Category: Strength for Today

Genesis 45:28
“And Israel said, It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die.”

When a person gets saved, there is a struggle that goes on within them between the old and new man. Ephesians 4:22-24 describes this struggle when it says, “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” The only way to win this struggle is by putting on the new man and refusing to let the old man continue to corrupt your life.

Jacob had a transformation happen in his life when God changed his name from Jacob to Israel. Before this change happened, he lived a life of deception. After God had changed his name, he seemed to struggle between being Jacob the deceiver and Israel the prince with God. It is interesting that every time God talks about Israel, there was a vision to go forward. In the verse above Israel says, “I will go and see…” There was always a vision when he allowed the new man within him to control his life. Yet, every time he allowed the old man to control him, there was doubt and a tinge of deception. It all came down to which man he yielded to. If he chose the new man, he acted like a prince with God; however, if he chose the old man, the old life of deception and doubt controlled him.

Every day you have a choice between the new and the old. The new man will give you a godly vision to do something with your life, whereas the old man continues to bring you back to those old sinful habits that brought heartache and sorrow. A few things you must remember concerning the struggle within.

First, it is your choice to which man you yield. Nobody makes you yield to the old man; it is a choice. You can “put on” the new man if you choose to do so. Every minute of the day you are going to have to decide to which man you are going to yield, but let me remind you that if you choose to yield to the old man, you are going to continue to experience the heartache that the old man brings.

Second, the new man can only be put on by renewing the “spirit of your mind.” There is only one way to renew your mind, and that is through God’s Word. Ephesians 5:26 says, “That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,” It is God’s Word that can wash your mind of the habits and lusts of the old man and renew your thinking process so that you exemplify the new man.

Third, the new man is only put on by separating yourself to do God’s work. Ephesians 4:24 says, “And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” You will never put on the new man by spending time where the old man lives. My friend, the struggle within will be lost to the old man if you continue to spend time where the old man lives. You must separate yourself from the old man’s associations if you want to win the struggle within.

The struggle within is only won by putting on the new man. You will find when you put on the new man that your vision for the LORD will grow. It is your choice; which man are you going to choose to put on?

Genesis 40:14
“But think on me when it shall be well with thee, and shew kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house:”

The request that Joseph made in the verse above seems to be a reasonable request. He was in prison for something he had never done and helped people he didn’t have to help. When the time came that one of those he helped could have returned the favor, we find that this man forgot the goodness that Joseph had given.

I’m afraid most of us are at times guilty of forgetting to show kindness to those who helped us or contributed to our lives. Just like the butler was probably caught up in the moment of being released from prison, we can get so caught up in the LORD’s blessings on our lives that we forget to show kindness to those who contributed to our blessings. I don’t believe it is intentional, but it does happen.

My question for you is, who is the Joseph in your life who asked you to remember them but for whatever reason you forgot them? It doesn’t take much time to stop and thank those who helped to make us who we are. There are several things I would like to mention to help you not to forget those who deserve your gratitude and recognition.

First, don’t let the only time you recognize people be when you are admonishing them. Sadly, many times we can get to the point that the only time we bring someone up is when we are correcting them. If you are guilty of this, you need to change your ways. People should be praised more than they are admonished. Many followers have become discouraged because they are recognized more for their shortcomings than they are for their successes. The Scriptures teach us to give honor to those who are deserving of it. You may not mean for this to happen, but you must be aware of how often you admonish people instead of praising them.

Second, don’t let the wave of success cause you to forget to take the time to thank those who helped you to get where you are. There are many people who have helped you to get where you are, don’t let them go through life not hearing you thank them for the investment they’ve made in your life. Your parents, pastor, Sunday school teacher, school teacher and many others have invested in you, and you could be a source of encouragement to them to continue investing in others if you would simply recognize them publicly.

