The Eyes of the Lord

Bible Reading:  Proverbs 15:1-9

Key Verse: Verse 13 - “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.”

Key Words: The eyes of the Lord are in every place 

I once heard the story about a little fellow who spent his summers with his sister on his grandparent’s farm.  They would go to the farm in the summertime and spend the summer riding horses, playing with the cows, and running in the woods.  They just had a real big time.

One day the little boy decided he would make a slingshot.  He got to where he was quite an expert at hitting things with it.  So, he looked out and there was his grandmother’s prize goose. 

Sure enough he hit that goose right on the head and he killed it and he knew he was in trouble.  So he said to himself, “I’d better dig a hole and bury it before anyone finds out.”

So he dug a hole and put the goose into it and he was covering the goose over when he heard his sister say, “I caught you, I caught you, I caught you!  I saw what you did.  I saw you kill grandmother’s goose and I’m going to tell on you!” 

She really had him.  I mean she really had that poor fellow and she made life miserable for him.  When it was her turn to get the water, he had to go get it because he was being blackmailed.  When it was her time to bring in some wood for the stove, he had to do it because he feared she would tell on him.

She just made life miserable for him.  He was guilty and he knew he was guilty.  He was under condemnation and the guilt of what he had done.  It began to eat away at him and finally he just couldn’t stand it anymore.  It was just eating him alive and tearing his little heart up.

Finally, one day he went running into grandma’s room.  He threw himself into her arms and said, “Oh, grandmother.  I killed your goose.  I did it.  I didn’t think the rock would kill it.  I buried the goose and I have been so afraid that sister was going to tell you that I just can’t stand it!  Would you please forgive me for killing your goose?”

His grandmother said, “Why son, I was looking out the window and I saw you kill that goose.  I have known you did it all this time.  I just wanted you to come and ask me to forgive you for it.”

It is true – God is watching!!

                                                                                 Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do:

           ✞Live your life every moment of every day as if God is watching – because He is! 

God's Infinite Wisdom

Bible Reading:  Romans 8:14-28

Key Verse: Verse 28 - – “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

Key Words: All things work together for good 

There have been times in my life that I have had to sit back and watch and wait to see how seemingly tragic events could work out together for good.  One such example would be the sudden death of my grandson, taken from this earth at the young age of four; but God was true to His Word.  As a result of Austin’s death, we had the opportunity to see God’s people being used for His glory over and over again.  We saw cold, hard hearts broken and revival fill the hearts of the cold and indifferent.  All things do work together for good.

The story is told of an only survivor of a shipwreck who was stranded on an uninhabited island.  After awhile he managed to build himself a hut, in which he placed what little he had salvaged from the ship.  He prayed and asked God for deliverance and anxiously scanned the horizon each day for any passing ship.  One day returning from a hunt for food, he was horrified to find his hut in flames – all he had had gone up in smoke!  It appeared that the worst had happened, but in reality it was the best thing that could have happened.  A little while later while the man was sitting depressed and discouraged on the lonely island, he heard a voice, “Ahoy, mate!  We saw your smoke signal and have come to rescue you.”  Indeed, all things do work together for good.

                                                                                            Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do:

            ✞ Do not fret and worry.  Pray and understand all things do work together for good.

            ✞ Thank God for even the hard things of life.

            ✞Always remember God is not doing something to you, but for you 

The Unsearchable God

Bible Reading:  Isaiah 55:6-13

Key Verse: Verse 9 - “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your   ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Key Words: For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways,    and my thoughts than your thoughts 

“If one had to gather up all the golden sunlight that today falls wide over all this continent – falling through every silent hour; and all that is dispersed over the whole ocean, flashing from every wave; and all that is poured refulgent over the northern wastes of ice, and along the whole continent of Europe, and the vast outlying Asia, and torrid Africa; if one could in any wise gather up this immense and incalculable outflow and treasure of sunlight that falls down through the bright hours, and runs in liquid ether about the mountains, and fills all the plains and send innumerable rays through every secret place, pouring over and filling every flower, shining down the sides of every blade of grass, resting in glorious humility upon the humblest things – on stick, and stone and pebble; on the spider’s web, the sparrow’s nest, the threshold of the young foxes’ hole, where they play and warm themselves; that rests on the prisoner’s window, that strikes radiant beams through the slave’s tear, that puts gold upon the widow’s weeds, that plates and roofs the city with burnished gold, and goes on in its wild abundance up and down the earth, shining everywhere and always, since the day of primal creation, without faltering, without stint, without waste or diminution; as full, as fresh, as overflowing today as if it were the very first day of its outplays,  one might gather up this boundless, endless, infinite treasure, to measure it, than might he tell the height and depth, and unending glory, of the pity of God!  The Light and the Sun its source are God’s own figures of the immensity and copiousness of His mercy and compassion.”                           

