Be Convicted

Have ever been convicted in your heart? Have you felt overcome with the power of conviction about something? Do you remember what that felt like? Did it move you? Did it put you in motion? Have you felt that way about or within your relationship with God?

Conviction can be a powerful motivator. When we are convicted by a message, it can cause us to take action. Not only action, but a highly motivated action. In many cases, it is a positive action to right a wrong or carry out a good work or simply do the right thing.

Paul writes to the church in Thessalonica that he and those with him had brought a powerful message, the power coming from the Holy Spirit. They didn’t merely speak words, but words filled with power. They spoke words that convicted those who heard them. The power of their words cut through straight to the heart.

We may hear words like that from time-to-time. They may come from a sermon on Sunday morning. They may come at a youth rally. They may come from a friend. When words come from the Holy Spirit, they always come with power and convict the one who hears them.

So, what do we do with those powerful words? Often, they stay with us for a lifetime. They are imprinted on our hearts and minds forever. They are life changing words. We hold onto them. We remember them with fondness. Each time we remember them, we are reinvigorated as if we just heard them for the first time. Think about a message that really touched your heart.

I pray we all listen for those life changing words. I pray we feel the power of the Holy Spirit in a message. I pray each one of us are convicted to follow Jesus through powerful words. Listen for powerful words. Listen for words from the Holy Spirit. Be convicted. Experience a life change.

1 Thessalonians 1:4-5 For we know, brothers and sisters beloved by God, that he has chosen you, because our message of the gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of persons we proved to be among you for your sake.

Thank One Another

Do you have good people in your life? Do you thank them for their work? Do you know of people who are doing good works in your church and community? Have you thanked them for the work they are doing? If you haven’t, it may be time for you to do so.

We often see a lot of negative stories in our daily news. Wars are being fought. People are being displaced. Politicians are arguing amongst themselves and slandering one another. Murders occur in our streets. It seems as though it is one negative after another.

Yet, there is a lot of good being done as well. Hungry people are being fed. Homeless people are being given socks and coats to withstand the coming winter. Children are being adopted. Programs are set up for people with special needs. Bills are being paid for those who had an emergency and would otherwise not be able to pay them. And these are just those we know about.

Good deeds are being done every day. Deeds that go unnoticed, except by the one or two people who are the recipient of them. Someone opens a door for someone they don’t know. A neighbor helps someone repair their vehicle. One student helps another with homework.

Many of these works are being done by Christians. They do them because of their faith in Jesus Christ. They do them out of love for Him. Not only should we all do these good works out of faith, but we should also thank others for their good works. It is by doing these good works in faith that we show Jesus to those who may not know Him. These small acts of kindness may be the seed planted that will bring someone into the kingdom of God.

I pray we all go about doing good works in faith. I pray we thank others who are doing good works. I pray each one of us provide hope to someone else through our acts of kindness. Do good works in faith. Thank others for their good works. Plant a seed. Give someone hope. Show the love of Christ to others.

1 Thessalonians 1:2-3 We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Extol God

Do you know what it is to praise someone? Who do you praise? Who do you lift up? Do you praise your parents? Do you praise your children? Do you hold your praises on the inside? Is it hard for you to praise someone? Do you know what it means to extol someone?

For some people, praising others comes easy. It is as though they are a cheerleader, letting others know just how much they appreciate them. For others, it is difficult to praise someone. It’s not that they do not feel praise in their heart, they just can’t seem to express it.

We are to praise God. Not just praise, but to extol him. To extol God is to praise highly, to laud, to eulogize him. In other words, we are to recognize all that he has done for us and praise him with our entire being. Recognizing what he has done for us can be a challenge. Not that it isn’t apparent, but that our culture attributes everything to hard work or luck, and we fall into that trap.

God has given each one of us at least one talent. He has blessed us with the ability to think, speak, and reason. He has given us physical abilities, even if it is nothing more than the ability to walk. Without these simple, yet extraordinary, gifts, we could not earn a living. We are to praise him for them.

But God did not stop there. He has blessed us with the ability to love, have compassion, show mercy, and be gracious. He willingly gave up his Son for our sake. He rose Jesus on the third day so that we know we, too, will rise again. He has given us salvation, an eternal life with him, where there will be no more tears, sadness, or hatred. He has given us hope. Without hope, we would be lost.

I pray we all extol God. I pray we praise him for the talents and gifts he has given us. I pray each one of us will praise God for the blessings he has given, especially the blessings of salvation and hope. Extol God. Praise him for your gifts. Praise him for your blessings. Trust he will continue to bless you.

Psalm 99:5

Extol the Lord our God; 

worship at his footstool. 

Holy is he!

Bold Before God

Do you consider yourself to be bold? What is the boldest thing you have ever done? Have you surprised yourself with your boldness? Have you asked God to see him face-to-face? What do you think God’s answer would be? Have you read what he told Moses?

We can be bold at times. We may be bold when we get angry enough. We may be bold when we are sure we are correct. Being bold can be good or can be foolish. We may think before we are bold, or we may jump out on that limb without thinking.

