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