Made Steadfast - No. 79

"for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness." James 1:3

When you're in the middle of an unpleasant trial of life remember this verse. There is encouragement in knowing you are being refined by God for something better. He always has a plan. We can never discern that plan while we are in the midst of it, but often times it becomes clear on the other side. Like Joseph told his brothers many years after they had maliciously sold him into slavery, "You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good." Genesis 5:20

Dear Lord:

Thank you for your plan of grace that is preparing us for eternity with you. Please give us the strength to endure all the trials of this life, and make us steadfast, with our eyes fixed only on Jesus. 

Amen. 

Victory in Jesus - No. 80 & 81

"For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39

Once Jesus has saved us from the condemnation of sin our fight is won. The struggle isn't over and won't be this side of Heaven, but victory is assured. What better encouragement for the fight than knowing without a doubt that the battle for your soul is already won? Fight on brothers. Each day is a battle, but the battle is won. Forget what sin or disappointment lies behind. Strain forward to the the prize that lies ahead. Keep your eyes on Jesus and keep marching forward. 

Dear Lord, 

Thank you for the victory we have in Jesus. Help me to strain forward in confidence of the salvation I have in you. My citizenship in in Heaven, and that is where I long to be. Let not my gaze be taken off of Jesus. Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to thy cross I cling.  

Amen. 

A photo posted by Showcasing Your Epic Captures (@epic_captures) on Jan 19, 2015 at 9:55am PST

Encourage One Another - No. 82

"not neglecting to meet together as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." Hebrews 10:25

Encourage yourself in the love of God by meeting with brothers and sisters in Christ. Your presence will be an encouragement to them, too. God stirs us for acts of love through Christian community. This is why it's so important for a Christian to be an active participant at church. This is where God helps us and strengthens us to use our gifts. It's where he heals us. Church is where you are reunited with the Body, and when the Body is together it flourishes. If you're there you'll flourish with it. 

Dear Lord:

Thank you for the community you've given me. Help me to be an encouragement to the brothers and sisters you've given me in Christ and to show them even the smallest glimpse of your great love. Also, please help me to draw the encouragement I need from your church. 

Amen. 

Focus on the Promises - No. 83

"...he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desires." 2 Peter 1:4

We become more like our Heavenly Father when we dwell on His promises. Feeding our soul with God's word helps us to grow in our understanding of Him and steels us against the temptations of the world and our own sinful desires. God's word is the sword of the spirit (Eph 6:17) and with it we can fight against every temptation we face. Even Jesus responded to the temptations of Satan with God's word. 

"Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of  God." (Matthew 4:4)

Dwell on His promises and keep them close. You will need them even today. 

Dear Lord:

Thank you for the bread of life. Please feed it to me aplenty and help me to turn to it this day instead of to the temptations of this world. 

Amen. 

Bring Me to Completion - No. 84

"And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." Philippians 1:6

Are you weary in your faith?

Are you worried you won't make it?

Are you tired from the cares and toils of this life?

Take heart, Christian. It is not up to you to persevere until the end. Jesus will bring you home. In this verse we find the great comfort of the broad shoulders of God carrying us up the mountain toward Heaven. He will bring us to completion. Let your weight rest on Him. It's not up to you.

You will be there at the end, because God will be the one to carry you home.

Rest completely in Him.

Dear Lord:

Thank you for carrying me through the all the many toils and snares. Please give me the perseverance to finish the marathon of life with my faith in you intact so I can be there at the day of Jesus Christ. Bring me to completion. Let my confidence rest only in you. 

Amen.

A photo posted by @ourplanetdaily on Jan 14, 2015 at 3:02pm PST

Growth and Refreshment - No. 85

"It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore!" Psalm 33:3

Christian brothers dwelling together in unity (Psalm 133:1) is like the dew of Hermon, which brings vital moisture to the desert, and causes refreshment and  growth. Without moisture a plant cannot grow. It becomes dry and brittle and might even die. But with moisture a plant flourishes and grows up toward the Heavens. So it is with unity and our souls. Worshipping and living among other believers will bring refreshment, growth and God's rich blessing. It's the closest we'll get to Heaven on this side. Don't deny yourself the joy of Christian fellowship. Seek it out. Invest yourself in a body of believers, live with them in one accord and enjoy the blessings God promises in this verse. 

Dear Lord:

Thank you for the blessings you have already given me through my church. Please give us unity that pleases you and let us enjoy the abundant blessing  you promise in your word. 

Amen. 

Where to Find Grace, Mercy - No. 86

"Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4:16

The verse that precedes this one tells us that Jesus understands our temptations and sympathizes with our weakness because he experienced life on this earth first-hand. There is no need to keep up appearances for Jesus. He knows we are not "fine" or "good" as we often tell anyone who asks. Jesus knows we are anything but fine or good, and He understands why. Go to Jesus with your pain. Go to Him with your sin. Go to Him with your anxiety. Nothing you say will surprise Jesus. He already knows, and He wants you to bring all of your cares to Him. He died for you. He loves you. Lay it all at the feet of Jesus today, and you will receive grace and mercy aplenty. 

