Maximize This Day

“This is the day the Lord has made.”                            Ps 118:24 NKJV

God determines the number of your days, but you determine how they are spent. The Psalmist said, “This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Yesterday is a cancelled check, tomorrow is a promissory note, today is all you’ve got. And you can begin your life over today, if you live by these words: “Today I will delete from my diary two days—yesterday and tomorrow. Yesterday was for learning; tomorrow will be a consequence of what I do today. Today I will face life with the conviction that this day will never return, that it may be the last opportunity I’ll have to contribute because there’s no guarantee I’ll see tomorrow. Today I will be courageous enough not to let opportunity pass me by; my only alternative will be to succeed. Today I will invest my most valuable resource, my time, into my most important possession, the life God has given me. I’ll spend each minute purposefully, making today a unique opportunity. I’ll tackle each obstacle knowing that with God’s help I can overcome it. Today I will resist doubt and pessimism and warm my world with a smile. I’ll maintain a strong faith, expect nothing but the best, take time to be happy, see every task as an opportunity to honor the Lord, and endeavor to leave His footprints on the hearts of those I meet.” John Boykin wrote, “Time is your life—nothing more, nothing less. The way you spend your hours and your days, is the way you spend your life.” So pray, “Lord, help me to maximize this day.”

Just Keep Chewing!

“He struck three times, and stopped.”                            2Ki 13:18 NKJV

When threatened by the Assyrian army, Israel’s king turned to the prophet Elisha for help. Elisha told him to take some arrows and keep striking them on the ground. But the king did it only three times and stopped. So Elisha was angry with him and said, “You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck Syria till you had destroyed it! But now you will strike Syria only three times” (v. 19 NKJV). It’s a story of partial victory; of what might have been if the king had put more into it. You see, it’s not just the opportunity—it’s the attitude that meets the opportunity that determines the outcome. God will give you chances to win, but it’s your commitment that determines the size of your victory. Paul writes, “Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men” (Eph 6:7 NIV). The clock meant nothing to Paul because he was on a mission. “I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may…complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me” (Ac 20:24 NIV). People of impact live with that mindset. So here’s the question: “Is your heart in what you’re doing? Are you giving it your all?” When Paul Hogan, who portrayed the movie character Crocodile Dundee, was asked how he became successful, he answered, “The secret of my success is that I bit off more than I could chew, and chewed as fast as I could.” Visions don’t come cheap or easy. The bigger your vision, the bigger the price tag. The secret to fulfilling your vision is—just keep chewing!

A Wall of Protection

“You have…put a wall of protection around him.” Job 1:10 NLT

When God praised Job for his integrity, Satan replied, “You have always put a wall of protection around him…take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you.” So God gave Satan permission to test Job, but He placed limits on how far he could go (See Job 2:6). There are times “When the enemy comes in like a flood” (Isa 59:19 NKJV) to attack your mind, your marriage, your ministry, and anything that’s born of God in your life. When that happens, Isaiah says, “The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard [shield] against him” (Isa 59:19 NKJV). When you feel you’re at breaking point and can’t handle one more thing, the Holy Spirit lifts up the wall of the blood of Jesus and tells Satan, “This far and no further!” Paul says, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed” (2Co 4:8-9 NIV). There’s a wall of protection around you. There’s also a time for your deliverance. “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you” (2Co 6:2 NIV). God will step in and intervene. The Psalmist said, “When my heart is faint; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I” (Ps 61:2 NAS). When your resources are depleted and you think you’re going under for the last time, God has provided a refuge that’s higher than your circumstances, a place where you’re under divine protection and the enemy has no jurisdiction. All you have to do is lift your eyes toward heaven.

The Jesus of Thomas Jefferson

“No man ever spoke like this Man!” Jn 7:46 NKJV

Historical research authenticates the personal faith of many of the founders of the
United States. In his foreword to the second edition of Thomas Jefferson’s The Life and
Morals of Jesus of Nazareth, later known as The Jefferson Bible, Douglas E. Lurton tells how the President in his first White House term so revered and cherished the words of Jesus, he dreamed of writing them down in a separate volume. From the four Gospels Jefferson extracted Christ’s words, which he described “as easily distinguished (from other words) as diamonds in a dung-hill.” In1816, he told his friend Charles Thompson, “I, too, have made a…little book…by cutting the texts out of the book and arranging them on the pages of a blank book in…order of time or subject. A more beautiful or precious morsel…I
have never seen.” Jefferson also wrote his book in Greek, Latin and French. Although he
acknowledged initially writing down Christ’s words “for my own use,” never intending to
publish them, he subsequently claimed they “will be found remaining the most sublime
and benevolent…which has ever been offered to man.” Jesus’ words so moved Jefferson
that he wrote from his home in Monticello to Thompson describing his book as “a document in proof that I am a real Christian, that is to say, a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus.” They were much more than sublime and benevolent words to Jefferson, they were words that changed his life and made him a follower of Christ. In Douglas Lurton’s words about the Bible, let’s “Study it out. Pray it in. Put it down. Pass it on!”

