He Promises

     God’s purpose for our lives is filled with abundant joy and peace.  Satan loves nothing better than stealing our peace and joy and replacing them with fear, doubt, guilt, anger and jealousy. What keeps you from believing God and allowing His joy and peace to reign?

     When we feel anxious there is a Scripture verse to take it away. When we fear, God promises He will never leave us. When we are discouraged, He tells us He understands. He knows the world is filled with troubles and trials, but don’t fret.

“I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:13

     Believe God and His promises today. Let Him fill you with His deep peace and joy, understanding that nothing can ever separate you from Him. Nothing Not ever. His promises are eternal.

Father,

Forgive us for losing our trust in You and for not believing Your Word filled with promises. Give us peace and joy today. Replace the negative feelings with the good fruit of Your love.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Savor the Blessings

     My best friend’s husband died this week after battling brain cancer for a little over a year. A reminder of our mortality. We push our chairs back from the table when death is mentioned. We try to erase the years from our bodies and faces as if trying to slow down life. Only God knows the number of our days. Can we learn to savor and treasure each moment?

     My friend taught me much over this last year. She remained strong and positive through an impossible journey. She took much time from work, scheduled doctors’ appointments, surgeries, radiation, hired nurses, and over the last few weeks took tender care of her love as he slipped away. Each moment was treasured.

     One day a few months ago she said just seeing Steve reading the paper and drinking coffee was enough for the day. And just a couple of weeks ago he told her she looked “snazzy.” It was as if the clouds parted and the sun came out.

     Today look around you. Live life and love. Love matters most. Treasure the little moments in the stress of the day. Stop to thank God for each little blessing. We take so much for granted. Enjoy life, love and enjoy Jesus. He loves you more.

“A new command I give you. Love one another. As I have loved you, so must you love one another.” John 13:34

“As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Now remain in My love.” John 15:9

Father,

Your love remains in us through Your Son. Stop us in our tracks today to count our every blessing, small or large. We want to savor every moment of this precious life You have given us.

In Jesus name,

Amen

He Will Lift You Up

     The Bible has some choice words for the pride within us. Pride goes before a fall. God hates pride

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. Proverbs 11:2

The Lord detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this. They will not go unpunished. Proverbs 16:5

     Meeting Jesus brings us to our knees. We see the holy, perfect and just God and we see ourselves as we are, unworthy. Jesus wipes the slate clean with His blood. Our sins washed away, once and for all. Our humble hearts are renewed! And He lifts us up.

Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will lift you up. James 4:10

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand that He may lift you up in due time. 1 Peter 5;6

     Our humility and our weakness allow God’s mighty Spirit to work through us. It is Him, not us. Thankfully, His power shines through our weakest moments and our most dire circumstances. He is enough. Always.

Jesus,

Thank You. We praise You. We humbly thank You for all You have done for us, for all you do for us, for all you will do for us. The past, present and future are in Your hands. Lift us up.

Amen

Gentle Patient, Loving

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:2

     Humble, gentle, patient. Three virtues, seemingly impossible to live on our own. We want the credit. We deserve the best. We become angry and out of sorts. Why be gentle when everyone is out of control? We want to stand our ground, fight back, be right! And patience? How? Even our own family members drive us crazy!

     But Christ is patient and gentle with us. He humbled Himself to become our servant. He doesn’t grow weary when we fail again. He gently picks us up, brushes us off, and tells us to move forward. Maybe next time we’ll listen?

     Where do you need more patience? Who needs your gentle spirit even when they don’t deserve it? Who needs a hug or a reminder of God’s love? Can we bear with one another through another difficult day? With Christ’s never-ending love, yes we can. Draw on His strength, His wisdom, His gentle endurance with us.

Jesus,

We don’t deserve Your love. No one does. Remind us of that when we step out into the cold, dark, violent, impatient, angry world around us, and teach us to be gentle patient and loving with everyone. After all, we represent the One who loves us all.

Amen

Supernaturally Sacrificial

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or with conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves. Philippians 2:3

     This is a tough verse to swallow. Value others above ourselves? Placing others first and caring about their lives, their hearts, their needs, does not come naturally.  Our flesh screams out, “What about me??”

     The only way to live out these words is with the power of the Holy Spirit within us. God can develop our spiritual lives in a way that is not natural. It is super-natural, filled with heavenly power. When you do something sacrificial or give others time you don’t have, when you go the extra mile, or say something kind and generous through gritted teeth, the Holy Spirit is at work.

     Pray for supernatural power today. Pray for the love of Christ to overwhelm your natural desires. Pray for His wisdom when you meet the self-centered world around you. Don’t believe in the lies of the world. Rise above them in humility and love. Christ will show us how.

Jesus,

The impossible is possible with You. It is only with the supernatural powers available through You that we can meet the needs of others before our own. Let us point to You, not to ourselves, but to You alone.

Amen

A Servan'ts Heart

     Life can become so self-focused can’t it? What’s best for me? How can I make life comfortable for me? We get offended, critical and angry at others when they don’t fit into our idea of how life should work. Jesus, the Lord of all, the Creator of the universe, the One that calls the stars by name, came to earth to serve.

And, being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death-even death on a cross. Philippians 2:8

     As we follow Jesus, He asks us to put Him and others first. Look beneath the surface to see the heart. Open up to others in love and kindness. Jesus became one of us and died for us. Represent Him well.

Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Romans 12:10

Father,

Your Son gave us everything for us. Teach us how to put others first and to humble ourselves before You. Give us Your heart today.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Grieving With Hope

     My heart is heavy as my oldest and dearest friend gets ready to say her earthly goodbyes to the love of her life. They met as teenagers and have been together for over 40 years. Heaven awaits Steve. There is relief ahead in his suffering and his family and friends know that. No one wants to watch him suffer from the brain tumor any longer.

     Moving ahead in a life so different, in a life where a part of you is gone is impossibly difficult. The memories will comfort, the love they shared can never be taken away, and those who love their family will surround them. And Paul reminds us of our hope.

Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14

     We grieve. We grieve with hope. Eternity awaits. Heaven will bring Steve home soon. And each step we walk in life will bring us closer to being together forever. Hope remains.

Jesus,

Comfort those who grieve. We grieve with hope, but our hearts break through our goodbyes. Love brings pain, but we savor the love we have, even if it is for a short time. Thank You for loving us and for bringing us home to You.

Amen