perfect, and to expect them to be flawless is
frustrating for everyone involved. We must learn to be generous
with mercy and to sow seeds of mercy so we can reap mercy
when we need it.
We all like to plan ahead for our lives and have people cooperate
with us. We want situations to go exactly the way we plan, but
that rarely happens. This isn’t negative; it is truth. As believers,
we have the power of the Holy Spirit to help us do difficult
things and deal with human imperfections—not to make our
lives so easy that we never need to use our faith.
I urge you to expect good things to happen in your life. I also
urge you to be realistic and realize that we all have to deal with
things that are unpleasant and people who are disagreeable.
Your attitude in these trying situations greatly affects your
enjoyment of life. You can be realistic, walk in truth and still
have a positive attitude as you deal with your own imperfections
and those of the people around you.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, for loving me so much that You gave up
Your only Son, so that if I believe in Him, I will not perish,
but I will have everlasting life. I know that You did not
send Your Son to condemn me, but that I might find
salvation and be made safe and sound through Him.
speak the Word

God, I pray that You will increase and I will decrease more
and more.
speak the Word

Help me, God, to worship You in spirit and in truth.
be pitiful or be powerful
Why was this man we read about in John 5:1–9 lying beside the
pool for thirty-eight years? Not only was he sick in his body, he
was also sick in his soul. Sicknesses of the soul are much worse,
and sometimes harder to deal with than sicknesses of the body. I
believe the condition of his body and soul stole his confidence
and caused him to give up in a gradual, passive kind of way.
Notice that when Jesus asked the sick man if he was “in
earnest” about getting well (John 5:6), he said he had no one to
help him get into the pool where he could be healed. Jesus did
not stand there and pity the man. Instead, He gave very specific
instruction: “Get up! Pick up your bed… and walk!” In other
words, “Don’t just lie there, do something!”
Jesus knew self-pity would not deliver the man, so He did not
feel sorry for him. He had compassion on him, and that is
different from emotional pity. Jesus was not being harsh, hard or
mean. He was trying to set the man free!
Self-pity is a major problem. I know, because I lived in self-pity
for many years. It affected me, my family and the plan of God for
my life. God finally told me that I could be pitiful or I could be
powerful, but I could not be both. If I wanted to be powerful, I
had to give up self-pity.
Being sexually abused for approximately fifteen years and
growing up in a dysfunctional home left me lacking confidence
and filled with shame. I wanted to have good things in my life,
but I was stuck in emotional torment and despair.
Like the man in John 5, Jesus did not give me pity either. Jesus
was actually very firm with me and He applied a lot of tough
love, but His refusal to let me wallow in self-pity was a turning
point in my life. I am not in the pit any longer. I now have a
great life. If you will reject self-pity, actively look to God and do
what He instructs you to do, you can have a great life too.
life point
John 5:19 teaches us that Jesus was always obedient to the
Father and showed it by refraining from doing anything He did
not first see the Father do (see also John 8:28, 29). None of us
are at that level yet, but it should certainly be our goal.
I believe the world will take notice if we as the church of Jesus
Christ, His body here on earth, will wage war against
selfishness, walk in love and do what we see the Father doing.
life point
In John 5:38 Jesus chastised some people because they were not
keeping His Word alive in their hearts. They weren’t trusting
God and clinging to Him and His Word. Jesus said that if we
really believe in Him, we will keep His Word alive in our hearts.
This is accomplished by studying and meditating on it. God’s
Word is His thoughts and when we give His Word first place in
our lives, His thoughts become our thoughts and we will
experience the good plans He has for us.
life point
God is pleased when we believe in His Son Jesus, and He is not
pleased when we do not. We can do many good and benevolent
works, yet if we have no faith in Jesus, God is still not pleased
with us. But if we simply believe and trust in God, He is pleased.

Your body lets you know when you are hungry. Your stomach
growls; you may get cranky or feel a little light-headed. Did you
know your spirit can also get hungry? Just as you feed your body
daily, it is necessary to daily feed on the Bread of Life by
spending time with God and in His Word.
believe to achieve
So many times I have said to the Lord, “Father, what do You want
me to do? If You will just show me what to do, I will gladly do it.”
I was a doer. All anybody had to do was show me what needed to
be done, and I did it—and I did my best to do it right. But what
frustrated and confused me was when I did something right and
it still did not work. I had not yet learned that unless the Lord
builds the house, “they labor in vain who build it” (Psalm
127:1).
The people in John 6:28 wanted to know what they needed to do
to please God. They wanted to know what to do in order to work
the works of God. What was Jesus’ answer to these people?
“This is the work (service) that God asks of you: that you believe
in the One Whom He has sent…” (John 6:29).
When the Lord first revealed this passage to me, I thought He
was going to show me how to finally be successful in doing His
works. And in a sense He did.
He told me, “Believe.”
You and I think we are supposed to be achievers, and we are. But
the way we achieve is to first believe. That frees us from worry
and reasoning and enables us to live victorious, blessed lives.
God has works for us to do, but faith must come first and works
will follow. When done in faith, works are easy and God gets the
credit instead of us. Faith without works is dead, but we must be
careful not to get “the cart before the horse.” When we do that,
we struggle and make every effort, yet we see no progress. We
are called “believers,” not “achievers.” Our first and foremost
work is always to believe!
life point
Notice in John 7:37–39 that Jesus did not say that rivers of living
water will flow once in a while from those who believe in Him. He
said these rivers of living water will flow continuously. That living
water is the Holy Spirit.
In this passage, Jesus talks about the outpouring of the Holy
Spirit, which we have received if we have accepted Jesus as Lord
and Savior—the Person and the power of the Holy Spirit in us.
The river of living water flows within you and me. It is not
supposed to be stopped up, but it is to bubble up within us and
flow out of us. And we can release the power of that living water
in an even greater measure by receiving the fullness of the Holy
Spirit. Ask Him to fill you today and every day.
finding your true identity

Our identity is established as a result of who and what we
choose to identify with. If we identify with people and what they
say about us, we will end up in trouble; but if we identify with
Jesus and His opinion of us, we will not have an identity crisis.
Jesus knew who He was. John 8:14 tells us Jesus knew who He
was because He knew where He came from and where He was
going. This infuriated many of the Pharisees, the religious
leaders of the day; they thought Jesus was blaspheming by
claiming to be the Son of God. They were angry at His
confidence in who He was. But no matter what people said about
Jesus, He did not identify with it. He identified with what His
heavenly Father said about Him. He identified with God!
Identification with Christ is a doctrinal foundation of the
Christian faith. It’s not taught as frequently and fully as it
should be. Some religious organizations spend far too much
time telling people what they need to do, and not enough time
telling them who they are in Christ. We need to be taught to
identify with Jesus, not with people.
You belong to God! Knowing that truth will give you confidence
to walk in this world with your head held high. You will be able
to follow your own heart and avoid adverse effects when people
do not agree with you or your choices. You will have greater
confidence which will enable you to do more for God.
From now on, when people say something unkind about you,
respond by saying to yourself, or to them if appropriate: “I do
not identify with that.”
See yourself as complete in Christ.
speak the Word

Help me, God, to know the Truth because only the Truth
sets me free!
discerning God’s voice

People ask, “How can I be sure I am hearing from God?” As
believers, hearing God speak to us is our right and our privilege.
The Word says that we can know His voice and distinguish it
from others; He gives us discernment to identify His voice over
voices of deception. In John 10:3–5, He parallels this
discernment with the instinctive nature of sheep that recognize
the voice of their shepherd.
We can discern the difference between God’s voice and the voice
of deception if we truly know God’s character, nature, and the
history of how He has led others before us. We will know that
what we have heard is something that is in His nature to say. We
will know that what He has said does not contradict His Word,
wisdom or common sense.
If we truly belong to God, He will give us discernment to know if
what we are hearing is truly from Him or not. He will enable us
to distinguish His voice from the deceptive spirit of error. Then
we can have confidence that we are following God’s direction,
whether He is leading us to go forward or telling us to wait.
To hear God and avoid the spirit of error, it is important to look
into God’s Word and spend time with Him there. The more we
study and learn the Word, the more we will let its power flow
through our lives and the better we will be able to hear, discern
and obey God’s voice.

Have you ever had anything stolen from you? Even if you
replaced the article that was stolen, it was probably a trying
experience. As difficult as that might have felt, however, Satan—
the thief—wants to do even more damage in your life. He does
not want to steal your bicycle or your stereo or even your car—
he wants to rob you of the joy and peace and hope that you have
found in God. But be encouraged: Jesus, your Good Shepherd,
has saved you and gives you abundant life. Ask Him to restore
anything Satan has robbed from you and to teach you how to
walk in the abundant life He has promised you.
enjoying everyday life

Satan has one goal and that is destruction. He comes only to
kill, steal and destroy everything good that God has in mind for
us. Jesus said He came that we might have life and enjoy our
lives.
Are you enjoying life? Are you enjoying every facet of life or
just what you consider to be the “fun” parts? I truly believe that
through the power of the Holy Spirit we can enjoy everything.
We can enjoy our work and times of waiting. We can enjoy the
journey and not just the destination. Life is really all about the
journey. Even when a train arrives at whatever station it is
headed for, it soon leaves again for another station. We spend
more time in life waiting than we do arriving. God created us to
be goal-oriented. Once we reach one goal, it is not long before
we find ourselves setting another one. We must learn to enjoy
where we are on the way to where we are going.
One of the ways Satan steals from us is by making us think we

can only enjoy certain things and not others. But the truth is
that we can get a new mindset and decide to enjoy everything in
life. I spend a lot of time waiting in airports. Sometimes flights
are cancelled or delayed and I used to let that steal my joy. I
often became very aggravated, frustrated and upset—but that did
not change my circumstances; it only stole my joy and peace. I
finally learned that when circumstances change, I do not have to
change with them. I can refuse to allow Satan to get me upset.
When Satan steals from you or aggravates you, he really does
not want your goods, he wants your joy!
Making a decision to enjoy my life was an important one for me
and it may be for you too. Life is wasted if we allow ourselves to
be miserable all the time. Jesus said in John 14:27 that He has
left us His peace and we are to stop allowing ourselves to be
upset. He has given us gifts and responsibilities. We are
partners with God. His part is to provide peace and joy and our
part is not to let the devil steal it. Decide today to start enjoying
everyday life!

Many people are afraid of death. Are you? Martha had just
buried her brother, yet she took Jesus at His word and believed
that He was the Son of God and that her brother would live
again. As a believer in Jesus, you do not need to fear death. As
Martha discovered, you too can know that Jesus has defeated the
power of death. Although your body will one day die, your spirit
will live forever with God.
life point
In John 11:41 we see a good example of Jesus giving thanks to
God. When you pray, I encourage you to end your prayer, as
Jesus did here, by saying, “Father, I thank You that You have
heard me.”
speak the Word

Jesus, I will serve You and continue to follow You. I will
cleave steadfastly to You, conform wholly to Your example
in living and, if need be, in dying. Wherever You are, I will
be also.
great people serve

Pride never kept the Lord from showing His love. John 13:3–15
tells the story of how Jesus washed the feet of His disciples in an
act of servanthood to show them how very much He loved them.
In a culture where people’s sandals did not protect their feet
from the dirt of the roads, servants—not masters—were
supposed to wash feet. But Jesus, fully knowing who He was,
being the Greatest of all, became the Servant of all.
When the Lord came to Simon Peter to wash his feet, Peter
resisted Him saying, “Lord, are my feet to be washed by You?”
(John 13:6). Imagine for a moment how you would feel if Jesus
told you that He wanted to wash your feet. You probably would
feel hesitant, as Peter did, thinking that you should be the one
washing the Lord’s feet, instead of Him washing yours. How did
Jesus respond to Peter’s rash vow of never letting Jesus wash his
feet? Jesus said that unless Peter let Him do this, he would have
no part in Him (see John 13:7, 8).
After Jesus completed washing all of His disciples’ feet, He told
them they needed to follow His example as their Lord and
Teacher and wash one another’s feet (see John 13:14). I believe
Jesus was saying that unless we are willing to serve one another,
we have no true part in Him or in each other. If we love someone
to the highest degree, we will be willing to serve that person.
In our relationship with Him, Jesus calls us to sacrifice our self-

will. We are not to be served, but to serve. We are to be sensitive
to other people’s needs, even in little things. We, like Jesus,
should seek to serve others rather than merely letting them
serve us. When we have people in our lives who serve us in
various ways, we should always treat them with the utmost
respect and be good to them.

Have you ever wondered what the best way to tell someone about
Jesus is? The answer is, “Love them.” Live out the selfless,
sacrificial love that you have received from Jesus. Extend that
love to those who have not trusted Him as Lord and Savior, and
your actions will speak loudly about who Jesus is and what He is
all about.
major in love
Is love the main theme of your life? If not, you need to make a
change. Often we spend time seeking things that we think are
important, but they aren’t important to God at all. I did that for
a long time. I tried to build a worldwide ministry, tried to change
myself and my husband and children, tried to prosper and
succeed. I tried a lot of things, but I ignored the one thing Jesus
told us was important.
Do not major in what Jesus considers to be minor. In other
words, don’t spend your time and effort on things that have no
lasting value and don’t add to the kingdom of God. We should all
take a regular and honest inventory of our love walk. Do you
study love? Do you purposely walk in love? Do you even really
know what love is? It is certainly more than theory or speech.
The Bible says love is seen in our behavior toward one another.
It is by our love that the world will know we are Jesus’ disciples
(see John 13:35).
The world will not be impressed with anything other than seeing
a consistent love walk among Christians. That will impress them
because it is rarely seen and it is impossible for anyone to
maintain without Jesus Christ in their lives. Talk is easy, but
the world needs to see action. God is love; so when people see
real love, they see God.
Love can be described quite eloquently, but I believe the real
power of love is seen in how we treat one another. Are we
patient, kind, humble, ready to believe the best at all times, not
easily provoked or offended and ready to lay aside our rights for
other people? Are we ready to quickly and frequently forgive,
and to never keep records of wrongs that we have suffered? Will
we endure everything without weakening and bear with the
failings of the weak? The willingness to do these things is what
love is all about. Love is an effort and it always costs us
something. Most people today are looking for the easy road, but
that is one that leads to destruction. I encourage you to take the
narrow road—the one which people who are willing to treat
others as they want to be treated travel.
life point
In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the Way.” It is important for us to
see that Jesus has a certain way of doing things, and if we will
submit to His way, everything will work out. But so often we
wrestle and struggle with Him, trying to get Him to do things
our way. It just doesn’t work. Let Jesus be the Way in your life.

Have you ever been in a car with someone who doesn’t know
where he is going and who refuses to ask for directions? Many
people think there are many ways to God, and they search for
truth in different places, ignoring the directions that God gave
us. However, the reality is that there is only one way to God, and
that is through Jesus Christ. As you follow Jesus, Who is the
Way, He will lead you in truth and you will experience fullness
of life. Pray for those who do not yet know Jesus, that they too
will find life and truth in Him.
life point
To whatever degree we love God, to that same degree we obey
Him. To whatever degree we obey Him, that is the measure of
our love for Him. As our love for Jesus grows, so will our
obedience.
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Things get hard when we try to do them independently without
leaning and relying on God’s grace. If everything in life were
easy, we wouldn’t need the power of the Holy Spirit to help us.
One way the Bible refers to the Holy Spirit is our “Helper.” He
is in us and with us all the time to help us, to enable us to do
what we cannot do—and, I might add, to do with ease what would
be difficult without Him.
life point
John 14:17 calls the Holy Spirit the “Spirit of Truth.” He works
continually in and with believers to bring us into new levels of
truth awareness. Entering a new level always means leaving an
old one behind, but we have nothing to fear because He promises
to be with us. Always.
life point
We see plainly from John 14:27 that Jesus has provided us
peace, but we must appropriate it, and not allow our hearts to be
troubled or afraid. We cannot just passively wait to feel peaceful.
We are to pursue God’s peace and refuse to live without it.

Have you ever seen fruit grow apart from the vine, tree, or plant
to which it was attached? Of course not! As a disciple of Jesus,
the same is true for you. Unless you stay in His presence, you
will not grow or bear fruit. The word, abide means “to dwell; to
take up residence.” Allow Jesus to take up residence in your
life. Just as the vine is the source of nourishment and wealth for
the fruit, Jesus is your source of life. Cultivate an ever-growing
relationship with Him by spending time with Him in prayer,
reading and studying God’s Word.
life point
John 15:1–8 tells us that God prunes us and cuts away things
that no longer bear the kind of fruit He desires us to show. This
“cutting away” is often painful and not immediately understood,
but it is necessary for us to grow into the fruit-bearing believers
of Jesus Christ that He wants us to be. We need to understand
that God is progressive, and sometimes He needs to prune us as
He leads us to higher places.
“help, Lord!”
God wants us to depend entirely on Him. He wants us to lean on,
trust in and rely on Him. Actually, that is part of the definition
of faith. We are partners with God, and that means we both have
responsibility. But we must lean on Him in order to do the
things that are our part. God called me into the ministry and He
anointed (enabled) and gifted me to do what I need to do, but I
still have to trust Him and remember how much I need Him at
all times.
Sometimes we may think that we don’t need God’s help with
things we have done over and over again successfully. Why
would we need help with something we already know we can do?
It is dangerous to become self-reliant. The book of Proverbs
speaks frequently of the self-confident fool. People who think
they are self-sufficient and can take care of themselves are
being foolish—and eventually that will be proven to everyone
including themselves.
An independent attitude is part of the baby stage of Christianity.
A mature Christian knows that he can do nothing of any real
value apart from Jesus. Of course, we can do things, but that
doesn’t mean they will be done right or that we will enjoy them
or that they will produce any real lasting fruit.
When the Lord says we can do nothing apart from Him, He
means things will not work properly in our lives unless we
invite Him into everything. His presence can eliminate much of
the struggle we experience in life. It makes impossible things
possible, hard things easy and frustrating things peaceful. Do
not ever be afraid to say, “Help, Lord, I can’t do this without
You.”
speak the Word

Thank You, Jesus, for calling me Your friend.
welcome the Holy Spirit’s work

In John 16:7, 8, Jesus told the disciples that when the Holy
Spirit came, He would have close fellowship with them and
would convict them of sin.
The Holy Spirit guides believers into all truth (see John 16:13),
and He is the agent in the process of sanctification in their lives.
This is partially accomplished by His convicting work. Every time
we get off track or go in a wrong direction, the Holy Spirit
convicts us that our behavior or decision is wrong. This is
accomplished by a “knowing” in our spirit that what we are
doing is not right.
When you and I feel convicted, we should repent and change our
direction. No more and no less is required or acceptable. If we
are willing to cooperate with the Holy Spirit, we can move on to
spiritual maturity and release all the planned blessings of God
in our lives. If, however, we ignore the Holy Spirit’s conviction
and go our own way, we will find it very difficult. Our lives will
not be blessed and as a result, they won’t bear fruit.
Satan does not want us to be convicted by the Holy Spirit, nor
does he even want us to understand that we are under
conviction. He always has a counterfeit for all the good things
that God offers—something that appears to be similar to what
God offers, but which, if received, brings destruction instead of
blessing.
I believe Satan’s counterfeit for true godly conviction is
condemnation. Condemnation always produces feelings of guilt.
It makes us feel “down” in every way. When we are condemned,
we feel “under” something heavy, which is where Satan wants
us.
God, on the other hand, sent Jesus to set us free and to give us
righteousness, peace and joy (see Romans 14:17). Our spirits
should be light and carefree, not oppressed and heavy with
burdens we are unable to bear. We cannot bear our sins; Jesus
came to bear them. He alone is able to do so, and we must
receive His ministry.
life point
John 16:7–11 tells us that the Holy Spirit speaks to our
conscience to convict us of sin and convince us of righteousness.
His conviction is intended to convince us to repent, which means
to turn and go in the right direction rather than the wrong one
in which we are currently headed.
Learning that conviction is different from condemnation took a
long time for me. Erroneously, I condemned myself each time
the Holy Spirit convicted me of something in my life that was
not God’s will. Godly conviction is meant to lift us out of
something, to help us move up higher in God’s will and plan for
our lives. Condemnation on the other hand presses us down and
puts us under a burden of guilt.
It is healthy and normal to feel guilty when we are initially
convicted of sin; but to keep the guilty feeling after we have
repented of the sin is not healthy, nor is it God’s will.
life point
Truth is one of the most powerful weapons a believer has against
the kingdom of darkness. Truth is light, and the Bible says that
the darkness has never overpowered the light, and it never will
(see John 1:5).
Jesus said that truth will set us free (see John 8:32). Truth is
revealed by the Spirit of Truth.
Jesus could have showed His disciples all the truth, but John
16:12, 13 reveals that He knew they were not ready for it. He
told them that they needed to wait until the Holy Spirit came
down from heaven to abide with them and to dwell in them (see
Luke 24:49). We know that after Jesus ascended into heaven, He
did indeed send the Holy Spirit (see Acts 2:1–18).
How can we have the Holy Spirit work in our lives if we do not
face truth? He is called “The Spirit of Truth” (John 16:13). A
major facet of His ministry to you and me is to help us face truth
—to bring us to a place of truth, because only the truth will set
us free.
the Spirit of Truth

In John 16:12, 13, Jesus told His disciples that He had many
things to say to them that they were unable to bear. But He
promised that the Holy Spirit would come and lead them into all
truth and continue to teach them (see also John 14:26).
When Jesus spoke these words, He was talking to men with
whom He had spent the previous three years. They were with
Him day and night, yet He indicated that He had more to teach
them. We might think that if Jesus were with us personally for
three years, day and night, we would have learned all there is to
know. I think that if I had one uninterrupted month with people,
I could tell them everything I know. But Jesus said to expect
more because He will always have things to teach us and
something to say to us about new situations we are facing.
Jesus always knew the right thing to do because He only did
what He saw His Father do. As our Lord, we can trust Him to
personally lead us on the right path every day. Jesus said, “It is
written in [the book of] the Prophets, And they shall all be
taught of God [have Him in person for their Teacher]. Everyone
who has listened to and learned from the Father comes to Me”
(John 6:45).
God knew we needed help understanding His plan for us, so He
sent the Holy Spirit to dwell inside every Christian. He is our
Guide, our Teacher of truth, our Counselor, and our Helper. He
is also our Comforter.
Jesus said it was good for us that He went away, because if He
did not go, the Holy Spirit would not come to us (see John 16:7).
Jesus was confined to a body just as we are and could be only at
one place at a time. But the Holy Spirit can be in each of us
everywhere we go, all the time, individually leading and guiding
us. If we learn to listen to the Holy Spirit and follow His lead, we
can live the abundant life God wants us to have.
speak the Word
Sanctify me, Lord. Purify, consecrate, separate me for
Yourself and make me holy by Truth. Your Word is Truth.

Is your church affiliated with any particular denomination?
While denominations provide helpful structure and teaching
and tools for ministry, there is not one “right” denomination
that renders all the others “wrong.” Throughout Scripture,
followers of God are called to unity. Be committed to the unity of
the Church; pray for other churches in your neighborhoods and
for Christians of every denomination to be blessed and effective
in ministry.

You have probably heard the saying, “It is not what you know,
but who you know that is important.” As a Christian, you are
most likely learning that this is true! Are you searching for
something more in your life? Jesus did not ask Mary “what” she
was looking for, He asked her “who” she was looking for, and
that made all the difference. Knowing about Jesus is important,
but it is the act of knowing Jesus, the Risen Savior, that is most
important in our lives. Ask Him to help you know Him more
fully.

As a Christian, you have been sent into the world to do the work
that Jesus began. Do you ever get tired or discouraged as you do
so? Ask God on a regular basis for a fresh filling of the Holy
Spirit so you will be empowered to do all that He has called you
to do.
forgiveness and the Holy Spirit

I believe the number one rule in forgiving sins is to do as Jesus
commanded in John 20:22 and receive the Holy Spirit, Who
provides the strength and ability to forgive. None of us can do
that on our own.
I believe when Jesus breathed on the disciples and they received
the Holy Spirit, they were born again, at that very moment. The
next thing He said to them was whatever sins they forgave were
forgiven and whatever sins they retained were retained (see
John 20:23).
The forgiving of sins seems to be the first power conferred upon
people when they are born again. If that is so, then the forgiving
of sins is our first duty as believers. But although we have the
power to forgive sins, it is not always easy to forgive sins.
Whenever someone does something to me I need to forgive, I
pray, “Holy Spirit, breathe on me and give me the strength to
forgive this person.” I do that because my emotions are
screaming inside of me, “You have hurt me—and that is not
fair!”
At that point I have to remember to let go and allow the God of
justice to work out everything. I have to remind myself that my
job is to pray; His job is to be my Vindicator. When we trust God
He always makes wrong things right in due time.
When someone does something hurtful to you, go to the Lord
and receive from Him the strength to place your will on the altar
and say, “Lord, I forgive this person. I loose him; I let him go.”
Once you have done that, let it drop. Don’t think or talk about it
anymore.

Have you ever doubted God? If you are like most Christians, you
probably have, and you may have even felt guilty about doubting
Him. Jesus welcomes you to bring your doubts to Him. Like
Thomas, be honest with Jesus about your doubts.
He will meet you where you are if you are honest with Him. Ask
Him to show you that He is Who He says He is and to help you
believe that He can do what He says He can do. He will be
faithful to do so, and like Thomas, your faith will increase.
life point
In John 21:18, Jesus told Peter about the hardships he would
endure in order to serve and glorify Him. As soon as Jesus said
these things to him, Peter turned, saw John and immediately
asked Jesus what His will was for that disciple. Peter wanted to
make sure that if he were going to have rough times ahead, so
would John.
In response, Jesus politely told Peter to mind his own business.
When you are tempted to compare yourself with others or be
jealous, remember this advice!
Acts
Author:
Attributed to Luke
Date:
About AD 62
We desperately need the power
of the Holy Spirit in our lives
today, and thank God, it is
readily available to us!
Christianity is not a religious
activity; it is a way of life.
The Holy Spirit wants to be
involved in every area of your
life, every day.
The book of Acts basically picks up where the Gospels end. Before His
death and resurrection, Jesus told His disciples that it was “profitable
(good, expedient, advantageous)” for them that He would go away,
because if He did not, the Holy Spirit would not come to them (see John
16:7). In Acts, we see that the Holy Spirit did come and we learn that He
is still on earth today teaching, guiding, helping, and empowering us to
do the things God calls us to do.
Acts gives us a clear and vivid picture of how the church should operate.
It shows us that we need unity and the power of the Holy Spirit and that
we need to constantly reach out to others and help people. In this book,
we see that when the Holy Spirit is given free rein in our lives and in the
church, there is tremendous growth in the kingdom of God and in our
lives as individuals.
As you read Acts, I pray you will see that Christianity is so much more
than going to church; it is also allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us in all
the affairs of our lives. He came to help and empower us in every area of
our lives, not just the parts we call “spiritual.” We are not to divide our
lives into secular and sacred; everything about us belongs to God and He
wants to be involved in all of it.
life point
Jesus told His disciples in Acts 1:4 to wait for what the Father
promised them. He was referring to the power they would receive
“when the Holy Spirit has come upon you” (Acts 1:8). Jesus was
saying, “Do not try to do any mighty works until you have
received that power from on high.” The disciples knew that if
they did not wait, they would not have power. They did as He
instructed and waited for the coming of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus’ instruction to wait was not only for His disciples then. It
is a truth that applies to us today. I encourage you to “actively”
wait for the promises of God by listening for what He is telling
you to do instead of running ahead of God and doing something
in the flesh. Wait for the Word of God and for His promises.
“you shall receive power”

We all need and want power, and Jesus promised in Acts 1:8 that
“you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon
you.” I do not know of any person who hopes and prays for
weakness and inability. God desires for us to be powerful and
live and enjoy power-packed lives—lives that include victory
over Satan and all of His wicked plots and schemes.
The Holy Spirit is the enabling power of God, and when He
comes into our lives we become more powerful. We might even
say that our power level is dependent on the level that we
surrender to Him. Have you surrendered every room in your
heart to the Holy Spirit? Have you invited Him into every area
of your life, or do you reserve certain areas for yourself where
you want no interference from anyone, not even God?
Spiritual maturity is a process. We release areas of our lives to
the Lord little by little. The more we release to Him, the better
our lives become. We often cling to the very things that make us
miserable and yet we are afraid to let go. Trust God and know for
certain that everything He asks you to do is for your good and
will make your life better.
The power of the Holy Spirit enables us to be what God wants us
to be. I noticed years ago that Acts 1:8 states that the people
received power to “be” witnesses, not power to “do” witnessing.
God wants us to become what He has in mind for us and then,
out of who we are, we will begin to do what He wants us to do.
“Doing” witnessing is good, but we must also “be” witnesses for
Christ in our everyday lives. We can show up at church and do
good deeds, but God’s deepest desire for each of us is that we
become like Christ in all of our thoughts, attitudes, words, and
deeds.
We often make the mistake of being overly concerned about
what is happening in our circumstances when our priority
should be what is happening in our hearts. God is more
interested in changing us than He is in changing our
circumstances. Invite the Lord to have His way in you and your
life, and you will experience an increase of the Holy Spirit’s
power.
wait for God

I believe the key word in Acts 1:13 is indefinitely. The disciples
went into the Upper Room with a mind-set that said, “We are not
coming out of here until God shows up.” They did not go in there
to wait ten minutes. They did not go in there to wait two days.
They did not go in there to wait three months. No, they went in
there saying, “We cannot do all that God wants us to do without
His full power in our lives.” Like those who entered the Upper
Room to wait for the promised outpouring of the Holy Spirit, we
should approach God with an attitude that says, “I am waiting on
You, Lord, indefinitely, until I receive power from on high!”
Waiting for God indefinitely is hard for us to do. We have so
much energy and zeal in our flesh that even if we ever get
around to waiting, we pause only for short periods of time and
then the energy of our flesh takes over again.
If God does not do something as quickly as we want Him to do it,

then our bright ideas overtake us again, and we get right back in
the flesh. We constantly cover the same ground. We make some
progress and then we become impatient and lose it. We gain a
little ground and then we lose it. We have to “gain and
maintain.” We must stand fast in the liberties we are given and
not submit again to a yoke of bondage we have once put off (see
Galatians 5:1). Even when we do not “see” something or “feel”
that God is working, He is working mightily in our behalf. We
inherit the promises of God through faith and patience
(Hebrews 10:36).
The mind-set we need to have is this: “God, I have come to the
end of myself. I have tried this, and I have tried that. I have tried
everything I can possibly think of for all these years. Now it is
obvious that I cannot do what needs to be done by myself. God, I
need You. Only You can do it. So I am waiting on You.”
Be willing to wait indefinitely for God—as long as it takes.
life point
Not only do you need God, God needs you! Do not discount
yourself by thinking that God could not possibly use you. Note
that in Acts 2:17, 18, God speaks of pouring out His Spirit on all
mankind—menservants, maidservants, sons, and daughters. Joel
2:28, 29 first prophesied these words, and Peter repeats them
here in Acts. This prophetic word from the Lord definitely
includes you and me!
the power of Jesus’ name

I want to share a story with you about the power of Jesus’ name
(see Acts 2:21). A person I know was driving through an
intersection one day and his little three-or four-year-old son was
in the car with him. He did not realize that the car door on the
passenger side was not secured tightly, and he made a sharp
turn. This happened before seat-belt laws were passed, and the
child was not wearing one. The car door flew open, and the little
boy rolled out of the vehicle right into the middle of traffic
coming from four ways! The last thing my friend saw was a set of
car wheels about to roll over his son. This car was moving at a
very fast rate of speed. All my friend knew to do was cry,
“JESUS!”
As soon as he could bring his car to a halt, he jumped out and
ran to his son, who was perfectly all right. But the man driving
the car that almost hit the child was absolutely hysterical. My
friend went over to him and started trying to comfort him.
“Man, don’t be upset!” he said. “My son is all right. He’s okay.
Don’t be concerned about it. Just thank God you were able to
stop!”
“You don’t understand!” the man responded. “I never touched
my brakes!”
This was a crisis situation. There was no time for anyone to do
anything, no time to think, plan, or reason. Although there was
nothing either man could do, the name of Jesus prevailed.
Miracle-working power came on the scene, and the boy’s life was
spared.
I believe we need more confidence in the name of Jesus and less
confidence in ourselves or anyone else to solve our problems.
There is power in the name of Jesus!

Acts 2:42–47 gives us a snapshot of life for the believers in the
early church. Being a part of a local church is one of the great
joys and responsibilities of every believer. However, it involves
more than showing up on Sunday! How do you participate in the
life of your church? While you experience different levels of
involvement in a church during different seasons of your life, be
sure to consistently avail yourself of opportunities to fellowship,
worship, serve, and receive teaching of the Word.
speak the Word
Thank You, Lord, that the promise of the Holy Spirit is for
me and for my children, and for all who come to You.
speak the Word

Father, help me to be like Peter and freely use the name of
Jesus to bless those in need around me.
His presence refreshes

Acts 3:19 teaches us that “times of refreshing” come to us when
we spend time in God’s presence. Until we come to the place
where we want God’s presence more than anything else, the
devil will have an edge over us. Once we see God’s truth, the
devil loses his advantage, and we begin making radical progress
in our relationship and fellowship with God.
Most of us will try almost everything else before we finally learn
that what we need is not what God can give us, but God Himself.
These times often represent years of frustration and misery. But
thank God, His Holy Spirit lives in us, teaches us, and reveals
truth to us as we continue to study, read, and listen to the Word
of God.
If you are diligent to seek God, you will know Him in a deeper,
more intimate way; God will reveal Himself to you; He will be
found by you (see Jeremiah 29:13, 14). When God wants to
manifest Himself, He will. You do not need to get frustrated
trying to find God. Just learn to wait on Him and pray, “God,
reveal Yourself to me. Manifest Your presence to me.”
God manifests His presence in many ways. Sometimes we
cannot see Him but, as with the wind, we can see the work He
does in us. If I am weary, tired, worn-out, frustrated, or bothered
about something, and I become refreshed after spending time
with God, then I know that the “wind” of the Lord has blown
upon me.
God wants to bring a refreshing into your life, like a mighty
wind. Do not be poverty-stricken in your soul when the answer is
so close. If you are too busy to spend time with God, then make
some adjustments to your lifestyle. Do not get burned-out, upset,
weary, and stressed-out when times of refreshing are available
to you.
Learn to separate yourself from the busyness of life to spend
time with God the way Jesus did. I tell people, “You had better
come apart and spend time with God before you fall apart.” I
encourage you to take those words personally and do the same!

Do you ever feel inadequate sharing with other people about
God because you have not received much formal Christian
education or training, like Peter and John in Acts 4:13? The best
schooling is what I call “the school of the Holy Spirit.” Ask Him
to teach you through the Word, as you spend time in prayer, and
as you rely on His grace. We learn through the Word of God and
our experiences in life. Experience itself is a good teacher. God’s
Spirit leads us through many situations and will teach us as we
go through them if we are open to learning. Enroll in the school
of the Holy Spirit and you will get an education that far exceeds
anything you can learn in a traditional classroom.
life point
In the Gospels, Jesus does miracles, but in Acts, ordinary people
do miracles by the power of the Holy Spirit (see Acts 4:16).
Believe that He can use you in mighty ways!
speak the Word
God, help me live and do business in perfect integrity,
never attempting to deceive Your Holy Spirit.
choose your battles

Acts 6:2–4 teaches us that it is not wise to be involved in
everything that is going on around us. Instead, we should select
our activities cautiously so we can remain calm, cool, and steady
in life. I often refer to this as “choosing your battles carefully.”
There are many things I could do at my office that I have learned
to just stay out of and let another qualified person handle.
Previously, I wanted to be part of everything that happened,
especially the problems. I learned the hard way that I simply
cannot be involved in everything; too much is going on for me to
do that. I pick my battles now, and that has greatly increased my
level of peace.
I firmly believe that God provides for whatever He assigns to us.
He will make sure we have all the people we need to help us, but
it is not their fault if we will not rely on them.
If you find yourself trying to do something and you do not have
the help you need, you might need to ask yourself if you are
doing the right thing. Why would God ask you to do something,
then sit by and watch you be frustrated and miserable because
the burden is too much? God meets all of our needs, including
the people we need to work alongside us.
Acts 6:2–4 gives an example of this act of wisdom. Had the
apostles not recognized their need for help, their priorities
would have remained out of line and their true assignment
unfulfilled. They would have ended up frustrated, and just like
the people they were trying to serve, they could have lost their
peace, and therefore, their power. It is quite possible that the
loss of peace was what triggered their decision to ask for help.
This is an excellent example for us to follow.
life point
Have you ever wondered what an uncircumcised heart is (see
Acts 7:51)? To “circumcise” is to cut off. When a person has an
uncircumcised heart and something wicked comes into it, he
does not cut it off. Instead, he lets the evil stay there. But a
person who has a circumcised heart will immediately cut off any
wrong attitude that comes into his mind and heart.
Remember, the devil is going to come at us with wrong heart
attitudes at every opportunity, but taking his bait never helps us.
It only hinders our growth and development. If we want to have
circumcised hearts, we must immediately get rid of anger,
hatred, jealousy, envy, and any other kind of wrong attitude
when it first comes into our minds. If we let that wrong thing
stay in our hearts, we are not being what God has called us to be.
We are living our lives before Him with an uncircumcised
hearts.
A victorious believer maintains a circumcised heart by saying no
to anything that will keep him or her from being a person whose
heart is

Do you always understand what you read in Scripture? Acts
8:26–31 reminds us that there is no shame in asking for help to
understand; it is actually wise to do so. Always ask the Holy
Spirit, your Teacher, to help you understand, and also ask God to
place trusted people around you who can help you personally
apply God’s Word in your life.

God can use even the most unexpected people in extraordinary
ways to further His kingdom purposes. Is there someone in your
life who seems so far away from God that he or she will never
become a believer? Be encouraged; God’s transforming power
changed Paul from a great persecutor of the church to one of the
church’s greatest advocates (see Acts 9:20–22). Pray for the
unsaved people in your life, that they, like Paul, will receive
salvation and live for God.
how Paul was filled with the Holy Spirit

Some people say that believers receive everything they will ever
get or need when they accept Jesus as Savior. That may be the
case with some believers, but certainly not with all. Different
people have different experiences. I do not deny that some may
be born again and baptized in the Holy Spirit at the same time;
but others are not, and Paul was one of them (see Acts 9:17, 18).
Chapter 9 of Acts tells the story of how Paul was saved and filled
with the Holy Spirit. As you probably know, Paul was formerly
called Saul and had been a zealous but misguided Pharisee (see
Acts 23:6). He persecuted Christians and believed that he did
God a service by doing so (see Philippians 3:5, 6).
As Saul was on the way to bring believers back to Jerusalem for
trial and punishment, a light from heaven shone around him,
and he fell to the ground. He heard a voice say, “Saul, Saul, why
are you persecuting Me?” (Acts 9:4). Trembling, Saul said,
“Lord, what do You desire me to do?” (Acts 9:6). This was the
moment of Saul’s conversion, the time of his surrender to God.
Saul called Jesus “Lord” and then offered his will to Him in
surrender. God told him to arise, go into the city, and wait there
for further instructions.
Saul was blinded during this experience. For three days he could
not see and did not eat or drink anything. In a vision, the Lord
spoke to a disciple named Ananias in Damascus and told him
where he would find Saul, noting that he would be praying. At
the same time, Saul had a vision and saw a man named Ananias
enter and place his hands on him so he would regain his sight.
Because Ananias knew of Saul and how much evil he had
brought on the saints, he was reluctant to go. But the Lord said
to Ananias, “Go,” and so he went. The Lord told Ananias that
Saul was a chosen instrument of His to bear His name before
the Gentiles and the descendants of Israel (see Acts 9:10–15).
In Acts 9:17 we see that Ananias laid his hands on Saul, calling
him “Brother Saul.” The fact that he called him a brother is
another proof of Saul’s conversion. Ananias said the Lord sent
him to Saul and that he would recover his sight and be “filled
with the Holy Spirit.” After Saul miraculously and instantly

received his sight, he arose and was baptized (see Acts 9:18).
This seems to be quite clear. Saul was converted first; then,
three days later, he was filled with the Holy Spirit and baptized
in water. If Saul, who became the apostle Paul, needed to be
completely filled with the Holy Spirit, then I believe we need to
be also. When we are born again (accept Jesus as our Savior) we
receive the Holy Spirit, but we need to be completely filled with
the Holy Spirit. As I said, this occurs for different people at
different times. As a believer in Jesus you have the Holy Spirit,
but does the Holy Spirit have you? And, if He does, how much of
you does He have? It may be time for a complete surrender in
your life. Ask God to completely fill you with His Spirit and
keep you “ever filled” with the Spirit, as Ephesians 5:18 teaches.
speak the Word

Thank you, God, that You show no partiality and that You
are no respecter of persons.
God has no favorites

Acts 10:34 tells us that God has no favorites and that He is
impartial. If we want to love as God loves, then we must not show
partiality either.
This does not mean that we cannot have special friends or that
we cannot be involved more with certain people than others. It
does mean that we cannot treat some people one way and other
people differently. We cannot be kind to those who are good
friends with us, and not care how we treat those who are of no
interest or importance to us.
I know many people with whom I am not interested in having
deep personal relationships, because I know that, for one reason
or another, it would not be fruitful for either of us. This does not
mean these people are bad; it just means a casual relationship
between us is better than a close relationship.
All of us need certain things from our close friends, and not all
people are able to give it to us. God has what I call “divine
connections” for all of us—people who are just right for us.
God has given me several people like that in my life, and I
appreciate them very much. But He has also taught me to treat
all people with respect, to make them feel valued, to listen to
them when they are talking to me, and not to judge them in a
critical way.
Our love walk with God is readily seen by how we treat people
who cannot do us any good. If we truly want to love as God loves,
we will treat everyone impartially, with equal honor and respect.
be filled with the Holy Spirit

The Word of God teaches that though some people received the
Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands, other times the Holy
Spirit was simply poured out upon people. Acts 10:44 says that
while Peter preached to the people, the Holy Spirit fell on all
who listened. The following verses in Acts 10 tell us that the
believers who came with Peter were amazed because they
witnessed how freely the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out
on the crowd as evidenced by their talking in unknown tongues.
You can ask God to fill you and baptize you in the Holy Spirit
right now, right where you are, by simply praying. Here is a
prayer you may want to use:
Father, in Jesus’ name, I ask You to baptize me in the Holy Spirit with
the evidence of speaking in tongues. Grant me boldness as You did those
who were filled on the Day of Pentecost, and give me any other spiritual
gifts that You desire me to have.
Now you may want to confirm your faith by saying out loud, “I
believe I have received the baptism in the Holy Spirit, and I will
never be the same again.”
If you have prayed that prayer, wait on God quietly and believe
you have received that for which you asked. If you do not believe
you have received, then even if you have received, it will be to
you as if you have not. You cannot act upon something you do
not believe you have.
I want to stress the importance of “believing by faith” that you
have received, and not making your decision based on feelings.
Believe and keep believing!

Encouragement is a powerful gift. It is not flattery or empty
praise, but heartening words that inspire us with hope and
confidence meant to build us up in our relationships with God
and others. Barnabas was an encourager and God sent him to
edify and build up the people in Antioch (see Acts 11:19–24). Do
you have a “Barnabas” in your life? Thank God for that person.
Are you a “Barnabas” in someone else’s life? Ask God to help
you be an encouragement to others.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, that You are acquainted with and
understand what is in my heart.
open your heart

In the city of Philippi, where God directed Paul and those
traveling with him, a group of women gathered together on the
bank of a river for prayer (see Acts 16:12–14). Paul began
speaking to these women, telling them some things they never
heard before. They were accustomed to living under the Jewish
Law, and Paul delivered a message of grace. One of the women
named Lydia “opened her heart” to receive what Paul said (Acts
16:14).
We, like Lydia, need to open our hearts to the things of God. The
reason an open heart is so important is that without it, we will
not listen to new things—not strange, off-the-wall things, but
different things God wants to do in our lives. It is amazing the
great promises in the Bible we refuse to believe because they
are not part of what we have been taught in the past. Why can’t
our believing be progressive? Why can’t we accept that there
may be a few things we do not know?
I am not saying we should be so open that we believe anything
we are told or that the devil wants to dump on us, but I am
saying we should avoid being so narrow-minded that we reject
great, new things from God. We should not be afraid to listen to
what is being said and check it out for ourselves by reading the
Bible and talking to God about it to see if it is really true.
We are supposed to be single-minded, not narrow-minded. I get
concerned about people who think there is only one way to do
things, and it is their way. People like that are very difficult to
work with. They often have so much pride they will not listen to
anything that anybody tells them. In contrast, a humble
believer’s heart is open to the truth.
We need to have open hearts. God’s Word and our hearts will
affirm truth to us when we hear truth. Our minds may be closed,
but our hearts must be open to God to allow Him to do new
things in our everyday lives.
life point
Acts 16:22–26 relates an incident in the lives of Paul and Silas
and how their joy preceded and precipitated a “sudden”
breakthrough.
These men of God exercised the power of joy in the midst of very
difficult circumstances. Their clothes were torn off, they were
beaten with rods and thrown into jail, and yet they did nothing
wrong. In that depressing situation, they expressed a
supernatural joy evidenced by their praying and singing. Their
joy could not have been a natural response, because there was
nothing in the natural to be joyful about.
As a result of seeing firsthand the supernatural joy of Paul and
Silas, the jailer was saved (see Acts 16:27–34). I believe more
people in the world will receive the salvation that waits for them
when Christians truly begin to express the joy of their salvation.
Receiving good teaching from pastors, teachers, and ministers is
a blessing, but it is equally important to study Scripture for
yourself (see Acts 17:10, 11). Do you regularly set aside time
each day to read the Word of God? If not, ask Him to help you
have a hunger to read and study His Word, and make every
effort to do so daily.
“in Christ”
The phrases “in Christ,” “in Him,” or, “in Whom” that are
found in many books of the New Testament are vitally important.
If we do not understand these terms, we will never have proper
insight concerning our “who” and we will be frustrated as we
spend our lives trying to improve our “do.”
Acts 17:28 says, “For in Him we live and move and have our
being.” When we receive Jesus Christ as Savior, we are
considered to be “in Him.” What He earned and deserves, we
receive by inheritance. Examining the relationship with our
natural children may better help us understand this subject.
I have four children who were originally “in me.” Many aspects
of their appearances and personalities result from the fact that
they began their lives “in me.” They received my physical
makeup, my nature, my temperament, and so forth. Now that
they are grown, they are free to go about life “doing” things that
will make me proud of them—but it must never be forgotten that
they began “in me.” That relationship will last forever.
Relationship with Jesus is referred to in John 3:3, 4 as being
“born again.” Nicodemus asked Jesus, “How can a man be born
when he is old? Can he enter his mother’s womb again?”
Nicodemus failed to see that Jesus spoke of a spiritual birth, a
birth where we are taken out of a worldly way of living and
placed “into Christ” and into a new way of thinking, speaking,
and acting.
We all must know who we are in Christ. That is our beginning,
the place from where we begin the new life. Without a deep
understanding of this truth, we will ramble around in life and
even in Christianity believing the lie that our acceptance by God
is based on our performance.
The truth is that our acceptance by God is based on Jesus’
performance, not ours. When He died on the cross, we died with
Him. When He was buried, we were buried with Him. When He
was resurrected, we were resurrected with Him. That is the way
God chooses to see all of us who sincerely believe in Jesus as
our substitutionary sacrifice and the payment for all our sins.
That is what it means to be “in Him.” When we know who we
are “in Him,” our behavior will change and we will
progressively behave more and more in ways that are Christlike.
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Whatever your present station in life, whatever you are called to
do, wherever you are called to go, enjoy the journey, so that you
can do as Acts 20:24 encourages, and finish your course with joy.
Do not waste one day of the precious life God has given you!
life point
Acts 28:1–5 tells the story of Paul and his traveling companions
when they were shipwrecked on the island of Malta. Paul was
busy gathering sticks to make a fire and dry his clothes when a
poisonous snake, driven out of the flames, suddenly bit Paul’s
hand. The Bible says Paul simply shook it off into the fire and
“suffered no evil effects” (Acts 28:5). You and I should do the
same when things try to “bite” us—we too should be bold
inwardly and shake it off!
Whatever may trouble you from the past, shake it off! God has a
great future planned for you. The dreams of the future have no
room for the snakebites of the past!
Romans
Author:
Paul
Date:
About AD 57
Separate your “who” from your
“do.” You may do things that
God is not pleased with, but He
is always pleased with who you
are because you are in Christ.
We cannot do anything to earn
or deserve God’s love; we must
receive it as a gift from Him.
Jesus has made us righteous
and because of His death on the
cross, we are in right
relationship with God.
The book of Romans contains many vital truths that are essential to a
proper understanding of Christianity. I personally feel that people who
do not know and understand Romans will struggle tremendously to really
comprehend what it means to have new life in Christ and will probably
fail to enjoy much of the blessed life God has for His people.
I like to talk about the difference between our “who” and our “do.”
Though Paul did not use those terms, much of the book of Romans
addresses that very issue with clarity and detail. Paul understood so well
that the things we do are separate from who we are. He teaches that
once we know who we are in Christ, our behavior (our “do”) will change,
but trying to simply change behavior will never work. He knows that
transformation comes to our “do” as we understand our “who” from
God’s perspective.
Many of Christianity’s basic truths are found in Romans: we cannot earn
God’s love, but we must receive it as a gift; everyone sins; sin requires
death; Jesus’ death paid the price for our sin; in Christ, we are made
righteous; we do not have to live under guilt and condemnation; nothing
can separate us from God’s love.
As you read the book of Romans, remember the truths on which our
faith is built. Remember especially that you are righteous because of Jesus
(see Romans 3:26) and that nothing can ever separate you from the love
of God (see Romans 8:35–39).
speak the Word

God, I declare that I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus
Christ, because it is Your power that works unto salvation
for everyone who believes.
consistent, confident faith

Romans 1:17 teaches us that people who are just and upright
“shall live by faith.” Faith is confidence in God. It is important
that we learn to be consistently confident, not occasionally
confident. Let me give you an example to illustrate what I mean.
In ministry, I learned to remain confident in God when someone
got up and walked out while I was preaching. In the beginning of
my ministry, that type of occurrence brought out all of my
insecurities and practically destroyed my confidence. Due to a
lack of properly understanding God’s Word, some of our friends
and family members told me that a woman should not preach
the Word of God. I also knew that some people, particularly
men, had difficulty receiving the Word from a woman. This was
confusing to me because I knew God called me and anointed me
to preach His Word. I could not have done it otherwise, but
people’s rejection still affected me because I lacked confidence. I
had to grow in confidence to the place where people’s opinions
and their acceptance or rejection did not alter my confidence
level. My confidence had to be in God, not in people.
When the growth and progress of my ministry seemed painfully
slow, I had to practice being consistently confident. It is easier to
remain confident when we see progress, but during times of
waiting the devil attacks our confidence and attempts to destroy
it. We must resist him.
Romans 1:17 speaks about the whole issue of faith. It says that
we shall live by faith. The King James Version of this verse says
the righteousness of God is revealed “from faith to faith.” In
other words, we can go from faith to faith. I spent many years
going from faith to doubt to unbelief and then back to faith. I
lost a lot of precious time until I became consistent in my faith
walk. Since then, I have tried to practice being confident in all
things, with God’s help.
You can have consistent and confident faith too. Ask God to help
you resist the enemy’s attack when he tries to rob you of that
faith. Learn to go from “faith to faith” with overcoming
confidence.
life point
Romans 2:1 teaches us that the things we judge in other people
are the very things we do ourselves.
The Lord once gave me a good example to help me understand
this principle. I was pondering why we would do something
ourselves and think it was perfectly all right, but judge someone
else for doing it. He said, “Joyce, you look at yourself through
rose-colored glasses, but you look at everyone else through a
magnifying glass.”
We make excuses for our own behavior, but when someone else
behaves exactly the same way, we are often merciless. Doing
unto others as we want them to do to us (see Matthew 7:12) is a
good life principle to follow, one that prevents us from indulging
in judgment and criticism.
Judgmental thoughts come from a negative mind—a mind that
thinks about what is wrong with an individual instead of what is
right.
I encourage you to learn to be positive and not negative! Others
will benefit, but you will benefit more than anyone.
speak the Word

