jeremiah7

Dr. Johnson's Devotionals From The Word Of God- 5 Talking in millions and billions.....The average human brain has about 100 billion nerve cells. The average human heart will beat 40 million times a year. Each human lung contains about 600 million alveoli. There are 4 to 6 million red blood cells per cubic millimeter of blood. Three hundred million cells die in the human body every minute. Every day an adult body produces 300 billion new cells. On average the normal eye blinks 6.25 million times a year. No wonder that the Psalmist David sang, I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. (Psalm 139:14) He didn't have the detailed data that we have now, but he knew that his being was an astounding work of the Master Creator. The Psalmist had more to say, My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. (Psalm 139:15, 16) The Omnipotence, Omniscience & Omnipresence of God Almighty can be experienced by everyone who is willing to humble themselves, for to such he wills to reveal himself, be he a pundit or be he illiterate. How awesome is the LORD Most High, the great King over all the earth! (Psalm 47:2) Praise the Lord.

Dr. Johnson's Devotionals From The Word Of God- 4 Ever heard of the Red Devil? No, it's not the color of Satan when he's angry. It's the English translation of a Spanish word- Diablo Rojo, which is the name given to the Humboldt Squid or Jumbo Squid. It is a large, predatory squid found in the waters of the Humboldt Current in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. Their tentacles bear suckers lined with sharp teeth with which they grasp prey and drag it towards a large, sharp beak. They are known to be very aggressive and attack divers who venture too close. Their colouring and aggressive reputation has earned them the nickname 'diablos rojos' (red devils). Fishermen have to be very careful while dealing with them. Even if you are unaware of the 'red devil', it's not a big matter, but Jesus wants every Christian to be aware of the devil(Satan), because he is always trying to bring misery to the believer. Jesus spoke of him saying, He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. (John 8:44) The Apostle Peter warns believers: ...Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8) So what must we do? Peter exhorts believers in this manner: Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. (1 Peter 5:9, 10) Shall we say an Amen to that?

Dr. Johnson's Devotionals From The Word Of God- 3 The blue whale is the largest animal ever known to have existed. They can be up to 100 feet long and weigh up to 200 tons. They subsist mainly on a diet composed of tiny shrimplike animals called krill. Some blue whales consume up to 3-4 tons of krill per day. Its heart is the size of a small car, and its largest blood vessels are wide enough for an adult to swim through. Their tongues can weigh as much as an elephant. Blue whale calves are born after a year long growth in its mother's womb and weigh 2.5-3 tons and are 20-25 feet long at birth. Blue whales live up to 80- 90 years. The blue whale and all sea creatures were created on the 5th day of creation according to the Bible. And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky." So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. (Genesis 1:20, 21) In fact, the first blessing pronounced by God, that we read of in the Bible was on sea creatures and birds. God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth." (Genesis 1:22) When we think of the mammoth proportions of this largest animal, the blue whale, we cannot ignore the magnanimity of it's Creator. The Psalmist sang, When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? (Psalm 8:4) Yes, God cares for humanity; more than he cares for his other creations, however mighty they be. Praise the Lord.

Dr. Johnson's Devotionals From The Word Of God- 2 The Lyrebird is one of the Australian birds, notable for their superb ability to mimic natural and artificial sounds from their surroundings. This bird is not only beautiful but has a naturally strange characteristic. It mimics the calls of other birds, sounds of chainsaws, camera shutters, cars, babies crying, dogs and many other noises. It is an excellent imitator. This clever Bird is one of the most impressive and funny birds in nature. A wonderful creation from the Master Creator. Christians are also called to be imitators. The Apostle Paul exhorts the believer's in Ephesus saying, Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 5:1, 2) Paul also commends the believers in Thessalonica for doing so. You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. (1 Thessalonians 1:6, 7) Perhaps we should ask ourselves this pertinent question? Are we imitators of Christ? Are we a model for other Christians, especially new believers to watch and follow? If we are, then we are truly fulfilling God's plan and purpose for our lives. If we are not, we must know that God desires much more than mere lip service. God bless.

