Category: Strength for Today

John 14:26
“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”

It was vitally important for Jesus to ascend back to Heaven after He died for our sins, because He could not send the Holy Ghost until this happened. Jesus completely understood that we would need someone in His place to help us live the successful Christian life. The Holy Ghost is the One Who enables the Christian to successfully live the Christian life. I believe we often don’t see how much we need the Holy Ghost’s presence in our lives. There are four very important duties that the Holy Ghost provides for the Christian.

First, He is the Christian’s Comforter. Being our Comforter means He is our advocate. In other words, the Holy Ghost is the One Who pleads to the Father for the needs of the Christian. When you are hurt, the Comforter is the One Who runs to your side to provide the consolation you need. Not only does the Holy Ghost give you comfort, be He helps you to comfort others. You will never successfully help the needs of others without the help of the Holy Ghost.

Second, He is the Christian’s teacher. It says about the Holy Ghost, “…he shall teach you all things…” You will never learn from the Word of God or life the things you need to learn without the aid of the Holy Ghost. When you come to a point where you don’t know what to do, you would be wise to whisper a prayer to the Holy Ghost and ask Him to teach you how to do it. It doesn’t say that the Holy Ghost will only teach you the Word of God, but the Scriptures say that He will teach you “all things.” Whatever knowledge you lack, you need the Holy Ghost to teach you.

Third, He is the Christian’s reminder. It is the Holy Ghost Who reminds you that you shouldn’t do something when you’re about to sin. It is the Holy Ghost Who reminds you of a truth you learned at the very moment you need that truth. This is why you need not to be afraid about what you are going to do when you go to serve the LORD, because the Holy Ghost will bring to mind the verses and truths you need to answer those whom you are trying to lead to Christ. There have been so many times while I’ve been soul winning that the Holy Ghost reminded me of a verse at the very exact time I needed it so that I could give an answer to the one whom I was trying to help. The next time you can’t quite remember a verse or truth you need to help someone, simply whisper a prayer to the Holy Ghost and ask Him to remind you.

Fourth, He is the Christian’s guide. It says about the Holy Ghost in John 16:13, “…he will guide you into all truth…” The Holy Ghost is the One Who protects you from the false doctrines that are everywhere. He guides you through the maze of words and teachings to the truths you need in life. Friend, if you will simply ask Him what is the right thing to do, He will gladly show you.

The Holy Ghost is all-encompassing for the Christian. Don’t be guilty of quenching Him, but yield to Him and He will be sure to comfort, teach, remind and guide you as you serve the LORD. He is more than the One Who empowers you; He enables you as you yield to Him.

2 Chronicles 10:16
“And when all Israel saw that the king would not hearken unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? and we have none inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to your tents, O Israel: and now, David, see to thine own house. So all Israel went to their tents.”

King David was no doubt the glory of Israel. You cannot think of Israel without thinking of David. Other than Jesus Christ, David is probably the most prominent figure in Isreal’s history. His reign established Israel as a world superpower. You would think that the people of Israel would always be grateful for what he did for them and honor his work.

However, the actions of one generation soured Israel on David. Rehoboam had barely become king. The people came to him and asked him to lighten the “grievous servitude” that Solomon placed upon them. After forsaking the counsel of the older generation, Rehoboam informed them that his reign would be marked by a stronger control than Solomon. This action soured the people towards Rehoboam and David. They said, “What portion have we in David? and we have none inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to your tents, O Israel: and now, David, see to thine own house.” The actions of one generation caused Israel to leave the ways of David which were the ways of the LORD. From this point and forward, Israel compromised and left the ways of the LORD all because one generation changed the mindset towards the philosophies, principles and actions of previous generations. There are a couple of lessons we need to learn about rewriting mental history.

First, let each generation stand on their own merit. Be careful about judging past generations on the actions of a present generation. Just because someone stands in the place of authority where men who were used by God greatly once stood does not mean they all agree. If we start judging past generations by the actions of a present generation, then we could rewrite mental history and cause many people to never want what the previous generations handed down to us.

Second, don’t let the present generation who is soured on the past generation rewrite what the past generations actually did for you. In an attempt to validate their place in history, many present day leaders have tried to rewrite the philosophies, methods, principles and beliefs of the past generation. Oftentimes a present generation minimizes the past as hateful and divisive just so they can validate their own compromise. Be careful that you don’t let their sinful and compromising actions dictate what you do.

