Thanks, God!

At RBC Ministries, our human resources team has developed an effective and encouraging program that centers around gratefulness.

When an employee notices something good another employee does here at the office, he or she can take a special “Thank You” card provided by human resources and write a note of appreciation. It’s a good feeling to walk into your office and find one of those cards on your desk.

Isn’t it great to be thanked for a job well done? Doesn’t a good, hearty “thank you” brighten your day? And doesn’t it make your relationships a little more special—just to know that your work is not being taken for granted?

Everybody loves to be thanked. Even God. Our heavenly Father finds pleasure in our expression of thanks to Him. It’s His will that we tell Him “Thank You.” “Give thanks in all circumstances,” Paul said, “for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thess. 5:18 niv). The writer of Hebrews took it a step further by saying, “Let us be thankful, and so worship God” (12:28 niv).

Keep looking for ways to improve your relationship with God. Don’t forget what may be the most basic way to worship and honor Him: Tell Him “Thanks.” — Dave Branon

Then let us adore and give Him His right,
All glory and power, all wisdom and might,
All honor and blessing, with angels above,
And thanks never ceasing for infinite love. —Wesley

The worship most acceptable to God comes from a thankful heart.

March 29, 2010
http://www.rbc.org/devotionals/our-daily-bread/2010/03/29/devotion.aspx

Don't Stop Praying ♫

Don't stop praying! The Lord is nigh;
Don't stop praying! He'll hear your cry;
God has promised, and He is true;
Don't stop praying; He'll answer you.

Don't stop praying! For every need;
Don't stop praying! The Lord will heed;
No petition to Him is small;
Don't stop praying! He'll hold your hand.

Don't stop praying! When bowed with grief;
Don't stop praying! You'll get relief;
Troubles never escape God's sight;
Don't stop praying! He'll make it right.

Don't stop praying! But have more trust;
Don't stop praying! For pray we must;
Faith will banish a mount of care;
Don't stop praying! God answers prayer.

What a Friend We Have in Jesus ♫

What a friend we have in Jesus,
all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
all because we do not carry
everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged;
take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful
who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden,
cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge;
take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In his arms he'll take and shield thee;
thou wilt find a solace there.

Mean what you say

'…Let your 'Yes' be yes and your 'No,' no…' James 5:12 NIVNIV

Saying what you mean is just the beginning. Meaning what you say is the next step. Don't say one thing, then walk away and do the opposite. When you say 'that's the last time', make sure it is! Start with the small things (like how much time you'll spend on the games console or starting your assignment before the last minute), and you may well find it filters into some of the bigger decisions and actions too. If you're not planning on doing something, don't say you will. And stick to your guns too; if you tell your friend you're not going to let him borrow your bus pass anymore, don't let him. Saying 'Oh ok, just this once', makes him think it's ok to keep coming back and before you know it he'll be walking all over you again. Have you ever heard a mum screaming at a kid, 'If you don't stop that right now you'll have to go to your room'? The kid doesn't stop, so the mum says, 'This is your last warning'. Still the kid doesn't stop—but still the mum doesn't take action. The 'final warnings' just keep on coming. What does the kid do? Whatever they want to, of course. Why? Because empty words have no meaning. If you want people to listen to what you say, respect you, and value your words—then make sure you place value on them too, and follow through on what you say.

Friday, 26 February 2010
http://www.word4u2day.com.au/201002252062/Mean-what-you-say.html

Five don'ts that make a difference

Five don'ts that make a difference

'…Get understanding.' Proverbs 4:7 NKJ

Today, five lessons about life that make all the difference:

(1) Don't worry, just do your best. God accepts no less, but He demands no more. 'Trust in the Lord, and do good…and He shall give you the desires of your heart.' (Psalm 37:3-4 NKJ)

(2) Don't rush it, do it right. 'Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.' (Proverbs 21:5 NLT)

(3) Don't believe something is impossible without trying it. When you are in God's will, doing things God's way, sensitive to His timing and willing to stick at it, your problems are just a platform for Him to work on your behalf '…we must wait patiently and confidently.' (Romans 8:25 NLT)

(4) Don't waste your time. Put first things first and ask yourself, 'What is it that only I can do, or do best?' Only when you've answered that question will you know what you should do. Despite what you're thinking right now, it's probably not got a whole lot to do with Guitar Hero!

(5) Don't just talk about it…do it. Lots of people have good intentions but those intentions have to become actions. Get specific about your diet and your devotions, your finances and your family. 'If it's to be, it's up to me.' Write those words on a card and read them regularly. James writes: '…faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.' (James 2:17 NKJ)

Monday, 15 February 2010
http://www.word4u2day.com.au/201002142050/Five-don-ts-that-make-a-difference.html

Get to know God better

'Can you discover the depths of God?...' Job 11:7 NAS

It's not what you know but who you know. If you know the band, you get backstage passes. Or if your sister has a job at a pizza store, you know when to come in for a special. The Bible also says there are things we can have just because we know God. (1) Blessing. The more you know God and obey His will, the more you'll experience His blessings. 'If you obey all the decrees and commands I am giving you today, all will be well with you and your children…' (Deuteronomy 4:40 NLT) (2) Peace. 'Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God…' (2 Peter 1:2 NAS) The more you know God, the more you'll be at peace. Sure, tough stuff happens, but facing that stuff with God makes a massive difference. (3) Wisdom. Paul prayed that God would give the Ephesians '…a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.' (Ephesians 1:17 NAS) Wisdom is seeing things the right way. Revelation is when God opens your mind and shows you things you otherwise wouldn't know. (4) Freedom. '…when you did not know God, you were slaves...' (Galatians 4:8 NAS) Without the confidence that comes from knowing God, you become a slave to circumstances, emotions, or other people's opinions. Refuse to live that way. Instead, get to know God better.

Saturday, 13 February 2010
http://www.word4u2day.com.au/201002122048/Get-to-know-God-better.html

Christ must be at the center of your relationships...

Christ must be at the center of your relationships because He provides a stable, fixed point of reference; otherwise, your relationships will be frail and fragile.

Every relationship is based or founded on something. For example, some relationships are based on the fact that both people work for the same company, attend the same school, or sharing a similar interest in a hobby or sport.

With all of relationships, once a common bond is no longer present, the relationship will tend to deteriorate. For example, once a child graduates from high school and moves off to college, he or she will probably lose most of the relationships formed with classmates, because school is no longer a common bond and thus there is nothing holding the relationship together.

However, if your relationships are formed around a common belief in Christ, then no matter what else happens in life, as long as that common bond is still present those relationships will last.

Thus, it is clear why 2 Corinthians 6:14 instructs believers not to marry unbelievers: Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?

If you want to maintain lasting, stable relationships, they must be Christ-centered.

Weekly Wisdoms for the week of February 8, 2010
http://www.christnotes.org/ww.php?d=2010-02-08