God's Adjustable Wrench

Phil. 4:19

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

A mechanic has an arsenal of tools he can use when making repairs, but there is one implement at his disposal that will fit any nut or bolt, the Adjustable Wrench. Its ability to adjust to any size has made it a valuable asset to anyone who needs it.

As we go through life, there are times we are faced with situations we don’t know how to handle: finances, health, friends, family, and the list could go on forever. Often during those difficult moments, we try to manage them ourselves using the wrong tools and end up breaking more than we fix. It’s then we realize we should have gone to our toolbox, The Word of God, and used the proper tool.

The Lord Jesus has supplied us with the right tool for the right job, His Word. Tucked away between its covers, is an abundance of tools that make any situation we face in life much easier.  One of the gadgets that fit “all our needs” is Phil. 4:19. This verse is the adjustable wrench that will fit any problem we face.

So, the next time you’re faced with a situation, reach into God’s toolbox and use His Adjustable Wrench. I guarantee it will work better than any tool we fabricate.

Louis Edwards

Quote

It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.

Aristotle Onassis

The Peace Speaker

Mark 4:39

And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still.  And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

I remember some of my childhood days living in North Central Texas, a place known to most as Tornado Alley. On one particular day, my brother and I were playing outside. It was a typical hot Texas summer day. The sun pasted against a bright blue backdrop, little wind and no clouds in site. Little did we know about the storm that was brewing from the south.

Without warning, the winds began to pick up and a dark shadow covered our yard. As I looked toward the sky, I noticed the clouds rolled like a boiling caldron ready to bubble over. Large drops of rain pelted our body and sharp jagged edges of lightening flashed through the sky. That was one time mom didn’t have to tell us to come in out of the rain.

My brother and I stood on the porch and watched the pouring rain as it mingled with little balls of ice. The howling sound of the firehouse siren filled the air. I wasn’t shaken by the event until I heard mom’s voice shouting with urgency to get into the house. We all huddled into the bathroom and waited until mom felt it was safe to come out.

Later that evening after watching the news with my parents, I realized what had happened. Not far from where we lived, a tornado had touched down and destroyed several homes in the area.  Fortunately no one was killed or injured.

The disciples were spending another day with Jesus. As they approached the Sea of Galilee, Jesus instructed them to get into the boat; they were going to the other side. Entering the boat, they were unaware of the impending danger ahead.

A short distance into their journey, the winds began to pick up churning the sea tossing the boat from side to side. Waves crashed over the vessel threatening to send it to the bottom. The clouds rolled overhead in an angry torrent. Fearful for their lives, they called out to the master. “Master carest thou not that we parish?” (Mark 4:38) Jesus stood and said, “Peace be still…” and the wind and the sea stood still. The disciples couldn’t understand how one man could calm a storm.

Sometimes we face spiritual storms in our lives that pop-up without warning. They threaten to crush us and destroy the very foundation of our faith. They pound us relentlessly with waves of doubt and fear. They tear at us with the strong winds of discouragement. Just remember when these storms come into your life; you’re not in the boat alone, and Jesus is the peace speaker.

Louis Edwards

Filler Up

Filler Up

Being Filled with the Spirit

There was a time when you could drive your car to a full service gas station and an attendant would greet you with, “Do you want to filler up?” Once given the okay, he would fill the tank, raise the hood, check the fluids, belts, hoses and other components. This was a curtesy offered by the station to insure everything was in proper operating order.

As we live our lives, the troubles and trials of life wear us down leaving us empty and sometimes broken. It is important that we find God’s filling station, His word and time in prayer to allow him to fill us with His Spirit, and find and fix the broken pieces.

Paul instructed the Christians of Ephesus, And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess;
but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;  Giving thanks always for all things unto
God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Eph. 5:18-20

The next time you find yourself running on fumes, your tires running low, battery growing weak, hose about to bust, and belt ready to break; (speaking of your walk with God), pull into Gods filling station and allow the Holy Spirit to fill you up and repair the broken pieces. There was a slogan used by Texaco in the sixties to promote trust in their company that said, “You can trust your car to the man who wears the star.”  Remember, you can trust your heart to the one who created the stars.

Louis Edwards

Shipwrecked

Shipwrecked

A vessel out of Control

 

Text: Prov. 26:20
Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.

There are many large ships in the world, but the Maersk McKinney Moller is the largest of its kind. A container vessel approximately twenty stories high, two hundred feet wide, and thirteen hundred feet long; is capable of carrying more than eighteen thousand, twenty foot containers. The containers, if placed end to end would measure seventy miles long. Yet this behemoth, under the command of a skilled captain, is controlled by a small helm.

There is one muscle of our body that can cause more damage than any other and it

is caged behind our teeth, the tongue.

The saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” is a lie. Many lives have been crushed by venomous words that have been projected from our mouth like searing arrows. Words have changed the course of history. They have shaped the lives of individuals to become mighty men and women; while causing others to fail when they could have succeeded.

 James 3:5-6  tells us: “ Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!

      And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.

Pro_15:4  

A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit.

Don’t let your tongue shipwreck your life or the lives of others.

