Genesis 50:20 - "You have intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people."
If anyone had a reason to hold a bit of a grudge against someone, it was Joseph. But he didn't. His brothers had done some terrible things to him, but he was able to see God's greater plan in it. He also knew it wasn't his place to judge and punish. He forgave the way God wants all of us to forgive others. The way He forgives us - completely.
Sometimes it can be so hard to see the greater glory in our suffering. I struggle with this a lot, which is why I allow my temper to get the better of me. I don't get violent or anything like that. I just get mad and say things I shouldn't.
During the first few years of my sobriety from drug addiction, even though I had been saved during that time, I found it so hard to see God's greater plan for good. I could not figure how God had intended to use me for greater things. I constantly asked, "How and why could my drug addiction be any good?!" As I've grown closer to God over the years since then, I see that it was. For starters, He kept me alive despite two near overdoses. And He has put it on my heart to help others who are struggling with similar problems. My wrong choices all those years ago put me where I'm at today, but God is using them for the greater good of His Kingdom.
I couldn't see that 10 years ago, but I can see it now. All it really took for me to understand was a closer and more intimate relationship with God. That's what He wants with all of us. Not so we can be some easily lead robots. But so He can reveal His great and mighty plans for all of us.
Dear Lord, thank You for putting it on my heart to surrender myself to You so that You could show me Your plans for me. I know You have only revealed part of it for now, but I will gladly take things one step at a time for the glory of Your Kingdom. For those that are struggling with surrendering their hearts and lives to You, I ask for Your continued patience for them while Your Holy Spirit softens their hearts. Your love and grace know no ends, and we are all eternally blessed because of that. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Friday, January 31, 2014
Thursday, January 30, 2014
All It Takes Is A Mustard Seed
John 15:5 - "Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in Me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing."
Keeping our hearts and minds focused on Christ and His plan for us, is what allows us to be fruitful in our lives. His Spirit allows us to produce abundantly more than we could ever accomplish apart from Him.
When things get difficult and don't go the way we expect they should, it can be so hard to see God's plan in it. But it's there! We lose things, people, or jobs and wonder why God would do that. Well, when you plant a fruit tree, and the fruit comes to bear on the branches, you pick it and put it to use. Otherwise, it will weigh down and break off the branches. But also by picking the fruit off, is it allows more fruit to grow in it's place. If you pull off 2 apples, 3 or 4 are going to grow in it's place.
All we have to have to begin with, is a mustard seed's worth to begin with. That is all Jesus needs to work with. His plans for us are perfect and will produce abundant fruit in our lives and the lives of others. He had it all planned out before we were even here (Psalm 139:16). We just have to trust Him with the cultivating. He will pull the fruit off before anything bad happens. He will allow us to bend, but never break under the weight of things that need to go so we can be more fruitful.
Dear Abba Father, thank You for thinking of me before I was ever here. Thank You for pruning and cultivating my tree so that I don't break under the weight of the bad, and am able to produce abundantly under Your care and guidance. I pray for those that are struggling to see Your plan for them. Those that are struggling to trust in Your plans. I pray they will make the choice to surrender to You completely, and realize that You are directing every step of their way for great and mighty things for their lives and Your Kingdom. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Keeping our hearts and minds focused on Christ and His plan for us, is what allows us to be fruitful in our lives. His Spirit allows us to produce abundantly more than we could ever accomplish apart from Him.
When things get difficult and don't go the way we expect they should, it can be so hard to see God's plan in it. But it's there! We lose things, people, or jobs and wonder why God would do that. Well, when you plant a fruit tree, and the fruit comes to bear on the branches, you pick it and put it to use. Otherwise, it will weigh down and break off the branches. But also by picking the fruit off, is it allows more fruit to grow in it's place. If you pull off 2 apples, 3 or 4 are going to grow in it's place.
All we have to have to begin with, is a mustard seed's worth to begin with. That is all Jesus needs to work with. His plans for us are perfect and will produce abundant fruit in our lives and the lives of others. He had it all planned out before we were even here (Psalm 139:16). We just have to trust Him with the cultivating. He will pull the fruit off before anything bad happens. He will allow us to bend, but never break under the weight of things that need to go so we can be more fruitful.
Dear Abba Father, thank You for thinking of me before I was ever here. Thank You for pruning and cultivating my tree so that I don't break under the weight of the bad, and am able to produce abundantly under Your care and guidance. I pray for those that are struggling to see Your plan for them. Those that are struggling to trust in Your plans. I pray they will make the choice to surrender to You completely, and realize that You are directing every step of their way for great and mighty things for their lives and Your Kingdom. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Infectious Love
1 Thessalonians 1:8 - And now the word of the Lord is ringing out from you to people everywhere, even beyond Macedonia and Achaia, for wherever we go we find people telling us about your faith in God.
The deep faith in and love for Christ by the church in Thessalonica was spreading like a wildfire. It was spreading further and faster than others expected.
Remember the show Quantum Leap? It was a show about time travel, and the main character, Dr. Sam Beckett was aimlessly (or so it seemed) traveling around through his own lifetime and trying to put right what once went wrong in certain people's life. In the final episode of the series, Sam was speaking to someone about what he had been doing all this time. The guy asked Sam if he thought he was just going through time and changing one life at a time, to which Sam responded, "Basically, yeah." The man told him he wasn't. He said that the lives he touched, touched others. And those others." It was basically a domino effect.
That's how we should be with the word of God. Sharing God's love with others has that domino effect. It becomes infectious love that has the potential to spread like a wildfire. I have heard some people ask, myself included, that what difference can one person make? The answer is A TON. We never know how God is going to use us, until we surrender ourselves and become obedient to His will. We never know how God is planning to use someone we share the Gospel with, until we do. You never know who's life we could be having an influence on.
Jesus told us to go and make disciples (Matthew 28:19). He didn't say, if you're feeling up to it. He didn't say to worry about what to say. He promised to give us the words we need when we need them. We just need to trust Him and obey our calling from Him.
Dear Lord, thank You for reminding me that I don't need to have a politician's ability to influence people to help them see their way to You. I just need You. You give the abilities needed at the right time. I pray that You will use me to have a positive effect on someone's life for Your Kingdom, because I know that those lives will touch others, and those lives, others. I pray for those that struggle with sharing Your Word because of their lack of confidence in their ability. I pray for Your strength to come upon them so they see that You give the ability, and that is all they need to have confidence and faith in. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Don't Count On The Numbers
1 Chronicles 21:8 - Then David said to God, "I have sinned greatly by taking this census. Please forgive my guilt for doing this foolish thing."
David realized he had made a big mistake. Joab had tried to warn him, but David wasn't listening. When God showed His displeasure, however, David realized his sin.
God doesn't want us to rely on the numbers. I'm sure this hurts the ears of every accountant, but it's true. When we count on men to help us, we are tuning out God and relying on our own flesh. If there is a constant theme we should take away from Bible, is that relying on God for our provision and deliverance is the only way to go.
Look at Joshua, Jehosaphat, Gideon. God gave them specific instructions on how to handle their battles that started and finished with relying on God for their victory, and giving Him the glory for it.
How often do I catch myself at work when I'm given a project by my boss saying, "I got this. I can handle this." I accomplish nothing apart from God. When I am being given praise for a job well done, do I say thanks, or do I give God the glory? I think I owe Someone an apology. I have to remember that it wasn't just me doing the work. I got my abilities from God, and He was the one showing me the way. I have to remember to rely on Him, and not just my own flesh.
Dear Lord, I am truly sorry for not giving You the honor and glory that You deserve. I am nothing without You, and I have to remember that I accomplish all things, not just some, by Your strength and Spirit within me. I pray that through Your wisdom, I will do well in my job and other things in life, so that You may be honored and glorified. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
David realized he had made a big mistake. Joab had tried to warn him, but David wasn't listening. When God showed His displeasure, however, David realized his sin.
God doesn't want us to rely on the numbers. I'm sure this hurts the ears of every accountant, but it's true. When we count on men to help us, we are tuning out God and relying on our own flesh. If there is a constant theme we should take away from Bible, is that relying on God for our provision and deliverance is the only way to go.
Look at Joshua, Jehosaphat, Gideon. God gave them specific instructions on how to handle their battles that started and finished with relying on God for their victory, and giving Him the glory for it.
How often do I catch myself at work when I'm given a project by my boss saying, "I got this. I can handle this." I accomplish nothing apart from God. When I am being given praise for a job well done, do I say thanks, or do I give God the glory? I think I owe Someone an apology. I have to remember that it wasn't just me doing the work. I got my abilities from God, and He was the one showing me the way. I have to remember to rely on Him, and not just my own flesh.
Dear Lord, I am truly sorry for not giving You the honor and glory that You deserve. I am nothing without You, and I have to remember that I accomplish all things, not just some, by Your strength and Spirit within me. I pray that through Your wisdom, I will do well in my job and other things in life, so that You may be honored and glorified. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Monday, January 27, 2014
He Provides What We Need
Philippians 1:19 - For I know that as you pray for me and the Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me, this will lead to my deliverance.
Christ will always give us what we need to get by and thrive in a way that will glorify God. We have to remember to stay faithful, and confidently trust in Him. It may not always seem that way in the moment, but it's true!
In this section of Philippians, Paul is in prison but he is fine with it, because his imprisonment is being used for the glory of God. In verse 12, he is rejoicing because he knows that everything that was happening was helping to spread the Great News of Christ and His Salvation for us.
It's very easy for us to be unhappy with our situation, and sometimes be down right mad about it. It's natural for that to happen. We expect certain things to go certain ways. But if things aren't happening the way we expect or want them to, we have to remind ourselves that it is all part of God's plan. It's not easy for us to think bigger picture in that regards, but it is the best way. And God will deliver us when He is ready.
I have struggled with this quite a bit lately. I have been unhappy at my job for some time now, and things are not showing signs of improvement because of a lack of follow through by upper management. I have been looking for another job, but nothing has panned out yet. I have been getting a little frustrated about the whole situation. I was praying last night and asking God why He hasn't made things happen the way I have been expecting them to go. And then I came across this passage this morning. I love when He does this to me. Through His Word, he shows me that He isn't ready for me to move on yet. He is telling me that He needs me where I am for a little longer. He will deliver me when He is ready, and I need to stay faithful and trusting His plan for me.
The Bible tells us that all things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them (Romans 8:28). Well the great thing is that we are ALL called according to His purpose, and when we are faithful to wait for Him to reveal His purpose to us that is when He shows us the great and mighty things He has for us (Jeremiah 33:3). In the mean time, we stay the course, run the race He has put us in, and strive to finish strong for His glory.
Dear Lord, thank You for answering my prayers. You don't give me the answers I always want, but You always give me the answers I need. I pray for Your continued strength to stay strong in the race You have me in right now, so that I can finish strong when You are ready to move me. I will joyfully wait for You and praise You in the hallway until You open the other door. I pray for those that are struggling to see Your will and purpose for them. I pray their faith will be strengthened by You today, and that if there is anything I can do to help facilitate that for them, You will use me how You see fit. Thank You for waiting for me, and giving me the grace and mercy I didn't deserve, but so desperately needed. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Christ will always give us what we need to get by and thrive in a way that will glorify God. We have to remember to stay faithful, and confidently trust in Him. It may not always seem that way in the moment, but it's true!
In this section of Philippians, Paul is in prison but he is fine with it, because his imprisonment is being used for the glory of God. In verse 12, he is rejoicing because he knows that everything that was happening was helping to spread the Great News of Christ and His Salvation for us.
