Because of His Mercy

TODAY’S VERSE
“At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.”
Titus 3:3-7

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Paul has written a beautiful description of what it is like to come to Christ as an adult. Paul had a lifetime of experience without Christ to look back on and constantly marveled at the grace of God to save him. And yet, as someone who came to Christ at a young age, I can say that today’s passage excites me just as much as it did Paul. I have found as I live my life as a Christian, that there are many times I experience my own foolishness and disobedience. I have been deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. Malice and envy have consumed me to where I have hated and been hated. And yet, with Paul, I can say that the kindness and love of God our Savior has appeared to me over and over again. You see, I strive to live under the Lordship of Christ. As I walk with Him, He continually convicts me and draws me back to Himself. Like Paul, the joy I experience in the fresh forgiveness of sins and renewed fellowship with Christ is, “not because of righteous things I have done but because of His mercy.” Like Paul, I am dependent on the renewal of the Holy Spirit to live my life. How about you? Do you experience the joy that comes from a daily walk with the living Christ? We were not made to receive Christ as a child and then stop our Christian experience. Receiving Christ is only the beginning. We were meant to grow in Christ to fully mature believers. Today, might we walk in the power of the Holy Spirit and in the blessed realization of our sins forgiven, fellowshipping with Christ as the Lord of our life.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Father, thank you for forgiving me of my sins. Thank you for the grace, mercy, peace and joy that you pour into my life. Help me to live for you each and every day with the realization of all you have done for me.
AMEN

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Rest

TODAY’S VERSE
“My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him.”
Psalms 62:1

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
Matthew 11:28

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Have you ever had something that was irreplaceable? Something that worked so good that nothing could take it’s place? David felt that way about God. When his soul was weary, David came to God alone. Nothing else could fill the void that he felt. We can search the world over to find something that will satisfy the yearning in our soul, but nothing will meet your need the way a relationship with God through Christ will. Jesus said it best, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Are you looking for something to fill the hole in your heart? Are you restless, confused, troubled or weary? Come to God today. He will fill your heart with love, purpose and meaning. He will give you rest for your soul.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, I am so glad that I can come to You for all my needs. You know my heart. You know how weary I get at times. You know how heavy my life can be. I come to You today dear Father and ask you to give me rest.
AMEN

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Quench Your Thirst

TODAY’S VERSE
“Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink— even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk— it’s all free! Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good? Listen to me, and you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the finest food. Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, and you will find life. I will make an everlasting covenant with you. I will give you all the unfailing love I promised to David.”
Isaiah 55:1-3

“Jesus answered, ‘If you knew the generosity of God and who I am, you would be asking me for a drink, and I would give you fresh, living water.’”
John 4:10

TODAY’S THOUGHT
There is a thirst deep down inside of each of us. Each one of us has had droughts in our life that have left our soul parched and wanting. Our personal defects, upbringings, life situations have failed to satisfy our dehydrated soul. So we look for an oasis. We search for streams in the desert. We look, but fail to find what we thirst for. Why? Because we go everywhere to quench our thirst, instead of the one who can satisfy. The Prophet cried out to Israel, “Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink— even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk— it’s all free!” But they refused to come to God for life. God offered them unfailing love but they rejected Him. Jesus, hundreds of years later, spoke to a woman at a well about living water. She came looking to fill her bucket but He offered to fill her soul. Jesus said, “If you knew the generosity of God and who I am, you would be asking me for a drink, and I would give you fresh, living water.” That day she opened her heart and accepted God’s living water. That moment her soul was rejuvenated and she told her whole town of the transforming power of Christ. The town came and drank for themselves, going back home reborn. What about you? Is your soul thirsty? Have you been drinking from other sources only to be left wanting? Come today to Christ. Come to Him and share your needs. Talk to Him, pour out your heart, bare your soul to Him and He will quench your deepest thirst. He is the living water and desires to give you life. Hear God call out to you today, “Come and drink, I will give you fresh living water.”

