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Wednesday, 12 August 2015

Emergency Exit



In the Australian bush country grows a little plant called the “sundew.” It has a slender stem and tiny, round leaves fringed with hairs that glisten with bright drops of liquid as delicate as fine dew.

Woe to the insect, however, that dares to dance on it. Although its attractive clusters of red, white, and pink blossoms are harmless, the leaves are deadly. The shiny moisture on each leaf is sticky and will imprison any bug that touches it.

As an insect struggles to free itself, the vibration causes the leaves to close tightly around it. This innocent-looking plant then feeds on its victim.

So it is with us and temptation. It is always something that looks so appealing, so nice, and so attractive and as soon as we land on it, there is the real danger of it consuming us alive.

With all the temptations all around me in this present age, I find a lot of hope and encouragement in this scripture. The first thing I realize is that I am not alone because it says no temptation has overtaken me that is not common to man.

Many times the devil will whisper to you that you are the only one going through a particular situation and you become afraid to even talk about it. Hey you are not the only one going through it, you are not alone.

The next three words are full of hope and reassurance. God is faithful! If you were to look at the rear view window of your life I am so sure you will see the faithfulness of God in situations that you have had to walk through. That should be an encouragement to you, that He remains faithful.

He is so faithful that He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear. Every time I read that part of this scripture I am reminded of Job and what he had to go through yet he held on and did not denounce God. That is what it was all about; to see whether he would curse God.

It says in 2 Corinthians 2:9 That His grace is sufficient and His strength is made perfect in our weakness. With every temptation that you face, God faithfully always provides a way out. That’s a guarantee, there is always a way out for you.

You and I should learn to always ask God to shine His light on the path of escape and that we will have the strength to take it. Many are the times we see the path but because we give in to our own selfish lusts (James 1: 13-15) we lose focus of that route of escape.

The good news is this, if you do chose to take that way of escape that God has given you, hard as it may be, you will be able to endure and overcome.

Whatever temptation the devil is dangling before you today, remember you are not the only one, God is faithful, the temptation is not beyond what you can bear, He has provided a way of escape and you can endure it!

1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

Monday, 10 August 2015

Try Again

Psalm 37:23
“If the Lord delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.”

Try Again.
Have you ever thought about how many times you have failed? Though you may not remember they have been many. I'm sure the first time you tried to walk, you fell down. What about the time you tried to talk? I'm so sure you made sounds that made no sense at all.

I would love to see a picture of how you looked like the first time you dressed yourself; you probably looked like a clown. What about the time you were learning how to ride a bicycle? How many times did you fall down and probably bruise your knee?

So does that mean that you cannot walk, talk and dress yourself? No! You can do these things and do them well, why? Because you kept at it, you did not give up and the more you tried the better you became! We all fail sometimes; it is the process towards your success. Just don’t stop trying!

Failure is something that none of us takes pride in or want to be associated with yet it is a part of life and a tool that paves way for success. Failure does not make you a failure it simply means you have the opportunity to try again.

I love the bible because it has story upon story of mighty men of God who had to deal with failure at some point in their life but because they never gave up, they still came out shinning.

Weather it is Abraham, Jacob, Samson, David or even Solomon the wisest man that ever lived, or Saul of Tarsus, they all have areas in their lives where they failed.What kind of failure are you facing today? Is it in your career or your marriage? Have you been stumbling over a particular sin over and over again?

Or maybe you failed in your exams? Well you are not the first one and neither will you be the last one, many others will come after you. What you do with the failure will determine if you will come out tops or you will sink lower to the bottom.

Learn from your mistakes and let the lesson propel you to greater heights. Do not give up, try again, this time wiser because you have learned a lesson.Those who score the most goals also miss the most goals while those who never try, never score any goals.

So, go back into the field and try again. Try out the business again, give the marriage another chance, take the driving test again, repent and ask God to strengthen you and try again.

The Lord delights in you and though you will stumble, He will uphold you with His hand and you will not fall. Don’t worry about failure. Worry about the opportunities and blessings you miss when you don’t even try…

Monday, 3 August 2015

What about your friends?

The acronym C-A-R-E can help us remember four key elements of friendship.

C - Challenge your friend to grow spiritually. A good friend knows the importance of turning the conversation toward matters of faith. When was the last time you discussed matters of faith with a friend and challenged each other to grow?

A - Affirm your friend's value. A phone call or a text message can let your friend know how important he or she is and can keep your friendship strong. Does your friend know how important they are to you or do you assume they know? Make sure they know today.

R - Respect the feelings and wishes of your friend. No one wants a friend with whom ideas, dreams, and concerns fall on deaf ears. A good friend is a great sounding board. Are you easy to talk to or are you domineering and “always right?” Are your friend's thoughts ideas and fears safe with you?

E - Encourage your friend through compliments and by doing good deeds. Your friend will feel better after having been in your presence. When was the last time your friend felt encouraged because of what you had said or done for them?

Do you have a friend you should care for today?