Vengeance is God’s. He will repay—whether ultimately on the Day of Judgment or intermediately in this life. God can discipline your abusive boss. He can bring your ex to his knees or to her senses. Forgiveness doesn’t diminish justice; it just entrusts it to God. He guarantees the right retribution.  The God of justice has the precise prescription.

Forgive your enemies? Ah, that’s where you and I come in. “Do not let the sun go down on your anger,” Paul wrote, “and do not give the devil an opportunity” (Ephesians 4:26-27). Don’t give the devil territory or ground. Bitterness invites him to occupy a space in your heart, to rent a room. Believe me, he will move in and stink up the place! When it comes to forgiveness, all of us are beginners. Stay the course!

By Max Lucado
Used by Permission
From You’ll Get Through This

To learn more about Max Lucado visit his website at:    
https://maxlucado.com/about-max/

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“And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:8-11 (NKJV)

Jesus, having all power and all authority, submitted His life to the authority of His Father. He consistently responded under authority, pointing back to the Father. The Father, in turn, rewarded His obedience and humility and exalted Him.

In our individualistic world, we try to avoid submission to authority. There’s a Chinese saying: It’s better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of an ox. We want to be our own boss; make our own decisions; answer to no one. Truth is, we answer to the One.

Our act of saying yes, to make Jesus Lord of our life, is our primary act of submission. From that day onward we keep bringing our lives and our decisions before Him, acknowledging that there is One greater than we are. It’s a relationship of submission, rooted in our understanding that the Father loves us even more than we can comprehend. Jesus was no doormat, “He understood His worth” but His authority flowed out of a heart submitted to the Father. In that place He had the power to heal the sick, raise the dead and transform lives. That’s the place I want to live from today.

Reflect:
Who do you point back to?
What do you need to surrender to the Father today?

Prayer:
Father, thank You for loving me beyond my selfish human heart. Thank You that submission to You is a safe, beautiful and even powerful place. I submit my life to You today. May I live my life in such a way that I am consistently pointing back to You. In Jesus’ exalted Name, Amen.

By Idelette McVicker
used by permission

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The post Under Authority appeared first on Thoughts About God.

Read: 2 Corinthians 3:1-6

(v. 5) “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God.”

Paul never claimed he was capable of accomplishing all that God called him to do. He simply learned to look beyond his own inadequacy to the sufficiency of Christ. If we’ll adopt the same practice, we, too, can discover the blessings hidden in our own experiences of inadequacy.

Our insufficiency drives us to God. When we realize a situation is bigger than we can handle, we’re quick to open the Bible and diligently pray for guidance and power.

Inadequacy relieves us of the burden of self-effort and self-reliance. The Lord has us right where He wants us–at the end of our rope with nothing left to give.

Inability motivates reliance on divine power. We’ll never be adequate until we draw from the Holy Spirit’s inexhaustible strength. He does in and through us what God never intended that we do on our own.

By using weak, inadequate people, God demonstrates what great things He can do. He actually delights in choosing unlikely individuals to carry out His purposes. There’s no limit to what He can do through someone willing to give Him full control.

Inadequacy challenges our faith. Paul says, “Our adequacy is from God” (v. 5)
“Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God.”

Why go through all the fear, pressure, and frustration that accompany feelings of inadequacy when there’s an alternative? Let the Lord make you adequate: rely upon Him and allow Christ to live in and through you. He will replace your anxiety with a quiet spirit of contentment.

By Dr. Charles Stanley
Used by permission

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Is there a difference?

I think “being smart” often relies on our own cognitive abilities.

“He sure is smart.”

“That was a smart solution you came up with.”

“What a smart thing to do!”

We tap into our own knowledge, be it through reading, studying or experiences.

When we are being wise, we rely on someone or something other than our own storehouse of knowledge to inform us, knowing our own limitations. That takes humility but also discernment.

The Apostle James wrote: “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” James 3:17

The more we embrace the wonder of God, the more we realize how inadequate we are without His guidance in our lives. Smartness relies on what you already have stored in your brain. Wisdom constantly seeks to learn, embrace and use knowledge from an outside source. For the believer, that source is our Lord.

