THE CEO OF HEAVEN

Be careful what you think, because your thoughts run your life.

Proverbs 4:23

[God] wants you to “think and act like Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:5). But how? The answer is surprisingly simple. We can be transformed if we make one decision: I will submit my thoughts to the authority of Jesus.…

Jesus claims to be the CEO of heaven and earth. He has the ultimate say on everything, especially our thoughts. He has more authority, for example, than your parents. Your parents may say you are no good, but Jesus says you are valuable, and he has authority over parents.…

Jesus also has authority over your ideas. Suppose you have an idea that you want to rob a grocery store. Jesus, however, has made it clear that stealing is wrong. If you have given him authority over your ideas, then the idea of stealing cannot remain in your thoughts.…

To have a pure heart, we must submit all thoughts to the authority of Christ. If we are willing to do that, he will change us to be like him.

Just Like Jesus
[1]

Today's Scripture in Context

[1]Lucado, Max; Gibbs, Terri A.: Grace for the Moment: Inspirational Thoughts for Each Day of the Year. Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman, 2000, S. 297

GOD KNOWS WHAT HE’S DOING

Surely I spoke of things I did not understand; I talked of things too wonderful for me to know.

Job 42:3

It’s easy to thank God when he does what we want. But God doesn’t always do what we want. Ask Job.

His empire collapsed, his children were killed, and what was a healthy body became a rage of boils. From whence came this torrent? From whence will come any help?

Job goes straight to God and pleads his case. His head hurts. His body hurts. His heart hurts.

And God answers. Not with answers but with questions. An ocean of questions.…

After several dozen questions … Job has gotten the point. What is it?

The point is this: God owes no one anything. No reasons. No explanations. Nothing. If he gave them, we couldn’t understand them.

God is God. He knows what he is doing. When you can’t trace his hand, trust his heart.

The Inspirational Study Bible
[1]

Today's Scripture in Context

[1]Lucado, Max; Gibbs, Terri A.: Grace for the Moment: Inspirational Thoughts for Each Day of the Year. Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman, 2000, S. 296

RADICAL RECONSTRUCTION

Rejoice and be glad, because you have a great reward waiting for you in heaven.

Matthew 5:12

In the Sermon on the mount, … what Jesus promises is not a gimmick to give you goose bumps nor a mental attitude that has to be pumped up at pep rallies. No, Matthew 5 describes God’s radical reconstruction of the heart.

Observe the sequence. First, we recognize we are in need (we’re poor in spirit). Next, we repent of our self-sufficiency (we mourn). We quit calling the shots and surrender control to God (we’re meek). So grateful are we for his presence that we yearn for more of him (we hunger and thirst). As we grow closer to him, we become more like him. We forgive others (we’re merciful). We change our outlook (we’re pure in heart). We love others (we’re peace-makers). We endure injustice (we’re persecuted).

It’s no casual shift of attitude. It is a demolition of the old structure and a creation of the new. The more radical the change, the greater the joy. And it’s worth every effort, for this is the joy of God.

The Applause of Heaven
[1]

Today's Scripture in Context

[1]Lucado, Max; Gibbs, Terri A.: Grace for the Moment: Inspirational Thoughts for Each Day of the Year. Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman, 2000, S. 295

THE BEST IS YET TO BE

I will also give to each one who wins the victory a white stone with a new name written on it.

Revelation 2:17

Makes sense. Fathers are fond of giving their children special names. Princess. Tiger. Sweetheart. Bubba. Angel.…

Isn’t it incredible to think that God has saved a name just for you? One you don’t even know? We’ve always assumed that the name we got is the name we will keep. Not so.… The road ahead is so bright a fresh name is needed. Your eternity is so special no common name will do.

So God has one reserved just for you. There is more to your life than you ever thought. There is more to your story than what you have read.…

And so I plead.… Be there when God whispers your name.

When God Whispers Your Name
[1]

Today's Scripture in Context

[1]Lucado, Max; Gibbs, Terri A.: Grace for the Moment: Inspirational Thoughts for Each Day of the Year. Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman, 2000, S. 294

IN THE ARMS OF GOD

Everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.

