“I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may work through me.”

2 Corinthians 12:9, NLT

In the 19th century, a young Christian heard a Bible teacher say, “The world has yet to see what God can do with a man who is totally surrendered to Him.” The young Christian said to himself, “I want to be that man.” That young man was Dwight L. Moody, who became one of the greatest evangelists of all time, long before radio and television.

When the searching eyes of the Lord found Moody, they found a man whose “availability” far surpassed his “ability.” But God can do a lot with a little if He has all there is of it.

His father died at an early age of 41, leaving his widow in poverty, with a large mortgage on the home. The creditors grabbed everything they could, including firewood. Mrs. Moody tried to keep her family of nine children not only together, but together in Sunday School.

By the time Dwight was 17, he had become a successful shoe salesman. Moody accepted Christ in the back room of the shoe store through the guidance of his Sunday School teacher. He went on to become the great evangelist.

But he never got away from his simple commitment and the memories of the first time he stood up to speak as a young man, when one of the deacons assured him that, in his opinion, he would serve God best by keeping still. Another critic praised Moody for his zeal but pleaded with him, saying that he should realize his limitations and not attempt to speak in public. “You make too many mistakes in grammar.”

Moody patiently made reply to the man’s concern: “I know I make mistakes, and I lack many things, but I’m doing the best I can with what I’ve got.” He then quietly looked at the man and searchingly inquired, “Look here, friend, you’ve got grammar enough. What are you doing with it for the Master?”

God is looking for people today who will decide to take what they have and totally commit it to be used for the Master. God has made you who you are and placed you where you are with all the abilities you need to do what He uniquely created you to do.

It’s not time to sit back and muse about what you could do if you had what you don’t have. Rather, it’s time to do what you can do with what you do have and do it for the glory of God.

Questions: We all could improve in how we choose to serve God; what are some of the resources available to us to help us improve?

Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart: wait, I say, on the Lord. Psalms 27:14

Waiting patiently is not a strong suit in our fast paced society. We want instant everything and we want it with overnight doorstep delivery. We are in a hurry to get everywhere and once we get there we are in a hurry to leave. We are living in a horn-honking, microwaving, fast-food, express lane world.

We have invented the “honko-second,” which is the time between when the light changes and the person behind you honks his horn. It is the fastest time interval known to man.

Waiting may well be the hardest think a person may be called to do and simultaneously often the most valuable investment of our time. For it is in waiting that we grow. Haste can bring more than waste. It can bring disaster, especially if you are a type A+ personality like me. I want everything done and I want it done today, even if it is done wrong. Not really, but I often act and think that way. On the DISC chart, I am a D+, but when I wait and plan and calculate my moves, I move so much better.

God told Moses to wait four hundred years. In fact, forty-three times in the Old Testament, the people are commanded to wait upon the Lord. The last words in the Bible are about waiting.

The ability to wait is a test of maturity, often referred to by psychologists as the ability to endure delayed gratification. What we want, we want now, but if only we will wait, often the reward will be al the greater.

Isaiah writes to remind us that those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

We gain strength as we wait and when we are ready to run, we run with power and strength. When we soar with the eagles, we rise above our problems that otherwise weight us down.

Most importantly, when we wait, we have time to put everything else out of our life and focus on God. Waiting can be a spiritual experience, a resting experience, a growing experience, a strengthening experience and a building experience. Remember the next time you get impatient that it may be God’s time for you to wait so you can be ready to soar.

Question: What kinds of situations make you impatient? How can you seek to avoid or respond better to those kinds of situations?

About the Author: John Grant

Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)

If you are like me, sometimes you think about why you are where you are, what will you do while you are there and perhaps most importantly, what others will think of you after you are gone. It’s called a legacy … what you leave behind.

Some people think of a legacy in monetary or tangible measurement, but the greatest legacy we can give is an intangible one and all of us want to know that when we are gone people will remember us fondly and positively.

