Deeply Loved By God

TODAY’S VERSE
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.
Psalms 103:11-13 (NIV)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Our belief in the love that God has for us is foundational to our Christian Faith. It has everything to do with our Christian walk. David Benner in his book “The Gift of Being Yourself” writes, “Neither knowing God nor knowing self can progress very far unless it begins with the knowledge of how deeply we are loved by God. Until we dare to believe that nothing can separate us from God’s love – nothing that we could do or fail to do, nor anything that could be done by anyone else to us – we remain in the elementary grades of the school of Christian transformation.—In order for our knowledge of God’s love to be truly transformational, it must become the basis of our identity. Our identity is who we experience ourselves to be—the I each of us carries within. An identity grounded in God would mean that when we think of who we are, the first thing that would come to mind is our status as someone who is deeply loved by God.” It is this kind of assurance that changes a person. It is this “Aha” awareness that changes the course of a life. It is this realization that gives us the courage to accept ourselves in Him and let go of who we think we have to be. David knew this. You can hear the joy in his voice, the childlike exuberance, as he writes, “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him.” This is the kind of love, grace, and forgiveness that ignites a fire deep in our soul. Might this day begin with a fresh awareness of how precious you are to God.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, thank You for Your love for me. Thank You for Your amazing forgiveness. Help me not to take this for granted but instead help me find my true identity in the fact that I am someone who is deeply loved by You.
AMEN

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Love Others

TODAY’S VERSE
So now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart.
I Peter 1:22 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Love is the direct result of knowing Christ. He paid a terrible price that we could have our sins forgiven. And what does God ask for in return? Does he ask us to swim across the ocean? Walk across the longest desert? Climb the highest mountain? No, He asks that we love one another. Why would this be so important? Because Jesus said, “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” It shows that our faith is real. The power of the Holy Spirit alive in our heart is never more noticeable than when we are loving another person. Do you know Christ as your personal Savior? Is He the Lord of your life? If so, let the world know how true it is, by sincerely loving those people around you. Love them deeply with all your heart.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, thank You for loving me. Thank You for Your grace and mercy in my life. Help me love those people that you have put into my life. Might my sincere love help them recognize that You are alive. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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Help Me Rejoice

TODAY’S VERSE
Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.
Habakkuk 3:17-18 (NIV)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
What qualifications do you put on happiness? So many times it seems as if we put conditions on whether or not we are going to rejoice. We must be liked. We must be successful. We have to have the right kind of car, house, clothes or social status before we can really find happiness. But what happens if those things that we feel are so important to “who we are” is taken away from us? What if we lose our job or a friendship tanks or we face bankruptcy? What if we are falsely accused of something or our friends turn on us? Then what happens to our peace, joy or happiness? Somehow Habakkuk found the secret. It was in his relationship with God. He was able to rejoice in Him no matter what. He had committed himself to God and when troubles began to brew, he was able to trade his commitment in for trust. Finally, when times were at its worst, his trust allowed him to return to joy from painful situations. This joy came from a deeply trusting relationship with God. Listen to what he said, “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.” This didn’t happen by accident. Habakkuk had a relationship with God that he could return to over and over again. Today begin with trust. Trust Him with everything you have and everything you need. Trust Him with today, tomorrow and the future. Then, when you need it, just like Habakkuk, your trust will help you return to joy.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, help me to trust You in all things. Help me to put my hope in You. Help me to rejoice in You no matter what happens. I pray this in Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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Make Me A Blessing

TODAY’S VERSE
Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.
Galatians 6:2 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
So many times we wonder what is required of us. We ask, “How does God want us to live. We see the answer in Jesus. Jesus was selfless, and an example of living one’s life for others. Paul, in asking us to follow Jesus’ example simply writes, “Share each other’s burdens.” How profound is that? God doesn’t make a bunch of demands on us. Simply to love God with everything we have and to love our neighbor as we do ourselves. Today as you go about your business, ask God who He wants you to help. Ask Him to help you share in someone else’s burden and assist them in any way you can. If you do, He will lead, He will provide, He will work through you to bless that person in need.

