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So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, "Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them." His lord said to him, "Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things. I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord"  -- Matthew 25:20-21 / New King James Version

God has promised us this: when we do our duties in small matters, He will give us additional responsibilities.  Sometimes, those responsibilities come when God changes the course of our lives so that we may better serve Him.  Sometimes, our rewards come in the form of temporary setbacks that lead, in turn, to greater victories. Sometimes, God rewards us by answering "no" to our prayers so that He can say "yes" to a far grander request that we, with our limited understanding, would never have thought to ask for.

If you seek to be God's servant in great matters, be faithful, be patient, and be dutiful in smaller matters. Then step back and watch as God surprises you with the spectacular creativity of His infinite wisdom and His perfect plan.

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Lord, You have a plan for our lives. Let us discover it and live it.  Today, we will seek Your will, knowing that when we trust in You, we are eternally blessed.

The Courage To Live Boldly

"For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love and sound judgment"  -- 2 Timothy 1:7 / Holman Christian Standard Bible

Do you prefer to face your fears rather than run from them? If so, you will be blessed because of your willingness to live courageously.  When Paul wrote Timothy, he reminded his young protégé that the God they served was a bold God, and God's spirit empowered His children with boldness also.  Like Timothy, we face times of uncertainty and fear.  God's message is the same to us, today, as it was to Timothy. We can live boldly because the spirit of God resides in us.

So today, as you face the challenges of everyday living, remember that God is with you and you are protected.

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"The Holy Spirit is no skeptic and the things He has written in our hearts are not doubts or opinions, but assertions - surer and more certain than sense or life itself" -- Martin Luther

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Lord, we are only human and sometimes we are afraid.  But You are always with us, and when we turn to You, You give us courage.  Let us be a faith-filled Christian and keep us mindful that with You as our protector, we are secure today and throughout eternity.

Relying Upon Him

"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, because He cares about you" 
-- 1 Peter 5:6-7 / Holman Christian Standard Bible

God is a never-ending source of support and courage for those of us who call upon Him. When we are weary, He gives us strength. When we see no hope, He reminds us of His promises. When we grieve, He wipes away our tears.

Do the demands of this day threaten to overwhelm you? If so, you must rely not only upon your own resources but also upon the countless promises of your Father in Heaven.  God will hold your hand and walk with you every day of your life if you let Him. So even if your circumstances are difficult, trust the Father.  His love is eternal and His goodness endures forever.

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"Faith is not merely you holding on to God - it is God holding on to you"  -- E. Stanley Jones

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Lord, You never leave or forsake us. You are always with us, protecting us and encouraging us.  Whatever this day may bring, we thank You for Your love and strength.

Waiting For God

"The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord"

-- Lamentations 3:25-26 / New King James Version

We are so impatient.  We know what we want and exactly when we want it:  RIGHT NOW!! But, God knows better.  He has created a world that unfolds according to His own timetable, not ours.  And sometimes, that can be difficult to comprehend and understand.  We must be patient as we wait for God to show us the wonderful plans that He has in store for us.  And while we are waiting for God to make His plans clear, let's keep praying and keep giving thanks to the One who has given us more blessings than we can count. 

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Lord, You have a plan for our lives that is greater than we can imagine.  When we are impatient, remind us that You are never early or late. You are always on time, so let us trust completely in You and Your timing.

A Pattern of Good Works

"In all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified"   -- Titus 2:7 / New American Standard Bible

It has been said that character is what we are when nobody is watching.  How true.  When we do things that we know are not right, we try to hide them from our families and friends. But even then, God is watching.  If you sincerely wish to walk with God, you must seek, to the best of your ability, to follow His commandments.  When you do, your character will take care of itself and you won't need to look over your shoulder to see who, besides God is watching.

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"A person's character is determined by his motives, and motive is always a matter of the heart"  -- John Eldredge

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Lord, You are our Father in Heaven.  You search our hearts and know us far better than we know ourselves. May we be Your worthy servant and may we live according to Your commandments.  Let us be a person of integrity, Lord, and let our words and deeds be a testimony to You, today and forever.

