“Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.” ~ Genesis 18:14 REFERENCE: Genesis 18:1-14 Although God dwells in eternity, He gives us time to govern events and measure our activities—a day before the Lord is like a thousand years to us, and vice versa. Scripture says, “Known to God from eternity are all His works” (Acts 15:18). Whatever God does in eternity will at some point correspond with a date on our calendar; it will manifest at an appointed...
"By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age…" ~ Hebrews 11:11 REFERENCE: Hebrews 11:11 Life and society can put you in a box and tell you it is too late to pursue your dreams or start over again. If you unconsciously buy into this philosophy, you will cheat yourself and fail to achieve your goals because a sense of inadequacy will overcome you. Decide today to let the world see your new version; it is not too late, and you are not too old to dream...
“Who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, ‘So shall your descendants be.’” ~ Romans 4:18 REFERENCE: Romans 4:18-21 Can you believe God to do what He has promised even when everything around you says it won’t happen? Abraham had all the odds stacked against him and his wife; there was no natural sign that they would still have a child in their late eighties and nineties, but Abraham said, “I believe still.” He hoped against hope; that is, he believed God when the situation was...
“For by You I can run against a troop, by my God I can leap over a wall.” ~ Psalm 18:29 REFERENCE: Psalm 18:28-50 You probably are not familiar with the word ‘diffidence.’ Still, it is responsible for why achieving your goals has been difficult. It is the opposite of confidence. It is hesitancy in acting or speaking through a lack of self-confidence. It is self-doubt, shame, or sheepishness. The voice that tells you that you are not fit, the rope that pulls you back anytime you attempt to venture, is diffidence. Like many of us, I often deal...
"As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying: "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight." ~ Luke 3:4 REFERENCE: Luke 3:1-6 A wilderness is a dry and empty place; it is not a place for much activity, and the human population often moves away. One does not expect to hear the voice of a preacher in a desert, except the howling of evening jackals and other such animals. However, it is in the wilderness that God gave John the Baptist a...
“Dead flies putrefy the perfumer’s ointment, and cause it to give off a foul odor; so does a little folly to one respected for wisdom and honor.” ~ Ecclesiastes 10:1 REFERENCE: Ecclesiastes 10:1-3 King Solomon had a way of passing across profound truths with simple life events. He was reputed to have been the wisest man to have lived, and so, if he said something about how foolishness can ruin wisdom, it is worth listening to. In our text, the wise king said that a little folly can make someone reputed to be wise to appear offensive and irritating....
“And the Lord said: “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.” ~ Exodus 3:7 REFERENCE: Exodus 3:7-10 As we draw close to the end of the year, one thing satan likes to dangle before our eyes is what it seems God has not done on our goals for the year. His purpose is to suggest that God has forgotten you or is unmindful of your situation. He makes it look like God suffers amnesia or is blind and cannot...
But by the grace of God, I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain, but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. I Corinthians 15:10 REFERENCE I Corinthians 15:9-10 Grace is a divine enablement from God to achieve what we ordinarily cannot in our strength. The supernatural factor causes our life’s results to surpass our human efforts. It doesn’t negate labor/effort like Apostle Paul pointed out in our text; instead, it reduces ‘wearisome’ labor and multiplies the outcome of our efforts....
"All this has come upon us; but we have not forgotten You, nor have we dealt falsely with Your covenant." Psalm 44:17 REFERENCE: Psalm 44:9-18 Israel experienced intense trials, as chronicled by the psalmist; they suffered defeat in battle, having gone in without God's presence. Enemy nations plundered and scattered them as captives amongst the nations. They were sold as enslaved people at next to nothing and became a pariah nation and a byword amongst the people. It was quite a lot for a people loved by God to endure. The fact that the nation of Israel stands today...
"Why has the Lord brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?" ~ Numbers 14:3 REFERENCE: Numbers 14:1-12 We often get into dire situations that make us desire days past, thinking that they are better than our present. This is because we often forget the unpleasant details of the past and only focus on what seemed enjoyable. Yes, you may have had riches, but remember the spirit of fear that constantly gripped your heart. No, your best is...