Category - Devotionals

August 1              1 Chronicles 29:10-11
Then David praised the LORD in the presence of the whole assembly: “O LORD, the God of our ancestor Israel, may you be praised forever and ever!  Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O LORD, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things.

POWER
You and I get all that we have from the Lord.  When we recognize who He is and what we are life becomes worthwhile.  He is Lord and we belong to Him.

 

August 2              Jeremiah 15:19-20
The LORD replied, “If you return to me, I will restore you so you can continue to serve me. If you speak words that are worthy, you will be my spokesman. You are to influence them; do not let them influence you!  They will fight against you like an attacking army, but I will make you as secure as a fortified wall. They will not conquer you, for I will protect and deliver you. I, the LORD, have spoken!

SECURITY
The world cannot destroy us.  Failure, disappointment, defeat, discouragement do not have a hold on us because we belong to Jesus.  Rejoice and be thankful.  Our Father is in control.

 

August 3              Hebrews 13:6
That is why we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, so I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”

LIFE
We have real life in Jesus.  This life is effective to carry us into and through eternity.  Remember who you are and whose you are.  Jesus will not forsake you nor will He leave you in a lurch.  Move forward.  Jesus loves you.

 

August 4              Psalm 111:1
Praise the LORD! I will thank the LORD with all my heart as I meet with his godly people.

THANKSGIVING
There is tremendous strength and encouragement in thanksgiving.  It blesses our hearts.  It lifts our minds.  It opens us up to the inner working of the Holy Spirit.  Give thanks in all things and praise the Lord.

 

August 5              Psalm 111:3-4
Everything he does reveals his glory and majesty. His righteousness never fails.  Who can forget the wonders he performs? How gracious and merciful is our LORD!

MERCIFUL
It is difficult to be merciful.  Our egos are usually in full control.  Mercy is important for us to establish as a basic part of our character.  When we are merciful we are more like Jesus.  Mercy is a powerful tool in our spiritual growth.  When slighted or wronged we are called to be merciful, especially when we are right.

 

August 6              2 Samuel 22:2-4
“The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the strength of my salvation, and my stronghold, my high tower, my savior, the one who saves me from violence.  I will call on the LORD, who is worthy of praise, for he saves me from my enemies.

WHOLENESS
What we don’t have or can’t do tracks us down and pulls us towards the wrong path.  We walk by faith and full assurance.  The Lord is able, will be able and is presently active and able to deal with what we are facing.  Jesus is indeed our rock.  Jesus will walk with us through the valley of the shadow of death and shadow of destruction.  He is alive and lives in us.

 

August 7              Psalm 119:1-3
Happy are people of integrity who follow the law of the LORD.  Happy are those who obey his decrees and search for him with all their hearts.  They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in his paths.

HAPPINESS
Happiness is a result of what we are.  Obedience flows from our heart and is the result of the Holy Spirit living in us and controlling us.  Happiness is never easy nor is it the thing we seek.  We want to be more like Jesus.  When we act like Jesus happiness is always present.

August 8              Revelation 22:6-7
Then the angel said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true: ‘The Lord God, who tells his prophets what the future holds, has sent his angel to tell you what will happen soon.'”  “Look, I am coming soon! Blessed are those who obey the prophecy written in this scroll.”

RETURN
We serve a living Lord Jesus who is coming back.  The early church was looking for Him everyday.  It affected the way they did business, and lived.  Jesus is coming back.  His return will be soon.

 

August 9              Psalm 146:1-4
Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, I tell myself.  I will praise the LORD as long as I live. I will sing praises to my God even with my dying breath.  Don’t put your confidence in powerful people; there is no help for you there.  When their breathing stops, they return to the earth, and in a moment all their plans come to an end.

PRAISE
Life comes from the Lord so I will praise Him.  He loves me and paid the price on the cross for me so I will praise Him.  I have a friend in Jesus so I will praise Him.  He provides for my every need so I will praise Him.

 

August 10            John 1:1-4
In the beginning the Word already existed. He was with God, and he was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  He created everything there is. Nothing exists that he didn’t make.  Life itself was in him, and this life gives light to everyone.

WORD
The Word of God, Jesus, guides us each moment.  We discover about the character of our Lord in his Scriptures-The Word.  There is light in a relationship with Jesus.  He will give us the wisdom, mercy and grace to keep moving forward in faith as we serve Him.

 

August 11            Isaiah 61:10
I am overwhelmed with joy in the LORD my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom in his wedding suit or a bride with her jewels.

JOY
Our joy does not depend on circumstance.  It is not limited by our position in society.  Our joy is the result of recognizing who God is and who we are.  We are loved and protected.  There is great joy for a child of the Lord.

 

August 12            John 2:15-16
Jesus made a whip from some ropes and chased them all out of the Temple. He drove out the sheep and oxen, scattered the money changers’ coins over the floor, and turned over their tables.  Then, going over to the people who sold doves, he told them, “Get these things out of here. Don’t turn my Father’s house into a marketplace!”

FOCUS
The Christian life is a life of single-minded focus.  The world will quickly overwhelm me if I am undisciplined.  Only when I am under the control of the Holy Spirit will I walk and live like Jesus.

 

August 13            Galatians 6:1-2
Dear brothers and sisters, if another Christian is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.  Share each other’s troubles and problems, and in this way obey the law of Christ.

RESPONSIBILITY
You and I are responsible for those around us.  We must commit ourselves to pray for others.  We are to be helpful to others.  Our life and testimony must be Christ like.  The world will not change if we don’t change it.

 

August 14            John 4:9-10
The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?”  Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who I am, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.”

LIFE
Life comes from a relationship with Jesus.  Our lineage, position, importance, capability or disability has no bearing on our standing with the Father.  We become a member of the family of God by accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.  Life is a gift from the Father.

 

August 15            Isaiah 44:1-2
But now, listen to me, Jacob my servant, Israel my chosen one.  The LORD who made you and helps you says: O Jacob, my servant, do not be afraid. O Israel, my chosen one, do not fear.

CHOSEN
Who so ever will may come to Christ for life.  When I come to Jesus and ask Him to save me I become chosen of God.  Salvation is a once and forever event.  When I come into the family of God I will never be cast out.

 

August 16            Matthew 11:20-24
Then Jesus began to denounce the cities where he had done most of his miracles, because they hadn’t turned from their sins and turned to God.  “What horrors await you, Korazin and Bethsaida! For if the miracles I did in you had been done in wicked Tyre and Sidon, their people would have sat in deep repentance long ago, clothed in sackcloth and throwing ashes on their heads to show their remorse.  I assure you, Tyre and Sidon will be better off on the judgment day than you!  And you people of Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be brought down to the place of the dead.  For if the miracles I did for you had been done in Sodom, it would still be here today.  I assure you, Sodom will be better off on the judgment day than you.”

CAREFUL
Jesus loves people.  Religious fervor will not give us a relationship with Christ.  Salvation is a gift from the Father.  Our life is based on the payment Jesus made for our sin by dying on the cross.  His shed blood gives you and me access to the Family of God.  Jesus is Lord and seeks each one of us to bestow upon us the gift of life.

 

August 17            Isaiah 44:9-10
How foolish are those who manufacture idols to be their gods. These highly valued objects are really worthless. They themselves are witnesses that this is so, for their idols neither see nor know. No wonder those who worship them are put to shame.  Who but a fool would make his own god – an idol that cannot help him one bit!

IDOLS
What has your attention?  That is your idol.  If anything takes a bigger place in our lives than Jesus then that is our idol.  An idol cannot do anything for us.  Idols quickly become heavy burdens that will grind us down and leave us in desperate situations.

 

August 18            Matthew 5:1-12
One day as the crowds were gathering, Jesus went up the mountainside with his disciples and sat down to teach them.  This is what he taught them: “God blesses those who realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is given to them.

CONFIDENCE
A confident life does not look at its strengths and assets.  A confident life puts life issues into the hands of Jesus.  Whatever our gift, whatever our blessing we must constantly come back to Jesus.  Jesus is life and the giver of life.  His presence is required to lead a normal Christian life.

 

August 19            Nehemiah 4:14-15
Then as I looked over the situation, I called together the leaders and the people and said to them, “Don’t be afraid of the enemy! Remember the Lord, who is great and glorious, and fight for your friends, your families, and your homes!”  When our enemies heard that we knew of their plans and that God had frustrated them, we all returned to our work on the wall.

ACTIVE
Our Lord is active.  He is involved in our lives.  He is ahead of us and knows our needs before we do.  When we bend the knee and seek His wisdom, mercy, grace and leadership He gives it to us.  Jesus is alive and lives in us.

 

August 20            Isaiah 30:7
Egypt’s promises are worthless! I call her the Harmless Dragon.

WEALTH
Wealth is not a safe harbor in times of trouble.  The world changes quickly and without warning.  When we place our confidence in things of this world we are basing our life on shifting sand.  When we build our life with Jesus at the center we are putting our confidence in the eternal Lord.

 

August 21            Zechariah 14:20
On that day even the harness bells of the horses will be inscribed with these words: SET APART AS HOLY TO THE LORD. And the cooking pots in the Temple of the LORD will be as sacred as the basins used beside the altar.

RETURN
Jesus is coming back.  He is coming back for His children.  The timing of this is not an issue.  We can have confidence in His wisdom and live our life knowing that the Lord of all will not forget us.

 

August 22            Isaiah 9:4
For God will break the chains that bind his people and the whip that scourges them, just as he did when he destroyed the army of Midian with Gideon’s little band.

DELIVERANCE
The Lord is our deliverer.  He will make a way for us to get back on the right path.  When we find ourselves at the end of our abilities we can live one moment at a time trusting the Lord.  He is faithful.  We are His beloved.

 

August 23            1 Samuel 17:11
When Saul and the Israelites heard this, they were terrified and deeply shaken.

CHALLENGE
The Philistines had challenged Israel.  They were deeply afraid because of the might of the opposing forces and size of Goliath.  When you find yourself overwhelmed and outnumbered go to Jesus and ask Him to fight your fight.  He will give you the wisdom, mercy, grace and understanding to overcome that which is seeking to destroy you.

 

August 24            Joshua 10:7-8
So Joshua and the entire Israelite army left Gilgal and set out to rescue Gibeon.  “Do not be afraid of them,” the LORD said to Joshua, “for I will give you victory over them. Not a single one of them will be able to stand up to you.”

WORK
Victory in Jesus sometimes requires hard work and patience on our part.  A good work ethic at work and at home will often be used by the Lord.  He will equip us but we must walk the walk.

 

August 25            Isaiah 25:1-2
O LORD, I will honor and praise your name, for you are my God. You do such wonderful things! You planned them long ago, and now you have accomplished them.  You turn mighty cities into heaps of ruins. Cities with strong walls are turned to rubble. Beautiful palaces in distant lands disappear and will never be rebuilt.

PRAISE
The Lord Jesus is worthy of all our praise.  He loves us and is seeking for our best good.  We are encouraged to praise the Lord in all areas of our life.  Praising Him strengthens us.  Praising Him fills us with and awareness of His greatness and glory.  Thank you Lord for saving us and making us part of your family.

 

 

August 26            Matthew 16:6
“Watch out!” Jesus warned them. “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

EASY
It is so easy for us to go astray.  Not in evil but in the absence of love.  Life is hard, disappointing and unfair.  But we must guard against becoming hard as we live in the world.  Obedience is key.  Do the next right thing.  Maintain a glad and grateful heart.

 

August 27            Matthew 11:28-30
Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light.”

HURTING
We hurt because of many different things.  Sometimes it is our fault and sometimes it isn’t.  Always we have access to Jesus.  He will walk with us as we struggle through hurt.  He will comfort us and give us strength.  We can live our life with the absolute assurance that Jesus will never forsake us or fail to help us deal with our life.

 

August 28            Isaiah 26:3-4
You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, whose thoughts are fixed on you!  Trust in the LORD always, for the LORD GOD is the eternal Rock.

TRUST
Trust affects my view of life and it changes the way I respond to others.  It is an activity of the mind and heart.  Trust is developed in concert with Jesus.  We spend time with Him.  We study His word.  We take that word into our heart and let the Holy Spirit work on our inner being.  Once we are living under His control we will begin to act like Jesus.

 

August 29            Luke 4:4
But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People need more than bread for their life.’

SPIRITUALITY
Our life in the spirit is a personal journey between us and Jesus.  The way others know that I am spiritual is not because I tell them but by the way I treat them.  Our spiritual self needs guidance, healing, strength, peace and direction and we get this by spending time with Jesus.

 

August 30            1 Kings 18:21
Then Elijah stood in front of them and said, “How long are you going to waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!” But the people were completely silent.

CHOICES
We have just as much of Jesus as we want.  Our life in Christ is developed by time with Jesus.  Our heart is changed by letting Him have control of us and guiding through life’s complications moment by moment.

 

August 31            Isaiah 40:13
Who is able to advise the Spirit of the LORD? Who knows enough to be his teacher or counselor?

LORD
I can have full confidence in Jesus.  He is God’s Everything.  I begin with Jesus.  I stay with Jesus and I will wind up with Jesus.  Trust that this is true, experience His presence, stay in His word and let Him change you.

July 1                   Psalm 46:1
God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.

TRUST
We can know Him and trust Him with our daily life.  Jesus is the resource for our life.  He is faithful, he does listen and He will be our strength and protector.  Help is always near, we are never alone and Jesus loves each one of us as if there was no one else.

