Tag: christianity

Our Lenten Journey: A Prayer to Surrender All. Matthew 16:24-26

Matthew 16:24-26 New American Standard Bible 1995

Discipleship Is Costly

24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 25 For whoever wishes to save his [a]life will lose it; but whoever loses his [b]life for My sake will find it.  26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Self-denial

Let us just come right out and say it – Believers in Christ face the daunting challenge of being desensitized to the utter filth in the world around them.

The line between what is holy and unholy too often becomes fogged, unclear.

In the midst of the corruption and sin in our world, how can we be re-sensitized to live holy lives for the Lord?

Jesus explains, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves…”

And what does it mean to deny ourselves?

It means putting to death our sinful nature and putting on the spiritual nature of new life in Christ (Ephesians 4:14-5:20).

We cannot ever hope to do this task on our own, but all of this is made possible because Jesus came to live among us, as fully human, and to die in our place so that we can be completely freed from the slavery of sin and the curse of death.

In Christ we are called to put sinful ways behind us—all immorality and all impurity such as hatred, discord, jealousy, envy, rage, selfish ambition, greed, drunkenness, brawling, gossip, slander, and any kind of malice.

Instead, Paul writes we are to walk “in step with the Spirit” of God, bearing good spiritual fruit: “love, joy, peace, forbearance [patience], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-25).

Jesus is our example.

He gave up his whole life for our sake, so that we might live.

Will we give up our old, corrupt nature to live the full life God wants us to enjoy?

In Christ we can!

A Prayer to Surrender All

Matthew 16:24-26 Easy-to-Read Version

24 Then Jesus said to his followers, “If any of you want to be my follower, you must stop thinking about yourself and what you want. You must be willing to carry the cross that is given to you for following me. 25 Any of you who try to save the life you have will lose it. But you who give up your life for me will find true life. 26 It is worth nothing for you to have the whole world if you yourself are lost. You could never pay enough to buy back your life.

I often think about what it must have been like to live in the days of Jesus.

Even more, what it must have been like to encounter Jesus face to face, witness the miracles, to listen to him speak, try and anticipate his next journey, touch His cloak, or better yet, to walk and be one of His followers or beloved disciples.

The personal relationships that Jesus built with each of His disciples is truly touching.

The beautiful thing is that today we get to experience it all and can almost hear their conversations and interactions as we read, study and pray through each account in the New Testament.

Jesus’ teachings were not only intimate as He gathered the disciples and the people around and shared wisdom and truth with such love and grace, they were also a direct message to us as well!

Yet, some of the lessons must have been difficult to hear and understand, just as we struggle to read and decipher His Word today.

I specifically think of the verses noted above for instance.

We see parallel verses in Mark and Luke, where Jesus is informing the disciples that if they wish to follow Him, they must deny themselves and they must take up their own cross on a daily basis. (Mark 8:34-35, Luke 9:23-24)

Jesus has reminded the disciples of the price they will pay for following Him.

The cost is denial of self and to bear their own cross.

This is the high price we all must pay when we seek to follow Jesus and fully surrender our lives to the one and only God.

So, what exactly does that look like?

First, we are called to deny ourselves.

That means to disown our own interests, desires, and natural tendencies and replace them with what God loves and honors.

It’s essentially a mindset shift that chooses and craves to be more like Jesus – His attitude, His mannerisms, His faithfulness.

Second, we are called to take up our own cross. 

The cross was a bold instrument of execution in Jesus’ day.

It was meant for pain and torture along with public humiliation.

As followers, we must be ready (and willing) to undergo suffering and shame.

That is because this world will mock, ridicule, reject, and torment those who claim Christ as Lord.

Lastly, we are to follow Him by surrendering all.

Jesus is the direct access and path to a good, righteous, and abundant life beyond this one (John 14:6).

When we follow His way, truth, and life examples, we fully surrender our lives to Him and seek His will and way.

So, we must discipline our spirits to daily ask ourselves, are we surrendering all to Christ in order to follow Him?

Well, are we?

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 42 New American Standard Bible 1995

BOOK 2

Thirsting for God in Trouble and Exile.

For the choir director. A [a]Maskil of the sons of Korah.

42 As the deer [b]pants for the water brooks,
So my soul [c]pants for You, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God;
When shall I come and [d]appear before God?
3 My tears have been my food day and night,
While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
4 These things I remember and I pour out my soul within me.
For I used to go along with the throng and [e]lead them in procession to the house of God,
With the voice of joy and thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival.

5 Why are you [f]in despair, O my soul?
And why have you become disturbed within me?
[g]Hope in God, for I shall [h]again praise [i]Him
For the [j]help of His presence.
6 O my God, my soul is [k]in despair within me;
Therefore I remember You from the land of the Jordan
And the [l]peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls;
All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me.
8 The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime;
And His song will be with me in the night,
A prayer to the God of my life.

9 I will say to God my rock, “Why have You forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning [m]because of the oppression of the enemy?”
10 As a shattering of my bones, my adversaries revile me,
While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
11 Why are you [n]in despair, O my soul?
And why have you become disturbed within me?
[o]Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him,
The [p]help of my countenance and my God.

O Lord, our souls thirst for you, the living God. Guide us to live for you. Our only hope is in you, our God, the Creator and Author of our whole entire lives and Savior. Amen.

We humbly submit ourselves to You, Lord and seek Your face. We surrender our heart, mind, soul, and physical body all to You. We ask that You give us a means to seek only after Your heart and the plan and purpose You have for our lives. Align all our desires and passions to Your passions and allow us to be shaped and molded to be more and more like Jesus. Grant us such a measure and degree of wisdom and strength to bear the cross and sufficient power to resist the evil ways of this world. Please forgive us where we fail and cave under pressure, while offering us the courage to still fight the everyday battles. Be in our midst through each and every situation, showing us areas in our lives where we can improve and bring glory to Your holy name. Alleluia, Amen

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Our Lenten Journey: “For Although They Knew God, …” Romans 1:18-23

Romans 1:18-23 The Message

Ignoring God Leads to a Downward Spiral

18-23 But God’s angry displeasure erupts as acts of human mistrust and wrongdoing and lying accumulate, as people try to put a shroud over truth. But the basic reality of God is plain enough. Open your eyes and there it is! By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can’t see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of his divine being. So nobody has a good excuse. What happened was this: People knew God perfectly well, but when they didn’t treat him like God, refusing to worship him, they trivialized themselves into silliness and confusion so that there was neither sense nor direction left in their lives. They pretended to know it all, but were illiterate regarding life. They traded the glory of God who holds the whole world in his hands for cheap figurines you can buy at any roadside stand.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Although They Knew God …

Since God has revealed Himself to us from the beginning, it forces us to make a choice being we can either glorify Him as God or we can choose to walk away.

Paul describes this dilemma from the very beginning of time.

Our track record is we chose not to acknowledge God so our thinking became frivolous and impractical.

The result was a foolish, dark, and hard heart concerning God.

This condition of a hardened heart is a process. If we claim to be wise without recognizing God as the sovereign creator of all things, we are fools. This leads to looking to other things to satisfy our deep needs. It’s a sad day when we exchange the glory of God for made-made idols.

It is easy to look at this and think that we would never make and worship idols such as primitive civilizations did.

But as our society progresses, so do our idols.

According to Timothy Keller, in his book Counterfeit Gods, an idol “is anything more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, anything you seek to give you what only God can give.” 1 1 Keller, Timothy. Counterfeit Gods. New York: Riverhead Books, 2009

Modern-day idols are just as prevalent but more disguised.

Work, money, family, and material possessions have the potential to be idols.