It's very easy for us to be unhappy with our situation, and sometimes be down right mad about it. It's natural for that to happen. We expect certain things to go certain ways. But if things aren't happening the way we expect or want them to, we have to remind ourselves that it is all part of God's plan. It's not easy for us to think bigger picture in that regards, but it is the best way. And God will deliver us when He is ready.
I have struggled with this quite a bit lately. I have been unhappy at my job for some time now, and things are not showing signs of improvement because of a lack of follow through by upper management. I have been looking for another job, but nothing has panned out yet. I have been getting a little frustrated about the whole situation. I was praying last night and asking God why He hasn't made things happen the way I have been expecting them to go. And then I came across this passage this morning. I love when He does this to me. Through His Word, he shows me that He isn't ready for me to move on yet. He is telling me that He needs me where I am for a little longer. He will deliver me when He is ready, and I need to stay faithful and trusting His plan for me.
The Bible tells us that all things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them (Romans 8:28). Well the great thing is that we are ALL called according to His purpose, and when we are faithful to wait for Him to reveal His purpose to us that is when He shows us the great and mighty things He has for us (Jeremiah 33:3). In the mean time, we stay the course, run the race He has put us in, and strive to finish strong for His glory.
Dear Lord, thank You for answering my prayers. You don't give me the answers I always want, but You always give me the answers I need. I pray for Your continued strength to stay strong in the race You have me in right now, so that I can finish strong when You are ready to move me. I will joyfully wait for You and praise You in the hallway until You open the other door. I pray for those that are struggling to see Your will and purpose for them. I pray their faith will be strengthened by You today, and that if there is anything I can do to help facilitate that for them, You will use me how You see fit. Thank You for waiting for me, and giving me the grace and mercy I didn't deserve, but so desperately needed. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Sunday, January 26, 2014
One Powerful Spirit
Acts 2:41 - Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day - about 3,000 in all.
Once Peter had received the Holy Spirit, he converted 3,000 doubters into believers with his teaching about Jesus Christ, and they were baptized. All in a day's work for God's Holy Spirit. Despite Peter's shortcomings, not to mention his denial of Jesus, God still used him to achieve great things.
God does that for us as well. When we open our hearts to Him and let His Holy Spirit in, He goes to work in our lives to accomplish great things for His Kingdom. We all go through periods of self-doubt, but putting our complete trust in and obedience to God is the fastest way to overcome that doubt.
Even after I had accepted Christ, and sobered up from my addiction, for many years I didn't believe I had much to offer. I went through several years of self-doubt. I knew what skills I had to offer at the different jobs I had, but I didn't have any understanding of God's bigger plan for me. It certainly wasn't God's fault for this. I was the one that didn't make any attempts at a deeper and more intimate relationship with Him.
But once I made that commitment to Him, or re-commitment if you will, 5 years ago, my life made a sharp turn onto the right path. In the last 2 years, with the right teaching and careful study of God's Word, not to mention endless prayer, I have really learned to let go of myself and put my trust in God. That doesn't mean I am perfect or that I don't make mistakes along the way, but it does mean that I know the fastest road back to the right path is found in Him. I am so grateful for the second (and third, fourth, etc...) chances He has given me. I can only pray that the choices I make are the right ones, but I will confidently trust in His guidance.
Dear Lord, thank You for showing me down the right path. You stood on the road waving me over for a long time before I finally made that turn onto your path. I am so blessed by Your patient grace and unfailing love for me. I pray for those that are struggling to find Your path for them. I pray that they will seek Your wisdom and guidance through times of intentional intimacy with You in prayer and in Your Word. I confidently trust that You will be standing on the side of their road to flag them down and steer them in the right direction when they are ready. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Once Peter had received the Holy Spirit, he converted 3,000 doubters into believers with his teaching about Jesus Christ, and they were baptized. All in a day's work for God's Holy Spirit. Despite Peter's shortcomings, not to mention his denial of Jesus, God still used him to achieve great things.
God does that for us as well. When we open our hearts to Him and let His Holy Spirit in, He goes to work in our lives to accomplish great things for His Kingdom. We all go through periods of self-doubt, but putting our complete trust in and obedience to God is the fastest way to overcome that doubt.
Even after I had accepted Christ, and sobered up from my addiction, for many years I didn't believe I had much to offer. I went through several years of self-doubt. I knew what skills I had to offer at the different jobs I had, but I didn't have any understanding of God's bigger plan for me. It certainly wasn't God's fault for this. I was the one that didn't make any attempts at a deeper and more intimate relationship with Him.
But once I made that commitment to Him, or re-commitment if you will, 5 years ago, my life made a sharp turn onto the right path. In the last 2 years, with the right teaching and careful study of God's Word, not to mention endless prayer, I have really learned to let go of myself and put my trust in God. That doesn't mean I am perfect or that I don't make mistakes along the way, but it does mean that I know the fastest road back to the right path is found in Him. I am so grateful for the second (and third, fourth, etc...) chances He has given me. I can only pray that the choices I make are the right ones, but I will confidently trust in His guidance.
Dear Lord, thank You for showing me down the right path. You stood on the road waving me over for a long time before I finally made that turn onto your path. I am so blessed by Your patient grace and unfailing love for me. I pray for those that are struggling to find Your path for them. I pray that they will seek Your wisdom and guidance through times of intentional intimacy with You in prayer and in Your Word. I confidently trust that You will be standing on the side of their road to flag them down and steer them in the right direction when they are ready. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Wait, Him Too?!
Matthew 18:22 - "No, not seven times," Jesus replied, "but seventy times seven."
It can be so difficult to repeatedly forgive someone who sins against you. But it's something we all must do. No matter how much it may hurt at the time, or not make sense, we will receive blessings because of it. And God's blessings make the pain go away.
I have been struggling with this one quite a bit lately. I have a coworker that makes it so hard to forgive him for what he does. Especially when it's directed right at me with the intent to get me in trouble and cost me my job.
Yesterday, I was dealing with an issue with this person, and I mentioned it to a friend. I mentioned how this person just aggravated me to no end. She is such a great friend. She reminded me that he still needed grace and forgiveness no matter what he had done. Such a great reminder.
When God directed me to this passage this morning, for a brief moment, I thought well I only have to forgive him 490 times before I get to punch him in the nose. But then I snapped out of that and remembered that God doesn't remember or keep count of my sins, but He forgives everything and forgets them as well. I have to do the same, no matter how good it might feel to punch this guy in the nose (the coworker).
Dear Lord, thank You for giving me the people in my life that You speak through to reach my stubborn will. I pray that I can return the favor to them, and be a beacon of light for them when they need it. I beg your forgiveness for my stubbornness and being hot-headed at times, and ask You to continue working in my heart so I can overcome these shortfalls and be more like Jesus through Your love and grace. In Your Son's holy name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
It can be so difficult to repeatedly forgive someone who sins against you. But it's something we all must do. No matter how much it may hurt at the time, or not make sense, we will receive blessings because of it. And God's blessings make the pain go away.
I have been struggling with this one quite a bit lately. I have a coworker that makes it so hard to forgive him for what he does. Especially when it's directed right at me with the intent to get me in trouble and cost me my job.
Yesterday, I was dealing with an issue with this person, and I mentioned it to a friend. I mentioned how this person just aggravated me to no end. She is such a great friend. She reminded me that he still needed grace and forgiveness no matter what he had done. Such a great reminder.
When God directed me to this passage this morning, for a brief moment, I thought well I only have to forgive him 490 times before I get to punch him in the nose. But then I snapped out of that and remembered that God doesn't remember or keep count of my sins, but He forgives everything and forgets them as well. I have to do the same, no matter how good it might feel to punch this guy in the nose (the coworker).
Dear Lord, thank You for giving me the people in my life that You speak through to reach my stubborn will. I pray that I can return the favor to them, and be a beacon of light for them when they need it. I beg your forgiveness for my stubbornness and being hot-headed at times, and ask You to continue working in my heart so I can overcome these shortfalls and be more like Jesus through Your love and grace. In Your Son's holy name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Friday, January 24, 2014
We Gotta Mean It
Exodus 9:30 - "But I know that you and your officials still do not fear the Lord God."
Moses knew that Pharaoh's heart was hard because God told Him it would be. He was only saying what he believed Moses, and God, wanted to hear so the plague would be lifted. But Moses saw through it by the grace of God.
How often do we say what we believe God wants to hear in order to receive His blessings? But God knows our hearts. He knows if we really mean it or not. He knows if we are just paying Him lip service. Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:8 that God already knows what we need before we ask it. So why do we just go through the motions of babbling about things that we don't really mean?
That's a good question. People say things they don't mean all the time, not just in prayer to God, but to other people. Is it because they are unsure of themselves and what to say? That's probably a good part of the reason for it. Here's the kicker: God doesn't expect us to be perfect and always know what to say. We expect that of ourselves, but it is an unrealistic expectation because no one is perfect.
When we pray, we will sometimes be at a loss for words. Me being a writer by nature find myself at a loss for words all the time; and that can be hard to deal with and accept sometimes. I catch myself praying and then I just go silent because I don't know what to say. I stopped worrying about it, because I know that God knows my heart, and He knows what I am trying to say even though I don't. Whenever I catch myself stumbling through prayer and not coming up with the words to say, I will usually stop and just say, "God you know my heart and what I'm trying to say." Our God is a very understanding, forgiving, and loving God. He doesn't fault us for being human, but loves us in spite of it. But we gotta mean it.
Dear Lord, thank You for being so understanding and forgiving of all my imperfections and shortcomings. I pray that I will always have the words to say from my heart when I speak to You, however I know that I won't. You know my heart, and You know what I need before I ask for it. I pray for those that get caught up in meaningless chatter with You and everyone in their lives, because they are struggling with the confidence in what to say. I pray that You will put it in their hearts to just trust in You to give them the words to say when they need them, and the wisdom to just be still and quiet during other times. Thank You for Your amazing love and grace. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Moses knew that Pharaoh's heart was hard because God told Him it would be. He was only saying what he believed Moses, and God, wanted to hear so the plague would be lifted. But Moses saw through it by the grace of God.
How often do we say what we believe God wants to hear in order to receive His blessings? But God knows our hearts. He knows if we really mean it or not. He knows if we are just paying Him lip service. Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:8 that God already knows what we need before we ask it. So why do we just go through the motions of babbling about things that we don't really mean?
That's a good question. People say things they don't mean all the time, not just in prayer to God, but to other people. Is it because they are unsure of themselves and what to say? That's probably a good part of the reason for it. Here's the kicker: God doesn't expect us to be perfect and always know what to say. We expect that of ourselves, but it is an unrealistic expectation because no one is perfect.
When we pray, we will sometimes be at a loss for words. Me being a writer by nature find myself at a loss for words all the time; and that can be hard to deal with and accept sometimes. I catch myself praying and then I just go silent because I don't know what to say. I stopped worrying about it, because I know that God knows my heart, and He knows what I am trying to say even though I don't. Whenever I catch myself stumbling through prayer and not coming up with the words to say, I will usually stop and just say, "God you know my heart and what I'm trying to say." Our God is a very understanding, forgiving, and loving God. He doesn't fault us for being human, but loves us in spite of it. But we gotta mean it.
Dear Lord, thank You for being so understanding and forgiving of all my imperfections and shortcomings. I pray that I will always have the words to say from my heart when I speak to You, however I know that I won't. You know my heart, and You know what I need before I ask for it. I pray for those that get caught up in meaningless chatter with You and everyone in their lives, because they are struggling with the confidence in what to say. I pray that You will put it in their hearts to just trust in You to give them the words to say when they need them, and the wisdom to just be still and quiet during other times. Thank You for Your amazing love and grace. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Thursday, January 23, 2014
From Galilee?!
