Man Judges the Outward Appearance While God Judges the Heart

Scripture: 1 Samuel 16: 6-7

And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD’S anointed is before him. But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.

Scripture Commentary: We concentrate on our outward appearance but remember to also check the inside

What suit and shoes will I wear today? And how does my hair look? All of us concentrate on our outward appearance; we want to look our best when we go out.

That’s not a bad thing, but how many of us look at ourselves on the inside? We need to ask ourselves if we look good on the inside.

Am I a Christian, inside and out? We are to be loving, kind, helpful, and giving. The outside shell should be a mirror to the inside.

When God told Samuel to go and anoint the new king, Samuel was looking for a man who was tall and handsome like Saul. God warned Samuel against judging by appearance alone.

When we judge by outward appearances we overlook qualities that are on the inside. God sees all of us, both inside and out. God judges by faith and character, not appearances.

If you love God, it will show. Check yourself. What steps are you taking to improve your attitude and to show your love for God?

Read the Entire Chapter:
1 Samuel Chapter 16

All Things Are Possible to Him That Believes

Scripture: Mark 9: 23-24, 29

Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.(23-24) And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.(29)

Scripture Commentary: All things are possible with God

Do you really believe that prayer can answer your needs? The important word is “needs,” not wishes, wants, or desires. All things are possible through prayer.

God knows our needs, and He will take care of them. Faith is a gift from God, and prayer is the key that unlocks our faith. We are asking God to put our life in His hands when we pray. It is then that we are completely dependent on Him.

Prayer demonstrates our reliance on God as we humbly invite Him to fill us with faith and power. There is no substitute for prayer, especially in circumstances that appear to be impossible.

There’s a hymn by Bill and Gloria Gaither that sums it up well, saying, “I believe help thou my unbelief. I walk into the unknown trusting all the while.” We need help with our unbelief. Believing in Jesus means that anything is possible. Nothing is too difficult for God.

We cannot have everything we pray for as if by magic, but with faith, we can have everything we need to serve God. Put your faith in His hands and leave it there.

Read the Entire Chapter:
Mark Chapter 9

Let Your Heart Rejoice In the Lord

Scripture: 1 Samuel 2: 1-10

And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation.

There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.

Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.

The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength.

They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren hath born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble.

The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.

The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.

He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD’S, and he hath set the world upon them.

He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.

The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.

Scripture Commentary: Rejoice and praise the Lord for His love

We should be confident of God’s ultimate control over the events in our lives, and we should be thankful for the ways God has blessed us. We acknowledge God’s ultimate control when we praise Him and rejoice in all of the good gifts He gave us.

Hannah praised God for being rock-firm, strong, and unchanging. In 1 Samuel 2:2, she prayed, “There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.”

In this fast-paced world, friends come and go, and circumstances change. It’s difficult to find a solid foundation that does not change.

Those who devote their lives to achievement, causes or possessions place their security in what is finite and changeable. The possessions we work so hard for will eventually pass away.

Remembering God’s sovereign control helps us put both the world and personal events in perspective. God is always present. He will never fail – hope in Him. God will always love you.

Love God.

Read the Entire Chapter:
1 Samuel Chapter 2

God Is My Rock, Fortress and Deliverer

Scripture: 2 Samuel 22:1-4

And David spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul: And he said, The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence. I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

Scripture Commentary: God is the rock in whom I take refuge

David called on God many times to save him, and God did. And in 2 Samuel 22, David is thanking God again. I say, thanking Him again, because God had saved David many times. David called God his rock and his shield.

How many times has God saved you? How many times have you been confronted with a problem so challenging that you couldn’t find a way out? And God gave you that way.

We go through life knowing God is taking care of us, but do we acknowledge Him and tell others what He is doing for us? Do we even thank Him?

God is our Rock, our Fortress, Saviour, Redeemer and Deliverer. God forgives and forgets; He loves and cares for us. We can’t pay God for what He does for us, but we can love God, and live as best we can as children of Our Lord and Savior.

Read the Entire Chapter:
2 Samuel Chapter 22

God Is the Shield of My Salvation

Scripture: 2 Samuel 22: 3-7

The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence. I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. When the waves of death compassed me, the floods of ungodly men made me afraid; The sorrows of hell compassed me about; the snares of death prevented me; In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God: and he did hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into his ears.

Scripture Commentary: God is the shield that surrounds me

David called God, “The horn of my Salvation,” referring to the strength and defensive protection animals have in their horns. God rescued David from his enemies, and helped him overcome them.

David sinned but God had made him clean. David wrote (in Psalms 51), “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow … Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”

We also are made clean and perfect through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. God replaces our sin with His purity, and He no longer sees our sin.

Call on the Lord and He will answer you.

