For many years I have heard the phrase thundered from pulpits, “Use your talents for the Lord,” to which I replied (in my head, of course), “AMEN!” Also, in my head was the thought, “Those people who have talent—they ought to use it for the Lord.” The rest of us—well, we need to just start stacking chairs because even the untalented can serve the Lord.

I envied those who could sing or play a musical instrument. What a blessed gift these individuals have to offer the rest of humanity! As I grew older, I realized that there were other talented people who could neither sing nor play an instrument. They had great personalities and could talk to any person they happened to meet. I envied those people as well. What a tremendous opportunity they had to share the gospel and to testify of God’s goodness!

I told myself that this exhortation from the pulpit did not apply to me. I did not have talents as those other people had. I certainly could not sing or play an instrument. I could carry on awkward conversations, at best. Hence, that meant that I was off of the hook. I thought in relief, “Phew! No Talents=No Responsibilities.”

Then one day, I heard a message from Matthew 25. I am not really sure I remember what the preacher was saying or what his eloquently spoken words were. I do not know if his outline was alliterated or not. All I heard after the text verse was read was the conversation that God and I were having during the service. Of course, Satan was there too, trying to put in his two cents, and it was not even worth that much.

Before reading the next part, please bear with me as I issue a small disclaimer. For all of those who might be afraid that I am crazy because I said that I heard God speak, I must clarify that I do not mean that He audibly spoke to me. This is merely the lesson that God impressed on my heart.

God:   So, Krystal, what are you doing with the talents I’ve given you?

         Satan: Ha!  What talents? 

         Me:    Yeah…What talents?

         God:   Does the Bible say the master gave any of his servants NO TALENTS?

         Me:    Um…

         God:   Talents are more than singing, playing instruments, or speaking in front of others. 

         Me:    Um…

         God:   So, I ask again: What are you doing with the talents that I have given you?

I will admit that it was hard to come up with the answer to that question. Before I could answer that question, I needed to answer the question, “What talents do I have?”

That question yielded responses such as:

“I’m kind of good at this, but that’s not a real talent. That’s just an acquired skill.”

“I’m good at that, but that’s not anything God could actually use.”

Then one day at work, my manager said something that tied all of this together in my mind. As we discussed different employee situations, he kept referring to their strengths as being their “gifts.” “This roofer may not be good at communicating,” he said, “but did you see the work he does with his hands? That is his gift from God. He uses his gift to profit the company. The company then pays the employees, and the employees tithe to the work of God. I know your church is a soulwinning church. That roofer’s ability is to fix a leaking roof, and by tithing from his income, he spreads the Gospel around the world.”

It occurred to me that my strengths, abilities, and skills are talents that God has given me. How could I think that those skills are useless in the Lord’s work? My resume is nothing more than a testimony of God’s goodness and favor in my life. If I have learned anything at all, it is because God placed me under a capable teacher. If I possess any knowledge, it is because God gave me a brain that is capable of processing that information. Any achievement in my life is because God provided me with an opportunity. It is not of myself; it is all a gift of God.

A few months later, my pastor was talking about a certain ministry in our church. I had felt that God wanted me to be a part of that ministry over twenty years ago, but I was neglecting the gifts that God had given me. I was listening to Satan’s words when he would tell me, “You’re not good enough. There are so many people more talented than you. You can’t compare to them.” Is it not incredibly wicked of us to listen to Satan? To say that our talents, no matter what they might be, are insignificant is to say God’s gifts are inadequate. We become like a spoiled child with an ungrateful attitude! I eventually quit listening to Satan and joined that ministry.

God gave us the talents we have so that we can serve Him. God never gives us a talent for us to neglect or hide from His service. We see in I Timothy 4:14 that Paul instructed Timothy to Neglect not the gift that is in thee,… We should also look at EVERYTHING God has given us as a means to serve Him. If the Lord blesses us with musical ability, then we should sing or play for the Lord. If the Lord blesses us with wealth, we should use it to fund the cause of Christ. If the Lord blesses us with intelligence, we should use it to learn and to teach God’s Word.

