“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.”
—Proverbs 3:5-6

The subject of guidance is one that troubles many people’s lives. We had a visiting youth minister named Cliff who said that he had dated a girl for a short time. One day she told him that the Lord had told her that they were supposed to get married.

“Isn’t that wonderful,” she said, “to have such marvelous guidance on such an important matter?” and Cliff replied that it was wonderful indeed, and just as soon as God told him, then he would call for a preacher. Alas, some people I fear are merely trying to feign some kind of an intimate relationship with God that they don’t really have, pretending that God is thus audibly speaking with them today.

That is generally not the way we get our guidance in this day in which we live. On the other hand, some people give little thought whatsoever to the matter of guidance at all. They seem not to seek God when it comes to things like where they will live, where they will work, where they will go to church, whom they will marry.

Some hymns teach us well about guidance, such as “He Leadeth Me, O Blessed Thought” or “If Thou But Suffer God To Guide Thee” (“If You Will Only Let God Guide You”). Guidance is not something that we experience merely in the great crises, the crossroads of life, but God says that He is guiding us all of the days of our lives. We are to trust Him and seek Him, and He promises to guide us.

Lord, give me strength for today to seek how I might serve You. Thank You that You do not play games with Your will—hiding it from those who truly desire to fulfill it in their lives. If there is anything holding me back from doing Your will, reveal it to me…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE KNOW WHAT
WE SHOULD DO AND WE CAN DO IT.

“And without faith it is impossible to please God…”
—Hebrews 11:6

One great philosopher said that the greatest theme in all of history, which makes every other theme seem insignificant, is the great contest that has gone on from time immemorial between faith and unbelief. All conflicts in the world are really just variations of this big war.

This contest even happens at a small level each day. For example, you get up in the morning, get dressed, go out, and you meet someone. What do they say? They say, “How are you today?” Faith says, “I am redeemed, saved, justified, and sanctified. I am on my way to Paradise. I am fantastic.” But unbelief says, “Oh, pretty good, thank you.” But faith knows the answer. “God is doing wonderful things. He is not even finished with me yet. The greatest is yet to come.”

So faith and unbelief begin their war every day in your life. Unbelief might try to make us go back to bed for fear of the day that lies before us. But faith realizes that we can do all things through Christ. Paul tells Timothy to stand firm. He tells him, “For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and love, and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:7).

The writer of Hebrews noted that without faith, it is impossible to please God. In this life, unbelief will rob us of many spiritual riches God wants to bestow on us. May He grant us faith to trust Him in all things.

Dear Lord, increase our faith. Give us strength for today to see who You are and what You have done in Christ. Forgive our unbelief. Lord, we do believe—help our unbelief…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE BELIEVE
HIM AND HIS PROMISES.

“He said to them, ‘Go into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature.’”
—Mark 16:15

Dr. Kennedy’s church (Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church of Fort Lauderdale, Florida) grew exponentially when they learned how to engage in personal evangelism and train others to do the same. Out of that grew Evangelism Explosion (or EE), which is now all over the world.

Here is an update on that ministry: Dr. John Sorenson, Dr. Kennedy’s handpicked successor as the president of EE, told Dr. Kennedy in 2006: “If things stay on track and we do the things that the EE Vice Presidents think we should do, we’re going to see 100 million people come to Christ in the first fifteen years of the third Millennium.” Dr. Kennedy told John to “hold that thought,” and he went off and came back with some papers that he had been studying. He had calculated that in the first 1,500 years of the Church, 100 million people had come to Christ. Then Dr. Kennedy said, “Now you’re saying that in fifteen years we are going to see that number of people come to Christ through EE?” John went on to say to the folks at a recent EE banquet, “While we don’t take any credit, it’s all the work of the Holy Spirit, the truth is, we’re going to pass that number. It’s not just going to be 100 million, it is going to be 103 or 104 million. Glory to God!”

Whatever you have in your heart to do for the Lord, do it with gladness and with all your heart. Do not despise the day of small beginnings. All great works started very small and humbly.

Heavenly Father, we praise You that You do great things, even with small beginnings. Thank You for the amazing ways You are at work in our world. Lord, give us strength to be world-changers as we share the message of Christ and Him crucified…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE CAN
SHARE OUR FAITH WITH OTHERS.

“But Barnabas took him, and led him to the apostles.”
— Acts 9:27

It is a sin to discourage people from using their gifts. Too often, people will pull down others who are trying to use their gifts by a careless word or stinging remark. Such discouragement is a sin.

We should encourage people to use the gifts they have without making unrealistic expectations. What is the point of any accomplishments? The Psalmist gives us the answer to this: “Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto Your name give glory” (Psalm 115:1).

We should encourage each other to use our God-given talents for the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith. Some people feel so beaten down by life that they don’t use their gifts. That is a great tragedy. Perhaps, you know someone like that who could use some real encouragement.

