2 Samuel 22:33  God is my strength and power, He makes my way perfect.

Life challenges often times are draining.  Disappointments can pull on the very fabric of your soul.  Heartaches strips away your joy.  The weight of burdens too heavy to bare makes us feeble and frail.  Temptations strike where we are most vulnerable.  Have you ever felt that all your strength is gone; you have been zapped of all energy and will to fight?  David understood how hard it was to muster up energy to fight in his own power.  He came to realize that his strength and power came from God.  David said “God is my strength and power. . .”  Fighting against an invisible enemy requires supernatural strength.  May I remind you of Matthew 26:41 The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.  David testifies to the fact that God makes his way perfect or secure.  As he speaks of the strength of God, he is profoundly aware that whatever problems or obstacles he faces in life, God will make his path secure or free from obstacles.  Through the struggles of life, God grants us strength to endure and overcome.  Let me encourage you to trust God through every struggle and allow Him to strengthen you and lead you.  You can’t lose with God on your side.

2 Cor. 4:3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. (NIV)

How often do we take items that we truly treasure and tuck them away in a safe place? We will oftentimes purchase safety deposit boxes to securely keep possessions we treasure most; such as valuable papers, jewelry, etc. We feel good about the manner of security placed on these items, knowing we can go back and retrieve them when we need them. The degree of confidence we place on the security of these items does not compare to the treasure that we have within us as believers. Paul declares in 2 Cor. 4:3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. Once we receive the truth of God’s Word, we are to share the same with those who are lost. Knowing the Word of God and keeping it tucked inside is likened to withholding breath from another who is suffering from lack of oxygen. We all need oxygen to live and we all need the Word of God for new life. The message of salvation through Jesus Christ is a treasure which Paul exhorts is entrusted to frail and fallible human beings. This treasure is from God, not of ourselves and it gives power to accomplish His work. Let us not hide (veil) the Word of God but share God’s truth to others. God’s Word is a life-giving treasure.

John 6:37 Whoever comes to me I will never drive away. (NIV)

One of the worst feelings in life is being rejected.  Rejection can cause feelings of anger, bitterness, hatred, loneliness and even loss of self-worth.  Have you ever experienced rejection?  Perhaps your mortgage application was rejected. Maybe that job interview in which you knew you were qualified, yet you were denied.  It may be that you were rejected by a spouse or a significant other.  Some have felt the pains of rejection from parents who gave them up for adoption.  Whatever the case may be, rejection can tear you down or you can use it to build yourself up and become stronger.  To avoid being torn down; drowning in self-pity, guard your heart against those negative feelings.  Focus on the greatness within you.  Look to God for strength and guidance.  Your rejection could be part of God’s plan for your life.  Hagar and Ishmael in Genesis 21 were rejected by Sarah and Abraham.  They were sent away to fend for themselves but God blessed them.  I can imagine they felt used, abused and degraded.  Besides, it was not until Isaac came along that they were no longer wanted or needed around.  In Judges 11, Jephthah was rejected by his brothers; they cast him out of the family.  Later, they needed Jephthah’s help to fight against the Ammonites.  Although you may be rejected by men, God will not reject you.  As He promised in John 6:37 “Whoever comes to me I will never drive away.”  You can call upon him and he will answer.  Trust God in all of your life’s experiences.  He won’t drive you away!  Your acceptance is guaranteed.

Matthew 21:22 Whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.

