Don't Waste Time On Worry

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

Rather than waste time and energy on worry, let’s use it to build our faith. Why replay fears in our minds when we can choose to remember God’s truth instead? What if we look to His Word to find a specific Scripture verse that addresses our concerns?

We can flip fear with the Word of God. Worrying won’t change our situation, but God’s Word can. When anxious thoughts come, let’s call to mind God’s promises and meditate on His faithfulness. Let’s turn our worries into prayers as we proclaim God’s powerful Word over ourselves and the people we love.

After all, our heavenly Father calls each star by name, and He sees each sparrow when it falls. We can trust Him to take care of us.

- Betsy De Cruz, Proverbs 31 Ministries

God's Truth

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of coffee or tea in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31


Have you ever been in a discussion when suddenly your blood pressure skyrockets, and the worst version of you begs to come out?

It’s hard when someone else does things out of our control, yanking our emotions into a bad place.

Yet I can decide whether or not to give them the power to control these emotions. When I react by yelling or making a snappy comeback, I basically transfer my power to that other person. When I’m void of power, I’m void of self-control.

Now, when I say “my power,” I really mean God’s power working in me. When I react according to God’s truths, I feel that power. When I react in a way that’s contrary to His truths, I’m powerless.

When God’s truth seeps into my mind, my heart accomplishes good things that help me display self-control.

- Lysa TerKeurst, Proverbs 31 Ministries

Digging Deep

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

                   Read Psalm 1 "....like a tree planted by the rivers of water." Psalm 1:3

Never mind reading the rest of this devotional, if you have not read the Scripture (Psalm 1). God's Word is far more important than anything I can say or write. These devotionals are NOT a substitute for Bible study - but only an aid to interest you in the Word. Today we talk about trees. David compares the believer to a tree (verse 3). I do not know what kind of a tree it was but I suspect it was a PEAR tree, for it suits my story so well. In my orchard are two pear trees. Last summer was excessively dry and all the vegetation was seared and withered. One of the pear trees was unaffected and remained fresh and green and yielded some luscious Bartlett pears. But the other tree did not do so well. Its leaves turned yellow, the fruit shriveled, and both dropped to the ground, leaving the tree DEAD (as it seemed from appearances). Then came the rains, and the ground was soaked with moisture. And the tree sprang to life again and was soon covered with leaves and (believe it or not) burst into full bloom. In the latter part of August it was full of blossoms, and little pears came into view - and then the FROST, and no fruit. The other tree was loaded. What was the difference? The one tree had its roots DEEP in the soil where it found water. The other had shallow roots, and depended on the uncertain rains for its fruit. The one was like David's tree, "planted by rivers of water." The other - though covered with belated bloom - bore no fruit.

What kind of a tree are you? Are your roots dug deep into the underground streams of the Word of God or do you depend upon the showers of circumstances? How sad to awaken too late to bear fruit, and be saved "so as by fire." Blossoms are PROMISES of fruit - but you cannot eat blossoms! DIG DEEP, brother, DEEP into the Book, and the drought of disappointment will not affect you.

"Bread for Each Day"

Receiving God's Thoughts

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."   Ephesians  4:31

     "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,  declares the Lord."                                                                                                                                                Isaiah  55:8

     A mother was tucking her young son into bed.  "Have you said your prayers?"  she asked.  "No," the boy replied.  "Why not?"  the mother asked.  "Because there was nothing I wanted."

     We may smile at that story, but children aren't the only ones to treat prayer as primarily a way of getting what they want.  God does want us to bring our needs to Him in prayer, but prayer is more than that.  We come in prayer not to get God to do our will, but to open ourselves to doing His will.

     Our time of reflecting on God's Word is a chance to get away from our own words and thoughts to receive God's thoughts, to learn from Him.

     In prayer we open ourselves "to a transformation of conscience and consciousness with all that can lead to.  One's life will never be the same again"  (Basil Pennington).  Our time of prayer may lead us to see ourselves or others in a new light.  We may receive a new insight, or peace of mind, or a call to a specific action.

     Sometimes it may seem that we receive nothing from our time of prayer.  That's all right too.  Sometimes it's enough just to be close to God, just because we love Him.

Come And Get It!

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

READ PSALM  119:  33 - 40

    " . . . I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food."  Job  23:12

     Hold everything!  Wait a minute!  Not so fast, brother, or you'll burn out a bearing before the say is over.  Have you read the Scripture for today?  Only eight short verses.  It will take you only forty-five seconds!  If you read it in less than that, go back and read it again, for you read it too fast the first time.  No, No! don't lay this book down and mumble to me,  "I'm in a hurry and you're delaying me."  It is not my fault you overslept.  I didn't keep you up late last night.  Slow down, brother, slow down!  I see you're eating breakfast this morning even though you are late.  You take time to feed your body, but you were going to starve your soul.  Take 45 seconds and read Psalm 119:  33-40.  Don't bother to read the rest of this devotional, but instead read the Bible.   These articles are not designed to substitute for the Bible, but are meant to stimulate your desire to read more of the Bible.  If these devotionals have made you neglect the Word, so you read them instead of some verses of Scripture, then please, please throw these devotionals away!

     Still eating breakfast are you?  Listen!  you might better skip breakfast than skip reading the Word.  Job says,  "I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food."  Man shall not live by bread alone.  Yes, I know you had a rough day yesterday and everything went wrong and you're way behind.  But why be surprised that  yesterday was such a bad day, when you started the day without the Word?  Remember, don't make the same mistake today.  Look at Psalm  119:33 - 40 and make it your prayer today as follows:  Verse 33 - Teach me; verse 34 - Give me; verse 35 - Make me; verse 36 - Incline me; verse 37 - Turn me; Verse 38 - Stablish me; verse 39 - Spare me; and verse 40 - Quicken me.

"Bread For Each Day"

Testing In Deep Waters

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

                    "Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul."  Psalm  69:1

     A flood of "overflowing waters" was a familiar Hebrew figure for the calamities of life which often threaten to drown the soul in misery and despair.  David in Psalm 69 expresses the frantic cry of one who is so beset by trial that he immediately recognizes that only God can possibly help and deliver him.  Many of us can echo David's petition of distress, for we too have experienced "sorrows like sea billows" that have ominously threatened to engulf our soul.  Yet when He who is love dwells within, we may be confident that the waters of distress will never completely overflow us.  Indeed, we are assured in His Word that "Many waters cannot quench (His) love, neither can the floods drown it"  (Song of Solomon  8:7).

     A jeweler gives as one of his surest tests for diamonds, the so-called "trial by water" experiment.  He says,  "An imitation diamond is never so brilliant as a genuine stone.  If your eye is not experienced enough to detect the difference, a simple test is to place the jewel in question under water.  The light of an imitation stone when submerged will be practically extinguished, while a genuine diamond will sparkle and remain distinctly visible.  The contrast is so marked that none can mistake the counterfeit."  So, too, many seem joyful and confident as long as they have no trials in this life; but as soon as the waters of sorrow begin to flow about them, their faith loses its brilliancy.  Those, however, who have been fortified in advance by laying up in their heart the precious promises of the Word, and who have appropriated more fully the sanctifying grace of the Holy Spirit, will shine forth in the "deep water test" as genuine jewels of the King!

"Bread For Each Day"