Louis Edwards

Under His Wings

Luke 13:34

…as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings…

My pastor while preaching one Sunday morning shared with the congregation a frightening experience he encountered as a child on the family farm. In the early morning hours as he turned over in his bed, he noticed a bright orange glow outside his bedroom window. Jumping to his feet to investigate this unusual light, he ran to his window and saw the barn on fire. He rushed to his parent’s room, woke them up, and told him what was happening. His father along with his older brothers rushed to the barn to release the livestock. Later that morning, while looking over the damage, he noticed the charred remains of his prized hen. When he removed the lifeless body, three little chicks emerged unscathed protected by a mothers love. 

Most parents understand this type of selfless love. When a little one is sick with fever, they will spend sleepless nights trying to comfort them, and if necessary take them to a doctor no matter the cost. Some will risk their own life to save that of their child. A mother while giving birth to a baby walks through the valley of the shadow of death for the one she loves. On occasion, a loved one will donate an organ, to give life back to their precious loved one. 

There have been times in my life when I wasn’t aware of the dangers that surrounded me. Hidden traps the enemy had waiting for me, hoping to entangle me in his snare. The master deceiver unleashed an arsenal of weapons trying to destroy me. He tried to crush my character, demolish my family, take the life of the ones I love, and attacked my faith in Him. During these times of uncertainty, I found comfort under His wings. Jesus is the hen that takes me under His wings, protecting me during the fiery trials of my life.

As a child of God, are you facing trials and dangers in your life? Do you feel that the devil has you in his sights? Is the pressure becoming insurmountable? Do you feel like giving up? Run to the out stretched arms of Jesus. He’s waiting to place you under his wings, and protect you from all harm. His love to protect us was proven on the cross of Calvary.

By Louis Edwards 

Against all Odds

Hebrews 12:1 

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

Melissa Stockwell, a U.S. Army Purple Heart recipient, lost her leg when a roadside bomb exploded during a convoy in 2004. Instead of giving up on life, after much physical therapy she trained for the 2008 Paralympic Games. Her dedication and determination made her the record holder for the 100 meter butterfly, and the 100 meter freestyle.  She said, “I can really do anything I want to do, missing leg or not.”

Other athletes like Anthony Robles, who was born with one leg, became the NCAA wrestling champion for the 125 pound class. Legally blind Twenty-four year old Im Dong-Hyun, won two Olympic gold medals in archery. Carrie Johnson, battling an autoimmune disorder that causes pain, fatigue, and weight loss is competing for the third time in the sprint canoeing event for the Olympic Games. She refuses to let Crohn’s disease hold her back. 

Just as some athletes face physical limitations, we too experience difficulties or sin that would hinder us from becoming His star achievers. In Heb. 12:1 we’re instructed to: …lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us. We’re to put aside failures of the past, quit carrying around the sin that He no longer remembers. He said in Ps. 103:12:  As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. If He has forgotten our sin, why should we dig up old bones?

All great athletes will push through the pain and look toward the finish line. We too should …run with patience, the race that is set before us, (Heb. 12:1).

Keep your eye on the finish line, (our heavenly home).  Serve Him with all your heart, and finish a winner.

Recommended reading: Hebrews 12:1-3

Quote:

If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right.

Henry Ford

By: Louis Edwards

Note: The excerpts mentioned about the athelets in this devotion were found in www.beliefnet.com

Diamonds are Forever

James 1:3

Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

   Practically everyone loves diamonds, especially the ladies. If you don’t believe it, watch her face when presenting her with one. 

I remember the first diamond I purchased for my wife was a promise ring with a diamond chip. Okay, so it wasn’t a cut diamond, but it was all I could afford at the time. When I gave her the ring and asked her to marry me, her face beamed with joy. I later learned in our marriage that her aunt asked her for a magnifying glass so she could look for the diamond. Reflecting back to that moment in our lives, we both laugh.

What is it about diamonds that make them such a coveted possession? Is it the value of the gem? Could it be the brilliancy of its beauty? Maybe it’s the design, or the prestige of owning one? Its cost can range from a few dollars to millions of dollars. Many people around the world desire this priceless gem. Its beauty has been displayed by royalty, and worn by a meager soul as a promise given. Whatever the attraction, it’s a jewel that demands attention.

The diamond starts its arduous journey as a piece of coal. After being subjected to extreme pressure and heat over many years, the piece of ore becomes a gem in the rough. To the untrained eye it would appear to be nothing more than a stone, but to a gemologist it’s a master piece in the making.

The creation of a beautiful gem requires years of training.  With this knowledge, a Master Diamond cutter can transform what would appear to be an ordinary stone, into a beautiful work of art for all to admire.

First he examines the stone for any flaws that may obscure its beauty. If any are found, the crystal will be carefully marked to remove any imperfections. A blue print is then made and soon the stone is cut to bring out its hidden beauty.

In the early stages of our lives as a child of God, we were nothing more than an old chunk of coal. But through the fiery trails and pressures in our life, we start taking on the form of a diamond in the rough. The Master takes the crystal in his hands, cuts away the flaws, and removes the rough edges using the cutters wheel. When all is finished, He examines us for brilliancy, color, and grade to be placed in a set for all to see.

If the trials of you faith are wearing you down, and it seems like there is no hope. Just remember, you are a diamond in the rough placed in the Master’s hands. Let him bring out the best in you, so that all may see and glorify Him.

Louis Edwards