THE CONCLUSION OF THE MATTER

     "Here is the conclusion of the matter." Ecc 12:13 NIV

     In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon talks about all the things in life he tried and found to be disappointing: the intellectual pursuit of knowledge, the physical pursuit of pleasure, and the material pursuit of wealth. In the last chapter of Ecclesiastes he bottom-lines it: "Everything is meaningless" (v.8 NIV). In other words: "Been there, done that-and it's just the same ol', same ol'." Now, penning his last divinely-inspired thoughts, he wraps up his life's message with these words: "Here is the conclusion of the matter." This is big stuff! Solomon is about to give us his bottom-line evaluation of a life well-lived. What is it? "Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment" (vv.13-14 NIV). The words "fear God" simply mean to reverence, love, and serve Him, and live your life according to the precepts laid down in His word. The songwriter put it this way: "Trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey." Author John Mason writes: "Is more money, a higher position, or more influence your goal? These are not goals; they are the by-product of true goals...Seek not success, but truth, and you will find both. Work to become, not acquire. Measure wealth by the things you have which you would not exchange for money." When you wake each morning, pray this simple prayer: "Lord, above all else help me to spend this day loving You and carrying out Your will. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen."

DAILY DEVOTIONAL

THE WORD FOR YOU TODAY

MIDWAY CHURCH

Jabez (Part 4)

"Oh, that... Your hand would be with me."  1 Ch 4:10 NKJV

     Not only did Jabez have great ambition , he had a growing faith and a deep trust in God. He had enough faith to pray and expect an answer. He was like the pioneer missionary William Carey, who said, "Expect great things from God, and attempt great things for God." There's no mention of Jabez having any special ability or talent. The Bible doesn't say he was wealthy or educated. He was simply a common man with an uncommon faith. Don't worry about what you don't have--if you have faith! God will give you the necessary power. He loves to use ordinary people who are willing to trust Him, and see them succeed. Lots of super-talented people sit on the sidelines while ordinary people with faith score the goals and win. And you can be one of them. Another interesting fact about Jabez is he apparently had some type of handicap or disability. In the Hebrew language "Jabez" means "painful." Jabez caused his mother so much grief during childbirth that she named him Painful. How would you like to go through life with that name? He may have been unwanted and unloved. But he was stronger than his handicap, and his faith kept him going. His eyes weren't on the past, they were on the future. He believed that if God blessed him, then his future would be greater than his past. What's your handicap? Is it physical? Is it spiritual? Is it an unhappy childhood? Is it a frustrating job or a broken marriage? Whatever it may be, Jesus said, "Everything is possible for him who believes" (Mk 9:23 NIV).

DAILY DEVOTIONAL

THE WORD FOR YOU TODAY

MIDWAY CHURCH  

Jabez (Part 3)

     "So God granted him what he requested."  1 Ch 4:10 NKJV

     When Jabez prayed, "Enlarge my territory," he was saying, "Lord, i want more than I've got, and I'm asking You for it! This man had great ambitions, and God blessed them. There are three common misconceptions that can keep us from having great ambitions: (1) We confuse fear with humility. We say, "Oh, I could never do that," and think we're being humble. But that's not humility. That's fear; that's lack of faith. A truly humble person would say, "With God's help I can do it. With God's blessing I will do it. I may not be able to do it on my own, but with God's help I can." That's real humility. (2) We tend to confuse laziness with contentment. We quote Paul: "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances" (Php 4:11 NIV). But this doesn't mean that you shouldn't set goals. Paul wasn't saying, "I don't have any ambitions or future plans." Just the opposite, in fact! He spoke of "reaching forth [to] those things which are before" (Php 3:13). If you don't have a dream or a goal, ask God for one. (3) We confuse small thinking with spirituality. Some people say, "I serve God in my little way." Why don't you start serving Him in a bigger way? Why not let Him use you more? Other people say, "Well, I'm just fine the way I am. That's the way God made me." It's wrong to blame God for your lack of growth, because He has provided all the tools and ideas you need in order to grow. Bottom line: Think big or you'll get in God's way! 

