The Lord Is Our Light

Psalm 27:1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Often we are reminded of light’s importance when the electricity fails during the night and we are forced to stumble around in the dark. Once we find a flashlight, however, we maneuver through the house with greater confidence and certainty than before. In a similar way, God is our light, illuminating our way and alerting us to potential danger around us. His light reveals our sin as well, so that we may confess it and find forgiveness. As the Lord’s brilliant presence floods our soul, it dispels the darkness of our doubt and despair, and we receive confidence in our Lord and Savior. May we praise God that He is our light and our salvation.

Ten Ways To Renew Your Spirit

Ever get depleted? Ever reach the bottom of the barrel when it comes to spiritual energy or passion?

Don’t overreact! It doesn’t necessarily mean you’re doing all the wrong things with your life.

You’re faith is probably still alive and well. There’s no need to go AWOL. Don’t start doubting every good decision or direction in your life.

You probably just need to restore—to let God revive your spirit. God’s Word is filled with ways to find new strength and to renew your spirit. Here is a quick glimpse at ten of them:

1. Walk with God—nothing will restore your soul like time with God. Find a place where you can have quiet and calm. No distractions, no time-limits, no pre-planned structure, no agenda—just be with Him. Get outdoors and literally walk—with God. This will change your perspective on nearly everything! (Gen. 6:9)

2. Cast Your Cares Upon Him—while you’re with God, you might as well put everything you’re carrying in His hands, including yourself! He already knows about it all. You’re not hiding anything from Him. Nothing you’re feeling or thinking will surprise Him, and He invites you to cast it all upon Him any way—so go for it! (1 Peter 5:7)

3. Meditate on Biblical Principles—choose a passage, a promise, or a verse and just rest upon it. Chew on it slowly and let it sink deep. Find a place to jot down some reflections. What you meditate upon has much to do with your attitudes and actions. (Ps. 1:2)

4. Listen to Godly Music—whether with an iPod, a CD player, or just your voice—set aside time to really listen to Christ-honoring music. Think about the message and let God’s Holy Spirit restore and encourage you. Music is one of God’s great gifts to help us walk in the Spirit. (Ps. 118:14)

5. Read an Encouraging Book—pick up something biblical and enjoyable—a biography of a great Christian or an inspirational book. Make sure it connects to some practical aspect of your life. (Prov. 25:11)

6. Serve Someone Else—could be your spouse, your kids, your neighbor, a church member, or a local restaurant owner. There’s something really refreshing about choosing to perform a random act of kindness “just because.” If you’re wondering who the Holy Spirit would have you serve, just ask Him. I promise He will bring a name to your mind almost immediately. (1 Cor. 9:19)

7. Share the Gospel with Someone—No matter what’s going on in your life, your whole perspective changes when you set the burdens aside and just share the gospel. Even if you don’t see someone saved, it’s good to know you are laboring together with God. (Eph. 6:15)

8. Rest—sounds so unspiritual compared to the others doesn’t it? But it’s not only spiritual—it’s vital! Quite often, we just run on empty, physically speaking. Sometimes the best thing you can do is “crash!” Don’t set the alarm. Actually sleep, and don’t feel guilty about it. When you’re recharged, you’ll get three times as much done than if you had continued trying to be productive on fumes! (Ps. 127:2)

9. Spend Time with Someone You Love—your spouse, your family, a godly friend. Right relationships are energizing. They have a restoring and renewing quality. Go ahead and spend yourself for others, but be sure you carve out time to be with those who strengthen you in the Lord as well. (Prov. 17:17)

10. Use Your Spiritual Gift(s)—take your unique personality combined with God’s Divine enabling(s) in your life, and put them to use for His purposes. Do what you’re really good at—but do it for God. This is “over-the-top” fun and eternally significant. Nothing puts fresh wind in your sails like investing your life and resources into eternity. (1 Peter 4:10)

When you’re engaging in biblical, renewing activities (like these) then it’s only a matter of time before God breathes new strength into your spiritual life. Patiently enjoy His presence as He renews your strength. (Isa. 40:31)

Thanks to Bro. Cary Schmidt for these insights.

How God Answers Prayer

Too often, people view God as a great cosmic wish granter: they think of their prayers not as petitions, but as demands. Then, if God does not grant their request, they’re thrown into a faith crisis, believing He no longer answers them. The real problem, however, is that they misunderstand how God answers prayer:

Yes. We love this response! There’s nothing more exhilarating or faith-inspiring than watching the Lord move mountains in order to provide what we once saw as impossible.

