REMEMBER LOT’S WIFE OCTOBER 1 Bible Reading: Luke 17:22-32 Key Verse: Luke 17:32- “Remember Lot’s wife.” Key Words: Remember Lot’s wife
The mention of Lot’s wife takes us back to Genesis 19 where we find in Sodom a picture of the world in the last days – full of sin and love for materialism. Lot’s wife had such a love for Sodom that she looked back, even after being told not to. I often tell people that Lot’s wife had left Sodom, but Sodom never left Lot’s wife. You see, when a person loves earthly things so much that he cannot get along without them, he opens himself to much suffering, both physical and mental. For example, some people have taken foolish risks to keep their riches intact. They have died rushing into burning houses or were killed because they stubbornly resisted armed robbers. Apparently they felt that without their material possessions life would not be worthwhile. Others, when forced to part with their wealth, have been thrown into agonizing despair, even to the point of suicide. In 1975, six armed gunmen broke into the deposit boxes in a London bank and stole valuables worth more than $7 million. One lady, whose jewelry was appraised at $500,000, wailed, “Everything I had was in there. My whole life was in that box.” What a sad commentary on her values! So I challenge you in these last days to leave the Sodom of this materialistic, sinful world behind; and remember – don’t look back! What to do: ✞ It is not only important to leave Sodom, but Sodom must leave you.
REMEMBER THE WORD OCTOBER 2 Bible Reading: John 15:14-27 Key Verse: John 15:20- “Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.”
Key Words: Remember the word
G. Campbell Morgan had grown up in a Christian home, never questioning that the Bible was the Word of God. But in college his faith was severely challenged, and he began to entertain doubts. “The whole intellectual world was under the mastery of the physical scientists,” he later said, “and of a materialistic and rationalistic philosophy. Darwin, Huxley, Tyndall, Spencer, Bain. There came a moment when I was sure of nothing.” In those days, opponents of the Bible appeared every Sunday in great lecture and concert halls across England, attacking Christianity and the Bible; and these brilliant atheists and agnostics troubled the young student. He read every book he could find, both for and against the Bible, both for and against Christianity, until he was so confused, so riddled with doubt that he felt he could not go on. In desperation, he closed his books, put them in his cupboard, and turned the lock. Going down to a bookshop, he bought a new Bible, returned to his room, sat down at his desk, and opened it. He said, “I am no longer sure that this is what my father claims it to be – the Word of God. But of this I am sure. If it be the Word of God, and if I come to it with an unprejudiced and open mind, it will bring assurance to my soul of itself.” As he looked into the book before him, studying its form and structure and unity and message, he was amazed. He later said, “That Bible found me. I began to read and study it then, in 1883, and I have been a student ever since.” What to do: ✞ Remember the Word.
REMEMBER THE LORD IN ALL THINGS OCTOBER 3 Bible Reading: I Corinthians 11:1-17 Key Verse: I Corinthians 11:2- “Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.”
Key Words: remember me in all things
Now, before someone challenges me on the title of this devotion, I know that it is the Apostle Paul saying “remember me.” But if we read verse 1, Paul said, “Follow me as I follow Christ.” The essence of it is that Paul is saying, “If you remember me, you’ll remember Christ.” What a statement! I wonder how many of us can say that!! But the context of the verse is that if we follow and remember Christ, all things will be done decently and in order – without confusion. Remember one of the stories in the magazine, Today in World, July 1993. “ Neil Marten, a member of the British Parliament, was once giving a group of his constituents a guided tour of the Houses of Parliament. During the course of the visit, the group happened to meet Lord Hailsham, then lord chancellor, wearing all the regalia of his office. Hailsham recognized Marten among the group and cried, ‘Neil!’ Not daring to question or disobey ‘the command,’ the entire band of visitors promptly fell to their knees.” Now, the moral of the story is this: If you don’t know who the Lord is, you’ll end up bowing to all the lords of the world. What to do: ✞ Remember the Lord!
REMEMBER THE LORD’S DEATH OCTOBER 4 Bible Reading: I Corinthians 11:18-26 Key Verse: I Corinthians 11:24-25 – “24And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 25After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.”
Key Words: remembrance of me
Communion is symbolic of the death of Jesus. The bread is symbolic of the body that was broken for us, and the cup represents the blood of Jesus Christ. We are commanded to remember the Lord’s death until He returns. J. Allen Peterson writes: “I read about a small boy who was consistently late coming home from school. His parents warned him one day that he must be home on time that afternoon; but nevertheless, he arrived later than ever. His mother met him at the door and said nothing. At dinner that night, the boy looked at his plate. There was a slice of bread and a glass of water. He looked at his father’s full plate and then at his father, but his father remained silent. The boy was crushed. The father waited for the full impact to sink in, then quietly took the boy’s plate and placed it in front of himself. He took his own plate of meat and potatoes, put it in front of the boy, and smiled at his son. When that boy grew to be a man, he said, ‘All my life I’ve known what God is like by what my father did that night.’” Is that not what God did for us? He gave us His Son, Who did no wrong, to die for us who were sinners. Praise be to God for His great gift. What to do: ✞ Remember the Lord’s death. It will change your actions and attitude.
REMEMER THE CREATOR OCTOBER 5 Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 12 Key Verse: Ecclesiastes 12:1- “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;”
Key Words: Remember now thy Creator
It doesn’t take long in reading Ecclesiastes 12 for one to realize that Solomon is talking about old age, those years Abraham called “the well-stricken years.” Solomon referenced a number of things about those years we call senior saint years: The eyes grow dim (verses 2, 3c), The arms grow weak (verse 3a), The teeth begin to fall out (verse 3b), The hearing begins to go (verse 4), There is a fear to wander too far from home (verse 5a), The hair turns gray, then loose (the almond tree) (verse 5b), and The kidneys leak (verse 6). I like the question once asked by Satchel Paige, that venerable alumnus of baseball: “How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you were?” An honest answer to that question depends on an honest admission of one’s attitude. It has nothing to do with one’s age. As someone young at heart has written: “I have become a little older since I saw you last, and a few changes have come into my life since then. Frankly, I have become quite a frivolous old gal. I am seeing five gentlemen every day. As soon as I wake up, Will Power helps me get out of bed. Then I go see John. Then Charlie Horse comes along; and when he is here, he takes a lot of my time and attention. When he leaves, Arthur Ritis shows up and stays the rest of the day. He doesn’t like to stay in one place very long, so he takes me from joint to joint. After such a busy day I’m really tired and glad to go to bed with Ben Gay. What a life! P. S. The preacher came to call the other day. He said that at my age I should be thinking about the hereafter. I told him, ‘Oh, I do all the time. No matter where I am – in the parlor, upstairs, in the kitchen, or down in the basement – I ask myself what am I here after?’” Do what you can for God while you are young and strong and full of energy. Don’t waste your life on things that do not matter. What to do: ✞ Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth.
