The mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
The will of God will never lead you where the grace of God cannot keep you.
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The glue doesn’t stick; the nail won’t hold; the stove won’t light; the car won’t start; no money in the bank…. “What else can possibly go wrong?” one may ask. Unfortunately, this is the plight of so many people in the world today. It is a world full of the latest gadgets and conveniences designed to make our lives easier, but life has seemingly become more difficult. We can get things done at a much faster pace only to be pressured to accomplish the next task since we’ve gotten the previous task out of the way. More is sought for, bigger is better, and faster is the new speed. These are traits so easily acquired in this fast-paced world, and how quickly we conform to them. “The sky is the limit! Reach higher! You deserve it! Just do it!” are all pressure points to excel beyond the norm. While success and excellency should be what we are striving for, the intense pressure to do so will bring about pressure, at times, that will affect us negatively. For this reason the writer tells us in St. Luke 21:34, “And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunken- —L H ness, and cares of this life,” Taking heed to ourselves in a manner that benefits others will actually bring about much of the peace and contentment we are seeking. The cares of this life often becomes top priority, with very little concern about others. If you notice, all the negative points addressed at the beginning of this article are reflections of things affecting one personally. Even though we must face life’s problems, such as these mentioned, we shouldn’t allow them to dominate every aspect of our lives to the point we become overcharged with a consuming desire that totally overrides the critical needs of others in our life. The father that tells his son, who is asking to take him fishing, “Not right now, I’ve too much work to do,” will probably tell his son the same thing next time. You see; love is the power of seeing what we want so vividly that we desire to share our life with the object of our desire. Which now brings us to the question, what is the object of your desire? To consume it upon your own lusts and desires? Or, to slow down enough to make sure others aren’t left behind? At least, slow down enough to see your fellow-man is dealing with the same issues of life. Then, lend him a helping hand.
When you wish or hope for something, you also need to take action toward what is wished or hoped for. You must begin to put your thoughts into action and in alignment with your desires. The farmer, desiring a good crop of corn, will consider every possible aspect of what will be productive or nonproductive before he even turns over the first clod of dirt. The reason for this is to make sure his expectations will be profitably obtained. Then, when a course of action is determined, he proceeds to put it in motion toward the desired outcome. Proper planning and forethought are a requirement to success. No product, building, or great-tasting meal is produced without prior planning and preparation. Many businesses fail for this reason. Politicians make promises without having any knowledge of how they can be effectively fulfilled, and their promises never come to a successful conclusion. Many of us go about life in this manner — no planning or forethought concerning tomorrow or next week. Just content to take it as it comes, and perhaps, deal with it then. Many things about tomorrow we don’t see nor understand, but we do know, unless death overtakes us, that tomorrow will come. Tomorrow can be a better day if preparations are made for it. Therefore, it will profit us to align our actions today to benefit tomorrow. Essentially, we are a product of yesterday. The mistakes made yesterday are recognized today (or should be). Yesterday is a valuable resource. It contains a vast amount of knowledge that can be tapped into. Without yesterday, today would contain only what today is, having no knowledge of yesterday’s successes or failures. Without that knowledge, one cannot be as productive today. You see; it was in the yesterdays that we learned to talk, to crawl, and to walk. And each of these functions was perfected only after many failures and falls. The child mind possibly said, “I’ll try a different way tomorrow.” When you wish or hope for something, you also need to take action toward what is wished or hoped for. You must begin to put your thoughts into action and in alignment with your desires. The farmer, desiring a good crop of corn, will consider every possible aspect of what will be productive or nonproductive before he even turns over the first clod of dirt. The reason for this is to make sure his expectations will be profitably obtained. Then, when a course of action is determined, he proceeds to put it in motion toward the desired outcome. Proper planning and forethought are a requirement to success. No product, building, or great tasting meal is produced with
As we make the journey from the cradle to the grave, disappointments are inevitable. Regardless of how careful we live, and how competent we are; we will still encounter circumstances that will bring discouragement. Sometimes even, it will come by our own mistakes and mishaps. We can beat ourselves up, feel sorry for ourselves, and even lapse into a state of depression. On the other hand, we can choose to arise and stand tall above the circumstances. Discouragement is the opposite of faith. Satan will use it against you to your detriment, and not for your good. Discouragement destroys confidence, but if you are determined to face the problem, having confidence in God, rest assured, He has the solution for your specific situation. We all have sorrows and disappointments, but one must never forget that, if commended to God, the outcome will surely be good. His solution is far better than any we could conceive. We never get anywhere, nor do our conditions and circumstances change when we focus on the dark side of life. Therefore, it behooves us to cast all our cares upon Him—Jesus Christ, for He truly cares about all our problems in life.
