Two Sins

TODAY’S VERSE
My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.
Jeremiah 2:13 (NIV)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Separation from God usually comes in two phases. First, we start to stray. Little by little, we start to forsake fellowship, fail to meditate in His word and spend less and less time in prayer. Good things take us from the more important. Urgent begins to replace the best. How subtle the path is. We end up farther and farther away from the spiritual milieu that once fed our soul. Second, we not only stray we actually find a new home. Jeremiah says not only do we forsake the spring of living water; we actually go out and dig our own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold any water. They look great on the outside but are empty on the inside. Where are you today? Are you straying farther and farther from God? Have you actually moved away and found other interests that take top priority in your life? Stop! Go no farther. Turn back. Come to your Heavenly Father today and ask Him to cleanse your heart and put a new thirst in your soul leading you back to His spring of living water.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, forgive me for straying from You. I have forsaken Your living waters and have attempted to quench my own thirst. I admit that I am still thirsty. I know that only You can satisfy, and I ask Lord that You would fill my cup today with Your life-giving presence.
AMEN

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Holding On

TODAY’S VERSE
Since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Hebrews 4:14-16 (NIV)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Holding on. Have you ever felt like that’s all you can do? Things are out of control. You are not sure what to do? The question is, “What do you hang on to?” The author of Hebrews says that we should “hold firmly to the faith we profess.” But this is not some “blind” faith. Instead, we hold on to a faith that is in a God who cares and empathizes with our situation. Jesus knows what it is to be human, to suffer, to be tempted, to be abandoned, beaten, and killed. He also knows how to love unconditionally, to forgive every imaginable sin, to be tempted and not give in, and to rise from the dead. Is it no wonder that the author gives one of the most incredible pieces of advice ever given? He writes, “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence.” He is suggesting that you can come boldly right into the presence of God without the worry of repercussion. And what will you get when you enter right into the very presence of God? He promises that you will receive mercy and find grace to help you in your time of need. So today, when you feel anxious or worried, hold on! If you find yourself alone and depressed, hold on! If everything you hear is negative and panic sets in, hold on! If you become angry and bitterness starts to fester, hold on! Hold on to His mercy and grace; they will never fail.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, I come to You and hold on today. I thank You that You are the great High Priest that never sinned but became the perfect sacrifice for my sin. I place my faith in You, dear Father, and come to Your throne of grace with confidence. Thank You for Your mercy and grace that is always there in my time of need.
AMEN

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Soften Your Heart

TODAY’S VERSE
This is what the LORD says to the people of Judah and Jerusalem: “Plow up the hard ground of your hearts! Do not waste your good seed among thorns.”
Jeremiah 4:3 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Have you ever tried planting vegetables in a patch of weeds? I did once, and it was a disaster. Instead of breaking up the soil and getting rid of the weeds, I had heard that laying plastic down and cutting a slit for the seeds was easier. It made sense to me. So I planted the seeds and thought the plastic would stop the weeds. Perhaps that would have been true if I used black plastic. But I used clear! Hello! Without knowing it, I created a greenhouse for weeds! So much for my shortcut. Barely a vegetable survived. How much better had I plowed the row, planted the seeds, and then systematically take out the weeds? This is what God wants us to do with our hearts. We are to take our spiritually hardened hearts and break up the soil. We do this by letting God’s word humble us, teach us, correct us, and guide us. Through His Spirit, God takes out the weeds that have grown in our hearts. When we allow this, God then replaces the weeds with the fruit of the Spirit. Is your heart hardened toward the things of God? Soften it today through prayer, a humble attitude, and His word.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, I give You my heart. I ask You to break up the hardened ground and pull out all the weeds. Take the seeds of your word and create the fruit of the Spirit in my life.
AMEN