 

July 2                   Psalm 55:22
Please listen and answer me, for I am overwhelmed by my troubles.

ANSWERS
The world is full of questions.  We struggle to find the correct answer to our problems and many times wind up frustrated and disappointed.  Stop and pray.  Talk with Jesus about your problems and give Him the time and trust to answer you.  He will.  He will tell you what you need to do to deal with your troubles.

 

July 3                   Psalm 138:7
Though I am surrounded by troubles, you will preserve me against the anger of my enemies. You will clench your fist against my angry enemies! Your power will save me.

DAILY
Life is lived one moment at a time.  Our relationship with Jesus equips us to live our life this very moment.  He will not let us be destroyed.  He will not fail to help us.  Jesus is life and in Him we find the resources to appropriate and activate His life in us.

 

July 4                   1 Corinthians 4:10-13
Our dedication to Christ makes us look like fools, but you are so wise! We are weak, but you are so powerful! You are well thought of, but we are laughed at.  To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, without enough clothes to keep us warm. We have endured many beatings, and we have no homes of our own.  We have worked wearily with our own hands to earn our living. We bless those who curse us. We are patient with those who abuse us.  We respond gently when evil things are said about us. Yet we are treated like the world’s garbage, like everybody’s trash – right up to the present moment.

JOY
Joy is a gift from Jesus and is never something we find in the world.  Surrender and obedience always conquers the bluff and bluster of impending doom.  Rejoice in your life and His strength.

 

July 5                   2 Timothy 2:16-17
Work hard so God can approve you. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.  Avoid godless, foolish discussions that lead to more and more ungodliness.

REALITY
Life is real and it demands my attention and hard work.  Salvation in Christ is a reality and it is a gift from the Lord.  My salvation is not to indemnify me against eternal separation.  Salvation gives me access to the Father so that I can be the person the He created me to be.  In this world hard work is required.

 

 

July 6                   Hebrews 12:1-4
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us.

LIFE
Life is a marathon not a sprint.  What we do each day is important and how we relate our spiritual knowledge with our daily life impacts others.

 

July 7                   Deuteronomy 4:30-31
“When those bitter days have come upon you far in the future, you will finally return to the LORD your God and listen to what he tells you.  For the LORD your God is merciful – he will not abandon you or destroy you or forget the solemn covenant he made with your ancestors.

FORGIVENESS
Sometimes we lose our way.  Pride seeks to keep us on the wrong track.  If you are not as close as you once were stop right now and simply ask Jesus to bring you back to where you should be.  Jettison pride.  Follow Jesus.

 

July 8                   Psalm 94:12-13
Happy are those whom you discipline, LORD, and those whom you teach from your law.  You give them relief from troubled times until a pit is dug for the wicked.

DISCIPLINE
You and I want to run our own lives.  Too often we don’t look for the Lord’s way until we are in trouble.  Oh we say all the right things but our heart does otherwise.  Jesus knows our heart and He knows when we need help to return to the guided path.  His discipline equips us to do that.

 

July 9                   Proverbs 3:11-12
My child, don’t ignore it when the LORD disciplines you, and don’t be discouraged when he corrects you.  For the LORD corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.

DISCIPLINE
Who is it causing your pain?  What are you tripping over?  Ask the Lord if He is trying to get your attention.  Could it be that hate has you sidelined?  Is there someone you have mistreated?  The Lord will lead you on the right path.  Let Him have His way with you.

 

July 10       Acts 14:21-22
After preaching the Good News in Derbe and making many disciples, Paul and Barnabas returned again to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch of Pisidia, where they strengthened the believers. They encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that they must enter into the Kingdom of God through many tribulations.

TRIALS
The normal Christian life includes many difficulties and tribulations.  All around us is a lost world and we struggle to make sense out of it.  Jesus struggles with us and He will never leave us.  In the midst of adversity we have a right to grow.  Adversity can show us the kind of person that we’ve always known we should be.  Adversity is not a description of what kind of Christian we are.  It is a testimony to who we belong to.

 

July 11       Psalm 69:1
Save me, O God, for the floodwaters are up to my neck.

PRAYER
Conversation with Jesus is important.  It is always important.  We often forget the great need for relationship with Christ when things are going well.  Then in the midst of trouble we remember our need for His help.  Pray then at your point of need and when things get better remember your need for prayer.  Spend time with Jesus all the time.

 

July 12       Romans 8:1
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.

SALVATION
Jesus gives us the gift of salvation.  When we claim it He commits to us for eternity.  Our eternal relationship is eternal.  I belong to Him not based on what I’ve done but because of what He has done.  Lord thank you for your gift of salvation.

 

July 13       Psalm 73:3
For I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness.

NEED
Jesus will meet our needs.  He will not shortchange us.  We were not given life to experience constant deprivation; we have everything we need in Christ.  When heartache hits and the green-eyed monster of jealousy comes calling go to Jesus and talk with Him about your pain and He will meet your need.

 

July 14       James 1:6
But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to answer, for a doubtful mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.

TRUST
We can trust the Lord.  Our value is ensured by His faithfulness.  Do not be fooled and especially never think that your life isn’t special.  We belong to Him and He lives in us.  Our life counts and we are worthy in Jesus.

 

July 15       Romans 5:3-5
We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us – they help us learn to endure.  And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation.  And this expectation will not disappoint us. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

TRUTH
Our life is valuable.  We are encouraged by the Holy Spirit to move towards Jesus.  Whether we are rich or poor, winning or losing we can keep growing.  Jesus loves us and we can function day by day with this knowledge.  As we live life we will be astonished at how much we can do when we live day by day.  Today is important.  What we do now counts.

 

July 16       Romans 8:17-18
And since we are his children, we will share his treasures – for everything God gives to his Son, Christ, is ours, too. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.  Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will give us later.

SUFFERING
Suffering is real.  Suffering is part of the normal Christian life.  Jesus walks with us through our suffering and equips us to withstand the destructiveness of this world.  We are not alone.  Jesus is Lord.

 

July 17       Psalm 73:17-20
Then one day I went into your sanctuary, O God, and I thought about the destiny of the wicked.  Truly, you put them on a slippery path and send them sliding over the cliff to destruction.  In an instant they are destroyed, swept away by terrors.   Their present life is only a dream that is gone when they awake. When you arise, O Lord, you will make them vanish from this life.

SUFFERING
Our suffering is just for a short time.  Let us lay aside the fears and cares and worries of this life and share Jesus with all of those we meet.  Sharing Christ will change my life and cause me to begin looking at the lost with a heart of concern.

 

July 18       Romans 8:28
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

CALLED
If a person belongs to Jesus they are called.  This call demands a response.  The thoughts and activities of our lives are the response that we make to the call of Christ to follow Him.

 

July 19       2 Corinthians 4:17-18
For our present troubles are quite small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever!  So we don’t look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever.

SUFFERING

When we have trouble and are suffering it is real.  Our confidence in Jesus is not an admonition to discount the impact of suffering and trouble.  Our confidence in Jesus is an affirmation of our faith.  We suffer and we survive because of our fellowship with the Lord.  He is in control and we are under His protection.  We can stand, we can rejoice, we can live relevant and valuable lives because Jesus is Lord.

 

July 20       2 Timothy 2:12
If we endure hardship, we will reign with him. If we deny him, he will deny us.

ENDURANCE
We have those days when it seems that our problems are overwhelming.  Nothing will change, the pain will never end, and the failure is so catastrophic that we feel in our hearts that we are losers.  All I can say is that is the time when we must simply hang on.  We never have complete knowledge.  We cannot divine the future.  But we belong to the one who owns the future.  Hang on because Jesus is Lord.

July 21       James 1:2-3
Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy.  For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.

TROUBLE
Most of us never look for trouble, it comes unbidden.  Most of us do not make preparations for joy, it comes unbidden.  Life happens.  What we can make preparations for is to grow in our time with the Lord and let Him have control of us.  As He controls us our heart will constantly rejoice and we will face the activities of life with a clear sense of His presence and our value.  We have much to offer.  We are partners together with the Lord in our world.

 

July 22       James 1:12
God blesses the people who patiently endure testing. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

ENDURANCE
Endurance is not required to be pretty nor do we receive a grade.  Endurance is showing up.  Am I praying?  Am I changing?  Is Jesus the center?  These are the basics of endurance.  For a moment, a day and sometimes longer we may be overwhelmed and on the sideline but still we pray.  When all else has failed still we pray.  We endure.

 

July 23       1 Peter 1:7
These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold – and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold. So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

FAITH
We hold on not because we are strong but because we have the unshakeable confidence that the Lord Jesus is holding on to us.  We bend but do not break.  We fail but do not lose.  The world turns its back upon us but the sweet warmth of the face of the Lord Jesus looks on as we struggle and survive.  He will not fail us.  He will not leave us.  He will not assign us an ignominious task.  Jesus is Lord.

 

July 24       Psalm 73:26
My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.

LIFE
We cannot see tomorrow.  We cannot change the past.  We can live now.  Whatever we face we can succeed and survive.  Jesus is with us.  He will give us His strength to face the difficulties of today.

 

July 25       Psalm 55:16-17
But I will call on God, and the LORD will rescue me.  Morning, noon, and night I plead aloud in my distress, and the LORD hears my voice.

ANSWERS
Yes is the answer when we have a need.  Yes the Lord will be with us.  Yes the Lord will strengthen and comfort us.  Yes the Lord will see us through.  Yes we will always be in His family.  Yes, yes, yes, Jesus loves us.

 

July 26       Psalm 138:3
When I pray, you answer me; you encourage me by giving me the strength I need.

ANSWERS
Needs come from us and answers come from Jesus.  He will answer you and His answer will always meet your need.  Jesus is Lord and we belong to Him.  Do not falter and do not fear for the Lord is with you.

 

July 27       Romans 8:2
For the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death.

FREEDOM
Real freedom stretches through eternity.  Jesus is able to meet the needs of each one of us as if there were no other of us.  Take your needs to Jesus and He will meet them.

 

July 28       2 Corinthians 10:3
We are human, but we don’t wage war with human plans and methods.

WAR
Remember that the world, the flesh and the devil are seeking to discourage and destroy you.  You do not have the strength to defeat these authorities by yourself.  Only Jesus can provide the strength you need to fight the fight of faith.  Go to Jesus every day and ask Him for strength to face that day.

 

July 29       Philippians 4:8
And now, dear brothers and sisters, let me say one more thing as I close this letter. Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

THOUGHTS
The battle is in our minds.  Our hands and our feet are controlled by what we think.  Our attitude is controlled by our heart.  Lift up your mind and heart to Jesus and ask Him to change what you think about.  Think about Him.  Think about the wonderful blessings that Jesus has place in and on your life.

 

July 30       Colossians 1:13
For he has rescued us from the one who rules in the kingdom of darkness, and he has brought us into the Kingdom of his dear Son.

LIGHT
We live and walk in the light.  Jesus is the light of the Lord God come to us.  Read His Word, let Him have control of your mind and heart and bend your knee in service to Him.  Live your life as a child of the King and know that you are precious and beloved.

 

July 31       James 1:21
So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the message God has planted in your hearts, for it is strong enough to save your souls.

ETERNITY
Claim the power that Jesus has given you and let Him clean your mind.  Once our minds are properly focused our hearts will get right.  A pure heart will do things that honor Jesus.  Honor Jesus by the way you life.

June 1        Ephesians 1:15-17
Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for Christians everywhere, I have never stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.

PRAYER
I pray for you.  We pray for each other.  Prayer is an exercise of faith.  When we pray we are letting the Lord mold us and shape us.  The Lord will teach us as we pray.

 

June 2        Ephesians 3:14-16
When I think of the wisdom and scope of God’s plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.  I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit.

PRAYER
We are a guest of the Lord on this earth.  Our time is short and the days pass fast.  Prayer brings us into the presence of the Lord.  He is in control.  He is not limited by time.  He knows what tomorrow will bring.  As we speak to Him and put our life into His hands we will grow in faith and in knowledge of Jesus.

 

June 3        Philippians 1:3-6
Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God.  I always pray for you, and I make my requests with a heart full of joy because you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now.  And I am sure that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on that day when Christ Jesus comes back again.

PRAYER
There is no place for jealousy in the kingdom.  We are called to be prayer warriors for each other and to rejoice as the Lord uses anyone of us.  Time with Jesus is time well spent.  Time with Jesus is more time that He can use us in His work.

 

June 4        Philippians 1:9-11
I pray that your love for each other will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in your knowledge and understanding.  For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until Christ returns.  May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation– those good things that are produced in your life by Jesus Christ – for this will bring much glory and praise to God.

PRAY
Intercede for brothers and sisters in Christ.  Pray for their well being, for their strength and wisdom and that they will grow in their likeness of Jesus.  Pray as though someone is depending on you because they are.

 

June 5        Colossians 1:11-12
We also pray that you will be strengthened with his glorious power so that you will have all the patience and endurance you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father, who has enabled you to share the inheritance that belongs to God’s holy people, who live in the light.

REALITY
Time with Jesus is time well spent.  He is Lord and is willing to lead, guide and direct our lives.  His love for us is beyond our ability as mortals to comprehend but by faith we can experience that love and live with His love.  Joy and peace are gifts of His love and you and I can claim that each day.  We live in the light when we focus our time, talent and resources on Christ.

