Category: Strength for Today

1 Kings 9:13
“And he said, What cities are these which thou hast given me, my brother? And he called them the land of Cabul unto this day.”

When Solomon built the temple, he contracted workers from Hiram, king of Tyre. These men were used to cut down trees and carry them to Solomon to be used in the building of the temple. When the temple was done, Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities that were about five miles from Tyre.

After receiving the cities, Hiram went to look at them and for some reason was not pleased with them. He complained to Solomon about them, and emphasized his displeasure by calling them “Cabul” which means, displeasing. What is interesting about this area is that Hiram eventually restored these cities back to Solomon who did not complain about them, but built them.

Hiram’s problem was that he not only wanted the cities, but he wanted Solomon to develop them as well. He wanted to have the cake and frosting as well. He didn’t want to have to do anything to improve these cities. Hiram should have known better. When given a cake with no frosting you need to put the frosting on the cake yourself. Complaining didn’t help him; instead, it kept him from enjoying these border cities that could have been a help to his kingdom.

There are many times when we are given a cake in life without frosting. There is nothing worse than eating a cake without frosting. Frosting is what makes the cake. Many people complain about the cake of life, but they do nothing to improve the taste of it. There are several principles that we all can learn from this story.

First, life doesn’t always give you what you want. Stop expecting everyone to give you everything you want. One of the key principles I’ve learned about life is if I stop having expectations from everyone then everything others do for me becomes a blessing.

Second, complaining about your cake in life doesn’t improve the cake. Complaining has never improved one situation. You can complain about your plot in life, but that will not help to improve it. Complaining is a waste of time. Complaining only proves that you are not content with what God has given you. Instead of complaining about your cake in life, you need to be thankful that God would give you what you have.

Third, if you don’t like your cake of life, then put frosting on it. So, you don’t like where your life is, instead of complaining to others about your cake of life you need to do something to improve it. We always want God to do everything for us when God expects us to take what He has given us and improve it. It is not that God won’t help us, but He expects initiative out of us. You can complain about your cake and that will accomplish nothing, or you can do something about it and put frosting on your cake and make your life better.

What is it that you don’t like about your life? If God has given you a cake in life, then He has also given you the wherewithal to put frosting on it with His help. Instead of using your energies to complain, use the same energies to do something about your situation. It is amazing what a little positive initiative and God’s help can do about improving negative situations in life. If you feel you have been given a cake in life that you don’t like, then decide to put frosting on it by doing something to change your situation. This is the only way you will change your situation.

1 Kings 3:6
“And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.”

Assuming a leadership position oftentimes reveals the true person inside. Good people have assumed leadership roles only to become someone others never thought they would be. The reason this happens is because when a person is in leadership, and they seemingly have no one to answer to, the accessibility of power reveals the weaknesses of that person’s heart.

When Solomon became king, his true heart was revealed. He was not like his brothers who were filled with pride, but he was humbled by the fact that God would allow him to sit on his father’s throne. When God appeared to Solomon and gave him a blank check to ask what he wanted, his true heart attitude about leadership was revealed. There were four leadership attitudes Solomon had which every leader should emulate if they desire God’s blessings to help them in being a good leader.

The first leadership attitude is unassuming leadership. Solomon did not feel that he deserved the throne, instead he was humbled that God was merciful enough to allow him to sit on his father’s throne. Every leader should understand that it is only of God’s mercies that they have a leadership position. A great leader should fill their position with a humble spirit knowing that they are not better than others, but an attitude that God was merciful enough to give them the position to serve others.

The second leadership attitude is appreciative leadership. Solomon was not interested in destroying his father’s name to build a name for himself; rather, he appreciated all that his father did for him and built upon that foundation. Great leaders don’t destroy the name and works of previous leaders; instead, they build upon the foundations that previous leaders built.

The third leadership attitude is servant leadership. You will notice that Solomon understood his position was given so that he would serve the people. Leadership is not given to rule the people, but it is given to serve the people. Whenever a leader forgets whom they are serving, they can be assured their leadership days will be limited. Leaders should never serve themselves and their legacy, but they should always serve others.

The fourth leadership attitude is discerning leadership. Solomon asked God to give him discernment as a king. Discernment is the determination of what is right and wrong. Every leader should ask God to help them be a discerning leader. Leadership that is weak in determining right and wrong is leadership that will destroy those whom they lead. Leaders need to have the foresight to look ahead and see what is right and wrong. Discerning leadership builds great people and keeps them from heartache.

Whatever the area is in which you lead, you need these four leadership attitudes. Never forget that leadership does not give you the ability to do whatever you want; rather, it requires you to have these four attitudes to serve people. When leadership has the proper attitude, then those they lead will help them accomplish great tasks together for God.

