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Day 21: Saturday, April 11, 2020
For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled:
“Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory?O death, where is your sting?”
For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:53-56)
Jesus’ resurrection is the greatest hope in the universe. No matter what people put their hope in, nothing compares to the idea of living forever in a new body that is immortal.
Can you even imagine life without pain, sickness, suffering, pandemics, trials, brokenness, and death? It might be so good we can’t wrap our heads around it. Life the way it was meant to be!
If Jesus was not raised, there would be no hope for this to happen for us. The apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15 that if Jesus has not been raised then our faith is in vain, and we are still going to die in our sins with nothing on the other side. But the truth remains that Jesus is risen… He is risen indeed! Death could not hold him in the grave. He defeated the power that sin and death had over us. He broke the chains of the law and darkness that held us captive.
He is risen… We are risen indeed! For those of us who know Him, life has forever been changed. We are no longer destined for ruin and decay, we are destined for eternal life. This is the hope of the gospel, this is the message of good news we are called to proclaim to the ends of the earth!
Oh God, we will be forever grateful for such a marvelous salvation. We know that because of your victory over sin and death, Lord Jesus, that we will experience everlasting life by simply putting our faith in you! We praise you that everyone we know who receives you by faith through grace - whether family or friends - we’ll all be together forever with you in Heaven. Thank you for the hope we have in this. In Jesus name, Amen!
Day 20: Friday, April 10, 2020
Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground.He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished.
He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.
Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.
After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.
Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors.For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. (Isaiah 53:1-12)
Why do we call this Friday Good? This is a curious question to those who don’t believe. It seems very strange, even morbid, that we would commemorate a day as “good” in which the hero of our faith was brutally beaten and died a tortured death by being hung by large nails on a cross. How can that be good?
The prophet Isaiah who lived about 750 years before Jesus’ birth penned the words above about the coming Messiah of Israel. He foretells of a Messiah who was completely “good.” I think sometimes this word gets lost on us. In our language, we use the word good to describe something that would be like a “B” grade on an assignment. Good is a word that we use juxtaposed to words like “great” or “amazing”, so “good” isn’t as good as it could be. So even “Good Friday” can lose a little bit of its power because of how we misuse this word.
Jesus explains how the word “good” ought to be understood. Mark 10:17-18 says, “As Jesus started on His way, a man ran up and knelt before Him. ‘Good Teacher,’ he asked, ‘What must I do to inherit eternal life?’ ‘Why do you call me good?’ Jesus replied, ‘No one is good except God alone.”’
So goodness, according to Jesus, is only something God possesses. “Good” refers to God’s character and his moral perfection. In other words, Jesus is saying that God is perfect and sinless.
The point of Isaiah’s prophecy is exactly this: The Messiah will be perfect and sinless, but he will willingly die for the sinners, for those who are rebellious and wicked. He’s going to take the shame and guilt of the world upon himself even though he himself will be innocent.
There will never ever be another human so GOOD who will ever do anything more GOOD than Jesus did on the cross for us! Jesus was GOOD because he is the only human in history who was also simultaneously GOD!
His goodness took on the sins of every human and traded them for his perfection. Without the cross, this isn’t possible. Without the cross the resurrection doesn’t give us eternal life. The cross is good and perfect! This is why the apostle Paul so eloquently writes in Galatians 6:14, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”
God our Father, thank you for your goodness. Thank you for Jesus being willing to take our place, our sin, and our shame. You are so good to us who have done nothing to deserve such amazing grace. May we remember this with full hearts today, on this Good Friday! Amen.
Day 19: Thursday, April 9, 2020
Nothing gives God greater pleasure than our faith displayed by an insatiable desire for his presence. Psalms is a book devoted to worship which is raw, gritty, and real. Authentic worship begins when we come to God because we want Him, only Him before anything else. At the core of our being we long for this, we were created for this divine relationship. Nothing so satisfies our souls than time spent with God just because we want to be with Him. In His presence there is fullness of joy, peace, and grace. For some reason, we live distracted lives and struggle to spend quality time seeking God’s presence. I believe God allows us to experience trials for this reason: to strip away the things we run to for satisfaction instead. The entire story of the Bible tells us that we were made by God for God. We were meant to know Him as Father, Savior, Counselor, and Friend. We often relegate worship to 20 minutes of singing on a Sunday morning before the message. But running to God and longing to spend time in wonder at the glory and majesty of His greatness on our own throughout our week is where He wants to meet us. It’s in these moments He promises to satisfy the deepest desires of our humanity!
