Driven by a Higher Purpose

Psalm 40:8

I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.

When David spoke of his desire to follow God's will for his life, he was patterning himself after Jesus. Jesus did nothing without giving full consideration to the will of the Father.  Both Jesus' and David's hearts were set on pleasing the Father.  Each complied cheerfully.

If we start a new exercise regimen because we want the quick body changes "guaranteed" in the rave reviews, we may find ourselves struggling to maintain the new regimen for any extended period of time.  On the other hand, if we start the new exercise program because we have a passion for a happier, extended life to enjoy with our loved ones, we are more likely to get into the new regimen eagerly and consistently because of the higher purpose that drives our success.

When we seek to be faithful in following all of the commandments with the single purpose of avoiding sin, we are certain to struggle because our purpose is not high enough.  We must find our passion in the higher purpose of establishing our covenant with Jesus not with the law.   

Let us seek to know Jesus so intimately that we can enjoy His peace, His beauty, His mercy, His loving kindness and most of all share in His delight in pleasing His Father in heaven.  Let us learn to count it as joy to give up the things of the world for the glory of Our Heavenly Father. 

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for loving us so much that You gave us Your Son to come down from heaven to fulfill the law.  We bless the name of Jesus for His perfect obedience in doing Your will.  We ask that the Holy Spirit will help us to set our hearts upon Jesus instead of upon the law.  Oh Lord, we pray that we may take up our crosses daily with the same delight and pleasure that Jesus did when He fulfilled Your will for His life. We ask all these things in the name of the One who is faithful and true, Jesus Christ.

When "Not Now" Seems So Painful

Matthew 7:9

Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?

Prayer is an appointed means for obtaining what we need.  We are commanded in the Holy Word to pray often and to be persistent in praying for our needs.  Almighty God promises to hear our prayers in order to fulfill our needs in accordance with His will for our lives.  If this were not so, then we would not be instructed to make praying a daily habit.

We may become frustrated when it seems that God is not answering our prayers.  On the other hand, we have many examples in our daily lives that illustrate how "no" and "not now" are perfectly proper answers.  As parents, one of our most important tasks is to train our children to become highly functioning adults.  Thus, when our children reach the driving age and ask to start driving, we should be ready to take on the job of teaching them to drive.  If, however, we know they are not mature enough to handle the responsibility of driving, our answer should be "no" or "not now".   While our commitment to them is to train them in new life skills, our more pressing commitment is to insure their protection when they are vulnerable.

While the Lord promises to hear and answer all of our prayers of need, His promises are bound by the higher covenant of preparing us for our eternal life in heaven with Him. So while He always hears our prayers, sometimes His answers will be "no" or "not now." Each case will be determined by Him based on where we are on the path of sanctification and spiritual growth.  He will answer us perfectly, in perfect timing in accordance with His will for our lives.  He will apply the same principles in the lives of others when we are praying for what we perceive to be their needs.

Let us rebuke the need for immediate gratification in our lives.  Let us learn the value of waiting on the Lord.  As we wait, let us praise Him for His perfect answers and His perfect timing in all things.  

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for hearing and answering all of our prayers.  We thank You that You often protect us by not giving us what we ask for when it will take us off the path that You have set aside for our lives. We pray for the strength to endure when Your "no" or Your "not now" seems so painful.  We ask, Lord, that You help us to keep seeking You so that our prayers will come into alignment with Your will for our lives. We ask all these things in the name of our mighty and all sufficient provider, Jesus Christ.

Praying Through the Daily Grind

Matthew 6:6

But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Without question, one of Satan's greatest skills is his ability to keep us distracted from building our relationship with God by keeping us focused on the business of life. One of his greatest lies is planting the seed in our minds that God does not want to hear about everything in our lives. Through the perfect work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we can turn both of Satan's tactics against him.

The first thing that we should do each day in the privacy of the morning is to invite the Holy Spirit to join us throughout the day.  Then everything public in our busy lives will be marked by His presence.  Everything that comes our way as a challenge or a trial can be handed to Him immediately through brief and constant prayer.