2 Samuel 3:18
“Now then do it: for the LORD hath spoken of David, saying, By the hand of my servant David I will save my people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines, and out of the hand of all their enemies.”

One of the troubling stories in the Scriptures is found after King Saul was killed. There was a faction of people who anointed David king of Judah, but the rest of Israel fought a needless battle for Saul’s name to continue. According to the verse above, Israel knew that David was to be king, but because they were more interested in fighting for a man lives were lost and the kingdom was weakened. If Israel had kept their eyes on God, they would not have fought this needless battle.

This story still goes on today. Christians get their focus wrong, and they fight needless battles over personalities. Don’t get me wrong, the Scriptures do teach to give honor to whom honor is due, but they are not teaching that we should be fighting for man or focused upon man. There are several consequences when we get our focus wrong and we fight over personalities.

First, innocent people are spiritually killed. There are many young Christians who don’t understand the fighting over personalities, so they simply quit church because they want nothing to do with it. I have watched many people over the years drop out of church because of the squabbling that goes on inside the local church. These are needless casualties. If the church will keep its eyes on God, you won’t lose these younger Christians who don’t understand the fighting.

Second, God’s will is set back. In the story above, David should have been anointed king immediately after Saul was killed, but he wasn’t because they were fighting for the wrong person. God’s will always suffers when we fight over man. The negative energies that are placed upon fighting over personalities could be used in a positive manner to keep people out of Hell. God’s will doesn’t need setbacks because there are enough obstacles to overcome without having to needlessly overcome the battle over personalities.

Third, unneeded divisions are created. There was a division in Israel had they looked at David’s heart they would have seen he loved Saul as much as they did. When a church fights over personalities, you will see divisions that keep the church from reaching the lost as they should. A church needs to set aside these divisions for the sake of keeping people out of Hell.

Fourth, God’s name is marred. The biggest problem with fighting over personalities is that the enemies will always look at us and want nothing to do with God. Friend, the world will look at the infighting of the local church and will lay it upon God’s name. The world needs to see Christ being served and not a church fighting over personalities.

Don’t take this devotional as ammunition to say that we should not fight for truth. That is not the purpose of this devotional at all. Neither is this devotional about churches getting along with each other. This devotional is about the members of a local church fighting with each other. If a church fights over personalities, it will hurt that church and the cause of Christ in their community. Let’s keep our focus upon Christ and we won’t have the needless fighting over legacies, institutions and personalities.

1 Samuel 30:6
“And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.”

Everyone will face pressure from people, and how you respond to the pressure determines God’s blessings upon your life. Sadly, many who face these pressures respond in a adverse manner which produces negative results. Three stories in the Scriptures come to mind on responding to pressure.

The first story that comes to mind is when Aaron faced the pressure of the people to make them gods. Moses had been up on the mount for forty days receiving the commandments of God, and the people were so worldly that they wanted a god to worship. Aaron responded by totally leaving the God Who delivered them from Egypt.

Sadly, one of the responses of people when faced with the pressure of the world is to quit on God. Just because those around you are pressuring you to quit on God doesn’t mean that is right. You cannot allow the pressures of the world to force you to quit on God.

The second story that comes to mind is the story of Saul when facing the pressure of the people because Samuel had not come at the appointed time. Saul, instead of standing for right, compromised and performed the sacrifice against the commandment of the LORD. He allowed the pressure around him to react with spiritual compromise which cost him his kingdom.

Many people have spiritually compromised because of the pressure of worldly Christians. Friend, you cannot let the pressures of those around you force you to compromise truth. Truth must always be the focus you keep your eyes upon. Compromising to keep people happy will only cause displeasure with God. You must never compromise truth just to relieve the pressure of the crowds.

The third story is in the verse above when the men spake of stoning him because they were grieved for their wives. David responded correctly by running to the LORD for help. He completely understood that the only One Who could help him through this pressure was the LORD.

When faced with pressures from the world to change, your only response should be to run to the LORD. It is this response that determines your worthiness for future usefulness to God. Running to the LORD may not be the easiest response, but it is the only response that brings positive returns.

How do you respond when faced with the pressures of those around you? Have you quit on God because you are afraid what others may think of you? Have you compromised what you believe so that you can appease the crowds around you, or have you run to the LORD to be encouraged? When you look at the results of these three reactions, one lost his kingdom, the other lost his chance at God’s perfect will and the last was promoted to sit on the throne, you can see that how you respond to pressure will determine which of these three results you will receive. My prayer is that you run to the LORD for encouragement in times of pressure so that the He can promote you to the throne He has for your life.

1 Samuel 18:28
“And Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David, and that Michal Saul’s daughter loved him.”

The first time someone does something extraordinary we often think it was by chance. The second time they do something extraordinary we may think they are lucky. When they do something three times, you know it is not a fluke. You know that there is something very special about this person that enables them to do these extraordinary acts.