It is good to be smart, whether from the street or from books. But how much better to gain wisdom from the One who created the universe and expressed complete love on the cross!

Lord of all wisdom, increase our desire to know You, to emulate You and to turn to You when we just do not understand. 

Thought: What situation or problem today is beyond your ability to figure out? Bring it before God in prayer. Ask for His wisdom.

By Julie Cosgrove
Used by Permission

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“Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved” Mark 16:16

The pastor asked the inhabitants of the island how someone could be saved.

An old man replied, “We will be saved if we repent, and forsake our sins, and turn to God.”

“Yes,” said a middle-aged female, “and with a true heart too.”

“I agree,” answered a third, “and with prayer.” And, added a fourth, “It must be the prayer from the heart.”

“And we must be diligent too,” said a fifth, “and keep the commandments.”

After each had contributed to the discussion, they felt that a decent creed had been compiled. They all turned and waited for the pastor’s approval. But instead, they had aroused deep pity in his heart.

The worldly mind always tries to map out a way we can do works and become great, but the Lord’s way is just the opposite. Believing and being baptized aren’t deeds to be gloried in. They are so simple that boasting is impossible, and God deserves all the praise for the free grace He has given.

To believe is simply to trust, to depend, to rely on Christ Jesus. To be baptized is to submit to the ordinance which our Lord fulfilled at Jordan, to which the earliest believers submitted at Pentecost, and to which the jailer obeyed the night of his conversion. The outward sign of baptism does not save, but it encompasses our death, burial, and resurrection with Jesus, and, like the Lord’s Supper, shouldn’t be neglected.

It may be that you are unsaved. What is the reason? Do you think Jesus’ singular path of salvation is unclear? But how can that be when God has given us His own word and His assurance of its clarity? Do you think it is too easy? Why, then, do you not accept and embrace it? Its ease leaves those who choose to neglect it without excuse.

If you are not a believer, then remember there is only one door, and if you will not enter by it you will perish in your sins. But if you do believe in Jesus, then my dear friend, dismiss your fears, for you will surely be saved.

Question: Do we sometimes put too much confidence in our own good works? How can we begin to focus more on God?

Originally written by Charles H. Spurgeon,
Updated to modern English by Darren Hewer, 2009.
used by permission

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I watched the sunset tonight.

You know what thought never crossed my mind?

That it wouldn’t rise again in the morning.

I’m not going to wake up tomorrow and find the sky as black as it is now.

The sun will rise again.

It always does.

The Psalmist once said: “My soul waits for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning—yes, more than they that watch for the morning.” (Psalm 130:6)

His soul waited on his God more than those who were sure that the morning would come.

We have no doubt the sun will rise tomorrow.

We can wait in expectation on the Lord even more than that.
We can be even more assured that our God will come through for us.
We can hope in Him that much.

The sun will rise again tomorrow.

I can say that with full assurance. Because it always does.

Our God will come through for us.

I can say that with even more assurance.

Because our God is more faithful than even the times and the seasons coming and going.

His ways are not as predictable as the sun rising and setting.

But His faithfulness is.

“His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning.
Great is Your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22,23)

By Bethany Hayes
Used by Permission

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Learn more about knowing Jesus at: https://thoughtsaboutgod.com/four-laws/

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“When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.”  Romans 12:13 NLT

I used to feel like a prisoner locked inside my own world not knowing how to escape. Have you been here? Have you noticed that it is hard to talk to others around you about you? I consider myself a very private person. It was always hard for me to open up and share with others how I was really doing.

Over the years I have seen so many people betrayed because they shared intimate details about their lives with others they felt could be trusted. I knew at that point I didn’t want to be in that place having to suffer the embarrassment and the pain they experienced. Out of my own need God birthed a desire in me to become a safe place for others to heal.

We all need someone. We all need an outlet. We were never meant to be an island isolated from everyone else. It was never God’s plan for man to be alone. It is so freeing to be able to know that we have people in our corner that are genuinely concerned about us and our well-being. If you find yourself where I once was, ask God to lead you to the person you can be open with. Someone that has His heart for you. It may be a trusted friend, counselor, or pastor. Once you begin getting the help you need, will you also consider becoming a safe place for others to lean?

