‘O our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you.’ 2 Chronicles 20:12 (NIV). Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah were in trouble. The Moabites and Ammonites had come to make war against them; an entire vast army was closing in. The people had fasted and now come to seek help from the Lord, for there was nowhere else to turn. Even as the enemy bore down upon them, the people turned their eyes upon…
Author: Gerald Kure
‘But Jael, Heber’s wife, picked up a tent peg and a hammer and went quietly to him while he lay fast asleep, exhausted. She drove the peg through his temple into the ground, and he died.’ Judges 4:21 (NIV). Because women of this time were in charge of pitching the tents, Jael had no problem driving a tent peg into Sisera’s head while he slept. By using the resources that Jael had a hand, she had the honor of defeating the enemy and bringing glory to God. It takes courage and initiative to use what we have been given to…
‘The Spirit then lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of the Lord upon me.’ Ezekiel 3:14 (NIV). Ezekiel had been given the words to speak to the people of God and now it was time to deliver the message. But Ezekiel was not particularly happy about this. He had the difficult job of prophesying among his people, who cared little about God’s messages. The people had not listened to other prophets; it was hardly likely they would listen to him. Yet, despite his…
‘When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders. “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.” Matthew 27:3-4 (NIV). Sometimes regret comes too late. Judas, on discovering that Jesus had been sentenced to death, was filled with remorse. He carried the guilt of realizing that he had betrayed an innocent man. He flung the silver coins at the feet of the priests, but they felt no shame. They had their man; regret was Judas’ problem, not…
‘So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?’ 1 Kings 3:9 (NIV). When God asked Solomon what he wanted, Solomon gave what we might think of as a surprising answer. Out of everything he could have wanted, he asked for the gift of wisdom. Solomon recognized the value of wisdom. We all need wisdom. From decision-making to solving conflicts, we need to be able to make wise choices. And discernment fits in with this. Being able to discern between…
‘Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard.’ 1 John 2: 7 (NIV). The commandment to love others is both old and new. Old because it comes from Leviticus 19:18 in the Old Testament which says, ‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.’ It is new because Jesus interpreted this commandment in a radical new way when He said in John 13:…
‘I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness.’ Isaiah 61:10 (NIV). God asks us to cease judging and evaluating ourselves (Luke 6:37) and to stop comparing ourselves with others (2 Corinthians 10:12). These behaviors produce feelings of pride or inferiority, sometimes a mix of both. God leads each of His people along a path that is uniquely designed for us. So comparing or criticizing ourselves with others will only result in pride if we see ourselves as better than…
‘Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.’ Proverbs 16:3 (NIV). The teacher explains to us in this passage that before we do anything it is best to trust totally in God and not in ourselves. However, we are not always good at committing the business of our life to God, are we? Some people commit their work only superficially. They say the project is being done for the Lord, but in reality they are doing it for themselves. Others give God temporary control of their interests, only to take control back the moment things stop…
‘From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” Matthew 4:17 (NIV). The kingdom of Heaven was close enough to touch, so Jesus proclaimed that people everywhere should turn away from their sins and come back to God. The kingdom of Heaven was close to the listener’s hearts and it is just as close to ours today. And just as in the days when Jesus was on earth, people still ask ‘How do I qualify to enter God’s kingdom?’ The values of a worldly kingdom are built upon selfishness, pride and independence, power…
“If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth” 1 John 1:6 Hate is one way many individuals walk in the darkness every day. But that is not the way the Lord wants you to live your life. This idea, to love thy neighbor, is sometimes easier said than done. When you find yourself in tough situations with others, challenge yourself to love. This does not mean that you need to become best friends with everyone you’ve ever met. That would be impossible! But you can…
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” Colossians 3:12 The golden rule: how often have you heard it? To do unto others as you would like done to you. Regardless of how often you’ve heard it, it can always be beneficial to consider it again from time to time. You are truly loved so very much. What can we do to spread this love to others? Kindness! When dealing with others, challenge yourself to make their day a little better! Do this no matter what role someone plays in…
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things” Philippians 4:8 Take a moment today to think of one gift from our Lord that brings you joy. Consider all of the positive feelings that are connected with it. Sometimes we can get caught up in a negative loop of emotions and it can be helpful to think of these positive things. What other things are going well in your life? What is noble in your…
“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” 1 Corinthians 15:58 The Lord does not waver in His Love. Can you say the same about yourself? He does not cease in His plans. What has given you second thoughts lately? Nor does the Lord does ever pause in His work. While we may need to take a step back once in a while to examine where we are, do you find yourself lingering on issues for too long? Today challenge yourself to…
“Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:11 NKJV We have all heard the expression, “the teacher is always quiet during the test”. I recently experienced a period of quietness in my relationship with Jesus. He wasn’t saying anything. What was He trying to teach me? I don’t like it when He is quiet. During this time, I went through a series of tests, some small, some quite large. My flesh was the instigator, as always. I…
“I will set nothing wicked before my eyes…I will not know wickedness.” Psalm 101:3 In this Scripture, wicked means not “wicked” intrinsically but the thing that is not good for you: pizza? candy? It is a different thing for each of us. Have you ever seen a pizza commercial on TV over and over and then (maybe even a few days later) you just had to have a pizza? It is interesting that we tend to want the things we see. Think about it: advertisers certainly know and count on the effectiveness of the power of seeing. The Bible teaches…