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, I thirst. My soul is parched. I need your living water. I come now, mouth wide open ready to drink. Please refresh my soul with Your word. Quench my thirst with Your Holy Spirit. Give me your living water and I will be satisfied. In Jesus Name.
AMEN

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Stand Firm

TODAY’S VERSE
“Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you.”
I Corinthians 15:58

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.”
John 14:1

TODAY’S THOUGHT
In life we will have trials. We will have struggles. To grow is to stretch ourselves. With this come risks. So we step out in faith; and even then, we can have times of fear, doubt and anxiety. Many times we avoid conflict, hide from our struggles or simply try to escape pain through various ways. We can simply try and ignore our pressures but sooner or later avoidance won’t work anymore. We have to face the situation we find ourselves in. The good news is that God is faithful. He knows our struggles, He knows our limitations. Through Paul the Apostle, God encourages us to stand firm and to let nothing move us. We can do this because of the love and power of God. Even Jesus knew that in this life we would have tribulation so He encourages us not to let our hearts be troubled. Why? Because we believe in God.  It is not just what we believe, it is who we believe in! God is almighty. He is all loving. And God is for us. He loves us. He is our strength. So today, put all your trust in God. Stand firm, exercise your faith and give all your struggles, trials and temptations to Him.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, You know all about my situation. You know my worries, fears and anxious thoughts. Help me stand firm. Help my heart not to be troubled. I do believe in You, dear God. I come now and trust You with all my life.
AMEN

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His Perfect Peace

TODAY’S VERSE
“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!”
Isaiah 26:3

TODAY’S THOUGHT
What do you think about? Where do you fix your thoughts? God expects us to consider what we think and judge it according to His word. Trouble comes into our life and we begin to fear. When it does we have a choice to make. Will we remain in fear? Will we let it escalate into panic? Or will we obey today’s passage and trust in God, fixing our thoughts on Him? When we do, He promises us peace. Not just any peace, His perfect peace. It is the same way with anger, jealously, doubt and a hundred other thoughts that come into our life everyday. Today, when negative thoughts come to your mind begin a new habit. Trade them in for peace. How? By giving the thoughts to God and then choose to trust in Him by fixing your thoughts on His love for you.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, help me trade my negative thinking for your perfect peace. Today, help me to fix all my thoughts on you.
AMEN

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Grace, Mercy and Peace

TODAY’S VERSE
“May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord give you grace, mercy, and peace.”
II Timothy 1:2

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Could Paul possibly fit any more into one sentence? I don’t think there is a time I read this salutation that I don’t sense a deep stirring in my soul. It stops me dead in my tracks. I don’t need to go any further. It is all here. What else could we possibly need in life? Grace. God’s love, attention and salvation given to you freely, just because He wants to. Mercy. God’s forgiveness of your sins and provision for your life when there is no way in this world you deserve it. Peace. A peace with God and from God, deep in your heart, passing all your understanding. What a privilege, what a blessing, what an unbelievable gift from God. Will you receive it today? Will you agree with Paul? Will you request what God is freely giving, what Christ has so graciously provided? Today, may God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord give you grace, mercy, and peace.
 
TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, I come now to freely receive what You so freely offer. I ask to be filled with Your grace, mercy and peace. Make me so conscious of these gifts that my heart overflows with praise and thanksgiving and my life reflects the joy of this reality. In Jesus name.
AMEN

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Rest For The Weary

TODAY’S VERSE
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matthew 28:28-30

TODAY’S THOUGHT
It is easy to get weary. There are so many demands on your life. You live at such a fast pace burning the candle at both ends. The result is that you end up tired much of the time. Where do you turn? Where do you turn for relief, comfort, escape from all the pressure? If not careful you can find yourself victim to addictions, unhealthy relationships or negative emotions. But Jesus has a better way. He says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.” More than that, Jesus invites you to learn from Him. His teaching is easy, and His burden is light. So today, turn to Jesus. Bring your weary soul to Him. Give Him your circumstances and your emotions. Surrender yourself to His care. He promises that you will find rest for your soul. 

