Pray For God's Favour

“When God approves of your life, even your enemies will end up shaking your hand.” Proverbs 16:7.

You can’t please everybody all the time.
And it’s also a big mistake to try.

Your constant need for approval can end up costing you God’s best.

When you’re doing anything worthwhile-
- expect opposition from those who aren’t privy to God’s plan for your life.

Notice

Jesus “made himself of no reputation.” Philipians 2:7.

He wasn’t always well thought of by others.
But He knew He had God’s approval.
And that’s what mattered to Him!

In Proverbs 21:1, Solomon says that just like changing the direction of a moving river-
God can change hearts and give you favour with those who’d otherwise reject you.

He also said, “When God approves of your life, even your enemies will end up shaking your hand.”

Does that mean you won’t encounter opposition or people who disagree with you?
No, but when you do, just concentrate on pleasing God and let Him deal with the fallout.

Remember- 

God takes up where you leave off.

When you’ve exhausted all your efforts-
He can step in and open doors with the right people at just the right time.

The truth is- 

He can get you a better job than you could get on your own, and give you blessings that, humanly speaking, you don’t deserve or qualify for.

Just like the Holy Spirit enabled Jesus to fulfill His life’s mission-
God will call, equip and enable you to fulfill His plan for your life.Luke 4:18-19.

So stop trying so hard to make things happen on your terms.
 

And begin to pray for God’s favour!

His Plan For Your Life Is Perfect

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28.
   
A young, new preacher was walking with an older, seasoned preacher in a garden one day.
Feeling uncertain about what God's plan for his life, the younger man asked the elder what he should do.

The veteran preacher picked a rosebud from a nearby bush and asked the younger man to open it without tearing any petals.

The young man wondered what a rosebud could possibly have to do with knowing God's will for his life and ministry.

But attempted to complete the request.

It wasn't long before he realized how impossible this task was.

Noticing his difficulty-

- the older and wiser preacher said:

"It is only a tiny rosebud...a flower of God's design;

But I cannot unfold the petals with these clumsy hands of mine.

The secret of unfolding flowers is not known to such as I.

God opens this flower so sweetly, then in my hands they die.

If I cannot unfold a rosebud, the flower of God's design-

Then how can I have the wisdom to unfold this life of mine?

So, I'll trust in Him for leading each moment of my day.
I will look to Him for guidance each step of the Pilgrim's way.

The pathway that lies before me only my Heavenly Father knows.
I'll trust Him to unfold the moments just as He unfolds the rose."

No matter what age you are-

- it can be frustrating to determine God's will for your life.

But God has your days numbered and knows how many hairs are on your head.

His plan for your life is perfect!

Instead of worrying about what tomorrow or the next week holds-

- take one day at a time and trust in the Saviour for guidance.

Pray that God would give you wisdom for each day and reveal His plan for you one day at a time.

God's message *CAN* make the difference

Every Sunday afternoon, after the morning service at the church, the Pastor
and his eleven year old son would go out into their town and hand out Gospel
Tracts.

This particular Sunday afternoon, as it came time for the Pastor and his son
to go to the streets with their tracts, it was very cold   outside, as well
as pouring rain.

The boy bundled up in his warmest and driest clothes and said, 'OK, dad, I'm
ready.'

His Pastor dad asked, 'Ready for what?'

'Dad, it's time we gather our tracts together and go out.'

Dad responds, 'Son, it's very cold outside and it's pouring rain.'

The boy gives his dad a surprised look, asking, 'But Dad, aren't
people still going to Hell, even though it's raining?'

Dad answers, 'Son, I am not going out in this weather.'

Despondently, the boy asks, 'Dad, can I go? Please?'

His father hesitated for a moment then said, 'Son, you can go. Here are the
tracts, be careful son.' 'Thanks Dad!'

And with that, he was off and out into the rain. This eleven year old
boy walked the streets of the town going door to door and handing
everybody he met in the street a Gospel Tract .

After two hours of walking in the rain, he was soaking, bone-chilled
wet and down to his VERY LAST TRACT. He stopped on a corner and looked for
someone to hand a tract to, but the streets were totally deserted.

Then he turned toward the first home he saw and started up the
sidewalk to the front door and rang the door bell. He rang the bell, but
nobody answered.

He rang it again and again, but still no one answered. He waited but
still no answer.

Finally, this eleven year old trooper turned to leave, but something
stopped him.

Again, he turned to the door and rang the bell and knocked loudly on the
door with his fist. He waited, something holding him there on the front
porch!

He rang again and this time the door slowly opened.

Standing in the doorway was a very sad-looking elderly lady. She
softly asked, 'What can I do for you, son?'

With radiant eyes and a smile that lit up her world, this little boy said,
'Ma'am, I'm sorry if I disturbed you, but I just want to tell you that *
JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU * and I came to give you my very last Gospel
Tract which will tell you all about JESUS and His great LOVE..'

