Category: Strength for Today

2 Corinthians 9:8
“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:”

The desire of every Christian should be that what they do for Christ not only works, but that it works in a great way. God says in the verse above that He is able to make our works abound. What a promise that God gives to the Christian, and what confidence this should give them as they serve Him.

If God is able to make our works abound, then we need to know what it means to “abound?” The word “abound” means, “To have or possess in great quantity or to be in great plenty.” God is saying that there is a way that our works can have plenty of rewards. The word “abound” has an even greater meaning than this. “Abound” comes from the latin word “abundo” which means to come in waves. In other words, God is not just saying that He will reward us plentifully, but that He will reward us plentifully in waves.

How then can we get these abounding works? It all goes back to verse 6, where God is teaching the Christian how they should give. The abounding works will only come if a Christian gives. I know we often use this verse to teach about financial giving, but it goes further than that. It is a verse that is teaching the principles of giving. God wants us to give, but He wants us to give a certain way so that we can have the abounding works. Let me show you these two ways that God wants the Christian to give.

First, God wants us to give bountifully. In other words, God wants the Christian to be generous. Don’t be stingy with your giving. When giving financially, don’t just give to the penny, but give well above what you should give. When you are giving love, don’t be stingy with the love you give, but be bountiful with the giving of your love. Don’t be a stingy giver with your time, talent, grace or help because God blesses the person who gives bountifully.

Second, God wants you to give cheerfully. You shouldn’t begrudge the fact that you have to love someone. You should be happy that you can give your love to someone. You shouldn’t resent being gracious to someone, because God loves it when you are cheerfully gracious. You shouldn’t give financially because you have to, but you should give willingly with a happy heart. When God says that He wants us to give cheerfully, He is simply teaching that He desires the Christian to have a good spirit about whatever they give.

The result of having a giving spirit that gives abundantly and cheerfully is that God makes our works abound. Are you tired of the status quo in your Christian life? Then start giving bountifully with a cheerful heart. God will certainly bless if you give, but He promises to bless with great quantity in waves if you will learn to be an abundant, cheerful giver. Let this encouragement change your attitude towards giving. Let this help you realize that you can either be blessed or abound in blessings depending upon how you give.

Ezekiel 23:31
“Thou hast walked in the way of thy sister; therefore will I give her cup into thine hand.”

The key to being successful in any area of life is finding the right role model. If I wanted to build a hamburger franchise, I would find a successful burger franchise and follow their model. If I wanted to build a successful family, I would find someone whose family is functional and happy and I would follow their model. Following the right model is so important to successful longevity and blessing.

God tells Ezekiel about two sisters who lived destructive lives. The oldest sister left the blessed paths to follow a life of impurity. God punished this older sister for her sinful ways by putting her life in bondage. The younger sister should have known better than to make her older sister a model to follow. Yet, the verse above says, “Thou hast walked in the way of thy sister…” This younger sister chose the wrong role model and the result was that God gave “her cup into thine hand.” In other words, God made her experience the same punishment of her sister.

It is vitally important in your life that you don’t choose the wrong role model. Whether it is a business that you are trying to start or a life you are trying to build, finding the right role model is critical to how it will turn out. Just because the role model you choose is popular doesn’t make it right. You must realize that whoever or whatever you choose to make your model will ultimately determine your outcome.

Moreover, you must be careful about choosing the right model for your lifestyle. Just because the lifestyle you’re living may not be the “in” lifestyle doesn’t make your lifestyle wrong. One thing I have learned about lifestyles is that they are trendy. What is the “in” lifestyle today will be the “out-of-date” lifestyle tomorrow. You shouldn’t choose a lifestyle because it is popular, but you should choose it because it is right.

Furthermore, you must be careful with having the right model of associations. I’ve often told people that you are only as strong as your weakest association. Your associations are your identity. You may say that you are not something, but why do you run with those who are what you say you are not? You can’t rub yourself with the swine without coming out smelling like one. If you don’t want to have the smell of a wrong crowd or person, then don’t associate with them.

The key to choosing the right model in these areas is to look at what cup is in their hand. This younger sister should have seen that the cup in her older sister’s hand brought bondage and heartache. Instead of looking at the popular acceptance of a person, lifestyle or association, why not look at what these have brought in the past? They all have an end, and choosing your model should be determined by the end results and not the immediate gratification.

What models are you following in every area of life? Are they Christ-honoring models? Do their actions, teachings and philosophies agree with the Word of God? I encourage you to take a close look at every role model, lifestyle and association you follow. Be sure that what they produce is something of which God would approve. God gives us models to follow; it is our responsibility to be sure to find those godly models.

