His Plan Is Good

 

     I pray you are feeling extra special this week. You are! His plan for your life is pleasing and perfect. He will work for the good even when you can’t perceive it. His love is astronomical. As one of my favorite authors Max Lucado wrote, “If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it.”

     You are His precious child. You are His workmanship. God’s plan for you is intimate and personal. He longs for a relationship with You, all day, every day. Your future looks bright in His mighty hands.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10

     God has a hope and a future for you, plans for you to do His good works that will bless you and bless others. We were created with certain gifts unlike anyone else! You are His handiwork, His piece of art, His love.   

     How do we know what that plan is? What do we do? Where should we go? Will we miss out? No, never!  Relax into His mighty, all-powerful hands. God work always continues even when we don’t notice. His hand is upon us day and night. He will provide opportunities when we least expect them. We are unique in this crazy world. We belong to Jesus.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-His good, perfect and pleasing will. Romans 12:2

     Take the following words from Scripture as a way to begin your plan today and be blessed.

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:9-12

Amen!

 

Unconditional Love

 

     One of the greatest gifts in life is the gift of unconditional love. Maybe you were blessed to grow up in a family that gave and received love. You knew, no matter what, no matter the mistakes made on either side of the relationship, love remained.

     When we are loved unconditionally, our confidence grows. Our confidence in ourselves as people worthy to be loved and confident enough to give others our love and loyalty and trust.

     Jesus offers us unconditional, everlasting love. His love is beyond even our greatest and most love-filled relationships on earth. Jesus can fill in the gaps suffered from unloving relationships. He can fill our hearts with His love when we are lonely, and fill our hearts with renewed peace and joy.

     As believers, we will have Jesus forever. Nothing we can do will pull us away from His grasp. We belong to Him. We can conquer anything with His kind of love. Here are a few more of my many, many favorite verses.  Place them in your hearts and be filled.

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37-39

Jesus,

Your love is so deep and wide, so sacrificial and so overwhelming, it is hard for us to accept. Thank You for loving us. Let Your Holy Spirit wash over us and lavish us with the much-needed love today and every day. May we never forget.

Amen

 

Chosen Blessed Forgiven

 

     If you want to feel cherished and loved and grow in your faith in Christ, a great chapter to read is the first book of Ephesians. Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus is filled with the spiritual blessings we have in Christ. I won’t print the entire chapter, but here are a few blessings we have with Christ as our Savior.
We have been:
• blessed in the heavenly realms (v.3)
• chosen (v. 4)
• adopted as sons and daughters (v. 5)
• given His glorious grace (v. 6)
• forgiven (v. 7)
• given his wisdom and understanding (v. 8)
• made a part of His perfect and pleasing will (v. 9-11)
• included in Christ (v. 13)
• sealed with the Holy Spirit (v. 13)
• guaranteed a heavenly home (v. 14)
     As I close this devotion, please read carefully through the following words from this beloved chapter. These words are given for you as a believer in Jesus Christ and I pray them over you today. Listen to the love and power you now have available as children of the most-high God.
For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength He exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. Ephesians 1:15-21
     These words are too wonderful to comprehend! The very same power that God used to raise Christ from the dead now lives within us! Take that with you today. Have confidence in the one who has saved you! He is risen and His power lives with us.
Jesus,
We praise You for all of the many gifts and blessings You have lavished on us. Thank You for these beautiful reminders in Your precious word for us. We love You
Amen

 

All Things

 

     God provides what we need. All He asks as we accept Jesus as Savior is to love one another and to follow Him. The Bible from Genesis to Revelation points to Jesus, the Messiah, the Savior. All things are His now and forever. The earth was made for His glory.

Through Him all things were made. Without Him, nothing was made that has been made.  John 1:3

For from Him and through Him and for Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen Romans 11:36

For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones for powers or rulers or authorities, all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things and in Him all things hold together.  Colossians 1:16-17

     The Father, through Jesus, offers us blessings from the throne room of grace.

