Good Words for Today

"The earth shall soon dissolve like snow, The sun forbear to shine, But God who called me here below Shall be forever mine!" From "Amazing Grace" by John Newton  

The skill of the shepherd is seen not in the sunlight but in the dark valleys.

Love is a choice. You'll find out what that means when you decide to love someone who hates you.

"Serve the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs" (Psalm 100:2). "Beware of singing as if you were half dead, or half asleep; but lift up your voice with strength." John Wesley "As long as we live, there is never enough singing." Martin Luther

My Father, teach me to trust you even when circumstances aren't going my way. Amen

Good work, righteous work, even holy work, can become a distraction if we are not centered upon the Lord. Knowing Christ must come before serving Christ or else our service will be barren and our hearts will be frustrated.

"I’d rather see a sermon than hear one any day; I’d rather one should walk with me than merely tell the way. The eye’s a better pupil and more willing than the ear, Fine counsel is confusing, but example’s always clear; And the best of all the preachers are the men who live their creeds, For to see good put in action is what everybody needs." Edgar Guest

Choose your heroes wisely. Admire them but do not worship them. The best man you know is still just a man.

“Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father, There is no shadow of turning with Thee; Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be." “Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see; All I have needed Thy hand hath provided— Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!"

Lord, when I feel like giving up, remind me of your promises. Keep my eyes facing forward today. Amen.

"Immortal, invisible God only wise In light inaccessible hid from our eyes Most holy, most glorious the ancient of days Almighty, victorious Your great name we praise."

"Sin and despair, like the sea waves cold, Threaten the soul with infinite loss; Grace that is greater, yes, grace untold, Points to the refuge, the mighty cross."

The world says, “Don’t just sit there, do something.” Jesus says, “If you are worried and distracted, don’t just do something, take time to sit at my feet.”

To-do list: Love God, love people. Everything else is details.

Lord Jesus, when we are provoked today--as we surely will be!--may we be slow to anger and quick to forgive. Amen. 

Lord Jesus, let your kingdom come even if mine must go. Let your power be seen even if mine disappears. Let your glory be manifest even if mine must fade away. Your kingdom, your power, your glory forever! Amen.  

If your view of God's grace makes it easier for you to sin, you've either got the wrong God or the wrong grace.

God does not need vast numbers to do his work. We have heard it said that “God plus one is a majority.” It is nothing with him to win the victory by many or by a few. Often it seems that our Lord prefers to go into battle with a ragtag army of unqualified soldiers so that when the battle is over and the victory won, he alone gets the glory.

"Without Jesus, we approach life with the expectation of death. With Jesus, we approach death with the expectation of life." Nabeel Qureshi Nabeel Qureshi died yesterday of stomach cancer at the age of 34. Raised as a Muslim, he became a follower of Christ and then an ardent defender of the Christian faith. Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus tells the story of his conversion. It is a modern classic. We interviewed him last year on American Family Radio just before he announced the news that he had been diagnosed with Stage 4 stomach cancer.  He fought the good fight and kept his faith strong to the very end. From a human point of view, he left us far too soon, but perhaps his death will be a seed that brings forth a great harvest of Muslims coming to faith in Christ. Rest in peace, Nabeel. We will see you again.

Be positive! We have enough negative people already.

“Heavenly Father, you are in charge of everything that will happen to me today— the good and the bad, the happy and the sad, the positive and the negative. Please help me to be thankful for everything that will happen to me today. Amen”

You can give thanks or you can complain, but you can't do both at the same time.

No one is too sinful to be saved. No one is so lost that the Lord cannot find them. No one who meets Jesus will ever be the same again.

In the spiritual life, direction makes all the difference. It’s not where you’ve been but where you’re going that matters.

Accidents happen, but nothing happens by accident. This is the real meaning of Romans 8:28.

Forgive us, Lord, for doubting you. Forgive us, Lord, for giving up too soon. Teach us to pray and not to faint. Amen.

Lord Jesus, help me to stay out of trouble today, unless you need me to get into trouble for you. Amen.

"Jesus! what a Friend for sinners! Jesus! Lover of my soul; Friends may fail me, foes assail me, He, my Savior, makes me whole." "Hallelujah! what a Savior! Hallelujah! what a Friend! Saving, helping, keeping, loving, He is with me to the end." J. Wilbur Chapman, 1910

"There's hope for the hopeless And all those who've strayed Come sit at the table Come taste the grace There's rest for the weary Rest that endures Earth has no sorrow That heaven can't cure" From "Come As You Are" by Crowder

"Where there is hatred, let me sow love." We're all going to sow something today. We've got plenty of hatred--more than enough. Why not sow love?

If you're going let God be in the driver's seat, you've got to let go of the steering wheel.

"The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you" (Romans 16:20). God has one thing to say about Satan: He's doomed. His infernal reign is coming to an end soon. If you're not smiling, you should be. "Lo! His doom is sure, one little word shall fell him." Martin Luther

"What is the chief end of preaching? I like to think it is this. To give men and women a sense of God and His presence.” Martyn Lloyd-Jones

"He appears when you're terribly tired and makes a very reasonable request which you know you shouldn't grant." Fiorello La Guardia

This is no time for compromise. Speak up for the Savior. Let your voice be heard so loudly that no one can doubt whose side you are on.

“No man can think clearly when his fists are clenched.” George Nathan

"You will not get to steal quietly into heaven, into Christ's presence, without a conflict and a cross." Samuel Rutherford

God's silence does not always mean God's refusal. His "no" doesn't always mean "no." It often means "not this, not now, not yet." Pray on, child of God! Our Lord hears the tiniest cry of your heart. When the time is right, the answer will come.

"When we say we want to be the hands & feet of Jesus, we must remember what happened to the hands and feet of Jesus." Trevin Wax

"When a man goes to church he often hears a preacher in the pulpit rehash everything that he has read in the editorials, the newspapers, and the magazines. On the TV commentaries he hears that same stuff over again, yawns, and goes out and plays golf on Sunday. When a man comes to church, actually what he is saying to you is this, 'Preacher, I know what the TV commentator has to say; I hear him every day. I know what the editorial writer has to say; I read it every day. I know what the magazines have to say; I read them every week. Preacher, what I want to know is, does God have anything to say? If God has anything to say, tell us what it is.'" W. A. Criswell