Blessing in Adversity

The Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning;

Job 42:12

Job had been through tremendous suffering and hardship. He lost all his children. He lost his possessions. His wife didn't support him, and his friends were miserable comforters. Yet, Job remained faithful, and God blessed him for it. This adversity made him stronger because he remained faithful.

Lord, help me to be strengthened by adversity. Help me to become better in hardship. Help me to realize that the hard times are what makes me more meek, kind, understanding and humble.

God's Purposes Are Not Thwarted

Then Job answered the Lord and said, "I know that You can do all things, And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted."

Job 42:1

Job understood that God was in control. It doesn't matter what happens, God still accomplishes His purposes. Many times throughout history, men who hated God and were working against Him actually fulfilled God's plans. I believe the greatest example is the death of Jesus. Satan was working hard to have victory over Christ's earthly ministry, and just when it seemed he had won, Jesus died for us and redeemed the whole world. He made a way for us to have salvation and be free in Christ. No purpose of God is thwarted.

Lord, thank You that we can trust You to always have Your way. Thank You that no evil person, no politician, do demon can ruin Your plans. Thank You that we can know that we are on the winning team.

I Am Insignificant

"Behold, I am insignificant; what can I reply to You?
I lay my hand on my mouth."

Job 40:4

After God had spoken, Job realized how small he was. He realized that he had nothing to say. God was so much greater than he was.

When we have an encounter with God, we will feel the same way. We will see God's greatness and our smallness. We will have nothing to say.

Lord, help me to daily live in communion with You. Help me to realize that, without You, I can do nothing. Help me to depend on You for everything. Help to be like Job and realize Your greatness and my smallness. Thank You that You love us so much even though we are are so insignificant.

"Who has put wisdom in the innermost being
Or given understanding to the mind?"

Job 38:36

God has given us amazing minds. He has given us so much more ability to think and to reason than He has given the animals. Beyond that, He has connected our minds to our soul and spirit. We have emotions and feelings. We can feel love and compassion. We can have relationships. We are incredibly complex beings. He has made us so wonderfully! And, he made us so that He could have a relationship with us. He desires to walk with us. He wants us to stay close to Him. He wants us to glorify Him.

Lord, help me to live for the purpose You created me for. Help me to feel Your love and share it with those around me. Help me to reflect that love back to You. Help me to live in complete submission to You. I want my life to glorify You only. I know that I haven't attained that yet, but it is my desire, and I trust that You will lead me as I seek to honor You.

He Thunders With His Majestic Voice

He thunders with His majestic voice,

Job 37:4

I believe it is good for us to stop and think on the power of God. It was His idea to create this incredible universe. He designed and created it in six days.It doesn't matter how much we study, we will never stop discovering new things about creation. The intricate design that He put into everything around us is simply beyond our imagination. It is evident in everything from tiny single-celled animals to the huge mountains. The power of earthquakes and hurricanes is just a small testament to the power of our great God. The vastness of out space is way beyond our comprehension.

Yet, He cares about each one of us. He loves us unconditionally. He wants a relationship with us. And, when we broke that relationship, He was willing to die to restore it. Don't disappoint Him.

God, You are awesome. I cannot begin to fathom Your greatness. I desire to understand more about You. I want to live for You all my life. Help me to always live in thankfulness and service to You.

He Commands the Lightning

"He covers His hands with the lightning,
And commands it to strike the mark.

Job 36:32

In an age when weather forecasting has become a very advanced science, we tend to take God out of the weather equation. We look at all the factors that influence weather, and we forget that God is in control. I know that I often forget to thank God for favorable weather or protection from dangerous weather.

Lord, help me to remember that You are still in control. Help me to acknowledge Your power in the amazing weather that you bring.

Age Should Speak

age should speak,
And increased years should teach wisdom.

Job 32:7

Elihu understood the wisdom that comes with age. He patiently waited until the ones older than he had spoken. Even though he was bursting with words to say, he still waited until they were finished speaking.

