I Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

I was horrible at math, as a matter of fact I was able to navigate through college without taking one single math class. If I did, I'd probably still be trying to pass that class. But one thing I know, to work out a calculation, you need to insert numbers into the formula, otherwise you'll still have nothing to the right of the equal sign.   

Well Dave, what does math have to do with sin you ask? Sin is like a mathematical formula, it requires the temptation, the contemplation, and the actual act itself. When all three are calculated, it will equal sin. So what am I saying? 

If you read today's verse you'll understand several things. No sin is uncommon to man; man has been sinning forever and your same sins are played out by millions of other people (so don't think you are the only one battling it). Secondly, God gives you enough freedom (or free will) to choose to do it or not do it. Third, He always provides a way to escape from it. At some point in the 3 part equation there's an exit door to stop computing sin. 

Here's where the rubber meets the road…..in order for sin to complete itself, you have to insert yourself in the equation. At any moment you can stop opening that bottle of liquor, close your computer when tempted to look at unclean images, cut a phone call short when the juicy gossip starts, say no to a conversation with the opposite sex you know won't be good for your marriage, or exchange your shopping trip you can't afford with a Saturday of house cleaning. God gives you opportunities to not sin, you just have to make the decision to not do it. Simple, not hardly, but with God's help you can overcome anything that you believe has you held captive to Satans bindings.

I John 4:4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 

 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. James 5:16

 My wife is really good about choosing what she eats. She watches her calorie intake and has said on numerous occasions…”I’m not going to waste my calories on something I don’t truly enjoy”. Me on the other hand, doesn’t always stick to a rigid diet and oftentimes I take in more daily calories than I can burn over the course of a week. And, my weight is a good indicator that I’m not doing a good job restricting my diet to the healthy things. More on that later!

 This morning God put a thought into my mind, “what’s the substance of my prayers”. Do I spend more time asking for forgiveness than praising God? That thought hit me hard this morning, as it should, making me think about my relationship with the Father. My actions, my thoughts, and the words that proceed out of my mouth are under constant attacks from the dark forces of evil. God knows I need help on the battle field, so I can spend more time giving praise than asking for His forgiveness.

 You might be thinking, Geez Dave, what’s your problem? Romans 3:10 says: “There is none righteous, no, not one” and Isaiah 64:6 says: “And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags”. No matter how well we try to live the Christian life, we always fall short in our daily lives, including me. And, as  you grow in your faith, you begin to see your shortcomings more and more. God help us, God help me!

 God always welcomes your prayers, no matter their content. If seeking forgiveness is important, then pray for it. At the same time, commit yourself to living on a strict spiritual diet of words, actions, and thoughts (just like my wife’s dietary plan), so you don’t waste your life on fruitless things that require more time praying for healing and forgiveness. When you do, your prayers will be full of positive content, brining God all the glory and praise He rightly deserves! God bless!  

 Psalms 46:10 NKJV

[10] Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!

Have you ever been in a place where there was no sound? No sirens, no birds singing, no sound of the wind, no air-conditioning running, no one speaking? If you are like me, it's hard to remember a time of total silence. Even as I sit here early this morning outside there is a bug making his sound as loud as a Harley Davidson motorcycle. 

Our ears operate 24/7. That's a good thing and sometimes a bad thing, depending on where you are. As a child of God, God wants you to hear Him speak to you through His Holy Spirit. The challenge is filtering out everything that is competing with Him to be heard. His voice doesn't come in the form of sound, but through the spirit, speaking wisdom, warning, encouragement, and love. How can you hear Him?

You have to be intentional about blocking out the world's sounds to hear Him. That might mean closing the apps on your phone, even silencing it, getting in a place without distractions (your closet is good…if there is room), anywhere you can block out other distractions. Difficult yes, but not impossible. 

I love today's verse. Anytime I read it, I'm reminded to slow down, take in His beautiful creation, and make time to listen to Him. God has a lot to say to all of us, we just have to posture ourselves to hear His sweet voice. What is God trying to say to you today? 

 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him. Colossians 2:6 

As a kid growing up on our family farm, I always enjoyed accompanying my dad when he went out to do chores, whether it was feed the hogs, cows, or just take care of anything that needed mending. As I grew, I accepted more responsibility and actually helped him with the task at hand. It was my desire to please him in my work, knowing that he was right there beside me to encourage, instruct, and correct. 

If you are a child of God, YOU accepted Jesus Christ into your life. You chose to receive Him. Let me repeat that, YOU CHOSE TO RECEIVE HIM! I think over time we forget that our Heavenly Father is always with us through His Holy Spirit. Whether we chose not to think about His presence or simply forget He’s there, we leave ourselves vulnerable to the lure of sin. We focus on the pleasure sin brings and forget that God is always present to encourage, instruct, and correct you when headed towards something outside His will.