--Author Unknown

                                                                                    Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do:

      ✞Do not argue with God, simply accept His way and His words; for His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts higher than our thoughts.

Herein is Love

Bible Reading:  I John 4:1-10

Key Verse: Verse 10 - “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be   the propitiation for our sins.”

Key Words: not that we loved God, but that he loved us 

Remember when you first fell in love and everyone said, “Oh, they’ll get over it.”

I am afraid that’s the way our love for God is, so many believers have gotten over it.

The following is taken from “The Gospel Herald.”

A gentleman who was a professed Christian was taken seriously ill.  He became troubled about the little love he felt in his heart for God, and spoke of his experience to a friend.  This is how the friend answered him:  “When I go home from here, I expect to take my baby on my knee, look into her sweet eyes, listen to her charming prattle, and, tired as I am, her presence will rest me; for I love that child with unutterable tenderness.  But she loves me little.  If my heart were breaking it would not disturb her sleep.  If my body were racked with pain, it would not interrupt her play.  If I were dead, she would forget me in a few days.  Besides this, she has never brought me a penny, but was a constant expense to me.  I am not rich, but there is not money enough in the world to buy my baby.  How is it?  Does she love me, or do I love her?  Do I withhold my love until I know she loves me?  Am I waiting for her to do something worthy of my love before extending it?”

This practical illustration of the love of God for His children caused the tears to roll down the sick man’s face.  “Oh, I see,” he exclaimed, “it is not my love to God, but God’s love for me, that I should be thinking of.  And I do love Him now as I never loved Him before.”  “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us...”  (I John 4:10)

                                                                                            Dr. Mike Rouse 

What to do:

      ✞Always remember that God wants you to love Him, but He loves you, no matter what!

      ✞The more one matures spiritually, the more they understand God’s love for them.

Safety is of the Lord

Bible Reading:  Proverbs 21:21-31

Key Verse: Verse 31 - “The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD.”

Key Words: safety is of the LORD 

Have you ever felt insecure?  Often insecurity comes as a result of a lack of preparation, and we certainly need to be people that plan and prepare in advance.  As a matter of fact, our text verse tells us to prepare,  “The horse is prepared against the day of battle.”  But with all my preparation, safety is of the Lord.  As our soldiers fight in Iraq and Afghanistan, they have the best of weapons and equipment, but their safety isn’t in weapons and equipment, their safety comes from God.

It is reassuring to me to know that my safety is in the hands of God.

During the building of the Golden Gate Bridge over the San Francisco Bay, construction fell badly behind schedule because several workers had fallen from the scaffolding to their deaths.  Engineers and administration could find no solution to the costly delays.  Joseph Strauss, the chief engineer, made an unprecedented move by ordering a large trapeze net to be placed under the workers.  Bridge builders had never enjoyed such luxury, so the added security made the workers feel as though they could “dance on steel.” 

So it is in the life of the believer, when we feel a lack of security, our efforts cease, our thoughts are filled with fear, and immobilization sets in.  But isn’t it great to know that God has promised us safety in the war of life?  So, dear saint, don’t panic because safety really is of the Lord.

                                                                                                    Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do:

      ✞Always prepare, no matter what the task.

      ✞Be aware of impending danger.

      ✞But always remember that after you’ve done all you can do, safety is of the Lord.

The Sparrow

Bible Reading: Luke 12:1-12

Key Verse: Verse 7 - “But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of   more value than many sparrows.”

Key Words: Ye are of more value than many sparrows 

James McConky tells the following in regard to God’s care for us.

“It was a beautiful winter day.  I was sitting on the veranda of a southern hotel enjoying the sunshine and sky.  Suddenly I became conscious of the swift flight of some small object before my eyes.  Then came a dull thud as of something falling.  There before my eyes, not ten feet away, lay the crumpled body of a sparrow.  He turned upon his back.  His little claws stretched appealing toward the sky.  There was a convulsive shiver as though in pain.  Then the tiny eyelids closed over the death-dimmed eyes.  A quick, short gasp and all was over.  A tell-tale spot of crimson on the little breast gave the story of the tragedy.  His swift flight through the air had evidently brought him into a death collision with a pole or buttress and his sparrow’s life had been the price.  It was only a passing incident, this death of a tiny sparrow.”

