Monday
If...
God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him (1 John 4:9 NLT).
If God didn't love us, He wouldn't have sent His Son to die for us.
Lord God, thank You for leaving Your throne and coming into our world to save us from ourselves. We praise Your Holy Name. Amen.
Tuesday
Unseen Evil
For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12 NLT).
Sometimes evil is in our face and we can't miss it, but more often than not, it's the warfare that is going on in the spiritual realm around us.
Satan and his henchmen are at full attack. They are attacking all that is good and right. The deceiver is doing a great job at destroying us, one soul at a time.
But, we know the One who is victorious! He is our Savior and His name is Jesus.
We just have to be ready to fight not only the physical battles but also the spiritual battles. We must also know that we have God's truth at our fingertips. His holy Word, the Bible, ensures that we have the truth so that we will have victory. God's Word clearly states that our victory is in Jesus, our Savior, and victor!
Lord God, thank You for giving us victory over demons both physical and spiritual. Lord, we claim Your victory for our lives today and every day from this moment forward. Lead us and direct us, Lord God. We pray in the mighty name of Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
(I suggest that everyone read and pray Ephesians 6:10-18 at least once a week. These verses have meant a lot to help me battle life's issues and Satan's attacks. Thanks be to God for His powerful word! Amen!)
Wednesday
Jesus Sets Us Free
Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life” (John 8:10-12 NLT).
Jesus frees us from sin. He does not give us the right to continue to commit sin, just because we are set free.
As I stood in worship one morning at my church, The Orchard in Tupelo, God placed this on my heart. I had to share this in this short devotion.
Jesus didn't come and die a horrible death so that we may continue to live the life of a hellion. He came as a sacrifice for our sin - to put our sin to death.
Jesus died so that by our faith in Him and our repentance, we can turn from our sin and our destructive lifestyle. He didn't die on the cross so that we might continue to live a life that doesn't honor Him and kills our very soul.
Isn't it time to turn from your sin and return to Him?
Father, You told us that without Jesus we can do nothing good, but with Him, all things are possible. Thank You, Lord, for dying for me and for the world so that we might have a relationship with You. We pray in the mighty name of Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit. And all God's people said, Amen.
Thursday
He Molds Us Through Trials and Circumstances
No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:39 NLT).
No matter what, illness, trouble, tragedy, financial issues, marital trouble, sin; Jesus Christ is there with us. God didn't cause our problems, but He will use them to bring us to a deeper understanding and reliance on Him. He will teach us and show us things, during the valleys of our lives, that we might never learn any other way. Thank you, Lord.
May God meet your needs and His wonderful name be glorified. Amen.
Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35, 37-39 NLT)
Friday
The Blood Cleanses
And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. And he said to them, “This is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice for many (Mark 14:23-24 NLT).
Jesus poured out His blood to cover the sin of the world. Not just the sin of the time that He lived, but the sin of all time, the past, present, and future. He shed His blood for the sin that destroys our families. He bled and died for each of us, he bled and died for me. He bled and died for the world. Jesus bled and died for you!
How are you living your life? How are you showing that you believe that Christ died for you? What are you doing with your life to glorify His name? Is it evident by your “fruit” that you come from the Good Tree?
Lord God, forgive us for not living a life that glorifies You. We are broken people, living in a broken world. We can't get through this life without You. Save us from ourselves, Lord. Pull us back into your grasp. Forgive us, Lord. We are sinners. Amen.
Folks, we are saved only by the grace of God through His Son, Jesus Christ. We can only be saved through this grace by our faith in Christ and what He did on the cross. Thanks be to our heavenly Father for rolling the rock away from the tomb and raising Jesus to new life. Through Christ's death, burial and resurrection, we are able to walk as He did, from this life to everlasting life with You, Father God.
Thanks be to You, Father. We praise Your Holy Name. Amen.
Saturday
Never Give Up
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin (Hebrews 12:1-4 NLT).
Folks, the temptation of sin, rears its ugly head against everyone, no one is exempt. It's part of living a broken life in a broken world. But we have a cure for sin, His name is Jesus. He died for our sin and placed it in the grave. Then God raised Him to new life, everlasting life. We too can have new life through Jesus. We can be dead to sin by accepting Christ and be granted a new and better life today and everlasting life when this old body dies.
How do we attain a new life? We do that by coming to the saving grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, confessing with our mouth that He is Lord, believing that He is the Son of God, confessing and repenting of our sin and giving our whole selves to Jesus.
So brothers and sisters, don't be weary, God already did the "heavy lifting" for us. All we must do is walk with Him. He will give us the endurance we need to run the race and His strength to claim the prize. Jesus is our Savior, our King, and our Lord. Thanks be to God!
Lord God, let the blind see and the deaf hear that Jesus Christ is Lord of all. We pray in His mighty name. Amen.
Sunday
Wandering Souls
My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back from wandering will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins (James 5:19-20 NLT).
We all seem to have a wandering nature in us. We wander around in life, looking for the next thrill or the next goody we can buy. We even tend to buy too much stuff and then we lose interest and have a yard sale to get rid of the “clutter” of stuff that we just had to have. We are looking for “stuff” to fill needs in our lives. We try to buy our way into a happier life.
There is only one way we can fill our lives with happiness. That one way is Jesus Christ.
I used to try to fill my needs with everything but Jesus. I tried food, alcohol, excessive spending, trips, motorcycles, cars and the list goes on. Folks, the only way that our lives can be full of life, is by the presence of Jesus Christ, living in our hearts. Without Him, we are dying a slow death. We are living in a decaying, dying human shell. We are slowly decomposing, even before we reach the grave. But, we do have a choice on how to end this cycle of a desolate life, in this world. Our choice also leads to how we will spend eternity. What is that choice?
Your choice is to accept Christ and ask Him to come into your life and change you, currently and eternally. When you let Jesus loose in your life, He will make changes. Get ready for the best ride that you have ever experienced. A life with Jesus is far better than anything you have ever experienced before.
We are wanderers. Isn't it time to set your anchor down on the Rock? Isn't it time that you set your “sail” with Jesus as your Captain? May God grant you the wisdom to choose wisely.
Thank You Father God for Your wonderful gift of salvation through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
