Worthy Words

Do you feel that your life to this point has been a total failure? Maybe you once had a dream for what you could accomplish, and right now it appears that you have fallen desperately short of the mark. Maybe you have made some mistakes and have made a complete mess of everything, and it's caused you to believe that your only choice is to give up and quit. Maybe something painful happened in your childhood or in your past, something that causes you to wonder: "Why me? Why did I have to do through this?" God can use the events of your life as points of preparation for the calling he has given you. Moses spent 40 years tending flocks belonging to his father-in-law. It would appear to a casual observer that Moses had been forgotten by God — that he had failed and had become nothing more than a could-have-been. But God didn't forget about Moses and he didn't forget about the plight of his people. During this time there were some important ch...

Christ is the greatest example, bar none, of God's ability to turn things around, to deliver victory even in the throes of certain defeat. That which appears to signify failure and defeat in your life can actually become the foundation of a new life for you. Your difficulties can serve a purpose in your life — a purpose that serves you and brings glory to God. When you're facing hard times, you may be tempted to pray less. Praying less, however, won't help you. You need to pray more. You need to spend more time with God. You need to spend more time in the Word. God wants you to learn to trust him. You cannot trust him when you're avoiding him. Spend time with him, talking to him about your life. “In my distress I prayed to the Lord.” (Psalm 118:5a) God wants your hard times to bring you closer to him. God desires to be in a relationship with you. Friendship is the word Jesus used to describe our relationship. He wants to have fellowship with you, day-in, day...

News Flash: today is not an accident. “This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). God made this day in your life. Now, you could be tempted to say, "Perhaps he made this day, but I ruined it before it arrived with some of my dumb decisions." No matter how things may appear, your day is not ruined. It may be difficult, but it's not ruined. This is the day that the Lord has made, and he intends to accomplish one of two things in the next 24 hours: He will carry you through whatever situation you're facing right now, or he will deliver you from it. He made this day to strengthen you. He made this day to empower you. He made this day to change you. He made this day to move you one step closer to the person he has designed you to be. You can celebrate today, and every day to come. No matter what troubles may be lurking around, just waiting for you to get out of bed so they can begin to do their dirty work, you can make a choice t...

It is very possible as you read this you are struggling with situations that are about to get the best of you. The bills are piling up or the doctor hasn't given a good report or your spouse is threatening divorce or your kids are in rebellion or the pressure and demands at your job are eating your lunch. Nowadays it seems virtually everyone is in the middle of one kind of mess or another. I know how messes feel. I know the sense of fear, of impending panic, of dread, anger and hurt. And I also know this: You can experience God's presence and his peace in the middle of a mess. The issue is that too often people think that God is anything but for them. They think he's mad, annoyed, disappointed, irritated, out to get them — or, at the very least, totally oblivious to what's going on in their lives. He may not be for all your ideas, he may not be for everything you're doing — but he is for you. You need to know this. God is for you! He loves you! He cares about you! H...

There's something to be said for faithfulness. Being faithful is unique in that it is a title that one earns over the course of time. Faithful is not just a one-time momentary event. It is a day-in, day-out process of consistency. Faithfulness is a long obedience in the same direction. As a Christ-follower you’re called to be faithful because God is faithful. In Christ you see the perfect example of faithfulness. You may be ready to say, "Ooops, too late. If faithfulness is consistency in character, I'm the most inconsistent person I know. If faithfulness is keeping one's promises, I've racked up far too many broken promises. If faithfulness is dependability, I'm not proud of my record there, either." None of us are as faithful in every area as we ought to be, or as we want to be. That's why it's important for us to remember that earning the title of "faithful servant" is an extended journey. Over the course of time we learn to grow in fa...