 

June 6        Colossians 3:12
Since God chose you to be the holy people whom he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

CHOSEN
When we accept the gift of life in Christ we are the chosen.  His choosing us results in our daily lives being different than those that have chosen the world.  In Christ we have access to His strength, wisdom, mercy and grace to deal with our moment by moment existence.  We have joy in Christ no matter what the world does to us.

June 7        2 Peter 1:5-7
So make every effort to apply the benefits of these promises to your life. Then your faith will produce a life of moral excellence. A life of moral excellence leads to knowing God better.  Knowing God leads to self-control. Self-control leads to patient endurance, and patient endurance leads to godliness.  Godliness leads to love for other Christians, and finally you will grow to have genuine love for everyone.

CHOICE
Every act, every thought in our lives is a choice.  We can choose the power of God to change us into Christ likeness.  We can choose His joy and peace.  We can live a life of value and worth because He values us and gives our lives eternal worth.  Joy in Jesus is our choice.

 

June 8        Joshua 1:8
Study this Book of the Law continually. Meditate on it day and night so you may be sure to obey all that is written in it. Only then will you succeed.

GOD’S WILL
The Lord wants us to spend time with Him.  He has given us His Word so that we might have the answer book to the problems of life that each one of us faces.  Obedience is critical.  Without obedience we will doom ourselves to second class citizenship in the family of God.  We will have no power to face the onslaught of evil in the world.  Spend time with Jesus and He will equip you to deal with your life.

 

June 9        Psalm 119:11-12
I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.  Blessed are you, O LORD; teach me your principles.

WORD
We are never at the mercy of the world.  The WORD of God will always give us the wisdom we need to face the moment.  We read His Word daily.  His Word gives us what we need as we grow into Christ likeness.

 

June 10      Psalm 105:1
Give thanks to the LORD and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done.

GRATITUDE
Our attitude is affected by our gratitude.  We determine how we see things.  Will we let the world define the way we evaluate our life and circumstances?  We can claim His wisdom, mercy and grace and the ability to see our life through His eyes.  We are beloved and the object of His care and concern.  Jesus is Lord.

 

June 11      Proverbs 12:15
Fools think they need no advice, but the wise listen to others.

LIFE
The Word calls us to seek good counsel.  We are called to live our lives wisely.  People count.  Growing in Christ likeness calls us to live in community.  We are not islands.  We are created with a need to be of service and to do the right thing.  Doing the next right thing sometimes requires that we need to seek the advice of others so that we do the best right thing.

 

June 12      Matthew 7:7
“Keep on asking, and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened.

PRAY
We are called to pray.  Pray for the needs of others.  Pray for our friends.  Pray for our country.  Pray that we might be useable and useful.  Pray as though your life depended on it.  Pray that you might become more like Jesus.

 

June 13      John 7:37-38
On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “If you are thirsty, come to me!  If you believe in me, come and drink! For the Scriptures declare that rivers of living water will flow out from within.”

TIME
Time with Jesus is time well spent.  Time is our adversary.  Time corrupts our bodies.  Jesus is over time.  When we turn our hearts and minds to Christ He will effectively use our time and give us enough time to glorify Him.  It is all about Jesus.

 

June 14      John 10:3-4
The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.  After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they recognize his voice.

RECOGNITION
Read the Word.  Spend time with Jesus in prayer.  Obey His revealed Word and His activity in your heart.  When we do this we will not be deceived.  We will always recognize our Lord Jesus as we follow Him.

June 15      Romans 12:2
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is.

THINK
Think about Jesus.  Spend time in the Word of the Lord.  Look for His activity in your life.  Listen as the Word resounds in your heart.  Bend your knee when the Word speaks to you.  Rejoice and praise the Lord.  Set aside the accomplishments and defeats of this world and revel in His love.  Jesus loves you and me.  Doing this will renew your mind.  His presence will point specifically to your solution.

 

June 16      Philippians 4:6
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

CONFIDENCE
You and I can know that the Lord Jesus will not fail us.  We know this by knowing Him.  We read His Word.  We obey His commands.  We praise Him for all that He does for us.  We remember the good things He does and the times that He has encouraged us at the very depths of our soul.  We have confidence in His presence because we know He loves us.  We talk to Him.  Out of our intimacy with Jesus will flow His peace and strength.  He will remove our fear and replace it with confidence.

 

June 17      James 1:5
If you need wisdom – if you want to know what God wants you to do – ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking.

WISDOM
Wisdom is not hidden from us.  Our Lord wants us to be wise in our well doing and to be equipped for each day.  His wisdom comes from His heart, bathed in love and offered to us if we want it.  Wisdom for today is our choice.  Will I choose His way or not?  That is always the question.

June 18      Psalm 62:1
I wait quietly before God, for my salvation comes from him.

SURVIVAL
His Word speaks to the needs of our life each day.  Fear, failure, disappointment, and the future are just some of the obstacles we are confronted with every day.  For us to survive as a victorious servant of the Lord God we must put on His strength, wisdom and peace.  We were made for this day.  He is able to equip us to live it.

 

June 19      Psalm 62:5-7
I wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him.  He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken.  My salvation and my honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me.

STRENGTH
Our power comes from Jesus.  It is not a hope or a wish or a false front it is in us.  His power connects us to Him.  Day by day our time with Jesus builds within an awareness of His presence and concern.  He will not leave us nor has He put us here to be destroyed.  We belong to Him and this is our place.

 

June 20      Isaiah 40:29-31
He gives power to those who are tired and worn out; he offers strength to the weak.  Even youths will become exhausted, and young men will give up.  But those who wait on the LORD will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

STAMINA
When what you are facing is more than you can bear, give it to Jesus.  Giving away our heartache and defeat takes surrender.  Time with Jesus enables us to intellectually let go of it.  More time with Jesus in His Word gives us the power to say and think that yes we can give it to Him.  The Holy Spirit with us effectively equips us to experience His strength and conquering power in us and to know in our hearts that He is with us.  New strength comes and we continue in Him.

 

June 21      Isaiah 41:10
Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.

VICTORY
Victory is His.  When we surrender our lives to Him by what we think, say, and do, we participate in His victory in the daily activities of our lives.  Jesus is Lord.  When He is Lord of us we know His victory in us.

 

 

June 22      Isaiah 41:13
I am holding you by your right hand – I, the LORD your God. And I say to you, ‘Do not be afraid. I am here to help you.

DO NOT FEAR
The message from Jesus to you today is do not fear.  What you are facing is real but Jesus is able.  The life you are living may be disappointing but Jesus is our victory, peace and joy.  Do not fear for the Lord has come and He is in you.

 

June 23      Jeremiah 31:25
For I have given rest to the weary and joy to the sorrowing.”

VALUABLE
You count with Jesus.  You are valuable to Him.  What you are doing day by day is critical in the Kingdom.  Rejoice and let Him have your weariness and sorrow.  Rejoice and know that you are important to Him.  Jesus loves you.

 

June 24      Nahum 1:7
The LORD is good. When trouble comes, he is a strong refuge. And he knows everyone who trusts in him.

HEART
Jesus knows your heart.  He knows what you are going through and He has not forgotten you.  We don’t know how things will work out now but we do know that the end result will be good.  Claim His presence and strength and He will work in and through you towards your best good.  Do not let your heart be troubled because you are the object of His love.

 

June 25      Matthew 11:28-30
Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light.”

SURRENDER
Salvation is the Lord’s gift to you.  Spiritual victory is the result of you giving your heart, soul and mind to Jesus.  Let Him know all about you and constantly seek His face.  Peace and joy will claim your heart and wisdom will guide your feet.  His work through you will become a daily activity and your burdens will disappear.  There is victory in the presence of the Lord.

 

June 26      John 14:1
“Don’t be troubled. You trust God, now trust in me.

LORD
Jesus is Lord.  Spend time with Him.  Seek His face and trust totally in Him and He will renew you day by day.  His power will seek you out.  His joy will become a trusted friend.  His wisdom will guide your every step.

 

June 27      Psalm 9:9-10
The LORD is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.  Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O LORD, have never abandoned anyone who searches for you.

CONFIDENCE
Too often we think in our hearts that Jesus really can’t use us.  We know our sin and we know all of the promises we have made and never kept.  But the Word of God says that He is our forgiveness and in Him we have the totality of God more than able to meet our needs and use us.  If we want to know Him and be used by Him let Him begin now.  Today is where we start.  Make this your day of change.  Place your confidence in Him and begin to live as though He were in charge of your life because He is.

 

June 28      Psalm 34:4
I prayed to the LORD, and he answered me, freeing me from all my fears.

NOW
Do it now.  Ask the Lord to loose you from all that holds you back from serving Him.  Ask Him to come and live in you and change you to what He wants you to be.  Forget the past and move forward in Him.  Do it now and you will experience the presence of the living Lord who is more than able to use you and make your life as valuable as you know in your heart it is.

 

June 29      Psalm 37:23
The steps of the godly are directed by the LORD. He delights in every detail of their lives.

REVEL
Revel moment by moment in Jesus.  He knows you and is more than willing to discuss every detail of your life.  Let Him bring you through the boot camp of spiritual preparation.  Surrender to Him so that you may be properly equipped and able to deal with your life and serve others.  In service you will find everything you have been looking for all your life.  Jesus is Lord and you belong to Him.

 

June 30      Colossians 3:13
You must make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.

FORGIVENESS
Quickly forgive.  Learn the joy of forgiving others and the strength that comes from bending the knee and letting Jesus cleanse your heart.  Do not hold a grudge.  It only ensnares you in the wickedness of the world. Quickly forgive and you will grow in Christ likeness.

May 1                   Romans 1:4
And Jesus Christ our Lord was shown to be the Son of God when God powerfully raised him from the dead by means of the Holy Spirit.

JESUS
Jesus is adequate to meet whatever need we have.  He is always able.  His power is not limited and His concern for us is always great.  Jesus is Lord.

 

May 2                  Romans 1:8
Let me say first of all that your faith in God is becoming known throughout the world. How I thank God through Jesus Christ for each one of you.

YOU
Jesus knows you.  He has not forgotten where you are and what you are going through.  Remember that His power is most effective in our submission and obedience.  Treat the people you meet every day as if they are important and you will become important.  Trust and obey and Jesus will use you.

 

May 3                  Ephesians 1:3-5
Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God.  I always pray for you, and I make my requests with a heart full of joy because you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now.

PARTNERS
We are participating together with Jesus Christ as ministers of the mystery of God: God loves you and has provided a way for you to be a member of His family.  He has a plan for your life that is important.  We are co-workers spreading the Good News.  Jesus has come that we might be free.

 

May 4                  Ephesians 1:6
And I am sure that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on that day when Christ Jesus comes back again.

WORK
Obey Jesus.  It may seem that what you are doing isn’t changing the world but it is.  We are world changers when we let Jesus lead us.  Daily equip yourself by His Word and His presence and go change the world.

 

May 5                  Ephesians 1:7
It is right that I should feel as I do about all of you, for you have a very special place in my heart. We have shared together the blessings of God, both when I was in prison and when I was out, defending the truth and telling others the Good News.

HEAR
We are never more than one generation away from paganism.  It is so critical that as we partner with Jesus we tell others about Him.  We must share the Gospel by Word and we must share the Gospel by what we do.  It is always a balance.  When people know we care they will care about what we know.

 

May 6                  Ephesians 1:8-9
God knows how much I love you and long for you with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus.  I pray that your love for each other will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in your knowledge and understanding.

LOVE
Love is evidenced by what we do.  It is an action.  When I treat people like I would like to be treated I am expressing human love.  When I treat people like Jesus treats me it is a Christ like love.  Jesus loves me.  I need to love people.  It is a very simple process-when I am a Christian I will care for others especially those that are hard to love.

 

May 7                  Ephesians 1:10
For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until Christ returns.

LIFESTYLE
Jesus is Lord.  When we surrender to Him we will change.  Change is fundamental in the Christian life.  Our lifestyle is always being drawn by the world.  His Word guides us to live like Him.  When I live like Jesus I will change the way I live.

 

May 8                  Ephesians 1:11
May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation – those good things that are produced in your life by Jesus Christ – for this will bring much glory and praise to God.

LIFESTYLE
Do the next right thing.  I cannot focus on the future.  Life is lived in the now.  I am charged with the opportunity to connect with our Lord Jesus on a moment by moment basis and live as He would have me live.  Guidance and direction come from Jesus.  If I spend time with Him and listen to Him I will do the right things.

 

May 9                  Ephesians 1:12-13
And I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News.  For everyone here, including all the soldiers in the palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ.

LIFESTYLE
I do not look to the world to know how to live.  How I live is not dictated by my circumstances.  Wealth or poverty do not define me.  If I live in a close relationship with Jesus I will become more like Christ.  If I focus on the world and the things of the world I will be tossed about like a rowboat in heavy seas.  Jesus is Lord.

 

May 10                Ephesians 1:14
And because of my imprisonment, many of the Christians here have gained confidence and become more bold in telling others about Christ.

PROCLAMATION
By truth and word and deed we share the Gospel.  When I am weak He is strong.  When I am yielded He is active.  Telling the Gospel story is simply speaking about my relationship with Jesus.  I will always share what is Lord of my life.

 

May 11                Ephesians 1:15-18
Some are preaching out of jealousy and rivalry. But others preach about Christ with pure motives.  They preach because they love me, for they know the Lord brought me here to defend the Good News.  Those others do not have pure motives as they preach about Christ. They preach with selfish ambition, not sincerely, intending to make my chains more painful to me.  But whether or not their motives are pure, the fact remains that the message about Christ is being preached, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice.