God, we run to you today setting aside significant time to just hang out with you. We know we were meant for this. We know in these times you melt our fears and our pride like wax. God, so many of us are starving for this kind of time with you. Our souls have been unsettled inside and we haven’t realized that it’s simply our hearts hungering for time spent with you. We don’t come to ask or beg or complain, rather we come to sit at your feet. We humble ourselves before you God, almighty King of the universe!
Day 18: Wednesday, April 8, 2020
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:25-34)
God, our natural inclination is to let the things of this world consume us. The truth is we tend to worry about all these things. Help us see all the ways in which the Father has provided for us in the past so that we can be confident again. Help us to open our eyes to all of the Kingdom realities that we miss when we pursue the busyness of life. God, we want to be full participants in the “Kingdom Life” not just spectators. When want to see the world put to right, we want to see your love permeate everything, everyone, everywhere. We submit our worldview to you and ask you to remove blinders and barriers which keep us from really living. We want to know the great adventure of following after you today. In Jesus name, Amen!
Day 17: Tuesday, April 7, 2020
The Lord’s loving kindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23)
The iconic hymn of faith “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” was inspired from these verses. Knowing that God’s love and compassion never dries up is incredibly comforting to us! None of us are fully faithful in anything, so God’s love and mercy never stop is something we often question. Does God really love me? Will God keep providing for me? Will there be some point when He’ll just stop showing up? These are the doubts and lies that can get the best of any of us. I believe this is why there are so many places throughout the Word of God that remind us that God’s love never ever stops. God wants us to trust Him one day at a time. We overcome trials, doubts, and temptations one day at a time. When God led the Hebrew people through the wilderness, He supplied them with food one day at a time. He proved His faithfulness over and over again one day at a time. Today, you have the choice to allow your thoughts spiral into doubt and despair OR you can choose to remember the countless times God has proven his faithfulness before!
God, you have been so good to us in so many ways. Your love and grace have been faithfully displayed through my entire story. I don’t pretend that I can do life well without You. So today I want You to transform me. Fill me with faith to trust my future into your care. Today, I thank you that your love never ends and that Your compassions never fails. Amen!
Day 16: Monday, April 6, 2020
One of the most majestic things in God’s creation is the eagle. There’s a bald eagle that sits in a tree by our house which overlooks Utah Lake. It typically shows up for a few weeks in February and March. When I see it I usually grab my kids and we go down by the tree and see how close we can get to it. Of course, it’s perception of danger is extremely high and so if we get within 200 yards it takes off and flies away along the edge of the lake in all of its glory. It’s an incredible picture of how God intends to renew our strength. Life’s hard, and sometimes we become weak and depleted. It’s in these times that God asks us to wait for him. One of the fruits of the Holy Spirit is patience, but that word is better translated as long-suffering. How is God asking you to wait on him right now? In a real sense we are all waiting right now. God uses these times to draw people back to himself. All reports I have seen lately suggest that Bibles are being sold right now like never before. In the midst of life’s trials, God is working behind the scenes. My prayer is that in the midst of this season of waiting that you will find hope in the truth that God will renew your strength. You are going to walk again, you’re going to run again, and God will even allow you to soar again!
Almighty God, There is no greater source of strength in the universe than you! Give me the strength to wait on you in the midst of the storm. Fill me with hope of your promise to renew my life. I trust in you alone! In Jesus Name, amen!
Day 15: Sunday, April 5, 2020
“Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, "Do it again"; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead.
For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, "Do it again" to the sun; and every evening, "Do it again" to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we.” - GK Chesterton
This quote opens our eyes to something about God that we don’t often consider. God never gets tired or grows old. He is perfect and cannot become any more perfect than He already is. God loves childlike faith because He created us to fully trust Him and live our lives with a true sense of awe and wonder! We weren’t made for boredom, we were made to enjoy God by worshipping Him for all that He is and all that He does. God wants our worship to expand and grow. He doesn’t want us to live with our mountaintop views and forget they are there. He never wants us to grow tired of seeing the ocean again. He would love it if every time we ate a piece of fruit we were mesmerized by his amazing creative power to produce such a variety of amazing things to eat for our enjoyment! He is infinitely better and more generous than we give him credit for. Today in the midst of quarantine boredom, perhaps we can take enormous pleasure in the little things. Perhaps we can let our souls be captivated by wonder and worship! Creating this spiritual habit in our lives could re-shape how we see the world and how often we say thank you to the one who is the maker of everything!
