Today's Good News

August 1998

(8/4) Deuteronomy 7:9
Have you got a private hurt? Does this hurt continually sideline you in your spiritual growth? Is this hurt robbing you of your joy? Your God is the one and only God. Obey Him and let His love solve your hurt.

(8/5) Deuteronomy 32:4
When you are traveling in the Judean Desert a rock can provide shade from the blazing sun. So that you can see where you are going, you can use the rock to check your progress and as a guide. If enemies attack you, you can use the rock for protection. In our journey of life, God our Rock, gives us just what we need.

(8/6) 2 Samuel 22:26
We want people to see us as we would like to be. We deal with ourselves as we really are. God is not confused about the way that we really are. He sees our heart, He knows our intentions and He can change us if we deal with Him honestly. God is not fooled by the charades of our lives. Deal with the Lord with the understanding that He knows all things. Bless you as you strive to grow.

(8/7) Psalms 16:10
When we confess our sin and ask Christ to save us we are saved. When we come into the God’s Family, He treats us as a family member from that point on. Remember, when you are struggling in prayer, you are talking with your Father.

(8/8-9) Psalm 25:10
We live in a fallen world. Everything around us is in a process of decay. So are we.
It is easy for us to think that since everything we can see is decaying that God’s love could fail. It cannot fail. It is the very thing that we can count on. Paul expresses it best in Romans 8:39 “…nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Feel loved today. God loves you.

(8/10) Psalm 31:23  Love the Lord
Job said “the Lord gave me everything I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!” Job recognized that there was a great deal that the Lord does that he would not understand. He also understood that his position in life, victor or loser, did not dictate his relationship with the Lord.

Are you winning? Do you feel closer to the Lord? Are you losing? Do you feel farther from the Lord? We cannot base our decisions on feelings. A life that is faithful is a life that is based on the promises and character of the Lord. He loves you and He is faithful.

(8/11) Psalm 33:4  Oops!
“I wish I hadn’t said that!” Have you ever found yourself thinking that? There is an old saying that we never have to apologize for what we don’t say.

God is perfect. He is without error. He never says anything that He doesn’t mean. Don’t worry about understanding what God is doing in your life. Trust the Lord.

(8/12) Psalm 37:28  Angry?
Do you ever get angry about evil in our society? Do you feel a sense of helplessness at those that are in high places living wicked lives? The Lord say “don’t worry about the wicked.” His promise is that we have much more than we realize, He, the Lord is on our side and championing our lives.

God is good, all the time.

(8/13) Psalm 86:16  Mercy
All men and women are sinners. Each of us sin everyday. Sin separates us from God. The Lord provides forgiveness for our sin. Lord, thank you for saving us and having mercy on us “for you, O Lord, help and comfort” us. You are a merciful and gracious God.

(8/14) Psalm 97:10  He Will
Are you struggling with a particularly evil habit in your life? Do you keep it hidden from others but always seem to be falling prey to its evil clutches? The Lord says hate evil. The Lord says that He will deliver you from the power of the wicked. God will keep His promises.

(8/15-16) Psalm 101:6 Heroes
Who are your heroes? When you are faced with a difficult decision and the response must be NOW, who do you act like?

God is in the business of reclaiming misdirected lives. Turn your strength over to the Lord and let Him use your weakness. Lord you are my hero! Help me Lord. And, He will.

(8/17) Psalm 111:7 Justice
God’s laws are perfect and true. Abortion is wrong. Euthanasia is evil. Assisting in a suicide is murder. God is weighing America on His scale of justice. We are reaping what we have sown.

Dear God, forgive our nation and us for our sin. Bless the name of the Lord.

(8/18) Psalm 116:16 Awareness
Oh the joy of experiencing peace with the Lord. Worry and pain are wiped away by His presence. Encouragement comes when we are aware of His attention. Our awareness enables the Lord to breathe renewal into our souls. Praise the Lord.

(8/19) Psalm 145:13 Unique
God made you unique. You have a calling on your life. God wants you to do what no one can do for you, serve Him. In our surrender to Him, we discover our service. In our service, we are gifted with freedom. “I will praise the Lord and everyone on earth will bless His holy name forever and forever.”

(8/20) Proverbs 2:8
Worry is a persistent problem in our society. We are worried about our kids, work, spouses, neighbors, church, pets, our past and our future.

Worry is wrong. My Father is in control of all things. Like a little child, I can follow Him, trust Him and live a worry free life. He guards my paths. I choose to trust Him.

(8/21) Proverbs 28:20
If it looks too good to be true, it is. Shortcuts take us through dangerous country. The easy way is the wrong way.

Yes, the right way often seems endless. It often looks like things will never work out. Our trials mount up and day after day difficulties continue. But, the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials. God’s way is the right way.

(8/22-23) Isaiah 49:7
But God demonstrates His love towards us in that while we were dead in our trespasses and sin Christ died for us. The Righteous One died for me and for you. He died for us that we might have a loving, eternal relationship with the Father. The Chosen One has chosen. Are you willing?

(8/24) Isaiah 55:3
The salvation of the Lord is an eternal covenant that He makes with us. Whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

A change of heart is the easiest difficult decision we will ever make. Give up control of your life. Ask the Lord to come into your heart. He will give you a new heart and a new life. Bless the name of the Lord.

(8/25) Matthew 25:21
Heroic spiritual lives are built one obedience at a time. God is interested in consistently faithful, obedient lives, not furious bursts of spirituality.

All of us have been taken in by the Yellowstone Christians, who look good and act good but last only for a short season. They never understand that faithfulness involves obedience. Do the right thing. Serve where you are. Don’t wait till tomorrow. Now.

(8/26) Romans 12:12
Keeping up with the Jones’s has become the great American pastime. Car, house, vacation and earnings are all evaluated to consider our worth. In the “Name it and Claim it” Christian lifestyle this type of sin is used to evaluate God’s blessings. “Is God giving us enough?”

The Word of God says that He, the Lord, is planning your life. Stand by the stuff and focus on Jesus for reassurances of the value and worth of your life. Oh, and when you pray, be sure to pray that the Lord will help you to survive. Not to change the Lord’s mind, but to remind you that the Lord is in charge.

(8/27) 1 Corinthians 1:9
Is the pain unbearable? Does your hurt grow and grow? Is loneliness a constant companion?

The Lord wants you to know that you can trust Him. The pain may not get better today but it will get better. The hurt may seem to increase but the Lord will bring relief. When you spend time with Him, your awareness of His presence grows and the loneliness disappears. He will deal with the problems in your life. No problem is too big for Jesus.

(8/28) 1 Corinthians 4:2
“A little here, a little there and no one will be the wiser. They don’t treat me right, I deserve this.” These are common thoughts for those who would rationalize their sin. A servant must do what his master demands. Each day the Lord presents us with needs and opportunities that challenge us to do the right thing. Be faithful in all you do. Jesus is coming soon.

(8/29-30) 1 Corinthians 10:13
Obey Jesus. Put the activities of your life on a Godward focus, consistently obeying Him. When trials come, and they will, the Lord will already have prepared you for victory. Run straight for the goal. Build purpose in every step. Have faith in the Lord.

(8/31) 2 Thessalonians 3:3
I am expected to seek the Lord. Bible study, prayer and a quiet time are the daily activities of the Christian Life that facilitate God working in me to become like Jesus. All of the activities and energies of my life are to be focused on the Lord. He is worthy and interested in my devotion. The Lord will deal with the evil one.