John 11:26

We don’t like to say good-bye to those whom we love. Whether it be at a school or a cemetery, separation is tough. It is right for us to weep, but there is no need for us to despair. They had pain here. They have no pain there. They struggled here. They have no struggles there. You and I might wonder why God took them home. But they don’t. They understand. They are, at this very moment, at peace in the presence of God.…

When it is cold on earth, we can take comfort in knowing that our loved ones are in the warm arms of God. And when Christ comes, we will hold them, too.

When Christ Comes
[1]

Today's Scripture in Context

Note: How critical is it to recognize that your primary mission field is your family … your loved ones … your friends! When you are certain they have placed their faith in Jesus Christ, when death comes you will grieve … but you will also have the peace of God knowing they are in His arms.

[1]Lucado, Max; Gibbs, Terri A.: Grace for the Moment: Inspirational Thoughts for Each Day of the Year. Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman, 2000, S. 293

GUARD THE GATEWAY

The devil, your enemy, goes around like a roaring lion looking for someone to eat. Refuse to give in to him, by standing strong in your faith.

1 Peter 5:8–9

You’ve got to admit, some of our hearts are trashed out. Let any riffraff knock on the door, and we throw it open. Anger shows up, and we let him in. Revenge needs a place to stay, so we have him pull up a chair. Pity wants to have a party, so we show him the kitchen. Lust rings the bell, and we change the sheets on the bed. Don’t we know how to say no?

Many don’t. For most of us, thought management is, well, unthought of. We think much about time management, weight management, personnel management, even scalp management. But what about thought management? Shouldn’t we be as concerned about managing our thoughts as we are managing anything else? Jesus was. Like a trained soldier at the gate of a city, he stood watch over his mind. He stubbornly guarded the gateway of his heart.…

If he did, shouldn’t we … ?

Just Like Jesus
[1]

Today's Scripture in Context

[1]Lucado, Max; Gibbs, Terri A.: Grace for the Moment: Inspirational Thoughts for Each Day of the Year. Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman, 2000, S. 290

FOCUS ON GOD’S MAJESTY

You have not seen Christ, but still you love him. You cannot see him now, but you believe in him.

1 Peter 1:8

Some years ago a sociologist accompanied a group of mountain climbers on an expedition. Among other things, he observed a distinct correlation between cloud cover and contentment. When there was no cloud cover and the peak was in view, the climbers were energetic and cooperative. When the gray clouds eclipsed the view of the mountaintop, though, the climbers were sullen and selfish.

The same thing happens to us. As long as our eyes are on God’s majesty there is a bounce in our step. But let our eyes focus on the dirt beneath us and we will grumble about every rock and crevice we have to cross. For this reason Paul urged, “Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to the things going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective” (Col 3:1-2 MSG).

The Great House of God
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Today's Scripture in Context

[1]Lucado, Max; Gibbs, Terri A.: Grace for the Moment: Inspirational Thoughts for Each Day of the Year. Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman, 2000, S. 289

IMAGINE SEEING GOD

May the Lord bless you from Mount Zion, he who made heaven and earth.

Psalm 134:3

The Hebrew writer gives us a National Geographic piece on heaven. Listen to how he describes the mountaintop of Zion. He says when we reach the mountain we will have come to “the city of the living God.… To thousands of angels gathered together with joy.… To the meeting of God’s firstborn children whose names are written in heaven” (Heb 12:22-23).

What a mountain! Won’t it be great to see the angels? To finally know what they look like and who they are? …

Imagine the meeting of the firstborn. A gathering of all God’s children. No jealousy. No competition. No division.… We will be perfect … sinless.…

And imagine seeing God. Finally, to gaze in the face of your Father. To feel the Father’s gaze upon you. Neither will ever cease.

When God Whispers Your Name
[1]

Today's Scripture in Context

[1]Lucado, Max; Gibbs, Terri A.: Grace for the Moment: Inspirational Thoughts for Each Day of the Year. Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman, 2000, S. 288

A LOAD TOO HEAVY

Do not be bitter or angry or mad. Never shout angrily or say things to hurt others.

