Thank the Father

How do you go about accomplishing your task list? Do you simply select an item and determine to get it done, regardless of what it takes? Do you ever include God while working on the task item? Do you thank him when you have completed it? Or is it all about you and your abilities?

Our culture tells us we can do anything we want and we do not need anyone to help us. Well, that’s a lie. We are continuously being lied to by advertisements, best-selling authors, and even our friends and family. None of us, not one single person, can accomplish our task lists on our own.

Perhaps some feathers have been ruffled. I understand that. I, too, have fallen into the trap of thinking I can do it on my own. The truth of the matter is, I can’t and neither can you. We all need God to be in the middle of it. We also need one another. That is why the Apostle Paul, just a few verses above today’s verse, states we are one body and he promotes community, working together. He knew we need others to help us and we need God to be in the midst of it all.

As we tackle our task list or speak to others, we are to include Jesus at all times. He is to be the reason and the focus for what we do. We must lean on Him to be with us and provide us the right words and the strength to achieve our mission. All the while, we are to give thanks to the Father through Jesus for what we are able to accomplish. It is the Father who has not only given us our talents but put people in our lives to help us. He is also the one who sent his Son to be our Lord and Savior. Giving thanks to Him is only right.

I pray we all choose to do and say everything for Jesus. I pray we focus our efforts on serving others through Jesus. I pray each one of us gives thanks to the Father through Jesus the Son for his many blessings. Do everything for Jesus. Speak for Jesus. Serve others. Give thanks to the Father through Jesus.

Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Exalted or Humbled

Do you think highly of yourself? Do you believe you are above other people? Do you look down on some because of the way they look, the amount of money they have, their lack of possessions, or a physical lack of ability? Do you look down on your fellow Christians?

We can become high and mighty in our own minds. We can think too highly of ourselves. We can look down on others for any number of reasons. Life becomes a competition. We even compare our failures, or sins, to others, explaining how ours are lower level.

Jesus warns us against thinking highly of ourselves. It is our ultimate downfall. Just a few verses before today’s verse, Jesus warns the disciples not to be like the Pharisees, who laid heavy burdens on other, meaning standards, yet did not live up to them themselves. They pretended to be humble for show. They sought to have the best seats at dinners. They desired to be applauded by others. Jesus warns us not to be that way.

Instead, we are to humble ourselves. We are to be the servant of others. That is following in Jesus’s footsteps. For He came to be a servant. Being humble does not mean we allow ourselves to be walked on. It means we humble ourselves before God with true humility. We honor him and acknowledge we are nothing without him. We submit to his will, seeking to be like Jesus. Jesus says that when we humble ourselves to God, God will exalt us. He will raise us up. We can continue to pursue the spotlight and look down our noses at the less fortunate or we can be a servant who follows in Jesus’s footsteps. We cannot be both.

I pray we all give up thinking highly of ourselves. I pray we humble ourselves before God. I pray each one of us will be a servant who is striving to be more like Jesus every day. Do not think highly of yourself. Humble yourself before God. Be a servant. Be more like Jesus.

Matthew 23:12 “All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Give Thanks for Believers

Are you thankful when people believe what you tell them? Do you thank God for those people who believe you? Do you strive to be honest and upright so people will believe you? Are you spreading the truth about Jesus? Are you thankful when others accept Jesus as Lord?

We live in a cynical society. We have been hardened by fake news, half-truths, and outright lies. We have been tricked by shyster’s and connivers. We have heard braggarts and swashbucklers. We may have promised ourselves not to be like those people. We desire to be honest and respectable.

As we seek to tell others the truth about Jesus, we must be careful to ensure it is truth. Many people are leery due to the tendency of many to slant the truth for their own agenda. We must not have our own agenda but the agenda of God. The truth of the gospel is powerful, and the Holy Spirit is at work. Our job is to state truth and trust the Holy Spirit to work within the hearts of those we are speaking with.