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Strength Of My Heart

TODAY’S VERSE
My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.
Psalms 73:26 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Asaph, the author of this Psalm, was a bitter man. He was envious of the wealthy and upset at his demise. He was consumed at what he thought was unfair about life. But then he came to his senses. He writes, “Then I realized that my heart was bitter, and I was all torn up inside. I was so foolish and ignorant”. How many have we times have we felt the same way? But who says life is fair?” Where in the Bible does it say everything in life is going to be grand? Where does it say that we will be spared from pain and heartache? Fortunately, Asaph awoke from his bitterness with the realization of what really mattered. He wrote, “Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth.” Asaph realized what was the most important thing in life. He said it all in today’s passage, “My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.” It is the strength of the heart that comes from knowing God that matters. Paul said it this way, “Nothing can separate us from the love of God.” Our circumstances may crumble, our bodies fail, our enthusiasm all but gone, yet God will never, never, never leave us or forsake us. The strength of our heart from His abiding presence will remain with us forever.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, help me to truly understand what it is to have You as the strength of my heart. Help me treasure Your relationship above all else. Thank You for loving me and being my strength forever.
AMEN

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Love As God loves

TODAY’S VERSE
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
I John 4:8 (NIV)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
There are a lot of ways we can try to show that we are Christian. We can go to church. We can attend religious programs. We can pray before meals. We can follow certain rituals. While these may be important, the real evidence that God is alive in our hearts is our love for other people. Over and over again, the Bible teaches that God is not interested in our outward appearances, our sacrifices or our religious ceremonies. He is interested in our loving behavior. Are we forgiving, just, loving, kind and benevolent toward our families and those around us? If not, then we need to take time and get to know God better. Knowing God is transformational knowledge. John said that if we don’t love, we don’t know God. In the book of James, we read, “Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?” If the love of God is in our heart, then it will compel us to love. Paul shares this kind of love in I Corinthians 13. He writes, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” We say we know God but does our behavior back us up? If not perhaps we only know “about” God. Today, spend time with Him and let knowing Him translate into loving others.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, I confess that my actions don’t always confirm my belief in You. You are love, and yet there have been many times that I have not loved others. Forgive me. Help me today to know you better so I will be filled with Your love and go out and love others. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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Which Way Do I Go?

TODAY’S VERSE
Your road led through the sea, your pathway through the mighty waters— a pathway no one knew was there! You led your people along that road like a flock of sheep, with Moses and Aaron as their shepherds.
Psalms 77:19-20 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Life’s pathways are not always smooth. There are many times when the terrain is rough at best. What do we do then? Thank God He is the one who promised to get us through to the other side. In today’s passage, we see that God was able to lead the Israelites through what seemed to be an impossible pathway. The Jews had left Egypt and were heading to the promised land when they ran smack into the Red Sea. I am sure that many of the people wondered what kind of path God had led them on. But the scriptures are clear; God had led them on a road that went through the Red Sea, a path that ran through the mighty waters. It was a road no one but God knew was there. He offers the same to us. He is the great shepherd. He is the one who can make our crooked paths straight. He is the one who turned the Red Sea into dry ground. So, what terrain are you on? What is your path like? Is it steep, full of sharp rocks, high cliffs, and loose footing? Does it take you through dark forests and thorny underbrush? There was a song we sung as little children that you can take comfort in. It said, “My God knows the way through the wilderness. All I have to do is follow.” Today, choose to trust God. Follow Him. He has a path you know nothing about. He is the Great Shepherd; He will get you home.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, You know the journey I am on. You know the path I am following. Please guide me, Lord. Help me know which way to go. You are the Great Shepherd, be my shepherd today I pray.
AMEN

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God’s Grace

TODAY’S VERSE
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy times seven times.”
Matthew 18:21-22 (NIV)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Our God is the God of second chances and more. Here is Peter coming to Jesus. He asks what he thinks is a very serious question. “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” Peter was going out on a limb. Seven times is a lot of forgiveness. But Jesus responded in a way only God could. He said to Peter, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy times seven.” Forgiving someone seven times is incredible but the grace of God is so much more than we can comprehend. Peter heard about it that day but later he experienced it. Three times Peter denied Christ and he was forgiven. Three times Jesus had to tell Peter to “feed my sheep” until Peter fully understood his mission. Finally, in the book of Acts, three times God had to show Peter the vision of a blanket with non-kosher food on it, telling him to go ahead and eat the food. This was illustrating to Peter that God loved the gentiles and that Peter was to go and share the gospel with them. God was patient with Peter. How has He been patient with you? What has He forgiven you of? Where has God exercised grace in your life? Today, appreciate the extraordinary grace of God in your life. Truly He is the God of grace a God of many chances.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, I thank You for Your amazing grace. How patient You are with me. How forgiving You are. How wonderful has Your love and mercy been to me. Thank You for forgiving me more than seven times seventy.
AMEN

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What Are You Thinking?