Simply put, just because the present generation may do something wrong doesn’t make the past generation bad. Be careful that you don’t judge parents by a child who has gone wayward as an adult. Be careful that you don’t judge those who were used greatly by God in the past by the sinful actions of those who took their place. This is exactly how the Devil gets us to compromise. If he can rewrite your mental history towards those who stood for right because of the actions of a present generation, then he will win the battle by getting you to change. No generation is perfect, but you must not allow yourself to completely change what you do just because a present generation has soured you. Keeping your eyes on God will help you to keep the past generations in their proper place.

John 6:26
“Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.”

How is it that a person who served the LORD ends up quitting church and becomes disenchanted with Jesus Christ? We often hear that Jesus always satisfies, and He does; however, there is still the problem that there are some who once served in church ministries who no longer want anything to do with Christianity. We have heard their excuses and the explanations of those in Christian leadership, but it still doesn’t answer the question.

The question can be found in the story from the verse above. Jesus had just finished the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand. He and His disciples got into a boat that night and crossed over the sea. When the people came to where Jesus taught the next day and saw that nobody was there, they also crossed over to see Jesus. These people were following Jesus, but they were following Him for the wrong reason. You will notice that Jesus said about them, “…Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.” These people were not following Jesus, they were following the miracles and the loaves of bread.

Herein is the answer as to why people become disenchanted with Christianity. It is hard to believe that anyone could ever become disappointed with Christ, but when their focus is wrong they will no longer be satisfied with Him. They focused on that which never satisfies, and that is why they eventually stopped following Christ.

You must be careful that you don’t follow the miracles. There are many people who jump from one large ministry to the next, and then they become disappointed with Christianity. If you follow the miracles and then the miracles stop, then where will you go? There is nothing wrong with enjoying the miracles, but you must not keep your focus on them. The purpose of the miraculous is not to focus on the miracle, but the purpose is to get you to focus on the One Who performed the miracle and that is Jesus Christ.

Moreover, you must be careful that you don’t follow that which is satisfying to your flesh. These people were seeking Jesus not because Him, but because they ate the bread and were filled. They followed Jesus as long as He satisfied their personal needs, but when He stopped performing the miracles that benefited them, then they stopped following Him. You cannot fall into the trap of saying, “What’s in it for me.” There will be times in Christianity when serving the LORD will have no benefit to you. If you are only following Christ because of the benefits, then you will one day be another story of someone who used to serve the LORD.

Friend, your focus must be on Jesus Christ. That is the only focus that will satisfy at all times. Don’t focus on His miracles, but stay focused on Him. Don’t focus on what He can do for you, but stay focused on Who He is. Anytime you get your focus off Christ, you will eventually become dissatisfied. Many people who served the LORD and were leaders in the church sit in their homes today disgruntled because they had the wrong focus. Stop following the miracles and start following Christ. That is the only focus that satisfies eternally.

Proverbs 2:17
“Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God.”

The verse above is a sad commentary about a young lady. This young lady was at one time the twinkle in her dad’s eye. She was the companion of a mother who spent time shopping and cooking with her. This young lady was the joy of her parents as a little toddler. I can see her parents filled with joy when this young lady was just a toddler.

Something happened to this young lady from the time she was the pride and joy of her parents to the young lady described in the verse above. This young lady had become the strange woman who every parent warned their boys to avoid. She became that young lady who flattered young men with her words. She became the one who walked in the “ways of darkness.” She became the young lady who delighted “in the frowardness of the wicked.” What is it that would cause a young lady to go from being the pride of her parents to becoming the young lady who every decent parent warned their boys to avoid?

First, she forsook the guide of her youth. That guide of her youth was her parents. Ephesians 6:1 says, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.” Always remember that your parents love you. You may not always understand what they are trying to tell you, but they are truly trying to keep you from becoming like this young woman. Your parents are not perfect, but they are the guide of your youth, and you must never let their advice go by the wayside. Any person who would ever turn you from your parent’s advice should be avoided at all costs.

