Tag: Good

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The Better Plan

SEPTEMBER 29

MATTHEW 7:7_and it shall be given you…

Jesus adds something to the ask—a way to receive your requests. What else did Jesus say about asking and receiving?

Matthew 21:22 (KJV), “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.”

John 14:13 (KJV), “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”

John 15:7 (KJV), “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”

John 16:24 (KJV), “Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.”

The disciple John listened when Jesus taught about the asking. 1 John 5:14-15 (KJV), “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: 15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.”

According to his will. We have previously studied the necessity to ask God’s will over our own. In the end, it is the better plan.

Ask!

PRAYER

Holy Jesus, I believe You hear my request and will answer for the good. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.                                                             

Christ wants me to ask of Him—He wants to give to me!!                                   

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Fixers

SEPTEMBER 15

MATTHEW 7:4_Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, let me pull out the mote out of thine eye…

We all lean toward being fixers. At times, that comes from a pure heart. We really just want to stop the pain of someone we love. It is much easier to bear our own hurt than to see someone we love hurting. If we can find any way at all, we’re going to put a stop to that pain.

When motivated by genuine love we’ll give our money, our possessions, our time, and our whole heart, because we love someone else more than ourselves. In general, that is not a bad thing.

There are ways in which being a fixer can cause more harm than good. God has a pure heart. He never wants to see His loved ones hurting. He wants us free from hurt, but also free from causing hurt.

Trials and sufferings are a part of the path we must follow as disciples. When we see our loved ones going through a God-ordained trial (suffering for righteousness sake), or a self-ordained trial (making poor decisions) we may want to ease their pain. It is best to comfort those we love through their trials. If we interfere and fix the problem, they may never develop the character needed to fully achieve God’s purpose for their life.

God can use either type of trial, His ordained trial or our self-made trial, for our good.

His is much easier!

PRAYER

Loving Jesus, Help me know when to fix a problem, and when to wait. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.                                                                   

Christ can use all kinds of problems—for my good!

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They Could Say the Same About You

SEPTEMBER 3

MATTHEW 7:1_Judge not…

Jesus says plainly not to judge. It is one of the Sermon on the Mount principles. All salty-lit-up disciples would call this a good principle and agree it is wrong to judge others. No one wants to be judged.  

More times than not when you say “Don’t judge me,” you judged the person you accused of being judgmental. You just judged someone by your standard of judgment when you called them judgmental. They could say the same about you.

Romans 2:1-3 (KJV), “Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. 2 But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?”

There just isn’t any place for Christians to judge each other, or to judge unbelievers. God is the judge according to Psalm 75:7 (KJV), “But God is the judge: He putteth down one, and setteth up another.”

God judges according to what He sees inside a heart, and according to what He knows will bring freedom. 

PRAYER

Holy Father, Help me not to be judgmental of others. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.                            

Christ does not want me to judge others—He helps me!

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Make a List

AUGUST 31

MATTHEW 6:34_for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself…

Jesus says each day is able to take care of itself. Tomorrow doesn’t need you to worry over it. Eventually today becomes tomorrow. No power on earth that can stop that. 

Since you can’t stop tomorrow from coming, why spend all day today in worry? If God is with you today, won’t He be with you tomorrow? Of course He will!

Learn to live one day at the time; you will accomplish a great feat in your Christian walk! One day at a time helps abolish anxiety and increase faith. It also helps you learn to focus—which is an awesome feat in itself! Just focus on today’s business!

Lamentations 3:22-23 (KJV), “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”

The fact that you are alive today and able to read this blog is a result of God’s vast mercy! His mercy is beyond measure. Something too great to be measured. God’s compassion cannot fail because it has no end. 

Begin to incorporate praise into your prayer time . Make a list, including the smallest things, that you are grateful for today. Praise God for them, knowing that every good gift comes from His hand.    

PRAYER

True God, Praise You that this day You give me strength! In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ is faithful—His compassions never fail me!

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Worrying or Hurting?

AUGUST 21

MATTHEW 6:31_saying, what shall ye eat or, what shall ye drink, or wherewithal shall ye be clothed?

You can worry yourself sick—literally. Worry takes such a toll on the soul, the body can become weary, weak, and sick. The heart takes the worst beating from worry. The body was not designed to stand up under constant worry. The soul (mind, will, emotions) was not designed to stand up under constant worry. The spirit was not designed to worry at all! The spirit was designed to praise!

You are designed in God’s image to know and worship Him. You are designed to joy in the Lord. Worry can’t stand up against joy. 

Don’t confuse worry with times of struggle and trial that cause suffering. If you don’t believe God has the power and the mercy to bring you through—then you are worrying. If you are suffering during a trial, but believe God will bring you through, you are not worrying. If you believe God will cause some good to come from your pain, you are not worrying. You are hurting. 

Romans 8:35,37 )KJV), “35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.”              

PRAYER

Lord of Love, Help me know there is nothing that can overpower Your love. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ’s love conquers—Whatever comes against me!