Christian Devotionals and Scripture Applied to Everyday Life

I have been enjoying my flower bed so much this summer. In the past I have not had time to cultivate our landscaping the way I wanted to. So this year, after Aunt Angela helped me get started,  I have spent a lot of time keeping it up.

A person’s last words are very telling. The final statement and messages, whether well thought out or not, often give an overview of a dying person’s priorities. Some are very instructive, others are funny, and others are very sad.

It is not pleasant to be around someone who brags. Who wants to listen to a person who is constantly speaking pridefully about themselves? But nowadays it's hard to escape it.  You don't even have to be with someone to hear their boasts. All you need to do is look at Facebook, or Twitter, or any of the popular social networking sites.

Recently I have been reminded by a number of people that "God's got this!" No matter what the circumstances, no matter how big or small, no matter how impossible or hopeless - God's got it under control. What a comforting thought to carry through the day. There is no need to panic or rack your brain to devise a complicated plan. In God's way and time He will take care of it. Unfortunately, trusting God is not the human way of doing things.

These powerful words were spoken by George Mueller, a great man of prayer. He is known for the many orphanages that he started in England. Throughout his amazing ministry he never asked anyone for financial support and never went into debt. Early on he decided not to take a salary for his work, but to trust the Lord to supply all his needs.

What do you do when facing a troubling situation? Often our natural reactions are to panic, to complain, or to strive to fix the problem. It is not common to enter into the trial with cheerfulness and confidence, but that is what the Apostle Paul did. Having taken three missionary journeys across great portions of the world, Paul returned to Jerusalem. He entered the temple where he went through the typical rituals of purification to fulfill a vow. While waiting for the final sacrifice, some men from Asia began to stir up a crowd against him.