Beyond Ourselves

Are you ever prideful or critical of others? Humility is a godly trait and one we see in our Lord.  Jesus was HUMBLE as Matthew 11:29 explains, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Jesus explained that His humility flowed from His heart. It is the essence of who Jesus is. That’s what we need. Not an attempt at humility, but to truly regard others as more important than ourselves. Jesus said we are to learn from Him. If we’re not HUMBLE, a good first step is to ask Him to fill us with His HUMBLE Spirit.

Lord, You who have every right to be prideful chose to serve us and even HUMBLE yourself to the point of death on our behalf. We praise You, most HUMBLE Lord Jesus, and pray to be more like You.

Do you ever feel shaky; like you might fall? Do you feel like you don’t have the strength to stand, much less make it through the next day or week? If so, be encouraged. In Psalm 18:2  our Lord is described as our strength in this unique way. “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the HORN OF MY SALVATION, my stronghold.” If you’re like me, you can understand the Lord being our rock, fortress, deliverer, shield, and stronghold. But what is meant by the Lord being our “HORN OF SALVATION?”  Scholar Herbert Lockyer explains: “the figure of the Horn is taken from those animals whose strength is in their horns. Because the horn was once the instrument of the oxen’s strength, it became the symbol of power. And our God and Savior came as a HORN or mighty instrument of SALVATION. In addition, when horns were fixed to an altar they became projections to which sacrifices were bound and to which those who needed protection could cling.” Jesus is the believer’s HORN OF SALVATION. Cling to Him.

HORN OF SALVATION, we praise You, our strength, and salvation. Thank You that we can cling to You. 

 Can you imagine being told that a relative you barely knew passed away and left you all his money? “That’s nice of Uncle Fred,” you might say, thinking of the last time you’d seen him with his average clothing and car. But then, the executor of the estate continues, “Congratulations! You’re a billionaire!” Stunned, you realize that you never knew all that Uncle Fred possessed. Psalm 16:5 is such a comment to the Christian. “The Lord is the portion of my INHERITANCE and my cup; You support my lot.” In other words, upon Christ’s death and our confession of Him as Lord, we received an inheritance in Christ: His Holy Spirit, divine nature, mind, power, and heaven!” Friends, that ought to set our feet to dancing and put a smile on our face. Do we realize all we have in Christ? Are we living joyfully and mindful of our INHERITANCE with praise on our lips to Him?

Lord, You are our INHERITANCE. What more could we want? We love You, praise You, and rejoice in YOU!

Do you feel hopeless? Perhaps the last bit of hope to which you’ve clung just went out the window. Your future may appear bleak. Dark clouds may seem to hover over you no matter where you go or how hard you try. But the good news is, if you’re a Christian, you have every reason to hope. Why? Because Romans 15:13 explains that the GOD OF HOPE is in you through the Holy Spirit. “Now may the GOD OF HOPE fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” It’s not a question of if you have hope. You do. The question is, are you allowing the GOD OF HOPE to fill you with His joy and peace? You can experience hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. It’s a matter of switching from pulling yourself up by your bootstraps to believing God is on the throne, He sees you, and loves you. He has your best interest at heart. In faith, pray, “GOD OF HOPE, fill me with joy and peace through the Holy Spirit.”

GOD OF HOPE, thank You for giving us the Holy Spirit so we can abound in hope by His power. 

Do you worry about where our nation and world are headed? Although evil may temporarily prevail, the Bible tells us the end of the story. And it’s a good ending! God will prevail. Colossians 2:10 tells us Christ is the HEAD OVER ALL RULE AND AUTHORITY.  One day every knee will bow before Him. In the meantime, believers have the opportunity to live under Christ’s rule in our personal lives and to share our faith and hope with others.  Are we?  There’s no better time then now.

LORD JESUS, thank You for the comfort that You are HEAD OVER ALL RULE AND AUTHORITY!  Open our eyes to the fact that we can live under Your rule despite what others do. Help us witness to others our hope and faith. 

The ushering in of Covid-19 in January 2020 ushered in what is called by many “a new normal.” What is meant by “new normal”?  People not greeting one another with a handshake or hug. Social distancing. Wearing face masks. Gloved hands.  Not gathering to worship.  There is speculation about if and when we will return to life the way it was pre-Covid-19. We are told to trust the medical experts and follow their advice. People are trying to adapt, to trust.  We don’t know what the future holds, but as the saying goes, we know who holds the future – a faithful creator. First Peter 4:19 encourages believers, “Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a FAITHFUL CREATOR in doing what is right.” Will there be a day when the mandate is to denounce the One we worship? Yes. That day is already here in many countries. Christian persecution has always existed. When that day comes, what are we to do? We are to entrust our souls to our Faithful Creator even as we entrust our souls to Him today.

FAITHFUL CREATOR, we praise You that we can trust You and entrust our souls to You.