Perfect Wisdom

"Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who builds his house on the rock. The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the wind blew and pounded that house. yet it didn't collapse, because its foundation was on the rock"  -- Matthew 7:24,25 / Holman Christian Standard Bible

Where will you place your trust today? Will you trust in the wisdom of fallible men and women, or will you place your faith in God's perfect wisdom?  Where you choose to place your trust will determine the direction and quality of your life.   Are you tired? Discouraged? Fearful? Be comforted and trust God. are you worried or anxious? Be confident in God's power and trust His Holy Word.  Are you confused? Listen to the quiet voice of your Heavenly Father. He is not a God of  confusion. Talk with Him; listen to Him; trust Him. He is steadfast, and He is your protector . . . forever!

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"If you lack knowledge, go to school. If you lack wisdom, go on your knees"  -- Vance Havner

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Lord, You are our wise Teacher.  Help us to learn from You.  And then, let us show others what it means to be a kind, generous, loving Christian.

Faith That Works

"... You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works"

-- James 2:18 / New American Standard Bible

It is important to remember that the work required to build and sustain our faith is an ongoing process.  Corrie ten Boom advised, "Be filled with the Holy Spirit; join a church where the members believe the Bible and know the Lord; seek the fellowship of other Christians; learn and be nourished by God's Word and His many promises.  Conversion is not the end of your journey - it is only the beginning."

The work of nourishing your faith can and should be joyful work.  The hours that you invest in Bible study, prayer, meditation and worship should be times of enrichment and celebration.  And, as you continue to build your life upon a foundation of faith, you will discover that the journey toward spiritual maturity lasts a lifetime.  As a child of God, you are never fully "grown," instead, you can continue "growing up" every day of your life.  And that's exactly what God wants you to do.

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Lord, when we are filled with uncertainty and doubt, give us faith.  Today, Lord and forever, we will place our trust in You.

Ultimate Protection

"The Lord is the One who will go before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not be afraid or discouraged"

-- Deuteronomy 31:8 / Holman Christian Standard Bible

God has promised to protect us, and He intends to fulfill His promise. In a world filled with dangers and temptations, God is the ultimate armor.  In a world filled with misleading messages, His Word is the ultimate truth.  In a world filled with more frustrations than we can count, His Son offers the ultimate peace.  Will you accept God's peace and wear God's armor against the dangers of our world? Hopefully so, because when you do, you can live courageously, knowing that you possess the ultimate protection:  God's unfailing love for you!

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"The promises of God's Word sustain us in our suffering, and we know Jesus sympathizes and empathizes with us in our darkest hour"

-- Bill Bright

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Lord, You have promised to protect us, and we will trust You.  Today, we will live courageously as we place our hopes, our faith, and our lives in Your hands. Let our lives be a testimony to the transforming power of Your love, Your grace and Your Son.

He Deserves the Credit

"By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life"
 -- Proverbs 22:4 / New King James Version

We have heard the phrase on countless occasions:  "He's a self-made man."  In truth, none of us are self-made.  We all owe countless debts that we can never repay.  Our first debt, of course, is to our Father in Heaven, who has given us everything that we are and will ever be, and to His Son who sacrificed His own life so that we might live eternally.  We are also indebted to ancestors, parents, teachers, friends, spouses, family members, coworkers, fellow believers and the list goes on and on. 

Most of us, it seems, are more than willing to stick out our chests and say, "Look at me:  I did that!" And you did - but in the quiet moments when we search the depths of our own hearts, we know that whatever "it" is, God did that.  And He deserves the credit. 

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"We can never have more of true faith than we have of true humility"  -- Andrew Murray

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Heavenly Father, Jesus clothed Himself with humility when He chose to leave Heaven and come to earth to live and die for all creation.  Christ is our Master and our example. Clothe us with humility, Lord, so that we might be more like Your Son.

Using Your Gifts

"Based on the gift they have received, everyone should use it to serve others, as good managers of the varied grace of God" 

-- 1 Peter 4:10 / Holman Christian Standard Bible

All people possess special gifts - bestowed from the Father above - and you are no exception.  But, your gift is no guarantee of success; it must be cultivated and nurtured; otherwise, it will go unused . . . and God's gift to you will be squandered. Today, make a promise to yourself that you will earnestly seek to discover the talents that God has given you.  Then, nourish those talents and make them grow.  Finally, vow to share your gifts with the world for as long as God gives you the power to do so. After all, the best way to say, "Thank You" for God's gifts is to use them.

