Refreshing

Daily
in God’s Word
Emphasis on
What I’ve Learned From Over
40 Years of Pastoring
 A Few Quotes
“God will meet you where you are in order to take you
where He wants you to go.” –Tony Evans

"If you believe in a God who controls the big things, you
have to believe in a God who controls the little things. It
is we, of course, to whom things look 'little' or 'big'."
–Elisabeth Elliot

“If Christ is not all to you He is nothing to you. He will

never go into partnership as a part Saviour of men. If He
be something He must be everything, and if He be not
everything He is nothing to you.” – Charles Spurgeon

“Any concern too small to be turned into a prayer is too

small to be made into a burden.” – Corrie Ten Boom

“The measure of a life, after all, is not its duration, but its
donation.” – Corrie Ten Boom

“Obedience means marching right on whether we feel

like it or not. Many times we go against our feelings.
Faith is one thing, feeling is another. Prayer does not
mean that I am to bring God down to my thoughts and
my purposes, and bend his government according to my
foolish, silly, and sometimes sinful notions. Prayer
means that I am to be raised up into feeling, into union
and design with him; that I am to enter into his counsel
and carry out his purpose fully.” - Dwight L. Moody
 The Goodness of God
February 1

 Bible Reading: Nahum 1:7-15

 Key Verse: Verse 7 – “The LORD is good, a strong
hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that
trust in him.”
Key Words: The Lord is good

The Lord is good!! But many only see God as good when
good things are happening in their life; but God is good both
in the good times and the not so happy times.
Corrie Ten Boom writes: “Often I have heard people say,
'How good God is! We prayed that it would not rain for our
church picnic, and look at the lovely weather!' Yes, God is
good when He sends good weather. But God was also good
when He allowed my sister, Betsie, to starve to death before
my eyes in a German concentration camp. I remember one
occasion when I was very discouraged there. Everything
around us was dark, and there was darkness in my heart. I
remember telling Betsie that I thought God had forgotten us.
'No, Corrie,' said Betsie, 'He has not forgotten us. Remember
His Word: For as the heavens are high above the earth, so
great is His steadfast love toward those who fear Him.'”
Corrie concludes, "There is an ocean of God's love available--
there is plenty for everyone. May God grant you never to
doubt that victorious love--whatever the circumstances."
Because God is always good.

What to do:
✞Remember Romans 8:28, “And we know that all
things work together for good to them that love God,
to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
 You Reap What You Sow
February 2

 Bible Reading: Galatians 6:1-8

 Key Verse: Verse 7 - " Be not deceived; God is not
mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he
also reap.”
Key Words: for whatsoever a man soweth, that
shall he also reap

The wheels of God’s justice often grind slowly, but they

grind surely. Remember how Jacob deceived his father, Isaac
(Genesis 26) but seven years later his uncle Laban deceived
Jacob? We do reap what we sow.
You don’t have to like the law of gravity, but it is in
your best interest to respect it. You don’t have to prefer it, but
it’s not going to change for you. It is a law of nature. It is a
divine law, not a negotiated law.
You may say, “Gravity, you are not going to tell me
what to do. It’s my thing, and I’m going to do what I want to
do. You are not my boss, Gravity! You are not my instructor!
I’m my own man and I’m going to do what I want to do!”
“In fact, Gravity, just to let you know how I feel about
you, I’m going to rebel. I’m going to get up on the top of this
church building and I’m going to despise you. I’m going to
jump. What do you think about that?”
The law of gravity won’t stop you. The law of gravity
won’t hold you back. You can jump and, for a moment –a
short moment- it may appear like you have outwitted and
outsmarted gravity. It may appear like you have had the last
word, but a few seconds later as we sweep you up off the
pavement, it will become abundantly clear that you have
adjusted to gravity; gravity did not adjust to you.
Sin has consequences, and we reap what we sow.

What to do:
✞Understand that the wheels of God’s justice may
grind slowly, so don’t think you’ve gotten away with
 any unjust act or deed…we reap what we sow…so do
good!!

********************

Truth Ultimately Prevails

February 3

 Bible Reading: Daniel 6:1-16 & 28

 Key Verse: Verse 28 – “So this Daniel prospered in the
reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the
Persian.”
Key Words: So this Daniel prospered

Daniel is an example of how truth always prevails. He

obeyed the truth of God’s Word and even though it appeared
he was doomed to be consumed by the lions, truth prevailed.
It always does.
The problem we have today is we, rather than accept
the truth, want to change it. The problem with that is that
after we change it, it is no longer the truth but it’s a lie.
An older gentleman had some health problems. He
went to visit his doctor and was told to change his diet. The
physician lectured the man on the importance of eating well,
and gave him a long list of things to eat and not eat.
The gentleman called his son to let him know about his
declining health as he knew his son would be concerned. He
explained the doctor’s prognosis and his prescription for
restoring good health.
A couple of weeks later, the aged man’s son called to
check on him. “OK, Dad, the doctor gave you some
instructions awhile back. How is the regimen going?” The old
man replied, “I’ve changed doctors.”
Sometimes our response to the truth is not the best
response.
What to do:
✞Remember, it is truth that makes us free…the real
truth…not the truth that we want. John 8:32

