What Do You Want Me To Do?

TODAY’S VERSE
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
Matthew 9:35-38 (NIV)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Jesus cared for people experiencing poverty. Look at what Matthew writes, “He went through all the towns and villages teaching, preaching and healing every disease and sickness.” But it wasn’t enough. Jesus knew His time was ending. He saw the need for His creation and cried out that we would appeal to the Father to send more people to do the same work. In his book Companion to the Poor, Viv Grigg has said it better than anyone I have ever read: “There is a drum-beat beating in my head day after day, a beat that propels me into long hours of discipline and constant work. It is the cry of those saved from their sins, only to be entangled again by that same sin – by the tentacles of their poverty, drawing them down, down, down till they are totally lost to this earth. We must work and direct our undivided energy and unflagging zeal to provide economic stability for these, our brothers and sisters in Christ. We must avoid being so busy working among the slum people that we forget to deal with the problems of the slums themselves. The biblical response to poverty caused by sin is to preach the gospel to the sinner, but the Biblical response to sin caused by poverty is to destroy the curse of poverty.” Might we do both! Jesus did.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Jesus, I see Your compassion, and I am humbled. Forgive me; I have not cared like I should. I haven’t been that involved in helping those in need. I want to make a difference but how? What do You want me to do? Speak to me; show me, Lord. Even today, help me see the need around me through Your eyes. Then help me act on what You show me. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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Wounded Healers

TODAY’S VERSE
God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.
II Corinthians 1:3-4

TODAY’S THOUGHT
I love the term “wounded healer.” Henri Nouwen coined it in his book of the same name. It conjures up the image of a person that comes alongside someone and shares “healing” with great understanding, compassion, and empathy. Why? Because they have been in the same situation. They share the same wounds and scars. They know the other person’s pain. But Paul is going a step further than just being a wounded healer. He is suggesting that we be a “healed healer!” There is great empathy and compassion in being wounded and helping another with their wound, but besides empathy and compassion, a healed healer offers hope, health, and wholeness. Paul states that God is the merciful Father and the source of all comfort. As we come to Him and receive comfort, we are to go and give this same comfort to others. As God heals us, we share that healing. Should we be full of empathy? Yes, much so. Should we be compassionate? Yes, we, of all people. Should we be patient, kind, and understanding? If we are not, then we have forgotten that it was by His grace that we were healed. When God comforts us, we are grateful, humbled, and joyful. Make His comfort complete by comforting others in the same way. May we never forget His mercy. May we never forget to treat others in the same way He has treated us.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Father, God of all comfort. Thank You for the many times You have comforted me. Forgive me for not being as compassionate and patient as I should be toward others. Forgive me for forgetting how much You have done for me. Help me today to extend that same comfort to others that You bring into my path. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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Our True Purpose

TODAY’S VERSE
Love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind. And, love your neighbor as yourself.
Luke 10:27

TODAY’S THOUGHT
We search for our place in this world. What is my purpose? Why am I here? How can I make sense of this life? These are questions that all of us ask. And then you come across today’s verse. What a succinct answer to our philosophical dilemma. What is our purpose? To love God, but not with some idealistic, romantic sentimentality. Instead, we must love God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind! This is a radical love that comes from deep inside of us. As He permeates our life, we find the inner resources to love Him even more. God has also created us to love others as we do ourselves. What higher calling is there? What more lofty job description can be found than to be God’s ambassador of love? That means we live out our purpose when we love our family. When we are loving to those at work, we are living out our purpose. When polite and kind to a stranger, we live out our purpose. When we love and worship God, we are living out our purpose. Today, let us start living out our purpose by loving God with our whole heart, soul, strength, and mind and loving our neighbor as we do ourselves.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Heavenly Father, help me become conscious of Your love for me right now. Help me know Your love so intimately that every part of me becomes permeated with it. Then I will be able to love You with my whole heart, soul, strength, and mind, and those around me as I love myself. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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The Kingdom Of Heaven Is Near

TODAY’S VERSE
As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons.
Matthew 10:7,8 (NIV)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Jesus did the will of His Father. He told His disciples to do the same thing. He gives us the same commission. Jesus said it best, “Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” Today you and I have been called to be about the same Father’s business. We have been asked to go to the world and cry, “The Kingdom of God is near!” We go in His power and do His will. We go in His love and heal the brokenhearted. We go in His provision and give to those in need. He has called us to do greater things. Today, let’s be like Jesus and let the Heavenly Father live and do His work through us.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, I pray that Your Kingdom will be evident in my life today. Guide, lead, and show me what You would have me do. Give me the courage and faith to trust You for mighty things and to be obedient to what You ask of me. I pray that I will honor You in all that I do today. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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Imitate The Love Of Christ

TODAY’S VERSE
Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ.
Ephesians 5:1-2

TODAY’S THOUGHT
You have heard it said, “Imitation is the best form of flattery.” Have you ever watched a child imitate their father or mother? They are so serious. They pick up subtle nuances that we would never expect them to. They do not judge; they just imitate what was acted out before them. This is what we have been asked to do. We are to imitate the love of Christ. We are to love the way He loved. Paul describes that kind of love. He says love is patient, kind, not jealous, boastful, proud, or rude. Love doesn’t demand its own way, is not irritable, and doesn’t keep a record of wrongdoing. Love endures, doesn’t lose faith, never gives up, and is always hopeful. If we want to imitate Christ, we must love. Might Christ help us imitate His love today.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Jesus, help me to imitate You in everything I do. Help me especially love the way You love. Guide, direct, and fill me with Your Holy Spirit so I can follow Your example with those I meet today. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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Outwardly Focused

