Child of God

1 John 3:2 (ESV)

Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

It is easy to begin feeling bad about yourself. You start to look at what other people have, or the things they say and wonder, what is wrong with me? Why can’t I look like that, or say those funny things that make everyone laugh. If you’re not careful, you can begin to really get down on yourself.

So on those days when you really feel like you’re just not likable, or when you feel like you’ve really messed up again, begin thinking about today’s Bible verse. This verse shows us a powerful truth, that we are children of God. It doesn’t tell us that we’re trying to become God’s children, or that one day we will be God’s children. No, it tells us that we are God’s children now. That means we don’t have to do anything or change anything to become God’s child. Its something you already have.

So as you go about doing all the things you do today, remember what today’s verse says. Remember that you are God’s child. That means a lot! That means that you’re important to God and that He’s got great plans for your life. So don’t get discouraged. Choose to dwell on the truths found in today’s Bible verse and begin seeing yourself like God sees you, as His child.

Dear Lord, we thank You that we are Your child. When we start to get down help us to remember that You are Heavenly Father is control. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Keep sowing the seeds

Galatians 6:8-9 (ESV)

8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

A young man who had been raised as an atheist was training to be an Olympic diver. The only religious influence in his life came from his outspoken Christian friend. The young diver never really paid much attention to his friend's sermons, but he heard them often.

One night the diver went to the indoor pool at the college he attended. The lights were all off, but as the pool had big skylights and the moon was bright, there was plenty of light to practice by. The young man climbed up to the highest diving board.

As he turned his back to the pool, on the edge of the board and extended his arms out, he saw his shadow on the wall. The shadow of his body was in the shape of a cross. Suddenly, he felt a strange feeling, like someone was speaking to him. Instead of diving, he knelt down and finally asked God to come into his life.

As the young man stood in deep reverence before the Lord, a maintenance man walked in and turned on the lights. The pool had been drained for repairs.

Mm. Sometimes we get frustrated. It seems like our words are falling on deaf ears and that our loved ones will never see the truth. But we never know how God is working in those for whom we've been praying. He often has a plan we know nothing about!

Let's not be discouraged when we don't see the fruit right away. God knows the day and the hour and He will be faithful to follow through. Keep praying. Keep sharing. Keep sowing the seed!

Dear Lord, help us to not get discouraged as we share our faith with those around us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Be encouraged

1 Corinthians 4:2 (ESV)

Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.

In the early 1800's a preacher gave a message to call men to join him on the mission field in Africa. In the audience were only a few women along with a boy. The pastor knew that few women were expected to volunteer to face harsh African jungle conditions. However, he gave the message; and no one responded. What he didn't realize was that he had touched the heart of a little boy whose name was David Livingstone. This boy would grow up to spend the rest of his life ministering to Africa's unreached tribes.

David Livingstone was touched by the faithfulness of a pastor who gave his message when there seemed to be no obvious fruit from its delivery – and that made all the difference! The lesson is this: we are not in charge of results, but only responsible to be faithful to what God has given us to do. You may not be seeing any fruit from your obedient labor at the moment – it may appear next week, next year or a century from now, but in its time the fruit will appear, and may be greater than you could have ever imagined. Heaven will, one day, reveal the fruit of lives we have touched by our faithfulness!

Be encouraged – and don't give up. Your faithful stewardship will produce its true harvest which will never fade or pass away!

Dear Lord, help us be faithful and not give up when there seems to be no fruit. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Have you been disappointed recently?

Romans 16:25-27 (ESV)

25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26 but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— 27 to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.

In the year 1920, young Oswald Smith stood before the examining board for the selection of missionaries. He had wanted to be a missionary for as long as he could remember, and for all that time had been crying out to God that He might open a door for him to do so. Finally, his time had come. There he stood awaiting his destiny. His long-awaited was about to come..."No."

Smith had not met the missionary board's qualifications and was turned down for service. After a time of disappointment, he decided that if he couldn't be a missionary, he would build a church which would raise up some. And that is precisely what he did. The church he planted sent out more missionaries than any other church of its time. And God used Oswald Smith mightily for His Kingdom.

This is what happens when we don't let our circumstances rule us. We will always be victorious.

