“Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”
James 1:22 (ESV)
God wants you to focus on doing what he tells you to do, not on just hearing what he tells you to do. He calls you to be an active follower of Jesus, not just a passive listener.
The Bible says, “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22 ESV).
The truth is, you can listen to sermons and study the Bible for decades. But if you never do anything about what you’ve heard and learned, you’re deceiving yourself and not really growing more like Christ.
D.L. Moody, an influential evangelist and Christian educator of the late 19th century, once said, “The Bible was not given to increase our knowledge, but to change our lives.” It’s a manual for living.
The Bible says, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NKJV).
That verse points to four things about God’s Word. It shows you the path to walk on; that’s doctrine. It shows you where you got off the path; that’s reproof. It shows you how to get back on the path; that’s correction. And it shows you how to stay on the path; that’s instruction in righteousness. God’s Word is practical, real-world truth.
The problem is, most of us know a lot more than we actually put into practice. You say you believe in forgiveness, but do you forgive the people who’ve hurt you? You say you believe in waiting on God, but are you patient? God doesn’t want you to just take notes and say you believe things about his Word. He wants you to be a doer of his Word.
Jesus said in Matthew 28:20: “Teach them to do everything I have commanded you” (GW). He didn’t say, “Teach them to know everything I commanded you” or “Teach them to think about everything I commanded you.” He said, “Teach them to do.”
Don’t fool yourself into thinking that hearing God’s Word also means you’re applying God’s Word. Make plans to do something about what you hear so that you can grow into the person God created you to be.
“Love never stops being patient, never stops believing, never stops hoping, never gives up.”
1 Corinthians 13:7 (GW)
If you are a follower of Christ, you must love everybody in the same way that Christ loves you. That means you are to accept them completely, love them unconditionally, forgive them totally, and consider them extremely valuable—whether you like them or not.
It’s not an option or a suggestion. It’s a command: “Now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other” (John 13:34 NLT).
Loving others in this way will transform your relationships!
The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13:7, “Love never stops being patient, never stops believing, never stops hoping, never gives up” (GW).
That’s how God loves you. He never stops being patient with you. He never stops believing in you. He never stops hoping for the best in your life. He never gives up on you. And God wants you to love others the same way.
Love never stops being patient. Love extends grace. You can offer grace to others.
Love never stops believing. Love expresses faith. Love allows you to say, “Even though we’re having a tough time, I will never stop believing in you.”
Love never stops hoping. Love expects the best. Are you expecting the best in your primary relationships, or have you settled for less than best?
Love never gives up. Love endures the worst. With love, you can say, “You can throw everything at me, but I’m going to keep loving you, no matter what.”
If you want to start transforming your relationships today, I invite you to say this prayer:
“Dear God, I admit that I have made a mess in my relationships. They’re complicated and broken, and I’ve often settled for less than best. They need a transformation. I want you to begin by changing me. Deliver me from my fears, because I can see how they make me distant, defensive, and even demanding. Today, and every day from now on, I want to surrender my heart to you. I want to learn to live my life dwelling in and filled with your love.
“Help me to accept others, just as you’ve accepted me. Help me to love others unconditionally, just as you have loved me. Help me to forgive others totally, just as you’ve forgiven me. And help me to value others as much as you value me. Help me to extend grace to and express faith in the people around me. Help me to expect the best in others, and when the worst happens, help me to endure it with grace. I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
“The mountains and hills may crumble, but my love for you will never end.”
Isaiah 54:10 (GNT)
If you don’t feel loved by God, you’ll struggle to show love to others. Loving people is easy when you understand and remember the way God loves you.
Every day, you need to remind yourself what God thinks about you—not what the world thinks or what you think about yourself.
Here are four things God thinks about you to help you remember why and how to love others:
You’re completely accepted. You may have spent much of your life trying to earn acceptance from your parents, peers, those you respect, those you envy, and even total strangers. But you need to realize God has already settled this issue of acceptance: “Jesus . . . made us acceptable to God” (Titus 3:7 CEV). What Jesus did on the cross made you completely acceptable to God—no matter what you’ve done or will do.