Last year, the Florida Senate decided to dress up the Senate Office Building with photographs depicting its history and heritage by displaying action photographs of senators who previously served in office and making sure that there was at least one photograph of each senator.

It’s been interesting to see these reminders of days gone by, especially for me, as I have been there in one role or another for over forty years and I knew, recognized or served with most of those who got their mug hung on the wall.

There were dozens of photographs and I didn’t see mine at first, though several people commented and laughed about my portrait legacy. I just had to find it, so I went on a photo hunt, up one hall and down another searching floor by floor.

Then, as I rounded a corner, I saw my face big as life, seated at the dais behind a microphone, pointing my finger and holding a large bag of ….. marijuana! I remember the day it happened. I was chairing a meeting of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee, of which I was Chairman and wanted to make a point about the proliferation of marijuana in the state, so I asked the police to go to the evidence room and bring a supply for me to use at the meeting. They did and there I am, forever hanging in the state capitol holding a bag of grass!

Years after I am dead and gone school children will tour the capitol and ask: “Who’s the guy holding the grass?” I guess that’s my enduring legacy from public service.

Have you ever thought about what kind of legacy you will leave, what people will remember you for or say about you after you are dead and gone? Will they know what you believed in or what you stood for?

Jesus told us to let our light shine before men, that they may see our good deeds and praise our Father in heaven. Live you life so that your life may continue to live after you no longer do.

Question: Are you letting your light shine? What wattage of bulb is screwed into the socket of your life?

About the Author: John Grant

“The Son of Man is going to come in the Glory of His Father with His Angels.” (Matthew 16:27)

The TV on the wall of my office is on constantly and tuned on mute to a popular news network. As I look at it throughout the day, it is a continuum of horror stories – riots, shootings, natural disasters and financial ruin.

We are engaged in wars we cannot win and greed and corruption have at all levels created a world debt that cannot be repaid.  I just watched police in riot gear clashing with hundreds of rioters, as fires were raging out of control, while looters combed the area, as the stock ticker in the bottom of the screen was showing financial markets in a free-fall.

It is with firm conviction that I believe we are near the end of our world as we know it. It is a question of what will get us first, financial collapse, weapons of mass destruction from without or moral decay from within.

From a realistic worldly perspective, there is little reason for encouragement. But, for those of us who know and love the Lord Jesus Christ, His reign in glory is a comforting and thrilling promise that fills us with great hope and anticipation. Like the saints under the heavenly alter in Revelation 6:9-10, we wonder how long the Lord will allow the world to go its sinful way before intervening in sovereign power and bringing righteousness, equity and justice to the world.

With the Psalmist, I wonder “How long, O God, will the adversary revile, and may the enemy spurn your name forever?” (Psalm 74:10) As I look out at the world, I have every reason to feel defeated and discouraged, but God created me for eternal fellowship with him and through Christ gave me the key to entry for that eternal relationship.

Every day when I read the newspaper or listen to the news it is a parade of horrors, but I just finished reading Heaven Revealed, by Dr. Paul Enns and he showed me how the scriptures describe what heaven will be like and I look forward with great anticipation to enjoying it forever. I will be relieved from the aches and pains of this old body and from the disasters of this world.

Heaven is much more than a place to spend eternity. It is also the place where God and Jesus Christ the Lamb live, a place where we don’t have to see darkly as through a smoked glass, but where we can see our Lord and Redeemer face to face. He promises that forever, “They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.” (Rev. 21:3) What a fabulous promise!

Questions: How do you deal with the troubles of the world? How can you place more focus on your heavenly destination?

“Be still and know that I am God” Psalm 46:10

Hastily I finished my last appointment on Capitol Hill and made a mad dash for Union Station and not a minute too early, as I arrived one minute before the Acila Express left for New York. I presented my ticket and walked at a fast pace down to Track 15, where I jumped aboard the first Business Class car available. After stowing my luggage I settled in my seat just as the train slowly pulled out of the station. My cell phone rang and just as soon as I began the conversation a lady a couple of rows forward turned to me with her finger to her lips and pointing to the sign overhead which read “Quiet Car.”

