Encouraging Words for the day | Christian devotionals - Hopeful Heart

Who Are You Trying to Please?

30/3/2015

Are you afraid to speak up in case you encounter disapproval? The Bible says, “Fearing people is a dangerous trap” (Proverbs 29:25 NLT). And fear is common among people-pleasers.

One author writes: “A pleaser daughter is one who, at any age, still tries to please her parents. From report cards to parenting style…her decisions are colored by the opinions of the people who raised her. But remember what Paul said, ‘When I was a child… I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me’ (1Co 13:11 NIV).

A pleaser friend is one who can’t say no. Resentment may build up, but she always shows up and takes care of things. What she considers love and loyalty are often exploited by others who seek reliance, codependency and caretaking.

A pleaser employee consistently works long hours without compensation or appreciation, covers for others who don’t pull their weight, and bites her tongue when her boss or colleagues take credit for her work.

A pleaser wife is one who in her desire to be perfect…becomes an altered version of the woman her husband fell in love with. A pleaser mom fears the loss of her children’s love. She’s afraid to set boundaries, even though they create an atmosphere of comfort and respect. She equates discipline with division, and by depriving her children of rules she ends up missing out on the later-life friendship that’s the dessert of good parents.”

The only thing you should be concerned about is making sure that your “words and…thoughts” please God. In the end, His approval is the only thing that counts.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my [firm, impenetrable] Rock and my Redeemer. (‭Psalm‬ ‭19‬:‭14‬ AMP)

- taken from http://www.jentezenfranklin.org/who-are-you-trying-to-please

Colour your days

25/3/2015

I know a friend who always loves to keep the pages of her diary splatter with ink. Even if there is nothing strikingly unusual happening on that day, she will still have some colourful code on that page or artistic image. Isn’t that how our daily life should be, even if it is so monotonous, can we still find that beautiful colour or reasons just for the uninteresting days or even the gloomy days.

I believe we have two of the most beautiful colours that is uniquely ours every day as a child of God - ‘Goodness and Mercy’ and the Bible specificly says they shall follow us every day of our lives ( every mundane week and every growing year). May we see them as these beautiful colours to be at peace, to be hopeful and thankful in our colourless days.

Psalms 23:6
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

- May Inu

Trust and rest with heart abiding

22/3/2015

Nehemiah would not talk with Sanballat about his charges and fears. He simply refused to let the insults stop the work to rebuild the wall and he prayed to God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat (Nehemiah 4: 9)

If we would only drop all the needless things and simply do the things that absolutely require our attention from morning till night, we would find what a small slender thread life is. But we string upon it a thousand imaginary beads and burden ourselves with unnecessary cares.

If we had trusted the Lord, 'more' would never have needed to preoccupy us. Wise was the testimony of the old saint who said, in review of her past life, "I have had a great many troubles in my life, especially those that never came.

Trust and rest with heart abiding, Like a birdling in its nest, underneath His feathers hiding, trusting and resting. Trust and rest, trust and rest, God is working for the best. Post your guard day and night to meet any threat to God's promise.

Nehemiah 4: 8 -9
They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.

- A. Simpson

Transformed by Christ

19/3/2015

Have you ever wondered why things haven't changed? Perhaps New Years resolutions had been set, perhaps visions and promises had been declared, perhaps even faith-filled prayers have faded. Yet, change hasn't arrived and another month goes by...

The bible tells of a woman who was bleeding for 12 years. She had spent all her money on doctors and medical treatment trying to get well. She must have been waiting for a change as year after year went by. At last, Jesus arrived on the scene. At her wits end, she pushed through the crowd and reached desperately and managed to touch just the corner of his garment. And, to her amazement, she immediately was healed!

Sometimes, change doesn't arrive until we are at the end of ourselves. That's when we are ready to push through the crowd of disbelief, fear and self. Then we truly allow ourselves to be transformed by letting Christ words have their way in our life! It's having our thinking fixed on what is above, on things that are pure, lovely, praise-worthy... That's when change comes!

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭8‬ NIV)

- Jo Voon-

The place we are at

18/3/2015

Many Christians are in the place that the Lord has appointed them, and yet the devil is harassing their lives with a sense that they are not quite pleasing the Lord. If they could just settle down in the place that God has assigned them and fill it faithfully and lovingly for Him, there would be more joy in their hearts and more power in their lives.

God puts us in various places to serve Him, and the secret of accomplishing the most is to recognize our place as designated from Him and our service in it as pleasing to Him. Even in the great factory or the complex machine there is a place for the smallest screw and rivet as well as the great driving wheel and piston. So God has His "small parts" whose business is simply to stay where He puts them and to believe that He wants them there and is making the most of their lives in the little spaces that they fill for Him.

There is something all can do, Though you're neither wise nor strong; You can be a helper true, You can stand when friends are few.

1 Thessalonians 4:1
Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus to live in a way that pleases God, as we have taught you. You live this way already, and we encourage you to do so even more.

Anonymous

Honouring God

12/3/2015

My devotion this morning is simple. There are moments in life where doing the right thing is easier said than done. As a matter of fact, the easiest thing to do is often to not to do anything at all. Occasionally, there are times where doing the right thing is easy but they are few and far between. Nevertheless, I am reminded in the scriptures this morning that I am to honor God above all else. Even when it’s difficult.

