Promises

VERSE:                    Lamentations 2:17

 

    The Lord has done what He purposed; He has fulfilled His word which He commanded in days of old.  He has thrown down and has not pitied, and He has caused an enemy to rejoice over you; He has exalted the horn of your adversaries.
 
REFLECTION:
 
    God has done what He has said.  He daily fulfills His word.  But the problem with many people is that they don't understand what He has promised.  Yes He does promise that bad things will happen to us if we continue in our sins.  But He has also promised hope and prosperity to those who put their trust in Jesus.  In order to find out what God has purposed you need to read the bible daily.  Don't just read it passively but involve yourself in the word by studying it and read it for the relevance of your life.
 
    Sometimes it seems as if those who aren't Christians get all the breaks but that is not always true.  You must look at the heart and look at the bigger picture.  Are those non-christians really happy.  Think about movie stars or athletes, they might have a lot of money but if they don't have Jesus their life is nothing.  I believe that everything happens for a reason.  We might go through trials when our adversaries may seem like they are exalted but maybe it is a wake-up call to have Jesus change something in your life.  Be sure to study your bible and be prepared to know what God promises when you go through a trial.
 
PRAYER:
 
    Pray for guidance and direction when studying your bible.  Ask God 
to open your heart and mind to His word.

Whose Team Are You On?

VERSE:                                    2 Peter 1:10-11

 

    Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

 

REFLECTION:  

    Whose side are you on?  Have you been diligent in your allegiance to God? You have to be diligent in calling whose side you are on.  If you are on God's side then you are on the right team and He will help to prevent you from stumbling.

 

    If you are playing football for a team but don't know whether you play on offense or defense or special teams you will stumble as you try to run out at the last minute to play.  Also how effective will you be if you don't know what to do when you get out on the field.  If you don't want to stumble in this game of life then make sure you are playing on God's team.  His team is so good that He has promised everyone who plays on it a spot in the hall of fame.  If we strongly draw our allegiance toward God He will not only help us to not stumble but an entrance will be supplied in to His everlasting kingdom.  God doesn't want us waffling on whether we play or not He wants us on His team and ready to give 100%.  

PRAYER:
 
    Pray for God to tell you what your role is on His team.  Stand up firm and strong in your election to Jesus.  Pray for the lost.

Catching Fish

VERSE:                                            Mark 1:17-18

 

    Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.

 

REFLECTION:
 
    A number of Jesus' disciples were fisherman.  Jesus used the phrase;
"Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men" because Jesus knew they could relate to what it is like catching fish whether they are big  or small.  If you have ever gone fishing you know that some days you might sit in the boat and not catch a thing.  However, you may lose some bait by fish nibbling your bait right off of your hook.  The next day you drag yourself out there again and try to catch some more fish.  You might catch some small ones but you are really trying to catch the big one.

 

    As Christians we can encounter the same feelings as we try to tell others about the gospel of Christ.  However if we encounter a day where we don't "catch" anyone for the kingdom we get discouraged and may hang up our fishing pole.  We need to keep in mind that the bait that gets nibbled off is the word being planted, even if they don't take the hook, the next time they are hungry for the word of God they will bite.  It might not be your pole but you chummed the lake for the next person. That is why the disciples left their fishing to follow Jesus, they realized there were bigger and more important fish to catch than the kind we find in the sea.  So the next time you are fishing think about spreading the gospel and "catching" some human fish for the kingdom.
 
PRAYER:
 
    Pray for opportunities to catch some kingdom fish.  Pray for boldness to speak and tell others of the Gospel.  Pray to be a fisher of men.

 

 

Moving Mountians

VERSE:                              1 Corinthians 13:2

 

    And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

 
REFLECTION:

 

    How strong is your faith?  This verse says that if you have all faith you can remove mountains.  Think of the power and the strength that faith must have  if it can remove mountains.  What type of mountains do you have in your life?  Are you struggling with some kind of addiction?  Are you compromising your integrity?  Whatever problems you face or mountains you confront they can be removed through your faith in Jesus Christ.  

    Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."  If you hope to be free from sin in your life you must put all of your faith in Jesus Christ.  No one has ever seen a mountain be removed but I have heard testimony after testimony about lives being changed because of faith in Jesus Christ.  My life has changed since I put my faith in Jesus Christ.  Your life can too if you just humble yourself and let Jesus be Lord of your life.
 
    One last thing I wanted to note about the verse and that is it doesn't matter what you have or how much faith you have you must have love to tie it all together.  Love toward God and love toward others. Without love we are nothing.  Faith will remove the mountain but it won't go anywhere if there isn't a change of heart.
 
PRAY:
 
    Pray for God to remove mountains in your life.  Pray and let Jesus be Lord of your life.