Written by TWFYT
Saturday August 1

"Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength." Isaiah 40:31 NKJV

Feeling tired tells you: (1) that your body needs to rest. (2) to take life at a more normal human pace, and (3) to take time to just abide in the presence of God. Did "rested" on the seventh day" (Ge 2:2 ESV). Think about that. God—the One who transcends all things, knows all things, and has all power—rested! What makes you think you don't have to? Now if you're wired to work, not working will be a difficult habit to get into, even for a few hours. But rest is a secret weapon God gave you to help you defeat the enemy. When you're exhausted, you're of little use to God or anyone else. This is one of the main reasons Satan has you running here and there, doing, doing, doing. If he can't tempt you with addictive substances, wrong relationships, and bad habits, he will tempt you with overdoing good deeds. He wants you to exhaust yourself so that when the real battle—the one you were meant to fight—comes along, you'll be too tired. John wrote: "I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in good health, just as your soul prospers" (3 Jn 2 NKJV). But your should is not prospering when it is exhausted and stretched to the max, with little time for rest or restoration. What to do? Lay your schedule at the feet of Jesus including any new projects. Wait for His direction. If it seems slow in coming, stand on this Scripture: "Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength."

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Friday July 31

"Confess your faults one to another." James 5:16 KJV

It seems that everywhere you turn today, somebody is making an excuse for his or her poor choices, performance, or behavior, or failing to admit  a weakness or shortcoming. Yet we all make mistakes. One of the best examples of admitting a mistake is found in the account of David being unjustly pursued by King Saul. David became a fugitive, and in the process unknowingly jeopardized the lives of certain priests when he asked for their help. Ahimelech the priest gave him food and a sword and inquired of God on his behalf. Doeg, King Saul's chief herdsmen, witnessed the whole thing and squealed on the priest. Saul confronted Ahimelech, accused him on conspiring with David, and ordered Doeg to kill him and eighty-five of their other priests and their entire families. "Only Abiathar, one of the sons of Ahimelech, escaped and fled to David. When he told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord, David exclaimed, 'I knew it! When I saw Doeg...there that day, I knew he was sure to tell Saul. Now I have caused the death of all your father's family'" (1Se 22:20-22 NLT). What an admission! No excuses, just and acknowledgement that he had made a mistake and to making amends whenever possible: "Stay here with me...I will protect you with my own life, for the same person wants to kill us both" (1Sa 22:23 NLT). Humans make mistakes. They have blind spots. God is present to support our every weakness. Peace comes when we admit our shortcomings to one another.

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Thursday July 30

"He then turned away to someone else." 1 Samuel 17:30 NIV

The first person who tried to discourage David from fighting Goliath was his own brother. "Eliab...burned with anger at him ask asked, 'Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know how conceited you are...You came down only to watch the battle.' 'Now what have I done?' said David. 'Can't I even speak?' He then turned away to someone else and brought up the same matter" (1Sa 17:28-30 NIV). Don't fall into the trap of giving too much thought and consideration to a discourager. Spend your time with those who add to you, not detract from you. Even King Saul told David, "You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth" (v. 33 NIV). But David wasn't concerned about how much experience Goliath had, because he knew that his God was all-powerful. How tragic it is when we limit our faith only to what we can see. To think we are inadequate for a task is to engage in self-centeredness and focus on our own capabilities apart from God. This independent mindset shuts God out of the equation and ignores the fact that He has declared that His strength is made perfect in our weakness (see 2Co 12:9-10 NIV). The name "Eliab," David's older brother, means "God is my father." How ironic, because he had no confidence in God at all. So in order to experience victory, you may first have to overcome the doubts and unbelief of those closest to you.