McConky goes on to say, “But his death somehow gripped my heart.  I found myself almost in tears over concern for a tiny sparrow.  But like a flash, it came to my mind the wonderful truth of God that I am more valuable than many sparrows.  God really cares about me, James McConky!!”

And God cares about you as well.

                                                                                        Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do:

      ✞Thank God for His loving care for you.

      ✞Live your life for God in appreciation of His care.

      ✞Tell others that God cares about them as well.

The Potter's Hand

Bible Reading:  Isaiah 64:1-8

Key Verse: Verse 8 - “But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.”

Key Words: we are the clay, and thou our potter 

Both Isaiah and Jeremiah (18:6) used the illustration of God as the Potter and man as the clay.

Dear friend, if you have made a mess of your life, God can take the mess and restore it to that which is useful and beautiful.  There is a beautiful illustration of what God can do with a life that is blotted with sin given by D. L. Moody.

“A friend once showed a cleaner a costly handkerchief on which a blot of ink had been made.  ‘Nothing can be done with it now,’ said the cleaner, ‘it is absolutely worthless.’  The owner of the handkerchief made no reply but carried it away with him.  After a time he sent it back, to the great surprise of the cleaner who could scarcely believe his eyes!  In a most skillful and artistic way, the owner of the handkerchief had made a design in India ink using the ugly blot as the center for his design.”

The principle is clear: a blotted life is not a useless life.  God can take that blotted life and make it beautiful and useful for His service, if one would only yield to Him.

                                                                                            Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do: 

   ✞If your life is blotted with sin, why not yield your life to God today?  (You can contact us at Mountain View for help, if you so desire.)

   ✞If you know of someone whose life is in need of the Potter’s Hand, why not help them by telling them what God can do for them?

         ✞Make a list (out of love, not a gossip column) of those who have messed up their                 life and pray for them daily. 

None Good But One

Bible Reading:  Mark 10:13-22

Key Verse: Verse 18 - “And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.”

Key Words: there is none good but one, that is, God 

In our text, a rich ruler comes to Jesus and does three things:

1.       runs to Jesus,

2.      kneels before Him, and

3.      addresses Him as Good Master.

Jesus responds by asking a question, “Why callest thou me good?  there is none good but one, that is, God.”  The word good in our text is a reference to “having the power to give eternal life.”  So Jesus was asking the rich man if he was acknowledging that Jesus was the Way to eternal life – which He is!

In 1715 King Louis XIV of France died after a reign of seventy-two years.  He had called himself, “The Good King,” and was the monarch who first said, “I am the State!”  His court was the most magnificent in all of Europe, and his funeral was equally spectacular. 

As his body lay in state in a golden coffin, orders were given that the church should be dimly lit with only a special candle set above the coffin to dramatize his “goodness.”  At the memorial, thousands waited in silence.  Then Bishop

Massilon began to speak slowly, reaching down, he snuffed out the candle and said, “Only God is good!!”

                                                                                            Dr. Mike Rouse

 What to do:

      ✞Acknowledge that only God can give eternal life and choose to do so through His Son, Jesus Christ.

      ✞Acknowledge the goodness of God in daily life. (None of us deserve the blessings we have.)

      ✞Teach your children to appreciate the blessings of God.  Show them how they are blessed by studying  children in other countries, studying past history of our country, and showing them that God loves them.

My Own Way

Bible Reading:  Isaiah 53

Key Verse: Verse 6 - “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

Key Words: All we like sheep have gone astray 

As you study the Word of God, it becomes very clear that the problem in regard to God’s will is not in knowing it, but in doing it.

Adam and Eve, Cain, and Jonah all knew God’s will but failed to obey it.  Time doesn’t permit us to tell about Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and many others who at one point knew God’s will, but failed to obey it.

Donald Grey Barnhouse tells the following in regard to God’s will:

“One day, one of my children came out of the dining room with me and walked along to my study.  There was a question about what was to be done in a certain matter.  As I sat down at my desk I gave a clear and detailed answer.  My child hesitated, then broke in with a question.  I kept on at my work without looking up.” 

‘But, Daddy…’ the child insisted, and phrased the matter in another way.

