Half full or half empty ? 600 01VI2008

Is you cup half full or half empty ?

This exercise has nothing to do with the contents of the jar, but it is how we view our life.
Some people see their "jars" as "half-empty"... they are missing something. Some others, who may be seen by some to have "half-empty jars", feel their lives are at least "half-full" or more so. The "fullness" of their lives is not measured by the clothes they wear, the material goods they have acquired or the status they have attained. No, their "fullness" is in direct correlation to their spirituality.

Psalm 23:5
My cup runneth over.

(0600 01VI2008)

599 Be armed

The Apostle Paul said in his letter to the Ephesians that we should "Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the Devil's schemes." Paul uses the armour of a Roman soldier as an example of how we should protect ourselves for each day.

There are enough problems and challenges to fill every day. Yet, with our minds turned to God at the start of each day, armed with God's word, we will have all the armour we need for the daily battle.

Ephesians 6:11
Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the Devil's schemes.

(0599 31V2008)

598 In our darkest moments

Life is not always easy. Sometimes we experience terrible episodes, times of deep despair and excruciating pain. These are occasions when we think we cannot endure one more moment of agony. For some of us, this is our darkest valley.

It is true that life is not always easy. It is, however, equally true that even in our worst moments we have nothing at all to fear and for one reason only: that the Lord is with us. Through all Scripture the words "do not fear" and "I am with you" appear again and again in one form or another. Let these words sink in and pray that they will control your whole being; body, mind and spirit. They are truly our rod and our staff.

Psalm 23:4
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff - they comfort me.
(0598 30V2008)

597 Our shortcomings

God's Word is like a piercing ray of light. It conveys truth and it also shows up everything in our lives which is not clean.

As we read God's Word, we become aware of our own shortcomings and failures.
We have failings that we drift into without being aware of it.
We have failings that arise from our stubborn conviction that we know best and we can lead our own lives without reference to God.
The correct response to the realization of our failings is to seek God's forgiveness to free us from the guilt of sin, and his help to free us from the power of sin.


Psalm 19:12,13
But who can discern his errors ?
Clear thou me from hidden faults.
Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins;
let them not have dominion over me !
Then I shall be blameless,and innocent of great transgression.

(0597 29V2008)

596 The value of God's Word

There are many reasons for reading God's Word regularly.

The Scripture can act as a warning to us. We tend to be impatient with those who try to warn us. The warnings in Scripture are designed for our own good, to protect us from harm and from doing what is foolish.

Obeying the teachings of Scripture brings rewards. Living in accordance with God's Word brings satisfaction even when it involves suffering and sacrifice on our part.

Psalm 19:11
Moreover by them is thy servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

(0596 28V2008)

595 Managing your anger

Anger is not necessarily sin.
The problem is what we do with the anger we feel. Jonah had the other kind of anger - the kind that was going to irritate no matter what happened.


Jesus expressed anger time and again. Jesus knew what to do with his anger and tells us what to do with ours.

Jesus had no problem whatsoever in saying how angry he was with the scribes, Pharisees, religious leaders and those who made the temple into a trading post. He was really angry, and he did something constructive with his anger. He gave it voice and direction. He told the religious movers and shakers what a bunch a hypocrites they were and he fired off the seven deadly woes at them, expressing in minute detail what was going to happen to them for their callous approach to their religious duties.
Do not let your anger worsen. Go and get right with the cause of your anger and put that anger to rest.
Get angry for the right reason. There is good reason to get angry. In scripture, especially in the Old Testament, God is depicted time and again as an angry God. But God is always angry for good reason -

Jonah 4:1,4,9b
But this was very displeasing to Jonah, and he became angry. And the Lord said, "Is it right for you to be angry?" And he said, "Yes, angry enough to die."

John 2:14-15
In the temple Jesus found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and money changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple.

(0595 27V2008)

594 After the rain clouds .....

Many of us resent being saddled with undesirable or hurtful circumstances. Many complain that it is so unfair. We must also know that God does have a good and loving reason for everything He allows to happen to us. He promised that all things work together for good to those who love God. When we accept the bad circumstances of life as part of God's will for us, we can truly be set free, because then we discover the wonders of God's grace, as things do work out for the best, in the end.

Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

(0594 26V2008)

593 We are useful

Very often we do not understand how the stressful, sometimes painful episodes in our lives are working to make us better Christian. We often react with bitterness and resentment towards God for the occasional trials that interrupt our comfortable and well planned lives. We fail to see God's hand in our circumstances and often feel that He has deserted or abandoned us despite His promises to watch over our paths [Psalm 1:6].