With that, he handed her his last tract and turned to leave.

She called to him as he departed. 'Thank you, son! And God Bless You!'

Well, the 2nd of the following Sunday morning in churchPastor Dad was in the
pulpit. As the service began, he asked, 'Does anybody have testimony or want
to say anything?'

Slowly, in the back row of the church, an elderly lady stood to her feet.

As she began to speak, a look of glorious radiance came from her face, 'No
one in this church knows me. I've never been here before. You see, before
last Sunday I was not a Christian.

My husband passed on some time ago, leaving me totally alone in this
world. Last
Sunday, being a particularly cold and rainy day, it was even more so in my
heart that I came to the end of the line where I no longer had any hope or
will to live.

So I took a rope and a chair and ascended the stairway into the attic of my
home. I fastened the rope securely to a rafter in the roof, then stood on
the chair and fastened the other end of the rope around my neck.

Standing on that chair, so lonely and broken-hearted I was about to leap
off, when suddenly the loud ringing of my doorbell downstairs startled me. I
thought, 'I'll wait a minute, and whoever it is will go away.'

I waited and waited, but the ringing doorbell seemed to get louder and more
insistent, and then the person ringing also started knocking loudly...

I thought to myself again, 'Who on earth could this be?Nobody ever rings my
bell or comes to see me.' I loosened the rope from my neck and started for
the front door, all the while the bell rang louder and louder.

When I opened the door and looked I could hardly believe my eyes, for there
on my front porch was the most radiant and angelic little boy I had ever
seen in my life. His SMILE,oh, I could never describe it to you!

The words that came from his mouth caused my heart
that had long been dead, TO LEAP TO LIFE
as he exclaimed with a cherub-like voice,
'Ma'am, I just came to tell you that
JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU .'

Then he gave me this Gospel Tract that I now hold in my hand.

As the little angel disappeared back out into the cold and rain, I
closed my door and read slowly every word of this Gospel Tract.

Then I went up to my attic to get my rope and chair.
I wouldn't be needing them any more.

You see-- -*I am now a Happy Child of the KING.* Since the address of your
church was on the back of this Gospel Tract, I have come here to personally
say *THANK YOU to God's little angel *who came just in the nick of time and
by so doing, spared my soul from an eternity in hell.'

There was not a dry eye in the church.

And as shouts of praise and honour to THE KING resounded off the very
rafters of the building, Pastor Dad descended from the pulpit to the front
pew where the little angel was seated...

He took his son in his arms and sobbed uncontrollably.

Probably no church has had a more glorious moment, and probably this
universe has never seen a Papa that was more filled with love & honour for
his son... Except for One.

*Blessed are your eyes for reading this message.

Don't let this message die, read it again and pass it to others.

Heaven is for His people!*

Remember, God's message *CAN* make the difference
in the life of someone close to you.

*Please share this wonderful message... *
Whether or not you love JESUS, He loves you, and believe in HIM. Spread His
word, and share His goodness and faithfulness.

Matthew 10:32  JESUS says : -

'Whoever acknowledges Me before men, I will acknowledge him before My Father
in heaven. But whoever disowns Me before men, I will disown him before My
Father in heaven'

    Happy moments,  PRAISE GOD.
          Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.
    Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.
     Painful moments, TRUST GOD.
     Every moment,    THANK GOD.

The BIBLE & The Coal Basket

The story is told of an old man who lived on a farm in the mountains of eastern Kentucky with his young grandson. Each morning, Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading from his old worn-out Bible.

His grandson who wanted to be just like him tried to imitate him in any way he could. One day the grandson asked,

"Papa, I try to read the Bible just like you but I don't understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the Bible do?"

The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and said, "Take this coal basket down to the river and bring back a basket of water." The boy did as he was told, even though all the water leaked out before he could get back to the house.

The grandfather laughed and said, "You will have to move a little faster next time," and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again.

This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he returned home. Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was "impossible to carry water in a basket," and he went to get a bucket instead. The old man said, "I don't want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You can do this. You're just not trying hard enough," and he went out the door to watch the boy try again. At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he got far at all. The boy scooped the water and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty.

Out of breath, he said, "See Papa, it's useless!"

"So you think it is useless?" The old man said, "Look at the basket." The boy looked at the basket and for the first time he realized that the basket looked different. Instead of a dirty old coal basket, it was clean.

"Son, that's what happens when you read the Bible. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, it will change you from the inside out.

That is the work of God in our lives.

To change us from the inside out and to slowly transform us into the image of His son.

Take time to read a portion of God's word each day. Pray that He will use it to turn your heart and mind to Him.

"How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word." Psalm 119:9

"...that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word..." Ephesians 5:25-27