Christ’s Creed

Christ’s Creed

TODAY’S VERSE
But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. – You will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.
Luke 6:27-28, 35-36 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
There are causes, and then there are causes! Jesus, in a straightforward discourse, defines what it means to be Christian. Christ lived and died by this creed. There has never been a greater cause than to follow Jesus in His love for mankind. And yet Jesus explains that it wasn’t His idea. He says if we love our enemies, if we love the unlovely, if we love those that curse us, hurt us and hate us, then we will be living like God the Father does. We are so shallow in our definition of love. We call it fellowship. We create churches where we love one another while the rest of humanity only sees a small portion of our compassion. But Jesus railed against that selfish kind of love. He said, “If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them!” If we want to be His follower, if we’re going to be genuinely acting like our Father in Heaven, then we must love others, even those who are our enemies! We must be compassionate toward all people the way He is. Today, let God love the way He desires to love. Let Him love, even the undeserving, with your hands, your feet, and your heart.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Father, Your ways are not my ways. I need Your Holy Spirit to fill me and pour into me the great love that You have. Help me love the way You do. Help me be compassionate to others the way You have been toward me. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

Pursue Godliness

TODAY’S VERSE
Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.
I Timothy 6:11 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
What are you pursuing? What demands your attention and devotion? What occupies your time? What do you spend your resources on? What area of your life gets your very best? The answer to these questions speaks volumes about your spirituality. Paul, writing to Timothy, encourages him to spend his life pursuing spiritual goals. He notes that he should pursue righteousness and Godly life. In doing that, he also tells him to exercise his faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Could Paul be serious? What about fame, wealth, knowledge, success, significance, and security? What about a hundred other noble goals? But what if we pursued Paul’s list? What would happen? What would we end up like? I am convinced, if we focused all our intentions on the list Paul gives us, our life would be of the highest calling. We would be living life the way Jesus did. There are many good pursuits, but we have only one life. Why settle for second-best? If we believe anything about Christianity, then let’s pursue a life like His. Today, make it a goal in everything you do to pursue righteousness, Godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, help me pursue You and the life You want me to live. Help me live the way Jesus did. I need Your Holy Spirit to guide me, help me and give me the strength to pursue a godly life, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

Meditate

TODAY’S VERSE
I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor and your wonderful miracles.
Psalms 145:5 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
I remember leading a five-day hike in the mountains—what a treat for a young man born and raised in the flat terrain of Detroit, Michigan. And yet, I noticed on the second day that I had spent most of my time looking down at the trail, making sure I would not trip on the large tree roots or twist my ankle on loose rocks. All around me was some of nature’s most magnificent scenery, and all I took in was the subtle shades of green and brown on the ground in front of me. How is it we can be so close to something so glorious and not take the time to capture its essence? David knew the answer. He wrote, “I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor and your wonderful miracles.” David took the time to devote focused attention to God and His wonderful attributes. He dared to stop and reflect, to ponder on God’s almighty power, splendor, and miracles. And when he did, he was a better man for it. You see, focusing on God does not make God powerful; no more than my looking at the mountains makes them majestic. It only allows me to see and know the mysteries of what is already there. Today, don’t miss another moment. Don’t let another day go by without seeing and focusing on all that God is and all the love He has for you. He is majestic, He is full of glorious splendor, and His miracles abound.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, I want to know You and Your glorious splendor. Help me stop and meditate on You. Help me focus my attention, love, and devotion toward You. Guide me into a deeper knowledge of You, I pray.
AMEN

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God’s Presence

TODAY’S VERSE
You hide them in the shelter of your presence.
Psalms 31:20 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
It is hard to fathom how magnificent God is. He is so great that when Elijah was at a mountain speaking to God, all God had to do was pass by, and there were a great wind, earthquake, and fire. Moses knew God perhaps more than any living man, so when he was ready to take the people into the wilderness, He begged God to be present with them. As an assurance, Moses asked God to show him His presence. God replied, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will call out my name, Yahweh, before you.- But you may not look directly at my face, for no one may see me and live.” As well, David, a man whom the Bible says “was a man after God’s own heart,” comes to God amid all his trouble and says, “How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you. You lavish it on those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world. You hide them in the shelter of your presence.” God’s presence, how mighty, how breathtaking, how personal, and how available. Come to God today. Join Elijah, Moses, and David and enjoy the shelter of God’s presence.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Oh Father, how I thank You for the death of Your Son, Jesus, so I can come boldly into Your presence and find all the love, peace, and joy I will ever need. Let me sense Your presence in my life today. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

No Worry

TODAY’S VERSE
Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.
John 14:1 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Have you ever disagreed with something someone said and challenged them by saying, ‘Who says?” “Who” it is that says something can make a huge difference. That is why today’s verse is so important. Not only is the content radical, but Jesus, the one who said it, is even more radical. He lived what He taught. If there was ever a person who exemplified not being troubled and trusting God the Father, it was Jesus. Even during His darkest hour, when He fell to the ground, overwhelmed at the thought of the crucifixion, Jesus trusted God. He asked God the Father to cancel the task but then qualified His request with, “Nevertheless Your will be done.” There are many things that can trouble us on any given day. Today resolve to trust God. If your heart starts to get anxious, if you begin to fret, if you feel your blood pressure rising, don’t let your heart be troubled. Trust in God.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Father, there are so many things going on. I find myself getting all worked up. Forgive me for the sin of worry. Help me trust You and not worry, doubt or fret. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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I Want To See

