Underserved kindness…a dilemma?
Here we learn that when we are kind and gentle in the face of someone who is angry with us, it confounds them and our kindness, undeserved, actually disarms them. We take no credit for the fruits of the Spirit manifested in our relationships and we do not seek praise from men for being patient and full of self-control.
Father, are You serious…no carved images?
Father, we seek to worship and glorify You and You only. It Is too small a thing to say that You are without equivalent because it implies comparison. You are incomparable, not better, but incomparable. Bless us as we seek to understand how much it disturbs You when we elevate man, images, animals and objects to a level that suggests worship.
Does God guarantee our salvation?
Our inheritance is guaranteed. It was purchased by the blood of Jesus, whose redemptive act guarantees our standing before You. Help us, this day, to fully grasp what has happened, what was foreknown to You before it ever happened and that which was clearly declared by Your prophets, hundred of years before it happened. Prophecy fulfilled; adding c [...]
Jesus prayed “early” in the morning…Why?
We are encouraged to pray early, Father, just as Jesus did so many times in the Scriptures. Praying about everything all day is Your stated will, but setting aside time with You each morning gives us an opportunity to start the day right, seeking Your blessings and direction.
Will tempatations ever stop? Not in this life…
There will come a day when Satan is restrained and Your joy will reign in the hearts of men (The Millennium) and there will be an even better day when Satan and his allies are destroyed forever. Then, in heaven, we will find out what is like to enjoy Your peace, happiness and joy eternal.
Does the idea of witnessing terrify you?
Unlike Paul, who could only be in one city at a time, Your Spirit, Jesus, is everywhere. You are always present, always aware of our thoughts, actions and words. May we bravely proclaim You when we might be inclined to keep silent. Jesus, help us be Your good and faithful servants, constantly.
I am sure proud that I am humble!
Peter goes on to say that pride, the opposite of humility, is resisted by God. It is “under Your hand”, Father, that we are to be truly humble, not some self-imposed portrayal of humility. You promise to exalt the humble in due time, to lift us up.
Responding to God’s call…your call!
...when Jesus came here, His life, His death and His resurrection became a pivotal event in history. Where men had been unable to fulfill the Law of the Old Covenant, You taught us, Jesus, that the New Covenant had replaced the Old. We now stand in the presence of the Father, not based on our obedience, but based upon our acceptance of You as savio [...]
Do doubts about God imperil or disable you?
You offer us a stern warning that we “must believe and not doubt”. Father, please help us with the doubts that sometimes come upon us. We feel so imperfect and at times very uninformed. Help us today to realize that is not our perfection that encompasses us when we approach You. We come to You in the righteousness of Jesus, cleansed by Him, led [...]