"Renewed"

Scripture:

2 Corinthians 4:16-17

That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are quite small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurable great glory that will last forever! (NLT)

Observation:

When we turn our lives over to the care and control of the LORD our God there are two things going on in unison that are important to understand. On the one hand, our imperfect bodies continually grow older, wearing out and will eventually come to an end. And while this natural process is taking place the stresses and troubles that come with living in this fallen world will often speed up this decaying process. Most people who still have their youth don’t spend a lot of time thinking about the ageing process. But as our bodies begin to break down, ageing becomes reality, and the final outcome gets closer with each passing day. On the other hand, while all this decaying is going on, as Christians we are continually drawing closer to the Lord, experiencing the renewing of our spirits; the heart and soul of our new lives in Christ Jesus.

Application:

As Christians living in a fallen world we are oppressed (in some degree) on all sides (1 John 5:19); some physically, some emotionally, and some both. If you confess that you are a friend of God, you will automatically become an enemy of the world and its ways (James 4:4). Most people with a somewhat sound mind who are not living a new life in the Savior, Christ Jesus, are living a life of denying the realities of time and eternity, and of heaven and hell. Most adults will testify that this life is not only very short, but awfully difficult as well; whereas eternity is a very long time, especially an eternity spent in difficulties one cannot imagine. The sufferings we experience living this life in Jesus Christ is peanuts when compared to the glory we will experience with Jesus for eternity. But for those who choose the world as their Savior; the price they pay for such a short period of time will cost them incredibly more suffering than all the people put together who have ever lived in this life. As a believer in Christ you will never lose enough heart to give up, because the best hope anyone can have in this life of decay and death lies in the truth of the Resurrection (1 Peter 1:3).

Prayer:

Thank You, Lord God, for the life in You that has no end. In this cruel and heartless world that is difficult to survive in, the new life You offer gives us peace in all circumstances. Help us, dear Lord, stand strong in Your Truth and give us Your strength to overcome this world until we can share in the glory of Your inheritance.

Amen

"Breaking Free"

Scripture:

Psalm 107:13-14 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, And He saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, And broke their chains in pieces. (NKJV)

Observation:

God’s people are still doing as they did way back in biblical times—that is; looking only to God as a last resort.

Application:

Many of us attempt to pray (out of obligation) when things are going well. Yet the only true cry for help comes when we can no longer depend on the world for answers; when we are in utter helplessness and misery. But the Lord, in all His mercy and grace, still takes pity on us when we cry out to Him (Psalm 34:17). He will come to our rescue when we fall on our faces in complete desperation and without hope. The God who saved millions of Israelites by parting the Red Sea is not hindered by anything. Only the Lord can rescue us from the prison of sin that can hold us captive in the deepest and darkest cell of our souls where we live in misery longing to be freed. Only He can unlock those cell doors which keep us captive. Only our Redeemer can offer us the sweet fresh air again. He removes those iron chains from our aching limbs and leads us into the Light where we can live on in peace knowing that the Judge Himself has acquitted us and His deliverances are complete (Colossians 2:14-15). And He will never again leave that soul in darkness nor will He ever allow the powers of sin to again enslave the liberated captive (Deuteronomy 31:6). What He does, my friends, is done forever! Glory to His name.

Prayer:

What a comfort and peace You have given me, LORD God, knowing that you hear my every cry. Help me never forget all that you have done for Your people, even though we don’t always look to You. Thank You for Your mercy and grace that never seems to end. And thank You, dear God, for breaking me free from the bondage that held me captive for so many years. And thank You for helping me remain free by nailing all my sins upon the Cross.

Amen

"Soul Shepherd"

Scripture:

Psalm 100:3

Acknowledge that the LORD is God! He made us, and we are His. We are His people, the sheep of His pasture. (NLT)

Observation:

When I think of Jesus (the LORD of the universe) as our Shepherd, I think of how busy we must keep Him in comparison to a shepherd of a flock of sheep. Unlike real sheep that gather around their shepherd, relying on him for their every need by staying close to the one who protects and takes care of them with only a few straying from the fold; we, on the other hand, are a rebellious species by nature, always running away thinking we can survive on our own—thinking we are self-made. But our Lord God is the Perfect Shepherd—the only One who completely knows all that we need (John 10:27-30). He is the only Shepherd who never slumbers (Psalm 121:3) and the only One who never ceases in the search for those gone astray.

