Thoughts by Men Archives - Daily Thoughts about God

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Published July 26, 2024

Reason Together

“Come now, let us reason together,’ says the Lord. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” Isaiah 1:18

Thoughts on today’s verse

Nothing stains quite like sin. It not only leaves a stain in our heart but a residue in our minds. But God’s grace is shown in that he doesn’t just forgive our sins, he doesn’t just forget our sins, he banishes them. They are gone. The stain is removed, the guilt is taken away. We are clean by his grace.

Prayer:

O the joy your grace gives me! I can never thank you or praise you enough for rerouting my life so that it will end, and begin again, in you. Through Jesus I pray. Amen.

by Phil Ware
used by permission

from http://www.heartlight.org/ and is used by permission.
You can also follow Phil’s daily devotionals on http://www.verseoftheday.com. International work with http://www.verseoftheday.com/ – (in 7 languages)

Thoughts by Men thoughts by Phil Ware

Imagine Jesus being too busy to Pray

Published July 26, 2024

Imagine Jesus being too busy to Pray

Very early the next morning, long before daylight, Jesus got up and left the house. He went out of town to a lonely place, where he prayed. Mark 1:35 TEV

Can you imagine Jesus being too busy to pray in the morning, gulping down a cup of coffee and thinking, “I’ve got so much to do today. When is there time to talk to the Father?” If we are learning to be like Christ, then we have to learn that our intimacy with the Father always takes priority.

God says it is foolish to succumb to the tyranny of the urgent in the morning:
“It is useless to work so hard for a living, getting up early and going to bed late. For the LORD provides for those he loves, while they are asleep”. (Psalm 127:2 TEV)

Spending time with God in the morning should be a normal part of life. Dietrich Bonhoeffer notes:

“With remarkable frequency the Scriptures remind us that the men of God rose early to seek God and carry out His commands, as did Abraham, Jacob, Moses, and Joshua (cf. Genesis 19:27, 22:3; Exodus 8:16, 9:13, 24:4; Joshua 3:1, 6:12)”.

And the Bible tells us that Jesus made it a daily habit:

“Very early the next morning, long before daylight, Jesus got up and left the house. He went out of town to a lonely place, where he prayed” (Mark 1:35 TEV).

Jesus is . . .
Jesus desired intimacy with God. His attitude is reflected in Psalm 63:

“O God, you are my God, and I long for you. My whole being desires you; like a dry, worn-out, and waterless land, my soul is thirsty for you” (Psalm 63:1 TEV).

To be like Jesus . . .

“Christ’s message in all its richness must live in your hearts. Teach and instruct one another with all wisdom. Sing psalms, hymns, and sacred songs; sing to God with thanksgiving in your hearts. Everything you do or say, then, should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, as you give thanks through him to God the Father”
(Colossians 3:16-17 TEV).

No doubt you already see the need to spend time with God in the morning.

What are the things that keep you from being consistent in morning devotions?

How could you work within your small group to help each other become consistent at morning devotionals?

By Jon Walker
used by permission

Mighty Things Through Faith

“And so [Jesus] did only a few great miracles there, because of their unbelief” Matthew 13:58

It was my first visit to Nazareth, and through a series of fortuitous circumstances, I found myself enjoying lunch with one of the city’s prominent leaders. As we talked together in the crowded dining room our conversation turned to Jesus Christ, and ultimately this gentleman bowed his head and began to pray aloud, inviting Christ to be his Savior and Lord.

The change seemed to be immediate and dramatic, and follow – up has proven that God did meet him and change his life. During the course of our conversation, he indicated that what I had shared with him was a new truth. Though he was religious and active in his church, he never had been told that he should receive Christ.

Upon further exploration, I found that, in the entire community of Nazareth, there were but a few in those days who understood the truth of the living Christ indwelling the believer. I was amazed!

Nazareth was the town in which our Lord had spent approximately thirty years of His life. The son of a carpenter, He had walked those winding streets, living, loving and laughing with other young children as they were growing up. He left the town when He entered His public ministry, and went on to perform mighty miracles, die on the cross for our sins and be raised from the dead – and He changed the whole course of history. But 2,000 years have passed since then, and there is still little evidence of the influence of Jesus in the lives of the people of Nazareth.

Then I remembered that it was said of our Lord, He could do no mighty things in Nazareth because of their unbelief. That seems to be true in more than just that city today. Even though there are a billion and a half professing followers of Christ throughout the world, the majority seem to be practical atheists.

