Monday
Anxiety
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 answers to the questions above involve turning to the peace of Jesus. Why are we anxious? We really have nothing to be anxious or upset about when we have Jesus Christ as our Savior. He will take away all of our fears and anxiety through 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 that if we have faith and 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 and stuff happens. 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, we pray that you will become evident and real in the lives of those who are facing anxiety in today's circumstances. Lord, meet the needs of those who are struggling and may your mighty name be glorified. We pray in the matchless name of Jesus, amen.
Tuesday
Serve Man or God?
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15 ESV).
Today's culture has a lot of Christians backing away from God's Word. The political correctness in our society is literally scaring the Lord's people. I have one question, what is wrong with you?
God's Word is perfect and true. God defines the moral values of society in the Ten Commandments. Right is right and wrong is wrong.
How dare any of us back away from the truth of God. We are only able to breathe because of His amazing hand and His mighty breath in our lungs. How dare anyone call our Creator God, wrong and old fashioned. How dare anyone stand on their own beliefs over the very Word that God gave us.
Wow, are we completely washed up as a society? I believe that without God, we are a lost and pointless society.
Now the Good News, no matter how badly we stray from God and His truth, He accepts us back with open arms. Through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are made right. By our faith in Jesus, and the exclamation that He is our Savior. When we repent of our sin, we are forgiven. Just as the father accepted his prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32) back into his home, God accepts us back into His fold.
Folks, it's time to decide who we are going to serve, man or God.
It's our choice. Choose wisely.
Lord God, help us to display your love, mercy, and grace. Help us to speak your truth with love, but with determination and strength. Help us, Lord, to not back down and give in to this PC world. I pray in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.
Wednesday
Drifting Away
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: "if it feels good do it." That is a trick of Satan. Don't be fooled. This type of deception is what will cause destruction in your life.
Thanks be to 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.
Thursday
Walking In His Steps
For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps. He never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone. He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly. He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed. Once you were like sheep who wandered away. But now you have turned to your Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls (1 Peter 2:21-25 NLT).
We must set our goals high, not that we can ever achieve the perfection of Christ, but we should try to be more like Him, today than we were yesterday.
We have a very high calling for our lives. No one will ever be sinless and pure as God wants us to be, but it doesn't mean that we are not to try. Never doubt that God hears our cries and our petitions.
Dear God, your will; nothing more; nothing less. Amen.
Friday
Lay It All Down
Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you (1 Peter 5:7 NLT).
We need to lay all our worries, all our troubles, and all our doubt at the foot of the cross.
Isn't it awesome that the Creator of all things, loves us and hears our cries? Thanks be to God!
Dear Lord, we pray that you will open the eyes, minds, and hearts of those that are struggling with life issues. May they see that they only need to give their problems to you, Lord. We pray this in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.
Saturday
Living a Godly Life
By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:3-8 NLT).
Live a godly life. Live in His glory. Remember His precious promises. Try to live a life of moral excellence, knowledge, and self-control. How do we live a Godly life? We do that by following God and obeying His Word. Thanks be to God.
Dear Lord, help us rely on you and your promises. Help us to not rely on human understanding and human accomplishments. Lead us, Father, down your path of righteousness, in Jesus' name, Amen.
Sunday
Perfect Timing
For, There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time (1 Timothy 2:5-6 NLT).
God's love, mercy, and grace are never-ending. His timing is perfect. Trust in Him and lean heavily on your faith that God is who He says He is.
Dear Lord, thank you for hope. We see what is going on around us and gaze at it in despair. But, you give us hope to not look at the daily failings of our world but to look to you for the promise of a better place. You, Lord God, have given us the hope of an eternity in heaven. We wonder when Jesus will return and how bad this world will get before He comes, but you tell us that no one will know until you command it. We also know that your timing is perfect, and we can trust in you, for your amazing promise gives us hope. We praise you, Father God, for you are our eternal hope. Amen.
