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Luke 6:35

BIBLE MEDITATION:
Luke 6:35 - "But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great."

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
I've seen bumper stickers that exhort us to "show random acts of kindness."  I think that's a good thing. And what is kindness?  It's love in the little things. A woman came down the aisle of a church to give her heart to Christ, and the preacher wanted to know what had impacted her life for Christ. She said, "You did." The pastor said, "Well, I'd be interested to know what it was that I said that brought you to Christ." She said, "It was nothing you said. It was something you did. I was standing nearby when somebody criticized you very unfairly. I saw the kindness with which you responded, and I knew that your faith was real."

ACTION POINT:
What random act of kindness can you do today that will demonstrate that your faith is real?

Isaiah 63:7

BIBLE MEDITATION:
Isaiah 63:7 - "I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the Lord, and the praises of the Lord."

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
One time a man came into a village and asked an old man living there, "Any great men born here?" The old man said, "No, just babies." Great men are not born; great men are made, investing in the lives of others, sharing God's love, and showing His mercies. There is not a magic formula that instantly makes us sanctified. Sanctification is a process. Our calling is to be poured out into the lives of others for His glory.

ACTION POINT:
How can you show His mercies to a lost co-worker or neighbor today? Pray about it and then watch for how God provides!

Romans 1:20

BIBLE MEDITATION:
Romans 1:20 - "For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse."

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Can intellectuals believe in God? Absolutely! Many intellectuals believe in God. As a   matter of fact, your intellect has very little to do with your belief in God. Out of all of      the secular professional groups, do you know what professional group has the highest number of believers in God?  Astronomers.  Over 90% of the world's great astronomers believe in God. Why? Because they have studied the heavens. It's not a sign of intelligence not to believe in God. If you're intelligent, you have to say, "Someone   created all of this."

ACTION POINT:
Take a walk with your family under the canopy of the night sky. Praise God for His handiwork in the heavens. Is anything too hard for the Lord?

Genesis 18:14

BIBLE MEDITATION:
Genesis 18:14 - "Is anything too hard for the Lord?"

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
A little boy was trying to roll a rock as his father watched from a distance. The boy was heaving and sighing, but he couldn't turn the stone over. His dad with a smile said, "Son, are you using all of your strength?" He said, "Yes, Daddy, I'm using all my strength." And the father said, "No, you're not because you haven't asked me to help you. My strength is your strength." Sometimes we wrestle with problems and say, "I don't know what to do." Our Father wants us to say, "I've run out of my strength," and run into His. He is there. There is no problem too big for Jesus to solve. Do you believe that? I hope so.

ACTION POINT:
Is there a problem too big for you to solve? Give it to Jesus. He can handle it.

Matthew 10:34

BIBLE MEDITATION:
Matthew 10:34 - "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword."

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
A pulpit committee approached a favorite pastor of mine one time and said, "We need a pastor for our church." He said, "I know just the guy. He is a fantastic preacher and has a fiery evangelistic spirit, but he has health problems and he's kind of old." I continued, "He's also been in jail several times." They began to shake their heads, and one said, "Well, we don't know whether he's the man we want or not." He said, "Well, don't worry; you couldn't get him. He's already

in heaven, and   his name is Paul." You don't want a guy who can rub shoulders with the people of this world and not rub any salt in their wounds. Where there is no offense, there is no effect.

ACTION POINT:
Pray for the men who occupy the pulpits in our churches that they would not water down the truth of God's Word, but be strong to proclaim its power.

Jeremiah 33:3

BIBLE MEDITATION:
Jeremiah 33:3 - "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not."

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
I read about some children in a Sunday School class who wrote a missionary to let him know that they were praying  for him. The teacher of the class said, "Now children, the missionary is a very busy person, so don't expect him to   write you back." One little girl's letter read, "Dear Brother Brown, We're praying for you. We don't expect an answer." Sadly, this is how we pray! We don't really expect an answer. But God has promised He will answer us when we call upon His name. Psalm 91:15 says, "He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honor him."

ACTION POINT:
What are you praying for today? Do you believe that God can answer? Do you believe that He will answer? Thank Him now for answering.

Phillipians 2:13

BIBLE MEDITATION:
Philippians 2:13 - "For it is God which works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure."

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
One of the greatest secrets I have ever learned is this: God doesn't want me to do anything for Him. He wants to do something through me. People say, "Well, I just serve God in my poor, little, old weak way."  I feel like saying, "Well, quit it."  He doesn't want you to serve Him in your poor, little, old weak way. He wants you out of the way, so He can flow through you! We need to make ourselves available to God and say, "God, I'm tired of being inhibited. I want to be inhabited by You. I want You to live Your life   through me."

ACTION POINT:
Where have you been standing in the way of God instead of surrendering to God and letting Him live through you?

Matthew 14:14

BIBLE MEDITATION:
Matthew 14:14 - "And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved   with compassion toward them, and He healed their sick."

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
It is the unbelievable, supernatural replenishment that awakens the world to see the mighty power of God. Jesus demonstrated, once with a crowd of 5,000 and again with     a crowd of 4,000, that He is the God who provides (see Matthew 14:14-21, 15:32-38). When the most "responsible" thing to do, in human terms, was to ask the multitudes to find their own food, Jesus turned to the supernatural power of God. Moved with compassion, He confidently told the disciples to begin feeding the multitudes. Jesus   never wavered in His complete and utter trust in Jehovah Jireh.

ACTION POINT:
Read the accounts of these miracles in Matthew with your family today, then ask God to fill your family with an utter and complete trust in Jehovah Jireh.

John 21:12

BIBLE MEDITATION:
John 21:12a - "Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine."

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Is Satan whispering that God is not for you in your daily battles? Is he whispering         lies   that God is going to erase your name from the Book of Life for something you've done, yet repented over? Satan never had it so wrong! And Jesus never had it so right! Salvation in Christ is not a funeral, but a feast! The Bible is a continual feast from    Genesis right through to Revelation. Covenant meals and meals of fellowship are  frequent occurrences in Scripture. Our Shepherd, the Lord Jesus, has given many examples of His open invitation to be replenished and restored, to remember, and to rejoice at His table.

ACTION POINT:
Call your family together and celebrate the Lord's Supper this week as a family...remembering the powerful promise of His resurrection, replenishment, and restoration.

2 Corinthians 9:8

BIBLE MEDITATION:
2 Corinthians 9:8 - "And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work."

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
The devil wants you to live your life from an empty cup. He wants you to think that    God's cup of grace has dried up for you. He wants you to be disenchanted with God.   Most especially, he wants you to feel that God is a cosmic killjoy. that God is always thinking of ways to rob you of joy and peace. Satan knows that if you start to feel negatively about God, then he can have his way with you in other areas. Take courage. Be strong. Jesus has won the victory for you! Send those lies back to the pit where they came from and claim the promises of God.

ACTION POINT:
Wish someone the peace and joy of the Lord today.