Staying in the Light

Psalm 32:5

I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.

It is very important that we confess our sins and repent of them quickly.  We should not hold on to them for any reason - not even to punish ourselves.  We must take God's merciful grace and cleanse ourselves of our sins.  We must recognize that Jesus Christ has atoned for all of our sins for all eternity.  To hold on to any sin, even its guilt, is to continue to unnecessarily suffer its destruction in our lives.

Once we have cleansed ourselves of our sins through confession, the Holy Spirit will come along side us and lift us to a new, higher level relationship with the Father.  Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.  Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.  Psalm 32:1-2

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your loving kindness, Your mercy and Your grace that has provided a way for us to be cleansed of our sins and freed from its destructive power in our lives.  We thank You Jesus for settling our sin debt for all eternity.  We pray that the Holy Spirit will help us to uncover all of the sin in our lives so that we may quickly confess it with our mouths.  May we escape the darkness that has overcome us and live in the precious light of Our Savior.

Sharing the Truth

Deuteronomy 4:2

You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you.

When given the opportunity to share the Good News, we may find ourselves trying to massage the message so that it is more palatable to the listener.  How dare we presume that our words are more pleasing to the lost than the Word of God?

When we are sharing God's Word with the others, we should speak the truth as it is written.  We are doing the lost a great disservice if we give them anything other than the full truth.  Our words are powerless when they are not grounded in the Word of God.  Yet when we speak under the authority of the Word of God, our words  hold the same truths and promises as the Word of God.  Our words offer hope and assurance for those who are in need.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for giving us Your inerrant Word so that we may have knowledge of who You are, so that we may know how much You love us, so that we may know that You have created us in Your image and that You have a perfect plan for our lives here on earth and in Your eternal kingdom.  We exalt You for all the promises that You extend to us in Your Holy Word.  Lord, we pray that You open our minds to receive the truths in Your Word.  We pray that You equip us to share the perfect truth in Your Word with those that You have placed in our lives.   

Above and Beyond the Law

Philemon 1:21

Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.

Paul wrote to Philemon asking him to forgive his slave, Onesimus, who had run away.  Paul also asked Philemon to accept Onesimus as a brother in Christ.  The law gave Philemon the right to deal with his runaway slave harshly.  Paul was asking Philemon to go beyond the law and respond with an act of brotherly love.

God's call on each of our lives is unique.  While He gives all of us the Ten Commandments to follow, He sets aside specific directives for each of us to follow.  He places these callings on our heart.  He wants to see our obedience to Him.  It is for His glory.  It is for the gain of His kingdom here on earth and in heaven.

Although we do not realize it, our obedience is also for our good, perhaps leading us to act in a way that protects us.   The Jews were commanded not to eat pork.   They did not understand the inherent sickness that could overcome them if they ate undercooked pork.  God protected them from this unseen danger through their obedience.  When we follow God's calling, it is certain that our obedience will provide favor in our lives beyond anything that we see.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for calling us to serve You.  We know that You will provide Your favor and protection when we follow your Commandments and the callings that You place on our lives.  We rejoice in knowing that we will serve You for all eternity.  Gracious Father, we pray that Your Holy Spirit reveal to us the areas where You are calling us in obedience to serve you.

Learning to Trust in the Lord

Jeremiah 1:8

"Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you", declares the LORD.

The Lord spoke to Jeremiah to give him confidence.  He assured Jeremiah that he would not be asked to do anything for which the Lord had not equipped him.  The Lord also confirmed with Jeremiah that He would be protected from anything or anyone that tried to come against him.

Surely one of the most difficult lessons that we as believers ever learn is to trust in the Lord in all matters concerning our lives.  Even though the Lord has promised His perfect provision and protection in our lives, we still struggle to live in the fullness of what He has declared.  Sadly, it is a lesson that is probably not fully internalized even up to our death beds.  In troubling times, we just do not allow ourselves to see past our circumstances to receive the grace that the Lord has for us.  How much more joy would we have in life if we just simply put our complete trust in Him?

Prayer,

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the protection and provision that You promise us.  We rejoice in Your unbreakable commitment to Your Word.  We praise You for allowing us to live in Your grace.  We pray, Lord, that You give us the courage to see past our circumstances and the wisdom to know that Your hand will be sufficient for all that we need.  May we find the comfort and the joy that is available only through You.

The Throne of Grace

Romans 12:12

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

Grace is the overflowing favor of God.  This awesome and marvelous gift is always there to be drawn upon.  Prayer is the exercise of drawing upon God's grace.

The throne of grace is open 24-7.  The line into the throne is prayer.  If the throne is available continuously, why would we only access it at certain times?  If the bank would give us funds at anytime, wouldn't we run there continuously?  Wouldn't we run there as often as possible?  Everyone at the bank would surely know us as a regular within their doors.  How can we then miss the opportunity to regularly access the greatest treasure on earth and in heaven - the throne room of Almighty God.

Let us draw upon the grace of God continually through our constant prayers.  For God's grace not only provides our strength during trial and tribulation, but God's grace also provides God's favor in every aspect of our lives.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the constant flow of Your grace into our lives.  Teach us, Father, to come to You throughout the day, not just at certain assigned times.  Show us how to come into Your presence without ceasing.  May we learn to humble ourselves before You endlessly as we come to You in prayer, bringing You the love, the honor and the praise that You alone deserve.