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Wednesday July 29

"We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love him." Romans 8:28 NCV

The Bible begins with these words: "In the beginning God created the sky and the earth. The earth was empty and had no form. Darkness covered the ocean, and God's Spirit was moving over the water. Then God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light. God saw that the light was good" (Ge 1:1-4 NCV). Even when your life seems like a jumbled mess, you can trust the God who brought order out of chaos and light out of darkness to help your life make sense. When you believe that "All things work together for good" (Ro 8:28 NKJV). It redefines the bad things that happen. The worst day of your life can turn into the best day. There's a silver lining to every cloud, and every downside has a potential upside. When you interpret life through this prism, it gives you confidence that everything is going to be alright. It reassures you that the best is yet to come because God said, "For I know the plans I have for you...they are plans for good" (See Jer 29:11 NLT). But sometimes you have a part to play. God is setting up divine appointments, but you must keep them. God is ordering your footsteps, but you must keep in step with the Spirit. If you faithfully do your part, you can count on God to do His part—which is to work on your behalf.

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Tuesday July 28

"Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings." Proverbs 22:29 NKJV

Helping the deaf to communicate was what truly motivated Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone. Perhaps that's because his mother and his wife were both deaf. "If I can make a deaf-mute talk," Bell said, "I can make metal talk." For five frustrating and impoverished years, he experimented with a variety of materials to make a metal disc that would vibrate in response to sound, reproduce those sounds, and send them over an electrified wire. During a visit to Washington, D.C,  he called Joseph Henry, a scientist who was a pioneer in research related to electricity. He presented his ideas to him and asked his advice—should he let someone else perfect the telephone or should he do it himself? Henry encourages Bell to do it himself, to which he complained that he lacked the necessary knowledge of electricity. Henry's brief answer was, "Then get it." And so Bell studied electricity. A year later, when he obtained a patent for the telephone, the patent officials credited him with knowing more about electricity than all the other inventors combined. Study, work, hope, and perseverance are "common things," but they are they kets to uncommon success in life. And as Bell discovered, perseverance is often the most challenging. Longfellow wrote: "The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight. But they, while their companions slept, were tolling upward in the night." Solomon wrote: "Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before the unknown men."

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Monday July 27

"To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven...He has made everything beautiful in its time." Ecclesiastes 3:1, 11 NKJV

In his book Good to Great, business leader and author Jim Collins compares mega grocery stores, A&P, the largest retailing organization in the world in the 1950s, with Kroger, a small value-based chain of supermarkets also thriving in the fifties. Both of those companies realized that the world was changing with technology. Smartly, both companies conducted research and hired qualified analysts to forecast how these changes would impact future business. They each concluded that going forward, convenience for the customer would be paramount. One-stop shopping was the name of the new shopping game. And Kroger took steps to adjust its stores to the new "superstore" strategy that we take for granted today. In addition to food, they started to carry toiletries, prescription drugs, household items and more. A&P, however, chose to ignore the findings. The result? In 1999, Kroger generated profits eighty times that of its one-time  competitor A&P and took over the number-one spot  in the market. There's a lesson here for you. To achieve what you want in life , you can't afford to ignore the signs of change or the oncoming challenges. And pretending that something isn't happening is simply living in denial. Like the Sam Cooke song says, "A change is gonna  come." So are you ready and willing to adapt to change when it comes? Are the techniques you use to cope proactive and effective? Are you seeking God's guidance and blessing? "The Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding" (Pr 2:6 NKJV).

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Sunday July 26

"Though your beginning was insignificant, yet your end will increase greatly." Job 8:7 NASB

We often cling to people and things if we can keep everything the same, but it can't be done. What you can do is be ready to deal with change when it happens. You may not be able to predict what the change will be, but you can put things in place to help you deal with it when it arrives. Children go to college, so wise parents consider saving when their babies are first born. People eventually stop working, so it makes sense to save for retirement. A CEO who will one day step down plans for a successor so the company can continue to flourish. Sometimes change is hard, but planning helps us greet change. With God at your side, you have all the tools you need for success, including flexibility and adaptability to adjust your course whenever necessary. Think of how technology, such as cell phones and computers, has changed the way we communicate, shop, and live. The GPS is an amazing technological innovation, but initially, drivers weren't too happy to embrace it. But it has transformed the experience of finding one's way while driving. As you navigate the changes of life: (1) Realize that God lives in you, works through you, and always has your best interest at heart (see Php 2:13). (2) Reach out for the latest tools and techniques. whether they're technological or involve new approaches to family life, diet, exercise, or spirituality. In other words, get ready for change. 

