How important is it that you and I obey the commandments? Is there a “most important commandment?”
You must not have any other god but me. You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind. You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God. Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Honor your father and mother. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely against your neighbor. You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.
Exodus 20:3-17
One day, a Pharisee, who was considered an “expert in religious law, tried to trap Jesus” with the following question:
“Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”
Matthew 22:36
Notice he really didn’t want Jesus’ answer so he could better obey God. He wanted to engage Jesus in one of their favorite past times – self-righteous debate through rule qualifying.
But once again, Jesus understood their true motives. So, He simply summarized God’s Commandments in two short sentences…
“You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself. The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”
Matthew 22:37-–40
God is perfect unfailing everlasting love. If you and I want to honor and obey Him . . . love is the answer.
And because of sin, because of our self-centered selfishness it is impossible for us to love the way God wants without His Spirit’s help and we only have His Spirit’s help when we repent of that self-centered selfishness and surrender ourselves to the saving grace of Jesus.
Father, thank you for Your perfect unfailing everlasting love. Thank you for generously demonstrating Your love by sending Jesus to suffer the punishment I deserved.
Please forgive me. I am selfish and self-centered. I fail every day to trust and love You completely. I stubbornly do things my own way. I listen to the shouts of the world and I worry. And I fall so far short of loving others the way You want me to.
Please help me. Teach me Your truth that I might fight back against the enemy’s lies. Help me hold Your promises in my heart that I might trust and follow Your will. Fill me with Your love that I might love others in ways that glorify You.
May it forever be my heart’s desire to love You and others as my loving response to all the grace, mercy, and LOVE you have given to me. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
It’s hard, isn’t it? It’s not in our human nature to love like Jesus. But with the Holy Spirit’s help, we can proclaim with John:
All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.
We love each other because He loved us first.
1 John 4:15–16, 19
May God’s love be the first thing people see in us and the last thing they remember about us.
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Have you ever doubted God’s love or His willingness to care for you?
Maybe you had a heart’s desire prayer that He didn’t answer as you’d hoped. Maybe one of His followers broke your heart or betrayed you and you blamed God. Maybe life’s circumstances have you in a pit of despair and you feel hopeless.
Jesus is God’s answer of LOVE to all of our doubts and pain.
John wrote:
God is love!
1 John 4:8
He is holy, just, and perfect, and even when we don’t understand His ways we can always trust His heart!
How do we know?
JESUS!
God showed how much He loved us by sending His one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him.
1 John 4:9
Jesus said:
Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father!
John 14:9
Jesus showed us God’s justice, righteousness, care, and compassion. Jesus showed us God’s LOVE.
Because He is God! He is the Word made flesh!
Jesus is the Light in the darkness to show us the way, the Bread of Life to feed our spiritual hunger, the Vine to give us the nutrition we need to be fruitful, and the Sacrifice of Love we need to pay the penalty for all our sins once and for always.
So today, I’m going to God with thanks and praise for His love and for all He has given us in and through Jesus. And I’m surrendering all doubt and pain to Him. I’m thanking Him for…
Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”
John 8:12
Lord, thank you for being the LIGHT! The darkness of sin and evil can feel like a heavy burden but You are the light that overcame and continues to faithfully overcome that darkness. Your gift of forgiveness overcomes the darkness within us and replaces it with the glow of Your love. You light our path and help us trust Your will and follow Your ways. You provide, protect, and lead us with grace and mercy! I thank and praise You! Help me live in ways that reflect Your light and give You glory!
Bread of Life
The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
“Sir,” they said, “give us that bread every day.”
Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again.
John 6:33–35a
Lord Jesus, You satisfy the emptiness within me. You satisfy my spiritual hunger and sustain me with life-giving nourishment. Lord forgive me for failing to pause each day to spend time in Your Word and prayer. May I faithfully spend time with You each day that You might fill me with the truth and counsel I need to trust and obey Your perfect will. You are the Giver of Life may I forever make You the center of my life.
The Vine
“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.”
