Choose Wisely, Worry Less

                                                        When The Door Slams

If I walk into the thick of danger, You will preserve my life from the anger of my enemies. You will extend Your hand; Your right hand will save me. The LORD will fulfill His Purpose for me. LORD, Your love is eternal; do not abandon the work of Your hands.                                                                                                                Psalm 138:7-8 HCSB 

        Do you ever feel panicked, the days of your life stretch out before you and not knowing how to use them in the best way to become more like Christ? Or do you see the work ahead and not know if you are up to the task?

        If you have ever felt anything like that, think about these truths. God is the Author of your faith; He is writing your story (Hebrews 12:2). 

        God is not a God of chaos. He is putting your life in order (1 Corinthians 14:33).

        God began a good work, and He will complete it in you (Philippians 1:6).

        God saves through His power, grace, and love. When we believe that Jesus was the perfect sacrifice needed to make forgiveness available to all who would ask, we start a new journey that ends with us being called new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17). 

        You always have access to the LORD God who is reshaping your heart, reordering you direction, and giving purpose for your tomorrow. There is another benefit. God is faithful, and He won't give up on you. There will be moments when you are stubborn, rebellious, foolish and unwilling to listen. The LORD God won't throw up His hands in despair. The LORD will wait, encourage, and put detour signs in your path. You see, the LORD God knows your story and He can be trusted do to His part. While God does the work, life transformation will require your cooperation.

        Think about this: Life is a series of decisions and choices. Each day, we make countless decision that can bring us closer to the LORD God, or not. When we live according to God's commandments, we earn for ourselves the abundance and peace He intends for our lives. But if we become distracted and stray from His path, we create worries and make bad decisions for ourselves and our families.

        And when you are face with difficult decision or a powerful temptation, seek God's wisdom and trust it. When you do, you will receive untold blessings-not only for this day, but also for all eternity 

        I call heaven and earth as witness against you today that I have set before you life and  death, blessing and curse. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, love the LORD your God, obey Him , and remain faithful to Him. For He is your life, and He will prolong your life in the land the LORD swore to give to your fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Deuteronomy 30:19-20 HCSB).

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness.          

                                                       Never Rest Ministries                    

        

A Slow Creep Away From God

                                                       When The Door Slams

King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh's daughter-Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. They were from nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, "You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods." Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love.                                                                                                       1 Kings 11:1-2 NIV      

        After King Solomon's wealth and wisdom are presented in striking detail, the author of           1 Kings offers a sobering note that all is not well in the king's heart: he had married many foreign women who turned him away from the LORD. It's likely that Solomon didn't think a few foreign wives could be that much of a threat to his devotion to God. After all, he lived in the epicenter of worship for Yahweh. What harm could a few foreign alliances through marriage do to his heart? 

        Sure enough, his heart gradually drifted further from God, and he became more tolerant of foreign gods. As he added new wives and allegiances with neighboring kingdoms, Solomon lost sight of Yahweh as he filled his time joining his wives in their idol worship. Even the wisest king was no match for the slow creep of compromise in his devotion to the true God. 

        As you examine your heart today, ask yourself whether there are places or issues where you are compromising-even if it is just a little. Sin's most powerful trick is convincing us that it's not a big deal and that we can handle ourselves. This is a slow drift away from God, and we will spare ourselves and our families pain if we recognize it sooner than later.  

        Think about this: The LORD has a plan for our world and for our lives. God does not do things by accident; He has a perfect plan for His creation, a plan that includes each of us. But because we are mortal beings with limited understanding, we can never fully comprehend the will of God. No matter. As believers in a benevolent heavenly Father, we must always trust the will of God, even though we cannot fully understand it.

        As this day unfolds, seek God's will and obey His Word. When you entrust your life to Him completely, He will give you strength to meet any challenge, courage to face any trial, and the wisdom to live in His righteousness and in His peace .

Trust in the Lord with all your heart And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes, But fear the Lord and depart from evil (Proverbs 3:5-7).  

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness.    

                                                        Never Rest Ministries     

    

Intolerant And A Bigotry

                                                       When The Door Slams  

"Come now, let us settle the matter," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool."                                                                                  Isaiah 1:18 NIV        

        We live in a time when many people in our culture seem to have been offended not just a  pastime that they pursue with passion. This is the time to speak the truth about the Gospel of Christ and about godly life principles will get you labeled as "intolerant" and a "bigot." 

        People don't like being told that they need Jesus to save them and change them, and they dislike being confronted with their own sins. People really don't understand that there is only one way into the kingdom of God-through Jesus Christ.

        The prophet Isaiah ministered in the kingdom of Judah at a time when the people had fallen into some very grievous sin. They had become both pleasure seeker in their behavior and self-secure toward their God.

