Encouraging Words for the day | Christian devotionals - Hopeful Heart

God comes to our Aid

30/10/2014

Funny how some people never ask for help until everything comes crashing down upon them. They wait until the last minute, then send out the distress signal. Many people work their relationship with God that way.

They call on Him infrequently while things are going well, but when trouble rears its ugly head, they are pounding on His door for help.

It is a wise person who learns to include God in everything he does. When God is a full part of your life, you never feel panic when things go wrong. Still, it is good to know that God will hear us when we cry out from the depths, and that He will always come to the aid of His children.

Psalm‬ ‭130‬:‭1-2, 5
Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord; Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy... I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.

- From "Wisdom From the Psalms" by Dan R Dick

Living A Christian Life

29/10/2014

I advise you to obey only the Holy Spirit's instructions. He will tell you where to go and what to do, and then you won't always be doing the wrong things your evil nature wants you to - Galatians 5:16 (TLB)

To walk in the Spirit is a challenging and inspiring exercise, for it combines activity with relaxation. To walk means to place one foot in front of the other. If you stop doing this, you are no longer walking-you are standing still.

Walking always implies movement, progress, and direction. Sin shall no longer rule or dominate you when you are allowing the Holy Spirit to live Christ's life through you. It is living by faith, living by trust, living in dependence upon God. If we look to our own resources, our own strength, or our own ability, as Peter did when he walked on the water, we will fail. You cannot live the Christian life by yourself. The Holy Spirit must live in you and express Himself through you. Living for Christ is a day-by-day experience. It is a continuous dependence upon the Spirit of God. It is believing in His faithfulness.

Prayer for the day
Lord, so often I have walked on my own instead of walking in Your Spirit. Guide my footsteps this day, I pray in Jesus' name.

- Writing of Billy Graham

The Lord, our Warrior

27/10/2014

When you see pictures of Jesus do they often portray Him as a warrior? Do they ever show Him defeating His enemies? Probably not. Generally, he is longingly gazing heavenward holding a child or a lamb. Isaiah, however, is very clear about our God: He is a warrior. In fact, Revelation 19:12-16 reveals what He will look like when He “shows Himself mighty against His foes.”

Are you weak and no longer able to hold burdens on your shoulder no longer? Though our enemy never sleeps, ruthless and he seeks every opportunity to devour us, remember The Lord the Mighty Warrior stands guard for our lives. Our Heavenly Father is a Mighty Warrior stronger than any other; never weary and always ready to protect what is His. He is mighty against his foes, victory is His for the taking and aren’t we glad He is on our side?

Isaiah 42:13 ESV
The Lord goes out like a mighty man, like a man of war he stirs up his zeal; he cries out, he shouts aloud, he shows himself mighty against his foes.

- John W.

The God who Prays for Us

23/10/2014

Are you feeling discouraged, helpless or confused or tired? Or perhaps you're in a difficult situation and you just have no idea what to do?

It's in our times of need that we truly get to experience His strength. The spirit of God helps in our weakness. He is passionately praying for us, even when we just don't know what to pray for. That is why, no matter who or what we may be facing, we can be sure that we are never alone, forsaken or forgotten!

‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭24-26
For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. ‭‭‭

- Jo Voon-

If God sees the sparrow

22/10/2014

If God sees a sparrow’s fall, paint the lilies in all its beauty more than Solomon in all his splendors; for only a day (Matthew 6: 29 – 30), will He not then care for you and for me?

Not one sparrows could fall to the ground without God knowing it (Matthew 10:29). The eyes of the Lord are in every place (Proverbs 15:3) and nothing escapes His ever watchful eyes. Even the very hairs of your hair is all numbered (Matthew 10:30).

This is a love beyond our human comprehension yet the Bible speaks repeatedly of how our Heavenly Father keeps a tally of everything in our life to the smaller details such numbering our hairs. In all seriousness, who would have the patience and time to number their own children’s hair or their pet’s in this instance? Not one sparrow He will let fall to the ground, how much more of value are we to our Heavenly Father who created us in the image of Christ. His eyes are on the sparrow and I know He watches you and me, cast all of your troubled thoughts and cares unto Him.

Matthew 10:29
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father's care.

- Irene Soon

The life of faith to honor

20/10/2014

Abraham's faith reposed in God Himself. He knew the God he was dealing with, is faithful. It was a personal confidence in One whom he could utterly trust.The real secret of Abraham's whole life was in his friendship with God.

