Category: Strength for Today

Jeremiah 31:17
“And there is hope in thine end, saith the LORD, that thy children shall come again to their own border.”

Have you ever watched something where the villain seems to be winning and the final scene shows that the villain has the hero down and is about ready to knock him out, when the next thing you see are the words, “To be continued.” There is nothing more frustrating because you hope that somehow the hero of the story finds a way to get out of their life-ending situation.

I can remember sitting in junior church as an adolescent listening to one of the teachers tell the weekly missionary story. Every child in the room, including myself, would sit on the edge of their chairs as we listened to an exciting story come to a climax only to hear the teacher say, “Come back next week and you will hear the continuation of the story.” It always seemed that the teacher would end the story when the main character was facing impending danger with no way to get out. Though we knew the story was to be continued and the main character seemed to have no way out, there was something inside of us that felt the main character would get out of their situation one way or another.

The verse above is very much like a story that comes to a point when there seems to be no hope when God gives His own, “To be continued.” Israel had heard that they were going to be taken into judgment because of their sins. They heard that another nation would invade them, many would die, but the rest would be taken captive. To those adults who heard this, it seemed as though it was all over. Yet, God continued the narrative by saying, “And there is hope in thine end, saith the LORD…” Though they personally would never come back to their homeland, God promised that their children would be able to come back and rebuild the land that was promised to them. Though sin would take their dreams, hopes and possessions from them, the story would not end there because God gave them hope that His mercy would allow their children to come back and possess the land.

When I look at this, I realize that there is always hope for the Christian. Sin may have destroyed the life of a Christian, but there is hope because their life is to be continued. You may be the one whose life has been destroyed by sin, but you have hope that your life is to be continued. The hope is not that your life will continue in the horrible situation that sin left you in, but the hope is that God can use you again. Christian, just because you may be down or a person you love has been knocked down by sin, you have hope that their life is to be continued. As long as you have that hope, you have a reason to get up and keep going.

When I look at this phrase, I’m also reminded that those who rejoice when someone falls needs to beware that their life is to be continued. I caution those who rejoice when you see someone fail because of sin for their life is to be continued. I warn those who rejoice to see a man of God you despise destroyed by sin for his life is to be continued. Don’t rejoice heathen at the falling of a Christian, for their life is to be continued. Don’t start your victory lap just yet, those who defeat Christian values in society for the battle is to be continued.

All you have to do is go to the last book of the Scriptures and you will realize that the end looks very good for God’s people. One day Christ will rule and reign, and all those who were seemingly down for the count will get back up, and the continuation of their life will end in eventual victory.

If you are the one who has been knocked down, let me encourage you that there is still hope in your end for your life is to be continued. Don’t wallow in your defeat. Get up! Your life is to be continued if you will simply trust God to help you put everything back together.

Jeremiah 16:18
“And first I will recompense their iniquity and their sin double; because they have defiled my land, they have filled mine inheritance with the carcases of their detestable and abominable things.”

When a person is indicted for a crime, you will often hear that they have several counts against them. The reason this happens is because in the commission of a crime, a person breaks several laws. For instance, when a person robs a house, there are several laws they break in the commission of the crime. They are indicted for breaking and entering. They are indicted for several counts of stolen property. They can also be indicted for vandalism. If a person is present in the commission of the crime, then they are also indicted for holding a person hostage against their own will. These are just a few of the laws that can be broken in one criminal act. The prosecutor will look to have the criminal judged on each of these indictments because each law broken carries its own penalty.

That is exactly what God was saying in the verse above. Israel found themselves facing a double punishment for their sin. When Israel sinned, they not only committed the actual sin that they chose to commit, but they also left God’s will in the commission of their sin. This led to God judging them for both sins, which led to double trouble for Israel. There are a couple of lessons we can learn from this verse.

First, you never just commit one sin. There are many strings to each sin you choose to commit. You can never just commit one sin without committing another sin. Whenever you choose to sin, you not only sin in the actual commission of the sin, but you also sin by leaving God’s will. Christian, you always get yourself in double trouble whenever you choose to sin. Sin always comes in bundles, which leaves you having to face God’s judgment for each sin.

Second, God holds those who know better more accountable than those who do not. God judged Israel twice as much as He judged other nations because they knew better. They were the nation to whom God expressly gave the law. They knew better! You also know better! Because you have the Scriptures to read, and have heard sermons and been taught what is right and wrong, God holds you more accountable because of your knowledge. God always judges sin, but He holds those who know better more accountable than the person who has never been taught. You have all of the Scriptures to read, and because of that you have no excuse for your sin.

