A cheerful spirit
For the poor, every day brings trouble; for the happy heart, life is a continual feast. Proverbs 15:15 NLT
When I think of God, my heart is so full of joy that the notes leap and dance as they leave my pen; and since God has given me a cheerful heart, I serve Him with a cheerful spirit. Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
A happy heart
A person's heart is a major concern of the Lord. God's Word tells us that he doesn't look at the things people look at. We look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart; that is, our "thoughts and intentions" (1 Samuel 16:7). Today's verse tells us that a happy, or cheerful, heart make life "a continual feast." How do we obtain—and maintain—this happy heart? There are many clues throughout the book of Proverbs. We should not let our hearts be anxious or proud because anxiety and pride are deterrents to a cheerful heart (Proverbs 12:25; 16:5). Instead, God calls us to have pure hearts and to keep them on the right path (Proverbs 22:11; 23:19). These are positive steps to achieving a happy heart because when we are being obedient to God's Word and experiencing his smile of approval, our hearts will be lighter, even in difficult times. The Bibles gives us many other instructions about how to have "healthy" hearts, but a good place to start is to embrace the truth of Proverbs 15:15 and ask God to show us how to develop hearts that are happy, no matter what challenges we are facing.
FATHER, help me to have a happy heart. Remove the anxiety that sometimes weighs my heart down. Keep my heart from growing proud. Instead, give me a pure heart—a heart that is pleasing to you. Help me to hide your Word in my heart so that I can walk in your ways and enjoy life that is a continual feast.
Adapted from The One Year® Book of Praying through the Bible by Cheri Fuller, Tyndale House Publishers (2003), entry for May 17.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
GOD DELIGHTS IN THOSE WHO HONOR HIM
Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who turn many to righteousness will shine like stars forever.
Daniel 12:3 NLT
Eternity to the godly is a day that has no sunset.
Thomas Watson
Deepen your shine
(This is exactly what I want to do!!)
People spend thousands of dollars to last longer—exercise, cosmetics, plastic surgery, self-help advice, nutrition plans. We like life, and we want it to last, not just in some ethereal, nondescript expectation of a life hereafter, but in a real, fulfilling, purposeful eternity. We don't just want "forever." We want to know we will enjoy it.
Daniel is told what makes or breaks eternity in the resurrection: righteousness. Loving it, drinking it in, leading others to it, investing in it. Righteousness is the key. The quality of our righteousness on earth has everything to do with the quality of our eternity.
Those who are wise also know that there's a problem. We are inherently unrighteous. An eternity based on earthly righteousness is a devastating predicament for people who are, in their very genetics, infected with corruption. Are there any who can really lead others to righteousness? Will any shine like the brightness of the heavens? Or is the promise empty?
Righteousness is a gift from a holy heaven to an infected race. It comes from outside ourselves, available only through faith in its Giver. Those who are wise will tell others about this gift. Those who want to shine will know the Source of the light and will be completely preoccupied with Him.
Evangelism is one way to make an investment that never, ever ceases to bring abundant returns. God promises that sharing the Light with others will forever deepen your own shine.
Adapted from The One Year® Walk with God Devotional by Chris Tiegreen, Tyndale House Publishers (2004), entry for April 7.
Daniel 12:3 NLT
Eternity to the godly is a day that has no sunset.
Thomas Watson
Deepen your shine
(This is exactly what I want to do!!)
People spend thousands of dollars to last longer—exercise, cosmetics, plastic surgery, self-help advice, nutrition plans. We like life, and we want it to last, not just in some ethereal, nondescript expectation of a life hereafter, but in a real, fulfilling, purposeful eternity. We don't just want "forever." We want to know we will enjoy it.
Daniel is told what makes or breaks eternity in the resurrection: righteousness. Loving it, drinking it in, leading others to it, investing in it. Righteousness is the key. The quality of our righteousness on earth has everything to do with the quality of our eternity.
Those who are wise also know that there's a problem. We are inherently unrighteous. An eternity based on earthly righteousness is a devastating predicament for people who are, in their very genetics, infected with corruption. Are there any who can really lead others to righteousness? Will any shine like the brightness of the heavens? Or is the promise empty?
