He Is With You

Posted by anthologycreative

CrestridgeEVERYTHING WAS falling apart. Her marriage had ended in divorce; she’d been laid off; her ex was granted custody of their daughters, and they now lived in another state. Her pain was visible.

I told her that I didn’t know why she had to go through all of that, but that I did know one thing: God was with her in the middle of it.

Her response floored me: He is? No one ever told me that!

Read Psalm 46:1-3. Focus on verse 1.

What does it mean to call God a refuge?

How has God been your strength?

What does it mean that God can always be found during our times of trouble?

How have you seen that truth play out in your life?

When everything seems to be falling apart, why is it hard to trust God?

What do these verses teach you about God’s attitude toward the tough times in your life?

When you’re facing troubling times, from where do you get your strength? Is it God? Why or why not?

In today’s passage, everything seemed to be falling apart.  But he didn’t freak out; he praised God, calling Him a refuge, his source of strength, and the One who can always help in times of trouble.

We don’t get a pass on tough times just because we have a relationship with Jesus. Trouble, opposition, persecution—all will come to believers. The power to overcome these things comes in knowing that God is your strength. He is the One who carries you through. Jesus is with you—in the middle of it all.


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Light the Way

Posted by anthologycreative

Light the Way
Read This Passage: Psalm 119:105-112

worship “Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path. I have solemnly sworn to keep Your righteous judgments.” —Psalm 119:105-106

THERE’S SOMETHING frightening about not knowing what’s around us. Think about a time when you were surrounded by complete and total darkness. Maybe it was so dark you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face or know which direction to go. Complete darkness is disconcerting and far from comforting. We feel that we’re in danger when we can’t see the way ahead. That’s even true in our spiritual lives. But there is a solution.

Like a flashlight illuminating the path in front of us, God’s Word exposes the dangers in our lives. This light also shows us the safe way home. Scripture shows us what God expects of us. It has something to say about common things like lying, how to live in relationship with others, and the things we should and shouldn’t say. God’s Word offers guidance and focus in our lives. The psalmist recognized that and was committed to following God’s commands in Scripture.

Nothing else can bring safety, guidance, and joy like the Word of our God. Since this is true, we need to ask ourselves the following questions: Am I passionate about knowing God’s Word? If not, pray that God would help you in these areas.

But clearly, God expects us to do more than just know His Word. We’re supposed to obey it. James 1:22 tells us that those who hear without obeying actually deceive themselves into thinking they are Christians. Like the writer of the psalms, we must commit to obeying the Word of God. This is the path to true and eternal security and joy.

Real Choices
Create a plan to memorize Scripture by writing out verses on index cards. You may want to start with shorter verses, but don’t forget to think about the meaning of the words.  Girls, this is why we have you memorize Scripture as part of the challenge at camp.  It is so important!  Let God’s Word renew your mind throughout the day.

Digging Deeper
Psalm 119 is divided up into 22 sections. Read at least one a day for the next few weeks.

Pray
Ask God to give you wisdom according to the promise of James 1:5-6 in areas where His will seems unclear.


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Light the Way

Posted by anthologycreative

Light the Way
Read This Passage: Psalm 119:105-112

campcrestridge_2 “Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path. I have solemnly sworn to keep Your righteous judgments.” —Psalm 119:105-106

THERE’S SOMETHING frightening about not knowing what’s around us. Think about a time when you were surrounded by complete and total darkness. Maybe it was so dark you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face or know which direction to go. Complete darkness is disconcerting and far from comforting. We feel that we’re in danger when we can’t see the way ahead. That’s even true in our spiritual lives. But there is a solution.

Like a flashlight illuminating the path in front of us, God’s Word exposes the dangers in our lives. This light also shows us the safe way home. Scripture shows us what God expects of us. It has something to say about common things like lying, how to live in relationship with others, and the things we should and shouldn’t say. God’s Word offers guidance and focus in our lives. The psalmist recognized that and was committed to following God’s commands in Scripture.

Nothing else can bring safety, guidance, and joy like the Word of our God. Since this is true, we need to ask ourselves the following questions: Am I passionate about knowing God’s Word? If not, pray that God would help you in these areas.

But clearly, God expects us to do more than just know His Word. We’re supposed to obey it. James 1:22 tells us that those who hear without obeying actually deceive themselves into thinking they are Christians. Like the writer of the psalms, we must commit to obeying the Word of God. This is the path to true and eternal security and joy.

Real Choices
Create a plan to memorize Scripture by writing out verses on index cards. You may want to start with shorter verses, but don’t forget to think about the meaning of the words.  Girls, this is why we have you memorize Scripture as part of the challenge at camp.  It is so important!  Let God’s Word renew your mind throughout the day.

Digging Deeper
Psalm 119 is divided up into 22 sections. Read at least one a day for the next few weeks.

Pray
Ask God to give you wisdom according to the promise of James 1:5-6 in areas where His will seems unclear.


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Priceless

Posted by anthologycreative

Priceless
Read This Passage: Psalm 119:65-72

“Instruction from Your lips is better for me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.” —Psalm 119:72

IF SOMEONE WROTE you a check for a million dollars, what would you do with it? You can probably think of several things: a sports car, a giant flat-screen TV, or maybe a shopping spree in some of your favorite stores.

If you’re like most people, buying God’s wisdom did not immediately come to mind. Of course, you can’t purchase anything from God, but if you could, would it be worth a million dollars to you to receive eternal truth?

Believe it or not, in today’s verses, the psalmist said that thousands of gold and silver pieces would not be as valuable to him as instruction from God. Yep, you read that right. God’s instruction was more important to the psalmist than -millions of dollars.

When we view life from an eternal perspective—God’s perspective—obedience to Him and a relationship with Him are worth far more than a car or a TV or anything else we can buy here on earth. If there is one thing that ought to capture our attention, it’s what the Creator of the universe has to say. He made us, put a plan in motion to save us, and He wants to live in relationship with each one of us forever. He doesn’t want us to walk around confused and unfocused. He wants to give us insight on how to live priceless, focused lives.

God primarily does this through His Word. Like the psalmist, we ought to seek God for “good judgment and discernment” (v. 66). We, too, should find our delight in His instruction (v. 70), and this will sometimes mean enduring affliction (vv. 67,71) in order to learn truth. Is God’s Word this valuable to you? Dig into His Word and live like it!

Real choices
Consider fasting from entertainment or something else you enjoy to devote more time to God and His Word.

Digging Deeper
Read the first chapter of 2 Chronicles and see how God rewarded Solomon’s desire for godly wisdom above all else. What have you been focusing on rather than God’s wisdom and commands?

Pray
Consider praying through a stanza of Psalm 119 like verses 33-40 to grow in your love for God and His Word.


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