“The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green.” (Psalms 92:12-14 ESV)

Surprising and unexpected!

I heard a camp director give a talk about the kind of themed camps he puts on these days. No longer are camps just for kids but they are now for families, singles, men, women, and even for older people. They try to do something surprising and unexpected for every camp they do utilizing fun themes. This process has sometimes proven to be surprising and educational.

Back in time

Recently he did a camp for older folks and decided to spice things up by taking them "20 years back in time." When people showed up to camp they were surprised to find doctors there giving physical examinations as a part of the registration process. Physicians weighed people, gave them eye examinations, took their blood pressures, tested their reflexes, and measured their attention spans. And then declared them to be 20 years younger. All in the spirit of fun as a part of the “Back 20 Years In Time” theme. They gave everyone name tags and wrote their ages next to their names, only they reduced the ages on the tags by 20 years! If the person was age 70 they wrote age 50 on their name tag. Then they told everybody there were two rules for the two week long camp. First, they were to behave like the age written on their tags, and secondly, they were to treat others like the age written on their tags.

Here’s what happened

Over the next few days, people who had come with canes stopped using them and even stopped limping! People walked straighter, acted more energetic and completely stopped talking about illnesses and pains. 

The entire group stopped behaving like old people!

On the last day of the camp the doctors gave everyone followup physicals and found that most people had improved mentally and physically, many dramatically. Even their attention spans, reflexes, and eyesight had improved, much to the amazement of those administering the tests! Doctors scratched their heads and couldn't explain the remarkable transformation other than to say, “When people began to think of themselves as 20 years younger, that profoundly affected how they behaved and then how they felt; the process somehow had actually transformed them!” Amazing!

Changing the way you think is powerful!

“For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” (Prov. 23:7 NKJV)

“He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.” (Isa. 40:29 ESV)

“Say not, “Why were the former days better than these?” For it is not from wisdom that you ask this.” (Eccl. 7:10 ESV)

“Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eye was undimmed, and his vigor unabated.” (Deut. 34:7 ESV)

“With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” (Psalm 91:16 ESV)

 "But David found strength in the Lord his God.” (1 Sam. 30:6b NIV)

Have you ever been discouraged?

I know I have, many times over the years! I have lost jobs, been involved in accidents, lost loved ones, and had business losses and setbacks. The fact is, life can have many negative twists and turns. Bad stuff just happens sometimes and you must remain strong and weather them through with God’s abundant help.

David’s terrible day

In the Bible there is the story of David and what was a disastrous day for him. While he and his men were away, the enemy attacked his camp, set everything on fire and robbed them of everything they had, including their wives and children. His men wept bitterly, blamed him for what had happened and were talking about stoning him. He was greatly distraught with no one to turn accept to the Lord alone, which he did.

David finds strength in the Lord his God!

“When David and his men reached Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep. David’s two wives had been captured—Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God.” (2 Sam. 30:3-6 NIV)

While in prayer, he became encouraged again and God gave him a plan to get everything back, plus more!  So, he followed God’s directions, pursued the enemy, found them, fought them, won the battle, got everything back and more, without suffering a single casualty!

“David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives.  Nothing was missing: young or old, boy or girl, plunder or anything else they had taken. David brought everything back. He took all the flocks and herds, and his men drove them ahead of the other livestock, saying, ‘This is David’s plunder’”. (2 Sam. 30:18-20 NIV)

Encourage yourself in the Lord!

• God has wonderful plans ahead for you. "'For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the LORD. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.’” (Jer. 29:11 NLT)
• There’s joy in seeking Him! “Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! (Psalm 34:8 NLT)
• Hope and praise to God will encourage you! “Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again--my Savior and my God!” (Psalm 42:11 NLT)
• You are safe when you run to the LORD! “The name of the LORD is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” (Prov. 18:10 NIV)
• God will renew your strength when you trust in Him! “But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” (Isa. 40:31. NLT)

 “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”Luke 22:32 KJV)

We serve a giving God!

 “Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything.” (Gen. 9:3 ESV)

Every good and perfect gift comes from God!

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (James 1:17 ESV)

God values you!

“Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!” (Luke 12:24 ESV)

Grace is a gift to you from God

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Eph. 2:8-10 ESV)

The Holy Spirit is God's gift sent to teach and help you

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” (John 14:26 ESV)

He gives to you when you ask Him

“If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (Matt. 7:11 ESV)

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matt. 6:33 KJV)

Therefore, because He has given so much to you …

 “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace.” (1 Peter 4:10 ESV)

 “Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 1:13 ESV)

Someone said, “Whether you think you can or can't do something, you are right!” The hardest thing about most jobs is to get started. You must set your mind to it and then you can move forward from there with some action. Wishful thinking alone won’t do it. You must be sober minded and determined.

The fat toad

I heard a story about a fat toad who had somehow gotten himself stuck in a wagon wheel rut on a dirt road. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't pull himself loose. A friend finally came along and tried to help him get out and failed. The toad was just wedged in too tightly. So, his friend finally gave up and sadly left him to his fate. The next day, however, his friend was surprised and delighted to see the toad hopping along, obviously free from the terrible rut, and said, “I thought you couldn't get out of that deep rut?”  The toad replied, “I couldn’t get out!  But then, I saw a big wagon coming along, and I had to get out!”