Isaiah 9:1 - Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever. The land of Zebulun and Naphtali will be humbled, but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory.
Isaiah identifies where our hope would come from by naming the specific town that He would be raised in. You can't really get more specific than that! Yet many refused to believe, in particular the high priest and other Pharisees who encountered Jesus. In John 7, the Pharisees said that no prophet ever came from Galilee. Well, Jesus wasn't exactly a prophet. He was the hope and Savior of mankind.
For people who professed to know the Scriptures the way the Pharisees did (and no doubt they did), it amazes me that they would turn an ignorant ear towards Jesus. For us humans, it is difficult to put our trust in someone or something without knowing all the facts. I think had the Pharisees taken the time to really get to know Jesus they could have come to understand and recognize who He was and why He came. But their hearts were hard.
As with all of us, a part of that is that we aren't ready to give up our trust in ourselves, and our own way of doing things. Especially people in power. We think, "Well I got here by doing this and this and having trust and confidence in my abilities for all these years, why should I do any different?" Unfortunately it is so easy to fall into that dangerous way of thinking.
I thought that way for so long. Whenever I would get laid off from a job, I was always confident that I would find another one quickly because of my skills and abilities. But it wasn't my skill and ability that put me in the different jobs I had. It was God directing me, and working in the hearts of those who were hiring. He gave me the skills and abilities I have, so I could be of some use to Him and His Kingdom while I'm here. Just like He gave the skills and abilities to the Pharisees. The problem was they weren't using them the way He had intended; for His glory and to lead people to Him. They exercised their free will to choose to believe in themselves. They chose poorly, as a lot of us do. As I did for so long.
We are all loved by a great and mighty God that wants nothing more than to bless us. He has given us so much in this life, we need to make sure we are being good stewards with the gifts and talents He has given us. When it's hard to see or understand where He is leading you, don't be afraid to ask. He longs for an intimate relationship with you.
Dear Lord, thank You so much for showing me that You are and always have been and will be in control. I know I rebelled and worshiped myself for so long, but I am grateful I came to see the error of my ways, and put my trust and faith in You. I know I will slip up from time to time, but I know You are a loving and forgiving God. I pray for those that are struggling to get out of their own way, and to let You in. I pray their hearts will finally receive Your truth and follow Your light on the path You have for them. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Isaiah identifies where our hope would come from by naming the specific town that He would be raised in. You can't really get more specific than that! Yet many refused to believe, in particular the high priest and other Pharisees who encountered Jesus. In John 7, the Pharisees said that no prophet ever came from Galilee. Well, Jesus wasn't exactly a prophet. He was the hope and Savior of mankind.
For people who professed to know the Scriptures the way the Pharisees did (and no doubt they did), it amazes me that they would turn an ignorant ear towards Jesus. For us humans, it is difficult to put our trust in someone or something without knowing all the facts. I think had the Pharisees taken the time to really get to know Jesus they could have come to understand and recognize who He was and why He came. But their hearts were hard.
As with all of us, a part of that is that we aren't ready to give up our trust in ourselves, and our own way of doing things. Especially people in power. We think, "Well I got here by doing this and this and having trust and confidence in my abilities for all these years, why should I do any different?" Unfortunately it is so easy to fall into that dangerous way of thinking.
I thought that way for so long. Whenever I would get laid off from a job, I was always confident that I would find another one quickly because of my skills and abilities. But it wasn't my skill and ability that put me in the different jobs I had. It was God directing me, and working in the hearts of those who were hiring. He gave me the skills and abilities I have, so I could be of some use to Him and His Kingdom while I'm here. Just like He gave the skills and abilities to the Pharisees. The problem was they weren't using them the way He had intended; for His glory and to lead people to Him. They exercised their free will to choose to believe in themselves. They chose poorly, as a lot of us do. As I did for so long.
We are all loved by a great and mighty God that wants nothing more than to bless us. He has given us so much in this life, we need to make sure we are being good stewards with the gifts and talents He has given us. When it's hard to see or understand where He is leading you, don't be afraid to ask. He longs for an intimate relationship with you.
Dear Lord, thank You so much for showing me that You are and always have been and will be in control. I know I rebelled and worshiped myself for so long, but I am grateful I came to see the error of my ways, and put my trust and faith in You. I know I will slip up from time to time, but I know You are a loving and forgiving God. I pray for those that are struggling to get out of their own way, and to let You in. I pray their hearts will finally receive Your truth and follow Your light on the path You have for them. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
A Way Out
Romans 2:4 - Don't you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can't you see that His kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?
God has indeed been kind, tolerant, and patient with us. He has told us that He doesn't want anyone to die in their sin, because this would keep us separated from God for eternity. So He gave us a way out. He gave us Jesus Christ.
When we accept His holy sacrifice, everything changes for us. We are no longer separated FROM God, we now become set apart TO God. He loves us that much that He made the biggest sacrifice of all, just so He could spend eternity with us.
While it is difficult for me to comprehend why anyone would want to spend eternity with me, I will trust His judgment. He knows much more than I do. I will accept His free gift of salvation, and know that I have been saved by His grace through my faith in Jesus Christ.
Dear Lord, thank You for giving us a way out, through faith in Your Son Jesus Christ. We are so blessed to have such a loving, kind, tolerant, and patient God like You who gives us so many chances to come to You. I pray for those that don't know You and what You have done for them. I pray that their hearts will be softened so they can see the glory of Your love for them and for everyone. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
God has indeed been kind, tolerant, and patient with us. He has told us that He doesn't want anyone to die in their sin, because this would keep us separated from God for eternity. So He gave us a way out. He gave us Jesus Christ.
When we accept His holy sacrifice, everything changes for us. We are no longer separated FROM God, we now become set apart TO God. He loves us that much that He made the biggest sacrifice of all, just so He could spend eternity with us.
While it is difficult for me to comprehend why anyone would want to spend eternity with me, I will trust His judgment. He knows much more than I do. I will accept His free gift of salvation, and know that I have been saved by His grace through my faith in Jesus Christ.
Dear Lord, thank You for giving us a way out, through faith in Your Son Jesus Christ. We are so blessed to have such a loving, kind, tolerant, and patient God like You who gives us so many chances to come to You. I pray for those that don't know You and what You have done for them. I pray that their hearts will be softened so they can see the glory of Your love for them and for everyone. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Mind Yourself
Galatians 6:4-5 - Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won't need to compare yourself to anyone else. For we are each responsible for our own conduct.
Paul reminds us that we are our own keeper. The less we are focusing on things and people that are out of our control, the more we are able to focus on our own conduct and our own relationship with Christ. We can't make people behave, and it is not our job to blame everyone else for our shortfalls and mistakes.
This is a tough lesson for a lot of people to learn. It is very easy for us to play the blame game. Well so-and-so did this, that's why I did that. That's not how it works. Jesus told us to get the log out of our own eye before we worry about the speck in someone else's (Matthew 7). If you truly believe that someone is causing you to sin, then stop being around that person.
Ever work with someone that does that? Man, that can be frustrating. Especially when you're their supervisor. I've worked with someone for the last three years that has yet to accept responsibility for any mistakes he has made. He blames people that don't even work here anymore for things he has done wrong. The bottom line is we cannot make other people change their ways, or be better about how they do things. All we can do is show them the right way with love and grace, but they have to walk the path.
Before we take on responsibility that isn't ours, we have to make sure ourselves are in order. I struggled with this for a while when I first kicked my drug addiction years ago. Understanding and accepting that I was the only person responsible for my addiction is what made me finally able to kick it. Just because someone offered me the drugs one time, does not make them the person responsible for the habit. I was the one that kept going back for more.
Dear Lord, thank You for reminding me to work on the log in my eye before I focus on the speck in someone else's. I must stay mindful that it is not my place to walk the path for them. I have to mind myself and my path, and just show them the love and grace that You have commanded me to. I pray for those that are struggling with accepting responsibility and holding themselves accountable for their decisions and actions. I pray that they will see their log and work on that through a relationship with You. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Paul reminds us that we are our own keeper. The less we are focusing on things and people that are out of our control, the more we are able to focus on our own conduct and our own relationship with Christ. We can't make people behave, and it is not our job to blame everyone else for our shortfalls and mistakes.
This is a tough lesson for a lot of people to learn. It is very easy for us to play the blame game. Well so-and-so did this, that's why I did that. That's not how it works. Jesus told us to get the log out of our own eye before we worry about the speck in someone else's (Matthew 7). If you truly believe that someone is causing you to sin, then stop being around that person.
Ever work with someone that does that? Man, that can be frustrating. Especially when you're their supervisor. I've worked with someone for the last three years that has yet to accept responsibility for any mistakes he has made. He blames people that don't even work here anymore for things he has done wrong. The bottom line is we cannot make other people change their ways, or be better about how they do things. All we can do is show them the right way with love and grace, but they have to walk the path.
Before we take on responsibility that isn't ours, we have to make sure ourselves are in order. I struggled with this for a while when I first kicked my drug addiction years ago. Understanding and accepting that I was the only person responsible for my addiction is what made me finally able to kick it. Just because someone offered me the drugs one time, does not make them the person responsible for the habit. I was the one that kept going back for more.
Dear Lord, thank You for reminding me to work on the log in my eye before I focus on the speck in someone else's. I must stay mindful that it is not my place to walk the path for them. I have to mind myself and my path, and just show them the love and grace that You have commanded me to. I pray for those that are struggling with accepting responsibility and holding themselves accountable for their decisions and actions. I pray that they will see their log and work on that through a relationship with You. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Monday, January 20, 2014
Moving Forward In Grace
2 Timothy 4:11 - Only Luke is with me. Bring Mark with you when you come, for he will be helpful to me in my ministry.
Talk about a change of heart. The same Mark who was the cause of the separation between Paul and Barnabas (Acts 15), has become helpful to Paul. How did Paul, who didn't trust Mark because of his desertion in Pamphylia, come to this change of heart? By grace alone. Years later, through a greater understanding of God's grace towards us, he accepts Mark is a good teacher of the Gospel and a valuable companion to have. Grace can really do amazing things to us when we get out of our own way and let God work.
I love when God speaks to me. Before you start to wonder if I'm hearing voices and destined for the booby hatch, the answer is no not that kind of speaking. He speaks to me through His word (I believe His chosen method for us). I have been reading a great book by Pastor Chuck Swindoll called "The Grace Awakening". The other day, I was reading a chapter all about moving on in grace through disagreements. He spoke about agreeing to disagree in a loving and graceful way, and not to be concerned with who is right or wrong. He made specific references to the disagreement between Paul and Barnabas over Mark, and the apparent reconciliation mentioned here in 2 Timothy.
Today, I came across Titus 3:9 in a devotional I read every morning. The devotional spoke of letting disagreements go and letting God fix the situation (He is much better at things like that, after all). This really convicted my heart because of a huge disagreement that has been going on between me and my mother.
She and I haven't spoken in almost a year. For someone like me who has always been an unashamed "Mama's Boy", that is hard to take. This situation came about not by my choice (I didn't stop talking to her). I can't go into some of the details because it involves other family members that probably don't want to be talked about. At any rate, the fact that I was still talking to certain family members and carrying on a relationship with them, was a huge problem for my mother. She sees things as very black and white - if you're not for me, you're against me. While this does have some merit (Jesus did speak of this), I don't believe it applies here.
