Prioritizing Your Work and Rest

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so He giveth His beloved sleep.” Ps.127:2
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
In the book of Jonah, we learn that Jonah reached a place of physical despondency (see Jonah 4:3 and 8). He wanted God to kill him.

Have you ever reached a place of despair and thought that everything and everyone was against you and you didn’t know what to do? Maybe you just needed to lie down and get some sleep.

Now, that may not sound like the most spiritual thing to do, but we cannot abuse our bodies without suffering the consequences. And being a child of God does not make you immune to physical exhaustion. 

ACTION POINT:
Have you ever heard of burn out? Where do you think we got that phrase? There is enough time in the day to gracefully do everything God wants us to do. We must determine what that is—and isn’t. Begin each day with the prayer: “Father, what do You have for me today?  Help me to focus on that, and not the distractions.”

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Him—Just Him

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.” 2 Timothy 1:12

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

I heard of a lady who memorized so many verses of Scripture that she quoted them back to the Lord in praise to His name. When she grew old and began to lose her memory, she could only remember one verse, “For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.” She would quote it over and over.

Soon her memory deteriorated more, and all she could remember was just the phrase “committed unto Him.” It brought her much comfort. Finally she came to a place where all she could say was “Him.”

ACTION POINT:

You can distill the Bible down to that one word, “Him.” Can you tune all of your life to that one note of praise? Him.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Shining Brightly in the Twilight Years

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.”  2 Corinthians 4:16

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

So many people think they can’t do much for the Lord as they enter their twilight years. God doesn’t change just because your health may take a turn or you feel weaker. The faith that is inside of you has not weakened, unless you stop feeding it with works of faith. The things that God calls us to do in life do not hinge upon our physical stamina or financial strength.

Do you know where one of the great strengths of a church lies? In its seniors who have walked with God for years. With their reservoir of wisdom and fortress of faith, they get hold of God, and though their bodies are wearing a bit, they are as strong as they ever were—because God is their strength.

Douglas MacArthur once said, “You are as young as your faith, as old as your doubts, as young as your self with confidence, as old as your fears, as young as your hope, as old as your despair.” God gives unfading strength for His undiminishing promises.

ACTION POINT:

Latch onto the truth in this verse and let it become the hallmark of your later years: “But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” Proverbs 4:18

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Hungering for God

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” Matt.5:6
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
When Jesus said that the one who hungers and thirsts for righteousness will be blessed, He was not talking about someone who had a mere appetite, He was talking about a starving man.

God made us in such a way that we couldn’t exist long without food. What is a starving man interested in? The latest football scores? The flower arrangement at the pink lemonade society? The number of stars in the universe? No! He’s only interested in one thing – food!

In fact, I did some research and discovered that a man can exist about forty days without food, about three days without water, and only eight minutes without air. In the spiritual realm of eternity, man cannot exist one second without Jesus Christ.

ACTION POINT:
May God help us narrow our focus to the glory of God and the saving of souls.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

The Infinite God Allows Us to Know Him

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“All things are delivered unto Me of My Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him.” Matt.11:27

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
When God condescends to make Himself known to us, the Bible calls that “revelation.” The Infinite reveals Himself to the finite. Now, what is the agent in this revelation? The Holy Spirit.  Only the Holy Spirit knows the mind of God and searches the deep things of God.

You and I cannot know God apart from the Holy Spirit revealing Him to us. Isaiah 55:9 says, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” 

ACTION POINT:
Even in the human realm, the only way you and I know anything about each other is when we reveal ourselves to one another. And the only way that man will ever know God is for God to reveal Himself. Praise God that He has chosen to do that!

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

A Defense Attorney Has Been Appointed For You

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” 1 John 2:1

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

The way to deal with your sins is for you to confess – that means, you are to begin by agreeing with God as to what He says about your sin. You need to also confidently deal with your sin. Now, what do I mean by that?

You have your own attorney when you go into the judge’s chambers for adjudication. According to God’s Word, you have an Advocate, which is another name for attorney.

The devil is the prosecuting attorney who points the accusing finger at us and says, “Look at him!” And Jesus, the defense attorney, stands by our side and says, “But Father, look at Me. I shed My blood for him.” Because Jesus died, our debt is paid. Hallelujah! Though our sins are as scarlet, He will wash them white as snow!

ACTION POINT:

Praise God today that your defense attorney is the Judge’s Son!

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

LIVING FOR THE TRUTH

3 John
The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth.

Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul. For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are, who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God. For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.

I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. So if I come, I will bring up what he is doing, talking wicked nonsense against us. And not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers, and also stops those who want to and puts them out of the church.

Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God. Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself. We also add our testimony, and you know that our testimony is true.

I had much to write to you, but I would rather not write with pen and ink. I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.

Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends, each by name.

Our mission is based on the truth of the manger.

• Truth is the good news of Jesus Christ coming in the flesh with the

purpose of giving himself as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. (1 John 1:1-3, 1 John 4:2, 2 John 7).

• Key to living for the truth is to imitate others who are walking in the truth.

Imitate John’s example of loving in the truth.

• Care humbly for those you lead. (1)

• Comprehensively pray for their prosperity. (2)

• Consider your joy in their faithfulness. (3-4)

• Commend those who are walking in the truth. (5-8)

• Confront those who are walking in sin. (9-10)

• Constantly point to others who have a good testimony. (11-12)

• Confidently trust that peace can prevail even in conflict. (13-15)

Imitate Gaius’ example of laboring in the Truth.

• Show hospitality to strangers who are sent out for the truth. (5)

• Send them on as brothers to advance the truth. (6)

• Share generously with them in a way that honors the truth. (6)

• Select carefully those you support based on their purpose for going out. (7)

• Spend your life as a fellow worker for the truth. (8)

Senders and goers are both essential in the advance of the truth to the nations.

Loving others in the truth and laboring together for the truth are essential to living for the truth, but this is only possible when our ultimate passion is for the glory of Christ.

Thanks Jonathan B!