cannyben

“I am the vine, and you are the branches. If you stay joined to me, and I stay joined to you, then you will produce lots of fruit. But you cannot do anything without me.” John 15:5 (CEV) It’s better to rest in God’s goodness than to be overwhelmed with work and worry. But it’s also easier said than done. It can be hard to take the steps that lead to rest and the abundant life God has for you. Here are four daily habits that will help move you from overwhelmed to overflowing. 1. Stay connected to Jesus every day. “I am the vine, and you are the branches. If you stay joined to me, and I stay joined to you, then you will produce lots of fruit. But you cannot do anything without me” (John 15:5 CEV). If you try to go through life on your own power, you’re going to be overwhelmed. You cannot fulfill your purpose and enjoy God’s goodness unless you’re plugged in to his power. 2. Replace your complaining with gratefulness. “Do everything without complaining and arguing” (Philippians 2:14 NLT)....

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7 (NIV) God is not only able to meet all of your needs; he’s eager to meet them! But when you forget how committed God is to help you, it’s easy to stop asking for his help and to start depending on yourself. Perhaps you only ask God for the “big stuff” and not the “small stuff.” Guess what? Everything is small to God. None of your requests are big in God’s eyes. He has every hair on your head numbered, and he knows how many fell out in the sink this morning. You’re not bothering God when you give him your requests; he’s the one who set up the system of prayer in the first place. That’s why the New Testament tells you more than 20 times to ask for whatever you need in prayer. Matthew 7:7 says, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (NIV). Sometimes, instead of asking God for something, you just worry about it. But if...

“We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.” Romans 8:28 (NIV) Grief, loss, and pain are inevitable parts of life. But did you know that God uses these things to help you grow? He does it in three ways. First, God uses pain to get your attention. C. S. Lewis wrote, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain.” Pain is God’s megaphone. You rarely change when you see the light. You change when you feel the heat. Proverbs 20:30 says, “Sometimes it takes a painful experience to make us change our ways” (GNT). Second, God brings good out of bad. One of the most famous verses in the Bible is Romans 8:28: “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him” (NIV). When you experience a loss, it’s an opportunity to grow in character. You can’t control the pain you go through, but you can decide whether it’s going to make you bitter or better. You can decide whether it’s going to be a stepping-stone or...

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” Romans 12:2 (NLT) There are two verses in the Bible that are written by the same author but seem to send opposite messages: 1 John 2:15 says, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them” (NIV). That’s pretty clear! But John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world . . .” (NIV). That looks like a big contradiction right there. “The world” is used two ways in these verses. The first verse refers to the world’s value system, and the second refers to the world’s people. Followers of Jesus are to love people, no matter what choices they make. On the other hand, we are to hate the world’s value system, including things like status, selfishness, and sexual immorality. The problem is that we often get it reversed. We l...

God’s Guidance “Your road led through the sea, your pathway through the mighty waters—a pathway no one knew was there!” Psalm 77:19 (NLT) The Bible says God actively works through your circumstances. But you cannot judge your situation apart from God’s wisdom. In other words, you must leave it up to God to interpret your circumstances. Only he is capable of understanding all the facts, and only he sees the significance of every detail. That’s why it is so important that you test it all by his Word. If you feel overwhelmed or confused about a decision, it might be because you’re so caught up in in your own, limited way of thinking, that it blocks out God’s voice. The Bible says, “God is not a God of disorder but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33 NIV). He is not the author of confusion. So if you’re feeling confused, guess what? It’s not God’s voice speaking in your life. There will be times you come up against enormous financial, spiritual, or physical barriers. That’s when you need to con...

When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up—the flames will not consume you.” Isaiah 43:2 (TLB) When everything around you is uncertain, the key to stability is to focus on unchangeable truth. You need to focus on what never changes: God’s Word and God’s character. Here are some unchangeable truths you need to tell yourself during a time of uncertainty: God sees everything you’re going through. “The eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love” (Psalm 33:18 NIV). God cares about everything you’re going through. “But I will watch for the LORD; I will wait confidently for God, who will save me. My God will hear me” (Micah 7:7 GNT). God has the power to change what you’re going through. “Ask, and you will be given what you ask for. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be ope...

