“The God Who Comforts”

Monday, October 14.

1 Corinthians 1:3-7

Look up comfort in a dictionary and you’ll find a definition like “something that promotes a state of ease or provides freedom from pain and anxiety.” But according to God’s Word, when consolation is needed, the only true solution is the indwelling Holy Spirit. In Greek, He is called paraklētos, which means “he who stands at one’s side; he who comes to one’s aid.” Believers don’t have to rely on outward remedies or distractions to ease their mind, because help is available from the ultimate Comforter.

I like this anonymous quotation: “When we have gone into the furnace of affliction, His hand is on the thermostat and His eye is on the clock.” God allows hardship, and as a result, we become stronger believers, wiser servants, and more humble people. But He stays by our side through the entire experience, sustaining us and limiting the intensity and duration of our distress. The Spirit’s reassuring whisper to our heart gives more comfort than the solace of family or the encouragement of friends.

People who fail to understand the true source of comfort try to escape their pain. They seek out pleasures, material wealth, or drugs and alcohol to soothe them. Only God can offer lasting relief from the crushing pressure of heartache. He even brings joy into periods of mourning.

Memory verse: Jeremiah 29:11

“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” Nicole Donald Walsch

“Courage is a Virtue of the Soul”

Tuesday, October 8

Joshua 1:1-9

Courage is the virtue which adorns the irascible aspect of our souls – that fight or flight impulse in us when danger is upon us or when we see a good that is not easy to obtain.  That impulse is given to us by God naturally to avoid pain and to preserve ourselves.  When fear arises in us because of some perceived danger, we react to it.  But because of the confusion of our souls, we do not always react well.  We might cower and withdraw when we should fight or draw near, we might fight when we really should withdraw.

Courage is that virtue enabling us to act despite our fear and to do the right thing, to be ready even to fall in the battle.  Courage does not make us suffer pointlessly, but for a great good we perceive through hope to be attainable.

We all know courage, we have exercised it. It is what give students the ability to write an essay when a student stare at the blank paper. It is what gives us the ability to take steps for a new career. God can give us the courage to do anything in this life.

Memory verse: Joshua 1:8

“Fear is a reaction.Courage is a decision,” (Sir Winston Churchill).

“Securing our Hope”

Thursday, October 3.

Psalm 42:1-11.

It is God’s desire for us to have desires and expectations. God wants us to enjoy everything pleasant and acceptable in his eyes. However, the will be disappointments in this fallen world. So how do we determine where to place our hope and how do we response to disappointment?

The important thing to know is hope is secure when it is in line with God’s purpose for our lives. Most often we based it on wishes or feelings. We wish for job promotions, good healthier on quick solution to our problems. While it is a fact these are the things we want, there is no promise from God that we will have these things.

Disappointment with God comes about as a result of our plan not being in the will and purpose of God for our lives. Let us ask to to clarify and direct our desires to coincide with his way. We can then rest in his goodness and keep our hopes in him.

Memory verse: Psalm 23:1

“I dwell in possibility,” (Emily Dickerson).

“Giving as a Privilege”

Wednesday, October 2.

2 Corinthians 8:1-15.

Our heaven Father wants us to abound in love and wisdom. He also want us to be a cheerful and generous giver. We ought to give cheerfully. In 2 Corinthians 8:7, he let us know.

God wants us to be like the Macedonian Christians. The Macedonians were poor, but in their poverty, they beg to give to the work of the Jerusalem church. These Christians did not see the weekly giving as it was, but as a means of following Jesus.

Generous giving is different for different believers. It must be modeled after the example of Christ’s giving and motivated by the desire to give. It must also be based on what one has. As we give to the Lord’s work, generosity will overflow.

Memory verse: 2 Corinthians 8:9

“No act of kindness, however small, is never wasted,” Aesop.