Where do you run to for strength in times of difficulty? Some merely wallow in depression. Others resort to efforts in the flesh. Many simply turn to other people. The tragedy of turning to any of these things or people is that their help or comfort is only marginal at best, and ignores what God has supplied to provide our needed stability.

David found the right answer. He wrote, “This is my comfort in my affliction: for Thy Word hath quickened me” (Psa. 119:50). In the midst of weakness, even when he felt extremely despondent, time spent in God’s Word brought him spiritual life, comfort, and the strength that he needed. The extent of the help he received is indicated by his testimony in verse 71: “It was good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statues.” Quite simply, he allowed God to meet his need so adequately that his tragedy became a triumph by turning to the Scriptures.

Not only are we to personally find God’s Word to be the answer for all our needs, we are also to present the Scriptures to others as the answer to their needs as well. That’s what the Apostle Paul meant when he instructed the Philippians to be always “holding forth [meaning to present or offer] the Word of life” (Phil. 2:16). Their ministry to the lost was to be enhanced by the most “blameless” (2:15) conduct possible, as they shared the gospel with others, and applied God’s Word to daily living. But their ministry was to be empowered by promoting the Scriptures (not arguments, logic, or platitudes) to the hearts of those with whom they sought to have a ministry. This was the pattern the Apostle Paul left them. He held forth the Word of Life to them; they believed it and were saved. Later his letter further equipped them for their present needs in the midst of suffering. It was this practice of presenting God’s Word to others, regardless of the individual need, that made Paul’s ministry so effective. God’s Word has real power because it is a divine message from the Lord God Almighty Himself.

God’s Word is the answer for the need of every human soul. Whether the need is eternal life, answers to current problems, counsel about what to do, comfort in trial, or insight into future events, God’s Word is intended by the Lord to be our source of strength and power. Run to it, and encourage others to do so, rather than turning to any other source.

After high school, I worked in a huge plant that employed thousands. Four gals from my high school worked there also, so we began sharing lunch breaks. However, one of them was constantly negative. Nearly everything out of her mouth was a complaint about something or someone, and it had a negative effect on the others in the group. It was depressing just listening to it all. After nearly a week, I decided I simply wouldn’t be around them any more.

God’s children of faith are not immune to a complaining spirit. When Moses was sent back to Egypt to deliver Israel out of cruel slavery, the Israelites repeatedly complained. Even a chance at freedom should have brought appreciation. But after finally being miraculously released, Israel murmured (meaning “to grumble”) against Moses when Pharaoh’s armies pursued them. Later “the people murmured against Moses” over a lack of water (Ex. 15:24). Then while in “the wilderness of Sin,” they murmured over a lack of food (16:1-4). It had become a pattern of life.

When God promised victory over the inhabitants in Canaan, they once again murmured in disbelief that God would give the victory (Num. 14). God’s anger was so kindled that an entire generation, except for Joshua and Caleb, perished without seeing the Promised Land. Paul refers to this in 1 Corinthians 10:10 warning the believers: “Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.”

Complaining is a dangerous, negative habit. It embitters the soul, sours the spirit, ignores the rich blessings of God, and robs one of the joy of life. It also unnecessarily makes life miserable for those around us, becomes a poor testimony to the lost, and poisons our outlook on life. Perhaps, worst of all, it spreads like an outbreak of the flu to others, who, in turn, mirror this negativity.

Simply put, God hates a complaining spirit. Paul warns the saints at Philippi saying, “Do all things without murmurings and disputings: that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked…nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world” (Phil. 2:14-15). It is not possible for us to be blameless before the Lord nor man if we have a complaining spirit. Ask someone today to hold you accountable any time you are being negative, then purposely practice being positive in your speech and outlook.

While our children were growing up, by God’s gracious provision, our family had a small janitorial business to supplement our financial needs. We always took the children even if all they were able to do was gather the wastebaskets. One day, the girls were less than enthusiastic about their participation. So, without really thinking it through, I told them: “If you work hard with a good attitude, when you graduate high school, mom and I will buy you a car.” I only promised that once but, they never forgot it, nor would they let me forget, nor allow me not to follow through on my promise.