2 Corinthians 6:16
“And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”

When a person gets saved, their body becomes the temple of the Holy Ghost. 1 Corinthians 6:19 says, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” That means that your body is the place where the Holy Ghost lives. This is an amazing statement for God is showing how sacred our bodies should be. As God set aside everything inside the Mosaic temple from profane use, God also expects the Christian to use their body in such a holy manner because the Holy Ghost dwells inside of them.

In order to keep the body from being profaned, God commanded the Christian in verse 17 to “come out from among them, and be ye separate…” Separation from the world is important because the Holy Ghost lives inside of you. As much as many would not like to address this subject, separation is important because your body is the temple where the Holy Ghost dwells. You find in the verse above that there are three benefits of separating from the world.

First, separation gives you personal access. Notice that God says, “I will dwell in them…” If only every Christian would recognize how sacred their body is to God. You have no right to do to your body what you want to do. You have no right to take your body to any place you want to go. You have no right because your body is no longer yours. You have personal access because He dwells in you. Never take for granted the access you have. You should live a separated life because of this personal access.

Second, separation gives you personal fellowship. God continues to say that He will “walk in them.” Fellowship is that line of communication one has with another. My fellowship with my parents was dependent upon how well I followed their rules. This fellowship dictated my attitude towards them and theirs towards me. Likewise, our fellowship with God will dictate our attitude towards Him. If you are not living according to the Word of God, your fellowship will be strained. The only reason a Christian would not enjoy the Christian life is because their lifestyle has strained their fellowship with God. If you want to have sweet fellowship with God on a daily basis, then you need to live the separated life.

Third, separation gives you personal power. God shows that He wants us to separate because He wants to be our God. In other words, He wants to be the one in the Christian’s life to empower them to serve Him. The better a Christian lives the separated life, the better their fellowship is with God which gives them more power to do His works.

Friend, separation from the world should not be a dirty word; rather, it should bring endearment to the Christian as it gives them personal access, fellowship and power. You should not live the separated life to show how good of a Christian you are to others, but you should live the separated life so that you don’t grieve the Holy Ghost who dwells within you. When the Holy Ghost feels at home in your life, you will find that sweetness of the personal access, fellowship and power.

Ezekiel 11:19
“And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:”

The heart is the organ of the body that acts as a pump to supply blood with oxygen and nutrients to the other organs of the body. The main reason a person might need a heart transplant is that their heart has stopped pumping blood and the body is no longer able to get the oxygen and nutrients it needs. Though there are many contributing factors as to why a person may or may not qualify for a heart transplant, the main need is a donor to give their heart. That means someone must die so that another can continue to live.

God said that He would give Israel a new heart. Israel had acquired a stony heart because of the many gods they had chosen to worship. God said that after He had scattered them to nations abroad, that one day He would gather them together and give them a new heart. In other words, God was going to be the donor and the surgeon. God was the One Who would remove the heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. He was simply pointing out that Israel needed a heart transplant, and He was the only One Who could perform this procedure.

I’m afraid that Christians oftentimes acquire a stony heart. It is saddening to see how many Christians have had their affections towards God hardened by the things of the world. They sit and listen to the preaching of the Word of God with no emotion, and yet they leave the church service and become involved and emotional about the things of the world. Their true need in this condition is a heart transplant.

Is there something in your life that has caused you to lose a passionate heart for God? Every Christian battles acquiring a heart of stone. It is so easy to allow the world’s influence to harden our hearts. It is easy to allow the hardships of the Christian life to harden our heart. Has your heart been hardened towards God by a deep hurt? Has your heart been hardened towards God by worldly influences in your life? Has your heart been hardened towards God by the wrong friends who have influenced you? You will never be able to have a heart transplant until you recognize that your heart has been hardened and identify what hardened it.

Moreover, the only One Who can give you that heart transplant is God. Friend, you can run to every Christian book and religious leader to try and get that heart of flesh that is receptive towards God’s Holy Spirit, but you will find that these things will never give you the heart transplant that you need. God is the only One Who can chisel through a heart of stone and give someone a new heart towards spiritual things.

Is your heart tender towards the things of God? Are you as passionate about the things of God and serving Him as you used to be? Let me encourage you to make your prayer to God one that asks Him to give you a heart transplant. Identify those things in your life that harden your heart and remove them. Confess your sin to God and ask Him to give you a new heart for Him. God will only be able to use you greatly for His cause to influence others when your heart is tender and passionate towards Him.

