Monday - Deeper and Deeper
"Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness" (Colossians 2:7 NLT).
The closer we get to our Lord and the more time we spend in His Word, the more we understand the need for Him. As we grow deeper in our relationship with God, the more He reveals to us about His kingdom and His plans for our lives.
I challenge each of you to start a Bible reading schedule. There are many to choose from, so start with an easy to do, schedule. A 3-year plan works great. Just start and watch God reveal Himself to you.
Thank You, God, for giving us Your written guide to life. Amen.
Tuesday - Sin and Repentance
"Not a single person on earth is always good and never sins" (Ecclesiastes 7:20 NLT).
When we call attention to other people's sins, just remember that we are sinners too. Those who are unrepentant from their sin will face eternal separation from God.
We must confess and repent today. God is the answer and will give us the power to defeat the devil and his devious temptations.
Lord God, open the eyes of the lost and let them see what sin is in their lives. Lord, bring them to repentance and back into Your kingdom. We ask and pray in the mighty name of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Wednesday - Physically Present
"I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one" (John 17:14-15 NLT).
Believers in Jesus Christ are simply in the world – physically present – but not of it, not part of its values.
"And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect" (Romans 12:1-2 NLT).
As believers, we should be set apart from the world. This is the meaning of being holy and living a holy, righteous life – to be set apart. We are not to engage in the sinful activities the world promotes, nor are we to retain the insipid, corrupt mind that the world creates. Rather, we are to conform ourselves and our minds to that of Jesus Christ. This is a daily activity and commitment.
Dear Lord, lead us by the power of your Holy Spirit. Help us to live in this world and not be of this world. It's a daily battle for us, so please Lord, keep Your mighty hand on us. Help us keep our eyes focused on You. In the mighty name of Jesus, I ask and pray. Amen.
Thursday - Planted by the River
"Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do" (Psalms 1:1-3 NLT).
Have you set your roots in good soil? Are you close to the river, so that you might take a drink of salvation? Stay close to the source of true life currently and eternally, Jesus Christ.
Lord God, lead us to Your river of flowing, everlasting water. Lead us to the cool stream of salvation. Open the hearts of the lost that they might taste Your glory through a long, cool sip of the living water. We pray in the name of the One who gives us that opportunity to quench our thirst. In the mighty and magnificent name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
Friday - Our Good, Good Father
"My child, don’t reject the LORD’s discipline, and don’t be upset when he corrects you. For the LORD corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights" (Proverbs 3:11-12 NLT).
Our Father in heaven corrects us when we get off course. His correction is out of His great love for us. Accept the adjustment, get back on the right path, and thank God for His amazing love.
Dear Lord, we all tend to get off track. I pray for Your gentle hand of correction to bring us back to where You designed us to be. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Saturday - No Fear, Only Hope
"Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand" (Isaiah 41:10 NLT).
It's your choice on how to deal with life. You can worry and fret over problems and stress over stuff that you can't control, or you can let God handle these issues. It's your choice.
I can guarantee (from my experiences) that God will and can handle these problems better than you. He just might handle these issues in a totally different way than you would. He just might amaze you in His solution. What you have to do is get out of His way to let God work in your life.
Thank You, Lord, for being the God of relationship. You created us Lord and will never leave us. Thanks be to You, Father God. Amen.
Sunday - If...
"God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him" (1 John 4:9 NLT).
If God didn't love us, He wouldn't have sent His Son to die for us.
Lord God, thank You for leaving Your throne and coming into our world to save us from ourselves. We praise Your holy name. Amen.
This originally appeared on the Stand.