Day 14: Saturday, April 4, 2020
During the Passover feast, the weekend that Jesus died, he spent considerable time teaching his disciples the way life would be after he would leave them. He wanted them to understand how they would be able to have a spiritual connection to Him.
He wanted them to pass this on to their disciples as well. The illustration of the vine is meant to show that we walk with Jesus on an ongoing basis. Jesus is the “Vine” which means he is the source of all the nutrients, power, life, energy to the “branches”. As “branches” this means we are meant to stay connected to the “Vine”. Our role as believers is to abide in him. To abide means to “stay in” or “remain”. Jesus has connected us to himself through the free gift of his grace and we are meant to stay in that. It sounds easy right? It is easy - except for the reality that we are stubbornly prone to want to do things our way. Something in our flesh always believes that true freedom is found in our independence from God. It’s a lie we war against every single day. Jesus our “Vine” wants us to wake up to the truth that freedom is found in connection and dependence upon him. If we believe this and walk in this reality, then He says we will bear fruit. Our branch will be loaded with IMPACT. Love, joy, kindness, patience, faithfulness, etc… will be our normal life rhythms. This is what God wants for us! This is what we are made new in Jesus for!
Oh God, show me all the nuances of connecting with Jesus, my Vine. I believe that you can make me into the fruit-bearing branch that brings your honor. I want this today. I want to abide in your love and friendship, Lord Jesus!
Day 13: Friday, April 3, 2020
In the animal world, predators seek to separate an animal from the pack in order to prey on them. Isolation is a powerful tool of the enemy. When we are isolated and alone, that’s when we become the most vulnerable to attack.
This typically happens when we stumble and fall into the trap of sin. Sin has a way of making us feel isolated and alone. It makes us feel like God’s no longer for us - how could he be - we’ve messed up again and again. We feel ashamed, and the last thing we feel like doing is running back to God. So we sit there mired in the deception that keeps us estranged from the Father who loves unconditionally. Romans 8 is clear that we are more than conquerors because of the love of God through Christ Jesus. We experience victory no matter how we might feel when we simply trust that God’s love is for us, it is near us, and it is inside of us. The keystone to believing that nothing can separate us from the love of God is to consistently choose the truth over our feelings. God’s great desire for us is that we wake up every day knowing we are fully loved and to think, feel, and act from that reality. If we do this, it truly changes everything!
Oh God, please wake me up to your love today. Help me grasp the height , length, width, and breadth of your love. I want to know this love that is beyond my ability to fully understand, and with it I want to love the world around me. God, I want people to know that I am in the love of Christ and that the love of Christ is in me. I’m excited to see how you’re going to express this through me today! I love you, Lord! Amen.
Day 12: Thursday, April 2, 2020
Have you ever woken up in a room that was pitch black with no cell phone, no alarm clock, no windows, nothing but total darkness? I have and it’s terrifying! It was hard to get my bearings.
I started to stumble around because I had zero perception. The eyewitnesses of Jesus who wrote the New Testament are trying to get us to see that the world we live in is full of darkness and deception. There are two kingdoms at work in the world in which we live. There is a kingdom of darkness and a kingdom of light. Colossians 1:3 says it like this, “For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son.” A kingdom is something that rules us and tells us how to think, act, and behave. A kingdom is something we pay our allegiance to. We are chosen - and not as mere peasants. We were chosen in this new kingdom as royalty! Most little girls grow up dreaming of being princesses, but it’s only in Jesus that this can become a reality. We are chosen to be holy which means we are to separate ourselves and act like we belong to the Kingdom of Light. Friends, the action point for us is to ask God to open our eyes to the reality of this new kingdom. We constantly need the Spirit of God to renew our thoughts and change our perspective. Let’s ask God today to give us the ability to marvel and live with wonder at the thought of participating fully in His Kingdom of Light!
Open my eyes Lord Jesus. I know that the world is dark but I want to be transformed by your light! I want to see the world with your eyes and then live as your hands and feet! I marvel at the thought that you don’t just see me as a citizen but as royalty. I am so thankful that your truth is always there to blow my mind! I love you Lord. Amen!
Day 11: Wednesday, April 1, 2020
Sometimes God feels far away and distant, but nothing could be further from the truth! Throughout the story of God, He reassures His people that He is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who feel crushed in spirit.