REMEMBER THY BROTHER OCTOBER 6 Bible Reading: Matthew 5:21-26 Key Verse: Matthew 5:23- “Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;”
Key Words: remember that thy brother hath aught against thee
I, on occasion, have heard well-meaning preachers say, “If my brother doesn’t ask for forgiveness, I’m not under obligation to forgive him.” How sad!! As believers, we are under obligation to forgive. The burden is always on us as believers. If we know our brother has aught against us, then we take the initiative to make things right. If not, we find ourselves in the bondage of anger and bitterness. Recently we put up a hummingbird feeder with four feeding stations. Almost immediately it became popular with the hummingbirds that live in our area. Two, three, or even four birds would feed at one time. We were refilling the feeder at least once a day. Suddenly, the usage decreased to almost nothing. The feeder needed filling only about once a week. The reason for the decreased usage soon became apparent. A male bird had taken over the feeder as his property. He is now the only hummingbird who uses our feeder. He feeds and then sits in a nearby tree, rising to attack any bird that approaches his feeder. Guard duty occupies his every waking hour. He is an effective guard. The only time another bird gets to use the feeder is when the selfappointed owner is momentarily gone to chase away an intruder. We soon realized that the hummingbird was teaching us a valuable lesson. By choosing to assume ownership of the feeder, he is forfeiting his freedom. He is no longer free to come and go as he wished. He is tied to the work of guarding his feeder. He is possessed by his possession. His freedom of action is as circumscribed as if he were in a cage. He is caged by a situation he has created. What to do: ✞ Remember your brother, then go and make it right.
REMEMBERING THE WRONG THINGS OCTOBER 7 Bible Reading: Numbers 11:1-9 Key Verse: Numbers 11:5- “We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick:”
Key Words: We remember the fish
I have always marveled at this particular portion of Scripture. Israel remembers the fish, cucumbers, the melons, leeks, onions, and even the garlic. Now the reason I marvel is that while they remembered the fish, they failed to remember God. It was God Who brought the plague, it was God Who brought the freedom from bondage, and it was God Who saw them across the Red Sea, and it was God Who eliminated the enemy; but they failed to remember God. As a result, the main thing (God) failed to remain the main thing. “When I lived in Atlanta several years ago, I noticed in the Yellow Pages, in the listing of restaurants, an entry for a place called Church of God Grill. The peculiar name aroused my curiosity, and I dialed the number. A man answered with a cheery, ‘Hello! Church of God Grill!’ I asked how his restaurant had been given such an unusual name, and he told me: ‘Well, we had a little mission down here, and we started selling chicken dinners after church on Sunday to help pay the bills. Well, people liked the chicken, and we did such a good business, that eventually we cut back on the church services. After a while we just closed down the church altogether and kept on serving the chicken dinners. We kept the name that we started with, and that’s Church of God Grill.’” They remembered the wrong thing!! What to do: ✞ Keep the main thing the main thing – and Jesus is the Main thing!
REMEMBER THE POOR OCTOBER 8 Bible Reading: Galatians 2:1-10 Key Verse: Galatians 2:10- “Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do.”
Key Words: remember the poor
In Galatians, chapter 2, there is a disagreement between Paul and Peter. Peter wanted only to help the poor who were Jews; Paul wanted to help both Jews and Gentiles who were poor. They, like many church and business meetings, had a great discussion which ended in them being in agreement about helping the poor, but nothing was ever done about it. Sounds like a lot of meetings we attend, doesn’t it? Some years ago I had two ladies of our church come by to see me after visitation. They were both in tears. That night they had visited a dear lady who had no money, no food, and was about to be evicted from her apartment. They wanted to collect money from the congregation for this dear lady. I suggested that this was not the answer but that getting her a job was the answer. I simply said, “We can give her a fish and feed her for a day; or we can teach her to fish and feed her for the rest of her days.” Needless to say, they were unhappy with my answer and thought I was being unkind. This brings us back to the words of the Apostle Paul: remember the poor. The word remember means “to take under consideration.” Why are they poor? Is it because they refuse to work, or is it because of unbearable hardships that have come their way? As a pastor, I promise to always remember the poor; and by God’s grace, I will strive to do what is best for them and for God’s glory. What to do: ✞ Remember the poor.
REMEMBER HOW SHORT OUR TIME IS OCTOBER 9 Bible Reading: Psalm 89:38-57 Key Verse: Psalm 89:47- “Remember how short my time is: wherefore hast thou made all men in vain?”
Key Words: Remember how short my time is
William Penn said, “Time is what we want the most and use the worst.” I am convinced that when we truly understand that we have a limited time on earth that we will live it for God’s glory. Somebody once thought it would be a wonderful thing if every day of our lives each of us had $1,440 in the bank that we had to spend before the end of the day – none of it could be carried over to the following day. Each of us does have 1,440 minutes every day. Could they be spent in a better way? When Mickey Mantle was sixty-one, he was approached by an autographseeking middle-aged man and his little boy. The man had tears in his eyes when he said, “Son, it took me thirty years to get here to shake this man’s hand. This is the greatest baseball player who ever lived.” The little boy looked at Mantle, then turned back to his dad and said, “Daddy, that’s an old man.” The heroes of yesterday have aged, and their mortality reminds us that age and change occur more rapidly than we think or desire...which leads me to the words of the Lord in Psalm 89:47, Remember how short my time is. Use it or lose it. What to do: ✞ Remember how short your time is.