********************

How to Have Friends

February 4

 Bible Reading: I Samuel 20:1-23

 Key Verse: Verse 4- “Then said Jonathan unto David,
Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for
thee.”
Key Words: Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will
even do it for thee

Jonathan befriended David and loved him as a

brother. Naturally, as a result of Jonathan’s love for him,
David returned the same love toward Jonathan. You see, the
key to having a friend comes first by being one.
The old saying goes, “I went out looking for a friend. I
could find none anywhere. I went out to be a friend, and I
found them everywhere.”
Out of the furnaces of war come many true stories of
sacrificial friendship. One such story tells of two friends in
World War I, who were inseparable. They had enlisted
together, trained together, were shipped overseas together
and fought side-by-side in the trenches. During an attack, one
of the men was critically wounded in a field filled with barbed
wire obstacles, and he was unable to crawl back to his foxhole.
The entire area was under a withering enemy crossfire, and it
was suicidal to try to reach him. Yet his friend decided to try.
Before he could get out of his own trench, the sergeant yanked
him back inside and ordered him not to go. "It’s too late. You
can’t do him any good and you’ll only get yourself killed."
A few minutes later, the officer turned his back, and
instantly the man was gone after his friend. A few minutes
later, he staggered back, mortally wounded, with his friend,
now dead, in his arms. The sergeant was both angry and
deeply moved. "What a waste," he blurted out. "He’s dead
and you’re dying. It just wasn’t worth it."
With almost his last breath, the dying man replied,
"Oh, yes, it was, Sarge. When I got to him, the only thing he
said was, ’I knew you’d come, Jim!"
One of the true marks of a friend is that he is there
when there is every reason for him not to be, when to be there
is sacrificially costly.

What to do:
✞You want friends? It starts by first being one.

********************

Kids Will Be Kids

February 5

 Bible Reading: Matthew 18:1-6

 Key Verse: Verse 2 – “And Jesus called a little child
unto him, and set him in the midst of them,”
Key Words: And Jesus called a little child unto him

Kids will be kids and that can be a good thing for a

child can and often will do things that we as adults would
never do. Let me explain by giving you an illustration from
Celeste Sibley who at one time was a columnist for the
Atlanta Constitution newspaper who took her three children
to a diner for breakfast one morning. Eight-year-old Mary
was seated at the far end of the counter and when her food
was served she called down to her mother in a loud voice,
“Mother, don’t people say grace in this place?” A hush came
over the entire diner and before Mrs. Sibley could figure out
what to say, the counterman said, “Yes, we do. You say it.” All
the people at the counter bowed their heads. Mary bowed her
head and in a clear voice said, “God is great. God is good, let
us thank Him for our food.”
 Yes, kids will be kids, but that’s not always a bad thing.
There are things we can learn from them and not being so
prideful is one of those things.

What to do:
✞Correct the wrong in your child, but never the right.

********************

Sometimes “Adults” Will be

Kids
February 6

 Bible Reading: 1 Kings 21:1-14

 Key Verse: Verse 4 – “ And Ahab came into his house
heavy and displeased because of the word which
Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had
said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers.
And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away
his face, and would eat no bread.”
Key Words: and turned away his face, and would
eat no bread

Ahab is the king of Israel; he supposedly is grown and

is by age a “full” adult. Now here he is pouting. While kids
will be kids sometimes those who are supposed to be adults
are kids as well. There are several character traits of an
“immature children adult.”
 They expect others to wait on them (serve
them).
 They would rather play than work.
 They get their feelings hurt easily.
 They expect most of the attention.
 They cry and whine easily.
 They will not feed themselves “spiritually”.
 They expect the pastor and staff to feed them.
  They only think of themselves.
And the list could go on. The immature adult would
rather put on a bib and be fed than an apron and work. They
make excuses and blame others rather than saying, “It’s my
fault.”
There are those who are adults in age only who need to
grow up and have a servant’s heart. It’s one thing to be a kid
at the age of 10, another to still be a kid at the age of 40.
Grow up!!

What to do:
✞It’s time for some adults to grow up.

********************

The Ministry Is About People

February 7

 Bible Reading: John 3:1-16

 Key Verse: Verse 16 – "For God so loved the world,
that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life.”
Key Words: For God so loved the world