Read the Entire Chapter:
2 Samuel Chapter 22

Additional Reading:
Psalms Chapter 51

Have Faith in God to Move Your Mountains

Scripture: Mark 11: 22-23

And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

Scripture Commentary: Have faith in God to meet your needs

Many people ask God why He hasn’t answered their prayer although they’ve been praying it for a long time.

What are you praying for? Is it for money, a car, house, or it for something else?

God will answer your prayers if you are a believer. Don’t pray with selfish motives, and hold no grudge against anyone. When you pray, let it be for the good of God’s kingdom and not your earthly desires. God knows your needs, and He will provide. Believe in Him. He can move that mountain in your life.

Phillippians 4:6 tells us, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” And 1 Peter 3: 12 says, “For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.”

To pray effectively, you need faith in God, not faith in the object of your request. Change your focus; change your prayers. Focus on God, not on yourself.

Read the Entire Chapter:
Mark Chapter 11

Other Scripture on Prayer:
Philippians Chapter 4
1 Peter Chapter 3

Lord, Remember Me When You Come Into Your Kingdom

Scripture: Luke 23: 39, 42-43

And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

Acts 2:21

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Scripture Commentary: I want Jesus to save me and remember me as one of His own

Some of us know people who have not accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. There are people who think what they are doing will save them.

Two criminals hung on the cross next to Jesus. The man on the left died daring Jesus to save both himself and them.

The man on the right turned to Jesus to ask his forgiveness, and Jesus accepted him. This dying criminal had more faith than Jesus’ followers and disciples put together. He had the faith to ask Jesus to remember him in his kingdom. In contrast, most of the disciples ran and hid from the Romans while Jesus was hanging on the cross. Where was their faith after being a first-hand witness to Jesus’ works?

This shows that our deeds do not save us. So you may ask, “What will save me?” Exercise the same faith as the criminal on the right. Ask Jesus to save you.

Read the Entire Chapter:
Luke Chapter 23
Acts Chapter 2

Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord

Scripture: Mark 1: 1-3

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

Scripture Commentary: Prepare yourself for Jesus – He is coming again!

When the herald arrived in town, the people knew to prepare as someone of prominence was coming. Today through the newspapers, radio, TV, billboards, and online resources, we hear and read about who is coming to town.

John The Baptist announced and prepared the people for the coming of Jesus Christ. Even now there are heralds announcing the second coming of our Lord.

Are you ready for him? What are you doing to get ready?

Jesus promises to return, and God is not a liar. Jesus will come for us today just as he did 2000 years ago. If you haven’t done it yet, it’s time to give up your selfish way of living, renounce your sins, seek God’s forgiveness, and establish a relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ.

We are living every day with the signs of His coming. Matthew 24: 7-8 says, “For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.”

We know not the time, but we know that our Lord and Savior is coming!

Read the Entire Chapter:
Mark Chapter 1

Additional Reading:
Matthew Chapter 24

Watch! Be Alert For Jesus’ Return

Scripture: Mark 13: 34-37

For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.

Scripture Commentary: Watch and prepare for Jesus will return

Jesus left us the keys to his father’s house. The keys are his Word, the Bible. His footprints are on the ground, in the sand and on the floor.

Our God has gone to prepare our rooms.
What are you doing to prepare for the journey? Are you a servant for God or are you self-serving? Are you God’s porter, gate keeper, or a doorman to His temple? Do you spread God’s Gospel and try your best to live a Godly life?
Be Jesus’ servant; be a gatekeeper for Him. You don’t know when the Master will return.

Prepare! You plan for events in your life, such as births, weddings, home and car purchases. Are you preparing for Jesus Christ’s return?

When God has given you another second, minute, hour or day, give thanks. Spread his gospel to as many people as possible.

Have You Rejected God After All He Has Done For You?

Scripture: 1 Samuel 8: 5-7

And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD. And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.

Scripture Commentary: What would your life be if God rejected you?

How would you feel if you had been taking care of someone all of their life, and they suddenly said that they wanted someone else to take care of them? You had protected them from harm, cared for them when they were sick, and loved them unconditionally. What must it feel like to be so rejected?

The Lord did all of these things for His chosen people again and again – and yet they asked for a new leader.

How many times has God taken care of you? How many times has He protected you, and worked things out in your favor? And how often have you turned away, walking in your own way, not following Him?

The Bible tells time and time again how the Israelites rejected God – and He forgave them every time. How many times have you forgotten what God has done for you? Why do you constantly look to others when God has been taking care of and protecting you?

Our obedience is weak if we ask God to lead us but continue to live by the world’s standards. Reach higher – grow in your faith. Turn to God for all things; He is waiting for you.

Read the Entire Chapter:
1 Samuel Chapter 8