John 15:1
Father, this is my prayer! With all my heart, I pray to remain connected to Jesus, the Vine. My heart’s desire is to produce fruit that will glorify You. I know the truth of the words, “apart from me you can do nothing.” Please forgive me. By Your grace, please help me grow in faith and in knowledge of Your truth. Please fill me to overflowing with Your Spirit that I might share Your blessings of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and gentleness. Your grace is sufficient. Thanks and praise now and forever.
Sacrifice of Love
God showed how much He loved us by sending His one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
1 John 4:9–10
Father, Your love overwhelms me. You provide everything I need today and forever. You gave Jesus.
Thank you for allowing us to know You through Him. Thank you for saving us through His sacrifice. Thank you for showing us the truth of Your perfect love.
Your Word says that because Jesus is the sacrifice for sin, the only sacrifice You want from Your children is a broken and repentant heart. (Psalm 51:17) You want us to humbly turn to You in repentance admitting that we are unable to save ourselves and acknowledging out need for Jesus.
So, I come to You once again to ask You to forgive me and to thank you for promising that through Jesus I am forever Yours.
The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent His own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body, God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving His Son as a sacrifice for our sins.
Romans 8:3
Father God, no matter how hard I try or how badly I want it . . . I can never earn Your grace and mercy. I cannot save myself. Yet, You freely give Your grace and mercy. You graciously pour undeserved blessings into my life and mercifully spare me from the punishment I deserve. Rather than making me pay the price for my own sin . . . You sent Your Son to save me. And then, You ended the reign of sin’s control in my life. You give me Your Spirit to give me courage, strength, and power. Your Son continues to sit at Your right hand to plead for me.
I praise You! And I surrender myself to You. I trust Your promises and rest in Your love. By Your grace, help me live each moment of my life for Your glory. In the name of Jesus, who is the Sacrifice and the source of my faith. Amen.
Jesus is the Sacrifice of Love
Friend, whatever concerns you today, whatever your doubts . . . give it all to the Lord. He gave His all for you and me. He is the Sacrifice who saves us, the Light to guide us, the Bread of Life to nourish us, and the Vine to give us everything we need to live for God’s glory.
May you be blessed today and enjoy the peace of His grace, mercy, and love.
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I have the January blahs! I began the year with all the normal enthusiasm that comes with a fresh start.
Three weeks ago, I had a writing plan that excited me, a healthy diet and exercise plan that seemed doable, books I couldn’t wait to read, family and friends who delighted me … I was full of optimism and happiness.
This week, I ran up against a wall of discouragement for no apparent reason other than a bunch of little things piled up one on top of another and I started to feel “less than.”
Not enough! Less than I want to be! Less than I believe I should be.
I decided I need a quick reminder of who I am in Christ. Maybe you need a reminder of who you are in Jesus, too. So … here we go!
Who You Are In Jesus
You are wonderful!
Yes, you!
When I feel like I have the last few days, I can quickly think of a dozen ways I am definitely NOT wonderful.
Most of the time I go straight to the superficial . . . to appearances. And all I see are my imperfections.
I see spots, blemishes, wrinkles, and sagging skin. I have lumps and bumps in places I don’t want them and well, you get the idea.
I’m also well aware of my flaws when it comes to my thoughts, words, and actions.
I could share a long list of things that are not wonderful but I’ll spare you.
I relate to these words from Paul…
I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t.I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.
Romans 7:18–19
It’s reassuring to know that a pillar of faith, like Paul, did not hold himself up as the ideal of Christian perfection but let us know that we are not alone in our struggle.
And when you and I recognize our “less than” perfect qualities and characteristics we can embrace the words that follow…
What a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord!
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to Him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.
I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 7:24–25a, 8:1–2, 8:38–39
That’s grace! That’s love!
That’s who you are in Jesus.
It’s good news!
Because of Jesus, God looks past our flaws and failures with eyes of grace and love and He sees the wonderful you and me … He created us to be!
Whether you and I feel like it or not, we need to repeat the following often…
1. GOD MADE ME WONDERFUL.
I praise you because You made me in an amazing and wonderful way. What You have done is wonderful. I know this very well.