REMEMBER THY LOVE OCTOBER 10 Bible Reading: Song of Solomon 1:1-8 Key Verse: Song of Solomon 1:4- “Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee.”
Key Words: we will remember thy love
If you don’t agree with me, I’ll not break fellowship with you, but I believe that the Song of Solomon is about the love of Christ for us. Solomon, inspired by the Holy Spirit, says simply and plainly, I will remember thy love. Margaret Rose Powers wrote the following for Guidepost in July of 1992: One night I had a dream. I was walking along the beach with the Lord, and across the skies flashed scenes from my life. In each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand. One was mine, and one was the Lord’s. When the last scene of my life appeared before me, I looked back at the footprints in the sand; and to my surprise, I noticed that many times along the path of my life there was only one set of footprints. And I noticed that it was at the lowest and saddest times in my life. I asked the Lord about it, “Lord, You said that once I decided to follow You, You would walk with me all the way. But I noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I do not understand why You left my side when I needed You the most.” The Lord said, “My precious child, I never left you during your time of trial. Where you see only one set of footprints, I was carrying you.” He loves you!!! What to do: ✞ Remember His love.
REMEMBERED NO MORE OCTOBER 11 Bible Reading: Ezekiel 21:18-32 Key Verse: Ezekiel 21:32- “Thou shalt be for fuel to the fire; thy blood shall be in the midst of the land; thou shalt be no more remembered: for I the LORD have spoken it.”
Key Words: thou shalt be no more remembered
Ezekiel’s prophecy dealt with the Ammonites. The sin of the Ammonites was that they continued to conspire against Israel rather than side with them. God promised Abraham in Genesis 12:3, And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee:... So it was with the Ammonites. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia says in regard to the Ammonites: “They are an extinct group.” The word extinct means “exterminated, quenched, died out.” At one time the Ammonites were a strong people. According to Nehemiah 4:7, they helped make up the core of the Babylonian Empire. The legacy of the Ammonites was “remembered no more.” What will our legacy be? What organization, above all other interest groups, can generate the most calls to Congress in a single day? Focus on the Family. When they contact their grassroots, Congress is inundated with calls. Maybe the reason for such results should be credited to James Dobson...Senior! No doubt, James Dobson, Jr. has done a remarkable job, but would he be in such a position, had his father not been a man of prayer? Engraved on the tomb of James Dobson, Sr. are two special words: “He Prayed.” Because he fervently prayed, this man of God has left a legacy of prayer that will continue to impact the American family for years to come. Are you leaving a similar legacy? What to do: ✞ Remember, only what’s done for Christ will last.
REMEMBERED BY GOD OCTOBER 12 Bible Reading: Genesis 8:1-12 Key Verse: Genesis 8:1- “And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters asswaged;”
Key Words: And God remembered Noah
You find this statement and God remembered on three occasions. All three of these have one thing in common and that is obedience. God remembered Noah (Genesis 8:1), God remembered Abraham (Genesis 19:29), and God remembered Rachel (Genesis 30:22). In all three cases, it is because of their obedience to God. It is not that God doesn’t know all of His children, but there is a special place in His heart for those who obey Him. How we admire the obedience a dog shows to its master! Archibald Rutledge wrote that one day he met a man whose dog had just been killed in a forest fire. Heartbroken, the man explained to Rutledge how it happened. Because he worked out-of-doors, he often took his dog with him. That morning, he left the animal in a clearing and gave him a command to stay and watch his lunch bucket while he went into the forest. His faithful friend understood, for that’s exactly what he did. Then a fire started in the woods, and soon the blaze spread to the spot where the dog had been left. But he didn’t move. He stayed right where he was, in perfect obedience to his master’s word. With tearful eyes, the dog’s owner said, “I always had to be careful what I told him to do, because I knew he would do it.” God needs servants like that...always loyal and ready to obey...and the result of doing so is that we will be remembered by God. What to do: ✞ Don’t just live so God knows you, live so He will remember you.
REMEMBERING NO KINDNESS OCTOBER 13 Bible Reading: II Chronicles 24:15-27 Key Verse: II Chronicles 24:22- “Thus Joash the king remembered not the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but slew his son. And when he died, he said, The LORD look upon it, and require it.”
Key Words: remembered not the kindness
Joash began to reign over Israel when he was seven. Much of his success could be attributed to Jehoiada, the high priest (verse 2 and verse 12), but after Jehoiada died, Joash forgot the high priest’s kindness toward him and slew Jehoiada’s son. It reminds me of the old saying, “What have you done for me lately?” How quickly we forget the kind deeds of others; and as a result, we begin to treat with unkindness those who have showed us kindness. At this point, we become dangerous to everyone, including ourselves. London held its breath in June 1987. While working on a building site, a construction foreman thought his workers had hit a cast iron pipe while using a pile driver. After picking up and then dropping the huge object, they realized the pipe strangely resembled a bomb. It was. The 2,200 pound World War II bomb was one of the largest the Germans dropped during the blitz which killed more than 15,000 Londoners. After evacuating the area, a ten-man bomb disposal unit worked eighteen hours before finally deactivating the seven-foot device. Hatred is like an unexploded bomb. Unless it’s deactivated, it can detonate and cause great damage. What to do: ✞ Show kindness to all. Remember, you can’t control what people say and do to you, but you can control your reaction to it.
REMEMBERING THE DAYS OCTOBER 14 Bible Reading: Esther 9:20-28 Key Verse: Esther 9:28- “And that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city; and that these days of Purim should not fail from among the Jews, nor the memorial of them perish from their seed.”
