Waiting is Hard, But We Must Learn to Do It

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.” Psalm 37:7

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

We don’t like the word “rest,” do we? We’re always running around pulling up our radishes by the roots to see how they’re growing, and then cramming them back into the ground.

Yet Isaiah tells us, “And therefor will the LORD wait, that He may be gracious unto you, and therefore will He be exalted, that He may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for Him” (Isaiah 30:18).

ACTION POINT:

You’re not going to hurry God because He is not interested in time. He’s interested in timing. Lean back, watch, wait, and trust. He knows what He is doing.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Handling Untrue Criticism

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.” 1 Peter 3:16

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Have you ever been criticized? Maybe blamed for something you didn’t do? Or been unjustly slandered? You are not alone. Jesus was the whipping boy of much criticism and slander in His day. Was He worried? No.

ACTION POINT:

You too must not worry when others speak falsely. Just give that to the Lord.

Author/Pastor Peter Lord told me one day, “When anybody says anything bad about me, I just say, ‘Thank God they don’t know any more.’”  

Jesus tells us, “When they criticize you, just roll that over onto Me. I understand and I am in charge. You just trust in Me.”

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Surrendering Every Burden

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass.” Psalm 37:5

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Many say they have committed their lives to the Lord, but have they really? The psalmist challenges us to commit our way to the Lord. The word “commit” in this passage has the idea of rolling a burden over to the Lord.

Minnie A. Steele wrote a hymn in 1908 that I have often sung, titled “I Remember When My Burdens Rolled Away.” The first verse says,

“I remember when my burdens rolled away;

I had carried them for years, night and day.

When I sought the blessed Lord,

And I took Him at His word,

Then at once all my burdens rolled away.”

Well, she knew what she was talking about!

ACTION POINT:

Read Psalm 55:22 and once again roll over to the Lord your burdens. Surrender everything to Him.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Compassion For The Broken

12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,

13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. - Colossians 3:12-15

There are many broken lonely people.

There are many who are dying and in need of a helping hand.

There are many whose marriages are broken and in need of just someone to listen to them.

There are many who are struggling taking care of sick family members.

There are many who have made mistakes and are paying dearly for them by being  trapped in a prison of deep despair.

Why do we hold others accountable for their mistakes but want forgiveness for our own?

Lord, help us to see.

Lord, help us to hear.

The Last Days of Fragile Parents and Their Blessed Caregivers

Parents once so strong now failing as each day passes.

Their children taking on the role of caregivers, sometimes one child taking on way too much of the care as the others offer up excuses.

Lord, give us compassionate hearts!

Let us equally share in care so that the task will not be so heavy.

It is not one persons responsibility.

Let us be sensitive to the needs of those caregivers, asking if we can help.

But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. - 1 Timothy 5:8

So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. - Galatians 6:10

2 "Honor your father and mother" (this is the first commandment with a promise),

3 "that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land." - Ephesians 6:2-3

What Is The Source Of Your Joy?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“I will praise Thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify Thy name for evermore.” Psalm 86:12

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

What is bringing you joy today? You say, “The Lord is making me happy.” How do you know it’s not that nice automobile? Or that “special someone”? Or your good looks? Or your bank account? Or your popularity? Here’s how you can know. By the process of elimination. Let God take away your health, your home, your job, and if you still have joy, then you know it is Jesus.

ACTION POINT:

If you lose your joy when you lose any of these things, then you are an idolater because that is where you are getting your joy! I don’t mean that you cannot be temporarily upset over the loss, but if the joy goes out of your life, you weren’t getting your joy from the Lord.

You’ll never know that Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Getting the Upper Hand Over Sin

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.” Romans 6:13

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Did you know that if you let the devil be uppermost in your life today, it is because you are doing the letting? Before you were saved, you had no choice. You were a slave to sin. But now, you don’t have to let sin have the upper hand in your life.

There is absolutely no power that says you must sin. When you entered into union with Christ, you no longer have to let sin reign in your mortal body. You have dethroned sin and enthroned Jesus Christ as Lord of your life.

ACTION POINT:

We need to be like the man who prayed, “Lord, help me cooperate with You, so You won’t have to operate on me.”

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers