to do. We will experience great love, but also great loss. Sometimes we will feel like we are on a roller coaster, while other times we will be sailing on smooth waters. There will be times of prosperity, and seasons of need. Weeks will go by where we are confident of what will happen next and there will be times when we feel like we are flying by the seat of our pants, as the saying goes.
Even though we aren’t sure about the events in our lives, God is. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us about God’s plans for us. They are plans for “welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.” One truth about our biographies is that our chapters are written by the world’s best author, Jesus Christ. And the absolute best news is that if you’re a Christian, you already know how the last chapter of your story will end. Our final destination is Heaven, where we will live happily ever after. Praising God for that truth this morning. Our beautiful and rich stories aren’t finished yet, so keep turning those pages.
Lord, thank You for giving us the confidence that our lives as Believers are securely in Your hands. Thank You for the hope and future You give us. Amen.
30…LONE RANGER
Good morning! Have you ever surprised yourself about how easy it is to open up to a complete stranger and once you left their company, you left having a new friend? Sometimes God makes it so easy to share our lives with others, when we let Him. Sure, it takes an element of trust to open up to others, but what a return we can get from that single act of trust.
Trust is a common thread that we find throughout scripture and in our Christian walk. A couple of my favorite verses deals with that issue of trust. Proverbs 3:5–6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Over the years, I’ve done a lot of trusting when it came to my physical heart. Over and over again, I laid it in God’s hands through the skills He gave to different cardiologists and surgeons, and that trust continues today.
But God never intended me to be a “lone ranger” when it came to living with my day-to-day challenges. I thought that term was fitting as I recently opened up to a total stranger at the airport on my way to Texas. When we discovered we battled the same challenges, we started sharing things that had worked for each of us. That meeting was not by chance. God had His hand all over that encounter and because I took the risk to trust and open up, I was blessed. The next time you have the opportunity to talk to a total stranger, take it, instead of finding a way to avoid the conversation. Don’t bury your head in a book or get on your phone. Put them down and you might just find yourself on the receiving end of a blessing that God wanted to give you!
Lord, You are so good to us. Thank you for giving us the courage to take risks in life. With You by our side, those risks turn into something beautiful. Thank You for the blessings that come as a result of opening up. Amen.
31…WELL DONE
Good morning! Life is all about choices. We literally make hundreds of choices each day. Some of the choices are routine, like choosing to brush our teeth daily. Some take just a little thought, like which path we want to use to drive to our destination. But then there are the choices that take work on our part.
Several people that I love dearly have chronic health conditions. Their conditions force them to constantly make the decision on how they will react to their situation. It warms my heart, and I know it does God’s, too, when they carry on with life … joyfully. They could be a total grouch and bark at everyone around them, but they have made the better decision … to remain joyful.
In Titus 2:7-8, the apostle Paul was giving instructions on the duties of ministers. “In all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, sound in speech which is beyond reproach, in order that the opponent may be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us.” Since we are all called to be ministers of the Word, these verses apply to us, too.
Wouldn’t it be great if we lived our lives with the joy that comes from the Lord? A life lived so others would not have anything bad to say about us. A life where all of our words and actions glorified God. A life spent lifting others up in prayer as we help carry their burdens. A life where we minister to others by giving of our time. A life where “self” took a back seat to others. A life where we lived each and every day with the sole purpose of glorifying God by serving others. Every day, may we make the joyful choices that would allow God to say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”
Lord, how sweet it would be to live such a life that people would only have good things to say about us. I know that is the life we will live in heaven, but until You take us home, please give us the guidance so we can do just that here on earth. Amen.
32…RESTING
Good morning! Do you ever feel guilty about taking a nap? For years, I did. But that guilt stopped one day when I read 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.” God gave us our bodies so we could use them to do the work He has laid out before us. He knows our physical limitations because He created us. If we need to rest in order to keep going, then a nap it is!
Just as sleep is important to our physical body, spiritually resting in the Lord is just as, if not more, important than physically resting. When we rest in the Lord, we are closing our minds off to everything else but Him. Although this time might seem unproductive, I promise you that the benefits of it far exceed anything else that we would do in the course of the day.
It’s during this time that the Lord speaks to us and prepares us for what we’ll experience throughout our day. It’s time for us to just soak up all He wants to share with us. Sometimes He’ll lead us to a particular Scripture that we need to read. Other times He will speak softly to us. Connecting this way with our Heavenly Father makes it easier to hear from the Holy Spirit. God wants us to be strong in mind, body, and soul. So, the next time you are feeling drained and need a nap, take it without any guilt, but also remember that God wants us to take time to sit quietly in His presence, too.
Heavenly Father, thank You for removing the guilt we often feel when we need to slow down and rest. This world encourages us to go, go, go but our bodies just can’t take that pace. Help us see that resting in Your presence every day is crucial to our well-being. Amen.
33…REVEAL YOUR CHARACTER
Good morning! Something I do at the beginning of each new year is make a budget. It helps me see how I need to use the money God has so graciously provided me with. This budget is just a flexible plan that is subject to change as God instructs me differently, but it’s a good place to start.
As I was reading in the New Testament, I noticed a notation that I had written after 1 Timothy 6:18-19. The note said, “When you see a dollar, be reminded that what you do with it reveals your character.” Wow, now that will stop and make you think! We all need money to live, there’s no getting around that. But God expects us to be good stewards with what He’s given us. Since we are to be about Kingdom work, does our spending reflect that endeavor? Are we financially taking care of what’s been entrusted to us, or are we living beyond our means?
We need to remember that those who have not yet come to faith in Jesus closely watch those who call themselves God’s children. They look to see if their words and actions line up. With that being the case, as a Christian, being financially responsible is another way to be a good witness for the Lord. Living within our means shows others that God provides His children with what they need. As we begin a new calendar year, it would be good to prayerfully look over our finances to make sure they are pleasing to God, and make any changes God leads us to make.
Lord, help us find ways to bless others through the resources You have so graciously given us. Give us eyes to see the needs of others and show us how we can be an extension of Your love. Help us remember that those who don’t yet call You Lord are watching Believers. Please help our words and actions line up. Help us be good stewards of what You have given us. Amen.
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