GOSPEL
The Gospel is for all.  Jesus died that all might have forgiveness.  It is not a private event nor is it an event that is limited in scope.  I do not decide how the Lord will work in the world.  I only participate in His activity of telling the world of His salvation and love.

 

May 12                Ephesians 1:19-20
For I know that as you pray for me and as the Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me, this will all turn out for my deliverance.  For I live in eager expectation and hope that I will never do anything that causes me shame, but that I will always be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past, and that my life will always honor Christ, whether I live or I die.

FINALLY
Lord don’t let me mess up now.  Even in Paul there was an awareness of the devastating impact of sin in the life of a believer.  I am to be on the alert.  I am to constantly be striving to grow into Christ likeness.  The Lordship of Jesus in my life is a daily activity.  I let Him have control.  I am the one that must obey.  The Christian life is not an end, it is a reflection of the Lord in my life.

 

May 13                 Mark 16:8
The women fled from the tomb, trembling and bewildered, saying nothing to anyone because they were too frightened to talk.  Then they reported all these instructions briefly to Peter and his companions. Afterward Jesus himself sent them out from east to west with the sacred and unfailing message of salvation that gives eternal life. Amen.

MESSAGE
We can have a relationship with Jesus.  He is alive.  He offers us the free gift of salvation.  This gift equips us to live now and forever.  I rejoice in Jesus because He paid a price I couldn’t pay and gave me a relationship I couldn’t earn.  Jesus is Lord.

 

May 14                 Romans 4:25
He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised from the dead to make us right with God.

MESSAGE
Jesus did it all.  My life has value and worth because as a child of God I am in partnership with the Lord of the universe seeking to do His will and follow His guidance.  Peace and joy are a part of this partnership.  Significance and usefulness are a result of this partnership.  Jesus provides all of this for each one of us.  Christ is our salvation.

 

May 15                 Romans 10:9
For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

SALVATION
Salvation is gift from the Father.  It is offered to each one of us as if there were no other of us.  It is a free gift that once accepted is eternal.  I don’t earn salvation.  I don’t lose salvation.  This gift is literally the presence of the Lord in an eternal relationship with each on of us that accept His free gift forgiveness of sin and eternal relationship.

 

May 16                 Acts 3:15
You killed the author of life, but God raised him to life. And we are witnesses of this fact!

PURPOSE
The purpose of God will not be thwarted.  What man means for evil the Lord can use for good.  Be alert, be grateful and serve willingly.  Our lives count in Jesus.

 

May 17                 Acts 2:23-24
But you followed God’s prearranged plan. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to the cross and murdered him. However, God released him from the horrors of death and raised him back to life again, for death could not keep him in its grip.

LIFE
Very often we face the fear of the unknown.  What will happen if and what if and on and on.  Jesus changes that for us.  He has faced the final conflict and by the power of the Father defeated death and the unknown.  In Christ we find confidence for our life.  In Christ we live in victory.

 

May 18                 John 11:25
Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life.   Those who believe in me, even though they die like everyone else, will live again.

VICTORY
My life counts.  What I do and say is important to Christ.  He uses each one of us in His plan to share life with every person.  We are messengers and members of His family.  Eternal life although difficult to imagine is ours.  Jesus would that all find Him.  That is my goal.

 

May 19                 1 Corinthians 1:14-15
I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, for now no one can say they were baptized in my name.

JESUS
Jesus is our everything.  I live in Him.  In Christ we have access to the Father and power for living.  In Christ I find my service and the fulfillment of my life.  In Christ I live in victory and will not succumb to defeat.  Jesus is Lord.

 

May 20                 John 2:19
“All right,” Jesus replied. “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

LIFE
This life is a mirage that is always seeking to seduce man.  This world condemns, destroys and defeats us.  Life in Christ gives us truth.  We are somebody.  The Father does hear our prayers.  Our life has value and worth and the Father is patiently using us as His messengers.  Life in Christ is victory.  Life in Christ is eternal.

 

May 21                 John 20:18
Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” Then she gave them his message.

POWER
The Lord gives us the power to be ourselves.  He makes our pathways safe and this world cannot destroy us.  The Lord Jesus gives us the strength we need and the wisdom to deal with crisis now.  His strength is always a present strength that equips us to obey Him.

 

May 22                 Mark 14:3
Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had leprosy. During supper, a woman came in with a beautiful jar of expensive perfume.   She broke the seal and poured the perfume over his head.

VALUE
People count.  All people count.  Jesus makes us whole.  His love forgives us and brings us into the family of God.  Life lived in Christ is a life that is worthwhile.  Obedience is the foundation for this life in Christ and produces joy and confidence in our hearts.  Peace becomes a reality in our lives each day.

 

May 23                Psalm 23:3
He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.

GUIDANCE
It is all about Jesus and His love for each one of us.  As I grow in Christ I discover that I am better equipped to deal with those that spitefully abuse me.  People count with Jesus and as I become more like Christ they count with me.  Not so that I can achieve my goals but so that they can know Him and the power of His resurrection in their life.

 

May 24                Psalm 23:4
Even when I walk through the dark valley of death,  I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.

DISCIPLINE
Just as the soldier must learn discipline I too must at times be disciplined.  His discipline creates strength and wisdom.  His discipline is all about my best good.  When I bend the knee quickly to His discipline I find strength, peace and joy that much quicker.

 

May 25                Psalm 23:5
You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You welcome me as a guest, anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings.

LIFE
Life is difficult.  It demands that we learn to live with the unknown.  Faith is responding to life with the realization that Jesus loves me.  His love underscores my value and my life.  Christ is my hope of glory and serving Him is my response.

 

May 26                Psalm 23:6
Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the LORD forever.

PURSUIT
Jesus is always looking for you and for me.  I am always on His heart.  Every thought He has for me is a thought for good.  Good or bad, rich or poor, the Lord is with me and is working out His good plan for my life.

 

May 27                Ephesians 1:21
For to me, living is for Christ, and dying is even better.

ETERNAL
We cannot control the world.  We can control our life.  In Christ we have everything we need for real life.  Worth, value, joy and peace are products of our eternal relationship with Jesus.  Think with me today how truly wonderful it is that Jesus loves us.

 

May 28                Ephesians 1:22-24
Yet if I live, that means fruitful service for Christ. I really don’t know which is better.  I’m torn between two desires: Sometimes I want to live, and sometimes I long to go and be with Christ. That would be far better for me, but it is better for you that I live.

RELATIONSHIP
The more I know Jesus, the more I want to see Him.  Time passes so quickly and it is so difficult for us to see the good we do that at times my yearning is to finish my course and be with Him.  Yet I know that He has a perfect time for me and by faith I know that His plan for me is much better than any emotion I feel or plan I could work up.  Life is Christ and in Him I live and move and breathe.

 

May 29                Ephesians 1:25-26
I am convinced of this, so I will continue with you so that you will grow and experience the joy of your faith. Then when I return to you, you will have even more reason to boast about what Christ Jesus has done for me.

JESUS
Each one of our lives is so personal and unique.  And yet in our very uniqueness we find a common thread, Jesus is our Lord.  Your victory in Christ brings me joy.  Your love for Jesus encourages me to love Him more.

 

May 30                Ephesians 1:27-28
But whatever happens to me, you must live in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ, as citizens of heaven. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing side by side, fighting together for the Good News.  Don’t be intimidated by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God himself.

VICTORY
We belong.  We count.  Our master is the creator and ruler of all things and we know Him as Lord and Father.  His spirit resides in us and as we voice our prayers we know that He is with us to encourage us and direct us how to pray.  There is sweet joy in knowing that He is the giver of life and the sustainer of our life.  Jesus is Lord and in Him we have eternal victory.

 

May 31                Ephesians 1:29-30
For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him.  We are in this fight together. You have seen me suffer for him in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of this great struggle.

SUFFERING
You will suffer for your faith.  So often it seems like bad luck or so unfair that we experience difficult times.  Sometimes this is just life but often it is the spirit of the evil one seeking whom he might devour.  As committed servants we are sometimes in the line of fire.  The powers and principalities of this world do not like us prevailing against them and they will strike out against us.  Do not worry.  If you are suffering for your faith you are in good company.  Jesus loves you.

April 1                  1 Thessalonians 4:14
For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus comes, God will bring back with Jesus all the Christians who have died.

ETERNAL LIFE
This is hard for us to comprehend.  Here is the truth.  Jesus will never leave us.  We will never be second place with Jesus.  We are in the family of God.  It is that simple.

 

April 2                  1 Thessalonians 4:18
So comfort and encourage each other with these words.

WORD
The Word of God is alive and active.  It is used by the Lord to help us live our daily lives.  The Word convicts, encourages, directs and any other thing that we need to become more like Jesus.  Read it.  Live it.  Believe it.

 

April 3                  1 Corinthians 1:17-19
For Christ didn’t send me to baptize but to preach the Good News and not with clever speeches and high-sounding ideas for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power.  I know very well how foolish the message of the cross sounds to those who are on the road to destruction. But we who are being saved recognize this message as the very power of God.  As the Scriptures say, “I will destroy human wisdom and discard their most brilliant ideas.”

WISDOM
The Lord Jesus is no respecter of persons.  He loves each one of us as if there were no other.  This is hard to comprehend but simple to understand.  Jesus loves me and you.

April 4                  1 Corinthians 1:23-24
So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended, and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense.  But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the mighty power of God and the wonderful wisdom of God.

SALVATION
God’s power is not subject to the world.  What nations think or do will not compromise our relationship with Jesus.  Our life is in His capable hands and we are saved unto eternity.

April 5                  1 Corinthians 1:28-29
God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important,  so that no one can ever boast in the presence of God.

POWER
Power belongs to Jesus.  He is the strategic planner and His plan is effective and effectual in our life.  He uses individuals to impact humanity.  Often the one He uses is seen by the world as nobody.  In the plan of God and the power of Jesus a nobody becomes the activity of the living Lord among men.  To God be the glory.

April 6                  1 Corinthians 1:30
God alone made it possible for you to be in Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made Christ to be wisdom itself. He is the one who made us acceptable to God. He made us pure and holy, and he gave himself to purchase our freedom.

VALUE
God created you and me with value.  When I am myself and obeying the Lord His value comes out of me.  My life and your life are critical in the family of God and we are valuable to Jesus.  My value is a gift.  Using that gift is my choice.

April 7                  1 Corinthians 15:1-2
Now let me remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then and still do now, for your faith is built on this wonderful message.  And it is this Good News that saves you if you firmly believe it – unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place.

SALVATION
Good news Jesus has come.  The Messiah came into our world, lived under the same rules we live under and did not sin.  He walked straight to the cross and died for my sin.  The Father raised Him from the dead and He is alive today.  I serve a risen savior.

 

April 8                  1 Corinthians 15:3
I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me – that Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said.

TRUTH
Jesus gives us access to the Father.  He brings us into the family and enables us to live as a child of God.  Our sins are forgiven.  It is the gift of God.  We are alive and free because of the work that Jesus did on the cross.

 

April 9                  1 Corinthians 15:4
He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, as the Scriptures said.

RESURRECTION
God’s power is complete.  It is adequate to save me and you.  His power offers us life in Christ.  The Lord Jesus is alive and gives us His life.

 

April 10                1 Corinthians 15:5
He was seen by Peter and then by the twelve apostles.

TESTIMONY
Seldom can three people agree on anything.  Yet the twelve apostles saw Jesus and bore testimony to this.  Without exception they all spoke of the risen savior.  Jesus is alive.

 

April 11               1 Corinthians 15:6
After that, he was seen by more than five hundred of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died by now.

TESTIMONY
The people testified to what they had seen not what someone told them.  They all had the same story.  Jesus who died on the cross to pay the price for my sin and yours was alive.  He is alive today.  A relationship with Christ brings life to our lives.

 

April 12               Romans 5:1-11
Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.

SALVATION
Jesus brought us a gift.  That gift is life.  His presence gives us light to live.  We no longer are left to our own resources.  We belong to the Lord and He wants us to know Him.  He knows you and me.  Now we can know Him.

 

 

April 13               1 Corinthians 15:10
But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me – and not without results. For I have worked harder than all the other apostles, yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace.

SERVICE
I serve.  The Lord prospers.  This is the way the spiritual life works.  Our Lord blesses us and uses us.  Our service is the cornerstone of our relationship.  The more we serve the more we have to talk with Jesus about.  The more time we spend with Jesus the more we get to know Him.  The more we know Him the more we serve.  Use my Lord.  Use me up.

 

April 14               2 Timothy 1:10
And now he has made all of this plain to us by the coming of Christ Jesus, our Savior, who broke the power of death and showed us the way to everlasting life through the Good News.

TODAY
I will always live today.  I cannot change the past.  I cannot serve in the future.  Now is the time of service.  The Lord went to the cross at the exact right time.  His service of sacrifice for you and me was on the day the cross exacted His death.  Now is the time to pray.  Now is the time to grow.  Do it now.

 

April 15               2 Timothy 1:14
With the help of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, carefully guard what has been entrusted to you.

FAITHFULNESS
This world does not determine our usefulness.  Jesus is at work in us to do that which He has laid out as our service.  The Holy Spirit works in our lives to use us where we are needed.  Do not despair.  Do not let the world overrun you.  Be encouraged because Jesus loves you.  What you are doing as unto the Lord is critical in His kingdom.

 

April 16               Luke 24:1-3
But very early on Sunday morning the women came to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared.  They found that the stone covering the entrance had been rolled aside.  So they went in, but they couldn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus.