1 Corinthians 10:30
“For if I by grace be a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks?”

The Scriptures make it very clear that a person is saved by grace. God says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:” (Ephesians 2:8) They also make it very clear that once a person gets saved they will always be saved. God says in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” A person doesn’t get saved and lose their salvation tomorrow because of something they have done; rather, once you are saved you are always saved.

The argument then comes that if someone is always saved, then they can do whatever they want which will lead them to live a worldly lifestyle. Paul addresses this issue in 1 Corinthians 10. Just because we are partakers of grace does not give us a license to sin. Paul makes it very clear that there are restrictions on the freedom that grace gives.

The first restriction is found in verse 29 when he says, “Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other: for why is my liberty judged of another man’s conscience?” Notice, I can do anything as long as it doesn’t cause another man to think I am doing wrong. In other words, I am to live my life in such a manner that nobody would ever think I am doing wrong. Yes, I am always saved no matter what, but I am to live my life so that others can see that I am saved. This is why you must be careful with the places you go and the crowds with whom you associate. You may walk into a liquor store just to buy a bottle of water, but someone else seeing you walk into that store will not know that; therefore, for the sake of their conscience you are not to walk into the liquor store. Simply put, you are to live your life so that another would never think or perceive you did something wrong.

The second restriction is found in verse 31 when he says, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” The freedom of grace restricts me from doing anything that would not bring glory to God. There are some things that are not wrong, but do they bring glory to God? Everything I do is to bring glory to God. Every outside function in which I participate should bring glory to God. Every financial endeavor in which I invest should bring glory to God. As a Christian, you are restricted from doing anything that doesn’t bring glory to God.

The third restriction is found in verse 32 when he says, “Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:” Notice, I am not to do anything that would bring an “offence” against my church. You are a representative of your church everywhere you go. You are responsible to live your life in such a manner that nobody in your community would ever say anything negative about your church because of something you do. For instance, don’t allow yourself to do someone wrong in business so that they would think everyone from your church does business that way. The freedom of grace restricts you to live in such a manner that would not bring reproach to your church.

Are you living within the restrictions of grace’s freedom? You can simply bring these restrictions down to one thing: live for God with everything you do 24/7. When you make that your model, then you will not abuse your freedom in grace.

Proverbs 3:35
“The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools.”

People in most workplaces are oftentimes clamoring for a raise. There are some who simply don’t say anything about getting a raise, but inside they truly desire that their boss would give them a raise. There are others who always complain about not being paid enough and vocalize their desire to earn more. Getting a raise always seems to be a desire in every workplace.

God shows us that we are guaranteed a raise. The raise we get may not be the one we want, but we are the one who choose what type of raise we are going to get. He says, “The wise shall inherit glory…” This is the type of raise most would want, but sadly there are many who will be promoted with shame because they lived the life of a fool. There are two things that determine what type of raise you will get.

First, the choices you make will determine your raise. Throughout this whole proverb, God makes it clear you have choices to make. You have the choice to trust in the LORD or to put your trust in man. You may not always understand why the LORD is performing certain works in your life, but you must make the choice of who you are going to trust. You can trust the LORD Who has never led anyone wrong, or you can trust yourself or mankind who has led you into many wrong and hurtful decisions. Your choices clearly determine what type of raise you will get.

Second, the conduct by how you choose to live will also determine your raise. You can choose to honor the LORD with all that you have, or you can choose to live for yourself and the world. God says in verse 9, “Honour the LORD with thy substance…” How you choose to live your life will determine what your raise will become. When God must chasten you for doing wrong, your attitude as you go through the chastening will determine your conduct in life. If you despise the LORD’s chastening, then you will end up living the life of a fool. If you take the chastening of the LORD as a lesson to improve how you live, then your conduct in life will bring honor and glory to the LORD.

The choices you make and the conduct by which you live do determine your promotion. The one who chooses to trust themselves and live life the way they want to live will receive the promotion of shame and disgrace. Go ahead and live your life in such a manner that states you know more than God, but you will eventually find out the shame and disgrace that type of life brings.

Moreover, the one who chooses to trust the LORD and honor Him with their life will find their life will bring honor and glory to the LORD. Not only will it bring Him honor and glory, but you will find that God will honor and promote you. Trusting the LORD and serving Him will always bring a life of honor. You may not get this inheritance immediately, but it will come.

Your choices and conduct do have consequences. Determine to make the right choices in life. Always keep in mind that your choices influence your conduct. If you want to live right, then make right choices. Those who make the right choices will live the right way, and they find in the end that God will honor them.

