Category: Strength for Today

Genesis 26:24
“And the LORD appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham’s sake.”

We live in a world where many are trying to build their legacy and will hurt anyone who tries to get in their way. This is nothing short of evil. Living to build your own legacy is truly a selfish motive and it only hurts you in the long run.

God was speaking to Isaac in the verse above. As God talked about blessing Isaac, He said that He would bless him for “Abraham’s sake.” What is interesting is that Isaac was not to live for himself or his name, but he was to obey and serve God and he would receive blessings because of Abraham. However, you will see in Genesis 28:13 that God told Jacob that He would bless him for Abraham and Isaac’s sake. God never wanted someone to live for themselves, and if they simply obeyed they would find that God would bless their name and legacy.

There are those in the Scriptures who lived for their own legacy and it never turned out well for them when they died. Absalom was one of those people. He actually built a pillar for himself so that he would be remembered when he was gone. He had no children, and he was concerned with his legacy. The sad part about Absalom was that he was more concerned with his legacy than he was with doing right. If he would have done right, his legacy and name would have taken care of itself. Because he chose to live for himself and tried to build his name, it resulted in his name being marred and one that will live in infamy forever.

Christian, you must never live for what people think about you. You were not placed on this Earth to live for yourself, but you were placed here to live for God. When you make life about you, it will hurt every relationship and will ultimately destroy your life. God warns us in Romans 12:3, “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think…” Be careful about living for your name, and realize that you are to live for the name of Christ.

Moreover, when you live your life to please Christ, then that will build your name in future generations. It is amazing to me that the names we revere are names that did not live for themselves, but they are names where that person lived to please God and serve the next generation. Obedience to God has a way of building your legacy. Obedience is the door to blessing, and blessings will open the door to influence others. That influence is what builds your name when you are gone, but always remember that cannot be your goal.

Friend, the only thing for which you live should be to please God. You will only please God by obeying Him. Living to build your name will destroy your life and your name, but living to serve God and help others will be the key to having a name worth remembering. The best name to have is a name that is or was solely concerned with pleasing God. Do right, and let the LORD determine what to do with your name.

Genesis 18:12
“Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?”

The power of influence must never be underestimated. Influence, whether good or bad, will determine someone’s future. The sad part about a bad influence is that the one influenced oftentimes never turns around; whereas, the one who does the influencing will many times turn around and do what they were supposed to do in the beginning.

One of the stories that is often mischaracterized is the story found in the verse above. When Sarah heard that she was going to have a child in her old age, the Scriptures say that she “laughed within herself.” Sarah is often the focus of many preachers and teachers because of her anemic faith, but this lack of faith did not start in the verse above. Genesis 17:17 says about Abraham, “Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?” Sarah’s lack of faith was a direct result of her husband’s lack of faith. If Abraham had not allowed his faith to wane, then he could have influenced Sarah to stay strong in her faith.

The great part about this story is that Abraham’s faith grew. When God told Abraham to sacrifice his only son, he obeyed instead of doubting God’s Word. In fact, his strong faith influenced the weaker faith of Isaac. Genesis 22:8 says, “And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.” Though there was no lamb for the sacrifice, Isaac believed God would provide one because of his father’s strong faith.

You must be very careful about influencing others in the area where your faith is weak. Just because you don’t believe it can’t happen doesn’t remove God’s ability to perform the miraculous. Instead of telling others that it can’t be done, you would be wise to trust God and allow Him to do what He says He can do. Many churches have missed the opportunity for God to bless them all because someone who had an anemic faith influenced another. Parents must be careful about their influence on their children in the areas where their faith is weak. I wonder how many adults are not serving the LORD today because of the influence of a parent’s anemic faith? You may lack faith that something can be done, but you don’t have to talk to everyone and tell them that it can’t be done.

Moreover, instead of settling that it can’t be done, why don’t you let your faith grow like Abraham did? There are many whom you could influence for good if you would learn to let your faith grow. The future of your children may rest upon you growing your faith. The future of God’s blessings on your church may be determined by whether you allow your faith to grow. The magnitude of how much God can use you totally rests upon whether you accept an anemic faith or allow your faith to grow into a greater faith.

Who are you influencing with your anemic faith? If you have influenced someone with a weak faith, you need to go to them and tell them you were wrong. Always be careful about voicing your lack of faith by saying something can’t be done. Trust God, stay strong and work hard so that God can grow your faith into a stronger faith.

Genesis 11:3
“And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.”

