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150 - Join in the Joy

Rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS. I will say it again: Rejoice!
                         ---Phillipians 4:4 (emphasis added)

Because life's circumstances change,
Our happiness will not remain;
But if we're walking with the Lord,
Our inner joy He will sustain.

"Do not let your happiness depend on something you may lose ...
only [upon] the Beloved who will never pass away."---C.S. Lewis

151 - Deceptive Delight

Moses...chose to be mistreated with God's people instead
of having the good time that sin could bring for a little while.
                                 ---Hebrews 11:24-25 (CEV)

 Sin's pleasures have such great appeal,
They always look like bargains rare;
 But seldom do we clearly see
The hidden costs that we must bear.

"Sin adds to your trouble, subtracts from your energy,
and multiplies your difficulties."---Anonymous

152 - Giving Just To Get?

...when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the
lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot
repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous. ---Luke 14:13-14

If I give just to get
I'm not giving at all;
I must give just to give
For the sake of the call

"The true measure of a person is how they treat someone
who can do them absolutely no good." ---Ann Landers

153 - Irritated By Iniquity

Abhor what is evil...---Romans 12:9 (NKJV)

O child of God, guard well your life
From anything that stains your heart;
Forsake those things that soil your mind—
Your Father wants you set apart.

"We cannot tolerate sin - when it is near us, we feel like a wretch
chained to a rotting carcass; we groan to be free from the dreadful thing."
                                ---Charles Spurgeon

154 - What A Friend!

God cares for you, so turn all your worries over to Him.---1 Peter 5:7 (CEV)

What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
 What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.
Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.

"Heaven is full of answers for which no one ever bothered to ask."---Billy Graham

155 - Sharing Tears

...weep with those who weep.---Romans 12:15 (NKJV)

Lord, give me sensitivity
To people in their grief and pain,
To weep with them and show Your love
In ways mere words cannot attain.

"The value of compassion [and sympathy] cannot be over-emphasized.
No greater burden can a person experience than to feel no one cares or
understands." ---Arthur H. Stainback

156 - Clear As Mud

...The Counselor, the Holy Spirit...will teach you... ---John 14:26

The greatest teacher that I know
Is not made up of flesh and blood;
Only He can make things clear
When things seem clear as mud.

"There is no college for holy education like that of the blessed Spirit,
for He is an ever-present tutor. [When studying the Bible], we only need
to get on our knees and He is at our side, the Great Expositor of truth."---Charles Spurgeon

157 - It Will Go Away

...there is a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance.---Ecclesiastes 3:4

Pains and pressures
Often seem forever;
But there will be a time
When I will feel them never.

"Our longest sorrows have an ending, and there is a bottom to the
profoundest depths of our misery. Our winters shall not frown forever;
summer shall soon smile. The tide shall not eternally ebb out; the floods
must retrace their march. The night shall not hang its darkness forever over
our souls; the sun shall yet arise with healing beneath its wings." ---Charles Spurgeon

158 - Let Your Heart Be Broken

...my heart is broken and I am in great sorrow...
for the good of my own people.---Romans 9:2-3 (CEV)

 Let you heart be broken for a world in need
Feed the mouths that hunger
Soothe the wounds that bleed
Follow in His footsteps, Go where Has has trod;
In the world's great trouble, risk yourself for God.

"If the soul has such great value, and if God is so great,
and if eternity is so near, why are we so little moved?"---William Bramwell

159 - O, The Deep, Deep, Love of Jesus

...may you have the power to understand, as all God's
people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how
deep His love really is.---Ephesians 3:18 (NLT)

O the deep, deep love of Jesus!
Vast, unmeasured, boundless, free!
Rolling as a mighty ocean
In its fullness over me

"I am so washed in the tide of His measureless love that
I seem to be below the surface of the sea and cannot touch
or see or feel anything around me except its water."---Catherine of Genoa

160 - God Gave Him Our Guilt

...the LORD laid on Him the guilt and sins of us all. ---Isaiah 53:6

I lay my sins on Jesus, the spotless Lamb of God
He bears them all, and frees me from the accursed load.
I bring my guilt to Jesus, to wash my crimson stains
White in His blood so precious, till not a spot remains

"Jesus became the worst liar, thief, adulterer and murderer
that mankind has ever known - not because He committed
these sins, but because God treated Jesus how He should've
treated us."---Martin Luther

161 - The Profit of Pain

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials,
for we know that they are good for us--they help us learn to
endure.---Romans 5:3 (NLT)

I thank You, Lord, for bitter things,
They've been a friend of grace;
They've driven me from paths of ease
To seek the Father's face.

