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.”

Abound in Love

What are you seeking to increase? What would you like to be better at? How would you like to improve your attitude and behavior? Have you thought about increasing your love for others? Have you thought about abounding with love for family, friends, and everyone you meet?

Each of us can improve our attitudes and behaviors. Even those who think they have reached the peak of perfection. Perhaps especially them. We may admit we are not perfect, yet we do not continue pursuing it. Think about how much better the world would be if we did.

Perhaps the most important area we can improve is love. Not simply saying we love but putting our love into action. The word for love in today’s passage also include benevolence. Being willing to help one another and those in need is an expression of love. It is an expression of not only our love but the love of Christ that comes through us.

But increasing our love to the point of abounding in it is a big step…or several big steps. Abounding in love would mean that it pours out of us at all times. It is a sacrificial love that always puts others ahead of ourselves. It is being the hands and feet of Jesus. It is being the mouthpiece of Jesus. It is lifting up others when they are down. It is providing for the needs of others, whether emotional, spiritual, or physical.

Abounding in love is not for the faint of heart. It is tough to love some people. It is tough to sacrifice for others all the time. Yet, abounding in love is being like Jesus. He demonstrated to us what it means to sacrifice for others. He left a place that is perfect in all aspects to come to a place full of imperfection to save sinners all over the world—past, present, and future. Choose to be like Jesus. Choose to abound in love.

I pray we all seek to improve our love for one another. I pray we seek to abound in love for others. I pray each one of us will seek to be like Jesus and demonstrate His love to others. Love one another. Love everyone you meet. Be like Jesus. Demonstrate His love.

1 Thessalonians 3:12 And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you.

Increase Others Faith

Do you earnestly seek to see people you care about? Do you long to strengthen their faith? Are you continually praying for them? Do you plan to visit with them and provide what they need to hear to increase their faith? Would you want someone to do that for you?

It can be challenging to speak to others about our faith. Yet, when we know people whose faith has slipped a little, it can be easier to speak to them. We know they believe in God. We know they are struggling. The challenge is determining what they need to hear in their current situation.

Notice what the Apostle Paul tells the church in Thessalonica. He earnestly wants to see them in person. He wants to restore their faith. He wants to build them up. How does he prepare for this task? He prays day and night. He prays continually. The people in Thessalonica are continually on his mind.

When we care about others, especially those whose faith is lacking, they should be on our mind continually. We should pray for them. We should pray that God guide us in what to say to help build up their faith. We should listen for the Holy Spirit to speak to us. We should follow God’s lead when encouraging them.

On the other hand, we should simply pound them over the head with facts or telling them what they should do. They will be much more willing to listen if we first show we care for them. We should first listen to their story. Ask what is going on in their lives. Praying before our conversation with them is wise. Ask God to guide you throughout the conversation. When we show we care, we are more likely to get the other person to listen.I pray we all seek to help others increase their faith.

I pray we show them we care about them. I pray each one of us spend time in prayer and listen for the Holy Spirit to guide us. Seek to help others. Seek to increase their faith. Show you care about them. Spend time in prayer. Listen for the Holy Spirit.

1 Thessalonians 3:10 Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you face to face and restore whatever is lacking in your faith.

Leader and Mentor

Have had good leaders in your life? Have you had good mentors? Were they appointed to be your leader or mentor? Or were they people you looked up to because of how they carried themselves? Are you a mentor for someone? Are you a leader of others?

Good leaders and mentors are hard to find. There are many who are promoted into various levels of management, but they are not necessarily leaders. Managers are responsible for managing people to accomplish tasks. They may or may not be a leader who leads people.

I was taught leadership traits and principles during my time in the Marine Corps. They are as much about moral fortitude as they are about completing a mission. What the Marine Corps figured out long ago is that a leader with good morals who seeks the best for those they lead will be able to accomplish the mission. Why? When people believe their leader has the best interest at heart, they will do whatever is required by the leader.

Though we cannot see God physically, the same principle applies. God has our best interest at heart. Just as we might follow a human leader who cares for us, we should follow God for the same reason. Not only does God lead the way but he is our mentor as well, just like a good human leader is a mentor. God is continually teaching us, if we are willing to learn.

To follow God fully, we must humble ourselves before him, just as we submit to good human leadership. God does not expect our humility to cause us to never question, rather to question with an open mind and be willing to follow even if not given an answer. There are times when trusting God and following him is all we can do. So, choose to be humble and follow the pathway God has set before you.

I pray we all see God as our mentor and leader. I pray we know that God has our best interest at heart. I pray each one of us will humble ourselves before God and follow his path for us. God is your mentor. God is your leader. God cares about you. Follow God’s path for you.

Psalm 25:8-10

Good and upright is the Lord; 

therefore he instructs sinners in the way. 

He leads the humble in what is right, 

and teaches the humble his way. 

All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, 

for those who keep his covenant and his decrees.

Continual Learning

Who are you learning from? Are you learning anything at all? Have you come to believe you already know all you need to know? Do you think you are too old to learn? Why should you continue to learn? Will you choose to learn from God?

Learning should be a life-long activity. There is not a single person alive who knows it all. Those we may consider to be the smartest people are people who continue to learn. They have discovered the more they learn the more they realize how much they do not know.

It is especially important that we continue to learn about God and from God. It may seem odd to state we should learn from God. However, we learn from him by reading and studying his Word. We also learn through the Holy Spirit who reveals the meaning of God’s Word to us. What needs to happen for us to learn? We must be willing to learn, rather than think we already know it.

Having an open mind, searching to know more, seeking a deeper understanding is key to learning. We can get a deeper understanding by using scholarly books such as commentaries written by those who have studied the original languages and can provide insight into the meaning of the words used. Translations are good for a basic level of understanding but can hinder a deeper understanding.

One example of this is our English word love. We use that word in a number of situations to mean different types of love. Yet, when Jesus speaks to Peter about love and feeding His sheep in John 21:15-19, Jesus is using one word for love and Peter another. Peter is speaking of a friendship love while Jesus is speaking of unconditional love. Peter speaks of generally caring for others. Jesus is speaking of sacrificing for others.

There are many more examples of a deeper meaning being expressed in God’s Word within the original language. We do not need to know the original language. We can gain a deeper understanding by reading commentaries or using a concordance and dictionaries. Bottom line, continue to learn from God’s Word and God.

I pray we all seek to continue to learn. I pray we strive to gain a deeper understanding of God’s Word. I pray each one of us open our minds and listen for the Holy Spirit to reveal the meaning of God’s Word. Open your mind. Listen for the Holy Spirit. Seek a deeper understanding. Continue to learn.

Psalm 25:4-5

Make me to know your ways, O Lord; 

teach me your paths. 

Lead me in your truth, and teach me, 

for you are the God of my salvation; 

for you I wait all day long.