Mother came along to find out what the delay was in fulfilling the command. 

The child answered, ‘I am trying to find out what Daddy wants me to do.’ 

At this point I broke in:  ‘No.  You are not trying to find out what I want you to do.  You are trying to find out if you can make me relent on the conditions so that you will be able to do what you want to do instead of doing what you know we want you to do.  Now go and do it immediately.’”

How many times the Heavenly Father has to deal with us in this way!  Our old nature is incurably addicted to having its own way.  This is inherent in the statement that tells of the distance which separates the soul from God.  “All we like sheep have gone astray; and we have turned every one to his own way…” (Isaiah 53:6).

                                                                                    Dr. Mike Rouse 

What to do: 

            ✞ It is not just knowing God’s will that produces joy, it is doing God’s will.

            ✞ The key to happiness is not getting your way but   letting God have His.  Are you doing that today and everyday?

            ✞ List a half-dozen things that are God’s will for your life today.

Company Rules

Bible Reading:  Proverbs 29:1-18

Key Verse: Verse 18 - “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.”

Key Words: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he 

In today’s world many see laws, rules, and regulations as restrictions to one’s rights.  But in reality laws, rules, and regulations are for our safety.  So rather than begrudge rules, we should rejoice in them.  Let me explain.

Timothy Munyon says, “While living in Florida, I have friends who worked cleaning rooms at a nationally known inn located directly on the white sands of the Gulf of Mexico.  They would spend their work breaks running barefoot in the sand.  The problem was that the inn required all employees to wear shoes at all times while working.  I noticed the employees responded in two ways.  The majority thought the rule restricted freedom.  The rooms had shag carpeting, delightful to bare toes, and just a few steps away lay the beach.  To them the rule requiring them to wear shoes was nothing more than employee harassment and intrusion into their personal rights.

But a minority of the employees looked at the rule differently.  Sometimes late-night parties would produce small pieces of broken glass.  Occasionally a stickpin would be found hidden in the deep piles of the shag carpet; and still others knew the pain of skinning bare toes on the steel bed frames while making beds.  The minority saw the rule as protection, not restriction.”

So were God’s rules written to make life miserable, or were they written by a loving Heavenly Father Who cares about His children?

                                                                            Dr. Mike Rouse 

What to do:

            ✞ Rather than complain about rules, rejoice in the  safety they produce.

      ✞Ask God to give you understanding in regard to rules and laws.

How Big is Your God?

Bible Reading:  Exodus 14:1-22

Key Verse: Verse 13 & 14 - “And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The LORD shall fight  for you, and ye shall hold your peace.”

Key Words: Verse 13:  And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not

                     Verse 14:  The LORD shall fight for you 

Have you ever considered what Moses had to go through, and how he had to trust in God in order for him (Moses) to lead Israel?  Consider the following:

What would have happened had Moses tried to figure out what was needed to accomplish God’s command?  One of the biggest mathematical miracles in the world was required in the desert.

Moses led the people of Israel into the desert…Now what was he going to do with them?  They had to be fed, and feeding 3 ½ million people required a lot of food.  According to the U. S. Army’s Quartermaster General, Moses needed 1,500 tons of food a day, filling two freight trains, each a mile long.  Besides, you must remember, they were cooking the food (not to mention for keeping warm, and if anyone tells you it doesn’t get cold in the desert, don’t believe them!).  Just for cooking this took 4,000 tons of firewood and a few more freight trains, each a mile long and this is only for one day!!  They were forty YEARS in transit!!!

Let’s not forget about water, shall we?  If they only had enough to drink and wash a few dishes (no bathing?!), it took 11,000 gallons EACH DAY – enough to fill a train of tanker cars 1,800 miles long.

And another thing!  They had to get across the Red Sea in one night.  Now if they went on a narrow path, double file, the line would be 800 miles long and require 35 days and nights to complete the crossing.  So to get it over in one night, there had to be a space in the Red Sea three miles wide so that they could walk 5,000 abreast.  Think about this; every time they camped at the end of the day, a camp ground the size of Rhode Island was required, or 750 square miles.

Do you think that Moses sat down and figured out the logistics of what God told him to do before he set out from Egypt?  I doubt it.  He had faith that God would take care of everything. 

Let us have courage; we share the very same God.

                                                         Dr. Mike Rouse                                                                

What to do:

      ✞   Remember we have a B-I-G God.