Not only is He near, but we can be reassured that our God is mighty enough to save us from anything. We know that He saves us spiritually through Jesus' death on the cross, but that isn’t the only way that God wants to save us. God loves being the hero who comes to the rescue in all kinds of ways. He rescues us from our fears and doubts by quieting us with his love. He rescues our self-worth by rejoicing in us with gladness. Can you believe that God sings over you? Some of the most tender moments in raising children happen at bedtime. You read, cuddle, talk, pray, but my personal favorite is singing to help them go to sleep. When my kids used to wake up with a nightmare I’d go into the room and rub their head and sing songs over them to comfort them. They would quickly find their way back to sleep because they were completely convinced that they were safe and loved. GOD WANTS US TO KNOW THAT HE SINGS OVER HIS CHILDREN! HE WANTS US TO BE COMPLETELY CONVINCED THAT IN HIS PRESENCE WE ARE SAFE AND LOVED!
My Father in Heaven who is mighty to save, I cling to the truth that you love me and rejoice over me. I am amazed to know that you even sing songs over me to exult and comfort me. Would you please recall these truths to my memory throughout my day. I praise you and thank you for caring so much about me. I am so thankful that because of Jesus you will never leave me or forsake me. Amen!
Day 10: Tuesday, March 31, 2020
In times of uncertainty we look for things that ground us and give us hope. We want the world to stop spinning around us, so we look for something that can hold us firm and steadfast.
This passage tells us the secret hope that anchors our soul is that God himself has made a promise to give us salvation and forgiveness in Jesus. In other words, God didn’t make the promise with us because we aren’t dependable. In fear we waver and lose our bearings. The circumstances of life challenge us and test us, and in those times it’s easy for us to drift around like a boat on the ocean. God knows this about us. He knows we cannot depend on ourselves, our works, or our best intentions because on our worst days… well, we’re the worst! But that doesn’t matter because God has anchored our souls in the unshifting, unshakeable, unwavering faithfulness of Jesus! So even on our worst days, our souls can rest in Him. In the words of the great hymn, we can “turn our eyes upon Jesus” and “look full in his wonderful face and the things of earth (the cares, worries, and doubts) will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace!”
God, I come to you and place my soul in the bedrock of your faithfulness. Thank you that my identity and my place in your presence isn’t dependent upon my strength because I am weak. My hope is in you and in your salvation, Lord Jesus. You’re the one I can trust because you are unwavering in your love for me. You are my peace and my comfort and it’s in your name I pray. Amen!
Day 9: Monday, March 30, 2020
As a church we have been walking through a series called IMPACT, which is showing us how much God wants to reach everyone with the good news of Jesus. In John 4, Jesus explains to his disciples that God’s will is to see lost people be found.
To be a part of God’s plan to reach people is nourishment for the soul. If you have ever had a great spiritual conversation with a friend or family member you know what Jesus is talking about. It’s one of those conversations where you know that the Spirit is present and God is at work in ways that can’t be seen but are no less real. You see the spark of faith begin to glow in that person’s eyes and there is a real hunger and desire for truth - wow! When those interactions happen, it fills our souls like nothing else. When we join God in this, we become participants in the Great Commission. The Great Commission is God’s plan to let the world know that Jesus saves! It’s a co-mission, “co” means with or together. GOD COULD DO IT ALONE, BUT HE CHOOSES NOT TO. HE WANTS TO DO WITH US!
Father in Heaven, the one who sees the hearts of all people, will you awaken our hearts to the harvest field, and open our eyes to the many opportunities you have prepared in advance for us? God, we want to join you! What could be more satisfying than being on mission with you, Jesus? Help us become ambassadors of reconciliation, telling our world that you have come to reconcile, forgive, heal, and restore! We pray this in Jesus’ blessed name! Amen.
Day 8: Sunday, March 29, 2020
The people of God in the Old Testament cycled through seasons of faithfulness - sin - judgement - repentance - back to faithfulness. God allowed trials and suffering in their story because of his love for them.
God’s great desire is to bring the wayward ones home. It’s the same in the New Testament! The prodigal son reaps the consequences of his foolish living and after he’s had a taste of life eating the pods that pigs eat, he wakes up to the reality that life with the Father is infinitely better. The story of God is clear that God blesses and judges the nations of the world. God is good and everyone everywhere, whether they are righteous or not, gets to partake of God’s good gifts. But there are times in the story when God allows trial and suffering. God’s great desire is to see people turn to him as their Maker and God. He wants the nations to turn from wickedness and pursue justice and mercy. Whenever people collectively turn back to God and seek his face and with authentic humility in their hearts… God forgives, restores, and heals! God’s purpose is for everyone to know that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. For those of us who know Jesus, this is a time of remembering all that Jesus has done for us, but it’s also a time to pray for the doors of the gospel to be opened up in ways we’ve never seen before. We also get the chance to point others to Jesus by being an example of humbling ourselves before our God. Perhaps we have been living life for our own interests? Maybe we have found ourselves more aligned with the world than with our Lord Jesus Christ? Humbly seeking the face of Jesus begins with us.
