Today, Do Not Fret ..... Streams in the Desert

 Today, Do Not Fret - Streams in the Desert

Fret not thyself (Psalms 37:1).

Do not get into a perilous heat about things. If ever heat were justified, it was surely justified in the circumstances outlined in the Psalm. Evil-doers were moving about clothed in purple and fine linen, and faring sumptuously every day. "Workers of iniquity" were climbing into the supreme places of power, and were tyrannizing their less fortunate brethren. Sinful men and women were stalking through the land in the pride of life and basking in the light and comfort of great prosperity, and good men were becoming heated and fretful.

"Fret not thyself." Do not get unduly heated! Keep cool! Even in a good cause, fretfulness is not a wise help-meet. Fretting only heats the bearings; it does not generate the steam. It is no help to a train for the axles to get hot; their heat is only a hindrance. When the axles get heated, it is because of unnecessary friction; dry surfaces are grinding together, which ought to be kept in smooth co-operation by a delicate cushion of oil.

And is it not a suggestive fact that this word "fret" is closely akin to the word "friction," and is an indication of absence of the anointing oil of the grace of God? In fretfulness, a little bit of grit gets into the bearings--some slight disappointment, some ingratitude, some discourtesy--and the smooth working of the life is checked. Friction begets heat; and with the heat, most dangerous conditions are created.

Do not let thy bearings get hot. Let the oil of the Lord keep thee cool, lest by reason of an unholy heat thou be reckoned among the evil-doers.
--The Silver Lining

Dear restless heart, be still; don't fret and worry so;
God has a thousand ways His love and help to show;
Just trust, and trust, and trust, until His will you know.
Dear restless heart, be still, for peace is God's own smile,
His love can every wrong and sorrow reconcile;
Just love, and love, and love, and calmly wait awhile.
Dear restless heart, be brave; don't moan and sorrow so,
He hath a meaning kind in chilly winds that blow;
Just hope, and hope, and hope, until you braver grow.
Dear restless heart, repose upon His breast this hour,
His grace is strength and life, His love is bloom and flower;
Just rest, and rest, and rest, within His tender power.
Dear restless heart, be still! Don't struggle to be free;
God's life is in your life, from Him you may not flee;
Just pray, and pray, and pray, till you have faith to see.
--Edith Willis Linn

Responding to God's Love..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 Responding to God's Love

Dr. Charles Stanley

John 3:16

God has to be true to Himself. People are foolish to entertain the hope that He will ignore justice and sacrifice holiness in order to allow unbelievers into heaven. Living a mostly moral life will not satisfy a righteous Judge.

As much as the Lord loves us and desires to save us from our sins, He cannot deny His holiness by accepting sin in His presence. The Father is pristine perfection--a holy Being who, by His very nature, must condemn all sin. Therefore, it is the height of egotism to think that God will bend both His law and His nature to welcome one whom still bears the stain of wrongdoing.

There is not one person who's good enough to enter heaven on his or her own merit. Every one of us needs Jesus. The stain of sin is washed clean only by the sacrifice of God's holy and blameless Son. Those who believe in Christ are forgiven their wrongs and cloaked in His righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21).

Let me make it very clear that trusting Jesus is far more than giving intellectual assent to His existence--that's something even the Devil acknowledges. A true believer enters into a relationship with the One who loves his soul enough to save him from eternal punishment.

Those who remain tightly wrapped in their mantle of sin cannot hope to sneak into heaven. God's holy nature demands perfection, and since we can't provide this for ourselves, the Lord has given it to all who believe in Him. He has exchanged our filthy rags for a cloak of righteousness (Zech. 3:4).

Fresh Starts and Redoes..... CORRIE GERBATZ

 Fresh Starts and Redoes

CORRIE GERBATZ

Lee en español

“The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23 (ESV)

I stood beside the festively decorated table as I balanced my fancy, shiny plate, which was much too small for my tower of finger foods and sweets. Another holiday gathering.

The topic of the hour was the new year to come and the goals people hoped to follow through with this time. I listened politely (and munched continually) as talk of workout routines, detox specials and “life-changing” reads were discussed and debated at length. People were either cutting something out — foods, behaviors, social media, toxic relationships — or adding something in — more gratefulness, more nature, more downtime, more kindness.

But regardless of where they fell on that spectrum, everyone was waiting until the new year to start fresh. And it made sense. A do-over sounded good, especially after the year of uncertainty and upheaval we’d all just struggled through.

Cue the “New Year — New You!” banner slogan here.

Later that night, I lay in bed obsessing about my own grand plans for the new year. Was I going to cut things out or add things in? My head could obviously do with less self-criticism, my waistband perhaps less sugar and my nights less Netflix. But also, it couldn’t hurt to bolster my heart with a little more thankfulness, patience and a lot more prayer!