"Pain nourishes courage. You can't be brave if you've
only had wonderful things happen to you." ---Mary Tyler Moore

162 - The Reward in Risk

Be courageous.---1 Corinthians 16:13 (NLT)

I cannot reach exciting lands
Without first leaving shore;
So if I never take risks in life,
Then it will surely be a bore.

"One doesn't discover new lands without losing
sight of the shore for a very long time."---Andre Gide

163 - Swallowing Our Pride

Do you want to stand out? Then step down. Be a servant.
If you puff yourself up, you'll get the wind knocked out of you.
                           ---Matthew 23:12 (The Message)

If we would know the joy of Christ,
 A wellspring in the soul,
Then we must give up sinful pride
And take a servant's role.

"Pride is tasteless, colorless, odorless, and sizeless.
Yet it is the hardest thing to swallow." ---August B. Black

164 - Work and Its Rewards

All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk
leads only to poverty.---Proverbs 14:23

Be not weary in well-doing,
Though your labors cause you pain;
There will always be a harvest
From the sowing of the grain.

"If you want anything that's worth having, you must pay the
price: and that price is always work, patience, love, and
self-sacrifice."---John Burroughs

165 - Growing Old

Though our bodies are dying, our spirits
are being renewed every day.---2 Corinthians 4:16 (NLT)

O Lord, I'll seek the wisdom of Your Word
And value it above the price of gold;
I'll store it in my mind and in my heart,
And draw upon its treasure when I'm old.

"Do not regret growing older. It is a privilege denied to many."---Anonymous

166 - Psalm 23 and the TV

You people aren't faithful to God!...if you decide to be
a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.
                            ---James 4:4 (CEV)

O Lord, help us to recognize
When we begin to compromise,
And give us strength to follow through
With what we know is right and true.

Psalm 23 and the TV

"The TV is my shepherd, and it's all I want.
It makes me sit down and do nothing for the cause of Christ.
It demandeth my spare time.
It restoreth my desire for the things of the world.
It keepeth me from studying the truth of God's Word.
Yea, though I live to be a hundred, I will fear no rerun;
My 'Telly' is with me, its sound and vision comfort me.
It prepareth a program for me, even in the presence of visitors.
Its volume shall be full.
Surely sitcoms and infomercials shall follow me
All the days of my life,
And I will dwell in spiritual poverty forever" ---Anonymous

167 - The Problem With Prosperity

I envied...when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have
no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong...Therefore
pride is their necklace... ---Psalm 73:3-4,6

God has a purpose in our heartaches,
The Savior always knows what's best;
We learn so many precious lessons
In each sorrow, trial, and test.

"Prosperity has done more damage to
believers than adversity has."---Warren Wiersbe

168 - The Neglected Word of God

They searched the Scriptures day after day... ---Acts 17:11 (NLT)

Great God, with wonder and with praise
On all Thy works I look!
But still Thy wisdom, power, and grace
Shine brightest in Thy Book!

"The bulk of Christians spend more time reading the
newspaper than reading the Word of God." ---Charles Spurgeon

169 - When You Don’t Want To

I don't understand myself at all, for I really want to do
what is right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do the very thing I hate.
                          ---Romans 7:15 (NLT)

When we, O Lord, would turn aside
From walking in Your way;
Remind us of Your matchless love
That prompts us to obey.

"Stubborn should have been my middle name." ---Martin Luther

170 - The Duty of Discipline

For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of...discipline.---2 Timothy 1:7 (NASB)

We must fix our eyes on Jesus
If we're going to win the race—
Working hard at godly living,
Trusting in His grace.