You’re unconditionally loved. God doesn’t say, “I love you if . . .” or “I love you because . . .” He says, “I love you—period!” You can’t make God stop loving you, because his love isn’t based on what you do but on who he is. Isaiah 54:10 says, “The mountains and hills may crumble, but my love for you will never end” (GNT).
You’re totally forgiven. Because Jesus died on the cross and gave his life as payment for your sins, you are totally forgiven when you accept God’s gift of forgiveness. Romans 8:1 says, “There is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus” (NLT). God doesn’t rehearse your sins; he releases them.
You’re extremely valuable. The value of something is created by two things: who the owner is and what somebody’s willing to pay for it. You are a child of God and “have been bought and paid for by Christ” (1 Corinthians 7:23 TLB). Jesus Christ paid for you with his life. That’s how valuable you are.
When you remember that you are accepted, loved, forgiven, and valuable to the Creator of the universe, you will be better equipped to show love to others.
New Creations
by Ryan Duncan
“For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.” – 1 Peter 1:23
Have you ever done something embarrassing? I know I have. In fact, you could say my entire childhood (and a good portion of my adult life) has been one long string of embarrassing moments. I am still haunted by the memory of when I threw up during my English final, or the time I tripped while skiing and caused a massive, ten-man pile-up in front of the ski lift. The worst part is your brain never lets you forget it.
The difficult news is it’s not just embarrassing moments we seem unable to forget, it’s our mistakes. Many of us have done things in our lives that we regret. We’ve acted selfishly, or violently, and other people have been hurt because of it. The Devil loves to use our past mistakes against us; they are by far his favorite weapons. He will always wait until we’re vulnerable, then take our dirty laundry and rub it in our face.
“From now on, then, you must live the rest of your earthly lives controlled by God’s will and not by human desires.”
1 Peter 4:2 (GNT)
What are human desires? They’re your emotions and your affections. And once you become a Christ-follower, your life should be controlled by God’s will, not by how you feel.
The Bible says in 1 Peter 4:2, “From now on, then, you must live the rest of your earthly lives controlled by God’s will and not by human desires” (GNT).
When you’re angry or upset or frustrated—whatever you’re feeling—ask yourself these three questions:
“What’s the real reason I’m feeling this?” Maybe the answer is fear or worry. Maybe it relates to something a parent said to you years ago. And then when someone else says something similar, that person becomes the target of all your pent-up anger.
“Is it true?” Is what you’re feeling at that moment true? There’s a point in the Bible where Elijah gets so discouraged that he goes to God and complains, “God, I’m the only one in the entire nation of Israel left serving you.” And God challenges him, saying, “Are you kidding me? I’ve got all these people who are still serving me! You’re acting like you’re the only one trying to do the right thing in the whole world! No, that’s not true.”
“Is what I’m feeling helping me or hurting me?” Will you get what you want by continuing to feel this way? Many feelings seem beneficial, but they’re actually self-defeating.
For example, let’s say you go to a restaurant, and the service is extremely slow. You wait a long time to be served. Then a couple comes in 15 minutes after you and gets their meals before you do. You become increasingly irritated until you feel something welling up inside you. You can ask yourself today’s three questions:
- What’s the real reason you’re feeling this? You’re hungry!
- Is it true? Yes, you’re frustrated because the service is slow.
- Is what you’re feeling helping you or hurting you? It’s hurting you. Getting angry with the server won’t get you better service. Does nagging ever work? When somebody tells you all the things you’re doing wrong, does it make you want to change? No, all it does is make you defensive.
So, you can conclude that managing your emotions—choosing calm over anger—is the best path.
When you stop to ask yourself these three questions, you’ll get a better grip on why you feel the way you do and what you need to do to help the situation.
Don’t let your feelings control you. Choose to deal with how you feel—to manage your emotions—today.
Talk It Over
- When have your emotions made you believe something that wasn’t true?
- Think of a recent experience where you felt angry or frustrated. How do you think asking yourself these three questions would have changed the outcome of the situation?
- What do you think it means to be controlled by God’s will?