ALIVE
We serve a risen Savior.  He is alive today.  He is active today.  Today is when we can spend time with Him.  The victory has been won.  Today is when we can be victorious.

 

April 17               Luke 24:4-7
They were puzzled, trying to think what could have happened to it. Suddenly, two men appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes.  The women were terrified and bowed low before them. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking in a tomb for someone who is alive?  He isn’t here! He has risen from the dead! Don’t you remember what he told you back in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again the third day?”

VICTORY
Do not let your failures control you.  Jesus is alive and His work is done now.  Change your focus to Christ and His presence.  Be usable and be confident.  You are defined by Christ and not by the world.

 

April 18               Luke 24:10-11
The women who went to the tomb were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and several others. They told the apostles what had happened, but the story sounded like nonsense, so they didn’t believe it.

CHRIST
Christ in you is your hope of glory.  This is a concept that is hard to explain but easy to experience.  He said He would be with you.  He said you had something important to do for Him.  Be obedient and do not despair.  Jesus is alive and He is alive in you.

 

April 19               Luke 24:25-26
Then Jesus said to them, “You are such foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures.  Wasn’t it clearly predicted by the prophets that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his time of glory?”

BELIEF
Belief is personal and practical.  It shapes the way we see ourselves and others.  Belief is rooted in our growing relationship with the Lord.  I read His Word, apply it to my life and let His Word change me.  No one else can believe for you.  Only you can believe the Word of the Lord and let it be effective and effectual in your life.

 

April 20               Luke 24:36
And just as they were telling about it, Jesus himself was suddenly standing there among them. He said, “Peace be with you.”

PEACE
Our peace is a gift from the Lord.  We will have peace when we let the Lord have control of us.  It is available for us as we navigate the vagaries and variables of life.  Amazingly we can often have the greatest peace in the midst of the greatest conflict because the Lord Jesus is with us.

 

April 21               Luke 24:47-48
With my authority, take this message of repentance to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who turn to me.’  You are witnesses of all these things.

SALVATION
Turn to the Lord.  Jesus will forgive you and give you eternal life.  Turn to the Lord daily and He will give you life for living.  Each day you are in need of His healing touch.

 

April 22               1 Corinthians 15:12-14
But tell me this – since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead?  For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either.  And if Christ was not raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your trust in God is useless.

ALIVE
Jesus is alive today.  He lives in you and me.  He equips, enables, guides, forgives and any other thing that we need for the normal Christian life.  Your life is special.  Let Him lead you.

 

April 23               Isaiah 25:6-8
In Jerusalem, the LORD Almighty will spread a wonderful feast for everyone around the world. It will be a delicious feast of good food, with clear, well-aged wine and choice beef.  In that day he will remove the cloud of gloom, the shadow of death that hangs over the earth.  He will swallow up death forever! The Sovereign LORD will wipe away all tears. He will remove forever all insults and mockery against his land and people. The LORD has spoken!

FINALLY
One day the Lord will reveal His kingdom.  Today by faith we live under His direction and control.  One day by sight we will live under His direction and control.  The truth is that this very moment we are living under His direction and control and it is as solid and eternal as it will be in that day of revelation.

 

April 24               1 Corinthians 15:20
But the fact is that Christ has been raised from the dead. He has become the first of a great harvest of those who will be raised to life again.

LIFE
Life in Christ is real life.  You and I are alive and under the direction of the creator of the universe.  He knows all about us.  He loves us.  He has a plan for us.  Life is good.  Jesus loves you.

 

April 25               1 Corinthians 15:25-27
For Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath his feet.    And the last enemy to be destroyed is death.  For the Scriptures say, “God has given him authority over all things.”  Of course, when it says “authority over all things,” it does not include God himself, who gave Christ his authority.

AUTHORITY
I want us to be careful as we look at this and think about Christ returning in judgment.  He is holding off judgment because of His great love.  He called us because of His great love.  Love is what we are called to do.  Judgment belongs to the Lord Jesus.  Obedience is our responsibility.

 

April 26               Isaiah 25:9
In that day the people will proclaim, “This is our God. We trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, in whom we trusted. Let us rejoice in the salvation he brings!”

REJOICE
This I understand.  Christ has saved me from eternal death to eternal life.  I trust the Lord.  His Word and His powerful work in me has guided me faithfully every day of my Christian life.  I know that Jesus loves me.

 

April 27               Mark 14:32
And they came to an olive grove called Gethsemane, and Jesus said, “Sit here while I go and pray.”

STRENGTH
I cannot live with Jesus.  I am not strong enough, wise enough or good enough to walk with Him.  He gave me life.  His gift gives me the right to ask Him to lead, guide and direct my life.

 

April 28                Psalm 23:1
The LORD is my shepherd; I have everything I need.

VALUE
My value is in Jesus.  My standing today and into eternity is not based on my job, my wealth or the world’s approval.  Jesus gives me everything I need to live a Christian life, to serve Him, to be obedient and to live an abundant life.  Jesus is God’s everything.

 

April 29                Psalm 23:2
He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams.

LIFE
Life is quick and difficult.  All of us struggle with the unknown.  When we know Jesus, we the One who knows the unknown.  He loves us.  He will not leave us alone.  He will not abandon us.  He will bring us peace and joy in the midst of life.

 

April 30                Luke 24:50-52
Then Jesus led them to Bethany, and lifting his hands to heaven, he blessed them.   While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up to heaven.  They worshiped him and then returned to Jerusalem filled with great joy.

RETURN
Jesus is coming back.  Like a thief in the night He will return when we least expect it.  I am to live a life of obedience and expectancy.  Jesus is Lord.

March 1     Isaiah 40:3
Listen! I hear the voice of someone shouting, “Make a highway for the LORD through the wilderness. Make a straight, smooth road through the desert for our God.

CHRIST
Christ came as predicted.  He came for each one of us and all of us.  His sacrifice is sufficient for any of us and powerful enough for all of us.  His death on the cross and rising from the grave is an historical event with current application for you and me.  He is alive and in Him we live.

 

March 2     Matthew 3:3
Isaiah had spoken of John when he said, “He is a voice shouting in the wilderness: ‘Prepare a pathway for the Lord’s coming! Make a straight road for him!'”

JESUS
Jesus changed everything.  He came and conquered death and provides abundant life for us.  His work is complete and current.  His forgiveness equips us to receive all of the promises of the Word of God.

 

March 3     Psalm 24:7
Open up, ancient gates! Open up, ancient doors, and let the King of glory enter.

GLORY
His glory is a high honor worthy of all recognition and praise.  His radiance and aura is majestic and indescribable but certainly descriptive of His glory.  He is the mighty God worthy of all my adoration and praise.

 

March 4     Psalm 24:10
Who is the King of glory? The LORD Almighty – he is the King of glory.

GLORY
Our God is a God of great magnificence and beauty.  His majesty, brilliance and depth are beyond description.  And yet in the revelation of Jesus Christ the Lord of Glory shows us great love and compassion.  Jesus meets each one of us at the foot of the cross.  The Lord is worthy of all our praise for His glory is great.

 

March 5     Jeremiah 23:5-6
“For the time is coming,” says the LORD, “when I will place a righteous Branch on King David’s throne. He will be a King who rules with wisdom. He will do what is just and right throughout the land.  And this is his name: ‘The LORD Is Our Righteousness.’   In that day Judah will be saved, and Israel will live in safety.

JESUS
Christ has come.  He brings forgiveness of sin and a relationship with the Father to anyone that will accept His gift.  Messiah has come and He is Jesus.

 

March 6     1 Corinthians 1:30
God alone made it possible for you to be in Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made Christ to be wisdom itself. He is the one who made us acceptable to God. He made us pure and holy, and he gave himself to purchase our freedom.

RIGHTEOUSNESS
I want to be right and do right and yet try as hard as I might I still do wrong.  My conscience convicts me.  The Word of God points a finger at my shortcomings.  Jesus Christ cleanses me.  It is His gift of righteousness that enables me to come into the presence of the Living Lord.

 

March 7     Isaiah 44:6
“This is what the LORD, Israel’s King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty, says: I am the First and the Last; there is no other God.

LORD
I don’t make Jesus Lord, He already is Lord.  I can surrender and give Him control of my life.  I can obey Him and live with wisdom and strength.  The choice is mine.  Love the Lord or live without the Lord.  Jesus is always Lord.

 

March 8     Isaiah 48:12
“Listen to me, O family of Jacob, Israel my chosen one! I alone am God, the First and the Last.

LORD
Jesus knows me.  He knows my need.  He will not forsake me.  He will not fail me.  I am called to obey.  I am called to serve.  The Lord is my shepherd and I shall not want.

 

March 9     Psalm 97:9
For you, O LORD, are most high over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods.

PRAISE
Praise the Lord.  Praise Him with great joy and exuberance.  Praise Him with faithfulness.  Praise Him with obedience.  Praise Him with right living.  The Lord is able.  His greatness creates in each one of us great value.  Praise Him for your life and worth.  Praise Him for you plans.  With every fiber of your being, praise the Lord.

 

March 10   John 3:31
“He has come from above and is greater than anyone else. I am of the earth, and my understanding is limited to the things of earth, but he has come from heaven.

JESUS
Jesus is God.  He is Lord of all and His love creates Good News for each one of us.  Jesus paid the price for our sin and we can ask Him to forgive us and save us.  We are given spiritual life.  We are able to be what the Lord created us to be and have fellowship with Jesus all the days of our life.

 

March 11   Zechariah 13:7
“Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, the man who is my partner, says the LORD Almighty. Strike down the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn against the lambs.

JESUS
What the world meant for bad the Lord used for good.  Jesus died on the cross and paid the price for my sin.  It was a personal event in which the Lord of the universe stepped into the limitations of life on earth and paid the price for me to become a part of His family.

 

March 12   Revelation 1:17
When I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last.

JESUS
Do not fear.  Your life is of great value and worth to the Jesus the Lord.  He will use you and will not desert you.  Jesus will be standing, waiting when you go from this life into eternity.  Now will last only a short time and then will last forever.

 

March 13   Revelation 22:13
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”

JESUS
I will never be out of the view of Jesus.  He is not surprised by anything that happens in my life.  I am special to Him just as you are special to Him.  I love the Lord and He loves me and you.

 

March 14   Mark 4:19
but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for nice things, so no crop is produced.

GROWTH
Spiritual growth comes from the Lord.  It is not based on how much I can do for Him.  It is based on how much time I spend with Him.  Am I taking all that I know and making it a part of all that I do?  Growth happens as a result of time with Jesus and obedience.  Do what Jesus says and you can say what Christ has done.  Peoples lives are changed when they see that our life is changed.

 

 

March 15   Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.

TRUST
Trust is doing what Jesus says when the world says do differently.  Turn the other cheek.  Forgive your enemies.  Do for those that mistreat you.  Do this and you will discover the secret of trust.  Trust is what we do not what we think.

 

March 16   Genesis 3:14
So the LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, you will be punished. You are singled out from all the domestic and wild animals of the whole earth to be cursed. You will grovel in the dust as long as you live, crawling along on your belly.

ACTION
Sin is real and it really has a hold on mankind.  Even when you come into the family of Jesus you will still struggle with sin.  Sin should keep us on our knees before Jesus so that we can stand in the face of evil.  First I am and then I can.

 

March 17   2 Timothy 2:3
Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

SUFFERING
We will not escape suffering.  It is a part of the “normal” Christian life.  We probably will not know the why of the suffering event but we can always learn from it.  Suffering moves us closer to the Father, enables us to experience the very presence of Jesus and helps us to see in this world the activity of the Lord in our life.  Additionally, suffering reminds us that this place is not our home, we are simply passing through.

 

March 18   Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

GOODNESS
Every thought the Lord has for you is a thought for good.  The Lord Jesus has you on His heart and mind all the time.  Nothing escapes him.  We are beloved of the Lord and He is actively involved in our lives.

 

March 19   Psalm 37:7
Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.

RESPONSIBILITY
I am not responsible for that evil person that is harming me and others.  I am responsible for that lie I told or that person whose feelings I hurt or the haste of the day that ignores the Lord Jesus.  I am responsible for the time I spend with Jesus and the way that I let Him change my life.  I am responsible to become more like Jesus in the way I live and act.  The Lord deal with the evil but I must learn to control myself.

 

March 20   1 Peter 5:7
Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about what happens to you.

WORRY
Worry is a waste of time.  Instead spend time with Jesus.  Lay out your complaints before Him.  Take time to listen.  You will find that He has wisdom, mercy, understanding and grace just for you.

 

March 21   Matthew 11:30
For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light.”

WORRY
We are complete in Jesus.  He makes us perfectly suited for the life we live.  If I believe this and trust Him, I will stop whining about “poor me” and get on with living.  The Lord Jesus is alive and well and wants to use me in His work.

 

March 22   Psalm 46:10
“Be silent, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.”

OBSERVATION
Jesus is being honored and will be honored by all one day.  My life must honor Jesus.  If it doesn’t I need to change.  The things that honor Jesus in my life are the things I think, say, and do that are the things that Jesus would do.  I must do what Jesus says for me to do.

 

March 23   Philippians 4:6
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

PROSPERITY
Prosperity comes from the hand of God.  Jesus says that He came to equip us and enable us to do what the Father created us to do.  The plan for my life is the only plan that will create fulfillment in me.  If I am following Jesus I will know what the Lord wants me to do.  If I am doing what Jesus called me to do I do not need to worry about not having my needs met.  Jesus is the Lord of victory and He plants victory in my heart.