TODAY’S VERSE
As the man came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord,” he said, “I want to see!” And Jesus said, “All right, receive your sight! Your faith has healed you.” Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus, praising God. And all who saw it praised God, too.
Luke 18:40-43 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
What a gift. I love the fact that Jesus said, “What do you want me to do?” Knowing the power of the person asking, the man asked for the extreme gift, “I want to see!” What a request. What an answer. Jesus said, “Alright, receive your sight; your faith has healed you.” Jesus has the power to answer our prayers too. I thought of those of us who are not blind. Our eyes work, but what do we see? How many of us suffer from emotional or spiritual blindness? What do we see? Do we see opportunities? Do we see God’s gracious hand in our affairs? Do we see a world with joy, kindness, and love? Or is our vision skewed? We need our blindness healed. We need corrected vision. Where we see doubt, we need to see assurance. Where we see sadness, we need to see joy. Where we see fear, we need to see peace and courage. Where we see hate, we need to see love. Where we see shame, we need to see beauty and purpose. Where we see the darkness of despair, we need to see the light of hope. Today, Jesus is here. He is asking, “What do you want me to do for you?” Tell Him, “Lord, I want to see!”

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Lord, I walk around so blind to the spiritual reality you have for me. I need corrected vision. Holy Spirit, renew my spiritual sight that I may see the truth You have for me. Help me to see hope, joy, peace, and love.
AMEN

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hope in god

TODAY’S VERSE
And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you.
Psalms 39:7 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Hope is only as good as the person you hope in. Blind hope is not hoping; it is credulity, the state of willingness to believe in one or many people or things in the absence of reasonable proof or knowledge. We don’t just hope for hope’s sake. Our hope is not in a religion. It is not a creed or tradition. No, we believe in the one and only true God, the God who is there. A moral and loving God. The God of eternity with a much broader perspective on life than we could ever imagine. We come to our loving God and put our faith in Him, so when we need hope, we simply have to draw from our Spiritual experience and put our trust in Him. Today, join the Psalmist in his answer to the question, “Where do I put my hope?” Answer God by saying, “My hope is in you!”

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, forgive me when I doubt You. My worry is a testament to my lack of faith or trust I should have in You. Today, dear Lord, I come again and renew my hope in You. I reaffirm my faith and put my trust in Your love and almighty power. My hope is in You, my Lord, and my God.
AMEN

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Meditate on his love

TODAY’S VERSE
O God, we meditate on your unfailing love as we worship in your Temple.
Psalms 48:9 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
There are many things that vie for our attention. Multiple situations face us at any given moment. Our minds move from issue to issue at blinding speeds. Feeling, observing, assessing, and predicting is often done in milliseconds as we multitask our way through the day. This is why it is so important to renew our minds every day. We need to make a conscious effort to slow down and meditate on God’s unfailing love. Paul knew this. He writes, “That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day.” But how? How did Paul renew his mind? He continues, “We don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen.” This “gaze” is a deliberate focus. It is what the Psalmist refers to in today’s verse as meditating. It is putting focused attention on a particular issue. It is this personal consideration of what the thoughts of His love mean and their personal application to our life that makes meditating so enriching. Today, don’t just read God’s word about His love; stop and meditate on it and let it affect you in profound and meaningful ways.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, I am so thankful for Your love. You are so real, so relevant to my life. Help me to stop all the madness and slow down long enough to mediate on how extraordinary your love for me is. Today, as I spend time with You, renew my mind. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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Walk In The Light

TODAY’S VERSE
You have kept my feet from slipping. So now I can walk in your presence, O God, in your life-giving light.
Psalms 56:13 (NIV)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
It makes a difference where you walk. I’ve hiked in many different terrains, in all kinds of weather, but the hardest of all was along a mountain path in the dark. There is nothing more treacherous than walking along a cliff when it is slippery and pitch dark. Some of our team tried to make it and slipped down the side of the mountain. Life can be that way too. How many times does it feel we are on a slippery path in the dark? All around us is dangerous, but we can’t see the path. David knew what that felt like, but he cried out to God. Today we have a choice. We can keep slipping trying to make it on our own, or we can do what David did. He decided to trust God and walk in His presence. He chose to walk in God’s life-giving light. You can too. Come to God today; He will stop you from slipping. He will lead you from the darkness into His life-giving light.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Oh Father, how often I end up on a slippery path in the dark. Thank You for loving me and providing a way out. I come to You now and ask that You keep me from slipping. Help me today to walk in the awareness of Your presence, in Your life-giving light.
AMEN

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Less disbelief

TODAY’S VERSE
Still they stood there in disbelief, filled with joy and wonder.
Luke 24:11 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
There were reports that Jesus had risen from the dead, and the disciples found it very disturbing. It was one thing to see Jesus raise Lazarus from a tomb, but Jesus from the crucifixion? His death was so brutal, so hateful, and now they feared for their own lives. Perhaps the most disturbing was the “How?” questions echoing in their heads. “How could someone who loved so much die so despised? How could someone so supernatural die so naturally? And so, they had a hard time believing. Even when Jesus “showed up” in the Upper Room, they stood there in disbelief, filled with joy and wonder. Aren’t we the same way? We hear of a miracle or witness one, and don’t we react with disbelief and wonder at the same time? Where did this unbelief come from? We need to be more like the man to whom Jesus said, “Everything is possible for one who believes.” The man turned to Jesus and said, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” Today, choose to have less disbelief and more joy and wonder.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, forgive me for my unbelief. Help me be filled with more joy and wonder at all You are and do. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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