The world involves three “Ingredients”. First, there is

the materialistic world (1 John 2:15). Secondly, there is the
world system (1 John 5:4). These surely are not the things
God loves, you can see that by the way he cautions us against
these three ingredients of the world. The third ingredient is
people and that is what God loves… the people. Ministry isn’t
about things, it is about people.
In the 1950s, marketing whiz Stanley Arnold was
working at Young & Rubicam, where he was asked to come up
with a marketing campaign for Remington Rand. The
company was among the most conservative in America. Its
chairman at the time was retired General Douglas MacArthur.
Intimidated at first by a company that was so much a part of
America, Arnold also found in that phrase the first inspiration
for a campaign. After thinking about it, he went to the New
York offices of Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner and Beane, and
placed the ultimate odd-lot order.
“I want to purchase,” he told the broker, “one share of
every single stock listed on the New York Stock Exchange.”
After a vice president tried to talk him out of it, the order was
finally placed. It came to more than $42,000 for one share in
each of the 1098 companies listed on the Big Board at the
time. Arnold now took his diversified portfolio into a meeting
of Remington Rand’s board of directors, where he argued
passionately for a sweepstakes campaign with the top prize
called A Share in America. The conservative old gentlemen
shifted around in their seats and discussed the idea for a
while. “But Mr. Arnold” said one, “we are not in the securities
business.” Said another, “We are in the shaver business.”
“I agree that you are not in the securities business,”
said Arnold, “but I think you also ought to realize that you are
not in the shaver business either. You are in the people
business.” The company bought the idea.
If we fail to see that the ministry is people then we
totally fail.

What to do:
✞Love people, use things, for when you love things
you will use people.

********************

God’s Grace is Amazing

February 8

 Bible Reading: Ephesians 2:1-10

 Key Verse: Verse 8 – "For by grace are ye saved
through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift
of God:”
 Key Words: For by grace

No matter what we have in life; health, possessions,

positions, or salvation. When we say we have these things we
always need to add these words: for by grace, not just any
grace but the grace of God.
When a person works an eight-hour day and receives a
fair day’s pay for his time, that is a wage. When a person
competes with an opponent and receives a trophy for his
performance, that is a prize. When a person receives
appropriate recognition for his long service or high
achievements, that is an award. But when a person is not
capable of earning a wage, can win no prize, and deserves no
award –yet receives such a gift anyway – that is a good picture
of God’s unmerited favor. That is what we mean when we talk
about the grace of God.

What to do:
✞Always remember – for by grace.

********************

God Loves You and Me

February 9
 Bible Reading: John 21: 1-18
 Key Verse: Verses 15,16,17 – “ So when they had
dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of
Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto
him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He
saith unto him, Feed my lambs.” (vs 15) “He saith to
him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas,
lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou
knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my
sheep.” (vs 16) “He saith unto him the third time,
Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was
grieved because he said unto him the third time,
Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou
 knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee.
Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.” (vs17)
Key Words: Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me
more than these

The question is not, “Does God love me?” for the very
essence of God is love (I John 4:8). The question is, “Do I love
Him?” for there is no doubt of His love for us.
God’s gift of Christ seems all the more significant
when you consider the vastness of our universe and our small
role in it. If we were to experience a holocaust that destroyed
our entire solar system, the massive inferno would be barely
visible from the Andromeda galaxy. It would look like a match
flaring faintly in the distance, then imploding into permanent
darkness. Within this solar system which seems so large and
incomprehensible to us, there lives roughly 7.6 billion people.
To put that in further perspective, all of these people could
stand shoulder to shoulder in an area about the size of
Jacksonville, Florida (800 square miles). From the viewpoint
of one galaxy among many, we are but a small spark on a
flickering match. Yet, it was for this miniscule speck of
humanity that Jesus Christ wrapped Himself in flesh so that
we could unwrap the bounty of God’s unlimited love.

What to do:
✞ Let your love for God show through your life - for
there is no doubt He loves you, but how much do you
love Him?
 Everyone Has Their Own
Definition of Faithfulness
February 10

 Bible Reading: Revelation 2:1-10

 Key Verse: Verse 10 – “Fear none of those things
which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast
some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye
shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto
death, and I will give thee a crown of life.”
Key Word: Be thou faithful unto death

We would all agree that God commands us to be

faithful to Him. The thing that I have found is that we don’t all
define faithfulness the same way.
Faithful is:
 Doing what I am supposed to do,
 Doing it when I am supposed to,
 Doing it the way I am supposed to, and
 Doing it that way all the time.
Don’t make excuses for not doing what you are
supposed to do. Don’t make excuses for not doing it when you
are supposed to do it. Don’t make excuses for not doing it
right.
Norman Geisler, as a child, went to a VBS because he
was invited by some neighbor children. He went back to the
same church for Sunday School classes for 400 Sundays.
Each week he was faithfully picked up by a bus driver. Week
after week he attended church, but never made a commitment
to Christ. Finally, during his denior year in High School, after
being picked up for church over 400 times, he did commit his
life to Christ. What if that bus driver had given up on Geisler
at 395? What if the bus driver had said, “This kid is going
nowhere spiritually, why waste any more time on him?”