Have you been disappointed recently? Not all our hopes and expectations come to pass like we think they should. Let's not let it get us down. Surely God has something better! Continue to seek. Continue to knock. Continue to ask. Continue to get revelation. We need to be walking in victory!

Dear Lord, we pray today that when we are disappointed in the circumstances help us to look to You for what You have next for us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.  

Do You Feel Useless?

Matthew 22:39 (NIV)

And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.

Abbé Adolphe-Julien Fouré's vision was to become a priest and to serve the people of his beloved Brittany. He did this with passion until he had a stroke at the age of 55, which left him completely deaf as well as mute. He had no choice but to retire from his clerical duties.

In his shoes, I would have felt quite depressed, useless, like I was a burden to society. It's quite easy in such times to start hating ourselves!

He was determined, however, to not become discouraged. He decided to move to the village of Rothéneuf, near Saint-Malo in France. Although he could now neither hear nor speak, he was inspired to begin carving sculptures, some of wood, and others from the living rock. He was so determined that even today more than 120 years after he had dedicated himself to this task, more than 300 of his rock sculptures can still be seen.

He became an inspiration to his entire region. If a deaf/mute could make such an impact to society, every one of us, whether handicapped or not, could have a similar impact on the world! The problem is that we tend to relish being swallowed up by self-pity. After all, when we find ourselves rejected and abandoned by our loved ones, we tend to feel unlovable, and we easily conclude that we are worthless. It doesn't take long for us to begin to hate ourselves!

May we learn from Abbé Adolphe-Julien Fouré that the only thing that can stop us from being useful is our own attitude! Nothing can hinder us from loving others, as long as we refuse to submit to discouragement.

One of my favorite characters in the Bible is King David. He, too, had many opportunities to thoroughly hate himself and feel completely useless. Some of us can completely identify with David when he wrote:

"My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak. Because of all my enemies, I am the utter contempt of my neighbors and an object of dread to my closest friends- those who see me on the street flee from me. I am forgotten as though I were dead; I have become like broken pottery." (Psalms 31:10-12, NIV2)

Do you feel at times like a broken plate? I haven't met anyone that hasn't felt this way at one time or another. We are human after all!

How would we have felt if we had been in David's shoes? Like a broken plate as well? How would we feel when the king that we serve and who is also our father-in-law, wants to completely destroy us and uses every means at his disposal to do so? But as if that isn't bad enough, his brothers also mocked him, and his own son, Absalom, usurped his throne, making him run for his life a second time.

Calamities were part of David's life, and he, too, could have ended up becoming completely discouraged. He didn't though. Instead he developed an intimate relationship with His Heavenly Father, who sustained Him during those desperate times. Because of this, David could boldly proclaim: "But I trust in you, LORD; I say, 'You are my God.'" (Psalms 31:14, NIV2) He became a pillar of faith, so much that God declared about him: "'I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart . . .'" (Acts 13:22b, NIV2)

Although David made many horrible mistakes, he never stopped trying to serve God with all of his heart. The many psalms he wrote are an indication of where his hope was anchored.

May we remember that self-pity will only lead to heartache, and eventually we may end up hating ourselves. Love cannot bloom in such circumstances, unless we let God fill us with His love.

You can make a difference in this world, no matter what your handicap might be.

Dear Lord, help us not get discouraged with our circumstances or our handicap. Help us to use what You have given to us.  Thank You for using us if we are willing. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

The Goal or The Journey?

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (New International Version)

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

If you have ever been discouraged because of failure, please read on. For often, achieving what you set out to do is not the important thing. 

Two brothers decided to dig a deep hole behind their house. As they were working, a couple of older boys stopped by to watch.

"What are you doing?" asked one of the visitors.

"We plan to dig a hole all the way through the earth!" one of the brothers volunteered excitedly.

The older boys began to laugh, telling the younger ones that digging a hole all the way through the earth was impossible.

After a long silence, one of the diggers picked up a jar full of spiders, worms and a wide assortment of insects. He removed the lid and showed the wonderful contents to the scoffing visitors.

Then he said quietly and confidently, "Even if we don't dig all the way through the earth, look what we found along the way!"

Their goal was far too ambitious, but it did cause them to dig. And that is what a goal is for -- to cause us to move in the direction we have chosen; in other words, to set us to digging!

