Thursday, January 23, 2014

THE CALL AND THE COMMISSION!!

The Call and the Commission!

Thursday, January 23, 2014 

Mark 1:17-18 - "Come, follow Me." Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed Him.

“I heard Him call
‘Come, follow,’ - that was all
My gold grew dim
My soul went after Him,
I rose and followed –
That was all.
Who would not follow
If he heard Him call!”

Matthew 16:25 - "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it , but whoever loses his life for Me will find it."

Prayer for Today
Dear Lord Jesus: Make me an instrument of your love to touch other lives. Amen!  

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Tuesday, January 21, 2014

INEXHAUSTIBLE SUPPLY LINE!!


Inexhaustible supply line!

Verse for Today: Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Philippians 4:19 - And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Human needs are so vast and varied that it is well nigh impossible for the world to satisfy it all. There are millions in this world whose basic needs like food, clothing and shelter are not met. Man also has needs in the emotional, social and spiritual realms of life which also remain largely unmet and unattended to. Scientific inventions and knowledge explosion have only enhanced the vastness of the needs, but have not even suggested ways to meet it. But God comes to the scene to tell man that if he is willing to submit his life to God, He will see to it that every need will be met according to His riches in glory through Jesus Christ. There is absolute assurance that our spiritual and emotional needs will be fully met by God. Social needs are met more qualitatively when more and more people accept God’s answer to social problems and inequalities. Physical needs will also be met when people are willing to share what they have with the have-nots. But what God gives to His children each day is the contentment in their hearts with what they have. When we trust God to meet our needs and start minding His business, He will in turn fill our hearts with faith to believe that we will enjoy a fulfilled life. When Abraham was called out of his own country to an unknown and unseen place, he had such assurance from God that he will be looked after by God. Apostle Paul tasted His providence and so he could boldly tell others what his God would do for them if they trust Him. God meets the needs of all His children at all times according to the measure of His riches which no human beings can estimate or match. Our God owns the cattle of a thousand hills and all the gold in the gold mines of this universe. He is the creator and owner of the trillions of galaxies in this universe. His Heavenly riches are even greater. All these riches are made available to His children through Jesus Christ. None else can excel God in giving.  

Dear friend, are you a needy person knocking at the doors of this world for your sustenance? Do you have unmet physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs? Do you ever doubt that your vast needs can’t be met by anyone adequately? Remember, your God is so big and His resources are so vast that any of your needs will be met by Him without any difficulty. But you must bear in mind the truth that He has not promised wants or luxuries to you. He is concerned about needs and will not deprive you of your basic needs. He has promised to meet your daily needs as you trust Him for all your tomorrows. He will meet your emotional needs through the outpouring of His love in your heart through His Spirit. Your social needs will be met as you keep company with God’s children. Your spiritual needs will be met through God’s Word and His Spirit through the infilling. But we must live by faith in His capacity to give from His sufficiency to meet all your needs. We do not need to look to the hills and fields of the world to feed us, but to the Father in Heaven who has enough to give to us. His supply lines will leave no room for us to doubt or become anxious about our future. We are fortunate people to have such a benevolent Father who is so rich and has so much concern for us and our affairs? He will never leave us as orphans and wayward children. 

Psalms 23:1 - The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.

Thought for Today
Faith is the key to open the heavenly warehouse to meet all the needs of God’s children.

Prayer for Today
Dear Lord Jesus: Open my eyes to see Your great riches which are stored up for my daily use. Amen!
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Monday, January 20, 2014

ANTIDOTE TO ANXIETY!!

Antidote to anxiety!

Verse for Today: Monday, January 20, 2014  

Psalms 94:19 - When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul.

There are times in our lives when we are unable to share some of our intimate burdens with anyone else. These burdens stay in our minds and get enlarged and multiplied as we dwell in it for some time. When we think more about our burdens and their consequences, fear comes to have its cruel grip over us by showing us the consequences of the objects of anxiety. As the fear and anxiety multiply, more burdens emerge to suffocate us. As we think more about it, negative thoughts increase to make us believe that what we have feared will come true. But the pressure of anxiety will make us forget the fact that our Lord knows what these concerns and anxious thoughts are and that nothing will happen to us without His knowledge and consent. He will not allow His dear children to be hurt by the enemy. He knows the strategies of the enemy who tries to create snags on our way forward and block us from reaching the milestones that our Lord has planned for us. When our enemies try to devour us with their fleshly tactics of various kinds, our Lord will be our buffer. They will try to despise, ridicule and challenge us to see how we would come out of the traps that they lay around us. They warn us about the consequences of their traps and try to drain us of our spiritual energies through fear, doubt and anxiety to weaken our faith.  Their repeated attacks often take away our defense and make us lose our faith in our God. But our God has promised to keep us safe and secure. When we abound in anxious thoughts and try to use human methods to get away from the snares around us, He comes to console us with His delightful words. His comfort will strengthen us to keep going to accomplish His purpose in our lives.