Thank you, God, that You show no partiality, undue favor,
or unfairness. With You, one person is no different from
another.
life point
Romans 3:17 describes how my life used to be. I had no
experience at all with enjoying a peaceful life; I did not even
know how to begin. I grew up in an atmosphere of strife, and
that was all I ever knew. I had to learn an entirely new way of
living.
Now I am addicted to peace. As soon as my peace disappears, I
ask myself how I lost it and start looking for ways to get it back.
I believe that you will become so hungry for peace with God,
peace with yourself, and peace with others that you will be
willing to make whatever adjustments you need to make in
order to have it. I also believe that you will begin to follow peace
at all times because peace will lead you into God’s perfect will
for your life.
all have sinned

We sometimes fall into the trap of thinking we are the worst
people on the face of the earth and that nobody does as many
wrong things as we do. But Romans 3:23 says that all have
sinned and fallen short of the glory (excellence) of God. Every
man, woman, or child who was ever born, or ever will be, has a
problem with sin. But the good news is that God has provided an
answer to our dilemma.
Just as all have sinned, all are justified and made righteous
through the redemption provided in Christ Jesus. That means
that, as believers in Jesus Christ, we now have “rightness”
instead of “wrongness.” For much of my life I felt all wrong. I
had a recording playing in my head over and over again: What is
wrong with me?
Satan wants us to feel wrong, worthless, and like hopeless
messes. He knows that without confidence we will never step out
in faith to fulfill our God-ordained destinies. He knows if he can
keep us in the prison of self-hatred, self-rejection, or just plain
not liking ourselves that he will prevent us from making
progress or ever being a threat to him and to the kingdom of
darkness.
We must believe we have been made righteous in God’s sight
before we will behave rightly. We cannot produce the fruit of
something for which no seed has been sown. Jesus Himself is
the Righteous Seed sown in death and resurrected in power, so
we can say along with the apostle Paul, “For our sake He made
Christ [virtually] to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and
through Him we might become [endued with, viewed as being in,
and examples of] the righteousness of God [what we ought to be,
approved and acceptable and in right relationship with Him, by
His goodness]” (II Corinthians 5:21).
life point
If we truly desire to succeed at being ourselves, we absolutely
must have a thorough understanding of what justifies us and
makes us right with God. This wonderful scripture, Romans
3:28, gives great news! It tells us we are justified by faith in
Christ alone and not by our works (see also Ephesians 2:8, 9).
If we have real faith, we will do good works, but our dependence
will not be on works. Our works will be done as acts of love for
God—in obedience to Him—rather than as “works of the flesh”
by which we hope to gain right standing and acceptance with
Him.
speak the Word

Thank You, Lord, that I am justified and in right standing
with You by Your grace and through the redemption You
have provided for me in Jesus Christ.
life point
I encourage you to take a positive look at the possibilities of the
future and speak of those things that are nonexistent as though
they do exist (see Romans 4:17). Think and speak about your
future in a positive way according to what God has placed in
your heart—not according to what you have seen in the past or
are seeing even now in the present. He has a great future for
you. Believe it and confess it!
life point
Look beyond where you are and see with the eyes of faith,
believing God for even the impossible! Romans 4:18 says that
Abraham had no reason at all to hope, but he hoped in faith that
God’s promise to him would be fulfilled (see Genesis 15:5). A
hopeful mind and attitude administer peace and joy, while fear
and discouragement steal both.
It costs nothing to be positive and believe that God can change
you and your life. Jump-start your blessings by saying you love
your life, and be thankful in all things, no matter what the
circumstances may be.
life point
Romans 4:18–21 reminds us that God promised Abraham he
would have an heir from his own body (see Genesis 15:1–6).
Many years came and went and still there was no child as a
result of Abraham and Sarah’s relationship. Abraham still stood
in faith, believing that what God had said would come to pass. As
he stood, he was attacked with thoughts of doubt, and the spirit
of unbelief pressed him to disobey God.
Disobedience in a situation like this can simply be giving up
when God prompts us to press on. Disobedience is disregarding
the voice of the Lord, or whatever God is speaking to us
personally, not just transgressing the Ten Commandments or a
specific Bible verse.
Romans 4:20 states that Abraham continued to be steadfast; he
kept praising and giving glory to God. As he did so, he grew
strong in faith. He felt confident that God would keep His word.
Follow Abraham’s example and keep your heart filled with faith
and your actions filled with obedience.
faith for fulfillment

When I am in a battle, knowing what God has promised but still
experiencing attacks from doubt and unbelief, I like to meditate
on Romans 4:18–21.
When God tells us something or asks us to do something, the
faith to believe or do it comes with a word from God. It is
ridiculous to think that God would expect us to do something
without giving us the ability to believe we can do it. Satan knows
how dangerous we are when our hearts are full of faith, so he
attacks us with doubt and unbelief. It isn’t that we do not have
faith; it is just that Satan tries to destroy our faith with lies.
Let me give you an example concerning the time I received my
call to the ministry. It was an ordinary morning like any other,
except that I had just finished listening to my first Christian
teaching tape. I was stirred in my heart and amazed that anyone
could teach from one scripture for a whole hour, and that all of
his teaching would be interesting. I suddenly felt an intense
desire to teach God’s Word well up in me. Then the voice of the
Lord came to me, saying, “You will go all over the place and
teach My Word, and you will have a large teaching tape
ministry.” I did not hear God’s audible voice, but I did hear a
still small voice deep inside of me.
There would have been no natural reason at all for me to believe
that God actually spoke to me, or that I could or ever would do
what I thought I just heard.
I had many problems within myself. I did not look like “ministry
material,” but God chooses the weak and foolish things of the
world to put the wise to shame (see I Corinthians 1:27). He looks
on the heart of man and not the outward appearance (see I
Samuel 16:7). If a person’s inner heart is right, God can change
the outside.
Although there was nothing in the natural to indicate that I
should believe when the desire for a teaching ministry came
over me, I was filled with faith that I could do what the Lord
wanted me to do. When God calls, He gives desire, faith, and
ability to do the job. But I also want to tell you that during the
years I spent in training and waiting, the devil regularly
attacked me with doubt and unbelief.
God places dreams and visions in the hearts of His people; they
begin as little “seeds.” Just as a woman has a seed planted into
her womb when she becomes pregnant, so we become
“pregnant,” so to speak, with the things God speaks and
promises. During the “pregnancy,” Satan works hard to try and
get us to “abort” our dreams. One of the tools he uses is doubt;
another is unbelief. Both of these work against the mind.
Faith is a product of the spirit; it is a spiritual force. The enemy
does not want your mind to agree with your spirit. He knows
that if God places in you the faith to do something, and you get
positive and start consistently believing that you can actually do
it, then you will do considerable damage to his kingdom.
I encourage you to be assured in your faith that God will follow
through with what He has promised you by His Word. Get His
promises into your mind; think about them; speak of them; and
let your faith increase.

Have you ever wondered if God can really do what He has
promised? Abraham had good reason to doubt—God promised
him a child even though he and his wife were far beyond child-
bearing years. Yet God’s Word tells us that Abraham’s faith
grew as he waited for the fulfillment of God’s promise (see
Romans 4:20). When you are tempted to doubt God’s promises,
ask God to give you growing faith like Abraham’s, so you too
will be convinced that what God promises, He will fulfill in your
life.

Would you give your life for someone who despised you? That is
exactly what Jesus did, according to Romans 5:6–8. God loved
you so much, that even before you loved Him, when you were
against Him, He sent Jesus to die for you. Thank God for His
awesome love today!
you are loved

Romans 5:5 says that the love of God is poured out in our hearts
by the Holy Spirit, Whom He gave to us. This simply means that
when the Lord, in the form of the Holy Spirit, comes to dwell in
our hearts through our faith in His Son, Jesus Christ, He brings
love with Him, because God is love (see I John 4:8).
We all need to ask ourselves is what we are doing with the love
of God that has been given freely to us. Do we reject it because
we don’t think we are valuable enough to be loved? Do we
believe God is like other people who have rejected and hurt us?
Or do we receive His love by faith, believing that He is greater
than our failures and weaknesses?
What kind of relationship do you have with God, with yourself,
and ultimately with others?
For a long time, I did not know that I had a relationship with
myself. It was something I never thought of until God began
teaching me in this area. I now realize that I spend more time
with myself than with anyone else, and it is vital that I get along
well with me. Of course, the same is true for you.
We all know how agonizing it is to work day after day with
someone we do not get along with, but at least we do not have to
take that person home with us at night. But we are with
ourselves all the time, day and night. We never have one minute
away from ourselves, not even one second—therefore, it is of the
utmost importance that we have peace with ourselves and accept
God’s love into our hearts. I encourage you to receive God’s love
in a fresh way today.
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What do you believe about yourself? Do you believe you must
have approval from people in order to be happy? If so, you will
never be happy when anyone disapproves of you. Do you believe
that you are all wrong? If you do, you will continue to produce
wrong behavior. Your life will bear fruit on the outside of what
you believe about yourself on the inside.
God wants us to behave correctly, so He gives us what we need in
order to do that. God never requires us to do something without
giving us what we need to do it. God gives us the gift of
righteousness so we can become righteous in what we think, say,
and do! Although we sin, God’s free gift of righteousness cannot
even be compared to our sin. Our sin is great, but His free gift of
righteousness is greater. Our sin is swallowed up in His
righteousness. Our righteousness is not found in what people
think of us, it is found in Christ. Romans 5:17 says that Christ
is our righteousness from God.
Let that truth sink into your heart and mind. Jesus Christ is
your righteousness. You are righteous in Him, and because of
that God is pleased with you.
the power of obedience

Romans 5:19 teaches us that our choices to obey or not to obey
not only affect us, but many other people too. We see an
example of this in Scripture when the Israelites experienced the
fruit of their disobedience after their exodus from Egypt. If they
had promptly obeyed God, how much greater their lives would
have been (see Hebrews 3:8–11)! Many of them and their
children died in the wilderness because they would not submit
to God’s ways. Their children were affected by their decisions,
and so are ours.
Recently, my oldest son said, “Mom, I have something to tell
you, and I may cry, but hear me out. I have been thinking about
you and Dad and the years you have put into this ministry, and
all the times you chose to obey God and how it has not always
been easy for you. I realize, Mom, that you and Dad have gone
through things that nobody knows about, and I want you to know
that this morning God made me aware that I am benefiting
greatly from your obedience, and I appreciate it.”
What he said meant a lot to me, and it reminded me of Romans

5:19.
Your decision to obey God affects other people, and when you
decide to disobey God, that also affects others too. You may
disobey God and choose to stay in the wilderness, but please
keep in mind that if you now have children or ever will have
children, your decisions will keep them in the wilderness with
you. They may manage to get themselves out when they are
grown, but I can assure you that they will pay a price for your
disobedience.
Obedience is a far-reaching choice; it closes the gates of hell
and opens the windows of heaven, and it has the power to affect
many people. Just think of it: Because of Jesus’ willingness to
be obedient, countless multitudes will be brought into right
standing with God.
Your life might be in better shape now if someone in your past
obeyed God. If there is a cycle of disobedience in your family or
among your friends, why not break it by refusing to be
disobedient in your own life? Tell God you want to obey and ask
Him to help you. That way, you will set yourself and your
children up for great blessings!

Romans 6:15 says that knowing we will receive forgiveness does
not mean we are free to sin! Grace is not meant to encourage
sin. Rather, we are to live in obedience. Is there an area of sin in
your life that you struggle with? Do not treat it casually because
you know you will be forgiven, but ask God to strengthen you
and to help you stop committing this sin.

What is the difference between a paycheck and a gift? You earn
a paycheck, but you receive a gift. In Romans 6:23, Paul teaches
that the payment, the unavoidable consequence we earned
because of our sin, is death. What a relief that God offers to
every individual the gift—something we cannot earn—of eternal
life in Jesus Christ. If you have received this gift, thank God for
His generosity and grace! If you have not yet received God’s gift
of eternal life, I encourage you to ask Him for it. He will gladly
give it to you!
enjoy your freedom

Romans 6:18 affirms that those of us who are Christians have
been set free from sin. As children of God, we should experience
the glorious freedom and liberty Jesus died to give us—freedom
to enjoy all God has given to us through His Son.
But Satan tries to rob us of enjoying our lives. He accuses us,
condemns us, and makes us feel insecure because he knows we
cannot simultaneously enjoy life and have negative feelings
about ourselves. Thank God, we can break out of his trap and
start enjoying our blood-bought freedom and liberty.
Jesus talked about our right to be free in John 8:31, 32: “If you
abide in My word… you are truly My disciples. And you will
know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free” (see also John
8:36).
Are you enjoying spiritual freedom in Jesus or are you
sacrificing your joy because you are trapped in the legalistic,
rigid mind-set of believing you have to do it all? If you live an
inflexible life, you will not have an enjoyable life. I know. The
time came when I faced the fact that I was legalistic and rigid,
and though this truth was hard on me emotionally, God used it
to set me free.
Jesus came that we might have and enjoy life to the fullest,
until it overflows (see John 10:10). Following a legalistic
lifestyle will lead us into works—futile efforts that cause us to
struggle and live in frustration. Remember, there is no bondage
or burden in God. His rules (His ways for us to do things) are
fulfilling and liberating. Jesus came to set us free!
Feeling guilty and condemned most of the time is not freedom.
Being in mental and emotional turmoil is not freedom. Being
sad and depressed is not freedom.
Have you reached the point where you are tired of trying to be in
control of everything and run the world? Are you willing to give
up and ask God to help you? If so, pray this prayer:
Lord, I am tired of being legalistic and complicated. I just want to have

some peace and enjoy my life. So, Lord, give me the desire to do what is
right in Your eyes. If You do not do what needs to be done, then it is not
going to get done. I completely surrender and I place my trust in You.
I encourage you to lay aside the limitations and defeat of

legalism and do your best, beginning right now, to enjoy the life
of freedom God makes available to you in Jesus Christ.
newness of life
The old covenant is finished and has been replaced with a new
and better covenant (see Hebrews 8:13). God’s law no longer
comes to us on stone tablets, but is written in our hearts. We no
longer live under the Law, which tells us God’s will; we now live
under grace which enables us to do God’s will because we want
to and not merely because it is the Law. The Law ministers
death, but grace ministers life.
Grace is the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives enabling us to
do whatever God instructs us to do. It is by grace (God’s power)
through faith that we are saved and made partakers of Christ’s
salvation.
Romans 7:6 teaches that we are to be led by the inner
promptings of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit lives in us and
wants us to willingly allow Him to lead, guide, and control us.
When we submit to His promptings, we experience newness of
life. The Law only gives us rules and regulations and we feel
guilty and condemned when we do not follow them. But the
Spirit gives us not only the desire to do what is right, but also
the ability and a fresh zeal to do it. He enables us to serve God
with enthusiasm, not out of a sense of obligation.
Learning to be led by the Holy Spirit should be one of the
primary goals of every believer in Jesus Christ. Only the Holy
Spirit knows the mind of God concerning our lives and our
circumstances. He will reveal God’s will to us and lead us into
its fullness as we diligently follow His promptings.
To prompt means “to remind” or “to give a cue.” It does not
indicate force, control, or manipulation. When someone
reminds us to do something we have forgotten or are in danger
of forgetting, we can still choose whether or not we will act on
that reminder. The Holy Spirit is a gentleman and will never
force Himself or God’s will. God sets before each of us life and
death and encourages us to choose life so that we and our
descendants may have the lives He has carefully planned for us.
I encourage you to learn all you can about how to be led by the
Holy Spirit because doing so is a blessing, a privilege, and an act
of obedience for Christians.
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When condemnation comes against you, let me encourage you
to quote Romans 8:1 as a “Word weapon.” Remind Satan and
yourself that you do not walk after the flesh but after the Spirit.
Walking after the flesh is depending on yourself; walking after
the Spirit is depending on God.
When you fail (which you will), that does not mean you are a
failure. It simply means that you do not do everything right. We
all have to accept the fact that we have strengths along with
weaknesses. Let Christ be strong in your weaknesses; let Him
be your Strength on your weak days. If you are waiting for the
victory in an area and you have not seen it, rather than feeling
condemned about it, be patient. Do not receive condemnation;
walk in the Spirit.
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When the deceiver speaks to us, he cannot give peace. When we
try to solve things with our own reasoning, we cannot find peace,
because according to Romans 8:6, the mind of the flesh is death,
but the mind of the Holy Spirit is life and peace.
Do you have to make a decision? Lay it on the “peace scale,” and
do not proceed if peace cannot hold its weight against the
guidance you have heard. You do not have to explain to others
why you do not have peace about it; sometimes you will not
know why yourself. You can say simply, “It’s not wise for me to
do this, because I don’t have peace about it.”
Even when you believe God has spoken to you, you should wait
to act until peace fills your soul to do what He has instructed
you to do. In this way you are assured that your timing is right.
I often say, “Let emotions subside and then decide.” If we wait
for God’s true peace, we will be obedient with faith. Peace is
true confirmation that we are hearing from God.
no condemnation in Christ
Even though Romans 8:1 teaches us that there is no
condemnation for those who are in Christ, many believers still
struggle greatly with guilt and condemnation. Because of our
love for God we want to do what is right, yet there are times we
walk in the flesh instead of in the Spirit and we make mistakes.
We sin and make wrong choices. When we realize we have
sinned we should quickly and thoroughly repent, being willing
to turn away from the sin and do what is right with God’s help.
Once we have repented and asked God to forgive us, we are not
to continue carrying those heavy burdens of condemnation.
Jesus delivered us from both iniquity and guilt. When we repent
and ask God to forgive us, He not only forgives, but He forgets
and removes our sin as far as the east is from the west (see
Psalm 103:12; Hebrews 10:17, 18).
Jesus died as the perfect sacrifice for sin—and no other sacrifice
is or will ever be needed (see Hebrews 10:11, 12). The guilt we
feel when we sin is often our way of “sacrificing” to pay for the
sins we have committed. We think that somehow if we are
miserable and do not allow ourselves to enjoy life that our
feelings of condemnation help balance the scales of justice. That
kind of thinking is wrong!
Guilt is an invisible burden that wears us out and does no good
at all. It actually prevents progress and renders us incapable of
proper fellowship with God because we must approach Him in
faith and with boldness, not with fear and guilt.
Some people are literally addicted to guilt. They do not feel right
unless they feel wrong! I was like that for many years and God
taught me to use my faith to live free from guilt and
condemnation. We either believe that Jesus paid for our sins in
full or we believe we must add our sacrifices to His, which, of
course, is incorrect.
Romans 8:1 instructs us to walk after the Spirit, and not the
flesh. One of the ways we do that is by handling our sins the way
the Holy Spirit tells us to, which is definitely not to repent and
then feel guilty. God promises that He is faithful to forgive our
sins and cleanse us from them if we will repent and admit them
(see I John 1:9). God never does anything halfway. Jesus’ work
on the cross is finished, so start enjoying the freedom from guilt
and condemnation that is available to you. Do not believe your
feelings more than you believe God’s Word!
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Romans 8:6–14 helps us understand the differences between
following our fleshly desires and allowing God’s Spirit to lead
us. Any time our flesh wants to do one thing and the Spirit of
God wants us to do something else, by choosing to follow the
Spirit of God we need to know that our flesh will suffer. We do
not like that, but the Bible says that if we want to share Christ’s
glory, we have to be willing to share His suffering (see I Peter
4:13).
I like to encourage those who are just beginning to walk with
God that once the fleshly appetite is no longer in control, they
will get to the point where it is easier to obey God. Even if
obedience is difficult they will get to the place where they
actually enjoy doing it. If you are new to the Christian faith, be
encouraged!
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Romans 8:15 teaches us that the Holy Spirit is the “Spirit of
adoption.” Here, the word adoption means that we have been
brought into God’s family even though we were previously
outsiders, unrelated to Him in any way. We were sinners who
served Satan, but God in His great mercy redeemed us and
purchased us with the blood of His own Son. Think of yourself as
a child of God: loved, accepted, and empowered by His
unconditional love for you.

Paul suffered greatly during his lifetime—shipwrecks, beatings
that left him near death, abandonment of friends,
imprisonment, and eventually, execution (see II Corinthians
11:23–28). Scripture teaches us that all of us face various forms
of suffering in our lives (see John 16:33). How can you withstand
suffering? One way is to ask God to help you have Paul’s
attitude of confidence that earthly sufferings cannot come close
to comparing to the glory you will one day see (see Romans
8:18).
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God did not create us for failure. We may fail at some things on
our way to success, but if we trust Him, He will take even our
errors and work them out for our good (see Romans 8:28). God
can take our mistakes and turn them into miracles, if we
continue to trust confidently in Him.
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God approved of you before anybody else ever got a chance to
disapprove. If God approves of you and accepts you as you are,
why worry about what anyone else thinks? If God is for you—
and He is, according to Romans 8:31—who can effectively be
against you?
safe or obedient?
Even when we are in a place of obedience to God, we often have
no natural way of knowing for sure whether we are right or
wrong. We have nothing more than faith to help us take that
first step. We may not be certain that what we are doing is the
right thing until after we have done it and then look back to see
if God’s grace was there to cause our efforts to bear good fruit.
Sometimes we may be wrong. That thought seems frightening,
so we think I had better just stay here where it is safe. But if we do
that, we will soon be miserable if God truly has told us to move
forward.
If our hearts are right, and we do our best when we hear from
Him, God will redeem us and honor our steps of obedience. If we
move in childlike trust to obey what we believe in our hearts He
has told us to do, even if that decision is wrong, God will take
that mistake and work it out for our good. I know this is true
because Romans 8:28 says that all things work together and fit
into God’s plan for good for those of us who are called according
to His purpose.
Many people are afraid to move because they think that if they
make a mistake, God will be angry with them. But this is where
trusting His character is so vital to walking in faith. People who
are too afraid to obey are so miserable anyway that they cannot
get any worse off by stepping out and trying to do what God is
telling them to do.
I once had a ministry position at our home church. I loved it, but
felt God was leading me to step out into something new. I did
leave, but not because I wanted to. I left because God’s anointing
and power for me to be there had lifted, and I became miserable
until I obeyed Him. I realized I would find peace only if I left my
“safety zone” and tested what I believed He told me to do. That
was the only way to find out if I was right or wrong about
hearing His voice. I had to step out to find out!
I exhort you with this truth: Do not spend all your life playing it
safe! Safety is very comfortable, but it may keep you from God’s
perfect plan for your life. Trust His Word and keep your heart
willing and ready to obey. You will find throughout your life that
God regularly calls us out of our comfort zones and into new
places of faith and growth in Him.
God is for you

Romans 8:31 tells us clearly that God is for us. We also know
that Satan is against us. The question we must ask is: are we
going to agree with God or with the devil? You know the answer.
Stop opposing yourself and mentally beating yourself up just
because Satan is against you!
Sad to say, sometimes we discover people are also against us.
Satan does not always work alone in the spiritual realm; he also
works through people in the natural realm. He attacks our
confidence through the things people say or do not say. He can
cause us to feel unworthy or rejected because of another
person’s words or actions.
How important are people’s opinions of us? Are we thinking for
ourselves, or are we always agreeing with everyone else’s
opinion? If people’s opinions, judgments, and attitudes toward
us are sometimes inspired by the devil, then we must resist what
people think and say instead of agreeing with it.
If we know God is for us, then it should not matter how we feel
or what other people think of us. As the Bible says in Romans
8:31, who can be against us if God is for us? If He is on our side,
then what can others do to us? Hebrews 13:6 makes a similar
point: “So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently
and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with
alarm [I will not fear or dread or be terrified]. What can man do
to me?”
Most of us, to some extent, need to be delivered from the fear of
people and from caring too much about what others think.
People who always need the approval of others desperately want
everyone to look at them from head to toe and say, “Perfect.”
When they do any kind of a job, they want everybody to look at
it and say, “Perfect.” In everything they do—the way they look,
the things they say, every action they take—they want people to
say, “Perfect.”
If we try to be perfect, we will be disappointed. It will not work
because you and I are imperfect human beings. Even if we could
manifest perfection, some people would still not be satisfied
simply because they are unhappy individuals who will not ever
be content with anything until they change their own attitudes.
We need to be confident that God accepts us with our
imperfections. Even though He continues to work in us to make
us more Christlike, we do not have to struggle to win His
approval or the approval of others. If God is for us—and He is—
we do not need to fear anyone who is against us.
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All that Jesus asks of the Father, God answers. So whatever He
prays for me, whatever He prays for you, we will receive! Jesus
never stops praying for us. This means that we can relax,
because Romans 8:34 promises that Jesus sits at the right hand
of the Father and intercedes for us. Think of it! Jesus is praying
for you.

Do your circumstances ever cause you to question God’s love for
you? The truth is, even in the midst of the most difficult of
circumstances, God’s love is real and active in your life. Nothing
can ever separate you from His love; nothing can ever cause Him
to love you less (see Romans 8:35–39). In the midst of difficulty,
cling to God’s love for you, and ask Him to keep revealing His
love to you.
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The apostle Paul said in Romans 9:1 that he knew he was doing
the right thing, not because his reasoning said it was right, but
because it bore witness in his spirit.
The mind does aid the spirit at times. The mind and the spirit
work together, but the spirit should always be honored above the
mind.
If you know in your spirit that something is wrong, you should
not allow reasoning to talk you into doing it. Also, if you know
something is right, do not allow reasoning to talk you out of
doing it. Do as Romans 9:1 instructs and allow the Holy Spirit to
bear witness with you concerning whether something is right or
wrong. Let your conscience always be enlightened and prompted
by the Holy Spirit.
speak the Word

Thank You, Jesus, for fulfilling the purpose of the Law so
that I can be in right relationship with God because I trust
in You.

Romans 10:14, 15 reminds us that we need to tell people about
God and His love for them. Many people may have heard of God,
and may even believe that He is a loving God, but they have not
heard about His love for them personally. Do you remember the
first person who shared with you the good news of God’s love for
you? Take a moment and thank God for that person and ask Him
to show you someone with whom you can share the good news
about His love!
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When the Word is heard, faith is imparted to believe it (see
Romans 10:17). Once we have heard the Word and believe it, we
should continue believing. God invites us to live from faith to
faith. As believers, one of our most important jobs is to simply
believe. Jesus said, “Believe and rely on Me, [and] you [will] see
the glory of God” (John 11:40).
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What the apostle Paul tells us in Romans 11:6 is simply this:
grace and works are diametrically opposed to one another. They
cannot fellowship together or have anything to do with each
other.
Stated another way, grace and works of the flesh are mutually
exclusive. Where one exists, the other cannot exist.
If you and I are into our own works, then we are out of grace. If
we are in grace, then we are out of works. Anytime we get into
works, the grace of God ceases to operate on our behalf. God has
no choice but to back off and wait until we have finished trying
to handle things ourselves. Take your hands off of the situations,
circumstances, and relationships that concern you—and let
God’s grace go to work for you!
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We need to realize that God is smarter than we are (see Romans
11:34). His plan really is better. No matter what you or I may
think, God’s way is better than ours.
I look back now at many of the frustrating times I went through
in my life as I tried to make things happen in my timing and
how I grew frustrated when none of my efforts worked and I had
to wait. I realize now that I really was not ready for those things.
God knew I was not ready, but I thought I was. I spent so much of
my time asking, “Why, God, why?” and “When, God, when?” I
asked questions that only God had the answers to, and He had
no intention of answering me.
Remember, God wants our trust, not our questions. God does not
need our counsel in order to work; He needs our faith.
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Do you know what Paul is telling us in Romans 12:1? He says
that we are to dedicate everything about ourselves to God—not
just our possessions, money, time, energy, and efforts, but also
our bodies, heads, hands, tongues, and even our minds,
emotions, and attitudes.
We are to dedicate everything about ourselves to God as a
“living sacrifice,” holy, devoted, consecrated, and pleasing to
Him. This is our “reasonable, (rational, intelligent) service and
spiritual worship.”
Often we get the impression that to totally serve and worship
God means to involve our bodies and spirits, but there is more.
Here Paul says that we are to serve and worship Him with our
minds and emotions also. Invite God to think and speak through
you. Let Him touch people through you. You can even serve God
with your face by smiling and showing yourself to be friendly to
other people. Allow God to use all of you. The more of yourself
and your life that you release to Him, the more you will be
fulfilled and experience His peace and joy.
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Romans 12:2 informs us that God has a plan in mind for us. His
will toward us is good and acceptable and perfect, but we must
completely renew our minds before we will ever experience the
good things God has planned. We renew our minds and get new
attitudes and new ideals by studying God’s Word. His Word is
Truth (see John 17:17).

Can you imagine a church where everyone did the same thing
and had the same gifts? It would not be very exciting or effective,
would it? The Word of God teaches us that there are different
gifts and functions within the church, and Romans 12:4–8
reminds us that we should graciously use the gifts we have been
given, united as one body in Christ. Ask God to reveal your gifts
to you, and teach you how you can make your unique
contribution as a member of the body of Christ.

Have you ever heard the saying, “if you talk the talk, you have
to walk the walk?” As Christians we must live by the principles
found in the Word of God. Romans 12:9–21 includes practical
principles for living the Christian life. As you read this passage,
identify areas in your life where you need to put some of these
principles into practice. Be intentional about making these
principles a lifestyle, and ask the Holy Spirit to help you do so.
You will see for yourself how by living this way, good will
overcome evil.
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Some people are basically impossible to get along with, but I
love Romans 12:18, which essentially says to do as much as you
can to live at peace with everyone if at all possible. You cannot
do their parts, but you must do your part to maintain peace with
others.
I challenge you to be a maker and maintainer of peace today and
every day of your life.
how to stay on fire for God

Romans 12:11 instructs us to be aglow and burn with the Spirit
as we serve the Lord. In order to do this, we have to stay “on
fire.”
How do we stay “on fire?” I have discovered that the Word of
God coming out of my own mouth in the form of prayer, praise,
preaching, or confession is the best way I can fan the fire. It stirs
up the gift within me, keeps the fire aflame, and prevents my
spirit from sinking within me. Staying thankful also keeps me
enthusiastic.
The writer of Ecclesiastes tells us, “Whatever your hand finds to
do, do it with all your might, for there is no work or device or
knowledge or wisdom in Sheol (the place of the dead), where you
are going” (Ecclesiastes 9:10). Stay active; there is no point in
putting off doing things until later. That is an expression of
passivity, and it is one of the greatest tools Satan uses against
God’s people. The more passive we are, the more our flames
diminish. Procrastination and laziness are the cousins of
passivity, and they usually all attack in a group. Passive people
wait to be moved by an outside force before they take action. But
we are to be motivated and led by the Holy Spirit within us, not
by outside forces. The best way to be on guard against the spirit
of passivity is to do what we need to do now, and do it with all our
might.
Remember, everything we do is to be done unto the Lord and for
His glory (see I Corinthians 10:31). We should do it through
Him, to Him, for Him, by Him, and with Him. And we should do
it willingly, with our whole hearts stirred up and on fire within
us.
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Romans 12:19 encourages us not to try to get people back for
what they have done to us. Leave it in God’s hands.
3 For civil authorities are not a terror to [people of] good
conduct, but to [those of] bad behavior. Would you have no
dread of him who is in authority? Then do what is right and
you will receive his approval and commendation.
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The Bible tells us that the way to defeat evil is by overcoming it
with good (see Romans 12:21). But that takes effort and
determination. It will not just happen; you have to decide to do
it. Start where you are and God will take you where you need to
end up.
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Confronting the criticism and judgment of other people becomes
easier when we remember that ultimately it is before our own
Master that we stand or fall. In the end, we will answer to God
alone (see Romans 14:12).
pleasing God, pleasing others

Wanting to please and be acceptable is a natural trait. We might
even say it is godly. God wants us to be good to people and strive
to accommodate them. Romans 15:2, 3 teaches us to make a
practice of pleasing our neighbors. But we need to balance that.
Above all, we are to be God-pleasers, not self-pleasers or people-
pleasers. If we seek and love the approval of others, we are
probably people-pleasers. We usually discover in our
experiences that if we do not please people, they do not approve
of us; therefore, if we have an out-of-balance need for approval,
we will be people-pleasers.
The apostle Paul said in Galatians that he did not seek
popularity with man, yet in I Corinthians he stated that he tried
to please people and accommodate himself to their opinions and
desires in order that they might be saved. Let us read and
compare these two scriptures:
“Now am I trying to win the favor of men, or of God? Do I seek to
please men? If I were still seeking popularity with men, I should
not be a bond servant of Christ (the Messiah)” (Galatians 1:10).
“Just as I myself strive to please [to accommodate myself to the
opinions, desires, and interests of others, adapting myself to] all
men in everything I do, not aiming at or considering my own
profit and advantage, but that of the many in order that they
may be saved” (I Corinthians 10:33).
When we consider these two verses, they almost seem to oppose
one another; yet if we understand the heart behind them, we see
that they are not contradictory.
Paul wanted to please people. He wanted to maintain good
relationships with people, especially for the purpose of leading
them to accept Jesus as their Savior. He also wanted to please
God and fulfill the call on his life. Paul knew how to maintain
balance in this area. He tried to please people, as long as
pleasing them did not cause him to displease the Lord. The Bible
says in Acts 5:29, “We must obey God rather than men.”
Pleasing people is good, but it is not good to become people-
pleasers. I define people-pleasers as those who try to please people
even if they have to compromise their consciences to do so.
People-pleasers are those who need approval so desperately that
they allow others to control, manipulate, and use them. They are
not led by the Holy Spirit, as God’s Word instructs us to be (see
Romans 8:14).
People-pleasers are fear-based individuals. They fear rejection,
judgment, what people think and say, and especially anger or
disapproval. God-pleasers are grace-based individuals who do not
seek approval out of insecurity or fear. They strive to follow God
with all their hearts, but they also seek to please and minister to
others without compromise or fear of rejection.
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One night I felt miserable. I was just walking around my house
doing what I needed to do, but I was not happy, not enjoying life.
“What is the matter with me, Lord?” I asked. “What is my
problem?”
A sense of heaviness engulfed me, something that drained the
joy out of me. As I wandered around the house, I began looking
at a Scripture box I kept on my desk. I flipped it open to Romans
15:13 and the Holy Spirit within me instantly confirmed the
truth that I saw in this verse.
I recognized immediately that a large part of my problem was
simply that I was doubting instead of believing. I was doubting
the call of God on my life, wondering if He would meet our
financial needs, questioning my decisions and actions, etc.
I became negative instead of positive. I doubted instead of
believing.
Doubt is an attitude that can easily creep up on us; that is why
we must be watchful not to permit it to do so.
Doubt may certainly knock at the door of your heart. When it
does, answer with a believing heart, and you will always
maintain the victory. Doubt steals your joy, but believing
releases it.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, that You are a peace-giving God! I receive
Your peace today.
First Corinthians
Author:
Paul
Date:
About AD 55
Our motives and behavior are
extremely important to God.
If you want to walk in love, read
I Corinthians 13 and apply its
principles to your life.
Let everything you do be done
in love.
First Corinthians covers a variety of subjects and is full of practical
information for everyday life, but if I had to reduce the main theme to
its simplest form, I would say that this book is about our motives and our
behavior as believers—and both are very important to God. This letter
was written by the apostle Paul and addressed to the Christians in
Corinth, a wealthy city on the Mediterranean Sea, where people from
various cultures and religions often converged. Their diverse backgrounds
and religious experiences often caused problems in the church and
created a need for Paul to write this letter.
First Corinthians deals with everything from spiritual issues such as the
gifts of the Holy Spirit, the importance of unity among believers, being
confident in God, and how to behave in church. It also gives us advice on
practical matters, such as healthy eating and taking care of our bodies
and handling money and possessions. Perhaps most important, this book
gives us the Bible’s most extensive and vivid definition of love and
teaches us how to walk in love (see chapter 13); without it we are “a
useless nobody” (I Corinthians 13:2).
As you read I Corinthians, I pray you will apply its excellent and varied
teachings to your life and that you will take the great advice of I
Corinthians 16:14 and, “Let everything you do be done in love.”
speak the Word

God, I declare that in You, I am not lacking in any spiritual
endowment or Christian grace. Thank You for establishing
me to the end and giving me strength.

Do you ever look around and notice the competition in our
society today, even among Christians? There is simply no room
for rivalry in the body of Christ; we are called to be one in Him
(see I Corinthians 1:10–17). Pray for and do all you can to
promote unity and harmony everywhere you go.
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God works through imperfect people, or what I often call “jars of
clay” or “cracked pots” (see I Corinthians 1:27–29). This means
that we are all flawed, so when people look at us and see
amazing things happening, they know that God must be at work
because without Him, we certainly could not achieve or
accomplish what we do. I believe anyone who really knows me
has no difficulty realizing the work I am doing today certainly
must be God at work in and through me. They give Him the
glory, not me, because they see my imperfections and know my
limitations. God indeed chooses the “weak and foolish” on
purpose so that no human being can have pretense for glorying
in His presence.
Imagine a clay pot with a lamp in it and a lid on it. Even though
it may be filled with light, no one can see the light within it. Yet
if the pot is cracked, the light will shine through the cracks. In
this same way, God works through our imperfections. Ask Him
to work through you, in spite of your imperfections. You will be
amazed at what He can accomplish through you!

Do you sometimes hesitate to share about God because you are
not sure what to say? Even Paul, a great evangelist and teacher,
did not count on flowery speech or his ability to persuade
people; he depended on the Holy Spirit to speak through him
(see I Corinthians 2:1–5). Ask the Holy Spirit to speak through
you too and believe that He will.
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First Corinthians 2:5 teaches us not to put our faith in human
wisdom or philosophy, but in the power of God. Verse 11 of this
same chapter says that no one discerns the thoughts of God
except the Spirit of God. Since the Holy Spirit knows the secret
counsel of God, it is a vital necessity for us to know how to hear
what He wants to say to us. The Holy Spirit helps us realize and
comprehend and appreciate the gifts of divine favor and blessing
that God bestows on us. Human wisdom does not teach us this
truth; it comes from the Holy Spirit, Who gives us the mind of
Christ (see I Corinthians 2:12–16). Ask Him to give you the
mind of Christ today.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, for preparing for me things that my eyes
have not seen, my ears have not heard, and my heart has
not thought of—things that can only be revealed to me by
Your Spirit.
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First Corinthians 2:14 explains that natural man cannot
understand spiritual things because they must be spiritually
discerned. This means that spiritual things take place in the
regenerated (born-again) spirit of the inner man, not in the
natural mind.
I am very grateful for discernment and spiritual understanding.
I appreciate the fact that you and I, as believers in Jesus Christ,
filled with His Spirit, can make decisions courageously because
we can trust what is in our hearts.
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Envy and jealousy cause us to strive after things that God gives
us in His timing, if it is His will that we have them. A jealous,
envious heart never blesses God. We are not to envy what other
people have (see I Corinthians 3:3).
the difference between knowing and really knowing

The natural man does not understand the spiritual man (see I
Corinthians 2:14). Some of the choices and decisions a spiritual
person makes do not make sense at all to a nonspiritual person.
Those who are natural or nonspiritual try to understand
everything with their minds, but the spiritual person discerns
things by the Spirit. He lives out of his new heart and out of the
attitude that God gives him. Recently I told someone something
I believed and they said, “That makes no sense at all.” I
responded by saying, “I know it, I believe a lot of things that do
not make sense to my mind.” The carnal or natural man wants
to know things in his mind and with his intellect, but the
spiritual man knows things by the Spirit. When he needs
answers he looks to his heart, not his head.
There is a difference in “knowing” and “really knowing.”
Someone who has met me might say, “I know Joyce Meyer,”
when in reality that person does not really know very much
about me at all. But, when my husband says, “I know Joyce
Meyer,” he really knows me thoroughly and completely. He has
seen me in every kind of situation and often knows how I will
respond to certain circumstances before I even have a chance to
respond.
The spiritual realm is just as real to the spiritual man as the
natural world is to the natural man. Just because we cannot see
it does not mean that it does not exist. We depend entirely too
much on what we see, feel, and understand. Satan sends lies to
your mind and you can either believe what he says or you can
ask yourself, “Now, what do I know in my heart about this?”
Spiritual people are hard to understand mentally. Sometimes
they might even seem a bit odd to nonspiritual people. They live
by discernment. They look into things with their spirit, not just
their natural eyes. They live by what they know and truly feel in
their spirit, not what they see or feel. Faith has nothing to do
with feelings and sight—and that is exactly how the spiritual
man lives. He lives by faith! He is saved by faith, justified by
faith, made right with God by faith, and he walks by faith. The
spiritual life is definitely misunderstood by natural,
nonspiritual people, but it is a wonderful, fulfilling, exciting
life.
envy prevents blessing

First Corinthians 3:3 teaches us that envy comes from fleshly
impulses.
I discovered that the best way to get over envy or jealousy is to
admit it. When you feel jealous or envious, be honest with God
and ask Him to help you live free from it. Anything we hide has
power over us, so bringing hidden things into the light not only
exposes them but weakens their power over us.
I must admit, there are times when I hear about a blessing that
someone receives, and I start to think, When is that going to happen
to me? When that thought enters my mind, I immediately open
my mouth and say, “I am happy for him. If God can do it for him,
He can do it for me too.”
If a young woman is unmarried and prays and asks God to give
her a husband, she may have difficulty being truly happy for her
friends when they get married.
In similar situations, instead of being unhappy or jealous or
envious, we all need to learn to be happy for others and let their
blessings be an encouragement to us. We can believe that what
God did for them, He can do for us. If He did it once, He can do it
again!
We should learn to pray for other people to be blessed. We
should pray for God to do for them what we want Him to do for
us. What we sow into others through our prayers, God can make
happen for us.
We should bless others and not be afraid they will get ahead of
us. We must not envy anyone else’s appearance, possessions,
education, social standing, marital status, gifts and talents, job,
or anything else because that will only hinder our own blessing.
Being jealous and envious of one another is a total waste of
time. We all have gifts that God gives us; they do not come from
any other source. We must be content with what heaven sends
us. God has a unique plan for each of our lives, and the gifts He
gives us are part of that plan. We can trust Him; He knows His
business. What He does for others is actually none of our
business. Our business is to walk in love.

First Corinthians 3:9–11 teaches us about foundations. People
try to build their lives on many things—money, education, job
titles, possessions, and other things. However, these are all
faulty foundations. Let me ask you: Who or what is the
foundation of your life? Jesus Christ is the only sure foundation
you can build your life upon. Ask God to help you build your life
wisely upon the firm foundation of Jesus.
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When we accept Christ, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in us (see
John 14:17). God chooses to move into our spirit—into the
center core of our lives—where He can be closer to us than any
other living thing. When God’s Holy Spirit moves into our
human spirit, our spirit is prepared as a dwelling place for God
and is made holy because God is there (see I Corinthians 3:16,
17).
a father’s heart
Paul had a father’s heart toward the believers in the church at
Corinth (see I Corinthians 4:15).
A father’s heart is that tender, nurturing, training, teaching,
stick-to-it kind of attitude that does not give up on people just
because they do not learn quickly.
A father delights in teaching his children how to walk or to play
ball. He does not get angry with them because they do not
master the steps the first time. He keeps working and working
with them until they learn how to do it. A good father does not
give up on his children. He is committed to them all of their
lives.
Paul said the church is full of instructors, full of teachers, full of
people who can preach a sermon and tell others what to do. But
he also said there are not enough fathers in the church.
If you want to be a leader in the body of Christ, especially if you

want to be a pastor, you must have the heart of a father.
Perhaps you feel unqualified to “father” someone in the
spiritual life. Perhaps you did not have a father who was a good
role model to you. Perhaps you do not know how to be “father-
like.” The truth is that we all have had less-than-perfect fathers
here on earth. You need to realize that God is a good heavenly
Father. He can nurture you as your loving Father, and He can
show you how to treat others the same way. Ask Him to help you.
He will.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, that Your kingdom is not based on talk,
but on power and excellence.
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The apostle Paul wrote that something may be permissible for
him, but at the same time it may not be helpful or profitable for
him (see I Corinthians 6:12). There are many things that we
could do, and God will not say a thing about them. We refer to
this as God’s “permissive will.” He is not likely to give us a
divine word about every single move we make, but He will
always give us wisdom if we ask for it. Walk in wisdom and you
will not live in regret.

Some people think that being a Christian only has to do with
“spiritual” things and not “physical” things. However, Paul is
very clear that your physical body, along with your spirit, were
bought at a great price: the blood of Jesus (see I Corinthians
6:20). Once you become a Christian, your body is where the
Holy Spirit lives. How do you treat your body? Remember that
good health and sexual purity are integral parts of glorifying
God with your body.
speak the Word

Thank You, Lord, for living in me by the Holy Spirit. I know
that I am not my own, but that You have bought me with a
price, the blood of Your Son. I will honor You and bring
glory to You in my body.
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In I Corinthians 8:1, Paul said that knowledge puffs up, but love
builds up. If we seek to walk in real love more than we seek to
know things we are much better off. Pride makes us think we do
not need God. Pride always comes before destruction. Beware of
pride and seek love. Love is humble, not puffed up or inflated
with pride. Instead of being anxious to tell others what we know,
let us strive to edify them and build them up. We do not need to
try to impress other people; we need to humble ourselves and let
God exalt us in His timing.
speak the Word

God, I declare that You are the only God. You are the
Source of all things, and I am living for You. I declare that
Jesus Christ is the only Lord. Through Him and by Him, all
things exist, including me!

When you tithe, do you know how all of your offering is used?
Probably not, but most likely a portion of it goes to pay the
pastors and staff at your church. It is scriptural for us to give to
those who take care of us spiritually (see I Corinthians 9:13, 14).
That is God’s will and His plan for how they should be
supported, and it is one of the ways we show appreciation for
what they have done for us. Always give with a cheerful heart
because it glorifies God when you do.
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Those of us who intend to run the race to win must conduct
ourselves temperately and restrict ourselves in all things (see I
Corinthians 9:24–27). We cannot expect someone else to make
us do what is right. We must listen to the Holy Spirit and take
action ourselves.
Paul said he buffeted his body. He means that he disciplined it
because he did not want to preach to others, tell them what they
should do, and then fail to do it himself. Paul was running the
race to win! He knew he could not develop his potential without
bringing his body, mind, and emotions under control.
Self-discipline is essential to the Christian life. Unless we
discipline our minds, our mouths, and our emotions, we will live
in ruin. Unless we learn to rule our tempers, we can never
achieve the successes that rightfully belong to us.
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First Corinthians 10:13 promises us that God will not allow us to
be tempted beyond what we can bear, but with every temptation
He will also provide the way out—the means of escape. The end
result will be that we are capable and strong to patiently bear up
under whatever negative circumstances we face.
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Real joy comes from being an empty vessel for God’s use and
glory, letting Him choose where He takes you, what He does
with you, when He is does it—and not arguing about it. Be
willing to do everything for the honor and glory of God, as I
Corinthians 10:31 instructs, and you will have great
contentment and joy in your life.
the spiritual in the natural

It is true that there are earthly things we must tend to on earth.
We cannot be “spiritual” all the time. But, if any person has
what I call a “religious spirit” about him, he will either ignore
the natural things he should take care of, or he will not enjoy
the earthly things he does handle. He will always rush through
those mundane things, trying to get back to some spiritual
activity, thinking it is only then that he can feel good about
himself. He only feels approval from God when he does what he
thinks are “spiritual” things.
We must learn that we can communicate with God while doing
the laundry as well as on bended knee. I personally believe God
prefers a person who talks to Him intermittently throughout the
day to a person who sets a clock for a certain amount of time to
spend with Him. The instant the time is up, he cuts off
communication with God until the next day.
The Lord is ever present and always available for fellowship
when we pray and study. But, in order to enjoy our entire life,
we need to learn that He is willing to be involved in everything
we do.
According to I Corinthians 10:31, we should do everything to the
glory of God. This includes the everyday things we do in the
secular realm as well as our spiritual pursuits in the spiritual
realm.

What do you think about when you receive the Lord’s Supper?
The next time you partake of this special meal, remember that
Jesus’ body was broken for you and His blood was shed for you
(see I Corinthians 11:23–25) and celebrate that your sins are
forgiven. Rejoice that one day He will come back. Receive the
healing, restoration, and strength that He purchased for you
with His body and blood.

Do you know that the Holy Spirit gives you spiritual gifts to use
(see I Corinthians 12:4–11)? Every believer—including you—has
been given at least one spiritual gift, and usually more than one.
If you do not know what your spiritual gifts are, pray for the
Holy Spirit to reveal them to you. Inquire at your church about
taking a class on spiritual gifts, or seek information about a
spiritual gifts test you can take. These tests often help people
understand themselves and give them a release to begin
functioning in their gifts. Thank the Holy Spirit for giving you
the gifts He has chosen, and ask Him for wisdom in using them.
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I believe there are certain individuals to whom God gives the gift
of faith (see I Corinthians 12:9) for specific occasions such as a
dangerous missionary trip or a challenging situation. When this
gift operates in people, they are able to comfortably believe God
for something that other people would see as impossible. They
have total faith for something that terrifies others.
A person operating under a gift of faith must be careful to avoid
thinking that those who do not have this gift are faithless or
cowards. He needs to understand that when the gift of faith
operates in a person, God gives that individual an unusual
portion of faith to ensure that His purpose in the earth is
accomplished.
Every person is given a certain measure of faith (see Romans
12:3). We can be assured that God will always give us enough
faith to receive His grace for the fulfillment of every task He
gives us.