I chose to accept all of my family members (Mom, Dad, and everyone else) because I love them. My mom would regularly ask me who I thought was right. I told her, that it doesn't matter what I think about who is right or wrong because I have not been called by God to mediate in quarrels between family members, but I have been called to love everyone, and that's what I'm trying to do. Needless to say, there is a gap in our understanding of each other.
After nearly a year of waiting for her to pick up the phone, write me an e-mail, or a letter (impersonal, but it's still something), I understand that I can't do that. I have to move forward in grace and let her know that while I disagree with her position, especially towards me, I love her and nothing or no one could ever change that. At this point all I can do is make an attempt to reach out, let go, and let God fix it. I can't expect to be able to fix our relationship by relying on my own or her understanding (as we see how well that has worked out for the last year). I have to rely on God's grace to work in her heart. Even though she isn't a believer, it doesn't mean God can't work in her life. He still loves her, and so do I.
Dear Abba Father, thank You for working in my heart like this. Thank You for speaking to me through Your word so I can move forward in grace. Your love is such a blessing to me. I pray for Your strength as I attempt to reach out. I trust that You will work to build the bridge that we have burned, because You are the only One capable of doing so. I pray that although my mother hasn't accepted You in her life, that You will no doubt work in her heart so that she will move forward in grace as well. In the name of Your Precious Son Jesus Christ, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Talk about a change of heart. The same Mark who was the cause of the separation between Paul and Barnabas (Acts 15), has become helpful to Paul. How did Paul, who didn't trust Mark because of his desertion in Pamphylia, come to this change of heart? By grace alone. Years later, through a greater understanding of God's grace towards us, he accepts Mark is a good teacher of the Gospel and a valuable companion to have. Grace can really do amazing things to us when we get out of our own way and let God work.
I love when God speaks to me. Before you start to wonder if I'm hearing voices and destined for the booby hatch, the answer is no not that kind of speaking. He speaks to me through His word (I believe His chosen method for us). I have been reading a great book by Pastor Chuck Swindoll called "The Grace Awakening". The other day, I was reading a chapter all about moving on in grace through disagreements. He spoke about agreeing to disagree in a loving and graceful way, and not to be concerned with who is right or wrong. He made specific references to the disagreement between Paul and Barnabas over Mark, and the apparent reconciliation mentioned here in 2 Timothy.
Today, I came across Titus 3:9 in a devotional I read every morning. The devotional spoke of letting disagreements go and letting God fix the situation (He is much better at things like that, after all). This really convicted my heart because of a huge disagreement that has been going on between me and my mother.
She and I haven't spoken in almost a year. For someone like me who has always been an unashamed "Mama's Boy", that is hard to take. This situation came about not by my choice (I didn't stop talking to her). I can't go into some of the details because it involves other family members that probably don't want to be talked about. At any rate, the fact that I was still talking to certain family members and carrying on a relationship with them, was a huge problem for my mother. She sees things as very black and white - if you're not for me, you're against me. While this does have some merit (Jesus did speak of this), I don't believe it applies here.
I chose to accept all of my family members (Mom, Dad, and everyone else) because I love them. My mom would regularly ask me who I thought was right. I told her, that it doesn't matter what I think about who is right or wrong because I have not been called by God to mediate in quarrels between family members, but I have been called to love everyone, and that's what I'm trying to do. Needless to say, there is a gap in our understanding of each other.
After nearly a year of waiting for her to pick up the phone, write me an e-mail, or a letter (impersonal, but it's still something), I understand that I can't do that. I have to move forward in grace and let her know that while I disagree with her position, especially towards me, I love her and nothing or no one could ever change that. At this point all I can do is make an attempt to reach out, let go, and let God fix it. I can't expect to be able to fix our relationship by relying on my own or her understanding (as we see how well that has worked out for the last year). I have to rely on God's grace to work in her heart. Even though she isn't a believer, it doesn't mean God can't work in her life. He still loves her, and so do I.
Dear Abba Father, thank You for working in my heart like this. Thank You for speaking to me through Your word so I can move forward in grace. Your love is such a blessing to me. I pray for Your strength as I attempt to reach out. I trust that You will work to build the bridge that we have burned, because You are the only One capable of doing so. I pray that although my mother hasn't accepted You in her life, that You will no doubt work in her heart so that she will move forward in grace as well. In the name of Your Precious Son Jesus Christ, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Dare To Be Different
Matthew 5:47 - If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that.
Jesus' words here are so convicting. God chose us and set us apart from the rest of the flock to be His representatives here on earth - to be special. If we're doing all the same things as everyone else, how is that special.
Jesus also reminded us earlier to be humble (Matthew 5:5). He wants us to remember we're special, but don't be prideful about it. Prideful people are typically selfish people. Selfish people don't share the love of Christ. We have been told to go out in the world and make disciples (Matthew 28:19), but to do that, we have to dare to be different. We have to love like Jesus loves. Accept that we are special because God tells us so, and share His love and His promises with everyone. If we are only sharing with those we love...how is that different. Jesus gave us the best example of this with the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4). Samaritans were hated by the Jews. But Jesus shared His Good News of salvation with her, because that's what God wants. What about the tax collectors? Talk about people that had NO friends...one of them became an Apostle.
Dare to love everyone, go against the grain. The Apostle Paul reminds us that three things will last forever - faith, hope, and love - and the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:13). Well put...
Dear Abba Father, thank You so much for making me special. Thank You for putting it in my heart to love everyone, because that's what You did, and that's what You want for me and all of Your special and chosen people. I pray that those who struggle to love everyone regardless will have their hearts softened and their resolve strengthened to follow Your will and purpose for their lives - to love everyone. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Jesus' words here are so convicting. God chose us and set us apart from the rest of the flock to be His representatives here on earth - to be special. If we're doing all the same things as everyone else, how is that special.
Jesus also reminded us earlier to be humble (Matthew 5:5). He wants us to remember we're special, but don't be prideful about it. Prideful people are typically selfish people. Selfish people don't share the love of Christ. We have been told to go out in the world and make disciples (Matthew 28:19), but to do that, we have to dare to be different. We have to love like Jesus loves. Accept that we are special because God tells us so, and share His love and His promises with everyone. If we are only sharing with those we love...how is that different. Jesus gave us the best example of this with the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4). Samaritans were hated by the Jews. But Jesus shared His Good News of salvation with her, because that's what God wants. What about the tax collectors? Talk about people that had NO friends...one of them became an Apostle.
Dare to love everyone, go against the grain. The Apostle Paul reminds us that three things will last forever - faith, hope, and love - and the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:13). Well put...
Dear Abba Father, thank You so much for making me special. Thank You for putting it in my heart to love everyone, because that's what You did, and that's what You want for me and all of Your special and chosen people. I pray that those who struggle to love everyone regardless will have their hearts softened and their resolve strengthened to follow Your will and purpose for their lives - to love everyone. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Responsibility
Genesis 16:5 - Then Sarai said to Abram, "This is all your fault! I put my servant into your arms, but now that she's pregnant she treats me with contempt. The Lord will show who's wrong - you or me!"
Sarah was upset with the way things had turned out. Her plan to give her husband a son wasn't working out the way she thought it would. But she wouldn't accept responsibility for her role in it. And neither did Abraham. He was just as responsible for things happening the way they did as she was, and he didn't acknowledge it, nor did he want to deal with it. Verse 6 tells us that he put the responsibility of dealing with the problem on Sarah. As the leader of his family, he had a responsibility to handle it, not delegate it. A leader delegates tasks, not responsibility.
But God still loved Abraham, and continued to bless him. Why? Abraham had proved that he wasn't perfect. He had shown regularly that he was a flawed human that had several shortcomings. It was because of his faith. The Bible tells us that Abraham was counted righteous because of his faith, and God blessed him because of it (Genesis 15:6, Galatians 3:9). The great part about this, is that we all receive the same blessings as Abraham because of our faith (Galatians 3:9).
Abraham was a good servant of God, who did what God told him to do. He believed and trusted in God's plan for him, and knew that God would bless him even though he wasn't perfect. What Abraham did take responsibility for, was his faith. He knew that he was responsible for his actions toward's God's calling and instructions to him, and he took that very seriously. This is why God blessed him. Although he wasn't perfect in every area of his life, he was very good when it came to his relationship with God.
This is why God made the covenant with Abraham, and confirmed it with us in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Not because we were perfect. Far from it. If we were perfect, Jesus didn't need to give His life for us. But we aren't...and He did. God has delegated the task of being responsible for our relationship with Him to each and every one of us. I have heard people say, "Why doesn't He come down to us and show Himself so we could know He is real?" Well...He did do that when Jesus came to earth. The reason He doesn't do that now, is because then faith wouldn't be required. It is by faith we are saved, not seeing.
Dear Lord, thank You so much for saving me. Thank You for confirming Your covenant with me by the blood of Your Son Jesus Christ. I know I will never be perfect, and I know that You don't expect me to be either. I pray that I continue to take the responsibility of my relationship with You seriously, and that I continue to seek You and Your will in everything I do. I pray for those that aren't there yet because they're struggling with different issues, particularly if they're struggling with the idea of faith. I pray their hearts will be softened and will come to accept You and Your sacrifice, and will come into a relationship with You. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Sarah was upset with the way things had turned out. Her plan to give her husband a son wasn't working out the way she thought it would. But she wouldn't accept responsibility for her role in it. And neither did Abraham. He was just as responsible for things happening the way they did as she was, and he didn't acknowledge it, nor did he want to deal with it. Verse 6 tells us that he put the responsibility of dealing with the problem on Sarah. As the leader of his family, he had a responsibility to handle it, not delegate it. A leader delegates tasks, not responsibility.
But God still loved Abraham, and continued to bless him. Why? Abraham had proved that he wasn't perfect. He had shown regularly that he was a flawed human that had several shortcomings. It was because of his faith. The Bible tells us that Abraham was counted righteous because of his faith, and God blessed him because of it (Genesis 15:6, Galatians 3:9). The great part about this, is that we all receive the same blessings as Abraham because of our faith (Galatians 3:9).
Abraham was a good servant of God, who did what God told him to do. He believed and trusted in God's plan for him, and knew that God would bless him even though he wasn't perfect. What Abraham did take responsibility for, was his faith. He knew that he was responsible for his actions toward's God's calling and instructions to him, and he took that very seriously. This is why God blessed him. Although he wasn't perfect in every area of his life, he was very good when it came to his relationship with God.
This is why God made the covenant with Abraham, and confirmed it with us in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Not because we were perfect. Far from it. If we were perfect, Jesus didn't need to give His life for us. But we aren't...and He did. God has delegated the task of being responsible for our relationship with Him to each and every one of us. I have heard people say, "Why doesn't He come down to us and show Himself so we could know He is real?" Well...He did do that when Jesus came to earth. The reason He doesn't do that now, is because then faith wouldn't be required. It is by faith we are saved, not seeing.
Dear Lord, thank You so much for saving me. Thank You for confirming Your covenant with me by the blood of Your Son Jesus Christ. I know I will never be perfect, and I know that You don't expect me to be either. I pray that I continue to take the responsibility of my relationship with You seriously, and that I continue to seek You and Your will in everything I do. I pray for those that aren't there yet because they're struggling with different issues, particularly if they're struggling with the idea of faith. I pray their hearts will be softened and will come to accept You and Your sacrifice, and will come into a relationship with You. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Friday, January 17, 2014
Don't Go Along Just To Get Along
Genesis 42:22 - "Didn't I tell you not to sin against the boy?" Reuben asked. "But you wouldn't listen. And now we have to answer for his blood."