Because through the Holy Spirit, we have already given Jesus the burdens of life throughout the day, in the evening we can shut the door on all the cares of the day.  Those cares are no longer there to distract us as we try to pray at night because they are in Jesus' hands, not ours.  Instead of focusing on our cares, we are free to focus on Our God.  We can worship Him, we can praise Him and we can soak in His love.  We can grow in our relationship with Him according to His good and perfect plan for our lives.

Let us learn to slam the door on the daily trials and distractions that life brings our way. Let us claim the rewards that Our Father in heaven promises us for going to Him in secret.  Let us give all of our burdens to Jesus in the morning and thank Him and praise Him in the evening.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for providing Your Holy Spirit to be the helper that we can call on to make our burdens light.  We rejoice in His presence with us throughout the day and night.  We pray for the wisdom and the grace to release our cares and concerns to Our Savior throughout the day.  With our burdens in Jesus mighty hands, we ask, Lord, that You teach us how to come to You without distraction in the evening.  May we learn to spend our private prayer time in the evening growing in our relationship with You and refreshing ourselves for the next day to be spent in the yoke of Our Savior.  We ask all these things in the name of the One who lightens our burdens, Jesus Christ.

God's Plan to Deal with Darkness

Genesis 1:3

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

As light was the first work in the creation of the earth, so has light been the first work in the creation of new men or women in Christ.  In both cases the light was brought forth to overcome the pre-existing chaotic darkness that existed.

Jesus is the light, the truth and the way.  No darkness can exist in His presence.  When we accept Him as Our Savior, He comes to dwell within us and the process of removing all the darkness from our lives begins.  All of our sins are brought into the light by the Holy Spirit.  Repentance is required.  To do otherwise is to suggest that we are sufficient in our own ways. It is not enough to be sorry for our sins.  We must recognize our unworthiness.  We must recognize our need to be cleansed by the Blood of the Lamb.  We must fully submit to Jesus so that we will have the strength to turn away from the darkness, so that we may live in the light. This process will continue as long as we are in our corrupted bodies.  It will not be completed until we stand before Our Father in heaven at His Throne.

From the beginning of time, darkness has been allowed to exist with light.  When the new earth is perfected for all eternity and comes into place with the new heaven, the darkness will be put aside forever.  When we take our place in God's kingdom, the darkness in our lives will also be set aside forever.

Let us beseech the Holy Spirit to inspect us.  Let us implore Him to reveal every bit of darkness in our lives.  Let us repent of the darkness that is uncovered.  Let us ask for the grace and strength that we need to learn to live in the fullness of the Light of Jesus Christ. 

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for exposing all the darkness in our lives.  We pray that we will fully submit to the cleansing process.  May Your Light extend to the outer margins of our lives.  May no element of our lives be untouched.  We pray that the complete work of the Blood of the Lamb will prepare us to take our place in heaven for all eternity.  We ask all these things in the name of the Great Eternal Light, Jesus Christ.

Jesus Promises Us His Peace

John 14:27

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

When Israel had been under the hand of the Midianites for seven years, the Lord came to Gideon.  He promised to bring Israel peace and victory over the Midianites.  He asked Gideon to lead the way.  Gideon questioned the strength of his people and he questioned his own ability to lead the people against the Midianites.  After the Lord provided Gideon with a sign confirming His promise, Gideon led the Israelites in battle.

After the Lord provided the victory, Gideon built an altar to celebrate the victory and to praise God for His fulfilled promise of victory and peace.  Gideon named the altar Jehovah Shalom to honor the one who brought the victory.  Jehovah Shalom means the Lord is peace.

Jehovah Shalom is the name that we can call on when our faith is weak because our world is out of sorts or all odds seem stacked against us.  What a magnificent gift we have in the promise of victory and peace offered by Our Savior.   Jesus promises not any peace, but His peace.  He promises us the same peace that allowed Him to face and overcome the tremendous unsettling in His spirit when He knew the certainty of His upcoming death and agony.   Every unsettling event in our lives can be calmed simply by calling on the name of Jehovah Shalom for He promises us His peace.

Let us claim the peace that Jesus promises us.  Let us show the turbulent world around us that there is peace in His mighty name. Let us draw others to Him because of the peace in our lives.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You that we can be certain of peace in our lives even when turmoil surrounds us.  We rejoice in knowing that the Prince of Peace is with us always.  We pray, Father, that our faith will be strong in the face of all adversity.  May we be steadfast in all that You call us to do.  May we be certain to look to Your Son, Jesus, to be our rock and our foundation when we need to overcome our fear.  We ask all these things in the name of Jehovah Shalom, Jesus Christ.