Our Heavenly Father has a fantastic promise for every blood-bought believer. Referring to the time when we graduate from this life into eternity, 1 Corinthians 3:8 says: “…every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.” With absolute certainty, we are assured the Lord will handsomely reward us for service done for the Lord Jesus Christ after salvation. Reconfirming this confidence, the Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:58: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”

As we meditate on this encouraging promise, we should also comprehend one key related truth. Any reward will be proportionate to our effort in service. As stated above, everyone will be given reward “…according to his own labour” (1 Cor. 3:8). If we choose to do little or nothing for the Lord after salvation, this will be reflected in little reward received. Second Corinthians 9:6 states it this way: “…he which soweth sparingly shall also reap sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.” As a high school yearbook reflects one’s participation in school, or lack thereof, our records in eternity will correspond with our service and reward. That makes it important for us to busy ourselves now with activities that will matter once we reach eternity. We can serve Christ by inviting or transporting folks to church, presenting the gospel, handing out gospel tracts, serving in the church nursery, teaching the Scriptures, assisting in youth ministries, giving faithfully, doing follow-up on visitors, befriending newcomers to church, and much more. The limit on serving Christ is only our imagination and our willingness.

Don’t be among the foolish who serve only self in this life. Choose to do something today to further the cause of Christ. Remember, there will be a payday someday.

We have Christian friends who have a close relationship with an outstanding Bible teacher. They tell the story of going on a cruise with this teacher. At the time, the husband knew Christ as Savior, but the wife was still unsaved and somewhat leery of letting go of the doctrines learned as a child in her church. The teacher disarmed this lady by seeking her out, sharing a meal with them, being very personable, and lovingly sharing the Scriptures she needed. The end result was that this lady trusted Christ as her Savior, became a vibrant believer, and the couple became lifelong friends with this teacher who had been so used of the Lord in their lives.

Have you ever wondered how the Apostle Paul had such an effective ministry with so many during his lifetime? He gives his testimony about this in the Scriptures. It began with a genuine burden for lost souls. Paul tells us “That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren…” (Rom. 9:2,3). Lost souls seem to be able to sense when one deeply cares for their spiritual welfare. Paul was ready to share the eternal life-giving gospel “in season, out of season” (2 Tim. 4:2). No matter where he was, from prison to the palace, he was constantly giving out the message of salvation by grace alone. He sowed the seed of the gospel frequently enough that many were saved. Paul said, “I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more” (1 Cor. 9:19). His attitude was one of surrendering as a willing bond slave to the Savior; then, he served others, in a spiritual sense, willingly and humbly attending to their needs. Paul approached the lost in a personable way, finding common ground with the lost so he’d have greater credibility when presenting the gospel. He says: “…unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews…To them that are without law, as without law…I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some…” (1 Cor. 9:20-22). Paul was also tireless, working “night and day” (Acts 20:31; 1 Thes. 2:9), in his care and prayer for those he led to Christ.

If you’d like to be more greatly used of the Lord, follow this pattern used by the Apostle Paul and the teacher who reached our friend.

In his song entitled “Unanswered Prayers,” country singer Garth Brooks refers to God as “the Man upstairs.” Similar phrases referring to Almighty God include: the Big Man, my Co-pilot, my Homeboy, my Golf-buddy, or simply JC. The user may not intend it this way, but such references are highly disrespectful, and reveal a lack of understanding about who and what our Great High God really is.

When the Apostle John encountered the Lord Jesus Christ, who was instructing him to write what would be revealed to him, he said, “I fell at his feet as dead” (Rev. 1:17). Notice there was nothing casual in John’s response. Why? When the Lord Jesus Christ spoke, it was with “a great voice, as of a trumpet” (vs. 10). “His eyes were as a flame of fire” (vs. 14), and “His countenance was as the sun” (vs. 16).

This brief picture, and the reaction of a mere man in the presence of God, is consistent with the rest of Scripture. Isaiah says he saw “the Lord…high and lifted up” with dynamic angelic hosts attending Him crying, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of Hosts” (Isa. 6:1-3). Isaiah’s response was not casual or irreverent. He said, “Woe is me! For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips” (vs. 5).

