The Race

Defeat! He lay there silently, a tear dropped from his eye,”

There’s no sense running anymore – three strikes and I’m out – why try?”

The will to rise has disappeared, all hope had fled away,

so far behind, so error prone, closer all the way.

“I’ve lost, so what’s the use”, he thought “I’ll live with my disgrace.”

But then he thought about his dad who soon he’d have to face.

Get up, and echo sounded low, get up and take your place.

You were not meant for failure here, so get up and win the race.

With Borrowed will, “Get up!” It said, “You haven’t lost at all,

for winning is not more than this, to rise each time you fall.”

So he rose to win once more, and with new commitment

he resolved to win or lose, at least he wouldn’t quit.

So far behind the others now, the most he’d ever been,

still he gave it all he had, and ran as though to win.

Three times he’d fallen stumbling, three times he rose again.

Too far behind to hope to win, he still ran to the end.

They cheered the winning runner as he crossed.

First place, head high and proud and happy, no falling, no disgrace.

But when the fallen youngster crossed the line, last place,

the crowd gave him the greater cheer for finishing the race.

And even though he came in last, with head bow low, unproud.

You would have thought he won the race, to listen to the crowd.

And to his dad he sadly said, “I didn’t do so well”.

To me, you won, his father said, you rose each time you fell.

And now when things seem dark and hard and difficult to face,

the memory of that little boy helps me in my own race.

For all of life is like that race, with ups and downs and all.

And all you have to do to win is rise each time you fall.

“Quit! Give up you’re beaten,” they will shout in my face.

But another voice within me says, “Get up and win that race!”

Meditation: For a righteous man may fall seven times And rise again, But the wicked shall fall by calamity. – Proverbs 24:16

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Why God Gave Us Friends

– Author Unknown

GOD knew that everyone needs
companionship and cheer,
He knew that people need someone
whose thoughts are always near.

He knew they need someone kind
to lend a helping hand.
Someone to gladly take the time
to care and understand.

GOD knew that we all need someone
to share each happy day,
to be a source of courage
when troubles come our way.

Someone to be true to us,
whether near or far apart.
Someone whose love we’ll always
hold and treasure in our hearts.

That’s Why GOD Gave Us Friends.

Meditation: A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. – Proverbs 17:17

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Jesus in the House

One day he decided to invite the Lord to come home and stay with him. When the Lord arrived, this young man offered him the very best room in the house. The room was upstairs and at the end of the hall. “This room is yours, Jesus! Stay as long as you like and you can do whatever you want to in this room, remember Jesus, it’s all yours.”

That evening after he had retired for the night there came a loud knocking at the front door. The young man pulled on his robe and made his way downstairs. When he opened the door he found that the devil had sent three of his demons to attack the man. He quickly tried to close the door but one of the demons kept sticking his foot in.

Sometime later, after a great struggle, he managed to slam the door shut and returned to his room totally exhausted.

Can you believe that? the man thought. Jesus is upstairs in my very best room sleeping while I am down here battling demons. Oh, well, maybe He just didn’t hear. He slept fitfully that night. The next day thing went along as normal and, being tired as he was, the young man retired early that evening. Along about midnight, there came such a terrible ruckus at the front door that the young man was sure that whatever it was would tear the door down. He stumbled down the stairs once again and opened the door to find that were dozens of demons now trying to get into his beautiful home.

For more than three hours he fought and struggled against the demons from hell, and finally overtook them enough to shut the door against their attack. All energy seemed to fail him. He really didn’t understand this at all. Why won’t the Lord come to my rescue? Why does he allow me to fight all by myself? I feel so alone. Troubled, he found his way to the sofa and fell into a restless sleep.

The next morning he decided to inquire of the Lord about the happenings of the last two evenings. Quietly he made his way to the elegant bedroom where he had left Jesus. “Jesus,” he called as he tapped at the door. “Lord, I don’t understand what is happening. For the last two nights I have had to fight the demons away from my door while you laid up here sleeping. Don’t you care about me? Did I not give you the very best room in the house?”

He could see the tears building in Jesus’ eyes, but he continued, “I just don’t understand, I really thought that once I invited you in to live with me that you would take care of me and I gave you the best room in my house and everything. What more can I do?”

“My precious child,” Jesus spoke so softly. “I do love and care for you. I protect all that you have released into my care. But, when you invited me to come here and stay, you brought me to this lovely room and you shut the door to the rest of your house. I am Lord of this room but I am not Master of this house. I have protected this room and no demon may enter here.”