Dear God, Creator of the universe, we come to you knowing that you are Lord over everything. We know that the world we live in is in upheaval right now. So we want to follow the leading of your Holy Spirit and humble ourselves before you. We cannot deny the wickedness and sin in our land. We know that you want all people to repent and come to know Jesus as Lord. God, you want the nations of the world to turn and worship you. So we ask you to show us how to be humble, show us how to follow you as we seek your face, God! And we ask you to bring healing to our land!
Day 7: Saturday, March 28, 2020
Throughout the Bible we find a common thread between prayer and fasting. When the Bible mentions fasting, it refers to a period of time that one sets aside to go without eating food and spending more of that time in prayer. The focus of fasting is meant to show God that we are completely dependent upon Him for everything. It is a symbolic gesture of humility and surrender.
We know that God loves it when we seek Him and we know that He loves it when we humble ourselves and run to Him. Fasting throughout the Bible happened in times of hardship, trial, sickness, and pain. It was also done as means of asking God for wisdom and discernment in order to make good decisions in confusing times. Fasting may be exactly what our world needs now. In fact, on Wednesday March 25th, a number of Evangelical Church leaders called on Christians worldwide to fast and pray for the current state of our world on Sunday March 29th. If you can fast and are healthy enough to do so, then I’m encouraging you to participate. Choose a time that works for you. A simple way to fast would be to skip breakfast and lunch and spend some considerable time in prayer for the issues in our world and surrendering control to God. Here are some things we can pray for: the sick and hurting, the scared and the lonely, the elderly and immunocompromised, for many to come to Jesus through this, for God’s church world-wide to be strengthened, for wisdom and discernment, and for God’s truth and goodness to defeat the work of the enemy - for he likes to deceive and create chaos and confusion.
I will be setting aside time to do this, and I hope you will join me!
Day 6: Friday, March 27, 2020
The great commodity we all have right now is time. When life is normal we typically crave down time and rest, and right now we have a lot of that. So maybe we can give Jesus the time to show us how to really rest.
The temptation we often face is to run away from our problems, worries, and trials to escape. We find ourselves more prone to binge watching our favorite show for hours on end, but this never leaves us feeling whole or relaxed. The only time we experience true rest is when we give Jesus the time and space to bring wholeness to our souls. Jesus is always inviting us into this. He wants this for us more than we want it for ourselves. He wants us to learn to experience life in Him which teaches us how to live freely and lightly.
God, in the midst of the storm I run to you as the only one who can give me true rest. It’s so easy for me to try to find rest in things that never satisfy me. I realize that I need to give you time and space so that you can show me how to live light and free. I am so thankful that you never stop extending the invitation and that you promise to always lead me into rest.
Day 5: Thursday, March 26, 2020
It’s easy to be afraid. As a kid living in Africa I encountered my fair share of deadly snakes. In fact, at the age of 8 I killed a viper with a machete.
I wasn’t too afraid of them until night time. I used to go to bed and tuck my arms into my covers and have my covers tucked into the mattress. In my mind, the snakes could only bite me in the arm if I left them dangling off the side of the bed at night. So I did my best to stay snuggled up.
The truth is, there’s a lot of people around the world who are afraid right now in the middle of this pandemic. I want to encourage you today with this truth: If you know Jesus and have received the gift of His Spirit, then you are a new creation! Your new wiring comes with power and mind that chooses to believe that God’s got things under control! I know this can be challenging to do, but when our hearts are troubled, we need to really lean into the Truth. The Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of Truth and his desire is to lead us into truth. We live in a world with a lot of messages coming at us. We live in a world with a lot of deception around us, and we need wisdom to discern how we should think, live, and act. That’s never been more true than right now! What’s amazing though, is that we have a Spirit inside of us who has given us everything we need to live fearlessly, for such a time as this.
Lord Jesus, in John 14 you said that you have given us, your followers, peace that we should not let our hearts be troubled but to walk in faith, trusting you! God we need your wisdom today in a world that feels chaotic! We lean into your discernment and strength. We know that in the storms of life you are the only one who can speak to the wind and the waves. You are Lord over everyone and everything and it’s in your mighty name we pray! Amen!