People of old had a far greater reverence for the Lord. King David described his great God by saying, “The Lord reigneth, He is clothed with majesty; the Lord is clothed with strength…Thy throne is established of old: Thou art from everlasting” (Psa. 93:1-2). He continued, “God sitteth upon the throne of His holiness” as He reigns over all men (Psalm 47:8). He’s not just a co-pilot or a buddy. Balak declared, “God is not a man, that He should lie” (Num. 23:19).

The Lord tells us this is because, “…My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways…For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isa. 55:8-9). In the context of all this information, the Lord Jesus said of the Father, “Hallowed [meaning holy or sacred] be Thy name” (Matt. 6:9).

It would be appropriate to lovingly share articles such as this with lost souls who lack understanding of God’s holiness and magnificence. More importantly, in humility, we believers need always to show great reverence to the Lord and to His name.

There was once a young man who stood in the shadow of a great leader. When that leader passed away, it fell to his young apprentice to pick up the reins of leadership. As he did so, he faced his circumstances with a certain amount of understandable doubts and fears. Then someone encouraged him, telling him to be strong and exhibit courage, because God would enable him. The leader was Moses, his apprentice was Joshua, and the encourager was the Lord Himself (Josh. 1:1-9).

God likewise challenges believers in the dispensation of grace to be strong. Paul told grace believers to “…quit you [or act manly] like men, be strong” (1 Cor. 16:13) and to “…be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might” (Eph. 6:10). We must not cower in fear nor surrender to Satan who is waging spiritual warfare against us. We must be strong!

We can do so by remembering God’s power is available to us. Paul prayed the saints would comprehend “…the exceeding greatness of His power [is available] to us-ward who believe” (Eph. 1:19). The Lord offers us His power, and wants us to have it. Believe it! God’s power is accessed “by His Spirit in the inner man” (Eph. 3:16). We can never triumph over Satan in our own strength, but we can when we allow God’s power to flow in our lives in our inner man. Nourish your inner “new man” in Christ!

Our inner man is empowered by equipping ourselves with “the whole armour of God” (Eph. 6:11). This can be summarized by choosing to have a consistent daily walk in truthfulness and righteous behavior as our standard (v. 14), being always prepared to give the gospel (v. 15), protecting our minds through faith in God’s Word (v. 16), living in the confidence of our eternal victory (v. 17a), using the Scriptures to slice through Satan’s lies (v. 17b), and being constant in prayer (v. 18). Be vigilant in clothing yourself with apparel that enables you to have victory in your daily life!

Paul’s admonition is “…and having done all to stand, stand therefore…” (Eph. 6:13-14). Have you done all you need to do to stand victorious today? Are you remembering God’s power is available to you? Have you been spiritually strengthening your inner man? Will you consistently equip your soul with the whole armour of God? Be strong believer! God will enable you if you look to Him for His power to overcome whatever you face today.

During a Sunday morning service, we had a dear saint get up and do something that made us cringe. He was expressing thanks for the preciousness of rightly dividing the Word of God. Unfortunately, he was doing so by comparing ourselves to a denomination, saying how foolish and incorrect they were in interpreting God’s Word. We’ve seen wild Tom Turkeys all puffed up, spreading their feathers and strutting their stuff to impress the ladies around them. Sadly, this was the impression our Christian friend was leaving with those who were visiting from the denomination he was ridiculing.

The knowledge that God has placed divisions in His Word is, indeed, precious. It helps us better understand truth in Scripture, and dissolves what otherwise would seem to be contradictions. But there are two dangers we should be keenly aware of and avoid.