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, You know my condition. I am weary and in need of renewal. I am so glad that You have invited me to come to You for rest. I know that You are gentle and humble in heart and will give me rest for my soul. So I come to You even now Jesus. I put my soul into Your capable hands. Help me and heal me even now. I pray this in Jesus Name.
AMEN

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Fear Not

TODAY’S VERSE
“I prayed to the LORD, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. In my desperation I prayed, and the LORD listened; he saved me from all my troubles. For the angel of the LORD is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him.”
Psalm 34:4-7

TODAY’S THOUGHT
How many times a day do you fear something? You get called into the office and you are sure you are going to get fired. Your child is late and your mind goes crazy with thoughts of what might have happened. Your spouse is in “that” mood again and you know it is going to get ugly. The credit card bills came in the mail and you don’t know how you are going to pay them. You found a lump and you are waiting for the report from the Doctor’s office. Fear can be healthy, as in, “Don’t step in front of traffic.” But fear can also be false, exaggerated, a lie. It has been the same since Adam and Eve; most of our spiritual struggles center around a truth encounter. Will we believe the lie or the truth? Fear or God? David knew the answer. He prayed to God and God answered him and freed him from all his fears. The Lord listened and saved him from all his troubles and He will save you. What is it today that you fear? What is holding you back? What keeps you from being still and knowing that He is God? Today renounce your fear. Bring it to God. Present it to Him and He will free you.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, You know my fears. I bring them to You. Help me, protect me, free me from this bondage. Thank You that You have not given me a spirit of fear. I choose to live by faith in You.
AMEN 

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Unworldly Peace

TODAY’S VERSE
“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”
John 14:27

TODAY’S THOUGHT
I was prepared to write on this passage and then I read an e-mail from someone who reads this devotional everyday. She asked for help with her crisis of faith. She has suffered the death of both of her children, one eighteen years ago and the other one just recently. Her e-mail touched my heart deeply and made me stop and consider what I would write about this passage. I could pretend I didn’t read her e-mail and be matter-of-fact or I could try to share something that is sensitive to her and the many others who have suffered unbearable pain. With the pain from such a loss I would be asking, “Jesus what are you talking about? Where is my peace of mind and heart?” But then I need to take Jesus words in the context they were written. Read the whole chapter and you will see that Jesus has just introduced a whole other reality. It was a cosmic introduction to the blending of this world and the next. Jesus was getting ready to go back to His father. He was about ready to face an unbearable death and spiritual suffering we cannot imagine. He was only moments from when He too would say, “Father, why have you forsaken me?” And yet, with deep empathy Jesus tells us, in the first verse of this chapter, not to be troubled because He was about to prepare another reality for us. It was obvious His disciples did not understand, so He tells them that He is going to give us the Holy Spirit to comfort us and help us in this world till we reach the next. And then Jesus shares today’s verse, “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” He was right. The world cannot give us peace during our dark nights of the soul. Neither can religion. Only in blending this world and the next can we even begin to make any sense of our suffering here. Only in a larger reality can we find any peace in this dimension. Jesus came so we could live in both. I pray that today you will be able to have a glimpse of this world in light of the next and see that Jesus is the Lord of both. And may that reality begin a process of peace even in your darkest hour.
 
TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Jesus, there are times when I ask, “Where is the peace in the darkest nights of the soul? Where is the comfort in such unbearable pain?” And, yet today I see that You who suffered such pain and anguish, has taken the harsh realities of this world and blended them the next life. Please help my heart live in both realities. Help me today begin to experience the peace that You are talking about.
AMEN

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Clothe Me With Joy

TODAY’S VERSE
“You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever!”
Psalms 30:11-12

TODAY’S THOUGHT
We go through seasons. Good times, bad times, times of sorrow and times of joy. I went through a season of depression and this passage from Psalms brought me comfort many times. I identified with David when he wrote in this same passage, “I cried out to you, O LORD. I begged the Lord for mercy.” I knew that God knew what I was going through so I claimed that He would turn my mourning into joyful dancing. I took solace when David wrote, “Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.” Through time, prayer, and counseling, the Lord did bring me to the other side. What are you mourning? What has broken your heart? What has you depressed or distraught? Bring it to Him today. I would not trifle with your sorrow. I would not minimize your pain. I only come today to offer you hope. Only God can turn your mourning into dancing. That may seem so far from where you are right now, but it is not too far for God. Light slowly penetrates the back of a dark cave. The sound of laughter at camp seems so faint when you are in the back side of the forest. But know this, there is light for you. There will be joy for you in the morning. I pray that God’s grace will fill you with this truth and complete a healing process in you.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Father, I don’t even know how to pray for my sorrow. I don’t know how to release the deep pain I feel. I come today crying out for your mercy. I thank you that weeping may last into the night but joy will come in the morning. Holy Spirit, I give you my heart, mend it, bring it back to life with your breath of love. Please begin a process in me to turn my mourning into dancing.
AMEN

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