Things Set Aside for Us by God

Luke 7:30

But the Pharisees and experts in religious law rejected God's plan for them, for they had refused John's baptism.

God's plan for our lives calls for total surrender to Him.  The enemy has a different plan.  The Pharisees suffered under the hand of Satan as they rejected God's plans in order to follow their own plans which they were deceived into believing were built upon many good things.

The enemy uses all the facets of our lives on earth as areas of distraction in order to keep us from full surrender to Our Lord.  Our work, recreation, hobbies and even family activities can all be big areas of distraction for us.  Ironically, the work that we do as a ministry to support the Body of Christ may also become a distraction that keeps us from digging deep into our relationship with Jesus Christ.  All of these activities can certainly be deemed good in their own right and are likely extremely productive.  That is why Satan is so successful in distracting us from God.  Satan entices us to replace God with good things.

Like the Pharisees, as we pursue all these good things in our lives,  we may miss out on the special things that God has set aside for us. Oneness with Jesus Christ is the only way for us to successfully balance all that we deal with in life.  Jesus is the fulcrum.  He balances our load by providing the right foundation for all that we do.  When we stay in balance by following the urgings of the Holy Spirit, we can reside in a place of rest and satisfaction unlike anything that we can derive from our own plans.

Let us strive to make Jesus the foundation for everything in our lives.  Let us seek to make Jesus Christ the center of all we do.  Let us ask the Holy Spirit to help us to differentiate the good opportunities in our lives from the God opportunities awaiting us.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for using us to carry out Your plans for us and those around us.   We pray, Lord, that You will draw us into full surrender to Your Son.  May we make Him the center of everything in our lives.  We ask that the Holy Spirit will help us to discover the unique plans that You have for our lives.  We ask all these things in the name of the One from whom all good things come, Jesus Christ.

Deciding on the Importance of Things

Luke 18:22

When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

The young ruler, as he is often called, was given the directive to sell what He had and follow Jesus. It was a hard word for the young man to take.  He walked away from all that Jesus had offered because he could not give up his earthly treasures in exchange for the treasures that Jesus offered to him.

For most all of us, God's words do not come to us in such a direct manner as the words spoken to the young man.  They do not come in clear audible context.  God's directives come to us in the faint internal whisperings of the Holy Spirit.  We receive more of a gentle urging of the spirit rather than an anything audible. Nonetheless, we are challenged just like the young ruler to decide if God is the most important thing in our lives.

Maybe, unlike the young ruler, it is not our treasures that we are holding on to.  Maybe we are holding on to a job that keeps us away from our family.  Maybe we are holding on to an outside interest that keeps us out of church on Sunday. Maybe we are holding on to a habit that limits our ability to draw closer to God.  Maybe it is simply pride that is keeping us from fully surrendering to Our Savior.

Whatever it is, it is clear to Our Lord what we are holding on to.  In His loving kindness, He will insure that which we are clinging to is exposed.  The Holy Spirit will reveal the things of the flesh that we are clinging to.  The Holy Spirit will send us urgings that are designed to test our obedience.  If we ignore the urgings, they will become weaker and weaker until they eventually cease. If we are obedient to the urgings, they will become clearer and clearer to us.  God's inspiration will become a greater part of our lives as we begin to seek the urgings of the Holy Spirit in all of our endeavors.  Through the process of obedience and surrender, we will learn to walk in the fullness of Jesus Christ.

Let us ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to us the things that we are placing above God in our lives. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to show us any areas of lack in our spiritual walk with Christ.  Let us submit to the urgings of the Holy Spirit so that we may live the abundant life that God has planned for us.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for drawing us to Yourself through the gentle urgings of the Holy Spirit. We praise You for  providing the ever present Counselor in our daily lives.  We pray that our minds and hearts will be receptive to all that the Holy Spirit brings to us.  We ask for the strength to release the trappings of our flesh that are keeping us from surrendering fully to Your Son.  May our obedience bring richness to our daily walk with Our Savior. We ask all these things in the name of Our Treasure on earth and in heaven, Jesus Christ.

