Work Toward Peace

TODAY’S VERSE
“Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.”
Ephesians 4:2-3 (NLT)

TODAY’S MESSAGE
Everyone wants peace but so few are willing to work on it. Paul writes out a formula for peace that if practiced, would revolutionize the church. First, he asks us to be humble and gentle. It is amazing how much hurt can be dished out under the guise of humility. So Paul adds to be gentle. He continues by writing that we should be patient making allowances for each other’s faults. But how can we do this? He says we do it out of love. Remember, love covers a multitude of sins. Finally, if peace is our real goal, we need to make every effort to keep ourselves united in the Spirit. To Paul, peace was not an option, but a reality to be insisted on. How hard do you work for peace at home, church or work? What if everyone did?

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Prince of Peace, please forgive me. I don’t make peace my desire. I would rather be right. I would rather be in control. I would rather fight for my self interests. I have such a hard time trusting that if I yield myself to peace everything will work out. Forgive me. Please help me follow You and Your commitment to peace.
AMEN

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Spiritual Victory

TODAY’S VERSE
“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith.”
I Peter 5:8-9 (NIV)

“The Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.”
I john 4:4 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
There is a spiritual reality that we need to be aware of. Peter warns us that we are in a spiritual battle and that “the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” The good news is that God has given us everything for the victory. He has given us His Holy Spirit to guide us, His word to teach us and His presence to protect us. God through the Apostle John guarantees us that His Holy Spirit inside us is greater than the spirit in the world. With this knowledge Peter tells us to be self-controlled and alert, to resist Satan standing firm in the faith. James tells us that if we “resist the devil”, the devil will flee from us. Ignoring the spiritual battle we are in will only result in spiritual turmoil in our life. So today, let us resist the lies of Satan, stand firm in the faith God and be victorious.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, thank You that the Spiritual battle we are in has already been won. Thank You that You have provided all I need for the victory. Help me today to stand firm on Your promises, to be self-controlled and alert and to resist the schemes of Satan.
AMEN

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Grace

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 use 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 a 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 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 Christian’s, 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 we are free to ignore, reject, ask for, or simply accept. And 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 what ever 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. Thank You for your grace of love, of forgiveness, of mercy, of peace, of joy, of strength and of provision. I praise You for You are truly gracious toward me.
AMEN 

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More Faith, Less Worries

TODAY’S VERSE
“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”
I Peter 5:7 (NLT)

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
Hebrews 11:6 (NIV)
 
TODAY’S THOUGHT
If someone offered to take all your anxieties away from you would you take them up on the offer? Or would anxiety, by its own nature, cause you to worry that the person would not be able to take care of your situation? Ironically, you would end up with a whole new set of worries! So what do you do when Peter tells you to give all your worries and cares to God? If you are like most Christians you just hold on to them. Sure you pray. You even begin to trust Him but as soon as anything moves, you go back to holding on to your cares all over again. The truth is that giving your cares to God takes faith. The author of Hebrews says if you have true faith, then it would necessitate that you believe God exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek him. That is what Peter meant when he said to cast all your cares on Christ. Why? Because, God exists and He will “reward” your faith in Him by caring for you. Can you imagine that? Next time you worry, start with the thought that God deeply cares for you! He cares for you with all the resources of His mighty power and wisdom. With that in mind, you can feel free to start today and give Him all your cares.
 
TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, You know how I worry and carry many concerns with me. Forgive me for my lack of faith. I know You reward those that come to You in faith, so I come now in faith believing that You care for me. I choose to give all my worries to You. I know You are all powerful, wise and loving, so I trust You with all the outcomes of this step of faith. I pray this in the powerful name of Jesus.
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 must have the admiration of others. We have to have the right kind of car, house, clothes before we can really find happiness. But what if things were taken away from us? We lose our job. A friendship tanks. We face bankruptcy. 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 trust in Him no matter what. He had trust in God and when troubles began to brew, he was able to trade trust in for hope. Finally, when times were at its worst, hope was exchanged for joy. 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 deep relationship with God. Today begin with trust. Trust Him with everything you have and everything you need. Trust Him with today, tomorrow and the future. Then over time your trust will turn into hope. Then when you need it, just like Habakkuk, you will find that your hope will turn into 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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Heal My Inner Self

