God’s Justice

Do you seek justice? Do you seek for your oppressors to be dealt with? Do you desire the outcast to be gathered and saved? Do you desire to see the lame, sick, and injured to be healed? Do you want your shame to be removed and replaced with praise?

All people seek for justice. However, each of them have their own view of what that justice is. Sometimes, their view of justice comes down to what they want or what works in their favor. God’s justice is pure and is dealt at God’s bidding, not by anyone else.

Not many of us are considered outcast. That may be part of our problem. We have acclimated to the culture of our world rather than the culture of God. If we were following Jesus fully, we would be the outcast the prophet Zephaniah speaks of. Then we would be gathered to God.

Most of us would like to see everyone we know who is sick or injured to be healed. We care for them, and we may desire they be healed for our sake as well. Yet, whether it is selfishness or a genuine desire for others to be healed, God will ultimately heal all of them.

The shame Zephaniah speaks of us not the shame we might think of. The shame we think of are things we are ashamed of and would prefer they are never spoken about. Zephaniah is speaking of the shame of professing God, which others will attempt to shame us for, but God will turn it into praise.

The prophet Zephaniah is prophesying what will happen when Jesus returns to take His followers to be with Him forever. Zephaniah did not know Jesus’ name. He did know God and knew his prophecy was God speaking of his coming to set things right and execute his justice for his people. It is a promise we can hold onto today.

I pray we all evaluate how well we are following Jesus. I pray we trust God will fulfill the promises he made through prophecy. I pray each one of us know God’s justice will be served. Choose to follow Jesus. Trust God to fulfill his prophecy. Know that God’s justice will be served.

Zephaniah 3:19

I will deal with all your oppressors 

at that time. 

And I will save the lame 

and gather the outcast, 

and I will change their shame into praise 

and renown in all the earth.

God is Your Salvation

Do you trust anyone to the point that you have no fear? Is there someone who you believe can handle every situation? Are you completely unafraid in their presence? Do you believe in their strength? Do you believe they can save you no matter what may happen?

There are some people we believe are invincible. They never seem to fail. They have strength, intelligence, and a knack for coming out on top regardless of the situation. They make us feel safe when we are in their presence. Our fears are relieved for a short period of time.

Yet, we are not in their presence every moment of every day. When we are away from them, our fears creep back into our minds. We must remember there is someone else who is always with us and can handle any situation. We have the Holy Spirit living inside us. God has promised to always be with us and has delivered on that promise.

Jesus is called Emmanuel, God with us. He is our strength, if we will accept Him. He is our might, if we will lean on Him. He will relieve our fears, if we will trust Him. Jesus is our salvation, if we will put our faith in Him. God, who is with us, knows our fears, knows our needs, and is the one will guide us, protect us, and save us.

I pray we all know God is with us. I pray we trust God to handle any situation we find ourselves in. I pray each one of us will lean on God for our strength and for our salvation. God is with you. God can handle your situation. God will relieve you of your fears. Put your trust in God. Lean on him. Put your faith in Jesus.

Isaiah 12:2

Surely God is my salvation; 

I will trust, and will not be afraid, 

for the Lord God is my strength and my might; 

he has become my salvation.

Way of Peace

What is your viewpoint of peace? Is it the absence of an argument, chaos, fighting, or war? Or is it more than that? Is peace something you strive for? Do you work to obtain not only peace with others but an inner peace for yourself?

Many people have many different viewpoints of peace. Those in the midst of a war-torn nation long for a peace that means the bombs are no longer falling and the guns are no longer firing. Those dealing with relationship issues simply view peace as having no more arguments. Still others long for peace without the chaos.

Though all of those versions of peace are good, they cannot be the end of our longing. We are to continue to long for the inner peace that only God can provide. We can even have that inner peace in the midst of strife. We see example after example of it demonstrated by the apostles in the book of Acts and the letters they wrote.