Everything and anything we exalt above God is the modern day idol.

Idolatry starts with ingratitude.

When we aren’t thankful to God, then it is a slippery slope into not glorifying Him as God and when we do that our focus shifts from Him to something else.

Paul said, this is the mark of a fool.

Since the truth of God is written on our hearts (Romans 1:19), we crave a true connection with God.

If we ignore this desire, we shut off our hearts and minds to knowing Him relationally.

Without the spirit connection, then the best we can do to fill that yearning is with perishable representations of it.

In Our Own Image …

Romans 1:18-23 New American Standard Bible 1995

Unbelief and Its Consequences

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth [a]in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known about God is evident [b]within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21  For even though they knew God, they did not [c]honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and [d]crawling creatures.

There is something wrong in our lives when we need an image or an icon to worship God.

We must understand that God forbids this (see Exodus 20:3-5). He does not want us to relate to Him that way.

We must also understand that sometimes people can become idols in our lives.

Maybe someone was instrumental in bringing us to Christ or we have great admiration for a certain pastor or leader.

But is that person becoming an idol?

Are they taking the place of God in our lives?

Of course, God will use people to impact us spiritually.

But every person will, at some point, fail to measure up to all the expectations we have.

And because we sometimes make idols out of others, our faith is shattered when we discover they are human like we are.

In the parable of the sower, Jesus talked about seed that grew up quickly.

But because it had no root, it quickly withered (see Mark 4:16-17).

16 In a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; 17 and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they [a]fall away.

This represents people who don’t get a good foundation spiritually.

They don’t build their faith on Jesus Christ and His Word.

Something or someone became an idol in their lives, and that idol failed to measure up to their ideal.

So they give up, because the foundation they built on was faulty.

We need to build our foundation on Jesus Christ.

Idols also can be ourselves. 

Romans 1:21 tells us, “Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused” (NLT).

The first creature that people substitute for God is themselves.

Ultimately, all idolatry comes down to people worshipping themselves.

They want to be in control.

Humanity is incurably religious.

There is something deep within us that wants to worship, but if we can make a god in our image, by our standard, thus call our own shots, then we are happy.

That’s because, for all practical purposes, we have formed a god in our own image – we have successfully put ourselves in the place of the one true God.

Idolatry can be living for our senses and appetites as well.

The apostle Paul wrote, “There are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth” (Philippians 3:18-19 NLT).

Jesus also warned about pursuing empty lifestyles.

He asked, “Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing?” (Matthew 6:25 NLT).

For many people, the answer is almost indelibly, invariably – no.

Is there one thing that you would absolutely refuse to give up if God were to ask it of you?

Is there one thing that would cause you to say, “Take anything but this, Lord”?

If so, then that thing, that pursuit, that passion just may be an idol in your life.

Here’s the good news though, knowing Jesus fills that hunger inside of us for a connection with God.

When we know Jesus, we stop looking for something else.

Today, I pray that you may experience Jesus in a way that deeply satisfies you.

To the glory of God, the Father, may you fill your God-shaped hole with the person of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and find true joy in this process. 

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Heavenly Father, the world is becoming increasingly evil, and the rejection of Your gracious offer of salvation, by faith in Jesus Christ, seems to have saturated this fallen world. But You are a God of infinite mercy and grace, Who is not willing that ANY should perish, but that all should come to repentance and faith in Christ. Thank You that every man has the free-will to accept Your offer of salvation, by trusting in Jesus, Who willingly died so that they might live. I pray that many, who are in the valley of decisions, would turn to Christ and trust in You today, for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting, and use me I pray, to touch the lives of some with the good news of the gospel of God. In Jesus’ name I pray, Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Receiving God’s Word through our Believing and Action. James 2:14-17

James 2:14-17 The Message

Faith in Action

14-17 Dear friends, do you think you’ll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, “Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!” and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you? Isn’t it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Believing and Acting

A wise person has said that we should imagine our faith and actions written up in a feature story splashed across the front page of every known newspaper.

What would that look like?

Myriads and myriads of scandals erupt because high profile Christians don’t behave like the believers they vigorously claim to be.

But the tension between our walk and our talk brings dishonor to our Lord.

There are many times when believers deserve to be called hypocrites.

In those moments, our faith and deeds show a rather severe disconnect.

James speaks bluntly to this contrast between believing and acting.

Our trust relationship with God must show itself in acts of obedience.

Just nodding in agreement to a biblical teaching doesn’t transform the way we treat our next-door neighbor.

What about your faith?

Is it authentic?

Does it show others that you have a living relationship with Christ?

Real faith turns the misunderstood contrast between faith and works into a dynamic combination of genuine faith and real action.

Receiving God’s Word through Action

Faith and action go together.

Understanding and works are tethered—joined together at salvation through the working of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers.

James 2:14-17 asks us,

Faith without Good Deeds Is Dead

14 What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? 15 Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, 16 and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?

17 So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

The poor, orphaned, widowed, and lost don’t just need a word from God.

They need us to act on our beliefs and love and serve selflessly with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Gathering together as believers to worship is just a part of what God intends for us as his children.

If we are to receive all that God has for us, if we are to walk in the abundant life God intends, we must resolve to be doers of the word.

James 1:23-25 gives us a window into the life of a believer who never puts action to his faith.

Scripture says,

23 For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. 24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. 25 But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.

Your identity as a disciple of Christ undoubtedly comes from relationship with God, but it is meant to be lived out in your deeds.

God longs for you to live a life of good works in response to the unconditional love you’ve been given.

He longs for you to live in selfless humility sharing with others what he’s done in you.

We’ve separated Christianity from the world.

We’ve separated Sunday from Monday, the sacred and secular.

Jesus lived in line with God’s love every minute he was here.

He broke the rules in healing on the Sabbath.

He ministered almost completely outside of the walls of the synagogue.

He brought the good news of God’s grace to all who would believe everywhere he went.

His life was in no way segregated.

Jesus’s turning the water into wine at a party was just as holy and spiritual as his standing up, reading of Isaiah in the temple, proclaiming his fulfillment of the prophecy regarding the Messiah.

His love was put into perfect action through every word, miracle, step, glance, and prayer.

With Jesus as our perfect example, let’s live in accordance with God’s will.

Let’s blur the line between faith and works until the two become one.

Let’s regard meals, conversations, rest, family time, and parties as important and holy as worshipping inside the walls of our churches. Let’s live as Jesus did and reveal His love as an action instead of just an idea we talk about on Sunday. 

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on God’s desire for your faith to produce good works.

“What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” James 2:14-17

2. Ask God where he would have you put faith into action. 

It could be the completely random act of buying flowers for your wife, or your finding a new way to honor your husband, taking your children on a special trip, or offering encouragement to someone around you at meal at work or at school.

Ask the Spirit to give you specific ways in which he desires you live out the love you have received.

3. Ask God for the strength and courage to live out his word. 

Follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit into the good works he has prepared for you today.

The Spirit has an incredible ability and power to guide a willing heart into action for God.

Receiving the knowledge of God’s love for the people around you will open up doors in your own life to better know the fullness of God’s heart.

You will be more deeply blessed by serving others than you could ever be blessed in being served.

God pours his love and grace out on those who minister in line with the leading of the Holy Spirit.

It’s truly an honor to be used by God to further the advance of his kingdom in the earth.

You were made to live out the truth of the gospel.

So choose today to act upon the leading of the Spirit.

Choose to be a doer of the word.

Psalm 100 New American Standard Bible 1995

All Men Exhorted to Praise God.

A Psalm for [a]Thanksgiving.