When the Apostle Paul got converted, many Christians were afraid to have fellowship with him because they thought it could be a trap. But Barnabas encouraged him at a crucial time.

Many believers accomplish only a fraction of what they could. Yet God has given us numerous resources to accomplish great things for His glory. Unfortunately, these resources are often short circuited by wrong thinking and doubts, including heavy discouragement from others, sometimes well-meaning Christians.

Together, we can accomplish many things, and let us be ever mindful to give the Lord the credit for it. Go out and be an encourager.

Lord Jesus Christ, forgive us for sometimes discouraging others. Forgive us also for listening and heeding those discouraging and destructive voices that come, not from You, but from below. Lord, give me strength for today to encourage others for Your sake…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE CAN
ENCOURAGE OTHERS FOR JESUS’ SAKE.

“When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, ‘Are you he that troubles Israel?’”
— 1 Kings 18:17

Sometimes the people of God are accused of causing troubles in this world. The reality is often the very opposite.

We see this in the example that occurs in the great encounter that takes place between Elijah and Ahab. Here was this wicked king, Ahab, who was in some ways a man who had done great things for Israel. But in spite of all of the blessings that he had brought upon the land politically, he was one who was bringing the nation ultimately into total destruction because of his furthering Israel’s apostasy. Because of that apostasy, God had caused a three-year drought, which He proclaimed through His servant Elijah.

Now Ahab meets Elijah again and says to him, “Are you he that troubles Israel?” How often down through history has this been the case—where ungodly magistrates or judges or kings have been confronted with the preachers of God, men of righteousness, who have preached the word of God in the midst of an ungodly time—and they have accused them of troubling the nation?

But Elijah said, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and you have followed the Baals.” Today, we have forgotten the Law of God and forsaken the God of Sinai who gave us the law and the God of Calvary who gave us His Son. The righteous are not the troublers of the land, but the unrighteous. We must pray for a great revival.

Heavenly Father, in this world which calls good evil and evil good, help us to be faithful to You who are truly good. Give us strength for today to do that which You call good…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE STAND FOR
HIM IN A WORLD THAT REJECTS HIM.

“…boast in Christ Jesus, and place no trust in the flesh.”
— Philippians 3:3

The Apostle Paul said he could endure all circumstances, good or bad, because the Lord strengthened him though it all. Through Christ, he could do all things. I want you to notice what Paul is not talking about—PMA, a modern term for “Positive Mental Attitude,” also described as “positive thinking.” There is a great difference between positive thinking and what Paul is talking about. Note what Paul did not say: “I can do all things through PMA.” One man thought he had seen a sign in an office that said, “I can do all things through coffee and donuts.” Not quite.

Let me point out to you that PMA, positive thinking, has many good things about it. It helps people to do a lot of things, but it only goes so far and then it fails because it is really a sin. That I am sure grabs some of you the wrong way. A sin? Yes. The Bible says, “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, and whose heart departs from the Lord” (Jeremiah 17:5). To paraphrase: “Cursed is he that trusts in self.”

Furthermore, it is really nothing other than trusting in self for your salvation. Paul did not say, “I can do all things because I have complete confidence in myself.” Rather, it was Christ who strengthened him. What counts is not positive thinking— it is Christ-thinking—resting upon His strength and not on our own. Then there is no limit to what that can do.

Dear Jesus, forgive me for trusting in me. Forgive me for short-circuiting Your power in my life through unbelief. Give me strength for today to truly trust in You…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE CAN RELY
ON HIM AND NOT OURSELVES.

“He who had received the five talents went and traded with them and made another five talents.”
— Matthew 25:16

At the start of a new year, it is as if we have a blank slate in our lives. We have a new beginning and new opportunities. I suppose everybody has had dreams of a greater life. The problem is that we all as children dreamed dreams and had great visions, but alas, as we grew up, most of those dreams faded away. They are destroyed by that pesky voice in our ear that whispers, “You can’t do it.” “No, you can’t.” “You never have, you never could, and you never will.”

So like acid rain that falls upon our dreams, they slowly disappear. Our great visions fade, our ambitions corrode, and our future fades entirely because we believed the negative words of the devil: “You can’t, you can’t, you can’t.” And so, we invent all kinds of reasons why we can’t. We may not want to admit that there is something whispering in our ear, but that is really the problem.

But the Lord has told us in the parable of the talents (Matthew 25) that He wants us to take that with which He has entrusted us, whether great or small, and use it profitably in this life for His glory and others’ good.

We should strive to be like the first servant who received five talents and earned five more for his master. In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it is easy to lose sight of ideas the Lord may have laid on our hearts. Is there some dream He has put in your heart that just won’t die? Maybe this is the year to begin pursuing it.

Dear Jesus, I turn over to You the dreams I have. Guide me and use me so that I may accomplish those things You would have me do. Thank You for the opportunity to serve. Lord, give me strength for today to do what pleases You…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE CAN FULFILL
HIS PURPOSE FOR OUR LIVES.