TODAY’S PRAYER
There is an old hymn that is a great prayer. “Make me a blessing, make me a blessing, out of my life may Jesus shine; Make me a blessing, O Savior, I pray, make me a blessing to someone today.”
AMEN

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Walk In the Light

TODAY’S VERSE 

Jesus replied, ‘My light will shine for you just a little longer. Walk in the light while you can, so the darkness will not overtake you. Those who walk in the darkness cannot see where they are going. Put your trust in the light while there is still time; then you will become children of the light.'” – “I have come as a light to shine in this dark world so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark. John 12:35-36, (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Hiking in the darkness is vastly different than hiking in the daytime. Once on a primitive hiking trip, I had to walk an injured person out of the woods to a hospital to get stitched up. It took most of the day. In order to catch up with the rest of the group, we hiked back on the trail during the night. Unfortunately, with so much use, my flashlight became very dim. What a hike! Winding up the mountain, roots form the large trees crossing in the trail, cliffs, animals, ravines, what would be difficult to navigate in daylight became unbearable in the dark. Slowly, using what light we had, we eventually made it back to base camp. How? By focusing on the light! You see, even with dim light, we could see the four or five feet ahead of me. It didn’t matter that thousands of acres were in darkness, I only needed to see the five feet in front of me. Even though our flashlight was dim, no matter how hard it tried, the darkness could not penetrate the light I had. In today’s passage, Jesus told us to, “Walk in the light while you can, so the darkness will not overtake you.” The darkness of sin, doubt, despair, and confusion are always trying to trip us up so we have a choice to make. We can focus on the darkness or we can turn the light on! Might we decide to turn the light of faith, His word and prayer on, living in the joy of knowing Jesus.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, You know how dark my world can become. Help me to remember to turn on the light of faith, prayer, and Your Word so I can navigate the trail You have in front of me today. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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God’s Presence

TODAY’S VERSE
One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.
Psalms 27:4 (NIV)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
It is easy to get in a rut and seek second best. It can be that way in our Christian experience. We get trapped seeking the “results” of knowing “about” God instead of joy and peace of “knowing” God. We turn our Christian walk into ritual, behaviors, and experiences that bring us some sort of security that all is well, instead of knowing Him and the peace that He can give. Larry Crabb in his book “The Pressure’s Off” writes, “You, therefore, live with uncertainty and pressure, and you demand to know the way to live that will make your life work as you want. You maneuver; you do not trust. You negotiate; you do not worship. You analyze and interpret to gain control over what happens; you do not depend. You seek the better life of God’s blessings over the better hope of God’s presence.” Today might we seek to know and enjoy God’s presence over anything else.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, I have sought Your blessings more than Your presence. I have sought what I can gain from knowing about You instead of knowing You. Help me, Father, Your presence is the blessing I seek.
AMEN

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His Grace Is Sufficient

TODAY’S VERSE
But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you.”
II Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
I never get used to God’s grace! Grace is God’s “unmerited favor” toward us who believe. In other words, He lavishes His love on you and me for no other reason than He “wants to”. His love is perfect love. God’s grace is His purposeful manifestation of perfect love toward us. Paul came upon a tremendous burden in his life and he sought relief from God but instead of getting his request, God told him, “My grace is sufficient for you!” He asked for relief from a situation but he ended up getting so much more. He received grace from God that was sufficient to meet his every need. Gerald May, in his classic book, “Addiction and Grace” writes, “Grace is the invincible advocate of freedom and the absolute expression of perfect love. – For Christians, grace is the dynamic outpouring of God’s loving nature that flows into and through creation in an endless self-offering of healing, love, illumination, and reconciliation. It is a gift that is often given in spite of our intentions and errors. At such times, when grace is so clearly given unrequested, uninvited, even undeserved, there can be no authentic response but gratitude and awe.” Today may you be conscious of His grace toward you. May you sense it in His attention, mercy, peace, strength, and love He directs toward you. Today, might you truly hope in this, His grace will indeed be sufficient for whatever will come your way.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, how amazing is Your grace! Thank You that no matter what comes my way today, You promised that Your grace toward me will be sufficient enough to see me through. I praise You for your grace of love, of forgiveness, of mercy, of peace, of joy, of strength and of provision. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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A Little Faith Counts