 

March 24   1 Peter 2:8
And the Scriptures also say, “He is the stone that makes people stumble, the rock that will make them fall.”  They stumble because they do not listen to God’s word or obey it, and so they meet the fate that has been planned for them.

JESUS
Jesus is Lord.  He gives life to mankind.  He is not an idea or a discussion, He is Lord.  Jesus leaves no room for options.  His gift to each one of us is the opportunity for anyone of us to come into the family of God.  The ground at the foot of the cross is level because He died for our sin.

 

March 25   Joel 2:32
And anyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved. There will be people on Mount Zion in Jerusalem who escape, just as the LORD has said. These will be among the survivors whom the LORD has called.

SALVATION
Ask the Lord to save you.  He will.  Then live as His child.  Trust His Word and obey Him.  You will live with the confidence of one who is not alone and is the beloved of the Lord.

 

March 26   Acts 2:21
And anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

SALVATION
Where are you?  What are you doing?  If you asked Jesus to save you He did.  Believe that and talk with Him.  He will give you wisdom, mercy, grace and understanding.  You will no longer be at the mercy of the world and an enemy of God.  You are in His family and are given an abundant life.  Rejoice the Lord is good.

 

March 27   1 Corinthians 1:2
We are writing to the church of God in Corinth, you who have been called by God to be his own holy people. He made you holy by means of Christ Jesus, just as he did all Christians everywhere – whoever calls upon the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and theirs.

SALVATION
Do not despair.  However difficult life may be the Lord loves you.  When we ask Him to save us it is a once and forever event.  Asking Him for His guidance so that we obey Him is a moment by moment event.  We obey Him because that is the thing that enables us to grow in Christ likeness.  Becoming more like Jesus honors Him but when we disobey Him it causes us to struggle and sometimes experience real periods of distance from the Lord.  He doesn’t do that we do it ourselves.  His yoke of obedience is easy and our burden belongs to Him.  Trust and obey.

 

 

March 28   Psalm 102:24-27
But I cried to him, “My God, who lives forever, don’t take my life while I am still so young! In ages past you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. Even they will perish, but you remain forever; they will wear out like old clothing. You will change them like a garment, and they will fade away. But you are always the same; your years never end.

PRAISE
Praise Him by our recognition of His graciousness.  Praise Him by submission.  Praise Him with our works.  In everything we do honor and glorify Him.  He is beautiful and worthy of all our praise.  Praise the Lord.

 

March 29   Isaiah 40:11
He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young.

SUFFERING
When we suffer for doing right we experience the wonderful protection and presence of the Lord Jesus.  He will not desert us.  Sometimes He has to carry us.  Jesus is in control and He loves you and me.

 

March 30   Hebrews 13:20
And now, may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, all that is pleasing to him. Jesus is the great Shepherd of the sheep by an everlasting covenant, signed with his blood. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.

OBEY
Victory is the next step after obedience.  Victory is the result of our obedience.  Victory is our heritage.  Victory comes from the hand of the Lord Jesus and will belong to us all the days of our life and into eternity.  Victory is mine in the Lord.

 

March 31   Isaiah 9:6
For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. And the government will rest on his shoulders. These will be his royal titles: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

JESUS
Jesus is foretold and forthtold.  You and I are partners together with the Lord in sharing this prophecy.  We share it by the way we live, by the way we give and the way that we treat others.  The Lord has come and He is alive in you and me.

02/01          Matthew 5:9
God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.

PEACE
Peace is in short supply in our world.  The Lord uses people to help people.  When we look at problems through the eyes of Jesus we see people in need.  When we help people in need we bring peace.

 

02/02          Luke 2:14
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to all whom God favors. ”

PEACE
Jesus destroyed the enmity between us and God.  He brings peace as a gift of family membership.  When we are saved we have peace because the Lord is in our heart.

 

02/03          Luke 24:36
And just as they were telling about it, Jesus himself was suddenly standing there among them. He said, “Peace be with you.”

PEACE
All the good we have and hope for is found in the peace that we receive as a member of the family of God.  Christ is our peace and He lives in each one of us.  His peace is a result of the aggressive activity of the Holy Spirit working in us, cleansing us and calling us into a closer relationship with the Lord.

 

02/04          John 14:27
“I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give isn’t like the peace the world gives. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

JESUS
He left us His peace when He died on the cross.  He saw my need, forgave my sin and gave me possession of His peace.  I have title to the privilege of peace with the Father  and my fellow man.

 

02/05          John 16:33
I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

JESUS
Troubles and trials are great but the peace Christ Jesus gave me title too is greater.  He is my peace and I can live and walk in it.  I do not have to be burdened with the disappointment of the world, Jesus is Lord and He is my Lord.  This moment I claim His peace for my life.  This peace enriches my soul and calms my heart.

 

02/06  John 20:19
That evening, on the first day of the week, the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said.

PEACE
His peace is my legacy as a child of God.  I am blessed with the presence of the Lord, the benefit of all that He did on the cross and His peace.  This is a powerful message to me this moment.  He is alive in me and blessing me with His gift of peace.

 

02/07          Acts 10:36
I’m sure you have heard about the Good News for the people of Israel – that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.

GOOD NEWS
The war is over.  We are members of the family of God.  Christ has saved us and given us His peace.  The Lord is with us and giving us the very thing that the whole world is looking for: Peace.

 

02/08          Romans 14:17
For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

PEACE
Peace is the result of the activity of God in a person’s life.  It is an aggressive movement that removes fear, disappointment, failure and lack of self worth.  Peace from God pulls us to build our relationship with Jesus.  It works in our hearts to remind us that Jesus cares about us.  Peace equips us to live an abundant life.

 

02/09          Romans 15:13
So I pray that God, who gives you hope, will keep you happy and full of peace as you believe in him. May you overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

FAITH
Faith is real and effective in dealing with our daily life.  It destroys the negative things we deal with each day and enables us to have hope in our real life situation and peace as we work out our salvation where the Lord Jesus has placed us.

 

02/10          Romans 15:33
And now may God, who gives us his peace, be with you all. Amen.

GIFT
I am saved.  With my salvation I received the right in Christ to claim the gift of peace for my life.  This gift is given freely and willingly by the Lord Jesus.  Troubled, ask Christ for peace this very moment.  He will give it.

 

02/11          Romans 16:20
The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

LIFE
Jesus brings life.  His salvation is the Good News all of the world is looking for.  People want to count and they want their lives to count.  The peace of Jesus reminds us that we count and His peace equips us to do the things that the Lord Jesus created us to do.

 

02/12          1Corinthians 1:3
May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you his grace and peace.

GIFT
I claim grace.  Grace gives me what I need and cannot earn.  I need grace each moment of every day.  I claim peace.  This gift of peace gives me a part of heaven.  I can go through the difficulties of real life knowing that my life counts, what I am doing is important and the Lord Jesus will not forget me and will always be with me.

 

02/13          Galatians 6:16
May God’s mercy and peace be upon all those who live by this principle. They are the new people of God.

PEACE
When I look to Jesus as the author and finisher of my faith I will have peace.  His gift of peace equips me to serve where I am and live the life I have.  I don’t have to be like someone else.  I can be me.  Jesus is calling me and gives me peace.

02/14          Ephesians 1:2
May grace and peace be yours, sent to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.

ETERNAL
Peace is evidence of the Lord’s presence in me.  It changes the way I see myself and my life.  Peace lifts me up when life puts me down.  It is the energy of my soul.  Peace calms my heart and focuses my life.

 

02/15          Ephesians 2:14
For Christ himself has made peace between us Jews and you Gentiles by making us all one people. He has broken down the wall of hostility that used to separate us.

PEACE
Peace is the powerful activity of the Lord Jesus reaching into our world and enabling us to be at rest.  We know the Lord and He knows us.  We are not at the mercy of the world.  We are alive and Jesus is Lord.  He is our peace.

 

02/16          Ephesians 2:15
By his death he ended the whole system of Jewish law that excluded the Gentiles. His purpose was to make peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new person from the two groups.

ONE
When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior we are in Christ.  He resides in our hearts and brings us peace.  His peace equips us to be ourselves and rejoice in our daily life.  Jesus is our life and His life brings us peace.

02/17          Ephesians 2:17
He has brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and to us Jews who were near.

PEACE
Peace protects our hearts and enables our growth.  Peace equips and nurtures.  We need the peace that Jesus brings.  A life grounded in the peace of Christ is a life that is directed by eternal values.  Jesus is Lord.

 

02/18          Ephesians 4:3
Always keep yourselves united in the Holy Spirit, and bind yourselves together with peace.

PEACE
The Lord is present when there is peace.  Accepting His gift of peace equips and enables us to do those things that build the kingdom.  When I walk in His peace I am walking in eternity.

 

02/19          Ephesians 6:15
For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News, so that you will be fully prepared.

PEACE
The gift of peace is the gift of daily living.  The reality of life in this world is harsh and unforgiving.  The reality of peace is unity and strength.  The Lord Jesus gives us peace so that we can be about His business.

 

02/20          Ephesians 6:23
May God give you peace, dear brothers and sisters, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

THE GIFT
When I am walking in Jesus I am walking in peace.  I know that I am forgiven; I live with the full awareness that my life is important and counts.  In the midst of the turmoil of life I can experience His wisdom for the daily choices I make and an unshakeable confidence that I am not alone.

 

02/21          Philippians 1:2
May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

PEACE
God’s activity in me is His peace.  The Lord is at work shaping and molding me into His image.  Peace is His gift to me enabling me to see beyond the next problem or difficulty.  He is able.  His peace nurtures me to grow in His strength.  I am being pulled forward in eternity as I experience the peace of the Lord Jesus at work in me.

 

02/22          Philippians 4:7
If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

PEACE
The world around us is being destroyed by fear.  Fear of the unknown and fear of failure are two significant issues that our society struggles with.  The peace of Jesus reaches into our life and conquers our fears.

 

02/23          Philippians 4:9
Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing, and the God of peace will be with you.

PEACE
I claim peace.  I claim this precious gift for my daily life.  Moment by moment I am receiving His peace as I do those things that only I can do.

 

02/24          Colossians 1:2
It is written to God’s holy people in the city of Colosse, who are faithful brothers and sisters in Christ. May God our Father give you grace and peace.

FAITHFUL
Faithfulness is an understood standard in the early Christian faith.  Today, too many avowed Christians are adrift for lack of faith.  Our faithfulness is a part of our daily Christian walk.  It is coupled with the blessing, grace, of our Lord and the resultant fruit, peace, of that relationship with Jesus.  When we deny Jesus we deny ourselves for as His children we are part of His work in this world.

 

02/25          Colossians 1:20
and by him (Christ) God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of his blood on the cross.

RECONCILIATION
I belong to Jesus.  He died for me and you.  Each one of us is a part of what the Father is doing in this world.  We are part of the family.  We become the active expression of Jesus in this world.  He saves us and we become His hands and feet.

02/26          Colossians 3:15
And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are all called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

PEACE
Peace is representative of the kingdom of God.  We are at peace as a gift from the Father.  We live at peace with one another because of the rule of Christ in our hearts.  We give peace to others as a ministry of our daily life.  Our attitude as a result of receiving, being and giving peace is thankfulness.  Thank you Lord for your peace!

 

02/27          2Timothy 2:22
Run from anything that stimulates youthful lust. Follow anything that makes you want to do right. Pursue faith and love and peace, and enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.

RUN
Our activity must be the outworking of the spirit of the Lord Jesus in us.  When our activity turns to sin we must immediately turn and literally run to Christ!  We are to actively seek to be Christ like.  This requires much prayer and consistent time with the Lord.  Read the Bible.  It will nurture and guide you.

 

02/28          Hebrews 12:14
Try to live in peace with everyone, and seek to live a clean and holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.

CHANGE
Suffering can lift us up or drag us down.  In the midst of daily life we are called to change.  Do not be like the world.  Be at peace.  Actively interact with all as a child of God.  Jesus renews our spirit when we are at peace with suffering.  When others see our attitude it strengthens them.  Peacefulness affects the world and encourages the weak hearted.  You be at peace.

01/01                    Numbers 6:24-26
‘May the LORD bless you and protect you.  May the LORD smile on you and be gracious to you.  May the LORD show you his favor and give you his peace.’

BLESSING
We are blessed in Christ.  No matter the day to day difficulties and tragedies in life we are blessed.  The Lord is with us and gives us His peace and joy.

 

01/02           Psalms 20:5
May we shout for joy when we hear of your victory, flying banners to honor our God. May the LORD answer all your prayers.

ANSWERS
I keep a daily prayer guide.  I make a note of the Lord’s activity in my life day by day.  This activity encourages me when I am struggling with the unseen.  Jesus is here with us and if asked will give us His peace and joy.

 

01/03          Deuteronomy 27:7
Sacrifice peace offerings on it also, and feast there with great joy before the LORD your God.

CELEBRATION
Celebrate the presence of the Lord in your life each day.  The first thought of a new day can be joy.  The Lord has saved you, the Lord loves you and the Lord will be with you.  Celebrate the presence of the Lord in your life.

 

01/04          1Samuel 4:5
When the Israelites saw the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD coming into the camp, their shout of joy was so loud that it made the ground shake!

CELEBRATION
I want to rejoice in the Lord’s activities in my life.  Joy is a powerful antidote to the malaise of the modern life.  We have a living Savior and He lives in each one of us.  Shout to the Lord with great joy and confidence.  The Lord is here with us.