1 Corinthians 2:4
“And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:”

There is something definitely lacking that I see in our present day Christianity. We are living in times when Christians should have the greatest influence of all time. Technology is at its best! We have the opportunity to influence a world in a moments notice with technology. We have the best printing and graphics technology of any time. We have access to education like no other generation has had. We have the capability to contact thousands with one click of a button through social networking. Yet, Christianity’s influence is not growing, but waning.

What is the cause of this decline in influence? Is it that sermons are not as eloquent as they should be? Is it that our education is not as good as it should be? Are the standards of separation too high to influence a world? Are we not being hospitable enough in our churches? All of these are great guesses, but none of these things are the cause of what is lacking in Christianity.

Paul very plainly addressed the issue that seems to be lacking today. He said, “And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:” It was not Paul’s eloquence that changed the lives of individuals, but it was the power of the Holy Spirit upon his life that caused the change. It was not his ability to show the deeper things of the Word of God that caused him to influence people, but it was the power of God’s Holy Spirit upon him that caused the influence. It was not his ability to impress people with his use of the Hebrew vocabulary that caused him to influence people, but it was the power of the Holy Spirit upon his life that made the influence.

The one thing that is lacking in Christianity today is the power of the Holy Spirit. There is nothing wrong with having a good education, but education has not and will never change a society for Christ. There is nothing wrong with mastering your language and using it properly when you preach or teach the Word of God, but the mastery of ones vocabulary will never do a work on the hearts of individuals. There is nothing wrong with using the latest technologies to further the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but technology in and of itself will never change an individual’s hearts. Christianity is not missing a thing, but it is missing a person. What Christianity lacks today is the power of the Holy Spirit.

What are you depending upon to influence the lives of people? If you are depending upon anything else other than the Holy Spirit to do the work in the hearts of individuals, then you are mistaken. More than your need of more education, you need God’s power. More than learning how to master your language, you need the power of the Holy Spirit. More than the need of another technology to get the Gospel out, you need the power of the Holy Spirit. More than you polishing what you do for Christ, you need the power of the Holy Spirit. It is the demonstration of the power of God that makes your faith stand. Without His power you will fail. This devotional is in no way decrying the use of these things, but it is to stir you for your need of the Holy Spirit’s power. The only thing we truly lack is God’s power. With His power you will make a great influence on those around you.

Proverbs 1:29-30
“For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.”

A warning is given to everyone in Proverbs 1, that God will not always put up with our foolishness. God says there will come a day when someone will call on Him, but He will not answer. Imagine, God saying that He would no longer be available. What would move God from saying in Jeremiah 33:3, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee…” to being a God Who says in verse 28, “Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer…”? It very simply comes down to God’s people wasting His time by not following His knowledge nor listening to His counsel and reproof.

God says in Genesis 6:3, “My spirit shall not always strive with man…” There may come a time when God no longer puts up with our foolishness. God has given us every opportunity to turn out right, but when we choose to ignore His knowledge, disregard His counsel, and sneer at His reproof then God will simply leave us to our own devices. There are several lessons God is teaching in these verses.

First, don’t waste your time on people who don’t want your time. There are many people who give their lives to helping people, and if you are one of those, you will oftentimes find yourself spending more time on the ones who don’t want your knowledge or counsel than on those who really want to do right. I know it sounds harsh to say don’t waste your time on these people, but there are so many more people who truly want your knowledge and counsel. When you spend your time trying to turn someone around who doesn’t want your advice or counsel, then you are wasting time that could be spent with someone who truly desires to do right. God gives us very wise counsel about this in Matthew 7:6 when He says, “…neither cast ye your pearls before swine…”

Second, don’t waste someone else’s time when you already have your mind made up. Don’t patronize someone just because you want them to accept you. If you already have your mind made up, then why would you waste their time? They have people who truly want their advice and counsel, and for you to waste their time when your mind has already been made up is taking time away from someone who will heed their advice. If you’ve already made your decision and nothing is going to change it, then don’t waste another’s time by asking for their advice and counsel.

Third, don’t waste the time of knowledge and counsel you’ve received in the past. Most of us have received so much knowledge and counsel through sermons, lessons and counseling sessions with wise people of God that we already know what we should do. Don’t waste the time they gave in the past; the advice and counsel is still good for today.

Fourth, don’t waste the knowledge, counsel and reproof that is found in God’s Word. Every day you should spend time with God learning His knowledge and letting His Holy Spirit counsel and reprove you through His Word. God preserved His Word so you can have this advice. Don’t waste God’s time by not heeding it. There will come a day if you waste the knowledge, counsel and advice that you will be left to your own devices, and that will only lead to heartache.

Romans 5:1
“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:”

One of the negotiating tools people use when determining whether to take a job are the benefits that are offered. Benefits can add substantial income to one’s portfolio. Knowing those benefits will oftentimes determine whether or not someone accepts the offer of employment.