Third, make it a regular part of your weekly schedule to remember those who’ve invested in you. You don’t have to remember everyone every week, but you could take time weekly just to write a note or make a phone call to thank those who had a part in your life. It could also be someone who is a co-laborer who deserves your gratitude. You will be less likely to forget people if you make it a regular part of your weekly schedule to show people your gratitude for their help and investment.

Fourth, don’t wait to show your gratitude. The best time to show gratitude after someone has helped is immediately after their help. The more you put it off, the more likely you are going to forget to thank people for what they have done.

My friend, don’t let your life be one that forgets those who deserve your recognition or gratitude. People will be more willing to help you in the future if you show gratitude to those who presently help you.

Genesis 24:5
“And the servant said unto him, Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land: must I needs bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou camest?”

In the verse above, Abraham faced a situation that seemed harmless. His son Isaac had no woman to marry, and he wanted to be sure to find a good wife for him. When he commissioned his servant to find a wife for his son among his kindred, the servant was concerned that the young lady wouldn’t be willing to follow him. In the verse above, the servant asked if he could bring Isaac back to the land if the young lady were not willing to follow, and Abraham wisely refused the offer. Abraham understood that he didn’t come out to go back, but he came out to stay out.

Every Christian needs to make the same decision that Abraham made in that he didn’t come out to go back, but he came out to stay out. With so many Christians going back to the world, there can be a temptation to go back with them, but you must not go. Three principles must be learned if you are going to stay out of the world.

First, there will always be a good excuse to go back. The servant’s request seemed to be a reasonable request, but Abraham didn’t come out to go back. There is always a reasonable excuse to go back, but the reason is unreasonable to God. When you made the decision to come out of the world, you didn’t make that decision to go back to it. The reason the flesh gives to go back may seem to make sense, but it is never a good reason. Whatever your reason may be to go back, it is never a scriptural reason.

Second, going back is a heart direction. The servant certainly didn’t have the same heart that Abraham did, and that is why he wanted to take him back. Anytime a person desires to go back it reveals the direction of the heart. I have yet to see a person go back who didn’t drift towards the world. Going back is the direction towards which the heart is pointing. Good excuses can be given as to why you want to go back, but it is revealing the heart’s direction. A person’s desire to go back only reveals that their heart has already gone back. You can reason that a person has a good excuse, but God’s direction is always forward and not backwards. God’s will never takes a step backwards; the excuse to go backwards is only a cloak to cover the heart’s worldly leanings. The heart’s direction will eventually be revealed when you give your excuse to go backwards.

Third, don’t be satisfied with staying out and allowing your children to go back. I love it that Abraham wasn’t going to stay out but send Isaac back. Every parent needs to make this same decision that you didn’t come out to send your children back. If it is good enough for you to come out, it is good enough to keep your children out. As a parent, you must fight to keep your children from going back to the world. If the world cannot get you to come back, it will always try to pull your children back. You must resolve that your decision to come out and stay out is not only good for you, but it is good for your children as well.

Christian, you came out of the world because it destroyed your life. Time and distance may soften the memory of the world’s hurt, but the world’s grip hurts as much today as it did when you came out. Resolve today that you came out to stay out, and don’t let anything pull you or your children back.

Genesis 16:9
“And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.”

One of the people in Scriptures who is often looked down upon is Hagar. Let’s face it; she was the other woman in an affair. Yes, Sarai was part of this plan of this adulterous affair, but Hagar went along with it when she had to know that it wasn’t right.

However, Hagar was obviously a person who wanted to obey the LORD. When she ran from the presence of Sarai because of the treatment she received, she was open to the LORD’s commandment and obeyed in spite of how difficult it would be. Yet, I believe that her obedience revealed her heart. She was more interested in pleasing the LORD than personal comfort. She knew when she obeyed the LORD that her situation would get worse, but she desired the LORD’s blessing on her life so much that she was willing to obey in spite of the consequences of obedience. Four things are seen about obedience through Hagar’s life.

