Who God Rewards - Joel & Victoria Osteen

Who God Rewards

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
(Hebrews 11:6, NIV)

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria
When God is first place in your life, and you make pleasing Him is your highest priority, then you can fully expect to live a blessed, fulfilled life! In today’s verse, notice who God rewards. It’s not people who half-heartedly seek Him. It doesn’t say “people who only think about Him when they’re having a problem” or “people who will only come to church when something special is going on.” No, God rewards people who earnestly seek after Him. That means we are determined. We get up every morning and thank Him for His goodness. We go through the day meditating on His promises. We give Him praise in the good times and the tough times. We are constantly stretching, growing, learning and striving to know Him better.

Today, remember, when you diligently seek God, He promises that a reward is coming. He promises He will give you strength, wisdom, favor, good breaks, promotion, healing and restoration. When you seek Him with your whole heart, you will find Him, and you won’t be able to outrun His goodness and blessing!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Father, I desire to please You in everything I do. I declare that You are good and faithful. I trust You with my whole heart and believe that You are a rewarder of those who diligently seek You. I bless You and honor You today in Jesus’ name. Amen.
— Joel & Victoria Osteen

Who God Rewards - Joel & Victoria Osteen

Who God Rewards

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
(Hebrews 11:6, NIV)

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria
When God is first place in your life, and you make pleasing Him is your highest priority, then you can fully expect to live a blessed, fulfilled life! In today’s verse, notice who God rewards. It’s not people who half-heartedly seek Him. It doesn’t say “people who only think about Him when they’re having a problem” or “people who will only come to church when something special is going on.” No, God rewards people who earnestly seek after Him. That means we are determined. We get up every morning and thank Him for His goodness. We go through the day meditating on His promises. We give Him praise in the good times and the tough times. We are constantly stretching, growing, learning and striving to know Him better.

Today, remember, when you diligently seek God, He promises that a reward is coming. He promises He will give you strength, wisdom, favor, good breaks, promotion, healing and restoration. When you seek Him with your whole heart, you will find Him, and you won’t be able to outrun His goodness and blessing!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Father, I desire to please You in everything I do. I declare that You are good and faithful. I trust You with my whole heart and believe that You are a rewarder of those who diligently seek You. I bless You and honor You today in Jesus’ name. Amen.
— Joel & Victoria Osteen

The Strength of Gentleness - Joni and Friends

Joni and Friends Daily Devotional   

The Strength of Gentleness

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Matthew 11:28-30
 
Every once in awhile I daydream about my childhood. I remember going on a long hike with my dad and his friends. I don't know how old I was, probably five or six. I scrambled to keep up with the adults, but my little legs could only carry me for so long. I became weary and burdened.
 
Tired from the long distance, I remember thinking how thankful I was that my dad and his friends were such big, strong adults. They would have no trouble carrying a little tyke like me on their broad shoulders. I breathed a sigh of relief when my dad reached down and slung me on his back. I had no cause for worry. He was strong enough to take my burdens. Contrast that image with the Scripture for today. Does something strike you as odd?
Jesus doesn't say, "Look how big and strong I am. Look how powerful and robust. Lean on me." Instead, Jesus says, "Come to me all you who are weary and burdened...for I am gentle and humble in heart."
 
God's Word reminds us that humility, gentleness, patience, long-suffering, kindness, and goodness are character qualities that tower heads above being strong, aggressive, or unwavering. The humble and gentle people are the ones we find ourselves drawn to when we feel burdened or weary. Somehow we know these are the people who genuinely care, who actually pray, and who, in fact, take our load upon them.
__________________________________
 
Are you weary or heavy laden? "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7).
 
Gentle Jesus, please relieve me of my load today. Enable me to hand it over to You rather than trying to stumble on with it. I'm so grateful You care.

Blessings,
 
Joni and Friends
www.joniandfriends.org

Today's Christian Woman Ministry

A ministry of Today's Christian Woman

today's verse

"Don't love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, 'I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.'"

Hebrews 13:5

Encouragement for Today

In Isaiah it's repeated twice in the context of God's plans for his people. Here in Hebrews, the promise occurs in the context of not loving money. Think about it: when you have God's presence, don't you have everything else you need as well? How can mere money compare?

—Diane Eble, author of Abundant Gifts: A Daybook of Grace-Filled Devotions

Highs -n- Lows Living with the Disease

Friday, October 11th

Another beautiful morning...today's high will be 78 degrees :-) another nice day to enjoy.
I slept really good in my own bed, last night...didn't wake up at all.     :-)
My eyes are puffy and draining this morning :-( I am swollen and sore. But am so thankful for all I can do!
I sometimes wonder where the money for my medication will come from...everything is so expensive and I take so much of it. But God always comes through for me :-) I am so very blessed ... :-)

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Today's Bible Study

Advancing Through Adversity

Read | Deuteronomy 4:7

There are many people who get stuck in life’s hard spots, too scared or too bitter to move through the difficulty. Instead, these folks wait for the Lord to remove the trial, and yet He doesn’t always work that way. But God wants His children to trust Him so they can advance through their adversity.