God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” 1 John 4:9-10 (NLT) Everything in life changes—relationships, jobs, health, finances. But there’s one thing in the universe that will never change: God’s love. God loves you, no matter what. Your failures, your brokenness, and your sin can never diminish his love. Knowing you can count on God’s love provides a rock-solid foundation for your life. The Bible’s most famous verse, John 3:16, says, “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son” (NIV). Consider the small word “so” that goes before “loved” in that verse. “So” suggests the extravagance of God’s love. God loves you with a generous, extravagant love that can never be taken away. It’s beyond comprehension. He loves you on your good days and your bad days. He loves you when you ...

It was so bad we didn’t think we were going to make it . . . As it turned out, it was the best thing that could have happened. Instead of trusting in our own strength or wits to get out of it, we were forced to trust God totally—not a bad idea since he’s the God who raises the dead!” 2 Corinthians 1:8-9 (The Message) Do you need more margin in your life? One way to find it is to do less and trust God more. Why will that help? Because God can do more in 20 minutes than you can do in 20 years. Think about your own life. Are there goals or dreams that you’ve been striving, seeking, working, and hurrying for year after year without achieving them? Why don’t you just back off a little bit? Relax. Trust God. Watch what he can do. If you make space in your life, you may find that he accomplishes your dreams much faster and better than you can. The only benefit of being stretched and overloaded is that it forces you to trust God. It brings you to your knees as you realize you’re up against the...

Let love be your highest goal! 1 Corinthians 14:1 (NLT) Human beings have an amazing capacity to both remember and forget. We remember every single little hurt we’ve ever experienced—but we forget the lessons those hurts taught us. And so, we end up needing to learn the same lessons over and over again. That’s why we need to learn to pray like David: “Teach us to use wisely all the time we have” (Psalm 90:12 CEV). The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 14:1, “Let love be your highest goal!” (NLT) In other words, make love your number one priority. Make it your primary objective. Make it your greatest ambition. Make it your life purpose. Don’t say, “One of the things I want in life is loving relationships.” Don’t just put it in your “Top 10.” Make it number one! Why does God say to make love your highest goal? There are two reasons: First, God says that love is what life is all about. The Bible says, “No matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love” (1 Corinthian...

“We often suffer, but we are never crushed. Even when we don't know what to do, we never give up. In times of trouble, God is with us, and when we are knocked down, we get up again . . . we know that God raised the Lord Jesus to life. And just as God raised Jesus, he will also raise us to life. Then he will bring us into his presence together.” 2 Corinthians 4:8-9, 14 (CEV) When the future is uncertain and there is a lot of fear, it might seem like your story is coming to an end. But the Bible says, “We often suffer, but we are never crushed. Even when we don’t know what to do, we never give up. In times of trouble, God is with us, and when we are knocked down, we get up again . . . we know that God raised the Lord Jesus back to life. And just as God raised Jesus, he will also raise us to life. Then he will bring us into his presence together” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9, 14 CEV). When life seems uncertain, remember this truth: You can’t lose! You’ll win in the end, no matter what happens...

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” Psalm 23:4 (NIV) You may not be in the valley of the shadow of death right now, but you may be in another valley. Valleys are the hard places on your journey, where it’s easy to doubt or overlook God’s goodness. But you can always trust that God walks through the valleys with you. And he’s promised to bring you through to the other side. Psalm 23:4 says, “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me” (NIV). Here are three truths to remember when you are in the valley: 1. You are not alone. God is with you. The shadows in your life are evidence of the presence of light. How do you deal with a shadow? You turn your back to the shadow and look at the light. Jesus said, “I am the light for the world! Follow me, and you won’t be walking in the dark. You will have the light that gives life” (John 8:12 CEV). The Bible says that God is light and that in him there...

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” Psalm 23:4 (NIV) In Israel, on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho, there’s a canyon called the Valley of the Shadow of Death. In his day, David probably traveled through it many times. Some of the canyons along the road to Jericho were narrow at the bottom and as tall as 800 feet. The only time you could see sunshine at the bottom was at noon when the sun was straight overhead. In the Bible, valleys are often a metaphor for times of darkness, despair, defeat, or discouragement. Psalm 23:4 says, “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me” (NIV). The Bible teaches that God is not just a part of your mountaintop experiences. He is also with you in the valleys. There are three things you need to remember about the valleys: Valleys are a part of life. The Bible says in Deuteronomy 11:11, “The land you will soon take over is a land of hills and valleys” (NLT...

Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (NIV) When a crisis hits, you have to do the smart things necessary to get through it. You listen to God’s Word and godly advice, you make good choices, and you keep moving forward while remembering that this will pass. It’s not going to last forever! The Bible says in 1 Peter 4:12, “Dear friends, don’t be bewildered or surprised when you go through the fiery trials ahead, for this is no strange, unusual thing that is going to happen to you” (TLB). In this world, there will be times of trial and testing. It’s guaranteed! Since sin entered the world, nothing works perfectly. Everything on this planet is broken—the weather, the economy, your body, and even your best plans. Nothing works perfectly in this life because sin broke everything on E...

My purpose is to give life in all its fullness. I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” John 10:10-11 (TLB) Sheep are essentially defenseless animals, so a shepherd carries a few tools to care for and protect his sheep. He has a rod for guarding and protecting, and he uses a staff with a little crook in it to rescue the sheep. We are like lost sheep in need of protection and direction—so Jesus came to Earth to be our Good Shepherd. He said, “My purpose is to give life in all its fullness. I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:10-11 TLB). Just as a shepherd uses the physical tools of the rod and the staff for direction and protection, God wants to direct and protect you. Here are two ways he does that: If you follow him, Jesus leads you in the right direction. If you visit a major city like Paris without a guide, you’ll miss all kinds of important things, because you won’t know what to look for. The same...

“The simpletons believe anything they're told; the prudent sift and weigh every word.” Proverbs 14:15 (NLT) If you spend any time on your phone or watching TV these days, you’re going to get a lot of information from a lot of different sources. It’s important, now more than ever, to remember that not everything you hear is true. The Bible says in Proverbs 14:15, “The simpletons believe anything they’re told; the prudent sift and weigh every word” (NLT). Not everybody who speaks on the Internet, social media, TV, or radio knows what they’re talking about. Not everybody who’s talking is worth listening to. You need to be selective! Many people take advantage of any crisis and bring to it their own agenda. There will be some who try to use difficult days for their own political or financial advantage. They will scare people into making rash decisions. Proverbs 14:8 says, “The wise man looks ahead. The fool attempts to fool himself and won’t face facts” (TLB). The Bible repeatedly say...

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4 (ESV) A common source of stress is loss. You can lose your job, your health, your money, your reputation, or a loved one. And when you add all the other challenges you have in life, it just amplifies the stress. There are two common reactions to loss. One is fear, and the other is grief. Grief is good. Grief is the way we get through the transitions of life. In fact, if you don’t grieve, you get stuck! Grief will not wreck you if you let it out. Fear, on the other hand, can be a bad thing. Not once in the Bible does it say, “Grieve not,” “Sorrow not,” “Weep not,” or “Cry not.” It does say, “Fear not.” And it says that 365 times! Grief doesn’t paralyze us, but fear does. In Psalm 23:4, David says, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they c...

Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.” Psalm 23:4 (NLT) What are you worried about today? The economy? Your health? Your bills? Your kids? Are you worried about the future? The fact is there are a lot of reasons to be afraid in today’s world. But God promises that, even in your darkest valleys, he is walking beside you. It’s interesting to note that there are 365 verses in the Bible that say, “Fear not.” God provided us with one “Fear not” message for every day of the year! He wants us to hear the message: Don’t be afraid”? Why does God have to repeat himself so often when it comes to our worries and fears? It’s because our hurts and hang-ups can often cause us to think that God is out to get us, that all he wants to do is condemn us and punish us. But that simply isn’t true. Jesus is the proof of that. When you understand God’s grace and mercy, then you have no need to fear the fu...

“When he has led out all of his sheep, he walks in front of them, and they follow, because they know his voice.” John 10:4 (CEV) God guides you. When you get confused or wander away, Jesus will find you and bring you back. Much like sheep, we tend to wander—and we get lost. So God sent Jesus on a search and rescue mission to save us, “to seek and save those who are lost” (Luke 19:10 NLT). Why? Because every single one of us matters to him. When God brings you back from wandering away from him, he will not punish you, but he may discipline you. Like a shepherd that wraps the legs of a sheep that is prone to wander, God may give you a limp to keep you from wandering. God guards you. If you fail or fall, Jesus rescues you and sets you on the road to recovery. We not only wander, but, just like sheep, we also stumble and fall. The good news is that you can run to Jesus every time you mess up and expect him to rescue and restore you. Jesus said, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into...