But not every goal will be fully achieved. Not every job will end successfully. Not every relationship will endure. Not every hope will come to pass. Not every love will last. Not every will be completed. Not every dream will be realized. But when you fall short of your aim, perhaps you can say, "Yes, but look at what I found along the way! Look at the wonderful things which have come into my life because I tried to do something!"

It is in the digging that life is lived. And I believe it is joy in the journey, in the end, that truly matters. Share that joy with those around you today. God has given us so much let’s share it with others.

Dear Lord we thank You for the journey. We pray that we would look at the joys along the way and not be focused on the end. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Are You Discouraged Today?

1 Thessalonians 5:11 (New International Version)

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

Alexander Solzhenitsyn is one of the leading Russian writers of the 20th century. He was born in Kislovodsk on December 11, 1918. A brilliant student, he graduated from the University of Rostov-on-Don majoring in physics and mathematics. He served in the Red Army and rose to the rank of Captain. In 1945 he was arrested after writing critical remarks in a letter to a friend. He was sentenced to eight years of hard labor. In 1950, he was transferred to the most dreaded labor camp in Kazakhstan. In 1952, with less than a year to go to his release, Alexander was losing hope. Weakened from the years of beatings and malnutrition, he came up with a plan. He would end it all by stopping his work and letting the guards beat him to death. Alexander leaned on his shovel, but as he did, a Christian prisoner next to him quickly drew a cross in the dirt at Alexander's feet. Then as just as quickly, the man erased it before a guard could see it. Alexander was a believer, and he later wrote that he was energized by that man's silent act of encouragement to remind him of his hope in Christ.

Are you discouraged today? Look to the Lord, for He is our eternal hope! Today give all of your discouragements and sadness to Jesus and He will strengthen you with hope.

Dear Lord we pray that we would not get discouraged, but that we would turn everything over to you. We thank You for always being there to lift us up and keep us going. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

When You Think Nobody is Listening.

Ecclesiastes 11:6 (New International Version)

Sow your seed in the morning,

   and at evening let your hands not be idle,

for you do not know which will succeed,

   whether this or that,

   or whether both will do equally well.

When Robert Moffat, Scottish missionary to South Africa, came home to recruit helpers in his homeland, he was greeted by the fury of a cold British winter. Arriving at the church where he was to speak, he noted that only a small group had braved the elements to hear his appeal. What disturbed him even more was that there were only ladies in attendance that night, for he had chosen as his text, "Unto you, O men, I call" (Proverbs 8:4).

When he gave his appeal that night, nobody answered the call or volunteered for missionary service. But what Moffat almost didn't see was a small boy in the loft who had come to work the bellows of the organ and he was greatly challenged by the message.

Deciding that he would follow in the footsteps of this pioneer missionary, he went on to school, obtained a degree in medicine, and then spent the rest of his life ministering to the unreached tribes of Africa. His name? David Livingstone!

Dear Lord we pray today that we would not to become discouraged when we see little or no results, but that we would keep faithfully serving You no matter what. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Lessons from a Wasp.

John 14:6-7 (New International Version)



6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

One fine day there was a young boy minding his own business, doing his spelling test when a wasp DARED enter the kitchen. He HATEs wasps, because one stung him in the ear once.
He ran out of the kitchen. As he ran he prayed to Jesus that mom could catch the wasp and put him back outside where he belonged. But although she tried to catch him, the wasp didn't seem to understand that we were only trying to help him. He kept flying until his mom gave up. Then he flew to the door! Mom just opened it up and the wasp flew out!


God doesn't always answer our prayers the way we ask, but He DOES answer prayers. Sometimes we are like that wasp, not knowing which way to go. We fly around, and like the wasp again, we sometimes keep going farther and farther from God. Jesus tries to get us back, but soon we can't even remember God.


Let's be like that wasp and fly back to where we belong. Remember, Jesus is waiting. And when you are discouraged because your prayers for someone aren't being answered the way you think they should be answered, remember, God sometimes has a different but better way to get that wasp back outside!


Dear Lord we pray that we wouldn’t get discouraged when things don’t seem to go the way we think they should. Help us to completely trust in You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.