The sign explained the rules of the Quiet Car: no talking, no cell phones, no standing in the aisles. In other words, that translates to be quiet and be still, so reluctantly, I did. Where I would normally pull out my lap top, do mail and make phone calls, now about all I could do was sit, read, watch and listen, and I did a little of each.

First, I took out my Encounter devotional and my Bible and proceeded to pour through the scriptures. I just sat back and listened …. Listened to God and listened to my inner self. I spent a lot of time looking out the window. A record snowfall had turned the countryside in to a winter wonderland. What a sight as the train picked up speed and we traversed the countryside of Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. I saw God’s majestic hand in the beautiful ice formations and in the drifts of snow. It was as if I could see God himself. It was an awesome quiet time and when the train pulled into Penn Station, I got off a rejuvenated man, all because I had jumped on the Quiet Car.

The experience on the train last week has given me a lot to think about, He is asking: “How are you with your quiet time.” I was again reminded of the need for a quiet time just yesterday as I checked into a hotel. When I got off the elevator, a large sign greeted me informing that I had entered a “Quiet Zone,” where “no children, leisure groups or circus animals will be assigned.” It further instructed that in this area there would be no loud TV, no slamming of doors and no loud singing in the shower.

God’s quiet time formula is much like His stewardship formula: “The more you give, the more you receive.” I have found that when I do carve out a time for God, preferably at the beginning of the day, though at first my schedule says I don’t have time, I have to respond and make time. And. When I do, somehow God always stretches my schedule and I am more productive than ever.

This is my busiest season of the year and so easy to shut God out of the schedule, but all the more reason for the Master to gently remind me, whether through a sign on a train or in a hotel, every day we need to be reminded to spend time with Him and then pull apart before you fall apart. I highly recommend a ride on the Quiet Car, actually or symbolically every day in every life.

Question: Have you had a quiet time with God lately? Can you find/make some time for Him today?

About the Author:  John Grant

“I am leaving you with a gift–peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” John 14:27, NLV

In today’s world it is virtually impossible to avoid stress. Almost everyone is carrying some amount of it, in varying degrees. Many find it increasingly difficult to simply survive in the world we live in. You’re probably stressed out right now. That’s okay. It’s understandable. So is everybody else, according to a study released recently.

The study measured the forty largest metropolitan statistical areas in the country, focusing on six factors that cause or are caused by stress: high unemployment, long commute times, long work hours, limited access to health care, poor physical health and a lack of exercise. And, I live in the fourth most stressful city in the nation. No wonder I am stressed out, but at least I have good company.

In desperation, people are seeking relief for their problems through any remedy they can find. Our culture is inundated with self-help books, therapists, time-management workshops, massage parlors, and recovery programs (to name just the tip of the iceberg). Everyone talks about returning to a “simpler” way of life, but no one seems to even know exactly what that means, or how to attain it.

Many of us cry out like Job, “The churning inside me never stops; days of suffering confront me.” (Job 30:27). The problem is that people are looking for all the right solutions in all the wrong places. Jesus said, “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30).

Jesus’ gift is a gift that the world cannot give. It is a peace that surpasses all human and worldly understanding. The Bible is the only self-help book that can give you true inner peace and overcome the stress of the world. So, if you are stressed out, follow this simple formula: Read five psalms and one chapter of Proverbs each day and you will discover true peace and overcome the stress of the world.

Question: What has been stressing you out lately? Have you been bringing these things to God in prayer?

About the Author:  John Grant

“It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers.” Ephesians 4:11

As I strolled by a group of shops, a sign caught my attention. It read: “We don’t have it all, but together we have it all.” I thought of how that applies to our church. God has given some the abilities and gifts to do that others cannot do, but to everyone He has given something. None of us have it all, but together ministering and worshiping in concert, together we have it all.

