365 Days of Praise
Making the Switch
Me. Me. Me. We probably wouldn’t want to admit it, but in our innermost being we may be more self-centered than others-centered. Our day may not begin with, “Heavenly Father, how can I serve You?” Rather, our first thought may be on what we want to get out of the day. Have you ever considered doing a 180: a turnaround based on Ephesians 5:2? “Walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an OFFERING and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.” In other words, we who are “Christ followers” are told to follow His example. We’re to walk in love and offer ourselves to serve God’s purposes. What happens when we do? We have the opportunity to be a fragrance of Christ to God and others.
Christ Jesus, You are the ultimate example of being an OFFERING and sacrifice to God. Help us follow Your example so that our lives are a fragrance of You.
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When you feel like your life is spinning out of control, remember this
It’s messy. It’s hands on. It’s commitment. It’s time consuming. It’s up close and personal. What is messy, hands on, and up close? Being a potter, which is the way God is described in Isaiah 64:8. “O Lord, You are our Father, We are the clay, and You our POTTER; And all of us are the work of Your hand.” If you feel like your life is spinning out of control, remember that you’re in the divine Potter’s hands. He’s not going to let you fly off His Potter’s wheel. Rather, just the opposite. He’s molding and shaping you into a vessel of honor and glory.
Heavenly Father, we praise You that YOU are our Potter. Thank You for being intimate with us; for shaping us into a vessel who will serve Your purposes.
Is Holy Fear Good or Bad
Does a holy fear ever rise in you? What kind of holy fear? The good kind. A reverential fear. An overwhelming acknowledgement of God’s greatness and our smallness. Utter awe at the thought of standing in God’s majestic presence. Tear filled sorrow for those who don’t know Jesus. Trembling for those who flagrantly defy God and set themselves against Him. One day every person will give an account of their lives to God, who Genesis 14:19 describes as “…God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth.” Christ tells us that those who deny God will spend eternity apart from Him. If we’re in a relationship of saving faith with Jesus, what are we doing to make sure others know Him? May holy fear cause us to think more of others than of ourselves; to speak to the unsaved about Jesus, and pray for them.
Heavenly Father, POSSESSOR of HEAVEN & EARTH, how comforting to know that because of Jesus we will live eternally in Your presence. Stir our hearts to share the good news with those who are walking in darkness.
When You Can’t Seem to Please Anyone
Do you ever feel like you can’t please anyone? Or, at least you can’t please someone you want to please? Maybe it’s a co-worker, spouse, parent, child, or friend. You do your best, but it seems they’re never satisfied. Trying to please people who are never pleased can cause us to feel defeated and drained. Unless we keep in mind that we can’t please everybody, and we focus on pleasing the most important person – our Heavenly Father. Jesus models doing that, even when others were disappointed in Him. For instance, the disciples were no doubt shockingly disappointed when Jesus didn’t resist being crucified. Martha and Mary were disappointed when Jesus delayed coming to their sick brother’s side. John 8:29 explains Jesus’s position. ”He (the Father) who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.” No, we can’t always please others. But we can follow Christ’s example of pleasing our Heavenly Father.
Following are some of the ways Jesus pleased the Father. Which are you already doing? Which do you want to begin doing?
- Jesus used Scripture to stand against Satan’s temptations. We can do that.
- Jesus shared His Father’s kingdom principles, how to be forgiven, and how to be saved. We can do that.
- Jesus was sensitive to others and reached out to them. We can do that.
- Jesus looked up in prayer and thanked His Father for hearing Him. We can do that.
- Jesus prayed before He made decisions. We can do that.
- Jesus followed His Father’s leading rather than doing things on His own initiative. We can do that.
Heavenly Father, as Jesus was well-pleasing to You, help us please You.
If Jesus Is the Great Physician, Why Didn’t He Heal …
Life is filled with joy, but also pain. Sometimes the most painful questions we ask are why didn’t God heal a loved one or friend? If you’ve had those questions, you’re not alone. We don’t know the answer to many questions. In times of pain, when we don’t understand and we don’t have answers, we look in faith to Jesus, who allowed Himself to die, so we’d have visible evidence of divine ultimate healing. Jesus knew that there would be challenging questions on this side of heaven. He said to those listening to His teachings in Luke 4:23, “No doubt you will quote this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal yourself!'” But, He didn’t heal Himself. He died a painful death with no pain killers and with no one sitting by His side holding His holy hand. He died to pay for our sins, and by His resurrection, gave proof to our ultimate eternal healing. For that we can be grateful.
