Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea. JOHN21:1 NKJV

The disciples, experienced fishermen, fished all night and caught nothing. We all know what that feels like, right? Next morning Jesus appeared on the shore and said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat and you will find some” (Jn 21:6 NKJV). One hundred and fifty-three fish, to be exact! This story teaches us three things about Jesus:

(1) Usually, you find Him at the end of your struggle. As long as you think you can do it successfully on your own, He will let you try. And as long as what worked for you before is still working, you won’t reach out to Him for help. It’s only when you run out of answers that you discover it’s “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit saith the Lord” (Zec 4:6).

(2) He never takes His eye off you. “When the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; and yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus” (jn 21:4 NKJV). They couldn’t see Him but He could see them. In spite of your emotional upheaval, your disappointment in those you trusted, and the futility of your own efforts, you’re never beyond His care-or His reach.

(3) He invites you to come and dine. That night He fed them and had fellowship with them. As a result their doubts dissolved, their faith was renewed and they were empowered to go out and do His work. It’s back to basics! The answers you seek and the strength you need can be found only by feeding on God’s Word and fellowshipping with Him in prayer. Simply stated: nothing else works.

Taken from THE BEST OF THE WORD FOR YOU TODAY

Keenan: What do you call leprechauns who collect aluminum cans, used newspapers and plastic bottles?

Liam: What?

Keenan: “Wee-cyclers!”

Tim: How can you tell if a leprechaun likes your joke?

Rob: How?

Tim: He’s Dublin over with laughter!

Jon: How can you tell if a potato is not from Ireland?

Sami: Not sure.

Jon: When it’s a French fry.

Jack: On what musical instrument did the show-off musician play his St. Patrick’s Day tunes?

Ally: I have no idea.

Jack: On his brag-pipes.

MARCH 18

Study to [show yourself] approved unto God, a workman. 2 TIMOTHY 2:15

Our bodies don’t work too well without adequate exercise; neither do our minds! Ever go back upstairs to remind yourself of why you originally went downstairs? Are names, numbers and appointments you remembered effortlessly in the past becoming increasingly elusive? Do you sometimes wonder if you’re “losing it?” Doctors say that in most cases mindless hours in front of television, avoiding intellectual stimulation and exertion, result in the shrinking of our mind’s capacity, including our memory. “Brain fitness” experts assure us that our brains don’t grow old from working too hard, but from hardly working at all, “Brain plasticity” – the capacity of our mind to retain or regain flexibility-is a matter of exercise. When you just let your mind “veg” and don’t stretch it with thoughtful reading, rational thinking, intelligent analysis and conversation, it loses plasticity and becomes old at any age. On the other hand, if you challenge your mind regularly, your brain gets younger as you get older. (The problem is not how old your brain is, but how old your thinking is.) Here’s a great way to strengthen your mind: “Study to [show yourself] approved unto God, a workman … that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth.” The word “study” in Greek text means to exert yourself mentally, to push your mind to study God’s Word. Like a “workman,” make it work! God promises that if you meditate on His Word daily you’ll become” like a tree planted by streams of water. .. which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers” (Ps 1:3 NN). Don’t let your mind “wither,” exercise and strengthen it by studying the Scriptures!

Taken from THE BEST OF THE WORD FOR YOU TODAY

Joe: Why shouldn’t you iron a four-leaf clover?

Bob: Tell me.

Joe: You might press your luck!

Sean: What happens if you fall in the Irish Sea on St. Patrick’s Day?

David: No idea.

Sean: You get wet!

You have heard of the perseverance of Job. JAMES 5:11 NKJV

There are four faces of the man of God in the book of Ezekiel: a lion, an eagle, a man, and an ox. The last face, the ox, speaks of perseverance. The ox is a plodder. He will plow from sunup till sundown. Put him in a stall, feed him, and next day he’ll plow and plod until the task is complete. He refuses to quit. Look at Job, attending the funeral of his ten children, losing his wealth and his health, listening to a wife with a tongue sharp enough to dip a hedge. Yet despite all her dour words he didn’t quit. Learn from him! “You have heard of the perseverance of Job, and seen the end intended by the Lord.” Job focused on the end-goal, not the immediate circumstance. Our problem is, we want it all now. A billboard reads, “Antiques manufactured while you wait.” Life doesn’t work that way! There are times when quitting looks good, defeat inescapable and retreat the only option. The question is, how will you handle these times? David Ben-Gurion observed: “Courage is a special kind of knowledge; the knowledge of how to fear what ought to be feared and how not to fear what ought not to be feared. From this knowledge comes an inner strength that inspires us to push on in the face of great difficulty. What can seem impossible is often possible with courage.” So whatever difficulties you’re facing today, draw on God’s grace and keep trying. Mountains only seem so high from the valley. The road to success runs uphill; don’t expect to break any speed records. The thing to try when all else fails is-begin again!

