Skip to main content

"You need fuel. Doesn’t take long to burn up a tank."

 

A thought by Max Lucado, from his book, Begin Again (p. 75). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.)

That is so true isn't it?


Max says, "
Boss demands more hours, doctor requires more tests, spouse wants more attention, church needs more volunteers—everyone wants more. Before long you are out of gas. Heaven has an ample supply of energy. But how do you make the connection? How do you put God’s gas in your tank?"

He goes on, "Here is my suggestion. Fill your tank with the promises of God. One student of Scripture spent a year and a half attempting to tally the number of promises God has made to humanity. He came up with 7,487 promises!1 God’s promises are pine trees in the Rocky Mountains of Scripture: abundant, unbending, and perennial. . . You’ll go further on a full tank of his love."

Later he says:

  • "Do critics define your identity? No, because God said, 'Let us make human beings in our image' (Gen. 1:26 NCV). That includes you. 
  • Can challenges deplete your strength? No, because 'we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ' (Rom. 8:17). 
  • You have access to the family fortune. Are you a victim of circumstances? Not in the least. 'When a believing person prays, great things happen' (James 5:16 NCV). 
  • Does God have a place for the small people of the world? You bet he does. 'God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble' (1 Peter 5:5 NKJV). 
  • Can anyone understand what it is like to lead your life? Jesus can. 'Our high priest is able to understand our weaknesses' (Heb. 4:15 NCV). 
  • Do you feel all alone with your problems? You aren’t. Jesus 'is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us' (Rom. 8:34). 
  • Can God ever forgive your failures? He already has. 'There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus' (Rom. 8:1). 
  • Is the grave a dead end? Just the opposite. 'Death has been swallowed up in victory' (1 Cor. 15:54). 
  • Will the sorrow ever end? Sometimes it feels as if it won’t. But God has assured us: 'Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning' (Ps. 30:5 NLT). 
  • Will you have the wisdom and energy for the remainder of your life? No, you won’t. But the Holy Spirit does. 'You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you' (Acts 1:8)." 

Max then says, "Death, failure, betrayal, sickness, disappointment—they cannot take your hope, because they cannot take your Jesus.

And he is so right, isn't he?

Yes, yes!

 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

“There’s a big difference between building a castle and building a kingdom.”

A thought by Bob Goff from his book, Everybody, Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People ( p. 41). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)   Have you ever built a sand castle or maybe a Lego castle?   Have you? Bob says, “We actually build castles all the time, out of our jobs and our families and the things we’ve purchased. Sometimes we even make them out of each other. Some of these castles are impressive too. Lots of people come to admire what we’ve built over the course of our lives and tell us what great castles we have. But Jesus told His friends we weren’t supposed to spend our lives building castles. He said He wanted us to build a kingdom, and there’s a big difference between building a castle and building a kingdom.” Bob goes on, “You see, castles have moats to keep creepy people out, but kingdoms have bridges to let everyone in. Castles have dungeons for people who ha...

“God does big things with small deeds.”

A thought by Max Lucado (2011-05-02) from his book, Cure for the Common Life (p. 115). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) I don’t know how you feel about what you are doing and how it can make a difference.   You may feel that it is so small and not even worth the effort. Max says, “Begin. Just begin! What seems small to you might be huge to someone else. Just ask Bohn Fawkes. During World War II, he piloted a B-17. On one mission he sustained flak from Nazi antiaircraft guns. Even though his gas tanks were hit, the plane did not explode, and Fawkes was able to land the plane. “On the morning following the raid, Fawkes asked his crew chief for the German shell. He wanted to keep a souvenir of his incredible good fortune. The crew chief explained that not just one but eleven shells had been found in the gas tanks, none of which had exploded. “Technicians opened the missiles and found them void of explosive cha...

"Lie 2: The more you worry about it, the better your odds of avoiding it."

A thought by Louie Giglio in his book,   Winning the War on Worry    (p. 5). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Here is another lie that the Enemy uses with us. And Louie says, "This is a tricky lie. Yes, we often have cause for concern and preparation. But the Enemy wants you to believe that if you worry or fret over a certain outcome long enough, you can keep something bad from happening." But this is so important to realize. He says, "The reality is worrying has never once prevented something negative from happening. Planning might. Prayer has. But worry never will." He continues, "The Enemy tells you that by worrying about a situation (or every situation) you can make your tomorrow better. Really, worry just robs you of today. Jesus implored us: 'I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body mor...