God is working for you

"Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass" (Psa 37:5). Bring what to pass? God will bring to pass the thing that does you the most good and that brings Him the most glory. This is a good verse to memorize. No doubt there is something in your life you would like God to do. You've been thinking about it, dreaming about it and praying about it. If God is going to accomplish things for us and in us and through us, we must follow certain instructions.

First, we must commit our way to the Lord. This is a definite act of our will. We don't commit it to the Lord and then take it back, anymore than a farmer plants his seed and then keeps digging it up to see if it's growing! Committing our way to the Lord is an act of the will, an act of faith. We make our way His way, and we make His way our way.

Second, we must trust God. What does it mean to trust God? It means to believe His promises and to know that He is such a wonderful God that He always can be trusted. We trust people because of their good character or performance. God's character is perfect, and His record is perfect.

Third, we must wait on the Lord. When will He act? When He wants to. This is why David adds, "Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him" (Psa 37:7). Martin Luther translated this, "Be silent to God, and let Him hold thee." I like that. Just rest in the Lord. Wait for Him. He's working in you and on you while He's working for you. Commit, trust and wait, and He will bring it to pass.

What would you like to see God do in your life? Start by aligning your will with His. Commit your way to Him, trust Him and wait on Him. God is working for you. In His time He will accomplish His work.

A Commitment to Obey

We’ll all encounter times when there’s a direct conflict between God’s way and what is being asked of us. Perhaps the boss tells us to misrepresent the company’s product to customers. Or a friend may be pressuring us to join her in some risky behavior. Or family members may urge us to lie on their behalf. Saying no could bring loss, rejection, or even the end of a relationship. On the other hand, saying yes could compromise our testimony or break God’s commands.

Daniel faced such a dilemma. He and his three friends had a clear choice—to eat food prohibited by Scripture, or to refuse and incur the king’s wrath, imprisonment, or even death. Daniel showed great courage when he proposed a different eating plan (Dan. 1:12). His words and actions demonstrated his allegiance to the Lord.

Daniel and his friends were rewarded by God for their faith and commitment (v. 17). Despite their adverse circumstances, all four men confidently trusted in the Lord’s sovereign care for them.

Daniel’s choice resulted in royal favor. Jesus’ obedience led to the cross and glorification. Paul’s trust in Christ resulted in hardship. When we obey, the consequences may vary, but two things are always the same: Obedience glorifies our Father and pleases Him. What could be better than that?

God's Precious Gifts (Telugu)

Resting in the Faithfulness of God

When plans are frustrated or life just seems to fall apart in some way, people often wonder, Has God deserted me? Why hasn't He answered my prayers? The Bible offers encouragement for such times by assuring us of the Father's faithfulness: "Know therefore that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments" (Deut 7:9).

Five attributes of God make this possible.

First, He is omniscient, which means He knows everything, including our every need, thought, frailty, desire, and life situation in the past, present, and future.

Next, the Lord is omnipotent, or all-powerful, so nothing is too hard for Him (Jer. 32:17).

Then, He is omnipresent--since He exists everywhere at once, He is never beyond reach.

In addition, our heavenly Father cannot lie. Everything that He says is true and reliable.

And lastly, God is unchanging. Our circumstances and the world around us may seem to be in a constant state of flux, and the Lord may even modify the way He chooses to interact with mankind in different generations. But His character is always the same. So when Scripture tells us that God is faithful, we can rest confidently upon that promise.

                     Circumstances can be painful. But even when situations seem overwhelming, believers can trust that our sovereign Lord knows all, is in control, and lovingly works everything for His children's good. We can rest confidently knowing that the unchanging God of all creation is taking care of us.

Developing a Spirit of Humility

 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that He considered me trustworthy, appointing me to His service.  Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.   (1Tim 1:12,13)

Some people believe that thinking badly of themselves is a sign of humility. But Paul is a beautiful example of how we are to approach God. He does not berate himself and tell God how vile and sinful he is. Instead, Paul talks repeatedly with a spirit of humility about the grace of God. There are seven things we can do to allow the Lord to develop such a humble spirit in our life.

