Monday
Real Joy
Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NLT).
Smile, you are a child of God. Jesus died for you. Christians, get that scowl off your face. God loves you.
Pray constantly. He hears your pleas so don't forget to listen to Him. He will respond. More than likely you will hear Him in your heart.
Always give thanks. Everything is a gift from God.
Trust His will – nothing more, nothing less, nothing else.
Thank you, Lord God! We praise you! Help us to be more like Jesus today than yesterday. It's in our amazing Savior's name that we pray. Amen!
Tuesday
A Clear Path
Lead me in the right path, O Lord,
or my enemies will conquer me.
Make your way plain for me to follow (Psalm 5:8 NLT).
Father God, hold us in your arms. Protect us from the troubles of this world. Shield us from Satan's attacks and lies. Direct us in the right direction; let us follow your way not ours. Make clear your way, because we often follow the wrong road. We trust in you, Lord. You will never fail us, even though we fail you daily. Forgive our ineptness and save us from ourselves. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Wednesday
His 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 8:39 NLT).
Because God loves us, He bore our sin for us. That is LOVE!
Lord God, thank you for loving us far more than we deserve. Father, thank you for deeming us worthy of your unending love. We praise you and worship you, Lord. Amen.
Thursday
Emmanuel
So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son (John 1:14 NLT).
Emmanuel – God is with us. Yes, He is here with us every day. I'm so thankful for His presence in my life, how about you?
He lives! Emmanuel!
Dear Father God, thank you for sending Jesus to this lost and dying world. Through Him, we may find eternity in heaven with you. Lord God, we praise your holy name. Amen.
Friday
The Peaceful Road
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).
Sometimes life takes strange, awkward, and unexpected turns. When these curves in the road happen, we must put our trust and faith in God's magnificent plan for our life.
Many times, we don't have a clue as to why things happen the way they do, but we can be assured that if we are following Christ Jesus, we will be more than taken care of today and for eternity. Through Him, we will find the peaceful road.
Lord God, thank you for the perfect plan for our lives. We give thanks and pray in the mighty and matchless name of Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Saturday
Like Fish Out of the Water
The LORD is my strength and shield.
I trust him with all my heart.
He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.
I burst out in songs of thanksgiving (Psalm 28:7 NLT).
I am totally dependent on our Lord. If we really admit it, all of us are just like a fish out of the water when we are without our God.
I don't know why in the world that I kept Him at a distance for so many years. I look back on those years with a sense of loss, but I can also look at that time as time I was working on my testimony.
Folks, life cannot be full and complete without our Lord. Without Him, in our lives, we are empty and incomplete. We don't realize how empty and broken we are until we start living in His will. We truly become new creations.
Lord God, we pray for any of your children who are still trying to live life without you. We pray that they realize that they will only be made whole by your presence in their lives. Thank you, Lord, for hearing our prayers. We ask and pray and praise you in the mighty name of Jesus, our Savior. Amen.
Sunday
His Peace
Then keep your tongue from speaking evil
and your lips from telling lies!
Turn away from evil and do good.
Search for peace, and work to maintain it.
The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right;
his ears are open to their cries for help (Psalm 34:13-15 NLT).
As we turn from our evil ways, God will provide us with His peace and His protection.
Turning from sin is a lifelong process. Sometimes and some days we do well; some days, we don't. But knowing our Lord and coming to Him in repentance, He gives us another chance. He gives us His peace in knowing Him and His by knowing Him, He gives us His peace and protection.
Does God grow weary in our failures? More than likely, He does, but His love for us overrules His weariness.
The Bible shows us the unrepentant sinner is in real danger of God's wrath. When we live in an unrepentant lifestyle, sooner or later God will correct us. We can run away from Him and His correction only so long. His love endures forever. Due to His love, He will accept us back into His outstretched arms, but He also gives us the free will to live life on this earth as we wish.
Choose how you live, brothers and sisters, our choices have eternal implications.
Thank you, Lord God, for loving us. Thank you for giving us so many chances to get life right by accepting you. We praise your mighty name! 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.)