The first is to search only for “knowledge” when we read God’s Word. Please don’t misunderstand what we are trying to say. The knowledge of sound doctrine, or information, from God’s Word is essential. Paul told the saints at Corinth that when he ministered to them, “what shall I profit you, except I speak to you…by knowledge…or by doctrine” (1 Cor. 14:6). He encouraged believers to “give attendance…to doctrine (1 Tim. 4:13), to be “nourished up in…good doctrine” (1 Tim. 4:6) and to become skilled in sound doctrine (Titus 1:9; 2:1). But the trap that many fall into is thinking that information is all they should be looking for when studying God’s Word. When this happens, it only leaves us “puffed up” with pride. Our study will then, in effect, leave us worse off in pride and less pleasing to the Lord.

The second trap is failing to look for application to change our lives. Paul told the saints in Romans 6:17, “But God be thanked…ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.” God is not impressed with how much we know, unless it shows itself in a transformed life of greater godliness. Therefore, after every time in the Scripture, we should always be able to answer the question: “So what difference does God want this information to make in my life today?” This is the most essential aspect of every Bible study. Demand of yourself, and anyone who teaches God’s Word, that this kind of application be made.

Let’s not be puffed up over how much doctrine we know. Let’s be transformed into lives of greater godliness!

Proverbs 31:10 asks the question: “Who can find a virtuous woman…?” Webster’s dictionary defines the word virtuous as general moral excellence, goodness of character, or chaste. The end of verse ten goes on to say if you can find such a woman, “her price [or value] is far above rubies.” The standard here is not an unrealistic perfection in all areas of life. Instead, it is an inward beauty of character and morals that can make any woman who seeks to cultivate these qualities a highly valued woman to all who know her.

We actually have biblical examples of virtuous women. Ruth was told that all the city knew she was a “virtuous woman” (Ruth 3:11) for her devotion to Jehovah, loving care for her elder mother-in-law, work ethic, and humility to listen to instruction. The virtue of Sarah is described in 1 Peter 3:4-6 for her submission to her husband with a “meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.”

Proverbs 31 emphasizes several qualities of a virtuous woman. She is worthy of her husband’s trust (verse 11), will always do her husband good and not evil (verse 12), diligently and consistently “worketh willingly” to advance family finances (verse 13-24), she conducts herself with “strength and honor” (verse 25), “opens her mouth with wisdom [or discretion, and]…kindness” (verse 26), and “looketh well to the ways of her household” without engaging in “idleness” (verse 27). Verse 30 seems to also imply that while she may possess or desire outward beauty, she realizes this is “vain,” or empty, and fleeting. Therefore, she places a higher value on the inner beauty of the virtues studied above, and she does so because she has godliness or is “a woman that feareth the Lord.”

If you are a man who has found a virtuous woman, you are greatly blessed. Proverbs tells us “a prudent wife is from the Lord” (19:14), and she is “a crown to her husband” (12:4). Tell your virtuous woman today that you greatly appreciate her godliness, which makes her a true “trophy wife.” If you’re not yet married, this is the kind of woman you should be looking for. If you are a woman who is not satisfied that these qualities are developed fully enough in you, don’t be discouraged. Instead, take one of these qualities, ask the Lord to help you grow in this virtue, and prayerfully work on it today.

The older we get, the more our bodies wear out and are filled with aches and pains. It reminds us of our heavenly home, and helps prepare us for the time when we step into eternity. In the fall of 2013, a dear saint in our assembly was having increasingly severe health problems. One day he stood and said to us all: “Enjoy your aches and pains now because one day soon we will be with the Savior in heaven. There we will be given new heavenly bodies. We will have no pain, no sorrow and no death. A glorious future awaits us. Rejoice in this.”

The above expectation is right on target. When John the Apostle explained the physical eternal state, he wrote, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (I John 3:2). Gospel accounts of our resurrected Savior describe Him with a body similar in appearance to His previous state. We would surely expect that as God Himself, the Savior no longer experienced any pain. Revelation 21:4 confirms this when it refers to the eternal state of the kingdom saints. John wrote, “And God shall wipe away all tears…there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away.” The Apostle Paul explains there will be vast differences in our new eternal body. It will be a “celestial” body (I Cor. 15:38-40), meaning it will fitted by God to thrive in the atmosphere of the heavens. In contrast to our physical bodies that are weak, degenerating and eventually corrupt, our new bodies will be “raised in incorruption…glory…power…[and as] a spiritual body” (I Cor. 15:42-44). Paul continues his explanation by saying: “…flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God…behold I show you a mystery…we shall all be changed” (I Cor. 15:50-51). To summarize our change he says, “…as we have born the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly” (I Cor. 15:49).