Lord, I often find myself drifting back into isolation out of fear of being hurt again. I ask that you lead me to the safe place of healing that is available for me. I ask that you teach me who to trust with my innermost thoughts. I pray that even as You heal me that I too will become a safe place for others to heal.

Thought:  Make a list of people you know that you consider a safe place. Then pray and ask God to lead you to who maybe the best for you to open your heart to. As you begin to sort through all of this, journaling is another form of unloading our hearts.

By Mary Pinckney
Used by Permission

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Embrace it. Accept it. Don’t resist it. Change is not only a part of life; change is a necessary part of God’s strategy. To use us to change the world, he alters our assignments. Gideon: from farmer to general; Mary: from peasant girl to the mother of Christ; Paul: from local rabbi to world evangelist. God transitioned Joseph from a baby brother to an Egyptian prince. He changed David from a shepherd to a king. Peter wanted to fish the Sea of Galilee. God called him to lead the first church. God makes reassignments.

But, someone might ask, what about the tragic changes God permits? Some seasons make no sense – do such moments serve a purpose?

They do if we see them from an eternal perspective. What makes no sense in this life will make perfect sense in the next. I have proof: you in the womb.

I know you don’t remember this prenatal season, so let me remind you what happened during it. Every gestation day equipped you for your earthly life. Your bones solidified, your eyes developed, the umbilical cord transported nutrients into your growing frame – for what reason? So you might remain enwombed? Quite the contrary. Womb time equipped you for earth time, suited you up for your postpartum existence.

Some prenatal features went unused before birth. You grew a nose but didn’t breathe. Eyes developed, but could you see? Your tongue, toenails, and crop of hair served no function in your mother’s belly. But aren’t you glad you have them now?

Certain chapters in this life seem so unnecessary, like nostrils on the pre-born. Suffering. Loneliness. Disease. Holocausts. Martyrdom. Monsoons. If we assume this world exists just for happiness, these atrocities disqualify it from doing so. But what if this earth is the womb? Might these challenges, severe as they may be, serve to prepare us, equip us for the world to come? As Paul wrote, “These little troubles are getting us ready for an eternal glory that will make all our troubles seem like nothing.”  2 Corinthians 4:17 (CEV).

By Max Lucado
From:  Fearless
Used by permission

To learn more about Max Lucado visit his website at:
https://maxlucado.com/about/

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“Fathers, do not make your children angry; but raise them with the training and teaching of the Lord”. Ephesians 6:4

When I come home from work and see those little noses pressed against the windowpane, then I know I’m a success.—Paul Faulkner

Today is Father’s Day. A day of cologne. A day of hugs, new neckties, long-distance telephone calls, and Hallmark cards.

Today is my first Father’s Day without a father. For thirty-one years I had one. I had one of the best. But now he’s gone. He’s buried under an oak tree in a west Texas cemetery. Even though he’s gone, his presence is very near—especially today.

It seems strange that he isn’t here. I guess that’s because he was never gone. He was always close by. Always available. Always present. His words were nothing novel. His achievements, though admirable, were nothing extraordinary.

But his presence was….

Like a warm fireplace in a large house, he was a source of comfort. Like a sturdy porch swing or a big-branched elm in the backyard, he could always be found … and leaned upon.

During the turbulent years of my adolescence, Dad was one part of my life that was predictable. Girlfriends came and girlfriends went, but Dad was there.

Football season turned into baseball season and turned into football season again and Dad was always there. Summer vacation, Homecoming dates, algebra, first car, driveway basketball—they all had one thing in common: his presence.

And because he was there life went smoothly. The car always ran, the bills got paid, and the lawn stayed mowed. Because he was there the laughter was fresh and the future was secure.

Because he was there my growing up was what God intended growing up to be: a storybook scamper through the magic and mystery of the world. Because he was there we kids never worried about things like income tax, savings accounts, monthly bills or mortgages. Those were the things on Daddy’s desk.