Third, sin always has a double punishment. Not only will you be punished for the wrong that you do, but you also lose the blessings you could have had if you had done right. Friend, remember that you cannot sin and continue to receive God’s blessings. God’s blessings come from doing right. You would be wise to consider how much you enjoy God’s blessings before you choose to enjoy the pleasures of sin. The pleasures of sin only last for a moment, but the blessings of God bring eternal blessings.

Let me warn you to consider your actions before you do them. Just like a criminal breaks several laws in the commission of one crime, you also break several laws in the act of one sin. Consider what you will lose and the pain that will be caused before you choose to commit sin. Look at all that your sin is doing to you. Friend it would be better to come clean than to continue in your sin and face double trouble. Now is the time to decide to quit your sin and get right with God. You will continue to have double trouble in your life as long as you commit sin. Get it right today so that God can bring His blessings back upon your life.

Jeremiah 11:8
“Yet they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, but walked every one in the imagination of their evil heart: therefore I will bring upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do; but they did them not.”

Israel’s biggest downfall was that they followed man’s logic and reasonings and not the voice of God. According to Jeremiah 8, from the time that Israel left the land of Egypt to the time of the writing of this chapter, Israel was a nation that oftentimes followed the “imagination of their evil heart.” This was magnified in Judges 21:25 when it says, “In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” Yet, this dangerous response led to their eventual captivity and judgment of God.

People have not changed since this time. I find that Christians commonly follow the imaginations of their heart. You must understand that when your heart tells you to do something that goes against God’s will, you must listen to God’s voice and not your own heart or imagination. I believe in getting counsel from godly people, but nothing should ever surpass God speaking to your heart. Many people have stepped out of the will of God because they followed the imagination of their heart instead of following God’s will for their life. Let me give you some thoughts with this truth in mind.

First, God’s will may not always make sense. One of the reasons we follow our heart’s imagination is because it makes sense to us. Oftentimes, God’s will does not make sense. God’s will didn’t make sense when David faced Goliath. God’s will didn’t make sense when Abraham left his home land. God’s will didn’t make sense when Gideon sent home most of the armies of Israel. Just because something makes sense does not mean that it is God’s will. God’s will is not based on man’s logic; instead, it is based on God’s purpose for your life.

Second, human logic will always be tainted. One of the most dangerous things about following man’s imagination is that it comes from an “evil heart.” As good of intentions as man may have, his intentions still come from a heart that is filled with his own desires. People may have good intentions, but even the best of intentions are tainted with man’s selfishness. This is why you must not follow man’s logic, and you must follow God’s will.

Third, following human reasoning is dangerous because it changes with circumstances. You must understand that Israel spiritualized their actions, but that didn’t make them right. They did what seemed spiritual at the moment, but the moment will change with circumstances and culture. As much as man’s explanations may make sense, they are not right when they go against God’s will.

The safest thing you can do in life is follow the voice of God. The reason God was upset with Israel was because He spoke to them, but they followed their own heart. Friend, you will only be safe when you follow God’s Word and will. God will never base His will on human reasoning or logic, but it is based upon what He has called you to do.

I challenge you to find God’s will for your life. Don’t base it upon your feelings or human logic, base it upon what God has told you to do. When God speaks to your heart, don’t let human reasonings and logic talk you out of God’s will. Only you will know God’s personal will for your life. Spiritual leaders can tell you what God’s revealed will is for your life because that is found in the pages of God’s Word; however, no man will know what God’s personal will is for your life because God will show that to you. Let the counseling of spiritual leaders guide you, but don’t let it dictate God’s will for your life. Follow God’s Word and His will, which will never contradict each other, and you will find God’s blessings upon your life.

Isaiah 59:1
“Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:”

The location of the church I attended as a youth was located in the hills of California. The church was located outside of the city limits, and in order to get water we had to drill a well. We set up a 10,000 gallon tank to be sure the church had plenty of water and that the fire department had plenty of water in case of a fire. Connected to this well was a pump that pumped the water into the tank. Having a 10,000 gallon tank didn’t matter much if you couldn’t pump water into it.