Do you ever feel like your spiritual gifts are not as important as
someone else’s? That’s like saying your eyes are not as
important as your ears. The truth is, every gift is necessary for
the body of Christ to function as God intends (see I Corinthians
12:20–25). Recognize and celebrate the importance of each
person’s gifts, including your own. However, be sure not to think
more highly of your gifts than of someone else’s.
the gift of discernment

I believe that the discerning of spirits mentioned as a gift of the
Holy Spirit in I Corinthians 12:10 is an extremely valuable gift,
and I encourage you to desire and develop it.
I also encourage you not to be limited in your understanding of
what this gift is. The discerning of spirits gives people
supernatural insight into the spirit realm when God allows it. It
is not exclusively the discerning of evil or demon spirits, as
when Paul identified the spirit of divination in a girl who told
fortunes at Philippi (see Acts 16:16–18); it is also the discerning

of divine spirits, as when Moses looked into the spirit realm and
saw the “back” of God (see Exodus 33:18–23), or when John was
in exile on the isle of Patmos and had a vision of the resurrected
Jesus (see Revelation 1:9–18).
The discerning of spirits also helps us know the true nature of
those we deal with, whether they are good or evil. In other
words, it helps us know the motivation behind a person or the
true nature of a situation. For example, someone may appear to
do a good thing, yet we may feel wrong about that person inside.
That is often God’s way of warning us that the person’s
intention is evil. Satan himself uses such people to deceive
Christians and demolish their godly endeavors.
I have prayed a lot for discernment in my years in ministry and I
rely on it a great deal. Let me encourage you to pray for this gift
as well, because it can help you as you deal with many of the
people and situations in your life.
love above all

Love is the greatest thing in the world. First Corinthians 12:31
teaches us that love should be number one on our spiritual
priority list. We should study love, pray about love, and develop
the fruit of love by practicing loving others. We learn in
Galatians 5:22, 23 that love is one of the nine fruits of the Spirit
available to those in whom God’s Holy Spirit lives.
God is love, so when we walk in His love we abide in Him.
Because we walk in God’s love by receiving and expressing it, we
should not deceive ourselves into thinking we can love God
while we hate other people (see I John 4:20).
We seek many things during our lifetimes, hoping to find
fulfillment in them. But without love, these things fall short of
the desired goal. When we put our time and energy into things
that do not fulfill us, we feel frustrated.
Love is the best thing we can commit our life to. It took me about
forty-five years to realize that my priorities were mixed up and
that love was not the main thing in my life. It was not my first
priority, but it needed to be. The commitment to learn how to
walk in love has been the single best decision I have ever made
as a Christian.
Love not only blesses others; it also blesses the one doing the
loving. Concentrating on being a blessing to others has brought
me joy. I find it exciting.
All of us need to become students of love, excelling in the most
important quality of all—love.
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First Corinthians 13:1–3 begins a discourse on love. It tells us
clearly that no matter how many gifts of the Spirit we may
operate in, if we are not operating in love, all other gifts are
useless. If we speak in tongues, but do not love, we just make a
big noise. If we have prophetic power, and power to understand
and interpret secrets and mysteries, if we have all knowledge
and so much faith we can move mountains, but have not love,
according to the apostle Paul, we are useless nobodies. Even if
we give away all that we have to feed the poor and surrender our
very lives, but do it with wrong motives and not out of love, we
gain nothing.
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Love is the greatest thing in life (see I Corinthians 13:13), and
walking in love should be our main focus. God is love, and He
wants us to love one another (see I John 4:11, 16). We can only
truly love others by receiving and expressing God’s love. In
order to do that, we need to understand that He loves us and
accept His love. When we do, we begin a love walk that causes us
to live in a new way—a new way of thinking, a new way of
speaking, and a new way of acting.
Love is expressed in many different ways, but one factor is
always the same: love gives.
I pray that you will become addicted to walking in love and
blessing people. Give Satan a nervous breakdown—become
radical in your love walk by joining me in praying as I often do:
Lord, reduce me to love!
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First Corinthians 14:3 tells us that prophecy builds people up. It
does not tear people down; rather it constructively aids their
spiritual progress and gives them encouragement and
consolation in the process.
the most important thing

First Corinthians 13:13 says that love is the greatest thing. Faith
and hope are vitally necessary, but as important as they are, they
are not more important than love. Jesus gave us one new
commandment which is to love one another as He loved us. He
said that this would be the way the world knows we are His
disciples (see John 13:34).
Love is not theory or talk, but action. It is revealed in the way we
talk to people, how we treat them, and what we do or don’t do for
them. Love has many very practical facets and can be seen in a
variety of ways. For example, love is patient. When people are
walking in love, they are longsuffering with the weaknesses and
faults of others. Instead of believing the worst, love always
believes the best of every person.
Love is not rude. It actually strives to have good manners and
that is something we desperately need in society today. Love
takes time to say “please” and “thank you.” Love takes time to
really listen when others are talking. It is genuinely interested
in others. Love builds people up; it edifies. Love does not find
fault and criticize.
One of the facets of love that I enjoy thinking about is that love
covers a multitude of sins. Love does not expose people’s faults.
Instead it actually covers them unless, of course, something
really needs to be exposed and then love handles the situation
appropriately and with wisdom. So often we rush to tell every
negative thing we hear or know about anybody, but real love
does not behave that way. Love treats other people the way it
wants to be treated. Ask yourself, “Would I want someone to
spread rumors about me and be a tale-bearer, or would I want
them to cover my faults and pray for me?” Of course, we know
the answer, but still we often follow the flesh and do what we
know we should not do.
Be hopeful at all times and walk in faith, but above all seek love
and walk in it. God is love, and when we walk in love we show
Him to those we come in contact with.
a word about personal prophecy

First Corinthians 14:1, 3, 4 help us understand prophecy and
prophetic ministry. Prophecy must be in line with the Word of
God, and a personal word of prophecy should confirm something
that is already in your heart. It is nice when that happens,
because you know that the person giving you that word did not
know anything about what God was saying to you. But if
somebody tells you to go to the mission field, or to Bible college,
do not quit your job and go unless you know that God has spoken
to your heart this same word. I have seen people get into
horrendous messes by trying to run their lives based on what
other people have told them was a “prophetic message from
God.”
If the prophecy does not bear witness in your heart, do not worry
about it. There are a lot of well-meaning people who think they
hear from God for others, but they do not. If someone prophesies
to you something that is not already in your heart, then I
suggest you write down the words that are spoken over you and
just wait for the Lord to reveal to you whether or not the words
are from Him.
If a word of prophecy is truly from God, He will make it happen
in His own time. Lay aside the prophecy and wait to see if God
brings it to pass. He will speak to you in other ways to confirm
it, if it is really from Him.
I know of situations in which five to ten years passed before
something happened to prove that a prophecy was truly from
God. So even when we have clear direction from God, we need to
let Him fulfill His promises without trying to manipulate their
manifestation. When a promise does come to pass, the Holy
Spirit will help us recall that word we received years before to
let us know we are indeed walking in God’s perfect plan.
If prayerful godly believers have spoken a good word over you,
then opposition is one of the greatest signs that their message
was truly from God. Refer back to the spoken or written message
when the devil tells you that you are not called, that you are
never going to do what is in your heart to do, that you are never
going to prosper, or that you are never going to get a
breakthrough in your situation or whatever the case may be.
One of your weapons against his attacks will be the word that
has been prophesied to you.
Remember, what has been said through the gift of prophecy will
help you remain steadfast in faith when the devil wages war
against your calling or purpose. If the prophecy is truly from
God, the devil will eventually try to discourage you from
believing the truth, and you will be able to stand firm in faith
because you know what the Lord has said about you.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, that I am what I am, by Your grace, and
that Your grace toward me is fruitful and effective.

First Corinthians 15:33 teaches us that “Evil company corrupts
good habits.” It is not realistic to think you will always be
surrounded by other Christians, and God’s Word teaches that
you are to be light in a dark world. However, it is important to
remember that you are to be a godly influence on the lives of
those around you, and to stay on guard against evil influences.
Be sure when you are around evil or ungodly people that you
affect them and they do not infect you.
different is okay
We are all different. Like the sun, the moon, and the stars (see I
Corinthians 15:41), God created us to be different from one
another, and He did it on purpose. Each of us meets a need, and
we are all part of God’s overall plan. When we struggle to be
like others, not only do we lose ourselves, but we also grieve the
Holy Spirit. God wants us to fit into His plan, not to feel
pressured to try and fit into everyone else’s plans. Different is
okay; it is all right to be different.
We are all born with different temperaments, different physical
features, different fingerprints, different gifts and abilities, etc.
Our goal is to discover what we are supposed to be as
individuals, and then succeed at that.
Romans 12 teaches us that we are to give ourselves to our gift. In
other words, we are to find out what we are good at and then
throw ourselves wholeheartedly into exercising our gifts.
I discovered that I enjoy doing what I am good at doing. Some
people feel they are not good at anything, but that is not true.
When we make an effort to do what others are good at doing, we
often fail because we are not gifted for those things; but that
does not mean we are good for nothing. We should look for what
we are good at and function in it.
We all have limitations, and we must accept them. That is not
bad; it is just a fact. It is wonderful to be free to be different, not
to feel that something is wrong with us because we are different.
We should be free to love and accept one another, as well as
ourselves, without feeling pressure to compare or compete.
Secure people who know God loves them and has a plan for them
are not threatened by the abilities of others. I encourage you to
be secure enough to enjoy what other people can do and to enjoy
what you can do. Say positive things about yourself instead of
negative things because that will help release the gifts God has
placed in you.

The loss of a loved one through death is very painful. Are you
mourning such a loss right now? Ask God to comfort you with
His presence and with the assurance that for believers in Jesus
the sting of death is swallowed up by the victory of Jesus Christ
and His resurrection (see I Corinthians 15:50–57). Death is not
the end, because in Christ we live forever. Pray for those in your
life who do not yet know Jesus that they too will believe in Him
and enjoy eternal life.

Do you ever feel like your work for God is not making a
difference? Be encouraged by I Corinthians 15:58! This verse
promises that even if you cannot always see the results, your
work is not in vain. Ask God to make you steadfast and to
strengthen you daily for the work that He has called you to. God
sees your labor for Him and He will reward you.
speak the Word

Father, I pray that everything I do will be done in love.
Second Corinthians
Author:
Paul
Date:
About AD 55, seemingly a few
months after I Corinthians
In Christ, you are a new
creation. Your past is finished
and you are made new.
Because of Jesus, you are
righteous, which means that
you are in a right relationship
with God.
You are an ambassador for
Jesus Christ everywhere you
go.
Second Corinthians is perhaps the most personal of all letters from the
apostle Paul. Obviously, it is his second letter to the believers in Corinth,
probably because their problems continued after his first letter. Into their
situation of strife and conflict, Paul sends this letter to thank and
encourage those who have been faithful to God and loyal to him, to
share some personal insights and struggles and to encourage people in the
church.
One of the great themes in II Corinthians is that a believer in Jesus
Christ is a new creation, one who has right standing with God and is an
ambassador for Him. When we receive Jesus as Savior and Lord, our pasts
are completely washed away. We do not have to feel guilty about them
anymore (because we are forgiven) or let past behaviors or thoughts
influence us anymore. Instead, we are made new in our hearts and we are
continually to renew our minds in the Word of God, which further
strengthens us and grounds us in the realities of our faith.
As you read II Corinthians, I hope you will become increasingly aware
that your old life has passed away and that you are a new creation in
Jesus Christ. You are in right relationship with God and you are His
representative to the people around you. These are extremely important
aspects of your Christian faith and they will lead you to victory in your

Times of suffering and trials are a part of everyone’s life. Is this
a time of suffering in your life? Ask God to surround you with
His comfort and to help you experience it in tangible ways. He is
able to comfort you no matter what the trial. Although it may
not help much right now, know that someday you will be able to
comfort someone else as God comforts you (see II Corinthians
1:3–5).
find comfort in God

Have you been disappointed, hurt, or mistreated? Have you had
changes in your life or are you experiencing loss of some kind?
Have you failed in some way? Are you just simply tired? What is
your trouble today? Second Corinthians 1:3, 4 says that God
wants to help you by comforting you when you need it.
The Holy Spirit is actually called “the Comforter” (see John
14:26). His various names describe His character. They reveal
what He does and what He desires to do for believers. He is
willing to do a great deal for us if we are willing to receive His
help.
For many years, I regularly became angry with my husband,
Dave, because he would not comfort me when I felt I needed it. I
am sure he was trying, but now I realize that God would not
allow Dave to give me the comfort I should have been seeking
from Him. God was longing to give me that comfort by the Holy
Spirit, if only I had asked!
God will allow people to do only a certain amount for us, and no
more. Even those people who are extremely close to us cannot
give us everything we need all the time. When we expect others
to do for us what only God can do, we have our expectations in
the wrong place, and we will always be disappointed.
No comfort is as good as God’s. People can never give us what we
really need unless God Himself uses other people to reach us,
which He often does. Whether He uses another person to
comfort you or He comforts you Himself by the Holy Spirit, let
me remind you that He is the Comforter. Ask for and receive His
comfort whenever you need it.
life point
If we pray in the Holy Spirit, we can always be assured that all
things will work out for good (see Romans 8:27, 28). God is great
and mighty; there is no situation that He cannot use for good as
we pray and trust Him. We dare not pray the way we want to, but
as we are led by the Holy Spirit. I believe Spirit-filled prayers
receive a “Yes” and “Amen” from God, as we read about in II
Corinthians 1:20.

Do you know that all of the promises of God are for you (see II
Corinthians 1:20)? As you spend time in the Word, search out
the promises of God. Ask Him to show you how He has already
fulfilled certain promises and to fill you with expectation that
He will fulfill others.
life point
Second Corinthians 2:10, 11 teaches us that we are to forgive in
order to keep Satan from gaining an advantage over us. When
we forgive others, we not only do them a favor, we do ourselves
an even greater favor.
The reason we do ourselves such a favor is that unforgiveness
fills us with resentment and produces a root of bitterness that
poisons our entire system.
Bitterness always belongs to bondage. Forgiveness releases
bitter bondage.
life point
God always energizes us to do what He leads us to do. It is only
when we go beyond His will to follow our own wills (or other
people’s desires) that we are likely to get exhausted. Second
Corinthians 2:14 says that God always “leads us in triumph.”
His will is not for us to live defeated, weak lives; He wants us to
be more than conquerors (see Romans 8:37). His will for us is
strength, not weakness; victory, not defeat.

Many cultures today place a very high value on self-sufficiency.
Do you believe that you are self-sufficient? The truth is that no
one is sufficient in himself. Second Corinthians 3:5 says that
our only sufficiency is from God. Whether you recognize it or
not, your ability to do anything, including minister to others,
comes from God alone. Thank Him that you do not have to
depend on yourself, but can rely on His strength and power for
everything you do!
relationship, not “religion”

I feel sometimes that “religion” is killing people. In II
Corinthians 3:6, Paul said, “The code [of the Law] kills, but the
[Holy] Spirit makes alive.”
There are so many precious people who seek a relationship with
God, and the religious community continues to tell them they
need to “do” something else in order to be acceptable to Him.
Do not be offended by my use of the word “religion.” I realize
that it has been a popular, spiritual-sounding word for centuries.
I am only trying to present a clear difference between an
impersonal set of rules and regulations and a personal
relationship with the living God.
Jesus talked of His personal relationship with the Father, and
the religious leaders of His day persecuted Him. I am amazed
when I encounter certain people who are opposed to hearing
others talk about God in a personal way or about feeling
empowered by God. Obviously, Satan hates a personal
relationship with God and the power it makes available in the
life of a believer.
In certain religious circles, if you and I were to talk about God
as though we know Him, we would be judged and criticized.
People would ask, “Who do you think you are?” Religion wants
us to picture God as being far away—somewhere up in the sky—
not approachable by anyone except the “elite” of the church.
And, furthermore, they want us to believe that He can be
reached only through rule keeping and good behavior.
This “religious spirit” was alive in Jesus’ day, and He died to put
an end to it and bring people into a close personal relationship
with Himself, the Father, and the Holy Spirit. That same
religious spirit still torments people to this day if they do not
know the truth.
The Law was given in order to show people their need for a
Savior. We try to keep it until we realize that we absolutely
cannot, and then hopefully we humble ourselves and ask God to
help us, which He did in the person of Jesus Christ. As you walk
with God, remember to keep your relationship with Him at the
center and to keep “religion” far from you.
life point
In II Corinthians 3:13–15 we read that when the Law is read, a
veil lies over the hearts and minds of the people. A veil is a
separation.
As long as we read the Bible as Law, a separation will exist
between God and us and it will prevent proper relationship. Even
though the old covenant is now made void and done away with, if
we are legalistic, we will read legalism into everything the Bible
says.
Remember, a legalist is someone who is overly concerned with
rulekeeping. He exalts rules above relationship. Do not be a
legalist, hiding behind a veil of rules and regulations, but come
to God just as you are with an open heart and unveiled face.
life point
Second Corinthians 3:17 affirms that God wants us to have
liberty and not legalism. The Amplified Bible defines liberty as
emancipation from bondage: freedom. “If the Son liberates
you… then you are really and unquestionably free,” we read in
John 8:36.
You may ask, “What am I free from?” You are:
Free from the power of sin!
Free from manipulation and control!
Free from fear of what others think of you!
Free from comparing yourself with everybody else!
Free from competition with others!
Free from selfishness!
Free from legalism!
Free to be an individual!
Free to be you!
Free! Free! Free!
life point
We change gradually, little by little, or as II Corinthians 3:18
states, “from one degree of glory to another.” While these
changes take place, we still make mistakes, and God’s
forgiveness is always available to us through Jesus Christ.
Receiving this forgiveness actually strengthens us and enables
us to keep pressing on toward new levels of holiness and better
behavior.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, for allowing me to possess the light of the
Gospel in my frail, human vessel so everyone will know
that the power in my life comes from You.
free to be
In II Corinthians 3:18 we read that we must come “with unveiled
face” in order to receive the benefit God wants us to have from
the new covenant.
To me, this means that when I stop being religious and legalistic
and just come to Jesus, when I lay aside all “my” works and
begin to see Him, when I allow Him to remove the veil from my
eyes, then He and I can enter into personal relationship that
will ultimately change me into His image.
We must learn to “be” and not always feel that we must “do.”
There is a big emphasis in Christian circles today on spending
personal time with the Lord, and rightly so. More than anything
else, we need His presence. He is the only One Who can do
anything for us that will be permanent. Unfortunately, many
people are frustrated by this emphasis in teaching. They want to
spend time with God, but feel uncomfortable; or, they do not
know what to do during these times.
Others express that they never sense God’s presence. They find
prayer and fellowship to be a dry experience. I believe one of the
reasons this happens is that people live under the Law instead of
under grace. Grace is not the freedom to sin; it is the power to
live a holy life.
But grace also sees when our hearts are right toward God and
even though our performance may not always be perfect, grace
forgives and helps us get from where we are to where we need to
be.
The Law condemns. Grace removes the condemnation and sets
us free—free from and free to. Free from condemnation, self-
hatred, self-rejection, fear of God, and many other negative
traps. And free to serve God without pressure, free to use the life
and energy we are given to behave better, rather than to fight
condemnation.
When you spend time with God, do not try to be or sound

“religious,” just be yourself. Talk to Him and listen to hear what
He will speak to your heart. Read His Word and other Christian
books that will edify and help you grow as a believer in Jesus
Christ. Do not make your time with Him complicated, keep it
simple, and trust Him to teach you in all areas of life.
this too shall pass

When I face difficult times, I tell myself, “This can’t last forever.
This, too, shall pass.”
You can probably look back at your life and see many difficult
times you endured even though at the time you thought, I cannot
stand this for another day. The devil probably tempted you every
five minutes to believe the trial was going to last forever.
As you consider how many times you have already made it to the
other side of pain, you can be confident you will make it again
through Christ, Who strengthens you (see Philippians 4:13).
And on the other side of trials, you will see how God turned
those experiences into good for your life (see Romans 8:28).
If you have had a problem for more than six months, you
probably feel as though your problem has lasted for an eternity.
But our years on earth are only a little drop of nothing
compared to forever.
Paul said in II Corinthians 4:17, 18 that the seasons of trials
pass. It is tough when we are going through trials, but Paul
learned to keep his eyes on the prize of heaven and trusted God
to prepare him so that God’s glory was revealed through his life.
When you are tempted to become discontented, remember:
“This, too, shall pass.” Your afflictions are “light and
momentary” from the perspective of eternity. No matter how bad
your current situation may look, God loves you. Never let go of
the truth that God loves you, no matter what happens in your
life. You can trust that everything will work out because of His
great love for you.

Are you facing some physical challenges at this time in your
life? It can be discouraging to know that your body cannot do
everything it used to be able to do (see II Corinthians 5:1–8).
Ask God for strength to face those physical challenges, and be
encouraged, knowing that your eternal body will always be
perfect and strong, and that you will live with Him forever.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, for giving me the Holy Spirit as a
guarantee of the fulfillment of Your promise in my life.
fickle feelings
Second Corinthians 5:7 says we walk by faith and not by sight;
we do not make decisions by what we see or feel. We have to
search our hearts, where faith abides, and live from there. The
kingdom of God is within us, and we should follow those inner
promptings that lead to righteousness, peace, and joy in the
Holy Spirit.
Feelings can mislead us and steal our faith more than any other
single influence. The problem with feelings is that they change
constantly. We can feel one thousand ways about the same thing
in thirty days. One minute we may feel like doing something,
and the next minute we do not. Feelings also provoke us to say
things that are unwise, and we talk a lot about how we feel!
Do you believe the god of your feelings or the God of the Bible?
This is a question we must all ask ourselves. More than
anything, people who come to me for help and counsel tell me
how they feel. We should tell each other what the Word of God
says, not just how we feel.
Our feelings do not convey truth to us; Satan uses them to
deceive and lead us astray. Emotions are unreliable; do not
believe them or trust them. Respond with your heart, where the
Spirit of God abides, and always be sure that you have peace.
Check with your heart, not your emotions, before making a
decision. Learn to walk by faith, not by things you can see,
touch, or feel.
life point
The more we love Jesus, the more we operate in self-control. It is
easier for us to say no to selfish desires and yes to God, because
“the love of Christ” (II Corinthians 5:14) urges us to do so.
As our love for God grows, we will not want to offend Him. We
will not want to grieve the Holy Spirit. We will want to do what
God wants us to do, and obedience will give us great joy in our
everyday lives.
Our walks with God are progressive and we do get better and
better in every way as we continue in His Word. Do not be
discouraged with yourself. You may not be where you want to be,
but thank God you are not where you used to be!
life point
As “a new creation,” you do not have to allow the old things that
happened to you affect your new life in Christ. You are a new
creature with a new life in Christ (see II Corinthians 5:17). You
can have your mind renewed according to the Word of God. Good
things will happen to you. Rejoice! It is a new day!

Do you know that you are Christ’s ambassador (see II
Corinthians 5:20)? Just as you were reconciled to God through
Jesus, He now entrusts you to tell others that they, too, can be
reconciled to God and have a loving, personal relationship with
Him. Think of someone to whom you can be Christ’s
ambassador, and pray for an opportunity to share God’s love with
that person.
life point
According to II Corinthians 5:20 we are God’s ambassadors, His
personal representatives. And God makes His appeal to mankind
to be saved through us as believers in Jesus Christ. This is a very
big responsibility, one we should take seriously. We need to
display the character of Jesus through our love for one another
and through the good fruit He has produced in our lives, so that
others will be drawn to Him.
God’s ambassadors
Do you understand from II Corinthians 5:18–20 that God wants
us—and through us, everyone on earth—to be in favor with
Him? Do you also understand from what we have said that the
devil steals that favor through deceit and delusion? Jesus came
to restore favor to God’s people—and through us to everyone
everywhere.
Part of our inheritance is to have and enjoy favor. Part of our
ministry is to act as Christ’s ambassadors by drawing others to
receive God’s wonderful gift of forgiveness and reconciliation
and to share in His marvelous grace, His unmerited favor.
God wants to restore us to favor with Him so we can act as His
ambassadors in the earth. This is how we need to look upon
ourselves, as emissaries from a foreign land. The Bible says we
are aliens and strangers here, that this earth is not our home,
that we are merely passing through (see I Peter 2:11.) Through
us God makes His appeal to others to receive His forgiveness,
grace, and favor.
Now think for a moment: how are foreign ambassadors treated?
Are they not treated royally? That is the way we should expect to
be treated, and that is the way we should treat others to whom
we are sent by the Lord for the sake of His kingdom.
The Bible tells us that not only are we ambassadors for Christ,
but that we are kings and priests unto our God (see Revelation
1:6, KJV). That is why we need a different attitude toward
ourselves and others. We need to act like royal ambassadors,
like divine diplomats, because we are God’s representatives on
earth.
life point
A large number of believers are tormented by negative thinking
about themselves. They think about how God must be so
displeased with them because of all their weaknesses and
failures.
How much time do you waste living under guilt and
condemnation? Notice that I asked how much time is wasted,
because that is exactly what that kind of thinking is—a waste of
time!
Do not think about how terrible you were before you came to
Christ. Instead, think about the fact that you have been made
the righteousness of God in Him. Remember: thoughts turn into
actions. If you ever want to behave better, you have to change
your thinking first. Keep thinking about how terrible you are,
and you will only act worse. Every time a negative, condemning
thought comes to your mind, remind yourself that God loves
you, that you have been made the righteousness of God in
Christ.
You are changing for the better all the time. Every day you grow
spiritually. God has a glorious plan for your life. These are the
truths you must think about.

Relationships are an important part of life, and close
relationships that are healthy and godly can be great blessings
in our lives. However, II Corinthians 6:14–18 warns against
being in a close relationship with anyone who causes us to stray
from God’s purposes and will. Are you in any relationships that
cause you to compromise your faith? Ask God to help you know
how to eliminate wrong, ungodly relationships, to give you
wisdom in your relationships, and to provide you with healthy,
godly friendships.
right with God

Being made right with God and being acceptable to Him through
Jesus Christ (see II Corinthians 5:21) is a wonderful privilege
and blessing. Just think of it! We no longer have to fear or feel
ashamed and condemned when we try to pray or fellowship with
God. We can approach the throne of God boldly, unreservedly,
and as often as we choose. God loves us and welcomes us with
open arms. He loves to hear our requests and work with us to
bring us into the fullness of His will for us.
Most people feel wrong about themselves, not right. Prior to
accepting Jesus as Savior, we cannot do anything but feel wrong
because many things about us are wrong. We say wrong things,
make wrong choices, do wrong things, and behave in wrong ways
toward other people. But through Christ, we are made right with
God and we become acceptable to Him. We still do things that
are wrong, but justice is satisfied in Jesus Christ, Who paid the
debt we owed and became the final sacrifice for our sins.
We place our faith in Jesus and we give Him everything we have,
everything we are, and especially everything we are not; and in
exchange He gives us everything He has and is. That is the best
deal anyone will find anywhere.
When I married my husband, Dave, he had a car. I did not have a
car while I was single, but when we married I suddenly had a car.
Everything Dave had became mine after I made a full
commitment of my life to Dave. His car was not legally mine as
long as we were dating, but as soon as we were married
everything he had was legally mine and everything I had was
his. Dave had money and I did not, so suddenly I had some
money. He had a large loving family and mine was rather
dysfunctional, so suddenly I had a good family too. Dave had a
lot more than I did, which reminds me of my relationship with
Jesus.
We have sin and Jesus has righteousness, so when we make a
full commitment to Him we give Him our sin and He gives us
His righteousness. Exchange your sin consciousness for a
righteousness consciousness and you will start seeing wonderful
changes in your life and behavior.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, for being my Father.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, that I am progressively acquainted with
and recognize more strongly and clearly the grace of my
Lord Jesus Christ—His kindness, His gracious generosity,
His undeserved favor, and His spiritual blessing.

Have you ever thought about not tithing in order to save money
or to use that money for something else? I think we have all
been tempted to use our tithe for something else, but that is a
temptation we should aggressively resist. The tithe does not even
belong to us; it belongs to God. He says in Malachi 3 that if we
withhold it we are robbing Him. Second Corinthians 9:6–8 is
both a warning and a wonderful promise. God is a God of
abundance, not scarcity. Ask Him to give you a cheerful heart as
you give and to increase your faith to see abundance for every
good work.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, for providing seed for the sower and for
multiplying my resources for sowing and increasing the
fruits of my righteousness. Thank You that I am enriched in
all things and in every way so that I can be generous.
the mind is the battlefield

Our thoughts get us into trouble more than anything else. This
is because our thoughts are the roots of every word and deed.
In Isaiah 55:8, the Lord says, “For My thoughts are not your
thoughts, neither are your ways My ways.” No matter what you
or I may think, God has written down His thoughts for us in His
book, the Bible. We must choose to examine our thoughts in
light of the Word of God, always being willing to submit our
thoughts to His thoughts, knowing that His are best.
This is exactly the point made in II Corinthians 10:4, 5. Through
careful strategy and cunning deceit, Satan attempts to set up
“strongholds” in our minds. A stronghold is an area in which we
are held in bondage due to a wrong way of thinking. Examine
what is in your mind. If it does not agree with God’s thoughts
(the Bible), then cast down your own thoughts and think God’s
thoughts instead. In order to do this, you must know God’s Word
well enough to compare your thoughts with what is in the mind
of God.
People living in the vanity of their own minds not only destroy
themselves, but far too often, they bring destruction to others
around them. Those who live by God’s truth, on the other hand,
are blessed and bring blessings to others.
The mind is the battlefield!
On the battleground of the mind you will either win or lose the
war that Satan has launched against you. My heartfelt prayer is
that you will cast down imaginations and every high and lofty
thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing
every thought into captivity, into obedience to Jesus Christ so
that you can live in victory, joy, and peace.
life point
I believe one of the biggest mistakes we make is comparing
ourselves with other people and our gifts with their gifts.
God is not going to help me be anyone but myself and, likewise,
He will not help you be anyone but yourself. He is not calling us
to compete with others, but to love and help them. We should
use our gifts to enhance other people’s gifts, never allowing
ourselves to fall prey to the spirit of jealousy that is so prevalent
in our society.
the beauty of simplicity

In II Corinthians 11:3, Paul warns the people not to let their
minds be corrupted from “wholehearted and sincere and pure
devotion to Christ.” I especially like the way the King James
Version renders that phrase: the “simplicity that is in Christ.”
Learn to keep life as simple as possible. It is fine to have a plan
for your life and for your everyday activities, but be open to
following God’s plan if He has another direction in which He
wants you to go. We can block God’s plan by following our own
fleshly desires and plans without consulting Him.
God’s plans for us are actually so simple that many times we
miss them. We tend to look for something more complicated—
something more difficult, something we think we are expected
to do to please God.
Jesus told us what to do to follow God’s plan: Believe! My life is
an example of the magnitude of God’s ability to fulfill His plan
in our lives, no matter how unlikely the possibility may seem,
when we simply believe.
Think about the simple, uncomplicated approach a child has to
life. Something that children seem to have in common is this:
They are going to enjoy themselves if at all possible. They are
carefree and completely without concern. They believe what they
are told. Their nature is to trust unless they have had an
experience that has taught them otherwise. They are simple, and
they approach life with simplicity. We need to develop this
aspect of childlikeness as we relate to God and as we go about
our lives.
life point
Jesus told Paul that His grace is sufficient for us; that His
strength and power are made perfect in our weaknesses (see II
Corinthians 12:9). We become frustrated when we try to achieve
by works a life that God not only brought into being, but
designed to be received by grace. Grace is the power of God to
meet our needs and solve our problems.
life point
Weakness is not very popular. Most people do not advertise their
limitations. However, in II Corinthians 12:9, Paul says that he
boasts in his weaknesses. Why? Because he knows that God’s
strength is great in the midst of his infirmity. Is there an area in
your life where you feel weak? Do not try to rely on your own
strength; ask God to be strong in your weakness. When you
admit your frailty, God pours out His strength. Know that His
grace is more than sufficient and thank God for His power that
is made perfect in your weakness.
life point
Second Corinthians 13:5 tells us to examine ourselves, and I
wholeheartedly agree that we need to do so. We should evaluate
ourselves to see if we have sin in our lives or in our hearts, and
if we do, we should sincerely repent, then move on to live
without that sin in our lives.
There is a great difference between examination and
condemnation. Examination shows us what is wrong in our
behavior so we can admit it, ask for forgiveness, and go in a new
direction. Allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us in proper self-
examination will deliver us and set us free. Condemnation
keeps us mired in the very sin we feel condemned about.
Condemnation does not deliver us; it traps us! It weakens us and
saps all our spiritual strength. We give our energy toward
feeling condemned rather than living righteously.
Galatians
Author:
Paul
Date:
Approximately AD 53–57
We approach God through
grace, not through the Law.
Believers are to reject legalism
and embrace God’s grace in
every area of life.
Walk in the Spirit, not in the
flesh.
In Galatians, Paul addresses and emphasizes a subject that is very
important to me and should be to all believers: the grace of God. Many
people tend to approach God through the Law, which simply means
doing what is right and obeying the “rules” of Christianity. This is called
“legalism.” Galatians teaches us that we approach God through grace—
which is simply God’s power at work in us, causing us to want to obey
Him and enabling us to do so. Legalism teaches that we obey God out of
obligation; grace teaches that we obey out of love. Legalism urges us to
“act right” through works of the flesh, while grace enables us to “be
right” by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Throughout the short but life-changing letter of Galatians, you will find
encouragement to live and walk “in the Spirit.” Only as you invite the
Holy Spirit into your life and ask Him to help you in every situation will
you truly be able to live in a way that pleases God. Without the Holy
Spirit’s help and enablement, all of us are left to live as best we can in
our own strength. With His help, we can relax, stop striving, and enjoy
life.
As you read Galatians, I pray that God’s awesome grace becomes more
and more real to you and that you will be able to live in God’s grace and
walk in the power of the Holy Spirit for the rest of your life.

Have you ever thought that God could not or would not use you
because of your past? No one was more likely to feel that way
than the apostle Paul, who tried to destroy the early church.
However, Paul received God’s forgiveness and recognized that it
was God who gave him his ministry and authority (see Galatians
1:1). No matter what your past, God wants to use you too.
life point
The apostle Paul said in Galatians 1:10 that if he wanted to be
popular with people, he would not be a servant of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Basically, Paul says that needing people’s approval in an
unbalanced way can steal our destinies. We cannot always be
God-pleasers and people-pleasers at the same time.
life point
Paul says in Galatians 1:15, 16 that when he was called by God
to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles, he did not discuss the
matter with anyone else.
Many times when we receive a message from God, we confer too
much with flesh and blood. We go around looking for someone
to assure us that we are doing the right thing. What we need to
do is believe John 14:17, which tells us that we have the Holy
Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, within us. But since we have invited
the Spirit of Truth to guide us, should we always shun advice
from others? No, the writer of Proverbs says, “… in the
multitude of counselors there is safety” (Proverbs 11:14). Like
many other things, this is an area in which we need balance. We
can and should be open to receive advice from those who are
wiser and more experienced than we are in an area, but we
should not depend so much on what people say that we fail to
listen to God Himself.
how to handle God’s call

Paul said that he kept the news of his calling to himself; he did
not check it out with “the big guys” who were supposed to hear
from God (see Galatians 1:15–19). He knew what God did with
him on that road to Damascus. He knew that he was changed
forever (see Acts 9:3–8). He knew that the Son of God was
unveiled and disclosed on the inside of him. He knew he could
never go back to the life he had lived. He knew that for the rest
of his life he would preach the Gospel and remain faithful to
what he heard Jesus say to him.
But Paul also had the wisdom to know people would find his
calling unbelievable. So he waited on God. He did not go
running around checking with the other apostles, saying, “Hey
guys, I saw a light on the road and fell down, and this happened
and that happened. What do you all think?” Instead, he went to
Arabia, and then came back to Damascus. Three years after that,
he traveled to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Peter, but
did not see any of the other apostles except James.
Paul kept God’s Word in his heart and let it grow and manifest
on its own. Then he started doing what he was called to do. Soon
others recognized that the calling on him must have been from
God. What was the result? Galatians 1:24 tells us that the
people glorified God as the “Author and Source” of what had
taken place in Paul.
Has God given you a calling to serve Him? As you stay in His
Word and wait on Him, you will see growth in your life and
receptivity to the message God gives you.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, that I am not made righteous by the Law,
but only through faith and absolute reliance on and trust
in Jesus Christ.
life point
In Galatians 3:2–4, Paul asked the Galatians why they were
trying to reach perfection by depending upon the flesh. He urged
them to remember that entirely new spiritual lives were given
birth because of faith and leaning on the Holy Spirit. Therefore,
he asked, why did they need to try to reach perfection any way
other than the way they began?
He concluded by telling them that if they did not stop this type
of legalistic behavior, everything they had suffered would be in
vain and accomplish no purpose.
I don’t know about you, but I have come too far and gone
through too much to mess it all up now. I want to know the right
way to approach God, and as far as I can see in His Word, that is
through faith in what Jesus has done, not faith in what I can do.
We cannot live as victorious Christians without knowing these
things. We cannot succeed without stepping out in faith, not in
our works. If we believe our acceptance is based on our doing, we
will always feel rejected when we fail to do the right thing. But
if we see that our acceptance is based on what God has done, we
will truly be free.
do your part
Before we can enjoy any real victory over sin and experience
change in our behavior, we must learn that only God can change
us (see Galatians 3:2–5). We cannot perfect ourselves and when
we try to do so, we only become very frustrated. God has called
us to perfection and has given us perfect hearts, but the working
out of it is a process that takes faith, patience, and time. As we
face truth, admit our faults, and place our faith in God to change
us we will see results, but we must trust His timing. Things do
not always happen when we think they should.
We are partners with God and we do have a part to play. Our part
is to believe and obey any specific instruction God might give us;
His part is to work the good thing He has placed inside of us to
the outside of us where it can be seen and enjoyed by others and
ourselves. When we get into “works of the flesh” (our energy
trying to do God’s job) we get frustrated. God Himself frustrates,
opposes, and defeats us until we humble ourselves and lean
entirely on Him (see I Peter 5:5). It took a long time, but I
finally learned that every time I felt frustrated I had stopped
trusting God and started trusting myself to accomplish whatever
needed to be done at the time.
We received Christ totally by faith and that is the same way we
must live our lives. We realize that we need to change and
frequently become very disappointed with ourselves—even feel
condemned—when we do not. We are much better off to put all
the energy we use trying to change ourselves into prayer and
trust God to do what needs to be done.
By faith God is working in you and you will see wonderful
changes, but you must turn the project of your perfection over to
Him entirely. Let God be God in your life! Instead of saying,
“I’ll never change,” say, “God is working in me as I trust Him,
and I believe I am getting better and better every day. God is
strengthening me in my weaknesses and helping me overcome
bad habits.”
speak the Word

Thank You, Jesus, for purchasing my freedom and
redeeming me from the curse of the Law and its
condemnation by becoming a curse for me.
life point
Galatians 3:16 refers to Jesus Christ as the “Seed.” I like that,
because it means that if I have a seed, I can have a harvest.
Jesus is the Seed of everything good that God desires for us to
have. God plants the Seed, but it must be cultivated, nurtured,
watered, and cared for. The ground in which it is planted must be
kept plowed up and weed-free.
Our hearts and lives are the ground. Everything that needs to be
changed or removed is not taken care of all at once. There is a
great work to be done, and only the Holy Spirit knows the proper
“when and how.” As He deals with us about certain issues, we
are to submit to Him our wills, which means submitting the
flesh to the leadership of the Spirit. It is not all easy, but it is
definitely worth it. Going through change is hard, but staying in
bondage is even more difficult.
life point
Galatians 3:28 teaches that we “are all one in Christ Jesus.”
But, as long as time has existed, Satan has breathed life into the
poisonous practice of one race or group of people being
prejudiced against another. Most wars are birthed out of
prejudice and hatred. The Holocaust came from that same
poison, as did slavery. Even various religious sects have hated
one another and allowed the spirit of pride to fill their hearts.
Hatred has existed since the beginning of humanity. Adam’s
son, Cain, hated his brother Abel so much that he killed him
(see Genesis 4:2–8), and it seems hatred has never stopped since
then. Hating people is hard work, and it kills everything good in
life.
You and I may not agree with everything another person
believes or does, but we have no right to hate him because of it,
and we certainly should not mistreat him.
God hates sin, but He loves every sinner. He hates stubbornness
and rebellion, but still loves the person who is stubborn and
rebellious. He has not told us we have to approve of everyone’s
beliefs, choices, and actions, but He has told us to love everyone.

Have you ever been discriminated against? It is a painful
experience. There is no room for discrimination in the body of
Christ; rather, we are called to unity in Christ Jesus (see
Galatians 3:28). Ask God to reveal to you any prejudice that may
linger in your heart or mind. Repent of it, and ask God to help
you bring unity where there is division around you.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, for making me Your child and sending the
Holy Spirit into my heart to cry out, “Father” and to help
me understand what it means to belong to You.
life point
In Galatians 4:24–31, the Bible speaks about two covenants,
describing two ways in which we live.
The first way we choose to live is by works of our own flesh. We
take care of ourselves; we make our own plans and struggle to
make things happen our way, in our timing. This describes the
natural way, the “normal” way most people live. It is a way that
produces every kind of misery. We struggle, get frustrated, fail,
and end up weary and worn-out most of the time. We are
confused and defeated, and have no peace or joy.
The second way we can live is supernaturally, by the power of
God. We live by faith, trusting God to do what needs to be done
in our lives. This way is described in the Bible as a new and
living way (see Hebrews 10:20). This new way produces peace,
joy, ease, and success.

There is great freedom in belonging to God. What does this
freedom mean to you? God’s Word teaches us that this freedom
is not the absence of morality, but the freedom to serve others in
love (see Galatians 5:13, 14). Thank God for setting you free
from the bondage of sin, and ask Him to help you experience
even more deeply the joy of serving others.
speak the Word

Help me, Lord, to walk and live in the Holy Spirit, being
responsive to and led by the Spirit in every situation so
that I will not gratify the flesh.
choose life in the Spirit

Paul said we should choose to walk and live in the Spirit, and by
making that choice, we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh that
continually tempt us (see Galatians 5:16).
There are many things available to lead us—people, the devil
and his demons, the flesh (our own bodies, minds, wills,
emotions), and the Holy Spirit. There are many voices in the
world that speak to us, often several at the same time. It is
imperative that we learn to be led by the Holy Spirit, to be
“responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit,” as
Galatians 5:16 says. Remember: The Holy Spirit is the One Who
knows the will of God and Who is sent to dwell in each of us to
aid us in being all God has designed us to be and to have all God
wants us to have.
It is important for us to see that the Holy Spirit lives in each of
us to help us. When we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us, He
becomes involved in every decision we make—both major and
minor. He leads us by peace and by wisdom, as well as by the
Word of God. He speaks in a still, small voice in our hearts, or
what we often call “the inward witness.” Those of us who desire
leading by the Holy Spirit must learn to follow the inward
witness and to respond quickly.
For example, if we are engaged in a conversation and we begin
feeling uncomfortable inside, that inner discomfort may be the
Holy Spirit signaling that we need to turn the conversation in
another direction or be quiet. If we are about to purchase
something, and we feel uncomfortable inside, we should wait
and discern why we are uncomfortable. Perhaps we do not need
the item, or we may find it on sale somewhere else, or we may
be trying to purchase it at the wrong time. Remember, we do not
always have to know why; we just need to obey the Spirit’s
leading to find peace and contentment in our daily living.
life point
Galatians 5:19–23 gives us a list of sins of the flesh and a list of
the fruit of the Spirit, or as The Amplified Bible reads in verse 22,
“the work which His presence within accomplishes.” I really
like that way of saying it. The fruit of the Holy Spirit are
qualities we see in Jesus Himself: love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
This is the goal of the Holy One living within us, to produce or
accomplish this fruit in our lives—big, luscious fruit for
everyone to see and admire.
Love is the everlasting fruit that will not fade away. To bear fruit
we must abide in God’s love—to stay alert to His love for us, to
dwell in His love by loving others, and to endure testing by
responding to trials with love.
life point
Galatians 6:1–3 quickly reveals how we should respond to the
weakness we observe in others. It sets forth the mental attitude
we are to maintain within ourselves. We must have a “holy fear”
of pride and be very careful of judging others or of being critical
of them.
life point
Paul says in Galatians 6:2 that we must learn to get along with
each other. We are going to have to learn to put up with some
things we do not like. All the people around us are not going to
think and speak and act the way we want them to. But forgiving
them is part of what we must do as members of the body of
Christ. Not everyone is going to be or do what we want, but we
can forgive them and love them anyway.
true love
We can move into the blessed, exceptional type of life we truly
desire through developing the character qualities of the fruit of
the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22, 23. When we as Christians
know what God has available for us and are open to receiving
from Him, His Spirit gives us the power we need to develop the
fruit and live the type of life God wants for us.
God gives us various gifts to use, but He gives us the fruit of the
Spirit to develop. When the Holy Spirit lives inside us, we have
everything He has. His fruit is in us. The seed is planted. In
order to use the gifts in the most powerful way that God desires,
we must allow the seed of the fruit to grow up and mature in us
by cultivating it. The gifts of the Spirit must be accompanied by
the fruit of the Spirit to get the best results.
We can cultivate all the fruit by focusing on love, the first in the
list of the nine fruit, and self-control, the last in the list. Love
and self-control are like bookends that hold the others in place.
All of the fruit issue from love and actually are a form of love,
but they are kept in place by self-control.
If you concentrate on developing the fruit of love, you will not
become impatient with people as you walk through your day.
You will not be anything but kind. You will be good to people,
supportive, and faithful instead of being haughty or trying to
appear better than others.
If you are not motivated by love, you will find that operating in
the fruit is very difficult. But even when you are motivated to
express God’s love as a lifestyle, there will be times (many times
when you first begin developing the fruit) when you will not feel
like being patient, kind, joyful, peaceful, or even nice at all!
Those are the times that you need self-control in order to
continue to respond with the fruit of the Spirit even though you
do not feel like it.
If you need to develop this fruit of self-control, begin by simply
making little choices throughout the day to respond with the
fruit to situations you encounter. Remember, love, self-control,
and all the other fruit of the Spirit grow when you allow the
Holy Spirit’s presence within you to accomplish His work.
patience, not pride

I have personally read and meditated on Galatians 6:1–3
hundreds of times. I have a natural temperament that avoids
humility, so I need all the scriptural help I can get. I do want to
please God, and I am willing to do things His way, no matter how
difficult it is. Reading this passage reminds me that while
misconduct should be confronted in a loving way, I will also have
times of needing simply to bear and endure the troublesome
faults that others have.
Humility allows us to be patient with the mistakes of others. As
we walk in love and pray for people, God will intervene and deal
with their faults. We reap what we sow: If we sow mercy, we will
reap mercy when we need it.
Even though we find it difficult at times to bear with the
weaknesses of others, the Word of God actually strengthens and
enables us to do God’s will. When you are tempted to be
prideful, study and meditate on the Word, asking the Holy Spirit
to do through you what you certainly cannot do by sheer
willpower. Remember, pride is a sin, and it is the culprit behind
broken relationships.
The signs of pride include an unwillingness to admit fault or a
reluctance to take responsibility for one’s actions. Pride wants
to do all the talking, and none of the listening. Pride does not
make peace. Pride is stubborn; it does not want to be instructed,
it wants to instruct others.
Pride was Lucifer’s sin; he said he would lift himself and his
throne above God’s! Therefore, we see that kind of pride
manifest when a person esteems himself above the value of
another, but God says we are all equal in His eyes. Lucifer, of
course, never was equal with God, but as far as human
relationships are concerned, no one person is better than
another. Remember that, and you will be well on your way to
avoiding pride. Do not deceive yourself into thinking pride will
get you where you want to go. Rather, allow the truth of
Galatians 6:1–3 to sink deep in your heart and change you from
the inside out.

We are not meant to bear the burdens of life alone. God’s Word
teaches us to love one another as He loves us, and it is out of this
love that we are to bear one another’s burdens (see Galatians
6:2). Is there someone in your life who needs your help bearing
a burden? As you seek to help that person, remember that Jesus
is your Burden-Bearer, and He will help you help that person.

Are you ever tempted to compare yourself to someone else? The
Word of God warns against such behavior because it can lead to
self-conceit (see Galatians 6:3, 4). Rather, Jesus’ life and
teachings are the standard against which we measure our lives.
Ask God to help you honestly assess what areas in your life need
improvement, and thank Him for bringing transformation to
other areas of your life.
life point
The “due season” mentioned in Galatians 6:9 is God’s season,
not ours. We are often in a hurry, but God is not. He takes time
to do things right; He lays a solid foundation before He attempts
to build a building. We are God’s building under construction.
He is the Master Builder, and He knows what He is doing. We
may not know what He is doing, but He does, and that will have
to be good enough. We may not always know all the answers, but
we can be satisfied to know the One Who knows.
God’s timing seems to be His own little secret. The Bible
promises us that He will never be late, but I have also discovered
that He is usually not early. It seems He takes every available
opportunity to develop the fruit of patience in us.
life point
In Galatians 6:14 the apostle Paul makes clear that he did not
glory in anything or anyone, because the world was crucified to
him and he to the world. He kept all things—including people,
places, and positions—in proper balance in his life. He was not
dependent upon anyone or anything for his joy and peace and
victory except the Lord. Let me encourage you to be the same
way!
Ephesians
Author:
Paul
Date:
About AD 60
God loves you.
You are totally accepted in
Christ.
God has a great plan for your
life.
Though Ephesians is literally filled with wisdom, encouragement, and
great teaching about what it means to be a Christian and how the church
should operate, I believe one of the most important messages in this
letter is that you and I are unconditionally loved and totally accepted in
Christ. Indeed, one of the key points in this book is that god loves you
and that you can receive and enjoy that love and become increasingly
rooted and grounded in it.
In addition, this book addresses the spiritual blessings that belong to us in
Christ, our position of authority in Christ, the mysteries of God, the
need to walk in love and in the light, the importance of unity among
believers, proper order in families and relationships, how to deal with
anger, and how to war against the powers and principalities in the
spiritual realm.
As you spend time in Ephesians, I hope that its many rich teachings will
take root in your heart and that you will apply them in your everyday
life. I especially hope and pray that through this book, you experience
God’s love and acceptance in a deeply personal way and that you are
filled with a sense of purpose as you read about how He feels about you.
God has great things for you, things He ordained before the foundation
of the world. Ask Him to reveal them and enable you to do them by the
power of the Holy Spirit.
life point
Ephesians 1:4 is a wonderful scripture! In it, the Lord tells us
that we are His, and He sets forth what He wants for us—that we
should know we are loved, special, and valuable and that we
should be holy, blameless, and above reproach in our lives.
Naturally, we should do what we can to live holy lives. But thank
God, when we do make mistakes, we can be forgiven. We do not
lose our God-given position of holiness, and we remain
blameless and above reproach—all “in Christ.”
speak the Word

Thank You, God, that You foreordained me and planned in
love to adopt me as Your own child through Christ Jesus,
so that I could be to the praise of Your glorious grace,
which You so freely bestowed on me in Your beloved Son.
you have been chosen

One of the strongest desires human beings have is to be loved, to
be accepted, and to feel that they belong. We want a sense of
connection and belonging to something or someone. We want to
feel valuable. We cannot be guaranteed of always getting that in
our dealings with people, but we can get it from God. Even
though God knows everything about us—and I do mean
everything—He still chooses us on purpose. According to
Ephesians 1:4, He actually picked us out on purpose to be His
very own and to belong to Him. I encourage you to say aloud
right now, “I belong to God.”
God set us apart for Himself and made provision in Jesus for us
to be holy, blameless, and consecrated. We can live before Him
in love without reproach. That means we do not have to feel
guilty and bad about all of our weaknesses and faults. You and I
are no surprise to God. He knew exactly what He was getting
when He chose us. God did not choose us and then become
disappointed because of our inabilities. God has hope for us, and
He believes in us and is working in us to help us be all that He
has in His plan for us.
I encourage you to relax in God’s love. Learn to receive God’s
love. Think about it, thank Him for it, and watch for the
manifestation of it in your daily life. God shows His love for us
in many ways, but we often are unaware of it. He loves us first,
so we can love Him and other people. God never expects us to
give away something that He has not first given us. His love is
poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit and He wants us to live
before Him in love.
Let love in and let it out. You are destined to be a channel for
God to flow through, and not a reservoir that merely sits and
collects things. You are special and God has a special plan for
you. Get excited about that and rejoice!
speak the Word

Thank You, Jesus, that in You I have redemption,
deliverance, and salvation through Your blood, the
remission of my offenses, in accordance with the riches of
Your gracious favor, which You have lavished upon me in
every kind of wisdom and understanding.
seated in heavenly places

The Bible depicts Jesus after His resurrection as seated in
heavenly places at the right hand of God. Being “seated” refers
to being in the rest of God. God wants each of us to enter His
rest. He wants us to be relaxed, not worried or anxious, and to
enjoy life while we wait for Him to make all of our enemies a
footstool for our feet. Our part is to believe and rest in Him and
His part is to work on our behalf.
According to Scripture, we died with Christ when He died, we
were buried with Him, resurrected with Him, and we are now
seated with Him in heavenly places (see Ephesians 2:6). How can
we be seated with Him in heaven when we can clearly see that
we are here on earth? Simply because we are spirits, we have
souls, and we live in bodies. Physically, we are on earth, but
simultaneously we can be spiritually seated with Him in heaven.
That belief gives us the ability to enter His rest. The work of
Christ is finished and we can enjoy its results. His kingdom
offers righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (see
Romans 14:17), and it is available to us right now, not just when
we go to heaven. God wants us to enjoy the life that Jesus died to
give us starting the moment we accept Him as our Savior and
Lord.
Have you entered God’s rest? Have you trusted Him entirely to
do what needs to be done in you and in your life? Are you
perhaps still working in the flesh trying to do what only God can
do and the results are frustration and disappointment? Perhaps
you just need to sit down! I do not mean physically, but
spiritually. We can sit in a chair and still be worried, fearful,
and anxious. God is not calling us to rest from our work, but in
our work. As we go about our daily business, we can do it all
while seated in Christ. He is our Refuge and our Hiding Place.
Be zealous and exert yourself and strive diligently to enter that
place of rest. It is available today, so do not let it pass you by.
Release all your frustrations and worries—and have a seat in
Christ.

