cannyben

Catch all the foxes, those little foxes, before they ruin vineyard… Songs of Solomon 2:15 God wants us to be people of integrity. A person of honor is open and honest and true to her word. He says what he means and means what he says. She doesn’t have any hidden agendas or ulterior motives. He doesn’t need a legal contract to force him to fulfill his word. People of integrity are the same in private as they are in public. They do what’s right whether anybody is watching or not. If you don’t have integrity, you will never reach your best. Integrity is the foundation on which truly successful relationships are built. Every time you compromise, every time you are less than honest, you are causing a slight crack in the foundation. If you continue compromising, that foundation will never be able to hold what God wants to build. On the other hand, God’s blessings will overtake you if you settle for nothing less than living with integrity. There’s no limit to what God will do in you...

John 12:43 …for they loved human praise more than praise from God. Jesus talks about those who love the praise of people more than the praise of God. One of the tests we all have to pass is when someone whom we respect or like wants us to go one direction, yet we know in our hearts we should take another path. We want their approval, but if we are to fulfill our destiny, we have to stay true to what He’s put in our heart. If you please God, His favor, His anointing, and His blessing will cause you to excel. If you quit worrying about what others think, you’ll see new opportunities and relationships. God’s favor will increase you. People will tell you how to run your life. If you try to please everyone, you’ll be confused, frustrated, and miserable. Don’t let people control you and go around feeling guilty because you don’t fit into their boxes. They may not understand why you don’t take their advice, but look straight ahead, and as says, “Run with purpose in every step.”

…That your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ. Philippians 1:9-10 For many people, mediocrity is the norm; they do as little as they possibly can to just get by. But God has called us to be His representatives, to be people of excellence and integrity. How you live, how you conduct your business and do your work, is all a reflection on our God. Any hint of compromise or mediocrity will taint our greatest victories or our grandest achievements as well as keep us from God’s best. When you have an excellent spirit, it shows up in the quality of everything you do and the attitude with which you do it. The Scripture says that whatever you do, you should give your best effort and do it as if you are doing it for God. You go the extra mile to do what’s right, and anything less will cause you to be unhappy. You keep your word even when it’s difficult. You give your empl...

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. Galatians 6:10 Jesus said that people will know true believers by our love for others, not by how many Scriptures we quote or the Christian bumper stickers on our car. This world does not need to hear another sermon nearly as much as it needs to see us being good to people—helping others, meeting needs, and blessing them with our words and actions. We were created to make a difference in the lives of others through our love for them. True love is seen in our actions—giving our time, our money, an encouraging word. When you show love, you are showing God to the world. You’re never more like God than when you take time to do something for someone else. People are watching you, and one of the best witnesses you can have is simply by being good to people. The Scripture says to be on the lookout for those you can bless. Don’t miss the miracle of the moment to do good w...

Therefore, Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.” 1 Samuel 16:19 After David was anointed to be the next king of Israel, he didn’t go to the palace. He went back to caring for his father’s sheep. He was anointed before he was appointed. Doing what seemed like a menial job, he kept being his best and proved to God his faithfulness. When King Saul needed someone to play soothing music for his bouts of depression, someone recommended David as an excellent musician. For David, who had been discounted, overlooked, and forgotten, promotion came calling his name. He was suddenly working in the palace for the king. He didn’t make it happen; the king sent for him. As with David, you have the anointing, the promise, the calling, but you won’t go straight to the throne. How you respond when you’re anointed but not appointed will determine whether you make it to the palace. You have to be your best right where you are. When you pass the test of b...

Let the high praises of God be in their mouth… Psalm 149:6 David showed us that sometimes all you need to defeat the enemy is a small stone. The same is true of praise; sometimes all you need is your praise. Praise is a weapon. All through Scripture, you see how praise breaks chains, praise confuses the enemy, and praise makes you powerful. When you have praise coming out of your mouth, you are unstoppable. The enemy cannot keep a praiser down. Just think of Paul and Silas in Acts 16. As they sang praises at midnight, prison doors flung open and shackles fell off. Your praise may not seem like much, but when you praise, angels go to work. When you praise, the Creator of the universe begins to change things in your favor. Most of the battles we fight are not physical; they’re spiritual. Praise is a powerful weapon. When you praise in the time of trouble, it’s even more effective, because the enemy expects you to be negative and complaining. Praise will cause you to defeat giants in you...

Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” John 13:7 On the night before Jesus was crucified, He told His disciples that His hour had come, and He was going to be betrayed and crucified. In today’s Scripture, He told them, in effect, “You’re going to walk through some difficult things in the days to come that you don’t understand. You will feel lonely, confused, and afraid. You won’t understand it, but you will later.” The resurrection would connect all the dots. As with these disciples, there will be difficulties you don’t understand. A friend walks out of your relationship, the company downsizes and lets you go, or the sickness hits. But Jesus never said, “You’re going to understand everything. Let Me show you My exact plan for you. It all makes sense.” He does say He’s ordering all your steps. He promises that all things work together for your good. Stay in faith when it doesn’t make sense. You’re on the verge of seeing Him connect some ...

Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another, love as brothers, be tender hearted, be courteous. 1 Peter 3:8 Everywhere you go these days, people are hurting and discouraged, and many have broken dreams. They’ve made mistakes; their lives are in a mess. They need to feel God’s compassion and unconditional love. They don’t need somebody to judge and criticize them. They need somebody to bring hope, to bring healing, to show God’s mercy, to be there to encourage them, to take the time to listen and genuinely care. Our world is crying out for people with compassion, people who love unconditionally. The apostle Paul says that God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. If you want to live your best life, you must keep your heart of compassion open to be kind, caring, gentle, and loving. You need to be on the lookout for people you can bless. You can make a difference in other peoples’ lives. When God puts love and compassion in your heart t...

And by him we cry, ”Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Romans 8:15-16 When we pray, something supernatural occurs. Prayer is the most powerful posture we can take in this earthly realm. When we pray, we connect the strongest part of ourselves with the strongest force in the universe—the Spirit of God. When we open ourselves to Him, God’s Spirit testifies with our spirit that we are His children. Prayer, then, is simply talking to our Father. When you come to God with a childlike heart, there’s no right or wrong way to pray. The important part is that you do it. Rather than think you need to commit to an hour of prayer a day, start with, “Every day I’m going to pray five minutes,” then add on to it. Remember, prayer is a privilege. Without Jesus, we wouldn’t be able to come directly to God. We wouldn’t be able to make our requests known to Him. We wouldn’t be able to know peace that passes understanding. Make prayer a priority. Put Hi...