TODAY’S VERSE
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”
Matthew 7:7-11 (NIV)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
We worship the God of the Universe. The cosmos and everything in it is under His control. But there is another universe that needs His rule as well. A universe that needs His power, His presence so desperately but can only be entered upon by invitation. It is our inner world. The world of who we really are. The world where we store our core beliefs, our inner thoughts and our emotions. It is this world that so desperately needs the touch of God. It is in our inner world that we need to ask, seek and knock for peace, joy and the filling of the Holy Spirit. It is in our inner world that we need the hope that, if we as evil parents know how to give good gifts to our children, surely God will give many more good gifts to those of us who ask. In her book, “The Healing Presence” Leanne Payne writes, “Personhood, identity, being itself come from Him as our hands and hearts are open to receive. Focused on Him, we climb up and out of the hell of self and self-consciousness. Listening to the words He speaks, we are freed from the words that emanate from our unhealed hearts, from the unhealed hearts of our fellow creatures, or from the powers of darkness: those that accuse and tempt us toward separation and death. In listening to the words that come from God, we become all we were created to be.—God the Father, who has the Power of Being, heals and affirms us. By fiat He spoke the worlds into existence, by fiat He can and does create in us a new and solid sense of being.” Today, ask God to do a work in your inner self. Seek with all your heart, to be filled with His presence and peace. Knock upon the Father’s door, seeking His fellowship, His love. May His very presence flood you with a deep sense of purpose and eternal mission.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, You said that I can ask anything of You. You are the giver of good gifts and I come today asking that You would do a mighty work on my inner person. Guide me, save me, heal me, teach me, lead me. Help me today to become all that You created me to be. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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Don’t Judge

TODAY’S VERSE
“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.  And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.”
Matthew 7:1-5 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
It is so easy to judge someone else isn’t it? If I am not careful, I will become judge and jury over someone else’s behavior and not even notice that I have committed the greater sin. Jesus had a lot to say about this behavior. He says to get rid of the log in our own eye first, then go after someone else’s speck! David Powlison has written, “We judge others–criticize, nit-pick, nag, attack, condemn–because we literally play God. This is heinous. The Bible says, ‘There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you to judge your neighbor?’ Who are you when you judge? None other than a God wannabe. In this we become like the Devil himself. We act exactly like the adversary who seeks to usurp God’s throne and who acts as the accuser of the brethren.” How often have we become a “God wannabe”? Instead, today let us judge ourselves. Let us look at our own heart and behavior. Let’s repent of any judging we may be doing. When things irritate us or when we are tempted to judge someone else, let’s pray for them. Let’s ask God for discernment so we will know what we can do instead of judging. Let’s love the person. We need to see the person through the eyes of Jesus. After all, isn’t that what we would want people to do for us?

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear God, I am so guilty of judging others. I, who have been forgiven so much by You, confess that I so quickly forget Your mercy and show no grace to someone else. I judge with my thoughts. I judge with my mouth. I judge with my actions. Please forgive me. Help me today, not to judge, but to choose the better way, the way of love and forgiveness.
AMEN

