HeartWord – Psalm 40:1
“I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry.”
Begin with a Smile
“I stay up late every night and realize every morning that it was a bad idea.”
Daily Devotional
Psalm 37:7-8
“Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they
carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and
turn from wrath; do not fret–it leads only to evil.”
Be Patient
In any Bible class ask people to define patience and they will struggle. Ultimately someone will say that patience is being able to wait for what one wants. Patience includes that but is certainly more than that. A man doing time in prison is able to wait till his release date. He has no other choice. Patience is more than waiting.
Psalms 37:7-8 gives us a much better definition of patience. Patience means to “Be still before the Lord.” There is no anxiety but rather a calm waiting for God to do his work. It means that you do not fret when things do not work immediately like you want. It means to keep your spirit and “Refrain from anger and turn from wrath.”
Patience is not just being able to wait, but to wait with the right spirit. I love the old Jewish legend of Abraham and patience. According to a traditional Hebrew story, Abraham was sitting outside his tent one evening when he saw an old man, weary from age and journey, coming toward him. Abraham rushed out, greeted him, and then invited him into his tent. There he washed the old man’s feet and gave him food and drink. The old man immediately began eating without saying any prayer or blessing. So Abraham asked him, “Don’t you worship God?”
The old traveler replied, “I only worship fire. I reverence no other god.”
Hearing this, Abraham became angry, grabbed the old man, and threw him out of his tent and into the cold night air. When the old man departed, God called to Abraham and asked where the stranger was. Abraham replied, “I threw him out because he did not worship you.”
God answered, “I have suffered him these eighty years although he dishonors me. Could you not endure him one night?”
Abraham would have done well to remember the old word of wisdom, “When you’re tempted to lose patience with someone, think how patient God has been with you all the time.”
Be patient with someone today!
Lonnie Davis
Bible Question
When God made clothes for Adam and Eve, what kind of material did he use?
Today’s Bible Chapter
is Job 5. To read it click H E R E.
Answer to the Bible Question:
God made them garments out of animal skins to cover their bodies. (Gen 3:21)
Begin with a Smile
Wonder Woman Quote: “I am WONDER WOMAN … I wonder where I left my keys, I wonder how I put on weight, I wonder where my money went, I often wonder why I wonder.”
Daily Devotional
Text: 2 Corinthians 3:2
“You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts,
known and read by everybody.”
My Grandmother’s Translation
The story is told of three men who were arguing about which translation of the Bible is best. The first said, “I love the King James Version. Its language is so beautiful and I have grown up with it. The second said, “I love the NIV because it is so much easier to read and understand.” The third said, “I like my grandmother’s translation best.”
“What?” The others asked, “Your grandmother translated the Bible?”
“Yes, she translated the Bible into her life, and it was the best translation I’ve ever seen.”
Your own translation of the Bible is still the only translation that some people ever read. It is only when we put the word in action in our own lives that it really comes to life. Following of Scripture has the power to lead anther to Godliness. Peter teaches this when he told wives how to reach their faithless husbands who won’t listen to the Scriptures. “They may be won over,” he writes, “without words by the behavior of their wives.” (1 Peter 3:1)
As Christians we must never forget that someone is always watching us. We are “known and read by everybody.”
Lonnie Davis
Bible Question
Jesus had four brothers. What are their names?
Today’s Bible Chapter
is Job 4. To read it click H E R E.
Answer to the Bible Question:
Jesus’ brothers were James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon. (Matt 13:55).
Starting with a Smile:
We have enough youth, how about a fountain of Smart?
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Devotional Article
1 Corinthians 10:13
“God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond
what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also
provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
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You can Handle It
One old line goes, “I can resist anything but temptation.” It is sad so many believe that the temptation can be too much. No it was not. We just gave in and then fell back on the excuse of the temptation was too great. 1 Corinthians 10:13 promises us that God will not let you be tempted beyond what you can handle. How can we know that this is always true? The text answers that question – because “God is faithful.”
When I claim there was no escape from the temptation then I am accusing God of being unfaithful. He says He will not allow the temptation to be too great for us. We should believe Him.
We see this principle at work in the life of Job. In Job 1 Satan wanted to lash out against Job, but first had to get God’s permission. God told him that he could, but told him how far he could go. As hard as things were for Job in that chapter, God sat boundaries to protect him. When Job passed the test of chapter one, Satan came back to God to ask for permission to hit Job even harder. Each step of the way God was deciding how much Job could be tempted.
According to our text, He does that for you and me. All of this is implied in the often used phrase, “God will not give us more than we can handle.” Whatever your trial might be, you can handle it. I know this because God is faithful!
Lonnie Davis
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Daily Bible Question:
Where was Moses when he received the Ten Commandments?
(Answer at end of email)
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Today’s Bible Study
To read today’s Bible chapter click H E R E
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Answer to Bible Question: When Moses received the Ten Commandments he was on Mt. Sinai. This was right after Israel came out of Egyptian bondage. (Exodus 20).