God shows us the benefits of faith. The faith that is being offered is eternal life through Jesus Christ. You would think that this alone would be good enough for anyone to accept. When you consider that the alternative of accepting faith in Jesus Christ is an eternity in Hell, you would think that anyone would jump at the offer; however, there are many who still will not accept Christ as their Saviour. To make this offer look better, as if Heaven and an eternity with Jesus Christ is not good enough, God offers several more benefits with this faith.

First, He offers justification. In other words, if a person will accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour by faith, God promises to make you righteous in His sight. In other words, your sins are wiped away when you place your faith in Jesus Christ.

Second, He offers peace with faith in Jesus Christ. This is not just peace with God, but it is also peace with yourself. One of the greatest things to see when someone gets saved is the relief that comes over their being. When they accept Christ as Saviour, they experienced a peace within themselves that they had never experienced before. Faith in Jesus Christ will give you this peace.

Third, He offers access with faith in Jesus Christ. Putting your faith in Jesus Christ allows you to be able to go to God in prayer at any time. Before a person gets saved they had not access to the Father, but one of the benefits of getting saved is that you are given an open line to the Father. Whenever you have a need, you can go to Him in prayer because faith gives you that access.

Fourth, He offers grace with this faith. Grace gives us standing with God. It says in verse 2, “…by faith into this grace wherein we stand…” Notice that grace gives us the confidence we need to stand before God. As a Christian, God’s grace should give you the confidence to live victoriously understanding that God has justified you. As bad as we are, God’s grace allows us to be able to stand and have confidence that He will still use us.

Fifth, He offers hope with this faith. God says that we can “rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” What is this hope? It is the hope that one day Jesus Christ will return to take us to Heaven. When your world is caving in, the one hope that every Christian has is that Jesus is coming again.

Friend, the benefits of faith are enormous. You will always have these benefits whether or not you use them. The way to use them in found in Romans 10:17 when He says, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Hearing God’s Word and reading It will strengthen your confidence in these areas. God has given the Christian these benefits to use. These benefits are your tools to use to help you live the victorious Christian life. If you are living a defeated life, it is only because you are not accessing these benefits.

Jeremiah 36:32
“Then took Jeremiah another roll, and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah; who wrote therein from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the book which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire: and there were added besides unto them many like words.”

Jeremiah had been shut up in prison for proclaiming truth about the future of Israel. While in prison, God told Jeremiah to write the words that He would speak against Israel and Judah. After writing these words, Jeremiah told Baruch, his secretary, to take the roll upon which the words were written and read it in the temple so the people could hear it. At the hearing of these words, the people proclaimed and fast, and a worker in the king’s cabinet went back and told all the king’s servants what he heard. They invited Baruch to come and read the words to them, at which time they requested he read these words to the king.

The interesting part about this story is that when the king heard the words, he cut the roll in half and threw it into the fire thinking that this would stop God’s Word from coming to pass. He thought he could run from God’s Word, but he never realized that this action would not stop God’s Word from being written again. Though this king tried to destroy God’s Word, God came back to Jeremiah and told him the words to write again. God was greater than this king, and His Words would be fulfilled no matter what this king did to silence them.

This story reminds me of several parents who have watched their children go wayward. Just like the king who cut the role upon which God’s Words were written, many backslidden Christians have tried to run from their upbringing because they didn’t like what God would have them do. What they don’t realize is that you can run, but you can’t hide from God’s Word. Wherever that person goes, God’s Word is still inscribed upon the banks of one’s memory. They may try to silence the words with their worldly lifestyle, but they can’t stop the silent voice of the Holy Spirit who lives inside them.

Christian, let this story encourage you that if you have taught someone God’s Word, no matter what they do His Word will continue to work on their heart. It may be your child who is running from God, but if you taught them God’s Word they will never be able to get away from It. It may be a person in whom you invested your life and they have gone the way of the world. Don’t think that you wasted your time because God’s Word will not return void. As much as they try to get away from the Christian lifestyle, they still can’t hide from the influences of the Holy Spirit in their heart.

Furthermore, if you happen to be that one who is running, let me warn you that you will fail at whatever you try to do to get away from God’s Word. Instead of running from God, yield to His voice. God’s Word is always right, and you will never succeed at hiding from what God has told you to do.

This story is a wonderful reminder that no matter how much one may try to run from what God has told them to do, they will fail. Instead of running, yield to the reproof of the Holy Spirit. It is when you yield to what God wants you to do that you will find God’s Word is no longer loathsome in your life.