Wait patiently. (Psalm 40:1-4)

Psalm 40:1-4

New International Version (NIV)

¹ I waited patiently for the Lord;
    he turned to me and heard my cry.
² He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
    out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
    and gave me a firm place to stand.
³ He put a new song in my mouth,
    a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord
    and put their trust in him.

⁴ Blessed is the one
    who trusts in the Lord,
who does not look to the proud,
    to those who turn aside to false gods.




Waiting for God to help us is not easy, but David received four benefits from waiting: God (1) lifted him out of his despair, (2) set his feet on a rock, (3) gave him a firm place to stand, and (4) put a new song of praise in his mouth. Often blessings cannot be received unless we go through the trial of waiting.




Joe



 

God hears every prayer. (Psalm 35:13)

Psalm 35:13

New Living Translation (NLT)

¹³ Yet when they were ill, I grieved for them.
    I denied myself by fasting for them,    but my prayers returned unanswered.


David was sad when his prayers seemed "unanswered." When our deliverance is delayed, it is easy to assume that God hasn't answered our prayers. God hears every prayer, but He answers according to His wisdom. Don't let the absence of an immediate answer cause you to doubt or resent God. Instead let it be an occasion to deepen your faith.


Joe





 

Depend on God for your security. (Psalm 30:6-7)

Psalm 30:6-7

 

New Living Translation (NLT)

⁶ When I was prosperous, I said,
    “Nothing can stop me now!”
⁷ Your favor, O Lord, made me as secure as a mountain.
    Then you turned away from me, and I was shattered.


Security had made David feel invincible. Although he knew that his riches and power had come from God, they had gone to his head, making him proud. Wealth, power, and fame have an intoxicating effect on people, making them feel self-reliant, self-secure, and independent of God. But this false security can be easily shattered. Don't be trapped by the false security of prosperity. Depend on God for your security, and you won't be shaken when worldly possessions disappear.


Joe



 

Praise God publicly. (Psalm 26:12)

Psalm 26:12

New Living Translation (NLT)

¹² Now I stand on solid ground,
    and I will publicly praise the Lord.


Too often we complain about our problems to anyone who will listen and praise God only in private. How much better it would be for us to complain privately and to praise God publicly.


Joe

God our Shepherd. (Psalm 23:1-3)

Psalm 23:1-3

New International Version (NIV)

 

 

 

23 

    The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not be in want.

²     He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
³     he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
    for his name’s sake


When we allow God our Shepherd to guide us, we have contentment. When we choose to sin, we go our own way and cannot blame God for the environment we create for ourselves. Our shepherd knows the "green pastures" and "quiet waters" that will restore us. We will reach these places only by following Him obediently. Rebelling against the shepherd's leading is actually rebelling against our own best interests. We must remember this the next time we are tempted to go our own way rather than the shepherd's way.


Joe

Tell your children about the Lord. (Psalm 22:30-31)

Psalm 22:30-31

New Living Translation (NLT)

³⁰ Our children will also serve him.
    Future generations will hear about the wonders of the Lord.
³¹ His righteous acts will be told to those not yet born.
    They will hear about everything he has done.


If we want our children to serve the Lord, they must hear about Him from us. It is not enough to rely on the church or those with more knowledge to provide all their Christian education. We must reinforce the lessons of the Bible in our homes.


Joe

In whom do you trust? (Psalm 20:6-8)

Psalm 20:6-8

New Living Translation (NLT)

⁶ Now I know that the Lord rescues his anointed king.
    He will answer him from his holy heaven
    and rescue him by his great power.
⁷ Some nations boast of their chariots and horses,
    but we boast in the name of the Lord our God.
⁸ Those nations will fall down and collapse,
    but we will rise up and stand firm.



As long as there have been armies and weapons, nations have boasted of their power, but such power does not last. Throughout history, empires and kingdoms have risen to great power only to vanish in the dust. David, however, knew that the true might of his nation was not in weaponry but in worship; not in firepower but in God's power. Because God alone can preserve a nation or an individual, be sure your confidence is in God, who gives eternal victory, Whom do you trust?




Joe









 

God examines our words and thoughts. (Psalm 19:14)

Psalm 19:14

Amplified Bible (AMP)

¹⁴ Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my [firm, impenetrable] Rock and my Redeemer.

