If you saw a friend on the side of the road with a flat tire, you would not hesitate to pull over and assist them.  You would help them take the old tire off and put on  the new tire.  You would not just look at them and drive by.  That is your friend and you would do whatever it took to get them back on the road.

Certain life events can slow anyone down and even cause them to stop and not be able to go any further.  That is where you come in.  Everbody is going somewhere on our journey through life and God wants you to help those who need it.  You never know when you will be the one in need.  It’s a sin not to help if you have it in your power to help someone else.  A word of encouragement, providing a meal to a family in need, mowing a neighbor’s lawn or just calling someone up just to say ‘hello’ will go a long way to impact the life of someone who needs a friend today.  We are all so busy and many of us do not even slow down long enough to see a brother or sister in need.  We are so self-centered that nothing else matters but what we are going through.

Lend a hand to someone; let them know that you are willing to pull over and help them get back on the road.  The Bible tells us that what we have done to the least we have done to our Lord Jesus Christ.  Become the hands and feet of Jesus.  You may be the light that opens their heart to receive the greatest gift of all – eternal life.  We are known by our love for one another.  Make a difference and remember what you sow, you will also reap.

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

It’s not easy to let go and accept the things we can’t change, and sometimes it’s even harder to change the things that need to be changed; and harder yet, is to have the wisdom to be able to distinguish between the two.   Wisdom is the key to living a successful life and if you don’t have it, the good news is all you need to do is ask God for it.  God will not hold back.  He has promised that if you ask for wisdom, He will give it to you.  The Bible tells us that wisdom from above is pure, peaceable, gentle, full of mercy.  You know when you have wisdom.  Some people describe it as that gut feeling you have deep inside that is directing you on what you should or should not do.  It’s been said that wisdom is a lifetime of listening when you would rather have been talking.

Wisdom begins with prayer.  When challenges come in your life, the first person you should talk to is God.  God not only hears your prayers but He will answer your prayers.  God will speak to you through a word from another person you trust.  God will also make sure you hear a certain sermon, or song that will minister to your soul and you will immediately recognize that it was not just coincidence.  Pray daily.  Make God a part of your personal life every day and ask Him to get involved in everything you are involved in and you will feel His presence because He is faithful.

Often, God makes us wait and it is not an easy thing to wait upon the Lord.  It is difficult but it is also rewarding.  Waiting is not a waste of time.  It is for your benefit.  Know that God is working behind the scenes not only on the matters that concern you but He is also working on you.  Over time, you will discover that the things that use to bother you no longer bother you.  You will discover that your compassion for others has grown.  You are able to see the little things going on all around you and it is all making you into a gentle and loving person.

Wisdom will also help you to accept what God allows to happen in your life.  In this life we will have trouble so says the Word of God.  You cannot get angry at God because He let trouble come your way.  Wisdom will help you to understand all things will work together for your good.  Your part in trouble is to be faithful to God and trust Him.  Surrender everything to Him and know that God has not stopped loving you, but it is because He loves you, He will turn things around for your good.  When you are able to say as a child of God “not my will but your will be done” you have obtained wisdom that will enable you to live a victorious life.

God wants you to be happy and fulfilled and the only way to do that is to have wisdom, pray, learn to wait on God and to accept what God allows into your life. Then, you will be able to accept the things you cannot change; change the things you can and be able to know the difference.

I’ve often wondered why athletes always say “Hi Mom” when they are being interviewed and never “Hi Dad.”  Could it be that Mothers hold a special place in the heart of their children that no one else comes close to?

Today is the day we honor our Mothers.  You can’t put a price tag on her value when you consider all the many roles she has to play day in and day out.  Mothers protect, support, teach and remain loyal all the days of their children’s lives.  Mothers have a natural instinct that is amazing to watch.  Mothers are the first teacher that a child will ever have and their influence will go far beyond any other influence in a child’s life. No matter what her child goes through, whether it be good or bad, whether her child follows her advice or not, a Mother will never stop loving her child.

Children, if you are blessed to still have your Mother with you, show her that you appreciate everything that she has gone through for you.  If your Mother is no longer alive, stop and thank God for all that she taught you.  You will never know all that she went through to mold you into the man or woman God wants you to be.  Fathers, show your appreciation to your wife for being the Mother of your children by blessing her with something special today.

Mothers, I salute you and I pray that you are known as a Provers 31 woman.  Thank you for all the tears you have shed; the times no one stopped to thank you for the sacrifices you made both seen and unseen and for your faithfulness and comitment to your Family.

Heavenly Father, I ask that you bless Mothers all over the world today.  Give them the strength they need from day to day.  Give them wisdom and courage to face tomorrow and give them the desires of their hearts.  In Jesus name.  Amen.

It’s safe to say that not all of us have a true friend.  You might have many aquaintances and a few people that you spend time with but a true friend is hard to come by.  A true friend is there with you when everyone else has left you.  A true friend is loyal, dependable and committed to helping you to become all that God wants you to be.  A true friend refreshes you when you are down and reminds you of all the times you have bounced back in the past and assures you that you will do it again.  A true friend remains by your side when everything is going right and refuses to leave when everything is going wrong.  A true friend is not with you only for as long as you meet their needs, but is with you when he/she has to do all the giving because you are not able to. There is a beautiful illustration of a true friend in 2 Timothy 1:16.  Paul gives us insight as to his relationship with Onesiphorus, the one who ‘refreshed’ him.

Refreshing each other should be the goal of every true friendship.  People will come and go in your life.  Each has a specific part to play in making you who you are intended to be.  Some will be in your life for a season; others will be there during the good, the bad and the ugly.  Once the people in your life have proven what part they are to play, you will cherish the ones who define what is real and what is not.  Unfortunately, some people will want to be a part of your life only because of what you can do for them.  They are not real.  Fortunately, some people,maybe one or two, will  take your hand and go with you no matter where your journey takes you.  Thank God for those people and make it a point to be as good a friend to them as they are to you.  Iron sharpens iron so do whatever you can to refresh your friend(s).  A little act of kindness may be just the thing to heal their broken heart.

If you are wishing for a true friend today, there is a friend who will stick closer to you than a brother.  This friend will never leave you nor forsake you.  This friend will take you by your right hand and tell you not to fear because He will help you.  (Isaiah 41:13). What a friend we have in Jesus.  Jesus Christ is the best friend you will ever find.  Seek Him today and you will find him.  He will impact your life in such a way that you will eagerly want to introduce Him to others who are lonely, hurting, fearful and afraid.  You don’t have to be alone another day.  Jesus will love you like no one else.  Jesus is a true friend!