Are You Paralyzed?

TODAY’S VERSE
Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.”
Mark 2:5 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
It was confusing. Here was a paralyzed man lying on a cot waiting to be healed, and Jesus said that his sins were forgiven. Jesus knew the concern of those judging Him, so He asked, “Why do you question this in your hearts? Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk’?” This begs the question. Which is more critical, the paralysis of the body or the soul? Now being paralyzed is a horrible situation, and without a doubt, I would want Jesus to heal me. But the paralysis of the soul leads to a much more horrific ending, one for all of eternity. The good news is Jesus had the authority to forgive sins and the power to heal the person. He did both. Today, you may not be paralyzed in your body, but how is your soul? How are you spiritually? Ask Christ to heal you today. He can, and He will.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Lord, my heart and soul are often paralyzed with sin, apathy, and despair. Come heal me today. Draw me to Yourself. Save me. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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Deeply Saddened

TODAY’S VERSE
He looked around at them angrily and was deeply saddened by their hard hearts.
Mark 3:5 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Anger is a secondary emotion and often hides what is really bothering us. In today’s verse, we see that Jesus was angry at the Pharisees because they were more concerned about their laws than God’s love and mercy. Instead of rejoicing in a visitation from God, they wanted to stop Jesus from healing a man’s hand because they considered it was working on the Sabbath. Upon a second look, we see that behind His anger, Jesus was deeply saddened by their hard hearts. So many would try to motivate us into righteous behavior because of the anger of God, but in truth, our disobedience saddens Him. Instead of anger, how many nights did the father of the Prodigal Son cry when he saw his son’s empty bed? It grieves my heart to think that I have caused the Lord, who loves me so much, to be deeply saddened. Forgive me, Lord. Help me live for you and bring you joy instead. Today consider God’s love for you; such a deep love that it saddens Him when you stray. Let that kind of love motivate you to live for Him.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Lord, forgive me for grieving Your heart. I have been so selfish and ungrateful. Help me consider your deep love for me so it will motivate me to glorify You with the way I live.
AMEN

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Jesus Helps Us With Our Temptations

TODAY’S VERSE
Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.
Hebrews 2:18 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
We are human. Trials, temptations, and tribulations are part of our journey. But we also know Jesus. It was God’s plan from the beginning that He would create human beings with our propensity for sin and struggles and, at the same time, endow us with His grace. Paul writes, “I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.” Jesus is the answer to our sinful dilemma. The author of Hebrews states why this is true. He writes, “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” What is it that has you down today? What sins are you struggling with? What negative feelings are you harboring about yourself? Today, bring them to Jesus. He is there. He loves you. He will help.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear gracious Jesus. Thank You for Your grace and forgiveness. Thank You for Your love. I come boldly to You today for Your help. I repent of my sinfulness and ask for Your intervention. Be merciful to me I pray.
AMEN

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Turn From Idols To God

TODAY’S VERSE
I was ready to respond, but no one asked for help. I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for me. I said, ‘Here I am, here I am!’ to a nation that did not call on my name.
Isaiah 65:1 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
I don’t think anything would break my heart more than to have my boys in trouble, need my help, and they never tell me about it. It would also grieve me to have them live in the same neighborhood as I do, yet we never meet and get together. How much more does God feel that way about us. Isaiah writes that God was ready to respond to the needs of His people, and yet they never asked. God even pursued them, yet they did not call on His name. That’s what idolatry does. It replaces God in our hearts with something else. It takes our attention and allegiance away from God. An idol doesn’t have to be made out of wood or stone. It could be made out of success, pleasure, or other life pursuits. It could be an emotional idol like bitterness, vengeance, or shame that keeps us away from the God who loves us. Whatever it is that is keeping you away from God, repent of it. God is calling you. He is waiting, respond to His love today.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, forgive me for having idols that keep me from You. Today, I desire a deep relationship. I will turn away from those things that have stolen my heart and renew my affection for You. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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Habitual Sin

TODAY’S VERSE
Cleanse me from these hidden faults. Keep your servant from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me.
Psalms 19:12-13 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
We are creatures of habits. That is why so many of our sins happen over and over again. Unfortunately, some sins we get so used to, they no longer offend us. Others drive us to our knees. We cry out like Paul when he wrote, “Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?” What are we to do? We can do what David did. He acknowledged his behavior and asked God to cleanse him and keep him from his deliberate sins. We can do what Paul did and acknowledge the power of Christ when he wrote, “Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.” The secret is found in what David writes in this same passage. In our relationship with God and His Word, we will see victory. David writes, “The instructions of the LORD are perfect, reviving the soul. The commands of the LORD are clear, giving insight for living.” Today, talk to God about your habitual behavior. Confess any wrongdoing and accept His forgiveness. Spend time with the Lord and let His word shape your life. In Christ, there is freedom!