If God can use a donkey, a whale, or a raven, then God can take whatever ability we have, transform it, and use it to help someone else. It is the gift He has given to us so that we can serve others. The only way He cannot use it is if we keep it hidden away and neglect the gift that is in us. Whatever abilities, skills, or talents God has given us, we ought to strengthen and use to serve Him.

by Krystal Salm

Psalm 119:164 – Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments.

I love the book of Psalms, but I especially love chapter 119! It is packed full of so many wonderful, life-changing instructions. If we let it, this chapter can change our lives.

I read this verse a couple of days ago, and this morning I could not help but come back to it. The phrase, Seven times a day do I praise thee… kept resonating in my head. I could not stop thinking about it. The conviction in those words is so strong in my personal life that I just felt compelled to share.

God always knows what is best for us, but I need to be truthful in saying that I do not always enjoy how He does things. I am not always so quick to praise Him for certain things in my life. Do not get me wrong—I am very quick to praise Him for the positive things that happen, but not so much for the negative things that happen. The negative things make me upset, and sometimes I get so blinded by my frustration that I do not see the actual blessings behind it all!

Since it IS such a hard thing for me to see past my frustration to the blessings on  the other side of the negative things that happen in my life, I made up my mind to figure out a way to “train myself” to praise the Lord more during my day! This verse tells us that David praised the Lord seven times a day because of His righteous judgments. That means that David found seven things during each day for which he could praise the Lord. If we were to multiply that by 365 days in the year, we would find that he literally praised the Lord for 2,555 things each year! That is a large number of blessings!

Now, none of us seem to have a hard time finding at least that many things or more about which to complain each and every day! Hence, I contend that we should try just as hard to find things for which we should praise God EVERY day.

A couple of years ago, I decided to start a blessings jar! I have it sitting in a little nook at the top of my stairs just outside my bedroom door. My daughter and I made a pact to write down at least ONE blessing per day and put it in that jar. Sometimes, with the hustle and bustle of life, we often forget to take the time to think back on our day and actually write down our blessings!

Therefore, after reading this verse, I made a decision. I want to be more faithful in praising the Lord each day. I want my blessings jar to be overflowing with little yellow cards to the point that I will need to take them out to make room for more! This is my plan, and I challenge all of you to join me.

Set a recurring reminder on your phone—SEVEN TIMES A DAY—to stop whatever you are doing at that moment to praise God for something He is doing in your life, then write it down in a journal or put it in your own blessings jar! We set reminders on our phones for so many other things. Why not set a reminder to help us to remember to praise the Lord? If we are faithful to do so, we can say as David said, Seven times a day do I praise thee…

What do you say? Please join me in praising the Lord!

by April Hernandez

Our family relocated to another state several years ago. We were excited for the opportunities in our new church and ministry, and we were blessed to be able to build some wonderful new relationships. As time went by, I often wondered why I seemed to be struggling to create any close friendships. I experienced this feeling of loneliness for several years but dismissed the negative thoughts whenever they arose. My strategy was to remind myself that I have a wonderful husband who is also my best friend. Then, I would remember that I have no better friend than Jesus, and He can fill any void in my life.

However, the lonely feelings persisted. I noticed others enjoying fun activities together and wondered why we never did those things. Jealousy crept in my heart ever so slowly, and I began looking inward, wondering what was so wrong with me. In a feeble attempt to remain positive, I reminded myself, “You do have friends. Life is just busy at the moment, and it’s not the stage of life to just have fun with girlfriends.” 

For several years, I allowed these thoughts and feelings to continue, unaware of my own self-sabotaging. One day, after noticing a social media post of friends getting together, I expressed my jealousy of that fellowship to my husband. In his wisdom, he kindly rebuked my negative spirit, “Those feelings are what lead people to become disgruntled and to leave a church.” I confessed that I knew my feelings were wrong, but I could not figure out how to fix my broken spirit.