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
— Philippians 4:13, NKJV

Question for you: What would you do if you knew that you couldn’t fail? Probably, it will immediately become clear that we set the bar too low. What most of us do is to do that which is easiest, but not necessarily best.

If I stated the question differently, I would put it this way: What would you attempt if you were given an absolute assurance of success? Well, you have that assurance. The fact of the matter is, you have a guarantee—a guarantee from God. The Apostle Paul, speaking for God, said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” There is the guarantee, and it is a tremendous one, indeed.

We were created by God to do great things, to soar high, and to make an impact upon our world for Him. In fact, most of the great men and women who have accomplished impressive things in this world have been men and women who have dreamed dreams—big dreams, great visions of what God, by His grace, could do in their lives.

The key to this whole verse is the second part: It is Christ inside us who gives us the strength. We may well be able to accomplish great things apart from Christ. But in the long run, they will not be of much heavenly use. But through Christ who strengthens me, I can do all things. Pray that this year God will you use in greater ways than ever before.

Father, at the start of this new year help me to realize that the greatest limitations to my serving You may well come from within. Thank You that with You nothing is impossible. Give me the strength to serve with all my heart…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE CAN
SERVE HIM WITHOUT RESERVATION.

“What man can live and not see death? Can he deliver his life from the power of the grave?”

— Psalm 89:48

Tonight we say goodbye to the old year and usher in the new. It’s a special time of reflection and tradition, and perhaps tonight you’ll engage in your own celebration as this year passes into the next. Perhaps you’ll look back on favorite memories of the past year and anticipate some new adventures in the year to come.

But many will spend their New Year’s Eve getting drunk. Have you ever wondered why so many people feel the need to do that? Think about it. Is it just a tradition? Or is it something more?

Perhaps the Romans of old knew. They had a phrase for it: momento mori, a “remembrance of death.” The old year is frequently pictured in art as a doddering old man staggering his way into oblivion.

If you think about it, the picture is quite fitting. The Bible tells us that Satan has held the whole world in bondage through the fear of death. With that truth in mind, I can realize why the unregenerate, who have never been delivered from that fear, who do not have the blessed assurance of eternal life, feel the need to get drunk. If another year’s passing brings them that much closer to death, it’s no wonder they want to obliterate that reality with alcohol. It is really ironic, for the whole world prides itself on its realism and chides Christians for believing in “fairy tales.” Some realists! These people can’t face the greatest reality that every human being must inevitably face: the fact of death.

But that doesn’t stop some people from trying. If we go back to 300 B.C., we find the hedonist philosopher, Epicurus, who said that death doesn’t concern us, for as long as we exist, death is not here, and when death comes, we no longer exist. But that isn’t so. We cannot remove death through philosophy, science, or medicine.

It is only in Christ that our mortality ceases to be frightening. For only in Him do we know what awaits us after death or, more accurately, Who awaits us after death. Christians can echo the apostle Paul: “To live is Christ; to die is gain.”

Tonight, as you say goodbye to an old year and usher in a new one, rejoice that you’re one year closer to meeting our Father in Heaven. Death’s door holds no fear for you; you’re on your way to eternal life united with Christ. Now that’s something to celebrate.

“Not what we call death, but what [is] beyond death is … [what] … we fear.”
T. S. Eliot

“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?”

— Mark 8:36

“Show me the numbers.” This motto typifies our society’s attitude and focus. We’re driven by the financial “bottom line.” How much money can we make? How will our choices impact our bank accounts? But the true bottom line is the end of our lives, and when we get there, the amount of money we have won’t matter at all. Instead, the ledger either will or will not have our names in the “life given to Christ” column.

Will your name be there?

A little girl once asked her father, “Daddy, is your soul insured?” Puzzled, he responded, “No, darling, why do you ask?” She answered, “Well, you were just saying that your car is insured and our house is insured, and last week I heard Uncle George say that he was afraid you would lose your soul. Daddy, is your soul insured?”

Some people don’t think about their souls until they come to the end of their lives. Edward Gibbon, the author of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire and a great skeptic, often attacked Christianity. But at the end of his life, he said, “All is now lost, irrecoverably lost. All is dark and doubtful.”

How can you lose your soul? You can lose it through rejecting Christ outright, or you can lose it by simply neglecting Him. Scripture asks, “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?” (Hebrews 2:3). I believe more people lose their souls this way than by outright denial—by simple neglect, by merely putting it off. To “insure” our souls, we must receive Jesus Christ as the Savior and Lord of our lives.

If we do, we’ll experience a great reward in the bottom line of life. When Phillip Jenks, a humble Christian, was asked, “How hard is it to die?” he answered, “I have experienced more happiness today when dying than in all my life.”

Don’t neglect your soul. If you haven’t already, give it to Christ. Whether you’re saved or not is the ultimate bottom line.

“He is no fool who gives up that which he cannot
keep in order to gain that which he cannot lose.”
Jim Elliot