                                                  

To pursue humility, it is necessary that we die to self. We must refuse to put ourselves first and instead ask the Lord what is His will for our situation. 

God wants us to be devoted to other people because He has made us reservoirs of His truth—something those around us greatly need. 

And when God blesses others, we who follow Christ are to delight in the good things that come to them (Rom. 12:15).

For ourselves, we must wholly depend on God. If we want to live with genuine humility, we must rely on Him in every circumstance. 

The Lord has many good things in store for us. When we direct our thoughts continually to His grace and goodness, our confidence in Him will grow.

 It is also important that we distance ourselves from whatever appeals to our pride, such as wealth, prestige, applause, or certain relationships—the list is different for every person. 

Finally, we must determine to obey God regardless of the earthly consequences. 

When you humble yourself before Him, you can mark that day as the beginning of the best part of your life.

Sow Generously to Reap Generosity

“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:6-7 NIV)

                             If a farmer goes out with a trailer load of beans, and he plants them in a barren field, what fruit does he expect to bear? Watermelon? Cucumbers? No. He’s going to get beans. He doesn’t doubt it. He doesn’t question it. Because whatever you plant is what you’re going to get back.
This is the law of reproduction, and it applies to every single area of your life — especially in your finances.

                             The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 9:6-7, “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (NIV).

                                    This can work either positively or negatively in your life. If you’re planting seeds of kindness, you know what? People are going to be kind to you. If you forgive others, they are going to be forgiving of you. If you’re generous, people are going to be generous with you.
But if you are angry all the time, people are going to respond in anger. If you cheat other people, people are going to cheat you. If you gossip about other people, guess what? People are going to gossip about you.

                                        The law of reproduction says you reap what you sow, but the principle of multiplication says you will also always reap more than you sow.
When you put one kernel of corn in the ground, you don’t get one kernel of corn back. You get a cornstalk with multiple ears on it and hundreds of kernels on each of those ears. This is the exponential power that God has established the universe to handle. You always get more out of it than you put into it.

                                    It’s why I never, ever attack my attackers. Why? I don’t want to get caught in the chain. No matter what anybody says to me, I don’t want to say anything bad back to them because if I do, I’m going to reap more than I sowed. What I choose to do is the exact opposite. I want to bless them. I want to pray for them. Why? Because that’s what I want to receive, and I always reap more than I sow.

Proverbs 11:24 says, “The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller”

Evidences of God's Power

God’s power is seen in creation, preservation, redemption, and resurrection.

Think of all the energy we get from the sun, and multiply that by the innumerable stars in space. But God by His great power created all the stars with no effort whatsoever: “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth all their host” (Ps. 33:6). He just spoke, and they were made.

                                God’s power also preserves the universe. Christ “upholds all things by the word of His power” (Heb. 1:3), and “in Him all things hold together” (Col. 1:17). Chaos would result unless His sustaining hands were directing the orderliness of creation (Ps. 104; Jer. 31:35-36).

                                God’s power was beautifully demonstrated at the cross. Satan was subdued, death was conquered, and the penalty for our sins was paid. The gospel “is the power of God for salvation to every one who believes” (Rom. 1:16). When we were saved, God made each of us “a new creature” (2 Cor. 5:17). Not only that, but “He who began a good work in [us] will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6). God’s power saved us and gives us strength to live lives pleasing to Him.

                             The power of God is also made evident in resurrection. Did you know that someday God is going to resurrect every human being who ever lived? The righteous will be raised to eternal life, and the unrighteous to eternal damnation (John 5:28-29; Rev. 20:11-15). Billions of people, long dead, will be resurrected. What tremendous power!

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know . . . what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might” (Ephesians 1:18-19).