Moses was bold, very bold. He may have put some thought into it, or he may have simply got caught up in the moment. Regardless, he asked God to see his glory. In other words, he asked to see God face-to-face in all his majesty. Moses was, in effect, asking to see God as he is in heaven. He was asking to see God in all his righteousness.

God was gracious with Moses. He didn’t scold him or punish him. In fact, God agreed to show Moses his glory in part. He allowed Moses to see his glory from behind. Even at seeing God’s glory in that way, I’m sure Moses was in awe. But that brings a question to mind. How big is your God?

God tells Moses that as he passes by, he will put his hand over Moses so he will not be able to see God’s face. That simple image tells us that God’s hand is larger than a human. Of course, that is a simple image, and we know God is far larger than that, but it gives us a glimpse at how awesome God is.

God also states that he will show grace and mercy to those he desires to show them to. That may sound a little presumptuous. However, we must remember that God can see into our hearts. He knows our thoughts better than we do. He knows what we will do before we do. God is far better at deciding who to show grace and mercy to.

I pray we all come to realize how awesome God is. I pray we see his glory in our minds eye. I pray each one of us have a heart that God will choose to show grace and mercy to. Know that God is awesome. Be in awe of him. Have a heart for God. Accept his grace and mercy.

Exodus 33:18-19 Moses said, “Show me your glory, I pray.” And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim before you the name, ‘The Lord’; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.”

God’s Presence

Are there situations you face that you wish you had someone to go with you? Are there times you wish you had someone to give you courage? Do you grow weary and tired? Do you desire rest, true rest for your whole body, mind, and soul? Do you know where you can receive it?

We all face situation in which we wish we had someone by our side to lend us some extra courage and strength. It is in those difficult situations that we reach out for someone to assist us. After facing enough of those situations, we grow weary and tired.

When we grow weary and tired enough, we finally hit rock bottom. We find there is nowhere else to turn. We do not know how we will carry on. Our minds race until there is nothing left to think about it. There is only one thing to do. We must turn to the only one who can pull us out of the pit—God.

Moses had come to this point. He was worn out leading the Israelites. He had been their leader, judge, organizer, and the one they blamed when things went wrong. They complained to him. They asked him why God led them to the desert. They yelled at him. He was at or near the end of his rope. He cried out to God.

God told Moses that he would go with him. He told Moses he would give him rest. God will do the same for us. When we truly cry out to him with our heart, he will answer. He is not looking for people who merely want a brief respite from their misery. He wants people who realize they cannot do it on their own, they need God to be with them every moment of every day.

I pray we all cry out to God with our heart. I pray we know that God will answer. I pray each one of us will seek God’s divine assist and receive the rest he desires to give us. Give your situation over to God. Cry out to him from your heart. Know that he will answer you. Know that God will give you rest.

Exodus 33:14 He said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

Chosen

Do you sometimes feel as though you have been left alone? Do you feel like you are fighting an uphill battle? Do you feel abandoned? Or do you feel called? Do you feel chosen?

There are times when this world can feel like a foreign place to us. We may feel as though we are all alone. We may feel like we have been left on an island by ourselves. We may feel as though the battle of life is simply too much.

Though we may feel like that at times, as people who have answered the call of Christ, we can be assured that we are not alone. We know Jesus promised to never leave us. We know He promised the Holy Spirit. And yet that intellectual knowledge can seem distant or hollow.

Jesus states that we are chosen. Chosen by Him. Since we are chosen, not only is He always with us but we have brothers and sisters in Christ who are with us as well. We are part of a larger family, even if we sometimes forget.

As the chosen, God desires us to be in closer relationship with him. He desires that we show the world who he is. He desires us to tell the world of his Son. As we become closer to God and carry out his will for our lives, we discover we are far from being alone. We discover the family of God and enter into a new understanding of how God is working all around us.

I pray we all realize we have been chosen. I pray we know in our heart that we are not abandoned. I pray each one of us grows closer to God and works to carry out his plan. Know you have not been abandoned. Know that God is always with you. Know that God has chosen you.

Matthew 11:14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Wedding Banquet

What do you think of when you think of the kingdom of heaven? Do you think of a place? Do you think of angels with wings? Do you think of golden streets? Do you think of God sitting on a throne? Have you ever considered it being like a wedding banquet?

We have seen a variety of portrayals of heaven in paintings. Many of us have our own images of heaven based on descriptions we have heard or read. We see images given to us in the Bible. All those pictures are beautiful, awe inspiring, and maybe a little nostalgic.

But do we typically think of it as a wedding banquet or party? I venture to say most of us do not. So, let’s give it a try. There are elaborate table settings. There are all kinds of food dishes, including more delicacies than we could ever think of eating. The sweetest wine we can imagine. There is laughing, talking, and an abundance of joy. Then we look to the head table and there sits God, our host.

I know some may not think about it, but I’m guessing there will be dancing, too. After all, David danced when he was able to bring the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem. I don’t know what kind of music will be playing. Perhaps we will hear our favorite music much like the people heard the apostles in their own language on Pentecost.

What I trust as the truth is it will be a banquet unlike any here on earth. If not, I don’t believe Jesus would have compared it to a wedding banquet, which was the most elaborate banquet most people within His hearing would have experienced. It will surpass any banquet we experience in our lifetimes.