The story of the tower of Babel is a story that teaches a very valuable lesson about unity. The whole earth was of one language, and they determined to build a tower to Heaven so that they could build a name for themselves. When God saw what these people were doing, He stepped in and confused the languages which stopped the work. God knew that the good of unity had become bad, and He had to be the One to stop it.

When we talk of unity, it is normally talked about as a good thing. As with anything, Satan took what was good and perverted it. This is what we always have to be careful of. We must be careful that we don’t take good and get it out of God’s order, which is what these people did. Unity is a good thing as long as unity is found in God’s order, but when you take unity out of God’s order it becomes bad. There are three lessons this story teaches us about keeping unity in its proper place.

First, unity becomes bad when it is the sole focus. We should not unify at any cost. These people were unifying over the sake of unity. Many Christians have focused so much on unity that they laid truth aside. Unity is not to be our goal. Unity is a result of doing right. Our focus should be on truth. When you get busy obeying truth, then you will find yourself unified with the people beside you which are doing the same thing. Notice, you didn’t strive for unity, but you discovered unity while doing right. That is God’s order.

Second, unity becomes bad when it causes us to take our focus off God. When you read this story, you will see these people talked about themselves over and over again. Unity had nothing to do with God, it had everything to do with them. There is nothing wrong with unity as long as you unify over the personality of Jesus Christ. It must never be about getting along with others, but it must be about obedience to God. Many Christians have longed more for unity of the brethren when they should have longed for obedience to Christ which is what brings true unity. When the focus is about obedience to God, it’s then you will discover unity.

Third, unity becomes bad when it is all about a name. The people said, “…let us make us a name…” We must be careful about trying to unify to keep a name alive. Many Christians want the name of their movement or a respected man of God to continue, and that is what they strive for more than upholding truth. The only name we should rally around is the name of Jesus Christ. He is Who we serve! He is our cause! Unifying over any name other that the name of Jesus Christ is a wrong.

My friend, unity is a pleasant thing. It is certainly good to get along with others, but if you must take your focus off Christ and lay aside truth to unify that is when unity becomes bad. The simple lesson of this devotional is simply to stop worrying about unity and just do right. When you forget about your name, your cause and your legacy, then God will take care of the rest. Keep your eyes on truth and Christ and unity will take care of itself.

Genesis 3:7
“And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.”

Several years ago, my wife cooked me a fish supper. Since my childhood, I have always enjoyed having a good fish dinner. I grew up on the Central Coast of California, and we often had fish the night after my father and I went fishing. That night when my wife cooked the fish, for whatever reason, I broke out in a rash and eventually had to go to the doctor the next day to be treated. The rash was an adverse reaction to the fish I ate.

Adam and Eve had an adverse reaction to eating the fruit that God told them not to eat. What the Devil promised would happen did not happen; instead, they found that sin has an adverse reaction. This reaction was totally unexpected, and the results were deadly. The five adverse reactions they experienced are the same reactions anyone will experience when they choose to commit sin.

First their innocence was lost. The verse above says, “And the eyes of them both were opened…” They suddenly knew things that they did not know before. Their innocency was lost. Sin exposes you to things that you should not learn. There is nothing more refreshing than to be around someone who is still innocent. If you want to retain your innocency then avoid sin.

Second, they experienced shame. For the first time in their lives, Adam and Even “knew that they were naked.” Sin always brings shame. The guilt that will overwhelm your heart is great. If you don’t want to carry guilt the rest of your life, be careful to stay away from sin.

Third, their conscience was tainted. Their conscience was so guilty that they tried to cover their sin by sewing aprons to cover their nakedness. Sin always taints your conscience which affects your ability to make proper decisions. Instead of dealing with sin, you will try to cover sin. Always remember that you will have to live with your conscience for the rest of your life; therefore, be careful that you don’t do something that you would hate to think about for the rest of your life.

Fourth, they avoided helpful voices. Instead of running to God when He walked in the garden they hid themselves. One of the most telling signs of guilt is that people run from those who want to help them instead of accepting the helping hand. Be careful about avoiding those who will help you when you sin. The Devil will lie to you and tell you that they don’t really want to help, but don’t believe his lie. His lies got you into your present condition, so don’t continue to believe what he says when someone comes to help.

Fifth, they blamed others instead of accepting responsibility. It is interesting that they blamed God and each other instead of admitting their wrong. Friend, God and His ways are not the problem; sin is the problem. Don’t let blame become your reaction when you sin; instead, admit what you’ve done so you can move forward.

Sin has awful reactions. The good news is that 1 John 1:9 is the medicine you need to reverse these reactions. Let me encourage you to admit what you have done, confess it to God and move on to doing right. This is the only way to bring back God’s blessings on your life.

John 16:7
“Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.”