People in our culture should learn from Elihu. Our culture has become extremely youth oriented. We look to the beauty and creativity of youth is worshiped. We have no time for anyone who cannot keep up with a rapid pace of change. We have no respect for wisdom gained through years of life. Instead, we honor knowledge from college.

Lord, help me to respect the older people around me. Help me to respect their hard-earned wisdom. Help me to be patient with their slower pace of life. Help me to be willing to take time to listen and learn from them.

The Words of Job Are Ended

The words of Job are ended.

Job 31:40

Job was a wise man. He knew when to stop talking. He spend quite a bit of time defending himself. But eventually he stopped. He had spoken his piece, and now he was finished. Further debate wouldn't change the minds of his friends. Rehashing it further wouldn't make them change their minds. It would only serve to further separate their friendship.

We should be like Job and realize when it's time to end our words. Sometimes we believe that we can convince people to think like us if we just explain it better, but often that is not the case. We just need to realize that some people will not agree with us even when we know that we believe the truth. More explaining and convincing can actually serve to further cement their beliefs and cut off future opportunities to show them the truth.

Lord, help me to know when to end my words. Help me to know when to value relationships over speaking the truth. Help me to be willing to speak when I should speak and to be quiet when I should be.

Did not He who made me in the womb make him?

"Did not He who made me in the womb make him?"

Job 31:15

Job was speaking about his slaves and how he had treated them fairly. He understand that God made both him and his slaves. He was no greater than they were. It seems that he understood a concept that I struggle to remember. He realized that he had nothing that wasn't given to him. God had placed him in a position of power and wealth, and God could just as easily take that position away.

I tend to look down on people around me. He is lazy. She has an addiction. He can't manage his money. She had marital issues. He doesn't know how to train his children. He can't run a business. She doesn't take responsibility for her actions. Maybe some of these things are true, but that doesn't make me any better than they are. God created us equal. He loves each of us alike. His love is unconditional. All the things I do don't "impress" God. I can't make Him love me more by anything I do. He doesn't love anyone less because of how they've ruined their lives and disobeyed Him. God wants to save that homeless pot-smoking man on the street just as much as He wanted to save me. That man who has wrecked his life with prostitutes and gambling is just as valuable to God as I am.

Lord, help me to understand the value of every human being. Help me to understand Your unconditional love. Help me to love everyone with no exception. Help me to realize that I am no better than anyone else. Help me to be willing to condescend to men of low estate because I am in no way better than they are. Lord, help me to realize that I need Your saving power just as much as the worst of sinners. Thank You for saving me from my sins and from my self-righteousness. Help me to only make my boast in You because You are everything to me.

Can Men Win the Battle with Lust?

"I have made a covenant with my eyes; How then could I gaze at a virgin?"

 Job 31:1

 If only more men would do this! Our culture is saturated with lust. Many men refuse to make this covenant with their eyes. They allow lust to dominate their lives, their thoughts and their jokes. Scars and wounds from their childhood and from past relationships only make this worse. They believe that it's normal and as long as they keep their actions in check, it doesn't matter. The bad news is that it's nearly impossible to think lustful thoughts without committing lustful actions. Even if men are able to keep an iron-fisted control over their actions, lust still destroys their marriages. Even pastors and other Christian men seem to be caught in affairs and illicit relationships too.

Is it hopeless? Can we win? Yes, I believe that this is not a lost battle. How can we do it: self-help books, iron self-discipline, never leaving the house, cutting off all connection with the outside world? Some of these things may help, but they are not the solution. In many cases, they are the reason that so many well-intentioned men fall. First of all, we nee to realize that the bait of lust that Satan holds in front of us is a lie. It doesn't deliver on it's promise. Lust can never be satisfied. It will take us on an addicts journey to find that elusive high. Satan doesn't play fair. He promises but doesn't fulfill. He will ruin us and then drop us in the mud. He will take us deeper into sin than we ever imagined we would go.