Paul spelled it out in writing to the church at Ephesus. In this passage Paul lists the five kinds of ministries or gifts which have been given by Christ to His Church with first three of these being itinerant ministers – apostles, prophets and evangelists – who were preaching wherever they found an opportunity, while pastors and teachers were attached to some congregation or location. One can only conjecture that perhaps prophets preached to believers and evangelists to unbelievers, while apostles addressed either.

Then Paul explains how Christ sets about to attain the goal of filling all things by giving His body gifted men to foster and further growth. But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. These gifted men constitute what we shall call “support gifts.” These four gifts relate to the whole body of Christ, much as the major body systems relate to the physical body.

Just as the physical body needs each organ in order to function, so too does the church need every gift to carry forth its ministry. None of us have all the gifts, but every one of us has at least one gift that God has uniquely given to each of us specifically to carry out that specific task he has for us in His church.

Have you examined yourself and asked what gifts God has given to you? Have you sought to find where your gifts can best be used in your local church and in the church worldwide? What has God equipped you to do? He has created you for a ministry as He has all of us.

Together we are collectively His church. Each of us has a unique role to play just like a symphony and when we are all functioning together there is harmony. Remember, none of us have it all, but together we have it all.

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. (Matthew 7:13-14)

A couple of years ago, my bride and I were in Albuquerque for a meeting that was at the same time as the annual Hot Air Balloon Festival. It was an incredible sight to see all of the multi-colored balloons glistening against the crystal blue New Mexico sky.

My friend asked us if we had ever ridden in one and we both said no. He said that then was the time and the next thing I knew, we were crammed in an oversized laundry basket with two other friends and a young pilot barely old enough to shave and we were trusting our life to him.

Always wanting to know how things work, I started asking questions as I watched the hot air from the burners fill the balloon. There was a brisk wind from the South and I asked how we could ever expect to get back where we started. As we lifted off and began a rather swift ride North, the pilot answered my question.

It seems that the wind, much like the currents in the ocean does not run uniformly at all altitudes. The trick to piloting a balloon is to find out which way the wind is blowing at different altitudes and raising or lowering the balloon’s altitude to catch a ride in the desired direction.

A lot of people run their lives that way, following whatever is the path of least resistance. We take great pains to put ourselves on its path. We’d do anything to keep from waiting in traffic, standing in line at the bank, post office, or grocery store. We’d come back another time when the place is not as busy.

If Noah, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshack and Abednego, Joseph, Joshua and Caleb, Esther and others had taken the path of least resistance, would we be reading about them in the Scriptures? Probably not, because God’s way is not always the easy way.

Sometimes we fail to realize that the struggles and challenges in life, the trials and adversities that we face day to day are just what we need to grow in Christian grace. Matthew talks about the narrow gate and the broad gate. One is easy to pass through and the other takes effort, but the rewards are greater. Which way do you choose?

So, as we go through life, let us not follow the easiest way, but the way of highest calling…. God’s way.

“… so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the LORD your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life” (Deut 6:1-2).

The title of the article, Find Purpose, Live Longer, caught my eye. It was a report on numerous studies all of which have verified that finding something more in your life can mean a big health boost. You can add years to your life by adding life to your years. Insurance company studies show that if someone retires to something rather than from something, they live on the average three times longer.

The article pointed out many ways in which people can add zest to their lives, but the most intriguing to me was the aspect of religion. More than 2,200 studies have been done in this area and the conclusion is that believing in a higher power can boost more than just the spirit. While scientists still don’t have a dependable method for measuring faith, research shows that people who attend church, at least four times a month are less likely to engage in risky behavior, be depressed, or feel chronic stress. The faithful live longer, too….. an average for seven to fourteen years longer and the most regular attendees have the longest life expectancy.

