No one likes failure, and everyone strives to achieve success. Tucked away in James 4 is a suggestion to help us find true success.
True success comes from the Lord, and finding it requires allowing the Lord in our lives. This means…
Nothing will detour Satan faster than a close relationship with the Lord, so if you’re looking for true success, start by submitting to the Lord.
Hope is easy when we do not really need it, but when circumstances around us seem hopeless, we truly discover where our hope can be found.
Friends who say call if you need anything may or may not mean it. Politicians may promise hope, but they are not able to deliver a true hope. Hope in money can eventually run out. The Lord, however, can provide a true, constant hope in the most hopeless of situations.
Psalm 118:8-9 reminds us “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.”
The Lord can give hope to the hopeless. In the darkest of hours, he can be a ray of light that changes everything. Where is your hope placed today?
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“Give thanks to the Lord. He is good; his love endures forever” proclaims Psalm 118:1.
This is a promise of unshakable love for us.
When Psalm 118 says that God’s love endures forever, it is expressing the idea that God’s love is constant and unchanging. The Hebrew word for “love” used in this verse is “hesed,” which is often translated as “steadfast love” or “unfailing love.” This word conveys the idea of a loyal, faithful, and committed love that endures through all circumstances and challenges.
In the context of Psalm 118, the psalmist is giving thanks to God for delivering them from their enemies and for being their salvation. The psalmist recognizes that God’s love is the foundation of this deliverance and salvation, and that it is an enduring love that will never fail.
This idea of God’s enduring love is a theme that is echoed throughout the Bible. For example, the prophet Jeremiah wrote, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23). Similarly, the apostle Paul wrote, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).
Overall, when Psalm 118 says that God’s love endures forever, it is expressing the idea that God’s love is unwavering, unchanging, and always available to those who seek it.
Remember, whatever life throws at you today, the Lord’s love endures forever.
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How full is your calendar today? If you are like me, it is pretty full. Between work, getting the kids to school, and running errands, there is just not a lot of time for anything else. Especially worry about tomorrow. That’s why it is encouraging to find this nugget of wisdom tucked away in Matthew 6.
Jesus says, “Don’t worry about tomorrow for today has enough worries of its own” (Matthew 6:34)
As we think of all that is coming and all that may happen tomorrow, it is easy to let worry creep into our lives. However, Jesus encourages us not to worry about those events and days in the future. We are reminded the Lord has our back. He is going to take care of tomorrow. After all, today’s agenda is full; there’s no room for worry about tomorrow.
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Change. Do you find it stressful or invigorating? I’m somewhere in the middle; change can be good, but for the most part, I don’t like it. No matter how much we dread change, it is unavoidable.
The world around us is always changing. Society is always evolving. Employers are always “improving systems” and having their teams work differently. As you and I go through life, change may be forced upon us, but there is one constant.
The Bible reminds us “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever (Hebrews 13:8).
So when faced with change, choose to stay encouraged and keep your eyes fixed on Jesus. With Him by your side, you can navigate any change with confidence and hope because Jesus is unchanging.
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Don’t get pushed around without fighting back.
James says, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).
This doesn’t mean he won’t fight our resistance, but with the Lord’s help, we can win the fight. Perhaps the best weapon to use is Scripture!
Jesus used Scripture to win the fight. Jesus was in the wilderness, and Satan tried tempting him numerous times (Matthew 4). Each time Jesus quoted Scripture and caused Satan to flee. Satan kept trying – just as he will with us. But Scripture kept him fleeing – just as it will with us.
Keep resisting and the devil will keep fleeing.
Valentine’s Day is approaching and love is in the air, but there’s more to love than romance.
Attend a wedding, and along with the decorations and beauty of love on display, you’ll probably hear this passage read, or at least, referenced.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 says:
4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
8 Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages[b] and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever!
This passage certainly describes the type of love a husband and wife should have for one another, but it goes farther. It truly describes the type of love Christians should strive to imitate in all of our relationships. This passage does a marvelous job describing it, and the Gospels give us explicit illustrations of how Jesus modeled it.
Jesus’ Patience
On one occasion, James and John came to Jesus desiring to be called the greatest. They wanted Jesus to promote them to places of honor. His response demonstrates his patience.
The NIV Jesus Bible remarks, “Consider the passage in the Gospel of Mark in which James and John asked Jesus to do whatever they asked of him. They boldly asked—maybe even with a hint of demand—to sit on either side of him in glory. However, rather than chiding them for such brashness, Jesus spoke to them patiently (Mk 10:35–40).”
