Good Words for Today
Over the course of life, we will all lead others, and we will all follow others. We learn how to lead well by learning how to follow well.
Our only duty is to follow Jesus wherever he leads us. Everything else is details.
Our trials are not sent to make us fall. They are sent to cause us to soar by grace. They are not meant to defeat us but to be the means to a greater spiritual victory. They are not intended to make us weaker but to make us stronger. They are not sent to hurt us but to help us. Therefore, we should not complain when hard times come. We should rejoice. And we will rejoice if we believe what God has said. Every hard trial is another step on the stairway that leads from earth to heaven.
If you fight God at the point of your suffering, you’ll never receive the ocean of love he wants to pour into your life. ‘‘Blessed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. For he wounds, but he also binds up; he injures, but his hands also heal” (Job 5:17-18).
Lord, grant me tenacious winsome courage as I go through this day. When I am tempted to give up, help me to keep going. Grant me a cheerful spirit when things don’t go my way. And give me courage to do whatever needs to be done. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
God can use anything yielded to him—even an oxgoad. Remember Shamgar! (Judges 3:31).
Most people think that money is the most important thing in the world. But money can't forgive a single sin. The blood of Jesus is far more precious than all the money in the world.
Never use the darkness as an excuse not to light a candle!
“Pastor Ray, how do you feel about things?” I feel great! God's plan is working perfectly. We were made for times like these. These are great days to serve the Lord. The future is as bright as the promises of God!
God continually puts us in situations where our faith will be tested to see if we will obey the Lord. This explains why “God makes it hard when it ought to be easy.” If obedience doesn’t cost you anything, it can’t be worth very much.
If you want to boast, boast that you know the Lord. That’s the only thing that matters.
Even in days of moral decline, faith can still move mountains.
Failure is a wonderful teacher if we are willing to learn.
Who can say why a prayer which has been uttered 9,999 times should finally be answered the 10,000th time? But sometimes it happens. So keep on praying as long as you can. “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up” (Luke 18:1).
Repentance isn't about feeling guilty or stupid or down on yourself. Repentance happens when you say, "Lord, you were right, and I was wrong." The moment you say that, healing can begin.
If the statement “I wouldn’t trade my pain for the things God has shown me” makes no sense to you, it is only because you haven’t been there yet.
Praise is a choice. No one is forced into bitterness. You choose the way you live. Praise starts with a conscious choice not to forget what God has done for you. “You are my God, and I will give you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt you" (Psalm 118:28).
He is always the God of the Second Chance—and the third and the fourth and the fifth. If that weren't true, there would be no hope for any of us.
"This is my Father’s world. O let me ne’er forget That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet. This is my Father’s world: the battle is not done: Jesus Who died shall be satisfied, And earth and Heav’n be one."
Those who walk in obedience before God establish a godly heritage. Their great-grandchildren will rise up and call them blessed.
God did not say, “My answers are sufficient,” but rather, “My grace is sufficient for you.” "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness'" (2 Corinthians 12:9).
If we follow Jesus, we’ll end up in the right place. If we follow Jesus, we won’t need to compare. If we follow Jesus, the road won’t be easy. If we follow Jesus, we will end up at the cross. If we follow Jesus, we will have everything we need when we need it.
Your advancing years cannot cancel God’s faithfulness. He has a special promise for those who live long enough to have gray hair. “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you” (Isaiah 46:4).
The hands that were nailed to the cross will someday rule the world. Though we do not see it today, it is certain and sure of fulfillment. That’s what the book of Revelation is all about. Read it for yourself and see how the story ends.
Faith is belief plus unbelief and acting on the belief part.
Lord, I see too many blunt edges in my life. Sharpen me that I might be a useful tool in your hands. Amen.
Some people don't belong in your life. It's okay to let them go. Some people drag us down. It's okay to move on from them. You're on a journey with the Lord. If some people don't want to travel with you, that's on them, not you. Let them go and keep walking with Jesus.
God honors imperfect faith because that’s the only kind we can have in an imperfect world.
Lord of all things, I pray for the grace to obey you without hesitation, without complaint, and without excuses. Amen.
No one becomes godly by accident. You don't drift into holiness. Through Christ you can be an overcomer, but it won’t be easy, and it won’t come quickly. Are you willing to pay the price?
Everyone wants to be a servant until you get treated like one.
Hitting rock bottom isn't such a bad thing if it causes you to look up and see Jesus.
If you have to have all the answers before you make a decision, if you're afraid to take a step unless you know things will work out to your advantage, faith will always be a mystery to you.
Do not let your sin and failure keep you from Jesus. Christ came for sinners, and it is sinners who need a Savior. So for all the foolish, fallen, messed up, mixed up, worn out, discouraged, backslidden, compromised, downtrodden, unlovely people who wish and dream and secretly hope for a new start, take heart. Christ has come for you.
The best thing parents can do for their children is to give them an example worth following.
When you feel the slightest urge to encourage someone, do it. Put aside your work, get up from your desk, pick up the phone, send an email, write a text, pat someone on the back, say a good word to lift someone’s spirits. Try doing it for just one week. Who knows? It might become a permanent habit.
Lord Jesus, thank you for showing us how to live. May your love fill my heart today. Amen.
Your unbelief cannot cancel God's truth any more than closing your eyes can cancel the sun.
How should we treat our enemies? We are to love them and pray for them. God uses them to chisel away the rough spots in your life. Enemies are no fun, and they often mistreat us. But we can live without bitterness when we remember they are part of God's plan to make us like Jesus.