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STAY AT YOUR POST

Eric was stunned by the certified letter he had received. He had been fired! His record with the company was good, and the reasons given for his dismissal were without substance.
As he related his story to me, Eric explained, “I said to myself, ‘Don’t panic. Think this through. How would God have me respond?’”
After praying and consulting a Christian lawyer, Eric felt that God was leading him to apply the truth of today’s text to his situation. So he stayed at his post and continued to see clients and place orders. To meet his financial needs, he drew on his personal reserves. Company officials were unprepared to deal with someone who kept at his job after being dropped from the payroll. Eight months later, the president offered Eric a new contract with the best terms ever.
Not everyone can or should do what Eric did. But we can learn from his example. We don’t need to be “afraid of sudden terror” (Proverbs 3:25). We don’t need to panic.
When a trial turns our life upside down, we can “stay at our post” by seeking God’s wisdom through prayer, Scripture, and mature Christian counsel. We can resist despair, remain confident that God is at work, and continue doing what is right and good. God will do the rest. – Dennis De Haan

When through life’s darkened maze I go
And troubles overwhelm my soul,
Oh, grant me, Lord, Your grace to know
That You are surely in control. – D. De Haan

A crisis cannot break the one
who relies on God’s strength.

Today’s Bible Reading – Ecclesiastes 8:1-9

1 Who is like a wise man?                   there is a time and judgement,
And who knows the                              though the misery of man
interpretation of a thing? A              increases greatly.
man’s wisdom makes his                   ⁷ For he does not know
face shine, and the sternness           what will happen; so who
of his face is changed.                          can tell him when it will
2 I say, “Keep the king’s                      occur?
commandment for the sake              8 No one has power over
of your oath to God.                             the spirit to retain the spirit,
3 Do not be hasty to go                       and no one has power in the
from his presence. Do not                 day of death. There is no
take your stand for an evil                 release from that war, and
thing, for he does whatever              wickedness will not deliver
pleases him.”                                           those who are given to it.
4 Where the word of a king                9 All this I have seen, and
is, there is power; and who                applied my heart to every
may say to him, “What are                 work that is done under the
you doing?”                                               sun: There is a time in
5 He who keeps his                                 which one man rules over
command will experience                   another to his own hurt.
nothing harmful; and a wise
man’s heart discerns both
time and judgement,
6 Because for every matter

                                             >INSIGHT<
The author of Ecclesiastes, Solomon, had long ago learned that true
wisdom comes only from the Lord (1 Kings 3:3-14). Unfortunately,
Solomon abandoned the wisdom of God for the supposed wisdom of
false gods – and brought disaster to himself and his kingdom. As he
wrote Ecclesiastes, he looked back on his life and acknowledge the
tragic mistakes he had made.

Daily Devotions, job Jobs and daily devotions

ARM AROUND YOUR SHOULDER

     Before Jesus left His disciples and returned to heaven, He promised that he would send them a Helper, the Holy Spirit. The word helper in John 14:16 means, “one called alongside.” He stands beside us to help us. That’s why we who are believers in Christ fight no battles and face no issues alone.
This story in Leadership magazine illustrates the point: “Jackie Robinson was the first black to play major league baseball. Breaking baseball’s color barrier, he faced jeering crowds in every stadium. While playing one day in his home stadium in Brooklyn, he committed an error. The fans began to ridicule him. He stood at second base, humiliated, while the fans jeered. Then, shortstop Pee Wee Reese came over and stood next to him. He put his arm around Jackie Robinson and faced the crowd. The fans grew quiet. Robinson later said that arm around his shoulder saved his career.”
How many times has our Helper, the Holy Spirit, done just that for us? We felt alone, discouraged, a failure, ready to quit, but then we sensed His comforting presence. Or perhaps He gave us the support we needed through a Christian friend.
We can be sure that the Holy Spirit is always standing alongside, ready and able to help. – Dave Egner

Holy Spirit, joy divine,
Cheer this saddened heart of mine;
Bid my many woes depart,
Heal my wounded, bleeding heart. – Reed

If you have the Holy Spirit on the inside,
You can stand any battle on the outside.

Today’s Bible Reading – John 14:15-21

15 If you love Me, keep
My commandments.
16 And I will pray the
Father, and He will give
you another Helper, that
He may abide with you
forever –
17 the Spirit of truth, whom
the world cannot receive,
because it neither sees Him
nor knows Him; but you
know Him, for He dwells
with you and will be in you.
18 I will not leave you
orphans; I will come to you.
19 A little while longer
and the world will see Me
no more, but you will see Me.
Because I live, you will
live also.
20 At that day you will
know that I am in My
Father, and you in Me, and
I in you.
21 He who has My
commandments and keeps
them, it is he who loves Me.
And he who loves Me will
be loved by My Father, and
I will love him and manifest
Myself to him.”