First, obedience won’t always be easy. Obedience isn’t doing what want to do, but it is doing what you wouldn’t do when you are told to do it. Hagar would not have returned to her master, but God told her to, and she obeyed. If the only time you obey is when it is going to be easy, you will find that you will never obey. There are going to be times when what you are supposed to do will be hard to do, but if you want God’s blessings on your life, you will have to do the hard thing and obey. The degree of difficulty that obedience takes reveals the degree of submission you have for the LORD.

Second, obedience often makes you return and correct your wrongs. When Hagar returned, she had to face the music of her immoral relationship with Abram. You will find that when you start obeying, you will have to face some of the things you have tried to avoid throughout your life; however, if you want to be right with the LORD, you will do whatever it takes to make your past wrongs right. It is not going to be easy, but if your heart is right with the LORD, it will be something you desire to clean up.

Third, obedience sometimes makes life worse. Hagar knew that if she obeyed, she would have to deal with Sarai’s hard dealings. God never said that obedience would make everything get better; in fact, there are going to be times when you obey and life’s situation will get worse. This will reveal your heart and your desire to please the LORD. My friend, there are going to be times when you obey and your life will become worse, but if you want to please the LORD, you will still obey. There have been several times in my life when obeying the Scriptures made my life more difficult, but if I wanted to keep the LORD’s blessings, I had to obey. Don’t think that obedience will always make life better. It will at times make it worse, but you will have the pleasure of knowing that you did the right thing and pleased the LORD.

Fourth, there is always blessing in obedience. Hagar did have a child through the whole ordeal, and that child became her source of blessing. Christian, life may not become better because you obeyed, but you will always get God’s favor through obedience. You are going to have to decide whether you are going to obey the LORD and have his favor or obey self and displease the LORD. The LORD always took care of Hagar throughout the difficulty of obedience, and He will take care of you if you will obey.

Genesis 1:1
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”

Having a good day can be an every day occurrence if you start your day off right. I am not saying that you won’t have any problems if you start your day off right, but I am saying that you will have the wherewithal to make it through your problems and by days end be able to say that it was a good day.

There is no better teacher to teach you how to have a good day than creation. Every day that God had when He created the world ended good. If you learn to follow the pattern that started this world off right, you will find that you can have a good day every day. Let me show you several things that are easily identified that started this world off right.

First, start each day fresh. There was no yesterday when the world was created. Don’t let yesterday’s happenings influence today’s attitude. You need to get up every day and say, “This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24)

Second, start your day off with God. The verse above says, “In the beginning God…” You will never have continuous days that are good unless you start them off with God. You must get God involved with your day. I know many people read the Scriptures in the evening, and it is good to end your day with God, but it is better to start your day with God. Don’t allow yourself to be so presumptuous that you believe you can live your day without God. Get up early enough so that you can spend time putting God into your day. Because He made your day, He knows what to give you in the Scriptures to help your day go right. Don’t miss His instructions to help you have a good day.

Third, come to God as a blank sheet and allow Him to give form to your day. Verse 2 says, “And the earth was without form, and void…” You must allow God to form your mindset for the day. Every day when I open God’s Word, I don’t presume what I am going to learn, but I ask God to show me what I need to learn. God can’t form your day if you have already put your form to the day. The best day is the day that you allow God to fill the form of your day. You will do this by being a blank sheet of paper and ask God to help you fill it through His Word.

Fourth, ask the Holy Spirit to guide your day. Verse 2 continues to say, “…And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” Christian, you must yield yourself to the Holy Spirit if you want your day to be right. You won’t have a good day if your spirit is guiding your day. Let the Holy Spirit guide your thinking, and allow Him to control what you say. You will find that the Holy Spirit will help you to avoid things that will hurt your day, and He will guide you down the pathway that will help you to have a good day.

Fifth, live a separated life throughout your day. Verse 4 says, “…God divided the light from the darkness.” You are going to have to avoid sin if you want to have a good day. Sin will ruin every day, so don’t let it ruin yours. Living a separated life helps you avoid those things that will ruin your day and life.

