Staying in Step
"Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?"
- Amos 3:3
A while ago, I was having problems with my German shepherd whenever we went for a walk. If another dog came anywhere near him, he would go crazy and lunge out at the dog, even if it wasn't bothering him.
When I shared this with the people who gave him to us, they asked me how I was walking him. I told them how, a lot of times, I would take him out, turn him loose, and let him go wherever he wanted to. Sometimes he would chase rabbits. When he was done, I would take him home.
They told me I couldn't do that anymore, because I was letting him run wild. They said, "The problem is that he is too 'doggy.' " They went on to explain how he needed to be reminded of who his master was. They said I needed to get him on his leash and use a muzzle device.
I started using it, and I found that it did work. I would just pull on his muzzle a little bit and he couldn't go after that rabbit. He had to go where I wanted him to go.
After a while, I took the muzzle off. Now he no longer needs that device. I am the master and he is the dog. He just goes where I go.
We can be like that with God. We say, "Here is what I want to do, Lord. You come with me."
But God says, "That is not the way it works. I want you to be more like Me. I want you to get in step with Me. I want you to go where I am going."
When we do, we are living the Christian life to its fullest.
[ Pastor Greg Laurie ]
This Is a Test
And you shall [earnestly] remember all the way which the Lord your God led you these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and to prove you, to know what was in your [mind and] heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.
- Deuteronomy 8:2
The Bible says that God led the Israelites in the wilderness for forty years to humble them, to prove them, and to see if they would keep His commandments. Tests come in hard times, not in good times because not everything God asks us to do is going to be easy. That is why He tests us to see if we are ready and able before He promotes us to a higher level of responsibility. There are so many things that come our way every day that are just nothing more than a test.
For example, sometimes when we have to wait to be seated at a table in a restaurant and then we get a bad meal, it's a test. Sometimes when we are going to pull into a parking space and someone zooms in behind us and takes it, it's a test. Sometimes when our boss tells us to do something we don't want to do, it's a test. James 1:2-4 says that tests bring out what is in us. It is in times of trial that we become best acquainted with ourselves and what we are capable of doing. Peter didn't think he would ever deny Jesus, but when he was put to the test, that is exactly what he did. God is not impressed with what we say we will do; He is impressed with what we prove we will do under pressure.
We don't get promoted in ministry because we have our Bible underlined in two colors but because we have been tested and tried, and we dug in and we passed the tests even though it was hard. James wrote, "Blessed (happy, to be envied) is the man who is patient under trial and stands up under temptation, for when he has stood the test and been approved, he will receive [the victor's] crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him." (James 1:12)
[ Joyce Meyer Ministries ]
Be a Prisoner of Hope
Today's Scripture
"Return to your fortress, O prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore double to you." (Zechariah 9:12)
Today's Word from Joel and Victoria
Natan Sharansky was imprisoned as an "enemy of the state" in the Soviet Gulag during the Cold War for disagreeing a little too openly with the Communist government. He was kept in solitary confinement, yet word would occasionally reach him of President Ronald Reagan's latest anticommunist speech. He would then tap out in Morse code a message to his fellow prisoners, encouraging them to stay faithful; that the end of their imprisonment was near. Before the Berlin Wall fell, Natan Sharansky believed. He saw it in his mind, believed it in his heart, and shared his faith with others.
Natan Sharansky was the kind of person that President Reagan, quoting the prophet Zechariah, called, a "prisoner of hope." He and many other political prisoners were freed during the collapse of the Soviet Empire and he was a guest of honor at President Reagan's funeral. His faith inspired presidents and prime ministers, and that is the kind of faith that our Heavenly Father rewards.
We want to let you know today that your release is near. Whatever prison you are in - the prison of addiction, the prison of depression, the prison of loneliness - no matter what is imprisoning you, your freedom is coming. Your best and brightest day is just ahead.
A Prayer for Today
God, You are my redeemer and my strength and, in times of trouble, I will share that hope with others. In Jesus' name, Amen.
(Today's Word is archived)
[ Joel Osteen Ministries ]