And so, our Lord cannot do mighty things in Nazareth, or throughout the world, because of unbelief. The key to releasing His power to accomplish revolutionary, supernatural things in the world – and in individual lives – is faith.

“According to your faith be it unto you” Matthew 9:29(KJV).

“Whatsoever is not of faith is sin” Romans 14:23(KJV).

“The just shall live by faith” Romans 1:17(KJV).

Questions:

Why is it that, although many people claim to be Christians, they are living as practical atheists.
How is your life characterized by supernatural living? Please read Mark 6:1-6.

by Dr. Bill Bright
used be permission

God is Nigh

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all. He protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken. Psalms 34:18

In my younger years, scouting was very much a part of my life, and I attained the rank of Eagle. Our troop was a great one and all of the leaders were veterans of World War II, so they ran the troop like they ran the military. I never understood why, but we always closed every troop meeting with the singing of Taps.

Later in life, as I developed spiritually, I drew the spiritual attachment. Taps closed the day that was done as the sun set below the horizon. It was the end of the day and celebrated that all was well. It is often played at burials signifying the end of a life. The final bugle call of the day on military installations, Taps is played at military bases as a signal to service members that it is quiet time or “lights out”.

The key to me is “God is nigh.” This is a reminder that God is close to those who place their hope and trust in His promises. God’s word is Truth and He cannot lie so if we take Him at His word He will hear our cries for help and respond as He draws near to us because of His great love for us. Nigh is an old-fashioned word that can be used as an adjective or adverb to mean near.

James 4:8 tells us to draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. James promised that when we resist Satan, he will leave. In verse 8, James calls us to draw near—to move closer—to God. This comes with an additional promise: God will respond by moving closer to us. That’s an incredible act of mercy on God’s part.

What was causing fights and quarrels among the Christians to whom James was writing? They were living by the world’s wisdom. This false perspective says human beings should do whatever it takes to get what they want in this life, even if it hurts other people. James says that to live that way is adultery, but God gives grace. Christians should repent and move close to God again. We should trust Him to provide, to be the Judge, and to lift us up in His time. In humility, we must acknowledge that all of our plans are dependent on Him, and He can change them at any moment.

So, the message of taps is to make sure when the day is done, as we pillow our head and cover ourselves with the cover of God,

…all is well because God is nigh.

by John Grant
used by permission

A Prayer to be as One

“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.” John 17:20-21 (NKJV)

This prayer is for us to be as one just as the Father and Son are one.

Think about that for a moment. Reflect upon the intimacy between the Father, Spirit, and Son. How amazing and perfect is the love that flows endlessly between them?

Now think about this—you and I have been invited in to this circle of perfect love. The Creator of the universe wants to be one with us, and the Bible even says that believers are “hidden with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:3)

The thought of this floors me to my knees and takes the wind out of my sail. This is the grace and mercy that I want to flow from me, and it’s not something I can do on my own. This is the compassion and love that I want others to see in my life. I want them to see me and the Father as one, and to see Christ as the one who makes all that possible.

Lord, thank You for going out of Your way to welcome me into relationship with You and with the Father and the Spirit. May I seek intimacy with You daily and demonstrate Your perfect love to the Christians I have fellowship with.

Action Point: If you’ve found yourself being impatient or short with anyone lately, run back to Jesus and enjoy the oneness with the father that He has made possible for you. Let His love wash over you. Then go and love those people in your life who you find frustrating. Go out of your way to speak an encouraging word to them this week.

by Rev. Daniel Forster
used by permission

Powerful Poems

• I Love You, Jesus

• My Lord, My Companion

• I am Thanking You right NOW

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Thoughts by Men thoughts by Rev. D. Forster

Fill My Cup Lord.

Published July 22, 2024

Fill My Cup Lord.

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:31-32

It was a schedule crowded day and this pastor, who I personally knew, had a pre-marital counselling conference he really didn’t want to do. On top of that the couple was late. While he waited in not a very happy mood for them to show up, he sat down at the piano to pass the time away. While sitting there, he pecked out a hymn that has become an all-time great.

The song was Fill My Cup Lord. His name was Richard Blanchard. Blanchard’s method of composition was to write the words to his pieces after developing a thought or reading Scripture, and then to write the music “by ear” to fit the words rather than composing the melody on paper. His music combines the chords and harmonies of the Big Band era with the Christian message of southern gospel music.