Jesus’ Kindness
Jesus’ disciples felt Jesus was busy and would not have time to visit with some families who brought their children for Jesus to bless. Matthew records the disciples rebuking the parents and trying to send the families away, but Jesus showed them kindness. Matthew 19:13-15 says:
“13 One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could lay his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him.
14 But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.” 15 And he placed his hands on their heads and blessed them before he left.”
Jesus was not Proud
As he was approaching the time on the cross, Jesus and his disciples were in the upper room having a meal, but the disciples forgot to wash their feet. This was a dirty job, and it was usually reserved for the lowest servant in the home. Seeing the need, Jesus took it upon himself to wash the disciples’ feet. He was humble enough to perform this task. He did not consider himself to good to do it.
Jesus was not Easily Angered
According to the NIV Jesus Bible, “Jesus was not easily angered, either. The careful reader might immediately think of the Lord driving out the moneychangers in the temple. Clearly, these people angered the Lord. However, Jesus’ anger was not an easily triggered rage over something insignificant. Instead, love for his Father’s house consumed him (Jn 2:17).”
Jesus Delighted in the Truth
John 18:37 says, “37 Pilate said, “So you are a king?”
Jesus responded, “You say I am a king. Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.”
Jesus Never Gave Up and was Always Hopeful
Jesus continued following God’s path even though, for him, it became unimaginably hard. He knew the Father could raise him from the grave, so he laid his own interests aside to take up the interests of the world. He truly demonstrated love.
Jesus’ Perseverance
“Scorning the shame, he endured the cross for his people (Heb 12:2). This patient, kind, truth-rejoicing, protecting, trusting and persevering love kept no record of wrongs (1Co 13:5). Because of Jesus’ death, the amassed wrongs committed by the people of God were forgiven. The love demonstrated on the cross will forever remain unmatched (1Jn 4:10),” states the NIV Jesus Bible.
Is this the type of love you are imitating?
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Every good chef knows recipes have to be followed. Cooking a complicated dish involves following the instructions of the recipe. In Jeremiah 33:3, we find a recipe for navigating our complicated lives.
The recipe for getting through life is CALL ON THE LORD.
“Call to me,” The Lord invites when we are tired and weary.
“Call to me,” the Lord invites when we don’t know how we are going to make it through the day.
“Call to me,” the Lord invites when we’re needing wisdom.
Whatever the situation, wherever we find ourselves, the invitation to call the Lord is there. We’re promised an answer; we’re promised help. CALL TO THE LORD is the recipe for finding our way through the complications of life.
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It had been a painful and trying time for Job. At times, it may have seemed everyone was against him. Job may have wondered if the storm would ever let up. It was one thing right after another. Day after day, Job and his friends debated the cause of the trial and wondered about relief. That is, until God spoke to Job from the storm.
Job 42:1-6 records Job saying to God:
2 “I know that you can do all things;
no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
3 You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’
Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me to know.
4 “You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.’
5 My ears had heard of you
but now my eyes have seen you.
6 Therefore I despise myself
and repent in dust and ashes.”
It would have been enough for the Lord to relieve Job’s storm. It would have been enough just to put Job in a different season of life, but the Lord doesn’t stop there. He allows Job not only to hear about him, but to see him. Out of Job’s storm, he sees the Lord and is forever changed.
Out of storms, God speaks. Out of storms, it seems the Lord reveals himself. Amid storms, the Lord can be seen vibrantly. Out of life’s storms, we can see God and be forever changed. How have you seen the Lord in the storms of your life?
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“Never say Never” is a statement I’ve heard much in my life. Never is definitely a powerful word; something that is never happening is not ever going to take place. For the most part, we do not have the ability to make such a claim, but there are some promises in Scripture to which we can attach the word NEVER.
We are promised the Lord is never leaving us.
Psalm 103 is a reminder of God’s grace and unfailing love. We do not get what we deserve; we get far more! In his grace, we can find freedom in Christ. The Lord removes our guilt and replaces it with his peace. He removes the guilt from past mistakes and replaces it with a hope for a better future. When you think of your past, do you concentrate on the guilt of past mistakes or the peace of Christ’s forgiveness?
We can be confident the Lord is not going to reject us.
The Bible shows us the Lord will forgive the guilt of our past mistakes, and reassures us the Lord will always receive us.
Never is a powerful word, but remember, when it comes to these promises, we can use the word NEVER.
By the way, we are discussing this idea on our podcast episodes this weekend.
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