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"One thing taught large in the Holy Scriptures is that while God gives His gifts freely, He will require a strict accounting of them at the end of the road"

-- A.W. Tozer

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Lord, let us use our gifts, and let us help others discover theirs.  Your gifts are priceless and eternal. May we, Your children, use them to the glory of Your kingdom, today and forever.

Contentment that Lasts

"But godliness with contentment is a great gain.  For we brought nothing into the world, and we can taking nothing out.  But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.  But those who want to be rich fall into temptation, a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge people into ruin and destruction"

-- 1 Timothy 6:6-9 / Holman Christian Standard Bible

The preoccupation with happiness and contentment is an ever-present theme in the modern world.  We are bombarded with messages that tell us where to find peace and pleasure in a world that worships materialism and wealth.  But, lasting contentment is not found in material possessions, genuine contentment is a spiritual gift from God to those who trust in Him and follow His commandments.  When God dwells in the center of our lives, peace and contentment will belong to us just as surely as we belong to God.

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"He is truly happy who has all that he wishes to have, and wishes to have nothing that he ought not to have" -- St. Augustine

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Lord, You are our contentment and our peace.  We find protection when we seek Your hand; we discover joy when we welcome Your healing Spirit.  Let us look to You, Lord for the peace and contentment that You have offered us through the gift of Your Son.

Your Way or God's Way

"A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps"  -- Proverbs 16:9 / New King James Version

The popular song, "My Way", sung by Frank Sinatra, is a perfectly good tune, but it is not a perfect guide for life.  If you are looking for life's perfect prescription, you had better forget about doing things your way and start doing things God's way.  The more important decision of your life is, of course, your commitment to accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior.  And once your eternal destiny is secured, you will undoubtedly ask the question, "What now, Lord?" If you earnestly seek God's will for your life, you will find it ... in time.

Sometimes God's plans are crystal clear; and sometimes they are not. So be patient, keep searching, and keep praying.  If you do, then in time, God will  answer your prayers and make His plans known.  You will discover those plans by doing things His way ... and you will be eternally grateful that you did.

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"Almost 2000 years ago, Jesus Christ won the decisive battle against sin and Satan through His death and resurrection.  Satan did his best to defeat God's plans, but he could not win against God's overwhelming power"   -- Billy Graham

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Lord, today, we will seek Your will for our lives. You have a plan for us.  Let us discover it and live it, knowing that when we trust in You, we are eternally blessed.

Solving the Riddles

"If you need wisdom, if you want to know what God wants you to do, ask him, and he will gladly tell you.  He will not resent you asking"

-- James 1:5 / New Living Translation

Life presents us with countless questions, doubts and problems. Thankfully, the riddles of everyday living are not too difficult to solve if we look for answers in the right places.  When we have questions, we should consult God's Word, we should seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and we should trust the counsel of God-fearing friends and family members.

Are you facing a difficult decision? Take your concerns to God and avail yourself of the messages and mentors that He has placed along your path. When you do, God will speak to you in His own way and in His own time, and when He does, you can most certainly trust the answers that He gives.

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"God does not give His counsel to the curious or the careless; He reveals His will to the concerned and to the consecrated"  -- Warren Wiersbe

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Lord, today we come to Your seeking guidance. We will trust You to show us the path that we should take, and we will arrive, as best we can, to follow in the footsteps of Your Son.

Transcending Love

"What can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or anguish or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than victorious through Him who loved us"  -- Romans 8:35, 37 / Holman Christian Standard Bible

Where can we find God's love?  Everywhere.  God's love transcends space and time.  It reaches beyond the heavens and it touches the darkest, smallest corner of every human heart.  When we become passionate in our devotion to the Father, when we sincerely open our minds and hearts to Him, His love does not arrive "some day" - it arrives immediately. 

This week, take God at His word and welcome His Son into your heart.  When you do, God's transcendent love will surround you and transform you, now and forever.

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"The grace of God transcends all our feeble efforts to describe it.  It cannot be poured into any mental receptacle without running over"

-- Vance Havner

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Thank You, Lord, for Your love.  Your love is boundless, infinite, and eternal.  This week, let us pause and reflect upon Your love for us, and let us share that love with all those who cross our path.