TODAY’S VERSE
Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Philippians 4:8

TODAY’S THOUGHT
What are you thinking? What we think about is what really shapes us. Paul wrote about our inner dialog. In today’s passage, he tells us to focus our thoughts on those thoughts that true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy. Paul also tells us to do battle with those feelings, thoughts and core beliefs that are contrary to God and His word. He writes, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” Today, slow down and listen to what you are really thinking. Listen to your inner voice, your feelings, and self-talk. This is where the battle for who we really are is won or lost. As attitudes, beliefs, assumptions, motives or predictions are discovered, check to see if they align up to Biblical standards. If not, talk to God about it. Confess and renounce those thoughts, making them obedient to Christ. Today, ask God to change you from the inside out.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, please expose my hidden self to me so I can apply Your word to my thinking and be the person You want me to be.
AMEN

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Focus

TODAY’S VERSE
Let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.
Hebrews 12:1-2 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
How serious are you about Jesus Christ? How committed are you to living the kind of life He asks you to? It is easy to “talk” about following Jesus but living for Him is another story. He hasn’t asked us to join a club. We were never asked to just become a “member.” Following Jesus is not a hobby or spectator sport. Rather, Christ asks us to be His disciple. We are called to be a disciple with a mission to spread His word and love to everyone we can. The author of Hebrews illustrates this with the metaphor of an athlete. He writes that we have to strip ourselves of those things that prevent us from running our race. And when we run we must run it with endurance. But what really makes the difference, what really motivates us to keep our course, is focus. We focus on the love of Jesus. The love He has for us and the love we have for Him. He was the one who started us on this journey and He will see us through. Rick Renner, in his book, “365 Days of Power” shares a confession of dedication. Today make this your confession. “I declare by faith that I am more deeply in love with Jesus Christ today than at any previous moment in my life. My affection for Him is so deep that I will never turn back to the life from which I’ve been delivered. I have no relational obligations greater than the sense of obligation that I feel for Jesus Christ. He saved me, redeemed me, delivered me, and changed me—and I vow to serve Him for the rest of my life! I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!”

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, You have heard my confession. I thank You for the call You have on my life. Help me today, to focus on You and the mission of love You have me on. Loosen everything from me that prohibits me from living the way You want me to. Help me run the race You have put me in, with endurance, keeping my eyes on You.
AMEN

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Trust And Obey

TODAY’S VERSE
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt.
James 1:5-6 (NIV)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Have you ever had people you are close to making a decision, a decision about something you know a lot about, yet they never asked your opinion? Have you ever been asked your opinion and then totally ignored? Have you ever been asked to “weigh-in” on a decision only to have to “buy-in” to a decision you disagree with? It is hard when you are ignored or when decisions are made that you think should have been different. What about God? How does He feel about people who go through life never asking for His opinion on anything? How about people that pray a desperate request never really intending to listen? Or worst, what about those that ask God for wisdom and treat His answer as simply a “weigh-in” deciding later to ask God to “buy-in” to the decision they made contrary to what God suggested. Do you ask God for wisdom or do you go about your life without His opinion? If you do ask God for wisdom, do you listen to it or are you off to something else not really listening for an answer at all? Finally, if you do ask for wisdom and hear God’s voice, do you “obey” it or do you “weigh” it. James tells us to ask God for wisdom and then believe God will give it to us and not doubt His answer. Today, when you need wisdom, ask God, really ask Him. Then, listen to what He says. When you hear, follow His path. It is like the old Hymn says, “Trust and obey, for there is no other way. To be happy in Jesus, just trust and obey.”

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, I know that I don’t ask You for wisdom like I should. And when I have asked, I have often ignored You. Forgive me, Lord. I know I need Your wisdom for this life and I ask that You would give it to me. Then, Holy Spirit, guide me, direct me, empower me to do what Your wisdom dictates. In Jesus’ Name.
AMEN

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