Worship and serve Him with your whole heart and a willing mind. For the Lord sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If you seek Him, you will find Him. But if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever. – 1 Chronicles 28:9b
- “If you seek Him, you will find Him.” What an amazing promise! There are so many times in life when struggles become trials, when expectations, demands, and pressures build. It sometimes seems that God is absent from the hard places in our lives. This verse points out that the opposite is true. God is absolutely there, in every part of our lives. This verse tells us that the Lord sees every heart, knows every plan and most definitely knows every single one of our thoughts.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”
Psalm 23:5 (NIV)
How do you handle rude people? You don’t. Let God handle them. Let him be your defender.
You’ve probably noticed that civilization is losing its civility. The world is getting ruder! The Internet plays a part in this. It allows people to hide behind the screen and say things online they would never say to others face-to-face.
People who do this reveal the smallness of their hearts. Small people belittle others, thinking it will make them feel better.
But great people make other people feel great. King David was a pro at this. He knew what it meant to be attacked emotionally, verbally, and physically. As a young man, he was anointed by the prophet Samuel to be the next king of Israel, but David spent two years running from his predecessor, King Saul, who wanted to kill him. He hid in caves while being criticized constantly behind his back.
Yet David never said a bad word against Saul; he never retaliated. God was preparing David to be a king after his own heart.
David says in Psalm 23:5, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows” (NIV).
David recognized God’s goodness to him. God anointed his head with oil, which says to the world, “This is my guy! Back off! He is going to be the next leader.” David’s cup overflowed, which meant God kept blessing him, even when others attacked him.
Does it sound like David was stressed out? No! He didn’t have to use up all his energy defending himself because he trusted God to be his defender.
It takes a lot of faith and humility to rest and trust God when you’re under attack, when you’re misunderstood, and when rumors are spreading about you. When that happens, it’s tempting to want to do something about it.
But you are most like Christ when you remain silent under attack. Jesus was constantly attacked, yet he never retaliated—even on his way to the cross. He remained silent before his accusers because he had entrusted himself to the care of the Father.
The Bible says, “If you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you” (1 Peter 4:19 NLT).
God won’t let you down. Trust him to be your defender today.
“Since he did not spare even his own Son for us but gave him up for us all, won’t he also surely give us everything else?”
Romans 8:32 (TLB)
If you want a cure for stress, look to God to meet your needs.
The major cause of stress in your life is worry. You worry because you wonder if you will have what you need when you need it. But any time you expect people or things to meet your needs instead of God, you’re going to be frustrated and disappointed, because nobody on earth can meet all your needs. Only God can do that.
Some people find their security in their job, and when they lose their job, they lose their peace of mind.
Others put their security in their marriage. Then their spouse dies or they go through a divorce, and they ask, “Who am I? What is my identity?”
Or maybe you put your security in your money. But there are a lot of ways to lose your money.
I recommend that you never put your security in anything that can be taken away from you. You can lose your job, your health, your reputation, your spouse, and so many other things. But you cannot lose your relationship with Christ.
When you put your security in that promise, you can trust God to meet all your needs.
Romans 8:32 says, “Since he did not spare even his own Son for us but gave him up for us all, won’t he also surely give us everything else?” (TLB)
If God loved you enough to send Jesus Christ to die on the cross, don’t you think he loves you enough to take care of every other need in your life? Yes! Of course he does.
Every time you start to get stressed, pause and say, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1 ESV).
God’s going to provide. He’s going to take care of you. Instead of stressing out, look to him to meet all your needs.
“Happy is the person whom God corrects! Do not resent it when he rebukes you.”
Job 5:17 (GNT)
If you’re running from what God has called you to do, there is something you should know: God is calling you back to him.
He knows that the longer you run, the worse life will get for you. And he wants to get your attention before it’s too late.
Even though God is patient, he won’t let you ignore his call forever. God loves you just the way you are, but he loves you far too much to let you stay that way.
One day he’s going to get your attention.
The prophet Jonah found this out the hard way as he was running from God: “The storm was getting worse all the time” (Jonah 1:11 GNT). The more Jonah ran, the worse the storm got. Jonah’s running had consequences.
It’s the same way for you. When you run from God, eventually you’ll find yourself surrounded by storms.