Doubt and the True Believer

Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" -- Mark 9:24 / New King James Version

Even the most faithful person is overcome by occasional bouts of fear and doubt.  You are no different.  When you feel that your faith is being tested to its limits, seek the comfort and assurance of the One who sent His Son as a sacrifice for you.  Have you ever felt your faith in God slipping away? If so, you are not alone.  Every life - including yours - is a series of successes and failures, celebrations and disappointments, joys and sorrows, hopes and doubts.  But even when you feel very distant from God, God is never distant from you.  When you sincerely seek His presence, He will touch your heart, calm your fears, and restore your faith in the future.  And your faith in Him!

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"All of us are forced to live with a measure of uncertainty, and we grow accustomed to weighting evidence, considering data, and making our decisions based on probability"  -- Bill Hybels

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Lord, when we are filled with uncertainty and doubt, give us faith.  In the dark moments of life, keep us mindful of Your healing power and Your infinite love, so that we may live courageously and faithfully today and every day.

His Intimate Love

"As the Father loved me, I also have loved you; abide in My love" -- John 15:9 / New King James Version

St Augustine observed, "God loves each of us as if there were only one of us." Do you believe those words? Do you  seek an intimate, one-on-one relationship with your Heavenly Father or are you satisfied to keep Him at a "safe" distance?

Sometimes, in the busyness of our daily duties, God may seem far away, but He is not. God is everywhere we have ever been and everywhere we will ever go. He is with us night and day; He knows our thoughts and our prayers. And, when we earnestly seek Him, we will find Him, because He is here, waiting patiently for us to reach out to Him.  May we reach out to Him today and always. And may we praise Him for the glorious gifts that have transformed us today and forever.

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Lord, You are love.  We love You Lord and as we love You more, we are able to love our family and friends more.  Let us be Your loving servant, today and throughout eternity.

Offering Thanks

"In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you"  -- 1 Thessalonians 5:18 / New King James Version

Sometimes, life here on earth can be complicated, demanding, and frustrating. When the demands of life leave us rushing from place to place with scarcely a moment to spare, we may fail to pause and thank our Creator for His gifts.  But, whenever we neglect to give proper thanks to the Father, we suffer because of misplaced priorities.

Today, begin making a list of your blessings.  You most certainly will not be able to make a complete list, but take a few moments today to jot down as many blessings as you can. Then, give thanks to the Giver of all good things:  God.  His love for you is eternal, as are His gifts. And it is never too soon or to late to offer Him thanks.

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"Grace is an outrageous blessing bestowed freely on a totally undeserving recipient"  -- Bill Hybels

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Today, Lord, let us count our blessings with thanksgiving in our hearts.  You have cared for us, Lord, and we will give You the glory and the praise.

The Direction of Your Thoughts

"My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever"

-- Psalm 23:5-6 / New King James Version

God has given you free will, including the ability to influence the direction and the tone of your thoughts. And, here's how He wants you to direct them:  "Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise, dwell on these things" (Philippians 4:8 / HCSB).

The quality of your attitude will help determine the quality of your life, so you must guard your thoughts accordingly. So, the next time you find yourself dwelling upon the negative aspects of your life, refocus your attention on things positive. And, the next time you are tempted to waste valuable time gossiping or complaining, resist those temptations with all your might.

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Lord, we pray for an attitude that is Christ-like.  Whatever our circumstances, whether good or bad, triumphal or tragic, let our response reflect an honoring attitude of optimism, faith, and love for You.

Conduct and Character

"Lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty"  -- 1 Timothy 2:2 / King James Version

Charles Stanley said, "The Bible teaches that we are accountable to one another for our conduct and character."  We must seek to live each day with discipline, honesty and faith. When we do, at least two things happen:  integrity becomes a habit and God blesses us because  of our obedience to Him. Living a life of integrity isn't always the easiest way, but it is always the right way and God clearly intends that it should be our way, too.

Character isn't built overnight; it is built slowly over a lifetime.  It is the sum of every right decision and every honest word. It is forged on the anvil of honorable work and polished by the twin virtues of honesty and fairness. Character is a priceless thing - difficult to build and wonderful to behold.

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"What lessons about honor did you learn fro your childhood?  Are you living what you learned today"?  -- Dennis Swanberg

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Lord, make us a person whose conduct is honorable.  Make us people whose words are true.  Give us the wisdom to know right from wrong, and give us the courage and the skill to do what needs to be done in the service of Your Son.