Debbie Taylor Williams
When Your Title and Circumstances Don’t Match
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When you think of blessings, what comes to mind? Most likely good, positive things: family, supportive friends, peace, financial security. Does Jesus’s title in Mark 14:61, ”Son of the Blessed One,” seem an apt description for Jesus as He stood before the high priest: beaten, abandoned by friends, no earthly possessions, and betrayed? I think we’d agree that Jesus’s title and His circumstances at that time didn’t appear to match. Could it be a message to us that things aren’t always as they appear? Perhaps we should take a look beyond today’s difficult circumstances to the title God has given us – bride of Christ; knowing we’ll experience the full blessings of our God given title in heaven.
Heavenly Father, we praise You for Christ, SON of the BLESSED ONE, and for the blessing of being His bride.
“Again the high priest was questioning Him, and saying to Him, ‘Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?’” Mark 14:61
Does Your Battery Need Charging
Do you think God expects you to be superman or super woman? Here’s some good news. God doesn’t expect us to keep going and going and going without rest. God doesn’t expect us to be like an energizer bunny. He knows that we will become depleted and that we need restoration. Psalm 23:3 says, “He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” Sure, Red bull drinks and other highly caffeinated drinks may give a temporary kick or a burst of energy. But, it’s the daily refreshment in God’s presence that provides ongoing restoration to our souls. When your battery is running low, find your Bible, not your cape. It’s in God’s presence you’ll experience the restoration you for which you long.
Lord, we praise You, the RESTORER of our soul!
Praise to the Lord My Banner
“Moses built an altar and named it The LORD is My Banner” (Exodus 17:15).
Do you need a rallying point: some place you can go to find victory over your old nature and the devil’s temptations? Moses discovered that the Lord was his rallying point. When he held high the Banner of the Lord, the Israelites were victorious over their enemies. They fought in God’s name and strength, not their own. The same holds true for us. The Lord is our Banner. When we lift His name high in prayer and look to His strength, we find victory over our sin nature and the enemy.
LORD MY BANNER, we praise You and lift high Your name over our flesh and the devil.
Praise to Our LEADER
“‘I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, Who LEADS you in the way you should go.'”
When you were a child, did you play “follow the leader”? If so, you probably remember how important it was to do what the leader did. If they placed their hand on their head, then you were supposed to place your hand on your head. If they touched their toes, then you touched your toes. In order to follow, you had to keep your eye on the leader. You had to pay attention to the leader’s words. God LEADS us in the way we should go, in the way that is profitable. How closely do we listen to Him and follow His lead?
God, You are our LEADER! What a blessing to follow You!
Praise to God of Hope
“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” (Romans 15:13).
Do you feel hopeless? Perhaps the last ray of hope to which you’ve clung just went out the window. Things may look black. Your future may appear bleak. Dark clouds may seem to hover over you no matter where you go or what you do. But the good news is, if you’re a Christian, you have every reason to have hope. Why? Because the God of hope resides within you through 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 gears. Rather than attempting to pull yourself up by your bootstraps, try believing that God is on the throne. He’s sovereign. He sees you. He loves you. He has your best interest at heart. In faith, pray, “God of hope, fill me with all joy and peace through the power of the Holy Spirit.”
God of HOPE, we praise You for giving us the Holy Spirit so we can abound in hope by His power.
Praise Jesus, head over ALL THINGS
“And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church,”
I recently heard a television anchor report on a well known religious leader whose viewpoint on a moral issue was contrary to the Bible. She then invited viewers to “weigh in.” “Let us know what you think. You can twitter if you agree or disagree.” As she continued with the next story, my mind lingered on her invitation. I wondered, did she know that it was not our opinion or the opinion of the religious leader that mattered; but only the opinion of Jesus, who is HEAD OVER ALL THINGS?
LORD, You are HEAD OVER ALL THINGS! Help us demonstrate that You are our LORD by following Your moral laws.
Praise God of the COVENANT
“And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.'”
Do you ever hurriedly read through familiar passages in the Bible? I often have to remind myself to slow down so I grasp the intensity of God’s words to me. Such is the case with Matthew 26:27-28; which is often read during Communion. When we slow down to read this passage, we realize that Jesus identifies Himself as the Covenant Maker. He makes a covenant with us and seals it with His blood. He literally dies for us, and His covenant with us is forever binding.
Lord Jesus, COVENANT MAKER, You not only made a covenant with us, but You sealed it with Your blood. We worship, praise, and adore You, our Lord and God.
Jesus! the EXACT REPRESENTATION of God’s Nature
“He (Jesus) is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature,”
“I wonder what God is like.” Have you ever had that thought? If so, you have your answer in Jesus. Look at the Son and you’ll know what the Father is like. Why? Because Jesus is the “spitting image” of His Daddy. Or, as Scholar William Barclay explains, “Jesus is the shining of God’s glory among men.” He is the stamped image of God.
Christ Jesus, we look at You and see our Heavenly Father… and all His love, grace, and glory. We praise You, Lord.
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Praise to AWESOME GOD
He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” Genesis 28:17
“Who is like You among the gods, O LORD? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, Awesome in praises, working wonders? Exodus 15:11
Come and see the works of God, Who is awesome in His deeds toward the sons of men. Psalm 66:5
We praise You, Heavenly Father, the great and AWESOME GOD!
Praise Jesus, Who Has All AUTHORITY
Satan offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. (Mt 4:8) Jesus refused his offer. However, He received God’s gift: AUTHORITY. Jesus has “all authority in heaven and on earth.” (Mt 28:18) With that authority, He speaks to us. (See Mt 28:19-20) Some people acknowledge Christ’s authority and submit their will to Him. Others act like Jesus isn’t God and go their merry way – living however they like. But life is not a game. It’s not “flip a coin” and see if I feel like obeying Christ’s teachings. He came FROM heaven TO earth to save us from sin. Sin is eternally deadly. Are we so inundated with it, we’ve become comfortable with sin? Or, are we appalled by our sin and go the Lord in repentance; asking for His empowerment to overcome it? Jesus has all authority in heaven and earth. His authority is not something to be dismissed; but rather, humbly acknowledged and bowed to.
Our Lord, Jesus, You have all AUTHORITY in heaven and on earth. Forgive us when we read Your teachings and then dismiss them as if we were reading Dear Abby’s suggestions. You are LORD and we are Your servants. May we never forget that, and may we humbly bow to Your authority.