Sometimes those are the storms of God’s correction. But when God corrects you, it’s not negative. It’s because he loves you!
Loving parents discipline their children because they love them and want to see them change their behavior for their own good. God is the same way. The Bible says: “Happy is the person whom God corrects! Do not resent it when he rebukes you” (Job 5:17 GNT).
As the storm got more intense, Jonah’s shipmates asked a question many people ask when troubles build: “What should we do . . . to stop the storm?” (Jonah 1:11 GNT)
The answer is always the same. You must completely surrender your life to God. When you surrender, peace comes.
Jonah did this. He responded, “Throw me into the sea, and it will calm down. I know it is my fault that you are caught in this violent storm” (Jonah 1:12 GNT).
It was Jonah’s first unselfish act—and his first step toward a fresh start. He admitted he was the cause of the storm, and he surrendered to God’s will.
If you’ve been running from God’s plan for your life and now you’re facing a storm, surrender to God. You can do this with confidence because God is for you, and he’s calling you back to him.
“People’s thoughts can be like a deep well, but someone with understanding can find the wisdom there.”
Proverbs 20:5 (NCV)
If you want to be wise, learn how to ask wise questions.
Proverbs 20:5 says, “People’s thoughts can be like a deep well, but someone with understanding can find the wisdom there” (NCV). In other words, everybody has something to teach you. Just like it’s worth the effort to draw water from a deep well, it’s worth the time and attention to draw wisdom from another person.
How do you draw the wisdom out of every person? You learn to ask smart questions.
As I’ve traveled around the world, I’ve asked questions of taxicab drivers and prime ministers—and they both have had things to teach me. If you know the right questions to ask, you can learn from anybody!
One thing I’ve realized is that I never learn anything while I’m talking. If my mouth is moving, I’m not learning. You don’t learn when you’re talking; you learn when you’re listening. So, you’ve got to learn to listen.
The late American TV host Larry King once said this: In an interview show, if the host is talking 50 percent of the time, something is terribly wrong. The host should listen the most and talk the least. A good TV host sets up the question and then just listens.
I’ve done a lot of interviews over the years, and I’ve noticed fewer and fewer hosts following Larry King’s advice. More often, interview shows are about the interviewer, whose goal is to draw attention to themselves, and not about the guests.
In your life, be more like the host who has learned to listen. Be a person who believes you can learn from anyone.
You just have to be willing to ask good questions—and then listen. That’s the mark of a wise person.
“From the very beginning God decided that those who came to him—and all along he knew who would—should become like his Son.”
Romans 8:29 (TLB)
God’s goal has always been to make you like himself. He wants you to become like his Son. In other words, he wants you to grow up spiritually.
The Bible says, “From the very beginning God decided that those who came to him—and all along he knew who would—should become like his Son” (Romans 8:29 TLB).
As a pastor, the number one question I’m asked is this: “Why is this happening to me?” I’ll tell you why: It’s to help you grow.
In fact, everything in life can help you grow up spiritually—the good, the bad, the ugly, the things you bring on yourself, and the things that other people do to you. God is not the author of evil. But God can bring good out of bad things.
Every situation in life will either make you bitter or make you better. It’s your choice how you choose to respond. Instead of asking, “God, why is this happening to me?” ask, “God, what do you want me to learn from this?”
Every problem has a purpose: to help you grow up spiritually and be more like Jesus Christ.
So, if one of the purposes of your life is to grow up spiritually and to become like Jesus, what is Jesus like? Just look at the fruit of the Spirit. The Bible says, “He will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23 TLB). These are the qualities God wants to develop in you.
How does God produce those qualities and help you grow up spiritually? He teaches you these qualities by putting you in the exact opposite situations.
He teaches you love by putting you around unlovely people. He teaches you joy in the middle of grief. God teaches you peace when you’re surrounded by chaos. He teaches you patience when it seems like the line, you’re standing in goes on forever.
God will teach you these qualities throughout your life—and the process will take the rest of your life. But you can trust that, whatever you face today, he will use it to help you develop spiritual depth and become more like Christ.