100 Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before Him with joyful singing.
3 Know that the Lord [b]Himself is God;
It is He who has made us, and [c]not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

4 Enter His gates with [d]thanksgiving
And His courts with praise.
Give thanks to Him, bless His name.
5 For the Lord is good;
His lovingkindness is everlasting
And His faithfulness to all generations.

Lord Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit, renew my heart, refresh my heart, change and transform my heart so my trust in you becomes a powerful, and active display of your grace and power. Help me to serve you by serving, caring about others. Amen.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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God Speaks in Solitude. Psalm 46:10

Psalm 46:10-11 New American Standard Bible 1995

10 “[a]Cease striving and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the [b]nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

You and I have been given the invaluable gift of communication with God.

From my recent devotionals we learned about the process of making the soil of our hearts soft and more receptive to God.

In our coming devotional efforts we’ll try to learn some different ways to receive the seed of his word. May your communion with God flourish as you engage in continual conversation with your loving, present heavenly Father.

God Speaks in Solitude

Matthew 6:5-6 New American Standard Bible 1995

5 “When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners [a]so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

Solitude—a time set apart where the rush, the noise, and the anxiety of the world may finally fall mute on the ears and heart of a child of God completely in need of “alone time” with God, lost inside the peace, presence of their Creator.

Solitude is a private time to be spent with your heavenly Father, free from the myriad of distractions which the world offers us at seemingly every moment.

We are made for consistent time spent in solitude.

C.S. Lewis wrote in The Weight of Glory,

“We live, in fact, in a world starved for solitude, silence, and private: and therefore starved for meditation and true friendship.”

Most of us have grown accustomed to what truly does amount to being “starved” for solitude.

We never fully realize how great our need is to be alone with our Sustainer.

Let’s take some time today to recognize our need for solitude and then learn how to best practice solitude on a daily basis.

You can know that you need solitude for one reason—Jesus needed it.

All over the New Testament we see examples of Jesus going off on his own to pray.

One example, Mark 1:35, tells us Jesus, “rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark . . . departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” 

Jesus, who practiced perfect communion with his heavenly Father while here on earth still needed to spend time in solitude.

Jesus, who loved parties, loved people, and was God and man simultaneously, knew he still needed time alone.

If he needed it, you and I can be sure we need it.

When God incarnate was up against his hardest task, the Crucifixion, he didn’t just toughen up and get through it – He spent much time alone in the Garden of Gethsemane in a deep tearful heartfelt conversation with his heavenly Father.

Matthew 26:36-46 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Garden of Gethsemane

36 Then Jesus *came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and *said to His disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and distressed. 38 Then He *said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.”

39 And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” 40 And He *came to the disciples and *found them sleeping, and *said to Peter, “So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? 41  Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

42 He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done.” 43 Again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44 And He left them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more. 45  Then He *came to the disciples and *said to them, “[a]Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Get up, let us be going; behold, the one who betrays Me is at hand!”

He needed solitude to accomplish his purpose here on earth and so do you and I.

Solitude is life-giving.

It’s necessary to the Christian spiritual life.

Richard J. Foster said, “Loneliness is inner emptiness. Solitude is inner fulfillment.”

Solitude is one of the most important and life-giving spiritual disciplines.

If you want to hear God, you must practice solitude.

If you want fortitude in your life, a steadfastness that surpasses your circumstances, you must practice solitude.

You are designed for time spent in the quiet, simply, exclusively, being with your heavenly Father.

So how can you best practice solitude?

The first step is finding a place where you can spend time with God free from distractions.

Find a place where you know you won’t be interrupted.

If you live with others, find a time when they will not be around or awake.

If you live alone, designate a place and time that you will spend in solitude free from any distractions.

Second, give yourself an amount of time to spend with God just being in solitude.

It could be ten minutes or an hour.

Spend this time free from reading, free from worship or prayer  unless solitude leads you to those things.

Madeleine L’Engle said, “Deepest communion with God is beyond words, on the other side of silence.”

Solitude is a point of deep communion where words aren’t required in light of God’s glorious nearness.

Take some time today to practice the incredible discipline of solitude.

Be patient with yourself.

Be patient with God.

Fill the emptiness of silence with the satisfaction of God’s presence.

Your heavenly Father loves just simply spending time with you, enjoying deep communion with his crown of creation.

You are his beloved child.

Climb into the comforting and sustaining arms of your heavenly Father today as you enter into a time of solitude.        

One More Point: Some Thoughts About Silent Prayer

Psalm 46:10-11 New American Standard Bible 1995

10 “[a]Cease striving and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the [b]nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.

Matthew 6:5-6 New American Standard Bible 1995

5 “When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners [a]so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

We might think of “silent prayer” as communicating with God not by speaking words aloud but by saying them in our minds.

But prayer does not always require words.

In fact, Jesus cautioned that using “many words” in prayer could become like babbling (see Matthew 6:7).

Matthew 6:7 New American Standard Bible 1995

7 “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words.

Being still, without using words, can help us reflect on the majesty, power, beauty, love, and other characteristics of God.

We need to be clear, though, that this is different from meditation that views silence as a way to empty the mind of thoughts, to connect with one’s “inner self.”

The command to “be still” in Psalm 46 has nothing to do with that—and is ­actually the opposite.

Notice that the words “be still” in verse 10 are immediately followed by the instruction to know God.

Prayer helps us grow in our knowledge of God, and knowing the heart of God is what enables us to be still in his presence.

As Psalm 46 indicates, God is both power­ful and kind.

Our troubled hearts are quieted when we find our refuge in him.

Some Bible versions include the Hebrew word Selah after verses 3, 7, and 11 in Psalm 46, and that may help us understand this point.

Scholars aren’t sure what Selah means, but it seems to signal a pause and also perhaps an unknown period of time of reflection.

Practice being silent in God’s presence.

Quiet reflection intensifies prayer as the mind is filled with thoughts of God.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Guided Prayer:

1. Find a place free from distractions. 

Ask the Spirit to calm your heart and mind and help you to spend time in deep communion with God.

2. Spend a few minutes simply resting with God in solitude.

“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” Mark 1:35

“Deepest communion with God is beyond words, on the other side of silence.” Madeleine L’Engle

3. Write down how solitude made you feel. 

If you felt uncomfortable or frustrated, that’s alright! Solitude and silence is something most of us have never practiced so have patience with yourself.

Solitude is a practice.

The more you do it the better and more fulfilling it will become.

Once you connect with God’s heart free of words and just look at him face to face, his gaze will become one of the most important parts of your life.

Knowing experientially that your heavenly Father sees you and loves you is meant to be at the foundation of everything you do.

Commit yourself to spend time in solitude with God and learn what it is to be a child simply enjoyed by the Father.

Lord, thank you for enabling me to be still in your presence. You are my strength, and I trust in you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Psalm 23 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Lord, the Psalmist’s Shepherd.

A Psalm of David.

23 The Lord is my shepherd,
I [a]shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside [b]quiet waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He guides me in the [c]paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

4 Even though I walk through the [d]valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no [e]evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You [f]have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
6 [g]Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will [h]dwell in the house of the Lord [i]forever.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Tilling those Soils of our Hearts: We are the Body of Christ – The Church. Romans 12:3-5

Romans 12:3-5 New American Standard Bible 1995

3 For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. 4 For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

One of the key realities of Christianity is belonging.

I belong! I belong to God.

I belong to Jesus.

I belong to the Holy Spirit.

I belong to Jesus’ body, the Church.

I have a critically important place, a critically important purpose in that body.

I belong! I am needed!

I have a critically important job to do!

I belong!!

One of the most useful gifts God has given us for making our hearts receptive to him is each other.