“These (heroes of faith) all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” Hebrews 11:13 NKJV I’ve been a wanderer, searching for “it”, (the thing that would bring me fulfillment) in many different faces and in many different places. My heart was never satisfied, and I ended up going out of bounds more than I like to admit. Curiosity led me through many open doors, and it is only lately that I have learned to stop this…
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose” Romans 8:28 (NIV). Her pastor was patient and kind, as he listened to Melanie explain her dream, her decision and now, her disillusionment. She had made a rash decision to go to a level of advancement in her career for which she was unprepared. She failed to meet the challenge. They discussed her life for a while and then he said, “Melanie, is Jesus your Lord or do you just want Him to bless your…
“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” 1 Timothy 6:10 (NIV). Let’s talk about everyone’s favorite subject: money. Neutral, yes, but it can bring a snare to our souls. Notice, it is not money itself that is evil, but it is the LOVE of money that is evil. Jesus spoke of the deceitfulness of riches (or wealth) in the above scripture. Padding the time sheet, withholding information about hidden costs, or failing to share the things wrong with…
‘So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the ploughing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his attendant.’ 1 Kings 19:21 (NIV). Elisha’s ministry began with him slaughtering the oxen that he owned, feeding the cooked meat to share with others and then burning his ploughing equipment. He then set off to become Elijah’s attendant. Elisha could never return to his old way of life because he had destroyed all that his past…
‘Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings.’ Colossians 2:20-22 (NIV). Human commands and teachings are the basic principles of this world that have no effect in bringing us close to God. These include observing religious rules, acting out of duty, practicing pious self-denial or making a show of holiness. The basic principles of this world…
(Jesus) who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. 1 Peter 2:24 (NKJV). You and I were healed, and we are healed but sometimes it takes a lesson to teach us this truth. The world, the flesh and the devil try very hard to stop us from believing in this miracle. But it is true, and it has been accomplished by Jesus Christ for over 2000 years. I had a hard time grasping this at first but, I learned…the hard way!…
All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:6 (NKJV) Several years ago, I began to be afraid as I looked around at the world. It appeared to be getting worse, not better. Why? Wasn’t it supposed to get better and better? And what about my life? The same thing was happening there. Though I believed it would get better and better, it was clearly worse. I had more problems, not less. The world, however, really frightened me. Friends…
The Lord said, “Surely it will be well with your remnant; Surely I will cause the enemy to intercede with you in the time of adversity and in the time of affliction. Jeremiah 15:11 (NKJV). What is the remnant? I remember when I was a child, my mom would me with her to the fabric store where she would buy remnants of cloth. These were small left-over pieces that remained from the original bolt of material. With them she made belts, covered buttons and fashioned other accessories. The dictionary defines “remnant” as a small part, member or trace remaining, or…
“For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”. Jeremiah 29:11 In times of change it is good to know the Lord has a plan for you. What is changing in your life now? Have you or someone you know been experiencing changes that affect a working life or a home life? These changes, whether big or small, can make it easy to lose direction in all of the uncertainty. Take solace in the fact that there is a plan…
“By His stripes we were healed!” 1 Peter 2:24 How do we handle it when, after having received healing from the Lord, the enemy tries to knock us down with the same symptoms and whispers in our ear, “God didn’t heal you! Look at you! You are still sick!” That is a lie! We can’t listen to that kind of talk. Our response should always be:” WHAT DOES THE WORD SAY?” Here’s the question I once heard a minister say that we must ask ourselves: “WHO told you?” WHO told you that you are…sick? WHO told you you’ll never measure…
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.” Isaiah 43:2 (NIV). We each face trials in our lives that we must face head on. But we certainly do not face them alone! Isn’t it good to know the Lord is there by your side? His hand guides you through the rushing currents of your trials, and delivers you from the fires of fate. For this reason we must extend our hands…
“He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built a house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.” Luke 6:48-49 (KJV) As a ballet dancer and instructor of the art, I have seen much wanting…
“Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God” Hebrews 13:16 (NIV). What things do you have in your life that you no longer need? How many times has something been replaced in our lives and then lingered around unnused? Could there be a better purpose for these items? What can you think of in your home right now that could serve someone else better? Perhaps we find ourselves in a good position and could share some of the worldly fruits of our labors with others. If you find yourself…
Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. Romans 5:11 NIV “Adam, you have to taste this!” “What, Eve? You ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil? God said not to.” Obviously excited, Eve told how she met this beautiful creature in the garden who asked her “Did God really say that?” “I begin to think that might not be what God said”, Eve continued. “Then the creature told me I wouldn’t die, but I would be like God if I ate…
“Whoever conceals hatred with lying lips and spreads slander is a fool” Proverbs 10:18 (NIV). Have you ever had someone talk poorly of you? How many of you have had it brought to your attention that someone was talking behind your back? Was it even factual? Gossip and slander can be damaging to all involved. The spreading of rumors is not something to partake in. There are people you will meet whom you do not agree with. It can be for any number of reasons, but it is important that we do not create falsehoods about them. This is an…