Would you change the way you live if you knew that every word and thought would be examined by God first? David asks that God approve his words and thoughts as though they were offerings brought to the altar. As you begin each day, determine that God's love will guide what you say and how you think.

Joe

 

 

 

Are you drowning in troubles? (Psalm 18:16)

Psalm 18:16

New Living Translation (NLT)

¹⁶ He reached down from heaven and rescued me;
    he drew me out of deep waters.


Do your troubles, like "deep waters," threaten to drown you? David, helpless and weak, knew that God alone had rescued him from his enemies when he was defenseless. When you wish that God would quickly rescue you from your troubles, remember that He can either rescue you or be your support as you go through them. When you feel like you're drowning in troubles, ask God to help you, hold you steady, and protect you. In His care, you are never helpless.



Joe




 

Childlike Faith. (Psalm 8:2)

Psalm 8:2

New International Version (NIV)

² Through the praise of children and infants
    you have established a stronghold against your enemies,
    to silence the foe and the avenger.


Children are able to trust and praise God without doubts or reservations. As we get older, many of us find this more and more difficult to do. Ask God to give you childlike faith, removing any barriers to having a closer walk with Him. Get in touch with this childlike quality in yourself so that you can be more expressive.


Joe

Start your day right. (Psalm 5:1-3)

Psalm 5:1-3

New Living Translation (NLT)

¹ O Lord, hear me as I pray;
    pay attention to my groaning.
² Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God,
    for I pray to no one but you.
³ Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord.
    Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.


The secret of a close relationship with God is to pray to Him earnestly each morning. In the morning, our mind are more free from problems and then we can commit the whole day to God. Regular communication helps any friendship and is certainly necessary for a strong relationship with God. We need to communicate with Him daily. Do you have a regular time to pray and read God's Word.


Joe

 

Meditate on God's Word. (Psalm 1:2)

Psalm 1:2

Amplified Bible (AMP)

² But his delight and desire are in the law of the Lord, and on His law (the precepts, the instructions, the teachings of God) he habitually meditates (ponders and studies) by day and by night.

You can learn how to follow God by meditating on His Word. Meditating means spending time reading and thinking about what you have read. It means asking yourself how you should change so you're living as God wants. Knowing and meditating on God's Word are the first steps toward applying it to your everyday life. If you want to follow God more closely, you must know what He says.

Joe

 

 

 

 

 

Do your friends build up your faith? (Psalm 1:1)

Psalm 1:1

 

Amplified Bible (AMP)

 

¹ Blessed (happy, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable) is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly [following their advice, their plans and purposes], nor stands [submissive and inactive] in the path where sinners walk, nor sits down [to relax and rest] where the scornful [and the mockers] gather.

 

 

The writer begins his psalm extolling the joys of obeying God and refusing to listen to those who discredit or ridicule Him. Our friends and associates can have a profound influence on us, often in subtle ways. If we insist on friendships with those who mock what God considers important, we might sin by becoming indifferent to God's will. Do your friends build up your faith, or do they tear it down? True friends should help, not hinder, you to draw closer to God.

 

Joe

When God speaks...we must listen !

Job 37:2

Amplified Bible (AMP)

 

² Hear, oh, hear the roar of His voice and the sound of rumbling that goes out of His mouth!

 

Nothing can compare to God. His power and presence are awesome, and when He speaks, we must listen. Too often we presume to speak for God, to put words in His mouth, to take Him for granted, or to interpret His silence to mean that He is absent or unconcerned. But God cares - He is in control, and He will speak. Be ready to hear His message - in the Bible, in your life through the Holy Spirit, and through circumstances and relationships.

 

Joe

 

 

 

"Why Me?" or "Use Me !"?

Job 1:8, 1:12

New Living Translation (NLT)

⁸ Then the Lord asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil.”

¹² “All right, you may test him,” the Lord said to Satan. “Do whatever you want with everything he possesses, but don’t harm him physically.” So Satan left the Lord’s presence.

Job was a model of trust and obedience to God, yet God permitted Satan to attack him in an especially harsh manner. Although God loves us, believing and obeying Him do not shelter us from life's calamities. Setbacks, tragedies, and sorrows strike Christians and non-Christians alike. But in our tests and trials, God expects us to express our faith to the world. How do you respond to your troubles? Do you ask God, "Why me?" or do you say, "Use Me!"?

