"Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains." - James 5:7
In today’s society, we want results quickly. We want to invest and then enjoy the return immediately. We want to meet someone and instantly become friends or fall in love. We eat fast, talk even faster and rush through our days at a NASCAR-type pace.
But when it comes to God, we can’t rush Him. We can’t force Him to act according to our pace. So what does God advise us to do? James puts it all out there in the first two words of this verse—be patient.
How can the answer be that simple? How is patience going to help anything? After all, we need results now.
But patience is a crop whose value only grows over time. Whatever you are facing right now, wait for the Lord to direct you. Don’t try to force Him to act according to your plan. Listen to Him. And wait patiently for His plan to unfold. Soon, you will begin to discover just how valuable the crop is that He is growing in your life.
A Prayer for Today
Dear Lord, One of my biggest struggles is time. I want results now. I have difficulty waiting for anything, including You. Help me to be patient, especially when it comes to Your plan for my life. Help me to see that Your timing is always perfect. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Chris Tomlin : All The Way My Savior Leads Me Lyrics
Chris Tomlin : All The Way My Savior Leads Me Lyrics
Songwriters: Redman, Matt; Tomlin, Chris;
All the way my Savior leads me
Who have I to ask beside
How could I doubt His tender mercy
Who through life has been my guide
All the way my Savior leads me
Cheers each winding path I tread
Gives me grace for every trial
Feeds me with the living Bread
You lead me and keep me from falling
You carry me close to Your heart
And surely Your goodness and mercy will follow me
All the way my Savior leads me
O, the fullness of His love
O, the sureness of His promise
In the triumph of His blood
And when my spirit clothed immortal
Wings its flight to realms of day
This my song through endless ages
Jesus led me all the way
Jesus led me all the way
You lead me and keep me from falling
You carry me close to Your heart
And surely Your goodness and mercy will follow me
You lead me and keep me from falling
You carry me close to Your heart
And surely Your goodness and mercy will follow me, will follow me
All the way my Savior leads me
All the way my Savior leads me
Songwriters: Redman, Matt; Tomlin, Chris;
All the way my Savior leads me
Who have I to ask beside
How could I doubt His tender mercy
Who through life has been my guide
All the way my Savior leads me
Cheers each winding path I tread
Gives me grace for every trial
Feeds me with the living Bread
You lead me and keep me from falling
You carry me close to Your heart
And surely Your goodness and mercy will follow me
All the way my Savior leads me
O, the fullness of His love
O, the sureness of His promise
In the triumph of His blood
And when my spirit clothed immortal
Wings its flight to realms of day
This my song through endless ages
Jesus led me all the way
Jesus led me all the way
You lead me and keep me from falling
You carry me close to Your heart
And surely Your goodness and mercy will follow me
You lead me and keep me from falling
You carry me close to Your heart
And surely Your goodness and mercy will follow me, will follow me
All the way my Savior leads me
All the way my Savior leads me
Our Relationship With God
"Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes, And I shall observe it to the end. Give me understanding, that I may observe Your law and keep it with all my heart. Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, For I delight in it. Incline my heart to Your testimonies And not to dishonest gain. Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity, And revive me in Your ways. Establish Your word to Your servant, As that which produces reverence for You. Turn away my reproach which I dread, For Your ordinances are good. Behold, I long for Your precepts; Revive me through Your righteousness. " - Psalm 119:33-40 (New American Standard Bible)
By trusting Christ, a person enters into a lifelong relationship with the heavenly Father. As believers, we have a responsibility to keep that connection healthy.
First, we must learn about our new family. An essential and on-going part of family life involves knowing and being known by the other members. In the Bible, God gave a detailed description of His attributes, values, and thinking. And since Jesus came to earth, we can better understand divine character, which was demonstrated in a human life. As we meditate on Scripture, our sense of connectedness to our triune God will grow.
Second, we should stay in close contact with God through prayer and study of His Word—and resist the temptation to put people, work, or pleasures ahead of Him. Remember: Relationships thrive with consistent interaction but wither if neglected.
Third, we are to respond to what He has communicated. He provided instructions for living and explained what pleases Him. In healthy families, people pay attention to each other. We need to heed our Father's warnings and obey His commands.