Whenever you get weighed down with physical pain, remember, one day our Lord is going to give us new bodies without weakness or pain. Believe it, rejoice in it and look forward to it with thanksgiving. Keep looking up for His return in expectation and faithfulness until He comes.

Being in the pastorate can be discouraging. After all, you are an obvious target for criticism. The messages are always too long or too short, you use too many illustrations
or not enough, the content is too deep or too shallow, you stand too strongly on biblical truth or not strongly enough, and so it goes. On one occasion, I had a Christian leader harshly dress me down in public for 45 minutes and accused me of a variety of things I simply had not done. He only thought I had done them. I left that meeting so discouraged; I just wanted to give up the ministry, and maybe even give up walking with the Lord. Thankfully, He sent me encouragement when I needed it most.

Being discouraged spiritually isn’t exclusive to pastors either. All believers encounter this at one time or another. You can almost feel the sorrow of heart when you read the testimonies of God’s men of the past. David wrote: “I had fainted…” (Psa. 27:13), Jeremiah said: “When I would comfort myself against sorrow, my heart is faint in me” (Jer. 8:18), and Jonah said: “…my soul fainted within me” (Jonah 2:7). They were so discouraged and spiritually weakened that they simply felt like giving up. Thankfully, these servants of God did not give up, and there is much to learn from what carried them through.

Jonah relates to us how he found the strength to carry on: “I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto Thee, into Thine holy temple” (Jonah 2:7). Coupled with obedience to God’s will, his discouragement turned when he stayed his mind on the Lord in prayer. Similarly, Isaiah proclaims: “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength…they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31). As you can see, Isaiah also found it helpful to focus his thoughts on the Lord through prayer.

The Apostle Paul had opposition from without and from within the company of believers, and had much to be discouraged about, but he didn’t quit. His testimony was: “seeing we have this ministry…we faint not” (II Cor. 4:1). He kept his heart focused on serving the Savior, with Galatians 6:9 in mind: “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Simply put, heaven and reward from the Savior strengthened the resolve of this servant. It can for us too.

Are you discouraged spiritually? Don’t quit! Pray, focus on the importance of serving Christ, and rejoice in future reward!

We once had a friend named Richard, a handyman who fixed small motors and engines. He had a faithful dog that kept him company everyday in his shop. This dog excitedly jumped to greet Richard, and then followed him around like a shadow, giving him affection, and acting like she thought he was the best man in the world. One day while observing all this, I complimented the dog. Richard smiled and said, “You know, she’s the same every day and after all these years, she’s never complained once.”

It’s a shame more people don’t have the same kind of disposition that Richard’s dog had: a good attitude. But it is possible. Remember God’s prophet Daniel? When Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem, Daniel, along with others, was taken captive to Babylon. In this process, he was forcibly stripped of his freedom, homeland, name, and ultimately his manhood (Daniel 1). He was placed in the charge of “the prince of the eunuchs” (1:7), which meant he was castrated to make him a safer subject in proximity to the king and his realm. Daniel could have responded to all these brutal events with anger and resentment, but he didn’t. The queen described Daniel as one who had “an excellent spirit” (5:12). It was because of this quality that Daniel had been elevated to “master” of the king’s magicians and astrologers. As the king observed Daniel, he elevated him further for his good attitude. Daniel 6:3 states, “Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.”

A famous preacher once commented that he believed attitude was more important than facts, education, money, circumstances, failure, or skill, that it will make you or break you.* Proverbs 17:27 says it this way: “He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit.” Like Daniel, each of us can make a conscious choice to have a good spirit, or attitude, no matter what our circumstances. We can choose not to complain, be bitter, resentful, or negative. We can choose to exalt our Savior with not just a good attitude but with “an excellent spirit.” Is this going to describe you today?