No. Here is where the problems begin for us. But we must accept the fact that God says “no” to some of our requests. This is certainly not because He’s greedy or uncaring—on the contrary, He is generous, loving, and concerned about His children.

Matthew 7:11 does not say God will give “everything to those who ask Him.” No, it says that our heavenly Father will give what is good to those who ask. Quite often, giving “what is good” means that He doesn’t agree to things He knows are wrong for us.

Wait. This answer can be even harder than a flat-out “no.” Yet some things that are good and right may still be wrong for us today. Remember, God is eternal; He sees all time at the same time. If He regards tomorrow’s blessing as a not goo for us today, He’ll withhold it for a season until we’re ready to receive it.

Do not be misled if God’s response is not what you expected—or wanted—to hear. Instead, praise the Lord for answering our requests the way He knows they should be answered!

Having a Rich Prayer Life

Ephesians 3:16-19

Conversations that are repetitive can cause us to lose interest. Prayer is conversation with our heavenly Father. If we reduce our prayers to a formula or routine, the effect can weaken our desire to talk to God. Paul's prayers are just the opposite—energizing and full of life.

Consider his words as recorded in Ephesians chapter three. He asked God to help the Ephesians (and, in fact, all believers): To live life in God's supernatural power. (verse 16-17a) The most important battles take place on the inside of us—in our mind and emotions. Paul asked God to strengthen our "inner man" so we can stand firm. He desired that our conduct be increasingly controlled by the Holy Spirit. That way, we can exhibit the life of Jesus in greater measure.

The apostle also asked God to help us comprehend Christ's all-embracing love for us. (verse 17b-19) Paul wanted us to know three things about this subject: 1) We are rooted and established in the love of God, who sacrificed His Son for us, and in the love of Jesus, who died in our place; 2) Our life in Jesus is to be nourished by His unchanging affection for us; and 3) Christ's agape love is so wide and deep that it surpasses our understanding. Experiencing Jesus' love gives us confidence to face whatever God allows in our life. It also enables us to care deeply for others.

The apostle Paul based his praise and petitions on the truths of God. The result was a rich and powerful prayer life. What about your your prayer life—is it growing stale? Follow Paul's example and pray the Scriptures. Imagine how exciting it will be to see God answer your requests according to His Word.

Making Good Decisions

Genesis 25: 27-34
Scripture confirms that the familiar expression, “You reap what you sow,” is accurate (Job 4:8; Prov. 11:18). Esau learned this truth the hard way. Famished, he returned from hunting and requested a bowl of the stew his brother was cooking. Jacob seized upon the opportunity—he agreed to share the food in exchange for his older twin’s birthright.

In Old Testament times, the firstborn enjoyed special privileges, which included authority over younger siblings, a double share of the inheritance, and the honored position as spiritual leader over the family. Yet Esau, deciding that food was more of a necessity right then, traded his birthright for dinner. He later grieved to realize what was lost, but at that point, it was too late. Like Esau, we all face critical choices at times. While God offers forgiveness for poor decisions, the consequences remain. So we must learn how to choose wisely.

We should take to heart two warnings from this story. First, to be able to distinguish our best options, we should wait until we are physically, emotionally, and spiritually stable. Esau allowed hunger to cloud his thinking.

Second, it is often important to delay gratification. For example, though a person may be eager to purchase a car, it is wise to shop around for the best deal. Though our human desires feel overwhelming at times, we should prayerfully wait for God’s timing.

Think about the longings that you have. Pray for wisdom and patience so that you can make godly decisions during critical times.

The Lord and Our Work

Ecc. 2:24-25
24 There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God. 25 For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I?

The Preacher (Solomon) observed the lack of joy and enthusiasm with which people in his kingdom labored. For most people, work was simply work— hard and unsatisfying. After thousands of years, not much has changed, since Adam’s curse of unsatisfying work remains today for those who have not been redeemed. Many workers today detest their job; the vast majority endures it at best. Those who follow God, however, can find purpose and satisfaction even in the routine and mundane if they perform their work as an offering before God. For, as the Preacher noted, all good pleasure comes from God. May we praise God for allowing us to find satisfaction in our work; especially HIS work!

God Shields Us With His Love

Psalm 5:12 For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.

Using the imagery of war, David reflects on God’s protection in the battles of life. The Lord surrounds us with a shield of love that protects us from enemy attack. But even when the force of the blows knock us down, leaving us with a feeling of defeat, the Lord picks us up again and gives us strength to continue. Rest in God’s protection and thank him for his shield of love around you.