And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you... blessed are all they that wait for him (Isaiah 30:18).    

We must not only think of our waiting upon God, but also of what is more wonderful still, of God's waiting upon us. The vision of Him waiting on us will give new impulse and inspiration to our waiting upon Him. It will give us unspeakable confidence that our waiting cannot be in vain. Let us seek even now, at this moment, in the spirit of waiting on God, to find out something of what it means.

He has inconceivably glorious purposes concerning every one of His children. And you ask, "How is it, if He waits to be gracious, that even after I come and wait upon Him, He does not give the help I seek, but waits on longer and longer?" God is a wise husbandman, "who waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it." He cannot gather the fruit till it is ripe. He knows when we are spiritually ready to receive the blessing to our profit and His glory. Waiting in the sunshine of His love is what will ripen the soul for His blessing. Waiting under the cloud of trial, that breaks in showers of blessings, is as needful.

Be assured that if God waits longer than you could wish, it is only to make the blessing doubly precious. God waited four thousand years, till the fullness of time, ere He sent His Son. Our times are in His hands; He will avenge His elect speedily; He will make haste for our help, and not delay one hour too long.
--Andrew Murray

The Need for Friendship   

2 Timothy 4:9-22    

Independence is a prized attribute in our culture, but biblically, it isn't a worthy aspiration. Nowhere in Scripture will you find the erroneous quote, "God helps those who help themselves." The very fact that the Lord formed the church--a community of believers--should tell us that He did not create people for self-sufficiency or isolation.

When we place faith in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit indwells us so we can have a fulfilling relationship with the Lord and satisfying friendships with one another. In God's design, a close, committed biblical friendship between two believers serves to build both toward Christlikeness. Look at any of the saints in Scripture, and you will find evidence of reliance upon a close friend or confidante for support. Paul, in particular, spoke freely and often of his dependence upon dear companions and encouraged others to form intimate partnerships as well (2 Tim. 2:22).

It's interesting to me that our modern culture seems to be headed in the opposite direction. The farther our nation drifts from God, the more pervasive our self-sufficient attitude becomes. Neighbors treat each other with suspicion instead of congeniality, and that mindset has invaded the church as well. We're hesitant to give to others, which in turn makes us reluctant to receive.

Scripture tells us to love one another, bear our brothers' burdens, and confess our sins to fellow believers (John 13:34 ; Gal. 6:2; James 5:16). In other words, we're to give ourselves away to others and receive from them in return. That's how church members can stimulate one another to Christlikeness. By Dr. Charles Stanley

A Prayer for a Calm Heart and Home   
By Arlene Pellicane    

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. – Matthew 5:9

Each home will have its own level of neatness to aspire to, but there is something that everyone can agree upon as ideal: living in a calm, peaceful home. What is the atmosphere of your home on most days? Could you describe it as a place of refuge or is it more chaotic or stressful? There’s the visible calm of a clean, orderly home and there’s also the invisible calm of a welcoming, loving environment. 

What if you’ve had a lousy day, or week, or month? I know I’ve had bad mornings and still managed to smile at a room full of strangers in a meeting. Somehow we can put negative feelings behind us and act civilly – even warmly – to acquaintances and co-workers. Yet our families and closest friends can get the emotional scraps of the day. 

The Bible says it exactly this way twice, “Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife” (Proverbs 21:9, Proverbs 25:24). The writer of this proverb would rather live in an awful spot, unsuitable for cold or rain than in a comfortable house with a sour, scolding woman. No external conveniences can replace the desire and need for internal peace.

Do you realize the power you have to create a calm environment? You can invite the Holy Spirit into your life today so you can be joyful even when circumstances aren’t. You can show love towards your family by speaking a love language such as words of affirmation, gifts, time, acts of service, or physical touch even if you don’t feel like it.

The outside world can be a noisy, harsh, ungodly place. Your home can be a needed refuge for the soul. A refuge is a place of resort and safety, a dwelling place, high tower, shelter, and hope. Purpose in your heart that when you’re home, you will do everything in your power to create a peaceful place. That may mean turning off the TV and computer more often, nagging less, looking for areas to praise instead of criticize, and possibly dusting the blinds from time to time.    

Let’s Pray

Dear Lord, forgive me for being quarrelsome and ungrateful sometimes. Help me to be an agent of love in my home. Your Word says blessed are the peacemakers. I want to be a peacemaker in my home. Change my heart that I might be calmer and more respectful to those closest to me.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: “Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace, in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Ephesians 6:11-17).
By Debbie McDaniel

A Morning Prayer for God's Guidance    

Dear Lord, help me remember what a difference it makes when I make time with You a priority in my morning. Awaken me in body and spirit each day with a desire to meet with You and to hear You speak words of affirmation, assurance, and wisdom over my heart as I prepare to go into my day. In Jesus' Name, Amen. - Traci Miles, Encouragement for Today, Proverbs 31 Ministries 

"If any of your lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." James 1:5

Sex, God, and a Lasting Love   
by Ryan Duncan    

An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels. – Proverbs 31:10 

We live in a culture obsessed with sex, but that shouldn’t surprise anyone. From the moment we get up in the morning, to the second we fall back asleep, we are bombarded with images and slogans designed to generate our physical desires. Like many Christians, I grew up listening to sermons about the sin of premarital sex. Over and over I heard pastors talk about the sanctity of marriage, the spread of diseases through casual encounters, the risks of unwanted pregnancies, etc. While I took these warnings to heart and stayed celibate, another part of me was too embarrassed to admit that I just didn’t get it.

To me, most of the sermons just sounded like fear-mongering. As long as both people were careful and consenting adults, was it really that bad? For a long time I chose to ignore my questions, hoping the answers would eventually just come to me, and ironically enough, they did. I was working part-time at an amusement park with a bunch of other teens when I overheard a co-worker boasting about a girl he’d hooked up with the previous week. I was beginning to tune him out when a realization suddenly struck me.

He didn't care about this girl; and odds were she didn't care about him either. They didn't know each other's hopes and fears, or the character traits that defined their identities. They had both just used each other for their own gratification. To each other, they were both a disposable pleasure.

But look now at how the first marriage is described in Genesis 2,

"So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. The man said, "This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man." For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed." – Genesis 2:21

God created sex, physical intimacy, to be a lasting love. Its purpose was to be the greatest connection between two people who knew one another, loved one another, and were loved in return. What our world offers in comparison is nothing more than a cheap knock-off. Be careful to guard your hearts and minds, and don't allow lust to gain a foothold in your life. Remember, God made us to be more than a disposable pleasure.