Taken from the BEST OF THE WORD FOR YOU TODAY

David: Mom, I met an Irish boy on St. Patrick’s Day.

Mom: Oh, really?

David: No, O’Reilly!

Peyton: What did the leprechaun say on March 17?

Cody: I dunno.

Peyton: “Irish you a Happy St. Patrick’s Day!”

Danni: Knock. Knock.

Izzy: Who’s there?

Danni: Warren.

Izzy: Warren who?

Danni: Warren any green today?

MARCH 20

Above all … guard your heart. PROVERBS 4:23 NIV

Jesus said, “Anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Mt 5:28 NIV). Why did Jesus say this? Because every lustful glance damages your marriage bond. The less you desire your mate, the more you’ll look for things in them to justify your fantasies. And the saddest part is, you’ll never know how good your marriage could have been.

To win, you must decide once and for all to be fully committed to God. Here are three Scriptures you need to live by:

(1) “I have made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully” (Job 31:1 NIV). Before David got into trouble with Bathsheba we read: “He saw a woman bathing … inquired about the woman … and took her” (2Sa Ll :2-4 NKJV). Pay close attention to the progression: “saw,” “inquired,” “took.” If what

you’re looking at is not yours, pull your eyes away immediately.

(2) “Take captive every thought … make it obedient to Christ” (2Co 10:5 NIV). Police your mind. Instead of giving in to your daydreams or the internet or magazines, etc. fill your mind with God’s Word and memories of your best moments with your mate. “Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin

against thee” (Ps 119:11).

(3) “Above all…guard your heart.” Work on strengthening your bond with your mate. Decide to love even when you don’t feel like it, and your love will begin to blossom. And if you need to, find someone who can help you. “A brother is born for adversity” (PI’ 17:17). Sometimes the difference between victory and defeat can be as little as five or ten minutes on the telephone, talking and praying with someone who understands.

Taken from THE BEST OF THE WORD FOR YOU TODAY

Jamie: Why did St. Patrick drive all the snakes out of Ireland?

Ashley: Why?

Jamie: Airplanes weren’t invented yet.

Katelynn: What did the leprechaun say when the video game ended?

Molly: What?

Katelynn: Game clover!

Carrot: Knock, knock.

Potato: Who’s there?

Carrot: Irish stew.

Potato: Irish stew, who?

Carrot: Irish stew in the name of the law.

I have found David … a man after My own heart. ACTS 13:22 NKJV

Bible says: “And David said with longing, ‘Oh, that someone would give me a drink of the water from the well of Bethlehem’ … So the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, drew water from the well … took it and brought it to David. Nevertheless he would not drink it” (2Sa 23:15-16 NKJV). There are two important lessons here:

(1) You must surround yourself with the right people. Unlike those who are only “in it for what they can get out of it,” these men had only one thing in mind: to serve their king and promote his kingdom. No wonder David said, “I am a companion of … those who keep Your precepts” (Ps 119:63 NKJV).

(2) You must refuse to settle for less than Cod’s best. These men risked their lives to bring David a cup of water; yet he poured it out on the ground before the Lord. David was saying: “I refuse to settle for a cup, I want the well; I must be connected to the life source.” Stop treating God like a janitor you call when

you’ve made a mess and need someone to clean it up; or as your “go to” person when you need something you can’t otherwise get. Don’t go to God for a miracle, go for a relationship – and you can walk in His miraculous provisions every day. “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty” (Ps 91:1 NKJV). Note the words “dwells” and” abide.” Instead of commuting in and out, stay in contact with God and all that He has will be available to you.

Taken from THE BEST OF THE WORD FOR YOU TODAY

A man observed a woman in the grocery store with a three-year-old girl in her basket. As they passed the cookie section, the little girl asked for cookies and her mother told her, “No.” The little girl immediately began to whine and fuss, and the mother said quietly, “Now Monica, we just have half of the aisles left to go through – don’t be upset. It won’t be long now.”

Soon, they came to the candy aisle and the little girl began to shout for candy. When told she couldn’t have any, she began to cry. The mother said, “There, there, Monica, don’t cry – only two more aisles to go and then we’ll be checking out.”

When they got to the checkout stand, the little girl immediately began to clamor for gum and burst into a terrible tantrum upon discovering there’d be no gum purchased.

The mother said serenely, “Monica, we’ll be through this check out stand in 5 minutes and then you can go home and have a nice nap.”

​The man followed them out to the parking lot and stopped the woman to compliment her. “I couldn’t help noticing how patient you were with little Monica,” he began. The mother replied, “I’m Monica – my little girl’s name is Tammy.”