You can have a good day. These five things will give you a good day every day if they are followed. Always remember, if you start your day off right, you will be able to end it right too!

Revelation 10:11
“And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.”

John had been exiled to the isle of Patmos for preaching the Gospel. Apparently, he must have felt that his preaching days were over. You can imagine how he must have felt being alone on a small rocky isle, yet God was not done with the Apostle. God said in the verse above, “Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.” The promise to preach again to people had to give hope to this Apostle who must have thought that his preaching days were over. History doesn’t tell us much about John after his exile, but the Scriptures show us that his message has gone on for centuries since his graduation to Heaven through the Book of Revelation.

There is hope in the word, “again.” So many people have thought that their days of ministering to others were over because of sin, age, health or a transfer of ministry that seems to be struggling. Whatever your situation, let me remind you that God is the God of “again.” He always has a place to continue using you no matter what has come into your life to make it seem useless. Three things of which the word “again” can remind you.

First, life is never over. You may think your actions have ridden your spiritual influence as over, but God still has an “again” for you. There was an “again” for Peter after he denied Christ. There was an “again” for Samson after his life was ruined by sin. There was an “again” after John Mark quit and went back home. There was an “again” for Elijah after his moment of depression. There was an “again” for Lazarus after he died. My friend, life is never over with God. He always has an “again” for the person who will get back up and continue going.

Second, God may have to remake you before He can reuse you. Certainly, your life may have changed dramatically, but God can still remake you no matter what your situation may be. Health may have taken what others may consider your usefulness, but God is still capable of remaking you so that you can be used. Christian, God is the best at remodeling that which is broken down. He has remade many people after sin crushed their life. He has remade the ministry of many people who saw health take their original ministry away. Always remember, whatever you may consider the death sentence of your ministry is simply God’s remodeling garage for your life and ministry. There is still an “again” for you if you don’t quit while He is remaking you.

Third, finished in God’s book is Heaven. The only time God is finished with your ministry on this Earth is when your feet are walking the streets of gold in Heaven. Until you graduate to Heaven, God has an “again” for you. Heaven is the only finish line for the Christian. If God has left you on this Earth, and obviously He has because you are reading this devotional, that means there is still an “again” in your life.

Christian, don’t let the Devil discourage you to the point of quitting. Don’t waste God’s “again” for your life. He has an “again” for you, but you are going to have to continue serving the LORD for the “again” to be realized. Many people have missed their “again” because they quit, but that doesn’t have to be you. Let the promise that God gave to John that he would preach again be an encouragement to you that there is still an “again” for your life.

Proverbs 16:32
“He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.”

There have been many conquerors throughout history, but the greatest conqueror lies within you. God says that the person who “ruleth his spirit” is better than the general who can conquer a city. Ruling your spirit will be the greatest victory you will win because there are many things that affect it. If you learn to conquer your spirit, you will learn to conquer your day. I find there are four things you must learn about your spirit if you want to rule it.

First, learn what affects your spirit. The greatest study you can embark upon is the study of your spirit. You need to know what affects your spirit. For instance, I know that my spirit can only handle so much news coverage. I also know what type of news coverage will affect my spirit. Instead of letting the outside elements of life affect me, I have learned to get my news in a controlled manner so that it doesn’t affect my spirit. I don’t know what affects your spirit, but you better learn what causes you to get angry or become short with people so that you can control its influence on your spirit.

Second, learn who affects your spirit. This can go either way. You must learn who helps to lift your spirit when you are around them and who depresses or grieves it when you are with them. You are going to have to learn to limit your time with those people who drag your spirit down. This may sound a little petty, but you represent the LORD throughout the day, and you cannot allow an individual to affect your spirit to the point where you can’t be a help to others. On the other hand, you need to learn to spend more time with those who tend to lift your spirit, especially in times when you are struggling. Spending time with spirit-lifters will put a charge on your outlook for the day.