Several times throughout John 16, Jesus used the words, “these things.” These things that Jesus was talking about were what they would face when He left them. Jesus knew that His time on Earth was short, and He wanted to prepare them so they would continue on after He was gone.

The greatest comfort that Jesus gave the disciples is that they would not have to go through “these things” alone. He told them in the verse above, “…if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.” Jesus assured them that the Holy Spirit would help them as they faced each of “these things.”

The same Holy Spirit Who was given to the disciples is still available to you. You don’t have to go through life trying to face “these things” alone. God’s Holy Spirit is there to help you through “these things” and to guide you in what you need to do. There are four specific areas where Jesus shows us we are not alone because His Holy Spirit is with us.

First, you are not alone when your own turn on you. Verses 1-2 specifically shows that there will come times when those nearest you will turn on you. God’s Holy Spirit is there to help you not to be offended when your own turn on you. One of the greatest battles you will fight in your life is to not become bitter when those close to you turn on you. The only way you will overcome the offense is through the comfort and guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Second, you are not alone when you’re attacked for truth. Verse 3 shows that the day will come when you will be attacked because you stand for truth. The encouraging thing you can count on is that the Holy Spirit will be there with you as you go through the attacks. He will guide you to keep you from making the wrong moves during those attacks. You don’t have to feel all alone because you are not alone; the Holy Spirit is with you.

Third, you are not alone when you’re filled with sorrow. Verse 6 shows us that there will be times when sorrow fills our heart, but thankfully the Holy Spirit is there to comfort us through our times of sorrow. Whatever sorrow has filled your heart today, let me remind you that the Holy Spirit is there to comfort you. Whether sorrow comes because of loneliness, death of a loved one or adverse circumstances in life, the Holy Spirit is there to help you through your time of sorrow.

Fourth, you are not alone when you’re carrying heavy burdens. Verse 33 reminds us, “…In the world ye shall have tribulation…” The word “tribulation” is talking about the pressures the world puts upon you. You don’t have to face the world’s pressures alone because the Holy Spirit is there to help you overcome the world. When the world attempts to put pressure on you to change, you have the power of the Holy Spirit inside you to help you overcome the world.

It all comes down to one thing, you must yield to the Holy Spirit so that He can help you through “these things.” You can try to do “these things” alone or you can realize that the Holy Spirit is there to help you. Whatever you are facing today take comfort in knowing that you are not in it alone. The Holy Spirit is there to help you if you will allow Him to do so.

John 9:3
“Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.”

The disciples asked Jesus, “Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?” This was the common thought in those days when someone had a physical impairment. The foolishness of this thought was that they asked if this man was born blind because he sinned. How could someone sin before they were even born? To help the disciples see this from His perspective He said, “Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.”

The will of God for this man certainly seemed to be an unpleasant plan. This man had endured the criticism his whole life of people assuming that his blindness was the result of his or his parent’s sin. Every where he went he most likely heard the whispering of foolish people who thought he couldn’t hear what they were saying; but, what may have been an unpleasant plan was a good plan because he became the personal example for Jesus to heal. How many people could say that Jesus touched their eyes and healed them? How many people could see their story written in the Scriptures? What may have seemed unpleasant on the surface was truly the goodness of God in this man’s life.

Everyone will at some point find God’s unpleasant plan for their life. How they treat God’s unpleasant plan will determine whether they become bitter or are used by God. I don’t know what God’s unpleasant plan for your life may be, but it can be good if you will choose to look at it through the eyes of God.

If God’s unpleasant plan is going to become good in your life, you are going to have to accept it as God’s will for your life. As long as you fight it and complain about it, it will never become the tool used by God in your life to see the miraculous. It is time you stop complaining about what God has placed in your life and accept it.

Second, you are strong enough to handle God’s unpleasant plan for your life. I often tell young people who grow up in a split home that apparently God thought they were stronger than those who grow up in homes where both parents are present because he placed them in that split home. You may not be strong enough to endure what I face, but you are strong enough to carry what you face. There are things in your life that God knew I could not handle, so He didn’t put them in my life. God places in our lives what He knows we can handle; therefore, every unpleasant thing in your life is a tool God can use if you will accept it as His will.

Third, use God’s unpleasant plan to help others and it will become good. The key to turning it from God’s unpleasant plan to something good is your use of it to help others. Someone else is going through what you carry, and you can use it to be a help to them. God’s unpleasant plan for your life is your connection to hundreds of people who carry the same burden. What are you going to do with God’s plan for your life? Let me encourage you to not complain and gripe about it, but turn it into good by using it to connect with others to show them the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ. When you do this, that is when God’s unpleasant plan becomes good.

