A Father's Pride

"God is being patient with you. He does not want anyone to be lost, but he wants all people to change their hearts and lives"
- 2 Peter 3:9

If you welcome Jesus as your Savior, he promises you a new birth. "No one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again" (John 3:3). Does that mean your old nature will never reappear? Does that mean you will instantly be able to resist any temptation?

To answer those questions, compare your new birth in Christ to a newborn baby. Can a newborn walk? Can he/she feed themselves? Can he/she sing or read or speak? No, not yet. But someday they will.

It takes time to grow. But is the parent in the delivery room ashamed of the baby? Is the mom embarrassed that the infant can't spell? That the baby can't walk?  Or that a newborn can't give a speech? Of course not. The parents aren't ashamed they are proud. They know that growth will come with time. So does God.

Do you sometimes get frustrated with yourself? Do you feel your faith should be growing faster, your character stronger, your love for God deeper? Don't be too hard on yourself. Your Father doesn't expect instant maturity. Babies need time to grow up. So do Christians.

He Satisfies Me

"O my dove, in the cleft of the rock, in the crannies of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely"  - Song of Solomon 2:14

Stress threatens to get the better of us and sometimes we just want to hide. Remembering that secret bar of chocolate in the pantry, we may scurry off to do just that; bury ourselves away with a temporary but sweet comfort that helps the world slow down, if only for a moment.

The same instinct can arise with God. We get overwhelmed by his ministry or overdue for his forgiveness or out of touch with his Word and lose track of who he is. Instead of running toward him, we hide from him and look for other ways to meet our needs. We cannot hide from him, and in love he calls out to us.

We cannot outrun his love for us, nor should we try. Instead, let's leave the false safety of the clefts and crannies, and run to him for safety. 

Feel the pleasure of his friendship - He wants to see your face and hear your voice. Is there anyone else who can satisfy you so perfectly?

He Is My Hiding Place

Wherever I am, though far away at the ends of the earth, I will cry to you for help. When my heart is faint and overwhelmed, lead me to the mighty, towering Rock of safety. For you are my refuge, a hightower where my enemies can never reach me"
- Psalm 61:2-3

Do you believe that you are precious to him? That he loves you with a fiercely protective, eternally faithful, inescapable love? He is true and worthy and invites you to bring him all of your hurts, pains, regrets, and brokenness so he can put it back together. Will you take refuge in his arms? Will you submit your wounds to his careful attention?

Depend on the Spirit

"It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh conveys no benefit whatever"
- John 6:63

If you are to fulfill God's Will for you in this life, the flesh - the selfish, rebellious sin nature - must die. It must lose it's power. Often you are not fully aware of sinful thoughts, actions, and attitudes in your heart bc you are so caught up in your life. These things must be faced and dealt with if you are to enjoy the good life God has planned for you.

As you face seasons of testing, you must learn that your flesh benefits you nothing. Only then can you deny the flesh and depend on the Life-giver to build His character in you.

We Shall All Be Changed

"We shall not all fall asleep  (in death), but we shall all be changed (transformed) in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the sound of the last trumpet call"
-- 1 Corinthians 15:51-52

We all like "suddenlies," and God promises that whatever remains to be accomplished in us will be done "suddenly" when Jesus returns to the earth. Until then, we can confidently trust He is working in us through His Word and Spirit on a regular basis.  If you are spending time in God's Word and believing He is doing work in you, then you are changing from one degree of glory to another.

You don't have to be discouraged about your spiritual growth or in your walk with God, bc no matter what remains to be done in the transformation of your old self to your new self, it will be finished at the appearing of Jesus in the heavenlies.

If the devil tries to tell you you're going to stay the way you are forever, he is lying.  God promises in His Word that He has begun a good work in you and He also will finish it.

The Shepherd's Gift

"My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever"  -- Psalm 23:5-6 / NKJV

The Word of God is clear:  Christ came in order that we might have life abundant and life eternal.  Eternal life is a priceless possession of all who invite Christ into their hearts, but God's abundance is optional.  He does not force it upon us.

When we entrust our hearts and our days to the One who created us, we experience abundance through the grace and sacrifice of His Son.  But, when we turn our thoughts and direct our energies away from God's commandments, we inevitably forfeit the spiritual abundance that might otherwise be ours.