Third, learn when your spirit is affected. There are times when your spirit is going to be a bit more on edge than others times. For instance, when you are tired, you will find that your spirit will often be a bit short with people. Likewise, when you are carrying a heavy load, you may find that your spirit is shorter with people than at other times. Let me encourage you to learn when those times are when your spirit is affected and learn to react slower during those times so that you don’t ruin relationships or your testimony.

Fourth, learn where your spirit needs improvement. Nobody is perfect, and your spirit is one of those areas where you are going to have to find where it needs improvement, and work on it. Don’t settle for your spirit ruling you. Determine to get control of those areas where your spirit needs improvement.

The best way to improve your spirit is never to allow outside factors to determine your spirit. You will never be in control of your spirit if you allow outside things to dictate your spirit. You can’t control who is going to say negative things to you, nor can you control what is going to happen; however, you can control what is going on inside of you, and that is how you control your spirit. If you continually yield to the Holy Spirit of God, you will find that He can help you control your spirit. You will find your spirit to be more at peace when you spend time in the Scriptures daily. Moreover, you will find your spirit will tend to be on topside if you unload on God through prayer. By doing these four things, you can rule your spirit.

1 John 2:5
“But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.”

One of the tools Satan uses against those who are walking the old paths is trying to convince us that we don’t love. Liberal preachers often use love as their mantra to attract people. They often say that they don’t focus on the “do’s” and “don’t’s,” instead they say that they focus on loving people. They often accuse those who teach and preach the commandments as hateful.

However, this may sound well and good, but it doesn’t agree with Scripture. In the verse above, God talks about love being perfected. The word “perfected” means fulfilled, finished or complete. In other words, God shows in these verses how the Christian can have a complete love. Three things show how to perfect your love.

First, love cannot be perfected without commandments. Verse 3 says, “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.” You cannot keep a commandment without having one. In other words, commandments are a part of helping someone’s love to grow. To say that you love someone and have no commandment is a lie. Commandments keep those you love from heartache. The parent who has rules and boundaries loves their children more than the parent who doesn’t have any rules. The pastor who teaches and preaches the commandments of the Scriptures loves his people more than the preacher who never tells his people what they should and should not do. You cannot be a loving church or Christian without commandments, because those commandments are what keep those you love away from those things that would hurt them.

Second, the adherence of the commandment is where love matures. The verse above says, “But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected…” Having the commandment is good, but just having them won’t mature someone’s love. You will never understand how much you love someone until you start following the commandments the LORD gives. The reason love won’t grow without following God’s commandments is because you will only experience the heartache of sin because of disobedience. My friend, when you obey the LORD’s commandments, you will experience the joy of serving Him and see the heartache of those who didn’t obey; it is then that your love grows greater because you will want to keep people from doing wrong so they can enjoy the pleasures God’s commandments bring.

Third, where there is no commandment, there is no love. Verse 4 says, “He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” Christian, those who criticize others as unloving for having rules, boundaries and limitations are liars and compromisers. All you have to do to determine whether someone loves you is to see if they preach all the commandments of God and follow them; that is the proof of love. They can preach love all they want, but they are liars if they don’t have commandments and follow them.

My friend, don’t let the liberal shame you into throwing out the commandments of God. You are the one who truly loves if you follow God’s commandments. Your love can only be complete if you teach God’s commandments and obey them.

James 1:16
“Do not err, my beloved brethren.”

A simple command is given in the verse above when it says, “Do not err…” Sometimes, we make avoiding sin much more difficult than it needs to be. God commands the Christian not to err, and then He gives a simple recipe of how to avoid it. God’s recipe consist of four ingredients that if applied will help the Christian to avoid sin. Let me show you these four ingredients.

First, don’t allow good to become bad. Verse 17 says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above…” It is interesting that after the Christian is commanded not to “err” that the next thing God teaches is that every good thing comes from above. The Devil is a master at turning good into bad. God is simply warning the Christian to keep everything in its proper order. When we do things out of their order is when good becomes bad. For instance, fornication is simply taking good out of order. There is nothing wrong with a man and woman being together after marriage, but when they enjoy the pleasures of marriage outside of the boundaries of marriage is when it becomes wrong. Most sin is simply taking good and doing it at the wrong time. If you are going to avoid sin, you are going to have to do everything in God’s divine order.

