Good Words for Today

"Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your Holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen." Book of Common Prayer, 1662

When we ask God to make us like Jesus, we are really praying to be led to the Cross.

"Christ leads us through no darker rooms than he went through before, He that unto God's kingdom comes must enter by this door. Come Lord, when grace has made me meet, thy blessed face to see; For if thy work on earth be sweet, what will thy glory be! My knowledge of that life is small, the eye of faith is dim; But 'tis enough that Christ knows all, and I shall be with Him!" Richard Baxter, 1681

"Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail, In Thee do we trust, nor find Thee to fail; Thy mercies how tender, how firm to the end, Our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend." Robert Grant, 1833

"Have fun at my funeral because I'm not going to be there." Tony Evans

"Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer! In His arms He’ll take and shield thee, Thou wilt find a solace there." Joseph Scriven

We must live in this present age, but this present age must not live in us.

"Drinking beer is easy. Trashing your hotel room is easy. But being a Christian, that’s a tough call. That’s rebellion." Alice Cooper

Encouragement is not something that perishes in the using. The way to get more is to use what you've got. It increases by giving it away.

I pray for grace, dear God, to yield up anything that keeps me from discovering your best for my life. Grant that the good may go in order that the best may come. Amen.

Of all the people in the world, we should be the ones having the best time. After all, we know we aren’t going to live forever and we know where we’re going when we die. So have a blast while you last.

"Firm as the earth thy gospel stands, My Lord, my hope, my trust; If I am found in Jesus' hands, My soul can ne'er be lost." Isaac Watts

"God will put on us more than we can bear, but He will not put on us more than He can bear." Adrian Rogers

"Sin cannot hold a candle to grace." Robert Farrar Capon

"From all blindness of heart, from pride, vainglory, and hypocrisy; from envy, hatred, and malice, and all uncharitableness, Good Lord, deliver us." Book of Common Prayer

"It is well worth being the chief of sinners to have such a Savior." Alexander Whyte

"The Bride eyes not her garment, but her dear Bridegroom’s face; I will not gaze at glory but on my King of grace. Not at the crown He giveth but on His pierced hand; The Lamb is all the glory of Immanuel’s land." Anne R. Cousin

"The Gospel reminds me the mistakes I make don't define me. I am defined In Christ Alone. Mistakes are just information for getting better." Hugh Freeze

"If all men are offended because of Christ, let them be offended; but where is the sense of their being offended at something that is not Christ and is nothing like him? We do him singularly little honor by watering down his personality till it could not offend a fly. Surely it is not the business of the Church to adapt Christ to men, but to adapt men to Christ." Dorothy Sayers

“Anything under God's control is never out of control.” Chuck Swindoll

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

Pray Until Something Happens

“God doesn't call us to be comfortable. He calls us to trust Him so completely that we are unafraid to put ourselves in situations where we will be in trouble if He doesn't come through.” Francis Chan

“The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because generally they are the same people.” G. K. Chesterton

The truth is, our potential is very limited and the only untapped resources are the ones we discover when we come to the end and admit that we are limited but God is not.

Jesus’ appeal is always personal. He never says, “Come and join the church” or “Come and give money.” He simply says, “Come to me.”

“The national anthem of Hell is 'I did it my way.'” Peter Kreeft

"Nothing can for sin atone, Nothing but the blood of Jesus; Naught of good that I have done, Nothing but the blood of Jesus." Robert Lowry

“Keep in mind that when sin is viewed superficially, it is dealt with superficially.” Erwin Lutzer

"No man can think clearly when his fists are clenched." George Jean Nathan

We are all only one stupid decision away from destroying our legacy.

Loving Father, teach us to trust you. We want clear direction, and you say, “Give me your heart.” We want precise answers, and you say, “Trust me to do right.” We want to know about tomorrow, and you say, “Follow me today.” Lord, make us willing to be made willing to do your will in everything. We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Circumstances are the fingerprints of God.

“It is therefore far better, and more desirable, to have but a little of the world and to have it with a good conscience, to keep up communion with God, and enjoy him in it, and live by faith, than to have the greatest plenty and live without God in the world." Matthew Henry

"Do your best and let God do the rest." Dr. Ben Carson

“Sometimes God allows what he hates to accomplish what he loves.” Joni Eareckson Tada

Resentment is like drinking poison and hoping the other guy dies.

“Don’t pray 'Lord, use me.' What you should pray is "Lord, make me usable.'" Vance Havner

God specializes in impossible situations, and he loves to prove that hopeless cases aren't hopeless after all.

 Your prayers are part of heaven's plan to reach out to the prodigals in your life and bring them back to God. If you are heavily burdened for a loved one, you may be sure that that burden does not come simply from yourself. The burden is a gift from God, a token of his mercy toward the prodigal who at this moment cares nothing for the Lord.