MONDAY
Stop, Turn Around, and Start Again
For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths (2 Timothy 4:3-4 NLT).
Stop! Stop believing what the world tells you to believe.
Turn! Turn the pages of God's Word, read and absorb His truth. Believe what God is trying to show you through the Scriptures. Turn around; do a 180-degree turn. Isn't it time?
Start! Start over. Leave your past behind and open a new chapter of life – a new life with Jesus. Our Lord provides us with do-overs. Isn't it time to re-start? Isn't it time to forgive yourself? Isn't it time to accept Christ and His blessings?
Folks, last time I checked, right is still right and wrong is still wrong. No matter what the deceivers of this world proclaim. Moral will always trump immoral. God's Word will reign forever and ever.
Lord God, thank You for coming into our lives and wiping the slate clean so that we can have a do-over. Help us, Lord, to forgive ourselves, and we also ask that You help us forgive those who have hurt us deeply. Lead us today and direct us as You will. May we bring glory to Your holy name. We ask and pray in the mighty and matchless name of Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
TUESDAY
Lifelong Pursuit
Keep me safe, O God, for I have come to you for refuge. I said to the Lord, “You are my Master! Every good thing I have comes from you” (Psalm 16:1-2 NLT).
Trusting and relying on God should be a constant pursuit of a Christian. Learning to be strong in faith is a lifelong process.
When we accept Christ and begin the walk with Him, we undergo many changes. Just because we have accepted God's amazing grace of Christ's gift of Salvation, doesn't mean we have "arrived" as a Christian. What it means is we are saved and we must learn to be a follower of Christ.
Being in Christ is a lifelong pursuit.
Thank You, Jesus! You are my King. Teach me to walk in Your ways. Amen.
WEDNESDAY
Justice Is His
God is an honest judge. He is angry with the wicked every day (Psalms 7:11 NLT).
A person may think he/she is slick and no one knows the lies and deception that he/she has perpetrated, but you can't fool God. He knows, and justice will be His. Those that feel powerless about things going on around them can be assured that, in the end, God's justice will prevail.
So don't be depressed or upset, just trust the situation to God, pray His perfect will on it, not ours/yours, then sit back and know that His justice is just that – His. Thanks be to God.
Father, thank You. Amen.
THURSDAY
Good Morning
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7 NLT).
God has something special for you to do today. Give the day to Him. Trust in Him and be thankful.
Heavenly Father, I praise Your Mighty Name. Thank You for loving us more than we deserve. Amen.
FRIDAY
Stand On His Firm Foundation
What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? (Romans 8:31 NLT).
Never back down from exclaiming the truth of God. Stand firm. Be strong. Get off the fence. Remember, there isn't a safe place when you are straddling a fence. It's God's way or the world's way. Will you choose God's way, every time?
It's not easy, but when we choose Him, the battle is ours.
I once read this quotation from a Chinese philosopher: "Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win."
Every day is a battle, some day's it might be a physical battle, but every day is a spiritual battle (Ephesians 6:10-17).
Lord God, help us to stand firm and fight the battle that has been set before us. Help us to go into that battle with You leading the way. When the battle gets intense, let us rest in Your mighty hand. Lead us and direct us and help us to be willing to follow You. We ask in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.
SATURDAY
Ultimate Love
For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him (John 3:16-17 NLT).
Today's scripture exemplifies a good and loving father. We all have different experiences with our earthly fathers. Some great, some OK, and unfortunately, some of our experiences are really bad.
No matter where your relationship is/was with your dad, you have a Heavenly Father that loves you so much that He put on human skin (as His Son, Jesus Christ), came to earth, and walked among us. He lived a perfect and sinless life, and then He was sacrificed on a cross to wash away our sin, so that each of us may be saved. The story just begins there because God rolled the stone away from the tomb and raised Christ to everlasting life, so that we too may join Him in Heaven. That is what I refer to as ultimate love.
So please remember, you have a Heavenly Father that loves you more than the human mind can comprehend. Wrap your mind and heart around Him and feel the love.
Lord God, thank You for saving us from ourselves. Amen.
SUNDAY
Family Leadership
But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD (Joshua 24:15d NLT).
Fathers/dads my challenge for each of you is to look at how you are leading your children. If you are not leading them to a God-centered life, make some changes immediately. When you lead your children away from God's path, you are treading in a very dangerous and destructive direction. How you lead them will determine whether you and your children have a joyful or problem-ridden life.
Lord God, help men step up and be real men. Drive them to lead their families to You. Help them to live a God-fearing life, honoring You with each step. Lord, this world is broken and the family unit has been devastated, we ask for You to bring our families back together and help men become who You created them to be. Lord, hear our pleas and come to our aide. We ask and pray in the mighty and matchless name of Jesus. Amen.