Finally, we must grow in likeness to God. Relatives can resemble each other in subtle and obvious ways. As we cooperate with the transforming work of the Holy Spirit, we will start to think and act like our Father.
God the Father provided salvation through His Son, who died so we could become spiritually alive. Jesus set an example for us to follow: a life of loving, obedient service. God's Spirit is doing His sanctifying work in us (1 Peter 1:2). Are we doing our part to keep the relationship healthy?
By trusting Christ, a person enters into a lifelong relationship with the heavenly Father. As believers, we have a responsibility to keep that connection healthy.
First, we must learn about our new family. An essential and on-going part of family life involves knowing and being known by the other members. In the Bible, God gave a detailed description of His attributes, values, and thinking. And since Jesus came to earth, we can better understand divine character, which was demonstrated in a human life. As we meditate on Scripture, our sense of connectedness to our triune God will grow.
Second, we should stay in close contact with God through prayer and study of His Word—and resist the temptation to put people, work, or pleasures ahead of Him. Remember: Relationships thrive with consistent interaction but wither if neglected.
Third, we are to respond to what He has communicated. He provided instructions for living and explained what pleases Him. In healthy families, people pay attention to each other. We need to heed our Father's warnings and obey His commands.
Finally, we must grow in likeness to God. Relatives can resemble each other in subtle and obvious ways. As we cooperate with the transforming work of the Holy Spirit, we will start to think and act like our Father.
God the Father provided salvation through His Son, who died so we could become spiritually alive. Jesus set an example for us to follow: a life of loving, obedient service. God's Spirit is doing His sanctifying work in us (1 Peter 1:2). Are we doing our part to keep the relationship healthy?
Sunday, March 7, 2010
The Holy Spirit: Our Teacher
"These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you." John 14:25-26 (New American Standard Bible)
If you are going to take instruction from someone, you want to be certain that person is well qualified, right? It's interesting, then, that so many believers neglect the greatest Bible teacher available. We read religious books, consult friends, and tune into a favored preacher before we will get on our knees. While those sources can point us in the right direction, only the Holy Spirit illuminates God's Word to our hearts and minds.
Asking someone to explain God's Word seems easier than seeking to understand it through the Holy Spirit's power. But consider what a person misses by forsaking Him. Who better to instruct believers about the Scripture's depth and breadth than the One who wrote it (2 Peter 1:20-21)? The Spirit laid His message on the authors' hearts, and they dutifully recorded it, each in his own unique voice.
Furthermore, as a member of the holy Trinity, the Spirit knows the mind of God (1 Cor. 2:10). He is often called the Spirit of truth, because He understands everything. The Spirit recognizes our emotional and mental state and can identify exactly where we are in our Christian growth. Therefore, He can reveal to our minds passages that will encourage, challenge, or convict us as needed.
We have a teacher of divine quality. He will help us to learn and grow, guide us through difficult passages, and shed light on why the Lord allows certain challenges our life. When it comes to aiding God's people to know His Word, no one is more qualified than His Spirit.
If you are going to take instruction from someone, you want to be certain that person is well qualified, right? It's interesting, then, that so many believers neglect the greatest Bible teacher available. We read religious books, consult friends, and tune into a favored preacher before we will get on our knees. While those sources can point us in the right direction, only the Holy Spirit illuminates God's Word to our hearts and minds.
Asking someone to explain God's Word seems easier than seeking to understand it through the Holy Spirit's power. But consider what a person misses by forsaking Him. Who better to instruct believers about the Scripture's depth and breadth than the One who wrote it (2 Peter 1:20-21)? The Spirit laid His message on the authors' hearts, and they dutifully recorded it, each in his own unique voice.
Furthermore, as a member of the holy Trinity, the Spirit knows the mind of God (1 Cor. 2:10). He is often called the Spirit of truth, because He understands everything. The Spirit recognizes our emotional and mental state and can identify exactly where we are in our Christian growth. Therefore, He can reveal to our minds passages that will encourage, challenge, or convict us as needed.
We have a teacher of divine quality. He will help us to learn and grow, guide us through difficult passages, and shed light on why the Lord allows certain challenges our life. When it comes to aiding God's people to know His Word, no one is more qualified than His Spirit.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Lifted Up
"Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded... Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up." - James 4:8, 10
So often we shy away from the word sin. We try to make it sound better by saying, "mistake," "issue" or "struggle." Rarely do we call it what it really is. But to discover the life that God has for us, we have to admit our sin. Rather than laughing off our "mistakes," James challenges us here to admit our sin and fall humbly before God.