Dear friend, are you at the bottom of the valley of anxiety and fear because of your situations? Are you slowly losing your hope and confidence in life? But when you go deep down in the mire of anxiety and fear, Your Lord comes to hold your hands to lift you up from it all. He sends His words of comfort and hope to console you. He reminds you today that He is in control of your situations and will guard you against all eventualities. His words of comfort will delight your soul and strengthen your heart. His Spirit will energize you to put all your faith in Him to take you forward. His promises will echo in your hearts to reassure you. It was His delightful consolations that kept David going in times of tumult and turbulence. God’s consolations which Jacob received at Bethel kept him going until God settled his life and future. His promises spoke to Nehemiah all through the days of the reconstruction of the walls of Jerusalem. Paul found God’s promises to be his pillar of strength through all his missionary journeys. Daniel found it to be his source of encouragement and confidence in the lion’s den. The Jewish youth found it to be their resting place in the furnace of the emperor. Elijah had it as patience for his daily bread at Cherith and Zarephath. Today the Lord sends His mighty messages of consolations for us to delight in. It helps us forget the false and fearful thoughts the enemy brings to us. Let us cling on to them and ignore the anxious thoughts. We can take our burdens to the Lord and leave it there because He knows what to do with it. Even in seemingly impossible circumstances and situations, we can 'laugh at the impossibilities of the world' and lean on to the Lord who makes it all possible for His children.

1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your care upon (Jesus) for He cares for you.

Thought for Today
God’s promises are potent antidote to destroy the fabricated and false power of anxiety.

Prayer for Today
Dear Lord Jesus: Hide me under your wings when anxiety and fear saber rattle against me. Amen!
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Contact for prayer support and counseling without cost or obligation to todayintheword@gmail.com
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Sunday, January 19, 2014

HANDLING PESSIMISM!!

Handling pessimism!

Verse for Today: Sunday, January 19, 2014  

Psalms 116:7 - Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.

The society we live in looks at the future with pessimism. Prophets of doom are everywhere. They paint our horizon with dark colors to make our outlook cloudy and bleak. We seek in vain for rays of reassurances and hope through the bleak horizon. Our dearest and nearest will only convince us how hopeless our situation is. We seek for comforters, but fail to find anyone. It is then that we look for other avenues to cling on to or escape. When everything else fails, there is a place of quiet rest near to the heart of God from where true comfort and encouragement will come. When there is no one around to talk to or give reassurance, the Spirit of God speaks to us through our spirit to encourage us. It then works as great spiritual therapy to our souls. It appears as if we talk to ourselves, but it is the voice of the Spirit talking to us from within. When we are tossed around and brutally dealt with by the world and its allies, there is always help and support coming from God. When the world tries to take away our rest, peace and tranquility by manipulating situations and employing evil tactics, the still small voice of comfort from our Lord is echoed in our hearts. His promises are made to come alive to strengthen us and to give us confidence and courage in the wake of most hopeless situations. The power of the Spirit of God will take away all doubt, confusion and discouragement from our hearts. He will remove all the defeatist tendencies from us. The Psalmists often found relief when the Spirit spoke to them from their souls to reassure them. It is as if the mirror image of our souls talking to us as a real person. Our past experiences with the Lord also come alive to remind us to count our blessings. He takes our sleeplessness away from us and gives us sound rest and peace that passes all understanding. We need not fall into the trap of losing our rest and peace because our Lord understands our situations and has poured out His goodness upon us.   