On several occasions it seemed as though we couldn’t get water to the church. We would go down to the tank and investigate why the church could not get water. Connected to the tank was a little box on the pump that had contacts that opened and closed to turn the pump on and off. We would open the casing over those contacts, and every once in awhile we noticed that a pincher bug got between the contacts which kept the power from the pump. We would remove the pincher bug from those contacts which allowed the pump to begin to pump water into the tank and up to the church.

The problem was not that there was no power to the tank. The problem was not that the well had gone dry. The problem was that something came between the power source that kept the water from getting to the church. Just an annoying pincher bug kept the pump from having the power to pump water to our church.

Just like that pincher bug hindered the pump from having power, many Christians have allowed little sins to come between them and God which keeps them from getting their prayers answered. The verse above plainly shows us that God’s power is not the problem. He says, “Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save…” God’s hand is as long as it always has been. His hand can reach to you no matter where you are. God says that His ear can hear like it has always heard.

What is the problem if our prayers are not being answered? The answer is found in verse 2 when it says, “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” Notice, just like the pincher bug was between those contacts, our iniquities have separated us from God. It is our sin that keeps God from answering our prayer. The problem is not the powerlessness or indifference of God, but the problem is our sins.

Christian, what pincher bug has come between the contacts of your life? What is it that is keeping you from getting your prayers answered? Instead of blaming God for not answering your prayers, you should be looking to yourself to see what has come between you and God. The problem is never God; rather, the problem always comes back to our sin.

Friend, holding onto sin is not worth it. Sin will keep you from being able to get prayers answered when you need an answer. I challenge you to pull the cover off the contacts of your prayer life and ask the Holy Spirit to show you the pincher bug in your life that has come between you and God. Once He shows you the problem, you can either leave it there and not get your prayers answered or you can confess it to God and remove it so that the power source is opened up. No matter how small you may think your sin is, it doesn’t take much to become the hindrance to your prayers.

Isaiah 53:12
“Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

The satisfied life only comes through intercession. It says in the verse above, “Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong…” There are many people who seek greatness, but none became as great as our Saviour. There are many who want to enjoy the spoils of the strong, but few will endure the battles that the strong endured. Yet, Jesus Christ truly enjoys greatness, and He truly enjoys the spoils of overcoming the battle of the cross.

The greatness talked about in the verse above is not a greatness that one sets out to achieve; rather, it becomes great as a result of certain actions. The spoils of the strong are not enjoyed without battles; they are enjoyed because of battles. These battles are a result of certain actions. Without the actions in the verse above, you will never enjoy the results. Let me show you the actions Jesus took in order to become great and enjoy the spoils of the strong.

First, Jesus had to pour out his soul unto death. In other words, there was no limit as to what Jesus would do to reach the lost. Those who become great do not become great by holding back. They are all-in in their pursuit of the lost. When you put your finger to the wind to see how popular serving the LORD is, then you will never experience greatness. It only comes when you are consumed with serving the LORD.

Second, Jesus was willing to be “numbered with the transgressors.” In other words, Jesus spent his life trying to reach the lost. Let me ask you, are you constantly seeking the lost? Jesus’ life was about seeking and saving those who were lost. You will never achieve greatness until your life is consumed with reaching the lost for Christ.

Third, Jesus bore the sins of many. In other words, He helped them overcome their sins. Is your life wrapped up in yourself, or is it wrapped up in helping people find a way to overcome their sin? In other words, you need to be involved in ministering to people and help them overcome their sins.

Fourth, Jesus interceded for the transgressors. Jesus prayer life was about helping others get out of their problems. How much have you interceded for others? How much of your prayers are about others compared to yourself. The prayers of the greatest Christians are prayers of intercession for others. There is nothing wrong with praying for yourself, but the majority of your prayers should be about interceding for others.

The reward of this life of intercession is to enjoy the spoils with the strong. In other words, you will never live a victorious Christian life if you don’t live to intercede for sinners. It was the life of intercession that allowed Jesus to become great, and it is the same life you must live if you are ever going to be in the conversation of the great.

Isaiah 29:13
“Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:”

One of the greatest battles over time is the battle over God’s Word. Those who would like to change the Word of God say that they are only doing so because it is too hard to understand. Yet, they tend to ignore the fact that the King James Bible is on the reading scale of a sixth grader when all other versions are much harder to read.

