Seize the Day

"Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, cross over the Jordan River, you, and all these people, to the land which I am giving to you.... Every place where you set your foot, that I have given to you."1

When God told Joshua and the ancient Israelites that he had given them the Promised Land, he didn't hand it to them on a silver platter. To claim God's promise, they had to battle every inch of the way. They still had to go, conquer, and possess it.
The reality is, however, that had God not given the Promised Land to them, they never would have been able to conquer and possess it.

God also has a work for you and me to do. He will give us opportunities every day to serve him but it's up to us to take advantage of every one of these as they will come to pass—not to pause!
With God's help, let us "seize the day" and take advantage of every one of these opportunities, and claim every promise he has for us.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to be ready to 'seize' every opportunity you give me to serve you and claim every promise you have made to me. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus' name, amen."


1. God to Joshua in the Bible (Joshua 1:2-3).

Getting God's Guidance

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths."1

A Daily Encounter reader writes, "My husband and I started a business a year ago and it has been a constant struggle. How can we know if what we are doing is God's goal/purpose for us?"
First, as indicated you are doing the right thing by seeking God's direction in prayer.
Second, are you gifted for the work that you are doing? I don't believe God ever calls us to do things that he hasn't already gifted us for.

Third, are you adequately trained for what you are doing? This is a constant challenge in today's competitive world because if we don't keep upgrading our training, we can easily get left behind.
Fourth, is what you are doing in harmony with the will of God based on principles as found in his Word, the Bible? This is very important if we are to get God's blessing.

Fifth, is what you are doing a business or service that people want? It doesn't matter how good a product or service is, if people don't want it, it won't succeed.

Sixth, keep in mind, too, that a big percentage of new businesses never survive. It takes all of the above plus hard work, determination, and stick-ability. Very few successful projects happen without these qualities.

Seventh, above all we need to keep seeking God's direction by every day committing and trusting our life, our loved ones, our work, and all that we are doing to the Lord in prayer. By way of interest, whenever I have a problem, challenge, question or struggle, I always ask God to face me with the truth and reality of the situation I am in. Once I see the truth and reality I pretty much know what I need to do.

I trust these few thoughts will be helpful.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you that you are interested in every detail of my life. Again this day I commit and trust every aspect of my life to you. Please give me the insight to see the reality in every situation I am in. And then, help me to know what I need to do and give me the courage to do it no matter what it is. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus' name, amen."

1. Solomon (Proverbs 3:5-6).

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The Ant and the Feather

"Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!"1

"One morning," writes Ron Clarke, "I wasted nearly an hour watching a tiny ant carry a huge feather across my back terrace. Several times it was confronted by obstacles in its path and after a momentary pause it would make the necessary detour.

"At one point the ant had to negotiate a crack in the concrete about 10mm wide. After brief contemplation the ant laid the feather over the crack, walked across it and picked up the feather on the other side then continued on its way.

"I was fascinated by the ingenuity of this ant—one of God's smallest creatures. Here was a minute insect, lacking in size yet equipped with a brain to reason, explore, discover and overcome."

Can you imagine God telling us to learn from an ant? So what can we learn? Ants are determined, they are not afraid to work to achieve their goals, they work as a team, they think through and work to overcome the challenges thrown in their pathway, and they never give up. But most of all they teach us about the marvels of God's creation.

"Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you for the miracles of your creation. Help me to learn the lessons I need to learn from the ants. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus' name, amen."

1. Proverbs 6:6 (NIV).

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Laughter, the Best Medicine

"A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."1

I read about one lady who, when she turned fifty, wore a button at her work place that said, "Fifty is nifty." All day she got lots of compliments with people saying things like, "Anita, you don't look 50," "Why, Anita, you can't be 50," and "We all know you're not 50."

She knew they were kidding but she loved it. However, the more she heard the lies, the more she believed them. On her way home she got to thinking, I think I need a new husband. At 51 he's much too old for a young looking gal like me.

As she arrived home from work, a young girl from the florist shop was delivering a beautiful floral arrangement with a note that said, "Birthday flowers from a friend."

Seeing the "Fifty is Nifty" button on Anita's dress, the girl said, "Oh, 50, eh?"
"Yes," Anita said as she waited for one more compliment about looking so young when the delivery girl said, "Fifty. That's great! Birthday or anniversary?"
I heard about another lady who, when she was 50, liked to tell people she was 60. "Why do you do this? Someone who knew her real age asked. "Well for 50 I look terrible, but for 60 I look fantastic," she replied.

Kidding and joking in the right spirit when you make yourself the target of the laughter (and not others) is fun and healthy. We probably all remember the axiom that says, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." This would probably be better said: "A laugh a day keeps the doctor and the blues away."