Opening the Doors of Our Hearts to Jesus

Revelation 3:20

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

Mary Magdalene was a terrible sinner but she was forgiven from her past sins by Jesus as He cast 7 demons out of her.  She accepted all that He offered to her.  Following her deliverance, Mary Magdalene traveled with Jesus as one of his followers.   Based on what Jesus had done for her, Mary was brave enough to stand by Jesus in his hours of suffering, death and beyond. She had a true relationship with her Savior.

On the other hand, when it came to doctrine, Mary was not well schooled.  She certainly would have looked foolish if she had been challenged in doctrine by the Pharisees who were known for their knowledge of God.  But with all their knowledge about God, they did not know Jesus.  They did not have an intimate, saving relationship with Him.  They did not receive what He had to offer to them.

The Holy Word teaches us that even the demons are profoundly knowledgeable about Jesus, but they do not know Him.  They certainly do not have an intimate relationship with Him.  Full knowledge of Jesus means nothing unless He knows us. The only way that Jesus knows us (as in accepts us into His kingdom) is if we have accepted Him as Our Savior.  When we respond to Jesus' voice and accept Him as Our Savior, then our relationship with Him springs forth for all eternity.

Let us go to the door and receive the One who knocks.  Let us open our hearts to Him.  Let us seek to have an intimate relationship with Our Savior King.  Let us proclaim our relationship to the world so that others may know Him, too.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for providing us with a Savior.  We thank You for sending Your Son to this world so that all could know Him. We thank You for sending the Holy Spirit to open our hearts so that we could receive Your Son as Our Savior.  We pray, Father, that You will teach us how to go beyond our knowledge of who You are and move into a living relationship with Your Son. May Jesus become the center of all we do.  May others come to know Him through our living testimonies. We ask all these things in the name of the way, the truth and the life, Jesus Christ.

The Choice to Produce or Wither

John 15:2

Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

Jesus is the vine. Our Father in heaven is the vine keeper. We are the branches.  Every branch is examined by Our Father.  Every branch that is not producing fruit because it does not draw what it needs from the vine is allowed to wither away.  Every branch that is producing fruit is pruned so that it may draw closer to the vine and its production may increase.

Because we are born with no attachment to the True Vine, we have no hope of bearing fruit.  The Father in heaven is a wise husbandman. In His mercy and loving kindness, He provides a way for us to be grafted into the True Vine.  Through His grace, He insures that we can draw from the essential elements of the Vine.

Nature provides a good example of this harvesting process.  Most of the seeds that are planted in a cutting garden become beautiful flowers that need to be pruned regularly by the gardner.  The regular pruning insures the health of the plants and stimulates additional growth and productivity for each plant.

So it is with us.  We were given new life in the body of Christ by Our Savior.  The Holy Spirit takes on the role of the gardner, pruning away all of the sin from our old lives so that we may grow in Christ and produce much fruit for His kingdom. 

Let us submit to the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  Let us surrender to the pruning process that will allow us to reach the fullness that Almighty God has planned for us.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for grafting us into Your kingdom through the sacrificial work of Your Son.  We rejoice that You have sent the Holy Spirit to help us to overcome the sin that we inherited and continues to rise up against us as we seek to live as new men and women in Christ.  We pray, Father, that You will provide the inspiration that we need to submit to the Holy Spirit and the strength that we need to stand against the enemy who comes to steal our fruit.  Through Your grace, may we see a full harvest from our lives.  We ask all these things in the name of the True Vine, Jesus Christ.

No Blemish Is Left Untouched

Hebrews 12:5

My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him.

Once we accept Jesus Christ as Our Savior, the Lord begins His work in us.  He promises that He will complete every good work in us.  He also promises that He will discipline us as needed to get us to the way, the truth and the life that is in Him.  He will leave no blemish untouched.

As the Lord works on us, we can think of ourselves as a piece of old furniture that needs refinishing. Our old stain is no longer acceptable at the place where we will be displayed.  We need a new refined finish.  Our new finish cannot be applied until all of the old stain is removed. The first part of our refinishing will be relatively easy as our old stain is stripped away.  This first step, however, will reveal the depth of the old stain.  This then leads to the tough part of the process.  To get rid of the stubborn stain will require sanding, scraping, chipping and maybe even gouging.  This tedious process will be repeated over and over until all the old stain is completely gone.  Only when all the stain has been removed completely will our final finish be applied.

