Psalm 19

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

2Day after day pours forth speech, and night after night shows forth knowledge.

3There is no speech nor spoken word [from the stars]; their voice is not heard.

4Yet their voice [in evidence] goes out through all the earth, their sayings to the end of the world. Of the heavens has God made a tent for the sun,^(F)

5Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber; and it rejoices as a strong man to run his course.

6Its going forth is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the ends of it; and nothing [yes, no one] is hidden from the heat of it.

7The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the [whole] person; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.

8The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure and bright, enlightening the eyes.

9The [reverent] fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.

10More to be desired are they than gold, even than much fine gold; they are sweeter also than honey and drippings from the honeycomb.

11Moreover, by them is Your servant warned (reminded, illuminated, and instructed); and in keeping them there is great reward.

12Who can discern his lapses and errors? Clear me from hidden [and unconscious] faults.

13Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then shall I be blameless, and I shall be innocent and clear of great transgression.

14Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my [firm, impenetrable] Rock and my Redeemer.

Psalm 20

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

2Send you help from the sanctuary and support, refresh, and strengthen you from Zion;

3Remember all your offerings and accept your burnt sacrifice. Selah [pause, and think of that]!

4May He grant you according to your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans.

5We will [shout in] triumph at your salvation and victory, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners. May the Lord fulfill all your petitions.

6Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven with the saving strength of His right hand.

7Some trust in and boast of chariots and some of horses, but we will trust in and boast of the name of the Lord our God.

8They are bowed down and fallen, but we are risen and stand upright.

9O Lord, give victory; let the King answer us when we call.

No weapon formed against me will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.  -- Isaiah 54:17

Do you ever have times where the answers are coming just in time? Do you realize that it is the hand and work of God? That's the Holy Spirit.

For God's Word says:

But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. - John 14:26

The more time we spend in the Word of God, the more times the Holy Spirit will be able to bring us words of encouragement, words of direction, words of hope, and words of correction. Let's take time to make sure we are connected to the Word of God. Let's make time to approach the throne of God for instruction and wisdom.

I joke with people at work that my answers are only available when there is a question. That I couldn't just package them up and say here are all the things in my head. So I tell them to ask and if I know or can help I will. In many cases, the Holy Spirit will bring up words of encouragement in others very technical information that actually answers or helps to answer the question. At times I say I don't know where that came from -- but later I realize who the answer came from -- the guy who has all the answers -- my God through the Holy Spirit gave me or found me the answers.

Lord, I thank You for this day and I know that You are here to help me and to encourage me. I know that even when I am feeling discouraged, that You have a plan and want to help me get back into the saddle. I even remember that You allowed me to be present when a sermon presented on overcoming discouragement took place. I made sure to take note of them in order to have a reminder in those moments what could be causing it. Thank You Lord and I give You all the praise and all the glory for having prepared in advance for my every need and request. I will praise You and worship You always, in Jesus' name. Amen.

REMEMBER:

Don't be discouraged -- know the cause and the keys to a cure:

#1 Cause - Fatigue

#2 Cause - Frustration

#3 Cause - Failure

#4 Cause - Fear

#1 Key to cure - Rest your body.

#2 Key to cure - Re-organize your life

#3 Key to cure - Remember God will help you.

#4 Key to cure - Resist the discouragement

#5 Key to cure - Rejoice

Being Fully Persuaded

by Os Hillman

Being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised. - Romans 4:21
Why did God consider Abraham a righteous man? It was because Abraham looked beyond his own limitations of age and strength and considered God as the one who could accomplish His own goals. Abraham came to a place in his life where he realized it had little to do with him and all to do with God. His part was initiating the faith within himself.
Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be." Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead-since he was about a hundred years old-and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God (Romans 4:18-20).
What are the things in your life that are mere impossibilities? What are the mountains in your life? Are these there in order to build your faith in the one who can enable you to ascend to the peak? Once you know that it is His will for you to pursue, do it with faith. Faith requires action when we know it is He who is leading. It may require risk. Faith is sometimes spelled R-I-S-K. Abraham did not limit God. It is this confidence in God that God honored and rewarded. He wants to do the same with you and me.