The Scriptures are very clear as to why people cannot understand them. It has nothing to do with so called archaic words. It is amazing when you talk to people that they always try to use the argument that they can’t understand all the “thee’s” and “thou’s” in the King James Bible. Really? I’m pretty sure everyone can understand these words. There are three very clear reasons as to why someone cannot understand the Scriptures.

First, they can’t understand the Scriptures because they are not saved. 1 Corinthians 2:14 says, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” The natural man does not have the Spirit of God living inside of them; therefore, they cannot understand the Word of God.

God is very clear that it takes His Spirit to understand His Word. John 6:63 says, “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” Notice the word, “quickeneth.” That word means to make alive. The natural man cannot understand the Scriptures because they do not have the Holy Spirit to help God’s Word come alive.

Second, they can’t understand the Scriptures because they choose not to hear His Word. Isaiah 28:13 says, “But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.” There are some who only want to hear something that is flashy, funny or in a story. God’s Word is not always going to be these. There are those who, because their flesh is in control, cannot understand the Word of God. Their flesh only wants that which pertains to the flesh; therefore, they cannot understand God’s Word.

Third, they can’t understand the Scriptures because their heart is hardened. The verse above is a result of God’s people not wanting to hear His Word. Because they didn’t want to hear God’s Word He hardened their heart. It didn’t matter who taught God’s Word to them, they would not understand It because their hearts were hardened.

I ask you, do you have problems understanding God’s Word? If you do, then you need to ask yourself which of these three areas is causing you to have a hard time understanding His Word. I have found that when I’m spiritually hungry and desire to read God’s Word the Holy Spirit will give me what I need. He will do the same for you. God’s Word is easily understood when you are saved and have a heart that desires to understand. Going to the perversions will never help you understand God’s Word. The only thing that will help you understand It is to yield yourself to the Holy Spirit and be hungry enough to take what He gives you. It is then that God’s Word, the King James Bible, will begin to make sense.

Isaiah 25:1
“ O LORD, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.”

One of the keys to relationships is the give and take principle. In the verse above, you see that Isaiah said, “I will.” Twice, Isaiah said he would do something. He said he would exalt the LORD, and he said he would praise the name of the LORD. This is the give side of this relationship.

As you read further into the chapter, you see the take side of the relationship. Isaiah gave, and then he received the giving side of God. Four times in this chapter God said He would do something. God said that He would destroy the enemy. He said that He would destroy death. He said that He would wipe away the tears from all faces, and He said that He would save us. It is very interesting that the LORD gave twice as much as He received.

The result of this is that Isaiah said in verse 9, “…we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” This is interesting that Isaiah didn’t stop in the relationship by taking, but he reciprocated by giving again. This give and take and give again is the key to fulfilled relationships. There are several principles we can learn about the give and take in relationships.

First, you should be willing to give without expecting to take. Isaiah didn’t give in the relationship expecting God to give back, but he gave without any expectation of receiving. If the only reason you are giving in a relationship is to take, then you will never be satisfied with what you receive. Your purpose of giving to the relationship is so that you can sincerely give the other person what they deserve. Take the selfishness out of your giving and you will find that you will never be dissatisfied with the other person in the relationship.

Second, you can’t give more than you will receive. God will always make sure that you receive more than you can give. Always remember that the giving side of a relationship is a seed that gives you more in return. If you truly go into any relationship with the mindset to give, you will eventually find that you will take in twice as much goodness as you can ever gave. If someone has done something for you, then you should respond by giving back to them. Don’t give back to equal the giving, but always strive to give back more than what you received.

Third, always make giving the response of taking. Notice that Isaiah gave, then he took and then he gave again. You are to give so that you can receive to give again. The purpose of receiving is not to stop and keep it for yourself, but to give more. When a relationship becomes more focused on what they can give to each other, then that is when you will find a fulfilled relationship.

No relationship will ever be fulfilled until you give and take, and give again. Don’t make your relationships about giving to get; instead, make your relationships about giving to get so that you can give again. Herein is the key to relationships that are happy and fulfilling. You will never enjoy any relationship until this principle is applied to them all.

Isaiah 11:2
“And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;”

The need of balanced leadership is great in today’s society. The problem is not that we have no leaders, the problem is that we have very few leaders who are balanced. The reason it is hard to find balanced leadership is because leaders are human, and humans have their own tendencies. The leader who wants to be balanced is the leader who will get the LORD’s help.

The epitome of a balanced leader is found in Jesus Christ. The verse above shows us the balance of Jesus Christ. There is a reason the Kingdom of God will be so peaceful, and that reason is because He is balanced. There are three causes of His balance and how those causes can be achieved.