 

01/05          1Kings 1:40
And all the people returned with Solomon to Jerusalem, playing flutes and shouting for joy. The celebration was so joyous and noisy that the earth shook with the sound.

CELEBRATION
This is the day the Lord has made.  It is a day for joy.  Jesus loves me and seeks my best good.  I can be confident in His strength and His presence.  I am not alone.  I have victory in Jesus.  The Lord is my joy.

 

01/06          1Chronicles 15:28
So all Israel brought up the Ark of the LORD’s covenant to Jerusalem with shouts of joy, the blowing of horns and trumpets, the crashing of cymbals, and loud playing on harps and lyres.

CELEBRATION
Celebration is also a community event.  I was placed in this place by the Lord to be used by Him to express His love and joy.  I am an encourager.  His promise and presence changes the unseen to the seen.  Rejoice in the Lord.

 

01/07          1Chronicles 16:32
Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise! Let the fields and their crops burst forth with joy!

CELEBRATION
The Lord is God and He is good.  His love for us instills in us joy and excitement.  What will He do next?  One thing we can know for sure is that in the midst of life the Lord is here and He is seeking our best good.  Rejoice in Jesus because He loves you.

 

01/08          Ezra 6:16
The Temple of God was then dedicated with great joy by the people of Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the people who had returned from exile.

CELEBRATION
Celebration is a way of life and a response to life.  I can celebrate each day the Lord’s activity in my life and His deliverance.   He is Lord.

 

01/09          Nehemiah 8:10
And Nehemiah continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of choice foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is your strength!”

STRENGTH
I may have nothing but if I have Jesus I have everything.  This world is passing away every day.  Jesus will never go away.  He is Lord and He is Lord of my life.  He will remove my sadness and replace it with joy.

 

01/10          Psalms 5:11
But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever. Protect them, so all who love your name may be filled with joy.

REFUGE
The unseen seeks to overwhelm each one of us.  The Lord is our refuge when trouble comes.  Go to Him and pour out your heart.  He will walk with you and when needed carry you.  Joy comes from Jesus.

01/11          Psalms 9:2
I will be filled with joy because of you. I will sing praises to your name, O Most High.

JOY
The focus of our life is Jesus Christ.  When we know Him we spend time with Him.  Time with Jesus creates in us a declaration of adoration.  As we reverence and adore Jesus, His presence in us fills us with joy.

 

01/12          Psalms 16:9
No wonder my heart is filled with joy, and my mouth shouts his praises! My body rests in safety.

ETERNITY
I belong to Jesus.  Nothing can separate me from the Lord Jesus.  I cannot comprehend eternity but I can express my gratitude.  Eternity is a growing reality as I grow in Christ and age day by day.  I know my Savior lives and He is alive in me.  Joy and praise fill my soul.

 

01/13          Psalms 16:11
You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.

JOY
The presence of Christ enables me to live this moment with joy.  Joy is not based on circumstance.  Joy is Christ living in me.  Joy is the reality of Christ guiding, leading, equipping me to live my life with an awareness of my partnership with Him.

 

01/14          Psalms 19:8
The commandments of the LORD are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are clear, giving insight to life.

OBEDIENCE
One of the requirements for me to experience the joy of the Lord this moment is obedience to Christ.  His Word permeates my life.  Applying His Word to my life prepares me to live moment by moment with joy.

 

01/15          Psalms 27:6
Then I will hold my head high, above my enemies who surround me. At his Tabernacle I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy, singing and praising the LORD with music.

JOY
The world is not a joyful place.  At best we experience momentary glee that dissipates almost immediately.  When we live in Christ we experience joy that grows.  Jesus reveals His plans for me and my value to Him day by day.  Joy is the by-product of a growing relationship with Jesus.

 

01/16          Psalms 28:7
The LORD is my strength, my shield from every danger. I trust in him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.

LIFE
Joy is part of the Christian life.  It is as normal for me to experience joy as it is to breathe.  My relationship with Jesus enables me to be joyful and experience the joy of the presence of the Lord.  My response is praise and adoration.  The Lord is good and I am His child.

 

01/17          Psalms 30:5
His anger lasts for a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may go on all night, but joy comes with the morning.

JOY
The human experience is a journey of disappointment when separated from Christ.  No matter the pain or desperate moment when I focus on Christ, joy will come.  As I go through the valley of the shadow of death I still belong to Him.  Once my heart catches up with my faith I will experience joy.

 

01/18          Psalms 30:11
You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy,

JOY
Joy is a gift from Jesus.  He created me for fellowship with Him.  When I spend time with Jesus I will experience joy.  His love, His life, His presence blesses me.

 

01/19          Psalms 31:7
I am overcome with joy because of your unfailing love, for you have seen my troubles, and you care about the anguish of my soul.

LIFE
Our relationship with Jesus is a moment by moment journey.  It is daily.  It deals with the things that makeup a normal life.  Life is a demanding experience and in Christ we can face each one of those demands with peace and joy.

 

01/20          Psalms 32:2
Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of sin, whose lives are lived in complete honesty!

FORGIVENESS
I am forgiven and I know it.  The enemy accuses me and I simply turn that accusation over to the Lord.  Jesus is my security in the spiritual realm.  I cannot see evil but I can combat evil in Christ.

 

01/21          Psalms 32:11
So rejoice in the LORD and be glad, all you who obey him! Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure!

JOY
Joy is an emotion of the soul.  Peace and security for eternity equipment me to defeat disappointment, discouragement and disaster in the here and now.  Today is the day of the Lord.  Rejoice in Jesus and live life to the fullest.

 

01/22          Psalms 33:1
Let the godly sing with joy to the LORD, for it is fitting to praise him.

PRAISE
Praise helps me to put life in proper perspective.  Jesus is Lord and my praise acknowledges that and claims it.  The Lord of my life is Lord of the universe and I claim that.  Jesus is holy and complete and good.  He is Lord.

 

01/23          Luke 15:10
In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.”

SIN
The disastrous impact of sin in my life is that it separates me from Father.  However the Lord has made provision for the forgiveness of my sin.  I claim it when I acknowledge my sin and ask Jesus to forgive me of my sin and save me.  I am birthed into the kingdom when I am saved and there is great rejoicing in heaven at this new birth.

 

01/24          Luke 19:6
Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy.

JOY
Real joy is to know who you are and to whom you belong.  Jesus is Lord and I belong to Him.  Jesus is Lord of my life and I live for Him.  With Christ in my heart there is joy in my soul.

 

01/25          Romans 4:7-8
“Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight. Yes, what joy for those whose sin is no longer counted against them by the Lord.”

FORGIVENESS
Forgiveness is a gift from the Lord.  It gives me life and liberty.  Forgiveness prepares me for service.  As I live and serve I must remember to come before the Father and seek forgiveness for my disobedience.  Sin impedes growth.  Everyday I am called to change and grow.  Every day I need forgiveness.

 

01/26          2 Corinthians 6:10
Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything.

JOY
In my heart and in my life I can have joy if Christ resides in me.  If I am in prison, defeated, facing a bleak future I can still have joy.  Joy is a result of Christ in me.  The Lord brings joy and enshrouds me with His strength and peace.

 

01/27          2 Corinthians 8:2
Though they have been going through much trouble and hard times, their wonderful joy and deep poverty have overflowed in rich generosity.

JOY
When Jesus is in control my life will exude joy.  I will have an awareness of eternity in my soul and a conviction that I am God’s property and on mission for Him.  This is my Father’s world and I can rejoice in it.

 

01/28          Galatians 5:22-23
But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law.

FRUIT
Note that Paul doesn’t give us an option for Holy Spirit living.  The fruit is not a pick and choose activity; it is all of the characteristics listed.  Love covers a life that is not in conflict with the Lord.

 

01/29          Philippians 1:25
I am convinced of this, so I will continue with you so that you will grow and experience the joy of your faith.

FAITH
Faith is the living out in daily life of what the Lord puts in us.  We need time with Jesus.  Time with Christ puts joy in our souls.  Our lives are not our own for we are hidden in Christ for service and abundant living.

 

01/30          Philippians 3:1
Whatever happens, dear brothers and sisters, may the Lord give you joy. I never get tired of telling you this. I am doing this for your own good.

JOY
I can claim joy no matter what I am going through.  Today Lord give us your joy so that we can become more like you.  When joy is in my heart, victory will be my daily experience.  In a Roman prison Paul reminded his friends and you and me of the joy we have in Jesus.

 

01/31          Philippians 4:4
Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again – rejoice!

JOY
Christ fills me up with His joy.  Hope covers me and this present age does not discourage me.  Joy is mine in Christ.  His joy is powerful and changes the way I see my life.

12/1   John 1:5
The light shines through the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

POWER
We serve a risen savior.  He cannot be stopped by the powers of this world.  Jesus is eternal.  Our relationship with Him is eternal.  This world cannot destroy us.

 

12/2   John 1:10
But although the world was made through him, the world didn’t recognize him when he came.

SAVIOR
Jesus is not under the authority of man.  The Christ is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  He is alive and reigns in each one of us who have asked Him into our hearts.  Rejoice as we celebrate the birth of the Christ child.  Jesus is alive.

 

12/3   John 1:12
But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.

OWNERSHIP
We belong to Him.  He is Lord and we are in His family.  He has called us to faithful living and servant lifestyles.  We take the life of Christ into the world.  We are the ones that proclaim the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ by what we say and what we do.

 

12/4   Isaiah 40:3-5
Listen! I hear the voice of someone shouting, “Make a highway for the LORD through the wilderness. Make a straight, smooth road through the desert for our God.  Fill the valleys and level the hills. Straighten out the curves and smooth off the rough spots.  Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all people will see it together. The LORD has spoken!”

CONTROL
God has a plan.  It is Jesus.  Jesus saves us from our sin and makes us whole again.  Christ is our solid rock, our peace, our forgiveness, our guidance and life itself.  When we have Jesus we have what we need to succeed in life.
12/5   Psalm 85:8
listen carefully to what God the LORD is saying, for he speaks peace to his people, his faithful ones. But let them not return to their foolish ways.

WORD
Jesus is the Word of God.  He speaks life to us and equips us to be a part of His work in this world.  Jesus in our heart radically changes us.  We see life through His eyes and develop habits of obedience.

12/6   2 Peter 3:3
First, I want to remind you that in the last days there will be scoffers who will laugh at the truth and do every evil thing they desire.

EVIL
Evil seeks to kill, steal and destroy.  Evil always veils its actions with deceit.  To often a person is led by evil while they are thinking they are getting their way.  They are simply surrendering to a life of slavery.  The end result of evil’s actions is always death.

 

12/7   Mark 1:1
Here begins the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God.

GOOD NEWS
Good news-our lives are not desperate.  Good news-we count.  Good news-each one of us has an important ministry to perform.  Good news-we can be in the family of God.  Jesus Christ is God’s good news to man.

 

12/8   John 1:1
In the beginning the Word already existed. He was with God, and he was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  He created everything there is. Nothing exists that he didn’t make.   Life itself was in him, and this life gives light to everyone.

LIFE
Jesus brings life to man from God.  This is a great stumbling block for the rich and the intelligent.  Self-sufficiency blinds the strong.  Dependence blinds the weak.  Unless we ask Christ to forgive us of our sin and save us we will not have life.  If we ask Jesus to save us He is faithful to do it.  Our mortality separates us from eternity and it is so very hard for people to accept God’s way.

 

12/9   Isaiah 9:2, 6-7
The people who walk in darkness will see a great light – a light that will shine on all who live in the land where death casts its shadow.  For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. And the government will rest on his shoulders. These will be his royal titles: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  His ever expanding, peaceful government will never end. He will rule forever with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David. The passionate commitment of the LORD Almighty will guarantee this!

SALVATION
Jesus cares about you and me.  He wants to fellowship with us and give us wisdom and understanding.  He will not depart from us nor will He ever leave us alone.  His love is strong enough to give life to anyone that asks.  He is the light of the world.

 

12/10 Luke 1:26-28
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David.  Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!

ANNUNCIATION
Mary heard the message of God.  It was a specific, particular declaration of His use of her.  In Jesus we also hear the specific declaration of the Father’s use of us.  Obedience opens our ears.  Be where you are and do what you can each day as you live a life of devotion to Christ.

 

12/11           Luke 3:1-3
It was now the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius, the Roman emperor. Pilate was governor over Judea; Herod Antipas was ruler over Galilee; his brother Philip was ruler over Iturea and Traconitis; Lysanias was ruler over Abilene.  Annas and Caiaphas were the high priests. At this time a message from God came to John son of Zechariah, who was living out in the wilderness.  Then John went from place to place on both sides of the Jordan River, preaching that people should be baptized to show that they had turned from their sins and turned to God to be forgiven.

REALITY
Jesus lived on this earth.  He suffered as we suffered.  He died willingly for our sin and was resurrected by the power of God.  Jesus is alive.

 

12/12           Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created  the heavens and the earth.

GOD
God created all things including you and me.  He is in charge and has given us His rules for living in Jesus Christ.  Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.  He is Lord and wants us to join Him spreading the good news of His love and salvation.  The world is passing away.  There is life in Christ.

12/13           John 1:14
So the Word became human and lived here on earth among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness.  And we have seen his glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father.

