Sunday, September 20, 2009

In Him

"For in Him we live, and move, and have our being". (Acts 17:28)

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Be Not Afraid

"Be not afraid of their faces: For I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord." (Jeremiah 1:8)

In this passage, the "I" is defined in the Scripture before, "But the Lord said unto me,...".

Jeremiah is the author of this book, set in Jerusalem sometime about 626 BC. He followed on the heels of Isaiah by about 100 years or so, so he had some tough shoes to fill. The entire book is an autobiography of Jeremiah during the reigns of the last five kings of Judah. He was also the last prophet before the fall of Jerusalem and is called, "the weeping prophet" because of his deep sorrow over the unrepentent nation, their coming destuction, and the inevitable exile of his people.

Jeremiah is a good example of one who not only gave words of warning, but also wonderful words of encouragement during troublesome times. He constantly encourages his people to remember God's promises to them by renewing their hearts.

In verse 8, the original Hebrew word for "faces" is paniym, which has a broad meaning. It not only literally means peoples "faces", it also means their "presence" and "before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before" (Strong's Concordance).

As we travel our paths, we come across obstacles. We can choose to either view these as stumbling blocks or stepping stones. In light of yesterday's passage (Proverbs 4:26), we can rest assured that as we establish our paths with God, He will always be their to deliver us from hindrances to our life.

Are you living in the shadow of things people do, say, or act out?

Be not afraid.

Friday, September 18, 2009

Your Path

"Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established." (Proverbs 4:26)

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Happily Trusting

"Blessed are they that put their trust in Him." (Psalm 2:12)

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Are You Rich?

"For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye though His poverty might be rich." (II Corinthians 8:9)

There are many words to describe "rich". It can mean wealthy and having an abundance of material possessions, but not always. It sometimes refers to something on a different non-materialistic level; having more than enough to gratify spiritual needs.

It is easy to get distracted in today's economy on the almight dollar. The real question is, are you rich spiritually?

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

God Pleaser? Or Man?

"For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ." (Galatians 1:10) - In a nutshell, are we God pleasers or man pleasers?

"But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts." (I Thessalonians 2:4) - Do our speech please God?

"...the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." (James 4:4) - Who are your friends?

Monday, September 14, 2009

Insomnia

"I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: For thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety." (Psalm 4:8)

This is one of my favorite Scriptures in the Bible. When I'm worried, stressed, upset, etc., the first thing it negatively impacts is my sleep.

I found this Scripture about two years ago and it has NEVER failed to calm me and allow me to fall into a restful sleep. I have it memorized by now and just begin quoting it when trying to fall asleep.

It is comforting in multiple aspects. It covers not only sleeping, but peace and safety, too.

It is awesome to know that I can lay down and God can give me restful sleep and keep me safe in all areas of my life: Physical, emotional, financial, mental, etc.

Try it!

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Christian Food

... "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." (Matthew 4:4)

God's word is our spiritual food!

Friday, September 11, 2009

Conquerors!

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ... Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:35, 37-39)

Very powerful words! There is nothing and no one that can separate us from the love of God. During trying times, it is essential for us to look to God, through Christ, for help.

Notice that in the Scripture it does not say that "we are conquerors"? It says that, "we are more than conquerors"! Enough is not enough. We have MORE than what it takes to walk the walk. We should not settle for less.

Mourning

"Blessed are they that mourn: For they shall be comforted." (Matthew 5:4)

I chose this Scripture due to the nature of today, September 11th. This article serves as a reminder to myself to depend upon God at all times, especially during trying times. Some think it bad to cry out to God more during the stressful times. Whether it is or isn't becomes mute, because each person has to be held accountable for him/herself only (Philippians 2:12).

The above Scripture has three (3) main focal words: "Blessed", "mourn", and "comforted".

BLESS

The New Testament refers to "bless" quite often, in many grammatical forms, such as: Bless, blessed, blessing, etc. The Scriptures found in Matthew, verses three through 11 (Matt. 5:3-11) are referred to as the "beatitudes". Beatitude simply means "supreme happiness" or "a state of utmost bliss".

