Beyond Ourselves

Have you noticed that people in our nation are at odds with one another? “What an understatement!” you may say. And, you’re right.  Rioting in the name of peaceful protests. Name-calling and accusations.  One faction looking at the other as an enemy.  In light of that, did you know Romans 5:10 says we were once enemies of God? Gulp. Not a good position!  How did we get on the right side of God so we’re not His enemy? “We were reconciled to God through the death of His Son.” It took Jesus’s death to reconcile us to God. The verse continues, “we shall be saved by His life.” No one wants to be on the wrong side of an issue. No one wants to be on the wrong side of God. We have Jesus to thank for reconciling us to our glorious Heavenly Father.

TIP: How to Pray for Unbelievers

Death. It seems so final. I’d been prepared for my mother’s death because she’d been ill for a long time. But the casket. The cemetery. I broke down weeping. Some family members whispered they were surprised at my grief, but all I could think of was how much I was going to miss her.  So what does Jesus want us to know about death and what did He prove when He raised Lazarus and others from the dead? He wants us to know that death isn’t final. Jesus describes death as sleep and that just as a loved one rouses us from sleep by calling our name, Jesus will rouse us from death. “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.” (John 5:25)  Yes, believer, you will hear Christ’s voice (imagine that!) and will wake in Jesus’s presence. Better words could never be said. Who do we need to share them with?

Have you ever been driving and keeping your eyes on the road before you when suddenly a car came up too fast behind you? If so, you probably know the startling feeling and hope that the driver slows down rather than rear-end you. Often, we speak of the Lord leading us, but Isaiah 52:12 also speaks of Him as watching out for our backs. “… the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your REAR GUARD.”  In this verse, God is referred to as a rearguard when the Israelites escaped Egyptian bondage. God is also our rear guard. He watches over us, leads us, and not until heaven will we know how many times He’s protected us from encroaching danger and evil. Just as it was important for Moses and the Israelites to pay attention to and follow God’s instructions, it’s important for us to pay attention and follow His instructions. How do His warnings and instructions come to us? In the Bible and the Holy Spirit’s promptings.

Lord, thank You for being our REAR GUARD and for all the ways You watch over us and protect us. How comforting to know You’ve got our back.

Do you ever feel blah? There are things you could be, should be doing, but you’re stuck? Nobody likes that feeling. So what do we do when we don’t feel motivated to pray, work, or get moving? We lift up our soul to God.  (Psalm 143:8)  We read God’s Word regardless of how we feel, and while reading, discover that we’re encouraged and inspired. God’s thoughts become our thoughts. His passions become our passions. We ask our Heavenly Father to give us the mind and energy of Christ. The King James Version of 1 Corinthians 15:45 contrasts the first man, Adam, with the “last Adam,” Jesus, in this way: “The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a QUICKENING SPIRIT.” As a Quickening Spirit, Jesus arouses and invigorates us. Christ-followers are not spiritually dead. We’re alive! Pray and ask God to fill you with His Holy Quickening Spirit. Then, pay attention to the promptings He places on your heart and mind.

TIP:  I daily open my Prayers of My Heart journal so I can record what God quickens me to pray and prompts me to do. Having our Bible, pen, and journal in hand signals to God that we are ready and listening, eager to follow His promptings.  

Heavenly Father, thank You for Jesus who is a Quickening Spirit! Arouse and invigorate us to do Your will. 

Did you see the movie, Ransom? Mel Gibson played the father of the son who was kidnapped. There was no way the kidnapped son could free himself. The kidnappers demanded that the father pay a certain price, a ransom, to get his son back. That’s what our Father did for us. We were captives in sin so our Heavenly Father gave Jesus as the RANSOM to pay for our freedom. Was it only our Father’s idea? No. First Timothy 2:6 says that Jesus was in one accord with the Father. “…Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a RANSOM for all.” Yes, our sweet Lord gave Himself as a ransom so we could be reunited with Him and our Heavenly Father forever. How do we become free from sin? We say “yes” to the offer of Jesus being our ransom so we are released from being a captive to sin and Satan.

Lord Jesus, we praise You, our RANSOM, our LORD. 

Are you concerned with how our world seems to be getting darker? Religious persecution, disease, abuse, lawlessness, moral decline, and political conflicts contribute to anxiety and depression. In the midst of discouraging days, what can believers do? We can keep our eyes on Jesus, who Hebrews 1:3 describes as the radiance of God’s glory.  The word “radiance” is only used 5 times in the Bible and in each of those, refers to God. Commentator Vines defines God’s “radiance” as “shining forth, of a light coming from a luminous body.” Isn’t that exciting? Even when things around us are dark, God isn’t. One sweet, glorious day, we’ll join those who are living in God’s radiance. We’ll fall on our knees overwhelmed by what our eyes see. The day is coming when we go to Jesus or when He returns through the clouds. Keep watching and living for Him!

Lord God, our hearts are overwhelmed when we read the testimonies of those who have glimpsed Your radiance.  We praise You now and forever. 

 “And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature,…”  Hebrews 1:3

“Lord, are You there? Speak to me.” Have you ever wanted to hear from God? If so, be encouraged. Zephaniah 3:17 tells us that God is in our midst. He’s a victorious warrior but also quiet in His love. What does that mean? I like to think of when I’ve held our little ones. My heart feels like it could jump out of my skin because I’m so full of love for them. However, I’m not loud with them. Instead, I hold them close to my heart. I wonder if they feel my heartbeat as they lie in my embrace. God is magnificent. The Bible is filled with His words to us. If we wish He would speak to us, He has and still is. Open the Bible. Hold it close to your heart. Feel His heartbeat and listen to what He lovingly says to you.

“The LORD your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.”  Zephaniah 3:17

Lord, thank You for Your QUIET LOVE and for the Words you speak to us. May we hold You, them, close to our hearts and feel Your heartbeat. 

“I can’t be the Christian I’m supposed to be. I can’t overcome this sin.” Have you ever said those words?  If we sometimes feel incapable of being the Christian we want to be, we’re not alone. The Apostle Paul, who was instrumental in helping spread Christianity, once referred to himself as the chief of sinners. Here’s the good news. God knows that we can’t live the Christian life by self-effort. That’s why He reminds us in Galatians 3:5 that He’s provided us with His Holy Spirit. We don’t please God by trying to improve our old self. We please God by learning to walk by faith in Him. We’re not short on godly provisions. Instead of saying we can’t live the Christian life or we can’t accomplish what God’s called us to do, we can ask Christ to fill us and accomplish His work through us. Then, we can practice walking by the Spirit. Will we walk by the Spirit perfectly 100% of the time? No, because our fleshly nature will oppose the Spirit. (Galatians 5:17) and we’ll struggle against spiritual forces of darkness/wickedness (Ephesians 6:12). But we can practice walking by Christ’s Spirit, confident that God is at work perfecting us. 

Lord, thank You for PROVIDING us with Your Spirit by whom we can walk and fulfill all You’ve entrusted us to do. 

“…does He who PROVIDES you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?”  Galatians 3:5

Does the prevalence of evil in our society cause you to be fearful for loved ones or perhaps even yourself? 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.  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 pray that daily for our loved ones and ourselves. We can pray that for our nation, that the unsaved and those who are blinded by evil and who are deceived will open their eyes and hearts and turn to the Truth and Light.

The BIBLE. The Bible is a safeguard that teaches us what to do and not 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 that at this time!

Which of the above three could you strengthen to safeguard you and your family 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 here as a reminder of God’s faithfulness.