Have you ever faced the problems of
– Dullness, darkness and dryness?

Certain days come to us that are simply dull. There may be sameness and tameness about them.

And sometimes we have to go through periods of darkness, and we wonder what in the world God is doing.

Or we experience dryness – we are so spiritually dry, hungry and thirsty.

What is the answer to dullness? The Word of God.
“Your testimonies are wonderful; therefore my soul keeps them” (Psalm 119:129).

Life cannot be dull when we read and obey the Bible. It has a way of taking the ordinary things of life and making them wonderful. When our minds and hearts are filled with Scripture, everything we see appears different.

What is the answer to darkness?
“The entrance of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple” (v 130). Entrance means the opening up, the expounding, the unfolding of God’s Word. As Scripture is explained to us, it illuminates us.

If you find yourself in darkness today, read your Bible, and it will give you light.

What is the answer to dryness? Sometimes we feel so dry and needy.
“I opened my mouth and panted, for I longed for Your commandments” (v 131).

The Word of God is like fresh air when we feel smothered, like water when we are parched, like food when we are famished. If you are having a dull, dark or dry day, turn to the Word of God.

Its truths will brighten your soul, and its promises will encourage you. God designed the Bible to meet your needs. So when the discouraging days come, feed your mind and heart with the Word.

(PR)

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Have you thought lately about the faithfulness of God?

Too often we are prone to focus on our own faithfulness and our own faith. Our living a victorious Christian life indicates that we are trusting a faithful God who cannot fail, not that we are faithful to Him.

How should we respond to the faithfulness of God? Read Psalm 89:1-10.

First, sing of His faithfulness! “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever; with my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations” (v 1). Are you praising God today for His faithfulness?

When you find yourself unfaithful to the Lord, consider His faithfulness. After all, “He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

Second, share about His faithfulness!! “With my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations.” In giving our testimonies, we sometimes brag about ourselves.

I was in a meeting once where the leader said, “Let’s give praise to the Lord, and let’s be careful not to give praise to ourselves.” The psalmist said, “I’m going to share the faithfulness of God –
– not what I have done, but what He has done; not what I am, but what He is.”

Third, submit to His faithfulness!!! “God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be held in reverence by all those who are around Him” (v 7).

Our God is faithful. Can we trust Him today? Yes, we can. Is His Word going to fail? No, not one word of all His promises has failed.

Is His grace going to run out? No, He has vast riches of His grace. God is faithful in everything.

Have you learned to respond to God’s faithfulness? Praise Him for His faithfulness, share it with others and submit to it. He can be trusted.

Great is Thy Faithfulness!

(PR)

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The newspaper reminds us of the uncertainty of life. Things happen that are unexpected, tides turn, fortunes shift, lives end. One of the basic needs of humans is a sense of security!

Yet, the events of the day remind us of the insecurity that comes from the uncertainties of life. We just don’t know what’s next.

While most people look for security in something, the Christian finds it in the Sovereign! In the Bible we find reasons to feel secure!

Simple but strong answers are found in Romans 8:31-36.

We are secure knowing that:

• His purpose will not be frustrated. Since God is for us, none can be against us (Romans 8:31).

• His generosity will not be quenched. Since He has not spared His Son, God will withhold nothing in taking care of us (v 32).

• His forgiveness will not be canceled. No prosecution can succeed, since God our judge has already justified us (v 33–34).

• His love will not be severed. God has revealed it in Christ, and nothing, even the ten powerful items listed here, will separate us from Christ’s love (v 35–36).

Nothing can frustrate God’s purpose. Nothing can quench His generosity. Nothing can cancel His forgiveness. Nothing can sever His love from us. None of these nor all of them heaped together can budge the fact that you are-
-dearly loved,
-definitely forgiven and
-divinely secure in the Lord Jesus Christ.

God holds us in the palm of His steady hand. We are-
Secure in the Sovereign!

(PR)

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“Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died” (John 11:21).

In all honesty, by the time Jesus got to Bethany, Mary and Martha were pretty upset. Martha, specifically, was quite outspoken. And sure enough, there she was to meet the Lord as He came walking into Bethany.

Loose paraphrase: “Lord, with all due respect, You didn’t come through. We told everyone, ‘Jesus is our friend. We will send Him a message, and He will come and heal Lazarus. You watch. He cares about us. He loves us.’ Then You come strolling in here a few days later. Now my brother is beyond sick. He is dead.”

Jesus said, “Your brother will rise again” (v 20).

“I know that, Lord. I know he will rise in the final resurrection,” Martha replied.
He said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (v 25–26).

“Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world” (v 27).

Martha wasn’t getting it. She wanted a healing; Jesus wanted resurrection. Yes, He loved Lazarus. But
– He wanted to do something more dramatic.

In the same way, we say, “Lord, you have to do this. . . .” But do we ever stop and think that God may want to do more? Do we ever stop and think that God might want to do abundantly above and beyond that which we could ask or think?

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21).

(PR)

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“Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4) 

The One who created the valley is there with you!
He has prepared the way through the valley.

It is not a place of permanence.
It is a place of passage!

He knows every twist and turn,
– every changing shadow,
– every den where danger lurks!

That One is with you!
Focus on the light and not the darkness.

God has made you to walk through shadows.
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me” (Psalm 23:4).