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Saturday July 25

"I have been crucified with Christ." Galatians 2:20 NKJV

Paul wrote:"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." It's hard to get offended when you're dead. It's hard to get angry, get upset, or get depressed too. Why? Because you're dead! The day you put your faith in Christ is the day your old self died. Your desires, your dreams, and your plans are dead in the water. The person who goes down in the waters of baptism is not the same as the person who comes up. You are a new creation in Christ. Of course, you must step into this identity on a daily basis. Paul said, "I die daily" (1 Co 15:31 NKJV). Jesus said, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily" (Lk 9:23 NIV). The key word in both verses is "daily." There's great freedom in this daily death. Your performance is no longer a statement of your worth. Your ego is no longer on the line. Your reputation is no longer at risk. You are living for the approval of One—that is the Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world" (Gal 6:14 NKJV). Then to drivers point home, he wrote: "For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God" (Col 3:3 NKJV). 

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Friday July 24

"Arise, go up to Ai." Joshua 8:1 NKJV

After suffering a humiliating defeat, God gave Joshua a second chance at victory; "Arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land." The king of Ai, still strutting with pride from victory number one, set out for victory number two. He marched toward Joshua, leaving the town unprotected. Joshua's elite squad charged in and set fire to it. And Joshua reversed his course, catching the army of Ai in the middle. The victory was complete. Contrast this attack with the first one. In the first attack, Joshua consulted spies; in the second, he listened to God. In the first, he stayed home, In the second, he led the way. The point? God gave Joshua a new plan—"Try  again; my way." And when he followed God's strategy, victory happened. It always does! Perhaps, like Joshua, you too have suffered a humiliating defeat. If so, here are two things you need to know: (1) Don't give up on God, for He won't give up on you. "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon" (Isa 55:7 NKJV). (2) God will give you another chance. Jonah ran from the call of God, but God wasn't through with him. "Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying 'Arise, go to Nineveh'" (Jnh 3:1-2 NKJV). He did. And what God did for Joshua and Jonah, He will do for you if your turn to Him.

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Thursday July 23

"The Lord God put the man in the garden of Eden to care for it and work it." Genesis 2:15 NCV

The first thing God did when He made Adam was put him to work. That's because work gives us a sense of purpose, meaning, and dignity. "God put the man in the garden...to...work it." So Adam was a gardener. But whether you count cash in a bank, trade futures on Wall Street, flip burgers in a beach-side stand, whip up pasta specials at a five-star restaurant, fell giant timber in the forest or split and deliver firewood, coach a team, pastor a congregation, publish best-selling books, deliver newspapers in the early morning hours, star in your own television show, farm a large acreage, mow and edge neighborhood lawns, go out on the road as a salesman for computers, drive a truckload with machinery, build homes, clean swimming pools, argue cases. before judge, or settle family disputes as a counselor, always do a good job. A wise man once said: "Every job is a self-portrait of the person who does it. Autograph your work with excellence." The biblical character Daniel did that. And like cream, he rose to the top in Babylon. "Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him" (Da 6:3 KJV). There are no small jobs, only people who perceive them as small and become small in doing them. The Bible says: "Lazy people want much but get little, but this who work hard will prosper" (Pr 13:4 NLT). So always do a good job.

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Wednesday July 22

"I come against you in the name of the Lord." 1 Samuel 17:45 NIV

Goliath towered over David, But David looked at Goliath through the eyes of his omnipotent God who sits high, looks low, and conquers all. "You come against me with sword and spear...but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied." Intimidation is one of Satan's favorite weapons. He will get you to think yourself into a state of fearfulness. One day, cartoon character Charlie Brown was having lunch at school when he confided to this friend Linus that he didn't feel good enough yo approach a certain young lady: "I can't talk to that little red-haired girl because she's something and I'm nothing. If I were something, then I could talk to her. Or if she were nothing and I were nothing, then I also could talk to her. But she's something and I'm nothing so I can't talk to her." Linus responded: "For a nothing, Charlie Brown, you're really something!" Charlie Brown had allowed the redhead's beauty intimidate him and force him to the sidelines. As His redeemed child, God thinks you're really something. David said, "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy" (Ps 107:2 NKJV). And because David's words lined up with God's Word and HIs plan, Goliath was stopped. So whatever "giant" you're facing today, stand up to him and announce, You are coming down in the name of the Lord!"

