Beyond Ourselves

Does the prevalence of evil in our society cause you to be fearful for loved ones, yourself, and even those you don’t know? Recently, after speaking at a church, a mom confided in me that she feared for her child. Part of her fear was because she had been molested as a child. Part was due to the moral decline in our nation and the increase in lawlessness throughout our world.  What hope was I able to give her?

PRAYER:  Jesus teaches us to pray, “Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” We can daily pray that for others and ourselves. We can pray that for the unsaved and those who are blinded by evil. We can pray God will open their eyes and they will turn to the Truth and Light.

The BIBLE. The Bible is a safeguard that teaches us what to do and not to do. We can teach our children to respect and obey God and His Word which will keep them from walking in evil ways.

ETERNAL SALVATION.  We can’t escape all evil influences, but, 2 Thessalonians 3:3 comforts us that the Lord is faithful and will strengthen and PROTECT us from the evil one. How we need this at this time!

Which of the above three could you strengthen to safeguard you, your family, and our world from evil?

Thank You, Heavenly Father, for Your Word that shows us how to live, for being able to pray to You, and for Christ’s faithfulness to strengthen and protect us. 

TIP: Record prayers for loved ones and our world here.

Are you familiar with the Rolling Stones’ 1965 song “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”?  Keith Richards and Mick Jagger’s lyrics, “can’t get no satisfaction” resonated with people in the 1960’s and also today. But do you know who has found satisfaction? God. First John 2:2 says, “He (Jesus) Himself is the PROPITIATION FOR OUR SINS; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.”  The word propitiation means satisfaction. This verse tells us that Jesus satisfied God’s righteous requirement that sin be dealt with rather than ignored. How did Jesus do that? He substituted His life for ours. How incredible! If we haven’t thanked Jesus lately for satisfying God’s righteous requirements of the law, now would be a good time to do that. 

Jesus, thank You for sacrificing Your life and being the propitiation for our sins. We love you so! 

Have you ever promised something and then didn’t fulfill your promise? If you have, you know what a horrible feeling it is. Maybe we promised, “I’ll never say that again.” Then we did. Or, maybe we said to God, “I promise if you get me out of this mess, I’ll do better next time.” Then we failed to do as we said. Or maybe we don’t trust people because they’ve made promises to us they didn’t keep. When it comes to God, however, Romans 4:21 assures us “that what God PROMISED, He was able also to perform.” In other words, we or other people may be well-intentioned but fail. Not God, though. What He promises He will do. What a blessing to know that God keeps His promises.  In the midst of failed promises and lies it’s a great time for us to read God’s promises in the Bible.  Our hearts can be at peace as we read them because we know they are true. Which of God’s promises are your favorites? Share them in the “Comment” section below. I’d love to hear from you.

Heavenly Father, in a world that is filled with lies and failed promises, we praise You for being a faithful promise keeper.  

You missed it last week? A quick repost from “Spinning Out of Control.”

Now, today’s post:

Are you familiar with the legal term “double jeopardy”? It means that a person can’t be tried for the same crime two times. In God’s system it means the same, which is an incredible blessing. Jesus was tried for all the sins we’ve committed and will commit. God has promised to not try us for our sins that Jesus has already been convicted of and paid the debt. And as if that weren’t enough of a huge eternal blessing, there’s more. Hebrews 2:17 explains that after Jesus died for our sins, He entered into God’s presence and became our High Priest. The resurrected Christ is seated at God’s right hand. What is He doing?  Praying for us. Go to Him in gratitude. Live for Him in joy.

Lord Jesus, we praise You, our Lord and high PRIEST!  Thank You for taking our place at the judgment seat and dying for our sins.  How can we serve You?

“Therefore, He (Jesus) had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high PRIEST in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.”  Hebrews 2:17

Have you ever thought of God as being a Life Preserver? Psalm 116:6 describes Him that way. “The LORD preserves the simple; I was brought low, and He saved me.”  The word “preserve” in this verse means to save a life.  No doubt Jesus fits the description. He rescues those who are drowning in sin when they call on Him for salvation.  We understand the need for someone to save us from raging waters.  Do we understand the need for Jesus to save us from raging sin? We understand the need to be saved from physical death. Do we understand the need to be saved from spiritual death?

Jesus, You are the only One who can rescue us from sin and preserve our soul for eternity. We call to You. 

It’s messy. It’s hands-on. It’s a commitment. It’s time-consuming. It’s up close and personal. What is messy, hands-on, time-consuming, and up close and personal? Being a potter, which is how God is described in Isaiah 64:8. “O Lord, You are our Father, We are the clay, and You are 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. Rest in the assurance of His divine hands. 

Heavenly Father, we praise You that You are our Potter. Thank You for shaping us into a divine vessel.

Watch the video clip from Debbie’s teaching series.

Does a holy fear ever rise in you?  What kind of holy fear? The good kind. A reverential fear. An overwhelming acknowledgment 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 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 walking in darkness.

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. He allowed Himself to die so we’d have visible evidence of not only His love, but also eternal healing.  Jesus knew 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 instead of preventing His death, He died a painful death with no pain killers and with no one holding His hand. He died to pay for our sins, and by His resurrection, gives proof of ultimate eternal healing. For that, we are grateful beyond words and continue to look in trust to our loving Savior and Great Physician. 

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.