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John 8:12,   “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” 

Several years ago, I was in a ladies restroom in a large department store. As a lady walked out of the room, she turned off the light.  It was quite a large room and I could not see anything – not a flicker of light.  I groped around bumping into things as I was looking for the door.  The relief I felt when I opened the door and the light shone in, was amazing.

This is the same magnitude of relief and thanksgiving that we should have towards Jesus because of the light that He offers to each one of us in this dark and sinful world. We do not need to flounder around in the dark wondering which path to take.  The light of God’s love and direction are always available to those who are following Jesus.

This verse is a great promise from Jesus Himself. Darkness is oppressive – it limits our movement.   It makes us hesitant to move forward and can cause us to become stagnant.  Jesus says to step out because His light is shining in our lives to guide and to lead us.  We can move forward and accomplish the things that God wants us to, because Jesus will light the way for us.

Every day you need to be praising Jesus for the light of His presence.  You truly are surrounded by the light of His love.  Remember that the switch is always on – when you are following Him!

Philippians 1:10. “That ye may approve things that are excellent; and ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ.” 

This is the type of mind set that God wants us to have. He wants us to strive for excellence.  He wants us to have high standards in the midst of a world where standards are crumbling and sinking every day.  God does not want us to blend in with society.  He desires for us to stand out and be a testimony for Him.

There is no doubt about it – this will take work and thought on our part. We truly are representing God in everything we do.  We need to show the world that God has made a difference in our lives.  This involves many areas — how we speak, where we go, how we dress, (ouch), how we treat others, to name a few. God has a standard for our lives and it is a HIGH standard!

This verse goes on to say that we need to be sincere and without offence (honest and upright in our living). We need to be people of integrity and good character.  So often as we walk through life we do not even think about the fact that others are judging God by how we live.

II Corinthians 5:20a says we are ambassadors for Christ, (an authorized representative).  We need to think about and acknowledge this fact everywhere we go.  When others look at us do they see a reflection of Jesus?  This is what we should be striving for!

Psalm 112:7, “He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.” 

Wow! God’s Word is so up to date and pertinent to every generation.  This verse is certainly needed today with all the ‘evil tidings’ we are bombarded with every day: politically, morally, economically, spiritual false teachings – the list can go on and on.  The world seems to be going crazy and evil seems to be taking over.

BUT, praise God, the Christian need not to be afraid in the midst of all of this chaos.

Fixed means – settled, established, firm, fast, stable, (1828 dictionary). God is telling us that our hearts (our innermost self) need to be fixed on Him.  Our eyes need to be looking at Him and His power, not on man and his evil ways.  When we are trusting God and acknowledging that He is in control, then we will be able to stand firm in our faith and nothing will be able to shake our resolve to serve God.

How can mere men develop this kind of faith? We need to keep spiritually fit by reading the Word and following it.  We need to experience God’s presence in our lives.  We need to pray and walk with Him throughout every day.  We need to acknowledge Him in everything we do.

(I know that I say all of these things frequently – but they are so basic to our spiritual health that they cannot be ignored. They are like the spiritual ‘vitamins’ that need to be taken daily so that we can have a strong faith!)

God says that if our eyes are fixed on Him and we are trusting in Him, no matter what is going on around us there will be no cause for anxiety and fear in our lives.

What a great promise!

Philippians 4:11-12a, “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.  I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound…” 

To be content means to be satisfied and happy. The definition of ‘learn’ is to gain or receive knowledge by practice or performing.

Basically, Paul is saying that as he grew and matured in his Christian faith, he began to realize that his state of contentment was not dependent on the circumstances of his life. If he was rich (abounding) or abased (poor), it made no difference on his satisfaction thermometer.  He was not gauging his contentment on what was going on around him.

Paul’s life consisted of doing as much as he could for the cause of Christ. Wherever God led him, whatever the surrounding circumstances, His eyes were on the Lord.  He was fully persuaded that God was in control of all that happened in his life and he rested in this knowledge.

Contentment is an emotion and often our emotions can be on a roller coaster – up and down with the waves of the circumstances of life. This is not how God desires for us to live.  This is not how we have to live if we learn to keep our eyes on God and trust that He is in control of all things.