Secondly, we must realize that our own hearts are the root of the problem. The desire begins in us. No amount of self-discipline will ever change that. Only when we surrender our entire lives to the complete control of Holy Spirit, can we deal with the root cause. This is not something we do one time at conversion. Instead, it is a daily walk. We need to continually crucify our desires and give them over to God.

God, I thank You for having given us the power to win the battle with lust. I thank You for Holy Spirit that can control our desires. Again today, I want to surrender my heart to You. I want to allow You to remove any lustful desires from my heart. I want You to help me relate to all women in a respectful, Christian way. I want to be able to say as Job did that I do not look lustfully at anyone. Lord help me to be an example in this. I pray for the many Christian men who struggle with this. I pray that You would help them to find victory every day. Amen.

A Companion of Ostriches

"I have become a brother to jackals And a companion of ostriches." Job 30:29 Job felt as if he was all alone. His friends didn't believe him. He said that people whose fathers he would not have disdained to keep with his dogs now mocked him. His wife wasn't supporting him. His children had died. His servants were gone. Even God seemed far away and hadn't yet answered him. Have you ever felt like Job. No one understands. God seems distant. The people you trusted aren't there for you. We all experience low times in life. Everyone goes through times that are difficult and unpleasant. The devil wants us to believe that we are all alone. He would have us think that we are on a level with jackals and ostriches. He wants us to forget that we are chosen by God to be saved. He doesn't want us to remember that we are loved by God. God has something else to say to us, 'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.' God want us to have hope. He doesn't want us to despair. He wants to raise us up from the level of ostriches to brothers and sisters of Jesus. We are God's special children. We get to split God's inheritance with Jesus! Lord, thank You for loving us so much. I pray that You would help me to be a gracious, humble recipient of all Your gifts and Your amazing love. I am unworthy, but through Jesus, I can be Your son and inherit all the goodness that You have in heaven. Help me to live as Your son. Help me to share Your amazing love with those around me. Help me not to live on a level with jackals.

Wishing for the Past

2 "Oh that I were as in months gone by, As in the days when God watched over me; 3 When His lamp shone over my head, And by His light I walked through darkness; 4 As I was in the prime of my days, When the friendship of God was over my tent;" Job 29 Sometimes we all wish that things could be as they were in the past. Some people say that life was simpler. Some people say that they had fewer problems. Some people have made bad choices and now they need to live with those choices. No matter where we are now, there are probably some things in the past that are better than they are now. However, dwelling on these things does very little good. We can't bring the past back by wishing. We can't undo the wrong choices we made. But, there's hope. If we look forward and plan for the future, we can often improve our lot. We can make intentional decisions to simplify our lives. We can plan ahead to avoid problems like the ones we are facing now. We can begin making better choices from now on. There are many things in life that we cannot change. Really we can only change ourselves, and changing our response to the things around us can make a world of difference. Lord, help me not to pine for the past. Help me to appreciate Your blessings now and in the past. Help me to learn lessons from the past and apply them to my life now. Help me to have a forward look. Help me to live with a long-range view in mind. Help me to keep eternity in view even when things in the here and now loom so large.

The Fear of the Lord Is Wisdom

the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; And to depart from evil is understanding. Job 28:28 Knowledge is growing at an unprecedented rate today. Research, science and technology move forward at a relentless pace. Most of what is discovered today is beyond the comprehension of the average person. Yet, I feel that we are moving backwards in wisdom. As a culture, we have rejected God, the source of wisdom. We have allowed the influence of evil spirits into our culture, and they are tearing at the fabric of our society. We understand atoms and nano particles, but we are losing our understanding of relationships, family and marriage. We've built the internet with all its amazing capabilities. Yet, we no longer understand sound financial principles. Lord, help us and our society to return to You. Forgive us for rejecting You. Help us to understand that true wisdom comes only from You. Help us to realize that knowledge can never replace wisdom. Help us to live for You and seek You.

Where Can Wisdom Be Found?