I continued doing what I knew to do: I prayed, read my Bible, and waited on God. All I wanted was for Him to mend my heart and fix my struggles with jealousy. Coincidently, my responsibilities at my job changed so that I was moved to a different area where I could listen to podcasts while working. I began catching up on the Abundant Living Podcast, and at some point during this, the Holy Spirit revealed what was wrong with me.

My problem had nothing to do with others; it had been me and my own heart issues. I had allowed what others possessed to be the measuring stick in my own life to see where I was lacking, instead of being grateful for all that God had given me through godly friendships. When my thinking became wrong, then my inward vision became outward judgment. I used the standards of others to justify my jealousy, and in the process, I had been grieving the Holy Spirit. The whole time I had been feeling sorry for myself and blaming it on others it really had been something I needed to mend between me and my Saviour.

I confessed my wrong and made a commitment to God to be content in the wonderful friendships He has given me. Now that my vision has been “repaired,” I can clearly see God’s blessings and am humbled. I cannot help but to be content in all He has done for me. I love every one of the ladies at my church and value our relationships.

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. – Psalm 51:10

by Jaime Wilson

And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you. – Matthew 28:7

This little phrase convicted me during my devotions this morning. See, it was Saturday morning—the day our church has set aside for church visitation and soulwinning. The hour was late, and I truly was contemplating not going.

The word “quickly” means “to act with speed and be inclined to hastiness.” Simply put, it means not to drag our feet. In this instance, the angel was telling the women at the tomb to go quickly with haste to tell the disciples that Jesus had risen. As we see in the next verse, they did just that. They got up off their feet and ran from the tomb quickly with fear and great joy. I can only imagine how they must have felt in that exact moment!

I think, many times, we as Christians have lost the joy of knowing that Jesus is alive. Even I have been guilty of not preparing my heart and spirit to go tell others about Christ and the gift of salvation. I tend to drag my feet on Saturday mornings. I push the snooze button one too many times (on purpose) until it is too late for me to get ready and leave on time. We all have been there.

To be transparent, God is not pleased with this type of apathy, and I know it. If I allow it, my flesh can take over easily and dictate what I do on Saturday mornings, when I should just do what I know I should do.

Let us take a moment to pause and consider the meaning of the word “quickly” from this verse:

Act with Speed

In other words, we should not waste time or move at a snail’s pace when it is time to tell others about Christ.

This reminds me of an illustration from my husband’s life. Every Saturday when we would get up to go soulwinning, he just could not get out the door fast enough! He did all the preparation the night before to be ready for visitation. Also, he woke early to pray for souls to be saved during soulwinning. Not only that, but when we reached the neighborhood we were going to visit, he also went from door to door as if he had the most important message in the world to give them. And, of course, he did!

I wish I had just a little bit of his energy and heart to tell others about Christ. I fear I have lost my boldness in this area of my Christian life. I have let other things take precedence over the most important thing. It is a weekly struggle because the devil does not want me or any Christian to tell people about the gift of salvation. If we take our time and drag our feet, there is less of a chance that we will even make it out of the house, let alone tell anyone about Christ. Then, the devil will win.

Be Inclined to Hastiness

The word “hasty” means “to do in a hurry with rapid action.” Basically, it means doing something with promptness and efficiency.

The women at the tomb did not hesitate to run to the disciples to let them know that Jesus had risen. They did not stop to smell the roses along the path, nor did they skip here and there, commenting on the garden. No! They ran to the disciples to give them the wonderful news.

We must remember how important it is to tell others about what Jesus did on the Cross for us. He gave His life to pay for our sins. Sadly, many Christians, including myself at times, forget that Hell is real and that so many people still have not heard about eternal life. They do not know that Jesus died for them so they can go to Heaven. Many do not even know or believe that there is a Heaven.

It is interesting to note that, as I was reading this passage of Scripture today, I received a text from a good friend, asking me if I was going to be at visitation this morning. Our soulwinning visitation starts at 10 a.m. I looked at the clock on my wall—9:15 a.m. I was just starting my devotions; I had been dragging my feet all morning.

