It Turned Out Good

Bible Reading:  Jonah 2

 Key Verse: Verse 9 - “But I will sacrifice unto thee   with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I   have vowed.    Salvation is of the LORD.”

 Key Words: with the voice of thanksgiving 

Everyone knows the story of Jonah – how he attempted to flee from the presence of God, went down to Joppa and got on a ship headed for Tarshish, and how God sent a storm, and Jonah was cast overboard and swallowed by a great fish.

In our Bible reading from Jonah 2, Jonah is now praying for God’s deliverance.  That which appeared to be bad turned out to be good.  Jonah was delivered and he went to Nineveh and preached.  The city repented and turned to God.

I have found that often in life, that which appears to be bad is actually good, and that which appears to be good is often bad.  Let me explain.

A wise old Chinese gentleman lived on the troubled Mongolian border.  One day his favorite horse, a beautiful white mare, jumped the fence and was seized on the other side by the enemy.  His friends came to comfort him.  “We’re so sorry about your horse,” they said.  “That’s bad news.”

“How do you know it’s bad news?” he asked.  “It might be good news.”

A week later, the Chinaman looked out his window to see his mare returning at breakneck speed, and alongside her was a beautiful stallion.  He put both horses into the enclosure, and his friends came to admire the new addition.  “What a beautiful horse,” they said.  “That’s good news.”

“How do you know it’s good news?” replied the man.  “It might be bad news.”

The next day, the man’s only son decided to try riding the stallion.  It threw him, and he landed painfully, breaking his leg.  The friends made another visit, all of them sympathetic, saying, “We’re so sorry about this.  It’s such bad news.”

“How do you know it’s bad news?” replied the man.  “It might be good news.”

Within a month, a terrible war broke out between China and Mongolia.  The Chinese recruiters came through the area, pressing all the young men into the army.  All of them perished – except for the Chinaman’s son, who couldn’t go off to war because of his broken leg.

“You see,” said the gentleman, “the things you considered good were actually bad, and the things that seemed to be bad news were actually for our good.” 

                                                                                Dr. Mike Rouse 

What to do:

            ✞ Thank God for all things, even that which appears to be bad.

         ✞ Ask God to develop in you a “no-quit” attitude, and a thankful spirit to go along with that attitude.

            ✞ Never run from rough situations, they usually turn out to be some of your greatest blessings.

 

Thanksgiving Proclamation

Bible Reading:  Psalm 148

Key Verse: Verse 1 – “Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the LORD from the heavens: praise him in the heights.”

 Key Words: Praise ye the LORD 

The Psalmist David is now drawing to the end of his earthly life.  All of his days are now filled with praise and thanksgiving as he looks back over his days upon this earth, and he remembers the many blessings of God.

As we draw near to the day we designate as Thanksgiving – a day when we remember the blessings of God and hopefully thank Him for those many blessings, I am reminded of the First National Thanksgiving Proclamation, which reads as follows:

“Whereas, it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; Whereas, both the houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness!

“Now therefore, I do recommend next, to be devoted by the people of the states to the service of that great and glorious Being, Who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be, that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country.”

~George Washington, 1779

I trust that today and everyday we will remember the blessings of God, and be thankful for them.

                                                                                    Dr. Mike Rouse  

What to do:

            ✞ Ask each family member to name one thing and one person they are thankful for, and why they are thankful.

Ten Apples

Bible Reading:  II Chronicles 29:20-36

Key Verse: Verse 31 – “Then Hezekiah answered and said, Now ye have consecrated yourselves unto the LORD, come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into the house of the LORD. And the congregation brought in sacrifices and thank offerings; and as many as were of a free heart burnt offerings.”

Key Words: thank offerings 

Hezekiah as king accomplished a number of things.  He was king when God defeated the Assyrian army.  He was king when God gave him fifteen years of additional life; but in our text Hezekiah, the king, had led the nation back into temple worship.  The people had been worshipping false gods, but through Hezekiah’s dedication to God the altars of the false gods were destroyed and worship of Jehovah was returned.  As a result of this change, Hezekiah had the priests cleanse themselves and had the people give an offering of thanksgiving to God.