Joe

 

 

 

 

 

Do your blessings make you thankful to God. (Nehemiah 9:35)

Nehemiah 9:35

New Living Translation (NLT)

³⁵ Even while they had their own kingdom, they did not serve you, though you showered your goodness on them. You gave them a large, fertile land, but they refused to turn from their wickedness.


Sometimes the very blessings God has showered on us make us forget Him. We are often tempted to rely on wealth for security rather than on God. As you see what happened to the Israelites, look at your own life. Do your blessings make you thankful to God and draw you closer to Him, or do they make you feel self-sufficient and forgetful of God?


Joe



 

Follow through after a project is complete. (Nehemiah 7:3)

Nehemiah 7:3

New Living Translation (NLT)

³ ... Appoint the residents of Jerusalem to act as guards, everyone on a regular watch. Some will serve at sentry posts and some in front of their own homes.”

The wall was complete, but the work was not finished. Nehemiah assigned each family the task of protecting the section of wall next to their home. It is tempting to relax our guard and rest on past accomplishments after we have completed a large task. But we must continue to serve and to take care of all that God has entrusted to us. Following through after a project is completed is as vital as doing the project itself.

Joe

 

 

 

Strengthen my hands. (Nehemiah 6:9)

Nehemiah 6:9

New International Version (NIV)

⁹ They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.”

But I prayed, “Now strengthen my hands.”

When opposition builds up against you or God's work, it is tempting to pray, "God, get me out of this situation." But Nehemiah prayed, "strengthen my hands." He showed tremendous determination and character to remain steadfast in his responsibility. When we pray for strength, God always answers.

Joe

 

 

 

 

 

Lead by example. (Nehemiah 5:16)

Nehemiah 5:16

New Living Translation (NLT)

¹⁶ I also devoted myself to working on the wall and refused to acquire any land. And I required all my servants to spend time working on the wall.

Nehemiah led the entire construction project, but he also worked on the wall alongside the others. He was not a bureaucrat in a well-guarded office, but a leader who got involved in the day-to-day work. He did not use his position to lord it over his people. A good leader keeps in touch with the work to be done. Those who lead best lead by what they do as well as what they say.

 

Joe

 

 

 

 

 

 

Combine prayer with preparation and planning. (Nehemiah 4:9)

Nehemiah 4:9

New Living Translation (NLT)

⁹ But we prayed to our God and guarded the city day and night to protect ourselves.

Nehemiah constantly combined prayer with preparation and planning. His people trusted God and at the same time kept vigilant watch over what had been entrusted to them. Too often we pray without looking for what God wants us to do. We show God we are serious when we combine prayer with thought, preparation, and effort.

Joe

 

 

 

 

Are you mocked for your faith? (Nehemiah 4:1-5)

Nehemiah 4:1-5

New Living Translation (NLT)

4 Sanballat was very angry when he learned that we were rebuilding the wall. He flew into a rage and mocked the Jews, ² saying in front of his friends and the Samarian army officers, “What does this bunch of poor, feeble Jews think they’re doing? Do they think they can build the wall in a single day by just offering a few sacrifices? Do they actually think they can make something of stones from a rubbish heap—and charred ones at that?”
³ Tobiah the Ammonite, who was standing beside him, remarked, “That stone wall would collapse if even a fox walked along the top of it!”

⁴ Then I prayed, “Hear us, our God, for we are being mocked. May their scoffing fall back on their own heads, and may they themselves become captives in a foreign land! ⁵ Do not ignore their guilt. Do not blot out their sins, for they have provoked you to anger here in front of the builders.”

Ridicule can cut deeply, causing discouragement and despair. Sanballat and Tobiah used ridicule to try to dissuade the Jews from building the wall. Instead of trading insults, however, Nehemiah prayed. and the work continued. When you are mocked for your faith or criticized for doing what you know is right, refuse to respond in the same way or become discouraged.Tell God how you feel and remember His promise to be with you. This will give you encouragement and strength to carry on.

Joe

God the giver of your gifts. (Nehemiah 2:8)

Nehemiah 2:8

New International Version (NIV)

⁸ And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal park, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?” And because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests.

Nehemiah had position, power, and many good organizational skills, but he acknowledged that God's gracious hand was upon him. He knew that without God's strength, his efforts would be in vain. Do you acknowledge God as your power source and the giver of your gifts?