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Tuesday July 21

"In all things at all times, having all that you need." 2 Corinthians 9:8 NIV

Paul wrote: "God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work...Now he who supplies seed to the sower...will...increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion" (vv. 8, 10-11 NIV). Paul couldn't be more explicit. If we are faithful to give generously, when God wants to meet needs again in the future. He will remember us as capable partners and come back to us. If a restaurant gives good service, it results in repeat business. The same applies to good stewards. And if you sow generously, God is able to give you more and more. God takes special care of faithful stewards. As long as you are in a giving partnership with Him, He makes sure you get everything you need when you need it. That's His offer. True wealth is having everything you need when you need it. That should dispel all your fears about giving. Is fear holding back your generosity? Do you give leftovers because you're concerned about making ends meet? Have you ever asked God to give you a plan for the stewardship of the money He has entrusted to you? At some point, as a Christian, you've just got to go for it and say, "God, because I worry so much about money, I'm inviting You into my finances. I want to know that whether things are good or bad, You're involved."

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Monday July 20

"Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing...These things ought not to be so." James 3:10 NKJV

Note what the Bible says about an uncontrolled tongue: "Sometimes is praises...and sometimes it curses...And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs?" (vv. 9-12 NLT). Native American Indians wanted about trusting a person with "a forked tongue." They'll sell one thing at one time one place, and the opposite thing at another time in another place. The Bible says, "This is not right!" We deceive ourselves if we think we can go through life speaking with a forked tongue. Our words are a barometer of what's really in our hearts. Hence Solomon wrote: "Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life" (Pr 4:23 NLT). Sometimes a doctor will ask you to stick out your tongue during an examination. Why? Because internal problems can often be identified by the film or coating of the tongue. Now a competent physician wouldn't just clean off your tongue and send you home. No, they would determine the source of your problem and then treat it. And a hear that's surrendered to God prods a tongue that's under the control of His Holy Spirit. Again Solomon weighed in: "Words from the mouth of the wise are gracious, but fools are consumed by their own lips" (Ecc 10:12 NIV). 

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Sunday July 19

"Consider your ways! You have sown much, and brings in little." Haggai 1:5-6 NKJV

In Haggai chapter one, we see a group of people whom God told eighteen years previous to rebuild His house. They still had not obeyed Him, yet they didn't understand why their lives were a mess. They wondered why God was not blessing them. So He said to them: "Is is time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and is temple to lie in ruins?...Consider your ways! You have sown much, and bring in a little; you eat, but do not have enough; you drink, but you are not filled...you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages, earns wages to put into a bad with holes...Go up to the mountains and being wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified" (vv. 4:6-8 NKJV). When God says, "Consider your ways," He's asking you to stop and examine your life. If you are not satisfied with the way things are going, it is because you have not done what He told you to do? James wrote: "every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning" (Jas 1:17 NKJV). The words "no variation or shadow of turning" mean that God is intrinsically good, and He longs to shower your life with His goodness. But to experience is, you must walk in obedience. "No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly"(Ps 84:11 NKJV). Obedience is your key victory and blessing.

