"But the Lord was with Joseph." Ge 39:21 To reach his destiny, Joseph went through betrayal, temptation, slander, and wrongful imprisonment. But he came out on top. Here is what Joseph recognized that you need to recognize too: (1) God knows what you're going through, and He cares. There is a key phrase found five different times in the story of Jo…

"You will be strong and free of fear." Job 11:15 NLT When you ignore the warning signs, chronic stress can take a toll on your body. So what are some of the signals? Well for starters, your stomach churns at any form of disagreement. When you can't find an outlet for pent-up frustration, you resort to overeating, smoking, drinking, drugs, and gener…

"I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me." Jn 16:33 NLT Stress is like kryptonite (Superman's nemesis), and it's out to knock off your cape and diminish you to a heap of trembling, useless mush. What should you do? (1) Immerse your exhaustion. Try a bubble bath. Even simply standing in the shower can assist in washing away fatigue…

"Get ready to cross...into the land." Jos 1:2 NIV The words for you today are (1) Get ready. For forty years, Joshua had served Moses and been mentored by him; now he was ready to lead Israel into the promised land. This raises the all-important question: Are you ready for the success you seek? The frustrating thing about preparation is sometimes i…

"The eyes of man are never satisfied." Pr 27:20 NKJV When you're controlled by materialism. The flawed philosophy behind materialism is "more, more, more!" And it's the result of "eye trouble." The Bible says, "The eyes of man are never satisfied." It's okay to want a nice home, a reliable car, and financial security-and God will provide those thin…

"I have blotted out. your transgressions, and..your sins." Isa 44:22 NKJV When you have a hard time forgiving yourself. There is only one unpardonable sin named in the Bible (See Luke 12:10). And as a believer, you probably haven't committed it, so God will forgive you for everything else. However, when God says He forgives you and you refuse to fo…

"They will become discouraged." Col 3:21 NIV Embittered children ultimately become discouraged. A discouraged child is less hopeful, less enthusiastic, lacking in determination, and easily led astray. By destroying your child's hope, you're undermining their God-given temperament. Children are born with optimism, inspiration, anticipation, and poss…

"Teach children in a way that fits their needs." Pr 22:6 ERV Have you ever wished for a parenting do-over-a second chance to raise your kids? With hindsight and insight, you think you would do it right this time! Parenting is both rewarding and guilt inducing. It's rewarding because we love our children and they bring us joy. It's guilt inducing be…

"Do not embitter your children." Col 3:21 NIV Another point of parental confusion is this: Bitter versus better. What is bitterness? It is strong resentment or cynicism. How do parents create bitterness in their children? Consider the following triggers: (a) Inconsistency. This happens when you are autocratic and authoritarian one day and permissiv…

"Children are a gift from the Lord." Ps 127:3 NLT Over the next few days, let's look at some practical areas where we as parents are often confused. Guidance versus criticism. If you have a placid, agreeable, and compliant child who enjoys school, homework, and doing household chores, bringing "them up in the training and instruction of the Lord" w…

"Trust in the Lord." Pr 3:5 NIV When you honestly evaluate your worries, you will find you are doing these: (1) Forgetting that God is your friend. The psalmist said, "The Lord is a friend to those who fear him" (Ps 25:14 NLT). Friendship with God is built by sharing your life's experiences with Him-every activity, every conversation, every problem…

"She came and has continued from morning until now." Ru 2:7 NKJV After ten years of sorrow and hardship in which she lost her husband and her support system, God introduced Ruth to her new husband, Boaz. Where? In the field where she worked each day. Who was Boaz? The owner of the field. One of the things that attracted Boaz to Ruth was her work et…

"Leave them; they are blind guides." Mt 15:14 NIV There are plenty of good leaders around-don't be afraid to follow them. But what about the "blind guides" that Jesus talks about? Here are some signs to help you identify and avoid them: (1) Inflexibility. True leaders have a teachable spirit and a servant's heart. They rejoice in your growth and ar…

Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you." Jn 15:3 God's Word is like a prescription from your doctor. You don't have to understand how the medication works-you just have to faithfully keep taking it. Something amazing happens when you feed regularly on God's Word. Temptation begins to lose power, and overcoming strength begin…

Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus." Heb 12:1-2 NKJV The men and women who made the greatest impact on the world were those who were totally focused and sold out to their vision. John Wesley, founder of the Methodist Church, once said, "If I had three hundred men who feared nothing but God, hated nothing bu…

