Monday
Don't Be Overwhelmed
Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 NLT).
Are you tired? Has life dealt you more than you feel you can deal with? When we stand alone, we can be overwhelmed. But when we ask Jesus into our lives, we have an Advocate who will battle with us.
Give your life to Christ today and never fight alone again.
Lord, thank you for being in this tough fight with us. Help us to see the joy that you want us to see and help us to experience peace in the midst of any storm. Lead us today by your Holy Spirit. In Jesus' mighty name, we pray. Amen.
Tuesday
Saved By Grace
I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength to do his work. He considered me trustworthy and appointed me to serve him, even though I used to blaspheme the name of Christ. In my insolence, I persecuted his people. But God had mercy on me because I did it in ignorance and unbelief. Oh, how generous and gracious our Lord was! He filled me with the faith and love that come from Christ Jesus. This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all. But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life. All honor and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen (1 Timothy 1:12-17 NLT).
The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy about the mercy and grace of Jesus. Paul described himself as the chief of sinners, but I submit we are all masters of sin.
Without the mercy and grace of God, we would be doomed to an eternity in hell. But because God touched our hearts and gave us the ability to have faith in what we can't see or touch, we can be cleansed of our old selves. By our faith and through accepting the free gift of His grace, we can be born again, the second birth.
It doesn't matter what you did in the past. When anyone accepts life with Jesus Christ, the old is gone and the new creation steps forward (2 Corinthians 5:17). Never look back, keep your eyes focused on Christ Jesus. It is by the sacrificial death and resurrection of Christ; we might also have eternity in heaven. Thanks be to God.
Father God, we can't thank you enough for your Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ. We praise the name of Jesus from the mountain tops as well as the deepest valleys. He is our hope and our salvation. There is no other way to spend eternity with you, Father, except through Him. We praise you, Lord God, and pray in the mighty and matchless name of Jesus. Amen.
Wednesday
The Challenge
Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses (1 Timothy 6:12 NLT).
Life can be a challenge. We are called to fight the good fight for true faith. In today's world of political correctness, we must stay focused on God's Word. Knowing Christ means we have victory. What we must do is show up for the battle to claim what He's promised us. Are we ready to go a few rounds? God has called us to the fight. Isn't it time to answer the call?
Father God, give us the boldness to step out on our faith and fight the good fight. We ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Thursday
Remaining In Him
Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing (John 15:5 NLT).
Jesus is (or should be) the center of our lives. Everything should begin and end with His counsel. We must weigh our choices in life as to what Jesus taught. After all, Jesus is the beginning and the end of our faith. He is where our roots should be solidly grounded.
Without His guidance, we will be lost.
Lord God, help us to come to the heart and head knowledge that Jesus is only one true path to contentment, happiness, peace, and fulfillment. Help us fully know Jesus as Lord and Savior in our lives. Help us to grow down deep in your love, mercy, and grace. Help us to grow deeper in your Word each day. May we know that when we have a strong “root” system, we will have what we are looking for in life. Help us, Lord God. We pray and praise your mighty name today. Amen.
Friday
Who He Is
This is a trustworthy saying: If we die with him, we will also live with him. If we endure hardship, we will reign with him. If we deny him, he will deny us. If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is (2 Timothy 2:11-13 NLT).
Jesus is forever faithful. We are untrustworthy, but Jesus is totally trustworthy. He loves us more than we can ever understand. He is with us, on mountain tops and in the deepest valley. He never leaves us.
We have a wonderful Savior.
Lord, thank you for your love, mercy, and grace. Thank you for never giving up on us. Lead us to a closer relationship with you. We are so undeserving, but you, Lord, call us worthy. Be with all those who need healing today. Wrap your mighty arms around the sick, lost, and hurting people who need to know you are with them. Lord, hold them tightly and hold them close to your heart. Let them feel your heartbeat. Let them know that you are God, and you are with them. Lord, we pray and ask this in your mighty name. Amen.
Saturday
Helpless Sinners
When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God (Romans 5:6-11 NLT).
We cannot claim that we live without sin. We are all broken, and all fall short of God's commandments. BUT we have a Savior. That is the good news.
Do you know the saving grace of Jesus Christ? If so, are you sharing the truth of Christ with others? Are you withholding from telling someone about the good news of Christ because you are afraid to confront them about their sinful lifestyle? Don't be. God has this under control. Just tell your story about what Jesus has done in your life. That is what God wants from us. Be a light for Him. Be His hands and feet.
Remember that we all sin. Our sin may be different than another person's sin, but sin is sin. Sin separates us from God. God loves all of us and wants to have a relationship with all of His children.
God gives each of us the free will to make a decision. So, we can choose Jesus or sin, but we can't live with Jesus in our hearts and continue to live in unrepentant sin. Christ and sin cannot co-exist. Yes, those in Christ will sin from time to time but when it happens, a Christian should feel conviction and fall to their knees in repentance. We must go and do our best to sin no more. (read John 8:1-11)
Jesus doesn't save us so we can continue to sin. He saves us from sin.
Love the sinner (we are one) but hate the sin that separates us from our God. Jesus Christ has victory over sin. He wins, thus we are also victors, not because of what we have done but what Jesus did for us.
Lord God, we claim your victory over sin. We claim your mighty rule over Satan and his demons. Let us be bold to tell the world we are victors, not because of anything we have done, but because of what you have done. We praise you, Lord. Amen.
Sunday
As He Loves Us
Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good (Romans 12:9-10 NLT).
Loving others is not always an easy thing to do. We hold misconceptions and harbor ill feelings toward some people. We must remember all people are broken. We are all undeserving, but because we are God's creation, we are worthy of love.
We must put ourselves in other people's shoes and know we are all alike in our failures. We must also remember everyone is going through something in their lives. We are all fighting demons and life issues.
When your feet hit the floor each morning, take the step to love the people who you cross paths with that day. Put your prejudices behind you and live like a child of God.
Thank you, Lord, for giving us the ability to walk in rhythm with you. Teach us, Lord, to love others as you love us. In the mighty name of Jesus, we pray. 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.)
