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Lamentations 3:21-23 This week, we have been examining the nature of faith. But on what must we build a strong faith in the Lord? Let's look at seven key stones in the foundation: 1. God is. Faith must be built around the simple confession that the Lord is real-that He exists and is indeed God. 2. God is love. Not only is God real, but He is intimately concerned with your life and wants to engage in a relationship with you. 3. God is just. You never have to wonder whether or not the Lord will treat you fairly. His justice is absolutely perfect-even when He pours out His loving discipline. 4. God is all-knowing. He knows your heart, your pain, and your questions. You cannot shock or surprise Him. 5. God is everywhere. You never have to wonder where He is; in truth, you cannot escape Him. Wherever you are, whatever you're doing, He is right by your side. 6. God is all-powerful. There is nothing greater than God. No matter how enormous the challenges and heartaches in your life seem to be, you can overcome them in His power. 7. God is faithful. That is, He is utterly and completely dependable. Because of this last key stone, God's children know that they can always count on Him for the others. No matter how far you stray, He remains at your side. Regardless of what you have done, He will always welcome you home. Use the above list as a prayer guide, recognizing each one of these characteristics of God and offering your faith as a sacrifice today.

BIBLE MEDITATION: "Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." Philippians 1:6 DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT: In Scotland some men were sitting around drinking tea and swapping fishing stories. One man, with a flamboyant gesture of his hand, knocked the other man's hand and his tea splattered on the white plastered wall creating an ugly brown stain. He was horrified, but the man said, "Never mind." And he took out his crayons and started to sketch around that stain. Suddenly there emerged a royal stag with his antlers spread. The artist was Sir Edwin Lancier – England's foremost painter of animals. He was able to take that old stain and make something beautiful out of it. Jesus Christ is that kind of an artist. He can take a life that has been stained and by His transforming power He can make something beautiful out of it. ACTION POINT: Have you or someone you know endured a tragic childhood and are now saved? Encourage yourself and someone else with this Bible meditation today.

Luke 17:1-6 Today's passage gives a wonderful exchange between Jesus and His disciples. The Lord made two statements that completely shocked His disciples. In response, they offered only one exclamation: "Increase our faith!" (Luke 17:5) What were the two things that demanded a greater level of personal faithfulness? First, Jesus warned them that hardships would surely come. In this life, there is no escape from the sorrows of the world. As new believers, many people are shocked to discover that faith in Christ does not eradicate all of the adversity in their lives. Jesus never guaranteed a trouble-free life; in fact, He promised just the opposite. (John 16:33) Committed Christians, therefore, are certain to experience heartaches and disappointments at various times. Second, Jesus commands total willingness to forgive others: "If your brother . . . repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, 'I repent,' forgive him" (Luke 17:3-4). The "seven times a day" language is an illustration of persistent forgiveness. It is the model by which all believers should live their lives. Christ's forgiveness is limitless. As His followers, who are indwelt by His Spirit, we should strive for that same level of grace in our interactions with others. Hearing these high ideals, the disciples could make no other comment than "Increase our faith!" They knew the Christian life was beyond their own power; therefore, they asked Jesus to empower them to meet His standard. Are you prepared to make that same request to the Lord today?

Thessalonians 1:3-4 What are some practical steps you can take to increase your level of faith today? 1. Read the Bible. Romans 10:17 explains, "Faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ." That is, you must feed your faith a steady diet of God's Word. 2. Exercise your faith. An aspiring bodybuilder doesn't begin by lifting 500 pounds the first day. Rather, he exercises daily, gradually increasing his strength. Regularly exercising faith can bring about similar growth spiritually. 3. Embrace trials. First Peter 1:3-9 reveals a shocking truth that adversity, addressed in God's power, creates greater faith. Just as a fire purifies precious metals, hardship strips away all but the pure core of faith. 4. Examine the testimonies of others. An individual's testimony is his own account of God's activity in his life. No one can ever deny, refute, or downplay another's testimony. When you hear of God's mighty deeds in someone else's life, your own faith in Him grows. 5. Pray. You get to know someone by talking to him. That's just what prayer is: your personal communication with God. And don't just talk; be sure to spend time listening. God wants to speak to you. 6. Practice obedience. You will never grow in your faith if you consistently disobey what God tells you to do. Perfect faith is a byproduct of obedience. Put yourself in a position to see God's best for your life, and your faith will soar. Faith does not increase by accident. Growth takes time, dedication, and intentionality. Ask the Lord to help you exercise your faith today.

Ephesians 6:14-17 The apostle Paul wrote about spiritual warfare so we might know our Enemy and how to fight him. He compared the armor and weapons God has given us to the outfitting of a soldier: a helmet to protect our minds, a breastplate to cover our hearts, special shoes to help us stand firm, a belt of God's truth to encircle us, the mighty sword of the Spirit, and the protective shield of faith. Roman soldiers carried large rectangular shields, which covered the entire body. When facing an attack of flaming arrows, the warriors would stand shoulder to shoulder, with neighboring shields touching. Then, as the enemy's arrows flew toward them, they would kneel in unison with their shields held above them, still in contact with the ones on either side. Nothing could pierce that defense. This is a picture of how we are to fight when Satan sends flaming darts our way. They enter our life in the form of temptations, doubts, or anxieties — the Devil's combatants shoot these silently and swiftly towards us in the hopes of finding a vulnerable spot. When we maintain our shield of faith in an upright position, the attack fails. However, if we should lower it or fail to stand together as the body of Christ, the missiles penetrate. Our heavenly Father has provided all that we need to live on a battlefield. He has secured the victory through Jesus Christ, canceled sin's power over us, and given us armor to wear. Our part is to walk by faith, believing God moment by moment. Remember that your faith is your shield. Keep it in good order.