"A small but always persistent discipline is a great
force; for a soft drop of water falling persistently eventually
hollows out hard rock."---Issac of Syria

171 - Bad Compliments

Woe to you when men speak well of you, for that is
how their fathers treated the false prophets. ---Luke 6:22

So send I you to hearts made hard by hatred,
To eyes made blind because they will not see,
To spend, though it be blood, to spend and spare not—
So send I you to taste of Calvary.

"Jesus Christ did not say, 'Go into the world and tell
them that they are quite right.'"---C.S. Lewis

172 - Why Worry?

Can all your worries add a single moment to
your life? Of course not.---Matthew 6:27 (NLT)

Each day we learn from yesterday
Of God's great love and care;
And every burden we must face
He'll surely help us bear.

"Worry is like sitting in a rocking chair, it'll give you
something to do but it won't get you anywhere." ---Anonymous

173 - Are You Out of Hope?

Though You have made me see troubles, many and bitter,
You will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth
You will again bring me up.---Psalm 71:20

Lord, give us grace to trust You when
Life's burdens seem too much to bear;
Dispel the darkness with new hope
And help us rise above despair.

"There are no hopeless situations; there are only people
who have grown hopeless about them." ---Clare Booth Luce

174 - My Will Be Done?

Thy will be done...---Matthew 6:10 (KJV)

Help us, O Lord, to heed Your Word,
Its precepts to obey;
And may we quench that selfish urge
To have things go our way.

"There are two kinds of people: those who say, 'Thy will be
done,' and those to whom God says, 'All right, then, have it
your way.'"---C.S. Lewis

175 - Self-Given Gifts?

...by the grace of God I am what I am...---1 Corinthians 15:10

True greatness does not come to those
Who strive for worldly fame;
It comes instead to those who choose
To humbly serve in Jesus' name.

"Pride causes us to use our gifts as though they came
from ourselves, not benefits recieved from God. It make
us steal our Benefactor's glory." ---Bernard of Clairvaux

176 - Pathetic Popularity

...the Pharisees...would not confess their faith for fear they
would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved praise from
men more than praise from God. ---John 12:42-43

The perfumes of popularity
Entices my heart of pride;
Forcing me to seek men's praise
Above the praise of God Most High

"The fumes of popularity have turned the
brains of many a man."---Charles H. Spurgeon

177 - True Humility

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show
it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes
from wisdom.---James 2:13

Self-centeredness brings misery,
A proud heart brings much pain;
But those with true humility
Have lasting peace to gain.

"We must view humility as one of the most essential
things that characterizes true Christianity" ---Jonathan Edwards

178 - Courage Against Comfort

"You are not one of His disciples, are you?" the girl
asked Peter. He replied, "I am not." It was cold, and
the servants and officials stood around a fire they had
made to keep warm. Peter also was standing with them,
warming himself.---John 18:17-18

In need of strength, we melt into the crowd
And find that strength grows more elusive still.
Our courage gone, we call upon the Lord,
And find our strength renewed to do His will.

"Comfort makes a coward of us all."---Anonymous

179 - The Authority of God’s Word

Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in
heaven and on earth has been given to Me." ---Matthew 28:18

God's Word was given for our good,
And all of it we are to obey—
Not choose the parts that we like best,
Then live in our own way.

"Let us therefore yield ourselves and bow to the authority
of the Holy Sciptures, which can neither err nor deceive."---Augustine

180 - The Perfection of God’s Word

All Scripture is inspired by God... ---2 Timothy 3:16 (NASB)

Even though errant men penned it
God's Word is fully true;
There is no error in it
When it speaks to me and you

"It is important to note that inspiration applies only to the
original autographs of Scripture, not the Bible writers; there
are no inspired (or perfect) Scripture writers, only inspired
Scripture. So when Scripture speaks, God speaks."---John Macarthur

181 - The Nourishment of God’s Word

I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my daily bread.---Job 23:12

The Bible is not like cake
Reserved for a certain day;
It's daily bread to give us
Our strength along the way

"The healthiest Christian, the one who is best fitted
for godly living and godly labors is the person who feeds
most on Christ. Here lies the benefit of Bible reading."---Anonymous

182 - The Meditation of God’s Word

Oh, how I love Your law! I meditate on it all day long.---Psalm 119:97

We must read Scripture every day
And meditate on what God said
To fight temptation from the world
And live a life that's Spirit led.

