Guidelines For Living Devotional

How To Have New Life

If a caterpillar can crawl up a tree and weave a cocoon around himself and emerge as a beautiful butterfly, why do we think it strange that God can change a human heart and erase the hatred and bitterness of sin, replacing it with love and joy?  This remarkable change, of course, is not psychological; it is supernatural, and the supernatural involves God.

The Two Things To Remember In Suffering

In many ways the problem of suffering is more difficult for Christians to deal with than for non-Christians.  Why?  The Christian believes that nothing happens apart from the will of God, that He is sovereign and all-powerful, and-- bottom line--that God is good, loving and kind.  The non-Christian dismisses the intervention of God in the affairs of our world or, at best, considers Him to be only a disinterested spectator, either too weak or too remote to do much about the problem of pain.

When Following Your Heart Leads To Ruin

The incident took place in Jezreel, just east of modern Tel Aviv, in a fertile valley lying midway between the blue Mediterranean and the arid desert across the Jordan.  A certain farmer had inherited a vineyard from his father, who, in turn, had received the title to the property from his father.  Everyone admired the luscious grapes which came from the toil of the well-respected middle-class farmer who kept the vineyard.  Naboth, the owner, was proud of his vineyard, too, and rightly so.  Offers to purchase the property were turned down without a second thought, even one that came from the wealthiest, most powerful man in the country.

How Do I Carry On In Fear?

Back in the days when circuses went from town to town, a prominent circus featured an act with Bengal tigers, those beautiful beasts that look like overgrown felines, whose powerful claws are capable of shredding an enemy in a few swipes.  As part of the tiger routine, a trainer would go into the cage with his whip and a small kitchen chair.  The snap of his whip would prod the tigers into a routine which was perfunctory yet dangerous. Bengal tigers are ferocious, and natives who live where they roam in the wilds are always frightened of them. And with good cause.

Here Is Hope For Broken Relationships

When it comes to human relationships, the same dramas play out over and over again.  Like the story of a dad and his son locked in bitter disagreement.  Angry words fly.  Finally, the dad says, "Get out and don’t ever show up at the door of this house again. I never want to see your face again!"  "Don't worry," yells the son.  "You never will." 

How To Deal With Difficult People

Life is full of difficult people. They cut in front of you in traffic, put their trash on your property, accuse you of dishonesty, cut you no slack for being human, and seize upon every opportunity to do something to irritate or demean you.  Some do it unconsciously; others do it deliberately and with malice. They return merchandise which is half worn out, asking for a refund because something doesn’t fit right or was defective. The list of what difficult people do to irritate you is endless.
 

How To Break Free From Addiction

From the beginning of recorded history men and women have become entrapped by vices that eventually become habits which lead to addictions.  When a child comes into the world, that child is born with certain drives which are vital for survival.  Strongest of them is the desire for food and water.  As we grow older, emotional drives include the need for community and relating to each other.  You will never find a hermit living alone or secluded who at some point in his life wasn’t wounded emotionally.

How To Neighbor

There was once a lawyer who was looking for a loophole.  He asked Jesus how to inherit eternal life, but he already knew the answer: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself."  “Right, Jesus simply replied.  "…Do this, and you will live."

Why Does Attitude Matter?

Draw a line and then write four words from left to right: optimist, realist, skeptic, and cynic.  In so doing you move from sunshine to partly cloudy, to sodden gray sky, to near darkness.  The young woman who is an optimist says, “Hey, there are lots of handsome guys here.”  The realist says, “There are a few good men left, but not many!”  The skeptic says, “I doubt that there is one for me; I’ll probably end up being an old maid.”  And the cynic says, “I’m sure that I’ll never find anyone to marry.”

5 Ways To Turn Worry Into Trust

The persistent refusal to do something about an issue that troubles you is what can give birth to chronic worry.   Worry, however, is a choice, a bad decision which can be overcome.  Interested in breaking the worry habit?  Then follow these practical guidelines which will help you turn worry into trust.