"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR THOSE WHO HAVE PRODIGAL CHILDREN"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR THOSE WHO HAVE PRODIGAL CHILDREN"

PROVERBS 8:17 I love those who love me, And those who seek me diligently will find me.

Some explanatory thoughts and application:

1. God is love, and He states here in this verse of His love for people.

2. That love for people, would include your prodigal child, or children as the case may be.

3. God also says He loves those who love Him. 

4. Prodigals are in love with everyone and everything but God at this moment. 

5. But, God is able to change all that.

6. Jesus gave us the story of the prodigal son in Luke 16 to encourage us that prodigals can change.

7. When a person seeks the Lord diligently, they will find God. 

A prayer for your prodigal(s):

Father, we thank You for Your love for our prodigal(s). You love them just as much as You love anyone. You loved us ourselves when we were not loving You, and You drew us to Yourself. We pray that You might show and reveal and allow Your love for our prodigal(s) to become so clear and overwhelming to them, and deliver them from any false ideas they may have about how You view them, and what You think of them, and what You desire for them. 

We also pray that You would bring the needed conviction into their lonely, empty, and sad souls. Give them the gift of repentance, and bring restoration back to You into their lives. Please help us to diligently pray for them. Part of the verse in this devotional, speaks of finding You. We Lord as those with prodigals need to find You to help us with our pain and sadness over our prodigals. 

So, Lord, we entrust them to You this day, we know that nothing is impossible with You, and we pray for You Lord to move in upon their lives and bring them back to their right mind, and bring them back to You, and back to us. 

In Jesus’ name. Amen

Pastor Bob Grenier.

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR THOSE WHO FIND THEMSELVES SUDDENLY IN A FIERY TRIAL"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR THOSE WHO FIND THEMSELVES SUDDENLY IN A FIERY TRIAL"

1st Peter 4:12 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you. 

1st Peter 4:13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.

Some Explanatory thoughts and application:

1. Regardless of whether we are in a trial or not, there is still this beautiful and sincere word that God so often uses to speak of His children. It's the word beloved, so, You are beloved today, yesterday, and forevermore. Period. It's a settled fact, this is how God views you. This term beloved, is also translated, Dear friends. That's what it means. We are His dear friends. Again, Period, it's a settled fact. 

2. The first thing God tells His dear friends here, is not to be surprised, or unduly alarmed at the fiery trials and ordeals that you may find yourself going through. There is a reason for this matter that has come into your life.  And the reason is, that God is testing your faith. So, that's the reason, and furthermore, we are told by the Lord here, not to think that it's strange we are going through this trial, not to think it's some abnormal experience. These unexpected fiery trials should not be a surprise is the idea. They happen to all of God's children from time to time. 

3. And, here is the next thing we are told. We are to be glad. Admittedly, that sounds odd, until you read the rest of the verse. 

1st Peter 4:13 Instead, be very glad--because these trials will make you partners with Christ in his suffering, and afterward you will have the wonderful joy of sharing his glory when it is displayed to all the world.

The reason for our rejoicing is that we are sharing in Christ's sufferings. And, one day, when we see Him, in all of His glory and all of His splendor we will be filled with the most tremendous joy. We will have the wonderful joy of sharing His glory when it is displayed to all the world. 

4. I suppose to put this in another way, or to look at the verses and gain from them this perspective. These things are not abnormal. These things do come suddenly, and without warning. So, don't be alarmed, or wonder what has happened to God and where He is, to have let this happen to you. 

5. These verses particularly, (1st Peter 4:13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.) is actually calling us to turn from surprise and alarm to rejoicing. Because we in a very real sense partaking of the sufferings of Christ. And, that beyond this temporal existence, there awaits us the great eternal glory of Christ, which we are going to share in. It's or hope.. It's the big picture. And keeping our eyes on the big picture, always helps us to the keep the smaller details down here, in their proper place. There is more to this life then the fiery trials that come our way. There is eternal glory that is also coming our way. 

A prayer about these things:

Lord, what would we do without Your Word to help set our minds and hearts straight, and to give us Your heavenly, eternal perspective on life? We would be in despair. So, thank You for giving us Your Word, and the Holy Spirit to teach us the truths in Your Word, and to help us put them to use and walk in the Spirit, taking Your Word to heart, and letting it comfort and guide us as we go through life. We pray today for friends, or family that are going through a fiery trial, that we might be able to share these truths with them. In Jesus name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier

Calvary Chapel Visalia

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR THOSE DEALING WITH ANGER AND BITTERNESS"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR THOSE DEALING WITH ANGER AND BITTERNESS"

Eph 4:26 “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath,

Heb 12:15  looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;

Prov 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;

Prov 3:6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

Some explanatory thoughts and application:

1. Anger, is not in and of itself a sin, but, it can lead you to sin. Thus, in Eph 4:26, it's teaching us "do not sin" That is, if you are angry, be careful that it does not lead you to sin.

2. Anger, that is not sinful is a normal reaction in certain times, and in certain circumstances. Even Christ Himself was angry over the misuse of the temple, when those serving the people were taking advantage of the people. 

3. One other thing about anger, is to try and find God's peace before you go to bed. Do not go to bed angry, because you will most likely wake up angrier then when you went to bed, and that can lead to real sin and trouble.

4. Bitterness, is something we are to be careful to avoid. See Heb 12:15 above for an explanation as to why. But, what is bitterness? The word itself means, gall, or a bitter root, that produces bitter fruit. Hatred is included in the meaning of bitterness. 

5. Here is some comfort, and direction when angry and dealing with bitterness, or trying not to let your anger lead you to sin, and when you are trying to stay away from being bitter. See Prov 3:5-6

Here's how it reads in the NLT  

Pro 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.

Prov 3:6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths.

This version is pretty similar to the NKJV, but, you will notice the word depend, in verse 5, and you will notice the word seek in.

Verse 6. Depend on God in your times of dealing with anger and bitterness, and seek the will of God in these times, and the Lord will direct your paths. 

Do you know what the word "direct" means?. It means, straight, right, fitted, good, level, be smooth. to do straight. It's the picture of the Lord making the road ahead easier to travel on. He will show you how to walk, and where to walk, and He will make it easier to walk on that road. He will smooth the road out. 

A prayer:

Lord, You know what it's like to be a human being and to experience many things that make us angry, and can lead us to become bitter and resentful and really ruin our lives, and the lives of others. Would You please help us to take the Word of God in these Scriptures to heart and let them dwell in us deeply, and that we might respond to them and find You helping us. Thank You Father.

Pastor Bob Grenier

Calvary Chapel Visalia

"Sharing Hope through Scripture for Hurting Marriages"

"Sharing Hope through Scripture for Hurting Marriages" 

2nd Peter 1:3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,

Some explanatory thoughts and application:

1. God's Word in this verse directs us to what marriages need when they are hurting.

2. The words, "divine power" speak of God's ability, His help, His strength, His virtue, His power to influence the soul of His people.

3. We are also told here that the Lord has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness. The all things, means just that, all things. Life and Godliness, are 2 ways of speaking of having what we need to live this life in the way God intended it to be lived, and Godliness, is again defining the way life is to be lived. The word Godliness, is actually speaking about reverence and respect towards God Himself. 

4. The concept of respect towards God, includes fearing Him, and living with a dread of displeasing Him. So, when a marriage is hurting the Lord has provided us with all that we need to look to Him, and seek His help, and to allow ourselves to submit our thought, and our feelings, ideas, and cares to Him. It's putting God first in our marriage. God has enabled us to do that, but, it's up to us to do it.

Simply put, it's putting our faith over our feelings, and trusting God and His Word. 

5. Please notice, "through the knowledge of Him" Or through the acknowledging of the Lord. This goes along with what was said under the previous point above, i.e looking to the Lord instead of ourselves. In other words, God has provided all that we need to live our lives the way He intended, and that provision is through Jesus Christ.

6.. Lastly, Peter speaks of the calling in our lives by "Glory and Virtue"  These two words speak of the blessedness of God's grace towards us, which He has called us to receive. Virtue means goodness. God has blessed us by giving us all we need, to live these lives, and He has done it by and through His grace and goodness. He is good, and He is gracious. And, He has called us to grace, and to goodness, to excellence of character in our marriages. 

A prayer:

Lord, there is more hurt going around in marriages then we can possibly imagine. But, You don't have to guess, or imagine. You know the hurt. And, You not only know the hurt, but You have given us all we need to live through and grow through and have victory over the hurt in marriages. It's up to us to believe You, and if we do, then, we find victory over what can seem so hopeless. We who are reading this devotional and this prayer, would pray for ourselves, and the marriages we know of, who may need the truths contained in this devotional today. In short, help all who are hurting, look up to You and receive what You have given, and act upon it in accordance with what pleases You. 

In Jesus’ name, Amen

Pastor Bob Grenier

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR THOSE WHO HAVE LOST A LOVED ONE"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR THOSE WHO HAVE LOST A LOVED ONE"

1st Peter 5:12 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you;

1st Peter 5:13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.

Some explanatory thoughts and application:

1. Please notice how God through Peter addresses His children. "Beloved" which simply means, dearly beloved, or well beloved, or worthy of love. So, for those of us, who have come to faith, we are His "Beloved" 

2. Another thing that God says to us, is "do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you:" There are not many things in life, that are more fiery of a trial, then the loss of a loved one. But, we do lose loved ones, and it is painful. But, the Lord is giving us some comfort here in saying that these types of trials do come.

3. And, there is additional comfort in verse 13, where it talks about our own being in heaven someday. We will see His glory, and we will rejoice with exceeding joy. I'm certain that much of that joy will be in seeing our loved ones who also had come to faith in Christ.

A prayer:

Father, thank You for the hope we have in Christ. Surely there is a hereafter, and our hope will not be disappointed. 

Help us Lord while we are down here to find comfort from Your Word, as we receive it, and let it dwell within us, and respond to it.

We love You.

In Jesus’ name.

Pastor Bob Grenier 

Calvary Chapel Visalia

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR THOSE FACING CRISIS"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR THOSE FACING CRISIS"

Note: A crisis, is defined as a time of intense difficulty, trouble, or danger, perhaps a time where there is trouble in the family, or a time when a difficult or important decision must be made. A turning point in your life. 

Ps 28:7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I will praise Him.

Some explanatory thoughts, and application:

1. This verse tells us a lot about God and the Christian.

2. He is our LORD. The word LORD here, means, "The existing one" It's the proper name for the one true God. So, our LORD exists. He is not a figment of our imagination, He is not a made up character, He exists, and He is so many more things for us.

3. He is also our strength and our shield. Strength, means, fortress, might, and Shield, comes from a word meaning to defend, to surround. So, our Lord is these two things for us, especially as we face crisis. 

4. Here's what David did, in a time of crisis. He trusted in God with his heart. Which resulted in God helping Him. And, it also resulted in David greatly rejoicing and singing a song of praise to the Lord. 

5. When David says "my heart trusted" it means, he had confidence in and hoped with expectancy in God. And, when he says God "helped" him, it means, that God supported him, and comforted him, and gave him aid in his trouble. 

6. Lastly, David talks about rejoicing and singing to the Lord. This is what happens to anyone who puts their trust in God, and it's what will happen to you also, as you put your trust in Him.

A prayer for those facing a crisis at this time:

Lord, we thank You for this beautiful Scripture, which both lifts our hearts to You, and gives us comfort, and it gives us instruction as to what to do in our times of crisis. We pray that today, You might really bring the truth of this Scripture home to our minds and our hearts. We love You very much Lord. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier

Calvary Chapel Visalia

"HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR THOSE WHO ARE BEING LIED ABOUT"

"HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR THOSE WHO ARE BEING LIED ABOUT" 

Pro 6:16 There are six things the LORD hates--no, seven things he detests:

Pro 6:17 haughty eyes a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent,

Pro 6:18 a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong,

Pro 6:19 NLT a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord among brothers.

Exodus 20:16 NKJV  “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

Some explanatory and applicational thoughts:

1. There are some things God hates, and as you can see there is a long list of them above in Pro 6:16-19

2. God also included, not bearing false witness in His Ten Commandments. False witness, means, lying, falsehood, wrongfully, deceitful, liar, to deceive, to defraud, to have a false tongue. We are not to be like this. It's breaking God's law if we do.

3. The word hates, means, " to consider personally offensive and to regard with enmity" Another way of understanding this, is that people who do the things that God hates, have in fact become His enemies. 

4. God is truth, and knows the truth about any and all lies that may be being said to you, or about you

5. God hates lying because He is the source of truth. The Devil is the father of lies, and he cannot tell the truth. 

6. The truth is, that God allows certain things to come our way, and one thing He asks us to do, is to pray for our enemies, who in this case are also His enemies. 

7. One last thought. In heaven, everyone knows the truth. And there is coming a day, either down here, or up there, that lies will be seen and known for what they are. 

A short prayer:

Lord, You were lied about, and until it happens to us, it does not hurt too much. But, when it does, we feel it deeply. You know what it's like, You can sympathize with us in this. You also have asked us to pray for our enemies. So, we would like to do that right now, and right here. Father, would You please extend Your grace, mercy and love to our enemies. We know, that except for Your grace, "There go I" as the saying goes. 

Keep us from lying tongues. Both, our own not telling lies, and from having lies told about us. Let us be those who tell the truth in love. In Jesus’ name. 

Pastor Bob Grenier