Share TGIF With A Friend | Past Issues of TGIF

God's Recruitment Process of a Leader Audio CD

God's Recruitment Process of a Leader Audio CD
How does God call leaders in the workplace?  We might be surprised to learn that it is often not a pleasant experience, but it is God's way of calling a true leader.  In this audio teaching, Os Hillman shares personal testimony along with valuable Biblical teaching on how God reveals his purposes and raises up leaders in the workplace. Order

© 2006. TGIF Today God Is First ^TM is a registered trademark of Os Hillman/Marketplace Leaders. To request re-print permission, click here.
To contact Os Hillman, send email to: oshillman@marketplaceleaders.org
For personal prayer and counsel click here.

Send postal mail to:
Marketplace Leaders, 475 Tribble Gap Rd, Suite 110, Atlanta, GA USA 30040

Signup to Receive TGIF via Email

©2004 - 2007 Marketplace Leaders - All Rights Reserved.

Heavenly Father,

Today You have set into motion new opportunities and new places for us to go. Let us not stop, but let us press in to what You have opened up and allowed us to walk into and through. Lord, may You be glorified in all that I say and all that I do. Lord, may this day be a day that shows Your power and Your promises to those around us. Lord, It is not what You can do for us, but what we can do for You. Help us to be good and faithful servants. Help us to multiply what You have given us and have a return of 30, 60, or 100 fold. I walk by faith and not by sight -- I walk into today knowing where my help comes from and where my wisdom comes from. Lord, give me wisdom today to speak life, hope, and opportunity to those I meet and Lord, I will give You the praise and the glory, and we will give You the praise and the glory, in Jesus' name. Amen.

Heavenly Father,
I thank You for this new day and look forward to the day when Your presence will fill Your House to overflowing with the presence of God. Help me Lord, I pray to be prepared in advance. Help me Lord, I pray to be ready to enter into worship and intercession, prayer and prophecy. Lord, You have been so good to me. Lord, I put all my trust in You. Help me I pray to accomplish in Your time all that needs to be done. I know Lord, that You are never early and never late, and so I ask that You help me to be at peace and walk in courage knowing that we will get there, just in time. Thank You Lord for my family and friends. Lord, I thank You for the opportunities and appointments where I am able to share my heart and Your heart with those I know and am getting to know. And Lord, I look to You trusting and believing in great and mighty things and will give You all the praise and all the glory, in Jesus' name. Amen.

Quote

The 30 Life Principles

 

Principle #1
Our intimacy with God – His highest priority for our lives – determines the impact of our lives.

Principle #2
Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him.

Principle #3
God’s Word is an immovable anchor in times of storm.

Principle #4
The awareness of God’s presence energizes us for our work.

Principle #5
God does not require us to understand His will, just obey it, even if it seems unreasonable. 

Principle #6
You reap what you sow, more than you sow, and later than you sow.

Principle #7
The dark moments of our life will last only so long as is necessary for God to accomplish His purpose in us. 

Principle #8
Fight all your battles on your knees and you win every time. 

Principle #9
Trusting God means looking beyond what we can see to what God sees. 

Principle #10
If necessary, God will move heaven and earth to show us His will. 

Principle #11
God assumes full responsibility for our needs when we obey Him. 

Principle #12
Peace with God is the fruit of oneness with God.

Principle #13
Listening to God is essential to walking with God. 

Principle #14
God acts on behalf of those who wait for Him. 

Principle #15
Brokenness is God’s requirement for maximum usefulness. 

Principle #16
Whatever you acquire outside of God’s will eventually turns to ashes. 

Principle #17
We stand tallest and strongest on our knees. 

Principle #18
As children of a sovereign God, we are never victims of our circumstances. 

Principle #19
Anything you hold too tightly, you will lose. 

Principle #20
Disappointments are inevitable, discouragement is a choice. 

Principle #21
Obedience always brings blessing. 

Principle #22
To walk in the Spirit is to obey the initial promptings of the Spirit. 

Principle #23
You can never out give God. 

Principle #24
To live the Christian life is to allow Jesus to live His life in and through us. 

Principle #25
God blesses us so that we might bless others. 

Principle #26
Adversity is a bridge to a deeper relationship with God. 

Principle #27
Prayer is life’s greatest time saver.

Principle #28
No Christian has ever been called to “go it alone” in his or her walk of faith. 

Principle #29
We learn more in our valley experiences than on our mountaintops. 

Principle #30
An eager anticipation of the Lord’s return keeps us living productively.

