WISE GUIDANCE!

PROVERBS 11:14

"Where there  is no WISE GUIDANCE, the people fall;  but in the multitude of counselors there is safety."

Before you make a big decision, do you seed advice and counsel from others?  The truth for today is advising us to make it a habit to seek many wise counselors before before we make a big or major decision.  Some people tend to  make life changing decisions without getting wise guidance or the proper input and they suffer the consequences.  Seeking God's Word and wise counsel on any matter should be the first step in any decision.  Acting without thinking a problem through is a sure recipe for failure and taking a fall!

While we are here on earth we will have to make some very important and life changing decisions.  What will be your profession or life's work?  Who should we marry?  How many children should I have?  What political party should I support?  Where will my family live?  Of course, the most important decision is whether or not to accept Jesus Christ the Lord God into my heart and life!  If Jesus Christ is my personal saviour then He will always be first in everything that I do and I will seek His Word for guidance and counsel.  I want to know what the will of God is for my life.  I will seek  safety by listening to many of His Godly counselors before I make a life changing decision. 

A nation is no different than a person when it comes to seeking wise counsel.  Without wise leadership a nation or a family will fall.  How do we increase the odds of success in any venture?  The Word tells us the correct answer.  God must be an at the center of our country and our leadership.  If He is not then we are not safe.  Wisdom, like God never changes and the true source of all knowledge and understanding is the Lord God.  So we must get the first thing first and seek the Lord in all or our ways.  Where there is WISE GUIDANCE there is safety!  

GOD'S REWARD!

PSALM 58:11

"There truly is a reward for those who live for God;  surely there is a God who judges justly here on earth."

If you do the right thing, you should be rewarded.  If you do the wrong thing, there should be consequences.  Every one of us is responsible for our own actions and thoughts and every action has a consequence.  Those who live for God and believe in His Word should have a definable and predictable result.  Surely there is a God of justice here on the earth as well as in Heaven.  Surely we will be rewarded if we trust in the Lord.  If you reject God and set yourself up as the author of the universe you will also reap predictable results.  God's justice is perfect.  Your choices lead to your results as you reap what you sew!

What is the reward for those who live for God?  They will be given eternal life and not have to die the second death.  They will be born into the kingdom of God and after life here they will be in Heaven for eternity.  Everyone dies once, and then the judgement.  Those who have been born of the spirit and accepted God's Salvation receive eternal life as a child of God.  Those who have rejected God will be separated from Him and die the second death that is also eternal.  This will be as a direct result of their rejection of God and their disrespect of His Salvation.  They will receive the perfect justice they deserve because they would not live for God here on earth.

When people argue that God is not a Just God, or when they ask how could a Good God allow bad things to happen, remember the reward for people is proportional to their actions.  There is a reward for those who live for God.  The have accepted God personally and then lived for Him.  Their reward is the direct result of their action.  Everyone has free will and you can choose to accept or reject God.  You do not have to accept His free gift of eternal life and you can reject God or make no decision about God, which is the same as rejection in that there is no acceptance.  Everyone will reap the rewards of their action or inaction.  Live for God and truly you will be rewarded.    

DO NOT BE AFRAID!

LUKE 2:10-11

"Do not be afraid!  I bring you good news that will bring joy to all people.  The Saviour, the Messiah, the Lord has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David."

Have you ever been afraid?  Are you alert for whatever danger may be close at hand.  Have you noticed that when an animal bends down to drink water from a pond, they are always alert and looking out for any danger.  It is part of our nature to be afraid of present and even future events. We are constantly concerned about our health and our life.  The instinct for survival is one of the strongest instilled in us.  What is it that you are afraid of?  

The truth for today is about the "Good News" that will bring joy to all people.  The ones that hear this message will hear the cry of the angel, "DO NOT BE AFRAID".  Why is it that we can be filled with joy instead of fear?  Our Saviour, our Lord had been born in the city of David and He is the Messiah.  Jesus Christ is the one who was sent to earth to save us and give us eternal life.  We who are His will no longer die.  The grave will have no victory over us and death will have no sting.  Our Saviour has brought us peace and joy and forgiveness and mercy and eternal life.  DO NOT BE AFRAID!

We have been saved from fear and death and promised eternal life and perfection with the Lord.  That is why the angel told the Shepard's not to be afraid.  This is the best news that the world and mankind ever heard.  God had answered the prayers of His people and provided Salvation and a way to overcome sin and this life.  It brings unspeakable joy to all people who hear and believe it.  If you belong to the Lord, who should you fear?  No one is the correct answer.  Your life is in His hands and He will Save you from all that you fear.  What wonderful news for all of us,  DO NOT BE AFRAID.  The Lord has come into our lives.   

GOD SHOWS MERCY!

LUKE 1:50

"GOD SHOWS MERCY  from generation to generation, to all who fear Him."

Without God's mercy our soul would be lost and salvation would not be possible.  Do you want God to be merciful to you, a sinner?  Even though justice would demand that we be punished, God's mercy allows us compassion, grace and leniency because we love and  fear Him.  All of us have come short of the glory of God and as a result we do not deserve to avoid punishment and the wrath of God.  Because we have believed in Him and because we fear and respect Him the Lord Jesus Christ becomes our advocate and thus, GOD SHOWS MERCY!  God has done this from generation to generation for all who fear Him.

God is compassionate to all who are miserable and afflicted, if they show reverence and truly fear God.  This mercy is available to everyone no matter their age, sex, race or whatever generation they were born in.   The determinative factor is the same from generation to generation.  Did you fear, love and respect God.  You were responsible for your choice to either come to know the beginning of wisdom, which is the fear of God, or whether you rejected His message.  If you accepted the Salvation of the Lord, you will receive mercy and you will be saved even though you do not deserve it.  If you choose to reject and not fear God you condemn yourself to eternal separation and there will be no mercy. No fear of God, no mercy!