Our Best Friend Is Jesus
Years ago the Sunday School teachers in my church would teach preschoolers a little chorus that included the line, “My best friend is Jesus.” As those children grew into adulthood, they naturally put aside juvenile songs like this one. But sadly, they also frequently seemed to grow out of the idea of Jesus being a friend.
As believers learn more about God, they rightly elevate Him to be the Lord of their lives and acknowledge Him as sovereign ruler over all the earth. It is easier to think of One so high and mighty as Creator, Savior, and Lord than to “lower” Him to the position of Friend. But Jesus makes a point of telling His disciples that He is both a transcendent deity—the Son of God—and their companion (John 15:15).
The offer of friendship extends to modern disciples as well. Like the original twelve followers, we are privileged to say that Christ laid down His life for us in a supreme act of love and devotion (v. 13). What is more, His Spirit reveals the truth of Scripture to our hearts so that we can learn more about God and His ways. In other words, Jesus has made known to us the things He heard from His Father. A man doesn’t tell secrets to slaves; he tells them to his friends (v. 15).
Teaching children to sing of their friendship with Jesus is a wise idea. But I wonder when some grown believers will learn to sing of that special relationship again? May we never become so religious, so pious, or so full of our own maturity that we will not say, “My best friend is Jesus Christ.”
A Prayer When You Struggle to Trust God
By Betsy de Cruz
“Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.” – Isaiah 12:2
Sometimes fear and worry get the better of me. For instance, back in sixth grade, I saw the movie Jaws in living color on the big screen, and for a whole year I could not get into a swimming pool for fear that Jaws might get me.
Yes, I realized my illogical fear resulted from an overactive imagination, but any time I got near water, my heart would start pounding all the same.
What helped me overcome my fear of swimming pools was a little self-talk. I’d remind myself over and over there was no way a shark could be in our neighborhood pool, and I’d stick my foot in the water. When nothing bit it, I’d reassure myself again and go in a little deeperThe worry you may feel today probably seems more legitimate than my irrational sixth-grade fears, but perhaps a little self-talk based on Scripture could help. When we struggle to trust God with our worries, Isaiah 12:2 offers us words to pray to Him and say to ourselves.
Who said, `I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost`?
A. James, son of Zebedee
B. Simon Peter
C. Paul of Tarsus
D. John, son of Zacharias
The Names of Christ
The Bible ascribes many different names to Jesus, all of which provide great insight into His character and person. Here are some from John’s gospel that I find particularly revealing:
The Good Shepherd (10:11) protects his sheep at all cost from predators. They know His voice and follow Him.
The Door (vv. 7-9) is the only way to enter heaven. Whoever enters through the “gate” of Christ will be saved.
The Vine (15:1-10) is the source of our spiritual life. When we stay intimately connected to Jesus, we bear fruit. If we do not remain in Him, we wither.
The Bread of Life (6:25-35) the only one who can truly satisfy our hearts. Jesus feeds our souls with sustenance that never leaves us wanting for more.
The Light of the World (9:5) shines His light through our countenance as a ministry and testimony to a dark world.
The Way (14:6) to happiness, peace, joy, and eternal life is Jesus Christ.
The Truth (14:6) of His revelation, as recorded in the New Testament, is the reason we can know as much as we do about God.
The Life (14:6) Jesus imparts to believers is powerful, effective, and fruitful, not only in eternity but here on earth as well.
In biblical times, Israelites would choose a baby’s name based on the child’s characteristics or a hope or prayer of the parent. The names given to Jesus tell a great deal about His ministry on earth 2,000 years ago. The scriptural names describing Him reveal who He was and is and will be for eternity.
“God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.”
Ephesians 1:5 (NLT)
The whole reason you exist is because God wanted you to become part of his family.
The Bible says, “God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure” (Ephesians 1:5 NLT).
Your spiritual family, God’s family, is going to outlast even your physical family. Physical families don’t last. They grow up, they move away, they pass away. But the spiritual family of God will live on and on for eternity.
God never meant for you to go through life alone. The truth is, God hates loneliness. When God created man, he put him in the Garden of Eden—a perfect environment—and the first thing God said was, “It is not good for man to be alone.” God wants you to be part of his family.
