Do you struggle with being humble, and yielding to God’s will? Most of us do. This extends to accepting an iron-sharpening-iron relationship He has set in our path.

 

Yet the benefits are so good for us.

 

Proverbs 27:17 says, “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.”

 

Make no mistake, God sets people in our path for a reason. That Bible teacher in your church might have words of wisdom for you from her rich and varied life. Be open to that.

 

If you are in fellowship with a mature, older believer, let him or her walk with you on your journey. Learn from them. Ask questions. Learn to be vulnerable.

 

The benefits and outcomes will be richer than you can imagine. This is especially true when someone points out areas you can do better in. Not fun, but that is the essence of iron sharpening iron.

 

And it’s good for you.

 

Let’s pray.

 

Lord, help us be open to the leading of your Holy Spirit when encountering someone who could mentor us. Amen.

The Bible is full of wonderful analogies. One of the best is found in Proverbs, which paints a picture of godly mentoring and accountability.

 

Proverbs 27:17 says, “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.”

 

The idea is that as pieces of iron are drawn against the other, each piece becomes sharper. A further application is made in Hebrews 4:12, which talks about Scripture as being a double-edged sword, and it is with His Word that we are to sharpen each other.

 

The goal is mutual accountability and imparting wisdom for living.

 

As author Michelle Lazurek has written: “As the body of Christ, we forget that part of our job is to sharpen other brothers and sisters in Christ so that the flame in their hearts, put there by the Holy Spirit, continues to burn.”

 

Although the “iron sharpens iron” analogy is often used to describe the relationship between men, the application is relevant for everyone who believes. Even at this moment, there are millions of women mentoring girls, sharpening their wisdom in the Lord!

 

Let’s pray.

 

Lord, you have given us wonderful relationships that help us grow. We thank you for this great gift. Amen.

Jesus spent a lot of time giving out wisdom in the form of stories. Once, he told His disciples a story that illustrated the importance of understanding that God never quits us, and we should not quit Him.

 

Luke 18:1 says, “One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.”

 

The story was about a woman who didn’t give up in her pursuit of justice. Jesus then said that God hears our pleas for what we need, and He acts accordingly. He doesn’t forget, or lose interest.

 

Ever.

 

Isn’t that one of the most comforting things you’ve ever heard? In all the messes of our lives, God does not give up on us, no matter where we are. He knows everything about us, and his infinite strength is far too much for evil to overcome.

 

Let’s pray.

 

Lord, thank you for your willingness to stay with us in the worst of times. You are our strength, now and forever. Amen.

Life stories are full of redemption. Usually after the worst sins have been committed.

When he wrote a book about his past rebellions, Franklin Graham became known as the Rebel With a Cause. His story is about a prodigal that chased after the world and his own desires, but the son of Billy Graham is a modern parable.

He was lost, then he was found.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

Graham’s experiences are so common, actually. He felt so burdened by his own sin that he wondered if he could come back. But the beginning of that return to the Lord is about God’s willingness to open his arms to us as we stagger back home.

Today, Franklin Graham leads a ministry that gives the proverbial cup of cold water to the world’s poorest people. Samaritan’s Purse is global in reach because the ministry founder looked in the mirror one day and realized his own wisdom was bankrupt.

Such a familiar story. Have you thought about your own bad choices as you look for a way back to God? Look up and look to the horizon.

He’s waiting there for you.

Let’s pray.

Lord, we are all prodigals at one time or another. Thank you so much for your grace! Amen.

The Bible is full of stories of God doing amazing things for those He calls. One of the most famous seems to be good to be true, but it is!

 

Daniel, God’s man in exile in Babylon, insisted on worshipping the Lord, and not a human king. This was against the law. When those who were jealous of him urged the king to punish Daniel, the prophet was thrown into a lion’s den overnight.

 

And that was that. Or was it?

 

Next morning, the king was so anxious about Daniel, that he ran to the den and called out to him, to see if he was still alive.

 

Daniel 6:21–22 says, “Daniel answered, ‘May the king live forever! My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.’”

 

When life threatens to rip you up, remember that the Lord has you. God is on your side, knows where you are, and will hide you in the palm of his strong hand.

 

Believe that He will.

 

Let’s pray.

 

Lord, this story inspires us to rely on you when times are really bad for us. Thank you for being our rescue. Amen.

Today, just stop and consider that we are talking one-on-one. We’re just talking over coffee.