Dear friend, are you in distress and finding it difficult to get comfort and encouragement? Is there an air of pessimism around which discourages you? Are you being isolated by your dark situations to believe that there is no hope for you? But today you will be surprised to see how God has already done wonderful things for you which are all working for you. He wants to remind all His weary and despondent children not to look at the bleak circumstances, but to look at Him and His promises to get encouragement. There is every reason for you to be optimistic about your future because your Lord is working for you to help you meet all challenges in life. He will not allow you to be hurt and painful, but to have the Lord’s joy which will give you strength to keep going. He will protect you from slander and snares of the tongues, traps through words, lies, gossip, distortions and falsehood that is around. The world slandered our Lord, told every possible lies about Him, misinterpreted all His utterances and even sang filthy songs about Him in the pubs of Palestine. David, Joseph, Daniel and Paul went through similar experience. But today we rest in the Lord, in His promises and in all our experiences in the past to believe that the Lord will sustain us in perfect peace. When He is working for our good, we do not need to lose our sleep and rest, but trust in all that He has done for us. May this be our way to find peace and rest today!

Matthew 11:29 - Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Thought for Today
Appropriating the goodness of God is the secret of happiness.

Prayer for Today
Dear Lord Jesus: Guard my heart from pessimism and help me to see rays of hope in Your promises. Amen!
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Contact for prayer support and counseling without cost or obligation to todayintheword@gmail.com
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Saturday, January 18, 2014

HOPE FOR DUST & ASH!!

Hope for dust and ash!

Verse for Today: Saturday, January 18, 2014

Psalms 113:7 - (The Lord) raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap.

Dust and ash are substances without any hope or future. No one would expect anything good to come from it. It is unthinkable to convert durst or ash into anything useful. Dust and ash are forgotten by all. Those who dwell in dust and on ash heap do not have any hope. They are a forgotten set of people, rejected, resented and devalued by all around. But the God of hope comes to them to give them a bright future. The poor and needy are received by Him and are made princes and princesses. They are invited to come and become the children of the heavenly King. Their position, prospects and potential are changed when they accept God into their lives. Such transformation is unthinkable without God. When God looks at a person, He always sees what the future will hold rather than what transpired in the past. A person’s usability to God doesn’t depend on his background, but his willingness to submit to God to make him a fit instrument in His hands. God can put hope in all unusable lives through His enabling and equipping. All whom God has used in the past have come from humble background. He fills only the empty vessels. He remolds and redesigns the ruined, broken and shapeless. He took David the forgotten shepherd boy and made a king out of him. He took a schemer like Jacob and made him prince with God. He took a heathen widow like Ruth and made her the great grandmother of Jesus. He took a bunch of ordinary fishermen and made great Apostles out of them. Yes, our God is the God of impossibilities. He brings water and even honey from the rock. In His compassion, He makes the poor to rise from the dust of ruin and meets the needs of those who are on the ash heaps of frustration. He knows all our needs and situations and meets those needs and lifts us up from the dunghills of life. He has enough resources to meet all our physical, financial, spiritual and emotional needs. He always responds to the needy and the poor who go to Him asking for the basic necessities in life.

Dear friend, are you in dust and ash heap of frustration and need today? Are you feeling hopelessness and purposelessness in life and in your situations? Have you been feeling rejection and resentment from all around? Is there a wind of despondency and despair beating brutally against you? Today God comes to tell you that there is hope for you. You should not give up or quit, but should meet God who invites you to give you hope for tomorrow and to meet all your needs. He is bothered whether you have become dust and ash because of your past experiences. He can only see your future if you entrust it with Him to remold. When we become His, our lives will be transformed with His power and enabling to accomplish what He equips us for. Then we become instruments in His hands to do what He wants us to do. So there is no reason for us to become disillusioned because we are rejected and resented as dust and ash by those around us. Let our lives be given to God for His transforming work in us for His glory. He shows pity to us and our situation of dust and ash heap and will pick us up, clean us up and clothe us with His robe of righteousness and dignity. He will carry us in His hands and keep us close to His heart. So we can be rest assured that He can change your situation and make you enjoy your position with Him in perfect fellowship, peace and joy.

Psalms 114:8 - The Lord turned the  rock into a pool and the hard rock into springs of water.

Thought for Today
When God puts His power into dust and ash, it becomes a channel of blessings!

Prayer for Today
Dear Lord Jesus: Take and remold me to become an instrument of your love. Amen!
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Contact for prayer support and counseling without cost or obligation to todayintheword@gmail.com
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Friday, January 17, 2014

HEALING TOUCH!!


Healing touch!
Verse for Today: Friday, January 17, 2014

Psalms 109:22 - For I am afflicted and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.