I thought about telling her no and that I would not make it because it was too late. I needed to eat breakfast and walk the dog, but then I reread this verse. Talk about conviction! I could not get the phrase “go quickly” out of my mind. It was as if God were trying to push me off the couch to get ready.

I texted her back and said, “I can’t make it at 10, but I can meet you at the church at 10:30. Does that work for you?”

She said, “Yes! I’ll meet you there.”

We need to take a step back, pause whatever we are doing, and take time to reassess our priorities when it comes to soulwinning. Get an accountability partner or two and hold each other responsible for telling others about Christ. If going on Saturday is not an option, then make it a point to go another time, but do it. If physically going out soulwinning is not possible, take 10 Gospel tracts, put them in envelopes, and mail the Gospel to 10 homes.

Go! Do it quickly and with haste! People are dying without Christ every day. There is no time to waste.

by April Hernandez

Let’s be honest. None of us like to cry, especially not in front of other people. It is a very vulnerable experience, and often when we cry, we prefer to hide ourselves. Sometimes, though, we are in a position where our tears cannot be hidden from others.

The Bible says quite a bit about tears and weeping. David speaks of his tears several times in the Psalms. Psalm 6:6 says, I am weary with my groaning; all the night I make my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears. Sometimes David could not sleep at night because of his tears. I think we all have been there at some point.

We are to be mindful of the tears of others.

In II Timothy 1:4, Paul mentions being mindful of Timothy’s tears. We ought to consider the tears that others shed. Perhaps our lives are going well at the moment. We should still be aware that others may be struggling. We may not have a solution to their problems, but we can always be kind and considerate. Romans 12:15 says to weep with them that weep. It would probably do us good to let our hearts break for someone else’s pain and share some tears with them.

Our tears matter to God.

Even when we manage to hide tears from others, God sees and hears. As previously mentioned, David could not sleep because his tears, but a few verses later in Psalm 6:8 he says, …for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping. Not only does God see and hear our crying, but he also takes note. Psalm 56:8 says, Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book? The Bible makes it clear that God notices our tears and keeps a record.

Our tears will not last forever.

The second part of Psalm 30:5 tells us that …weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. The “night” we are struggling through will eventually give way to morning. The tears will stop, and we will find our joy once more. For many of us, this will happen in time while we still live here on earth. However, should our tears last an entire lifetime, as Christians we have an absolute guarantee that our tears will be wiped away in Heaven. Revelation 21:4 says, And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

I want to share the words to a song our pastor’s wife sang in church many times when I was a child.

Tears Are a Language God Understands

Often you wonder why tears come into your eyes,

And burdens seem to be much more than you can stand,

But God is standing near; He sees your falling tears.

Tears are a language God understands.

When grief has left you low, it causes tears to flow,

And things have not turned out the way that you had planned,

But God won’t forget you; His promises are true.

Tears are a language God understands.

God sees the tears of a broken-hearted soul.

He sees your tears and hears them when they fall.

God weeps along with man and takes him by the hand.

Tears are a language God understands.

– Gordon Jensen

One day, there will be no more death, no more sorrow, and no more pain. Praise the Lord for this promise! In the meanwhile, we can know that God sees and hears our weeping, and He understands better than anyone else.

by Amber Slimp

As I make a grocery list, I usually start with what I would call “the basics.” I check the refrigerator and then the pantry. In our family, the basic necessities are milk, eggs, and bread. Now, my husband would also say that coffee creamer is one of our basics because I drink more of that than I do the coffee itself! These things are usually the first to run out and are always what we buy while at the grocery store. If I have these items at home, then I can at least make breakfast and have a cup of coffee.

In each home the basics may be different, but those are the basics on which we rely to get through the week. If we do not have milk, then we cannot have a bowl of cereal; and if we do not have creamer, then we cannot have coffee. The basic necessities are what help us “survive” until the next shopping day.

All of my children are in school now and are learning what we would call the basics of education. While my younger son is learning how to read and write, my older son is learning division and is writing small book reports. If my older son had never learned the basics, he would not be able to write a book report. We all at some point have learned our ABCs and have learned to read and write. The educational basics are necessary for us to be able to live and to communicate with one another effectively.

