It's all about Him!

Friday, 22 October 2010

'...for His name's sake.' Psalm 23:3 NKJV

Have you ever asked, 'How could God use someone like me?' The Psalmist answers, 'For His name's sake'! Only one name counts - and it's not yours! With the same intensity that God hates pride, He loves humility. His Word says, '...God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.' (James 4:6 NIV) So here are a few tips on staying humble. First, evaluate yourself honestly. Don't be like the beaver who told the rabbit as they stared up at the immense wall of Hoover Dam in USA, 'No, I didn't actually build it myself. But it was based on an idea of mine.' The Bible says, 'Don't cherish exaggerated ideas of yourself... but try to have a sane estimate of your capabilities.' (Romans 12:3-4 PHPS) Second, learn to celebrate others. Paul writes, '...don't try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.' (Philippians 2:3 NLT) Every goal scored in life is usually a team effort. Be like the little boy who came home from the auditions for the school play and announced, 'Mummy, I got the part. I've been chosen to sit in the audience and cheer.' When you can do that, your head finally fits your hat size. Finally, don't announce your success before it occurs. '...One who puts on his armour should not boast like one who takes it off.' (1 Kings 20:11 NIV) When one of Charles Spurgeon's students proudly stepped up to preach, but came back down having failed miserably, Spurgeon supposedly said something like, 'If you'd gone up the way you came down, you'd have come down the way you went up.' God blesses our efforts only when they're done 'for His name's sake'.


***** I guess I know how it feels to be immensely into something and take credit. I know it was wrong and all but in the end all was done for and I didn't became who I wanted to be because of my pride, ego and boastfulness.

Lord sorry for my heart make it right. Create in me a heart of humbleness so that I may apply the principles you are teaching me. I have nothing Lord so I know I cannot be arrogant about anything. Everything is for you. It will always be about you Lord. In Jesus name I pray. Amen

Have you lost your peace of mind?

Wednesday, 20 October 2010

'He restores my soul...' Psalm 23:3 NIV

When life overwhelms us we usually look for one of two things. We may look for somebody with all the answers. The trouble is, when you look to someone for that which only God can provide, you set that person up to fail and yourself up to be disappointed. Alternatively, we may look for somewhere with fewer problems. Paul Harvey wrote, 'After Hurricane Andrew devastated South Florida, Patricia Christy vowed she was going to leave on the first plane. She was determined to get as far away from the horror of hurricane damage as she possibly could and have a restful vacation.' Harvey said, 'I just heard from Patricia Christy. She was standing in line for fresh water on the Hawaiian Island Kauai, having just gone through Hurricane Iniki!' Sheep get anxious when storms come, predators roar, or they're forced to move to unfamiliar territory. How do they handle such times? By moving closer to the shepherd! Have you lost your peace of mind today? Read the following Scriptures; they'll help you move closer to your Shepherd: 'But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them...' (Psalm 5:11 NKJV) 'The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms...' (Deuteronomy 33:27 NIV) 'You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.' (Isaiah 26:3 NKJV) 'The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him.' (Nahum 1:7 NKJV) For 'The Lord remembers us and will bless us...' (Psalm 115:12 NIV)


***This is how I feel today!!

I've lost my peace and clear thinking. I don't want to be like this because I know it is not healthy. God is the true peace giver. If I will acknowledge God's provision of peace of mind I will have rest and not be burdened with all these affairs. God loves me all the same and it will never change. My happiness does not depend on a person or on material things or my career because it is not everlasting.

Lord I am sorry. Today I've realized that happiness comes from you. Father, please give me peace of mind and clear heart and conscience. I trust in you. You will comfort me. You will love me unlike any other. Lord cleanse my mind and heart. Give me rest. In Jesus name amen.

