365 Days of Praise
I Did it Again: Failed
I did it again: failed. I failed to pay attention to my thoughts. I failed to check them against God’s Word. I failed to return Jesus’s love by loving Him with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength. I failed to honor Him with my lips. Have you ever been there, done that? What happens when a Christian sins? Is God done with us? No.First Chronicles 16:34 and 1 Peter 1:25 tell us, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever” and “His Word endures forever.” Every day God loves us. Every day, we can turn to His Word, the truth, and learn how to walk by it. If you, like me, did it again and failed God in some way, look to Him. He may not be smiling, but we have the opportunity to repent and see His smile again.
Heavenly Father and Lord Jesus Christ, thank You for Your enduring love and Word. Help us live it out in a reciprocal way with You and others.
Show Me that You Love Me
Have you ever wished someone would do more than tell they love you; they would SHOW you? Romans 5:8 explains that is what God did when He sent Jesus to earth. “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Then, Jesus SHOWed us how much He loves us laying down on the cross to die for our sins. He showed the greatest love, as He explained in John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” God the Father and Son proved their love. They DEMONSTRATED their love. If you think you’re unloved, think again! They’ve shown you.
Thank You, Lord, for DEMONSTRATING Your love by saving us. Now demonstrate Your love through us to others.
If You’re Down
Are you down or discouraged? Do you feel the heaviness of oppression? Are you down on yourself or disappointed in someone? Do you feel betrayed? The apostle Paul, whom God used mightily, had ample opportunity to be discouraged. Lonely nights. Conflicting opinions among believers. Physical sufferings. Wrongful imprisonments. Yet, in Romans 15:5-6, he writes, “Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Paul got his encouragement from God. He got his encouragement from singing praises to Him. If we’re down, what can we do? Turn off the TV. Go to God in prayer. Open our Bibles. Receive His encouragement.
Heavenly Father and Lord Jesus Christ, thank You for ENCOURAGING us deep down, in our innermost beings. Help us persevere by keeping our minds on You.
Ho Hum or DIVINE
DIVINE. We often use the word casually. “This cake is divine!” Or, “It was a divine vacation.” However, 2 Peter 1:3-4 uses the word “divine” in relation to God’s power and nature. “His DIVINE power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the DIVINE nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.” These are incredible truths for us to grasp! Christ’s DIVINE power has granted to us EVERYTHING pertaining to life and godliness! Christ has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises so that by them we may become partakers of the DIVINE NATURE. It isn’t God intention that we live a ho-hum or defeated life. Far from it. He’s GIVEN US His DIVINE NATURE, POWER, and PROMISES. Are we living by His Divine power?
Lord Jesus, You are DIVINE power and life. Thank You for Your precious and magnificent promises by which we become partakers of Your divine nature. We worship and adore You!
If You’re Looking for Supreme
When we go to the beginning, to Genesis 1:1,the first way the ONE we worship is identified, is as God. “In the beginning GOD created the heavens and the earth.” GOD: Elohim. Scholar Charles Ryrie explains that Elohim is “a generic term for deity as well as a proper name for the true god. Its basic meaning is ‘strong one, mighty leader, supreme Deity.’ The form of the word is plural, indicating plentitude of power and majesty and allowing for the NT revelation of the triunity of the Godhead.” That is the scholarly definition of the GOD we love and worship. But how would you explain to someone who God is to you?
GOD, ELOHIM, we bow in worship and praise of You, for how You have revealed Your majesty to us; for how You’ve reached down and saved us; for how You will raise us up to be in Your presence one day. It is with unspeakable reverence we praise You!
Where to “Hang Out”
Where is home to you; in other words, the place you hang out, the place where you find comfort, love, and security? If it’s not God, you’re missing out on the ultimate DWELLING PLACE: God Himself! Deuteronomy 33:27 says, “The eternal God is a dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” When you’re tired and want to rest, when you’re excited and want to share good news, when you’ve messed up and need someone to confess to, when you’re stumped and need advice, go to God. He is a dwelling place; a place where we can hang out; the best place of all.