TODAY’S VERSE
Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe him.
Isaiah 58:6-7

TODAY’S THOUGHT
The children of Israel had forgotten that God had them here on this earth to be His representatives, to show people the way to God. They were to love people and share the importance of knowing Jehovah. Instead, they were fasting and showing God how religious they were. They were like so many churches today. They were inwardly focused. However, God was not listening to their religiosity. Why? Because God wanted them to be outwardly focused. He wanted His people to stand for equality, justice, and love among all people. The prophet Isaiah asked, “What is it that God has required of each of us?” He answered with a sobering indictment, “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe him.” God wants us to serve others. He has called us to be His representatives of love. Let’s do all we can to help those in need.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, You take the plight of the poor seriously. You hate injustice and love mercy. Help me to love others the way You do. Help me live my true calling as a productive steward working for the well-being of others in need. Show me today, Lord, how I can make a difference. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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Remain In Him

TODAY’S VERSE
But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.
John 15:7, 8

TODAY’S THOUGHT
How do we bring glory to God in our life? Jesus was pretty straightforward with the answer. He said we need to remain in Him and produce the kind of fruit His disciple would. Paul later explains what that fruit is. He wrote that when we follow Christ, the Holy Spirit produces the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control in our life. So how do we remain in Jesus? We do it by creating a solid relationship with Him. We spend enough time with Jesus to know what He wants. We relate to Him in meditation and prayer. We listen to Him. We make Him Lord of our life and ask Him to guide our life. As we remain in Jesus, we will see the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control more and more present in our life. This will bring glory to God

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Jesus, help me relate to You in a more personal way. Help me draw near to You and listen. Help me desire You above all things. Teach, guide, and reveal Yourself to me so that I may bear the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
AMEN

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Change Your Clothes

TODAY’S VERSE
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Colossians 3:12-14

TODAY’S THOUGHT
I like to lay out my clothes the night before I have to get up and go to work. It is one less thing I have to think about when I get up. It allows me to be more objective and intentional instead of rushing to decide what to wear. Paul shares that intentionally is also important in wearing the wardrobe that God has for us. Paul uses the analogy of clothing because our behavior is something that people see about us. Paul admonishes us to clothe ourselves in love. He then says to accessorize love with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and forgiveness. What an ensemble. Can you imagine if we were intentional in putting on this behavior every day? What a difference it would make in our lives and those around us. Today, decide what you want to wear. It is your choice. God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, has custom-made an outfit just for you. The clothes fit perfectly and bring out your true self. Go ahead, find a quiet changing room, and go change. Clothe yourself today with love, compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and forgiveness.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, I know I need to wear something different in my heart. I haven’t been wearing the clothes You gave me when I became a Christian. Help me change the outfit of my heart today and put on love, compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and forgiveness. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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Be The Light

Be The Light

TODAY’S VERSE
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
Matthew 5:14

TODAY’S THOUGHT
I love synergy. It is the result of different entities working together to create a more significant response than they could by themselves. Have you ever been to a “candlelight sing,” when at the end of the service, one candle is lit, and one by one, each candle in the auditorium sends forth its illumination? What a beautiful sight. How amazing that one little candle combined with others can create such brightness. This is the effect Jesus had in mind when He said we were the “light of the world.” He was leaving this world, and with the power of the Holy Spirit in each of our lives, together, we would become a bright light. Dallas Willard in his book Hearing God writes, “Those who receive the grace of God’s saving companionship in His word are by that very fact also fitted to show humankind how to live. Collectively the ‘called out’ people of God, the church, is empowered to stand up for wandering humanity to see. When faced with starvation, crime, economic disasters and difficulties, disease, loneliness, alienation and war, the church should be, because it alone could be, the certified authority on how to live to which the world looks for answers.” We are called to be the light where we are. Today, come to Him, bring Him your candle; let Him light it for you, and then light up your corner of the world. I’ll light mine. If everyone reading this devotional would let Christ light their life, someone is bound to be affected. There are people all around us dying to come out of the darkness.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Lord, speak to me, ignite my heart, and help me shine that light today. Help me share my light with those hurting in utter darkness so they, too, can live in the light of Your love and glory. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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The Fruit Of The Holy Spirit

TODAY’S VERSE
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
I am amazed at God’s solution when I think of our human propensity for anger, confusion, impatience, harshness, lack of control, and impulsiveness. Our humanness, a result of man’s fallen condition, has been trumped by God’s Holy Spirit. What a plan. God gives us a body in which we house our personality with enough room for His Holy Spirit. The result is the Holy Spirit’s ability to produce new attitudes, motivations, and behaviors in us. Paul calls it fruit. What a great analogy – the Holy Spirit alive in us, growing into a beautiful fruit tree. The Holy Spirit’s fruit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. You don’t have to make an apple tree produce apples. An apple tree produces beautiful luscious apples when watered, nourished, and receiving adequate sunlight. Likewise, you don’t have to manufacture the fruit of the Spirit; instead, you begin reading and meditating on His Holy word and spending time in a relationship with God through confession and prayer. The Holy Spirit will generate the results. Begin today to nourish your spiritual life and let the Holy Spirit produce its fruit.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Father, I desire the fruit of the Holy Spirit to be evident in my life. Help me to read and meditate on Your word. Help me to relate to You in prayer and confession. Help me, Holy Spirit, live the life You want me to. Produce Your fruit in my life, even today. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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