He knew God to be his great, good and faithful Friend. Taking Him at His word, he stepped out from all that he knew and loved and went forth upon an unknown pathway with none but God.In addition to trusting in the Word of God, have we learned to lean our whole weight upon God? We are told that Abraham glorified God by a life of faith. The truest way to glorify God is to let the world see what He is and what He can do. God does not so much want us to do things as to let people see what He can do.

God is not looking for extraordinary characters as His instruments, but He is looking for humble instruments through whom He can be honored throughout the ages, the ones who live the life of faith in Him

Romans 4:3
For the Scriptures tell us, "Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.

- A.Simpson

The Purpose of Prayer

16/10/2014

Prayer is the way that the life of God in us is nourished. We look upon prayer simply as a means of getting things for ourselves, but the biblical purpose of prayer is that we may get to know God Himself. “Ask, and you will receive . . .” (John 16:24). We complain before God, and sometimes we are apologetic or indifferent to Him, but we actually ask Him for very few things.

Yet a child exhibits a magnificent boldness to ask! Our Lord said, “. . . unless you . . . become as little children . . .” (Matthew 18:3). Ask and God will do. Give Jesus Christ the opportunity and the room to work.

The problem is that no one will ever do this until he is at his wits’ end. When a person is at his wits’ end, it no longer seems to be a cowardly thing to pray; in fact, it is the only way he can get in touch with the truth and the reality of God Himself.

Be yourself before God and present Him with your problems— the very things that have brought you to your wits’ end. But as long as you think you are self-sufficient, you do not need to ask God for anything.

To say that “prayer changes things” is not as close to the truth as saying, “Prayer changes me and then I change things.” God has established things so that prayer, on the basis of redemption, changes the way a person looks at things.

Prayer is not a matter of changing things externally, but one of working miracles in a person’s inner nature.

Luke 11:1
"... one of His disciples said to Him, 'Lord teach us how to pray...' "

- Extract from Oswald Chamber's Daily Devotionals 'The purpose of prayer' -

Keep God first

15/10/2014

It is a great thing to learn to take God first. Then He can afford to give us everything else without the fear of its hurting us.As long as you want anything very much, especially more than you want God, it is an idol.

When you become satisfied with God, however, everything else so loses its charm that He can give it to you without harm. Then you can take just as much as you choose and use it for His glory.

There is no harm whatever in having money, houses, lands, friends, spouse and children if you do not value these things or ones for themselves.If you have been separated from them in spirit and become satisfied with God Himself, then they will become to you channels to be filled with God and to bring Him nearer to you. Then every little lamb around your household will be a tender cord to bind you to the Shepherd's heart. Then every affection will be a golden cup filled with the wine of His love. Then every bank, stock and investment will be but a channel through which you can pour out His benevolence and extend His grace.

Exodus 20: 1 - 3
I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me.

- A.Simpson

Our help and comforter

13/10/2014

If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" -Luke 11:13

Before He left His disciples, Christ promised that He would send a Comforter to help them in the trials, cares, and temptations of life. This word comforter means "one that helps alongside." He is the Holy Spirit, the powerful Third Person of the Trinity.

The moment you are born again, He takes up residence in your heart. You may not emotionally feel Him there, but you must exercise faith. Believe it! Accept it as a fact of faith! He is in your heart to help you. We are told that He sheds the love of God abroad in our hearts. He produces the fruit of the Spirit: "love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance." We cannot possibly manufacture this fruit in our own strength. It is supernaturally manufactured by the Holy Spirit who lives in our hearts!

Prayer for the day
Lord God Almighty, I praise You for Your Holy Spirit who guides and keeps me in all my ways.

- Writing of Billy Graham

Life after Death

9/10/2014

This week a news headline caught my eye "People may still have consciousness after 'death' ". The article shared a recent study which proved that around 40% of patients who survived a cardiac arrest had experiences of a perception of "hearing", "seeing" and even out-of-body awareness even after their bodies had 'scientifically died'.

Life after death has always been a belief in many cultures all over the world for centuries, and now science seems to have finally caught up.

The Bible days our lives on earth are like vapour or mist (James 4:14) that appears for a while then vanishes away. When Jesus came, he came to reveal God's plan for eternal life. In fact, not only did he come to reveal to us the way to eternal life, He became the Way!

Whenever we are lost, discouraged or confused on the journey in life, we can always return to the one, true way and we can be sure this Way leads to eternal life!

John 17:3 And this is eternal life: [it means] to know (to perceive, recognize, become acquainted with, and understand) You, the only true and real God, and [likewise] to know Him, Jesus [as the] Christ (the Anointed One, the Messiah), Whom You have sent.

-Jo Voon-