Why is honoring God above all else so important for Christians? Well, one day we’ll stand before Christ and give an account for the decisions and actions we made here in our lives.

While it may be easier to compromise our convictions here or there during our time “at home in the body”, one day we’ll stand before the Lord and have to admit to our actions. We’ll have to say, “Lord – the honest truth is I compromised on what I knew to be true from your word because it was more important for me to save myself in that situation than it was to honor, glorify, and obey you.” Can you imagine?

I don’t know what situations you are facing in life right now, but I do know this – whatever they are, honor God above all else.

So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. 2 Corinthians 5:9-10

- Taken from tonyquist.wordpress.com-

The fragrance of Gardenia flowers

11/3/2015

I have recently planted one of my favorites flowers - Gardenia. It is an evergreen flowering plant that is highly fragrant. It blooms in spring and summer and given we are still in our summer month, the blooming white flowers exude sweet fragrance every so often. I then purposely planted the flower right at the front yard. That way, everytime we walk in and out of the house, the fragrance of the Gardenia will be the first that greets us and reminds us of its lovely presence.

The presence of the Christ too exudes a sweet fragrance to our inner soul. The fragrance of His presence inspires firm hope and it picks up a weary soul with the assurance of His love. Just as a sweet scent may inform us that there is beautiful flower nearby, so this fragrant brought by Son of Man suggested to the sons of men that God is a supernatural being living in an infinite realm beyond our comprehension hence our circumstance is not able to limit His ability.

The fragrance of Christ’s presence conveys the sweetness of the Father's love, the glory of the Father's character, the loveliness of His goodness and the Sovereignty of His power. This sweet fragrance is what reminds men of Christ and that we are His beloved children.

Let us position our heart through worship to the Lord, let us ask for nothing and be ready to receive anything the Lord might offer. May we embrace His presence in such unity in the Spirit that we are able to pursue His heart and ways with full adoration and willingness.

Psalm 100: 2
Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing.

- Irene Soon

Riding on the wind

9/3/2015

Those who fly through the air in airships tell us that one of the first rules they learn is to turn their ship toward the wind, and fly against it. The wind lifts the ship up to higher heights. Where did they learn that? They learned it from the birds. If a bird is flying for pleasure, it goes with the wind. But if the bird meets danger, it turns right around and faces the wind, in order that it may rise higher; and it flies away towards the very sun.

Trials are God’s winds, His contrary winds, sometimes His strong winds. They are God’s hurricanes, but, they take human life and lift it to higher levels and toward God’s heavens.

Obstacles ought to set us singing. The wind finds voice, not when rushing across the open sea, but when hindered by the outstretched arms of the pine trees. Fly higher like the birds, let the wind take you higher, face your obstacles with a new mindset knowing that trials are God's winds to lift us higher from where we are to where He would like to bring us to.

Isaiah 58:14
then you will find your joy in the LORD, and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob." The mouth of the LORD has spoken.

- Anonymous

Kingdom Joy

5/3/2015

No human systems can generate the dimensions of fullness and fulfillment God’s kingdom life bring us. The present passion so many of us feel, to drink of “all the fullness of God,” is a quest for the way the Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus as King in our daily life and living.

There are no religious substitutes for the reality of this order of life. As Paul wrote here, he was laboring with a problem, for everywhere he turned he found opponents to the message of Christ’s kingdom joys. His most ardent enemies weren’t Roman soldiers or the Roman government, but a strange breed of religious die-hards. They knew the true God but hated the refreshing liberty of Holy Spirit-filled living Paul was preaching.

They kept imposing ritual requirements related to the Mosaic code—issues concerning certain ”eating and drinking“ stipulations. Paul wasn’t arguing for undisciplined living but simply for unsaddled souls! In effect, he says, ”God’s kingdom isn’t in the trappings of tradition, but His rule brings His right ways (righteousness), His mighty ways (peace) and His bright ways (joy). Let’s all open fully to such fullness—and to His kingdom’s expansion in our souls.

The kingdom of God is … righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Romans 14:17

- Taken from http://www.jackhayford.org/teaching/devotional/-

Come for real rest

4/3/2015

Jesus Christ is the only one that can give rest to our souls. If your soul is weary, if your soul heavy laden and if there is no peace within, then you may want to stop and seek Jesus, He has come to give us rest.

The universal truth is we will not rest till our bank account becomes positive, we will not rest once we have more, we will not rest when we are married or have children, we will not rest when the mortgages are paid.

We will only rest if we take the time to meet Jesus. In His presence, we will be able to lay all burdens in His hands and take upon His light yoke, only there we will find rest. Philippians 4: 6 -7 encourages us to be anxious for nothing but in everything in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. We ought to be anxious for nothing in a thanksgiving attitude; painting an image of faith for a thanksgiving attitude is the immediate posture of an answered petition in the favor of the petitioner. Giving thanks is an immediate faith in action knowing the Lord has heard, acted and delivered us thus no concerns or worries should burden us any longer. Rest in the Lord all who labor and are heavy laden.

Matthew 11: 28 - 30
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

- John W.