Author: Charlie Brignac

I am forever a student of the Word and a disciple of Jesus Christ, finding life applications in Scripture. I write about Christian themes, including bringing others to Christ, the matchless name of Jesus and various spiritual concepts like a penitent heart and overcoming darkness. I focus on Christian teachings, personal faith and reliance on the Holy Spirit. I invite you to read through my daily writings. Think them out for yourself through your study of God's Holy Word. Pray on the meaning of the message. Then let the message come alive in your life.

Seeking Wisdom

Jeremiah 33:3
Call to me and I’ll answer you, and will tell you about great and hidden things that you don’t know.

The Word of God is very specific.  Wisdom and understanding concerning all matters of life are available to us.  All we have to do is ask.

The trick is being persistent in asking for wisdom.  It is a building process.  The Lord knows that we are not able to digest too much information at one time.  He will feed us slowly as a baby is fed liquids until it is ready to move on to more solid foods.   

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank you for providing the Holy Spirit to teach us all things, including secret things and inaccessible things.  We humbly ask You to provide us the wisdom that we need to get through each day.  We ask that each day You will build our understanding of who You are so that we may have proper reverence for You.  We rejoice in knowing that one day we will stand before You in the image of Your Son and all of Your glory will be revealed to us.

May the World See Our Joy

Psalm 90:14

Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.

There is nothing on this earth that satisfies like the love of Our Heavenly Father.  He created a void in our hearts that can only be filled by the presence of Jesus in our lives.  When we allow Jesus to be our sustenance, there is nothing that the world can offer that measures up.

Unfortunately, men and women of all walks of life chase every type of earthly pleasure in efforts to fill the void in their hearts.  The fullness of joy will never be felt by them until they turn to their Savior for completion.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we rejoice in the joy in our hearts that You have provided by allowing us to receive Your Son, Jesus, as Our Savior.  May our days be filled with His sweet presence.  May the world know Him by our joyful countenance.

What Value Am I?

Acts 20:24

But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus–the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.

The apostle Paul knew exactly what Jesus called him to do.  He wavered not one iota from his calling.  He endured much to give the people of his time the message of salvation in his sermons and his written letters.  His words continue to educate and inspire over 2000 years later.

Like Paul, Jesus has a calling for our lives.  Surely our calling will not measure up to Paul’s calling, at least not in the eyes of man.  Be keenly aware that what may seem small in the eyes of man is glorious in God’s eyes.  The smallest deed done at the request of Our Heavenly Father can move mountains.  

Prayer
Heavenly Father, open our eyes so that we may see the good work that You ask of us.  Teach us how to separate our own inclinations to service from the calling that You have placed on our lives.  Teach us how to measure our usefulness, not by man’s standards, but by Your good and perfect means.  Strengthen us, Oh Lord, that we may not falter when the enemy tries to demean our work.

The Way of the Cross

John 21:17

He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep”.

Peter, believing his love for Jesus was obvious to Jesus, became frustrated.  So Peter challenged Jesus, saying, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.”  Jesus’ response to Peter’s challenge was essentially, “Prove it.”  

Jesus calls on each of us who love Him to go out and do the work that He was doing.  He tended to all of the needs of the people, all the way to the Cross, because of His love for His Father.  Jesus expects us to take up His work, to take up our cross, because of our love for Him.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, to tend to our every need, especially our need to be freed from the sin that separates us from You.  In response to Your loving kindness, mercy and grace, we surrender our lives to You.  Show us the cross that You have prepared for us.  Instruct us in the way that we should go.  Strengthen us for the journey.  Release your power through us so that others may discover the Way of the Cross.

An All-Consuming Love

John 21:17

A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Jesus asked Peter three times, “Do you love me?”  Peter was not hard of hearing.  The Greek translation reveals that Jesus was referring to a different level of love with each question.  The first question asked of Peter was if he loved Jesus as friends might love one another – eros.  The second question Jesus asked Peter was if he loved Jesus like he might love a brother or sister – philos.  The third time Jesus got to the heart of the matter.  He asked Peter if he had an all-consuming love for His Lord – agape.

