Sunday, May 25, 2008

God's Love Will Never Cease!

I Corinthians 13:8 "Love never fails.  But where there are prophesies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away."
 
I love the verses about love in I Corinthians, but I used to stop reading at the third word of verse 8.  There is something important here though - it just doesn't tell us about love never failing it also tells us about all the things which will fail, fade, cease and pass away.  And, if God is love, than how eternally reassuring is it that He will never cease, still or pass away?  
 
Dear Lord,  I am very thankful for Your amazing love and the eternalness of that love!  Please help me to remember that while many things of this world may go away You and Your love are here to stay!  Amen.  

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Belated: Wed., Thurs., & Fri. Verses

Psalm 31:14 "But I trust in You, O Lord; I say, "You are my God.""
 
For some these words are just lip-service.  Sadly, they do not feel them in their hearts.  But having trust in our Lord and saying, "You are my God," is a powerful and spiritual experience that can bring you tears of overwhelming joy as you let it sink in again and again what that encompasses.
 
Dear Lord, Thank You for being my God!  I am overwhelmed at all You have done and continue to do for me.  Please help me to always trust in You through all life's situations.  Amen.
 
Proverbs 8:22 "The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His work, before His deeds of old;"
 
God already had claim to us before He finished creating the world, He possessed us at the beginning of His work.  Which means He knew what He had to sacrifice for our salvation and He loved us enough to create us anyway!  If you are looking for love this is enough to overflow anyone's cup!
 
Dear Father,  I can barely comprehend all You have done for me!  Thank You for creating me even though You've known since You created time that I would need You to sacrifice Your Son to save me.  Please help me to cling to Your love when I feel alone.  Amen.
 
Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.  The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
 
How I long for the depth of faith that Paul had when he wrote this!  Sin separates us from God and so it is a long road of repentance and of asking God daily to come live in our hearts and bodies before we can even come close to this.  But if we keep our path set on His will and on the desire to be that close to Him, then I believe that He wants to come live in us and He will help guide us home to Him.
 
Dear God,  Thank You for Your precious Word and its many insights into how we can live for You and live by faith.  Please come into my heart and dwell within me so that my life may serve and glorify you as long as the path You've chosen for me has me here.  Amen. 

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Better Than a Rock

Psalm 18:2 "The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge."
 
I love David's analogies, I really do, they grant hope and strength.  However, it is hard to compare God to these things because God is perfect and things of this world are not because they have been corrupted by sin and the evil one.  God is stronger than a rock, more durable than a fortress and more reliable than a deliverer!  He is our perfect hope, our eternal rest, our ultimate and forever Savior!
 
Dear Father,  Thank You for being not just a rock for us but The Rock of our Salvation.  Please help me to always remember that You are perfect and never-failing!  Amen.

Monday, May 19, 2008

We Need To Rest

Hebrews 4:10 "for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His."
 
There's a saying I read in an email (author unknown) "God didn't do it all in one day, what makes me think I can?"  In such a fast paced, please everybody, don't quit world, it is easy to lose sight of God's perfect example, of rest, to us.  How many errands and chores did you do yesterday?  Did they bring you closer to God?  God wants us to rest and He wants to show us His rest for us which is a peace so great it could only come from Him!
 
Dear Father, I want to thank You for the day of rest You created for me.  Please help me to remember this day and to not be tempted to work on it.  Amen.

Friday, May 16, 2008

We Are Heirs!

Titus 3:7 "so that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life."
 
Whoa!  Heirs with the hope of eternal life?  That's better than the Prize Patrol showing up on my doorstep with $10 Million!  And it's better than being an heir to anything on this earth, more priceless than any treasure of this world...it's the ultimate hope - our eternal Light at the end of the tunnel! 
 
Dear God,  Thank You for Your loving grace, forgiveness and salvation!  Thank You for the BEST inheritance promise ever!  Please help me to always remember that I am saved through faith in Your Son's death which has set me free from the bonds of sin through repentance and Your forgiveness.  Amen.

God Always Answers

Psalm 118:5 "In my anguish I cried out to the Lord, and He answered by setting me free."<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

God may not always set us free from our trials, He may not always remove them from our path however He will not leave us and He will always answer us.  We not always like the answer, especially when it is making us go through the storm and not around it, but He will answer us and He will never leave us so we can cling to Him through it all.

Dear Father, Thank You for the gift of prayer and the open line of communication it leaves between You and me.  Please help me to remember that although Your answer may not always be "yes" there will be an answer...please help me to accept all Your answers with a grateful heart.  Amen.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Beware Of Deceiving Teachings

I Timothy 4:1 "The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons."
 
I wonder if we are in the "later times" now because I have read about some institutions calling themselves churches however they have many beliefs that do not stem from the Bible.  It is so important to use the tools God gives us to dispute the falacies that may be spread about by some who may be abandoning the true faith.  Let's cling tight to His precious Word and go to it whenever we have questions about Him.
 
Dear God, Thank You for Your Holy Word which by the inspiration of Your Spirit You have bestowed upon us as a guide to Your promises and our purpose.  Please help me to remain true to You, to Your teachings, to Your Word in all I say, do and believe.  Amen.