God has various ways of completing His finishing work in our lives.  Sometimes it is by the gentle urgings of the Holy Spirit, sometimes it is by our reading of His Word and sometimes it is by the spoken words of His ministers.  Often He allows affliction and trials to bring us to acknowledge and confess our iniquities, to recognize our shortcomings in fulfilling our duties or to convince us of our folly in following our own nature.  All of these things are done through His perfect love and forgiveness.

Let us humbly surrender to the finishing work of the Holy Spirit.  Let us submit to the work of the Master, who is preparing us for a place in His house.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for preparing us to join You for all eternity.  We bless the name of Jesus for His precious blood that He shed so that we may be washed clean of every stain of sin in our lives.  We bow before You, Father, in full surrender to Your good work in us.  We pray that You take us into Your hands and prepare us to stand before You in the image of Your Son.  We rejoice in knowing that we will be in service to You in Your house forever.  We ask all these things in the name of Our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ.

Preparing for the Harvest

Psalm 1:3

He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.

The changing of seasons is very easy to observe in nature.  The verdant green of summer season is followed by the brilliant colors of the fall season.  The dying out and browning in the winter season is always followed by the spectacular new growth in the spring season.

So it is in our growth as Christians.  The Lord allows us to go through trials and periods of distance from Him in our relationship with Him.  We must take care not to judge our lack of fruitfulness during our dormant seasons of trial and rest.  These dormant seasons are necessary for the emergence of our harvest.  How we respond during these dormant periods will determine the size and the fragrance of the new bloom in coming our harvest.

The more we let ourselves die to Christ in the dormant seasons of our lives, the greater will be the produce of our harvest times.  The more we let ourselves live in the flesh during our times of trial and rest, the lesser will be the produce of our harvest times.  

Let us seek the Holy Spirit to help us understand our seasons so that we are preparing properly for the harvest.  Let us strive to make ourselves ready for the coming harvest that Our Father in heaven has planned for us here on earth.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for giving us seasons of growth in our relationship with You.  We rejoice in knowing that You have planned for us to go through these growing seasons with the Holy Spirit as our helper. We pray, Lord, that when we enter into our dormant periods of darkness that we may learn to respond to the checks of the Holy Spirit as we battle against the attacks of the flesh.  May Your strength be perfected in our weakness as we blossom in Your perfect light.  We ask all these things in the name of the Bright and Morning Star, Jesus Christ.

When the World Sees Our Utter Lack of Fear

Matthew 8:26

And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.

One thing that we can all be certain of is that during the course of our lives we will encounter storms. We can even expect at times that the winds and the waves of our personal storms will be overwhelming to us.  But the Lord, as He did with the apostles during their storms, challenges us to fear not and to live by faith in Him.

God expects us to be so confident in Him that in any crisis we are the reliable ones.  What a great statement we make to the world when we stand confidently and peacefully during our greatest times of trial.  When the worldly see us under stress with an utter lack of fear and uncertainty, how can they not be moved?  As faithful Christians, when we respond with confidence in Our Lord’s promises to make us conquerors over all things, we turn our trials into wonderful testimonies to the world around us.

Let us commit to standing tall when God allows us to be tried.  Let us be resolute in our faith.  Let us decree the promises of Our most faithful Lord that He will provide us with the strength to endure every storm we encounter.  

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for giving us the faith to face all of our trials with confidence in the victory that You will provide.  We praise You for sending Your Son to die on the Cross for us so that we can be victorious over all the evil that comes against us.  We pray, Father, that the Holy Spirit will strengthen us so that we may live our lives in the fullness of the faith that You have given us.  May those around us be moved by our faith. We ask all these things in the name of the One who is faithful and true, Jesus Christ.

Resting in the Hands of Our Creator

2 Kings 2:12

And Elisha saw it and he cried, “My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw him no more.  Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.

Elisha had been forewarned that his master, Elijah, was going to be taken from him.  Elijah asked Elisha what he wanted from him before he was taken away.  Elisha asked for a double portion of the anointing that the Lord had placed on Elijah.  Elijah said that this was a huge request, but if Elisha witnessed his master being taken away by the Lord then his request was granted.