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Saturday July 18

"Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness." 2 Corinthians 9:10 NKJV

Three young men were each given three kernels of corn by a wise old sage. He told them to go out into the world and use the corn to bring themselves good fortune. The first young man put his three kernels of corn into a bowl of soup and are them. The second thought, "I can do better than that." and he planted his three kernels of corn. Within a few months, he had three stalks of corn. He took the ears of corn from the stalks, boiled them, and had enough corn to eat for three meals. The third man said to himself, "I can do better than that!" He also planted three kernels of corn. But when his three stalks of corn produced, he stripped one of the ears and replanted all of the seeds in it, gave the second ear of corn to a sweet maiden, and ate the third. His one full-ear's worth of replanted corn kernels gave him 200 stalks of corn! And the kernels of these he continued to replants, setting aside only a bare minimum to ear. He eventually planted a hundred acres of corn. With his fortune, he not only won the hand of the sweet maiden, but he also purchased the land owned by the sweet maiden's father. And he never hungered again. There's an important scriptural principle here. To whom does God supply seed? Sowers. When does God. multiply seed? When it is sown into good ground to accomplish good things. So be a sower.

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Friday July 17

"Our light affliction...is working for us." 2 Corinthians 4:17 NKJV

Without God's Word, most of our experiences in life make no sense whatsoever. With it, we can decipher our experiences. Few things are more comforting or more exhilarating than knowing that God is the One putting together the jigsaw puzzle of your life. It was a London cartographer, John Spilsbury, who is credited with commercializing jigsaw puzzles around 1760. During the Great Depression, they were popularized in America as a cheap form of entertainment. Puzzles come in all shapes and sizes, including the latest and greatest—3D spherical jigsaws. But the method of assembly has not changed. It requires the fitting together of oddly shaped, interlocking pieces. The key is the picture on top of the box. Without it, you're lost. And that's why many of us feel helpless and hopeless at times—because the pieces our lives don't seem to fit together. and we can't see God's vision for the whole. Few have suffered more than apostle Paul, yet he wrote: "Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not lookout the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal" (2Co 4:16-18 NKJV). Yes, bad things do happen to good people. But God has promised to recycle it, redeem it, and use it for our good and His glory.

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Thursday July 16

"Being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God." Colossians 1:10 NKJV

Many people know Helen Keller overcame the difficult physical challenge of being left without hearing, speech, and sight after contracting fever as a baby and how she eventually learned to communicate by learning Braille. Her life inspired millions of people. One of her ardent admirers was author Mark Twain. She was invited to visit every president at the White House from her childhood on. What many people don't know, however, is how hard Helen worked as an adult. After graduating with honors from Radcliffe College, she worked to help others until her death at the age of eighty-eight. She authored numerous articles. She gave lectures for the American Foundation for the Blind and raised millions of dollars for them. On her eightieth birthday, she was given the Helen Keller international Award for those who Gove outstanding help to the blind. In the Bible, Paul prayed for the Colossian Christians: "That you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him" (Col 1:10 NKJV). And he gave them two ways in which they could do this: "Being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God" (NKJV). Faith and works; spirituality and service; ministering to the Lord and meeting the needs of others. That's how Helen Keller lived. You say, "But my goal is to please the Lord rather than people.' Here's how you do that: "With goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to other men" (Eph 6:7 NKJV). Hymn writer Charles Meigs wrote: "Others, Lord, yes others, let this my motto be. Help me to live for others, that I may live like Thee."

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Wednesday July 15

"Joshua...said...'Sun, stand still...,So the sun stood still.'" Joshua 10:12-13 NKJV

God said: "Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know" (Jer 33:3 NKJV). You're to call on God for great things as well as little things. Joshua's army was battling the combined might of five hostile armies, and he was winning. But he was running out of time and needed more daylight. So he did something no one in recorded history has ever done before: "Then Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel: 'Sun, stand still'...So the sun stood still...till the people had revenge upon their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day. And there has been no day like that, before it or after it, that the Lord heeded the voice of a man; for the Lord fought for Israel" (Jos 10:12-14 NKJV). Like Joshua, who was battling five kings, you may be battling discouragement, disease, despair, defeat, or death. Respond in prayer—honest, continual, and audacious prayer. You are a member of God's family. You come to Him not as a stranger but as an hair. Confidently approach His throne (see Heb 4:16). Earnestly make your requests known (see Php 4:6), not because of what you've achieved but because of what Christ has done on your behalf. Because of Christ shed His blood for you, you can confidently pour out your heart before God, knowing you'll get results.

