Monday
Salvation – More Than a Brief Moment
Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered – how fleeting my life is. You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath (Psalms 39:4, 5 NLT).
We must always remember how quick our lifetime on this earth passes. Life here is but a mere vapor. Our time here is short but those who know Jesus have an eternity in heaven waiting, not a vapor but eternity. Eternity in heaven. Thanks be to God for His gift of salvation!
Dear Father, our days are numbered on earth, but Your eternal promise gives us hope and with that hope, strength to carry on in the troubles of this world. Thank You for Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Tuesday
Ultimate and Unlimited Hope
Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt (Matthew 18:32-34 (NLT).
Jesus speaks volumes about mercy and forgiveness and we should listen closely. Because of God's mercy for each of us, He sent His Son to die for us so that we might have a relationship with Him. Without the mercy of God, we would not have any hope.
Because of God, we have the ultimate and unlimited hope.
On this earth, shouldn't we grant mercy (forgiveness) to others? Shouldn't we forgive and help others feel that same “freeing” forgiveness?
Jesus speaks about this, and we should heed His words. We should forgive as we have been forgiven. Yes, I know it's easier said than done, but it is not just recommended by our Savior but commanded. In order to be forgiven, we must forgive.
When we don't forgive others, we not only deprive those that have wronged us of the freeing mercy of that act of forgiveness, but we also deprive ourselves of a burden on our very souls.
Forgiveness doesn't necessarily mean that we forget, but we forgive, put it behind us, and move on with life. We each deserve a life that is far better without this burden of unforgiveness, which tramples our hearts and destroys our souls. Forgive not only for those who sinned against us, but forgive for your well-being.
Dear Lord, we all struggle with forgiving others for actions that were taken against us. Lord, help us to remember that we (our sin) nailed You to the cross and even after that, You said, “Forgive them for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34) Father, if Jesus can forgive us for what we did to Him, let us see how important it is that we forgive each other. Lord, we know that we are unable to accomplish this level of forgiveness without Your help. Please Lord, give each of us the ability to forgive even the worst crimes against us, all the way to the petty issues that people have betrayed us with. Lord, grant us your wisdom and the power of Your love, mercy, and grace. I pray this in the mighty and matchless name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Wednesday
Jesus = Change
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, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds (Titus 2:11-14 NLT).
So many people want to say they are a Christian, then continue living like hell on earth. Folks, it doesn't work that way. When you accept Christ and invite Him into your heart, there isn't any room for continued sin in your life. When Jesus truly resides in your heart, you will want to turn from the sin that separates you from Him.
Jesus Christ comes to us, as we are, old broken sinners with many issues and problems. But He loves us too much to leave us as we are. There is real change involved in your salvation. It's not just words that you say that make you feel good. Jesus = change. It's a change that we all need because, without Him, we will continue walking a path to destruction.
Lord God, open our eyes, minds, and hearts to know that we are sinners and without You, we will continue a path of turmoil and destruction. We pray this in the mighty name of Jesus, amen.
Thursday
Winning the Battle
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too. We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments. Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God (1 John 5:1-5 NLT).
Scripture gives us an education on how to defeat an evil world. It's pretty simple; believe in Jesus; love our Heavenly Father; love God's children; obey His commandments. In fact, John writes that those who believe Jesus is the Son of God will win this battle against the world.
Do you want to have victory over the evil of this world? I know that I want to win this war. This a pretty simple and straight forward Scripture. I believe it and do my best to live by it. How about you?
Father God, open up the hearts, minds, and eyes of those that are trying to fight this evil world alone. Let them realize that victory has already been had and accomplished by our Savior, Jesus Christ. Thank you for hearing our prayers. We ask and pray in Your wonderful name. Amen.
Friday
Judgment
In the night I search for you; in the morning I earnestly seek you. For only when you come to judge the earth will people learn what is right (Isaiah 26:9 NLT).
Are you right with God? Have you begun a personal relationship with Jesus Christ?
One day all the earth will face Jesus when He returns to claim His church. Are you part of His kingdom?
It's for each of us to choose and I pray each of you will make the right choice. That choice has eternal consequences.
Thank You, Lord, for holding open the door for us. We just pray that we will walk into Your grace, mercy, and love. Amen.
Saturday
The Battle
You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail (Proverbs 19:21 NLT).
Making plans for our lives is a good thing, a needed thing, but we must ask God to be in the middle of those plans. If we eliminate Him from our plans and desires, we will always be fighting an uphill battle.
Why not ask God to direct your thoughts on what He wants you to do? Pray about it and wait for clarity when making big decisions.
I personally have been on both sides of doing this, my way vs. God's way. Believe me, His way is so much better.
Lord God, we pray for Your direction in our lives. Help us to always ask You before we set out on our own. We ask in the name of Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Sunday
Your House
Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock (Matthew 7:24 NLT).
Where have you built your "house"? I'm asking because it has eternal consequences.
Father God, help us to build on Your solid ground. We ask in the mighty name Jesus, who is that solid Rock. Amen.
