Centuries ago, a king had a group of his soldiers place a large stone in the middle of a road during the night. They worked in silence, following his orders, because he wanted no one to see them place a sack beneath the stone.
The next day he sat silently in a balcony where no one could see him and watched as the people passed by. All of them looked at the stone, paused a moment, and then walked around it. Some became angry and wanted to know who could possibly have a reason to interrupt their lives with such a horrible inconvenience. Others cursed the stone, thinking that their oaths would make a difference, and the stone would move under its own power.
Finally, an elderly peasant paused, looked at the stone, and then summoned all of his strength and pushed it out of the way. To his surprise, he discovered a purse beneath the stone. When he opened it, he discovered many gold coins and a note from the king. The note read: “Whoever moves this stone is entitled to the coins in this purse.”
God works “in everything,” according to the Apostle Paul, “for our good.” It does not mean that whatever happens to us is “good.” But that “good” will come to us if we fulfill His purpose for our lives as we grow into His likeness.
Prayer: Give us, Dear Father, the vision to see every obstacle in life as an opportunity to grow into Your likeness. May we face each barrier we face as a gift for our growth. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture For Today: And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28
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Obstacles Can Be Opportunities
Centuries ago, a king had a group of his soldiers place a large stone in the middle of a road during the night. They worked in silence, following his orders, because he wanted no one to see them place a sack beneath the stone.
The next day he sat silently in a balcony where no one could see him and watched as the people passed by. All of them looked at the stone, paused a moment, and then walked around it. Some became angry and wanted to know who could possibly have a reason to interrupt their lives with such a horrible inconvenience. Others cursed the stone, thinking that their oaths would make a difference, and the stone would move under its own power.
Finally, an elderly peasant paused, looked at the stone, and then summoned all of his strength and pushed it out of the way. To his surprise, he discovered a purse beneath the stone. When he opened it, he discovered many gold coins and a note from the king. The note read: “Whoever moves this stone is entitled to the coins in this purse.”
God works “in everything,” according to the Apostle Paul, “for our good.” It does not mean that whatever happens to us is “good.” But that “good” will come to us if we fulfill His purpose for our lives as we grow into His likeness.
Prayer: Give us, Dear Father, the vision to see every obstacle in life as an opportunity to grow into Your likeness. May we face each barrier we face as a gift for our growth. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture For Today: And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28
Were you helped by today's devotional? Leave a comment and let us know!
The next day he sat silently in a balcony where no one could see him and watched as the people passed by. All of them looked at the stone, paused a moment, and then walked around it. Some became angry and wanted to know who could possibly have a reason to interrupt their lives with such a horrible inconvenience. Others cursed the stone, thinking that their oaths would make a difference, and the stone would move under its own power.
Finally, an elderly peasant paused, looked at the stone, and then summoned all of his strength and pushed it out of the way. To his surprise, he discovered a purse beneath the stone. When he opened it, he discovered many gold coins and a note from the king. The note read: “Whoever moves this stone is entitled to the coins in this purse.”
God works “in everything,” according to the Apostle Paul, “for our good.” It does not mean that whatever happens to us is “good.” But that “good” will come to us if we fulfill His purpose for our lives as we grow into His likeness.
Prayer: Give us, Dear Father, the vision to see every obstacle in life as an opportunity to grow into Your likeness. May we face each barrier we face as a gift for our growth. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture For Today: And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28
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Say What Is!
The editor of the classified ad section of a newspaper noticed the cornerstone of a large cathedral in New York City. She paused to read the words and became intrigued.
Walking into the church, she made her way down the aisle and finally found the pastor’s study. Politely she asked if he had a moment to speak with her.
Seated in front of his desk, she introduced herself and said, “I noticed the words on the cornerstone that quoted the words of Jesus: ‘Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils.’ Do you do those things here?”
“Oh, no,” came the reply. “Years ago, they were placed there because the congregation thought they sounded good.”
“Well,” she replied, “if you don’t do those things, you shouldn’t advertise that you do.”
It is one thing to say that we believe the gospel but quite another thing to show others that we believe the gospel. Often we speak the words of the Bible as citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven but do not live by its rules. Again, we may verbalize the teachings of Jesus, but quite another thing is to verify the value of His words with our life. If we say it and believe it, we ought to do it, and the goal of what we do should honor our Savior and Lord!
Prayer: Help us, Lord, to live our faith. We ask that You give us the courage to do what we ought to do wherever we are to show others we belong to Your Kingdom. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture For Today: Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel. Philippians 1:27
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Walking into the church, she made her way down the aisle and finally found the pastor’s study. Politely she asked if he had a moment to speak with her.
Seated in front of his desk, she introduced herself and said, “I noticed the words on the cornerstone that quoted the words of Jesus: ‘Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils.’ Do you do those things here?”
“Oh, no,” came the reply. “Years ago, they were placed there because the congregation thought they sounded good.”
“Well,” she replied, “if you don’t do those things, you shouldn’t advertise that you do.”