What to do:
 ✞Be faithful to God.
Problems are an Opportunity
February 11

 Bible Reading: Samuel 3: 13-25

 Key Verse: Verse 20 - " And he commanded the most
mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the
burning fiery furnace.”
Key Words: Cast them into the burning fiery
furnace

Now I think you would agree with me that being cast

into a fiery furnace is a problem, but it’s also an opportunity.
It’s an opportunity to see God work, it’s an opportunity to
show others the supremacy of our God, and it’s an
opportunity for promotion (vs. 30).
Some years ago an energetic young man began as a
clerk in a hardware store. Like many old-time hardware
stores, the inventory included thousands of dollars worth of
items that were obsolete or seldom called for by customers.
The young man was smart enough to know that no thriving
business could carry such an inventory and still show a
healthy profit. He proposed a sale to get rid of the stuff. The
owner was reluctant but finally agreed to let him set up a table
in the middle of the store and try to sell off a few of the oldest
items. Every product was priced at ten cents. The sale was a
success and the young fellow got permission to run a second
sale. It, too, went over just as well as the first. This gave the
young clerk an idea. Why not open a store that would sell only
nickel and dime items? He could run the store and his boss
could supply the capital.
The young man’s boss was not enthusiastic. “The plan
will never work,” he said, “because you can’t find enough
items to sell at a nickel and dime.” The young man was
disappointed but eventually went ahead on his own and made
a fortune out of the idea. His name was F. W. Woolworth.
Years later his old boss lamented, “As near as I can
figure it, every word I used in turning Woolworth down has
cost me about a million dollars!”
 Problems are an opportunity. We just have to have
wisdom and discernment from God to see it.

What to do:
✞Remember opportunities look a lot like problems!

********************

Respect is Earned
February 12

 Bible Reading: Genesis 4:1-8

 Key Verse: Verse 4 – "And Abel, he also brought of
the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And
the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:”
Key Words: And the LORD had respect unto Abel

Respect comes from doing the right things. If you

consistently do people right, you’ll earn their respect.
In an unscientific survey I asked some of our youth to
name “the reason they respect others.” The number one
answer, and I might add, the only answer was, “Because of the
way they treat me; right or with love.” Then I asked, “Why do
you not respect some people?” The answer will not shock you,
but it was, “They do not treat me right.”
How we treat others has everything to do with how
they respect or disrespect us.
Waiting to board a plane, on which he had a
reservation, Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt, Jr.,
overheard the plea of a private at the ticket window: “I’m
going overseas in three days. I want to see my Ma before I go.
I can go home and back only if I travel by plane!” It was
explained to him that every seat on the plane was taken. Just
then, Brigadier General Roosevelt stepped forward and said,
“I’ll surrender my seat to him!” “But,” protested a fellow
officer to the general, “this is a matter of rank!” “That’s right,”
quickly replied General Roosevelt, “he’s a son, I’m only a
general!” God conferred the highest honor upon us when He
called us His sons!

What to do:
✞ Give respect and you’ll reap it in return.

********************

It is Dangerous to Fall in Love

with the World
February 13
 Bible Reading: I John 2:15-20
 Key Verse: Verse 15 & 17 – " Love not the world,
neither the things that are in the world. If any man
love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
“And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof:
but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever...”
Key Words: Love not the world

Becoming attached to this world is a dangerous thing.

Let me explain with an illustration:
Dr. George Sweeting wrote in Special Sermons for
Special Days: “Several years ago our family visited Niagara
Falls. It was spring, and ice was rushing down the river. As I
viewed the large blocks of ice flowing toward the falls, I could
see that there were carcasses of dead fish embedded in the ice.
Gulls by the score were riding down the river feeding on the
fish. As they came to the brink of the falls, their wings would
go out, and they would escape from the falls.
“I watched one gull which seemed to delay and
wondered when it would leave. It was engrossed in the carcass
of a fish, and when it finally came to the brink of the falls, out
went its powerful wings. The bird flapped and flapped and
even lifted the ice out of the water, and I thought it would
escape. But, it had delayed too long so that its claws had
frozen into the ice. The weight of the ice was too great and the
gull plunged into the abyss.”
The finest attractions of this world become deadly
when we become overly attached to them. They may take us to
our destruction if we cannot give them up. And as Sweeting
observed. “Oh, the danger of delay!”

What to do:
✞It’s always wise to obey God and “love not the
world.”

********************

Let Others Know You Love

Them
February 14

 Bible Reading: I Corinthians 13

 Key Verse: Verse 8 - " Charity never faileth: but whether
there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be
tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it
shall vanish away.
Key Words: Charity never faileth

On this Valentine’s Day it is wise for each of us on this

day of “self-gratification” to remember that love, real love
doesn’t focus on self but on the one they love.
William Gladstone, in announcing the death of
Princess Alice of the House of Commons, told a touching
story. The little daughter of the Princess was seriously ill with
diphtheria. The doctors told the princess not to kiss her little
daughter and endanger her life by breathing the child’s
breath. Once when the child was struggling to breathe, the
mother, forgetting herself entirely, took the little one into her
arms to keep her from choking to death. Rasping and
struggling for her life, the child said, “Momma, kiss me!”
Without thinking of herself the mother tenderly kissed her
daughter. She got diphtheria and some days thereafter she
went to be forever with the Lord. Real love forgets self. Real
love knows no danger. Real love doesn’t count the cost. The
Bible says, “Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the
floods drown it” (Song of Solomon 8:7).

What to do:
✞Every day we should let our spouse know that we
love them.