David was certainly no fluke. Saul heard the reports of how David killed the lion and the bear and probably chalked that one up as chance. He saw David go up against Goliath and kill him and thought that he was lucky to hit Goliath in the right spot with a stone. Yet, when Saul saw that David went up against the Philistines and slew two hundred of them by himself, he knew that there was something special about this young man. Saul knew what was special about David was that the LORD was with him. Saul understood that only God could make these things happen over and over again.

Do you realize that the same LORD Who was with David is with you if you are saved? The same LORD Who was with David to help him overcome the obstacles he faced can be with you if you will spend time with Him. There was no doubt that the hand of the LORD was upon David, but I find that the same LORD will put His hand upon you if you are willing to pay the same price he paid.

When the lions and bears of life come against you, the LORD can deliver you like He delivered David. You may be facing lions and bears of financial struggles, but if the LORD is with you it will be no fluke to overcome them. Others may look at your financial situation and say that you are going to be eaten up, but the LORD can come through for you and deliver you from the mouth of finances.

When you face the giants that are trying to destroy you and all that you believe, it will be no fluke when you defeat the giants if the LORD is with you. The only way to defeat your giants is to have the LORD on your side. Friend, you can defeat the world system that is trying to destroy your family and purity with the LORD on your side. You can defeat the lustful attacks of the giants of the world with the LORD’s help. Every giants of vice that the world throws at you can be overcome if the LORD is on your side.

Furthermore, when you face the attack of acquaintances, you can overcome them if the LORD is on your side. I can testify how the LORD has helped me overcome the attacks of acquaintances and friends, and it has only happened because of Him. When it seems that you have no hope to overcome these attacks, if you will get the LORD on your side these attacks will come to naught.

What did David do so that the LORD would be with him? Psalm 91:1 says, “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” The secret is to live “under the shadow of the Almighty.” Friend, you must walk with God in the Scriptures and in prayer if you are going to abide under His shadow.

There is no secret to getting the LORD on your side. The only secret is where you choose to dwell. If you choose to dwell under the shadow of the world, then you will live a life of heartache; however, when you choose to dwell under the shadow of the Almighty, you will find that no matter what you face He will be there to help you to victory. I encourage you today to start dwelling under His shadow, and you will find Him always on your side.

1 Samuel 15:3
“Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.”

Every person at some point in their life will be tested by God to see whether they can be used in a greater way. Each person will face a different test. The test you face will not be the same test I take, but how we do on that test will determine how much God can use us.

Saul was faced with three tests, and he failed them all. Saul’s potential from the start was limitless, but he failed the test God had for him and quickly squelched any potential. Many Christians face the Saul test and fail as well. Let me show you the three tests God sent his way and show you how you can pass them.

First, Saul faced the peer pressure test. In 1 Samuel 13:7 is the story of Saul waiting on Samuel to come and sacrifice for them before they went to war. Because Samuel didn’t come at the time appointed, the pressure of the people forced Saul to perform the sacrifice he had no business performing. He allowed peer pressure to influence him to do wrong.

What you do with the peer pressure test will highly determine your usefulness. God cannot use people who can’t stand up against the pressures people will put upon them. A person who can’t stand alone is a person who can’t be depended upon to secure truth. Friend, don’t let peer pressure influence you to compromise truth. Always stand for truth even when you must do it alone.

Second, Saul faced the waiting test. In the same story from 1 Samuel 13, Saul waited on Samuel to come and perform a sacrifice. Saul didn’t understand that the waiting test was a test to see how much he would be willing to wait upon the LORD. His failure to pass the waiting test showed his inability to wait upon the LORD.

If you want God to use you greatly, you must be able to wait upon the LORD. The LORD doesn’t always work in our timeline. Waiting upon the LORD shows the level of trust you have in God. If you can’t wait in prayer, then you’ll fail when the battles of life come your way.

Third, Saul faced the obedience test. Saul was commanded to completely destroy the Amalekites, but he failed. The obedience test truly reveals ones heart for God. God wants to see if you can be trusted. Obedience always reveals ones trustworthiness. If God can’t trust you to obey with the smaller tasks He has given you, then you cannot be trusted with greater responsibilities. If you want God to use you greatly, then you must completely obey God, even when obedience doesn’t benefit you.

Did you pass the Saul tests? These tests will certainly reveal how much God can use you. If you find yourself lacking in any of these areas, then I would like to challenge you to change what is causing you to fail in these areas. Each of these tests reveal how much God can trust you. Don’t let God down. Each of these test are simply a revelation of your faith and trust in God. If you will build your faith and trust by reading the Word of God and walking with Him, you will pass these tests with flying colors.