It is one thing to say that we believe the gospel but quite another thing to show others that we believe the gospel. Often we speak the words of the Bible as citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven but do not live by its rules. Again, we may verbalize the teachings of Jesus, but quite another thing is to verify the value of His words with our life. If we say it and believe it, we ought to do it, and the goal of what we do should honor our Savior and Lord!
Prayer: Help us, Lord, to live our faith. We ask that You give us the courage to do what we ought to do wherever we are to show others we belong to Your Kingdom. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture For Today: Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel. Philippians 1:27
Were you helped by today's devotional? Leave a comment and let us know!
Say What Is!
The editor of the classified ad section of a newspaper noticed the cornerstone of a large cathedral in New York City. She paused to read the words and became intrigued.
Walking into the church, she made her way down the aisle and finally found the pastor’s study. Politely she asked if he had a moment to speak with her.
Seated in front of his desk, she introduced herself and said, “I noticed the words on the cornerstone that quoted the words of Jesus: ‘Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils.’ Do you do those things here?”
“Oh, no,” came the reply. “Years ago, they were placed there because the congregation thought they sounded good.”
“Well,” she replied, “if you don’t do those things, you shouldn’t advertise that you do.”
It is one thing to say that we believe the gospel but quite another thing to show others that we believe the gospel. Often we speak the words of the Bible as citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven but do not live by its rules. Again, we may verbalize the teachings of Jesus, but quite another thing is to verify the value of His words with our life. If we say it and believe it, we ought to do it, and the goal of what we do should honor our Savior and Lord!
Prayer: Help us, Lord, to live our faith. We ask that You give us the courage to do what we ought to do wherever we are to show others we belong to Your Kingdom. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture For Today: Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel. Philippians 1:27
Were you helped by today's devotional? Leave a comment and let us know!
Walking into the church, she made her way down the aisle and finally found the pastor’s study. Politely she asked if he had a moment to speak with her.
Seated in front of his desk, she introduced herself and said, “I noticed the words on the cornerstone that quoted the words of Jesus: ‘Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils.’ Do you do those things here?”
“Oh, no,” came the reply. “Years ago, they were placed there because the congregation thought they sounded good.”
“Well,” she replied, “if you don’t do those things, you shouldn’t advertise that you do.”
It is one thing to say that we believe the gospel but quite another thing to show others that we believe the gospel. Often we speak the words of the Bible as citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven but do not live by its rules. Again, we may verbalize the teachings of Jesus, but quite another thing is to verify the value of His words with our life. If we say it and believe it, we ought to do it, and the goal of what we do should honor our Savior and Lord!
Prayer: Help us, Lord, to live our faith. We ask that You give us the courage to do what we ought to do wherever we are to show others we belong to Your Kingdom. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture For Today: Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel. Philippians 1:27
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The Limits Of Truth
It was a tense trial. The man who was facing severe charges needed someone to testify to his trustworthiness. One of his friends was called to the stand as a witness. He was asked, “Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?”
He quietly responded, “Yes, I do.”
The judge turned to him and asked, “Do you understand the meaning of that oath?”
“Yes, your Honor, I do,” he replied. And then added, “But under those conditions, I don’t have much to say.”
What a thoughtful, cautious response. He had much that he could say, but he was clear about what he would not say. His mind was “full,” but he chose to keep his mouth “empty.”
Whatever we put into our minds eventually comes out of our mouths and is ultimately seen in our behavior. Paul advised us to “program” our minds to “Think about things that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, and worthy of praise.” What a challenge!
If we take Paul’s advice seriously and pause to consider the importance of what we allow to enter our minds, we might be quite surprised. As people of “habits,” we do things out of routines that have been established over the years. These routines define who we are. So...
Whatever we look at or read, think on or talk about, listen to and meditate on, will impact the way we behave. There is a predictable path: from head to heart to habit
Prayer: Heavenly Father, fill our minds with thoughts that come from Your Word that will draw us so close to You. Then we will speak words that are “worthy of praise.” In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture For Today: Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8
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He quietly responded, “Yes, I do.”
The judge turned to him and asked, “Do you understand the meaning of that oath?”
“Yes, your Honor, I do,” he replied. And then added, “But under those conditions, I don’t have much to say.”
What a thoughtful, cautious response. He had much that he could say, but he was clear about what he would not say. His mind was “full,” but he chose to keep his mouth “empty.”
Whatever we put into our minds eventually comes out of our mouths and is ultimately seen in our behavior. Paul advised us to “program” our minds to “Think about things that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, and worthy of praise.” What a challenge!
If we take Paul’s advice seriously and pause to consider the importance of what we allow to enter our minds, we might be quite surprised. As people of “habits,” we do things out of routines that have been established over the years. These routines define who we are. So...
Whatever we look at or read, think on or talk about, listen to and meditate on, will impact the way we behave. There is a predictable path: from head to heart to habit
Prayer: Heavenly Father, fill our minds with thoughts that come from Your Word that will draw us so close to You. Then we will speak words that are “worthy of praise.” In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture For Today: Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8
Were you helped by today's devotional? Leave a comment and let us know!
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