"The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch." Ac 11:26 NKJV Did you know that the word "disciple" occurs 269 times in the New Testament, whereas the word "Christian" is found only three times? The word "Christian" was first introduced to describe who they were, disciples of Jesus Christ! Dallas Willard uses the illustration of the automo…

"Teach them to your children and your grandchildren." Dt 4:9 NKJV Let's read what God said to the parents who entered the promised land: "Take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandc…

"The seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how." Mk 4:27 NKJV Have you sown a "seed" of faith, and now you're wondering when you will reap the "harvest" God promised in His Word? If so, read on: "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout…

"He does our praying in and for us." Ro 8:26 MSG Life can wear you down. You can get to the place where your anxiety runs so deep, or your stress levels increase so high that you can't think clearly. The problem or pain you're experiencing is so overwhelming that you can't put it into words. Good news: That's when the Holy Spirit living within you …

"I can do everything through Christ." Php 4:13 NLT Losing your job can be devastating. This is when you must keep the right perspective. Having less doesn't make you a lesser person. God still values you, and you must keep valuing yourself. The Christian life is one of trial and triumph. Paul writes: "I know how to live on almost nothing or with ev…

"With favor You will surround him as with a shield." Ps 5:12 NKJV To have job security you should: (1) Increase your visibility in your industry. Establish contacts and relationships with others outside your company by attending local industry gatherings wherever possible. Your goal should not merely be to know enough to get by but to develop your …

"Do not merely listen to the word... Do what it says." Jas 1:22 NIV A pastor writes: "The Latin word for 'listen' is where we get our word audit. When you audit a class, you take in lots of information, but you don't do anything with it. You don't do the homework, or if you do, you don't turn it in to get it graded. You don't take the tests. And yo…

"With favor You will surround him as with a shield." Ps 5:12 NKJV To have job security you should: (1) Increase your visibility in your industry. Establish contacts and relationships with others outside your company by attending local industry gatherings wherever possible. Your goal should not merely be to know enough to get by but to develop your …

"Jesus answered...'I also will ask you one thing.'" Mt 21:24 NKJV Jesus often answered a question with a question. When asked about paying taxes, He took a coin and said, "Whose image and inscription is this?' They said to Him, 'Caesar's.!' And Jesus answered...Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. And…

"When you give. don't shout about it." Mt 6:2 TLB Jesus said: "Take care! Don't do your good deeds publicly, to be admired, for then you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. When you give a gift to a beggar, don't shout about it as the hypocrites do-blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charit…

"When you pray, go into your room." Mt 6:6 NIV Jesus said, "When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you" (v. 6 NIV). The Christian life could be compared to the Old Testament tabernacle, which was divided into three compartments. There wa…

"It was three years before I went." Gal 1:18 MSG God's direction will often be followed by a season of preparation. And the length of that season is determined by the size of your assignment. So when God speaks to you, it's not always wise to rush out and tell people. Who wouldn't want to talk about the amazing experience Paul had with Christ on th…

"Jesus...laid aside His garments." Jn 13:3-4 NKJV When it came to serving others, Jesus went first. He "rose from supper... laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself... poured water into a basin...began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded...Peter said to Him, 'Lord, are You washing my…

"Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord." 2Pe 3:18 NIV When Peter exercised enough faith to get out of the boat and walk on water, he sank and looked worse than any of the other disciples. When he tried to defend Jesus, he cut off a man's ear. When he promised to be loyal, he fell flat on his face. When he tried to advise Jesus, he was the dev…

"They go from strength to strength." Ps 84:7 NIV The phrase "discover your strengths" was made famous by researcher Marcus Buckingham in what's referred to as the "Strengths Movement." It calls us to stop focusing on our weaknesses and name and develop our strengths-which reflects God's design. God didn't say, "Moses, your craftsmanship skills are …

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"It was three years before I went." Gal 1:18 MSG God's direction will often be followed by a season of preparation. And the length of that season is determined by the size of your assignment. So when God speaks to you, it's not always wise to rush out and tell people. Who wouldn't want to talk about the amazing experience Paul had with Christ on th…