********************

If You are Backing Up You are

Going in the Wrong Direction
February 15
 Bible Reading: Jeremiah 3:11-25
 Key Verse: Verse 11 -"And the LORD said unto me,
The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more
than treacherous Judah.”
Key Words: The backsliding Israel hath justified
herself

These are the key ways to identify a backslider

according to Proverbs 14:14. First, you can tell because they
are filled with their own ways. (They see nothing wrong with
what they are doing.) Number two, the backslider is satisfied
with where they are spiritually.
If you’re not moving forward spiritually then you are a
backslider.
Jeremiah says the end result of the backslider is they
will lie down in shame and will be put to confusion.
John Charles Ryle says of backsliding: “It is a
miserable thing to be a backslider. Of all unhappy things that
can befall a man, I suppose ‘backsliding’ is the worst. A
stranded ship, a broken-winged eagle, a garden overrun with
weeds, a harp without strings, a church in ruins – all these are
sad sights. But a backslider is a sadder sight still. That true
grace shall never be extinguished, and true union with Christ
never be broken off, I feel no doubt. But I do believe that a
man may fall away so far that he shall lose sight of his own
grace, and despair of his own salvation. And if this is not hell,
it is certainly the next thing to it! A wounded conscience, a
mind sick of itself, a memory full of self-approach, a heart
pierced through with the Lord’s arrows, a spirit broken with a
load of inward accusation - all this is a taste of hell. It is hell
on earth.”

What to do:
✞Return to God, where you are always accepted.

********************

Communication
February 16

 Bible Reading: I Corinthians 15:26-34

 Key Verse: Verse 33 - "Be not deceived: evil
communications corrupt good manners.”
Key Words: evil communications corrupt good
manners

We are told to speak the truth in love. I’ve often said

you can say pretty much everything you need to if you say it in
the right way, at the right time, and in the right place.
A tip about communication is this – to make sure that
we are not the problem.
Let me explain.
A man was having difficulty communicating with his
wife and concluded that she was becoming hard of hearing.
So he decided to conduct a test without her knowing it. One
evening he sat in a chair on the far side of the room. Her back
was to him and she could not see him. Very quietly he
whispered, “Can you hear me?” There was no response.
Moving a little closer, he asked again, “Can you hear me
now?” Still no reply. Quietly he edged closer and whispered
the same words, but still no answer. Finally he moved right in
behind her chair and said, “Can you hear me now?” To his
surprise and chagrin she responded with irritation in her
voice, “For the fourth time, yes!” What a warning to us about
judging!

What to do:
✞It’s always wise to make sure that the
communication problem is not on “our” end.

********************

Disagreeing Without Being

Disagreeable
February 17

 Bible Reading: Acts 15: 36-41

 Key Verse: Verse 39 - "And the contention was so
sharp between them, that they departed asunder one
from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and
sailed unto Cyprus;”
Key Words: And the contention was so sharp
between them

If the Lord was to line all of the believers up in a

straight line both Paul and Barnabas would be so far ahead of
me that I would never see them. But with that said, I can’t
fathom these men of God having such a sharp contentious
disagreement.
Disagreements come because two or more people see
things differently and both demand to have their way.
 I do believe that Satan and the world smile with
delight at believers arguing and belittling one another.
The two key elements in solving a disagreement are
humility and more humility.
Although George Whitefield disagreed with John
Wesley on some theological matters, he was careful not to
create problems in public that could be used to hinder the
preaching of the gospel. When someone asked Whitefield if
he thought he would see Wesley in heaven, Whitefield replied,
“I fear not, for he will be so near the eternal throne and we at
such a distance, we shall hardly get sight of him.”

What to do:
✞It’s always best to disagree without having a
disagreeable spirit.

********************

Excuses
February 18

 Bible Reading: Luke 14: 15-24

 Key Verse: Verse 18 - "And they all with one consent
began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have
bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and
see it: I pray thee have me excused.”
Key Words: And they all with one consent began
to make excuse

Nothing makes us look as bad as ‘excuses’.

Here according to a Bits & Pieces article are the top ten
excuses as to why people didn’t do their job.
1. I forgot.
2. No one told me to go ahead.
3. I didn’t think it was that important.
4. Wait until the boss comes back and ask him.
5. I didn’t know you were in a hurry for it.
 6. That’s the way we’ve always done it.
7. That’s not my department.
8. How was I to know this was different?
9. I’m waiting for an O.K.
10. That’s his job-not mine.
Deion “Prime Time” Sanders, outfielder for the Atlanta Braves
and cornerback for the Atlanta Falcons, is the only athlete to
have hit a Major League home run and scored an NFL
touchdown in the same week. Sanders grew up on the mean
streets of Fort Myers, FL., where exposure to some would-be
athletes spurred him to make a success of himself. He
explains: “I call them Idas. ‘If I’da done this, I’d be making
three million today. If I’da practiced a little harder, I’d be a
superstar.’ They were as fast as me when they were kids, but
instead of working for their dreams they chose drugs and a life
of street corners. When I was young, I had practice; my
friends who didn’t went straight to the streets and never left.
That moment after school is the moment we need to grab. We
don’t need any more Idas.

What to do:
✞Do what you are supposed to, where you are
supposed to; when you are supposed to and do it that
way all the time – with no excuses.