Reuben was obviously convinced that Joseph had been killed sometime after his brothers had sold him off into slavery, back in Genesis 37. Even though Reuben did try to spare his brother's life by suggesting they throw him in the cistern instead of killing him, he didn't do what he should have done.
Reuben had a responsibility to protect Joseph, since he was one of his older brothers. Even though the other older brothers were doing wrong, doesn't mean he had to go along with the crowd. He should have done more to stand up for his brother and make sure that nothing happened to him, particularly considering they all knew how much Joseph was loved by their father (which is part of why they were mad at him in the first place).
It can be difficult to do the right thing when the crowd is doing something completely opposite. Sometimes we go along to get along, and figure that we will be able to go back and right the ship later when no one else is around or ask for God's forgiveness later. What happens when there isn't a later? What if Reuben had an accident and died before he had the opportunity to apologize to his brother for sinning against him? Reuben figured since he was just going along with their plan and he intended to rescue Joseph that his sin was less than his brothers. But a sin is a sin is a sin. There really isn't one sin bigger or worse than the other. They are all bad.
So what could Reuben have done? He could have stood up for his brother when he had the chance. He might have gotten beat up for it, or perhaps thrown into the cistern with him. But he would have had a clear conscience that he had done right. I'd bet that he was living with a lot of agony during those years before he was reunited with Joseph.
What do we do when we're presented with the opportunity to do right even though it's not the popular idea at the time? Do we stand up for ourselves, and our beliefs, or do we go along to get along, and secretly ask for forgiveness later? As I once heard a Pastor say, "Would you do it if Jesus was standing there with you?"
Dear Father, thank You for this lesson today. Thank You for Your lessons every day! You have blessed me so much to learn from Your word. I pray that I will always learn new things from Your word every time I open it. I pray for those that don't really know You because they haven't spent time getting to know You through prayer and reading the Bible. I pray that they will take the time for both so that they can have a closer and deeper relationship with You and see the abundant blessings You have for those You love. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Reuben was obviously convinced that Joseph had been killed sometime after his brothers had sold him off into slavery, back in Genesis 37. Even though Reuben did try to spare his brother's life by suggesting they throw him in the cistern instead of killing him, he didn't do what he should have done.
Reuben had a responsibility to protect Joseph, since he was one of his older brothers. Even though the other older brothers were doing wrong, doesn't mean he had to go along with the crowd. He should have done more to stand up for his brother and make sure that nothing happened to him, particularly considering they all knew how much Joseph was loved by their father (which is part of why they were mad at him in the first place).
It can be difficult to do the right thing when the crowd is doing something completely opposite. Sometimes we go along to get along, and figure that we will be able to go back and right the ship later when no one else is around or ask for God's forgiveness later. What happens when there isn't a later? What if Reuben had an accident and died before he had the opportunity to apologize to his brother for sinning against him? Reuben figured since he was just going along with their plan and he intended to rescue Joseph that his sin was less than his brothers. But a sin is a sin is a sin. There really isn't one sin bigger or worse than the other. They are all bad.
So what could Reuben have done? He could have stood up for his brother when he had the chance. He might have gotten beat up for it, or perhaps thrown into the cistern with him. But he would have had a clear conscience that he had done right. I'd bet that he was living with a lot of agony during those years before he was reunited with Joseph.
What do we do when we're presented with the opportunity to do right even though it's not the popular idea at the time? Do we stand up for ourselves, and our beliefs, or do we go along to get along, and secretly ask for forgiveness later? As I once heard a Pastor say, "Would you do it if Jesus was standing there with you?"
Dear Father, thank You for this lesson today. Thank You for Your lessons every day! You have blessed me so much to learn from Your word. I pray that I will always learn new things from Your word every time I open it. I pray for those that don't really know You because they haven't spent time getting to know You through prayer and reading the Bible. I pray that they will take the time for both so that they can have a closer and deeper relationship with You and see the abundant blessings You have for those You love. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Purified
Hebrews 9:14 - Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal spirit, Christ offered Himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins.
The sacrifice that Jesus offered, His own flesh and blood for ours, is what will make us right with God. It is the only thing. When we accept this sacrifice and repent of our sins with our heart, God accepts us into His Glorious Kingdom for eternity.
I love that nothing can separate me from God except a hard heart which is what I had for a long time. When God was ready for me, He softened my heart to open up and accept the sacrifice of His son and repent my sins. This doesn't mean I have been made perfect; far from it. Human beings are incapable of perfection. What I am capable of is making bad choices and mistakes from time to time (I actually excel at that sometimes). But what I am also capable of is using my free will to choose God's grace, mercy, and forgiveness in addition to His abundant blessings, over allowing the pleasures of temptation and sin to rule my life.
I am not perfect, but I will be made perfect when I go to Heaven. In the mean time, I need to maintain my focus on advancing the cause of God's Kingdom while I'm here on earth. That means sharing His word and showing His love to everyone He puts in front of me.
I am so blessed to be part of a church family that understands this, and teaches and encourages this. During my time at this church, I have seen so many people come to accept and/or recommit their lives to God. It is such a blessing to have such great Pastor's and leaders at this church that God is using to bring people closer to Him, and I pray that they will keep their focus on Him as well. And when we stumble, as we all do from time to time, we are all there to pick each other up and show each other the love of Jesus.
Dear Lord, thank You for Your love. Thank You for the sacrifice You offered that allowed me to be redeemed and one day purified. I know that You have great things for me, and I am happy to be Your willing and obedient servant so that I may show others the love You have for them. I thank You for those that recommitted their lives to You last night, and I pray that I can be of use to them as they restart their walk with You on the road to Your Glorious and eternal Kingdom. In Jesus' precious name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
The sacrifice that Jesus offered, His own flesh and blood for ours, is what will make us right with God. It is the only thing. When we accept this sacrifice and repent of our sins with our heart, God accepts us into His Glorious Kingdom for eternity.
I love that nothing can separate me from God except a hard heart which is what I had for a long time. When God was ready for me, He softened my heart to open up and accept the sacrifice of His son and repent my sins. This doesn't mean I have been made perfect; far from it. Human beings are incapable of perfection. What I am capable of is making bad choices and mistakes from time to time (I actually excel at that sometimes). But what I am also capable of is using my free will to choose God's grace, mercy, and forgiveness in addition to His abundant blessings, over allowing the pleasures of temptation and sin to rule my life.
I am not perfect, but I will be made perfect when I go to Heaven. In the mean time, I need to maintain my focus on advancing the cause of God's Kingdom while I'm here on earth. That means sharing His word and showing His love to everyone He puts in front of me.
I am so blessed to be part of a church family that understands this, and teaches and encourages this. During my time at this church, I have seen so many people come to accept and/or recommit their lives to God. It is such a blessing to have such great Pastor's and leaders at this church that God is using to bring people closer to Him, and I pray that they will keep their focus on Him as well. And when we stumble, as we all do from time to time, we are all there to pick each other up and show each other the love of Jesus.
Dear Lord, thank You for Your love. Thank You for the sacrifice You offered that allowed me to be redeemed and one day purified. I know that You have great things for me, and I am happy to be Your willing and obedient servant so that I may show others the love You have for them. I thank You for those that recommitted their lives to You last night, and I pray that I can be of use to them as they restart their walk with You on the road to Your Glorious and eternal Kingdom. In Jesus' precious name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
True Forgiveness
Acts 7:60 - He fell to his knees, shouting, "Lord, don't charge them with this sin!" And with that, he died.
Stephen followed Jesus' example of true forgiveness by praying for the ones who were persecuting and murdering him. Although I'm certain that God was sad to see one of His own being martyred for his faith, I am sure that at the same time, it made Him smile to see that he was doing it right. Stephen showed that no matter how bad it got (and being murdered is pretty bad), there is nothing we should not be willing to forgive someone for.
Most of us will probably not have to endure being stoned to death or murdered. So what else can someone do to us that could possibly be worse that would make us unwilling to forgive them? There are all sorts of crimes and things that people do to each other, and I believe that no matter what happened to Jesus, He would have forgiven them every time. He HAS forgiven them every time...
True forgiveness is true love. That's what Jesus has for us. That's what He modeled for us. Since we are striving each day (or should be) to be more like Jesus, then this is the first place we should start. Forgiving like He forgives, and loving like He loves.
I know I struggle with forgiveness sometimes. I'm sure a lot of us do. God never expects us to be perfect, but He does expect us to try. We're going to fail from time to time, and God expects that because we are human. But He has promised to always be there to pick us up and brush the dust off our backsides so that we can try again.
Dear Lord, thank You for Your patience with me as I struggle to forgive and love like You have shown me. I know I get impatient with people and lose my temper, and I know that is not what You modeled for me. I pray that as I go out into the world today, that You will be with me to calm my spirit so that I can learn to be more like You. I pray for those that are struggling with this as well, that You will put it on their hearts today to let go of whatever they are harboring towards someone else and begin to make amends with them. I am confident that when we learn to forgive like You forgive, we will learn to love like You do. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Stephen followed Jesus' example of true forgiveness by praying for the ones who were persecuting and murdering him. Although I'm certain that God was sad to see one of His own being martyred for his faith, I am sure that at the same time, it made Him smile to see that he was doing it right. Stephen showed that no matter how bad it got (and being murdered is pretty bad), there is nothing we should not be willing to forgive someone for.
Most of us will probably not have to endure being stoned to death or murdered. So what else can someone do to us that could possibly be worse that would make us unwilling to forgive them? There are all sorts of crimes and things that people do to each other, and I believe that no matter what happened to Jesus, He would have forgiven them every time. He HAS forgiven them every time...
True forgiveness is true love. That's what Jesus has for us. That's what He modeled for us. Since we are striving each day (or should be) to be more like Jesus, then this is the first place we should start. Forgiving like He forgives, and loving like He loves.
I know I struggle with forgiveness sometimes. I'm sure a lot of us do. God never expects us to be perfect, but He does expect us to try. We're going to fail from time to time, and God expects that because we are human. But He has promised to always be there to pick us up and brush the dust off our backsides so that we can try again.
Dear Lord, thank You for Your patience with me as I struggle to forgive and love like You have shown me. I know I get impatient with people and lose my temper, and I know that is not what You modeled for me. I pray that as I go out into the world today, that You will be with me to calm my spirit so that I can learn to be more like You. I pray for those that are struggling with this as well, that You will put it on their hearts today to let go of whatever they are harboring towards someone else and begin to make amends with them. I am confident that when we learn to forgive like You forgive, we will learn to love like You do. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Our Red Sea
Exodus 14:15 - Then the Lord said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving!"
The story of the parting of the Red Sea is a great reminder that we need to trust God through every trial we face, no matter how big or insurmountable the odds seem to be. God was a little miffed that even though He told them He would rescue them, they were crying out and blaming Moses for leading them to doom. He wants us to cry out to Him (prayer), but we shouldn't be constantly asking Him, "Are you sure?" when He gives us an answer.
God is bigger than any problem we face. He can and will handle it when we seek Him in true faith. We all have a Red Sea in our lives at one point or another. Sometimes there is more than one. But God doesn't want us to stop when we get there. He has told us that He would guide and protect us. He wants us to trust Him and get moving.