First, Jesus had the spirit of wisdom and understanding. Wisdom balances out understanding and understanding needs wisdom. Wisdom is knowing how to do something, but understanding is knowing when to do it. Wisdom is following the advice of success while understanding is applying common sense. There are many leaders who have wisdom, but they don’t have the understanding to balance their wisdom. Leaders not only need to get wisdom, but they also need to have the understanding of how to use wisdom properly. Wisdom without understanding is worthless. If you don’t get the common sense of when to apply wisdom, then your wisdom will be wasted.

Second, Jesus had the spirit of counsel and might. It is so important for leaders to be able to counsel tenderly but also to be strong enough to hold people accountable for their wrong. One of the biggest weaknesses I have seen in leadership is being unbalanced in either counsel or might. Some leaders will never put their foot down because they don’t want to hurt the people they have counseled or helped, while other leaders are so rigid with people that they don’t give them a chance to grow. A balanced leader is one who will have both counsel and might.

Third, Jesus had the spirit of knowledge and fear. It is important for leaders to continually build their knowledge, but they also must keep their knowledge in check by having a fear of God. A leader with a great fear of God without growing their knowledge is a leader who will never grow their followers in the knowledge of the LORD. On the other hand, a leader who continually grows their knowledge but does not have a fear of God will become prideful and arrogant to their own detriment. Every leader needs to build their knowledge, but they need to balance their knowledge with a fear of God.

The only way these will be accomplished is to be filled with the Spirit of God. The reason Jesus is a balanced leader is because the Spirit of LORD rests upon Him. You will never be a balanced leader without being filled with the Spirit. A leader must every day yield themselves to the Holy Spirit if they want to be the balanced leader their followers need them to be.

Unbalanced leaders create unstable followers. Balanced leadership can only be achieved through the power of God. I challenge every Christian to strive to be balanced in these areas. Daily yield yourself to the Holy Spirit of God and you will find that being balanced in these areas will be easier to achieve. Balanced leadership always makes leading more peaceful and calm. Ask God to help you become the balanced leader your followers need you to be.

Isaiah 1:9
“Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.”

In the previous verses, Isaiah showed the condition of his people. They were a rebellious people who would not consider the LORD. They were a people who had forsaken the LORD, and instead of going forward towards God they were running from Him. Isaiah showed that God had tried to get their attention through several judgments but to no avail.

As Isaiah talked of the condition of his people, you would almost think there was no hope. Instead of leaving the people with no hope he said, “Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom…” He showed that there was still a remnant who wanted to do right, and eventually the effort of the remnant was realized when Hezekiah helped to bring the great revival to Judah.

For those who stand for truth, it can almost become discouraging when you see the compromise and judgment all about you. If you’re not careful, you can almost think that you are in this battle alone, but God always has a remnant whom He can use. There are four things of which a remnant should remind you.

First, a remnant means that God still has mercy. The remnant in the verse above showed there was still mercy that God was willing to exercise. Friend, you must realize that as long as there is a remnant, God is still willing to show mercy to an erring people. There may not be many people who are standing for truth, but as long as there is a remnant God’s mercy is willing to forgive.

Second, a remnant means there is still hope. Let me encourage you that there is still hope for a nation or a movement as long as there is a small remnant. You can become like Elijah who became discouraged because he thought he was the only one, but once he realized there was a remnant he realized there was still hope. It doesn’t take a majority of people to make a change in a nation, it only takes a remnant.

Third, a remnant means you are not alone. Don’t get the idea that you are the only one who is still standing for truth. There are many others out there who still hold tightly to truth. If you are not careful, you will get the idea that you are the only one, and you will discourage yourself to the point of wondering what is the use of continuing. That is exactly what the Devil would want you to do. The remnant may be very small, but there are still others like you who are standing for truth. Don’t develop the martyr syndrome that thinks you are all alone. Receive encouragement from the fact that there are others like you who are still doing right.

Finally, a remnant means we have a space of grace to get right. Don’t waste the space of grace God has given. It is time to get right while there is still a remnant. Don’t waste God’s mercy that is being extended. Make sure you are doing right and correct the areas where you are wrong, that is the only way to turn the tide. As long as there is a remnant, there is a small space of God’s grace being extended that you must not waste. Use that space wisely and remember that God will not always strive with man.