Thought for the day

Our relationship with Jesus is to have first place above all else in life. Thoughts, attitudes, and actions are to flow out of our intimate connection with Him. But this is not easy to do. Our own selfish nature clamors for supremacy, and the world with all its temptations encourages us to indulge ourselves. Even while carrying out the Lord’s work, we can lose sight of our first priority–deepening our intimacy with Christ.

Speaking quietly

When God speaks to us, it is usually a very quiet prompting.

The prompting of the Holy Spirit is a very strong feeling that you know can only come from God:

• To redirect us to greater fruitfulness


• To redirect us to greater satisfaction


• To redirect us to greater pain. Bleeding is part of the preparation for blessing.


• To test our faith


• To test our perseverance


• To equip us for the big opportunity


• To delay us for better timing


• When disobedience disqualifies us from his opportunities

3 Reasons We Are Called to Wait

• God may be preparing us to receive his blessings.



• The Father is often teaching His children to have confidence in Him.



• The Lord will at times withhold blessing to protect us from harm we can’t see.
  

No one goes wrong waiting for the Lord to send His best in His perfect timing.

Living a Crucified Life

Like Paul, we are called to live a crucified life—one in which we make the Lord first in our thinking, attitudes, and actions. Such a life includes learning how to walk by faith and stand firm against temptation. While we are unable to do this in our own strength, we can through the Holy Spirit. He empowers us to let go of our self-centered ways and replace them with godly ones.

Turn on your headlights!

God usually doesn’t show us where He is taking us. He just asks us to trust Him. It’s like driving a car at night. Our headlights never shine all the way to our destination; they illuminate only about 160 feet ahead. But that doesn’t deter us from moving forward. We trust our headlights. All we really need is enough light to keep moving forward.
God’s Word is like headlights in dark times. It is full of promises we need to keep us from driving our lives into the ditch of bitterness and despair. His Word promises that He will never leave us nor forsake us (Heb. 13:5).

12 Steps to Forgiveness

• Ask the Lord to reveal who you need to forgive and write the names He brings to mind on a sheet of paper. Don’t overlook yourself or God.


• Acknowledge the hurt. State the offense and how it made you feel.


• Understand the significance of the cross.


• Decide you will bear the burden of each person’s sin.


• Decide to forgive.


• Take your list to God in prayer. Start with the first person on the list. “I forgive (so and so) for (state offense and how it made you feel).


• Destroy the list.


• Don’t expect your decision will result in major changes in others. Pray for them.


• Understand the person but don’t rationalize their behavior.


• Expect positive results of forgiveness in you.


• Thank God for the lessons you have learned.


• Accept your part of the blame for the offenses you suffered.

10 Key Questions

• Have you spent daily time in the Word and in prayer?


• How is your relationship with God? Are all of your relationships Christ-like?


• Have you spent quality time with your family and friends?


• Have you loved somebody or shown the love of Christ to someone this week?


• Have you told any half-truths or lies to put yourself in a better light to those around you?


• Have you had any flirtations, lustful attitudes or temptations, or exposed yourself to any explicit material that would not glorify God?


• Have you taken anything that doesn’t belong to you or said anything about or to anyone that would not be an example of Christ?


• Are you eating, drinking or putting anything into your body that would not be Christ-like?


• Is there anything causing you to stumble or to stop you from keeping your focus on Christ?


• Have you lied on any of your answers today?