“I came so that my sheep will have life and so that they will have everything they need. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep.” John 10:10-11 (GW) When we see a crowd, we can easily get irritated or impatient. But when Jesus saw a crowd, “he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36 ESV). That’s the same way God looks at you: with compassion. He doesn’t put you down. He lifts you up! No matter how angry, hurt, or betrayed you feel, Jesus will always respond with compassion. He knows how helpless we are without him, “like sheep without a shepherd.” Without a shepherd, sheep are defenseless. They don’t have any claws, they don’t run fast, and their teeth are not very sharp. They need the protection of a shepherd. Throughout the Bible, sheep are a symbol of God’s people. John 10:10-11 says, “I came so that my sheep will have life and so that they will have everything they need. I am the ...

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never die, and no one can steal them out of my hand.” John 10:27-28 (NCV) You can’t save yourself—but you don’t have to! All you need to do is put your hand in God’s hand and say, “God, I surrender it all to you—all the good and bad parts of my life. I’m not perfect, but you are, and so I’m accepting your gift of salvation.” When you do that, you can relax in your salvation. But some days, you’ll want to let go of God’s hand. You’ll want to pull back and say, “I don’t even know what I believe.” But God is never going to let go of your hand, because he loves you too much. Jesus says, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never die, and no one can steal them out of my hand. My Father gave my sheep to me. He is greater than all, and no person can steal my sheep out of my Father’s hand” (John 10:27-29 NCV). The “eternal lif...

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” Psalm 23:5 (NIV) David knew what it meant to be attacked emotionally, verbally, and physically. As a young man, he was anointed by the prophet Samuel to be the next king of Israel, but Saul was still king. Even though David served him loyally, Saul was jealous of the future king and decided to kill him. David had to hide from Saul in caves while lies were being told about him across the kingdom. Yet David never said a bad word against King Saul. He never retaliated—because God was preparing David to be a king who followed God’s heart. David said of God, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies” (Psalm 23:5 NIV). Does it sound like David was stressed out? No! He didn’t have to use up all his energy defending himself, because he trusted God to be his defender. It takes a lot of faith and humility to trust God and rest when you’re under attack, when you’re misunderstood, and when rumors are spreading about y...

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted, and he saves those whose spirits have been crushed.” Psalm 34:18 (NCV) Everyone will experience loss. And you don’t just “get over” a loss. You can’t go under it; you can’t go around it. You’ve got to go through the grief. If you’re scared to express emotion and refuse to go through it, that’s where you get stuck. You get unstuck by letting God help you. Here are six ways he does that: 1. God draws you close to himself. Psalm 34:18 says, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted, and he saves those whose spirits have been crushed” (NCV). When you grieve, God may seem a million miles away. But what you feel and what is real are not always the same thing. In fact, God has never been any closer to you than when you are grieving. 2. God grieves with you. The Bible says Jesus was “a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief” (Isaiah 53:3 NLT). When you come to Jesus with your grief, he understands your pain. God is a suffering God, and he is a sympa...

The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.” 1 Thessalonians 5:24 (NIV) God never asks you to do something without providing what you need to do it. Anointing is a sign of God’s equipping and empowering you to fulfill an assignment he’s given you. Do you want God’s resurrection power to work through your life? Then you need to understand what it means to have his anointing. To understand God’s anointing, you need to keep a few things in mind. 1. When God says to do it, you can count on his anointing. Jesus’ last assignment to his disciples was impossible. There was no way they could possibly take the Gospel to the ends of the Earth. It could only happen through his power. God will often give you an assignment that looks physically impossible, but he will make it possible. “The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:24 NIV). 2. God’s anointing makes difficult tasks easier. Your resources, energy, knowledge, wisdom, and talent are all limited—but ...

