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