        In short, they were very much like us today-lost in sin and without hope...at least they had not been left on their own. One of the great themes of Isaiah's prophecies-and of the entire Bible-is God's willingness to forgive and restore those who recognize their sin and turn from that sin back toward Him.

        The words in today's verse are echoed hundreds of years later by the apostle John, who wrote: "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us (1 John 1:8-10). 

        We all need God's forgiveness and restoration. He has provided a way for that to happen by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins. Our part in that equation is to acknowledge that we are sinners and that we need Christ our Lord and Savior.

       Think about this: Would you like a time-tested formula for spiritual growth? Here it is: Keep studying God's Word, keep obeying His commandments, Keep praying and (listening for answers), and keep trying to live in the center of God's will. When you do, you will never be stuck for long. Instead, you will be a growing Christian, and that is precisely the kind of Christian God wants you to be.

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness.

                                                    Never Rest Ministries

                    

Adversity Introduces A Man To Himself

                                                       When The Door Slams 

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.                                                                                                                    James 1:2-4 NIV 

          When life brings difficulties our way (and it most certainly will). We see where we are at, in our walk with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The old analogy holds true: Every positive application of God's principles ultimately benefits both us and others. Every sin we commit somehow, sooner or later, hurts us and others. "Adversity introduces a man to himself." Think about that.  

        God never promised His people an easy ride through life. In fact, the Bible is very clear-in many passages-that trials, storms, and suffering will be part of every believer's life. If you don't believe that, just take a look at the lives of the apostles, the men Jesus chose to take His message of salvation to the world around them. We are talking imprisonment, beatings, even martyrdom for nearly all of them. 

        God also doesn't just automatically make you a patient  person when you get saved, and He doesn't instantly make you a person of great perseverance, either. Instead, He uses a process whereby that trials and storms in your life strengthen you and make you the patient, persevering person He intends for you to be. So when the going gets tough...call for Jesus. 

        Think about this: All of us must endure difficult days. Sometimes even the most optimistic Christians can become discouraged, and you are no exception. If you're being tested by your own circumstances, perhaps it is time to focus more on your strengths and less on the challenges that confront you. 

        Every day, including this one, is brimming with possibilities. Every day is filled with opportunities to grow, to serve, and to share. But if you are entangled in a web of sin and disobedience, you may overlook the blessings that God has scattered along your path. 

        So don't give in to pessimism, to doubt, to negativity, or to cynicism. Instead, keep your eyes upon the possibilities, fix your heart upon the Lord God, do your best, and let Him handle the rest.

Affirmation: God will bring every work into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil (Ecclesiastes 3:14). But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26 HCSB). 

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and Thank Him for His forgiveness.                                    

                                                                     Never Rest Ministries

What Does It Mean To Fear The LORD

                                                      When The Door Slams 

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and discipline.                                                                          Proverbs 1:7

        Solomon, one of the wisest men who ever lived, stated that the beginning of wisdom and knowledge comes from fearing the LORD. What does it mean to fear the LORD?

        The fear described here is not cowering, intimidation, or paralysis. Instead, it means to respect, reverence and worship the LORD. 

        If you want to gain wisdom, Solomon says, "Begin with God." Make Him your focus. Center on Him. As the number one priority in your life. See God for who He is. 

        You might begin each day by looking in the Bible for one characteristic that describes God, and think on that quality. Consider how that truth could impact your life that day. Consider what you might do differently in light of that fact.

        For example, Jesus is called the "Light of the World." Do you ever feel during the day that you are fumbling in the dark, and that you can't see clearly your way? Stop and pray. Ask God to bring clarity to your darkness and direction to your sense of being lost. Wisdom comes from lifting our eyes from the problem to our powerful LORD and Savor Jesus Christ.

        Think about this: God's Word is clear: we are to guard our hearts "above all else," yet we live in a world that encourages us to do otherwise. Here in the twenty-first century, temptations and distractions are woven into the fabric of everyday life. As believers, we must remain vigilant. We must resist the devil when he confronts us, and avoid those places where Satan can most easily tempt us.

        Every day, you are are faced with more choices than you can count. You can do the right thing, or not. You can be kind, and generous, and obedient to God. Or not. Today, the world offers countless opportunities to let down your guard and thereby we make needless mistakes that may injure you or your loved ones. So guard your heart by giving it to your LORD and Savor Jesus Christ.

        Affirmation: Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever, For wisdom and power belong to Him. He changes the times and the seasons; He raises up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. He reveals deep and hidden thing; He knows what is in the darkness, And light dwells with Him (Daniel 2:20-22). 

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness.

                                                                Never Rest Ministries