Jesus has promised us the inner peace we all long for, whether we know we long for it or not. We obtain it by putting our belief, trust, and faith in Him. When we finally grasp that God is in control, not us, the inner peace we long for begins to find its way into our hearts. When we finally understand the depth of God’s grace, we find peace.

The peace we desire includes external peace in our world. But the inner peace we long for is not dependent on the external peace. Our inner peace is solely dependent upon our trusting in God.

I pray we all desire both external and inner peace. I pray we understand that God is in control. I pray each one of us will find the peace we desire by putting our faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord. Seek peace in our world. Seek inner peace. Know that only God can give you inner peace.

Luke 1:78-79 By the tender mercy of our God, 

the dawn from on high will break upon us, 

to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, 

to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

A Child’s Purpose

Have you ever wondered what your children will grow up to be? Have you thought about the profession they will choose? Have you wondered if they would do something of prominence? Would they be an average person? Have you trusted them to God’s plan?

We often worry about our children. We try to steer them toward success. We may allow them to choose their own profession but do all we can to help them along the way. There is nothing inherently wrong with wanting our children to do well. However, God’s plan is better than ours.

Unlike us, Zechariah knew who John would become from the time Gabriel gave him the news he and Elizabeth would have a son. Zechariah may have doubted initially, but he had come to believe Gabriel’s message with his whole heart. He prophesied via the Holy Spirit that John would be the one who went before Jesus to prepare the way. John would not only fulfill his father’s prophecy but prophecy of Old Testament prophets.

Though we may not have the clarity about the purpose of our child in the same way Zechariah had, we can know with certainty that God has a plan for our children. One of our purposes is to guide them along that path. We are to teach them about God. We are to teach them to rely on God. Teaching about God without teaching to rely on God may quickly end in failure.

If we are wondering why so many young people leave the church, perhaps we should ask if they were taught to rely on God. Just like Zechariah and Elizabeth must have taught John God’s ways and to rely on him, we must teach our children. We must ingrain in them that God has a purpose for them, just like he did for John, even if it is a different purpose. When people have a purpose in life, they are more engaged and productive.

I pray we all know that God has a purpose for our lives. I pray we choose to teach our children about God and to rely on God. I pray we teach our children to seek their purpose in life from God. God has a purpose for you. Teach your children about God. Teach your children to rely on God. Help your children find their purpose in God.

Luke 1:76-77

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;

for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, 

to give knowledge of salvation to his people 

by the forgiveness of their sins.

Honor God

How seriously do you take an oath? Do you honor a contract you have signed? Are willing to show mercy if your child is disobedient? If your child was in trouble, would you come to their rescue? Have you considered how God has answered these questions?

We may take an oath very seriously. The oath I took each time I enlisted or re-enlisted in the Marine Corps was an oath I took very seriously. Taking an oath as a witness in a court should be taken very seriously. Simply being honest and telling the truth should be taken seriously.

When we sign a contract, whether to buy a house, buy a car, or for a job, we should honor it. Most of us are willing to show our children mercy, but we may not be so quick to show mercy to an outsider. Not showing mercy is how arguments and fights begin. That doesn’t mean we never discipline our children or don’t hold people accountable. But mercy can be an effective way warding off an argument.

What one of us would not come to our child’s rescue if they were in need? We are willing to put aside our wants, desires, and sometimes our needs to help our children. We do not want to see our children suffer and will do almost anything to keep them from suffering.

God does all of this better than any of us can. His mercy is shed on us daily. Our faults are not turned a blind eye to, rather they are noted, and God works to correct them as long as we are willing. He honors his covenant that was made through his Son. He keeps his promises. He has rescued us from the punishment we deserve.

God did all of this so that we might worship him in holiness. Through Jesus Christ, we are made holy and can appear before a holy God. We are righteous because of God’s mercy and grace through Jesus. Rather than taking advantage of that, we should honor God in return through obedience and submission.