"Reading the Bible without meditating on it is
like eating without chewing."---Anonymous

183 - The Delight of God's Word

How sweet are Your Words to my taste, sweeter
than honey to my mouth!---Psalm 119:103

Sing them over again to me,
Let me more of their beauty see,
Beautiful words, wonderful words
Wonderful words of life!

"You'll discover that there are 3 stages in Bible reading.
(1) the cod liver stage, when you take it like medicine;
(2) the shredded wheat stage when it's nourishing but dry and
(3) the peaches and cream stage, when it's consumed with passion
and pleasure. Too many know what the first two stages are like, and
have no idea what the third stage is like. That's why they have given up
completely on Bible study. Those that stick with it will discover the third
stage. And once they discover the third stage - that wonderful, unforgettable
sweetness of Scripture - they never want to put the Bible down."---Anonymous

184 - The Internilization of God’s Word

Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly... ---Colossians 3:16

Give us, O Lord, a strong desire
To look within Your Word each day;
Help us to hide it in our hearts,
Lest from its truth our feet would stray.

"Old brother Higgins built a shelf
for the family Bible to rest itself
lest a sticky finger or grimy thumb
might injure the delicate pages some.
He cautioned his children to touch it not
and it rested there with never a blot
though the Higgins tribe were a troublesome lot.
His neighbor, Miggins, built a shelf
'Come children,' he said, 'and help yourself.'
His book is old and ragged and worn,
with some of the choicest pages torn,
where children have fingered and thumbed and read
But of the Miggins tribe I've heard it said, each carries a Bible in his head." ---Anonymous

185 - The Misinterpretation of God’s Word

...ignorant and unstable people distort the Scriptures to their own destruction.---2 Peter 3:16

Scripture is a potent weapon,
A strong tool to change my heart;
But if I wrongly wield the Spirit's Sword,
It will tear my life apart.

"In 1910, after reading in Mark 16:18: 'they shall take
up serpents...and it shall not hurt them,' former bootlegger
George Went Hensley took a rattlesnake box up to the pulpit.
He reached in and lifted out a venomous viper, showing his faith
to take God at his Word. He then challenged his congregation to
do the same. Before long, others joined in the handling of rattlers,
or 'Snake Handling'. The practice continued until one eventually
died of a snakebite."

186 - The Contradictions of God’s Word

And the words of the LORD are flawless, like silver
refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times.
                           ---Psalm 12:6

The Bible is perfect
It does not err;
I must've read wrong
If I've seen contradictions there

"...the Lord knows better how to write than I do; there
may be faults in my reading, but there cannot be any
faults in His writing; then if such-and-such a thing be true,
I will not doubt it; and if that other thing is true, I will not doubt it;
and if they seem to contradict one another, I will believe them
both; but I can never entertain a thought that they really do contradict
one another; I believe that there is some fault in me, not in the truth."---Charles Spurgeon

187 - The Practice of Prayer

Devote yourselves to prayer...---Colossians 4:2

Commit to pray and intercede—
The battle's strong and great's the need;
And this one truth can't be ignored:
Our only help comes from the Lord.

"Oh, that I may be a man of prayer!"---Henry Martyn

188 -The Power of Prayer

The prayer of a righteous man is powerful...---James 5:16

Support for people who're in need
Comes when we pray and intercede;
God's strength is given to His own
When we go to the Father's throne.

"Every great movement of God can be traced to a kneeling figure."---D.L. Moody

189 - The Intense Joy of Prayer

...I always pray with joy...---Philippians 1:4

I love to pray and intercede
It is my heart's delight;
Oh, what joy it is for me
To talk with Dad all night!