Isaiah 26:3 is still in the Book, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”

Contentment and peace is promised to the Christian – IF  his mind is stayed on God.  Money in the bank is of no use unless drawn out and used.  The promises in the Bible are not beneficial to us unless we seek them out and claim them.  Appreciate God’s Word, love God’s Word, and start claiming His promises.  The life of peace and contentment is available to all of us!

Acts 4:13, “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them,  that they had been with Jesus.” 

What a great verse. It is FULL of encouragements and truths that we can apply to our own lives.

We see here a group of religious leaders observing the lives of Peter and John. These men saw the boldness with which the apostles were speaking.  Peter and John were not intimidated by those around them.  They were not hedging or apologizing for their message.  It was clear and to the point.  Acts 3:19a,  “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out.”   Acts 4:12,  “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

These elite and educated leaders of the people perceived that Peter and John were uneducated and unlearned and yet they spoke with authority and assurance.  (Isn’t it wonderful who God chooses to do His work.  Don’t ever feel that God cannot use you.  It really is a heart thing – not a brain thing.  If your heart is open to serving God and you obey His leading, you can do great and mighty things for Him – no matter what your background or education.  It’s great to know that God has a place for each one of us.  Our part is to be willing to let Him use us!)

Finally, these learned men marvelled because of the testimony of Peter and John.  They saw strength and power in their lives and they KNEW (took knowledge) that they had been with Jesus.

What a great example and testimony for all of us.  We too, need to get the message of salvation out to those around us. We should not be intimidated by their position or education (or lack of).  We need to be bold – holding forth the truth in the power of the Holy Spirit.  We should live in such a way that others will see our lives and come to the conclusion that we had been with Jesus!

Psalm 59:16, “But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble.” 

I will sing – we sing when we are happy and content. This goes along with yesterday’s blog.  God desires for each of us to be happy and cheerful.  I think this is a person that I would like to be around.  I think that this is a person that I would like to be!

Why is it, that David could be filled with joy and singing in the morning?   It’s simple – because He was praising God for His power and mercy.  He was recognizing that God would be there to defend him and protect him in the time of trouble.  His eyes were on God and not the circumstances that he was faced with.

The Scriptures are full of God’s promises to be with us and help us in times of need and trouble. Think about your life.  Are you the person who sees the glass as half full or as half empty.  Are you someone that is counting your blessings or are you complaining about your problems.

It is true that there is something to be thankful for – even in the worst case scenario.  II Thessalonians 5:18 would not be in the Bible if this were not true! (“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”)  Every thing covers a great deal of territory – actually it covers it all – nothing is being left out.

It may seem like it is impossible to have a cheerful and merry heart in the midst of all the problems of this world.  But it is.  God tells us that this is the result of trusting Him and keeping our eyes on Him and His power.  He truly is our defense and refuge in the day of trouble and this is something to ‘sing’ about!

Psalm 5:11, “But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name by joyful in thee.” 

Rejoice, shout for joy, be joyful – does that describe you? Come to think of it does it describe the Christians that you know and fellowship with?

I think perhaps this is one of the greatest short falls in the lives of Christians today. We don’t exhibit the joy of the Lord.  Look at yourself (I’m talking to me also).  How do you react to the happenings of life?  Are you downhearted and fearful?  Do you complain because life is hard?  Do you get caught up in letting life overwhelm you?  We need to stop and think about how this affects our testimony before the world.

This verse is telling us that if we trust the Lord and truly believe that He will defend us against outside forces; if we love His name, then we will have a joyful heart and countenance.  God is our Heavenly Father.  We are His children and He promises His love and presence in our lives.

Victory is assured and Heaven is our destiny. We have SO much to be thankful and joyful about.

Think about it. Can others see the joy of the Lord in your life?  I’m not talking about being laughy and giddy all the time.  I’m talking about having a serene and quiet spirit, free from fear.  I’m talking about having a spirit of thanksgiving and praise versus a spirit of complaining and grumbling.  I’m talking about a life that says to those around you that you trust God and believe He is in control of all that happens.  This is the life that will make others want what you have.