The church is both a beautiful and broken group of people.

Beautiful because of the grace of God that is working in each and every one of us making us more like Jesus.

Broken because we have yet to walk in the complete fullness of what Christ did for us on the cross.

Most of us have been wounded by something that happened in a church.

Most of us have felt anger, frustration, or annoyance with a fellow believer.

But if we are to walk in the fullness of what God intends for us here on earth, we must continually forgive, ask forgiveness from each other, submit ourselves to a group of Christ followers, share life with believers in accordance with God’s Word.

The Bible is crystal clear that the best place for us to thrive is in community with fellow believers. 

Romans 12:5 teaches us that we are all “one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.” 

Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” 

And Ephesians 4:15-16 teaches us “speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” 

We need each other.

We are joined together as the body of Christ made to function as one—both for our edification and the fulfillment of God’s own eternal purposes in the world.

In order to make the soil of your heart soft and tillable and receptive to God, you must have help from those neighbors which God has placed all around you.

We are created to worship with the body of Christ for all eternity, and that includes exactly right now!

Do not wait to live out the promises of God.

The church is not perfect, but it is God’s Bride.

His desire is for His people, and God loves to pour out His presence in unique and specific ways when we gather together and we must reciprocate – desire.

1 Thessalonians 5:12-18 New American Standard Bible 1995

Christian Conduct

12 But we request of you, brethren, that you [a]appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you [b] instruction, 13 and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another. 14 We urge you, brethren, admonish the [c]unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15 See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people. 16 Rejoice always; 17 pray without ceasing; 18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

There is edification you need that can only take place in the presence of fellow believers.

There is blessing that can only be received when you open your heart to the family of God.

We all have wounds; we all need grace; we all need each other.

The very person who most annoys you might need you the most.

Just as you need what fellow believers around you have to offer you, others need who God has uniquely designed you to be.

God asks us to humble ourselves before him and each other. 

Philippians 2:3 teaches us to “do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” 

When you consciously choose to humble yourself before God, before man, you will find a true peace that is never available in living for your own ambitions.

When you submit yourself to imperfect people, you give away your sense of entitlement and find the grace of God that’s poured out on those who truly count others as more significant than themselves.

It’s in the submission to others and giving away of our own rights that the soil of our heart is made soft and receptive to God.

It’s in spending time with fellow imperfect people that we become edified and are spurred on toward spending more time with God.

Often it’s in the extending of grace and forgiveness to each other that we become most like Christ, the one who suffered and died in the ultimate act of humility to we who are unworthy.

Offer love to those who don’t deserve it.

Place yourself in community with those who are imperfect.

Open your heart to those who might not treat you with perfect kindness.

Find your unique place in the body and serve the community God has placed you in with true faithfulness so you might be fashioned into the likeness of Christ.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,    

Let us Pray,

Guided Prayer:

1. Ask God to show you the community he would have you be a part of.

Whether this answer comes to us immediately or through seeking and visiting churches, trust that God will guide you to the local body he has planned for you.

2. Ask God to show you your place in the community.

This will change over time, so it’s good to continually ask God this question, especially if you feel out of place.

3. Now ask God to show you how he feels about the church.

We aren’t meant to live and love out of our own strength.

Instead, we are to seek God’s heart for his people and align ourselves with him.

God’s desire for the church is untold ages long, vast and powerful.

Isaiah 53:5-6 New American Standard Bible 1995

5 But He was [a]pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our [b]well-being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed.
6 All of us like sheep have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way;
But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all
To [c]fall on Him.

He has loved his people in perfect faithfulness despite all our transgressions and wandering.

When we fail to show grace and love to those around us, we fail to live out of God’s heart for his people.

If you want to live a life as near to God’s heart as possible you must search him out with the rest of his body.

One day we will all be made perfect and be able to worship together face to face with the living God.

One day, every tribe, tongue and nation will declare together the wonders of God’s amazing love.

Live in light of eternity today. 

Worship here as you will in heaven, and watch as heaven invades earth around you with the glory and love of God, the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit.

Help me, ABBA Father, to find the place where you made me to fit into Jesus’ body, the church. Until I know my exact place to serve and use my gifts, I pledge to work in all sorts of ministries so that your Spirit, and not just my own preference, will guide me into your place for me to serve. Thank you for giving me a unique place not only to belong, but also serve, be a part of Jesus’ bodily presence in the world. Jesus’ name.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Habits of Faith: Our Alleged Abilities to Handle the Pressures of Living Our Life. 2 Corinthians 4:7-12

2 Corinthians 4:7-12 New American Standard Bible 1995

7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; 8 we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; 9 persecuted, but not  forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 11 For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So death works in us, but life in you.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

That is life, isn’t it?

Here are listed by the Apostle Paul all of the pressures common to man, not removed in the life of a Christian.

It is false that when you become a Christian everything smooths out, and you are given a membership in a flying red carpet club through life, so mysterious bridges suddenly appear over all the chasms, the hurricane winds are tempered for you, and there are no pressures or difficulties to be seen or heard ever again.

What a far cry that is from reality!

The problem is, the pressures are all always going to be there.

This is life in the raw.

Look at these categories:

Hard pressed on every side (afflictions): These are the normal trials which everybody faces, Christian and non-Christian alike.

Your washing machine breaks down on Monday morning, your vehicle breaks down on Tuesday after a long hard day at work, sickness strikes in your family, heartbreaks come, the buffetings, the beatings of life which come to everyone.

They are all so normal, so daily. I tell you, these last several weeks we feel as though we have been fighting twelve rounds a day with young Muhamad Ali!

Perplexities: This refers to all the pressing calls for decisions when we don’t know what to decide.

We are at a loss, we can’t see the end, we don’t know how it is going to turn out.

We are afflicted with fears, anxieties, worries, and uncertainties, all gathered up in this word perplexities.

Persecutions: These are the misunderstandings we all run up against, the ostracisms, the cold shoulders which are shown to us at times, the malicious actions and attitudes, deliberate slights, attacks on our character and our reputation, oftentimes, the bigoted, prejudiced, unfair practices of members of society against one another; character assassinations of modern cancel culture.

These are all shamefully part of Christian life as well as the non-Christian’s.

Struck down: These are the stunning, shattering blows which drop out of the blue into our lives — fired without cause, financial ruin, accidents, acute, fatal illnesses, war, earthquakes, famine, riot, insanity — the terrible episodes which shatter a family or an individual, leave us so very stunned, frightened, baffled.

All these things and more too are all definitely part of normal Christian and non Christian experience.

There is no change in the problems, the pressures, enormity of the challenges.

But look at how the Apostle Paul describes the reactions to those challenge: 

“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” 

There is a power within, a transcendent power, different than anything else, which keeps pushing back with equal pressure against whatever comes from without, so that we are not destroyed, not crushed or despairing.

That is what the Christian life is intended to be.

There is no question about it.

We are called to this kind of victorious experience.

Perhaps every one of us who knows Jesus Christ has experienced something of this at times.

Romans 5:6-10 New American Standard Bible 1995

6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man; [a]though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified [b]by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved [c]by His life.

Hebrews 12:1-3 English Standard Version

Jesus, Founder and Perfecter of Our Faith

12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Do Not Grow Weary

3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.

But thanks be to God who is our our Creator, we know how our Savior Christ can undergird us in times of sorrow and strain, but usually it is in the big things, the big shattering things, that we each experience something of the reality of this.

But this is intended to be a constant, continuous experience.

We are to meet the pressures with an answering inner pressure, the life, death and resurrection of Christ not only in the big things but the little things as well.

What Perplexities Did the Apostle Paul NOT Face?