Can I ask God for anything?  Prayer is talking to God and God talking to you.  The Bible tells us, man ought to always pray (Luke 18:1).  In other words, we are to constantly be in contact with God.  We are to pray and talk with God throughout the day.  How is this possible, one may ask?  We do not have to be on our knees in order to talk with God.  We can be in prayer with God by keeping our mind attuned to God and God’s word.  Through our spending time in communication with God and his communicating with us, relationship is established.  It is God’s desire to take care of us and that includes providing what we need.  God says to “cast all your cares upon Him for He cares for you” (1 Pe 5:7).  It is through our relationship with God that we can ask “whatever things. . .you will receive.”   Jesus said, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things will be added unto you” (Mt 6:33).  So, when we seek God and we seek to please Him, then we can ask for anything.  The anything that we ask for, believing, will be based upon what God wants for us.  Relationship matters.  God is our Father and a father cares for his children.  God cares about every detail and facet of your life. Therefore, remain connected to God and don’t be afraid to ask God for whatever things, believing God will provide just what you need.

Psalm 34:4  I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.

Have you ever been at a loss and you just didn’t know what to do?  You found yourself searching for answers. You sought an answer from a friend, teacher, lawyer, and/or preacher. Yes, there were answers or may I say you were given advice.  Yet, none of those answers brought you satisfaction.  After receiving their advice, there still remained an emptiness and hunger for inner peace.  This is a common experience in all our lives.  We spend a lot of time seeking for answers to life’s problems in all the wrong places and people; before we turn to the One who can solve our every problem.  David declared “I sought the Lord, and he answered me. . .” In a time of fear; fear of not knowing what to do, fear of being alone, fear of messing up and making matters worse, fear of living in sickness or deadly diseases, fear of losing everything you have worked for; we too like David must know whom to seek for answers.  Seek the Lord with all our heart.  God cares about all we face in life and He desires to give us the answers to our problems. God wants us to turn from all else and seek him wholeheartedly.  When David sought the Lord in his time of fear, the Lord delivered him from all his fears.  We can experience that same joy and comfort.  So, I challenge you today, as we move closer to a new year that will bring its own challenges; seek the Lord.  He is the answer for all our problems and therein lives our fulfillment.

Psalm 51:12  Restore to me the joy of your salvation,. . . (NLT)

This year, 2020 has been a difficult and troubling year for all of us.  The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has plagued the world has caused many families heartaches.  Issues such as loss of jobs, making adjustments to a new way of schooling for children, death of loved ones, unable to visit loved ones in nursing facilities, lack of food, unable to gather for worship have been very challenging for all of us. The world has certainly been living in unprecedented times.  Many have lost faith in our governmental system and some have even lost faith in the church.  Loneliness and depression seem to have caused many to lose their joy.  Understanding that life is full of hardships and that life circumstances are ever changing; it is important for us to remind ourselves that we can depend on God to restore our joy.  No matter how stressful or painful things may become in this world, there is still reason to rejoice.  After David had been confronted with his sin and was feeling overwhelmed, he cried out to God; the God of unfailing love. He asked God to “restore to me the joy of your salvation” (Psalm 51:12). David was saying give me back the joy that I knew when I received you.  Restore the joy which enabled me to do your will.  God has promised not to leave us nor forsake us.  Therefore, we can rest assure that whenever the pressures of life bring us down, we can call on God.  God will restore joy.  During this Advent season, allow the joy of the Lord to fill your heart and not let the cares of this world overtake you.  God’s grace is sufficient.  It is more than enough for all of us.

Proverbs 6:16-19 “16 There are six things which the LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: 17  Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil, 19 A false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers.”

Our God is a God of order and inclusion. He is very clear on what pleases Him, such as love, forgiveness, trust and obedience. When we follow these attributes, He draws us close to Him. He is also clear on things which displease Him and which are an abomination to Him. Abomination means to bring extreme displeasure, or disgust, ultimately leading to rejection and alienation.

Solomon lifts up seven things that bring rejection from God: the first thing is haughty eyes. Someone with haughty eyes is one who looks with arrogance towards others. This person is one who sees others as inferior to themselves. They become so obsessed with their own self-righteousness that they choose to believe they are always right, have all of the answers and refuse to submit to the authority or wisdom of others. They even get to the point that they never feel the need to apologize for their actions, while expecting those around them to always apologize to them.