The key to our spreading of the gospel is prayer. In our praying we should thank God for both his work in us and the work he will do within the people we speak the gospel to. We should thank God for how he has worked in the lives of others we have spoken the gospel to. We are to be continually in prayer, thanking God for our salvation and asking him to guide us to those who he has prepared to hear the gospel. For God is at work, softening hearts, and will lead us to them.

I pray we all seek to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. I pray we ask God to lead us to those who are ready to hear. I pray each one of us is thankful for our salvation and God’s guidance. Tell others about Jesus. Tell them the truth. Ask God to lead you. Be thankful for your salvation.

1 Thessalonians 2:13 We also constantly give thanks to God for this, that when you received the word of God that you heard from us you accepted it not as a human word but as what it really is, God’s word, which is also at work in you believers.

Blameless Representative

How do you want to be remembered? How do you think others remember you after you have spent time with them? Do others you have taught remember you well? Are their memories of you ones of blamelessness? Will they remember you fondly years from now?

How we are remembered is based on several things. First, there is our approach, attitude, and treatment of others. Second, there is a matter of how hard we work. Third, our interest in them is noted. It all leads to their perception of us and how they will remember us.

The Apostle Paul states that he and his companions worked hard while they were in Thessalonica, so they were not a burden. Their motives were pure, they treated the Thessalonians well, and their behavior was blameless. They demonstrated a genuine interest in them, caring for their spiritual well-being. There was no false bravado, holier than thou, or demanding special treatment. Their purpose was to spread the good news of Jesus and to represent Him well.

We may not often think about our legacy, but it is built one relationship at a time. It is how we treat others, showing genuine interest in them, and not being a burden on them that builds a positive legacy. We cannot be fake, look down our noses at people, or demand special privileges. The more we can be like Jesus as we represent Him to others, the more likely we are to leave a positive impression on others.

I pray we all show interest in the people we interact with. I pray we seek to be blameless in our behavior toward others. I pray each one of us represents Jesus well as we tell others the good news. Show genuine interest toward others. Be blameless in your behavior. Represent Jesus well.

1 Thessalonians 2:10 You are witnesses, and God also, how pure, upright, and blameless our conduct was toward you believers.

Unconditional Love

How long should love last, in your opinion? Should it last for a lifetime? Should it last forever? Are you thinking of the emotional or infatuation love? What about unconditional love? Have you considered it? Don’t you think you should? As you consider it, what does it mean to you?

Love is tricky. There are different kinds of love and when we start talking about love, we can quickly become confused. We may not understand which type of love is being discussed. After all, there is friendship love, infatuation love (being in love), and unconditional love.

Despite what we may have heard in sermons or Sunday School classes, God has an unconditional love for us. It is true that he has expectations for us as well. But that doesn’t negate his love for us. Think about it. If you are a parent, you love your children, but you also have expectations. You don’t love them any less when they don’t straighten up their room, even if you are upset with them for a short time.

God loves his creation, which includes all of humankind. He does wonderful things for us corporately and individually. He provides for our needs. He has provided an eternal life with him. Yes, we must choose to accept his invitation, but our choice doesn’t negate his provision. Just as our children can walk away from us, we have the option of walking away from God. In neither case does that mean the parent stops loving the child. God’s love for us is unconditional. It is steadfast. It cannot be broken, even if God’s heart can be broken by our walking away from him. Just as the child should love the parent who raised them, we should love God for all he has done for us.

I pray we all know that God loves us unconditionally. I pray we understand that he has expectations for us. I pray each one of us will choose to run back into God’s arms and return his love with our own. God loves you. God has expectations. Run back to God. Give him your love.

Psalm 107:8-9

Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,

for his wonderful works to humankind.

For he satisfies the thirsty,

and the hungry he fills with good things.

Trivia Time

Do you like trivia? Do you like asking “Did you know” questions? Do you like answering them? Can you name the two times God separated the waters for the Israelites to cross on dry ground? Did you answer with the Red Sea? Did you get the second one?