How was Paul able to keep pressing on in the midst of all kinds of affliction?

The most important reason was because he was convinced that God was with him, and that God would open up a way for him in the midst of his troubles.

When you are faced with all sorts of pressure, learn to entrust these things to the Lord and come before Him with an expectant heart.

Just like Moses when he stood by the Red Sea, declared to the people of Israel, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today.”

The God whom we believe in is a God who can turn crisis into opportunity.

The disciples panicked when a storm started while they were out at sea.

The sea calmed down once Jesus came.

At the wedding in Cana in Galilee, there was no wine left for the banquet, but Jesus turned water to wine.

Jesus turned the shame of the cross into a glorious symbol.

As long as we entrust our lives to Him and ask God to help us, and as long as we choose to have faith instead of choosing to be negative or complaining, we can see what God can accomplish.

On the other hand, consider this: Paul was able to overcome pressure in the midst of troubles because he had good spiritual companions to support him.

In verses 8 and 9, Paul refers to “we”.

When he was preaching the gospel throughout the region, Timothy and Silas were his co-workers.

When he was in prison, he was accompanied by Epaphroditus and Luke.

It is important to have good spiritual companions in the Christian life.

When in that moment of moments, we are under extreme pressure, what we need the most is not others tell us what to do, but a person whom we can trust and who will understand us and listen to us and constantly remain at our sides.

God put us in the church, so that we can find our spiritual companions in the Lord, with whom we can run the race heavenward together.

May the Spirit of God guide us, help us, to take the initiative to find our spiritual companions in fellowship.

In this way, we can support one another, and learn to lean on God to overcome all kinds of troubles.

Someone once said the pressures within your heart are the driving forces for growth.

But this is only true on one condition — if you are absolutely certain that the Lord is with you and that God will make a way for you.

Right now more than ever, you are really in need of a spiritual companion who can support and encourage you to go forth onto the furnace and move forward!

In the name of God the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 23 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Lord, the Psalmist’s Shepherd.

A Psalm of David.

23 The Lord is my shepherd,
I [a]shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside [b]quiet waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He guides me in the [c]paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

4 Even though I walk through the [d]valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no [e]evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You [f]have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
6 [g]Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will [h]dwell in the house of the Lord [i]forever.

Lord, I pray that I may learn to accept gladly, cheerfully, and understandingly the experiences which come my way, which force me to rely upon your grace. Lord, we thank you because no matter what circumstance we are in, as long as we have Jesus, the storms can be calmed and our needs can be met. May your Holy spirit give us the passion to live for you and help us find a spiritual companion to walk alongside us. We thank you and pray in the victorious name of our Savior Jesus Christ, Amen!

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Tilling the Soil of the Heart: Through the Scriptures. Psalm 1

Psalm 1 New American Standard Bible 1995

BOOK 1

The Righteous and the Wicked Contrasted.

1 How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the [a]path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by [b]streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its [c]leaf does not wither;
And [d]in whatever he does, he prospers.

4 The wicked are not so,
But they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the Lord [e]knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the wicked will perish.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

The book of Psalms opens with a wonderful truth – that the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked shall perish.

Godly living which results in blessings from above, contentment within, and hope for the future, stands in stark contrast to the practice of ungodliness and compromise – which produces the fruit of sorrow and destruction and ends in a man’s ruin and death.

The first verse of this opening Psalm gives a precise statement between the two choices every man is given in life.

He can choose God’s way and take the path of righteousness and peace-with-God, OR he can follow the downward road of the wicked, the sinners, the scoffers, and those that rebel against the Lord – he can choose life or death:

“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers!”

The man who is identified here is someone who is living in the world but is not enticed by the things of the world.

Such a man is not influenced by the mindset of worldly men who live in defiant rebellion against God and hold His anointed Son in contempt.

The man in this opening verse of the Psalms is a godly man – a redeemed man who walks in spirit and in truth and he does not habitually wander into those unwholesome places or involve himself in the worldly exploits of evildoers.

Such a man first seeks His counsel from the Lord, reads, studies, pays attention to the messages of God’s written Word, keeps his eyes firmly fixed on JESUS.

Such a person is wise in his routines and circumspect in his conversation.

Such a one walks in the light of God’s truth, prioritizes, hearkens to the godly counsel of the indwelling Holy Spirit, removes himself from those places of ill repute, submits to the voice of his Lord, and sits at the feet of Jesus, day by day.

Such a man turns his back to the world and its dark and darkened message, delights in the law of the Lord, he takes the time to study the Word of truth.

His only true delight is in the law of the Lord, he goes to his quiet places, he meditates on the things of God day and night, and rejoices in God his Savior.

Such a person holds lightly the things of this worldly system and dies to his fleshly desires while trusting in the living Word of the Father of all mercies.

Psalm 1 New King James Version

BOOK ONE

Psalms 1–41

The Way of the Righteous and the End of the Ungodly

1 Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the [a]ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he [b]meditates day and night.
3 He shall be like a tree
Planted by the [c]rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.

4 The ungodly are not so,
But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

In one short Psalm, we see how rapidly a godly man or woman can slide into ungodly ways.

Instead of continuing to walk in spirit and truth, they begin to follow the advice of the evil men and slowly become ensnared in the world, the flesh, the devil.

Once a believer takes their eyes off Jesus and allows their ears to be tickled by human wisdom, their spiritual fervor is dampened and they are tempted to loiter in the way of the ungodly until they are willing to stand firm in the company of evil men instead of standing firm on the truth of God’s Word.

The longer a believer remains in the company of ungodly men and women, the more rapidly his conscience begins to be seared, the attitude of scoffing sinners taints the real truths of the gospel until the Holy Spirit is quenched and grieved.

Tilling the Soil of the Heart: Through the Scriptures

2 Timothy 3:12-17 New American Standard Bible 1995

12 Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 13 But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is [a]inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for [b]training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

One of the most powerful tools in tilling the soil of our hearts is Scripture.

Each time you open the Bible, you’re looking at a miracle. 

2 Timothy 3:16 tells us, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” 

When you’re reading the Bible, you’re reading the very word of God, breathed out by him and powerful in its ability to reveal both the character of God and your identity. 

Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.” 

When you renew your mind through Scripture, you allow the Bible to transform your heart into fertile soil that bears everlasting fruit.

So let’s look today at a few ways we can use Scripture to renew our minds and allow it to mold and shape us into disciples who are in tune with and receptive to the love and leading of God.

There is a wealth of power and wisdom within God’s word as it reveals his love and faithfulness to his people.

Stories of God’s deliverance and provision to an ungrateful people demonstrate not only God’s faithfulness then, but also the greatest lengths he will go to for those ransomed into his family now by the blood of Christ.

The story of Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins is both heart-wrenching and life-giving -that he would willingly endure one of the most heinous, tortuous methods ever created assures us of the love God has for us.

That he would experience separation from his heavenly Father for the sin of the entire world points to the depth of his love for us.

Reading stories like these and meditating on their meaning and application will make us receptive to the presence and will of God.

They can empower us to live in grateful obedience to his plans and purposes.

As Paul wrote in Second Timothy, the Bible is also a useful tool for life-giving correction.

Correction from God is an important and wonderful part of being his son or daughter.

His correction resembles a skilled gardener pulling the weeds out of soil, making room for seeds he has planted to receive nourishment and thereby flourish into fruit.

You see, God doesn’t correct out of anger or frustration, but rather out of his rich love, patience, and desire for us to walk in the abundant life he’s prepared for us. 

Proverbs 3:12 states, “The Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.” 

So, opening our hearts to Scripture like Ephesians 4:29, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear,” is 100% incredibly powerful.

