Verse of the Day

last SG · 2003-06-06T09:37:22+00:00

Matthew 6:33-34 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow,...

NeonTetra SG

at least you bother to do that.

sillyme SG

Diligence does pay off

For reading & meditation - Proverbs 24:23-34
"Thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds '" (v.31)

We spend one more day on the subject of diligence. What are diligence and perseverance all about? They are sticking to a task you know God wants you to do until it is completed, irrespective of the difficulties and frustrations. Diligence does pay off. Two frogs who fell into a bucket of cream tried very hard to get out, but each time they slipped back again. One said, "We'll never get out of here," gave up and drowned. The other frog persevered with kicking. Suddenly, he felt something hard beneath his feet and discovered that his kicking had turned the cream into butter. He hopped on top of it and was able to leap out to safety. Someone has described diligence as "an archaic word." It may not play a big part in today's world, but it plays a big part in the Bible. Those who have done great exploits for God have been men and women of persistence and perseverance. One of the greatest examples of diligence in the Bible is the apostle Paul. The verse that best brings this out is this: "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed" (2 Cor. 4:8-9). He kept going when others would have given up. I love the story of Sir Winston Churchill who, during his last years, and though failing and feeble, stood up to address a group of university students and said: "I have just one thing to say to you: Never give up. Never, never give up. Never, never, never give up." He sat down to a standing ovation.

Prayer:
Father, I see that life can be made or broken at the place of continuance. Give me this aspect of wisdom so that, like a postage stamp, I will stick to one thing until I get there. In Jesus' Name I ask it. Amen.
For Further Study

John 17:20-26; 19:30
1. What will Jesus not give up doing?
2. What did Jesus declare on the Cross?

sillyme SG

Words that scar

For reading & meditation - Proverbs 12:11-28
"Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." (v.1 Cool

"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me." It's not true. Names do hurt and produce emotional scars that stay within the soul for life. A woman could not escape the bondage of a name her father gave her when she was a child: "The devil's daughter." She was freed from it eventually, but not without hours of counseling and struggle. Unkind words are like deadly missiles that penetrate all the soul's defenses and blast a hole in the personality that may take years to repair. On the other hand, words that are encouraging can lift and cheer the soul in a way that is quite amazing. C. E. Macartney tells how he saw sitting on a bench a minister whom he had known. The man was well advanced in years and broken in health. As a result of his condition, he had given up his church and was unable to participate in any kind of pulpit ministry. Macartney says, "I turned to speak to him, expecting to hear from him some word of melancholy, reminiscence or present gloom, but I received a pleasant surprise. He told me that a woman going by had just spoken to him and told him that a message he had given many years ago had been the means of bringing her to Christ. The glow on his face was something I shall never forget." How wonderful it will be if today you and I can say a cheerful and encouraging word to someone that will lift their burden, lighten their darkness and minister the life of God into their soul. At least let's try!

Prayer:
O Father, help me not to be like the person who looked into a mirror and then went away forgetting what he looked like. I have looked into the mirror of Your Word and see what I should be. Now help me be. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
For Further Study

James 3:1-18; Eccl. 9:17; Isa. 50:4
1. What does James say about the tongue?
2. What had the Lord given Isaiah?

NeonTetra SG

You gave me life and showed me kindness, and in your care you watched over my life.
JOB 10:12

Finding Gods Grace

Discipline is easy for me to swallow. Logical to assimilate. Manageable and appropriate. But Gods grace? Anything but. Examples? How much time do you have?

David the psalmist becomes David the voyeur, but by Gods grace becomes David the psalmist again.

Peter denied Christ before he preached Christ.

Zacchaeus, the crook. The cleanest part of his life was the money hed laundered. But Jesus still had time for him.

The thief on the cross: hell-bent and hung-out-to-die one minute, heaven-bound and smiling the next.

Story after story. Prayer after prayer. Surprise after surprise. Seems that God is looking more for ways to get us home than for ways to keep us out. I challenge you to find one soul who came to God seeking grace and did not find it.

pool.gal SG

[quote]Originally posted by sillyme:
[b]Diligence does pay off

For reading & meditation - Proverbs 24:23-34
"Thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds '" (v.31)

Hi Sillyme

Thanks for this post. It's very encouraging and very timely! It shall sustain me till my work is finished!!

pool.gal SG

'For I know the plans I have for you' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future'.

Jer 29:11

God loves us so much. He even knows the number of hair on our head. If he takes care of the birds and the bees, will He not take care of us, who are made in His image!! Be blessed. Very Happy

skinnybeanie SG

The Verse
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever would believe in Him should not die, but live eternally with Him."

The Bread
"He Chose The Nails" (By Wes King; from: CD - "Max Lucado-He Chose the Nails")

A tool of torture becomes of sign of hope.
The measure for the love of God.
The intersection of eternity and time.
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

The hand that held the hammer was the hand of God.
The hand that took the nail was His only son.
The doors that heaven opened as He opened up His hand,
And it rained down mercy.
It rained down mercy.

He built an altar to offer up his son.
How could this be the will of God?
The intervention from Heaven was a voice,
Saying "Though this someday must be done,
Abraham, it will not be your son."

The hand that held the hammer was the hand of God.
The hand that took the nail was His only son.
The doors of heaven opened as He opened up His hand,
And it rained down mercy.
It rained down mercy.

He drank the cup and ripped the veil,
When He chose the nails.

The hand that held the hammer was the hand of God.
The hand that took the nail was His only son.
The doors of heaven opened as He opened up His hand,
And it rained down mercy.
It rained down mercy.

Comments
This song has such a beautiful message. And that's because its message is the gospel, the message of Christ and of our Heavenly Father's tremendous love for us. Max Lucado, in a narration before this song on the CD, talks about the fact that Jesus didn't resist on the cross not only because He loves us, but because at the moment He was on the cross, along with most likely every moment He was alive, He saw the list of our sins. "He knew the price of those sins was death and He knew the source of those sins was you." The source of the sins that Christ died for was us. Not only did Christ see those sins, our Father saw those sins. This song makes the analogy that the hand that held the hammer to nail Christ to the cross was the hand of God and the hand that took the nail was His only Son. It wasn't a choice that would have been easy to make, but a choice that He knew had to be made. And for Him, because He loves us so much, there was no option other to crucify Christ so that we could be made free through his death and most assuredly through His resurrection. "Since He couldn't bear the thought of eternity without you, He chose the nails...And as the hands of Jesus opened for the nail, the doors of Heaven opened for you."

Prayer
Today, if you have not taken the opportunities that He's given you to become His child and to be freed from the persecution of your sins, take this time. Take this time to confess to Him your sins and to ask Him to be your Lord and your Savior. Tell Him exactly what you feel. There are no special words but what is truly in your heart. He will listen and He will rejoicing take you in. If you have taken those opportunities, then take this one to thank Him for being so merciful to you and for allowing you to be His child. Rejoice, for He has risen!

NeonTetra SG

Amen. We can never outgive God in His love towards us.

gasband SG

[Jesus said,] ”’If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love.’”—John 15:10

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