Key Words: these days should be remembered
The days mentioned in our text are the days of Purim, the days which the Jewish people celebrate their deliverance from Haman. While the word days is used, the celebration today takes place on the 14th day of Adar, which is the sixth month on the Hebrew calendar. What is your day of deliverance? Mine is August 14, 1959. On a Friday night during revival, God delivered my soul from the enemy. Because of God’s saving grace, I’ve also been delivered from the wrath that is to come. I marvel at God’s great deliverance. This reminds me of something I read from William Moses Tidwell. “Brother Mitchel Mason had used tobacco for many years. He also drank. He was wonderfully saved and delivered from the drink habit, but the tobacco craving continued. He became deeply convicted that the use of tobacco was positively sinful. He had made efforts to quit, but all in vain. Finally he went to the Lord and said, “Lord, I am through. Never again, by Thy help, will I touch it.” The battle was on. He lost strength and had to go to bed. The appetite raged, and the devil tempted; but he said, “Lord, if I die, I will die clean.” The struggle was fierce; but after about three days, when much of that time it seemed he would die, suddenly the Lord came and instantaneously set him free. He was gloriously delivered. “That has been about ten years ago. He is one of the greatest men in prayer I have ever known. Often in the service, as if moved by a mighty impulse of the Holy Ghost, he will rise and pour forth such a message of power, glory, and fire that it blesses and electrifies the whole congregation. Yes, God will give complete deliverance from the desire or give grace to overcome.” What to do: ✞ Remember the days of your deliverance.
REMEMBER TO PRAY FOR OTHERS OCTOBER 15 Bible Reading: II Timothy 1:1-14 Key Verse: II Timothy 1:3- “I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day;”
Key Words: I have remembrance of thee in my prayers
Several years ago, Mrs. Flooie Cassel, ninety-one, wrote an article in Alliance Witness describing the various ministries she conducts for the Lord from her room in the nursing home. One was that of prayer. “Missionaries give me prayer requests which I remember before God’s throne three times a day. This practice began a number of years ago at a women’s missionary meeting. We had a speaker who talked about tithing our time as well as our money. That evening I knelt and asked the Lord how much time I should spend in prayer. He definitely told me three hours a day. I began spending one hour each morning, afternoon and evening in prayer. “But then I got very busy with child evangelism classes, giving demonstrations on the use of flannel graph material and speaking at women’s meetings. I began to slack off on my prayer time in the afternoon. Soon I was too ill to teach or speak. “I had heard a sermon on how Daniel waited twenty-one days to learn anything from the Lord. So I began waiting for the Lord to reveal to me why I was no longer able to draw upon ‘His supernatural strength from my supernatural tasks,’ as Dr. A. B. Simpson so ably expressed it. “After several nights of waiting on the Lord in prayer, I understood. The Lord said, ‘I will not let you teach again until you get back to your three hours a day of prayer.’ “I asked forgiveness for my neglecting prayer and promised, with the help of the Holy Spirit, never to forget this important lesson. Now in my ninety-first year, I still have this ministry of prayer three times a day.” What to do: ✞ Remember to pray for others. P. S. We give out prayer lists each Wednesday night. remember to pray for others.
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REMEMBER THIS OCTOBER 16 Bible Reading: II Timothy 2:1-14 Key Verse: II Timothy 2:14- “Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers.”
Key Words: put them in remembrance
As you read the Scripture reading for today, you read about several things. We are to be strong in the Lord (verse 1). Get others involved (verse 2). Endure hardness (verses 3-4). Endure all things (verse 10). If we be dead with Him, we shall also live with Him (verse 11). If we suffer for Him, we will reign with Him (verse 12).
But the primary thing that Paul wants us to remember is not to quarrel and argue about words. I have a saying that goes, “Don’t go to war if you gain nothing by winning.” Xanthus, the philosopher, once told his servant that the next day he was going to have some friends for dinner and that he should get the best thing he could find in the market. The philosopher and his guests sat down the next day at the table. They had nothing but tongue – four or five courses of tongue – tongue cooked in this way, and tongue cooked in that way. The philosopher finally lost his patience and said to his servant, “Didn’t I tell you to get the best thing in the market?” The servant said, “I did get the best thing in the market. Isn’t the tongue the organ of sociability, the organ of eloquence, the organ of kindness, the organ of worship?” Then Xanthus the philosopher said, “Tomorrow I want you to get the worst thing in the market.” And on the morrow the philosopher sat at the table, and there was nothing but tongue – four or five courses of tongue – tongue in this shape and tongue in that shape. The philosopher lost his patience again and said, “Didn’t I tell you to get the worst thing in the market?” The servant replied, “I did; for isn’t the tongue the organ of blasphemy, the organ of defamation, the organ of lying?” What to do: ✞ Remember this: “A fool uttereth all his mind.”
REMEMBER THE SABBATH OCTOBER 17 Bible Reading: Exodus 20:1-8 Key Verse: Exodus 20:8- “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.” Key Words: Remember the Sabbath
As Christians, we do not assemble together on the Sabbath (Saturday). We assemble (or we should assemble) on the first day of the week. The Sabbath was the Jews’ day of worship and rest. J. Vernon McGee tells this story about a man who wanted to argue about the Sabbath. The man said, “I’ll give you $100 if you will show me where the Sabbath day has changed.” McGee answered, “I don’t think it has been changed. Saturday is Saturday. It is the seventh day of the week, and it is the Sabbath day. I realize our calendar has been adjusted, and can be off a few days, but we won’t even consider that point. The seventh day is still Saturday, and it is still the Sabbath day.” He got a gleam in his eye and said, “Then why don’t you keep the Sabbath day if it hasn’t been changed?” McGee answered, “The DAY hasn’t been changed, but I have been changed. I’ve been given a new nature now; I am joined to Christ. I am part of a new creation. We celebrate the first day because that is the day He arose from the grave.” That is what it means that the ordinances have been nailed to the cross, Colossians 2:14. So while the Jews were commanded to remember the Sabbath, we assemble together to celebrate Jesus - His life, death, but also His resurrection. What to do: ✞ Be at church every Sunday to rejoice in what Jesus has done for you through His life, death, and His resurrection. P. S. Dr. Lee Roberson used to say, “It takes three to thrive” – Sunday A.M., Sunday P.M. and Prayer Meeting. P. S. S. I have a little saying that goes, “Three to thrive, two to survive, and one and you’re done.”