Pulling out the weeds and the tares of corrupting or negative talk will create space in the soil of our hearts for the nourishment of God’s Spirit, yielding the fruit of speech that does indeed “give grace.”

John 14:22-27 New American Standard Bible 1995

22 Judas (not Iscariot) *said to Him, “Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.

25 “These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.

By the admonition of the Word of the Lord revealed in John 14:23 – Open your whole heart today to the power of God’s Word in tilling the soil of your heart.

By the promise of God revealed through John 14:25-26, Allow the Holy Spirit to come, teach you by speaking directly into your life using the words of Scripture.

By the power of the Holy Spirit of God, may your time in guided prayer be marked by the inner voice of the Spirit and the transformation of the heart.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Guided Prayer:

1. Ask the Spirit to reveal an area in which you need correction.

Think about something in your life that is hurting your ability to develop good soil and, thereby, good fruit.

Where are you not experiencing the abundant life Jesus died to give you?

“I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” John 10:10

2. Now search for Scripture to use for meditation on the subject. 

If you feel that negative speech is hindering you, a verse like Ephesians 4:29 that we read earlier is a great start. If you feel like lust or another sin is hindering you, search for Scriptures addressing the sin you struggle with.

3. Meditate on the Scripture that you’ve found. 

Hebrews 4:12 New American Standard Bible 1995

12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged  sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Allow God to apply Scripture directly to your life.

When we align ourselves with God’s word, we lose the burden of living life apart from the anointing and filling of his Spirit.

Giving up things like negative speech, lust, greed, and other sins creates space for that which brings life and abundance.

Today, give over anything you feel is crowding your spiritual life, and allow God to fill you with the grace to live according to his word.

His word is the perfect guide through every situation, useful for any occasion.

Allow the Spirit to speak to you both through the Bible and directly. Till the soils of your heart to be receptive to all that God would do in and through you today.

Loving Father, it is my desire that I too walk in Your ways and keep from foolish compromise with the world system. By the truths revealed through Holy Scriptures keep my heart set on the Lord Jesus so that my thoughts are not influenced by the mindset of this current age. May I be like the man planted by Your many rivers of grace and love, joy and peace. May Your mercy and compassion flow through me to those around me, in the place where you have planted me. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Habits of Faith: Now it is Time for us to Start Confessing all ‘Good Things’ About Ourselves! Philemon 1:6

Philemon 4-7 New American Standard Bible 1995

Philemon’s Love and Faith

4 I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers, 5 because I hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the [a]saints; 6 and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective [b]through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you [c]for Christ’s sake. 7 For I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love, because the [d]hearts of the [e]saints have been refreshed through you, brother.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Time for a little pep talk from the Lord through the sharpest two edged sword in all existence, which is His Word for His Children – God has heard enough of us!

Why are we so hard on ourselves, why are we so hyper critical and so dramatic?

What kind of things do you say about yourself?

Do you speak well of yourself, or are you so hyper-critical of your appearance, your weight, your intelligence, your talents, your skills, your finances and your education level, car you drive, every other aspect of who you are as a person?

I used to be so hyper-critical of myself that one day the Holy Spirit spoke to me;

“How dare you continually talk so badly about yourself after the good work I’ve done inside you. Don’t you know you are fearfully and wonderfully made, how marvelously I created you to be in Jesus Christ? Quit speaking so negatively of yourself, for God’s sake, start acknowledging every good thing that is in you.”

I didn’t realize how badly I was speaking of myself until the Holy Spirit brought it to my attention.

But after He spoke to me, I started noticing every time something evil slipped out of my mouth about myself, I was stunned to see how many times I did it!

I became painfully aware my own mouth had become one of my worst enemies.

I became acutely aware that my own thoughts were hard at work against me.

With the help of the Holy Spirit, I made a decision to quit speaking such foul things and to start aligning my mouth with what God’s Word declared me to be.

Paul said we need to speak good things about ourselves!

In Philemon 1:6, he said,

“That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.”

Today I want to especially draw your attention to the part of the verse that says,

“…May become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.”

Even though God has done great things in you and has planned a powerful future for you, it is up to you to activate His blessings in your life!

This is why Paul says,

“That the communication of your faith may become effectual.…”

The word “effectual” is the Greek word energeo.

It is where we get the word energy.

However, in this verse, the word energeo carries the idea of something that has suddenly become energized or activated.

Paul’s words could actually be rendered, “That the communication of your faith may become energized and activated.…“

Let me give you an example to help you understand what this word energeo  means in the con­text of this verse.

An vehicle may be filled with enough fuel to drive a long distance, but it won’t go anywhere until someone puts the key into the ignition, then turns the key.

The moment that key is turned, the spark plugs are sparked, which fires up the engine.

Once the engine has been acti­vated, the potential in that car is ready to be unleashed – all we need to do is back it out of our driveway, step on the gas!

The car always has the capability of moving, but if it is never activated, it sits silent in the drive­way.

No matter how much fuel is in the tank or how much horsepower that car possesses, its power and potential will never be realized until someone turns the key in the ignition and decides they are going to actually drive it away.

Now let’s apply this to you. 

In Philemon 1:6, the apostle Paul writes that “every good thing” has been placed in you by Jesus Christ.

Think of it – He saved you, healed you, redeemed you, and pro­tected you.

He has given you a sound mind; He has given you the mind of Christ; He has imparted gifts and talents to you; and He has planned a future for your life that is simply echelons beyond glorious.

You are loaded with phenomenal potential that is just waiting to be activated!

You may say,

“Yes, well, I know that the Bible says I’ve been given all those good things, but I don’t feel like any of that is true about me! I feel like such a defeat. Even though the Word says I’m healed, the reality is that I feel sick. Even though God’s Word says I have a sound mind, I continu­ally feel like I do not have any control of my thought life. And in spite of the fact the Bible says God has blessed me with gifts and talents, I feel like a dope who has nothing to offer to this world. There is an impassable gap between what the Bible says about me, what I feel about me!”

My friend, you are like a car that is loaded with enough fuel and horsepower to get anywhere you need to go.

But for that potential in you to be released, you have to hold the right key in your hand – you have to insert it into the ignition and you have to activate it.

Furthermore, (being repetitive) it isn’t enough for you to just possess the key.

You have to put that key into the “ignition” and turn it so the latent potential that resides inside you will be ignited.

When you turn the key in the ignition, suddenly all the potential you possess in Jesus Christ is supernaturally ignited, activated, energized, released inside you!

Believe in Yourself as God Believes in You!

  • So what is the key that sparks all the good things God has placed inside you into becoming an outward reality?
  • What is the key that causes all that God declares about you to become manifested in your life?
  • How do you “turn the key in the ignition” so that the great work God has done inside you is activated and released?

Paul says, “That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.”

The word “acknowledging” in this verse holds the answer to the questions above.

This word is from the Greek word epignosis, which describes a well-instructed, intensive, deep knowledge of the facts.

The word epignosis pictures a person who knows his facts like a professional.

This is a person so sure of his information that when he speaks, he does so with confidence and boldness.

He has no reason to be ashamed or to fear that others may accuse him of being incorrect because he is well instructed, has an intensive, deep knowledge of the facts.

But how did he obtain such knowledge of the facts?

No one becomes this knowledgeable acci­dentally.

To become astute requires study, meditation, digging deep into truth, and applying oneself to know the facts inside and out.

The result of this hard work is such a thorough knowledge of the facts that a person has a strong confidence regarding what he says or writes.

Now Paul uses this same idea when he says we are to “acknowledge” every good thing that has been placed in us by Christ Jesus.