Jesus presents the Beatitudes in a positive manner; virtues in life which ultimately lead to reward. Love becomes the motivation for the Christian. There are eight (8) beatitudes found in the gospel of Matthew. The word, "blessed", is referenced using four (4) different Greek words, each with a layer of meaning that varies somewhat from word to word.

"Eneulogeo" means "to confer a benefit on" and is found only twice in the New Testament: Acts 3:25 and Gal. 3:8.

"Eulogeo" means "to speak well of" and is found 44 times in the New Testament, one of which is James 3:9.

"Eulogia" means "eloquent speech" and is used 16 times in the New testament, one of which is Ephesians 1:3.

"Makarios" means "spiritually prosperous". Last, but certainly not least, we have a completely different word translated "blessed", which meant "happy" in the ancient world, but in the New Testament, adds the idea of "spiritual prosperity" to "happy". "Makarios" is used 58 times in the New Testament, in such passages as the "beatitudes" of Matthew 5:3-11.

MOURN

Now that the idea of "blessed" has been discussed, we now turn to "mourn". "Mourn" means to feel or express grief or sorrow. Regret over our sins and the sins of this world is expected. We should humble ourselves before God and take time to appreciate all that He has given us; acknowlege how good and merciful He is. In this Scripture, "mourn" refers to blessing, because mourning our imperfect humanity creates in us a desire to improve ourselves and to do what is right! So what happens when we mourn? Read on!

COMFORTED

The word "comforted" means "to give strength and hope to", "cheer", "to ease the grief or trouble of". On a sidenote, the "Holy Ghost" (John 14:25-6) is often referred to as "the comforter". The Holy Ghost (John 3:33-34), or sometimes called "Holy Spirit", is one part of the trinity: The Father (God), the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit.

SUMMARY

The Scripture again states, "Blessed are they that mourn: For they shall be comforted." Rephrased, it says, "Spiritually happy are those people that regret the fall of mankind and the sin that came into the world: For the people that do so will be given strentgh and hope to ease the grief and trouble".

This is only one of the eight beatitudes. Hopefully, this article has provided some enlightenment to you spiritually.

All comments/suggestions are welcome.

Have a blessed day!

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Trusting is Vital!

Graphic used by permission from barrysclipart.com"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." - Proverbs 3:5-6

The book of Proverbs was written by King Solomon as he tried to enlighten the young people of his day, much like a father would have given advice to his children. He challenges young men and women to treasure wisdom above all else, and he also plainly states how to make sure that each stayed on the "right" path.

These Scriptures plainly give us three (3) simple steps to follow, with an absolute end result.

Step 1: "Trust" is defined as, "assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something and one in which confidence is placed." We are to completely depend upon the Lord with our whole being; not just part of it.

Step 2: Do not try to figure things out for ourselves. Our understanding is based upon what we know and see. Our perceptions are faulty in that we do not see the entire picture, as God does. So, for us to "lean", which means to rely for support or inspiration, upon ourselves is not a good idea. Our judgement is clouded by things of this world, emotions, etc. God's isn't.

Step 3: In everything we do, which includes speaking, we are to acknowledge God. "Acknowledge" means, "to recognize the rights, authority, or status of." We are to recognize for God for WHO He is!

End Result! This is clear: Follow the three (3) steps above, and God will direct our paths. "Direct" means, "to point out, prescribe, or determine a course or procedure". "Paths" means, "a course, a route, or a track specially constructed for a particular use".

In essence, follow three simple guidelines and God will point our, prescribe, and determine our route through life.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

The Christian Journey

"I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 3:14

The Christian journey is not an one, especially in these days and times.

In this passage, the apostle Paul was warning the Philippians that they could expect opposition and trials in their everyday life. He encouraged them to press toward the goal of spiritual growth and maturity and to persevere through their adversities.

In verse 13, Paul states, "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before."

This is very sound advice today! When life becomes discouraging here on earth, we need to remember that we are God's creation and this is our "temporary" home. Heaven awaits those of us that keep pressing on.

