Monday
Heavy Heart
But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint (Isaiah 40:31 NLT).
Sometimes, we get news that we just don't want to hear. Sometimes, God's plan isn't what we want it to be. Sometimes there is loss that seems impossible to deal with. Sometimes, we have to understand that through trials and loss, God makes us stronger than we can imagine. Sometimes, our faith is rocked and we are tested to the brink of despair. Sometimes, after many years of diligent prayer, we see that God's will was not our will. Sometimes, we just have to cry. Sometimes, we must realize that we are humans and have no control over things that God is in control of. Sometimes, we just need to trust in our Creator. Sometimes, there aren't words. Sometimes...
BUT GOD IS GOD, ALL OF THE TIME. HE IS NOT A SOMETIMES GOD. Those who have trusted in Him will soar to new heights. Those who know Jesus will never taste the bitterness of death. Those who are walking with Christ on this earth, will walk eternally with Him in heaven.
No matter what we go through, we can trust that God is in control and He will pull us through the fire. Be strong and trust in Him. He has never failed you and will never fail you. He is God and He loves you. Remain faithful, God will always be faithful to you.
Father God, help us give all our problems to you. Help us lay down our burdens at the foot of Your cross. Lord, You tell us that Your yoke is easy to bear and the burden You give us is light. Help us, Lord, to fully trust in You. We ask this in the mighty name of Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Tuesday
It Begins with Trust
The instructions of the Lord are perfect,
reviving the soul.
The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
The commandments of the Lord are right,
bringing joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are clear,
giving insight for living (Psalm 19:7-8 NLT).
Step 1 - Trust God's instructions.
Step 2 – Trust His decrees.
Step 3 – Trust His commands.
Step 4 – Trust His clarity.
Step 5 – Trust in His Word as being the truth.
With our trust in the fact that God is who He is, we now see how much we need Jesus. We see our inability to be in the presence of God without a Mediator. We see how broken we are and how much we need Jesus to cover our brokenness. We see a God that lifts our Savior from death to life. We see our God as He is, Creator and Loving Father. We see our God as righteous. We see our God as sovereign.
Lord God, thank You for being who You are: God of all! In the mighty name of Jesus, we praise You Father. Amen.
Wednesday
Faith
It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going (Hebrews 11:8 NLT).
Look at the word "faith." It's the BIG little word that makes people stumble in accepting the "free gift" of salvation.
Oswald Chambers wrote:
"Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One Who is leading. It is a life of faith, not of intellect and reason, but a life of knowing Who makes us go."
It's not about me or you, it's about God. It's about what Jesus did on the cross, the stone being rolled away, and what God is offering us. It's about the faith and trust we put in Him. Thanks be to God!
Father God, help us have the faith as small as a mustard seed so that You will have Your way with us. We pray for Your way and not our way in life. It is in Jesus' mighty name we pray. Amen.
Thursday
Don't Be Troubled
Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance (Romans 5:1-3 NLT).
Are you struggling with anxiety? Are you letting the little things in life rule you? Maybe it's a big problem that has overwhelmed you. Maybe you are having high anxiety due to the threat of the coronavirus. There is an alternative to the turmoil that you are living with, day in and day out.
The answer to all the questions above is turning to the peace of Jesus. Why are we anxious? We really have nothing to be anxious or upset about when we have Jesus Christ as our Savior. He will take away all of our fears and anxiety by His presence in our hearts.
Sometimes having faith is hard. Sometimes leaning on Jesus is hard because of our lack of trust, or perhaps, lack of a relationship with Him. We listen to people who have no faith in God and begin to doubt. We start to believe the world and not God's promise. God's promise is that if we have faith and believe in Jesus as our Savior, we will be able to walk in His peace. Not only will we have peace, we will have joy in all our undertakings.
Friends, God is alive today. Jesus is working in our lives. Are we to believe Him or are we going to listen to the world? We will have struggles. We will have health issues. We will have family issues. We are broken people, living in a broken world and bad stuff happens. We must always remember that nothing happens to us that the Lord can't handle when we let Him bless us. What must we do? We must remain faithful, believing in His love, mercy, and grace. Trusting that no matter what happens today, God has a plan and it's perfect. It might not be the plan that we have, but trusting in His plan and submitting to Him is the answer for the peace that we all seek.
Lord God, thank You for carrying us when we can't go, picking us up when we fall down and supporting us through this, sometimes, tough life. We ask for protection from this dreaded COVID-19 disease. Lead us today and give us the faith the size of a mustard seed. We love you Lord and trust You today. In the might name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
Friday
His Will
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness (Genesis 1:1-4 NLT).
There is nothing too big for our God! Give Him all of your problems, needs, and desires. He is able. There is nothing too big or too small that He can't fix. Just remember to pray in His will.
Dear Lord, your will: nothing more, nothing less, nothing else. Amen.
Saturday
Never Changing, Always True and Perfect
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8 NLT).
Jesus Christ is the Rock on which we can build our house. Jesus never changes. He is the same each day, just as God's Word is true, infallible, and perfect.
Lord God, thank You for Jesus. Thank You for our Rock. Thank You for never changing and being the only constant in an ever-changing world. Father, thank You for loving us. We praise and give You thanks today while lifting up the mighty and matchless name of Jesus. Amen.
Sunday
Proof Is in the Pudding
If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom (James 3:13 NLT).
So, do we really have a concept of God's ways? Do we deem ourselves to have godly wisdom? Are we truly living an honorable life?
These are a few questions that each of us should ponder.
My probing question is, if we are knowledgeable in God's ways; if we are living an honorable life, if we deem ourselves wise; then where is the "fruit" that proves it?
The proof is in the pudding. We can all make the claims, but those claims should be backed up by action.
Thank You Lord for forgiving us when we talk a good talk but fail to walk the good walk. Help us to put our words into action. In Jesus' name. Amen.