Dear Lord:

We carry so much on our shoulders that we ought to lay directly at the feet of Jesus. His yoke is easy. His burden is light. Please help me to open my heart to you and give me the grace and mercy I so desperately need. 

Amen. 

Delight in Him - No. 87

"Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4

When our delight is in the Lord he will give us the one thing our heart desires - Himself. When we've been through the refiner's fire, and our heart's one desire is to be Holy and set apart for God, He will grant unto us that desire. His desire is for us to desire Him. When we do he will not hold back from us the riches that come from a relationship with Him. 

"He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?" Romans 8:32. 

Indeed, the God who loves us this much stands ready to shower us with the abundance that comes with knowing Him.

Dear Lord,

Thank you for your loving kindness. Purify my heart and make it clean. Make it to desire only in you. Set me apart for you. Help me to seek after you. Let me find my satisfaction in you. 

Amen. 

He Came to Save - No. 88

"For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him." John 3:17

Jesus came to save us. 

Without Him we have no hope. With Him there is no greater hope. For how can there be any greater hope than being considered a child of God?

Thanks to the saving work of Jesus we are adopted children of God. We can call God, "Father" and Jesus "Brother" and Heaven is our home.

That is hope beyond all other. 

If you trust in Jesus then your hope is greater than even the richest men on earth. If you trust in Jesus then your riches are beyond measure this morning.

Dear Lord:

Thank you for the saving work of Jesus. Thank you for the hope we have in Him. Please fill our hearts with the glorious wonder that is being your adopted children and the eternal home we have awaiting us this day. 

Amen. 

A photo posted by National Geographic Landscape (@natgeolandscape) on Jan 9, 2015 at 12:37pm PST

Look to Jesus - No. 89

"And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12

Jesus is the only way. 

We often look other places for salvation, but all those other places will leave us disappointed, empty and lost. Our government can't save us. More money won't save us. Comfort won't save us. Success at work won't save us. Our morality won't save us either. 

There is only one way to salvation and life eternal with the Heavenly Father: Jesus. 

Keep your gaze on Him. Depend on Him. Invest your life in Him. 

Look to Jesus. 

Dear Lord:

Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. None of us can come to you except through Him. Thank you for the unmatched riches we have in the salvation you have given us in Jesus. 

Amen. 

A photo posted by The Globe Wanderer (@theglobewanderer) on Jan 10, 2015 at 6:57am PST

Our Peace - No. 90

"You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you." Isaiah 26:3

The promise is that God will give peace to those whose minds are fixed on him. We do this by reading His word and praying. Our minds are fixed on so many things other than God: Financial worry, children, work, sports...I could go on and on. None of those things bring peace. God is the only source of true peace. It's a peace that surpasses all understanding (Philipians 4:7). Jesus is our peace. Think of Him today. Think of what he did for you on the cross. Cast your worries upon him. Spend time in the Word. Pray. He will give you peace. 

Dear Lord:

Help me to fix my eyes upon Jesus today. Make my heart  burn for you. Set my feet to follow you. Your yoke is easy and your burden is light. Give me the peace that surpasses understanding. 

Amen. 

Set Free - No. 91

"He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed." 1 Peter 2:24

True freedom is knowing your debt has been paid. That's the freedom we have in Jesus. He paid the price for our sins. He bore the wrath. There is no penalty that awaits us. We are free. We are healed. This gift is far too precious to ignore or just walk away from. When Jesus tears off our shackles that hold us in wait for the eternal guillotine it is only natural that we would then choose to follow him. He set us free and so we follow Him out of thankfulness and adoration. He loved us so much that we can't help but to love Him back. He is the source of our righteousness. He is our motivation for every good work. He healed us, and therefore we worship Him. 

Dear Lord,

Thank you for the rich grace and mercy you have poured over our lives, setting us free from sin by your great sacrifice. We want to follow You. Please stir our hearts to follow you this day and every day. 

Amen. 

Nourishment for Your Soul - No. 92

"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." Joshua 1:8

These are the directions the Lord gave to Joshua so that Joshua would have the strength and courage necessary to lead the Israelites out of the wilderness and against the mighty armies that awaited. 

Meditation on God's word strengthens us, too. 

The Psalmist says "Blessed is the man whose delight is in the Law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night" Psalm 1:1,2. 

God gave us his Word to bless us. It's the way we learn about Him, and from it we can know Him more and more each day. 

The promises in these scriptures are the reason I'm writing this devotional blog. I'm glad to share my thoughts with you, but taking a small portion of God's scripture, thinking about it and writing out my thoughts helps me to dwell on his word in a way simply reading cannot. My mind works better when I write. This blog is for me, it's my way of meditation, but I pray that it might benefit or encourage you, too.

What are some ways that would help you meditate on God's word? 

God's word is here to give us strength and blessing. It's God-given nourishment for our souls. 

"Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." Matthew 4:4. 

Don't deny yourself the goodness that comes from God's word. Read it. Learn it. Meditate on it. He will give you strength. 

Dear Lord:

Thank you for your Word. Please give me the burning desire to read it daily, to learn it and to love it more and more each day so that I may know you better. 