Can you imagine trying to earn your way into God’s favor? That
would be an impossible task. No amount of good works would
ever be enough. Take a moment and reflect on the riches of
God’s grace and thank Him for His love and kindness toward
you (see Ephesians 2:4–7).
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Grace is a wonderful thing. It is God’s unmerited favor by which
we are saved through faith in Jesus Christ, as Paul tells us in
Ephesians 2:8.
The Holy Spirit ministers grace to us from God the Father. It can
be said that grace is the Holy Spirit’s power flowing out from
God’s throne to save us; it enables us to live holy lives and to
accomplish the will of God.
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Ephesians 2:10 tells us that we are God’s own handiwork. He
created us with His own hands. We human beings got messed up
along the way, so we were recreated in Christ Jesus. We had to
be born again spiritually so we could go ahead and do the good
works that God preplanned for us before Satan tried to ruin us.
Just because you and I have made mistakes or have trouble in
our lives, does not mean that God’s plan has changed. It is still
there. All we have to do is get back in it by trusting and obeying
Him.
speak the Word

Thank You, Jesus, for being my peace.
God has a good plan

God had a good plan laid out for each one of us long before we
made our appearances on this planet (see Ephesians 2:10). It is
not a plan of failure, misery, poverty, sickness, disaster, and
disease. God’s plan is a good plan, a plan for life and health,
happiness, and fulfillment. Other scriptures affirm this truth.
In Jeremiah 29:11 we read, “For I know the thoughts and plans
that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare
and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final
outcome.”
In John 10:10 Jesus said, “The thief comes only in order to steal
and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life,
and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).”
In III John 2 we read, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in
every way and (that your body) may keep well, even as (I know)
your soul keeps well and prospers.”
We will benefit greatly if we say to ourselves several times a day,
“God has a good plan for my life.” Why should we do that? We
need to be firmly convinced of that truth to keep us from being
affected by our changing circumstances and emotions.
You may ask, “If God has such a wonderful plan for my life, why
am I not living in it?”
I understand why you ask that question. It does seem strange
that if God loves us so much and has such good plans for us, we
still suffer as we sometimes do. What you must remember is
that we have an enemy who is out to disrupt God’s wonderful
plan and to destroy the good things God has in mind for us. This
happened to me. Though God had a good plan for my life, I grew
up in an abusive environment because the devil came and tried
to disrupt that good plan.
But there is something else, something really awesome that we
need to understand about God. God does not like it when
someone hurts us and tries to undermine His plan for us. He
always has a plan for our healing and restoration. While He is
making us lie down in green pastures to restore our souls (see
Psalm 23:2), He is getting up to do something about our
situation!
God is on our side and it should be a great comfort to us to know
that what we cannot do for ourselves, the Lord will do for us—if
we entrust ourselves to Him. Only He has the power to restore
what was lost to us, whether that loss was our own fault or the
fault of our enemy.

Do you really understand the depths of God’s love for you? Paul
fervently prayed that the Ephesians would understand the width
and length and depth and height of God’s love for them, and that
they would be rooted and grounded in that boundless love. Take
time to meditate on Ephesians 3:14–19. Ask God to reveal to you
more and more of His love and to expand your capacity to receive
this awesome love and all the fullness of God.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, for strengthening me with mighty power
in my inner man by Your Holy Spirit. I pray that Christ
makes His permanent home in my heart through faith and
that I stay rooted deep in His love.
be filled!
Just imagine having your personality filled with the Holy Spirit
of the living God and being a body wholly filled with God
Himself (see Ephesians 3:16–19)! The apostle Paul was a person
filled with the Holy Spirit; he was also a person who forsook all
to follow Jesus. Any area of our lives that we hold back from God
is an area where we cannot be filled with His Spirit. I encourage
you to open and surrender every room in your heart to God.
Your time is His; your money is His, as are your gifts and
talents, your family, your career, thoughts, attitudes, and
desires. He wants to be involved in every area of your life: how
you dress, the friends you choose, what you do for
entertainment, what you eat, and so on.
After conversion, Jesus is our Savior, but is He our Lord? Any
area we claim as our own is one we have not surrendered to the
lordship of Jesus Christ.
I lived a defeated life for many years simply because I was not
fully surrendered. I accepted Jesus as Savior; I had enough of
Jesus to stay out of hell, but I had not accepted Him as my Lord
in every area of my life; I had not accepted enough of Him to
walk in victory—and there is a difference.
The blessedness of being filled with the Spirit is clearly visible
in the change in the people’s lives after Pentecost. Peter, for
example, who displayed great fear in not being willing to even
admit that he knew Jesus, became a bold apostle who stood in
the streets of Jerusalem and preached the gospel so fervently
that three thousand souls were added to the church in one day
(see Acts 2:40, 41).
Complete surrender to God brings good change into our lives.
Surrendering to Him actually opens the door to the things we
desire, and yet we waste our own energy trying to obtain access
to them our own way. I encourage you today to surrender every
area of your life to God so you may be filled to overflowing with
His Spirit in every way.
life point
Ephesians 3:20 teaches us that God is able to do exceedingly
abundantly above and beyond all we could dare to hope, ask, or
think, according to His great power that is at work in us. It is
God’s power, but it is done through us, so we need to cooperate
with Him. This means we need to be daring in our faith and in
our prayers. I encourage you to stretch your faith into new
realms beyond your “highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes,
or dreams.”
believe big
In the natural, many things are impossible. But in the
supernatural realm with God, nothing is impossible. God wants
us to believe for great things, make big plans, and expect Him to
do things so great that we are left with our mouths hanging open
in awe. James 4:2 tells us we have not because we ask not! We
can be bold in our asking, and Ephesians 3:20 challenges us to
ask for big things.
When our desires seem overwhelmingly big and we do not see
the way to accomplish them, we should remember that even
though we do not know the way, we know the Waymaker!
God has a way for us to do everything He places in our hearts.
He does not put dreams and visions in us to frustrate us. We
must keep our confidence in God all the way through to the end,
not just for a little bit and then give up when it looks as though
the mountain is too big!
It is untold what people can do—even people who do not appear
to be able to do anything. God does not usually call people who
are capable; if He did, He would not get the glory. He frequently
chooses those who, in the natural, feel as if they are in
completely over their heads but who are ready to stand up on the
inside and take bold steps of faith as they receive direction from
God.
We usually want to wait until we “feel ready” before we step
out, but if we feel ready, then we tend to lean on ourselves
instead of on God.
Know your weaknesses and know God; know His strength and
faithfulness. Remember that He is able to do “superabundantly,
far over and above” everything you could ever dare to ask or
think!
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Ephesians 4:17–19 says that unbelievers can be so callous and
hard that they are “past feeling.” But the same verse says they
live by their feelings in unbridled sensuality and carnality. As I
meditated on what appears to be a paradox here, the Lord
showed me that such people are past doing what they should be
doing with their feelings.
God gives people feelings for a specific purpose and use in their
walk with Him. But people who have alienated themselves from
God are hardened to the place where they are beyond using
their feelings for the right purpose. Satan moves them into an
area where they live riotous lives, doing whatever they feel like
doing.
What is the world’s philosophy today? “If it feels good, do it!”
You and I are not to live that way, but to make the truth of God’s
Word our standard and to obey it by the power of the Holy Spirit.
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In Ephesians 4:23 we read that we are to be “constantly
renewed” in the spirits of our minds, having “a fresh mental and
spiritual attitude.” Attitudes begin in the mind. Our minds are
renewed by the Word of God. Reading the Word daily renews our
minds and changes our attitudes. Renew your mind in the Word
today!
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Ephesians 4:26, 27 basically tells us to let go of our anger before
bedtime. There is only one problem: What happens when we
become good and angry just before bedtime? If we become angry
in the morning, at least we have all day to get over it. But when
we become angry close to bedtime, we have to make a quick
decision about what to do with our anger.
Why is it so unwise for us to go to bed angry? I think it is
because while we sleep, what we are angry about has time to
take root in us. But the Word admonishes us not to leave room
for the devil to gain a foothold through our anger. If we refuse to
get over our anger by bedtime, we open a door for the devil and
give him a foothold. Once Satan gets a foothold in our lives, he
sees an opportunity to move on to a stronghold.
I encourage you today to deal with your anger quickly and
decisively so the devil sees no opportunity to take advantage of
the situation. No matter how you feel, you can choose to forgive
and walk in love.
how to really change

Ephesians 4:22–24 teaches us about the connection between our
thoughts and our actions. Verse 22 says we should strip
ourselves of our former natures and discard our old unrenewed
selves. Verse 24 continues the thought and tells us to put on the
new nature created in God’s image “in true righteousness and
holiness.”
So we see that verse 22 basically tells us to stop acting
improperly, and verse 24 tells us to begin acting properly. But
verse 23 is what I call “the bridge scripture.” It tells us how to
get from verse 22 (wrong actions) to verse 24 (right actions):
“And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a
fresh mental and spiritual attitude].”
It is impossible to get from wrong behavior to right behavior
without first changing our thoughts. A passive person may want
to do the right thing, but he never will do so unless he purposely
activates his mind and lines it up with God’s Word and His will.
An example that comes to mind involves a man who once got
into the prayer line at one of my seminars. He had a problem
with lust. He really loved his wife and did not want their
marriage to be destroyed, but his problem needed a solution or
he would surely ruin his marriage.
“Joyce,” he said, “I just cannot seem to stay away from other
women. Will you pray for my deliverance? I have been prayed
for many times, but I never seem to make any progress.”
This is what the Holy Spirit prompted me to tell him, “Yes, I will
pray for you, but you must be accountable for what you are
allowing to show on the picture screen of your mind. You cannot
visualize pornographic pictures in your thinking, or imagine
yourself with these other women, if you ever want to enjoy
freedom.”
Like this man, others realize why they are not experiencing a
breakthrough even though they want to be free: they want to
change their behavior—but not their thinking. If you desire to
act differently, you will have to start by thinking differently
because your behavior starts with your thoughts. Wrong
thoughts lead to wrong actions, but right thoughts lead to right
actions!
a tender conscience
Having a tender heart (see Ephesians 4:32) is equivalent to
having a tender conscience, and tenderness of conscience is vital
to being used by God.
In I Timothy 4:1, 2 Paul wrote, “But the [Holy] Spirit distinctly
and expressly declares that in latter times some will turn away
from the faith, giving attention to deluding and seducing spirits
and doctrines that demons teach, through the hypocrisy and
pretensions of liars whose consciences are seared (cauterized).”
It is dangerous to become hard-hearted and to develop a seared
conscience. If we do, we cannot really tell if we are doing
anything wrong or not. One way we develop tender consciences
is by being quick to repent and avoid excuses when God convicts
us of something.
When God shows us we did something wrong, we need to say,
“You are right, Lord. I am wrong. There is no excuse, so please
forgive me and help me not do it again.”
It is amazing how much that will help us have tender
consciences toward God. But as soon as we start trying to reason
things out and make excuses for our wrongs, we start getting a
little callous on our consciences. It becomes just a little bit
harder for us to feel than it was the time before.
For example, if I mistreat someone and do not repent, my
conscience begins to callous. The next time I do it, my
conscience gets a little more callous. Soon, though I go around
presenting myself as a person who loves God, He cannot use me
anymore because I am mistreating people in how I talk to them
and behave toward them. The worst thing is that I do not even
realize I am doing it because I no longer have a tender heart and
a tender conscience toward God.
We must remember that God does not care how gifted or
talented we are; His primary concern is our heart attitude. If we
have willing hearts, stirred-up hearts, wise hearts, perfect
hearts, and tender consciences, the devil’s plan for destruction is
destroyed because then nothing can stop us from being used by
God.

Is there someone in your life you admire so much that you try to
be like that person? It is not bad to have godly role models.
Ephesians 5:1, 2 tells us that our best role model is God and that
we are to imitate Him. One of the best ways to do that is to walk
in love. Ask God often to show you how to walk in His love, how
to receive it from Him, and then how to extend it to others.
speak the Word

Father, I pray that I learn what is pleasing to You and that
my life is a constant proof of the things that are most
acceptable to You.

Time is a very valuable commodity. Have you ever found yourself
wishing there were more than twenty-four hours in a day? Ask
God to teach you to live wisely (see Ephesians 5:15–17). Pay
attention to the way you spend your time and make the most of
every opportunity.
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Ephesians 5:18–20 is such a powerful passage! How can we obey
it and stay ever filled with the Holy Spirit? We can do it by
speaking to ourselves (through our thoughts) or to others
(through our words) in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.
We need to keep our thoughts and words full of God’s Word by
continuously offering praise and giving thanks to Him.
speak the Word

God, I give thanks to You at all times and for everything in
the name of my Lord Jesus Christ.

Some of the most rewarding and most challenging relationships
can be those with family members, but Ephesians 6:1–4 helps us
know how to live with our families in a godly way. If your
parents are still living, how can you honor them, even as an
adult? If you are a parent, how can you raise your children
according to God’s principles?
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Ephesians 6:12 gives us insight into the spiritual war that all
believers are in. Our enemies are not natural, but spiritual. We
can never win our battles if we fight against the wrong source in
a wrong way. We tend to think that people or circumstances are
our problem, but the source of many of our troubles is Satan and
his demons. We cannot fight him with carnal (natural) weapons,
but only with supernatural ones that God gives us for the
destruction of Satan’s strongholds (see II Corinthians 10:4).

Would you ever leave your house half-dressed? Of course not!
However, many of us often forget to put on our spiritual
clothing. Every day the forces of Satan wage war against you, and
it is important to be protected! With this spiritual protection and
authority, you can stand against evil forces. Learn about your
spiritual armor (see Ephesians 6:10–18), and as you put your
clothes on each day, also put on your armor and pick up your
sword! For example, walking in peace is equivalent to putting on
your shoes of peace, or walking in righteousness, is equivalent
to putting on your breastplate of righteousness which protects
your heart from condemnation. God supplies the armor you
need to defeat all the attacks of the devil, but you must put it on!
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Many of us fight battles in the realm of our emotions, but as
Ephesians 6:11–18 teaches, our battle is not just with our
emotions, but with the spiritual forces that play on our
emotions.
In the King James Version of Ephesians 6:12 we are told that we
do not war with flesh and blood, but against principalities and
powers, “rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual
wickedness in high places.” This means we war against strong
spiritual entities.
It is important for us to see that we cannot fight darkness with
darkness. I believe the best way to resist and overcome our
powerful spiritual enemy is not by venting our anger and
frustration in some fleshly manner. Rather, we need to put on
our spiritual armor as described in Ephesians 6:13–17 and yield
ourselves to the power and presence of the Holy Spirit within us
as we pray (see Ephesians 6:18).
Philippians
Author:
Paul
Date:
About AD 61
Strength comes from the joy of
the Lord.
Rejoice in all things and
cultivate real joy in your life.
Joy is more than emotional
happiness; it can be anything
from extreme hilarity to calm
delight. Practice that calm
delight in every area of your
life.
Philippians is full of truths and principles for living a victorious
Christian life; it contains much practical advice for everyday life; and it
is a book of great joy. Even though Paul wrote this book from a prison
cell, undoubtedly in very bad conditions, he had real joy in his heart and
he encouraged his readers to do the same. He knew that the joy of the
Lord is so important because it is our strength and a source of power (see
Nehemiah 8:10). He knew that the enemy always wants to steal our joy
so he can sap our strength. His words are as true today as they were when
he wrote them, and you and I need to develop and maintain our joy just
as the Philippians did so long ago.
I define joy as “anything from extreme hilarity to calm delight, a feeling
of pleasure.” We all enjoy extreme hilarity from time to time, but what
we want in everyday life is that calm delight—that steadfast sense of
peace, pleasure, and well-being we can only find through a personal
relationship with God.
Whatever you are facing as you read Philippians, let me urge you to
rejoice. Even in the midst of difficulties or sadness, the joy of the Lord is
available to you and it is your strength. Do learn the many practical
lessons that Philippians teaches, but above all, learn to live in the
strength that comes from rejoicing in God in every situation. Remember
that happiness is based on what happens, but joy is a fruit of the Holy
Spirit Who dwells in us as believers in Jesus.
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Do not be discouraged with yourself just because you have not
yet arrived at a place of perfection in your thoughts and
behavior. God would not be angry with you if He came back
today and found you just as you are, as long as He sees that you
have the right attitude and are cooperating with the work He is
doing in you. He knows you are a work in progress—and you
will be for as long as you live (see Philippians 1:6). Enjoy where
you are on the way to where you are going!
speak the Word

God, I pray that my love may abound more and more and
extend to its fullest development in knowledge and all
keen insight, that it may display itself in greater depth of
acquaintance and more comprehensive discernment.
God will finish the work

God always finishes what He starts. He has called us unto
Himself and started a good work in us, and He will finish it (see
Philippians 1:6). That is a promise. Of course, we have a part to
play, which is to keep believing Him and cooperating with the
sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. I know it is
frustrating sometimes to feel we are in the middle of something
and do not know how to go forward, but to also know that we
cannot go back. We love Jesus and want to go all the way
through to the finish with Him, but sometimes it becomes
difficult. Jesus Himself understands that.
Jesus lived in a fleshly body while He was here on earth and He
understands what it is like to be tempted. You may experience
temptation to sin or even just to quit and give up, but God will
strengthen you to go all the way to the finish with Him if you
ask Him. Keep your eyes on the prize. It may be uncomfortable
now, but you will be pleased in the end if you allow God to do
whatever He wants to do in you.
So many people today start things that they never finish and
that is not pleasing to God. In fact, that is not even a good
representation of a person who desires to walk in integrity. It is
easy to start something because all of our emotions are excited
about something new. But, character is seen in what people do
when their feelings are no longer supporting them and perhaps
they are left alone with just God and a lot of hard work. God’s
character is to always finish what He starts. What about you?
Before you begin anything, count the cost and make the decision
that you will finish.
God has promised to finish the work He started in you. Will you
make a similar commitment to Him to finish whatever He gives
you to do in this life?

Is this a challenging time in your life? Know that God can work
through you in any circumstance to further the Gospel and His
purposes, just as He did for Paul in Philippians 1:12–14. Ask
Him to help you see Him at work even through ways you will not
expect.
constant and fearless

Notice the two words “constancy” and “fearlessness” in
Philippians 1:28. They describe the rock-like temperament you
and I should display in the face of attacks and onslaughts by our
opponents and adversaries—both physical and spiritual.
When people or events come against us to destroy us, we should
stand firm and confident that everything is going to work out for
the best. We are not to change, but we must remain constant and
let God do the changing of the circumstances.
When problems arise—and they will from time to time—we are
not to assume that the Lord will intervene and take care of all
our problems for us without our invitation. We are to pray and
ask Him to change our circumstances. Then we are to remain
constant and unchanging, which is a sign to the enemy of his
impending downfall and destruction.
Do you know why our constancy and fearlessness are signs to
Satan that he will fail? Because he knows that the only way he
can overcome a believer is through deception and intimidation.
How can he threaten someone who has no fear of him? How can
he deceive someone who recognizes his lies and refuses to
believe them? What good does it do him to try to stir up fear or
anger or depression in someone who will not be moved by
emotions but who chooses to stand firmly on the Word of God?
When the devil sees his tactics are not working, he realizes he
is failing and will be utterly defeated. Stay constant and fearless
and you will overcome the enemy in your life.
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Inspired by the Holy Spirit, the apostle Paul tells us in
Philippians 2:3, 4 how to avoid strife through the true spirit of
humility by regarding others as “better than and superior” to
ourselves. That is a difficult challenge because our flesh wants
to shout, “But what about me?”
Yet, this passage clearly exhorts us to be of the same humble
mind that Jesus displayed: to think of others as better than
ourselves, to be more concerned for their interests and welfare
than for our own, and to do nothing from conceit or empty
arrogance. If we are obedient to this instruction, if we humble
ourselves and are willing to serve others, we will live in
harmony and therefore be pleasing to God.
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Jesus set the example for obedience, as we see in Philippians
2:5–8. I want to encourage you to come up to a higher level of
obedience. Be quick and prompt to obey, radical and extreme in
your obedience.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, that You are effectually at work in me to
will and to work for Your good pleasure, satisfaction, and
delight.

Do you ever wonder if your life as a Christian makes a
difference to those around you? The Bible teaches that it
certainly does! In Philippians 2:14, 15, Paul says that just as
stars brightly shine against the dark of night, so our lives as
Christians shine like light in the spiritual darkness of the
world. Ask God to help you shine brightly with His love and joy
to those around you.
the spiritual and the natural

In Philippians 2:25–30 we find a man named Epaphroditus who
was sick due to overwork in the ministry. He was emotionally
distressed and homesick. He probably was away from home a
long time and possibly lonely. He became so ill that he almost
died. But the apostle Paul tells us God had compassion on him
and spared his life. In this passage, Paul writes to the
Philippians to tell them he was sending Epaphroditus home to
rest and recuperate.
I find it interesting that though God healed this man, he still
needed time off to rest.
This same principle is evident in the story of Jesus’ raising of a
young girl from death. In the eighth chapter of Luke, we read
that a Jewish religious leader named Jairus approached Jesus
asking Him to come to his house and heal his twelve-year-old
daughter who was dying. By the time they got to Jairus’ home,
the girl had already died. But Jesus raised her from the dead. As
soon as she got up from her bed, the first thing Jesus told her
parents was to give her something to eat (see Luke 8:55).
From those two stories I received the understanding that there is
a spiritual side to life and there is also a natural side, and both
of them must be kept in balance. Jesus took care of the spiritual
side of this young girl’s life, but then He instructed her parents
to tend to the natural side of her life.
God expects us to use common sense with our spirituality. I
encourage you to live a balanced life, obeying both spiritual
principles and natural laws. Even though Epaphroditis worked
for the Lord, he still became ill because he was not taking care
of himself. We cannot break God’s laws of health and expect to
have no adverse consequences. Remember to stay in balance
because that will help you keep the devil out of your life.
speak the Word

Lord, I delight myself in You and I will continue to rejoice
because I am in You!
life point
We are not to put confidence in the flesh (see Philippians 3:3)—
ours or anybody else’s. Where does God want our confidence to
be placed? In Him alone.
God despises independence. He wants us to be totally reliant
upon Him. He wants us to be as dependent upon Him as a branch
is on a vine; the branch withers quickly if it is detached from the
vine (see John 15:5). He wants us to lean on Him for everything
in our lives and be confident in His love and provision.
take the pressure off

In Philippians 3:9 Paul says he wants to achieve one thing in life
—to be found and known in Christ.
This needs to be our attitude also. We cannot always manifest
perfect behavior, but with God’s help we can keep pressing
toward the goal.
Do you know why God never lets us achieve perfect behavior? If
we ever did, we would derive our sense of worth from our
perfection and performance rather than from His love and grace.
If you and I behaved perfectly all the time, we would think God
owed us an answer to our prayers because of our obedience to all
the rules and regulations. So do you know what God does? He
leaves us some weaknesses so we will have to go to Him
constantly to ask for His help. Our weaknesses keep us
dependent on Him, whether we like it or not.
God is not going to let us work our way into a sense of peace and
fulfillment. But He will allow us to work ourselves into a fit and
frenzy. Why? So we realize that works of the flesh produce
nothing but misery and frustration (see Romans 3:20).
If that is so, what are we supposed to do? Trust God, relax, and
enjoy life. We need to learn to enjoy God more. That will not
only help us, it will also take the pressure off the people around
us. We need to quit demanding perfection from ourselves and
everyone around us. We need to start enjoying people just as
they are.
In essence Paul said he wanted to stand before God and say,
“Well, here I am, Lord, and though I do not have a perfect
record, I do believe in Jesus. My righteousness is in Him, not in
my ability to perform.” Make that your goal, too!

Do you know your purpose in life? Paul says in Philippians 3:12
that there is a specific, unique purpose in life for which Christ
took hold of you. Ask God to continue revealing to you what
your unique purpose is so you can lay hold of all that God has
for you!
life point
The devil wants each of us to concentrate on how far we have
fallen, rather than how far we have risen. Satan wants us to
focus on our pasts instead of our futures and on how far we still
have to go, rather than how far we have come. He wants us to
think about how many times we fail, rather than how many
times we succeed.
But God wants us to focus on our strengths and not our
weaknesses, our victories and not our losses, our joys and not
our problems. Philippians 3:13, 14 tells us that God wants us to
press forward and respond to His upward call and forget what
lies behind us. Pay attention to what you focus on and magnify
the works of the Lord. Do not believe the lies of the devil.

Have you ever thought it would be neat to be mentioned in the
Bible? Imagine being known in God’s Word, as Euodia and
Syntyche are in Philippians 4:2, 3, for arguing! When you
disagree with others, ask God to give you a gracious spirit and do
all you can to resolve conflicts when they happen.
life point
In Philippians 4:6 the apostle Paul teaches us how to solve our
problems. He instructs us to pray “with thanksgiving” in every
circumstance.
The Lord taught the same principle to me this way: “Joyce, why
should I give you anything else, if you are not thankful for what
you already have? Why should I give you something else to
complain about?”
If we cannot offer our current prayer requests from the
foundation of a life that is currently filled with thanksgiving, we
will not get a favorable response. The Word does not instruct us
to pray with complaining; it says to pray with thanksgiving.

Do you ever think about what you are thinking about? If you are
not careful, your thought life can lead you into problems. It is
important to think before you act, and if you concentrate on
things that are true, worthy of reverence and honorable, just,
pure, lovely, kind and gracious, virtuous, and excellent (see
Philippians 4:8), your actions will reflect God’s character and
heart.
speak the Word

I declare, Lord, that I have strength for all things in Christ
Who empowers me. I am ready for anything and equal to
anything through Him.
think about what you’re thinking about

The Bible presents detailed instruction on what kinds of things
we should think about. You can see from Philippians 4:8 that we
are instructed to think on good things, things that will build us
up and not tear us down.
Our thoughts certainly affect our attitudes and moods.
Everything the Lord tells us is for our own good. He knows what
makes us happy and what makes us miserable. When people are
full of wrong thoughts, they are miserable, and I have learned
from personal experience that miserable people usually end up
making others miserable also.
Take a personal inventory on a regular basis and ask yourself,
“What have I been thinking about?” Spend some time
examining your thought life.
Thinking about what you are thinking about is very valuable
because Satan usually deceives people into thinking that the
source of their misery or trouble is something other than what it
really is. He wants them to think they are unhappy due to what
is going on around them (their circumstances), but the misery is
actually due to what is going on inside them (their thoughts).
For many years I really believed I was unhappy because of things
others were doing or not doing. I blamed my misery on my
husband and my children. I thought I would be happy if they
were different, if they would be more attentive to my needs, if
they would help around the house more. It was first one thing
and then another for years. I finally faced the truth, which was
that none of these things made me unhappy if I chose to have
the right attitude. My thoughts were making me miserable.
I urge you to think about what you are thinking about. When you
change the things you allow your mind to dwell on, you are on
your way to greater freedom, wholeness, and victory.

All of us have daily needs and wants. Do you realize that
sometimes what you want might not be what you need? Thank
God that He knows exactly what you need and He will be
faithful to provide (see Philippians 4:19).
life point
Philippians 4:13 is frequently quoted, especially in its King
James translation: “I can do all things…”I believe sometimes
this verse is taken out of context. It does not mean that I can do
anything I want to do, or that I can do anything someone else
does. It means that I am able to do whatever God assigns me.
In this context, the apostle Paul refers to the ability to be abased
or to abound and to be content either way (see Philippians 4:12).
He knew that whatever state he was in, it was God’s will for him
at that moment, and he also knew that God would strengthen
him to do what He was calling him to do. Paul believed that even
unpleasant things would ultimately work out for his good (see
Romans 8:28).
This understanding of Philippians 4:13 helps me a great deal in
my life to deal with difficulties and remain positive, and it helps
me in my ministry. It teaches me to remain within the
boundaries of what the Lord has called and equipped me to do
and not try to undertake things that are not within my God-
given talents and abilities to accomplish. This attitude takes
pressure off of me and it will do the same for you.
Colossians
Author:
Paul
Date:
About AD 61
In everything you do, keep
Jesus first.
Do everything you do as though
you are working for God.
Remember that you are
complete and fully forgiven in
Christ.
Paul’s message in his letter to the Colossians is all about Jesus. In this
book, Paul addresses a popular false teaching that undermined the
sufficiency and lordship of Jesus Christ and was prevalent in the city of
Colossae. In response, Paul wrote throughout Colossians of Jesus’ power
and preeminence, of His superiority over worldly thinking, legalism, and
carnal Christianity. His loyalty and passion for Jesus is seen throughout
this letter, and I hope that his zeal inspires you today.
Among all the great teaching in Colossians, Paul continually urges us to
keep Jesus first in our lives. He exhorts us to do everything as though we
are doing it for God and not for other people (see Colossians 3:23). He
tells us that Christ is in us as the hope of glory (see Colossians 1:27) and
reminds us that we are complete and forgiven in Him (see Colossians
2:10, 13).
As you read Colossians, my prayer for you is the same as Paul’s prayer in
Colossians 1:9–11: that you are filled with the knowledge of God’s will,
that you have spiritual discernment, that you walk in a manner worthy
of the Lord, that your life bears fruit, that you grow and increase in the
knowledge of God, and that you are strengthened with all power and with
joy. I also pray that you see Jesus in ways you never have before and that
His presence and power will increase daily in your
life point
According to Colossians 1:4, faith is the leaning of the entire
human personality on God in absolute trust and confidence in
His power, wisdom, and goodness.
Do you know what that says to me? It says that my faith is
manifested as I lean on God totally, taking all the weight off
myself and placing everything on Him, trusting in: 1) His power
and ability to do what needs to be done, 2) His wisdom and
knowledge to do it when it needs to be done, and 3) His goodness
and love to do it the way it needs to be done.

What kind of prayers do you pray for yourself and for others?
Colossians 1:9–11 is an awesome prayer to pray. Ask God to fill
you with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom,
understanding, and discernment so you can live a life worthy of
Him and bear fruit. Ask Him also to strengthen you with power
and might.
life point
Paul prayed that the Colossians would endure “with joy”
(Colossians 1:11). Why with joy? Joy enables us to enjoy our
journey in life whether we are in adverse circumstances or not.
Joy is also our strength and a weapon of spiritual warfare. Joy is
a fruit of the Holy Spirit.
We will never experience the joy Jesus intended for us to have if
we wait until every circumstance is perfect in our lives. No
matter what we endure, we can pray for one another to
experience God’s joy. I encourage you to pray for and live in that
joy.
speak the Word

Thank You, Lord, for delivering me and drawing me out of
the control and dominion of darkness and transferring me
into the kingdom of the Son of Your love, in Whom I have
redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
strengthened with joy

We learn a good lesson by examining the prayers of the apostle
Paul. It seems to me that he never prayed for deliverance from
things, but for the strength to endure them with joy and good
temper. He also prayed that for the church at Colossae, as we see
in Colossians 1:11.
In thirty years of ministry, I never had anyone ask me to pray for
them to endure with joy, but I am frequently asked to pray for
deliverance from situations. I believe we can learn a valuable
lesson from Paul’s prayer.
God is more interested in changing us than He is in changing
our circumstances. He does not delight in watching us suffer or
have a difficult time, but He does delight in our spiritual growth.
If we are honest with ourselves we must admit that most of our
spiritual maturity develops during the hard times in our lives,
not during the easy times.
Opposition stretches us. It stretches our faith, teaches us not to
trust in ourselves to solve our problems, and gives us compassion
for other people who go through difficulties. The apostle James
said that our trials will eventually bring out patience and that
when patience is fully developed in us, we will lack nothing (see
James 1:4). He even states that we should be exceedingly joyful
in various trials and tribulations because of what they are
working in us (see James 1:2, 3).
I want to encourage you to pray the way Paul prayed in
Colossians 1:11. Ask for strength to endure with joy rather than
wanting to avoid everything that is difficult and remember that
anything God allows will ultimately work out for your good if
you trust Him and keep on praying.
first priority
When setting our priorities, it is important to understand that
Jesus is the holding power of all that is good in our lives,
according to Colossians 1:17. He should always be our first
priority because He holds everything together.
A couple cannot have a good marriage if Jesus is not holding it
together. In fact, people have difficulty having good personal
relationships with anybody if Jesus is not leading and
influencing individuals to love each other. Our finances are
usually a mess without Jesus. Our thoughts are clouded and
confused without Jesus. Our emotions are out of control without
Him.
Colossians 1:18 tells us that Jesus is the head of the church
body; therefore, He alone, in every respect, should occupy the
chief place in our lives. If Jesus is not first in our lives, then we
need to rearrange our priorities. Matthew 6:33 says if we seek
“first of all” the kingdom of God and His righteousness, other
things will be added to our lives. The Amplified Bible defines this
righteousness as “His way of doing and being right.”
Seeking the kingdom means finding out how God wants things
done; finding out how He wants us to treat people; finding out
how He wants us to act in situations and circumstances; finding
out what He wants us to do with our money; finding out what
kind of an attitude we should have; even finding out what kind
of entertainment Jesus approves of.
Our lives will not be blessed if we keep God in a little Sunday-
morning box and let Him have our priority attention for only
forty-five minutes once a week during a church service. As long
as we are here in this world, we will have to resist becoming like
the world. Life in our world can be a daily battle, but the key to
victory is to remember that Jesus holds everything together and
that we need to keep Him first in our lives.
the hope of glory

Colossians 1:26, 27 tells us that Christ “within and among” us
is the Hope of glory. You and I can only realize and experience
the glory of God in our lives because Christ is in us. He is our
hope of seeing better things.
The glory of God is His manifested excellence. As the children of
God, we have a blood-bought right to experience the best God
has planned for us. Satan furiously fights the plan of God in
each of our lives, and his primary weapon is deception. When we
are deceived, we believe something that is not true. Even though
it is not true, it seems true to us because that is what we believe.
Much of the time we feel defeated as we look at ourselves and
our lack of ability. What we need to do is remember that Christ
in us is our “Hope [of realizing] the glory.” He keeps us
encouraged enough to press on toward better things. We limit
ourselves when we look to ourselves alone and fail to see Jesus.
In John 11:40 Jesus said to Martha, “Did I not tell you and
promise you that if you would believe and rely on Me, you would
see the glory of God?” The Lord has destined His church for
glory. Glory is manifested excellence and goodness. He is
coming back for a glorious church (see Ephesians 5:27). We can
be excellent people with excellent attitudes, excellent thoughts,
and excellent words. God’s glory can be manifested in us and
among us only if we believe it is possible.
God is looking for someone who will believe and receive. Start
expecting more of His glory in your life. He is waiting to
manifest His glory to you and through you!
life point
Glory is the manifestation of God’s excellence and goodness. We
all want glory, but we can only hope to experience it because of
God’s presence in our lives as believers in Jesus Christ. That is
what Paul talks about in Colossians 1:27.
Christ must live in us; otherwise there is no hope of our ever
experiencing the glory of God. We can look forward to new
realms of glory on a continual basis because of His grace and
favor, which He gives to those who believe. Rejoice in the Hope
of glory, which is Christ in you.
speak the Word

Thank You, Jesus, that all the treasures of divine wisdom
and insight into the ways and purposes of God are stored
up and hidden in You. I ask You to reveal them to me.
God, I pray that the roots of my being are firmly and deeply
planted in Christ, that I am continually built up in Him,
becoming increasingly established in the faith.
speak the Word

Thank You, Jesus, for disarming the principalities and
powers that were against me and making a bold display of
them by triumphing over them at the cross.
life point
If you want to live the resurrection life that Jesus provides, then
seek that new, powerful life by setting your mind and keeping it
set on things above, not on things on the earth.
The apostle Paul is simply saying in Colossians 3:1, 2 that if you
and I want the good life, then we must keep our minds on good
things.
Many believers want the good life, but they passively sit around
wishing for something good to happen. Often, they are jealous
of others who live in victory and are resentful that their own
lives are so difficult.
If you desire victory over your problems, if you truly want to live
the resurrection life, you must have backbone and not just
wishbone! You must be determined to have victory and refuse to
settle for anything less than the best that God has for you. You
must be active, not passive. Right action begins with right
thinking. Do not be passive in your mind. Start today choosing
right thoughts. Set your mind on the things that are above and
keep it there!

Think about your life before you became a Christian. How is
your life different now? Most likely, Colossians 3:5–11 describes
some of the changes you have made in your life. Ask God to
continue to help you put off the “old self” and put on the “new
self” created in His image. Be intentional about pursuing
righteousness in every area of your life.
life point
I turn to Colossians 3:12 often to remind myself of what kind of
behavior I should display in all situations. I remind myself that
patience is not my ability to wait, but my ability to keep a good
attitude while I wait. I encourage you too to exercise patience in
every circumstance.
life point
If you let the Word have its home in your heart and mind, it will
give you insight and intelligence and wisdom. Let God’s rich
Word dwell in you (see Colossians 3:16), and you will see the
difference in your life!
let peace be your umpire

Colossians 3:15 instructs us to let God’s peace act as an umpire
in our hearts.
The umpire in a ball game decides if a player is “in” or “out.”
Peace is to be the umpire that decides if something in your life
should be in or out.
Many people do not enjoy peace because they are out of the will
of God. They follow their own will rather than God’s will. They
do what they feel like doing or what they think is right rather
than follow God’s Word and be led by peace.
Quite often something comes up that I want to do. It sounds
good, feels good, and can even be good. However, if I do not have
peace about it, I have learned to leave it alone. Occasionally, I
am offered an opportunity for a speaking engagement that I
want to take, but I do not have peace about it. I do not know why,
but sometimes the peace is just not there. I have learned that if I
take the opportunity anyway, I always find out later the reason I
should have followed peace and declined the offer.
One engagement I remember was when I first started traveling.
I received an invitation to speak at a church in Texas. I was so
excited that I immediately said I would go. As my emotions
calmed down, I got a gnawing feeling inside every time I thought
about it. It got stronger and stronger. I plainly had no peace
about going, and yet God gave me no reason for the unrest. I
waited and waited. Finally, I knew I had to call them and ask for
a release from the commitment. I told them I would come if they
could not find a suitable replacement, but for some reason, I had
no peace about going. They released me from the commitment.
A few weeks later I found out that my home church was
dedicating their new building the weekend I would have been
gone. I was an associate pastor in that church for quite some
time, and it was very important for me to be with them on that
occasion.
Why didn’t the Lord just tell me what was going on? For some
reason, He chose not to. His Word says to be led by peace. Many
times that is all He will give you to let you know if you are in or
out of His will. Later you may know why, or you may never know
why.
Be led by peace. Do not buy something, especially a major
purchase, if you do not have peace about it. No matter how much
you want it, you will be sorry if you go against the leading of the
Holy Spirit. Take time to acknowledge God in all your ways and
He will direct your path (see Proverbs 3:6).
You will never enjoy a peaceful life if you disobey His leading
and follow your own will. If you do obey His guidance and follow
peace, you will be blessed.
life point
Colossians 3:22 tells us that we are to be good, faithful, loyal,
profitable, and hardworking employees. We are to do our jobs
well and with a good attitude. We are not to be two-faced,
showing our employers what we think they want to see and then
showing something different when they are not around. We
need to be real, sincere, honest, and trustworthy all the time.
I think it is sad when those of us who have jobs grumble about
them when there are so many people who do not have jobs. We
should be grateful for our work and thankful we are able to do
it. Thank God today for the work He has given you to do!
speak the Word

God, I pray that You will help me be earnest and
unwearied and steadfast in my prayer life, being alert and
intent in my prayers with thanksgiving.

Colossians 4:6 gives us good instruction about our speech. Do
you always think before you speak? If not, you may experience
trouble you could avoid. Very often we are not sensitive to other
people when we open our mouths and say things. We might give
correction at a time when a person needs edification or we may
tell them something that causes them to worry at a time when
they have many other situations they are dealing with. Not only
do we need to use wisdom with our words, but timing is very
important. We may need to discuss a matter with someone, but if
we do it at the wrong time we will only create more problems.
Ask God to give you wisdom to know when to speak, to whom to
speak, and what to say.
First Thessalonians
Author:
Paul
Date:
Probably AD 51
As you wait for His return,
honor Jesus and represent Him
well in your everyday life.
When you suffer persecution,
do so with courage and steadfast
faith.
Take a look at the instructions
in I Thessalonians 5:14–22 and
incorporate them into your
daily activities.
In every chapter of I Thessalonians, Paul mentions the second coming

of Jesus Christ. This is a topic that has sparked interest, speculation,
excitement, and controversy for years. I do not believe that trying to
figure out when Jesus will return is a good use of time or energy. Instead,
I believe we need to live with an awareness of His return and to conduct
our everyday lives in ways that honor Him and represent Him well—
treating other people as we want to be treated, keeping God first in our
lives, obeying Him, and seeking to do good—while we wait.
Also in this book, Paul commends the Thessalonians’ courage and
steadfast faith in the midst of persecution. Their conduct serves as an
example and an encouragement to us today when we are persecuted or
ridiculed.
As you read I Thessalonians, I hope you will pay attention to all of the
important insights in this book, especially to I Thessalonians 5:14–22,
which is a wonderful list of instructions for everyday life. I want to
encourage you, as Paul did the Thessalonians, to always remember that
“Faithful is He Who is calling you [to Himself] and utterly trustworthy,
and He will also do it [fulfill His call by hallowing and keeping you]”
(I Thessalonians 5:24).
speak the Word

Thank You, Lord, that You love me and that You have
chosen and selected me.
life point
According to I Thessalonians 2:13, God is at work in your life
right this very minute, whether you know it or not. I encourage
you to say every day, “God is working in me right now. He is
changing me!” Speak from your mouth what the Word says, not
what you feel.

Have you ever heard the saying, “You’ve got to look out for
number one”? This means, live for yourself, because that is what
everyone else is trying to do. However, as a Christian, you are
called to live a life that is pleasing to God (see I Thessalonians
4:1). Ask Him to continually show you how to live to please Him.

Do you know that God is concerned about your body as well as
your soul? God commands you to abstain from sexual
immorality (see I Thessalonians 4:3–6) because engaging in
sexual activity outside of marriage will keep you from living a
holy life. Avoid situations that may tempt you or that cause lust
to rise up in you. Practice fidelity in marriage and chastity in
singleness.
speak the Word

Lord, I pray that You make me increase and overflow in
love for my fellow believers and for all people and that You
strengthen, confirm, and establish my heart faultlessly pure
and blameless in holiness in Your sight.
Thank You, Father, that You have called me to

consecration. I dedicate myself to purity in every way.
life point
Did you know the Bible specifically tells us in I Thessalonians
4:11 to mind our own business?
Minding our own business is a principle we need to follow, and
we will discover that we enjoy life so much more when we apply
it. Many times we get into things that were really none of our
business to begin with, and those very things end up making us
miserable.
God does not give us an anointing to handle someone else’s
business; He gives us anointing for our own. This is why things
become so messy when we get involved where we should not.
There is obviously a time to get involved and help people in
need, but there is also a balance that should be honored. Ask
God to help you know when to get involved in a situation and
when to mind your own business!

The Bible is full of practical instructions for everyday life, and I
Thessalonians 5:12–22 is an excellent list of exhortations for us.
How can you apply these instructions practically in your
everyday life?
life point
After encouraging us to thank God in everything, the Bible says
not to “quench (suppress or subdue)” the Holy Spirit (I
Thessalonians 5:18, 19).
I believe one way we quench the Holy Spirit is through
complaining. The truth is, we need the Holy Spirit to work in our
lives, and the more thankful we are, the more freedom the Holy
Spirit has to work in our circumstances. Our natural tendency is
to complain, but it is supernatural to give thanks when we are
tested and tried by life’s circumstances.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, that You have not appointed me to wrath
or condemnation, but to salvation through Jesus Christ,
Who died for me so that I might live with Him and share His
life.
pray without ceasing

The King James Version of I Thessalonians 5:17 says, “Pray
without ceasing.” I used to read those words and wonder, “Lord,
how can I ever get to the place that I am able to pray without
ceasing?” To me, the phrase, “without ceasing” meant nonstop,
without ever quitting. I could not see how that was possible.
Now I have a better understanding of what Paul said. He meant
that prayer should be like breathing, something we do
continually but often unconsciously, without even being totally
aware of it.
You and I live by breathing. Our physical lives require that we
inhale and exhale, and the air we breathe sustains our bodies. In
the same way, our spiritual lives are designed to be nurtured and
sustained by prayer.
Religious thinking sometimes gives us the mistaken idea that if
we do not keep up a certain schedule of prayer we miss the
mark. We have become too “clock-oriented” concerning prayer.
The Lord gave me the following example to illustrate the way we
are to pray: Just as we breathe all day long but never spend time
counting our breaths, so we are to pray all day long without
keeping track of our prayers.
I have never carried a clock around with me for reminding me to
breathe every so many seconds. I have never come home from
work at night and written in a journal how many times I
breathed that day. I just breathe when I need to, continually,
without even being aware that I am doing it.
That is the way we are to be about our prayers.
I do not know how many times I pray a day; I just know I pray
throughout the day. I start praying when I get up in the morning,
and I pray many times until I go to sleep at night. I also enjoy
special “set apart” times for prayer, but I do not just pray for
thirty minutes in the morning and then forget about God the
rest of the day. As one intercessor said, “I never pray very long at
one time, but I never go very long without praying.”
Does all this mean I am always thinking about prayer and
spiritual things? No, there are periods when I give myself to
other things, just as we all must do. But as we grow in spiritual
maturity and endeavor to deepen our prayer lives, it is important
for us to realize that we can pray at all times in every season, on
every occasion and in every place (see Ephesians 6:18)—just as
naturally as we breathe. Let me encourage you to pray that way!
give thanks
Having a thankful heart is very important. We are to be
thankful and to give thanks (see I Thessalonians 5:18). We need
to express our gratitude to God and to the people He uses to help
and bless us. Be thankful for small things as well as big things. I
often thank God for hot water in which to take a bath. I think of
all the people in the world who do not even have clean water, let
alone hot water and I am reminded of how blessed I am to go to a
faucet anytime I desire and get clean hot and cold water.
Voicing our thanks helps because when we do, we also remind
ourselves afresh of how blessed we are. It is easy to fall into the
trap of looking at what we do not have and complaining about it,
but God looks for people who are thankful and give thanks in all
circumstances. There is something good in everything if we will
search for it.
I remember a time when I asked God to give me something I
desired and He showed me that until I stopped complaining
about what I already had, there was no point in His giving me
anything else because I would ultimately complain about that
also. Why should God give us more if we complain about what
we already have? Complaining grieves and quenches the Holy
Spirit.
Giving thanks in all things is God’s will for us, according to I
Thessalonians 5:18. If we will not submit to His will in
something like being thankful and saying so, how can we expect
to be led into His will for greater things? Many people want to
know what God’s specific will is for their lives, but they have not
yet fulfilled His general will (what His Word says to all of us)
for them. We see His will throughout the Bible in instructions
to be thankful, to walk in love, to give, to repent of our sins, to
stay peaceful, and others. As we strive to obey God in these ways,
He reveals and leads us into His specific calling and will for
each of us.
I encourage you to take some time every day and choose to think
of all the things and people God has blessed you with and voice
your thankfulness to Him. Also form a habit of expressing
gratitude to those who help you and make your life better. This
way, you can be certain that you are fulfilling the will of God.
do not despire prophey

Following the instruction in I Thessalonians 5:19 not to quench
the Holy Spirit, we have an instruction not to despise
prophesying (or, as The Amplified Bible says, not to “depreciate
prophetic revelations”), in I Thessalonians 5:20.
In both the Old and New Testaments, prophets were valuable
vessels for God. In the Old Testament, God spoke to His people
using prophets as His mouthpieces. Wise kings listened and
obeyed these prophetic words; unwise kings who refused to
listen brought themselves and their kingdoms into eventual
ruin. In the New Testament, we see that among the gifts God
gave to the church were people who functioned as prophets (see
Ephesians 4:11; I Corinthians 12:28). First Corinthians 14:3
describes the New Testament prophet as one who “interprets the
divine will and purpose in inspired preaching and teaching” and
who speaks to people “for their upbuilding and constructive
spiritual progress and encouragement and consolation.”
There are, of course, modern-day prophets gifted by God to
foretell future events, but not everyone who prophesies is called
to stand in the office of a prophet. First Corinthians 12:10 states
that prophecy is “the gift of interpreting the divine will and
purpose” of God. I believe anointed teachers of God’s Word
prophesy every time they teach. They interpret, or tell forth, the
divine will and counsel of God.
What does the Bible mean when it says if we despise
prophesying we will quench the Holy Spirit?
First, I believe it means we must love the preaching of God’s
Word, or we will quench the progress the Holy Spirit desires us
to make. It is impossible to grow spiritually without God’s Word.
His Word is to the spirit what food is to the body; we must have
it regularly to be healthy.
Second, I believe it means we should not have a judgmental or
otherwise bad attitude toward the gift of prophecy or any of the
other gifts of the Spirit. We should have respect for all the ways
God chooses to work through men and women. We should
cherish the gifts and honor those through whom they flow. Their
gifts were given to them by the Holy Spirit for our benefit, to
help us grow and mature.
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Many people do not understand that we are tri-part beings:
spirit, soul and body. We are a spirit, we have a soul (composed of
our mind, will and emotions), and we live in a body. Our new
birth begins in our spirit, is carried out through our soul, and is
finally visible to other people through a demonstration of God’s
glory in our physical lives.
Many Christians make the mistake of thinking that God cares
only about the spirit. But He wants us to be whole in soul and
body, too. Be blessed in the knowledge that God is faithful and
will sanctify you in body, soul, and spirit.
speak the Word

Lord, I declare that You are faithful and utterly trustworthy.
You will fulfill Your call by hallowing and keeping me.
Second Thessalonians
Author:
Paul
Date:
Probably AD 51
Remember that no one knows
exactly when Jesus will return.
Keep a proper perspective on
life as you wait.
Remember that rebellion and
lawlessness are two of the
characteristics of the end times.
Be careful to stay submitted to
the authority God has placed in
your life.
Use your time wisely and spend
your life doing the things you
know Jesus wants you to do.
Because the people in Thessalonica did not properly understand some of

the things Paul wrote to them in his first letter, he soon had to write
them a second time. In this letter, he addressed the fact that some people
overreacted to his comments on Jesus’ return to earth. They thought the
second coming of Christ was so imminent that they lost their proper
perspective on life.
Like the Thessalonian believers centuries ago, you and I also wait for the
return of Christ. We do not know when it will happen, but Paul’s advice
in this letter to them also applies to us. He tells them to watch for the
signs preceding Christ’s second coming: lawlessness, apostasy, rebellion
against authority, counterfeit signs and wonders. He also encourages
them to hold fast to their faith and to the truth of God and reminds
them that “the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen [you] and set you
on a firm foundation and guard you from the evil [one]” (II
Thessalonians 3:3).
Let II Thessalonians encourage you to live every day as though Jesus is
coming back at any minute. Do the things you want to be found doing if
He were to suddenly appear. Stay at peace; keep your joy; use your time
wisely; submit to authority; love God; and love other people. Regardless
of when He returns, Jesus will be
speak the Word

God, I pray that my faith grows exceedingly and that my
love for others increases and abounds.

