“Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.”-Daniel 6:4

Spiritual success is reached through everyday faithfulness.

When Pat Riley coached the Los Angeles Lakers from 1982 to 1990, the team won four NBA championships. In taking over the New York Knicks in 1991, Riley inherited a team with a losing record. But the Knicks seemed able to play above their abilities and even gave the eventual champions, the Chicago Bulls, their hardest competition in the play-offs.

How did Riley do it? He says his talent lies in attention to detail. For example, every NBA team studies videotapes and compiles statistics to evaluate players’ game performances. But Riley’s use of these tools is more comprehensive than that of his rivals. “We measure areas of performance that are often ignored: jumping in pursuit of every rebound even if you don’t get it, swatting at every pass, diving for loose balls, letting someone smash into you in order to draw a foul.”

 

After each game, these “effort” statistics are punched into a computer. “Effort,” Riley explains, “is what ultimately separates journeyman players from impact players. Knowing how well a player executes all these little things is the key to unlocking career-best performances.”

Riley realized that it was the seemingly unimportant, often overlooked areas that led to overall success. In the Christian life, it is the everyday faithfulness that leads to a fruitful life.

Daniel is a perfect example of everyday faithfulness. Each day he knelt by his window and prayed. No matter what was going on or even what decrees were made, he was faithful to spend time with God. And because of his faithfulness, God used him greatly to witness to the king of the land.

Imagine how God could use you one day. He has amazing plans for your life! But before He entrusts you with a great task, He has entrusted you with everyday commands to read His Word, spend time with Him, witness to others, and live a holy life that glorifies Him. Even more than having elaborate plans to serve God, focus on being faithful to Him every day.

Have you ever wanted to do something great for God? Perhaps you had aspirations of serving God in a specific way but haven’t had the opportunity. Make sure you are faithfully obeying God’s commands. It’s not wrong to dream of doing great things for God! But He cannot use you in a great way unless you are being faithful to His commands each day.

Commit to being faithful to God each day this week. Set aside time for prayer and Bible reading. Be a witness to those around you. Keep your heart clean of any sin. And love others as God loves them. As you are faithful in the commands He has already given you, God will give you much more to accomplish for Him.-By Dr. Paul Chappell

“Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.”-Daniel 6:4

Spiritual success is reached through everyday faithfulness.

When Pat Riley coached the Los Angeles Lakers from 1982 to 1990, the team won four NBA championships. In taking over the New York Knicks in 1991, Riley inherited a team with a losing record. But the Knicks seemed able to play above their abilities and even gave the eventual champions, the Chicago Bulls, their hardest competition in the play-offs.

How did Riley do it? He says his talent lies in attention to detail. For example, every NBA team studies videotapes and compiles statistics to evaluate players’ game performances. But Riley’s use of these tools is more comprehensive than that of his rivals. “We measure areas of performance that are often ignored: jumping in pursuit of every rebound even if you don’t get it, swatting at every pass, diving for loose balls, letting someone smash into you in order to draw a foul.”

After each game, these “effort” statistics are punched into a computer. “Effort,” Riley explains, “is what ultimately separates journeyman players from impact players. Knowing how well a player executes all these little things is the key to unlocking career-best performances.”

Riley realized that it was the seemingly unimportant, often overlooked areas that led to overall success. In the Christian life, it is the everyday faithfulness that leads to a fruitful life.

Daniel is a perfect example of everyday faithfulness. Each day he knelt by his window and prayed. No matter what was going on or even what decrees were made, he was faithful to spend time with God. And because of his faithfulness, God used him greatly to witness to the king of the land.

Imagine how God could use you one day. He has amazing plans for your life! But before He entrusts you with a great task, He has entrusted you with everyday commands to read His Word, spend time with Him, witness to others, and live a holy life that glorifies Him. Even more than having elaborate plans to serve God, focus on being faithful to Him every day.

Have you ever wanted to do something great for God? Perhaps you had aspirations of serving God in a specific way but haven’t had the opportunity. Make sure you are faithfully obeying God’s commands. It’s not wrong to dream of doing great things for God! But He cannot use you in a great way unless you are being faithful to His commands each day.