"But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? "Man does not know its value, Nor is it found in the land of the living. Job 29:12 Job had just listed all the ways that men look for for gold, silver and precious stones. He mentioned how they dig mines to look for treasure. Yet, wisdom is even more difficult to find. It only comes from God, the Source of all good things. Many people seek for wisdom. Yet, they search in vain when they do not go to God. Lord, help me to seek Your true wisdom. Help me not to live my life by my own reasoning. Instead, help me to rely on Your Spirit to guide me and give me wisdom. Help me to realize that living in my own strength is only bound to fail, but living for You, I cannot fail.

Riches Make Wings

"He lies down rich, but never again; He opens his eyes, and it is no longer." Job 27:19 Job was speaking about wicked people and how they accumulate wealth. They go to bed wealthy and wake up poor. Accumulating wealth does them no good. I know that I need to learn this concept better. I need to remember that everything I have is God's and He has given it to me to use for His glory. Lord, help me to live in service to You. Help me to remember that I don't have anything that hasn't been given to me.

What Is the Hope of the Godless?

what is the hope of the godless when he is cut off, When God requires his life? Job 27:8 Job was in despair. He just said, "As God lives, who has taken away my right, And the Almighty, who has embittered my soul." Yet, he understood that God was his only help. Lord, help me to rely only on You. Help me to understand that, without You, I am nothing. Help me to rely on strength and enabling from Your Holy Spirit so that when You require my life, I will have lived it all for You.

Hold Fast Righteousness

"I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go." Job 27:6 Job's friends had been accusing him of sinning. They told him that God would not be punishing him like this if he had not sinned, but job explained to them that he had held to his righteousness tenaciously. He had remained faithful to God even in these very trying circumstances. He blessed God after he had lost most of his family and earthly possessions. How could he do that? I believe that he had a deep love for and trust in God that didn't depend on what he got from God. We, also, must be like Job. Our trust in God must be unshakable, and founded on our love for God. The Holy Spirit will enable us to stand firm even when life doesn't go as we'd like it to. Lord, help me to hold fast to my righteousness. Help me to trust You through thick and thin. Help me to serve You no matter what I face. Thank You that we can know that You will never fail us.

God, Depart From Us

They said to God, 'Depart from us!' Job 22:17 This is what so many people today are saying. They want nothing to do with God. They feel that they are self-made and have no need of God. They believe that absolutes are a vestige of primitive times. Right and wrong are relative to the situation and a hindrance to their fun. As a result of these beliefs, our society is rotting. Families are falling apart. Many people don't care about each other any more. These beliefs have far reaching effects. Lord, save us from godlessness. Help us to remember how much You have done for us and how much we need You. Help us to depend on You and follow Your plan for our lives.

My Redeemer Lives

me, I know that my Redeemer lives, And at the last He will take His stand on the earth. Job 19:25 Job had been through all kinds difficulty. Yet, he believed and understood that God would redeem. May we have this same confidence. Lord, thank You that we can have firm confidence that You have redeemed us.

Sorry Comforters Are You All

Sorry comforters are you all. Job 16:2 Have you ever felt that all your friends are sorry comforters? None of them understand. They are more critical than helpful. Their "helpful" comments sting and hurt. I think we've all been there at one time or another. That is when God wants to be very near to us. He wants to be our loving Father and help us through our time of difficulty. Lord, Thank You that You are always there for us. Thank You that we can a.ways trust You and that You will never forsake us even when everyone seems to be against us.

God Longs for Us

You [God] will long for the work of Your hands. Job 14:15 We are the work of God's hands. He has made us each with tender love for a special purpose. In the previous verses, Job was speaking about death, and I believe that Job is talking about when God calls us home to heaven and resurrection from the dead. I see a beautiful picture of God longing to have closer communion with us. So, he calls us to be at home in heaven with Him. Lord, thank You for Your love for us. Thank You for creating us. I look forward to when You long for me and call me home to heaven. Help me to live out Your plan for me here on earth so that I am ready when You call.

You Are the People

Then Job responded, “Truly then you are the people, And with you wisdom will die!"