The beginning of wisdom is the FEAR OF GOD.   The knowledge of His Word is understanding.  The choice should be clear to any rational person.  It still remains an individual decision and the results are self imposed.  As the Bobby Dylan song suggests, you can serve the devil or you can serve the Lord, but you have to serve somebody.  Some believe they can serve themselves or other men.  If you try to save yourself and obtain eternal life, good luck.  In your ignorance you will die trying.  If you want eternal life in heaven and to be with the Lord forever then you must learn that only GOD SHOWS MERCY! 

BELIEVE AND BE BAPTIZED!

MARK 16:16

"Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved.  Anyone who refuses to 

believe will be condemned."

You alone are responsible for your thoughts, beliefs and actions.  Your responsibility does not belong to your mother, father, sister, brother or any other person.  You alone control your thoughts, beliefs and actions.  What you think, say and do will define you as a person.  In that you control your thoughts one at a time, you are the only one in control of your actions.  Your life is being kept on a heavenly DVD that will be played back and seen and heard at your judgement.    The Lord's response to your life will be a perfect reflection of you.  Anyone who believed in Him and was baptized, will be saved.  Anyone who refused to believe in Jesus Christ will be condemned.

That is why the Lord's Justice is perfect.  The Lord will not condemn anyone at the judgement, they will condemn themselves, based on their life DVD.  You will absolve yourself or condemn yourself based on your beliefs and  your actions.  One of those actions was accepting the Lord into your life and being baptized in the water and the spirit.  Have you responded to the "Good news"?  Did you accept His salvation or have you rejected Him and His free gift of eternal life?  If you believe in the gospel and rely on the Saving Grace of Jesus Christ, you will be saved. Being baptized is an outward expression of your inward belief in the Lord.  What do you believe!

Those who do not believe in the Lord will be condemned to eternal separation and will suffer the second death.  They actually will condemn themselves by their inaction or rejection of the Lord.  They alone will be responsible for their fate.  God does not want anyone to be lost or to die.  He invites anyone and everyone to come to a Saving Grace of Him and His Salvation.  So when people ask why a Good God would condemn anyone to Hell or death, explain how they have condemned themselves.  God is not responsible for your actions or beliefs, you are!  "ANYONE WHO BELIEVES AND IS BAPTIZED WILL BE SAVED,  ANYONE WHO REFUSES TO BELIEVE WILL BE CONDEMNED!

MERCIFUL AND COMPASSIONATE!

PSALM 145:8

"The Lord is MERCIFUL AND COMPASSIONATE, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love."

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.  Would you like to be most like?  Who do you want to emulate and learn from?  If you said your name instead of "The Lord" in the truth for today how would it sound to you.  Are you merciful and compassionate, slow to anger, and filled with unfailing love?  This is one of the best ways to assess your walk with the Lord.  How much are you listening to His Word and how much are you becoming like Him?  What are the attributes of the Lord that we should emulate in increasing measure?

God is merciful and compassionate, are you?  When others do things that anger you, how do you react to them?  In a heated argument or when you are in conflict with someone, what should you do?  If you believe in Christ and are filled with His Love there is only one response and only one answer.  You must be the one to be merciful and you are the one to be compassionate and you must be the one to respond with love.  If you get angry at the least provocation, or even after repeated incidents, be slow to be the one to find fault.  Remember that God is slow to get angry with you even though you give Him provocation.  God's love is unfailing and so should yours be.  We may not be perfect but we can be righteous and holy.

We should praise the name of the Lord every day.  We need to meditate on His glory and splendor.  We need to thank Him for his mercy and compassion toward us.  What would have happened to us if He had not been merciful?  The Lord, however, always keeps His promises and is gracious in all that He does.  When we fall He lifts us up.  He carries our heavy burdens for us.  He forgives and forgets when we sin against Him, if we confess and ask for forgiveness.  You must be like the Lord and you must remember that others deserve what you have been given.  Be MERCIFUL AND COMPASSIONATE!  

KEEP ON PRAYING!

MARK 14:39

"Then Jesus left them again and prayed the same prayer as before."

The Lord prayed the same prayer three times.  This should answer the question about whether we should ask for the same thing in prayer more than once.  Some have believed that if you prayed for something one time it is showing a lack of faith to repeat the prayer.  They believe that if you have named it, then you can claim it.  If our Lord is the example to follow and if we are to walk in His footsteps, we should learn from this Truth For Today.  If there is a desire in your heart and after praying for it once or twice, you do not receive it, KEEP ON PRAYING!

All things are possible to Jesus Christ the Lord God.  He can grant any request or prayer.  The key is that the prayer or request be in His Will.  It is not what we will, but what God Wills that is controlling.  The Lord's answer may be yes, no, or maybe later.  The answer will always be what is best for you and made with God's omnipotence.  You may not like the answer or the delay in receiving it.  If the answer to your prayer is no, then at a later time you may comprehend why, and even agree with the Lord.  Do not be discouraged, the Lord hears every prayer and He entertains your requests and will do what is best for you.   KEEP ON PRAYING!

The Word tells us to pray without ceasing and for everything.  We should pray constantly and fervently for all things.  Regardless of whether we pray for something small or large, the Lord will hear them all and will answer them in His timing and Will.  If you have an illness that has not been healed KEEP ON PRAYING.  If your marriage needs to be saved, KEEP ON PRAYING. If you want some potentially harmful catastrophe to pass you bye, then KEEP ON PRAYING. Your answer may come in this lifetime or in the life to come, but the Lord will answer your prayer.   The thing that is the most important to remember is the Lord's decisions are perfect!

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth Lord!