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12th Dec, 2022 You are being pruned (2) My suffering was good for me." Ps 119:71 NLT God uses problems, pressures, and people to prune you for greater fruitfulness. Are you aware of Him using any of these three things in your life today? God can use all situations in your life to help you grow if you will just have the right attitude.  • He will use a major frustration,  • a financial setback,  • a sudden sickness,  • a broken marriage,  • a rebellious child,  • or even the death of a loved one to get your attention.  You say, "But it hurts so much!" Yes, pruning is painful. Sometimes a gardener will prune a tree until it looks like a totem pole or a giant toothpick. It's not a pretty sight. But the pruning process is positive. God is not mad at you. "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus" (Ro 8:1 NKJV).  God does not punish His genuine children. Jesus took your punishment on the cross. God's pruning is for your best, for more fruitfulness in your life. Can God's pruning fail to produce? Sure, if you don't cooperate. How does God produce "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control" in your life? (Gal 5:22-23 NLT). He produces these qualities by allowing you to face situations and people with exactly the opposite qualities.  He teaches you to love by putting you around difficult people. He teaches you patience by letting things frustrate you.  You say, "How can I cooperate with God?" The Bible tells you: "Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus" (1Th 5:16-18 NLT). God can use all situations in your life to help you grow.

29th Aug, 2022 You can sleep too much "Do not love sleep, lest you come to poverty." Pr 20:13 NKJV Zig Ziglar said, "When you do what you need to do when you need to do it, then.you can do what you want to do when you want to do it." But you will never do what you need to do if you don't set your alarm clock, arise, take dominion over the blankets, and go to work.  Solomon warns about the kind of sleep that crosses the line between rest and laziness.  • (1) Too much sleep has a dulling influence. "As a door turns on its hinges, so does the lazy man on his bed" (Pr 26:14 NKJV).  • (2) Too much sleep destroys ambition. "Laziness casts one into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger" (Pr 19:15 NKJV).  • (3) Too much sleep causes poverty. "Do not love sleep, lest you come to poverty" (Pr 20:13 NKJV). • (4) Too much sleep disappoints God. "How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep?" (Pr 6:9 NKJV).  • (5) Too much sleep squanders golden opportunities. "He who gathers in summer is a wise son; he who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame" (Pr 10:5 NKJV).  One guy was asked by a potential employer, "Does hard work bother you? He answered, "No, hard work doesn't bother me in the least. I can lie down next to it and go right to sleep." The Bible calls such a person a "sluggard." His god is slumber, his bed is his altar, and his body is the sacrifice he readily offers. Seriously, unless you're willing to work hard, all your prayers for success won't rise any higher than the roof. Take dominion over the blankets, and go to work.

14th Aug, 2022 Problem solving (1) "When we are knocked down, we get up again." 2Co 4:9 CEV Every problem you face in life introduces you to yourself. It shows you how you think and what you're made of. People basically respond to problems in three ways:  • (1) they refuse to accept them, • (2) they accept them and then endure them, or  • (3) they accept them and try to improve things.  Which of the three people are you? Paul was a problem solver.  He knew that with God on his side, he would prevail. "We are like clay jars in which this treasure is stored. The real power comes from God and not from us. We often suffer, but we are never crushed. Even when we don't know what to do, we never give up. In times of trouble, God is with us, and when we are knocked down, we get up again" (vv. 7-9 CEV).  So when it comes to having problems, what should you do?  • (1) Anticipate them Since problems are unavoidable, prepare for them spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. If you pray for God's best and anticipate Satan's worst, you will find yourself in a good position to solve the problems that come your way.  • (2) See the big picture. You can't afford to be overcome by emotion. Nor can you permit yourself to get bogged down in the minutiae and lose sight of what's important.  • (3) Handle one thing at a time. Richard Sloma said, "Never try to solve all the problems at once-make them line up for you one-by-one."  And if you're facing lots of problems, make sure you actually solve the one you're working on before moving on to the next one. Every problem you face in life introduces you to yourself!