“God shall be with you”   (Genesis 48:21).

Good old Jacob could no more be with Joseph, for his hour had come to die: but he left his son without anxiety, for he said with confidence, “God shall be with you.” When our dearest relations or our most helpful friends are called home by death, we must console ourselves with the reflection that the LORD is not departed from us but lives for us and abides with us forever. If God be with us, we are in ennobling company, even though we are poor and despised. If God be with us, we have all-sufficient strength, for nothing can be too hard for the LORD. If God be with us, we are always safe, for none can harm those who walk under His shadow. Oh, what a joy we have here! Not only is God with us, but He will be with us. With us as individuals; with us as families; with us as churches. Is not the very name of Jesus, Immanuel — God with us? Is not this the best of all, that God is with us? Let us be bravely diligent and joyously hopeful. Our cause must prosper, the truth must win, for the LORD is with those who are with Him. All this day may this sweet word be enjoyed by every believer who turns to “faith’s checkbook.” No greater happiness is possible.– Charles Spurgeon

“The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds“– 2 Corinthians 10:4

Our weapons are not carnal, or physical, weapons. This is a great comfort to know since Paul tells us in Ephesians that we are not wrestling or fighting against flesh and blood enemies.

Rather, Paul says, we are engaged in mortal combat with evil and powerful, but spiritual, enemies. So our weapons are well-fashioned for the war in which we fight. We are not given infrared scopes for a daylight combat mission; we are given spiritual weapons for a spiritual warfare.

But here is the most encouraging news, fresh from the battlefront — these weapons are powerful and effective. In fact, Paul the apostle testifies that he has seen these spiritual weapons pull down entire strong holds of the enemy. Unlike Saul’s armor which David wisely rejected (it being untried), these are tools of war that have been well tested. And through God they have irresistible force.

Perhaps you think we have been speaking in metaphor thus far. We have not. This is a real battle and these are real weapons. So pick up your Bible, dear believer, and become acquainted with its contents.

God’s Word, when accompanied by God’s Spirit, has the power to win the most important conflicts that are raging in your life right now.–Baptist Bible Hour

“And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” – Luke 9:62

Two creatures are pictured on the coat of arms for the nation of Australia: an emu and a kangaroo. A young Australian boy was once curious about the significance of the two animals. So he began doing some research, and found that both the emu and the kangaroo can move only forward, never backward.

This was the characteristic of the two animals that inspired Australia to include them on their coat of arms. And the same characteristic of moving forward, not backward, is also one that God desires of the people who follow Him.

In life, it can be tempting to go backwards. Many people become lazy and complacent in their current circumstances and will do anything to stay in them, even when life is moving forward. But in today’s passage Jesus is clear that a life lived for Him will be lived looking forward, doing His Kingdom work and with our hand to the plow and our eyes ahead!

So what’s ahead for us who are in Christ? The Kingdom of God. We have an imperishable reward that awaits us… a reward that can be our focus every hour of every day. So don’t look back. Be about God’s daily work and fix your eyes on the eternal reward. Move forward with Jesus!

Pray and ask God to keep you moving forward when you’re tempted to be complacent in life.–Senior Living

All the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years: and he died – Genesis 5:27

Has history taught us any lesson more clearly or convincingly than that death is inevitable? Even for Methuselah there would finally be a 970^th year that he would not see: despite his unique longevity, his remarkable story would still reach its eventual conclusion. The only two people in the entire history of mankind that have evaded death—Enoch and Elijah—are perhaps most well known for the very fact that they so unexpectedly escaped death’s inescapable clutches.

We frantically attempt to entertain away, or dye away, or exercise away death’s calling card: age. Yet, in the back of each of our minds, there is an ever-present awareness that our days are finite; it shows in the choices that we make regarding retirement, life insurance, and even mortgages (there’s a reason why you’ve never heard of a hundred-year mortgage!).

The recognition of our own frailty is apparently one of the lessons that God would have us draw from our experience in this world: “Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am” (Psalm 39:4). This awareness should lead us to a serious contemplation of the meaning and purpose for our life.

What is the meaning of life? A question often asked, but rarely with any real desire to be confronted with the answer. John reveals to us, in the heart-cry of the heavenly throng, why we are here: “thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created” (Revelation 4:11). We are here to please our Creator, to do His good pleasure each day of our lives. As our Creator, He is always worthy to receive all that we have to give.–(Baptist Bible Hour)