Having gone through his final lessons from Elijah, Elisha saw Elijah taken away.  Elisha now stood alone.  In a show of extreme grief of having lost his master, he tore his clothes in two pieces.  He knew that he would no longer have his guide and leader to rely on.  But because he had asked for it, he was granted a double portion of the anointing that was held by Elijah.  Elisha would now rely on God, not on his master.

As Almighty God prepares us to spend eternity with Him, He may allow the people around us who we have relied upon to be taken from us.  It may be through death or through a broken relationship, but they will be removed in some manner.  Our Lord may also allow our finances or our possessions that we hold dear to be taken from us.  During these times, we must learn to rely on the Lord and not on the world around us. Until we come to the point that we are totally reliant on God, He is likely to continue to allow the removal of people and things from our lives until we totally surrender to His reign in our lives.  Through it all, we will learn the comfort, the power and the strength of resting in the hands of the One that created us.

Let us turn to the Lord for the peace and the strength that only He can provide when a person, place or thing has been taken from us.  Let us find our new direction under the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we struggle with our change.  Let us boldly ask the Lord to replace what we have lost with a double portion of His blessing on our lives.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for allowing us to rest in the comfort of Your hands as we go through our journey of surrendering completely to You.  We praise You for Your loving kindness and Your mercy as You never forsake us as we struggle to find our way.  We pray, Lord, that You will open our eyes so that we may begin to see all that You have prepared for us.  We beseech You, Father, to grant us the fullness of the power and strength that You have set aside for us.  We ask all these things in the name of Our Ever Present Lord, Jesus Christ.

Enduring All Through Christ

2 Timothy 2:3
Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

There is no happiness in suffering.  No sane person chooses to suffer.  But even when we are under the heaviest of burdens, it is possible to maintain the joy in our lives.  For to suffer for Christ's sake is to have joy in all things.  To embrace Our Comforter during the times of our suffering is to have constant joy in the midst of our trials.  If we continuously seek the comfort of Our Savior as our suffering goes on, our joy will increase even though our happiness may be in decline.  Through it all, our resolution to suffer for Christ's sake will become stronger and our love of God and Jesus Christ will grow.

If we view our suffering in any other way than through the will of God, our lives are guaranteed to be roller coaster rides with many highs and many lows.  On the other hand, if we keep our focus on Jesus through our suffering, our lives will be on steadied paths toward completed sainthood in heaven for all eternity.  Our lives will be filled with joy even in unhappy circumstances.  The world will know us by our peace through Jesus Christ.

Let us seek the joy of Christ in every event in our lives, whether they be easy or challenging.  Let us seek the peace of Our Comforter in all of our trials.  Let us endure in accordance with the promises of Jesus Christ.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for allowing us to overcome the suffering that the world brings us.  We bless the name of Jesus for bringing us joy even when everything around us in the world brings some level of unhappiness.  We pray, Father, that the Holy Spirit will strengthen us to endure our trials so that our love for You and for Our Savior, Jesus, becomes greater with each moment that we endure our suffering.  As we find joy in Christ, we pray that our example will make others strong and mature in their relationship with You.  We ask all these things in the name of the One who suffered for us, Jesus Christ.

The Light That Never Goes Out

Revelation 21:23

And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.

There is something different about the light at sunrise and the light at sunset.  The light at sunrise seems to welcome us to our day and inspire us to greater things.  The light at sunset seems so calming and comforting, preparing us for our evening of rest.  Yet there is nothing that carries us along and sustains us better throughout the day than a bright, sun-filled sky.  There is no question that light plays a significant role in our physical and emotional well being.

What if you woke up one morning and noticed a light filling your home that was more radiant and comforting than the most beautiful day that you had ever experienced?  What if when you got out of bed there were none of those usual aches and pains?  What if when you looked in the mirror you liked what you saw?  What if your work for the day was perfectly satisfying, leaving you feeling wonderful?  What if throughout the day you felt an overwhelming since of being loved and a desire to share that love with others?  What if you could not resist delighting in the Lord non-stop all day long? What if when the day ended there was no darkness, only that radiant and comforting light that you had first experienced in the morning?  What if this day never ended?  Welcome to heaven!!