We have lots of family pictures without him. Not because he wasn’t there, but because he was always behind the camera.

He made the decisions, broke up the fights, chuckled at Archie Bunker, read the paper every evening, and fixed breakfast on Sundays. He didn’t do anything unusual. He only did what dads are supposed to do—be there.

He taught me how to shave and how to pray. He helped me memorize verses for Sunday school and taught me that wrong should be punished and that rightness has its own reward. He modeled the importance of getting up early and of staying out of debt. His life expressed the elusive balance between ambition and self-acceptance.

He comes to mind often. When I smell “Old Spice” after-shave, I think of him. When I see a bass boat, I see his face. And occasionally, not too often, but occasionally when I hear a good joke (the kind Red Skelton would tell), I hear him chuckle. He had a copyright chuckle that always came with a wide grin and arched eyebrows.

Daddy never said a word to me about sex nor told me his life story. But I knew that if I ever wanted to know, he would tell me. All I had to do was ask. And I knew if I ever needed him, he’d be there.

Like a warm fireplace.

Maybe that’s why this Father’s Day is a bit chilly. The fire has gone out. The winds of age swallowed the last splendid flame, leaving only golden embers. But there is a strange thing about those embers, stir them a bit and a flame will dance. It will dance only briefly, but it will dance And it will knock just enough chill out of the air to remind me that he is still in a special way, very present.

by Max Lucado
used by permission

From: “A Good Dad is There for His Children” taken from God Came Near © 1987

To learn more about Max Lucado visit his website at:
https://www.maxlucado.com/info/view/about_max_lucado/

FATHERHOOD

A Call to Fatherhood

Godly Fathers – a Biblical perspective

Leaving a Legacy for Christ

How Will You be Remembered?

A Good Dad is “There” for His Children 

Ten Things to Teach your Son about True Manhood – by John Grant

Bible Verses for Fathers

Quotes about Fathers

STORIES Of Dads or about Dads

We Asked You ‘What is Special about Your Father?‘ This is what you said.

My Dad’s Love – Frank shares a true story of how his father’s love affected his life.

How my Son Changed my Priorities.  The Ed Becker story

My Daddy is a Man – Lessons from a 3 year old on what it means to really love our heavenly father.

My Lunch with Dad

Norm Brown’s story – Our first child was born – a daughter. She had cerebral palsy and God has used her to teach me patience, compassion, love and understanding. I can thank God every day for our daughter. She is a special gift from God.

Unending Guilt – a woman couldn’t forgive herself for going against her father’s wishes.

The post A Good Dad is “There” for His Children appeared first on Thoughts About God.

Psalm 34:8 says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” A glimpse of God’s goodness changes us. If He is only slightly stronger than us, why pray? If He has limitations, questions, and hesitations, then you might as well pray to the Wizard of Oz.

Psalm 68:5-6 says, God is “a father to the fatherless. He sets the solitary in families; He brings out those who are bound into prosperity.”

Pray with me!

Dear God. Today remind me today that you protect me. Be my father and defender. Defend those who’re weak and afraid and feel forgotten. Show up in their lives today. Thank you for giving me a spiritual family that can never be taken away. I pray this in Jesus’ name, amen.

At any point you’re only a prayer away from help!

By Max Lucado
From: Before Amen
Used by permission

To learn more about Max Lucado visit his website at:    
https://maxlucado.com/about-max/

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God our Father

Alphabet Of The Father Heart of God

The post God is Father to the Fatherless appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.” Malachi 4:6(ESV).

A friend of mine was preaching yesterday. His text was on John the Baptist. He made the connection between the verse in Luke 1:17 and the corresponding verse reference in Malachi given above. What struck me was something quite simple within this verse in Malachi.

I had never noticed before this aspect of Fatherhood. Something within said that there is a danger, where parents are too busy for their children, that it can have effects on the family and on the society both present and future. The sins of the parents will be visited on the children, a self-fulfilling prophecy for the people, with a curse as consequence for the land.

I talked to my wife about this thought and in reply, she mentioned an article in her magazine entitled something akin to: “How to be a mother in 60 minutes a day“. It raised the question in my heart “Why are we so keen to have families and yet not give them the priorities given in scripture?” Yes, we need money to live but at what a cost?

