The scripture for today, April 21, is Mark 4:21 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-Cover-KINDLE“Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don’t you put it on its stand?”

Jesus said something similar in Matthew 5:14f, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.

Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

Do you spend your energy on yourself and family? That is good, but try going further. Do something for someone else. But who? It requires looking around. Looking around your neighborhood, your school, your job, your club, your community.

Always keep looking around. Keep searching for little nooks and crannies in the lives of others where you can bring the light of a good deed to someone’s world.

And God will be praised.

 

The scripture for today, April 2, is Exodus 4:2f as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-Cover-KINDLE“Then the Lord said to him, ‘What is that in your hand?’ ‘A staff,’ he replied.”

God had just called Moses to go into Egypt and free his people from their slavery ~ one man against an entire nation. Moses objected that he couldn’t do it. Five times In Exodus 3 and 4 he argued with God. “BUT I’m not famous,” “BUT they won’t believe I come from the God of their ancestors,” “BUT they won’t believe God sent me, “BUT I’m not a good speaker,” “JUST send someone else.”

Then God replied, “What is that in your hand?”.

Moses had a staff. God showed him how to use it to perform miracles. Today, are you using excuses to claim there is nothing you can do for the cause of God and salvation? God challenges you: “What is that in your hand?” It is a steering wheel, a shovel, thread, a computer, a spoon, a wrench, a cookbook, a band aid. Whatever is in your hand, God can use to bless people through you.

You are God’s hands and feet. Use them.

Today.

The scripture for today is Psalm 10:11 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-Cover-KINDLE“He says to himself, ‘God has forgotten; he covers his face and never sees.’ “

Most of us believe in God in some form. And we believe that God knows what we do. But do we sometimes bury our belief in God in our subconscious mind so we can go around and do things we know are wrong? Do we believe we won’t get caught, and we can slide into heaven doing whatever we want?

In other words, do we justify our favorite sins? Or do we justify our sins of omission ~ good things we should be doing, but are not ~ under the excuse that we don’t have time to do good to others?

God loves us more than we can ever imagine. He never forgets us. The only things he doesn’t approve of are things that will ultimately hurt us and which he calls sin. Therefore, we can conclude that pleasing God is ultimately, at the end of all things, pleasing ourselves.