Material possessions and health are desires-good, normal desires-but they aren't rights, and G.o.d doesn't promise them. Should we pray that G.o.d will give us prosperity in all things and in health? John did, and his devotion to Christ was unsurpa.s.sed. We can expect spiritual prosperity as we follow Christ, but we shouldn't demand that G.o.d give us the prosperity the world values. He's never promised that.

We should treat our desires very differently. We can have the utmost confidence that G.o.d uses every circ.u.mstance in our lives to deepen our love for Him and make our souls prosper, but we should hold our desires far more loosely. When they are fulfilled, we can thank G.o.d for His generosity. When they don't become a reality, we can refocus our hearts on true prosperity: the spiritual riches we enjoy.

What happens in our hearts when we demand worldly prosperity?

What are some adjustments you need to make to refocus your heart on true prosperity?

"As your positive confessions come forth, you will discover that the more blessings you thank G.o.d for, the more blessings you will have to thank G.o.d for."-ZIG ZIGLAR

AUGUST 30.

WHATEVER!.

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are n.o.ble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-meditate on these things.

PHILIPPIANS 4:8.

IF OUR BRAINS are the operating system, our thought patterns are the software our minds run on. To some degree, the software in all our minds is corrupted. We have trouble thinking correctly, so we get prideful in the good times and fearful in the bad. Paul reminds us that we have choices as to what we think about, and if necessary, we can do a clean install!

In his letter to the Philippians, Paul had given them encouragement and instructions. Now, at the end of the letter, he gives them his "final word," an instruction that will help them put all the pieces together. The key is to rivet our minds on truth, beauty, n.o.bility, and honor-whatever is good and right and true.

Right thinking is a skill all of us can learn, even though our software will always have glitches in it until the day we see Jesus face-to-face. Focusing our minds on n.o.ble things and giving thanks can become habits as we practice them more and more, but negative, destructive, selfish thoughts creep in from time to time. When we find ourselves heading down the wrong thought trail, we don't need to beat ourselves up about it-we're only human-however, we can take definitive action to focus our minds again on whatever is true, n.o.ble, and praiseworthy. We may not be able to completely eliminate unhealthy thoughts, but we can act quickly to replace them. As Martin Luther said, "We can't keep birds from flying over our heads, but we can keep them from building nests in our hair!"

How would you a.s.sess the effectiveness of your mental software?

What are some practical things you can do to replace negative thoughts with positive ones?

"Christian meditation is silent worship as you set the mind's attention and the heart's affection upon G.o.dly aspirations."-IKE REIGHARD "We all need a daily check-up from the neck up to avoid stinking thinking, which ultimately leads to hardening of the att.i.tudes."-ZIG ZIGLAR

AUGUST 31.

ON SECOND THOUGHT.

What things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.

PHILIPPIANS 3:7-8.

IN THIS LETTER, Paul had just recounted his impressive resume (see Philippians 3:4-6). By birth, status, and accomplishments, he was at the top of the heap. When his name was mentioned in the region, everybody knew who he was. But then something happened: Paul met Jesus. Suddenly, Paul's world was turned upside down. Things that seemed so important before were now meaningless, and things that had seemed like annoyances became his priorities. Even more, the One who had been his enemy now was his friend and Savior. Meeting Jesus forced Paul to have second thoughts about everything in his life.

Our resumes, too, have elements of status, accomplishments, and other credits. We use them to gain acceptance, to earn respect, and to wield power. But Christ's claim on our lives changes everything. Those things may have been the most important truths about us in the past, and they may have shaped our goals and relationships, but now, they are "rubbish"-unimportant, secondary, forgettable.

Paul's explanation of the change in his perception tells us that his core sense of ident.i.ty had radically altered. Why? Because knowing Christ and being known by Him zoomed to the top of Paul's Top Ten list of the most important facts about his life.

Jesus asked, "What does a man profit if he gains the whole world but forfeits his soul?" (see Matthew 16:26). The answer is, of course, nothing. All the wealth, prestige, awards, and pleasures of this life can't compare to the daily experience of G.o.d's amazing grace. There's no comparison.

Why do those things (wealth, status, pleasure, and so forth) seem so alluring to us?

What would it mean for you to value knowing Christ so much that all those things become secondary in your heart and in your priorities?

"G.o.d has a way of turning what you formerly treasured into trash, and what you once trashed becomes your most precious treasure."-IKE REIGHARD

September.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30.

SEPTEMBER 1.

NEITHER DEATH NOR LIFE.

I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor princ.i.p.alities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of G.o.d which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

ROMANS 8:38-39.

NAGGING DOUBTS can rob us of peace-sometimes, they can rob us of our sanity. Some of us are sensitive and reflective, more susceptible to a questioning ember flaming into an inferno of doubt. Did I do the right thing? we wonder. Did I do enough? Do the problems I'm facing show that G.o.d is angry with me? Has He turned His back on me? Will I ever feel confident again?