When the shadow approaches, you must walk through.
The One greater than death is in you!

He is your Jehovah Shamah.
– the Lord ever-present.

His grace is greater.
His peace is purer.
His devotion is dearer.

Where Satan casts a shadow-
– our Sovereign Lord reigns supreme!

This is a day of hope!
Ask God to give you a divine appointment to share this beloved truth with someone today.

(PR)

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“Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD” (Psalm 4:6). 

How easy it is to be deceived-
– when we are not walking in the light of God’s Word.

A pilot tells about the time he was flying in a dense fog over Newfoundland.
He noticed moisture beginning to freeze on the wings of his plane.
He thought, “This great adventure is going to come to an untimely end. What shall I do?”

Then, he had a moment of inspiration.
He pulled his plane up and out of the fog and burst into the dazzling sunlight.

Have you ever felt like you were living in a fog?
He has a word of encouragement for you.

You can get near to the heart of God.
Focus on the Sun of Righteousness.
His light can shine even in the darkest corner of your heart.

Ask God to shine His light into the darkness of your heart.
Ask Him to reveal your doubts and fears.
Ask Him to reveal your sin that lies covetously in your heart.

Then, get ready for a blessing.
Draw up close because when you repent-

He’ll reach in with healing forgiveness.

Shine Jesus shine!

(PR)

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“And call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.” (Psalm 50:15).

Here is an urgent occasion!
– “the day of trouble.”

It is dark at noon on such a day.
Every hour seems blacker than the one which came before it.

Then is this promise in season:
It is written for the cloudy day.

Here is an upholding advice!!
– “Call upon Me.”

We ought not to need the exhortation:
It should be our constant habit all the day and every day.

What a mercy to have liberty to call upon God!
What wisdom to make good use of it!

How foolish to go running about to men!
The Lord invites us to lay our case before Him.

And surely we will not hesitate to do so.
Here is an undoubtful promise!!!
– “I will deliver you!”

Whatever the trouble may be-
– the Lord makes no exceptions but promises full, sure, happy deliverance.

He will Himself work out our deliverance by His own hand.
We believe it, and the Lord honours faith.

Here is an ultimate result!
– “You shall glorify Me.”

When He has delivered us-
– we will loudly praise Him.

As He is sure to do it-
Let us begin to glorify Him at once!

(PR)

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You were created to know three worlds!

The spiritual, psychological, and material worlds.
These can be considered-
– the world above us,
– the world within us, and
– the world around us.

These worlds are related to the three parts of our human nature:
– spirit, soul, and body!

When you are rightly related to the material world with your body-
– you are healthy!

When you are rightly related to the psychological world with your soul-
– you are happy!!

And when you are rightly related to the spiritual world in your spirit-
– you are holy!!!

God’s aim is that ultimately you are to experience all three realities:
– health, happiness, and holiness!

Take a snapshot inventory of your life!

Where do you need to start making changes to live a healthier lifestyle?
What is your emotional barometer telling you about how you see others and yourself?

Do you know of any area in your life-
– where you are not living in obedience to the call of holy living?
“…dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves..” 2 Corinthians 7:1.

(PR)

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Are you facing a problem-
– that you need to be solved?

We can learn a lot about problem-solving-
– by reading the miracle Jesus performed in the feeding of the 5,000.

When Jesus and the disciples discovered thousands of hungry people-
He asked Philip, “Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” John 6:5.

Jesus wasn’t asking for information.
He already knew what He was going to do. 6:6.

Instead He was trying to give Philip a revelation-
– that we should never assess our problems in the light of our own resources or strength.

We have no right to ask the world to believe our message-
– unless there is something about us that is unexplainable and supernatural.

There must be a divine dimension to our lives.

What does Proverbs 3:5-6 tell you to do-
– when faced with a problem?
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge Him,
and He will make your paths straight”.

(PR)

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“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail.” Luke 22:31, 32.

It is critical that Christians understand their vulnerability to demonic influence.
If we blame ourselves-
– we feel hopeless because we can’t do anything to stop what we’re doing.

If we blame God-
– our confidence in Him as our benevolent Father is shattered.

Either way-
We have no chance to gain the victory which the Bible promises us.

In reality-
We are in a winnable war against the defeated kingdom of darkness.

But the lies of Satan can gain a measure of control if we believe them.
What right did Satan have to sift Simon Peter like wheat?

The context reveals that Peter and the other disciples were arguing about who was going to be the greatest in the kingdom of God.

In other words, they were exercising pride.
Sinful pride affords Satan a huge opportunity!

Peter protested that he was willing to die or go to prison for the sake of Christ.
But Jesus told him that, before the day was over-

Peter would deny Him three times, and he did.
There are many believers who profess their faith and commit themselves to behave appropriately but can’t seem to follow through.

Why?
We dare not overlook the reality of Satan and the ground we give him through pride and disobedience.

God intervened in the early church and struck down Ananias and Sapphira because they allowed Satan to fill their hearts to lie to the Holy Spirit.

The word filled in Acts 5 is the same word found in Ephesians 5:18:
“Be filled with the Spirit.”

To whichever source you yield-
– by that source you shall be filled or controlled.

“Father, I ask forgiveness for any ways I have allowed Satan to control me. I want to be controlled wholly by You; Amen!”

(PR)

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