"Christ's anointing teaches you the truth on everything you need to know about yourself and him." 1Jn 2:27 MSG When you pray diligently and believe you have heard from God, but then you start asking other people what they think, you're honoring their opinions above God's. That kind of mindset will prevent you from developing a relationship where yo…

"If you willingly obey me, the best... will be yours." Isa 1:19 CEV People think they can't hear from God, when in reality, there are things they already know He wants them to respond to, and so far they haven't done it. The quicker you do whatever the Lord has already told you to do, the sooner He will reveal the next step to you. His promise is, …

"Christ.makes all of its parts work perfectly." Eph 4:16 CEV You have probably heard that unless you're the lead dog, the view seldom changes. The problem is, however, not everybody can be the leading man or woman. And it's better to be a working actor than an out-of-work star; at least you get to be in the play! Besides, most great achievers, if t…

"Teach us to use wisely all the time we have." Ps 90:12 CEV We all get the same twenty-four hours every day. That's 1,440 minutes, or 86,400 seconds. And we "must give an account to God" for how we use them (See Ecc 11:9 NLT). A good place to start is by asking yourself, "How would I spend the next twenty-four hours if I knew I would stand before G…

"Many. say of me, 'There is no help for him.'" Ps 3:2 NKJV A Christian leader writes: "Oliver Goldsmith was born the son of a poor preacher in Ireland in the 1700s. Growing up, he wasn't a great student. In fact, his schoolmaster labeled him a 'stupid blockhead! He did manage to earn a college degree, but he finished at the bottom of his class. He …

"Whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle." Heb 11:34 NIV The writer of Hebrews said: "I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets..whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies" (vv. 32, 34 NIV). Som…

You are snarea ny une woras oT your mouth." Pr 6:2 NKJV A noted psychiatrist remarked that two of the saddest words in human vocabulary are "if only." He believes people who get trapped by their failures spend their lives saying, "If only I had tried harder...if only I had been kinder to my kids...if only I had been more truthful...if only..." The …

"Whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle." Heb 11:34 NIV The writer of Hebrews said: "I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets..whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies" (vv. 32, 34 NIV). Som…

"There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." Pr 18:24 NIV Cicero said, "Friendship improves happiness and abates misery, by the doubling of our joy and the dividing of our grief." The fact is, it's impossible to have more than a few close friends, because true friendship takes time, attention, and commitment. "One who has unreliable friend…

"Wisdom is far more valuable than rubies. Nothing you desire can compare with it." Pr 8:11 NLT To keep learning and growing, you must recognize these: (1) Successful people view learning differently than unsuccessful people. Joshua learned from Moses. Timothy learned from Paul. Who have you chosen to learn from? Author Sydney J. Harris wrote: "A wi…

"Children are a blessing and a gift from the Lord." Ps 127:3 CEV A Christian psychologist writes: "Several months ago I talked to a man who described one of the most painful experiences of his life. When he was seventeen, he was one of the stars on his high school football team. But his father, a very successful man in the city, was always too busy…

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"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says." Rev 2:11 NKJV You can read the same Scripture on different occasions, and it will speak to you in totally different ways. The Greek philosopher Heraclitus is attributed with saying, "You never step into the same river twice." And you never read the same Bible verse the same way twice. That is …

"See how good the Lord is. Happy is the person who trusts him." Ps 34:8 NCV What you believe about God is crucial to the quality of your life, especially in difficult times. So, starting today, tell yourself, "God is good-all the time," and keep saying it until it gets down into your spirit. What does it mean to be "good?" It means living up to the…

"Hear Me, everyone, and understand." Mk 7:14 NKJV Jesus said, "Hear Me, everyone, and understand." He spoke life-changing words, but He understood that preoccupied minds don't always listen too well. Are you a good listener? (1) If you're a leader, do you listen to your followers? The kind of leaders people want to follow do more than conduct busin…

"Though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them." Ps 62:10 NIV Let's settle it once and for all. If God can trust you with money, He will bless you financially (See 2Co 9:6-11 NIV). But His blessings come with certain conditions, and here are four you need to honor. (1) Don't try to claim credit. God told the Israelites, "You may say to…

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"As we live in God, our love grows more perfect." 1Jn 4:17 NLT In today's culture, the word "love" means different things to different people. You can love your husband or wife, your country, your dog, your new cell phone, and your car. But you don't love your husband or wife the same way you love your cell phone or your car, right? The television …