Joe

Don't let fear hold you back. God >fear (Nehemiah 2:2-3)

Nehemiah 2:2-3

New Living Translation (NLT)

² So the king asked me, “Why are you looking so sad? You don’t look sick to me. You must be deeply troubled.”

Then I was terrified, ³ but I replied, “Long live the king! How can I not be sad? For the city where my ancestors are buried is in ruins, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.”

Nehemiah wasn't ashamed to admit his fear, but he refused to allow fear to stop him from doing what God called him to do. When we allow our fears to rule us, we make fear more powerful than God. Is there a task God wants you to do, but fear is holding you back? God is greater than all your fears. Recognizing why you are afraid is the first step in committing it to God. Realize that if God has called you to a task, He will help you accomplish it.

Joe

 

 

Ask God to give you a safe journey. (Ezra 8:21)

Ezra 8:21

New Living Translation (NLT)

²¹ And there by the Ahava Canal, I gave orders for all of us to fast and humble ourselves before our God. We prayed that he would give us a safe journey and protect us, our children, and our goods as we traveled.

Ezra and the people traveled approximately 900 miles on foot. The trip took them through dangerous and difficult territory and lasted about 4 months. They prayed that God would give them a safe journey. Our journeys today may not be as difficult and dangerous as Ezra's, but we should recognize our need to ask God for guidance and protection.

Joe

 

 

 

 

Give God the credit. (Ezra 7:27-28)

Ezra 7:27-28

New Living Translation (NLT)

²⁷ Praise the Lord, the God of our ancestors, who made the king want to beautify the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem! ²⁸ And praise him for demonstrating such unfailing love to me by honoring me before the king, his council, and all his mighty nobles! I felt encouraged because the gracious hand of the Lord my God was on me. And I gathered some of the leaders of Israel to return with me to Jerusalem.

 

Ezra praised God for all that God had done for him and through him. Ezra had honored God throughout his life, and God chose to honor him. Ezra could have assumed that his own greatness and charisma had won over the king and his princes, but he gave the credit to God. We too, should be grateful to God for our own success and not think that we did it in our own power.

 

Joe

 

 

 

Setbacks and standstills (Ezra 4:23-24)

Ezra 4:23-24

The Message (MSG)

²³ The letter of King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum and Shimshai the secretary and their associates. They lost no time. They went to the Jews in Jerusalem and made them quit work.

²⁴ That put a stop to the work on The Temple of God in Jerusalem.

Setbacks and standstills are painful and discouraging to God's workers. Leaders should do everything to keep work from grinding to a halt; yet circumstances sometimes really are out of our control. When you have been brought to a standstill, remember to still stand strong in the Lord.

Joe

 

 

 

You must overcome fear and discouragement. (Ezra 4:4-5)

Ezra 4:4-5

New Living Translation (NLT)

⁴ Then the local residents tried to discourage and frighten the people of Judah to keep them from their work. ⁵ They bribed agents to work against them and to frustrate their plans. This went on during the entire reign of King Cyrus of Persia and lasted until King Darius of Persia took the throne.

 

Discouragement and fear are two of the greatest obstacles to completing God's work. Most often they come where and when you least expect them. Discouragement eats away at our motivation and fear paralyzes us so we don't act at all. Recognize these common barriers. Remember that God's people in every age have faced these problems and with God's help overcame them. By standing together with other believers, you can overcome fear and discouragement and complete God's will.

 

 

Joe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All good gifts come from God. (Ezra 3:10-11)

Ezra 3:10-11

New Living Translation (NLT)

¹⁰ When the builders completed the foundation of the Lord’s Temple, the priests put on their robes and took their places to blow their trumpets. And the Levites, descendants of Asaph, clashed their cymbals to praise the Lord, just as King David had prescribed. ¹¹ With praise and thanks, they sang this song to the Lord:

“He is so good!
    His faithful love for Israel endures forever!”

Then all the people gave a great shout, praising the Lord because the foundation of the Lord’s Temple had been laid.

Completing the foundation for the temple required great effort on the part of all involved. But no one tried to get praise for himself and his own hard work. Instead, everyone praised God for what had been done. All good gifts come from God - talents, abilities, strength, and leadership. We should thank God for what has been done in and through us.

Joe