Scared? Confused? At the end of your rope?
You’ve got more going for you than you think.
Psalm 18:29 (NLT)
In your strength I can crush an army;
with my God I can scale any wall.
God turns obstacles into opportunities. Sometimes we doubt. Sometimes we don’t see it. But God’s got a plan.
God sees you as a victor, not a victim.
1 John 5:4 (CEV)
Every child of God can defeat the world,
and our faith is what gives us this victory.
Don’t let your troubles get you down. See it from God’s point of view. You are a winner.
When things get hard, do you give up?
“Our faith, trust, and love are proved and revealed in adversities, that is, in difficult and grievous outward and inward circumstances, during sickness, sorrow, and privations.”
John of Kronstadt (1829-1908)
When things get hard, your faith, trust and love grow. Growth is good.
John of Kronstadt was a Russian Orthodox archpriest. He established the “House of the Industry,” a relief organization with an orphanage, school, hospital, free library, shelter for the homeless and workshops where the poor could earn some money.
Half = low expectations.
Ephesians 3:19 (MSG)
Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.
Not by halves, Lord! Fill my cup till it overflows.
I dread the news.
Seems like it’s all bad.
Thankfully, God’s love is always good news.
Luke 2:10 (ESV)
Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news
of great joy that will be for all the people.
Great joy! Good for the soul.
Recently, more than 50 missing or exploited children have been rescued in three U. S. states. Good news!
The job is far from done. According to the International Labour Union:
“At any given time in 2016, an estimated 40.3 million people are in modern slavery . . . 1 in 4 victims of modern slavery are children.”
10 million children.
Luke 17:2 (NKJV)
It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.
That’s a lot of millstones.
Lord, You know where each and every child is being held. We pray for their protection. We boldly ask You to change the hearts of their captors or otherwise make a way of escape. And for the ones recently rescued–shelter their injured souls, restore their minds and heal their emotions, in Jesus’ name.
Politicians all seem to say their opponent is lying. It becomes a circle of lies: “The other guy is lying when he says I’m lying.”
Don’t get caught up in the storm. If you’re not sure it’s true, don’t say it.
Psalm 19:14 (NIRV)
Lord, may these words of my mouth please you.
I check the day’s news reports.
Seems a lot like yesterday’s.
All rearview mirror.
No windshield.
The apostle Paul got it right:
Philippians 3:13b (GNT)
The one thing I do, however, is to forget what is behind me and do my best to reach what is ahead.
Let the old news go. Look to the future.
Through no fault of my own, a black pickup truck crashed into my car. For months afterwards, I’d catch a glimpse of a black truck and feel my blood pressure rise. It was unfair to black pickups everywhere, and I knew it. Those black pickups did me no harm. My imagination put evil where there was none.
Forget trucks. We do this with people. Every time I let my imagination put thoughts in someone else’s head or words in someone else’s mouth, I bear false witness. God has one word for it.
Don’t.
Exodus 20:16 (GNT)
Do not accuse anyone falsely.
We so easily label others and call them hurtful names. So much judgment, so little grace.
“The nature and end of judgment or sentence must be corrective, not vindictive; for healing, not destruction.”
John Owen (1616-1683)
This English theologian was a college administrator, politician and pastor. Some called him “God’s statesman.”
We need more godly statesmen. We need more grace and more healing.