********************

Being Responsible
February 19

 Bible Reading: Luke 15: 11-21

 Key Verse: Verse 21 - "And the son said unto him,
Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy
sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.”
Key Words: I have sinned
 To me there is something refreshing about hearing
someone say…I have sinned, or it’s my fault, or I did that!
I guess it’s refreshing to me because I hear it so
seldom. Normally we hear… It’s not my fault or they made me
or I didn’t know I wasn’t supposed to do that.
Taking responsibility for our mistakes; how
refreshing!
Prussian king Frederick the Great was once touring a
Berlin prison. The prisoners fell on their knees before him to
proclaim their innocence-except for one man, who remained
silent. Frederick called to him, “Why are you here?” “Armed
robbery, Your Majesty,” was the reply. “And are you guilty?”
“Yes indeed, Your Majesty. I deserve my punishment.”
Frederick then summoned the jailer and ordered him,
“Release this guilty wretch at once. I will not have him kept in
this prison where he will corrupt all the fine innocent people
who occupy it.”

What to do:
✞If you take responsibility for your wrongs, mark
yourself as a part of a small group of people.

********************

Giving
February 20

 Bible Reading: Acts 20:28-38

 Key Verse: Verse 35 - “I have shewed you all things,
how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak,
and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he
said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
Key Words: It is more blessed to give than to
receive.
 I could give one testimony after another of how God
has blessed my wife and me. I believe because of our faithful
giving of money, time and energy to the Lord’s work.
I have a plan for how much we give, it goes like this. I
will never give more to pay any bill than I give to God. Then if
I have a big mortgage payment, I pay it and we give more than
that to God in one tithe. My number one financial output
goes to God.
A mother wanted to teach her daughter a moral lesson,
She gave the little girl a quarter and a dollar for church. “Put
whichever you want in the collection plate and keep the other
for yourself,” she told the girl. When they were coming out of
church, the mother asked the daughter which amount she had
given. “Well,” said the little girl. “I was going to give the
dollar, but just before the collection the man in the pulpit said
that we should be cheerful givers. I knew I’d be a lot more
cheerful if I gave the quarter, so I did.”
I can almost assure you the little girl was a Baptist.

What to do:
✞Most every person at some point in their ministry is
accused of always asking for money. My response to
that is always, “Well if you’d give it voluntarily, I
wouldn’t have to ask for it!” So remember it’s more
blessed to give than to receive.

********************

Results of Maturity
February 21

 Bible Reading: II Samuel 9

 Key Verse: Verse 1 – "And David said, Is there yet any
that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him
kindness for Jonathan's sake?”
Key Words: I may shew him kindness for
Jonathan's sake
 Jonathan had been a close friend of David’s down
through the years, and now both Jonathan and his father King
Saul had died in battle with the Philistines.
After David became king he desired to show kindness
to anyone in Saul’s family. There was one who he could show
kindness to, the son of Jonathan, Mephibosheth, who was
lame from an accident. David did show kindness to
Mephibosheth but it was because of Jonathan that
Mephibosheth received kindness from David.
One stormy night an ederly couple entered the lobby
of a small hotel and asked for a room. The clerk said they were
filled, as were all the hotels in town. “But I can’t send a fine
couple like you out in the rain,” he said. “Would you be willing
to sleep in my room?” The couple hesitated, but the clerk
insisted. The next morning when the man paid his bill, he
said, “You’re the kind man who should be managing the best
hotel in the United States. Someday I’ll build you one.” The
clerk smiled politely. A few years later the clerk received a
letter from the elderly man, recalling the stormy night and
asking him to come to New York. A round-trip ticket was
enclosed. When the clerk arrived, his host took him to the
corner of 5th Avenue and 34th Street, where stood a
magnificent new building. “That,” exclaimed the man, “is the
hotel I have built for you to manage.” The man was William
Waldorf Astor, and the hotel was the original Waldorf-Astoria.
The young clerk, George C. Boldt, became its first manager.
Kindness does pay.

What to do:
✞We will choose today to be kind or unkind and then
we will see the result of our actions. Which will you
choose?
 Being Generous
February 22

 Bible Reading: Luke 10:30-42

 Key Verse: Verse 34 - " And went to him, and bound up
his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his
own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of
him.”
Key Words: took care of him

There is something to be said for generosity. We do

need a “generous” spirit for those in need.
We on occasion will receive a notice of someone in
need and the request will go something like this: “Pastor, I
know an individual or a family that has a need; is there
something the church can do to help them?” My response is
usually, “What have you done for them?” In our text the Good
Samaritan did what he could do and so should we if the Lord
leads us.
The story is told that one day a beggar by the roadside
asked for alms from Alexander the Great as he passed by. The
man was poor and wretched and had no claim upon the ruler,
no right even to lift a solicitous hand. Yet the Emperor threw
him several coins. A courtier was astonished at his generosity
and commented, “Sir, copper coins would adequately meet a
beggar’s need. Why give him gold?” Alexander responded in
royal fashion, “Copper coins suit the beggar’s need, but gold
coins suit Alexander’s giving.”

What to do:
✞It never hurts to have a heart of generosity.

