| "…You anoint my head with oil…" (Psalm 23:5, NKJV) | ||||||||||||||
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In the Bible, oil is symbolic of the anointing of God. Do you know what oil does? It makes things flow. Whenever there is friction or something gets stuck, putting oil on it makes it become more fluid. That’s what God wants to do for you. He wants to anoint your head with oil. When He does that, notice what David says in Psalm 23, “Because God anoints me, because I walk in His favor; surely, goodness and mercy will follow me everywhere I go.”
Friend, God’s anointing makes things easier. People will go out of their way to be good to you for no reason. You’re going to have creativity, wisdom and good ideas. God’s anointing on your life will cause the right doors to open. It will bring the right people across your path. It will make things go smoother. And the good news is, all you have to do is ask Him for it. Remember, He longs to be good to you. You can trust that His anointing will make things easier, and He will lead you into the abundant life He has in store for you!
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He Anoints You With Oil
What Pleases God
| "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." (Hebrews 11:6, NIV) | ||||||||||||||
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Do you know what pleases God? He's not impressed by how much knowledge we have. He isn't influenced by how many possessions we own. He's not moved by our accomplishments; He is moved simply by our faith in Him.
Faith is a gift. It's not something that has to be contrived or worked up. The Scripture tells us that everyone has been given a measure of faith. It also says that faith grows as we hear the Word of God. That's why it's so important to stay connected to a Bible-based church where the Word of God is being taught. It's why we need to make time every day to read and study His Word because that's how you feed your faith. The more you know His Word, the more you understand that God is good, and He rewards the people who seek after Him.
Today, take time to feed your faith. Meditate on His Word and ask Him to illuminate your heart with His truth. Trust that He is good and has good things in store for your future because faith is what pleases God!
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God's Servant
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His Ways Are Higher
| "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:9, NIV) | ||||||||||||||
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A lot of times, we have our own ideas about how things should work out in life. But God’s ways are not our ways. In Scripture, God brought water out of a rock. Jesus told Peter to go catch a fish, open its mouth, and there was the money he needed for taxes. Another time, God caused a young lady named Mary to have a baby without knowing a man. He is God. He can use things we would expect, or He can make things happen another way.
With God, you don’t have to figure everything out. All you have to do is believe. In fact, it says in Proverbs, “Lean not to your own understanding.” Sometimes there is no logical solution. You’ve got to turn your mind off. If you’re constantly trying to figure it out, that’s just going to make you discouraged, depressed and frustrated. Just because you don’t see a way doesn’t mean that God doesn’t have a way. Remember, His ways are higher, and He is working behind the scenes for your good!
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Living to Give
| "God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you're ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done..." (2 Corinthians 9:8, MSG) | ||||||||||||||
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Nothing moves the heart of God quite like taking the time and effort to meet the needs of hurting and desperate people. When you focus on meeting the needs of others, you won't have time to worry about your own needs - which is actually fine since God has promised to take care of your needs when you spend yourself on behalf of others. The Bible says that God wants to bless you and give you what you need in abundance, so why wouldn't you give? Give anything and everything you can, whether it's time, money, prayer or just a kind word. So if you want God to satisfy you with every good thing, go out and help somebody in need. Give your life away.
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Do Not Be Afraid
| "…an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. ‘Joseph, son of David,’ the angel said, ‘do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.’" (Matthew 1:20, NLT) | ||||||||||||||
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Have you ever felt overwhelmed or even afraid of what God has called you to do? Maybe you were pursuing a dream or goal and things didn’t turn out the way you planned. Joseph had planned to take Mary as his wife, but when he found out she was pregnant, he didn’t know what to think. He was afraid that he might be making a mistake because things didn’t turn out the way he planned. But God sent a messenger in a dream to reassure Joseph that he was on the right path.
Today let me reassure you that God knows right where you are, and He knows how to get you to where you need to be. Even when things don’t go the way you planned, His hand is on you. Do not be afraid. Trust that God is working behind the scenes on your behalf and that He will lead you into the life of blessing He has prepared for you.
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Gifts for a King
| "And on going into the house, they saw the Child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then opening their treasure bags, they presented to Him gifts--gold and frankincense and myrrh." (Matthew 2:11 AMPC) | ||||||||||||||
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Can you imagine what it must have been like for the Wise Men when they saw Jesus? He was just a child in a stable surrounded by animals, but these Wise Men recognized that He was the King of kings and the Lord of lords; the Savior of the world. Immediately, they fell on their faces to worship Him, but notice what they did next—they presented Him gifts as part of their worship. And they didn’t just give any old thing they had; they gave Him their absolute best—costly gold, frankincense and myrrh.
When we give Jesus our absolute best—our time, talent and resources, it is truly an act of worship. We are saying with our actions, “God, You mean more to me than anything. Because You are so awesome, I want to give You everything that I am.” It pleases Him when we come to Him with this attitude. When we draw near to Him with an open and humble heart, He draws near to us. Remember, when you give Him your best, He gives you His best in return.
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