Our giving, as well, is a reflection of our gratitude toward God. 

The following story sadly illustrates many believers’ gratitude toward the blessings of God.

“Once upon a time there was a man who had nothing, and God gave him ten apples.

He gave him the first three apples to eat.

He gave him the second three apples to trade for shelter from the sun and rain.

He gave him the third three apples to trade for clothing to wear.

He gave him the last apple to give back to God in order that he could show his gratitude for the other nine.

The man ate the first three apples.

He traded the second three apples for shelter from the sun and rain.

He traded the third three apples for clothing to wear.

Then he looked at the tenth apple.  It seemed bigger and juicier than the rest.  He knew that God had given him the tenth apple so that he might demonstrate his love and gratitude by returning it to God.  But it was so much bigger and juicier than the rest; and he began to reason within himself, ‘God has all the other apples in the orchard, he’ll not miss this one.’  So the man ate the apple and gave God the core.”

Now, the moral of this story is this: It is not about the apple – it is about you and me and our attitude of gratitude.  Do you demonstrate thankfulness to God through your giving?

                                                                                 Dr. Mike Rouse 

What to do:

            ✞ Lay aside a minimum of ten percent of everything you receive and give it to God (through your local church).

            ✞ Teach this principle to your children.

Bless the Lord

Bible Reading: Psalm 104

Key Verse: Verse 35 – ““Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the LORD, O my soul. Praise ye the LORD.”

Key Words: Bless thou the LORD, O my soul 

The psalmist starts the psalm and ends the psalm with the same words, “Bless [thou] the LORD, O my soul.” 

The psalmist is thanking God for His creation.  In verses one through four, we see days one and two of Creation while in verses five through nine, we have day three.  In verses ten through eighteen we see days four and five.  Then in verses nineteen through thirty we have day six, and in verses thirty-one through thirty-five we have day seven.

The point being that even in the day-to-day events of life, we have so much to be thankful for that we really take for granted.

There is an imaginative story of that morning when the sun did not rise.  Six o’clock came and there was no sign of dawn.  At seven o’clock there was still no ray of light.  At noon it was as black as midnight and no bird sang.  There was only the hoot of the owl and the swoop of the bat.  Then came the black hours of the black afternoon.  No one slept that night.  Some wept, some wrung their hands in anguish.  Every church was thronged to its doors with people upon their knees.  Thus they remained the whole night through; then millions of eager, tear-wet faces were turned toward the east.  When the sky began to grow red and the sun rose once more there was a shout of great joy.  Now millions of lips said, “Bless the Lord, O my soul.”  Why were these people so thankful?  Just because the sun rose after one day of darkness.  The very constancy of God’s blessings sometimes seems to kill our gratitude.  Whereas the wonderful thing about the mercies of God is that they are fresh every morning and new every morning.

We all should cry out daily, “Bless the Lord, O my soul.”

                                                                        Dr. Mike Rouse 

What to do:

            ✞Ask God to guide you through His Word and help you to be Biblically correct.

            ✞Understand that political correctness can and will lead to a humanist philosophy.

 

Forgive Me When I Whine

Bible Reading:  Numbers 11:1-9

Key Verse: Verse 1 – “And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and  consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.”        

Key Words: the people complained 

How quickly we forget the blessings of God!  Israel had been led out of Egypt by God.  They had crossed the Red Sea safely – on dry ground, I might add.  They had watched as the army of the enemy had been consumed by that same sea.  God had provided food and water; their clothing and shoes were seemingly everlasting.  God had provided for them a land flowing with milk and honey, but yet they whined.  They whined for the same reasons we whine.  We focus on what we don’t have rather than on what we do have. 

I read the following and found it to be a blessing.  I trust you will as well.  The author is unknown.