Ruth 1:12
“Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have an husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should have an husband also to night, and should also bear sons;”

Age should never be an excuse when it comes to the things of God. Naomi had grown old in the land of Moab. She never expected the move away from Bethlehem to end the way it did. She had lost her husband and two sons, and was left with her two daughters-in-law. Certainly, when she left Bethlehem she had dreams of grandeur, but sin left her empty.

As she packed her remaining belongings to go back to Bethlehem, she looked at her daughters-in-law and told them to go back to their old ways because she was too old to get remarried. She looked at what she had and thought she had nothing to offer. What Naomi did not realize is that you are never too old for God. No matter what your age may be, God expects you to continue on until He takes you to Heaven. There are four areas where Naomi missed the mark about being too old.

First, you are never too old to get right. She should have realized that though her actions from years prior had caused her situation, she was never too old to go to God and acknowledge her wrong. Christians are never too old to get right. It doesn’t matter how long ago you did wrong, you must never think it is too late. Your sins are never too old to be put away. If you have done something wrong, it is never too late to get right with God about what you have done.

Second, you are never too old to do right. Doing right is not an issue of age. I have seen over the years how Christians develop a mentality that they have earned the right not to have to do something because of their age. God doesn’t say do right because you are a youth, He says to do right because it is right. You are never too old to do right. Doing right by obeying the Scriptures is something you should do till the day you die.

Third, you are never too old to care. One of the sad things about the story of Naomi is that she didn’t care for the eternity of her daughters-in-law. Caring for the lost condition of a world should never be an age issue. You should be a soul winner till the day of your death. You may not be able to go soul winning as long as you used to, but you can still witness everywhere you go. Soul winning is not just for soul winning time, soul winning should be done at all times. Never let your age be an excuse for not witnessing to the lost.

Fourth, you are never too old to serve the LORD. Naomi still had life, and she still had a chance to give the remaining years of her life to God. Don’t waste any years in serving the LORD. No matter what your age may be, there is always something you can do to serve the LORD. Don’t think retirement from your employment means you can retire from God. You are to serve the LORD in some capacity until the day of your death.

Have you acquired the Naomi mentality by thinking you are too old? When you develop this mentality you die a premature death. I’m not talking about physically dying, I’m talking about a death to life. Don’t ruin the latter years of your life because you feel you are too old. Use your wisdom to maximize your energy for Christ. Use every year of your life to its fullest potential so that when you stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ you will have no regrets of wasted years.

Judges 10:16
“And they put away the strange gods from among them, and served the LORD: and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.”

Israel had turned from God again. For whatever reason, they couldn’t get out of their system the attraction to the strange gods. They set God aside for the false god of Baal. They set God aside for the counterfeit god of Ashtaroth. The gods of Syria had a greater lure to them than the God Who delivered them from Egypt and brought them into the Promised Land.

This turning away from God caused judgment to fall. The Ammonites had come against Israel to take them in war. During the war they found themselves distressed, and they suddenly remembered the God Who delivered them. When they cried to God He heard it, but He would not deliver them. God simply told Israel that if the other gods were good enough then they needed to run to them.

What I love about this story is that Israel decided to get right with God and put away the strange gods. When they put the strange gods away, God still did not deliver them. Though God would not deliver Israel, they decided that they were going to serve God because it was right. In this instance they completely understood that you don’t serve God for the blessings, but you serve God because it is the right thing to do. Their decision to serve God eventually proved to God that they were serious about serving Him and it moved Him to deliver them from the oppression of the Ammonites.

Christians oftentimes only serve God because they enjoy the blessings. Many Christians have made the mistake of serving God when their finances were being blessed. They served God when trials were not a factor. They served God when everything was going right, but the second the blessings seemed to dry up you find them quitting on the LORD. These Christians don’t serve God because it’s right, but they serve God because they enjoy the blessings.

Friend, there are going to be times in the Christian life when serving God doesn’t seem to pay. There are going to be times when serving God will put you on the wrong side of the crowd. If you serve God because it makes you popular or because of the blessings, then you will find that your service to God will end when things turn against you.

You must come to the point where you serve God because it is right. That is the only decision that will produce a lasting service to God. This will keep you serving God when you bury a loved one. This will keep you serving God when your finances are taken. This will keep you serving God when those near you attack you. This will keep you serving God when everything in life seems to be against you.

What this world needs to see are Christians who serve God because it is right. This world has seen too much fickle Christianity. This world needs to see Christians who determine to serve God no matter the circumstances. That is the type of Christianity that turned a world upside down for Christ. That was the type of Christianity that convicted the hardened heart of Saul while he persecuted Christians. This is the type of Christianity that will influence your world for Christ.

I ask you, are you serving God because times are good, or are you serving God because it is right? I hope the latter will be your case. Let me encourage you to make a determination to serve God because it is right. That is the only decision that will keep you serving God no matter what comes your way.