                                                                                                                                          —— By Charles Stanley

Humility in Relationships

by Os Hillman

All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." - 1 Peter 5:5b
I'll never forget the first time I discovered what a feeling was. It was in my early forties. Surely not! …you may be thinking. Yes, it is true. Since then, I have discovered many men still live in this condition. It took an older mentor to help me understand the difference between information and a feeling. Wives are frustrated because their husbands share information, but not their feelings. They want to know what is going on inside their man. The fact is, most men have not been taught to identify feelings, much less how to share them. It is something that men must learn to do because it is not a natural trait. If they do share their feelings, society often portrays them as weak. No man willingly wants to be portrayed as weak.
In order to become an effective friend and leader, one must learn to be vulnerable with others and develop an ability to share feelings. It is a vital step to becoming a real person with whom others can connect emotionally. This is not easy to do if your parents did not teach you to share your emotional life with others. Emotional vulnerability is especially hard for men. Author Dr. Larry Crabb states,
Men who as boys felt neglected by their dads often remain distant from their own children. The sins of fathers are passed on to children, often through the dynamic of self-protection. It hurts to be neglected, and it creates questions about our value to others. So to avoid feeling the sting of further rejection, we refuse to give that part of ourselves we fear might once again be received with indifference. When our approach to life revolves around discipline, commitment, and knowledge [which the Greek influence teaches us] but runs from feeling the hurt of unmet longings that come from a lack of deeper relationships, then our efforts to love will be marked more by required action than by liberating passion. We will be known as reliable, but not involved. Honest friends will report that they enjoy being with us, but have trouble feeling close. Even our best friends (including spouses) will feel guarded around us, a little tense and vaguely distant. It's not uncommon for Christian leaders to have no real friends. [Larry Crabb, Inside Out (Colorado Springs, Colorado: Navpress, n.d.), 98-99.]
If this describes you, why not begin on a new journey of opening up your life to others in a way that others can see who you really are? It might be scary at first, but as you grow in this area, you will find new freedom in your life. Then, others will more readily connect with you.

Share TGIF With A Friend | Past Issues of TGIF

©2004 - 2007 Marketplace Leaders - All Rights Reserved.

I thank You for this new day. I thank You for Your church and for Your Word that encourages and strengthens me. I thank You for Your Word as it is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. I thank You for having found me, led me, and helped me to come into relationship with You. Lord, I thank You for having prepared in advance so many things to help me grow and develop and mature. Lord, Thank You.

There are many things that are appearing on the horizon. Lord, There are many tasks that are needing to be done. I need Your help today in order to prioritize and accomplish the right things in the right order. My trust is in You and I know that You can bring it all together and help me to get it done. I thank You and trust You and will not let the enemy put fear and doubt  into my heart so that I can focus and be at peace throughout this busy time.

I will give You all the praise and all the glory in Jesus' name. Amen.

Heavenly Father,
I thank You for this new day and for the incredible truths and love You bring into my life. I thank You for the wisdom of knowing that clarity and peace are from You. I thank You for the wisdom of knowing that confusion and fear are from the enemy. Lord, as I start this day, may I see Your face and Your will. May I not be distracted by the other stuff, but be focused on the big stuff - the stuff that is important to You. Help me to know when to say NO and push back. Help me to know when to say YES and embrace it. Let my YES be YES and my NO be NO - and let my character be built up through my life experiences and let Your light shine in and through me so that others will want to know You more -- as Your Word says - let my light shine so that people will worship and praise You. Lord, thank You. Help me to be there for others. Lord, Help me to be available. Help me to be all that You have for me to be. Help me to hear and understand with clarity and peace the call You have on my life. And Lord, I will give You all the praise and all the glory, in Jesus' name. Amen.

Every good gift comes from the Father above.

All my wisdom comes from the Lord.

Lord, help me to not let myself be corrupted, become proud and lifted up, help me to be found blameless in your ways and not fall into iniquity and guilt.

Help me to be loyal and obedient in my service to You oh Lord.

-- Help me Lord to be a man of Ezekiel 22:30 --

And I sought a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none.

--------------------------------------------------------------

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. - 1 John 1:9

--------------------------------------------------------------

Forgiving Ourselves

Os Hillman

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. - 1 John 1:9

The apostle Peter was one of three disciples who walked with Jesus closer than the other nine. He was the most enthusiastic and the one man who was willing to step into territories where others would not dare. He was the first to step out of the boat and walk on water. He wanted to protect Jesus at times when Jesus rebuked him for having a demon influence him. He cut off the ear of the guard who wanted to arrest Jesus in the garden. As Peter matured, the Holy Spirit harnessed his many extreme emotions.

The greatest trial for Peter was when he denied the Lord just before Jesus was crucified. Three times he denied knowing Jesus. Jesus predicted that the cock would crow after the third time just to reinforce the prophecy to Peter. Peter was crushed when he realized he had failed His Lord so badly.

The Lord forgave Peter for his denial. However, gaining forgiveness from Jesus was not the most difficult part for Peter. The hard part was forgiving himself. As we mature in the faith, we begin moving in victory after victory with our Lord. Then out of nowhere, an event happens that reveals our true sin nature, and we are confronted face to face with this reality. We cannot believe that we are capable of such sin. There is no good thing in us save the grace of Jesus Christ and His blood that cleanses us. When God looks at us, He looks at the blood of Christ that has covered our sin. He does not look at our sin once we confess it.

When we have difficulty forgiving ourselves, this is pride at its deepest level. We are making an assumption that we should never have sinned and that we are too mature to sin. This is a trap from the enemy of our souls. People who cannot forgive do not recognize from what they have been forgiven. That includes us.

©2004 - 2007 Marketplace Leaders - All Rights Reserved.

Heavenly Father,
I thank You for this new day and for the incredible promises and plans You have set before me. Lord, I pray that You will open my eyes to see beyond the now and allow me the wisdom and discernment as I plan for the future. Lord, allow me to walk in obedience to Your will and Your prompting and help me to listen to the still quiet voice and not required the Loud Commanding voice before I respond. Lord, I dedicate my life to You and pray that You find pleasure in the things that I do. I pray Lord, that You will think "well done my good and faithful servant" when You look at me.

Lord, when I think about what to do, I want to do what is right. Lord, there is only one thing that can help me make the right decision and it is Your Word - The Bible. Help me to measure and consider my actions against Your Word. Help me to remember the 10 commandments aren't there to hold me back, but to empower me to work at the level You desire and to provide a basis for all that You have for me.

Lord, I remember so well when You prompted me to step up to be the President of the Homeowners association and I resisted saying I wasn't qualified. I remember all the excuses that I came up with why I shouldn't and during that I saw that my non-actions had a ripple effect on the board and the community. When I heard the Loud voice telling me as the new session was beginning that I was to run for Board, I took notice. It was at that moment when I realized that I should have stepped up because if You call me to do something, You will provide for all that I need to accomplish it. It unfortunately took a big shock to my system at that time for me to follow after You. I then decided that if You said to do it, then I would do it. If you said not to do it, then I didn't want anything to do with it. You reinforced it with the still quiet voice as I was driving to the retreat and I was still in my mind thinking, not my will but Your will as I realized that if I wasn't walking in Your will, then You wouldn't be able to bless me nor the work You were about to enable.

Lord, as I look towards today and towards the future, I see that You are birthing in me a plan and a future for the team. I see that You are giving me wisdom of what we need to do and where we need to go. Lord, as I share with others, I see mixed responses, but I know that You have big plans and that those who care and those who are looking out for the best may not have received Your memo yet. Lord, Your Word says that You want to give me and all of us a Hope and a Future. I cling to that and look to You to help fulfill this new call for the team and the group. Lord, I currently don't know all of the how or what, but I do know the who - the who will provide the way and the answer, the who will give me wisdom, the who will prepare the hearts of the king, the who will make a way when there doesn't seem to be a way - the who is You my Lord and I thank You and praise You and want to worship You and Honor You and praise You in all that I say and do, in Jesus' name. Amen.

Heavenly Father,

I thank You for this new day and for the incredible blessings and mercy You have shown me. I thank You for my family. I thank You for my church. I thank You for my work. Lord, You have done so much for me and I pray that You will give me wisdom and discernment in order to be able to make right decisions and do what will bring the greatest glory to You. It isn't about what I can do for me or for others, but what can I do for You. I know that to server You I will minister and flow into the lives of others, but I pray that Your will be made clear so that I only do what You have for me to do and not get distracted by what others ask me to do that isn't in Your will. God there are so many great things that can be done, and I want to make sure that I only pick up the ones You have for me. Help me Lord. Allow me to bring praise and glory to Your name. Help me to lead others into Your presence. Help me to be a worshipper. Help me to be a better and more effective worshipper for You. May all I say and all I do be worship to You. As I start this day, I turn to You and dedicate it to You, with praise and honor and glory, in Jesus' name. Amen.