Second, stay in control. Verse 19 says, “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:” A lot of people get themselves into trouble by reacting instead of acting. Anger is a result of reacting to another’s actions towards you. There is nothing wrong with anger as long as it is controlled and directed towards the sin and not the individual. Most of our problems with people come when we react to what they do. God makes it clear that the easiest way to avoid your spirit being out-of-control is to listen more quickly than you speak or act.

Third, be a Word receiver. Verse 21 says, “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.” Letting the Word of God become a part of the fabric of your soul will help you to “lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness…” Many preachers have correctly said, “This Book will keep you from sin, and sin will keep you from this Book.” The best way to take the taste of sin away from your life is to let God’s Word become a part of the fabric of your soul. If you read God’s Word, listen to it through preaching, and memorize it so that it becomes a part of your thinking, you will find that sin won’t be as alluring as it used to be.

Fourth, be a Word doer. Verse 22 says, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” The final step to avoiding sin is to do what you’ve received from God’s Word. If you apply God’s Word, you won’t be able to commit sin. Doing what God says keeps you from performing what the flesh desires. You can’t obey God’s Word and the flesh at the same time; each action voids the other.

Christian, these four ingredients will help you to avoid sin. I know these things sound too simple, but it really is that simple to avoid sin. Applying these ingredients to your daily life takes your focus off sin and allows you to stay focused on doing right which results in avoiding sin. It really is that simple to avoid sin!

Hebrews 11:38
“(Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.”

An amazing list is compiled in Hebrews 11 of people who were willing to give their all for the sake of following God’s faith and commands. The verse above says that “the world was not worthy” of these people. God didn’t just say they were good Christians, but He said that the world was not worthy of them.

As you read the verses describing what these people endured, your faith should be challenged to do more than it is doing at the present. These people were willing to give their lives, suffer persecution and be abandoned in the wilderness to die of starvation or by the attack of wild animals. There are several things about these people that caused the world not to be worthy of them.

First, their faith was unwavering. These people didn’t put limits as to how far they would serve the LORD. These people were willing to give their lives for the LORD’s sake. They didn’t conform to the world; rather, they were willing to be isolated and rejected by those around them for the sake of the faith. Too many Christians don’t have an unwavering faith that is willing to stand alone in the world. Many Christians can’t even stand for right among the religious crowd, much less the world. You will never become a person who the world is not worthy of your presence if your faith wavers at the pressure the world puts on you to conform. Only those who stand against the pressures of conformity will make a difference in their world.

Second, their commitment had no limits. These people were willing to give their lives for the LORD’s sake. Let me ask you, when does your commitment for right stop? At the first sign of criticism, many stop standing so they can be accepted. At the first sign of resistance, many Christians forsake what they always believed so that they don’t have to endure the consequences. Your faith will never make an impact on this world if you don’t have the commitment to endure any consequence for the sake of truth.

Third, their character was spotless. It wasn’t that these people were sinless, but they grew in their faith to the point where they were willing to sacrifice the comforts of the world for God’s will. Let me ask you; what is your Christian character like? Do you struggle to give up worldly pleasures because you enjoy them too much? You will never influence the world for right until you come to the point where the world’s allurement is distasteful. Your faith must be more important to you than anything the world has to offer.

Fourth, their vision for rewards was eternal. Verse 39 says, “And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:” These people didn’t have to see God come through for them to continue to serve Him; instead, they were willing to live their entire life without reward because they understood they would be rewarded in Heaven. You will never be put into the classification of these people if you quit because you don’t see reward. Your faith must be focused on eternal rewards if you are going to make this world unworthy of your presence.

Is the world worthy of you? You will never make the world unworthy of your presence if your desire for the world is greater than these four areas.