Nonce (Psalm 27:14)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “nonce.”  When is the last time you have given God a worrisome piece of your life?  Sure, we pray. But much of the time it is lip service, rather than a true and unwavering trust that he will take our cares and the burdens that come with them.  The psalmist understood this principle.  When in doubt, fear, or lack of understanding, he knew that sometimes the best action to take was to wait on God.

"Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD." ~Ps. 27:14

My question is: Where are you in your relationship with God concerning trust?  Sometimes we just want to reach the destination, and skip all of the tough stuff.  But we must remember that it is the difficult circumstances in life, those of which we are uncertain, that give God room to work and do what he needs to fulfill his purpose.  My prayer is that you trust God today with something that you may have kept from him.  There are a number of reasons that we do not put our faith in him, and instead try to do it all on our own.  So today, instead of taking that lonely road… for the nonce… trust him with something new. Jump out of your comfort zone and into a more accepting and understanding of God’s love.

Praying for you,

MO

Redoubt (2 Corinthians 10:1-6)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is "redoubt."  If you remember what we talked about the other day, we must realize that God is the strength to which we must turn.  Paul realizes that we often get caught up in the problems we have on earth.  However, there is a much bigger war at stake.

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.

~2 Cor 10:3-5

My question is: what are the things in your life right now that are trying to hold you back.  I think often times we have so much going on in life that it is almost like we are in a sort of prison.  My prayer is that the divine power of God descends on your life to demolish any redoubts that may be challenging his power.  Allow God to be your warrior, especially in times when you think that you cannot handle life.  He will come to your rescue.

Praying for you,

MO

Ineffectual (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “ineffectual.” The apostle Paul led a pretty crazy life. He went from being one of the most feared and respected men in the Jewish community to a controversial and complicated life for God. Because he was called, he gave up everything for Jesus. And even though he knew that he at one time had everything according to the world standards, now he knew that he was secure in his eternal relationship with Jesus. Through all of his trials and tough times, Paul never took his focus off the important things of life.

“That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

~2 Cor 12:10

My question is: from where do you find your strength? Although this may seem like a rhetorical question, depending on the way that you are living at this point will give you an honest answer. Do you look toward Christ as the answer to your weakness? I think that too many times we try to fix our lives the way that we think it should be done. However, God would have us do things differently. My prayer is that each of you examines your own weaknesses. Know that in your weaknesses you are not ineffectual, but able to be used fully for God’s glory; ask that the strength of the Lord be your testimony during those times. We should not run from our weaknesses, but face them with the power of God. This will be our witness to others.

Praying for you,

mo

Loup-garou (1 Peter 5:8)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “loup-garou.” This is got to be by far one of my favorite words of all time. I'm just going to start out by letting you know exactly what it is, instead of make you wait like I usually do. This is another word for werewolf. The Bible depicts the evil one in different manners throughout the different books. One of my favorites is in the latter part of the New Testament…

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

~1 Pet. 5:8

Make no mistake about it, the evil one is always looking for a foothold in your life. You must continually be alert and on your guard and ready for anything that is thrown your way. My question is: are you living your life in a manner that gives you the best opportunity to fight against the attacks of the enemy? My prayer this morning is that you take all means and ways necessary to be ready for the attacks against you. They're coming your way, and much of the time we do not know exactly what we will face. But, whether the devil comes as a roaring lion, a serpent, or even a loup-garou… you will be ready.

Praying for you,

mo

Strength (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “strength.” The Apostle Paul wrote this to the church of Thessalonica; he was very concerned for the stuff that they had to deal with women daily basis. We have to understand that these letters were written because the apostle was not able to be with them all the time. We have the luxury today of having a church that has the same strong leadership presence in the world that is not completely hostile to our cause. This was not the case for this particular church in Thessalonica. Paul knew they were on the brink of losing all they had been taught because of the negative influences of the world surrounding them.

“Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, ¹⁷ comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word.”

~2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

My question is: how is God strengthening your heart daily to become a more effective follower. I know that at this point in the season you are very tired, and at some points you feel as if your strength is left you completely. Everything hurts, sleeping is all that you want to do, and you are wondering why the heck you got into this crazy madness. My prayer is that you hang in there. Your coaches know how much time you're putting in, and more importantly God knows your commitment to this program, this incredible school, and to him. Allow God to comfort your heart and strengthen both your soul and your body. We believe in you.

Praying for you,

Mo

Sharp (Hebrews 4:12)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “sharp.” I really love the way Paul talks about our relationship with JC and how we need to lift one another up. Imagine the church in the old days and how difficult it must have been to keep the faith. Christianity was pretty new and there were a bunch of peeps who did not like them. So Paul here tells the church that they need have each other’s backs, always allowing the Word of God to be the driving force in our lives…

“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

~Heb. 4:12

My question is: are you letting God speak to you through his word continually? I know that a lot of times when I get busy I totally forget and then its like my time in the Word is the first thing to go. My prayer is that you are very deliberate in spending time in God’s word. Each time you study the Word, you sharpen that sword… God is preparing you for great things! You just need to let him pierce your soul…

Praying for you,

mo

Might (Ecclesiastes 9:10)

Might (Ecclesiastes 9:10)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “might.” As you can see, this is inspired by Coach Tim’s scripture for us the other day. He reminded us that in each situation and circumstance we should give God our all. In this passage, Solomon reminds the peeps that God enabled them with certain abilities and each should use those as God intended. In talking to many of you I can tell that it’s time for papers, homework, and projects to creep in. I remember thinking that college was the best thing in the world because all the proffs gave us a syllabus – I would never fall behind again in my work. Ummm, yeah.

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.

~Ecc. 9:10

This life is short and God has given you so much. What you will do with this gift is your choice. My question today is: What does God have in store for me that I could use my energies to accomplish? I pray that whatever you do this season and school year, you do it with all your might.

Praying for you,

mo