Of course, this means we are to confess the truth about ourselves – but before we can confess the truth, we must first know the truth!

As the word epignosis depicts a well-instructed, intensive, deep knowledge of the facts, Paul is letting you know it is essential for you to possess:

  • a knowledge of exactly who you are in Jesus Christ.
  • a knowledge of what Jesus has purchased in your redemption.
  • a knowledge of every good thing that God has placed in you by Jesus Christ.
  • a knowledge of all these truths that is so concrete and so unshakable that you are immovable in what you think and believe.

Don’t know the facts of who you are in Jesus Christ?

It’s time for you to get serious about digging into the Bible until you know these truths like a professional.

The truth about who you are in Jesus Christ is the key to your victory.

You should study, read, listen to teaching material – in other words,

you should use every available resource to discover what God’s Word says you’ve been given in Jesus Christ.

This knowledge is the key that will set you free.

However, merely possessing the key won’t activate these realities in your life.

You must put the key into the ignition and turn it, sparking these truths into manifestation in your life!

A key in the ignition switch does no good unless it is turned.

Likewise, the truth in your life does no good until it is spoken!

The moment we open our mouth and start confessing the good things that are in us by Jesus Christ, a supernatural connection is made between your faith and all that Jesus has deposited inside you.

At that moment, the gifts and treasures God has placed inside you become supernaturally activated.

The confession of your mouth – your acknowledgement of the truth – is what sparks these spiritual blessings, causes them to become operative, activated, and manifested realities.

Sadly, many people who know the truth remain in bondage because they never align their mouths and thoughts with the truth.

Instead of speaking what God says about them, they ridicule themselves, put themselves down, and speak badly of themselves.

They possess all the potential that God has placed inside them, but they never experience that potential because their mouths have never been sparked and activated turning those spiritual blessings into becoming manifested realities.

To make these truths real in your life, you have to put the key in the ignition switch.

  • The key is the Word of God.
  • The ignition is your mouth.
  • The key is turned in the ignition when you open your mouth and start to speak the truth.
  • The good things in you are activated the moment you start confessing the truth.
  • The way to make these blessings real in your life is to 1) thoroughly know them through diligent study; 2) put these truths into your mouth; and 3) speak them out loud!
  • That is how you turn the key in your ignition and energize these truths until they begin to manifest in you!

You see, it’s time for you to stop speaking so badly about yourself.

Instead, you need to open your mouth and start acknowledging who you are in Jesus Christ!

By acknowledging the basic truths of what you have been given in Jesus, you will release so much divine energy that it will radically transform your life.

The recognition of these spiritual treasures that reside within you will pick you up, lift you high, and carry you right over into the realm of victory you desire!

So quit talking negatively about yourself, and begin to bring the words of your mouth into maximum agreement with the truths God has deposited in your life.

  • God’s Word says you’re healed, so begin to say you’re healed.
  • God’s Word says you have the mind of Christ, so begin to say you have the mind of  Christ.
  • God’s Word says you’re blessed, so begin to say you’re blessed.

You turn the key in the ignition by getting your mouth into agreement with God’s Word. 

Psalm 46:10-11 New American Standard Bible 1995

10 “[a]Cease striving and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the [b]nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.

As you cease striving so completely hardcore against yourself, start speaking what God says about you, all your potential will start becoming a manifested reality!

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 139:1-18 New American Standard Bible 1995

God’s Omnipresence and Omniscience.

For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

139 O Lord, You have searched me and known me.
2 You know [a]when I sit down and [b]when I rise up;
You understand my thought from afar.
3 You [c]scrutinize my [d]path and my lying down,
And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.
4 [e]Even before there is a word on my tongue,
Behold, O Lord, You know it all.
5 You have enclosed me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is too high, I cannot attain to it.

7 Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in [f]Sheol, behold, You are there.
9 If I take the wings of the dawn,
If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,
10 Even there Your hand will lead me,
And Your right hand will lay hold of me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will [g]overwhelm me,
And the light around me will be night,”
12 Even the darkness is not dark [h]to You,
And the night is as bright as the day.
Darkness and light are alike to You.

13 For You formed my [i]inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will give thanks to You, for [j]I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
15 My [k]frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;
16 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.

17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand.
When I awake, I am still with You.

Lord, I know I have a bad habit of speaking badly about myself. When I hear my own words, listen to my own thoughts, even I can tell it’s wrong for me to speak, to think, so badly, so lowly about myself. Renew my thoughts for You have done a great work in me, and I have kept myself bound by the words of my mouth. Pray! Forgive me for speaking so wrongly, for allowing myself to remain imprisoned in self-defeat. I am truly repentant for these actions, and I ask You to forgive me, to give me the power to change my behavior. Holy Spirit, I can only do this by Your power, so I am asking and expecting You to empower me to make these changes in my life and in my mouth!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Habits of Faith: Kingdom Living, “Now and Forever, O’ Lord I Pray.” Matthew 19:16-26

Matthew 19:16-26 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Rich Young Ruler

16 And someone came to Him and said, “Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?” 17 And He said to him, “Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” 18 Then he *said to Him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not commit murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; 19 Honor your father and mother; and You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 20 The young man *said to Him, “All these things I have kept; what am I still lacking?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be [a]complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” 22 But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property.

23 And Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”  25 When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, “Then who can be saved?” 26 And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

The kingdom of God is eternal.

It’s the ultimate reality, when everything will be good at last.

Surprisingly, though, the kingdom is also right here, right now—wherever Jesus is present in the flesh or by the Spirit.

We can see that in Matthew 19.

A rich man who comes to talk with Jesus is very interested in having eternal life—that is, life in the kingdom of God.

But does he really want that kind of life?

When Jesus tells the man, “Sell everything, give to the poor, and follow me,” the man can’t do it.

He can’t take those three steps.

It’s really hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.

That’s what Jesus says.

And He means more than entering the eternal kingdom in the future.

He also means living the way of the kingdom right here, right now.

Among other things, the way of the kingdom is selfless and generous.

And the way of the kingdom includes deeply trusting in God to meet every need.

Sadly, the rich man in this story wasn’t ready to live that way.

Not here, not now.

How about us?

Are we ready to live the way of the kingdom here and now?

If not, will you want to live that way in eternity?

Jesus is emphatic: It is extremely difficult for the rich to embrace the radical call of discipleship in the Kingdom of God.

Yes! Jesus is very emphatic with the rich folk, does mean that we who are not counted among the rich will automatically have it that much easier experience?

No! but salvation does not depend on our ability, but on God’s generous grace.

The key point for us, however, is to be reminded about the dangers of wealth and possessions, reminded that discipleship requires great sacrifice from all.

They can become our god, our stumbling block, our choking point, our diversion, and our downfall if they become the things we cannot give up to follow Jesus-from our vantage point, following Jesus’ radical call is impossible.

25 When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, “Then who can be saved?” 26 And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Fortunately, God has provided the Holy Spirit and fellow-Christians.

We all need the guidance of the Spirit and the strength of a dedicated Christian community to yield to Jesus’ call in all areas of our lives, including using our wealth or our poverty and our abundance, lack of possessions to serve others.

A Widow’s Gift

Mark 12:41-44 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Widow’s Mite

41 And He sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the people were putting [a]money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums. 42 A poor widow came 0and put in two [b]small copper coins, which amount to a [c]cent. 43 Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all [d]the contributors to the treasury; 44 for they all put in out of their [e]surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, [f]all she had to live on.”

Who is the most generous giver today?

You’ve likely heard of Microsoft founder Bill Gates, who runs the largest foundation in the world.

You may also know about the generosity of Warren Buffet, who pledged the largest stock donation ever.