Ephesians 4:31

Oh, the gradual grasp of hatred. Its damage begins like the crack in my windshield. Thanks to a speeding truck on a gravel road, my window was chipped. With time the nick became a crack, and the crack became a winding tributary.… I couldn’t drive my car without thinking of the jerk who drove too fast. Though I’ve never seen him, I could describe him. He is some deadbeat bum who cheats on his wife, drives with a six-pack on the seat, and keeps the television so loud the neighbors can’t sleep.…

Ever heard the expression “blind rage”?

Let me be very clear. Hatred will sour your outlook and break your back. The load of bitterness is simply too heavy. Your knees will buckle under the strain, and your heart will break beneath the weight. The mountain before you is steep enough without the heaviness of hatred on your back. The wisest choice—the only choice—is for you to drop the anger. You will never be called upon to give anyone more grace than God has already given you.

In the Grip of Grace
[1]

Today's Scripture in Context

[1]Lucado, Max; Gibbs, Terri A.: Grace for the Moment: Inspirational Thoughts for Each Day of the Year. Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman, 2000, S. 287

GOD’S NAME IN YOUR HEART

The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.

Proverbs 18:10 nkjv

When you are confused about the future, go to your Jehovah-raah, your caring shepherd. When you are anxious about provision, talk to Jehovah-jireh, the Lord who provides. Are your challenges too great? Seek the help of Jehovah-shalom, the Lord is peace. Is your body sick? Are your emotions weak? Jehovah-rophe, the Lord who heals you, will see you now. Do you feel like a soldier stranded behind enemy lines? Take refuge in Jehovah-nissi, the Lord my banner.

Meditating on the names of God reminds you of the character of God. Take these names and bury them in your heart.

God is

• the shepherd who guides,
• the Lord who provides,
• the voice who brings peace in the storm,
• the physician who heals the sick, and
• the banner that guides the soldier.

The Great House of God
[1]

Today's Scripture in Context

[1]Lucado, Max; Gibbs, Terri A.: Grace for the Moment: Inspirational Thoughts for Each Day of the Year. Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman, 2000, S. 286

THE POWER OF YOUR HANDS

But those who do right will continue to do right, and those whose hands are not dirty with sin will grow stronger.

Job 17:9

What if someone were to film a documentary on your hands? What if a producer were to tell your story based on the life of your hands? What would we see? As with all of us, the film would begin with an infant’s fist, then a close-up of a tiny hand wrapped around mommy’s finger. Then what? Holding on to a chair as you learned to walk? …

Were you to show the documentary to your friends, you’d be proud of certain moments: your hands extending with a gift, placing a ring on another’s finger, doctoring a wound, preparing a meal.… And then there are other scenes.… Hands taking more often than giving, demanding instead of offering.…

Oh, the power of our hands. Leave them unmanaged and they become weapons: clawing for power, strangling for survival, seducing for pleasure. But manage them and our hands become instruments of grace—not just tools in the hands of God, but God’s very hands.

Just Like Jesus
[1]

Today's Scripture in Context

[1]Lucado, Max; Gibbs, Terri A.: Grace for the Moment: Inspirational Thoughts for Each Day of the Year. Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman, 2000, S. 283

SWEETER AFTER A REST

In six days the Lord made everything.… On the seventh day he rested.

Exodus 20:11

Time has skyrocketed in value. The value of any commodity depends on its scarcity. And time that once was abundant now is going to the highest bidder.…

When I was ten years old, my mother enrolled me in piano lessons.… Spending thirty minutes every afternoon tethered to a piano bench was a torture.…

Some of the music, though, I learned to enjoy. I hammered the staccatos. I belabored the crescendos.… But there was one instruction in the music I could never obey to my teacher’s satisfaction. The rest. The zigzagged command to do nothing. What sense does that make? Why sit at the piano and pause when you can pound?

“Because,” my teacher patiently explained, “music is always sweeter after a rest.”

