Monday
"No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save" (Psalm 33:16-17).
The Bible tells us not to put our confidence in things the world considers to be our protection, defense, or strength. However, the man or woman who does not perform well on the job is left behind in today's competitive world. Not only is this typical of the world at large, but even many Christians promote the importance of identifying our strengths and encourage us to move in them to accomplish God's will. Yet, throughout the Bible, we are discouraged from depending upon our own strengths. Instead, we are urged to rely totally upon the Lord.
God wants us to depend upon Him, and He demonstrates this throughout Scripture. For example, in Judges 7, God wouldn't let Gideon fight against another army until he reduced his own from 22,000 soldiers to a mere 300, so that Gideon could not boast about his army's strength. In Joshua 6, God told Joshua to walk around Jericho seven times and blow trumpets instead of relying upon his mighty army to overpower his enemy. In 2 Samuel 24, God judged David when he counted his troops to determine the size of his army's strength, apparently because David took the census out of pride or overconfidence in the strength of his army.
On the other hand, Jesus instructed the disciples in due diligence through the parable of the builder, who is cautioned to consider the cost before beginning to build. "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish'" (Luke 14:28-30).
Today, bring every project and endeavor before the Lord as you ask for His power and grace to accomplish it using both your natural gifts and the Spirit of God working together.
Tuesday
And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, "Rejoice!" - Matthew 28:9
The resurrection of Jesus reminds us that God provides second chances. When Jesus was crucified, it came as a shock to His followers. They just did not seem to understand that He would be crucified and rise again on the third day. When the Crucifixion actually took place, it shattered their faith.
But after His resurrection we see the risen Lord seeking out these discouraged, disheartened disciples to revive them, to reignite them.
How easily Jesus could have written them all off and said, "You didn't stand by Me in My greatest hour of need; now I am not going to stand by you in yours." But no--the Lord sought to restore them.
When Mary Magdalene went to the tomb of Jesus early in the morning, the angel told her that the Lord had risen. As she and the other Mary "went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, 'Rejoice!' " (Matthew 28:9). She found the living Lord, who restored her hope and purpose in life.
Thomas missed the meeting when Jesus had appeared to the other disciples, but He reappeared when Thomas was back with the group. How gracious of Jesus to condescend to the skepticism of one single man. It almost appears that He came to that meeting simply to restore Thomas.
Remember the two discouraged disciples on the Emmaus Road? As He spoke to them, their deadened hearts began to reignite. "And they said to one another, 'Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?' " (Luke 24:32). Jesus went out of His way to restore their hope.
Maybe you have doubts or fears today. The same Jesus who restored Mary, the disciples on the Emmaus Road, and the skeptical Thomas, will restore your faith. You too can discover that Jesus gives second chance
Wednesday
“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will” - Romans 12:2
There is a line that separates everything we do. It separates the moral from the immoral; the ethical from the unethical; the wise from the unwise. And too many of us walk the edge and the ledge of that line trying to see how close we can get before we have to face the consequences.
God tells us, though, in order to reach our potential, in order to gain the full and rich life that he has in store for us, we can't walk that line. Instead, we need to be in line with him. And to be in line with God we must make wise, insightful decisions. When we fail to do that, we spend an insane amount of time swimming laps in the pool of regret. We look back at our dumb, what was I thinking decisions, shake our heads and say, "If only... if only... if only."
The best way to avoid diving into the pool of regret; the best way to make the right decisions is to ask ourselves the right questions. As you go through the decision making process, look at each option with "in tense" eyes. When you are in tense about your decision making process, you will gain the insight that allows you to see what is obscure to the rest of the world.
This week, ask yourself if your decisions are going to reflect what you have learned from your past; if your decisions are wise considering your present conditions; and if your decisions are the best options to get you where God wants to take you. Get in line with God and you will be able to see the right answers to life's multiple choice test.
Thursday
"For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship" (Romans 8:15).
Living a balanced life is evidence of a Spirit-led life. People work long hours for many reasons which can lead to significant problems in our lives.
One reason people over work is that they often think they must work longer hours to keep up with their workload. This is often the surface reason people give to the question of working long hours. Like any compulsive behavior, there is usually something beneath this behavior. As a former workaholic myself, I can tell you the root of overworking is often 1) a fear of loss, and 2) a need for self-acceptance created by performance.
The fear of loss issue can be a fear of what will happen if we don't work long hours. A fear that there may not be enough money if I don't work long hours can drive us to overwork. Often an inaccurate view of what is enough makes us drive ourselves to greater levels of achievement, believing a financial reward will insure us against potential financial disaster. This usually operates at a subconscious level. When one operates at this level you often find those around them will feel shamed if they do not work at the same level and can be intimidated by the unspoken or spoken directive that long hours are required. This leads to a whole new set of problems.
The second reason people work long hours is their need to gain self-acceptance and esteem from their jobs. It is rewarding to see something come from our efforts. However, when we begin to be driven to work, it becomes an unhealthy condition. We are looking to gain self-esteem needs from our performance instead of being secure in our position in Christ.
So, in order to avoid work becoming an idol and a compulsive behavior, we must maintain a balance that provides time to spend quality time with the Lord, our families and fellow believers. Sometimes the greatest exercise of faith is to work only forty hours a week. This insures that the outcome of our work is dependent upon God, nor our self-effort.
Friday
"Yes, he has hidden himself among the baggage" (1 Sam. 10:22).
If you want to experience something you've never done, you must do something you've never done. "You cannot go with God and stay where you are."
God often has to radically change us if we are going to fulfill His purposes in our lives. Saul was about to be anointed by Samuel as the first king of Israel. Samuel said to Saul, "The Spirit of the Lord will come upon you in power, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person" (1 Sam. 10:6). Up to this point, Saul had never prophesied or led a group of people. He had also never had to be accountable to a prophet and to God for his every action.
Saul took a big step of faith right away and prophesied with the prophets just as Samuel said he would. How exciting that must have been. Yet, when Samuel called the entire nation of Israel together to announce him as Israel's first king in history, Saul was nowhere to be found. This part of the story is humorous. Excitement is in the air, but when they call Saul's name, he doesn't even come forward. So the people "inquired further of the Lord, 'Has the man come here yet?' And the Lord said, 'Yes, he has hidden himself among the baggage'" (1 Sam. 10:22).
The story of King Saul should be an encouragement to us all. God continues to pick the foolish things of this world to confound the wise. Your greatest setback can be thinking that there's no way that God can use "little me." However, the reality is that He can and will, if we respond to the new places He takes us.
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