FOCUS OF THE MONTH
God Is Love
SCRIPTURE OF THE WEEK
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13
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Overview: (Coping with life) God will sometimes test our faith by allowing us to go through difficult situations. We must ask Him to give us patience to endure the suffering so that we can come through as pure gold. We must remember that God is with us and we must not allow the things that we endure to cause anxiety. Instead pray that God will give us peace and He will transform our mindset for the betterment on how we view the difficulties of everyday tasks.
In retrospect, we will declutter and rid ourselves of unnecessary worry and spark the joy that God wants us to have as we stay focused on Jesus. We can be assured that Jesus is a friend that will be with us through the good, bad and ugly. He will also raise up soul brothers and sisters who will support us in the time of need. Keep in mind that Jesus is our advocate and has freed us from lost hope and fear.
Let’s be thankful to God for His Son who gives us comfort and cares for us regardless of the confinements we may encounter in this life. As kingdom children, we can lean on Jesus and entrust the weightiest matters of our lives into His hands and He is faithful to give us rest.
Monday, February 6, 2017 – Tried and Purified – Job 23:1-12
Focus: God sometimes allow difficult test in our lives. Let’s ask Him to give us patience to endure the suffering for His purpose. After we have been tried, we are then purified.
Focus: 1 Peter 1:7-8; Isaiah 48:9-10
Tuesday, February 7, 2017 – Does It Spark Joy? – Philippians 4:4-9
Focus: Instead of a life cluttered with anxiety, God wants us to pray for peace. He will give us a mindset on how to handle everyday tasks which will spark joy in our lives as we stay focus on Him.
Focus: John 16:24; Philippians 2:25-30
Wednesday, February 8, 2017 – The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly– 1 Samuel 20:35-42
Focus: God is a friend that will never abandoned us. Let’s ask Him for friends who will stick with us through the good, bad and the ugly. True friends will point us to God when we are discouraged.
Focus: Proverbs 27:17 use examples in devotion.
Thursday, February 9, 2017 – The Advocate – 1 John 1:8 – 2:2
Focus: Jesus is our advocate from heaven’s throne room. He took the guilt for all of our sins and freed us from lost hope and fear. Let’s thank God for Jesus who gives us comfort and cares for our soul regardless of the confinements we face.
Focus: Romans 8:1-4
Friday, February 10, 2017 – Leaning on Jesus – John 13:12-26
Focus: Let’s lean on Jesus today. We can entrust the weightiest matters of our lives to Him and He is faithful to give us rest.
Focus: Psalm 37:3-7
Thoughts from Sister Clovia Thompson
When God Is Silent
One of the most difficult things for us in our spiritual walk is when God is silent. God is not silent because He does not speak. He speaks to us in many ways. Psalms 29:3 tells us God’s voice can be like thunder or 1 Kings 19:12 He speaks in a still small voice.
Sometimes it seems that God has abandoned us in the midst of a storm. In times like this, remember that although God may be silent, He’s not still. He does some of His best work in the dark. He is busy working things out for our good.
Our greatest lesson in faith will often be learned in the dark while God is silent.
· When God is silent, let’s pray. God hears more than we say, answers more than we ask, gives more than we imagine in His own time and in His own way.
· When God is silent, don’t worry. God is never blind to our tears, never deaf to our prayers and never silent to our pain. He sees, He hears, and He will deliver.
· When God is silent, don’t wonder where God is and remember the Teacher is always quiet during the test.
God’s silence does not indicate His absence, but is an invitation to rest in His presence. Zechariah 2:13 tells us to shut up and let us be silent before the Lord while He is speaking to us in His silence. He knows where we are and just what we need.