BVOV Magazine 2013 - present

God Can Handle It That was the plan of God. He didn’t intend for those disciples to be at the mercy of the world’s resources that day. He intended them to be the source of those resources! Had they realized that, they would have answered Jesus’ question correctly when He asked them, “Where will we buy food that these may eat?” They would have answered, “LORD, there’s no place on earth that has enough food for this crowd. It’s going to have to come from heaven!” The same thing is true for you today. You don’t have enough natural resources to be the kind of BLESSING to the world God wants you to be. You can’t work enough hours to bring in all the money God desires to put in your hands. That means there’s another way to get those finances. You’ll just have to take the little God has put in your hands and expect Him to multiply it! Instead of looking to your limited resources in this earth, you’ll have to look to the unlimited resources of heaven! But to do that, you’ll have to stop sitting around thinking about your own puny financial ability and what you can or can’t do. Stop thinking within yourself and start thinking outside yourself. Start thinking inside The WORD and what God can do. When you get outside of yourself and begin to think inside The WORD of God, you get outside of your limitations and into the limitless power of Almighty God! And His power truly is limitless! He can handle any financial need this world can come up with. In fact, all of them together don’t put any kind of strain on God’s resources. You could take all the wealth in the world and put it together in a pile and it wouldn’t impress God for five seconds. He created it all! So stop thinking about what you can’t do and start thinking about what He can do. When there’s a pressing financial need and you start to think, How in the world am I ever going to get enough to…? Don’t even finish that thought! Instead, start thinking about Jesus. Let His WORD talk to you. Open your mouth and say, “My God supplies all my needs according to His riches in glory! He is able to make all grace abound toward me, that I, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work!” Start thinking outside yourself and inside The WORD—and let Jesus BLESS the world through you! V POINTS TO GET YOU THERE: 1. God can do more than just prosper you personally, He is able to make you a financial BLESSING to others as well. (2 Cor. 9:8) 2. God’s prospering grace works first in your life by prompting you to give. (2 Cor. 8:1-2) 3. If you only have a little to give, start there, and believe God to multiply the seed that you sow. (2 Cor. 9:10) 4. Giving starts the receiving cycle. (Luke 6:38) ************************************ ************************************ ************************************ Deadly Arrows by Keith Moore In Psalm 64:3, David compared words to arrows. The wicked, he said, “sharpen their tongues like swords and aim cruel words like deadly arrows” ("New International Version"). I was reminded of this comparison some years ago when I was given a compound bow and a set of razor-tipped arrows. Because of its power and the sharpness of the arrows, this bow is a lethal weapon. Consequently, I have to be careful how I use it. As long as I have the bowstring in my hand, I’m in control of the arrow. But the moment I release the string, it’s no longer in my control. The arrow will simply go where it was pointed. I cannot get it back or slow it down. Once I’ve loosed it, it’s on its way to a target. And that’s exactly how words are. As long as words are in your mind and in your heart, as long as you haven’t spoken them, you’ve got your hand on the bowstring. You’re still in control. You can let the bow back down and not shoot at all. But if you let go of the string—speak the words—the arrow flies. There’s no way you can recall words once they’re spoken. And if your words are “deadly arrows,” they may do unintended harm. Suppose I carry my bow to work some morning when I’m angry and just start shooting arrows in every direction. What happens? When I cool off and look, I see people lying all around with arrows sticking out of them. Of course, I can run over to the nearest victim and apologize. “Oh, man, I’m sorry. I was upset about something. I didn’t mean to shoot you. I wasn’t even thinking about you. I wasn’t aiming for you. I was just shooting. I’m sorry!” But the trouble is—you’re still shot! I can pull the arrow out and pour oil and wine on the wound, but no matter how much I apologize, I can’t unsay the words that wounded you. You’re still shot, and I have some idle words to give account of to God (Matthew 12:36). We can avoid disasters like this by following the principles in God’s Word. Proverbs 15:28 says, “The heart of the righteous studieth to answer: but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things.” And James 1:19 tells us to be “slow to speak.” So, the next time you’re tempted to “shoot off your mouth,” stop and consider whether your words may become “deadly arrows.” Study the effect of your words before you speak, and then you won’t have to apologize for them later. V Keith Moore is founder and president of Moore Life Ministries and Faith Life Church in both Branson, Mo., and Sarasota, Fla. For more information visit moorelife.org. BVOV : 25

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