Blanchard’s own cup was not filled with sweetness. A lung condition required two surgeries and left him with one-third of normal lung capacity. His son, Richard, was left a quadriplegic at seventeen after an accident. And after Blanchard and his wife moved to North Carolina in 2000 to be near their three grown children, they experienced their son’s death and the fatal illness of one of their daughters.

Nevertheless, during his forty-year ministry, Blanchard composed dozens of gospel hymns, wrote a musical about Francis of Assisi, produced a regular newspaper column, wrote a biography of Bishop John Branscomb, and launched a popular television ministry in the Miami area.

It all began with the annoyance of a couple late for an appointment. Sometimes God takes the time we sought to kill and by a kind of quiet miracle turns it into something that will live forever.

What is your “fill my cup prayer”?

Jesus, I come to you knowing that I cannot fill the emptiness inside me or make me whole. I am coming to you because you have already made this possible for me. So, I bring you, my empty cup Lord, since I thirst and hunger for your fullness, and the word says that I will be filled. Fill my cup, Lord.

Whenever you feel annoyed, God can use that time to do great things. Never forget that.

by John Grant
used by permission

Constant Awareness

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Thoughts on today’s verse

Where does your heart live?

That’s what these verses are all about. Is there a constant awareness in your life that God is present? Is he the unseen but always present companion in all your ups and downs? Or is God here when it is convenient and gone when things are busy? Joy comes from knowing we are never alone. Prayer is the ongoing conversation we have, Spirit to Spirit, with God. Thanksgiving is the great reminder that we have been blessed no matter what the circumstances may suggest.

Prayer:

Precious and Righteous Father, thank you for being there. Give me a deeper appreciation and a always more profound awareness of your presence today. May my life reflect the joy you have given me by saving me by grace. And may my heart always find its home in you. Through Jesus I pray. Amen.

by Phil Ware
used be permission

Lessons Learned from a Three Year Old: Stuck inside the Computer

Our grandson came over with his parents for dinner. After dinner, his auntie turned on her computer to make a Skype call to her husband, who works on an ocean-going yacht. Our grandson watched this whole process, and was excited when he saw his uncle on the screen, talking to him. In jest, his uncle said that he was stuck inside the computer and couldn’t get out!

Our grandson became upset and wanted someone to get his uncle out of the computer, rescuing him from his prison inside the computer.

As adults, we laughed at the absurdity of someone being trapped inside a computer.

We reassured our grandson that his uncle was not really in the computer.

This made me wonder, “How many times do I get all upset and worried about something that I do not understand?” God works in ways that are confusing to me, as well. Like my grandson, I can become even angry because no one is doing anything and I feel helpless.

Trust in a loving God reassures me when seemingly impossible problems face me. In my limited knowledge, I might also panic about things that I cannot change or fix, but trusting God through these times when it seems that God is not doing anything about the situation. I may never understand why God allows certain crises in my life and in the lives of those I love, but I can know that He has a perfect plan.

God’s Word says that “All things work together for good, for those who love God and are called by Him to fulfill His purposes.” (Romans 8:28)

by Mike Woodard
used by permission

Prayer: The Hedge of Protection

“But I will fence her in with thorn bushes. I will block the road to make her lose her way. When she runs after her lovers, she won’t be able to catch up with them. She will search for them but not find them. Then she will think “I might as well return to my husband because I was better off with him than I am now.” Hosea 2:6–7 (NLT)

When Gomer, the Old Testament prophet Hosea’s wife, continued to chase after other lovers, God placed a hedge of thorns around her, keeping her from finding adulterous relationships and eventually driving her back to her husband.

Job, on the other hand, had a hedge of protection lifted from his life after Satan asked to sift him:

“Haven’t You placed a hedge around [Job], his household, and everything he owns? . . . But stretch out Your hand and strike everything he owns, and he will surely curse You to Your face” Job 1:10–11 (HCSB).

A similar sifting, by removing the hedge of protection, is implied in Peter’s life:

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat” Luke 22:31 (NIV).

We can pray this hedge for our children and other loved ones. We can ask God to hedge them in so they will find the right kind of friends but be protected from the wrong kind of influences.

In the case of children who are prodigals, we can pray a hedge of thorns around them to protect them from friends who influence them in the wrong way.

The Bible says,

“The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” James 5:16b (NLT)

by Jon Walker
used by permission

Thump-Thud, Thump-Thud

When a potter bakes a pot, he checks its solidity by pulling it out of the oven and thumping it. If it “sings,” it’s ready. If it “thuds,” it’s placed back in the oven.