Application:

I am now beginning to understand how God has been working in my life since the day I was born; protecting me and choosing certain people who would help shape my character in ways that would one day draw me into His fold, healing my many wounds from enemies who are but wolves in shepherds clothing. It is an honor, my friends, that we have been chosen from all the world to be His people, the sheep of His pasture. It is a glorious blessing indeed to be guided by His wisdom, tended to by His mercy and grace, and fed by the abundance of His bounty. Glory be to the Living God, the Shepherd of our lives and the Shepherd of our souls! (1 Peter 2:25)

Prayer:

Thank You, O LORD, for drawing me into Your flock where You healed my wounds and feed me the Bread of Life. You are truly the Good Shepherd and I am forever grateful for Your protection and direction. For You have pulled me out of the muck I was stuck in, then washed me clean and gave me new life. There is no better Shepherd; no, not one!

Amen

"A Pure Love"

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 13:3-7, 8

If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would be of no value whatsoever. Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Love will last forever. (NLT)

Observation:

Love is everything our sinful human natures are not. Our mouths may speak of love and our minds may know of love, but our wicked and deceitful hearts are anything but love. God has commanded us to love (Matthew 22:37-40), but it is not something that comes easy for any human being, especially for those who have been betrayed by love or those who have never experienced what it is to be loved. We cannot comprehend any kind of true love if we, ourselves, have never been in touch with it.

Application:

This fallen world teaches us many different definitions of what love is, but its view of love only aims at satisfying our own selfish and lustful desires; not the true desires that God has put into every human heart. We all have our own views on what love should look like in our lives, but it is only when we grow to know the heart of God that we will really begin to understand what love is all about. Love is not about us, my friends; it is all about our Creator, for God is love (1 John 4:8)! Our lives were created to glorify God (Isaiah 43:7) and when we sincerely have the desire to please the One with whom we were created for; He will open the eyes of our hearts to His truth about love and how it should be acted upon. When you know who God is and what He has done, it is rather easy to fall in love with Him. But it is a whole different ball game when it comes to loving yourself and other sin filled people. It is only through the power of the Holy Spirit that we can see ourselves as God sees us and grow to love others as the Lord would have us love; even those who have hurt us and also those who hate us. No one will ever be able to perfect the art of loving the way God does, but we can begin the journey of loving others one person at a time and eventually we will (one day soon) fully experience the perfect love of God in all its Glory!

Prayer:

Dear LORD, help me discern what love is and what love is not. Help me gain the wisdom that will help me grow in my love for others. It is never easy to love those who don’t have our best interest in mind, but I know that with Your leading I will find the way to love as You have called me to love.

Amen

“For the Love of God”

Scripture:

Psalm 91:14-15

“Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name. He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. (NASB)

Observation:

Even though the LORD our God commands us to love Him with all of our being (Matthew 22:37-38), He does not force us to obey any of His commands (although He could if He wanted to, because He is, after all, the Creator). We are not borne to automatically fall in love with Him; it is only by learning who He is and who we are not, and what He can do and what we cannot do that we come to love, honor, and trust Him with our lives.

Application:

One of the most incredible things I have discovered about the love of God is; whether we love Him or not He will always love us (John 3:16). The LORD our God does not love us any more or any less because of our sin filled natures. Even when our love is unfaithful to Him, His love always remains faithful to us. What we do or do not do has no bearing on God’s love for us, because His love is unchangeable. God’s love is not conditional; it does not depend upon our actions or feelings. Although we can make Him unhappy or angry, His love does not falter. When we please Him, we bring Him joy, but His love does not increase. He loves you, my friends, just as much as He did when He first brought you into this life and He will continue to love you forever (Romans 8:38-39)! But amazingly, when you truly love the LORD as you should, He will bless your life. He will give you the strength and wisdom to battle the lies of the Enemy and this fallen world, for the Devil wants you to believe that God does not really love you and that no matter what you do, you are toast. But the truth is; our God and Creator, Christ Jesus, loves us above all creation and He rewards all those who call on Him and surrender their lives to His control and care. This is the Promise that never changes no matter how far away we have strayed from the Truth, for God knows we are only human and we will always fail to please Him. And the most amazing thing about this Promise of Jesus’ is that it happens to be the only Promise out there that not only comes with both a heavenly and earthly peace and joy, but is also the only Promise that is for everyone who walks the face of this earth!