We Are Poor Listeners

 February 23

 Bible Reading: Revelation 2:8-17

 Key Verse: Verse 11 - "He that hath an ear, let him
hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that
overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.”
Key Words: He that hath an ear, let him hear

One of the things I have learned as the pastor of a

church with a school ministry is that children are poor
listeners, at least according to the achievement test scores. I
do believe that children get their poor listening skills from
their parents. The truth is that we all need to develop better
listening skills.
Do you know which organ of the body requires the
most energy? The first two obvious guesses might be the heart
or brain. Actually, the inner ear demands the most bodily
energy. Attentive listening can be a draining experience, so
God made sure the ears got all of the necessary power to carry
out this important task.
President Roosevelt once became tired of the smiling
superficiality that accompanied many White House
receptions. On this particular evening he decided to see
whether anyone was actually paying attention to what he said.
As he shook hands with each guest filing through the line, he
smiled really big and said, “I murdered my grandmother this
morning.” No one even noticed. People just gave the usual
protocol, “How lovely!” or “Keep up the good work.” One
foreign diplomat was listening and added humor to the night
as well. When FDR told of his scandalous deed, the diplomat
tactfully commented, “I’m sure she had it coming to her.”
Jesus’ half-brother, James, initially had trouble
hearing his brother’s message (John 7:5). Perhaps that’s why
James later wrote, “Everyone should be swift to hear.” (James
1:19)
Well, I’d better go for now. I’ve had people talking to
me… I’d better go find out what they said.

What to do:
 ✞Ask God to help you be a good listener.

********************

Was It Worth It
February 24

 Bible Reading: II Timothy 4:1-8

 Key Verse: Verse 7 - " I have fought a good fight, I
have finished my course, I have kept the faith:”
Key Words: I have fought a good fight…I have
kept the faith

I’m nearing the winter years of my life; and I evaluate

the life I’ve lived and sometimes ask, “was it worth it?” The
answer always comes back a resounding, yes!
Dave and Nikki McDonald were missionaries to Iraq.
They were shot into pieces by mortar fire with AK-47’s while
in Iraq working on a water purification project and sharing
the Gospel. Dave was shot destroying his spleen and breaking
his back. Still, he managed to get a call out on his cell phone to
an ambulance. He was concerned for his wife who was also
hit. When the wife went in for surgery, she asked about Dave.
They assured her he would be okay. It was only when she
woke in a hospital in Dallas, TX, that they told her he had died
and was buried several days ago while she was still
unconscious. Still, before she was released from the hospital
she was making plans to return to Iraq and continue their
mission! His parents were asked if it was worth it, and they
said that they would have supported Dave to do it all over
again! Don’t depart from the path God put you in; finish like
Dave McDonald, and you will have no regrets.
As my mother used to say to me continually, “Only
what’s done for Christ will last.”

What to do:
 ✞ Always put God first. It is a worthy cause you
know.

********************

It’s Not About Me

February 25

 Bible Reading: II Corinthians 10:7-13

 Key Verse: Verse 7 - "Do ye look on things after the
outward appearance? If any man trust to himself that
he is Christ's, let him of himself think this again, that,
as he is Christ's, even so are we Christ's.”
Key Words: as he is Christ’s, even so are we
Christ’s

Life is not about you; life is not about me; life is all
about Jesus Christ.
Some time back a young pastor asked me how to go
about evaluating the church, its ministry, and even how to go
about evaluating himself. The following is a portion of the
letter I sent to him.
Have definite goals for your church. The achieving of
these goals will be an indication that you are making progress.
The pastor who simply lives from week to week will always
stay discouraged because he doesn’t know where he is going.
II Corinthians 10:7-13 is a clear warning against the
wrong kind of self-evaluation. It is easy for a church to
become a mutual admiration society. The true measure of a
church’s success is not what it is doing compared to other
churches, but is it fulfilling its own potential?
Don’t forget that churches go through stages of
growth, not unlike the human body. The babyhood stage of
the church is new and exciting, much like having a newborn
baby in the house. But then things settle down and you reach
childhood stage. This is the stage when people seem to
manufacture problems. Next is the spiritual maturity stage.
This is when the church sees the importance of soul-winning,
faithfulness to God’s house, and they come for God’s glory.
 One word of encouragement: the Lord rarely lets a
pastor see how much good he is doing. When you feel the
most discouraged, God is probably using you in the greatest
way. Be faithful!! God will take care of the rest (I Corinthians
4:2). Always remember, it’s not a popularity contest.
 Preach the Word.
 Be instant in season and out of season,
 Reprove,
 Rebuke, and
 Exhort… with all longsuffering.
May God bless you as you labor for His glory.
This young pastor now pastors a growing church and
God, indeed, has been good to him. Praise the Lord! I
occasionally pull this letter out and read it just as a reminder
that I am here for God’s glory, and that it is all about Jesus,
not about me. Should that not be your motto for 2019?

What to do:
✞Put Christ first, that’s what life is all about.

