Good day and thank the Lord for another day and another chance to introduce Him to somebody. As I sit here some realities hit my spirit. We as Christians read the bible to gain knowledge of the Kingdom. We say that we are ready for spiritual battle but the fact is that very few really want to go to war. When the real battle comes, most become passive or retreat. We need to learn to be warriors like David. That’s where the meal is going this today.
Today’s Prayer
Father, I hear from so many hurting people who want someone to stand with them in prayer. Lord, here I stand in the balance, lifting their hands and hearts to You. These people have real needs, special needs; some are spiritual, some are physical, some are emotional–some touch the body, soul, and spirit. I pray for the unemployed, the grieving, the heartbroken over troubled relationships, the sick and suffering, the scared and frightened, the homeless, the ones in bondage to addictions, and anyone else who needs a special touch today. My heart goes out to them in their time of trouble. Open their eyes strengthen their faith, give them hope and a vision for the future. Please guide them; even carry them, through this valley. Send what they need. Provide as You know best. I praise You and thank You Lord, for Your grace, mercy, and provisions. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Let’s eat.
The Training Ground of God
Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. – Psalm 144:1
The bible tells us that David was a man skilled in war. From his days as a shepherd boy to the days of serving in Saul’s army to leading his own army, David learned to be a skillful warrior. How does a person become a skillful warrior? The only way someone can become a skillful warrior is to be trained and placed in the middle of the battle. It’s only when we are placed in the furnace of battle that we truly learn to fight the real battles. Practice doesn’t make you battle ready. War games won’t prepare you for facing your real enemy in the battlefield. The severe reality of being in the midst of the battle makes us effective warriors.
Simply reading your Bible will not make you a warrior for the Kingdom. Knowledge without experience is mere foolishness. Only when you are placed in situations where there is nothing or no one who can save you but God will you learn the lessons of warrior faith. This is the training ground of God, which will make you into a soldier for Christ in the world and more importantly in the workplace. Consider it to be suicidal faith – faith that says I want to be dead to anything that keeps me from fulfilling God’s purposes for my life. It is when your efforts can do nothing to change your circumstance and you are at the mercy of God. These are the real training grounds of God. Do not shrink back from the battle that God may be leading you to today. It may be a training ground that is necessary for the calling He has on your life.
If you can trust Him in these times, you’ll know that you have gained a faith that will move mountains and will sustain you in the most difficult of circumstances.
Quote of the Day
Perseverance is more than endurance. It is endurance combined with absolute assurance and certainty that what we are looking for is going to happen.
Oswald Chambers
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REV. ELDER G E STERRETT
FOUNDER
GCKRS HELPING HAND FOUNDATION – THE RELATIONSHIP FACTORY
James H. Taylor Sr. – Kankakee City News has published my Daily meal message for a decade.