Simple Thoughts On Promises- 297 A blue moon refers to the second full moon that occurs in any calendar month. There are 41 months that have two full moons in every century. 'Once in a blue moon' means once every two-and-a-half years. A blue moon was originally cited as something that was impossible; only later did it come to mean unlikely. The year 2009 ended in a "Blue Moon". December 2009 had two full moons; the first on Decebmer 2nd and the second full moon was seen on December 31. Unusual event, yet it did happen. The Bible speaks of unusual events too. Things that are slated to happen; but things that most of the people who live in the world do not believe in. Here's such an event that speaks of the moon itself. The prophet Joel prophesied, The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. (Joel 2:31) Jesus himself said, "But in those days, following that distress, "'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.' "At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens. (Mark 13:24-27) These verses speak of the second coming of Jesus Christ. God's judgement is coming upon this world and it's inhabitants. Only those who have placed their trust in the Son of God, Jesus Christ, will escape these judgements. Have you accepted Jesus as your Savior and Lord? If not, you must do it without any delay. If you have accepted Jesus as your Savior, live a life that is pleasing to him at all times. God bless you.

Simple Thoughts On Promises- 296 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9) Ever wondered why Jesus, after the 40 day fast, was not supplied with a sumptuous meal by angels or why he didn't turn stone to bread as the devil asked him to. He could have done it but he didn't. Ever wondered why Jesus, who fed 5000 and more people had to cry out on the cross, "I thirst" but no angels brought him any water or why he didn't choose to do a miracle and have his thirst quenched. Ever wondered why Jesus, who had the angelic host for his help, did not choose to ask the Father for the same when he was being caught in the garden of Gethsamane. The above verse explains it all. For your sake and my sake, he chose to keep aside, for a while, his liberty as Son of God to do as he pleased. That's what the Apostle Paul writes to the Philippians. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:5-8) Yes, for your sake and my sake, he chose to become poor, so that we through his poverty might become rich. Rich spiritually and inherit the eternal glorious riches that are promised to everyone who accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior and live a life obeying the Word of God. God bless you.

Simple Thoughts On Promises- 295 Like birds hovering overhead, the LORD Almighty will shield Jerusalem; he will shield it and deliver it, he will 'pass over' it and will rescue it." (Isaiah 31:5) God is your shield against the attacks of satan. The blood of Jesus is your protection. The enemy fears the blood of Jesus. It is oppressive and destructive to them. Every day, in prayer you must cover yourself, your family and everything that God has given you with the blood of Jesus. Have you seen helicopters sent for protection of places against terrorists? They hover around the area repeatedly to spot the offenders to destroy them and protect the innocent. In Psalm 7, the psalmist sings: My shield is God Most High, who saves the upright in heart. (Psalm 7:10) Do you believe that God is your shield? The Psalmist was sure of it, so he says, The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. (Psalm 18:2) God is watching over you and your family continuously because you have made him your refuge by accepting his only son Jesus as your Lord and Savior. The Bible says, He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless. (Proverbs 2:7) Yes...If your walk is blameless, he is a shield for you and he holds victory in store for you. The satanic forces that come against you will continually be defeated. Praise the Lord.

Simple Thoughts On Promises- 294 Then the LORD said to Joshua, "See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams' horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the people will go up, every man straight in." (Joshua 6:1-5) Your problem has an unique solution. There are several things that we have to look into when we encounter problems that are unusual. Here was a situation where God provided a specific solution to a problem that Joshua encountered. First things first, our relationship with God must be such that He be willing to give us the strategy of how to go about getting the deliverance. If we are not living close to him and there is sin, often the deliverance is delayed even though we pray. Not only with God, our relationship with people should also be right. When Daniel got a deliverance from the lions, this is what he said, My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, O king." (Daniel 6:22)... Innocent in God's sight and not doing wrong to others. The next step is prayer and when prayer touches the heart of God, he will either deliver us from the problem or give us a strategy to overcome the situation. Acting upon God's strategy with faith is the final step and when one does that, the miracle happens. Not only with this situation that Joshua encountered, but with every problem that the Israelites encountered in the wilderness, God gave Moses & Joshua unique strategies to overcome the situation. Be it at the Red Sea, be it at Marah, be it at Rephidim, be it in the case of lack of food or water, be it at the Jordan and so many other places, God did a miracle when Moses & Joshua prayed and then acted with faith obeying God's counsel. One thing that one should not do when all the other things have to be done is MURMURING, for that invites disaster. May God bless you and deliver you from the problem that you are encountering these days.