********************

Letting Them Go
February 26

 Bible Reading: Luke 15:11-24

 Key Verse: Verse 12 - “And the younger of them said
to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods
that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his
living.”
Key Words: give me the portion of goods that
falleth to me

So the father did; he gave his son his portion and off
he went thinking that he had life by the throat and all would
be well. Well, it won’t. The boy left with his head held high
and an arrogant spirit. He wound up with his head bowed low
and a humble spirit. He left full of himself and came back
empty.
A young man, a successful wrestler, challenged his
father once. He was the all-state wrestling champ, in the
unlimited weight category in fact. He weighed 360 pounds as
a senior in high school – really big and strong. He had a
period of rebellion where his father wanted him to do
something and he told his father he wasn’t gonna do it. His
father thought he was hard of hearing. “What?” The young
man then got more indignant. “I said, I isn’t gonna do it.” The
father simply turned around and started walking upstairs,
beckoning his son to come with him. When they got to the top
of the stairs, he said, “I’m going to help you pack, because it’s
obvious you are grown and don’t need me. Since you are
grown and can make it on your own, I’ll help you pack.” The
young man started packing with an attitude, huffing around
the room and throwing things into a suitcase. Item after item
got unpacked as his dad pulled things out as he told his son,
“No that’s mine. I paid for it!”
The teenager was mad. He was determined to be
autonomous and independent from his dad. He took the
suitcase and walked out of the house, angry and mad, only to
discover that he had no car. Even his friend’s parents wouldn’t
let them come out to help him. It was freezing outside and
snow was falling heavily. This guy discovered that while he
didn’t prefer home, compared to what was happening outside,
home really wasn’t that bad.
See, the father, the loving father, had to let the
prodigal son go and discover that while he didn’t like
everything at home, out in the world on his own there was no
protection, covering, or love. He had to let him experience the
harsh reality.
Thirty minutes later, that prodigal son rang the
doorbell. “I’m sorry.”

What to do:
✞Sometimes in order to get
them back we have to let them go.
 ********************

Created For His Workmanship

February 27

 Bible Reading: Ephesians 2:1-10

 Key Verse: Verse 10 -"For we are his workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God
hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
Key Words: we are his workmanship

Everybody has in their homes manufactured products.

Appliances such as a toaster, refrigerator, stove, microwave,
or an electric can opener are commonly found in people’s
homes and each of those has a different workmanship. They
are designed differently. They have different parts that make
them operate. Each one has its own unique reason for being.
Now, if that appliance operates outside of its reason for being
there, we have a problem. If you want to cook things in the
refrigerator and freeze things in the stove, you are going to
have a difficult situation in the home because that’s not what
the workmanship is for. The workmanship is used for
whatever the creator designed it to do. The toaster does not
tell the creator what it’s going to do today. The stove does not
tell the creator what it’s going to do today. It is the creator
that dictates to the appliance the reason why the appliance
exists. The appliance does whatever it’s been designed to do.
In the same way, we are God’s creation and He
dictates to us why we exist and can tell us what we are
designed to do. He gives us our purpose. If we operate outside
of our reason for being, that’s when we experience problems.
Walking in the purpose God designed for us is how we fulfill
our unique reason for being.

What to do:
✞ Not fulfilling God’s purpose
for our life leaves us unfulfilled.
 ********************

Freedom
February 28

 Bible Reading: Romans 8:1-17

 Key Verse: Verse 15 - "For ye have not received the
spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received
the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba,
Father.”
Key Words: For ye have not received the spirit of
bondage

A man who lived in a foreign country became a citizen

of the United States of America. In the country where he was
raised and grew up, there was a curfew overseen by the
military. Beyond a certain time, the streets had to be cleared
and everyone had to be in their homes. When he immigrated
to the United States, he began immediately sightseeing to see
part of the country that he was now becoming a part of.
However, when he saw darkness set in and looked at his
watch, he saw that he was about to pass his curfew time.
Seeing a man getting in his car, he said, “Sir would you
please rush me to my hotel so that I won’t overstay my curfew
and get in trouble?”
The gentleman in the car couldn’t figure out what in
the world the man was talking about until it dawned on him
that he was a foreigner and that he was a little mixed up about
his new life in America. He explained to and assured the man
that in the U.S. the law that he had been used to no longer
applied. He explained that he was no longer under the
jurisdiction of the country he came from. He was in a new
country now and that meant he was free to stay up and stay
out. The restrictions of the old homeland no longer applied.
This man was in the United States, but had not yet learned to
cast off the bondage of the old country.
A lot of us are in Christ, but we’ve not yet learned how
to cast off the old bondage of being Adam. So we sing about
freedom, talk about freedom, and yet we feel the pressure of
the curfew and the bondage and oppression of the old law
system under which we operated. Far too many Christians
today are in chains because they’ve just spent so much time in
the old country. In getting used to this thing about being free
in Christ, they have not adapted yet.

What to do:
✞God’s freedom is not the freedom to do as you please
but to do as He pleases.

Notes
I deeply appreciate the
help of

Mary Parsons

Glenda Myrick

And my lovely wife, Linda

Without God using these

people to help, this
devotional would not
have been possible.
Dr. Mike Rouse
 is a ministry of

5568 Chalkville Mountain Road

Birmingham, AL. 35235
(205) 854-2741
www.mountainviewbaptist.org