I pray we all see the kingdom of heaven as a wedding banquet. I pray we see God as our host. I pray each one of us will look forward to the biggest and best party we have ever experienced. Look forward to THE wedding banquet. Know it will be better than anything here on earth. Trust God will be our host.

Matthew 22:2 “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son.”

Positive Thinking

What do you think about? Do you think about the next task on your task list? Do you think about bills that you do not how you will pay. Do you think about what will be for dinner? Do you think about nothing at all? Do you know what you should be thinking about?

If you are like me, there are always several different things that are running through your mind. It seems my mind never shuts down. To-do’s run through it. Questions come to mind. Wondering what some people think they are doing. And sometimes dwelling on deep thoughts.

Our brains are amazing organs. It is estimated that our brains can store 2.5 petabytes of data. A petabyte is a million gigabytes. By comparison, the hard drive of the laptop I am writing this devotional on only stores 250 gigabytes. Not only that, but our bodies send 1.3 million bytes of information to our brains per second for processing. Amazing!

But what should we think about? The Apostle Paul tells us what we should think about. Notice the list he provides is all positive. They are thoughts of good things. It is real positive thinking, not simply the type of positive thinking to try to pump yourself up. It is focusing on what is good and pure. It is focusing on the things of God.

By thinking as Paul tells us to think, we remove the negative thoughts that can bring us down. We remove fear and anxiety, replacing it with excellence and praise. Changing our way of thinking, focusing on God and his awesome power doesn’t remove reality, but it changes our outlook on reality. Let’s start changing our thought process.

I pray we all focus on the things of God. I pray we think positively as Paul instructs us to do. I pray each one of us will begin to change our way of thinking and continue the change for a lifetime. Think about God. Be a real positive thinker. Change your way of thinking.

Philippians 4:8 Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Rejoice and Be Gentle

What does rejoicing mean to you? What does it look like? What does it feel like? Is it something you do every day? Are you gentle? Or are you rash, excitable, or over bearing? Do you know what it means to be gentle? Do you know that God is near?

We typically think of rejoicing as being happy about something. And honestly, that is a good way to think of it. Unfortunately, we get caught up in the day-to-day happenings and forget we have a reason to rejoice every day. How would our days go if we were to rejoice each morning when we wake up?

If we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, if we have given our lives to Him, we have reason for rejoicing. We have a promise of spending eternity with Him. That is something to be joyful about. It is something we can look forward to every day. We also have the promise that He will never leave us. He is always with us. Therefore, we can rejoice that He is with as we go through our day no matter what happens.

What does it mean to be gentle? The word translated as gentleness in today’s passage can also be translated as considerate. Being considerate of others can be a challenge sometimes. Yet, we want others to be considerate of us. Being considerate takes a little effort. Rather immediately jumping to conclusions or being judgmental of others, we need to take time to think about why they did something we disapprove. Looking at it from every angle we can think of will help us be considerate toward others. We may still disapprove, but we can do so with a gentle and understanding spirit. We can explain why their reasoning was faulty.

Finally, we must remember Jesus is always with us. That means He is with us when we rejoice and when we are sad. He is with us when we are considerate and when we are being judgmental. He is with us when we wake up, giving us reason to start our day rejoicing.

I pray we all rejoice in the Lord each morning when we wake up. I pray we are considerate of others, just as we want them to be considerate of us. I pray each one of us remember Jesus is always with us. Rejoice every day. Be considerate of others. Know that Jesus is always with you.

Philippians 4:4-5 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.

Balance of Life

How is your praising? Do you sing praises to God on a daily basis? Or do you mope around depressed? Do you give God the glory for your accomplishments? Or do you snag all the honor for yourself? Do you return God’s love? Or do you forget he loves you?

In all our busyness, we often forget about God. We are on the go, talking to people, performing tasks, going places, rarely having any quiet time. Often, we are going and doing to obtain praise from others or to feel accepted by others. We are seeking to fill a void in our lives.

Being as busy as we are is not healthy. Our health is like a three-legged stool. One leg is our physical health. We may attempt to take care of ourselves physically by eating healthy and exercising. The second leg is our mental health. We have seen a rise in awareness of mental health. We are seeing mental illnesses that used to be a reason to put someone into an asylum now being treated in better ways.

The third leg is spiritual health. Unfortunately, this is where we fall short. Attendance in our churches is in decline. There are fewer people attending worship services in our country now than there has been in decades. Without the third leg of the stool, the stool cannot stand. If we are not healthy in all three areas, our lives are out of whack.

Those of us who are Christian, who attend worship services regularly, who read and study our Bibles need to be the example and the encouragers to others to bring their lives into balance. We need to spread the gospel of Jesus. We need to praise God for his love for us. We need to stand firm in our faith.

I pray we all seek balance in all three areas of our lives. I pray we praise God for his love and care for us. I pray each one of us will be the example and encourager to others to attend to spiritual health. Praise God. Know that he loves you. Be the example. Encourage others. Seek balance in your life.

Psalm 106:1

Praise the Lord! 

O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; 

for his steadfast love endures forever.