In Jeremiah 18, the prophet Jeremiah instructs us that these trials are for a far more greater purpose than God's whim or amusement.

God is continually making us useful. This process will not be without reshaping and work. We have the assurance that daily trials are ordained by God for our benefit to form us into "His workmanship" (Ephesians 2:10).

Jeremiah 18:6
"Can I not do with you as this potter does?" declares the Lord. "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand."

(0593 25V2008)

592 Obstacles

Life as a Christian is not without illness, death, loneliness or despair. God never promises that Christians would not be affected by any of the above obstacles. God says, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5)

We have to meet the obstacles and overcome them and move on with the help of our ever-present Saviour.

Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

(0592 24V2008)

591 Contentment

Human nature seems to be afflicted with an greedy desire for more -- more possessions, more wealth. Strangely enough, the more we have, the more we want, and the less satisfied we are with what we have.

As Christians, we must learn to be contented because Jesus meets the deepest desire of our hearts. God wants us to be content with Him, and not to set our hearts on things that so quickly pass away. The apostle Paul wrote, "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." (Philippians 4:11)

1 Timothy 6:6-7
But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

(0591 23V2008)

590 The storms of life

Sometimes the storms of life get pretty rough, unemployment, financial concerns, family discord and illness. If we can just trust in God to guide us when the going gets rough, we will make it through. It is when we get to thinking that there is no hope, and that all is lost, that we will fail. Jesus has a plan for our lives, and when we trust Him to bring us through the storms, He will.

Philippians 1:6
Be confident of this very thing, that He who has
begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus
Christ.

(0590 22V2008)

589 Mountains and rain clouds

Have you ever spent some time living in the country side surrounded by beautiful scenery of lake or ranges of mountains, trees and shrubs. On a clear day you are blessed with clear, crisp weather, allowing for fantastic visibility. On other days rain clouds may hover over land and sea, dissolving the mountains as if by magic.

Weather conditions can distort our perceptions of the mountains around us, just as crises in our lives can make God seem farther away and without a solid presence in our lives. However, "Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore." (Psalm 125:1-2)

Let us ask God to surround us with His never-failing strength and love. Ask Him to help us to walk with Him when we cannot see Him and to embrace Him when we cannot feel His presence.

Psalm 121:1-2
I lift up my eyes to the hills - where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

(0589 21V2008)

588 The compass of life

An interesting scenario :
Imagine a person venturing out into the middle of the ocean. He is unable to find his way back home. After being rescued, his friends give him a compass to help him on future trips. Once again he gets lost and needs to be rescued. His friends ask him impatiently, "Why didn't you use the compass?"

"I did," he replies, "but it didn't work right. I wanted to go north, but the needle kept turning back to point southeast."

Some people are so sure they are going the right direction in life, they just can not see all the signs to the contrary.

God has given us all the guidelines we need for living, right in the Bible. Pretending to ourselves that another direction is right would not change the facts.

Psalm 119:11,105
Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

(0588 20V2008)

587 Our hairs are numbered

Matthew 10:30
But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

This statement simply tells us that God’s concern for us extends even to the smallest details. If He pays so much attention to little things, how much more attention must He pay to more important things like food, clothes and shelter, and the really important things, like our spiritual needs: our relationship to Him through Jesus, the forgiveness of our sins, and eternal life. When we put our lives into God's keeping, we never need to be afraid.

(0587 19V2008)

586 God is always there

Are you feeling down today?
Is God still watching over you ?

Yes, He is still in control. In those hours of darkness when we think that everything has caved in on us, God has not forgotten about us. He is still at work bringing about a brilliant plan for our lives. Sometimes God has to bring us to the end of our resources before He can show us His unlimited resources. Sometimes God has to destroy our confidence in ourselves before He can teach us to trust in Him alone. Through those times of despair, remember, God has not forgotten you. He is still at work.

Psalm 42:11
Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God.

(0586 18V2008)

585 We need support

If the hammock is to represent a person's life, one of the support ropes is our relationship with God and the other support rope is our relationship with the world. When anything happens to break either of those relationships, then our life falls down.

God repairs broken relationships. He shows us choices we need to make in order to mend whatever is broken or missing in our life. God does this by strengthening our faith, by entering our consciousness through the power of the Spirit, and by showing us examples of good spiritual relations through other people's actions. When we put into action what God shows us to do, then we are able to assist in building positive relationships in the world.