      ✞   Can you name one need in your life God can’t supply?

      ✞   Tell others about God.

 

The Kingdom of God

Bible Reading:  Mark 10:13-31

Key Verse: Verse 14,15,23-25  - “But when Jesus saw  it, he was much displeased, and said unto them,   Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. ¹⁵ Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter   therein. And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that   have riches enter into the kingdom of God!   And the  disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how  hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!   It is easier for a camel to go   through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”

Key Words: Kingdom of God 

As you read the Bible, you read about two primary kingdoms: the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven.  The Kingdom of Heaven is heaven itself, the dwelling place of God.  On the other hand, the Kingdom of God is all that belongs to God, both in heaven and earth.

That would include all born-again believers.  Those who are saved belong to God; they are a part of His kingdom.

John Hess Yoder, missionary to Laos, tells the following.  “I discovered an illustration of the Kingdom of God while serving in Laos.  Before the Colonialists imposed national boundaries, the kings of Laos and Viet Nam reached an agreement on taxation in the areas.  Those who ate short-grain rice, built their houses on stilts, and decorated them with Indian-style serpents were considered Laotian.  On the other hand, those who ate long-grain rice, built their houses on the ground, and decorated them with Chinese-style dragons were considered Vietnamese.  The exact location of a person’s home was not what determined his nationality.  Instead each person belonged to the kingdom whose cultures and values he or she exhibited.”

So it is with us – we live in the world, but we are to identify with God’s Kingdom, not this world’s kingdom.

                                                                                    Dr. Mike Rouse 

What to do:

      ✞Live by God’s standard, not the world’s.

      ✞You will be labeled by whose standards you choose. 

God & Impostors

Bible Reading: Matthew 7:15-23

Key Verse: Verses 15 & 21 - “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”

Key Words: Verse 15: beware of false prophets

                    Verse 21: not every one that saith Lord, Lord 

Police court records tell the story of a young man who registered at one of the leading hotels in New York shortly after the turn of the century.  He wrote down one of the most famous names in the United States, and the hotel clerk was very deferential to him.  He had an air of arrogance.  When packages began to arrive from several large furnishing houses and a jewelry store, the hotel received them and paid the accounts.  After a few days the time for settling came; the young man brushed them off with excuses, which aroused the suspicion of the hotel management.  They notified the police and a quiet investigation revealed the startling fact that the famous man whose name the young man had written on the register with “Junior” after it, did not have a son.  The young man, confronted by the authorities, put on an air of bravado; he blustered that there was some mistake.  Finally, it became necessary to take him down to Wall Street, to the office of the well-known millionaire.  The latter walked into the room and looked at the culprit.  He said simply, “I never laid eyes on this young man before in all my life.”  That sealed the doom of the impostor. 

Multitudes of people who claim that God is their Father are just as guilty as was this young man. I trust today that you are not an impostor, because God knows the difference!!

                                                                            Dr. Mike Rouse 

What to do: 

      ✞Are you real or are you pretending?  Be real.

      ✞Many impostors claim to be born again.  Make sure your salvation is genuine. 

The Blind Officer

Bible Reading: I Peter 3:1-7

Key Verse: Verse 4 - “But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.”

Key Words: But let it be the hidden man of the heart 

Our text verse advises us that God prefers inward beauty to outward glamour.  I read recently about a young officer who was blinded during the war. He met and married one of the nurses who took care of him in the Army hospital.  One day he overheard someone speaking about himself and his wife, and they said, “It was lucky for her that he was blind since he never would have married such a homely woman if he had his sight.”

He rose to his feet and walked toward the voices saying, “I overheard what you said, and I thank God from the depths of my heart for blindness of eyes that might have kept me from seeing the marvelous worth of the soul of the woman who is my wife.  She is the most noble character I have ever known.  If the conformation of her features is such that it might have masked her inward beauty to my soul, then I am the great gainer by having lost my sight.”

The Bible teaches us that man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart (I Samuel 16:7).  If a man or woman possesses physical beauty, they should be thankful to God for it, but they should realize it’s really inward beauty that matters to God.

                                                                                     Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do: 

            ✞ We have little control over our outward beauty, but we do have control over our                 inward beauty – work on it!!

            ✞ Outward beauty with no inward beauty still equals “ugly.”