Simple Thoughts On Promises- 293 The Lord said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid of them; I have given them into your hand. Not one of them will be able to withstand you." (Joshua 10:8) Marching against the 5 Amorite kings to save the Gibeonites, Joshua was given this promise by God. After an all-night march from Gilgal, Joshua took the enemy by surprise. The Lord threw them into confusion before Israel, who defeated them in a great victory at Gibeon. As they fled before Israel, the Lord hurled large hailstones down on them from the sky, and more of them died from the hailstones than were killed by the swords of the Israelites. On the day the Lord gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the Lord in the presence of Israel: "O sun, stand still over Gibeon, O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon." So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. Not only to Joshua, God gives you a promise this day, that the satanic forces that are troubling you will not be able to withstand you. Wear the full armour of God and resist the devil and he will flee from you. Extinguish all his fiery darts with the shield of faith that God has given you. War against the evil forces with the "Sword of the Spirit- The Word of God" and the victory will be yours. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. God bless you.

Simple Thoughts On Promises- 292 Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? (James 2:5) Your bank balance doesn't look healthy! It's a matter of perpetual concern! So what's to be done? Here's something that the Lord Almighty wants you to remember. He says, As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. (Joshua 1:5) Be strong and courageous.... (Joshua 1:6) Be strong and very courageous....(Joshua 1:7) Do not let this Book of the Law (for you and me- The Word of God) depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. (Joshua 1:8) Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9) Can you believe that? The God who provided for the Israelites in the wilderness is still the same. The Israelites ate manna forty years, until they came to a land that was settled; they ate manna until they reached the border of Canaan. (Exodus 16:35) The manna stopped the day after they ate the food from the land; there was no longer any manna for the Israelites, but that year they ate of the produce of Canaan. (Joshua 5:12) Times have changed but the Lord Almighty is just the same, caring and providing for those who trust in him. He is Jehovah Jireh, our Provider. In times of doubt and unbelief, latch on to the Lord's promises. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Some of what you need, he will provide through natural means and some supernaturally. Praise the Lord.

Simple Thoughts On Promises- 291 Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. (Hebrews 9:27,28) We should if not everyday, ask ourselves often, this very pertinent question... Are we waiting for the coming of the Lord? After Jesus

Simple Thoughts On Promises- 290 The days of the blameless are known to the LORD, and their inheritance will endure forever. In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty. (Psalm 37:18,19) One thing that the Lord delights in is when he sees that we are living a blameless life. In the Old Testament, we read the Israelites being exhorted to live a blameless life. You must be blameless before the LORD your God. (Deuteronomy 18:13) But is it really possible for one to be found blameless in the presence of a pure & holy God? Perhaps difficult, but this is what we read about some saints of old. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. (Genesis 6:9) In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. (Job 1:1) God demands blamelessness in our lives. It is not optional. That's what he demanded from Abraham several thousand years back. When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am God Almighty ; walk before me and be blameless. (Genesis 17:1) There are blessings innumerable in the Word of God for those who live a blameless life serving the living God. Here are a few... The days of the blameless are known to the LORD, and their inheritance will endure forever. (Psalm 37:18) Consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a future for the man of peace. (Psalm 37:37) For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. (Psalm 84:11) He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, (Proverbs 2:7) Shall we then take a decision today as the Psalmist did long back? I will be careful to lead a blameless life......I will walk in my house with blameless heart. (Psalm 101:2) Remember....He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless. (Proverbs 2:7) God bless you.

Simple Thoughts On Promises- 289 He also says, "In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed. But you remain the same, and your years will never end." (Hebrews 1:10-12) The unchanging nature of God is very wonderfully portrayed here by the author of Hebrews. God remains the same even though his creations come into being and then disappear. Many are they who have mouthed sarcasm at the Eternal One but eventually have fulfilled what the Bible says about their actual state. ".....for dust you are and to dust you will return." (Genesis 3:19) The Apostle Paul rightly describes the unmatchable qualities of this mighty God when he writes to Timothy. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen. (1 Timothy 1:17) Yes, he is the only God & he is eternal & immortal, whether anyone believes it or not. Sadly, there are many who live rebelliously to the divine authority and have to endure eternal punishment for their folly. Many argue about this matter, but the Bible says, For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. And to them who believe in this only eternal and unchanging and immortal God, he has promised the greatest blessing thorugh his son Jesus Christ--ETERNAL LIFE. Praise the Lord.