Emotional infirmities spread like wild fire in our generation. It is far more devastating than physical illnesses, but still we mishandle it. We carry heavy loads in our souls and suffer intensely for years together which cause unexplainable damages to our bodies and minds. Often our highly unreasonable expectations cause frustrations which emerge into the realms of despair and despondency. Afflictions come often from our nearest and dearest through their willful or thoughtless acts. When they fail elsewhere, they take it on their dearest ones without realizing how much it hurts them. Thus relationships are ruptured and people plunge into distress and tension. It takes time for such wounds to heal. In such times of deep distress, it is easy to lose hope and fall into deepest gloom. But these are the ways the enemy of our souls fights to finish us. He uses our nearest and dearest to hurt and wound us. But instead of fighting these instruments the enemy uses against us, let us fight him with the armor of God. Let us defeat the enemy by wearing the whole armor of God so that our integrity will not be lost and our faith will not be weakened. Let’s courageously face our situation as we hand it over to Jesus to deal. We have the privilege to submit our situation to the Lord who already knows all about it. We must submit our despondency to Him and ask Him to fill us with His hope. When the enemy uses our dearest ones against us, let us recapture them by love and through patience. When we are gossiped about, envied upon, slandered, lied about, dragged into baseless controversies, threatened and intimidated, let us comfort ourselves with God’s promises. When our integrity is questioned, let us remember how the same happened to Jesus, Prophet Jeremiah and Apostle Paul. Their motives were distorted and questioned. Their ministries were devalued and despised. If this is your experiences today and you feel pain and sleeplessness, understand it as the tactics of the enemy to weaken you spiritually and take away your courage. Don’t let these attacks take your eyes off Jesus.

Dear friend, are you weak, weary and tearful because of the fierce emotional warfare the enemy has unleashed on you? Is the pain intense and unbearable? Are you tempted to quit or run away from your hurtful situation? But you cannot fight the enemy with fleshly tactics which will definitely fail. You need to take the whole armor of God and protect yourself in your entire walk and in your heart so that the enemy will not hurt you anymore. First of all, submit your loved ones who are used by the enemy to the powerful hands of the Lord. Let God open their eyes and hearts to see the reality of your situation. Allow God to lay hold of them and your situation and control it. Secondly hold firm to the promises God has given you and wait patiently for Him to see how He would work in your situation and make it bright again. When it hurts deeply, go to the Great Physician for His touch of healing. He will help you to shift your focus away from the enemy and the problems and look at the crucified and abused Christ who is your Savior. Ask His Spirit to fortify you with His power to deal with your tough situation. You will then know the peace that passes all understanding and enjoy the sweetness of the lovingkindness of God. You are encouraged to praise God for His total deliverance which He has promised you. He will wipe away your tears and strengthen your soul to keep holding on to Him to weather away the present storms in your life.  

Psalms 34:18 – The Lord is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Thought for Today
There is no wound that His touch will not heal.

Prayer for Today
Dear Lord Jesus: Come and touch me with Your nail-pierced hands to heal all my hurt. Amen!
 ______________________________

Contact for prayer support and counseling without cost or obligation to todayintheword@gmail.com
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Thursday, January 16, 2014

SAIL BY STORMS!!

Sail by storms!
 
Verse for Today: Thursday, January 16, 2014

Psalms 107:29 – (The Lord) caused the storm to be still, so that the waves of the sea were hushed.

The sea of life is full of unpredictable tumults and turbulence. Its storms and billows are powerful and devastating as they beat against the shores and the travelers and create fear and anxiety. We cannot stop the storms or control it, but can only try to escape its fierce power. But our efforts are often inadequate and ineffective to contain it. They surge and beat against us and leave us battered and bruised. Our smartness will not help us to escape from its cruel hands. But if we trust in the Master of the Sea of life, He will come to still the storms, waves and the rushing waters to save us. The turbulence come in the form of financial crunch, joblessness, gossip, family concerns, business failure and friendlessness. Storms strike our lives off guard. We get discouraged and disturbed at these storms and are at a loss as to how to handle it. Fear, doubts, confusion and lack of courage grip us as we shake and seem to sinking deep into the depth of the sea and vanish from the scene. But we are precious to our God who will come to our rescue in the height of the turbulence and will rescue us. He will not forsake or forget us. His presence is with us even as we go through the storms and the rough weather in our personal and spiritual lives. He has absolute control over the behavior of the seas and has the power to subdue the waves and the storms. He has demonstrated it at the Red Sea and the Sea of Galilee. He even walked over the waves of the sea. He is the Master over all the elements in His creation including the seas, storms, waves and water. The storms of unrest, faithlessness, lack of trust, confusion, frustration, anxiety and fear in the hearts of His children are as much important to Him as the external storms in our circumstances.

