Monday
Doubts and Fears
When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer (Psalm 94:19 NLT).
Everyone has doubts and fears that we must face in our lifetime. It is just part of our human, broken spirit. It's in our DNA. The question is how are we dealing with those doubts and fears? Are we letting them consume us? Are we giving into our inabilities or inadequacies?
The real question should be, are we looking at our abilities and our talents or are we floundering in the negatives of inability and fear of failure? Are we looking at what we can accomplish? Are we focusing on what we failed at doing?
We all have times of doubt, trouble, brokenness, failure. Our lives are filled with that stuff. We must step back and look at the positive. Each of us has accomplished so much that we can be proud of. I thank God for all that He does in our lives. Many times we don't recognize that He is the One who has His hand in our business. He is God and He is with us, in good times and especially in the bad times. Let Him calm our doubts and fears.
When life is dealing us a lot of fear and doubts, we must look to God for our hope and strength. Our answer is in Jesus Christ, not in man or what man thinks.
Lord God, help us to be strong in You, the source of all that is good, now and forever. In the mighty name of Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit, I pray. Amen.
Tuesday
Not Just Today, but Everyday
I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name (John 15:9-16 NLT).
Today is not Memorial Day and I do know the difference between Veterans and Memorial Day. However, I think the act of signing up for military service has the same valid need for recognition as when a soldier lays down his/her for our country. When men or woman sign on the dotted line to join our military, they are actually signing away their life for the protection of our country. They are signing a pledge to lay down their lives so that we might continue to live in freedom. Thank God for each of our men and women who are serving or have served our great nation. We should not just remember our military on special days like Veterans Day or Memorial Day, but we should remember and pray for them every day.
You know there is Another who laid down His life so that each of us might live. His name is Jesus. He died so that we might have an eternity in heaven with our heavenly Father. He died for our freedom. He took our sins on His mighty shoulders and destroyed Satan's grip on us. He took what destroys us to the grave. Then our heavenly Father lifted Jesus from that tomb and gave us the hope of the resurrection.
Jesus died, was buried, and rose from the dead. He sealed sin's fate for all those who believe in Him and call on His name. Thanks be to God.
Today when we are remembering our American Veterans, remember also the One who laid down His life for each of us.
Lord God, thank You for our veterans and their sacrifice for our freedoms. I lift each of them up in prayer, whether they are serving our country now or whether they served in the past. Father, thank You for saving us from ourselves by the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is in His mighty and matchless name that I pray. Amen.
Wednesday
Run the Race, Let Nothing Hold You Back!
You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth? It certainly isn’t God, for he is the one who called you to freedom (Galatians 5:7-8 (NLT).
Your past can pull you back. if you let it. Your friends can pull you back. if you let them. Your family can pull you back. if you let them. The world pulls at our lives from every angle. The world will hold you back. If you let it.
Nothing can snatch our life's calling from the will of God. Nothing, unless we let it!
Father God, we all have the free will to decide if we will follow the ways of the world or You. Help us to follow You. The Devil is roaming and stealing and destroying many people right now. I am in constant battle with Him. The Devil will not prevail. He cannot be in the presence of Jesus and I know Jesus is with me. I pray that many will choose today to let Jesus be with them and turn from their wicked ways and discover the true life that You have laid out for them. I pray this in the mighty name of Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Thursday
God's Path or Ours?
Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you (Psalm 25:4-5 NLT).
We choose the direction of our lives. We can make good choices or we can make bad choices. I assure you, we will choose both. We will reap the benefits or suffer the destruction of those choices. I feel that when we do make bad choices, we have an opportunity to recognize our mistakes, correct them and get back on the right path. That right path is God's ordained pathway, not ours. God's Word is the guidebook to truth and understanding. Read it, study it, and meditate on it.
We all make bad choices but God has provided a way to put those choices behind us and begin anew. The new life I write about is provided by the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. God has provided a way, the Way. Now it is up to you to decide. Will it be joy or gloom. I pray that you will choose the love, mercy, and grace of our Lord.
Father God, open the hearts, eyes, and minds of those who are not following You or Your truth. Bring them home to where they belong, in Your mighty arms. I ask and pray in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Friday
Find Life in His Word
The instructions of the Lord are perfect,
reviving the soul.
The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
The commandments of the Lord are right,
bringing joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are clear,
giving insight for living.
Reverence for the Lord is pure,
lasting forever.
The laws of the Lord are true;
each one is fair.
They are more desirable than gold,
even the finest gold.
They are sweeter than honey,
even honey dripping from the comb.
They are a warning to your servant,
a great reward for those who obey them (Psalm 19:7-11 NLT).
Our God is not wishy-washy. His Word is to the point. His Word is clear. His Word is perfect. His Word is to be obeyed. His Word is to be praised. His Word is to be used. His Word is to be read. His Word is to be studied. His Word is to be prayed over. His Word is truth. His Word is to be cherished. His Word is inerrant.
His word is...
We praise You, Father God, for Your Word. May we delve deep into it, reading, studying, and memorizing Your inerrant words of truth. Lead us this day by Your Holy Spirit, so that we might live a life that pleases You. Help us to be the men and women that You designed us to be. In the mighty name of Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit, We pray. Amen.
Saturday
The Place of Honor
So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor (1 Peter 5:6 NLT).
We must realize that God is everything that we are not. Thanks be to God.
Lord God, we praise Your mighty name. We praise who You are. We are mere specks in the universe, but You know each of us by name. We praise You, Lord, that You are the Creator of all things. You are the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. You, Father, are the majestic One, Lord God of all. Father, how can we even begin to understand how great You are? We can't comprehend Your majesty. Lord, the most amazing thing is that You, the God of all the universe, love each of us intimately. Father God, thank You for loving us while we are so undeserving, but You, Father, love us anyway. You deem us worthy. We praise You and ask that You continue to bless us today and to the ends of the age. In the mighty and powerful name of Jesus Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit, we pray. Amen.
Sunday
Who or What Are You Worshiping?
But some of the astrologers went to the king and informed on the Jews. They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “Long live the king! You issued a decree requiring all the people to bow down and worship the gold statue when they hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and other musical instruments. That decree also states that those who refuse to obey must be thrown into a blazing furnace. But there are some Jews—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—whom you have put in charge of the province of Babylon. They pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They refuse to serve your gods and do not worship the gold statue you have set up.”
Then Nebuchadnezzar flew into a rage and ordered that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought before him. When they were brought in, Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you refuse to serve my gods or to worship the gold statue I have set up? I will give you one more chance to bow down and worship the statue I have made when you hear the sound of the musical instruments. But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power?”
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up” (Daniel 3:8-18 NLT).
What needs to be cleansed from our lives so that we might have a closer relationship with God? We all have something that interferes with our walk with God. We all have something that draws our time from God and doing His work. We all have something that takes us away from where God wants us to be. How much more would our lives benefit if we gave up the things that reduce our commitment to God?
Are we willing to stand up to the world and say, “we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up” (Daniel 3)?
Are we willing to stand up to terrorists and say, “I'm a Christian, I follow Jesus Christ; knowing that our heads would be cut off?” Are we willing to tell a shooter that we are Christian after they just shot the guy next to you for saying that same thing?
How deep is your faith? How deep is your trust?
Our God is bigger than any evil in this world. We must remain in Him and He will remain in us. God will provide all that we need if we give our whole selves to Him.
Thank You, God for Your never-ending love, mercy and grace. Amen.