Long ago, it was very difficult for me to let go of the past. I would replay events in my head over and over, and play the "what if" game. It almost drove me insane and almost always negatively effected my mood. I finally learned that what has happened in the past is just that: IN THE PAST. It cannot be changed. If I made mistakes, then I try to learn from those so as not to repeat them. Our past is over and done with; the present is NOW, so make valuable use of your time NOW. Our future is yet to be done, but place it faithfully into God's gracious hands and it is as secure as it could ever possibly be.

To coin an old adage from the 1970's, "Keep on truckin'"!

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Our Source of Strength

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."

How much can we expect from God through Christ? ALL THINGS.

The Greek (Which is the original language of the New Testament, while Hebrew is the original language of the Old Testament) word translated "all" here is "pas", meaning "all types, or all kinds", not "absolutely all" (which is "hopas", as found in Matthew 24:39)things. In this passage of Scripture, Paul is telling how Christ gives him the strength to endure all types (or kinds) of things that may come his way.

"Strengtheneth" means to make or become stronger, according to Merriam-Webster. The Greek interpretation of "strengtheneth" is to "empower". "Empower" means to give official authority or legal power. It also means to "enable" or "to promote the self-actualization or influence" of something.

It is comforting to know that in all types or kinds of things we can go through Christ and He is able to give us the power to overcome!

Monday, September 7, 2009

Enjoy The Day!

"This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." - Psalms 118:24

http://barrysclipart.comMerriam-Webster defines "rejoice" as: 1) To give joy to, 2) Gladden, and/or 3) To feel joy or great delight. The definition of "day" is not quite as simple, but is indeed very comprehensive of time. "Day" is defined as: 1) The time of light between one night and the next, 2) The period of a planet or moon on its axis, 3) The mean solar day of 24 hours beginning at mean midnight, 4) A specified day or date, and/or 5) A specified time or period (age) (the remainder of which is not relevant to this article).

The holiday, "Labor Day," is a day set aside for the special recognition of working people. It is the first Monday in September observed in the United States and Canada as a legal holiday, and on May 1st in many other countries.

In approximately 1000 BC, King Solomon wrote, "In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury." (Proverbs 14:23). Diligence and perseverance in our everyday work is echoed throughout the entire Bible as a characteristic that results in success and satisfaction in life. Laziness was viewed as a fault that contributed to poverty, perhaps both financially and spiritually.

So, as we celebrate today, let us bask in the wonder of the day and be thankful that God has been merciful in providing us this marvellous (Psalms 118:23), blessed day!

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Sunday, September 6, 2009

Who Can Be Counted On?

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." - Genesis 1:1

Do you ever feel alone? Or afraid? Worthless? Defeated? Hurt? In pain? I believe we all experience these feelings at some time or another in our lives. The key thought to remember is our origin: Who made us. And that would be God.

No matter what difficulties life may be hurling at us, God has been here from the beginning. We are His creation (Genesis 1:26) formed in His image and likeness.

He has, and will continue to be, our heavenly Father. He can see every aspect of each of our lives; even the future. While we do have free will, God "nudges" us in the direction He would like us to go. It is when we veer from this path that turmoil occurs, and our peace usually disappears. Aren't you glad that He has taken the responsibility of caring for us? I would hate to entrust my life to another human, including me!

I am so very grateful for all of the blessings God has bestowed upon me. He has been my rock and my salvation (Psalms 18:2) through all adversity and illness. He continues to fill my heart with peace and hope (II Timothy 1:7), even when things look impossible (Philippians 4:13). I am thankful for the many miracles that He has blessed my life with. Miracles have no "limited supply", but are always there for the asking (Matthew 7:7).

It is good to know that I can always count on God!

Welcome!

Welcome to "Our Daily Inspiration". It is hoped that you find peace and comfort in the words provided in these messages.  The quotes are taken directly from the King James Version of the HOLY BIBLE.  Your thoughts, prayer requests, and ideas are immensely appreciated!

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