GOD OF HOPE

Daily Stop & Thinks

Stop & Think: March 9, 2024

Character

Men of genius are admired; men of wealth are envied; men of power are feared; but men of character are trusted. (Zig Ziglar, late motivational speaker)

Is Ziglar saying that geniuses, the wealthy, and the powerful are not to be trusted? Probably not  exactly, but he is undoubtedly warning that we should be careful not to be misled just because of the unique abilities or wealth of prominent individuals. In this election year, it’s a good reminder to consider what each candidate offers, not just in policy, but in integrity and character.

May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:11)

Stop & Think: March 8, 2024

Adversity

Out of the hottest fire comes the strongest steel.(Chinese Proverb)

We will all face difficulty and adversity sometime in life, and we will often question its purpose. This proverb has been repeated in many ways and places, and they are helpful. However it’s said, it describes the really tough situations in life that often confront us but result in our growth. Through them we develop strength, character, and integrity, traits that help us overcome.

We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. (2 Corinthians 6:4)
If we endure hardship, we will reign with him. (2 Timothy 2:12)

Stop & Think: March 7, 2024

Kindness

Kindness is thrown away upon the evil. (from Aesop’s Fables)

Really?  Remember that a fable is sometimes a legend or a story that may or may not be true. What would our world be like if we failed to be kind to those who are themselves unkind? Note in contrast what S. H. Simmons wrote, “Kindness is never wasted. If it has no effect on the recipient, at least it benefits the bestower.”

Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! . . . Your kindness will reward you. (Proverbs 3:3; 11:17)

Stop & Think: March 6, 2024

Happiness

Happiness is not about getting all you want; it’s about enjoying what you have. (Parveen Kaswan, Indian Forest Service officer)

You would think that getting all you want is, indeed, the source of happiness. That’s what everyone seems to be doing: getting all they can even if it means putting much of it in a storage bin. If you find yourself constantly acquiring more, it’s clear that this principle isn’t helping you find lasting happiness. Take Kaswan’s conclusion to heart.

I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. (Philippians 4:11-12)

Stop & Think: March 5, 2024

Encourage

The easily embarrassed don’t learn. (Jewish Proverb)

We all know someone who likes to make jokes at the expense of others — even their friends. To them, it’s a “back-slapper,” but to the one being embarrassed, it’s not funny at all. If it was meant to help someone learn or improve, it’s not working. Better to save the offhand remarks and find a kind way to encourage your friend toward change.

Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. (Romans 12: 10)

Stop & Think: March 4, 2024

Prayer

The greatest tragedy in life is not unanswered prayer but unoffered prayer. (F. B. Meyer, 19th-20th  century British pastor and author)

We all find it difficult to wait when we feel our prayers are unanswered. But knowing that God’s reply sometimes is “No” or “Wait,” is a comfort as we exercise God-given patience and understanding. As Meyer suggests, what is worse than not hearing is not asking. Prayer is that phenomenon that allows us to have an intimate relationship with a God who cares and answers.

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. (1 Peter 5:7)

Stop & Think: March 3, 2024

The Next Step

You don’t have to know all the right moves—you just need to know the next one. (Oprah Winfrey, entrepreneur)

Long-range planning is valuable as is a game plan for a sporting event. But there are times when you, your work group, or team are in the middle of a crisis, and there’s little time to deliberate. That’s the time when the successful leader, has to know what the next step is, when to take it, and, ultimately, how to work with others to reach the goal.

The prudent carefully consider their steps. . . . We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps. (Proverbs 14:15; 16:9)

Stop & Think: March 2, 2024

Acting Right

Think right and choose right to act right. (Jesse Deloe, writer)

Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “The time is always right to do right.”  But sometimes we give in too easily to the temptations that confront us. The solution to wrongdoing may seem over simplified, but it begins with choices. Choice is one of  the few things in life that we can control. Wrong choices are what lead to bad behavior. Acting right begins by choosing what is right.

[They who obey] demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts . . . tell them they are doing right. (Romans 2:15)

Stop & Think: March 1, 2024

Dreaming

If you don’t go after what you want, you’ll never have it. (Nora Roberts, author)

Have you ever wanted that beautiful new car on the showroom floor or to take a vacation like those offered on Wheel of Fortune? Those dreams are probably not realistic. But, what about your hope for a job promotion, your intention to be more proactive in the community, or your wish for warmer friendships? You surely can work toward those dreams. Get started today!

Despite their desires, the lazy will come to ruin, for their hands refuse to work. . . . Work hard and become a leader (Proverbs 21:25; 12:24).

Stop & Think: February 29, 2024

Leap Day

Happy Leap Day! A day where “this time last year” and “this time next year” do not apply. (Anonymous)

For those whose birthdays fall on February 29, they may well feel deprived of annual birthday celebrations. They can be called “leapers” or “leaplings,” and they might have to wait to celebrate only every four years. But the challenge for them today (as for all of us) is “Let this be the day you leap into the life you’re meant to live . . . ready, set, fly!”

For everything there is a season. . . . A time to be born and a time to die. . . . A time to cry and a time to laugh. . . . A time to be quiet and a time to speak. . . . Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. . . . a time for every activity under heaven (Excerpts from Ecclesiastes 3:1-11).

Stop & Think: February 28, 2024

Life’s Difficulties

Life is a journey that must be traveled no matter how bad the roads and accommodations. (Oliver Goldsmith, 18th century Anglo-Irish novelist )

Central African friends have often described the hazardous road conditions they face in the rainy seasons. Bridges wash out, rivers are swollen, and the mud sucks vehicles down into the ditch. But, life must go on and extra measures are taken to overcome the hazards. There are times in life itself when you simply must overcome trials that face you and persevere to the end.

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance (Romans 5:3).

Stop & Think: February 27, 2024

Cultural Changes

I fear for the future of authentic faith in our country. (William Wilberforce, 18th-19th century British parliamentarian)

His words from time past in England seem even more relevant today as he continues: “We live in a time when the common man in our country is thoroughly influenced by the current climate in which the cultural and educational elite propagates an anti-Christian message.” You don’t even have to be a Christian to see the cultural changes that threaten our democracy.

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think (Romans 12:2).