Morning Thought: In the Return of the King, Gollum tried to separate the close friendship of Frodo and Sam. In the same way, the enemy tries to sow seeds of discord between brothers and sisters in Jesus. Let’s be aware of the enemy’s tactics and let love triumph over evil. “A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends” (Pro. 16:28 NIV). “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves” (Rom. 12:10 NIV).
Morning Thought: This is my prayer for Queensland today: “May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob set you securely on high! May He send you help from the sanctuary And support you from Zion!” (Psalms 20:1-2 NASB). May the Father shelter you from this storm.
Morning Thought: When you meditate on God’s Word it is like chewing. You absorb the most nutritional value out of food when you chew. The same goes with the Bible. Chew the Word to taste the subtleties of Scripture and take in its inherent power. Get the whole perspective of God’s precepts, but also break it down, understanding its phrases and words. Then you’ll grow strong. “Blessed is the one…whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers” (Psalm 1:2-3 NIV).
Morning Thought: The Father does not want you to wear out. It’s possible to become so busy doing ‘The Lord’s work’ that you unknowingly neglect The Lord’s work. Moses fell into this trap and his father-in-law warned him. The answer: train up others to partner in the Kingdom’s work. Watch out for a Messiah complex and let Jesus be the Lord of his church and the world. “Moses’ father-in-law replied, ‘What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone” (Exo. 18:17-18, NIV).
Morning Thought: In the Kingdom, the sharpest seeing is with your eyes shut. It’s with the eyes of your heart that you envision hope, calling, spiritual riches, inheritance, glory, faith and Christ’s resurrection. Today, ask the Father to unveil your eyes to see things as he sees them. “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 1:18-20 NIV).
Morning Thought: Jesus calls you to go beyond yourself. Standing before a crowd of over five thousand, Jesus says to his disciples, “You give them something to eat.” He knows the command is impossible to this world, they only have five loaves and two fish, but it is possible with him. Everything Jesus commissions will compel you to to cling to his grace and power. In the end, you will testify to the praise of his glory. “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5c; also see Mark 6:35-44).