In our Christian lives, whether we have been saved for five days or five decades, we should stick with the basics. The Bible says in II Timothy 3:14-15, But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

Many times when I am struggling in my day-to-day life, it is because I have put off my Bible reading or have forgotten to pray before starting the day. We all have different lives and schedules. Staying home with children or dealing with a busy work schedule can be distracting. I know, for me, it seems that if I take the time to put the Lord first and get in my Bible as I should, my day goes much smoother. It is amazing how, if we stick to the basics in our Christian lives, God always comes through and blesses us. Let us remember to stick to the basics so we can grow and make it through this life God has for each of us.

by Mandy Harper

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. – Matthew 28:19-20

Our pastor just finished a lengthy series of sermons on the Great Commission––29 sermons, to be exact. I personally enjoyed each one of them, as they were a much needed reminder of our purpose on this earth in completing the Great Commission: to reach the world one soul at a time. I was reminded that, instead of thinking we need to reach the entire world, we just need to do our part by reaching one.

I began praying and asking God to let me win just one person. The next week, I was able to lead a young man to Christ. After he accepted Christ, he said his mom would be glad to hear that he got saved. It was so refreshing to know that God used me as a vessel to bring the answer to a mother’s prayer!

My mind took me back to another time when God used a willing vessel in His hand to reach just “one.” This “one” person was my grandpa. As I was growing up, we did not visit my grandpa often. The few times we did visit him, I remember hiding behind my dad because I was afraid of him. My mother would cling tightly to my hand, making sure to keep me in her sight. This was because my grandpa was a “hard case” as many would label him.

My dad grew up in a home filled with drunkenness and abuse on a daily basis. Thankfully, my dad received Christ as a young adult and was saved from that awful lifestyle. My dad then was able to lead most of his family to the Lord. His own father, however, would not listen. For more than 20 years, my dad did everything in his power to try to help Grandpa get saved.

My dad and our pastor visited Grandpa periodically, hoping that he would listen. Every single time, they got the same response: yelling and cursing with the door slammed in their faces. This did not deter my dad’s determination. Whenever a guest preacher or an evangelist visited, my dad asked him to visit my grandpa to share the gospel. The boldest of soulwinners, many “famous” soulwinners, and other pastors visited, but it did not matter. Every single person got the same response. My dad thanked them for trying and apologized for the way they were treated. This same scenario continued throughout most of my childhood.

I was burdened about the salvation of my grandpa. Of course, I did not want him to burn in Hell, but I knew there was little I could do. I was afraid of him. All that I could do was to pray, begging God that one day he would get saved.

Several years passed. One day, when I was home from Bible college for the summer working as a secretary for my dad in my home church, Dad told me that Grandpa was very ill. He did not have long to live. I remember the look on my dad’s face; it was one of knowing that, even though he had done all he could have done for years, his father was going to die and burn in Hell forever.

With everyone gone for lunch and the office quiet, I sat at my desk overwhelmed by grief, picturing my grandpa burning in Hell. I knew little good about my grandpa, but I knew even he did not have to endure that. I rose from my desk, went into my dad’s office, and closed the door. There, I found a gospel tract lying on his desk. I looked up my grandpa’s phone number in the directory and dialed his number. When he answered the phone, I began crying immediately. I told him who I was and that I heard he was very ill. I said that I did not want him to die and go to Hell. His voice trembled as he softly said, “I know. I don’t want to go to Hell either.” I was shocked! With the gospel tract in hand, I proceeded to tell him how he could go to Heaven, and he allowed me to go through the entire plan of salvation. Then, he prayed with me on the phone and asked Jesus into his heart. I was filled with an unexplainable peace, and after the sweet conversation we had, I know in my heart that he meant what he prayed.