Commit to being faithful to God each day this week. Set aside time for prayer and Bible reading. Be a witness to those around you. Keep your heart clean of any sin. And love others as God loves them. As you are faithful in the commands He has already given you, God will give you much more to accomplish for Him.-By Dr. Paul Chappell

“And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.”-Luke 12:16-19

Rather than focusing on your life, focus on the One who gave you life.

Ralph L. Woods, an ambitious farmer who was unhappy about the yield of his crops, heard of a highly recommended new seed corn. Although the seed was more expensive, he reasoned that it would produce a greater return in the end. He bought the seed and produced a crop that was so abundant that people in town talked of his great yield. His neighbors were so astonished and impressed that they asked him to sell them a few of the new seeds so they too could experience a great crop. But the farmer was afraid that he would lose money because of his neighbors, so he refused to sell the seeds to them.

The second year came and went but the new seed did not produce as good a crop. Puzzled, the farmer could not determine the cause for the decrease in productivity. But when the third-year crop was still worse it dawned upon the farmer that his prize corn was being pollinated by the inferior grade of corn from his neighbors’ fields. Because he had refused to sell them the new corn, his neighbor’s old corn was ruining his prized crop.

Selfishness had caused the downfall of this farmer. Had he been generous, he would have prevented the deterioration of his crops, but his selfishness had caused his demise.

Our verses today tell us the story of one of Christ’s parables. In this story, a rich man finds himself with a bountiful crop. He decides to tear down his barns and build bigger ones to store his increasing number of crops. He relaxes and counts on his crops to last for many years. Sadly, verses 20-21 tell of God’s response to him, “But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

Notice that this man never thought to consider that God gave him good soil for his crops. God provided rain to water the crops; God held off the insects and weeds that would have destroyed his crops; and God provided the sun to strengthen his crops. While God deserved the praise for such a good yield, this man was focused solely on his own “accomplishment.”

Have you ever been the same way? Perhaps you received a raise at work, you were able to purchase a new home, or one of your children made a right decision. None of that would have happened had God not sustained, protected, provided for, and blessed you. All the praise and glory goes to God.

Don’t take for granted even the “mundane” blessings. You woke up this morning and had breath to breathe. That’s a miracle! Did you thank God for it? Take time right now to thank God for His blessings on your life. Selfishness is the poison of thankfulness. Never become so self-centered that you forget who gave you life to begin with.-Dr. Paul Chappell

This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me – Psalm 119:50

When we feel the despair of sorrow, pain, or loss creeping into our soul and stealing our joy, the last thing that we sometimes feel like doing is sitting down and perusing the Bible. The frustration and grief feel too real, and reading seems too insufficient as a remedy.

But this is the wonder of God’s Word – when we are in the midst of affliction, it is only this Book, with its wonderful promises, startling standards, and exalted view of God, that can give us hope and help and healing. This is because God does not avoid the reality of our suffering, but rather infuses it with purpose and meaning. When we see that God is actively at work in His creation, and is molding His people into the image of His Son, then suddenly suffering takes on a silver lining.

May David’s comfort be your comfort, dear reader, in the midst of your affliction. May God’s Word quicken your crushed and despairing heart. May you see, in the pages of His epistle to you, that His love is just as true and full, His rule is just as good and powerful, and His wisdom is just as perfect and right in our times of affliction as it is in our times of prosperity. (From “A Good Thing”)

“Knowing in yourselves that ye have in Heaven a better and an enduring substance”   (Hebrews 10:34).

This is well. Our substance here is very unsubstantial; there is no substance in it. But God has given us a promise of real estate in the gloryland, and that promise comes to our hearts with such full assurance of its certainty that we know in ourselves that we have an enduring substance there. Yes, “we have” it even now. They say, “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush,” but we have our bird in the bush and in the hand, too. Heaven is even now our own. We have the title deed of it, we have the earnest of it, we have the firstfruits of it. We have heaven in price, in promise, and in principle; this we know not only by the hearing of the ear but “in ourselves.”

Should not the thought of the better substance on the other side of Jordan reconcile us to present losses? Our spending money we may lose, but our treasure is safe. We have lost the shadows, but the substance remains, for our Savior lives, and the place which He has prepared for us abides. There is a better land, a better substance, a better promise; and all this comes to us by a better covenant; wherefore, let us be in better spirits, and say unto the LORD, “Every day will I bless thee; and praise thy name for ever and ever.” -By Charles Spurgeon