Psalm 44:6-8 For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me. But thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever. Selah. When faced with the opposition to Gods’ will the writer of Psalm 44 clearly defines his response. First in what he will not do. He will not rest in his ability to use the bow or the sword. In order to do what is right you have to choose to not do what is wrong. Relying upon ourselves as the source of our strength is always wrong! Second, he places all his dependence upon God. It was not that he would never use his bow or sword. But all that he did flowed from this complete surrender of dependence. Thirdly he chose to praise God! Not for what did but for who He is! When we face opposition to God’s plan let us follow this three step plan. Today let us abandon our self-reliance, place our dependence upon Him, and praise Him for who He is! This will assure that when things around us go wrong we will keep going in the right direction!

Psalm 13:4-5 But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me. Have you ever had a really bad day? When you wondered what in the world was going to happen next? Psalm 13 begins by describing such a day. Then the heart of the writer ends by focusing on God’s mercy, salvation and provision. Today, as we face the challenges that can throw us for a loop let us discipline our heart to think rightly about God. Let us remind ourselves of all that God has done in the past and place our confidence in Him to do what is right when our life is going in the “wrong” direction!

Job 31:6 “Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity.” We know from chapters one and two that Job did not claim to be perfect. Yet in our verse for today Job, in response to the false accusation of His friends, does claim to be a person of integrity. Integrity has been described as the inward condition of doing what is right when the only one who sees you is God! Are we being men and women of integrity? No matter what else is happening around us, are we maintaining our walk with God in areas within our life that no one else sees. Today, let us examine the focus of our minds, the condition of our hearts and the disposition of our spirit. Let us confess what needs to be forsaken and commit to walk with God in all areas of our life. Especially those areas that no one else sees!

Job 8:6 If thou wert pure and upright; surely now he would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous. Today many believers are confronted with the health, wealth and prosperity teaching that often dominates religious TV. This false teaching is not new. Job, in the midst of his heartache, faced it repeatedly. Bildad was seeking to "comfort" Job. He reasoned that God would always prosper the path of the righteous. This is not true. Sometimes the most God-like lives suffer the most severely. Examples: Paul suffering while He served God (2 Corinthians 11:16-29), Old Testament believers who stood for God against sin (Hebrews 11:36-38). Jesus Himself as He experienced the cross (Matthew 27). Today if you are suffering while doing what is right and following God’s will, know you are in good company. Don't allow the devil, others or yourself to throw you in the midst of despair because the bottom has fallen out on the path in which God has led you.. Trust and stay the right course. Leave the consequences of your obedience in His hands. He will guide you by His word, sustain you by his grace and keep you in His love.

II Chronicles 32:7-8 "Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him: With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah." Under the pressure of invasion and the prospect of defeat the King quoting the prophet Elisha (II Kings 6:16) challenges his people to adjust their thinking. To move it away from what they see and how they feel to what they know about God. In the midst of great pressure our feelings can take charge and our spiritual reasoning can take a back seat. We can not turn off how we feel but we can make a choice to surrender how we feel to what we know. Today, when the challenges of life mount and we are tempted to go with how we feel - let's stop and think. Think on the promises, power and presence of God. Allow these truths to ultimately govern your choices and response. We can not turn off how we feel but we can make a choice to surrender how we feel to what we know. Pastor Tony Note: I want to thank everyone who prayed for Karen and me as we were away the past two weeks. It is great to be back and looking forward to the summer ministries that start this Sunday with the beginning of our 8:15 summer service.

11 Chronicles 1:10 Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: for who can judge this thy people, that is so great? Solomon faced a daunting task, leading the nation of Israel. What was his first request? wisdom and knowledge Wisdom is knowing what to do. Knowledge is knowing how to do it. , The will of God for our lives today is no less challenging or important. We are called to make countless choices every day that collectively make up our life. Let us spend time today asking God for the wisdom and knowledge we need. Let us ask in faith knowing that our heavenly Father wants to give us what we need. Pastor Tony Note: The church office will be sending out previous pastors E-note over the next two weeks while Karen and I are on vacation. We are scheduled to be back May 15 – D.V.

Mark 1:38 "And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth." Many times we can confuse complacency with contentment or familiarity with faithfulness. It is true that we are all called to be content with God's will and many times are blessed with a certain level of familiarity in our life. Yet when it comes to seeking to reach the lost we should always be open and ready to step out of our comfort zone. . After spending time in prayer Jesus is ready to "move on" to spread the good news of the gospel. Today, let us with purpose and persistence seek to connect with those who need Christ. Others will not be reached by accident. Pray that God will open the door for you to share Christ. And when he does, go for it!