I cannot describe what came over me that day, but all I could think of was what the Bible says about boldness in I John 4:17. It says, Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment:…  In a million years, I never thought I could have that kind of boldness. I am an introvert by nature, but with the mental image of my grandpa burning in Hell, I had been overcome by boldness. I thought, “He’s going to burn in Hell anyway, so whether or not he listens to what I have to say, what have I got to lose?”

Grandpa passed away a short time after getting saved. How sweet it was, even at his funeral, to know that he was in Heaven because God used the boldness of a young girl. He was not saved through the lionlike boldness of a preacher, a  soulwinner, or an evangelist. Instead, God chose to use the timid compassion of a young girl, or a lamb, who was willing to listen and to let God use her.

Today, whenever I hear a sermon about the Great Commission or about how we need to go soulwinning, I am reminded of how God used my timid obedience. I once again feel that same urge of boldness.

We all must do our part. If we each reach just one person, pass out one gospel tract, or knock on one more door, then we can reach one more soul. We will never know whose loved one––another son or another grandpa––might be on the other side of that door. God will give us the boldness needed if, through our simple obedience, we will take the gospel to one more soul.

by Jennifer Fox

Throughout the past few months, I have been “shadowing” the kindergarten teacher at our church’s Christian school. Each day, she asks the students if they have any prayer requests to add or remove from the class prayer list. It is obvious from their expressions that they then consider what they could add to the list.

Some mention ill family members, while others want to ask for a new bunk bed, the latest Transformer toy, or even a new kitten. One of the students specifically asked for prayer that his Lego set would stop breaking. I tried not to laugh; however, this request caught my attention because of how sincere the boy who made the request seemed. As the teacher prayed, she made sure to mention his Lego set. While this may seem silly or small in our adult eyes, to him, this need was a big deal.

Earlier that same morning, as my children and I were about to leave for school, I could not find my car keys. I looked in all the places I thought they could be, but I found nothing. I began feeling frustrated and panicky; I confess I got upset. My husband saw my frustration and said, “Here, take my keys. We can look for yours later when you get home.” During the entire drive to school that morning, I thought, “Where could my keys be?” Unfortunately, I let those lost keys ruin my morning and affect my spirit.

With my head bowed in that kindergarten class, I asked the Lord to forgive me for being upset and frustrated over lost keys. I asked that He please help me to find them. The Lord then tugged at my heart during the prayer, reminding me of a verse I learned as a kindergartener myself: John 14:14, which says, If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

I thought about my lost keys all day, wondering where they could be. When I got home that night, I looked in many places—even where I knew they would not be. I just wanted to find those keys so I could relax! Finally, I gave up the search and sat down. My husband decided to help in the search, and in the first spot he looked, he found them. All I could feel in that moment was happiness and absolute relief!

Have you ever been frustrated about your lost keys? Perhaps, you are thinking of something other than keys that had you praying and searching everywhere. What if we were to seek after the Lord with the same fervor I had when looking for those keys? Jesus wants us to pray and ask Him for our needs. No request is too small or too big to ask of Him. God is waiting to hear from us, whether it is through prayers for a Lego set that keeps breaking, for help finding lost keys, or for forgiveness from our sins. We can ask for restoration, wisdom, comfort, healing, the mind of Christ, growth in our Christian lives, strength in a trial, or help while enduring temptation. Just as those lost keys were important enough to me that I asked the Lord to help me find them, our needs are important enough to God that He wants us to bring them to His feet. He cares for us, and He wants to meet our needs.

Whatever need is heavy on your heart, remember He is waiting to hear from you about it. Take it to the Lord today.

by Mandy Harper

Lamentations 3:25, The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.

The game of hide-and-seek is a very popular childhood pastime. There are many versions and ways one can play this favorite game. I remember looking at hidden picture puzzles and word searches while growing up, and I still enjoy those somewhat today. However, in Lamentations 3, the prophet Jeremiah, “the weeping prophet,” was lamenting the fact that he felt God was hiding from him. Honestly, we have all felt this way from time to time. Although we know that God is everywhere and that He is always with us, there are times in our lives when we feel that God is “hidden.”

