excerpts from
God's Daily Wisdom for Men
by Boyd Bailey
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of Him." 1 John 5:14-15 ALMIGHTY GOD offers a friendly audience in the form of prayer, but not just any prayer. It is a prayer positioned in humility, offered by faith, and aligned with His will.
“If someone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eight day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless. But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.
“You may say to yourself, ‘My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.’ But remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms His covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today." Deuteronomy 8:17-18 SOME ARE BORN into privilege, and others are first-generation wealth. The latter are commonly described as “self-made,” “pulled up by their boot straps,” or “new money.
“Be kind and compassionate to one another." Ephesians 4:32 KINDNESS AND COMPASSION are compelling commercials for Christians. When the misguided see manners from those who follow their Master Jesus, they are drawn to faith. So in the pressures of life, we who know the Lord know better, and we behave well. We are called to remain courteous when cursed and to stay cool when conversations heat up. When slammed in the face by someone’s disrespectful attitude, kind Christians “turn the other cheek” and offer respect.
“What do you know that we do not know? What insights do you have that we do not have?" Job 15:9 LEADERS who stay enrolled in God’s chool of learning are more the wiser. You have learned tremendous lessons over the years, but this is just the beginning. Stay in the educational process. We never arrive as learners. Teachability should only cease after our graduation into heaven. Indeed, great leaders want to follow leaders who are learners.
“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, range and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." Ephesians 4:30-32 FULLNESS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT is facilitated by forgiveness, but unforgiveness grieves the Spirit of God.
“In Him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace." Ephesians 1:7 THE FORGIVENESS of God is far-reaching and without limitation to anyone who believes. He forgives the worst of sinners and the best of saints. Atheists, adulterers, murderers, liars, the hot-tempered, and the mild-mannered can all receive the free forgiveness of their heavenly Father. The good, the bad, and the ugly are all candidates for God’s grace.
“I have become a laughingstock to my friends, though I called upon God and He answered - a mere laughingstock, though righteous and blameless!" Job 12:4 HUMILIATION HURTS. It is deeply painful. Humiliation comes when embarrassment is prolonged. Prestige and status are lost. It is a confusing state in which to live. People relate to humiliation like leprosy. Humility is admired, while humiliation is looked upon with suspicion - even disdain.
“My soul, wait silently for God alone, For my expectation is from Him." WHAT DOES GOD THINK? What does He expect of me? These are two questions I do not always default to in my thinking. I want to want what He wants, but sometimes my wants get in the way and cause me to get off course. However, it is the Lord’s expectations that my soul craves for deep down.
“If a man has recently married, he must not be sent to war or have any other duty lain on him. For one year he is to be free to stay at home and bring happiness to the wife he has married." Deuteronomy 24:5 THE FIRST YEAR of marriage is foundational for newlyweds. Our attitudes, actions, and habits define our marriage. If we start out with the habit of seeking to understand the other and quickly applying forgiveness when misunderstandings arise, chances are we will continue with this pattern.
“What they trust in is fragile; what they rely on is a spider’s web. They lean on the web, but it gives way; they cling to it, but it does not hold." Job 8:14-15 TEMPORAL TRUST is fleeting and deceptive. It looks like a safety net, but when you lean on it, it gives way. For example, you can trust in a good boss for your employment. However, your boss may receive a promotion, or he or she may leave the company altogether.
“He replied, ‘Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, “Move from here to there” and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.'" Matthew 17:20 BELIEF BRINGS POSSIBILITIES, while unbelief limits possibilities. It is the prison of unbelief that locks up dreams and big visions. Why do we jail what Jesus could do through us?
“When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. ‘Get up,’ He said. ‘Don’t be afraid.’ When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus." Matthew 17:6-8 THE WORLD can get us down, but God gets us up. The cares of this world can choke out our motivation to move forward, but Christ is close by to release the pressure and resuscitate our resolve.
“Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasons with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." Colossians 4:6 MATURE FOLLOWERS of Jesus learn to argue well. But have you ever been frustrated in trying to communicate with someone you care deeply about? Yes, we all have. It is not uncommon to have conflict reflected in caring communication. So how can we learn to argue well? One way is to use language laced with grace and seasoned with sensitivity.
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1 HAVE you forgiven yourself? Have you really forgiven yourself? We know we have forgiven ourselves if we are free from guilt and self-condemnation. Otherwise, we are stuck in the crazy cycle of reliving bad decisions that are done and cannot be changed. It is impossible to continually guilt our conscience in order to make up for past mistakes.
“At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship." Job 1:20 ARE YOU struggling to understand? Are you stuck in a state of anger? Have you lost something or someone very precious? It may be the loss of your child’s health or even the death of a child. A spouse has gone to heaven or left you for someone else.
“Very truly I tell you, unless a kernal of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life." John 12:24-25 CHRIST’S WORDS can be counterintuitive and countercultural. What He says may not make sense on the surface, but with reflection the Holy Spirit reveals His intent.
“So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions' den. The king said to Daniel, ‘May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!’ The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God." Daniel 6:16, 23 DO YOU feel trapped by your circuslike circumstances?
"‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a futre.'" Jeremiah 29:11 GOD"S PLAN is what is best. It is a good plan. It may not seem like a good plan right now, but God’s plan is good. This apparent contradiction is where it gets confusing. A messy life is not always a fun life.
"‘Haven’t you read,’ He replied, ‘that at the beginning the Creator “made them male and female,” and said, “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh”? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.'" Matthew 19:4-6 IT IS HARD for parents to give away their child in marraige.