A Duke University study of 2391 people who were at least 65 years old found that regular churchgoers who also prayed daily or studied the Bible daily were 40 per cent less likely to have high blood pressure than those who did not. Elderly churchgoers had better mental health and were less likely to have high degrees of a protein associated with age-related illness.

The reasons for this are not hard to understand. It’s not from just being in church. Churchgoers generally are much more restrained when it comes to many problem-causing areas of modern society. Born-again Christians also have God’s Holy Spirit dwelling in them to help them avoid the problem areas of life. And because they know they can always turn to God in prayer during times of crisis, this may be the reason there is a lower incidence of stress-related problems in their lives.

So, if you want to be healthier and live longer, attend church, read the Bible, listen to God in prayer and as you go about your daily routine hum that great hymn written by H. G. Spafford….. “When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll; Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say, It is well, it is well, with my soul.”   ( a thought on life from John Grant )

Father God,
Draw me into Your presence daily and help me hunger and thirst for the things that will bring me closer to You. Thank you for not only the physical benefits this can bring to my body, but also for the spiritual joy it will bring to my soul. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Questions: Do you have purpose in your life? How are you finding peace for your soul?

About this Author John Grant

Daily audio podcast: A second daily devotional, Gentle and Humble, today on the Men’s Devotional Blog

A new year is sort of like a blank slate, but not really, because we can’t erase all things from years before, yet God can. Yes, we must still pay the price and carry the scars of mistakes long ago, but we can lay all of that at the foot of the cross as we start anew. The real question is whether we have let our earthly challenges blur our vision of the basics of our faith and a new year is the best time.

The best exercise is to go back to the basics. When the legend coach Vince Lombardi’s team wasn’t doing well, He got them back to basics by standing in front of them with a round leather object in his hand and said: Gentlemen, this is a football.” We too need to get back to the basics of the Christian faith. Here are some ideas to get us to the basis of our faith in this New Year:

• I am God’s child (John 1:12)
• I am Christ’s friend (John 15:15 )
• I am united with the Lord (1 Cor. 6:17)
• I am bought with a price (1 Cor 6:19-20)
• I am a saint (set apart for God). (Eph. 1:1)
• I am a personal witness of Christ.  (Acts 1:8)
• I am the salt & light of the earth (Matt 5:13-14)
• I am a member of the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:27)
• I am free forever from condemnation ( Rom. 8: 1-2)
• I am a citizen of Heaven.  I am significant (Phil 3:20)
• I am free from any charge against me (Rom. 8:31 -34)
• I am a minister of reconciliation for God (2 Cor 5:17-21)
• I have access to God through the Holy Spirit (Eph. 2:18)
• I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Eph. 2:6)
• I cannot be separated from the love of God (Rom 8:35-39)
• I am established, anointed, sealed by God  (2 Cor 1:21-22 )
• I am assured all things work together for good  (Rom. 8:28)
• I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit (John 15:16 )
• I may approach God with freedom and confidence (Eph. 3: 12 )
• I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13)
• I am the branch of the true vine, a channel of His life (John 15: 1-5)
• I am God’s temple (1 Cor. 3: 16)
• I am complete in Christ (Col. 2: 10)
• I am hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3)
• I have been justified (Rom 5:1)
• I am God’s co-worker (1 Cor. 3:9)
• I am God’s workmanship (Eph. 2:10)
• I am confident the good works God has begun in me will be perfected. (Phil. 1: 5)
• I have been redeemed and forgiven (Col 1:14)
• I have been adopted as God’s child (Eph 1:5)
• I belong to God.

Thank you Lord God, that I can know for sure who I am and also Whose I am. Amen.

Questions: Have you allowed your earthly challenges to blur your vision of the basics of who you are in Christ?

About the Author John Grant

Daily audio podcast: A second daily devotional, Momentary Pleasure, today on the Men’s Devotional Blog