It is the first act of abomination because it is the same sin that caused Lucifer to rebel against God: pride. Pride drives everything around it. The danger of pride is that it will cause you not to turn to God until you feel the need to, rather than relying on Him daily to direct your path. The opposite of pride is humility: the act of being moldable and pliable to God and man. Humility is the posture God expects us to walk in daily.

I challenge you today to walk in humility. Allow your heart to be open and sensitive to the promptings of God. Let Him to speak to your heart and reveal those areas that may cause you to walk in arrogance and pride. As He reveals them, allow Him to sear away the fatty tissue of haughtiness and replace it with a heart yielded and submitted to Him.

Prayer: Father, forgive me for the times when I thought more highly of myself than I should. Reveal in me areas of pride that cause me to walk in arrogance. Sear them from my heart and replace them with a spirit of humility. I choose to be submitted to You and to the wisdom of those You place in my life. I love You Lord, Amen.

Dr. J. Elvin Sadler

Psalm 37:4  Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.

We are told to delight in the Lord. Delight means “to enjoy” or “something that gives great pleasure.”  To delight in someone is to experience great pleasure and joy in their presence.  Being in someone’s presence and spending the time to truly get to know them is to delight in them.  We are to purposefully spend time with God daily.  We are to spend time with God in prayer.  We are to intentionally spend time reading His word and meditating on His word.  As we do this, we get to know God more intimately and our relationship with Him is strengthened. Time spent with God brings God into our presence and we are drawn into his presence.  James 4:8 says Come near to God and he will come near to you.  It is our sin that separates us from God.  Choosing to spend time with God in prayer, reading and meditating on his word brings about repentance and a greater awareness of who God is.  “True delight in Him causes us to take our sights off of what we want in order to long for what He desires.” As you delight in the Lord, the psalmist assures of a promise that he will give you the desires of your heart.  Consequently, your heart’s desires are to please God as a direct result of delighting yourself in the Lord. Therefore, I encourage you to spend the necessary time in getting to know our Great God, Jehovah.  Delight in the Lord!

1 Thessalonians 5:18  give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

At a very young age, we were taught to always say “Thank You.” If someone were to give you something, it is reason to say thank you.  If someone does something for you, no matter how small it may seem, you were taught to say thank you.  If someone opens a door for you to enter into a dwelling, we were taught saying thank you is the proper response.  These two small words can bring big and bright smiles on others faces.  The Apostle Paul taught the same as a proper response to God.  In 1 Thessalonians 5:18 we are told to “give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.  Giving thanks moves the heart of God.  It is pleasing to God for us to give him thanks and praise.  We should thank Him for each door He has opened unto us. We are to give thanks to God in all circumstances, the good and the bad. Knowing that we serve a sovereign God who is omniscient, then we can be confident that whatever we face in life He will work it for our good. Therefore, we can say “Thank You, Lord” in all circumstances.

Today is a good day to say, Thank You, Lord and put a smile on God’s face.  Always give God thanks, for this is what He desires from his children.

Proverbs 4:19 “The way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know over what they stumble.”

Wickedness is the act of committing intentional sin. It is the act of deliberately planning to transgress the law of God. Whenever we participate in wickedness, we are in essence aligning ourselves to follow the ways of the world and walk in darkness. When we walk in darkness, our is hindered and we become susceptible to falling.

The goal of the Follower of Christ should be to live a life of intentional righteousness. Intentional righteousness is the act of developing a lifestyle that directs one to follow the ways of the Kingdom of God in principle and practice, instead of the ways of the world.

I challenge you today to live a life that is pleasing to God. Align your life with the Word of God. Simply put, follow these two simple, yet significant rules: love the Lord, your God with all of your spirit, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as you love yourself! Then we won’t walk in darkness, but will have the light of life!

Prayer: Father, teach me how to only follow things that honor and glorify You. Keep me away from intentional sin. I love You Lord, Amen.

Dr. J. Elvin Sadler