REMEMBER THE JUDGMENTS OF GOD OCTOBER 18 Bible Reading: Psalm 119:49-56 Key Verse: Psalm 119:52- “I remembered thy judgments of old, O LORD; and have comforted myself.”
Key Words: I remembered thy judgments of old
John Phillips writes: “Laws today are often made under pressure. They are often tentative; they often reflect compromise or social, economic, or political bias. Lobbyists and interest groups significantly influence legislation. We have hundreds of thousands of laws seeking to accomplish what God affected in the Ten Commandments. The psalmist, however, was not brought up in a land where legislation was at the mercy of the lobbyists. He was brought up in a land where the law was mandated from heaven – handed down by God on two tables of stone, fixed and firm. The law was therefore perfect. The psalmist could comfort himself in the fact that God, who legislated such personal righteousness, public responsibility, and pure religion was a God of wisdom, love, and power. The law reflected God’s nature, just as our laws reflect our national character. God’s laws reflect His character. That was a comfort to the psalmist. God’s laws reflect a holy and righteous God.” Yet, on the other hand, the judgments of God also reflect His hatred for sin. General William Booth used to say that he wished every one of the soldiers in the Salvation Army could be held over hell for half an hour. It was their driving horror of sin and its consequences that drove the Salvationists into the streets and slums of the world’s cities, to work miracles of grace. If such horror would seize hold of us, maybe similar horror would seize hold of them, our loved ones and friends outside of Christ. That would put them in a hurry to be saved. We would all do well to remember the judgments of God. What to do: ✞ Remember that everyone will stand before God to be judged: believers at the Judgment Seat of Christ and unbelievers at The Great White Throne.
REMEMBER YOUR PRIORITIES OCTOBER 19 Bible Reading: Revelation 2:1-7 Key Verse: Revelation 2:5- “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.”
Key Words: Remember, therefore, from whence thou art fallen
I attempt to teach our staff and congregation to properly prioritize their lives. I list our life in three areas: first, we need to do that which is necessary; secondly, we need to do that which is needy; and last of all, we can spend time on that which is nice – but only after the necessary and needy are accomplished. Revelation 2:1-7 was written to the church at Ephesus. They had forgotten to put first things first, which we are told in Matthew 6:33 is doing the work of God. As a result of their not putting God first, God told them He was going to put out their candlestick. This can have a two-fold meaning. It could mean they would lose their spiritual effectiveness, or it could mean that they would grope in darkness. I personally believe it means both. But the point is to put God first in your life, and your actions will always be right. Clovis Chappell, a minister from a century back, used to tell the story of two paddleboats. They left Memphis about the same time, traveling down the Mississippi River to New Orleans. As they traveled side by side, sailors from one vessel made a few remarks about the snail’s pace of the other. Words were exchanged. Challenges were made. And the race began. Competition became vicious as the two boats roared through the Deep South. One boat began falling behind...not enough fuel. There had been plenty of coal for the trip, but not enough for a race. As the boat dropped back, an enterprising young sailor took some of the ship’s cargo and tossed it into the ovens. When the sailors saw that the supplies burned as well as the coal, they fueled their boat with the material they had been assigned to transport. They ended up winning the race, but burned their cargo...because their priorities were wrong. What to do: ✞ Remember to keep God your Number One priority.
REMEMBER TO HOLD FAST OCTOBER 20 Bible Reading: Revelation 3:1-6 Key Verse: Revelation 3:3- “Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.”
Key Words: Remember therefore...and hold fast
The church at Sardis had a reputation that they were alive, but God said, [thou] art dead. They had failed to hold fast and to be firmly established in their commitment to God. They were dead because they had failed to keep a watch over the church, and it had slid far away from God. Some years ago, during the days of the backyard clothesline poles, our girls, along with some neighborhood friends, were jumping and swinging on the clothesline pole when suddenly the pole broke off at the ground. Now it is up to me to fix this pole. If I dig a hole and put the pole back down into the ground, the poles would be uneven so I decided to get a bag of quick-dry cement and a concrete block. I put the pole in the block, leveled it, and poured the cement into the block. It’s then that I hear a voice coming from behind me, “It won’t work.” It seems my neighbor had been watching me and felt obligated to give me his insight. I thanked him and continued working. Then I heard another voice – that of my neighbor beside me saying, “It won’t work.” Again, I thanked him and continued to work. It was then I felt someone staring at me. I looked up to find another neighbor couple on their morning walk, looking at me from the street. I looked at them and said, “I know, it won’t work.” To which they replied, “That’s right!” It may amaze you to know that that was twenty-nine years ago, and that clothesline pole is still standing today – twenty-nine years later! It is still holding fast. Today, there are those who say that putting God first will never work; but it will. It has worked in my life now for years and will continue to work until God takes me home. God is faithful. What to do: ✞ Remember to hold fast.
REMEMBER WHAT WAS WRITTEN OCTOBER 21 Bible Reading: John 2:1-17 Key Verse: John 2:17- “And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.”
Key Words: Remember that it was written
John 2:17 is quoted from Psalm 69:9 and is a prophecy in that it prophesies about Jesus as He hangs on the cross. His mind goes back to the beginning of His public ministry when, during His first official visit to Jerusalem, He cleanses the temple. In John 2:17 we find the disciples remembering the words of the psalmist as they watch Jesus run the money-changers from the temple. The point is that we are not to just put God’s Word in our heads, but we are to hide it in our hearts. Remember what was written. While studying in the Holy Lands, a seminary professor of mine met a man who claimed to have memorized the Old Testament – in Hebrew! Needless to say, the astonished professor asked for a demonstration. A few days later they sat together in the man’s home. “Where shall we begin?” asked the man. “Psalm 1,” replied my professor, who was an avid student of the Psalms. Beginning with Psalm 1:1, the man began to recite from memory, while my professor followed along in his Hebrew Bible. For two hours the man continued word for word without a mistake as the professor sat in stunned silence. When the demonstration was over, my professor discovered something even more astonishing about the man – he was an atheist! Here was someone who knew the Scriptures better than most Christians ever will, and yet he didn’t even believe in God. It is not just the memorization of Scripture that is important; it is a desire to hide God’s Word in our hearts that makes a difference. What to do: ✞ Remember what was written.