Today’s major philanthropists are very rich, their names are very well known. 

But when Mark writes about giving, he draws our attention to someone who is poor, nameless, and a widow.

On her way to the temple treasury she follows some wealthy and seemingly generous people.

And guess what?

Jesus says she makes the most generous donation!

He wanted his disciples to see that somehow her gift of two small copper coins amounting to about 1 cent is much more generous than the gifts of the wealthy.

We don’t have to be rich to make a generous donation for the Lord.

True giving means more than simply opening our wallet or writing a big check.

It’s about unlocking the safety deposit boxes of our hearts to God first and then fully trusting him in everything, including our financial well-being or lack of it.

Jesus expects us to be generous when serving him, and he has every right to demand that.

Just a few days after he met the widow, out of his poverty, Jesus gave up his life-his blood-the most generous and loving act of sacrificial giving in all of history.

That’s why he rejoiced about the impoverished widow’s “all I got” generosity.

We can believe he was very grateful for the surplus generosity of the rich folks.

That’s how he calls us to Kingdom Living-to be habitually generous, sacrificial.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 23 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Lord, the Psalmist’s Shepherd.

A Psalm of David.

23 The Lord is my shepherd,
I [a]shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside [b]quiet waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He guides me in the [c]paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

4 Even though I walk through the [d]valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no [e]evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You [f]have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
6 [g]Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will [h]dwell in the house of the Lord [i]forever.

Our ABBA Father, we praise you for your generous gift of salvation through your Son. Give us the generous spirit of that widow as we live to pour out our gratitude to you. 

Only living and Almighty God, I want to worship you with my will, my heart, my words, my hands, my feet and my possessions and my service and money. Please help me to use those incredible blessings you have poured into my life for your glory and the blessing of others. In the name of Jesus, the greatest of all gifts, I pray. Amen.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Habits of Faith: Doing the Work of the Lord. Colossians 3:15-17

Colossians 3:15-17 New American Standard Bible 1995

15 Let the peace of Christ [a]rule in your hearts, to which [b]indeed you were called in one body; and [c]be thankful. 16 Let the word of [d]Christ richly dwell within you, [e]with all wisdom teaching and admonishing [f]one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing [g]with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

The other day the wife heard someone ask another person, “What do you do?”

The person answered by saying, “Oh, I’m just a housewife.”

Perhaps you too have heard someone say, “I’m just a farmer,” or “I’m just a secretary,” or “I’m just a factory worker,” or “I’m just a country preacher.”

In any culture we have our rankings, and our sense of worth is often measured by the work we do.

The more impressive your career, larger your resume, the more letters of the alphabet after your name, the belief is then the more “important” you are.

Celebrities especially get lots of attention when something happens in their lives.

It is indeed a good and wonderful thing to achieve high levels of success – it so means you have worked hard, studied hard, sacrificed much to make your goals in life come alive in your life – that you could make and be a difference maker.

The reality is though, that is not everybody’s story and we can easily become rather discouraged and angry at ourselves and others for their success story.

Thankfully the Word of God for His Children does not measure our worth by how high we have climbed the social ladder or how much education we have.

In Colossians 3:17 we read, “Whatever you do in word or deed do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus.”

When life on earth comes to an end, what matters is not how high we climbed, but whether we were faithful to the Lord in whatever calling we pursued.

The Word of God from Colossians 3:15-17 says that counts in God’s Kingdom; whether we clothed ourselves with wisdom, gratitude, compassion, humility, patience, and peace and other simple fruitful signs of Christ’s work in our lives.

Thanks be to God our Father that these many diverse signs of fruitfulness are within everyone’s reach no matter what the station in life we find ourselves.

We all have roles to play in the Kingdom of God.

God has something for every single one of His Children to do in His Kingdom.

To the glory of God the Father, there is always going to be mission and ministry.

The Good News is this: today, each and every single one of us have work to do.

In his first letter to the Corinthians, when the apostle Paul instructed the church to welcome Timothy warmly into their community, it wasn’t because young Timothy was trying to make a name for himself, held some honorific or title, or was seeking to become noteworthy.

No, it was simply because young Timothy was called to be “doing the work of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 16:10).

1 Corinthians 16:7-11 New American Standard Bible 1995

7 For I do not wish to see you now just in passing; for I hope to remain with you for some time, if the Lord permits. 8 But I will remain in Ephesus until Pentecost; 9 for a wide door [a]for effective service has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.

10 Now if Timothy comes, see that he is with you without [b]cause to be afraid, for he is doing the Lord’s work, as I also am. 11 So let no one despise him. But  send him on his way in peace, so that he may come to me; for I expect him with the brethren.

The Lord’s work is anything on which we might lay our hands or focus our minds or devote our lives to that is pleasing to God, as we work for Him rather than in order to impress others (Colossians 3:23).

Colossians 3:22-24 New American Standard Bible 1995

22 Slaves, in all things obey those who are your masters [a]on earth, not with  [b] external service, as those who merely please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, do your work [c]heartily, as for the Lord  [d] rather than for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward [e]of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.

This can be within the body of Christ or in service to the world around us.

Paul purposefully includes the phrase “whatever you do” in verse 17 and again here in verse 23.

The “whatever” of Christian service means that in all our endeavors, to the glory of God, in our Savior Jesus’ name and with the help of the Holy Spirit, we should seek to position ourselves to be effectively involved in gospel ministry.

Whether we are helping a neighbor with meals or getting to appointments, or greeting visitors who come through the doors of our church, or volunteering in the community, every type of service is an opportunity to point others to God.

What a privilege it is to know that we were placed here on earth to be involved in seeing unbelieving people become committed followers of Jesus Christ!

Within the body of Christ, we should recognize that our spiritual growth is a result of others’ service to the Lord.

Paul rightly viewed the Corinthians as the result of his labor in Christ’s name, writing, “Are not you my workmanship in the Lord?” (1 Corinthians 9:1).

The very existence of the church in Corinth was due to the fact that the apostle was doing the Lord’s work for which Paul was neither irrelevant nor pre-eminent; rather, he was purposefully appointed to a specific responsibility.

As Christians, we are called not simply to sit and learn but to grow and go, to fish and feed.

God has a place for us, God appoints every believer to particular responsibilities within Christian ministry, mission and service, and all of those responsibilities include working for Him in whatever circumstances and opportunities come our way today; for they do not come by chance but by His divine arrangement.

Saul/Paul admirably modeled this to us through his obedience to God’s call, recognizing that he was “a chosen instrument” who would carry God’s name “before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel” (Acts 9:15).

The work of the Lord was something Paul took seriously.

We should too.

We are all called to honor God wherever we are.

Consider what might change in how you think and what you do if in every moment you asked yourself, “Now, what would Jesus have me do here?

How can I glorify His name and bring Him honor in this exact moment?”

Today, and everyday, you have the privilege of having work to do for Him.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 8 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Lord’s Glory and Man’s Dignity.

For the choir director; on the Gittith. A Psalm of David.

8 O Lord, our Lord,
How majestic is Your name in all the earth,
Who have [a]displayed Your splendor above the heavens!
2 From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established [b]strength
Because of Your adversaries,
To make the enemy and the revengeful cease.

3 When I [c]consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have [d]ordained;
4 What is man that You [e]take thought of him,
And the son of man that You care for him?
5 Yet You have made him a little lower than [f]God,
And You crown him with glory and majesty!
6 You make him to rule over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet,
7 All sheep and oxen,
And also the [g]beasts of the field,
8 The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea,
Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.

9 O Lord, our Lord,
How majestic is Your name in all the earth!

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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