It didn’t make sense to me at age ten. But now, a few decades later, the words ring with wisdom—divine wisdom.

The Applause of Heaven
[1]

Today's Scripture in Context

[1]Lucado, Max; Gibbs, Terri A.: Grace for the Moment: Inspirational Thoughts for Each Day of the Year. Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman, 2000, S. 282

THE ULTIMATE TRIUMPH

Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains a single grain of wheat; but if it dies, it brings a good harvest.

John 12:24 Phillips

We do all we can to live and not die. God, however, says we must die in order to live. When you sow a seed, it must die in the ground before it can grow. What we see as the ultimate tragedy, he sees as the ultimate triumph.

And when a Christian dies, it’s not a time to despair, but a time to trust. Just as the seed is buried and the material wrapping decomposes, so our fleshly body will be buried and will decompose. But just as the buried seed sprouts new life, so our body will blossom into a new body.…

The seed buried in the earth will blossom in heaven. Your soul and body will reunite, and you will be like Jesus.

When Christ Comes
[1]

Today's Scripture in Context

[1]Lucado, Max; Gibbs, Terri A.: Grace for the Moment: Inspirational Thoughts for Each Day of the Year. Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman, 2000, S. 281

FROM THE INSIDE OUT

I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth.

John 14:16–17

Do-it-yourself Christianity is not much encouragement to the done-in and worn-out.

Self-sanctification holds little hope for the addict.…

At some point we need more than good advice; we need help. Somewhere on this journey home we realize that a fifty-fifty proposition is too little. We need more.…

We need help. Help from the inside out.… Not near us. Not above us. Not around us. But in us. In the part of us we don’t even know. In the heart no one else has seen. In the hidden recesses of our being dwells, not an angel, not a philosophy, not a genie, but God.

When God Whispers Your Name
[1]

Today's Scripture in Context

Note: Today we remember the tragedy of 9/11. We pray for the peace of God for all the families who lost loved ones and we pray for salvation for those who, even today, continue with their terrorist’s threats. One day every knee shall bow and acknowledge Jesus is LORD. What I want to also remind you of is the fervor with which we turned to God … to the church … after 9/11. When everything on the outside was going crazy, the One on the inside was there to help. Do we still seek Him today with the same fervor or will it take another tragedy like 9/11 to stir up our desire … our need … for God?

[1]Lucado, Max; Gibbs, Terri A.: Grace for the Moment: Inspirational Thoughts for Each Day of the Year. Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman, 2000, S. 280

WHO CAN FATHOM ETERNITY?

God has planted eternity in the hearts of men.

Ecclesiastes 3:10 tlb

It doesn’t take a wise person to know that people long for more than earth. When we see pain, we yearn. When we see hunger, we question why. Senseless deaths. Endless tears, needless loss.…

We have our moments. The newborn on our breast, the bride on our arm, the sunshine on our back. But even those moments are simply slivers of light breaking through heaven’s window. God flirts with us. He tantalizes us. He romances us. Those moments are appetizers for the dish that is to come.

“No one has ever imagined what God has prepared for those who love him” (1st Corinthians 2:9).

What a breathtaking verse! Do you see what it says? Heaven is beyond our imagination. … At our most creative moment, at our deepest thought, at our highest level, we still cannot fathom eternity.

When God Whispers Your Name
[1]

Today's Scripture in Context

[1]Lucado, Max; Gibbs, Terri A.: Grace for the Moment: Inspirational Thoughts for Each Day of the Year. Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman, 2000, S. 279

GOD LOVES THE TRUTH

The Lord hates those who tell lies but is pleased with those who keep their promises.

Proverbs 12:22

Our Master has a strict honor code. From Genesis to Revelation, the theme is the same: God loves the truth and hates deceit. In 1st Corinthians 6:9-10 Paul lists the type of people who will not inherit the kingdom of God. The covey he portrays is a ragged assortment of those who sin sexually, worship idols, take part in adultery, sell their bodies, get drunk, rob people, and—there it is—lie about others.

Such rigor may surprise you. You mean my fibbing and flattering stir the same heavenly anger as adultery and aggravated assault? Apparently so.…

Why the hard line? Why the tough stance?