Do you know that there are Christians in the world today who
cannot worship freely and have been disowned by their families,
imprisoned, or even killed for their faith? I encourage you to
remember and pray regularly for persecuted believers around
the world. Pray they will have strength to withstand the
persecution they face, remain strong in their faith, and that the
name of Jesus will be glorified in and through their lives (see II
Thessalonians 1:11, 12).
speak the Word

Father, I pray that You will count me worthy of my calling
and of Your gracious purpose, and that You complete every
work of faith in me so that the name of Jesus is glorified in
and through me.

Encouragement is a powerful and valuable gift. Who do you
receive encouragement from? When you need encouragement,
remember that God Himself is always ready to encourage you
(see II Thessalonians 2:16, 17), to bring comfort to you, and to
strengthen you.
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In II Thessalonians 2:17, Paul prays that God will encourage the
Thessalonians and keep them “steadfast in every good work and
word.” What an awesome thing it is to be good to people!
The Bible says that God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit and
with strength, ability and power; and that He went about doing
good, for God was with Him (see Acts 10:38). Jesus spent His
days being good to all people. He helped and encouraged people
everywhere He went.
We are anointed to bless people as Jesus did. God gives us the
strength, ability, and power to do awesome works in His name.
Take the advice of II Thessalonians 2:17, and strengthen your
heart “in every good work and word.”
speak the Word

God, I pray that You comfort and encourage my heart and
strengthen it in every good work and word.

Do you regularly pray for your pastor and other church leaders?
It is important to do so (see II Thessalonians 3:1, 2). Pray that
they are wise and effective in their ministries and that the Word
of God goes forth in power. Pray also for their protection and for
their families.
enjoy the wait!

In II Thessalonians 3:5, Paul prays for his readers to realize that
God wants to work several important character traits in them.
One of these qualities is patience. I have learned that patience
is not my ability to wait; it is how I act while I am waiting. I need
to learn to wait with a good attitude.
Waiting is a fact of life. We are going to wait no matter what we
do. We actually spend more time waiting than we do receiving.
Our attitudes and actions during the wait determine whether we
enjoy the trip and also help determine the length of the wait.
There is a good reason that we need to be patient. We must deal
with attitudes that hinder us, such as: being jealous of others
who already have what we are waiting for; regularly having our
own “pity parties;” riding an emotional roller coaster; giving
birth to “Ishmaels” in our own strength (see Genesis 12–16),
and displaying all other kinds of bad attitudes. These ways of
thinking and feeling need to be worked out of us, and they are
the very reasons we need to wait! Preparation is a process that
requires time—and any length of time requires a wait.
Even when we are more mature and ready for some of God’s
best, we may be waiting for God to deal with the other people
who will be involved with us.
God’s work is always intricate and multifaceted. You will be
better off if you just let God work. Let God be God in your life
and learn patience while He works unhealthy attitudes out of
you. You will enjoy your wait so much more if you do!
do the right thing

Doing what is right occasionally or for a short while will not
bring the breakthroughs we need in life. Second Thessalonians
3:13 exhorts us to continue doing the right thing. We must do it
over and over and over, and when we feel ourselves becoming
weary, we should go to God and wait on Him to give us fresh
strength so we are enabled by His grace to press through to the
completion of His will.
Doing what is right when we do not seem to be getting right
results is difficult, but it must be done. When a farmer plants
seed in the ground, he must keep his patient vigil over it until it
finally sprouts and produces a harvest. It is a process that takes
time and effort. If the farmer gives up on his garden and stops
caring for it, he will miss the joy of harvest.
One of Satan’s favorite things to do to us is to try to get us to
give up! However, God tells us to endure, persist, continue, and
finish. He teaches us to be long-suffering, patient, determined,
and steadfast.
My experience has taught me that I often have to treat other
people rightly for a long time before they begin to treat me the
same way. I have to do the right thing with a right attitude for a
long time before I start getting right results. Just as natural
seed finally takes root and the beginning of a plant breaks
through the ground, we also will see breakthrough if we
continue to do the right thing, regardless of what others do.
People frequently give up too easily. When their feelings quit on
them, they quit too. I have learned that I can feel wrong and still
choose to do what is right. One sign of spiritual maturity is the
ability to live beyond our feelings. People who are spiritually
mature live by decisions made based on God’s Word, not on how
they feel. When we advance to this stage of growth we are well
on our way to a wonderful harvest that will leave us amazed.
Let me encourage you today: Do not give up; keep on keeping
on!
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The Bible instructs us in II Thessalonians 3:10–12 to work. Why
is that?
I believe people are happier and experience more joy and peace
in life when they use their resources and work. We all have a
built-in knowledge that it is right to make progress and wrong to
sit idle and watch life pass us by.
People who do nothing are often jealous of those who prosper. I
encourage you not to be jealous of what others have if you are
not willing to do what they did to get it.
God expects us to manage the resources He gives us and to use
them wisely so they will increase. When we follow God’s
instruction to work, it may be hard at times, but we will reap
blessings and fulfillment in life that idle people do not possess.
speak the Word

Thank You, Lord, that You are faithful, and that You
strengthen me, set me on a firm foundation and guard me
from the evil one.
Lord, I pray that You grant me Your peace at all times and
under all circumstances, whatever comes.
First Timothy
Author:
Paul
Date:
Possibly AD 63–65
Pray for people, especially for
those in positions of authority
over you.
Pursue righteousness,
godliness, faith, love,
steadfastness and gentleness in
your everyday life.
Do not give up or be discouraged
in your Christian walk, but
fight the good fight of faith.
First Timothy is the first of two letters the apostle Paul wrote to a
young minister, his “true son in the faith,” named Timothy. This letter
is relevant to all of us, but it is especially helpful to leaders and ministers
because it includes instructions on how to lead God’s people and how to
deal with problems in the church.
In I Timothy, Paul emphasizes the importance of praying for people,
especially those who are in authority. He writes, “First of all, then, I
admonish and urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions and
thanksgivings be offered on behalf of all men. For kings and all who are
in positions of authority…” (I Timothy 2:1, 2). This is an instruction I
take seriously, and I hope you will too.
Also in I Timothy, we find the qualifications and characteristics needed
in church leaders (see I Timothy 3), instruction on proper behavior in
church services, insight on dealing with doctrinal error, and exhortation
to honor widows, elders, and people in authority.
As you read I Timothy, I hope you will apply all of its lessons to your
life. I also want to encourage you as Paul did Timothy: “… aim at and
pursue righteousness (right standing with God and true goodness),
godliness (which is the loving fear of God and being Christlike), faith,
love, steadfastness (patience), and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the
faith…”
speak the Word

Thank You, Lord, that You give me all the strength and
ability that I need in order to do what You have called me
to do.
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All disobedience is sin and is the root cause of unhappiness. Our
sin and disobedience grieve the Holy Spirit, especially when we
know that our behavior is going against God’s commands.
There are times in our lives when we disobey God, but we do it

ignorantly. The apostle Paul is an example of a person who did
not know he was disobeying God before his conversion to Christ.
Paul once persecuted Christians zealously and thought he was
doing God a favor. He was a very religious man who sincerely
believed that Christians were evil. The Lord confronted him, and
Paul immediately converted to Christ and was baptized (see Acts
9:1–22). He writes in I Timothy 1:13 that he received mercy from
God because he acted in ignorance and unbelief. Notice that he
says God bestowed superabundant grace upon him, a chief sinner,
and that he received God’s mercy so that Jesus Christ might be
seen in him as an example to those who believe (see I Timothy
1:14–16).
All of our sin, whether known or unknown, must be dealt with at
the cross of Jesus Christ. We do receive great mercy when we
sin unintentionally, and we stand in need of God’s mercy all the
time. Anyone who wishes to live a life filled with the peace and
joy of God’s grace needs to be obedient to God.
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When the apostle Paul exhorts us in I Timothy 2:1 to make
“petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings” on behalf
of all men, I believe he means we are to pray for all people
everywhere. To intercede for someone is to pray for him and
plead his case before the throne of God.
Jesus and the Holy Spirit are our examples; they intercede for
us. Hebrews 7:25 speaks of Christ when it says: “He is always
living to make petition to God and intercede with Him and
intervene for them.” In Romans 8:27, Paul teaches us that: “…
the Spirit intercedes and pleads [before God] in behalf of the
saints according to… God’s will.”
Intercession is one of the most important ways we carry on the
ministry of Jesus Christ. Obey the instruction of I Timothy 2:1
and pray for others often. God will lead you as you pray, and
blessing will be the fruit of your prayers.

Have you ever complained about the government of your
country? Scripture teaches that if we are to enjoy the blessing of
good government, we must pray for all those in authority over us
(see I Timothy 2:1, 2). Commit to pray for government officials
on local, state and national levels. Be sure to include prayers of
thanksgiving for their leadership, for wisdom as they govern,
and prayers for the salvation of those who do not know Jesus.
be found faithful
The third chapter of I Timothy gives an extensive list of
character qualities people need to develop if they want to lead in
the body of Christ. All of these requirements point to one
overall qualification as a leader: We must be faithful. Just as God
tested the Israelites in the wilderness, we must learn how to be
faithful in the wilderness, faithful in the hard times. We must
be faithful to keep on doing what is right, even when everything
around us is wrong.
God works through and blesses faithful people, those who are
faithful in the wilderness as well as in the Promised Land.
Being faithful is being devoted, supportive and loyal. Faithful
people are worthy of trust or belief; they are reliable, consistent,
constant, steady, and steadfast, meaning that they will stay
wherever God places them and be true to those with whom God
has given them to work. There is a reward for such people.
If we want to exercise authority, we must also know how to come
under authority. We must learn to be faithful and stay wherever
God has placed us until He moves us. We must respect and obey
those in authority over us. We must do the right thing simply
because it is right, even though we may never understand why—
which is a real test of our faithfulness and obedience.
If you want to be a spiritual leader, you desire a good thing.
Expect to be tested in your faithfulness and obedience as God
works these qualities in you so that you will develop the
faithfulness necessary for a good leader to possess.
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Paul asks a very important question in I Timothy 3:4, 5: How can
a person rule the church if he does not know how to rule his own
household? Paul is not talking here about dictatorial,
controlling, or iron-fisted rule. The successful leader is capable
of guiding, leading, and nurturing his household with godly
wisdom, love, and understanding.
the well-rounded leader

First Timothy 3:2 tells us that a spiritual leader must live his
life in such a way that no one has grounds to accuse him; he
must be above reproach. In other words, he must behave so well
that people cannot find any reason to blame him for wrongdoing.
Notice that the leader must be circumspect, temperate, self-

controlled, and sensible. I love that! The biggest problem with
many people, including some in the body of Christ, is that they
are just plain goofy. They frequently do not use common sense
in decision making. Sometimes it seems that when people
become born again and filled with the Holy Spirit, or filled with
God’s power and ability to fulfill His will for their lives, some
think they have to throw all common sense out the window in
order to be “spiritual.” Just the opposite is true. If a person is
going to build a ministry, he is going to need a lot of plain old
common sense. Notice also that a leader must be well behaved
and dignified, leading an orderly and disciplined life.
A leader needs to be hospitable and friendly, especially to
foreigners or those who are outsiders. For example, at social
gatherings a good leader will go out of his way to make people
outside of his circle of family and friends feel comfortable and
accepted.
Finally, a leader must be a capable and qualified teacher. This
involves teaching by example. People want to see Christians who
live good, clean lives. They want to be able to trust someone, and
it is our job to set a good example and pass along the principles
of godly living to others.
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In I Timothy 3:10, Paul warns against putting people into
leadership positions too quickly. Before they lead, they need to
be prepared; they need to be “tried and investigated and proved.”
Preparation for ministry involves going through some tests and
some hard, dry places. Hard times change us. They can make us
bitter or better. Hopefully they develop our character; they
mature us; and they force us to look to God instead of to
ourselves, to people, or to things. We have a choice to make
about how we will respond to hard times. I encourage you to
make choices that will help prepare you for the great future God
has planned for you.

It is sad and distressing to see another Christian stray from
faith in Christ. Yet I Timothy 4:1, 2 warns that before Christ
comes again, there will be those who depart from the faith. Do
you know anyone who questions his or her faith? Pray that
these people will not fall into deception and become hardened to
spiritual truth. Guard yourself against deceptive doctrine
through diligent study of the Word of God.

Do you remember when you turned sixteen? How about twenty-
one? In many cultures, turning a particular age has special
significance and such milestones often bring greater privileges
and responsibilities. In the Christian life, however, your age is
not as important as your conduct. No matter how young, you are
called to live a life that is an example—in speech, conduct, faith,
love, and purity—to other believers (see I Timothy 4:12).
speak the Word

Help me, Lord, to nourish myself on the truths of the faith
and of good Christian instruction.
a Christian duty
Are you helping take care of and provide for any relatives you
have who are unable to take care of themselves, especially
parents and grandparents? Did you know that doing so is God’s
will? It is our Christian duty (see I Timothy 5:4).
I was abused during my childhood and as a result, my attitude
toward this biblical instruction was that I was exempt from this
expectation due to how I was treated. After all, how could God
expect me to take care of people who never did anything for me
but hurt me? Perhaps you have been hurt by your parents and
now you ignore them. This is understandable, but not acceptable.
We must realize that “hurting people hurt people,” and develop

a merciful, forgiving attitude toward those who have hurt us.
When we have truly forgiven we are willing to help those who do
not deserve to be helped. We do not deserve God’s help, but He
helps us anyway and He expects us to do the same for others.
Although it was difficult, there came a time when I made the
decision to take care of my elderly parents and I have seen God’s
favor and blessing as a result. We may do other “good works,” or
“church work,” but if we ignore this duty, we are not doing what
is right. If a believer fails to provide for his relatives he is worse
than an unbeliever who does perform his obligation in this
matter (see I Timothy 5:8).
Maybe you were not ever mistreated by your parents, but are
now too busy to call them, your grandparents and your other
relatives. Perhaps your schedule is too full to attend family
functions. Most of our schedules are too full of things that are
not even important. They are filled with things we want to do,
not with things we should do. Although God wants us to be
blessed and have our desires met, He first and foremost wants us
to do our duty as believers in Jesus Christ. If we do not care for
our own families, God is not pleased.
God’s Word teaches us not to hide ourselves from the needs of
our own flesh and blood (see Isaiah 58:7). The instruction is
followed by a promise of blessing: “Then shall your light break
forth and your healing (your restoration and the power of a new
life) shall spring forth speedily….” (Isaiah 58:8). Blessings do
follow obedience. Let me encourage you specifically to obey I
Timothy 5:4–8. I believe you will experience blessings as you do.
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First Timothy 5:8 tells us we have a responsibility to care for our
families. We have a duty not only to care for our spouses and our
children, but if we have elderly parents or grandparents, we
need to provide for them as well. This is a duty we must perform
whether we feel like it or not.
You may have dependent elderly parents who never really took
proper care of you. They may have even abused you. Is it really
your duty to take care of them now? Yes, it is. If you cannot do it
for them, do it for God with a good attitude. As you do, you will
demonstrate the kind of fruit that accompanies obedient faith.

Are you ever tempted to think that you would be more content in
life if you had more money? This is certainly a common idea in
our society, but I Timothy 6:6–10 warns that striving to be rich
and the love of money are dangerous snares that lead to
destruction, not to contentment. Ask God to help you be content
in His provision for you, knowing He knows everything you need
and is faithful to provide.
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The kingdom of God offers great benefits. As we see in I Timothy
6:6, one benefit is the privilege of being content and satisfied
even when circumstances in our lives do not suit us.
First Timothy 6:8 says that it is possible for us to be content if we
just have food and clothing. Most of us have at least that, but we
still have much discontentment. This verse is not saying that
food and clothing are all God wants us to have. But it does say
that we do not need extra things to make us happy. We are wise
to be content with the basic necessities in life because we
realize life does not consist of the abundance of things we
possess. We may have things, but our joy and contentment
cannot be in them.
the secret of true contentment

You may not realize it yet, but contentment is worth more than
all the material possessions you can possibly accumulate in a
lifetime. Nothing you have or will obtain is worth anything if
you are not satisfied inside. Apostle Paul referenced this when
he wrote I Timothy 6:6.
Paul also talks about finding contentment in the fourth chapter
of Philippians. He says, “I have learned how to be content
(satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or disquieted) in
whatever state I am. I know how to be abased and live humbly in
straitened circumstances, and I know also how to enjoy plenty
and live in abundance. I have learned in any and all
circumstances the secret of facing every situation…”
(Philippians 4:11, 12).
We usually do not learn contentment until we give up seeking it
our own way. What usually happens is that we live discontented
lives for a long time and then finally pray, “Lord, I do not want
to live this way any longer. Getting this thing or having that
thing is not worth it. I do not want to be miserable anymore. Just
give me what You want me to have because unless You want me
to have it, I do not want it. From now on I’m not going to
compare myself with anyone else. I’m not going to be jealous of
anyone. I’m not going to be jealous of people who receive a
promotion at work. I’m not going to be envious of anyone. I do
not want what anyone else has. Lord, I want only what You want
me to have and I want to be content with that.”
Saying to God, “Lord, I want only what You want me to have,”
and meaning it, is the secret to finding peace, happiness and
contentment in life.
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Keeping our thoughts pure and in the will of God is a lifetime
battle. We must “fight the good fight of the faith,” according to I
Timothy 6:12.
The mind is the battlefield on which we fight. Satan wages war

in the realm of our thoughts because he knows that if he
controls our thoughts, he controls us and our destinies. As we
live our lives and pursue our destinies, there will be times of
fighting the good fight of faith, and if we win enough battles, we
will win the war.
fight the good fight

To be aggressive is to be a fighter. Just as the apostle Paul said
he fought the good fight of faith (see also II Timothy 4:7), so he
instructed his young disciple Timothy to “fight the good fight”
in I Timothy 6:12. In the same way, we should fight the good
fight of faith in our daily lives as we struggle against spiritual
enemies in high places and in our own minds and hearts.
One part of fighting the good fight of faith is the ability to
recognize our enemy. As long as we are passive, Satan will
torment us. Nothing is going to change about our situation if all
we do is sit and wish things were different. We have to take
action. Too often we do not move against the enemy when he
comes against us with discouragement, fear, doubt, or guilt. We
just draw back into a corner somewhere and let him beat us up.
We believe his lies when we should stand against them with the
truth of God’s Word.
You and I are not supposed to be punching bags for the devil;
instead, we are called to be fighters and respond aggressively to
his attacks.
The devil tries to trick us into fighting with others around us.
But God wants us to forget all the junk that Satan stirs up
within us to get us offended toward other people. Instead, He
wants us to fight against the spiritual enemies who try to war
over our lives and steal our peace and joy.
Take Paul’s words to heart. Lay hold of the eternal life you have
been called to receive and fight the good fight of faith.

If you were rich, would you be more secure in life? Worldly
riches are uncertain (see I Timothy 6:17–19); true security is
found in trusting God Who gives generously. If you are wealthy,
you have a great responsibility to honor God with your wealth
and to be a faithful steward of it, doing good works and being
eager to share your resources with others.
speak the Word

Thank You, Lord, for richly and ceaselessly giving me
everything to enjoy. Help me to do good, to be rich in good
works, to be generous of heart and to share with others.
Second Timothy
Author:
Paul
Date:
AD 66–67
Hold fast to the teachings of
your Christian faith, being
diligent to know, honor and
obey God’s Word.
Be a good “first class” soldier of
Christ Jesus.
Finish your race on earth
having kept the faith.
Second Timothy is filled with encouragement, perhaps because the young

man Timothy really needed it! Many scholars believe Paul wrote this
letter shortly before his death, while he was suffering a much more harsh
imprisonment than he previously endured. For that reason, this is quite a
personal letter from the older Apostle to his spiritual son—like Paul’s
final instructions before he finished his course on earth.
We find many practical instructions for living the Christian life in II
Timothy, exhortations we really need to apply to our lives today. For
example, we are encouraged to boldly testify of the Lord and not be
ashamed of our faith; to hold fast to the teaching of the gospel; to be
diligent and hardworking; to be strong in the grace that is found in Jesus;
to avoid trivial disagreements that lead to strife and to endure hardship
“as a good (first class) soldier of Christ Jesus” (II Timothy 2:3); to know,
honor and obey the truth of God’s Word and to fulfill God’s calling on
our lives.
I pray that you apply the instructions and exhortations of II Timothy to
your life so that when the time draws near for the end of your earthly
life, you will be able to say, as Paul did: “I have fought the good (worthy,
honorable, and noble) fight, I have finished the race, I have kept (firmly
held) the faith” (II Timothy)
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It appears that Timothy was getting fearful, weary, and unsure of
his call. His spirit was sinking, so Paul came in with a strong
word to revive him. In II Timothy 1:5, Paul reminded him of his
faith and how it came to him. He told him in essence, “I
remember your grandmother’s faith. I remember your mother’s
faith. I remember when I laid my hands on you and we prayed
for you to receive the gifts that are in you.” Then he said, “Now
stir up the gift within you” (see II Timothy 1:6).
Nobody can stir up your gift, that fire within you, the way you
can. Other people can stir you up, but as soon as you are alone,
you can grow cold again. That is when you have to stir up
yourself. Pray, worship, and praise God. Remember what He has
spoken to you. Preach to yourself if you have to. Just do
whatever it takes for you to stay stirred up in God!
speak the Word

Father, I declare that You have not given me a spirit of fear.
You have given me a spirit of power and of love and of a
calm, well-balanced mind and of discipline and self-
control.
power, love, and discipline

Second Timothy 1:7 tells us that timidity, which is the same as
fear, is not from God and that God gives us power, love, a calm
and well-balanced mind, discipline, and self-control.
I am going to tell you a little secret: fear will never stop coming
against us. We must learn to do what God tells us to do whether
we feel fear or not. We must “do it afraid” if necessary, but that
is what courage does; it feels the fear and does what it should
anyway!
I always thought that as long as I felt fear, I was a coward, but I
have learned differently. When God told Joshua repeatedly to
fear not (see Joshua 1:9; 10:8), He let him know that fear was
going to attack him, but that he must walk in obedience to what
God spoke.
We are not cowards because we feel fear. We are cowards only if
we let fear rule our decisions.
Fear is a spirit that produces physical and emotional symptoms.
When fear attacks us, we may feel shaky and weak or find
ourselves sweating. It may take everything we can muster just to
speak or move. None of that means we are cowards. The Word of
God does not say “sweat not, shake not, tremble not.” The Word
says, many times, “fear not.” The way to conquer fear is to press
on through it and get to the other side of it—the side of freedom,
which is the side of power.
speak the Word
Help me, God, to guard and keep with greatest care the
precious truth which has been entrusted to me by the help
of the Holy Spirit Who makes His home in me.
Lord, I pray that You would strengthen me inwardly in the

grace and spiritual blessing that is found only in Christ
Jesus.
life point
Second Timothy 2:16 instructs us to “avoid all empty (vain,
useless, idle) talk.” Instead, we need to learn to speak as God
speaks. It is the Word of God, spoken in truth and love from our
lips that will return to Him after accomplishing His will and
purpose. But in order to speak that Word in truth and love, our
hearts must be right before the Lord, for it is out of the
abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks, for good or for
evil (see Matthew 12:34).
You are bound by your words and by your declaration. You are
also judged by them. That is why it is so important to place a
guard upon your lips so that what issues forth from them is not
only truthful, but also kind, positive, edifying, and in line with
the will of God.
You can change your actions and behavior, but in order to do so
you must first change your thoughts and words. To do that, you
need the help of the indwelling Spirit of God. Ask Him to help
you. He will!
speak the Word

God, I pray that You will help me correctly analyze,
accurately divide, rightly handle, and skillfully teach Your
Word of Truth.
special people for special purposes

God’s Word instructs us in II Timothy 2:20, 21 to be vessels
consecrated and ready for the Master’s use. These verses make
clear that to be consecrated is to be set apart for a special use.
To God, we are precious treasures. According to His great plan,
we are vessels He sets aside for a special purpose. God wants to
show His glory through us. He wants to use us to bring others to
Himself. We are His representatives, His ambassadors here on
earth. God makes His appeal to the world through us (see II
Corinthians 5:20).
The meaning of the word consecrate is very similar to to the word
dedicate; it means to give, to offer to another, or to set aside for a
purpose. If I say that a room in my house is dedicated to prayer, I
mean that I want that particular room used primarily for the
purpose of prayer and not for other things.
I own some dresses that I wear for fancy parties. I have set them
aside in a certain place in my closet and keep them inside
garment bags for protection. This makes them special; they are
not used for ordinary occasions, but are set apart for special
purposes. This is the way God views us; we are not meant for the
world’s purposes, but for God’s. We are in the world, yet Jesus
tells us we are not “of” the world (see John 15:19). So do not be
worldly, adopting its ways and methods.
Even after we dedicate ourselves to God, we should regularly
rededicate ourselves to our real purpose, as Romans 12:1
encourages: “I appeal to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you
in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication
of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a
living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to
God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and
spiritual worship.”
It is not too much for God to ask us to dedicate every facet of our
being to Him. In fact, that is actually our worship and spiritual
service. Under Old Covenant law, God required animal sacrifices
to atone for sin. He no longer wants dead sacrifices; He wants us
offering ourselves as “living sacrifices” unto Him for His
purpose and use. Consecrate yourself to God and be set apart
and ready for any good work!
avoid strife at all costs

The servant of the Lord must be a maker and maintainer of
peace (see II Timothy 2:23, 24). He must not strive. Strife is
bickering, arguing, heated disagreement, and an angry
undercurrent. Strife is dangerous and destructive. Strife is like
a deadly, contagious disease. It spreads rapidly unless it is
confronted and stopped.
Strife destroys marriages, friendships, businesses, and churches.
It is a tool that Satan uses to stop the will of God. Strife or
contention comes only by pride (see Proverbs 13:10). The servant
of the Lord must be willing to humble himself and go the extra
mile to maintain peace. Paul told the Philippians they would
complete his joy if they lived in harmony (see Philippians 2:2).
Paul knew the power believers have if they commit to live in
unity and agreement (see Matthew 18:19). We must pursue
peace, crave it, and seek it with all of our heart and soul.
Without peace we are without power!
Do not get involved in conversations that head toward strife.
Avoid controversies over things that really do not even matter
and refuse to be involved in gossip and tale bearing, which are
ungodly and unnecessary. Do not spread rumors or tell other
people’s secrets. These things cause an angry undercurrent and
they hinder or eliminate God’s power and blessing. Many homes
cannot prosper and be blessed because everyone is in strife.
Mom and Dad bicker and argue, the siblings argue and resent
one another and nobody is happy but the devil.
I want to repeat that strife is very dangerous and that as servants
of the Lord we must not be part of it. It is good and pleasant
when brethren dwell together in unity. Unity releases anointing
(God’s presence and power) and it is also where God commands
the blessing to be released (see Psalm 133).
God instructed Dave and me to stay out of strife when we began
our ministry. He showed us that He could not bless us and that
we would not succeed if we allowed strife in our marriage, home,
or ministry. We have worked diligently over the years to keep
strife out of our lives. It requires willingness to constantly
communicate and confront issues. Strife will not go away if it is
ignored; it must be dealt with. I encourage you to ask for the
Holy Spirit’s help to be a person who avoids strife and restores
peace everywhere you go.
life point
In II Timothy 2:24 the apostle Paul teaches us that the servants
of the Lord must not fight with one another. Instead, we need to
be kind and good to everyone. We must be peacemakers, not
troublemakers.
life point
Just as Paul predicted long ago when he wrote II Timothy 3:1, 2,
we live in an unthankful and ungrateful generation. It seems
the more people have, the less they appreciate.
As believers, we are in the world, but we must strive not to be
like it. The more others around us complain, the more we should
express gratitude to God.
Does it seem to you that we are living in perilous times? Think
of the world around you as you read II Timothy 3:1–5; you
probably see evidence of many of the vices described. In times
such as these, you must stand strong in the truth of God’s Word
and have nothing to do with people who seem religious but do
not exhibit true godliness or spiritual power.
life point
Second Timothy 3:12 tells us that we will suffer persecution as
believers. Satan brings opposition, trouble, trials, and
tribulations in the hope of driving us away from God. If we
intend to succeed at being victorious believers and being all God
wants us to be, we must be prepared to stand strong in times of
persecution.
If we will stay standing on the inside, God will take care of the
outside. If we do what we can do, God will do what we cannot do.

Though written by men, all of Scripture is divinely inspired
(literally, God-breathed), and it is our authority and rule for
faith and life (see II Timothy 3:16). What can you do to become a
more serious student of God’s Word, the Bible, so that you can
be complete and equipped for every good work (see II Timothy
3:17)?

Have you ever waited for the “perfect time” to share your faith
with someone? The truth of the matter is that there may not
always be the “perfectly right” time to share, but it is important
to be ready to take advantage of every opportunity that God gives
to share your faith and to proclaim and teach His Word. Pray
that God will help you recognize every opportunity and give you
boldness to share!
life point
In II Timothy 4:5, Paul gives Timothy some helpful instructions
on how to handle his ministry. What he says is good advice for
all of us. If we are calm and steady, people know they can depend
on us. God can depend on us. No one has to wonder what we
might be like from one day to the next. When our unsaved
friends see the calm and steady faith we have, they will be open
to our testimony of the Gospel. Stability is a necessary trait in
every believer’s life, one that brings personal blessings and
peace, which attracts others.
the heart of a hero

Paul experienced a lot to take the Gospel to the early world. He
was persecuted, beaten and thrown in prison for preaching the
Good News. Many times he suffered because of opposition, as he
describes in II Timothy 4:14–16.
In this passage, Paul basically says, “Alexander the coppersmith
has done me great wrong, but I am not going to worry about it. I
am not going to get full of bitterness and hatred. I am going to
let God handle it. He will take care of it.”
How much better our lives would be if we took that attitude
toward so many things, if we would just cast our care on the Lord
and allow Him to handle them for us.
In verse 16, Paul tells how no one came to his defense in his
trial. I wonder how we would feel if we suffered everything that
Paul went through to bless so many others only to end up
without a single soul to stand up for us in our time of greatest
need. Paul risked his very life for others, yet they were not
willing to be associated with him for fear they might be
punished too.
What was Paul’s response to their abandonment? He prayed
that their failure would not be laid to their charge. That shows
us his heart.
We can go through the Bible and look at the great men and
women of God, and we can quickly see why they were called
heroes of the faith. It was not because they were smarter than
everybody else or because they had more going for them in the
natural than others. It was simply because they had great hearts.
Ask God to give you the heart of a hero too.
Titus
Author:
Paul
Date:
Probably between AD 63–65
Good Christian doctrine should
lead to good Christian living.
Be diligent and enthusiastic
about doing good works in order
to demonstrate your love for
Jesus.
Make sure your good works are
led and empowered by the Holy
Spirit.
Titus, like Timothy, was a young minister who followed Paul’s leadership
and received oversight of the church in Crete. This church seems
unorganized and full of people who needed much instruction and
correction. To help Titus, Paul wrote this letter, which addresses several
subjects he also wrote about in I Timothy. In Titus, Paul emphasizes the
proper structure of the church, solid doctrine and godly living, especially
in the form of good works.
In fact, Paul writes in Titus 2:14 that Jesus, “gave Himself on our behalf
that He might redeem us (purchase our freedom) from all iniquity and
purify for Himself a people [to be peculiarly His own, people who are]
eager and enthusiastic about [living a life that is good and filled with]
beneficial deeds.” We must remember that people know us as believers by
our fruit; we reveal our love for Jesus more through what we do than
through any other means.
As you read the book of Titus, I pray you will remember how important
it is to be in a good church and to submit to godly spiritual leadership. I
also hope you will remember to demonstrate your faith by good works
and by living a holy life. Remember that good works and holiness for the
sake of good works and holiness will result in legalism, but when these
endeavors are led and empowered by the Holy Spirit, they will bring life
to you and to others.
life point
In many of Paul’s epistles, he greets his readers with a message
of “grace and peace,” just as he does in Titus 1:4. We cannot
enjoy peace unless we understand and receive grace. Ask God to
help you receive grace so that you can be at peace.

Having godly church leaders is so important. Paul specifically
addresses the character and responsibilities of church leaders
called elders in Titus 1:5–16. Do you know who the various
leaders of your church are? Be sure to pray for them often, and
ask God to continue to build in them the character, spiritual
maturity, and abilities necessary to be wise and faithful church
leaders.
speak the Word

Lord, let my life be to others a pattern and a model of good
works.
walk the talk

Paul instructed Titus to teach good sound doctrine and to teach
people to live right so they might be identified as true
Christians (see Titus 2:1). One of the greatest needs of the
church today is credibility. The reputation of Christianity has
been terribly hurt by people who tell others what to do but do
not do it themselves. They are people who call themselves
Christians but do not conduct their lives as Christians should;
in other words, they do not “walk the talk.” Those of us chosen
by God to live at this point in history have an opportunity to
repair the damage done by others who have gone before us. We
must each choose an excellent lifestyle that displays the true
attributes of Jesus Christ.
The way you live your life is very important! When you put a
Christian bumper sticker on your car, wear jewelry with the
cross on it or shirts with scriptures and go to church, people
watch you—and they look for authenticity.
Wearing a bracelet with the letters “WWJD” became a fad at
one time. The initials stood for “What would Jesus do?”
Wearing a bracelet is nice, but what is inside a person should
match what he or she promotes on the outside. How would you
like it if you saw a grocery store sign and when you went inside
you found hardware? You would be aggravated because what was
advertised was not what was offered. I believe the world feels the
same way about people who advertise Christianity through
bumper stickers, jewelry, t-shirts, and church attendance but do
not live the life they should.
The Bible is filled with instructions on how to live. It teaches us
how to think, talk, and act, as well as who to associate with, and
how to manage our money. It also teaches us not to be lazy or
out of balance in any area. What good does it do to have a “Jesus
loves you” bumper sticker on our car and then break the speed
limit, refuse to wear a seat belt, and park in handicapped
parking spaces when we are not handicapped? I encourage you
to examine your life regularly and make sure that the way you
live accurately represents what you say you believe. Be
authentic!
speak the Word

Thank You, Lord, for sending Your grace to deliver me from
sin and to provide eternal salvation for everyone.

Most people are familiar with the term VIP – Very Important
Person. Do you know that Jesus gave Himself for you in order to
make you His own special person (see Titus 2:14)? He redeemed
you from evil and made you holy (see Titus 2:14). He has also
given you a desire to do good works. Ask God to show you each
day the good works that He has prepared for you to do and then
be eager to do them!
life point
Titus 3:1 encourages us to be submissive to our authorities. If
you are not in a position of leadership in your job or in your
church, you need to have a healthy attitude toward the people
who are. With God, the attitude of the heart is everything. We
can do what our bosses tell us to do while murmuring and
grumbling behind their backs, but if we do that, we are not the
kind of employees the Bible tells us to be. We may seem to get
away with this attitude for a while, but we will not be rewarded.
Our reward comes from obeying the specific calling God places
on our lives, not from trying to be like someone else or
managing to accomplish great things. God rewards those who
follow an obedient lifestyle, which includes submission to
authority. If we will just do what God asks us to do and be the
persons He made us to be, His rewards will chase us down and
flood our lives.
how to live the good life

In Titus 2:14, Paul writes that Jesus gave His life so that we
could be people who are “eager and enthusiastic about [living a
life that is good and filled with] beneficial deeds.”
We are not to spend our lives moping around, depressed,
discouraged, and despondent. We are not to spend so much time
thinking about all of our faults that we lose our hope and
enthusiasm about living a good life.
God is not honored by people who have bad attitudes toward
themselves; in fact, that is downright insulting to Him. If you
loved and valued a group of people so much that you were
willing to suffer horribly and die for them so they could enjoy
themselves and their lives, how would you feel if they refused
your gift? I pray you see what I am trying to say.
Paul said that he knew he was not perfect, but he pressed on to
lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus laid hold of him and
made him His own (see Philippians 3:12). He was speaking of
the quality of life Jesus wanted him to have. Paul knew that he
did not deserve it, but for Jesus’ sake he was determined to have
it. Likewise, we do not deserve “the good life,” but Jesus died to
give it to us, so we honor Him when we receive it with eagerness
and enthusiasm.
If you struggle with negative attitudes that hold you back from
the good things of God in your life, I urge you to make a change
today. Choose a new attitude toward yourself. Paul had to make
that choice, I had to make it, and you must make it also if you
want to glorify God with your life.

What country do you live in? As a Christian, you are a citizen of
God’s kingdom, and you are also a citizen of your earthly
country. You submit to God, and you should also be obedient to
civil laws and authorities (see Titus 3:1). As you respect those in
authority and obey the laws of the land, you have an opportunity
to demonstrate principles of the kingdom of God as you do so
peaceably, in humility, without speaking evil of anyone, and
ready to do every good work (see Titus 3:1, 2). You will bless
others and honor God as you do so.
prepare to prosper
God does not do anything without first being prepared, and
neither will He allow us to do His work without adequate
preparation.
In Titus 3:1, Paul writes, “Be prepared for and willing to do any
upright and honorable work.” And in II Timothy 2:15 he
instructs his young disciple: “Study and be eager and do your
utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a
workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing
and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully
teaching] the Word of Truth.”
Your preparation may mean going to Bible college or getting
some other kind of formal training, or it may mean spending a
few years working under someone else’s authority so you know
how to handle your life in the future. It could mean working at a
job that you do not particularly like for a boss of whom you are
not very fond. It could also mean spending some years in which
your basic needs are met, but you definitely are not living in
abundance because you are learning how to believe God for
prosperity and how to handle it when it comes.
Many people desire to prosper, but not all want to prepare to
prosper.
Preparation can take place in a lot of different settings and has
many different phases. Each phase we go through in our
preparation is important. There is something to be learned at
every step. It is all part of our preparation. We must “graduate,”
so to speak, from each phase or level into the next one, and this
comes after we prove ourselves on the current level. Between all
of these stages of preparation, there is a lot of waiting.
Unless we learn to wait well, we will be miserable. Miserable
people are usually grouchy, critical, and just generally hard to
get along with. Miserable people usually make other people
miserable.
Enjoy the trip! Being miserable will not make it any shorter, but
it can make it longer. Realize that you are in training and
becoming equipped for something great in the kingdom. Prepare
to prosper.
speak the Word

Thank You, Lord, for saving me not because of any work of
righteousness that I have done, but because of Your mercy,
which you poured out so richly through Jesus Christ my
Savior.

Do you know someone who argues incessantly? Not only can this
be frustrating, but the Word of God warns that there is no room
for division in the life of the church, and that a person who
brings division is sinful (see Titus 3:9–11). Pray and work for
unity in your church and in the entire body of Christ.
Philemon
Author:
Paul
Date:
AD 60–61
There may come a time when
you need to “go to bat” for
fellow believers. If so, be sure to
handle the matter in an orderly
fashion.
If you find yourself in a tense
situation involving other
believers, remember that
humility and genuine love
never fail.
As a believer in Jesus Christ, do
everything you can as the Holy
Spirit leads you to bring mutual
respect, unity, and
reconciliation among all of the
Christians in your life.
Philemon is a very short book with a very important message. From
prison, Paul wrote this letter to his friend, a prominent and wealthy
Christian man named Philemon. According to the customs of his time,
Philemon was a slave-owner. His slave, Onesimus, escaped, went to
Rome, became converted, and met Paul. When Paul realized what
happened, he decided to write Philemon and encourage reconciliation
and forgiveness between the two men.
Paul handled this matter very well, in an orderly fashion. Relationships
among Christians are not perfect, and there are times when a third party
needs to be involved. When this happens, interactions must take place in
order and with the right heart attitudes.
Paul opens his letter by addressing Philemon as “dearly beloved,” making
sure to show respect and affection for a fellow believer. He then affirms
Philemon’s work and ministry before confronting Philemon with the
need to take Onesimus back as his slave and receive him as a Christian
brother. Throughout this letter, there is a tone of friendship and unity in
Christ. Paul’s humility and genuine love for both Philemon and
Onesimus are evident and allow him to make a bold request for their
reconciliation.
Let Paul’s letter to Philemon serve as an example for handling
relationships in an orderly way, and let it encourage you to handle all of
your relationships properly, with a humble heart, and seek to bring love,
forgiveness, and

Do you thank God for the people He has placed in your life?
Paul did, and we read about his prayers for Philemon in
Philemon 4–6. Be sure to thank God often for the people He
blesses you with and let them know you are praying for them.
life point
In Philemon 8–21, Paul encourages Philemon to forgive
Onesimus. Forgiveness is extending love and mercy to someone
who has wronged or hurt you. It is not saying that what was done
was acceptable, or that it did not matter, but it is a choice to
release the person from the burden of guilt for what they have
done wrong and not allow that offense to affect your
relationship. Have you ever wronged someone and received
forgiveness from them? If so, you know that forgiveness clears
the way for reconciliation. If there is someone you need to
receive forgiveness from or extend forgiveness to, do not
procrastinate. Seek the restoration of your relationship through
forgiveness.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, for giving me grace, spiritual blessing,
favor, and heart peace.
Father, I pray that the sharing of my faith may produce full

understanding and appreciation of every good thing that
is mine in Christ Jesus.
life point
The communication of our faith is made effectual by
acknowledging every good thing that is in us in Christ Jesus (see
Philemon 6), not by acknowledging everything that is wrong
with us.
The devil wants us to acknowledge every bad thing we see in
ourselves. He is known as the “accuser of the brethren” (see
Revelation 12:10), and he continually tries to redirect our focus
from who we are in Christ back onto our shortcomings. He
bombards us with opportunities to think negative thoughts about
ourselves so we will return to the patterns of thinking most of us
learned growing up and fall again into the deception that our
worth is based on our performance, and that because of our
faults, we are worthless.
One reason it is so important to avoid speaking negatively about
ourselves is that we believe what we say more than what
anybody else says. But once we truly understand who we are in
Christ and see how much He did for us through shedding His
blood to make us worthy, we will realize we actually insult our
heavenly Father by excessively meditating on our faults, flaws,
and failures.
Rather than dwell on your inadequacies, focus on every good
thing that is yours through your identification with Jesus
Christ.
expect the best

Paul prayed and asked God to allow him to visit Philemon, and it
is interesting to me that he told Philemon to prepare a room in
expectation of his visit (see Philemon 22). How does an expectant
mother behave? She prepares ahead of time for the child she is
expecting but does not have yet. Are you living with expectation?
Are you expecting God to do wonderful things in your life? Are
you expecting favor everywhere you go? Are you expecting God
to enable you to be a blessing to people any time you see a need?
We should all ask ourselves, “What am I expecting?” We might
be surprised to find that we are receiving nothing because we
expect nothing.
We say that we pray in faith, but part of faith is hope and active
expectancy. Faith is not asking and doubting or asking and being
afraid; it is not asking and worrying. Faith asks and believes
that God is working, and it expects and looks forward to the
answer with joy. The conversation of faith is filled with
expectancy, which I like to define as, “a joy-filled looking
forward to receiving a desired result.” Real faith does not pray
for the salvation of a wayward child and then say to a friend over
lunch, “I’m so afraid my son is going to get in trouble and ruin
his life.” Faith says, “I’m expecting my son to change. I believe
God is working in his life and I’m looking forward to the day
when he and I can study God’s Word together.”
The phrase “wait on the Lord,” is amplified to include “expect,”
“look for,” and “hope in Him” (see Isaiah 40:31). When we read
with those additional meanings, we see a better picture of the
attitude that we need to have. Waiting on God is not a passive
state of doing absolutely nothing. We may do nothing physically,
but spiritually we are excited and enthusiastic; we expect and
look for God to show up in our circumstances at any moment
and we are full of hope, which is joyful and confident expectation.
Do an attitude check. Are you praying and waiting, but not

waiting properly? If so, make a change and start expecting
aggressively. Even confess aloud things you expect God to do.
Expectancy prepares the way for God’s miracle-working power!
God’s Word encourages us to be hospitable (see Philemon 22).
Extending hospitality is a great way to show appreciation for
traveling or visiting ministers or missionaries, or to people who
are lonely. In what ways can you show hospitality to visitors,
newcomers, or people who need a friend?
Hebrews
Author:
Unknown
Date:
Before AD 70
Jesus is superior to everything
in heaven and on earth.
In Jesus, we have the best
possible covenant and the best
possible Mediator of that
covenant. When we have Him,
we have everything we need.
The blessings of the new
covenant are made real in our
lives through faith.
Simply put, the book of Hebrews is about “better things.” Written to

believers under pressure to turn back to their former Jewish faith or to
mix Judaism with Christianity, this book emphasizes a new and better
covenant that we have with God though Jesus Christ, and Jesus Himself
as the Mediator of that New Covenant. Hebrews exalts Jesus’ supremacy
over all kinds of former things, such as prophets, angels, and God’s
spokesmen (Moses, Aaron, and Joshua). It clearly reveals the superiority
of the new covenant over old religious places and things, such as the
tabernacle, the sacrificial system, and the old covenant.
Hebrews contains a thorough description of Jesus as our Great High
Priest and mankind’s once-for-all perfect sacrifice for sin. It also
includes and addresses the extreme importance of faith in our lives, for
the new covenant is experienced through faith, and includes the “Hall of
Faith” in chapter 11 and such well-known verses as: “… let us run with
patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course
of the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1), and, “Jesus Christ (the
Messiah) is [always] the same, yesterday, today, [yes] and forever…”
(Hebrews 13:8).
As you read the book of Hebrews, I pray that God gives you continual
revelation about the New Covenant you have with Him through Jesus
Christ and that you are able to receive and enjoy everything that belongs
to you through that relation-
angels are everywhere

What a comfort to know that God provides angels to minister to
and help us (see Hebrews 1:14)! Angels are everywhere even
though we cannot see them. How can we increase the activity of
angels in our lives? The Bible says that the angels of God are
moved by the Word of God (see Psalm 103:20). This means they
are not moved by complaining, grumbling, fear, worry, anxiety,
or any other negative emotions that provoke negative comments.
If we want angels to work in our lives, we must be careful about
what we say.
Psalm 91 teaches us that God gives His angels charge over us to
defend and protect us in all of our ways (of obedience and
service). Angels will not help us if we disobey God or live selfish,
self-centered lives. But, when we speak God’s Word and walk in
His will, angels are on the scene, helping us more than we can
imagine.
I believe we have angels with us everywhere we go and that they
keep us from harm. A friend of mine sat in a folding chair in a
fishing boat on the lake. She was reading Psalm 91 and
thanking God for her angels when the boat suddenly hit a wave
and knocked over her chair. She hit her head on the side of the
boat, but she was not really harmed. She was rather distraught
by the fact she fell and hit her head, so she asked God, “Where
were my angels?” God spoke to her heart and said, “You are not
dead, are you?” In other words, she may have hit her head, but it
could have been much, much worse had her angels not been
there.
I wonder how many times our angels save our lives and we do
not even know it? How often do we complain about some minor
bump in life without realizing that our angels protected us from
a major crisis? Let us begin to be more thankful for all the
divine, supernatural help that God gives us, including the angels
He sends to assist and protect us.
speak the Word

Thank You, Jesus, that by Your death You have brought the
devil to nothing and made him of no effect.
Thank You, Jesus, for immediately hearing my cry and

running to my aid when I am tempted and tried.
settle down and be faithful

In Hebrews 3:1, 2, we read that during His earthly life, Jesus
was faithful to the One Who appointed Him. Yet Jesus went
through some silent years. After His marvelous birth and
prophetic baptism, we hear nothing about Him again until age
twelve, when He was found debating with the teachers in the
temple. All we are told about these silent years is that “… the
Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and
the grace (favor and spiritual blessing) of God was upon Him”
(Luke 2:40). After that, the Bible tells us nothing about what
transpired in Jesus’ life except that He “… increased in wisdom
(in broad and full understanding) and in stature and years, and
in favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52).
Jesus spent thirty years in preparation for a three-year ministry,
a time where He was faithful and obedient to His earthly
parents as well as to His heavenly Father. It was during those
silent years that He grew in strength, wisdom, and favor.
The “instant” society that we live in today is ruining people.
Because everything is so instant and so easy, we think
everything coming from God should be instant and easy. But
godly strength, wisdom, knowledge, spiritual maturity, and
character are developed in us as we go through tests and
continue to do what we know is right, even when it does not feel
right or does not feel good to us. If we want to grow up in God
and do what He has called us to do, we have to settle down and be
faithful.
the “ifs” and “buts” of biblical faith

I want to call your attention to the word “if” in Hebrews 3:6
because we often do not like to pay attention to the “ifs” and
“buts” in the Bible. In scriptures like this one, we see what God
will do, if we will do what we are supposed to do.
You and I have the awesome privilege of being members of the
Father’s house, if we remain firm in faith until the end. Going
to the altar and praying a sinner’s prayer is only the beginning
of our walk with Him; we must follow through and continue in
faith. We must believe in Him!
Confidence and faith are virtually synonymous; sometimes they
can be interchanged without losing the context of what is being
said at all. I can give a long fancy definition of faith, but let us
boil it down: faith is confidence in God. In simple terms, faith is
the act of knowing that if God says He will do something, He
will do it. Even if it does not look like He is doing it right now, it
will come to pass in His timing, if we remain confident in Him.
The only two things that can interrupt faith are: 1) the
manifestation of what is believed; or 2) the manifestation of
doubt and unbelief. Once we receive the manifestation of what
we have believed for, we no longer need faith, so it ceases in that
case. In the same way, the manifestation of doubt and unbelief—
that is, receiving the lies of Satan and believing them—
interrupts faith, so it ceases to exist.
Our faith must continue even when it seems that everything and
everyone is against us. In Christ, we can remain standing firm
on the inside because we know that our real life is within us, not
in the people or circumstances outside of us.
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When we hear from God, we can choose to respond with
humility and trust or harden our hearts and ignore Him.
Regrettably, when people do not get what they want or when
they go through trials and tests, many of them choose to harden
their hearts.
This is exactly what happened to the Israelites when they made
the trip through the wilderness (see Hebrews 3:7, 8). God led
them into the wilderness so He could prove to them that He
would do good for them and that they could trust Him (see
Deuteronomy 8:2, 3). He had great things planned for them, but
He tested them first to see if they were really going to believe
Him. That is why He tells us not to harden our hearts as they
did. He has great things planned for you too, so keep your heart
soft and tender before Him.
speak the Word

Help me, Lord, never to harden my heart to Your voice, but
to keep it soft and responsive when You speak.