There are several passages throughout the Bible that mention that God hides His face or hides Himself. One reason God would deliberately hide Himself from one of His own is found in Isaiah 59:1-2, which says, Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. God cannot look at sin, so He hides His face from it. When Jesus was on the cross, He had the sin of the whole world placed on Him, and God turned His back on His own Son because He could not look at sin.

Another reason God will hide His face from His children is to find out if we really want to find Him or if we will really seek Him. The word seek is a little more forceful than just the word look. Seeking requires a little more effort and commitment. Seeking is more of an endeavor than just looking. I have heard it said that nothing is really lost until Mom can’t find it! (That certainly holds true in our household.)

Isaiah 55:6, Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: This verse indicates to us that there may come a time in our Christian lives when God cannot be found, so we must determine to seek the Lord while He may be found. Here are a few ways the Bible explains how we can be successful in seeking the Lord.

1. Seek the Lord with our whole hearts. (Deuteronomy 4:29) God is not pleased with half-hearted Christians. If we are going to seek Him, we must seek Him with our whole hearts and souls.
2. Set our hearts and souls to seek the Lord. (I Chronicles 22:19) The word set in this verse means “to fix firmly; to predetermine.” We all have heard the statement, “People do what they want to do.” This applies to our walks with God as well.  Anything we do in the Christian life is done because we determine to do it. Just as the Christian life does not happen by accident, we will not find God by accident.
3. Prepare our hearts to seek the Lord. (II Chronicles 12:14) Rehoboam committed evil because he did not prepare his heart to seek the Lord. A few chapters earlier, King Rehoboam sought counsel of the older men from whom his father, Solomon, had sought counsel. However, Rehoboam rejected the counsel and decided to seek counsel from his contemporaries or “buddies.” Rejecting this godly counsel eventually led him to do evil in God’s sight by rejecting the Lord and refusing to seek Him. Preparing to seek the Lord is an important principle to instill in our children at a young age. We should also encourage them to seek godly counsel. Proverbs 8:17 states, I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.I have heard this Scripture likened to seeking God early in the day, and I do believe that applies. However, I also believe this could apply to seeking God early in one’s life as well. We should expose our children to godly influences early in their lives so that they can prepare to seek the Lord later in life.
4. Seek the Lord and His strength. (Psalm 105:4) I will be the first to admit that women are the weaker vessels. My husband and I have remodeled two different houses in recent years. Though I was able to help him with some projects, I could not handle most of the jobs that my husband could. I am so glad that I did not need to rely on my own strength to get our house remodeled! Even more thrilling to me is the fact that I do not need to rely on my own strength to get through my Christian life. I can seek the Lord and HIS strength to help me in every situation.

Whenever we feel that God is hidden, let us determine to seek for God while He may be found.

by Erin Montgomery

From I Samuel 1:15

Here is just a little Bible journaling, a lesson about Hannah, to brighten the day!

Hannah was so distraught over not being able to have a child. The Bible says that she poured out her soul before the Lord. To pour out means “to gush like rushing lava from a volcano.” What a word picture that is! I can almost see her sprawled out before the Lord, limp and lacking strength to go onward. She wanted to have a child so badly that she did not care who was watching or what they thought. She was overcome with such a desire for God to hear and grant her petition. My heart just aches imagining her overwhelming pain at being barren. However, what happened next was amazing. God granted her petition! He gave her a son!

Wow! How my prayer life pales in comparison to Hannah’s! We often pray in such a quick manner, almost as if it were an afterthought, and then wonder why our prayers are not answered. How sobering this is to me to the point that I must ask myself sometimes, “How badly do I want what I am praying for?”

When was the last time that I poured out my soul in prayer about something and then saw God answer in a miraculous way? How much am I willing to pour out my soul and let my tears gush out like lava before God?

Maybe that miracle for which we desperately ache is only waiting on us to give it to the Lord in prayer. I am certain God has so much waiting in store to give each and every one of us. Perhaps, He is waiting to see us bending a knee and to hear us pouring out our needs to Him!

by April Hernandez

Everyone has been afraid. It could be a fear of thunderstorms, of a new job, of a new school year, of a new financial endeavor, of life with a new baby, or of a change in health. Even just dealing with insecurities or with being nervous, we have all experienced being fearful of something at some point. The Bible says in II Timothy 1:7, For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Psalms 56:3 says, What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. 

