Give thanks to the God of gods

Give thanks to the God of gods. His faithful love endures forever. Psalm 136:2

The world creates many gods (sex, television, money, self, etc.) but they are fleeting. They don't have the power of the Creator or the love of the Savior. None of the world's gods are faithful to you or to themselves. They are demanding, demeaning, and degrading.

By contrast, we are invited to get to know the God of all gods, the timeless Creator of the universe, the One your soul loves (even if you don't know it yet). What better reason to give thanks?

Dear God, thank you for your faithfulness and for your endless love! Please help us recognize you and share your light with others. Amen.

Reasons to give thanks

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. Psalm 136:1

With the holidays beginning, it's easy to lose focus and forget the purpose behind the music, lights, food, and gifts. It's common to practice thanksgiving on Thanksgiving day, but how do we show gratitude the rest of the year? Psalm 136 is a beautiful expression of thanksgiving. Over the next several days, we'll look at it more closely. As the psalmist demonstrates, there are many things to be thankful for no matter what life looks like.

Dear Lord, help us develop an attitude of thanksgiving that we demonstrate every day. Reveal your faithful love to us. Thank you. In Jesus' name, Amen.

What are you thankful for today?

Live clean, innocent lives

Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ's return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. Philippians 2:15b-16

When people hear that I've never been drunk or used drugs, often their mouths fall open and they stare at me, speechless. "I didn't know that was possible in today's world," they say. By God's grace, my teenager sees this kind of lifestyle and it influences him to live a clean life.

Paul encourages us to be shining lights for a world of crooked and perverse people. If those words were true a mere thirty years after Christ's ascension, how much more accurate are they today? Crooked and perverse people surround us.

The way you live sets you apart. The seeds you plant by living free of the entrapments of the world have power and faith that many people will witness. Your spouse. Your children. Other children. Co-workers. People you might never know. You get one life and one race for God. Don't run it in vain.

How do you live your life? Are you innocent as a child? Are you engaged in worldly pursuits?
Father, when we're faced with temptation to live as the world does, remind us to live clean and innocent. Please show us how our lives affect others and how they see you. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Throwing off the old

“Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God – truly righteous and holy.” Ephesians 4:22-24

Throw off the former way of life. I love the way that sounds, and I wish it was as easy to do as it sounds… But maybe it’s not as hard as we make it.

When I was twelve years old, I began experiencing symptoms of depression. Listlessness and poor self image were the easier-dealt-with problems. Suicidal tendencies were another thing entirely. Over the next several years, my parents took me to counselors, doctors, and church mentors. Some wanted to talk about my thoughts and feelings. Some wanted me to take pills. The one that helped most was a young mom from the church. She taught me about women in the Bible, about faith, about friendship, and about prayer.

Through the prayers of this woman, my mom, and others who loved me, God began drawing me nearer to Him. Though I rarely have suicidal thoughts now, each day begins a new battle for my mind. I work to throw off the old, sinful nature (i.e. lack of trust and faith, joylessness, etc.) and to renew my thoughts and attitudes.

I knew Jesus Christ before all this began, but through it I’ve grown to know Him better. His love, His sacrifice, and His power have become more real to me. As if taking holy medicine, if I miss a daily dose of prayer and time in the Bible, my thoughts reflect it. Would I rather not battle depression? Perhaps. But if losing the need to fight meant losing the need to seek Him, I’d rather do battle.

Spiritual seeds are usually planted in and through situations we don’t expect and would rather not experience. Whether you fight depression or some other potentially debilitating condition, renewing your mind and attitudes is a daily effort.

Are you ready for any situation to plant seeds? Are you spending time in the Bible and in prayer to keep your thoughts where they belong?

Father God, help us throw off our former ways and learn to renew our thoughts and attitudes. Draw us near and remind us to spend time in your word and in prayer with you. Amen.

The Miracle of Salvation

"And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth. the gospel of your salvation.  Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession - the praise of his glory."  Ephesians 1: 13 - 14

Do you remember when you first believed the good news of the work of Christ?  Excitement and joy filled our hearts as our spirits were awakened to a new life.  This event is a miracle that only be accomplished by God's power and Christ's work.  Though this event and the subsequent communion with God through the Holy Spirit makes us feel incredibly special, it is not for us alone.  We no longer work for our own agenda but we are co-workers with God to help others believe.  It is by receiving truth that dispels lies that God can awaken someones mind and begin to affect their heart.  This is the miracle. 

We have been focusing on sharing the good news of Christ this month; planting seeds that will bear fruit to the harvest.  This week let's focus on the seeds and harvest in our own lives.  Let's take a few moments today to thank God for the work of his salvation in our own lives. 

Father, thank you for the miracle of salvation in my life.  Thank you for continuing to meet me and grow me up in that blessed salvation. 

Blessings.

No other name

"There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12

How many gods and paths to salvation can you name in our culture today? Buddha and Mohammed are the most visible, but people worship all manner of creation with the hope that it will bring them to enlightenment and salvation. Money, sex, wisdom, food, nature, and other people can become gods in our lives if we allow them. And the believers of the first century church were exposed to belief in all the gods of mythology, including Zeus, Aphrodite, Isis, and others.

Are any of these names capable of saving us?

"We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard." Acts 4:20

In an age of deceit and blatant idol worship, Peter and John knew the truth. They took every opportunity to tell about Jesus Christ and many people were saved, set free from bondage to false gods and empty hope. What a harvest they gathered from those seeds planted! We have the same opportunities to tell about everything we have seen and heard. They might be things the world overlooks or bypasses without understanding, but wisdom, faith, special knowledge, healing, and miracles are gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:8-10).

Dear God, please open my eyes to see and hear things of you. Give me boldness to share everything with someone who needs you. Amen.

What have you seen and heard of Jesus, and who can you plant a few seeds in today?

Seeing the one who controls the wind and the waves

And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling.... And [the disciples] awoke [Jesus] and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?" Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!" Mark 4:37, 38-39

Storms are going to rise up in our lives. Whether we believe in Jesus as Savior or not, as humans in an imperfect world we face trials and difficult times. The key is in how we respond to the trials. Too often, we focus on the storm, as the disciples did. Huge waves roll in, threatening to topple us. Cold, wet wind bites through our clothes and skin, soaking and freezing us. Darkness falls, oppressing us and the light of hope.

This is a vital time to plant seeds of faith for those who don't know God, who don't know His faithfulness, who don't know His unchangeable love. Instead of seeing the storms that blow around us, we can choose to watch the One who controls the wind and sea.

And if we listen closely enough, we can hear His voice speaking calm to the storm and to our hearts.

Dear Jesus, please speak calm to the wind and the sea that rage in my life. Show Your power, and help me point people to You. Amen.

What storms are you facing? Can you plant a seed of faith for someone who watches as you face the wind and water and yet see only Jesus?