Let us eagerly await our new home for all eternity.  Let us rejoice in knowing that day after day without end we will be in the presence of the Author and the Essence of everything that is good.  Let us delight in knowing that we will never encounter anything evil again.  Let us praise the Lord!!

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for preparing a place for us that is beyond our imagination.  We thank You, Jesus, for making us worthy to receive our new homes for all eternity.  We pray, Father, that You will draw us into intimate relationships with You here on earth, so that we can begin experiencing the fullness of who You are before we ever leave our earthly bodies.  May we become vessels of Your perfect love so that others can know You and be drawn to accept Your Son as their Savior.  May many experience Your eternal home as a result of them being drawn to Your Son by seeing the radiant and comforting light coming from Your obedient children.  We ask all these things in the name of the Light of the World, Jesus Christ.

The Magnificent Power We Hold Within

Luke 1:35

And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.

Just as the Blessed Virgin Mary had the Son of God placed in her womb when the Holy Spirit came upon her, the Son of God is placed within each of us by the power of the Holy Spirit when we receive Jesus as Our Savior.  Just as Mary carried Jesus Christ alive in her body, we carry Jesus as a living fount of holiness, righteousness, loving kindness, mercy and forgiveness.  All that He is and all the powers of the universe have been formed within us.

If we had any natural resource of such incredible value within us, would we ever allow our attentions to be diverted from this precious resource?   Would we ever hesitate to share the fruits of our resource with the world around us?  Would we ever put aside for even a moment the thought of the magnificent power that we held?

Let us not overlook the power that dwells within us.  Let us recognize and proclaim Christ Jesus.  Let us strive to have His nature within us be as real and as fruitful as the seed received by the Virgin Mary.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for sending Your Son to be the fruit of the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We bless the name of Jesus as we rejoice in His presence within us.  We pray, Father, that we will never set Jesus aside.  We ask that the Holy Spirit aid us in allowing Jesus to pour His life into ours every single moment that we live and breath.  May we clamor for His attention.  May our holy communion with Our Savior lead others to be drawn to Him. We ask all these things in the name of the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

God Delights in Empowering His Obedient Children

Judges 3:31

After him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who killed 600 of the Philistines with an oxgoad, and he also saved Israel.

For most of us, Shamgar is another one of the Bible characters that goes by mostly unnoticed. It is so easy to breeze right by Shamgar when reading in Judges.  Today’s passage and one brief mention in Judges 6 contain all that the Bible reveals about Shamgar.  But God’s inerrant Word wastes nothing.  Every person mentioned in the Holy Scripture is worthy of study.  So it is with Shamgar.

Shamgar was in a line of judges who served Israel.  Some of the judges were disobedient to God, bringing defeat and misery upon the Israelites. Some of the judges were obedient to God, bringing victory and peace upon the Israelites.  Shamgar was an obedient judge.  We know that because he saved Israel from their enemies.

We can surmise a few things about Shamgar that should be inspiring to us.  He was probably a simple man, a farmer (as implied by his use of the oxgoad as his weapon).  Because he was obedient to God, he was given the supernatural power to slay the Philistines using his cattle prod.

God used Shamgar to save the nation of Israel from the Philistines.  God is not limited by our abilities nor our resources.  He delights in using the obedient to orchestrate His will on earth.  He is waiting to use us.

Let us surrender all that we are and all that we have to Almighty God.   Let us come to serve Him in ways that we cannot even imagine.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for revealing to us in Your Holy Word how You use your obedient children to carry out Your plans on this earth.  We rejoice in knowing that You will release Your supernatural power through anyone of us as we surrender to Your calling on our lives.  We exalt the name of Jesus who has made us worthy to serve You.  We pray, Father, that Your Holy Spirit will inspire us to join You in Your work on earth. We pray that You will provide the grace and strength that we need to gain the victory that You have set aside for us.  We ask all these things in the name of Our Omnipotent King, Jesus Christ.

Sharing the Presence That Dwells Within Us

Colossians 1:27

To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

God has chosen to reveal to us the riches that are available to us through His Son, Jesus Christ.  The fullness of all of God's riches are complete in Jesus.   Jesus Christ is the glory of the Gospel.  He is the author, the preacher and the subject of the Bible.  The glory of His wisdom and power, His truth and faithfulness, His justice and holiness and His love, grace and mercy are forever manifested in the Holy Word.