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Tuesday July 14

"If you believe, you will get anything you ask for in prayer." Matthew 21:22 NCV

Max Lucado wrote about the power of prayer in the life of his friend Greg Pruett: "He is trained as an engineer, linguist, and Bible translator.  But his most significant contribution might be in the area of 'extreme prayer.'" In Greg's book by that name, he related how he returned from Guinea, West Africa, to assume the role of president of Pioneer Bible Translators. It was 2008—the Great Recession. The ministry's financial chart indicated a freefall toward insolvency. Greg had no experience in leading such an organization and no tangible place to cut expenses. Resources were few, and the donors were disappearing. Greg knew of only one response: prayer. That's when I began learn not to pray about my strategies, but to make prayer the strategy." In July, he wrote a half-page letter to his teammates worldwide, calling them to prayer. He urged them to stand before God's throne with specific and bold requests. Greg described the result: "When I saw the end of the year report, I knew God had heard our prayers. My eyes welled up with tears...If a financial expert were to analyze this graph, they would put their finger on the month of July and say, "What did you do right here? Whatever it was, you need to do a lot more of that." I searched in vain for a tangible explanation. I wanted to find trends to explain how it worked, so we could do it again. I never could...I just knew God provided. All I had was God—and prayer." Is that all you've got? That's all you need!

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Monday July 13

"Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus." Hebrews 10:19 NKJV

Martin Luther had a good friend names Frederick Myconius who became very ill to the point of death. Luther wrote to him: "I command thee in the name of God to live because I still have need of thee in the work of reforming the church...The Lord will never let me heat that thou art dead but will permit thee to survive me. For this I am praying, this is my will, and may my will be done, because I seek only to glorify the name of God."We think of speaking softly to God, of humbling ourselves before God, but not of praying boldly. Yet that's what the Bible says we should do: "Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus...let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith...Let us hold fast the confession our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful...Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise" (vv. 19, 22, 23, 35, 36 NKJV). Prayer is not about persuading God to let go of something He's reluctant to give. He's more willing to give than we are to relieve. He's actually looking for opportunities to bless us: "The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself string on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him" (2Ch 16:9 NKJV). So pray boldly and be confident that God will do what He promised.

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Sunday July 12

"Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace." Hebrews 4:16 NKJV

When Martin Luther's coworker became ill, the reformer prayed boldly for healing "I besought the Almighty with great vigor...quoting from Scripture all the promises I could remember...and said that He must grant my prayer, if I was henceforth to put faith in His promises." As John Wesley was crossing the Atlantic Ocean, his ship encountered a great storm. He was reading in his cabin when he learned that the winds were knocking the ship off course, so he responded in prayer. Adam Clark, a colleague, heard the prayer and recorded it: "Almighty God, thou hast swat everywhere, and all things serve the purpose of thy will...Command these winds and waves that they should obey thee, and take us speedily and safely to the haven whither we would go." Wesley stood up from his knees, took up his book, and continued to read. Adam Clark went on deck where he found calm winds and the ship on course. But Wesley made no remark about the answered prayer. Clark wrote, "So fully did he expect to be heard that he took it for granted that he was heard." Boldness in prayer is an uncomfortable thought for many. Pounding on the door of the Most High? Wrestling with God? Is such a a prayer irreverent? Presumptuous? It would be, had God not invited us to pray as such: "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Are you in a
"time of need"? "Come boldly to the throne of grave," believing God to answer your prayer and move on your behalf.

