Resting Tomorrow or Borrowing Trouble?

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee.”Psalm 116:7
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
I heard of a woman who woke up her husband because she thought she heard a burglar downstairs. He went down with a flashlight and was shining it around. Sure enough, there was a burglar in their home. He said, “Hold it right there. I’ve got a gun on you.”

He picked up the phone and dialed the police. “And another thing,” he said, “Before you go, I want my wife to come down here and meet you. She’s been looking for you for 24 years.”

A lot of people are that way. They borrow trouble by anticipating or worrying about what may happen. What you need to do is stop looking to yesterday in guilt or anticipating tomorrow with anxiety. 

ACTION POINT:
Simply rest in the day the Lord has given you today.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Love Draws the Curtain of Mercy

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.” Proverbs 10:12
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
There are people in every fellowship who take joy in finding something bad about somebody else. When they hear something ugly, they take great delight in exposing it.

Love does not rejoice in iniquity. Love wishes that it never happened. Love tries to cover it up. That doesn’t mean we condone sin, we cover it. Not “cover-up,” but cover. Let me illustrate.

Noah had three sons, Ham, Shem, and Japheth. Ham came and saw his father’s nakedness and was quick to tell others. Shem and Japheth walked backward into the tent and covered their father to help him cover his shame – not to condone what he had done, but to cover it. 

ACTION POINT:
Wouldn’t the world be a lot better place if we had that spirit? When the enemy tempts you to “stir the pot,” remember that love rejoices not in iniquity.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

The First Step to Setting Things Right

“With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” - Matthew 19:26

The Lord Jesus said, “Moreover if thy brother trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault” (Matthew 18:15). You say, “He’s the one that did wrong. If he wants forgiveness let him come and ask for it.” But Jesus said, “No, you go to him.” Whether you are in the right or whether you are in the wrong, as a child of God, you are to go to that individual. Isn’t that what God did in the Garden of Eden? Adam and Eve sinned against God and the Bible tells us that God came looking for them: “Adam, where art thou?” That was not the voice of a detective. That was the voice of a God Who pursues us to forgive us.

Stop right now and ask God to show you if you have an unforgiving spirit toward someone. Then, in His power and strength, call that person and ask his/her forgiveness. It’s going to be impossible in your strength, but remember, God does the impossible.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Living Each Day Like It’s THAT DAY

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.” 1 Peter 4:7

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Years ago, G. Campbell Morgan was a great expositor of the Word of God. He said, “I never lay my head on the pillow without thinking that perhaps before I awake the final morning may have dawned. I never begin work without thinking that He may interrupt it to begin His own.”

Every night before we go to sleep, we ought to say, “Jesus may come tonight."And every day when we get our tools and go to work, this may be the last day of work that we do. We are to be looking for His return. We are also to be longing for His return.

ACTION POINT:

Are you praying for Jesus to return? If you love Him, you ought to be longing for His return. I have Him in my heart, but I long to lay my eyes upon Him and walk with Him and talk with Him. “Even so, come Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20).

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Submission Must Come Before Victory

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“A man's pride shall bring him low: but honor shall uphold the humble in spirit.” Proverbs 29:23

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Have you ever taught someone to drive? What was the first thing you showed him? If you’re like me, even before I showed my children the ignition switch, the accelerator, or the blinker, I showed them the brakes.

Now suppose your learner said, “I don’t want to know anything about the brakes. I just want to know how to make this thing go!” You would probably reply, “You aren’t ready yet to learn to drive! Forget the accelerator. Before you can go, you’ve got to learn to stop.”

ACTION POINT:

Put this in a spiritual realm. What if I asked you to submit to God and you said, “I’m not interested in submission. I want the victory!” God is not going to pour out His power upon you until He sees in you a spirit of submission.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Facing the Giants

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.” Mark 11:23

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Did you ever play “king of the mountain” as a child? 

When you were on high ground, you could shove the others down, even though they were entrenched and determined to overtake you. In Joshua 14, we read that Caleb faced a city of giants, and yet because he had wholly followed the Lord, he had the strength of the Lord and said, “Give me this mountain” (Joshua 14:11-12).

All of us face giants every day – giants of doubt, fear, discouragement, financial ruin, sickness, broken relationships. Do you think the giants in the Promised Land took God by surprise? God knew they were there all the time – they were part of His purpose to strengthen His children’s faith.

ACTION POINT:

It’s time you got a bulldog grip on the Word of God and believe what He says to be true.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Reasoning Together—Being Reconciled One to Another

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Isaiah 1:18

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Every rebel has a reason for his or her actions. You've probably heard a young person say, “Well, my dad drinks, so I smoke pot.” Do you know what kind of reasoning that is? Brute beast reasoning, like Peter mentions in 2 Peter 2:12. This young person doesn't think he has to obey his father. And he further reasons, “He’s not worthy of my obedience.”

Do you know the only people who can demand perfect parents? Perfect children. The only people who can demand a perfect pastor is a perfect church member. The only person who can demand a perfect politician is a perfect citizen!

There is never a license for rebellion. There are ways to reason together in a church, home, and government. 

ACTION POINT:

A spirit of rebellion will bring a nation to its knees. Jesus gave His life to reconcile us. Can you live otherwise?

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers