Mark 16:3 “And they (the women mentioned in verse 1-2) said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?”

The ladies mentioned in Mark 16 had faith. It was imperfect and incomplete. (They did not understand the resurrection.) Yet they had faith that caused them to do what they could with what they had, in the situation they found themselves, and to the best of their understanding.

They were rewarded by being the first to see the empty tomb and hear the official proclamation that Christ had risen.

We all need to act upon that which we do know, and trust God to reveal that which we need to learn.

Today let us commit ourselves to acting on the faith we have.  At the same time let us humbly depend upon Him to work out His will in and around us.

Proverbs 13:10 “Only by pride cometh contention…”

Do you find yourself eventually at odds with everyone you come in contact with?

While conflicts can be complex both in their origin and expression we know that at the center of each conflict pride abides.

You cannot control what other people do or say. But you can and are responsible to do right yourself.

Today let us take inventory of our own hearts.  Let us ask God to show us any measure of pride within our hearts and minds. Then ask Him to remove it from us.

May we ask God to make our hearts a “pride - free zone”!

Mark 9:29 “And he (Jesus) said unto them (disciples) This kind came not forth by nothing, but prayer and fasting.”

In the previous verses the disciples were not able to deliver a boy from demon

possession. Jesus then performs the miracle and adds this rebuke. There are times that

nothing will happen without prayer and fasting.

Have you ever tried very hard to do something very good with nothing to show for it?

This happens to all of us and can happen for a variety of reasons.  Sometimes, though it

is a good thing, it is not God’s will.  Sometimes it is because we don’t see the whole picture

so we can’t really judge the true outcome.  But, sometimes it is because of the lack of prayer and fasting.

Let us not reduce the power of prayer to a set amount of minutes or level of

frequency. But let us live today, and every day, with an understanding and commitment

to spending time in prayer. Then as God directs, let us spend time in fasting along with

our prayers. 

Mark 5:19  Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.


Jesus delivered this man from demonic possession.

His life was changed and he wanted to go with Jesus.

But as sometimes occurs God had other plans.

The desire on the part of the delivered man was noble, good, and it made sense.

Yet Christ said return to those you know and share what God has done for you.

Have you ever had worthy ambitions overridden by the will of God?

Stop wishing you could be, do, or go someplace else.

Are you where God has placed you doing that which He has called you to do? Then let that be enough. Stop trying to remove yourself from the best place on earth, the location of God's will.

Each day is filled with countless opportunities but the ones that are best are those chosen by the will of our Father.

So today let’s embrace the tasks He has for us. Be content in the circumstance of His choosing and reach out to others who need to hear the Good News!

Happy FIRST TUESDAY of 2014!