 Maybe you are a new Christian or have been one for years. Never let a day go by that you forget your Heavenly Father is with you and it should be your deepest desire to please Him in your choices, words, and actions. He’s your perfect “accountability partner”, and if you are truly focused on Him, you’ll be able to hear His soft voice of reason, prompting you to make the right choices, say the right things and act in a holy manner.  God bless!

 Heavenly Father, help me keep my focus on you by speaking to my heart. I give this day to you as you reveal your will to me in everything that I do, speak, and think. May you be blessed and glorified today.

  The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.” Exodus 16:3

 Yesterday we went up north of Atlanta to celebrate my oldest son’s birthday. He chose an Italian restaurant for lunch. The first thing he ordered was an appetizer for all of us. The waitress said that it takes a long time to make and might come after we get our food. She wasn’t kidding, as it took a while before the appetizer was served. But, once it arrived on our table, we devoured it and our hunger was temporarily satisfied.

 Today’s passage comes from the story of the Israelite’s exodus from Egyptian slavery. 45 days had passed journeying through the desert and the people complained they had run out of food. We read in verse 4 that God said He’d rain down bread from Heaven for His people to eat. I always wondered why He waited so long to provide bread. I’m sure the Israelite people were worried, seeing their food supply dwindling in the wilderness.

 Like me, you might question why God waits to answer our prayers at the last moment when He could have provided prior to feelings of desperation. I believe several reasons.

1.    1. We won’t be able to truly see the powerful hand of God working unless we are empty, hungry, and in desperation. At that moment, we are willing to accept anything He provides, and most of the time He provides more than we ever thought possible.

2.    2. He won’t provide when we already have what we need because the impact of His provision will be lessened and might make us believe we can provide for ourselves. God wants us to depend on Him and not the world’s offerings. What we generate will eventually run out, but His provision will be like a well of water, providing refreshing nourishment for eternity. John 4:11-15.

 God knows your needs before you even ask Matthew 6:7-8. He provides at just the right moment. So, as you pray, asking for His help, know that it will come at just the right moment, when you are ready to receive it, and it will be enough (sometimes more) to sustain you in this life and beyond.

 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons[a] of God.

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:3-12 

I have several drawers full of stuff that has value to me and personal items that belonged to family members who’ve passed. Why do I keep these items around? Because they mean something to me and every time I get them out, wonderful memories of my past come to mind. But, the reality is once I pass, those items will have no meaning to my kids and will most likely be discarded. One day I’ll have to help them by going through those things and discard them, saving them the trouble in the future. 

As a child of God, you have something even more valuable than earthly things and possessions. Today’s verses come from Jesus’ teaching of the Beatitudes. As you read them, you’ll find that each one has eternal value. Poor in spirit will inherit the kingdom of heaven, mourners will be eternally comforted, pure in heart will see God, peacemakers will be called “sons of God”, the persecuted will inherit the kingdom of heaven and there you’ll receive rewards that will last forever! The sufferings you endure in this life will pale in comparison to the wonderful blessing that await you when you enter into Heaven. 

Jesus said you will have tribulation while here on earth. Don’t allow the troubles of this life distract you from the eternal rewards that await you for enduring in faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Look at the troubles of your life having “eternal value”, because they will yield something much greater than the good days you experience this side of Heaven. 

Thank you Father for those trials and troubles I face, as I continue to look to you for comfort and strength, knowing that they have eternal value and one day I will be rewarded for sustaining my walk with You!

 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. Romans 12:3

 It’s in the news on a daily basis, people in high positions are brought down by poor choices, sometimes illegal actions that put them in jail. A recent news article about a traveling preacher who committed sex crimes against children generated a lot of comments on social media. The majority of them focused on religious leaders who seem to frequently commit these horrible offenses, giving non-Christians an excuse to not darken the door of a church building. Many commented the following: who wants to be a part of that if that’s what Christianity is like.

 You might be thinking to yourself, well, I’m not like that and consider yourself a genuine child of God. That’s good, but there’s a danger in having a self-proclaimed evaluation of yourself. Pride can be rooted in those thoughts, making you believe your actions, whether good or bad, are justifiable because you are a “good Christian”. God’s not looking for good Christians. Jesus Christ even said it himself in Mark 10:18: “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God”. So what is God looking for in His children?

 And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. Micha 6:8

 God wants to do a work in your life, but it requires an attitude of humbleness, not focusing on your strengths, but relying on God’s Holy Spirit to fulfill His purpose in you. Spiritual achievements only happen because of the work God is doing. Taking credit for God’s work is a no-no and He considers it pride. Giving God the glory He deserves and living a humble life only happens when you take your eyes of yourself and stay focused on God. When you do, the fruits of your labor will be recognized by God and rewarded in Heaven. Any blessing you receive in this life is simply an indicator that God is living in you and through you for His glory.