REMEMBER HIS MARVELOUS WORKS OCTOBER 22 Bible Reading: Psalm 105:1-13 Key Verse: Psalm 105:5- “Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;”
Key Words: Remember his marvelous works
The quote from our text came from Deuteronomy 8:2, 18, and 24:9. The challenge is that we are never to forget what God has done for us. I define our memory in two ways. Short-term memory is what we have when it comes to remembering what others have done for us. Long-term memory is remembering what others have to do. We are quick to forget all God has done for us. So the psalmist reminded the people of Israel to remember God’s marvelous works. I believe the key to remembering the work of God is in direct proportion to our love for God. A couple was on a newlywed show. The host was asking the new husbands questions about the new brides. One of the questions went like this: “Name one absolutely dumb thing your new bride has done.” The first three husbands came up with some humorous but rather absurd things that their new wife had done, but the fourth contestant stunned everyone when he said, “I don’t know of anything dumb she’s done!” The host replied, “I’m sure if you think hard enough, you’ll come up with something.” To which the man replied, “I don’t think so. You see, I love her so much all I can do is see the good she does.” When you genuinely love God, you’ll realize that all God does is for our good. Thus we say, “I remember the marvelous works of God.” What to do: ✞ Remember His marvelous works.
REMEMBER THEM THAT HAVE THE RULE OVER YOU OCTOBER 23 Bible Reading: Hebrew 13:1-9 Key Verse: Hebrew 13:7- “Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.”
Key Words: Remember them that have the rule over you
The word rule carries the idea of “a leading position, an authority.” While we
often apply this to government leaders, the Scripture is clear that it is the spiritual leaders who are giving out God’s Word that the Lord has in mind. Remember them, follow them, consider their conversation (manner of life). One reason people often fail is because they refuse to heed the spiritual leadership over them. In U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings, the magazine of the Naval Institute, Frank Koch illustrates the importance of obeying the Laws of the Lighthouse. “Two battleships assigned to the training squadron had been at sea on maneuvers in heavy weather for several days. I was serving on the lead battleship and was on watch on the bridge as night fell. The visibility was poor with patchy fog, so the captain remained on the bridge keeping an eye on all activities. Shortly after dark, the lookout on the wing reported, “Light, bearing on the starboard bow.” “Is it steady or moving astern?” the captain called out. The lookout replied, “Steady, Captain,” which meant we were on a dangerous collision course with that ship. The captain then called to the signalman, ‘Signal that ship: ‘We are on a collision course, advise you change your course twenty degrees.’’ Back came the signal: ‘Advisable for you to change course twenty degrees.’ The captain said, ‘Send: ‘I’m a captain, change course twenty degrees.’’ ‘I’m a seaman second-class,’ came the reply. ‘You had better change course twenty degrees.’ By that time the captain was furious. He spat out: ‘Send: ‘I’m a battleship. Change course twenty degrees.’’ Back came the flashing light: ‘I’m a lighthouse.’ We changed course.” As well they should!!!! What to do: ✞ Remember them which have the (spiritual) rule over you.
REMEMBER THE DEEDS OCTOBER 24 Bible Reading: III John Key Verse: III John 10- “Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church.”
Key Words: I will remember his deeds
It almost sounds as if John... remember John, he is the apostle who wrote more about love than any of the others... is unloving and unforgiving when he says about Diotrephes, “I will remember his deeds.” The truth is that love, while forgiving, does rebuke and correct as well. Revelation 3:19 says, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.” In II Peter 2:16, in regard to Balaam, we are told, “But was rebuked for his iniquity.” So when John talks about remembering his deeds, I have little doubt that the Apostle John called his hand and rebuked him in love as well. If you read verse 11 you will see that John doesn’t believe Diotrephes to be a saved man or at least very back-slidden. Either way, a rebuke given in anger would accomplish nothing. John Wesley and a preacher-friend of plain habits were once invited to dinner where the host’s daughter, noted for her beauty, had been profoundly impressed by Wesley’s preaching. During a pause in the meal, Wesley’s friend took the young woman’s hand and called attention to the sparkling rings she wore. “What do you think of this, sir, for a Methodist hand?” The girl turned crimson. Wesley likewise was embarrassed, for his aversion to jewelry was only too well known. But with a benevolent smile, he simply said, “The hand is very beautiful.” Wesley’s remark both cooled the too-hot water poured by his friend, and made the foot-washing gentle. The young woman appeared at the evening service without her jewels, and became a strong Christian. We would do well when we remember the deeds of others not to simply rebuke, but to humbly rebuke in love. What to do: ✞ Remember to rebuke in love.
REMEMBER THE OBEDIENCE OCTOBER 25 Bible Reading: II Corinthians 7 Key Verse: II Corinthians 7:15- “And his inward affection is more abundant toward you, whilst he remembereth the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling ye received him.” Key Words: He remembereth the obedience of you all
Paul had sent Titus to Corinth to check on the church. Paul was concerned that the church would not receive Titus because Paul had previously written them a stern letter of rebuke. Paul rejoiced though when Titus reported back that the church did receive him. So Paul says to the church in verse 15, ...whilst he [Titus] remembereth the obedience of you all... There is something special about someone who has a spirit of obedience.
At a certain children’s hospital, a boy gained a reputation for wreaking havoc with the nurses and staff. One day a visitor, who knew about his terrorizing nature, made him a deal: “If you are good for a week,” she said, “I’ll give you a dime when I come again.” A week later she stood before his bed. “I’ll tell you what,” she said, “I won’t ask the nurses if you behaved. You must tell me yourself. Do you deserve the dime?” After a moment’s pause, a small voice from among the sheets said, “Gimme a penny.” During his travels, Mark Twain encountered a ruthless businessman from Boston who boasted that nobody ever got in his way once he determined to do something. He said, “Before I die I mean to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. I’m gonna climb Mount Sinai. And when I’m up there I’m gonna read the Ten Commandments aloud at the top of my voice!” Unimpressed, Twain responded, “I got a better idea. Stay in Boston and keep ‘em.” What to do: ✞ Remember the obedient; and I might add, love and pray for the disobedient as well.