Hebrews 4:3 teaches that those who did not listen to God’s Word
or obey His instructions did not enter into the place of rest He
offered them. So when you feel frustrated or upset, or if you lose
your peace and your joy, ask yourself, “Am I believing God’s
Word?”
The only way we will ever be free from struggling is to believe
the Word and obey whatever Jesus puts in our hearts to do.
Believing God’s Word delivers us from struggling so that we can
rest in the promises of God.
Are you in need of God’s rest? Adhere to Him, trust in Him and
rely on Him and experience the rest He has prepared for you.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, that Your Word is alive and full of power.
It is sharper than any two-edged sword; it divides soul and
spirit; and it judges the thoughts and purposes of the
heart.
the rest of God

Hebrews 4:3 teaches that those who believe God enter into His
rest. Experiencing His rest is one way you can tell whether you
are really in faith, or whether you are just trying to have faith.
When you truly enter into the realm of faith, you enter into the
rest of God.
Rest is freedom from excessive reasoning, struggle, fear, inner
turmoil, worry, and frustration, which develop because of our
working to do what only God can do. Being in God’s rest is not
necessarily resting from physical activity, but resting in
confidence in the midst of everything that goes on in life. It is a
rest of the soul where the mind, will, and emotions are at peace.
You can rest in God because you know He will take care of you
and meet your needs. You do not know when or how, and you
really do not care because you are enjoying the life you have
right now while God works on your problem.
God wants us to live at peace and in His rest. But in order for us
to do that, we need to “believe that God exists and that He is the
rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out]”
(Hebrews 11:6).
If you are worn out, I urge you to enter into God’s rest. I
encourage you to quit trying to control everyone and everything
around you and simply allow God to do for you what only He can
do.
No matter what you face, God wants to help you and give you
rest.
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Jesus understands our human frailty because He was tempted in
every way that we are, yet without sinning (see Hebrews 4:15).
How freeing it is to have our High Priest—Who is both sinless
and understanding—intercede for us.
Jesus understands
Hebrews 4:15 states that Jesus experienced every emotion and
suffered every feeling you and I do, but He did it without sin.
Why did He not sin? Because He did not give in to His wrong
feelings. He knew the Scripture in every area of life because He
spent years studying it before He began His ministry.
You and I will never be able to say no to our feelings if we do not
have within us a strong knowledge of God’s Word. Jesus had the
same feelings we do, but He never sinned by giving in to them.
When I am hurt by someone and I feel angry or upset, it is such
a comfort to me to lift my face and hands and voice to the Lord
and say, “Jesus, I am so glad that You understand what I am
feeling right now and that You do not condemn me for feeling
this way. I do not want to give vent to my emotions. Help me,
Lord, to get over them. Help me to forgive those who have
wronged me and not slight them, avoid them, or seek to pay
them back for the harm done me.”
Why not bow your head and thank the Lord for understanding
you too? Pray with me: “Thank You, God, for understanding me
and not condemning me. Thank You for not giving up on me. I
ask for Your help, that I may become more understanding like
You are.”
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When you and I pray, we need to make sure we approach God as
believers, not as beggars. Remember, according to Hebrews 4:16,
we are to come boldly to God’s throne: not beggarly, but boldly;
not belligerently, but boldly.
Be sure to keep the balance. Stay respectful, but be bold.
Approach God with confidence and recognize your need for
grace. Believe that He delights in your prayers and is ready to
answer any request that is in accordance with His will.
use your pain for gain

Have you ever needed a job, but every employment ad you read
asked for someone with experience? You wanted a job but did
not have any experience, and it frustrated you. I have been in
that situation, and I remember thinking, “How can I get
experience if nobody will give me a job?”
God also wants experienced help. When we go to work for God
in His kingdom, He will use everything in our past. No matter
how painful it was, He considers it experience. Many of us have
gone through difficult things, and those things qualify us to help
take someone else through them too. Hebrews 5:8, 9 tells us that
even Jesus gained experience through the things He suffered.
How could I write to you right now if I had not gone through
some difficult things and gained some valuable experience? How
could I teach others how to forgive those who have hurt them if I
had not first had the experience of forgiving those who hurt me?
I encourage you to look at your pain from a different viewpoint.
A right perspective makes all the difference in your life. Take a
look at how you can use your pain for someone else’s gain. Can
your mess become your ministry? Maybe you have gone through
so much that you feel you have enough experience to be a
specialist in some area. I am a specialist in overcoming shame,
guilt, poor self-image, lack of confidence, fear, anger, bitterness,
self-pity, etc. Let me encourage you to be positive about your past
and your pain, and realize that it can all be used for good in
God’s kingdom.
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Hebrews 5:11 warns us that we will miss learning rich life
principles if we do not have a listening attitude. We should not
limit our hearing just to those times when we desperately need
help. (Of course, we are always ready to hear from Him if we are
in trouble!) God wants to speak to us on a regular basis and we
need to hear Him all the time. Do not allow your hearing to
become muted; rather keep your spiritual ears open to hear His
voice.

Hebrews 5:12–14 teaches us about growing up spiritually. Do
adults drink milk from baby bottles or eat only baby food? Of
course not! Likewise, let me encourage you as a Christian to be
diligent in studying the Bible so you will understand it and be
able to apply it to your everyday life. In this way you will grow in
faith and move from spiritual “milk” to spiritual “meat.” How
can you apply a particular truth from God’s Word to your life
today?
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I encourage you to take the message of Hebrews 6:11 seriously
by following through on the things you start.
It is so easy to begin something, but it takes great courage to
finish! At the beginning of a new thing, we get all excited and
usually have a lot of support to do it. But when our emotions
wear off and all that is left is hard work and the need for
extreme patience, we find out what it takes to truly succeed. Be
a person who does succeed and finishes well!
speak the Word

Thank You, Jesus, that You are able to save to the uttermost
and that You are always living to make petition to God
and to intercede with Him for me.
speak the Word

Thank You, Lord, for being merciful and gracious toward
my sin when I repent and for forever forgetting my
unrighteous deeds.
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Notice that Jesus offered His blood by the Spirit (see Hebrews
9:14). The Spirit and the blood work together. The promised Holy
Spirit could not be poured out on the Day of Pentecost until after
the blood was poured out on the cross of Calvary. The blood and
the Spirit still work together today. Honor the blood, and you
will see the Spirit poured out in your life.
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Believing we are made right with God through our faith in Jesus
Christ is a fresh, new, and living way (see Hebrews 10:20), one
that gives us freedom, boldness, and confidence. Trying to follow
the Law (trying to do everything right) in order to earn God’s
acceptance ministers death (every kind of misery) to us; but
Jesus offers us His grace, which produces life.
speak the Word

Thank You, Jesus, for shedding Your blood so that I could
have full freedom and confidence to enter into God’s
presence.

Have you ever wondered if you were truly welcome in God’s
presence? Take heart, because through His blood, Jesus made a
new and living way for you to draw near to God with confidence
(see Hebrews 10:20). Thank God for the joy of being in His
presence!

Sunday morning church services are a great opportunity for
Christians to gather together. However, Hebrews 10:24, 25
encourages us to gather together often so we can encourage one
another in love and in doing good deeds. How can you find ways
to spend quality time with other Christians? Be intentional
about including time in your schedule for gathering together
with other believers. You will be encouraged!
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Hebrews 10:35, 36 speaks of our need for patience. Who do we
need to be patient with? We need to be patient with ourselves
because sometimes we are slow in learning; we need to be
patient with God because He does not always move in our
timing; and we need to be patient with other people. Ask God to
help you. He will.
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Notice in Hebrews 11:6 that without faith you cannot please
God; therefore, no matter how many “good works” you offer,
God will not be pleased if they were done to earn His favor.
Whatever we do for God should be because we love Him, not
because we try to get something from Him.
Hebrews 11:6 says that God is a rewarder of those who diligently
seek Him. I rejoiced when I finally realized this! I know I have
made many mistakes in the past, but I also know I have
diligently sought the Lord with all my heart. That means that I
qualify for rewards. I decided a long time ago that even though I
did not deserve them, I would receive any blessings that God
wanted to give me. I hope you will do the same.

Have you ever wondered what faith in action really looks like?
Study the lives of the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11:1–40, and
you can see many different ways that faith was lived out in
everyday life. Remember that faith is the certain assurance of
the things we hope for and the conviction of the reality of things
we cannot see.

When a runner runs in a race, his focus is not on the people in
the stands or on the runners around him, but on the finish line!
As a believer, your life is like a race, and as you run, it is
important to keep your eyes fixed on Jesus (see Hebrews 12:1,
2). Give Him your undivided attention. Is anything distracting
you from God or keeping you from making progress as you grow
in faith? What do you need to do in order to focus more fully on
Jesus as you run the race of your life?
throw off excess baggage

Hebrews 12:1 tells us that if we are going to run our race, we
must lay aside every weight and run the race with patience. I
have heard this point summarized this way: Running our race
with no hindrances means stripping for the contest.
In the days when this verse was written, the writer was drawing
a parallel that was much better understood than it is today. In
those days, runners conditioned their bodies for a race just as
athletes do today. But at the time of the race, they stripped off
their clothing, wearing only a loincloth, so that when they ran
there was nothing to hinder them. They also oiled their bodies
with fine oils.
In the same way, we need to be well-oiled or anointed with the
Holy Spirit if we want to win our race. We also need to remove
anything from our lives that hinders us as we run the race set
before us.
There are many different hindrances to running a race well and
developing our full potential. Too many commitments is one that
keeps us from developing our potential. Letting other people
control us keeps us from developing our potential. Not knowing
how to say no keeps us from developing our potential. Getting
overly involved in someone else’s goals and vision or becoming
entangled in someone else’s problems instead of keeping our
eyes on our own goals will also keep us from fulfilling our
potential.
I find that the devil comes up with a thousand ways every week
to entangle me and get me into something that will prevent me
from doing what I am supposed to be doing. They all seem like
emergencies, and it seems I must be the one to handle them all.
If we want do what God called us to do, we must stay focused
because the world we live in is filled with distractions and
entanglements. Let me encourage you to keep your focus on the
Lord and be diligent to lay aside everything that might distract
you or hold you back.
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I want to encourage you to keep your eyes off of yourself and the
things that distract you. Instead, focus firmly on Jesus and His
power (see Hebrews 12:2). He already knows your troubles. He is
ready, willing, and able to bring about the changes that need to
be made in you and in your life. He will bring you to maturity
and perfection, if you will just ask Him and trust Him to do so.
You can count on God; He is the Source of your faith and its
Finisher.
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Hebrews 12:6 tells us that God disciplines us because He loves
us. This truth about God’s correction and discipline of those He
loves is verified by Jesus Himself in Revelation 3:19 when He
says, “Those whom I [dearly and tenderly] love, I tell their faults
and convict and convince and reprove and chasten [I discipline
and instruct them]. So be enthusiastic and in earnest burning
with zeal and repent [changing your mind and attitude].”
Change often requires correction, but people who do not know
they are loved have a very difficult time receiving correction.
Correction does you no good at all if you cannot receive it. I
encourage you to receive the Lord’s correction in your life as a
sign of His love for you.
speak the Word

Thank You, Lord, for loving me enough to correct and
discipline me. Help me receive Your correction as a
reminder of Your love, Your acceptance, and the fact that
You deal with me as Your beloved child.
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We must refuse to let bitterness take root in our hearts (see
Hebrews 12:15) or allow ourselves to be offended or remain
angry. This means we cannot follow our feelings; we must press
past feelings and do what God asks us to do.
If you struggle in this area, I encourage you to pursue God’s
grace—His unmerited favor and spiritual blessing. Let His grace
disintegrate the deep roots of bitterness that entangle you.
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Have you faced times when you wondered if God would really
come through and meet your needs? Hebrews 13:5 is an
encouraging scripture that will greatly help you in this
circumstance. In it, the Lord lets us know that we do not need to
have our minds set on money or worry how we will take care of
ourselves, because He will take care of these things for us. He
promises never to fail us or forsake us.
It is important for us to do our part, but we must not try to do
God’s part. The load is too heavy to bear by ourselves, and if we
are not careful, we will break under the weight of it.
Do not worry. Take this promise to heart: “Trust (lean on, rely
on, and be confident) in the Lord and do good; so shall you dwell
in the land and feed surely on His faithfulness, and truly you
shall be fed” (Psalm 37:3). Now that is a great promise!
speak the Word

Father, I pray that love for my fellow believers will always
continue in my heart and will be a fixed practice that will
never fail in my life.
speak the Word

Thank You, Jesus, for being the same yesterday, today, and
forever!
speak the Word

Father, I pray that You will strengthen, complete, and
perfect me; that You will make me what I should be; that
You will equip me with everything good to carry out Your
will while You work in me and accomplish what is
pleasing in Your sight.
James
Author:
James
Date:
Approximately AD 48
Genuine faith produces good
deeds. Good works are the fruit
of true faith.
Watch your mouth, and
remember that words are
powerful.
Earnest, heartfelt prayers are
effective.
The book of James emphasizes the fact that true faith in God must be
accompanied by good works. Let me be quick to point out that good
works do not prove a person’s belief in God or relationship with Him, but
having faith always leads to good works. Faith has to come first because
when good works are done in faith, God always gets the glory.
In addition to his focus on unwavering faith and good works, James also
provides tremendous practical advice for our everyday lives, including
extensive teaching on the joy that is found in suffering and the power of
the tongue. He writes about wisdom, about resisting temptation, and
about prayer. He penned the familiar words: “Consider it wholly joyful,
my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any
sort or fall into various temptations” (James 1:2) and, “… the earnest
(heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous
power available [dynamic in its working]” (James 5:16).
As you read the book of James, I hope it will not only stir your faith, but
also inspire you to perform good works that glorify God and are
motivated by your love for Him. Let it also serve as a reminder of the
power of your words and of the necessity of wisdom, and as a call to
earnest, heartfelt prayer that makes tremendous power available in your
life.
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James 1:2, 3 teaches us that we should rejoice in difficult
situations, knowing that through them God tests our faith to
bring out patience. I find that trials do eventually produce
patience, but first they bring all kinds of junk to the surface
such as pride, anger, rebellion, self-pity, and complaining. We
need to face and deal with these ungodly traits before patience
can come forth.
The Bible talks about purification, sanctification, sacrifice, and
suffering. These are not popular words; nevertheless, if we are to
be Christlike in character, we must sometimes go through
difficult circumstances to learn His ways. I struggled with this
process for a long time, but I finally realized that God was not
going to do things my way. He placed people and situations in
my life that caused me to want to quit this whole process, and He
did not want an argument from me. He only wanted to hear,
“Yes, Lord. Your will be done.”
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There are two ways to handle problems—the natural way and the
spiritual way. James 1:5, 6 tells how to solve your problems the
spiritual way. It says if you have trouble, simply ask God what
you should do. You may not receive an answer immediately, but
you will find that divine wisdom (wisdom beyond your natural
understanding) will begin to operate through you, helping you
know what to do.

James 1:12–15 teaches us about dealing with temptation. When
was the last time you were tempted? Are you struggling with
temptation right now? It is important to remember that
temptation—the desire to have or to do something that you know
you should avoid—never comes from God. Temptation comes
from ungodly desires within us, and such desires, left
unchecked, lead to sinful actions. When you are tempted,
recognize that God is not testing you; rather, He wants to give
you strength to overcome the temptation you are facing. Ask
Him to do so.
speak the Word

Father, I thank You that every good and perfect gift in my
life comes down from You, and that there is never any
variation with You.
Help me, Lord, be a ready listener, but slow to speak, slow

to take offense, and slow to get angry.
how to walk in the power of God

We see from James 1:21 that the Word has the power to save us
from a life of sin, but only as it is received and welcomed in our
hearts. When we pay wholehearted attention to God’s Word, it
becomes implanted and rooted in us.
If you and I are to walk in the power of God, we need to heed the
advice of verse 22 to become doers of the Word and not hearers
only. Otherwise we deceive ourselves by reasoning that is
contrary to the truth.
It is the truth, and the truth alone, that sets us free and keeps us
free. In order for it to work in our lives, and in order for us to
receive God’s promises from the Word, we must be responsible
and obedient to the Word. We cannot try to excuse away our sins
and weaknesses. Instead, we must become bondservants to God
and not to our human nature or to other people or things.
The bottom line is this: God is your Helper. He is your Healer.
He has a personalized plan for your life. Make sure you know
what it is; then begin to walk in obedience to the truth one step
at a time. Obeying the Word requires consistency and diligence.
It cannot be “hit and miss.” You cannot just try it to see if it
works, but you must have a dedication and commitment to obey
the Word whatever the outcome.
I encourage you today to keep your mind tuned in to God’s Word
more than anything else. Let His Word become planted deep
into your heart and listen to what it tells you. Obey Him. Then
you will be a doer of the Word, not just a hearer of it—and you
will walk in the power of God.
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It can be difficult to grasp the idea of the “law of liberty”
because law and liberty seem to be opposites: A law says one
thing, while liberty says another. I believe the law of liberty
spoken of in James 1:25 refers to the freedom of self-control,
because God puts a new heart in you that wants to obey His law
of love.
With this new heart that Jesus gave you, you have the ability to
be led of the Spirit, Who gives you the power and freedom to
love others. Enjoy your day by allowing the Lord to love others
through you.
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Our words are verbal expressions of our souls. Until our mouths
are brought under control and submitted to the Lord, He cannot
redeem and restore our souls—our minds, wills, and emotions.
speak the Word

Help me remember, Lord, that faith without obedient
actions to back it up is destitute of power, inoperative, and
dead.
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James 3:5–10 teaches us about the power of the tongue. There is
power in the tongue indeed, for good or evil. We can bless
ourselves or curse ourselves by the way we speak. When we
bless, we speak well of; when we curse, we speak evil of. By the
words of our mouths, you and I can bless our own lives and bring
joy to them, or we can curse them and bring misery upon
ourselves.
I encourage you to ask God to help you control your tongue.
Learn to speak blessing, not cursing. Watch the joy that comes
to your life as a result!
speak the Word

Thank You, Lord, that the wisdom You give is first pure and
undefiled, then peace-loving and courteous. It is willing to
yield to reason, full of compassion and good fruits,
impartial, free from doubt, unwavering, and sincere.
the power of the tongue

The Bible says a great deal about the tongue and the words of
our mouths. The tongue holds the power of life and death (see
Proverbs 18:21). The apostle James said that if any man can
control his tongue he is “a fully developed character” and can
also control his entire being (see James 3:2). The tongue is a
little member of the body, but it causes tremendous problems.
Relationships often end because of things that are said or not
said. People lose jobs, cause strife and misunderstanding, and
embarrass themselves all with that one tiny organ—the tongue.
No man can tame the tongue, so we need God’s help. King David
prayed that God would put a watch or a guard over his mouth
(see Psalm 141:3). He also prayed that the words of his mouth
and the meditation of his heart would be acceptable in God’s
sight (see Psalm 19:14). David knew he could not control his
mouth without God’s help, and neither can we.
We should avoid all harsh, hard, unjust words (see Isaiah 58:9).
Jesus said we must take His yoke upon us and learn of Him
because He is gentle, meek, and humble, not harsh, hard, sharp,
and pressing (see Matthew 11:29, 30). A gentle tongue (with its
healing power) is a tree of life, but willful contrariness in it
breaks down the spirit (see Proverbs 15:4). Even the tone of our
voice is important because it reveals the condition of our hearts.
We can speak words of healing or words that wound; we can
edify and build up or discourage and tear down. Words are
containers for power and they carry either positive or negative
power. The decision is up to us! Words are seeds that we sow and
they definitely bring a harvest in our lives. Those who indulge
the tongue must eat the fruit of their words, whether they are
for life or death (Proverbs 18:21).
One of the things we should strive to do is think before we
speak. The Bible says that we are not to be rash with our
mouths, but how many times do we say things and then think,
“Oh, I wish I had not said that”? But then it is too late because
the words are already doing their work. I recommend a thorough
study of all these subjects and a sincere prayer asking for God’s
help to tame the tongue.
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All human beings have evil tendencies, but James 4:6 teaches us
that God will give us more and more grace to deal with these
tendencies.
I spent much of my Christian life trying to overcome my own
wrong motives and intentions. All my trying brought much
frustration. I had to come to a place of humility. I needed to
learn that God gives grace to the humble, not the proud (see I
Peter 5:5).
We have our own ideas about what we can accomplish, but often
we think more highly of ourselves than we ought. We need
humble attitudes, knowing that apart from God, we can do
nothing.
If you are planning your own way, trying to make things happen
in the strength of your own flesh, then no doubt you are
frustrated. You probably have said, “No matter what I do,
nothing seems to work!” Nothing will ever work until you learn
to trust in God’s grace.
Relax. Let God be God. Stop being so hard on yourself. Change
is a process; it comes little by little. You are on your way to
perfection, so enjoy the trip.
just ask!
I believe James is saying to us in James 4:1, 2, “You stay upset
all the time because you try to get all the things you want
through your own efforts. You are never going to get them that
way. You are just going to end up being jealous, hating people,
and having bad relationships because you want what they have.”
Then James summarizes the whole situation in one sentence:
“You do not have, because you do not ask” (James 4:2).
Essentially, he points to how we try to get things ourselves
instead of asking God for them.
You may think, “But I have asked God for things; He just has not
given them to me.”
If you ask God for something and He does not give it to you, the
reason is not that He is holding out on you. It may be that it is
not His will or that now is not His time. It may be that there is
something better He wants to give you, but you are not yet
spiritually mature enough to have it. Whatever the reason, it is
never because He does not want you to be blessed.
You are God’s child, and He loves you. He is a good God Who
only does good things, and He wants to do for you so much more
than you could possibly imagine (see Ephesians 3:20). But He
loves you too much to give you something that is going to hurt
you. He loves you too much to give you things that will
ultimately make you more carnal or more fleshly or that may
even drag you into sin because you are not yet ready to handle
them.
Does a loving parent give his children the keys to the car before
they are old enough to drive? Of course not, because the parent
knows they may get hurt in a wreck through their inexperience.
God is the same way with His children. Because He loves us, He
will not give us something before we have the spiritual maturity
to handle it.
Many people use manipulation and worldly ways to get things
they have no business having—and those very things end up
ruining them.
I have discovered that the secret of being content is to ask God
for what I want and to rest in the knowledge that if it is right, He
will bring it to pass at the right time. If it is not right, He will do
something much better than what I asked for.
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We must remember that the devil is not going to just sit back
and allow us to take new ground without putting up a fight. Any
time we make progress in building the kingdom of God, our
enemy is going to come against us. But James 4:7 says that he
will flee if we submit to God and resist the enemy.
Many times we make the mistake of trying to use faith to get to
the place where we have total freedom from trouble. What we do
not realize is that the purpose of faith is not always to keep us
from having trouble; it is often to carry us through trouble. If we
never had trouble, we would never need faith.
Although we are tempted to run away from our problems, the
Lord says that we are to go through them. The good news is that
He promises we will never have to go through them alone. He
will always be there to help us in every way. He tells us, “Fear
not, for I am with you.”
In our daily experience, we must learn to stand our ground and
run the devil off our property and drive him out of different
areas of our lives. Learning to be stable in hard times is one of
the best ways to do this. Remember, the devil will oppose you,
but you have the power to resist him—and he will flee!

Do you like to plan excessively? Some people seem to have their
lives all figured out. They map out a plan for their career, their
family, their retirement years, and their financial portfolios.
While it is wise to prepare and plan, the Word of God reminds
us that we actually do not know what tomorrow will bring (see
James 4:13–15). However, we can depend completely on God, and
trust Him fully with our lives. Ask God to continue to reveal His
will for your life to you—and be willing to adjust your plans
accordingly.

Did you know that you can sin by not doing something? You can,
according to James 4:17. Committing evil deeds is certainly
sinful, but so is failing to do what you know God wants you to do.
Spend time praying and reading your Bible so you can grow in
your understanding of sinful practices to avoid and learn to
actively engage in what is pleasing to God.
worry-free decisions
After making a decision, stand firm. Let your “yes” be a simple
yes and your “no” be a simple no.
I believe indecision and double-mindedness not only bring
confusion and complication, but, as James 5:12 noted, they also
cause condemnation. If we believe in our hearts that we should
do something and then allow our heads to talk us out of it, we
leave an open door for condemnation. We often labor over
decisions when actually we just need to pray and then follow our
hearts.
Start making decisions without worrying about them. Do not live
in fear of being wrong. If your heart is right and you make a
decision that is not in accordance with God’s will, He will
forgive you and get you back on course.
Once you do make a decision, do not let self-doubt torment you.
Being double-minded and never deciding anything is
complicated. Doubting your decisions after they are made will
steal the enjoyment from everything you do.
My husband does not mind shopping with me at all, which is a
blessing because most men do not enjoy shopping. He gives me a
reasonable amount of time to make my choices, but if I go back
and forth too many times, he wants to leave. He says, “Do
something. I do not mind being here if we make progress, but
just wandering around and never making any choices is a waste
of time.”
This does not mean it is wrong to take a certain amount of time
to look things over and search for a good bargain, but if looking
and searching go too far, decision-making becomes complicated.
Keep it simple. Buy something and move on to the next thing.
Similarly, make decisions in life as simple as you can, whether
your decisions are small ones like I just described, or big
decisions that affect your future. Be prayerful and seek to obey
God; then make a decision and go on without looking back.
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Patience is not just the ability to wait; it is the ability to keep a
good attitude while waiting.
James 5:7 does not say to be patient if you wait; it says to be
patient “as you wait.” Waiting is part of life. Many people do not
“wait well,” and yet, we actually spend more time in our lives
waiting than we do receiving. Ask God to help you wait well!
tell the right person

James 5:16 teaches us that confessing our faults to one another
aids us in the process of healing and restoration. Many times we
receive a release from what is troubling us when we finally tell
someone else those things that have been hidden in our lives—
sometimes for years. Anything we feel we have to hide has
power over us, but when things are exposed, the truth will make
us free.
I caution you to use wisdom as you choose a person to confide in.
Be Spirit-led. Choose someone you know you can trust—
someone who is understanding and will not judge you. Do not
share things with people to help yourself if those things will
hurt them. For example, if your grandfather abused you forty
years ago, and now your grandmother is eighty-five years old, I
advise you not to tell her what happened so many years ago. That
would not be wise. It might help you to release it, but it would
burden her. Instead, find a trusted spiritual leader, minister or
counselor.
Using wisdom and balance is so important in these matters. If
you are going to share your problems with someone, let God
show you who to choose as a confidant. Find a mature believer,
someone who will not be burdened or harmed by what you share
or use it to hurt you or make you feel worse about yourself.
We do not always need to confess every fault to someone else,
but there are times when it is very helpful. I strongly encourage
you to follow the biblical instruction to confess your faults to
others when you need to in order for you to be healed and
restored—just use wisdom as you do.
First Peter
Author:
Peter
Date:
Early AD Sixties
Remember that you always have
hope in Jesus.
Live a godly life in the midst of
an ungodly world.
Be patient and stay faithful in
the midst of suffering.
First Peter is such an encouragement to those of us who believe because
it reminds us that we always have hope in Jesus. This letter is full of
practical advice for everyday living, especially in the midst of hard
times, and urges us to keep the glory of our inheritance in view while we
are living here on earth.
First Peter teaches us that there is such a thing as godly suffering. Some
suffering is done in Christ and some is done for Him. When a believer
suffers in order to do God’s will, that is cause for rejoicing (see I Peter
4:13). Saying no to self and suffering in the flesh leads to the death of
selfishness, and that kind of hardship yields tremendous freedom and
strength.
First Peter also calls us to develop lifestyles that are holy and pleasing to
the Lord. It addresses not only our behavior, but also our intentions, and
causes us to examine our hearts so we can operate from pure motives.
The words of this book also give us nuggets of truth to fight the spiritual
war and overcome the enemy. It exhorts us to remember that everything
about our lives is a witness that tells others something about God, that we
are to live humble before God and that above all, we are to love one
another intensely (see I Peter 4:8).
I hope this book encourages you when you go through trials and difficult
times in your life and that it inspires you to develop and main-
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When we become born again by accepting Jesus as our Savior,
we have an “ever-living hope” in our hearts, according to I Peter
1:3.
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God never tells us to be holy, as I Peter 1:15, 16 instructs,
without giving us the help we need to make us that way. An
unholy spirit can never make us holy, so God sends His Holy
Spirit into our hearts to do a complete and thorough work in us.
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The Holy Spirit, according to I Peter 1:22, is the One Who
purifies our hearts so we can allow the sincere love of God to
flow through us to others. The Holy Spirit’s aim is to get us to
the place where the sincere love of God flows through us, which
helps us to “ever be filled with the Holy Spirit” (see Ephesians
5:18).
Walking in the love of God is the ultimate goal of Christianity,
and should be the primary pursuit of our lives. We should keep
our love for Jesus red-hot! We should also have a fervent love for
one another (see I Peter 4:8). Jesus Himself instructed us to love
one another as He loves us (see John 15:12). He said that was
the new commandment He came to pronounce and that all other
commandments are summed up in the exhortation to love God
and to love other people (see John 13:34; Matthew 22:37–40).
When I think of what I can do for myself or how I can get others
to bless me, I am filled with me. When I think of other people
and how I can bless them, I find myself filled with the Holy
Spirit, Who is the Spirit of love.
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Like “living stones” (I Peter 2:5) we are to live dedicated,
consecrated lives that include spiritual sacrifices, but only the
kind that are pleasing and acceptable to God. The only ones that
are pleasing and acceptable to God are those done with the right
motives, such as a desire to express our love for Him or a desire
to honor Him and thank Him for what He has done for us.
speak the Word

Lord, I thank You for choosing me and making me one of
Your own special people and for calling me out of
darkness into Your marvelous light.
it’s all in your attitude

Suffering is one of the most difficult things to understand in life
and in Christianity. We know that God is good and we know that
He sees everything and is all powerful, but why does He allow us
to suffer, especially unjustly? This question has been asked by
millions throughout the ages: “Why, God? Why?”
God does not delight in our suffering, but He is honored and
pleased when we endure it with a good attitude (see I Peter 2:19,
20). Trust requires unanswered questions. If we knew all the
answers, faith would not even be necessary.
Some people become angry at God when tragedy or extreme
difficulty comes their way. This is the worst thing anyone can do
because He is the only One Who can help us. One man I know
endured the tragic experience of watching his only son die of
cancer. Afterward, he bitterly asked God, “Where were you
when my son died?” God replied, “The same place I was when
Mine died.”
God gave His only Son and allowed Him to go through
unspeakable suffering that He did not deserve, and He did it for
us. There are times when we go through things that God intends
to use for our good and the good of others later in our lives.
During my childhood, I was abused for many years. I prayed and
prayed, but no deliverance came. I did receive strength to endure
and a determination to overcome and to someday do something
great with my life. Many character traits developed in me during
those years that have greatly helped me in the ministry I have
today. One of them is that I truly can relate to people who have
been hurt by others. I can teach from experience how important
it is to forgive our enemies and help people know how to do it.
Suffering can make us bitter or better; the decision is ours!
The true test of faith is how we behave during trials and
tribulations, especially ones we feel are totally unfair. Peter said
that fiery ordeals will come to test the quality of our faith and
that we are not to be amazed and bewildered (see I Peter 4:12,
13). Instead of being concerned about why you suffer, just make a
decision to get through it with a good attitude and you will see
God work everything together for good (see Romans 8:28).
the hidden person of the heart

First Peter 3:4 talks about “the hidden person of the heart,”
which means who a person really is underneath his or her
appearance. When we interact with others, we should endeavor
to know who they really are, in their hearts, and not make hasty
judgments against them or judge them according to their
appearance. When we do not endeavor to know the “hidden man
of the heart,” we make a mistake in one of two ways: 1) we
approve of someone because they appear to be something they
are not; or 2) we disapprove of someone because of some outward
appearance or action, when that individual is actually a
wonderful person on the inside.
I have found that we all have our little quirks and our little odd
actions, behaviors, and ways that other people do not easily
understand. God Himself does not judge by appearance, and we
need to follow His example (see I Samuel 16:7).
David would have never been chosen by man to be king unless
God looked on the heart. Even his own family disregarded him.
They did not even include him in the selection process (see I
Samuel 19:1–13)! But the Lord saw David’s heart, the heart of a
shepherd. God saw a worshiper, someone with a heart for Him—
someone who was pliable and moldable in His hand. These are
the qualities He looks for in us.
I often think of the geodes—crude, ugly-looking rocks that
appear hideous on the outside, but are absolutely gorgeous on
the inside. Some are actually gemstones inside, but their rough,
crusty exteriors are terribly unattractive.
Like the geodes, we are often rough, crusty, and crude on the
outside, but God knows that He has placed such beauty within
us. Just as the gold miner knows he must be patient when
digging for gold, God knows He must be patient with us as the
Holy Spirit continues working with us, digging in our lives, and
eventually bringing out the treasures that are within us.
What we sow into the lives of other people, we will surely reap
in our own. If we sow harsh, hasty judgment, we will in turn
reap harsh, hasty judgment. So, when the temptation to judge or
criticize is at the door, resist it. Instead, do your best to look for
the best in others and see what God values about each one—the
hidden man of the heart.
I also remind you to examine your own heart and be sure you
have right motives and heart attitudes. Our secret thoughts and
attitudes should be godly. We may hide from other people what
is going on inside of us, but we cannot hide anything from God.
Our outer man is our reputation with people, but the hidden
man of the heart is our reputation with God. We should be much
more concerned about our reputation in heaven than our
reputation on earth.
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If we want to enjoy life, which is possible even when there is no
apparent reason for us to enjoy life, we must keep our tongues
free from evil (see I Peter 3:10). If we speak positively and keep
the truth of God’s Word on our lips, we will have joy even in the
midst of difficulties.
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First Peter 4:1, 2 helps us know how to face suffering.
“Suffering” and “sacrifice” are not always popular words among
Christians, but they are biblical words. Spiritual maturity or
“Christlikeness” cannot be obtained without dying to self,
which simply means saying yes to God and no to our flesh when
our will and God’s will are in opposition.
have fervent love

One of the most amazing things I have ever learned—a lesson
that still thrills my soul—is that love is actually spiritual
warfare. This truth makes spiritual warfare fun, because loving
people is very enjoyable.
I have learned that instead of looking like I am “oppressed and
under something” all the time, I can actually look happy. I have
found that I can be on the attack instead of under the attack.
First Peter 4:8 teaches us to have “intense and unfailing love for
one another.” The King James Version translates this verse to
say that we are to have “fervent love” for one another. The verb
form of the Greek word that is translated fervent means, “to be
hot, to boil.” Our love walk needs to be hot, on fire, and boiling
over; not tepid, cold, or barely noticeable.
I once heard someone say that even a fly is smart enough to
know not to land on a hot stove. If we are hot enough with love,
Satan cannot stay around us for long. We might say we will be
“too hot to handle!”
Have you ever let something cook in the microwave for too long
and found yourself unable to remove it from the oven because it
was too hot to handle? That is the way I want to be. I want the
love of God in my heart to be so red-hot that Satan dreads to see
me get out of bed in the morning!
Let your love be red-hot. Let it be fervent toward God and toward
other people, and as you do, you will not only live in obedience
to the Word, you will also be too hot and on fire with God’s love
for the enemy to handle.
the Spirit of glory

First Peter 4:14 states that the Spirit of God and the Spirit of
glory is resting upon us when we are reproached for the name of
Christ. Just imagine: We think it is awful when people mistreat
us because we are Christians, but God sees it in an entirely
different light. God never expects us to suffer for Him without
His help. Therefore, we can firmly believe that any time we are
reproached or mistreated because of our faith in Christ, God
gives us an extra measure of His Spirit to counterbalance the
attack.
The Holy Spirit often acts as a shock absorber. Automobiles have
shock absorbers to soften the blow of unexpected potholes in the
road. The road of life is full of potholes, but God softens the blow
and actually comforts us in all of our difficult times.
People who are not serving God and trusting Him to meet their
needs sometimes look and act as if they are much older than
they actually are. Their faces show the strain of the years they
have lived without the Holy Spirit’s help and protection. Their
attitudes are sour, due to years of adversity. They often become
bitter because they have deemed life unfair. They do not realize
that their lives would be different if they had served God and
leaned on His Spirit to guide and protect them.
Many times in my life I was reproached for the name of Christ,
but now I know that the Spirit of glory was always upon me.
Right in the middle of attack and adversity, God kept making my
life better and better. He loves to take a mess and make
something glorious out of it.
If you ask Him, He will take your mess and turn it into your
ministry. When the Spirit of glory is upon you and within you,
you can help others who face the same kinds of things God has
helped you overcome. Your burden can become your blessing,
and your weakness can become your weapon.

To humble yourself “under the mighty hand of God, that in due
time He may exalt you” (I Peter 5:6) means to ask the Lord for
what you need and then wait on Him to provide as He sees fit,
knowing that His timing is always perfect. Are you humbling
yourself under His hand in every situation of your life and
trusting that He knows what is best for you? He has great plans
for you, so I encourage you to be still, stop striving, and allow
Him to show you how to cooperate with His purposes for you.
Also, be sure to cast all your cares upon the Lord (see I Peter
5:7). Do not worry about anything because staying peaceful is
actually proof that you have humbled yourself and that you trust
God to do what needs to be done.
keep your balance

Maintaining balance in all things is so important! If we do not,
we open a door to Satan, who roams around hungrily seeking to
devour us (see I Peter 5:8). I want to share some thoughts that
will help you stay balanced in one particular area of your life—
your self-image. Of course, there are many other aspects of life
that need to be kept in balance as well, but I want to focus first
on self-image because it is such a foundational issue.
In order to develop a balanced, healthy, God-centered self-image,
incorporate the thoughts below into the way you think about
yourself.
1. I know God created me, and He loves me.

2. I have faults and weaknesses, and I want to change. I believe
God is working in my life. He is changing me bit-by-bit, day-
by-day. While He is working on me, I can still enjoy my life
and myself.
3. Everyone has faults, so I am not a failure just because I am
not perfect.
4. I am going to work with God to overcome my weaknesses, but
I realize that I will always have something to deal with;
therefore, I will not become discouraged when God convicts
me of areas of my life that need improvement.
5. I want to make people happy and have them like me, but my
sense of worth is not dependent upon what others think of
me. Jesus has already affirmed my value by His willingness
to die for me.
6. I will not be controlled by what other people think, say or do.
Even if they totally reject me, I will survive. God has
promised never to reject or condemn me as long as I keep
believing (see John 6:29).
7. No matter how often I fail, I will not give up because God is
with me to strengthen and sustain me. He has promised
never to leave me or forsake me (see Hebrews 13:5).
8. I like myself. I do not like everything I do, and I want to
change—but I refuse to reject myself.
9. I am right with God through Jesus Christ.
10. God has a good plan for my life. I am going to fulfill my
destiny and be all I can be for His glory. I have God-given
gifts and talents, and I intend to use them to help others.
11. I am nothing, and yet I am everything! In myself I am
nothing, and yet in Jesus I am everything I need to be.
12. I can do everything God calls me to do, through His Son
Jesus Christ (see Philippians 4:13).
As I mentioned, there are many other areas where we should

strive for balance. We should maintain the balance of work and
rest, eat a balanced diet, never spend more than we earn, and
enjoy people but also have solitude. Although we want to please
people and have their approval we must put God and His will
first in our lives at all times.
If we do not maintain balance in our lives, Satan will take
advantage of the door we have opened. Check your life and if
you find areas out of balance, ask God to help you make
whatever adjustments are necessary.
Second Peter
Author:
Peter
Date:
AD 65–68
Be on guard and do not be
deceived.
Study and seek to know the
truth.
Be a lifetime learner of the
truth of God.
Second Peter was written to people who either did not know the truth of
God or were not standing firm in it, so they were in danger of being
deceived concerning the second coming of Jesus Christ. The Bible
exhorts us in several places in the New Testament not to be deceived.
We are living in a day when deception is all around us—and it will only
increase as we draw nearer to Jesus’ second coming. The only way to
avoid being deceived is to know the truth for yourself. People who think
they “know it all” fall into deception.
Let the book of II Peter cause you to make a fresh commitment to being
a victorious Christian and a “lifetime learner,” one who continually seeks
and studies the truth of God’s Word. Do not simply listen to other
people, but be convinced for yourself. Study and read on your own; do
not just take second-hand information. Stay close to the Word of God.
Pray that you will not be deceived, and do whatever it takes to make sure
you have accurate knowledge of the Bible. As you pursue deeper and
deeper knowledge of the truth, let me encourage you with the words
Peter used to close this letter: “But grow in grace (undeserved favor,
spiritual strength) and recognition and knowledge and understanding of
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (the Messiah). To Him [be] glory
(honor, majesty, and splendor) both now and

If you ever wanted an instruction manual for your life, know
that God’s power has provided everything you need for life and
for godliness (see II Peter 1:3). You receive everything you need
through knowing Him and reading His Word. Remember that
every one of His promises is for you. Which of His promises do
you especially need to remember and believe right now?
speak the Word

Father, I pray that Your grace, favor, and peace would be
multiplied to me in the full, personal, precise, and correct
knowledge of Jesus my Lord.
Thank You, God, that Your divine power has bestowed on

me all things that are requisite and suited to life and
godliness through the full and personal knowledge of
Jesus Christ, Who has called me by and to His own glory
and excellence.
everything we need
According to II Peter 1:3, God’s power provides everything we
need to enjoy great and godly lives, but what He provides comes
to us through the full, personal knowledge of Him. We cannot
know God through someone else. We can know about Him
through others, but to know Him for ourselves we must study
His Word ourselves and spend time with Him individually.
You can be as close to God as you want to be. He is no respecter
of persons and if one person can have a close, intimate
relationship with Him, then so can everyone else. Why do some
people seem so close to God and yet others do not? I believe it all
depends on how much time we are willing to put into developing
our personal relationship with Him.
Going to church does not necessarily make us close to God.
Going to church is a good and right thing to do, but we need
more than an hour on Sunday morning with God if we are going
to learn enough to fulfill our destiny and truly enjoy life.
Second Peter 1:3 tells us that God calls us to His own glory and
excellence. Wow! He wants us to have excellent lives, but He
also expects us to learn how to behave excellently. Finding the
strength to do so only comes as we wait on Him. They that wait
upon the Lord shall change and renew their strength (see Isaiah
40:31), and spending time in God’s Word teaches us right from
wrong. The Bible gives many instructions about how to behave
with people and in certain circumstances. It teaches us to be
excellent and to go the extra mile and do whatever we do as best
we can and unto the Lord.
I once heard, “If you do not read, you will be the same in five
years as you are now.” That is certainly true where the Bible is
concerned. As we study God’s Word, we are transformed into His
image, from glory to glory (see II Corinthians 3:18).
Make a commitment of time to God and I believe you will see
the life and power that is available to you through His promises.
Be a lifetime learner. Refuse to have a second-hand relationship
with God; get to know Him for yourself.

Do you want your Christian life to be effective and bear fruit?
Then follow the instructions in II Peter 1:5–7: Be diligent
concerning God’s promises, exercise your faith to develop virtue,
grow in knowledge, increase in self-control, be steadfast,
practice godliness, and show Christian love to others. How can
you improve in these areas as you go about your everyday
activities and relationships?
life point
Second Peter 2:10 says that presumption is a treacherous trait of
a person who walks after the flesh.
We must always be on guard against presumption. Presumption
is behavior that is arrogant, overconfident, and unreasonably
bold. Presumption causes disrespect and rebellious attitudes
toward authority.
Presumptuous people talk when they should be quiet. They try
to dictate direction to those from whom they should receive
counsel. They give orders when they should be receiving them;
and they do things without asking permission.
Presumption is a big problem and comes from a wrong heart.
God does not want us to be presumptuous. He wants us to be
humble. Eliminate presumption from your life and cultivate
humility.
speak the Word

Father, I thank You that You do not delay and You are not
tardy or slow about what You promise, but you are long-
suffering and extraordinarily patient.
“when, God, when?”

Second Peter 3:8 reminds us that God has His own sense of
timing. God does not move in our timing. He is never late, but
He is usually not early either. He is often the God of the
midnight hour. He sometimes waits until the last second before
He gives us what we need.
We must learn to trust God’s timing. But before we can do that,
we must come to the place where we are broken before Him.
What I mean is that our self-will and our spirit of independence
must be broken before God is free to work His will in our lives
and circumstances. Before He intervenes on our behalf, He has
to be sure that we are not going to take matters into our own
hands and do something out of His perfect timing.
Galatians 6:9 says, “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in
due season we shall reap, if we faint not” (King James Version).
The interesting thing about this scripture is that it always seems
to encourage people. Yet really, in this verse, God does not tell
us when something is going to happen because “due season” is
not specific. If we start checking references that have to do with
timing in the Bible, we will find descriptions like: “at the
appointed season, in due time, in due season.”
Many times when I am waiting on God in a situation and I get
discouraged about the time it is taking for Him to answer,
someone gives me one of those kinds of scriptures and it
encourages me. I still do not know any details because “due
time” is really just the time that God knows is right, but the
scripture does remind me to trust God.
David wrote a power passage in Psalm 31:14, 15: “But I trusted
in, relied on, and was confident in You, O Lord; I said, You are
my God. My times are in Your hands; deliver me from the hands
of my foes and those who pursue me and persecute me.” Like
David, we must learn to put our confidence in the Lord, trusting
Him to deliver us out of our circumstances—and into the next
right thing—in His perfect timing.

Do you ever look at all of the evil in the world and wonder why
Jesus has not yet returned to earth? The promise of His coming
is certain, yet II Peter 3:9 tells us that God, in His mercy and
patience toward sinners, is waiting. He does not want any person
to perish, but wants everyone to come to salvation through
repentance and faith in Jesus. Pray for salvation for those in
your life who do not yet know Jesus as Lord and Savior.

What measures do you take to guard your valuables? Perhaps
you have an alarm system in your home; you probably lock the
doors of your car and keep your money in the bank. Likewise,
you should guard the truth of God’s Word that you have in your
heart so you are not led astray by false teaching (see II Peter
3:17). Growing in your relationship with the Lord and in His
grace will help you stand firm in the truth.
life point
Once we understand grace, we must grow and learn how to
receive it in every situation, as II Peter 3:18 encourages us.
We grow in grace by putting our faith in God and receiving His
grace in situations that are difficult or impossible for us.
Sometimes we put our faith in God, and He gives us grace for
deliverance. At other times we put our faith in God, and He gives
us grace to “go through.” We must leave that choice to Him and
know that either way we can have victory, but only by grace
through faith.
If you struggle with something right now in your life, ask
yourself honestly if you are putting your faith in God and that
you believe His grace will meet the need. Remember, grace is
unmerited favor to us sinners. It is God’s power coming into our
situation to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.
First John
Author:
John
Date:
God is light.
God is love.
God loves you.
The letters we call I, II, and III John were written by the same apostle
John who wrote the Gospel of John and the book of Revelation. This
man was a disciple of Jesus Christ; he knew Him personally and was one
of three disciples with whom Jesus spent a great deal of time.
Two of I John’s themes are love and light. In chapter 1, we read that God
is light and that there is no darkness in Him. This is important because it
enables believers to have true fellowship with God and with other
believers. Just think about that: Living in the light means that we can
have deep genuine friendships, honest communication, and good times
with each other. When we live in God’s light, nothing is hidden; we do
not have to try to cover up anything. We can be real before God and
before others.
We also read of God’s love several times in I John. We see that God
loved us long before we ever loved Him and that He loves us as His own
sons and daughters (see I John 3:1). We read about His love and sacrifice
in sending His Son, Jesus, to die for us, and about the total, absolute
cleansing power of Jesus’ blood.
I pray that I John will remind you of how much God loves you and that
reading this epistle strengthens your love for others and encourages you
to express that love every chance you get.
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What happens when we turn on a light in a messy, dirty room?
We see bugs scurrying away from the light, and we see clutter
and dirt!
First John 1:5 says God is Light. When He gets involved in our
lives, He shows us things we may prefer not to look at; things we
have hidden—even from ourselves. We are frequently deceived,
especially about ourselves. We do not want to deal with our
faults, nor do we delight in having them exposed. We may feel
condemned about them, but at least we feel they are hidden.
Anything hidden has power over us because we fear it may be
found out. The best and most freeing thing we can do is face up
to what God wants to expose and get beyond the fear of it (see I
John 3:20; I Corinthians 4:5).
Let the light of God shine on your hidden motives and dark
places. He knows about them anyway and wants to bring you to a
place of freedom.
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Notice in I John 1:9 that we are told if we will confess our sins to
God, He will “continuously” cleanse us. I believe this is the
spiritual parallel to the way our physical blood continuously
cleanses our body.
Our blood works for us all the time to keep us cleansed of all
poison, and the blood of Jesus works all the time, continuously
cleansing us from sin in all its forms and manifestations (see I
John 1:7). There is power in the shed blood of Jesus Christ! You
and I are continually cleansed, not just every once in awhile, but
frequently and continuously.
The Bible states that there is only one requirement on our part:
we must freely admit that we have sinned and confess our sins.
Be quick to repent. Do not try to hide anything from God. He
will never reject you. He knows everything anyway, but
repentance releases the power of His blood on your behalf and
makes it effective in your life. Confess your sins and allow the
blood of Jesus to cleanse you on a regular basis.
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First John 2:15 urges us not to love the things that are in the
world. Instead we should love people and use things to bless
them. This is hard for us to do if we love things too much! You
and I must strive to keep possessions in their proper place in our
lives. We must not put worldly possessions before people. We
must always put people first!