Righteousness is a gift from a holy heaven to an infected race. It comes from outside ourselves, available only through faith in its Giver. Those who are wise will tell others about this gift. Those who want to shine will know the Source of the light and will be completely preoccupied with Him.
Evangelism is one way to make an investment that never, ever ceases to bring abundant returns. God promises that sharing the Light with others will forever deepen your own shine.
Adapted from The One Year® Walk with God Devotional by Chris Tiegreen, Tyndale House Publishers (2004), entry for April 7.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
COOL HEADS AND WARM HEARTS
If you've ever struggled making the right decision, you may appreciate this story:
A young man seemed to take an unusually long time to place his order at the flower shop. When the clerk asked how she could help, he explained that his girlfriend was turning 19 and he couldn't decide whether to give her a dozen roses or 19 roses -- one for each year of her life.
The woman put aside her business judgment and advised, "She may be your 19-year-old girlfriend now, but someday she could be your 50-year-old wife."
The young man bought a dozen roses. He made his decision from both his head and his heart.
Abraham Lincoln has been considered one of the greatest leaders of all time. He maintained a cool head, even under personal attack. Though constantly criticized in public, he rarely answered back. "If I were to try to read, much less answer, all the attacks made on me, this shop might as well be closed for any other business," he said. He showed courage in the face of unjust criticism. He refused to retaliate and chose instead to quietly do the very best he could.
And Lincoln was also widely known for his compassion. He made difficult and tough decisions during America's Civil War, but at the same time showed great leniency. He pardoned more prisoners than any U. S. president before or since. And when a general asked Lincoln how the defeated Confederates should be treated, Lincoln replied, "Let 'em up easy." He was both cool-headed and warm-hearted.
Too many people get it the other way around. They have hot heads and cold hearts. They react in the heat of anger or passion. They are cold and unfeeling. And they invariably make poor decisions.
A cool head asks the hard questions. A cool head thinks it through. A cool head fairly weighs the options and asks, "What is the logical thing to do?"
A warm heart empathizes. A warm heart considers feelings and relationships. A warm heart asks, "What is my spirit telling me to do?"
Some decisions we make with our heads. Others with our hearts. But I think it takes both to get it right.
-- Steve Goodier
Now you can add your own comments to Life Support.
http://stevegoodier.blogspot.com/
__________
A young man seemed to take an unusually long time to place his order at the flower shop. When the clerk asked how she could help, he explained that his girlfriend was turning 19 and he couldn't decide whether to give her a dozen roses or 19 roses -- one for each year of her life.
The woman put aside her business judgment and advised, "She may be your 19-year-old girlfriend now, but someday she could be your 50-year-old wife."
The young man bought a dozen roses. He made his decision from both his head and his heart.
Abraham Lincoln has been considered one of the greatest leaders of all time. He maintained a cool head, even under personal attack. Though constantly criticized in public, he rarely answered back. "If I were to try to read, much less answer, all the attacks made on me, this shop might as well be closed for any other business," he said. He showed courage in the face of unjust criticism. He refused to retaliate and chose instead to quietly do the very best he could.
And Lincoln was also widely known for his compassion. He made difficult and tough decisions during America's Civil War, but at the same time showed great leniency. He pardoned more prisoners than any U. S. president before or since. And when a general asked Lincoln how the defeated Confederates should be treated, Lincoln replied, "Let 'em up easy." He was both cool-headed and warm-hearted.
Too many people get it the other way around. They have hot heads and cold hearts. They react in the heat of anger or passion. They are cold and unfeeling. And they invariably make poor decisions.
A cool head asks the hard questions. A cool head thinks it through. A cool head fairly weighs the options and asks, "What is the logical thing to do?"
A warm heart empathizes. A warm heart considers feelings and relationships. A warm heart asks, "What is my spirit telling me to do?"
Some decisions we make with our heads. Others with our hearts. But I think it takes both to get it right.
-- Steve Goodier
Now you can add your own comments to Life Support.
http://stevegoodier.blogspot.com/
__________
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