Life is tough, but it gets easier to understand when we allow God to lead. Let His Word be a light that guides your path.
Psalm 33:4
A person’s words are measured by the quality of his or her character. If your friends trust what you say, it is because they trust you. If you trust what God says, it is because you trust Him to be the God he claims to be. If you doubt His words, you doubt the integrity of God himself. If you believe God is truly God, then believe what He says!
-Life Application Study Bible (pg. 979)
1 Peter 3:8-13
8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:
9 Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.
10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:
11 Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.
13 And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?
What have I done to deserve this?! Why are all these things happening to me?! I prayed daily for my wife and family. I took care of all which the Lord provided for me. I served as a good example for my children to follow. Lord, why am I suffering so much? Why did I lose all of my possessions? Why did you take the lives of all my children? Why is my wife speaking nonsense? Why are my friends accusing me of sin? What are these sores all over my skin? Father, you know I’ve been faithful and diligent in my service to you. I do not understand the reason for my suffering but, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him…”
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
9 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.
10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.
11 Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?
12 And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
“Before you commit, know who you’re with.” – Ell
Psalm 101
Close relationships have great potential for conflict. Our homes can be difficult places in which to “behave wisely.” Our families usually see us at our worst because we relax and let down our mask of good behavior. Often we do not treat our family members with the same respect and kindness we show to friends and business associates. David must have understood this as he promised to walk within his house “with a perfect heart.” Because we want to treat those who are close to us well, let us pray that God will remind us to follow him at home, and that our lives will be Christian examples.
(Excerpt from Life Application Bible pg. 1036)
Mark 2:1-12
Bashing the modern-day church isn’t something I take pride in, as some do today. There are many who speak their thoughts over social media outlets, in reference to the state of church, and christianity, and most of them set the church in a negative light. The definition of the church is, a unified body, consisting of many members, all with different functions, yet operating with one mind, heart, and goal.
It is indeed sad how church has changed over time, and many who seek the truth, can hardly find it from those who profess to be believers, but the biggest problem facing those who are supposed to represent Christ is, perspective. Operating on human intellect alone, gives one a certain world view that is oftentimes contrary to the will of God. Men are indeed wise, and have knowledge to accomplish great things, but worldly wisdom and understanding can take you so far, until you’ll eventually yearn for a deeper understanding of life to grasp things from God’s point of view. In addition, just because a person attends religious services, doesn’t automatically make them qualified in their understanding of the Gospel message. Without the Spirit of God, no man can function appropriately according as God desires.
Our text gives an example of the different perspectives between carnal minded men, and the mind of Jesus. After seeing the faith of four men who sincerely believed that Jesus would heal their paralyzed friend, rather than heal the man first, Jesus focused on his soul. From man’s perspective one would think natural healing should come first, but Jesus proved to the arrogant and undisciplined scribes that a man’s soul is more important than anything else. The physical body of man is temporal, but the soul is eternal, and all souls belong to the Lord. The certain scribes in the text failed to understand that God had given His Son the power and authority to forgive sin, and from His perspective, Jesus was concerned about the total man, and not just the physical.
In times when we don’t understand the plan of God, trust and believe He sees more than we can with our limited sight and judgment. Be careful not to judge the church by where some are in life, because God may be doing something to help their eternal future, and not just a temporary situation.
Matthew 1:6-15
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to an exciting episode of, “Friends.” Starring, Curious Neighbor, and Young Jesus! I’m your host, “holyell”, and I’ll be bringing you all the details of tonight’s most fascinating scenes!
(Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock!)
Mary: (Yells from behind the door) Who is it?
Curious Neighbor: It’s me!!! Can Jesus come out to play for a few minutes?
(Door opens, and young Jesus steps out)
Young Jesus: Hello friend, how are you today?
Curious Neighbor: I’m hungry, but let’s go skip rocks over the river!
Young Jesus: Okay. Mom I’ll be back soon.
(Curious Neighbor and young Jesus chat, while walking to the river)
Curious Neighbor: So, how have you been?
Young Jesus: I’ve been well, learning and growing daily. How have you been?
Curious Neighbor: I’ve been learning how to work and fix things like my dad. You know, the same things your dad has been teaching you.
Young Jesus: Yeah, it’s a lot of hard work, but we’ll need to learn as much as we can, so that one day we’ll be able to earn a good living when we’re older.
Curious Neighbor: I never thought of that. Why are you so smart?
Young Jesus: …
Curious Neighbor: Everytime I have a problem, or can’t figure something out, you always find a solution. I like you Jesus. You’re a good friend.
Young Jesus: I like you too!
(They arrive at the river)
Curious Neighbor: Alright, let’s see who can get the most skips. I’ll go first….Yaaaaaay, I got five on the first try. Okay, it’s your turn.
Young Jesus: I got five also!
Curious Neighbor: Okay. This is boring now. Let’s do something else. What would you like to do?
Young Jesus: Well, what I want to do, I’m not allowed to yet.
Curious Neighbor: Why not? I’ll help you, if it’s hard.
Young Jesus: No, it’s not that. I was told by my Father I must wait, until He tells me to move.
Curious Neighbor: I don’t understand. Mr. Joseph seems like a really nice man, why would he make you move?
Young Jesus: Lol. It’s okay. Don’t worry about it. Let’s go climb some trees before we have to go back home.
Curious Neighbor: Okay then. Let’s go!
*Can you imagine what it would have been like, to be friends with Jesus, during His adolescence years? I can only imagine the wisdom and understanding He had, even at such a young age. While his young friend may not have understood His connection with the Father, I’m certain He never made Himself more than what he was supposed to be to Curious Neighbor.