Dear friend, are you going through rough weather and high waves in your life? Perhaps the storms in your life are so personal that you are even unable to share it with others! Rest assured that the Lord knows all about it and its brutal strength. But He wants to remind you that storms will never overcome you. At the right time, He will come to you, speak to you and show you light in your dark and cloudy circumstances. If you focus on the waves and the waters, you will be fearful and discouraged. But if you look at your Lord who is with you, He will take away your fear and anxiety. You will surely be enabled to see light in the midst of darkest clouds. Sometimes He will calm the storms and at other times He will take you through the storms unhurt and unaffected. His glory will shine through the darkest moments of our lives to give us comfort and strength. Today you have His promises that He will deliver you from the storms and make your stand strong. It is not how He gets you out of the storms that matters, but the fact that He is with you all the time. Thus even in the storms of life, we would be in the purposefulness of God. How would we know that He can calm the storms unless we go through a few storms? Our God of storms and the sea is with us to take us victoriously to the other side of the sea of life. He is the Lord of all including the sea and the storm. He will certainly calm all the storms in our lives today for His glory.

Psalms 107:30 - They were glad when (the storms) grew calm, and He guided them to their desired haven. 

Thought for Today
The Master of the sea has the storms and the billows in His hands!

Prayer for Today
Dear Lord Jesus: Strengthen me today to hold on to You by faith as I travel through storms in life. Amen!
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Contact for prayer support and counseling without cost or obligation to todayintheword@gmail.com
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Wednesday, January 15, 2014

GATHERING FAITH!!

Gathering faith!

Verse for Today: Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Psalms 104: 28 - You (God) give it to them, they gather it up; You open Your hand, they are satisfied with good.

It takes the greatest giver with immeasurable resources to give to all who are in need. There are far more hands and mouths to feed in this world than what the world can attempt. But meeting the needs of all has been God’s prerogative since creation. World economic systems like capitalism, socialism and communism have failed miserably to meet the needs of people. Man often has a superfluous feeling that he is feeding himself by his smartness. But to those who trust in God, He comes to meet all their needs. He feeds the hungry and quenches the thirsty. He is the friend of the widows and the destitute. He grants fellowship to the lonely. He forgives the repentant sinner and takes away all guilt. He goes to dry the tearful eyes of the suffering and the abused. He gives sleep to the sleepless and friendship to the friendless. He accepts those who are rejected and resented. He makes the homeless dwell in homes with warmth and acceptance. He gives to all through His methods to meet the needs of the deprived and the derelict. He heals the sick and carries the weak on His shoulders. He doesn’t give people what they deserve because of their sinfulness, but grants them pardon if they repent. But sadly man often falls into the philosophy of the world to strive to make the best out of their earthly opportunities. Man is not satisfied with what he has and proves his worth by making more. In the process, he uses all his energy and finally leads a life which is like a mirage without any satisfaction. He goes from need to want and then on to comfort and luxury and often secures it through smart strategies. But the more he has, the more he is struggling to get and finds that nothing can truly satisfy him.

Hello, dear reader! Are you submerged in the rat race to satisfy your every desire for wants, comfort, luxury and self esteem? Are you struggling with your strategies to reach the pinnacle of success in life? But God wants you to live by faith and trust Him to meet all your needs. He meets your material, physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs. He is interested in giving you a heavenly life here on earth by faith. He is the possessor of all things and has enough to meet all your needs which money cannot buy. Bags of money can never buy the happiness that you so desperately crave. Money can buy sleeping pills, but not sound sleep, peace and rest. Money buys entertainment, but not true joy. But you may trust God for all your daily needs and use the energy He has given you to gather what He brings on your pathway for all your tomorrows. He gives food, shelter, clothing, health, peace, sleep, joy and the like for His children. He gives contentment in what He gives and makes you grateful to Him, rather than run after the mirages of this world which fool you. Look at Prophet Elijah who waited for the raven each morning and evening for his daily food. Look at the widow of Zarephath who kept on making bread each day and found that her jug of oil never ran dry and the jar of flour never used up. This God is our God who has promised to sustain us. He who feeds the sparrows and decorates the lilies will do abundantly more for us. Instead of getting anxious, let us leave it to Him to meet our needs. We should be prepared to gather what He provides each day and praise Him.  

