Good Words for Today

God's will is not a choice we make; It's a path we follow. Stay on the path, and you will end up where God wants you to be.

Lord Jesus, when I am tempted to do wrong, help me to remember that others are depending on me to do right. May I not fail them--or you--today. Amen. 

"Did we in our own strength confide, Our striving would be losing; Were not the right Man on our side, The Man of God's own choosing. Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He; Lord Sabaoth, His name, From age to age the same, And He must win the battle." From "A Mighty Fortress" by Martin Luther

"Did we in our own strength confide, Our striving would be losing; Were not the right Man on our side, The Man of God's own choosing. Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He; Lord Sabaoth, His name, From age to age the same, And He must win the battle." From "A Mighty Fortress" by Martin Luther

"If you were a hundred times worse than you are, your sins would be no match for his mercy." Tim Keller

“How happy is the one who does not walk in the advice of the wicked or stand in the pathway with sinners or sit in the company of mockers!” (Psalm 1:1) Be choosy about your friends. Some people aren’t good for you. You can’t get better until you get them out of your life.

The devil is a liar. He buys your soul with counterfeit promises.

Lord, help me to make somebody happy today. Amen.

The next time you feel the need to brag about what you’ve done, pay attention to that faint cracking sound. It’s the thin ice beneath your feet that is about to give way.

Sometimes God’s no is the surest sign of his love for us.

“I preached myself, the scholars came and praised me. I preached Christ, the sinners came and thanked me.” Bernard of Clairvaux

Lord, how quickly we doubt your goodness while traveling through the wilderness. Thank you for never leaving us even when we feel alone and overwhelmed. Amen.

"They admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth" (Hebrews 11:13). Christians are truly “not from around here.” We don't fit in because we aren't supposed to fit in. We’ve got a passport that says, “Citizen of Heaven.” So cheer up, child of God. Put a smile on your face. Don't worry about those strange looks you get. You aren't home yet.

"Don't waste your breath on fools, for they will despise the wisest advice" (Proverbs 23:9). Sometimes it's better to say nothing at all. Just let it pass, or walk away. Arguing with a fool is like wrestling with a pig. You get dirty and the pig loves it.

The believer who arms himself with the Word of God will never lack for a weapon in the battle. It answers all our doubts and all our discouragement. This is all we have and this is all we need. The church marches triumphantly when it relies upon God’s Word.

Every temptation is a lie wrapped in a promise of freedom.

"God wants us to pray because he wants to answer." George Murray

Thank God for women of faith. Their prayers have changed the world.

"God’s word is the same, yesterday and today and a million years from now." Franklin Graham

It is sometimes said that we should not doubt in the darkness what we learned in the light. It is equally true that we must not forget in the light what we learned in the darkness.

When it comes to judging, be hard on yourself and easy on others. Most of us get that backwards.

"Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful May the fire of our devotion light their way May the footprints that we leave Lead them to believe And the lives we live inspire them to obey." From "Find Us Faithful" by Steve Green

Many years ago the Lord gave me a principle I call the First Law of Spiritual Progress. It goes like this: I can’t go back. I can’t stay here. I must go forward. You can’t go back to the past, not to relive the good times or to undo the mistakes you made. But you can’t stay where you are either. Life is a river that flows ever onward. It matters not whether you are happy in your present situation or whether you seek deliverance from it. You can’t stay where you are forever. The only way to go is forward. Let this be our watchword in 2019. Onward, always onward with the Lord!  

"And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight, The clouds be rolled back as a scroll; The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend, Even so, it is well with my soul."

"Living, He loved me; dying, He saved me; Buried, He carried my sins far away; Rising, He justified freely forever; One day He’s coming—oh, glorious day!" J. Wilbur Chapman

"As I look back on this road I've traveled, I see so many times he carried me through; If there's one thing that I've learned in my life, My Redeemer is faithful and true." Steven Curtis Chapman

Lord, give me the grace to keep on doing what you called me to do. And save me from the folly of making excuses for not doing my job today. Amen.

Giving thanks in the midst of sorrow and heartache is a testimony worth more than 10,000 words spoken when things are going well.

The Wise Men bowed down when they met Jesus. Wise men do the same today.

"Come to Bethlehem and see Him whose birth the angels sing Come adore on bended knee Christ the Lord, the newborn King"

"God walked down the stairs of heaven with a Baby in His arms.” Paul Scherer

Light shines. Heaven arrives. Darkness defeated. Angels sighted. Jesus born. Caesar decreed. Census taken. Bethlehem full. Manger ready. Jesus born. Prophets spoke. Welcome Messiah. Unto us. Great joy. Jesus born.

"In manger poor the Babe He lies That made the world and rules the skies." From an early English carol called "I Heard a Mess of Merry Shepherds," ca. 161122

If the world had needed education, God would have sent a teacher. If the world had needed an army, God would have sent a general. If the world had needed more money, God would have sent a banker. But since the world needed a Savior, God sent a baby! That is the surprise, and the wonder, and ultimately the delight of Christmas. God did what we would never have done, and in so doing, he opened the door to heaven for all of us.

Lord Jesus, you loved the lonely and helped the hurting. Give me a heart like yours to spread your joy this Christmas season. Amen.

Christmas is for broken people who aren’t ashamed to admit it. The self-righteous need not apply. They missed him when he came the first time, and they still miss him today.

What are you waiting for today? Do not despair if the answer is slow in coming. Bethlehem proves the faithfulness of God. He answers our fears with a baby wrapped in rags.

Lord Jesus, grant me eyes of faith to see you as you are, King in a cradle and Lord of the universe. Amen.

Lord Jesus, we are amazed that you left heaven for people like us. Thank you for making a place for us in God’s family. Amen.

When we are at our wit's end, God is just getting started.