Psa. 80:8-13

One of the greatest tragedies in life is wasted opportunity–not making the most of what God has given us. We came into this world with certain abilities, and when God saved us, He gave us gifts and the grace to exercise those gifts to help others, to build our own lives and to glorify His name.

This is why God puts us through certain experiences. Asaph said, “You have brought a vine out of Egypt; you have cast out the nations, and planted it. You prepared room for it, and caused it to take deep root, and it filled the land” (vv. 8,9). That vine, of course, was the nation of Israel. God delivered Israel from Egypt and planted her like a luxurious vine in the land of Canaan. But soon He had to break that vine. He had to discipline His people. The vine was not producing the fruit God wanted it to produce.

God blesses us to make us a blessing. He planted the people of Israel in the land that they might, by their life and testimony, bear spiritual fruit, letting the Gentile nations know about the true and living God. He gave them an opportunity to show the other nations what He could do for those who would trust and obey Him. Instead, the vine became like all the other vines. The Israelites compromised and sinned. So God had to cut down His vine and discipline His people.

Remember, God has planted you where you are that you might be a blessing. He wants you to take deep root. He wants you to bear rich fruit. And if you will draw upon His spiritual power, He will enable you to be a blessing. Bloom where you are planted and bear fruit to the glory of God and the enrichment of others.

God has blessed you with certain abilities so you may invest them in others and bring glory to Him. As you use your God-given talents, you glorify Him and bless others. Draw from God’s spiritual resources and let Him use you to enrich others. – Warren Wiersbe

David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

From the time it was instituted until now we have enjoyed freedom that was purchased and preserved by the sacrifices of those who served in our armed forces. How could we ever forget the price they paid? How can we fail to be grateful?
 
This day should cause our hearts to overflow with thanksgiving for those who loved liberty more than life, and freedom more than fortune, fame, and fun. Let us then honor these men and women by giving thanks for what they did. May we never forget that freedom isn’t free. So, as you enjoy your freedom, doing whatever you do, be grateful that someone cared enough to make the sacrifice necessary to secure it for you. 

As our nation observes Memorial Day, please take time to reflect on what others have provided for you, thank God for His blessings, express in some appropriate way your appreciation, and pray–especially for the families who have suffered the loss of a loved one in the pursuit of freedom.—HDS

David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346 

“Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.” — Eccl 10:1

It doesn’t take much to mar a masterpiece, corrupt your character, or ruin your reputation. Just as the little foxes spoil the vine, one sin can spoil what would otherwise be success. Excelling in one area doesn’t excuse failure in another. We can’t compensate for evil by doing good deeds. Each thought and deed must stand on its own feet. With this in mind I hope you will read carefully the following article taken from an old article in a book called “Daily Comfort”. It could change your life for good forever.

It is sad to see how some holy and noble characters are marred by little–yet grievous, faults and blemishes!

One man is generous–but he desires always to have his charity praised.

Another is disposed to be kind and helpful–but by his manner, he hurts or humiliates the one he befriends.

Another is unselfish and devout–but is careless of promises and engagements. He makes appointments, and never thinks of them again. He borrows money, and does not repay it. His friends say, “He is so forgetful!” Yes; but how his forgetfulness mars his character and hurts his influence! Forgetfulness is worse than an acceptable weakness; it is a sin!

Untruthfulness is a blot in all eyes.

Whenever SELF leaks out in conduct or disposition–it is a dead fly in the perfume!

It makes little difference, that a person is not intentionally at fault in the things which so mar his life. Carelessness and thoughtlessness are themselves such serious moral blemishes–that they make impossible, any excuse for delinquencies resulting from them. We need to look to “the littles” which either make or mar godly character. No fault is too small to be worth curing, and no fragment of beauty is too small to be worth setting in the mosaic of character. 

David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

“Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” – 1 John 3:16 

John3:16 famously declares the love of God, the giving of his Son, and his purpose that whoever believes on his Son will have everlasting life. But 1 John3:16 takes this truth a step further.

It is true, John says, that genuine love, perfect love is seen in the death of Jesus Christ for us. From this, however, we are meant to learn that genuine love is a sacrificial love.

You see, John explains, not only did the Father give his Son for us, but the Son gave himself for us! He laid down his life for us. This was not cosmic or divine child abuse, as some have suggested. The cross of Christ is the ultimate display of the perfect and united love of both the Father and the Son.

Such love, though, is meant, not only to save us from hell in the future, but also to deliver us from selfishness and vanity right now. As we look at Jesus on the cross, his sacrificial love for us should lead us to lay down our lives for each other. In fact, John says, the cross makes us indebted (“we ought”) to love each other.

How has Jesus’ love affected you? Does it lead you to more self-absorption or to sacrificial service? Christ’s love for us includes his love for others, and so our love for him must include a love for others, as well.- Baptist Bible Hour

David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church

5801 FM 1960 E

Humble, TX. 77346

“But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?” – 1 Kings 8:27

Years ago when the city fathers of New York contemplated the future growth of their city, they plotted the streets and numbered them from the center outward. At the time, New York consisted of only six or seven streets. In their planning maps, they projected how large they thought the city might grow. 

Reaching beyond their wildest imagination, they drew streets on the map all the way out to a 19th street. They called it “Boundary Street” because they were sure that was as large as New York City would become. But history proved them to be shortsighted. At last count, the metropolis had reached beyond 284th Street.

Solomon labored under no such delusions when it came to God. He had built the largest man-made structure in Israel. (Interior dimensions of the temple were at least 90 feet long, 30 feet wide and 45 feet high, according to 1 Kings 6:2.) Yet this builder-king knew that even the heaven of heavens was unable to contain God, not to mention a building. God was far larger than anything Solomon could build.

In our desire to be intimate with God, we often try to shrink Him down to a size we’re comfortable with. If God were too big, so our thinking goes, His awesomeness would threaten to overwhelm us. Therefore, we are prone to think of God in the small, cuddly size–someone little enough to fit in our back pocket. Yet in doing so, we miss the comfort of knowing a God who is greater than any challenge life may set before us, a God so majestic and exalted that everything else shrivels up into nothingness in comparison.

Instead of downsizing God, let your imagination go and contemplate His true size. Imagine His filling the whole universe. Picture His reaching out to the farthest stars and even then spilling over into the outermost limits of space. Then kneel before Him and confess that, even so, your vision is still too small.

The universe is big; God is bigger. – Woodrow Kroll

David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346