“Now, may the God of Patience and comfort grant you to be like minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus.” Romans 15:5
We all have things in life that strain our patience. That’s where our scripture today becomes so compelling.
He is asking us to take on this same character trait. Just think how patient God is with you and I in our lives. Remembering God’s patience toward us might just help you demonstrate a little more patience toward others.
“My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and truth.” 1 John 3:11
Jesus said, “love your neighbor as you love yourself.” As children that seems to be rather easy to do. As an adults, not so much. Perhaps that’s why John uses the phrase, “my little children”, for it is in that state of innocence that we can love easily and judge less.
There is very real Christ centered love power in 1 John 3:11. For when you give without expecting anything in return, lives can change in an instant, not the least of which will be your own.
“Into Your hands I commit My spirit.” Psalm 31:5 & Luke 23:46
When Jesus spoke at critical times during His time on earth He would quote scripture, for scripture is God’s word, and the foundation upon which we build our faith. In His final breath on the Cross, Jesus, in Luke 23:46, was quoting Psalm 31:5, which says, “Into Your hands I commit My spirit” In these few words Jesus declared
No matter what circumstances we find ourselves in, God is the final word. He formed us, He created us and all that we see, and if this were not enough He loves us beyond our comprehension, which He demonstrated in the life of His son Jesus. The same Jesus who on the cross taught us a valuable lesson, that is the importance of verbally declaring God’s authority. Don’t just think it, speak it! David made such a declaration, which Jesus repeated. Today we can make this same choice and speak God’s authority over us. Such humble surrender to God will open a world to you that you never thought possible. In this quiet time with God, give Him the final authority over every breath you take. “Whatever you have for me today, Lord, I am yours.”
“Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy.” Psalm 126:5
You cannot go through any kind of grief without changing. You can become bitter or you can become better. I’ve often heard the phrase, “In loves service only broken hearts need apply.” In other words, who better to help someone that is going through incredible challenges then someone who has already walked that same road. Someone to comfort them through their tears. Someone to help them find their laughter again.
You’ve been through challenges, grief, and more than your share of tears. The time has come to use that unique experience to help someone who is now walking a road you know all too well. David reminds us in Psalm 126 that if we choose to sow into others even while still feeling our own pain and wiping our own tears, the joy that God will bring into your life will soon overwhelm you. You don’t need to mask or forget your pain. Simply learn and grow from it and choose to become the source of joy for another.
“Supposing Him (Jesus) to be the gardener, she said to Him, ‘Sir, if you have carried Him (Jesus’ body) away, tell me where you have laid Him?” John 20:15
Mary Magdalene went to Jesus’ tomb overwhelmed with grief. Verse 11 goes so far as to tell us that “she stood by the tomb weeping”. Grief was all that she could see. Even as Jesus approached her and said, “Woman, why are you weeping, Whom are you seeking?” Even then Mary could not see her Lord standing right in front of her. In her grief all she could see was someone her mind told her was the gardener. Mary was unable to
Would you recognize a miracle if you were standing in the middle of it? In this instance Mary could not because her rational mind told her that her Lord was dead. How often do you and I face trials and our rational mind expects a negative result? Yet when Christ is the Lord of your life your expectations should be transformed. Hebrews 11:1 tells us that “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Stretch your faith today and see the miracle you are standing in the middle of. I guarantee that Christ is working in your life. Are you willing to take off your grief blinders and see what He’s up to?
Jeremiah was actually sitting in a prison cell when God said to him, “Call to Me and I will answer you, and show you great and marvelous things you do not know”. I’ve often wondered, would Jeremiah have heard God so clearly absent his dire and solitary circumstances? I’m not sure what your life looks like, but mine is filled with a thousand and one distractions competing for attention. Out of everything I can or have to do in a day, the single most important thing is to find an isolated place, quiet my mind, and
To those who might say, I’ve never heard from God, or, I’ve not heard from Him in a very long time, try removing the distractions around you and call to Him. He will answer.
“In the Image of God, He (God) created (us).” Genesis 1:27
What is the image of God, for we look at the vast collection of people across our planet and no two are alike. Then we come to 1 Samuel 16:7, where the Lord said to Samuel “Do not consider appearance or height…The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but
Indeed, you possess a beautiful heart just as God created it. Let it shine and be a blessing for the world around you. As Jesus said in Matthew 5:14, “you are the light of the world”. In doing so, you truly bear the image of God.
“O Lord, Our Lord, How excellent is your name in all the earth!…When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars which you have ordained, What is man that you are mindful of him?” Psalm 8:1-4
Glance into a star filled night sky and all thoughts of your day will seem to vanish away. Look up and behold the splendor and majesty of our Creator, then remember that in the vastness of this great universe that God’s love for you is real. We are reminded of this fact in Psalm chapter 8.
I can imagine David, the author of the Psalms, lying beneath a vast canopy of stars as he wrote these words. His thoughts so nearly mirror our thoughts today. We’ve all thought at one time or another, ‘in the vastness of all of this creation who am I that you Lord God are mindful of me?’ And yet He is mindful of you! Better still, God’s love for you is beyond measure. He has singled you out! He knows your name! He cares for you! Through His Son Jesus He’s offered eternal life to you! With such assurance, such support from God Almighty, there can surely be no limit to what you can achieve in life! So the next time you look up into a star filled sky just remember, the same God who created all your eyes behold also created you in his image.
“He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.” Psalm 1:3
All over my neighborhood the Jacaranda and Crepe Myrtle trees are blooming. Walking through my local park is like walking through a glorious overhead flower garden. Yet just a few short months ago these branches were void of greenery. At one point I began to imagine what it would be like for someone who grew up on a tropical island with no contact to the outside world. Now that person suddenly has the ability to come to my neighborhood in winter to visit a wise old grandfather who they have never met. The visitor would immediately think, what kind of a place is this, there is no life here. Then they would hear the wise grandfather say, “be patient and trust me, they are not dead, you will soon see life”. Week after week, month after month the visitor wakes up each day to those same barren trees. And each day the grandfather simply says to the visitor,
When spring arrives, imagine the sense of joy and surprise from the visitor as the trees burst forth with the often promised life! Psalm 1 tells us that “Blessed is the person whose delight is in the Lord. They will prosper like a tree planted by the rivers of living water that will bring forth is fruit in its season!” Contrary to what you may believe, your dreams are not dead. You may be going through a barren time in your life but trust in God. Psalm 34 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Trust in God, you will soon see life!
“If God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31
The illusion in life is that we are helpless and tossed around by circumstances. I remember a time years ago when I would urgently pray for situations in my life, or in the lives of those around me. While there was sincere faith in those prayers, I also sensed fear mixed in with my words, like I was a lawyer arguing my case with God in hopes that He would agree with me and answer my prayers. Then I decided to take scripture at face value and not read into it with my own insecurities. The breakthrough came when I could
Take Romans 8:31-32, which says, “If God is for us, who can be against us? He (God) who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all—how will He not also, along with Him (Jesus), graciously give us all things?” With this verse we understand that God is already on our side, we don’t have to convince Him to be. He wants the best for us. This is why Jesus tells us not to worry, over, and over again. We don’t have to because God is for us, period! This knowledge has forever altered my prayer life. We can simply have a conversation with God. Thank Him, praise Him, and yes ask His help in our lives and for those we pray for. God, who graciously gave us Jesus, will give us just what we need, when we need it. Discover this faith for yourself. Chose a life of faith.
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