REMEMBER THY OFFERINGS OCTOBER 26 Bible Reading: Psalm 20 Key Verse: Psalm 20:3- “Remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice; Selah.”
Key Words: Remember all thy offerings
King David is the leader of Israel and is about to go to war. So the people are remembering the Lord and King David as the kind of leaders they want to lead them during this time of crisis. In verse 3 the people are remembering David to keep God first in their offerings. The people wanted a king who put God first. We don’t see much of that in public life today. We have leaders who attend church and pay token allegiance to God. We have yet to hear them stand up and say to the people: “We are faced with crisis after crisis in our nation. We are going to give our report, then we are going to lead the nation in prayer, calling upon the Lord Jesus Christ to send a spiritual and national revival to this land.” Politicians believe that it would not be the politically expedient thing to do. But they are wrong. Now each of us need to remember God in all we do. J. S. Bach said, “All music should have no other end and aim than the glory of God and the soul’s refreshment; where this is not remembered there is no real music but only a devilish hub-bub.” He headed his compositions: “J.J.” “Jesus Juva” which means “Jesus help me.” He ended them “S.D.G.” “Soli Dei gratia” which means “To God alone the praise.” Isn’t that the way we all should think and live? What to do: ✞ Remember your offerings.
REMEMBER THAT JUDGMENT IS COMING OCTOBER 27 Bible Reading: Luke 16:19-31 Key Verse: Luke 16:25- “But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.”
Key Words: Remember thou
You are more than likely familiar with the story of the rich man and Lazarus. Both are heading for judgment. The rich man is headed for the Great White Throne judgment. His life on earth has been blessed, but he had rejected Jesus as Savior. Lazarus, though, was headed for heaven. Harry Ironside used to share the following story. “One of the first gospel illustrations that ever made a real impression upon my young heart was a simple story which I heard a preacher tell when I was less than nine years old. “It was of pioneers who were making their way across one of the central states to a distant place that had been opened up for homesteading. They traveled in covered wagons drawn by oxen, and progress was necessarily slow. One day they were horrified to note a long line of smoke in the west, stretching for miles across the prairie, and soon it was evident that the dried grass was burning fiercely and coming toward them rapidly. They had crossed a river the day before but it would be impossible to go back to that before the flames would be upon them. One man only seemed to have understanding as to what could be done. He gave the command to set fire to the grass behind them. Then when a space was burned over, the whole company moved back upon it. “As the flames roared on toward them from the west, a little girl cried out in terror, ‘Are you sure we shall not all be burned up?’ The leader replied, ‘My child, the flames cannot reach us here, for we are standing where the fire has been!’ “What a picture of the believer, who is safe in Christ! “On Him Almighty vengeance fell, Which would have sunk a world to hell. He bore it for a chosen race, And thus become our Hiding Place.”
“The fires of God’s judgment burned themselves out on Him, and all who are in Christ are safe forever, for they are now standing where the fire has been.” What to do: Remember, judgment’s coming. Are you ready?
REMEMBER YOUR GIFT OCTOBER 28 Bible Reading: II Timothy 1:1-17 Key Verse: II Timothy 1:6- “Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.” Key Words: Remember...the gift
Every one of us has at least one spiritual gift we can use for God’s glory. The
question is: Are we continually stirring up the gift to make it fit and useful in God’s service? Once upon a time, the animals decided they should do something meaningful to meet the problems of the new world. So they organized a school. They adopted an activity curriculum of running, climbing, swimming and flying. To make it easier to administer the curriculum, all the animals took all the subjects. The duck was excellent in swimming; in fact, better than his instructor. But he made only passing grades in flying, and was very poor in running. Since he was slow in running, he had to drop swimming and stay after school to practice running. This caused his web feet to be badly worn, so that he was only average in swimming. But average was quite acceptable, so nobody worried about that – except the duck. The rabbit started at the top of his class in running, but developed a nervous twitch in his leg muscles because of so much make-up work in swimming. The squirrel was excellent in climbing, but he encountered constant frustration in flying class because his teacher made him start from the ground up instead of from the treetop down. He developed “Charlie horses” from overexertion, and so only got a C in climbing and a D in running. The eagle was a problem child and was severely disciplined for being a non-conformist. In climbing classes he beat all the others to the top of the tree, but insisted on using his own way to get there. The obvious moral of that story is a simple one – each creature has its own set of capabilities in which it will naturally excel – unless it is expected or forced to fill a
mold that doesn’t fit. When that happens, frustration, discouragement, and even guilt bring overall mediocrity or complete defeat. A duck is a duck – and only a duck. It is built to swim, not to run or fly and certainly not to climb. A squirrel is a squirrel – and only that. To move it out of its forte, climbing, and then expect it to swim or fly will drive a squirrel nuts. Eagles are beautiful creatures in the air but not in a foot race. The rabbit will win every time unless, of course, the eagle gets hungry. What is true of creatures in the forest is true of Christians in the family; both the family of believers and the family under your roof. God has not made us all the same. He never intended to. It was He who planned and designed the differences, unique capabilities, and variations in the Body. Remember, use your gift and remember, not everyone has the same gift. What to do: ✞ Stir up the gift that is in you.
REMEMBER NOT THE SINS OF MY YOUTH OCTOBER 29 Bible Reading: Psalm 25:1-11 Key Verse: Psalm 25:7- “Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness’ sake, O LORD.”