Eternal God, You are our DWELLING PLACE. Please help us mindfully “hang out” with You as we would our closest family member or friend.
Knock Knock
How would you describe yourself? Would you use “DOOR” to communicate to others who you are? I certainly wouldn’t. But, Jesus did. In John 10:9 He said, “I am the DOOR; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved,…” Why would Jesus describe Himself as a door? He wants us to know that there is an “outside” of heaven and an “inside” of heaven. Heaven is a place and we are “outside” until we go “into” heaven through Jesus. Make no mistake. Everyone will not live eternally “in” heaven. Only those who enter through Jesus will be in heaven. Our Heavenly Father sends a personal invitation to you to enter eternal life in heaven through the forgiveness of your sins Jesus paid on the cross. No knocking required. Just a prayer. Acknowledge your sins to God. Ask Him to forgive you. Receive the gift of His forgiveness and the Holy Spirit. Learn more at Meet Jesus.
Thank You, Lord Jesus, for opening the DOOR to heaven through Your sacrifice on the cross.
“Door” is one of God’s 26 character traits in my book, Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion. Learn more HERE.
Could God Love Me
Have you ever considered that the Heavenly Father delights in Jesus? Yes, Jesus is God’s DELIGHT as Isaiah 42:1 points out. “Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul DELIGHTS.” In a world full of evil, what a blessing it must be for the Heavenly Father to look at Jesus and say, “My soul delights in You.” Reading His words stirs in me a longing for our Heavenly Father to delight in me, but I’m so mindful of my sin, I can’t imagine that being the case. Then again, could our Heavenly Father delight in us, while not delighting in our sin? Yes. Proverbs 3:12 says, “For whom the LORD loves He reproves, even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.” Our Heavenly Father has set His affection on us. He loved us even before we were saved. (John 3:16) Now that we are saved, He loves and corrects us; like we love and correct our children. So while celebrating God’s pure delight in Jesus, we learn what is pleasing to our Heavenly Father and how to walk by His Spirit so we can increasingly delight Him.
Heavenly Father, thank You for Jesus, in whom Your soul finds pure delight. Thank You for delighting in us while we learn to walk in Your ways.
Feast Your Eyes On This Crown
Throughout time, people have sat on thrones and worn diadems (crowns). Some leaders have worn their crowns well and brought honor to their people. Others have brought shame to their people. The later was the case with the chief tribe of the Northern Kingdom of Israel at the time of Isaiah. In contrast to the drunken leaders who wore crowns of shame; Isaiah 28:5 says of the LORD, “In that day the LORD of hosts will be for a crown of glory and a diadem of beauty to the remnant of His people.” The LORD GOD is the CROWN of BEAUTY. If we’re looking for someone on whom to rest our eyes, we need look no further than the Lord Jesus.
Lord Jesus, DIADEM OF BEAUTY, glorious One, we honor and praise You, our Lord!
A Resort to Go To
Psalm 34:4 says, “I sought the Lord, and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.” Nice verse, right? No. Not “nice verse.” It’s an incredible verse. Fear is coursing through the veins of people. “What will happen to our nation? What will happen to my children and grandchildren? What will happen to me?” This is not God’s intention for us. Let’s go to the meaning behind some of these words and rethink why the words the psalmist said should be our testimony among our peers. SOUGHT: resort to. Think vacation. You yearn to leave the daily grind. You want to go to another place that is peaceful, not draining. Then resort to the LORD. Take your spirit there. Trip off to heaven. “I resorted to the LORD and He answered me.” I went to the front desk of heaven and Jesus was there. “And He answered and delivered me from all my fears.” DELIVER: snatch. Jesus snatched me away from my fears. Friends, when we resort to the Lord, He snatches us from our fears and shows us His heavenly perspective from heaven’s eternal heights. That’s the best vacation we could ever take. Isn’t it time we go there?
Heavenly Father, help us not read Bible verses and think, “that’s nice.” Help us live the words of the Bible.