Job 12:1

Job was speaking in satire to his friends who thought that they knew everything. They claimed to know that Job had sinned. They told him. That righteous people don't suffer. Job made this stinging comment to remind them that they were not always right and maybe they weren't seeing this situation correctly.

We also need to remember that we are not the only people with wisdom. Sometimes, other people may have a better perspective than we do. We should state our opinions humbly and be willing to admit when we are wrong.

Lord, help me to be willing to accept the criticism or correction of other people. Help me to realize that wisdom will not die with me. Help me to be humble and live as a servant to you and those around me.

My Soul Would Choose Death

So that my soul would choose suffocation,
Death rather than my pains.

Job 7:15

Do you feel this way? Does death seem easier than life? Are you struggling with defeat? Does suicide feel like an easy way out? God understands. He allowed Job to go through difficulties that made him feel that way, but Job handled it in the right way. He was honest. He spoke his mind, and in all this, he trusted God. And, God heard him and delivered him, but it wasn't until Job had suffered much. God sometimes allows difficulties that we can't understand. Yet, He always makes a way for us to be victorious. Job spoke very strongly. He expressed his doubts to God, and God lovingly heard him. God wants to hear from us even when we don't understand... when we feel angry. God understands, and He will help us deal with even the most difficult situations.

Lord, thank You for always delivering us. Thank You for bearing with us even when we don't understand Your ways. Help us to trust unconditionally in Your love and care for us.

How Painful Are Honest Words!

How painful are honest words!

Job 6:25

Honesty is a very important virtue. It is something God requires of His people. Yet, we need to speak with wisdom and tact. There are sometimes some things that do not need to be said. And, sometimes, there are some honest, difficult things that need to be said.

Lord, I ask You for wisdom to know when to boldly speak the truth and when to refrain from speaking. Help me to know when to speak love, and when to speak the hard truth. Help me to be able to be honest and yet preserver relationships with those around. Help me to pattern after Your life here on earth.

Is Man Born for Trouble?

man is born for trouble, As sparks fly upward.

Job 5:7

Many times it feels like mankind was made for trouble. Difficulties are a part of our daily lives. We are in a constant battle with entropy. Our sinful nature fights against what is good in our lives. But, was Eliaphaz right? Were we born for trouble?

I believe we were born for the glory of God. The trouble comes because we have an evil nature, and the devil is trying to get us to fall. We also bring trouble on ourselves when we make wrong choices instead of choosing the right way that God wants us to follow. So, let's focus on the positive. We were created to glorify God, and when that is our focus, the trouble in our lives will decrease.

There the Weary Are at Rest

there the weary are at rest.

Job 3:17

Even though Job likely did not have any of the Bible as we know it today, he understand that God has a reward for people who are faithful. He was in an extremely difficult time of life, and he was looking forward to heaven. God sometimes allows us to face difficult times. It helps us rely more on Him. It helps us remember that we're not here to stay. It helps us wish for heaven. As long as we trust God, even those difficult times can make us better. "God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God."

Thank You, God, for the difficulties in life. Thank You even more that You are there to help us through them and grow stronger in them. Help us not to resent them or become bitter, but, instead, to grow stronger as we face difficulty with Your help.

Job Did Not...Blame God

Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God.

Job 1:22

When things do not go my way, I have a tendency to ask, "God, why?" I can't understand, and so, I cry out to God. But, God doesn't always tell us why. It's doubtful if Job ever knew why he suffered all this. Instead of asking why, God wants us to ask Him what we should do. We cannot understand all of God's ways. He is so far above us, but we can always obey Him even when we don't understand.

Lord, help me to trust You to do what is best. Help me to follow You no matter what my human reasoning says. Help me to believe that everything You allow is for my good and Your glory. Help me not to blame You or sin when things go wrong. Help me instead to trust You more fully and ask, "What do You want me to do?"

Fearing God and Turning Away From Evil

fearing God and turning away from evil.

