Monday
New Life = Real Life
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23 NLT).
Thank you, Jesus, for giving poor sinners like us a way to put sin to death and that we might spring forth in new life.
Lord, we praise You. Thank You for giving us the Way to find real life in this world and eternal life when this life is over. We pray in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.
Tuesday
The Ole Tempter
For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world (1 John 2:16 NLT).
I believe God wants us to enjoy our life as we walk in this world. He smiles when we are having fun. That being said, we must remember how this world tells us that it's okay to do anything as long as it makes us feel good. We must watch out for this form of the ole Devil's temptations. When we give in to the desires of this old broken world, it isn't good for us, and it isn't godly. Our Creator does not smile when we indulge in illicit acts for pleasure or pride.
Know your enemies, the physical and the spiritual. Know what draws you away from God's desire for you.
Father, thank You for the resurrection of Jesus Christ. By this very act, those who confess their sin and come to Jesus, are given the amazing promise of heaven. Lead us in Your righteousness for Your name's sake. Amen.
Wednesday
God Is Just, God Is Sovereign, and God Is Love
God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge! [Interlude] A river brings joy to the city of our God, the sacred home of the Most High. God dwells in that city; it cannot be destroyed. From the very break of day, God will protect it. The nations are in chaos, and their kingdoms crumble! God’s voice thunders, and the earth melts! The LORD of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress. [Interlude] Come, see the glorious works of the LORD: See how he brings destruction upon the world. He causes wars to end throughout the earth. He breaks the bow and snaps the spear; he burns the shields with fire. “Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.” The LORD of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress (Psalms 46:1-11 NLT).
God is our fortress, strength, and refuge. Be aware, though, that He will rage against nations and people that turn away from Him. God's love, mercy, and grace are abundant, but He is just.
There is nothing that can be hidden from Him. Everything is His and His creation. We must trust and turn to Him. He is our refuge. Stop running from Him and defying His commands. Those who turn to Him will find shelter. Those who turn from Him will find His wrath and His justice.
We each have a choice, the river of joy or the fires of the field.
Dear Lord, thank you for providing the Way for us to come to You by your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Thursday
Living In Harmony
How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony! For harmony is as precious as the anointing oil that was poured over Aaron’s head, that ran down his beard and onto the border of his robe. Harmony is as refreshing as the dew from Mount Hermon that falls on the mountains of Zion. And there the LORD has pronounced his blessing, even life everlasting (Psalms 133:1-3 NLT).
In these times of discontent, it's important to remember that God desires us to live in harmony with each other. We are His children. We must remember that makes us all, brothers and sisters. Living in harmony doesn't mean we have to approve of each other's actions (sin) but it does require us to love each other and pray for each other.
We also must remember that disagreement is not hate. We can disagree and keep it civil. I know sometimes that's a tall order but we must work through those situations.
Sometimes we might even have to avoid those that we can't remain civil with, but we must love them and pray for them.
It's not easy at times but we are instructed by our Savior that this is His command. Love one another.
Dear Lord, help us to remember to love the sinner but hate the sin that destroys their lives. Let us remember all have sinned. We are all broken. We all sin, just sin in different ways. Help us to not point fingers but to show Your love. At the same time, help us to stand firm on Your truth and Your word. Thank You, Lord, for Your perfect words of instruction. We pray this in Your mighty name. Amen.
Friday
Overcome with Anxiousness
Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance (Romans 5:1-3 NLT).
Are you struggling with anxiety? Are you letting the little things in life overrule you? Maybe it's a big problem that has overwhelmed you. There is an alternative to the turmoil that you are living with day in and day out.
The answer to all the questions above is turning to the peace of Jesus. Why are we anxious? We really have nothing to be anxious or be upset about when we have Jesus Christ as our Savior. He will take away all of our fears and anxiety by His presence in our hearts.
Sometimes having faith is hard. Sometimes leaning on Jesus is hard. We start looking around us and listening to people who have no faith in God. We start to believe the world and not God's promise. God's promise is if we have faith, believe in Jesus as our Savior, we will be able to walk in His peace. Not only will we have peace, but we will also have joy in all our undertakings.
Friends, God is alive today. Jesus is working in our lives. Are we to believe Him or are we going to listen to the world? Yes, we will have struggles. We will have health issues. We will have family issues. We are broken people living in a broken world. We must always remember that nothing happens to us that the Lord can't handle with our help. What do we have to do to help? Remain faithful, believing in His love, mercy, and grace. Trusting that no matter what happens today, God has a plan and it's perfect. It might not be the plan that we have, but trusting in His plan and submitting to Him is the answer for the peace that we all seek.
Lord, become evident and real in the lives of those who are facing the anxiety of today's circumstances. Lord, meet the needs of those that are struggling and may Your mighty name be glorified. We pray in the matchless name of Jesus, amen.
Saturday
Being Salt and Light
For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God (Titus 2:11-12 NLT).
As followers of Christ, we are called to be salt and light in this decaying and dark world (Matthew 5:13-16). We are to be "in" this world but not "of" this world. We are the hands and feet of Jesus and should always be vigilant in how we live and remember that others notice how we live. Live a godly life, my friends. People are watching.
Dear Lord, we all fail at living the life that You would have us to live. We all stumble and fall. We all have transgressions. We all are broken. We are all sinners. But You, Lord, deemed us worthy. You, Lord, deemed us deserving of Your love, mercy, and grace. Thank You, Lord, for we would never be able to enter the gates of heaven without Your sacrifice. Thank You, Lord Jesus. Amen.
Sunday
Focus...
So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it (Hebrews 2:1 NLT).
We must always focus on the Word of God. When we stop reading and studying His Word, we distance ourselves from Him. Then when we distance ourselves, we begin to slip back into our old ways and our old sin. The Devil is prowling and can't wait to get his claws back into our flesh.
Guard yourselves against the Devil and his lies and deception. One of his greatest lies was a statement of the 1960s & 1970s of "if it feels good, do it." That is a trick of Satan. Don't be fooled, people. This type of deception is what will cause destruction in your life.
Thank God for His Word and His truth. It's right and good.
Dear Father, thank You for giving us Your Word, our road map for life, presently and eternally. In Jesus' name, amen.