ETERNAL
Jesus is forever.  He has revealed himself to us and is our savior.  He takes us into the presence of the Lord.  He provides grace anew, God giving us what we need and cannot earn, fresh and powerful for us each moment.  We are never out of His sight.  We are not alone.  He is Lord and has come to us.

 

12/14           John 1:23
John replied in the words of Isaiah: “I am a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare a straight pathway for the Lord’s coming!'”

CALL
You and I are called of God.  We are called to be partner’s in the spread of the Gospel.  John called the people to repentance and awareness.  We are called to repent and proclaim what Jesus is doing in our life.  He is alive.  He is alive right now.  What is Christ doing in you?

 

 

12/15           Matthew 1:18
Now this is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant by the Holy Spirit.

TRUTH
We are under the restraint of law both physical laws and spiritual laws.  The Lord is not under any restraint.  His work is not fettered nor can His will be undone.  Listen to the activity of the Lord in you.  What is He calling you to do?  Do it.  He will make a way.

 

12/16          Luke 2:1-3
At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire.  (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.)  All returned to their own towns to register for this census.

CONTROL
The Lord is in control.  He can use individuals, empires and even you.  Do not be down hearted.  Your life is a gift.  Be about the Father’s work each day of your life.  Let Him deal with the results.  You be faithful with your activities.

 

12/17          Luke 2:4-5
And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee.  He took with him Mary, his fianc’e, who was obviously pregnant by this time.

TIME
Time is such a deceitful enemy.  Time pushes us to hurry and condemns us for haste.  The Lord is not under the tyranny of time.  His work will be done and it may be done by you.  Stop worrying and fretting, just live one day at a time.  Do what you can each day and the Lord will deal with the results.

 

12/18          Luke 2:6-7
And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born.    She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the village inn.

MIRACLES
Miracles happen often in each one of our lives.  They are always cloaked in normalcy and will most often be overlooked.  The activity of the Lord Jesus is never heralded by courtesans and horns but is simply the activity of the Lord Jesus in our lives.  You are a miracle and our Lord is a miracle working Lord.

12/19          Luke 2:8-12
That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep.  Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terribly frightened, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news of great joy for everyone!  The Savior – yes, the Messiah, the Lord – has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David!  And this is how you will recognize him: You will find a baby lying in a manger, wrapped snugly in strips of cloth!”

ANGELS
Angels are real.  They are used as messengers by the Father.  They are simply agents and marvel at the offering of a relationship with God that the Babe of Bethlehem brings to man.  He is peace and is our peace.  The Savior is born.

 

12/20          Luke 2:13-14
Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others – the armies of heaven – praising God: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to all whom God favors. ”

PRAISE
The Lord is praiseworthy and due all honor and glory.  Our finite minds, overwhelmed by sin and a sinful world protest at the praise due God.  One day we will see Him face to face and all will give Him praise, honor and glory.  Take a moment and praise the Lord for He is worthy.

 

12/21          Luke 2:15
When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Come on, let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this wonderful thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

BELIEF
Belief always results in action.  If I believe that Jesus is Lord and Savior I will change.  When I do wrong I will repent.  When I am sad I will go to Him for joy.  Everything I need for an abundant life comes from Jesus so I will spend time with Him and get to know Him.  That is belief.

 

12/21          Luke 2:16-17
They ran to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger.  Then the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child.

EXPERIENCES
Jesus speaks to us through His Word.  He has revealed Himself in history, witnessed by multitudes and now reveals Himself to us.  I must read His Word.  The living Word of God will equip us to tell everyone about the miracle that has happened in us.

 

12/22          Luke 2:18-19
All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary quietly treasured these things in her heart and thought about them often.

WORLD
The truth astonishes the world.  It is in awe of what has happened in Christ and immediately strikes back at it.  Jesus is Lord.  When we proclaim His Lordship the world will rebel.

 

12/23          Luke 2:20
The shepherds went back to their fields and flocks, glorifying and praising God for what the angels had told them, and because they had seen the child, just as the angel had said.

WISDOM
Simple men heard the Gospel and responded.  The Lord would that all be saved.  Salvation is a gift available for all of those that accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.  This is wisdom from God.

 

12/24          Luke 2:1-7
At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 2 (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 All returned to their own towns to register for this census. 4 And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. 5 He took with him Mary, his fianc’e, who was obviously pregnant by this time. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. 7 She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the village inn.

 

12/25          Matthew 1:18-25
Now this is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant by the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph, her fiance, being a just man, decided to break the engagement quietly, so as not to disgrace her publicly. 20 As he considered this, he fell asleep, and an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to go ahead with your marriage to Mary. For the child within her has been conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All of this happened to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: 23 “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and he will be called Immanuel (meaning, God is with us).” 24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord commanded. He brought Mary home to be his wife, 25 but she remained a virgin until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.

 

12/26          Luke 2:16-20
They ran to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. 17 Then the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18 All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, 19 but Mary quietly treasured these things in her heart and thought about them often. 20 The shepherds went back to their fields and flocks, glorifying and praising God for what the angels had told them, and because they had seen the child, just as the angel had said.

12/27          Judges 6:24
Then Gideon built an altar there to the LORD and named it The LORD is Peace.

PEACE
Jesus brings peace to a chaotic world.  He equips His children, you and me, to face the great uncertainty of the future with peace and joy.  In this world we will have hardship but Jesus will equip us to stand in the face of the difficulties of daily life.  He is our peace.

 

12/28          Psalms 4:8
In peace I will both lie down and sleep, For You alone, O LORD, make me to dwell in safety.

WISDOM
When we know Jesus we know life.  He equips us to face yesterday, today and tomorrow.  The Lord is our security and it is an eternal security to live here now and one day with Him in eternity.

 

12/29          Psalms 29:11
The LORD will give strength to His people; The LORD will bless His people with peace.

STRENGTH
What ever trial you are facing today the Lord will stand with you through it.  That doesn’t mean that it won’t take time and the pain is real and troubling.  What is does mean is that this world will not be victorious over us and Jesus the Lord will walk with us through our pain to victory.  Jesus will bring peace to our lives.

 

12/30          Psalms 34:14
Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.

WORK
My work is to know the Lord.  I must spend time with Him and let Him renew my mind and my heart.  Each day I need cleansing and refreshing.  His Word will do what I need done in me each day.  Jesus is my life and He gives me life.

12/31 Numbers 6:26
The LORD lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace.’

JESUS
Jesus knows me and you.  He sees us as we struggle and grow.  He gives us wisdom to deal with our lives.  His hand will guide us and pick us up when we fall.  The Lord Jesus lives and He lives in us.  His presence gives us peace.

11/12 Ro 5:3
We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us – they help us learn to endure.

ENDURANCE
Endurance is a very difficulty thing for the human mind to come to grips with.  Our society demands that now is when things happen.  We pray for growth.  Problems are required for us to grow.  Rejoice in the midst of your problems not for what you are going through but for what you will become.  Help us Father to endure.

11/13    Romans 7:17
But I can’t help myself, because it is sin inside me that makes me do these evil things.

SIN
You and I are sinners.  We are always dealing with sin either in a positive or negative way.  Jesus saves us from our sin.  The key to dealing with sin is to surrender to Christ.  In my surrender I develop a consistency in my daily Bible reading and prayer.  As I go through my day I am constantly in touch with Christ.  Not by proclaiming that I am not in the world but instead putting the daily actions of my life before Jesus.  I ask and I respond.  By simply stopping and asking I am giving the Holy Spirit opportunity to correct and amend my actions.  Walking in Christ is making His Word effective in my life.

11/14    Romans 10:6
But the way of getting right with God through faith says, “You don’t need to go to heaven” (to find Christ and bring him down to help you).

PRESENCE
Jesus is here.  He is in the present.  He knows my needs and is willing to meet them.  Surrender gives Jesus the opportunity to speak with me and guide me each step of my life.

 

11/15    Romans 12:13
When God’s children are in need, be the one to help them out. And get into the habit of inviting guests home for dinner or, if they need lodging, for the night.

COMMUNITY
The Christian life is a life that is lived in community.  Jesus loves people.  As His child we are called to love people.  In this day and time it requires that we be as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves so that we do only those things that will protect our community.  Help when you get the opportunity.  When we act like Jesus we will grow in Christ.  When we grow in Christ we will act more like Jesus.

 

11/16    Romans 13:4
The authorities are sent by God to help you. But if you are doing something wrong, of course you should be afraid, for you will be punished. The authorities are established by God for that very purpose, to punish those who do wrong.

PEACE
Peace is a critical part of our daily life.  It is so important for the spread of Christianity that the Lord ordains governments to maintain peace in society.  Look to your own life.  Permit Jesus to bring peace into every facet of your life.

 

11/17    Romans 14:4
Who are you to condemn God’s servants? They are responsible to the Lord, so let him tell them whether they are right or wrong. The Lord’s power will help them do as they should.

CONTROL
It is wrong for any one of us to seek to control another.  We are to look to our own lives.  The questions we try to ask of others must be asked of ourselves.  Am I the kind of person that Jesus wants me to be?  How is my prayer life?  Is sin in control of any area of my life?  What has Jesus equipped me to do and am I doing it?  These are indeed questions we need to ask and answer ourselves but not others.  When we condemn the Lord’s servant we are condemning ourselves.

 

11/18    Romans 15:5
May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other – each with the attitude of Christ Jesus toward the other.

LIFESTYLE
People count with Jesus and they should count with me.  The world puts the strong and often heartless as its head.  The Christian community calls each one of us to value the other.  Service is important and a trait of Christ’s servant.  The first will be last.  The servant will be first.

 

11/19    Romans 15:27
They were very glad to do this because they feel they owe a real debt to them. Since the Gentiles received the wonderful spiritual blessings of the Good News from the Jewish Christians, they feel the least they can do in return is help them financially.

GENEROSITY
You and I are required to give all that we have to Jesus.  This means that the tithe, ten percent, is only the beginning.  The Christian responds in all situations with generosity.  My largess is useful as a blessing for those in need.

 

11/20    2Co 6:2
For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, God is ready to help you right now. Today is the day of salvation.

SALVATION
The Holy Spirit calls us to salvation.  You and I accepted Jesus as a result of His call of us.  When we minister to the lost we are to be sensitive to the movement of the Holy Spirit.  He will often use us as His agent to verbalize the Lord’s call of a lost brother or sister.  We can always inquire at the appropriate moment if another is a child of God.  When we ask we must remember that it is the Lord’s invitation and not ours.

11/21 Mark 12:30
And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’

DEVOTION
Too many think of football teams and sports events when the idea of devotion is brought up.  In our society people are devoted to things that please them.  The Biblical idea of devotion is my striving to please the Lord.  I think of Him, obey Him and lay my entire life before Him for His review, direction and strength.  My life is His to use not mine to waste.

 

11/22 Mark 12:33
And I know it is important to love him with all my heart and all my understanding and all my strength, and to love my neighbors as myself. This is more important than to offer all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices required in the law.”

DEVOTION
I love because He loves me.  I don’t wait for convenient times or lovable people; I simply care for those the Lord has placed me with.  Life is never about what I don’t have.  Life is about what I give.

 

11/23 Luke 10:27
The man answered, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'”

DEVOTION
I count with Jesus.  I am called to take what I am and what I have and give it to others.  Time, money, friendship and sacrifice in service to those I am with are a significant part of my devoted Christian life.

 

11/24 Mt 13:11
Then he explained to them, “You have been permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others have not.

HEAVEN
Heaven is a real place.  Jesus is in charge there.  You and I as His family members are headed there.  This place is not my home.  Clutch the things of this world loosely.  When your time of trouble comes it will be easier to make the right decisions.

 

11/25 Mt 13:19
The seed that fell on the hard path represents those who hear the Good News about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches the seed away from their hearts.

KINGDOM
We were bought with a price.  His shed blood did for me what I couldn’t do for myself, it paid for my sin.  When Satan comes seeking me I can simply reply that I belong to Jesus.

 

11/26 Mt 13:24
Here is another story Jesus told: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field.

FAITH
Faith is at once a gift and indistinguishable from an activity.  It is what we as children of God do.  We live our lives with the full confidence that what Christ has said He will do and that He is here with us this very moment.  Jesus is alive.  He is alive in me.  He is changing, equipping, enabling and using me each day.

 

11/27 John 18:36
Then Jesus answered, “I am not an earthly king. If I were, my followers would have fought when I was arrested by the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.”

KINGDOM
Heaven will be a great place.  No longer will be live by faith but face to face we will see and hear Him.  Now we struggle.  In heaven where all things are in His presence we will know in reality the presence of the Lord.  This world is passing away.  His kingdom is eternal.

 

11/28 Acts 8:12
But now the people believed Philip’s message of Good News concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. As a result, many men and women were baptized.

LORD
Jesus is Lord.  He is Lord now and forever.  He will not leave us nor will He sacrifice us.  The Lord Jesus Christ is our king and Lord and Father.  Blessed be the name of the Lord.  Jesus is alive and He is coming back for you and me.

 

11/29 Romans 14:17
For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

HOLY
I am called to be different from the world.  I am called to radically change the way that I make decisions and act.  Holiness is simply letting Jesus live through me.  I obey Him.  Christ is the giver of life and when He is in control of me I have real life.

 

11/30 1Corinthians 4:20
For the Kingdom of God is not just fancy talk; it is living by God’s power.

ACTION
What I do is important.  The Christian life is not the things I don’t do.  It is what I do.  I love.  I serve.  I pray.  These are things that Christians do.  When I am filled with Jesus my life will be like His.