John 1:1
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

Whenever you want to find foundational principles for anything, always go back to the beginning. The verse above says, “In the beginning…” So we know from this statement that we are about ready to learn some foundational principles for any endeavor. Jesus shows us the foundational principles He used in giving salvation, and these same principles will help you when you start any endeavor.

The first foundational principle you must follow is to be sure that it agrees with the Word of God. The “Word” was the foundation upon which the world was created, and it must be the foundation upon which you base all that you do. If something disagrees with the Word of God, you are sure to fail. You must make God’s Word the very foundation upon which you get all principles and directives that will guide you in your endeavor.

The second foundational principle you must follow is to get God’s blessings upon it. Just because God’s Word doesn’t say it is wrong doesn’t mean that it is what God wants for you. The “Word was with God” symbolizes that if you want to succeed in what you do, then you need to be sure that God is with you in presence and blessings.

The third foundational principle you must follow is to let your endeavor bring glory to God. Verse 3 says, “All things were made by him…” God should receive credit for every success you experience. Far too often we want to take all the credit for our success when it would have never happened had God not blessed it. Be careful that what you do brings glory to God, and the best way to make that happen is to give Him the credit for every success no matter how big or little it may seem.

The fourth foundational principle you must follow is to let it grow naturally. Verse 4 says, “In him was life…” There is life to every endeavor, and if you want that endeavor to continue to grow, then you must allow it to grow proportionately. What I mean by this statement is that if you grow too fast then you will not be able to handle the growth, and your endeavor will crumble. Don’t be so desirous of growth that you grow your endeavor beyond what you can handle. Let it grow at the speed which God allows it to grow.

Moreover, all life must reproduce. If you don’t train others to continue doing what you have done, then your endeavor will die with you. God makes everything to reproduce. If what you are doing doesn’t reproduce, your endeavor is bound to die.

The fifth foundational principle you must follow is to bring light to darkness. Verse 5 says, “…the light shineth in darkness…” In other words, your endeavor must be able to be different from anything else to assure success. You must always ask yourself, what can my endeavor do that others cannot do? Your uniqueness is what will help bring success.

Though these verses are talking about Jesus coming to the world to pay for the sins of mankind, they also hold the principles you need to help you succeed in any endeavor. If you follow the same principles in your endeavor that made Jesus successful with salvation, you will find your endeavor will also succeed.

Luke 22:40
“And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation.”

Have you ever heard someone say about another person, “They lost their way?” This is said about someone who allowed something in their life to change who they are. It is the goal of every Christian to serve the LORD to the day they die, but the fact is that many Christians have come and gone through the doors of a church who seemed to lose their way and are no longer serving the LORD. There are two instances where Jesus talks about people losing their way.

The first instance is found in Luke 21:19 when he says, “In your patience possess ye your souls.” God warns the Christian in this verse to protect who you are. A Christian cannot lose their salvation, but many Christians have lost their soul or who they were as a Christian. The second instance of a person losing their way is found in Luke 22:32 where it says, “But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.” It is here that Jesus warned of not allowing your faith to fail. In other words, you have to be careful that you don’t give up on your faith. Many have lost their way and given up on their faith, only to find later they were very close to seeing victory.

What is it that could cause a person to lose their way? When you study these verses you will find that hard times have a way of causing a person to lose their soul. Many Christians have lost their way when times got tough. Nobody enjoys being criticized. Nobody enjoys always being the one attacked; but that is what God was warning us about in Luke 21. You have to be so careful not to lose your way when the battles come. When others attack you for doing right and criticism of what you do is constantly being thrown at you, protect your soul and don’t lose your way.

Furthermore, many Christians lose their way when things didn’t turn out the way they thought they should. Jesus told Peter that He prayed that his faith would not fail. Why would Peter’s faith fail? Because Jesus was going to die and this is not what Peter expected. You have to be so careful not to lose your way when things in the Christian life don’t turn out the way you thought they would. When your children don’t turn out the way you expected, don’t lose your way. When your spouse leaves you because they don’t want to live the Christian life, don’t lose your way. When life does not turn out the way you planned, you must be careful not to lose your way.

How do we prevent ourselves from losing our way? The verse above shows us when it says, “…Pray that ye enter not into temptation.” There are two things that Jesus is implying in this verse. First, prayer has a way of keeping you from the temptation of losing your way. You show me those who have lost their way and I will show you people whose prayer lives were wavering. People who pray don’t lose their way. Second, Jesus was saying that you should daily pray that you are never tempted to lose your way. It is good to regularly pray that God keeps you from the moment of temptation. None of us are above yielding to temptation; therefore, ask Him to keep you from the moment of temptation. If you don’t ever want to lose your way, then keep your prayer time regular. Prayer is the key to keeping you from losing your way.

