Good Words for Today
A friend told me about his struggles in yielding everything to God. He said that he envisions his life as a great ship with the Lord at the helm. But every so often he wants to tap God on the shoulder and say, “Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” Rest easy, child of God. There’s a steady hand at the helm and he doesn’t need any help from you. But you’ll never know until you give him full control of your life.
"You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks." Winston Churchill
"He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him" (Psalm 126:6). I'm responsible to sow the seeds of truth faithfully, lovingly, repeatedly. I'm not responsible for how fast the harvest comes in. The timing of the harvest is not in my hands, but if I do my part, God cannot fail to do his. Let's sow some seeds today and pray for a bountiful harvest!
Money is like manure. If you pile it up, it stinks. But if you spread it around, it can do a lot of good. What are you doing with the money God has given you?
"Don't let the world squeeze you into its mold" (Romans 12:2 Phillips) Living for Christ means going against the flow. We've got to swim upstream.
"What have I to dread, what have I to fear, Leaning on the everlasting arms? I have blessed peace with my Lord so near, Leaning on the everlasting arms."
Pray for a church filled with messy people, which means pray for a church filled with people because we're all messed up but Jesus is a wonderful Savior.
We don't have to choose between grace and truth. Since Jesus was full of grace and truth (John 1:14), and if he is in us and we are in him, then we should be full of grace and truth too.
"Stop trying to fix people. Point them to Jesus." Caleb Kaltenbach
Miracles happen when we pray. Never doubt that. If God's people pray, he will heal our land. Do it, O Lord!
When the church is most like the world, it does the least good. The opposite is also true.
If God were to abandon us, then he would have to abandon his own Son because we are "in Christ." But he will never abandon his Son, and he will never abandon us. We are as safe in Christ as we could possibly be.
"It was said of an old Puritan that 'heaven was in him before he was in heaven.' This is necessary for all of us; we must have heaven in us before we get into heaven. If we do not get to heaven before we die, we shall never get there afterward." Charles Spurgeon
We need two things when we listen to a sermon: a soft heart and a good memory. A soft heart helps us receive the truth and a good memory reminds us of the truth we have heard. God of Grace, I pray for a soft heart and a good memory as I listen to your Word today. Amen.
"You must be born again" (John 3:7). Since ignorance is not the cause of sin, knowing more is not the cure. Our greatest need is not education but regeneration.
"If we would have mercy, it must be through Christ. Out of Christ, no mercy is to be had. Mercy swims to us through Christ's blood." Thomas Watson
"In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart." John Bunyan
He who upholds the universe holds me in the palm of his hand.
God routinely puts us in impossible situations so we will discover over all again that we can't but he can.
People ask, “Do you believe in divine healing?” That’s the only kind there is. It just comes in many different varieties.
"Put up with a few sins, and you will soon want a few more. Never play with fire. Never trifle with little sins." J. C. Ryle
While reading the obituary of a certain great man, I came across this sentence: "He had the gift of getting things done." That's a worthy goal for all of us. May God help us to do what needs to be done today so we can sleep well tonight.
"Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray" (James 5:13). Many times we view prayer as the last resort when it ought to be the first resort. Prayer sometimes seems futile because we think we need to “do something.” Praying is fine, but how about if we bake a cake? Well, that’s fine too. But don’t fall into the trap of separating life into the “spiritual” and the “practical,” as if baking a cake is “real help” while prayer is just something spiritual we do when we can’t do anything else. Very nearly the opposite is true. Through prayer we unleash the power of heaven for the problems we face on earth. We ought to pray more, not less in times of trouble.
"God will never bring you to the place where you no longer need him." I heard a preacher say that, and it sounds exactly right to me. Sometimes we secretly (or not so secretly) wish we could be in a position where we weren't so desperate. But if the choice is between self-sufficiency and desperation, it's better to be desperate and cry out to God than to think you no longer need him.
But if my faith never leads me to do things that make no sense to others, including my Christian friends, perhaps I’m playing it too safe.
Do you love Jesus? Good, then don’t be afraid to let the world know and don’t worry if others don’t understand.
Lord Jesus, thank you for opening the door of heaven to anyone who believes in you. Give me faith to keep praying for my friends who do not yet know you. Amen.
There's good news from the graveyard this morning. Good news that the tomb is empty. Good news that Jesus rose from the dead. Good news that the Devil couldn't hold him. Good news that death has lost its sting. Good news that the grave has lost its victory. Good news that we need not fear death any more. Let the people of God rejoice. He is risen! He is risen indeed!
Keep the faith, brothers and sisters. Yesterday our Lord was crucified. Today his body lies in the tomb. Tomorrow he rises from the dead. Saturday can seem like a long day–and it is–but be of good cheer. The crucifixion is behind us, Saturday will not last forever. Keep believing, child of God. It's Saturday, but Sunday's coming!
When Jesus cried out, “It is finished” (John 19:30), he meant that the price for sin had been fully paid. Nothing can be added to the value of what Jesus did when he died on the cross. The price has been paid; our Lord has taken our punishment upon himself. The heavy blows of judgment fell on the Lamb of God. It was finished then, it is finished now, and to the glory of God, after a million times a million years have passed, it will still be finished.
Be kind. Someone around you is having a hard time today.
Every betrayal begins in the heart. The first compromise is on the inside. Judas sold out his Master long before he received the thirty pieces of silver.
There are hungry hearts everywhere. You never know when someone will show up looking for Jesus. Make sure you know how to help them find him.
On a hill called Calvary There stands an endless mercy tree Every broken weary soul Find your rest and be made whole Stripes of blood that stain its frame Shed to wash away our shame From the scars pure love released Salvation by the Mercy Tree I hope you'll take a moment to watch this video of Anthony Evans singing "Mercy Tree."
"All glory, laud and honor, To Thee, Redeemer, King, To Whom the lips of children Made sweet hosannas ring. Thou art the King of Israel, Thou David’s royal Son, Who in the Lord’s Name comest, The King and Blessèd One." This is the first verse of a Palm Sunday hymn written in AD 820 by Theodulf, Bishop of Orleans. J. M. Neale translated it into English in 1854.
"We will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ" (Ephesians 4:15 NLT). It is no sin to fight for the truth. It would be a sin not to fight for what is right. But how easy it is to fight with the weapons of the flesh. Who is worse off? The one who will not fight or the one who cannot fight without stooping to bitter personal attacks? We need bold truth and sweet grace, and we need them both every single day.
Lord Jesus, help me to do my best today, in the full knowledge that without you I can do nothing at all. Amen.
What will we leave our children? A vast estate? A large inheritance? A huge life insurance policy? Whatever we may say about earthly possessions, they pale next to the privilege of passing down a godly heritage, a tapestry of truth, and a pattern of believing that our children and grandchildren can claim as their own.
The Word of God, preached in the power of God, always results in lives changed by God. This was how the tiny band of believers turned the world upside down in the first century. We must pray for God to do that again in our day. The world has no answer to a life radically changed by Jesus Christ. The world may answer our arguments, but it cannot answer the power of God let loose in the human heart.
Lord Jesus, when I am discouraged, help me to remember that no deed done in your name is forgotten and no word spoken for you is wasted. Amen.