 

Forgive Me When I Whine

Today upon a bus, I saw a lovely maid with golden hair;

I envied her – she seemed so gay, and how I wished I were so fair;

When suddenly she rose to leave, I saw her hobble down the aisle;

She had one foot and wore a crutch, but as she passed, she smiled.

Oh God, forgive me when I whine; I have two feet – the world is mine.

And when I stopped to buy some sweets, the lad who served me had such charm;

He seemed to radiate good cheer; his manner was so kind and warm;

I said, “It’s nice to deal with you; such courtesy I seldom find;”

He turned and said, “Oh, thank you sir.”  And then I saw that he was blind.

Oh God, forgive me when I whine; I have two eyes – the world is mine.

Then, when walking down the street, I saw a child with eyes of blue;

He stood and watched the others play; it seemed he knew not what to do;

I stopped a moment, then I said, “Why don’t you join the others, dear?”

He looked ahead without a word, and then I knew he could not hear.

Oh God, forgive me when I whine; I have two ears – the world is mine.

With feet to take me where I’d go, with eyes to see the sunset’s glow,

With ears to hear what I would know. I am blessed indeed.

The world is mine – oh, God forgive me when I whine.

Oh Lord, forgive us when we whine!!!

                                                                                                 Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do: 

            ✞ Put up an “I will not whine” sign in a prominent place.

            ✞ Write down all the reasons you have to whine, and then visit the cancer ward of                     Children’s Hospital.  You will stop your whining in a mega-second.

            ✞ Everyday thank God for your health. 

Investing Your Life In Others

Bible Reading: Romans 16

Key Verse: Verse 1 – “I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea:”

 Key Words: I commend unto you 

As you read Romans 16, you read a seemingly long list of names that mean absolutely nothing to the casual reader; but you have to go beyond the surface and look deeply into the lives of these thirty-six people and see how Paul had invested his life in them, mentored them, prayed for them, watched after them – and now here they are, all serving God because Paul had invested his life in others. There is no greater joy than investing your life into others for the glory of God.

In his autobiography, Breaking Barriers, syndicated columnist Carl Rowan tells about a teacher who greatly influenced his life.  Rowan relates: “Miss Thompson reached into her desk drawer and pulled out a piece of paper containing a quote attributed to Chicago architect Daniel Burnham.  I listened intently as she read: ‘Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men’s blood and probably themselves will not be realized.  Make big plans, aim high in hope and work.  Remember that our sons and grandsons are going to do things that would stagger us.’  More than thirty years later, I gave a speech in which I said that Frances Thompson had given me a desperately needed belief in myself.  A newspaper printed the story, and someone mailed the clipping to my beloved teacher.  She wrote me: ‘For years, I endured my brother’s arguments that I had wasted my life; that I should have married and had a family.  When I read that you gave me credit for helping to launch a marvelous career, I put the clipping in front of my brother.  After he’d read it, I said, ‘You see, I didn’t really waste my life, did I?’”

You never know who you are having an impact on; so never quit; never give up; always invest your life in others for God’s service.

                                                                            Dr. Mike Rouse  

What to do: 

            ✞ List those who invested their lives in you and send them a card of appreciation.

            ✞ Make a list of those you want to invest your life in and list how that can be done.

            ✞ Now do it!!!

Sacrifice

Bible Reading:  II Corinthians 11:23-33

Key Verse: Verse 23 – “Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.”

Key Words:  Are they ministers of Christ 

There is no question that the church at Corinth was Paul’s heavenly sandpaper.  There is also no doubt that Paul had a great love for them, for he had sacrificed tremendously for them; but it appears that the church at Corinth had very little appreciation for Paul’s sacrifice.

A harried waitress approached the table where a young girl was sitting by herself.  She quickly asked the girl what she wanted.  “How much is an ice cream sundae?” the little girl inquired. 

The waitress snapped, “A dollar seventy-five.” 

The girl looked at her fistful of change and then asked, “How much is a dish of just plain ice cream?” 

“One fifty,” retorted the waitress. 

“Then I’ll take the plain ice cream, please,” said the young customer.  The waitress returned with the bowl of ice cream and delivered it with a rude silence. 