Psalm 139:14 (NCV)
I love the way the MSG. says it…
Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
It’s not about our feelings. Whether you and I “feel” it or not.
God says in His Word that we are made in an “amazing and wonderful way” … unique and one of a kind. Perfect for His plans and purposes. Out of all the possible DNA combinations, God chose 46 or 47 specific chromosomes just for you.
There are 8,324,608 possible combinations of chromosomes and each one contains dozens to thousands of different genes. The total possible combination of alleles (variations) for those genes in humans is approximately 70,368,744,177,664. This is trillions of times more combinations than the number of people who have ever lived. ~Reddit.com/AskScience
Who you are…
“You weren’t an accident. You weren’t mass-produced. You aren’t an assembly-line product. You were deliberately planned, specifically gifted, and lovingly positioned on the earth by the Master Craftsman.” ~Max Lucado
2. And It’s Okay to Celebrate Being Wonderfully Made
Obsessing about our flaws and faults simply robs us of our peace and happiness.
I believe that’s something high on the list of things satan wants for us because if he can steal our peace and joy, he can stifle our ability to fulfill God’s plans and purposes for us.
Jesus said…
The thief’s purpose is to steal, kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.
John 10:10
Jesus’ purpose is to give us a full and satisfying life.
When we stay focused on all we have and who we are in Jesus, we have everything we need to live the life He wants for us.
David followed the “amazing and wonderful” verse with…
I worship in adoration—what a creation! You know me inside and out, You know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, You watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before You, the days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day.
Psalm 139:15–16
What a creation! Known. Loved. Planned.
And in Jesus … Forgiven. Redeemed. Child of God.
That’s you! That’s me!
We are not known for our flaws and faults. You and I are God’s marvelous creation! God’s loved and redeemed children!
So, it’s time to look at things in a new way, to know who you are in Jesus. So…
Stop and Celebrate Who You Are
Make a list of your greatest strengths and abilities. You’re kind. Smart. Funny. Musical. Artistic. Athletic. Strong. Caring. Helpful. Make a list of everything you do well.
Make a list of things you like about the way you look. Just do it. Beautiful eyes. Cute nose. Strong arms. Dimples. Curly hair. Curvy figure. Find a minimum of 5-10 you can celebrate.
Ask your closest friends to help you make your list. They love you. You’ll be surprised by the blessings they see in you and the things they love about you.
Spend less time focused on yourself and more time loving others. Avoid lengthy sessions in front of the mirror and ask God to forgive your failures. Then focus on loving your people. You will feel better about yourself. I promise.
Refuse to compare your appearance, gifts, or abilities with anyone else’s. Comparing is the thief of joy and peace. Don’t do it!
Take occasional breaks from social media. Everyone puts their ideal on social media. If you find yourself discouraged while scrolling through posts . . . walk away for a while.
Do your best and be at peace about the rest. Live today with enthusiasm. Then put the day behind you and start again tomorrow.
Reject negative self-talk. Stop it! If it’s sin, confess it, receive forgiveness and celebrate God’s grace.
Do something positive every day to become the person you want to be. Let God work in you to grow you for His purposes. Learn something new. Exercise. Eat a healthy diet.
Limit your time with toxic and negative people. You can’t avoid them all but you can lessen their ability to discourage and defeat you.
Be patient with yourself – think long term. Expect progress, not perfection. One of my favorite sayings is, “Baby steps are still steps.”
Cherish values like honesty, integrity, kindness, etc. Follow the Golden Rule and treat others the way you want them to treat you.
Speak a minimum of five positive and encouraging things to yourself every day. Remember Stuart Smiley’s quote, “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggone it, people like me.”
Do one nice thing for yourself every day. Take a long bath. Read a chapter of your favorite book. Light a candle. Use your good dishes. Celebrate today.
Pursue a close relationship with the One who created you. Spend time in prayerand Bible study. Ask Him to help you become the best version of the person He created you to be.
Ask God to help you see yourself the way He sees you. He loves you so much! The God of the universe calls you precious.
Remember how very much God loves you. Memorize His promises to speak truth to your heart when you feel discouraged.
