Worthy Words

Have you ever experienced times when all the promises and doctrines of the Bible seem to have no benefit, that is, unless someone else is kind enough to apply them on your behalf? For example, it’s like when you’re thirsty but you’re too weak to make it to the fridge for a cool glass of water. Or like when a soldier gets wounded in battle he’s not thinking about the fact that there is a hospital staffed with a team of medical experts who can mend his wounds and ease his pains with medicines that will enhance his healing. No! What this wounded soldier is focused on is crying out “Medic, Medic, Medic!”   He knows the Medic is the one able to get him transported to the mash unit to have the procedures applied to him. That’s what it is like when your soul is wounded. The Bible points out that the Spirit of truth is the only one who can meet this need of yours and take the things of Jesus and apply them to you. “The Spirit of truth will glorify Me, because He will take from what...

Have you ever noticed that some people expect to be able to live according to a different set of rules? One of the weak witnesses of the church today is this concept of believers seeing other believers living one way and worshiping another. It simply comes down to a question of integrity. It is a question you must grasp—that all the rules that apply to everyone else apply to you as well. God saved you even though you weren’t perfect. God will use you even though you aren’t perfect. However, you must understand that even when God chooses you and uses you, that does not give you a personal exemption from holiness. The rules still apply to you. If you don’t get it the gap between the way things are and the way things ought to be will continue to get wider. What would it take for you to compromise your integrity? If you have a price, someone will pay it. The devil, your boss, your so-called friends, maybe even your family. If your integrity is for sale, someone will be willing to buy it. W...

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...