He Turned Back To Gd

"That's the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone's duty." - Ecclesiastes 12:13 

Solomon, the ancient king of Israel, was a man who had everything he wanted. He had extraordinary success and wealth, incredible intellect, more women, and sex than any Hollywood star or professional athlete could ever have, yet it all became meaningless to him. He felt so empty inside. Why? Because he had turned his back on God to pursue all that he wanted for himself. He was a classic example of a good man who started strong, but turned the wrong way and wound up empty.

The good news of the story of Solomon is that late in his life, he came to his senses and turned back to God. After trying everything else, he found the key to life is "to fear God and keep His commandments." Fear means reverence. In other words, to revere God, worship Him and show you mean it by obeying His word.

Do you feel empty and weary? Trust God and obey Him. It's a sure way to feel fulfilled and not empty inside

Still hungry?  Exodus 20:20, 1 Samuel 12:24, Job 37:24

What We CAN Do

"...but he has told me, 'My grace is all you need, because my power is perfected in weakness. Therefore, I will most happily boast about my weaknesses, so that the Messiah's power may rest on me.'" - 2 Corinthians 12:9

Mother Teresa was a soul filled with the light of Christ, on fire with love for Him, and burning with one desire: “to quench His thirst for love and for souls.” She felt this way in spite of a difficult life, filled with health problems, poverty, and a profound sense of responsibility for the poor. When reminded that God does not give us any burdens we cannot handle, Mother Teresa replied, "I know, but sometimes I just wish He didn't think so highly of me." While it's true that tough times can challenge us and shape character, most of us would prefer that God would find another teaching method!

While hitting rock bottom is not fun, crises do offer opportunities for growth and service. For instance, sometimes God allows us to go through hard times so that we can learn to truly trust Him. You see, when we do choose to trust God...even when there is no concrete evidence of His presence - we demonstrate real faith. And that faith is not only demonstrated to God, it is a powerful witness to everyone who sees what you have gone through. Look at the example shown by Joseph. After thirteen years of miserable setbacks, the first thing he did was to stand before Pharaoh and share his testimony of his faith in God. What a magnificent witness to the glory of God! 

So, when facing tough times, recognize the opportunity you have to build trust in God, deepen your faith, and become a powerful witness for your Heavenly Father.

Still Hungry?  Romans 3:24, 1 Kings 19:12, 1 Corinthians 2:3

Never Lose Your Flavour

'Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other.'

- You and I should add flavour and taste to the lives of others.

- Salt adds taste and value to the food it touches.

- And in the same way we should add value to the lives we touch.

- In addition, we are called to live at peace with each other.

PRAYER: Lord, may my life bring value and blessing to others. May I model the types of life You gave us as an example and may my life be blessed with real and lasting relationships. Amen.

Still Hungry? Matthew 5:13, Luke 14:34, Romans 12:18, 1 Thessalonians 5:13 

Wisdom In Your Investment

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth...but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven." - Matthew 6:19-20

Most of us realize that knowledge is the key to proper saving and investing of our assets. It is certainly on the minds of many of us, including the media. There are news channels that, all day long, focus solely on the market. There are internet sites, newspapers, magazines, newsletters, Facebook pages, and Twitter accounts that deal exclusively with money and investments.

So, what is the right starting point on investing? God's Word tells us our starting point should be eternity. If all of our focus is on earthly investing, that knowledge we have is mighty shortsighted. Eternity is a lot longer than anything in this life.

Jesus tells us that when we invest in eternal treasure, we never lose it. It has returns that last forever. We should begin with investments in eternity even before we focus on investments for college, retirement, or in whatever else we're investing. This takes faith, but it proves to God where our hearts are - whether with Him or with our money.

Many men who see themselves as strong are absolutely gutless in this area. It takes a strong man to have this kind of faith. True wisdom in investing begins with the long-term view of eternity. 

Still hungry? Proverbs 23:4, Luke 12:16, James 5:2-3

Be Students of our Children

Behold, children are a gift from the Lord..." - Psalm 127:3

 This is a devotion that we just can't read too many times, and here's why: Have you ever considered what the most difficult job in life is? It's the job of parenting; the challenge of guiding a child through the demands of growing up and helping that child become all he or she was created to be.

The Bible provides timeless insight. "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." The way he should go means according to his bent. This means we have to be students of our children - learning to recognize their God-given abilities and interests. We're also to help our children develop their strengths, as well as curb and check their weaknesses.

Once we become students of our children and teach them right from wrong with a lot of prayer, the promise of God can be realized. The challenge is a great one, but the rewards of seeing our children become mature, productive adults makes all the hard work worthwhile.

Still Hungry? Genesis 1:28