Luke 12:1
“In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.”

One of the purposes of the life of Christ on Earth was to train the disciples for the ministry. Jesus used every opportunity He could to teach the disciples how they should conduct themselves in the ministry after He was gone. The verse above is the beginning of one of those times when Jesus taught them some ministry lessons. These four lessons are important to the impact your ministry will have on those you lead.

The first ministry lesson that Jesus taught was to live a transparent life. He says in the verse above, “Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.” One of the things that destroys more ministries is hypocrisy. You may think nobody will ever see what you do, but Jesus made it very clear that everything will eventually be revealed. What you think nobody will ever catch will eventually come out. You may think you have hidden your real agenda, but if you are not being honest your real agenda will eventually be revealed. If you want your ministry to make an impact on those whom you lead, then you need to be transparent in all that you do.

The second lesson that Jesus taught was to speak truthfully. Jesus says in verse 3, “Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light…” The importance of telling the truth can never be expressed enough. When you tell the truth all the time, you will never have to wonder which lie you told before. Telling the truth may not always be convenient, but it will build your credibility with those whom you lead.

The third lesson that Jesus taught was to keep man in proper perspective. Jesus says in verse 4, “…Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.” In the ministry, you will deal with people from all walks of life. Those who are used the greatest by Christ are those who have learned to treat everyone the same. You can never let someone hold you hostage because you are afraid of what they can do to you. When you conduct yourself in such a manner that everyone will be treated the same no matter who they are, then you will never be held hostage and will always speak the truth.

The fourth lesson Jesus taught was to keep your focus on Christ. Jesus says in verse 8, “…Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:” The fourth lesson must always be the focus of your ministry. Any time someone gets their focus off Christ they always get themselves into trouble. Friend, don’t worry about what man can do for you or to you; instead, always keep your focus on Christ.

These four lessons are important to having an impactful ministry. Whether you are in the ministry full-time or a lay person in the church, you are in the ministry and these lessons must be applied if you want to make an impact. For the sake of Christ, please apply these lessons to your life. This must become your way of living, and when it does the credibility you build with others will be great.

Luke 8:25
“And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him.”

I must admit that there have been times when I found myself in the same boat with the disciples wondering why Jesus wasn’t doing something. The disciples obeyed the word of Jesus when He said, “Let us go over unto the other side of the lake.” They did not fight His command. They did not question His command. They obeyed at once, but in the middle of obedience they found themselves in a storm that seemed to threaten their lives. This storm was so violent that water filled the boat and they had done all they could do to keep from sinking, when finally they cried to Jesus, “Master, master, we perish.” Of course, Jesus immediately calmed the storm and they were able to safely make it to the other side.

Jesus asked a strange question after He calmed the storm, “Where is your faith?” This question was more of a reminder to the disciples that in the midst of their obedience they got their eyes off their faith and allowed the storm to question the Master. He was simply reminding them that whenever they face storms or battles in life that they must be careful not to take their eyes off Him.

Do you find yourself in the same predicament of the disciples? Have you obeyed the Word of the LORD, but instead of things getting better they seemed to have gotten worse? It is in these times that you must be very careful that the Devil doesn’t shake your faith. The Devil will lie and tell you that obeying Christ got you in that predicament, but you must not allow his lies to shake your faith in Jesus Christ. There are a couple of lessons you need to remember from this story.

First, obedience is always the right thing to do no matter what happens. God never said that obedience would make things better, but it is always right to obey. Don’t question God’s Word or your act of obedience when things get worse. If you obeyed, you did the right thing.

Second, don’t let the storms and battles sidetrack you from your faith. It is very easy to get so wrapped up in trying to stay afloat in the storms that you take your eyes off Jesus. You must always take time during the storms to refocus on your faith by reading the Word of God and praying. You will become overwhelmed by the storms and battles if you take your eyes off Him.

Let me ask you, where is your faith? Have you lost focus of your faith because you placed it on the storm? Have you lost focus of your faith because you are trusting man to get you through? Have you allowed the noise of booming thunder and the crackling lightening to get you off focus? My friend, if Jesus told you to go to the other side, then He will get you to the other side. Stop struggling with trying to survive your storms by yourself and realize that your faith is in the boat with you. Stop and take the time to look at your faith, Jesus Christ, and realize that you should not be shaken by your storms if He isn’t. If you will stay focused on your faith, then you will be calm through every storm just like Jesus was.