Amen.  

Who Jesus Is - No. 93

And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." Matthew 28:18

Jesus is not some weak, powerless figure. He is the King of Heaven, earth and the entire Universe. All that exists is under his command. He is the Almighty One. He can move a mountain with a whisper or topple an empire with the slightest movement of his hand. His power knows no limits. 

And yet he loves us. So much so that he allowed himself to be slain by weak, evil men so that we could be called His brothers and sisters and like Him be children of the Heavenly Father. 

There is no better, bigger or more perfect love than that. 

You are loved perfectly by the most powerful figure in the Universe.

Dwell on that today. 

Dear Lord:

Your Gospel love is too good, too amazing. Thank you for loving me and allowing me to call you Father, Jesus my brother and for making Heaven my home. 

Amen. 

We Work for the Lord - No. 94

"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men," Colossians 3:23

The perfect verse for a Monday. 

Whether you're a student, a teacher, a mother or a police man, devote yourself to your labor knowing that you answer to the Creator. No matter how mundane the task, unpleasant the work or unappreciative your earthly boss, your job this day was ordained by God. You are exactly where he wants you to be doing exactly what he wants you to do. God created us for what we are to do this day. So work or study today not for your own reward, and not for the approval of men, work today for the glory of God. 

"You are serving the Lord Christ." Colossians 3:24

Dear Lord:

Thank you for the work you have set before me today. Please help me devote myself to it for your glory and not my own. 

Amen

The Greatest Commandment - No. 95

And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." Matthew 22:37

This is called the great commandment, and we often read it as a rule we must obey, but today I'm starkly reminded of the troubles I have in keeping this law (and all the others). Make no mistake, we should love the Lord with all our heart, but I daily fall far short of this great commandment. Thankfully there is Jesus, the one who perfectly fulfilled this commandment on my behalf and your behalf, too. He lived the life we should live and died the death we deserve so we could be adjudged righteous under this  law and all the others. So while this commandment to love the Lord with everything we have should break us under its awesome weight, Jesus has set us free to give it everything we've got without fear of failure. He's already done it, and no matter which direction we fall, he will be there to set us back on our feet. We can't lose, and for that my heart is filled with grateful, saved and thankful love.

Dear Lord,

Thank you for the saving work of Jesus. Please help me to love you more today and each day after. 

Amen. 

The Blessing of Community - No. 96

"It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes!" Psalm 133:2

Think of oil as our modern day cologne. Not cheap aftershave, but fine, expensive cologne. Now imagine that you don't get many showers, and you smell. Then maybe you'll have an idea as to what David is getting at in Psalm 133 when he is praising the blessings that come with Christian unity. To have oil poured over one's head in David's time would be a bountiful blessing and even a sign of great wealth. Unity with Christian brothers is equally so. There is no amount of money that can equal the blessing of Christian friendship. If you're not involved in a Christian community then seek it out as soon as you can. God uses community to help us grow, give us encouragement, fellowship, joy and accountability. We need Christian brothers and sisters to experience Him, and when we dwell and gather with our brothers and sisters in unity the blessings will indeed flow. We were not meant to walk this walk alone.  

Dear Lord,

Thank you for the community of believers you have put in my life. Please help me to love my brothers and sisters and live with them in unity so that we can bless one another like the precious oil on the head of Aaron.

Amen 

Let Your Light Shine - No. 97

"In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to the Father who is in heaven." Matthew 5:16

The Westminster Catechism asks, "What is man's chief end?"

The answer is our God-given purpose for living:

"Man's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever."

God created us to glorify Him, and Jesus says in Matthew 5:16 one way we glorify God is with good deeds. Acts of kindness and charity done for God's glory and not our own cause those who see our good deeds to give God glory. And one of the ways we enjoy our relationship with the Heavenly Father is by giving Him the glory only he deserves. We glorify and enjoy Him when we are loving Him and doing what he says. Even though He is getting the Glory we still get the ultimate benefit. It's the benefit of knowing we pleased our Heavenly Father. There can be no greater satisfaction than knowing your Father is pleased with you. Let us seek opportunities to be a light in this world and give God the glory.

Dear Lord,

Please give me the opportunity to glorify your name on this earth with acts of kindness and good deeds. Guard me against laziness and do not let my eyes be glazed over by my own selfish tendencies. Help me to be a light for men this day and every day.  

Amen. 

When You Wonder Why - No. 98

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD." Isaiah 55:8

There have been and will be many times we wonder why our lives have come up against hurt, pain, sorrow, suffering and tears. The inexplicable will happen and we will wonder why God has allowed it. It is okay to question God, but we must not let our faith waiver during these times. 

We cannot discern God's plan. We are finite. He is infinite. He is sovereign. We are not. 

He has a plan. It may not be the plan we wanted, but take comfort, for He is God. He still loves you, and His plan is good.

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28. 

Dear Lord,

Thank you for loving us with a love that transcends understanding. Please grant unto us fountains of faith in those times when we are faced with the pains of this life and give us the peace that comes with knowing You are working for our good in all things. 

Amen.