And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8

     In all things, God is good all the time. He is enough.

And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

Lord,

As we move through our days, remind us You are everywhere, in all things and all things will be done ultimately for Your purpose. Provide for us today.

In Jesus name,

Amen

All In All

 

     Marriage has been a gift to me and I love reading back through the laughter, tears, the ups and downs of our now 39 years together. At the same time, close friends have been through painful loss, both in divorce and death. Life is so precious and so very difficult at times.

     For me, Jesus is the answer. He is our truest, most loyal companion, the one who will be there to give us just what we need at any given moment, to sustain us through each day of life. Others will let you down. Loved ones will move to heaven before us. Our sorrows and our joys are felt by our heavenly Father.

     He is there when we are broken hearted.

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted, and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18

     He is there with open arms when we are weary.

Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

     He will rejoice with you and is delighted with you.

The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you. In His love He will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17

     My prayer for you is to trust Jesus wherever you find yourself in life. If you are lonely, He will be your constant companion. If you are filled with joy, He rejoices with you. If you are tired, give Him your hand. Open your heart to Him, believe in His death and resurrection to save you, and give Him your entire heart. Pour it all out to Him and He will give you the desires of your heart.

Take delight in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

Jesus,

Take hold of us wherever we are today. We are grateful for those you give us along the way to share our lives. We praise You for them and we thank You for being everything we need. You are the all in all. (! Corinthians 15:28)

In Jesus name,

Amen

Joy

 

     As we look for God’s opportunities and blessings throughout the changes in life, we can look back on countless joys. The years have flown and our kids have grown into amazing adults, having conquered change after change of their own. The joy of watching them grow, find their true loves and become parents has brought us countless changes and countless moments of joy.

     The word “joy” is found over 200 times in Scripture. Much of the joy is found in times of worshipping God. Being in His presence brings the deepest kind of joy. Our earthly moments of joy are mingled with our times of sadness, complacency, anger, worry and hardship.

     The joy of the Lord is our strength. (see Nehemiah 8). The joy found in Jesus is deep and abiding. Remember Him throughout your days, whatever life brings and find joy. Bask in those fleeting earthly moments of delight, with friends, family and those immeasurable moments with grandkids or other children around you. They know how to find delight. And joy is found in Jesus and in the heaven that awaits us.

Splendor and majesty are before Him. Strength and joy are in His dwelling place. 1 Chronicles 16:27

He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy. Job 8:21

But let all those who take refuge in You be glad. Let them sing for joy. Spread Your protection over them that those who love Your name may rejoice in You. Psalm 5:11

     I could write page after page with the joy in Scripture. The Psalms are filled with words of joy and worship. I leave you with one more. Rejoice in His presence, even when it is tough to find joy. You are loved.

You make known to me the path of life. You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand. Psalm 16:11

Father,

Your joys will last through eternity. Remind us to take in the earthly moments of joy and blessing as we await our heavenly home.

In Jesus name,

Amen

    

Counting Our Blessings

 

     As aging baby boomers, we have witnessed change after change, in our culture, in the world, in our families, in our bodies. We have lost loved ones, fought for relationships, and cherished friends and family. Counting our blessings becomes challenging, but with God, there are many.

     Our losses increase as we age and parts of life become more difficult. Good friends have said earthly goodbyes to their spouses. Some of our closest friends and family have preceded us in death. In spite of the grief, we come back to hope. Throughout all of the changes in our lives, God remains steadfast as our constant companion, friend and Savior.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today and forever. Hebrews 13;8

Fear not, for I am with you. Be not dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

     The blessings of God remain, long after we have left this earth. Our loved ones remain in our hearts, minds and memories until we are together forever once again.  Our forever time with them is still ahead. God will strengthen us. He will comfort us. He will help us. He is love.

Lord,

Comfort those who mourn. Remind us of our many blessings on this earth and in heaven to come. Touch us with Your unending mercy as we count our blessings each day.