Many of us can quickly answer that God parted the waters of the Red Sea. We may have seen it in the movies. Moses holds up his staff and the waters part. The Israelites walk across on dry ground. When the Egyptians attempt to cross behind them, the waters come crashing down.

Joshua became the leader of the Israelites after Moses died. He was commanded to lead them into the promised land. God told Joshua to have the priests and those carrying the ark of the covenant into the Jordan river. As they walked into it, the water flowing down stopped and piled up. As long as they remained standing in the middle of the river, the Israelites passed over on dry ground.

Is it important to know? We might think it is merely trivia. However, it demonstrates that God may do the same thing multiple times. He may decide to perform a miracle very similar to others he has performed before, just in a different setting. He may decide to work in your life in a similar way he has worked in someone else’s. Of course, that does not mean we should ask for it out of jealousy. Instead, we should be open to the possibility of God working in our lives in any way he decides, even in the same way he has worked in someone else’s.

I pray we all know that God works in our lives. I pray we know God may work in the same way multiple times. I pray each one of us is open to God working in our lives in whatever way he decides. God is working in your life. God may work in your life in the same way he has someone else. Keep your eyes open to see how God is working in your life.

Joshua 3:17 While all Israel were crossing over on dry ground, the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firmly on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, until the entire nation finished crossing over the Jordan.

Mentor and God

Have you had a mentor you wanted to emulate? Was it because you saw something special your mentor, something that resonated with you? Have you been able to incorporate what you learned from your mentor into your life? Is it working well, helping you to have a positive impact on others?

Mentors can have a profound effect on us. We may want to be just like them. As we get older, we may discover that we cannot be a replica of them. Instead, we must take the positive traits we saw in them and incorporate them into our life, being uniquely us.

Joshua’s mentor was Moses. Can you imagine?! Joshua probably wanted to live up to his image of who Moses was. However, anytime we are in the presence of greatness, we very quickly realize it is beyond our reach. We don’t believe we have what it takes to achieve greatness. It is very possible Joshua felt that way. But notice what happens. It is not Joshua who attains greatness. It is God working through him that makes him a great leader.

This is just one reason why we need to discern what God has gifted us with and submit to his plan for our lives. God knows the plan he has for us. Despite our best efforts, we cannot see beyond today. Sure, we can plan, but we cannot truly forecast the future. When we seek God’s will and he reveals his plan for us, even if it is just the next step, and we follow it, we will discover we are blessed far more than we could imagine.

I pray we all seek to understand God’s plan for us. I pray we decide to follow God’s plan. I pray each one of us knows we are blessed by God, and he will lead us on the best path. Understand God’s plan for you. Follow God’s plan for you. You are blessed by God. He will lead you.

Joshua 3:7 The Lord said to Joshua, “This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, so that they may know that I will be with you as I was with Moses.”

God Our Savior

What is your view or perspective or attitude toward others? Do you intercede for them? Do you pray for them? Are you thankful for them? Do you view God as your Savior? Do you know that he wants everyone to know the truth that will set them free and rescue them?

We may have disagreements with others. We may not like their choices in life. We may prefer they change their ways. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t pray and intercede for them, and thank God for them. There are many ways in which we can do so.

If there are people we disagree with, we should first pray that God is leading us in truth and ask God to reveal the truth to them. Without both parties pursuing truth, there can be no reconciliation. We can both pray and intercede for them. While doing so, we should also thank God for them. It is in our disagreement and seeking truth that we grow more mature in God.

Fully believing Jesus is our Savior is a key contributor to how we perceive others, but not the only one. Not only do we need to believe it, we also need to understand what having a Savior means and what He wants us to do with our belief. Simply believing can be selfish. However, if we put our belief in Jesus into action, we will tell others about Him and how He has had an impact on our lives. This is not a “pound them over the head with a Bible,” but our testimony that can be convincing and bring others to Him. This is done not only with words but with actions.