“Oh, Lord, please forgive me. Take my entire house — it is yours. I am so sorry that I never offered you all to begin with. I want you to have control of everything.” With this he flung open the bedroom door and knelt at Jesus’ feet. “Please forgive me Lord for being so selfish.”

Jesus smiled and told him that He had already forgiven him and that He would take care of things from now on. That night as the young man prepared for bed he thought, I wonder if those demons will return. I am so tired of fighting them each and every night. But, he knew that Jesus said that He would take care of things from now on.

Along about midnight the banging on the door was frightening. The young man slipped out of his room in time to see Jesus going down the stairs. He watched in awe as Jesus swung open the door, no need to be afraid.

Satan stood at the door, this time demanding to be let in. “What do you want, satan?” the Lord asked. The devil bowed low in the presence of the Lord, “So sorry, I seem to have gotten the wrong address.” And with that, he and the demons all ran away.

There is a moral to this tale. Jesus wants all of you, not just a part. He will take all that you give Him, but nothing more. How much of your heart have you given to the Lord? Are you keeping a portion of it away from Him?

Perhaps the attacks are coming more and more each day. Why not let the Lord fight the battles for you? He is always victorious. I have found that God made man simple, all of man’s complexities are of his own devising.

Meditation: For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day. – 2 Timothy 1:12

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Speak Gently

Speak gently. Let no harsh word mar

the good you may do here.

Speak gently to the young, for they

will have enough to bear;

pass through this life as best they may,

’tis full of anxious care.

Speak gently to the aged one

Grieve not the care-worn heart,

whose sand of life are nearly run,

let such in peace depart.

Speak gently, kindly to the poor,

let no harsh tone be heard.

They have enough they must endure

without an unkind word.

Speak gently…’tis a little thing

dropped in the heart’s deep well;

The good, the joy that it may bring

eternity shall tell.

— Author Unknown

Meditation: Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. – Ephesians 4:29

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

It’s in Your Face

You don’t have to tell how you live each day,

 You don’t have to say if you work or play,

A tried, true barometer serves in the place;

however you live, it will show in your face.

The false, the deceit you bear in your heart

Will not stay inside, where it first got a start.

For sin and blood are a thin veil of lace;

what you wear in your heart you wear in your face.

If your life is unselfish,

if for others you live,

for not what you get,

but for how much you can give;

If you live close to God,

in His infinite grace,

you don’t have to tell it,

it shows in your face.

Meditation: As in water face reflects face, So a man’s heart reveals the man. – Proverbs 27:19

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

How To Define Your Purpose (Part 1)

For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell.– Colossians 1:19

In the past few days we have considered various thoughts on purpose. Subsequently, we will bring our meditation closer home by examining how you can centre on your own purpose and define it in easily understood words that will have direct meaning to you and, perhaps, others.

As we have learnt, the word of God is the only resource where you can discover your purpose. Seeking it elsewhere is an effort in futility. And there is Someone who is the personification of God’s word, He is Jesus Christ. He is the ultimate fulfilment of the word of God. He is the consummate man. The Bible says all things consist in Him; that means without Him there is nothing that merits its name. He is the centre of the universe; He is at the core of everything created.

Jesus is the perfect example of humanness. He is 100% God, yet 100% man. His life is the perfect example of “live-ing.” And in Him all the purposes of humankind on earth are captured. He is the embodiment of all human missions. There can be no identification or fulfilment of purpose outside what He came to do. And, among other things, He came to demonstrate how we should fulfil the assignments that God has allotted to each of us on earth.

Therefore, if you desire to identify and define your own purpose, you need to study the life of Jesus vis-à-vis what are written “in the volume of the books” about what He came to do on the earth.

That is what we will be considering in subsequent editions of this devotional, so that you too can be able to discover your life purpose and put a name to it. Are you ready?

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

The Carpenter

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house-building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family. He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by. The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favour. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career.

When the carpenter finished his work and the builder came to inspect the house, the contractor handed the front-door key to the carpenter. “This is your house,” he said, “my gift to you.”

What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in the home he had built none too well.

So it is with us. We build our lives in a distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less than the best. At important points we do not give the job our best effort.

Then with a shock we look at the situation we have created and find that we are now living in the house we have built. If we had realized, we would have done it differently.

Think of yourself as the carpenter. Think about your house. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Build wisely. It is the only life you will ever build. Even if you live it for only one day more, that day deserves to be lived graciously and with dignity.

Your life today is the result of your attitudes and choices in the past. Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make today.

For More Information Contact: The Real Building Manual written and inspired by The Master Carpenter of Life – The Holy Bible.

Meditation: Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going. – Ecclesiastes 9:10

You will succeed in Jesus Name!