Love is a central theme of I John. There are things, as a believer,
however, that you are not to love. What does it mean to not love
the world or the things in the world (see I John 2:15)? It does not
mean that you should not enjoy the natural beauty of creation,
but pursuing what the world offers—things that distract you
from God and His purposes for your life—are pursuits rooted in
lust and pride. Ask God to deepen your love for Him and the
things of His kingdom.
“in,” but not “of”

Jesus told us to be in the world but not of the world. We can
enjoy the world and the things it offers, but we must maintain
balance and not get too attached to them (see I John 2:15). We
are to live in the world as strangers and aliens, and remember
that we are just passing through; this world is not our home.
God is our home and we are on our way to live in His manifest
presence for eternity.
One of the ways we can determine if things mean more to us
than they should is to watch how we behave when one of our
possessions is lost or damaged. It may disappoint us, but it
should not devastate us. How would you act if your spouse or
child broke your favorite possession? Recently, my daughter and
I were thinking about years gone by and she said, “Mom, one of
the things you did that really meant a lot to me was what you
said when I accidentally broke your new bottle of favorite
perfume. You said, ‘Do not worry about it. You are more
important to me than the perfume.” ’ Now, I did not always
behave so lovingly, but on this occasion I did and she
remembered. I urge you not to ever make people feel that they
are not as important as things.
I believe God tests us in these areas just to help us maintain
right attitudes. The apostle Paul said that he learned how to be
content whether he was abased or abounding (see Philippians
4:12). We may experience times of plenty and times of need, but
if we remain steady and unchanging no matter what, then we
know that things do not have an ungodly hold on us. God wants
us to be blessed and to enjoy the best life has to offer, but He
wants us to keep Him first in our lives. One man said, “I am
very rich, but when I got cancer I called on God, not the first
bank of the U.S.”
When everything else is gone, and it will be some day, there will
be God. We must keep Him in first place in our lives. We came
into the world with nothing and we will leave the same way. You
cannot take money and things with you when you go, so do not
worship them while you are here.
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Sometimes we give more consideration to what people tell us
than to what God says to us. If we pray diligently and hear from
God, but then start asking everybody else what they think, we
are honoring people’s opinions above the Word of God. This
attitude prevents us from developing a relationship where we
consistently hear from God.
First John 2:27 confirms that we can trust God to instruct us
without needing constant reassurance from others. But is this
verse saying we do not need anybody to teach us the Word? No,
because God appointed some people to teach in the body of
Christ. But I John 2:27 says that if we are in Christ, we have an
anointing that abides on the inside of us to guide and direct our
lives. We might occasionally ask someone for their wisdom, but
we do not constantly need to go to other people and ask them
about decisions we need to make for our own lives.
speak the Word

Father, I thank You for the incredible quality of love that
You have given and shown me, that I should be named and
called and counted as Your child.
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I like to teach I John 3:9 this way: I used to be a full-time sinner,
and once in a while I “accidentally” did something right. But
now that I have spent many years developing a deep, personal
relationship with God and His Word, I concentrate on being a
full-time obedient child of God. I still make mistakes, but not
nearly as many as I once did. I am not where I need to be, but
thank God, I am not where I used to be. There are times when I
accidentally make mistakes, but it is not the desire of my heart
to do wrong. I do not deliberately or knowingly commit sin. I do
not habitually sin. So I do not allow those occasions to make me
feel insecure. I do not do everything right, but I do know that the
attitude of my heart is right. I encourage you to look at the sins
and mistakes you make—and at the attitude of your heart—the
same way.

According to I John 3:10, righteousness and loving other
believers are two indicators of belonging to God. Is there a
fellow Christian in your life that you have a hard time getting
along with? Ask God to show you practical ways to show His love
to this person, and as you do these things, ask God to change
your heart.

First John 3:16–18 teaches us some things about love. How do
you define love? Clearly, one aspect of love is helping meet the
needs of others. It is important to tell people that God loves
them and that you love them; it is also necessary to demonstrate
that love through action and good deeds, especially toward fellow
believers.
speak the Word

Father, I pray that I would not love merely in theory or in
speech but in deed and truth, in practice and sincerity.
confidence, not condemnation

First John 3:20, 21 speaks to us about condemnation in our
hearts. A condemned heart steals confidence. Anyone who wants
to be a victorious Christian must learn to handle condemnation.
When he sins, he needs to know how to shake it off and quickly
go on because no one is perfect. He may have a perfect heart, a
heart that genuinely loves and seeks to please God, but he still
will not be perfect in every thought, word, and deed.
I know how condemning it is to teach others about what is right
and then foul up in that very area. When we do things like that,
we feel a double dose of condemnation because the devil says to
us, “You of all people ought to know better.” If we listen to him,
he will make us feel that we are not worthy of God’s love.
We must be able to shake off feelings of condemnation. If we can
not, we will have no confidence before God. Without confidence,
our faith will not work. And without faith, we cannot please God
or receive from Him the things we need in order to do what He
has called us to do.
That is why Proverbs 4:23 teaches us to guard our hearts with all
diligence and reminds us that the issues of life flow out of our
hearts.
God convicts us of our wrongdoing; He does not condemn us.
Conviction helps us repent and be lifted out of our problems;
condemnation only pushes us down and makes us feel bad about
ourselves.
Romans 8:33, 34 tells us that God justifies us; He does not bring
charges against us. Jesus does not condemn us. He died for us.
He sits at the Father’s right hand, actually pleading in
intercession for us (see Romans 8:34). I have learned from this
scripture that when I feel condemned, I either do it to myself or
the devil does it to me. Always submit to God’s conviction, but
resist Satan’s condemnation.
life point
The world looks for something real, something tangible. People
look for love, and God is love (see I John 4:8). Because we know
God, we can offer the answer to the searching hearts around us
and the needs of the people we encounter in life—the God of
love talked about in I John 4:8 is that answer.
speak the Word

I pray, Lord, that You would help me love other people, for
love is from You.
enjoying God’s love

The Bible says many times that God loves us. But how many of
God’s children still lack revelation concerning God’s love? The
truth is, very few of God’s people really know how much He
loves them. If they did, they would act differently.
Many years ago, I began studying how people can learn to
receive God’s love, and I realized that I was in desperate need of
it myself. The Lord led me in my study to I John 4:16 and
emphasized the importance of being conscious of His love. This
means God’s love should be something we are actively aware of.
But how does one find this awareness?
I studied this subject for a long time, and I became conscious of
God’s love for me through thinking about His love and by
confessing it aloud. I learned scriptures about the love of God,
and I meditated on them and confessed them out of my mouth. I
did this over and over for months, and all the time the revelation
of His unconditional love for me was becoming more and more
of a reality to me.
Now, His love is so real to me that even in hard times, I am
comforted by the “conscious knowing” that He loves me and that
I no longer have to live in fear. This can happen to you, too.
I encourage you to know and believe His love for you. Meditate
on and speak about God’s love that He expresses to you in His
love letters—the Scriptures. Why not start with I John 4:16!
speak the Word

Thank You, Lord, that there is no fear in love, but that full-
grown, complete, and perfect love turns fear out of doors.
praying according to God’s will

First John 5:14, 15 teaches us about prayer and God’s will. The
Word clearly spells out many things that are God’s will for our
lives. We know we can certainly ask for those things boldly
without being concerned about whether or not they are within
God’s will.
However, when dealing with daily situations in which we are
unsure of God’s perfect will, we should pray that His will is done
and not ours.
Many times I ask God for something in prayer, but if I do not
have a specific Bible verse to back up my request, I tell the Lord,
“This is what I think I want—at least, it seems to me that it
would be good this way—but if I am wrong in what I am asking,
Lord, please do not give it to me. Your will is what I want, not
mine.”
When learning to pray God’s will, it is important for us to
consider God’s timing. We can pray for something that is the
will of God, but until His timing is right in our lives we will not
see the physical manifestation of our answer.
Remember: “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the
evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1, KJV). If you have
the Word of God to back up your requests, stand in faith until
you see the results. But remember that real faith causes us to
enter the rest of God, so waiting on Him should be a pleasant
experience, not one of frustration.
speak the Word

God, I have confidence that if I ask anything in Your name,
according to Your will and in agreement with Your plan
that You listen and You hear me.
life point
When you pray, believe God hears you! This is a promise from I
John 5:14, 15.

What comes to mind when you think of an idol? Often, people
think of statues or figurines representing gods that other
cultures worship. However, an idol is anything that you place
more importance on or love more than God. It can be your
career, money, sports, or a relationship. Do you have any idols in
your life? Take time to evaluate your pursuits and priorities;
make sure that God is your deepest love and highest priority.
Second John
Author:
John
Date:
Always remember that Jesus is
God’s Son in the flesh.
Do not welcome or receive false
teachers.
Be a diligent student of God’s
Word so that you will know the
truth.
Second John is addressed to “the elect (chosen) lady (Cyria) and her
children.” Though we do not know if this “lady” was an individual or a
group of believers who collectively comprised a church, we do know that
John loved this person or these people dearly.
John’s reason for writing this letter was that his readers were dealing with
false teachers who traveled from place to place spreading error and
refused to admit that Jesus Christ ever came to earth in bodily form, in
the flesh, and was both fully human and fully divine. The recipients of
this letter needed strength and encouragement to persevere in their faith
and know how to relate to the false teachers. John clearly told them not
to receive such ministers (see II John 10) and that anyone who did
welcome or receive them would be participating in the spread of false
teaching.
The only way to combat false teaching is to know the truth of God’s
Word. Concerning that, John wrote that “the Truth… lives and stays on
in our hearts and will be with us forever” (II John 2).
As you read II John, I hope you will remember how valuable truth is.
Guard the truth that you have already, and commit to be a person who is
“progressively learning to recognize and know and understand the
Truth” (II John 1).

Have you ever heard the saying, “if you talk the talk, you have
to walk the walk?” As a Christian, it is not enough to know the
truth of God’s Word; we have to live it out. The Word of God is
full of ways to practically apply and walk in the truth that we
know. In what ways can you apply the truth that you know to
your everyday life right now? Let me encourage you to study the
Word diligently, and ask God to keep showing you how to walk
in the truth more and more.

In this day of e-mail, text messages, and cell phones, taking time
for personal visits is not always a priority. When was the last
time you had a face-to-face visit with a Christian friend? While
there are many ways to communicate, there is no substitute for
taking time to fellowship and to share with one another about
what God is teaching you and to encourage and pray with one
another. Whether sharing a meal, going for a walk, or meeting
for a cup of coffee, how can you make time to experience the joy
of being together with other Christians?
speak the Word

Father, I pray that I will always walk in Truth, just as You
have commanded me.
God, I pray that I would live and walk in accordance with

and guided by Your commandments and that I will
continue to walk in love.
love leads to obedience

Jesus said that when we love Him, we will obey Him (see John
14:15), and the apostle John writes that love for God consists of
our obedience to Him (see II John 6). I like to say that the level
of our obedience to Jesus determines the level of our love for
Him. I believe our love for Him and obedience to Him can grow
—and they do. Everything in our relationship with God after
initial salvation is a process. Do not be disappointed with
yourself if you are still in the process. Jesus will not be angry
when He comes to get you if you have not arrived at the mark of
perfection, but He does expect to find all of us pressing on.
The commandment we should strive to obey throughout our lives
is to walk in love. Our lives and behavior will change
dramatically if all of our thoughts, words, and actions are guided
by love. They are to be guided by our love for God, ourselves, and
others. God’s Word teaches us to love everyone, including
ourselves. I like to say, “Do not be in love with yourself, but love
yourself in a balanced way.” If you refuse to love yourself, then
you are not receiving the gift God wants to give you. We cannot
deserve God’s love. It comes to us unconditionally. God loves us
first, and He pours His love into us so we can love Him,
ourselves, and others. He does not expect us to give away
anything we do not have.
Sometimes we make being a Christian very difficult and
complicated. We think we must follow hundreds of rules and do
multitudes of things, but Jesus said that if we simply walk in
love, that is enough (see John 15:12). The reason for this is that
if we concentrate on love, all the other things He asks us to do
will also get done. Love motivates us to obey, pray, be kind and
merciful, give, forgive, repent, and practice other aspects of our
Christian faith.
Let me encourage you to study love. Read everything you can
about love. Think about it, talk about it, and practice it. God is
love and when love is the theme of our lives, He is the theme
also.
Third John
Author:
John
Date:
Do what you can to send
missionaries and traveling
ministers on their way in a
manner that is worthy of God’s
service.
Support the spread of the
Gospel every way you can.
Imitate good, not evil.
Third John is a brief letter addressed to a man named Gaius, who was
most likely a pastor or leader in the early church. Where John has to
warn the recipients of his second letter not to associate with false
teachers, this letter provides Gaius with instructions on how to treat
traveling ministers and missionaries who teach the truth. Specifically, he
writes: “You will do well to forward them on their journey [and you will
please do so] in a manner worthy of God’s service” (III John 6).
He goes on to say that we need to “support such people [to welcome and
provide for them], in order that we may be fellow workers in the Truth
(the whole Gospel) and cooperate with its teachers” (III John 8).
In this letter, John also urges us not to imitate evil, but to imitate good.
Those who do good, he writes, are of God, but those who do evil have no
experience with Him and do not know Him in any way (see III John 11).
As you read III John, I pray for you as John did for Gaius: “that you may
prosper in every way and [that your body may keep well, even as [I
know] your soul prospers” (v. 2). Let these verses inspire you to
participate in the work of the ministry and the sharing of the Gospel in
every way you can. Do your part to support the spread of God’s love and

How can you give joy to others as you walk in truth? Walking in
truth means living out the truth you read in the Word of God.
Others will take note of your faithfulness and it will encourage
them.

There are many people all around the world who work tirelessly
for the sake of the Gospel. It is important to extend hospitality
to such individuals as you have opportunity. Even if you cannot
host such a person in your home, what can you do to support
these ministries? As you do, you share in their work for God’s
kingdom.
speak the Word

Father, I pray that You will prosper me in every way and
that my body will keep well even as my soul prospers and
keeps well.
Help me, God, to live my life in Your Truth.
prosper with purpose
One of God’s most fervent desires for us is that we prosper in our
souls. This means He wants us to mature spiritually, to be full-
grown in mind, will, and emotions. He wants us to think with
the mind of Christ and according to His Word. When we are able
to do this, we can separate our emotions from decisions we need
to make and use our will to line up our lives with His will for us.
To the degree that we do that, He also wants us to prosper and be
healthy in all areas of life (see III John 2). There has been a
great deal of discussion over whether God wants His children to
prosper. Some believe poverty is a virtue, while others believe
that all Christians should be rich. I do not believe either one of
those extremes. I believe we should concentrate on spiritual
maturity and keep God first in our lives and He will gladly give
us everything we need to live happy, generous, blessed, and
prosperous lives. God is more concerned with how we behave
than what we own.
Matthew told us to seek first God’s kingdom and His
righteousness (His ways of being and doing) and all these things
would be added to us (see Matthew 6:33). God wants us to have
things as long as things do not have us. Yes, God wants us to be
very blessed and He wants us to be a blessing to other people.
We are to have “prosperity with a purpose.”
God told Abraham that He would bless him and make him a
blessing causing him to dispense good to others (see Genesis
12:2). How can anyone be a blessing if he or she has not first
been blessed? We cannot give away something we do not have.
The Bible says that Abraham was extremely wealthy (see
Genesis 13:2), so it is obvious to me that God has no problem
with His servants’ prospering in every way, including materially,
as long as they can handle it properly.
The question often surfaces that “if God wants us to have
prosperity, is a poor person godly?” Of course a poor person can
be godly, but we do not have to worship poverty. Sick people can
be godly, but that does not keep them from seeking healing.
Love God with all of your heart no matter what your station is in
life, but seek His best and use it for His purposes.

To imitate something is to use or follow it as a model. Whose life
exhibits goodness that you can imitate? Do not imitate those
who do evil, who gossip, and who seek to exert control over
others. As you do good, you will demonstrate that you belong to
God.
speak the Word

God, I pray that I will not imitate evil, but that I will
always do good because I know You.
Jude
Author:
Jude
Date:
AD 65–80
Refute error and contend for
the faith.
Build yourself up by spending
time in God’s Word and by
praying in the Holy Spirit.
Trust God to keep you from
slipping and to hold you firmly
in place in your faith as you do
your part to walk in truth.
The book of Jude warns believers against false teaching and provides a
helpful list of characteristics of false teachers and erroneous teaching.
False teachers are ungodly; they want to use God’s grace as an
opportunity for disobedience; and they deny Jesus Christ as Lord and
Master (see Jude 4). They reject authority (see Jude 8) and look down on
what they do not understand (see Jude 10). They are like “clouds without
water” and like “trees without fruit” (Jude 12). Furthermore, they
grumble and complain, allow their emotions and passions to control
them, brag about themselves, and flatter people in manipulative ways so
they can get what they want and cause division.
But Jude knows that false teachers will not succeed and he urges believers
to “contend for the faith” (Jude 3), to fight for what they know is true.
To do that, Jude instructs them to “… build yourselves up [founded] on
your most holy faith [make progress, rise like an edifice higher and
higher], praying in the Holy Spirit” and to “Guard and keep yourselves in
the love of God; expect and patiently wait for the mercy of our Lord
Jesus Christ (the Messiah)—which will bring you] unto life eternal” (Jude
20, 21). We must do our part, and then trust God to keep us from
stumbling or slipping as He enables us to continue walking in truth.
speak the Word

God, I pray that I will always contend for my faith and my
Christian beliefs, no matter what.
let God decide

What did Balaam, Korah, and Cain (see Jude 11) do that we need
to beware of? All of them tried to get something that God was
not giving them. Cain was jealous of Abel, who had God’s
approval, so he killed him. He wanted what Abel had, but was
not willing to do what Abel did to get it. Abel gave an acceptable
offering and Cain did not. When we do not want to give God
what He asks for, we cannot resent others who do and are
blessed because of it.
Baalam disobeyed God in favor of a promotion promised by an
earthly king. He chose a position of earthly honor over doing
God’s will and became so deceived that God spoke to him
through his donkey in order to get his attention.
Korah resented Moses because he wanted his position and power.
The world is filled with similar people who want position and
power and compromise their integrity to get it. They do things
that war against their conscience and even if they get the things
they thought they wanted, they are never happy with them.
Korah’s rebellion ended up costing him his life.
All of these men sinned against God in order to try to get
something that God was not ready to give them. We can ask God
for anything, but we must trust Him to give it to us if it is His
will and in His timing. God has an individual plan for each of us
and it is wrong to look at other people’s lives and covet what
they have. If we are happy for their blessings and trust God for
ourselves, He will take care of us.
We must learn to wait on God and not take matters into our own
hands. There is a way that seems right to man but the end of it is
death (see Proverbs 16:25). Delight yourself in the Lord and He
will give you the desires of your heart; commit your way to the
Lord and He will bring it to pass (see Psalm 37:4, 5).
Enjoy where you are right now on the way to where you are
going and do not try to get ahead of God. He has a great plan for
you, and even though you may have to wait, you will be blessed
in the end.
life point
Jude 20 instructs us to pray “in the Holy Spirit.” It is the Holy
Spirit of God within us Who motivates us and leads us to pray.
We must learn to yield to the leading of the Spirit as soon as we
sense it, not later when the moment has passed by. That is part
of learning to pray without ceasing, to pray all manner of
prayers at all times, wherever we may be, and whatever we may
be doing (see Ephesians 6:18).
I encourage you to pray in the Holy Spirit, and as you do, you
will experience the joy that comes from praying in agreement
with God’s will.
speak the Word

Help me, God, to stay built up in my faith, to pray often in
the Holy Spirit, and to keep myself in Your love.
Thank You, God, that You are able to keep me from

stumbling or falling, and to present me blameless and
faultless before Your presence.
Revelation
Author:
John
Date:
AD 70–95
Remember that Jesus loves you
and that you are always
victorious in Him.
In Revelation, focus on what
you do understand. Pray for
increased understanding, but do
not stumble over problematic
passages.
Remember that, in the end,
Jesus wins.
There are many different perspectives and interpretations of the book

of Revelation, and it can be difficult to understand. In this Bible, I chose
to deal with the practical aspects of this book, and I simply want to
point out that Revelation reminds us that we do have an enemy, Satan;
that there is a spiritual war being waged between the forces of God and
the forces of the enemy; and, best of all, Jesus wins. As the struggle
unfolds, there will be days of deception and the anti-Christ will arise. But,
through the Holy Spirit, we can live with discernment during these times
and look forward to the Second Coming of Christ. If you are a believer in
Jesus Christ, you—and with everyone throughout history who has ever
believed in Him as Lord and Savior—are on the winning team and can
anticipate an eternity with Him.
Remember that the book of Revelation is a revelation—an unveiling, a
clearer picture than we previously had—of Jesus Christ. It teaches us
about Who He is and what is important to Him. It reveals His mighty
power over the enemy and His great love for His bride, the church.
Revelation is the only book of the Bible that specifically promises that
those who read it will be blessed (see Revelation 1:3). As you read, do not
get caught up in the parts you do not understand, but focus on its
undeniable truths: Jesus is the Son of God; He is worthy of all glory and
honor and praise; He loves you; one day He will return to earth; and
everyone who believes on Him will live forever with Him in a place
where there is no more sickness or sadness. Be encouraged; stand strong
in your faith, no matter what comes your way; and enjoy God’s love for
you every day and look forward to the day when you will live with God
in eternity.
life point
Revelation 1:5 affirms how much Jesus Christ loves us by
shedding His own blood that we might be freed from sin. The
passage communicates this strong message: You are worth
something because Jesus loves you and shed His blood for you.
Do not allow your sense of worth to be based on the opinions or
actions of others. Do not try to find your worth in how you look
or what you do. Do not try to find your worth in how other people
treat you. Instead, let your sense of worth come through a
relationship with Jesus Christ. You are secure in Him. He loves
you!
speak the Word

Thank You, Jesus, that You are faithful and true, that You
love me and have once and for all freed me from my sins by
Your own blood.

How did you feel when you first began your relationship with
God through Jesus Christ? You probably experienced a variety
of feelings such as joy and peace and felt a new sense of freedom
and a desire to love and to follow God with all your heart. God
was probably your first love (see Revelation 2:4), but it can be
easy to let other things in life—relationships, career, studies,
even going to church—get in the way of passionately loving God.
Spend some time in prayer inviting God to show you anything or
anyone in your life that has become more important to you than
He is. Ask His forgiveness and ask Him to help you make Him
your first love once again.
speak the Word

Jesus, I pray that I will never leave or abandon You, my
first love.
speak the Word

God, I pray that I will keep Your Word and guard Your
message and never renounce or deny Your name.
step out and find out

We all need to hear from God each day about many different
issues, but there are critical times in our lives when we
especially need to know we are hearing clearly from Him. God
wants to speak to us, but we have to be careful that we do not
develop a closed mindset about how He wants to speak to us.
Sometimes God speaks by opening or closing a door to
something we want to do, as Revelation 3:7 suggests. My
husband, Dave, and I know from experience that God can open
doors of opportunity that no one can close, and He can also close
doors that we simply cannot open. I pray that God will open only
the doors through which He wants me to pass. I may sincerely
think something is right to do, when it may be wrong; therefore,
I depend on God to close doors I am trying to walk through if I
am in fact making a mistake: “A man’s mind plans his way, but
the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure” (Proverbs 16:9).
Sometimes the only way to discover God’s will is to practice
what I call “stepping out and finding out.” If I pray about a
situation and do not feel sure about what I should do, I take a
step of faith. God has shown me that trusting Him is like
standing before the automatic door to a supermarket. We can
stand and look at the door all day, but it will not open until we
take a step forward and trigger the mechanism that opens the
door.
There are times in life when we must take a step forward in
order to find out—one way or the other—what we should do.
Some doors will never open unless we take a step toward them.
At other times we may take a step and find that God will not
open the door. If we trust Him for guidance, and the door opens
easily, we can trust that He is leading us to enter into the
opportunity before us.
In I Corinthians 16:9 Paul states that God opened a wide door of
opportunity for him and his companions. He also mentions that
there were many adversaries, so we must not mistake opposition
for a closed door.
Paul and his coworkers did not sit and wait for an angel to
appear or a vision to be given to them while praying for
direction. They took steps in the direction they felt was correct.
Many times God did open the door, but there were times when
He closed the door. This did not discourage them. They were not
afraid of “missing God.” They were men of faith and action.
They also knew to back off quickly when it became evident that
God was not permitting them to follow their own plan. I
encourage you to be the same way. Take the steps you believe
you need to take in life and see if God opens or shuts the doors.
wholehearted service
God wants us to serve Him enthusiastically and wholeheartedly.
He does not appreciate any half-hearted effort. Revelation 3:15,
16 warns us against being lukewarm and teaches us that being
neither hot nor cold is not acceptable to God. Actually, He would
prefer that we be cold toward Him rather than lukewarm. His
desire is that we be red-hot, on fire, stirred up, and excited about
Him, His Word, His principles, and His will for our lives.
Why would God rather someone be cold than lukewarm? It
seems that lukewarm is better than nothing. I believe it is
because lukewarm people are easily deceived into thinking they
are doing what they should be doing when in fact they are not.
They are offering sacrifices, not wholehearted obedience. For
example, they might go to church as an obligation but in reality
they do not want to be there at all. However, when a person is
totally cold toward God, at least they know it and can be dealt
with more easily than someone who is deceived.
I once taught a message titled, “Get In, Get Out, or Get Run
Over.” My theory was that God is moving and we can either get
on board and move with Him or remain rebellious and obstinate
and get left behind. As far as I am concerned, life is not worth
living at all if Jesus Christ is not the center of it. Sadly, many
people waste most of their lives before they realize this is true;
some never do.
God never does anything halfway and we should not either.
Whatever your task may be, work at it heartily (with all your
heart) as something for the Lord (see Colossians 3:23).
The first and principle commandment of God is that we love Him
with our whole heart, soul, and mind. If we do that, He will be
honored and we will be very fulfilled and blessed. Never lag in
zeal and in earnest endeavor; be aglow and burn with the Spirit;
serving the Lord (see Romans 12:11).
life point
Revelation 3:20 teaches us that Jesus knocks at the door of
many hearts right now, but we must remember that the
doorknob is on our side. He is a gentleman; He will not force
His way into our lives. We must welcome Him.

Have you ever had your home broken into or known someone
who has? There is a terrible sense of intrusion and violation
when something like that occurs. Jesus will never enter a place
in your life where He is not welcome. God wants to bring
healing and wholeness to every area of your life, but He will
wait for your invitation (see Revelation 3:20). Ask God to show
you where you need Him to do some work in your life, and know
that He is eager to bring restoration, healing, and wholeness.
life point
Revelation 4:5 speaks of the seven Spirits of God that are before
God’s throne (see also Revelation 1:4; 3:1). We know there is
only one Holy Spirit, but this reference to the sevenfold Holy
Spirit shows us that He has various ways of manifesting and
expressing Himself among us to bring fullness to our lives. Just
as the Trinity is one God in three Persons, so the Holy Spirit is
one Spirit with different operations or modes of expression.
speak the Word

Lord, I declare that You are worthy to receive glory and
honor and dominion.
lion or lamb?
The characteristics of the lion are totally different from those of
the lamb, yet the Lord is recognized as having both qualities in
Revelation 5:5, 6.
Someone once gave me a picture of a lion and a lamb lying down
together, and it reminds me that I am supposed to be a good,
godly mixture of both qualities. I never had any trouble with the
lion part, but I had a lot of trouble with the lamb part. When we
need to communicate with someone, especially concerning
confrontational issues, we should first pray for God’s grace and
mercy to anoint us as lion-hearted lambs. Then we should wait
until we have balance in our perspective and approach.
Throughout the Gospels, Jesus seems to act in two contrasting
ways. He confronts the moneychangers in the temple with lion-
like intensity, overthrowing their tables and firmly
demonstrating God’s will to all those who watched Him. He said
to them, “The Scripture says, My house shall be called a house
of prayer; but you have made it a den of robbers” (Matthew
21:13). Yet in other places, we see Jesus as a lamb, standing
falsely accused, without speaking one word in His own defense
(Matthew 27:12–14).
What are we to learn from His communication patterns? He was
a lion when He needed to be and yet always a lamb—He never
sinned or failed to be excellent in speech. It is a challenge not to
defend yourself when someone comes against you. It is difficult
to ignore insults and shun retaliation.
Isaiah 53:7 says that Jesus “was oppressed, [yet when] He was
afflicted, He was submissive and opened not His mouth; like a
lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her
shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth.”
Sometimes I find that one of the hardest things God asks us to
do is be Christ-like in our communication with others. When
people are rude and tell you off, mistreat, or insult you, it is
hard to look at them with godly love and just wait on God.
Thank God, He gives us the power to change and to become like
Christ—a healthy person who knows when to be a lion and when
to be a lamb.

Every two years, the eyes of much of the world focus on the
Summer or Winter Olympics. Have you ever watched the
opening ceremonies and the Parade of Nations? With athletes
from more than 175 nations parading under the banner of their
nation’s flag, it is quite a sight to see! Yet it pales in comparison
to the multitude from every tribe, nation, people and tongue that
will gather together before the throne of God (see Revelation
7:9, 10). Let me encourage you to pray regularly for the nations
and people of the world, and for those who take the good news of
the Gospel to them.
life point
In Revelation 12:10, Satan is called “the accuser of our
brethren.” He tries to make us feel guilty and condemned.
When we feel unhealthy guilt and condemnation, we must
remember that God does not make us feel that way. God wants
us to experience His love and feel the power of His forgiveness.
Guilt depresses us and makes us feel as though we are under a
heavy burden. Jesus came to lift us up, to bring good news to us
that our sins are forgiven and the penalty for them removed.
Resist guilt and condemnation by embracing the salvation and
authority of Christ in your life.
speak the Word

Lord, I declare that Your works are mighty and marvelous,
and that Your ways are righteous and true.
speak the Word

God, I worship You.
Thank You, Jesus, that You are Faithful, Trustworthy,

Loyal, Incorruptible, Steady, and True.
life point
Examination of Revelation 19:11–16 readily reveals that Jesus is
waging war in the heavenlies (see also Revelation 19:19–21), and
that the Word, the name, and the blood are present and being
exalted, just as they should be in our daily lives here on earth.
speak the Word

Jesus, I declare that You are King of kings and Lord of
lords.

What do you imagine heaven will be like? One of the wonderful
promises about heaven is that we will enjoy unbroken
fellowship with God and that there will be no more death,
sorrow, crying, or pain (see Revelation 21:3, 4). God Himself will
wipe every tear from your eye. If you are in a difficult season of
life, know that God is your very present help in trouble right
now, and the day is coming when you will be troubled no more.
Thank God for His promise, and receive His strength for today
and His hope for tomorrow.
life point
God is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End (see
Revelation 21:6). Since this is the case, He is also everything in
between. He knows your situation and will lead you and guide
you if you trust Him to do so. Rely on your heavenly Father to
give you what you need, one day at a time.
speak the Word

Thank You, God, that You make all things new.
payday is coming
Every person, with no exceptions, will one day stand before God
and give an account of his life (see Romans 14:12). I want to
encourage you not to “live like there is no tomorrow,” because
tomorrow always comes. Jesus will come for us when we least
expect it, and then it will be too late to do all the things we
intended to do but never got around to. One of the spiritual laws
we see throughout the Word of God is that we reap what we sow.
Galatians says very emphatically that we are not to be deceived
and misled, for whatever a man sows that and that only is what
he will reap.
Salvation is a gift of God; it is given by His grace and is to be
received by faith. We do not get into heaven because of our good
works, but Revelation 22:12 teaches us that our works will be
judged and rewarded according to what we have merited.
Our works are not even judged only by what we have done, but
by the motives behind them. Works done for impure motives will
be burned up. If we give money or things, but do so to be seen of
men or to be admired and well thought of, then we should be
sure that satisfies us because that is all the reward we will ever
get.
God sees what we do in secret and we will be rewarded openly.
Everything that is now done behind closed doors will one day be
brought out in the open, so we should be sure that we realize
nothing is really eternally hidden. The day of reckoning will
come.
Some people might think, Well, as long as I am going to heaven, that
is enough. If this is our only motive in life, then we are living
selfishly. We should live for God and His glory. We should
realize that we are alive for a purpose and part of that purpose is
to be used by God to reconcile others to Him. We are actually
created for the good works that God prepared for us ahead of
time (see Ephesians 2:10). It is God’s desire and will that we do
good works, but we are to do them because He loves us, not to get
Him to love us or to impress people.
Payday is coming! Are you ready?
speak the Word

Lord Jesus, come quickly!
How to Receive Jesus as Your Lord and Savior

The most important relationship of your life is a personal
relationship with Jesus Christ. If you would like to receive Him
as your Lord and Savior, and enter into the greatest
relationship you have ever known, please pray the prayer
below.
Father,
You loved the world so much that You gave
Your only begotten Son to die for our sins so that
whoever believes in Him will not perish but have
eternal life.
Your Word says we are saved by grace through
faith as a gift from You. There is nothing we can do
to earn salvation.
I believe and confess with my mouth that Jesus
Christ is Your Son, the Savior of the world. I believe
He died on the cross for me and bore all of my sins,
paying the price for them.
I believe in my heart that You raised Jesus from
the dead and that He is alive today.
I am a sinner and I am sorry for my sins and I
ask You to forgive me. By faith I receive Jesus Christ
now as my Lord and Savior. I believe that I am saved
and will spend eternity with You! Thank You, Father.
I am so grateful! In Jesus’ name, amen.
Everyday Life Articles

Genesis 1:31 Enjoy Your Life
Genesis 2:19, 20 A Very Creative God
Genesis 2:24 Becoming One
Genesis 3:8–15 The Devil’s Doom
Genesis 6:5–8 The Importance of a Right Heart
Genesis 12:1 One Step at a Time
Genesis 13:14, 15 Lift Up Your Eyes
Genesis 15:1–5 Give God Time
Genesis 16:1, 2 Don’t Have an Ishmael
Genesis 17:15, 16 What’s in a Name?
Genesis 32:28 Everybody Limps
Genesis 39:20–23 Receive God’s Favor
Genesis 41:39, 40 From the Pit to the Palace
Genesis 50:20 Turn Your Mess into Your Message
Exodus 3:10–14 “I AM.”
Exodus 12:7, 13 Apply the Blood to Your Life
Exodus 13:17, 18 When Life Gets Difficult
Exodus 16:4 Grace for Today and Every Day
Exodus 18:13–18 No One Can Do Everything
Exodus 18:23–26 Dealing with Overload
Exodus 20:7 Speak God’s Name with Purpose
Exodus 25:1, 2 Check Your “Want To”
Exodus 30:10 The Blood Makes Atonement
Exodus 32:30–32 Time to Grow Up
Exodus 33:12–14 Rest in His Presence
Exodus 35:21 How to Get Stirred Up for God
Leviticus 8:1–30 Why the Ceremony?
Leviticus 11:1–43 Please God with Your Eating

Leviticus 20:6, 7 In God Alone
Leviticus 25:39–41 Release Your Grudges
Leviticus 26:4 Wait for God’s Timing
Numbers 6:22–26 Aglow with God’s Glory
Numbers 11:4–6 Don’t Turn Back
Numbers 12:3 The Meaning of Meekness
Numbers 13:17–31 Giant-Sized Problems
Numbers 13:32, 33 Slaying the Giants in Your Land
Numbers 14:5–9 On Your Face
Numbers 21:8, 9 Look and Live
Deuteronomy 1:2, 6–8 Walk Out of Your Wilderness
Deuteronomy 8:2–6 Seek God’s Presence, Not His Presents
Deuteronomy 11:18–21 Defeating Deception
Deuteronomy 17:12, 13 Presumption Kills
Deuteronomy 18:10–12 The Danger of Occult Practices
Deuteronomy 20:1–4 Gentle as a Lamb, Bold as a Lion
Deuteronomy 25:17, 18 When Weariness Attacks
Deuteronomy 28:1–14 Receiving Outrageous Blessings
Deuteronomy 30:19 Choose Life
Deuteronomy 31:6–8 God Will Go with You
Joshua 1:2 Leave the Past Behind
Joshua 1:16, 17 Passing the Faithfulness Test
Joshua 3:7 Common People, Uncommon Things
Joshua 5:2–7 Roll Away the Reproach
Joshua 15:1–4 Boundaries are a Good Thing
Joshua 24:15 “I Will Serve the Lord”
Judges 6:8–10 What about Prophecy?
Judges 6:14, 15 How to Have a Healthy Self-Image
Judges 7:1–3 The Reward of Relying on God
Judges 7:14, 15 Praise God Preemptively
Judges 16:16, 17 Resisting Temptation

Ruth 1:16, 17 Commitment over Comfort
Ruth 1:20 Better, not Bitter
I Samuel 3:1–10 How to Hear God’s Voice
I Samuel 10:6 Changed by the Holy Spirit
I Samuel 15:22, 23 Obedience is Better than Sacrifice
I Samuel 15:23 Breaking the Cycle of Abuse and Rebellion
I Samuel 17:28–30 Reject Rejection
I Samuel 30:6 Encourage Yourself!
II Samuel 9:1 Looking for People to Bless
II Samuel 9:6–8 No More Dead Dogs
II Samuel 12:13 The Gift of Repentance
II Samuel 12:20–23 Beyond Grief
II Samuel 13:1–14 The Deepest Kind of Shame
II Samuel 22:33, 34 Let God be Your Strength
II Samuel 23:3 Fear God, Not People
I Kings 3:9, 10 Seek the Best
I Kings 5:12 Handling Your Relationships Wisely
I Kings 8:6–13 His Awesome Presence
I Kings 18:21 The Truth about Doubt
I Kings 18:41 Right as Rain
I Kings 18:42–45 Worship Before the Rain
I Kings 19:1–3 Keep Your Balance!
I Kings 19:4 Avoiding Burnout
I Kings 19:11, 12 Hearing God’s Still, Small Voice
II Kings 2:9, 10 Double-Portion Blessings
II Kings 3:19 Flow Freely Again
II Kings 4:1–7 The First Step to Fullness
II Kings 4:7 Owe No Man Anything but Love
II Kings 22:1 Like a Child
II Kings 22:19 The Gift of a Tender Heart
I Chronicles 1:27, 28 Do Things God’s Way

I Chronicles 2:2 Be Faithful and Be Blessed
I Chronicles 12:33 The Power of Focus
I Chronicles 16:7 Take a Praise Pause
I Chronicles 17:1–4 Words and Actions
I Chronicles 22:14 Give When It Hurts
I Chronicles 29:9 Be Willing to be Willing
II Chronicles 16:9 How to Have a “Perfect” Heart
II Chronicles 20:1–3 Run to the Throne
II Chronicles 20:6–11 These are Fighting Words
II Chronicles 20:12 Rest in the Storm
II Chronicles 25:1, 2 Doing the Right Thing with the Right Heart
II Chronicles 32:7, 8 God’s Strong Arm
II Chronicles 32:22–31 Looking Up
Ezra 4:1-5 Grace to Overcome Opposition
Ezra 6:14, 15 The Truth about Hard Work
Ezra 8:23 Seek God Desperately
Nehemiah 4:20 God Will Fight Evil for You
Nehemiah 6:15 Finish Well
Nehemiah 8:9-12 The Joy of the Lord is Your Strength
Nehemiah 9:20 Trusting Day by Day
Esther 2:15–17 Believe for God’s Favor
Esther 3:5, 6 A Better Plan
Esther 4:14 For Such a Time as This
Esther 6:1–3 God Does Not Forget
Job 4:1 Understanding Misunderstanding
Job 7:21 Passing the Frustration Test
Job 19:7–11 Faith Over Feelings
Job 23:10 Trained to Trust
Psalm 3:1–3 Hold Your Head High
Psalm 7:9 When God Tests Your Emotions
Psalm 12:1, 2 The Importance of Faithfulness

Psalm 19:1–4 Enjoy God’s Handiwork
Psalm 23:1–3 God Restores and Leads
Psalm 25:12, 13 At Ease
Psalm 27:4 Seek the “One Thing”
Psalm 27:13, 14 The Land of the Living
Psalm 31:19 Everyday Christianity
Psalm 34:1 At All Times
Psalm 37:4, 5 Delight Yourself in God
Psalm 40:6 Pray and Obey
Psalm 42:5 How to Deal with Discouragement
Psalm 44:15 Be Free from Shame
Psalm 47:1 Express Yourself!
Psalm 57:7 Steadfast and Confident
Psalm 62:8 Stability Releases Ability
Psalm 78:7, 8 Leave Your Stubbornness Behind
Psalm 91:2 What Do You Say?
Psalm 105:17–19 Remember Joseph
Psalm 106:12–15 Be Happy
Psalm 109:22 Healed Healers
Psalm 111:1–5 Your Provider
Psalm 116:10 Confess the Word
Psalm 118:4–6 The Right Kind of Fear
Psalm 121:1, 2 Seek God First
Psalm 126:2, 3 Fill Your Mouth with Laughter
Psalm 133:1 Getting Rid of “What If”
Psalm 139:13–16 God’s Good Plan
Psalm 141:3 When Your Mouth Gets You in Trouble
Psalm 143:3–10 A Biblical Prescription for Depression
Proverbs 2:1–5 Understanding People
Proverbs 3:5, 6 Why Not Ask, “Why?”
Proverbs 4:5 The Benefits of Wisdom

Proverbs 8:15, 16 A Little Common Sense Goes a Long Way
Proverbs 13:12 From Disappointment to Reappointment
Proverbs 14:10 Free from Bitterness
Proverbs 16:1 The Wise Answer of the Tongue
Proverbs 16:5 Humble People are Happy People
Proverbs 17:22 People Who Laugh, Last
Proverbs 18:14 Strengthen the Weak
Proverbs 18:21 Power in Your Mouth
Proverbs 23:7 Think As God Thinks
Proverbs 28:1 Bold as a Lion
Proverbs 29:18 The Importance of Vision
Proverbs 31:26 Kindness on Your Lips
Ecclesiastes 2:17, 18 The Secret of Fulfillment
Ecclesiastes 5:1 Stay on Track
Ecclesiastes 5:18 Enjoy Your Journey
Ecclesiastes 7:9 Be Slow to Anger
Ecclesiastes 11:4 The Pitfall of Procrastination
Song of Solomon 2:16 Fulfillment in Marriage
Song of Solomon 3:11 First a Wedding, then a Marriage
Isaiah 2:22; 3:1 When God Removes Your Props
Isaiah 6:1–9 Cleansed, then Used
Isaiah 9:6, 7 God’s Government
Isaiah 14:12–15 Vote against Yourself
Isaiah 14:26, 27 A Person of Purpose
Isaiah 30:13, 14 From Brokenness to Blessing
Isaiah 30:21 This is the Way
Isaiah 40:6, 7 Magnets for His Power
Isaiah 40:31 Waiting on God
Isaiah 42:9 God Declares New Things
Isaiah 43:2 Through It All
Isaiah 53:3–6 Condemnation or Conviction?

Isaiah 54:4 Free from Shame
Isaiah 55:11 The Power of God’s Word
Isaiah 58:7, 8 First Things First
Isaiah 61:1–3 Healing in Every Way
Isaiah 61:7 Double for Your Trouble
Jeremiah 1:5 Approved!
Jeremiah 1:8 You Are Chosen
Jeremiah 2:13 Make Your Work Succeed
Jeremiah 5:14 Words of Fire
Jeremiah 11:20 How to Pass Life’s Tests
Jeremiah 17:9 Live Deeper
Jeremiah 29:11 God’s Good Plan
Jeremiah 31:34 “I Will Remember Your Sin No More”
Jeremiah 34:15 Proclaim Liberty
Jeremiah 36:27, 28 Do It Again!
Lamentations 3:22, 23 New Every Morning
Ezekiel 11:19 The Cure for Hardheartedness
Ezekiel 16:49 The Sin of Ignoring the Needy
Ezekiel 20:40 Put God First
Ezekiel 22:30 Stand in the Gap
Ezekiel 36:26, 27 An Exchange of Hearts
Ezekiel 37:1–4 Hear the Word of the Lord
Daniel 1:8, 9 The Blessings of Wholehearted Commitment
Daniel 2:48 Refuse to Conform
Daniel 6:3 Be Excellent!
Daniel 6:10–24 Uncompromising Worship
Daniel 7:25 How to Resist Satan
Hosea 4:6 When We Know Right, We can Choose to Do Right
Hosea 14:4 God Loves You Freely
Joel 2:23 Rejoice!
Joel 2:25, 26 God of Restoration

Amos 5:15 A Healthy Kind of Anger
Obadiah 3 Who, Me?
Jonah 2:2 Never Too Late
Jonah 3:1 The God of the Second Chance
Micah 6:8 God’s Requirements
Micah 7:7, 8 Outlast the Devil
Nahum 1:7 In the Day of Trouble
Habakkuk 2:2, 3 Discovering Your Vision
Habakkuk 3:17–19 The Lord Is Your Strength
Haggai 1:2–7 Consider Your Ways
Haggai 2:9 More and More Glory
Zechariah 4:6 By His Spirit
Zechariah 4:10 Small Things Lead to Big Things
Zechariah 9:12 Prisoners of Hope
Zechariah 12:1–10 The Spirit of Grace and Supplication
Malachi 3:2 The Refiner’s Fire
Malachi 3:13–15 Are You Angry with God?
Malachi 3:16, 17 A Book of Remembrance
Matthew 5:8 Pure-hearted and Powerful
Matthew 6:1 Secret Goodness
Matthew 6:7, 8 Short and Simple
Matthew 6:33 First Place
Matthew 7:6 Do Not Judge
Matthew 7:7, 8 Persistent, Not Repetitious
Matthew 7:20 Known by Our Fruit
Matthew 8:13 As You Have Believed
Matthew 9:13 Treasure Mercy
Matthew 11:28–30 Lighten Your Load
Matthew 16:22 “Not Me!”
Matthew 18:21, 22 How Many Times?
Matthew 19:19 Love Yourself

Matthew 19:26 All Things Are Possible
Matthew 24:12, 13 Keep Love from Growing Cold
Matthew 25:14, 15 Use It or Lose It
Mark 4:26–28 When Your Breakthrough is Delayed
Mark 4:35–40 What to Do on a Sinking Boat
Mark 6:11 Shake Off Rejection
Mark 6:45–47 The Lonely Leader
Mark 8:14–17 Reasoning Robs Your Peace
Mark 8:34 The Cross We Bear
Mark 10:29, 30 When Obedience Means Sacrifice
Mark 10:46–52 Jesus Loves to Be Merciful
Mark 11:13, 14 Walk the Talk
Mark 11:22–26 What to Do with Your Mountain
Mark 14:22–24 The Meaning of Communion
Luke 2:19 When Not to Speak
Luke 5:4 Step Out and Find Out
Luke 5:31 Give Jesus All You Are Not
Luke 6:27, 28 Further than Forgiveness
Luke 6:44, 45 The Root of Unhealthy Attitudes
Luke 7:37 The Woman with a Past
Luke 10:1 Intimacy with Jesus
Luke 10:38–42 Take Time to Enjoy Jesus
Luke 11:9–13 Ask, Seek, Knock
Luke 12:2 Uncovering the Treasures in God’s Word
Luke 16:13 The Problem with a Double Purpose
Luke 17:5, 6 How to Increase Your Faith
Luke 18:9–14 The Trap of Trusting Yourself
Luke 22:24–26 Who is the Greatest?
John 1:45–47 Dealing with Prejudice
John 2:25 People Aren’t Perfect
John 5:1–9 Be Pitiful or Be Powerful

John 6:27–29 Believe to Achieve
John 8:12–14 Finding Your True Identity
John 10:3–5 Discerning God’s Voice
John 10:10 Enjoying Everyday Life
John 13:3–15 Great People Serve
John 13:34, 35 Major in Love
John 15:5 “Help, Lord!”
John 16:7, 8 Welcome the Holy Spirit’s Work
John 16:12, 13 The Spirit of Truth
John 20:21–23 Forgiveness and the Holy Spirit
Acts 1:8 “You Shall Receive Power”
Acts 1:13 Wait for God
Acts 2:21 The Power of Jesus’ Name
Acts 3:19 His Presence Refreshes
Acts 6:2–4 Choose Your Battles
Acts 9:17, 18 How Paul was Filled with the Holy Spirit
Acts 10:34 God Has No Favorites
Acts 10:44 Be Filled with the Holy Spirit
Acts 16:12–14 Open Your Heart
Acts 17:28 “In Christ”
Romans 1:17 Consistent, Confident Faith
Romans 3:23, 24 All Have Sinned
Romans 4:18–21 Faith for Fulfillment
Romans 5:5 You are Loved
Romans 5:19 The Power of Obedience
Romans 6:18 Enjoy Your Freedom
Romans 7:6 Newness of Life
Romans 8:1 No Condemnation in Christ
Romans 8:28 Safe or Obedient?
Romans 8:31 God is For You
Romans 12:11 How to Stay on Fire for God

Romans 15:2, 3 Pleasing God, Pleasing Others
I Corinthians 2:14, 15 The Difference between Knowing and
Really Knowing
I Corinthians 3:3 Envy Prevents Blessing
I Corinthians 4:15 A Father’s Heart
I Corinthians 10:31 The Spiritual in the Natural
I Corinthians 12:10 The Gift of Discernment
I Corinthians 12:31 Love Above All
I Corinthians 13:13 The Most Important Thing
I Corinthians 14:1, 3, 4 A Word about Personal Prophecy
I Corinthians 15:41 Different is Okay
II Corinthians 1:3, 4 Find Comfort in God
II Corinthians 3:6 Relationship, Not “Religion”
II Corinthians 3:18 Free to Be
II Corinthians 4:17, 18 This Too Shall Pass
II Corinthians 5:7 Fickle Feelings
II Corinthians 5:18–20 God’s Ambassadors
II Corinthians 5:21 Right with God
II Corinthians 10:4, 5 The Mind is the Battlefield
II Corinthians 11:3 The Beauty of Simplicity
Galatians 1:15–19 How to Handle God’s Call
Galatians 3:2–5 Do Your Part
Galatians 5:16 Choose Life in the Spirit
Galatians 5:22, 23 True Love
Galatians 6:1–3 Patience, Not Pride
Ephesians 1:4 You Have Been Chosen
Ephesians 2:6 Seated in Heavenly Places
Ephesians 2:10 God Has a Good Plan
Ephesians 3:16–19 Be Filled!
Ephesians 3:20 Believe Big
Ephesians 4:22–24 How to Really Change