Before long, my grand list of to-dos for the “new me” was not feeling so grand, and instead, I felt as overburdened as my shiny snack plate — ready to crack under the mounting pressure. No wonder most New Year’s resolutions failed in the first month! It was all too much! I dramatically fluffed my pillow and was ready to continue my aimless tossing and turning when a forgotten truth burst through my grumbling tangle of thoughts:

But His mercies are new every morning.

My body instantly stilled. Did I hear that right? I waited two breaths more before scrambling to grab my Bible and search for the words which hung heavy in the air.

“The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23).

There it was before me. Words of hope to cling to! Words which were first proclaimed over God’s people when they were desperately in need of their own restart.

They had gone astray in a big way — cutting out a lot of good, adding in a lot of bad — and they were reaping the heartbreaking consequences. But even then, the Lord’s compassion was ever present. Even then, He offered His mercy. Why? Because they were His people! They belonged to Him … just as I belong to Him.

My heart exhaled in relief. I didn’t need to wait for the start of a new year, a new season or even a new week to pursue a fresh start. And I definitely didn’t need to quit in shame if (and when) my fresh start needed another restart … and another … and seven more for good measure. I belong to the Lord! He is my fresh start every morning, and His mercies are never-ending.

The same is true for you!

Friends, when we belong to the Lord, we are given the grace-filled privilege to seek His mercy at any time. (Hebrews 4:16) There are no strings attached. Our heavenly Father simply invites us to begin again … with Him. And with Him is what makes all the difference in the world!

With Him, we are not alone.
With Him, our strength is renewed.
And with Him, our restarts and re-dos are redeemed!

So whether we find ourselves needing to add in more of the good stuff — humility, gratefulness, self-control, tolerance, forgiveness — or cut out the bad — addiction, shame, guilt, greed, envy, bitterness — with Him, we can feel hopeful for this new year because our gracious and merciful Lord is sovereign over it all.

Heavenly Father, we are humbled by Your unending love and mercy for us. We praise Your holy name. Realign our steps to Yours every morning and embolden our hearts to trust You fully in this new year. Thank You, Lord. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Hebrews 4:16, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (ESV)

Isaiah 41:10, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (ESV)

3 Things to Learn from Malachi: The Last Book before Centuries of Silence..... By Alice William

 3 Things to Learn from Malachi: The Last Book before Centuries of Silence

By Alice William

“I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty. – Malachi 3:1

The term Malachi means “My Messenger,” which aligns perfectly with the purpose of the book as it communicates God’s message to His people. It is laid out as a conversation between man and God, argumentative, heartfelt, and convicting.

Let’s look at a few things we can learn from this minor prophet.

1. God is unchanging.

Malachi is home of the famous verse on God’s unchanging nature. “For I am the Lord, I do not change;” (Malachi 3:6) Throughout the book, we can encounter God, going through a roller coaster of emotions. From love, to anger, to justice, God remains true to His character.

2. The names of God evoke different responses.

Throughout Malachi we read about different names given to God. What is interesting is that almost each of these names invoke a certain type of response from us. Here are just a few:

Father

In Malachi 1:6, God calls Himself “Father” and He urges honor from His people. Just like how a child would respect their father.

Master

In the same verse, He is called a “Master,” demanding reverence and respect that a servant would show to his earthly master.

Lord of Hosts

Several times in Malachi, God is called the “Lord of Hosts,” which speaks of His authority and dominion over Heavenly beings. Our response to His dominion is to glorify Him and to make His name great. (Malachi 1:11; 2:2)

3. God answers our strange questions.

Malachi is written as a conversation between God and man. And in those conversations, one of the strange things that recur is when God makes a straightforward statement followed by man’s counter-argumentative question to which, most times, God responds.

Malachi’s opening lines express God’s love for Israel. Strangely, the question posed to God is, “In what way have you loved us?” (Malachi 1:2) These people were first-hand witnesses of God’s mighty hand at work, guiding, rescuing, protecting, and watching out for them. Yet, they questioned God’s love toward them.

Later in chapter 1 when God says that they have despised His name and offered defiled food, they respond saying,

“In what way have we despised Your name?

In what way have we defiled You?”(Malachi 1:6-7)

One would think that these people would have learned by now not to retort the Almighty God. Four more questions, similar to the above, span out in the rest of Malachi, which are vague rhetorical questions, reflecting the people’s oblivious nature. They didn’t honor or comprehend what God had done for them, nor had they looked at their own lives and reflected on God’s accusations.