Chapter 8 in Paul's letter to the Romans is one of the most encouraging selections of Scripture. It begins with the promise of "no condemnation" by G.o.d, and it ends with the promise of "no separation" from G.o.d. He holds us tightly in His hands, and He never lets go. To make the point, Paul gives us a list of physical, spiritual, and temporal boundaries that can't block G.o.d's transcendent love for us. No matter what we face, no matter where we go, no matter what powers are lined up against us, no created thing can come between us and the all-encompa.s.sing, never-ending love of G.o.d.

One of the most wonderful feelings in the world is a sense of profound relief when our doubts and fears evaporate in the warm glow of fresh confidence in G.o.d's greatness and grace. If we live long enough, even the most stouthearted among us will be tempted to doubt G.o.d. Paul's summary statement at the end of this faith-filled chapter is that when everything else around us crumbles, we can stand strong, knowing that the love of G.o.d never fails.

When were you (or are you) tempted to doubt G.o.d's love for you?

What does this promise mean to you?

"As far as I can see, that covers it all, and if we are not separated from the love of Jesus Christ, then He who has the power to save us not only will save us, but will keep us forever secure."-ZIG ZIGLAR "I have come upon the happy discovery that this life hid with Christ in G.o.d is a continuous unfolding."-EUGENIA PRICE

SEPTEMBER 2.

THE MAN G.o.d CALLED A FOOL.

G.o.d said to him, "You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?"

LUKE 12:20, NIV.

IN THIS Pa.s.sAGE of Scripture, Jesus tells the parable of a rich man who had an exceedingly abundant harvest. The harvest was so fruitful that his barn was not large enough to store the crops, so he decided to build a larger storehouse to hold his wealth. Jesus explains that the rich man chose to "take life easy; eat, drink and be merry" (Luke 12:19, NIV).

The parable says that very night would be the end of the man's life. And while the man had made plans to build a new storehouse for his bountiful crop, he had failed to secure his salvation. G.o.d did not call this man a fool because he was wealthy or because he made plans to store his harvest; G.o.d called the man a fool because he found security in earthly prosperity instead of eternal security. The man's success had blinded him to the need for G.o.d in his life. You see, the man was thinking like the world thinks. He saw both his security and his worth in the things that he had acc.u.mulated.

The Bible tells us that we are not to store up treasure on earth but that we are to secure our treasure in heaven (see Matthew 6:19-20). So many times we can get caught up in what we think G.o.d forbids us to have, seeing G.o.d as some kind of cosmic killjoy who wants us to go without, when the reality is that He desires for us to prioritize our lives in such a way that we may have eternal significance.

Have you come to the point in your life where you experienced salvation?

Do you make decisions that are reflective of your awareness of eternal consequences?

"Salvation is from our side a choice; from the divine side it is a seizing upon, an apprehending, a conquest by the Most High G.o.d. Our accepting and willing are reactions rather than actions." -A. W. TOZER

SEPTEMBER 3.

HEARTSICK.

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.

PROVERBS 13:12.

WE'D LIKE TO THINK our faith is so strong that we're invulnerable to disappointments, but Solomon reminds us that we're still very human. Disappointment hurts, and in fact, it makes our hearts sick. The depth of our disappointment, of course, depends on the height of our hope. Small hopes, when thwarted, produce only minor setbacks, but shattered dreams devastate us. Our pain isn't a sign of immaturity; we're just responding normally.

If we think we should never be affected by unfulfilled hopes, we need to read the psalms. The writers often pour out their complaints about people who have let them down and situations that didn't go the way they had planned. These writers, though, didn't make the mistake of turning away from G.o.d. They pursued Him with gut-wrenching honesty, and sooner or later, G.o.d reminded them that He was still in control and that they could still trust Him.

When G.o.d answers our prayers and our hopes are fulfilled, we feel like jumping up and down, and we grow in our appreciation of G.o.d's goodness to us. We thank Him, we praise Him, and we rest in His goodness.

Either way, then, in disappointment or in fulfilled desires, our emotions are genuine and normal. The proper response in both cases is to turn to G.o.d, to pursue Him with all our hearts, and to dig deeper into His grace and wisdom to find comfort-or to praise Him for His grace and wisdom because He answered.

Describe a time when shattered hopes made your heart sick.

Do you feel permission to be truly honest with G.o.d about your disappointments? How would it help you to be honest with Him?

"Some men see things the way they are and ask 'Why?' I dream of the way things could be and ask, 'Why not?'"-GEORGE BERNARD SHAW

SEPTEMBER 4.

ALWAYS SUFFICIENT.

[The Lord] said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

2 CORINTHIANS 12:9.

ONE OF THE HARDEST LESSONS for most of us to learn is that our points of weakness can become our greatest opportunities to experience G.o.d's strength. Too often, we deny we're weak and we miss wonderful steps of growth. G.o.d seldom demonstrates His amazing power, however, until and unless we admit we are powerless. And even then, He provides exactly what we need-not more and not less.