Prayer:

Thank You, dear LORD, for loving me even when I disobey and dishonor You. I do not want to do these things and it is only in You that I am able to control myself. I cannot fully understand the depth of Your love, but I am so very grateful that You are who You say You are. For without Your love this deeply fallen world would indeed be a more difficult place to live.

Amen

"Gone is the Old"

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 5:7-8

Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us. So let us celebrate the festival, not by eating the old bread of wickedness and evil, but by eating the new bread of purity and truth. (NLT)

Observation:

The LORD our God calls us to rejoice and celebrate the new life He has so graciously given us (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). He calls us to discard our old ways of living and clothe ourselves in Christ so we can live these new lives with sincerity and truth (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Application:

What a marvelous opportunity this is, my friends; that we are able to start afresh without the terrible punishment we deserve for all those ungodly and rebellious acts we once indulged in against our holy God and Creator. What joy you will experience when knowing that your sins have been forgiven and are no longer held against you! What a peace it will bring you knowing that the God of all creation has written your name in the Book of Life so that you will not be condemned for eternity. And when you embrace these truths about our living God you will want to walk boldly with confidence spreading the Good News of our Lord Jesus Christ, which will forever change one life at a time—just as it did for you. Come alive, my friends, and surrender your life to the LORD Jesus. Ask Him to forgive your rebellion and clean up the mess it caused, and He will immediately put His Holy Spirit to work in your heart, transforming you from the inside out (Colossians 3:9, 10). And when this happens, He will give you an entirely new vision of the life that our incredibly awesome God has so graciously given unto you.

Prayer:

How joyful it is to celebrate You, LORD God, for you have given me new life; a life which is now worth living. I will forever honor and love You with this new life, knowing that there are much better things ahead. I so look forward to telling you this face to Face.

Amen

"Power In Wisdom"

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 1:18

I know very well how foolish the message of the cross sounds to those who are on the road to destruction. But we who are being saved recognize this message as the very power of God. (NLT)

Observation:

The most brilliant minds know how impossible it is for a person to bring himself back to life after being dead for three days. The most intelligent people on earth cannot rationalize how something can be made out of nothing. The greatest scholars and philosophers that the world has to offer get together to debate the origin of life and come up with ideas that are far more difficult to understand than the sovereignty of God and His power to create. This is why God says in verse 19; “I will destroy human wisdom and discard their most brilliant ideas.” The most simple and easy to understand plan that God has for our lives makes the plans of wise men utterly foolish to the Creator (1 Corinthians 3:19).

Application:

I think it is of great value for brilliant people to dedicate their minds discovering how life works in order to better help and improve human life. I also believe that God created us with the desire to explore His creation and to discover new and amazing things about the universe He created with all of its amazing functions. But sadly, many of the gifted brilliant people will never discover the truth because they refuse to believe what God has said about His creation and where it is headed. The comparison I like to make of the knowledge and capability of God to that of the most brilliant men is much like comparing the size of the universe to an ameba. God is so far above man (Jeremiah 10:12) that a comparison cannot be rationally made, for with God there is no limit. We cannot and never will be able to save ourselves from dying, or from the final wrath and judgment of God. It is for this very reason that we must believe in the LORD our God and trust His every Word (Isaiah 45:22). My dear friends, the best laid plans of man are total nonsense to God, for He can change anything He wants with the blink of an eye. The best advice for mankind is found in the pages of the Bible. For if all you have is the basic knowledge of the LORD, you have far greater knowledge than the most brilliant of minds who deny God. For to believe in your Creator and by putting your precious life (the one He made) in His care is an incredibly wise choice; a decision which is not only the best way to live your life, but it is also the only way you will be able to escape the coming day of judgment that will forever separate those who have made the world their God from their Creator, who will condemn them into the place of all evil!

Prayer:

Thank You, Lord, for teaching us the truth about who You are and who we aren’t. So many of Your people believe they are the sole masters of their destiny; that they are the gods of their own lives. Please open the eyes of their hearts so that they, too, would know their true place in the scheme of Your plan. And with this kind of knowledge we are then able to maneuver safely through this life with confidence, and because our lives are safely in Your hands we can discover the true joy in living.

Amen