Ephesians 4:32 A Tender Conscience
Philippians 1:6 God Will Finish the Work
Philippians 1:28 Constant and Fearless
Philippians 2:25–30 The Spiritual and the Natural
Philippians 3:9 Take the Pressure Off
Philippians 4:8 Think about What You’re Thinking About
Colossians 1:11 Strengthened with Joy
Colossians 1:17, 18 First Priority
Colossians 1:26, 27 The Hope of Glory
Colossians 3:15 Let Peace be Your Umpire
I Thessalonians 5:17 Pray Without Ceasing
I Thessalonians 5:18 Give Thanks
I Thessalonians 5:20 Do Not Despise Prophecy
II Thessalonians 3:5 Enjoy the Wait!
II Thessalonians 3:13 Do the Right Thing
I Timothy 3:1–12 Be Found Faithful
I Timothy 3:2 The Well-Rounded Leader
I Timothy 5:4 A Christian Duty
I Timothy 6:6 The Secret of True Contentment
I Timothy 6:12 Fight the Good Fight
II Timothy 1:7 Power, Love and Discipline
II Timothy 2:20, 21 Special People for Special Purposes
II Timothy 2:23, 24 Avoid Strife at All Costs
II Timothy 4:14–16 The Heart of a Hero
Titus 2:1 Walk the Talk
Titus 2:14 How to Live the Good Life
Titus 3:1 Prepare to Prosper
Philemon 22 Expect the Best
Hebrews 1:14 Angels are Everywhere
Hebrews 3:1, 2 Settle Down and Be Faithful
Hebrews 3:6 The “Ifs” and “Buts” of Biblical Faith

Hebrews 4:3 The Rest of God
Hebrews 4:15 Jesus Understands
Hebrews 5:8, 9 Use Your Pain for Gain
Hebrews 12:1 Throw Off Excess Baggage
James 1:21, 22 How to Walk in the Power of God
James 3:8–10 The Power of the Tongue
James 4:1, 2 Just Ask!
James 5:12 Worry-Free Decisions
James 5:16 Tell the Right Person
I Peter 2:19, 20 It’s All in Your Attitude
I Peter 3:4 The Hidden Person of the Heart
I Peter 4:8 Have Fervent Love
I Peter 4:14 The Spirit of Glory
I Peter 5:8 Keep Your Balance
II Peter 1:3 Everything We Need
II Peter 3:8 “When, God, When?”
I John 2:15 “In,” but Not “Of”
I John 3:20, 21 Confidence, Not Condemnation
I John 4:16 Enjoying God’s Love
I John 5:14, 15 Praying According to God’s Will
II John 6 Love Leads to Obedience
III John 2 Prosper with Purpose
Jude 11 Let God Decide
Revelation 3:7 Step Out and Find Out
Revelation 3:15, 16 Wholehearted Service
Revelation 5:5, 6 Lion or Lamb?
Revelation 22:12 Payday is Coming
Life Points
Genesis 1:26, 27
Genesis 1:28
Genesis 3:1–6
Genesis 12:2
Genesis 15:1
Genesis 17:10–12
Genesis 26:18
Genesis 37:5
Genesis 39:2–5
Genesis 41:15, 16
Genesis 50:20
Exodus 3:5
Exodus 16:29, 30
Exodus 18:18–22
Exodus 28:3
Exodus 35:30–33
Leviticus 17:11
Leviticus 17:14
Leviticus 19:31
Leviticus 20:26
Leviticus 22:29
Leviticus 25:17
Leviticus 26:3
Numbers 10:35
Numbers 13:30–33
Numbers 14:1–3
Numbers 20:3–5
Numbers 21:4, 5
Deuteronomy 2:3
Deuteronomy 7:22
Deuteronomy 8:3
Deuteronomy 8:5
Deuteronomy 8:7–9
Deuteronomy 8:17
Deuteronomy 11:16, 17
Deuteronomy 11:26–28
Deuteronomy 13:4
Deuteronomy 27:10
Deuteronomy 30:2
Deuteronomy 31:6
Deuteronomy 32:4
Deuteronomy 33:27
Joshua 1:1–3
Joshua 1:8
Joshua 2:1
Joshua 3:17
Joshua 8:1
Joshua 9:12
Joshua 10:25
Joshua 10:40
Joshua 17:9
Judges 3:10
Judges 5:1–5
Judges 6:34
Judges 6:36–40
Judges 7:3
Judges 7:16–20
Ruth 1:3
Ruth 1:5
Ruth 1:21
Ruth 2:15, 16
Ruth 3:1–5
Ruth 4:15
I Samuel 2:7
I Samuel 13:1–14
I Samuel 15:22
I Samuel 16:7
I Samuel 17:33–37
I Samuel 17:48
I Samuel 18:5
I Samuel 20:14–16
I Samuel 26:7–11
II Samuel 1:11, 12
II Samuel 4:4
II Samuel 6:6, 7
II Samuel 9:3, 4
II Samuel 11:15
II Samuel 22:4
II Samuel 22:32, 33
II Samuel 24:10
I Kings 6:18–21
I Kings 8:23
I Kings 11:1
I Kings 17:9
I Kings 19:4
I Kings 19:5–8
I Kings 19:12
II Kings 20:1–6
I Chronicles 5:1
I Chronicles 10:13, 14
I Chronicles 16:25
I Chronicles 16:34
I Chronicles 17:1–4
I Chronicles 22:13
I Chronicles 22:14
I Chronicles 23:30
I Chronicles 29:6
II Chronicles 2:7
II Chronicles 5:13, 14
II Chronicles 6:19
II Chronicles 20:13–17
II Chronicles 20:22
II Chronicles 32:31
Ezra 3:3
Ezra 3:11
Nehemiah 1:4
Nehemiah 1:6, 7
Nehemiah 4:7–9
Nehemiah 5:7–10
Nehemiah 6:9
Nehemiah 6:11
Nehemiah 6:19
Nehemiah 8:5
Nehemiah 8:6
Nehemiah 8:10
Nehemiah 13:13
Nehemiah 13:19
Esther 2:22
Esther 5:2
Esther 6:7–10
Esther 8:1, 2
Esther 9:25
Esther 10:3
Job 5:22
Job 19:25
Job 22:21
Job 32:17–20
Job 37:14
Job 38:19
Job 42:7–10
Job 42:12
Psalm 1
Psalm 2:7
Psalm 8:4–6
Psalm 16:11
Psalm 17:15
Psalm 19:14
Psalm 22:3
Psalm 23:4–6
Psalm 32:9
Psalm 34:7–9
Psalm 37:23, 24
Psalm 40:1, 2
Psalm 42:5
Psalm 45:13
Psalm 46:10
Psalm 48:9
Psalm 51:6
Psalm 63:1
Psalm 63:4
Psalm 63:5, 6
Psalm 66:4
Psalm 77:6
Psalm 84:5–7
Psalm 91:1
Psalm 94:12–15
Psalm 100:4
Psalm 111:10
Psalm 116:17
Psalm 119:1
Psalm 119:6
Psalm 119:130
Psalm 125:1, 2
Psalm 127:1
Psalm 143:5
Psalm 143:5–8
Psalm 143:9–12
Psalm 144:1, 2
Proverbs 1:1–4
Proverbs 1:23
Proverbs 3:7
Proverbs 3:26
Proverbs 3:27, 28
Proverbs 4:18
Proverbs 4:23
Proverbs 5:12
Proverbs 8:6–9
Proverbs 8:34–36
Proverbs 12:25
Proverbs 13:16
Proverbs 14:30
Proverbs 15:1
Proverbs 15:4
Proverbs 15:7
Proverbs 15:13
Proverbs 16:2
Proverbs 18:21
Proverbs 18:24
Proverbs 23:7
Proverbs 23:12
Proverbs 24:10
Proverbs 24:17, 18
Proverbs 25:17
Proverbs 28:20
Ecclesiastes 1:14
Ecclesiastes 3:1
Ecclesiastes 5:1
Ecclesiastes 5:2
Ecclesiastes 5:3
Ecclesiastes 8:12
Ecclesiastes 12:13
Song of Solomon 1:4
Song of Solomon 2:15
Song of Solomon 3:4
Song of Solomon 4:9
Isaiah 11:3, 4
Isaiah 26:3
Isaiah 30:1, 2
Isaiah 30:3–7
Isaiah 30:18
Isaiah 40:29
Isaiah 40:31
Isaiah 41:10
Isaiah 42:16
Isaiah 43:18, 19
Isaiah 46:9, 10
Isaiah 46:10
Isaiah 48:3
Isaiah 48:17
Isaiah 50:4
Isaiah 53:3
Isaiah 55:11
Isaiah 56:7
Isaiah 58:5
Isaiah 58:9–12
Isaiah 61:1
Isaiah 61:3
Jeremiah 6:10
Jeremiah 10:23
Jeremiah 11:20
Jeremiah 18:1–4
Jeremiah 29:11
Jeremiah 29:13
Lamentations 3:19–24
Lamentations 3:25
Ezekiel 11:19
Ezekiel 25:15–17
Ezekiel 36:26, 27
Ezekiel 37:1–4
Daniel 1:5
Daniel 3:14
Daniel 3:16–18
Daniel 3:24–27
Daniel 5:12
Daniel 6:10
Daniel 6:28
Daniel 7:21–25
Hosea 5:15
Hosea 6:1
Hosea 12:6
Joel 2:28
Amos 3:3
Amos 6:8
Obadiah 3
Obadiah 17
Jonah 1:1–3
Jonah 4:2
Micah 3:8
Nahum 1:7
Habakkuk 2:3
Habakkuk 2:20
Habakkuk 3:2
Habakkuk 3:18
Habakkuk 3:19
Zephaniah 3:19
Haggai 2:11–13
Zechariah 4:6
Zechariah 4:7
Zechariah 4:10
Zechariah 9:12
Zechariah 12:10
Malachi 1:14
Malachi 2:5–7
Malachi 2:13–17
Malachi 3:6
Malachi 3:10–12
Matthew 2:1–16
Matthew 5:4
Matthew 5:13
Matthew 6:2
Matthew 6:5, 6
Matthew 6:34
Matthew 7:1, 2
Matthew 7:3–5
Matthew 7:13, 14
Matthew 12:33
Matthew 12:34
Matthew 12:36
Matthew 16:17, 18
Matthew 16:19
Matthew 18:18, 19
Matthew 20:16
Matthew 25:1–10
Matthew 26:41
Mark 1:10
Mark 1:35
Mark 2:6–8
Mark 3:27
Mark 4:24
Mark 4:39
Mark 5:25–29
Mark 8:31
Mark 9:23
Mark 11:22
Mark 14:43–46
Mark 15:37, 38
Mark 16:17, 18
Mark 16:20
Luke 4:1–12
Luke 5:15, 16
Luke 6:39
Luke 10:5–7
Luke 10:41, 42
Luke 11:9
Luke 12:31
Luke 18:8
Luke 18:17
Luke 18:27
Luke 19:8–10
Luke 22:1–4
John 5:19
John 5:38
John 6:28, 29
John 7:37–39
John 11:41
John 14:6
John 14:15
John 14:16
John 14:17
John 14:27
John 15:1–8
John 16:7–11
John 16:12, 13
John 21:18–22
Acts 1:4
Acts 2:17, 18
Acts 4:16
Acts 7:51
Acts 16:22–26
Acts 20:24
Acts 28:1–5
Romans 2:1
Romans 3:17
Romans 3:28
Romans 4:17
Romans 4:18
Romans 4:18–21
Romans 5:17
Romans 8:1
Romans 8:6
Romans 8:6–14
Romans 8:15
Romans 8:28
Romans 8:31
Romans 8:34
Romans 9:1
Romans 10:17
Romans 11:6
Romans 11:34
Romans 12:1
Romans 12:2
Romans 12:18
Romans 12:19
Romans 12:21
Romans 14:12
Romans 15:13
I Corinthians 1:27–29
I Corinthians 2:5
I Corinthians 2:14
I Corinthians 3:3
I Corinthians 3:16, 17
I Corinthians 6:12
I Corinthians 8:1
I Corinthians 10:13
I Corinthians 10:31
I Corinthians 12:9
I Corinthians 13:13
I Corinthians 14:3
II Corinthians 1:20
II Corinthians 2:10, 11
II Corinthians 2:14
II Corinthians 3:13–15
II Corinthians 3:17
II Corinthians 3:18
II Corinthians 5:14
II Corinthians 5:17
II Corinthians 5:20
II Corinthians 5:21
II Corinthians 10:12
II Corinthians 12:9
II Corinthians 13:5
Galatians 1:10
Galatians 1:15, 16
Galatians 3:2–4
Galatians 3:16
Galatians 3:28
Galatians 4:24–31
Galatians 5:19–23
Galatians 6:1–3
Galatians 6:2
Galatians 6:9
Galatians 6:14
Ephesians 1:4
Ephesians 2:8
Ephesians 2:10
Ephesians 3:20
Ephesians 4:17–19
Ephesians 4:23
Ephesians 4:26, 27
Ephesians 5:18–20
Ephesians 6:11–18
Ephesians 6:12
Philippians 1:6
Philippians 2:3, 4
Philippians 2:5–8
Philippians 3:3
Philippians 3:13, 14
Philippians 4:6
Philippians 4:13
Colossians 1:4
Colossians 1:11
Colossians 1:27
Colossians 3:1, 2
Colossians 3:12
Colossians 3:16
Colossians 3:22
I Thessalonians 2:13
I Thessalonians 5:18, 19
II Thessalonians 2:17
II Thessalonians 3:10–12
I Timothy 1:13–16
I Timothy 2:1
I Timothy 3:4, 5
I Timothy 3:10
I Timothy 5:8
I Timothy 6:8
I Timothy 6:12
II Timothy 1:5–7
II Timothy 2:16
II Timothy 2:24
II Timothy 3:1, 2
II Timothy 3:12
II Timothy 4:5
Titus 1:4
Titus 3:1
Philemon 6
Philemon 8–21
Hebrews 3:7, 8
Hebrews 4:15
Hebrews 4:16
Hebrews 5:11
Hebrews 6:11
Hebrews 9:14
Hebrews 10:20
Hebrews 10:35, 36
Hebrews 11:6
Hebrews 12:2
Hebrews 12:6
Hebrews 12:15
Hebrews 13:5
James 1:2, 3
James 1:5, 6
James 1:25
James 1:26
James 3:5–10
James 4:6
James 4:7
James 5:7
I Peter 1:3
I Peter 1:15, 16
I Peter 1:22
I Peter 2:5
I Peter 3:10
I Peter 4:1, 2
II Peter 2:10
II Peter 3:18
I John 1:5
I John 1:9
I John 2:15
I John 2:27
I John 3:9
I John 4:8
I John 5:14, 15
Jude 20
Revelation 1:5
Revelation 3:20
Revelation 4:5
Revelation 12:10
Revelation 19:11–16
Revelation 21:6
Speak the Word

Genesis 1:28
Genesis 6:8
Genesis 7:5
Genesis 15:1
Genesis 17:1
Genesis 18:14
Genesis 24:40
Genesis 28:15
Genesis 32:10
Genesis 41:52
Genesis 50:20
Exodus 4:12
Exodus 6:6
Exodus 8:10
Exodus 14:13
Exodus 15:11, 13
Exodus 20:5
Exodus 20:6
Exodus 23:20
Exodus 23:30
Exodus 24:3
Exodus 31:3
Exodus 32:29
Exodus 33:15
Leviticus 1:3
Leviticus 10:3
Leviticus 10:10
Leviticus 11:45
Leviticus 18:4, 5
Leviticus 20:8
Leviticus 25:18, 19
Leviticus 26:9
Leviticus 26:12
Numbers 6:24–26
Numbers 10:29
Numbers 12:7, 8
Numbers 14:14
Numbers 16:5
Numbers 22:32
Numbers 23:19
Numbers 27:16, 17
Numbers 27:18
Deuteronomy 1:30
Deuteronomy 3:22
Deuteronomy 4:29
Deuteronomy 4:31
Deuteronomy 6:3
Deuteronomy 7:6
Deuteronomy 7:9
Deuteronomy 10:12
Deuteronomy 15:8
Deuteronomy 23:5
Deuteronomy 28:1, 2
Deuteronomy 28:13
Deuteronomy 30:9
Deuteronomy 33:3
Deuteronomy 33:11
Deuteronomy 34:9
Joshua 4:24
Joshua 21:44
Joshua 22:5
Joshua 23:14
Joshua 24:15
Joshua 24:24
Judges 2:1
Judges 10:6
Judges 21:25
Ruth 2:12
I Samuel 2:1
I Samuel 2:2
I Samuel 3:10
I Samuel 3:19
I Samuel 10:6
I Samuel 12:12
I Samuel 12:24
I Samuel 13:14
I Samuel 17:47
I Samuel 18:14
II Samuel 2:6, 7
II Samuel 5:10
II Samuel 5:20
II Samuel 7:15
II Samuel 18:31
II Samuel 22:7
II Samuel 22:40
II Samuel 24:14
I Kings 2:3
I Kings 3:9
I Kings 4:29
I Kings 8:28
I Kings 8:43
I Kings 8:61
I Kings 15:5
I Kings 22:14
II Kings 6:16
II Kings 10:16
II Kings 17:8
II Kings 17:39
II Kings 18:5, 6
II Kings 19:15
II Kings 21:22
II Kings 22:19
I Chronicles 4:10
I Chronicles 12:18
I Chronicles 12:32
I Chronicles 17:23
I Chronicles 17:26
I Chronicles 28:9
I Chronicles 28:20
II Chronicles 2:5
II Chronicles 6:4
II Chronicles 6:27
II Chronicles 6:41
II Chronicles 14:11
II Chronicles 15:7
II Chronicles 16:9
II Chronicles 30:8
Ezra 5:8
Ezra 7:10
Ezra 7:23
Ezra 7:27, 28
Ezra 8:22
Nehemiah 2:8
Nehemiah 2:20
Nehemiah 4:15
Nehemiah 9:5
Nehemiah 9:20
Nehemiah 9:31
Nehemiah 13:2
Esther 2:15
Esther 4:16
Job 1:1
Job 1:22
Job 12:10
Job 12:13
Job 13:15
Job 23:5
Job 42:1
Psalm 4:3
Psalm 5:11
Psalm 6:9
Psalm 9:1, 2
Psalm 18:2
Psalm 18:30
Psalm 25:4, 5
Psalm 28:7
Psalm 30:5
Psalm 33:4
Psalm 36:5, 6
Psalm 36:9
Psalm 39:7
Psalm 40:8
Psalm 43:3
Psalm 50:7
Psalm 52:9
Psalm 54:4
Psalm 55:18
Psalm 55:22
Psalm 59:10
Psalm 60:12
Psalm 62:8
Psalm 66:20
Psalm 68:19, 20
Psalm 70:4
Psalm 71:14
Psalm 85:12, 13
Psalm 86:11
Psalm 89:1
Psalm 90:12
Psalm 90:17
Psalm 94:19
Psalm 97:11
Psalm 101:2
Psalm 102:28
Psalm 112:3
Psalm 119:18
Psalm 121:2–8
Psalm 130:5
Psalm 136:12
Psalm 138:8
Psalm 142:7
Psalm 146:5
Proverbs 1:5
Proverbs 2:6
Proverbs 10:6
Proverbs 10:22
Proverbs 14:3
Proverbs 14:9
Proverbs 14:26
Proverbs 16:3
Proverbs 18:10
Proverbs 19:21
Proverbs 20:22
Proverbs 21:30, 31
Proverbs 30:5
Ecclesiastes 2:26
Ecclesiastes 9:7
Song of Solomon 1:4
Song of Solomon 6:3
Isaiah 2:3
Isaiah 6:3
Isaiah 6:8
Isaiah 8:10
Isaiah 9:6
Isaiah 12:2
Isaiah 25:1
Isaiah 26:4
Isaiah 28:29
Isaiah 30:15
Isaiah 32:17
Isaiah 33:6
Isaiah 38:5
Isaiah 40:8
Isaiah 43:1
Isaiah 43:25
Isaiah 49:16
Isaiah 49:23
Isaiah 49:25
Isaiah 52:12
Isaiah 53:4, 5
Isaiah 54:5
Isaiah 54:10
Isaiah 54:13
Isaiah 54:17
Isaiah 59:19
Isaiah 60:19
Isaiah 61:10
Jeremiah 9:24
Jeremiah 15:16
Jeremiah 17:14
Jeremiah 20:11
Jeremiah 23:28
Jeremiah 24:6, 7
Jeremiah 30:17
Jeremiah 31:3
Jeremiah 31:13
Jeremiah 31:17
Jeremiah 31:25
Jeremiah 33:14
Jeremiah 42:3
Jeremiah 46:28
Lamentations 2:19
Lamentations 3:32
Lamentations 3:41
Lamentations 3:57, 58
Ezekiel 2:2
Ezekiel 3:10
Ezekiel 16:62
Ezekiel 20:12
Ezekiel 34:16
Ezekiel 36:9
Ezekiel 37:14
Ezekiel 40:4
Ezekiel 44:23
Daniel 1:17
Daniel 4:37
Daniel 6:16
Daniel 9:9
Daniel 9:14
Daniel 11:32
Hosea 2:14, 15
Hosea 2:19, 20
Hosea 6:3
Hosea 10:12
Hosea 13:4
Hosea 13:9
Joel 2:13
Joel 2:21
Joel 3:10
Joel 3:16
Amos 5:4
Amos 5:24
Jonah 2:2
Jonah 2:6, 7
Micah 5:5
Micah 6:8
Micah 7:7, 8
Micah 7:18
Micah 7:20
Nahum 1:3
Habakkuk 1:13
Habakkuk 2:4
Zephaniah 2:3
Zephaniah 3:5
Haggai 2:4
Haggai 2:9
Haggai 2:19
Zechariah 2:8
Zechariah 10:12
Zechariah 13:9
Malachi 1:6
Matthew 3:8
Matthew 10:16
Matthew 11:28–30
Matthew 13:23
Matthew 14:28–30
Matthew 26:7
Matthew 28:6
Mark 5:36
Mark 10:27
Mark 12:30, 31
Luke 1:37
Luke 3:22
Luke 6:36
Luke 10:39
Luke 11:10
Luke 12:22–24
Luke 22:61
John 1:12
John 3:16, 17
John 3:30
John 4:24
John 8:32
John 12:26
John 15:15
John 17:17
Acts 2:39
Acts 3:6
Acts 5:1–3
Acts 10:34
Acts 15:8
Romans 1:16
Romans 2:11
Romans 3:24
Romans 10:4
Romans 15:33
I Corinthians 4:20
I Corinthians 8:6
I Corinthians 15:10
I Corinthians 16:14
II Corinthians 4:7
II Corinthians 5:5
II Corinthians 6:18
II Corinthians 8:9
Galatians 2:16
Galatians 3:13
Galatians 4:6
Galatians 5:16
Ephesians 1:5, 6
Ephesians 1:7, 8
Ephesians 2:14
Ephesians 3:16, 17
Ephesians 5:10
Ephesians 5:20
Philippians 1:9
Philippians 2:13
Philippians 3:1
Philippians 4:13
Colossians 1:13, 14
Colossians 2:3
Colossians 2:7
Colossians 2:15
Colossians 4:2
I Thessalonians 1:4
I Thessalonians 4:7
II Thessalonians 1:11, 12
I Timothy 1:12
I Timothy 4:6
I Timothy 6:17, 18
II Timothy 1:7
II Timothy 1:14
II Timothy 2:1
II Timothy 2:15
Titus 2:7
Titus 2:11
Titus 3:5
Philemon 3
Philemon 6
Hebrews 2:14
Hebrews 2:18
Hebrews 3:15
Hebrews 4:12
Hebrews 7:25
Hebrews 8:12
Hebrews 10:19
Hebrews 12:6, 7
Hebrews 13:1
Hebrews 13:8
Hebrews 13:20, 21
James 1:17
James 1:19
James 2:17
James 3:17
I Peter 2:9
II Peter 1:2
II Peter 1:3
II Peter 3:9
I John 3:1
I John 3:18
I John 4:7
I John 4:18
I John 5:14
II John 4
II John 6
III John 2
III John 4
III John 11
Jude 3
Jude 20, 21
Jude 24
Revelation 1:5
Revelation 2:4
Revelation 3:8
Revelation 4:11
Revelation 15:3
Revelation 19:10
Revelation 19:11
Revelation 19:16
Revelation 21:5
Revelation 22:20
Putting the Word to Work

Genesis 4:4–12
Genesis 6:12
Genesis 7:1
Genesis 19:17
Genesis 21:1–3
Genesis 27:30–32
Genesis 29:17
Genesis 34:1, 2
Exodus 1:15–17
Exodus 11:3
Exodus 17:12
Exodus 31:14
Exodus 40:36–38
Leviticus 7:11
Leviticus 11:2
Leviticus 19:16
Leviticus 19:18
Leviticus 24:16
Numbers 4:1–14
Numbers 9:8
Numbers 11:14
Deuteronomy 5:16
Deuteronomy 6:23
Deuteronomy 10:16
Deuteronomy 15:11
Joshua 3:15, 16
Joshua 6:1
Joshua 18:12
Judges 19:5
Ruth 4:10
I Samuel 1:20
I Samuel 18:3
I Samuel 18:29
I Samuel 23:2
I Samuel 30:8
II Samuel 5:12
II Samuel 6:11, 12
II Samuel 6:16–23
II Samuel 11:1
II Samuel 23:3, 4
I Kings 2:15
I Kings 3:5–10
I Kings 3:28
I Kings 6:14—7:51
I Kings 10:1–3
I Kings 11:1–6
I Kings 17:1–9
I Kings 17:8–16
I Kings 18:25–39
II Kings 2:2–8
II Kings 4:8–17
II Kings 4:42–44
II Kings 5:9–14
II Kings 5:20–27
II Kings 17:6–3
II Kings 18:1–7
II Kings 22:1
II Kings 22:18–20
II Kings 23:1–3
I Chronicles 3
I Chronicles 13:1
I Chronicles 22:19
I Chronicles 29:3
II Chronicles 7:14
II Chronicles 9:23
Ezra 3:10, 11
Ezra 3:12, 13
Ezra 8:21–23
Ezra 9:1–6
Nehemiah 1:5–11
Nehemiah 3:26–31
Nehemiah 4:16, 17
Nehemiah 5:14–19
Nehemiah 9:5-15
Nehemiah 12:27–43
Esther 2:12, 13
Esther 2:15
Esther 4:14–16
Esther 5:2–5
Esther 6:6–10
Job 2:11–13
Job 9:32, 33
Job 10:12
Job 19:13–26
Job 26:7–14
Job 28:12–28
Job 29:1–25
Job 31:24, 25, 28
Job 32:7–9
Job 42:10
Psalm 8:3–5
Psalm 19:7–11
Psalm 23:4
Psalm 34:8
Psalm 42:1, 2
Psalm 61:1–4
Psalm 67:2, 3
Psalm 73:25–28
Psalm 84:10
Psalm 86:1–7
Psalm 105:5
Psalm 119:9–11
Psalm 119:105
Psalm 141:3
Psalm 150
Proverbs 11:14
Proverbs 11:25
Proverbs 22:6
Ecclesiastes 2:24
Ecclesiastes 3:17
Song of Solomon 4:7
Isaiah 11:2
Isaiah 26:3
Isaiah 40:4
Isaiah 57:15
Jeremiah 3:15
Jeremiah 34:17
Lamentations 3:40
Ezekiel 14:6
Daniel 1:8
Daniel 2:20–22
Hosea 4:6
Hosea 14:3, 4
Joel 2:12–14
Joel 2:25–27
Joel 2:28, 29
Joel 2:30–32
Joel 3:14
Amos 1:1
Amos 2:4
Amos 7:7–9
Amos 7:14, 15
Obadiah 12–14
Obadiah 19–21
Jonah 1:10–16
Jonah 2:3–10
Jonah 3:1–5
Jonah 3:5–10
Micah 4:1–4
Micah 7:7
Micah 7:18–20
Nahum 1:2–6
Nahum 1:7, 8
Nahum 1:15
Habakkuk 1:2–6
Habakkuk 2:1–3
Habakkuk 2:9, 10
Zephaniah 1:4–6
Zephaniah 1:14
Zephaniah 1:18
Zephaniah 3:17
Haggai 1:1, 2
Haggai 1:3–11
Haggai 2:3, 4
Haggai 2:15–19
Zechariah 3:3–5
Zechariah 8:16, 17
Zechariah 13:9
Malachi 1:11–14
Malachi 3:13–16
Malachi 4:2
Matthew 3:13–17
Matthew 4:1–11
Matthew 6:19–21
Matthew 6:25–34
Matthew 10:37–39
Matthew 18:15–17
Matthew 18:21–35
Matthew 28:18–20
Mark 1:16–20
Mark 2:1–4
Mark 6:30–44
Mark 9:14–27
Mark 10:35–52
Mark 11:1–11
Mark 13:32–37
Luke 1:26–34
Luke 2:52
Luke 6:43–45
Luke 6:47–49
Luke 10:29–37
Luke 11:1–4
Luke 15:1–10
Luke 17:11–19
Luke 22:39–42
Luke 23:39–43
John 2:1–11
John 6:32–35
John 10:7–10
John 11:25–27
John 13:34, 35
John 14:4–6
John 15:1–7
John 17:20–23
John 20:11–18
John 20:21, 22
John 20:24–29
Acts 2:42–47
Acts 4:13
Acts 8:26–31
Acts 9:20–22
Acts 11:19–24
Acts 17:10, 11
Romans 4:20, 21
Romans 5:6–8
Romans 6:15
Romans 6:23
Romans 8:18
Romans 8:35–39
Romans 10:14, 15
Romans 12:4–8
Romans 12:9–21
I Corinthians 6:20
I Corinthians 15:33
I Corinthians 15:58
II Corinthians 1:20
II Corinthians 3:5
II Corinthians 5:18—16:1
Galatians 1:1
Galatians 3:28
Galatians 5:13, 14
Galatians 6:2
Galatians 6:3, 4
Ephesians 2:4–7
Ephesians 3:14–19
Ephesians 5:1, 2
Ephesians 5:15–17
Ephesians 6:1–4
Ephesians 6:10–18
Philippians 1:12–14
Philippians 3:12
Philippians 4:2, 3
Philippians 4:8
Philippians 4:19
Colossians 1:9–11
Colossians 3:5–11
Colossians 4:6
I Thessalonians 4:1
I Thessalonians 4:3–6
I Thessalonians 5:12–22
I Timothy 2:1, 2
I Timothy 4:1, 2
I Timothy 4:12
I Timothy 6:6–10
I Timothy 6:17–19
II Timothy 3:1–5
II Timothy 3:16, 17
II Timothy 4:2
Titus 1:5–16
Titus 2:14
Titus 3:1, 2
Titus 3:9–11
Philemon 4–6
Philemon 22
Hebrews 4:3
Hebrews 5:12–14
Hebrews 10:20
Hebrews 10:24, 25
Hebrews 11:1–40
Hebrews 12:1, 2
James 1:12–15
James 4:13–15
James 4:17
I Peter 5:6, 7
II Peter 1:3, 4
II Peter 1:5–7
II Peter 3:9
II Peter 3:17
I John 2:15–17
I John 3:10
I John 3:16–18
I John 5:21
II John 4
II John 12
III John 3, 4
III John 5–8
III John 10, 11
Revelation 2:4
Revelation 3:20
Revelation 7:9, 10
Revelation 21:3, 4
The Word for Your Everyday Life
The Word of God gives us insight, advice, and direction
about every area of our lives. In the following pages, you will
find a list of topics, needs, or situations you may be facing
right now or may face in the future. Let me encourage you to
become familiar with the issues in this section so that you will
know where to look to find biblical answers and
encouragement for many circumstances you will likely
encounter at some point. Use the scriptures in this section to
strengthen your heart and align your thoughts and words
(conversation) with the Word of God so you can have victory
in every aspect of your life.
Anger
Psalm 37:8
Psalm 103:8
Proverbs 14:29
Proverbs 15:1
Proverbs 15:18
Proverbs 19:11
Ecclesiastes 7:9
Ephesians 4:26
Ephesians 4:31, 32
Colossians 3:8
James 1:19, 20
Anointing
Psalm 20:6
Psalm 23:5
Psalm 45:7
Psalm 92:10
Isaiah 10:27
Isaiah 61:1
Mark 6:13
2 Corinthians 1:21
I John 2:20
I John 2:27
Anxiety and Worry

Deuteronomy 31:6
Psalm 86:7
Psalm 139:23, 24
Proverbs 15:15
Matthew 6:27
Matthew 6:31, 33
Matthew 6:34
Mark 4:19
Philippians 4:6, 7
I Peter 5:7
Authority of the Believer

Matthew 12:29
Matthew 16:19
Matthew 28:18, 19
Mark 16:17, 18
Luke 10:19
Ephesians 1:17–22; 2:6
James 4:7
Compromise
Exodus 34:12
Psalm 1:1
Psalm 119:2, 3
Proverbs 25:26
Acts 23:1
I Timothy 3:9
Hebrews 11:25
I Peter 2:9
Civil Responsibility
Deuteronomy 4:7
II Chronicles 7:14
Psalm 122:6, 7
Proverbs 11:11
Proverbs 24:21
Proverbs 28:7
Jeremiah 29:7
Matthew 22:21
Romans 13:1
Romans 13:7
I Timothy 2:1–3
Titus 3:1, 2
I Peter 2:13–17
Confessions for Husbands

Joshua 24:15
Proverbs 3:3
Ecclesiastes 9:9
Mark 10:6–9
Ephesians 4:31, 32
Ephesians 5:25–28
Colossians 3:8–10
Hebrews 13:4
James 5:16
I Peter 3:7
Confessions for Wives

Proverbs 12:4
Proverbs 19:14
Proverbs 31:10–12
Proverbs 31:26
I Corinthians 6:20
I Corinthians 7:3
Ephesians 5:33
I Thessalonians 5:11, 15–18
I Timothy 3:11
Titus 2:4, 5
I Peter 3:1–5
I John 3:18
Confessions for Parents

Deuteronomy 6:2, 5
Deuteronomy 28:13
Proverbs 14:16
Proverbs 17:6
Proverbs 31:28
Isaiah 54:13
Jeremiah 18:6
Romans 15:2
I Corinthians 15:33
II Corinthians 6:14
Galatians 5:16
Ephesians 1:17, 18
Ephesians 6:4
Philippians 2:14
Colossians 1:3, 5, 9–14
II Timothy 2:15
Confessions for Singles

Psalm 3:3, 4
Psalm 27:4
Psalm 27:14
Psalm 37:1
Psalm 37:3–5
Psalm 55:22
Psalm 91:14–16
Ecclesiastes 7:8, 9
Isaiah 43:1–3
Isaiah 61:1–3
Jeremiah 31:13
Matthew 28:20
Romans 8:25
I Peter 5:7
Confessions for Families

Deuteronomy 28:8, 11, 12
Joshua 24:15
Proverbs 24:3, 4
Acts 20:32
Ephesians 1:3
Ephesians 6:1–3
Colossians 3:13–15
I John 4:7, 11
III John 4
What the Bible Says about Confessing the Word

Joshua 1:8
Psalm 119:105
Isaiah 48:6, 7
Isaiah 55:11
Isaiah 65:16
Jeremiah 1:12
Romans 4:17
Hebrews 4:12
Mark 11:23
Hebrews 4:14
Hebrews 10:23
Confidence
Joshua 1:9
Psalm 18:29
Psalm 37:3
Psalm 57:7
Psalm 84:12
Psalm 131:1, 2
Proverbs 29:25
Isaiah 26:3
Isaiah 30:15
Micah 7:7
Philippians 1:6
Philippians 3:3
Hebrews 4:16
Hebrews 10:35
Contentment
Psalm 16:6
Psalm 17:15
Psalm 84:10
Psalm 92:4, 5
Psalm 107:8, 9
Proverbs 14:30
John 6:35
Philippians 4:19
I Timothy 6:6–8
Hebrews 13:5, 6
Control
Acts 5:29
Romans 8:9
II Corinthians 5:14
Galatians 1:10
Colossians 1:10
I Thessalonians 2:4
Courage
Deuteronomy 31:6
Joshua 1:9
II Chronicles 32:7, 8
Psalm 27:14
Psalm 31:24
Matthew 14:27
I Corinthians 15:58
I Corinthians 16:13
I John 5:14
Depression
Deuteronomy 31:8
Psalm 3:3
Psalm 34:15, 17
Psalm 40:1–3
Psalm 42:5
Psalm 42:6, 8, 11
Psalm 77:1, 2
Psalm 91:14–16
Isaiah 54:4
Isaiah 60:1 2
Corinthians 7:6
I Peter 5:6, 7
Determination
Isaiah 40:31
I Corinthians 2:2
Colossians 3:2
I Timothy 6:11–14
I Peter 5:9
Diligence
Exodus 15:26
Deuteronomy 4:9
Psalm 119:4
Proverbs 4:23
Proverbs 8:17
Proverbs 10:4
Proverbs 12:24
Proverbs 13:4
Proverbs 21:5
Hebrews 11:6
Discouragement and Despair

Psalm 3:3
Psalm 30:11, 12
John 10:10
John 16:33
Romans 8:28
II Corinthians 1:4
II Corinthians 4:8
II Corinthians 12:9
Philippians 4:13
Emotions
Psalm 7:9
Psalm 30:5
Psalm 34:18
Psalm 42:5
Psalm 51:8, 12
Psalm 94:13
Psalm 147:3
Romans 8:8
Philippians 4:11
Hebrews 4:15, 16
I Peter 5:9
Encouragement and Comfort

Psalm 27:5
Psalm 31:7
Psalm 57:2, 3
Psalm 62:1, 2
Psalm 119:50
Psalm 138:7, 8
Faith
Habakkuk 2:4
Matthew 17:20
Mark 11:23
Romans 3:28
Romans 5:2
Romans 10:17
Romans 14:23
Romans 15:13
I Corinthians 2:5
II Corinthians 5:7
Galatians 3:24, 25
Ephesians 3:12
Ephesians 6:16
I Timothy 6:12
Hebrews 10:22, 23
Hebrews 11:1, 3
James 2:17
Favor
Job 10:12
Psalm 5:12
Psalm 30:7
Psalm 89:17
Proverbs 3:4
Proverbs 11:27
Proverbs 12:2
Proverbs 14:9
Matthew 5:4
II Corinthians 12:9
Ephesians 2:4–7
Hebrews 4:16
Fear
Psalm 23:4
Psalm 27:1
Psalm 91:4, 5
Psalm 112:7, 8
Proverbs 29:25
Isaiah 41:10
Isaiah 54:14
Luke 12:32
II Timothy 1:7
Hebrews 13:5, 6
I Peter 3:14
I John 4:18
Hebrews 11:6
Forgiveness
II Chronicles 30:9
Matthew 6:14
Mark 11:25, 26
Luke 6:37
Romans 4:7, 8
Ephesians 4:32
Colossians 3:13
James 5:15
I John 1:9, 10
I John 2:12
Grace
Psalm 84:11
Acts 13:43
Romans 3:24
Romans 5:15
Romans 5:20, 21
Ephesians 2:8
James 4:6
Guilt and Condemnation

Psalm 18:23
Psalm 51:1, 2
Psalm 51:7-9
Isaiah 53:5
Romans 3:11, 12, 21, 22
Romans 8:1, 2
Romans 8:10
Romans 8:33, 34
II Corinthians 5:21
Hebrews 1:3
Hebrews 10:22, 23
I John 3:18-20
Health and Healing

Psalm 30:2
Psalm 103:2, 3
Psalm 107:20
Psalm 118:17
Psalm 147:3
Proverbs 4:20-22
Isaiah 58:8
Jeremiah 17:14
Jeremiah 30:17
James 5:14, 15
I Peter 2:24
III John 2
Hearing from God

Deuteronomy 28:1
Psalm 40:6
Psalm 95:7, 8
Psalm 119:129, 130
Jeremiah 7:23
Matthew 7:24, 25
Matthew 13:19, 23
John 10:5
John 10:27
Romans 10:17
James 1:22–25
Help
Psalm 28:7
Psalm 34:15, 17
Psalm 50:15
Psalm 55:22
Psalm 94:17–19
Psalm 143:10, 11
Isaiah 41:13
Isaiah 50:7
Nahum 1:7
Hebrews 13:6
Holiness
Leviticus 20:7
Acts 24:16
Romans 6:22
Romans 12:1, 2
Ephesians 1:4
Ephesians 4:23, 24
Colossians 1:22
Hebrews 12:10
Hebrews 12:14
I Peter 1:14, 15
Hope
Psalm 33:18
Psalm 147:11
Proverbs 13:12
Lamentations 3:24–26
Romans 12:12
Romans 15:4
Romans 15:13
I Corinthians 13:10, 12, 13
I Corinthians 15:51, 52, 54
Ephesians 1:18
I Peter 1:13
Humility and Pride

Psalm 25:9
Psalm 69:32
Psalm 147:6
Proverbs 11:2
Proverbs 15:33
Proverbs 16:19
Proverbs 29:23
Micah 6:8
James 4:10
I Peter 5:6
Insecurity
Psalm 27:1
Psalm 91:1, 4
Proverbs 1:33
Proverbs 14:26
Proverbs 18:10
Isaiah 41:10
Isaiah 54:17
Romans 8:28
Romans 8:37–39
II Corinthians 12:9
Philippians 4:13
Hebrews 13:6
Integrity
Psalm 15:4
Psalm 25:21
Psalm 26:1-5
Proverbs 11:2, 3
Matthew 5:41
Acts 23:1
Acts 24:16
Romans 9:1
I Corinthians 12:31
I Timothy 1:5
I Timothy 1:19
II Peter 1:3
Laziness and Passivity

Proverbs 5:23
Proverbs 6:4, 10, 11
Proverbs 12:9
Proverbs 20:4
Proverbs 26:15, 16
Ecclesiastes 10:18
Colossians 3:1
Hebrews 6:11, 12
Hebrews 11:6
Revelation 3:15, 16
Loneliness
Genesis 28:15
I Samuel 12:22
Psalm 25:16
Psalm 27:10
Psalm 46:1
Isaiah 41:10
Matthew 28:20
John 14:18
II Corinthians 6:18
Hebrews 13:5
Patience
Psalm 37:34
Psalm 40:1
Ecclesiastes 7:8
Romans 5:3, 4
Galatians 6:9
Colossians 1:11, 12
Hebrews 6:11, 12
James 1:2–4
James 5:7, 8
Revelation 3:10
Peace
Job 22:21
Psalm 85:8, 10, 11
Proverbs 16:7
Isaiah 26:3
Isaiah 54:10
Isaiah 58:8
John 14:27
Philippians 4:7
Hebrews 12:14
Power
Isaiah 40:29
Luke 10:19
Acts 1:8
I Corinthians 15:57
II Corinthians 12:9
Ephesians 1:17, 19
Ephesians 3:16
II Timothy 1:7
Prayer
Job 22:27
Psalm 34:4, 15
Psalm 38:15
Psalm 145:18, 19
Proverbs 15:29
Isaiah 55:6
Matthew 7:7, 8
Matthew 18:19
Luke 18:1
John 16:24
Romans 8:26
Hebrews 4:16
Prosperity, Finances, and Giving

Deuteronomy 8:18
Psalm 1:3
Psalm 34:10
Malachi 3:10
Matthew 6:3, 4
Matthew 6:19–21
Luke 6:38
Acts 10:4
Romans 13:8
Philippians 4:19
III John 2
Protection
Deuteronomy 33:27
Job 11:18, 19
Psalm 9:9
Psalm 32:7
Psalm 52:8, 9
Psalm 91:1, 2
Psalm 91:9–11
Proverbs 14:26
Hebrews 6:18
Receiving God’s Love
Proverbs 8:17
John 3:16
John 15:9
John 16:27
Romans 5:5
I Corinthians 8:3
I Corinthians 16:14
Ephesians 3:17–19
Ephesians 4:15
Ephesians 5:2
I John 4:16
I John 4:19
Jude 20, 21
Rejection
Leviticus 26:11
Joshua 1:9
Isaiah 54:17
Matthew 28:20
Luke 10:10, 11
John 15:16
Romans 8:31
Romans 8:37
Ephesians 1:4–6
Relating to Husbands
I Corinthians 8:3
I Peter 3:1, 2
Seeking God
Deuteronomy 4:29
II Chronicles 7:14
II Chronicles 15:2
Psalm 27:4
Lamentations 3:25
Matthew 6:33
Matthew 7:7, 8
Luke 12:29, 31
John 5:30
Colossians 3:1
Hebrews 11:6
Self-Control
Proverbs 15:18
Proverbs 25:28
Proverbs 31:16
Ecclesiastes 5:2
Ecclesiastes 5:4
Ecclesiastes 7:9
Luke 21:19
I Corinthians 6:12
Galatians 5:22, 23
Colossians 3:12-14
II Peter 1:5–7
Selfishness
Proverbs 28:27
Mark 8:34
Romans 12:10
Romans 15:2
I Corinthians 9:19
I Corinthians 10:24
I Corinthians 10:33
II Corinthians 5:15
Galatians 6:2
I Corinthians 16:14
Ephesians 3:17–19
Ephesians 4:15
Ephesians 5:2
I John 4:16
I John 4:19
Jude 20, 21
Rejection
Leviticus 26:11
Joshua 1:9
Isaiah 54:17
Matthew 28:20
Luke 10:10, 11
John 15:16
Romans 8:31
Romans 8:37
Ephesians 1:4–6
Relating to Husbands
I Corinthians 8:3
I Peter 3:1, 2
Seeking God
Deuteronomy 4:29
II Chronicles 7:14
II Chronicles 15:2
Psalm 27:4
Lamentations 3:25
Matthew 6:33
Matthew 7:7, 8
Luke 12:29, 31
John 5:30
Colossians 3:1
Hebrews 11:6
Self-Control
Proverbs 15:18
Proverbs 25:28
Proverbs 31:16
Ecclesiastes 5:2
Ecclesiastes 5:4
Ecclesiastes 7:9
Luke 21:19
I Corinthians 6:12
Galatians 5:22, 23
Colossians 3:12-14
II Peter 1:5–7
Selfishness
Proverbs 28:27
Mark 8:34
Romans 12:10
Romans 15:2
I Corinthians 9:19
I Corinthians 10:24
I Corinthians 10:33
II Corinthians 5:15
Galatians 6:2
Philippians 2:3–7
I Timothy 5:6
I John 3:17, 18
Spiritual Warfare
Deuteronomy 28:7
Psalm 35:1-3
Romans 7:23-25
Romans 8:37
Ephesians 6:11
I Timothy 6:12
I Peter 2:11, 12
I Peter 5:8
Stress
Psalm 37:5
Psalm 39:6
Psalm 127:2
Isaiah 40:29
Matthew 6:25, 31, 33
Mark 4:19
Luke 12:27
Luke 21:34
I Corinthians 7:32
Philippians 1:10
Philippians 4:6
Philippians 4:8, 9
I Peter 5:7
Submission to Authority: God’s and Man’s
Joshua 24:24
I Samuel 15:23
Psalm 103:17, 18
Psalm 112:1
Psalm 119:44, 45
Isaiah 1:19, 20
Luke 11:28
Ephesians 6:5
James 4:7, 8
I Peter 2:18, 19
I John 3:22
Taking Care of Your Body
Exodus 23:25
Proverbs 3:7, 8
Proverbs 4:10
Proverbs 4:20–22
Proverbs 16:24
Proverbs 17:22
Proverbs 18:9
Jeremiah 30:17
I Corinthians 6:13
I Peter 5:8
III John 2
Temptation
Psalm 46:1
Psalm 138:3
Psalm 143:10
Proverbs 1:10, 15
Proverbs 4:14, 15
Mark 14:38
Luke 22:40
Romans 12:21
James 1:12
James 4:7
The Goodness of God

Psalm 34:8
Psalm 37:4–6
Psalm 84:11
Psalm 135:3
Psalm 145:9
Proverbs 10:22
Jeremiah 29:11
Jeremiah 33:11
Nahum 1:7
Luke 12:32
I Corinthians 2:9
Philippians 4:19
The Mind
Psalm 139:1–4
Proverbs 3:5, 6
Proverbs 21:5
Proverbs 23:7
Romans 12:2
II Corinthians 10:5
Ephesians 4:22–24
Philippians 4:8
II Timothy 1:7
The Power of Words
Psalm 19:14
Psalm 34:13
Psalm 141:3
Proverbs 10:11
Proverbs 10:31
Proverbs 13:3
Proverbs 15:1
Proverbs 15:23
Proverbs 16:23
Proverbs 18:21
Proverbs 25:11
Isaiah 50:4
Matthew 12:34–37
Ephesians 4:29
I Peter 3:10
Trust
II Samuel 22:31–33
Psalm 2:12
Psalm 18:2, 3
Psalm 20:7
Psalm 31:14, 15
Psalm 56:3, 4
Psalm 62:8
Proverbs 3:5–8
Proverbs 29:25
Isaiah 30:15
Nahum 1:7
I Timothy 4:10
Hebrews 2:13
Victory
II Samuel 8:6
I Chronicles 29:11
Psalm 149:4
Proverbs 24:6
Romans 8:37
II Corinthians 2:14
I John 5:1–5
Waiting on God and His Timing

Psalm 25:5
Psalm 31:14, 15
Psalm 37:7
Psalm 39:7, 8
Psalm 62:1, 2
Psalm 145:15, 16
Isaiah 30:18
Isaiah 40:31
Habakkuk 2:3
Walking in Love
Deuteronomy 10:12
John 13:34
Ephesians 4:1, 2
Ephesians 5:2
Colossians 3:12–14
I John 4:7, 8
I John 4:12
I John 4:17–19
Wisdom
Psalm 111:10
Proverbs 1:5
Proverbs 2:1–5
Proverbs 3:5–7
Proverbs 3:13–15
Proverbs 3:35
Proverbs 8:11
Proverbs 8:35
Proverbs 19:20
James 1:5
Worship
Psalm 5:7
Psalm 22:27
Psalm 25:14
Psalm 29:2
Psalm 119:38
Proverbs 3:7
Ecclesiastes 3:14
John 4:24
Romans 12:1
Philippians 3:3
Hebrews 12:28
I believe that God will do many things in your life as you read, study, and
live according to His Word. For that reason, I wanted to provide the
following pages as a place for you to write notes in this Bible. You may
want to use them to record your prayer requests and answered prayers, to
make a list of your favorite scriptures, to jot down understanding or
revelation God gives you through His Word, or to keep some sort of
diary or journal of your walk with God. Just as this Bible is a compilation
of many years of life lessons and ministry experience for me, I hope you
will use these pages to write about all the lessons God is teaching you and
the experiences you are having with Him during ths time in your life.
—Joyce Meyer

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Genesis

We often hear the book of Genesis described as a “book of beginnings,”

speak the Word

enjoy your life

a very creative God

the devil’s doom

putting the Word to work

putting the Word to work

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the importance of a right heart

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one step at a time

lift up your eyes

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give God time

don’t have an Ishmael

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Sarah means “princess.” So when Abraham or anyone else called

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putting the Word to work

putting the Word to work

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putting the Word to work

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putting the Word to work

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putting the Word to work

receive God’s favor

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from the pit to the palace

turn your mess into your message

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putting the Word to work

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putting the Word to work

apply the blood to your life

when life gets difficult

won their battles.

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grace for today and every day

putting the Word to work

no one can do everything

dealing with overload

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speak God’s name with purpose

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God, I thank You for driving out my enemies from before me

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check your “want to”

the blood makes atonement

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putting the Word to work

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rest in His presence

how to get stirred up for God

putting the Word to work

putting the Word to work

why the ceremony?

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putting the Word to work