Sin is a serious issue. So serious in fact, that it cost God the life of his only Son, Jesus Christ. But the good news is that your sin doesn’t have to come between you and God. When you admit to God that you are a sinner; when you fall humbly before Him and ask Him for forgiveness, "he will lift you up."
No longer will you have to be ashamed of your sin. Once you are forgiven, God holds no memory of your transgressions. Nothing on earth has the power to lift you up and give you life like the power of a purified heart before God.
A Prayer for Today
Dear God, I know that my sin has separated me from You. I admit this sin to You and ask You for forgiveness. I fall humbly at Your feet and know that through the blood of Jesus Christ, I am purified and can experience life on a whole new level. In Your Son’s name I pray, Amen.
So often we shy away from the word sin. We try to make it sound better by saying, "mistake," "issue" or "struggle." Rarely do we call it what it really is. But to discover the life that God has for us, we have to admit our sin. Rather than laughing off our "mistakes," James challenges us here to admit our sin and fall humbly before God.
Sin is a serious issue. So serious in fact, that it cost God the life of his only Son, Jesus Christ. But the good news is that your sin doesn’t have to come between you and God. When you admit to God that you are a sinner; when you fall humbly before Him and ask Him for forgiveness, "he will lift you up."
No longer will you have to be ashamed of your sin. Once you are forgiven, God holds no memory of your transgressions. Nothing on earth has the power to lift you up and give you life like the power of a purified heart before God.
A Prayer for Today
Dear God, I know that my sin has separated me from You. I admit this sin to You and ask You for forgiveness. I fall humbly at Your feet and know that through the blood of Jesus Christ, I am purified and can experience life on a whole new level. In Your Son’s name I pray, Amen.
Psalm 27:1-5
"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked came against me to eat up my flesh, my enemies and foes they stumbled and fell. (Having seen this place, they no doubt would have.) Though an army may encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war may rise against me, in this I will be confident. One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple. For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavillion (There are many natural pavillions made out of rocks and boulders.), in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock (Lots of high places in the rocks.). - Psalm 27:1-5"
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Be Generous
"A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed" - Proverbs 11:25, (NIV)
Do you need refreshing today? So many people go around overwhelmed, tired, worn down, barely getting by. But that's not God's best. He wants us to prosper. He wants us to be refreshed. Here's the key: be generous and refresh others. Is there someone at the office you can be a blessing to? Can you lighten someone's load? Maybe a family member is going through a hard time. Can you help them out? Can you cook them a meal? Refreshing someone can be as simple as a smile or an encouraging word. Don't wait until you feel like doing it, that day may never come! Do it because the Scripture tells us to. Do it because it blesses the Lord.
Today, look for someone to be a blessing to. As you step out and refresh others, as you live a life of generosity, you will be refreshed and experience His blessing in your own life in return.
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your grace and mercy in my life. Thank You for blessing me so that I can be a blessing to others. Teach me to be generous. Show me how I can refresh others and bring glory to You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Do you need refreshing today? So many people go around overwhelmed, tired, worn down, barely getting by. But that's not God's best. He wants us to prosper. He wants us to be refreshed. Here's the key: be generous and refresh others. Is there someone at the office you can be a blessing to? Can you lighten someone's load? Maybe a family member is going through a hard time. Can you help them out? Can you cook them a meal? Refreshing someone can be as simple as a smile or an encouraging word. Don't wait until you feel like doing it, that day may never come! Do it because the Scripture tells us to. Do it because it blesses the Lord.
Today, look for someone to be a blessing to. As you step out and refresh others, as you live a life of generosity, you will be refreshed and experience His blessing in your own life in return.
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your grace and mercy in my life. Thank You for blessing me so that I can be a blessing to others. Teach me to be generous. Show me how I can refresh others and bring glory to You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Walking in the Spirit
"16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh ; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. 19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control ; against such things there is no law. 24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. " - Galatians 5:16-25 (New American Standard)
The Holy Spirit is one of God's most precious gifts to His beloved children. He takes up residence within the believer at the moment of salvation and empowers him to overcome sin and live for God's glory and purposes. However, the Spirit's power can be "turned off" or ignored. Only those who choose to walk with Him have unhindered access to His strength and guidance.
