Bible League: Living His Word If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.— Proverbs 24:10 NKJV Now’s not the time to give up! Now’s not the time to give in! After all, you’ve been through a lot to get to this point. When defeat happened, you just picked up the pieces and put them back together for a new march forward. The Lord was on your side and the confidence that gave you made you strong. It kept you going no matter what. It’s true, this time is different. This time you’re going through something you’ve never been through before. Calling it a “day of adversity” doesn’t begin to capture what it’s doing to you. It’s like Satan has decided to make one last charge against you. Your day of destiny is in view and it’s the last thing he wants to have happen. He delights in working against your best interests. He growls and roars as he attempts to swallow you whole (1 Peter 5:8). Will this be the day he finally gets to you? Will now be the time of your demise? It’s also true that you’re feeling a little weak this time. The possibility of fainting is real. Maybe all the battling and fighting has finally gotten to you. You think to yourself, “No one will find fault with me. I’ve come a long way. They’ll understand if I give up. It’s been a good run. I deserve the rest. It’s time that someone else takes up the effort. It’s time for new blood and new strategies. Indeed, it would be selfish of me to keep going. Everyone has to quit at some point, don’t they?” Don’t do it! Don’t faint on the day of adversity! Your strength is not that small. You have what it takes. You have it because the Lord has given it to you. “He gives strength to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength,” (Isaiah 40:29). And He’ll keep giving it to you. When you go forth, the strength will be there, especially when you need it the most. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingExodus 29, 30 Exodus 29 -- Consecration, Sacrifices, Food of the Priests NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Exodus 30 -- Altar of Incense, Atonement Money, Basin, Anointing oil NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Matthew 22:1-22 Matthew 22 -- Parable of the Wedding Banquet; Render to Caesar; the Greatest Commandment; Sadducees Question Jesus NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion You can be sure of this:The LORD set apart the godly for himself. The LORD will answer when I call to him. Insight The godly are those who are faithful and devoted to God. David knew that God would hear him when he called and would answer him. We too can be confident that God listens to our prayers and answers when we call on him. Sometimes we think that God will not hear us because we have fallen short of his high standards for holy living. But if we have trusted Christ for salvation, God has forgiven us, and he will listen to us. Challenge When you feel as though your prayers are bouncing off the ceiling, remember that as a believer you have been set apart by God and that he loves you. He hears and answers, although his answers may not be what you expect. Look at your problems in the light of God's power instead of looking at God in the shadow of your problems. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon 1 Chronicles 4:22 And these are ancient things.Yet not so ancient as those precious things which are the delight of our souls. Let us for a moment recount them, telling them over as misers count their gold. The sovereign choice of the Father, by which he elected us unto eternal life, or ever the earth was, is a matter of vast antiquity, since no date can be conceived for it by the mind of man. We were chosen from before the foundations of the world. Everlasting love went with the choice, for it was not a bare act of divine will by which we were set apart, but the divine affections were concerned. The Father loved us in and from the beginning. Here is a theme for daily contemplation. The eternal purpose to redeem us from our foreseen ruin, to cleanse and sanctify us, and at last to glorify us, was of infinite antiquity, and runs side by side with immutable love and absolute sovereignty. The covenant is always described as being everlasting, and Jesus, the second party in it, had his goings forth of old; he struck hands in sacred suretyship long ere the first of the stars began to shine, and it was in him that the elect were ordained unto eternal life. Thus in the divine purpose a most blessed covenant union was established between the Son of God and his elect people, which will remain as the foundation of their safety when time shall be no more. Is it not well to be conversant with these ancient things? Is it not shameful that they should be so much neglected and even rejected by the bulk of professors? If they knew more of their own sin, would they not be more ready to adore distinguishing grace? Let us both admire and adore tonight, as we sing-- "A monument of grace, A sinner saved by blood; The streams of love I trace Up to the Fountain, God; And in his sacred bosom see Eternal thoughts of Love to me." Daily Light on the Daily Path 1 Corinthians 15:41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.Mark 9:34,35 But they kept silent, for on the way they had discussed with one another which of them was the greatest. • Sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them, "If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all." 1 Peter 5:5,6 You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE. • Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, Philippians 2:5-7,9,10 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, • who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, • but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. • For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, • so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, Daniel 12:3 "Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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