Day 4: Wednesday, March 25, 2020
Do you ever ask God to show you how He sees the world? Jesus quotes the above verses in a conversation with a religious leader named Nicodemus in an effort to open his eyes to the reality that God loves the world.
God loves Jews, Gentiles, everyone. There are no limits to how much God loves and no lengths He won’t go to give everyone the opportunity to put their faith in Him! His love is so big that He’s willing to trade places with us. This is the Good News that God wants everyone to know: Jesus came to earth so that He could live a perfect life making Him the one and only worthy to die on a cross to take away the sins of the entire world. He wants everyone to know it, and He wants everyone to believe it. He came to bring salvation to all! When our hearts are gripped by this amazing grace, we can’t help but want the world to know!
Lord Jesus, I am so thankful for your truth that you trade my sin for your perfection. I thank you that the only thing that’s required for salvation is believing in you! God, would you show me who in my life needs to hear this good news. Help me see the ways you are at work in the lives of people around me just like you were at work in the heart of Nicodemus. I want to see people the way you see them. I want to have a heart full of love for others the way you do!
Day 3: Tuesday, March 24, 2020
Praying seems so simple, so why is it so hard to do? Do you ever get the sense that you don’t know what to say or how to say it? Many people are intimidated by prayer, especially having to pray out loud with a group of people. If you’ve ever felt this way, I assure you: you’re not alone.
Romans 8 tells us that we don’t have to be awesome at praying. What a relief! There are no awards handed out for people who are eloquent and say all the right things. The truth is Jesus told us that the people who thought they were awesome at prayer, like the religious leaders, were actually full of themselves. God is not a fan of that!! The best prayers come from a place of humility and weakness. The prayers that God loves to hear are the ones that are authentic and even gritty. We can rest in the truth that God's Spirit knows us better than we know ourselves, and He’s there helping us pray even if all that comes out is an unintelligible groan. How comforting is that?! This means we can just be ourselves, and this is what God loves!
Maybe your prayer today could look like something as simple and real as this:
Hey God, It’s me! I don’t always feel confident talking to you, but I believe you are here and I believe your Spirit is here to help me in this. I just really want to start my time with you by saying, thanks for being so loving and accepting! I’m so glad I don’t have to fake things with you! You already know what’s going on in my life. It’s just so great to be able to talk to someone who cares so much about me and is willing to listen!
Day 2: Monday, March 23, 2020
The word happy comes from the word happenings. So, essentially, being happy can only happen when our circumstances make us happy. The problem with this is that we can’t control what happens to us.
Sometimes life is smooth and going well, but many times life is difficult and even painful, which makes being happy impossible. But God has something greater in store for us. God wants us to rejoice! This means to choose joy regardless of our circumstances. This passage even says that this is God’s will for our lives in Christ Jesus. The Apostle Paul, who penned this verse, gives us 3 instructions here. 1. Choose to express joy 2. Keep an ongoing conversation with God and 3. Find ways to thank Him all the time no matter what’s happening. Today let’s spend time authentically thanking God for everything we can think of and notice how he is faithful to fill our hearts with joy! As Psalm 16: 11 says, “...in your presence there is fullness of joy!”
My Father in Heaven, the King of the Universe, I thank you for the countless things in our lives that are good gifts from you. Even in the midst of the storm, I rejoice that you are my Father and that you are in control! My desire, God, is to stay open to you as I walk through this day.
In Jesus name, Amen!
Day 1: Sunday, March 22, 2020
There is no greater comforter than knowing we have a place to belong. Deep in our core we want to be fully known. The heartbeat of this passage is that God wants us to understand that we belong to Him!
We were created by Him and for Him! He is the ONE who has gone to the great lengths of dying to redeem us, the ones He loves. We have been redeemed by a God who is personal, He knows us and calls us by name. With this in mind, we can pray believing that God knows everything and cares about what is going on in our lives. We can pray with the assurance that we are completely known and totally loved!
Intro: Thursday, March 19, 2020
God loves it when we trust him. We are so tempted to try and control things in our life, but the truth is, we aren’t in control of very much. One thing we can control is who we put our faith in! In times of uncertainty, we have an opportunity to run to the God who created everything and sustains it by the word of His power. We can trust Him because He is faithful and He loves us. Today let’s spend time talking with God, leaning into our relationship with Jesus and not leaning on our own understanding.