                                                          >INSIGHT<
In this passage, the key word is another (v.16). There are two Greek
words for another. One (heteros) means “another of a different
kind.” The word here, however, means “another of the exact same
kind” (allon). This means that the Helper (the Holy Spirit) will be
exactly like Jesus, offering the same love, concern, help, and care
that Christ Himself offers to His own. It should encourage us to know
that the Holy Spirit is a perfect representation of Christ – and He
dwells within us!

Daily Devotions, career career, discouraged, helper

The British hymnwriter William Cowper (1731-1800) often suffered great mental anguish. At times, he even considered taking his own life. One night in such a mood he hailed a horse-driven cab and asked to be taken to the Thames River, but the city of London was blanketed with such a thick fog that the driver lost his way.  At last Cowper leaped impatiently from the buggy, determined to find his watery grave unassisted. Groping through the fog, he was astonished when he discovered that he was back at his own doorstep! Falling to his knees, he thanked the Lord for the fog He had sent over London, which had prevented him from committing suicide.

Knowing that God in His grace had misdirected the cab driver, Cowper wrote these memorable words: “God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform; He plants His footsteps in the sea, and rides upon the storm. You fearful saints, fresh courage take; the clouds you so much dread are big with mercy, and will break in blessing on your head!”

God has a purpose in everything that comes into your life and mine. We may not be able to comprehend the “why” of things at the present, but someday in heaven we shall see how God led us even in times of great distress. – Henry Bosch

God’s sure hand is ever leading;

Lift the curtain of despair,

For however deep life’s shadows,

 

You don’t need to see the way if you stay close to the One who does.

 

He leads me in the

path of righteousness

for his name’s sake.

- Psalm 23:3

 

Today’s Bible Reading – Psalm 23

 

     1 The Lord is my shepherd;                    

I shall not want.                                           

     2 He makes me to lie down            

In green pastures; He                                   

leads me beside the still waters.           

     3 He restores my soul; He            

leads me in the paths of

righteousness for His                      

name’s sake.                                                      

     4 Yea, though I walk

through the valley of  the

shadow of death, I will fear

no evil; for You are with me;               

Your rod and Your staff,

they comfort me. 

     5 You prepare a table before

me in the presence of my

enemies; You anoint my 

head with oil; my cup runs 

over.

     6 Surely goodness and

mercy shall follow me all

the days of my life; and I

will dwell in the house of

the Lord Forever.

 

             

 

                                          >INSIGHT<    

Unquestionably the most beloved of all the psalms, Psalm 23 reminds

us of the continuing care of the Shepherd for His flock. What make

it all the more interesting is that the psalmist, David, begins by telling

us about the trustworthiness of the Shepherd. Before long, however,

his attention shifts. When he speaks of the Shepherd’s provision, he is

bearing witness of God’s faithfulness. But when David remembers the

“valley of the shadow,” he addresses the Lord Himself and

acknowledges His faithful guidance during life’s darkest moments.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daily Devotions, Uncategorized, blogging daily devotional reading, religion

“THE GOOD SENSE OF THE GRASSHOPPER”
One grasshopper seems insignificant as it leaps across the lawn. But when it joins forces with other grasshoppers, the resulting swarm can soon devour all the vegetation in its path.
Grasshoppers demonstrate the power of community. What they cannot do by themselves, they can accomplish together. In a book of Proverbs, the wise man Agur observed, “The locusts have no king, yet they all advance in ranks” (30:27).
We can learn a lesson from these little creatures. Believers can make far greater advances for Christ’s cause when they act and pray together than they could ever make alone. When Christians are united in serving the Lord, they can become a mighty force for God.
Although the New Testament urges us to possess a personal faith in Jesus Christ, it says nothing at all about a private faith. We need other believers, and other believers need us
Let’s enjoy the strength and fellowship available in the unified body of Christ. An effective church will reflect “the good sense of the grasshopper” by its love and unity in the Holy Spirit. – Haddon Robinson.

We all depend upon the strength
We draw from one another,
For we are one in faith and love
With every Christian brother. – Sper

Two Christians are better than one- when they’re one.

Let us consider one
Another in order to
Stir up love and good works.
- Hebrews 10:24

Read:
Hebrews 10:19-25

My dear ‘sistas’ and brothers,

As we celebrate Christmas day, and begin to move forward into another year, lets us take this insight with us. We want to focus on the role of our Lord in our responses to one another. Notice that Christ consecrated the “new and living way,” serves as “High Priest over the house of God,” and is faithful in keeping His promises. The faithfulness of Christ in caring for us should encourage us as believers to be faithful in caring for one another. MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!!

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