Job 1:1

I hope this may always be said about me: that I fear God and turn faway from evil. When we have then fear of God in our lives, so many other things are taken care of. We have a love for God and seek after Him.

Lord, help me to to always fear You and turn from evil. Give me a desire to follow You and seek Your will always. Thank You for all the provisions You've made so that we can better serve You.

God Giveth All Good Things

http://media.shalombiblefellowship.com/God%20Giveth%20All%20Good%20Things.mp3

A Hedge About Us

Job 1

9 Then Satan answered the LORD, “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10   Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.

It comforts me to know that God puts a hedge around His people. He protects us from attacks of the devil, temptations and physical danger. He cares that much about us. Just like Job, sometimes we do face attacks, but we never face them unless God first allows it. Every temptation that we face has first been reviewed by God to be sure that there is a way we can escape. He makes sure that we have the strength to withstand. That's how much our God loves us

Lord, Thank You that you care about us enough to put a hedge around us. Thank You that no temptation comes to us that we cannot withstand. Thank You that You give us the strength to withstand every difficulty that comes our way.

Which Give Rise to Mere Speculation

nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith.

1 Timothy 1:4

Here Paul is instructing Timothy to avoid arguing about things that don’t really matter. Myths and genealogies could be discussed along with their relative merit and whether they are at all true, but what is the point? It only leads to speculation rather than giving any benefit to the church of God. There are many things that we like to discuss that make for endless discussion, but let’s think before we begin discussing them. Does this really matter? Is it important to come to a conclusion about this matter? Will it further the kingdom of God or just bring strife and dissension.

Lord, help us to only discuss things that would further the church of Jesus Christ. Help us to keep in focus the things that are most important in life. Help us to save our disagreements for things that truly matter so that the work of your church may be furthered.

His Truth Endures

Ps 100:4-5
4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
KJV

We have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving season. One that we don't think of very often is God's truth. God is unchanging. He is the essence of truth. Everything He speaks is truth. We can build our lives on the solid foundation of God's truth, knowing it will never change. It's not a fad that we need to continually follow. It's eternal, and we can set our focus on it and pursue it throughout our lives. This will keep us from deception and confusion. We have the Bible that is a timeless book and applies just as much today as it did the day it was inspired by God. We have the Holy Spirit who will always align with the Bible and give us direction in living it out every day.

Thank You, God, that You are truth. Thank You that it will always endure. I pray that You would help me to always believe and follow Your truth as it comes to me in the Bible and through Your Holy Spirit. Help me to avoid the confusion of deception and to put my focus on Your truth only.

God Will Crush Satan

The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.

Romans 16:20

Isn't it wonderful to know that the epic battle of the ages will be won by God? We have spent our lives fighting for the truth and right, and we will win. God is all powerful, and He will not be defeated. We will not be defeated and God will crush Satan under our feet.

Lord, I thank You that we have no doubt about who will win. Thank You that You have assured us that Satan will be crushed. Help us to live with that confidence in You every day.

God's Pride and Joy

Zepheniah 3:17
The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love ,
he will rejoice over you with singing.

I was very blessed by this verse. God delights in us. We are special to Him. He made us with love and care. He wants us to succeed. He cares about our worries and difficulties. His love calms our fears. He enjoys us so much that He sings about us.

Am I living a life that makes God happy? Does Jesus smile when he looks at my life?

Lord, thank You that we can be assured that You love us unconditionally. You take a personal interest in each of us. I pray that You would help me to live a life that would make You happy.

Because of His Great Love

Ephesians 2:4-5
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

God loves us more than we can imagine. I believe this. Yet sometimes, I fail to feel it. I understand it, yet, I don't always live it. I forgot that God's love is unconditional. I feel that I need to earn it. I want to learn to obey out of a heart of love instead of a sense of duty. I want to increasingly desire a closer relationship with God. I want to have a hunger to study God's Word and spend time in prayer and communion with Him.