For one reason: dishonesty is absolutely contrary to the character of God.

Just Like Jesus
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Today's Scripture in Context

[1]Lucado, Max; Gibbs, Terri A.: Grace for the Moment: Inspirational Thoughts for Each Day of the Year. Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman, 2000, S. 276

THE WAGES OF DECEIT

No one who is dishonest will live in my house; no liars will stay around me.

Psalm 101:7

More than once I’ve heard people refer to the story [of Ananias and Sapphira] with a nervous chuckle and say, “I’m glad God doesn’t still strike people dead for lying.” I’m not so sure he doesn’t. It seems to me that the wages of deceit is still death. Not death of the body, perhaps, but the death of:

• a marriage—Falsehoods are termites in the trunk of the family tree.
• a conscience—The tragedy of the second lie is that it is always easier to tell than the first.
• a career—Just ask the student who got booted out for cheating or the employee who got fired for embezzlement if the lie wasn’t fatal.…

We could also list the deaths of intimacy, trust, peace, credibility, and self-respect. But perhaps the most tragic death that occurs from deceit is our [Christian] witness. The court won’t listen to the testimony of a perjured witness. Neither will the world.

Just Like Jesus
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Today's Scripture in Context

[1]Lucado, Max; Gibbs, Terri A.: Grace for the Moment: Inspirational Thoughts for Each Day of the Year. Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman, 2000, S. 275

DON’T PANIC

Let us hold firmly to the hope that we have confessed, because we can trust God to do what he promised.

Hebrews 10:23

Your disappointments too heavy? Read the story of the Emmaus-bound disciples. The Savior they thought was dead now walked beside them. He entered their house and sat at their table. And something happened in their hearts. “It felt like a fire burning in us when Jesus talked to us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us” (Luke 24:32).

Next time you’re disappointed, don’t panic. Don’t give up. Just be patient and let God remind you he’s still in control. It ain’t over till it’s over.

He Still Moves Stones
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Today's Scripture in Context

[1]Lucado, Max; Gibbs, Terri A.: Grace for the Moment: Inspirational Thoughts for Each Day of the Year. Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman, 2000, S. 274

GOD, OUR DEFENDER

He is my defender; I will not be defeated.

Psalm 62:6

Here is a big question. What is God doing when you are in a bind? When the lifeboat springs a leak? When the rip cord snaps? When the last penny is gone before the last bill is paid? …

I know what we are doing. Nibbling on nails like corn on the cob. Pacing floors. Taking pills.…

But what does God do? …

He fights for us. He steps into the ring and points us to our corner and takes over. “Remain calm; the Lord will fight for you” (Exodus 14:14).

His job is to fight. Our job is to trust.

Just trust. Not direct. Or question.… Our job is to pray and wait.

When God Whispers Your Name
[1]

Today's Scripture in Context

[1]Lucado, Max; Gibbs, Terri A.: Grace for the Moment: Inspirational Thoughts for Each Day of the Year. Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman, 2000, S. 273

A LIFE FREE OF CLUTTER

Your heart will be where your treasure is.

Matthew 6:21

The most powerful life is the most simple life. The most powerful life is the life that knows where it’s going, that knows where the source of strength is, and the life that stays free of clutter and happenstance and hurriedness.

Being busy is not a sin. Jesus was busy. Paul was busy. Peter was busy. Nothing of significance is achieved without effort and hard work and weariness. Being busy, in and of itself, is not a sin. But being busy in an endless pursuit of things that leave us empty and hollow and broken inside—that cannot be pleasing to God.

One source of man’s weariness is the pursuit of things that can never satisfy; but which one of us has not been caught up in that pursuit at some time in our life? Our passions, possessions, and pride—these are all dead things. When we try to get life out of dead things, the result is only weariness and dissatisfaction.

Walking with the Savior
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Today's Scripture in Context

[1]Lucado, Max; Gibbs, Terri A.: Grace for the Moment: Inspirational Thoughts for Each Day of the Year. Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman, 2000, S. 272