Key Words: Remember not the sins of my youth
We do some foolish things in our youth!!! Don’t deny it, it’s true. Every one of us should thank God daily for His mercy (God not giving us what we deserve). If we got what we deserved, we’d all be in hell. I’ve pastored here for years (this October will be 30 to be exact) so I’ve watched a lot of our kids grow up. If I stood in the pulpit and told all I know about you, you would never forgive me, and you could never show your faces in public again. I repeat, thank God for His mercy! There’s a great example of mercy in the actions of former President Calvin Coolidge. Years after the death of President Calvin Coolidge, this story came to light. In the early days of his presidency, Coolidge awoke one morning in his hotel room to find a cat burglar going through his pockets. Coolidge spoke up, asking the burglar not to take his watch chain because it contained an engraved charm he wanted to keep. Coolidge then engaged the thief in quiet conversation and discovered he was a college student who had no money to pay his hotel bill or buy a ticket back to campus. Coolidge counted $32 out of his wallet – which he had also
persuaded the dazed young man to give back! – declared it to be a loan, and advised the young man to leave the way he had come as to avoid the Secret Service! (Yes, the loan was paid back.) Mercy we need, and we should all give it. What to do: ✞ Ask God to “remember not the sins of [your] youth”...and adult life as well, I might add.
REMEMBER ME AND VISIT ME OCTOBER 30 Bible Reading: Jeremiah 15:10-21 Key Verse: Jeremiah 15:15- “O LORD, thou knowest: remember me, and visit me, and revenge me of my persecutors; take me not away in thy longsuffering: know that for thy sake I have suffered rebuke.”
Key Words: Remember me and visit me
J. Vernon McGee says in regard to Jeremiah, chapters 14 and 15: “Up to this
point Jeremiah has been prophesying during the reign of Josiah. Now we find him delivering a prophecy during the reign of Jehoiakim. King Josiah during the last part of his reign did a very foolish thing. He fought against Nechoh, a pharaoh of Egypt, and there at Megiddo Josiah was killed. Jeremiah mourned for him; he had been his friend. After the death of Josiah, the nation began to drop back into idolatry.” So Jeremiah who had stood firm in his convictions for God and the things of God requested that God remember him and visit him. Jeremiah knew that there was peace and safety in the presence of God. Dr. Tony Compolo says that when he was a boy growing up in a congested and bustling city, his mother arranged for a teenage girl who lived nearby to walk home with him at the end of the day. For this, she was paid a nickel a day. But Tony rebelled in the second grade and told his mother, “I’ll walk myself to school, and, if you give me a nickel a week, I will be extra careful. You can keep the other twenty cents and we’ll all be better off.” After a period of pleading and begging, little Tony finally got his way. For the next two years he walked himself back and forth to school. It was an eight-block walk with many streets to cross, but he was careful and didn’t talk to strangers or get distracted along the way.
Years later at a family party, he bragged about his independence and
reminded his family of how he had taken care of himself as a boy. His mother laughed and added the rest of the story. “Did you really think you were alone?” she said. “Every morning when you left for school, I left with you. I walked behind you all the way. When you got out of school at 3:30 in the afternoon, I was there. I always kept myself hidden, but I was there and I followed you all the way home. I just wanted to be there for you in case you needed me.” Hebrews 13:5b, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” What to do: ✞ Know that you are in a place of peace and safety with God.
REMEMBER MINE AFFLICTION OCTOBER 31 Bible Reading: Lamentations 3:1-21 Key Verse: Lamentations 3:19- “Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.”
Key Words: Remembering mine affliction
Have you ever felt as Jeremiah did? Jeremiah said... (verse 1) that he had experienced God’s wrath, (verses 2, 6) that he was living in spiritually dark times, (verse 3) that God was against him, (verse 4) that he was growing old, (verse 5) that he was in gall and bitterness, and (verse 7) that he was trapped.
The list goes on and on, but Jeremiah did not end with gloom and doom.
Jeremiah finally changed his thinking in verse 21, “This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.” In the remaining verses we see Jeremiah’s hope. Your attitude toward affliction will determine what you accomplish for God. Affliction never leaves you the same; it makes you bitter or better. It leaves you better when you have spiritual goals in mind and understand that affliction is a part of reaching that goal. Remember, great goals require great affliction. Small goals require little affliction. But you have to have goals and know where you are going.
Thomas Henry Huxley was a devoted disciple of Darwin, famous biologist,
teacher, and author, defender of the theory of evolution, bold, convincing, selfavowed humanist, and traveling lecturer. Having finished another series of public assaults against several truths Christians held sacred, Huxley was in a hurry the following morning to catch his train to the next city. He took one of Dublin’s famous horse-drawn taxis and settled back with his eyes closed to rest himself for a few minutes. He assumed the driver had been told the destination by the hotel doorman, so all he had said as he got in was, “Hurry, I’m almost late. Drive fast!” The horses lurched forward and galloped across Dublin at a vigorous pace. Before long Huxley glanced out the window and frowned as he realized they were going west, away from the sun, not toward it. Leaning forward, the scholar shouted, “Do you know where you are going?” Without looking back, the driver yelled a classic line, not meant to be humorous. “No, your honor! But I am driving very fast!” What to do: ✞ Keep your focus on God.
I deeply appreciate the help of Laurie Blankenship Trisha Bookout Kathy Endicott Cathy Fortenberry Sandy Lancaster Cathy Lang Pam Lee Marie Moore Mary Parsons John and Tascha Piatt Reba Pontbriand And my lovely wife, Linda
Without God using these people to help this devotional would not have been possible.
Dr. Mike Rouse
I Corinthians 3:13 “It’s not the size of the work that matters, but the sort.” Another way of saying that is: “It’s not the quantity, but the quality.” Romans 10:17 Definition of hearing – not just listening – regarding with the intent to put into action. “Tell me and I’ll forget. Show me and I’ll remember. Involve me and I’ll understand.” II Kings 10:16 “An average teacher tells. A good teacher explains. A superior teacher demonstrates. A great teacher inspires.” Ephesians 6:1 “One of the most important things a parent can teach a child is how to get along without them.” Philippians 2:5 “Let the mind of your Master be the Master of your mind.” Matthew 7:12 “The reason that some people require so much of others is they require so little of themselves.” Proverbs 1:5 “Wisdom comes from a lifetime of listening when we would prefer to be talking.” I Corinthians 13:11 “Adolescence is like a house on moving day: a temporary mess.” Proverbs 2:1-2 “It takes a great person to give sound Biblical advice. It takes a greater person to accept it graciously.” Proverbs 26:12 “A conceited person never really gets anywhere because he thinks he’s already there.”