Time is a very precious commodity, even more so than money. You can always make more money, but you can never make more time. There are 24 hours in a day, no more, no less. There is an established allotment for each of us that is only changed by death; therefore, what is done with it rests with us. We often hear the statement made, “When I get time I’ll do such and such…,” but you won’t get more time than what has been allotted you. Henceforth, you must make allowance for every desired purpose within your given amount of time in life. Life is a mere speck in the vast sea of time. We are here for just a moment of it and then gone like dust in the wind. Most of us behave like we are going to live forever; however, we’re not. The Bible speaks to us, in Ephesians 5:16, about redeeming the time, because the days are evil. The pursuit of material things does not equate to redeeming the time. Possessions only complicate a person’s life. The person that has more stuff usually has more headaches. Stuff that eventually is left, abandoned, forgotten, and to rot away. Money can buy you absolutely anything, except the things that really matter. It’s common for people to experience bouts of depression once their dreams in life are fulfilled. It seems as though meaning in life departs and depression sets in as one considers the remaining time as worthless. There’s a unique correlation between money and time. Money provides the means to buy things we don’t need, and time (that we do need) takes away the joy of the things money bought. Since time is such a precious commodity, you should consider the writer’s words about redeeming the time; because truly the days are evil, but will soon be past, and only what’s done for Christ will last.
True guilt is valuable. God uses it to influence us to change our minds about what we are doing. That’s what repentance is all about. Then when we do what is right, instead of what is wrong, we will be in fellowship with God, and we will like ourselves better also. Doing what is wrong lowers our self-worth, doing what is right greatly improves our self-worth. People feel guilty because generally they are guilty. Straightening out the wrong will correct the guilt and no longer will the feeling of guilt exist if it is sincerely taken care of.
Everyone has a certain degree of talent and ability. However, not everyone has the same talents and abilities. Three different people can be given the same opportunities in life, and each person will use those opportunities in a different manner than the other two. The story is told of three young men who were once given three kernels of corn apiece by a wise old man, who admonished them to go out into the world, and use the corn to bring themselves a good fortune. The first young man put his three kernels of corn into a bowl of hot broth and ate them. The second young man planted his three kernels of corn. Within a few months, he had three stalks of corn. He took the ears of corn from the stalks, boiled them, and had enough corn for three meals. The third young man also planted his three kernels of corn, but when his three stalks of corn produced, he stripped one of the ears and replanted all the seeds in it, gave the second ear of corn to a young lady, and ate the third. His one full ear’s worth of replanted corn kernels gave him 200 stalks of corn, and the kernels of these he continued to replant, setting aside only a minimum for eating. He eventually planted a hundred acres of corn. With his fortune, he not only won the hand of the young lady he gave the ear of corn to, but purchased the land owned by the young lady’s father, and thereby became a successful farmer. While it may appear to most that three kernels of corn had very little value, the third young man recognized the value more than did the other two young men. He went on to exercise his talent of making the most from the least. Talent isn’t all about juggling balls or singing the house down. While it certainly takes talent to successfully accomplish those tasks, the ultimate point that must be taken into consideration is the applying of oneself to a given task. When you fully apply yourself, you begin to realize that you can do more than you ever thought possible. The more you do, the more you learn. The more risks you take, the more the fear of uncertainty begins to dissipate. No, you may not have the same talents and abilities as others have, but you do have
The world is full of pressures: pressure from a job, a friend, past mistakes, and more. Sometimes those pressures are more than we can bear. Depression and anxiety from the many pressures in life are all too common. Although, when we look at Scripture, we see a loving God who promises hope. So why do we feel so much pressure? The pressure we feel comes from the world, not the Lord. God does not put pressure and heaviness on us that results in feeling weighed down and anxious. If you are feeling anxious or weighed down by something, pray and release it to God. In Matthew 11, we see Jesus teaching about Himself and the Kingdom of heaven. Jesus explains, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:28- 30). While reading this, we see that Jesus is calling all who feel burdened, all who feel pressured, to take a rest in Him. When we find rest in Him, we are not bound by the pressures of the world. Then, He tells us to take His yoke upon us. In