Laughter is indeed one of the best medicines. As the Bible taught 3,000 years ago, "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."1

"Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you for the gift of laughter, humor and fun. Help me to take life seriously, serving you seriously, but not myself too seriously. Help me to learn to laugh at myself even when I make mistakes, and to laugh a little with my friends—every day. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus' name, amen."

1. Solomon (Proverbs 17:22, NIV).

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People Pleasers

"In the temple courts he [Jesus] found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, 'Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!'"1

Of one thing we can be certain: Jesus was not a "people pleaser." The reality is that "people pleasers" inevitably end up getting frustrated and angry because they are not getting the response they want from trying to please everybody, and ultimately end up pleasing nobody.
It isn't possible to please everybody. When we try to, we do it out of our own need for approval—an empty substitute for love. As one person said, "If you have to stand on your head to make others happy, all you can expect to get is a big headache."

Or as another put it, "If you stand for something you will have some people for you and some against you. But if you stand for nothing, you will have nobody against you—and nobody for you."

As already noted, Jesus was not a "people pleaser." He stood for truth and right regardless of what anybody thought of him. May God help you and me to do the same.

"Suggested prayer: "Dear God, help me to find inner security both in your love and that of others so I will not be searching for love in trying to please others. Deliver me from this bondage. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus' name, amen."

1. Jesus (John 2:14-16, NIV).

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Judgment Day

"It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment."1

According to God's Word, the Bible, after death, either at the judgment seat of Christ or at the Great White judgment throne of God, every one of us will be required to give an account to God regarding our life here on earth.

Those who believe in God and have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior have their names written in God's book of life. However, they will still appear before the judgment seat of Christ—not to be judged for their sins because Jesus paid that penalty for them when he died on the cross—but to be judged on the basis of how they served God here on earth and be rewarded accordingly. As God's Words says, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad."2

On the other hand, those who have not chosen to believe in God or accept Jesus Christ as their Savior—whose names are not written in God's book of life—will appear before God, the Judge of all the earth at the Great White Judgment throne of God. Because they never accepted Jesus' sacrifice for their sins nor asked God for forgiveness, they will have to pay the penalty for their own sins, which is eternal death and separation from God, the author of all love and life, in the place the Bible calls hell or the lake of fire—wherever and whatever that may be.

As God's Word says, "Each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."3

The critical issue is: have you confessed your sinfulness to God and believe that Jesus died on the cross in your place for your sins and accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior? If not, you will be required in the end to pay the penalty for your sins yourself.C. S. Lewis put it succinctly: "There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, 'Thy will be done,' and those to whom God says in the end, 'Thy will be done.'"

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you for giving your Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty for all my sins. I do believe in you and confess my sinfulness and ask for your forgiveness. Help me always to live for you. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus' name, amen."

Note: If you prayed this simple prayer and truly meant it, please let us know by going to http://tinyurl.com/pgntm, or for further help be sure to read, "To Find and Know God ... without having to be religious" at: http://tinyurl.com/8glq9.

1. Hebrews 9:27 (NKJV).
2. 2 Corinthians 5:10 (NIV).
3. Revelation 20:13-15 (NIV).

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On Guilt and Conscience

"If a person sins and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD's commands, even though he does not know it, he is guilty and will be held responsible."1

Do you ever feel guilty about things you shouldn't feel guilty about and not feel guilty about things you should feel guilty about?

I do? Why is this? A major reason is that we tend to think in terms of guilt as an emotional response that comes from our conscience. This, however, can be misleading.

Keep in mind that guilt in the Bible is a legal term—not an emotional one. If we do what is wrong in the eyes of God, we are guilty regardless of how we feel. That's also true of our legal system. If I break the law, I am guilty whether I feel guilty or not—or whether I get caught or not. For some, guilt is more a fear of getting caught.

On the other hand, conscience, while very important, is a learned emotional response. The word conscience comes from "con" meaning "with" and "science" meaning "knowledge." Thus conscience means "with knowledge."

We were born with the ability to learn what was right and what was wrong but the programming of our conscience came largely from those who shaped our formative years. For some a legalistic parent, church or religion gave them a very punitive conscience. At the opposite extreme, a loose-living parent or teacher failed to give any meaningful programming to a child's conscience.

As adults, to have a healthy conscience we need to reprogram or reeducate it to make sure it is in harmony with the source of all truth and knowledge as to what is right and what is wrong—that is God's Word, the Bible.

Based on this knowledge, the important thing is to always do what is right regardless of how we feel. As we consistently act in this manner, little by little (over time) we will reprogram our conscience so it is in complete harmony with the will and Word of God.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you for your Word, the Bible, that instructs me in how to behave and live. Please help me to re-educate and reprogram my conscience so the way I feel will be in direct harmony with your Word. And then, help me to live in harmony with your will so I will always have a clear conscience. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus' name, amen."

1. Leviticus 5:17 (NIV).

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