The character of a person is also checked by thumping. Been thumped lately?

Late-night phone calls. Grouchy teacher. Grumpy moms. Burnt meals. Flat tires. You’ve-got-to-be-kidding deadlines. Those are thumps. Thumps are those irritating inconveniences that trigger the worst in us. They catch us off guard. Flat-footed. They aren’t big enough to be crises, but if you get enough of them, watch out! Traffic jams. Long lines. Empty mailboxes. Dirty clothes on the floor. Even as I write this, I’m being thumped. Because of interruptions, it has taken me almost two hours to write these two paragraphs. Thump. Thump. Thump.

How do I respond? Do I sing? Or do I thud?

Jesus said that out of the nature of the heart a man speaks (Luke 6:45). There’s nothing like a good thump to reveal the nature of a heart. The true character of a person is seen not in momentary heroics but in the thump-packed humdrum of day-to-day living.

If you have a tendency to thud more than you sing, take heart.

The true character of a person is seen not in momentary heroics but in the thump-packed humdrum of day-to day living.

There is hope for us “thudders”:

1. Begin by thanking God for thumps. I don’t mean a half-hearted thank-you. I mean a rejoicing, jumping-for-joy thank-you from the bottom of your heart (James 1:2). Chances are that God is doing the thumping. And he’s doing it for your own good. So every thump is a reminder that God is molding you (Hebrews 12:5–8).

2. Learn from each thump. Face up to the fact that you are not “thump-proof.” You are going to be tested from now on. You might as well learn from the thumps—you can’t avoid them. Look upon each inconvenience as an opportunity to develop patience and persistence. Each thump will help you or hurt you, depending on how you use it.

3. Be aware of “thump-slump” times. Know your pressure periods. For me Mondays are infamous for causing thump-slumps. Fridays can be just as bad. For all of us, there are times during the week when we can anticipate an unusual amount of thumping. The best way to handle thump-slump times? Head on. Bolster yourself with extra prayer, and don’t give up.

Remember, no thump is disastrous. All thumps work for good if we are loving and obeying God.

by Max Lucado
used be permission

Max Lucado
From Shaped by God (original title: On the Anvil)
Copyright (Tyndale House, 1985, 2002)

To learn more about Max Lucado visit his website at:
http://www.maxlucado.com/info/view/about_max_lucado/

Presumptions

“Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.” 1 Timothy 4:16 (ESV)

I have been a witness to some extraordinary moves of God in my lifetime but, as said, they were extraordinary.

Like many I live, bound up in life’s issues day-to-day, coping with the curve balls that speed my way.

I have not been saved from life’s shortcomings, as I might be tempted to believe I deserve, so I just keep moving on.

With the arrogance and curiosity of being willful I stopped looking to Jesus and looked over the edge of the Narrow path where safety lies. Out of nowhere arose inner-conflict, a disparity between what I know to be true and what were my expectations for God’s will. As I teetered on the edge I looked, and it seemed to be a long way down. Like a party balloon that has hung too long, neglected on a wall, the life in me became limp. I had been distracted by life, from seeing my Savior’s love.

For me this has physical consequences, the signs of a stress shutdown in progress! Before my mind went into total hibernation I knew I could do only one thing to redirect my steps back to higher ground.

By prayer and a very little faith, I reached out once more to Jesus, my Rock leaving the presumptions for His will for me behind. Gradually, the preoccupation about life’s un-satisfactoriness diminished because I knew in my heart that His steadfast Love had brooded over me all the time. Inside I imagined He smiled reproachfully, as I stepped back from the edge of the abyss and once more focused in faith on His love.

It took a further day for my body to function normally and to live in that faith.

So let our eyes be centered on Jesus, and keep watch, because life is difficult enough!

PRAYER:
LORD enable us to see Your priorities for our lives more clearly looking forward and direct us in the way we should go. May we be vessels of faith, light and hope, not broken pots, because we go in the Name of Jesus.

LORD, we lift up to You those who are not able to make this necessary step of faith yesterday, or today. Enable them to break through their situations and find that You have loved them all along. May You soften their hearts so that they might receive the warmth of Your Love, and find that they are no longer alone, in the Name of Jesus, amen.

by Rod Marshall
used by permission

Further Reading.