Daily Devotional

The Word For You Today

Midway Church  

Jabez (Part 2)

     "Oh, that You would bless me indeed."  1 Ch 4:10 NKJV

     Jabez prayed that God would bless him in three specific ways: (1) "Enlarge my territory." He had a dream of owning more land, and he asked God to bless that dream. When you stop dreaming you lose direction. When you stop setting goals you stop growing. You must have something you're pushing toward. As long as the horizon is expanding, you'll be spiritually and emotionally healthy. (2) "That Your hand would be with me." God's hand represents His power. Jabez realized that if he got more territory it meant he would have more responsibility. He would have greater demands and more pressure, and he would really need God's help in his life. So he requested God to be with him. And when you ask for God's presence in your life, you can be sure He'll answer. (3) "That You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain." Jabez asked God for His protection. Why? Because in those days the more land you owned, the more influence you had, and the better known you were. And that made you a bigger target. It's still like that today. The more successful you are, the more critics you will have. The more territory you own, the more your enemies will attack you. The closer you grow to the Lord and the stronger you become as a Christian, the more the Devil will harass you because he doesn't want you to grow. But you can be sure, as Jabez was, that with God's protection you don't have to fear anyone or anything. Do you want to break out of mediocrity? Then pray the prayer that Jabez prayed.

Daily Devotional

The Word For You Today

Midway Church  

Jabez (Part 1)

    "And Jabez called on the God of Israel."  1 Ch 4:10 NKJV

     In the book of First Chronicles the Bible tells us about a man named Jabez. The first nine chapters consist of genealogies, listing more than six hundred names. And right there in the middle of all those names, God singles out one man for special recognition, and his name is Jabez. There are only two verses in the entire Bible about this man, yet he's given honorable mention above the six hundred other people mentioned in the chapter. Why did God single him out? What did Jabez do that caused his name to be preserved for over four thousand years? What made him above average? For the next few days, let's see what we can learn about him. "Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers" (v. 9 NKJV). So, what set him apart? He dared to ask and believe God for great things: "Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, 'Oh, that You would bless me indeed, that You would enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!' So God granted him what he requested." God wants you to ask Him for great things! He told Jeremiah, "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know" (Jer 33:3 NIV). Paul tells us that God "is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us" (Eph 3:20 NIV). You can't out-ask or out-dream God, so start asking Him for what you want-and believe He will give it to you!

Daily Devotional

The Word For You Today

Midway Church  

Light to the Eyes

   God can help us see life through his eyes. He can bring us beyond our feelings to see the truth about the situation we are facing. We serve a loving Father who longs to see us rejoicing and recognizing the faithfulness of his love for us.
     There is no situation too difficult for him, no trial he can't overcome, no amount of unloving action on our part that can ever sway him from desiring a relationship with us.
     How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look on me and answer, Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death, and my enemy will say, "I have overcome him," and my foes will rejoice when I fall. But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord's praise, for he has been good to me (Psalm 13:2-6, NIV).
    What situation do you need discernment about today? Ask God to give light to your eyes. If nothing else today, let him impress upon your heart a measure of his unfailing love for you.

Forget Not His Benefits

     Have you ever noticed the raw humanity of David in the psalms? David is known for the many exploits that he performed courageously. He killed a lion, a bear, and a giant! But the psalms offer us a glimpse into David's heart between his valiant battles. He continually wrestled with his own heart and sin. He wrote of the attributes he knew to be true of God only to follow it up with phrases like, "How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?" (Psalm 13:1, NASB).
     We should not berate ourselves for faith that one day makes us feel like we could slay a giant and the next day we wonder if God even hears our prayers. We are human. What can we do, on those rough days, is take time to remember who he says he is.
     Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits (Psalm 103:1-2, ESV).
     Do you feel like you are prone to forget the benefits of God even if you seemed to know them an hour ago? Take time to ponder the attributes of God. In doing so, he will lift your head.