Lord, give me a hunger and thirst for righteousness. Help me to long to be in Your presence. I want all of my life to be lived close to You. I don't want to wall of my business and personal life from my spiritual life. I want to live every day all the time in Your wonderful presence. Help me to seek You persistently, and may this affect every area of my life. God, You have given so much to have a relationship with me. Help me to be completely willing to do whatever it takes to have a relationship with You.

Striving in Prayer

strive together with me in your prayers

Romans 15:30

Paul was asking the Romans to strive with him in prayer. I believe that the power of prayer is underutilized by many Christians today. God listens to the fervent prayers of His people. The powers of darkness tremble when God's people pray.

Lord, I ask You to help me to strive together with other saints in prayer. Help me to realize that Your power is at my disposal when I pray. Help me to fervently continue in pray...to strive in prayer and to make a difference in the world.

This songs sums the power of praying men very well: When Men Pray

Joy and Peace in Believing

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13

"God of hope" Isn't that a wonderful title for God? He gives us hope. It's because of Him that we are not in despair. It's because of Him that we can look forward to a future in heaven instead of an eternity in hell.

"Joy and peace in believing" It's because we believe that we can live a life of joy and peace. God desires to give us joy. That joy brings a deep settled peace to our lives.

"Power of the Holy Spirit" All of this is enabled by the power of the Holy Spirit living in us every day.

Thank You, Lord, for the hope, joy, peace and power that You give to my life. Without You, I would be nothing. Help me to only rely on You for everything in my life. Help me to be completely committed to following You only in my life.

What is the Kingdom of God?

the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Romans 14:17

So often, we make the kingdom of God about what we should do and what we should not do. We believe that performance is what it takes to satisfy God. This could not be more wrong. Yes, as Christians, there are some things we should do and some we should not do. But our focus needs to be on righteousness, peace and joy as we follow the Bible and the guidance of Holy Spirit. Then all the things that we need to do will naturally follow. When we get the cart before the horse and focus on all the things that we need to do, we lose our joy and our relationship with Jesus Christ.

Lord, help me first to have a relationship with you. Help me to put that foremost in my life. Let that be the motivation for my service to You.

Passing Judgment

Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions.

Romans 14:1

Paul goes on to explain how many people have differing convictions on various issues that are not clearly spelled out in the Bible. Some people are vegetarians. Some people observe various holidays. Others do not. We need to accept people who are weak in the faith and do not live exactly as we do. Each person must obey the Bible and the Holy Spirit in their lives. They must follow the light that God has given them, but we must be very careful not to cause them to sin as they follow God.

Lord, help me to be respectful of the beliefs of other people. Help me not to judge them for things they do or do not do. Help me to live by Your Word and the guidance of Holy Spirit, and to help others as they live for You.

Associate With the Lowly

associate with the lowly. Romans 12:16

In Christ, there are not castes. There is no hierarchy. We have all been redeemed from sin. We have nothing to boast in except the blood of Jesus. So, we need to take time to associate with those whom we feel are below us in social standing. Even God is no respecter of persons. So, we shouldn't be either. What if God did not associate with the lowly (us). He stoops from His position in heaven to love and care for us.

Lord, thank You for stooping to care for us. Thank You for Your love. Help me to be willing to associate with anyone, and express heartfelt love and compassion for them just as You do.

Let Love Be Without Hypocrisy

"Let love be without hypocrisy." Romans 12:9a

Love is a theme that runs throughout the whole Bible. From the creation until the coming of Christ, God was working out His love for mankind, and it continues today. Because He loves everyone, He also wants us to love everyone. Here Paul reminds us that our love must be genuine. We can't put it on. We can't fake it. Love is only love when it flows from our heart. Many times it comes naturally, but sometimes it doesn't. At those times, we need to choose love. This can be hard. It requires sacrifice, but even then it must be without hypocrisy.

Love requires sacrifice. We cannot just love people when we feel love. We must choose to love people even when they seem unlovable. Our compassion must flow out and help us to give of ourselves for those we love.