How Do You Cope with Change? – by Fab Batsakis

He Can Heal the Hurt – Devotional by Max Lucado

Living with Shadows – Devotional by Allan Mitchell

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Thoughts by Men thoughts by Rod Marshall

Nevertheless

Published July 16, 2024

Nevertheless

“And the king and his men… spoke to David, saying, “You shall not come in here; but the blind and the lame will repel you,” … Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion (that is, the City of David).” 2 Samuel 5:6–9

Did you see it? Most hurry past it. Let’s not. Pull out a pen and underline this twelve-letter masterpiece.

Nevertheless.

“Nevertheless David took the stronghold …”

Wouldn’t you love God to write a nevertheless in your biography? Born to alcoholics, nevertheless she led a sober life. Never went to college, nevertheless he mastered a trade. Didn’t read the Bible until retirement age, nevertheless he came to a deep and abiding faith.

We all need a nevertheless. And God has plenty to go around. Strongholds mean nothing to him. Remember Paul’s words? “We use God’s mighty weapons, not mere worldly weapons, to knock down the Devil’s strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:4, NLT).

You and I fight with toothpicks; God comes with battering rams and cannons. What he did for David, he can do for us. The question is, will we do what David did? The king models much here.

Two types of thoughts continually vie for your attention. One proclaims God’s strengths; the other lists your failures. One longs to build you up; the other seeks to tear you down. And here’s the great news: you select the voice you hear. Why listen to the mockers? Why heed their voices? Why give ear to pea-brains and scoffers when you can, with the same ear, listen to the voice of God?

Do what David did. Turn a deaf ear to the old voices.

Open a wide eye to the new choices. Who knows, you may be a prayer away from a nevertheless. God loves to give them.

Peter stuck his foot in his mouth.

Joseph was imprisoned in Egypt.

The Samaritan woman had been married five times.

Jesus was dead in the grave …

Nevertheless, Peter preached, Joseph ruled, the woman shared, Jesus rose—and you? You fill in the blank. Your nevertheless awaits you.

Question: What’s holding you back from achieving your full potential as a reborn child of God?

by Max Lucado
From: Facing Your Giants
Copyright (W Publishing Group, 2006) Max Lucado

To learn more about Max Lucado visit his website at:
https://maxlucado.com/about-max/

Deception of the Heart

“Take care lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them.” Deuteronomy 11:16

Our God is so amazing. Majestic. Gracious. Loving.

We may think, “I would never serve another.” But tragically, it happens all the time. People who have known and loved God — sometimes for many years — turn aside and begin to worship other gods. It seems impossible. How does it happen?

The problem, Scripture warns, is that our hearts can be deceived. The Hebrew word implies being “lured” or “enticed.” It’s the word used for how Samson’s wife enticed him into revealing the secret of his power.

The world is full of bright, shining, incredibly desirable enticements. Look into your own heart. You know what tugs at it there. Those enticements seem so desirable, but they have a fatal capacity to deceive. Over time their place in our heart expands. God’s place shrinks. Imperceptibly, spiritual deception grows. Almost without knowing it, we can end up worshiping these enticements more than the real God.

The deception is thinking that it won’t matter, that God will be OK with divided loyalties, satisfied with a small corner of our life. He is not. “Worship only the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt with great strength and a powerful arm. Bow down to him alone, and offer sacrifices only to him” (2 Kings 17:36).

Even King David, a man after God’s own heart, fell victim to this deception. “Oh, guard my soul,” he writes (Psalm 25:20). It’s a good prayer for all of us!

Lord, I am so easily enticed. I want to worship you alone. Guard my soul. Build in me a true heart for you above all other things. Amen.

By Dr. Guy Safford
Used by permission

www.thelife.com/dailydevotions

The Conveyor Belt to Heaven

“And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel.” Revelation 8:3-4 (ESV)

I have been very ill recently and there is no doubt that God has been, and is, with me through this experience, traumatic as it has been.

I had become jaundiced and infected, very ill, and was admitted to hospital. The upshot was, as I got sicker, so my mental faculties left me; until eventually all was stripped away except God. There was no room for anything else because I was so ill. For a big baby like me who avoids hospitals, needles, and endless blood-sampling, it was great. I had no space for fear or apprehension. There was just God and me together.

Now you could put all this down to kind of euphoria from the state I was in. However, I had a picture given to me whilst in this state to explain what was happening. This is the picture:

As I looked into darkness I could see something like an assembly line of a tinned product. This was a single line of tins encased by four open sides of bright metal. Rather than going horizontally, this assembly line came up from the darkness and then turned at an angle into a horizontal fixed point on a transparent wall where light was shining. As the many tins rolled up and entered into the light of the expanse, they immediately burst forth into a shimmering gold dust that spread out and drifted gently downwards into the darkness towards me.