In Jesus name,

Amen

 

He Won't Give Up

 

     Don’t lose heart. God continues to work in us at all times, even when we don’t understand, even when we don’t feel His presence. He prepares people and places for us, long before we recognize His plans. The Israelites went around the same mountain for 40 years on a journey that should have taken 11 days! And God continued to give them one chance after another. Every single time they faltered, He gave them another chance. They, inevitably, turned back to Him and there He was.

     Are you going in circles around that same mountain? Try a new path. Try it God’s way. Look into Scripture for answers on the tough questions in your life. Some of the journey will be an up-hill battle, but His ways will be in your best interest. His ways will not sound like the ways of the world. It’s not about us. It’s about Him. And He is working in your life, until that one day He meets you face-to-face.

Being confident of this; that He who began a good work in you, will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6

The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. Psalm 121:8

Jesus,

There You are, waiting for us to turn back to You. Keep us from the vicious circle of sin in our lives. Move us into the blessings You have waiting for us. You never give up. You just keep on working and waiting.

Amen

Trust His Timing

 

     Change often brings fear and uncertainty. Maybe, like me, you have moved ahead of God’s steps and made the wrong choices. Even when we are following God’s lead, life becomes difficult. Luckily, He never gives up on teaching us His ways. Trusting Him through days of uncertainty, fear and grief can be tough. He asks us to trust Him completely.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will direct your path. Proverbs 3:5-6

     The Holy Spirit lives in us. As we grow in our faith, we learn to trust His guidance and follow peace within. He sacrificed everything for us. Let’s continue to follow Him with a humble and a cheerful heart.

Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Galatians 5:25

     Today let’s not move too fast. Watch and listen and be still.

He says, “Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10a

Lord,

Forgive us when we move too fast or lag too far behind. We become impatient in waiting. Your timing is always perfect. We stay still today and listen for Your Holy Spirit to guide us.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Entertaining Strangers

 

     If you are like me, change can be difficult. God continually guides us to new adventures, new opportunities, and into the lives of the most unexpected people. He brings others into our lives for a lifetime, a season, a year or a day for His purposes. Did you know that even angels can disguise themselves as people? Listen to this verse:

Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels. Hebrews 13:2

     Keep your heart and mind open to God’s work in your life. Is He asking you to try something new? Has He brought someone new into your life? Are you taking every opportunity to speak of and to show His love? He may bless you with the presence of an angel. The spiritual realm is at work all around us.

     Many of the angels spoken of in Scripture were created to worship and honor God and to surround His holy presence, including the seraphim and the cherubim. Other angels are watching over us:

Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation? Hebrews 1;14

     God protects His own. Pray for His protection, for His angels to surround you and your loved ones and watch for exciting opportunities each day. Don’t be afraid to move out of your comfort zone and into a new adventure.

Lord,

We can’t imagine all the times we miss out on Your work around us. Keep our hearts and minds open to what You are doing and to where You are leading. We thank You for Your ministering angels sent for us.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Dearly Loved

 

     Walk in confidence today as a child loved by God. You are dearly loved. Yes, you!

For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that He has chosen you. 1 Thessalonians 1:4

     Dear sisters and brothers loved by God, He has chosen you. He has chosen me. Christ will give us His righteousness, His power, and His wisdom and His truth. Our steadfast faith in Him gives us confidence.

But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. Jeremiah 17:7

Such confidence we have through Christ before God. 2 Corinthians 3:4

     Equally and uniquely loved. He loved us so we may love our brothers and sisters in the faith, as well as others in the world. Our confidence rests in Christ, our faith secure. Be yourself. Let your personality, gifts and talents shine in this dark world. We walk in freedom and trust, knowing we are His, now and forever. Rest in that this week as you venture out, dear brothers and sisters loved by God.

Father,

We rest in Your love, moving in confidence. Your love never fails and You forgive time and time again. We remain Yours now and forever, children dearly loved..

In Jesus name.

