Good Words for Today

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.

Here are three prayers to help you through the day: "Lord, have mercy." "Your will be done." "Give me a grateful heart."

God intends for you to struggle with sin so that in your struggle, you would be stripped of your self-reliance and begin to trust in God alone. Does the fact that you struggle make you a failure? No. It makes you an excellent candidate for the grace of God

Almighty God, increase my faith so that I might believe without wavering that you are greater than all my problems. Amen.

Feel free to disagree with God if you must, but you'll never win that argument. You're better off praying for grace to accept what you don't understand.

"I saw more clearly than ever that the first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was to have my soul happy in the Lord.” George Müller

Wise words for preachers: "Jesus didn't say, 'Feed my giraffes.' He said, 'Feed my sheep.' Put the hay on the lower shelf where God's sheep can get to it." J. Vernon McGee

Miracles come in many varieties. Some are outward and spectacular. Some are inward as God gives strength to his children as they suffer for him. Who’s to say which is greater?

“But if he doesn’t, you should know, Your Majesty, we’ll never honor your gods or worship the gold statue that you set up” (Daniel 3:18). If God doesn’t do what you expect, will you trust him anyway?

"Oh, for grace to let my trials bless me!" Charles Spurgeon

My Lord, thank you for loving us so fiercely that even our secrets cannot turn you away. Give us the courage to bring into the open those hidden things that keep us from you. Amen.

Lord, give me courage to do right today even when I'm tempted to do wrong. Amen.

Don’t get mad at your critics. You’re far worse than they know.

“Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way” (Deuteronomy 8:2). Praise is a choice. No one is forced into bitterness. Gratitude begins when you choose to remember what God has done for you.

"I shall forever lift mine eyes to Calvary, To view the cross where Jesus died for me How marvelous the grace that caught my falling soul He Looked beyond my fault and saw my need." Dottie Rambo

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us" (Ephesians 3:20 NKJV).   God’s ability is “off the chart.” It can’t be measured. It’s so great that it can’t even be imagined. This verse is teaching us the exceeding, abundant, immeasurable, infinite ableness of God. There are no limits to what God can do. We can’t even imagine what God can do. His power is so great we don’t even know what we don’t know.

Lord Jesus, fill me with the knowledge of your will so that I want what you want. Bring me to the place where I will say, “Your will be done—nothing less, nothing more, nothing else." Amen.

Some people will only drag you down. Avoid them. You don't have to spend time with everyone who wants to spend time with you.

Christians who are embarrassed by hell will soon lose interest in heaven.

God intends to give you a hope and a future, but not without a trip to Babylon. The promises of God shine brightest when they are hardest to believe.

"He must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet" (1 Corinthians 15:25). The battle isn't over, and we already know who wins.