The way that a person responds to hardship reveals his or her true character. And tough situations are the times when God’s children most need to match actions to words. It’s easy to say, “I trust the Lord” or “My God is faithful” when life is good. But unless believers recognize that He is sovereign even in adversity, they may be tempted to complain and seek pity. Christians who trust in the Lord’s faithfulness and supremacy will steadfastly focus on Him and as a result will see their anxiety and doubt subside.

In order to conquer adversity, we must begin moving through it. Even though we may not know what God’s purpose is, it’s essential for a suffering believer to surrender to His will. We certainly won’t like the pain, and we’ll definitely want the situation to change—fast. But giving the Lord free rein allows Him to mature our faith, conform us to the likeness of His Son, and fulfill His unique plan for our lives.

Surrendering does not seem like a way to advance anywhere. But in reality, we’re just handing over the controls to God and saying, “You guide me where You want me to go.” Doing so requires a lot of trust, but we serve a Lord who is worthy of our faith and confidence.

Another great day!

Highs -n- Lows Living with the Disease

Friday, October 11th

Another beautiful morning...I slept really good in my own bed, last night...didn't wake up at all. :-)

My eyes are puffy and draining this morning :-( I am swollen and sore.
But so very blessed ... :-)

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Today's Bible Study

Advancing Through Adversity

Read | Deuteronomy 4:7

There are many people who get stuck in life’s hard spots, too scared or too bitter to move through the difficulty. Instead, these folks wait for the Lord to remove the trial, and yet He doesn’t always work that way. But God wants His children to trust Him so they can advance through their adversity.

The way that a person responds to hardship reveals his or her true character. And tough situations are the times when God’s children most need to match actions to words. It’s easy to say, “I trust the Lord” or “My God is faithful” when life is good. But unless believers recognize that He is sovereign even in adversity, they may be tempted to complain and seek pity. Christians who trust in the Lord’s faithfulness and supremacy will steadfastly focus on Him and as a result will see their anxiety and doubt subside.

In order to conquer adversity, we must begin moving through it. Even though we may not know what God’s purpose is, it’s essential for a suffering believer to surrender to His will. We certainly won’t like the pain, and we’ll definitely want the situation to change—fast. But giving the Lord free rein allows Him to mature our faith, conform us to the likeness of His Son, and fulfill His unique plan for our lives.

Surrendering does not seem like a way to advance anywhere. But in reality, we’re just handing over the controls to God and saying, “You guide me where You want me to go.” Doing so requires a lot of trust, but we serve a Lord who is worthy of our faith and confidence.

Another great day!

Highs -n- Lows Living with the Disease

Thursday, October 10th

Another beautiful morning with highs at around 80 degrees in Council Bluff, IA.  Temperatures at home are supposed to be 76 degrees.  Warmer tomorrow...

Yesterday, we spent our day working on TRAC Ministry and relaxing. :-) I have been sleeping pretty good, alittle swelling and not too much pain. :-) Last night we went to church and the prayer team prayed over me for healing...Thank you Lord!  So thankful for the prayers...

Today, I head back home. It's around a 5 1/2 hour drive.
Kaylee is staying overnight and I babysit her all day tomorrow.  Tomorrow is the MDA Family Informational session with lunch provided and Saturday is the MDA support group with lunch provided. 

So thankful for all I can do...
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Today's Bible Study

Preparation for Spiritual Warfare

Read | Ephesians 6:10-13

Believers are caught in a battle between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness, but the Lord has provided everything we need to stand firm against the forces of evil. Why, then, do Christians fail so often and give in to temptation and sin? I think there are a number of reasons.

• We are unaware of the battle. Even if we know about spiritual warfare, during everyday life, it’s easy to forget an invisible war is raging around us. Our inattention makes us prime candidates for an attack.

• We are ignorant about the Enemy. Satan will hit us with one scheme after another when we don’t recognize his tactics or understand his goals.

• We are untrained for battle. Believers are soldiers whether they want to be or not. God’s Word is the training manual that gives instruction for discerning deception, resisting temptation, standing firm in faith, and walking in integrity.

• We allow Satan a foothold. The primary battleground for Christians is the mind. If we begin to listen to the Tempter and consider the benefits of his suggestions, he will gain a foothold into our thoughts, feelings, and desires. Left unchecked, the foothold will become a stronghold, and we’ll soon find ourselves mired in sin.

The time to prepare for warfare is now. You cannot be complacent and unaware of your Enemy, or you will become his victim. Begin filling your mind with God’s Word, and obediently listen to the Spirit’s inner warnings. That’s the way to experience the joy of victory in Christ.

Another great day!