Lord, help me to truly love everyone I meet today. Help me to be willing to sacrifice my time, energy and money. Give me a heart of compassion, especially for those who seem unlovable. Thank You for the love that You have showed to me. Help me to accept and understand it so that it can flow out into the lives of those around me.

Servant of God's Servants

http://media.shalombiblefellowship.com/Servant%20of%20God's%20Servants.MP3

One Body in Christ

Romans 12 reminds us that we are not to think of ourselves more highly than we should because we are all one in the body of Christ. That means that, as members of Christ's body, we each have a different responsibility, but we are all one. We love each other. We respect each other. We are not jealous when someone else is promoted. We all work together.

Next, Paul reminds us to use our gifts. We each have gifts and abilities that God has given us. We need to identify and use those gifts. We must identify our gifts and use them for God's glory. We must not bury our talents in false humility.

Lord, help me to be one with everyone else in Your body, the church. Help me to have perfect love as You do. Help me to serve You and others around me for Your glory.

Be Transformed

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may  prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Romans 12:2

Paul reminds us, that as Christians, we are not to be like the people around us. We need to be transformed into the image of Christ. The way this transformation takes place is not by following a set of rules. Instead, our minds must be renewed by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. When we become transformed into the image of Christ, we prove what God's will is by our daily living.

Lord, help me to be transformed by Your Spirit. Help me to live a life that displays Your will so that other can see by my life, how You want people to live.

A Living Sacrifice

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

Romans 12:1

Paul "urges" us. He desperately wants us to give our bodies for the service of God, not as a dead animal sacrifice of the Old Testament, but as a living and holy sacrifice. He begs us to sacrifice our lives. This is and every day process. Everything we think, say and do must be surrendered to God. We must live holy lives, just as Jesus did when He lived on earth. This is the kind of worship that is most pleasing to God.

Lord, help me to sacrifice my life for You every day. Help me to live by the direction of Your Spirit. Help me to give up anything in my life that does not align with Your will.

Wisdom and Knowledge of God

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? Or WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.

Romans 11:33-36

Wisdom and knowledge: God is the source and the embodiment of both. Without Him is no knowledge. He gave us all the wisdom and knowledge we have. Yet, science works to remove Him from His own creation. Science works to prove that He doesn't exist. Even if scientists are Christians, they often try to wall off science from Christianity. This is a recipe for disaster. We can only be deceived when we reject the source of wisdom and knowledge in our lives.

Lord, send your light and your Spirit to people here on earth. We have rejected you and wondered why things are going wrong. Please forgive us and help us find our way back to You.

Pursuing a Law

What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, just as it is written, “ BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.”

Romans 9:30-33

Here, Paul is comparing the Jews and the Gentiles. For the most part, the Jews were seeking God by strictly obeying a law, but they had no relationship with God. They felt that strict obedience was the way to please God.

As the Gentiles came to know Jesus, they realized that it took more than strict obedience. Being a Christian means that we, first of all, have a relationship with Jesus Christ as our King. We love Him and deeply appreciate what He has done for us. And, because He is King of our lives, we obey every detail that He shows us in the Bible and by His Holy Spirit that dwells in us.

So, in many ways, these two groups of people look alike. They both strictly obey the Bible, but the heart motivation is different. The Jews were living in grudging obedience. The Gentiles were living a joyful, fulfilling life because their obedience was based on a personal relationship with Christ, thankfulness to Him, and love for Him. May that be the way we always live.

Overwhelmingly Conquer

But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,  nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 Romans 8:37-39 NASB

"All things:" God has made a way for us to win every time. When we have God's power on our side, and we call on Him to help, we can win every battle.

"Overwhelmingly conquer:" This is not a battle that could go either way. It's not a battle where the sides are closely matched. The outcome is completely certain unless we fail to use all the power that God has given us. We just need to allow the power of God to flow through us. This doesn't mean that we can sit and watch God do all the work. Spiritual battles are very real, and we need to fight, but not on our own. When God is with us, no one can stand against us.