ARE YOU RUNNING ON EMPTY?
'I will pour out water to quench your thirst...' Isaiah 44:3 NLT
Julie Coleman writes: 'I was heading to a writer's conference in Philadelphia when I realised I'd better think about stopping for petrol... Normally I'm fussy about where I stop...but as I drove the lonely stretch of road, I began to feel desperate... any minute...I'd be stranded in 40-plus degrees and I didn't even have a water bottle...I drove several long [kilometres] until I came to a tiny crossroads. Four houses....and a petrol station! It looked like it could be called 'Joe's Petrol Station and Storm Door Company'...I'd probably have turned up my nose at it in another circumstance. But at that moment [it] was the best thing I'd ever seen! Funny how our circumstances can dictate how we feel!' Running from his enemies, David prayed, '...My soul thirsts for you...in a dry, parched land where there is no water... I look for You in the holy place to see Your power and glory...' (Psalm 63:1-2 GWT) Would his prayer have been different if David had been living in luxury surrounded by servants? Not knowing where his next meal was coming from and sleeping outside every night changed his perspective. When life goes well, we become self-sufficient and forget God. Spiritually speaking, we run on empty until a spark ignites an outburst. If your car's tank is empty, whose fault is it? The petrol station hasn't moved! You chose to drive by without stopping! When you're running on empty, you end up hurting those closest to you, then dealing with the guilt that comes after a flare-up. God said, 'I will pour out water to quench your thirst.' So today pick up your Bible and refuel your soul!
NEVER MISREPRESENT ANYTHING
“Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men.” - Romans 12:17
Eventually lies are exposed. The truth will always surface. “He who covers his sins will not prosper,” (Proverbs 28:13). Anyone who does business with you wants to know the truth - the whole truth. Jesus had the greatest product on earth - salvation. He offered the human race an opportunity to have a relationship with God. He even promised them a home in heaven. But He never painted a distorted picture. After talking about the advantages of following Him, He spelled out the challenges. “…and you shall be hated by all nations for My name’s sake” (Matthew 24:9). Jesus offered people more than a pie-in-the-sky philosophy. He believed in preparing people for every possible situation that could arise. In an age when bankers and businessmen twist the truth to enhance the bottom line, God calls on you to be honest, even to your own hurt. If you represent God, and if you want to experience His blessing, you must do business His way. An honest relationship is worth more than a hundred sales. Your integrity will be remembered longer than your product. We as a nation need to go back to what made us great in the first place. Thomas Jefferson said, “The whole art of government consists in the art of being honest.” In the Bible, God’s people were largely an agricultural community. So God laid it on the line: “You shall do no injustice in judgment, in measurement of length, weight, or volume.” (Leviticus 19:35). John Parnell wrote, “It matters not what you do; make a nation or a shoe. For he who does an honest thing, in God’s pure sight is ranked a king.”
PEOPLE MAKE CHOICES IN LIFE TO DISOBEY GOD AND THEN REAP THE CONSEQUENCES OF THEIR CHOICES LIKE JONAH DID
Jonah 1: 1 Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
2 "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me."
3 But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.
The Storm at Sea
4 But the LORD sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up.
5 Then the mariners were afraid; and every man cried out to his god, and threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten the load. But Jonah had gone down into the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep.
6 So the captain came to him, and said to him, "What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God; perhaps your God will consider us, so that we may not perish."
7 And they said to one another, "Come, let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this trouble has come upon us." So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.
8 Then they said to him, "Please tell us! For whose cause is this trouble upon us? What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?"
9 So he said to them, "I am a Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land."
10 Then the men were exceedingly afraid, and said to him, "Why have you done this?" For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.
11 Then they said to him, "What shall we do to you that the sea may be calm for us?" --- for the sea was growing more tempestuous.
12 And he said to them, "Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great tempest is because of me."
13 Nevertheless the men rowed hard to return to land, but they could not, for the sea continued to grow more tempestuous against them.
14 Therefore they cried out to the LORD and said, "We pray, O LORD, please do not let us perish for this man's life, and do not charge us with innocent blood; for You, O LORD, have done as it pleased You."
15 So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging.
16 Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the LORD and took vows.
The Blood Alone Saves
Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you… Exodus 12:13
On the night of the first Passover, many of the children of Israel were probably anxious. Imagine one Israelite asking another nervously, “Did you hear that the angel of death is passing through tonight?”
“Yes! We were told to put the blood of the lamb on the doorposts of our home and everything would be all right. Is that true?”
Like the Israelites, you might be wondering, “Can the blood really protect me? How much blood do I have to put on my doorposts? Will the angel of death get me if I am fearful?”
My friend, don’t add to God’s conditions. He said, “When I see the blood, I will pass over you and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you.” He did not say, “When I see the blood, plus your understanding, efforts, obedience, faithfulness and refusal to give in to fear, then I will pass over you.”
It is the blood of Jesus alone that delivers you. If you think that it is because of your faith, then you will always be wondering, “Do I have enough faith?” No my friend, it is His blood alone that saves. And when God sees that you see that it is the blood alone that saves, He calls that faith in the blood, and every plague will pass over you!
God wants you to know that it is Jesus’ blood alone that saves because every time you think that your deliverance depends partly on God and partly on you, you will not have a settled peace in your heart. But when you know that it is the blood alone that saves, you will have an unshakable peace.
It was the blood that saved the children of Israel from the destroyer on that Passover night and it is still the blood that saves today. And all you need to do for the blood to avail is to say, “Father, I thank You that the blood of Jesus alone covers me and my family. No evil, plague or disaster will befall me or my family because of the blood!”
Thought For The Day
When you know that it is Jesus’ blood alone that saves, you will enjoy unshakable peace.