Philippians 4:8
In conclusion, my brothers, fill your minds with those things that are good and that deserve praise: things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and honorable.

(0585 17V2008)

584 Bad news ? Cry at God !!

We are such a busy people now, with our careers, families, special events, volunteer work, hobbies, and so on. Even our vacations are hectic. Then suddenly, one day, we are faced with some bad news that almost makes the world stop in its course.

How do deal with bad news .

The prophet Hosea said, "Take your words, and turn to the Lord." (Hosea 14:2)

God always hears us when we, "take our words, and turn to the Lord."

Philippians 4:6-7
Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your minds in Christ Jesus.

(0584 16V2008)

583 One who encourages

Everyday we meet people who complain and criticize. What we really need are those who encourage, show appreciation by giving praise and thanks in every way possible.

Acts 4:36-37
And so it was that Joseph, a Levite born in Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means "one who encourages")sold a field he owned, brought the money, and turned it over to the apostles.

(0583 15V2008)

582 Devotion

Have you tried asking a kid to do a job for you like mowing the lawn, washing the dishes ?? It may all begin as a fun adventure, then it grows into an exciting responsibility, and finally becomes a boring job to be avoided and postponed.

How many people could parallel this with time spent reading the Bible. When you first started, His Word is fresh and you read it with enthusiasm. As you grow in faith, time in the Word becomes an exciting responsibility as you learn about God and His children. But, later, it seems to be a tedious job for which there is no time. Reading and studying the Word often takes low priority in the business of our lives.

Yet it is in God's Word that
we learn how to live.
we receive courage, strength, power, freedom, comfort, and grace to sustain us in times of trouble.
we learn who God is and, by this knowledge, learn to trust in Him.

Psalm 1:1-2
How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.

(0582 14V2008)

581 Ask

What happens when we pray ?
Does our prayer somehow unleash God to do what is intended for us but which could not be accomplished without our participation ?

We must humbly present our needs to God and accept God's way of answering our prayers.

Yes, we have to ask.

In the process of asking, we acknowledge our dependent relationship and center our attention upon God. Remember the story of the Pharisee and the publican? Humility is the foundation of prayer. "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up" (James 4:10)

2 Chronicles 7:14-15
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.

James 4:2
You do not have, because you do not ask God.

(0581 13V2008)

580 Frustrating circumstances

Do you have frustrating events that made you abandon or destroy your plans ?

I believe that nothing happens by chance. God sends some people to us ... people to interrupt us, people who need something from us, and people who have something to give to us. The people who come into our days are more important than any pet project.

We must ask God to grant us His wisdom and grace to accept with love and understanding all those He sends to us today.

Psalm 118:24
This is the day that the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Colossians 3:1,17
Set your minds on things that are above ... do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus.

(0580 12V2008)

579 Empowered by the Spirit

Wisdom, knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, power to work miracles, power to speak God's message, the ability to discern between spirits (good and evil), various kinds of tongues and the interpretation of those tongues are all included in what can happen through us "when the Spirit comes."

Whatever work God calls us to do, He will also give us what it takes to do it well. This is His purpose for all of us.

1 Corinthians 12:1,4-7
Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit gives them. There are different ways of serving, but the same Lord is served. There are different abilities to perform service, but the same God gives ability to everyone for their particular service. The Spirit's presence is shown in some way in each person for the good of all.

(0579 11V2008)

578 Green pastures and still waters

When joints and muscles ache, we are quick to realize that they need healing and we need to be more regular and less sporadic with physical activity.

With spiritual aching we must be led to those elusive still waters so difficult to find on our own. Our spiritual aching is identified as a thirst :
"My soul thirsts for God, for the living God" (Psalm 42:2),
"For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things" (Psalm 107:9).
"O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water." (Psalm 63:1).

Through Jesus' encounter with the woman at the well, we learn of the one and only way to quench such a thirst: "Whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:14)

Psalm 23:2
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside the still waters.

(0578 10V2008)

577 The Lord is my shepherd

The Lord is my Shepherd and I have everything I need - the talent, family and time as long as I follow the direction and priorities of my Shepherd.

Sheep lack a natural sense of direction, even in the familiar environment of their own territory. They are defenceless, restless, rather stupid animals, unable even to clean themselves. Without a shepherd to lead and care for them, the sheep would surely die.

From Ezekiel's prophecies we learn of God's promise to lead and care for these needy ones: "'I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down', declares the Sovereign Lord. 'I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong (shepherds) I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.'" (Ezekiel 34:15-16)

Psalm 23:1
The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.

