Psalm 143 is a comforting Psalm. It lets us know that we are not the only ones to experience trouble. Please read the whole chapter before you continue on. Below are verses 5-7.
“I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done. I spread out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Answer me quickly, O LORD; my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit.”
In this passage, David is in trouble. He is in a pit of despair, trapped by his trials. If you are like most people, you have been through times of trial in your life. Perhaps your trials were caused by trouble at home, a slipping report card or an overload of classes and activities. Maybe you were fired from your job, or perhaps you had a tough break-up with a girlfriend or boyfriend that you really seemed to like. Regardless, these trials were too much for you to handle, right? Yes, as long as you’re ALONE.
So often we forget how powerful God is. We can get so caught up in what we perceive to be earth-shattering problems that we don’t even realize how much bigger God is. It is the times like this that many people call out to God for help. When we have tried as hard as we are able and still can’t win, that’s when we pray.
However, there is a fallacy of logic in saving prayer for times of trial. Of course, the Bible does tell us to call out to the Lord when we are in need, but it is important for us to realize that we are ALWAYS in need. If our salvation depended on our own merit, Satan would have a full house in hell when the end of the world comes. Instead, we know that God is the one who saves us and takes care of us. Without Him, we couldn’t do or be anything except evil. We need to pray all the time, therefore, that God will help us to overcome our sinful nature and aid us in the trials of life. We need Him infinitely more than we can know.
Points To Ponder: How often do you need God’s help in your daily life? How often do you REALIZE that you need Him? How often should you pray thankfully for His help?
Prayer Possibilities: Tell God that you know you need Him and that you are thankful for His help each day. Ask Him to keep you aware in the future of what He does for you every day.
Read II Corinthians 3:12-4:2 as we begin today. This is a great passage and I’ve only quoted a couple of verses below.
“Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.”
Have you ever put a blanket on a lamp and covered up the light? It keeps the light from shining in all of its glory. Are we like that sometimes? When our friends are swearing and taking the Lord’s name in vain, and we don’t say anything; we’re not showing out true love for the Lord. We just ignore what they are doing because they are our “friends.” But is that really “friendly” on our part?
In II Corinthians 3:12-4:2 he says, “Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold.” Meaning, that you have this wonderful gift, so why not spread it around and show other people you care. The Lord says we should not be like Moses and pull a veil over our face, but stand with the Lord and let our light shine. He also says that when we do this we will have real life. “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His likeness.” What other kind of encouragement do you need?
So, the next time your friends swear, steal or anything else that would break God’s commandments, tell them they have sinned and then tell them the good news; that they have been forgiven.
Points To Ponder: What impression do you give if you don’t stop your friends from constantly sinning? Who else besides your friends can you stop from sinning constantly? What kind of steps do you have to go through to stop this person?
Prayer Possibilities: Ask God to give you strength to stand up to those who are sinning but gracious enough to forgive them. Also pray that you might shine like a bright light and not be covered up in sin.
It seems that we all want to do something to impress people, and impress God. What God wants from us is easy. He want’s us to obey. Read II Kings 5:1-8 to find out how hard it is to do something easy. Verses 2-6 as quoted below.
“Now bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. “By all means, go,” the king of Aram replied. “I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing. The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy.”
In the reading we hear about the account of Naaman being healed of leprosy. Facing disfigurement and possible death, the arrogant Naaman had to first humble himself and believe in Elisha’s command to dip in the dirty water of the Jordan River. Through faith, his leprosy was washed away in the Jordan River.
Naaman proudly waited with all of his servants and subordinates outside of Elisha’s house for Elisha to come out and perform a miracle at his command. Naaman was told he had to dip in the filthy waters of the Jordan River to be cured of his disease. This seemed ridiculous to him and much too easy, so he went off in a rage. He had expected to have to perform a heroic deed to earn his cure. Only, when he finally did what Elisha told him, which was an act of faith and humility, did God heal him of his leprosy. Naaman was healed because he did what Elisha told him; a simple acting out of faith.
Doesn’t God also work this way with us and our sins? Some people think it is ridiculous and much too easy for Jesus to have done it all for us. It doesn’t seem significant enough to bring eternal life without doing our part. To Naaman, the proud and arrogant army general, dipping into the Jordan River was an act of humility, just as today some people have to humble themselves before hey can accept and believe that they are totally dependent on Jesus for eternal life. There was no heroic deed that God required of Naaman, just as there is no heroic deed that God requires of us. What could man possibly do that could earn him so great a reward as eternal life? There is nothing. Jesus did all we need. So have faith as Naaman did and be rewarded as he was.
Points To Ponder: Why must we be humble? Are we ever like Naaman? Is our faith something sinners can choose to do or really the initial gift of God?
Prayer Possibilities: Thank God that He has given you faith and ask Him for the strength to remain humble and to follow His perfect example on earth. Pray that, as long as you live, you may put your trust in God and the saving message of His grace.
Can people tell what you’re about when they look at you? Take a look at II Corinthians 3:1b-6 as we jump into God’s Word this morning.
“Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”
Any time you buy anything expensive, you see it; the tiny print at the bottom of the page that contains all the details that they don’t really want you to see. However, some things that we see all the time are billboards. They’re covered in HUGE words because people paying for the sign really want us to read what it is they’ve said.
In this passage Paul writes to the Corinthians and in verse 2 says that they, the people, are the living letters of the Lord with the Word of God in their hearts. They were to be known and read by the people around them. Paul tells them to be living witnesses for the Lord in everything they did.
In the same way, God wants us to witness through our lives. But, how well do you usually show your faith in the things that you do? Are you showing your faith in BIG ways by helping others, witnessing to those who are unchurched, and otherwise making it obvious to those who meet you on the street that you are the Lord’s child? Or, are you hiding your faith by never helping others when they need you, avoiding the topic of religion when it comes up with those who are unchurched, or hoping that no one realizes you are a Christian when you’re walking down the street?
Remember what Jesus did for you and show it by being a living letter with the BIGGEST print ever.
Points To Ponder: What size print am I displaying in my daily life? What can I do to show my Savior to those around me?
Prayer Possibilities: Ask the Lord to help you to increase your print in witnessing and your daily life. Thank the Lord that His wonderful message has been placed in your heart.
At a lot of student jobs, starting pay is minimum wage. People often complain about the amount of work they do, only to be paid so little. Many people have quit because they found a job where you make more money and do less work. Today we are looking at 1 Corinthians 9:16-23 to see Paul’s work ethic.
“Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me. What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make use of my rights in preaching it.”
Read the rest of the passage at the link above before you continue on. . . please?
Surprisingly, one of the objections which Paul’s critics had brought against him was that he had taken no pay for his work in Corinth. Paul explained that he had a right to be supported at the church’s expense. However, from what has been recorded, Paul took payment from no church except Philippi. It was his practice to preach without pay. “What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the Gospel, I may offer it free of charge, and so not making use of my rights in preaching it.”
Paul’s example of giving up certain rights for the sake of winning men to Christ’s kingdom is a beautiful example of how Christ wants our lives to be. When witnessing to others, don’t worry about what you’ll get in return. Instead, think of the wonderful gift you’re giving themthe gift of faith in the one true Lord. We also should want to spread His Word free of charge. That’s the greatest kind of workGod’s work without pay.
Points To Ponder: How can we, as Christians, witness to others? What are some joys of being a witness? Why do we want to work without pay?
Prayer Possibilities: Thank God for allowing you to be a witness. Ask Him to help you do His work free of charge.