New believers may find it difficult to accept the fact that God loves us just as we are. Much of the world operates by conditional love, which offers approval and acceptance on the basis of performance. So when we first come to Christ, there is often a natural tendency to assume we must strive to "deserve" our blessings, such as monetary wealth, loving families, and solid careers. Divine love, however, can never be earned by human effort. There is absolutely nothing we can do to make God love us more or to influence Him to stop loving us (Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:8). Many believers understand this intellectually but have trouble believing it deep down in their heart. No matter what has occurred in your past or what you feel right now, the Father's love has always been freely given to you. God pours His love upon us without exception — no ifs, ands, or buts. He did not begin to love you at the moment you invited Him into your life. Nor did He begin to love you when you first started going to church or when you rose from the baptismal waters. In truth, God never "began" to love you at all; He simply always has. From the creation of the world, God knew you and loved you (1 John 4:19; Psalm 139:13). Are you rejoicing in the Father's love, or are you withdrawn and depressed? Do you exude peace, or do others see you as anxious? Is your life characterized by power and purpose or by fear? Recognizing the amazing truth of God's unconditional love is life-changing. Prayerfully open your arms to His love today.

Standing Firm in Faith 1 Corinthians 15:57-58 God knows that the spiritual battle rages fiercely and that His children are under attack. What does His Word tell us about the Devil's schemes? The schemes are well organized. Satan's plans have one purpose: to oppose the Lord. He attempts this by hindering God's children and preventing others from joining God's family. The Greek word for "schemes" is methodea, from which we get our word method. His tactics vary but untruths are a common device because his native language is lying. In fact, Jesus called him the Father of lies (John 8:44). The attacks are personal. Ephesians 6:12 describes spiritual warfare as wrestling against evil forces, a picture of hand-to-hand combat. That is very personal. Satan tailors strategies to our weaknesses and seeks to discredit God in the eyes of His church and the world. The plans are backed by powerful forces. We are battling against a large army — rulers, powers, the dark forces of this world, and the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. (v. 12) Fortunately, "Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4). What are we to do against such an enemy? Ephesians 6:13 tells us to stand firm. This is not a passive stance but an active one. It requires remaining alert, praying in the Spirit on all occasions, and wholeheartedly giving ourselves to the Lord's work. (v. 18) The stronger our faith is, the easier it will be to maintain our position in our spiritual battles. Soldier of God, are you holding firm?

Isaiah 52:7 When was the last time that you had a Bible study on the topic of feet? In all likelihood, you haven't ever had such a lesson. In fact, you might even be squeamish at the thought of focusing on feet! The apostle Paul, however, was not. He made feet a focal point of one of his most enduring, powerful messages: the discussion in Ephesians 6:10-18 about the armor of God. In case you missed it in your reading of today's passage, let's take a closer look. Four times in four verses (vv. 11-14 NIV), Paul declares that the purpose of the armor - the value in putting it on piece by piece-lies in its ability to help us "stand," "stand against the devil's schemes," "stand [our] ground," and "stand firm." And of course, Paul's list of armor would not be complete without the sandals of peace mentioned in verse 15. Clearly, he was concerned with our feet! The Roman soldier's sandals had an often overlooked feature: a long spike at the heel of the shoe. Its purpose was to allow the warrior to plant his feet firmly in the ground when an opponent approached. With his feet secured in this way, the soldier had an obvious advantage: he would be able to stand his ground. This part of his uniform enabled him to keep his footing even as he faced the danger. That is precisely what the heavenly Father wants for every one of His children: the ability to stand firm in the face of troubles. This is possible, however, only when we plant our feet on a firm foundation-the foundation of faith in Jesus Christ. Is your faith well grounded? Forwarded email from a friend and fellow brother in Christ.

BIBLE MEDITATION: "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" Psalm 133:1 DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT: Do you know what God wants from you today? Reconciliation. That's far more important than singing in the choir, preaching a sermon, serving in the nursery, or giving an offering. When we learn this, God is going to bring great revival to our churches. Revival always begins when people begin to confess their faults to one another, pray for one another, and forgive one another. Revival isn't raising the roof with a lot of emotion. It is getting the walls down. It is not just saying, "I am going to get right with God." It is saying, "I want to get right with my brothers and sisters." When we are reconciled, revival will come. And rejoicing will surely follow. And not any kind of rejoicing, there will be Holy Spirit joy when you know there is nothing between your soul and the Savior and nothing between your soul and a brother! Joy unspeakable! ACTION POINT: Read Matthew 5:23-26. Have you had a falling out with a sibling and are no longer speaking? Are you and your spouse separated? Have you broken ties with a friend? Be reconciled today. Forwarded email from a friend of mine and a fellow brother in christ.

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