Malachi is special to us now, as we wait for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ the second time. Just as He promised, He will come. Until then, let’s remember to heed His word and glorify His name.

Wasting the Word..... by Ryan Duncan

 Wasting the Word

by Ryan Duncan

But the word of the Lord remains forever. And this word is the good news that was preached to you.
1 Peter 1:25 

Not long ago, a friend sent me a funny message over Facebook that went something like this,

Question: If someone from the 1950’s suddenly appeared before you, what would be the most difficult thing to explain to them about life today?

Answer: I possess a device, in my pocket, which is capable of accessing the eternity of information known to man. I use it to look at pictures of cats and get into arguments with strangers.

I can remember laughing after I read this. It really was true; I mostly used the internet to watch reruns of TV shows or recommend new music to friends, pretty trivial tasks for a device that contains all the world’s knowledge. After I signed off however, I was struck by a sudden thought, “Am I wasting God’s word the same way I waste the internet?” It was a sobering question. I picked my Bible up off the coffee table and for a few moments just stared at it.  

Here in my hands was a book that recounted the days when the Immortal, Eternal God of all that was and will ever be walked the earth as a man and spoke to humans. How was I using this gift again? Last I could remember it was to find a prayer that would keep me from going bald. To tell the truth, I think all Christians (me included) have a serious problem with wasting the Gospel. Just look at how we’ve used it in the past:

• To argue why one political party is better than another,
• To tell divorcees, and homosexuals, and people from checkered backgrounds that they’re not good enough for God,
• To justify why we don’t help the broken and the needy.

The Bible is a precious gift and a valuable resource; it should never be used lightly or frivolously. So the next time you sit down for a quiet time or look up a favorite verse, remember that what you see is more than words on a page. You possess, in your hand, a testament to God’s love for humanity and his desire to be a part of our lives. Make sure you don’t waste it.

Intersecting Faith and Life: Do not waste the Word of God. When you read the Bible, seek to apply it.

Further Reading

Matthew 13:33

A Prayer for Patience as You Wait on the Lord..... By Tiffany Thibault

 A Prayer for Patience as You Wait on the Lord

By Tiffany Thibault

Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord. - Psalm 27:14

Impatience. Every single day it comes my way. Sometimes I can see it coming, but other times I will find it staring me right in the face, mocking me, testing me, waiting to see what I will do about it.

Waiting patiently is a challenge many of us encounter every single day. We have to wait for meals to be ready, for paychecks to come, for traffic lights to change, and mostly for other people. Every single day we have to be patient in our thoughts, our words and our actions.

We also must wait patiently for the Lord. Often, we pray for people and situations over and over again, waiting for an answer that seems to never come. This verse not only tells us to wait patiently for the Lord, but then it says that we are to be brave and courageous.

We are to be brave. We can choose to be brave in the moment of crisis without fear. In those painful and difficult situations that come our way, we must wait for the Lord to answer our prayers. He has before and we can be confident that He will do so once again.

We are to be courageous as we confront our painful and difficult situations, even as we struggle with fear in the midst of it. Courage is making the determination in your mind, that you will face your difficulties head on. You can have that courage, because you know that you have God on your side. It says in Jeremiah 32:27 “Nothing is too difficult for me.”

Psalm 27:14 says “Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.” It not only tells us to wait patiently for the Lord, but it states it twice! Regardless of the situation, regardless of the level of fear we have, we are to wait patiently for the Lord to do what He will do.

That posture of waiting is probably the most important thing that we can do in our lives. So, step aside and let God be God. If we can give him the opportunity to move in both our lives and in the lives of others, it could turn out to be the most amazing thing ever!

No matter what you are facing today or tomorrow, you can fill your heart and your thoughts with peace. God is at work in your life. He is moving things we cannot see. He is changing hearts. He says this in Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

When God moves in your life, share it with others. They need to hear it as much as you will need to share it. Our faith grows each time we hear what God is doing. Let’s be bold in declaring that God is alive, that He is at work and that He loves us.

Let’s wait patiently for Him to move in our lives. Let’s remember that our timing is imperfect, but that the Lord's timing is absolute perfection. 2 Peter 3:9 says this: "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” So, since God is patient with you, you can absolutely be patient while you wait on Him.

He loves you. He is with you. Turn to Him at all times and in all situations and wait with expectation to see what He will do. It will be amazing!

Dear Lord,

As I go through my days, facing each of the situations before me, I pray that you give me the strength to be patient as I wait for you to move in every single one. Help me to be brave and courageous when the fear grows strong and the time passes so slowly. Help me to cast fear far away, as I keep my eyes on you in every single situation today.

In your Name, I pray,

Amen.