Hebrews 10:38 – But My righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.

Thought for Today
Faith is the key which will open the warehouse of God’s riches.

Prayer for Today
Dear Lord Jesus: Help me to trust You for all my needs today and on all tomorrows to live by faith in You alone. Amen!
_______________________________

Contact for prayer support and counseling without cost or obligation to todayintheword@gmail.com
 ________________________________

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

POWER IN DUST!!

Power in dust!

Verse for Today: Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Psalms 103:14 - For (the Lord) Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are dust.

Only the maker knows how strong the product is. He knows its weaknesses as well as strengths and usefulness. If the product has this awareness, it will never boast and will continue to seek the help of its maker for sustainability and usability. This is most relevant with regard to human beings. We are created by the Almighty and so He knows all our weaknesses and strengths. He deals in and with us with this realization and handles us with kindness and care. He knows that we are but a breath and are like dust, with no capacity or strength within us. It is His enabling that makes us able to perform. Our survival is in His hands as He fortifies us to keep going. As dust, we fly away with the wind and are tossed around by the minutest changes in our situations. We are often so lost and are not easily found by anyone with any human effort. But our God knows us, with all our weaknesses and inadequacies. His heavenly eyes see us and find us out whenever we are away from Him and discipline us to be submissive and committed to Him alone. He makes us fit instruments in His mighty hands. He is mindful that we are fragile and so in His mercy, He pours His power into us and molds us to make us what He wants us to be. So we are to demonstrate His grace, power, love and compassion through all our dealings. If we fail in it at any time, we can go to Him and draw upon His powerful resources to keep going. His Spirit is within us to strengthen us to do mighty things for His kingdom. It has pleased the Lord to use us for Him and He enables us to touch the lives of others today. We must forget about ourselves and our tiny problems and leave all of it at the foot of the cross and keep moving in this world for His glory. With His power in us, we are like dynamite, ready to explode for Jesus.

Dear friend, are you looking at your weak frame and your identity as a worthless dust and get discouraged? Are you tempted to focus on your weaknesses and quit or are you challenged to boast about your self-inflated worth? Today God wants you to look at yourselves through His eyes. You are God's greatest powerhouse on earth today. When you come to Him in prayer, it is your opportunity to be humble, confess your nothingness before Him and seek His mercy and grace to touch the lives of others. Then you will be pleasantly surprised to see the power of God pass from you to the people you deal with as expressions of sympathy, love, compassion, peace, joy and patience. It has pleased God to use you today in touching the lonely, hurt, sick, depressed, despised, forsaken, friendless, poor and painful lives around you. He deals with you and makes use of you knowing that you are dust with a weak frame. But when you are filled with His power, you are usable and useful to Him and to others on His behalf. So you can forget about yourself and your puny problems because God is handling it according to His riches in glory. If you are tempted to boast about your achievements in this world, it is time you confess it as pride and ask for His forgiveness. Today let the dusts speak of God’s glories as He puts the dusts together to build His kingdom.

2 Corinthians 12:9 – My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.

Thought for Today
God uses a humble and contrite human dust to accomplish great things on earth.

Prayer for Today
Dear Lord Jesus: Help me to crucify all my pride and submit myself with all my inadequacies for your empowerment and enabling. Amen!
 _______________________________________

 Contact for prayer support and counseling without cost or obligation to todayintheword@gmail.com
 _______________________________________

Monday, January 13, 2014

COOL FIRE!!


Cool fire!

Verse for Today: Monday, January 13, 2014

Psalms 102:3 - For my days have been consumed in smoke, and my bones have been scorched like a hearth.



