God's Will

     The world is moving so fast with new technology offering us 24/7 connections to media, to friends, to music, and television. We take the world with us wherever we go. We are beginning to hear about the damage to very young children as their brains are moving quickly from one screen to the next. There is no time for reflection, for imagination, for creativity.

     The Bible reminds us not to be conformed to this world. We are to be in the world, but not of the world. Not so easy these days. Finding time to read the Bible, to sit down and pray to our Lord and to ask for His ways, will give us peace and joy in a chaotic world. This next verse is a good one to keep close to our hearts as we maneuver the world swirling around us.

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, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2

     The only way to renew our minds is to follow God’s ways and His Word. Be transformed. Test all things and find God’s perfect, pleasing and good will. I want that above all else. How about you?

Lord,

You know the days in which we live. Give us quiet moments with You. Show us Your perfect ways. Renew our minds to be like Jesus.

Amen

God's Will

Be very careful, then, how you live-not as unwise, but as wise making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.  Ephesians 5:15-17

     Wisdom is mentioned over and over again throughout the Bible. Many verses in the book of Proverbs have to do with Godly wisdom vs. foolishness. Be very careful how you live. What does that mean? The only way to understand is to know the Word, and to understand how God cares about the kind of people we are, more than what we do.

     Let Godly wisdom guide you as you make decisions against the ways of the world. Stay true to God’s Word. It is truth. Our God is pure and holy and He desires us to represent Him wherever we are and whatever we do.

     Be wise. The days are evil. Walk in the Word. Be careful. Ask Him for Godly wisdom and shine with His love in all the choices you make today.

Father,

Thank You for Your Word. It gives us what we need to live. It is alive and active. It delights the soul. It gives us You. Allow the Holy Spirit to teach us as we read and study and take action.

In Jesus name,

Amen

God's Will

     God’s will, His desire is that every single human being would recognize and know the Son. Listen to the words of Christ.

“For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life and I will raise them up on the last day.” John 6:40

     God’s will is for everyone who believes in the Son to have eternal life. What a gift! God’s will is always pleasing and perfect for each of us.

     For today, realize how much God loves all of us. Pray for those you love, for your friends and family, for your neighbors and for your enemies to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus and His gift of eternal life. It is God’s will.

Father,

We thank You for Your gift to the whole world. We know You yearn for everyone to believe in the risen Christ. We pray for the unbelievers.

In Jesus name,

Amen

God's Will

    What is God’s will for us? Is it specific? Is He the one to pick out our spouse, our house, our jobs? The Bible does not say that. But the Bible does give us parameters to follow, what is right and what is not in His sight.

     God wants only the best for us. The Holy Spirit of God living within us will assist us in teaching us God’s Word and in making us more and more into the image of Christ. There is really nothing about a very specific and detailed plan laid out for each one of us. We live by God’s rule book and make our own choices!

     Of course, along the way, we will make both good and bad choices. We are human, after all. But, looking back, I see how God uses even our bad choices and weaves them together with the good to fulfill His will. Wow!

     Here are specific verses about the will of God that pertain to all of His children. We can incorporate them into our daily lives.

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

     We can rejoice that we know Jesus, we can acknowledge His presence around and within us by praying to Him all day long and we can give thanks to Him no matter what. After all, He died for us and He will get us through it all. His perfect will guides us home.

Lord,

We have the freedom to give our lives to You. You work out the good and the bad and somehow, through Your miraculous Holy Spirit, You sanctify us more and more into Your image. We rejoice in You, we pray to You and we give thanks everyday in all things. Let Your will be done.

In Jesus name,

Amen

His glorious Presence

     God knows the end from the beginning. His plans and purposes will come to pass. He knows the words we will speak before they are out of our mouths and He knows the number of our days.

Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. Psalm 139:4

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12

A person’s days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed. Job 14:5

     Place your trust in Jesus. He knows you completely and He knows just how long you will live. Let the Psalmist remind us that our lives are short. Make it matter. Gain a heart of wisdom, serving Jesus.  And don’t worry about how long you will love. You are safe with Jesus and it is more than today. It is forever.

Father,

Thank You for the promises of a heavenly home with You. It is only through Jesus we can experience a glorious future. Open hearts and minds to accept Your son, Jesus during this time of grace before it is too late.

In Jesus name,

Amen

The Glorious Guarantee

     Our home in heaven is a guarantee, promised by our Lord. He has sealed us for eternity with His Holy Spirit.

And you were also included in Christ after you heard the message of faith, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession-to the praise of His glory. Ephesians 1:13-14

     Keep these two verses etched in your mind and written on your heart. We tend to make it so complicated. These verses spell it out. We hear the Gospel, the fact that Jesus came to earth as a man, fully God and fully man, lived a sinless life and took the pain of a fallen world on the cross. He shed His Holy blood for you and me, died and rose again. He defeated death for us. And after we hear the message, if we believe in our hearts and confess with our mouth that He is Lord, (Romans 10:9) we are sealed at that moment with the Holy Spirit, a GUARANTEE, a deposit to declare our inheritance in heaven forever. Believe it and know nothing can ever separate you from Christ, not ever. He loves us that much.

Father,

We thank You for the faith that allows us to believe in the Gospel of grace. The free gift You give us in Your Son. We praise You today for our inheritance, eternal life.

In Jesus name,

Amen

The Glorious City

     The heavens will be filled with God’s light, with a temple made of colorful precious stones, with one gigantic pearl operating as a gate, with sheer golden glass for pathways, with fresh and unique fruit harvesting each month, there for our satisfaction.

     The angels will surround the throne. We will witness beauty and wonder as we work and praise God forever. Just a glimpse into the descriptions of heaven fills us with awe. If we could see into the glory of the new heaven and the new earth, we would not be able to stand it here one moment longer. God gives us just a taste of what it will be like.

     Allow your imagination to look up as we wait. Soon, we will be done with pain, with chaos, with disaster, with sickness and grief, with a fallen world filled with violence and drugs and hatred. Peace will flow like a river, and joy will overflow.

The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold as pure as transparent glass. Revelation 21:19-21

     We can only imagine as we wait for the day we will see all of God’s glory.

Amen