Simple Thoughts On Promises-288 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 1:1) There's promise of life in Christ Jesus. Yes, eternal life is promised through him who said, "God is not the God of the dead but of the living." And in this context Jesus was teaching the Sadducees about the resurrection. He said, "At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. But about the resurrection of the dead - have you not read what God said to you, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob' ? He is not the God of the dead but of the living." (Matthew 22:30-32) Abraham, Isaac & Jacob, though they had died physically when their time on earth was up, they were living eternally, according to these words of Jesus. Jesus affirmed that again when he spoke to Martha, Lazarus sister. He said, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die......" (John 11:25, 26) If fact, in the gospel of John, Jesus repeatedly spoke of the promise of eternal life that comes through believing in him. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." (John 3:36) "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. (John 5:24) For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." (John 6:40) If you have accepted Jesus as your Savior and are living for him, this promise of eternal life will come true in your lives sooner or later. How blessed and glorious will that day be! Here's a great verse of exhortation to all of us who have put our trust in Jesus. Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. (Jude 1:21) Praise the Lord.

Simple Thoughts On Promises-287 Return to your fortress, O prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you. (Zechariah 9:12) The redeeming grace of Almighty God is wonderfully portrayed in this great promise to God's people who were in Babylonian captivity. True that they were prisoners; but prisoners of hope. They were now free to return to their homeland but they had nothing to bank on. All they had was destroyed by the ravages of the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar. Their homes, their fields, their temple; all lay in ruins. Yet, they had a promise to hold on to. The God against whom they had sinned resulting in their captivity had forgiven them and was willing to restore them.In fact, he was willing to restore twice as much to them. Believers are in a way, prisoners of hope. As Paul the Apostle says, For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far. (Philippians 1:21-23) Problems in life often brings despair to the believer, yet we have hope that Jesus will not leave us nor forsake us in any circumstance. Even when we sin and punishment comes into our lives, we can always be sure that the Lord will forgive us when we repent and bear fruit that comes from a repentant heart. Carried away by the enemy and living in a foriegn land humbled the Israelites. They repented of their sins and cried out to God who was ready to forgive them. God effected their deliverance and they returned to their own country as "prisoners of hope." God loves you and is able to restore twice as much of what you have lost. Praise the Lord.

Simple Thoughts On Promises-286 I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will guide him and restore comfort to him. (Isaiah 57:18) A promise perhaps to a person, more likely to the nation Israel which was sick spiritually. Spiritual sickness is worse than the physical, because the physical is temporary while the spiritual has permanent implications. Covetousness and idolatory had made the nation sick and God was promising to heal when he saw their repentance. There are 3 promises in this single verse. God was going to heal, guide and restore comfort. All these are what we all desire in our lives and if we live a life of continual repentance, God is always ready to give these. Here again the "fear of the Lord" is so very important. The Psalmist David exhorts us in this manner: Who, then, is the man that fears the LORD? He will instruct him in the way chosen for him. The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them. (Psalm 25:12, 14) Some believers trivialize sin and live in it justifying themselves saying that "after all we are human." But neither God nor the Bible supports that point of view. If we desire healing, guidance and comfort in our lives, we must make it a point to check our spiritual life everyday. God loves us, but neither he nor his Word has changed. God called Abraham to serve him at age 75, but even at age 99, God had this to say to Abraham. "I am God Almighty ; walk before me and be blameless. (Genesis 17:1) That's what God wants from us too. May the Holy Spirit strengthen each of us to live a blameless life. Healing, guidance and comfort from the Most High will then be ours. Praise the Lord.