After the little girl finished her ice cream and left, the waitress went to clear off the table.  To her shame, she found two dimes and five pennies.  Her tip was the exact amount the little girl needed to get a sundae rather than just plain ice cream.  In each of our lives, others have made sacrifices for our well-being.  The question is, are we grateful; or do we treat those who have sacrificed for us with a rude, unappreciative spirit?

                                                                    Dr. Mike Rouse 

What to do:

            ✞ Make a list of those who have sacrificed for your benefit.

            ✞ Make a list of those you want to invest your life in and list how that can be done.

            ✞ Now do it!!!

Reverse Proportion

Bible Reading: Luke 15:11-32

Key Verse: Verse 12 – “And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me.   And he divided unto them his living.”

 Key Words: Father, give me 

Have you ever noticed that the more we have, the less we appreciate what we have?

In our Scripture reading for today the prodigal son was truly blessed.  He had a father who loved him and had provided for him; he undoubtedly lived in a nice house, with cattle and plenty of land.  The father was rich – he had rings, purple robes, cattle, and servants; but the prodigal wanted more.  He had heard about a city in a far-away country; and rather than being thankful for what he had, he wanted more.

Ralph Waldo Emerson observed that, “We exhibit a degree of thanksgiving in life in reverse proportion to the amount of blessing we receive.”  Let me explain.  A hungry man is more thankful for his morsel of bread than a rich man is for his table full of food.  A lonely woman in a nursing home will appreciate a visit more than a popular woman who receives visits and calls on a daily basis.  A Russian who finally gets his own copy of the Bible after years of state-imposed atheism is more thankful than most, if not all, of the people assembled in a Sunday morning church service who hear the Word continually, but fail to heed what they hear.

Ralph Waldo Emerson also observed that, “If the constellations appeared only once in a thousand years, imagine what an exciting event that would be!  But because they’re there every night, we barely give them a look.”

We are, indeed, a blessed people; and you, unlike the prodigal, don’t have to get down in the pigpen of life to learn to appreciate and be thankful for what God has blessed you with.

                                                                                    Dr. Mike Rouse  

What to do:

            ✞ Look around and name as many blessings of God as you can.  Are you thankful                     for them all?

            ✞ Look down and see that there are those who are less fortunate than you.

            ✞ Look up and thank God for your salvation – if, indeed, you are saved.

Giving of Thanks

Bible Reading:  Ephesians 5:1-20

Key Verse: Verse 20 – “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;”   

Key Words: Giving thanks always for all things 

A survey of 12,000 people who said that they were faithful in their church attendance revealed just how ignorant the American people are in spiritual matters.  For example:

Ø  Only 57% or 6,840 people out of 12,000 knew where Jesus was born.

Ø  Only 53% knew who Goliath was.

Ø  Only  51% knew where the Ten Commandments could be found.

Ø  Only 49% knew who led Israel out of Egypt.

 

In verses nineteen through twenty-one, we are given the three-fold results of being filled with the Spirit. There will be…

1.       a song in our hearts (a merry heart).  (Verse 19)

2.      thankfulness for all things.  (Verse 20)

3.      a submissive spirit.  (Verse 21)

For the sake of this devotion, I want to focus on verse twenty and the giving of thanks for all things.

I have found that each of us are very thankful for the “apparent blessings,” but we often fail to thank God for those blessings which we tend to overlook.  Let me give you an example:

The parents of a young man who was killed in the war gave their church a check for $200 as a memorial to their loved one.  When the presentation was made, another war mother whispered to her husband, “Let us give the same for our boy.” 

The father said, “Why, what are you talking about?  Our boy didn’t lose his life.” 

The mother said, “That’s just the point.  Let us give it because he didn’t.”

How often we overlook the blessings of God, often because we are caught up with ourselves and all the cares of this world that surround us.  So let me encourage you to be alert to discern all the blessings of God, so that we can thank God for all His goodness.