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Lord, forgive me for my habitual sins. Through the power of Your Holy Spirit and Your word, give me victory. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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Why Do You Call Me Lord?

TODAY’S VERSE
So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say?
Luke 6:46 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
What an indicting question. It is so easy to use a name and forget its true meaning. How often have we called our spouse “husband” or “wife” and yet treated them as if they were someone of little importance? We call someone our “brother” or “sister” and treat them disrespectfully. We call another “teacher” and do not do what they tell us to do. And so Jesus asks, “Why?” Why do we do it? Why have we done it to Him? What drives us to behave in the opposite direction of what we profess to believe? Perhaps it is because we don’t know Him? Instead, it may be that we have grown accustomed to Him and take Him for granted. Could it be that someone or something else has taken His place of importance? Maybe we have become so self-centered that we dismiss His authority in our life. It could be that we have let strong emotions come between Him and us. Whatever the reason, here is the next question, “Why not repent and let Jesus be your true Lord today?”

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Lord Jesus. Forgive me for calling You Lord and living as if it wasn’t true. I repent. I want to live for You. I want You to be the Lord of my life today.
AMEN

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My God

TODAY’S VERSE
This I declare about the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.
Psalms 91:2 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Where do you go to escape? Life is full of pressures. Relationships, finances, health, and our career make it easy to become overwhelmed with stress. Then there is the inward battle. Our emotions run us ragged. Anger, sadness, fear, and disgust seem to take their turn in dominating our thinking. We find ourselves getting stuck in people-pleasing, codependency, minimizing, maximizing, and any of hundreds of mind games. What can we do? Where can we go to ward off this onslaught against us? The Psalmist went to God. He declared that the Lord alone was his refuge. God was that place of safety that He needed. He declared that God was his God and he could trust Him. That personal acceptance is what made the difference. It was his God. It was his place of refuge. It was his place of safety. Today, you too can make it personal. Acknowledge Him as your Lord God. Accept His as your refuge. Find your place of safety by knowing Him in a deeply personal way. As you develop your relationship with Him, you too will find that trusting Him will be the result.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Father, my Father. I need You and want You to be my refuge and place of safety. Help me to know You in a deeper and more profound way so I too can say, “You are my God, and I trust You!”
AMEN

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Live Like Christ

TODAY’S VERSE
Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.
I John 2:6 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
How true is this? How often do we hear the word, “hypocrite” in association with Christians? Why? Because we follow a high standard. We claim to follow Christ so people assume we are going to live like Him. Why not? Isn’t that what Jesus expected? He said, “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works because I am going to be with the Father.” Isn’t that what Paul meant when he wrote to the church in Corinth, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” Peter wrote, “Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ.” It is a tall order. Sure we will fail, but in humility, we confess and ask for His strength to help us to try again. The good news is He hasn’t left us empty-handed. He has given us the Bible. Paul wrote, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.” Today, let us live like Christ. 

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Lord Jesus, I try to live like You, but I fall so short. I cannot do it by myself. Please help me, through the power of Your Holy Spirit and Your word, to live like You. 
AMEN

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Confess and Repent

TODAY’S VERSE
If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.
I John 1:8-9 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
We sin. And yet, John has to remind us to confess our transgressions. More than that, he is asking us to admit that we sin. Who could live as a human being and say they do not sin? And yet we do. Perhaps we wouldn’t say “No” if someone came and point-blank asked us if we sin, but we are not living as if it matters. Many times our behavior is suspect, yet we do not stop. Our attitudes are entirely wrong, and yet we do not change. Instead, God wants to convict us of what we do wrong so we can clear our conscience and stay in a right relationship with him. The saddest reality is not the act of sinning itself, but not repenting, not confessing, and not letting God help us correct it. Today, check your heart. Confess to Him any sin that has you trapped, any sin that has not been confessed, any sin that you think does not matter. It does.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Father, You know I sin. Forgive me for not keeping my conscience clear. Today speak to me, show me my wrongdoing, and help me confess so I can live in the awareness of Your forgiveness and cleansing. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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My Wilderness

TODAY’S VERSE
In the wilderness their desires ran wild.
Psalms 106:14

TODAY’S THOUGHT
The wilderness may seem like a great place to visit, but there is a reason people don’t live there. It is a barren place, a place that cannot sustain human life. It can have extreme weather, a place where there may not be water or nourishment. It is also a place that can test and try your very soul. The Psalmist said it was a location where the hearts of the Israelites ran wild. You may not have to worry about a wilderness where you live, but where is your soul living? Is it barely surviving in a wilderness of its own? Does it exist without the spiritual care that you need? Like the Israelites, are your desires running wild? Today, don’t settle for the wilderness when God wants to give you the fertile land of His word. Don’t settle for barrenness when God wants to give you the fruit of His presence. Come live in the Promised Land.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Father, I confess that I have often kept my soul in a wilderness. I need a change. Come nourish my soul and give me life.
AMEN

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