Yet all of this was a mystery to men for thousands of years.  The hope of glory for those living in earlier times was reliant on the offerings of their high priests.   How privileged we are as we live in a time when the hope of our glory has been fully disclosed to us.  Our hope is in the form of Our Savior who comes and dwells within us.  He is our high priest.  We need no other.

With His indwelling, we take on the role of priests ourselves.  The blessed hope and assurance that is Jesus Christ is too precious not to share. 

Let us make it our duty to share the hope that is within us.  Let us joyously share that which naturally flows from us without end.  

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the Blessed Hope and Assurance that is Your Son, Jesus.  We praise You for revealing to us the riches that are available through Your Son, our ever present high priest.  Help us Lord to faithfully share the hope of glory that is within us.  We pray His presence will be manifested in our lives.  We ask all these things in the name of Our Glorious Lord, Jesus Christ.

Understanding What is Hidden in Our Trials

Luke 18:34

But they understood none of these things.

In the Gospel of Luke, we read how the apostles were told in advance about all the suffering that their Master was about to endure.  They were told the details concerning His coming crucifixion and they were told about His glorious rising from the grave on the third day.  Yet they understood none of these things.

The apostles did not understand because they could only see failure in Jesus' destiny.  They could only feel the heartbreak of losing their teacher.  They could only visualize their promised King.  They could not visualize their suffering Savior.  They could not see that God considered it all a tremendous triumph.  They could not see that they would soon show the world the way, the truth and the life that Jesus had come to show them.

The most difficult thing about understanding the purpose that God has for our lives is that we are quick to seek God's blessings, but we are slow to realize that God is in sovereign control.   We are baffled by our trials.  We allow them to hold off our calling in Christ, because we only see our own pain in our trials and we do not see Almighty God who is working out all things for His purposes.

Let us come into communion with Our Savior and recognize the He is preparing us for a life according to His will and His purposes.  Let us find the understanding that we need through the things that He reveals to us.  Let us move forward in our calling by building on what we learn.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You that You have a perfect plan for our lives.  We bless the name of Jesus Christ, who made it possible for us to fulfill the plans that You have set aside for us.  We pray, Lord, that You will open our eyes so that we may see past the sorrows in our lives.  We pray that You will open our hearts in communion with You so that we may see the triumph that You have planned for us.  May we live our lives without fear, knowing that we are in Your hands, living according to Your purposes.  May it all be for Your glory, the glory of Jesus and the glory of the Holy Spirit. We ask all these things in the name of the Strength of Our Lives, Jesus Christ.

Humbling Ourselves Before Our Savior

2 Corinthians 12:9

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

At times, we all experience things in our lives that make us feel like we are not strong enough to overcome. At times, we all are tempted in such a way that it feels like we are near faltering.  Rejoice!!  We are in the perfect position to have Jesus provide all that we need for victory.  He is just waiting for us to recognize our weakness and call on Him to draw on His resources.

The apostle Paul was told by Jesus that Jesus' strength was sufficient for all of Paul's needs. Jesus emphasized to Paul that His power was made perfect in Paul's weakness.  Paul recognized this truth and leaned upon it through all of his trials. He became the most prolific writer in the bible and led the way of evangelizing the gentile world to Christianity.

When we come to recognize that there is nothing in us that is worthy without Jesus Christ, we open the way for His perfecting work in our lives.  When we humble ourselves before Our Savior, we build on our relationship with the One who seeks to perfect us.  Through it all, in spite of our weaknesses, the evidence of His presence in our lives becomes visible for all to see.  We must be ever mindful that it is not about the work that we do for ourselves.  It is about the relationship we have with Jesus that releases victory in our lives.

Let us surrender to Our Savior King.  Let us present our weaknesses to Him so that He may perfect His strengths in our lives. Let us become living testimonies to His power.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the grace that You pour into our lives through Your Son, Jesus. We seek the power of Your grace in our lives.  We ask forgiveness for the times that we by-passed Your grace in order to operate out of our own perceived strength.  We pray that Holy Spirit will aid us in leaning on You for all of our needs and guiding us in all that we do.  May Your strength be perfected in our weakness.  We ask all these things in the name of the Strength of the Needy, Jesus Christ.