“I will not let you go unless you bless me.” Genesis 32:26 (NIV) When God blessed Jacob, he promised to give him land, multiply his family, make him a mighty nation, and use him to bless the world. He made Jacob and his family God’s chosen people. But just like he does with you today, God gave Jacob a promise and then tested his faith in that promise. In Genesis 32, Jacob struggled with God all night long in a wrestling match that tested his patience, faith, and trust. Then God injured Jacob at his hip and gave him a serious disadvantage. Jacob was hurt and tired, and yet, at dawn, he still said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me” (Genesis 32:26 NIV). Isn’t that an interesting thing to say to somebody you’re wrestling with? Apparently sometime during this all-night struggle, Jacob became aware that the one he was wrestling with was no ordinary individual. He was wrestling with God. And so, Jacob refused to let go, knowing that God could bless him. Maybe you feel like you’re wr...

“My cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life.” Psalm 23:5-6 (NIV) Is your life overflowing? If you’re like most people, it may be overflowing—but not with goodness. So many people have overbooked their calendars, overspent their money, overdrawn their credit, overloaded their emotions, overworked their bodies, overcrowded their days, and overvalued the approval of others. As a result, they wind up overstressed, overanxious, and overwhelmed—and they’re over it! They are far from experiencing the goodness of God. Why do we do let ourselves get overextended? Often the fear of missing out motivates us to do more. But the truth is you’re not missing out on anything when you rest in the goodness and provision of God. God wants to move you from being overwhelmed to overflowing. He wants to meet all your needs—and he can! First, you need to recognize two fundamentally different approaches to life that either keep you from God’s abundance o...

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 (NIV) The moment you start doubting the goodness of God and deciding for yourself what will make you happy, all kinds of problems begin in your life. You wind up overworked, overanxious, and overloaded—and just generally overwhelmed! But God promises you an overflowing life, not an overwhelmed life. Jesus said, “I have come in order that you might have life—life in all its fullness” (John 10:10 GNT). How do you experience an abundant, overflowing life? There is one habit that, if you do it every day, will fill you with an endless supply of God’s goodness: Stay connected to Jesus. In John 15:5, Jesus compared staying connected to him with a grapevine: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5 NIV). What happens when a cluster of grapes is cut off...

“In everything you do, stay away from complaining and arguing.” Philippians 2:14 (TLB) If you want to move from an overwhelmed life to an overflowing life, you need to start being grateful, and stop complaining. Studies have shown that gratitude produces chemicals in your brain that make you feel peaceful and happy. An attitude of gratitude is something you can start the moment you wake up. Before you get out of bed, make a list of things you’re grateful for. For example, your list might say, “God, I’m grateful for fresh air; I’m grateful for this bed; I’m grateful I’m not in danger.” Even if you can’t think of anything to be grateful for, the simple act of trying to be grateful will change your brain chemistry. The Bible says, “In everything you do, stay away from complaining and arguing” (Philippians 2:14 TLB). When you complain about something, how does that help you? If you complain about the weather, does it change the weather? If you complain about the way you look, does it chan...

It's healthy to be content, but envy can eat you up.” Proverbs 14:30 (CEV) To live an abundant life that overflows with God’s goodness, the first thing you need to do is start being grateful and stop complaining. The second thing you need to do is start being content and stop comparing. God made you to be you. He doesn’t want you to be anybody else! When you compare yourself to other people, you get envious and resentful, and you might even start to copy them. But God has never made a clone. God only makes originals. Even identical twins are different in thousands of ways. If you won’t be you, then who will be you? The truth is that comparing only gets you in trouble. When you compare your looks, your grades, your spouse, your career, or your kids, it causes two problems. One, you get full of discouragement, because you can always find someone who’s doing a better job than you—someone who is better looking, makes more money, or has more talent. And two, you get full of pride. Why...

The Lord watches over all who love him.” Psalm 145:20 (NIV) When you put your trust in Jesus, you never need to fear the future. His goodness and mercy are with you every day. You’re following the Good Shepherd, and he is out in front of you with his rod and staff. And at the back of the flock are a couple of sheepdogs—goodness and mercy—nipping at your heels, making sure you don’t run off. These two sheepdogs keep you on track as you follow the Good Shepherd. God’s goodness is watching over you. Did you know that a second has never passed in your life when God was not watching you? God is always paying attention to you, because he created you to love you. He knows every detail of your life. Psalm 145:20 says, “The Lord watches over all who love him” (NIV). Not only does he watch over you, but he also protects you. The Bible says, “God will command his angels to protect you wherever you go” (Psalm 91:11 CEV). God’s protection doesn’t mean that only good things will happen to you. Suf...

The wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy.” James 3:17 (NLT) Mercy is like a diamond; it is multifaceted. Today we’re going to look at seven facets of mercy. And I guarantee that learning how to be an agent of mercy will transform your relationships. 1. Mercy means being patient. The Bible says in James 3:17, “The wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy” (NLT). The wiser you become, the more patient and merciful you become. 2. Mercy means helping anyone around you who is hurting. You cannot love your neighbor as yourself without being merciful. Proverbs 3:27 says, “Whenever you possibly can, do good to those who need it” (GNT). 3. Mercy means giving people a second chance. When somebody hurts you, you normally want to get even or write that person off. But the Bible says, “Stop being bitter ...

Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life.” Psalm 23:6 (NLT) Even in the middle of your hurts, habits, and hang-ups, God is watching over you. David says to God in Psalm 23:6, “Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life” (NLT). When David says, “Surely your goodness will pursue me,” he’s not saying, “Surely only good things are going to happen to me.” David knew as well as anyone that bad things happen to good people. He had been abused and treated unfairly and was still a man who followed God’s heart. But he had also sinned terribly against people who had done no wrong to him. David’s point is that, no matter how bad, evil, or difficult something seems—and no matter how much we mess things up—God will work it out for good. His goodness is pursuing us, no matter which way we turn. It’s one of God’s great promises that he’s given to believers: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love...

Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life.” Psalm 23:6 (NLT) When you’re struggling with hurts, habits, and hang-ups, God comes right alongside you, helping to pick up your messes and telling you that his unfailing love is always there. This means that, rather than entering the future with a question mark, you can do it with an exclamation point! God will be with you, no matter what happens. He will help you out: “Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever” (Psalm 23:6 NLT). What is God’s goodness, and what is his unfailing love? God’s goodness is the fact that God gives us good things in life that we don’t deserve. His unfailing love—his mercy—means that God holds back the condemnation we do deserve. Remember this: • God’s goodness will provide and protect. • God’s mercy (unfailing love) will pardon and forgive. • God’s goodness will supply your every need. • Go...

Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23:6 (NLT) Someday your life on Earth is going to end, but that’s not going to be the end of you. You’re going to live forever in one of two places: heaven or hell. Your body is going to die, but you’re not going to die, because you were made to last forever. How long is forever going to last? Forever! The Bible tells us why Christians should be the most confident about the future: “Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord . . . We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:6, 8 NIV). You will never know how to really live until you’re ready to die. Only a fool would go through life totally unprepared for something that everybody knows is inevitable. You’re going to die someday. If you’ve accepted Christ, then you’re...

“God . . . does everything just right and on time, but people can never completely understand what he is doing.” Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NCV) If you want to slow down your life, you’ve got to learn to trust God’s timing. When things aren’t happening as quickly as you hoped, it’s easy to get impatient. But do you know what impatience really is? It’s a lack of trust. When you’re impatient, it’s like you’re saying, “God, I don’t really trust you. I’m in a hurry for something, and I don’t believe you know when I need it.” You get worried, you get hurried, and you start scurrying—because you don’t trust God to do things at the right time and in the right way. So instead of trusting his timing, you struggle and strive. If you’re like most people, when you want something, you want it fast. But is fast always better? Not always. The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 3:11, “God . . . does everything just right and on time, but people can never completely understand what he is doing” (NCV). God has a plan f...

God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” Matthew 5:7 (NLT) Have you ever noticed that if you’re critical with others, they’re critical with you? If you’re kind to others, they’re kind to you? Or if you’re generous with others, then they’re generous with you? Whatever you give in life, you’re going to get in return. The same is true with God’s mercy. Jesus says in Matthew 5:7, “God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (NLT). But why does God want you to show mercy to others? Why is being merciful so important? Because God has shown you mercy. Ephesians 2:4-5 says, “God’s mercy is so abundant, and his love for us is so great, that while we were spiritually dead in our disobedience he brought us to life with Christ. It is by God’s grace that you have been saved” (GNT). God wants you to pass on the mercy that you’ve received from him. Because God commands you to be merciful. Do you want a summary of what life’s all about? Here it is: “The ...

Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” Romans 12:15 (ESV) The Bible tells you to “rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15 ESV). Have you noticed that the second part of that sentence is easy, but the first part can be really tough? When somebody’s having a hard time, it’s easy to be sympathetic. It’s easy to encourage people when they’re down. But what about when someone in your circle gets a promotion? That can be hard to handle! Rather than rejoicing in someone else’s success, you may resent it. You may even wish bad things would happen to people, because somehow you think that if you can blow out their candle, yours will shine brighter. But here’s the truth: There’s plenty of God’s grace to go around. Jesus once told the story of a landowner who hired workers at the beginning of the day to work in his vineyard. And the landowner continued to hire workers throughout the morning and afternoon, so that some of them only worked an hour...

It is better to be satisfied with what you have than to be always wanting something else. Ecclesiastes 6:9 (GNT) Instead of being regretful, you need to be grateful. Instead of complaining, you need to remember that everything is a gift from God. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 4:7-8, “Isn’t everything you have and everything you are sheer gifts from God? So what’s the point of all this comparing and competing? You already have all you need” (The Message). Envy always asks, “Why them? Why does he have better health? Why does she have a job and a husband, and I have neither?” Gratitude says, “Why me? Why do I get to drink clean water when so much of the world doesn’t? Why am I not under persecution? Why am I not thrown into prison for my faith?” Envy is based on the myth that you must have more in order to be happier. But it’s just not true. Happiness is a choice. If you’re not happy now, you’re not going to be happy with more. I could give many testimonies of people who have a lot more...

“Let us run with patience the particular race that God has set before us.” Hebrews 12:1 (TLB) One of the signs that envy is in your heart and needs to be eliminated is that you constantly use this phrase: “It’s not fair.” You know what that phrase sounds like: “It’s not fair that he gets to do that and I don’t!” “It’s not fair that it’s easy for her and not for me.” “It’s not fair that their kids got the award and mine didn’t.” “It’s not fair that they can afford that vacation and I can’t.” Envy is actually a battle with God. You’re in a fight with God every time you envy. When you envy, you’re saying, “God, You didn’t do it right. You didn’t have the brains enough to make me the way I ought to be. If you really loved me, you wouldn’t have made me me; you would have made me somebody else.” The problem is this: When you envy, you don’t trust God. You don’t believe that he has your best interest at heart. You don’t believe that he knows more than you do about what’s best for you. You d...

Long ago, even before he made the world, God chose us to be his very own through what Christ would do for us . . . His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by sending Jesus Christ to die for us.” Ephesians 1:4-5 (TLB) To get ready to be used by God, the first thing you need to do is understand the purpose of your life. The Bible makes God’s purpose for you very clear: “Long ago, even before he made the world, God chose us to be his very own through what Christ would do for us . . . His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by sending Jesus Christ to die for us” (Ephesians 1:4-5 TLB). God made you to be part of his family. He made you so he could have a relationship with you—to love you and to be loved in return. But there’s only one way to become part of God’s family: through faith in Jesus Christ. Not only does God want you to be part of his family but he also wants you to spend eternity with him. Ephesians 1:10 says, “This was his ...

To all who received him, he gave the right to become children of God. All they needed to do was to trust him to save them. John 1:12 (TLB) How do you use your life here to prepare for eternity? First, you get to know Jesus Christ. The Bible says, “To all who received him, he gave the right to become children of God. All they needed to do was to trust him to save them” (John 1:12 TLB). Notice that not everybody is a child of God—just those who receive him into their lives. God wants you to establish a relationship with him by trusting in him. You grow a relationship with God the same way you grow any relationship—through time and conversation. That’s the same way you develop a relationship with God. You make time in your schedule for him. You get alone with God and worship him and learn from him. You spend regular, significant time with him. The second thing you can do to have a relationship is to talk. In a relationship with God, this means prayer. You will never regret investing your...