I pray we all recognize God’s mercy in our lives. I pray we know that God keeps his promises. I pray each one of us knows we are holy and righteous before God because of Jesus Christ. See God’s mercy. Know he honors his covenant. Trust God keeps his promises. Know you have been rescued. You are holy and righteous before God. Honor him in obedience and submission.

Luke 1:72-75

Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors, 

and has remembered his holy covenant, 

the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham, 

to grant us that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies, 

might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness 

before him all our days.

Bless God

Have you experienced a significant revelation? Have you had an ah-ha moment? Has there been a time when suddenly the light bulb turned on? Was there an event that triggered your revelation? Did you believe it to be coincidence? Or did you give the credit to God?

There are times when the pieces come together, and we finally see the full picture. It may be a specific portion of our job. It may be a home project we are working on. It may be a class we are taking. No matter what or where it is, the light bulb comes on and we understand.

When it is a revelation from God, it may include a significant event. That is what happened to Zechariah. He had been visited by Gabriel, an angel, who had told him his wife Elizabeth was going to have a son. Zechariah and Elizabeth had both been praying for a child for many years, and both were now elderly. They both thought they were beyond childbearing.

When their son, John the Baptist, was born, Zechariah had a revelation. Though he was a priest, he had doubted that God could give them a child. But Zechariah now believed more deeply than he ever thought was possible. He knew that God’s Messiah was soon coming into the world. He knew his son was part of God’s amazing plan. He blessed God in his amazement.

We, too, should bless God. We may not experience a significant event or revelation like Zechariah. Yet, we can open our eyes and ears to see and hear God working all around us every day. It is not a matter of if God is at work, but whether we take notice of his work. So, seek to notice God’s hand at work today and every day, and bless God for opening your eyes and working in your life.

I pray we all seek to open our eyes to see God at work. I pray we seek to better understand how God is working. I pray each one of us will bless God for his work in our lives and our world. Open your eyes. Open your ears. See God at work in your life. See God at work in the world. Bless God for his work.

Luke 1:68

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, 

for he has looked favorably on his people and redeemed them.”

Pray for Love to Overflow

What do you regularly pray for? Do you pray for your family and friends? Do you pray for good health or healing? Do you pray for a new job or new relationship? Do you pray for the attitudes of others to change? Do you pray that love overflows in everyone you know?

Prayer is a vital part of our walk with God. It is through prayer that we communicate to God our desires. When we are quiet in our prayers, we may hear God speak to us. What we pray for is important. Not just important to us, but important to God as well.

The Apostle Paul tells the church in Philippi that he is praying for them. His specific requests for them includes asking that their love overflows and that they gain knowledge and insights. He desires that they determine what is best based on the knowledge and insights they acquire and the love they have for one another.

Our prayers can be very similar to Paul’s. We should pray that everyone we know overflows with the love of God. We should also pray they gain knowledge and insights. Specifically, knowledge and insights into the will of God. The more we know about the will of God and the deeper we are in his love, the better our decision-making will be.

What is the result? A harvest of righteousness. Not that it comes from us, but that it comes from Jesus. What is the purpose? To give God the glory and to praise him. That is our purpose in this life. Oh, there will be professions we work at. But our main purpose in life is to praise God and bring him the glory. The more we seek to do that, the better we will be.

I pray we all spend time in prayer to God. I pray we pray for one another to grow in knowledge of God. I pray each one of us will pray that God’s love grows in one another so we may praise God and give him the glory. Spend time in prayer. Grow in knowledge. Love one another. Praise God. Give God the glory.

Philippians 1:9-11 And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.

Confidence in God

What are you confident in? Are you confident in your own abilities? Are you confident in the ability of others? Are you convinced you can complete what you started? Have you ever failed? Has someone failed you? Would you like to have confidence in someone who will not fail?

Confidence can put us over the top to accomplish something we might otherwise fail at. It may be our confidence in ourselves that allows us to overachieve. Yet confidence can progress into cockiness. Cockiness can lead us to failure. There is a balance needed to be successful.