Second, she forgot the guiding principles and commands of God’s Word. There is only one reason why she forgot God’s commands and that is because she stopped reading them on a daily basis. Young person, never let anything keep you from studying the Word of God. Satan will throw many things at you to keep you from God’s Word because he knows it will guide you down the destructive path that this young lady took. If you will spend time daily in the Word of God, it will be hard to forget His commands.

Third, she forsook the guide of a curfew. Simply put, she was out too late. I know this sounds strange, but Proverbs 7:9 shows us that she was out late at night. Nothing good happens when you are out late. As a youth, spend your nights at home with your parents. I know this may not sound exciting, but you will keep yourself from heartache and sin if you will stay at home. Don’t lose the opportunity to get to know your parents better by staying home. Home is your safe place.

Fourth, she abandoned the guide of association. She allowed herself to be in the wrong atmosphere. This strange woman in Proverbs 7 was in places she should not have been. The places you allow yourself to be in will ultimately determine what you become. If you don’t want to become another tragic story, then stay away from those places where tragic stories occur.

Forsaking your guide of youth will only lead to heartache. Proverbs 7:27 says, “Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.” Let me encourage you to embrace the guide of your youth. That guide of youth is there to help you enjoy life as an adult. You will sacrifice the joy of adulthood if you forsake the guide of your youth.

Luke 23:7
“And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time.”

One of the amazing things about the crucifixion of Jesus Christ is how much prophecy was being fulfilled, yet they could not see it. One of those instances was in the verse above. When Jesus was being tried by Pilate, it was said that Jesus was a Galilean. That area was ruled by Herod, and Pilate’s thought was that he could dump this on Herod to politically save himself. It just so happened that Herod was in Jerusalem at that time. Why this is so important is because if Herod had not been in Jerusalem, then Jesus would not have died during the time of the Passover, which would have gone against Scriptures. They were living in prophecy and didn’t even know it.

What is sad is how often people are living in prophecy and can’t see it. The prodigal son lived in prophecy that sin’s pleasure is only for a season, and he never saw it. Belteshazzar lived in prophecy by rebelling against the Word of God and never saw it. Peter lived in prophecy when he denied Jesus three times and never saw it. Samson lived in prophecy when Delilah was continually trying to find the source of his strength and he couldn’t see it. We could go on and on telling of people in the Scriptures who were told that something was going to happen if they went down a certain path, but they never saw it.

Sadly, people today make the same mistakes. They think they are the exception to Scriptures, but they are not. People are told they will destroy their lives if they make a certain decision, and their stubbornness blinds them to the fact that they are living in prophecy as they head down a destructive path. People oftentimes know that immorality destroys lives, but they think they are the exception and head down the road of prophecy and never see their eminent destruction. There are some things you can do to avoid this.

First, never think you will be the exception to God’s Word. If God’s Word says that something will lead to destruction, then you would be wise to avoid that path. Many people have fulfilled the prophecy of God’s Word concerning sin and never saw it because they thought they were the exception. Let me make this very clear, YOU ARE NOT THE EXCEPTION!

Second, listen to people who are telling you that you are headed down a wrong path. We become deafened by our own pride and desires and can’t see that we are living in prophecy. When someone tells you that you are headed towards destruction, listen to what they are saying and change your ways. When someone tells you that if you make a certain decision that it will hurt you, then you would be wise not to fulfill their prophecy and avoid that decision. Don’t live in the prophecy of someone’s caution because you are too proud to admit that they could be right.

Let me ask you, are you living in prophecy and can’t see it? You must always remember that there is a price to sin. You are not the exception. Sin has a way of blinding you to the fact that you are living in the prophecy of what sin does to you. If you will keep a tender heart and listen when someone warns you, you will find that you will not become the fulfillment of someone’s prophecy. Set your pride aside and listen because sin’s prophecy of destruction has never been wrong.

1 Chronicles 20:8
“These were born unto the giant in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.”

After the victory over Goliath, David could have easily thought that he could ride off that victory for the remainder of his life. If he had done that, he would have never become the great warrior we know him as today. That was one victory that he needed to win for that day, but as the Scriptures show us there were other giants that he had to conquer. In fact, his whole life he continued conquering giants. David realized that there was more than one giant he would have to defeat, and that continual awareness is what kept him driving and experiencing victory to the day of his death. There are several principles that we can learn from David’s victory over the giants.

