His Love Never Fails

Today's Daily Soap {Scripture | Observation | Application | Prayer}
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SCRIPTURE:

Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. Philippians 4:6-7 [MSG]

OBSERVATION: When times get tough, turn to God.

APPLICATION:

It is not news that our nation -- the world, even -- is in the midst of tough economic times. My wife has been quite stressed lately about money, and the task of buying Christmas gifts for two toddlers surely doesn't help. I tried this morning to calm her concerns, reminding her that God has always provided for us, seeing us through tougher times than this.

Then God led me to the epiphany of His Word. Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. At a time when many are concerned about jobs, mortgages, even just making ends meet, the Father still reaches out to us through His Word to let us know that He is there to provide for us. Does God still speak to us in the 21st century? The timeliness of this passage is no coincidence.

PRAYER:

Thank You, Father, for directing me to Your Word, for reminding me that You are in control. Your love never fails, Lord.

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Joe

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The Bible Speaks

While doing a little walking through the Bible today, I came across some passages that I felt the need to share.

• On Marriage: So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it. Colossians 3:12-14 [MSG]
• On Worries: Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. Philippians 4:6-7 [MSG]
• On Delegation (and Trying To Do Too Much): Moses' father-in-law said, "This is no way to go about it. You'll burn out, and the people right along with you. This is way too much for you—you can't do this alone. Now listen to me. Let me tell you how to do this so that God will be in this with you. Be there for the people before God, but let the matters of concern be presented to God. Your job is to teach them the rules and instructions, to show them how to live, what to do. And then you need to keep a sharp eye out for competent men—men who fear God, men of integrity, men who are incorruptible—and appoint them as leaders over groups organized by the thousand, by the hundred, by fifty, and by ten. They'll be responsible for the everyday work of judging among the people. They'll bring the hard cases to you, but in the routine cases they'll be the judges. They will share your load and that will make it easier for you. If you handle the work this way, you'll have the strength to carry out whatever God commands you, and the people in their settings will flourish also." Exodus 18:17-23 [MSG]
• On Over-indulgence and Self Control: When you're given a box of candy, don't gulp it all down; eat too much chocolate and you'll make yourself sick; And when you find a friend, don't outwear your welcome; show up at all hours and he'll soon get fed up. Proverbs 25:16 [MSG]
• On Temper and Forgiveness: Make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk. Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:31 [MSG]
• On Greed: But if it's only money these leaders are after, they'll self-destruct in no time. Lust for money brings trouble and nothing but trouble. Going down that path, some lose their footing in the faith completely and live to regret it bitterly ever after. 1 Timothy 6:9-10 [MSG]
  

Some passage from the Bible just require no elaboration at all.

Your comments?

Joe

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God's Divine Plan

Today's Daily Soap {Scripture | Observation | Application | Prayer}

• S: They said, "Where is this so-called Father of yours?" Jesus said, "You're looking right at me and you don't see me. How do you expect to see the Father? If you knew me, you would at the same time know the Father." He gave this speech in the Treasury while teaching in the Temple. No one arrested him because his time wasn't yet up. John 8:19-20 [MSG]
  
• O: God has orchestrated and remains in control of events throughout history.
  
• A: Many of us live our lives in fear of death. We live worried that one thing or another might or might not happen. Mostly we worry about bad things: being fired or passed over for promotion, car accidents or house fires, divorce and, as I've said, death. And we waste so much time and energy worrying that we miss out on so many of the wonderful blessings that God wants to bestow upon us. But God has everything in control. All of history is already written. We have but one responsibility in order to reap God's reward: to live well sharing the Message of God's plan with others. Just as the Pharisees could do no harm to Jesus until His time on earth was up, we have no need to fear or worry over the happenings of life, because what comes will come at the appointed time. Live happy, live healthy. Be a beacon unto God, and receive His blessings. When your time is up, then, you will receive the ultimate reward, and all of your meaningless worries along the way will be forgotten.
  
• P: Father, I know that it is not my place to know or understand Your Divine Plan. It is my place only to do Your Will and to please You until my time is up. Help me to do that faithfully, Lord.
  

Send feedback to Joe by email, or by calling 317-644-6129.

Your comments?

Joe

podsafe music network | ioda promonet | magnatune | airplay direct
ariel publicity | kennedy resource development | populuxe records | indie heaven
miles high productions | iris distribution