                                                                            Dr. Mike Rouse 

What to do:    

            ✞ Be discerning of all of God’s goodness.

            ✞ Be thankful for things that do not happen, not just for things that do.

            ✞ If your family has life and health, be thankful!

Think and Thank

Bible Reading:  Proverbs 23:1-9

Key Verse: Verse 7 – “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.”        

 Key Words:  For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he 

Look again, please, at verse seven in our Scripture reading for today and notice the word “thinketh.”  Did you know that the words think and thank come from the same root?  I tell you this simply to remind you that how you think will determine your thanks.

Helen Keller once said, “I have often thought that it would be a blessing if each human being were stricken blind and deaf for a few days at some point during their teen years.  It would help them to be more thankful during their adult years.”

Former Senator Richard Neuberger once said, “The experience of contracting cancer changed me.  A change came over me which, I believe, is irreversible.  Questions of prestige, of political success, of financial status, became all at once unimportant.  In their stead has come a new appreciation of things I once took for granted, such as eating lunch with a friend, scratching my cat’s ear and hearing her purr, the company of my wife, reading a book or magazine in the comfort of my bed, raiding the refrigerator for a glass of orange juice or a slice of cake.  For the first time I think I am savoring life.  I shudder when I remember all the occasions that I spoiled myself, even when I had the best of health, by my false pride, synthetic values, and my worldly goals.  As I think about it, it really is the little day-to-day things that make one thankful!!”

“As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.”

                                                                                        Dr. Mike Rouse 

What to do:

            ✞ Spiritually evaluate your priorities and goals in life.

            ✞ Ask yourself, “Am I really a thankful person?”  (You will know that by what you                         think about.)

            ✞ Read Philippians 4:8; and as you do, ask yourself, “Is this my thought life?”

            ✞ Everyday make a thankful list (not a lengthy one). 

Thinking Yourself Happy

Bible Reading: Acts 26:1-20

Key Verse: Verse 2 – “I think myself happy, king     Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day      before thee touching   all the things whereof I am    accused of the Jews:”

Key Words: I think myself happy 

To say the least, Paul was in a perplexing situation.  He was facing death for literally doing nothing wrong (Acts 25:10).  He now stands before King Agrippa and says, “I think myself happy.” 

There are times that in the midst of all sorrow and trials, we have to look for the good and literally “think ourselves happy.”  Have you ever done that?  I know those who think themselves into sorrow, and others who think themselves into a fit of anger; but I know very few people who think themselves into being happy.

Near the end of her life, Frances Havergal jotted down on a calendar everyday things  for which she thanked God for that day.  She said, “It’s my way of thinking myself happy.”

The seventeenth century pastor Jeremy Taylor was persecuted for his faith.  His house was plundered, his family driven out, his estate seized.  He wrote, “I have fallen into the hands of publicans, and they have taken all from me.  Now what?  They have taken away my merry countenance, my cheerful spirit, and a good conscience.  They have still, though, left me with my family, my Bible, the promises of God, my hope of heaven, and my charity to them, too.  Still I sleep, I eat, I drink, I read, I meditate.  God has given me so many causes for joy that the little handful of thorns shall not take away my thankfulness to God.”

Should we not carry the same attitude?  Today, I challenge you - no matter what happens in your life, think yourself happy.

                                                                                    Dr. Mike Rouse  

What to do: 

            ✞ Focus on the things that matter, not the things that do not matter.

            ✞ Stay close to God.  Thinking oneself happy requires this.

            ✞ Stay in the Word.  Thinking oneself happy requires this, as well.

Thanks for Each Meal

Bible Reading:  Matthew 15:29-39

Key Verse: Verse 36 – “And he took the seven loaves  and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the  multitude.”    

 Key Words: and gave thanks 

Let me just be forward and ask – before each meal, do you thank God for the food He has, by His grace, supplied for you?

A little lad of six was invited out to lunch in a neighbor’s home.  As soon as everyone was seated around the dinner table, the food was served, and everyone began to eat.  The little boy was puzzled, and with child-like frankness asked, “Don’t you pray before eating?” 