This morning, I read John 14:27 which says, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. I thought about how God can give peace in any situation like during a health scare or even while being anxious about singing a solo in church for the first time. These examples are on different sides of the spectrum, but no matter our fears, we know that our God is Peace! Because we are Christians, He is with us always; He is with us in every situation that comes our way. We just have to lean on Him fully and completely. We must stay in God’s Word daily and pray to ask for guidance and peace through our fears. God says, …my peace I give unto you:… God has peace ready to give to us, and if we ask, He has promised to give it! John 14:13-15 says, And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. If ye love me, keep my commandments. We can have no fear when we know peace which comes from our Heavenly Father. …my peace I give unto you:…

by April Pineda

The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself. – Proverbs 11:25

The words in the first part of this verse do not have the same meaning in today’s vernacular. According to Webster’s 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language, “liberal” means “of a free heart, generous, not selfish.” “Fat” means “flourishing, abounding in spiritual grace and comfort.” In other words, those who are generous will also flourish and abound spiritually.

However, I want to focus on the second part of the verse: …he that watereth shall be watered also himself. This verse often puzzled me—I had difficulty understanding it for a long time. Then, I heard a sermon based on this verse that helped me grasp this concept even more. (That’s what preaching does!)

God has established the laws of nature, and selfishness has nothing to do with them. Think about natural springs of water. They are fed from the ground. The springs feed the streams; the streams feed the rivers; and the rivers feed the oceans, lakes, and ponds.

While I am not a science geek, I do understand the concept of the precipitation process. Water evaporates from our oceans, lakes, and ponds into the air. Clouds are then formed, and when they become too heavy with precipitation, they release water back into those streams, rivers, and oceans. The oceans do not decide when to give back to the atmosphere to form clouds. The clouds do not decide when to give back to the oceans and streams. It is in their nature! …he that watereth shall be watered also himself.

Consider our human bodies and how our organs operate. Blood flows through the heart to nourish the brain, lungs, kidneys, and liver. The organs all work together for the good of the whole body. …he that watereth shall be watered also himself.

This principle is found throughout Scripture: the way to get is to give. It is the rule of sowing and reaping. The humble shall be exalted. The way to have more is to give away what you have.

Some of the most miserable people in the world are those who have much to offer but refuse to give it away. While the story of Ebenezer Scrooge is fictional, it makes the same point. He had the means to help many people yet refused to give anything away. Only when he decided to be generous with his wealth was he truly fulfilled in life.

What do we have that would benefit someone else? We may think we do not have anything to offer, but God has given each of us something to give. He did not create us without a purpose, and that purpose is to give ourselves away. Whether we have a 5,000-gallon tank or a small water pot, we each have something to give. The way to have more to give is to give away what we do have. We should not be a holding tank for God’s blessings—He needs us to be conduits for Him.

I had the privilege of hearing Dr. Jack Hyles preach. Several times, I saw him deliver his “silent sermon.” During his message, he would kneel and lift his arms toward Heaven, as if he were asking God for something. Then, he would walk to the other side of the platform and mimic giving it to someone. He repeated these motions over and over, illustrating the point that the blessings he received from God, he, in turn, gave away to others.

Ecclesiastes 11:1 says, Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.

I do not know what God has given you, but I do know why He gave it to you. Do not be selfish with what God has given you. Do not come to church just to get; rather, come to give. Find someone to whom you can give yourself away. Selfishness runs rampant in today’s society. Everyone wants “what is mine” instead of looking for what others need and finding a way to fulfill that need.

Jesus is our ultimate example in this. He did not come to Earth to see what He could take from people. He came literally to give Himself away. Because of His sacrifice, we can have a home in Heaven.

In Luke 6:38, Jesus said, Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

Who in your life can you “water” today?

by Erin Montgomery