Good Words for Today

"From sinking sand He lifted me, with tender hand He lifted me, from shades of night to plains of light, O praise His name, He lifted me!" Charles H. Gabriel, 1905

Occasionally God saves very terrible sinners, Who have lived evil lives, And done terrible things, Who definitely don't deserve saving, Because they are just like us, And we are just like them. If we think anything else, we don't have a clue about our sin or how much we need the grace of God ourselves.

"And now let the weak say, 'I am strong.' Let the poor say, 'I am rich Because of what the Lord has done for us.' Give thanks." Don Moen

We go through life saying, “What have you done for me lately, Lord?” And the Lord replies, “If only you knew.”

"Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining, Ordaining, maintaining His kingdom divine; So from the beginning the fight we were winning; Thou, Lord, were at our side, all glory be Thine!" Edward Baker, 1894, from the Thanksgiving hymn, "We Gather Together."

"Be killing sin, or sin will be killing you." John Owen

"All hail the pow’r of Jesus’ Name! Let angels prostrate fall; Bring forth the royal diadem, And crown Him Lord of all!" Edward Perronet, 1780

God honors imperfect faith because that's the only kind we can have in an imperfect world.

Lord of All Things, help me to place myself under your care, holding nothing back, making no excuses, but giving you all things in advance, and letting you fill in the details. Amen.

“If the devil cannot make us bad, he will make us busy.” Corrie Ten Boom

"God will make a way Where there seems to be no way He works in ways we cannot see He will make a way for me." Don Moen

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?

Who will dream big dreams for God? Why not you?

"People who do not know the Lord ask why in the world we waste our lives as missionaries. They forget that they too are expending their lives. And when the bubble has burst, they will have nothing of eternal significance to show for the years they have wasted." Nate Saint

Man looks on the outward and makes his judgments that way. God always looks to the heart first and foremost. Where there is no faith, even the finest offering makes no difference.

God loves it when his people dare to trust him.

"How sweet the Name of Jesus sounds In a believer’s ear! It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds, And drives away his fear." John Newton, 1779

In light of all that Christ has done, we are invited to trust him as Lord and Savior. But this is not merely an option we can take or leave as if we might find a better offer somewhere else. To say that God commands us to believe in Christ means that if we refuse his offer of eternal life we will regret our wrong decision for all eternity.

"I planted, Apollos watered, but God made it grow" (1 Corinthians 3:6). Our work apart from God means nothing. Without our work, there is nothing to grow. Do not despair if all you are doing is planting seeds. That's where it all begins. Sometimes we are planting and waiting. Sometimes we are watering and waiting. If we do our part, God will not fail to do his. Harvest time is coming. You can count on it.

Sometimes we just have to let go. How hard that is for most of us. Letting go doesn’t exactly mean giving up. It doesn’t mean passively sitting by while the world takes advantage of us. Letting go means giving up the right to always be in control. Letting go means admitting that you aren’t calling all the shots. Letting go means that you choose not to manipulate others. Letting go means admitting that you don’t have all the answers. Letting go means yielding your frantic emotions to the Lord. Letting go means resigning your position as Boss of the Universe.  

"My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame But wholly lean on Jesus’ name." Edward Mote, 1834

Our situation is so hopeless that salvation must come from another place. We need help that comes from outside ourselves. We are not saved by what we do but by what Jesus Christ has done for us.

"My plea is that all of us who love the gospel of Jesus and who love people will not shrink back from speaking boldly and clearly and wisely about the whole counsel of God, including the wonderful truth that Jesus delivers from the wrath of God. Nothing is more terrible than to be the deserving object of the just and omnipotent wrath of God. The world, and everyone in it, needs to know that God has made a way of escape through Jesus Christ. This knowledge is essential to the gospel we preach." John Piper

"Has Christ put away your sin? If he has, be as happy as the days are long in the sweet summertime, and be as bright as a garden in the month of June, and sing like angels, for you have more to sing about than angels have." Charles Spurgeon

"Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share, But our toil He doth richly repay; Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross, But is blessed if we trust and obey." John H. Sammis, 1897

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.

I need a God who is bigger than all my problems. Sometimes I feel my need; often I don't. But feelings don't matter in any case. I desperately need the Lord. And so do you. So do we all.

If you live long enough, you'll have to face some hard times and some deep disappointment. That's part of the process of growing to spiritual maturity. At this point in my life, I am more aware than ever of my own limitations. I find myself increasingly glad that we worship a God whose power is unlimited, who never grows weary, whose plans will not be defeated, and whose ways are far beyond our own. What a comfort to serve a God like that.

"Let not conscience bid you linger, Nor of fitness fondly dream; All the fitness he requireth Is to feel your need of Him." Joseph Hart, 1759

"But you have come to Mount Zion" (Hebrews 12:22). The precise Greek word means “to come near.” It has the idea of coming in the presence of someone or something. Think what this means for us: We’re not far from heaven. We’re not far from the angels. We’re not far from our loved ones in heaven. We’re not far from God. We’re not far from Jesus himself. Let that thought give strength to your heart today.

What will the next fifty years bring? I don't know the answer to that question. But this much is certain: The gospel that was handed down to us will still meet the needs of the future. The Bible that we believe will still have the answers for the next generation. And the victories that are yet to be won will be accomplished in the strength of the Lord.

Persecution is a terrible thing, but unfaithfulness is far worse.

There is a time to pray and a time to act. At some point you've got to head down into the valley and pick up five smooth stones.

Faith means doing what God has told you to do, even if you don’t fully understand the reason why.

"The Christian life is a process of God breaking our idols one by one" Elisabeth Elliot

"We have heard the joyful sound: Jesus saves! Jesus saves! Spread the tidings all around: Jesus saves! Jesus saves! Bear the news to every land, Climb the steeps and cross the waves; Onward!—’tis our Lord’s command; Jesus saves! Jesus saves!" Priscilla Jane Owens

Life is like a roll of the dice, but God is in charge of how the numbers come up.

“I can no longer condemn or hate a brother for whom I pray, no matter how much trouble he causes me." Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Feet stink. That’s why they need washing. It’s not always fun, but you can wash feet if you don’t mind being a servant instead of a big shot.

Will you obey God today?