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Don’t Be An Imposter

TODAY’S VERSE
“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’ ‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.’”
Luke 10:328-42 (NIV)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
It is so easy to be busy about “God’s work” that we forget who we are working for. Question, what do you think God is more interested in, us or the work we do for Him? We have to be so careful. It is not wrong to be busy when you need to be. There are seasons of hard work. But why are you doing it? To earn God’s love? To keep up appearances? Because of what others might think if we don’t work at the church all the time? There is a phrase going around churches. It is, “There are no perfect people here.” And even though I was one of the ones who championed that at the church I attend, I still look for my “mask” before I turn off the car and go into the church. It is so hard. Our imposter is alive and well. Brennan Manning writes about our imposter in “Abba’s Child”. “Imposters are preoccupied with acceptance and approval. Because of their suffocating need to please others, they cannot say no with the same confidence with which they say yes. And so they overextend themselves in people, projects, and causes, motivated not by personal commitment but by the fear of not living up to other’s expectations.  – Living out of the false self creates a compulsive desire to present a perfect image to the public so that everybody will admire us and nobody will know us. The impostor’s life becomes a perpetual roller-coaster ride of elation and depression.” Mary chose to worship Christ. And though Martha’s hard work and devotion is commendable, this particular time she was filled with worries and cares. This time, Jesus had to remind Martha that what Mary had chosen, that is to focus on the love that Christ has for us, is really the only thing Martha had to really do. If she did that, everything else would fall in place. Might we focus today on the love Christ has for us. Today, might we have a heart of worship and adoration for our Father as we go about our many activities.  

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, help me serve You. But please, help me serve You with a sincere heart. Forgive me for the many times I have been an imposter, just acting a part so I could win approval. Help me understand Your love for me in such a way that I would be a Martha with Mary’s insight. Help me serve with a heart of worship.
AMEN

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Enlighten My Heart

TODAY’S VERSE
“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”
Psalms 95:7-8

“I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.”
Ephesians 1:18-19

TODAY’S THOUGHT
I have always loved poetry. I love words put together on a page with hidden meaning, a puzzle waiting to be solved, pregnant with truth and wisdom. My father has always loved “The Road Less Taken” by Robert Frost. Growing up, he would quote the ending. I have it memorized. “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.” How true that phrase is. We have choices. And there is no greater choice than the one you make regarding your heart. God desires us to follow Him and yet He will not force us. We have a choice. Which road will we take? Will we listen to bitterness, jealously, self pity and other negative emotions? Will we turn our back on His love and allow our heart to become hard? Or will we open our heart to hear what He has to say? Paul knew how serious our heart was so he prayed for the Ephesians. He prayed that their hearts would be enlightened toward the things of God. Have you ever sought God’s enlightenment? Have you asked Him for wisdom that you might understand the depths of His love for you? Do you ask Him to show you the purpose He has for your life? Do you ask Him to teach you about His great power He has for you to live by? You have a choice with your heart. Will you let it harden or will you let God breathe His heavenly life into it?

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, take my heart and breath Your life into it. I don’t want a hard heart. I want a heart that is enlightened by Your Holy Spirit. One that is led day by day, living by faith, trusting in Your love and power.
AMEN

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Our Real Self

TODAY’S VERSE
“For to me, to live is Christ”
Philippians 1:21 

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Paul had found the secret to real living. He found his true authentic self when he found his life in Christ. It is not that he “lost” himself but that his true purpose and meaning for existence was “found” when he considered them in relationship to his Christian experience. There was no dichotomy in his life. There wasn’t a “church” personality on Sunday and a different one at work on Monday. Rather there was integration between his faith and his life. Dr. David Benner in his book “The Gift of Being Yourself” writes about our identity found in Christ. He writes, “With a little reflection, most of us can become aware of the masks that we first adopted as strategies to avoid feelings of vulnerability but that have become parts of our social self. Tragically, we settle easily for pretense, and truly authentic self often seems illusory. There is, however, a way of being for each of us that is as natural and deeply congruent as the life of the tulip. Beneath the roles and masks lies a possibility of a self that is as unique as a snowflake. It is an originality that has existed since God first loved us into existence. Our true self-in-Christ is the only self that will support authenticity. It and it alone provides an identity that is eternal.” What about you? Have you dedicated your life to Christ in such a way that you have found your true authentic self? Can you say with Paul, “For me to live is Christ”? If not, why not surrender your heart to Him today? Ask Him to reveal to you, your true self in Christ.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, I admit, I have built my life the way I have seen fit. I have ignored the restlessness deep in my heart that cries out for You. Today, I choose to make You ruler of my life. Father, please help meI want to say with Paul, “For me to live is Christ.”
AMEN

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