The host was uncomfortable, but mumbled a few words.  Afterward he said, “We normally don’t pray before eating.” 

The little fellow again was quite candid, “Sounds just like my dog; he doesn’t pray either.”

A visiting farmer stopped at a city restaurant to eat lunch.  When he was served his food, he bowed his head and gave thanks to the Lord.  Some sitting nearby noticed the farmer praying and shouted, “Hey, Pops, back where you come from, does everyone pray before eating?” 

The old farmer shot back without hesitation and said, “Nope, the hogs don’t.”

Do you and your family thank God before each meal?  There are many in this world that do not have the blessing of meals three times a day (or more).  Let me encourage you to genuinely thank God before each meal.  It really is a great testimony to your family and to others.

                                                                                Dr. Mike Rouse 

What to do: 

            ✞ Make it a habit of thanking God before each meal for His marvelous blessings.

Thanks for the Reminder

Bible Reading:  II Corinthians 12:1-10

Key Verse: Verse 10- “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I  strong.”

 Key Words: for when I am weak, then am I strong 

The Apostle Paul reminds us that we are only strong in Christ when we realize that we are weak.  We all should sing, “Without Him I can do nothing,” because a truer song has never been written.

A pastor traveling by train was the only occupant of a compartment except for one young man reading a newspaper.   The youth, by his testimony, was a Christian but was weak in the faith, and he had many temptations.  So many, as a matter of fact, that he told the pastor that he could hardly bear them. 

The pastor took from his pocket a Bible and penknife, and said, “I will make the penknife stand on the cover of my Bible, in spite of the rocking of the train.” 

The young man, thinking that this was certainly a trick of some kind, watched with great interest, saying, “I am afraid that it will not be very easy to do that, sir.”

 “But,” said the pastor, “I am doing it.”

 “Oh, but you are holding it,” retorted the young man.

 “Why, of course, I am!  Did you ever see a penknife standing on its own without being held up?” 

“I see,” said the young man, “You mean that I can’t stand, and bear my temptations and testings alone – Christ must hold me up.”  The conversation ended when the young man said, “Thanks for reminding me.”

None of us can stand alone without Christ.  Today, thank the Lord that He is holding you up.

                                                                                Dr. Mike Rouse 

What to do: 

            ✞ Understand that you can do all things through Christ which strengthens you.

            ✞ Ask God daily for His strength.

            ✞ Remember, it’s easier to fail than succeed; but real success only comes through                     Christ.

A Rarity

Bible Reading:  James 1:12-17

Key Verse: Verse 17 – “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”

Key Words: cometh down from the Father 

Every good and perfect (maturing) gift comes from the Father. We should be thankful for this – that God is perfecting and maturing us.

The one thing I have discovered in my years in the ministry is that genuine thankfulness is a rarity.

A soldier serving during World War II in the American Third Army was sent to a rest camp after a period of active service.  When he returned to his outfit, he wrote a letter to General George Patton and thanked him for the splendid care he had received.  General Patton wrote back and thanked him for his letter.  In that letter he said in part, “For thirty-five years I have sought to give comfort and convenience to all the men in the Armed Forces, but this is the first letter of thanks that I’ve ever received for those thirty-five years of service.”  There are fewer points in which human nature is lacking than that of gratitude.

Matthew Henry, the famous scholar, was once accosted by thieves who robbed him of all the possessions he had on him.  He later wrote in his diary, “Let me be thankful first because I was never robbed before; second because, although they took my purse, they did not take my life; third because, although they took my all, it was not much; and fourth because it was I who was robbed, not I who robbed.”

We all have something each and everyday for which we should be thankful.  Should we not begin to put God’s goodness into words of gratitude?

                                                                                            Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do: 

            ✞ Everyday thank God for His goodness.

            ✞ Find one thing a day you can thank someone for.

            ✞ Understand that genuine thankfulness comes from being filled with the Holy Spirit, not our own self-centered desires (Ephesians 5:18, 20).