A joyful life is what God desires and offers to all of us. This is the life that we will have if we keep our eyes and hearts on Him!

I Samuel 30:6, “And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.

Do you ever feel that the circumstances of life are so difficult that facing the day ahead seems impossible? This can happen – even to Christians.  It happened to David.

David had gone to battle and when he returned, His family and his men’s families were gone, taken captive by the Amalekites. Their homes had been burned.  David’s men turned on him and were talking about stoning him .  This was serious hardship.  It was about as low as a person can get.  YET, look at David’s response – he “encouraged himself in the LORD.”

Life can be hard and full of difficulties. Sometimes we can feel all alone.  But, no matter how low or hard life gets we need to follow David’s example and look to the Lord.

I’m not sure how David encouraged himself in the Lord, but I know how WE can do it today. We do it by being in His Word.  We need to read and meditate on Scriptures that talk about God’s help and strength.  Verses such as:  Psalm 9:9, Psalm 138:3, Psalm 18:2, Psalm 118:5,6, Psalm 28:7, Psalm 27:1.  These are only a few examples of verses that talk about God’s promise to be with us in the hard times of life.  God is always available to us, we just need to reach out to Him.

David trusted God, and God took care of the problem. David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away (I Samuel 30:19).

I don’t know how God will answer your need. But, I do know that He has promised to be there for you.  He loves you and will work out everything for your good and His glory.  (Romans 8:28)

You are not in this battle of life alone – trust God and encourage yourself in His love. Read His Word, and talk to Him frequently throughout the day.  Stay close to Him and gather strength from His presence.  Remember, He is always with you!

Psalm 81:10, “I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt:  open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.” 

I believe God is saying here that He has brought us out of the world of sin into a new life of serving Him. He is saying to open our mouth wide so that He can fill our lives with blessings.

William Carey’s (famous missionary to India) motto was, “Expect great things from God. Attempt great things for God.”  This is a really good goal for all of us.  The 1828 dictionary defines the word ‘expect’ as:  to look for; to wait for; to entertain a belief that an event will happen.  When we are confident that God will work, then and only then, will we get out and attempt great things for Him.  Sometimes we fail before we start because we do not expect God to work.  What a powerless life this produces.

You need to think about your expectations of God.   Do you expect Him to work greatly in your life?  Do you expect Him to answer your prayers (even the impossible)? Do you expect souls to be saved when you present the Gospel to them?  When you wake up in the morning, do you expect God to do great and mighty things through your life?  (Jeremiah 33:3)

Is your mouth open wide to His blessings or are you limiting what He can do because of unbelief?  If our blessings from God were determined according to how wide our mouth is open to receive them, I wonder how ‘blessingless‘ some of our lives would be.  (Not sure that is a word, but I am sure you  get the point.)

Start believing with your whole heart (open your mouth wide) that God wants to do great works (in your life, in your church, in your community, and in this world) and then step out in His power and strength to make them happen!

John 15:5, “I am the vine, ye are the branches, He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing.” 

Here it is – the successful Christian life in a nutshell.

A vine is the nourishing part of a plant. It is where the branches get their supply of food and water so that they can produce fruit.  Your life will only be fruitful and productive if you are receiving your strength and direction from the Lord.  You need to be abiding in Him.

A branch that is not attached to the vine will shrivel up and certainly will not be productive. Jesus is telling you that He needs to be the controlling factor in your life.  You need to be nourished and fed daily from the Scriptures.  You need to communicate with Him throughout the day.  There is a two way process going on here.  One is that He supplies us with strength and direction.  Secondly, we receive this strength and guidance and move out for Him (produce fruit).

Just a note – Jesus gives the flip side to this promise. “Without me ye can do nothing.”  Wow,  is that clear and to the point.  Try to live in your own strength and you will accomplish ‘zero’.  (That’s what ‘nothing’ means.)  Don’t waste time and energy working for God in your own strength – it doesn’t work.

I think that all of us would like to come to the end of a day and look back and feel like we had accomplished something for God and eternity. This is what this verse is all about.  God wants to use us and He wants our lives to be productive for Him.  Jesus says abide in me and you will accomplish – MUCH – for God.  What a great promise!