Simple Thoughts On Promises-285 The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the Lord will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs. (Isaiah 41:18) The water miracles in the Bible are many and some of them are quite astounding, like this one. The Israelite community camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. So they quarreled with Moses and said, "Give us water to drink." Then Moses cried out to the Lord, "What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me." The Lord answered Moses, "Walk on ahead of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink." So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. (Exodus 17) We are not talking here of God providing water to a couple of hundred people. The community was quite large, with 6 lac men itself; counting the women and children would put the figure at 15-20 lacs. Moses was given a command and he obeyed it. God proved to the Israelites once again that he is Almighty and All Sufficient. As a child of this Almighty God, you can also boldy say what the Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians. My God will meet all your (my) needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19) God bless you.

Simple Thoughts On Promises-284 Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her. There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. There she will sing as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt. (Hosea 2:14,15) God is All Powerful and he can change what was once a valley of trouble into a door of hope.

Simple Thoughts On Promises-283 O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you. (Isaiah 30:19) Is it possible that the Lord answers us as soon as he hears our prayers or as soon as we cry for help?? Yes. Definitely. He is able to answer and he does answer in such a way, as is evidenced in several instances in the Word of God. To quote a few... Having killed a 1000 Philistines with the jawbone of an ass, Samson cried out to the Lord..."You have given your servant this great victory. Must I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?" Then God opened up the hollow place in Lehi, and water came out of it. When Samson drank, his strength returned and he revived. So the spring was called En Hakkore, and it is still there in Lehi. (Judges 15:18,19) King Asa of Judah had an army of around 6 lakh soldiers and he was attacked by Zerah, the Ethiopian who had an army of 10 lakh soldiers. Then Asa called to the LORD his God and said, "LORD, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on you....The LORD struck down the enemies before Asa and Judah. The enemies fled, (2 Chronicles 14:11,12) King Ahab of Israel deceived King Jehoshaphat by asking him to go into battle wearing royal garments while he himself wore ordinary clothes so that the enemy army may not identify him. Now the king of Aram had ordered his chariot commanders, "Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel." When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they thought, "This is the king of Israel." So they turned to attack him, but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him. God drew them away from him, (2 Chronicles 18:31) Eleazer, the servant of Abraham was out searching a bride for Isaac and he prayed to the Lord.... "O LORD, God of my master Abraham, give me success today.... See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. May it be that when I say to a girl, 'Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,' and she says, 'Drink, and I'll water your camels too' - let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master." Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah, who was the wife of Abraham's brother Nahor. (Genesis 24:12-15) There are many many more events in the Bible where God immediately answered the prayers of the needy. Trust in him to answer you in the same way. God bless you.

Simple Thoughts On Promises-282 The Lord within her is righteous; he does no wrong. Morning by morning he dispenses his justice, and every new day he does not fail, yet the unrighteous know no shame. (Zephaniah 3:5) How wonderful!! The prophet writes "Morning by morning he dispenses his justice, and every new day he does not fail.." So if you have been waiting for justice to be done in your case, here's your promise. God is righteous and he does no wrong. Many of his ways are not easily understood by us because of our finite minds, yet we can assure ourselves that he will dispense justice in our favor as we continually trust in him. The Bible speaks at great length regarding the righteousness and justice of God. The Lord is known by his justice...... (Psalm 9:16) For the Lord is righteous, he loves justice; upright men will see his face. (Psalm 11:7) The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love. (Psalm 33:5) God has a special promise for them who commit their way to him and trust in him: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. (Psalm 37:6) Another eternal promise is found in the above psalm and that should assure us that all is right because we have trusted in Jesus. For the Lord loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off; the righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever. (Psalm 37:28,29) Praise the Lord.

Simple Thoughts On Promises-281 The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. (1 Corinthians 3:8) Your labor for the Lord will be rewarded. Perhaps you are working in obscurity, without anyone knowing or acknowledging your work, but know this that everything is seen and accounted by the Lord. Your efforts are written down in God's books and you will receive your reward at God's chosen time. Even though the Apostle Paul writes that, I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. (1 Corinthians 3:6,7), it doesn't mean that God doesn't care or that he doesn't give weightage to your work. It simply means that without the Lord, we cannot achieve anything. Our purpose is to extend the kingdom of God here on earth and bring glory to his name. For that we labor, where-ever we are and in whatever calling the Lord has given us. No work is trivial when seen through God's eyes. What he looks for in his servants is faithfulness. So be strengthened this day, dear servant of the Most High, for the Lord appreciates what you are doing for his glory. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:58) God bless you.