I pray we all believe Jesus is our Savior. I pray we put our belief and faith into action. I pray each one of us will pray for, intercede for, and thank God for everyone we know and encounter through our daily lives. Believe Jesus is your Savior. Put your faith into action. Pray for one another. Intercede for one another. Be thankful for one another.

1 Timothy 2:3-4 This is right and acceptable before God our Savior, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Jesus Riddle

Do you like puzzles? Do you like brainteasers? Are you good at solving riddles? Does pondering them excite you? Does your energy level go up? Or do you get anxious? Do you worry you will be unable to solve it? Do you get embarrassed if you cannot solve a puzzle?

Puzzles, brainteasers, and riddles can be fun, challenging, and worrisome. It depends on the situation in which you need to solve them. If it is merely a game, it’s no big deal. However, if it is part of your job, it can be quite worrisome if you are struggling to solve it.

Jesus through a riddle at the Pharisees. He first asked them whose son the Messiah is. When they answered David’s, he then asked how it could be and quoted Psalm 110:1. As we see in today’s passage, Psalm 110:1, attested to David, calls the Messiah Lord. Now, in the time of David and at the time Jesus walked this earth, no father would ever call his son Lord. The Pharisees could not answer Jesus’ question and no one else bothered to question Him again until it was time for His sham trial and going to the cross.

Before anyone gets flustered or their brain in a twist, Jesus was not implying the Messiah would not be of Davidic lineage. Clearly, He is. His point was to demonstrate that the Pharisees, who thought they were above everyone else, were not quite as well-versed in the Scriptures as they thought they were. The simple answer is, yes, the Messiah is of Davidic lineage, but He is also Divine. Jesus is both fully human and fully God. It is a mystery we cannot explain in great detail. It requires faith.

I pray we all understand the riddle Jesus posed. I pray we believe Jesus is both fully human and fully God. I pray each one of us will put our faith in Jesus, believing He is the Son of God. Understand Jesus’ riddle. Believe Jesus is fully human. Believe Jesus is fully God. Put your faith in Jesus.

Matthew 22:43-45 He said to them, “How is it then that David by the Spirit calls him Lord, saying,

‘The Lord said to my Lord,

“Sit at my right hand,

until I put your enemies under your feet”’?

“If David thus calls him Lord, how can he be his son?”

Perfect Life Filter

Do you sometimes wonder if you are doing the right thing? Have you felt conflicted? Are there times when your heart tells you to do one thing and your mind tells you something different? Would you like to know how you can determine what the right thing is?

Doing the right thing can be a challenge. It is especially hard when we are dealing with people who are trying to take advantage of us or who have wronged us. We may want to lash out at them. Then our hearts tell us that we shouldn’t. How can we determine what is right?

Jesus gives us the filter to use to determine what is right. When asked which commandment was the greatest, Jesus answered profoundly. We often shorten His response to “love God and love neighbor.” There is nothing wrong with shortening it to make it simpler to remember. However, we need to read the rest of what He said. Jesus said all the Law and the Prophets hand on those two commandments. Wow!

Therefore, if we filter everything we do by asking ourselves, “Does this demonstrate our love for God?” and “Does this demonstrate love for our neighbor?”, we can determine whether it is right or not. Simple, right? Oh, no. Well, it might be simple, but it is not easy to do. Our personal feeling start popping up and we do not want to activate this filter. However, if we are going to follow Jesus to the best of our ability, we must discipline ourselves to use this filter.

Jesus didn’t tell us this to make someone else’s life easier or to allow someone else to get away with something. No, He is the ultimate judge. He will determine everyone’s guilt or innocence. Jesus told us this to make our lives easier. It keeps us from living with guilt or remorse. It keeps us from making big mistakes. It allows us to live with a clear conscience. Jesus tells us to use this filter for our own good.

I pray we all listen to and obey Jesus’ commands. I pray we understand these two commandments are for our good. I pray each one of us will enact this filter every day of our lives. Listen to Jesus. Obey Jesus. Understand His commands. Enact Jesus’ filter in every situation.

Matthew 22:37-40 He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”