Facing the Wall

Bible Reading:  I John 1

Key Verse: Verse 9 - “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Key Words: he is faithful and just to forgive us 

Sir Edward C. Burne-Jones, the prominent nineteenth-century English artist, went to tea at the home of his daughter.  As a special treat his little granddaughter was allowed to come to the table; she misbehaved, and her mother made her stand in the corner with her face to the wall.  Sir Edward, a well-trained grandfather; did not interfere with his grandchild’s training, but the next morning he arrived at his daughter’s home with paints and palette.  He went to the wall where the little girl had been forced to stand; and there he painted pictures – a kitten chasing its tail, lambs in the field, and goldfish swimming.  He decorated the wall on both sides of the corner with paintings for his granddaughter’s delight.  If she had to stand in the corner again, at least she would have something to look at.

When a Christian commits sin and is put into a corner, God does not send him to hell.  When a child of God sins, he does not fall from grace. Wonderful it is that instead he falls into grace.  If your particular sin has been confessed, God has restored you; when God put you into the corner, He went to you there and painted a picture of His forgiveness and love.

                                                                                                Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do:

      ✞Many people can forgive everyone but themselves.  If God forgives you, why can’t you forgive yourself?  Go   and sin no more – but you are forgiven!

      ✞If God can forgive others, why can’t you?  Try it!  A bitter, unforgiving spirit destroys the one not willing to forgive.

The Victory

Bible Reading:  I Corinthians 15:50-58

Key Verse: Verse 57 - “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Key Words: But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory 

When the Japanese launched their attack against the Philippines, several thousand United States troops were on those islands, totally unprepared.  How bravely they fought on Bataan, slowing the enemy and making him pay heavy losses for each foot of gain!  The men fought on, hoping against hope that reinforcements would soon be available.  But our fleet had been severely wounded, and there were no reinforcements available.

A year later, however, we were ready to launch the great offensive in the Solomon Islands.  The papers that told the news of the great battle raging on Guadalcanal also published an assurance from our Secretary of War.  He said, “There is twice as much food as the soldiers can eat; there is twice as much ammunition as the soldiers can fire; there is twice as many nurses and doctors as would ordinarily be needed in any military engagement; there are twice as many medical supplies as could be needed; there are twice as many airplanes as are possessed by the enemy.  We are prepared for victory.”

The Secretary of War spoke of a military victory.  In our text, the victory given by God is a spiritual victory that does not come through man’s effort, but through accepting Jesus as our Savior.  It is the greatest of all victories!!  Are you a part of the winning team?  Have you accepted Jesus as your Savior?  If not, why not bow your knee and your heart to Jesus right now, and ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins, and accept Him as your Lord and Savior?

                                                                                         Dr. Mike Rouse

 What to do:

      ✞Join the winning side – accept Jesus as your Savior.

      ✞If you are saved, live victoriously because you are on the winning side.

Troubled by Your Troubles!

Bible Reading:  Psalm 34

Key Verse: Verse 19 - “Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the Lord delivereth him out of them   all.”

Key Words: the Lord delivereth him out of them all 

Troubles come in all shapes and sizes, at all times of the day or night, and at every stage in life.  They respect no one, neither excluding the young nor bypassing the old.  They crop up in all areas, touching our families, our finances, our jobs, our physical health, and our emotional well-being.  We may go for long periods without them, but at other times they pile up with such frequency and buffet us with such intensity that we wonder if we will ever survive.

In thinking about this, I checked out the biblical reference to the word “trouble.”  Here’s a brief summary of the results:

Ø Trouble seems to be woven into the fabric of living (Job 14:1).

Ø Many of our distresses are caused by our own sin and foolishness (Prov. 21:23, Psalm 78:32-33).

Ø Some difficulties are created by other people (Psalm 9:13).

Ø God allows trouble but is always in control (II Chronicles 29:8).

Ø We have a refuge and strong defense in the Lord (Psalm 59:16).

Ø He invites us to call upon Him in our distresses (Psalm 50:15).

Ø We can expect deliverance in keeping with His will (Psalm 107:6, 143:11).

Perhaps we need to be reminded of what a wise old man said to a boy who asked, “What is life’s heaviest burden?”

The man replied, “To have no burdens to carry.”  His answer has special meaning for you, dear friend.  Through affliction you can come to know the great Burden-bearer in a way that might not otherwise be possible.  Without distress you would never know deliverance.  As long as God is your refuge, you need not be troubled by your troubles.                                                           

                                                                                     Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do:

      ✞Remember God knows what you’re going through and will never forsake you.