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ZMI Today’s Dose

Faith In Action

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“So she did as Elijah said, and she and Elijah and her family continued to eat for many days.”
1 Kings 17:15, NLT

Faith_SignIsn’t it easy to claim faith in God when all is going great for us? I know it is for me. But, how well does our faith stand up when tested– does it reveal faith in action or faith in theory only?

God tested the faith of a widow in the village of Zarephath who, along with her son, faced starvation. God sent Elijah to the woman with instructions for her to feed him. She told Elijah, “I swear by the Lord your God that I don’t have a single piece of bread in the house. And I have only a handful of flour left in the jar and a little cooking oil in the bottom of the jug. I was just gathering a few sticks to cook this last meal, and then my son and I will die.”  1 Kings 17:12 NLT

The widow obeyed God and was blessed. Read today’s Dose verse. “There was always enough flour and olive oil left in the containers, just as the Lord had promised through Elijah.” 1 Kings 17:16 NLT

God also tested Abraham’s faith. “Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.” Genesis 22:2

Abraham obeyed God and was blessed. “… Because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your son, your only son, I swear by my own name that I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants beyond number… And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed—all because you have obeyed me.” Genesis 22:16-18 NLT

No doubt, things looked desperate for the widow and Abraham, as fear and uncertainty threatened their families, provision, and lives. Yet, they yielded their great uncertainty and fear to their greater faith in God to provide for their needs.

God sacrificed even more for us–His only Son for our sins!

Are you unable to see how your needs will be met and your family provided for right now? You wonder, “Should I obey the Lord and trust in what I can’t see or try and handle things myself?” Perhaps you’re resigned to die (like the widow was) because that’s all you can understand to do. Why not call out to God and obey Him (despite what you feel, see, or understand) instead? Now, that’s faith in action!

By grace through faith,

Rita

Cinnamon Toast and Choices

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“But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.”
1Thessalonians 5:21-22 NASB

signs-right-wrong-good-bad-1172209I have always loved cinnamon toast. You know, butter smeared on a slice of bread and sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon. Toasted until hot and bubbly. Savor the goodness! Yum, yum!

Four years ago my husband and I made a drastic change in our eating habits due to some health issues. Eliminating refined sugar as often as possible from our diet became a top priority. So, I bid a sad farewell to my beloved cinnamon toast. However, over time I began experimenting with substituting raw honey for the refined sugar. Once again, I am enjoying my cinnamon toast and benefitting from the goodness of the healthier ingredients.

Ok, enough of the health lesson . . . BUT THERE IS A SPIRITUAL APPLICATION HERE. You see, we are faced with decisions and choices every day. Harmful habits pop up and temptations come our way. It is up to us to observe and change the actions and words that aren’t pleasing to God or good for us.

Do you have a habit of saying unkind things about others because of petty reasons? Try replacing the damaging words with something positive about the person. If you can think of nothing good to say, then hold your tongue and whisper a prayer for them instead.

Do you find it hard to spend time with God on a regular basis? Maybe some of your time texting, face-booking, twittering, enjoying a hobby, etc. could be used instead for alone time with Him.

Do you struggle with road rage? (ouch!) Next time the urge comes to rant and rave over someone’s careless driving, why not bless them in the name of the Lord? I said bless them, not bless them out J You really have no clue what they are going through or what’s on their minds. They may desperately need the Lord, so take the opportunity to pray for them.

Whether it’s cinnamon toast or _______________ (you fill in the blank), we can either ignore the warnings and suffer the consequences, or pursue better options that yield fruitful rewards. It’s up to each one of us. It’s our choice. Let’s choose to look for what is really good, cling to it, and steer clear of the evil.

[Digging deeper – Romans 12:9, 21; Galatians 6:10; Ephesians 4:29; 1 Thessalonians 5:15; James 4:17; 1 Peter 3:8-9]

Signature: Enjoying good choices,

Beverly <><

Resisting Temptation

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“Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’ Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.”
Matthew 4:10-11 NLT



Christ_In_Wilderness “No matter how hard I try, I simply can’t resist (fill in the blank)!” We’re all tempted at some point in life. But, are we really powerless to resist temptation? Perhaps you think, we’re only human; only God can resist temptation, and He’s never tempted because He’s God. And how’s He going to help anyway? He’s not the one facing the temptations that I am. How can He possible understand? Read today’s Dose verses.

Jesus was tempted in His human form. We read in Matthew 4:1, “…Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.”  Jesus understands when we are tempted in our place of “wilderness” because he was tempted in just such a place for forty days and nights. This was no fleeting temptation either– it was a long time.

Jesus fasted during His time in the wilderness and became really hungry. The devil tried to get Jesus to turn some stones into bread to satisfy His hunger. But Jesus told him no. “People do not live by bread alone, but by every wordTemptation_of_Christ that comes from the mouth of God”. Matthew 4:4, NLT Jesus understands very well the physical desires, which tempt us.

Following that failed try, the devil tempted Jesus to show off His power, enticing Him to jump from a high place and instruct angels to protect Him from harm. Jesus told him “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the LORD your God’”. Matthew 4:7 NLT Jesus understands our temptation to impress others with our power, status and achievements.

Finally, the devil offered Jesus the entire world if He would only kneel and worship him. The final response that Jesus gave the devil during these temptations was to go away from Him and the devil did just that. Then, angels came and met Jesus’ needs. Jesus understands our temptation for significance and possessions.

God clearly understands our temptations; He resisted every form of human temptation without fail!

_Jesus_Denying_SatanThe devil and his angels will try to tempt us in our most vulnerable areas when we pursue Christ. He’ll misquote God’s words. Don’t be surprised by it. Be encouraged that Jesus showed us how to resist temptation. It’s by properly applying the word of God and humility! They make the devil go away!

“So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7 NLT

By grace through faith,

Rita