“Use your time in the best way you can.” Colossians 4:5 (ICB) If you want to get ready to be used by God, there are a few steps you need to take. First, you need to get to know Jesus Christ. Then, you need to start using your time in view of eternity. Colossians 4:5 says, “Use your time in the best way you can” (ICB). Time is your most precious resource. It’s far more important than money. You can get more money, but you can’t get more time. In this life, you only have a certain amount of time allotted to you. You can’t make time, you can’t borrow time, you can’t save time, and you can’t extend time. You can only use it. We all have the same amount of time every week: 168 hours. If you don’t learn to manage your time well, you cannot manage anything else in your life—because your time is your life. How you use your time is one of the ways God tests you on Earth as you prepare for eternity. He’s watching to see how you manage your time now to determine what he’s going to have you do in ...

Use every part of your body to give glory back to God.” 1 Corinthians 6:20 (TLB) When you’re getting ready to be used by God, he doesn’t just want to see that you’re spending your time on the most important things. He also wants you to use your talents in view of eternity. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 6:20, “Use every part of your body to give glory back to God” (TLB). There’s a big misconception about heaven that even many Christians have. Some people think that when you get to heaven, all you’re going to do is kick back and eat ice cream, wear a white robe, play a harp, and float on clouds. But none of those things are in the Bible! So what are you going to do for all those trillions of years when you get to heaven? God has plans for you to serve in heaven. You’ll have specific things to do in heaven—enjoyable things that allow you to serve God. Right now, he’s giving you time on Earth to practice serving. And he’s watching to see whether you take advantage of that opportunity. So...

“I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” Philippians 4:11 (NIV) If you’re serious about slowing down, don’t start with your schedule. Start with your heart. Paul says in Philippians 4:11, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances” (NIV). Notice that Paul says he has “learned” contentment. We are not by nature a contented persons. It is our nature to be discontent—to want things to be different, to want them to be better. But if you’re going to slow down your life, you have to learn contentment. And you can only do that over time. Paul explains what it looks like to be content. He says, “Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that” (1 Timothy 6:6-8 NIV). Paul is emphasizing that life isn’t about things. A person who is content can acknowledge, “I didn’t have anything before I was born; I’m not going to have anything after...

“I have learned that everything has limits.” Psalm 119:96 (GNT) If you want to build margin in your life so that you can do the work God meant for you to do, you have to remember that you are only human. You are not a god. You are not invincible. You have limits! Psalm 119:96 says, “I have learned that everything has limits” (GNT). God is the author of your limitations. He put them there for your good—because he loves you. So rather than fighting your limits, you need to accept your limits. Sadly, as human beings we’re not very adept at recognizing our limits. We constantly overestimate our abilities and underestimate obstacles and how much time it will take to do something. On top of that, we live in a culture that constantly tells us, “You can do it all! You can have it all! You can be whatever you want!” But it’s not true. You can be all that God wants you to be, but you cannot be whatever you want to be. There are limits in your life. In the first place, you have physical limits. ...

“You have six days in which to do your work, but the seventh day is a day of rest dedicated to me.” Exodus 20:9-10 (GNT) The Bible is filled with instructions about living the kind of healthy life God made you to live. Exodus 20:9-10 says, “You have six days in which to do your work, but the seventh day is a day of rest dedicated to me” (GNT). Rest is so important to God that he put it in the Ten Commandments. He wants you to take a day off from your regular routine every week. That day off is called the Sabbath, which literally means a “day of rest,” and God wants you to do it every seventh day. (It doesn’t have to be a certain day, just every seventh day.) That day of rest is so important that even God rested on the seventh day when he created everything—not because he was tired but to give us an example of how we should rest. For many people, the idea of taking a whole day for rest is unusual. What does it really mean to rest for an entire day? Here are three ways to make the Sabbat...

“It is a trap to dedicate something rashly and only later to consider one’s vows.” Proverbs 20:25 (NIV) Sometimes life seems to surge ahead at a breakneck speed—and it can be hard to know how to slow it down. One way you can slow your life down to a more manageable level is this: Learn to pause and pray before making a decision. Proverbs 20:25 says, “It is a trap to dedicate something rashly and only later to consider one’s vows” (NIV). What is God saying in this verse? He’s telling you to ponder before promising. Deliberate before deciding. Muse before you choose. Reflect before you select. In other words, pause and pray before adding to your schedule. Consider your commitments prayerfully and carefully. That will slow your life down. I’ve had to learn this truth the hard way: You can’t keep adding commitments to your schedule without eliminating other things. Every time you add a new activity to your calendar, you need to take something else off. If you’re burning the candle at both ...