Remember – God looks past the surface to the heart.The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7
Verses to Memorize: Remember How Much God Loves You
Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes. Ephesians 1:4
But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. Romans 5:8
But God is so rich in mercy, and He loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, He gave us life when He raised Christ from the dead. Ephesians 2:4
The Lord your God is with you; the mighty One will save you. He will rejoice over you. You will rest in His love; He will sing and be joyful about you. Zephaniah 3:17
See how very much our Father loves us, for He calls us His children, and that is what we are! 1 John 3:1
Finally, it’s important to…
HAVE AN ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE.
All of those things that discourage and annoy you are temporary.
Your soul, the person God made you to be in Him, the person created in His image … that person will live forever.
You are God’s beautiful creation! You are someone to celebrate!
I needed that reminder today. Maybe you needed it too.
If so, you may want to write this down…
God loves me. He made ME for His glory, for His plans and purposes, and for eternity. It’s time for me to celebrate His grace, mercy, and love by remembering who I am because of whose I am. I belong to Jesus!
Take a moment to subscribe to Counting My Blessings and join more than 7500 of us as we read the New Testament together. We will share short posts every Monday through Friday that you can read each day or save for the weekend. Let’s study God’s Word together!
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The cards, flowers, chocolate, and “I love yous” have all been shared.
And yet, I wonder how many of us are left longing because someone left us wanting … failing to fill us up the way we expected, hoped or believed we needed.
I keep thinking about Jenny Lind’s song in The Greatest Showman…
All the shine of a thousand spotlights All the stars we steal from the night sky Will never be enough Never be enough Towers of gold are still too little These hands could hold the world but it’ll Never be enough … for me.
And my heart keeps thinking…
Maybe it’s not supposed to be.
Maybe there really is nothing that can fill up that hole in our hearts and maybe it has less to do with them and more to do with us.
If you’re like me … you take that “never enough” feeling and blame yourself. You feel unworthy. You wonder what you should have done differently. You dwell on every little flaw and fault and desperately want someone to make it better.
But the expectation isn’t fair, really!
Because no one … NO ONE … can fill the hole in our hearts that God created for Himself.
God’s perfect love is the only thing that can satisfy us … His is the only love that truly is ENOUGH!
And yet, even though I know that is true with every bit of my being, I still have times when I’m a little too introspective and needy … times when I find myself lacking because I’ve questioned how God could love a total mess like me.
You too?
Today, I’m asking God to help me seek Him first when I need the assurance of love. I’m asking Him to fill me to overflowing with His perfect unfailing love.
5 Verses to Pray When You Need to be Sure of God’s Love
God is love. God showed how much He loved us by sending His one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him.This is real love—not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
1 John 4:8b–10
Father, You are love … REAL LOVE! And you showed us just how You love by sacrificing everything for us … for me.
The truth is Father, I don’t feel very lovable most of the time. I know I’m a mess. I fail You and the people I love every day. Those who love me … let me down and I feel unlovable.
But then You remind me that Your love is not determined by how I feel or what I do, Your love is an amazing and undeserved gift. You give me everything I need today and promise me that I will spend eternity in Your presence. Your grace, mercy, and love overwhelm me. Thank you! Amen.
May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say.
2 Thessalonians 2:16–17
Father, Jesus said … He must return to You so that You would send the Holy Spirit. The One who comforts me and gives me hope. The One who strengthens me and guides me with Your truth. The One who gifts me with “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” The One who makes possible any good thing I say and do.
I can’t imagine living even one day without Your Spirit’s help. Thank you for loving me so much that I don’t have to figure this life out on my own. Thank you for a love that will never leave me or forsake me. Amen.
May you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
Ephesians 3:18–19
Father, please help me keep my eyes on You … even when life is hard. When people and circumstances have disappointed me. Please help me run to You quickly, when I need Your forgiveness because I’ve messed things up again!
Your love is deep and high and long and wide. It is beyond my power to understand even when I keep my heart and mind focused and seek You first. When I don’t … oh Father, it’s ugly.
I need You! Forgive me. Help me. And grant me the fullness of life and power that only Your love can give. Amen.