I understood these were the many prayers of the saints being sent up from earth into the heavenly realms. As they reached into heaven they were blessed by God, and returned to earth to accomplish their mission. It was these very prayers, as an act of God’s grace shown towards me, which I believe took away all my fears and anxieties.

PRAYER: LORD, thank you so much for Your peace which passes all understanding and the fellowship of prayer. Your desire for us to be intimately involved in Your purposes for us here on earth, through prayer and action. We thank you for the faithfulness of the saints and your desire to answer prayers. Please forgive us when we doubt You hear our prayers, and enable us to trust in Your love for us, even when we cannot see it, to know that it is there. For which we rejoice and give You thanks and praise in Jesus’ name, amen.

by Rod Marshall
used by permission

Restored From Shame

“…You will forget the shame of your youth” Isaiah 54:4c

A historical wonder of my country Sri Lanka is the complex rock fortress Sigiriya and the palace built on it by one of our former Kings, Kasyapa, in the 5th century. Tourists flock there to view its beauty, grandeur and craftsmanship. One of highlights of Sigiriya is the frescoes that are painted on its rock walls. Many years ago, some of these frescoes were vandalized by an unknown group of people, with either ink or paint being thrown to deface them. As a result, many experts had to be brought in to restore these frescoes back to their original state. Thankfully, they succeeded in the restoration efforts.

Isaiah 54 speaks about God’s restoration to a barren, widowed lady (symbolic of the nation of Israel), who had possibly been rejected by her husband (vs 6). In that time and culture, being barren, widowed and rejected, marked her for humiliation and shame. It made her extremely vulnerable. God however speaks restoration into her shame and disgrace as Isaiah 54:4 says,

“Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood”.

In verse 17, God says, ‘you will refute every tongue that accuses you…”.

Friend, are you carrying any shame or reproach from your past?

May be from your youth? Is it about failure as a parent or as a spouse or in some other area of your life? Does the recent past bring up memories of being humiliated and disgraced?

Be encouraged because our God has the amazing ability to restore us from our shame and failures when we turn to Him with our whole heart!

ILLUSTRATION – I have always loved music and singing. (This I believe led me into a career in Radio Broadcasting later on.) When Jesus gloriously saved me, one of the first things I wanted to do therefore was to join the church choir. Unfortunately, I didn’t know that I couldn’t sing too well!! When I joined the choir, I was singing off pitch and therefore disorienting the rest of the group! As a result, it seemed like I would have to step down from the choir. This would have been a severe setback and caused much shame for me as a young boy. However, thanks to my Choir Director, 3 members of the choir and most of all, God’s help, I managed to overcome this problem. I later became a worship Leader in my church and even sang harmony!! Over the past 8 years, I have been involved in many ministry areas, but the one that I have served most closely in is…..like to take a guess? It’s worship!!!

God delights to restore us from our shame. Will you allow Him to do so?

“No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame...” Psalm 25:3

Prayer – Lord, I ask you today to be the Lord over every area of my life and to restore me from all shame and disgrace. I ask this in Jesus’ Name. Amen!

By Palitha Jayasooriya
Used by permission

Category: <span>Thoughts by Men</span>

FURTHER READING

FURTHER READING

…all is well because God is nigh.

FURTHER READING

This prayer is for us to be as one just as the Father and Son are one.

Powerful Poems

Further Reading

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Where does your heart live?

FURTHER READING

As adults, we laughed at the absurdity of someone being trapped inside a computer.

FURTHER READING

FURTHER READING

The character of a person is also checked by thumping. Been thumped lately?

There is hope for us “thudders”:

FURTHER READING

Like many I live, bound up in life’s issues day-to-day, coping with the curve balls that speed my way.

So let our eyes be centered on Jesus, and keep watch, because life is difficult enough!

Nevertheless.

Do what David did. Turn a deaf ear to the old voices.

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“Take care lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them.” Deuteronomy 11:16

Our God is so amazing. Majestic. Gracious. Loving.

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I have been very ill recently and there is no doubt that God has been, and is, with me through this experience, traumatic as it has been.

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“…You will forget the shame of your youth” Isaiah 54:4c

Friend, are you carrying any shame or reproach from your past?

Be encouraged because our God has the amazing ability to restore us from our shame and failures when we turn to Him with our whole heart!

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