Monday
Our Inheritance
Then the King will say to those on his right, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world” (Matthew 25:34 NLT).
By the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we have inherited the kingdom of heaven. We sure don't deserve God's mercy and grace but He calls us worthy. Jesus Christ took all of our sin to the cross so we might be saved. All we must do is accept Him as our Savior and repent of our sin, proclaiming Him as our King.
We should hit our knees and praise Him out of reverence and respect for His mighty power. After all, He spoke the entire universe into existence. That, my friends, is unshakeable power.
I am so thankful we have a God who loves us enough to send Jesus to save us from ourselves. Thanks be to God.
Father God, thank you for loving broken sinners like us. You didn't have to sacrifice Jesus for our sin, but you did because of your amazing love, mercy, and grace. We praise you, Lord God, and we pray in the mighty name of Jesus Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Tuesday
Never Give Up Fighting
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin (Hebrews 12:1-4 NLT).
Folks, sin rears its ugly head against everyone, so no one is exempt. It's part of living a broken life in a broken world. However, we have a cure for sin whose name is Jesus Christ. He died for our sin and placed our sin in the grave, then God raised Him to new life, everlasting life. We too can be dead to sin, have a new life, and be assured of everlasting life when this old body dies.
How do we attain a new life? By coming to the saving grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, confessing with our mouth that He is Lord, believing that He is the Son of God, confessing and repenting of our sin, and giving our whole selves to Jesus.
So brothers and sisters, don't be weary because God already did the "heavy lifting" for us. All we must do is walk with Him in endurance and in His strength, claiming Jesus as our Savior, our King, and our Lord.
Lord God, we pray for strength in fighting the good fight. When we get tired, Lord, lift us up and carry us to the finish line. We ask in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.
Wednesday
Leave It at Christ's Feet
I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead! I do not mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us (Philippians 3:10-14 NLT).
Read this and just dwell on what these verses mean. Then read over the last 2 verses. "Forgetting the past…I press on...” to where Christ is calling us.
God doesn't hold our past against us when we fall into His arms, so why in heaven's name can we not put our own past behind us? We keep beating ourselves over the head with our past failures...why? God does not.
Folks, lay your past at the foot of the cross and run this race and finish well. Jesus will forgive us through faith and repentance. Now we should forgive ourselves.
Dear Lord, help us to realize we become a new creation when we give our lives to you. Help us to press on in Jesus' name. Amen.
Thursday
Check Your I.D.
“Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people.
Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.”
Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls (1 Peter 2:10-11 NLT).
Is your identity in Christ or of this world? Do you identify with Jesus or with all the "goodies" this world has put across your path?
These worldly desires can separate you from all that God desires for your life. Be smart and choose heavenly rewards instead of earthly ones.
Dear Lord, help us to discover our true identity. If our identity is not in you, help us to change our lives to live in you. Amen.
Friday
Totally Dependent
The LORD is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving (Psalm 28:7 NLT).
I am totally dependent on our Lord, and I am not different than you. Without God, we are like floundering fish. Like fish need the water, we need the living water of Jesus Christ.
I don't know why in the world I kept Him at a distance for so many years. I look back on those years with a sense of loss, but I can also look at that same time as when I was working on my testimony.
Folks, life cannot be full without our Lord. Without Him, it's an empty time. We don't realize how much of a desert it is until we start living in His will. We are truly new creations when we open our hearts and ask Jesus to come into our lives.
If you are still trying to do life without Him, I pray that you realize you will only be made whole by His presence in your life.
Lord God, bring your lost sheep home and into your loving arms. We ask and pray in the mighty name of Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Saturday
Trials and Tribulations
Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad – for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world (1 Peter 4:12, 13 NLT).
Why do we always think Woe is me. Why is this bad stuff happening to me? Why does it surprise us when crazy stuff happens from the troubles of life? The Bible tells us that it's not a matter of "if" we face trials. No, it's more like “when.”
Through these trials, we grow closer to our Savior. We start realizing we can't make it very far without depending on God for His love, mercy, and grace.
Thank you, Lord, for carrying us through the valleys in our lives.
Father, please continue to bless us in all aspects of our lives and help us to remember to keep you in our presence. I ask and pray in Jesus' mighty name. Amen.
Sunday
The Power in His Name
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death (Romans 8:1-2 NLT).
Being a follower of Christ has its privileges.
Lord God, thank you for the privileges of your, love, mercy, grace, and power in our lives. In Jesus' mighty name we pray. Amen.