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38–39
Father, how I need to carry these words in my heart constantly.
Nothing can separate me from Your love! NOTHING!
You were separated from Jesus as He suffered on the cross for me so I would never have to experience the misery of being separated from You.
Your love sustains and strengthens me. When the enemy taunts me with fear and worry, help me remember that You are with me and You are greater than anything this world can throw at me. Nothing can separate me from Your love! Nothing!
Thank you! Thank you! Amen.
Each day the Lord pours His unfailing love upon me and through each night I sing His songs praying to God who gives me life.
Psalm 42:8
Every day, Father, You faithfully pour Your perfect love over me. Nothing in this life compares to Your love. And yet, You have graced us with relationships that give us a taste, however imperfect, of the spectacular beauty found in this gift You call love! Thank you!
May I live each day telling others about Your love. May I be blessed to show them Your love, and although I know I do so imperfectly … please, speak over them the truth of who You are and how much You love them.
And Father, may I spend every day for the rest of my life singing songs of praise and thanking You for who You are … for You are LOVE!
In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.
You can be sure God loves you!
Your heart may be bursting with the love of family and friends today.
Or…
You may be hurting and longing because love has let you down.
Whatever your heart feels…
You can be sure of God’s love!
He died for you! He lives for you! Nothing can separate you from His love … not today – not ever! His love fills the heavens and earth. And through His love He is giving you all you need to live each day.
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The other night, Rev and I celebrated the 50th anniversary of our first date.
And we spent the evening like we’ve spent so many other evenings…
Sharing memories.
We talked about that first date and the early days of getting to know each other and falling in love. We remembered our early years of marriage. We described apartments, homes, and the love of amazing friends. We looked back at the adventure of raising a family.
And the common thread through every relived decade was God’s amazing grace.
Life is full of highs and low, moments of grief and moments of joy … failures and victories.
And God lovingly made His presence known through it all.
The following morning, all I could think about was the way God had allowed us to build an altar of remembrance. No, not a physical altar … but an altar none-the-less.
Why You Need to Celebrate and Remember God is Good
In the Old Testament, God commanded two kinds of altars.
1. Altar of Sacrifice – Where God’s people brought an offering as a sacrifice to receive God’s forgiveness and peace.
“Come to the altar and sacrifice your sin offering and your burnt offering to purify yourself and the people. Then present the offerings of the people to purify them, making them right with the Lord, just as he has commanded.”
Leviticus 9:7
2. Altar of Remembrance – Where God’s people offered worship and praise for God’s deliverance, protection, provision, and guidance.
Then Joshua said to the Israelites, “In the future, your children will ask, ‘What do these stones mean?’ Then you can tell them, ‘This is where the Israelites crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ For the Lord, your God dried up the river right before your eyes, and He kept it dry until you were all across, just as He did at the Red Sea when He dried it up until we had all crossed over. 2He did this so all the nations of the earth might know that the Lord’s hand is powerful, and so you might fear the Lord your God forever.”
Joshua 4:21–24
In the New Testament, because Jesus the Lamb of God, the perfect Sacrifice, was offered for our sins, you and I can be forgiven and have peace with God without bringing an animal sacrifice to church.
Behold the Lamb of God, that takes away the sin of the world.
John 1:29
But the New Testament also has something to say about the sacrifice God does want from us…
Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are His dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered Himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.
Ephesians 5:2
And…
Let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to His name.
Hebrews 13:15
I’ve realized there are two offerings God wants you and me to lay at the altar of remembrance…
1. An Offering of Praise 2. An Offering of Surrender
I want to make my life an offering of praise and thanksgiving. I want to stop and celebrate the specifics of God’s amazing grace in my life.
And I want to rejoice over every undeserved happiness and praise Him for providing all we need through every pain and heartache.
Yesterday morning I read…
I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God.
Psalm 40:1–3
Yes, that!
I have known the pit of despair … God heard my cry and lifted me up and gave me a new song to sing.
A song of remembrance! A song of praise!
And by His grace, an offering of surrender!
