We are children of God. We should be displaying that kind of behavior in everything we do and say. Are we really living up to the standard? God knows for sure.
Today’s Prayer
(a personal prayer)
Dear Lord, help me to learn to really listen; to You, to my family, to those around me, and to be sensitive to the “unspoken,” for often it is in the “unspoken” that the needs of others are revealed. You are not only heard in a clap of thunder, or in the cry of a newborn infant, but also in the silence of a sunrise and the quiet desperation of an anguished heart. Help me listen so that I may bring Your love and comfort to others. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit that I may develop a “listening heart.” In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Let’s eat.
Four Attributes of a Life God Blesses
So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed.”
– Isaiah 28:16
This is some mighty good food today folks. Whenever God calls us into a sanctified life, it is made up of four distinct stages. Christ often compared this process to building a house. First, we must prepare to build by laying a foundation. That foundation is none other than Jesus Christ Himself. Any foundation other than Christ will not stand.
Second, as we enter a walk of faith with God, He allows each of us to experience trials, testing, miracles, and challenges in life that are designed to provide “faith experiences” that demonstrate tangible evidences of His work in our life. Some examples are: Moses’ burning-bush experience, Peter’s walk on the water, Joshua’s parting of the Jordan River. These experiences built the faith of these people. The depth and width of our calling is directly comparative to the faith experiences He allows in each of our lives. If God plans an international ministry with you, chances are you will experience a higher degree of faith experiences compared to another. The reason being, you will need to look on these to ensure your calling and provide testimony to His work in your life.
The third stage deals with motives. “All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord” (Prov. 16:2). What is the motive behind your actions? Is it only financial accumulation? Is it to gain control? Is it to create independence? The primary motive must be God’s leading you to take such an action – it must be obedience. These other factors must be by-products of the decision.
Finally, we are prepared to take action. Here we must ask, “Do we have the skill, quality, and ability to enter into this activity?” So often we have not trained ourselves adequately to be successful in our endeavor. You would never want someone working on your teeth who had not been trained and certified as a dentist.
Before you begin your next project, ask yourself these four questions:
1. What is the foundation this project is based on?
2. What experiences has GOD demonstrated in my life that indicates His involvement?
3. What is my motive for entering this activity?
4. Do I have the skill, qualities, and ability to accomplish the task?
Answering these questions will tell you whether God will bless your activity.
Quote of the Day
There are those who can venture far into the world and yet everywhere be true to their Savior; they are known as Christians wherever they appear, and people respect their position; they would not go anywhere if they knew that their mouths were to be stopped on the subjects lying nearest their hearts; the energy of Christ in them is so glowing and victorious a force that they mould the society in which they are, instead of being molded by it.
James Stalker
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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.