Amen

Uniquely Loved

 

     We are equally and uniquely loved. Your relationship with Jesus will look different than mine. I have a good friend who is fortunate enough to spend two hours every morning in deep study and prayer. What a gift!

     Another of my friends is an extrovert who just takes Jesus with her wherever she goes, picking up nuggets of wisdom from Him along the way throughout the day. What does your relationship with Jesus look like? Are you aware of His presence? Do you ask for direction throughout the day? Do you seek Him when a decision has to be made? Pray for the health of others? Look to His Word for answers?

     He yearns to be close to each one of us equally and uniquely. He honors each one of us in deep love and concern. He is for us and with us every moment.

Now you are the body of Christ and each of you is a part of it. 1 Corinthians 12:27

For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body and each member belongs to all the others. Romans 12:4-5

     Equal parts of the same body, each one uniquely created, to work together in service. Don’t you just love His plan? He loves us and we love one another.

Lord,

Thank You for the individual gifts You give, the way You guide us into relationship with You and with others. We wait for opportunities to serve, each one in the ways chosen by You. Teach us how to find our spiritual gifts and to use them to Your glory.

He First Loved Us

 

     We love because of Jesus. We are transformed because of Jesus. We can live with the Holy Spirit of the Creator of the universe because of Jesus. We can live supernaturally, with hope, because of Jesus.

We love because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19

     Because He first loved us. That love permeates everything about us. He lavishes us with the type of love that defeats death and brings life.

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. 1 John 3:1

     We are children of God! He lavished His love on us with Jesus. And because of Him, because of His forgiveness, His grace, His new mercies every morning, because of His death, we can choose life, life now and forever.

Jesus,

Thank You for the gift of life everlasting, and for the great love You lavish on us each day. Help us to live out our lives with that same love for others. We love, because You first loved us.

Amen

Life Together

 

     This week, we are allowing God to lavish His love on us, and, in return, we will love and honor one another. One of the purposes of God’s love for us, is to take care of, and honor our brothers and sisters in Christ. We may have personality clashes, but we are to love. We may feel jealous of another’s gifts, but we are to be satisfied with our own. We are to rejoice with one another and suffer with one another.

     The deep fellowship in Christ is unlike any other. It will move from this earth to eternity. We are linked together forever as children of our Father. Let’s love.

So that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it. If one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.  Now, you are the body of Christ and each one of you is a part of it. 1 Corinthians 12;25-27

Rejoice with those who rejoice. Mourn with those who mourn. Romans 12:15

     We are in this together, equally and uniquely His. Our joys can be shared and our burdens cut in two when we live out life together.

Father,

Thank You for brothers and sisters in the faith. Jesus died for all of us. We want to learn to love and to live through and with Him. Help us to be examples in the world around us, as we share the generosity and unconditional love of Jesus.

Amen

Equally Loved

 

     I have to remind myself, continually, that God loves me and always wants the best for me. So many days, I feel guilty about one thing or another. You, too? As human beings, we have our weaknesses, our temptations, our emotions and a myriad of other attributes that take us away from God’s plan.

     Today, let’s soak in God’s unconditional love for us. Don’t be hard on yourself. He loves you just the way you are. He understands your unique personality and your unique gifts. The ways you serve won’t look like the ways I, or anyone else serves. Let’s not compare and compete. We are all members of the same body, with different parts, all valuable to Jesus.

     Some of our gifts are quiet and encouraging, others boisterous and generous, others behind-the-scenes and, still others, up on the podium. None is better than another. You are gifted and loved. You are a child of God, a beloved child of God.

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them, and in everyone, there is the same God at work. 1 Corinthians 12:4=6

     The same Lord, the same Spirit, the same God, working in us and loving us, quirks and all. He loves you!

Lord,

You are our God and the same Spirit is within each of us. That Spirit understands us deeply and profoundly, leading us in ways we often don’t notice. Guide us into truth and into Your love today.

In Jesus name,

Amen