Simple Thoughts On Promises- 280 Then the Lord said: "I am making a covenant with you. Before all your people I will do wonders never before done in any nation in all the world. The people you live among will see how awesome is the work that I, the Lord, will do for you." (Exodus 34:10) Our God is a God who is faithful to the covenants he makes with those who seek him. Here he is making a covenant with Moses and the Israelites that he will demonstrate his power among the nations that his people were going to live. Moses was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant - the Ten Commandments. (Exodus 34:28) The Israelites were to obey the words of the covenant, if God was to fulfill the promises associated with it. Obedience was what God expected, so he told Moses: Obey what I command you today. I will drive out before you the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. (Exodus 34:11) Whenever we are pestered by satanic forces, the first thing to check in our lives is whether we are living in obedience to God and his Word. This is because we cannot get victory over the evil powers if we are disobeying God. James writes this very clearly in his book. Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. (James 4:7,8,10) There can be no resisiting the devil without submitting to God and his Word. If we want to be constantly victorious in our battle with the devil, we must always live a life submitted to God's Word. It's my prayer for you today that God the Holy Spirit may help you in that. God bless you.

Simple Thoughts On Promises-279 He said, "If you listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you." (Exodus 15:26) Nice promise (among others) related to healing that one can meditate on when one is sick. I can't see 2 meanings in what God told the Israelites then. Plain and simple....He said,"I am the Lord, who heals you." Our Lord is "the healer" whether some people agree with it or not. Ask them who have experienced his healing touch and they will tell you it's 100% true. I for one can vouch thst he is "the healer" despite having prescribed medicines for the past 23 years. Medicines and surgery play a great role in relief from sicknesses, but there are a plethora of sicknesses for which man hasn't yet found a cure. Even in those cases God is able and he does heal. Jesus is the same, yesterday, today and forever and the healings that we read of in the Gospels and in the book of Acts still happen when men and women pray with faith. He is an unchanging God. If you are sick or feeling weak in your body, meditate on the promises of healing and deliverance found in the Word Of God. Experience his miraculous touch and glorify him. God bless you.

Simple Thoughts On Promises-278 My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest. (Isaiah 32:18) How we all long for peaceful dwelling places, secure homes and undisturbed places of rest. But it's so difficult, considering the chaos all around us. Wars, terrorism, contagious sicknesses and wickedness proliferating day by day and squeezing out whatever peace is left. But God has a promise for those whose hope is in him. A new kingdom will soon be theirs, where they can live in peace. The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever. (Isaiah 32:17) Isaiah prophesies that the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever. The Apostle Peter writes, But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. (2 Peter 3:13) World leaders are trying to harvest peace when the Bible prophesies trouble in the end times. But a child of God, can always, with confidence, say what the Psalmist said, 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. (Psalm 121:1,2) He/She can also affirm what David, the psalmist and great king of Israel said when he passed through troubled times: I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety. (Psalm 4:8) I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me. (Psalm 3:5) Praise the Lord.

Simple Thoughts On Promises-277 Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working." (John 5:17) If you have been misguided by people into thinking that God is sitting up there in the heavens doing nothing while you battle it out here on earth, here's a clarification and a promise for you from Jesus himself. Infact, this was Jesus' answer to the Jews who persecuted him because he was healing people on the Sabbath. We cannot limit God's acts according to our thinking, but it's also true that God doesn't do things contrary to his written Word. An invalid man had been lying by the pool of Bethesda for 38 years and God chose a particular day to heal him. That he chose the Sabbath to heal was not by mistake but by intention to prove that he is the Lord of the Sabbath too. Yet the Jews rarely understood his intentions and instead of praising God for the astounding miracle, they chose to persecute Jesus. If you have been passing through troubled times and seeing no immediate answer to your prayers, remember, God is not sitting inert and doing nothing about your matter. He is working and so is Jesus, to whom God has given all authority in heaven and on earth and under the earth. There will surely be a change for the good. Hope and trust in the Lord. No good will he withhold from those whose walk is upright. God bless you.