Jesus was keen to receive the small children, wants us to come to Him with the uncluttered and wholehearted faith of children. They are important to Him because they are just the same in spirit as those of us who are older, in a more capacious container. Why then is the bus-I-ness (ie. being too busy for too long) of work creating an acceptability of absenteeism that is in danger of consuming the society we hoped to grow and be a part of, where there is no space for more.

I think about my own parenthood. How has this been influenced by my history? How, in turn, am I influencing, have influenced, my children? How will this influence my children’s children?

Matthew 18:3 (ESV):- and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

PRAYER: LORD, I thank You that You do not treat us as our sins deserve because we come to You in the name of Jesus the Christ. Hallelujah!
LORD today, deliver us from this evil: being too busy for our loved ones. Thank You that You are never too busy for us. Grant that we may live a good example of what may be a right balance between worship, work and play in our lives.
LORD, You love the childlike simplicity of the Young. Heal those of us who have hurts and burdens that we carry with us which make us too busy to be able to care. Amen.

by Rod Marshall
Used by Permission

FATHERHOOD

A Call to Fatherhood

Godly Fathers – a Biblical perspective

Leaving a Legacy for Christ

What My Dad did Right

A Good Dad is “There” for His Children 

Ten Things to Teach your Son about True Manhood – by John Grant

The post Children and Parents appeared first on Thoughts About God.

It can happen in a matter of minutes. A beautiful sunshiny day can become overcast, gloomy, and dank. A wet fog rolls in and blankets everything. It clings to you as you strain to see beyond a few feet in front of you. You feel closed in, almost claustrophobic. Your hands are tempted to swoosh it away like you would debris when swimming in a river or lake. But it closes back in after a millisecond.

Life imitates nature, doesn’t it? I know there have been times my outlook was quite sunny. My world was just about perfect and I felt happy, accomplished, blessed. Then a situation or circumstance hit. Suddenly I felt as if I was encased in a fog. All sense of direction lost. I couldn’t see my way. My dreams and plans vanished in the thickness of the now.

Peter, John and James experienced this. I’d read the transfiguration story in the Gospels many, many times. But recently, Luke 9:34 leaped out at me. And God whispered a lesson to me. Because you see, I’ve been in a fog lately.

Jesus took these men up on the mountain to pray, as told in Luke 9:28-36. It must have been a gorgeous vista. Their Lord had gone up into the mountains to pray before, but always alone. Now He invited them. Not all of the twelve, just these three. Can you see their proud l struts, their smiles? What could be better?  Then they see Jesus’ countenance change into a dazzling white as the two most important, holy people in their tradition, Moses and Elijah, descended to be by his side. Wow. Talk about a Kodak moment! But they didn’t have that modern invention. No phones for selfies. So, Peter suggested they do what their patriarchs had done when encountering God breaking through to earth. Build an altar. Erect a tabernacle. Mark the moment.

“As he [Peter] said this, a cloud came and overshadowed them and they were afraid as they entered the cloud.” (Luke 9:34).  In rolled the blinding fog. Their view of the holiest thing they’d ever witnessed blocked off. The moment gone. Their breaths stolen.

But God didn’t leave them there. “A voice came out of the cloud, saying, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!’” (vs.35). Focus not on yourselves, but on Jesus. Erase your self-oriented thoughts. Let Him lead you. This isn’t about Jesus acknowledging you, it’s about you acknowledging my Son.

The good news is that God doesn’t leave us either. Even if we can’t see Him though the circumstances that are clouding our faith, He can still break through to comfort us, correct us, and lovingly guide us back to what we need to be focusing upon–Him. Just as He did for me as I read this passage in Scripture.

Fogs don’t last forever. The sun will break through again. But in the meantime perhaps we are supposed to stop and no longer rely on our own abilities. Instead, let us listen for God’s directive voice. Then when the sun does break through and we can see again, like Peter James and John in verse 36, let us continue to focus on Jesus alone.

By Julie Cosgrove
Used by Permission

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