Life’s bitter experiences often give us the feeling of going through fire and smoke. When answers to our questions elude us and when friends and foes alike attack us, it is as if we have gone through the smoke and the hearth. These fires and smoke become unbearable as we are forced by circumstances to dwell in it without escape or release. David went through such experiences in life for years. He didn’t have the support of people who claimed to be his associates or kith and kin. There were people who went around creating stories about him and spreading gossip. His smoky life made it difficult for him to breathe and to see. He was confused about which way to turn to and which direction to follow. There were often doubts and unbelief in his heart. His distress affected his body so much so that even his bones experienced pain as if in a fiery furnace. David was a prey to the proxy warfare of the enemy of his soul who used people and circumstances to make him suffer. Like David we are sometimes forced into disillusionment and despair by our various situations which plunge us into deep depression. It takes away our hope for a brighter future. Our capacity to think will fail us in such situations. Jacob, Job, Jeremiah and Paul had to fight such emotional battles in their lives. But they had the grace to go to the presence of God to plead for mercy and strength to cope with the challenges of such bitter experiences. They got abundance of grace to face their situations. They relied on the promises of God and went forward by faith each step of the way. They cried to God and He answered each of them differently. Some got victory quickly, but others were given a closer walk with the Lord on a daily basis. They learned to keep crying to God and He kept close to them and blessed them with His holy presence and the peace that passed all understanding.



Dear friend, are you rowing your lifeboat through rough weather? Is your circumstance posing tough challenges to cope with?  Are you crying to God in distress and finding that His answers are slow to come by? But you can be absolutely sure that your God is listening to the voice of your cries and will certainly answer. When William Carey, Adoniram Judson, Hudson Taylor, Amy Carmichael, C.T. Studd, Jim Elliot and others faced situations similar to yours, they found comfort in the grace of God. But their focus and commitment were on God’s mission helped them to withstand the pressures of their cluttered situations. They found a place to go and a person to talk to in their God.  They knew that their prayers and cries for help reached God’s ears. They presented their case before God and continued in the mission which filled their hearts. In the midst of tears, intimidation, injustice and persecution, they walked the edges of His ways and found comfort and peace to keep going. These experiences strengthen our faith and mold our character. God has made you His fire on earth and challenge you to prove that fires do not fear furnace. But when you are in the hearth, the loving hands of the Lord are upon you to protect you from its ill-effects. His hands safeguard, provide for and pacify you as you go forward by faith even when you go through smoke and fire. He will see to it that it will not burn you off.



Psalms 102:2 - Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my distress; incline Your ear to me; in the day when I call answer me quickly.

Thought for Today
The Lord sends drops of His cool waters to sustain us in our circumstances of fire and smoke.


Prayer for Today
Dear Lord Jesus: Help me to enjoy your cool hands on me even as I go through fiery situations. Amen!
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Contact for prayer support and counseling without cost or obligation to todayintheword@gmail.com

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Sunday, January 12, 2014

PRAISE FROM PAIN!!

Praise from pain!
 
Verse for Today: Sunday, January 12, 2014

Psalms 147:3 - He heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds.

We go through emotional trauma when relationships rupture or when our plans fall apart and we encounter failure and loss. Problems in life situations and relationships cause more heart aches than even the attacks of germs on human bodies. Medical science has determined that it is often easier to treat and improve a physical illness than emotional illnesses caused by heartaches. Emotional hurts lead people to innumerable mental and behavioral aberrations which culminate in a long list of physical ailments. This world is a frustrating place and it causes untold miseries to human emotions. Sometimes, we get hurt because of our over-ambitions, over-expectations and uncontrolled desires for more. At other times it is caused by the conflicts in our relationships and situations which are a result of our own unwise decisions and emotional immaturity. The medicines provided by the pharmaceutical companies will only treat symptoms and not causes. But if we go to Great Physician, He will provide healing for all our hurts. The Word of God is the greatest healer here on earth now. Its power penetrates our souls and will give us comfort and peace in times of great agonies in life. We get healed as we submit our hurts to the Father in prayer, He will fill us with His Spirit to produce love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, gentleness and self control which are Christ-like emotions in facing our situations. We must admit to the Great Physician our emotional wounds and ask Him to heal us of the wounds and sorrows of our souls. Remember, He is the Healer of all our infirmities and He makes us whole. He comes to bind our stripes and sooth our hearts with His love.