I have faced a couple of Red Sea's in my life. The first time, I didn't have faith and it was a struggle to overcome. I eventually came to Christ during that time, but it wasn't easy to put my faith in something I didn't understand. But I did, and He delivered me. Recently, I came to another one. This time, I had confident faith that God would deliver me again, and He has. I am blessed beyond measure because of His unfailing love and grace towards me.
Dear Abba Father, thank You for leading me through my Red Sea's. I pray that I will continue to remain strong in my faith in You so that when I come to another one (and I'm sure there will be others), I will remember to give my problems up to You and not stop moving. I know that You are bigger than any problem I may have, and with Your power and strength, I can overcome anything. I pray for those that are struggling with their Red Sea's. I pray they will seek You in humble faith to deliver them to the other side. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
The story of the parting of the Red Sea is a great reminder that we need to trust God through every trial we face, no matter how big or insurmountable the odds seem to be. God was a little miffed that even though He told them He would rescue them, they were crying out and blaming Moses for leading them to doom. He wants us to cry out to Him (prayer), but we shouldn't be constantly asking Him, "Are you sure?" when He gives us an answer.
God is bigger than any problem we face. He can and will handle it when we seek Him in true faith. We all have a Red Sea in our lives at one point or another. Sometimes there is more than one. But God doesn't want us to stop when we get there. He has told us that He would guide and protect us. He wants us to trust Him and get moving.
I have faced a couple of Red Sea's in my life. The first time, I didn't have faith and it was a struggle to overcome. I eventually came to Christ during that time, but it wasn't easy to put my faith in something I didn't understand. But I did, and He delivered me. Recently, I came to another one. This time, I had confident faith that God would deliver me again, and He has. I am blessed beyond measure because of His unfailing love and grace towards me.
Dear Abba Father, thank You for leading me through my Red Sea's. I pray that I will continue to remain strong in my faith in You so that when I come to another one (and I'm sure there will be others), I will remember to give my problems up to You and not stop moving. I know that You are bigger than any problem I may have, and with Your power and strength, I can overcome anything. I pray for those that are struggling with their Red Sea's. I pray they will seek You in humble faith to deliver them to the other side. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Monday, January 13, 2014
Who Is First?
Haggai 1:4 - "Why are you living in luxurious houses while My house lies in ruins?"
When the people returning from their exile gave priority to themselves instead of God, He called them on it. Their harvesting hadn't been successful because they didn't have their priorities in order.
How often do we put God second (or even third) in our lives? It is very easy for us to get caught up in the daily doings of life and not maintain our relationship with Him. And that is exactly what Satan is counting on. Satan doesn't need us to worship him or reject God. He just needs us to be indifferent to God. He counts on us focusing on our jobs or our kids ball games, or anything else, instead of God.
I was so guilty of this not that long ago. I believed in God. I had accepted Christ as my Savior. I was reading my Bible when I could find time. But I never prayed. I wasn't seeking God's wisdom with my whole heart. I wasn't indifferent to God, but I certainly didn't have any relationship with Him, which is just as bad. I thank God every day that I got the right teaching that showed me that I needed to focus on Him FIRST before anything else. I have learned so much since that time, and I am still learning. God has revealed much to me, and I trust He has great things for me planned still.
Dear Abba Father, thank You for waiting for me. I know I went a long time without You being first in my life, and I am beyond grateful that You didn't abandon me. You stayed true to Your promise that You never would abandon me. Please continue to keep my heart focused on You, so that I may learn more. So that I may serve You and Your chosen people better. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
When the people returning from their exile gave priority to themselves instead of God, He called them on it. Their harvesting hadn't been successful because they didn't have their priorities in order.
How often do we put God second (or even third) in our lives? It is very easy for us to get caught up in the daily doings of life and not maintain our relationship with Him. And that is exactly what Satan is counting on. Satan doesn't need us to worship him or reject God. He just needs us to be indifferent to God. He counts on us focusing on our jobs or our kids ball games, or anything else, instead of God.
I was so guilty of this not that long ago. I believed in God. I had accepted Christ as my Savior. I was reading my Bible when I could find time. But I never prayed. I wasn't seeking God's wisdom with my whole heart. I wasn't indifferent to God, but I certainly didn't have any relationship with Him, which is just as bad. I thank God every day that I got the right teaching that showed me that I needed to focus on Him FIRST before anything else. I have learned so much since that time, and I am still learning. God has revealed much to me, and I trust He has great things for me planned still.
Dear Abba Father, thank You for waiting for me. I know I went a long time without You being first in my life, and I am beyond grateful that You didn't abandon me. You stayed true to Your promise that You never would abandon me. Please continue to keep my heart focused on You, so that I may learn more. So that I may serve You and Your chosen people better. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Sunday, January 12, 2014
King Of Second Chances
Jonah 3:1 - Then the Lord spoke to Jonah a second time.
Despite Jonah's attempts to run from God's plan and calling for him, He gave him another chance to deliver His message to the city of Nineveh.
God is great about forgiveness. When we repent our transgressions, and ask Him to forgive us, God is always faithful to forgive us.
What I like about this chapter is that when Nineveh received Jonah's message from the Lord, they repented and were forgiven and spared their destruction. God used someone He was giving a second chance to lead a people to repentance and a second chance. Jesus tells us in Matthew 12:31 that every sin and blasphemy can be forgiven with the exception of blaspheming the Holy Spirit.
How often do we believe that we've gone too far in our sin? How often have we said that God won't forgive us this time? But we know that He will still forgive us. Now...how often do we say that when someone has hurt us? How often have we said that someone has gone too far this time? When we learn to forgive like the King of second chances, we will love like Jesus loves.
Dear Lord, thank You for the countless second chances You have given me. I know I never deserved any of them, but Your love and grace are more abundant than my misguided understanding. I pray for You to work in my heart so that I can learn to forgive like You have forgiven and be able to love like You love. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Saturday, January 11, 2014
Stop Running
Jonah 1:3 - But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord. He went down to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping to escape from the Lord by sailing to Tarshish.
Jonah went to some great lengths to escape his calling from God. He didn't agree with God's plan for him, so he didn't just run away from it, he went to some expense to get away by buying a ticket on a ship that was going to another country.
How often have we run away from our calling from God? I'm sure a lot of us, at one point or another, have tried to resist and go the opposite way from where God was leading us. I know I sure have - too many times to count. God won't send us anywhere He doesn't want us to be. And everything He has planned for us will be great. He tells us in Jeremiah that His plans for us are for good and not disaster (Jer. 29:11), and they will be great and mighty (Jer. 33:3). How could we not agree with that?!
Well pride is a big factor there. Often times, we are convinced that we know what's best for ourselves more than anyone else. When it comes to advice from men, that may be right. Although God can and will use people to communicate His plans to us. When we are getting advice from others, we should pray about it and seek God's will in His Word. When we are honest in seeking His purpose for us, He is happy to show us (Luke 11:10).
Am I honestly seeking and obeying God's will for me, or am I turning away in pride because I believe I know what's best for me? I know that when I used to believe that I was in control of my life, I let pride rule. But God has shown me too much in the last 5 years. I know He is in control, and I know His plans for me are great and mighty.
Dear Lord, thank You for never giving up on me despite my best attempts at running the other way. I trust in You and Your plan, and I am happy to go wherever You lead me, now and forever. I pray that those who are struggling to see Your plan for them will seek You in prayer and in Your Word and that You will reveal Yourself to them so that they can see the great and mighty things You have planned for them. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Jonah went to some great lengths to escape his calling from God. He didn't agree with God's plan for him, so he didn't just run away from it, he went to some expense to get away by buying a ticket on a ship that was going to another country.
How often have we run away from our calling from God? I'm sure a lot of us, at one point or another, have tried to resist and go the opposite way from where God was leading us. I know I sure have - too many times to count. God won't send us anywhere He doesn't want us to be. And everything He has planned for us will be great. He tells us in Jeremiah that His plans for us are for good and not disaster (Jer. 29:11), and they will be great and mighty (Jer. 33:3). How could we not agree with that?!
Well pride is a big factor there. Often times, we are convinced that we know what's best for ourselves more than anyone else. When it comes to advice from men, that may be right. Although God can and will use people to communicate His plans to us. When we are getting advice from others, we should pray about it and seek God's will in His Word. When we are honest in seeking His purpose for us, He is happy to show us (Luke 11:10).
Am I honestly seeking and obeying God's will for me, or am I turning away in pride because I believe I know what's best for me? I know that when I used to believe that I was in control of my life, I let pride rule. But God has shown me too much in the last 5 years. I know He is in control, and I know His plans for me are great and mighty.
Dear Lord, thank You for never giving up on me despite my best attempts at running the other way. I trust in You and Your plan, and I am happy to go wherever You lead me, now and forever. I pray that those who are struggling to see Your plan for them will seek You in prayer and in Your Word and that You will reveal Yourself to them so that they can see the great and mighty things You have planned for them. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Friday, January 10, 2014
Thy Will Be Done, Not My Will
Jeremiah 29:11 - "For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."
God's plans for each one of us are perfect and good. Sometimes, it can really be difficult to accept that a current storm we are in is part of His plan. The storm is meant to strengthen our resolve to trust and follow Him. We should be praying for His will to be done, not our own.
Whenever we have a storm front pass through Southern California, almost always without fail, there is sun and better weather behind it. That's how it is with the personal storms in our life. We first start to wonder if it is ever going to end. But then we realize that God brought us to the storm, and He will bring us through it. He isn't testing us, He is strengthening us. He is improving us. And what's on the other side of that personal storm? The Son and better circumstances.
Dear Abba Father, thank You for strengthening me through the storms I have been through. I know I struggle with my faith when they first set in, and I am sorry. I know that You will see me through every storm I encounter, and You will be on the other side. I pray for those that are going through a storm right now, that they will trust Your will be done, and not theirs. I pray they will remember the promise of this passage that Your plans are for good, and You have a great future for them. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
God's plans for each one of us are perfect and good. Sometimes, it can really be difficult to accept that a current storm we are in is part of His plan. The storm is meant to strengthen our resolve to trust and follow Him. We should be praying for His will to be done, not our own.
Whenever we have a storm front pass through Southern California, almost always without fail, there is sun and better weather behind it. That's how it is with the personal storms in our life. We first start to wonder if it is ever going to end. But then we realize that God brought us to the storm, and He will bring us through it. He isn't testing us, He is strengthening us. He is improving us. And what's on the other side of that personal storm? The Son and better circumstances.
Dear Abba Father, thank You for strengthening me through the storms I have been through. I know I struggle with my faith when they first set in, and I am sorry. I know that You will see me through every storm I encounter, and You will be on the other side. I pray for those that are going through a storm right now, that they will trust Your will be done, and not theirs. I pray they will remember the promise of this passage that Your plans are for good, and You have a great future for them. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Thursday, January 9, 2014
What Can I Say?
Mark 9:6 - He said this because he didn't really know what else to say, for they were all terrified.
Peter has always been my favorite Apostle. I love them all, but Peter has a special place in my heart, because he reminds me of myself a little. He always seems a little on the awkward side and unsure of himself. He tends to just say what he's thinking without applying any sort of filter.
These can be negative qualities, but Jesus has a way of turning our negatives into positives with His love and teaching. I can picture the Apostles shaking their heads at Peter from time to time after he would blurt something out, but Jesus would just look at him, smile, and put His arm around him like a loving father.
I still have issues with my filter from time to time, mostly because I get too impatient with people, but I know that God has blessed me out of His love for me. He puts His arm around me and smiles, because He knows that He has great things planned for me and my life to do great work for His Kingdom. Just like He has planned for all of us. He predetermined the plans for us, and it's up to us to believe in them (and Him), and trust His plans. He is faithful to show us when we seek His will.