Biblical times, a yoke is what cattle, such as oxen, would wear upon their necks to pull a plow or a wagon. Therefore, Jesus is saying that He wants us to take our yoke off and replace it with His. To begin removing your yoke to replace it with God’s, release your concerns upon the Lord – talk to Him and tell him how this is making you feel. Ask God to help you in this process and to remove the anxieties and depression that this pressure is giving you. Ask Jesus to help you take off the yoke of heaviness and replace it with His yoke of freedom. T here are some things in life we should forget. It is wise to forget past blunders and mistakes. To be sure, we must and should profit by the mistakes we make to avoid making them again. However, to brood continually over a wrong road or a wrong decision made robs a person of vitality needed for new roads and new loads ahead. You can’t saw sawdust; it’s already sawn. You can cut wood and thereby create sawdust, but you can’t saw what’s already been sawn. And it’s the same with the past. When you start worrying about things that are over and done with, you’re trying to saw sawdust, and you’re simply just stirring up the dust of the past. We’ve all been guilty of blunders
The world is full of pressures: pressure from a job, a friend, past mistakes, and more. Sometimes those pressures are more than we can bear. Depression and anxiety from the many pressures in life are all too common. Although, when we look at Scripture, we see a loving God who promises hope. So why do we feel so much pressure? The pressure we feel comes from the world, not the Lord. God does not put pressure and heaviness on us that results in feeling weighed down and anxious. If you are feeling anxious or weighed down by something, pray and release it to God. In Matthew 11, we see Jesus teaching about Himself and the Kingdom of heaven. Jesus explains, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:28- 30). While reading this, we see that Jesus is calling all who feel burdened, all who feel pressured, to take a rest in Him. When we find rest in Him, we are not bound by the pressures of the world. Then, He tells us to take His yoke upon us. In Biblical times, a yoke is what cattle, such as oxen, would wear upon their necks to pull a plow or a wagon. Therefore, Jesus is saying that He wants us to take our yoke off and replace it with His. To begin removing your yoke to
A mother found at breakfast a bill made out by her small son, Bradley, age eight; “Mother owes Bradley: for running errands, 25¢; for being good, 10¢; for taking music lessons, 15¢; for extras, 5¢. Total, 55¢.” His mother smiled, but made no comment. At lunch Bradley found the bill under his plate with 55¢ and another piece of paper neatly folded. Opening it he read, “Bradley owes Mother: for nursing him through scarlet fever, 0¢; for being good to him, 0¢; for his playroom, 0¢; for his meals, 0¢. Total, 0¢.” Sacrificial love is the greatest power in the world. It melts hearts. It captures the hearts of seasoned criminals. It turns enemies into friends. God knew that the only sure way to win the heart of mankind was through the sacrificial goodness of His Son, and His love was so great for all of us that He was willing to do it.
Robert Hall once told a minister that the chief fault he found in his sermons was that there were no “likes” in them. He didn’t like them on that account. I must say I shouldn’t care to live in a house that was all windows, yet I fancy it would be rather dull and dingy in a house that hadn’t any. An occasional opening relieves the deadness of the brick wall. So Christ’s utterances were lit up with frequent “likes” of all kinds, and the “common people” were charmed with them, and liked them uncommonly. Benjamin Franklin made known to the world some of his important discoveries in regard to lightning and electricity by means of such a paltry instrument as a child’s kite. So the Great Teacher who came from God brought the most exalted truths down to the level of the humblest understanding, and that through the use of comparisons and illustrations the simplest and plain possible. He took them all from every-day life. He used to talk to farmers about corn and mustard, wheat and tares, sheep and goats, and such like matters, all purely agricultural, and which they thoroughly understood. He used to talk to fishermen about matters widely different, and such as belonged to their craft—nets and fishes; to gardeners about vines and figtrees; to women about domestic matters, such as come within their province—kneading dough and sweeping houses. By means of these familiar figures, He teaches lessons unheard-of before—lessons of Divine wisdom, of supreme value, of sweet interest, of infinite love, and of eternal importance. —Leaves of Gold, 1942
Love has many ways of expressing itself, but in general the ways are two—the practical and the sentimental. Which is the higher and better way? It is merely a question of appropriateness under the circumstances. Love must express itself very often in coal, and cornmeal, and salt pork, and clothes. However, let it not be concluded that love may not express itself in acts of pure sentiment. The soul has needs. Sympathy and tenderness and friendship are just as real and more enduring, than coal and wood. Sometimes a flower is more important than flour; sometimes a word of cheer is better than gold.