First, one victory doesn’t mean that you won the war. David had certainly defeated Goliath, but there were other battles and greater battles that he needed to continue to fight. Just because you have one great victory over a giant doesn’t mean that you have won the war. After each victory, you must constantly be aware of the other giants that can kill you. Many people have suffered great defeat after a great victory. Always keep in mind that until the day you die you will continually fight battles in the Christian life.

Second, you have more giants in life to conquer. One victory means that you must now go fight the next giant in your life. You are not a super Christian just because you’ve defeated one giant. The Devil would love for you to become overconfident and not be aware of the next giants in your life that you need to go after. When you conquer one giant weakness in your life, then you need to refocus on the next giant. When you conquer one great sin in your life, then you need to work on conquering the next sin. When you overcome one obstacle in your marital or family relationship, then you need to continue working on the rest. There are more giants that you need to address. Don’t fall for the trap that because you defeated one that you don’t need to go after the others. You will only be as strong as your latest victory. So, keep fighting your giants.

Third, don’t try to fight all the giants at one time. You will notice that David battled one giant at a time. If we are not careful, we will see all the things we need to work on in our lives and try to address them all at one time only to experience defeat. Identify one giant and fight it until you defeat it, and then move on to the next. You will rarely be able to fight all the giants in your life at one time. You would be wiser to focus on one at a time so that you defeat them more quickly. Many people have given up the battles against their giants because they became discourage about fighting all them at one time without experiencing victory. You need to fight them one at a time so that you can experience victory which will encourage you to continue on.

Fourth, your action of courage to defeat your giants will encourage others to defeat theirs. In verse 7, Jonathan saw a giant and defeated it. If you will wisely defeat your giants in life, it will encourage those who see you defeat your giants to take on their giants. Don’t give up in the battle with your giants, you will encourage others if you will continue fighting your giants until victory is achieved.

Proverbs 1:22
“How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?”

When my daughter was an adolescent, she had a fantasy of being a princess and living in a palace. This fantasy that she had was like any other young girl. As I write this devotional, she is now in her teenage years. There would be something wrong for her to continue to live in the world that she lived in when she was an adolescent. Because she has left that fantasy land, she has grown up into a fine young lady. The fantasy was fine for that young stage of life, but she needed to grow up, and will need to continue to grow if she is going to be able to interact in society.

God asks the question, “How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity?” God was asking the simple person how long they were going to live before they grew up. The simple person in this verse was living in a fantasy land, and God was teaching this simple person that there comes a time when they needed to grow up. There are several thoughts that we need to learn about coming out of the fantasy land.

First, there is nothing wrong with being simple. Being simple is like being a blank sheet of paper that is waiting for something to be written upon it. Everyone starts out simple in every area of life, but the reality is that you cannot continue to live in the world of simplicity for it is not reality. In and of itself being simple is not a bad thing, but there must come a time when you choose to move on from simplicity to wisdom.

Second, it is a fantasy to think that you can live life in simplicity without anything being written on the page of your life. Something is being written on the blank sheet of paper of your heart. To think that you can live in the fantasy of simplicity just isn’t reality. Living in the fantasy land of simplicity is truly hurting your ability to be used by God in a greater way. When a person chooses to live in the fantasy land of simplicity then they will eventually become a fool.

Third, God demands that you leave the life of simplicity. God asked how long the simple person was going to live in that world. God never intended for you to stay simple. God intended for you to move on from simplicity to wisdom and understanding. God commands in 2 Peter 3:18, “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” If you are not growing, then you are moving into the world of the foolish.

My question for you is, what are you doing to move on from the world of simplicity? You must be careful who you allow to influence you because whoever influences you is writing something on the blank page of your heart. Yes, you need to move on from simplicity, but be sure whoever you allow to influence you is influencing you for right.

Furthermore, you must purpose to move on from the world of simplicity by learning to study. In whatever area you are simple, learn to add to your life in that area so that you can better help others. The more you move away from the land of the simple, the more you will be able to help others in life. Let this simple reminder encourage you to learn something everyday. It is through the process of learning that you will move from simplicity to wisdom.

