Apr 2, 2026 – Look
JA – “No matter how many difficulties you face, the outcome of your faith – the salvation of your soul – is secure. This is true for all who really trust Me as Savior-God. As you rejoice in your glorious heavenly future, let your light shine before other people.” See 1 Peter 1:8-9 and Matthew 5:16.
Prevail #92 – 1 Chronicles 29:4 – “Everything we have has come from you, and we give you only what you first gave us!” Just eight chapters ago, King David was succumbing to temptation; but, Larson tells us that, as he was “nearing the end of his earthly life,” he wanted to impart his wisdom, from the lessons he learned, to his son: “He instructed Solomon to follow the Lord wholeheartedly. David gave God credit for his victories and thanked Him for his blessings.” Solomon at least started well; but, he didn’t course correct like his father always did.
Larson offers this encouragement, “The sooner you come to believe that every good gift comes from God and that you have all you need in Him, the sooner you can live with a heart of freedom, peace, and rest. And the sooner your life will become a pure and beautiful offering to the One who made you and who has entrusted great gifs to you…. Open your hands, receive everything God has promised, and then offer it back up to Him.”
Utmost – Acts 9:17 – “The Lord…hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight.” Chambers explains, “When Paul received his sight he received spiritually an insight into the Person of Jesus Christ, and the whole of his subsequent life and preaching was nothing but Jesus Christ…. Never allow anything to deflect you from insight into Jesus Christ. It is the test of whether you are spiritual or not. To be unspiritual means that other things have a growing fascination for you.”
Streams – Exodus 16:10 – “They looked…and there was the glory of the LORD appearing in the cloud.” Cowman suggests, “You should get into the habit of looking for the silver lining of storm clouds. And once you have found it, continue to focus on it rather than the dark gray of the center. Do not yield to discouragement no matter how severely stressed or surrounded by problems you may be. A discouraged soul is in a helpless state, being neither able to ‘stand against the devil’s schemes’ (Eph. 6:11) himself nor able to prevail in prayer for others…. Search for specific promises of God…. pour your heart out to God, asking Him to rebuke the Adversary who is so mercilessly harassing you…. the Holy Spirit will reawaken your faith and breathe God’s divine strength into your soul…. There is no time for my soul to retreat. Keep your skyward look, my soul; keep your skyward look!”
Japanese proverb – “We can never see the sunrise by looking toward the west.”
Power – Joyce adds to the warning about staying focused on God in her title, “Don’t Give the Devil an Opening in Your Life.” She is teaching from John 14:30 as she writes, “Jesus told His disciples He would be leaving the world very soon. The suffering He was about to endure was unimaginable, but Jesus was determined not to speak words that would give Satan an opportunity to hinder the plan of God. Nothing takes more self-control than not speaking negatively in a negative situation…. But in times like that, you need to go deeper, thinking and speaking out of your renewed spirit.”
JC – “Your deepest, most constant need is for My Peace. I have planted Peace in the garden of your heart, where I live; but there are weeds growing there too: pride, worry, selfishness, unbelief. I am the Gardener, and I am working to rid your heart of those weeds…. When you trust Me in the midst of trouble, Peace flourishes and weeds die away.”
Simpson shares some very meaningful closing thoughts, “It is easier for a consecrated Christian to live an out and out life for God than to live a mixed life. A soul redeemed and sanctified by Christ is too large for the shoals and sands of a selfish, worldly, sinful life. The great steamship, St. Paul, could sail in deep water without an effort, but she could make no progress in the shallow pool, or on the Long Branch sands; the smallest tugboat is worth a dozen of her there; but out in mid-ocean she could outdistance them in an hour. Beloved, your life is too large, too glorious, too divine for the small place that you are trying to live in. Your purpose is too petty; arise and dwell on high in the resurrection life of Jesus, and the inspiring hope of His blessed coming.”