Nature is joyful. There is something that wells up in the heart of things, which breaks forth in song. There is a harmony which makes itself heard above the discords. Happiness is a normal state of life. There is an echo of far-off music in all sounds of nature. Rejoicing is everywhere. Happiness is God’s will for all His creation. “Sing, O ye heavens; for the LORD hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein:” (Isaiah 44:23). In the nature sentient, things are happy even though life for them is full of danger and hardship. The birds sing even though they know they are surrounded by enemies. Constant dangers do not silence their songs. In spite of all the cruelties of fang and claw, and undeterred by storms or cold, hunger or privation, the voice of joy still rises in melody. Man is, likewise, permeated by the same cause of joyfulness. Difficulties may come; dangers may surround him; he may make failures, have losses, and sometimes almost despair. Notwithstanding all this, his spirits will rise superior to his difficulties, and the song of joy is never fully quenched in any normal human being.
Troubles, when they lie in the past, may be quickly forgotten. The young trees bent over by the snowfall rise again when the snow is melted to gaze anew upon the sun. So man rises from his troubles. He lifts his head up into the sunshine and again his heart breaks forth in joyfulness. The heart is naturally merry and God would ever have it so. Again and again, we are exhorted to rejoice, to be glad and to give expression to our joy. Joy is more powerful than sorrow.
Peace is more lasting than trouble. Sorrow is but transitory. Life has balm for all our woes, light for all our darkness. Morning breaks after the darkest night. There is sunshine after the fiercest storm. There is warmth and beauty after the cruel winter. In the normal life, happiness is the rule; unhappiness the exception. Troubles will come. There are things to be endured, but these need not take out of life its beauty, its happiness, or its worth.
No matter how high you rise, never forget that you started out at ground zero. Even if you were born to great wealth or privilege, you were born as a helpless babe, nonetheless. Real success comes not in thinking you have arrived at a place where others should serve you, but in recognizing that in whatever place you are, you have arrived at a position where you can serve others.
Light another person’s candle by your own and you will not lose any of the brilliancy by what the other gains.
To have an excellent life, strive for an excellent year. Within that year, strive for an excellent month, and within that month, strive for an excellent day. Within a day, strive for an excellent hour. An excellent life is the sum of many excellent moments!
Food For Thought:
A torn jacket is soon mended; but hard words bruise the heart of a child. Men will spend their health getting wealth; then, gladly pay all they have earned to get health back. Character is not made in a crisis, it is only exhibited. True faith and courage are like a kite — an opposing wind raises it higher. Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without it. God gives every bird its food, but He does not throw it into the nest. F r o m G o d c o m e s knowledge and understanding. We cannot be well educated without a knowledge of the Bible. Happiness grows at your
The Bible
Historic Christianity has always contended that the Bible is inspired in a unique manner, and that it is therefore, true and trustworthy in both its history and its teaching. The doctrine of the inspiration of the Scriptures has been confirmed in numerous ways. The manuscript copies have been subjected to scientific evaluation, and the authenticity of every book of the Bible has been maintained. Historical accuracy of the Scriptures has been repeatedly confirmed through archaeological evidence. Additionally, new discoveries of previously unknown ancient manuscripts continue to provide ever greater accuracy to the contents of this book. The internal consistency of the sixty-six books, even though written over a period of some fifteen hundred years, is a source of amazement to all who carefully study the Bible. The Bible — the most relevant book in all the world — meets the deepest needs of both young and old. The Bible empowers us for life here on earth. In its words is the power of God. It gives us power over sin, power over Satan, power over temptation, power over our circumstances, power to contend with sickness, and the power to change people's lives. The Word of God contains His message of salvation. Paul proclaimed, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth;” (Romans 1:16). Read it with an open mind and an open heart. It contains pure truth.
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