What is God’s family? The Bible says, “That family is the church of the living God, the support and foundation of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15 NCV). The church, the body of Christ, is not an institution. The church is not a bureaucracy, an organization, or a social club. The church is God’s family. It’s not about rules and regulations, rituals and religion. It’s about relationships. And it’s about love.
The church is “the support and foundation of the truth.” What happens when a building has no support and foundation? It collapses. People who live in earthquake-prone areas understand this more than most. If you don’t have a good foundation under your building, it’s going to collapse when an earthquake comes.
God says that your life works the same way. You’re going to have some earthquakes—financial, emotional, relational, health, and career earthquakes. And when tough times come along and you don’t have a spiritual family to support you, you’ll collapse.
You can’t fulfill God’s purposes by yourself. God wired you to need other people. With the strong support of the family of God, you’ll have the secure foundation you need to stand through life’s challenges.
“Listen carefully to my words. Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body.”
Proverbs 4:20-22 (NLT)
You can’t just hear something and become wiser; you’ve got to remember it. And you can’t just remember it; you’ve got to reinforce it. Because if you don’t remember and reinforce it, you end up having to learn the same lesson over and over.
The Bible says this about wisdom in Proverbs 22:17-18: “Listen, and I will teach you what the wise have said. Study their teachings, and you will be glad if you remember them and can quote them” (GNT). Notice the four verbs in that sentence: listen, study, remember, quote. Those are marks of wisdom.
People say, “I can’t remember anything!” Oh, yes you can. You remember what’s important to you. You remember what you love. You remember what matters to you.
For instance, you might say, “I can’t memorize the Bible.” But you remember baseball or football statistics from the last season. You can quote lyrics to popular songs or every step to a favorite recipe. You remember what’s important to you.
The Bible says, “Listen carefully to my words. Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body” (Proverbs 4:20-22 NLT).
When you develop a passion for God’s Word, the truth becomes important to you. You will remember it, rehearse it, reinforce it, and review it. Then, it can change your life.
The Uniqueness of Christ
When Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” they replied, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” But Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:13-16).
What set Jesus apart as the Messiah?
- His birth: He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born, as prophesied, in Bethlehem to a virgin. Though angels announced His arrival and He reigns over all creation, Jesus entered our world in a lowly manner so He could be identified with the meek and the poor.
- His wisdom: At age 12, He spent three days with rabbis, asking questions that showed his uncommon understanding.
- His baptism: Though He didn’t need cleansing, Jesus asked John to baptize Him so He could identify with sinners and demonstrate His love to them.
- His temptation: Satan tempted Him relentlessly for 40 days, yet He did not sin.
- His ministry: He challenged man-made religious traditions. And by healing people—regardless of nationality—raising the dead, and forgiving sins, He revealed that God wants to be involved personally in our lives. Leading Pharisees wanted Him dead, but the Father protected His life until the crucifixion.
Many people deny Christ’s deity, calling Him simply a “prophet” or “good teacher.” But Jesus was never merely human. As complex as it is for us to comprehend, He was fully God and fully man. This is the unique way in which our heavenly Father chose to demonstrate His eternal love for us.
A Morning Offering to Pray Each Day
Lord, I’m coming to you with my personal morning offering prayer. I worship you today and want to give you praise for another day of life. As I begin to think about your amazing grace and for all you have done on my behalf, I am overwhelmed with joy. Your love draws me into your sweet presence the moment my eyes open. Even when sleepiness tries to pull me back under the covers, your tug on my heart awakens me to start the day right with you.
This morning I offer back to you this day and my life as a gift of gratitude. You deserve the best, and I want to give you all that I have and am in a fresh new way. Write on my heart the lessons you want to teach me today. Fill my mouth with your words and thoughts, not mine. I long to live this day for you, with my affections set on things above, not focusing on worries here on earth.
You gave your life for me, an offering of death to pay the penalty of my sin. In return, I long to make your heart happy by offering my life as a living sacrifice to you. Some days I feel like I have so little to offer; yet you know my heart. You created me, and you love me just as I am. You require nothing from me but faith, because your love is a gift with no strings attached. I can’t earn it, and I can’t buy it. But, Lord, out of a deep love for you, I desire to live for you today in such a way that encourages others. I want to bless you as well as those who cross my path. If I give to others with mercy and compassion, you’ve said it’s the same as giving to you.