Dear friend, are you weary and feeling miserable because of the wounds in your life? Are you broken hearted and feeling deep pain and agony in your soul because of the hurt? Do you find it difficult to concentrate on anything and have you lost your appetite and sleep? Are you in distress and sorrow because of the deep wounds and feelings of loneliness you have in your soul? But you don’t need to lose hope because the Great Physician is coming your way today to touch and heal your broken heart. He is available to you no matter what pain you are going through. He understands your misery as He is your best friend to share all our burdens and sorrows. He is a patient listener to all your prayers. He is willing and ready to help you to remove all tensions, distress and anxieties. He wants to carry all your burdens and so you don't need to carry it yourself. It is best to take your burdens and pain to the Lord and keep it at His feet. He will help you unburden yourself. He will send healing to your soul and fill you with the Joy of the Lord which will be your strength as you face tough situations. He binds your sorrows and wounds and pours in His oil and wine for perfect healing. There are some burdens for which there are no human answer or cure, and so there is no use lamenting over it or lose our joy. Leave those irresolvable burdens to the Lord and bury it at the foot of the cross. The Lord will help you to find peace in all situations and relationships and give you victory. Jesus Christ is the solution to all your concerns if you give it all to Him and rest a while. It will cause you to praise Him for your wounds which He heals and pain which He wipes away. 

Psalms 107:20 - He sent His Word and healed them and delivered them from their destruction.

Thought for Today
When God touches and heals us, even our broken bones will rejoice.

Prayer for Today
Dear Lord Jesus: Touch me today to heal my broken heart and wipe away my pain and misery. Amen!
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Contact for prayer support and counseling without cost or obligation to todayintheword@gmail.com
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Saturday, January 11, 2014

CARE AND CONFIDENCE!!

Care and confidence!

Verse for Today: Saturday, January 11, 2014

Psalms 138:7 - Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch forth Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and Your right hand will save me.

All of us go through troubles of some kind or other in life. There is physical, emotional, social and spiritual care that we are encountered with. The enemy of our soul manipulates circumstances and people to cause us trouble. Some troubles are because we are thoughtless and careless. When we thus suffer, we are prone to be depressed and disillusioned. The enemy will then conclude that we will go down the drain and will never get out of it. The circumstances will keep telling the believer that there will be no hope for them and that things will become worse as days go by. The enemy will show the negatives of circumstances to increase our tension and add to our agonies. Sometimes we are filled with superstition and negative perspectives which clutter our minds with confusion, doubt, fear and anxiety. Sometimes we plunge into self pity and guilt. Such psychological attacks on us will further weaken us and drain our spiritual energy. But even while we are in the midst of great troubles and turmoil, our Lord will answer our prayers and come to revive our sagging souls. He will visit us in our deepest gloom to brighten our dark valleys. His mighty hands will encompass around us and pour His strength into our hearts. His words of comfort will re-energize and revive us. He appears even during the fourth watch when it seems impossible to get out of the troubles. He will take away our fear and doubts. He will calm our hearts and give us peace and rest in the midst of troubles. He will lift us up from our troubled waters and place us on firm ground.

Dear friend, are you caught in the web of heightened troubles of various kinds? Are troubled situations driving their cruel nails onto your emotions? Is the situation taking away your confidence and courage?  Are your doubts and confusions increasing day by day and are you plunged into hopelessness and despair? But in the midst of it all, you are not alone. Your Lord is with you and He is holding you in His hands lest anything untoward happens to you. He knows the depth of your troubles and will take you through it unhurt. He will make you rest on His broad shoulders. No force in this universe is capable to overpower the Lord's hands which protect you. His right hand will stretch out for you. Remember, these were the hands which stretched out on the cross of Calvary to be nailed for your sins. These nail-pierced hands are there to strengthen you and take you out of all your present troubles. The friends of Job tried to tell him that there was no hope for you. But at the end, they were proved wrong and the Lord showed everyone around that there was nothing impossible with Him. He who was with Daniel in the Lion's den and with his three friends in the fiery furnace of Nebuchadnezzar is the same Lord who is with you. He is alive today and works for your welfare. He is mindful of you. He comes to sympathize with you and to deliver you from all your troubles. Today you are challenged to renew your trust in Him and tell Him that you are waiting for His mighty hands to revive you. Continue to rest in His promises. Even at the fourth watch, when everything looks bleak, there is hope in the Lord. Trust in His right hand, His concern and compassion for you today.

Psalms 138:3 - On the day I called, You (the Lord) answered me; You made me bold with strength in my soul.

Thought for Today
We can withstand all pressures of our situations as we dwell in the mighty hands of our God.

Prayer for Today
Dear Lord Jesus: Keep my heart at rest in You in the midst of all my troubles. Amen!
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Contact for prayer support and counseling without cost or obligation to todayintheword@gmail.com
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