by Mike Benson

Each afternoon while the grandkids were in school Grandpa would lie down for a nap. One day, the kids came home early and found him fast asleep on the couch, and so they decided to have a little fun with him. They dabbed Limburger cheese in his moustache. Moments later, Grandpa woke up, took a few sniffs and then observed, "Why, this room stinks!" From the couch he made his way into the kitchen, but it wasn’t long before he decided that the kitchen smelled too. So he stepped outside for a breath of fresh air. Much to his chagrin, the air outside smelled just as bad as the air inside, to which he exclaimed, "The whole world stinks!"

In Philippians 4:4 Paul wrote, "Rejoice in the Lord always ..." Ironically, these words were penned while he was in a Roman prison. What I learn from the apostle is that while I can’t control all of the circumstances in my life, I can control my attitude towards them.

What about you, dear friend? Have you got Limburger cheese in your attitude? Does the whole world smell bad? It may be that you need an attitude adjustment.

Think about it...

God of success, Jesus will be the author and perfecter of faith, whether I am faithful or not. You will bring everything to its conclusion, whether I finish the race or fall by the way.

The world doesn't turn on my word, nor am I the center of the universe. And a good thing at that!

You are the only constant, the only unchangeable factor, the only steady-as-she-goes controller to finish fully the Original Plan.

The faith once for all delivered to the saints isn't about me, Lord, I know that. But how I want to be a part of the final curtain call!

So my eyes are fixed on Jesus, every moment. Amen.

by Don Ruhl

Read Jeremiah 12-14

Is there something in life that you do not understand? Are you tempted to question whether God knows what He is doing? There are things about life, and God's operation in life, that even the wisest men and women do not understand, but they know the proper way to approach God, or the proper way to think about God, in these matters. Here is Jeremiah's approach,

Righteous are You, O LORD, when I plead with You; Yet let me talk with You about Your judgments. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why are those happy who deal so treacherously? (Jer. 12:1, NKJV).

Do you see Jeremiah's attitude? Something does not make sense to him, but he does not deny God's existence, thinking that God is wrong nor does Jeremiah put down God. The prophet starts out with the premise that God is always right. Then he presents the problem. He does not assume that he, as a finite, foolish and ignorant human, knows it all, but confesses his confusion and presents it to the One who knows all things.

What are your thoughts about God?

Do you approach Him with Jeremiah's attitude?

by Don Ruhl

Read Second Timothy Chapter 1

Paul speaks of God,

9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began (2 Tim. 1:9, NKJV).

We often speak of salvation by grace, but Paul also mentions that God saved us according to His own purpose. Whoa, do I look at my salvation as nothing more than a personal and self-satisfying matter, or do I see it as fulfilling God's purpose? Did He save me just to make me feel good or has He saved me to fulfill some purpose of His? What is my view of the matter?

Moreover, this was not an afterthought from our heavenly Father. Before time began, He had a purpose already in place for me, fulfilled in Christ Jesus. Do I comprehend the profundity of my salvation?