There is one who we can be confident in. There is a task we can be confident he will finish. We can be confident in God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We can be confident that his work will be completed. When he starts his work on us, changing us into the person he designed us to be, he will complete his work.

It is true that we must be willing. But God can turn around the life of even the most hardened criminal. Just look at what God did with many of the people in the Bible. The Apostle Paul was persecuting the church and among those who were yelling for Stephen’s death in Acts 7 and 8. God turned him around and he became one of the most active apostles, planting many churches.

God has worked many good works in this world. Jesus died to save the world from its sin. The Holy Spirit moves throughout the earth and takes up residence in each of us. The Father has a plan and remains in control of executing his plan regardless of how mankind acts. So, we can put our confidence in God. We can believe that he will complete the work he has started.

I pray we all put our confidence in God. I pray we open our eyes to see him working in this world. I pray each one of us is willing to follow God’s plan for our life. Put your confidence in God. Believe the Father is in control. Believe Jesus died for you. Believe the Holy Spirit will guide you. Know that God will complete his plan.

Philippians 1:6 I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ.

Messenger of the Covenant

Do you believe in fate? Do you believe in things that are meant to be? Do you believe the prophecies of God? Do you believe they will come to pass just as he intends them to be? If you do, how has believing in them changed your life? Will it change your life still?

Many people will say they believe in fate. But they usually say that after something has happened. Rarely does someone say they believe in fate before something happens. Why? It takes faith to believe. It takes faith to hold onto to something you believe.

If we believe in the prophecies of God, we must hold onto them every day. We must trust God will fulfill his prophecies. When he says he will do something, we should believe it will happen. No one keeps the foretelling of his prophecies like God. When he says something will happen in the future, he will carry them out.

God prophesied through Malachi that he would send a messenger to prepare his way. That messenger was John the Baptist. But the messenger of the covenant what not John. It was Jesus Christ. The One who came and instituted the new covenant. He was the One in whom God the Father delighted.

Just as Jesus came before, He will come again. When He returns no one will be able to stand before Him. Everyone will kneel in submission to Him. Those who have accepted Him as their Lord and Savior will be taken into eternal glory with Him. Those who have opposed Him will be sent to eternal punishment. We wait for that day to come.

I pray we all believe in God’s prophecies. I pray we believe he will make them to come to pass. I pray each one of us believe Jesus has come, will come again, and have accepted Him as Lord and Savior. Believe God’s prophecies. Believe his prophecies will come to pass. Accept Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Malachi 3:1-2a See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight—indeed, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?

Redemption is Near

How do you view your redemption? Is it something you take for granted? Is it something you look forward to? Is it something you already have? Would knowing you have been redeemed change the way you approach your life? How so?

For those of us who have chosen to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we have been redeemed. Yet, we live in the “in between” of what has been accomplished and what is yet to be done. So, in some ways we are both redeemed and yet look forward to it.

When Jesus died on the cross for our sins, we were redeemed. Yet, as He told His apostles, “your redemption is near,” He also indicated it was to come at some point in the future. Reading the few verses prior to today’s passage, we see that Jesus states the heavens will shake and there is a foreboding over the earth.

Jesus states some will faint from fear as the earth is in distress. There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars. The ocean will roar. All of creation will groan at His second coming. When He comes the second time, our redemption will be complete. We will no longer live in a broken world where sin continues but live in a perfect world where sin no longer exists.

Though we have been redeemed, in so far as we have confidence our sins are forgiven, we continue to battle those sins. As we live in this “in between” we continue to wait for the promised eternal life that is to come. When it does come, we will praise God for his wonderful plan.

I pray we all know we have been redeemed. I pray we look toward the completion of our redemption. I pray each one of us will wait with patience for the second coming of our Lord and Savior. You have been redeemed. Look to your redemption being complete. Patiently wait for Jesus return.

Luke 21:28 “Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”