'I will pour out water to quench your thirst...' Isaiah 44:3 NLT
Julie Coleman writes: 'I was heading to a writer's conference in Philadelphia when I realised I'd better think about stopping for petrol... Normally I'm fussy about where I stop...but as I drove the lonely stretch of road, I began to feel desperate... any minute...I'd be stranded in 40-plus degrees and I didn't even have a water bottle...I drove several long [kilometres] until I came to a tiny crossroads. Four houses....and a petrol station! It looked like it could be called 'Joe's Petrol Station and Storm Door Company'...I'd probably have turned up my nose at it in another circumstance. But at that moment [it] was the best thing I'd ever seen! Funny how our circumstances can dictate how we feel!' Running from his enemies, David prayed, '...My soul thirsts for you...in a dry, parched land where there is no water... I look for You in the holy place to see Your power and glory...' (Psalm 63:1-2 GWT) Would his prayer have been different if David had been living in luxury surrounded by servants? Not knowing where his next meal was coming from and sleeping outside every night changed his perspective. When life goes well, we become self-sufficient and forget God. Spiritually speaking, we run on empty until a spark ignites an outburst. If your car's tank is empty, whose fault is it? The petrol station hasn't moved! You chose to drive by without stopping! When you're running on empty, you end up hurting those closest to you, then dealing with the guilt that comes after a flare-up. God said, 'I will pour out water to quench your thirst.' So today pick up your Bible and refuel your soul!
NEVER MISREPRESENT ANYTHING
“Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men.” - Romans 12:17
Eventually lies are exposed. The truth will always surface. “He who covers his sins will not prosper,” (Proverbs 28:13). Anyone who does business with you wants to know the truth - the whole truth. Jesus had the greatest product on earth - salvation. He offered the human race an opportunity to have a relationship with God. He even promised them a home in heaven. But He never painted a distorted picture. After talking about the advantages of following Him, He spelled out the challenges. “…and you shall be hated by all nations for My name’s sake” (Matthew 24:9). Jesus offered people more than a pie-in-the-sky philosophy. He believed in preparing people for every possible situation that could arise. In an age when bankers and businessmen twist the truth to enhance the bottom line, God calls on you to be honest, even to your own hurt. If you represent God, and if you want to experience His blessing, you must do business His way. An honest relationship is worth more than a hundred sales. Your integrity will be remembered longer than your product. We as a nation need to go back to what made us great in the first place. Thomas Jefferson said, “The whole art of government consists in the art of being honest.” In the Bible, God’s people were largely an agricultural community. So God laid it on the line: “You shall do no injustice in judgment, in measurement of length, weight, or volume.” (Leviticus 19:35). John Parnell wrote, “It matters not what you do; make a nation or a shoe. For he who does an honest thing, in God’s pure sight is ranked a king.”
PEOPLE MAKE CHOICES IN LIFE TO DISOBEY GOD AND THEN REAP THE CONSEQUENCES OF THEIR CHOICES LIKE JONAH DID
Jonah 1: 1 Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
2 "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me."
3 But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.
The Storm at Sea
4 But the LORD sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up.
5 Then the mariners were afraid; and every man cried out to his god, and threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten the load. But Jonah had gone down into the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep.
6 So the captain came to him, and said to him, "What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God; perhaps your God will consider us, so that we may not perish."
7 And they said to one another, "Come, let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this trouble has come upon us." So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.
8 Then they said to him, "Please tell us! For whose cause is this trouble upon us? What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?"
9 So he said to them, "I am a Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land."
10 Then the men were exceedingly afraid, and said to him, "Why have you done this?" For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.
11 Then they said to him, "What shall we do to you that the sea may be calm for us?" --- for the sea was growing more tempestuous.
12 And he said to them, "Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great tempest is because of me."
13 Nevertheless the men rowed hard to return to land, but they could not, for the sea continued to grow more tempestuous against them.
14 Therefore they cried out to the LORD and said, "We pray, O LORD, please do not let us perish for this man's life, and do not charge us with innocent blood; for You, O LORD, have done as it pleased You."
15 So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging.
16 Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the LORD and took vows.
The Blood Alone Saves
Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you… Exodus 12:13
On the night of the first Passover, many of the children of Israel were probably anxious. Imagine one Israelite asking another nervously, “Did you hear that the angel of death is passing through tonight?”
“Yes! We were told to put the blood of the lamb on the doorposts of our home and everything would be all right. Is that true?”
Like the Israelites, you might be wondering, “Can the blood really protect me? How much blood do I have to put on my doorposts? Will the angel of death get me if I am fearful?”
My friend, don’t add to God’s conditions. He said, “When I see the blood, I will pass over you and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you.” He did not say, “When I see the blood, plus your understanding, efforts, obedience, faithfulness and refusal to give in to fear, then I will pass over you.”
It is the blood of Jesus alone that delivers you. If you think that it is because of your faith, then you will always be wondering, “Do I have enough faith?” No my friend, it is His blood alone that saves. And when God sees that you see that it is the blood alone that saves, He calls that faith in the blood, and every plague will pass over you!
God wants you to know that it is Jesus’ blood alone that saves because every time you think that your deliverance depends partly on God and partly on you, you will not have a settled peace in your heart. But when you know that it is the blood alone that saves, you will have an unshakable peace.
It was the blood that saved the children of Israel from the destroyer on that Passover night and it is still the blood that saves today. And all you need to do for the blood to avail is to say, “Father, I thank You that the blood of Jesus alone covers me and my family. No evil, plague or disaster will befall me or my family because of the blood!”
Thought For The Day
When you know that it is Jesus’ blood alone that saves, you will enjoy unshakable peace.
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