Dear Lord, thank You for Your love and faithfulness towards all of us. We certainly don't deserve any of it, but because of Your mercy and grace, You give it freely and abundantly. I ask for Your continued strength, and certainly patience, each and every day so that I may go into the world a more confident person serving Your Kingdom. I know You will always give me the right words, so that I will know what to say. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Peter has always been my favorite Apostle. I love them all, but Peter has a special place in my heart, because he reminds me of myself a little. He always seems a little on the awkward side and unsure of himself. He tends to just say what he's thinking without applying any sort of filter.
These can be negative qualities, but Jesus has a way of turning our negatives into positives with His love and teaching. I can picture the Apostles shaking their heads at Peter from time to time after he would blurt something out, but Jesus would just look at him, smile, and put His arm around him like a loving father.
I still have issues with my filter from time to time, mostly because I get too impatient with people, but I know that God has blessed me out of His love for me. He puts His arm around me and smiles, because He knows that He has great things planned for me and my life to do great work for His Kingdom. Just like He has planned for all of us. He predetermined the plans for us, and it's up to us to believe in them (and Him), and trust His plans. He is faithful to show us when we seek His will.
Dear Lord, thank You for Your love and faithfulness towards all of us. We certainly don't deserve any of it, but because of Your mercy and grace, You give it freely and abundantly. I ask for Your continued strength, and certainly patience, each and every day so that I may go into the world a more confident person serving Your Kingdom. I know You will always give me the right words, so that I will know what to say. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
I Don't Get It
1 Timothy 1:5 - The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith.
At the risk of oversimplifying things, this explains the Bible. Our primary instructions, obviously, are to love God like no other, and love others, but that love comes from a pure heart. We begin to purify our hearts when we repent of our sins in genuine faith and clear our consciences to God.
I have had a few people tell me that they tried to read the Bible, and didn't get it. They don't understand that it isn't necessarily a book that you just pick up and start reading. When we confess and repent our sins in genuine faith, our consciences are cleared and God sends the Holy Spirit to begin to work in our heart, and He communicates to us through His Word. If we are seeking Him out of pure love that truly desires a more intimate relationship with Him, He will show us great and mighty things.
Am I seeking Him for the right reasons? Am I just trying to read the Bible as much as possible so that I can understand it, or am I truly seeking His wisdom and a deeper more intimate relationship with Him? God knows my heart. He knows I have a thirst for His wisdom and that I truly desire a deep and intimate relationship with Him. And I know that the best place for me to begin to quench that thirst and desire is in His Word.
Dear Lord, thank You for desiring a relationship with me. Thank You for showing me things that I never would have known apart from You. Thank You for teaching me so much in our time together every day. I pray that others will come before You with hearts of pure love that desires a close, intimate relationship with You so that they will experience the great and mighty things You have for them. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
At the risk of oversimplifying things, this explains the Bible. Our primary instructions, obviously, are to love God like no other, and love others, but that love comes from a pure heart. We begin to purify our hearts when we repent of our sins in genuine faith and clear our consciences to God.
I have had a few people tell me that they tried to read the Bible, and didn't get it. They don't understand that it isn't necessarily a book that you just pick up and start reading. When we confess and repent our sins in genuine faith, our consciences are cleared and God sends the Holy Spirit to begin to work in our heart, and He communicates to us through His Word. If we are seeking Him out of pure love that truly desires a more intimate relationship with Him, He will show us great and mighty things.
Am I seeking Him for the right reasons? Am I just trying to read the Bible as much as possible so that I can understand it, or am I truly seeking His wisdom and a deeper more intimate relationship with Him? God knows my heart. He knows I have a thirst for His wisdom and that I truly desire a deep and intimate relationship with Him. And I know that the best place for me to begin to quench that thirst and desire is in His Word.
Dear Lord, thank You for desiring a relationship with me. Thank You for showing me things that I never would have known apart from You. Thank You for teaching me so much in our time together every day. I pray that others will come before You with hearts of pure love that desires a close, intimate relationship with You so that they will experience the great and mighty things You have for them. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Who Am I?!
1 Chronicles 17:16 - Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and prayed, "Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my family, that You have brought me this far?"
After receiving the news that God would bless David and his ancestors, David prayed and thanked God for His abundant blessings.
I love this prayer because it is full of humility and love for God. David knew that he was a sinner that didn't deserve what he was getting. But God knew his heart and blessed him abundantly for his faith.
When something good happens to me, do I give God the credit? Do I recognize that it is a blessing that came from Him, and pray and thank Him for what He has done for me? The more time I spend in an intimate close relationship with God, the more I see that every thing I receive comes from God. He is always giving me more than I could ever deserve. But why? Who am I that I should receive such blessings? I am a child of the living God that sacrificed His Son's life so that I could have an intimately close relationship with Him.
For some that may be an insufficient explanation. People always have to know more details. My question to them is why?! Why can't we accept God's love for what it is - a blessing given to His chosen people because He loves us and wants to be with us.
Dear Father, thank You for choosing me and loving me so much that You sacrificed Your Son for me. I pray that I will continue to give You the honor and glory for the blessings You give me every day. I pray for those that don't know You, that their hearts will soften and open up to You. I pray that those who question why You love them will see Your love for what it is - unfailing and unending love that requires no explanation, just acceptance. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Monday, January 6, 2014
Seal Of Approval
Ephesians 1:14 - The Spirit is God's guarantee that He will give us the inheritance He promised and that He has purchased us to be His own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify Him.
God purchased our freedom from slavery to our sin with the most valuable and precious commodity there ever was - the blood of His Son Jesus Christ. And just to make sure we knew He was serious, He gave us the Holy Spirit as His seal of approval, to live inside us and guide us every step of the way. How could we not praise and glorify Him?!
Whenever I'm going to buy something that costs more than I really want to spend, I will research it and see if it's worth what I'm paying. I will pray about it and ask for God's guidance on the matter. When I read a passage like this, it just blows me away what God has done for us. We may spend a few hundred bucks on a new gadget or something, and get great use out of it. But sometimes we don't. God didn't have the luxury of doing that research. He gave the most precious thing He possibly could, knowing that He would get the short end of the stick in the deal from time to time. People don't accept Jesus, and don't believe in God's love and power. But that didn't stop Him. He did it anyway because He loves us that much. And after giving the greatest sacrifice, He sealed the deal by sending the Holy Spirit to dwell within us and guide us...WOW!
Dear Lord, thank You so much for giving me and all of us the better end of the deal even though we certainly never deserved it. Thank You for Your Son, and for the Holy Spirit for our daily guidance. Thank You so much for loving us no matter how much we fail to trust You, and fail to praise and honor You. Please give me the wisdom and discernment to seek You in all that I do, and that I will give You the glory You deserve. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
God purchased our freedom from slavery to our sin with the most valuable and precious commodity there ever was - the blood of His Son Jesus Christ. And just to make sure we knew He was serious, He gave us the Holy Spirit as His seal of approval, to live inside us and guide us every step of the way. How could we not praise and glorify Him?!
Whenever I'm going to buy something that costs more than I really want to spend, I will research it and see if it's worth what I'm paying. I will pray about it and ask for God's guidance on the matter. When I read a passage like this, it just blows me away what God has done for us. We may spend a few hundred bucks on a new gadget or something, and get great use out of it. But sometimes we don't. God didn't have the luxury of doing that research. He gave the most precious thing He possibly could, knowing that He would get the short end of the stick in the deal from time to time. People don't accept Jesus, and don't believe in God's love and power. But that didn't stop Him. He did it anyway because He loves us that much. And after giving the greatest sacrifice, He sealed the deal by sending the Holy Spirit to dwell within us and guide us...WOW!
Dear Lord, thank You so much for giving me and all of us the better end of the deal even though we certainly never deserved it. Thank You for Your Son, and for the Holy Spirit for our daily guidance. Thank You so much for loving us no matter how much we fail to trust You, and fail to praise and honor You. Please give me the wisdom and discernment to seek You in all that I do, and that I will give You the glory You deserve. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Sunday, January 5, 2014
Qualifying The Called
Luke 5:32 - "I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent."
God didn't choose us because we have all the answers. Nor does He expect us to ever have them. He chose us because He knows our hearts. He knows we have a need to be forgiven and made whole. That's where Jesus came in. To call us to repentance so that we can start to learn and understand God's purpose for our lives here on earth.
I love when I come across passages like this. Reading about Jesus calling people like Matthew and Saul of Tarsus are great examples that anyone can be redeemed and saved if they give their heart to Jesus. Matthew was reviled by his own people because he was a corrupt tax collector working for the Romans. But God knew his heart, and had a unique plan for him. He was gonna lead people to their salvation through Jesus Christ. Saul of Tarsus was probably the absolute last person anyone would ever expect to help lead people to their salvation through Jesus. He was a Pharisee who was persecuting and murdering people for believing in Jesus. But God knew his heart and had a plan for him. Turns out Paul was a pretty good writer too...
Although I haven't been the wickedest (is that a word?) person to walk the planet (and neither were these men), I had a need. My heart was empty for a long time. God knew that, and He has a unique plan for me. He just needed me to let Him in when He started knocking.
Dear Abba Father, thank You for knocking. Thank You for reminding me that I am being qualified because You called. Thank You for thinking of me, and I pray that I will continue to find favor with You forever. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
God didn't choose us because we have all the answers. Nor does He expect us to ever have them. He chose us because He knows our hearts. He knows we have a need to be forgiven and made whole. That's where Jesus came in. To call us to repentance so that we can start to learn and understand God's purpose for our lives here on earth.
I love when I come across passages like this. Reading about Jesus calling people like Matthew and Saul of Tarsus are great examples that anyone can be redeemed and saved if they give their heart to Jesus. Matthew was reviled by his own people because he was a corrupt tax collector working for the Romans. But God knew his heart, and had a unique plan for him. He was gonna lead people to their salvation through Jesus Christ. Saul of Tarsus was probably the absolute last person anyone would ever expect to help lead people to their salvation through Jesus. He was a Pharisee who was persecuting and murdering people for believing in Jesus. But God knew his heart and had a plan for him. Turns out Paul was a pretty good writer too...
Although I haven't been the wickedest (is that a word?) person to walk the planet (and neither were these men), I had a need. My heart was empty for a long time. God knew that, and He has a unique plan for me. He just needed me to let Him in when He started knocking.
Dear Abba Father, thank You for knocking. Thank You for reminding me that I am being qualified because You called. Thank You for thinking of me, and I pray that I will continue to find favor with You forever. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Saturday, January 4, 2014
Forgot To Forget
Hebrews 8:12 - "And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins."
God not only promises to forgive our past sins, but He promises to forget them as well. I love this.
This is something I have struggled with quite a bit. Just as the Apostle John reminds us that we love each other because God loved us first (1 John 4:19), I need to remember that God forgave AND forgot first, and I must do the same.
And this doesn't apply to forgetting the things done to me by other people. This also applies to what I've done to myself. I need to forgive AND forget myself for the stupid things I've done. It's easy to sit and dwell on my past mistakes and believe that I could never possibly be forgiven or wanted by God. I did it for 10 years. But it simply isn't true. He does forgive me. He has forgotten the things I did. And He does want me. I could sit and ask Him, "What about when I did this or that?" And He will just tell me, "I don't know what you're talking about." What He does and will always remember is that He loves me with an unfailing love that will never end (Psalm 106:45).