So, accept my morning offering prayer today, Lord. May my life be a sweet fragrance to you, as I seek to follow you, to love you with all my heart, soul, and mind, and to love others as myself. Use my mouth, my mind, my hands, and my feet— all of me — as instruments of your peace. May I be a light in the darkness for others or simply a pitcher of kindness poured out for you. Here is my life; here are my talents. My gifts are yours to do with as you please. Order my steps today; guard my thoughts; and bathe my actions with thoughtfulness and goodness, so others can see your reflection in me. I trust you; I wait for you, and I listen for your voice. Your strength is all I need. With eagerness, I begin this day and offer my life to live for you, any way you want.
“God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us to do good works, which God planned in advance for us to live our lives doing.”
Ephesians 2:10 (NCV)
God shaped you to serve him.
The Bible says, “God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us to do good works, which God planned in advance for us to live our lives doing” (Ephesians 2:10 NCV).
Before you were even born, God decided what contribution he wanted you to make with your life. God didn’t put you on this planet just to take up space. No! He put you here to serve him by serving others.
And nobody else can be you. If you don’t serve God the way he intended for you to serve him, then the world misses out.
Another name for “good works” is “ministry.” Any time you use your talents and abilities to help somebody else, you are ministering to them. The Bible says in 1 Peter 4:10, “God has given each of you some special abilities; be sure to use them to help each other, passing on to others God’s many kinds of blessings” (TLB).
The talents that you have are not for your benefit. God gave you your talents for the benefit of other people. Nobody has it all together; God wired the universe so that we would need each other.
God wants you to practice here on Earth what you’ll be doing in heaven. In heaven, you’re going to love God and love others, so he wants you to practice now.
You’re also going to grow spiritually and serve God in heaven, so he wants you to practice that on Earth too. Since it’s impossible to serve God directly on Earth, here you serve him by serving other people. In fact, God says that any time you help somebody else, it’s like you’re doing it for him.
You serve God when you serve others.
Jesus Christ the Sin Bearer
The cross is so common in our culture that most people don’t think twice when they see one on a church. But unfortunately, familiarity with the symbol can actually get in the way of understanding what it truly means. So let’s stop to consider how Jesus became the bearer of sin.
We begin with Scripture written long before Jesus was born. Genesis, the first book of the Bible, explains how man chose to disobey God. Because Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, their descendants are all born under the curse of death, having inherited a sinful “flesh” nature.
In Leviticus, God’s laws for the Jewish nation included observance of Yom Kippur, the day each year when the Israelites fasted, prayed, and sacrificed an animal to atone for sin. In essence, the goat would bear the wrongs done by the people and suffer the penalty that divine justice required.
Centuries later, Isaiah prophesied that a Savior would atone for transgression once and for all (Isa. 53:5, 8; Heb. 7:27). After another 700 years, John the Baptist identified Jesus as the Lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world (John 1:29). The Messiah had come, though He was totally different from what the people expected—so much so, in fact, that they rejected Him and requested His crucifixion.
In all, God gave 613 laws through Moses. But none of us can perfectly follow even the Ten Commandments. In fact, one reason He gave us these rules is to show us our need for a Savior (Ps. 19:7; Gal. 3:24). Meditate on those commands (Ex. 20:1-17), asking God to speak to your heart.
Abiding in the Shadow of the Almighty
Psalm 91
1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide [1] under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. 3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. 4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. 5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; 6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. 7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. 8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
9 Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; 10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. 11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. 12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. 13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: [2] the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. 14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. 15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honor him. 16 With long [3] life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.
The LORD Is My Light and My Salvation
Psalm 27
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came [1] upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. 3 Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. 4 One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty [2] of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple. 5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock. 6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; [3] I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord.
7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me. 8 When thou sadist, seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, thy face, Lord, will I seek. 9 Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation. 10 When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up. 11 Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain [4] path, because of my enemies. 12 Deliver me not over unto the will of my enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty. 13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. 14 Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.
Pleasant Green Baptist Church 