Do you sincerely seek the riches that our Savior offers to those who give themselves to Him?  Then follow Him completely and obey Him without reservation.  When you do, you will receive the love and the abundance that He has promised.  Seek first the salvation that is available through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and then claim the joy, the peace, and the spiritual abundance that the Shepherd offers His sheep.

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Lord, thank You for the abundant life that is ours through Christ Jesus.  Guide us according to Your will, and help us to be a worthy servant in all that we say and do.  Give us courage, to claim the rewards You have promised, and when we do, let the glory be Yours

Solving Problems

"People who do what is right may have many problems, but the Lord will solve them all"

-- Psalm 34:19 / NCV

Life is an exercise in problem-solving.  The question is not whether we will encounter problems: the real question is how we will choose to address  them. When it comes to solving the problems of everyday living, we often know precisely what needs to be done, but we may be slow in doing it - especially if what needs to be done is difficult or uncomfortable for us.  So we put off till tomorrow what should be done today.

The words of Psalm 34 remind us that the Lord solves problems for "people who do what is right."  And usually, doing "what is right" means doing the uncomfortable work of confronting our problems sooner rather than later. So with no further ado, let the problem - solving begin ... now.

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"We are all faced with a series of great opportunities, brilliantly disguised as unsolvable problems. Unsolvable without God's wisdom, that is"  -- Charles Swindoll

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Lord, sometimes our problems are simply too big for us, but they are never too big for You.  Let us turn our troubles over to You, Lord, and let us trust in You today and for all eternity.

First Things First

"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"

-- Matthew 6:33 / NASB

Have you fervently asked God to help you prioritize your life?  Have you asked Him for guidance and for the courage to do the things that you know need to be done? If so, then you are continually inviting your Creator to reveal Himself in a variety of ways.  As a follower of Christ, you must do no less.

When you make God a full partner in every aspect of your life, He will lead you along the proper path:  His path.  When you allow God to reign over your heart, He will honor you with spiritual blessings that are simply too numerous to count.  So, as you plan for the day ahead, make God's will your ultimate priority.  When you do, your daily to-do list will take care of itself.

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"Give to us clear vision that we may know where to stand and what to stand for. Let us not be content to wait and see what will happen but give us the determination to make the right things happen" -- Peter Marshall

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Lord, let Your priorities be our priorities.  Let Your will be our will.  Let Your Word be our guide, and let us grow in faith and in wisdom this day and every day to come.

So Many Temptations

"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.  And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it"  -- 1 Corinthians 10:13 / NIV

This world is filled to the brim with temptations.  Some of these temptations are small; for instance, eating a second scoop of ice cream is tempting, but not very dangerous.  Other temptations, however, are not nearly so harmless. The devil is working 24/7 and he is causing pain and heartache in more ways than ever before.  Thankfully, in the battle against Satan, we are never alone.  God is always with us, and He gives us the power to resist temptation whenever we ask Him for the strength to do so.

In a letter to believers, Peter offered a stern warning, "Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). As Christians, we must take that warning seriously, and we must behave accordingly.

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Lord, this world is filled with temptations, distractions, and frustrations. When we turn our thoughts away from You and Your Word, we suffer bitter consequences.  But, when we trust in Your commandments, we are safe. Direct our path far from the temptations of this world, this day and always.

No is an Answer

"He granted their request because they trusted in Him"  -- 1 Chronicles 5:20 / HCSB

God does answer our prayers.  He does not always answer our prayers as soon as we might like, and He does not always answer our prayers by saying "Yes." God is not an order - taker, and He is not some sort of cosmic vending machine.  Sometimes, even when we want something very badly, our loving Heavenly Father responds to our requests by saying, "No," and we must accept His answer, even if we do not understand it.

God answers prayers not only according to our wishes but also according to His master plan. We cannot know that plan, but we can know the Planner . . and we must trust His wisdom, His righteousness, and His love. Always.

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"Let's never forget that some of God's greatest mercies are His refusals. He says no in order that He may, in some way we cannot imagine, say yes. All His ways with us are merciful.  his meaning is always love"  -- Elisabeth Elliott

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Lord, Your Holy Word commands us to pray without ceasing.  Let us take everything to You.  When we are discouraged, let us pray.  And when we are joyful, let us offer up prayers of thanksgiving.  In all things great and small, at all times, whether happy or sad, let us seek Your wisdom and Your grace . . . in prayer.