How Jesus Taught Us to Pray (4)

“Deliver us from the evil one.” Mt 6:13 NKJV

Jesus taught us to pray: “Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” (v.13 NKJV). Satan knows your areas of weakness and he will exploit them. But there’s good news. It’s your weaknesses, not your strengths, that draw you closer to God and make you lean on Him. Paul wrote: “I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may work through me” (2Co12:9 NLT). At first this verse doesn’t seem to make sense. You want to be freed from your weaknesses, not boast about them. But Paul gives you several reasons: (1) Your weakness prevents pride. Paul writes: “So I wouldn’t get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations” (2Co 12:7 TM). You’ll often find a weakness attached to strength, acting as a governor to keep you from becoming boastful or running ahead of God. Gideon chose 32,000 men to fight the Midianites, but God reduced his numbers to 300 (See Jdg 7). Why? So that Israel would know it was God’s power and not their own that saved them. (2) Your weakness creates fellowship. Your struggles show you how much you need the support of others. Vance Havner said, “Christians, like snowflakes, are frail, but when they stick together they can stop traffic.” (3) Your weakness enables you to help others. It’s the broken who become masters at mending. Your most effective ministry can come out of your most painful experiences. The things you’re most reluctant to share are often the very things God will use to help others.

How Jesus Taught Us to Pray (3)

“Forgive us…as we forgive.” Mt 6:12 NKJV

Let’s clear up some misconceptions about the words, “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive
our debtors.” Satan will try to convince you that if your feelings haven’t changed toward
the person who wronged you, you haven’t truly forgiven them. No, you can make
the right decision and still have the wrong feelings! This is when you need faith to carry
you through. You have done your part, now you are waiting for God to do His. God has
the power to change your feelings toward the one who hurt you, and He will. Another misconception is that all you have to do is make a decision to forgive and then your job’s
finished. No, you are instructed to “Invoke blessings upon and pray for the happiness of
those who curse you, implore God’s blessing (favor) upon those who abuse you” (Lk 6:28
AMP). You say, “Bless them? Are you serious?” Yes. The word “bless” means “to speak
well of.” You’re extending mercy to those who don’t deserve it. But isn’t that what God
does for you? The truth is, you cannot truly forgive without the Holy Spirit’s help. So
today why don’t you pray, “Holy Spirit, breathe on me and give me strength. I forgive
_____________ [name] for what they did. I release them from this debt and ask You to bless them. I turn the situation over to You. I trust You for my total restoration. Help me, Lord. Heal my heart, in Jesus’ name, amen.” Now, by faith, leave it all in your Father’s hands, move forward and anticipate His blessing. You won’t be disappointed.

How Jesus Taught Us to Pray (2)

“Give us this day our daily bread.” Mt 6:11 NKJV 

Jesus taught us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” Notice the word “daily.” You can’t fight today’s battles on the strength of yesterday’s bread; you must have a fresh supply. In the wilderness God’s people were only permitted to collect enough manna for one day; if they tried to collect more it rotted. It’s wonderful to talk about what God did yesterday and what He’s going to do tomorrow, but all you’ve got is today. “Give us this day our daily bread.” Only as you partake of what God’s provided for you today will you be able to stand up to the challenges you face. This prayer is an expression of faith. The very fact that you ask means you believe God’s got what you need and that He cares enough to provide for you. It says, “I don’t need to go to anybody else but You, Lord.” So hang up the phone, turn off the TV, shut the door, get down on your knees, approach God in faith and pray, “Give me what I need for this day.” God knows what you need, you don’t! As you partake of what He provides for you each day you’ll be able to handle whatever life throws at you. And one more thought. When people start getting on your nerves for no apparent reason, or you start having all sorts of mood swings, or you begin living by feelings instead of faith, it’s probably because you’re not eating right. If that’s so, it’s time to go back to your source and say, “Lord, I’ve come for my daily bread.”