You can do much with God’s strength!

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:13 ESV)

Destroy all negative arguments! 

“We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” (2 Cor. 10:5 ESV)

The Spirit gives life! 

“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” (John. 6:63 ESV)

"Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” (Eph. 6:13 NIV)

We live in a world where bad things sometimes happen to good people

Notice that the above verse says, “when the day of evil comes”, it doesn't say, “if the day of evil comes”, because everybody will have days from time to time when evil things happen. It may be painful, confusing and frustrating, but the good news is you don't have to fall apart like a two-dollar suitcase when evil stuff comes your way. The answer given in this verse is to “put on the full armor of God.” And to “stand your ground.” We are told to “be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.” (Eph. 6:10 NIV). The important thing to remember is that we don't fight evil battles alone. We remain strong when we don't depend on our own strength, but stand our ground in the Lord, trusting in His mighty power. We do that by utilizing the full armor of God that He has provided.

The full armor of God

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” (Eph. 6:10-18 NIV)

“The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, is slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin (Ex. 34:6-7).

This verse says that God is abounding in love and faithfulness. The word abounding means to exist in large numbers or amounts, to be plentiful and abundant!

There are reminders of it all around us

When I was a young man and living near the ocean, we would go surf-fishing each year during the summer grunion runs. Grunion are small slender fish that swarm onto beaches at night to spawn. Each wave was filled with fish and they were easy to catch. We used special surf-nets strung between two poles that were hinged together at the bottom and open at the top. When a large wave would roll in, we would dip our nets into the wave and catch huge numbers of fish as they fell into our nets. It was always a bountiful catch! It would often take more than one of us to drag the heavy net to shore. It reminds me of how Peter was directed by Jesus to catch a large number of fish. “He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.” (John 21:6 NIV). It was a truly a bountiful catch! This reminds me of just how amazing and bountiful our God is!

God abounds towards you, and you must abound towards others as well!

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, since you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” (1 Cor. 15:58 NKJV)

“And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (2 Cor. 9:8 NIV)

“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” (Col. 2:6 ESV)

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” (Rom. 15:13 ESV)

“He says, "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." (Psalm 46:10 NIV)

We live in a very noisy world

We have gotten used to being constantly plugged into noise makers of all kinds! Smart phones, iPads, laptops, flat screen tv’s and iPods keep us constantly engaged. But, if you want to hear God's   “still small voice” (1 Kings 19:12), unplug from the sources of noise around you, be still, and then listen!

Psalm 46:10 defined, a few words at a time

Be Still: Be quiet. Not moving or making a sound, transfixed, static, motionless, silenced, and hushed.

And Know: Be certain. Be sure. Be aware of, through observation, inquiry, or information.

That I am God: That I am the  creator and ruler of the universe and source of all authority; the supreme being, the Lord almighty, the Father, the  Son, the Holy Spirit, the Alpha and The Omega.

I will: I shall for certain.

Be Exalted: Be placed at a high or powerful level; held in high regard: elevated, superior, lofty, prestigious, illustrious, esteemed, and distinguished.

Among the nations: Among the people, the lands, the countries, the kingdoms.

In the earth: In the world, planet, globe.

Now, go back and read just  the definitions above as one continuous sentence.

Make a decision to listen to God!

“I will listen to what God the LORD says; he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants-- but let them not turn to folly.” (Psalm 85:8 NIV)

“How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season. And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.”(Psalms 1:1-3 ESV)

Cows, camels and sheep, oh my!

Cows are amazing animals! Like camels and sheep, they process their food by chewing their cuds. They swallow their food and bring it up repeatedly and chew on it all day long. This enables them to extract everything of nutritional value from what has been swallowed. This process is similar to meditation. You start by getting the Word of God into your head. You then think about it and dwell on it deeply. You chew on it, so to speak, to receive many wonderful benefits from it. Our promise verse for today says it very well. “And in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season. And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers. These are wonderful benefits, indeed!

Pleasing in God's sight

“May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.”(Psalm 19:14 NIV)

“May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the LORD.”(Psalm 104:34 NIV)

 Dwell on these things

“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”(Phil. 4:8 ESV)

“Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord." (Eph. 5:19 KJV)

What are Spiritual songs?

According to the International Bible Dictionary,  “It includes all lyric poetry, but is limited by the word "spiritual" to songs inspired by the Holy Spirit and employed in the joyful and devotional expression of the spiritual life. While songs, like psalms and hymns, were used in public worship and praise, they were more intended for, and suited to, personal and private and social use; as, e.g. in family worship, at meals, in the agapai ("love-feasts"), in meetings for prayer and religious intercourse from house to house.”

Singing with grace in your heart to the Lord

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” (Col. 3:16 NKJV)

God puts a new song in your heart!

“He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the LORD and put their trust in him.” (Psalm 49:3 NIV)

It’s the pathway to joy

• Psalms 5:11: “Let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you.”
• Psalms 9:2: “I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.”
• Psalms 51:14: “Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.”
• Psalms 59:16: “I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress.”
• Psalms 63:7: “For you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.”
• James 5:13:  “Is anyone cheerful?  Let him sing praise.”