It’s kind of funny … I spent much of my life holding a little of myself back from God because I was afraid.
Afraid there were things that could happen that would destroy me … things I would just not be able to endure.
Yeah, it was plain and simple lack of faith.
Although God patiently gave me countless opportunities to surrender myself completely … I couldn’t get past all the “what ifs” that flooded my mind.
Which is why an important part of remembering for me … is knowing God allowed my pit of despair to show me His love and faithfulness. And to give me a new song to sing or in my case, a post to write.
I love this verse and the way it so clearly reminds me of the offering of surrender God wants…
So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for Him.
Romans 12:1 (MSG)
I’m so thankful Paul wrote, “God helping you,” because I know there is no way I can surrender every part of my life without His help.
But with His help … I can take every moment – sleeping, eating, working, walking around; yes, everything and I can entrust it to God.
An altar of remembrance to celebrate His faithfulness. And an altar of surrender to love Him with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength and love others as I love myself. (Luke 10:27)
With His help, I can be thankful for the past and hopeful for the future!
You and I talk a lot about being thankful in November and December but now it’s January and we’ve started our diets, picked up our fitness routines, and gone back to work.
Remembering to be thankful gets lost in the mundane dailiness of things we don’t really want to do.
So, I’d like to invite you to do two simple things to help you…
Set aside a basket or jar with a notepad nearby (a notebook will work too) and have your family write down daily blessings.
Keep a list of anniversaries and use those days to remember God’s goodness!
And anything else that helps you remember God’s grace.
I’ll be honest, I get lost in the dailiness of life, too. But when I stop and remember the countless ways God has shown me His goodness and grace—I can’t help but celebrate, praise, and with His help … surrender.
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Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.1 Corinthians 10:31
I don’t know about you, but I fall short of that goal every single day.
So today, I’m praying and asking…
God, Please Help Me Live for Your Glory Every Day
Father, It’s so easy to get distracted by things that sparkle. I can so easily find myself motivated by profits and possessions, status and recognition, and countless other things that have little lasting value.
I am so very sorry. Please forgive me.
And by the power of Your Spirit … help me live for Your glory not my own.
Because You created me for Your glory. (based on Isaiah 43:7)
Because everything in heaven and on earth belong to You. (based on Romans 11:36)
Because of Your overwhelming love and faithfulness. (based on Psalm 115:1, 1 John 4:19)
Because You have fulfilled all of Your promises through Jesus. (based on 2 Corinthians 1:20)
Because You alone are worthy. (based on Revelation 4:11)
Jesus said…
Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.Matthew 5:16 (ESV)
And…
If you love Me, obey my commandments.(John 14:15)
And Father, Jesus said that all Your commands can be summed up in one word – LOVE!
Love for You. Love for others. Love for the “least of these.”
Please help me love.
Please help me live for Your glory.
So, in the ways…
I love my family.
I do my job.
I greet strangers.
I help those in need.
I budget my money.
I use my gifts and abilities.
I eat.
I exercise.
I manage my time.
I worship.
I talk.
I listen.
I rest.
May I do it all for Your glory. I want people to see You in me. I pray that people will want to know You because they see You in me.
Your creation lives for Your glory by doing what You created it to do.
The sun by lighting the sky.
The moon by reflecting the sun.
Trees, flowers, and animals … all glorify You by doing what You created them to do.
By Your grace, I will too…
May the constant prayer of my heart always be, “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name goes all the glory for your unfailing love and faithfulness.”(Psalm 115:1)
Because … Your unfailing love is better than life itself.(Psalm 63:3)
I will praise You.
I will live for your glory!
And with Your Spirit’s help, I will trust Your will for me.
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Do you have anything in your life you’d do differently if you could get a do-over?
I think everyone has lots of little things and maybe even a few big things they think . . . if only I had or if only I hadn’t.
Yeah, me too.
Of all the dos and don’ts, I have one big thing I would change if I could go back and start over.
One thing I wish I’d learned years ago. It’s where my faith would crash into life and my faith fell short. And unfortunately, I was a slow learner . . . it took a list of hard life lessons for me to finally get it.