Jesus, eternal Physician, thank You for rising from the dead so we can see the ultimate healing You give to all who place their faith in You.
How to Become Perfect
Do you ever hang your head in shame because of sin? Do you sometimes feel badly about something you’ve done or said? If so, I’m with you. It’s easy to get discouraged when we know the right thing to do and don’t do it. In those times it helps to remember God’s words to us in 1 Peter 5:10.. “…the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself PERFECT, confirm, strengthen and establish YOU.” Those are refreshing words! God is the One who will PERFECT us. We can’t become perfect in our own strength. Are we in any way responsible for cooperating with God? Yes. We’re to renew our minds according to the Bible. We’re to prayerfully walk by Christ’s Spirit. The next time we mess up, rather than walk around with our head hung low, let’s take hold of the Bible and put our minds to it. Let’s ask God to perfect our walk with Him and others.
Lord, thank You for not only calling us to Your eternal glory, but for also taking it upon Yourself to PERFECT us. We love You and give You praise!
“…the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself PERFECT, confirm, strengthen and establish you.”
Nobody’s Perfect!
Have you ever defended your bad behavior by saying, “Nobody’s perfect.” Or, has someone ever said to you, “Nobody’s perfect!” in defense of something they’ve done wrong? It’s a common response because it’s true. Nobody is perfect except Jesus. However, and this is a big however, our imperfections aren’t excuses to stay as we are. Rather, they’re signals for where we need to look to Jesus for His example and empowerment to change. For instance, in Matthew 5:48, Jesus doesn’t say, “Heh guys, give yourself a break. Nobody’s perfect.” Instead, He says, “Your Heavenly Father is perfect. You’re to be perfect.”
Heavenly Father, You are PERFECT. Thank You for the gift of Your Spirit who transforms us when we walk according to His power in us.
“’Therefore, you are to be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is PERFECT.’”
When You’re Tired of People Telling You “Chin Up”
Do you ever get perturbed when someone tells you “chin up,” that everything will get better? I get it. People may be well intentioned, but the fact is, things may not get better. We may not be able to keep our marriage together. Our child may have special needs the rest of their life. Our job may be tough. A person may refuse to forgive us. That’s why 2 Thessalonians 3:16 tells us to find our peace in Jesus, the Lord of peace. Is it easy? No. But, it’s real. I experienced it when I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. I experienced it when my parents were dying. In John 14:27, Jesus describes His peace as “out of this world.” In other words, it comes from heaven into our hearts so we can go through our day with inner peace. Moving the direction of our chin doesn’t change anything. Opening our heart and asking the Prince of Peace to fill it changes everything.
Thank You, Prince of PEACE, that You supercede circumstances. Fill us with Your peace.
“Now may the LORD of PEACE Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance.”
When You’re Out of Patience with Your Unsaved Friend or Loved One
Are you concerned for a family member or friend who refuses to trust Jesus for salvation? Are you worried they’ll die apart from Christ? If we’re concerned for the unsaved, it’s for good reason. This world isn’t all there is. There’s life beyond the heavens just as there’s life below the ocean that we can’t see until we enter into it. Yes, all people are alive after they pass through this life – either in Christ’s presence or apart from Him. Jesus implores us to take the road to heaven through Him. So, what do we do if an unsaved friend or family member refuses to turn to Christ? We align ourselves with the Lord, who we’re told in 2 Peter 3:9 is “not slow about His promise, but is PATIENT…, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” God is PATIENT. Keep praying. Keep looking for opportunities to speak the truth in love.
Heavenly Father, thank you for being PATIENT. Help us be like you – patient and prayerful.
Important Upside Down Thinking
Are you a unique upside down thinker or a common thinker? I ask, because Christians are called to some pretty upside down thinking. For instance, Isaiah prophesied what seems an upside down thought; that God the Father would allow His Son to become a servant. Yet, it’s right here in Isaiah 53:11, “MY SERVANT, will justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities.” What an upside down thought – that the Son would be a SERVANT who would take the punishment for our sins. We don’t think that way. We more commonly think that more success, more wealth, more prestige are indicators of God’s favor and will. But that’s not what Jesus modeled or said. Jesus became God’s SERVANT and died on the cross for our sins. What should be our response? What IS our response? Do we take our Heavenly Father and Jesus for granted? Or, do we daily purpose to SERVE them…wherever, however they call us? It’s some pretty upside thinking to get our minds around.
Lord Jesus Christ, faithful SERVANT, we bow in humble reverence and worship YOU! Thank You! Praise You! May we never forget how You gave Your life to redeem us. May we show our gratitude by serving You in whatever way You call us.