Walking by the Spirit denotes reliance upon Him. He leads the way, and we follow. As He speaks, we listen, heed His warnings, and obey His directions. The Spirit's way is a path of surrender which, although difficult, leads to fullness of life.
God's Spirit not only guides; He also empowers because the challenge of obeying Him is impossible in our own strength. The Holy Spirit supplies everything we need to live a godly life, and He produces His amazing fruit in us.
Being led by the Spirit should be the natural lifestyle of the sons and daughters of God. As you intentionally seek to maintain an awareness of His presence throughout the day, He is only a thought away. When your mind turns to Him, He gives sensitivity to the things of God and understanding about the situations and people in your life.
Take a walk with the Spirit today, and learn to know His voice. Whenever your mind is not occupied with the duties of the day, focus your thoughts on Him, asking for His guidance and looking expectantly for His leading. When He gives it, rely on His power to obey.
The Holy Spirit is one of God's most precious gifts to His beloved children. He takes up residence within the believer at the moment of salvation and empowers him to overcome sin and live for God's glory and purposes. However, the Spirit's power can be "turned off" or ignored. Only those who choose to walk with Him have unhindered access to His strength and guidance.
Walking by the Spirit denotes reliance upon Him. He leads the way, and we follow. As He speaks, we listen, heed His warnings, and obey His directions. The Spirit's way is a path of surrender which, although difficult, leads to fullness of life.
God's Spirit not only guides; He also empowers because the challenge of obeying Him is impossible in our own strength. The Holy Spirit supplies everything we need to live a godly life, and He produces His amazing fruit in us.
Being led by the Spirit should be the natural lifestyle of the sons and daughters of God. As you intentionally seek to maintain an awareness of His presence throughout the day, He is only a thought away. When your mind turns to Him, He gives sensitivity to the things of God and understanding about the situations and people in your life.
Take a walk with the Spirit today, and learn to know His voice. Whenever your mind is not occupied with the duties of the day, focus your thoughts on Him, asking for His guidance and looking expectantly for His leading. When He gives it, rely on His power to obey.
A Position of Submission - Ed Young Ministries
But he gives more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." Submit yourselves, then, to God... Come near to God and he will come near to you. - James 4:6-8
When you drill down nearly every emotional, relational and spiritual struggle in your life, you’ll come to one root cause: pride. We all have a tendency to want to be in charge. We want to be our own god, to call the shots. But control is far from ours, no matter how much we may want it.
The Bible tells us that God opposes the proud. So when pride causes you and me to attempt to wrestle the reins of life from God, we end up facing some major opposition.
To get back to a place of peace with God, James tells us to place ourselves in a position of submission. In this context, the word "submit" is a military term. It conveys the idea that we need to get under God’s plan for our lives. He is the one who is in control; He has set forth the battle strategy. And when we submit to His plan rather than trying to follow our own, we will discover victory over every other battle in life.
A Prayer for Today
Dear God, I admit to you that I want control of my life. I want to call the shots. But I also realize that my pride causes a rift between you and me. So I humbly ask that when I try to wrestle control from you, that you help me get back to a place of submission. Because only by following you will I discover true peace. In Christ’s name I pray, Amen.
When you drill down nearly every emotional, relational and spiritual struggle in your life, you’ll come to one root cause: pride. We all have a tendency to want to be in charge. We want to be our own god, to call the shots. But control is far from ours, no matter how much we may want it.
The Bible tells us that God opposes the proud. So when pride causes you and me to attempt to wrestle the reins of life from God, we end up facing some major opposition.
To get back to a place of peace with God, James tells us to place ourselves in a position of submission. In this context, the word "submit" is a military term. It conveys the idea that we need to get under God’s plan for our lives. He is the one who is in control; He has set forth the battle strategy. And when we submit to His plan rather than trying to follow our own, we will discover victory over every other battle in life.
A Prayer for Today
Dear God, I admit to you that I want control of my life. I want to call the shots. But I also realize that my pride causes a rift between you and me. So I humbly ask that when I try to wrestle control from you, that you help me get back to a place of submission. Because only by following you will I discover true peace. In Christ’s name I pray, Amen.
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