Good Words for Today

Here’s some news you can use. You don’t have to say everything you’re thinking.

Omnipotent God, the nations are but a drop in the bucket to you. Open my eyes to see beyond the headlines to the hurting hearts in every land. Amen.

True believers constantly accuse themselves (in the sense of being deeply aware of their own sinfulness) and simultaneously rejoice in God their Savior. They are like wheat when the husk of self-trust is broken off, leaving only the sweet fruit of Christ within.

The good that may come from the treachery of others is not planned by the hand of man, is not seen in advance, and is not seen at all except by faith.

Every worship service ought to be a great object lesson to teach our people, “We are not like the world. This is who we are. This is why we exist. This is what we believe. This is how we live.”

God will do whatever it takes to bring us to the place where we remember him. He’ll stop at nothing. Whatever it takes to get us on our knees is good for our spiritual growth.

Am I willing to hear the truth even when I don’t like it? Do I need to tell the truth to someone who doesn’t want to hear it? It is not easy either way, but both are absolutely necessary for healthy spiritual growth. God repeatedly puts us in places where we have to speak the truth and where we have to hear the truth. Blessed are the truth-tellers—and the truth-hearers—for they shall be set free.

In the death of Jesus, all our sins are fully paid for—past, present, and future. As a result, those who believe in Jesus find that their sins are gone forever. This is the heart of the gospel. God's holiness demands that sin be punished. God's grace provides the sacrifice. What God demands, he supplies. Salvation is a work of God from first to last. It is conceived by God, provided by God, and applied by God.

Father, show me the truth about myself so that I will cling tightly to your grace. Amen.

When the foundations are being destroyed, we need a fresh view of God and a long view of history. The God who sees all things will judge the wicked and bring them down in the end, and the righteous will see God’s face. When the foundations of society are destroyed, we can say to men and women everywhere, “Christ is the firm foundation, the cornerstone that will never be shaken.”

"When He shall come with trumpet sound, Oh, may I then in Him be found; Dressed in His righteousness alone, Faultless to stand before the throne." Edward R. Mote, "The Solid Rock," 1834.

God will not judge you for how someone else lives. When you stand before the Lord, he won’t quiz you about what Mr. Jones did or how Susie Johnson lived. You’ll answer for yourself and for no one else.

Lord God, teach me to love as you love—with a heart as big as yours—and with arms that reach out to embrace all your children. Amen.

To whom much is given, much is required. Leaders have great privileges, but they pay a higher price. Many eyes are watching you. Don’t let them down.

True repentance always involves coming clean, and coming clean means owning up to the whole pattern of wrongdoing, not just to the thing you happened to get caught doing.

Only a gift of infinite value could turn away the infinite wrath of God. And only God himself could make such an infinite gift. To call the death of Christ a ʺpropitiationʺ means that Godʹs wounded heart is now satisfied with the death of his Son. When we come to God through Christ, we come to a friendly Father and not to an angry God.

Lord Jesus, you are a wonderful Savior. May I never delay when you call me to take another step toward the light. Amen.

I heard about a pastor who prays, "Lord, please bless this person whom I foolishly regard as my enemy." That's a good prayer because it is both honest and biblical. We can't always be friends with everyone, but we can always pray for God to bless our enemies. That's the first step to turning enemies into friends.

Lord, give me the grace to appreciate the praise I receive and to give You glory for any good thing I accomplish, for without You I can do nothing. Amen.

On Friday, it appeared that Satan had won the battle. On Sunday morning, the true Victor walked out of the tomb, alive from the dead.

If God will judge your friends, why should you get involved? He knows them better than you do, he loves them more than you do, and he reads the thoughts and intents of the heart, which you can’t read at all. If we all spent more time worrying about ourselves, we’d have very little time left to worry about other people.

Lord Jesus, you are the Friend of sinners. We are so glad because you are the Friend and we are the sinners. Give us grace to come just as we are, and courage to take the first step. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

"Every joy or trial falleth from above, Traced upon our dial by the Sun of Love; We may trust Him fully, all for us to do; They who trust Him wholly find Him wholly true."

I’ve got some good news. The lights are on in the Father’s house, and the door is always open. The Father stands waiting for his prodigal sons and daughters to come back home. And he doesn’t say, “Clean yourself up first.” He just says, “Come on home. We can’t wait to see you again.”

The most beautiful Christians I know are those who have been through suffering and come through it with their faith in God intact. They have discovered that Jesus is enough, even in the worst moments. Their faces may be lined with care, but the beauty of Christ is in their eyes, and their voices testify to God’s amazing grace.

Nineveh was a place where no reasonable God would go. But being reasonable has nothing to do with it. Our God has a heart bigger than all our “reasonable” calculations. He loves the city and his heart goes out to those who want nothing to do with him.

In this life there are many roads a person may travel, but only one leads to heaven. The road to heaven starts at Calvary. Just keep walking in the blood‐stained path of the crucified Savior and that road will take you safely home at last.

Lord Jesus, in these momentous days, when the world shakes beneath our feet, help us to be people of the Word, delighting in what you have given us. Amen.

“Salvation is of the Lord.”  This is the hardest lesson for any of us to learn. Salvation starts with God and it ends with God. Some of us struggle a lifetime to learn that. Most of us have to learn it over and over again. Some people never learn it at all. But there is no salvation, no deliverance, and no getting better until we realize that if God doesn’t save us, we will never be saved.

Small obedience beats big plans every time. We can dream so much about tomorrow that we neglect to do the small things we ought to do today.

Lord Jesus, please give me cheerful courage to stand up for what is right. Amen.

Lord Jesus, I pray to be the kind of person who makes it easy for others to believe in you. Amen.

Your choices matter. We are all just one stupid mistake away from ruining our lives.

"Behold the man upon a cross, My sin upon His shoulders; Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice Call out among the scoffers. It was my sin that held Him there Until it was accomplished; His dying breath has brought me life – I know that it is finished."

Prayer is a blessing, not a burden. God invites us to come to the Throne Room and bring our needs with us. Let us pray with confidence, expecting God will answer our prayers. Nothing is too great to ask, and nothing is too hard for the Lord.

You can’t have clean hands until you decide to wash off the dirt.

The prayer that changes the world first changes us.

Jesus has a kingdom. He is building it in human hearts around the world. Someday he will return and reign on the earth. That kingdom will never end. Why would you follow anyone else?

How will we survive when hard times hit? It all depends on your view of God. Is your God full of tenderness and overflowing with mercy? If so, you may be knocked down by circumstances, but you won’t stay down forever because the Lord will pick you up.

Consider the simplicity of honesty. You don’t have to remember your lies when you tell the truth.