 

You seem like something is really getting to you. Are you about to give up on something important? If so, please listen, just for a couple of minutes.

 

Luke 18:1 says, “One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.”

 

Let’s think boldly for a second. Whatever your problem is, God can fix it. He can. The Bible is full of these fixes. So is our present day, when story after story of miraculous rescues shows us clearly that God exists and that He cares for you as a person.

 

Jesus knows your story, and more importantly, He knows the end of your story.

 

Victory is waiting for you, but you must not give up. Don’t give in to that evil voice urging you to stop. Listen to the voice of Love.

 

Tell Jesus what you need. Right now.

 

Let’s pray.

 

Lord, this thing hurts so much right now, but we aren’t going to up, because you never give up on us. Thank you for that! Amen.

 

Would it surprise you to know that God has always been interested in you? Did you know He knew you before you were born? He has a vested interest in how your life turns out.

 

Romans 8:31 tells us, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

 

He isn’t some remote deity. God doesn’t pay attention only most of the time. He doesn’t form His plans here and there. He is there for us all the time.

 

The question is, where are we?

 

Before you were born, it was God’s will that you would have a relationship with Him. He has always wanted your life to be successful. He wanted you to have joy hundreds of years before your parents were even born!

 

So God’s will for your life isn’t confined to now, or even now, and going forward. He has always been with you, guiding you through your life. As you look back now, you can see that this is true.

 

Being in God’s will is all-encompassing. It is the beginning, middle, and end of our stories.

 

If you weren’t exactly in God’s will in the past, learn from that and move forward with Him all the time.

 

Let’s pray.

 

Lord, you hold us in your protection for the entirety of our lives. We thank you that you never get tired of that. Amen.

What is true love? The question has been asked forever. Not everyone agrees. There's a startling answer found in the Bible. The prophet Hosea marries a prostitute named Gomer. She's predictably unfaithful to him, but God tells him something that's strange to us. He told Hosea to take his wife back and restore her.

 

1 Corinthians 13:4–5 says, "Love is patient, love is kind. It doesn't envy, it doesn't boast, it's not proud. It doesn't dishonor others, it's not self-seeking, it's not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs."

 

How often does this world seem interested in redeeming anything? Rarely. That's why we need God to model perfect love for us, love that restores and heals. Hosea did not keep score. He only loved, and that's a picture of how God deals with us, his chief creation. We reject him, cause pain, but always he's there waiting with open arms. I think we can do at least as much for someone in our lives. Let's pray. 

 

Lord, you're a forgiving God. Thank you for loving us in our sin, in our filth. You long to restore us and we love you for that, in Jesus' name. Amen. 

Kyle hurt Jenny emotionally many times, and then he left her because he said he wanted to have fun in life. His young wife could barely function at first, but as she got her bearings, she decided to wait before making a final decision about her marriage.

 

Then the day came. A series of circumstances left Kyle broken in spirit, and in body. He had burned so many bridges, no one was coming to help him.

 

Except Jenny.

 

1 Corinthians 13:4–5 says, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs."

 

Jenny made a choice to love her husband through his stupidity and poor choices. When he returned to their home, humiliated in his community, he came home to a warm place. 

 

Today, through dedication and hard work, their marriage is a model for others to follow, and this husband has been transformed.

 

All because his wife’s love didn’t give in to hard feelings.

 

Let’s pray.

 

Lord, we all mess up, sometimes horribly. But you always extend us grace. Help us extend that same grace to those who hurt us. Amen.

Have you ever congratulated someone for a huge win in life, and then silently envied them? We all do it. But the problem is that kind of thing can grow into a monster if we're not careful. All of a sudden, we're so focused on what the other person has we lose sight of the wins in our own life.

 

1 Corinthians 13:4–5 says, "Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not envy, doesn't boast, it's not proud. It doesn't dishonor others. It's not self-seeking, it's not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs."

 

Cain envied his brother's relationship with God, and he killed him over it. That's when that monster that covets was born. We've been struggling with it ever since. True love does not covet what our neighbor has. True love rejoices in grace showered on others.

 

And if this problem lives in you, meditate on these verses and decide today to change your thinking, and your heart will follow.

 

Let's pray. 

 

Lord, the enemy wants us to focus on what others have so that we lose sight of what you've given us. Christ is our standard. In Jesus' name. Amen.