TODAY’S VERSE
He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.’”
Matthew 17:20 (NIV)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Faith can move mountains. But how much faith? In today’s passage, we are reminded that even the smallest amount of faith counts. It comforts me to see that Jesus was talking to people with very little faith and He wasn’t chiding them. Instead, He loves them. He says, “Because you have just a little faith let me encourage you!” And then he uses the “mustard” seed as an illustration of how even a “little” faith can be used. He chose the mustard seed because it was one of the smallest seeds he could find. In another passage He said, “but when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree.” The seed was like a speck of dirt and yet Jesus insisted that even a little speck of faith can be used by God. He concludes, “Nothing will be impossible for you!” We need faith. When all seems hopeless we reach out in faith. When our back is up against the wall, we cry out in faith. When we are not sure what to do, we step out in faith. As we do, God will be there. Don’t be discouraged with little faith. Simply plant it in today’s soil like a mustard seed and let God do the rest.

TODAY’S PRAYER
God, You know how feeble my faith can be. I am so glad that You can take it and use it. As You do, please help my faith to grow that I may believe You for even greater things. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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Count The Ways

TODAY’S VERSE
I love you, Lord; you are my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise.
Psalm 18:1-3

TODAY’S THOUGHT
How we look at a situation makes all the difference in the world. Here was David in the midst of war. He is in an awful situation. Listen to what he writes, “The ropes of death entangled me; floods of destruction swept over me. The grave wrapped its ropes around me; death laid a trap in my path.” However, there was one thing that made all the difference. David continues, “But in my distress I cried out to the LORD; yes, I prayed to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry to him reached his ears.” David had a great faith in a greater God. No wonder he starts off the Psalm with, “I love you, Lord.” And like the famous poem, you can hear him say, “Let me count the ways.” And sure enough, he lists one attribute of God after another. Today, stop, count the ways. Is He your strength, your rock, your fortress, your savior, your shield, your power, and your place of safety? He wants to be. Count all of the Lord’s goodness to you. He is worthy of your praise.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father God, truly You are worthy of all my praise! You are my rock, fortress, shield, protector, provider, power and Savior. You are God almighty and I honor and praise you. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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Trade Fear For Love

TODAY’S VERSE
Let all who fear the LORD repeat: “His faithful love endures forever.” In my distress, I prayed to the LORD, and the LORD answered me and set me free. The LORD is for me, so I will have no fear.
Psalms 118:4-6 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
How much of your time is spent in fear? For many of us, it is hard to know. Why? Because fear has become our normal! Perhaps if we asked ourselves, “How much of my time is spent planning and plotting every detail of my life in order to make everything seem just right? Could we have a fear that others may think poorly of us? How much of our day is spend in negativity, obsessing about what could go wrong? One way or another, fear plays a large part in our life. In today’s passage, the Psalmist has found an answer to his fear. When he was in distress he prayed to God and God set him free. Because of God’s loving intervention, the author no longer feared. Rather, he meditated on God’s love and learned to trust in that love. Isn’t that what you and I need to do? Today, when fear comes to us, let us do what the Psalmist did. Let’s pray to God and let Him answer us. He will because His love endures forever.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, help me overcome my fears. Instead of being fearful, help me to trust in Your faithful love. I give my life to You and ask You to guide me, protect me and set me free from the bondage of fear. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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