As we grow as Christians, Jesus will challenge us until we reach an all-consuming love for Him.  All the along the way, the Holy Spirit will guide us, strengthen us and build us up as we work our way through our own personal journey of sanctification.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank you for the unearned, unconditional love that You have given us, so that we may have a love gift to return to You.  We exalt Your name for willingly sending Your only begotten Son to die on the Cross to cleanse us of our sins, so that we may be deemed acceptable to present our love gift to You.  May Your grace be with us so that we can experience the fullness of Your perfect love and respond with an all-consuming love for You and Your Son, Jesus.

Our Cupboard Is Always Sufficient

1 Kings 17:16

The bowl of flour was not exhausted nor did the jar of oil become empty, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke through Elijah.

Elijah, in accordance with God’s directive, went to the widow in Zarephath and requested that she make him some bread to eat.  She told Elijah that she could not feed him because she only had enough flour and oil to feed her and her son one more meal.  She then told Elijah they would die because their food supply would be exhausted.  Elijah told the woman if she made his meal first that her supply would never be exhausted.  And so it was by the word of the Lord. 

When we feel the call of the Lord to fulfill a service or a charity, we should never concern ourselves with what is in our cupboard.  The Lord will always supply what we need to fulfill His work.  And when the work is done, our cupboard will overflow.

Prayer,
Heavenly Father, we thank You for calling us to do Your good work.  We rejoice in knowing that You will equip us to do whatever you call us to do.  We exalt You as you bless us, knowing we will be a blessing to others.  All praise and glory to You.
  

Our Wonderful Counselor

John 16:31
Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe?

After all the time that Jesus spent with the apostles, He had to take a lengthy amount of time explaining to them who He was.  When He completed His explanation, He posed a question to them, “Do you now believe?”

Somehow as we pray, read the Word, worship and serve God, we manage to lose our sense of who He really is and the certainty of all the promises that He has given us through His Son, Jesus Christ.  We turn toward the world for answers when our all-sufficient Lord has provided us with a Wonderful Counselor who can supply our every need.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, help us to dig deep into our relationship with You.  Help us to dig so deep that we never again turn to the world for counsel without having gone to You first.  Help us to believe for more than we believe is possible through our own efforts.  Teach us how to wait on You for Your good and perfect timing in all things.

Under the Shadow of Almighty God

Psalm 91:1

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

Loving faith on our part will always be met by faithful love, protection and provision on God’s part.  His covering of us is much greater than we can imagine.  If we are abiding in Him, there is no limit to His shadow that is over us.  He protects us at all times from natural and supernatural enemies.  He makes our homes secure.  He is our refuge in every storm.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for the shadow of protection and provision that You place over us when we surrender our lives to You.  Draw us into Your cover by the workings of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  Prepare us to help others who need to learn to how to access Your grace.

Trusting in God for Everything

John 4:11

“Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep.

It is amazing how often we struggle, wondering how our particular situation is going to get resolved.  How little faith we have in Almighty God through whom all things are possible.  But what may be even more amazing is how we have no faith that Almighty God is interested in the smallest needs in our lives when His Word proclaims that He knows the count of every hair on our heads.

Prayer,
Heavenly Father, grant us the faith to trust in You for everything in our lives.  Teach us to come to You boldly with what seems impossible and also come to You confidently with the smallest things that are troubling us.  May Your grace and power never be diminished because of our lack of understanding.

Awaiting God’s Showers

Ezekiel 34:26

And in the proper season I will send the showers they need. There will be showers of blessing.

Everything on earth, whether man, beast or plant, is under the hand of God.  Our all sufficient Lord sends out everything required for sustenance and growth.  And when the timing is right, He sends showers.  When God is ready to spread His grace, be certain that you will not receive drops or droplets.  You will receive showers, not a shower, but plentiful showers.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You that You are our all sufficient Lord. We come humbly before You to praise You for Your abundant nature.  Help us to learn to wait on Your provision.  Help us to learn to wait on the showers of grace that You have already set aside for us.  Help us to prepare our ground so that we will bear much fruit when the showers arrive.