This concludes the exciting episode of, “Friends.” Thanks for tuning in.
John 15:4-17
By who’s authority do you pray? By who’s authority do you believe? By who’s authority do you preach, teach, and perform works in the earth? When we abide in the Father, and His words abide in us, we are granted access to do things in the earth, with His full authority and permission. By God’s authority, we are privileged to love each other, as He showed love to the Son. All the words God spoke to Jesus, He in turn, gave them to His disciples. Doing this left the disciples in a position to keep His words, live by them, and love each other through them.
God’s authority trumps all other influences in the earth, that fight hard to take man’s attention away from holiness, but if we fall weak and give in to tempting influences, the works we do will be supported by another authority. The devil is powerless against the forces of good, but his wicked devices can have a real effect on God’s people, but only if they submit to his advances. Thanks be to God, for the fellowship of the Saints! The church, or body of believers, is a strong, single unit, that when all members work together, the devil can do nothing to stop their progress.
We are friends with Christ, and no more servants, because a servant knows not the things his lord does. But, Jesus called us friends, and has chosen and ordained us to perform continuous good works in the earth. As long as we stay connected to God, and show real love to one another, our prayers and requests will be manifested in our lives, and God will be pleased with our unyielding obedience.
“It’s easier to deliver the Gospel of Christ to others when your life pleases God.” – Ell
Genesis 43:20-25
In Scripture, servants were direct extensions of their masters. An example of this was evident in the previous lesson, where we read how Abraham’s servant, Eliezer, was indeed a man of faith, and righteous before the Lord. It’s very crucial (and beneficial for those who serve godly leaders) that men of God select those who are holy, full of the Spirit, righteous, and of good reputation to serve under their leadership. This is because, when God blesses the leader, those under his watch are blessed also. Also, leaders can expect humble and holy servants to adhere to, and obey their commands, without hesitation or contention. Servants who go against their master’s standards, cannot be trusted, thus must be removed and replaced immediately.
Remember when you were a kid, and you would select only the best kickers from a group of friends for your kickball team? You didn’t want anyone who was lazy or slow, but you desired the best of the bunch to represent your team. This is also true in the kingdom of God. While no man is perfect, we can all have prefect (mature and well-developed) faith. Eliezer was indeed a man after his master’s heart, and the man in our text served faithfully under Joseph also. After taking his once hard-hearted brothers through a brief season of rebuke and restoration, Joseph invited them all to join him in blessed reunion. Before the brothers were brought to Joseph’s presence, the steward of the house of Joseph met them at the door of the house. The steward was fully aware of Joseph’s plan for his brethren, and cared little about their explanation, but desired to fulfill his master’s plan to reunite him with his brothers. Although they were totally unaware what fate awaited them, Joseph’s brothers had many fears because of all the strange events they were experiencing. Fortunately, Joseph’s steward carried the spirit of his master, and showed hospitality to them all, including Simeon, whom they had kept in the house.
As a Christian, be mindful of those who work closely with you. We live in a world where Saints and sinners work closely together in most professions, but in the event God allows for you to manage or supervise fellow believers, be extremely grateful for the fact that you can not only work with other believers, but share with each other, the goodness of the Lord on a daily basis, as they operate in the same Spirit you walk in.
“Let your light shine so bright, until someone can see it in their valley moment.” – Ell
1 Samuel 18:1-5
Throughout your onward Christian journey, be very careful who you allow in your life, after God either uses you in a great way, or bestows bountiful blessing upon your life. When the days of your life are calm and steady, not many will seek to join themselves to you, especially if you’re considered lame or boring, but the moment God allows you to be used to serve a great purpose, you’ll quickly become surrounded by those who may want to connect to you, but for all the wrong reasons.
Our previous lesson touched a little on the story of David and Goliath, and how God worked mightily through the humble, young David, and brought victory to Israel. While David played his part in standing for righteousness, and confronting one who deliberately blasphemed the God of Israel, the omnipotent power of the almighty, all-powerful, and all-knowing Creator was what caused David’s bold and brave actions to overcome the great opposition against Israel.
After prevailing over such a feared foe, David’s act caught the attention of king Saul, who inquired deeply concerning who David’s father was. I’m uncertain whether or not king Saul’s initial motivations toward David were pure, but as you read further along in this story, you’ll discover how the reverence he once had for David, would change in an instant.
Fortunately, king Saul’s selfish and unpleasant personality didn’t pass on to his son, because after hearing David’s words to his father, “the soul of Jonathan was knit with David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul” (vs. 1b). I’d like to take a moment and insert a brief excerpt concerning the relationship between Jonathan and David, written by Finis Jennings Dake that reads, “The love of Jonathan and David was like that of Father and son (as it was noted, Jonathan was probably 40 years old when he met young David), and as true brothers in the same nation – not the low, depraved, unnatural homosexual and demonized love which some have sought to attach to this story. There was a genuine affection which was pure and normal, as it should be with all men”.
Bless God daily, for all the people in your life, who are true to the Word, sincere in their friendship with you, and seek only to promote kingdom business, above all else. Saul connected to David to fulfill his selfish ambitions, but Jonathan saw the spirit of God in the young man, that caused him to willingly offer all the support he would need, so that he could do his best for God. How many friends do you have, who work hard to make you look God in the eyes of God?
“We live this life for purpose and reason, but not too long, for only a season.” – Ell
Ell's Daily Inspirations 