(0577 09V2008)

576 Take it to the Lord in prayer

When we are worried or upset about an issue, we should give to over to God. God does not want us to be anxious or worried about things we cannot change. When we entrust the issues to God, we acknowledge God’s power at work in the situation to change and heal. In doing so, we learn to relax, having entrusted situations and people to God. Prayer is a way of drawing close to God and to other people. It is also a way to deepen our trust in God’s acts on our behalf.

Luke 11:13
If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.

(0576 08V2008)

575 A simple prayer

We know what we ought to pray and what we should do to draw close to God. In reality we do not and we fall short of our own goals. God meets us where we are, when we are ready to meet him and answers us when we seek Him in ways we least expect.

We should start each day with a simple prayer
to ask God to guide our day
to tell God of our love for Him
to ask God for forgiveness for times during the day when we forgot to walk with Him
to tell God of our needs or the needs of others
to thank God at the end of the day for all the blessings we had received


Luke 11:9-11
So I say to you, "Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who seeks finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened."


(0575 07V2008)

574 Perseverance in prayer

Prayer is the healing relief in our lives when we feel fragmented, frayed and about to fall apart. And when told that all our efforts make no difference, we persevere in prayer and continue to petition God who has the power to make us whole.

Let us ask God to give us persistence in prayer.

Luke 11:5,8
And he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.' I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.

(0574 06V2008)

573 People of prayer

Let us be honest to God
We have real trouble with prayer. What are the causes of this trouble ?
- the problem stems from our belief or lack of belief in prayer
- the problem stems from our lack of time away from 'the real world' to engage in prayer.

It is true that prayer is important to our Christian lives. We learn better through participation than by hearing someone talk about something.

Let us ask God to make us take the time to talk to Him and express the deepest desires of our hearts. Let us ask God to help us to be quiet in the midst of our busy lives and to spend more time with Him in prayer.

Isaiah 65:24
Before they call I will answer, while they are yet speaking, I will hear.

(0573 05V2008)

572 Solitude and silence

Sometimes we need to seek out a quiet place of solitude. It is not the place, woods, or the water, but another quiet place deep within us where the only voice is the still small voice of God. This is the secret recess of a soul that needs the sounds of silence to know once more the presence of God.

1 Kings 19:11-12
Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the
fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence.

(0572 04V2008)

571 Fitness

We need to take time to get in shape. It is a daily routine. Anything takes time and patience and must be eased into.

Exercise to keep oneself fit is like that.. Some keep up, most do not and none persevere long enough to even get a feel for what it is like. We must gain the strength and the endurance and then build on it.

Deuteronomy 32:11-12
As an eagle stirs up its nest, and hovers over its young; as it spreads its wings, takes them up, and bears them aloft on its pinions, the Lord alone guides him.

Deuteronomy has the mothering God watching over us this morning -- God, like the eagle with her brood, preparing them for the plunge and the first flight, getting them ready to go it on their own. She is there with them on that first flight and she nurtures them through the difficult days until they are strong enough to go it on their own.

She makes them practice and leave the nest and take wing and finally soar. When they do she then finally kicks them out for good -- for their own good, that is.

(0571 03V2008)

570 Love is patient

We live in a world where more and more companies market products to meet our demands for an instant response. All we need to do is add boiling water, stir, and allow to stand for 2 minutes and we get instant meal This "instant" approach to life can create problems when we apply it to relationships. We expect other people to fit with our way of thinking and acting. We can even expect spiritual growth and relationship with God to be instant!

The Bible tells us, "love is patient". Yet, still we want instant answers, instant growth. Our love grows impatient. Relationships take time, and they need patience. Faith and spiritual growth need time as we come to know our Father and the love and patience He has for us!

1 Corinthians 13:4
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

(0570 02V2008)

569 On the shelf

The work of a potter moulding the clay at his wheel is well understood as a Biblical analogy of the relationship between God and us, His people, because the basics of the potter's craft have changed very little over the centuries.

After the potter has finished moulding the clay, he places the finished product on a shelf and it will have to stay there, while it dries out completely. If he fired it in his kiln right away, the extra water in the clay would turn into steam and explode the piece of pottery.

Sometimes it is necessary for God to put us on the shelf for a while. Certain processes just take time.

For example, when we pray, we must have patience and wait for God.
Sometimes there are long periods of waiting in our lives, while the Lord is arranging the perfect circumstances for some other part of His perfect will to take place.

Jeremiah 18:6
Like clay in the hand of the potter, so you are in my
hand," declares the Lord.

(0569 01V2008)