simplelife

When you stand in the shadow of God, you are a giant. You are protected and guarded by him so you can be bold in sharing the story of Jesus. Paul gives this instruction about our attitude of gratitude and good manners: "Rejoice in the Lord always! Again I will say, 'Rejoice!' Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand." (Philippians 4:4) Let's not be mean or judgmental. The world is already full of anger and hatred. instead, let's focus on the goodness of God and share that with gentleness and kindness. Challenge: Look around you. Who needs that gentle and loving Presence? Are you willing to let God work through you for their good, in all his power and perfection?

Jesus talks about those who find their life in him. "I am the vine; you are the branches," he says in John 15. A branch isn't straining or struggling. It grows, resists wind and rain, and produces fruit because it is anchored and fed by the tree trunk or vine. Paul notes that everything good in us comes because of Jesus and our life in him: "I pray that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense to the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God." (Philippians 1:9-11) Challenge: What parts of life are not yet rooted in your relationship with Jesus? What adjustment do you have to make (or what request do you have of God) ... and what will it cost you? Are you willing to prune off everything that doesn't make you grow in righteousness?

For some of us, beginnings are hard. They are filled with cautions, what-ifs, and fear. For others, a new start is a happy adventure with many possibilities. Regardless, the middle of a journey or project can be a challenge. We get diverted, stuck, turned around, and lost. Then we gather our bearings and push on. If we persevere, we get to our destination or goal. The life of faith is the same. We can lose hope, experience failure and grief, and wonder if God is interested in us or if he has abandoned us. Paul offers this word of hope: "I am confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ." Philippians 1:6 Knowing that God loves you wherever you are, whatever you are trying to do, however the day goes ... and that he is still at work in you? What a hopeful thing! Challenge: Offer yourself to God today, whatever your surroundings or circumstances. Ask him to reassure you of his love and kindness to walk with you...

There's an interesting story in Acts 16. Paul and Silas have come to the city with good news of Jesus as risen Savior. They have driven the demon out of a girl. And that makes her boss angry because she was a fortuneteller who made a lot of money for him. Paul and Silas are imprisoned, beaten, and their feet put in stocks. They pray and sing hymns throughout the night - and God sends an earthquake that opens the prison doors and shakes off the chains of the prisoners. The jailer's life is in peril since he hasn't done his job. He's about to commit suicide when Paul calls out to him and say, "Wait. We're all here!" The jailer asks, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" Paul and Silas don't give him a human solution of good works and righteous living. They say, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household." They share the story of Jesus with everyone in his house and baptize them. The same is still tr...

Do you look at yourself and see only failure and flaws? Maybe you have an ideal - or many - that you have not reached.  Each person is an imperfect human. One of the unique things about the Christian faith is that God came among us - perfectly divine and perfectly human - to live so we could see God's nature; to die to reconcile us to God; to be raised from the dead so that the power of his new life is ours. Each day, we are loved. We come to him in repentance for sins done and good things left undone - and he forgives us. Completely. Utterly. That's why, if you are following Jesus, God see you as perfectly righteous: "God made him who had no sin to be made sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:21  Challenge: Today, try to see yourself in the eyes of God. Perfectly accepted in his beloved Son. Now, what do you look like and whose are you?

The fads of self-realization have created a lot of anxious people. It turns out that we're not smart enough or good enough to win our soul's freedom. We are not able reconnect with our Creator on our own. The songwriter pleads: " Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and uphold me by Your generous Spirit. "(Psalm 51:10-12) My prayer today is that we become aware enough to know we need saving; We need a bridge from where we are to the place God wants us to be. Filled with mercy and love for us, Jesus is the bridge God has provided. We don't need to swim the currents or battle the rapids alone. He asks us to accept our helplessness and his solution. From that vantage point, we need a steadfast unwavering repentance that turns continually toward God, away from things of the world that pollute and hamper God'...

The prophet Jeremiah writes: " Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart for I am called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts." (Jeremiah 15:16) I'm considering how often I "eat" and "digest" the instructions of God. Is that what makes me feel joyful and happy? Or am I satisfying myself with other things? It's not like the Word (scripture) is hard to access. There are apps, hard copies, and audio Bibles available. Yet, am I immersing myself in God's word like the prophet was, in order to share the Good News with others? Challenge: We need more hunger for God's Word. Today let's pray that God will make us ravenous to know him. And then, will we allow him to satisfy us with the scriptures?