"To a godly man, prayer is a very happy and consoling exercise...
living near to God is an intense delight. When he can get away
from business for a few quiet minutes of communion with God,
when he can steal away from the noise of the world, and get a
little time alone, these are the joys of his life."---Charles Spurgeon

190 - The Affection of Prayer

...pray for each other...---James 5:16

I can love in so many ways:
Love in word, love in deed;
And also I show great affection
When I choose to intercede.

"To make intercession for men is the most powerful
and practical way in which we can express our love for them."---John Calvin

191 - The Conflict of Prayer

Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you
as wheat. But I have prayed for you. ---Luke 22:31-32 (NKJV)

When Satan launches his attack,
We must take heart and pray;
If we submit ourselves to God,
He'll be our strength each day.

"There are few children of God who do not often find the
season of prayer a season of conflict. The devil has a special
rage against us when he sees us on our knees."---J.C. Ryle

192 - The Agony of Prayer

He is always wrestling in prayer... ---Colossians 4:12

It takes so much more than words to pray
Words are just the start;
My prayer must be the cryings of my soul
And the groanings of my heart

"I have never known a person to sweat blood; but
I have known a person to pray till the blood started
from his nose. And I have known persons to pray till
they were all wet with perspiration, in the coldest weather
in winter. I have known persons pray for hours, till their strength
was all exausted with the agony of their minds.
Such prayers prevailed with God."---Charles G. Finney

193 - The Command of Obedience

Don't fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener
when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear
and out the other. Act on what you hear!---James 1:22 (The Message)

It is God's will that we should read
His Word day by day,
Not just for knowledge,
but much more—To love Him and obey.

"Ye call Me Master, and obey Me not;
Ye call Me Light, and seek Me not;
Ye call Me Way, and walk Me not;
Ye call Me Wise, and follow Me not;
Ye call Me Love, and love Me not;
Ye call Me Rich, and ask Me not;
Ye call Me Gracious, and trust Me Not;
Ye call Me Noble, and serve Me not;
Ye call Me Mighty, and honor Me not;
Ye call Me Just, and fear Me not;
If I condemn you, blame Me not." ---Inscription in a cathedral at Lubek, Germany

194 - The Talk of Obedience

...there are many...mere talkers...---Titus 1:10

It's easy to flap the jaw
And cause a great clatter;
But I must do all God says
Not devote myself to chatter.

"After all is said and done, there is usually
more said than done."---Anonymous

195 - The Example of Obedience

Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance
of the Law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and
laws in Israel.---Ezra 7:10

Show me the way, Lord, let my light shine
As an example of good to mankind;
Help them to see the patterns of Thee,
Shining in beauty, lived out in me.

"People would much rather see a good sermon than hear one."---Anonymous

196 - The Faith of Obedience

But why do you call Me "Lord, Lord," and not
do the things which I say?---Luke 6:46 (NKJV)

If I expect to prove my faith
And show others that I'm true;
 I must obey the things You say
And do the things You do.

"It is not sufficent to give lip service to Christ's lordship.
Genuine faith produces obedience. A tree is know by its fruit."
                              ---John MacArthur

197 - The Sacrifice of Obedience

If any of you wants to be My follower, you must put
aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross daily, and follow Me
                                 .---Luke 9:23 (NLT)

Let your days be Mine to order;
Where I lead, obedient be.
Let your own desires be nothing;
Only seek to follow Me.

"Nothing is really lost by a life of sacrifice;
everything is lost by failure to obey God's call."
---Henry P. Liddon

198 - The Failure of Obedience

We have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God... ---Daniel 9:10

I bow my head in shame
Whenever I go astray;
Give me a new desire
And help me to obey

"Man calls it an accident; God calls it an abomination.
Man calls it a blunder; God calls it blindness.
Man calls it a defect; God calls it a disease.
Man calls it a chance; God calls it a choice." ---Anonymous

199 - The Worship of Obedience

These people come near to Me with their mouth and
honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.
Their worship of Me is made up only of rules taught by men.---Isaiah 29:13

I cannot just sing
Of how much I love You;
My worship is best
When my life sings, too!

"How many observe Christ's birthday! How few His precepts!
O! 'tis easier to keep holidays than commandments." ---Benjamin Franklin

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