My prayer for you is that You will remember to forgive AND forget. Not just others, but yourselves as well. When we aren't sitting and focusing on the negativity of our past mistakes, we can move forward in a closer fellowship with the One who will only remember how much He loves you and wants to be with you.
Dear Abba Father, thank You for only remembering Your love for me. Please give me the strength and wisdom to keep myself focused on Your love, and not on my past sins. Please help me remember to forgive and forget others as well as myself, so that I may praise You with all that I am. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
God not only promises to forgive our past sins, but He promises to forget them as well. I love this.
This is something I have struggled with quite a bit. Just as the Apostle John reminds us that we love each other because God loved us first (1 John 4:19), I need to remember that God forgave AND forgot first, and I must do the same.
And this doesn't apply to forgetting the things done to me by other people. This also applies to what I've done to myself. I need to forgive AND forget myself for the stupid things I've done. It's easy to sit and dwell on my past mistakes and believe that I could never possibly be forgiven or wanted by God. I did it for 10 years. But it simply isn't true. He does forgive me. He has forgotten the things I did. And He does want me. I could sit and ask Him, "What about when I did this or that?" And He will just tell me, "I don't know what you're talking about." What He does and will always remember is that He loves me with an unfailing love that will never end (Psalm 106:45).
My prayer for you is that You will remember to forgive AND forget. Not just others, but yourselves as well. When we aren't sitting and focusing on the negativity of our past mistakes, we can move forward in a closer fellowship with the One who will only remember how much He loves you and wants to be with you.
Dear Abba Father, thank You for only remembering Your love for me. Please give me the strength and wisdom to keep myself focused on Your love, and not on my past sins. Please help me remember to forgive and forget others as well as myself, so that I may praise You with all that I am. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Friday, January 3, 2014
Close Fellowship
Genesis 6:9 - This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God.
One thing I noticed about this story of Noah, was how it points out that he was the only blameless person on earth at the time. His wife, sons, and their wives were not mentioned as being blameless or righteous, yet they were saved anyway. Why is that? I believe it was as a reward to Noah for living in close fellowship with God.
Some could say that they were allowed to live so that Noah would have company on the boat, after all they spent a year on it. Some could also say that someone was needed for procreation to repopulate the world. Both ideas make sense, but I believe that just as God created Adam and Eve, He could have easily provided company for Noah, or a new mate for him to marry afterwards. I believe giving Noah the reward of sparing the ones he loved because of his righteousness and his faith in God was the reason they were allowed to live.
We have that opportunity today as well. While none of us are blameless or righteous, we have the opportunity to be made righteous when put our faith in God and His Son Jesus Christ. When we accept God's free gift of salvation through the blood of Jesus, we are made righteous in His eyes, and we are given the reward of walking in close fellowship with God in His Heavenly Kingdom for eternity. God does love to reward faith. This does not mean that He will allow us to bring some people along for the ride just because we have accepted Jesus, but it does mean that we get to share this Good News of salvation with others so that they can repent of their sins and accept His free gift. Like a giant snowball of love.
Dear Lord, thank You for showing me new things every day. While this certainly isn't my first time reading the account of Noah, You always show me a new perspective when I read the stories of Your unfailing love and mercy, and I am forever grateful and blessed. I pray that You will use me to be a faithful witness to others of Your free gift of Salvation so that more will be made righteous in Your eyes and walk in close fellowship with You in Heaven. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
One thing I noticed about this story of Noah, was how it points out that he was the only blameless person on earth at the time. His wife, sons, and their wives were not mentioned as being blameless or righteous, yet they were saved anyway. Why is that? I believe it was as a reward to Noah for living in close fellowship with God.
Some could say that they were allowed to live so that Noah would have company on the boat, after all they spent a year on it. Some could also say that someone was needed for procreation to repopulate the world. Both ideas make sense, but I believe that just as God created Adam and Eve, He could have easily provided company for Noah, or a new mate for him to marry afterwards. I believe giving Noah the reward of sparing the ones he loved because of his righteousness and his faith in God was the reason they were allowed to live.
We have that opportunity today as well. While none of us are blameless or righteous, we have the opportunity to be made righteous when put our faith in God and His Son Jesus Christ. When we accept God's free gift of salvation through the blood of Jesus, we are made righteous in His eyes, and we are given the reward of walking in close fellowship with God in His Heavenly Kingdom for eternity. God does love to reward faith. This does not mean that He will allow us to bring some people along for the ride just because we have accepted Jesus, but it does mean that we get to share this Good News of salvation with others so that they can repent of their sins and accept His free gift. Like a giant snowball of love.
Dear Lord, thank You for showing me new things every day. While this certainly isn't my first time reading the account of Noah, You always show me a new perspective when I read the stories of Your unfailing love and mercy, and I am forever grateful and blessed. I pray that You will use me to be a faithful witness to others of Your free gift of Salvation so that more will be made righteous in Your eyes and walk in close fellowship with You in Heaven. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Doing It Right
Genesis 4:7 - You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.
God was attempting to teach Cain about putting God first in his heart and life. He was telling him to do it right so that God would bless him, but Cain didn't get it. Cain was only giving God some of his crops whereas Abel had given Him his best and first of the flock.
How often do we find ourselves trying to justify in our own minds about how we treat our relationship with God? We say to ourselves, "Hey I went to church this weekend. I threw some money in the offering bucket. I'm good." God doesn't want us this way. He wants us to WANT to go to church. He wants us to WANT to give our tithes and offerings. He wants us to have joy in our worship.
Long before the commandments were given to Moses and the people of Israel, God used teachable moments like this one to show people the error of their ways. God still uses them. They are found in His Word. Every morning when I sit down to study His Word, I pray and ask God to show me something that I need to hear. God uses these teachable moments to work on our hearts, so that we are doing it right. So that we are giving Him the first and best of ourselves. It's easy for us to say, "Man I just don't really feel like spending time with Him today. He'll understand." Do you think God would EVER say that about us? Never.
Dear Lord, thank You for this new life You have given me. Thank You for taking the time to be available to spend with me. I pray that I will continue to give You the first and best of my heart and life each and every day, so that I may feel Your blessings. Thank You for the people I have come to know that are doing it right and seeking You in the same way. I pray that I will continue to learn from their examples. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
God was attempting to teach Cain about putting God first in his heart and life. He was telling him to do it right so that God would bless him, but Cain didn't get it. Cain was only giving God some of his crops whereas Abel had given Him his best and first of the flock.
How often do we find ourselves trying to justify in our own minds about how we treat our relationship with God? We say to ourselves, "Hey I went to church this weekend. I threw some money in the offering bucket. I'm good." God doesn't want us this way. He wants us to WANT to go to church. He wants us to WANT to give our tithes and offerings. He wants us to have joy in our worship.
Long before the commandments were given to Moses and the people of Israel, God used teachable moments like this one to show people the error of their ways. God still uses them. They are found in His Word. Every morning when I sit down to study His Word, I pray and ask God to show me something that I need to hear. God uses these teachable moments to work on our hearts, so that we are doing it right. So that we are giving Him the first and best of ourselves. It's easy for us to say, "Man I just don't really feel like spending time with Him today. He'll understand." Do you think God would EVER say that about us? Never.
Dear Lord, thank You for this new life You have given me. Thank You for taking the time to be available to spend with me. I pray that I will continue to give You the first and best of my heart and life each and every day, so that I may feel Your blessings. Thank You for the people I have come to know that are doing it right and seeking You in the same way. I pray that I will continue to learn from their examples. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Commitment
Revelation 2:4 - "But I have this against you, that you have left your first love."
The first love that Jesus is referring to is their love for God. They had lost their enthusiasm for serving Christ and His Church.
I love when I see God working in my heart and in my life. He answers me in such amazing ways, and seldom are they how I expected Him to make Himself known.
For the last week and a half, I have been on our holiday break from school. It was a much needed break, as I felt like I might be beginning to burn out a bit. One of the problems I was having prior to the break was that I was so busy with school and work and other obligations, that I was finding very little time to indulge in one of my passions, which is reading. During this break, I have been able to read 3 books so far, and I am almost done with another (they weren't big books).
The book I am reading right now is one that I bought almost a year ago when I first started to switch to e-books. After I finished the first three books, I was trying to figure out what I should read next, and I came across this book by Kyle Idleman called Not A Fan. The book talks about the difference between being a fan of Jesus Christ or a truly committed follower. The author really challenges the readers to do some hard thinking about their relationship with Jesus Christ, because Jesus did not want fans. He wanted followers.
The author made reference to this passage of scripture and asks, "What do you do if you find yourself...where you want to passionately pursue Jesus but your heart's not in it?" He points out that Jesus tells the church in Ephesus in Revelation 2:5 to repent and do the things you did at first. I love that.
God knew what was on my heart other than just wanting more time to read. He knew that I had felt like my heart wasn't in it as far as my passion for worshiping Him and serving Him and His people. I stayed faithful in my daily Bible reading and church attendance in the hope that I would hear something that would spark me to renew my commitment. I got that spark where I did not really expect to find it. In a book that I had not had a chance to start reading for almost a year.
As I start this new year with a renewed commitment to follow Jesus, and not just be a dorky fan on the sidelines, I look forward with great anticipation to what He has in store for me. I know it will be nothing but great and mighty things, because that's how He rolls. We give Him enough to work with of our hearts, and then He says, "Watch this!"
Dear Lord, thank You for working on my heart like this, and giving me a way to share it with others. I pray for You to work in their hearts and lives as You have mine, so that they will be more open to the great things You have planned for them. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
The first love that Jesus is referring to is their love for God. They had lost their enthusiasm for serving Christ and His Church.
I love when I see God working in my heart and in my life. He answers me in such amazing ways, and seldom are they how I expected Him to make Himself known.
For the last week and a half, I have been on our holiday break from school. It was a much needed break, as I felt like I might be beginning to burn out a bit. One of the problems I was having prior to the break was that I was so busy with school and work and other obligations, that I was finding very little time to indulge in one of my passions, which is reading. During this break, I have been able to read 3 books so far, and I am almost done with another (they weren't big books).
The book I am reading right now is one that I bought almost a year ago when I first started to switch to e-books. After I finished the first three books, I was trying to figure out what I should read next, and I came across this book by Kyle Idleman called Not A Fan. The book talks about the difference between being a fan of Jesus Christ or a truly committed follower. The author really challenges the readers to do some hard thinking about their relationship with Jesus Christ, because Jesus did not want fans. He wanted followers.
The author made reference to this passage of scripture and asks, "What do you do if you find yourself...where you want to passionately pursue Jesus but your heart's not in it?" He points out that Jesus tells the church in Ephesus in Revelation 2:5 to repent and do the things you did at first. I love that.
God knew what was on my heart other than just wanting more time to read. He knew that I had felt like my heart wasn't in it as far as my passion for worshiping Him and serving Him and His people. I stayed faithful in my daily Bible reading and church attendance in the hope that I would hear something that would spark me to renew my commitment. I got that spark where I did not really expect to find it. In a book that I had not had a chance to start reading for almost a year.
As I start this new year with a renewed commitment to follow Jesus, and not just be a dorky fan on the sidelines, I look forward with great anticipation to what He has in store for me. I know it will be nothing but great and mighty things, because that's how He rolls. We give Him enough to work with of our hearts, and then He says, "Watch this!"
Dear Lord, thank You for working on my heart like this, and giving me a way to share it with others. I pray for You to work in their hearts and lives as You have mine, so that they will be more open to the great things You have planned for them. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
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