1 Samuel 18:8
“And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom?”

David had just slain Goliath. Israel was ecstatic because their chief enemy had been killed. He was not killed by one of the mightiest warriors in Saul’s army, but he was slain by a 17-year-old boy. As Saul traveled back to the palace, he entered his hometown with the ladies of the city singing and dancing for joy because of the victory. He heard them sing,”Saul hath slain his thousands…” I’m sure he was very pleased with this line as it ascribed to his slaying of thousands. But, the line in that song did not stop there. The ladies continued, “…and David his ten thousands.” This was unexpected! It was at this line that Saul became wroth because they gave David more credit for the victory than they gave him, the leader and king of Israel.

Saul made a great mistake as a leader in that he could not share the credit of success with others. This became a source of jealousy in his life which hindered him from being the leader he could have been to these people. He was already the king, but he wanted the credit for every success to come his way. He didn’t want to share the credit with others. There are some lessons you can learn from this story that will help you to fulfill God’s responsibilities for your life in a greater way.

First, if you don’t look for credit then you will never be disappointed when you don’t get the credit. You have to determine why you are doing what you do. Are you doing it to receive credit or are you doing it so that God gets the glory? Everything you do in life is to be done so that God gets the glory. If you start seeking to receive credit instead of deflecting it to God, then you will find that God will be sure to stop giving you victories because He will share His glory with no man.

Second, be sure to give credit to whom credit is due. I was recently in a planning meeting when my pastor praised one of his staff for a job well done. The staff member quickly spoke up and said that he didn’t do it alone, but someone else had contributed to the success of the job. That is how you get people to help you in the future. When they know that you won’t take credit for their work but will be sure to give them their due credit for what they have done, then more people will be willing to work with you.

Third, all credit should be shared. There is always someone who has helped you accomplish a task. If you are going to continue to see success, then you must acquire a team mentality. When someone gives you credit, then be sure to include the team with the accomplishment. This will keep a better team spirit for future tasks.

Finally, God knows who is ultimately responsible, and He will reward them in His time. God knows your name and where you live, and He will promote you when He sees fit. Until then, just do right and do your best. Be sure to share the credit with those who’ve helped you. When it is your time to be promoted, God will make sure it happens.

Revelation 10:1
“And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:”

In this verse, John describes another vision. He describes a “mighty angel come down from heaven.” He had seen other angels, but this angel was different than the others. I believe that this angel he is describing is Jesus Christ. You see in this vision that He is clothed with several things, and each description given reminds us of several things that Jesus is to the Christian.

First, Jesus is a constant presence. It says that He is “clothed with a cloud.” The cloud is always a symbol of the presence of God. It was the cloud that led the children of Israel through the wilderness, and it is Jesus Who is ever present to lead you throughout your day. You never need to wonder if His presence is near, for He promises to never leave or forsake you.

Second, Jesus is the promise fulfilled. It says that He is clothed with “a rainbow…upon his head.” The rainbow was first given to Noah after the flood as a constant reminder that God would never again destroy the Earth with a flood. The presence of God alone is a reminder that if God promised He would do something, then you can count on it being fulfilled. There is not one promise of God that He will not keep.

Third, Jesus is the ever present guide. It says, “his face was as it were the sun.” The sun is there to give us light in the day so that we will know where to go. Friend, if you will yield to God’s guiding hand, then you will find that He will guide you in every aspect of life. Your answer for direction in life is found in Jesus Christ. You need not look to others for guidance, for he will guide you if you will ask and yield.

Fourth, Jesus is the cleansing power. It says, “his feet as pillars of fire:” Fire is always the purifying agent used to purify gold and silver, but Jesus is the pillar of fire. In other words, the only hope to overcome weaknesses in your life is Jesus Christ. That is why it says in 1 John 1:9, “…he is faithful and just…to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” You can’t cleanse yourself of the sin in your life. The only One Who can cleanse you from every sin in life is Jesus Christ. You have hope that you can overcome those things which so easily beset you, and the hope is found in Jesus Christ.

Christian, when you look at these four things which clothe Jesus, you find that He fulfills your every need. Your search for fulfillment in life is over, and it will only be fulfilled through Jesus Christ. Stop running to man! Realize that your every need will only be satisfied through Christ. There is none who can fill every need of your life like Jesus can. He’s there when you’re all alone. He’s dependable when others have forsaken you. He guides when you have no direction. He cleanses the deepest problems you have in life. I simply want to remind you that whatever your need is today, that need can only be filled in Jesus Christ.