Monday
More Than We Deserve
God is my strong fortress,
and he makes my way perfect (2 Samuel 22:33 NLT).
If we follow our desired path instead of God's path, it usually doesn't work out too well. Things tend to work out much better by following His path and relying on His love, mercy, grace, and correction.
God's correction is not always pleasant nor what we would pick, but His correction is done in love. His love and correction are perfect, although, many times it is painful or at a cost. We can always trust in Him for all things. He places us under His wings. He is our God.
Father, thank you for loving us more than we deserve. I praise you and thank you for your never-ending love, mercy, and grace. I thank you for your Son, Jesus Christ, who came to the earth to save us from ourselves and our own destruction. In His name, I pray, amen.
Tuesday
Our Rock
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8 NLT).
Jesus Christ is the Rock upon which we can build our house. Jesus never changes. He is the same each day, just as God's Word is true, infallible, and perfect.
Lord God, thank you for Jesus. Thank you for being our Rock. Thank you for never changing and being the only constant in an ever-changing world. Father, thank you for loving us. We praise and give you thanks today while lifting up the mighty and matchless name of Jesus. Amen.
Wednesday
The Big Little Word
It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going (Hebrews 11:8 NLT).
Looking at the word "faith." It’s the BIG little word that makes people stumble in accepting the "free gift" of salvation.
Oswald Chambers wrote:
Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One Who is leading. It is a life of faith, not of intellect and reason, but a life of knowing Who makes us "go.”
It's not about me or you, it's about God. It's about what Jesus did on the cross. It's about the stone being rolled away. It's about what God is offering us. It's about the faith so we put our trust in Him. Thanks be to God!
Father God, help us to have the faith as small as a mustard seed so that you will have your way with us. I pray for your way and not my way in my life. In Jesus' mighty name, amen.
Thursday
SONshine
No longer will you need the sun to shine by day,
nor the moon to give its light by night,
for the Lord your God will be your everlasting light,
and your God will be your glory.
Your sun will never set;
your moon will not go down.
For the Lord will be your everlasting light.
Your days of mourning will come to an end. (Isaiah 60:19-20 NLT).
Are you tired of living in the darkness of your sin? Are you tired of trying to hide those sins from your friends and family? Are you even thinking you can hide them from God? Really?
The way out of this darkness is by stepping into the Light of Jesus Christ. Give Him your problems, your sin, your transgressions; let Him have control. Trusting in God and relying on Him is the only true way to the good life.
Dear Lord, shine your Light, brightly, into the lives of the lost. May you also shine your light, through your people. I pray that each of us will step out of our comfort zone and be the people you designed us to be. Let us shine your Light into this dark and dying world. I praise your name, Lord, and pray in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.
Friday
Rethinking Life
Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take (Proverbs 3:6 NLT).
Who leads your life?
You or God?
Could it be time to re-think how you are living life?
Lord God, help us to follow you and your path. We know your way is right and our way is obscured with distractions and missed directions. Lord, help us to pray: God, your way, not ours. Amen.
Saturday
Atonement
My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world. And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did (1 John 2:1-6 NLT).
We are all broken.
We are all sinners in need of a Savior. The good news is we have One. His name is Jesus Christ. He is as alive today as He was when He physically walked this earth just over 2000 years ago.
He came so we might be saved by His atoning sacrifice. Thanks be to God who sent Jesus to save us from ourselves.
God loves each of us as we are but loves us too much to leave us as we are. He will change your life but there must be true faith and true repentance on our part. We are saved by God's grace through our faith.
Thank you, Lord. We praise you and hold our hands high to honor you! We thank you for saving us from ourselves and we pray in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.
Sunday
God Will Not Fail You
I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13 NLT).
Never give up. Whatever your trial, turn it over to the Lord. Trust in Him. He is the source of all our Hope. He will not fail.
Dear Father, grant me and my friends your assurance of your hope. I ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.
(Editor's Note: "God Has a Gift for You" is the good news that restores the broken relationship we have with God because of our sin.)