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Saturday July 11

"The tongue has the power of life and death." Proverbs 18:21 NIV

Something powerful happens when we vocalize God's Word. "The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit." Sometimes you have to say it like you believe it! Jesus literally spoke to the wind and the waves, right? He rebuked storms. He rebuked demons. He rebuked fevers. He even told us to tell the mountains to move! (See Mk 11:23). When you verbalize faith, you give it power. There are some things you should not say. When Jeremiah used his age as an excuse to sat no to God's call, the Lord rebuked him: "Say not, I am a child" (Jer 1:7 KJV). In other words, don't disqualify yourself if God has called you! Instead, speak life-giving, faith-filled. grace-laced words. Mark Batterson says: "There are some things I refuse to say because it gives them power. I call it my 'Say Not' list. What words need to go on your 'Say Not' list? I'm not just talking about four-letter words. Jesus said we'd give account for every idle word. The word idle means unemployed. An idle words is a useless, worthless word—a word that doesn't accomplish anything." Jesus also said in Matthew 12:34 (TLV) ,"For from the overflow of the heat the mouth speaks." so our words are x-rays of what's the inside. That's where the battle is won or lost. If we want our words to reflect His Word, that's where we've got to drop anchor. And when we do, the mind of Christ becomes our mindset too.

Written by TWFYT
Friday July 10

"Shout, for the Lord has given you the city!" Jos 6:16 NKJV

Jericho represented the greatest stronghold in Canaan, and it had to be conquered before Israel could move in and possess the land. So God told them to march around its walls once a day for six days and seven times on the seventh day. On the seventh day, "Joshua said to the people: "Shout, for the Lord has given you the city!'" Is there a stronghold in your life? Are you discouraged, thinking you've been battling for a long time with no sign of victory? It may have seemed that way to the Hebrews too. Notice that God told Joshua the walls would fall down on the seventh day, but Joshua didn't tell the people. They just had to keep walking. And the Lord doesn't tell us everything either! Through the pen of Paul, He urges us to "be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord" (1Co 15:58 NKJV). So keep walking, keep praying, and keep believing. For all you know, this may be the day when the walls of your Jericho come down. You may be only  steps away from a moment like this: "And it happened when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell dow flat. Then...they took the city" (Jos 6:20 NKJV). The very walls that kept them out become stepping stones to victory. So keep marching and believing. Defeat your strongholds with the spiritual weapons of worship. Scripture and prayer. It's just a matter of time before your Jericho comes down.

Written by TWFYT
Thursday July 9

"If you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded." Matthew 10:42 NLT

Les Goldberg's friends thought he was crazy when he cashed in his personal investment to buy a home for the homeless. A retired engineer, Les felt it was the only decision he could make. He had spent a minimum of one hour each day with his homeless friends and had helped renovate several properties on their behalf. In all his efforts, Goldberg never regarded the homeless as irresponsible to unreliable; he only saw them as people. Hurting people! He figured the house he purchased could be used as both temporary shelter and a drop-in center—a place where homeless people might pick up mail, make phone calls, follow up on job leads, and receive donated commodities. Four homeless men lived at the house, paying minimal rent to offset expenses. House rules were strict: no alcohol, no drugs, no loitering. Goldberg has never been rich. For twenty years he ran his own business, making about $25,000 a year designing and installing fire sprinklers. He simply was a man who saw an unmet need and found a way to help meet it. Mother Teresa said: "We cannot all do great things, but we can all do small things with great love." Jesus put it this way: "If you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded." As you go through this day, keep your heart open and ask God to make you a solution to someone else's problems. When you do, "You will surely be rewarded."

Written by TWFYT
Wednesday July 8

"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you...plans to give you hope and a future.'" Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

Nothing more gratifying than knowing one's purpose—even when opposition seems unbearable and other distractions threaten to overshadow it. Often when people say they don't have a passion for anything, they mean they don't have faith to believe they could actually do what they really desire in their hearts. Jesus refused to let anyone pull Him away from His purpose. "Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.' Jesus replied, 'Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?'" (Lk 12:13 NIV). In essence, Jesus was saying, "I'm not about to get distracted by conducting an arbitration hearing between you two. That's not part of My purpose for being here on earth." Even up to the day that Jesus gave His life on the cross, there were many sick people needing healing and a myriad of other  impossible situations, all could be addressed. So, despite unresolved problems, He confidently gave His Heavenly Father this report on His ministry: "I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do" (Jn 17:4 NLT). Jesus refused to let His disciples, Satan, well-meaning family members, needy people, to anyone else distract Him from His purpose. And you must learn to do that too. This raises the question: Can you state your God-given purpose in a single sentence? Are you pursuing it?