What is my one thing?
Simply this…
Fear is a horrible waste of the precious gift of time.
Allowing “what ifs” to volley back and forth through my mind robbed me of joy, contentment, happiness, and peace.
So, if I could make one change (have one do-over) it would be to…
Enjoy life more by trusting God’s will for me, and rejecting “what if” fear.
Here are just a few examples:
What if they don’t like me?
What if I fail?
What if I can’t have children?
What if something happens to my husband, my child, my parent?
What if I get sick?
What if my love gets sick?
What if my child fails?
What if I’m rejected?
What if, what if, what if..?
Maybe that thing you fear is on my list. Maybe it’s not.
Now before I go any further, I want to remind you that fear is normal. In fact, it’s an important tool God gave us to caution and protect us.
But…
When fear dominates and fear of tomorrow lessens today’s joy or keeps you and me from truly living our God-given calling, then it’s time for a closer look and a faith check.
I looked for a list of the most common things people are afraid of and found…
The Unknown
Pain
Illness
Loneliness
Embarrassment
Rejection
Failure
Death
I guess my list was pretty typical.
Typical or not, this is important…
Most of the things I feared never happened. A few of the things I feared did.
But…
My fear didn’t influence or change the events of my life! All it changed was the way I lived.
Because I missed being all in.
I failed to be fully engaged and didn’t celebrate and enjoy the present because I was afraid of what might or might not happen tomorrow.
You see, what I know now that I wish I’d believed long ago is…
Fear doubts God’s love.
Whatever God allows, good or bad . . . Everything He allows or withholds comes from His immeasurable love.
He is love. Love is His character and He cannot deny or betray His character.
True, bad things happen. But God has used even the bad things, sometimes more so than the good things to bless my life, grow my faith and draw me closer. I can look back now at the worst events and experiences and praise God for the way He used them for my good and His glory.
With God’s counsel and help, you and I can conquer fear.
The following verses are more than just words . . . they are truth.
We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in His love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. 1 John 4:16
But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?Psalm 56:3–4
There is no fear in love. Perfect love puts fear out of our hearts. People have fear when they are afraid of being punished. The man who is afraid does not have perfect love. We love Him because He loved us first. 1 John 4:18–19
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. Romans 8:38
Here are a few quotes that inspire me, too.
“The presence of fear does not mean you have no faith. Fear visits everyone. But make your fear a visitor and not a resident.” ~Max Lucado
“It is good to remind ourselves that the will of God comes from the heart of God and that we need not be afraid.” ~Warren Wiersbe
“The fear of man strangles us, because we can never please everybody; but the fear of the Lord frees us, because it challenges us to live and serve for an audience of One.” ~ Paul Chappell
“Fear is a self-imposed prison that will keep you from becoming who God intends for you to be. You must move against it with the weapons of faith and [God’s] love.” ~ Rick Warren
I memorize verses and quotes so I have them quickly available when fear tries to take over and ruin my day.
Verses remind me that…
You and I can know with confidence—God is with us in every circumstance.
Whatever He allows, problem or persecution, stress or worrisome thought . . . He is present strengthening, guiding, helping, and holding us in the palm of His hands.
When you and I conquer fear and trust God’s goodness and love we have all we need to live courageously.
Sure, in this world we have troubles and if we had to face them on our own we’d have plenty of reasons to be afraid. But we have the truth of God’s Word and the presence of His Spirit to give us strength and the blessing of His unfailing love to give us courage.
Remember that I commanded you to be strong and brave. Don’t be afraid, because the Lord your God will be with you everywhere you go.”Joshua 1:9
God’s love has the power replace fear with faith-filled courage.
Where God’s love is, there is no fear. God’s perfect love takes away fear. 1 John 4:18
So yes, the one thing I’d do over . . . I would faithfully know and trust God’s love that gives the power to conquer fear!
Because even when you and I don’t understand our circumstances, we can be completely confident that God’s plans and purposes are based on love.
With God’s help, you and I can refuse to waste the gift of right now by asking God to hold us close, remind us of His unfailing love, and give us all we need to conquer fear.
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