God will 'be there' for you

Tuesday, 19 October 2010

'...He leads me beside quiet waters.' Psalm 23:2 NIV

Philip Yancey says, 'Faith means believing in advance, what will only make sense in reverse.' If you fear the future, look back and see how God took care of you in the past. 'This I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness... The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him.' (Lamentations 3:21-25 NIV) You say, 'I don't know what I'll do if my loved one dies.' You will - when the time comes. You say, 'I don't know how I'll pay these bills.' Jehovah Jireh, the Lord who provides, will be there - when the time comes. You say, 'I'm not qualified to handle this, there's too much I don't know.' Maybe you want to know everything too soon. God will give you wisdom - when the time comes. The key is to meet today's problems with today's strength, and leave tomorrow in God's hands. During World War II, Arthur Sulzberger, publisher of The New York Times, found it hard to sleep or rid his mind of fear until he adopted these words from the hymn 'Lead, Kindly Light': 'I do not ask to see the distant scene; one step enough for me.' And God isn't going to let you see the distant scene either. No, He promises a lamp for your feet, not a crystal ball for your future. 'He leads me' and that's enough for today. And tomorrow? '...we will find grace to help us when we need it...' (Hebrews 4:16 NLT)


*** I am so anxious of tomorrow yes it robs the happiness of today. Lord I pray that you will guide me. Give me the strength and wisdom of today to overcome tomorrow. Lord let me trust you with my whole heart. I don't need a cystal ball Lord but rather a lamp at my feet every step of the way. Give me your light Father. I want to know what I am supposed to be doing In Jesus name amen.

Your Shepherd and Lord

Saturday, 16 October 2010

'The Lord is my shepherd...' Psalm 23:1 NKJV

Abraham Lincoln wrote, 'I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My wisdom, and that of all about me, seemed insufficient for the day.' All of us feel that way at times. That's because we are all sheep in need of a shepherd. Of all God's creatures, sheep seem the least able to care for themselves. They're directionless: they'll walk off a cliff or wander into a river and drown. They're defenceless: they've no claws so they can't fight, run fast or climb a tree to safety. They're dirty: your cat and dog can clean themselves, but sheep get dirty and stay that way. You say, 'I don't like being compared to sheep.' All right, then answer these questions. How well do you control your impulses? Do you ever play the victim? Can you relate to Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde? Are you always upbeat and upright? Do you add to the conflict and confusion, or do you always make peace? Do you truly love people, or do you just use them for your own ends? Are you generous, or do you mostly give to those who have something to give back to you? On a scale of one to ten, how do you score when it comes to the fear of people, or failure, or sickness, or death, or rejection or risk? Is your life an open book? How often do you fail and need forgiveness: weekly? daily? hourly? It sounds like you need a shepherd! So instead of saying, 'The Lord is my shepherd', try saying, 'Because I need a shepherd, I make You Lord of my life'.

What is your Achilles' Heel?

Friday, 15 October 2010

'...the sin that so easily trips us up...' Hebrews 12:1 NLT

Achilles, the Greek hero of the Trojan War, was invulnerable, with one exception: his heel. Shoot him there and he'd go down. Guess what? He died from an arrow to the heel! We all have our Achilles' heel - the 'sin that so easily trips us up'. Here, blindness, indifference or denial sets us up for failure. So how do we overcome our Achilles' heel? Author John Piper offers us a solution in the form of an acronym: ANTHEM. A: avoid sights and situations that arouse unfitting desires. Prevent what fuels your appetite for sin. N: say no to every lustful thought within five seconds. In the first two seconds shout 'No, get out of my head!' In the next two, cry out, 'Oh God, in the name of Jesus, help me. Save me now. I am yours.' Say it out loud. The Puritan writer John Owen said, 'Be killing sin, or it will be killing you.' T: turn the mind forcefully towards Christ. Attack sin with the promises of Christ. H: hold the promise and pleasure of Christ firmly in mind. For how long? Until it pushes other images out. Hold it. Don't let it go. Hold it until you win! E: enjoy a superior satisfaction, namely, pleasure in Christ. If you have little taste for Jesus, competing pleasures will triumph. M: move into useful activity, away from idleness and other vulnerable behaviours. Abound in the work of the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58). Replace deceitful lusts with a passion for good deeds. Today, using this simple acronym, you can move from vulnerability to victory by drawing on the power of God's Spirit within you (Galatians 5:25).


*** I am often trapped in sinful activity whenever I am resting. A day or time or place where there is nothing to do but bite my fingernails. i don't want to do it when the opportunity presents itself (laziness), it crept in.

Lord I am sorry for being lazy. I am sorry Lord because my weakness kills me. I know I am not perfect but in the same way Lord I also know that I can overcome these obstacles. Lord renew me with your strength. Lord guide me with your power. Lord enveloped me with your love.
In Jesus name I pray. Amen.